《Lord Of The World: I Become The Lord Of The Desert From The Start》 Chapter 1 thank you for your tips. thank you for your support. i appreciate it a lot. ****** i¡¯m dreaming ¡ª 4,500 starting points where can i live ¡ª 2,000 starting points kagura ji ji ¡ª 1,600 starting points green lotus mantra ¡ª 1,000 starting points walking devil ¡ª 600 starting points taoist priest of qingfeng kiln ¡ª 400 starting points broken soul ¡ª 200 starting points mo wen asked the stars in the sky ¡ª 200 starting points deer man jia ¡ª 200 starting points green leaf ig ¡ª 200 starting points deep alley large ¡ª 200 starting points night moon qr ¡ª 100 starting points passing flame ¡ª 100 starting points lonely record holder ¡ª 100 starting points book friend 20170210195715606 ¡ª 100 starting points water emperor and lich king ¡ª 100 starting points my goal is the universe ¡ª 100 starting points di hanfeng ¡ª 100 starting points ghost apostle ¡ª 100 starting points book friend 20210301105255628568 ¡ª 100 starting points save youdian ¡ª 100 starting points wu jieyan ¡ª 100 starting points ****** i hope the next story won¡¯t disappoint people. thank you again~ Chapter 2 [ding~ the ¡°shining era¡± has officially started. transmigration has been selected: blue star¡­the transmigration has begun.] [ding~ the transmigration has been completed. the number of participants this time is 20 billion.] [welcome to the ¡®shining era¡¯.] [divine gods govern over this world. they practice magic, alchemy, and everything you can think of.] [everyone can become lords and participate in the war among empires¡­] [every lord will be randomly given an initial military lair. you can use resources to recruit soldiers and build a troop.] [the resources, troops, lairs, heroes, and treasures are the five most important resources in this glorious universe. please explore them on your own.] [everything is possible. you may choose to live or die. you may either remain impoverished or aim for the crown. you may pursue the demonic path or ignite the celestial fire. you can even become immortal¡­] richard, who had just finished work, heard the mechanical voice in his ears. before he could react, a dizzying feeling overtook him. when he opened his eyes again, a rough-looking hall appeared before him. there were twelve evenly distributed stone pillars supporting a tall sunken roof. the gray stone wall looked as though they were hundreds of years old. there were more than ten chairs around the long black table in the middle. a thick layer of dust was gathering on it. with a single swipe, a mark would form. the left and right sides had two large wooden windows. they were not covered by glass. the dazzling light shone in from the outside. everything in the room became clearly visible. the whole atmosphere was indescribably strange. only then did richard regain his senses. when he thought of the information he had just heard, he was extremely shocked. the ¡°shining era¡± is the first virtual game that the top ten game developers in the world have jointly developed! ¡°what¡¯s going on?! did the game fuse with reality?¡± he was even in a rush to go home after work earlier. after all, the game had been promoted for several years, and it was finally going to be released for public testing in the evening. this time, the world should have publicly tested it. but wasn¡¯t this too ridiculous?! at this moment, the mechanical voice he had just heard rang in his ears again. [ding~ you have randomly entered a desert lair and drawn the base of the initial troop ¡ª mummy pyramid (normal 3 stars).] [ding~ you have become a desert lord. your bloodline has begun to awaken. you have gained a special talent for growth ¡ª desert lord (current level: c).] along with the notification sound, an attribute panel appeared in richard¡¯s mind. [richard] [level: 1(0/100)] [identity: lord of twilight city] [camp: desert camp (neutral)] [territory: twilight city (level 1 village)] [troop lair: mummy pyramid (normal 3-stars)] [talent: desert lord ¡ª special growth talent (current level: c). you are the master of the desert. you can predict the arrival of the sandstorm, and you have mastered the desertification ability.] [desertification: c-rank ¡ª it can turn the body into sand and reduce 99% of physical damage received. it will devour sand to recover from injuries. it can last for 10 minutes. (cooldown time: 1 hour).] [you can bestow your strength to the troops you recruit. effect: your subordinates will receive the d-rank skill ¡ª desertification.] [desertification: d-rank ¡ª it can turn the body into sand and reduce 99% of physical damage received. it will devour sand to recover from injuries. it can last for 5 minutes. (cooldown time: 2 hours).] [strategic treasure: none] [description: you are just a desert lord with some special abilities. other than that, there is nothing extraordinary.] richard looked at his attribute panel a few times. he had a subtle expression on his face. was an extremely rare growth-type skill randomly introduced on the official website? this attribute seemed to be pretty good as well¡­ after taking a few deep breaths, richard finally suppressed the shock in his heart. his eyes revealed a complicated expression. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a thing after only working for half a year. the merging of the game and the real world is simply ridiculous. fortunately, i¡¯m full and my family isn¡¯t hungry, so i have nothing to worry about¡­¡± as a young man with a big heart who had been baptized by all kinds of strange knowledge, he quickly adjusted his current state of mind. no matter how he played here, the real world was just more realistic. richard¡¯s eyes revealed some excitement. he had been yearning for the game ¡°shining era¡± for a long time. ever since this project was announced, richard had been thinking about it. he had read the public information countless times. now, it could be considered that his wish had come true¡­but the process was a bit terrifying. what were his territory and military base like then? richard left the hall with a heart full of anticipation. he stepped out of the door. there was a courtyard outside the hall. the flat ground was paved with bluestone. the gray stone wall outside, which was more than three meters high, blocked a part of his vision. looking at the sky, richard could see an endless blue color. it was clear and transparent. the air, however, was slightly dry. his breathing made him slightly uncomfortable. richard glanced around, and his gaze was quickly drawn to a three-meter-tall pyramid in the corner of the front yard. the ancient and simple pyramid looked rugged. it was as if it was formed after countless years of being blown by the wind. richard stepped forward and looked carefully. afterward, the attributes of the building appeared in his mind. [mummy pyramid] [level: normal 3-stars] [recruit type: mummy (normal 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 14] [weekly output]: 7] [recruitment requirements: 4 gold coins, 4 units of wood, 4 units of stone] [description: an ordinary desert troop¡¯s lair.] was this the troop¡¯s lair? richard was in high spirits. just when he thought this was everything, a translucent line of text appeared at the bottom of the attribute panel. [black gold system is activated¡­] [the activation is successful.] [mummy pyramid (normal 3-stars) ¡ª 10 normal desert troop¡¯s lair can upgrade it to elite 3-stars.] richard was shocked as his eyes widened. black gold system? wasn¡¯t this the system of a single-player game that he had played before? that game was developed by a friend of his, and he asked richard to try it out. however, due to the difficulty of the game, richard complained a few times, so the other party specially created this system for him. the function of this system was very simple. it could strengthen all kinds of things without limit. it was actually activated in this world?! a strong sense of excitement rose in richard¡¯s heart. he had browsed through the information of the game ¡®shining era¡¯ countless times on the official website. the troop lair was the most important thing in the game. it had special features and could not be upgraded. if he wanted to obtain a powerful troop lair, richard could only attack the gathering point of the others in the wild. thereafter, he would be able to rebuild the lair. but now, he could directly consume resources to raise the level of the troop lair! was this reasonable? this was simply too reasonable¡­ Chapter 3 while richard was excitedly studying the black gold system, a mechanical notification rang in his ears again. [ding~ the forum has opened. please check it yourself.] forum? this was truly like playing a game¡­ with a thought, a new panel appeared in richard¡¯s mind. there were three significant sections on it: [forum chat], [trading market], and [territory ranking]. at present, only [forum chat] and [trading market] were lit up. the gray-colored [territory ranking] could not be opened. richard opened [forum chat] first. he wanted to know what was going on. [f*ck the game developers! you¡¯re bastards! have you been planning this all along?] [why did our world merge with a game? can anyone explain this?] [the moment i opened my eyes, my kindergarten son waved a wolf skull in front of me. i was almost scared to death.] [science died. once i have time, i will just burn paper¡­] [i want to call the police! i want to file a complaint! curse this life!] [i wandered randomly and ended up in the territory of orcs. the first troop lair consisted of f*cking orc laborers. sh*t, these creatures only know how to work. but a wolf pack is outside my territory!] [hahaha, my troop lair has a griffin. its level is elite 1-star!!] [someone, save me! a bear is lurking outside my territory. if it rushes in, my weak soldiers won¡¯t be able to stop it at all!] [who knows how to get home? my home is in riverrun city. i have at least twenty unoccupied rooms. i¡¯m willing to give ten to anyone who can send me back!] [this must be a prank, right? i don¡¯t want to come to this damned place!] [you idiots! do you still want to return? only god can make the entire world transmigrate! since he let me do so, i will uphold the will of heaven. i shall become this world¡¯s main character! you just wait. when i ascend, i¡¯ll send you all back!] [just asking for help, how can i gather resources? i only managed to recruit half of my troops. i can¡¯t recruit them anymore¡­] there was no response. there were tens of thousands of incoming posts. they already replaced the previous ones on the forum. there were various topics being discussed. some people were at a loss. many of them kept asking for help in returning to the real world. on the other hand, some ambitious people were eager to try and explore the game world. after looking at the forum for a long time, richard¡¯s complicated feelings gradually eased up. there were so many people. he was not alone. after thinking for a while, he opened the [trading market]. unexpectedly, richard thought there would be nothing, but there were all kinds of resources. [beast head ¡ª sold for 10 gold coins.] [bloody fangs ¡ª sold for 5 units of stone.] [special ore ¡ª sold for 8 units of wood.] it had only been 10 minutes. richard didn¡¯t know how players could gather so many strange things in the beginning. however, the most common thing here was the exchange of various resources. [10 gold coins ¡ª sold for 10 units of wood.] [10 units of wood ¡ª sold for 10 units of stone.] [10 units of stone ¡ª sold for 10 units of iron ore.] ****** according to the official website of the ¡°shining era¡±, resources were divided into common resources and rare resources. they were mainly used to recruit soldiers and build various structures. [common resources ¡ª gold coins, stone materials, wood, iron ore.] [rare resources ¨C gemstones, sulfur, mercury, and crystals.] different types of soldiers required different resources for recruitment. low-level soldiers only needed common resources for recruitment. high-level soldiers required rare resources, and the same was true for structures. richard glanced at his attribute panel. the resources column at the bottom was displayed. [gold coins: 2,000] [wood: 2,000 units] [stone materials: 2,000 units] [iron ore: 2,000 units] as for the four rare resources, all of them were empty. these were certainly the basic resources given by the system. richard thought about it. the mummy pyramid could recruit 14 mummies, and it only needed 12 units of resources for recruitment¡­ after calculating, he could spend most of the resources. however, since richard has the black gold system, directly recruiting was too wasteful. after all, richard could upgrade a normal 3-star mummy pyramid to elite 3-star. recruiting an elite was surely many times better than a normal one. he immediately started searching in the [trading market]. troop lair core¡­ just as richard was searching, a piece of information appeared in his mind: [the materials purchased in the ¡®trading market¡¯ would be directly stored in the 10 cubic meters of space gifted by the system.] richard understood and continued to check. everyone¡¯s starting point was random. there were still many lucky people. some directly went for elite-level troop lairs while some obtained several lair cores. the proportion of these people was low. however, based on the huge data of 20 billion, even if there were only one-thousandth, their numbers would still be tens of millions. among them, some chose to store the core of the troop lair for their use, but some planned to exchange it for resources. but then, it was just the beginning, and the price was a little volatile. the high ones were a few thousand, and the low ones were a few hundred units of resources. after spending some time, richard screened out the core of the troop lair of the desert camp. he bought it directly when he saw a suitable one. [do you want to spend 400 units of wood to buy the core of the desert poison rat¡¯s troop lair?] [do you want to spend 500 gold coins to buy the core of the desert lizard troop lair?] [do you want to¡­] looking at the troop lair core kept in his bag, richard was in a great mood. ten troop lairs cost him 4000 units of resources. under his deliberate control, 1000 units of gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore were left. with a thought, ten newly purchased lairs appeared in his hands. they were thumb-sized and crystal clear, like pure crystal. he picked one up. [desert viper lair] [level: normal 1-star] [construction requirements: 200 gold coins, 200 units of stone, 200 units of wood] [description: after construction, you can recruit a normal 1-star soldier ¡ª desert viper.] the resources required to build a troop lair are not that much. why did so many people sell their lairs? didn¡¯t they develop their soldiers in the early stages? while richard was thinking, the black gold system appeared again. [mummy pyramid (normal 3-star) ¨C using 10 normal desert troop lair cores will upgrade it to elite 3-star. the conditions have been met. do you want to upgrade it?] richard retracted his wandering thoughts and chose to confirm with anticipation and excitement. in the next second, the 10 troop lair in his hands turned into a white stream of light and surged into the pyramid in front of him. ¡®kacha!¡¯ following a crisp sound, the 3-meter-tall pyramid rose rapidly like a bamboo shoot. it only stopped after reaching 4 meters. [the upgrade is successful.] [mummy pyramid (elite 3-stars) ¡ª by consuming 10 elite troop lair cores, the pyramid can be upgraded to rare 1-star.] [note 1: ten ordinary lair cores can be combined into an elite one.] [note 2: level has been upgraded. the troop lair can only be upgraded again after a 7-day cooldown.] Chapter 4 after the eye-catching notification, the black gold system went silent. richard laughed out loud. his mood instantly brightened up. however, the requirements for the next upgrade would be higher. it would require a total of 10 elite-grade troop lair. if he used a normal-grade nest core, he would be able to synthesize a hundred. richard looked at the notification again. when he saw the inconspicuous second note, the corner of his mouth twitched. ¡°i almost forgot about this. when that guy created the black gold system, he deliberately added a cooldown time to prevent me from clearing the level so quickly¡­¡± however, this was not a big deal. richard just needed to train a few more troops. he suddenly wanted to thank his friend who developed the game. as long as his skills were a little better, he would not be able to get this cheat¡­ richard opened the mummy pyramid¡¯s attribute panel. [great pyramid] [level: elite 3-stars] [recruit type: bandaged mummy (elite 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 14] [weekly output: 7] [recruitment requirements: 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, 40 units of stone] [description: it is an ordinary desert troop lair.] after leveling up, the resources required for recruitment increased quite a bit. previously, 12 units of gold coins could recruit a mummy, but now it required 120 units. but the price paid was worth it! this was a hard-earned win. richard smiled brightly. he wondered how strong an elite 3-star bandaged mummy would be? he didn¡¯t hesitate and chose to recruit all of them. fourteen bandaged mummies cost 560 gold coins, 560 units of wood, and 560 units of stone. after the resources on the attribute panel dropped by a large margin, the pyramid emitted a gray light, and its appearance became hazy. it was as if the night had covered the earth. the sky was not yet dark. the sound of stones breaking could be heard from the haze. ¡®sha!¡¯ an arm wrapped in white bandages broke out of the pyramid. a mummy climbed out of the pyramid in front of richard. one after another¡­ fourteen mummies appeared in front of him in the same way. richard stared at them. ¡°isn¡¯t appearing like this a little too flashy?¡± ¡°fortunately, you guys didn¡¯t climb out of a television.¡± after the bandaged mummies appeared, they weren¡¯t afraid of the sun. their appearances were more heart-shaking than those in movies and television shows. their bodies were tightly wrapped in white bandages, even their faces were the same. only a pair of hollow, eyeless eyes were exposed. their shriveled palms were like dried branches, and their nails were so sharp that they could tear through armor. their bodies emitted an ancient and rotten aura as if they had just crawled out of a coffin. ordinary people would feel fear even if they took a glance at them. richard nodded his head in satisfaction. only weaklings would like a cute beast-eared girl. a real man should fight against a mummy. he opened his attribute panel. [bandaged mummy] [level: 1] [potential: elite 3-star] [skills: body of death ¡ª lrb (e-rank). no fear of pain, no fear of death, and immune to poison, plague.] [corpse bandage ¡ª (e-rank). reduces physical damage by 30%. the bandage carries plague. the infected person will enter a weakened state, and all stats will be reduced by 20%. if not treated, they will gradually die.] [sharp claw tearing ¡ª lrb (e-rank). finger sharpness increased by 30%. sturdiness increased by 30%.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, stamina and recovery speed of injuries will be increased by 50%.] [fetters: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, the strength of all mummies will be increased by 10%. when the number of mummies is greater than 30, strength will be increased by 20%. when the number of mummies is greater than 50, the strength will be increased by 30%. furthermore, the infection rate of the plague will increase by 30%. the negative effects of the mummies will increase by 30%.] [description: if you use their bandages to hang yourself, you will surely die from the plague in the end.] although richard did not have specific attributes such as strength and vitality, he could still see that his attributes were not bad. richard nodded slightly. if that was the case, he was still an elite 3-star soldier. after thinking for a while, he opened his attribute panel and looked down. [talent: desert lord ¡ª special growth talent (current level: c). you are the master of the desert. you can predict the arrival of the sandstorm, and you have mastered the desertification ability. you can permanently bestow your subordinates with the ability. effect: your subordinates will receive the d-rank skill ¡ª desertification.] this was his special growth skill. it was currently c-rank. richard¡¯s luck was not inferior to those players who directly obtained the elite or even higher-level lairs. he looked at the mummy in front of him. he slowly extended his right hand. in an instant, his palm emitted yellow-sand-like light. the fourteen mummies were enveloped within. [ding~ under your blessing, the 14 bandaged mummies have obtained a new skill ¡ª sand transformation (d-rank).] [sand transformation: d-rank. it reduces 99% of physical damage. it can devour yellow sand to recover from injuries. it can last for 5 minutes. (cooldown time: 2 hours).] richard laughed. he was immune to 99% physical damage and could even devour sand to recover. wasn¡¯t this skill invincible? moreover, he was in the desert. wouldn¡¯t these bandaged mummies become unkillable cockroaches? more importantly, he could bestow this skill to his subordinates without restrictions. in the future, his troops would naturally have one more skill than the other lords¡¯ troops¡­ moreover, as his growth talent level continued to increase, the skills he could bestow in the future would also increase. his potential was limitless. after recovering from his excitement, richard looked at the 14 mummies in front of him. their bodies were wrapped in bandages, and only their empty eye sockets could be seen. he waved his hand. letting them follow behind him, he took the lead and walked out of the place protected by the wall. the door in the middle was open. richard stepped out. the next moment, he was stunned. at this time, hundreds of anxious residents gathered at the entrance. these residents were wearing ragged clothes made of coarse cloth. their eyes were evasive, and their expressions were very cautious. after seeing him, everyone¡¯s breathing slowed down. when the mummy appeared, many people became even more panicked. they grabbed the hem of their clothes tightly and suddenly lowered their heads, not daring to look directly in front of them. amidst the oppressive atmosphere, an old man with white hair and a long white robe staggered out of the crowd. he nervously came in front of richard and knelt respectfully on the ground. he shouted bravely. ¡°lord, your humble subjects welcome you¡­¡± it was an extremely strange language. richard was sure that he had never heard it in his twenty years of life. as he was puzzled, a stream of information surged into his mind. he absorbed the pronunciation, definition, and countless information. it was the common language of the mainland. at this moment, richard finally understood what the other party was saying. richard was a little absent-minded. in an instant, he had mastered a new language. was this¡­a beginner¡¯s benefit? the crowd at the back, led by an old man, suddenly regained their senses. one by one, they hurriedly knelt on the ground as if they were afraid of falling behind. ¡°welcome, lord¡­¡± the voice rose and fell, carrying the fear of a mouse seeing a cat. just as richard was about to speak, a system notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have officially taken over the territory. you are free to check the territory panel.] Chapter 5 richard¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately opened the [territory ranking]. [twilight city] [territory: level 1 village (2,000 gold, stone, wood, and iron for upgrading)] [architecture: basic lord¡¯s mansion (1), basic residence (10), basic blacksmith shop (1), basic barracks (1)] [special building: none] [empty space: 10 squares] [residents: human (100 people)] [resources: gold (1,440 pieces), wood (1,440 units), stone (1,440 units), iron ore (2,000 units)] [rare resources: mercury (0), sulfur (0), crystal (0), gemstone (0)] [occupied resource points: none] [territory attribute: yellow sand land (under the protection of lord richard, the residents of twilight city will not get lost in the desert, and their stamina consumption in the desert will be reduced by 30%.)] [troop lair: great pyramid (elite 3-stars)] [soldier type: bandaged mummy (elite 3-stars) (14)] [hero: none] [description: an incomparably small territory. perhaps, the sneeze of a powerful creature could destroy it.] the stats panel of the territory displayed everything. although there were a few things, the stats of the territory seemed to be pretty good. residents would not get lost in the desert, and they could reduce their stamina consumption by 30%. it was quite practical. the residents kneeling on the ground noticed that richard did not move for a long time, and cold sweats broke out on their foreheads. the uneasiness in their hearts became more and more intense. ¡°lord?¡± the leader who was kneeling at the front spoke in a weak tone. he half-raised his head and let out a soft sigh. his tone was perturbed. only then did richard come back to his senses. he coughed lightly and spoke in the common language of the continent he had just mastered. ¡°rise, my people.¡± ¡°this is twilight city, my territory, and also everyone¡¯s home. there¡¯s no need to be so nervous.¡± hearing this, the old man immediately heaved a sigh of relief. then, he sincerely bowed to richard before standing up. the other residents who had stood up looked at richard worriedly, nervously, and excitedly. ¡°the lord seriously doesn¡¯t recommend that we stay here?¡± ¡°are those mummies? the troops that the lord recruited are so impressive¡­¡± ¡°the lord is too kind¡­¡± everyone was stunned. looking at the excited crowd below, richard was a little surprised. he only understood after asking the old man in front of him. it turned out that these people had wandered from other places three days ago. at that time, the gate of the lord¡¯s mansion was closed and could not be opened no matter how hard they tried. they truly had no place to go, so they stayed outside first. until an hour ago, they suddenly received news that the gate of the lord¡¯s mansion had opened. in fear, they came here to wait for the lord of the territory to appear. this was surely the benefit given to novice lords by the game ¡°shining era¡±. the population was an important part of the territory. people were needed to gather resources, build houses, and grow food. without these people, a territory would not be able to operate. the old leader took a deep breath and spoke again. ¡°dear lord, please forgive our rashness. we beg you to take us in¡­¡± the people below immediately felt their hearts in their throats. they stared at richard, hoping to hear the reply they were looking forward to. looking at the uneasy crowd, richard took a step forward and swept his pitch-black eyes across the crowd. at this moment, with the support of the mummy guards behind him, his aura instantly silenced the crowd. after a moment of silence, he spoke loudly. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous, my people.¡± ¡°in my name, i officially allow you to join my territory and become residents of twilight city.¡± ¡°no matter what kind of work you were previously engaged in, what kind of identity you had, or what kind of experiences you had, all of these will become the past. i will not pursue your past.¡± ¡°from now on, this will be your home. your only identity will be residents of twilight city.¡± ¡°in the future, your life, work, and all the beautiful things will bloom in this land. ¡°my people, my name is richard. remember this name.¡± his gaze was firm. ¡°as your lord, no matter how dangerous the outside world is, i will protect you and will fight for your safety. ¡°even if this world will lose its light one day, i will still lead you through the long night.¡± the nervousness and uneasiness of the people below were swept away by this firm and provocative tone. at this moment, their gazes quietly changed. was this their lord? [ding~ you gave a short but extremely charming speech. you have gained the respect of everyone present. your comprehension of leadership has increased by 20%.] when richard heard the system notification, his expression was a little subtle. ¡®does this work?!¡¯ however, he quickly regained his composure and looked at the old man in front of him. ¡°where are you currently staying?¡± the old man¡¯s wrinkled face seemed to have relaxed a lot at this moment, and he spoke with an excited tone. ¡°lord, we are staying in the residence over there¡­¡± as he spoke, he pointed to the side. richard turned his head and looked over. fifty meters away from the mansion, there were 10 two-story yellow houses lined up. the architecture style was very rough, and it fit the characteristics of the desert. [resident house: (1 space)] [level: basic (500 units of stone and 500 units of wood are needed to level up.)] [maximum capacity: 10 people] [characteristics: none] [description: normal residential house for civilians to live in.] there were 10 basic houses. each house could accommodate 10 people, and it just so happened to accommodate these 100 people. not a single one was left behind. richard nodded. suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something and asked. ¡°how much food do we have now?¡± these people were all living people who needed to eat, drink and defecate. in territory, the most important things should be water and food. after all, this was a dry and barren desert. fortunately, the mummies he recruited were necromancers, so there was no need to eat. the old white-haired man had a bitter expression on his face. his back, which had been straight a moment ago, had become much more ragged, and he looked even older. ¡°lord, we only have three days worth of food reserves¡­ these were brought here previously.¡± ¡°although we¡¯ve been searching hard these past few days, the desert is not only fraught with danger, but we can¡¯t find any food at all¡­¡± as the leader, the old white-haired man had to bear the burden of hundreds of people eating, drinking, and defecating every day. the heavy pressure almost made him breathless. richard nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way to solve this.¡± with the [trading market], as long as there were enough resources, there were many ways to get food. therefore, the most important thing now was to find resources. ¡°have you found any resource points around the territory in the past few days?¡± wood, stone, and other resources were all obtained from resource points in the wild. that is according to the public records of the ¡°shining era¡±. resource points were divided into miniature, small, medium-sized, large, and very large according to the number of reserves. every resource point would have soldiers guarding it in the wild. if one wanted to occupy a resource point, one first had to eliminate the soldiers within. every once in a while, new resource points would appear around the territory. there was no need to worry about being mined out. Chapter 6 ¡°lord, when we were out searching for food, we discovered three resource points¡­ ¡°one was a logging field, the other was a quarry, and the other seemed to be an iron mine. however, we didn¡¯t dare to approach any of them, so we didn¡¯t confirm it¡­¡± hearing the older man¡¯s words, richard immediately perked up. resources were the core of the game ¡°shining era¡±. with resources, one could purchase troop lair, buy food, recruit soldiers, and level up their territories¡­ the most important tasks were to occupy the surrounding resource points, obtain resources, and strengthen their territories as soon as possible. the world in the game ¡°shining era¡± wasn¡¯t safe. the struggle of all races was the primary theme for the future. not to mention the 20 billion players, this world also had a huge number of natives. there were even countless dimensional planes outside of the main plane. demons, angels, dragons, titans¡­ all of these legendary beings were present. ¡°is there a map?¡± richard asked casually, but he did not expect the older man to instantly take out a map. although the map drawn with charcoal looked very simple, a few key points were marked out. [ding~ you have obtained a rough map. would you like to sync it to the system map?] ¡°oh?¡± ¡°there is such a function?¡± richard was delighted. ¡°sync.¡± after making a choice, a system map containing a large part of the area covered in fog appeared in front of richard¡¯s eyes. the rough map that the older man had given him had a few dots that appeared on it. ¡°very good, you did well. however, i still don¡¯t know your name.¡± the older man answered excitedly. ¡°respected lord, karu is always at your command!¡± richard nodded. with one look, this older man was the person in charge among the hundreds of people. he opened the attribute panel curiously. [karu] [level: 3] [potential: d-rank] [skills: internal affairs (d-rank) ¡ª capable of handling the affairs of the territory more efficiently.] [management (d-rank) ¡ª capable of managing subordinates well.] [persuasion (d-rank) ¡ª capable of easily persuading others.] [racial talent: able to learn the knowledge of other races.] [fetters: when in charge of internal affairs, work efficiency increases by 30%.] [description: used to be a powerful hero unit. after old age, his strength deteriorated, and he lost the power of a hero unit.] richard only understood after reading karu¡¯s introduction. he did not expect that karu was once a hero. unfortunately, he was old now¡­ but no matter what, the old man could be considered a decent talent. richard¡¯s expression became serious as he spoke in front of all the residents. ¡°karu, in the name of the lord of twilight city, i will appoint you as the administrative officer of twilight city.¡± ¡°while i am away, you will be in charge of managing the other residents and protecting the safety of twilight city.¡± karu was stunned for a moment. then, he raised his head in disbelief. his old body seemed to have returned to its youth. he spoke loudly in a trembling voice. ¡°my lord, thank you for your grace. i¡¯ll protect your glory with my life!¡± richard consented. ¡°let them go. you can walk around the territory with me.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± after the crowd dispersed, richard and karu began to inspect twilight city under the protection of the mummy. at present, only a few buildings can be found in the territory. there were only a few¡ªthe lord¡¯s mansion, residential houses, blacksmith¡¯s shop, and barracks. apart from that, only 10 unoccupied spaces were left. empty spaces were the foundation for new buildings in the territory. without empty spaces, it was impossible to build new structures. each space had an area of ??10 meters by 10 meters. depending on the buildings, the number of empty spaces occupied varied. [lord¡¯s mansion: 30 spaces] [residence: 1 space] [blacksmith¡¯s shop: 4 spaces] [barracks: 20 spaces] when constructing a building, it must comply with the required number of spaces to build. this was because subsequent upgrades will expand outwards. if the vacant lot does not meet the requirements, subsequent buildings cannot be upgraded. this is detailed in the public records of the game ¡°shining era¡±. the number of spaces in the territory would increase with the level of the territory. treasures could also be used to expand the area of ??the territory and increase the number of spaces. in the center of twilight city was the lord¡¯s mansion. outside the gate, to the west, there were 10 residential buildings. to the east was the blacksmith shop, and behind the lord¡¯s mansion was the barracks. the 10 empty spaces were distributed in the blacksmith shop area. when richard came to the blacksmith shop that opened its door, he found that it was full of dust. it had been a long time since anyone had used it. [blacksmith shop: 4 spaces] [level: beginner (requires 1,000 units of iron ore, 1,000 units of wood, and 1,000 units of stone to level up.)] [characteristics: forging efficiency increased by 10%.] [capacity: minimum of 2 people ¡ª maximum 10 people] [description: an ordinary blacksmith shop. you can forge farm tools or low-level weapons here.] the leveling up requirement of a blacksmith shop was practically higher than that of a residential house, and it also had unique attributes. ¡°minimum of 2 people. there should be at least 2 people to operate the blacksmith shop then.¡± richard was a little curious. he looked at the attributes of the lord¡¯s mansion and the barracks. [lord¡¯s mansion: 30 spaces] [level: beginner (requires 2,000 gold, stone, wood, and iron to level up.)] [characteristics: efficiency (10% increase in efficiency when working in the mansion). stamina recovery (20% increase in stamina recovery speed).] [capacity: 30 people] [description: the core building of the territory with special powers.] richard was a little surprised. he did not expect the lord¡¯s mansion to have two unique features which were very practical. he looked at the barracks with some anticipation. [barracks: 20 spaces] [level: beginner (requires 1500 gold coins, stone, wood, and iron ore to level up.)] [characteristics: training (there is a slim chance for soldiers to comprehend f-rank skills during training). strong physique (increases the training effect by 10%. it can slightly increase the physical fitness).] [capacity: 100 people] [description: ordinary barracks] that¡¯s right, other than the residential buildings, the other buildings all had corresponding characteristics. however, these buildings needed quite a lot of resources for an upgrade. after recruiting 14 mummies, the resources in richard¡¯s hands have reduced from 4,000 to more than 2,000. richard was afraid that he would not be able to level up in a short time. ¡°karu, go immediately and select the blacksmiths and tailors among the residents. i have great use for them.¡± ¡°in the future, when new residents will join us, we must make similar statistics. you are fully responsible for this matter.¡± karu, who was following behind him, immediately nodded respectfully. ¡°as you wish, my lord¡­¡± after giving a few more instructions, richard let karu leave. he thought for a moment before opening the [forum chat] again. he did not know how the others were progressing during this time. the moment he entered the [forum chat], it was as if he had returned to the modern world. it was filled with comments from sand sculpture players. [f*ck, there are 300 refugees from outside my territory! damn it! they are all like beggars. they want to join me. how can i give them food? i can¡¯t afford to feed them!] [hahaha, i recruited a hero from the residents! and she¡¯s a cute girl! that is so awesome! i must develop silk stockings in the future and train an army of cute girls with high heels!] [how can i get food? my territory is running out of food. the remaining provision can only last for two days. is there still time for me to farm?] [everyone, please don¡¯t leave the territory! i¡¯m a f*cking idiot. the territory has a one-month protection period. if you leave the territory, the protection period will be reduced to seven days! damn it! this rubbish game is ruining my life!] [i don¡¯t believe the authorities will ignore us! anyway, there¡¯s a protection period. i won¡¯t leave this month even if they beat me to death!!!] [i¡¯m going to throw up. the monsters outside are so powerful!! my ten human swordsmen were killed by a fucking ogre. what the f*ck!!! i¡¯ve already bought food with all my resources. i don¡¯t have anything to recruit new soldiers. what should i do now?] [why are the orcs so good at eating? they wiped out all the food in my warehouse in one meal. oh my god, where am i going to get so much food to feed them!!?] [hahaha, the undead is still the best. they don¡¯t need to think about the food at all. it¡¯s just that looking at the bone fragments is a little disgusting, and i can¡¯t raise a maid. what bad luck¡­] [hahaha, so many little elven brothers. i¡¯m going to die! ahhhh, i won¡¯t retreat even if you beat me to death! i want to take all the little elven brothers into my harem! i want to sleep ten times a day!!!] ****** many lord-tier players on the [forum chat] had already walked out from their initial bewilderment and started discussing how to develop their territories. some of the more ambitious players were already preparing to raise harems¡­ however, they also encountered all sorts of problems. most of the complaints were about the lack of food and the danger outside the territories. after looking at it for about ten minutes, richard had an idea. it seemed that the food problem was typical and not unusual. many people mentioned that the system was protected for a time, which made him ponder. if someone didn¡¯t step out of the territory for a month, the security period would not drop to seven days. was it the same in richard¡¯s territory? if it was the same for everyone, then the choice given by the system might be a turning point¡­ Chapter 7 after obtaining a lot of useful information, richard closed the [forum chat]. surfing the internet was too time-consuming. without hesitation, richard brought the 14 mummies to the edge of twilight city. the first-class village was not big, and there were no city walls outside. every place led to the desert. it was noon. from afar, the yellow sand looked like golden sand under the sun. the heat wave was coming. richard looked down. the ground of the territory was paved with stones, and a step away, there was yellow sand everywhere. the dividing line was very clear, as if there was a special rule separating the two sides. after careful observation, richard found a transparent shield in front of the dividing line. the shield was like an upside-down bowl, protecting twilight city. richard understood. this was the shield of protection mentioned on the [forum chat]. he extended his right hand. the moment richard touched the shield, the system notification sounded. [ding~ do you want to leave twilight city?] [the shield of protection would provide a month¡¯s protection time. after leaving, the shield of protection would break in a week.] [note: the shield of protection is a product of the rules. it cannot be broken.] if richard was afraid of death, he could stay in the territory for a whole month without worrying about his safety. but if he left, the time would be shortened to seven days. it had to be said that this had indeed hit the heart of many people. however, it was also a huge trap. the initial development time was so precious. to enjoy a month of safety here was equivalent to wasting a month. without hesitation, richard stepped out of the shield. he did not feel anything when he passed through, as if the shield did not exist. richard did not care about anything else. he looked at the few resource points marked on the system map and thought to himself. with the information provided by karu, he could occupy all the resource points around the territory. from the map, these resource points were only 20 minutes away from twilight city. ¡°the logging field is on the west side of twilight city, less than 10 minutes away. the quarry is in the northwest, about 15 minutes away. the resource points that are suspected to be iron mines are in the northeast, about 20 minutes away¡­¡± richard was dumbfounded. ¡°let¡¯s start with the nearest logging field.¡± richard carefully compared the system map and identified the target of the operation. a rustling sound could be heard. with his leather boots, richard stepped into the yellow sand. fine sand flowed through the instep. it brought a bit of heat. when richard raised his foot, the sand fell again and returned to yellow sand. only irregular footprints were left on the spot. within a kilometer of twilight city, the field was flat. there were also rolling sand dunes a kilometer away. the boundless yellow sand could not be seen at a glance. it was simple and desolate. the hot wind mixed with a little sand blew on the face. it could make one¡¯s mouth dry. the desert had always been the symbol of the forbidden land of life in the hearts of ordinary people. however, richard had the talent of a desert lord. walking in the desert did not give him the slightest bit of pressure. on the contrary, he felt quite relaxed. it was as if a fish had returned to the water. there was no need to mention the mummy. [racial talent: increases stamina and recovery rate by 50% in the desert.] this inaccessible death zone was their home. richard had 4 mummies scout ahead, and he was protected by 10 mummies. but as soon as he stepped a kilometer out onto the sand dunes, the mummies ahead got excited. they turned their heads and gestured to richard. what was interesting was that the mummies¡¯ mouths were sealed, and they could not speak. they could only tell the information through their limbs. richard did not delay and immediately climbed up the sand dune with 10 mummies. from a high vantage point, about 400 to 500 meters away, there was a tree-shaded forest growing in the sand. the shadows of the trees swayed and were indescribably green. that lively scene formed a sharp contrast with the desolation of the surrounding desert. through the branches, one could vaguely see that there seemed to be some wooden buildings inside. [logging field] [level: small] [reserves: 20,000 units] [maximum output: 2,100 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 2 people ¡ª maximum of 10 people.] [description: ordinary resource points. after occupying it, it can be built into a small logging field.] ¡°small-scale logging fields?¡± ¡°20,000 units of reserves?¡± ¡°2,100 units per week?¡± richard narrowed his eyes slightly. in this way, as long as they occupied this logging field, they could get 300 units of wood every day. he immediately became interested and sped up with the mummies. however, when they approached the logging field, they suddenly heard a terrifying roar coming from inside. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ¡®whoosh!¡¯ then, twenty to thirty figures rushed out from the 5 to 6-meter-tall forest. richard stopped and looked over. these monsters, which suddenly appeared, had heads that were as ferocious as jackals, and their eyes were emitting a terrifying green light. their bodies were covered with thick gray hair that was as tough as armor. they curved their backs and stood with one hand on the ground. their sharp claws left scratches on the ground. when they ran forward, they would use both hands. they opened their mouths wide, revealing their sharp canine teeth, and their saliva drew long lines in the air. [desert gnoll] [level: 1] [potential: normal 2-stars] [skill: brutal (f-rank) ¡ª once it attacks, its anger will swallow its reason, and it will become fearless until it kills the enemy.] [race talent: has a keen sense of smell.] [fetters: when the number of gnolls is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%. when the number is greater than 20, strength increases by 20% (activated).] [description: be careful of your throat.] the number of gnolls that suddenly appeared exceeded 30, and the fetters that increased strength by 20% were also activated. their aura was fierce. when richard saw this scene, he was not afraid, but he became very excited instead. his mummies were elite-level 1! ¡°attack!¡± with a wave of his hand, 14 bandaged mummies charged forward. the mummies let out a terrifying roar from their throats. their open claws could tear through steel. their aura was bloodthirsty, and their empty eye sockets without eyeballs were extremely terrifying. their running speed did not slow down because of the bandages all over their bodies. in just a few breaths, the mummy had fought with more than 30 gnolls. ¡°roar!¡± a gnoll pounced on the mummy and directly bit the mummy, wanting to end the undead that terrified them. the mummy used its arm that was wrapped in thick bandages to block the attack and ruthlessly smashed a gnoll¡¯s head. a gnoll whimpered and took a few steps back. it almost fell to the ground. however, the bestiality in its blood was completely aroused. with a roar, it rushed forward and bit the mummy¡¯s arm with its huge mouth. then, its head shook crazily, trying to tear the mummy in front of it with its sharp teeth. [body of death (e-rank) ¡ª no fear of pain, no fear of death, and immune to poison, plague.] the mummy could not feel pain or fear at all. when the gnoll bit, the mummy¡¯s sharp fingers that could tear through steel pierced directly into the gnoll¡¯s abdomen. [sharp claw tearing (e-rank) ¡ª finger sharpness increased by 30%. sturdiness increased by 30%.] blood spurted out. the gnoll¡¯s blood stained the bandage on the mummy¡¯s arm. the gnoll let out a mournful howl. under the excruciating pain, the skin on its body started to turn faint blue. at the same time, its strength rapidly decreased. [corpse bandage (e-rank) ¡ª reduces physical damage by 30%. the bandage carries plague. the infected person will enter a weakened state, and all stats will be reduced by 20%. if they are not treated, they will gradually die.] after the gnoll was stabbed by the mummy¡¯s sharp fingers, not only did it not stop, but it even pulled hard. the gnoll¡¯s abdomen seemed to have been slashed by a razor. it was as if the zipper of a coat had been pulled open. it was a bloody mess. amidst the intense pain, an extremely brutal gnoll still did not give up on attacking. its two sharp claws were still fiercely attacking the mummy. the bloody smell of the frenzied battle immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding gnolls. the eyes of the monsters that were running suddenly turned scarlet, and they pounced on the mummy. the mummy was held back by the gnolls, and there was no time for it to dodge. it was directly drowned by seven or eight gnolls. the bandages on its body kept breaking, and some parts of its shriveled body were revealed. but in this situation where the mummy was certain to die¡­ the gnolls that launched the attack suddenly let out a scream, their bodies suddenly turned a faint blue, and their strength decreased rapidly. they retreated as if they had been electrocuted. the mummy, who had just been surrounded and killed, felt as if its entire body was flowing with yellow sand. meanwhile, the sharp claws of the gnolls that were attacking the mummy seemed to have pierced into the sand. they could only feel a slight obstruction piercing through their opponent¡¯s body. after the gnolls left, the mummy¡¯s body returned to its original state. not only did they not cause any damage to it, but the attacking gnolls were instead infected by the plague, and their physical strength rapidly weakened. [sand transformation: d-rank. it reduces 99% of physical damage. it can devour yellow sand to recover from injuries. it can last for 5 minutes. (cooldown time: 2 hours).] without magical damage, within 5 minutes, the mummy standing on the sand would be immortal. the sharp five fingers solidified in the sand, tearing apart the two gnolls that were still unwilling to bite it. after this scene appeared, the fate of these gnolls was determined. although the gnolls fought fiercely, the mummies were even more overbearing. even if the mummy didn¡¯t use the sand, it could still suppress the opponent with its mighty strength. after using the sand, the mummy was invincible. one after another, the gnolls were pierced through the heart and had their throats slit by the mummies¡­ the battle only lasted for a minute or two before it ended. when the last gnoll fell, the system notification rang out. [ding~ your troop has eliminated a group of gnolls and obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 34 experience points.] richard, who was supervising the battle from the rear, was in a great mood. this was the combat strength of an elite soldier. facing an enemy that was several times stronger than their own, they slaughtered all of them without suffering any damage. richard glanced at his level. [level: 1(34/100)] his leveling progress had visibly increased by a large margin. the bigger reward was that after exterminating the gnolls, he would be able to occupy this resource point. Chapter 8 after richard¡¯s excitement subsided, he saw that the gnolls¡¯ corpses were scattered all over the ground. he frowned slightly. although the gnolls were monsters in the wild, the blood and limbs that dyed the yellow sand were still very visually and psychologically shocking. this was also the first time that richard had seen such a horrifying scene. however, he did not avoid it. he gritted his teeth and walked through the blood and corpses that were scattered all over the ground. sooner or later, there would be a larger-scale conflict in this world. if richard did not get used to it soon, no one would shelter him from the wind and rain. step by step, he left the bloody area. although richard¡¯s face did not look good, there was a strange aura around him. [ding~ do you want to occupy a resource point ¡ª logging field (small)?] richard took a deep breath and nodded. [confirmed.] [successfully occupied. you have obtained a small-scale resource point. you can send lumberjacks here to cut wood.] hearing the system notification, the slightly pale richard¡¯s mood improved a little. the mummy that was covered in bandages and dyed red entered. the mummy turned his head and looked around. the five to six-meter-tall trees covered the sky, and the air suddenly became cool. in the central area, there were seven to eight trees that had been cut down. there was also a small wooden house next to it. when richard pushed the door open, he could see that there were more than ten rusty axes inside. ¡°not bad. although i can tell at a glance that it hasn¡¯t been used for a long time, as long as i take over it, i can start production immediately.¡± there were many types of resource points in the game ¡°shining era¡±. some of them were primitive. for example, if it was a forest, then a logging field would need to be built. however, these types of resource points were usually only found in large-scale resource points. small-scale resource points could be directly mined. it seemed that the designers had deliberately considered this for beginners. now, it has saved richard a lot of trouble. after walking around the logging field and finding nothing else, he did not stay, nor was he in a hurry to go back and get someone to cut the wood. richard brought the 14 mummies and headed straight for the resource point in the southeast direction. these two resource points were very close to each other. after crossing the two sand dunes, he saw an area with jagged rocks. [quarry] [level: small] [reserves: 10,000 units] [maximum output: 1,400 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 2 people, maximum of 7 people] [description: normal resource points can be mined after occupation.] compared to small-scale logging fields, the attributes of small-scale quarries had decreased. 1,400 units per week, that was 200 units per day. adding the logging field, that was 500 units per day. richard¡¯s mood improved a little. not bad, the harvest was not bad. with his experience with the gnolls, he was not in a hurry to get close, so he let the 4 mummies continue to explore the way. as expected, when the mummies approached the quarry, whooshing sounds could be heard. more than 20 stones flew out from the quarry. following the sound of a bang, the mummies were not able to dodge in time and were directly hit. however, the power of those stones was really too weak¡­ ¡­the mummies took a wave of damage but were completely fine. [ding~ your army has been attacked by a group of unknown enemies.] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°throwing stones?¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t this a little funny?¡± ¡°mummies, attack! if the enemy isn¡¯t strong, leave a few alive.¡± using stones to hit people, it was a field army that guarded the small-scale resource points. richard really could not imagine how powerful the enemy could be. he left two mummies to protect him, while the rest were sent out. the distance of dozens of meters was covered in the blink of an eye. the power of the stones thrown by the enemy was weak, to begin with, and when they hit the mummies, who ignored the pain of the undead, it was as if nothing had happened¡­ ¡°ah!!¡± after the mummies rushed into the quarry, they heard a scream filled with fear, and soon, they regained their calm. [ding~ your army defeated a group of long-armed laborers and won a small-scale battle. you have gained 30 experience points.] [level: 1(64/100)] richard nodded in satisfaction. as long as he had won the battle, he would be able to level up. the harvest was not bad. richard walked towards the quarry. when he arrived at the center, a group of ugly creatures with terrifying faces was sitting on the ground. there were seven or eight corpses around them. the mummy was standing by the side coldly. these ugly creatures had four canine teeth protruding out of their lips, and their faces were very ferocious. their bodies were almost the same as ordinary humans, but they had a pair of long, sturdy arms that were over the knees. they looked quite sturdy. [long-armed laborers] [level: 1] [potential: normal 1-star] [skills: endurance (e-rank) ¡ª able to withstand extremely tough working conditions.] [racial talent: when food is sufficient, stamina can be recovered quickly.] [fetters: when the number of long-armed laborers is greater than 10, stamina recovery speed increases by 20%.] [when the number of long-armed laborers is greater than 20, stamina recovery speed increases by 40% (activated).] [description: don¡¯t hit them, lord. they will go to work right away¡­] ¡°good!¡± ¡°there was such a strange army?¡± no wonder they were called laborers. the talents of these guys were simply too suitable for work. after richard appeared, he immediately attracted the attention of the laborers. when they saw the respectful posture of the mummies, they were instantly startled awake. they immediately turned around and knelt down toward him. pressing their heads against the ground, they shouted excitedly. ¡°great lord, we are willing to submit to you, don¡¯t kill us¡­¡± [ding~ a group of long-armed laborers admires your strength after losing the battle and wants to submit to you. do you want to accept?] ¡°was it that simple?¡± richard laughed. these guys were indeed suitable to be squeezed dry. they were practically the welfare of capitalists. ¡°accept it.¡± [you have obtained 30 long-armed laborers.] [ding~ do you wish to occupy the quarry?] ¡°occupy it.¡± [you have obtained a small-scale quarry. you can send miners to carry out mining.] richard waved his hand and pointed at the first long-armed laborer who knelt down and surrendered. ¡°i have appointed you as the person in charge of the quarry. you will be responsible for managing the production of the quarry. at the same time, i will assign six laborers to you. you have the right to manage the other laborers!¡± the long-armed laborer was overjoyed and knelt on the ground. ¡°great lord, i will definitely produce more ores for you!¡± [ding~ you have used language to motivate a long-armed laborer. the efficiency of the subordinates under your jurisdiction in mining ores has increased by 20%. duration: 3 days.] ¡°this could work?¡± richard was delighted. good god, could he send people to encourage him every once in a while in the future? after searching the quarry and finding nothing else, richard left seven laborers to mine the stone. at the same time, he appointed a laborer as the head of the quarry and led the other nine people to work in the quarry that had just been occupied by the treasure. the appointed laborer was also particularly excited and had the characteristic of increasing efficiency by 20%. after this round, not only did they occupy two resource points, but they also gathered all the workers. and richard didn¡¯t pay anything. he even had one or three long-armed laborers in his hands. these gains made richard very motivated. but after thinking about it, he was a little distressed. ¡°although the laborers are useful, they have 30 more mouths to feed.¡± ¡°there are only three days of grain left, and it¡¯s going to shrink again¡­¡± he had just opened the [trading market] to take a look, and there was no food for sale. there were a few scattered items, and the prices were also extremely outrageous. moreover, they were quickly sold out, so it was difficult to buy them. ¡°it seems that logistics will become the key point to restrict the development of the territory in the future.¡± richard looked at the mummies beside him with lingering fear. fortunately, they did not need to consume food, or else they would really die. the resource point in the northeast direction was slightly further away. it took about half an hour to get there from the quarry. the speed of the 13 laborers was too slow, which slowed down the marching speed. it was very difficult for these guys to walk in the sand. after climbing over a low sand dune, richard looked at the mark on the map and saw traces of the third resource point. iron mine¡­ the desert around the iron mine had become dry and hard ground. the oil-black ores piled up together. it looked very conspicuous. [iron mine] [level: small] [reserves: 20,000 units] [maximum output: 2,100 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 5 people, maximum of 10 people] [description: an ordinary iron mine can send miners into it to mine ores.] with the previous two experiences, richard did not hesitate and waved his hand. he let the 14 mummies press on. at the same time, the remaining 13 laborers picked up the stones scattered on the ground. this created a formation with warriors at the front and ranged attacks at the back. it was an extremely simple version. when the bandaged mummy approached the iron ore, a piercing sound came from the air. more than 20 arrows pierced through the sky and then through the bandaged mummies¡¯ bodies. [ding~ you have angered a group of desert bandits.] Chapter 9 as undead creatures, mummies only had to worry about their heads. unless their heads were blown off, they could not be killed. after the 14 mummies were attacked, they let out terrifying growls and sped up. they charged into the iron mine with arrows. when richard saw this, he immediately ordered 13 laborers to follow. he then waited. as a lord, he naturally had his way of playing. the correct strategy was to sit at the back and command the army to fight. leading the charge was a little too stupid. wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to be killed by the enemy¡¯s concentrated fire? with so many mummies that were stronger than him around, he did not lack combat strength even if he did not even have weapons. although the iron mine was not high, the complicated terrain still blocked his view. richard could not see the specific situation of the battle. however, it was not too difficult for the 14 elite-level 1 mummies and 13 long-armed laborers to attack a small-scale resource point together. a few minutes later¡­ the sound of the system¡¯s upgrade rang out. [ding~ the army you led annihilated a group of desert bandits and obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have gained 36 experience points, and your level has increased.] thereafter, richard felt a warm current rising from all over his body as if he was soaked in hot water and kneaded by a specialist. he could sharply feel his muscles and bones absorbing the warm current. after a moment, the warm current disappeared. richard felt that his body was filled with an indescribable power as if he could kill a calf with a single punch. he clenched his fist and made cracking sounds. ¡°is this leveling up? isn¡¯t this awesome? it¡¯s even superior to a 5,000-hour massage from a specialist¡­¡± [ding~ do you want to occupy the iron mine?] ¡°occupy it.¡± after richard made his choice, he was in a great mood. he stepped on the dry and hard ground and entered the iron mine. the thick smell of blood gradually assaulted his nose, and the deeper he went, the thicker it became. after a few steps, richard saw the image of a desert bandit covered in blood, with a crossbow in his hand and a dagger at his waist, falling into the iron mine. these desert bandits were covered in scars left by the mummy¡¯s sharp claws. their flesh and blood were rolling around, making them look rather terrifying. richard frowned slightly. he still felt a little uncomfortable about this. however, compared to when he had just killed the gnolls, his psychological endurance had increased by a lot. step by step, he stepped into the center of the iron mine. seeing richard appear, the mummy and the laborers immediately surrounded him. ¡°great lord! these damn desert bandits have all been killed! your light has already enveloped this iron mine!¡± the mummy could not speak, but the long-armed laborers were still very happy to show off their achievements in front of their new lord. richard nodded slightly. just as he was about to speak, another long-armed laborer ran over from the side excitedly. ¡°lord, i¡¯ve found a treasure chest. praise the goddess of luck!¡± ¡°treasure chest?¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. in the game ¡°shining era¡±, there was a chance to obtain all sorts of materials and treasures by hunting down soldiers in the wild. the treasure chest was one of them. all sorts of treasures could be obtained from it. ¡°bring me there!¡± the laborer immediately led the way excitedly. after a few twists and turns, the laborer stopped in a narrow stone crack. richard focused his gaze and saw a wooden box emitting a bronze light. [wooden box] [level: 1-star] [status: unlocked] [description: maybe you can get some junk from it.] ¡°wow, this description is truly not polite.¡± the lowest level of the treasure box was 1-star, and the highest was 5-stars. the higher the level, the higher the chance of obtaining a precious treasure. however, this description naturally eliminated the possibility of obtaining a good item. ¡°that¡¯s right. how good could an item that was guarded by a group of ordinary-level desert bandits be?¡± richard didn¡¯t have many expectations and reached out to open it. a burst of bronze light flashed, and a fist-sized pocket made of coarse cloth appeared inside. [ding~ you have opened a 1-star treasure chest and obtained a resource bag.] [resource bag: there are 500 units of stone materials inside. the resource bag will automatically be destroyed after opening.] richard was mentally prepared, so there was nothing to be disappointed about. moreover, 500 units of resources could be used to purchase a troop lair. this unexpected wealth was a profit no matter what. he reached out his hand and opened it. a light flashed and the resource bag shattered into pieces. 500 units of stone appeared on his attribute panel. after the harvest, richard glanced at a few long-armed laborers who were eagerly looking at him. he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he pointed at the laborers who had just discovered the treasure chest. ¡°you have done well. you will receive my reward for your meritorious service.¡± ¡°i have appointed you as the person in charge of the iron mine. you will be responsible for the mining of the iron mine, and at the same time, you will be responsible for the management of the other workers in the iron mine.¡± the laborer who had been promoted was so excited that he was dancing with joy. ¡°hahahaha, thank you for your gift, great lord. i will surely work hard for you!¡± [ding~ your order has greatly increased the enthusiasm of the long-armed laborer. his subordinates under his command will have their mining efficiency increased by 20% for three days.] richard laughed. these guys were really easy to fool. after confirming that there was nothing else in the iron mine, he left ten laborers to mine the iron mine. he brought the mummy and the last three laborers back to his territory. the afternoon weather was too hot, and richard¡¯s physical strength had decreased by a lot. he pursed his somewhat dry lips. ¡°i was careless. i didn¡¯t bring water when i went out¡­¡± with the special growth talent of the desert lord, his consumption in the desert had been greatly reduced. even so, his mouth and tongue were still dry after this round. needless to say, the few laborers had already dried their lips and were bleeding. with a slight thirst for water, richard and the others unconsciously quickened their pace. the desert was always vast and desolate. it was already rare to see a few cactuses or a few stubbornly growing shuttle trees from afar. however, accidents often happened around the corner. ¡°lord, there are monsters there!!¡± just as they climbed over a sand dune, a few laborers suddenly shouted with a hint of fear in their voices. richard stopped in his tracks and looked forward. two to three hundred meters away, near a cluster of shuttle trees, there were more than twenty gray wolves, which were as big as calves, enjoying the shade. no one could doubt how fierce these wild beasts would be once they went crazy. although richard did not get close, the wild beasts still made him feel a lot of pressure by relying on their exaggerated size. [desert wolf] [level: 3] [potential: elite 3-star] [skills: pounce (e-rank) ¡ª able to burst out powerful strength to pounce on enemies.] [bite: (e-rank) ¡ª sharp teeth; able to cause piercing damage.] [racial talent: extremely agile] [fetters: when the desert wolf number is greater than 10, strength increases by 5%, and agility increases by 10%.] [when the desert wolf number is greater than 20, strength increases by 10%, and agility increases by 20% (activated).] [description: awooo~] Chapter 10 ¡°level 3, elite 3-star field protectors?¡± ¡°and there were as many as 25 of them!¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. it was not something that normal soldiers in the resource points could compare. although the mummy was also an elite 3-star, its level lagged behind the opponent. the mummies were still lacking a small team. if they were to forcefully charge, it would be a little risky. however, richard was not willing to retreat just like that. he gazed at the mummy¡¯s stats: [body of death], [corpse bandage], [sharp claw tearing], and [sand transformation]¡­ the mummy¡¯s skills did not have much advantage against the desert wolf. the desert wolf was too agile. only the sand transformation skill that it obtained was different. it meant immunity to 99% physical damage. this skill allowed the mummy to occupy a strong position from its weak position. moreover, it was easier for the enemy to get infected with the plague after the sand transformation. when they were fighting the gnolls earlier, this combination had a powerful effect. richard took a look. at this time, all the mummies¡¯ sand transformation skills had already recovered. ¡°although the sand transformation skill is a bug, if we were to face the opponents head-on, the desert wolves are too agile. we might not be able to make much progress¡­ ¡°is there any way to restrict the desert wolves¡¯ movements? no, there¡¯s no need to restrict their movements. they just need to be slowed down. ¡°the mummy¡¯s plague can reduce their attributes by 20%. it¡¯s completely possible to do that¡­ then, is there any way to infect the desert wolves with the plague before the battle?¡± while looking at the desert wolves resting on the sand, richard suddenly had a thought. he turned his head to look at the mummy closest to him. ¡°immediately use the sand transformation to melt into the desert¡­¡± the commanded mummy had a faint yellow sand glow on his body. then, the mummy¡¯s entire body immediately turned into a blurry image formed by countless grains of sand, and the bandage also turned dark yellow. under richard¡¯s gaze, the ground began to sag. the mummy¡¯s body that had turned into sand gradually merged into the yellow sand. eventually, its entire body disappeared without a trace, leaving only an inconspicuous mark on the ground. ¡°hahaha, that¡¯s surely good!¡± richard was in a great mood. he looked at the desert wild wolves while still lying under the shuttle tree¡­ ¡­the plan worked. in the afternoon, the hot weather made the desert wolves immensely lazy, and they were not in a hurry to hunt. after dark, it was time for richard¡¯s troop to attack. while they were lying down in a daze, the desert wolves suddenly felt a rustling sound coming from the ground. it seemed that something was underground. however, most did not pay much attention to it and continued to lie down. only a few stood up slightly and lowered their heads to sniff with their wet noses. however, the things on the ground were blocked by the yellow sand. so, they could not smell anything. the movement continued for a while, and the desert wolves lost their vigilance and laid back lazily on the ground¡­ ¡®whoosh!¡¯ at this moment, the ground suddenly shook, and countless yellow sand rose. the more than ten desert wolves lying on the ground only felt a pain in their abdomen, and their physical strength rapidly declined. blood splattered on the sand and was all over the ground. after the sand absorbed the blood, it condensed into a ball. ¡°roar!¡± the desert wolves let out an extremely painful roar from their throats. it bounced up from the ground like a spring. of the 25 desert wolves, 12 had sharp claw marks on their abdomen. only two were fast enough to escape. only then did the desert wolves see what had attacked them. the posture of the mummy crawling up from the ground made the desert wolves almost go crazy. they immediately launched a fierce attack on the mummy that had crawled up from the ground. those severely injured did not retreat at all. however, to their surprise, their sharp claws that could tear apart the bison just shortly penetrated when they hit this undead creature. ¡®rustling¡­¡¯ it was as if they had pierced through the sand. the fierce launched attacks by the 25 desert wolves at the same time did not cause any damage to the mummy. on the contrary, as long as the desert wolves pierced through a mummy¡¯s body, their bodies would turn blue after a few breaths. the mummy¡¯s curse could reduce all the enemy¡¯s attributes by 20%! the aura of the desert wolves immediately weakened. if the mummy is normal, even if it could kill these desert wolves, the mummy would suffer severe losses. unfortunately, their enemy was the mummy whom richard gave the ability to turn into sand. after turning into sand, the mummy was an unkillable existence. no matter how the desert wolves tore at it, the mummy¡¯s body would always recover quickly. it was like using a knife to cut through quicksand, but pulling out the knife would leave no mark. instead, after the mummy got up from the ground, it faced a group of cursed enemies and started a crazed killing mode. it didn¡¯t know fear, didn¡¯t know pain, and it only knew to launch an attack. trading injuries for injuries with a wave of its sharp claws, the mummy constantly achieved results. after the mummy came out from the yellow sand, three or four desert wolves surrounded it and attacked it. in a few rounds, it could kill a desert wolf. although the desert wolf fought back frantically, it was helpless against a group of enemies who had activated their invincibility skill. the battle ended before the mummy¡¯s sand transformation skill duration ended. the last desert wolf was drowned by more than ten mummies. the body of the desert wolf was almost covered in scars, and fresh blood was flowing out¡­ [ding~ the army you have led has annihilated a group of desert wolves and obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 50 experience points.] [level: 2 (50/1000)] the elite-level troops each provided 2 experience points. the rewards were not bad. however, the experience gained from leveling up to level 3 was 10 times more than before. the progress of leveling up slowed down instantly. however, what made richard happy was still to come. [ding~ bandaged mummies have experienced a lot of battles. their levels have increased.] after the system notification sounded, the aura of the 14 bandage mummies suddenly increased by a huge amount. at the same time, the scars left behind had also returned to normal. even the sand transformation skill that he had just used had refreshed. richard was in a great mood. this was a bloody good win. and the main gains were not just these. he looked at the corpses of the desert wolves lying on the ground. weren¡¯t the calves of these desert wolves good meat? for twilight city, which lacked food, this was a resource that made people drool. however, the problem was that the corpses infected with the plague were deadly. richard thought for a moment and turned at the mummy beside him. his eyes were filled with anticipation. ¡°can you remove the plague from the corpses of the wild wolves?¡± the mummy in front of him was stunned. it seemed like it had never done this before. after hesitating for a moment, the mummy slowly walked forward and pressed its hand to the wound on the wild wolf¡¯s corpse. a moment later, the blue curse on the desert wolf¡¯s skin seemed to come alive and began to move towards the direction where the mummy was pressing on the wound. after more than ten breaths, the blue light completely disappeared. clearly, the wild wolf¡¯s corpse had returned to normal¡­ richard¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. mummies were treasure troves! blood money, blood money! Chapter 11 richard was extremely satisfied with the mummies. not only were they not afraid of pain and death in battle, they were also remarkably strong. together with the sand transformation skill, they could even sneak attack from underground. more importantly, they did not need to worry about the transportation of food, water, and supplies. they did not even need to consume food. was there anything better than this in the world? what the cows ate was grass, and what they squeezed out was milk. the mummies did not even need to eat grass and were not directly milked like cows. in stark contrast, the three long-armed laborers beside him had their mouths split open. putting aside their ranks, these soldiers could not even survive in the desert. ¡°with the harsh living environment of the desert, in the future, we should choose soldiers that do not require transportation of food, water, and supplies¡­¡± in his thoughts, richard confirmed the direction of the troop development in twilight city. ¡°bring the desert wolves back to the territory.¡± after dispelling the plague, the desert wolves had undoubtedly become precious food. for twilight city, which only had a few days of rations, this was simply a life-saving straw. the long-armed laborers cheered and lifted the desert wolves in a flurry. however, three long-armed laborers were barely able to lift one. the mummy had no choice but to participate in the transportation of the desert wolves¡¯ corpses. from the looks of it, richard estimated that a desert wolf weighed more than 200 pounds. a few of the larger ones weighed more than 300 pounds. with such a big harvest, his mood became more and more cheerful. when the wolves were placed in front of the lord¡¯s mansion, they immediately caused a commotion among the residents. they squeezed into a pile, tiptoed, and stretched their necks to look inside. ¡°oh my god, what a big wild wolf¡­¡± ¡°hiss, these wild beasts are probably at the elite level!¡± ¡°these are desert wild wolves. they¡¯re extremely ferocious. ten ordinary people, one of them can only wait for death¡­¡± ¡°lord, you¡¯re too strong!!¡± ¡°it¡¯s truly amazing¡­¡± everyone was stunned. karu, who had just been appointed as the administrative officer, pushed through the crowd and squeezed to richard¡¯s side. his old body felt a little younger after seeing the wild wolves on the ground. he respectfully held his chest and saluted. ¡°good day, lord¡­¡± richard nodded slightly. ¡°later, get someone to cut up these wild wolves and store their fur. some of them will be made into fur cloth, and some will be used as food for the residents.¡± karu immediately bowed in excitement. ¡°thank you for your generosity. it is our honor to meet such a great lord like you¡­¡± richard did not care about the other party¡¯s gratitude. these people were all the wealth of twilight city. there was nothing strange about feeding his lamb with grass. he was still waiting for the other party to produce milk. ¡°no need to be so polite. as the lord of twilight city, it is only right for me to protect you.¡± ¡°there are still ten desert wolves¡¯ corpses that have yet to be retrieved. send someone to carry them back with the four mummies.¡± karu was pleasantly surprised. ¡°there were truly more?¡± ¡°alright, lord!¡± richard nodded and continued to ask. ¡°how are the residents doing?¡± ¡°reporting, there are a total of 15 people who have specialties. among them, there are five basic blacksmiths, three basic carpenters, five basic tailors, and two basic builders.¡± lifestyle classes were divided into basic, intermediate, advanced, special, master, and extraordinary classes. the higher the level, the higher the level of the items that could be produced. although they were all basic talents, there were 15 out of 100 people. this ratio was not bad. richard looked at the residents beside him. ¡°send five blacksmiths to work in the blacksmith shop. i have already occupied an iron mine. it won¡¯t be long before i can produce a large number of them.¡± ¡°five tailors can take care of the wild wolf¡¯s fur and see how to use it better.¡± after making some arrangements, richard pointed at the three long-armed laborers who were somewhat reserved. ¡°i¡¯ve already conquered the three resource points you mentioned.¡± ¡°at the same time, i subdued these long-armed laborers in the quarry. there are a total of 30 of them.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve placed 7 in the quarry, 10 in the iron mine, and 10 in the logging field.¡± ¡°the remaining 3 here, let them transport food and water to these resource points in the future.¡± twilight city¡¯s territory attributes were very special. under richard¡¯s protection, the residents of twilight city would not get lost in the desert, and at the same time, their stamina consumption would be reduced by 20%. these 3 extra drudges were put to good use. karu immediately agreed. ¡°as you wish.¡± soon, the residents who received the order began to get busy. more than 30 strong residents were led by four mummies to carry the wild wolf corpses. another 4 or 5 residents brought 3 long-armed laborers with dry food and water to the resource point to deliver supplies. the residents who remained in the territory began to get busy. a wolf weighing 200 to 300 pounds was a lot of work. the residents moved the wild wolf to the only well in twilight city. then, they took out a big pot from somewhere and began to boil water. richard stood at the side and watched this scene silently. the lively scene was like the new year celebrations when he was a child. the residents with smiles on their faces were particularly infectious. the more rustic they were, the more touching they were. his sense of strangeness to this world had quietly disappeared a lot. after observing the surroundings for a moment, his gaze was attracted by the well. water was the absolute lifeline in the desert. the construction of the well in twilight city was very primitive. deep pits were dug in the ground to the location of the underground water. and stones were built around the pits to hold the soil in place so that it would not collapse. after the underground water seeped out, they tied the barrel with a rope and hung it up. this well was placed in the home of an ordinary resident and could be used by a dozen people without any problems. however, this was twilight city. it was richard¡¯s territory. with only this well, what would happen to the development of the city in the future? richard felt a little uneasy. while he was thinking, the white-haired karu walked to his side. the old man wiped the sweat off his forehead. his thin and weak body was like a tree that had shed leaves in winter. however, his old body could not offset his excitement. ¡°my lord, i have just estimated that after removing the fur, bones, and internal organs, each wild wolf can leave about 150 units of meat. twenty-five wild wolves can produce a total of nearly 4,000 units.¡± according to the system¡¯s calculations, one kilogram of food was one unit. ¡°moreover, the internal organs and bones can also be eaten. just this food alone will be enough for us to last for three days.¡± ¡°the meat can be dried and stored. four thousand units are enough for us to consume for 20 days.¡± ¡°with this calculation, including our original food, our current reserves are enough for us to consume for 25 days. save a little bit, and a month will be easy.¡± karu¡¯s tone was exceptionally excited, and the wrinkles on his face had eased a lot. richard nodded. the harvest from this trip was indeed rich. three resource points, 30 long-armed laborers, level 2 mummies, and a huge amount of food from the hunt¡­ ¡­it could be said to be a huge profit. but at this time, richard¡¯s mind was attracted by other things. pointing at the well in front of him, he asked in a deep voice. ¡°is there a water source around the territory?¡± karu shook his head. ¡°no, we didn¡¯t find it. it was because we found this well a few days ago that we decided to leave it behind¡­¡± after saying that, karu looked a little hesitant. ¡°my lord, we might be able to arrange for a portion of our people to search for a water source, or rebuild a well.¡± ¡°the water output from this well isn¡¯t enough. these few days, the water supply for over a hundred people is very tight. if this goes on, i¡¯m afraid¡­ i¡¯m afraid the water in the well will dry up.¡± richard raised his eyebrows. lack of water was a fatal thing in the desert. if there was nothing to eat, they could go hunting. if there was no water to drink, they would die. they couldn¡¯t see anything yet, but if they developed in the future, this small well that used primitive methods to fetch water would probably be unable to bear the burden. the excitement of hunting more than 20 wild wolves decreased a lot. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way to deal with this. go and see if anyone knows how to find a water source or dig a well.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± when karu left, richard directly opened the [forum chat]. he searched for keywords ¡®lack of water sources¡¯. instantly, hundreds of thousands of posts appeared. [my territory is high up in the mountains. there¡¯s no water around. what should i do? i won¡¯t die of thirst, right?] [asking for help, how can i solve this problem without fresh water on the territory? not to mention distillation, the efficiency is too low. the amount of water distilled is not even enough for the residents of my territory to drink around.] [there¡¯s a level 10 giant bear outside my territory. it¡¯s been blocking me for half a day. i¡¯m dying of thirst. who can give me some water to drink?] richard was dumbfounded. most of these posts were asking for help. richard only found a valuable one after sifting through them for a long time. [i just picked up a 3-star treasure chest in the wild, but after opening it, i only got one treasure fragment ¡ª spring water fragment. three fragments can be combined into a 1-star resource treasure, spring water!!!] [what the f*ck is the use of this!! when i went out, i was surrounded by river!!! i regret it. if i had known earlier, i would have sold it in exchange for some food! damn it, there were 200 refugees in the territory just now, and tomorrow we will run out of food!!] ¡°1-star resource treasure?¡± ¡°spring water?¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. these sand sculpture players were indeed valuable. Chapter 12 after reading the post a few times, richard opened the [trading market]. he searched for a resource treasure ¡ª spring water. but to his disappointment, there was no such treasure. then, he searched for a few similar words consecutively, but all he found was a vast expanse of haze. ¡°at this stage, there are still too few people who can obtain a 3-star treasure chest. moreover, even if they obtain it, they might not be able to obtain a similar resource treasure.¡± after closing the [trading market], richard found a post again. after giving himself the name of qing qiu, he sent a private message. [qing qiu: big brother, i just saw your post. would you like to sell the spring water fragment?] after sending the message, richard quickly received a response. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: you want it? how many resources can you offer?] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he saw this name. [qing qiu: the initial resources are too precious. i can¡¯t offer much, but i just hunted a wild wolf.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: wild wolf? the kind that¡¯s not much bigger than a dog? what can that thing do?] richard went directly to the side of the busy residents and chose a medium-sized wild wolf. [ding~ do you want to sell the desert wolf¡¯s corpse? please set the price.] ¡°100,000 gold coins.¡± after making the decision, the desert wolf in front of him disappeared. richard opened the [forum chat] again and sent a message. [qing qiu: i have already put the desert wolf on the shelves. you go to the exchange channel and search for it. desert wolf ¡ª sold for 100,000 gold coins.] not long after the message was sent, the other party replied. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: awesome, even an elite 3-star wild wolf can be killed! i¡¯ve already been blocked by a group of elite 1-star wild wolves. how the f*ck did i pick the farmer¡¯s troop lair? boss, what level is your troop lair?] [qing qiu: let¡¯s talk about a deal.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: we can trade, but one is not enough. moreover, wolves are social animals. boss, you must have killed more than one!] [qing qiu: my territory is also very short of food. it¡¯s impossible to trade too much. moreover, yours is only a fragment. i don¡¯t know when it will be synthesized. if it¡¯s too expensive, then forget it.] the other party didn¡¯t reply for a long time. just when richard thought that the guy didn¡¯t want to trade, the other party appeared again. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: boss, you hunted a desert wolf, and you¡¯re willing to exchange precious food for a fragment of resources, treasure, and spring water at this time. your territory is in the desert, right?] richard raised his eyebrows. just as he was about to say no more nonsense, the other party sent him a message. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i understand that a fragment of the resource treasure spring water can not be exchanged for much food, but i wonder if you¡¯re interested in this thing?] [russian olive seed (resource treasure)] [level: 1-star] [range: 10 mu] [characteristics: must be planted in the desert, requires sufficient water for irrigation, ripens once a month.] [description: a resource treasure exclusive to the desert.] richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°russian olive seed?!¡± ¡°ripens once a month?¡± moreover, this was not a resource treasure fragment like spring water, which could be used directly after obtaining it. [qing qiu: two resource treasures can be obtained from one 3-star treasure chest?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: who said two resource treasures can be obtained from one 3-star treasure chest? one 3-star treasure chest can produce one resource treasure. i have opened two 3-star treasure chests.] richard was speechless. ¡°this guy¡¯s luck was too good, right?¡± ¡°how long has it been? he already obtained two 3-star treasure chests?¡± ¡°he must be cheating¡­¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: boss, are you interested in this treasure? i don¡¯t want much, just 30 wild wolves will be enough.] [qing qiu: wake up, please. resources and treasures may seem precious, but to every desert lord, they are huge pits. how much water will be consumed every day after planting the olive seed? how many people can survive?] [moreover, they mature too slowly. don¡¯t you know what a month means? not only do i need to expend energy to care for them, but i also need to delay the progress of the development of the territory.] [in the future, there will definitely be more similar resource treasures. when that time comes, the price will definitely be lower.] [right now, this thing doesn¡¯t have much value to me. let¡¯s talk about the transaction of the spring water fragments.] after reading this paragraph, the other party fell into a long silence. richard no longer responded. he was waiting for the guy to speak. the olive seeds could mature in a month. this was an irresistible temptation for richard. if richard could get it, it meant that twilight city would have a stable source of food. as for investment, wasn¡¯t that nonsense? without investment, there would be no harvest. but the essence of negotiation was to not reveal one¡¯s trump card. whoever had a small demand could take the initiative. and the other party¡¯s post had already exposed his extreme lack of food. now, the initiative was in richard¡¯s hands. it was only the first day of the game, it was not easy to find a suitable seller from the desert camp. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: no, this is from a 3-star treasure chest, not a cent less. i¡¯ve already put it on the shelves, you can buy it yourself.] opening the [trading market], he found the olive seeds and spring water fragments. [russian olive seed: (1-star) ¡ª sold for 5,000 units of food or 30 desert wolves] [spring water fragments: (1-star) ¡ª sold for 1,000 units of food or 10 desert wolves] richard laughed. ¡°little friend, are you fishing in front of me? i really thought it was fishing.¡± he immediately closed the [forum chat]. richard removed the desert wolves from the shelves and let the residents continue to deal with them. he no longer paid any attention to that guy. the other party had even exposed his underwear. now, he was the one fishing. the residents only finished their work when it was dark. after dealing with more than twenty wolves, all of them were exhausted. a middle-aged man in a short robe entered the lord¡¯s mansion with a respectful expression after confirming that the food was cooked. however, under the gaze of the mummy guard¡¯s empty eyes, he did not dare to enter the hall at all. he only dared to shout in a low voice. ¡°lord, good evening¡­ we have already prepared the food. please have your meal¡­¡± when richard heard the somewhat perturbed voice coming from outside the door, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. he got up and walked out of the mansion. in the open space outside the door¡­ hundreds of residents were staring at the bubbling meat in the big pot. the fragrance almost made a child cry. richard, who hadn¡¯t eaten for a day, was also excited. seeing him, the residents turned their heads to salute him reluctantly. ¡°lord, good evening.¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± looking at the crowd who looked like they wanted to stuff their eyes into the pot, richard smiled. he took a few steps forward and swept his gaze across the crowd. richard spoke in a clear voice. ¡°my people, today is your first day in twilight city. it is a memorable day. because today, you have become a member of twilight city. you have become my people. ¡°from this moment on, all of us will share the glory and disgrace of twilight city. in the future, this land will be filled with hope because of our joint efforts. the life that each of you dreams of will be realized through our hard work. ¡°remember today. in the future, you will be proud. now, eat!¡± the last sentence immediately made the residents excited. ¡°long live, lord!¡± ¡°praise you, great lord!¡± ¡°thank you for your grace¡­¡± richard was at a loss for words¡­ after a period of excitement, it was time for a happy meal. the organs and bones of more than 20 wild wolves gave everyone a great meal. everyone was given a big bowl, and there were two delicious meals the next day. richard felt the same. although there wasn¡¯t much seasoning, the wild wolf meat was too delicious. a simple salt could make a first-class delicacy. after a comfortable meal, richard slowly returned to the mansion. the night was too dangerous. richard didn¡¯t have any plans to go out, so safety was more important. when he entered the hall, he suddenly found two rosy-faced 18-year-old girls with blonde hair waiting for him. after asking, richard found out that it was karu who had sent them to serve him. ¡®you¡¯re using this to test your skills?¡¯ richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. after thinking about it, he realized that he had already transmigrated, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for his life to be rotten. he felt at ease as he finished washing up under the two girls¡¯ service. however, when the two girls shyly suggested warming up the bed, richard still strictly rejected it. the harmonious troop was one aspect. the main thing was that the two girls didn¡¯t meet his aesthetic standards. he preferred oriental girls who had a lingering charm. the two girls turned their heads back three times and left regretfully. this was a chance to reach the sky in one step. they actually did not grasp it. what a pity¡­ the next morning, richard woke up. after washing up, he thought of something and opened the [forum chat]. in the next second, hundreds of private messages appeared. six o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: why haven¡¯t you bought it yet?] seven o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: boss, where are you?] eight o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: is the price too high? we can still discuss this¡­] nine o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: how about 25 wild wolves? i¡¯ll change the price now!] ten o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: boss, i was wrong. don¡¯t ignore me. twenty, last price! it can¡¯t be less!!] eleven o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f* king italian cannon: boss, answer me. i¡¯m really in a hurry¡­] twelve o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: can i call you big brother? twenty really can¡¯t be less!!] one o¡¯clock, at dawn¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, just buy them. those refugees are going to use up all my food tonight. i¡¯ve already promised them to solve the food problem tomorrow!! i can¡¯t go back on my word!!] two o¡¯clock, at dawn¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, when you get up tomorrow, call me back when you see this message.] six o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon? big brother, please, hurry up and buy it!! if those residents don¡¯t see the rice put into the pot today, i¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll rebel!!] seven o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, have you woken up? those residents have already woken up! please reply to me.] eight o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, 15 wild wolves, if you want them, buy them immediately, no more words!!] nine o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, i¡¯m going to die!!! those guys have been asking about the food, i can¡¯t fool them anymore!! they said that they would leave today without food!!] [if those bastards with big waists were to really start fighting, my farmers and soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it!!!!] [big brother, save me!!] Chapter 13 richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw the other party¡¯s messages. this guy also had a top-grade item. he dared to fish without a trump card. richard opened the [trading market]. the price of the other party¡¯s 1-star resource treasure, the olive seed, had been reduced to 2,000 units of food or 15 desert wolves. the spring water fragment treasure also had been sold for 500 units of food or 3 desert wolves. that guy obviously couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. but even so, no one cared. who would have extra food to buy such a useless treasure at this time? he searched the [forum chat] for posts about the olive seeds and the spring water fragments and found that they were all sent by [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. richard clicked on them and found them funny. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: come quickly, buy the precious strategic treasure from the 3-star treasure chest!] [the 10-mu russian olive seed will mature once a month. as long as one buys it, they will be able to harvest a batch of food every month.] [it is the best choice for the desert lords! the cornerstone of hegemony!] [as long as one gathers the three pieces of the spring water fragment, they will be able to obtain a spring core! the desert lords who lacked water practically could not miss this!] [one can find these two treasures in the exchange market by searching.] richard pondered about it. ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal for you to boast about yourself, but the reply below is quite interesting.¡± [first floor: are you crazy? do you sell 2,000 units of food for a lousy treasure? and it can only be grown in the desert! don¡¯t you know the price of food now?] [second floor: as a random desert lord, i just want to say that the owner is a retard! that olive seed is not bad, but the description clearly states that it needs sufficient irrigation! who the hell can afford this?] [not to mention the ridiculous price of selling 2,000 units of food, do you know what it means to have 15 desert wolves? that is a level 3, elite 3-star group monster! who can kill 15 desert wolves on the first day? why didn¡¯t you go to heaven with such a big nose?] [third floor: i seriously want these treasures. can you give me a lower price? i¡¯ll give you 300 units of food for the olive seeds i got after killing a wild camel. i can¡¯t bear to eat them.] [fourth floor: the treasures are so expensive. they look good, but they¡¯re useless. don¡¯t you feel bad using these little resources to exchange for something else?] [fifth floor: i have nothing to say.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: at first, you would argue a little, but in the end, it¡¯s just spat. you wouldn¡¯t dare to talk back.] [no wonder you¡¯re so anxious.] the guy¡¯s defense was interrupted by the sand sculpture players. they still liked to be vicious. even in a different world, it hadn¡¯t changed. after thinking for a while, richard sent that guy a message. [qing qiu: the desert wolves harvested yesterday have been dealt with already. you¡¯re too late.] the other party replied instantly. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: oh my god, you¡¯ve finally appeared!!!] [don¡¯t try to scare me. i¡¯ve already asked around. there are at least 7 or 8 desert wolves that appear at the same time. with such a large one, even if you remove the skin, bones, and internal organs, a few combined can produce at least 2,000 units of meat. it¡¯s impossible to finish them in one day.] [just buy it!!] [qing qiu: i can only produce 800 units of desert wolf meat.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: the russian olive seed can be sold only for so little money? that¡¯s too cheap!] [qing qiu: who told you that it¡¯s the olive seed for 800? i¡¯m talking about the two treasures for 800.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: you are ruthless! but i will never give in! i will never sell them even if i die!] [qing qiu: hear me out.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sigh, big brother, speak! i am listening.] [qing qiu: i can produce 800 units of wild wolf meat in exchange for your resource treasures. after half a month, i can continue to give another 800 units. after a month, i could produce another 800 units.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was also stunned. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother¡­is this a payment by installments?] [qing qiu: 800 units of wild wolf meat is enough for you to last for some time. that is meat, not rice or flour. moreover, i don¡¯t have much food in my hands. i still have hundreds of people to feed. i don¡¯t have that many resources to trade with you.] [if you don¡¯t accept, then forget it. i have food in my hands. i have 20 billion people to feed. don¡¯t tell me i can¡¯t buy similar resources and treasures.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon immediately became anxious. he was still waiting for the rice to be in the pot. if those refugees ran away, his territory would be in chaos. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: don¡¯t, big brother¡­ alright! i agree, but we have to sign a contract!!] [qing qiu: no problem.] the two signed the system contract once for 100 gold coins. it could guarantee the interests of both parties. if one party breaches the contract, it would be punishable as breaking the contract as discussed. after richard signed the contract with the other party, he went to the warehouse to get 800 units of wild wolf meat. the two resource treasures obtained from a 3-star treasure chest also appeared in his hands smoothly. he only spent 800 units of meat in exchange for two resource treasures. this transaction was a bloody profit. as for the remaining 1,600 units of meat, he would supplement the shortage over time. in other words, the 800 units of meat after half a month would not have the same expensive price. the purchasing power would devalue. richard carefully looked at the two resource treasures in his hands. the russian olive seed looked like a russian olive. it emitted a faint fluorescence. the spring water fragment was one-third the size of a palm, like a broken crystal, but it did not cut richard¡¯s hand. [russian olive seed (resource treasure)] [level: 1-star] [range: 10 mu] [characteristics: must be planted in the desert, requires sufficient water for irrigation, ripens once a month.] [description: a resource treasure exclusive to the desert.] ****** [spring water fragment (resource treasure)] [level: 1-star] [water output: small ¡ª lsb status: incomplete (1/3)] [characteristics: after placement, the fragment will form a spring that will not dry up.] [description: a fragment of a resource treasure. only when it is complete can it be used.] holding the russian olive seed, a stream of information immediately gushed out of richard¡¯s mind. after selecting an area and placing the russian olive seed in the central, olives would grow out rapidly in a short period. richard was in a great mood. with this russian olive seed, it meant that twilight city would have a stable source of food. stability was more a priority to the territory than anything else. however, the biggest problem was still not solved. the water source! the russian olive seed needed sufficient water for irrigation. the small well in twilight city could not even provide food and drinks for the hundreds of people. there was no way to grow it at all. ¡°i have to think of a way to find the other spring water fragments¡­¡± ¡°since it¡¯s a 1-star resource treasure and a fragment, the chances of being opened is surely not low.¡± ¡°although the number of 3-star treasure chests is rare, there are 20 billion players. it¡¯s natural for 300,000 to 500,000 players to be as lucky as where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon.¡± ¡°money can make the mill push the ghost. as long as there are enough resources, i can put a bounty on 20 billion players to work for me¡­¡± after identifying his target, richard immediately asked someone to call karu over and gave him some instructions. ¡°today, i¡¯m going to patrol around the territory to look for resource points and edible prey. you arrange for the residents to clean up the territory and don¡¯t go out. the territory will be starkly safe for the week. no monster, not even a dragon, can enter.¡± Chapter 14 after instructing karu, richard placed the food and water that he had prepared beforehand into the system space. at the same time, he opened the system map and looked at it carefully. ¡°today, i¡¯ll scan the map with the logging field in the west as the starting point. for the next few days, i¡¯ll explore in a clockwise direction.¡± after making a decision, richard left the territory with 14 mummies. although it was only the second time he had walked in the desert, richard had practically adapted to it the day before, and his face was much calmer. it was lonely, vast, and majestic. the desert was always so magnificent, and it made people feel heroic. it was still early, and the yellow sand had not been burned by the sun. with a goal and direction, the group of people moved quickly. soon, they passed by the logging field, where the long-armed laborers were already working hard. richard did not stop and continued to explore. however, less than five minutes after leaving the logging field, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound. richard turned his head and saw a few yellow and black desert bees passing by him. ¡°there are bees in the desert?¡± he looked a little surprised. however, the desert bees were very fast and flew away in the blink of an eye. he did not have the chance to find out. shaking his head, richard did not hesitate and continued to move forward. however, after walking for less than ten minutes, the mummy that was leading the way suddenly stopped and retreated. it waved its hand to signal to go back. nothing was blocking its line of sight in the desert. richard immediately noticed something strange. after making sure that no enemies were attacking, he stepped forward to check the details. richard came to the side of the mummy that was warning him. under its signal, he climbed up a small sand dune that was about ten meters tall in front of him. richard lowered his body and looked forward. on the sand dune a hundred meters away, three squads of soldiers from the wild appeared in front of him. these humanoid creatures had rock-like muscles all over their bodies. they were bulging out one by one and were particularly eye-catching. even a bodybuilder would be ashamed to death in front of these creatures. their bodies were two meters tall, and their every move was filled with a terrifying sense of power. their backs were slightly bent, and three rows of dagger-like spikes grew on their backs, making them look ferocious and terrifying. what was even more surprising was that these strange creatures were surrounded by groups of desert bees flying around them. the desert bees that he saw earlier had surely come from this place. [nak trolls] [level: 4] [potential: elite 3-star] [skills: hard body (d-rank) ¡ª body as hard as a rock, able to ignore the bite of ordinary beasts.] [all-out heavy strike (e-rank) ¡ª the next attack after charging up will release 200% of its strength.] [rock body (e-rank)¨C it will not die unless its head is chopped off.] [race talent: possesses exceptionally strong defense, ordinary weapons are unable to pierce through it.] [fetters: the nak trolls feed on honey, raising more than three lairs of desert bees, automatically earning 10 experience points every day.] [when it raises more than five lairs of desert bees, it automatically receives 20 experience points every day.] [when it raises more than 10 lairs of desert bees, desert bees will give birth to desert bees and produce golden honey, which can increase the potential of the nak troll.] [description: they love to eat honey! la la la~] richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°good heavens, there are such strange species in the desert?¡± ¡°they looked so ferocious, and they truly eat honey. and in this vast desert, where would those desert bees go to gather honey?¡± ¡°the world is so big. there are indeed all kinds of strange things.¡± looking at the shackle of the nak trolls, richard suddenly became interested. ¡°eating honey can give experience. no wonder these trolls are level 4¡­¡± ¡°i wonder if these desert bees can be moved away?¡± thinking of the sweetness of the honey, richard was tempted. although it felt strange to raise bees in the desert, richard could even raise wild monsters, so why couldn¡¯t he. he refused to give up. but the problem was that the enemy had a total of three squads. one squad had 10 people, one squadron had 10 squads, and one legion had 10 squadrons. this was the basic unit structure of the game ¡°shining era¡±. it was a 10-point system, and it was easy to remember. richard was facing such a large number of soldiers with potential as high as an elite 3-star, and they were still a type of soldiers that specialized in defense. he felt that it was somewhat troublesome. although the mummies were strong, their defenses were still a problem whether or not they could break through. ¡°the strength in my hands is still too weak. after accumulating some resources, i will need to build a second troop¡¯s lair.¡± while his thoughts were a mess, richard took another look at the mummy¡¯s attributes. [corpse bandage ¡ª (e-rank). reduces physical damage by 30%. the bandage carries plague. the infected person will enter a weakened state, and all stats will be reduced by 20%. if not treated, they will gradually die.] ¡®if not treated, they will gradually die¡­¡¯ after muttering softly, richard¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. ¡°the opponent¡¯s defense is amazing. i¡¯m afraid that using normal methods will not be effective. although the sand transformation skill is strong, it can only last for five minutes.¡± ¡°if we attack vigorously¡­then if we can¡¯t finish the battle within five minutes, we might suffer a strong counterattack from the opponent. at that time, the situation will be out of control.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we try this passive¡­¡± ¡°a group of troops in the desert. do they have the ability to dispel the mummy¡¯s curse?¡± ¡°the other party¡¯s strong defense is just physical. there¡¯s no magic resistance at all in their attributes¡­¡± thinking of this, richard made up his mind. he had always been a man of action. he would do whatever he said. not to mention the honey that made his heart itch, it was worth a try if richard could gain a lot of experience from hunting the nak trolls. he might even be able to find some treasures inside. richard led the mummies around the sand dune and slowly approached the nak trolls from the downwind. when the distance was right¡­ richard let the mummies directly turn into sand. fourteen mummies merged into the desert and left no trace. a moment later, the nak trolls, who were lazily sunbathing in the bushes, suddenly heard a rustling sound. however, these wild nak trolls, who ate honey, were much lesser vigilant than the desert wolves. it was not until the mummies¡¯ bodies crawled up from the ground and even passed through their bodies that these ferocious-looking monsters woke up and roared as they counter-attacked. the nak trolls used their sandbag-sized fists to ruthlessly hit the mummies¡¯ bodies. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ after accumulating strength, their fists even produced a sonic boom. however, no matter how terrifying the attacks were, they hit the mummies¡¯ bodies as if they were hitting the sand. they could only feel a slight obstruction before they passed through the mummies¡¯ bodies. instead, as they came into direct contact with the mummies, their rock-like skin started to turn blue. their powerful aura suddenly decreased by a large margin. the mummies¡¯ curse took effect. but the weaker their body, the crazier the nak trolls became. three teams of nak trolls swarmed forward, surrounding the 14 mummies and launching a storm-like attack. the mummies also retaliated mercilessly. they could easily tear apart the desert wolf¡¯s body and attack the nak trolls with their sharp claws. but they could only leave white scratches on the nak trolls¡¯ bodies. they could not break through the defense. the nak trolls with all their attributes and defense were much more difficult to deal with than the desert wolves. after a full two minutes, the mummies confirmed that all the nak trolls were infected with the curse. then, their bodies quickly merged into the sand under the roars of the opponents. the mummies disappeared without a trace. no matter how much the nak trolls roared and raged, they could not stop the mummies after they turned into sand. after the mummies left, the nak trolls furiously punched the ground with their fists. huge pits were created. yellow sand splashed in the air. the desert bees in the air felt the nak trolls and also buzzed. after the mummies crawled out of the yellow sand, richard immediately took them away from this area. they came to a sand dune hundreds of meters away and carefully observed the movements of the nak trolls. the nak trolls furiously stirred up the sand. after venting their anger, they gradually regained their calm when they saw that the enemies had not appeared for a long time. however, the faint blue aura on their bodies did not disappear. instead, it gradually showed signs of deepening. but the nak trolls¡¯ bodies were too strong. there were no obvious changes for a while. after observing for a long time, a smile appeared on richard¡¯s face. the plan was successful! as expected, these nak trolls did not have any means to dispel the undead curse. now, it was enough to wait for the curse to devour them. however, with the physique of the nak trolls, it would not work for a few hours. there was no need to waste time. after making sure that there were no casualties, richard continued to explore the west with the bandaged mummies. he was quite looking forward to what they would encounter next¡­ Chapter 15 after leaving the area where the nak trolls were, richard became even more careful. the mummies that were originally scouting the way turned from 4 to 8. they spread out in groups of two in a fan shape. each group was about 3 to 4 hundred meters away from richard. if there was trouble, they could be summoned immediately. this greatly increased the scope of the search. not long after, this strategy worked. [ding~ your troops have been attacked by a group of desert gnomes.] richard had warned them. the mummies that encountered desert gnomes did not fight with them. instead, they quickly retreated. he immediately gathered the mummies that had spread out. when richard and the mummies got closer, he also saw the appearance of the soldiers that attacked the mummies in the desert. they were about 1.5 meters tall, holding a dried wooden stick in their hands. their skin was green with yellow spots, very close to the desert. their faces were extremely ugly, like freshly kneaded dough that fell on the uneven ground and was stepped on. [desert gnome] [level: 2] [potential: ordinary 1-star] [skill: wa! wa! wa! (raises morale by shouting)] [race talent: bullies the weak and fears the strong. cowards fear death.] [fetters (grease under the feet): when the number of enemies is less than 10%, escape speed increases by 20%. when the number of enemies is less than 20%, escape speed increases by 30%.] [description: don¡¯t come over, if you come over again, i will run!!] this attribute was amazing. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he had thought that it was some powerful character. this group of short green-skinned creatures held wooden sticks and madly chased after the two mummies. the enemy had more than four teams, and they looked quite impressive. however, when the desert gnomes saw a large number of enemies coming, their charging and shouting immediately slowed down. seeing this, richard was afraid that these guys would run away, so he waved his hand. ¡°kill them!¡± the mummies were like ferocious tigers coming out of their cages. they let out an extremely hoarse roar, and the indistinct feeling sent chills down people¡¯s spines. the green-skinned desert gnomes were stunned. they turned their heads to look at their companions beside and found that they had several times more people than the opponents. its morale was immediately boosted. they rushed forward while screaming. the mummy that was the first to rush into the desert gnomes immediately activated its unparalleled mode. its shriveled fingers were now sharper than a razor. as it waved them around, those desert gnomes were like lambs lining up to die. one claw after another. under the immense power, even if the desert gnomes used a wooden stick to block, the only outcome would be that the wooden stick would break and their bodies would be torn apart. ¡®chi!¡¯ ¡®chi!¡¯ blood splattered and scattered on the ground. corpses fell to the ground one after another. in just one round, only 2 out of the 4 teams of desert gnomes were left. looking at the miserable looks of their companions, the remaining desert gnomes were immediately scared out of their wits. they did not even bother to run away, so they directly knelt and kowtowed. ¡°great lord! we are willing to submit to you and become your humble servants!¡± [ding~ the desert gnomes were defeated by your troop. you have obtained 40 experience points. due to your strength, the remaining desert gnomes are willing to submit to you. do you want to accept?] richard¡¯s mouth twitched as he watched the desert gnomes shatter like paper. he thought about it. although these guys were cowardly and useless in battle, they could still be used for work or as cannon fodder. after choosing to accept, richard waved his hand and made the mummies stop. seeing that the death gods around them had stopped, the desert gnomes finally dared to take a deep breath. however, the bean-sized sweat on their foreheads almost flowed down like tears. richard walked closer. the blood around him made him frown slightly, but that was all. after a few battles, his mental endurance had a qualitative leap. he was adapting to this world in an extremely strong state. he stared at the desert gnome in front of him. ¡°where did you come from? why did you attack my troop?¡± the desert gnomes who were questioned panicked and spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°great lord, we were also forced into a corner. those damn temple guards seized our territory and expelled us. we need food¡­¡± ¡°you need food, so you attacked the mummies?¡± ¡°what was going on in your heads?¡± richard was in disbelief for a long time. ¡°you guys aren¡¯t afraid of meat and vegetables¡­¡± however, the temple guards that the desert gnomes mentioned piqued his interest. was this a dungeon or a quest? ¡°temple guards? there¡¯s a temple there?¡± ¡°yes, lord, there¡¯s a very scary temple¡­¡± ¡°where is that?¡± when the desert gnomes heard this, they were so scared that they shivered. their bodies couldn¡¯t stop trembling, and their eyes were filled with fear. ¡°th-they are too terrifying. all of our tribesmen have been killed¡­¡± ¡°cut the crap!¡± the desert gnomes were shocked and quickly said. ¡°i-in our territory, we have to walk half a sun away from here¡­¡± ¡°what do you mean by half a sun?¡± richard wanted to kill these creatures with a slap. ¡°how many people are there? how strong are they?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. they are too many and too strong. all the tribesmen they met are dead!¡± ¡°what does the temple look like?¡± ¡°we only took a look at it from a long distance. we¡¯re not sure¡­¡± richard shook his head. these green-skinned creatures were really useless. they did not even know the enemy¡¯s situation even though their entire clan had been destroyed. they were able to run out because of the fetters, right? he was too lazy to ask anymore. ¡°lead the way.¡± these words immediately made the desert gnomes¡¯ faces turn bitter. however, due to the mummy¡¯s powerful pressure, they could only nod. one of them pursed his dry lips. ¡°great lord, do you have any water?¡± richard unhappily took out a wooden bucket filled with water from the system space. he watched the 20 desert gnomes gurgle dry. after drinking their fill, the listless desert gnomes immediately came to life and began to lead the way. as they walked, they told richard how terrifying the temple guards were and desperately tried to dissuade him from exploring. richard naturally couldn¡¯t be bothered with them, but from their stammering words, he obtained quite a bit of information. these desert gnomes were aborigines. they were not recruited by any troop¡¯s lair. they had been living in that area for decades. the temple had suddenly appeared a few days ago. subsequently, that area had been occupied by the temple¡¯s guards. not only was the enemy powerful, but there were also many of them. hundreds of desert gnomes had been slaughtered by a small team of the enemy. the more he talked, the more curious richard became. this seemed to be a high-level stronghold of the field troop. if they captured it, who knew what good things they could get out of it? with some excitement, richard urged the desert gnomes to speed up. it had to be said that the desert gnomes¡¯ instinct of being afraid of death was indeed powerful. under their leadership, they did not encounter any other field troops. however, with the temptation of the temple, richard did not have the mood to care about anything else. after nearly forty minutes, the desert gnome leading the way pointed at a large bush not far away in fear. ¡°great lord, that temple is inside¡­¡± richard was shocked. Chapter 16 the forest in front of them stretched as far as the eye could see. in the desert, the greenery was already a rare sight. ¡°there¡¯s a water source in the forest. that¡¯s why we¡¯ve been living here.¡± ¡°that temple is in the middle of the forest.¡± ¡°great lord, you must be careful. those temple guards are too powerful¡­¡± ¡°we will guard the outside¡­¡± hearing the desert gnomes muttering, richard glared at them. ¡°follow them in!¡± the green-skinned desert gnomes looked bitter. but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. they could only stand on the side dejectedly. richard thought for a while and selected 5 desert gnomes. he sent 4 mummies to explore the way. ¡°you guys, go find a safe path to the temple.¡± the son of a rich family did not want to risk his life. with so many soldiers under richard, there was no need for him to take the risk. the 5 desert gnomes who were chosen were about to cry. richard looked fiercely at them. ¡°the 5 of you, after you find a safe path, you can stand guard outside. the next time you have a mission, you will send others.¡± the desert gnomes finally managed to recover their spirits. compared to the other unknown missions that the other desert gnomes might encounter, it didn¡¯t seem like it was a big deal to explore a path. in any case, they ran fast. immediately, they tiptoed and lowered their bodies, bringing the mummies into the bushes in an extremely comical manner. richard didn¡¯t say anything and waited patiently. twenty minutes later¡­ ¡®rustle¡­¡¯ footsteps came from the bushes, but the mummy in front didn¡¯t warn richard. after a while, a few desert gnomes appeared in front of richard excitedly. ¡°lord, we found a safe passage to the temple!¡± richard glanced at the few mummies behind the desert gnomes, but they didn¡¯t show any objection. only then did richard relax. compared to these green-skinned creatures, the mummies were ten times more reliable. ¡°leave a small team of desert gnomes to wait here. the rest of you, follow me to the temple.¡± ¡°the 5 of you are in charge of managing the order here. before i return, no one is allowed to leave. if anyone tries to escape, the 5 of you can execute them on the spot!¡± the 5 desert gnomes who were called out were instantly extremely excited. they proudly glanced at the few companions beside them and raised their heads. ¡°great lord, we will definitely keep an eye on the others!¡± richard nodded and did not say anything else. he let the few mummies go first and followed them into the bushes. too many people could easily cause chaos. the desert gnomes who led a small team were easy to manage. if there was trouble, they could also be used as cannon fodder. the bushes were very tall. some of the dense bushes were 2 to 3 meters tall, so there was no need to worry about being exposed. fortunately, the shrubs grew in clusters. there was a certain interval between each cluster, so there were no problems with clusters. it would at most be a bit of a detour, so it would not be too difficult to move forward. under the leadership of the mummy, the speed was not slow. but to prevent trouble, richard still lowered his speed. in the winding bushes, it was easy to get lost with a map. one of the characteristics of twilight city¡¯s territory was that residents would not get lost in the desert, which played a huge role at this time. richard felt that his mind was clear and not confused. ten minutes later, the mummy leading the way stopped. the desert gnomes also felt something, and they all shut their mouths tightly, not daring to make a sound. even their legs were trembling. richard gestured for the two mummies to keep an eye on the desert gnomes while he walked forward under the protection of the other mummies. after walking for about fifty meters, he gently pushed aside the bushes in front of him, and his vision suddenly widened. in front of him was an open space covered with yellow grass. in the center of the open space was a large tree that was more than twenty meters tall with umbrella-shaped leaves. the tree covered an extremely wide area, casting a massive shadow on the ground. and under this towering tree, an ancient temple appeared in sight. in front of this temple stood nine giant stone pillars, each engraved with an ancient divine pattern. the colors were very much lively. the aura it emitted made people feel an inexplicable sense of awe. behind the stone pillars, the temple, which stood in the shadow of the big tree, opened its doors. inside, there was a faint glow of torches. the situation could not be seen clearly, but it gave people a very mysterious feeling. in front of the temple, four teams of temple guards stood firmly, and 40 people blocked the surrounding area. these temple guards were wearing black armor engraved with the picture of a lion with a human face. in their hands, they were holding a strange weapon with a curved blade and a straight hilt. on their heads, they were wearing pointy hats with two colored ribbons. richard hid his body and silently opened his attribute panel. [dark temple] [???] [???] [???] they were all question marks¡­ richard was not satisfied and looked at the guards beside the giant stone pillar. in the next second, his pupils suddenly constricted. [guard of the dark temple of ankham] [level: 8 (intermediate soldier) ¨C strength is increased by 15%] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: temple guard (a-rank) ¡ª as the guardians of the dark temple, they have received the protection of the gods. when within 100 meters of the dark temple, their strength, stamina, and recovery speed will increase by 200%.] [temple blessing (a-rank) ¡ª after being killed, as long as the corpse is placed in the dark temple, it can be resurrected after a day.] [body of faith (b-rank) ¡ª immune to mind control, immune to curses, immune to plagues, immune to lethal poison, magic damage reduced by 60%.] [battle song of courage (b-rank) ¡ª morale will never drop when facing enemies who invade the dark temple. all attributes are increased by 70%.] [battle master (b-rank) ¡ª proficient in all kinds of combat techniques.] [race talent: when fighting within 100 meters of the dark temple, all attributes increase by 50%.] [fetters: when fighting within 200 meters of the dark temple, all attributes increase by 10%.] [when fighting within 100 meters of the dark temple, all attributes increase by 20%.] [when fighting within 50 meters of the dark temple, all attributes increase by 30%.] [description: a soldier born to guard the dark temple.] ¡°what the hell!!¡± richard subconsciously slowed down his breathing. the guard of the dark temple was level 8, and its potential had reached the unheard rare 3-star level. the guard of the dark temple¡¯s extremely powerful skills made richard feel immense pressure. the potential of the bandaged mummy was elite 3-star level. after being promoted, it could reach the rare 3-star level, and after being promoted once more, it could become a rare 4-star. there was a huge difference between the two ranks of the dark temple guards. moreover, the other party¡¯s level was as high as level 8! the difficulty of leveling up in the game ¡°shining era¡± was increasing exponentially. according to the official background information, the god¡¯s level was level 30. the god¡¯s level was only level 30. one could imagine how valuable level 8 was at the beginning of the game. moreover, the number of dark temple guards on the outside alone was as high as four small teams. the number of soldiers hiding inside was probably not much more. it was very likely that there was more than a squadron, which was more than a hundred people. just what kind of background did this dark temple have to have a squadron of rare 3-star level soldiers come to guard it? if richard and his troop were to attack it, wouldn¡¯t they be able to get rich in a wave? Chapter 17 richard looked at the dark temple with reluctance and waved his hand. retreat! without any hesitation, he turned around and left the shrub. although the dark temple was extremely tempting, capturing it would definitely yield extremely precious treasures. however, at this stage, the gap between the two sides was still too vast. even if 100¡­ no, 1000¡­ 10,000 players worked together, they would not be able to capture it. around the dark temple, the combat power of these guards would be invincible for a long time. ¡°lord!¡± the desert gnomes heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that richard had returned. one by one, they went forward to greet him excitedly. richard waved his hand. ¡°let¡¯s leave this place first.¡± only when they were far away from the bushes did he relax. richard looked at the desert gnome and asked. ¡°are there any buildings similar to the dark temple?¡± the desert gnome shook his head. ¡°no, only temples.¡± ¡°what about the other troops in the forest?¡± ¡°every evening, the guards of the dark temple would leave their station¡­ all the beings in the surroundings would be slaughtered.¡± ¡°what about the resource points like the logging fields?¡± ¡°there are, but they are also within the range of the temple guards¡­¡± richard could not help but shake his head, dispelling the idea of occupying the resource points nearby. not to mention the dark temple, this place was indeed a little far from twilight city. looking at the system time, it was already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. richard did not know how the cursed nak trolls were doing. after thinking for a while, he did not stay any longer and turned around to bring the desert gnomes and the mummies back. however, richard did not let the desert gnome lead the way this time. just like before, he spread the mummies out and searched in a fan formation. the desert gnomes also joined the exploration team. with that, they really did find a few gathering places for the wilderness troops. [ding~ you have commanded your troops to destroy a group of sawtooth black rats. you have obtained 20 experience points and a small-scale resource bag.] [ding~ you have commanded your troops to exterminate a group of sharp-clawed sand rabbits. you have obtained 15 experience points.] [ding~ you have commanded your troops to exterminate a group of black-backed halflings. you have obtained 20 experience points and a scall-scale resource bag.] richard was stunned. on average, one could encounter a group of troops in the desert within ten minutes. however, the levels of these troops were not high, and they did not obtain anything good. however, the biggest harvest was the edible sawtooth black rats and sharp-clawed sand rabbits they had hunted. this made richard rather happy, and he directly let the desert gnomes carry the meat back. in the gathering place of these desert troops, richard obtained a similar treasure that he had previously opened in a treasure chest¡ªa resource bag. [resource bag] [level: small] [characteristics: after opening it, you can randomly obtain a small number of resources.] [description: you can try opening it. otherwise, how would you know that opening this thing is a waste of time?] richard¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at the cheeky description. after opening it, he obtained two resource bags. one opened for 100 gold coins while the other opened for 100 units of stone materials. it was better than nothing. however, richard felt a little regretful that he did not find any lair among these desert troop lairs. after going around in circles, he encountered a few more desert troop lairs. when the sun was setting, richard returned to the place where he met the nak trolls this morning. he left the desert gnome carrying his prey in the distance and waited. he brought the mummies and slowly approached the nak trolls from the dune at downwind. after climbing up the dune¡­ the scene in front of him almost made richard laugh out loud. in the bushes in the distance, the nak trolls with rock-like tough defense were lying on the ground one by one. the blue color on their skin became very eye-catching. although the nak trolls kept trying to stand up, the hands behind them could not do it no matter how hard they tried. they had been drained of all their strength¡­ the buzzing sound of the desert bees flying in the sky became more and more impatient as if they were crying for their partners. richard opened the attribute panel and found a new row of attributes. [nak trolls] [level: 3] [potential: elite 3-star] [status: near death (cursed)] [skills: hard body (d-rank), all-out heavy strike (e-rank)¡­] ****** richard checked all the nak trolls in the 3 squads. without exception, they were all in a near-death state. ¡°the mummy is an eternal god!¡± nodding his head in satisfaction, richard waved his hand. ¡°you guys go and end the lives of these nak trolls!¡± ¡°roar!¡± they let out a hoarse growl as the bandaged mummies walked forward excitedly. ¡®rustle!¡¯ their footsteps made a unique sound as they stepped on the sand and gradually approached. the nak trolls sensed something strange and could not help but turn their heads. when they saw that the main culprits had arrived, these ferocious creatures immediately fell into anger. ¡°roar!¡± the nak trolls let out a tearing roar as they propped their hands on the ground, trying to stand up. however, even if they used all their strength, they were still unable to prop up their huge bodies. the bandaged mummies did not hesitate. they rushed forward with their sharp claws stabbing out like lightning. the nak trolls groaned and suddenly waved their arms. the sound of metal colliding could be heard. they barely managed to block the attacks. the mummies¡¯ aura turned cold. with a flash, they raised their arms high. their bodies were like a spring that had been lowered to the extreme. then, they suddenly exploded. ¡®whoosh!!¡¯ their sharp claws tore through the air, piercing the throats of the nak trolls. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ a nak troll, who could not resist the curse for a second time, received a fatal blow in the weakened state of the curse. fresh blood was like a hand pressing on a tap, creating a huge pressure. one after another¡­ the level 4 and elite 3-star nak trolls with almost insane defense were all slaughtered by the mummies. when the last trolls died, the system notification came as expected. [ding~ your troop has annihilated a group of nak trolls and won a small-scale battle. you have gained 60 experience points.] richard was overjoyed and stood up to go to the mummies. the surroundings were littered with the corpses of the nak trolls. when they got closer, they could feel the terror of these ferocious troops. that strong body could probably kill a calf with a single punch. if they were to fight head-on, the bandaged mummy would have to be at least twice as strong to be able to eat it. moreover, it had to be paired with a sand transformation skill. otherwise, it would be difficult even if it was three times as strong. as expected, the brain was the most powerful weapon. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± stimulated by the sudden appearance of a stranger, the swarm of desert bees in the low air began to fly around in a disorderly manner. the sound was like a plane flying over their heads, suddenly increasing in volume. a hint of excitement rose in richard¡¯s eyes. these desert bees were his spoils of war. ¡°i wonder what the honey in the desert tastes like?¡± following the path of the desert bees, they arrived in front of another shrub. it was very easy to find the hive hidden in the middle. although there was only one hive, there were quite a number of them. their dense mass could cause 10,000 true damage to those who suffered from agoraphobia. opening the attribute panel, the attributes of the honeycomb immediately appeared in front of richard. [desert bee] [level: special] [queen bee: beginner (upgraded to intermediate queen bee) ¨C can brew better quality, intermediate honey)] [characteristics: it can produce desert honey with a special fragrance. after eating, it can greatly speed up the recovery of stamina and injuries. [minimum output per week: 8 units] [description: a rare bee in the desert. extremely rare.] ¡°special item?¡± after richard looked at the attributes of the desert bee, his eyes lit up. once the word ¡®special¡¯ appeared, it usually meant that it had a special characteristic. it should be extremely rare and precious. this could be seen from the description of the honey. after consumption, it could greatly recover physical strength and injuries. this was simply amazing. wasn¡¯t this an alchemy potion? moreover, it was naturally produced. more importantly, the quality of the honey could also be improved. the queen bee was now at the beginner-level lair. when it was upgraded to the intermediate level, the quality of the honey would also be upgraded to the intermediate level. ¡°apart from the intermediate level, was there another advanced level? special level?¡± ¡°when that time came, how many attributes would it increase to?¡± ¡°can it be an elixir of immortality? can resurrection and bone regrowth be possible? is it an extra life?¡± richard laughed out loud. he could no longer hold back the joy in his heart when he thought of this. at this moment, the black gold system suddenly popped out a notification. [desert bee (special) ¡ª can use up to 10 insect-type troop lairs to increase the queen bee¡¯s level¡­] Chapter 18 ¡®beehives can also use up troop lairs to level up?¡¯ richard was pleasantly surprised. ¡®sure enough, life is perfect with cheats.¡¯ he opened the [trading market] with a bit of curiosity. then, richard searched for insect troop lairs. [giant ant lairs (normal 1-star) ¡ª sold for 400 gold coins] [sickle wasp lairs (normal 2-star) ¡ª sold for 500 units of wood] [venom locust lairs (normal 1-star) ¡ª sold for 400 units of iron ore] ****** richard searched around and found that the price of troop lair had increased a little. yesterday, the cheapest was 300 units of resources. today, it had risen to 400 to 500 units. some of the more powerful troops were even sold for thousands of units. it was obvious that many lords had gone out to explore like him, earning new income. as a result, the purchasing power of resources began to drop. moreover, as time passed, players learned which troop lairs were stronger and which were weaker. the price difference between different troop units would be even greater. fortunately, richard did not need those good troop lairs to level up. as long as he could satisfy the same type of troop, it would be enough. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that the spring water fragment can not be synthesized yet. otherwise, i could have placed the russian olive seeds there. ¡°when the time comes, i can place the desert bees in the russian olive forest and let the bees pick the flowers directly. this process would be perfect.¡± richard glanced at the honeycomb a few times but did not hurry to move. it was not that he was afraid of being stung into a pig¡¯s head by those angry bees. the main point was that they were only about ten minutes away from the territory, and there was no place for them in twilight city. he would move them when everything was ready, and it would not be too late for them to level up. after thinking for a while, richard looked at the desert gnomes that had just approached. ¡°the desert gnomes will follow the two mummies back to the territory first.¡± ¡°if the residents ask, you can tell them that i went to the resource point to patrol and will be back soon.¡± the resource points that they had occupied yesterday had already been harvested today. ¡°yes, lord!!¡± the desert gnomes immediately answered excitedly. the prey they had carried for so long had almost exhausted them to death, so they were naturally willing to return early. after the two mummies brought the desert gnomes back to the territory, the residents saw the abundant prey and became excited again. they were all in high spirits. ¡°gods above, lord must have received the blessing of the goddess of luck¡­¡± ¡°these prey are so fat and delicious!¡± ¡°can we eat meat again tonight? it¡¯s so blissful¡­¡± ¡°praise lord richard¡­¡± a few days ago, they fled to this territory in fear. at that time, there were only a few days of food left. everyone was desperate for the future. but yesterday, after lord richard appeared, everything changed. lord richard¡¯s gaze was so deep, and his firm words filled them with strength. his actions were highly decisive, and the piles of prey gave them an unprecedented sense of security. richard was the lord of their dreams. praise the twilight city, praise lord richard! richard took the 12 mummies to the logging field first and collected the yields of the long-armed laborer¡¯s day. the small-scale logging field produced a maximum of 2,100 units per week. that was 300 units per day. after the long-armed laborer was motivated by richard, his efficiency increased by 20% in three days. so, the harvest was 360 units of wood. the small-scale quarry produced 200 units, and the additional 20% was 40 units. that was a total of 240 units. the small-scale iron mine was the same as the logging field, with 360 units. [logging field] today, the three resource points produced a total of 960 units of resources. the current resource details were: [gold coins: 1,440 units] [wood: 1,900 units] [stone: 2,280 units] [steel: 2,360 units] half an hour later, richard returned to the territory with satisfaction. ¡°good evening, lord, you¡¯ve worked hard. dinner has been prepared for you in the kitchen. you can take a hot bath first¡­¡± richard was bereft of speech¡­ the white-haired karu had been waiting at the edge of the territory for a long time. when he saw lord richard, karu immediately greeted him respectfully. richard nodded slightly. after entering the territory, richard saw the residents who were still busy dealing with the prey. ¡°how many units of food can the prey produce today?¡± ¡°we can¡¯t tell yet¡­¡± karu was a little apologetic. ¡°please, rest first. i¡¯ll report to you as soon as i¡¯m done.¡± richard saw the desert gnomes who were left at a loss. he waved his hand. ¡°arrange for the desert gnomes to rest in the barracks. from now on, they¡¯ll be under your management.¡± after saying that, richard ignored everything else and returned to the mansion with the mummies. at night, the mummy that didn¡¯t need to rest was the best guard. in the mansion, the two kitchen maids arranged by karu had already prepared dinner for richard. richard looked at the majestic clothes of the two kitchen maids that couldn¡¯t be concealed, and the corners of his mouth twitched. especially the trembling when they served the food, it made him wonder if karu had done it on purpose¡­ after sending the two overly plump kitchen maids away, richard enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in peace. wild wolf meat, wild rabbits, gerbils¡­ the quality of the meat was extremely high, and it tasted incomparably delicious. outside the lord¡¯s mansion¡­ karu looked at the two kitchen maids who had their heads lowered and looked as if they had done something wrong. he was somewhat not in the mood. ¡°did you seriously not give any hint at all?¡± seeing the two of them shake their heads, karu could not help but sigh. ¡°sigh¡­it seems lord richard doesn¡¯t like girls like you, but it¡¯s still good that you weren¡¯t sent out like the two girls yesterday.¡± ¡°you girls can leave. for the next few days, you will serve lord richard. remember, no matter what he wants, you will give it to him!¡± ¡°since this is your choice, then do it well.¡± ¡°we have no one left to rely on. we have to find a strong protector. from these two days, lord richard is a rare candidate.¡± ¡°if lord richard accepts you, it will be good for everyone. not to mention that lord richard is so handsome.¡± the two kitchen maids¡¯ faces were slightly red. ¡°we understand.¡± the two kitchen maids snatched the opportunity to serve lord richard from more than ten competitors¡­ in fact, whether it was a man or a woman, as long as they were outstanding enough, there would always be people who were willing to do it. it was the instinct of life to chase after the best of the opposite sex. richard did not know what was happening outside the lord¡¯s mansion. after finishing his meal, richard began to calculate the resources in his hands and the harvest of the past two days. Chapter 19 it had been two days since richard arrived in the game ¡°shining era¡±, and the two days had been quite fruitful. the first was food. currently, there were more than 3,000 units of meat and about 500 units of basic food left in the inventory. including today¡¯s prey, the inventory could be increased by thousands of units. this would directly alleviate the food shortage problem in twilight city. at least, there would not be a shortage of food for the next month. the second point was the troop¡¯s lair. this was the foundation of the territory. he already had an elite 3-star lair in his hands. the bandaged mummies he recruited had extremely strong combat strength. when paired with the sand transformation skill, it had a great enhancement effect in the future, when richard chose the troop, he could continue to develop this type. the third point was the resource aspect. currently, richard had occupied three resource points, and he could earn a steady income of 800 to 900 resources every day. the resources in his hands added up to more than 7,000 units. even if richard could not be considered rich, his accomplishment was not bad. the fourth point was external exploration. on the west side, richard found the dark temple with strong defensive power. in the future, once twilight city became stronger, capturing this temple would truly yield a harvest that would make people envious. richard had obtained a lair of extremely rare desert bees near the logging field. in the future, he could breed them¡­ after carefully calculating the harvest, richard was in a very good mood. after a long time, he focused his attention on the troop lairs. ¡°to upgrade the elite 3-star great pyramid to rare 3-star, it requires 100 troop lairs. ¡°based on the current price, it requires 40,000 units of resources. moreover, it has a 7 days cooldown time. it is unlikely to be upgraded in a short period. ¡°upgrading a normal-level to elite-level lair requires only 10 troop lairs and 4,000 units of resources. ¡°if i invest all the resources in my hands into the new troop, i can directly obtain a new elite-level troop lair.¡± ¡°if it¡¯s not enough, i can even sell some food in exchange for resources.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll use my resources to kill a wave of troops first¡­ strength is the foundation of standing in this world!¡± after sorting out his thoughts, richard immediately took action. he opened the [trading market]. [searching: desert camp branch of the troop.] [desert scout (normal 3-stars) ¡ª sold for 1,000 units of wood] [desert halfling (normal 1-star) ¡ª sold for 500 units of wood] [putrid hyena (normal 2-stars) ¡ª sold for 6,000 units of iron ore] ****** richard carefully checked the attributes of these troop lairs, but he eliminated most of them at the first moment. the bandaged mummy¡¯s outstanding performance on the battlefield became his reference standard. moreover, richard had to consider whether these troops were compatible with his sand transformation skill, consider logistics, and consider whether they could be compatible with the mummy¡­ more importantly, what was the potential? was it worth spending a lot of resources to train them? after a full two-hour series of screenings, richard had eliminated over ten thousand troops before choosing one. [scorpion¡¯s lair] [level: normal 3-stars] [recruitment: scorpion warrior (normal 3 stars)] [recruitment: 14] [weekly output: 7] [recruitment requirements: 4 gold coins, 4 units of wood, 4 units of steel] [description: an normal desert troop¡¯s lair]. the price of this troop¡¯s lair was as high as 3,000 units of iron ore. the attributes of the scorpion warrior that it produced made him quite tempted. [scorpion warrior] [level: 1] [potential: normal 3-stars] [skills: undead body (f-rank) ¡ª reduces 15% physical damage, immune to plague and poison. it will not die unless its head is chopped off.] [poisonous scorpion tail (f-rank) ¡ª the scorpion tail can cause armor-piercing damage. at the same time, it has poison attached to it. once it is stabbed, it will cause poison damage.] [powerful iron pincers (f-rank) ¡ª double pincers sharp increased by 15%. attack strength increased by 15%] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, strength increases by 30%.] [fetters: when the number of scorpions is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%, and poison increases by 10%.] [when the number of scorpions is greater than 20, strength increases by 20%, and poison increases by 20%.] [when the number of scorpions is greater than 30, strength increases by 30%, and poison increases by 30%.] [description: a dead creature sealed in the pharaoh¡¯s pyramid. i believe you won¡¯t be willing to be stung by it.] its potential was normal 3-star, and it had three skills¡ªeach of which was extremely useful. there was one more thing that richard admired. the scorpion warrior was a dead creature, so there was no need to consider logistics. although the bandaged mummy was outstanding, it also had a big weakness ¡ª it lacked offensive skills. the scorpion warrior had powerful offensive skills, and its attributes were already very outstanding. once it was upgraded, it would indeed receive even greater improvements. after thinking about it, richard searched again and confirmed that there was only one scorpion troop¡¯s lair. without hesitation, he bought it directly. after consuming 3000 units of iron ore, the column was cleared. for this, richard used other resources to exchange for a few hundred units. richard continued to search for troop lairs. but this time, it was a synthetic one. as long as it was from the desert camp, it was enough. how could it be so cheap? after buying 10 troop lairs, what a coincidence! the initial 7,000 units of resources were all emptied. a series of 0s appeared on the attribute panel. the construction of the scorpion lair required 400 units of wood, 400 units of stone, and 400 units of iron ore. at this moment, richard had no supplies at all. he couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead. ¡°this is too poor¡­¡± it was still necessary to sell food. ¡°i wonder what the price of food is now?¡± opening the [trading market], the next second, richard¡¯s pupils constricted. 100 units of wheat ¡ª sold for 2,000 units of iron ore. 50 units of fresh fish ¡ª sold for 1,500 units of wood 10 units of wild boar meat ¡ª sold for 400 gold coins. ****** the price of food was truly so high. each unit of meat could be exchanged for 30 to 40 units of resources, and as long as it was put up, it would be gone in a second. the price of wheat and rice was also around 20 units. after a few glances, richard thought of thousands of units of meat in the warehouse. at this time, richard had a feeling of windfall. it turned out that food was the most valuable harvest these few days. over a thousand units of meat could be sold for 30,000 to 40,000 units of resources. adding today¡¯s harvest, the meat in the warehouse starkly exceeded 4000 units. this was an astonishing amount of wealth! if all of it was sold, it could even raise the mummy¡¯s great pyramid and the newly acquired scorpion to a rare-level lair without taking into account the 7 days cooldown time. Chapter 20 ¡°however, it¡¯s a pity that only a portion of the food can be sold. the food in twilight city is also scarce, so there¡¯s not much available. ¡°hundreds of people eat, drink, and defecate every day. there are also 30 long-armed laborers and 20 desert gnomes¡­ ¡°in such a harsh environment like the desert, each person consumes at least two units of food every day. ¡°the warehouse looks abundant, but not buying food from outside is already good enough.¡± richard shook his head. the current stock of food could only last for more than 10 days. this was too little for a territory. it made him extremely insecure. if something happened, twilight city simply could not afford it. richard had a plan in his mind. ¡°at this stage, hunting is undoubtedly more beneficial than occupying resource points. in the short term, hunting can be the main goal of exploration.¡± as he was thinking, richard stood up and left the mansion. he went to the well. at this time, the residents had just finished dealing with today¡¯s prey. richard directly took 200 units of food in exchange for 8,000 units of resources. he exchanged gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore for an average of 2,000 units. after encouraging the residents to work hard for a while, richard turned around and returned to the mansion. he placed the newly acquired scorpion¡¯s lair next to the great pyramid. he chose to build it. in an instant, 1,600 units of resources were used up. at the same time¡­ the troop lair richard placed on the ground began to expand like a balloon. in a moment, it had become a three-meter-tall mud house. the outer surface of the mud house was painted with ancient yellow soil. on top of it, there was an image of a scorpion with a human face. the thick hay at the top formed a special image that covered the top of the building. this building looked like an ancient structure that had been dug out from the ground. it had an inexplicable sense of mystery. [scorpion¡¯s lair (normal 3-stars) ¡ª using 10 normal desert camp troop¡¯s lair cores can upgrade it to elite 3-stars. the conditions have been met. do you wish to upgrade?] the black gold system¡¯s notification came as expected. after choosing to confirm, the 10 troop lairs in richard¡¯s hands directly shattered. they turned into light and fused into the scorpion¡¯s lair. a gray light hovered. the human-faced scorpion carvings in front of the scorpion nests became more and more eye-catching under the mysterious power. the attribute panel changed after the light retreated. [scorpion lair] [level: elite 3-star] [recruit type: scorpion warrior (elite 3-star)] [recruit quantity: 14] [weekly output: 7] [recruit requirements: 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, 40 units of iron ore] [description: normal desert troop lair] [upgrade successful.] richard was in a good mood. however, the resources required for recruitment had also increased significantly. unfortunately, every troop lair had a 7 days cooldown time after upgrading. otherwise, if they sold more food, they could directly upgrade to rare. recruiting a scorpion warrior required 120 units of resources. fourteen units would be 1,680 units. all of them were recruited. once chosen, the gray energy lingered in the scorpion¡¯s lair. after a moment, the energy began to flow into the relief sculpture in front of the scorpion¡¯s lair. the relief sculpture began to gradually fill up as if it was filled with flesh and blood, and then gradually came to life¡­ when the energy had gathered to a certain extent, the relief sculpture suddenly opened its eyes. it took a step forward, broke away from the wall of the venomous scorpion¡¯s lair, and stood steadily on the ground. this scene was extremely cool as if it was a scene from a myth. richard nodded in satisfaction. the venomous scorpion warrior was two meters tall. the upper half of its body was that of a human, and the lower half was that of a venomous scorpion. the muscles on his body were as if they were forged from steel, and the outline of his body was extremely obvious. its long scorpion tail was countless times sharper than a spear. its arms were not human hands, but two scorpion pincers that flickered with cold light. ¡®kacha!¡¯ as soon as the pincers were closed, the crisp sound of metal rubbing against metal could be heard. no one could doubt the terrifying lethality of these two pincers. after the iron pincers were closed, the front end of the iron pincers revealed an iron hook that was similar to a butcher¡¯s. even if the iron pincers were not opened, using the iron hook to attack could still cause substantial damage. the most chilling thing was the scorpion warrior¡¯s cold brown pupils that did not have the slightest fluctuation of life emotions. at a glance, it gave a huge psychological pressure. richard opened the attribute panel full of anticipation. [scorpion warrior] [level: 1] [potential: elite 3-star] [skill: body of the undead (f-rank) ¡ª reduces 30% physical damage, immune to pestilence and poison. it will not die unless its head is chopped off.] [poisonous scorpion tail (f-rank) ¡ª the scorpion tail can cause armor-piercing damage. at the same time, it has poison attached to it. once it is stabbed, it will cause poison damage.] [powerful iron pincers (e-rank) ¡ª when attacking, the sharpness of the two pincers increases by 30%, and strength increases by 30%.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, strength increases by 30%.] [fetters: when the number of scorpions is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%, and poison increases by 10% (activated).] [when the number of scorpions is greater than 20, strength increases by 20%, and poison increases by 20%.] when the number of scorpions is greater than 30, strength increases by 30%, and poison increases by 30%.] [description: a dead creature sealed in the pharaoh¡¯s pyramid. i believe you won¡¯t be willing to be stung by it.] richard was in a good mood. as expected, after the potential increase, the scorpion warriors¡¯ skill levels increased, and their attributes increased significantly. fourteen 2-meter-tall scorpion warriors with a pair of pincers and curved scorpion tails stood in front of him in an orderly formation, immediately giving off a strong sense of oppression. this troop was even more flashy than the bandaged mummy. ¡°lord, thank you for giving us new lives!¡± the scorpion warriors held their chests and bowed in unison, bowing to their lord in the most respectful manner. the troops recruited from the lair would be eternally loyal to their lord who recruited them. richard nodded slightly. he slowly extended his right hand. a light that was like yellow sand began to rise in richard¡¯s palm, like a storm that was blown into the sand by a strong wind. then, the light all rushed into the scorpion warriors¡¯ bodies¡­ [ding~ under your blessing, 14 scorpion warriors have mastered a part of the power of the desert and obtained a new d-rank skill ¡ª desertification.] when the light faded away, richard opened their attributes panel, and the desertification skill appeared on it. the characteristic of being immune to 99% physical damage combined with the powerful attack power of the scorpion warrior. when richard thought of that, he was excited. ¡°wasn¡¯t this unrivaled?!¡± if he encountered a wild troop like the nak trolls again, he could totally fight them head-on. richard was in a great mood. as a result¡­ richard now had two elite-level troop lairs in his hands. the great pyramid could recruit elite 3-star mummy bandages. it was good at curses. it could greatly reduce the enemy¡¯s attributes. it could even cause the enemy to be cursed to death. the poisonous scorpion lair could recruit elite 3-star poison scorpion warriors. they had powerful attack power and were good at hard battles. they could attack head-on. there were a total of 28 troops from the two branches. it was close to the strength of three small squads. this was only the second day they had entered this world. the future was bright. Chapter 21 after having the scorpion warrior and the bandaged mummy stand guard together, richard returned to the hall and habitually opened the [forum chat]. two days had passed, and he did not know how the other lords were doing. [f*ck! today, we attacked a small logging field and encountered an elite 3-star wild monster. i f*cking clashed with a husky monster¡­ why would an elite-level creature appear in a small logging field? all the troops i recruited were all sent out!!!] [you might not believe me if i tell you this, but today, i met an npc caravan. on board were aborigines. you didn¡¯t see them. those aborigines used earth dragons to transport resources. those are rare-level troops! i was so envious that my eyes turned red.] [the one above is nothing. the npc caravan that i met was planning to trade with me. however, my territory doesn¡¯t have any unique products. the other party took one look and left.] [pui, this is blatant discrimination! hmph, these bastards, i¡¯ll let them know! thirty years to the east! thirty years to the west! don¡¯t bully the young and poor!] [where on earth can i get food?!! my population has already exceeded 300!! but i really can¡¯t f*cking afford anymore!!!] [this was the first time i knew that 300 people had to consume so much food every day to eat. who can lend me some food? i promise, when i¡¯m rich, i¡¯ll pay back tenfold!] [hahaha, i finally have an elite-level troop lair!! i used half the population of my territory to be cannon fodder and finally captured that desert troop lair. but this doesn¡¯t seem to be anything worthy of happiness. those residents have all run away because of this. damn it! these days are too hard!] [f*cking game developer, don¡¯t let me know where you are!!! why did you develop such a dehumanizing game? the residents of my territory rebelled just because they were hungry for a day!!! f*ck! wasn¡¯t it just a day without food? what right did they have to rebel!! so what if they rebelled? they even ransacked my territory!! can we still live like this?!] [it¡¯s too hard. why is this world so hard¡­ how can we manage our territory like this? there¡¯s a shortage of food, water, and resources. and the outside world is filled with powerful wilderness troops. it seems like they¡¯re cursing¡­] richard looked around for a long time and found that most players live miserably. only a few of them could barely manage, but there were also many problems. in comparison, twilight city was too comfortable. for two days, they had already established themselves in the desert, the forbidden land of life. although the food was not abundant and the water was scarce, it was countless times better compared to the miserable lives of the other lords. after looking for a while, richard suddenly thought of something. he took out two resource treasures that he had exchanged for 800 units of food¡ªthe russian olive seed and the spring water fragment. ¡°ten mu of russian olive seed, maturing once a month¡­ without a doubt, this kind of stable food source, the earlier you plant it, the better.¡± ¡°although the income from hunting is high, it¡¯s not stable. it isn¡¯t a long-term development plan for the territory.¡± ¡°but the problem is that adequate irrigation is necessary for the russian olive seeds¡­¡± ¡°and there¡¯s only one piece of the spring water fragment. how can i get the other two pieces?¡± ¡°it¡¯s typically not realistic to open the treasure chest by myself¡­ i still have to buy it from other players.¡± as richard¡¯s thoughts spun, he had an idea. ¡°under the premise of ensuring the consumption of twilight city, i can take out a portion of the food in exchange for the spring water fragment. i can start planting the 10 mu russian olive seeds as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°a russian olive seed that can steadily produce food is greatly significant to twilight city since it is in the desert.¡± the desert was not a fertile place. stable food production was not a guarantee. twilight city could not always rely on hunting to solve the food problem. hunting was fine when the population was small, but when the population grew to 3 ¨C 4 thousand, or even tens of thousands, how many preys did they have to hunt every day to be satisfied? if the territory wanted to develop, they had to farm. after richard made the decision, he asked someone to call karu. without waiting for karu to bow, richard immediately asked. ¡°karu, after today¡¯s prey is processed, we have how many total units of food left?¡± karu¡¯s slightly turbid eyes looked directly at richard. his voice was old and steady. ¡°lord richard, after today¡¯s prey is processed, there are still 1,300 units of meat, including the 3,200 units in the warehouse. so, there is still a total of 4,500 units of meat left.¡± ¡°however, drying these fresh meats into dried meats will cause too much damage.¡± ¡°initially, we still have 500 units of coarse wheat left¡­¡± ¡°all the food added together can support the territory¡¯s consumption for half a month. if we save some, we can last for 20 days.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. half a month¡¯s worth of inventory was far from enough for a territory. the ability to resist risks was too weak. however, in the early stages, where opportunities were precious, there was no need to save so much. a portion was enough for development. ten days¡¯ worth of buffering was enough. after having a plan in mind, richard immediately got up and went to the warehouse of the mansion¡­ all the resources in twilight city were in the warehouse. karu also arranged for a few people to guard it day and night. richard took 1,000 units of fresh meat from the warehouse and posted the information for a reward in the reward column of the [trading market]. [one thousand units of raw meat reward resource treasure: spring water or spring water fragments x2.] this information immediately appeared in first and second place in the reward area. the reward column ranked items according to their corresponding value. the system determined that his 1,000 units of fresh meat were worth more than all the items put up for reward. in such a large [trading market], there were countless rewards. however, it was the first time he had seen a meat item on the reward list using food. furthermore, it was 1,000 units of meat. these caused many lords who were short of food to be so envious that their eyes turned red. they quickly started discussing in the [forum chat]. [i just saw that a big shot called qing qiu posted 1,000 units of meat just to exchange for a trash item. for what do you think this spring water fragment is? the water in my territory is flowing out every day¡­] [i can¡¯t afford it!!! why only exchange for a treasure? ahhhhh! 1,000 units of meat. i can let the residents of my territory eat for 10 days. a bowl of meat soup every day. won¡¯t they die of beauty?!] [more people are dying than others! one thousand units of meat in one go. this is just the beginning¡­ who is so generous?] [this is the first time i¡¯ve seen such a tycoon. what kind of life is this big shot called qing qiu leading?!] [why is there someone who has so much food at this stage?? i¡¯m not convinced!! why can i only eat porridge today¡­] these two messages immediately caused several players experiencing a shortage of food to wail. when they were still worried about food, someone had brought so much food and meat in exchange for a piece of spring water fragment, a treasure that was trash to the rest. it simply made them envious¡­ Chapter 22 after setting up the transaction, richard went straight to rest. he did not expect it to cause such a heated discussion. at this stage, the novice lords undoubtedly lacked food the most. each lord had to support hundreds of people and more. once they opened their eyes, these residents would also open their mouths to eat and drink, which was difficult for most lords. the game ¡°shining era¡± was not a modern-day world where one could buy a few truckloads of rice just by going out. the most direct way to obtain food was to hunt. however, hunting was inevitably dangerous, and it could even endanger one¡¯s life. it was a high-risk endeavor. in these two days, it was already rare for 70% of the people to muster up the courage to explore this unfamiliar world. and planting, even for seeds like the russian olive that ripens once a month, required time. thus, most people lacked the means to obtain food, and could only barely maintain their territory. a small number of people with outstanding abilities could not bear to sell too much of the food they obtained. the small portion that could be used to sell was simply a drop in the bucket for the 20 billion in the [trading market]. there were even fewer who were as rich as richard. under the heated discussions of countless people, he fell into a deep sleep. the next morning, richard woke up. after richard washed up, he went to the hall and ate breakfast with two extremely striking kitchen maids. he slowly opened the [forum chat]. two messages popped up in his private mailbox. [ding~ you have received a 1-star resource treasure ¡ª spring water fragment *1.] [ding~ the item you are looking for has been purchased. you have obtained a 1-star resource treasure ¡ª spring water *1.] after a cursory glance, richard was certain that the russian olive seed had been discovered¡­ then, richard felt that something was wrong, so he took another look. he had obtained a 1-star resource treasure ¡ª spring water. there was no suffix like a fragment¡­ ¡°someone directly used a treasure like spring water to exchange for 500 units of food?!¡± richard laughed out loud. this was a pure surprise! even an ordinary 1-star treasure was worth at least 2,000 units of meat in richard¡¯s eyes. he did not expect the seller to bargain 500 units. was he waiting for the rice to be cooked? this unexpected gain made richard think seriously. ¡°next, perhaps i can use the other lords¡¯ early demand to exchange for more good things¡­¡± ¡°now that i¡¯ve obtained the spring water fragments, there are two more water fragments. ¡°as long as i obtain another spring water fragment, i¡¯ll have two spring water fragment treasures in my hands. the problem of twilight city¡¯s water consumption will be solved.¡± this unexpected gain made richard quite excited. after thinking for a while, he asked the kitchen maid to call karu over. not long after, karu hurried into the hall. ¡°good day, lord. what are your orders?¡± richard smiled and took out the russian olive seed and spring water fragment. he then explained their functions. after hearing this, karu was so excited that he almost burst into tears. ¡°is this the legendary divine gift?!¡± ¡°gods above, you must be the son of god sent by the gods to save us!!¡± ¡°twilight city will surely become the pearl of the desert under your leadership!¡± an acre of russian olive seed ripens once a month. this was immeasurable to twilight city. as an old man who had experienced countless storms, karu had a lot of experience. he knew that hunting could bring good profits, but the problem was that it was unstable. and it was full of danger. in comparison, the income from farming was extremely reliable. even if it took a long time to cultivate, it was completely worth it. ¡°bring people to the surrounding areas to choose the russian olive seed planting area.¡± ¡°remember, in the future, twilight city will expand very quickly. the chosen area can not be too close, but it can not be too far either. in case anything happens, we can deal with it in time.¡± karu nodded excitedly. the wrinkles on his face seemed to have come to life. ¡°as you wish, i will immediately go down and make the arrangements!¡± not long after, the entire twilight city was in an uproar because of the news that karu had spread. the great lord, under the blessing of the gods, had obtained a god-given item ¡ª an acre of russian olive seeds. moreover, it was a miracle plant that matures once a month! this news greatly boosted the morale of the residents who had just woken up, and one by one, they rushed to help karu choose a suitable location. under the efforts of many residents, five potential locations were placed in front of richard in less than an hour. ¡°lord, these locations are plains and not far from twilight city. they are very suitable for planting the russian olive seeds¡­ please, make your decision.¡± richard opened the rough map and compared it with the system map. a moment later, richard pointed at one of the points on the rough map on the table¡ªthe logging field¡ªand tapped twice with his index finger. ¡°the russian olive forest will be placed here.¡± ¡°this place is about 1.5 kilometers away from twilight city. the terrain is relatively even, and the rare-level desert bees are also around here.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± richard stood up. ¡°call all the residents. let¡¯s go and plant the olive seeds.¡± karu¡¯s wrinkled face relaxed a lot as if the crumpled paper had been smoothed out. ¡°they¡¯ve been waiting for a long time!¡± richard took karu out of the door and found that all the residents of the territory were truly there. ¡°good day, lord!¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± seeing him appear, the residents in front of them all put their hands on their chests and bowed. richard nodded and walked directly toward the direction of the logging field under the protection of the bandaged mummy and the scorpion warrior. when the residents saw the strong scorpion warrior, they had a heated discussion, and their respect for richard rose again. ¡°that¡¯s the newly recruited troop of lord richard, right? it¡¯s too powerful¡­¡± ¡°that scorpion tail is thicker than the arrows of the siege ballista i¡¯ve seen¡­¡± everyone was bewildered. in the dangerous desert, richard was the ruler of twilight city, the only ruler. the stronger he was, the safer they would be. since richard¡¯s troop was strengthened, the residents were happy. about 10 minutes later, the group arrived at the logging field. at this time, a long-armed laborer was cutting wood. when he saw richard, he immediately put in more effort as if he had seen his boss inspecting him. richard ignored the long-armed laborer and went through the logging field to the other side. the terrain of this area was even. there were no obvious depressions or bulges. it was suitable for the olive forest. moreover, the desert bees were only ten minutes away from here. it would be convenient to move them over later. ¡°wait here.¡± richard walked hundreds of meters forward alone. then, he slowly stopped under everyone¡¯s gaze. richard bent down and buried the russian olive seeds into the yellow sand. he took out a pot of water from the system space and poured it onto the sand. the sand was soaked by the water and immediately condensed into a dark color. after pouring the pot of water, richard put the pot back into the system space and turned around to walk toward the residents. but the moment he took his first step¡­ the russian olive seeds sprouted roots at a speed hundreds of times faster than the speed of a process video. green leaves grew out. that patch of green became the starting point. on the surrounding sand, dozens of tender buds sprouted at the same time. under the shocked gazes of the residents, with every step that richard took, a patch of tender buds sprouted behind him. this scene was like a miracle from the myths and legends. at this moment, richard was like a god who possessed the authority of life descending to the mortal world. every step richard took nurtured hope and the future. the yellow sand behind him was covered with green leaves. the russian olive seeds grew at an astonishing speed. under the special force, the yellow sand on the ground slowly condensed into lumps and turned into soil¡­ when richard returned to the logging site, the russian olive forest was already lush and green. the residents looked at him with burning and fervent eyes. at that moment, it was as if richard was the incarnation of a god. richard turned his head to look at the russian olive trees. by now, they had grown to half the height of a man. and they were growing at an extremely soaring speed. the miracle of life in the desert¡­ Chapter 23 [ding~ the russian olive seeds (acre) have been successfully planted. the russian olive seed ripens once a month. please maintain sufficient water sources for irrigation.] richard looked at the lush and verdant olive trees in front of him and was in a great mood. this was the future. richard reached out and took out a resource treasure ¡ª spring water fragment. under the extremely heated gazes of the residents, he placed it directly at the entrance of the olive forest. in the next second, the crystal-like treasure melted directly into the ground. after a few breaths, gurgling sounds could be heard as if something had appeared. the sand was rapidly rising. the surrounding residents were stunned. what was this? ¡®puchi!¡¯ the spring water fragment with fine sand suddenly spurted out water a few meters high from the yellow sand. the crystal-like water column brushed down. under the sun¡¯s illumination, it emitted a seven-colored glow. desert rainbow¡­ the surrounding people immediately cried out in surprise. ¡°there¡¯s water! there¡¯s water!!¡± ¡°there¡¯s really water!!¡± ¡°it¡¯s so amazing!!¡± everyone was shocked. after the spring water fragment spurted out a water column that was several meters high, it gradually returned to normal spring water. only the rainbow was still hanging in the air. it was magnificent. after the water flowed into the dry sand, spider web-like traces immediately appeared. the surrounding yellow sand began to crazily devour the water source. following the saturation of the underground water, the spring water began to flow into the olive trees. when richard saw this scene, the smile on his face was dazzling. he turned around to face the excited crowd and spoke loudly. ¡°my people, this is only the beginning. twilight city will be an oasis in the desert, an oasis of hope and the future. ¡°all of you will follow me to witness this miracle!¡± two short sentences immediately raised the atmosphere to another level. ¡°long live, the lord!¡± no one knew who spoke, but everyone followed suit and shouted excitedly. ¡°long live, the lord!¡± ¡°long live, the lord!¡± everyone was overjoyed. the shouts were filled with respect for richard and hope for the future. at this moment, they used their voices to release all the excitement in their hearts. after a long time, the crowd that had enough of it dispersed excitedly. richard left karu behind and gave him a new mission. ¡°send people to build a reservoir near the spring. the sand cannot hold water, so it needs to be built with stones. at the same time, send 10 residents to manage the olive forest. build a ditch inside so the spring water can flow in. ¡°russian olive trees need an adequate water source. we must ensure that every single russian olive tree is watered.¡± ¡°yes, lord. i will personally supervise it. there will surely be no mistakes!¡± karu¡¯s tone was firm. this was the cornerstone of twilight city. if anything happened to anyone, these russian olive trees would not have any trouble! after giving his instructions, richard passed through the russian olive forest and returned to the place where he had killed the nak troll the other day. even without the nak troll, the desert bees were still buzzing. he didn¡¯t know where these desert bees went to gather honey. the russian olive trees had been planted. it was time to move these rare-level desert bees. otherwise, if a wild beast dug out the beehive, richard would lose a lot of money. but before that, he had to level up the desert bees first. now that the desert bees still recognized him, if he dared to dig out the beehive, he would surely be stung. richard, who was already prepared, took out 200 units of fresh meat from the warehouse in the system space in the morning and exchanged them for 8,000 units of supplies. then, he opened the [trading market] and spent 5,000 units of resources to buy 10 lairs of insect troops. [ding~ the desert bee lair has met the requirements for upgrading. do you want to use 10 normal insect troop lairs to upgrade?] [confirmed.] the 10 troop lairs in richard¡¯s hands shattered and turned into a fluorescent light that flowed into the honeycomb on the bush. after a few breaths, the light was swallowed by the honeycomb. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± a large number of desert bees surged out of the honeycomb and flew around richard to show their affection. [desert beehive] [level: special] [queen bee: rare (when upgrades to advanced-level, the hive produces better quality, advanced desert honey)] [characteristics: can produce a better quality of desert honey with a special aroma. after eating, it can greatly increase the recovery speed of stamina and injuries, and slightly increase the recovery speed of magic power.] [number of bees: small] [quantity: a minimum of 10 units of better quality honey per week] [description: a rare-level bee in the desert. extremely rare.] after leveling up, the desert honey had an additional characteristic that could recover magic power. it was truly a superb item. richard laughed heartily. now, he could taste the sensation of the honey. richard took two steps forward, pushed aside the bushes and leaves, and reached out to break a piece of honeycomb out of the hive. the honey had been sealed, and he could smell a very distinct fragrance without having to place it next to his nose. it was ten times more fragrant than any honey he had ever eaten before. he was salivating wildly. richard could not help but take a bite directly. the honey had a long silk thread, which looked especially crystal clear under the sun. richard chewed lightly, and with a bit of sticky honey in his mouth, he scratched his tongue. in the next second, an indescribable sweetness exploded in richard¡¯s mouth. his entire body was instantly filled with an indescribable sense of satisfaction. ¡®gulp.¡¯ after swallowing down to his stomach, richard¡¯s abdomen was slightly warm, and then it quickly spread to his limbs. his entire body felt like he was soaking in warm water, and he felt relaxed all over. after he finished off a small piece of honeycomb, richard did not come back to his senses for a long time. he had been immersed in that peerless delicacy. after a long time, richard let out a long breath and felt the comfort coming from his body. his eyes were full of amazement and emotion. ¡°this is a superb taste bomb!¡± ¡°before i transmigrated, this thing was sold for 100,000 yuan per jar. now, a million yuan is f*cking worth it!¡± ¡°how can there be such delicious honey in this world? moreover, this is only honey made from a beginner-level honeycomb¡­ now that the queen has been upgraded to rare-level, how amazing will it be when the rare-level honey is produced next week?!¡± ¡°if it¡¯s upgraded to advanced-level honey, how will it feel?¡± richard took a look at the desert bee¡¯s next upgrade requirement. just like the other two troop hives, the upgrade requirement had been increased to 10 elite-level troop hives or 100 normal troop hives, and the cooldown time had not changed. the next upgrade could only be done in seven days. unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, richard took out an empty bucket from the system space and personally removed the honeycomb. then, he went to the center of the rusian olive forest and temporarily placed the beehive there. richard called karu, who hadn¡¯t left yet, and told him to ask the carpenter to build a giant beehive for the desert bees. richard¡¯s order was the iron order of absolute priority. in less than an hour, a few carpenters arrived carrying a specially made giant beehive. richard put the beehive in the giant beehive. at the same time, he left two pieces of sealed honey as food for the bees. with about 10 units of honey left, richard put it away with a smile on his face. after he had the beehive secured, the desert bees, which produced the best honey, completely settled down in the russian olive forest. from now on, 10 units of honey would be provided to richard every week, and this was the lowest. after a few days, when the russian olive trees bloomed, the production of honey would be even greater. richard looked at the water that was already flowing into the russian olive forest, and his mood was great. it was all thanks to this spring water fragment that the entire ecosystem was activated. russian olive forest and honey. this was almost becoming an industry. ¡°i still don¡¯t know what the taste of russian olive is like, but the quality of the honey is surely top quality.¡± ¡°if we can breed a few more lairs of desert bees and make them a specialty of twilight city, it won¡¯t be a dream to make money while lying down in the future¡­¡± Chapter 24 richard had never raised desert bees, but in the game ¡°shining era¡±, most people were filled with some inexplicable knowledge. when the number of desert bees increased, a new queen would be born. the new queen would take some of the desert bees away and divide the lair. usually in the spring, there would be more lairs. however, judging from the rate at which the desert bees produced 10 units of honey a week, the reproduction rate was surely not slow. perhaps, it would not take long for the second and third colonies to be separated. if they could truly become large-scale, it would undoubtedly be a great help to twilight city. richard believed that those who had tasted the desert bee honey would never forget the amazing flavor. after arranging all these things, it was already noon. in the yellow sandy land just now, the olive forest was lush and green. the spring water was flowing, and the desert bees were buzzing. it had already become a paradise in the desert, an oasis of life. after eating lunch, richard did not stay in the territory. he continued to explore with nearly three squads of soldiers. today, his goal was to hunt. the price of food was so high that richard was greatly tempted. if he could exchange it for a few treasures like the olive forest, it would be worth a lot to twilight city. today, richard was exploring the north. with nearly three squads of elite-level soldiers, richard was very confident. according to yesterday¡¯s search experience, richard left 4 bandaged mummies and 4 scorpion warriors to protect him. the other two teams spread out and searched as far as they could. the effect of this method was very obvious. after less than ten minutes, a group of scorpion warriors 200 meters in front of them suddenly sent out a warning. they had discovered enemies! richard, who was already considered experienced, immediately pulled back his troops and gathered the majority of the warriors. he lowered his footsteps and led the troop to the side of the scorpion warriors who were on alert. following his guidance, they climbed up the low sand dunes and looked ahead in secret. they saw that in a passage formed by the neighboring sand dunes¡­ hundreds of desert bandits riding horses, wielding machetes in their hands, and wearing white headscarves, were attacking a carriage that was protected by more than ten people. the two forces collided violently. the hooves of the horses trampled on the sand, sending up waves of dust. they fought and roared. it was chaotic. [ding~ an emergency has been triggered. a team of desert bandits is robbing a caravan. you can choose freely.] [1. join the camp of desert bandits and snipe the carriages.] [2. join the camp of the carriages and resist the desert bandits.] [3. do nothing and watch or leave directly.] [note: the reward for the crisis is uncertain. please explore on your own.] an emergency? richard looked at the mission notification that suddenly appeared in the system. he could not help but feel a bit amused. he had not expected to attack the caravan together with the desert bandits. however, richard could choose freely. he knew only children would choose sides. he wanted all of them. richard opened the attribute panel. [desert bandits] [level: 2] [potential: ordinary 3-stars] [skills: robbery (e-rank) ¡ª when robbing a caravan, all attributes increase by 20%.] [dexterity (f-rank) ¡ª when mounted in battle, all attributes increase by 30%.] [race talent: increases speed by 15% while running in the desert.] [fetters: when robbing using the right hand, all attributes increase by 10%. when robbing using the left hand, speed increases by 20%.] [description: hurry up and hand over the money! quickly!] when richard looked at the desert bandits¡¯ attributes, he cannot help but laugh. boy, this was a robbery-for-hire unit. the caravan was a lot more significant. ****** [human warriors] [level: 5 (rare) ¡ª strength increased by 15%] [potential: elite 1-star] ****** [a human swordsman] [level: 5 (rare) ¡ª strength increased by 15%] potential: elite 2 stars ****** [human archer] [level: 5 (rare) ¡ª agility increased by 15%] [potential: elite 3-stars] there were only 14 soldiers in the carriage, all of whom were elite-level soldiers. however, the difference in numbers between the two sides was too great. the desert bandits outnumbered a squadron. moreover, there were bandits holding crossbows and arrows at the rear to suppress them. although the carriage guards fought desperately to break through the blockade, they had no success. they only left corpses behind. if they were not well-equipped, they would not have been able to hold on for long. just as richard was about to attack, he suddenly saw a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious robe. he had a big belly and was short like a sausage. the middle-aged man was roaring and commanding the battle. the attributes of the human warriors made richard very interested. [onyx] [hero unit] [potential: c] [occupation: merchant] [level: 5 (rare) ¡ª a hero. negotiation ability is increased by 20%] [skills: negotiation, intimidation, diplomacy, trade, observation, and information gathering] [hero characteristics: can accurately determine the value of goods.] [race characteristics: can learn the knowledge of other races.] [fetterse: when working with members of phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, you can earn an additional 20% profit.] [description: this artifact of yours is fake. i can only offer 10 gold coins¡­war god.] ¡°wow, this caravan truly has a hero unit.¡± however, the other party¡¯s connection made him think. ¡°phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce?¡± ¡°npc, aborigines¡­¡± when these words surfaced in his mind, richard immediately became extremely interested. in the [forum chat], the other lord players had also mentioned that they had encountered some aboriginal caravans over the past few days. richard didn¡¯t think that the caravans existed in the desert. who knew that it would appear like this? seeing that the situation was getting worse and the caravans were starting to crumble, richard no longer hesitated. with a wave of his hand, richard decisively gave the order. ¡°everyone, listen up. kill all the desert bandits! do not harm the people in the carriages!¡± the mummies and scorpion warriors, who could no longer hold themselves back, immediately charged toward the battlefield. the eight-legged scorpion warriors were one step faster than the mummies. these powerful troops with two giant iron pincers suddenly charged into the desert bandits who were surrounding the convoy from the side. the desert bandits reacted the moment they appeared. they immediately sent out five small teams to snipe. they were about to take down their target. they would never allow others to snatch food from the jaws of the tiger! ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ the desert horse¡¯s broad hooves stepped on the yellow sand. as it ran, it kicked up sand and dust in the air behind it. the desert bandit swung his scimitar fiercely. under the high-speed running of the horse, the power of the scimitar was greatly increased. ¡®ta! ta! ta! ta! ta! ta!¡¯ it¡¯s close! it¡¯s really close! the desert scorpion¡¯s cold face revealed a chilling smile. the two iron pincers suddenly opened up and waved like lightning. the two sides ran towards each other and met up at an extremely soaring speed. in that instant¡­ ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ blood splattered! the dead bodies of the desert bandits broke into two pieces and flew out after the high-speed inertia. they crashed heavily onto the ground, and the blood that flowed out dyed the sand red. instant kill¡­ the charges that had just started seemed to be nothing more than rushing to their death. the desert horse under the desert bandit had also entered the latter stage after their life and death. when the iron pincers of the scorpion warrior were opened, they were like a great killing machine. when they were closed, the curved hook protruding out in front was also like the iron hook of a pirate. it was incomparably sharp. ¡®rip!¡¯ the iron hook directly cut through the side of the desert horse, tearing a huge wound. the flesh and blood turned crazily at this moment, and the ghastly white bones were broken inch by inch. the desert horse let out a painful howl and then directly fell to the ground and died. as an undead creature, the scorpion warrior did not know what mercy was. after the first desert bandit was killed instantly, more desert bandits charged over. they wanted to use the charging power of the horses and the advantage in numbers to kill these terrifying enemies. however, the scorpion warriors were not afraid. instead, they became more excited and launched a counter-charge at the desert bandits! a desert bandit brandished his scimitar from the side. under the sunlight, his weapon reflected a cold light. he swore to kill the scorpion warrior on the spot. the scorpion warrior did not turn its head back. the curved scorpion tail on its back stabbed out like lightning. the desert bandit that was charging from the side had no time to dodge. ¡®chichi!¡¯ the sharp scorpion¡¯s tail directly pierced through the desert bandit¡¯s chest, causing blood to spurt out. before the desert bandit died, the scimitar that carried a powerful force ruthlessly hacked at the scorpion¡¯s tail. ¡®chichi!¡¯ a series of sparks flashed past. a few holes appeared on the scimitar, but the scorpion tail was not damaged at all. ¡®chichi!¡¯ the scorpion¡¯s tail was pulled back fiercely. the desert bandit directly fell off his horse, and his corpse fell to the ground. the scorpion warrior laughed sinisterly. it did not open its pincers but used the hook that was even more terrifying than the one in the butcher¡¯s hand to attack. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ as the hook swung, a loud sound of air being torn apart was heard. ¡®clang!¡¯ a desert bandit¡¯s scimitar was knocked away after colliding with it. the scorpion warrior swung its left arm down, and the hook pierced through the neck of the desert bandit. it pulled hard, and the head flew several meters high. it was extremely violent. the desert bandits were in a one-sided situation when they clashed with the scorpion warriors. it wasn¡¯t like the desert bandits were surrounding and killing the scorpion warriors, but more like the scorpion warriors were slaughtering the desert bandits. an ordinary 3-star troop had a total of five squads, and they were even clashing with the scorpion warriors under the high-speed charge of horses. even though they had the advantage, they were still stunned by the scorpion warriors¡¯ slap. they were like a wall. no matter how hard the desert bandits charged, they could not make them retreat even half a step. the desert scorpions went crazy. Chapter 25 the scorpion warriors completely wiped out the five teams of desert bandits in just a few minutes. although the bandaged mummies were strong, they were still much slower than the scorpion warriors. after the desert bandits were slaughtered, the situation immediately changed. the carriage guards, who had just been on the verge of collapse, were full of energy again. they unleashed their final strength and stubbornly withstood the desert bandits¡¯ wave after wave of attacks. after the scorpion warriors killed five small teams, they were not satisfied. they immediately grinned hideously and charged in the direction of the carriage. when the desert bandits saw that their five small teams were quick to slaughter, they were greatly startled. however, they were unwilling to give up the fat meat right in front of their mouths. they immediately gritted their teeth and continued to attack the carriage team. it was just like a gambler who wanted to use the last chip on the gambling table to turn the tables. the two iron pincers of the scorpion warriors had now become the grim reaper¡¯s scythe. they began to harvest the souls of the enemies. the desert bandits could not stop the scorpion warrior even with their full strength, not to mention that they had to divert their attention to attack the carriage team at this moment. fresh blood immediately dyed the desert red. after the number of the desert bandits dropped drastically to two small teams, they completely collapsed. unable to suppress the shock in their heart, they turned around and ran away. at a disadvantage, the desert bandits had a 20% increase in speed. in a few breaths, the desert bandits run at an extremely long distance¡­ which directly prevented the scorpion warrior from pursuing them. [ding~ your troop has annihilated a group of desert bandits and obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 120 experience points.] [ding~ the scorpion warriors have experienced several battles, and their levels have increased. they are currently level 2.] the remaining seven or eight carriage guards witnessed the slaughter as the desert bandits were ravaged and fled. they heaved a deep sigh of relief in their hearts. however, their tensed nerves did not relax at all. although these terrifying troops that had suddenly charged out did not attack them, their ferocious and terrifying appearance and powerful combat strength gave them even greater pressure than the desert bandits. the merchant hero was as round as a short sausage. he mustered up the courage to stand out and face the poison scorpion warriors who had surrounded the carriage. ¡°respected experts, we are members of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in solan city. thank you for your assistance to us¡­ the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will surely repay you handsomely!¡± silence¡­ a deathly silence¡­ the scorpion warrior looked at the merchant hero with a cold gaze and did not say a word. the atmosphere gradually sank to a freezing point. the carriage guards, who had just exhausted their strength, were now even more nervous. they had no choice but to brace themselves and prevent these terrifying creatures from suddenly launching an attack. at this moment, a new face emerged in front of their eyes. more than ten mummies surrounded a handsome young human, as they slowly approached from afar. the short sausage-shaped merchant hero¡¯s eyes immediately revealed a look of surprise. when richard approached, the merchant hurriedly took two steps forward and respectfully saluted with his hands on his chest. ¡°honorable lord, solan city¡¯s phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce merchant onyx, offers you the highest respect.¡± ¡°thank you for saving my life. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will remember your friendship.¡± richard nodded slightly. ¡°lord of twilight city, richard. greetings, lord onyx.¡± after receiving his reply, short sausage-shaped onyx still did not dare to relax and bowed again. ¡°where is solan city? how far is it from here?¡± onyx straightened his bulging belly. he looked like he was six months pregnant. ¡°dear lord richard, solan city is at the edge of the desert. it is one of the largest cities in the deadly desert.¡± then, as if he had thought of something, onyx exclaimed. ¡°you don¡¯t even know about solan city. could it be that gods have chosen you and that you came from another world? god of merchants, i didn¡¯t expect to meet the god of grace in the depths of the desert! lord richard had been chosen by the gods and had come from another world.¡± wasn¡¯t this the background setting of the players in the game ¡°shining era¡±? the deadly desert¡­ richard didn¡¯t expect the desert he was in would be that. they say there were dozens of deserts of different sizes in the game ¡°shining era¡±. the largest and most famous ones were only three on the official website ¡ª the [deadly desert], the [lost desert], and the [endless desert]. the [deadly desert] was at the center of the main plane of the game ¡°shining era¡±. it was extensively broad, and it would take five to six months to traverse it, even under the best circumstances. however, that was all the information richard knew. ¡°yes, lord onyx, but why are you so surprised?¡± onyx calmed himself down and said. ¡°because you are the lord chosen by the gods! isn¡¯t this exciting enough?¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®if you knew that there are 20 billion of so-called god-blessed lords, you might not be so excited.¡¯ richard did not struggle with this. he changed the topic instead. ¡°how far is it from here to solan city?¡± onyx¡¯s face fell. he took out a map from his pocket and looked at it carefully. a moment later, onyx said dejectedly. ¡°there¡¯s still a month¡¯s journey!¡± ¡°oh god, we¡¯re too far away from the trade route¡­¡± richard was a little curious. ¡°how did you guys get here? how were you attacked by the desert bandits?¡± onyx had also regained some of his calmness. he began to recount what had happened to his group. although the deadly desert was extremely terrifying, since it is in the center of the main plane, it was surrounded by all the major forces. as long as one could cross the desert and reach the other end of the desert, they would be able to exchange their goods for ten times or even ten times the profits. if merchants had 100% of the profits, they would dare to risk their lives. if they had 300% of the profits, they would dare to trample all the laws of the human world. under the temptation of high profits, solan city¡¯s powerful phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce invested a large amount of manpower and resources to open up a trade route. however, a week ago, a sandstorm attacked the caravan. during the natural disaster, they got separated from their companions. after leaving the sandstorm, they encountered desert bandits. at that time, they had three small teams of guards. however, in the past few days of entanglement, the merchants suffered heavy losses. only seven or eight people were left. richard accepted to the merchant¡¯s accounts. ¡°you are lucky to have survived the sandstorm. what are your plans now? do you want to return to solan city immediately or meet up with your caravan?¡± onyx shook his head. ¡°after the caravan is separated, i don¡¯t know how many people will survive.¡± ¡°we plan to return to solan city directly.¡± after saying that, onyx looked at richard with longing eyes. ¡°dear lord richard, can we go to your territory to rest and replenish the water source before we leave?¡± he was worried that richard would refuse, so onyx quickly said. ¡°i am willing to pay. also, you saved us. on behalf of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, i would like to express my gratitude to you. ¡°if it is suitable, we can start business transactions in the future.¡± [ding~ you saved the caravan of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. you have won their gratitude and respect. your current relationship with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is ¡ª friendly.] [ding~ the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has applied to inspect your territory. you can establish new business relations with them.] Chapter 26 when richard heard the system notification, he fell into deep thought. ¡®at this stage, although i can use the [trading market] to trade with players, there¡¯s no doubt that the aborigines who occupy the dominant position in the game ¡°shining era¡± are the gold mines to be dug out¡­¡¯ ¡®if the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce can establish trade relations, it¡¯ll surely be a great thing.¡¯ since richard had not responded to his request for a long time, onyx¡¯s expression became increasingly indifferent. indescribable anxiety rose in onyx¡¯s heart. ¡®although the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was very famous in the [deadly desert], this lord didn¡¯t know about it.¡¯ ¡®if evil intentions arose, lord richard could order his subordinates to kill them with a wave of his hand.¡¯ in this vast desert, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce couldn¡¯t know about it¡­ the more onyx thought about it, the more terrified he became when he saw richard¡¯s impassive face. onyx sneaked a glance at the ferocious scorpion warriors around him. their emotionless eyes were coldly staring at them. it seemed that in the next second, they would use the iron pincers that could easily tear apart horses and cut off his head¡­ onyx¡¯s anxiety magnified to the extreme. in this strange atmosphere, onyx gritted his teeth. he then took out an item from his clothes and handed it to richard. ¡°dear lord richard, we lost contact with our caravan, and most of our goods are gone. ¡°only this treasure that we snatched from the sandstorm is left. ¡°to thank you for saving my life, please, accept it. i think your territory needs it too.¡± the guards around the carriage hesitated when they saw onyx¡¯s disposition. they wanted to say something but feared the scorpion warriors around them, so they shut their mouths. they didn¡¯t want to die here either. richard was slightly stunned. he looked at the anxiety in onyx¡¯s eyes and then gazed at the scorpion warriors around. was this the real version of the alliance under the solan city? however, richard was not going to stand at the ceremony. he reached out and took it. [ding~ you have received a gift from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce ¡ª blueprint for the hero¡¯s altar.] ¡®blueprint?¡¯ richard finally saw the blueprint! he opened the attribute panel. [blueprint for the construction of the hero¡¯s altar] [level: special building] [characteristics: can provide a layout in building the hero¡¯s altar. upon a hero¡¯s death, it can be resurrected on the hero¡¯s altar using resources. the hero¡¯s altar can resurrect five heroes every month.] [space: 4] [resources required for building: 10,000 units of stone, 10,000 units of gold coins, 10,000 units of wood, 500 units of crystal, 500 units of gemstones, 500 units of mercury, and 500 units of sulfur.] [description: an extremely rare building blueprint. even a dragon would be moved by it.] ¡°hiss!¡± richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®hero¡¯s altar!!!¡¯ ¡®special building!!!¡¯ ¡®holy sh*t!!!¡¯ the information given by the game ¡°shining era¡± official site wasn¡¯t much. but the hero¡¯s altar was mentioned particularly. it was said to be a rather valuable item. richard didn¡¯t expect that he would obtain this treasure from a member of a down-and-out merchant group! that gave him a strong sense of surprise as if richard had spent 2.50 yuan on buying a bottle of drinks and obtained a laptop. ¡®isn¡¯t this reward a little against the rules? hahaha, this feels so good¡­¡¯ ¡®was the reward for a sudden incident so unpredictable?¡¯ ¡®this was a bloody win!!¡¯ the only regret was that the hero¡¯s altar required a lot of rare resources. richard didn¡¯t even have a unit of this thing now, so he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to build it in a short time. however, richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry. the hero¡¯s altar was a late-stage building, and he had only just begun. richard did not even have a hero yet. better keep it as a treasure first. suppressing the excitement in his heart, richard patted the shoulder of the short sausage-shaped onyx. richard was full of praise. ¡°lord onyx, i am greatly delighted with your welcome gift.¡± ¡°there is no need to think much. twilight city needs friends and also needs to trade with the outside world.¡± ¡°please come back to my territory with me so you can rest. in the name of the lord of twilight city, i promise you that even giant dragons can not hurt you in my territory!¡± hearing richard¡¯s words, onyx¡¯s heart that was hanging in his throat finally settled down, and he let out a long sigh. ¡°thank you for your trust. it¡¯s an honor.¡± he had finally saved his life. with such a big harvest, richard was not in a hurry to explore other areas. he asked the mummy and the scorpion warrior to help push the cart. richard brought onyx and a few of his guards back to the territory. he agreed to help bury the bodies of their companions. seeing richard return so quickly, karu, who had received the news, was slightly surprised. when karu saw the eye-catching phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce symbol on the carriage parked at the entrance of the lord¡¯s mansion, he was a bit casually astonished. ¡°lord richard, this is the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce symbol. are they the lords of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce?¡± seeing that there were people who knew him, onyx was starkly relieved. as long as someone knew about the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, he was confident that the hosts would treat them well. it was because rescuing the caravan of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce would be extremely rewarding. that was the moral reputation that they had built up over the past decades. ¡°that¡¯s right. these friends will start trading with us in the future. we have to treat them well!¡± ¡°in addition, we just defeated a group of desert bandits. the enemies¡¯ mounts, the desert horses, have been hunted down.¡± ¡°send someone to bring the horses back. follow the traces of the carriage we came back from.¡± karu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°yes, lord richard!¡± after saying that, karu immediately turned around and called for help. that was a matter of making a living. richard was more proactive than anyone else. onyx looked at this simple territory with a subtle expression. it was the territory of divine grace. the gods had created it using rules. otherwise, who would be bored enough to build such territory in the depths of the deathly desert? the territory was still in a safe period, and richard wasn¡¯t worried about what onyx and his people would do. after talking and comforting some of the residents around him to take care of each other, richard prepared to explore again. it was still early today. and it would be a waste to stay in the territory. however, when he was about to leave, onyx seemed to have thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°lord richard, when we were hiding from those bandits, we accidentally found a one-way portal. i don¡¯t know if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°we didn¡¯t explore it. we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the other side of the portal¡­¡± after saying that, onyx spread his hands with a pungent smile. ¡°we don¡¯t have the chance to explore it in our current state.¡± ¡®one-way portal?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°where¡¯s the one-way portal?¡± onyx took out the ancient map from his pocket and spread it on the table. he pointed at a location. ¡°it¡¯s about two hours away from your territory.¡± richard looked sideways and saw the images on the map in front of him constantly flowing as if they were moving pictures. and the location that onyx was pointing to, had the mark of a door. [magic map] [level: special] [characteristics: can record the area that you have walked through, the lord can know where you are at this moment.] [description: a magic item made by a powerful spellcaster.] no wonder onyx knew where he was so well. this was simply another version of the system map. looking at richard¡¯s interested gaze, onyx¡¯s face immediately turned aggrieved. ¡°lord richard, this magic item is a forbidden item of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. it is not allowed to be leaked¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°no need to think too much. the gods have given us a better map. i¡¯m just a little curious about it.¡± onyx was finally relieved. richard picked up the map and handed it back to onyx after the system notification finished sharing. ¡°lord onyx, you can rest in my territory for a few days. it¡¯s not too late to leave after you recover.¡± ¡°there are still many unknown areas around the territory. i need to explore them.¡± onyx immediately said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so polite. it¡¯s our honor to be able to come to your territory. ¡°if there¡¯s anything you need, just let us know.¡± after exchanging a few pleasantries, richard directly left the territory with the mummies and the scorpion warriors. he was a little curious about the one-way portal. where did the portal lead to? could it be another area similar to the dark temple? Chapter 27 ¡°lord onyx, the blueprint for the hero¡¯s altar is so precious. why did you give it away?¡± not long after richard left, a few carriage guards asked onyx in confusion as there was no one around. onyx, who felt restrained even when he was sitting on the wide chair, glared at them. ¡°who saved us just now?¡± they whispered. ¡°although it was lord richard who saved us, there is no need for us to use such a precious item as a reward, right?¡± ¡°we paid a huge price to save it from the sandstorm!¡± ¡°stupid!¡± onyx¡¯s fat face showed some disdain. ¡°if the enemy had ordered an attack at that time, what do you think would have happened to us?¡± ¡°remember, the first rule of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. in the desert, life comes first.¡± ¡°don¡¯t think that the sky will fall just because you lost a precious blueprint.¡± ¡°weaklings have no choice. at that time, even if the odds of the enemy attacking us were only 30%, we would never take the risk.¡± at this point, onyx¡¯s tone became inexplicably low, and memories flashed through his eyes. ¡°fifteen years ago, i once followed young master oko to deliver a batch of goods. you may not know who young master oko is, but you must know that young master oko was the one who bought the weapons produced by the phoenix-tailed flower guild for 50 years!¡± the room was immediately filled with shock. ¡°that time, we encountered something similar to today. the storm blew away the caravan. after we escaped, we were surrounded by a group of desert bandits.¡± ¡°young master oko would never surrender. he resisted with his life, and in the end, he was killed by those desert bandits.¡± onyx was full of regret. ¡°initially, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce wanted to negotiate with a powerful empire to establish trade relations.¡± ¡°young master oko¡¯s death led to the failure of the negotiations. the competitors took that spot by force. we suffered immeasurable losses.¡± ¡°from then on, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce came up with that iron law. in the desert, life comes first.¡± ¡°if young master oko was still alive, the current phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce would probably be ten times stronger!!¡± ¡°therefore, you must remember that surviving is the most important thing in the desert. only then will you have the chance to continue earning more profits for the chamber of commerce.¡± ¡°i will personally explain this matter to the president. if there is any punishment, i will bear it alone!¡± when they heard this secret, onyx¡¯s companions immediately fell silent. after a long time, someone finally spoke up. ¡°lord onyx, what should we do next?¡± ¡°rest well first before returning to solan city. remember, don¡¯t cause trouble in this territory. our lives are in the hands of others!¡± after onyx and the others discussed for a long time, karu, who had already arranged for someone to bring back the prey, walked into the house with a smile. two men carrying tightly covered trays followed behind him. the cook in the lord¡¯s mansion specialized in serving lord richard. these outsiders were not qualified to take a second look. ¡°lord onyx, i am the administrative officer of twilight city, karu. ¡°when lord richard left, he specially instructed me to bring the most precious specialty of twilight city for all the distinguished guests to taste.¡± ¡®specialty?¡¯ ¡®what specialty could there be in this shabby place?¡¯ although a few guards had faint smiles on their faces, they were silently slandering him in their hearts. onyx stood up politely and laughed loudly. ¡°thank you for your hospitality. it¡¯s my honor.¡± however, onyx did not even look at the things that the two men were carrying. as a merchant of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, he was a hero. he had seen so much of the world, so what else was worth him looking at. karu seemed to have noticed their carelessness, so he did not care. he reached out his hand and motioned for the two men behind him to take off the tightly sewn wooden lid on the tray. the moment the lid was taken off, an indescribable strange fragrance instantly filled the room. ¡®gulp!¡¯ onyx and the others swallowed their saliva at the same time. the sound was so loud that everyone could vividly hear it. immediately, their faces flushed red. they looked at each other, their faces filled with embarrassment. one second ago, they had looked down on them, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be so embarrassing in the blink of an eye. fortunately, they didn¡¯t say what they were thinking. otherwise, they would have died on the spot. onyx couldn¡¯t care less now. he took a step forward and looked at the crystal clear and slightly golden object in the gray bowl. suddenly, he felt that the simple bowl had become extraordinary. ¡°is¡­is this honey?¡± looking at the stunned expression on onyx¡¯s face, karu revealed a proud smile. ¡°that¡¯s right, lord onyx. this is a specialty of twilight city. lord richard brought this exquisite delicacy back.¡± the taste of desert honey. those who had tasted it would never forget it. the pinnacle of the human world. ¡°can i have a taste?¡± onyx swallowed hard. speaking of which, it was embarrassing. onyx had traveled all over the world for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen such a special fragrance of honey. ¡°of course, this was originally used by lord richard to entertain you all. but because it¡¯s too precious, the quantity is not much. please, forgive me.¡± ¡°thank you, lord richard!¡± onyx impatiently picked up a clay bowl filled with honey from the tray. he placed it at the tip of his nose and sniffed it. that special fragrance made him feel like he was floating in the air. he felt relaxed and happy. this was surely a rare delicacy! his eyes flashed with a hint of intoxication. he couldn¡¯t wait, but onyx didn¡¯t want to go too fast. he brought it to his mouth and concentrated all his energy. like a pilgrimage, onyx tasted the desert honey in small mouthfuls. when the honey entered his mouth, onyx only felt an indescribable delicious explosion. he was in a daze. how could there be such a delicious thing in this world? was this a gift from the gods? after he finished the honey, onyx looked at the residue at the bottom of the bowl and licked it clean without any hesitation. when he came back to his senses, onyx remembered that he had done it in front of outsiders, and his old face immediately turned red. he thought he was knowledgeable, but onyx didn¡¯t expect that he couldn¡¯t even withstand a few drops of honey. just as he was about to speak, onyx suddenly felt a warm current coming from his stomach. then, his entire body felt as comfortable as if he was soaking in warm water. his spirit was greatly boosted, and in the blink of an eye, onyx had recovered more than half of his depleted physical strength. even the injuries on his body had healed quite a bit. onyx became more and more excited. not only was this honey delicious, but it also had the characteristics of recovering physical strength and injuries!! gods above, what kind of f*cking peerless delicacy was this?! in his excitement, onyx turned his head to look at his companions beside him and discovered that they were currently hugging their bowls and licking wildly¡­ the corners of onyx¡¯s mouth twitched. was there hope for them? onyx looked at karu, completely devoid of the nonchalance from before. his tone was somewhat heated. ¡°sir karu, may i ask, how much more of this honey is there? how much can you produce per month? in the name of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, i implore to open up trade with twilight city¡­¡± Chapter 28 richard didn¡¯t know that desert honey had captivated onyx. comparing the system map, the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors went to the one-way portal onyx had mentioned. these special buildings usually hid something valuable. just like the dark temple with powerful guards. once occupied, there would be grand benefits. on the way, richard passed the area where he had just killed the desert bandits. dozens of residents were fervently moving the desert horses back. the bandits¡¯ bodies were piled up on a small hill. richard was very interested in this bloody scene. ¡®this harvest was not only the blueprint for the construction of the hero¡¯s altar.¡¯ ¡®dozens of desert horses were also a fortune that made people envious.¡¯ ¡®although the desert horses were not plump, they had a bit of meat with lots of bones.¡¯ ¡®given the quantity here, they could be exchanged for precious strategic treasures.¡¯ ¡®needless to say, trading for a few water spring fragments or a few seeds of olives, wouldn¡¯t that be great?¡¯ the more richard thought about it, the more he felt that the reward this time was bountiful. the level of the scorpion warriors was raised to level 2 due to the battle, and richard had also obtained 70 to 80 horses as food. moreover, he had established a relationship with the phoneix-tail flower chamber of commerce and obtained an extremely precious blueprint of the hero¡¯s altar from them. in the end, richard even obtained information about a one-way teleportation door from them. he suddenly felt that onyx was simply a lucky star. ¡°when i return, i have to treat this guy well. i can interact with him more in the future. i love making friends.¡± ¡°maybe i can ask onyx where i can find a dragon egg¡­¡± this time, the target was the one-way portal, but richard did not give up on scouting the surroundings. he still spread out the troops of the two squads and had them search them thoroughly¡­ the one-way portal was about two hours away from twilight city, but richard had spent twice as much time. he had gained a lot from the fierce battle. the most obvious sign was that both the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors had leveled up to level 3. meanwhile, richard¡¯s experience points had also reached 900. he was only 100 points away from leveling up again. among them, the ones who contributed the most were a group of desert half-rats who had emptied a sand dune. there were four squadrons in total. the mummies and the scorpion warriors had gone crazy from the killing. the endless yellow sand always gave people a desolate and tragic feeling. however, after seeing it for too long, the feeling of boredom came over. ¡°it should be not far away¡­¡± looking at the signs that were gradually approaching on the system map, richard¡¯s spirit was roused. after crossing another sand dune, the land in front of him gradually became dry and hard. a large amount of gravel appeared. richard raised his vigilance and slightly pulled the troop back. amidst his vigilance, he stepped over a thousand-meter-long gravel area, and then the terrain suddenly sank. richard walked closer to take a look, and a river that had been dry for an unknown number of years appeared in his line of sight. the cobblestones in the center of the river bed had been weathered and cracked. the yellow sand seemed to have become the running water of the dried-up river. however, even though it was so dry, one could still tell from the traces of the river bed and the stone walls on both sides how turbulent the river was. after taking a few more glances at the magnificent scene, richard walked toward the dried-up river bed. ¡°how did this guy, onyx, get down here?¡± the stones on the ground made it difficult for richard to move forward. with the mummies lying in front of him, it was not much better. after staggering for more than ten minutes, richard suddenly stopped. at a depression in the cliff wall, a building that looked like an arch was erected. the arch was five meters tall. the middle of the arch was not a door, but a translucent shield that emitted a wave-like light. an ancient aura came toward them. a one-way teleportation door! excitement rose in richard¡¯s heart. the appearance of the portal was not simple at all. he had the mummies and the scorpion warriors check the surroundings. after making sure that there was no danger, richard walked closer. standing in front of the five-meter-tall building, richard felt an inexplicable sense of insignificance. he did not know where the half-bright ripples would lead to. richard opened the attribute panel. [one-way teleportation door] [level: special] [characteristics: one-way teleportation ¡ª leads to an area, a burnt village. entering it requires completing a mission before returning. difficulty: 1 star.] [description: perhaps, you will be teleported to the dragon¡¯s treasury, or perhaps, you will be able to go to hell and have dinner with the demons. before using the teleportation door, pray to the goddess of luck.] ¡°dungeon?¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. in the background settings of the game ¡°shining era¡±, as provided on the website, the dungeon existed during the last battle of the gods. the gods had broken the river of time, causing countless time fragments to scatter across the various planes. these time fragments contained small-scale worlds, and those who entered could obtain various resources from them. the completion of a mission depended on the distinct rules of each time fragment. only by complying with the rules could these time fragments return to the river of time. this setting was quite good. now that the setting had become reality, it could be said that there were no major bugs. dungeons were good things because some of the time fragments were from the ancient era. there were chances for them to appear in dungeons that could not be obtained from the outside world. however, the problem was that the dungeon in front of him only had a very simple description. there was no other valuable information. this made richard hesitate. the difficulty was only 1-star. it did not seem high. but what was the evaluation standard for this 1-star? was it just a normal soldier or just a giant dragon? just as richard was thinking¡­ the black gold system lit up and upgraded. [discovered dungeon ¡ª burning village] [dungeon-level: 1-star] [average strength of soldier type: rare] [heroes unit (presence): yes] [factions: demons, undead, churches, humans] [hint: the level of the dungeon cannot be increased.] richard was stunned for a moment before laughing out loud. ¡®damn, the black gold system is still awesome¡­¡¯ fortunately, he did not act rashly. the average strength of the troops had reached the rare level. there were also heroic units, and it even involved four factions¡­ if richard were to rush in recklessly, it would truly be a waste. ¡°although it¡¯s much weaker than the troops of the temple, it¡¯s just courting death to go exploring now. to be safe, i¡¯ll first go back and accumulate strength. after killing a wave of troops, i¡¯ll come back. at the very least, i¡¯ll kill a squadron of rare-level troops¡­¡± after making a note on the system map, richard didn¡¯t stay any longer and turned around to return to his territory. it was already afternoon, and there was still a two-hour journey back. the danger level in the desert at night was more than one level higher than during the day. richard had just walked back for a few minutes, but before he could leave the riverbed, an indescribably terrifying pressure suddenly swept down from the sky. it was as if richard was standing under a hundred thousand feet tall mountain that was collapsing. the sky and earth seemed to be collapsing. ¡°roar!¡± a thunderous roar came down from the sky, and the dry riverbed seemed to quake. the pressure increased exponentially. the next second¡­ a huge shadow was cast on the riverbed under the sun. it covered the earth. richard subconsciously raised his head and looked at the sky. he saw a terrifying creature that was covered in scales that were so tough that even a city-breaking crossbow might not be able to pierce through. it was waving its ferocious wings and flying. the creature¡¯s body was enormous with a wingspan of more than 20 meters. its strong limbs had sharp claws that shone with a cold light. perhaps, it could easily destroy a city wall. that extremely terrifying creature was crossing the riverbed. its pupils suddenly constricted, and a word that made people stop breathing appeared in its mind. ¡°a giant dragon!!¡± there was a dragon lair nearby?! Chapter 29 a dragon in the sky flashed past. it flapped its wings and flew across the river valley in a blink of an eye. richard immediately opened the attribute panel after being shocked. [desert dragon] [level: 15] [potential: ???] [skills: ???] [race talent: ???] [fetters-dragon: ???] [description: a top-tier predator in the desert. no one can resist its dragon breath.] ¡°damn.¡± ¡°it was level 15?!¡± the other attributes could not even be seen. level 15 might be considered low in other games, but level 30 was god-tier on the official website of the game ¡°shining era¡±. every 5 levels was a threshold. the higher the level, the more difficult it would be to level up. level 15 was enough to be tyrannical. the strong level 8 temple guard could not raise its head in front of this dragon. when richard was lost in his thoughts, the rapacious and domineering dragon had already disappeared from his sight. after a long time, richard let out a long breath. his eyes were filled with passion. ¡°i must catch a dragon to ride in the future!!¡± the rapacious and domineering appearance of the dragon directly hit richard¡¯s heart. riding such a flashy life form to the peak¡­ just the appearance alone was extremely flashy. after coming out of the river valley, richard, who was stimulated, quickened his pace. before sunset, richard returned to the territory. the moment he returned to the territory, richard immediately relaxed. that kind of stability made him feel at ease. thinking back, today¡¯s encounter was enough. first, richard saved the caravan of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. then, because of this, he obtained the extremely precious blueprint of the hero¡¯s altar and a large amount of food. along the way, richard also discovered a dungeon map, and finally, he encountered a level 15 dragon. after a busy day, richard only wanted to take a hot bath. ¡°lord, you¡¯re back!¡± when karu, who was waiting for richard at dusk, saw him, he immediately let out a sigh of relief. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± richard looked at karu¡¯s expression. karu was surely about to say something before richard asked, ¡°is it about the people from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce?¡± karu nodded, and his tone became excited. ¡°they were completely captivated by the honey and told me to discuss business with you immediately after you return.¡± richard smiled slightly. ¡°who could resist the taste of desert honey?¡± ¡°has the kitchen maids prepared food? let them see me after you are done.¡± ¡°they are already waiting for you.¡± ¡°then, let them continue waiting.¡± richard did not care about anything else. after returning to the mansion, he finished his dinner with the help of two enthusiastic kitchen maids. richard took a hot bath along the way. after taking a bath to get rid of the fatigue of the day, richard asked someone to call onyx who had been waiting for half a day. in the hall with a rough architectural style, twelve oil lamps made of animal fat on the stone pillars were emitting dim light. the bright moonlight shone into the hall through the glassless wooden windows, adding an extra layer of light. ¡°good evening, lord richard.¡± onyx came alone with his round belly. after entering the room, onyx immediately put his right hand on his chest and saluted. ¡°no need to be so polite, lord onyx. please, take a seat.¡± after onyx thanked richard, he immediately took a seat and then spoke impatiently. ¡°lord richard, thank you for treating us with such precious honey today.¡± ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce lacks such delicious delicacy.¡± ¡°i wonder if we have the honor to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with you?¡± richard smiled. ¡°lord onyx, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is a large chamber of commerce that can cross the desert of death. have you ever seen my desert crown honey?¡± ¡°forgive my ignorance, but i have never seen it before.¡± ¡°my lord, this delicious honey is called desert crown?¡± richard nodded as if it was a matter of fact. ¡°i obtained the desert crown honey from a secret chamber. at that time, i even saw the murals that have been circulating in the secret chamber for countless years.¡± ¡°countless years ago, the deadly desert was unified by a powerful emperor. he conquered the desert.¡±. ¡°his legend was even spread throughout the entire mortal plane and the greatest treasure of this great ruler was this honey. he compared it to his crown, and only the noblest people could wear a crown¡­ so, he named it ¡ª desert crown.¡± before richard could finish his story, onyx¡¯s mind was already wavering. only the noblest people could wear a crown. and this honey was called the desert crown¡­ didn¡¯t that mean that only the noblest people could taste such a delicacy? for a moment, a sacred feeling rose in onyx¡¯s heart. it was as if he had become the noblest person on par with the king. ¡°lord richard, can i have a look at that mural? i wonder how elegant the great emperor who once ruled the deathly desert is.¡± richard¡¯s face was not even red. ¡°you¡¯re too late. the sandstorm a while ago erased all traces.¡± ¡°you should know what kind of place the desert is.¡± after saying that, richard did not wait for onyx¡¯s reply and continued. ¡°lord onyx, the production of the desert crown is extremely rare and precious. i wonder what price the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce would be willing to pay for it?¡± hearing this, onyx¡¯s heart skipped a beat. it was not because of the price, but because the production was extremely rare. ¡°lord richard, can you tell me the exact amount of production?¡± richard spoke with some regret. ¡°currently, it can only produce five units per week.¡± after saying that, richard added another sentence. ¡°but in the next time, there is still room for improvement in the production.¡± the rarer an item was, the more valuable it was. the quality of desert honey was so high, so it naturally had to take the high-end route. if the quantity was small and the origin was extraordinary, would the price still be low? as for whether the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce would believe richard¡¯s story or not, it didn¡¯t matter. if the person was smart, he would make this story even more perfect¡­ and the quantity was small, so richard could control the price better. ¡°hu~¡± onyx heaved a huge sigh of relief. fortunately, fortunately¡­ if richard could only produce five units a year, that would indeed be too little. if richard could produce five units a week, that would be 20 units a month. although it was still pitifully little, onyx could already accept such delicious food. onyx stood up and said proudly. ¡°lord richard, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will have everything you need!¡± ¡°we can get you even the lair of the dragon troop¡­ as long as you can pay the equivalent price of the desert crown!¡± richard believed in these words. there was no need to doubt the strength of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce that could cover the entire deadly desert. ¡°lord onyx, how do you think the desert crown should be priced?¡± this¡­ onyx could not help but hesitate. the desert crown didn¡¯t need to be elaborated further. but after all, onyx had never bought it outside, so it was hard for him to say the exact price. onyx thought for a while¡­ ¡°lord richard, can you let us take some of the delicacies first and leave? after we return, we¡¯ll let the consumers examine them before we set the price.¡± richard smiled slightly and waved at karu, who had not spoken all this while. karu immediately turned around and left, then returned with a tray. there were two broken glass bottles on the tray. through the glass bottles, one could see that half a jar of crystal clear honey was inside. richard picked up a bottle from the tray and put it on the table. ¡°you can use this bottle to set the price when you return.¡± after saying that, richard picked up another bottle and put it in front of onyk. ¡°lord onyx, you have given us the blueprint for the construction of the hero¡¯s altar as a mark of our friendship. in return, i will give you the most precious treasure of twilight city ¡ª the desert crown.¡± ¡°i hope our friendship will last forever.¡± onyx was overjoyed. the pain in his heart for giving away the blueprint completely disappeared at this moment. ¡°thank you for your generosity!¡± richard smiled and continued. ¡°lord onyx, if possible, i hope that you will bring more blueprints for the construction of the territory when you come next time.¡± ¡°it would be best if there are resources-related treasures such as olive seeds¡­¡± Chapter 30 after a short conversation, onyx readily agreed to richard¡¯s conditions under the temptation of the desert crown. for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, these requirements could be fulfilled with the flick of a finger. the aborigines had developed after countless eras in the shining era, and the resources in their hands were many times better than the current players. after onyx went down to rest, richard asked karu. ¡°have those desert horses been brought back?¡± ¡°they have been brought back, a total of 92 horses. but there are too many of them, and i haven¡¯t had the time to deal with them yet¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°there¡¯s no need to deal with them. i have other uses for them.¡± after thinking for a while, richard directly opened the [forum chat]. he opened the private chat of [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. ¡°i¡¯ll produce the food for you in advance.¡± when richard bought the russian olive seeds and the spring water fragments, he still owed [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] 1,600 units of food. richard had never liked to owe money. now that he had the resources in his hands, there was naturally no need to make him unhappy over this little thing. after sending the message, richard went to the well and looked at the pile of desert horses on the ground. he picked six of the larger ones and directly traded them in a way that fulfilled the contract. richard paid the other party accordingly. the moment the trade was successful, the contract between the two disappeared without a trace. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] suddenly saw in the system notification that he had received six desert horses. he immediately replied to the message after he came back to his senses. [sh*t! big brother qing qiu!! i haven¡¯t seen you for a day and you are rich again?] [awesome!!!] [to be honest, i truly admire you. i haven¡¯t found a food source yet. you always have thousands of units of food¡­ can you bring me along?] [as long as you are willing, you will be my big brother in the future!] richard¡¯s face was full of black lines. [if you have any good treasures in the future, you can contact me.] after sending that message, richard did not bother with the top-grade treasure anymore and directly opened the [trading market]. richard began to post the information on the reward column. [reward 1-star resource treasure ¡ª (spring water or spring water fragment) reward amount: 3; (desert horses) reward amount: 4] [reward 1-star resource treasure ¡ª (acre of russian olive seeds) reward amount: 15; (desert horses) reward amount: 2] [reward special lair ¡ª (desert bee) reward amount: 20; (desert horses) reward amount: 1] after posting this information, there were only 24 desert horses left on the ground. pondering about it, richard posted another message in the reward column of the [trading market.] [reward: any valuable resources or other treasures that can be used in the desert. price: 20 desert horses. this reward requires both parties to agree to the transaction.] as a result, there were only four desert horses left in the mountain of desert horses. dozens of residents who had just finished their dinner and were happily preparing to deal with the desert horses looked at the empty ground and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. if it weren¡¯t for richard, they would have shouted that there was a thief. ¡°good evening, lord richard¡­¡± ¡°greetings, lord richard¡­ those desert horses?¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°i have other uses for them. you can deal with these horses. thank you for your hard work.¡± a few residents answered in fear. ¡°no, no!¡± ¡°it¡¯s our honor to serve you!¡± richard nodded and directly returned to the mansion. at this time, the lord¡¯s [forum chat] blew up again because of his information on the bounty. [f*ck!!! did you see that? that qing qiu boss is selling food again!!] [this is f*cking ridiculous. i just did some calculations, and the other party sold more than 80 desert horses at one time¡­ i just want to ask, are you the galloping horseman?] [which wild horse group¡¯s lair did they dig out? why is it so exaggerated?] [f*ck, my territory ran out of food today. how can qing qiu get so much food?] [casually taking out tens of thousands of units of meat? isn¡¯t the desert lacking in resources?] [my territory is in the desert. i¡¯m telling you clearly, qing qiu must be next to an oasis rich in resources! a territory in an ordinary desert is simply the beginning of hell on level 10 difficulty!] [that¡¯s right, this lousy desert is not a place for people to stay! inadequate water. inadequate food. everything is inadequate! it would take less than two hours to kill monsters in the desert, and one would be completely exhausted! moreover, those troops in the wild were stronger than the last. yesterday, i had gone through great difficulty to kill more than a dozen desert rats. on the way, i even encountered a group of more than a hundred desert bandits¡­ if we didn¡¯t run fast, we would be dead!] [sob, sob, sob, sob, i don¡¯t want to play anymore. i want to go home¡­] [f*ck, why don¡¯t i have any resources or treasures? i seriously want those 20 desert horses.] richard was completely speechless. several players were doing well. however, there was only one person like richard who traded over a thousand units of meat the other day and sold over 80 desert horses and over 20,000 units of food today. this caused countless people to be envious. how many lords could kill over a hundred desert bandits in just three days? richard was tired for the entire day and had a good sleep. early the next morning, he was woken up by the noise outside. after getting up and washing up, richard went out and saw a group of haggard refugees squeezed into the space around him. karu was talking to these people. after richard came out, the noise just now seemed to have pressed the pause button and disappeared in an instant. the pressure from the dozens of soldiers behind richard was too strong. especially the scorpion warrior. its two-meter-long body was bent like a steel whip behind its tail. with the addition of two terrifying giant pincers, it looked terrifying. although the mummy didn¡¯t have such a strong body, its snow-white bandages and dry hands were equally terrifying. living beings always had a special fear of the undead. under the terrified gazes of the refugees, richard scanned his surroundings. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± karu immediately stepped forward and bowed. ¡°good day, lord richard.¡± after he finished his bow, karu straightened his body and pointed at the fearful and uneasy crowd. ¡°these are the refugees we found outside the rusian olive forest this morning. they are together with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡­¡± richard nodded. his sharp gaze swept across the crowd. ¡°you people, who is in charge here? come out and talk to me.¡± hearing this, the crowd subconsciously turned their heads to look behind them. ¡®tap, tap, tap¡¯ the sound of boots stepping on the ground was clear. a slender girl separated the crowd and walked to the front of the crowd. what caught people¡¯s attention was that the thin girl was carrying a bronze hammer that was taller than a person on her back. the other party¡¯s delicate eyes looked straight at richard, and she leaned forward with her hands on her chest. ¡°respected lord, adele thorin sends her regards.¡± Chapter 31 the girl who spoke was about 17 or 18 years old. she wore black high-rise leather boots with traces of traveling in the sand. the tight-fitting brown trousers made her legs appear slender. her leather boots gave her a distinguished disposition. she had a high ponytail at the back of her head, and the skin on her face was as white as jade. it was hard to believe that she had such fair skin in the desert. her figure was a little meager due to her thinness. but that also made her big black eyes extra-spirited. the long copper hammer taller than a person on her back made her instantly appear from a slender and cute girl next door into a dauntless warrior. ¡°adele thorin?¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°where did you come from?¡± adele looked straight at him. her tone was filled with grief and solemnity. ¡°the lair of the rhinoceros empire razed our home. we were forced to leave. we could only turn to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. we planned to cross the deathly desert and head to the holy cathedral empire to settle down¡­ ¡°but the sandstorm a week ago ruined everything. we and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce were blown away in the storm. we lost most of our companions¡­¡± before she could finish, onyx and his companions emerged out of the lord¡¯s mansion. they had been arranged by richard to stay in the guest room the other night. of course, everyone was being watched by the mummies and the scorpion warriors. onyx was stunned when he saw the girl but then, he was greatly astonished. ¡°miss adele? are you okay?! by the god of merchants, this is great news!!¡± ¡°lord onyx?¡± the girl was equally astonished. but the joy quickly faded away, and the sadness in her eyes could not be hidden. onyx saw this and spoke hesitantly. ¡°your father¡­¡± adele was silent¡­ onyx sighed, and the joy disappeared. richard deeply thought about the situation. presumably, the leader of these refugees was the girl¡¯s father. after the storm, she was the only one left. curious enough, richard opened her stats panel, but after taking a look, he felt his heartbeat quicken. [adele thorin] [hero unit] [level: 4] [potential: a] [profession: blacksmith (advanced) [skills: breathing forging method (a-rank) ¡ª when forging strategic equipment, she can obtain additional skills and has a chance to forge a higher-level weapon.] [weapon strengthening (a-rank) ¡ª can strengthen strategic equipment and obtain additional characteristics.] [blood of thorin (a-rank) ¡ª constitution increases by 200%, strength increases by 200%.] [hero characteristics: research speed of territory attack type technology increases by 30%, and success rate increases by 30%.] [race characteristics: has extraordinary talent in forging weapons, and success rate increases by 30%.] [fetters-copper hammer: when using a long-handled copper hammer to forge, the forging skill level will be increased by one level.] [description: kuang! kuang! your artifact is ready, do you want to test its power?] ¡®hero unit?! advanced blacksmith?¡¯ ¡®and it¡¯s a hero with the potential to reach a-rank!!¡¯ richard¡¯s pupils constricted. this attribute¡­ this potential¡­ this was heaven-defying. compared to adele, a heroic unit like onyx, who had changed jobs to become a merchant, was simply incomparable. richard took a few deep breaths to suppress the excitement in his heart. he looked straight at her. he spoke slowly. ¡°miss adele, i think your father should be more powerful than you. ¡°the sandstorm is terror-stricken. but since you¡¯re fine, there¡¯s no reason that anything could have happened to your father. don¡¯t be too sad. perhaps, he¡¯s looking for you just like you guys.¡± these words immediately made the girl¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°is what you said true?¡± richard nodded without hesitation. ¡°of course.¡± after saying that, richard commanded karu beside him. ¡°get someone to clean up the guest room of the mansion.¡± after saying that, richard looked at adele. ¡°you can stay here for a few days. firstly, you can recuperate. secondly, you can look for your father.¡± his tone became more serious. ¡°if you need help, i can send someone to assist you. miss adele, believe me, the residents of my territory are more familiar with the desert than you are.¡± ¡°your companions don¡¯t need to rush through the vast desert. we welcome you.¡± this hero could not be let go! however, since the other party had just arrived and had experienced the disappearance of her father, richard could not directly recruit her. he could only think of a way from the side. if richard wanted to take her, he had to give adele her father first¡­ this was the basic philosophy of life. however, richard didn¡¯t expect that adele would be more anxious than him. as if a drowning person had grasped the last straw, she hurriedly said, ¡°my lord!¡± ¡°as long as you can find my father, i¡¯m willing to give everything! i-i can become your subordinate and work for you!¡± ¡°as long as you can find my father¡­¡± her eyes reddened, and her voice was choked with sobs, making people feel an unfathomable heartache. the system notification quietly sounded. [ding~ adele thorin has issued a hero recruitment mission to you. find her father who was blown away by the sandstorm. ] [when the mission is completed, the other party will join your territory.] richard was slightly startled, but then he felt completely comfortable. missions were good. he liked doing missions whenever he had nothing better to do. however, when he saw the heartbroken look in adele¡¯s eyes, he immediately suppressed the joy in his heart. he took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°i will do my best.¡± these words came from the bottom of his heart. he had experienced the pain of losing a loved one. when she noticed the change in richard¡¯s tone, adele¡¯s gaze immediately became much closer. only onyx felt a little regretful. he knew how good this girl¡¯s forging skills were. initially, onyx had planned to introduce her to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. but now, onyx couldn¡¯t say anything about the recruitment deal. after all, onyx had just received a bottle of richard¡¯s precious desert crown. ¡°miss adele, how many companions did you bring?¡± ¡°a total of 150 people. the others are like my father. they were lost in the desert.¡± richard nodded and commanded karu. ¡°go, prepare breakfast for them.¡± ¡°yes, lord richard.¡± after consoling adele for a long time, richard exclusively led her into the lord¡¯s mansion. then, he asked karu and onyx to accompany each other. richard found an excuse to come out. richard looked at the 10 residential houses on the west side of the lord¡¯s mansion. previously, there were not many residents, so there was still enough to live in. however, now that there were more than 100 people, there was no room for them. if he wanted to build a new house, richard would need the corresponding blueprints. however, he only had the blueprint for the construction of the hero¡¯s altar. currently, if richard wanted to accommodate more residents, the only way was to raise the level of the building. [residence: 1] [level: ordinary (requires 500 units of stone and 500 units of wood to level up.)] [capacity: maximum of 10 people] [characteristics: none] [description: an ordinary residential house, which can be used by commoners.] [ten residential houses, which require a total of 5000 units of stone and 5000 units of wood to level up.] looking at the attribute panel that had only a few pieces left, richard could not help but sigh. no matter how much he earned, it was not enough to spend. ¡®i have to let these residents settle down. it¡¯s not easy to get hundreds of refugees in the desert.¡¯ ¡®the territory is still small now, and these residents are a burden. but once the territory expands, when all aspects require labor, the residents will become the creators of wealth.¡¯ ¡®no matter what, i can¡¯t let the meat that¡¯s on the tip of my tongue run away.¡¯ after thinking for a while, richard took out 200 units of food from the warehouse and found a few high-priced items to sell. with the original resources, it was just enough to buy 10,000 units. then, he walked to the front of the 10 residential buildings and prepared to upgrade the buildings in twilight city for the first time. he still had some magical anticipation in his heart. [ding~ do you want to use 5000 units of wood and 5000 units of stone to upgrade the residential buildings?] Chapter 32 the moment he chose to confirm the upgrade. the system notification sounded again. ¡°ding ~ please empty the residential area.¡± richard waved his hand and called the residents around him, asking them to call out those who were still in the residential area. after a moment, more than twenty people left the residential area. they looke the moment richard chose to confirm the upgrade, the system notification sounded again. [ding~ please, empty the residential area.] richard waved his hand and called the residents around him. he ordered them to call out those still in the residential area. after a moment, more than twenty people left the residential area. they looked at richard in confusion and didn¡¯t understand why they were all ordered to leave. but they did not dare to ask any more questions. the residents stood obediently at the side and waited for the order. richard had established his authority in the territory in just a few days. after confirming that there were no mistakes, he chose to level up again. this time, there were no surprises. the resources on the attribute panel were cleared in an instant. then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, a yellow sand-like light rose from the ground, like a sandstorm that enveloped the residential houses. the crowd¡¯s vision became blurry, and they could only vaguely see the changes inside. the two-story house rose with a rumble, and a third story appeared. ten houses rose at the same time. it caused the earth to tremble. this huge commotion immediately caused the crowd to exclaim in surprise. ¡°gods above¡­¡± ¡°this is a power that only a lord can have¡­¡± ¡°legend has it that the gods gave each lord an unparalleled ability. building houses quickly is one of them¡­¡± ¡°no matter how i see it, this scene is still incredible!¡± the crowd was beyond belief¡­ the scene has also attracted the refugees amidst the waves of exclamation. all of them had complicated expressions on their faces. they no longer had a home¡­ the light from the yellow sand lasted for 10 minutes before it gradually dissipated. [ding~ residential upgrade is successful.] along with the system upgrade, a brand new residential building appeared in front of richard. the ten residential buildings had expanded from two floors to three floors, and their area had already reached 70% of the 10-by-10-meter space. the rough outer walls from the outside had become much more delicate, and there was a bit of an exquisite architectural shape. however, the desert was still eye-catching. [residence: 1 space] [level: rare ¡ª requires 5000 units of stone and 5000 units of wood to level up.] [note: the current level has been raised to the upper limit. after the territory is upgraded to a small city, it can still be raised again.] [capacity: maximum of 30 people] [characteristics: none] [description: an ordinary residential house. it can be used by commoners.] after richard finished looking at the stats, he was pleasantly astonished. the number of people each house could accommodate had increased from 10 to 30. after increasing by three times, the problem of the newly arrived refugees was solved. however, upgrading from rare to advanced required a lot of resources. the next time richard upgraded 10 residential houses, he would need 100,000 units of resources. the landlord¡¯s family did not have any surplus food either. at this moment, richard finally understood the bitterness of the other lords. he had hunted so much food to exchange for resources, but he still felt exhausted, not to mention the lords who could only rely on resource points to accumulate resources. he turned around and looked at the refugees who were casting envious and complicated gazes at the residents of twilight city. after thinking for a moment, richard stepped forward. while he was in the center of attention, this immediately attracted the attention of the crowd. however, those refugees who met his gaze immediately lowered their heads in fear. facing the ruler of this land, they felt immense pressure. the other party¡¯s words could determine their lives and deaths. that was the vulnerability of having your fate controlled by others. richard did not speak. he just looked at them perfunctorily. the hundreds of refugees went from feeling uncomfortable at the beginning to gradually becoming anxious and uneasy. in the end, they even felt endless fear. could it be that this lord wanted to directly expel them? as for the worse ones, they did not dare to think about it. ¡°new residents, i am the lord of twilight city, richard.¡± richard¡¯s sudden words made the already extremely nervous crowd¡¯s hearts jump to their throats. they immediately raised their ears and focused on listening to his next sentence. ¡°i understand your anxiety and helplessness toward the future. no one can remain indifferent after losing your home, your family, and your friends. after all, that was the hope we once had, the hope of everything. we all have experienced the pain of having our hope shattered.¡± the gazes of the crowd toward richard suddenly intensified. richard did not stop talking. ¡°but are we going to weaken, give up, and lose hope because of this?¡± his tone suddenly became high-pitched. ¡°no! certainly not! these sufferings are the thorny paths that every one of us must walk! no matter how great the pain is, we must still look and walk forward! this must be what our family members, our family members, hope for. if you are in danger, do you want your loved ones and family members to keep drowning?¡± in such a special situation, richard¡¯s determined voice was full of inspiring power. ¡°those who can¡¯t kill us will make us stronger in the end. as long as we step over the thorns, the light ahead will pierce through the darkness. as long as we have hope, we will always look up at the starry sky!¡± looking at that tall and straight figure, the crowd was completely silent at this moment. the emotions in their hearts began to churn. they churned and surged into the sky¡­ the heartfelt words drove powerful energy into them, and at this moment, the low and dazed emotions were rapidly fading away. the natives who had not been baptized by the information explosion had almost zero resistance to these motivational words. even if modern people had experienced countless information baptisms, some words could still make people¡¯s blood boil. because they were not old yet. their blood was still briskly boiling. with a long copper hammer on her back, adele had unknowingly stepped out of the lord¡¯s mansion. she stared blankly at the young man¡¯s back with a complicated expression. she muttered softly. ¡°as long as we have hope, we will always look up at the starry sky. those who can¡¯t kill us will eventually make us stronger.¡± at this moment, light gradually appeared in her dim eyes¡­ richard¡¯s words, which had paused for a moment, rang out once again. ¡°my friends, this is twilight city, a city built in the desert. although the construction of the territory has just begun, this place is full of vitality, hope, and the future. no matter what your previous identity is, no matter what work you have done before, no matter what your age is, twilight city will accept you.¡± richard continued, ¡°if you are not willing to spend another few months crossing the desert that is filled with dead silence and dried-up dust storms, you are welcome to join twilight city. we need each one of you here, and we can provide you with a haven. at the same time, i promise you that i will do my best to help you find your lost companions in the dust storms.¡± he then added, ¡°of course, if you are unwilling, i will not force you. i will provide you with food and water so that you can continue to cross the deadly desert.¡± at this point, richard paused and swept his gaze across the crowd. ¡°my people, welcome.¡± after saying that, he bowed slightly to everyone. then, without saying another word, he turned around and entered the lord¡¯s mansion. he didn¡¯t even look at adele when he walked past her. after richard¡¯s figure disappeared, the surrounding residents felt as if the flames in their chests were ignited at this moment. ¡°lord richard seriously bowed to us? by the gods, am i¡­am i seeing things?¡± ¡°i feel like i¡¯m committing a crime if i don¡¯t do anything for this territory¡­¡± ¡°yeah, why don¡¯t we stay in twilight city? why do we have to cross the desert that contains so many threats? i don¡¯t want to encounter the grim reaper again!¡± ¡°but, isn¡¯t this a desert? we¡¯ll surely encounter sandstorms in the future¡­¡± ¡°what do you know? did you see the strength lord richard showed just now? those sturdy houses are enough to resist the threat of the storm! and the territory will surely expand in the future. with lord richard¡¯s strength, he will definitely be able to protect us!¡± ¡°mom, lord richard is truly too handsome. when i grow up, i will surely marry such a handsome hero.¡± ¡°hahaha, alright.¡± ¡°mom, i want to do that too.¡± ¡°scram, you¡¯re a man. wake up!¡± ¡°what should we do? stay here or go to the holy cathedral empire?¡± ¡°let¡¯s discuss it with miss adele¡­¡± hearing the discussions of the crowd, the old residents were a little displeased and started to interfere. a young man spoke to a few people beside him. ¡°you people don¡¯t know how lucky you are. it¡¯s your honor to become a member of twilight city!¡± a middle-aged man was unconvinced. ¡°what do you mean by that?!¡± the young man sneered. ¡°hehe, what do you think is the most important thing in a territory?¡± the middle-aged man hesitated. ¡°this¡­ prosperity and power?¡± the young man ignored him. ¡°what does a prosperous and powerful territory have to do with us?¡± ¡°the lords and nobles are the ones who are prosperous. we are just slaves they oppress. haven¡¯t you been oppressed by other lords before?¡± another person interrupted, ¡°then, what do you think it is?!¡± the young man showed some pride on his face. ¡°the most important thing in a territory is¡­a lord!¡± the middle-aged man was deep in thought, but he still asked, ¡°why do you say that?¡± the young man¡¯s tone was high, ¡°master karu said that a lord is the soul of a territory. how a territory is, whether it is savage, crazy, or warlike, depends entirely on the lord. isn¡¯t a benevolent lord with outstanding abilities, broad mind, and full of potential ten thousand times better than those lords who control prosperous territories but treat civilians like pigs and dogs? it shouldn¡¯t matter if he is weak now.¡± the others immediately fell into deep thought. ¡°what you said makes sense¡­but how can there be such a lord¡­¡± the middle-aged man suddenly shut up halfway through his words. the few of them subconsciously turned their heads to look at the place where richard had disappeared. ¡°those who couldn¡¯t kill us would eventually make us stronger.¡± these words rang in their ears once again. the flames in their chests became more and more vigorous. their blood wasn¡¯t cold either. Chapter 33 ¡°miss adele, we¡¯ve decided to stay in twilight city after our discussion!¡± after lunch, everyone was assigned to their dwelling places. this group of homeless people who had wandered in the desert for an unknown period finally made up their minds. the warm food provided by twilight city and a dwelling place that belonged to them had broken through their defenses. they didn¡¯t want to lose their family and friends, and they didn¡¯t want to step into the endless deadly desert. the endless yellow sand terrified them more than hell. no one could guarantee that they could cross the desert. and even if they did, so what? it was a foreign land after all. no one would welcome them, and no one would care about them. looking at the white-bearded old man in front of her, adele was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. ¡°grandpa duke, you don¡¯t have to think too much.¡± ¡°father brought everyone across the deadly desert to find a land where we can live in peace.¡± ¡°twilight city might not be the most ideal state, but that lord is worthy of respect.¡± ¡°let¡¯s settle down here. although the environment is harsh, and we might have a hard time, it¡¯s still a good place to settle down.¡± the white-bearded old man spoke slowly after holding it in for a long time. ¡°miss adele, perhaps, you don¡¯t know, but i have asked the others.¡± ¡°the residents here have been eating meat for the past few days. they haven¡¯t eaten any other food before our capture.¡± ¡°they all told me that they¡¯ve gotten fat from eating meat.¡± ¡°these times are truly not that hard¡­¡± after thinking for a moment, the old man continued. ¡°as for the environment¡­ on the other side of twilight city, there¡¯s a spring. and near the spring is an acre of russian olive forest. ¡°i¡¯ve gone to take a look. those leaves are truly crisp. the other residents said that it¡¯s a divine gift that can mature once a month. it¡¯s truly amazing. ¡°and there¡¯s also the extremely precious desert crown honey within. it is said that in the ancient era, the honey produced by the desert crown was once the exclusive tribute of the emperor who ruled the deadly desert.¡± ¡°the lord of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has already begged to establish a trade channel with lord richard. perhaps, it won¡¯t be long before a large number of resources will flood in¡­¡± ¡°the other residents also said lord richard has mentioned in private that there will surely be more divine gifts in the future. he will plant all kinds of crops around the territory and make twilight city an oasis in the desert¡­¡± adele stared blankly at the beaming old man. at this moment, she didn¡¯t feel like she still wanted to go to the holy cathedral empire. it was truly quite good to stay in the desert. ****** after the refugees settled down, richard immediately ordered karu to find 30 young and strong residents and tell them to prepare food and water for five days. richard immediately went to the desert to search for refugees who had gone missing because of the sandstorm, especially adele¡¯s father. at the same time, he also recruited 30 new residents and had them join the search. to this end, he also brought half a jar of desert crown and water for these residents to drink so that their physical strength renewed to the peak. sixty people with six teams. each team was responsible for the direction of the search. to complete the hero recruitment mission, richard gritted his teeth and sent two mummies for each team as guards, a total of 12. this time, these search teams would spend the night in the desert, and the probability of encountering danger was not small. however, there was only one way to do it. benevolence could not be shown. seeing richard¡¯s decisive action, adele was so moved that her eyes were watery, and her good impression of him immediately rose. a man of his word. this was richard¡¯s bottom line. it wasn¡¯t only adele¡¯s father. since he had promised others to help them find their families, richard would also do his best to do it. after arranging everything, it was already noon. richard came to bid farewell to adele. ¡°miss adele, the territory¡¯s food reserves have been depleted due to the arrival of the new residents. currently, it can only last for 10 days at most.¡± ¡°i will go out to hunt immediately. please, stay in the territory. if you encounter any trouble, please, help me take care of it.¡± the valiant-looking adele looked at the handsome youth in front of her and nodded with a determined gaze. ¡°don¡¯t worry! i will advance and retreat with twilight city!¡± she hesitated as she spoke. ¡°lord richard, why can¡¯t i participate in this search and rescue? i¡¯m not afraid of danger¡­¡± before she could finish her sentence, richard waved his hand and interrupted her. ¡°your safety is one of the reasons. the main reason is for the sake of the residents.¡± richard explained, ¡°right now, you are still shouldering the fate of hundreds of other people. you cannot act recklessly.¡± he added, ¡°i have already sent 60 people to explore. don¡¯t tell me that the area that you can search alone is better than 60 people.¡± seeing that adelle still wanted to say something, richard¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°obey the order.¡± adele was stunned. she suddenly felt a little wrong, but she did not know what to say. she nodded her head gloomily. after convincing the girl, richard didn¡¯t say anything more. taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, richard left the territory with 14 scorpion warriors and two mummies. this time, he changed directions and headed toward the east of twilight city to search. speaking of which, he hadn¡¯t set foot in this area before. the desert was too big. it would take him more than two or three days to search in any direction. according to the old rules, he kept the two mummies by his side to protect himself. then, he scattered the 14 scorpion warriors. after a few days, richard was already familiar with this routine. after leaving twilight city, he encountered the first camp of the wilderness troop in less than ten minutes. this group of wilderness troops was humanoid. they had long gray hair all over their bodies and had a pair of sharp giant claws. they looked quite fierce. but what made him feel interesting was that this group of wild soldiers was confronting a group of rabbits. he originally thought that these wild soldiers were hunting rabbits, but after looking for a while, he realized that it seemed like those rabbits were chasing the wild soldiers. this was interesting. he opened his attribute panel. [sharp-clawed halfling] [level: 2] [potential: normal 3-stars] ****** the halfling¡¯s attributes were very ordinary. richard lost interest after taking a look at it. on the contrary, the rabbits made him excited. [fire dragon rabbit] [level: 4] [potential: special] [skills: flame burning (c-rank) ¡ª when angry, the whole body will burn with flames.] [extreme speed running (e-rank) ¡ª able to burst out extremely fast speed in an instant.] [race talent: can quickly recover the magic power in the body while basking in the sun.] [fetters-sun: under the illumination of the sun, the fur can store a large amount of energy and increases the maximum magic power by 50%.] [description: unique natural life forms in the desert. their fur is quite popular, so their numbers are very rare.] in the game ¡°shining era¡±, other than the soldiers recruited from the troop lairs, there were also a large number of natural life forms. these natural life forms could not be recruited from the troop lairs. they prospered naturally just like the natives. the elves who lived in the forest had always been dedicated to protecting the natural life forms. richard¡¯s eyes revealed some amusement. ¡°natural life forms? rabbits with magic? how interesting!¡± the description in the system also made him think¡­ their fur was very precious¡­ this reminded him of those luxury items made from furs on the blue planet. richard wondered if this kind of rabbit could be raised? he had raised rabbits when he was a child. this thing could grow very fast as long as it ate grass and vegetable leaves. most importantly¡­it tasted good. it was fine to raise bees in the desert, but it wouldn¡¯t be too much to raise rabbits again¡­ richard¡¯s interest soared. ¡°2, 4, 6¡­23, 24, 25¡­.¡± ¡°two and a half squads. the scorpion warriors should be able to eat them.¡± ¡°attack from the flanks! leave a few alive!¡± rabbits were so cute that richard decided to let the enemy receive better protection¡­ those sharp-clawed halflings were directly ignored. richard was not interested in a soldier that could be killed with a single charge. the two-meter-tall scorpion warrior attacked a group of rabbits that were half the height of a human. they had long white fur and looked like large plush toys. no matter how richard looked at it, it seemed a little strange. however, since these rabbits were covered in flames, no one would think that way. the fire dragon rabbits transformed from harmless creatures into giant fireballs. the added heat could easily scorch people. Chapter 34 when the scorpion warrior charged forward with its pincers and curved tail, the body of the fire dragon rabbit suddenly burst into flames, turning into a huge fireball. not only did it not retreat, but the rabbit launched a counter-charge instead. its speed was like lightning that streaked across the sky. wherever it passed, the fireball left a scorched mark on the ground. those sharp-clawed halflings were mixed in the middle. they were so scared they almost peed their pants. they did not even turn their heads as they walked into the distance. neither side paid any attention to those fellows. they aimed their targets at the real enemies. after a few breaths, both sides collided. the iron pincers that the scorpion warrior waved were about to shatter even the huge rocks. however, the fire dragon rabbit was extremely agile. it quickly turned and dodged. the flames on its body exploded like gasoline. ¡®boom!¡¯ the orange-red flames enveloped the scorpion warrior. even though the scorpion warrior did not feel any pain, it still felt intense discomfort. its soul was warning it. the scorpion tail that was bent like a bow shot out like an arrow, trying to intercept the enemy. however, the fire dragon rabbit was swift. with a kick of its hind legs, it dodged the moment the scorpion warrior launched an attack. it also used its extremely agile characteristic to move around in the surroundings. it relied on the flames burning on its body to deal damage. it did not engage in a head-on clash with the scorpion warrior at all. the scorpion warrior, which was extremely powerful in close combat, kept launching attacks, but it was unable to achieve any results. however, the scorpion warrior was indeed worthy of being an undead creature. its flesh was so thick that it made people¡¯s scalps go numb. no matter how the fire dragon rabbit burned it with flames, it still stood upright. the unique characteristic of a battle between crispy skin and flesh was that flesh could make countless mistakes. but if crispy skin made one mistake¡­it would be death. ¡®puchi!¡¯ when the scorpion warrior stopped the fire dragon rabbit once again, its tail stabbed out at a speed that was difficult to see with the naked eye. although the fire dragon rabbit had sensed the danger in time and avoided the frontal attack, it was still inevitably grazed by the scorpion¡¯s tail. and this was enough¡­ in a few seconds, the fire dragon rabbit that had just escaped suddenly stiffened. after twitching a few times, it directly fell into the yellow sand. the scorpion tail contained its great killing weapon¡ªlethal poison. after a period of stalemate, the scorpion warrior finally made progress. the fire dragon rabbit was either killed by the iron pincers or stabbed by the scorpion tail. the number of fire dragon rabbits was rapidly decreasing. however, during the battle, there were also scorpion warriors who could not withstand the fire dragon rabbits¡¯ damage and activated the sand transformation skill. the sand transformation skill was immune to 99% physical damage and could not cancel out magic damage. however, this skill had a very powerful characteristic. it allowed recovery through merging with the yellow sand. this was equivalent to meat having an extremely strong regeneration ability. the damage caused by the fire dragon rabbits was quickly wiped out. when the last seven or eight fire dragon rabbits were injured and fell to the ground, the system¡¯s voice rang out as expected. [ding~ your command troops have defeated a group of fire dragon rabbits in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 50 experience points and captured eight fire dragon rabbits.] richard, who was watching the battle from not too far away, was in a great mood. the sand transformation skill had shown extremely powerful practicality during these few days of battle. it was a godly skill. richard had the scorpion warrior control the fire dragon rabbit properly to prevent these little cuties from suddenly attacking him. he came to the yellowish grassland where the fire dragon rabbit and the sharp-clawed halfling were facing each other out of curiosity. richard scanned his surroundings and saw seven or eight rabbit lairs that only revealed small holes not far away. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he was not in a hurry to make a move and had the mummies go and dig through all of them. a moment later, 30 young rabbits that had just grown hair appeared in front of him. ¡°no wonder the fire dragon rabbits are so fierce in battle. it turns out they are protecting their young¡­¡± he turned his head to look at an idle scorpion warrior beside him. ¡°go back to the territory immediately and tell karu about the situation here. ask him to send someone to bring these fire dragon rabbits back.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the scorpion warrior immediately turned around and returned to the territory. richard picked up a fire dragon rabbit cub from the ground with some curiosity. he found that the bodies of these little fellows were warm as if they were carrying hot water bags in winter. ¡°no wonder the system¡¯s introduction said that the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur is very popular. these pups that haven¡¯t grown up are already so comfortable to touch. won¡¯t adult ones be able to fly into the sky?¡± richard put the pups that had just opened their eyes back on the grass and walked to the sand. he reached out and touched a dead fire dragon rabbit. the long white fur was particularly eye-catching. after he covered his palm, richard felt an indescribable wonderful sensation. not only was it exceptionally smooth, but it also carried a special heat, just like a lover¡¯s black stockings in winter. he held a few strands of rabbit fur in his hand. after a long time, the heat was still there. the feeling just now was not the body temperature of the fire dragon rabbit. richard thought for a moment then picked it up and placed it under the sun. after a while, the heat became even more obvious. ¡°not only can it keep warm¡­but the rabbit fur can also store the energy of the sun after it leaves the body¡­¡± ¡°no wonder there are so few of them. it¡¯s a miracle that this rare thing hasn¡¯t been hunted to extinction.¡± after studying it for a long time, richard¡¯s interest was particularly high. he had a feeling that if this thing could truly be raised, it might not be worse than desert crown honey. it was a little difficult to raise bees on a large scale, but rabbits could surely do it. not only could they breed several lairs a year, but each nest could have ten or so cubs. it wouldn¡¯t be long before the scale would multiply. as a soul of a florist, he was naturally very interested in growing and raising these things. ¡°but it¡¯s a magical life form after all. raising it might be quite difficult¡­¡± ¡°but no matter what, let¡¯s give it a try first. if it works, then it¡¯ll work. if it doesn¡¯t work, then put a pot of boiling water on the stove and boil it until it dries up. it won¡¯t be a loss to do it all over again.¡± not long after, karu personally came with a group of people. onyx, along with adele who was carrying a huge copper hammer on her back, also followed in the crowd. when karu saw the fire dragon rabbit, his expression was very excited. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t expect you could even meet the fire dragon rabbit¡­ i dare to bet that the goddess of luck must have blessed you.¡± onyx straightened his bulging stomach, and the fat on his face trembled as he exclaimed. ¡°the fire dragon rabbit is a specialty of the deadly desert. in the entire main dimension, only this desert has it. ¡°its fur has an extremely strong warmth-keeping effect. as long as it basks in the sun for a few hours during the day, it will be warm for a few days. ¡°in the frost country, clothes made from the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur can only be enjoyed by royalty. ¡°not only that, if it is made into a robe and worn, it can also speed up the recovery of magic power. among mages, the fire dragon rabbits are also very popular. ¡°because of this, the fire dragon rabbits have been hunted too much as a creature of nature, and it is very difficult to see them.¡± richard was a little surprised. he did not expect that these guys were more valuable than he thought. he immediately asked the question that he was most interested in. ¡°how should we raise these fire dragon rabbits?¡± the expressions of the few of them became a little strange when they heard this. ¡°lord richard.¡± adele¡¯s clear voice sounded. ¡°raising fire dragon rabbits is extremely difficult. countless people have tried to raise them, but in the end, they all failed¡­¡± ¡°because they all die inexplicably in the end. no one knows what¡¯s going on.¡± karu nodded repeatedly. ¡°yes, lord. miss adele is right. the fire dragon rabbit cannot be raised¡­¡± richard could not help but be greatly disappointed. good heavens, his breeding plan has already ended before it has even started? richard waved his hand. ¡°then, forget it.¡± tonight, richard could only braise it red first, stir-fry, and steam it every day. he could stir-fry and stew it the day after tomorrow¡­ after savoring the taste, his mood became better. from the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing that richard couldn¡¯t raise it. but just as he finished speaking, a weak voice sounded from behind the crowd. ¡°lord, i, i know how to raise the fire dragon rabbit¡­¡± richard suddenly turned his head to look at the person who spoke. his eyes narrowed. did this kid want to ruin his good deed? Chapter 35 behind the crowd, more than a dozen desert gnomes looked at them, sized them up, and froze instantly. they subconsciously took a step back. only one of the desert gnomes, who was the thinnest of all, did not step back even though he was terrified. ¡°lord, i-i know how to raise the fire dragon rabbits.¡± the desert gnome who spoke mustered up his courage again, but he wasn¡¯t confident enough. richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to ask. he turned to look at onyx and smiled. ¡°other than you, do other gnomes know?¡± the desert gnome immediately became excited and glanced at his companion proudly. ¡°no one knows. my grandfather told me!¡± ¡°very well. don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± then, richard said, ¡°karu, take the fire dragon rabbit back first and assign a room to this gnome. without my order, no one can talk to him.¡± ¡°yes, lord richard!¡± although onyx was extremely curious, he put the thought out of his mind when he heard this. if it could truly be farmed, it was obvious that this thing would be a specialty of twilight city in the future. if he went to inquire about it, wouldn¡¯t that be offending the hosts? moreover, how much of what the desert gnome said could be true? even if it was true, he still would not want to trade with them in the end. he was also a profiter. judging from richard¡¯s generosity in bestowing him a bottle of desert crown honey, he could truly successfully breed it in the future. he might be able to mix in a robe made from the fire dragon rabbit. it¡¯s too much to wear out this winter. for a moment, onyx hoped that this matter was true. at this moment, adele¡¯s expression was a little subtle. she recalled what the old man who came with her had said to her in the morning. under the leadership of this youth, twilight city seemed to have unlimited potential¡­ while the goblins were thinking about it in the crowd, a few gnomes had swiftly tied up the fire dragon rabbit controlled by the scorpion warrior. initially, richard was worried that the fire dragon rabbit would hurt someone. but when he saw the desert gnome who had just opened its mouth skillfully pour water on the fire dragon rabbit, the fire dragon rabbit became drenched and the flames on its body could no longer burn. richard was relieved. this skinny desert gnome did know something. after karu and the others sent the fire dragon rabbit back, richard was not in a hurry to go back and continued to explore. as for onyx and the others, they were just here to watch something new. he had no interest in going hunting with richard. as a businessman, he didn¡¯t want to court death. after leaving the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s territory, richard¡¯s speed increased by a few points. the harvest of the fire dragon rabbit made him quite excited. this kind of thing where he could pick up treasures when he went out was very good for morale. [ding~ your command troops have defeated a group of swift and fierce gerbils in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 30 experience points.] [ding~ your command troops have defeated a group of fanged rattlesnakes in a small-scale battle¡­] [ding~] ¡­ there seemed to be a lot of gathering points for the field troops in the east. the scorpion warriors had a good time defeating them. in less than an hour, richard had reached level 3. [level: 3(32/5000)] however, to his dismay, the experience gained from leveling up from level 3 to 4 had soared to 5000. according to the information on the official website of the game ¡°shining era¡±, the qualitative change would only begin when one reached level 5. that was because after reaching level 5, one could switch ranks to learn skills. one could know how powerful the skills were from their performance in combat. a single skill could dramatically increase the combat strength of a troop unit. two hours later, another battle ended. richard stored more than ten gerbils that weighed dozens of kilograms in the system space. after a series of scans, the ten cubic meters of the system space were already filled to the brim. in the end, richard couldn¡¯t hold them anymore, so they were directly put up for sale on the [trading market]. after half a day, the resources richard had emptied in the morning had reached 10,000 units. ¡°this place is about an hour away from twilight city in a straight line. the vast and endless desert truly boils people.¡± richard glanced at the system map and felt a little emotional. currently, the one-way portal was the farthest he had explored. it was a two-hour journey. it was not that he did not want to explore too far, but the desert was different from other terrains. if the distance was too far, it would not be worth it to occupy the resource points¡ªjust the logistics alone could make people collapse. in the plains, an ordinary person could grit his teeth and walk for ten hours without rest, but in the desert, it would be difficult to walk for two to three hours. this was because he had the talent of a desert lord. the others were at a disadvantage. looking at the time, it was already six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and the mill-sized sun was slowly sinking into the yellow sand. but just as richard was about to return¡­ the scorpion warrior in front of him who was scouting the path sent out a warning signal. richard was familiar with the path and called back the other scorpion warriors to investigate. after passing through a clump of low bushes, a huge and rocky mine appeared in front of his eyes. the huge boulders in the mine were more than ten meters high and piled up to a hundred. on the vast yellow sand, it looked quite eye-catching. ¡°a quarry?¡± richard subconsciously opened the attribute panel. [gold mine] [level: medium] [reserves: 100,000 units] [maximum output: 14,000 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 10 people ¡ª maximum of 50 people] [description: medium-sized resource points. after the occupation, gold coins can be mined.] ¡°medium-sized gold mine?¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. moreover, the output of this gold mine was quite large. fourteen thousand units per week, which was an average of 2,000 units per day. this was more than the other three resource points combined. his interest was immediately piqued. although the income from the early hunting was much higher than the income from occupying the ore veins, as time passed, even if there was still a shortage of food, the price could not remain so high. when the time came, it would surely be taken down. the resource points were still important. so, richard took advantage of the high price of food to put a bounty on the resource treasure with the desert horse. this thing was the real value. the gold mine in front of him, which produced 2,000 units a day, made him very excited. if he could occupy 10 or 8 of them, richard could earn tens of thousands of units of resources every day. moreover, this was a stable income as long as the resources were not exhausted. however, just as richard was about to send a scorpion warrior up to investigate, something unexpected happened. in the gold mine, a huge figure that was 4 to 5 meters tall walked out from the huge rock. that creature¡¯s entire body was glowing with a faint golden light as if it was made of brass. its two thick arms were even more horrifying than a siege hammer, and even a punch from it would shake the earth. even though they were hundreds of meters apart, they could still feel the pressure from the other party¡¯s body. richard subconsciously opened his attribute panel. after taking a look, his eyes widened. [half-metal giant] [level: 5 (rare) ¨C military defense increased by 15%.] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: golden body (d-rank) ¡ª body as tough as gold, defense increases by 60%, and immune to poison.] [as heavy as a mountain (d-rank) ¡ª when its fist swings, it exerts 200% of body weight.] [heavy bone armor (e-rank) ¡ª metal fused into his skin to form a tough bone armor, defense increased by 30%.] [race talent: ability to slowly increase in strength in a gold mine.] [fetters-metal giant: when the number of half-metal giants is greater than 10, defense increases by 20%.] [when the number of people is greater than 20, defense increases by 40%.] [when the number of people is greater than 30, defense increases by 60% (activated).] [description: little brat, i¡¯ll stand and give you three minutes. if you can break through my defense, i lose.] Chapter 36 the potential of the half-metal giant has reached rare 3-stars?! richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. the biggest difference in the potential of a soldier was in their skills. the higher the potential and the level of skills of a soldier, the more skills they had. f-rank skills could only increase strength by 15%, and after upgrading to e-rank, they could increase strength by 30%. if several skills were added together, the difference between them could be imagined. therefore, the greater the difference in potential, the greater the difference in combat power. the skills of these rare 3-star half-metal giants had already reached d-rank¡ªone level higher than the scorpion warriors. moreover, their levels were as high as level 5. they had activated the characteristic of an intermediate soldier¡ªdefense increased by 15%. every five levels in the game ¡°shining era¡± was a hurdle, and after passing them, there would be an additional increase. the scorpion warrior was still a beginner-level and did not have any attribute bonuses. its potential was one level lower than the enemy. the half-metal giant¡¯s race talent was all about defense. this was simply killing him. it was the super-enhanced version of the nak troll. moreover, the enemy was also immune to poison and curses. and the mummies¡¯ and scorpion warriors¡¯ great killing weapons were directly destroyed. a tiger biting a tortoise¡­ there was nowhere to bite. richard took a deep look at those big guys that were glowing with golden light, then turned around and left. ¡®this resource point can only be used after my strength has increased.¡¯ at the same time, richard began to calculate in his heart. ¡®if i had a rare-level soldier in my hands, i wouldn¡¯t be so passive.¡¯ ¡®the dungeon in the one-way portal. this medium-sized gold mine, and the even more powerful dark temple¡­¡¯ richard decided, ¡°these coveted points all require great strength to possess. it¡¯s time to increase the strength in my hands.¡± after marking the gold mine on the system map, richard thought about returning to the territory from another direction. however, his luck was not so good when he returned. richard only encountered two monster encampments. when he returned to the territory, the sky was already dark. karu was waiting for his return as usual. looking at the wrinkled old face, richard¡¯s heart warmed. however, he did not say anything and only patted his shoulder. sensing richard¡¯s trusting gaze, karu immediately smiled. to be able to work for a lord who cared about his subordinates was truly not bad. when they returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, the food that had long been prepared was served. they were all delicacies made from fire dragon rabbits. those who had been stung to death by the scorpion warriors could no longer be eaten, but those who had been killed by the iron pincers could still be moved to the dining table. richard had specially instructed them to use a few cooking methods. braising, frying, stir-frying, and making clear soup were all available. the fragrance could be smelled by all the residents passing by outside the lord¡¯s mansion. richard did not enjoy it alone. he called over adele and onyx, as well as the leaders of the residents. he invited them to have a taste of authentic desert food. an extremely rare fire dragon rabbit feast was enjoyed by the guests and the hosts. their relationship became much closer. after richard and the others left, he ordered karu to bring over the desert gnomes he had ordered to be protected. he was extremely interested in raising the fire dragon rabbit. he reached out and touched the blanket that a few tailors had made for him after cleaning the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur. he felt very comfortable. of course, richard was the first to use this rare and good thing. it was hot in the desert during the day, but the temperature at night was very cool, especially in the latter half of the night. he needed to cover something. the blanket made by the fire dragon rabbit was snow-white and fluffy. it felt indescribably comfortable to the touch, and it emitted a special warmth. what was even better was that when it was covered, it could automatically adjust the temperature according to the outside world. it was even more powerful than an air conditioner. after using it, richard realized that the fire dragon rabbit was so valuable for a reason. and the more it was so, the more interested he became. not long after¡­ a green-skinned lifeform that was somewhat uneasy stepped into the hall. upon seeing richard, who was sitting in the main seat, he bowed in fear. ¡°great lord, good evening¡­¡± his tone was trembling as if he had been frozen while taking a cold shower in winter. richard nodded. ¡°no need for formalities.¡± the desert gnome straightened up and did not dare to look directly at richard. he lowered his head as if he wanted to tuck his neck into his clothes. perhaps there was no more standard model of a coward than this. ¡°you said you know how to raise fire dragon rabbits? have you raised them before?¡± the desert gnome shrunk its head and raised its head to look at richard. then, it quickly lowered its head as if it was a thief. ¡°lord, my grandfather once raised more than ten fire dragon rabbits, and i also learned how to raise them¡­¡± its cowardly and proud tone made richard not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°tell me about it.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the desert gnome answered, then started talking excitedly about the process of raising fire dragon rabbits taught by its grandfather. the level of entertainment in the world was truly too backward. it was quite interesting to listen to a gnome bragging without a phone. after talking for about ten minutes, the desert gnome finally got to the point. ¡°if you want to raise fire dragon rabbits, you have to leave a large area in the desert and place dragon leaves grass in the center. fire dragon rabbits especially like this kind of plant. they will build lairs there.¡± the gnome added, ¡°however, you have to put purple vines and thorns around it. the fire dragon rabbit hates this kind of plant because this kind of plant will give off a special aura so that it won¡¯t run away¡­¡± at this point, the green-skinned creature lowered its voice and spoke proudly. ¡°lord, let me tell you a secret that no one else knows. the fire dragon rabbits change their fur once a month. there¡¯s no need to kill them at all. moreover, the fire dragon rabbits don¡¯t need to eat at all. they only need to bask in the sun every day.¡± the gnome explained further, ¡°but once the fire dragon rabbits can¡¯t bask in the sun enough, they will want to eat. once they eat other things, they will die soon. so, the place where the fire dragon rabbit lives, other than the dragon leaf grass and the purple vines and thorns, there can¡¯t be anything else.¡± the gnome proudly declared, ¡°what my grandfather doesn¡¯t know is that i observed it myself! at that time, my grandfather even rewarded me with a rabbit leg to eat. it was truly delicious.¡± when richard heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. there was such a strange life form? it only needed to bask in the sun every day and did not need to eat anything¡­? if it ate something, it would die instead? this was a solar charging board that could turn a spirit, right? no wonder the fire dragon rabbit could not be bred. after the others got the fire dragon rabbit, they would surely take care of it carefully. they would want to feed it eight times a day. it would be strange if nothing happened. after knowing the secret, richard was in a great mood. sure enough, there was no trash in this world, only resources that were misplaced. if he hadn¡¯t thought of a few more free labors at that time, richard would have brought these desert gnomes back. the money-filled matter of raising the fire dragon rabbit probably had nothing to do with twilight city. ¡°very good. now, you can tell me your name.¡± the desert gnome was distraught, and then, he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°lord, i-i don¡¯t have a name¡­¡± richard raised his eyebrows. ¡°you have made a great contribution, so you can¡¯t have no name. i¡¯ll give you a name today. from today on, your name will be¡­¡± after pondering for a moment, richard suddenly saw his green tooth¡­ ¡°green tooth!¡± the desert gnome was stunned. ¡°green tooth¡­ green tooth¡­¡± after muttering more than ten times, green tooth finally came back to his senses. he suddenly kneeled to richard and kowtowed. when he stood up, green tooth¡¯s forehead was already covered in blood. however, the expression on his face was still excited. ¡°i have a name! i have a name!! green tooth, hahaha! lord richard has given me a name!¡± richard nodded slightly. ¡°green tooth, in the name of the lord of twilight city, i have appointed you as the person-in-charge of the fire dragon rabbit breeding base and assigned all the gnomes to you to manage. but remember, the method of raising the fire dragon rabbit must not be known by a third person.¡± richard continued, ¡°at the same time, i will send two bandaged mummies as your subordinates to assist you in raising the fire dragon rabbit. during this period, if you need any supplies, you can request them from karu. if you encounter any trouble, you can look for me directly.¡± although this desert gnome couldn¡¯t shake off the gnome¡¯s timid nature, green tooth could be considered a genius for being able to observe so many things. green tooth who had been entrusted with the heavy responsibility was extremely excited. he wanted nothing more than to kneel on the ground and wipe the soles of richard¡¯s shoes. after bowing repeatedly, green tooth hopped off to share the joy with his companions. after the matter was settled, richard was in a good mood. after pondering for a moment, he directly opened the [forum chat]. he searched for troop lairs. today, richard had been stimulated by the rare-level, half-metal giant in the gold mine. he wanted to buy a new lair of troops and destroy a wave of soldiers. Chapter 37 [ding~ the items you put up as rewards have been dealt with. you have lost 12 desert horses and obtained the spring water fragments *4.] richard saw the reward message in the morning as soon as he opened the [forum chat]. at this time, there was already a deal. but this time, he was not as lucky as last time. all he got were spring water fragments. but even so, he was so satisfied. because in this way, since he had six fragments of spring water in his hands, richard could directly combine the fragments into two springs. it was already laborious for that poor well to provide for a hundred people. now, there were 150 more people, which was simply critical. the water consumed every day was almost beyond the well¡¯s supply. now that he has these two springs, richard can finally solve this serious problem. however, just as he took out the spring water fragments and was about to combine them, a notification appeared in the black gold system. [spring water fragments ¡ª three pieces combined into a 1-star treasure: spring water] [ten pieces combined into a 2-star treasure: medium-scale spring water] [thirty pieces combined into a 3-star treasure: large-scale spring water.] richard was startled when he saw the information that suddenly appeared. it was pleasantly a bombshell. ¡°a treasure also could be combined?¡± this hint temporarily caused richard to set aside the idea of directly combining water fragments. although a 1-star spring water was sufficient, it might not be long before it reached a situation, where water became insufficient, once his city expanded. since that was the case, it would be better to upgrade spring water immediately to medium-scale. this could at least support thousands of people, right? richard wouldn¡¯t have to think about this problem again soon. he glanced at the information on the reward column about the unsold items. [20 desert horses ¡ª for 1-star treasure: russian olive seeds] [20 desert horses ¡ª for a special delicacy: desert honey] [20 desert horses ¡ª for purchase of resources and treasures (not limited to types). note: the deal requires the consent of the party offering the reward.] after richard thought for a while, he removed the information about the reward for desert honey that was still hanging. he continued to use the 20 desert horses to trade for spring water fragments. merchant onyx from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had never even heard of the desert honey. the number of desert honey was pitifully few without even thinking about it. it was not too late to offer the reward when the food was sufficient. richard had to deal first with the most urgent matter. at the same time, he took out a portion of the prey he had hunted today and exchanged it for 20,000 units of resources. including the prey he had sold during the hunt, richard now had 30,000 total units of resources in his hands. however, the amount didn¡¯t seem like it was enough to cultivate a rare-level troop lair. however, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. richard would wait until he found a suitable troop lair. he began to search for the troop lair excitedly on the [trading market]. the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors at the front row were enough. what he lacked now were long-ranged troops. he felt a headache when he thought of the half-metal giant. the rare-level soldiers made of meat were truly difficult to deal with. without long-ranged troops, it was impossible to move forward. [desert camp soldier] [berserk hydralisk (normal 3-stars) ¡ª sold for 900 units of wood] [desert lizard man (normal 2-stars) ¡ª sold for 700 units of iron ore] ****** after looking at them for a while, richard eventually came to his senses. a troop lair upgraded only once a week. if one wanted a rare-level upgrade at once, one should only buy the elite-level upgrade. richard changed the search conditions¡­ [desert camp: elite-level troop lair] [quantity: 198] ¡°one hundred ninety-eight? less than 200?¡± richard was a bit amazed. it seemed that an elite-level troop lair was still exclusive to top players at this stage. he did not hesitate and immediately flipped through it. [desert greater rat elite 1-star ¡ª sold for 8,000 units of wood] [desert wanderer elite 2-stars ¡ª sold for 10,000 units of gold] [desert wolf elite 3-stars ¡ª sold for 1.5 player iron ore] ****** it did not take long for richard to read through all of these. but after reading through them, he could not help but feel slightly disappointed. there was not a single suitable one among them. most were melee units, and their skills were quite inferior. there was no value in nurturing them. after a quick thought for a while, richard changed to another faction to search¡ªundead. [elite troop lairs: 320] although there were many more, there was a limit to how many were. elite-level troop lairs were very rare for lord-ranked players of any faction. [skeleton warriors (elite 1-star) ¡ª sold for 6,000 gold coins] [evil spirits (elite 2-stars) ¡ª sold for 8,000 units iron ore] ****** after a deep thought for a long time, there was still nothing suitable. they were all normal soldiers who did not have any prospects. apart from the undead, most troop lairs were unfit for survival in the desert. for example, if there were too many human soldiers, just drinking water every day would cause tremendous pressure on logistics. another example was the elves. some soldiers could only be born on the grass, and they only ate fruit every day¡­ where could richard get fruits in this vast desert? after looking around, richard was truly determined to reject the idea of logistics as a burden in recruiting soldiers. undead creatures were undoubtedly the most suitable for the desert. their skin was sturdy, and they did not require logistics. they were also very appropriate for the sand transformation skill. thinking about it, the dwarven alchemy robots of the fortress race could also do it, but that thing needed engine oil to maintain¡­ richard was slightly disappointed after he finished looking at the elite-level troops. the soldiers of twilight city had to be suitable for the desert. that was his home ground. he reopened the normal-level troops. since there was no suitable elite-level soldier, richard could only start cultivating the normal ones. anyway, there were only seven days of cooldown time. once the seven days were up, richard could immediately level up. he searched for a mummy. [mummy protector (normal 2-stars) ¡ª sold for 600 gold coins] [mummy dual blade warrior (normal 3-stars) ¡ª sold for 800 units of wood] ****** after a long time, richard¡¯s eyes suddenly glowed. after looking through thousands of troop lairs, he finally saw one that satisfied him. [curse pyramid (normal 3-stars) ¡ª 3000 units of iron ore] [this troop lair could recruit cursed pharaoh (soldier) ¨C an extremely rare magic troop.] this made richard very excited. although the price was several times higher than the others with the same level, he did not hesitate to buy it. at the same time, richard spent 2000 units of resources buying two recruitment lairs of bandaged mummies. after sending out 12 bandaged mummies to protect six search and rescue teams, he was extremely short of troops. a curse pyramid¡¯s troop lair was not enough to satisfy his appetite. and the bandaged mummies were indeed in line with his troop strategy. of course, they were also powerful enough. after preparing three troop lairs to cultivate, richard spent 15,000 units of resources to purchase 30 normal-level troops lairs. with everything prepared, he went out of the lord¡¯s mansion and built three troop lairs next to two troop lairs in the front yard. richard chose to build them directly. [ding~ do you want to spend 400 gold coins, 400 units of iron ore, and 400 units of stone materials to build the curse pyramid?] [ding~ do you want to spend 400 gold coins, 400 units of wood, and 400 units of stone materials to build the great mummy pyramid?] [ding~] ¡­ after the consumption of resources, three small-scale pyramids immediately began to grow. in just a dozen breaths, they rose to 3 meters. the overall structure of the new pyramids that were connected was almost the same. but there was a big difference in their appearance. the great mummy pyramid that could recruit bandaged mummies was a piece of weathered sand that was very rough. the curse pyramid that could recruit the pharaoh was a structure engraved with twisted and colorful patterns. it looked like it had a peculiar religious charm and was quite mysterious. the black gold system¡¯s prompt came as expected. [do you want to consume ten troop lairs to raise the level of the curse pyramid to elite 3-stars?] [do you want to consume¡­] with a thought, the 30 troop lairs turned into a bright light and merged. the 3-meter-tall soldier structure immediately rose to 4 meters. its appearance also became more and more ancient and mysterious. with a heart full of anticipation, richard opened the attribute panel of the new troop lair. he was preparing to recruit an elite-level soldier¡ªcursed pharaoh. Chapter 38 [cursed pyramid] [level: elite 3-stars] [recruit type: curse pharaoh (elite 3 stars)] [recruit quantity: 10] [weekly output: 5] [recruitment requirements: 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, 40 units of stone] [description: an unusual lair of desert troops.] after richard finished looking at it, he felt it was a pity. the cursed pharaoh only produced five per week, and there was only one small team in stock. without hesitation, richard recruited all of the cursed pharaohs. after consuming 1,200 units of resources, the mysterious and twisted colorful religious patterns on the surface of the cursed pyramid began to shine like yellow sand. it was as if the patterns had come to life. it caused people to raise their eyebrows. a moment later, the colorful patterns began to reflect in front of the pyramid, and countless energies gathered here. as the patterns continued to flash, the cursed pharaoh appeared. this recruit wore a colorful crown on his head, and two colorful ribbons floated behind his ears. he held a dry and short wooden staff in his hand, and there were only white bones and no flesh on his face. the fire of the soul burned in his head, and his hollow eyes shone with a dark blue light. his appearance was terror-stricken, but there was an impalpable mystery within. [cursed pharaoh] [level: 1] [potential: elite 3-stars] [mana points : 100 (+ 50)] [skills: cursed body (e-rank) ¡ª immune to poison and plague. when in contact with its body, the affected will be cursed. every minute, the affected attributes will be reduced by 5%, up to a maximum of 40%.] [cursed pharaoh (e-rank) ¡ª after casting a curse on the enemy, the enemy will fall into a weakened state. all attributes will be reduced by 20%. cooldown time: 5 minutes. consumes 20 mana points.] [cursed words (e-rank) ¡ª forcefully causes the enemy¡¯s mind to fall into a state of confusion, movement to be halted, duration depending on the enemy¡¯s strength. cooldown time: 3 minutes. consumes 20 mana points.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, mana recovery speed increases by 50%.] [fetters-mummies: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, the cursed pharaoh¡¯s maximum mana points increase by 15%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 30, maximum mana points increase by 30%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 50, maximum mana points increase by 50%, mana recovery speed increases by 30%, and curse effect increases by 30% (activated).] [description: cursed pharaoh, this is a nightmare¡­] richard looked at the cursed pharaoh¡¯s attributes a few times and nodded in satisfaction. compared to the bandaged mummy, the cursed pharaoh¡¯s attributes were different. the other party could cast curses, while the bandaged mummy could only passively wait for the enemy¡¯s attack to trigger. moreover, the cursed pharaoh also had a controlling skill that richard highly valued¡ªcursed words. it could cause the enemy to fall into a state of confusion and stagnate their movements. a cursed pharaoh could control opponents while a bandaged mummy and a poisonous scorpion warrior could damage enemies. it was a perfect match. ¡°lord richard, we are grateful for your summoning. we will use our souls to protect your glory.¡± ten cursed pharaohs with colorful crowns on their heads knelt on one knee toward richard. their voices were filled with emptiness and solemnity. the faint blue soul fire was particularly eye-catching under the night sky. richard nodded. ¡°stand up. from now on, you will follow me and fight with me.¡± after saying that, he looked at the other two troop lairs that recruited bandaged mummies¡ªthe great pyramid. the great pyramid produced seven bandaged mummies per week. currently, it could recruit 14 mummies. two troop lairs meant 28 mummies. richard chose to recruit directly. the usual scene appeared again. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the arm of the bandaged mummy suddenly stretched out from the great pyramid and then climbed out in a very cool way. a moment later, 28 bandaged mummies appeared. with a wave of richard¡¯s hand, he bestowed the sand transformation skill to them. after the system notified all troop lair branches that they had mastered the sand transformation skill, richard nodded in satisfaction. richard began to make some calculations. including the 12 guards sent out to protect the searchers and the two guards sent to the desert gnomes, he had a total of 42 bandaged mummies. in addition, richard had 10 cursed pharaohs and 14 scorpion warriors. as a result, he had 68 elite-level troops, close to seven squads. richard¡¯s mood immediately became excited. it was only the fourth day. it had not even passed the seven-day safety period. the strength in his hands had already expanded to 7 squads. if richard continued to develop like this, twilight city¡¯s troop strength would surely surpass a squadron in a few days. out of the 20 billion players, how many could achieve this in the entire game?! ¡°my only regret is that i didn¡¯t find a suitable elite-level troop lair. otherwise, i would have directly obtained a rare-level troop lair¡­¡± richard still felt slightly regretful. ¡°players, you have to work hard to explore the map and sell me more good stuff.¡± after cheering for the others, richard opened the [forum chat]. he didn¡¯t know if those sand sculpture players had encountered anything new¡­ [i can¡¯t cry anymore! why are the guards of the medium-sized resource points so abnormal?! f*ck, there are even rare-level soldiers inside. is this f*cking allowed to live?] [oh my god, what should i do? there are another 100 refugees today, and my territory already has 600 people!! who the f*ck can afford this???!!! i don¡¯t dare to chase them away. this thing will lower the people¡¯s morale. this hidden data!!!] [the territory needs to consider people¡¯s morale? which big shot can tell me what¡¯s going on?] [you don¡¯t know about that, do you? people¡¯s sentiment was revealed by a high-level developer of the game ¡°shining era¡±. this thing can not be seen or touched. if the people live a good life, the people¡¯s sentiment will naturally be high. if the people live a bad life, the people¡¯s sentiment will be low.] [the advantage of high people¡¯s sentiment is that the work efficiency is high. public security is also good, and if the people¡¯s sentiment is low, then just wait for all kinds of crap. if it¡¯s too low, then just wait for rebellion.] [selling 1-star resource treasure ¡ª an acre of fruit forest. can only be planted in forests and plains. don¡¯t waste time if it¡¯s not suitable. bring the price.] [i request to purchase an elite-level troop lair. i request ¡ª a soldier that can fly.] [are there any players in the mountain range west of the rhinoceros gray empire? we can ally! damn it, those greedy rhinoceros are coming to my territory to fight again. if i don¡¯t kill them today, i don¡¯t believe in gods!] [f*ck! i went to an npc city today. it¡¯s so f*cking prosperous! when will i be able to develop my territory so magnificently¡­] [hahaha, a priest came to my territory and said that he could build a church for me for free. in the future, as long as my territory believes in the god of justice, i can recruit high-level priests from the church. it¡¯s so awesome!] richard was having deep thoughts. he could clearly see that after these few days of adaptation, the players had gradually begun to integrate into this world. they had discovered new aboriginal cities, new resources, treasures, and new buildings¡­ however, what puzzled him was why had he not found any other player¡¯s territory around twilight city for so many days? or was the desert too big and the players too far apart? Chapter 39 with the doubt that he did not notice the other players, richard fell asleep. there was too scant information, and richard could not figure out why. the next day, before he woke up, the leader of the fire dragon rabbit breeding base, green tooth, brought the other 19 desert gnome underlings and two bandaged mummies to the russian olive forest. ¡°great lord, green tooth! are we going to breed fire dragon rabbits here?¡± green tooth, who was extremely skinny among the desert gnomes, turned his head to look at the green desert gnome who asked the question and spoke proudly. ¡°what do you know! just follow me.¡± ¡°also, remember, in the future, the word ¡®great¡¯ can only be used to address lord richard. do you understand?¡± ¡°yes, lord green tooth!¡± the group of desert gnomes quickly responded, and one of them asked with an apologetic smile. ¡°lord green tooth, how should we address you then?¡± green tooth thought for a moment, and its eyes lit up when it saw that its body was distinctly weaker than the other desert gnomes. ¡°in the future, you will address me as strongest lord green tooth!¡± the group of desert gnomes was silent for three seconds, and then they looked at the two ferocious-looking mummies standing behind him, and suddenly became alert. each of them shouted louder than the last. ¡°yes, strongest lord green tooth!¡± looking at his companions, who were all one head taller than him, green tooth was very satisfied. with his hands behind his back, he strode forward and lectured the desert gnomes. ¡°listen up, the great, noble, and benevolent lord richard bestowed me with a name and appointed me as the leader of the honorable fire dragon rabbit breeding base. this is a historic scene. this is an unprecedented opportunity for desert gnomes. green tooth added, ¡°today, i will lead you to create a new situation for the breeding industry and lay the foundation for the future development of twilight city. in the future, we, desert gnomes will become lord richard¡¯s number one troop and sacrifice everything for him! i will let the reputation of the desert gnomes spread throughout the desert! no one can stop the rise of our desert gnomes¡­ applause!¡± ¡®clap! clap! clap!¡¯ after a round of enthusiastic applause, green tooth waved his withered tree branch-like hand. he led a group of desert gnomes to about 500 meters north of the russian olive forest. looking at the dune depression in the middle of the dune depression in front of them, he nodded in satisfaction. green tooth began to issue orders. ¡°the few of you, go, dig up the dragon leaf grass and plant the dragon leaf grass in this area. the few of you, go, fetch water and wet this entire area. the few of you, go, dig up the purple vines and thorns and surround the surrounding hills!¡± he reminded, ¡°remember, we must complete the mission today. we must not let lord richard down!¡± green tooth was awe-inspiring as he proudly commanded its underlings. its appearance was even more arrogant than a knight riding a dragon. ¡°strongest lord green tooth, we don¡¯t have enough people¡­¡± the desert gnomes looked acrid. ¡°not enough? ask¡­ ahem, ask lord karu to send reinforcements.¡± green tooth, fortunately, knew that karu¡¯s status was not something he could compare to. ¡°yes, strongest lord green tooth!¡± not long after, karu sent 30 people to help green tooth with his work. this time, green tooth did not stand at the ceremony and directly gave the orders. when the people saw the two mummies beside green tooth, even if they were unhappy about being commanded by a stupid desert gnome, they still obediently followed the order. that was lord richard¡¯s troop. after a busy morning, by lunchtime, the area where the fire dragon rabbits will be raised had already begun to take shape. it was quite efficient. it was rare for richard to sleep in. after waking up, he ate lunch with the kitchen maids. when he heard that the fire dragon rabbit breeding base had taken shape, he immediately brought a large group of troops to check it out. the residents of the territory immediately saw the new troop beside richard¡ªthe cursed pharaoh. their eyes splendidly bulged. ¡°did you see that? the number of mummies beside lord richard has increased by a lot, and there are even new troops!¡± ¡°you don¡¯t know about that, right? there are already five troop lairs in the lord¡¯s mansion! i saw it when i went to clean up!¡± ¡°that¡¯s great!¡± ¡°praise the gods, praise lord richard!¡± as the ruler of twilight city and the protector of the territory, the stronger he was, the safer the residents would be. everyone knew this, so they sincerely hoped that twilight city would be strong and that richard would be strong. when richard arrived at the busy fire dragon rabbit breeding base, his presence immediately aroused the excitement of the crowd. everyone had the feeling of a higher-up inspecting the results of their work. the sharp-eyed green tooth was the first to run over. ¡°great lord, good day! the fire dragon rabbit breeding base is already being set up. it will be completed today¡­¡± richard nodded and scanned the surrounding area. the area that green tooth had chosen was about 300 meters in diameter. it was slightly sunken by two to three meters, which was not a lot. there were sand dunes surrounding this area. at this time, half of the area on the sand dunes had been planted with a kind of purple thorn vine with sharp barbs. and in the center, more than ten gnomes were planting the dragon leaf grass with very unique leaves. at this rate, they would be done before dark. turning his head to look at this gnome, whose body was so small that it made people feel comical but its spirit was simply admirable, richard nodded. ¡°you did well. keep working hard.¡± ¡°after the breeding base is built, the fire dragon rabbit will be handed over to you to manage.¡± after green tooth was praised, he smiled so much that the back of his teeth was almost visible. with its head held high and chest puffed out, it patted its chest hard to ensure that it would complete the mission. richard was afraid that the skinny little body of green tooth would break its bones. at this time, karu had also arrived. richard did not wait for him to bow and said directly. ¡°when the troop of twilight city is strong enough, i will leave a small team of bandaged mummies to guard this side of the russian olive forest. they will guard the safety of the fire dragon rabbit breeding place and desert bees in the russian olive forest day and night.¡± ¡°at the same time, this area is designated as a restricted agricultural area.¡± ¡°except for the authorized corresponding staff, outsiders are not allowed to enter.¡± ¡°karu, you will be in charge of this matter.¡± richard had this idea when he chose the location for the russian olive forest. he would place all the agriculture-related areas in this area, unify the management, unify the planning, and at the same time, share the water source. sending troops to the station was also something that should be done. more than half of the seven-day safety period had passed, and there were only two days left. if they met a group of bandits and got robbed or the precious resources were burned, then richard¡¯s city would suffer a huge loss. although the territory was not far away, it still needed time to guard vigilantly. ¡°yes, lord. i will personally take charge of this area. there will not be any mistakes!¡± karu¡¯s tone was serious. this area was the foundation of twilight city. if there were any problems, nothing should happen here. desert bees, russian olive forest, fire dragon rabbits¡­ although the number was a bit scant, it had already formed the foundation. in the future, as long as richard continued to invest more, he was very confident that his territory would be built into a true oasis, becoming the crown of the deadly desert. after making sure that there was no problem here, richard went to the russian olive forest to take a look. after a few days of growth, the russian olive forest was now lush and green. it had nurtured trees that were two heads taller than an adult. some russian olive trees were even starting to show flower buds. although there were only a few, it was foreseeable that flowers would bloom here soon. stepping into the center of the russian olive forest, the air suddenly cooled down. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± the sound of bees dancing together with the green leaves immediately made richard feel happy. after carefully observing for a while, these little bees lived very comfortably in the honeycomb made by the carpenter. when richard got closer, those black and yellow little bees began to dance around him to show their intimacy. ¡°gather honey well. i¡¯m still waiting to taste your rare honey.¡± after sending out a wave of capitalist anticipation, a sound could be heard. ¡®weng! weng! weng!¡¯ suddenly, all the bees began to roar. from this sound, richard felt intense fear. ¡°the bees were afraid?¡± richard turned his head and looked around in confusion. a moment later, 3 or 4 giant wasps with long stingers, about 7 to 8 centimeters long, quickly descended from the sky. they flew to the entrance of the honeycomb of the desert bees. when the bees heard the sound of the wasps flapping their wings, the noise they made became even louder. one of the wasps stabbed a bee with its stinger right in front of richard. it directly nailed a bee to death. then, it carried the bee and prepared to fly away. richard was instantly enraged. ¡°you brat! how dare you touch my daughter¡­ bah¡­ bee!¡± ¡°open attribute panel.¡± [stinger wasp] [level: 5] [potential: rare 3-stars] ***** Chapter 40 ¡°rare 3-stars?¡± ¡°a seven to an eight-centimeter-long wasp that had reached level 5! its potential was rare 3-stars?¡± richard was perplexed. his scorpion warrior was so strong, yet it hadn¡¯t reached the rare level¡­ richard was a little unhappy as he continued to check. [poisonous wasp] [level: 5 (rare) ¡ª poison damage increases by 15%.] [potential: rare 3-star] [skills: insect¡¯s body lrb (c-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, immune to curses, able to regrow severed limbs, able to recover slowly no matter how much non-fatal damage is received.] [mad bee dance (c-rank) ¡ª agility increases by 40%, and flying speed increases by 40%.] [poisonous bee sting (c-rank) ¡ª after piercing an enemy, its enemy will be stung with bee venom. the higher the severity is, the higher the damage will be.] [sharp stinger (d-rank) ¡ª able to pierce through armor. the length of the stinger can penetrate low-level magic shields.] [race talent: able to communicate freely within a 100-meter radius with its limbs.] [fetters-swarm: when the number of wasps exceeds 100, the poison of all wasps increases by 10%, and the flying speed increases by 10%.] [when the number of wasps exceeds 500, the poison increases by 20%, and the flying speed increases by 20%.] [when the number of wasps exceeds 1,000, the toxicity increases by 50%, and the flying speed increases by 50% (activated).] [description: believe me, you don¡¯t want to be stung by it.] three c-rank skills and one d-rank skill¡­ this wasp was a bit relentless. richard stopped thinking of killing the wasp with a single slap and watched as a few poisonous wasps preyed on the bees. his face showed some interest upon seeing the wasps fly away. if he could dig out the lair of the poisonous wasps and occupy this branch, then the safety of the russian olive forest wouldn¡¯t be too much of a concern, right? that was a rare 3-star lair, and the other party¡¯s fetters were activated. it meant that there were at least thousands of wasps in this lair. if he carried the beehive out to battle, wouldn¡¯t it be heaven-defying? when richard thought of the battle, he first threw a beehive at the enemy. then, the enemy looked at the scene of thousands of highly poisonous wasps flying out of the beehive with a dumbfounded expression, and he immediately burst into laughter. this thing was quite interesting. however, the only problem was, how would richard find the lair of these highly poisonous wasps? after these wasps finished eating the bees, they disappeared into the air like lightning, flying extremely fast. not to mention chasing, you couldn¡¯t even see them clearly. moreover, their rare 3-star potential was a little over the limit. even if richard found them, he might not be able to do anything to them. while richard was deep in thought, karu¡¯s urgent voice suddenly came from outside the russian olive forest. ¡°lord richard! the search and rescue teams we sent out encountered notably powerful enemies and suffered heavy losses¡­¡± ¡°oh?¡± richard temporarily put this matter to heart and turned around to walk out of the russian olive forest. at this moment, a few residents covered in blood were lying on a stretcher outside the russian olive forest, their faces filled with pain. richard¡¯s brows tightly furrowed. without hesitation, he took a jar of desert crown honey from the system space. ¡°take a portion of desert crown honey and flush it with water. feed them.¡± the other residents were touched when they saw this scene. they had learned from onyx how expensive the desert crown honey was these past few days. they did not expect lord richard to be willing to give it to a few lowly commoners. the eyes of a few of the injured people¡¯s companions turned red. after bowing to richard, they immediately took the desert crown honey. they took a portion as if they were on a pilgrimage and poured it into a wooden bowl beside the spring. richard fed the two heavily injured people. after drinking a few mouthfuls of honey, the two heavily injured people on the stretcher immediately calmed down. their faces regained some color and were no longer as pale. the surrounding people were shocked when they saw this scene. they had heard that the desert crown honey was extraordinary, but they did not expect it to be so exaggerated. they looked at richard with more respect. richard ignored everything else and asked karu. ¡°what¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°lord richard, they were attacked by a group of terrifying monsters. if they were not lucky, none of them would have escaped.¡± karu¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°the two mummies you sent have been killed¡­¡± ¡°the enemy is powerful.¡± richard narrowed his eyes slightly. he looked at the two wounded. ¡°do you know the specific location of the gathering point of the troop in the wild?¡± the meaning of these words caused a commotion in the crowd. ¡°lord¡­ those who attacked us were undead creatures. their hands had chains and the other end was bound to an ax¡­ they could throw an ax, and their strength was severely terrifying.¡± the two mummies didn¡¯t even last one round before defeat¡­ one of the wounded recovered slightly faster, and he told them the information about the enemy intermittently. in the end, he sounded a little hesitant. ¡°those monsters are too dangerous. you might not have to¡­¡± before he could finish, richard cut him off. ¡°all those who hurt the citizens of twilight city must pay the price!¡± ¡°i will protect my citizens!¡± ¡°no one is an exception!¡± ¡°the citizens who sacrificed themselves on this mission died for twilight city. they are heroes.¡± as he said this, richard slowly looked at the crowd. his voice was not loud, but there was no doubt about it. ¡°i will bring them back and bury them as heroes¡­¡± mercy did not command troops. richard was mentally prepared for casualties. however, this was an excellent opportunity to gather people¡¯s hearts. moreover, richard was particularly interested in the troop that could instantly kill the mummies. however, the crowd was already silent. no one spoke again. however, the crowd gave an indescribable complicated look in their eyes as they looked at richard. at this moment, the thought of becoming a part of twilight city rose in their hearts. it was their honor to have richard as their lord. how many lords in the world could do such a thing? they were just lowly commoners. many even worried about being held accountable for the death of lord richard¡¯s two mummies¡­ no one had expected such a situation. this tremendous contrast made them predominantly excited. after richard received the simple map, he took the mummies specifically chosen to guard the russian olive forest. karu looked at his back and muttered. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± the detailed look in his eyes turned into determination. after richard completely disappeared, karu slowly turned around and looked at the others. he said in a deep voice. ¡°open your eyes and look! that is the lord of twilight city! ¡°remember, no matter what you encounter in the future, never betray lord richard, never betray twilight city!¡± without waiting for the crowd to respond, karu turned around and left. his old body was distinctly tall and straight. only a group of people whose emotions were fermenting were left behind. Chapter 41 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord richard took his troop to seek revenge because of the deaths of a few civilians?¡± when onyx heard this news, he thought that karu was joking. ¡°it was just a few civilians. so what if they died? civilians could only be used as cannon fodder. what else could they do?¡± but when onyx saw that karu¡¯s expression, by all means, did not change, his heart skipped a beat. he did not know what else to say. after a modest silence, he slowly said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± he continued, ¡°honestly, i came to bid farewell to lord richard. we¡¯re leaving today. but i didn¡¯t expect it to be so unfortunate. it doesn¡¯t matter though. after i return, i¡¯ll immediately appeal to the chamber of commerce to open up a trade route with twilight city. perhaps, in less than two months, we¡¯ll be able to meet again.¡± karu¡¯s expression softened, and he smiled. ¡­.. ¡°lord onyx, you are welcome to visit us in the future. have you brought enough water and food? do you need¡­¡± onyx waved his hand, and his tone was a little emotional. ¡°everything is ready. since twilight city still has things to deal with, we will leave by now. lord karu, say goodbye to lord richard and thank twilight city again for their hospitality on my behalf.¡± after saying that, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply to karu. karu did not disrespect him. at this moment, he was representing twilight city and richard. ¡°have a safe journey, my friend.¡± ¡°see you next time!¡± onyx brought along the repaired carriage and a few guards. he left the small desert city where they had been resting for a few days. his emotions were exceptionally bewildering. this territory built in the desert always gave him a special feeling. he touched the honey in his arms and was excited about his return. he honestly didn¡¯t know what the president¡¯s expression would be like when he tasted the honey¡­ ****** ¡°lord richard went to avenge the casualties?¡± when she heard this news, adele¡¯s eyes were filled with self-blame. perhaps, those innocent people wouldn¡¯t have met such a bloody misfortune if she hadn¡¯t asked richard to find her father¡­ and richard¡¯s way of doing things again left a deep impression on the girl¡¯s heart. it was the first time in so long that she had heard of a noble lord getting angry over the death of a civilian and even risking his life for revenge. richard¡¯s already momentous spot in her heart rose by a notch. she thought that no matter what the search result was, she might be able to stay¡­ ****** after the troops traveled for three hours in the desert and annihilated seven or eight gathering places of the field forces, richard also felt a little tired. fortunately, he was not far from the area where the incident occurred. after another half an hour, two scorpion warriors scouted ahead and first discovered the strange area marked on the map. they immediately returned and reported respectfully. ¡°lord, we have found the enemy¡­¡± this lifted richard¡¯s spirits and instantly subdued his fatigue. ¡°call the others back.¡± the troop gathered 28 bandaged mummies, 10 cursed pharaohs, and 14 scorpion warriors a moment later. the total force was 52 people¡ªa total of five squads. they had already formed a particular scale. under the vigilance of all the soldiers, they advanced more than 300 meters and arrived at the foot of a sand dune with tall cacti. richard climbed up the sand dune and looked into the distance under cover of the cacti. two hundred meters ahead, among the cacti, more than three squads of terrifying soldiers appeared in front of him. those soldiers wore black armor with mandala flowers engraved on it. they wore horned helmets that only revealed their eyes. their right arms were wrapped in thumb-sized chains. each end of the chains was connected to a battle axe with a handle wrapped in coarse cloth. they tightly held the sharp battle axe in their hands. the soldiers were extremely tall and sturdy. each of them is more than two meters tall. they were taller than even the strong scorpion warriors. and the helmet that revealed their eyes was emitting a faint blue light. the symbol of the undead life¡ªsoul fire. richard gazed around and found seven or eight corpses on the ground not far away. the blood made the sand red. under the sun, the red became dry and black. he frowned and opened the attribute panel. [axe of the dead] [level: 4] [potential: elite 3-star] [skills: body of the dead (e-rank) ¡ª immune to poisons and plagues. defense increases by 30%. the heart will not die if it is not destroyed.] [roar (e-rank) ¡ª attack power increases by 30% after roaring.] [tomahawk slash (d-rank) ¡ª can throw a tomahawk within 30 meters to attack the enemy. the tomahawk can be retrieved through the chain on the arm and cause a massive amount of magic damage to the enemy.] [race talent: after the tomahawk is broken, it can be used in gathering energy again.] [fetter-tomahawk: when the tomahawk is thrown from 1 to 10 meters away, the damage increases by 20%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 11 to 20 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 40%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 21 to 30 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 60%.] [moreover, there is a 30% chance of triggering the instant death skill (soul execution). it can directly kill the enemy. the stronger the enemy, the lower the chance of triggering the skill.] [description: little darling, close your eyes. i¡¯m going to throw the axe.] richard¡¯s eyes focused. these undead soldiers were truly long-range attackers, and the damage dealt by their battle axes was¡­magic damage. even more ridiculous was the last characteristic of the enemy¡¯s fetters. in the 21 to 30 meters area, the damage dealt increases by 60%. and there was a 30% chance of triggering soul execution. this skill would kill the enemy. it was simply violent to the extreme. richard let out a long breath, and his face showed some interest. he could recruit this branch of a troop, coupled with the sphynx cat¡¯s curse plus the scorpion warrior¡¯s massive attack. his strength would surely increase by more than one level¡­ later, he had to go to the [trading market] to search for a similar branch of a troop to sell, no matter how many resources it would cost! at this moment, the scorpion warrior who had discovered the axe of the dead spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°lord, we found the fortress of these soldiers on the other side.¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°where?¡± his tone was filled with an uncontrollable surprise. ¡°bring me there, immediately!¡± ¡°follow me, lord.¡± the terrain of this sand dune was similar to the height of the axe of the dead. there was a large area of cacti covering it. as long as one was careful, one would not be discovered so quickly. after circling half a circle, richard saw the building hidden in the cacti through a gap in the sand dune. it was a wooden house with thousands of broken axe handles hanging on the wall. it looked very fierce. [battle axe wooden house] [level: elite 3-stars] [recruit type: axe of the dead (elite 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 10] [weekly output: 5] [recruit requirement: 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, 40 units of iron ore] [description: a rare desert troop lair.] ¡°finally, i¡¯ve seen a troop lair!!¡± richard¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. previously, he had complained that the gathering points of the wild soldiers he had encountered in the past few days did not have a troop¡¯s lair. now, a big one had appeared! the attributes of this troop were definitely at the level of a lord. if he were to upgrade to rare-level after conquering it, wouldn¡¯t his battle prowess soar to the heavens? wouldn¡¯t his battle prowess soar to the heavens? ¡°no matter what price i have to pay, i will surely take this troop lair!¡± Chapter 42 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when richard returned to the front, his eyes were filled with delight. the axe of the dead was a vicious troop that struck his heart. however, the only problem was that the enemy had three and a half small troops and 35 people. the tomahawk still dealt magic damage when thrown. the enemies restrained the mummy and the scorpion warrior¡¯s sand transformation. moreover, the opponents were undead and were immune to curses. it made the curse of the pharaoh lose its effect. now, only crowd control was left to use¡­ this disadvantageous situation forced richard to think seriously. ¡­.. ¡°i can¡¯t let the undead soldier throw the tomahawk. otherwise, the mummies and the scorpion warriors won¡¯t be able to hold on. i can¡¯t let the opponent¡¯s soul execution trigger either. the 30% chance is too terrifying and starkly unbearable.¡± richard pondered, ¡°if we launch an attack directly, we¡¯ll have to pay a heavy price even if we win. there¡¯s no need to sacrifice ourselves in vain. close combat and killing them one by one are the ideal methods¡­ perhaps, we can lure the tiger away from the mountains and surround them for reinforcements. we can cultivate the path in the open and sneak in the dark. i just don¡¯t know if we could easily lure these troops away¡­¡± after thinking for a moment, richard gradually arrived at a clear idea. as he planned carefully, he began to give orders. ¡°everyone, listen up! retreat 500 meters over there¡­¡± after detailed instructions, the mummies, cursed pharaohs, and scorpion warriors immediately moved. richard also withdrew from the battle range. he watched everything from afar and commanded remotely. a small team of mummy guards was by his side. as the ruler of twilight city, his safety was always the most important thing. if his troops lost, they would be gone, but he could still spend resources to recruit more. if anything happened to him, the leader, the troop would truly be gone. this kind of battle was too close. wouldn¡¯t he directly fly into the sky if a tomahawk hit him? ****** a few minutes later. the undead soldier numbly paced back and forth. it suddenly noticed that scorpion-faced life forms had appeared on the opposite hill. when the undead soldier saw them, it seemed stunned for a moment before a mocking expression appeared on its face. it turned around, and the scorpion¡¯s curved tail slowly straightened. the stinger on its tail hooked towards the undead soldier¡­ for unknown reasons, the undead soldier immediately felt like something had exploded when it saw the scorpion warrior¡¯s action. it felt insulted like never before. ¡°damned lowly life forms!!¡± they spat out a series of curses. they abruptly turned their heads to look at their companions as they burned with anger. they then instantly reached a tacit understanding. a whole team of tomahawks charged over. they would let their opponents experience what pain was like! at this moment, not only did the life forms provoke them not to leave, they even launched counterattacks at them! this action almost caused the undead soldiers to explode while they ignited with anger. while the undead soldiers tightly held their tomahawks with both hands, they did not have the slightest intention of throwing them out. they wanted to slaughter that damnable, lowly life forms with their own hands! yellow sand filled the sky as the two sides ran. after more than ten breaths, they collided. the scorpion warrior let out a furious roar. it swung and clanged its sharp iron pincers and blocked the tomahawk. sparks flashed under the sunlight. the scorpion warrior did not move, but the undead soldier stepped back and sank into the sand before it could withstand the rebounding force. in terms of strength, the scorpion warrior subdued the undead soldier. they were both elite 3-star. so, the tomahawk slash of the undead soldiers was unparalleled. however, in close combat, the scorpion warrior was even more powerful! however, there were too many enemies. moreover, the undead soldiers did not care about one-on-one battles and fairness. when the other undead soldiers saw that the poison scorpion warrior was being held back, they immediately rushed forward as they wanted to use the sharp tomahawk in their hands to slash it to death. although the poison scorpion warrior fought with all his might, he was still struck by the tomahawk. however, what surprised the undead soldier was that the tomahawk actually pierced through the opponent¡¯s body. meanwhile, the scorpion warrior was like sand, directly merging into the underground desert¡­ although they wanted to stop the scorpion warrior, it was all futile. the undead soldier could only deal magic damage using the powerful tomahawk slash. their simple slash did not have any magic damage, so they just watched the scorpion warrior slip away. they could feel that the enemy was still alive!!! the soul execution suddenly burst into flames. a faint blue light suddenly lit up in the two black eye sockets. it was extremely terrifying. the undead soldier trembled and was enraged after being teased. he followed the direction where the scorpion warrior had appeared. they wanted to let those lowly life forms taste the wrath of the undead! after climbing up the hill and splitting apart a few cacti to vent their anger, they suddenly realized that two scorpion warriors were a hundred meters away. one can tell they were of the same clan at a glance! the undead soldier, which had nowhere to vent anger, immediately charged at the scorpion warrior! however, this time, the scorpion warrior did not launch a counterattack but directly fled backward. the enraged undead soldier could not care less, and its speed also increased¡­ after chasing for a few hundred meters, they stepped into the sandy ground covered with bushes on both sides. their footsteps couldn¡¯t help but stop because they felt that something hugged their legs underground. they abruptly lowered their heads and saw the white bandaged mummies crawled up from the sandy ground. the enemies grabbed their legs tightly and crawled up gradually. ¡®roar!¡¯ the undead soldier let out a furious roar! it swung its tomahawk fiercely and hacked down. ¡®crack!¡¯ the troop could hear the sound of the sharp tomahawk cutting into the sand. their arms even directly pierced through the enemy¡¯s body. the mummy that had activated the sand transformation did not receive any damage at all. after getting up, it directly entangled with the undead soldier. the sharp claws in its hands attacked crazily and left deep scratches on the undead soldier¡¯s armor. it could even pierce through the armor and attack the body of the undead soldier. unfortunately, the undead soldier was no longer a living creature. although the attacks of the mummies were fierce, they could not cause fatal damage. however, the mummies had already exerted their most significant task. they repressed the movement of the undead soldier and prevented them from throwing the tomahawk. the next moment, when the bandaged mummy launched its attack. ¡®shasha!¡¯ the sound of footsteps also came from the bushes on the side. the scorpion warrior¡¯s tall figure dashed out at a breakneck speed. the two sides were extremely close to each other. under the high-speed run, they arrived within a few breaths. at this moment, the undead soldiers knew they had been ambushed. seeing the situation was not right, they struggled fiercely and forcefully pulled out the sharp axes in their hands from under the mummy¡¯s restraint. they were ready to throw. once they moved at a distance, they would likely trigger soul execution up to 30%! at this critical moment, an indescribable mysterious voice sounded. ¡®boom!¡¯ the undead soldier felt as if a siege hammer bombarded its soul. the sound instantly threw its thoughts into chaos as its body stiffened. [curse words (e-rank) ¡ª forcefully causes the enemy¡¯s mind to fall into a state of chaos that stagnates movements. the duration depends on the enemy¡¯s strength.] [cooldown time: 3 minutes. consumes 20 mana points.] the cursed pharaoh prevented the most decisive attack of the undead soldier. however, just as richard watched from afar, he felt that the situation had stabilized. the situation suddenly changed. two undead soldiers forcefully broke free from the pharaoh¡¯s control. the muscles in its right hand instantly tensed up. the tomahawks appeared in their hands. at this moment, the targeted poisonous scorpion warrior happened to be between 20 to 30 meters away. everything happened too quickly. the scorpion warrior did not have time to dodge and was struck. indescribable and terrifying energy tore through its soul. it let out an extremely painful roar. its two-meter tall body fell to the ground with a loud bang, which sent sand and dust everywhere. [instant death skill ¡ª soul execution] the scorpion warrior did not even have the slightest chance to resist. it died immediately. it was extremely terrifying. fortunately, another targeted scorpion warrior swung its iron pincers and forcefully knocked the undead soldier away. only then did it survive. the other undead soldiers also broke free from the control in a breath¡¯s time. however, this short control time won the other scorpion warriors a chance to get close. the scorpion warrior rushed to the front of the undead soldier, and the bent iron hook in front of the pincers hit the opponent¡¯s head. the curved ox horn armor directly caved in. the body was like a spring stretched to the extreme and suddenly burst out with infinite strength. with another pull, a massive head flew up. the soul fire collapsed in the air. the first undead soldier fell to the ground with a bang. Chapter 43 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®bang!¡¯ twilight city obtained the victory of this small-scale when the last undead soldier fell. although it did not take long, richard, as he watched the battle from afar, felt that this was the most riveting battle he had fought in the past few days. because of the execution of soul destruction, he had to be extremely careful. no matter how many plans he made, the scorpion warrior was still beheaded by the undead soldiers in the end. richard would have to pay a heavy price in casualties if he recklessly took on three and a half teams of the axe of the dead, even if he would win in the end. richard stood up and approached the battlefield. the bodies and equipment of the undead soldiers rapidly decayed and corroded¡­ it was the characteristic of the undead soldier. after being killed, it would quickly decay. ¡­.. ¡°there are still two and a half teams of the undead soldiers left¡­ we¡¯ll lure another wave while the mummies are still capable of the sand transformation.¡± however, he wasn¡¯t too confident in luring them this time. under normal circumstances, a wild troop without a leader would be easier to deal with¡­ a few minutes later, the second undead soldiers arrived when the mummies¡¯ sand transformation was about to pass. richard was in a great mood. it indeed happened. following the same pattern as the experience from last time, the cursed pharaoh did not allow the undead soldiers to escape in advance this time. the mummy crawled out from the ground to prevent the movements of the undead soldiers. the cursed pharaoh controlled them at the critical moment, and the poisonous scorpion warrior killed them. the three of them worked together to fight the enemies. the axe of the dead could use its tomahawk to deal damage far above its level. however, its most vital point was also a breakthrough point. after the scorpion warrior got close to them, the undead soldiers, while they could not use the tomahawk slash, fell to the ground one by one under the three-in-one attack. after the second wave of hunting, the system rang with a notification. [ding~ the scorpion warriors have been through a lot of battles. their level has increased. it is currently level 4.] richard laughed. he had brought the scorpion warriors with him to wipe out quite some troops over the past few days. now, he had received some rewards. he immediately sent his troops to attack the enemy¡¯s lair after they dealt with the two troops of undead soldiers. at the same time, he replaced the mummy that had used the sand transformation and sent his team of guards into battle. he did not attack recklessly. after thinking for a while, he decided to use the bandaged mummies that killed the nak trolls and desert wolves. ¡°everyone, activate the sand transformation and sneak in from underground. the mummy will hold them off while the cursed pharaoh controls them to buy time for the scorpion warriors to kill them all!¡± four squads attacked one and a half squads. it was a battle for wealth. after setting up, richard came to the top of the sand dune and watched the battle about to begin. in the vast desert, the more one used the sand transformation. the more one felt it had endless potential. all of them had robust characteristics, whether to attack, escape, or even be used for recovery from injuries. it was a top-tier skill. in the distance, the fallen undead soldiers had already sensed something was wrong. they approached each other, and while they vigilantly watched their surroundings, blue soul flames slowly flowed out of their empty eye sockets. although the enemy was strong, without a leader, it was like a pile of loose sand that could not unleash its most vital power. a rustling sound slowly heaved. suddenly, the undead soldiers, while on alert, heard a strange sound coming from underground. they lowered their heads and looked around as they tried to confirm what had happened. ¡®swish!¡¯ suddenly, the arms that had been dry all this time stretched out of the desert and grabbed the undead soldiers¡¯ feet tightly. after that, the mummies crawled out one by one from the sand. a few of the undead soldiers moved quickly. without waiting for the mummies to repress them all together, the sharp axes in their hands whistled and directly threw out their hands. ¡®puchi!¡¯ with powerful impact, the massive tomahawks directly hit a few mummies. the mummies received the impact, and their bodies immediately exploded with a sizzling sound. sand flew all over the sky. [tomahawk slash (c-rank) ¡ª you can throw a tomahawk within 30 meters to attack the enemy. you can retrieve the tomahawk through the chains on your arms which could cause magic damage to the enemy.] [this powerful c-rank skill coupled with fetters could cause massive magic damage.] [although sand transformation was immune to 99% of physical damage and was powerful, it was just right to be counterattacked by it.] the undead soldiers pulled hard, and the tomahawks that hit the mummies seemed to have their own lives as they directly circled from the back. ¡®crack!¡¯ a tomahawk hit another mummy. the mummy that forcefully held the undead soldier off could no longer withstand it. its body fell to the ground like sand. the mummy became one with the endless yellow sand. it died. fortunately, there were still two small teams of mummies. one or two deaths could not change the overall situation. when the mummies climbed up one by one, a cursed pharaoh and scorpion warrior appeared simultaneously. at this time, the furious undead soldiers still crazily attacked the surrounding mummies. they tried to eradicate these disgusting enemies. by the time they realized something was wrong, the cursed pharaoh had already usedcrowd control. cursed words. the curse directly immobilized the undead soldier¡¯s movements. the bandaged mummy and the scorpion warrior took this opportunity to launch an attack. the bandaged mummies repressed the opponent¡¯s movement while the scorpion warrior¡¯s venomous, sharper than a spear tail, stabbed like lightning. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the sound of metal while they clashed exploded. the intensely sharp scorpion tail pierced through the helmet of the undead soldier. the undead soldier, as it struggled, suddenly stiffened. after twitching a few times, the soul fire in the helmet exploded and was extinguished. after killing one undead soldier, the scorpion warrior did not hesitate by all means and directly charged at the second one. the only pity was that although the pharaoh¡¯s cursed words were powerful, one small team could not control all of the undead soldiers. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the tomahawk tore through the sky under the pull of the chains wrapped around its arms. one of the poisonous scorpion warrior¡¯s chests exploded, and a huge hole appeared. its body crazily swallowed the yellow sand under its feet to fill the hole and visibly recovered. however, the other undead soldiers near the scorpion warrior did not give the enemy a chance to recover. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the chains rattled, and they directly threw tomahawks as they swore to kill these scorpion warriors on the spot. at this moment, a bandaged mummy sensed that the situation was not right. it suddenly rushed forward to use its sharp claws to block the tomahawk. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the terrifying strength of the tomahawk directly shattered the sharp claws. ¡®shasha!¡¯ it slashed into the bandaged mummy¡¯s chest. soul execution! the enemy activated the skill once again. the bandaged mummy was like a sandman that directly dissipated into the sand. ¡®slash!¡¯ when the other bandaged mummies saw this, they rushed forward like madmen and forcefully attacked the two undead soldiers. although their hands¡¯ sharp claws could not deal fatal damage, they still attacked wildly¡­ the battle became more and more intense due to the emergence of casualties. it had to be said that the undead soldiers were overbearing. even if the enemies had the advantage in number and initiative, they still managed to kill several enemies with their tomahawks. however, no matter how fierce the resistance was, a much stronger troop was futile. the battle of vengeance ended when the last two undead soldiers were swarmed by more than ten bandaged mummies and torn the enemies into pieces. [ding~ the troop you led destroyed a group of undead soldiers and won a mini scale-battle. you gained 175 experience points.] after the battle subsided, richard led the remaining mummy guards into the battlefield. he glanced at the decayed undead soldiers. he turned his eyes to the corpses of the resident soldiers of twilight city not far away. ¡°bring them back to twilight city.¡± his eyes had a perplexed look, but they soon returned to calmness. ¡°the warriors who sacrificed themselves to fulfill my orders can be called heroes¡­ there would be countless more such sacrifices in the future. benevolence did not rule the army, and righteousness did not care about money.¡± as the ruler of twilight city, he had to have a strong enough heart. this world could not keep the weak. after the mummies had buried the bodies, richard turned his attention to the troop¡¯s lair behind the towering cactus. it was an exceptional colossal harvest. an elite 3-star troop¡¯s lair meant he could upgrade it to rare-level. he could directly recruit rare-level undead soldiers! he had experienced these terrifying soldiers¡¯ power and how oppressive they would be to upgrade them to rare-level! [ding~ you have discovered a battle axe wooden house. you can either recruit the axe of the dead from it or destroy it to obtain the core of the lair.] Chapter 44 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [ding~ you have discovered a battle axe wooden house. you can either recruit the axe of the dead or destroy it to obtain the core of the lair.] before richard could make his choice, a notification appeared in the black gold system. [battle axe wooden house (elite 3-star) ¡ª you can use up to ten elite-level lairs to upgrade it to rare 3-star.] ¡°hahaha, there will be rare-level troop lairs soon.¡± he was in a great mood. ¡°go back and level up the lairs before recruiting. currently, the recruits are still rare-level, and the number won¡¯t refresh.¡± ¡°destroy.¡± ¡­.. the moment he chose, the battle axe wooden house creaked and quickly collapsed as if time had weathered it for thousands of years. after a dozen breaths, it ultimately turned into debris. at this moment, a fist-sized miniature battle axe wooden house appeared among the debris. richard stepped forward and picked it up to look at its attributes. it was no different from the attributes just now. there were still ten undead soldiers that he could recruit, but they needed to be rebuilt. he was only satisfied after he stored the troop¡¯s lair in the system space. however, richard suddenly noticed something was under the sawdust next to him, just as he was about to return to his territory. his eyes kindled, and he immediately walked over to remove the sawdust. he pulled out the thing below. it was a withered yellow map made of sheepskin. it looked historical. [ding~ you have obtained a 2-star treasure map.] richard was delighted. treasures exploded? ¡°damn it. today was truly a good day.¡± in the past few days, he had exterminated dozens of gathering points of the field forces. it was the first time he had found a lair of the field forces and dropped something. the drop rate was so low that it was outrageous. 2-star treasure map¡­ richard looked at the yellowed treasure map with great interest. after careful observation, he found that the treasure map¡¯s center was the treasure¡¯s location. and there was an undeniable sign around it ¡ª an extinct volcano. ¡°although the death desert is vast, there shouldn¡¯t be many places with volcanoes¡­ go back and ask onyx, the merchant hero of the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce. it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find. ¡°i wonder what treasures are inside this 2-star treasure map. ¡°my requirements aren¡¯t high either. it¡¯s enough to give ten or eight rare-level troop lairs. if it indeed doesn¡¯t work, i can also get a dragon egg¡­¡± after he set aside the treasure map in a good mood, richard looked at his troop and calculated the losses this time. this time, the exploration team was attacked. a total of six residents died. as for the troop, two mummies who followed the exploration team and another five mummies died in battle. in total, seven mummies died. one scorpion warrior died in battle, leaving 13. the cursed pharaoh had no casualties. the total number of troops in twilight city had decreased significantly¨C35 bandaged mummies, 13 scorpion warriors, and 10 cursed pharaohs. but all of this was meaningful. the lair of the axe of the dead resource alone was worth ten times more. not to mention there was a treasure map that was waiting to be drawn. what a comfortable life! after confirming that no other items were under the ruins, richard returned to his territory with the harvest. after three hours of return, they encountered some military bases in the wild. however, under the attack of a few powerful forces, the battle ended very quickly. when they returned to twilight city, the sky had already turned completely dark. the oil lamps made of animal fat emitted dim lights. richard was somewhat surprised to find that all the residents in the territory were in the open space as if they were waiting for something. they did not return to their houses. ¡°lord richard is back!¡± with a surprised shout, everyone immediately looked at richard as he slowly entered the territory. the scene where the mummies behind him carried the corpses of the casualties made everyone deeply moved. lord richard had indeed brought back the dead bodies of the resident soldiers¡­ he didn¡¯t lie to them!! at this moment, a unique emotion was brewing in everyone¡¯s heart. after richard stepped into the territory, the crowd parted to the left and right as they gave way to him. their gazes moved along with his footsteps. many sharp-eyed residents saw that the number of troops behind richard had decreased. ¡°the lord¡¯s troop¡­¡± a weak voice sounded. after being reminded, the crowd only turned their attention to the troops. ¡°i counted this morning, and now we¡¯re short a small team¡­¡± ¡°those troops died fighting for us¡­¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± these low-pitched conversations made the waves in many people¡¯s hearts grow more substantial. was it genuinely worth sacrificing such a mighty army to bring back the corpses of a few civilians? even the relatives and friends could not say anything unworthy at this moment. richard walked to the front of the lord¡¯s mansion with heavy steps in the bewildering atmosphere. he stood on the stairs and faced the residents. the dim oil lamps on both sides of the mansion made his figure appear majestic and mysterious. his pitch-black gaze swept across the crowd. he spoke slowly. ¡°i¡¯ve brought our heroes back¡­¡± as he finished speaking, the mummies placed the corpses of the few resident soldiers on the ground. at this moment, even the experienced karu could not help but feel his throat being choked. this sentence seemed very casual, but how many lords could do this? their eyes were filled with indescribable respect. ¡°tomorrow, i will hold a funeral for our heroes. twilight city will never forget them.¡± after saying that, he looked deeply at the crowd and waved his hand. ¡°you may go to your respective houses.¡± then, he did not say anything else and turned around to return to the lord¡¯s mansion. however, not a single person left the vast crowd. even after richard¡¯s back disappeared for a long time, there was still silence outside the lord¡¯s mansion. ¡°long live lord richard!!¡± no one knew who started the praiseful shout, but at this moment, everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs. ¡°long live lord richard!¡± at this moment, they wanted to vent all the emotions in their hearts. adele was silent in the crowd as she carried a vast copper hammer on her back. when she saw that richard had brought back the other resident soldiers¡¯ bodies, her emotions were already somewhat out of control. and when richard said, ¡°i¡¯ve brought our heroes back,¡± he did not mention what he had encountered today or how much he had paid. there was even a wave of heat surge in her chest. was such a lord not worthy of her stay here? richard, who had just entered the lord¡¯s mansion, suddenly stopped in his tracks because the system notification sounded in his ears. [ding~ your words and deeds have earned the residents¡¯ respect. you have successfully comprehended an exceptional skill ¡ª leadership.] [ding~ your words, deeds, and personal charm of keeping your promise have moved andrea thorin. she has decided to stay in twilight city to become your subordinate.] [hero recruitment mission completed. you have obtained a hero unit.] [ding~ you have obtained a hero unit with advanced blacksmiths. the research and development function of the blacksmith shop has been activated. after you have upgraded to an advanced-level blacksmith shop, you can research and increase the attack power of your troops in the blacksmith shop.] Chapter 45 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was slightly startled when he heard the system upgrade. he turned his head to look at the door. at this moment, bringing back the heroes¡¯ corpses released the intense and sincere emotions of the residents. ¡°long live lord richard!¡± silence wrapped richard. after a moment of silence, a complicated smile appeared on his face. he did not stay any longer and returned to the hall. the plump kitchen maid served him an exceptionally sumptuous dinner she had already prepared. after eating, he took a hot bath and washed away all his fatigue. only then did he open the newly acquired skill. ¡­.. [leadership skill: special skill (beginner level). it has a strong personality charm. it can easily convince and influence subordinates, which could make them have a strong trust in you. at the same time, it can encourage the troops in the wild to surrender at will.] although it wasn¡¯t a battle skill, it still looked pretty good. don¡¯t give it for free! don¡¯t give it for free! the second and third reminders from the system made him feel better. to his surprise, adele directly activated the research function of the blacksmith shop. it was mentioned on the official website of the game ¡°shining era¡± that the system couldn¡¯t upgrade the troops¡¯ lair¡­ other players didn¡¯t have the black gold system. however, there were other ways to increase the combat strength of the troop. the blacksmith shop could increase the physical attack of the troop. the mage tower could increase the magic damage to the troop. the rest of the buildings that could enhance the combat strength of the troop had not been officially announced. they needed to be explored independently. there was a prerequisite for all of this. they needed a hero of the corresponding class to activate it. it was very satisfying. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. moreover, as a hero unit with a potential a-rank, adele could continue to grow. the most significant difference between a hero and a soldier was this: a soldier¡¯s strength was relatively fixed, and the skills mastered by leveling up would not change. only when the potential was increased could the skill level be increased. a hero could freely learn skills only limited by the class. the impact of skills on combat power had already been explained in several battles. moreover, heroes had a high degree of independence. they could even replace a lord leading a soldier in battle and could manage the territory. the higher the potential of a hero, the higher the upper limit, and the rarer it was. a hero like adele could be trained to the late stages, and there was no need to worry about being eliminated. however, twilight city was currently a level 1 village, so the building limit could only be upgraded to elite-level. if richard wanted to upgrade the blacksmith shop to advanced-level, he would need to activate the research and development function. twilight city needed to be upgraded to a small city. however, he would need to upgrade it to a level 2 village and a level 3 village before it could be upgraded to a small city. ¡®i need to upgrade my territory¡­¡¯ richard was deep in thought. after turning off the system notification, he looked at the time and opened the [trading market]. a new notification appeared in the private message: [two fragments of spring water had been sold.] as a result, he now had eight fragments of spring water in his hands. he needed two more fragments to synthesize medium-sized spring water, which would completely solve twilight city¡¯s water consumption problem. however, the two transactions between the russian olive forest and other resource treasures offered by desert horses remained silent. however, resource treasures only provided a chance to open treasure chests with a 3-star level or higher. there was nothing wrong with having less time at this time. richard did not hesitate and sold the prey he had hunted today and the prey yesterday in exchange for 60,000 units of resources. then, without stopping, he bought 100 ordinary troop lairs and spent more than half of the harvest from the past two days. after he had done everything, richard went to the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion. he placed the axe of the dead¡¯s troop lair and the battle axe wooden house in the corner of the wall. [ding~ do you want to use 4,000 units of wood, 4,000 units of stone, and 4,000 units of iron ore to build the battle axe wooden house?] the resources needed to build an elite-level troop lair were 10 times more than those resources needed to build an ordinary-level troop lair. richard did not hesitate. ¡°confirm.¡± the next second, the miniature battle axe wooden house expanded like a balloon. after a dozen breaths, everything returned to normal. the complete version of the battle axe wooden house appeared before him. the battle axe wooden house was three meters tall, and hundreds of bronze tomahawks hung on the outer wall. it looked like an armory. there was a door in the middle of the battle axe wooden house. through the door frame, one could see that the wooden house inside was also filled with tomahawks. if there were only one word to describe this troop lair, it would be ¡®fierce¡¯. [battle axe wooden house (elite 3-stars) ¡ª using 10 elite-level desert troop lairs can upgrade it to rare 3-stars.] [note: 10 ordinary lairs can be combined into one elite soldier nest to meet the upgrade requirements. do you want to upgrade?] ¡°confirm.¡± the moment richard chose, the 100 troop lairs piled up on the ground turned into a stream of light and merged into the battle axe wooden house. the three-meter-tall wooden house immediately grew to 4 meters. the bronze tomahawks hanging on the outer wall had faint silvery-white color. they looked pretty extraordinary. [level: rare 3-star] [recruit type: axe of the dead (rare 3-stars) [recruit quantity: 10] [weekly output: 5] [recruitment requirement: 400 gold coins, 400 units of wood, 400 units of iron ore] [description: able to recruit undead soldiers with average combat strength.] not bad, not bad at all. richard nodded in satisfaction. a rare-level type of soldier. it was only the first few days after entering the ¡°shining era¡­¡± inner accomplishments starkly filled his heart. however, the resources needed to recruit undead soldiers increased a lot. recruiting a rare-level soldier required 1,200 units of resources. richard glanced at the attribute panel. only 5,000 units were left after several rounds of consumption of food supplies. it wasn¡¯t even enough to recruit all of the undead axes. ¡°the landlord¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have any food left¡­¡± he was in pain and happy at the moment. without hesitation, he got up and went to the warehouse to get a few hundred food units. he chose those high-priced food resources and sold them. he just had enough resources to recruit ten axe of the dead soldiers. [ding~ do you want to spend 4000 gold coins, 4000 units of wood, and 4000 units of iron ore to recruit undead soldiers?] after confirming it, the materials on the attribute panel were instantly emptied. at that moment, silver-white energy appeared in the battle axe wooden house. then, the energy gathered crazily in the wooden house like a stirred cloud. under the condensation of the silver energy, a 2.2-meter-tall undead soldier wearing full-body armor with a black mandala pattern engraved on it walked out of the wooden house. the undead soldier walked out of the wooden house and wore a helmet that only revealed the horns of an ox. the undead soldier did not have any weapons in his hands. just as richard was puzzled¡­ the first-born undead soldier reached out from the tomahawks hanging on the outer wall of the wooden house and pulled out one. ¡®crack!¡¯ the moment the tomahawk was held in its hand, a chain as thick as a thumb condensed out of thin air and finally wrapped tightly around his right arm. an actual undead was born! richard couldn¡¯t help but be envious when he saw this scene. the appearance of these soldiers was more handsome and cool than the last one¡­ in the future, he would get a giant dragon. at that time, he would show what a real showoff would be. when the ten undead soldiers appeared in the same way, richard stretched out his right hand and began to mobilize the power in their bodies. the system notification arrived as promised when the yellow sand-like light enveloped all the undead soldiers. [ding~ you have bestowed the undead soldiers an extraordinary power. they have obtained a d-rank skill: desertification ¡ª sand transformation.] after the light had dissipated, richard opened the attribute panel with an expectant gaze. [axe of the dead] [level: 3] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: body of the dead (d-rank) ¡ª immune to poison and plagues. defense increases by 80%. the heart will not die if it is not destroyed.] [roar (d-rank) attack power increases by 50% after roaring.] [swing (d-rank) after throwing the tomahawk, can use the chain wrapped around the arm to pull the tomahawk to carry out attacks continuously] [tomahawk slash (c-rank) ¡ª can throw a tomahawk within 30 meters to attack the enemy. the tomahawk can be retrieved through the chain on the arm and cause a massive amount of magic damage to the enemy.] [desertification ¡ª sand transformation (d-rank) transforms the body to sand. reduces 99% of physical attacks. can swallow yellow sand to recover from injuries. lasts for 5 minutes. [cooldown time: 2 hours.] [race talent: after the tomahawk is broken, it can be used to gather energy again.] [fetter-tomahawk: when the tomahawk is thrown from 1 to 10 meters away, the damage increases by 20%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 11 to 20 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 40%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 21 to 30 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 60%.] [moreover, there is a 30% chance of triggering the instant death skill (soul execution). it can directly kill the enemy. the stronger the enemy, the lower the chance of triggering the skill.] [description: little darling, close your eyes. i¡¯m going to throw the axe.] [body of the dead (d-rank), roar (d-rank), swing (d-rank), tomahawk slash (c-rank), desertification ¡ª sand transformation (d-rank).] one c-rank skill and four d-rank skills. compared to the elite-level skills of the undead soldiers, it was a whole level higher! what a guy! as expected of the soldier that he had set his eyes on. the attributes were simply too powerful. the difference in the potential of the soldiers was mainly due to the difference in skill level. low-potential soldiers had low skill levels and few additional attributes. high-potential soldiers had high skill levels and powerful additional attributes. it resulted in a huge difference in battle strength between high-potential and low-potential soldiers. richard smiled brightly. the initial level of the undead soldiers was directly level 3. after leveling up from elite to rare, he also comprehended a new skill ¡ª swing. this skill perfectly matched the soul execution skill of the axe of the dead soldiers¡ªtomahawk slash. previously, he could only throw once, but now, he could control chain attacks. the quality of battle strength had been improved. this troop was surely his super trump card. Chapter 46 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after seeing the powerful attributes of the undead soldiers a few more times, richard fell into a deep sleep. early the following day. after washing up, he chose and wore a black robe from the wardrobe. today, he would hold a funeral for the resident soldiers who had sacrificed themselves. a few tailors in the territory had sewn many clothes for him over the past few days, so he did not have to worry about wearing clothes. !! as the ruler of twilight city, the entire territory was his belonging. all the good things were given priority to him. richard, dressed in a pure black robe, walked out of the lord¡¯s mansion. a black, dense mass of heads appeared before him. other than the small teams that had yet to return from their exploration, the entire territory¡¯s residents had gathered. everyone¡¯s faces were solemn. they did not speak, and the scene was exceptionally tranquil. the carpenter had worked through the night to prepare the coffins. he collected the resident heroes¡¯ bodies and arranged them in the back open space. although it was slightly rough, it was also extremely rare. when richard stepped out of the mansion, he immediately became the crowd¡¯s focus. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± his gaze swept across the crowd, and he silently walked forward step by step through the passage they had left behind. wherever he passed, everyone held their chests and saluted. after he walked past, the crowd slowly followed behind him and gathered around him. richard¡¯s expression was solemn as he walked to where the coffins were. his gaze lingered on the coffins for a long time. the atmosphere became more and more delicate. he suddenly let out a long sigh. then, under the gaze of the residents, he slowly bowed to the six coffins. he stood up, stepped forward, and grabbed a corner of the coffin on the far left. the surrounding residents were stunned. it took them a long time to react. they immediately rushed forward and lifted the coffin with him. when the crowd saw this scene, they felt as if their throats were blocked by something, and their hearts surged. lord richard had personally lifted the coffin¡­ what an honor! what an honor!! at this moment, his honorable gesture shook countless people. with such a lord, what else could they complain about? no matter how much they said, it was better to do it personally. richard¡¯s example, coupled with his exceptional skill¡ªleadership¡ªhad an intense personal charisma. at this moment, his status in the hearts of the residents of twilight city had reached an exceptional height. in the special atmosphere, richard carried the coffin before him. step by step, he and the others carried the heroic residents who had sacrificed themselves outside the territory. the cemetery had already been chosen in the southwest corner of twilight city¡ªabout 5 kilometers away. a low mound was mixed with gravel. in the desert, richard, who had carried the coffin personally, was in front, and all the residents followed behind him. at this moment, the sadness in the people¡¯s hearts changed because the ruler of this land joined in. the crowd followed behind like a pilgrimage, looking at the figure carrying the coffin with teary eyes. the coffin was like a torch that illuminated and guided the road ahead to the land of hope. sacred and noble¡­ small gravel hills¡­ richard placed the coffin in the tomb with his own hands. then, he silently picked up the shovel next to him and began to bury the soil, shovel by shovel. the others also followed him. other than the sobbing of family members and friends, the only sound in the air was the sound of the shovel digging. when the tombs were formed and everything was completed. richard put down the shovel and swept his deep gaze across the crowd around him. he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°everyone faces the day when they die. some people die worthless, and even make people despise. there are those people who die with great honor and glory in sacrifice for others. just like the six heroes before your eyes. they died for twilight city, and they died for each one of us. they are heroes. they are heroes worthy of our remembrance and marked forever in our hearts. the twilight city will never forget them. i will never forget them!¡± at this point, richard suddenly stopped in front of six empty tombstones. ¡°green.¡± ¡°nard.¡± ¡°reema.¡± he called the heroes¡¯ names. from the first tombstone, every tombstone they passed would shout a name. and when the crowd heard those names, it was as if a battering ram had struck their hearts. their eyes turned red. this scene became something they would never forget for the rest of their lives. in front of the unremarkable tombstones, richard called each a hero and even wrote down each of their names,¡­ how glorious was this?! adele covered her face with both hands as the names stabbed her heart like a sharp knife. tears slowly slid down between her fingers and even wet her sleeves. if it weren¡¯t for her, these people might not have gotten into this¡­ after reading everyone¡¯s names, richard looked at the crowd again with a firm and forceful tone. ¡°from today onwards, every dead hero in twilight city will be buried in this land. this is the land of glory, the home of heroes. furthermore, i have set may 8th as the day of glory yearly to commemorate our dead heroes. every year on this day, twilight city will hold a memorial ceremony to pray for them.¡± the day of glory? to commemorate the dead heroes? when the residents heard this, they could not hold themselves back anymore. their eyes were red. karu seemed to have regained his youth. he suddenly raised his right hand and shouted in a hoarse voice. ¡°the twilight city will live forever! long live lord richard!!¡± at this moment, this shout became everyone¡¯s outlet. each one shouted crazily to vent the surging emotions in their hearts. ¡°twilight city will live forever! long live lord richard!¡± ¡°twilight city will live forever! long live lord richard!¡± ¡°¡­¡± at this moment, they recognized their lord from the bottom of their hearts. after the hero¡¯s funeral in the land of glory ended, richard returned to his territory. the others could immerse themselves in the atmosphere, but he needed to steer the ship. after breakfast, he planned to go out and scan the map again. but at this time, he suddenly saw a conspicuous red prompt on his stats panel: [on may 8, 7600, the protective shield in the game ¡°shining era¡± would break in two hours.] richard was slightly in a trance. the shield would break? in seven days¡­ he had been in this game world for seven days. for some reason, it felt like a lifetime had passed. it was as if modern life seven days ago was already a very distant thing. this territory that ultimately belonged to him already had an unbreakable bond. it became an inseparable part of him. it was as if this place made him feel more at ease than anything in the modern world. ¡°good day, lord richard. are you going out today? i¡­i have something to talk to you about.¡± because richard was slightly absent-minded, adele quietly entered the hall. hearing this, he was jolted awake. he collected his thoughts and looked at the girl with a ponytail and leather boots before him. he smiled. the copper hammer taller than a person on the back of this slender girl was particularly eye-catching. she looked heroic and brave. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite, miss adele. please speak your mind.¡± adele looked straight into the eyes of the handsome young man in front of her. her expression was grave as she spoke solemnly. ¡°i beg you to let me join twilight city.¡± richard¡¯s heart relaxed as he recalled the system notification that he had completed the hero recruitment mission last night. he looked straight into adele¡¯s eyes and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°miss adele, have you thought it through? twilight city is located in the desert, and there aren¡¯t many resources around. likely, we won¡¯t be able to give you what you want.¡± ¡°in addition, we will face sorts of dangers in the future, such as hostility from other forces, siege by robbers, attacks by sandstorm¡­and so on. ¡°to protect twilight city, i need you to forge weapons for the troop and even go into battle to kill the enemy. is your mind ready for this?¡± adele¡¯s gaze was adamant. ¡°when you were willing to take the risk for a few civilians that the other lords think were lowly, and even sacrifice your troop to bring their corpses back. i am ready. lord richard, i am willing to serve twilight city and be your subordinate.¡± as she said that, she placed her right hand on her chest and knelt on one knee. she lowered her head which had been initially held high. [ding~ hero unit adele thorin has been conquered by your charisma and is willing to submit to you. do you accept?] richard nodded and said solemnly. ¡°adele thorin, in the name of the lord of twilight city, i accept your allegiance. from today onwards, you are a member of twilight city. from now on, twilight city is with you. you will no longer be alone. i will always be your strongest protector.¡± Chapter 47 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation as he spoke, richard reached out to help adele up. at this moment, the girl¡¯s eyes reddened. she stood up and said firmly to richard, ¡°lord richard, even if i have to sacrifice my life, i will protect your glory! i will protect twilight city!¡± richard smiled. ¡°then, let us build twilight city together.¡± he paused for a moment. his tone was solemn. !! ¡°adele, i have officially appointed you as the head of the blacksmith shop in twilight city. ¡°although we only have one blacksmith shop and a few basic blacksmiths, i believe that you can build everything.¡± only advanced blacksmiths could turn on the research function, and that was when this a-rank hero would show prowess. adele nodded fiercely. ¡°lord richard, i will do my best!¡± richard nodded slightly. after hesitating for a moment, he said softly. ¡°the search team should be back this afternoon¡­¡± he didn¡¯t continue because no one knew if the search team had found her father. adele¡¯s eyes revealed some hope, but there was also some pain. ¡°if i hadn¡¯t asked, those resident soldiers would still be alive¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t blame yourself. when we recruited members of the search team, they all volunteered. and it¡¯s not just for you. the relatives and friends of the other residents are lost in the desert. they also need to be searched. even without your father, i would still send a search team¡­¡± these words were honest. the desert was too barren, and there wouldn¡¯t usually be any refugees appearing. even if adele weren¡¯t a hero, he would still send people to look for those refugees. if twilight city wanted to grow, it had a sufficient population. 1 these words touched adele. in her opinion, this was what richard had specially said to comfort her. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± looking at his big, watery eyes, richard waved his hand and interrupted her. ¡°no need to say more. go and tidy up the blacksmith shop first. they will be back in the evening. and if you can¡¯t find them once, you can find them a second, or third time¡­ the army in my hands will become stronger and stronger. at that time, i can send more troops out to ensure the safety of the exploration team.¡± only then did adele feel at ease. after bowing, she left the lord¡¯s mansion with anticipation and trepidation. since adele has such a strong bloodline talent, her father shouldn¡¯t be weak either. he might even be a second hero. however, it¡¯s not easy to find people in the vast desert. fortunately, the residents of twilight city won¡¯t get lost in the desert¡­ richard looked at the empty hall and shook his head. he was in no hurry to leave. two hours later, the protective shield would be broken. richard was afraid tragedy would happen. after thinking for a moment, he walked out of the door and began to make the course of action. first, he spread three and a half teams of mummies around twilight city to be on alert. if they encountered danger, they could give him a warning. at the same time, he sent 13 scorpion warriors to protect the safety of the russian olive forest. the desert crown bee and the fire dragon rabbit were top-notch treasures. nothing could go wrong. finally, he ordered all the residents to return to the territory and leave after lunch. although they didn¡¯t understand richard¡¯s intention, none of the residents who heard the order had any objections. after he had done everything that needed to be done. richard then waited in peace. two hours seemed to be longer than a century. for the first time, he felt that time was passing so slowly. finally, the system notification lit up when it reached 12 o¡¯clock. [ding~ the shield of protection has been broken. congratulations. from now on, you are free to explore this world. there are no more restrictions.] [but please, note that your territory may be attacked by wild soldiers, aborigines, or hostile lords at any time. please, protect and strengthen your territory and its residents.] [i wish you eternity in the deadly competition of the ten thousand races for hegemony!] after the system notification sounded, richard felt something subtle had happened to his body. there seemed to be no estrangement between him and this world. even his breathing became exceptionally comfortable. he felt comfortable after removing some kind of safety measure. was he wholly integrated into this world? richard¡¯s mood was a little complicated. he opened the [forum chat] with a bit of complexity. the next second, the sand sculpture players immediately made his mood better. [gao~ gao~ kill! i, long aotian of the game ¡°shining era¡±, swear to trample this world under my feet! the female elf, succubus, human princess, beast-eared mother of the beast race, mermaid race, and an undead vampire, are all waiting for me!! i want to conquer a large harem and control 3,000 different races at night!] [awww! awww! elven brothers, beastmen, bloodmen, human princess¡­ all wait for me. i want to sleep with all of you!] [f*ck, my membrane¡­ bah¡­ my shield of protection is broken!! f*ck, i just offended a group of bandits yesterday, and they even sent people to investigate my territory this morning¡­] [please, help, a large group of bears is 1,000 meters away in a straight line from my territory. what should i do? a few days ago, i relied on my invincibility to continuously lure them to the side of my territory to hunt them down. those bears have been driving me crazy these past two days.] [what should i do without the shield of protection?? who can save me? i¡¯m willing to give up everything i have! i¡¯ll give you anything you want!] [do you yearn to mobilize tens of millions of troops to flatten the plains, conquer cities, conquer lands, and ascend to the throne as a king? do you yearn to surround yourself with beautiful women and have 3,000 harem members? privately chat with me and buy the game ¡°shining era¡± hack. give your life a cheat!] [is there someone from the kingdom of lion? there are many wolves outside my territory. i¡¯m so scared. can you give me some resources to recruit soldiers? if you¡¯re close, you can go offline. i¡¯ll give you the specific price privately.] [i didn¡¯t expect that my brother in the capital would one day be down to the point of having no food to eat. the residents of my territory just rebelled, but my heart didn¡¯t waver. since they rebelled because there was no food, they thought i had hidden the food.] [hehe, they surely didn¡¯t know. they truly guessed correctly!] [hahaha, i¡¯ll starve you, bastards, to death. why should i give you the food i worked so hard to earn? you just rolled your eyes and joined my territory? and i have to feed you. why?] [what right do you have to be fed by me? i¡¯ll go to hell. i¡¯ll starve ingrates to death!] [brothers, i just met a devil¡¯s altar. he said that if i offered him the souls of 10 residents, he would use a skill in exchange. when i heard that, i exploded.] [there¡¯s such a f*cking good thing?? those idiots didn¡¯t exhaust me to death. at that time, i returned to my territory and deceived all the residents into coming to the altar. i gave everyone to the devil and exchanged them for 12 skills.] [hahahahaha! !! this is too awesome. because of what i did, i have already obtained a middle-tier devil bloodline. i¡¯m telling you, you can¡¯t let those idiots get away with it. if you have to be ruthless, then be ruthless!] richard had more profound thoughts. after watching for a long time, richard¡¯s expression was exciting. the actions of these sand sculpture players were simply mind-blowing. some didn¡¯t want to raise residents, so they sacrificed their people to the demons in exchange for power. some deliberately hid their food to starve the residents. some even sold the residents to enslavers like pigs. he even saw a guy selling his territory directly to the aborigines in exchange for many resources. after that, he happily went to the npc city to buy a house. all kinds of tricks made richard feel like he had seen a new world. as expected of you, sand sculptures¡­ Chapter 48 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation at 1 o¡¯clock in the afternoon. after richard had confirmed that the shield was broken and there were no threatening situations around, he was relieved. however, from today onwards, twilight city would be unable to transfer all the troops like before. not a single one was left. in the future, there must be enough troops to guard the territory. otherwise, he would not even know someone had stolen the crystal when he went out. !! after thinking about it, richard sent 10 out of 35 bandaged mummies to protect the search and rescue team. currently, he still has 25 left. richard simply left behind all the bandaged mummies to guard his territory. ¡°today, i have to hunt enough food in exchange for resources. twilight city needs a large number of troops to defend.¡± the lack of defense at the rear gave him a lot of pressure. ¡°i must kill another wave of soldiers!¡± after making plans, he did not delay. he brought 10 cursed pharaohs, 13 scorpion warriors, and 10 undead soldiers. with a total of 33 people, three small teams left the territory. he continued to explore the eastern region today. he would honestly like to take down that medium-sized gold mine if there were enough undead soldiers. unfortunately, he only had one troop. facing at least three parties of half-metal giants, he still felt a lot of pressure. it was better to play it safe. with a clear target in mind, richard moved very quickly. after the rare 3-star undead soldiers joined in, the battle of scanning the map became much more manageable. the scorpion warrior acted as the front row meat shield, cursed pharaoh to cast curses, and used crowd control to immobilize the enemy¡¯s movement. the undead soldier threw a tomahawk within a range of 30 meters. from 21 to 30 meters, increased damage by 60%. there was a 30% chance of triggering soul execution to kill the enemy. against low-level soldiers, even if it did not trigger soul execution, it could still kill the enemy as it relied on the exaggerated feature of increasing damage by 60%. the undead soldiers became the fundamental killing tool in richard¡¯s hands. when he encountered a gathering point of soldiers in the wild, he would just go there and finish it. it was not until 6 pm that richard decided to end the day¡¯s map scan. [ding~ you have commanded your troops to defeat a group of sawtooth rabbits. you have obtained a victory in a miniature battle. you have obtained 40 experience points¡­] [ding ~ you have commanded your troops to defeat a group of one-eyed demons. you have obtained a victory in a miniature battle. you have obtained 80 experience points¡­] [ding¡­] richard glanced at the system notification. there were more than 30 notifications. in other words, they had killed at least 600 to 700 soldiers in the wild today. the experience on his status panel had increased to 1600. the progress of leveling up to 5000 points had increased by a large margin. however, it was a pity that most of these soldiers in the wild were humanoid and could not be eaten. however, due to many kills, he also obtained a lot of prey, such as sawtooth rabbits, long-tailed mice, and bull-horned camels. later, the system could no longer hold the 10 cubic meters of space. richard hunted them once and sold them on the market as resources. this intensive sale of food again caused a large group of lord players to have a heated discussion. it was because there were countless elite 2-stars, and elite 3-stars prey on the market. richard¡¯s few large-scale food sales had caused him to become a big shot in the hearts of countless people. countless people were guessing just how strong qingqiu was¡­ the resources on the attribute panel had already reached 30,000 units, and the system space was still full. richard, who had reaped a bountiful harvest, was satisfied as he prepared to return to his territory. ¡°however, the number of field troops i encountered today is quite unusual. it seems to be more than the previous few days combined¡­¡± after thinking for a while, he directly opened the [forum chat]. he found that many players were also talking about this matter. [what¡¯s going on today? why are there so many field troops all of a sudden? in the place that i cleared last time, a new field troop appeared. f*ck, my troop is almost exhausted!] [don¡¯t you know what day it is today? it¡¯s monday!! the troop gathering place for the different types of soldiers in the wild has been refreshed!] [f*ck, there truly is such a thing? f*ck, i almost forgot that i¡¯m in a game world¡­¡±] [f*ck, there¡¯s a one-way portal not far from my territory. it¡¯s a dungeon! and the dungeon is a 3-star dungeon! brothers, i¡¯m going to be rich. wait for me to go in and take a look at my gains!] richard was stunned. he finally understood. every monday, the troops in the wild would refresh¡­ he looked up at the cloudless blue sky. this world¡­ was exciting. just as he dispelled the doubts in his heart, a few scorpion warriors in charge of the search team ahead rushed back. ¡°lord, we found a resource point.¡± richard nodded with a calm expression. the harvest from the resource point was too small. in the early stages, it could not be compared to hunting. moreover, the desert was too barren, and the number of resource points was pitifully few. this week, richard discovered four resource points. other than the medium-sized gold mine, the others did not interest him. one could make a fortune in an affluent area by occupying the resource points, but in twilight city, doing so could only starve residents to death. but it was better than nothing. ¡°take me there.¡± they climbed up a towering sand dune after leading the troop forward for 200 meters, he followed the scorpion warrior¡¯s guidance and looked at the bottom of the sand dune. an area covered with ores attracted his attention. countless sparkling ores reflected a crystal-clear light under the setting sun. it was like the broken gravel area was inlaid with countless diamonds. it was eye-catching. what was this? when richard saw this unusual scene, he opened his attribute panel with interest. [gemstone mine] [level: miniature] [reserves: 100 units] [maximum output: 21 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 3 people, maximum of 10 people] [description: rare resource points, gemstones can be mined after occupation.] ¡°rare resource, gemstone mine?!¡± his eyes lit up, and his slightly exhausted spirit instantly cheered up. rare resources could not be compared to ordinary resources like wood and iron mines. not only was the output low, but it was also scarce. this thing was indeed a good thing, a high-level hard currency. one could tell how precious a mine was because it only had 100 units of reserves. moreover, the blueprint for the hero¡¯s altar was still in his hands. this precious blueprint obtained from the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce had always been lacking in rare resources for construction. richard suppressed the joy in his heart and turned his gaze to the soldiers guarding the gemstone mine. to occupy the mine, he had first to get rid of these wild monsters. they were a group of extraordinary creatures. the two goat horns on their heads were sharper than spears. their backs were slightly raised. a row of plastic membranes like fins grew on them, with a row of sharp thorns in the middle. their upper bodies were naked and they wore animal skin pleated loose trousers. the muscles on their bodies were pronounced like they could explode with the power to crush mountains and rocks at any time. these goat horns monsters were holding a long-handled giant hammer in their hands. the front of the giant hammer was flat, and the other side was a protruding arc-shaped sharp blade. the opponent¡¯s pair of bloodshot eyes was even more eye-catching and flickered with cruelty. their brutality could make people feel a chill in their hearts. these monsters were not weak. richard raised his eyebrows and opened the attribute panel. [demonic goat monster] [level: 4] [potential: rare 2-stars] Chapter 49 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [demonic goat monster] [level: 4] [potential: rare 2-stars] [skills: strong physique (d-rank) ¡ª strength increases by 50%, stamina recovery speed increases by 50%.] [heavy strike (d-rank) ¡ª when swinging a giant hammer, the next attack can release 200% strength after charging for 3 seconds.] !! [devil¡¯s blood (d-rank) ¡ª all attributes increase by 30%, stamina increases by 50%.] [race talent: able to devour gemstones and quickly recover from injuries.] [fetter-devil: when the number of devils is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%.] [when the number of people is greater than 20, strength increases by 20%.] [when the number of people exceeds 30, strength increases by 30%. the attacks have smashing features (activated).] [description: enjoys the joy of being smashed in the head by a giant hammer.] ¡°wow, rare 2-star?¡± moreover, the number of goat monsters exceeded four teams! was there a need to use such a solid force to guard miniature rare-level resource points? wouldn¡¯t it be guarded by a rare-level troop if it was a miniature one? richard could not help but sigh at the difficulty of dealing with rare resources. however, after he looked at the attributes of the goat monster a few times, he gave up on the idea of retreating. although the goat monsters¡¯ attributes were not bad, they did not have the two critical characteristics of curse immunity and instant death¡ªsoul execution. moreover, the other party only dealt physical damage¡­ sand transformation. richard turned his head to look at the undead soldiers beside him. he made the decision. ¡°everyone, get ready for battle! ¡°scorpion warriors will stand at the front line to prevent the enemy from passing over you. ¡°cursed pharaoh will cast the last spell. once the enemy escapes the line of defense of the scorpion warriors, use a skill to prevent their movements immediately. ¡°undead soldiers, you are the main force. stand 20 meters behind the scorpion warriors. once the enemy steps into the range of 30 meters, immediately launch an attack!¡± the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors were both elite-level soldiers. only the undead soldiers had rare-level battle strength. it was also the key to victory in this battle. richard¡¯s cold voice was filled with a fighting spirit. four small teams of rare-level soldiers. it was a tough battle. he stood together with the cursed pharaoh and personally commanded the battle. ¡°attack!¡± with an order, the scorpion warriors with giant iron pincers and curved scorpion tails walked down the steep hill step by step. the undead soldier, who wore full body armor with a black mandala pattern, followed closely behind. finally, it wore a colorful crown, held a black wand, and his body shriveled as he cursed the pharaoh. it had meat control and damage output. this iron triangle was highly compelling. the goat monsters in the gemstone mine immediately noticed something strange, and their relaxed expressions suddenly became vigilant. their arm muscles tensed up as they tightly gripped the long-handled giant hammer. their blood-red eyes began to emit a chilling intent as they looked at the approaching troop of twilight city with awe-inspiring killing intent. a goat monster could no longer endure it and suddenly roared towards the sky. ¡°roar!¡± a beast-like roar resounded through the yellow sand land. ¡°damned undead soldier and bandaged mummy, you dare to provoke the great devil? you¡¯re courting death!!¡± the leader of the devil goat monsters swung its long giant hammer fiercely and pointed at the troop that charged down from the sand dune. ¡°kill!!¡± with a furious roar, the dozens of goat monsters did not hesitate. all charged toward the scorpion warriors. they wanted to crush these undead soldiers!! ¡®shasha!¡¯ the goat monsters¡¯ hooves stepped on the sand. it caused fine sand to splatter. the dozens of goat monsters charged simultaneously, which immediately caused the sand to rise more than ten meters high. dust billowed behind them. the sand dune was only seventy to eighty meters high. after they had advanced one-third of the way, the scorpion warriors suddenly stopped. thirteen scorpion warriors opened their pincers that could quickly destroy steel like a trap for beasts. they waited for the beasts to step into it. ten undead soldiers held the handles of the tomahawks. their soul power exploded, and a faint blue light overflowed from the ox horn helmets. the cursed pharaoh raised its scepter, and the incantation in its mouth echoed at this moment. thirty meters, 20 meters, 10 meters¡­! the enemies were getting closer!!! the undead soldier released a furious roar when the first seven or eight goat monsters stepped within 10 meters of the scorpion warriors. and its body was like a spring stretched to the extreme. it burst out with its most vital strength. [roar (d-rank) ¡ª attack power increases by 50% after roaring.] ¡®huh!¡¯ the undead soldier threw the tomahawk in its hand, and the chains on his arms rattled. the intense sound of air being torn pierced through one¡¯s eardrums. the tomahawk pulled out a row of phantoms in the air. the goat monster in front had not expected the undead soldier with a tomahawk in its hand would be a long-ranged attacker. both sides were close to each, and the scorpion warriors again attracted their attention. when the tomahawk tore through the sky and came towards goat monsters, it was already too late to dodge. ¡®slash!¡¯ the sound of a sharp blade that lacerated into flesh sounded. a goat monster¡¯s arm was directly severed into two. fresh blood sprayed out like a exploded water pipe. under the strong inertia, the sharp tomahawk still flew backward after it cut off the goat monster¡¯s arm. after reaching its limit, the undead soldier pulled on the chain. the tomahawk flew backward under the force. the goat monster with a broken arm still endured the erosion of the intense pain. suddenly, it felt a terrible pain in its back, and then the pain spread to its chest. it subconsciously looked down, and a sharp tomahawk stained with blood appeared in its pupils. before it could think, it felt the power in its body drain away in an instant. its eyes turned black, and it lost consciousness. this attack did not trigger the soul execution, but even so, it relied on the terrifying lethality to forcefully kill the rare 2-star goat monster. the undead soldier that threw the tomahawk could explode with an attack power that exceeded its level within a range of 10 to 30 meters. it was exceedingly mighty. meanwhile, the ten undead soldiers attacked at the same time. out of the eight goat monsters, only one managed to dodge. the others were all struck by the tomahawks. the 30% chance of soul execution quickly caused the two goat monsters to fall to the ground and die. before they could even touch the scorpion warrior, they had already met death. although the other goat monsters tried their best to resist, under the exaggerated control of the undead soldier, they still died one by one. all of this happened too quickly. it only took a few breaths of time. the goat monsters behind only saw the tomahawk¡¯s cold light reflected by the sunset¡¯s light that glared. a large number of their companions fell. fresh blood dyed the desert red. however, this scene did not make the other goat monsters scared. instead, they stimulated their nerves even more. their initially scarlet eyes seemed to drip blood at this moment. kill!! swung the giant hammer to charge forward. they want to tear these undead soldiers!! Chapter 50 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the first round of collision ended quickly. the undead soldiers ended in a complete victory, but they had yet to retrieve their tomahawks. the second batch of goat monsters had already charged forward and fought with the scorpion warriors. the giant hammers in their hands contained terrifying power. they swore to crush these undead soldiers! !! ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a goat monster suddenly smashed toward the scorpion warriors before it. this hammer strike even made the scorpion warriors feel a fatal danger. the giant pincers closed and directly blocked in front ofit. ¡®clang!¡¯ the moment the two sides collided, sparks flew in all directions. it was like a blacksmith forcefully hammered a piece of red-hot iron. the goat monster was one head shorter than the scorpion warrior, but its explosive strength made the scorpion warrior take three steps back. eight of its feet sank in the yellow sand. it was violent and powerful. the scorpion warrior, who had never met an opponent in close combat, was now at a significant disadvantage before the rare 2-stars goat monster. the gap of one level opened up a gap in strength between the two sides. however, the scorpion warriors were not afraid even though the goat monsters defeated them. no matter how the goat monsters charged at them, they roared and defended the defensive line before them. the battle was extremely intense. ¡°cast your spell and control the situation. the other devils will break through the scorpion warriors¡¯ defensive line.¡± when richard gave the order, the cursed pharaoh, who had been prepared, raised its withered wooden scepter. a dark light flashed across the sky. [curse of the pharaoh (e-rank) ¨C after casting a curse on the enemy, the enemy will fall into a weakened state, all attributes reduced by 20%. consumes 20 mana.] [cooldown time: 5 minutes] curse words¡­ control the enemy. after it cast two curses consecutively, the demonic goat monster which has attacked ferociously instantly felt its strength drop by a large margin. even the speed at which it swung the giant hammer became sluggish. some even fell to a standstill, which allowed the scorpion warrior to attack. at this time, the goat monster finally discovered the cursed pharaoh behind it. but the two lines of defense in front of it were as solid as rocks, unbreakable. the only regret was that the cursed pharaoh only had one small team, and the goat monsters still had three small teams left. it could not completely control it. kacha~ a goat monster without a curse exploded its strength to the limit and directly hit the giant pincers of the scorpion warrior. the pincers of the scorpion warrior that could tear through steel showed countless cracks, like glass that had fallen to the ground. the goat monster continued its pursuit. roaring furiously, it swung its giant hammer once more. it wanted to smash this damned scorpion into smithereens! ¡®crack!¡¯ that strike that could shatter boulders directly smashed the giant pincers into smithereens and blasted up sand and gravel that filled the sky. the giant hammer did not lose any of its remaining strength and directly shattered the chest of the scorpion warrior. the goat monster did not show the slightest joy at such an impressive result because it felt like it had hit cotton with its hammer. the giant hammer did not release massive force and could not be contained. it caused the center of gravity to lose balance. the goat monster staggered a few steps and almost fell to the ground. sand transformation! it was this life-saving skill again! the scorpion warrior, whose chest has rapidly recovered, let out a low roar. seized this rare opportunity, it swung the intact iron pincers in its left hand. the iron hook, like a butcher¡¯s hook used to hang livestock, was directly nailed to the body of the goat monster. with a forceful pull, an exaggerated wound tore through the body of the goat monster. at the same time, the venomous scorpion tail behind the goat monster also pierced out like lightning. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it directly pierced through the shoulder of the goat monster, and the poison crazily poured into its body. the situation turned around in that instant. life and death were on the line. under the pressure of the goat monsters, the scorpion warriors began to transform into sand. the goat monsters, which only dealt physical damage, rampaged and crushed the scorpion warriors. they immediately turned into rats biting turtles, with nowhere to bite. their attacks, which could destroy the city walls, could not do anything to the scorpion warriors, who were immune to 99% physical damage. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ after the scorpion warrior turned into sand, the sound of a tomahawk pierced through the air and roared again. ¡®boom!¡¯ the distance of more than 20 meters was so close that even before the goat monster could clearly see the tomahawk, it could already feel a sharp pain in its body¡­! soul execution! it fell to the ground dead! after it transformed into sand, the scorpion warrior forcefully held back the goat monster. meanwhile, the cursed pharaoh used its crowd control skills to immobilize the movements of the goat monsters. with the cooperation of the other troops, the undead soldiers particularly enjoyed killing. moreover, at a distance of 20 to 30 meters, there was a 30% chance for the soul execution to trigger. this rapidly reduced the number of goat monsters. when the undead soldier killed the last goat monster, the intense battle with the undead soldier ended as the central core of the damage output. [ding~ your army has eliminated a group of goat monsters and obtained victory in a miniature battle. you have obtained 200 experience points.] [ding~ the undead soldiers had killed a large number of enemies. the level has been increased. current level: 4.] after the axe of the dead had reached level 4, the upgrade refreshed all the skills, and their aura became intense. richard could see clearly from behind. except that the scorpion warriors killed three or four goat monsters, the undead soldiers had killed all the remaining enemies. the battle strength it displayed made him feel elated. although the battle today had destroyed dozens of gathering points of the troop, those were all elite and ordinary levels, so there was no way to measure the real strength of the undead soldiers. at this moment, facing a rare-level soldier, the undead soldier still displayed its absolute dominance. it made him feel excited. this is the kind of troop worthy of his efforts. after the goat monster died, the weapon in its hand quickly rotted and corroded. it was the rule of the game ¡°shining era¡±. after the soldier recruited from the troop¡¯s lair died, the weapon and equipment would lose their power and quickly be damaged. richard ignored all this and happily stepped into the gemstone mine under the sand dune. the sparkling gemstones were embedded in the cracks of the stones. under the setting sun, they looked beautiful and colorful. ¡°no wonder dragons and girls like these shiny things. they¡¯re quite beautiful¡­ i have to ask the miners to keep a big gemstone. what if i need it in the future?¡± the system prompt appeared at the right time. [ding~ do you want to occupy the gemstone mine?] after confirming, he marked this point on the system map. he only had to wait until he returned and send someone to mine it. fortunately, this place was only forty minutes away from the territory, so it wouldn¡¯t be too strenuous. he was in a great mood, and his harvest today wasn¡¯t bad. first, was his target for today¡ªhunting. because the wild monsters had spawned, he hunted prey in exchange for 30,000 units of resources. at the same time, the system space was also filled up. after processing, richard had at least 2,000 units of meat. just the food alone was already quite a harvest. second, he could feel the power in his hands through a head-on battle with the goat monsters. moreover, he had raised the level of the undead soldiers to level 4. finally, he had occupied a rare resource point¡ªthe gemstone mine. he was pleased. while he was thinking, he searched around the gemstone mine. after he found no other treasures, richard did not stay any longer. he returned to the territory with a whole bag of prey. when he returned to the territory, the sky was already dark. karu was waiting here as usual, but unexpectedly. adele was also there. ¡°good evening, lord richard¡­ the kitchen maid has already prepared dinner for you.¡± ¡°also, the team that went out to search has returned.¡± as soon as karu finished speaking, adele immediately went forward and said excitedly. ¡°thank you, lord!¡± richard said softly. ¡°adele, did our search team find your father?¡± the girl shook her head violently, and her eyes suddenly turned red. richard didn¡¯t understand. why did she still look so happy that she was crying? adele took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before she spoke. ¡°lord richard, although they didn¡¯t find my father, they have news about him.¡± ¡°oh? was he rescued by someone else?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. my father found the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and has set off for solan city.¡± ¡®ah, this¡­? this father is so ambitious? why didn¡¯t he look for you?¡¯ as if seeing through richard¡¯s doubts, the girl explained. ¡°the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce has a special treasure that can find missing people in the desert, but it requires the blood of relatives¡­¡± only then did richard understand. compared to searching aimlessly in the desert, this method was more reliable. ¡°onyx has already returned to solan city. after they meet, they will surely inform him of your safety.¡± adele nodded happily and bowed to richard again. ¡°if it were before, i would surely have gone to look for my father.¡± as she spoke, her face blushed. ¡°but now, i am a member of twilight city, your subordinate. since my father is safe, i will surely work hard for you!¡± richard was deep in thought when he heard this. if he had completed the recruitment mission of an a-rank hero by ordinary means, he was afraid that he had already failed. the system¡¯s mission was to find the other party¡¯s father before he was safe and bring him back to the territory so that adele could stay. otherwise, she would still leave even if the spies discovered his father was safe. after all, knowing that her father had gone to solan city, she could not stay here alone. compared to her father, who was more critical in unfamiliar territory, did she need to think about it? fortunately, he found another way to complete the hero recruitment mission in advance. richard thought of this. it seemed that there was not only one way to complete the hero recruitment mission. in the future, he might be able to explore this area, not limited to the mission ceiling¡­ Chapter 51 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the excited adele left, richard looked at karu. ¡°where did the search and rescue team get this information?¡± after organizing his words, karu said softly. ¡°lord, this information was given by them and a team of phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce merchants who stayed behind to search the area.¡± ¡°apart from the information about adele¡¯s father, did you find anything else?¡± !! ¡°i also found some residents who were trapped in the oasis. however, the search and rescue team just returned and are still eating. i didn¡¯t have the time to ask for too much information.¡± richard nodded. he is home, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. ¡°how are the casualties of the other teams?¡± ¡°seven injured, four dead¡­¡± ¡°those who died will be buried in the land of glory. those who are injured will be rewarded with some desert crown honey.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± after making the simple arrangements, richard took out all the prey about to fill up the system space and let the residents deal with them. he then returned to the lord¡¯s mansion and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. after eating and drinking to his heart¡¯s content, he got someone to summon the search and rescue team over. when they left on a mission, there were 60 people. six of them died the day before yesterday. now, four more were sacrificed. and of the ten mummies that were sent out, only five were able to return. the vast desert was indeed filled with danger. however, they had obtained an a-rank hero in exchange. it was not a loss. mercy did not control the troop. as a lord, he could not be indecisive. he would not hesitate to sacrifice those who need to be sacrificed. this was the background of the world where ten thousand races were fighting for hegemony. now that it was peaceful, it was not time for a war to break out. ¡°good evening, lord.¡± after entering the house, all the residents immediately bowed. no one dared to cross it. the person in front of them was the only ruler of this land. a single word could decide their fate. after richard stood up, he looked around with admiration. he smiled lightly and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite. every resident who has contributed to twilight city is worthy of respect.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days.¡± these two simple sentences immediately warmed the hearts of the crowd. the lord did not forget them. ¡°who among you can tell us what you¡¯ve encountered these past few days?¡± under his encouragement, a young man stepped forward and asked tentatively. ¡°lord, can¡­can i?¡± his tone was slightly trembling as his hands clenched into fists. when the crowd turned their gazes over, he felt his legs had gone soft. richard looked at him with admiration. ¡°of course, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. you¡¯ve completed the mission and are the heroes of twilight city. you¡¯ll also receive my commendation.¡± hu~ the young man immediately felt relieved, and his tone increased. ¡°lord richard, we¡¯ve been¡­¡± then, he explained the encounters of the search and rescue team in the past few days. although he felt it was perilous, and they had encountered many powerful soldiers in the wild, richard felt it was just an ordinary encounter and did not have the information he wanted. after repeated inquiries, he encouraged the other team and changed to the next search and rescue team. next, each team sent a representative to recount the experiences of their team over the past few days. richard could not help but feel slightly disappointed when he heard the end. because the exploring team was not strong enough, even if they found something unusual, they did not dare to approach it. not to mention buildings like temples or one-way teleportation portals, they did not even find many resource points. ¡°are you sure that you have not encountered any buildings like temples in the past few days?¡± ¡°no, lord.¡± everyone shook their heads in unison. ¡°have you discovered any territories similar to twilight city?¡± ¡°no, lord.¡± everyone shook their heads again. this was strange. richard thought for a long time. he still could not figure out what was wrong. were there so few lord-ranked players in the desert camp? why were there no player territories around twilight city? or was it because the death desert was too large and spread so widely that these guys feared death? even if they saw it from afar, they would not dare to approach it. after thinking for a long time, they still couldn¡¯t come up with an answer, so they simply didn¡¯t hesitate and changed the question. ¡°did you find anyone else who was blown away by the sandstorm?¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± finally, there was a response that piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°where are they? why didn¡¯t you bring them back?¡± ¡°this¡­¡± the middle-aged man who spoke was a little embarrassed. ¡°they¡¯re in an oasis. the people are not willing to return to twilight city with us¡­ they¡¯re more willing to wait for the people from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce to take them away.¡± richard narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°how many people are there?¡± ¡°more than 300 people¡­¡± ¡°do you have a map?¡± ¡°please, take a look.¡± the middle-aged man stepped forward and carefully spread a rough map on the table, pointing at one of the dots drawn in a circle. ¡°this is the place. they have enough water and food and are unwilling to leave¡­¡± after saying this, they felt a little awkward. richard deliberately sent the teams on a mission to search and rescue these casualties. but they did not expect that even if they found those people, they would not be willing to return with them. however, the casualties¡¯ strategy of waiting for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce to rescue them was not bad. after all, they had initially planned to follow the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce across the death desert. it went without saying who was more reliable than a territory they had never heard of. ¡°aren¡¯t those your companions? why didn¡¯t they follow you?¡± ¡°lord, most people who followed the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce back then, were strangers¡­¡± richard understood, and then he began to ponder. ¡°it¡¯s not strange that there¡¯s water in an oasis, but what kind of oasis can have enough food to feed hundreds of people? ¡°moreover, you¡¯ve been attacked by the sandstorm for almost two weeks, right? can you survive for so long just by relying on the remaining food?¡± this question stunned the middle-aged man, and he shook his head awkwardly. ¡°i don¡¯t know either. they didn¡¯t let us in.¡± the middle-aged man wanted to say something. but he hesitated but finally said it with reluctance. ¡°lord, they also asked us to bring the others back there. they said there¡¯s no lack of food, so there¡¯s no need to stay in twilight city. it¡¯s safer there¡­¡± ¡°oh?¡± these words greatly piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡®there must be something fishy going on.¡¯ these hundreds of people were in a small desert oasis. it was okay if they just stayed there and refused to leave. they even said they had enough food and wanted to poach there. ¡®wasn¡¯t this a little too bizarre?¡¯ ¡°alright, i understand. i¡¯ll go there myself in a few days. you guys will lead the way for me then.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± after saying that, richard encouraged the residents and let them leave to rest. he initially wanted to give them rewards but inconveniently discovered that other than food, there was only some wild beasts¡¯ fur in the storeroom. there seem to be nothing to offer them. after the rescue teams left, richard looked at karu, who had followed the crowd and remained silent. ¡°karu, what do you usually reward your subordinates with?¡± karu noticed richard¡¯s embarrassment and immediately understood. he opened his mouth. ¡°lord, you can usually reward them with gold coins, wild beasts¡¯ fur, or some common herbs and materials.¡± ¡°desert crown honey is a precious reward item¡­¡± ¡°you can reward great contributions with recognitions, such as the title of nobility in twilight city, or a certain title of glory, or even a piece of land¡­¡± when richard heard this, he had a sudden realization. that¡¯s right. not only could richard reward these people with physical objects, but he could also give them spiritual and glorious rewards. when they are at a low level, they might need to be rewarded with materials. when their future subordinates were at a higher level, richard would reward them with materials that were undoubtedly inferior. baron or count of glory could be rewarded to those who had performed meritoriously in the future. they don¡¯t need to spend money or give real power, and they will have a lot of gratification if they tell others¡­ it¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone. Chapter 52 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard figured out the key, he was in a good mood. ¡°karu, hold an awarding ceremony tomorrow. let all who participated in the search and rescue mission go on stage to accept the reward¡­ ¡°tonight, ask the tailor to find some red cloth and make big red flowers. if the cloth is not enough, make smaller flowers, and participants will wear them on their chests. ¡°all the residents who participated in the search and rescue mission will be awarded the collective bronze medal of twilight city¡­ ¡°write everyone¡¯s name on a paper and award them with the bronze medal. !! ¡°in addition, get adele to forge the bronze medal for me. also, make designs for the silver, gold, and lord¡¯s medal, the highest honor of twilight city. ¡°in the future, meritorious contributions will be awarded medals according to the degree of their contributions. ¡°the rewards are divided into collective and individual rewards. missions with many participants will be awarded collective medals, and missions completed by individuals will be awarded individual medals. ¡°residents who receive these medals will be given the title of honorary resident on their doorsteps. we can promote them first in the future.¡± richard changed the modern reward system that was hundreds of years old and moved it over. ¡°each medal has a corresponding amount of material rewards. you can go down and study the specific amount. ¡°this system has just been established. there will surely be some deficiencies or areas that need to be supplemented. you should pay attention to it and compensate for it in the future.¡± karu was quite excited after listening to it. ¡°lord richard, your wisdom is enough to make the gods exclaim in admiration!!¡± other things were not so bad, but the group reward setting slightly surprised him. it was a big event, so many people participated. and all of the participants contributed. you couldn¡¯t say that everyone would be receiving an award, right? wouldn¡¯t that appear to be too simple? the group reward solved this problem perfectly. richard didn¡¯t overthink this. twilight city was still very weak, so it was useless to set up a complicated system. ¡°how much of the prey did i bring home?¡± karu smiled. ¡°there¡¯s too much. i need more time.¡± the food was complete, which made people feel very safe. richard nodded, got up, and walked out of the hall. he came to the occupied well. at this time, there were two hundred people busy. those who boiled the water, peeled the skin, removed the internal organs, and cut the meat had their duties. they handled the piled-up prey at an extremely swift speed. they piled up the cut and washed meat on the washed ground. the meat would then be cooked and then dried. this way, they could preserve them for an extremely long time in the dry environment of the desert. it was how they made the dry food for long trips. looking at the pile of meat, richard thought for a while and opened the [trading market]. he had put up a bounty for a few days, but there was still no news. fifteen desert horses put up a reward for a 1-star resource treasure: an acre of russian olive seeds. the reward was two. twenty desert horses put up a reward for resources or other treasures that one could use in the desert. the transaction required both parties to agree. richard sold another piece of the spring water fragment. he had nine pieces in his hands and was one piece away from synthesizing medium-sized spring water. these days, he had heard more than once that the well water was tough to obtain and that they had to go to the spring water in the russian olive forest to get water. karu had also reflected on this problem a few times. however, three-star treasure chests were rare after all. the number of spring water fragments that could be opened and sold was not that many. therefore, when he could get the last fragment would depend on his luck. they could not rush in this matter. after thinking for a while, he directly changed the reward price of the russian olive seeds. thirty desert horses offered a 1-star resource treasure: russian olive seeds (1 acre). the reward was one. initially, there was a reward of 15 horses. now, richard directly increased the price and doubled it. the price of food has dropped a little recently. moreover, the chances of players offering resources and treasures were pitifully low. it was even seldom for players to be willing to sell them. the value of the russian olive seed was that it matured once a month. more importantly, the forest could provide sufficient pollen for desert crown bees and increase honey production. if he planted more russian olive seeds and planted them at different times, then desert crown bees could collect honey for an entire month. the desert crown bee was one of his most essential breeding targets. after making some adjustments, richard could only hope that the players would give him some effort. restart the search ¡ª food. [sixty units of wheat ¡ª priced at 1,200 units of gold coins.] [twenty units of wild boar meat ¡ª priced at 700 units of wood.] [thirty units of bison meat ¡ª priced at 900 units of iron ore.] ****** the ratio of meat to common resources was around 1:30, while the ratio of typical food was around 1:20. the price of meat was noticeably lower than the previous two days. moreover, the number of meat sold had increased, but most were mainly in dozens, and 100 to 200 units were rare. obviously, with the development of time, the players gradually began to get on the right track. richard looked at his stats panel. there were 30,000 units of resources. these were all the gains from today. ¡°although i have quite a lot of troops, when i went out, the forces in charge of protecting the territory were too weak. i have to replenish them!¡± the headquarters was the core of everything, and the lack of defense made him uneasy. he started to calculate in his heart. ¡®the troops to defend the territory must have a few characteristics. first, they must adapt to the desert climate. second, they must not need logistical supplies. i don¡¯t want to be worn out by logistics¡­ third, they must have solid defensive abilities and be suitable to guard the territory¡­ fourth, they must have potential and are worth nurturing¡­¡¯ but after richard thought about it, he turned his gaze back to the mummy. these didn¡¯t need logistics. these had strong combat abilities and were suitable for the desert. they weren¡¯t afraid of death¡­ other than ugly, they had too many advantages. richard searched for the desert camp and mummy. suddenly, a large number of troops appeared. richard began to select. first, there were elite-level troop lairs, but only a few thousand of them. and they were all trash. no one would be willing to sell the good ones. the other large camps, such as humans and elves, had tens of thousands of elite-level lairs. compared to them, the desert camp looked pitiful. he closed it after looking at it for a short while and opened ordinary-level again. [sharp-toothed mummy (ordinary 1-star) ¡ª 600 units of wood.] [roar mummy (ordinary 3-stars) ¡ª 1000 units of stone.] [spike mummy (ordinary 3-stars) ¡ª 1200 units of iron ore.] ****** all sorts of strange mummies opened his eyes. after a full 20 minutes, he finally saw a soldier that made his eyes shine. [guardian mummy] [level: 1] [potential: ordinary 3-stars] [skills: body of the dead (f-rank) ¡ª immune to poison and plague, reduces physical damage by 15%.] [guardian (f-rank) ¡ª all attributes increase by 30% within the territory, leaving the territory ineffective.] [patrol (f-rank) ¡ª patrol in the territory can increase agility by 30% and detect enemies that sneak into the territory.] [formation (e-rank) ¡ª can form a formation of 10 people to attack.] [race talent: when fighting in the territory, the recovery speed of injuries increased by 50%.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, the mummy¡¯s strength increases by 10%.] when the number of mummies is greater than 30, the mummy¡¯s strength increases by 20%.] when the number of mummies is greater than 50, the mummy¡¯s strength increases by 30%, the mummy¡¯s dexterity increases by 30%, and the mummy¡¯s damage increases by 30%.] [description: the guardian pharaoh mummy. they are pretty vigilant.] after looking at the guardian mummy¡¯s attributes, richard did not hesitate and directly chose to buy it. four initial skills! it was simply ridiculous. and it was so suitable to guard the territory. after he paid 3,000 units of iron ore, richard obtained the guardian pharaoh¡¯s mummy troop lair. but one wasn¡¯t enough. he continued to search. he bought the other two on the market. one was 3,500 units of wood, and the other was 3,800 gold coins. the price was comparable to elite-level soldiers. noticeably, these sellers knew how powerful the mummy guardian was, so they dared to offer such a price. he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of heartache. no matter how much he bought it, he would be promoted to an elite-level soldier. he wouldn¡¯t lose anything. to upgrade three troop lairs, he needed about 15,000 resources. he started directly. ¡°do you want to spend 500 gold coins to buy the desert bandit troop lair?¡± ¡°confirmed.¡± ¡°do you want to spend 500 units of wood to buy the sawtooth gerbil troop lair?¡± ¡°confirmed.¡± ****** after he had obtained the 30 troop lairs, the remaining 30,000 resources on the interface were less than 700,000¡­ however, since they hunted for the violent soldiers, richard went directly to the corner of the front yard, where he placed the troop lair after he obtained it. [ding~ do you want to use 400 gold coins, 400 wood, and 400 stones to build the guardian¡¯s land?] after he had three times in a row and consumed 3,600 units of resources, three 3-meter-tall pyramids appeared before his eyes. the wind and sand seemed to have eroded the outer parts of these pyramids for thousands of years. there were potholes everywhere. [guardian¡¯s land (ordinary 3-stars) ¡ª you can use ten ordinary troop¡¯s lairs to upgrade to elite 3-stars. do you want to upgrade?] ¡°confirm.¡± the pyramid in front of him expanded to four meters after the core of 30 troop lairs had been used. the appearance the wind and sand had eroded had become increasingly rotten. the fist-sized holes made people wonder if a hand had suddenly stretched out from within. Chapter 53 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [guardian land] [level: elite 3-stars] [recruit type: guardian mummy (elite 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 20] [weekly output: 10] !! [recruitment requirements: 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, 40 units of stone] [description: an ordinary mummy troop lair.] [ding~ do you want to use 800 gold coins, 800 units of wood, and 800 units of stone to recruit 20 guardian mummies?] three troop lairs could produce 60 guardian mummies. the resource consumption alone reached 2,400 gold coins, 2,400 units of wood, and 2,400 units of stone, which totaled 7,200 units of resources. after richard finished building the troop, there were only about 6,000 left. a bitter smile appeared on his face. ¡°the landlord¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have any more food left¡­¡± richard opened the [trading market]. he looked at the three requests and canceled the purchase of 20 desert horses. he sought other resources and treasures. swap 20 desert horses to exchange for resources. a complete desert horse, a 6,000-unit resource, sold for 120,000 units. these resources could even nurture two rare-level troop lairs. ¡°but if possible, i¡¯m still willing to exchange for resources and treasures¡­ that¡¯s the treasure. unfortunately, no one will sell them.¡± richard immediately became confident after he had the resources. he recruited all of them with the disappearance of 7,200 resources. a pale yellow light flashed. on the heavily weathered pyramid before richard¡¯s eyes, countless fine sand suddenly gushed out of the holes. these grains of sand flowed out and gathered in front of the pyramid to form a troop. they formed a mummy with a round shield and a long knife in the other. the bandages on their bodies were rotten yellow. it looked as if they had been buried underground for countless years. their aura was quite powerful. they were not weaker than the bandaged mummy. [guardian mummy] [level: 1] [potential: elite 3-stars] [skills: body of the dead (e-rank) ¡ª immune to poison and pestilence, reduces physical damage by 30%.] [guardian-lrb (e-rank) ¡ª all attributes increase by 40% within the territory, with no effect on leaving the territory.] [patrol (e-rank) ¡ª patrol in the territory can increase the territory¡¯s security by 40 points and detect enemies that sneak into the territory.] [formation (d-rank) ¡ª can form a formation of 10 people to attack.] [race talent: when fighting in the territory, stamina, and recovery speed increase by 50%.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 30, strength increases by 20%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 50, strength increases by 30%, dexterity increases by 30%, and damage increases by 30% (activated).] [description: the guardian of pharoah mummy, they are quite alert.] [when all the six squads are recruited, all the guardian mummies fiercely use their knives to hit the round shield.] [clang clang~] the sound of metal collision traveled a great distance in the night. it seemed that they used this method to announce their arrival. richard nodded in satisfaction. after he leveled up to elite 3-star, the guardian mummy¡¯s skills were all upgraded by one level. their strength had significantly increased. moreover, this was the number of six squads! with this power, he would not have to worry about his lair from burglary when he went out to hunt in the future. he stretched out his right hand and mobilized the hidden power in his body. the power that was like yellow sand instantly bloomed. [ding~ under your blessing, 60 guardian mummies have mastered a part of the desert power and obtained a new skill ¡ª desertification-sand transformation (d-rank).] all the troops could undergo sand transformation, and it would be the signature feature of twilight city in the future. richard was delighted. ¡°from now on, you will guard the territory, patrol day and night to defend against foreign invaders.¡± ¡°we will listen to your orders, lord¡­¡± such a colossal commotion had already attracted the attention of many residents. karu also rushed over. when he saw these new troops, his eyes lit up. ¡°lord richard, are these the troops you just recruited?¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. these guardian mummies are the troops i specially recruited to protect the territory. ¡°they will receive additional attribute bonuses in the territory. they are powerful and will lose much power when they leave the territory. ¡°in the future, you have the right to mobilize this troop, but you must use this carefully.¡± richard¡¯s words gave karu a lot of power. but judging from karu¡¯s performance these days, he deserved this trust. karu took a deep breath. his turbid eyes were decisive, and his shabby body seemed to have returned to his youth. ¡°i will guard twilight city with my life!¡± richard nodded slightly. because karu was no longer a hero, he could not command the troop. and he could not hand over the control of the troop to the opponent. so richard had to explain. he had all the guardian mummies listen to karu¡¯s orders based on the principle of protecting the territory. richard waved his hand and let them follow karu. with that, there were still three teams of bandaged mummies left. the number of soldiers to protect twilight city was already close to a squadron. the bandaged mummies could be scattered outside the territory as sentries in the future. the guardian mummies would protect twilight city. one would be on the outside and one on the inside. no matter what kind of enemy attacked, there would be time to react. richard was satisfied. just as he was about to go back and take a hot bath, the system suddenly rang. [ding~ this week is a special disaster week ¡ª drought. lord, please take precautions.] [ding~ the production of all troop lairs has been refreshed. lord, please recruit on your own.] what was going on? he was slightly stunned. after he opened the first system notification, he subconsciously looked at the system time. may 8, 7600, at 20:00. how was this week a special disaster week¡­ drought? i¡¯m already in the desert, and you¡¯re telling me it is drought? is there anything in this world drier than this torrid place? after richard complained in his heart, he saw the second system notification. [troop production would be refreshed every monday at 8:00 pm.] his breathing suddenly became rapid. he quickly opened the troop lairs¡¯ panel. the next second. his heart thumped faster and faster. [this dense wave of money was going to explode!!] [great pyramid (elite 3-stars, three seats) ¡ª recruitable troop: bandaged mummy, recruitable quantity: 21] [scorpion lair (elite 3-stars, one seat) ¡ª recruitable troop: poisonous scorpion warrior, recruitable quantity: 7] [cursed pyramid (elite 3-stars, one seat) ¡ª recruitable troop: cursed pharaoh, recruitable quantity: 5 [battle axe wooden house (rare 3-stars, one seat) ¡ª recruitable troop: axe of the dead, recruitable quantity: 5] even worse, he glanced at the guardian mummy he had recruited a few minutes ago. [guardian land (elite 3-stars, three seats) ¡ª recruitable troop: guardian pharaoh mummy, recruitable quantity: 30] ¡°hahahaha! !¡± richard laughed loudly. ¡°what do you mean by a dense wave of money?!! what the hell do you mean by a dense wave of money?!!¡± Chapter 54 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation if richard recruited all the new troops, the number of soldiers in his hands would explosively increase. bandaged mummy could recruit 21; poisonous scorpion warrior could recruit 7; cursed pharaoh could recruit 5; axe of the dead could recruit 5, and guardian pharaoh mummy could recruit 30. the total would be 68!! there were nearly seven teams. it was a massive amount of money. !! richard took a lot of effort to suppress the excitement in his heart. however, to recruit all 68 troops, he needed a lot of resources. the bandaged mummy recruitment requirements were 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, and 40 units of stone. twenty-one were gold coins, wood, and stone with 1640 units each, for a total of 4920 units of resources. the poisonous scorpion warrior recruitment requirements were 40 gold coins, 40 units of wood, and 40 units of iron ore. that would be 7, for a total of 840 units of resources. the cursed pharaoh would be 5, for a total of 600 units. the axe of the dead would be 5, for 6000 units. and the guardian pharaoh mummy, 30, for 3600 units. these would total 15,650. after some calculations, richard could not help but sigh. no wonder people said that money builds troops. five rare-level undead soldiers consumed 6,000 units of resources, which was two-thirds of the total resources of all the other branches of the troop. just a few dozen branches of the troop were already so expensive. in the future, when the ranks of the branches are higher, the prices will be even more exaggerated. however, he was still a tycoon with 120,000 units of resources, so he was not worried at all. richard stood up and left happily. he recruited all the new troops. after he spent 15,000 units of resources, his strength soared. bandaged mummy ¡ª 51. poisonous scorpion warrior ¡ª 20. cursed pharaoh ¡ª 15 axe of the dead ¡ª 15 guardian pharaoh mummy¨C 90. the total number of soldiers had reached 191, close to two squadrons. ¡°in the future, when we go out to hunt, we can leave behind all the bandaged and guardian mummies. ¡°this power is enough to ensure the safety of twilight city.¡± the pressure in richard¡¯s heart relaxed quite a bit. he set aside the troop that stayed behind. the number of soldiers brought out to scan the map had also reached five squadrons. the strength of the iron mine soared further. ¡°i can go and try to raid the medium-sized gold mine tomorrow. i wonder if i can still obtain some treasures like treasure maps after killing those half-metal giants with full defense.¡± the rapid growth of his strength brought richard one step closer to raiding those high-level maps. the one-way portal¡¯s 1-star dungeon with an average strength of rare level; the 2-star treasure map obtained from attacking the axe of the dead; the dark temple, which the terrifying temple guards protected; and the level 15 desert dragon that he had seen near the one-way portal. these high-level maps did not have powerful troops, so it would be a waste if he went. however, twilight city had the right to explore it. in the desert, countless mysteries were waiting for him to uncover. with anticipation and excitement, richard fell asleep peacefully. he woke up at ten the next day. after he woke, the plump kitchen maid immediately sent hot water to help him wash up. richard slept until he woke up naturally with someone to serve him 24 hours a day. this was his original dream. his dream came true now that he had come to this world. ¡°in the future, i¡¯ll have to find a few elves or beast-eared maidens to be maids.¡± black silk high heels, short skirts, and maid attire are all dressed. the life of a lord should be so simple and unadorned¡­¡± ¡°it seems like i can try out all the ideas i failed to realize in the past. there are no laws in this world¡­¡± after richard lamented about the decaying life of a lord and looked forward to an even more decaying life in the future, he had breakfast with two cheerful kitchen maids and was ready to go out to scan the map. but before that, he first went to the russian olive forest because karu said it had bloomed. the olive forest occupied an essential area in his farming industry, a vital link to ecology. richard came to the green olive forest, his eyes full of surprise. on the endless yellow sand, the fragrant scent of the russian olive flowers assailed his nose amidst the dark green leaves. a few days ago, the flower buds were extremely rare, but now, the forest was full of flowers. what particularly caught his eyes was that the rusian olive flowers sprouted not only single but seven colors. rainbow-colored flowers floated at a glance in the green and dripping forest. countless black and yellow bees buzzed and danced, picked flowers, and smelled honey. this scene looked magnificently beautiful. even more remarkable was that the olive forest around was filled with yellow sand, which represented death and desolation. it was in this forbidden land of life that such beautiful flowers bloomed. the feeling was indescribable. this place seemed to have represented hope and vitality. a few residents who managed the olive forest immediately bowed when they saw richard. ¡°good day, lord richard.¡± richard smiled. ¡°you¡¯ve done a good job.¡± then, he seemed to remember something and frowned. ¡°have those poisonous wasps been here lately?¡± the leader was a fat middle-aged woman. her chubby face looked like two halves of a red apple. her voice was fast and sharp. ¡°lord richard, those wasps are so hateful. they come to catch bees every day! ¡°and sometimes, they can come seven or eight times a day. if you hadn¡¯t told us not to do anything, we would have killed those wasps¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°those highly poisonous wasps can easily poison ten camels. don¡¯t provoke them.¡± ¡°then, are we just going to let them bully us like this?¡± the fat middle-aged woman was furious, and her bulging face became round to a greater degree. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way to solve this matter¡­¡± richard earnestly reminded them. ¡°remember, if you don¡¯t want to enter the land of glory the next day, don¡¯t mess with them.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± when they saw richard¡¯s sincerity, the few residents didn¡¯t dare to say anything. only the fat middle-aged woman was indignant. she mumbled that she wanted to find a way to punish those poisonous wasps. richard waved his hand and dismissed the few people. he walked into the olive forest alone. a unique fragrance assailed his nostrils, which made him feel instantly refreshed. the desert bees were joyous now that flowers were around. their legs were covered with pollen when they flew back to the hive. a few bees would approach and be intimate with him from time to time. he was in a good mood because of the lively scene. to be able to create such a bright-colored scene in the desert gave him a sense of accomplishment. he went to the front of the hive and opened the attribute panel. [desert wasp hive] [level: special] [queen bee: elite (after upgrading to the advanced-level queen bee, the hive can produce a better quality of advanced-level honey.) [characteristics: can produce medium-quality desert honey with a unique fragrance. after eating the honey, it can significantly increase the recovery speed of stamina and injuries and slightly increase the recovery speed of magic power.] [lsb ¡ª number of bee colonies: small] [yield: a minimum of 10 units of high-grade honey per week.] [description: a rare-level bee in the desert. extremely rare.] [note: two new queen bees have been born in the desert. they will hive in three days.] Chapter 55 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard laughed when he saw the notification. divide the hive? he didn¡¯t expect to divide the hive so soon. he was very interested in the little ones that could make delicious delicacies on earth. the future of twilight city¡¯s wealth depended primarily on them. !! after the hive is divided and the olive flowers bloom, the reproduction rate must be extremely swift. perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the amount of honey produced would be able to keep up with the hive. three hives of honeybees could produce 30 units of honey per week. if it continued to be cultivated, it might be able to develop into a pillar industry of honey in twilight city in the future. that wasn¡¯t right. since the system notification said that it was extremely precious, then it definitely wouldn¡¯t be so easy to expand. it was very likely that after the hive split, there would be a period of development¡­ richard shook his head. to divide the hive was always good, no matter what happened in the future. desert crown honey, such delicious honey, sold for 10,000 units per jar¡­ no¡­ 100,000 units of resources were not too much, correct? even if it were 10,000 units of resources per jar. if it could produce 30 jars per week, it would be 300,000 units of resources for nothing. it was simply superb. now, they would have to see if onyx, a phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce member, could use those two jars of honey to open up the market in solan city. how about selling it to other players¡­? those sand sculptures were getting increasingly poor. who would spend 10,000 units of resources to buy a jar of honey? wouldn¡¯t it be nice to buy a few elite-level soldiers with this money? ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ just as his thoughts drifted, the sound of fear came from the bees that had quietly flown. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ richard looked up and saw two 7 to 8 centimeters long poisonous wasps as they flapped their wings and descended. when richard saw these wasps kill two bees and fly away, his heart burned with anger. he had to think of a way to get rid of these rare wasps. he couldn¡¯t fool around for half a day and be bullied by a few wasps. he was downhearted. he couldn¡¯t help the pathetic bees. when the time came, he would surely deep-fry them. bee pupae were an excellent dish¡­ with anger in his heart, his brows were tightly furrowed when he left the olive forest. the few residents didn¡¯t dare to speak. richard didn¡¯t stay long. from the olive forest, he arrived at the fire dragon rabbit base a few hundred meters away. at this time, the hollow sand was already surrounded by two meters wide purple vines and thorns. more than ten gnomes at the periphery hammered wooden posts to build another fence to prevent accidents. richard heard green tooth¡¯s voice as soon as he approached. the thin gnome held his head high, puffed out his chest, and commanded the others. ¡°strike harder! the great lord told me to take care of the fire dragon rabbit. this wall is the second safeguard! ¡°next, we need to build a third, fourth, and fifth safety measure¡­¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, how is my wooden stake?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not bad. you can eat an extra piece of meat tonight.¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, you honestly are a tolerant and benevolent leader, praise you¡­¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, do you see how my nails are hammered?¡± ¡°it¡¯s typical. it is a bit crooked.¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, your eyes are sharper than a falcon!¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, what do you think of this purple vine and thorn i planted?¡± ¡°too bad, pull them out and plant them again!¡± ¡°strong lord green tooth, your voice is as strong as thunder, too powerful¡­¡± richard was wonder-stricken with the following regard. at first, it was fine,but the corner of his mouth twitched after he heard that. ¡®are these green gnomes f*cking brainless? ¡®strong lord green tooth, with your toothpick body, a blow of your nose could break your ribs. ¡®can¡¯t the other gnomes have a little more shame when they flatter? how could they say such stupid words¡­?¡¯ gnomes were genuinely unique creatures. green tooth, who had enjoyed a rainbow fart, suddenly saw richard. his entire body shook, then he straightened his body and roared angrily. ¡°everyone, gather! the great and merciful lord has descended!¡± the other desert gnomes immediately put down the tools in their hands and ran in front of richard. they stood in a long line with their chests out. then, green tooth shouted. ¡°salute to the great lord!¡± after that, they put their hands on their chests and bowed. ¡°good day, great lord!¡± the other gnomes also immediately bowed together and shouted. ¡°good day, great lord!¡± when richard saw this scene, his expression instantly became stiff. they were all so familiar. ¡®had they rehearsed before, correct?¡¯ richard weakly waved his hand. ¡°stand up.¡± ¡°thank you, lord!¡± after green tooth took the lead to shout, the other gnomes also shouted. when richard saw that these green goblins still seemed to have a show, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and directly interrupted. ¡°stop talking nonsense. in the future, abolish these rules for me!¡± ¡°green tooth stays behind. the rest of you, go do your work.¡± green tooth, who waited to be complimented, immediately felt a bolt from the blue. he was starkly dumbfounded. the great lord honestly didn¡¯t like the greeting ceremony he had prepared after he consulted humans¡­ ¡­and green tooth still had many things to perform, although he didn¡¯t remember. after the other gnomes left, richard scolded the lazy fellow a few times before turning to business. ¡°how are the fire dragon rabbits these few days?¡± green tooth immediately revived in full blood when he answered this question. he quickly said, ¡°lord, after the purple vines and thorns surrounded the perimeter, the fire dragon rabbits have already started to build nests on the dragon leaves. their injuries have all recovered¡­ ¡°these few days, those small fire dragon rabbits have also grown very healthy.¡± richard nodded. ¡°last time, you said that the fire dragon rabbits shed their fur automatically? how often do they shed?¡± ¡°one month!¡± green tooth patted his chest and said confidently, ¡°i have carefully observed it!¡± ¡°the fire dragon rabbits absorb a large amount of solar energy every day. that energy is stored in their fur, which causes their fur to grow very fast. ¡°they often shed their fur in less than a month. the fire dragon rabbits grow new rabbit fur to consume the excess energy in their bodies.¡± richard¡¯s expression changed. when this gnome was not stupid, it was still quite clever. when its brain was not working, it was still quite typical. ¡°is there a big difference between the shed rabbit fur and the rabbit fur plucked from their bodies?¡± ¡°my lord, the shed rabbit hair is equivalent to a ripe fruit on a tree. the rabbit hair plucked from their bodies is equivalent to a green fruit. the quality of the shed rabbit hair is the best! ¡°it¡¯s just that most people like to peel off the rabbit skin. it looks better this way.¡± richard was a little surprised. he didn¡¯t expect there to be such a secret. ¡°how do we collect the scattered rabbit fur?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to collect it. the fire dragon rabbit will take the fallen rabbit fur to build a nest. we only need to go to their monthly nests to take out the rabbit fur.¡± ¡®good heavens, an automatic hair collector?¡¯ richard thought for a moment and suddenly realized that these fire dragon rabbits were indeed easy to raise. it would be fine if they were locked up and not fed. moreover, not only did they not need to feed the rabbits, but they would also take the initiative to collect the shed rabbit fur, saving even manual labor. this was simply the ultimate blessing for lazy people. ¡°in this world, there is no more worry-free breeding, right? the only thing to worry about is not feeding these rabbits¡­ the capitalists will when they see this.¡± Chapter 56 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard left the olive forest in a beautiful mood, he led his troop and headed east to scan the map. today, he planned to capture a medium-sized gold mine that a half-metal giant guarded. he was deeply impressed by those big men who had entire defense and were outrageous. however, a powerful weapon gave him strong confidence after the troop production refreshed and the number of the axe of the dead increased. ¡®let¡¯s see if you panic with a 30% chance of dying.¡¯ !! moreover, he wasn¡¯t afraid of any problems because of sand transformation. a particular skill with a natural defense against physical damage. at worst, he could just use sand transformation to escape. with a powerful trump card, richard had nothing to fear. on the way, he opened the [forum chat]. he didn¡¯t know how the lord-tier players were doing after troop production refreshed the other day. [hahahaha, i bought five troops from the lair yesterday. i just recruited a batch of them, and then they refreshed. i was good, and i recruited those troops again. now, i¡¯m like a mouse carrying a gun. i can scare cats!] [what a loss!! f*ck, yesterday, a vagrant offered me his wife to get a job. i was too happy and went to bed too early. i didn¡¯t recruit troops and missed the chance to refresh.] [then, this morning, a large group of bandits ransacked my territory. i didn¡¯t have enough troops, so i had to dry-clean it.] [later, i discovered that the homeless man was ultimately a spy sent by the enemy. moreover, his wife had a disease¡­! i just want to ask, how can i treat this illness? is it still too late to keep your body safe?] [ha ha ha! i have lao tzu¡¯s ten troops¡¯ lair, which will be violent. i just want to ask if you¡¯re afraid??!!] [but why do these troops eat more than the residents? ah, damn. i¡¯m so panicked. the troop will eat the territory like this¡­] richard had deep thoughts. one of the posts made richard laugh and thoughtful. he deliberately searched it and read it a few more times. [last time, it was that idiot who said the undead were good, didn¡¯t need logistics, and could be developed.] [i truly believed in you. i¡¯m a human territory of the holy church empire. i thought that when the residents died in the future, i could still use their bones to recruit skeleton soldiers.] [but after the undead appeared, the territory immediately fell into great chaos.] [those damn peasants said that they were undead and that they were very evil. they asked me to get rid of all the soldiers. are you kidding me? is this possible?] [after i rejected them, the soldiers¡¯ morale dropped so quickly that i couldn¡¯t hold them back.] [some people even led a rebellion today. f*ck, i killed them on the spot and used their corpses to summon the skeletons.] [even though i¡¯ve managed to intimidate them now, i feel their morale has fallen to the bottom. what should i do? the territory is going to be abolished¡­] [first floor: is the landlord an idiot in the teleportation? your holy church empire, a human from the light faction, isn¡¯t recruiting skeletons suicidal? have you ever seen a human territory raising skeleton soldiers? they were so scared that they scared people to death.] [second floor: i can¡¯t take it anymore. i¡¯m going to laugh myself to death. you¡¯re honestly a little genius. every faction has its characteristics. you¡¯re also courting death if you don¡¯t bring out your faction¡¯s strengths and still want to play with the other factions.] [third floor: have you ever seen an undead army that recruits elves?] [fourth floor: i have a pretty good idea. why don¡¯t you just slaughter those residents and transfer them to the undead faction¡­] [fifth floor: ¡­] richard fell into deep contemplation. the recruitment of the undead in the human territory would cause a backlash. why didn¡¯t the residents react to the few undead troops he recruited? was this the hidden setting of the game ¡°shining era¡±?¡¯ [could it be that the lord had recruited the undead soldiers from his camp? but if the recruited soldiers deviated from his camp, would they receive an invisible punishment?] [moreover, the more they deviated from the camp, the higher the punishment would be¡­] [like how the human lord recruited the undead soldiers, both sides were enemies so the punishment would be the most severe.] [the desert camp is law-abiding and neutral.] [the range of recruitment should be more expansive. and mummies are a unique product of the desert. they won¡¯t be affected too much.] [although this aspect is relaxed, there¡¯s still a considerable restriction ¡ª the desert.] [that¡¯s right, there may not be too many restrictions on the camp. we can recruit all types of soldiers, but the environment is limited.] [if the recruited soldiers are unsuitable for living in the desert, even if the residents accept them, this will significantly reduce their battle power.] [just like summoning a human soldier in the desert, it may be thirsty. if they are not suitable for fighting in the desert, this will significantly reduce their battle power.] [it seems that in the future, we must consider more about soldier recruitment¡­] after richard figured out the critical point, many of the doubts he had before suddenly became clear. as he was about to close the [forumchat], his private message suddenly lit up. he clicked it open. he saw a familiar account. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu!] [qingqiu: ???] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: hey, brother, you¡¯re online?] [qingqiu: cut the crap, what¡¯s the matter?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: ¡°brother qingqiu, you¡¯ve changed. when you want to buy my resources and treasures, you don¡¯t talk to me in this tone.] [when you need someone, call them little sweet. now, you don¡¯t need them. just call me madam niu¡­¡±] [qingqiu: release.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon? ¡°brother, you really can¡¯t take a joke. i was thinking of introducing my 1.72-meter-tall sister, who likes to wear black silk, to you. forget it, forget it¡­ let¡¯s get down to business.] [brother, i found a one-way portal. there¡¯s a 2-star dungeon inside. i¡¯m planning to go and clear it. since you can sell so much food, you must have cleared the dungeon too, right?] [do you have any skills that can guide me? as long as i can clear the dungeon, i¡¯ll surely give you a treasure!] [qingqiu: you¡¯re planning to clear a 2-star dungeon??] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: that¡¯s right. to tell you the truth, i picked up two 3-star treasure chests and made a small fortune. i bought ten ordinary-level troop lairs and five elite-level troop lairs!!] [after the number of troops i could recruit yesterday was refreshed, i already have three squadrons of troops. brother, how is this strength? not bad, right?] after this guy sent this message, he smiled smugly. it made him feel great when he showed off in front of this mysterious and powerful guy, qingqiu. however, richard¡¯s message after made his blood freeze. [qingqiu: if you want to die, then go. with the 2-star dungeon? who gave you the courage??] [do you know what¡¯s in a 1-star dungeon? the average level of the troops ¡ª rare.] [wait until you¡¯ve gathered three squadrons of rare troops before you can consider a 2-star dungeon.] after richard finished speaking, he closed the [forum chat] and couldn¡¯t be bothered with that sand sculpture anymore. where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon sent over a dozen messages in a row, but he was shocked and scared after no replies from the other party. ¡®a 1-star dungeon, the average strength of the troop is rare?? ¡®f*ck, i almost entered a 2-star dungeon!!¡¯ ¡®it was so close, so close. fortunately, i had an extra eye.¡¯ after he regained his senses, he immediately felt intense gratitude and deep respect for richard. ¡®big brother had saved my life!¡¯ ¡®but how could big brother of green hill know the details of a 1-star dungeon? there was no information outside the dungeon. could it be that big brother had been there?¡¯ ¡®otherwise, it was impossible to be so precise.¡¯ ¡®a dungeon that could clear the average strength of the troops was rare¡­? ¡­just how strong was this mysterious brother qingqiu?¡¯ for a moment, richard¡¯s status in his heart soared rapidly. after he thought for a moment, he opened his private message and sent a message to one of his friends. [sis, i just contacted brother qingqiu. he said that the strength of the troops in a 1-star dungeon is rare!] [he didn¡¯t say anything about the 2-star troops, but it¡¯s even more bizarre if you think about it with your knees. we have to postpone the raid!] the other party immediately responded. [night rain flower falls: qingqiu? the top player who sold nearly a hundred desert horses? how did he know that all the troops inside were rare?? he cleared the dungeon?!!] [sis, don¡¯t be surprised. that big shot is very arrogant. his information is surely guaranteed¡­ he saved us.] [night rain flower falls: the game ¡°shining era¡± has truly undergone significant changes. most of the information i knew about the company had already been obsolete. we have to be more careful in the future.] [sis, how will we get along with big brother qingqiu? i feel like we can cling onto his thigh¡­] [night rain flower falls: that qingqiu is not easy. you can contact him more in the future.] [we will repay kindness with kindness and hatred with a vengeance. it is our family motto. find an opportunity to return his favor. i don¡¯t want to owe anyone.] [i said i had high hopes for him. sis, aren¡¯t you still single? i have a brilliant idea¡­] [night rain flower falls: get lost.] [alright.] Chapter 57 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after he closed the [forum chat], richard continued his journey. on his way to the gold mine, he went to the gemstone mine he discovered the other day to check. more than a dozen residents under the protection of the mummies came to mine ore this morning. richard could hear the digging sound from far away. when the residents saw that richard had arrived, they bowed one after another. !! richard nodded and deliberately stayed there to watch for a few minutes. mining was very dull. one would repeatedly wave tools to dig out small gems inside. nothing was interesting about it. after richard made sure that was nothing wrong with the mine, he did not stay any longer and turned around to leave. the miniature gemstone mine only produced three units of gems a day, so he had to wait patiently. the gemstone mine was about 20 minutes away from the gold mine. when richard saw the huge rocks in front of him again, he immediately became excited. ¡°everyone, get ready for battle! the defense of the half-metal giants is extremely shocking, and their strength is also terrifying. don¡¯t clash head-on with them. the scorpion warriors and the cursed pharaohs are the shields, and the undead soldiers lead the attack! use the soul execution to kill them!¡± richard looked into the distance. the brawny soldiers who patrolled between the enormous rocks appeared before him. [brutal half-metal giant] [level: 5 ¡ª elite soldier, defense increases by 15%.] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: golden body (d-rank) ¡ª body as rigid as gold, defense increases by 60%, immune to poison.] [as heavy as a mountain (d-rank) ¡ª every time you swing your fist, you will exert 200% of your body weight.] [heavy armor bone armor (e-rank ¡ª metal will merge into your skin and form a hard bone armor, defense increases by 30%.] [ race talent: ability to slowly increase strength in a gold mine.] [fetter-half-metal giant: when the number is greater than 10, defense increases by 20%.] [when the number of people is greater than 20, defense increases by 40%.] [when the number of people is greater than 30, defense increases by 60% (activated).] [description: little brat, i¡¯ll stand and hack you for three minutes. if you can break through my defense, count it as my loss.] although he had seen it once, this time, richard still felt that it was trulyf*cking hard. skills and fetters were all added to the defense. this thing, even an ordinary weapon, would not be able to leave a white mark. the goat monsters richard killed the other day were pronouncedly a few levels worse than the half-metal giants. it was simply heaven-defying physical damage. ¡°but after all my calculations, i didn¡¯t expect the axe of the dead to have magic damage¡­¡± richard laughed. in a good mood, he immediately gave the order. ¡°attack formation!¡± two teams of poison scorpion warriors stepped forward. one and a half teams of axe of the dead stood 20 meters behind the poison scorpion warriors. a similar number from the cursed pharaohs stood 50 meters away from the poison scorpion warriors. richard realized the power of this iron mine when he annihilated the devil goat monster the other day. the movements outside immediately attracted the attention of the brawny soldiers in the gold mine. ¡®clang! clang! clang!¡¯ the earth began to shake. one by one, huge figures walked out of the gold mine. those vast, purple gem-like eyes stared at the enemies that suddenly appeared outside with sparkling eyes. the tip of their noses twitched slightly. their faces revealed a hint of anger like water poured into steel. ¡°damned undead! how dare you step into our territory!¡± the voice that sounded like muffled thunder spread far and wide. the other half-metal giants in the gold mine were also alarmed. one by one, they walked out. from the outside, it looked like small hills were moving. the scorpion warriors guarding the front line were not afraid at all, and they provoked loudly. ¡°leave this gold mine! this is twilight city¡¯s territory!!¡± the half-metal giant, whose anger had already risen, was even more furious. ¡°this is our territory!!!¡± the first half-metal giant who spoke rushed out. it would let these lowly beings know what cruelty was! ¡®roar!¡¯ a roar, like a clap of thunder, exploded in their ears. sand burst everywhere. a sandy ground appeared after leaving the gold mine for more than 20 meters. every step the half-metal giant took would raise a sky full of yellow sand. a monster ran out with the imposing manner of an army. its vast and sturdy body was exceedingly mighty. after the opponent got close, the pressure suddenly increased. no one would doubt that this behemoth could burst out with terrifying damage! but the undead soldiers would never be afraid. after the half-metal giant stepped into the 10-meter range, the undead soldiers simultaneously threw out 15 tomahawks in their hands. the half-metal giant was proud of its fantastic defense, so it had no intention of dodging. instead, it raised its head and stepped forward with its head held high. it would never believe that these tomahawks of these undead soldiers could break through its body, which had been forged by devouring countless gold. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the tomahawks hit the half-metal giants. sparks flew everywhere. the tomahawks were fierce, and large cracks appeared on the opponent¡¯s body. the additional magic damage pronouncedly exceeded the half-metal giant¡¯s defensive range. the confident half-metal giant¡¯s eyes revealed an unconcealable shock. ¡®do these undead soldiers use magic damage?!¡¯ ¡®how could those thick and heavy tomahawks cause magic damage?!¡¯ just as it was about to react, it suddenly felt an indescribably intense pain coming from its soul. then, its vision went black, and it lost consciousness. it didn¡¯t even have time to struggle for half a second. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the colossal body collapsed onto the yellow sand. the ground shook and crushed the sand. deep marks were left. soul execution. the half-metal giants with complete defense enjoyed the unique characteristics of the undead soldiers. anticipation filled the half-metal giants at the back as they waited for their companions to counterattack and slaughtered them. however, they did not expect the situation to be completely different from what they had expected. the undead soldiers executed them before they got close to the enemy. this considerable contrast made them feel like the flames had ignited in their chests. these undead soldiers not only wanted to seize their territory but also dared to kill their comrades! unforgivable! these four-meter-tall, three-ton behemoths clenched their fists and roared furiously. they were going to crush these bugs! ¡°sand transformation!¡± richard, who commanded from behind, gave the order decisively. before the enemies could rush over, the scorpion warriors had already activated their most vital life-saving skill. the half-metal giants were too powerful. their size gave them terrifying strength. elite 3-star scorpion warriors would surely be unable to withstand the impact if they did not have the sand transformation. they might even be wiped out in one wave. however, after they activated the sand transformation, everything was different. more than ten half-metal giants rushed to the front of the poison scorpion warrior in the endless yellow sand. two small parties also followed behind them. the defensive power of this gold mine far exceeded that of the gemstone mine they occupied the other day. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the tomahawk tore through the air. it slashed down horizontally. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ countless sparks scattered. under the full power of the axe of the dead between 20 to 30 meters, the half-metal giants who only touched their physical defenses felt the cruelty of reality. even if their tyrannical rock bodies were as rigid as a city wall, they were still crushed by the undead soldiers. fifteen undead soldiers caused the collapse of seven half-metal giants in the second round. after the axe of the dead obtained battle merits, they pulled the chain fiercely, and the tomahawks were forced to return at a highly swift speed. they were ready for the second round of throwing. but at this moment, the half-metal giants who were utterly swallowed up by anger immediately counterattacked. several half-metal giants reached out their hands, pulled the chains that returned, and gripped them with force. their bodies seemed to emit metallic luster, and their bulging muscles suddenly tensed up. a continuous burst of power erupted. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the chains of the undead soldiers broke, and the tomahawks stabbed into the sand. a half-metal giant grabbed the tomahawk and pulled it back. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ it pulled the chains back. the mountain-collapsing power pulled forward a 2.2-meter undead soldier who wore full body armor. its feet were pushed deep into the desert and then forcefully dragged, which left two pronounced marks on the sand. extremely powerful. Chapter 58 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at the situation on the field. his expression became more serious. this was the first time the opponents had defeated the axe of the dead. just as he was about to order the cursed pharaoh to support him, the situation suddenly changed again. a few of the undead soldiers that had broken the chains pulled hard and placed the remaining chains back into their hands. after the half-metal giant broke them, the tomahawks deeply buried in the desert suddenly broke into pieces like glass and disappeared without a trace. !! meanwhile, the broken tomahawks in the hands of the undead soldiers grew out of thin air. they returned to their original appearance in a few blinks of an eye. [racial talent: after the half-metal giants broke the tomahawks, they can use energy to condense again.] the axe of the dead dealt magic damage because their tomahawks were condensed from energy¡­ at this moment, the undead soldier held by the half-metal giant at the other end of the chain also made a move. it pulled the chain fiercely, and the half-metal giant¡¯s hand that held the other end of the chain shattered into oblivion. countless pieces of debris reassembled in the air. by the time the half-metal giant pulled the chain back into his hand, the broken tomahawk had already returned to normal. this scene was simply invigorating. richard laughed loudly and looked at the cursed pharaoh beside him. ¡°cast your spell, restrict the movement of the half-metal giant, and attack with undead soldiers!¡± the cursed pharaoh, who waited a long time, suddenly waved the withered scepter in its hand. cursed words! a dark light flashed. in the next second, the half-metal giant¡¯s body that fought with the scorpion warrior froze. and it was beyond richard¡¯s expectations. when richard controlled the rare 2-star devil goat monster the other day, it returned to normal in less than two seconds. but the half-metal giant¡¯s time doubled. a full four seconds. even if it was a fight between ordinary people, four seconds was enough to decide the outcome, let alone on a battlefield. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the brutal bodies of the half-metal giants, which gave them terrifying power, became the best target at this time. the tomahawks thrown by the undead soldiers did not miss. soul execution! one by one, the half- metal giants collapsed. ¡®the half-metal giants have an insane physical defense. but correspondingly, their magic resistance is low¡­ ¡®that¡¯s true. with such a strong defense and high magic resistance, the lowest is a rare-level troop, right?¡¯ as richard pondered, the collision between the two sides became more intense. after the half-metal giant¡¯s companion fell, another companion behind it charged up with endless fury again. the earth trembled as they ran! the scorpions that had turned into sand charged fearlessly forward. however, the extremely strong close combat scorpions instantly felt the malice of the entire world when they faced the four-meter-tall half-metal giant. the clenched hand of the half-metal giant was even more terrifying than the strength of the heavy hammer. the two iron pincers of the scorpion crossed to block, and they were directly smashed into pieces by the fist. they scattered into yellow sand. ¡®phew!¡¯ it swung a heavy fist and bombarded the scorpion warrior¡¯s body. ¡®bang!¡¯ it directly exploded, creating a large hole. even if the scorpion warrior crazily swallowed the yellow sand to repair itself, it would not be able to withstand it. fortunately, the sand transformation was immune to 99% physical damage. otherwise, it would have been a nightmare for all melee soldiers to face these monsters head-on. pharaoh¡¯s curse! the cursed pharaoh waved his withered scepter for the second time. the power of the half-metal giant that charged at the front rapidly decreased. all attributes decreased by 20%. with magic resistance extremely low, the half-metal giant resisted the curse¡¯s power. the scorpion warrior immediately had a chance to catch its breath and began to obstruct the enemy¡¯s advance desperately. but even so, the violent to the extreme half-metal giant still hammered the scorpion warrior into a sandstorm. the battlefield stirred up a sandstorm, and yellow sand covered the sky. but the more chaotic the battle was, the more the undead soldiers could display their skills. the sound of the tomahawk which pulled the chains was audible incessantly. there was always a chance to trigger the terrifying soul execution skill. one is full of energy. two is exhausted. three is dead beat. when the half-metal giant could not break through the scorpion warrior¡¯s blockade in the first wave, it charged into the back row. the second wave, the third wave, and the hope of the second wave became slimmer and slimmer. twilight city swiftly increased in strength while the number of half-metal giants rapidly decreased. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the last half-metal giant entangled with the scorpion warrior fell under the 30% kill characteristic of the undead soldier. the rolling yellow sand on the battlefield gradually calmed down¡­ richard watched from behind and saw it very clearly. however, throughout the battle, the scorpion warrior¡¯s poisonous tail that had the armor-piercing characteristic only left white marks on the half-metal giant. he could only admire the power of the axe of the dead in the end! it was not that the half-metal giant was not strong, but twilight city was more strong! [ding~ you have commanded the troop to win a mini battle. you have obtained 300 experience points.] [ding~ you have defeated the troop stationed at the medium-sized gold mine and obtained the authority to occupy the gold mine. do you wish to occupy it?] ¡°confirm.¡± after the system notification sounded, richard¡¯s mood became even more excited. this was a rare 3-star troop. and there were as many as three small teams. the average strength of this troop was a few levels higher than the devil goat monster he killed the other day. but even so, it was still defeated by richard without a scratch. a strong sense of accomplishment rose in his heart. he had personally forged this troop, and everyone was fighting for him. [gold mine] [level: medium] [reserves: 100,000 units] [maximum output: 14,000 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 10 people, maximum of 50 people.] [description: medium-sized resource points. after the occupation, one can mine gold coins.] the output of medium-sized gold mines greatly improved compared to small-sized resource points. however, the number requirement had correspondingly increased from 10 to 50 people. ¡°people went hunting to exchange for more resources in the early stages. however, once there are more ore veins, these resource points with stable output will also become a reliable income for the territory. ¡°unfortunately, this is a desert. the number of resource points refreshed is many times less than other areas.¡± richard touched his forehead. the desert was indeed not a place with rich resources. when the lords of the other camps posted on the [forum chats], they all revealed information about the numerous resource points around their territories, intentionally or not. only the lords of the desert camp wailed. ¡°but if things go on like this, there won¡¯t be enough residents in the territory¡­¡± richard thought about the pitiful 300-odd residents of twilight city. he immediately shook his head. ¡°unfortunately, although the army has intelligence, it can¡¯t replace the natives¡­ the official website of the ¡®shining era¡¯ mentioned there need to be enough people in the later stages of the city¡¯s upgrade.¡± the lords who gave up on the residents in the early stages would surely taste the bitter fruit. ¡°i still have to bring back the 300 people that the search and rescue team found last time and refused to leave the desert oasis. ¡°moreover, the harboring lair doesn¡¯t lack food in a small oasis. that¡¯s too suspicious.¡± as he thought about it, he led the troop into the gold mine. huge rocks filled the place, and it looked more like a quarry from the outside. however, after he stepped into it, one could see gold glowing under the foot of the massive stone. a large workshop was there when richard entered the central area. the resident used this to make gold coins. they could start work any time as long as there were workers. richard found a rotten wooden box in front of the dusty workshop after he observed around carefully. ¡°is this a treasure box?¡± he was delighted. but when he got closer, he couldn¡¯t check its attributes. he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. but with the thought that the fisherman would never be an air force, he bent down and opened the wooden box. unexpectedly. a folded blackened blueprint was in the bottom crack of the box. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he immediately took out the blueprint. and then carefully and slowly opened it. Chapter 59 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [ding~ you have obtained the food workshop blueprint.] [food workshop blueprint] [level: ordinary] [characteristics: can build a food workshop for research, development and production, and processing of food. [resources required for construction: 5,000 gold coins, 10,000 units of wood, 10,000 units of stone] !! [construction time: 7 days] [standard number required: 30 people. when the number of people is less than the standard number, the construction time will increase. when the number of people is greater than the standard, the construction time will decrease.] [occupation: 10 spaces] [description: your territory can taste more delicious food.] richard touched his chin. this was the first time he had released a blueprint. he obtained the hero¡¯s altar blueprint from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. moreover, as he looked at its attributes, they seemed to be pretty good. food production, processing, research¡­? wasn¡¯t this a one-stop research, development, and production? a lot of ideas immediately popped up in richard¡¯s mind. ¡®desert crown honey and russian olive forest, couldn¡¯t all of these be additionally processed and developed?¡¯ ¡®wouldn¡¯t food made from desert crown honey provide the royal family?¡¯ the more he thought about it, the more interesting it would be. the people valued food above all else. this wasn¡¯t just a common saying. as long as the things he made were outstanding, there would surely be no need to worry about selling them. he was short of resources. after the troop lairs reached rarity, every upgrade required an astronomical amount of resources. the next upgrade of the axe of the dead lair would be rare 3-stars, which required 1,000 ordinary-level troop lairs. five hundred per nest would mean 500,000 units of resources¡­ if he upgraded again, it would be 5 million units. this number was getting more and more ridiculous. moreover, this was only one branch of the troop. the number of resources needed would be astronomical if one wanted to train more troop units. whether he managed the territory or developed the army, the most fundamental thing was still the word ¡°economy¡±. while richard thought, he stored the blueprint in the system space. at this moment, twilight city had another path to take. the system notification sounded just as richard scanned the map. [ding~ the battle of the gods shattered the long river of time that caused countless time fragments to remain in the main plane.] [one of the time fragments that involve a large number of origin rules will appear on may 28.] [the top 1,000,000 players on the lord ranking list can enter and explore it.] [after the troop that the lords brought in dies, they can spend the points they earned to resurrect when the time fragment ends. the lord himself can resurrect for free.] [the time fragment contains all sorts of special treasures. the winner will also receive special rewards. lord, please be prepared.] richard¡¯s spirits heaved. he opened the system and read the notification a few more times. ¡°time fragment?¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t this a dungeon?¡± moreover, it was a large-scale dungeon with millions of participants! more importantly, this dungeon could be resurrected, so there was no need to worry about death. millions of lords who were no longer afraid of death fought together. that scene was probably more spectacular than any movie. at this moment, his heart suddenly became excited. he was a little displeased there were no players¡¯ territories around twilight city. at this moment, he could finally fight with those sand sculptures. he opened the [forum chat] and found that everyone was in an uproar. [hahaha, a large-scale dungeon! this time, i can finally have enough fun!] [brothers, come and join me. we¡¯ll capture basak at this moment!] [i¡¯m sorry, i wanted to be a good person in the past, but i didn¡¯t have the chance. now, i can only kill you all in exchange for the final reward.] [there are still 20 days left, violent troop, violent troop!!] [f*ck, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? i already sold my territory to the npcs this morning. if i went, wouldn¡¯t i win the final prize?] [does anyone know any information about this dungeon?] [wind and cloud will recruit players vigorously. as the saying goes, a single tree can make a forest. working together can break the gold! ¡°brothers who are no longer willing to be bullied or face danger alone, please send me a private message! after entering the dungeon, there will be a great backup.] [the first million lords can enter the dungeon? what does this mean? why only a million? we have 20 billion people!] [everyone, look, the rankings have been announced!!] suddenly, a post piqued richard¡¯s interest. he closed the [forum chat] and looked at the gray section of the forum¡ªthe [leaderboard]. at this moment, the [leaderboard] could be clicked into. with a thought, he opened it. there were two sections inside: [territory level ranking list] [overall territory strength ranking list] the ¡°shining era¡± was a game for lords. everything was based on the territory and there was no such thing as a ranking list. currently, only one list was open¡ªthe [territory level ranking list]. the [overall territory strength ranking list] had a countdown¡ªmay 28, 10:00. [the top one million could enter the time fragment.] richard glanced and was surprised. [territory level ranking list] [first: dragon dive ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: human (holy church)] [second: claude ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: elf (natural)] [third: hank ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: orc (tribe)] [fourth: beacon smoke ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: human (holy church)] [fifth: spring tide ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: demon (abyss)] [sixth: toshio watanabe ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: orc (tribe)] [seventh: muhammad ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: undead (undead)] [eighth: gross ¡ª territory level: 3 small city, faction: dwarf (fortress)] [ninth: babarov ¡ª territory level: 2 small city, faction: human (church)] [tenth: gikdel ¡ª territory level: 2 small city, faction: medusa (dungeon)] ****** the top eight territories had ultimately been upgraded to level 3 small cities!! from the eighth place to the 1,000 shown, all of them were level 2 small cities. ¡°under the 20 billion base, there will inevitably be strong people.¡± richard glanced at his territory ranking: 10 billion + his mouth twitched. the resources he had obtained in the past few days had all been invested into the troop lairs, which made twilight city still a level 1 village. compared to the territories on the ranking list, it was simply too inferior. however, there were priorities, and he did not think that his choice was a problem. in an unsafe environment, before he could protect himself, he had invested resources into leveling up his territory. once an enemy appeared, he could only lie down and wait for death. he had always liked to have the initiative in his hands. ¡°next, it¡¯s time to raise the territory level. i definitely can¡¯t miss that large-scale dungeon.¡± richard had absolute confidence that he could occupy a place in the overall territory strength ranking list. however, to be on the safe side, he still had to raise the level of the territory as soon as possible. what if in the overall territory troop strength ranking that had yet to be opened, the territory level is placed at a high rank and the troop strength is at a low rank? he could not be careless. at this moment, richard was in high spirits. he wondered if twilight city¡¯s current troop strength would be able to suppress the situation if it was placed among the top part of the 20 billion lords. no, he still needed to improve the troop¡¯s strength. he needed to improve the troop strength before this dungeon opened. he wanted to build troops that the other lords will have to bow to. Chapter 60 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: anyone, why isn¡¯t big brother qingqiu¡¯s territory on the leaderboard?] after he sent out the message, he unwillingly flipped through the leaderboard again. however, the leaderboard only revealed the top 1,000 lords. he flipped through the leaderboard a few times but still couldn¡¯t find an account named qingqiu. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: did big brother qingqiu change his account name?] [night rain flower falls: impossible, everyone can only have one account name. the name change function has not been developed yet.] !! where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was slightly confused. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: but why didn¡¯t i see his name? qingqiu can¡¯t be weaker than the others!] ever since richard told him the secret of the dungeon, this guy had a strong trust in richard. [night rain flower falls: territory level can¡¯t represent everything.] [qingqiu sold nearly a hundred desert horses a few days ago. they won¡¯t be short of resources.] [he probably invested resources into the troops. otherwise, how could he clear the dungeon?] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon immediately became excited. [yes, build troops! big brother qingqiu must have invested all his resources into the troops, that¡¯s why he could clear the 1-star dungeon that was full of rare soldiers!] [night rain flower falls: don¡¯t say so much. before the dungeon opens, you must quickly level up and enter the top 1,000,000. this large-scale dungeon will ultimately produce many good things.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i know, why don¡¯t you take a look at who i am?! just wait, in less than a week, i¡¯ll trample everyone under my feet and become the world¡¯s number one!] [night rain flower falls: oh.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was at a loss for words for a while. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sis, can that b-rank hero of yours be ranked number one at this stage?] [night rain flower falls: i¡¯m not sure.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: didn¡¯t you say that the difficulty of the a-rank hero search is extreme? it would still be difficult to recruit one even if you encounter one in the early stages? in this way, wouldn¡¯t your hero be ultimately number one?] [night rain flower falls: how do you know that no one else has completed the recruitment of a b-rank hero?] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was bereft of speech. [night rain flower falls: but i¡¯m confident that i can enter the top three. chris has a chance to become an a-rank hero in the future.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: how much stronger is an a-rank hero than a b-rank hero?] [night rain flower fallsfalling rain: i can¡¯t describe it. the two are not on the same level.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: then, are there many a-rank heroes?] [night rain flower falls: if we were to compare it to the entire ¡°shining era¡±, there are many, but very few can be recruited by the players.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sis, can we cultivate our own a-rank heroes?] [night rain flower fallsfalling rain: the difficulty of cultivating our own heroes is much greater than recruiting them. unless we find a special building that can transform our troops into heroes, and also obtain a treasure that can increase the potential of our heroes, then it¡¯s possible to obtain it.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon got excited. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sis, you should know where these special buildings are, right?] [night rain flower falls: i know two, but they¡¯re too far away from us. moreover, no treasure can increase a hero¡¯s potential. even if i go, i can only recruit d-rank and c-rank heroes.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sis, do you have any other ways to recruit high-rank heroes? give me one.] [night rain flower falls: no, the current situation in the ¡°shining era¡± and the information i have in the game have changed drastically. if i didn¡¯t know all of chris¡¯ information, the probability of this hero search failure would be very high.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: alright then, i¡¯ll ask big brother qingqiu later. i don¡¯t know if he has recruited any b-rank heroes.] [night rain flower falls: the chances are not high. the early hero recruitments are all very difficult. moreover, some of them can not be completed with a powerful army.] [for example, a hero issues a search to look for items or a recruitment task to look for people. even if he has a dragon rank troop, if he can¡¯t find it, he can¡¯t find it. there¡¯s no other way.] [only e-rank and f-rank heroes are slightly easier to recruit. however, heroes at this level don¡¯t have the potential to be cultivated.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: alright, big brother qingqiu might not be able to do this. he¡¯s in the desert, what kind of heroes can he recruit? having a c-rank hero is already very impressive, right¡­?] the discussion on the forum was already in an uproar over the matter of the leaderboard. most of the players did not expect that those powerful players were already so corrupted. in just a few days, their territory had already leveled up to a level 3 small city! and many of them still worked hard every day to protect the residents from hunger. people really could not be compared. [i was still worrying about the food in my territory today. when i opened the ranking list and looked, it was truly a waste!! when can i not be satisfied with food¡­] [did you notice that the big boss qingqiu who sold a huge amount of food a few days ago did not appear on the leaderboard?] [hehehehehehe, he dares to call himself big boss just because he sold some food? if he has the ability, why won¡¯t he take a spot on the leaderboard? don¡¯t brag about others for no reason, it¡¯s not like he has any money.] [that¡¯s true, qingqiu didn¡¯t even rank in the top 1,000. i thought he was a big boss, but i didn¡¯t expect that when the leaderboard came out, there was nothing¡­¡± [bullsh*t, didn¡¯t you guys think that qing qiu could get so much food a few days ago? would he not lack the resources to level up his territory? he¡¯s truly brainless.] [but the reality is, no matter how much you brag, you¡¯ll still get slapped in the face. isn¡¯t that ridiculous?] [clown jumping! there¡¯s only one player on the leaderboard, why are you so anxious? why are you so anxious to get slapped in the face?] [i think you¡¯re the one with cerebral palsy, why are you bragging for no reason¡­] the war of words continued. at first, the players discussed the top lords on the leaderboard. but later, a large group of people somehow brought the topic to richard, who had previously attracted the attention of countless people because of the large amount of food he sold. later on, the argument escalated into a war of words. one side thought that qingqiu had just happened to get some food and that it was nothing special. now, he was not even in the top 1,000 on the leaderboard, so it was nothing. the other players thought that qingqiu could get so much food a few days ago. who could compare? moreover, with this ability, would he lack resources? now that the territory hadn¡¯t leveled up, there must be another reason. he was surely a hidden boss. the war of words was still fine at first. later on, more and more people were involved. the people in the entire forum paid less attention to the leaderboard. everyone began to discuss why qing qiu wasn¡¯t on the ranking list. richard, who hadn¡¯t appeared from the beginning to the end, inexplicably became the center of discussion after the territory ranking list appeared. things had become magical. Chapter 61 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard left the gold mine, he continued to scan the map with excitement. the most direct manifestation of a soldier¡¯s strength was their level and potential. [level: with every level increase, a certain amount of strength can be obtained.] [potential: represents the amount of strength that can be obtained after leveling up.] hunting not only allowed one to obtain resources, but also a large amount of experience. !! to level up was an eternal melody. it was not until dark that richard returned to his territory with a tired body. although he was tired, he was in a good mood. after today¡¯s busy day, he had gained a lot. first, he had occupied a medium-sized gold mine that could produce 14,000 units per week. although it could not be compared to the harvest from hunting, this was a fixed income, and it was quite fragrant. secondly, he had annihilated the half-metal giant in a head-on clash. it had proved the combat strength of the troop once again. it gave him a direct understanding of the strength of his hands. thirdly, he obtained a blueprint of a food workshop from the gold mine, which gave twilight city another direction of development in the future. this was a building with added heritage. lastly, today¡¯s scan had harvested a lot of prey and experience. the poisonous scorpion warrior, cursed pharaoh, and the axe of the dead had all reached level 4. and they now crossed the threshold of level 5. the system space was also filled with prey, and it could process at least 2,000 units of food. the harvest was full. back in the territory, karu waited for him as usual. but today, the other party seemed to have a lot on his mind. only after richard asked did he find out that the water level in the territory¡¯s well had dropped greatly in the past two days, which made karu very anxious. ¡°lord richard, the water level of the territory¡¯s well has decreased again today¡­ it might drop again in a few days¡­¡± richard also had a headache. water in the desert represented life. the lack of water was fatal to the territory. he had already accumulated nine pieces of spring water fragments, and he was one piece away to synthesize medium-sized spring water. however, he had not seen any sign of transaction for the reward these days¡­ ¡°i will resolve this matter, in two days, at most.¡± richard will augment the worth of the units of resources in exchange for the spring water fragment if no transaction is completed the next day. money was money, so spending it was not shabby. when karu heard this, he was finally relieved. after richard placed the harvest of the day by the well for the residents to deal with, he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. after his dinner, he opened the [forum chat] to behold. at this time, he realized that he had become the subject of countless discussions, and his expression immediately seemed odd. these sand sculptures did not change their character no matter where they went. they had nothing to do every day, and they still had the strength to spit at each other. he glanced at the reward that he still had not completed, and then went to search for the spring water fragments for sale. he discovered that the other people who sold the spring water fragments were all heartless fellows, and their bids were more and more ruthless. after he weighed up, he directly increased the worth by 30,000 units of resources. he still couldn¡¯t believe that five desert horses and 30,000 units of resources were not enough in exchange for a spring water fragment¡­ after hanging it for a few minutes, a private message suddenly rang. [ding~ your reward has been sold. you have lost five desert horses and obtained a spring water fragment *1.] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. why did he feel he lost money when the deal happened so quickly? however, he was also relieved in his heart. he had finally gathered enough fragments to level up. three spring water fragments could be combined into a 1-star treasure spring water. ten of them could be combined into a 2-star treasure medium-sized spring water. thirty of them could be combined into a 3-star treasure large-sized spring water. the water shortage problem in twilight city had been delayed for a long time. it was not a problem. according to the estimation of the spring water in the russian olive forest, the medium-sized spring water could be used by 3,000 to 5,000 people without a problem. in the future, he would not have to worry about it for a long time. after this problem that had troubled him for a long time was solved, he was in a good mood again and went to sleep happily. it was not too late to put it away tomorrow morning. may 10, early morning. a noise outside awakened richard. with some doubts, he washed up and walked out of the lord¡¯s mansion. as he traced the noise, he came to the area where the well was. at this time, a large group of people gathered by the well was discussing something with frowned faces. when they saw richard, they were stirred up and quickly bowed. ¡°good day, lord.¡± however, their tone was not as energetic as before, like an eggplant beaten by frost. richard raised his eyebrows. ¡°what are you discussing so early in the morning?¡± a resident with a sad face replied. ¡°my lord, the well suddenly ran out of water this morning for some reason¡­¡± ¡®ran out of water?¡¯ richard was stupefied. he took a few steps forward and came to the well through the gap between the crowd. he looked down. he saw a half-wet wooden barrel tied with a rope. drops of water slid down from the side. in the wooden bucket, the water only flooded the bottom of the bucket. moreover, it was muddy water with a lot of sand, so it couldn¡¯t be drunk at all. ¡°last night, karu said that it could last a few days, but today, the water ran out¡­¡± richard instantly remembered the system notification the previous monday¡­ this week was a special week: drought week. at that time, he had even complained about the impact of drought on the desert. now that even the water source ran out, how could he be so unreasonable¡­ ¡°is this the power of drought week? it¡¯s truly amazing. we can¡¯t underestimate these special weeks in the future.¡± the surrounding residents started discussion again. ¡°lord, what should we do?¡± ¡°do we have to go to the russian olive forest to fetch water in the future¡­?¡± ¡°why did the water well suddenly dry up?¡± ¡°it didn¡¯t dry up suddenly. i noticed yesterday that the water has become fewer¡­¡± ¡°let¡¯s dig another well¡­¡± the group of people was bewildered. the drying up of the well had dealt a heavy blow to them. this was a desert. water represented life. one could not live without water. at this moment, karu had also rushed over. his wrinkled face like an old tree looked even older after he had witnessed this scene. ¡°good day, lord¡­¡± after he saluted richard, he wanted to say something but didn¡¯t say anything in the end. the worry on his face was almost overflowing. richard looked at everyone¡¯s eyes and smiled. wasn¡¯t this going against the gun? yesterday, he had increased the worth of resources for the last spring water fragment. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous. i have a way.¡± this calm voice immediately made the crowd quiet down. the leadership skill had a strong charisma and could easily convince his subordinates. a strong sense of trust rose in the hearts of the residents. it was as if nothing could stop him after he spoke. richard waved his hand, and ten crystal shards appeared in his hand. they looked like broken crystals, but they did not cut his hand. the spring water shards were only one-third the size of a palm. they looked like broken crystals, but they did not cut his hand. [spring water fragment ¡ª can consume 10 pieces of synthetic medium-sized spring water. do you want to synthesize it?] ¡°confirm.¡± the moment he made his choice, the spring water fragment in his hand suddenly emitted a bright light. the surrounding residents were stunned. what was going on? those old residents who had seen the russian olive forest and the birth of spring water were excited at this moment. ¡°i¡¯ve seen this scene before. that¡¯s a god-given gift¡­ the lord ultimately still has it!¡± when the crowd heard this, they were instantly in an uproar. ¡°a god-given gift?¡± ¡°is that a god-given treasure?! gods above, i never thought that i would have the chance to see such a treasure¡­¡± the crowd marveled. they all opened their eyes wide. they wanted to see what the legendary god-given gift looked like. that ray of light gradually condensed in richard¡¯s hand, and the spring water fragments fused into a crystal ball that emitted a cool aura. in the middle of the crystal ball, spring water gurgled. it was full of a unique atmosphere. richard dragged the crystal in his hand and walked toward the well. ¡®tap! tap! tap!¡¯ the crisp sound of leather boots that stepped on the floor seemed to have stepped everyone¡¯s heart at this moment. he came to the front of the well and flipped his hand. the crystal ball directly fell into the well. ¡°ah?!¡± the crowd subconsciously let out a cry of surprise. ¡®thump!¡¯ the sound of a stone smashed into water rang out. then, the situation returned to tranquility. richard glanced at the crowd. ¡°it¡¯s settled.¡± he directly turned around and left after he said no more nonsense. the residents subconsciously parted to their left and right. they looked at the silent water well, their faces somewhat stunned. why doesn¡¯t the god-given gift move? did the lord just leave like that? while they were filled with confusion¡­ ¡®bang!¡¯ a water column that was more than ten meters tall suddenly spewed out from the dried-up well. after the clear water rose to the peak, it fell with a splash. the clothes of the surrounding residents were all drenched. however, at this moment, no one hid or felt unhappy. as they stared at the water column that filled the sky, endless joy rose in their hearts. ¡°hahahaha!! there¡¯s water!!!¡± amidst great sorrow and joy, everyone seemed to have gone crazy as they began to run to the well. after the high water column fell, the well water seemed to have an endless stream of spring water that gurgled from the well. after the depression, people laughed and splashed water on their friends. they released the fear and unease they had just felt. under the first ray of sunlight in the morning, they laughed like never before. the water in the desert was hope, life, and everything. those who had not experienced the drought in the desert would never be able to experience the preciousness of water. the lord had once again given life to this land, hope, and the future. after a long time, the exhausted crowd quieted down. a young man turned to look in the direction where richard had left, speechless for a long time. in the end, he slowly placed his hand on his chest and bowed towards the direction where richard was no longer there. this scene touched countless residents. at this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes scorched as they saluted the empty path. [ding~ your actions have conquered the residents of twilight city. your progress in leveling up your leadership skill has increased by 50%.] [ding~ twilight city¡¯s hidden attribute: popular support has reached 80. obtained attribute: stable place.] [stable place: popular support has a high degree of happiness. the attraction to refugees has increased by 30%. there is a higher probability of attracting high-level talents or low-level heroes to seek refuge with you.] Chapter 62 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was stunned when he heard the system notification. he read it again carefully. [place of stability: the people are united. the degree of happiness is high. the attraction to the refugees is increased by 30%. there is a higher probability of attracting high-level talents or low-level heroes to come and seek refuge.] ¡°wow, the people are united. how can there be such a harvest?¡± this was pronouncedly a developmental characteristic. it might not have much effect in the short term, but the longer it was, the greater the benefits. ¡°hahaha, this round was not a loss.¡± !! richard, who was in a good mood, came to the lord¡¯s mansion and opened the resource panel of twilight city. [twilight city] [level: 1 small village (2,000 gold, stone, wood, and iron ore units each) [building: basic lord mansion (1), elite residence (10), basic blacksmith shop (1), basic barracks (1)] [special building: none] [open space: 10 squares] [residents: human (340 people), desert gnome (20), long-armed laborer (30)] [resources: gold (25,000), wood (25,000), stone (12,000), iron ore (12,000)] [rare resources: mercury (0), sulfur (0), crystal (0), gemstone (0)] [occupied resource points: mini quarry (1), mini logging field (1), mini iron ore (1), medium gold ore (1), mini gemstone ore (1)] [special resources: russian olive forest, desert crown bee, fire dragon rabbit] [territory attribute: yellow sand land (under the protection of lord richard, residents of twilight city will not get lost in the desert, and their stamina consumption in the desert will be reduced by 30%.] [troop lairs: guardian¡¯s land ¡ª elite 3-stars (3)] [great pyramid ¡ª elite 3-stars (3)] [scorpion¡¯s nest ¨Celite 3-stars (1)] [curse pyramid ¡ª elite 3-stars (1)] [battle axe wooden house ¡ª rare 3-stars (1)] [army: guardian pharaoh mummy ¡ª elite 3-stars (90)] [bandaged mummy ¡ª elite 3-stars (51)] [poisonous scorpion warrior ¡ª elite 3-stars (20)] [cursed pharaoh ¡ª elite 3-stars (20) [axe of the dead ¡ª rare 3-stars (15) [hero: adele thorin ¡ª a-rank] [description: an unremarkable territory in the death desert, but it has a certain amount of potential for development.] after richard read the territorial attributes a few times, he had an idea. the large-scale dungeon at the end of the month can determine the overall strength of the territory, and the top one million lords could enter. he did not know how high the territory level was. to be safe, he needed to level up first. it would be a joke if he did not get selected because his territory level was not high enough. he silently said, ¡°level up.¡± [ding~ do you want to use gold coins, wood, stone, iron ore, 2,000 units each to level up your territory?] ¡°yes.¡± [this level up will take 30 minutes. please clear the residents in the lord¡¯s mansion.] after richard ordered everyone to leave the lord¡¯s mansion, he chose to level up. in an instant. a faint yellow sand-like light appeared in the sky above the lord¡¯s mansion. it enveloped all the buildings in the lord¡¯s mansion. looking down from the sky, one could pronouncedly see that the bluestone floor at the edge of the territory began to spread in all directions. soon, the desert was covered by a large area. this movement immediately attracted the attention of the residents. they looked at the changes in the lord¡¯s mansion, they were all very excited. ¡°i know. this is the power bestowed by the gods to lord richard. it can quickly upgrade buildings¡­¡± ¡°every time i see it, i¡¯m amazed¡­¡± silence wrapped the whole crowd. at this time, karu had also arrived behind richard. the old man was still immersed in the excitement from the advent of the spring, and his clothes were wet. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯m upgrading my territory.¡± he thought for a moment and continued. ¡°tell all residents to leave their residences. don¡¯t stay in the buildings. the blacksmith shop is no exception.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± karu left in a hurry. half an hour later, a system notification sounded. [ding~ twilight city has been upgraded. current level: level 2 small village. territory expanded by 10 spaces. the current space is 20 spaces.] ¡°continue to upgrade.¡± [ding~ to upgrade to level 3 small village requires two buildings to reach the elite level.] richard gazed at the territory buildings. the residential buildings were already elite level. now, he only needed to upgrade one more building. he opened the attributes panel of the blacksmith shop. [blacksmith shop ¡ª (4 spaces)] [level: ordinary (upgrading requires 1,000 units of iron ore, 1,000 units of wood, and 1,000 units of stone)] [characteristics: forging efficiency increased by 10%.] [capacity: minimum of 2 people, maximum of 10 people] [description: an ordinary blacksmith¡¯s shop. you can forge farm tools or low-level weapons here.] [after upgrading to an advanced blacksmith¡¯s shop, you can start your research.] richard nodded. ¡°upgrade blacksmith¡¯s shop.¡± [ding~ do you want to consume 1,000 units of iron ore, 1,000 units of wood, and 1,000 units of stone to upgrade the blacksmith¡¯s shop? this upgrade will take 10 minutes.] ¡°confirmed.¡± ten minutes later. [upgrade successful. current level: elite blacksmith shop.] ¡°upgrade territory.¡± [ding~ do you want to use 3,000 gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore to upgrade your territory? this upgrade will take 1 hour.] ¡°confirmed.¡± 1 hour later. [territory upgrade completed. current level: level 3 small village. the territory expanded by 10 square meters. current space: 30 square meters.] ¡°continue to upgrade.¡± [ding~ to upgrade to a level 1 town requires three buildings to reach the elite level.] ¡°upgrade barracks.¡± [ding~ do you want to spend 1,500 gold, stone, wood, and iron to upgrade barracks? this upgrade will take 20 minutes.] twenty minutes later. [barracks upgraded successfully. current level: elite] ¡°upgrade territory.¡± [ding~ do you want to use 4,000 gold, stone, wood, and iron to upgrade your territory? this upgrade will take two hours.] noon. [ding~ twilight city has been upgraded to a level 1 small town, territory building limit has been upgraded to advanced, lord¡¯s mansion has been expanded by 10 spaces, the territory has been expanded by 30 spaces, and the current space is 60 spaces.] [twilight city] [level: 1 small town (10,000 units of gold, stone, wood, and iron for each upgrade. three buildings have been upgraded to advanced, with 500 residents.)] [building: elite lord¡¯s mansion (1), elite residence (10), elite blacksmith shop (1), elite barracks (1)] [special building: none] [empty space: 60 spaces] ****** richard glanced at the [territory ranking] ¡ª 10 million+. he could not help but feel that the probability of the emergence of a strong person was truly exaggerated. even if it was one in a thousand, it would still be counted in the tens of millions. usually, they would cry on the forums about how miserable they were. behind their backs, they were developing better and better. these old coins. although a level 1 small town had yet to catch up with the first-line troops, it was not at the bottom of the food chain. ¡°to upgrade to a level 2 small town, three advanced buildings and 500 people are required. ¡°advanced buildings are easy to solve, but the population¡­¡± this condition was somewhat helpless, so he could only put aside the idea of continuous upgrading. ¡°it seems that i have to find time to go to that desert oasis and retrieve the refugees.¡± he turned his gaze back to the blacksmith shop. he did not forget that the advanced blacksmith shop could activate the research function to upgrade the attack of the troops. this was a rather powerful characteristic. it had been mentioned many times on the official website of the ¡°shining era¡±. [blacksmith shop] [space:4] [level: elite (2,000 units of iron ore, 2,000 units of wood, 2,000 units of stone)] [characteristics: forging efficiency increased by 20%.] [capacity: minimum of 2 people, maximum of 20 people.] [description: an ordinary blacksmith¡¯s shop. you can forge some pretty good weapons here.] although the continuous upgrading had depleted the resources in his hands, he still had the resources to upgrade the blacksmith¡¯s shop. ¡°upgrade the blacksmith¡¯s shop.¡± [ding~ do you want to consume 2,000 units of iron ore, 2,000 units of wood, and 2,000 units of stone to upgrade your blacksmith shop? this upgrade will take 30 minutes.] 30 minutes later. [upgrade successful. current level: advanced] [blacksmith shop (4 space)] [level: advanced (upgrade requires 5,000 units of iron ore, 5,000 units of wood, and 5,000 units of stone)] [characteristics: forging efficiency increased by 30%.] [research and development: you can choose the troops in your territory to study and increase their attack power. currently, you can study the number of troops: 1.] [resident hero: adele thorin] [hero additional characteristics: research speed increased by 30%, and the success rate increased by 30%.] [capacity: minimum of 2 people, maximum of 30 people.] [description: the advanced blacksmith has already possessed a certain level of extraordinary power.] richard was overjoyed. the advanced blacksmith was like a completely different person compared to the elite blacksmith. he selected the blacksmith¡¯s research and development function with a thought. the image of all the troop nests in twilight city appeared in his mind in the next second. [ding~ please select the troop type you want to research and develop. note: the higher the level, the longer the research and development time, and the lower the success rate.] [the first research and development, try using the bandaged mummy first¡­] richard chose the great pyramid that could recruit bandaged mummies. [ding~ bandaged mummy basic attack, estimated research and development time: 7 days. estimated resources required: 5,000 gold coins, 5,000 units of wood, 20,000 units of iron ore, success rate: 80.] [after confirming success, please arrange for people to carry out research and development promptly. before the research and development are completed, it will be impossible to develop the next technology.] [note 1: the materials required for research and development do not need to be paid for in one go. they will be gradually consumed on the way. the lack of materials will cause the progress to be slow.] [note 2: there is a chance of failure in research and development. if the success rate is less than 50%, the failure rate will increase.] [note 3: the length of time required for research and development and the success rate are related to the hero who is in charge of the research and development.] [note 4: during research and development, the hero leading them can not leave the territory, otherwise the research and development progress will be stagnant.] Chapter 63 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°ah, this is just the beginning of research and development?¡± richard was stunned for a moment before he reacted. this fellow had taken off his pants so quickly that he didn¡¯t even have time to react¡­ after he read the notifications a few more times, he gradually began to savor them. ¡°five thousand gold coins, 5,000 units of wood, 20,000 units of iron ore¡­ ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that the first research would require 30,000 resources, and there were so many requirements. !! ¡°fortunately, there¡¯s no need for a one-time payment. we can start the research first and provide the follow-up resources gradually. ¡°but isn¡¯t the chance of failure a bit too much?¡± after richard pondered for a while, he finally realized the value of an a-rank hero like adele. hero characteristics: increases success rate by 30%. increases research speed by 30%. it was simply a godly skill. not only did it increase the research speed it also increased the success rate crazily. one could imagine that in the future, in the research and development of high-level technology, the effect of this characteristic would be increasingly great. comfortable. after deeper thoughts for a while, richard tried to change the research object to the axe of the dead. sure enough, the system notification said that he had to complete the research and development of the bandaged mummy before he could proceed with the next research and development. however, the requirements for the research and development of the axe of the dead appeared. [basic attack: estimated development time: 10 days. estimated resources required: 10,000 gold coins, 10,000 units of wood, and 50,000 units of iron ore. success rate: 70%.] after richard finished reading, he could only hold his forehead and sigh. the research and development time of the axe of the dead had also increased to 10 days, and the resources required had soared to 70,000.] it was simply outrageous. ¡°the resources required for this research and development function will probably not be inferior to the upgrade of the troop¡¯s lair.¡± another gold-swallowing tycoon. richard was both in pain and delight. after the upgrade, the resources in his hands had bottomed out again. he sighed helplessly. when would twilight city be able to survive the decadent life of a landlord¡­ it seemed that he would have to start hunting again to earn some extra money. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± at this moment, a call from behind shook him. he turned around and smiled when he saw the person. ¡°adele, what do you need from me?¡± the girl who carried a huge copper hammer was in a good mood. ¡°lord richard, a special research room has appeared in the blacksmith shop. there are many tools inside. ¡°i can study how to increase the strength of the troop there. my father taught me¡­¡± richard laughed. ¡°from now on, you will be in charge of the research and development of the blacksmith shop. i will send you the corresponding resources.¡± ¡°let¡¯s start with the bandaged mummy¡­¡± adele smiled brightly. ¡°lord, i need bandaged mummies to work with¡­¡± ¡°no problem. how much do you need? you and karu, all the resources will be given priority to you.¡± after adele held the promise of primary support, she joyously left. richard waited until adele left before he thought of going to the territory for a walk. after the territory was upgraded to a small town, the territory space had increased by 50 spaces, and the total space had reached 60 spaces. each space had an area of 10 * 10 meters, and the area it occupied had pronouncedly expanded by a large margin. twilight city had suddenly gone from slightly crowded to widely decongested. he glanced at the lord¡¯s mansion. after the upgrade, the core building of the territory had increased from 30 spaces to 40 spaces. and it had become increasingly magnificent. the two-stories main building in the middle had become three stories high. and the front and back yard had expanded a lot. as one walked along the road, the initially small and inconspicuous blacksmith¡¯s shop had now become a tall building with a small courtyard. even the military barracks, which had always been unnoticeable, had now become conspicuous. the wooden fence outside was as tall as two people. because the soldiers in his hands were all undead creatures, they didn¡¯t need to rest at all. therefore, the military barracks had always been inhabited by desert gnomes. this building wasn¡¯t used much. after walking around, richard seemed to have thought of something and opened the attribute panel again. there was a cooldown time of seven days after the troop¡¯s lair was upgraded. after seven days, it could be upgraded again. the great pyramid could be upgraded. the poisonous scorpion warrior¡¯s nest could be upgraded. one of the three bandaged mummy troop¡¯s lairs had its cooldown time three days ago, while the scorpion warrior troop¡¯s lair could be upgraded today. however, richard quickly came back to his senses. ¡°to upgrade from elite to rare, i need 100 troop¡¯s lairs, which means 50,000 units of resources. two means 100,000 units¡­¡± he looked at the remaining 20,000 or so resources, then he felt his liver ache. ¡°it¡¯s not just these two lairs. cursed pharaoh can also level up in two days. this is another huge expenditure. ¡°the bandage mummy isn¡¯t in a hurry to level up. it¡¯s not too late to level it up when the attack technology is developed. ¡°i¡¯ll level up the poisonous scorpion warrior troop¡¯s lair first¡­¡± after richard clarified his thoughts, he opened up the [trading market]. he kept the final reward ¡ª 30 desert horses for 10 acres of russian olive forest still hadn¡¯t been sold. when richard saw this, he could only shake his head regretfully and cancel the reward. it was pure luck to be able to obtain a resource treasure in the early stages. moreover, others might not necessarily be willing to sell them even if they obtained them. it was fine if he couldn¡¯t buy it, but it was more important to increase the strength in his hands first. fortunately, there were quite several 30 desert horses. each of them had 6,000 units, and they had a total income of 180,000 resources. with money, his confidence was immediately sufficient. with a wave of his hand, richard first sent the 30,000 units of resources needed for research and development to the blacksmith shop. then, he used 50,000 units of resources to purchase a troop-type lair. after he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, he upgraded the poisonous scorpion warrior troop from elite to rare. this was the first time he had upgraded a troop¡¯s lair twice. one hundred soldiers turned into streams of light and merged into the poisonous scorpion warrior¡¯s lair. a dark light flashed on the wall with the picture of a scorpion warrior¡¯s body and a human face. the relief sculptures became even more exquisite. after the light faded, the upgrade was completed. [poisonous scorpion¡¯s warrior¡¯s lair] [level: rare 3-stars] [available for recruitment: scorpion warrior (rare 3-stars)] [recruitment quantity: 0] [weekly output: 7] [recruitment conditions: 400 gold coins, 400 units of wood, 400 units of iron ore] [description: ordinary desert troop lair.] [the black gold system lit up with a notification.] [troop nests have been successfully upgraded. after cooling down for 7 days, these troop lairs can be upgraded again.] [you can use resources to upgrade the previously recruited elite 3-star soldiers to the same level as the troop lair.] richard glanced at the notification a few times. after he had confirmed that he did not misunderstand, he laughed out loud. ¡°after the troop lairs were upgraded, the previously recruited soldiers could also be upgraded¡­!¡± ¡°the black gold system was practically going to heaven!!!¡± he opened the poisonous scorpion warrior¡¯s attribute panel. as expected, it showed that they could be upgraded. however, the resources needed to upgrade were the same as the resources needed to re-recruit. two small teams of scorpion warriors would need 8,000 gold coins, 8,000 units of wood, and 8,000 units of iron ore to level up. at this time, richard still had 120,000 units of resources. he did not hesitate at all. they all leveled up. in an instant, the scorpion warriors following behind him suddenly had their joints creak. a faint silver-white glow appeared on their bodies, and a mysterious pattern appeared on their pincers. it reflected the luster of metal and looked even stronger than steel. the poisonous curved scorpion tail like a longbow also became sharper. the poisonous faint blue light could make one¡¯s scalp go numb. its appearance became much more domineering. [poisonous scorpion warrior] [level: 4] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: poisonous scorpion tail (d-rank) ¡ª the poisonous scorpion tail can cause armor-piercing damage. after being stabbed, it will cause a large amount of poison damage, and has a 3-second paralyzing effect.] [undead body (d-rank) ¡ª reduces 50% physical damage. immune to pestilence and poison. as long as the head is not chopped off, it will not die.] powerful iron pincers (d-rank) ¡ª double pincers sharpness increases by 50%, attack power increases by 50%.] [desertification-sand transformation (d-rank¡­)] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, strength increases by 30%.] [fetter-scorpion warrior: when the number of scorpions is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%, poison increases by 10%.] when the number of scorpions is greater than 20, strength increases by 20%, poison increases by 20% (activated).] when the number of scorpions is greater than 30, strength increases by 30%, poison increases by 30%.] [description: a dead creature sealed in the pharaoh¡¯s pyramid. i believe you do not want to be stung by it.] after its potential had been raised, all of the scorpion warriors¡¯ skills had reached d-rank, and the additional attributes of the skill had been greatly increased. the poisonous scorpion tail skill also gained a new characteristic¡ªparalysis¡ªand it lasted for as long as three seconds. these three seconds were enough to decide life and death in a battle. together with the cursed pharaoh, the effect on the enemy was doubled. combined with the axe of the dead, which could burst out with super damage, it was enough to make any enemy tremble in fear. Chapter 64 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the poisonous scorpion warrior troop lair upgrade, richard was in a lively mood. the feeling that he witnessed the strength in his hands gradually increased has fascinated him. he had been busy all morning as he upgraded spring water, territory, and scorpion warrior. it was already half past noon when he rested. just after lunch, a few ugly long-armed laborers were brought into the hall by the bandaged mummies which guarded the lord¡¯s mansion. !! the long-armed laborers looked terrified and extremely flustered like they have been petrified. ¡°lord¡­something bad has happened!!¡± its tone became sharp because he was too nervous. when richard saw the appearance of the long-armed laborers, his gaze froze. ¡°what happened?¡± the bandaged mummy hurriedly reported. ¡°when we were mining iron ore this morning, a group of ghosts suddenly appeared outside the mine¡­ they were too scary¡­¡± ¡°ghosts attacked the iron mine?¡± richard¡¯s eyes shone. he didn¡¯t care about the resource points, but the sudden appearance of these ghosts piqued his interest. maybe it was another unexpected event. didn¡¯t these attacks mean missions and benefits? ¡°are there any other enemies besides the ghosts?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­¡± several long-armed laborers shook their heads. ¡°we immediately evacuated after we found the ghosts.¡± ¡°lead the way. i¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± the long-armed laborers¡¯ morale was immediately boosted. after richard gathered the troop, he didn¡¯t delay and directly gave the order to set off. the long-armed laborers panted heavily and led the way. half an hour later. richard observed the iron mine 200 meters away and frowned slightly while on a high sand dune even if he wasn¡¯t close enough, he could feel that this iron mine was different from its usual state. it was gloomy and cold everywhere. it gave people goosebumps. he opened the attribute panel. [haunted iron mine] [level: small] [reserves: 16,820 units] [maximum output: 2,100 units per week] [capacity: minimum of 5 people, maximum of 10 people.] [description: an iron mine occupied by the ghosts.] ¡®an iron mine haunted by ghosts?¡¯ richard was even more excited. the sudden appearance of these ghosts did not seem to be that simple. he would first occupy the iron mine and then investigate the reason. with a wave of his hand. ¡°troops, prepare for battle. ¡°maintain formation and advance towards the iron mine.¡± two small teams of scorpion warriors stood in two rows at the front to protect the mine. one and a half teams of undead soldiers stood at a distance of 20 meters from the front, while the cursed pharaohs were at the back. the iron mine soon pressed to the edge of the iron ore. richard was at the back, his eyes fixed on the iron mine, ready to give an order at any time. ¡®roar!¡¯ a shrill roar like that of dozens of people on the verge of death suddenly sounded. five teams of ghosts suddenly appeared in the slightly gloomy iron mine. these ghosts had the appearance of human beings. they floated 10 centimeters above the ground, their bodies emitted faint blue light. their bodies were translucent, and their faces were extremely blurry and twisted. the air was gloomy. [mine ghost] [level: 3] [potential: ordinary 3-stars [skills: body of a ghost (f-rank) ¡ª immune to 50% physical damage, magic damage received increases by 10%.] [soul claws (f-rank) ¡ª can directly attack the soul.] [race talent: can devour souls to strengthen oneself.] [fetter-ghost: when the number of ghosts exceeds 30, soul damage increases by 15%. when the number of ghosts exceeds 50, soul damage increases by 30% (activated).] [description: i like your soul.] ¡°all troops attack! don¡¯t leave a single one alive!¡± with a cold command. the scorpion warriors immediately charged forward. two iron pincers appeared and threatened the ghosts. the undead soldiers appeared at the same moment. ¡®whoo-hoo-hoo!¡¯ the tomahawk made a loud noise in the air, and the ghosts floating in the air could not avoid it. kacha~ it was a huge force that directly exploded like a fragile crystal that fell to the ground. the high magic damage made the ghosts, who are 50% immune to physical damage, felt the iron fist of twilight city. the undead soldiers murdered two teams in one wave of attacks. there was still an insurmountable gap between 50% physical damage immunity and 99% sand transformation immunity. the scorpion warrior growled deeply. the iron pincers opened up and pierced through the incoming ghosts. it was like the blade had pierced through the gel and jelly, which felt like apparent obstacles. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the iron pincers closed, and directly tore apart a large part of the ghosts. ¡®puchi!¡¯ at this moment, the poisonous tail of the scorpion warrior pierced through like lightning. the moment it pierced the ghost, the poison from the scorpion¡¯s tail instantly spread out. the translucent body of the ghost immediately glowed blue light.and its body fell into a state of paralysis, unable to move. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the iron pincers waved again, which completely tore apart the opponent¡¯s body. the battle ended quickly under the crushing counterattacks of a few levels higher than the opponents. the cursed pharaoh did not make a move in the end, but the elite-level ghosts of these five teams were annihilated. [ding~ the troop you led annihilated a group of ghosts and obtained victory in a miniature battle. you have obtained 100 experience points.] [ding~ you have recovered the iron ore that the ghosts had snatched. do you wish to occupy it again?] ¡°confirm.¡± after richard made the choice, the haunted iron mine immediately turned into an ordinary iron mine, and the eerie aura disappeared without a trace. when he saw that the quest had not been triggered, richard could not help but feel a little puzzled. ¡®where did these ghosts come from?¡¯ he immediately called over the long-armed laborer who stood at the back and asked once. the laborer shook his head. ¡°lord, we don¡¯t know either. we only know that the first ghost we saw appeared in that direction¡­¡± as the long-armed laborer said that, he pointed to the north of the iron mine as it trembled. ¡°lord, could it be that there¡¯s a city of ghosts over there¡­?¡± the long-armed laborer didn¡¯t mean anything, but richard sensed something. richard¡¯s eyes sparkled with a bright idea. it wasn¡¯t impossible. if there truly was a city of ghosts, this wave would count. after richard ordered them to resume their production work, he immediately led the troop to the north. at the same time spread the troops in a fan shape formation. richard encountered an unexpected situation not long after. in front of him was a gathering place for soldiers in the wild, but this gathering place had already been massacred. what made him even more surprised was that pieces of flesh and traces of blood were scattered on the sand, but there were no bones. it was as if the bones had been pulled out by someone. ¡°this is¡­ a summoning skeleton?¡± richard was in focused thoughts. ¡°summoning skeletons is the signature skill of the ghosts. they know how to murder wild monsters to gather troops. it seems that the ghost forces nearby are not weak. ¡°could there truly be a ghost city?¡± the interest in his heart grew even stronger. he continued to explore. within half an hour, he found seven or eight gathering places where all the soldiers had been slaughtered. without exception, their bones were missing. there were even a few troop units that did not have corpses, leaving only traces of battle. ¡°no wonder they say that ghosts are scoundrels. if a ghost lord were to secretly develop for a time, wouldn¡¯t it be able to amass a few large troops?¡± although the skeleton soldiers were not strong, if a few thousand skeleton soldiers were to come at him, not many lords would be able to withstand it at this stage. the aggressive nature of this unknown ghost force also made richard feel threatened. if they could attack his iron mine today, they would dare to attack twilight city tomorrow. the ghosts were not a kind-hearted faction. there was no room for negotiation when they fought. ¡°raise your vigilance to the highest level and continue to explore.¡± not long after, the troop found traces of the ghosts in the desert. it seemed that they had just passed by. richard perked up and quickened his pace. after another half an hour, the scorpion warriors who scouted ahead suddenly reported back¡­ they had discovered the enemy. ¡°we¡¯ve finally found them¡­¡± richard was very pleased. he gathered the troop that had spread out in the surroundings and arrived at the location of the scorpion warriors. under the cover of the sand dunes, they followed their directions and saw the target they were searching for. it was completely different from the territory of the ghost city that he had imagined. in front of him was an iron mine that was more than half mine. ores were scattered all over the place. a large number of skeleton warriors patrolled the iron mine. there were probably more than three squadrons. at this moment, two squadrons of skeleton warriors slowly walked over from the desert. they carried some corpses into the iron mine. not long after, they disappeared from richard¡¯s sight. richard followed the direction where the skeleton warriors disappeared and carefully observed. he discovered that in the central area of the iron mine, there was a hole that led underground. ¡°was it the ghost city in the underground?¡± Chapter 65 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s eyes revealed some thoughts. were these ghosts similar to the temple guardians, or was there truly a ghost city underground? his heart began to stir. after he had observed for a long time, he still did not obtain much useful information. without hesitation, he immediately made a decision. !! ¡°first, annihilate the enemies outside the iron mine and guard that tunnel.¡± three squadrons of skeleton warriors guarded the iron mine. level 2, ordinary 2-star. although there were quite a number of them, their strength was average. this was also a characteristic of the ghost. the troop immediately launched an attack the moment the order was given. the scorpion warriors¡¯ charge speed was very fast. they were the first to charge into the iron mine. the undead soldiers followed closely behind. as they faced these skeletons, they did not throw their tomahawks anymore. instead, they directly charged forward with their tomahawks. they held an absolute advantage as they faced this group of ordinary ghosts at 1.7 meters in height. the undead slashed horizontally and vertically. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the ghosts were not afraid of death. but the difference in strength was there. no matter how crazy they were, they could not stop the advance of twilight city¡¯s troops. the three and a-half squads of rare soldiers seemed to have activated unparalleled, forward charge. the skeleton warriors fell like wheat when reaped¡­ [ding ~ the troop you led annihilated a group of skeleton warriors and obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have obtained 600 experience points.] this experience was rich enough. richard laughed heartily. he came to the front of the underground tunnel with high interest after the iron mine was conquered. the surface of this tunnel was about three meters high, and its entire structure was made of rocks. the ground slanted downwards, and after a few dozen meters, a corner appeared. the dark environment was like the mouth of a giant beast, waiting for outsiders to fall into its trap. torches flamed not far away from the tunnel. the torches emitted faint blue light, like the soul fire in the head of the undead. richard looked at the torches curiously. [torch monster] [level: 1] [potential: ordinary 1-star] [skill: burning (f-rank) ¡ª able to absorb the death energy in the air, burning endlessly.] [racetalent: the dimmer the light, the brighter the light.] [fetter-torches: when the number of torches exceeds 10, the brightness increases by 20%. when the number of torches exceeds 20, the brightness increases by 40% (activated).] [description: strange creatures created by the undead. other than glowing, they are useless. damn, this works too.] richard felt that his eyes opened wide. the ghosts were indeed undead. they had everything. however, it was fortunate that there were these torch monsters. they would not make the tunnel pitch black. ¡°leave a small team of scorpion warriors to guard outside. the rest of you, follow me in.¡± this passage was quite spacious. it could accommodate a small team of scorpion warriors that walked side by side. richard combined five scorpion warriors and five undead soldiers in a formation. he had them scout the path about 50 meters in front to prevent sudden attacks. then, there were five scorpion warriors, ten undead soldiers, and fifteen cursed pharaohs. he was in front of the cursed pharaohs and behind the undead soldiers. he was at the center, and also in the safest position. after he made the arrangements, richard ordered the cursed pharaohs and the scorpion warriors in front to take out a few torches and hold them in their hands to light up. whether the light was dim or not did not have much of an effect on the ghosts. they could use their soul fire to sense their enemies and observe their surroundings. the darkness does not affect the ghosts, but it does richard. he had yet to obtain darkness vision, so he was still unable to see through the darkness. the faint blue light appeared very dark in the underground passage. but it was better than nothing. after they walked for less than ten minutes, the sound of battle suddenly came from the small team that scouted the path 50 meters ahead. ¡°enemy attack!¡± the moment the leading scorpion warrior roared, seven or eight small teams of skeleton warriors rushed out from the opposite side of the passage. they engaged in close combat. however, in such a narrow terrain, the skeleton warriors could not display their advantage in numbers. starlight city only used the strength of one team to block the enemy. 1 the two pincers of the scorpion warriors were like the scythes of the grim reaper. the skeleton warriors who held the bone blades could not hold on at all. they were directly dismembered into a pile of bones. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ suddenly, the sound of arrows that pierced through the air echoed. two small teams of skeleton archers appeared behind the skeleton warriors. in such a narrow area, it was difficult to dodge the arrows. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the scorpion warrior, who was engaged in a fierce battle, was directly hit. but the bone arrows could not break through the scorpion¡¯s defense. the hard bone armor on his body became a strong protective layer, which directly repelled the arrows. although it was not injured, the scorpion warrior was also burning with anger. these trash skeletons dared to hurt them? it charged forward fiercely and waved its giant pincers to kill the skeleton warriors which blocked the way. the undead soldiers saw that the enemy had long-range attackers, so they did not hold back anymore. the undead soldier threw out in great power the tomahawk in his hand. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the bodies of the skeleton warriors which blocked the front exploded. seven or eight of them became candied haws. just as the tomahawk¡¯s power was about to be exhausted, the undead soldier suddenly pulled out the chains in its hands, and a new wave of power immediately surged into the tomahawk. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the bodies of the skeletons on the left and right sides shattered, and white bones flew everywhere like a whip that hit the egg. the skeleton archers at the back were not any better. as the sure-kill targets, five undead soldiers released a tomahawk storm. seven or eight small teams of skeleton warriors were all turned into bone fragments after a few rounds. the enemies had already been annihilated when richard arrived with his massive team. when he saw this, he immediately let the troops at the front explore the path to only 20 meters away. this way, when they encountered enemies, they would have a certain buffer space. and they would also be able to provide timely counterattacks. the battle just now had attracted the attention of the enemies in the depths of the tunnel. skeleton warriors continuously appeared in front of the scorpion warriors which launched attacks on them. however, they were only one or two small squads and were quickly annihilated. they did not pose a threat to them. twenty minutes later, after they went around a corner, the initial dim light suddenly became bright. an oval-shaped wide space appeared in richard¡¯s line of sight. it was about 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. on the other end of the space was a passage. obviously, this was not the end. dozens of torchlight monsters hung around and illuminated the entire space. richard carefully observed. more than three squadrons of skeleton warriors were in this underground space. the defense was tight. five squadrons of skeleton archers waited in the back. in the end, three squadrons of skeleton mages held white bone staffs. the trinity, the simplified version of the iron triangle. when richard saw this scene, he made a judgment in his heart. ¡°there shouldn¡¯t be any ghost cities here. there¡¯s a higher probability that it¡¯s a map similar to a temple¡­¡± if there truly was a ghost city, as long as the enemy¡¯s lord wasn¡¯t stupid, he wouldn¡¯t have made such an arrangement. couldn¡¯t they concentrate their troops on defense? wouldn¡¯t it be a little bit to deliver vegetables¡­? as his thoughts raced, richard waved his hand and decisively gave the order. since it was not a ghost city, there was no need for him to be so conservative. ¡°close the troop. scorpion warriors will launch an attack and tear through the enemy¡¯s defense line as fast as possible! ¡°the undead soldiers will finish the skeleton mages at the rear. we must not allow them to attack! ¡°once the skeleton mages cast their spells, cursed pharaohs will immediately counter cast their spells to interrupt them!¡± no matter what the situation was, the consistent truth was to prioritize the mages in a battle. the moment the order was given, all the scorpion warriors roared and charged forward. the combat style of this unit was brutal and wild. the scorpion warriors tore apart all the skeleton warriors that dared to block them as the two giant pincers waved. the curved scorpion¡¯s tail was like a precise spear. every time they launched an attack, they would surely obtain a great result. the ferocious undead soldiers carried the power of lightning and struck everything. ¡®crack!¡¯ the skeletons shattered into pieces. starlight city¡¯s attack immediately caused the ghosts to counterattack. the skeleton warriors rushed forward. they did not know what fear was at all. the skeleton archers also pulled their bows and arrows at the same time. the number of five small teams was enough to form a rain of arrows. under the illumination of the torchlight monsters around them, the sharp sound of the bone arrows that pierced through the air made one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the scorpion warrior continuously waved its two giant pincers which blocked most of the bone arrows. even if a small number of them were hit, it would not be a problem. ¡°¡­*% #@*%¡­¡± while the starlight city troop crazily tore apart the defensive line, the skeleton mage suddenly waved its white bone staff. a fireball that emitted a cold aura condensed out of thin air. ghostly fireball is the signature skill of the necromancer. unlike the high-temperature damage of ordinary fireballs, ghostly fireball dealt negative damage and could attack the soul. a total of 30 ghostly blue fireballs tore through the sky with a long flame tail. ¡®bang!¡¯ the scorpion warrior who was in the middle of a fierce battle wanted to dodge, but the skeletons had already pressed down on it layer by layer, and there was nowhere to hide. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ghostly fireball exploded, and blue flames instantly enveloped the scorpion warrior. the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped as if a refrigerator had been opened. Chapter 66 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®bang!¡¯ the dark and cold negative energy of the ghostly fireball engulfed the surroundings. it enveloped the scorpion warrior and the surrounding skeletons. the soul fire of the skeleton warrior shook for a moment. it could not withstand the damage of the ghostly fireball, and the cold aura immediately extinguished it. there was no rule of immunity from teammate damage in this world. !! the scorpion warrior, on the other hand, took the damage head-on. the spell that swept over did not damage their appearance, but their aura was pronouncedly much weaker¡­ ¡°cursed pharaohs, control the situation. undead soldiers, kill the skeleton mages!¡± richard immediately gave the order as he watched the battle from behind. they could not let the enemy cast their spells. the scorpion warriors immediately charged forward at all costs and forcefully tore open a gap. undead soldiers followed closely behind and stepped into a distance of 30 meters. the tomahawks in their hands flew out. at this time, the cursed pharaohs released offensive incantations. a dark light flashed in the air, and most of the skeleton mages stopped in their tracks. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the violently powered tomahawk ultimately pierced through a series of skeleton warriors and skeleton archers. they ruthlessly slashed the bodies of the skeleton mages at the back. a massive power erupted. ¡®crack!¡¯ it directly shattered the fragile white bones of the opponent, and its body scattered on the ground. when the tomahawk was exhausted, the undead soldiers swung its chains fiercely. it injected power into the tomahawk once again. the deadly weapon that flashed with a cold light was like a lawnmower. it slashed horizontally at the skeleton mage. ¡®crack! crack!¡¯ the crisp sound of bones breaking could be heard continuously. richard¡¯s troops slaughtered nearly two teams of skeleton mages. at this time, the scorpion warriors had also recovered from the ghostly fireball attack. these furious warriors charged at the skeleton archers who still shot arrows. they vented their anger! scorpion warriors dismantled the skeleton archers from up to five squads to skeletons after two charges. many skeleton warriors wanted to attack richard and the cursed pharaohs at the back along the way, but the undead soldiers killed them all. after the scorpion warriors eliminated the skeleton mages and skeleton archers who could deal damage to themselves, a quiet number of remaining skeleton warriors quickly dropped to zero after the scorpion warriors and the undead soldiers finished them. [ding~ your troop has annihilated a group of ghosts and won a small-scale battle. you have gained 1,200 experience points.] richard was delighted when he heard the system notification. he had annihilated almost a massive group of ghosts from the spirit of the iron mine to now. ¡°i might be able to reach level 5 today¡­ in the ¡°shining era¡± level 5 is the beginning of the game.¡± this kind of exploration of unknown gains made him excited. richard continued to move towards the tunnel behind him after he tidied up and ensured no threats of explosive equipment or treasures. the skeleton warriors¡¯ attacks on the road had never stopped.but the massive advantage in number of the ghosts could not be brought into full play in the narrow terrain. no matter how hard the ghosts tried, they could not get past the scorpion warriors. richard stepped into the second underground space not long after. however, the monsters stationed here were no longer skeleton warriors, but another undead tribe ¡ª zombies. [zombies] [level: 3] [potential: elite 1-star] [skills: zombie body (e-rank) ¡ª defense increases by 70%. agility decreases by 50%. immune to poison and pestilence.] [infection (e-rank) ¡ª body is infected with pestilence. after being scratched, all attributes will be reduced by 2% every minute, up to a maximum of 30%.] [race talent: able to absorb the aura of death to recover from injuries.] [fetter-zombie: when the number of zombies is greater than 10, defense increases by 15%. when the number of zombies is greater than 30, defense increases by 30% (activated).] [description: a branch of the undead race. they have a decent defense. there were two squadrons of zombies. behind the zombies, there were five squadrons of skeleton mages. ¡°the scorpion warriors have broken through the zombies¡¯ blockade. the axe of the dead has teamed up with the poisonous scorpion warrior to hunt down the skeleton mages!¡± ¡°the cursed pharaoh has teamed up with the poisonous scorpion warrior to fight for space for them!¡± the thick-skinned zombies were pronouncedly not as easy to deal with as the skeleton warriors. however, the only ones who could pose a threat to twilight city¡¯s troops were the skeleton mages at the back. richard¡¯s pupils constricted when he saw the skeleton mages at the back had started to cast spells. ¡°scorpion warrior, pay attention to dodging. if you can¡¯t handle it, immediately activate sand transformation!¡± sand transformation was not immune to magic damage, but it could greatly heal injuries. it was equivalent to a quick healing skill. as soon as his voice fell, the zombies in front of him rushed in front of the scorpion warriors. these ferocious-looking undead creatures with stiff movements gave off a disgusting stench. the upgraded scorpion warriors to rare-level were even fiercer than the zombies. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the iron pincers waved and gave off an ear-piercing sonic boom. ¡®crack!¡¯ the front end of the closed pincers had an extremely sharp iron hook that was nailed firmly into the zombie¡¯s body. the scorpion warrior pulled hard. ¡®crack!¡¯ the dry and hard body was directly torn apart. the strong defense was nothing in front of the scorpion warriors¡¯ unique method of breaking through defense. however, the number of two squadrons was enough to hold off the scorpion warriors for a long time. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the ghostly fireballs in the hands of the skeleton mages shot out. the skeleton mages from five squadrons launched their attacks at the same time this created a huge commotion. the entire space was lit up. dozens of ghostly fireballs flew around and enveloped the entire space. ¡°scorpion warriors, use the zombies to cover yourselves! don¡¯t resist!¡± the scorpion warriors heard the order and charged forward. they squeezed together with them and ignored the zombies that swarmed over. ¡®bang!¡¯ dozens of ghostly fireballs struck down, and a huge wave of air exploded. the cold negative energy swept around like a storm. the ghostly fireballs enveloped the entire area. the zombies close to it felt like their minds were hammered by a treasure. and their bodies suddenly became stiff. they were unable to regain their mobility for a long time. at this moment, the cursed pharaohs forcefully controlled the zombies around the scorpion warrior. this caused them to stop in their tracks. the zombies at the back were unable to cross these zombies to attack the scorpion warrior which gave them precious time to recover. after the scorpion warrior recovered from the soul impact, it fiercely swung its iron pincers to wipe out the slow zombies around it. it forcefully opened a gap. the undead soldier also threw out its tomahawk for the third time. in an instant, a cold light flashed. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the ten zombies behind him did not have time to dodge, and their bodies exploded. blood splattered all over the ground. the undead soldier seized the opportunity and swung the iron chain. the undead soldier used the chain to block the approaching zombies. the zombies were slow and had no way of dodging. a few undead soldiers joined hands and forcefully used the chains to open up a path to the skeleton mage. the scorpion warriors seized the opportunity and charged forward. ¡®boom! the second wave of ghostly fireballs lit up the sky again. the skeleton mage wanted to directly kill the scorpion warrior. however, the prepared scorpion warriors were slightly faster. only three of them were enveloped. these three warriors decisively activated sand transformation and took a wave of damage. the remaining scorpion warriors charged in front of the skeleton mages. the scorpion warriors finished these spellcasters who did not have close combat abilities when they got close to them. the axe of the dead saw that the situation had stabilized. they began to raise their tomahawks and slaughtered the slow-moving zombies in front of them. no matter how fleshy the zombies were, they did not have the half-metal giant flesh full defense. the axe of the dead butchered the enemies with great pleasure. five minutes later. [ding~ the army you led destroyed a group of undead troops and won a small-scale battle. you have gained 1,500 experience points.] the experience on richard¡¯s status panel soared again. [level: 4 (9835/10,000)] only a little more than 100 experience points were needed to reach level 5. the point of level 5 was the beginning of a qualitative change in the ¡°shining era¡±. it was the beginning of becoming stronger. after one reached level 5, one could officially enter this world. the prerequisite for rank change and learning skills were all level 5. ¡°this is what i call leveling up. before this, i scanned through maps as if i played in the house¡­¡± in a delighted aura, richard immediately stepped into the third passage. unexpectedly, this time, the scorpion warriors who scouted ahead were not attacked by the skeleton warriors. the journey was peaceful. however, this made richard raise his vigilance to the highest level. after he moved forward for 20 minutes, the scorpion warriors in front of him who scouted the path reported back and discovered a new situation. richard lowered his footsteps and followed the warriors. his narrow and dim vision rudely awakened after he bent through an arc-shaped passage. the scene in front of him made his heart tremble. Chapter 67 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation a huge oval-shaped underground space appeared in his line of sight. it was more than 50 meters tall, and its diameter was more than a kilometer. this underground space had a thick layer of white bones as if millions of people were buried there. countless skeleton warriors, zombies, ghosts, skeleton archers, and skeleton mages were on the ground of the white bones. but the most surprising thing was the center. !! there was a mountain peak made of countless white bones. a black coffin was on the top of the mountain peak. mysterious, dark, and terrifying. all the negative adjectives could not describe the visual impact of this scene. richard, who was greatly shocked, suddenly narrowed his eyes. but when he came back to his senses, an uncontrollable excitement immediately rose in his heart. what a good fellow, he had discovered a great treasure. he took two deep breaths before he suppressed the excitement in his heart. his thoughts whirled. ¡°there are probably more than three large teams of skeleton warriors stationed here. there is also at least one large team of zombies and ghosts. there are also four to five squadrons of skeleton archers and two to three squadrons of skeleton mages¡­¡± richard¡¯s gaze turned solemn after he carefully sized them up. the number of these undead tribes was simply ridiculous. he would have to first annihilate this troop of thousands of undead tribes if he wanted to obtain that coffin¡­ at this moment, he noticed a new undead unit from the corner of his eye. under the mountain of white bones, the white bone knights riding on undead horses stood like statues. these undead creatures were made entirely of white bones, and they carried a long white bone knight spear. there were as many as five teams. one of the squads even had a bone crown on its head. its aura was filled with pressure. richard subconsciously opened the opponent¡¯s stats panel. [bone knight commander] [level: 5 (elite soldier: strength increases by 15%) [potential: rare 2-stars] [skills: body of bones (c-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, curses, plague, and strength increases by 70%.] [charge (c-rank) ¡ª drives the undead horse to charge at the enemy, and speed increases by 60%. impact increases by 50%.] [combo (c-rank) ¡ª attacks five times in a row in a very short period.] [heavy slash (c-rank) ¡ª after charging up, uses the undead horse¡¯s strength to launch a fatal attack, able to unleash 300% of its strength.] [race talent: running speed increases by 30%, impact increases by 30%.] [entrapment charge: when the charge distance is greater than 30 meters, collision force increases by 20%. when the charge distance is greater than 50 meters, collision force increases by 40%. when the charge distance is greater than 100 meters, the collision force increases by 60%. it can also cause a 5-second stun.] [description: the cavalry of the dead, it is best not to stand on their charge path.] ¡°damn, all their skills are rare-level c-rank soldiers!¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. all the skills of the bone knight commander buffed speed and impact. the characteristics of the cavalry were brought to the extreme. it would be fatal if the opponent run. his expression turned serious, and he looked at the skeletal knights who did not wear the crown of bones. [level: 4 (rare potential)] the skills were starkly the same, but their attributes were much lower than the bone knight commander. fortunately, no heroic units were found. this was surely the best news. to have a heroic commander and to not have a heroic commander were two completely different concepts. with a heroic unit, they might not even be able to enter¡­ ¡®roar!¡¯ suddenly, a roar sounded, and all the undead units in the underground world turned their heads to look at the entrance of the tunnel. enemy! the skeleton warriors and zombies, who had wandered, suddenly swarmed over like sharks that had seen blood! the entire underground world was in an uproar. richard¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°everyone, retreat into the tunnel and use the terrain of the tunnel to fight! ¡°scorpion warriors, take the front! ¡°don¡¯t fight, retreat while fighting!¡± richard gave a series of decisive orders, and the army immediately had a target. the group retreated into the depths of the tunnel and prepared to fight. after a few breaths. countless skeleton warriors poured into the underground tunnel like a tide. in the middle, there were still a large number of zombies and ghosts. a small team of poisonous scorpion warriors simply could not stop so many enemies. richard immediately gave the order. ¡°leave five of the axe of the dead. the rest of you, fight with the poisonous scorpion warriors!¡± they did not have enough manpower because richard ordered a small team of poisonous scorpion warriors to guard the outside to prevent the back roads from disruption. if the front row could not stop the enemies, it would be useless even if there were too many people at the back. two small teams of soldiers blocked the passage and suppressed the crazy undead zombies, ghosts, and skeletons. richard turned to look at the cursed pharaoh and said, ¡°get the scorpion warriors stationed outside to come in and help immediately!¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± there were many good things hidden in this mysterious land of the undead, especially the coffin on the mountain of bones. they could not miss it. they could not care less now. they had to concentrate their strength. for the first time, richard experienced the overbearing tyranny of skeleton tactics. the enemy¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t strong, but it was a scene where one couldn¡¯t see the end of the line and didn¡¯t know when it would stop. it would create a huge psychological pressure on the enemy. richard commanded the army to fight and retreat at the same time. he used the terrain advantage to devour the number of undead. fortunately, this was a narrow underground area. if he were to be placed on the ground, he would probably be drowned by the enemy in an instant. the axe of the dead, the poisonous scorpion warrior, and the cursed pharaoh were three in one. they forcefully repelled wave after wave of attacks. not long after. [ding~ your level has risen to level 5. you can freely change ranks.] [ding~ your talent, desert lord, has been promoted. you have comprehended more desert power.] the moment richard heard the system notification, a huge amount of energy surged out of his body. every cell in his body was filled with power. and deep in his bloodline, some kind of ability rapidly awakened. finally, he had reached level 5¡­ he took a deep breath and suppressed the surprise in his heart. this was not the time to be idle. there was no place for him to change ranks and learn skills. he braced himself and continued to command the battle. he was the brain of the troop. he was indispensable. ten minutes, twenty minutes¡­ richard did not even know how many skeletons and zombies his troops had killed when he commanded them to retreat to the second underground space to hunt the zombies. the enemy¡¯s numbers did not even seem to have slowed down at all. the auras of several troops had already dropped to the freezing point. the cursed pharaoh had long been exhausted. the situation was precarious. the system notification rang at this moment. [ding~ axe of the dead, poisonous scorpion warrior, cursed pharaoh. these three units have gained a massive amount of experience through battle. their levels have been promoted to level 5.] richard, who was under immense pressure, laughed out loud. he had gritted his teeth and persevered for so long just for this moment. the level up would not be of much help to the current situation. however, the troop was different. in the next moment, the auras of all the soldiers rose rapidly. and within a few breaths, they had recovered to their peak. the cooldown time of their skills had also been refreshed. their auras were obviously much stronger than before. not only that, all three of the teams received the unique attribute bonuses of an elite soldier after they had reached level 5. [poisonous scorpion warrior: level 5 (elite soldier: strength increased by 15%)] [axe of the dead: level 5 (elite soldier: strength increased by 15%)] [curse pharaoh: level 5 (elite soldier: magic damage increased by 15%)] richard perked up. he wanted that coffin, for sure. Chapter 68 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the situation immediately changed after the troops returned to their peak conditions. just a moment ago, they were on the verge of collapse. now, they had become a rock wall that forcibly blocked enemies¡¯ waves of attacks. they stood still. at this time, the scorpion warriors stationed at the front of the tunnel had finally arrived at the battlefield. these scorpion warriors who had not participated in the battle were still at level 4. richard immediately had them take the frontline. !! with the addition of a small team of soldiers, the onslaught of the undead zombies, ghosts, and skeletons could no longer shake the defensive line. the axe of the dead also returned to its normal position. such a dense crowd of enemies was simply the best target. the tomahawks whistled. countless bones shattered. the battle went on for a full two hours after the troops had leveled up. when the scorpion warriors who had just arrived reached level 5, the undead zombies, ghosts, and skeletons in front of them started to become sparse. in the end, there was no sign of them at all. [ding~ you blocked a large number of undead attacks and won a medium-sized battle. you have gained 6,000 experience points.] [current level: 5(6,000/50,000)] richard took a deep breath. ¡®it¡¯s not easy¡­¡¯ after he read the notification once more, he smiled. six thousand experience points. this was simply too rich. although this round was a bit tiring, the rewards were also good. it was not a loss. however, after they reached level 5, the experience required to level up increased by ten times. it would not be so fast to level up next. richard turned his head to look at the weakened troop. he ordered everyone to rest on the spot. only then did he have the time to open the system panel to check his newly promoted talent. [talent: desert lord (special growth talent ¡ª current level b): you are the master of the desert. you can predict the arrival of the sandstorm, and the sandstorm will avoid your territory. you have also mastered the ability to desertification-sand transformation.] [sand: (b-rank) ¡ª causes the body to sand transformation, reduces 99% of physical damage received, reduces 30% of magic damage received, and can devour the sand to quickly recover from injuries. lasts for 15 minutes. cooldown time: 1 hour.] [you can bestow your strength to the troops you recruit. after you had bestowed, your subordinates will receive the c-rank skill ¡ª desertification-sand transformation.] [desertification-sand transformation: (c-rank) ¡ª reduces 99% of physical damage received. can devour sand to recover from injuries. lasts for 10 minutes. cooldown time: 2 hours.] ¡°hiss!¡± so strong! a hint of surprise flashed in richard¡¯s eyes. he did not expect that his talent would have such a massive increase in attributes after leveling up. one of the things that made him feel even better was that the sandstorm would avoid his territory¡­ his talent could even avoid natural disasters. this was a bit bizarre¡­ but it didn¡¯t matter. he had a strong taste, so he could accept more. he looked at the army beside him out of the corner of his eye and suddenly had a thought. ¡®i wonder if i can increase the level of the sand transformation skill that i gave to the soldiers?¡¯ as he had deeper thoughts, he slowly extended his right hand, and the power in the depths of his bloodline began to surge. a yellow sand-like light surged in his palm and instantly enveloped all the soldiers. after a few breaths, all the troops suddenly felt indescribably majestic energy that gushed out from their bodies. [ding~ under your bestowment, your troops have grasped more desert power. sand transformation skill has been upgraded. current level ¡ª c-rank.] [sand transformation: (c-rank) ¡ª sand transformation of the body, reduces physical attacks by 99%. it can devour yellow sand to recover from injuries. lasts for 10 minutes. cooldown time: 2 hours.] when richard heard the system notification, he was immediately overwhelmed by a huge surprise. this talent was simply heaven-defying. but growth, these three words were indeed the true gods of the world. after the troops¡¯ sand transformation had been upgraded from d-rank to c-rank, the duration had been increased from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. the additional 5 minutes gave him more room to operate. of course, his b-rank sand transformation was even more unusual. not only did it last for 15 minutes, but it could also be immune to 30% of magic damage. if richard continued to level up, would he truly become immune to 99% of all physical and magic skills? the future was bright. richard, who was in a good mood, waited for the troops to recover to their peak conditions and immediately gave the order to attack. white bones and zombie bodies were everywhere. he could not count how many of them had been killed. when he saw the terrifying land of white bones again, more than half of the previously crowded space had been cleared. at this time, only three squadrons of skeleton archers, two squadrons of skeleton mages, four squadrons of skeleton knights, and one squadron of bone knight commander were left. this troop did not move. they guarded the mountain of bones with all their might. richard¡¯s gaze swept past the undead below. he looked at the black coffin on the top of the mountain of bones. with so many soldiers that protected it, what kind of treasure might be hidden inside?! the bone knight commander¡¯s empty eyes immediately stared at him the moment he appeared. the undead horse on the ground shook its hooves and uneasily shook its head as if it was ready to charge at any moment. at this moment. the soul flames of the skeleton archers and skeleton mages lit up one by one. they turned their heads together with the skeletal knights. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°the rear troops will retreat to the passage, the poisonous scorpion warriors will lure the enemy¡­¡± however, as soon as the order was given, there was no need to lure them. the skeleton archers and skeleton mages directly attacked them. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the ghostly blue fireball and the white bone arrows whistled through the sky. it formed a death zone. however, because the range was not enough, they could not deal any damage to them. the scene was slightly awkward. richard did not let down his guard. ¡°retreat to the tunnel and continue to use the terrain to kill the enemy.¡± the skeleton archers and the skeleton mages pressed down on them at this time. although there were no front rows, the battle line formed by the two rear rows was particularly strong. the attacks were continuous. however, after they returned to the tunnel, the damage caused by the enemy¡¯s concentrated fire was immediately reduced by several times. the pressure was greatly reduced. richard led the troop to guard at a v-shaped corner. fifteen undead soldiers stood about twenty-five meters away from the tunnel. once the skeleton archers and skeleton mages turned the corner, the tomahawks in their hands were immediately thrown out. [swing (d-rank) ¡ª after throwing the tomahawks, you can use the chains wrapped around your arms to pull the tomahawk and carry out continuous attacks.] with the ability to control the tomahawks from afar, the undead soldiers did not even need to summon the tomahawks. the skinny skeleton archers and skeleton mages simply could not withstand a single attack. this terrain advantage was perfect against these brittle soldiers who did not have a hero to command them and did not know how to adapt. the battle lasted for more than ten minutes, and there were no more enemies around the corner. richard immediately returned to the underground space with his troop. at this time, there was only a squadron of skeleton mages and five small teams of bone knight commander in the vast land of bones. however, this time, no matter how the scorpion warriors in front of them provoked them, the other party remained unmoved. they only watched them warily. obviously, the main responsibility of these two troops was to guard the coffins on the mountain of bones. richard¡¯s gaze was cold. since they could not lure the undead creatures, then they would eat them all! ¡°everyone, attack! after the skeleton knights charge, immediately activate sand transformation. ignore them, kill the skeleton mages first!¡± the skeleton knights were strong, but they were all physical damage dealers. after leveling up, the sand transformation skill had a full 10 minutes. it could completely eat the skeleton mages first and then turn around to deal with the bone knight commander. the extra 5 minutes after the sand transformation level up gave richard the confidence to deal with it calmly. after he entered the ground of the bones, his feet crushed the bones under his feet and made crisp cracking sounds. as the army gradually approached, the soul fire of the bone knight commander gradually rose. the horse¡¯s hooves kept stomping on the ground. they appeared to be increasingly patient. when the scorpion warriors approached two hundred meters away from the bone knight commander, they completely infuriated the skeleton knights. four small squads of the rare breed ¡ª the white skeleton knights, under the leadership of a small squad of the rare breed ¡ª the white bone knight commander. they held the reins tightly and held the sharp skeleton spears. they charged at the troops of twilight city. ¡®thump! thump!¡¯ the hooves of the horses splashed the broken bones on the ground. the charge of the five squads was like the charge of a thousand cavalry. it came with a terrifying momentum like a landslide and tsunami. Chapter 69 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation all the soldiers in twilight city started to turn into sands when the skeleton knights launched their attack. richard also began to circulate the power in his body. his body instantly turned into a state composed of countless grains of sand. it was very magical. ¡°attack!¡± with an order, the scorpion warriors in front immediately launched a counter-charge at the skeleton knights. !! ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ the longer the charge distance of the skeleton knight was, the more terrifying its momentum would be. after more than ten breaths, the scorpion warriors at the front collided with the skeleton knights. ¡®bang!¡¯ the scorpion warrior swung iron pincers, and the skeleton knight directly smashed them into pieces. and his entire body was even scattered into the gravel on the ground. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ horse hooves stomped on thousands of soldiers. on the path of the skeleton knight¡¯s charge, the body of the scorpion warrior exploded one after another. the undead soldier, who held a tomahawk in its hand, took advantage of this opportunity and whistled out. both sides moved toward each other, and their speed was too fast. during the charge, the skeleton knight did not have the time to dodge and was directly struck by the tomahawk. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the tomahawk pierced through the ribs and firmly embedded into the body. the speed of a few skeleton knights was too fast and directly passed by the undead soldiers. in an instant, the limit distance of the tomahawk chain was reached. the undead soldier pulled hard, and the chains suddenly straightened. under the huge inertia, the skeleton knights pulled off their horses, and they crashed into the white bones, splashing up the bone fragments on the ground. two undead soldiers who thew tomahawks triggered the soul execution. they directly extinguished the soul fire of the skeleton knights and their horses. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the soul fire of the skeleton knight exploded. the long spear whistled out, and the undead soldier could not avoid it even if it wanted to. its body exploded, and sand flew everywhere. the troops of twilight city were unable to stop the terrifying skeleton knights. their bodies were crushed like sand balls. but in the blink of an eye, their broken bodies quickly recovered. after a round of charge, the skeletal knights paid the price of several casualties and murdered troops of twilight city. however, under the 99% immunity to physical damage, the troops of twilight city did not die in battle. under the charge of the skeletal knights, richard also experienced the magical feeling of quick recovery after he was smashed into pieces. after the two sides crossed paths, the troops of twilight city pounced on the skeleton mages who cast spells behind the skeletal knights. there were too many of these mages. if they were to cast spells without restraint, troops of starlight city would not be able to hold on even if they activated sand transformation. before they got close, hundreds of ghostly fireballs covered the sky. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ they crashed down like a meteor shower. ¡®bang!¡¯ the moment they exploded, the surrounding area burst into cold flames. fortunately, the enemy did not focus their fire on a few targets. it covered the entire area, and the lethality was greatly reduced. the poisonous scorpion warrior and the axe of the dead that could quickly recover blood charged into the skeleton mage¡¯s team which withstood the damage caused by the ghostly fireball. without the buffer in the front row, the skeleton mage¡¯s heaven-defying abilities could not be displayed. the troop that attacked with anger immediately made these skeletons taste what true death meant. ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ at this moment, the skeleton knights charged back with their spears and they wanted to stop the scorpion warriors and the undead soldiers. however, the troop that had activated the sand transformation completely ignored the skeleton knights. the only ones who could pose a threat to them were the skeleton mages. ¡°cursed pharaoh, use your body to stop the skeleton knights!¡± richard ordered coldly. the skeleton knights were immune to curses. a cursed pharaoh would not be effective even if it cast a spell at this moment. it would be better to use its body to block it. with the sand, they would not die. the cursed pharaoh immediately charged at the skeletal knights. ¡®bang!¡¯ they exploded into gravel under the terrifying impact¡­ then, their bodies quickly condensed¡­ this suicidal attack bought precious time for the troop. under the frenzied attacks of the undead soldiers and the scorpion warriors, the skeletal mages were quickly annihilated¡­ when the only threat on the ground was eliminated, the troop immediately turned around and pointed their spears at the tough skeleton knights. they charged forward. the rare-level skeleton knights were still easy to deal with, but the rare-level bone knight commander made richard suffer a lot. every time the skeleton knights charged forward, they would cause a huge amount of damage to the scorpion warriors in the front row. when they thrust their spears forward, the enemies¡¯ bodies would explode. the scorpion warriors could not block at all under the terrifying speed and impact. it was even more tragic when trampled by a horse. they could be kicked seven to eight meters away. the scene of their bodies shattered into fine sand could be seen from time to time. fortunately, the sand transformation skill had been greatly strengthened before the battle. this was the first case of death while sand transformation is turned on. richard had high hopes for the axe of the dead. their great killing weapon ¡ª soul execution. the chance that this soul execution skill is triggered on the skeletal knight had also decreased a lot. in the end, they had no choice but to mobilize the cursed pharaoh and the scorpion warrior to use their bodies to restrict the charge of the skeletal knights. under the concentrated attacks of the axe of the dead, this rare troop of 10 was finally killed by the horse. during the entire process, the scorpion warriors were sent flying on average seven or eight times. if not for the sandstorm, three lives would not have been enough to kill them. when the last skeleton knight fell, richard looked at the troop that had less than a minute left in the sandstorm and let out a long sigh. this battle that lasted less than ten minutes was much more difficult than clearing out a few large groups of skeleton soldiers. if it was someone else, even if the troop was several times more powerful than him, they might not be able to take down those skeleton knight commanders. the rare troop was too powerful. sand transformation, the eternal god. [ding~ the army you led has eliminated a group of undead units and obtained victory in a mini battle. you have obtained 1,000 experience points.] [ding~ curse pharaoh, poisonous scorpion warrior, axe of the dead. after a lot of battles, their levels have increased. current level: 6] richard looked at the troop that had all their skills refreshed after they leveled up and their aura had returned to their peak states. he was in a great mood. after richard came out, the troop had already leveled up twice in a row. and their strength had increased by a large margin. he was elated. he looked at the black coffin on the bone hill. his heart palpitated. this undead force was surely the most difficult enemy he had ever fought. if he dragged them out to the sandy ground to fight a tough battle, he would have no choice but to retreat. even with the advantage of geography, he had to fight for several hours before he could win this war. the fruits of their hard work became especially sweet at this moment. to protect this with so many soldiers, what was hidden in this coffin? the bones were piled up on a mountain, and the black coffin was engraved with countless dark skull patterns. against such a background, it was scary but also extremely noble. richard was in high spirits., he opened his status panel with full anticipation after he led the army to a certain distance. but what surprised him was that the attribute panel didn¡¯t show anything. it was as if the coffin was just an ordinary stone and gravel. something must have gone wrong. he didn¡¯t rush forward. with a wave of his hand, he asked a cursed pharaoh to explore. ¡®crack! crack!¡¯ the cursed pharaoh stepped on the white bones and went to the top of the mountain. ¡°open the coffin!¡± this cursed pharaoh carried a withered wooden scepter and wore a colorful crown on its head. two ribbons hung from its ears to its neck. it stretched out its shriveled hand and slowly opened the coffin but did not succeed during the first attempt because it was too heavy. then, it bent down and inserted the withered wooden scepter into the gap between the bandages on its waist. it used its two hands to exert force. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the stone coffin made a series of sounds and was slowly moved away. ¡®shua!¡¯ an extremely dark light burst out from the coffin as if there was a bottomless abyss hidden inside. in an instant, the dark light condensed into countless twisted hands and pulled the cursed pharaoh directly into the coffin. ¡®bang!¡¯ the stone lid of the coffin let out a muffled sound of collision and returned to its initial position. it was as if nothing had happened. everything happened too quickly. the troop, who stood dozens of meters away and kept a watch, had no time to react at all. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he witnessed this scene. ¡°what¡¯s inside the coffin? is there a living thing?¡± Chapter 70 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation this unexpected scene left richard bewildered. richard was unwilling to give up and opened his stats panel again. but this time, the details of the coffin appeared. [sacrifice coffin] [level: special] [characteristics: can sacrifice a similar type of soldier to obtain a hero unit. the stronger the sacrificial soldier, the stronger the hero unit born.] !! [current soldier sacrificed ¡ª curse pharaoh (level 6, elite 3-stars) current hero potential: e-rank.] [description: special item, can only be used once.] ¡®sacrifice coffin?¡¯ ¡®the stronger the soldier sacrificed, the stronger the hero unit born?¡¯ after he had read the information a few times, fearless excitement rose in richard¡¯s heart. good stuff, good stuff!! as expected of the great efforts he had put in. he could spend resources to recruit troops again if they were gone. however, hero units were unique, and one could find them by chance. using more than ten troops to exchange for a hero, blood money¡­ richard turned his head to look at the cursed pharaoh behind him. he waved his hand and ordered them to head to the mountain of bones. the undead creatures did not know fear and starkly carried out richard¡¯s orders. they immediately stepped on the mountain of bones and reached the top. after the second cursed pharaoh opened the coffin, the dark light appeared again. countless twisted hands suddenly pulled all the cursed pharaohs around them and dragged them into the coffin¡­ this scene made people¡¯s scalps go numb. after more than ten cursed pharaohs were pulled into the coffin, the coffin was no longer covered. it still emitted the dark light as if connected to hell and the abyss. when richard saw that the situation had stabilized, he opened his stats panel. [sacrifice coffin] [level: special] [characteristics: can sacrifice a similar type of soldier and obtain a hero unit. the stronger the sacrificial soldier, the stronger the hero unit born.] [current sacrificial soldier type ¡ª 15 cursed pharaohs (level 6, elite 3-stars) current hero potential: d-rank.] [description: special item, can only be used once.] after more than ten mummies, the hero¡¯s potential rose from e rank to d rank. ¡°d-rank, it¡¯s a pity i don¡¯t have curse pharaohs anymore¡­¡± richard could not help but feel a little regretful. if there were a few hundred troops, wouldn¡¯t he be able to give birth to a b or even a rank hero? at this moment, the black gold system lit up. [sacrifice coffin ¡ª can sacrifice 100 mummified troop lairs to raise the hero¡¯s potential to c-rank. can sacrifice 1,000 mummified troop lairs to raise the hero¡¯s potential to b-rank.] [sacrifice a special treasure ¡ª mummified heart can raise the potential of the hero recruited to a-rank.] [note: the sacrifice coffin will give birth to a hero in an hour and a half. please make the sacrifice as soon as possible.] hahaha¡­ as expected of you, black gold system!! this wave was simply crazy! richard was emotionally overwhelmed. he immediately opened the [trading market]. he searched for the heart of the mummy first. however, to his regret, it was a complete blank. a unique treasure that could raise the potential of a mummy to a-rank was pronouncedly something not easy to obtain. fortunately, there was a buffer time of one and a half hours. he immediately posted a message in the reward area ¡ª a unique treasure: a mummy¡¯s heart. he put up the remaining 90,000 units of resources, which immediately brought this reward to the forefront. at this time, the discussions about him on the [forum chat] had only subsided for a short while. and many lords had still paid attention to him. [good god, boss qingqiu has appeared again. does anyone have a mummy¡¯s heart? we can go to boss qingqiu and earn a fortune this time.] [what kind of treasure is the heart of a mummy? is it so high-level? no one even sells in the forum.] [why is it that qingqiu can obtain 100,000 units of resources quickly and place a bounty on a treasure while i¡¯m in such a miserable state?] discussions about him continued. after richard placed the bounty, he also searched for traces of the heart of a mummy in the post. an hour after he looked at how two-thirds of the time had passed, he shook his head with a bitter smile. there was still nothing. there was no news about the mummy¡¯s heart at all. ¡°looks like i can only buy 100 troop lairs and raise my potential to c-rank¡­¡± to raise it to b-rank required 1,000 troop lairs, a total of 500,000 units of resources. there was still half an hour left, so he had no choice. time slowly passed. just as richard was about to withdraw the reward and use resources to purchase troop lairs, a familiar account name suddenly flashed in his private message. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: ¡°big brother qingqiu, i saw your post¡­ hahaha, what a coincidence. i just happen to have a mummy¡¯s heart in my hands.] richard was shocked. [qingqiu: really?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: of course.] richard was ecstatic. this person was his lucky star who always appeared at every critical moment¡­ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: but this mummy¡¯s heart in my hands isn¡¯t mine, it¡¯s my sister¡¯s.] [did you close your private chat to strangers? my sister couldn¡¯t get in touch with you, so she let me trade.] [big brother qingqiu, my sister honestly has long legs and likes to wear black silk. hehehe, regret it now.] richard couldn¡¯t wait to ask. [qingqiu: what is her price?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother qingqiu, my sister said that the heart of the mummy would be for free.] richard was wonderstricken. ¡®free?¡¯ [qingqiu: does she have other conditions?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: you reminded us about the 2-star dungeon and saved our lives. this time, i would want to return the favor.] [big brother qingqiu, the mummy¡¯s heart is a unique treasure obtained from a 4-star treasure chest! my sister¡¯s troop was almost wiped out just to obtain that treasure chest.] [if you have doubt, you can search for the value of this item. if you don¡¯t want it, you can¡¯t sell it no matter what.] richard¡¯s mood became a bit perplexed. although this guy was usually a bit funny, his character was not bad, and he could get along well. after richard thought for a while, he replied. [qingqiu: i owe you favor this time.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon immediately became excited. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: what are brothers for? in the future, you will call me brother-in-law, and i¡¯ll call you brother. let¡¯s talk about our matters.] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. this clown. [qingqiu: you can go and direct place reward to buy it. that bit of resources can be some compensation.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: no, big brother qingqiu, this is to return your favor. these are separate matters.] [qingqiu: your sister¡¯s troop has suffered quite a lot of casualties. she surely needs resources to replenish her strength. the large-scale dungeon will open at the end of the month, so don¡¯t let this delay you. it¡¯s not worth it.] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon finally agreed when he heard this. a moment later, the system¡¯s upgrade sounded. the other party had accepted the reward. richard was excited as he took the mummy¡¯s heart from the system space. in his hand, a fist-sized gray, hard, stone-like item appeared. [mummy¡¯s heart] [level: special] [characteristics: a heart pulled out from an over level 25 mummy. it has an incredible effect on the mummy. it can directly turn the user into a mummy hero. the potential depends on the mummy¡¯s strength.] [note: can only be used on mummies.] [description: a unique treasure. it can cause the mummy to go crazy.] richard took a deep breath on this heart pulled out from a level 25 mummy hero¡­ he owed a lot on this favor. Chapter 71 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation although richard thought that a treasure that could recruit an a-rank hero would be very precious, he had not expected it to be so valuable. the giant desert dragon he had seen in the one-way teleportation portal, whose attributes could be conspicuous, was only level 15. even the high and mighty god was only level 30. a level 25 hero was the first-class existence in the entire plane of the game ¡°shining era.¡± with mixed feelings, richard allowed the axe of the dead to hold the mummy¡¯s heart and gradually climbed up the mountain of bones. !! he placed it into the sacrifice coffin. soon, the dim light seeped out of the coffin and seemed to have poured gasoline into the flames. the light was bright. the distorted light was like a devil from hell was about to crawl out. richard fixed his gaze on this scene. he could pronouncedly feel that the coffin was about to give birth to a powerful aura¡­ the dim light became increasingly profound and began to spread out. the distorted light enveloped the mountain of bones in a few breaths. the coffin absorbed countless cold energy. the bones began to darken, and countless cracks appeared. when richard saw this, he immediately ordered the axe of the dead to retreat below. after a few breaths, the dark light began to spread through the entire underground space along the mountain of bones. the last of the energy swallowed the layers of white bones. the white bones all over the ground turned into black bones. this visual impact had greatly moved richard. ¡°this underground space was set up for this sacrifice coffin, right?¡± he did not know who arranged all this, but it all belonged to him now. adamant anticipation rose in his heart. richard waited for the birth of twilight city¡¯s second a-rank hero¡­ the dim light gradually faded after ten minutes or more.and the coffin on the mountain of bones became dim¡­ [ding~ sacrifice completed. you have obtained a new hero unit.] when the system notification sounded, a white-bandaged arm suddenly extended out from the sacrifice coffin. then, a cursed pharaoh, who wore a crown on its head and had two colorful ribbons that floated beside its ears, slowly climbed out of the black coffin. the soul fire in the cursed pharaoh¡¯s empty eyes was burning. and below the coffin, there were countless black skeletons. this scene was similar to some religious murals where evil spirits were born. it was indescribably terrifying. the cursed pharaoh gradually walked down the mountain of bones. with every step, the bones under its feet would shatter. this appearance was invigorating. the cursed pharaoh slowly walked in front of richard and knelt on the ground humbly. ¡°lord richard, gray will listen to your orders.¡± the voice seemed to have formed by the vibration of the air without any human emotions. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. the joy in his heart at this moment was no less than the first time he discussed the true meaning of life with his girlfriend. ¡°no need for formalities.¡± as he spoke, he could not hold back the emotions in his heart and immediately opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel. [gray] [hero unit] [level: level 5 (elite) ¨Cmagic damage increases by 30%.] [potential: a-rank] [job: curse mage (elite) ¡ª casting effect increases by 15%.] [mana: 500 points (recovers 5 points per second).] [skills: curse mage (a-rank) ¡ª curse power increases by 70%, and can consume doubled magic power, directly releasing skills while on cooldown.] [soul command (a-rank) ¡ª forcefully controls the enemy¡¯s soul. command the enemy to make a move. when the command is not given, the enemy will break free from control after 5 seconds. cooldown time: 30 minutes. consumes 100 power magic.] [curse body (b-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, plague, curses, and soul execution skills. upon contact with the enemy¡¯s body, the enemy will be cursed. every minute, the enemy¡¯s attributes will be reduced by 10%, with the highest being 60%. lasts for 30 minutes.] [pharaoh¡¯s curse (b-rank) ¡ª able to cast curses on enemies within a 10 * 10-meter radius. upon casting, the enemy will fall into a weakened state. all attributes will be reduced by 30%. lasts for 5 minutes. cooldown time: 3 minutes. consumes 50 mana points.] [curse language (b-rank) ¡ª able to force a single enemy or an enemy within a 10 * 10-meter radius to fall into a state of mental confusion. movement will be halted. enemies within the area will last for 5 seconds. a single enemy will last for 8 seconds. cooldown time: 2 minutes. consumes 50 mana points.] [desertification-sand transformation (c-rank)] [characteristics: increases all mummies¡¯ curse effects by 50% when commanding the mummies.] [race talent: increases injuries and power magic recovery speed by 50% when fighting in the desert.] [fetter-mummy: when using curse-type spells and skills increases magic damage and effects by 50%.] [description: a hero who specializes in curses. no one is willing to be targeted by it.] after richard gazed at gray¡¯s attributes a few times, excitement filled his heart. was this a battle-type a-rank hero?! two a-rank skills, three b-rank skills¡­ powerful! incomparably powerful! the hero stacked its combat strength to an exaggerated degree coupled with its characteristics and fetters. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. gray had not only inherited the cursed pharaoh¡¯s skill. it had also upgraded it into an area-of-effect skill, which had an exaggerated increase in power. not to mention those two powerful a-rank skills, its attributes were truly insane. [curse mage ¡ª using doubled power magic, directly releasing the skill that was on cooldown.] if it kept releasing curse words to control the enemy¡­ wouldn¡¯t the enemy not be able to move and be controlled to death? and the soul control skill was even more exaggerated. it could control the enemy to make a move¡­ could it make the enemy slit its throat? or at the crucial moment of the battle, it could control the enemy to give up on defense and reveal its weakness¡­ it felt this skill would have a powerful effect against those powerful lords. moreover, gray¡¯s heroic characteristic¡ªcommanding the mummified troop would increase the casting effect of the army by 50%. it was also so powerful that it was explosive. in the future, richard could starkly hand over the mummified troop to the other party¡¯s commander. he could even use gray as the core to form a mummified troop suitable for him to command. heroes were essential helpers of a lord. they had intelligence that was not inferior to or even greater than a lord¡¯s. they could lead a troop to battle, build a territory, and do all the things a lord could do. if a soldier was a saber, then the hero unit was the hand that held it. adele was in charge of the empowerment job. and her help to twilight city could only be manifested by investing vast resources. gray, on the other hand, would be able to play an immense role immediately. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a clear sound interrupted the excited richard. he subconsciously turned his head to look. at this time, countless cracks appeared on the sacrifice coffin. and it gradually collapsed. ¡®rumble!¡¯ after the coffin shattered, the mountain of the bones also collapsed with a loud bang that splashed high dust. richard felt a bit of a pity. twilight city could be abolished in one wave if this thing were permanent¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ before the dust settled, they heard a sound to a greater degree of a loud crack. richard was startled in his heart. he raised his head and looked at the dome of the underground space. he saw that there were cracks on it as well. this scene made his scalp go numb. he couldn¡¯t care about anything else. he led all the troops and rushed into the tunnel with a wave of his hand. he would be dead if the collapse swallowed him. ¡®rumble!¡¯ while he was only a hundred meters away from the tunnel, it eventually collapsed. countless grains of sand smashed down with the rocks. ¡°sand transformation!¡± richard roared and immediately activated his most powerful life-saving skill. fortunately, the troop had refreshed the sand transformation skill when they leveled up during the last battle. ¡®rumble!¡¯ no one was able to dodge when the huge rocks smashed down. and their bodies directly collapsed. after the tunnel collapsed, the fine sand poured down from the top of their heads and filled the gaps between the rocks. at this moment, the fine sand became a life-saving straw. like a fish swam the waters, richard led the army through the yellow sand and moved toward the ground. after a long time. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the yellow sand on the surface began to bulge. an arm stretched out of the desert, supported on the sand, and forced the entire body out. after richard starkly left the desert, he took a few deep breaths. the air underground was extremely thin, almost suffocated him to death. as expected, the sand transformation skill was most suitable for undead creatures. at this time, the sky outside was completely dark. a bright moon as big as a millstone hung in the sky above his head. and a mercury-like cold light shrouded the entire desert. it made the hot yellow sand during the day cool down. ¡°huh!¡± he let out a long breath, and the excitement in his heart calmed down a little. he turned around and waited. soon, the scorpion warriors, undead soldiers, and gray climbed out. after richard checked the troop inventory, he confirmed no casualties. he laughed out loud. it was a real narrow escape from death. if not for the sand transformation, he would have died here today. and the rewards from this adventure were enough to make anyone envious. he obtained an a-rank hero¡­ a-rank!! hahaha!!! Chapter 72 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard stood up and looked ahead. he saw the entire desert sink and formed a wide valley. pronouncedly, the collapse just now had caused great damage. fortunately, this was a desert. it didn¡¯t matter even if it pierced through the sky. after richard led the troop out of depression from the sunken desert area, he saw gray beside him, and his mood improved again. although he had encountered such a thrilling scene today, his gains were also heaven-defying. !! first of all, the poisonous scorpion warriors and the axe of the dead had both been promoted to level 6. this activated the additional characteristics of an elite soldier that greatly increased their strength. secondly, under the prompt of the black gold system, richard had obtained a superb helper hero¡ªgray, the cursed mage. the attributes of an a-rank hero could only be described as amazing. just this hero alone had earned him ten or a hundred times more from this expedition. in a delighted emotional state, richard immediately returned to twilight city with his troop. the desert at night was not a safe place. richard was not interested in taking the risk of scanning the map at night. he followed the system map and proceeded forward. however, richard felt that something was not right after he had walked for less than ten minutes. ¡°alert!¡± when his voice fell, the surroundings became silent. it seemed his caution was superfluous. but richard still did not relax at all. his eyes were as sharp as the falcon. in less than a minute, rustles incessantly sounded. the sound of footsteps was gradually heard from a dune. in a moment, pairs of green eyes appeared from the darkness. wild wolves about the size of bison could be seen under the moonlight. however, these wolves were different from the desert wolves that richard had met before. their auras were countless times stronger, and their appearance was extremely hostile. richard¡¯s troops felt a strong sense of oppression as the unknown enemies watched. [desert warg] [level: 5 (elite soldier, strength increases by 15%.)] [potential: rare 1-star] [skills: encirclement (c-rank) ¡ª able to encircle and kill prey with tacit understanding, movement speed increases by 30%, strength increases by 30%.] [pounce (c-rank) ¡ª strength increases by 50% when attacking prey.] [sharp claws and teeth (c-rank) ¡ª sharpness of claws and teeth increases by 50%, able to cause armor-piercing damage to light armor targets.] [ferocity (c-rank)¨C not afraid of death, once aimed at a target, it will not rest until death. the more serious the damage received, the fiercer the explosive attack.] [race talent: when in group battles, strength increases by 30%, agility increases by 30%. [fetter-wolf pack: when the number of desert wargs is greater than 10, strength increases by 10%, agility increases by 10%.] [when the number of desert wargs is greater than 30, strength increases by 20%, agility increases by 20% (activated).] [when the number of desert wargs is greater than 50, strength increases by 30% and agility increases by 30%.] [description: a predator roaming in the desert.] richard could not help but squint his eyes after he looked at the other party¡¯s attributes. [level 5, rare 1-star¡­] and there were as many as three teams. this was going to be troublesome. if he hadn¡¯t used his sand transformation just now, he was starkly confident that these wild wolves could have devoured him. however, his strongest life-saving skill had already been used when he tried to avoid the collapse of the tunnel. his sand transformation cooldown was one hour, while his troop¡¯s cooldown was two hours. it was simply impossible to wait for the cooldown of his skill to refresh. moreover, the terrain here was vast. he couldn¡¯t make use of the terrain to fight. ¡°prepare for battle. the poisonous scorpion warrior will hold the front line. the axe of the dead will act as the main force of the hunt!¡± ¡°gray, prepare to cast a spell. control these desert wargs!¡± richard looked at gray, and its gaze became serious. at the same time, the scorpion warrior had set up a defensive formation. ¡°awoooo!¡± the howls of the wild wargs on the dunes spread far and wide in the vast desert. the horn of attack. the three teams of wargs were like wild beasts that came out of their cages. in the blink of an eye, their speed soared to the maximum and left a few afterimages in the air. ¡®tata! tata!¡¯ the sound of footsteps rustled on the sand. those green eyes under the moonlight made people feel a chill down their spine. the scorpion warrior opened its huge pincers, and its poisonous tail glowed a faint blue light. the undead soldier gripped the tomahawk, and within the ox horn helmet, the flames of the soul in those hollow eyes flickered. in just a few breaths, those wild wargs charged at lightning speed and had arrived in front of them. richard could even clearly see the needle-like fur on the enemies¡¯ bodies. the troops were in great disbelief. just as the two sides were about to collide, an obscure incantation was chanted while on richard¡¯s side. gray suddenly pointed forward, and a dim light flashed. the desert wargs charged at high speed and rumbled. a hammer seemed to have hit the spirit sea and their ears buzzed. they instantly lost control of their bodies, and the strong inertia brought about by their high-speed movement caused them to directly pounce on the ground. the combat rage sizzled. the desert wargs fell to the ground and left marks of long scratches on the ground. [cursed words (b-rank) ¡ª enemies within a 10 * 10-meter area will fall into a state of confusion. movement will be suspended for 5 seconds. cooldown time: 2 minutes. consumes 50 mana points.] the desert wargs in front were all forcefully controlled. those at the back saw this and jumped up hurriedly and directly crossed their companions on the ground. the combat rage continued to sizzle. a desert warg landed on the ground again. it opened its bloody mouth that could tear thick armor and slaughtered the scorpion warrior. at this moment, a dark light flashed once again. the aura of the desert wargs that rushed in front of the scorpion warriors instantly became chaotic. the light in their eyes was dazed and scattered. they lost control of their bodies once again. [curse mage (a-rank) ¡ª the power of the curse cast will be increased by 70%. moreover, it can consume doubled magic power and directly cast the skills that are on cooldown.] gray stood in place and directly pressed to the ground these rarely seen troops that moved like the wind as punishment. the moment the enemy was controlled, the poisonous scorpion warrior and the axe of the dead exploded with their most ferocious attacks. the scorpion¡¯s iron pincers waved and directly clamped the desert warg¡¯s neck as it leave several afterimages. the scorpion warrior further exerted a violent force but the wild warg was in a tremendous state of confusion and did not respond at all. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a huge warg¡¯s head directly fell onto the ground, and blood splattered all over its body. ¡®huhu!¡¯ the tomahawk whistled, and with a crack, it severed the warg¡¯s body. a crisp sound of branches breaking rang out when the tomahawk slashed the bones. the wild desert warg¡¯s strength lay in its terrifying speed and powerful attack that could easily tear steel apart. however, gray forcefully suppressed these two aspects. ¡°roar!¡± the rich smell of blood crazily stimulated the desert warg¡¯s nerves. the first batch of desert wargs that fell to the ground suddenly raised their heads. they immediately burned with anger when they saw their companions beside them in a miserable state. the muscles on their bodies were like spring treasures pressed down to the extreme and violently exploded. no enemy could imagine what kind of terrifying attack it would encounter once the desert warg got close to them. ¡®boom!¡¯ but just as the desert warg was about to launch, the hammer in its mind exploded once again. its body stiffened on the spot. five thousand mana points were enough for gray to forcefully cast curse words five times. before the magic power was completely consumed, these rare-level powerful lifeforms could not even think about moving. Chapter 73 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the poisonous scorpion warrior and the axe of the dead charged forward furiously while gray forcefully controlled these desert wargs, which were not known for their defensive capabilities. the undead soldier could still rely on its powerful strength to subdue the opponent when it encountered a rare-level soldier, even if the probability of triggering the soul execution was not high. and the scorpion warrior was even more so. they were rare 3-stars and level 6. its two vast pincers were almost more terrifying than a cleaver. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ !! a desert warg¡¯s head would be chopped-off every time the pincers close. the desert wargs had three teams, while the scorpion warriors had two, plus one and a half of the undead soldiers. almost one to one and a few more. after gray cast the curse word for the fourth time, the undead soldier of the axe of the dead chopped off the last desert warg¡¯s head. throughout the entire process, other than the first two desert wargs that lost control and collided with the scorpion warriors, the troops of twilight city did not suffer any damage. even these rare-level soldiers were pressed to the ground and unable to get up before they could display their strength. [elite hero: casting effect increases by 15%.] [curse mage: a casting curse power increased by 70%.] [fetters: curse-type spells and skills are used. magic damage and effects increased by 50%.] richard re-checked gray¡¯s stats panel again. gray had three attributes that increased the power of his spells and the duration of curse words by a large margin of 5 seconds. these wild desert wargs can get up halfway because they were a rare-level breed and possessed great strength. if they were a rare species, they would not even be able to move. richard was in a great spirit of disposition. fortunately, he had the mummy¡¯s heart provided by the [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. otherwise, he would have missed this a-rank hero. it seemed that richard would have to contact this lucky guy from time to time in the future. he loved to make friends the most¡­ [ding~ the troop army you led annihilated a group of wild desert wargs and obtained victory in a miniature battle. you have earned 600 experience points.] richard gazed at the corpses of the wargs on the ground, and his face showed a bright smile. it was another vast harvest. ¡°throw on the side poisonous warg corpses that were just stung.¡± in a battle, it was naturally impossible to think so much. the poisonous scorpion warrior troop lair did not have the characteristic of a cursed pharaoh that could draw out a curse. but those who were stung and poisoned could only give up. after they cleaned up, it was fortunate that only three were stung. the remaining 27 became richard¡¯s war trophy. while he gazed at the size of a bison warg lying on the ground, the corner of his mouth quilled. ¡°we can upgrade cursed pharaoh¡¯s troop lair to rare-level today. this requires 50,000 units of resources. ¡°as for the axe of the dead¡¯s troop lair, we can upgrade to rare-level tomorrow. it requires¡­500,000 units of resources.¡± when richard pondered, it seemed that even if he sold all the corpses of these wargs, it would not be enough to upgrade the axe of the dead troop lair. the corner of his mouth spasmodically moved. he thought that he had made a whirlwind fortune, but he did not expect that there would still be a gap. ¡°there is not much food left in the warehouse. i can spare two of these to fill up the warehouse. ¡°we can sell the rest.¡± richard opened the [trading market] beamingly. he initially had no thoughts of selling them but went to understand the market first. in the past few days, the price of food had dropped a bit. it was no longer as high as before. a warg could sell 20 units of resources per unit, and each weighed around 600 to 700 units. he deliberately went to find the undead¡¯s reward to understand the market. the undead could summon skeletons, so there should be a lot of demand for corpses. to his surprise, the demand for the undead¡¯s corpses was low. it was even less than one-tenth of the price of food. this made him lose the desire to sell to the undead corpses. these poor people were not worthy of buying his wargs. he intentionally hung them on the market. it didn¡¯t take ten minutes to hang up this attracted a lot of attention. [what the hell?!! that dead pervert qingqiu just sold rare-level beasts¡ªdesert wargs!!! is he still a human being???!!! those are rare-level!!!] [am i fucking blind?! why is it that in less than half a month, someone has taken out rare-level beasts?!] [ordinary, elite, rare, advanced¡­ i only had my first elite-level yesterday. where is justice??!!] [this guy must be an internal beta player of ¡°shining era¡±!!! otherwise, he must be the mastermind of the ¡°shining era¡± company!!!] [boss qingqiu is astounding!! hahaha. who said qingqiu was trash before? since you guys are so hung up, why don¡¯t you go and get rid of those rare-level troops? go, i¡¯ll wait for you guys to slap your faces!] [if you don¡¯t have the ability, don¡¯t doubt other people¡¯s strengths. what you guys can¡¯t do, other people can¡¯t do as well?? i was thinking back to those sand sculptures who jumped out just because boss qingqiu was not on the territory-level ranking leaderboard two days ago. i found it funny. how is it? now, boss qingqiu has just wiped out rare-level troops. do you feel your swollen faces?] the lord players who had spoken out against richard a few days ago were now bereft of speech. twenty-five rare-level desert wargs, not just one! one head might be luck. how could this luck explain 25 heads?! they wouldn¡¯t be in such a humiliating state if this thing was easy to deal with. even if they wanted to pick a fight, they wouldn¡¯t have anything to say in the end¡­ ¡®this damn pervert, how could he be so strong???¡¯ the first thing that [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon] did was send a message to his sister when he saw this news. [sister! have you seen that? twenty-five rare-level wild wargs! big brother qingqiu¡¯s nose is like a bull¡¯s nose in the sky! hahaha!] the stronger the opponent was, the more accurate his judgment was! [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon] had high hopes for richard and could not wait to cling to him. [night rain flower falls: qingqiu is indeed not ordinary. he is more powerful than i thought.] [the combat strength of a rare-level troop is exceedingly terrifying. yesterday, i only encountered two teams. and the troops almost collapsed¡­] [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon] smiled smugly. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: right now, big bother qingqiu has a close relationship with us. in the future, we might even have to rely on him more¡­] [night rain flower falls: you can get in touch with him more. it¡¯s never wrong to have more friends. you¡¯d better get stronger quickly. the earlier we explore the 2-star dungeon, the better.] [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon: sis, there¡¯s no need to be in such a rush. if we wait a little longer, we¡¯ll surely be able to explore that dungeon.] [night rain flower falls: if we delay for another two months, we¡¯ll lose our lead. are the precious items now still precious after two months?] [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon: alright, just wait and see!] [night rain flower falls: there¡¯s still half a month before the dungeon opens. no matter what, you have to enter the one million players! there mustn¡¯t be any mistakes!!] [this dungeon will be a clash among the top lords of the ¡°shining era¡±. the rewards will surely make people jealous.] [where¡¯syour f*cking italian cannon: sis, don¡¯t underestimate me. isn¡¯t it just 1,000,000 players? it¡¯s a piece of cake. i¡¯ll enter the dungeon and kill as many as i want this time!!] Chapter 74 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard thought about it and sold the three poisoned warwolves. however, the system had marked them as inedible. perhaps, some would be interested in the undead. he ordered the axe of the dead to carry the two wargs after dealing with everything. they returned to twilight city under the moonlight. the desert in the wilderness was no longer as hot as it was during the day. and the air was somewhat moist. the vast desert could not be seen clearly under the shining moon. and the beholder could perceive a special kind of hazy beauty in it. !! the journey was not starkly peaceful. after more than two hours of travel, they encountered more than a dozen assault troops from the wilderness. however, they never encountered an enemy as powerful as the desert wargs. they were overturned by the curse before they could make any waves under gray¡¯s control. after a few battles, richard had a direct understanding of the strength of this a-rank hero. although it didn¡¯t have any damage skills, its exaggerated control made it impossible for its enemies to resist it. it was simply outrageous with the combination of the axe of the dead and the poisonous scorpion warrior troop¡¯s strong attackers. at 9 p.m., richard, who had wiped through a field of wild monsters, finally returned to his territory. the axe of the dead had more than twenty prey. richard didn¡¯t even waste the soldiers¡¯ corpses harvested and sold all of the undead to the market. although the price was not high, it was still an additional income. after he returned to his territory in a good mood, he initially thought that the residents had gone to rest, but the scene before his eyes stunned him. on the empty land, there were a few torches that were half-lit. under the dim light, a crowd of people seated on the ground fell asleep. many people still had uneasiness and worry on their faces. from time to time, they would turn their heads to look outside the territory as if they were waiting for someone to come. a resident about to go to the toilet was slightly stunned when he saw richard come in from the side. then, he shouted excitedly. ¡°lord richard is back!¡± the loud voice woke up the residents under the dim light. one by one, they turned their heads to look at richard behind them. when they saw the familiar figure, the worry on their faces disappeared and they revealed brilliant smiles. ¡°his lordship is fine¡­¡± ¡°praise the gods! his lordship is back!¡± ¡°hahaha, i dare to bet that this is the best news i¡¯ve heard!¡± ¡°his lordship¡­¡± everyone showed a joyous gaze. the scene that had been silent a moment ago immediately became lively. all of them cheered as if something great had happened. they¡­all waited for him? when richard saw this scene, his heart rose with a warm feeling. he looked at karu who walked through the crowd excitedly. he did not wait for the white-haired old man to bow, richard frowned. ¡°karu, were you the one who ordered them to wait here?¡± when karu saw that richard was fine, he waved his hands as if he was relieved of a heavy burden. ¡°lord richard, after dinner, we didn¡¯t see you come back. so, we spontaneously waited for you outside¡­¡± the first resident who noticed richard¡¯s return also spoke. ¡°lord, we were worried that you didn¡¯t come back¡­¡± richard turned his head to look at the smiling faces from the bottom of his heart, and a certain part of his heart was touched. at this moment, he felt extremely close to this world. there was no longer any sense of strangeness. he took a deep breath and nodded slowly. his voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°i think you¡¯re just looking for an excuse to sleep in tomorrow¡­¡± the crowd laughed softly. after he finished speaking, he looked at the crowd and pointed at a resident as he shouted. ¡°deke! you¡¯re also a person who has received the bronze medal of twilight city. why don¡¯t you set an example? starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll be in charge of the territory¡¯s daily routine. don¡¯t let such a situation happen again.¡± after richard said that, he called out several names in a row and shouted. ¡°you, soldiers, take the lead and go back to rest. twilight city is still here. if you are still here, i will be fine. we will deal with the prey tomorrow morning. what are you all standing still for? get the hell out of here!¡± after he said that, he did not wait for the residents to leave. he asked the troops to place the prey beside the well and returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. no one made a move when richard passed by the crowd. only when his figure disappeared did the residents start to make a ruckus. the few people whose names had just been called were so excited that their eyes were red. they felt exceptional glory. ¡°lord richard still remembers our names! the lord still remembers our names!¡± ¡°gods above, did the lord just call my name? i-i was sincerely remembered by the lord¡­¡± ¡°those who were called were all awarded the collective bronze medal¡­ i¡¯m so envious. if i had known earlier, i would have participated in the last mission!!¡± everyone in the crowd was overjoyed. the others were especially touched. they, the lowly commoners, experienced exceptional respect in this city. a few young people suddenly thought of something and shouted. ¡°didn¡¯t you notice just now? the lord¡¯s troops have lost a lot of soldiers!¡± ¡°yeah, there were more than ten mummies with crowns this morning, and only one came back just now¡­¡± ¡°go and take a look. there are two wild wargs by the well. i¡¯ve seen those monsters before, and even dozens of soldiers couldn¡¯t stop them¡­¡± the crowd that had discussed the matter suddenly quieted down. after many people looked at the two wild wargs by the well, their emotions began to ferment. ¡°no wonder the lord came back so late tonight. it must be very difficult for him to meet powerful enemies¡­¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± ¡°those soldiers died fighting for us¡­¡± they were at a loss for words. they could already imagine how richard had risked his life just to protect his territory. it was their honor to have such a great lord¡­ when they returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, richard, who had just been eating, suddenly heard a system notification. [ding~ twilight city¡¯s residents¡¯ morale has reached 90. the territory has acquired a special characteristic¡ªlive and work in peace.] [live and work in peace: when the residents¡¯ morale reaches 90, they will live and work in peace within the territory. they will treat you with the utmost respect. all the policies you have formulated will be 100% implemented by everyone. they will also publicize your greatness to the new residents.] [the residents will not be incited by the enemy. when they discover suspicious outsiders who have infiltrated the territory, they will report to you immediately.] [the appeal of twilight city to refugees has increased by 50%. there is a higher probability that it will attract high-level talents or intermediate heroes who will take the initiative to seek refuge. the charm of the city has greatly increased.] Chapter 75 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation wow, the people¡¯s morale has indeed reached 90 points? richard was a little surprised. he immediately smiled after he saw the upgraded feature twice. although this special characteristic wasn¡¯t a battle-type feature, it could greatly reduce the difficulty of management and increase the territory¡¯s foundation. the larger the territory and the longer time was, the more obvious the effects would be over time. !! pronouncedly, his policy towards the residents during this time had paid off quite a bit. ¡®i wonder what kind of characteristic would it be after 100 points? flying on the spot? becoming a god on the spot?¡¯ this extra harvest made him feel cosmic. richard even ate two extra bowls of food. after a good sleep, he woke up the next day and saw the excited karu. ¡°lord, the desert bees have already divided their hives¡­¡± richard enthusiastically went to the russian olive forest when he heard the old man¡¯s information. at this time, the rusian olive forest¡¯s flowering time was at its most prosperous period. the rainbow-colored flowers were especially bright and heart-captivating in the desert. the bees¡¯ chirps, which symbolized vitality, made people captives of nature¡¯s glamour. ¡°those bees that divided their hives took the initiative to enter the beehives that we placed around them. they¡¯re very obedient.¡± richard smelled the enslaving scent of the flowers and entered the russian olive forest with karu. at this time, countless bees flew in the area where the hives were placed. the two new hives already had bees whose legs were covered with pollen that crawled back and forth. when they saw richard arrive, the bees immediately buzzed and danced around him. the scene was quite light-hearted. richard opened the attributes panel of the new hive. [desert bees lair] [level: special] [queen bee (ordinary) ¡ª auxiliary queen, can not be upgraded, but can produce honey at the main hive level.] [characteristics: can produce medium-grade desert honey with a special fragrance. after eating, it can greatly increase the recovery speed of stamina and injuries, and slightly increase the recovery speed of magic power.] [number of bees: small (fixed small, unable to expand)] [quantity: a fixed output of 10 units of medium-grade honey per week.] [description: a rare-level bee in the desert, extremely rare.] [unable to level up. moreover, the number of bees is fixed, and the output is also fixed¡­] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth grimaced slightly. can the reproduction and growth of desert bees only rely on the main hive? he could not upgrade other queen bees. this undoubtedly limited his idea of the rapid growth of desert honey. however, it seemed usual. if it was so easy to reproduce, desert bees would not have such an evaluation of extreme rarity. an elite queen bee could have two subsidiary hives. then, could an advanced queen bee have four subsidiary hives? richard¡¯s eyebrows slowly relaxed. he opened the [trading market]. his private mailbox received a bunch of private messages. he opened them and saw that the 25 unpoisoned and the three poisoned wargs had all been sold. he had a total of 340,000 units of resources. with the original resources, he had a total of 360,000 units. this was indeed a huge sum of money. but it wasn¡¯t enough for what he wanted to do. richard opened the troop lair panel. the cursed pyramid that had recruited the cursed pharaoh could be upgraded to rare. the axe of the dead¡¯s wooden house could be upgraded to rare. the desert bee could also be upgraded to an advanced queen bee. in this way, he needed 600,000 units of resources to meet the upgrade requirement. ¡°the landlord family is really poor this time¡­¡± richard felt helpless with hundreds of thousands of units of resources in his hands. his rate of earning resources could even be said to be among the top 20 billion lords. however, his earnings wouldn¡¯t be long before the landlord¡¯s wealth fell into a state of extreme thirst for resources when compared to expenditures. ¡°the battle axe wooden house needs 500,000 units of resources¡­ we can wait for a while. ¡°let¡¯s level up the desert bees and the cursed pharaoh first.¡± the earlier the bees leveled up, the greater the benefits would be. there was no need to delay. richard spent 100,000 units of resources and bought 200 troop lairs. one hundred were insect troop lairs, and 100 were desert camp troop lairs. he came to the main hive of the desert honey. he used up all 100 troop lairs. after a moment, the attributes of the honeycomb had changed. [desert beehive] [level: special] [queen bee: advanced (when upgraded to special-level, the hive produces better quality, special desert honey.)] [characteristics: can produce high-quality desert honey with a special aroma. after eating, it can greatly increase the recovery speed of stamina and injuries, and greatly increase the recovery speed of magic power.] [number of bees: medium] [sub-hive: 2 (can have two elite-level sub-queens. each sub-queen can have two ordinary-level queens.)] [quantity: a minimum of 15 units of high-quality honey per week (current available reserves: 15 units)] [description: a rare-level bee in the desert. extremely rare.] [when the main hive was upgraded to advanced, two sub-queens could be upgraded to elite, and they could have their sub-queens.] as a result, the number of desert bees did not increase by two more hives as richard had imagined. instead, they directly increased by four nests. as long as the bees could reproduce, he could have seven hives of bees. if he upgraded to special-level, wouldn¡¯t his performance increase by eight hives of bees? moreover, the secondary queens did not need him to upgrade their levels. they would automatically upgrade over time. in a month at most, he would be able to see the appearance of several other hives of bees. richard laughed. so this was the expansion method of desert bees. his mood improved a bit. his beekeeping career could be considered on the right track. he walked out of the russian olive forest and called over a few staff members. ¡°the honey from the main hive is ready. get your equipment and follow me.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± they took the honey-gathering equipment they had prepared in advance to the spring and washed it clean. then, they followed richard to the front of the hive. ¡°there are more than ten units of honey in the main hive. you open the bottom of the box and take out the honey.¡± after the upgrade, the desert bees were all very smart. their movements were not stung by the bees. the hive was made of wood and placed on a wooden shelf. the bottom of the shelf could be opened by pushing and pulling. when the bottom plate was pulled open, one could see pieces of honeycomb molasses. the sweet smell burst instantly. the honeycomb molasses were now of elite quality. it was a grade higher than the ordinary honey from last time. although richard hadn¡¯t tasted it yet, his saliva secreted uncontrollably. who could resist this kind of aroma¡­ after he took three pieces of sealed honeycomb molasses, the available reserves of desert honey dropped to zero. richard deliberately took a few more glances. these desirable honeycomb molasses were separated by a certain distance from the old nests of desert bees. and there was a clear distinction between them. pronouncedly, the bees had built them here on purpose. he nodded in admiration. these bees were really smart. he turned his head to look at the staff behind him. ¡°today is may 12. from now on, every week, you will come and take the honey. just like today, take the hive honey from the side and don¡¯t touch the bees¡¯ old nest. on the 19th, the next two beehives can also produce new honey. take it out in the same way. in addition, pack the prepared honeycombs in advance, and the bees will divide their hives later¡­¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± after richard gave instructions, he looked at the honeycombs in the special wooden barrel and could not help but reach out to break a piece. he stared at it carefully through the sunlight mottled by the leaves. the honey had been sealed with a thin layer of beeswax on them. normally, bees would use this method to preserve the honey after it was brewed. he pulled out a few filaments of golden honey in the crystal after he took a big bite off a corner. a sweeter and richer than the ordinary honey exploded in his mouth. richard swallowed and was full of praise. ¡°i feel that the reputation i made up about the desert crown honey is bad. this should be the god¡¯s grace bestowed to the human world¡­¡± this thing surely had to take the highest route. ¡°i hope onyx won¡¯t let me down. the desert crown honey will surely become the pearl of twilight city.¡± at this moment, he could already see large amounts of resources flowing into his pocket. the landowners were desperate for resources. Chapter 76 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the nest honey was taken out, it could be dried or special tools could be used to take out the honey. of course, he didn¡¯t need to do these tasks. as the ruler of the territory, the only thing richard had to do was to give orders and make good use of the resources of the territory to complete his will. after richard dealt with the desert bees, he went to the fire dragon rabbit breeding area next to it. the breeding base had already taken shape. a two-meter-high wooden fence was built on the outermost perimeter. inside were a one-meter-tall and two-meter-wide wisteria and thorns. !! a small team of bandaged mummies guarded around. the wisteria and thorns were already lush and full of vitality because of the vast amount of water irrigation. the sharp thorns that grew seven to 8 centimeters long were enough to make warriors even in thick armor feel nervous. at this time, the desert gnomes were setting up another purple vine and thorns outside the fence. it seemed like they wanted to completely lock the surrounding area. richard was quite appreciative of this. if the fire dragon rabbit fur could be expanded, the benefits they could produce would not be worse than the desert honey. the blanket made of the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur, which could automatically control the temperature, made him deeply understand what onyx had said. in the ice and snow empire, only the royal family and nobles were qualified to use the products of the fire dragon rabbit. ¡°oh, great lord richard, your humble servant greets you.¡± the thin and weak person in charge of the breeding base, green tooth, immediately ran over to greet richard when he saw him. richard marveled about whether to laugh or cry with green tooth¡¯s flattering look. the life of a gnome was truly bewildering. ¡°how are the fire dragon rabbits?¡± green tooth patted his toothpick-like chest and said excitedly, ¡°lord, those fire dragon rabbits are very healthy now. i inspect them every day. i never allow them to eat!¡± other things were raised for fear they will not eat but the fire dragon rabbits were raised for fear they will eat. it was also quite interesting. ¡°where are the fire dragon rabbits¡¯ cubs?¡± ¡°they are growing very fast. it is estimated that they will reach maturity at the end of the month. next month, they will shed their fur and enter the breeding period.¡± this good guy was really fast. ¡°take good care of them. if you have any problems, come and find me.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± the fire dragon rabbits were basking in the sun all day and there was nothing to see. richard returned to the territory after a few words of reminders. 1 when richard entered the lord¡¯s mansion, he first used the 100 troop lairs he had just bought to upgrade the cursed pyramid to rare. with that, he now had three rare troop lairs¡ªthe cursed pyramid, the scorpion warrior nest, and the battle axe wooden house. however, what he desired the most was to upgrade the battle axe wooden house to rare first. ¡°i still have 260,000 units of resources¡­ to buy 1,000 troop lairs requires 500,000 units. that¡¯s not a small number. however, if i encounter a group of wild desert wargs in the wilderness, these problems will be solved.¡± while richard had some thoughts, he seemed to have remembered something. he took out the building blueprint he obtained when he conquered the gold mine from the system space¡ªfood workshop. he had been so busy these past few days that he almost forgot about this matter. [food workshop blueprint] [level: normal] [characteristics: food workshop can be built for research, production, and processing of food.] [construction resources: 5,000 gold coins, 10,000 units of wood, and 10,000 units of stone] [construction time: 7 days] [number of people needed: when the number of people is less than the standard number, the construction time will increase, but when it is greater, the time will decrease.] [occupation: 10 spaces] [description: your territory can taste more delicious food.] ¡°food, clothing, shelter, and travel, the potential of the food workshop is limitless. as long as it is done well, there is no need to worry about not earning resources¡­¡± richard took the blueprint and came to the space near the well. he was ready to build here. there were 60 more squares of open spaces and exactly 10 squares in this area after the territory was upgraded. the water well was located southwest of the lord¡¯s mansion, next to the residential area in the west. he reached out his hand to call a resident over and asked him to call karu over. a moment later, fully white-haired but exceptionally energetic karu arrived. ¡°lord richard.¡± richard motioned to karu with the blueprint in his hand and told him the general attributes and construction requirements. ¡°immediately find 30 workers and build the food workshop. i have a feeling that this building might be particularly important to twilight city.¡± as long as they could produce enough delicious food, there would be a market for 20 billion players and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in the sales channel. there would surely be no worries about sales. of course, the exact situation would only be known after the food workshop was completed. after richard had assigned the task, he left enough resources to fill up the surrounding space. then, he ignored everything else and prepared to continue hunting with the troop. before the other industries in twilight city developed, they still had to focus on hunting. but he believed that with his nurturing, it wouldn¡¯t be long before twilight city would have its industry. at that time, twilight city would usher in a period of rapid development. richard¡¯s goal this time was to make up for the shortfall of over 200,000 resources needed to upgrade the axe of the dead before the troop lairs are refreshed on monday, may 15. however, this was not a small amount. to increase efficiency, he thought about it and transferred the five teams of bandaged mummies stationed in the territory to gray¡¯s hands. he asked the a-rank hero to lead the team to scan the map in another direction. the hero unit had super high intelligence and was no worse than lords in leading the troops. gray happened to be a mummy hero and had an additional attribute bonus to the mummy troop. the bandaged mummies were put to good use in his hands. the safety of twilight city was guarded by nine teams of elite guardian mummies. it was enough for the time being. from noon until the sky turned dark, richard returned with his prey. at the same time, gray was not inferior, and he also gained a lot. the bandaged mummies did not lose any members after a whole day of battle, which made richard feel relieved. his trust in gray increased again. on may 13, 14, and 15, for three consecutive days, richard and gray left early and returned late every day to scan the map. but the field battles were not always smooth sailing. gray was attacked and badly injured by a group of rare field troops at noon on may 15. the bandaged mummy lost one team, leaving only four teams in total. but the harvest that day was more than richard¡¯s previous hunts. when he returned, almost every bandaged mummy carried a prey or two on its back. on the night of may 15, richard returned and brought gray back to his territory. looking at the pile of prey, he was in a good mood. he left a huge part for the warehouse to fill up but sold the rest out. the result of the three-day hunt was a large number of resources were accounted for. he had accumulated enough for the upgrade of the axe of the dead troop. he looked at the data on his status panel that soared and he was in high spirits. [gold: 200,000 pieces] [wood: 150,000 units] [stone: 150,000 units] [iron ore: 130,000 units] what made richard excited was not only the abundance of resources, but also the fact that it was monday, and the refresh period of the troop¡¯s lair was about to begin. his troop was about to expand once again. the opening of the large-scale dungeon at the end of the month was getting increasingly closer. the more troops he had, the more richard would have the confidence to clash with the other lords. Chapter 77 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation eight o¡¯clock in the evening, sharp. a system notification sounded in richard¡¯s ear on time. [ding~ this week is timber resources week. the output of the logging field has increased by 1000 units per day. lords, please arrange the production.] [ding~ the output of all the troop lairs has been refreshed. lords, please recruit on your own.] it finally came. !! richard was in a lively emotional state. ¡°timber resources week¡­ unfortunately, twilight city only occupies one small logging site. if it occupies 120, the harvest in a week would be considerable. the desert is indeed a worthy place where resources are exhausted. the density of refreshed resource points is much less than other terrains.¡± these few days, richard had deliberately learned about it on the forum. if it was a plain or normal land, the resource points would refresh very densely. one could even see one in ten minutes. on the contrary, after richard scanned around twilight city for so long, he discovered five resource points. he hadn¡¯t felt it before. he thought that all the lords were like this. but after a thorough understanding, he discovered it. the desert¡¯s resources were simply indescribable compared to other places. ¡°i still have to develop myself and continue farming. if i rely on the resources of the outside territories to survive, twilight city won¡¯t be able to develop at all.¡± only when there was comparison would there be harm¡­ as richard shook his head, he collected scattered thoughts and opened the troop lair to check. as expected, it had already been refreshed. [lair: guardian¡¯s land (elite 3-stars, 3 seats) troop type: guardian mummy, number of recruits: 30] [lair: great pyramid (elite 3-stars, 3 seats) troop type: bandaged mummy, number of recruits: 21] [lair: scorpion¡¯s nest (rare 3-stars, 1 seat) troop type: poisonous scorpion warrior, number of recruits: 7] [lair: cursed pyramid (rare 3-stars, 1 seat) troop type: cursed pharaoh, number of recruits: 5] [lair: battle axe wooden house (rare 3-stars, 1 seat) troop type: axe of the dead, number of recruits: 5] in addition to the axe of the dead, he used more than 20,000 resources to recruit all the soldiers. the strength in his hands soared again. the current number of troops in twilight city: [guardian mummy: 120 (elite 3-stars)] [bandaged mummy: 61(elite 3-stars)] [poisonous scorpion warrior: 27 (rare 3-stars)] [cursed pharaoh: 5 (rare 3-stars)] [axe of the dead: 15 (rare 3-stars)] the total number of soldiers reached 228. the current population of twilight city was less than 400. this power could already be described as substantial. what made richard even more excited was that twilight city¡¯s first rare-level troop lair was about to rise. after he glanced at the still abundant resources, he did not hesitate and directly purchased 1,000 desert camp troop lairs. he spent this amount of resources extremely blissful. after the purchase, he only had 110,000 units of resources left out of 610,000 units. richard came to the front of the battle axe wooden house full of anticipation. this was the first time he had upgraded troop lair to rare-level. he was quite excited. the temple guard that he felt untouchable half a month ago was only at a rare level. [battle axe wooden house (rare 3-stars) ¡ª after consuming 10 rare-level desert camp troop lair cores, it can be upgraded to rare-3 stars. 1,000 ordinary-level troop lairs have been detected to meet the upgrade requirements. do you want to upgrade?] 1 richard did not think much and confirmed directly. the next second. majestic energy gushed out of the battle axe wooden house, and its height increased from 4 to 5 meters. the thousands of tomahawks hanging on the outer wall of the wooden house glowed faint golden light. a few minutes later, the light faded away. the battle axe wooden house became increasingly exquisite. the thousands of tomahawks shone brightly. at a glance, one could tell that these were surely not ordinary items. [upgrade successful. current level: rare 3-stars.] [battle axe wooden house (rare 3-stars) ¡ª consume 10 rare level desert camp troop lair cores and you can upgrade it to brilliant 3-stars.] after the black gold system notification sounded, richard laughed out loud. his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment as he watched the strength in his hand grow stronger bit by bit. it was an incredible, indescribable feeling. [battle axe wooden house] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruit type: axe of the dead (rare 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 5] [weekly output: 5] [recruitment requirements: 4,000 gold coins, 4,000 units of stone materials, 4,000 units of iron ore] [description: able to recruit undead soldiers with decent battle strength.] after leveling up, the resources required to recruit the axe of the dead increase by 10 times. the cost of recruiting high-level soldiers was not cheap. richerd felt both pain and pleasure in his heart when he saw this¡­ he directly recruited all five soldiers of the axe of the dead with a wave of his hand. in an instant, countless dark energy gathered in the battle axe wooden house. gray light shook after a few breaths. the undead soldier from axe of the dead lair was 2.2 meters tall and wore full-body armor with mandala patterns. a horned helmet appeared in his line of sight. this powerful soldier walked out of the wooden house step by step. after it stepped out of the door, it reached out and took a tomahawk that glowed faint golden light from the wall. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the moment the undead soldier picked up the tomahawk, countless chains gathered on its wrist. a genuine undead soldier of the axe of the dead appeared. richard opened the soldier¡¯s stats panel impatiently. [axe of the dead] [level: 5 (elite soldier, strength increased by 15%.) [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: tomahawk slash (b-rank) ¡ª can throw a tomahawk within 40 meters to attack the enemy. the tomahawk can be retrieved through the chain on the arm and cause a massive amount of magic damage to the enemy.] [skills: body of the dead (c-rank) ¡ª immune to poisons and plagues. defense increases by 70%. the heart will not die if it is not destroyed.] [roar (c-rank) ¡ª attack power increases by 70% after roaring.] [swing (c-rank) ¡ª after throwing the tomahawk, can use the chain wrapped around the arm to pull the tomahawk to carry out attacks continuously. it has more exquisite control over the tomahawk.] [tomahawk smash (c-rank) ¡ª after throwing the tomahawk, it will explode and shatter, causing a huge amount of magic damage to enemies within a 10-meter radius.] [race talent: after the tomahawk is broken, it can be used to gather energy again.] [fetter-tomahawk: when the tomahawk is thrown from 1 to 10 meters away, the damage increases by 20%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 11 to 20 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 40%.] [when the tomahawk is thrown from 21 to 30 meters away, the damage dealt increases by 60%.] [moreover, there is a 30% chance of triggering the instant death skill (soul execution). it can directly kill the enemy. the stronger the enemy, the lower the chance of triggering the skill.] [description: little darling, close your eyes. i¡¯m going to throw the axe.] after richard looked at it a few times, he felt an intense excitement rose in his heart. damn, the initial level of the axe of the dead recruited from the troop lair had reached level 5! it directly received the attribute bonus of an elite soldier. furthermore, not only was the skill upgraded by one level. its attributes had greatly improved. it also acquired a powerful skill¡ªtomahawk smash. it allowed the already overbearing undead soldier possess the group attack skill! this wave was simply a god-like enhancement! more importantly, the axe of the dead¡¯s trump card¡ªtomahawk throw¡ªhad its range increased from 30 meters to 40 meters. and the instant death skill (soul execution) also increased its range from 21 meters to 30 meters to 21 meters to 40 meters. increased by 10 meters! this additional short 10 meters doubled the operability of the axe of the dead. this was a true killing weapon! hahahahahahaha¡­ Chapter 78 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard had recruited the five undead soldiers of the axe of the dead troop, he immediately bestowed the sand transformation skill to all his troops. this godly skill, which made countless contributions, had become the standard of twilight city. looking at the powerful troop before him, he was in a joyous state of mind. he looked at the other 15 undead soldiers. he could also upgrade to rare with the troop¡¯s lair¡¯s improvement. however, after he looked at the attributes panel, he suddenly had a bizarre expression. !! the resources needed to upgrade the troop were the same resources needed to recruit troops. there was no discount at all. it would cost 60,000 gold coins, 60,000 units of wood, and 60,000 units of iron ore for 15 undead soldiers of axe of the dead troop to reach the rare-level upgrade. it was 180,000 gold coins in total¡­ it was simply a killer upgrade. ¡°so poor.¡± richard looked up to the sky and sighed. he has already exerted extra effort in the speed of earning resources, but in the end, it was still not enough. the troop lairs were bottomless pits. if one wanted to cultivate them, the investment was endless. ¡°this is only a troop lair. i still have poisonous scorpion warrior and cursed pharaoh¡­ in the future, the troop cultivating speed may not be so fast. no, it seemed we still have to train some elites and rare-level troops to match. only high-level troops. this consumption is too terrifying. we still have to think of other ways to get resources. to rely on hunting alone, how many troops will we have to hunt to reach a high level? trade, trade¡­¡± it was rare to reach the glorious level and required 10,000 unit lairs. it was five million units of resources. it would take more than a month to do so without considering other expenses with the current speed of accumulation¡­ it was not something solved in a short period. after richard sorted out his thoughts, his gaze gradually returned to calmness. ¡°from the looks of it, i can first upgrade the bandaged mummy to rare-level. three troop lairs only consume 150,000 units of resources. after the lair upgrade, i can also upgrade six small teams¡¯ troop lairs to a rare level. i can have a squadron of rare soldiers with this. i can surely raid that one-star dungeon¡­¡± he had thought about that one-way portal for a long time. however, the black gold system had mentioned that the average strength of the soldiers inside was rare. at this time, as long as he upgrades the bandaged mummy, there would be the rare-level axe of the dead and gray, the insanely powerful a-rank hero. the strength in his hands was enough to conquer that instance dungeon. richard, who was vastly mobile and with a plan in mind, immediately began to carry out his plan. in the early morning of may 16, he and gray led their respective troops out to hunt. even so, he still felt that the resource collection speed was too slow. that night, richard and gray began to hunt around twilight city. although the danger level of hunting in the wild had increased a lot, the harvest had also increased significantly under the high intensity of the battle. on the night of may 18, he had accumulated enough resources for the bandaged mummy and 15 axe of the dead troops to level up. to upgrade three great pyramids required 150,000 resources¡­ to upgrade 61 elite bandaged mummies to rare required 80,000 units of resources¡­ to upgrade 15 axe of the dead required 180,000 resources¡­ four hundred ten thousand resources in total¡­ [great pyramid (elite 3-stars) ¡ª using 10 elite-level desert camp troop lair cores, you can upgrade to rare 3-stars. do you want to upgrade?] ¡°confirmed.¡± [axe of the dead (rare 3-stars) ¡ª using 4,000 gold coins, 4,000 units of wood, and 4,000 units of iron ore to rare 3-stars. do you want to upgrade?] the black gold system lights up when an upgrade was successful. the resources richard had accumulated over the past few days had bottomed out again. but the strength in his hands had also become intense because of his hard work. [bandaged mummy: 61 (rare 3-stars)] [poisonous scorpion warrior: 27 (rare 3-stars)] [cursed pharaoh: 5 (rare 3-stars)] [axe of the dead: 20 (rare 3-stars)] nine squads of rare soldiers and two squads of rare soldiers! the total troop strength was 113 people. richard looked at the mighty troop in the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion and felt excited. this was the troop that he forged. it was more than ten times stronger compared to half and a month ago! he felt a great sense of accomplishment. [ding~ the bandaged mummy¡¯s basic attack research is successful. it has solidified into the territory characteristic. you can go to the blacksmith shop and freely increase the basic attack of the bandaged mummy.] richard was a little surprised when he heard the system¡¯s notification. ¡®did adele successfully research and develop it?¡¯ ¡°hahahaha¡­ damn, this is truly good news!¡± he immediately brought the bandaged mummy to the blacksmith¡¯s shop. just as he walked to the door, adele pushed the door open with a long copper hammer on her back. when she saw him, the exhausted girl immediately perked up and said excitedly, ¡°lord richard! i¡¯ve already figured out how to strengthen the bandaged mummy¡¯s attack!¡± ¡°praise the god of blacksmiths. the gods have inspired me!¡± richard laughed loudly. ¡°adele, i believe more that it¡¯s because of your intelligence¡­ it¡¯s been hard on you during this period. i¡¯ll give you a few days of a long vacation. come back to work when you¡¯ve rested.¡± adele shook her head like a rattle-drum. ¡°no, my lord. i like this job. i don¡¯t want to rest for so long. i can work tomorrow. i¡¯ve tested on the mummy you gave me before¡­¡± as adele spoke, she ordered the apprentice in the blacksmith shop to bring out the bandaged mummy she had studied for the past few days. at this moment, the bandaged mummy hadn¡¯t leveled up yet. it was still an elite-level mummy. however, one of the skills on its body had changed quite a bit. [enhanced sharp claw tear (e-rank) ¡ª finger sharpness increases by 50%, sturdiness increases by 50%.] richard opened the rare-level bandaged mummy¡¯s attributes. [sharp claw tear (d-rank) ¡ª finger sharpness increases by 40%, sturdiness increases by 40%.] ¡®damn it, after the enhancement, the attributes of e-rank skills were even higher than d-rank skills.¡¯ he purposely had the two bandaged mummies stretch out their shriveled palms to compare. the bandaged mummies¡¯ arms seemed to have been fused with steel, that gave off a metallic luster. even if one had not tried it before, one could feel its sturdiness. the five fingers of the palms were even more different. after they have been irrigated with metal, they were as sharp as daggers. and their appearance was extremely ferocious. those that had not been strengthened were pronouncedly inferior, and their sharpness had indeed decreased. richard was in a blissful frame of mind. ¡°adele, apart from you, is there anyone else who can strengthen the bandaged mummy¡¯s attack?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already taught all the skills in this to the apprentices in the blacksmith¡¯s shop. everyone can¡­¡± ¡°how long does it take to strengthen a bandaged mummy?¡± ¡°twenty minutes to half an hour. it depends on the blacksmith¡¯s proficiency.¡± ¡°okay, you go back and rest first. ask the others to strengthen all the bandaged mummies for me tonight. ¡°tomorrow, i¡¯m going out to conquer a powerful gathering place for the field troop!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not tired. i¡¯ll stay here and supervise¡­¡± ¡°adele, obey the order!¡± ¡°lord, i¡­¡± ¡°um?¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± after richard chased the exhausted girl back to rest, he couldn¡¯t wait to go to the forging area. he watched the blacksmiths strengthen the mummies. the blacksmiths melted the pots of steel and cooled them at different times. then, they added some of its dark metal materials and mixed them. after the blacksmiths did the red molten iron, they let the bandaged mummy go over and placed its arms on the operating table. they poured the molten iron down gradually. the substance sizzled. a stinky smell evaporated that made richard feel extremely nauseous. however, under his gaze, the molten iron not only did not burn the bandaged mummy. instead, it fused with their arms and gradually reflected the luster of the metal. the entire process was meticulous, and it seemed to be full of fantasy. it was not scientific at all. only dead creatures could do this. they could have collapsed due to the intense pain if they were humans. richard immediately opened its attributes panel when they fortified the first bandaged mummy. [bandaged mummy] [level: 5 (elite soldier, strength increases by 15%.)] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: body of death (d-rank) ¡ª strength increased by 50%. no fear of pain, no fear of death, and immune to poison and plague.] [corpse bandage (d-rank) ¡ª reduces physical damage by 40%. the bandage carries plague. the infected person will enter a weakened state, and all stats will be reduced by 30%. if not treated, they will gradually die.] [sharp claw tearing (d-rank) ¡ª finger sharpness increased by 70%. sturdiness increased by 70%.] [desertification-sand transformation: (c-rank) ¡ª it reduces 99% of physical damage. it can devour yellow sand to recover from injuries. it can last for 5 minutes. (cooldown time: 2 hours).] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, stamina and recovery speed of injuries will be increased by 50%.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, the strength of all mummies will be increased by 10%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 30, strength will be increased by 20%.] [when the number of mummies is greater than 50, the strength will be increased by 30%.] [furthermore, the infection rate of the plague will increase by 30%. the negative effects of the mummies will increase by 30%.] gray had brought the bandaged mummies out to hunt these past few days and raised their levels to 5. the fortification has improved the skill attribute of sharp claws tearing.these attributes increased the sharpness and sturdiness of the mummy¡¯s fingers from 40% to 70%. it was stronger than ever! the sharp claws that reflected the cold light constantly reminded outsiders that they were not easy to trifle with. richard laughed out loud as he gazed at the mummy¡¯s razor-sharp claws. ¡®was this the true value of adele? ¡®a-rank heroes were indeed extraordinary¡­ and this was only the beginning. if she continued to strengthen them¡­ when the bandaged mummy has the elite, rare, advanced, or even special-level attack¡­ how powerful would it be? and how terrifying bonuses can other troops get?¡¯ Chapter 79 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation early in the morning of may 19. the mummies of the six squads had all been fortified. after richard instructed karu, he replenished his supplies and left twilight city with his troop. the territory had 120 guardian mummies protecting it, so he was not afraid of making any incautiousness. this time, his goal was also very clear¡ªthe one-way portal. !! he had thought about this 1-star dungeon for a long time. two hours later, richard stood in front of the five-meter-tall one-way teleportation portal, which looked like a rippling wave in the middle. his gaze was sharp. ¡°at first, i said that i would come after i have gathered a squadron of rare soldiers. now, i have achieved my goal.¡± after he said this, richard subconsciously looked up at the sky. he did not forget that he had seen a level 15 giant dragon nearby. that ferocious appearance left a deep impression on him. ¡°everything will come¡­ we can raid dungeons, and the dragon will be captured and used as a mount!¡± as richard retracted his thoughts, he looked at the sparkling one-way portal. ¡°bandaged mummies, go, scout the way! scorpion warriors, follow. gray, bring the undead soldiers and enter last.¡± the son of a thousand gold did not sit in danger. naturally, there was no need for him to take the lead when it came to scouting the way. the order was given, and six teams of bandaged mummies immediately stepped into the portal. with a flash of light, they disappeared within. the scorpion warriors followed closely behind. gray waited for a moment before it entered with the undead soldiers. after richard waited for another five minutes, he entered with five cursed pharaohs. the moment he passed through the portal, he felt as if he had passed through a layer of gauzes. the touch was soft. with just one step, his line of sight suddenly widened. he appeared in a forest that had been burned by the fire. the air was filled with a special burnt smell, which was very pungent. all he could see were dried and pitch-black tree branches. the ground was also covered in black ash. just from the thick ash on the ground, one could tell how violent the fire was. there were no sparks or thick smoke in the tree branches. it was obvious that the fire had burnt for some time. at this moment, gray led the troops to stand guard nearby. there was no battle. everything was safe. [ding~ you have entered a time fragment ¡ª burning village (1-star dungeon)] [main mission triggered: protect white tower town and allow it to remain in the flames of war. please explore the other sub-missions on your own.] [note 1: the time fragment is not in the same timeline as the main plane. time fragment 10 days = 1 day in the main plane.] [note 2: in the time fragment, you can not open the lord¡¯s forum chat.] [note 3: after completing the main mission or failing the main mission, you can leave the time fragment.] the moment the system notification sounded, richard turned his head to look behind him. at this time, there was no longer the shadow of the teleportation door behind him. there was only a burnt forest. ¡°it seems that there is no loophole in the one-way teleportation door. if i want to get out, i can only clear the dungeon. ¡°no, even if i fail, i can still go back¡­ that¡¯s interesting. but if i fail, i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to get any rewards. ¡°the main mission is to protect white tower town? right now, we need to figure out where it is and how far it is from white tower town¡­¡± after richard thought for a moment, he immediately gave the order. ¡°gray, you lead the team. spread out the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors. scout the surroundings and report back immediately if you encounter any enemies.¡± gray immediately began to make arrangements. he assigned the scorpion warriors to seven teams of bandaged mummies and went out to search as a team. richard used this time to read the description of the black gold system again. [burning village, dungeon level: 1-star] [average strength of troops: rare] [with or without heroic unit: yes] [faction: demon, undead, church, human] [hint: unable to level up the dungeon] demon, undead, church, human¡­two good factions, two evil factions. ¡°from the looks of it, this dungeon should be a battle between good and evil. ¡°now, i need to figure out the surrounding environment and the specific situation of these factions before i can make a move.¡± a 1-star dungeon shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. however, the game ¡°shining era¡± had already become the real world, so it wasn¡¯t a big mistake to be careful. the biggest difference between the real world and the game was that the game had rules and logic, while reality never paid attention to logic. anything could happen. more than half an hour later. gray returned with a small team of bandaged mummies. the voice of the mummy hero was as empty as ever. ¡°lord, we found a group of demons that attacked a human village on the east side of the forest.¡± ¡®the demon and human camps had appeared?¡¯ richard was somewhat interested. ¡°what¡¯s the situation now?¡± gray answered in detail. ¡°the demons are looking for a breakthrough in the human village. they haven¡¯t launched an attack yet. both sides are in a stalemate. ¡°there are more than three squadrons of demons. among them, there are two squadrons of elite 2-stars soldiers ¡ª inferior demons. ¡°one squadron of rare 3-star soldiers¡ªfallen demons. ¡°this troop has demon heroes commanding the battle. ¡°i¡¯ve left two squadrons of bandaged mummies on guard.¡± as expected of a dungeon. there were heroic units right from the start. a troop led by a hero and a troop without a hero were two completely different concepts. not only could heroes command the army to fight, but they could also improve the overall strength of the army. gray was the best example. ¡°consolidate the troops and head to the human village immediately.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± more than 20 minutes later, as they stepped on the thick black ash, the troop arrived at a small hill under gray¡¯s guidance. richard saw the village hundreds of meters away. the village was surrounded by scorched trees, and the place was dead silent. the structure of the human village was very special. outside, there were tall houses made of rocks with shooting holes in them. hundreds of houses formed a huge oval-shaped building complex, which was no less than a fortress. among the houses, there was only one road that led to the inner part of the village. at this time, several squadrons of demon troops glared at the tightly guarded tunnel. the two sides were in a stalemate. although there were four to five hundred meters between them, the forest in front of them had been burned down by the fire. there was no cover, so richard could see it clearly. the thing that attracted his attention the most was naturally the demons. the most numerous were the inferior demons that were about 1.7 meters tall. the muscles on their bodies were covered with scars, and they bulge out one by one. they were much stronger than humans. their backs were bent, and their tails were long and thin. there were two curved horns on their heads, and three fingers were as sharp as daggers. sharp fangs grew out of their big bloody mouths. an evil aura gushed out. perhaps, there was no more standard image of a demon than this. [inferior demon] [level: 4] [potential: elite 2-stars] [skills: demon¡¯s body (e-rank) ¡ª defense increases by 30%. immune to plagues and diseases.] [chaotic nature (e-rank) ¡ª when in a frenzy, strength increases by 50%, at the same time, it will attack everyone around it.] [sharp long claws (e-rank) ¡ª sharpness of sharp claws increases by 30%.] [race talent: desire to kill. strength will increase by 50% in battle. however, the longer you battle, the easier it is to fall into chaos.] [shackle demon: when the number of demons exceeds 10, strength will increase by 20%, and chaos will increase by 20%.] [when the number of demons exceeds 30, strength will increase by 40%, and chaos will increase by 40%.] [when the number of demons exceeded 50, their strength would increase by 60%, and their chaos would increase by 60% (activated).] [description: these chaotic lifeforms can only be accommodated in the abyss.] the fallen demons were even more terrifying. they were 1.8 meters tall and had a pair of small wings that could not fly on their backs. they held a long handle in their hands. the other end of the handle was connected to a metal ball filled with sharp spikes through chains. when they swung the handle, they would emit a metallic friction sound that was unique to metal. these terrifying evil creatures kept producing creepy sounds, like countless vengeful spirit whispers in one¡¯s ear, that could make one¡¯s heart tremble. [fallen devil] [level: 5 (elite, strength increased by 15%.) [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: fallen into the abyss (d-rank) ¡ª use the abyss blasphemy to make a terrifying murmur. the person who hears the abyss blasphemy will fall into a trance. if the willpower test fails, the person will completely sink and transform into a new devil.] [demon body (d-rank) ¡ª defense increases by 50%, immune to plagues and diseases.] [demon¡¯s fury (d-rank) when the rage is high, the strength will increase by 50%. at the same time, it will cause the demons around to enter a berserk state.] [race talent: the life of a demon affected by the demon¡¯s murmur, will listen to their commands for eternity. after death, the soul will belong to the fallen demon.] [shackle evil demon: when the number of demons exceeds 10, corrosion of the fallen abyss skill increased by 20%.] [when the number of demons exceeds 10, corrosion of the fallen into abyss skill increases by 40%.] when the number of demons exceeds 10, and corrosion of the fallen into abyss skill increases by 60% (activated).] [description: covering your ears can not stop the corrosion of the fallen into abyss¡¯s blasphemy on the soul.] after richard looked at the attributes of the two demons, his eyes focused. sure enough, one could not underestimate the enemy. although the inferior demons were a little funny, the attributes of the fallen demons were not simple. while he pondered, he looked at the center of the demons. one carriage after another was pulled by a small team of inferior demons. the inferior demons were chained, and they were used as livestocks. a tall demon with a flame whip in his hand sat on the carriage. he wore black armor, and his face was more ferocious than the other demons. ¡®crack!¡¯ the flame whip waved, and the flame tail exploded in the air. a crisp sound mixed with the heat was heard. the inferior demons and the fallen demons trembled when they heard the sound, and they felt great fear. demon hero¡­ Chapter 80 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at the demon with a unique aura. he curiously opened its stats panel. [barossa bloodthirsty (flame demon)] [hero unit] [level: 5 (elite hero, magic damage increases by 30%.)] [potential: d-rank] !! [class: demon commander (ordinary, spellcasting effect increases by 5%.)] [mana: 200 points (recovers 2 points per second)] [skill: enslave demons (d-rank) ¡ª wields the flame whip in hand, forcibly represses the demon troop under one¡¯s command.] [soul whip tap (d-rank) ¡ª when lashed with a flame whip, the demon deals direct soul damage and inflicts excruciating pain.] [bloodlust (d-rank) ¡ª allows subordinates to thirst for blood and slaughter, increases strength by 30%. deprives pain perception. lasts for 3 minutes. cooldown time: 5 minutes, consumes 50 mana.] [petrified skin (d-rank) ¡ª makes the subordinates¡¯ skin as hard as a rock. increases defense by 30%. lasts for 3 minutes. cooldown time: 5 minutes, consumes 50 mana points.] [hero characteristic: increases strength of all demons by 20% when commanding them.] [race talent: the more demons the commander has, the stronger he is.] [tie-commander: the commander has more than one company of demon troops. the troops¡¯ efficiency in carrying out orders has increased by 20%.] [the demon troop led by the commander has more than three squadrons, and the troops¡¯ efficiency in carrying out orders has increased by 40% (activated).] [the demon troop led by the commander has more than five squadrons, and the troops¡¯ efficiency in carrying out orders has increased by 60%.] [description: the demon commander can give orders to the chaotic demons in battle. and it is best not to let them gather vast troops.] this demon hero not only had two buff spells, but they were also very compatible with the demons. using a whip to suppress the chaos of the demons and make them listen to orders was perhaps, a characteristic of the demons. common sense could not infer the lives of the chaotic evil faction. ¡°all inferior demons, listen up! attack and destroy this village! devour their souls!¡± the roar of the abyssal blasphemy interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he did not know this kind of evil language, but he understood what the demon commander meant. it was the characteristic of a high-level language, close to the power of magic. ¡®woo! woo!¡¯ the demon¡¯s deep horn sounded. ¡®pak!¡¯ the commander¡¯s flame whip waved in the air and exploded into a flame. the surrounding inferior demons with ferocious expressions trembled, immediately roared, and charged forward. however, they could not fight in a disciplined manner even with their commander due to the chaotic nature of the battle. instead, they charged forward. the demon commander once again waved its long flame whip, and a red light enveloped the dozens of inferior demons who charged at the front. petrified skin! the inferior demons only felt a powerful force that surged into their bodies, and their bodies became hard. they immediately fell into excitement. the tunnel into the village was concave. dozens of arrows shot out as the inferior demons got closer. but with the fortification of their petrified skin, they didn¡¯t dodge at all. instead, they charged at the arrows. the arrows hit them as if they had hit a thick cotton coat, and their lethality was greatly reduced. however, the pain did not stop the strong-willed inferior demons. instead, they went crazy from the intense pain. at this moment. ¡°release!!¡± in the depths of the tunnel, five crossbows stood side by side. the cold arrowheads reflected the unique light of metal. arrows as thick as an arm flew out after a cold shout. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the inferior demons in front of them strung up like candied haws. blood splattered everywhere. they were unable to block the crossbows even with the petrified skin spell. the smell of fresh blood made inferior demons¡¯ scarlet pupils turn even more violent. they charged forward and roared furiously. the human soldiers at the back also roared and charged forward at this moment. close combat! the battle instantly turned bloody. ¡°quickly pull the crossbows to the second line of defense! archers, fire with all your might! we must not let these damned demons enter our village!!¡± even the bravest veteran would have a heavy heart fighting against demons in close combat. richard could not see the battle in the depths of the tunnel. but the arrows disappeared from the outermost layer of the human body. so he could know just how much pressure the demons had put on them. ¡°lord, when do we launch the attack?¡± gray asked in a deep voice. richard was about to answer when the system¡¯s notification rang in his ear. [ding~ triggered the side quest¡ªa choice between good and evil.] [you witnessed a demon attack on a human village.] [1. you can choose to join the human camp and fight against the demon together.] [2. you can choose to join the demon camp and invade a human village together.] [3. you can either stand by and watch or turn around and leave.] [note: it is currently in the free exploration mode.the reward of the side quest is unknown. you can make any choice, and every choice you make will affect your next encounter.] ¡®a choice between good and evil?¡¯ a hint of playfulness flashed in richard¡¯s eyes. ¡®sorry, i¡¯m in the neutral camp¡­¡¯ ¡°the main mission is to protect white tower town. there¡¯s no reason why the side quest has nothing to do with the main mission.¡± richard gave a decisive order. ¡°gray, get ready for battle! ¡°after the demons throw all their forces into battle, you will lead your troop to attack the demon hero. you must not let him live! after strangling the demons, take over the village. we need to learn more from them. moreover, this dungeon only has four factions¡ªdemons, undead, holy church, and humans. it¡¯s too monotonous. twilight city doesn¡¯t mind becoming the fifth camp.¡± since richard could explore freely, he wasn¡¯t willing to complete the mission honestly. two things gave him the greatest feeling of jumping out of the framework, from adele¡¯s hero recruitment mission to the sudden incident at the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. he recruited the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce first before he recruited adele. also, he honestly didn¡¯t save the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce from the desert bandits. instead, he obtained the precious blueprint of the hero¡¯s altar, which couldn¡¯t be considered as a reward under normal logic. this meant that there was not only one path for the mission of the game ¡°shining era.¡± moreover, the main task was to protect white tower town, but there was no stipulation on how to protect the mission. when it heard richard¡¯s words, the faint blue soul fire in gray¡¯s empty eye sockets burned fiercely. this mummy hero especially admired and respected the spirit of his lord. ¡°as you wish, great lord!¡± Chapter 81 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation if one wanted to become a fisherman, one had to have the strength of a fisherman. richard just so happened to have it. twenty rare-level undead soldiers could defeat anyone who refused to submit. not to mention gray, a powerful a-rank hero. it could forcefully cast curse words five times with 500 mana points, enough to make 20 undead soldiers unleash a wave of fatal attacks. !! the opportunity soon arrived. out of rage, the demon commander after their defeat in the front threw all the fallen demons who held hammers. only five teams of inferior demons were left beside him. richard insisted and decisively let gray lead the troop to the side to launch an attack on the demon hero. he only left a small team of bandaged mummies beside him as guards. ¡°kill!¡± along with gray¡¯s angry roar, the city started the first battle of this dungeon. the bandaged mummies attacked. these recently fortified rare 3-star soldiers were especially fierce at this moment. their arms reflected a metallic luster, and their sharp claws could easily tear apart the thick pelt of a bison. the scorpion warriors followed behind, while gray led the five cursed pharaohs and the undead soldiers forward. these bandaged mummies were starkly inconspicuous under the cover of a group of 2.2-meter-tall giants. the demon commander immediately noticed the vast troop of mummies in twilight city. to be stabbed by someone in the back angered the demon commander and it roared crazily. ¡°you bastards!! a group of lowly undead dares to provoke a great demon!!¡± ¡°inferior demons stop attacking humans. retreat and kill the undead!!¡± the profanity of the abyss resounded through the land. a scarlet light enveloped the inferior demons of the five squads beside the demon commander with a swing of its hand. ¡®roar!¡¯ the inferior demons¡¯ morale instantly soared. their gazes fixed on the bandaged mummies that charged toward them. bloodlust. ¡°kill!¡± ¡®pak!¡¯ the demon commander fiercely swung his flame whip and tethered it onto the back of the inferior demon. the excruciating pain from their souls severed apart caused them to howl hysterically. at the same time, the inferior demons of the five squads beside them were greatly frightened. they immediately lunged forward like wild dogs. when the fallen demons who attacked the human villages behind heard the order, they also turned around and attacked the troops of twilight city. these demons, who held hammers and constantly spat the profanity of the abyss, were several times stronger than the inferior demons. the ten inferior demons who pulled the carriage were also under the orders of the demon commander at this moment. they turned the carriage and aimed the front of the carriage at the troops of twilight city. ¡®bang!¡¯ the demon hero¡¯s long flame whip struck the body of the inferior demons who pulled the carriage. the inferior demon was in pain. its body suddenly exerted force, and the chains that were tied to its body instantly straightened. the force was transferred to the war carriage. the two iron wheels moved forward, and a strange three-edged weapon in the middle of the wheels started to rotate along with the wheels. the demon hero became increasingly excited. the flame whip was waved, and the inferior demons became faster. the inferior demons who had cast the bloodlust spell at the front lunged at the bandaged mummies with a low growl. ¡®roar!¡¯ the bent back of the inferior demon waved its three sharp claws like daggers. at the same time, it opened its bloody mouth and directly bit the mummy. the bandaged mummy did not show any signs of weakness. it did not dodge but directly collided with the inferior demon head-on. the inferior demon¡¯s sharp claws stabbed the mummy¡¯s chest. at the same time, it bit and pulled the mummy¡¯s bandages. however, the bandaged mummy was exceptionally strong and it was able to offset most of the inferior demon¡¯s strength. although it managed to pierce through the bandaged mummy, it could not cause any physical damage to the mummy. the inferior demon wanted to pull its sharp claws pierced into the mummy¡¯s body. however, it felt like using a blunt knife to cut through cow skin. it was filled with frustration. the bandaged mummy did not know what pain was. the moment it was attacked, its strengthened arm suddenly stabbed out. ¡®puff!¡¯ the five fingers pierced through the inferior demon¡¯s abdomen like pierced through tofu. these five fingers sharp as razors appeared behind its curved back. fresh blood spurted out like a tap. the outstretched fingers suddenly cut through the muscles and grabbed the inferior demon¡¯s spine. with a forceful pull, the spine was directly broken. even with the bloodlust spell, the inferior demon, who did not know pain, could not withstand such damage. after it collapsed on the ground, it could not get up no matter how hard it struggled. the bandaged mummy swung its sharp claws and pierced the inferior demon¡¯s head, to extinguish its soul. the demon commander¡¯s body glowed gray light and gathered mana after it saw this scene. the next moment, the light flashed and disappeared, and the inferior demon¡¯s skin turned a rock-like gray. [petrified skin ¨C defense increased by 30%.] if they were at the same level, this 30% increase in defense was enough to change the outcome of the battle. not to mention the inferior demon was blessed with bloodlust and petrified skin. the only unfortunate thing was that they faced a rare 3-stars bandaged mummy that had strengthened its attack. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sharp claws pierced through the skin of the inferior demon. the increased defense did not have the slightest effect. the inferior demon¡¯s attacks could only cause minor damage to the bandaged mummy. the moment the two sides clashed, a large number of inferior demon casualties immediately scattered. however, the bandaged mummy did not lay any casualties. the demon commander immediately turned furious when the demon hero saw this starkly unexpected scene. ¡®crack!¡¯ it waved its long flame whip and commanded the inferior demons to pull the chariot into the center of the battle. it wanted to crush these dregs!! the three-edged weapons attached to the wheels on both sides of the chariot spun like meat grinders. a few inferior demons who did not have the time to dodge were directly chopped off their thighs. however, because they were deprived of their sense of pain, they still wanted to attack¡­ after the chariot entered the battlefield, the demon hero suddenly waved its long flame whip after its entry to the battlefield. it directly lashed with a thud a bandaged mummy entangled with the inferior demons. the bandaged mummy¡¯s resilient sheaves that could withstand the inferior demon¡¯s bite instantly shattered, and a large part of its body exploded. even more terrifying was the pain from the soul, as if someone had split them open. a sinister smile appeared on the demon hero¡¯s face. ¡®these damned lowly creatures, enjoy the whip on the soul!!¡¯ ¡®huhu!¡¯ the long flame whip spun in the air once before it swung down again. the bandaged mummy wanted to dodge but was tightly entangled with the inferior demon. ¡®pak!¡¯ the bandaged mummy¡¯s body exploded, and it sent sand flying all over the sky. sand transformation! although the physical damage was blocked, the terrifying soul attack could not be blocked. the bandaged mummy¡¯s soul was instantly destroyed. its body was shattered and turned into sand grains. the demon hero became increasingly excited. the long flame whip in its hand kept waving like a dragon tail. it ordered the war chariots to charge in more directions. but at this moment, the demon hero felt an indescribable terrifying power crash into his mind. it was as if his entire body had been struck by a battering ram, and his thoughts were instantly thrown into chaos. his body was no longer under his control, and he suddenly threw down the flame whip, that spread his hands and feet into a large cross¡­ in the next second. ¡®whoosh! dozens of tomahawks with chains appeared in his line of sight, tore through the sky, and came towards him¡­ at this critical moment, the demon commander sensed a fatal and dangerous aura. it bit its tongue and the intense pain stimulated nerves. the demon commander wanted to use the pain to forcefully break out of the chaos. however, this could only make its consciousness much clearer but it still could not control its body. the commander watched helplessly as the tomahawks struck his body. [soul command (a-rank) ¡ª forcefully control the enemy¡¯s soul. command the enemy to make a move. if the command is not given, the enemy will break out of control in 5 seconds. cooldown time: 30 minutes, consumes 100 mana points.] ¡®kacha!¡¯ the tomahawks flew past. the enemy¡¯s body armor shattered like glass that had smashed into the ground. fresh blood splattered a few meters high. the undead soldiers attacked at the same time. the damage caused by 20 tomahawks that hit the target could be said to be exaggerated. the stronger one was, the lower the probability of triggering the soul execution. but even so, the concentrated attacks still caused damage to overflow. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a huge head was chopped off, it flew so high, and landed heavily on the ground. in the eyes of the demon who held the flame whip and possessed the terrifying majesty became a headless body. the 10 inferior demons who pulled the chariots did not know all of this. to be whipped, they would still frantically pull the chariots. under the effect of inertia. ¡®plop!¡¯ the corpse fell straight to the ground. finally, the demon commander! Chapter 82 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the situation immediately changed after the demon hero was killed. the few remaining inferior demons were like wild horses that had lost their reins. they fell into greater chaos. some went berserk and continued to attack, while some were terrified and turned around to run. the chaotic nature was revealed at this moment. ¡°the undead soldiers hunt down those escaping enemies!¡± !! gray ordered calmly. at this moment, the fallen demons who prepared to gather with the demon hero in twilight city have finally arrived. some demons who did not know the demon hero was already dead still followed the order and attacked the human villages. the scene became increasingly tumultuous. the bandaged mummies and the scorpion warriors rushed forward to kill after the five teams of wicked inferior demons and chariots were cleaned up. the undead soldiers carried out long-range snipes from the rear. gray and the five cursed pharaohs controlled the situation. the iron triangle formation reappeared. after a few breaths, the fallen demons clashed with the bandaged mummies that charged in front. these terrifying creatures that constantly uttered the profanity of the abyss were not weaklings. ¡®hu-hu-hu-hu¡¯ the hammer with sharp spikes suddenly swung. its powerful destructive force even crushed boulders. the bandaged mummy could not dodge in time, and the hammer smashed into its chest. ¡®crack!¡¯ the bandage dented in a large area, and the overbearing impact forced it to take a few steps back before it could regain its balance. however, the lethal damage did not affect the bandaged mummy in the slightest. the bandaged mummy released a low growl and continued to attack. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the fallen demon retrieved the hammer and swung it again. the bandaged mummy did not dodge. the hammer hit a large part of its head and blew to pieces that splashed grains of yellow sand. however, the injury healed quickly and visibly. it was as if countless grains of sand piled up. the fallen demon was furious. these troublesome undead soldiers!! the bandaged mummy was already close to it when the fallen demon wanted to completely smash its opponent. bandaged mummies¡¯ enhanced sharp claws stabbed wildly as they withstood the attack of the spiked hammer. ¡®poof! poof! poof!¡¯ the bandaged mummy stabbed the fallen demon¡¯s abdomen, and blood burst instantly. the fallen demon¡¯s hammer hit the mummy¡¯s back at the same time. ¡®poof! poof! poof!¡¯ yellow sand splattered everywhere. but the fallen demon immediately fell into despair. although its hammer smashed the opponent¡¯s body, the bandaged mummy recovered quickly¡­ the fallen demon¡¯s strength dropped wildly after the opponent¡¯s sharp claws pierced through its body. the mummy¡¯s curse. it would not release anyone if it gained the upper hand. the bandaged mummy carried the fallen demon¡¯s terrifying spiked hammer and shredded it into pieces. the broken limbs scattered all over the ground, and the snow-white bandages on his body were dyed crimson. this scene was violent and crazy. ¡®boom!¡¯ the bandaged mummy¡¯s battle strength had pronouncedly increased by more than one level after its attacks were strengthened. the battle between the scorpion warriors and the fallen demon was even more violent. these soldiers, who were already good at scuffle combat, almost suppressed the fallen demon¡¯s attacks. the most powerful characteristic of the fallen demon was the profanity of the abyss that could constantly lure the souls of their enemies to fall and make them lost. however, the scorpion warriors and the bandaged mummies as undead creatures did not react at all to this. what kind of joke was this? did the undead need to fall to become demons? what could they use to fall? were the undead soldiers not evil enough? therefore, the characteristic of the fallen demons could at most slow them down a little. with the powerful life-saving sand transformation skill, the fallen demons could not perform even if they could turn the sky upside down. the demon troop had lost its command and was quickly defeated in the two-front battle. the twilight city troop quickly devoured them. the bandaged mummies had already rushed behind them and forcibly blocked them inside when the demons which still attacked the village realized that something was wrong. the humans that defended the village had long noticed this change, and despair filled their hearts. the demons had yet to be driven away, and yet another undead creature had besieged. could it be that the gods had already abandoned them?! ¡®roar!¡¯ under the double pressure, the demons became even more chaotic. they frantically charged at the humans¡¯ line of defense, while they launched an attack on the bandaged mummies. ¡°activate sand transformation!¡± gray saw the buildings on both sides continuously shot arrows to attack indiscriminately, so he decisively gave the order. ¡®shua!¡¯ neither the inferior demons nor the fallen demons could create magic damage. no matter how powerful they were, they could only die when faced with a troop that is immune to 99% physical damage. gray obeyed richard¡¯s will and directly ordered to occupy the village after the bandaged mummies devoured the demons in the tunnel! a building was in the depths of the tunnel that looked like a city gate, but it was less than 4 meters tall. that was the final line of defense of the human village. ¡°crossbow!!! fire!!!¡± despair filled the human commander¡¯s voice. he fired the 5 crossbows seven or eight times. however, in the next second, endless despair engulfed their hearts. the arrows that were as thick as an infant¡¯s arm actually pierced through the bodies of the undead, and they did not suffer any damage. gray waved its hands. ¡°all bandaged mummies, leave the center of the road!¡± after a few breaths. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ the tomahawk at the back pulled on the long chains and tore through the air. ¡®kacha!¡¯ it was deeply embedded in the door wrapped in iron. the two teams¡¯ undead soldiers pulled forcefully. ¡®rumble!¡¯ boundless power erupted. the two gates directly exploded into pieces. the last line of defense of the village was shattered. the humans at the back only felt a cold air rush into their minds, and they were horrified. ¡°this, how was this possible!!!¡± gray waved his hand. it caused the bandaged mummy that had surged forward to pause its attack. emptiness reverberated in the surroundings. ¡°humans, lord richard, the ruler of twilight city, the ruler of the desert, would like to send an order. put down your weapons and give up resisting. twilight city doesn¡¯t have the malicious intent to kill!¡± the alliance under the city. the humans were in a commotion. they didn¡¯t expect the enemy to hold an attack when they had the absolute advantage. the other party seemed to be inclined to negotiate, from the looks of it. an aged voice sounded after a few loud quarrels. ¡°undead creatures!! how can we be sure that you will abide by your words?!!¡± gray gradually stepped forward. the terrifying appearance of the undead creature caused the humans behind it to tremble again. just as the humans thought gray would speak, someone stepped aside and a handsome human appeared in front of them. ¡°i¡¯m the lord of twilight city, a traveler from another plane. i¡¯m here to deal with demons and undead. those evil beings stole my treasures! i¡¯m also a human. i have no interest in killing you. don¡¯t doubt me. you can only trust me. those weak have no choice. if you don¡¯t act now, i¡¯ll show you my utmost sincerity.¡± the human commander looked at the 20 horrible undead soldiers with tomahawks, the scorpion warriors, and the bandaged mummies. the human commander at the back looked at the two broken gates and the demon corpses on the ground. the resistance in his heart finally subdued after a long silence. he slowly threw down the weapon in his hand¡­ his voice was dry and hoarse. ¡°respected powerhouse, we¡­are willing to surrender.¡± [ding~ you have annihilated a group of demons and made humans surrender to you. you have obtained 3000 experience points. side quest: the choice between good and evil is completed. the burning village dungeon progress increased by 10%.] Chapter 83 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°holy shit! 3,000 experience points?¡± the dungeon was truly different. richard even obtained 10% progress¡­ would he be able to leave the dungeon when his progress reached 100%? richard then allowed gray to lead his troop into the dungeon while he was deep in thought. !! ten minutes later, richard looked at the complicated expressions of the villagers around him. his expression was calm. everyone was summoned to the open space after the humans chose to surrender. the main mission of the dungeon was to protect white tower town. richard needed to know more information. a middle-aged man in his early fifties walked up to richard under the watchful eyes of two scorpion warriors. the man had a complicated expression on his face. from the corner of his eyes, he saw the bandaged mummies closely watching the villagers. he let out a long sigh and bowed to richard. ¡°dear lord, i, jill blueleaf, send my regards to you. thank you for your assistance.¡± no matter what, richard¡¯s troops had saved blueleaf village from the demons¡¯ hands. there was no doubt about that. if the other party¡¯s subordinates were all humans, he might have already asked the residents to prepare food and wine by now. richard nodded slightly. ¡°i¡¯m twilight city¡¯s lord richard. commander jill, who designed the buildings here?¡± jill didn¡¯t expect him to ask such a question. he was stunned for a moment and asked with a subtle expression. ¡°this was designed by the priest of the righteous sect in white tower town. the priest is a big shot who walked out of our village¡­¡± richard was a little enlightened. no wonder a small village could have such a building. it turned out that there was someone behind it. thereafter, he didn¡¯t hesitate and continued. ¡°we came from another plane. my territory is also under threat from the outside world. we came to this world to find powerful treasures to increase our strength. i don¡¯t know much about this place. perhaps, commander jill is willing to tell me what happened to those demons and what happened to white tower town¡­¡± jill was indeed relieved when he heard these words. apart from the strength of richard¡¯s troops, a large part of the reason he was willing to surrender was that richard was a human. at the very least, he could talk to them. it was naturally not safe to leave their fate to others, but what choice did they have? jill gave a general overview of the situation after he gathered his words. this pocket dimension was the 5000th year of the game ¡°shining era¡±. according to the timeline, it had already been more than a thousand years since the current time of the main plane. there was nothing unreasonable about it based on the setting of the dungeon where the gods destroyed the river of time. this land belonged to an empire that richard had never heard of. perhaps, it had already disappeared in time. at this time, the world constantly changed, the abyss was broken, and countless demons swept across the main plane. white tower town was the manager of this land. three days ago, the residents of the village found traces of demons in the valley deep in the forest. frightened, they planned to go to white tower town to ask for help. however, a sudden fire lit up the entire forest and blocked their request for help. they can only hold it here out of desperation. until yesterday, when the demons found the village¡­ after richard understood the general background, he gradually composed a thought. ¡®the name of the dungeon is called the burning village¡­ based on the strength of this village, this should be the starting point. the church in white tower town, the humans in the village, and the valley where the demons exist¡­ three out of the four camps have appeared, but there is still no news of the undead.¡¯ richard further thought, ¡®the main clue of the dungeon should be that the burning fire attracted the attention of white tower town. in the end, white tower town sent people to investigate and found the village slaughtered by the demons. the people of white tower town were so terrified that they called for help while they investigated the demons. when they had enough strength, they sent troops to attack the demon valley. at this time, the undead appeared, and the four forces started a great war.¡¯ he conjectured, ¡®or, maybe white tower town found traces of the demons and didn¡¯t dare to move recklessly, and decided to defend it to death. in the end, the undead also appeared, and together with the demons, they launched an attack on white tower town that resulted in the final decisive battle. but no matter what the direction of the plot is, this village and this fire are undoubtedly the beginning.¡¯ richard continued as his thoughts wandered. ¡°commander jill, i have no ill intentions towards you. but i paid a huge price to come to this plane to find treasures that could make twilight city powerful. the threats we encountered are no less than those of blueleaf village. commander jill, do you know¡­treasures around here?¡± jill¡¯s expression turned bitter as he muttered, ¡°lord, our small village sends the resources we produce to white tower town every month in exchange for the protection of white tower town¡­ right now, there are only basic living resources in the territory, and the amount is very small.¡± richard smiled and waved his hand. ¡°i¡¯m not interested in these. only strategic treasures are of the greatest help to us.¡± jill replied with a bitter smile. ¡°lord richard, other than the powerful strategic treasure in white tower town, i don¡¯t know where the other treasures are¡­¡± ¡®white tower town has it?¡¯ richard was in deeper thought. he changed the topic after he took note of this matter. ¡°what about the troop lairs in your village?¡± ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s only one lair that can recruit ordinary 3-star swordsmen. if you need it, you can take it away at any time¡­¡± richard shook his head in disappointment. what can be the use of ordinary 3-stars human swordsmen? an activated bandaged mummy could take out two to three squads. ignoring jill, richard walked up to the gathered residents. his sharp gaze swept the surroundings. when he saw the anxiety on their faces, he spoke in a clear voice. ¡°the demons are encroaching on this world. danger can happen at any time. and the power in my hands is not enough to eliminate the threat of the demons. i need your help. if anyone knows the whereabouts of strategic treasures or high-level troop lairs, i¡¯m willing to spend a lot of money to buy them¡­¡± richard wanted to see if he could trigger the second mission. he couldn¡¯t kill a few squadrons of demons. other than experience, there shouldn¡¯t be any gains, right? just as richard thought this village really didn¡¯t have any gains, a young man suddenly pushed aside the crowd beside him and stood out. ¡°i know!¡± the young man sobbed. ¡°let go of me, i know!¡± a few of the young man¡¯s companions suddenly covered his mouth as soon as he said this. however, the young man ignored them and shouted. this unexpected scene immediately attracted richard¡¯s attention. with a wave of his hand, he asked the bandaged mummy to come forward and bring the young man out. ¡°you know?¡± jill¡¯s expression repeatedly changed when he saw this scene. in the end, he sighed deeply. ¡°lord, this is my son, barry. he was the first one to discover the traces of the devil¡­¡± richard ignored him and looked at the young man who was approaching. ¡°i like to deal with smart people. your name is barry, right? you can tell me now.¡± barry gritted his teeth. ¡°lord, i know about a very powerful strategic treasure. i will tell you everything i know, but please save lucy¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Chapter 84 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard has not anticipated such an unexpected treasure. he immediately asked. ¡°what type of strategic treasure? where is it?¡± the young barry said loudly, ¡°a magic ball that contains a special magic power¡­ lucy and i found it in an ancient tomb! ¡°not far from that ancient tomb, we found traces of demons¡­ those damned demons sensed the aura of the magic ball and chased after us. lucy asked me to return and report that she lured the demons away with the magic ball¡­ lord! i¡¯m willing to take you to the valley where the demons are! but, please, save lucy!¡± !! from the young man¡¯s agitated tone, richard finally understood. there was also a love scene here. ¡°who else knows the exact location of the demon valley apart from you?¡± ¡°no one! i only know that there is a demon in that valley!¡± the young man heard richard¡¯s intention to take action and became even more excited. ¡°lord! lucy and i also found a few sealed troop lairs in that ancient tomb, but we haven¡¯t had the time to check it out yet. that ancient tomb is too close to the valley where the demons are. i¡¯m afraid that it has already been occupied by demons. we have to clear out the demons before we can enter and investigate¡­¡± a sealed troop lair? richard¡¯s interest was even higher. that ancient tomb was so high-level? not only did it have strategic treasures, but it also had a troop lair. ¡°is there a map leading to the demon valley?¡± ¡°no!¡± barry bit to death. ¡°but i can personally lead the way for you!¡± a system notification sounded in richard¡¯s ear as soon as the young man finished speaking. [ding~ triggered secondary mission¡ªlover¡¯s pain. when the son of the commander of blueleaf village, barry, was dating his lover lucy, he accidentally found traces of the demon.] [to protect barry, lucy used the treasure she obtained from the ancient tomb to lure the demon away. when barry came back to ask for help, his father locked him up in the name of protecting the village. his heart was in endless pain.] [at this moment, he finally found an opportunity to ask for help from you to save his lover.] [do you accept this mission?] [note: currently, it is a free exploration mode. the reward of the side quest is unknown. you can make any choice, and every choice you make will affect your next encounter.] the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. wasn¡¯t this a common trick in hollywood movies? however, under the temptation of the strategic treasure, richard spoke righteously. ¡°it is incumbent upon us to eliminate the devil! barry, i promise you that as long as lucy is still alive, we will save her. but before that, you must listen to my orders.¡± barry was instantly surprised. he repeatedly promised that he would listen to his orders. richard looked at jill who wanted to say something but didn¡¯t say anything after he found the guide. ¡°commander jill, send someone to white tower town to ask for help. tell white tower town all the information about this place. ¡°in addition, when we came here, we also met a group of undead. they are not weaker than demons. we must tell them to be careful¡­¡± although the undead hadn¡¯t appeared yet, it didn¡¯t prevent him from warning white tower town first so that he wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard. jill looked at his determined son barry and wanted to say something, but then he sighed deeply. ¡°lord richard, i hope that you can take good care of barry¡­¡± ¡°of course.¡± richard nodded as he pondered in his heart. this sub-line that could obtain the strategic treasure was the reward for helping the village resist the demons. if that was the case, it seemed to be quite good. the value of the strategic treasure was not something that ordinary items could compare to. richard did not stay in this village which pronouncedly did not have any profit after he obtained the information he wanted. under jill¡¯s complicated gaze, he let barry lead the way and headed straight for the demon valley. jill seemed to have aged ten years, and his energy have mostly depleted after he saw richard and the others disappear from his sight. ¡°commander jill, will the lord who commands the undead keep his promise?¡± after a long silence, he shook his head. ¡°this is barry¡¯s choice, and lord richard doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who would break his promise¡­¡± after he spoke, he turned his head to look at the residents behind him and forced himself to be alert. ¡°take a few people and immediately go to white tower town to report the situation here to the priest. we¡¯re in big trouble!¡± ****** after they left the human village, richard led the army from noon to dusk. it was quite boring to travel in the scorched forest. everywhere was deathly black and gray, and even the chirping of birds was a luxury. the seven-to-eight-hour journey exhausted barry, who led the way, but he did not complain at all. instead, he gritted his teeth and quickly walked forward. when the sun fell on the top of the mountain, he finally found traces of demons. when richard heard the report, his spirit was roused, and he immediately led the troop to investigate. after they walked for five or six minutes, they came to a small hill. under gray¡¯s signal, he used a dark tree trunk to cover his body. he looked ahead. in the valley five or six hundred meters away, a large number of inferior demons were walking back and forth. because of the distance, only thumb-sized figures could be seen. these demons with curved backs constantly moved the rocks on one side of the valley and dug the mountain. the clanging sound spread out to an extremely far distance. the moment barry saw the demons, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°lord, the place where those demons dug is the ancient tomb¡­¡± ¡°where is the demon valley?¡± ¡°this is the demon valley. those demons came from the deeper part of the valley.¡± richard narrowed his eyes slightly. at a rough glance, the number of inferior demons was more than a large group. and in the deeper part of the valley, many demons were hiding. however, the enemy¡¯s strength did not make him want to retreat. on the contrary, his fighting spirit was high. these inferior demons were all useless experiences¡­ not to mention that there were also strategic treasures and the two sealed troop lairs that piqued his interest. however, if he were to go head-on like this, he would probably suffer a great loss. he still had to use strategies. after richard thought for a moment. he turned to look at gray. ¡°what will the demons be attracted to?¡± this mummy hero seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°fresh blood?¡± ¡°the breath of life!¡± barry said excitedly. ¡°my lord, i¡¯m willing to be the bait to help you lure those demons out! ¡°lucy is still waiting for me to save her!¡± richard glanced at this guy. barry was so eager to die? richard decided to satisfy the young man¡¯s needs. with a wave of his hand, he ordered the troop to retreat first. ****** what was that smell? the inferior demon that was digging a rock sniffed wildly. it was blood¡­ when it smelled the smell of food, its stomach immediately began to growl. the hidden desire in its body began to rise. it had yet to eat anything after a busy day. hunger made it turn its head repeatedly, and sniff the smell in the air crazily. just like an ordinary person who smelled the fragrance of meat. in the end, even the demon hero¡¯s whip could not suppress the inferior demons¡¯ gradual fall into chaos. the angry demon hero waved its hand and separated five squadrons of inferior demons as it looked at these subordinates whose work efficiency had greatly decreased. it left the demon valley in a hurry in anger and searched for the source of the smell of blood. after it walked for a few hundred meters, the flame demon who held the flame whip suddenly stopped in its tracks. its gaze was sinister as it stared ahead. on a steep rock slope, there was a dried tree fork that hung with an animal corpse covered in scars. on top of it, there was warm blood that seemed to have just been smeared on. coincidentally, that side was the windward gap. the wind constantly blew towards the demon valley, and the smell of fresh blood spread out for an extremely long distance. what made the demon hero furious was that there was pronouncedly a squadron of undead beneath those animal corpses! ¡°lowly undead! you dare to provoke the great demons?!¡± the demon hero was enraged. it felt that these undead creatures courted death when they did this thing outside the demon headquarters. it waved his hand. it roared. ¡°kill them!!¡± the hungry inferior demons stimulated by the blood instantly surged forward. richard, who commanded from behind, had a cold look in his eyes. another d-rank hero. these demons were really not ordinary¡­ ¡°bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, take turns in defending. don¡¯t let any enemies come up. undead soldiers, attack freely!¡± the terrain he chose was very advantageous. on the right side, a high mountain cliff was more than 100 meters high. on the left side, a cliff was 50 to 60 meters deep. in the middle, the only passage was about 20 meters deep. it completely cut off the possibility for the enemy to swarm up and use the advantage of numbers to attack. moreover, there were many passages at the back. they could fight and retreat at the same time, and they were not afraid of being surrounded. in the battle where gray was obtained from the underground desert, it used the terrain advantage in killing thousands of undead, which gave great inspiration. at this time, it had once again utilized its previous experience. the inferior demons roared as they continued to charge upwards. however, the first line of defense was the scorpion warriors. the terrifying iron pincers and stingers had turned this troop into a pure killing machine. the combat strength that erupted from less than three squads was extremely exaggerated. the iron pincers opened up, and the inferior demons that charged forward seemed to have voluntarily jumped into the trap set by the hunters. rare 3-stars, level 6 scorpion warrior, against an elite 2-stars, level 4 inferior demon, it was like a massacre. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the iron pincers opened and closed, like a large blade used to pry grass. the inferior demon¡¯s corpse was shattered into broken limbs, and blood spurted out which splattered all over the ground. no matter how the enemy charged, they were unable to shake the scorpion warrior. when the demon hero saw this, it released a low roar. blood-red light flashed on its body. [magic: bloodthirsty frenzy] ¡®roar!¡¯ the inferior demon¡¯s body suddenly turned scarlet. it immediately became irritable. it rushed forward at an extremely fast speed. the killing speed of the scorpion warrior could not even compare to the speed of the enemy. just as the pressure on the defense line increased sharply, the tomahawk that flashed with a cold light tore through the air! ¡®bang!¡¯ suddenly, a sound that sounded like glass shattering rang out. the tomahawk that had flown into the group of inferior demons exploded into pieces. countless pieces of debris swept out in all directions like knives. the body of the inferior demons enveloped in debris exploded, and fresh blood spurted out like a water tap that had countless cracks that appeared on it. the ground was immediately cleared¡­ the new skill that the undead soldiers had learned after it had advanced to a rare level ¡ª tomahawk slash, dealt a huge amount of magic damage to enemies within a radius of 10 meters. the two small squads unleashed a burst of power and directly killed nearly two squadrons of inferior demons. the result of the battle was remarkable. richard laughed out loud when he saw this exaggerated scene. it was not in vain that he had spent so many resources to level up the axe of the dead! this was the true trump card, the ultimate killing weapon. Chapter 85 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation with the terrain as support, plus the bandaged mummies, the scorpion warriors, the undead soldiers, and the cursed pharaohs, these were richard¡¯s powerful soldiers. there was also the help of gray, this a-rank hero. the advantageous terrain of the hillside was simply a nightmare for the demons. every step forward cost a large number of casualties. fresh blood flowed down the hillside which left a dazzling trail on the rocks under the set of the sun. !! the inferior demons would leave a footprint after they stepped on it, the color of which was brighter than the set of the sun. less than ten minutes had passed since the battle, and out of the five inferior demons¡¯ squadrons, there were only less than one left¡­ although the angry demon was unwilling, it noticed that the situation was not right, it still gave decisive order to retreat. these undead soldiers were too strong¡­ it must take revenge, take revenge!!! richard saw the demon hero¡¯s resentful gaze and frowned. ¡°scorpion warriors, go in front! bandaged mummies, protect the undead soldiers! cursed pharaohs, attack!¡± the constant combat strength of the troop gave him great confidence. both were highly domineering whether the bandaged mummy that had fortified its attacks or the undead soldiers that had advanced to a rare level. this made richard change his strategy. this was a 1-star dungeon. the strength of a demon was not unlimited. he wanted to see what the demon could use to resist the sharp edge of the troop in his hands! he wanted to¡­devour them all! after the demon hero escaped back to the demon valley, his angry roar immediately caused the valley to boil. the inferior demon immediately put down the stone in its hand and quickly gathered outside the valley. low growls in the valley¡¯s depths that sent chills down people¡¯s spines could be heard. abyss blasphemy. one by one, the fallen demons who held hammer balls in their hands walked out. their sheer number was astonishing. and among the fallen demons, there were also new demons. these new demons had goat heads, black goat hooves, and curved goat horns. they wore gray leather armor and held sharp steel swords in their hands. their eyes were blood red. when richard saw the new demons outside the valley, his eyes narrowed, and he opened his stats panel. [goat-horned demon] [level: 5 (agility increases by 15%) [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: sword master (c-rank) ¡ª proficient in sword arts.] [demon body (d-rank) ¡ª strength increases by 50%. immune to plagues and diseases.] [super agility (d-rank) ¡ª agility increases by 50%.] [super speed (d-rank) ¡ª speed increases by 50%.] [race talent: can easily see through the enemy¡¯s weakness.] [shackle demon: when the number of demons exceeds 30, the goat-horned demon¡¯s agility increases by 60% (activated).] [description: a rare-level agility soldier among demons.] ¡®sword master?¡¯ the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, and his eyes revealed a hint of arrogance. ¡®i want to see how sharp your sword is.¡¯ ¡°attack!¡± the iron triangle formation had already prompted a tacit understanding in the battle. the scorpion warrior was in the front, followed by the undead soldiers, cursed pharaohs, gray, and richard followed by the bandaged mummies on the left and right wings. the inferior demons in the front were the first to rush forward. but what greeted them was the call of the grim reaper. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the undead soldiers threw twenty tomahawks with terrifying power. the tomahawks chopped the inferior demons with curved backs like tofu. blood and broken limbs covered the ground. this round of tomahawks had killed at least four squads of inferior demons even if the tomahawks got broken. the rare-level damage of the axe of the dead¡¯s undead soldiers was already extremely terrifying. however, the number of demons was almost endless. the army of fallen demons mixed with inferior demons did not stop for half a second before surging forward again. the scorpion warriors dashed forward ferociously. every part of this soldier¡¯s body was born for slaughter. they hungered for slaughter, hungered for blood! the two sides clashed in an instant. the blood boiled, and the broken limbs shattered. during the intense battle, the agile goat-horned demons with long swords in their hands circled from both wings. they avoided the sharp edge of the scorpion warriors and intended to tear a hole in the flank. richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°bandaged mummies entangle the goat-horned demons! cursed pharaohs, cooperate and kill them!¡± the bandaged mummies doused forward. ¡®shoo!¡¯ the goat-horned demon¡¯s sword stabbed out like lightning. its extremely swift reflexes caused some bandaged mummies to miss timely counterattacks. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sword pierced through the mummy¡¯s heart. when they waved their sharp claws and wanted to counterattack, the goat-horned demon nimbly twisted its body to dodge. its full agility combat technique was almost at full capacity. it continuously used its position to leave scars on the body of the bandaged mummy. its nimble posture made the mummy¡¯s limbs stiffen, and used its agility to the extreme. the bandaged mummy could only take a beating. no matter how sharp their claws were, they could not touch the goat-horned demon¡¯s body. fortunately, as undead creatures, they had enough flesh. as long as they protected the vital parts of their necks and heads, the stab wounds on other bodies would not be able to cause fatal damage to them. as an increasing number of goat-horned demons gathered, only six teams of bandaged mummies were subdued¡­ they would have suffered heavy casualties if not for the physical damage of the sand transformation skill. the scene gradually became anxious. richard¡¯s eyes turned cold when he saw the goat-horned demons gathered increasingly closer. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± the iron chains rattled as the undead soldiers threw tomahawks at the area where the demons were densest. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crisp sound of glass that had fallen to the ground rang out once again. the tomahawks slaughtered. they continued to swipe. no matter how agile the goat-horned demons were, they could not dodge this massive damage. the undead troop took care of the 10-meter area. the 20 tomahawks cleared out the surrounding area of dozens of meters. in an instant, less than five teams were left among the goat-horned demons who rushed up to the siege. these were crispy units with high-agility, high-attack, brittle-skinned soldiers¡­ this attack directly killed more than two squadrons of goat-horned demons. it was even more impressive than the first shot that massacred the inferior demon. the remaining goat-horned demons ended up as corpses under the claws of the bandaged mummies, with the help of the cursed pharaohs¡­ the scene became very bloody. but the goat-horned demons would not give up. many inferior and fallen demons pounced on the opponents after a vast number of goat-horned demons decreased sharply. they continued to attack the bandaged mummies. the bandaged mummies which had turned into the sand at this time were invincibles. these demons, which could only deal physical damage, could not truly deal effective damage. they charged forward without restraint. wanton kill! ¡®crack! crack! crack!¡¯ ¡®crack! crack! crack!¡¯ demon troops could hear the sound of a twisted noose as the battle heated up. richard looked over. a demon chariot appeared in his sight. unlike the demon hero chariot in the human village, a two-headed demon with a body of more than 2.5 meters pulled this chariot. there were two teams. on the war chariot, demonic styles controlled the two crossbows. two goat-horned demons controlled a crossbow. a one-head taller demon than the demon hero stood on the war chariot. the flame whip in its hand raged with fire. [bloodthirsty (flame demon)] [hero unit] [level: 7 (elite hero, magic damage increases by 30%.)] [potential: c-rank] [job: demon commander (elite, casting effect increases by 15%.)] [mana: 300 points (recovers 3 points per second.)] [skills: enslave demons (c-rank) ¡ª wave the flame whip in your hand, it will forcefully suppress the demon troop under your command, which would make them listen to orders, and temporarily increases the strength of the demons hit by 30%.] [soul whip tap (c-rank) ¡ª soul damage will be dealt when attacked with a flame whip.] [bloodlust (c-rank) ¡ª allows subordinates to thirst for blood and slaughter, increases strength by 50%, deprives pain perception, and lasts for 3 minutes. cooldown time: 5 minutes and consumes 80 mana.] [petrified skin (c-rank)¨C makes your skin rock solid, increases defense by 50%, and lasts for 3 minutes.cooldown time: 5 minutes and consumes 80 mana.] [fireball (c-rank) ¡ª releases fireballs that can explode. inflicts high-temperature damage to enemies within a 20-meter radius. cooldown time: 5 minutes and consumes 100 mana points] [hero characteristic: when commanding demon troops, increases all demons¡¯ strength by 30%.] [race talent: the more demons the commander has, the stronger they are.] [tie-commander: the commander has more than five squadrons of demons. the efficiency of the command has been increased by 60% (activated).] [description: a demon commander who can command many demon troops in battle.] ¡®a level 7 demon hero with c-rank potential?¡¯ richard¡¯s pupils constricted. it was the highest level hero unit he had encountered in such a long time. the enemy also had a damage spell and fireball, where sand transformation is ineffective. this flame demon cannot stay. Chapter 86 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°gray, prepare to cast your spell. scorpion warriors, charge forward and break through the enemy¡¯s forward camp. undead soldiers, hunt down the enemy heroes! move out!¡± at the moment of richard¡¯s order, an orange-red fireball suddenly ignited in the hands of the flame demon commander on the war chariot. it emitted an exceedingly hot temperature. even the light rays were distorted. the fireball pulled out a long flame tail in the air with a wave of its hand. it was like a rolling snowball. every time it flew a distance, it became stronger. !! it had already become a terrifying fireball with a diameter of two meters after a distance of 100 meters. ¡°everyone, activate the sand transformation and avoid that fireball!¡± richard¡¯s expression changed. the moment he gave the order, he activated the sand transformation first. the c-rank sand transformation of a soldier was still unable to negate magic damage, but it could highly increase the ability to recover health. at this critical moment, gray continued to cast curse words. the mind of the demon that besieged the scorpion warrior rumbled. its body suddenly stiffened, and confusion appeared in its eyes. the scorpion warrior took this opportunity while it dodged and directly charged into the demon¡­ ¡®bang!¡¯ the fireball smashed right in front of the scorpion warrior. even though it tried its best to lower its body, the terrifying flames enveloped the scorpion warrior. the flames were extremely violent. not only the scorpion warrior was enveloped, but all the demons in the surroundings. ah! gray¡¯s curse language controlled the demons in front and directly took all the damage. the battle continued to sizzle. the smell of burnt hair and the stench of blood and flesh filled every corner of the battlefield. flames rose. the goat-horned demons buckled the four crossbows on the demon chariots, and arrows as thick as a baby¡¯s arm shot out. the thick arrows directly penetrated the troop in front, and richard was right in the path of these arrows. he only felt that his chest was empty, and a big hole had appeared. the sand in the other parts of his body immediately filled up the hole.so he did not feel the air leak from his chest for too long. five minutes¡­! this fireball had a cooldown time of five minutes. he had to overpower this flame demon commander within five minutes at all costs! ¡°attack! kill the demon commander!!¡± in the endless flames, the scorched scorpion warrior suddenly rushed out. the high temperature of the flame still covered its body. although its aura was much weaker, its combat strength was still there. in other words, the undead with unique vitality, if replaced with ordinary life, three lives will also die. the demons in front of them, whose movements were restricted, had their souls devoured by the fireballs, which allowed the scorpion warrior to charge forward more smoothly. after the troops activated the sand transformation, these warriors ignored the attacks of the other demons. their target was the flame demon commander. it was the gravest threat! the bandaged mummy was no longer defensive at this moment. all of them charged forward. they wanted to tear a hole in the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. 1 when the flame demon commander saw that these undead soldiers still dared to lunge forward, it could not help but sneer. with a wave of its hand, the aura of the demons in front of him suddenly became violent. [c-rank bloodlust skill, strength increases by 50%.] [c-rank petrified skin, defense increases by 50%.] these two c-rank skills were pronouncedly much stronger than the 30% increase in attributes of the d-rank skills. the aura of the demon troop in front of richard increased explosively! at the back, richard continuously commanded the troop to break through. for the first time, he felt heavy pressure. but the more it was like this, the more eager and crazy he became. fresh blood ignited his fighting spirit. ¡°the scorpion warriors will spearhead. the bandaged mummies will tie up the other demons. ignore the others and get as close to the demon commander as possible!¡± even though the demons had gained additional power blessings, his strength soared tremendously. however, the sand transformation skill that richard had bestowed upon them could help the soldiers and warriors deal with the physical damage. it was a battle between commanders. after the twilight city troops annihilated more than five squadrons of inferior, fallen, and goat-horned demons, they finally approached within 50-meter range of the demon chariot. the flame demon commander¡¯s hand heaved terrible fireballs again at this time. five minutes had passed. ¡°it¡¯s happening again!¡± richard¡¯s pupils tightened. ¡°gray! prepare to unleash the soul command spirit! on my command!¡± the flame demon commander needed a few breaths to congeal the fireball. it is the only gap. ¡°???!¡± the mysterious spell from gray¡¯s mouth whispered¡­ richard stared at the flame demon commander. he waited for the flame in his hand to rise to a limit of the moment. drink cold. ¡°do it!¡± richard¡¯s orders were the supreme iron law. and the dark light flashed on gray¡¯s body, prepared for a long time. the flame demon commander grinned and was about to throw the fireball, but its arm stiffened on the spot in the next moment. [soul command (a-rank) ¡ª forcefully controls the enemy¡¯s soul. command the enemy to make a move. when the command is not given, the enemy will break free from control after 5 seconds. cooldown time: 30 minutes. consumes 100 power magic.] ¡®the flame demon is now under control!!!¡¯ richard was pleasantly surprised as he waved his hand. ¡°kill!!¡± the troop of twilight city surged forward once again. as long as they charged into 40 meters, they would be able to enter the attack range of the axe of the dead¡­ death was staring at the enemy. the fireball that had lost control began to expand violently. the terrifying and scorching temperature made the flame demon commander, whose mind was in chaos, feel a great danger. the flame demon suddenly woke up from the chaos. it sensed that the fireball in its hand was about to lose control. its face changed greatly and wanted to use the fireball to regain control. however, the flame demon realized that¡­ it had lost control of its body. then, under its gaze, the flame demon raised the fireball with its arm¡­and pressed it toward his face. ¡°damn it!!¡± ¡®boom!¡¯ the fireball that had gone out of control finally reached its limit. ¡®bang!¡¯ the scorching flames exploded on the face of the flame demon. the vehement flames engulfed its body and the flame demon around the chariot. the crossbows and the four goat-horned demons on the chariot were on fire. ¡°ah!!!¡± the flame demon excruciatingly expelled an incomparably shrill scream and jumped off the chariot. however, the flames were too great, and one could only see the human figure writhing wildly. chains bound the 20 double-headed demons that pulled the chariot. there was nothing they could do, even if they wanted to escape. they were burned alive. those affected demons around the chariot who did not die still burned into cripples¡­ this scene that affected the battle situation allowed the scorpion warriors to seize the opportunity to break through and lunge forward. they forcefully tore apart the demon formation in front of them and swiftly advanced to within 30 meters of the war demon chariot. the scorching flames gradually dissipated at this moment. the war chariot revealed a half-kneeled body. most of its face had already turned into dry bones as if it was a malicious spirit from hell. the half-kneeling figure¡¯s armor was starkly charred black. but its chest pain that still heaved shocked the scorpion warriors. the flame demon commander had unconsciously endured its own magic and was still alive. the half-kneeling demon suddenly raised its head and looked at the scorpion warrior in front with extreme hatred. the abyssal blasphemy carried endless unimaginable fury. ¡°kill them!!! i will crush their souls!!!¡± however, the moment the flame demon finished speaking, tomahawks with chains appeared in its sight¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ it felt pain in the chest, neck, head, arms, abdomen¡­ a new pain spread all over its body. ¡®clan! clang!¡¯ when the last tomahawk struck its head, the flame demon commander only felt a pain that tore through its soul. its vision went black, and it lost consciousness¡­ ¡®thump!¡¯ it laid on the side of the war chariot. below was a raging flame that has not yet unextinguished. Chapter 87 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°soul execution!¡± out of the 20 undead soldiers of the axe of the dead lair, one of them had finally triggered the kill skill. the flame demon commander could still experience lore before its death, so it could not be unjustified death. the death of the demon hero immediately caused great chaos among the remaining demons. the chaotic nature immediately erupted without the suppression of the higher-level demons. !! just as richard was about to take advantage of the situation and pursue the enemy. ¡®pak!¡¯ a crisp whipping sound rang out. the d-rank demon hero who had just led the inferior demons to attack the troop of twilight city on the steep slope now waved its flame whip to stop the chaotic demon troop. ¡°kill them!!¡± richard heard the movement and turned his head abruptly to look in the direction of the demon hero. his eyes were cold. ¡°he still dared to show his face?!¡± ¡°how brave!¡± he glanced at the attribute panel of the soldier beside him. there were only three minutes left before the sand disappeared. he had to subdue the demon hero at the last minute. ¡°gray, the troop in front of the weakened demon hero will be the scorpion warriors. and bandaged mummies will turn around and tear apart the enemy¡¯s defense line! i want him dead!¡± richard gave the order. there was no need to flash the dark light on gray¡¯s body multiple times. [pharaoh¡¯s curse (b-rank) ¡ª able to cast curses on enemies within a 10 * 10-meter radius. upon casting, the enemy will fall into a weakened state. all attributes will be reduced by 30%. lasts for 5 minutes. cooldown time: 3 minutes. consumes 50 mana points.] a b-rank curse meant all attributes were reduced. the strength of the inferior and the fallen demons in the front fell sharply. the enemy was weak, while the twilight troops were strong. the barbarous charge of the scorpion warriors and the bandaged mummies immediately tore holes. although the demon heroes behind kept roaring and commanding, they could only watch as the demon troops severed into pieces. there were too many enemies. time passed. the sand transformation was about to end. richard opened his eyes. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± ¡®huhu!¡¯ twenty tomahawks whizzed out. ¡®kacha!¡¯ countless shards exploded. the dense formation of the demons maximized this powerful skill to the greatest extent. ¡®swoosh!¡¯ a large area in front of richard was cleared and instantly became a flat path. the scorpion warriors charged forward fiercely and approached the demon commander at high speed. however, to richard¡¯s surprise, when the scorpion warriors broke through the 50-meter distance, the flame demon commander suddenly turned around and fled. he did not react until the enemy¡¯s figure disappeared amidst the demons. ¡®damn it! i thought you were so fierce that you still dared to take over the command¡­¡¯ after the flame demon commander failed to take over the battle and lost the suppression of the heroes for the second time, the chaotic nature of the demons completely erupted. some turned around and ran. some grabbed companions¡¯ corpses and began to gnaw on them. and others continued to attack the twilight city troops. some of the inferior demons even went berserk and directly attacked their companions¡­ the demon troops that had just caused considerable pressure on richard turned into a pile of loose sand in the blink of an eye. the threat level of the troop without a hero to command dropped drastically. ¡°with me as the core to shrink the formation. the scorpion warriors will continue to be the spearhead and push forward! the undead soldiers will freely hunt.¡± richard immediately gathered the troops without threat and swept the area with his sturdiest stance. the battlefield turned into a meat grinder. however, only the demons were crushed. whether the tyrannical inferior demons, the fallen demons that kept spewing abyss profanities, or the agile goat-horned monsters. to face the advance of twilight city troops without command was like a mantis swiftly crushed while trying to block a chariot. ¡°kill! kill! kill!¡± the dense demons let the twilight city troops kill to their heart¡¯s content. even the cursed pharaoh had personally killed the souls of a few inferior demons. richard did not know how many demons he had killed in the end. all he knew was the front valley was already covered with corpses. when his line of sight suddenly widened, he looked back and saw no traces of demons in the surroundings. the last glow of twilight city had long disappeared into the air, and the bright moon the size of a millstone shrouded the land. the silver light added an endless atmosphere of terror to the blood-red land. while richard stood in front of the demon valley, one could hear his breath alone. the surrounding mountains had lost traces of life because of the fire. and the valley had become quiet because of him. a strong sense of accomplishment arose in his heart as he looked at the silver and blood-colored battlefield. the demon corpses everywhere were medals of glory. his development during this period proved to be the best. gray¡¯s control, the soul execution of the axe of the dead, the assault of the scorpion warriors, and the tenacity of the bandaged mummies¡­ the combat strength of these troops was mightier than he had imagined. the final victor of this battle belonged to him alone. he could enjoy all the spoils of war alone. moreover, in such an intense battle, only one small team of mummies died. after two big battles, six small teams of bandaged mummies were left, with five small teams. although the scorpion warriors and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead looked disheveled. they were not severely damaged. this allowed him to be filled with achievements. twilight city had finally developed gradually. [ding~ the troop you led has annihilated a large group of demons and obtained a victory in a medium-sized battle. you have earned 20,000 experience points.] [ding~ the poisonous scorpion warrior, the bandaged mummy, and the axe of the dead. the three troop lairs have experienced several battles, and their levels have increased. current level: 7] [ding~ the cursed pharaoh has experienced a massive number of battles. its level has increased. current level: 5.] ¡°damn it! 20,000 experience points!¡± richard watched his leveling progress increase by a large margin and laughed loudly. it was just clearing a dungeon. how long had it been? he had already earned over 20,000 experience points! he glanced at this level. [level 5 (42,620/50,000)] he was only 7,000 to 8,000 experience points away from leveling up again. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± at this moment, a weak voice interrupted his thoughts. richard turned around and saw barry with bandages wrapped around his wrist. barry looked at richard with a complicated gaze of awe, anticipation, and fear. ¡°can i, can i follow you into the demon valley? lucy is still waiting for me!¡± the poor girl¡­ she was the one who had contributed the blood that lured the demons. richard nodded. since he had given his promise, he would surely do it. it was just his bottom line. he turned his head to look at the quiet demon valley. now, he could go and receive the final fruits of victory. ¡°follow behind.¡± after richard had said that, he turned around and led the troops, whose bodies were dyed red with blood, into the demon valley. compared to the daytime, the valley was now empty. there were piles of rubble everywhere, and it was indeed messy. in the area that the demons had dug, many deep holes were already in the side of the mountain. ¡°is this the ancient tomb? barry, where are the two troop lairs?¡± although barry desperately wanted to go in to find his girl, he had no choice but to stop. he stretched out his hand to indicate the center. ¡°lord, you can see it when you enter the cave¡­¡± richard waved his hand and took a few prepared torches from the system space. he let a small team of bandaged mummies go to explore. after he received the message that it was safe inside, he ordered gray to lead the team into the cave. he stepped into the cave after he had confirmed there was no danger for the second time. richard¡¯s vision suddenly widened under the dim light of the torch after he passed through a narrow passage that was dozens of meters long. the air in this ancient tomb was slightly damp and rotten. white bones and corpses covered the ground, which seemed to be caused by the burial. many of the white bones had turned black and had even undergone large-scale weathering. this tomb had gone through a long time. in the center of the tomb, there was an empty altar. behind the altar, a coffin was starkly rotten. traces left behind by the demons¡¯exploration could be seen in the surroundings. and the most eye-catching ones were the two five-meter-tall statues behind the rotten coffin. a pair of wings folded. and the front and back legs squatted on the rock. they had sharp claws and teeth, and their faces were exceedingly ugly. ¡°lord richard, this is the ancient tomb¡­ we found the magic ball on the altar in front of the coffin. the two stone statues are the troop lairs¡­ but lucy said that the two troop lair needs to be re-activated to recruit soldiers. those demons must be digging the mountain rocks to move these two statues out.¡± richard felt a sense of anticipation while he looked at the imposing statues. opening the stats panel, he subconsciously held his breath the next second. [gargoyle¡¯s lair (sealed)] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruitment type: dark gargoyle (rare 3-stars)] Chapter 88 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation to all the readers of this novel, this announcement is a note from the author of this novel. today is the 30th day. we will be celebrating the chinese new year. hence, i am greeting everyone with a happy new year! may you all be merry. i have been writing this book for two months now, so i would like to express my gratitude for all of your support and encouragement to me. i am not a highly proficient author, and my ability is limited. my level cannot be considered high. at the very least, there is only a small portion of readers who read this novel. there are hardly any outsiders who know about this book. according to my editor, it will be the first day to observe the chinese new year. this means that the celebration will commence later today. it will come sooner. !! during the new year, i understand that people might not have much opportunity and time to read. after all, just now, i am ordered around by my mother for the whole day. i got even scolded for doing nothing and ridiculed for being clumsy¡­ despite such circumstances, i still tried my best to revise five chapters. i have written a few books for three years, and the number of orders has been very few. the two books i wrote before are the following: [i became an original vampire ¡ª 110 orders] [lord of the world: i become the lord of the desert from the start ¡ª 600 orders] this time, if possible, can these be agreed upon by my friends and break the record to 1,000 orders? tonight, i will update five chapters in the early morning and break the grand goal of 1,000 orders. tomorrow, i will definitely update five chapters. i will do so! thank you to my friends who have been sending me tips, votes, and messages to encourage me or even just tease me. in the new year, i wish that my classmates, who are still in school, will be successful in their studies, can get the results they want, and can sit with the person they have a crush on. i wish that my working friends will be successful in their careers and that they can become wealthy and free next year. i wish that my unmarried partner, the person i have a crush on, will take the initiative to confess next year. i love you all! ¡ªfrom the koi fish. Chapter 89 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard opened the attribute panel of the dark gargoyle¡¯s lair. and sure enough, there were changes. the seal of the dark gargoyle¡¯s lair had disappeared, and the last attribute made richard feel even better. [note: at present, the gargoyles have consumed enough to recruit. within three days, each dark gargoyle only needs to consume ten units of the gemstones to recruit.] was there such a good thing? these benefits were probably prepared for lich¡¯s resurrection. now, they were all cheaper for him. !! with intense excitement, he chose to recruit. [ding~ do you want to consume 400 units of gemstones to recruit gargoyles * 40?] richard confirmed everything after the notification sounded. only 350 of the 750 units of gemstones remained on the panel in an instant. ¡®crack!¡¯ in the next second, the chest of the gargoyle statue in front of him suddenly split open. a hideous head emerged within. then, with both hands that supported the left and right sides and with great force, its body crawled slowly. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ when the last tail appeared, it suddenly spread its closed wings. an overbearing dark gargoyle appeared in front of richard. the dark gargoyle was a miniature version of the statue. its muscles were like steel, filled with streamlined strips. its body stood upright and reached at least three meters tall. its four limbs had claws that were sharper than razors. even a warrior¡¯s shield would not be able to withstand their attacks. its wings were bent, and the front part of its body had sharp thorn-like blades. it made people understand that this was distinctly not a decoration. barbs grew on the elbows, knees, and shoulders. every part of the body seemed to be born for slaughter. the appearance of this legendary soldier was quite impressive. [dark gargoyle] [level: 5 (elite soldier, strength increases by 15%.) [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: obsidian body (b-rank) ¡ª special body structure can make gargoyles immune to magic damage and instant death skills but can not be blessed by gain magic.] [stone statue form (b-rank) ¡ª can turn into a statue, unable to move or attack, defense increases by 500%, restores 10% health per minute. cooldown time: 30 seconds.] [giant strength (b-rank) ¡ª special structure allows it to possess extraordinary strength, strength increases by 100%.] [steel crusher (b-rank) ¡ª special forged claws can pierce thick armor and magic shields. sharpness increases by 70%. sturdiness increases by 70%.] [extreme swift flight (c-rank) ¡ª agility increases by 40%. speed increases by 40%.] [race talent: able to resist armor penetration and pierce damage. defense increases by 50%.] [fetter-gargoyle: when the number of gargoyles is greater than 10, defense increases by 10%, and strength increases by 10%.] [when the number of gargoyles is greater than 30, defense increases by 20%, and strength increases by 20% (activated).] [when the number of gargoyles is greater than 50, defense increases by 40% and strength increases by 40%.] [description: a unique construct that has outstanding strength and defense.] richard was overjoyed after he looked at the attributes of the dark gargoyles a few times. what a good guy! this attribute was incredible! as expected of the once glorious rank of the troop! moreover, the dark gargoyles were ultimately immune to magic¡­ just this attribute alone was priceless. with the sand transformation, ordinary physical damage was limited to the troop of twilight city. only mages could deal an immense amount of damage. the appearance of the dark gargoyles made up for this shortcoming. in the future, don¡¯t let it see mages. otherwise, it would let the enemy know what a mage killer was. moreover, the dark gargoyles as flying units, could bypass the front row and directly attack the back row. this unit had strategic value. richard was satisfied. he suddenly thought after a moment of observation¡­ since the gargoyles were immune to magic, could he still bestow the sand transformation skill on them??? ¡°logically, my sand transformation skill isn¡¯t magic, but a bloodline ability ¨C a lord¡¯s talent.¡± the magic was acquired, but the talent was hidden in the bloodline. the difference between the two was that cast magic consumed magic power. and cast talent skills consumed the power in the bloodline. although outsiders couldn¡¯t see the difference, the caster could still feel it. richard summoned the first two dark gargoyles over with slight uncertainty. ¡°lord¡­¡± with a bit of mechanical stiffness, the dark gargoyle¡¯s voice muffled. richard nodded and stretched out his right hand. a yellow sand-like light rose from his palm and spread out in a few blinks of an eye, it directly enveloped the two dark gargoyles. the dark gargoyles¡¯ immune to magic bodies did not reject the influx of this power. a moment later. [ding~ under your blessing, the dark gargoyles have grasped part of the power of the desert and obtained a new skill ¡ª sand transformation (c-rank).] ¡°hahahahaha!! it truly worked!!!!¡± richard¡¯s mood instantly exploded. the vast surprise made him burst out laughing. ¡°the talent of the desert lord was awesome!!! ¡°it was indeed unreasonable and did not even mention science!! ¡°the dark gargoyle was already very thick and was immune to magic damage. if it activated sand transformation, wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent to directly activating invincibility?¡± richard felt that the troop in his hands developed in an extremely abnormal direction. strong to the heavens. but it was good to be strong. he liked strong. he smiled as he watched the birth of four small teams of dark gargoyles. the not-so-wide cave was tightly crowded. richard destroyed the dark gargoyle¡¯s lair after he bestowed sand transformation to all the dark gargoyles. he put the two miniature cores of the lair into the system space. when he walked out of the ancient tomb and looked at the assembled troop in front of him, his expression was still a bit stunned. he had gained a lot in the past few days. the current troops in his hands had tremendously improved after some calculations. rare 3-stars bandaged mummy: 50 rare 3-stars poisonous scorpion warrior: 27 rare 3-stars cursed pharaoh: 5 rare 3-stars axe of the dead: 20 rare 3-stars dark gargoyle: 40 the total number of soldiers added up to 142, one and a half squadrons. not only is the quality extremely high, but two a-rank heroes led the squadrons. gray, transformed from the cursed pharaoh unit, was proficient in curses and control. he could cast spells continuously and forcefully control the enemy. gunter fresh blood, transformed from bandaged mummy unit, was proficient in offensive magic. every day, he could recruit three squadrons of bandaged mummies from the corpses. 3 this team configuration was enough to make any player envious in less than a month. richard looked at gunter. he was starkly interested in this guy¡¯s ability to recruit mummies. ¡°can the corpses around the blood pool be transformed into mummies?¡± gunter immediately replied. ¡°lord, as long as it¡¯s a corpse, it¡¯s fine. however, the strength of the corpse itself isn¡¯t strong enough. the mummies recruited are at most of the ordinary level¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine. let¡¯s give it a try first.¡± richard was vastly envious of the undead¡¯s ability to use the corpses of their enemies to replenish their troops. however, he never expected he would have a hero with the same ability now. he would recruit those mummies and bestow them with sand transformation¡­ they would still be of great use even if their levels weren¡¯t high. Chapter 90 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation author¡¯s note: thank you, my friends. with your approval, i have achieved the 1,000 set goal. i love you all. ****** when richard came to the cave full of corpses, he was in high spirits. these corpses probably were left for the lich lord. after its resurrection, they would be able to form an undead troop as soon as possible. one chain after another. !! however, these arrangements have become his trophies after they have been inserted into his hands. gunter stood among the corpses, his body suffused with blood-colored energy. ¡°¡­¡± it spat out a series of obscure incantations. in an instant, the blood-red energy was released and spread out.it enveloped all the corpses. a vast number of corpses were quickly weathered in this blood-colored energy as if stored for millions of years. richard keenly noticed that the weathered corpses emitted energy traces and fused into the blood-colored aura. the bloody glow became even more profound as several corpses decayed. ¡®crack! crack!¡¯ over time, the corpses shattered like glass, and only 30 corpses remained intact. it was only at this moment that blood-colored energy began to pour into the corpses. richard looked carefully. after the blood energy poured into the corpses, the scattered blood rays turned into strips of blood cloth that wrapped around the corpse. they wrapped the corpses into mummies. the conversion time did not last long when the last trace of blood-colored energy subsided. the initially stiff corpses on the ground suddenly moved. ¡°roar!¡± a low roar came from a throat. the sound was like a foreign object stuck in the throat. it was extremely harsh and unpleasant to the ears. the scene was rather frightening. in the next moment, the mummies wrapped in blood-colored cloth crawled up somewhat stiffly. [ding! your hero unit ¡ª gunter fresh blood has used the mummy recruitment spell. you have obtained three teams of blood-colored mummies (elite 1-star).] the soldiers recruited by the heroes would also be under richard¡¯s name. he also had absolute control over them. however, he had no interest in leading these recruited soldiers, so he directly returned the command to gunter. then, he opened his stats panel curiously. [blood-colored mummy] [level: 1] [potential: elite 1-star] [skills: body of death (e-rank) ¡ª no fear of pain, no fear of death, and immune to poison, plague, and curses.] [blood curse (e-rank) ¡ª when attacking an enemy, there is a 20% chance that the enemy will be cursed, and their strength will be reduced by 30%.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, stamina and recovery speed of injuries will be increased by 50%.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies is greater than 10, the strength of all mummies will be increased by 10%. when the number of mummies is greater than 30, strength will be increased by 20%. when the number of mummies is greater than 50, the strength will be increased by 30%. the chance of triggering the curse will be increased by 15% (activated).] [description: a mummy with ordinary combat strength.] richard looked at the attributes a few times and had an idea. the attributes of the recruited blood-colored mummies were not outstanding. they were slightly weaker than those troop lairs had produced. of course, this is related to the weakness of the surrounding corpses. they were still elite-level soldiers no matter what. it was an additional reward obtained from free whoring. it was free, and it felt good no matter what. richard was in a great mood. previously, when he scanned the map. all the inedible prey was sold to the undead at the price of cabbages. it was not worth it. in the future, the corpses obtained from battles would be useful. and they would be able to squeeze out the last remaining value. he was elated. richard left the cave after he settled the matter. he summoned barry and lucy, who had recovered a little. ¡°i have cleared the demons. the white tower town troop will clear the rest of the escapees. ¡°now, let¡¯s go back to the village.¡± richard could stay in the dungeon for another 12 hours and squeeze in some time. maybe he could go to white tower town. as the main mission location, it was impossible to have no benefits. now that he had gained so much, he had more expectations for white tower town. barry and lucy nodded happily and immediately led the way. after the two walked out of the demon valley, they held hands, looked back with lingering fears, and smiled at each other. they hugged each other fiercely. to have survived a disaster was especially a wonderful feeling. it was not until the moon was high that richard and the others returned to the original blueleaf village. only after two days and one night, the strength in his hands had qualitatively improved. ****** inside the blueleaf village. an old long-bearded man in a pastor¡¯s robe sat at the main seat of the spacious hall. behind him stood two church knights in white armor. more than ten residents sat on both sides of the seven to eight-meter-long wooden table. they looked at the old priest with excitement and nervousness. in their opinion, the arrival of the old pastor would save the blueleaf village. it must be god¡¯s agent for spreading light in the human world. ¡°you¡¯re saying that a lord who claimed to be from another plane led a troop of mummies and defeated these few squadrons of demons?¡± the old pastor frowned. jill, barry¡¯s father and the chief commander of the blueleaf village, stood up and said excitedly, ¡°that¡¯s right, old pastor john!¡± ¡°barry has brought that human lord to look for the demons. i¡¯m worried that they will anger the demon troop. i implore you to immediately organize a troop to clean up the demons!¡± the two church knights beside old pastor john showed anger on their faces. ¡°this damned otherworld lord is ultimately so reckless! their actions will surely arouse the vigilance of the demons!!¡± ¡°that desert lord only has a squadron of troops. how can they attack the demons with such a small force?¡± ¡°this is simply courting death!¡± the status of the church knights was slightly lower than that of the priests, and they were much more honorable than the residents in the house. no one dared to say anything during the meeting. the old pastor john also frowned. he did not care whether the other world lord lived or died. but if the demons were angered, it would surely affect white tower town. the great fire a few days ago had isolated everything. it left them with no news until today. the white tower town would have no time to prepare if the demons were angered again. jill¡¯s face turned pale when he heard this. that was his son who led the way. if anything happened to the white tower town, wouldn¡¯t his son be the first to be killed? when he thought of that terrifying scene, his entire being was fused with anxiety. ¡°old pastor john, those evil beings have already invaded more than ten villages during this period¡­ if we continue to let the demons develop and plunder, we might even endanger white tower town in the future!¡± old pastor john nodded solemnly. ¡°that desert lord rashly provoked the demons, it must have caused a backlash. the other party probably won¡¯t be able to return. ¡°i¡¯ll return to white tower town immediately and gather a troop to fight against the demons!¡± jill¡¯s heart clenched, and despair flapped his tone. the church knight said coldly, ¡°old pastor john, that lord¡­isn¡¯t he truly coming back?¡± ¡°jill, don¡¯t you know how powerful the demon is? ten years ago, you participated in the battle of white tower town¡¯s guards! ¡°the troops that the demons sent out to search everywhere are usually only a small part of their forces. the truly powerful troops are all stationed in their lairs. ¡°moreover, these demon troops often have powerful heroes commanding them! ¡°think about it. any random search party can send out as many as several squadrons of demons. how many are there in real numbers? ten? or twenty times? ¡°that other world lord only has a squadron of soldiers. no matter how strong he is, he can¡¯t withstand the encirclement of enemies that are dozens of times stronger! ¡°tell me, how did they survive?! did they rely on luck?¡± old pastor john didn¡¯t know that barry, who led the way, was jill¡¯s son, so he nodded in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s right. if that lord rashly went, he would only be sending himself to death. not to mention annihilating the demons, even surviving one-tenth of it would be a miracle.¡± Chapter 91 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation but just as old pastor john finished speaking, a voice came from outside. ¡°barry and lucy are back!!!¡± jill immediately stood up in surprise. ¡°they are back?¡± he was excited and about to run out, but he suddenly thought of something. he hurriedly stopped and looked at old pastor john and the two church knights beside him. ¡°pastor¡­¡± !! john frowned. then, he relaxed. ¡°let¡¯s go and take a look. that desert lord must have escaped back.¡± he had thought the demons had starkly annihilated the other party. he did not expect that there would still be a few who escaped. his luck was not bad. the church knight behind him was still angry that the other party had acted recklessly. the church knight immediately sneered and said, ¡°it¡¯s best if there are a few more who survived. don¡¯t we still have to deal with the rest? where did this other world lord come from? it¡¯s truly bad luck.¡± thinking about how he had to deal with the mess the demon was angered by, his anger immediately rose. ¡°when i see that bastard, i¡¯ll surely let him know the rules. ¡°no matter which plane he¡¯s the lord of, when he comes to white tower town, he has to abide by our rules!¡± old pastor john shook his head. he was a little annoyed, so he did not stop him. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± jill could not care less. when he heard john¡¯s words, he wanted to rush out immediately. however, he had no choice but to be patient and lead the way for them. when they walked out of the village, jill immediately saw barry holding hands with lucy and talking to the other residents. he felt relieved instantly. he kept mumbling. ¡°thank the gods, thank the gods!!¡± at this moment, barry also saw his father. his eyes reddened as he held lucy¡¯s hand and walked in front of him. ¡°father, i brought lucy back¡­¡± jill¡¯s lips trembled as he patted barry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back!!!¡± as he said that, he seemed to have remembered something. ¡°how did you guys escape?¡± at this moment, old pastor john and the two church knights had just walked out of the village and came to jill¡¯s side. ¡°father!¡± barry said excitedly. ¡°father, it¡¯s lord richard! lord richard led his army to break through the demon valley and annihilate those demons!¡± when old pastor john and the two church knights heard this, their eyes were filled with disbelief and absurdity. ¡°that desert lord from another plane had led a squadron of soldiers to clean up the demons?¡± ¡°are you kidding me? have the demons bewitched you?¡± jill also found it hard to believe. ¡°lord richard has eliminated all the demons? where is lord richard?¡± as jill spoke, barry looked at the night sky and was at a loss. barry and lucy were too excited and ran too fast. they left richard behind¡­ the church knight could not stand the sight of the empty surroundings and said coldly. ¡°jill, take your son to the church to study for a while! has the demon bewitched him?¡± ¡°if the demon is so easy to eliminate, why are we so worried? are all the people in white tower town useless?¡± old pastor john also did not believe that such a thing would happen. he coughed lightly and was about to speak. suddenly, the surrounding crowd cried out in alarm. ¡°there are monsters in the sky!!¡± ¡°run!!¡± ¡°demons! it must be demons! ! those monsters are coming again!!¡± the few subconsciously raised their heads and could see dozens of blurry figures flying in the sky. the old pastor quickly cast a detection spell. rare-level¡­ gargoyle?!! his heart immediately turned cold, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. there were more than ten of them!! once the enemy attacked, his strength would not be able to withstand it. ¡°prepare for battle!! that¡¯s the demon troop!!¡± as soon as he said that, the surrounding area immediately became even more chaotic, and the residents subconsciously ran into the village. barry hurriedly shouted. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. they are lord richard¡¯s troops!!¡± the church knight shouted angrily. ¡°tie barry up. a demon has bewitched him!!¡± just as the situation was getting out of control, footsteps came from the pitch-black front. while residents panicked, richard slowly came over with the troop of mummies. the residents who fled in all directions stopped when they saw this scene. ¡°is that¡­ lord richard?¡± as richard got closer, flapping wings sounded in the sky. then, the dark gargoyles landed on the ground. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground shook. the dark gargoyles, whose bodies were pitch-black and reflected a metallic luster, were three meters tall. their ferocious bodies gave everyone a great sense of pressure. no one dared to breathe loudly. at this moment, richard also came to the front. when jill saw richard, he let out a long sigh. fortunately, it was not a demon. he did not dare to delay any longer and hurriedly went forward to bow with an apologetic smile. ¡°good evening, lord richard¡­ barry said that you had eliminated all the demons. this is truly amazing! ¡°the troop you command is enough to make any enemy fear you.¡± richard did not have any reaction to this kind of compliment. he looked at the anxious residents around him and nodded slightly. ¡°commander jill, i¡¯ve already razed the lairs of the demons. there¡¯s no need to worry¡­¡± his faint tone meant the weather today was not bad. they would probably be ridiculed if this was said by another person. the demons were annihilated just like that? however, the dozens of terrifying gargoyles stood there and made everyone hold back their doubts. their strength and status were different. even if they said the same words, their weight would be completely different. the old pastor john and the two church knights¡¯ faces turned green and then white. they felt so inwardly ashamed and angry that they wanted to die. just now, they thought this guy would definitely die and would even cause trouble for white tower town. they had to wipe each other¡¯s butt. however, they didn¡¯t expect the other party would return in such a domineering manner. god of justice, just the rare-level gargoyles of the four squads were enough to explain everything. moreover, the lord had two heroic units with stronger auras than them. even the group of ferocious-looking mummies behind them were equally terrifying. that bastard jill only mentioned the number of enemy troops, but he didn¡¯t say that they were so strong. white tower town only had three rare troops. this force was enough to put white tower town in mortal danger. when the church knight thought of what jill had just said, he suddenly felt a burning pain on his face. his face was in too much pain. moreover, it was his own doing. there was no way to reason with him. the three did not dare to look at jill and the surrounding residents. they deeply understood what embarrassment was. richard had no idea what had just happened. after they chatted for a while, he saw the old pastor who wore a pure white robe and held a white wooden staff. the church knight turned his head around as if he was hiding from something. richard opened his stats panel in surprise and glanced at it. [white tower town church pastor] [level: 7] [potential:c-ran hero unit.] it piqued his interest. so this was the leader of the church camp? but his strength was not as mighty as he had imagined¡­ jill also recovered from his shock and bowed again. ¡°lord richard, thank you for your help. you are the benefactor of the 300 residents of blueleaf village!¡± as he spoke, he quickly gestured to the embarrassed old pastor, john. ¡°lord richard, let me introduce you. he is the church pastor of the god of justice in white tower town. pastor john, these are the church knights who protect justice¡­¡± although old pastor john and the two church knights were still embarrassed, their faces had already returned to normal. old john smiled and spoke. ¡°i¡¯ve long heard of lord richard¡¯s reputation. when i saw you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary.¡± the corners of the two church knights¡¯ mouths twitched. ¡®that¡¯s not what you said just now¡­¡¯. the desert had always been a neutral camp. although there were undead soldiers such as mummies, they had never done something as evil as an undead calamity. moreover, the desert¡¯s terrain was harsh and there was a lack of resources. outsiders were too lazy to spy on such a barren land. that was why there were fewer conflicts with other camps. the church camp advocated light and justice and did not view him as an enemy. of course, haven¡¯t viewed richard as an enemy did not mean that they had a good impression of him. richard nodded. ¡°pastor john, when i was cleaning up the demons, a portion of the demons escaped. i was worried that it would cause innocent casualties, so i wanted to ask white tower town to send troops to search for those demons¡­¡± even though richard said that it would bring the generous faction closer, he also thought about how he could earn some profits from white tower town. since he was already here, he should bring back some souvenirs at least¡­ Chapter 92 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when old pastor john heard richard¡¯s words, he ultimately believed the truth of the matter. he quickly asked them about the process of eliminating the demons. barry, who was next to him, began to tell the story of the journey with delight. from the time they lured demons, then used the terrain to kill the inferior demons on the hillside, then confronted the troop head-on, killed the commander of the flame demons, and finally defeated the demons. it was so soul-stirring that it exaggerated the battle strength of richard¡¯s group by several times. !! the blood pool, after thousands of years of immortal corpses, the gargoyle statues¡­ all kinds of mysterious items made the residents cry out in surprise. they looked at richard with respect. in the end, richard felt he had blown it a little too far¡­ old pastor john asked for some details, and after he found out they all matched his understanding, he finally put down his last doubts. he no longer dared to belittle richard in his heart. his tone became more and more respectful. strength was the best pass. this sentence was applicable everywhere. ¡°old pastor john, we can send the white eagle to investigate¡­¡± the church knight reminded the old pastor at this time. old pastor john nodded. ¡°summon the white eagle.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± the church knight put his hand in his mouth and whistled sharply. after more than ten breaths, a white eagle suddenly appeared in the air and rushed down. the church knight reached out his hand and let the white eagle land on his arm. the wings flapped and created a wave of air. the old pastor lowered his head and muttered to the white eagle for a moment, then tapped the eagle¡¯s head with his staff. ¡°find your way!¡± then, the eagle flapped its wings and circled barry and lucy. then, it spread its wings and left. richard was very excited when he saw this scene. this eagle was raised quite handsomely. if he had the chance, he would also get one to play with. if he did not get a sand sculpture in the desert, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste? lucy, who had been captured by the demons, had returned safely. in addition, the demons had been completely exterminated. these few joyous events made the residents especially excited, and they welcomed richard into the village. they enthusiastically prepared a sumptuous dinner for him. richard did not stand at the ceremony and had a sumptuous meal. after the meal, the atmosphere between him and the old pastor eased up a lot. especially after the white eagle returned, the other party¡¯s gaze towards him became even more amiable. old john¡¯s tone was sincere. ¡°sir richard, no matter which dimension you¡¯re from, you¡¯ve helped white tower town greatly by eliminating the demons. we should all be grateful to you.¡± this was what richard admired the most about the kind and orderly camp. they would not turn hostile and refuse to acknowledge others. after richard thought for a moment, he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°old pastor john, i¡¯ve recently wanted to change my career. i wonder if white tower town has a suitable spell caster class?¡± after gunter was born, his thoughts of changing his profession became even more intense. spell casters were simply too handsome. an ordinary person would not be able to resist this temptation. the old pastor shook his head. ¡°lord richard, the spell caster class in white tower town is only in the pastoral¡­¡± he said meaningfully. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to join the embrace of my god, then all of this won¡¯t be a problem. the power of god is enough to change everything!¡± richard smiled. the nature of a pastor was to find a thigh to hug and use the power of a god to cast spells. the advantage was that one could quickly become powerful and have considerable power. the disadvantage was that one¡¯s strength depended on the god and had to act according to the will of the god. moreover, the god could withdraw his power at any time. for most people, being a pastor was not a bad thing. after all, a powerful god was a golden thigh. but to him, what was the god in the ¡°shining era¡±? was he qualified to believe in it? he did not dwell on this and changed the topic. ¡°i heard from barry that old pastor john has a powerful strategic treasure¡­¡± before he could finish, the old pastor gestured at the white wizard staff in his hand. ¡°this is the one. it can clear a certain area of evil, but the casting requirement is a pastor who believes in my god¡­¡± [holy staff (limited to believers of the god of justice)] [level: 1 star] [skill: dispels evil (causes evil creatures within a 100-meter radius to reveal their true appearance, and increases light damage by 30%. consumes 20 mana points per second.] [description: the most loyal partner of a believer.] richard opened his attribute panel to take a look and immediately lost interest. if he didn¡¯t sell this thing, it would be better than a fire stick. when the old pastor saw that richard was not in a good mood, he thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°lord richard, white tower town once fought with demons ten years ago. ¡°since then, there has been a long-term reward ¡ª whoever finds it and stops the demons from running amok will be rewarded handsomely. ¡°although white tower town isn¡¯t rich, the rules will starkly be implemented. ¡°the reward for the mission is the blueprint of the building. this is the most generous reward we can give.¡± ¡®blueprint?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. because he didn¡¯t play by the rules this time and didn¡¯t go to the main mission point of white tower town, he didn¡¯t know about this at all. he was deep in thought. perhaps, this was the ordinary reward for clearing the dungeon. after all, the rewards he received were a little too much. if it was a normal game, it would be impossible for him to get them. after all, it was a 1-star dungeon. but who asked him to be so strong, and the troop was strong enough? he forced his way out. ¡°old pastor john, this is exactly what i need.¡± the old pastor smiled and took out three blueprints from his pocket. ¡°lord richard, you can choose one of them as a reward¡­¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. it was indeed a mission reward. did he bring it with him? he opened the attribute panel and looked at them one by one. [residential building] [level: ordinary] [characteristics: allows the territory to permanently own residential buildings. no blueprints are required to build this building in the future.] [building requirements: requires 500 units of stone and wood] [construction time: 1 day] [number of people required: 10 people. when the number of people is less than the standard number, the construction time will increase, but if the number is greater, the construction time will decrease.] [area occupied: 10 spaces] [description: ordinary residential building blueprints. after construction, it can be used by civilians. ****** [stable] [level: ordinary] [characteristics: permanent] [building requirements: 500 units of wood, stone, and steel] [construction time: 5 days] [number of people required: 30 people¡­] [area occupied: 8 spaces] [maximum number of horses accommodated: 30 horses] [description: the blueprint of an ordinary stable. after construction, it can be used by horses and camels.] ****** [winery] [level: ordinary] [characteristics: permanent] [building requirements: 2,000 gold coins, wood, stone, and steel] [construction time: 7 days] [number people required: 30] [area occupied: 10 spaces] [brewed wine: none (requires wine recipe)] [description: an ordinary winery. after construction, it can brew fine wine according to the wine recipe.] ****** damn, all three blueprints are permanent! the blueprints of the food workshop that richard obtained from the metal gods were for one-time use. it could only be built once. if he wanted to build it again in the future, he would have to obtain new blueprints. these were the two characteristics of blueprints. without a doubt, permanent blueprints were much better than one-time use. however, wasn¡¯t choosing one out of three too ridiculous¡­? ¡­ to leave the remaining two blueprints here and disappear with the dungeon forever? richard held the three blueprints in his hands, full of righteousness. he had to save these pitiful blueprints. he couldn¡¯t let them be destroyed like this. ¡°old pastor john, these blueprints are coincidentally lacking in my territory. i¡¯ll exchange the remaining rewards for the other two blueprints, so there¡¯s no need to give them to me anymore¡­¡± the old pastor had a face full of question marks. the remaining rewards? there was no remaining reward, this was the final reward..! stop!!! what an unscrupulous young man! before he could say anything, richard had already put away the blueprints and looked at him in surprise. ¡°old pastor john, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± the old priest almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Chapter 93 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was stunned when he saw the rank of the troop lair. he subconsciously looked at it a few more times. after he made sure he was not mistaken, a strong sense of joy surged in his heart. enthusiasm brightened his face. a rare-level troop lair and there were even two of them!!! blood money, blood money!! !! after richard took a few deep breaths to suppress the excitement in his heart, he immediately checked the remaining attributes of the troop lair. [dark gargoyle¡¯s lair (sealed)] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruit type: dark gargoyle (rare 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 20] [weekly output: 10] [recruit requirement: 4,000 gold coins, 4,000 units of wood, 4,000 units of stone, and 10 units of gemstones] [description: a unique construct created by ancient magic so powerful. it is a dark creature. it possesses decent strength. it used to be a glorious-level troop, but under the erosion of time, its power has deteriorated to a rare level. ¡®hiss!¡¯ ¡®weekly production of up to 10? ¡®and now, each lair can recruit 20?!¡¯ two lairs can recruit four squads in total. it was a rare-level troop. how much effort did richard spend to train the axe of the dead? he squinted his eyes after he read the description. ¡®a construct made with ancient magic? was it similar to the dwarves¡¯ mechanical troop? ¡®but, this thing was actually at the glorious level? ¡®unfortunately, if the power didn¡¯t decline, this wave would take off directly.¡¯ richard finally calmed down from his excitement after a long time. ¡®however, this thing needs to be unsealed before recruitment¡­ but, how do i unseal this thing?¡¯ as he muttered to himself, he opened the black gold system. [dark gargoyle¡¯s lair (rare 3-stars) ¡ª using ten rare construct-type troop lair cores can upgrade it to glorious 3-stars.] [note 1: currently sealed, unable to be upgraded.] [note 2: can be watered with a large amount of blood to unseal.] ¡®can be watered with a large amount of blood¡­ unseal.¡¯ pleasant surprises instantly filled richard¡¯s heart¡­ had he even known a way to break the seal? the black gold system¡¯s eternal god¡­ however, this seal was also very unique. a construct, sealed with blood¡­ its master must be fiercely evil. he turned around and thought. ¡°i just experienced a bloody battle. aren¡¯t those demon corpses the best materials for unsealing?¡± he was in a good mood. these demons were seriously generous. and they sent a few waves of warmth. he had the troops search the ancient tomb carefully. afterrichard made sure there were no other gains, he left the ancient tomb and continued to walk towards the demon valley depths. he encountered a few squads of fallen and goat-horned demons on the way. the demon hero had pronouncedly stayed behind to guard the base camp. however, richard had even defeated the main force. these squads could only be considered a sacrifice. they arrived at the deepest part of the demon valley after quickly annihilating the demon squads. the demon base camp was in a cave, but the space inside was more spacious than the ancient tomb. richard entered after gray ensured the camp¡¯s safety. the torch¡¯s light fluctuation made the spacious underground seem slightly dim. his heart trembled after he pronouncedly saw the scene in front of him. human corpses covered the floor. these corpses were pale-faced as if stripped of all their blood. one could see sharp weapons had pierced their vital parts if one had looked carefully. a vast pool of blood was in the center of the countless corpses. the faint light of the torch made the scarlet liquid extremely terrifying and creepy. mysterious and twisted pitch-black runes were imprinted in the pool of blood, faintly discernible that added to the cold and gloomy aura. ¡°lucy!! ¡°lucy, i¡¯m here to save you. where are you?? ¡°lucy!!¡± in the underground space filled with corpses, only barry¡¯s voice echoed. he held a torch and looked down at the pale-faced corpses on the ground with reluctance and extreme fear. like he was afraid that in the next moment, that long-yearned face would appear. richard couldn¡¯t help but shake his head when he saw this scene. this stupid girl, how could she still have a chance of survival? however, the blood pool made him fall into deep thought. ¡®what was the demon¡¯s purpose in creating this blood pool that took so much trouble? ¡®for the troop lairs in the ancient tomb? ¡®no, barry said that the demons attacked other human villages, so he and his little lover came out to scout for news.¡¯ ¡®at that time, the demons had not yet discovered the ancient tomb. ¡®in other words, the blood pool was in the front, and the ancient tomb was in the back. ¡®moreover, if it was for the troop lairs to unseal, why not build the blood pool directly in the ancient tomb? ¡®although the demons were chaotic, they were not stupid. the cunning of high-level demons was no less than that of a devil. ¡®the blood pool must have had another purpose.¡¯ after richard thought for a while and the mummy confirmed the safe route, he walked over the corpses gradually to the side of the blood pool. the calm blood pool looked like a deep pool. it was unperturbed that made one¡¯s heart feel cold. no one knew what was inside. richard opened his status panel, but he didn¡¯t see any notifications. he frowned and looked at a bandaged mummy. ¡°you go into the pool of blood and see what¡¯s underneath.¡± the bandaged mummy immediately took action after it received the order. dead creatures didn¡¯t have the concept of fear. if it were a human, its legs would probably shiver. ¡®splash!¡¯ after the bandaged mummy entered the blood pool, its body quickly sank and disappeared in a few blinks of an eye. the air sank again. at this time, barry held up his torch and walked to the side of the blood pool, startled. despair clouded his eyes. ¡°no¡­ nothing¡­¡± his eyes had become lifeless at this moment. richard ignored him and stared at the blood pool. it was the demon¡¯s substantial backup plan, nothing couldn¡¯t happen¡­ the scene was still calm three, five, or ten minutes later. richard was unwilling to give up just when he was about to order the second mummy to go down. ¡®gurgle! gurgle!¡¯ suddenly, sizeable bubbles appeared in the blood pool. the sudden sound was like muffled thunder in the silent cave. richard immediately raised his vigilance to the maximum. ¡°retreat!¡± the troop retreated more than 20 meters in unison and left only a few torches. the half-hearted barry squatted on the ground. ¡®gulp! gulp! gulp!¡¯ the bubbles of progressive increase in size ascended. then, under richard¡¯s gaze. ¡®splash!¡¯ the sound of water suddenly rang out, and a corpse suddenly floated into the blood pool. the horrible scene made one¡¯s scalp tingle. but in the next second, the horror movie immediately turned into a love tragedy. barry latently raised his head. when he saw the corpse that floated in the pool of blood, he cried out in great anguish. ¡°lucy!!¡± his entire body seemed to have been struck by lightning as he collapsed onto the ground. his eyes were red. his mouth constantly quivered but did not make a single sound. his eyes fixed on the corpse. at this moment, he seemed to have lost his soul and become a figurehead. richard was stunned. he didn¡¯t expect such an ending. he glanced at barry and didn¡¯t say anything. richard stepped forward and looked at the corpse carefully under the watch and protection of the bandaged mummy. he noticed the corpse¡¯s chest still pulsed. ¡®it¡¯s not dead yet?? he instinctively opened the attribute panel. [human] [status: transformation failed.] ¡®transformation¡­ failed?¡¯ richard¡¯s pupils tightened. he instantly opened the black gold system. more detailed information appeared as expected. [blood pool ¡ª using blood to strengthen the person who entered it transforms him into a mighty hero.] [using blood to strengthen oneself came from a high-level demon. it would collect blood into the blood pool.] [after the fortification is completed, the sacrifice would be eternally loyal to them. it was a rare sacrifice in the abyss.] [the higher the blood power the blood pool swallowed, the higher the potential of the hero unit after successful transformation.] [note: the fortification has been interrupted. the current replacement for the strengthened object is ¡ª the bandaged mummy. you can throw corpses and blood into the blood pool to increase its potential. current incubation time: 1 day.] after richard read the description, his expression became extremely eager. ¡®blood pool? fortified hero?¡¯ ¡®no wonder the demon wanted to build a blood pool¡­¡¯ however, richard accidentally sent the bandaged mummy down to search which interrupted the process. now, his bandaged mummy had become a sacrificial object and was about to transform into a hero¡­ ¡®hahahaha!¡¯ ¡®does this work too??!¡¯ Chapter 94 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard immediately ordered people to pick up the figure floating in the blood pool to prevent accidents. at the same time, he asked the troop to move the surrounding corpses far away, clearing the nearby area. since the reinforcement could be interrupted, the process needed more careful protection. ¡®cough! cough!¡¯ after getting out of the blood pool, lucy, covered in blood, suddenly coughed. !! barry, at this moment, seemed to have been reunited with his soul again. he squeezed to the girl¡¯s side and looked at her in ecstasy. ¡°lucy, you¡¯re not dead, you¡¯re not dead¡­ i¡¯m here. i¡¯m here¡­¡± tears could no longer be stopped at this moment and flowed down. ¡°barry¡­¡± the moment the girl opened her eyes and saw her beloved, she could not control her emotions. she hugged him with all her strength as if she wanted to merge him into her body. after the warmth, she finally noticed the mummy troop beside her and became nervous. barry explained for a while before the girl let out a sigh of relief. after she rested for a long time, barry supported his beloved and walked toward richard. the two of them bowed deeply to him. ¡°thank you, lord richard. you are our savior! we will always remember your kindness. may the gods protect you¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°all the demons in the valley have been cleaned up. you are safe now.¡± the two wanted to thank him again, but richard waved his hand. ¡°no need to be so polite, miss lucy. can you tell me where the magic ball you got from the ancient tomb is?¡± he almost opened up the entire demon valley, but he could not find the strategic equipment that barry mentioned. ¡°lord,¡± lucy said weakly. ¡°lord, the demon put the magic ball into the blood pool¡­¡± ¡°put it into the blood pool?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. since it was a blood pool built by the demon, a deeper meaning must be behind this. it seemed that he could only wait until the sacrifice was completed before going down to look for it. ¡°did you see or feel anything at the bottom of the blood pool?¡± ¡°the whispers of the demons. countless demons whispered in my ears as if trying to pull me into the abyss¡­¡± lucy¡¯s face revealed an unconcealable fear. ¡°then, i felt a force pull me up, and the whispers of the demons disappeared.¡± richard nodded. fortunately, he had come early, or she might have transformed into a demon. he pondered for a moment, and his expression was a little strange. ¡®according to the direction of this dungeon, if i had not come to attack the demon valley, would the demons have nurtured a powerful hero, lucy, and then led the demon troop to attack white tower town?¡¯ ¡®as for barry, her beloved, he survived the siege of the demon village and went to white tower town. ¡®finally, a girl has fallen into a demon, and a beloved loves her dearly looked at each other across the city wall finally..¡¯ ¡®a hollywood drama would be out if barry received some paladin inheritance.¡¯ then, richard felt a little regretful. he was too decisive and directly eliminated this threat. he did not see such a dramatic scene. now, his subordinate replaced the hero, that seemed to be the final villain boss. ¡°you guys go out and rest. you can go back tomorrow.¡± the two expressed their gratitude again and supported each other as they left the cave. richard turned his attention to the blood pool. he was in deep thought after he looked at the black gold system notification again. collecting fresh blood and corpses could increase the potential of a hero¡­ ¡®fresh blood is what a blood sacrifice requires. however, after the mummy bandage replaced lucy, there is an additional option for corpses. ¡®it seems that different races have different sacrificial methods and materials.¡¯ this reminded him of gray¡¯s sacrifice coffin at that time. although both sides needed different materials, there were similarities and differences. after he thought for a while, he called gray over. ¡°throw all the demon corpses outside the valley into the blood pool, leaving none behind.¡± gray immediately led the troop out to move the corpses. richard left a small team of mummies to guard around the blood pool to prevent any trouble. he did not stay there for long. after richard left the cave, he looked at the two lovey-dovey young lovers in a sorry state and shook his head. he did not mind being dirty. after he took out some cooked food from the system space and shared it with the two, he found a suitable place to change into clean clothes. after he instructed gray to wake him up immediately if anything happened, he spread out the blanket made from the long hair of the fire dragon rabbit. he called over two bandaged mummies to protect him. he had a good sleep. there was nothing to worry about with gray, the hero mummy leading the whole situation. early the following morning, he woke up in a comfortable blanket. after richard woke up and opened his eyes, he saw gray. it stood guard around with a small team of mummies. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard tidied up the blanket and stretched. ¡°have you finished moving the corpses?¡± ¡°we moved all the corpses late last night.¡± the blood sacrifice needed a day to produce a hero. now that a night had passed, there were still more than ten hours left, so there was no hurry. ¡°did you find anything unusual in the surroundings?¡± ¡°i found a very tiny spatial rift not far from the blood pool, but it quickly disappeared after i found it. ¡°that spatial rift is temporary. the demons must have come from there.¡± richard nodded. this was reasonable. if the demons kept coming through the spatial rift, it would not be just a 1-star dungeon. he stood up and went to the blood pool without saying anything else. the level of the blood pool was much higher after they threw in thousands of demon corpses. however, there were no corpses that floated up. the black gold system¡¯s description did not change much either. it seemed to have been completely devoured¡­ ¡®what level of hero could such a huge power raise?¡¯ richard was filled with intense anticipation. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± a call from behind interrupted his thoughts. he turned to look at the person who had come. barry and lucy, the couple, had changed into the clothes he had given them the other night. although they did not fit well, the fabric was of high-end quality, so it was still acceptable. richard thought that the two were there to ask when they would return, he directly said, ¡°we will return to the village tonight. you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± lucy, whose face was still slightly red, shook her head. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s not about that. yesterday, i saw that your troop had been moving the demons¡¯ corpses into the blood pool. are those corpses very important to you?¡± richard did not hide anything. ¡°that blood pool is a technique used by the demons to reinforce their subordinates. i can use it to increase the strength of my subordinates. ¡°the corpses of those demons are the best nourishment.¡± the two people who hated the demons to the extreme felt relieved. that was how it should be. they didn¡¯t even leave their corpses behind. lucy thought for a moment and hesitated. ¡°lord, when barry and i split up to escape, we accidentally opened a mechanism in that ancient tomb. we found a corpse inside. that seems to be the tomb owner¡­ perhaps, you will need it.¡± richard was stunned. there was such a thing? however, he still shook his head. ¡°even the coffin has rotted, so that corpse must have weathered. the blood pool must devour normal corpses. if there are some treasures inside, they might be more useful.¡± lucy became anxious when she heard that. ¡°lord, the corpse has not weathered, as if it had just died¡­ and i could feel through the magic ball that it contained a massive amount of energy. ¡°it¡¯s countless times stronger than those demons!!¡± ¡®oh? ¡®even the coffin had decayed, and the corpse still looked like it had just died? ¡®was this a side mission? or was it related to the undead that had never appeared?¡¯ this immediately piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°take me to see.¡± Chapter 95 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when they returned to the ancient tomb, lucy pressed a stone in an inconspicuous position. then, a secret door appeared. the girl explained. ¡°the owner used the tomb outside this ancient tomb to confuse outsiders.¡± richard nodded. as usual, he let two teams of mummies go to investigate first. after he made sure there was no danger, gray led the team in. he was the last to enter. !! they arrived at the center of the tomb after a few dozen meters. they found a corpse that wore a black mage robe lying on a pile of dazzling gemstones. if he liked the treasure dragon here, he would surely go crazy. and that corpse was just as lucy said. it was lifelike and no different from a living person. there was no doubt that the corpse was emitting an aura that made him feel immense pressure. he could possess such an exaggerated power after being dead for so long. he must have been extraordinary. he opened the stats panel. [the body of lich lord] [level: special] [characteristics: a body used by liches to change lives.] [description: powerful liches can refine all kinds of bodies and soul phylacteries. one can hide them in secret places for resurrection after death.] ¡®holy crap, lich lord?¡¯ richard was a little surprised. this was a high-level undead, the limitless ruling class in the undead faction. one had to have powerful strength if one wanted to become a lich. otherwise, it could not make a soul phylactery. moreover, the word ¡°lord¡± hung behind it¡­ it wasn¡¯t a title seen everywhere. as richard¡¯s thoughts moved, he seemed to have thought of something. ¡°that magic ball, could it be the lich¡¯s soul phylactery?¡± his expression was a bit weird. could those demons be considered to have stolen the lich¡¯s crystal? richard waved his hand, and the mummy carefully carried the lich lord¡¯s body out of the tomb. it was perfect for the bandaged mummy to increase its potential with its majestic amount of energy. after the mummy moved the body away, richard¡¯s gaze focused on the pile of old gemstones. he laughed out loud. it was what clearing a dungeon would be!! the greater the risk, the greater the rewards would be. the moment he came, he destroyed the main strength of the dungeon ¨C the demon faction. the rewards were off the charts. richard did not waste any time. he immediately collected all the resources on the ground. the attribute panel suddenly changed after a moment. [gemstones: 750 units] [crystals, sulfur, and mercury were still 0.] this earned him 750 units of rare resources, several times more than the gemstone mine he occupied. awesome. moreover, those sealed gargoyles just happened to need the gemstones to recruit. this wave was simply heavenly. wait, the lich lord prepared gemstones inside to recruit gargoyles after it resurrected, right? richard pondered. but he was in a better mood. ¡°no matter how many backup plans you¡¯ve set up, now they¡¯re mine¡­hahaha.¡± richard left enormously delighted after they searched the tomb a few times and ensured no other gains were left. he began to make calculations in his heart when he walked out of the ancient tomb. this was only the second day that he entered the dungeon. he had just obtained two rare-level troop lairs in the seal. and these were already priceless. moreover, a hero unit was in the process of transformation. after his troops threw in so many corpses, their potential was precisely not low. now, he had obtained rare resources equivalent to a few mineral veins and also the lich lord¡¯s body. even the level of the troop had also increased. this bountiful harvest had starkly exceeded his expectations. ¡°lord, what should we do with this lich¡¯s body?¡± richard glanced at the corpses that emitted boundless energy. ¡°chop the corpse up and throw the pieces into the blood pool in batches. ¡°want to resurrect? dream on! ¡°chop you into minced meat and see what you can use to resurrect.¡± a few mummies immediately carried the lich¡¯s body down and dismembered it. richard was worried and ordered gray to supervise. a moment later, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have destroyed the body of the lich lord, leaving its soul phylactery nowhere to hide. it has melted by the blood pool and is completely dead.] [you have completed the mission ¡ª exterminate the undead. dungeon progress increased by 30%. current dungeon progress is 40%.] [ding~ you have completed the mission ¡ª lover¡¯s pain. dungeon progress increased by 10%. you have rescued lucy, destined to become a demon hero. dungeon progress increased by 10%. current dungeon progress is 60%.] [ding~ you took the attack initiative. you annihilated the demon that had not yet given birth to a mighty hero in the cradle. exceeded the completion of the quest ¡ª annihilate the demon. dungeon progress increased by 30%. current dungeon progress is 90%.] [ding~ dungeon progress has exceeded 80%, you can leave any time.] [note: after the quest progress exceeds 80%, you can only stay in the dungeon for one day at most.] when richard heard the system notification, he looked weird. ¡°that was it?¡± he hadn¡¯t even had a good time, and his progress had already reached 90%. so the just now dismembered lich was one of the four factions in the burning village dungeon, the undead faction? such a big boss was so easy to kill? he had fought a bloody battle to kill the demon, yet had to kill one to destroy the undead? which idiot designed this dungeon? come. let me show you what a fist the size of a sandbag is. however, without the pressure of the mission, richard also relaxed. now, there is no need to rush to do this or that. richard stroked his chin, and he looked at barry. ¡°there¡¯s a strategic treasure in white tower town? what kind of treasure is it?¡± he wondered if he could rob white tower town after he completed the mission. there was no point in keeping all the good stuff in this 1,000-year-old dungeon. when the time fragments shattered, all of it would be gone. lucy shook her head. ¡°we¡¯ve only heard about it. only the church¡¯s priest knows about white tower town.¡± richard nodded. it seemed that it was necessary to visit white tower town. the profits from this dungeon were so abundant that they could earn more profit. richard returned to the blood pool and opened the black gold system. he saw a different notification. [blood pool ¡ª current fortification target: bandaged mummy. due to the investment of a special corpse with majestic power, the transformation process has undergone a mutation. it can no longer increase its potential through fresh blood and corpses. the transformation process is irreversible. current incubation time: 6 hours.] ¡®is it because of the lich lord?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. it seemed that he had inadvertently done a good deed that had significant effects. not only had he eliminated the threat of the undead in one fell swoop, but he had also caused a mutation in the bandaged mummy¡¯s sacrifice. he feared the harvest this time would be exceptionally bountiful as he judged from the black gold system notification. these starkly aroused the anticipation in his heart. after gray set up the troop to guard the surroundings, richard patiently waited. the blood pool that had been calm all along suddenly changed at ten in the evening. ¡®gulp! gulp! gulp!¡¯ countless bubbles emerged from it. then, the water surface began to drop rapidly, as if there was a giant beast that swallowed blood below. but after the water level dropped to a limit, blood splattered. a head wrapped in bandages slowly appeared from the pool of blood. then, the bandaged mummy crawled out of the pool of blood with blood dripping down. after the mummy stood up, the bandages absorbed the blood on its body. and it was dry again. only then did richard pronouncedly see the mummy¡¯s appearance. blood-colored bandages wrapped its entire body, and the smell of blood permeated the air. the parts of its face not wrapped in bandages grew flesh and blood, and he no longer looked like a skeleton. his pair of blood-red eyes looked cold and heartless and could send people chills down the spine. the exuded aura was powerful and savage, like a wild beast starved for more than ten days. it gradually walked toward richard, knelt on one knee, and bowed to him most humbly. ¡°my lord, gunter fresh blood, your humble servant offers you the highest respect. thank you for giving me a new life.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. the soldiers were eternally loyal to the lord who recruited them, even if the other party became a god. this was the initial rule of the ¡°shining era.¡± judging from the aura, gunter, this newly promoted hero, was already extremely powerful. he did not know what the attributes would be. he opened the attributes panel with full expectations Chapter 96 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [gunter fresh blood (lich)] [hero unit: soul] [level: 6 (elite hero, magic damage increases by 30%.)] [potential: a-rank] [job: fresh blood lich (elite, casting effect increases by 15%.)] !! [mana: 600 (recovers 6 points per second.)] [skills: soul phylactery (a-rank) ¡ª can create a container for storing souls. after death, one can use the container to revive. strength will not decrease. current container: soul ball, increases magic damage by 50%.] [body of blood (a-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, plague, curses, and instant death skills, increases defense by 70%, magic resistance by 70%. could devour blood to recover life quickly.] [ball of corruption (a-rank) ¡ª condenses magic power to form a magic ball with a strong corrosive effect. causes a massive amount of damage to enemies within a radius of 30 meters. condenses blood to release this skill, increasing magic damage by 50. cooldown time: 3 minutes. each use consumes 100 mana.] [corpse explosion (b-rank) ¡ª could explode a single corpse or a corpse with a diameter of 20 meters. the damage dealt depends on the strength of the corpse. the casting distance is 100 meters. no cooldown time. each use consumes 50 mana.] [corpse transformation (b-rank) ¡ª could transform a corpse into a mummy. the stronger the corpse, the stronger the bandaged mummy converted into. number of transformation per day: 3 teams.] [desertification-sand transformation: (c-rank) [hero characteristic: when commanding a mummy, all mummies will gain 30% defense and 30% strength.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, mana recovery speed increases by 50%.] [fetter-blood: when using blood to cast spells, the magic damage increases by 60%.] [description: a mummy that has obtained the power of a lich. it has significant potential.] richard¡¯s eyelids lifted, and an uncontrollable cheer jumped in his heart. ¡°an a-rank hero!! it was genuinely an a-rank hero!!! ¡°damn, wasn¡¯t this too f*cking awesome?¡± he quickly found the main point¡­ the corpse of the lich lord must have been the work of the lich lord¡¯s corpse. ¡°no, there was also the lich lord¡¯s phylactery of the soul, all of which had made gunter. ¡°hahahahahaha¡­¡± three a-rank skills, and two b-rank skills, each stronger than the other. moreover, gunter was no longer a pure helper of gray. he now had two powerful offensive spells. this made up for the magic damage lacking all this time. this time, richard had earned so much that bleed his brain!!! he had never imagined that putting the corpse of the lich lord into the dungeon would cause such a huge change. according to his estimation, even if they threw thousands of demon corpses, the highest level of heroes that could be born would be b-rank only. after all, this was a 1-star dungeon. however, he did not expect to obtain such a bountiful profit by mistake. it was simply a vast profit. ¡°who designed this dungeon? if the design was good, it should this way. it had to be with chicken drumsticks. ¡°it would be best if i could pick up the red dragon egg in the future dungeons¡­ ¡°no need for formalities. gunter, where¡¯s your soul magic ball?¡± the handsome mummy hero stood up with a blood-red bandage tied around it. a crystal ball the size of a fist appeared out of thin air in its hand. ¡°lord, i can hide it in a special space¡­¡± [soul magic ball] [level: special] [characteristics: soul phylactery can store souls. a soul can be revived after death with phylactery] [fetter-gunter blood] [skills: increases magic damage by 50%.] [description: lich phylactery. break it. maybe you can kill a lich. richard glanced at the attributes and nodded in satisfaction. this could be considered an additional benefit. the system notification suddenly sounded at this moment. [ding~ you have completed the side mission ¡ª destroy the blood pool. dungeon progress increases by 10%.current dungeon progress is 100%. ] [you have completed all the missions. you can stay in the dungeon for another 12 hours.] [after 12 hours, the time fragment will return to the river of time.] richard read the notification once and was in a good mood. according to the ordinary dungeon logic, he should have gone to white tower town to report the situation, but he didn¡¯t find anything. in the end, the demons should have found the lich and thrown the lich lord into the blood pool. the lich lord obtained its phylactery in the blood pool. and it was resurrected. it set off the undead disaster and besieged white tower town with the demons. lucy was a mighty hero nurtured by demons. she might even have a conflict with the lich due to the lich¡¯s magic ball and then with the humans. she was genuinely a heroine. now, she was starkly a passerby. richard killed the demon. the demons threw the lich lord into the blood pool because of his phylactery. so he couldn¡¯t be resurrected immediately. he happened to be extra careful. he chopped up the lich¡¯s body and threw the pieces into the blood pool, killing the lich lord. ¡°this is probably the direction of the plot. if i stay in white tower town, i could obtain some of the resources in white tower town. ¡°but it¡¯s impossible to obtain such a harvest. when the time comes, i¡¯ll have to face the simultaneous attack of the demons and liches. ¡°as expected, i can¡¯t be restricted within the framework of the mission¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes were bright. he had received generous rewards after he jumped out of the mission a few times. this allowed him to understand the rules gradually. this magnified harvest made him feel comfortable all over. he turned his head to look at the two heroes. ¡°the two troop lairs in the ancient tomb have already been sealed. fresh blood is needed to unseal them. ¡°take your men and use the fresh blood from the blood pool to break the seal.¡± the value of the two rare-level troop lairs was extremely high, especially at the crucial time when the large-scale dungeon was about to begin. this was a valuable harvest. it must have been prepared for the lich lord¡¯s resurrection if the plot was followed. as a powerful boss, it would be unreasonable to have few subordinates. but now, all of this was his. richard took out a few wooden barrels for water from the system space and handed them over. gunter took them and revealed a somewhat stiff smile. ¡°lord, i can handle this blood, no need for barrels¡­¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°go¡­¡± gunter nodded and walked toward the blood pool front. it slowly extended its right hand. its body released blood-colored energy. in an instant, the blood pool boiled. the blood seemed to have lost its gravity and flew into the sky. then, it continued to spin and turned into a considerable blood cell. this scene was quite eye-catching. sure enough, spellcasters were the most flashy. they could make the blood pool float with one hand. if a warrior were to use this method, they would have to carry a barrel just like gunter¡­no eyesight. ¡°i have to change my career to a magic career. not only is the power of the skill strong, but it can also be so arrogant. isn¡¯t this better than the foolish and thick warriors?¡± at this moment, he silently decided on the direction of his future career direction. after the blood in the blood pool floated out of thin air, gunter turned around and entered the ancient tomb with the blood. then, under its control, it divided the blood into two parts and directly wrapped the gargoyle statue. ¡®gurgle! gurgle!¡¯ bubbles appeared one after another, and the gargoyle frantically swallowed the blood. the initially dark stone gradually became shiny. when the devoured blood reached a certain limit. ¡®shuh!¡¯ the two gargoyles suddenly opened their scarlet eyes. [ding~ the dark gargoyle¡¯s lair has been unsealed.] [two rare-level troop lairs successfully obtained.] Chapter 97 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the old pastor wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°this is the mayor¡¯s blueprint¡­¡± richard laughed loudly. ¡°i think the mayor will be very pleased that we killed the demon. he won¡¯t mind so much.¡± it would be weird if he didn¡¯t. that was the blueprint for a permanent building. !! that old ghost who slammed the door, it must not carry the church¡¯s door back!! ¡°old pastor john, is there anything else?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± the old pastor held his forehead helplessly. he just wanted to put on a show¡­ forget it. it wasn¡¯t his blueprint anyway. what did it have to do with him? it wasn¡¯t him who took it. moreover, he couldn¡¯t beat richard even if he wanted to. he had dozens of gargoyles¡­ but then again, if he could solve the threat of the demons with only three building blueprints, it would be a good deal. ¡°lord richard, rest early. i¡¯m going back to white tower town. the demons escapees are dangerous and need to be dealt with in time.¡± he did not want to stay in this sad place anymore after he said that. he turned around and left with the two church knights. after they left the village, the old pastor sighed in grief. ¡°my building blueprints!!¡± ¡°you two bastards, did the other party hear your demeaning words? i¡¯ll deduct your salary for a year later!!¡± ¡°old pastor john, you were the one who said it first¡­¡± ¡°you knew i made a mistake and didn¡¯t stop me. i¡¯ll dock it for two years!¡± the two church knights were bereft of speech. ****** after richard obtained three permanent blueprints, he was overjoyed. this dungeon was about to collapse and return to the river of time. it would be a waste to keep these blueprints. it was something from more than a thousand years ago. he could be considered to have saved the treasure. if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was running out of time, he would have gone to white tower town to have a friendly visit. what a pity. early the following morning, there wasn¡¯t much time left to leave the dungeon. under the watchful eyes of the residents of blueleaf village, richard, who had rested well, chose to leave the dungeon. in the next second, richard¡¯s vision flashed, and he appeared in the dried-up river. when he looked behind, the one-way portal had already shattered into pieces on the ground. [ding~ the burning village dungeon has ended. the time fragment has returned to the river of time. your dungeon progress is 100%. you have eliminated the demons and undead that threaten white tower town. you have received an additional 10,000 experience points.] [ding~ your level has increased. your current level is 6.] a tremendous power surged out of his body. it was as if he had been soaked in a hot spring in winter. every cell in his body was cheering. the energy in his body was increasing bit by bit¡­ that feeling made him intoxicated. richard enjoyed it after a long time and was greatly moved. even if for a few and did not increase his strength, it was worth it. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. [level: 6 (4,320/100,000)] the experience required to level up had increased from 50,000 to 100,000. the difficulty of leveling had increased again. because he had not changed classes, he did not receive any attribute bonuses when he reached level 6. ¡°this dungeon directly contributed over 40,000 experience points¡­ this is too awesome. as expected, leveling up still depends on the dungeon.¡± he drew back his attention and looked at the troop around him. gunter¡¯s blood-colored bandages were extremely eye-catching. he was in a great mood and waved his hand. ¡°return to the territory!¡± because of the ten times time difference, three days had passed in the dungeon, but the sky outside was still not completely dark. the time was still may 18. there was no delay. they rushed back to twilight city. when karu saw richard had returned, he was very surprised. the wrinkles on his face seemed to have come alive. this morning, richard had just told him that he might be gone for quite a while. how did he come back in half a day? however, when he saw the gargoyle beside richard, his smile brightened again. this time, he had pronouncedly gained quite a lot from this trip. richard smiled as he briefly told karu about what had happened in the dungeon. then, he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion in a good mood. after he had dinner, he took a comfortable bath and washed off the fatigue on his body. he began to take stock of the dungeon¡¯s gains. the biggest reward this time was undoubtedly the a-rank hero ¡ª gunter fresh blood. not only could he cast powerful offensive magic, but he could also use corpses to recruit mummies. the value of this was simply inestimable. just by obtaining gunter, he had earned a lot from this dungeon trip. he now had two battle-type a-rank heroes in his hands. gray would assist, and gunter would attack. they were a perfect match. the second reward ¡ª two rare-level troop lairs and four teams of dark gargoyles. at this stage, this reward was not inferior to an a-rank hero. it was priceless. after all, this was a lair that could continuously produce soldiers. moreover, there were two of them. with the addition of four teams of dark gargoyles, twilight city¡¯s military strength had increased explosively. that was a rare 3-star level troop, which had the terrifying characteristic of being immune to magic. coupled with the sand transformation he gave, it was extremely domineering and powerful. the third harvest was three permanent building blueprints ¡ª residential houses, stables, and a winery. to expand twilight city, more houses had to be built. the residential blueprints could undoubtedly solve the current shortage of housing. the role of the stables was not small either. in the future, they could buy or capture some desert horses and camels to raise. they could be used to replace manpower and speed up production efficiency. there was no need to mention the winery. no matter what era wine was, it was a best-seller. as long as it was good wine, there was no need to worry about sales. however, the only pity was that wine needed to be brewed. currently, twilight city did not have it. apart from these three points, a large number of experience points were also the benefits of this dungeon. twilight city¡¯s main battle troops had all risen to level 7, and their strength had increased significantly. how comfortable. richard¡¯s smile grew brighter. this dungeon trip had greatly increased his foundation. be it in territory construction or troop strength terms, he had gained a lot. in his excitement, richard washed up and went to bed early. he woke up at 10 am, the following day. after breakfast, he called karu over and started to patrol the territory. the other party reported the situation of the territory in detail. ¡°lord richard, the flowering period of the russian olive forest has passed and the russian olives started to grow. it is indeed amazing that it ripens once a month. ¡°at the beginning of next month, we will be able to harvest a large number of russian olives. it is estimated that there will be around 70,000 to 80,000 units¡­ ¡°the fire dragon rabbit is developing well. the desert gnome said that it could shed its fur for the first time at the end of the month. ¡°those babies are growing rapidly. they could enter the heat period next month and undergo a second round of reproduction. ¡°if we maintain this momentum, i think we will not be far from the large-scale producer of the fire dragon rabbit fur. ¡°due to the withering of the russian olive flowers, the desert crown bee can only fly further away to pick flowers. perhaps, the amount of honey brewed next time will be reduced. ¡°the food workshop has been completed, but at the moment, it can only carry out some simple food production. there are no high-level chefs in the territory, so it¡¯s impossible to carry out food research¡­¡± as karu said this, the two arrived in front of the food workshop. the three-story tall earthen and stone building looked quite imposing. richard frowned. ¡°lack of talent¡­¡± this problem gave him a headache. other people¡¯s territories had too many refugees, so it was troublesome. his territory didn¡¯t have any refugees at all. it had been more than half a month, and only a group of people like adele had come. in the vast desert, not only were resources scarce, but the population was also extremely scarce. this was a problem that richard had to face. he thought for a moment and said slowly, ¡°the food workshop can select talents from the residents. as long as the residents can make special foods, they can join. the market that we face is very broad. as long as the things are good, there will be no need to worry about sales. ¡°when the olives are ripe, we can still use them as raw materials for production. ¡°in addition, i will give you 10 units of desert honey to see if we can develop higher-level food¡­¡± karu nodded repeatedly. ¡°i will arrange it immediately¡­¡± richard looked at the empty food workshop at the door and sighed with emotion. ¡°talent, it¡¯s time to solve this problem¡­¡± twilight city couldn¡¯t even satisfy the 500 people needed to level up to a level 2 city. this was too much of a pain in the ass. currently, the top 1,000 in the territory ranking list were already level 3 cities. he was still a level 1 city¡­ and his ranking had dropped below 50 to 60 million. compared to those lords who were rich in resources, twilight city was obviously too weak. a moment later, karu seemed to remember something. ¡°lord richard, those refugees in the oasis might be able to make up for our lack of resources. ¡°not only is there no lack of food in the oasis, but they also want the residents of twilight city to seek refuge there. ¡°they might have a god-given item like the russian olive forest! ¡°if we can occupy that oasis outside, not only will we could obtain a large number of people to fill the gaps, but we could also obtain a god-given item¡­¡± richard raised his eyebrows. he had always kept this matter in mind, but because the oasis was a day and a night¡¯s journey away from twilight city, he had never taken the time to do so. karu¡¯s words made him make a decision. not to mention anything else, it was worth a trip for twilight city¡¯s urgently needed population. the feeling of not being able to upgrade the population was too vexatious. Chapter 98 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard and karu discussed when to explore the oasis that houses hundreds of refugees. richard handed him the three building blueprints he had obtained from the dungeon afterward. his tone was solemn. ¡°karu, the scale of the territory is gradually expanding. immediately select talents from the residents and form a planning department to study the future building plans of twilight city. ¡°divide the buildings into categories. plan the buildings according to their functions and positions. at the same time, reserve space for future development. !! ¡°this matter needs to be done immediately. ¡°take these few building blueprints and make a good plan to see where it is suitable to be built. ¡°we can delay the stables and winery, but we must build the residential buildings immediately.¡± with the development of the territory, richard already considered the establishment of an administrative department. a few scattered people could not always manage twilight city. there had to be a functional department. karu took the blueprint and noticed richard¡¯s serious attitude, so he nodded firmly. ¡°yes, lord! i will bring out the bylaws of the territory plan as soon as possible for you to decide.¡± richard nodded slightly. karu was very reliable in all aspects and deeply trusted by him. unfortunately, he was a little older. if he were twenty years younger, he might be able to help him more. while the two were discussing, adele, who carried a long-handled copper hammer on her back, rushed over excitedly from not far away. ¡°good day, my lord richard.¡± richard turned around and looked at the other party¡¯s happy expression. he could not help but smile. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite, adele. what¡¯s the matter?¡± this was the treasure of twilight city. he knew better than anyone how much the battle strength of the bandaged mummy had increased after being reinforced. adele immediately said, ¡°lord, i want to continue researching how to increase the attack power of the troop¡­¡± as she said this, she looked a little excited. ¡°when i was researching the attack characteristics of the bandaged mummy, i had already touched the threshold of a special-class blacksmith¡­¡± richard was interested. he was naturally pleased that his subordinate had volunteered to work. ¡°we now have the bandaged mummy, the poisonous scorpion warrior, the axe of the dead, and the dark gargoyle. these five types of soldiers are suitable for your research. which troop lair do you want to study?¡± the cursed pharaoh was a magic soldier. the blacksmith shop could not fortify it. and if the bandaged mummy is reinforced again, it would be an elite attack. adele¡¯s eyes were burning. ¡°the bandaged mummy¡¯s reinforcement can be transplanted on the poisonous scorpion warrior¡­¡± richard readily agreed. ¡°then, let¡¯s research the poisonous scorpion warrior.¡± the reinforcement of the bandaged mummy was evident to everyone. if the scorpion warrior could be reinforced by one round, wouldn¡¯t the battle strength of this already tyrannical soldier be off the charts? richard opened the blacksmith shop and added the option of developing the poisonous scorpion warrior. ¡°scorpion warrior basic attack, estimated development time: 10 days, estimated resources required: 20,000 gold coins, 20,000 wood, 30,000 units of iron ore, success rate: 70%.¡± compared to the development of the bandaged mummy, the scorpion warrior consumed a lot more resources, and the time increased to 10 days. fortunately, he did not need to invest in it all at once. although he still had 100,000 units of resources, this could not be spent. the success rate was only 70%, and the success rate of adele¡¯s hero feature increased by 30% which reached 100%. there was no need to worry about it. richard was about to see how adele usually did her research after he left the 30,000 units of resources. suddenly, a blacksmith apprentice reported that a resident had asked to see him. when richard heard this, richard could only lament over his hard work and couldn¡¯t spare any time. he let adele busy herself and left the blacksmith shop with karu. the first thing he saw when he walked out of the door was the fat aunt whose face was like a red apple cut in half. ¡°good day, lord richard¡­¡± richard immediately recognized this resident who was in charge of managing the russian olive forest. that face of the other party truly left a deep impression on him. ¡°good day, aunt mary. is there a problem with the russian olive forest?¡± the fat aunt shook her head repeatedly. ¡°no problem. we¡¯re in the russian olive forest all day long. we definitely won¡¯t let anything happen to the olives¡­¡± richard was a little curious. ¡°oh? then, what matter do you request me to see ?¡± as the ruler of twilight city, he had a high status. very few residents would directly request to see him. usually, karu could handle it if there was a problem. the fat aunt used her unique tone to explain everything very quickly. ¡°you¡¯ve always said poisonous wasps should not be provoked.but our hearts ache when we see them eating bees. ¡°those are the bees that brewed the desert crown honey. how can we let those wasps spoil it?!! ¡°we just want to find the lair of those wasps and burn them down! ¡°at first, there was no progress until yesterday, and they truly found a way for us¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. the poisonous wasps often came to hunt desert bees, which made him very angry. however, those guys were level 5, and their potential reached rare 3-stars. not only were they powerful, but they also flew extremely fast, then disappeared after every hunt. this made him quite annoyed. he was so busy that his feet did not touch the ground. he did not have time to figure out how to deal with this thing so he was delayed. he did not expect that the fat aunt and the others had figured out a way. he quickly asked. ¡°what method can we use to find the lairs of the poisonous wasps?¡± when the fat aunt saw richard¡¯s surprise, she was also full of smiles. ¡°the wasps¡¯ food is meat, and they hunt bees for food. ¡°we wondered if we could use other meat to tempt those wasps¡­ ¡°after repeated attempts, we found that the wasps were indeed interested in other meat. and they liked the dried meat of the fire dragon rabbit you hunted the most. ¡°we applied for two units of rabbit¡¯s jerky from lord karu, and then soaked the jerkyin a plant that could emit a special smell. ¡°during the experiment yesterday, the poisonous wasp did not reject the smell of the plant wasp and took away the soaked jerky¡­ ¡°we immediately followed it. ¡°but the distance was too far and we couldn¡¯t find it even after an hour. at that time, the sky was dark and we couldn¡¯t see the environment clearly, so we had to give up¡­¡± as she said this, her regretful face became excited again. ¡°but this also proves that this method is effective!¡± richard was a little surprised. ¡°what kind of plant can leave such a long scent? and you can track each other based on the scent?¡± what kind of nose was this? a human-shaped hound? the fat aunt said proudly, ¡°lord, one of the residents who manage the russian olive forest has a very special nose. as long as he smells the scent of that plant, he will sneeze uncomfortably. ¡°we¡¯ve tested it many times, so there¡¯s perfectly no mistake.¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. wasn¡¯t this just being allergic to those scents? could this work? however, if he could find the lair of those poisonous wasps and take it for himself¡­ this would be a huge benefit. that was a rare-level troop¡­ and there might be thousands of them. richard¡¯s interest was piqued by the thought of thousands of rare-level poisonous wasps that surrounded the enemy. Chapter 99 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the most coveted thing about poisonous wasps was not only their strength but also their huge number. there were thousands of them in a lair, all rare 3-stars, level 5. if this thing went crazy, who would be able to withstand it¡­ if he could take possession of the poisonous wasps and place them in the russian olive forest to protect the desert bees. a troop does not even need to guard the olive forest. !! even the safety of the entire territory could be guaranteed. this thing was no less valuable than the dark gargoyles lair. after richard talked to the fat aunt for a while, he didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately gathered the troop to go to the olive forest. these flying forces, especially the dark gargoyles were perfect for tracking the poisonous wasps. when they arrived at the olive forest, the residents had already prepared everything for use. richard paid a visit to the young man who had a unique nose ability in the eyes of the other residents. he encouraged the young man. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he reacted to a certain smell, he would have advised the young man to see a doctor¡­ ¡°lord, those rabbit jerky soaked in plant juice are here¡­¡± richard had already stretched out a lot of the dried rabbit meat due to prolonged soak. he nodded slightly and asked them to hang the dried rabbit meat in the same position as the other day. ¡°ahche!¡± a loud sneeze sounded. richard turned around and saw that it was indeed the young man from before. however, not only was the young man not embarrassed, he looked at the surrounding residents with pride. it was an honor to be able to help the great lord! when richard saw this, he could only pretend that he did not see him¡­ as long as he is happy. the hunting of wasps was not timed. all that was left was to wait after the dried rabbit meat was hung up. half an hour later, ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± suddenly, the surrounding bees let out a huge roar. richard raised his head to look at the sky. three stinger wasps descended from the sky. the wasps had intended to run to the hive. but in the blink of an eye, they seemed to smell something. they turned around and flew toward the olive forest with dried rabbit meat. they could feel the food contained special energy, which made them very excited. one stinger wasp flew to the fork and began to lower its head to sniff the dried rabbit meat. after a moment, the stinger wasp grabbed the long dried rabbit meat and flew up. the other two stinger wasps did the same thing. richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw that the stinger wasp carried the dried rabbit meat. this was a great idea. not only could the smell be tracked, but the poisonous wasps¡¯ speed could also be slowed down. as richard watched the poisonous wasp fly away, he waved his hand. the dark gargoyle behind him immediately picked up the young man, and then its thick and powerful legs fiercely glared at the ground. ¡®bang!¡¯ the wings flapped and rose into the air. at the same time, all the dark gargoyles took off and followed the poisonous wasp. richard did not stay any longer. he turned around and left the olive forest. he led the other troops to follow. however, as they walked on the sand, no matter how fast they were, they could not compare themselves to flying. soon, the dark gargoyle in front of him disappeared. richard saw a dark gargoyle float in the air after he crossed a few hills. the dark gargoyle pointed in another direction. richard followed the direction, and the dark gargoyle that stopped to point the way immediately returned to the team. just like that, with the dark gargoyle as a signpost, he bypassed many military encampments in the wild. today¡¯s target was the poisonous wasp. he was temporarily not interested in scanning the map. one, two hours¡­ after a full six hours, the dark gargoyles that returned to the team had already been sent out for another round. just when richard felt tired, he saw the dark gargoyle fly in front of him with the young man. the young man excitedly waved his arms in the air. ¡°my lord, the poisonous wasp is in that piece of rubble. ahche!¡± just as richard got closer, he heard the young man¡¯s excited shout and loud sneeze. richard nodded and signaled for the dark gargoyle to place the other side down. he turned his head to take a look. in front of him was a rubble area, and messy stones covered the ground. he couldn¡¯t see the poisonous wasp in the air. ¡°you continue to lead the way.¡± ¡°ahche!¡­ yes, lord, ahche!¡­¡± richard was relieved with the guidance of the young man¡¯s special abilities. he was not in a hurry to go up. first, he let gray lead the troop to scout the way. at the same time, he spread out the dark gargoyles to be on guard. in an unfamiliar environment, it was best to be careful. it was much more convenient to scout the surrounding situation with a flying troop. not long after gray left, suddenly¡­ ¡®rumble¡­¡¯ the earth shook violently as if some terrifying life force had torn the earth apart. ¡°an earthquake?!¡± richard¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°this kind of natural disaster would not be reasonable!! ¡°everyone, retreat immediately!!¡± at this time, the dark gargoyle in the sky suddenly swooped down sharply and carried him on its back. it flapped its wings and rose into the air with a glare. as his line of sight increased, richard could vividly see the ground in front was constantly collapsing. it even extended crazily from the inside. thick dust rose hundreds of meters high. large cracks appeared, and countless pieces of rubble collapsed. the scene was extremely terrifying. the dark gargoyles in the sky continued to swoop down. it lifted the troops on the ground and escaped danger. however, the number of dark gargoyles was too small. a large number of troops were buried in the sudden cracks on the ground because their running speed was too slow¡­ richard¡¯s face turned ashen while richard looked at the dust that rolled on the ground. ¡°dark gargoyles, bring the troops to a safe place and immediately return to search and rescue!!¡± this was simply an unexpected disaster. he could understand that a powerful enemy had appeared. but the sudden earthquake, this f*cking ghost had predicted it. when the thick smoke gradually dispersed, richard¡¯s face suddenly looked better. many troops crawled out from the ground. ¡°sand transformation!¡± this powerful life-saving skill once again displayed its value that could not be exchanged for gold. however, he still did not relax. he ordered the troops to immediately withdraw from this area. no one knows about aftershocks. he sat on the back of the dark gargoyles and rushed to the central area under the protection of the other dark gargoyles. gunter had just been brought up by the dark gargoyles, but there was still no news of gray. the death of the other troops would at most cause a loss of resources, but if something happened to an a-rank hero, it would not be something that could be made up for with resources. the sky was covered with sand and dust, and fine sand constantly blew on richard¡¯s face. his vision was very poor. fortunately, gray did not go far. a moment later, he found other dark gargoyles in the air. gray, who had activated the sand transformation, stood on a rock on the ground. the sound of breaking rocks was constantly heard around as if the aftershock hadn¡¯t passed yet. ¡°ahche!¡± the sneeze of the young man in the air eased the atmosphere a little. richard was relieved when he had confirmed a few casualties only. but in the next second, he suddenly turned his head. at this time, the dust in front of him gradually dispersed, and a huge body that was more than ten meters tall was faintly discernible in the dust. it was like an evil creature had crawled out of the abyss. the constant swaying figure and the strange cracking sounds raised the terrifying atmosphere to the highest level. richard finally saw the existence when the dust gradually subsided. it was an ancient giant tree that was half buried in the ground. it was 15 meters high just above the ground. no one knew how deep it was buried under the thick trunk. a twisted face was on this ancient giant tree, which looked particularly frightening in the wrinkled bark. seven or eight giant branches that could twist continuously slapped the rocks around them that pressed on the body. the terrifying strength kept breaking the rocks as if they were trying to escape. the muffled sound just now was not an aftershock, but the movement of the ancient giant tree bombarding the boulders¡­ the branches grew densely, but there was not a single leaf on them. each branch was studded with fist-sized gray fruits. today¡¯s target, the poisonous wasp was currently flying crazily on the branches. richard initially thought that the poisonous wasps had built their lair on this ancient giant tree, but a surprising scene shocked him. a gray fruit bloomed, and seven or eight poisonous wasps appeared inside. there was a small tube connected to it, like the mother¡¯s umbilical cord. after the gray fruit bloomed, the wet wasps gradually woke up. they spread their wings to dry their bodies, then broke free of the umbilical cord and flew out. richard was shocked by this scene. ¡°poisonous wasps¡­ grew on this tree?!¡± ¡°what kind of life is that tree? why is it so weird and terrifying?!¡± Chapter 100 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard never thought poisonous wasps could grow on trees. this world was also separated from dapu. after richard took a deep breath, he looked at the human-faced ancient giant tree, and the tree did not notice them. it was still busy destroying the boulders under the tree trunk. with a wave of his hand, richard made the dark gargoyle lower its body to avoid discovery. ¡°lord¡­¡± !! gray, still in the middle of sand transformation, immediately stepped forward and saluted after richard landed on the ground. richard looked around. ¡°how are the casualties?¡± ¡°the sand transformation has been activated. so, it won¡¯t have much of an impact.¡± he nodded and went straight to the point. ¡°what happened to the ancient human-faced giant tree? was it the cause of the earthquake?¡± the bandaged mummy shook its head. ¡°we just arrived, and the earth shook¡­ the ancient human-faced giant tree only appeared after the earth¡¯s fission.¡± richard nodded and lowered his head at the shattered earth and the yellow sand in the crevices. it seemed something buried deep underground.but unfortunately, with such a large earthquake, everything destroyed. this reminded him of the land of the undead that had given birth to gray after obtaining the sacrifice coffin. the collapse of the tunnel had been particularly fierce. ¡°this ancient human-faced giant tree¡¯s strength is terrifying. i can smell a fatal aura from its body¡­¡± gray¡¯s soul fire burned and jumped, and his empty tone was rarely solemn. richard took a deep breath after looking at the seven or eight giants crazily bombarding the boulders and creating a sound as loud as an earthquake. he opened the opponent¡¯s stats panel. [god¡¯s ancient tree] [recruit type: boss unit] [level: 10 (advanced boss, magic damage increases by 100%, defense increases by 100%.] [potential: a-rank] [bloodline: tree of hatred (special, spellcasting effect increases by 50%.)] [mana: 2,000 points (recovers 20 points per second.)] [skills: body of hatred (a-rank) ¡ª a body obtained by devouring the flesh of god¡¯s ancient tree. immune to all spells and curses below a-rank. immune to soul execution skill and lethal poison. and able to absorb energy from the surrounding corpses to quickly recover vitality, until the corpses energy is exhausted.] [reproductive bee colony (a-rank) ¡ª able to reproduce bee colonies as prey. the bee colonies that reproduce are divided into three levels ¡ª venomous, slaughter, and death wasps. the levels of reproduction are different, and the energy consumed is distinct. current reproducible wasps: venomous wasps, rare 3-stars. number of reproducible wasps: 1,500/3,000.] [devour and reinforcement (a-rank) ¡ª able to devour the energy in the corpses and flesh to strengthen oneself. and at the same time, reinforce the power of the bee colonies.] [withered tree branch (a-rank) ¡ª able to control the withered tree branch of the body to attack the enemy, with a 20% chance of triggering the soul execution skill ¡ª soul-shattering, directly killing the enemy.] [whisper of the soul (a-rank) ¡ª within a diameter of 100 meters from the tree trunk, the cursed ancient tree can affect the enemy¡¯s mind, causing the enemy¡¯s will to collapse.] [boss characteristic: able to turn the land within a diameter of 100 meters into rotten land, able to store the energy of corpses in the ground.] [race talent: can pull out roots from the ground and slowly walk.] [fetter-swarm: when the swarm is within 200 meters of the cursed tree. its potential has increased by one level.] [description: an evil tree born from flesh and blood of the sinful god. do not provoke it.] after richard checked the attributes, his breathing quickened. what a terrifying existence! other than the giant desert dragon whose attributes were full of question marks near the one-way portal, this god¡¯s ancient giant tree was ultimately the most powerful monster he had ever encountered. not only was it level 10, but it was also remarkably rare-level boss unit. the official introduction of the ¡°shining era¡± clearly stated that the number of bosses born in the wild was rare. each of them had a battle power exceeded that of a hero of the same level. they surpassed that of a hero of the same level, not a soldier. the meaning behind this was self-evident. ¡°i initially wanted to take over the lair of those poisonous wasps and move them to the russian olive forest to protect the desert bees, but how am i supposed to play this?¡± while he looked at the terrifying size of the wasps, the giant branches that constantly waved, and the dense mass of poisonous wasps¡­ richard felt his scalp go numb. how do we fight this? the poisonous wasps alone are enough for him. not to mention the resentment of the ancient human-faced giant tree itself, which has a 20% mortality trait. even if all his troops rushes over, they could not do anything to the boss. ¡°leave first.¡± richard decisively gave the order to evacuate when he saw most of the dust had dissipated. this boss is not something that we can deal with at this moment. the opponent is too strong¡­ richard released a long sigh after he rode on the dark gargoyle and flew out of the rubble area. ¡°lord, have we found the nest of the poisonous wasps?¡± gunter, who waited at the back, did not know what kind of terrifying boss was hiding inside. richard decided in his heart after he asked gray to explain. ¡°gunter, leave two teams of blood-colored mummies in the vicinity to monitor the ancient human-faced giant tree. we¡¯ll deal with it when we¡¯re stronger.¡± the blood-colored mummies were soldiers recruited from corpses. gunter could recruit three teams every day, so he wouldn¡¯t feel bad even if all of them died. ¡°yes, lord.¡± gunter immediately arranged the two teams of blood-colored mummies around with the cooperation of the dark gargoyles. they weren¡¯t too close to the ancient human-faced giant tree. they just needed to determine the location of the ancient tree of resentment. after all, the other party¡¯s racial talent allowed them to pull out the roots and run away. if they were to let the ancient human-faced giant tree run away, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge loss? richard could not solve it now, and he could not keep doing so. ¡°if i can plant the god¡¯s ancient tree near the russian olive forest¡­ who the f*ck would be afraid of stealing honey and the flame dragon rabbit?!¡± richard was extremely excited just thinking about that scene. but for now, he had to go back first. he wouldn¡¯t be able to complete this small goal for the time being. on the way back, richard asked gray and gunter to lead half of the troop and sweep the surroundings. if they couldn¡¯t defeat the boss, they couldn¡¯t return empty-handed. the old fisherman would never fly the air force. this was the final stubbornness. the time to find prey was reduced, with the dark gargoyles as the aerial reconnaissance unit. the troop only needed to go directly to the gathering place of the wild monsters the gargoyles found and defeated. there was no longer a need to waste a lot of time on searching. richard tasted the taste of riding dark gargoyles and was too lazy to walk. he directly recruited two dark gargoyles as mounts. one sat, and the other flew below. if he fell, the other gargoyle could still catch him¡­ as a construct, the three-meter tall dark gargoyle was indeed powerful. not only were its shoulders wide and thick, but its flying speed was also strong. it was not the slightest bit unstable because it carried a person on its back. however, its entire body was stiff. its buttocks would hurt after prolonged sitting. richard simply assigned gray and gunter a small team of gargoyles to scout the way. he then led two small teams of gargoyles and began to scan the map. a rare 3-stars, level 5 dark gargoyles. it was simply a killing machine. other than not having a soul execution skill, its attack was even mightier than the axe of the dead. it could tear the enemies on the ground into pieces with a dive using its sharp claws. moreover, its powerful defense could remain intact even if it were surrounded by enemies. every monster encampment could be killed seven times in and seven times out. this made richard realize the power of the dark gargoyles once again. other than the expensive resources needed to recruit, there was nothing wrong with this branch of the troop. it was already late at night when richard returned to twilight city. all the troop¡¯s branches carried a load of prey on their backs. today, with the gargoyles that scouted the way. the prey they obtained was several times more than they had previously hunted. the number of elite 1-star blood-colored mummies behind gunter had also reached four squads. none of the corpses they had hunted today had been wasted. they had earned a lot. they placed the prey beside the water well and let the mummies of the two squads guard it. richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. when he entered the house, he found that karu was still there. in the hall, an oil lamp made of animal fat shone a dim light. opposite karu, three middle-aged men were tied up with ropes as if they committed a crime and were under interrogation. karu immediately stood up and bowed when he saw richard entered the room. ¡°good evening, lord richard¡­¡± richard nodded slightly and looked at those people with a frown. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± karu said in a solemn tone, ¡°oasis sent these three spies. they pretended to join us this afternoon. but secretly encouraged the residents to leave their territory and join oasis city¡­¡± ¡°the residents immediately reported it to us when they discovered it.¡± richard¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°oasis city?¡± ¡°yes, it¡¯s the oasis the explorer team found a few days ago¡­ they built a city.¡± richard was shocked. how could an oasis city hold so many people? the hundreds of refugees were not enough to satisfy his appetite. why did they have to come to twilight city to recruit people? what exactly was in that desert oasis? how could it feed so many people? yesterday, karu had mentioned it to him, but he did not expect the other party to appear by himself now. when he regained his senses, he was greatly interested. he keenly sensed that there was a vast benefit hidden in it. Chapter 101 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°did you get anything out of the interrogation?¡± karu shook his head. ¡°no, i have just started, and you¡¯re already back.¡± richard turned his head to look at the three men tied up tightly. there was fear in their eyes. ¡°i¡¯ll ask, and you¡¯ll answer.¡± his indifferent tone and the pressure from the dark gargoyles stationed in the corner. !! immediately, the psychological defenses of the three men, who were already weak in willpower, collapsed. ¡°ask us, and we¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know¡­¡± ¡°who sent you?¡± ¡°xina krina, the ruler of oasis city. she¡¯s a member of the krina tribe¡­¡± ¡°the krina tribe? is that the tribe that would personally kill their husband after marrying a man and exchange the soul of the person they loved the most for power?¡± karu was a little surprised. ¡°they are known as the roses of death in the desert¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s them¡­¡± ¡®was there such a tribe?¡¯ richard felt that he had learned a lot. ¡°are the krina people exceedingly powerful?¡± karu said softly, ¡°they are very few, but their strength is adamant. legend has it that krina people sacrificed their beloved to obtain power.¡± ¡°that¡¯s why every member of the krina tribe is a hero unit.¡± richard had an idea and turned to look at the captives. ¡°what¡¯s the purpose of her sending you here?¡± ¡°to find out the truth about twilight city. it¡¯s best if you encourage the residents to join oasis city.¡± ¡°are you so confident that you can complete the mission?¡± the few of them were a little embarrassed. ¡°we talked to the search and rescue soldier you sent out more than ten days ago. from the side, we surmised that twilight city¡¯s strength was not strong¡­ so¡­¡± richard understood twilight city indeed did not have many troops at that time. according to logic, twilight city couldn¡¯t become as strong as it was now even after two months of development. just the rare 3-stars and a few waves of troop lairs, richard had three of them in his hands. this was an absolute killer weapon in the early stages. ¡°what does oasis city rely on to feed so many people? what is your source of food? is there a god-given item?¡± richard stared at the three of them intently. the captives panicked and quickly asked. ¡°lord, we don¡¯t know either. we only know lord xina provided food¡­ but¡­¡± the captive who spoke gritted his teeth. ¡°but there is a restricted area in the oasis depths. outsiders are not allowed to enter. they said that there was an underground passage inside. the food is taken outfrom underground.¡± ¡®underground passage?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. there was something hidden. he thought of the underground space filled with the undead. ¡®could there be something similar in this oasis?¡¯ it was just that the food produced here was food. food and water were the most scarce and essential resources in the desert. so richard was sensitive to this. the oasis city had an endless supply of food, so they had the confidence to build a city and expand their territory¡­ karu¡¯s eyes sparkled as he spoke. ¡°lord, if we can capture that oasis, not only can we obtain the population that twilight city desperately needs, but we can also obtain the secret that can produce food¡­ it will mean a lot to twilight city.¡± this was the second time that he had suggested capturing an oasis. richard nodded and had an idea in his mind. he didn¡¯t reply immediately and continued the interrogation. ¡°what is the strength of the troop of oasis city?¡± ¡°there is a squadron of rare troops ¡ª the owana guards. lord xena recruited them.¡± ¡°recruited from where? how many lairs are there in oasis city?¡± ¡°there are two in total, all in the restricted area.¡± ¡°how many heroes are there?¡± ¡°i only know lord xena.¡± on paper, oasis city¡¯s strength was not weak, but twilight city, which had greatly increased in strength, could take it. ¡°how many people are there in oasis city now?¡± ¡°more than 600 people. currently, they are still gathering refugees from the surrounding areas¡­¡± six hundred people? richard¡¯s heart was moved. these were all white-flower laborers, resources that twilight city desperately lacked. residents could fill the shortage of territory upgrades. upgrading to a level 2 small city required 500 people. if they continued to upgrade, they would surely need more. these people were timely. moreover, the unbuilt brewery and the already built food workshop needed talents. six hundred people. all of them couldn¡¯t be trash, right? there would always be a few people that twilight city urgently needed. while richard thought, he made a decision. ¡°gray, continue interrogating them. i want to know more details.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± the mummy hero took them away under the scared gazes of the three captives. richard turned his head to look at karu. ¡°as twilight city grows stronger, we will inevitably encounter hostile forces. we must be on high alert to prevent any accidents from happening.¡± ¡°yes, my lord!¡± after careful consideration, karu made his suggestion. ¡°my lord, oasis city is not very strong. we can starkly take it¡­ moreover, this should not be delayed. if the other party is on guard, accidents might happen.¡± ¡°the other party has already sent out spies. next time, it might be the arrival of the troop. we need to eliminate this unstable factor.¡± richard nodded approvingly. he admired karu¡¯s style of doing things. and he did not just focus on this scene. it seemed this old hero unit had earned quite a lot of experience. ¡°tomorrow morning, i will lead the troop to attack and occupy oasis city¡­ no, immediately reorganize the troop and set off overnight.¡± richard was also exceptionally decisive. if the other party dared to send people to investigate twilight city, it was not guaranteed accidents would happen over a long period. he preferred to keep the initiative firmly in his hands. as a construct, the dark gargoyles were born with the ability to see at night. the risk of their vigilance when traveling at night could minimize the risk. moreover, their subordinates were all undead creatures. they relied on their soul flames to sense the outside world and would not be affected by the light. ¡°lord, the journey will take a day and a night¡­¡± karu reminded richard. richard waved his hand. ¡°you can rest on the way¡­ with the dark gargoyles around as long as you are alert enough, you will be fine.¡± there was a few difference between leaving now and the following morning since they had to spend the night in the desert. when karu saw richard had made up his mind, he did not say anything more. after some preparations, richard prepared all the supplies that he had consumed and instructed karu to deal with the prey. then, he brought the three captives out. they left the territory in the middle of the night. however, for the sake of the territory¡¯s safety, richard left the four teams of blood-colored mummies. at the same time, together with the guardian mummies, the number was close to two squadrons, so they were not afraid of the enemy¡¯s surprise attack. during the night, they found a lot of wandering soldiers. however, this time, they were going to attack the oasis. apart from edible prey, richard did not care about other wild monsters. on the night of may 18, he left the territory. before the sun sank into the yellow sand on the 19th, richard rushed to his destination¡ªthe mysterious oasis that was most likely to have resources and treasures. Chapter 102 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°my lord, if we walk half a novel ahead, we¡¯ll reach the oasis after we cross the two hills in front of us¡­ can you, can you let us go?¡± the three weak captives had chapped lips, and they even wanted to die. although the dark gargoyles had carried them on their journey that day, they had been exposed to the sun for an entire day. if they had not been rewarded with a few glasses of water at noon, they would have suspected adults wanted to do it¡­ why did they accept this mission for no reason¡­? and even convinced the residents to betray them? how could this thing convince them? when they thought about how they had been arrested less than three minutes after they had revealed their identities, they suddenly felt sad. !! they would never understand even in their death. what kind of medicine did this territory give its residents? why were they all so loyal? those two informants were neighbors whom they had known for many years. richard ignored the captives and waved his hand to send a small team of dark gargoyles to scout ahead. he landed on the ground and waited for a report. after a while, he, gray, and gunter explored how to capture oasis city when the dark gargoyles returned from the front. after they landed, they said in a muffled voice. ¡°lord, a group of lizardmen has taken over the oasis city. they are now driving the human captives away¡­¡± the three captives were in disbelief when they heard this. ¡°what?! oasis city was taken over by the lizardmen?!? ¡°lord xina is so powerful, how could she not even defend oasis city?¡± there was a hint of despair in their tone¡­ they just hoped they could be rescued. but now, their last hope was gone¡­ richard furrowed his brows. he had traveled through the night for fear of trouble, but he didn¡¯t expect that something unexpected would happen. ¡°how strong are the lizardmen that attacked the oasis city?¡± the dark gargoyle shook its head. ¡°we¡¯re afraid of being discovered by the enemy, so we didn¡¯t dare to get too close. we can¡¯t be sure of their strength, but there are more than five squadrons¡­¡± ¡°five squadrons?¡± richard nodded and looked at the two mummy heroes. ¡°gray, bring some people to investigate the enemy¡¯s strength. if the enemy discovers you, retreat immediately. do not get entangled.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± gray had control skills all over his body, so it would be easier to escape if he was discovered. after gray left with the two squads of dark gargoyles, richard turned his head and stared at the three captives. ¡°are there any powerful forces around oasis city? what¡¯s with those lizardmen?¡± ¡°no¡­ we¡¯ve never heard of them¡­¡± the three captives shook their heads in unison. after a few interrogations, the captives relayed no valuable information. richard simply threw them aside and ignored them. gray returned after richard waited for about ten minutes. at this time, one-third of the sun had already sunk into the yellow sand. ¡°gray, what¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°the desert lizardmen carried the loot. they have no intention of occupying the oasis city.¡± gray said calmly, ¡°they have lizard cavalry, warriors, and wild archers. they are level 4 to 5, and their potential is rare to the point of being rare. ¡°this troop is led by a lizard mage commander, level 7 with unknown potential. there are also five small teams of lizard mages with them. they are rare 3-stars.¡± no wonder the newly built oasis city was directly breached. this troop was indeed not weak. ¡°does the enemy have an air force?¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t noticed. after the enemy won, they were not very vigilant about their surroundings. moreover, from their actions, they seemed to be rushing to a certain area.¡± richard nodded. he decisively gave the order after some thought. ¡°gather the troops and chase after them.¡± they dared to snatch the fat meat that was right in front of his mouth. these lizardmen were genuinely bold. he had a lot of strength in his hands now, and he even had two a-rank hero commanders. the thing that gave him the most confidence was the four teams of dark gargoyles. the flying units had a huge advantage over the ground units. if they didn¡¯t prepare their countermeasures beforehand, no one could restrict them. moreover, the dark gargoyles were magic-immune units. they could ignore the lizard mage commander and mage troops. as a construct, the dark gargoyles¡¯ defense was also extremely shocking. as long as it was not a powerful weapon like a siege crossbow, it would not be able to do anything to them. coupled with the sand transformation skill that richard bestowed¡­ this troop was enough to be described as a metamorphosis. richard led his troop forward quickly under the half-light of the sun. they arrived at a hill hundreds of meters away from oasis city after the sun had completely sunk into the yellow sand. they looked over and they saw an oasis with a lake. there were tall trees surrounding it, and many buildings could be seen hidden in the woods. if they were to throw away the corpses, blood, and burning houses, this would be a suitable place to live. he followed the tracks and looked in another direction. he could vaguely see at the end of his line of sight. the lizardmen drove away a large number of residents. richard¡¯s gaze turned cold. ****** the lizard commander rode on a giant lizard of more than six meters long. it held a parchment in its hand and repeatedly looked at it. its gray face covered with coarse, gritty skin, was particularly horrifying. its amber eyes, which did not have any human emotions, looked at the smaller giant lizard next to it. on the back of the monitor lizard, two lizard warriors guarded a woman whose leather armor was broken and covered in blood marks. the woman was tied up by a thumb-sized chain like a dumpling. the extra chain hung at her waist and made a crisp sound of collision as the monitor lizard crawled. ¡°woman of the krina tribe, you¡¯re quite lucky to have obtained the map leading to the ruins¡­¡± the lizard-like ugly face revealed a terrifying smile that made one¡¯s heart turn cold. it extended its hand to indicate the black magic mace in its hand. ¡°but the key to the ruins is in my hand¡­ hahaha, you surely didn¡¯t expect that the two items of the ruins could sense each other, right?!¡± ¡°wow!¡± it shook the yellowish goatskin parchment in its hand again. ¡°all of this is mine.¡± xena krina, whose body was extremely weak, glanced at the black magic mace in the lizard commander¡¯s hand. her tone was indifferent. ¡°without the ruins¡­ i don¡¯t need ten breaths to kill you.¡± the lizard commander¡¯s face stiffened, and bad memories flashed in its eyes. it did not argue about it and snorted coldly. ¡°it is said that the krina tribe hides an extremely powerful bloodline. when i get the treasure in the ruins, i will personally slit your throat and use your soul to sacrifice to my god. i hope your blood will satisfy my god¡­¡± xina revealed a mocking expression. ¡°didn¡¯t the god of justice beheaded your god long ago? when did you have a new faith?¡± these words made the lizard commander¡¯s face turn extremely ugly. ¡°the great lizard god is only temporarily asleep, not dead!¡± it sneered a few times after it said that. its face revealed the delight of a victor. ¡°the clamor and mockery of the weak are like a wild rabbit running under the sharp claws of a falcon, powerless and pale. it genuinely makes one feel happy¡­¡± when the lizard commander saw xena¡¯s gaze turn cold, its smile became even more impudent. ¡°hahaha¡­ woman of the krina tribe, not only are you a failure, but you will also become a stepping stone for me to step into a higher level¡­¡± to show off in front of a loser was such an overwhelming thing. after the lizard commander boasted, it gazed at the woman¡¯s curvaceous figure and said with some regret, ¡°it¡¯s a pity that i¡¯m not interested in humans. otherwise, i would ultimately have a taste of the krina tribe woman the entire desert yearns for¡­¡± ¡°enemy attack!!¡± a painful roar made the lizard commander hold back its words and turned around at the same time as xina. under the illumination of the setting sun, more than ten dark gargoyles that emitted a metallic luster flapped their wings and swooped down towards the sky. xina¡¯s eyes were sharp. she saw a young man with a cold expression riding on the dark gargoyle¡¯s back. she was in a trance. ¡®who is this young man?¡¯ Chapter 103 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°archers, fire!¡± the lizard commander roared instantly in rage when it saw the approaching dark gargoyles. a squadron of lizard archers suddenly drew their crossbows. ¡®xiu! xiu! xiu!¡¯ the arrows pierced the sky. !! the lizard commander¡¯s face revealed some felicity. it stiffened in the next second when it saw the dark gargoyles did not dodge¡­ ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ a metal collision sounded. the arrows that could pierce through the head of a bison directly repelled. they did not even leave a trace on the jet-black body that reflected the metallic luster. the arrows even massacred many of the lizardmen¡¯s comrades below when the shots fell from the sky¡­ the lizard commander was extremely shocked. ¡°this defense¡­how can it be so terrifying?!¡± ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ the dark gargoyle suddenly swooped down from the sky at this moment. its speed was exceedingly exaggerated. its blade-sharp wings carried a vast amount of power as it flew at high speed. it was like a massive decapitation blade slashing across. the lizard archer below who missed was directly cut into two pieces. one of its amputated limbs smashed into the yellow sand, and fresh blood instantly gushed out. the pungent smell of blood filled the battlefield, and it aroused the violent killing intent in the hearts of all the lizardmen. the surrounding lizardmen warriors pounced forward fiercely and slashed wildly with their blades. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ sparks flew in all directions. but their sharp blades could not pierce the solid defense and cracked their weapons. the dark gargoyles¡¯ sharp claws, more fatal than daggers, on the other hand, tore apart all the obstacles in front of them while they flew at high speed. no one could stop the sharp claws of the soldiers born to kill¡­ the lizardmen¡¯s corpses scattered in all directions. their flesh and blood were mangled. the three teams of dark gargoyles swooped down and attacked. it immediately caused chaos in the lizard troop. ¡°a massacre!¡± the lizard commander suddenly turned its head to look at imprisoned xena. its tone was indescribably cold. ¡°is this your troop?¡± only then did xena recover from her trance. when she saw that the handsome young man controlled the dark gargoyle to fly high into the sky, she slowly turned her head. her blood-covered face revealed a hint of mockery. ¡°wait for your death.¡± the raging lizard commander could not bother the woman after she said that. she turned her head to look straight at the young man in the sky. its amber-like crystal-clear eyes hinted that outsiders couldn¡¯t understand. the lizard commander was exceedingly angry. it looked at the dark gargoyles that slaughtered everywhere and roared at the sky. however, after a few breaths, it quickly regained its calm. its eyes which didn¡¯t contain the slightest bit of human emotion, stared at the raging enemy as it gave the order in a cold tone. it ordered in lizard language. ¡°lizard cavalry, guard this krina woman. someone else¡¯s gargoyles could snatch her away. ¡°lizard warriors on the right, protect the archers. ¡°the rear troop, with me as the core, assemble immediately! ¡°lizard mages, prepare to cast slow and control spells! once the enemy approaches, cast control spells immediately!!¡± the lizard commander¡¯s order immediately allowed the troop to find its backbone, and the troops quickly moved out. the lizard warriors protected the archers¡¯ side. and the lizard cavalry urged their velociraptor-like lizard mounts to run back and forth, ready to provide support at any time. more than ten giant lizards of more than five meters long scattered began to gather around the lizard commander. the lizard mage beside it raised the black magic mace in its hand and began to chant a mysterious spell. the lizard commander hero, at this moment, raised his head to look at the sky. it saw a young man seated at a gargoyle and looked at him indifferently. that pair of pitch-black pupils was as deep as the starry sky. and two mummies sat beside that young man. one wore a crown with a colorful ribbon falling from its head and held a withered wooden staff in its hand. the other was covered in blood-colored bandages as if stained with fresh blood. the opponent stretched out its right hand. a scarlet ball in front condensed from fresh blood, like the eye of an abyss behemoth. the human commander! the lizard commander¡¯s face suddenly darkened. just as it was about to make a move, it saw the human commander¡¯s lips move slightly, as if he had given some order. the next second. the magic power in the hands of the mummy covered in blood-colored bandages gathered like a whirlpool in the deep sea. in the blink of an eye, terrifying energy burst out from the ball of blood, like lava that was about to explode. the seated dark gargoyle suddenly dove down after the magic power reached its peak. the lizard commander¡¯s expression changed drastically. its tone became a little sharp. ¡°slow spell!!! stop spell!!! everyone cast your spells!!!¡± the moment its voice fell, the lizard commander raised the black magic mace in its hand, and a mysterious spell rang out from his mouth. the lizard mages who chanted behind him all aimed their targets at the enemies who came toward them with tyrannical spells in the sky. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ waves of light flashed. dozens of spells directly enveloped the dark gargoyles. but the next second, the lizard commander¡¯s heart fell to the bottom of the valley. the dark gargoyle protected the blood-colored bandaged mummy behind and allowed the spells to hit it instead. and the five small lizard mage teams hit the dark gargoyles like a breeze but did not have any effect. the lizard commander¡¯s scalp went numb. a word that terrified it appeared in its mind¡­magic immunity. this dark gargoyle was genuinely immune to magic. at this moment, despair engulfed its heart. the blood-colored bandaged mummy in this quick instance, arrived above them¡­ the blood-colored ball condensed to the extreme in its hand smashed out with a loud bang. [ball of corruption (a-rank) ¡ª condenses magic power to form a magic ball with a strong corrosive effect. causes a massive amount of damage to enemies within a radius of 30 meters. condenses blood to release this skill, increasing magic damage by 50. cooldown time: 3 minutes. each use consumes 100 mana.] like a meteor that fell, the only thing left in the world was the ball of blood. the ball of corrosion smashed into the group of lizard archers and lizard warriors. ¡®bang!¡¯ a muffled sound was heard. the ball of blood with massive corrosive power splashed in all directions. it covered all the enemies within 30 meters in diameter like raindrops. the densely-packed lizard warriors immediately received a devastating blow. ¡°ahhhhh!!¡± massive corrosive power directly penetrated their armor and melted their flesh and blood. the terrifying pain caused them to roar madly. after a few breaths, the bodies of seven to eight small teams of lizardmen were all melted into holes. dead bodies fell to the ground. ¡°explode!¡± what made the lizard commander even more frantic was that after the other party¡¯s cold voice sounded, explosives seemed to fill the dozens of corpses on the ground. ¡®boom!¡¯ they exploded into countless pieces. the terrifying explosion force caused the lizard warriors not affected by the first wave of magic directly ascend into the sky. in just one wave of magic attack, the lizardmen lost two squadrons. extremely tyrannical a-rank hero! Chapter 104 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the lizard commander¡¯s pupils tightened when he saw this tragic scene. ¡°damn bastard! bastard!!¡± those were the elites in its hands. the dark gargoyles and mummy heroes annihilated two squadrons in a single exchange. the lizard commander¡¯s heart bled!! the opponents had already left on the dark gargoyles when it wanted to fight. !! this made the lizard commander extremely furious. the lizard commander discovered the scattered dark gargoyles attacked the surroundings and charged in its direction. not only did the dark gargoyles want to destroy the opponent¡¯s troops, but they also wanted to kill the lizard commander! how could the commander endure it? the lizard commander condensed the majestic magic energy in its hands. two terrifying fireballs with high temperatures appeared in its hands. the fireballs suffused a green light. with the support of magic, they could quickly melt steel. after the fireballs reached a limit, the lizardmen waved their hands forward, and the two fireballs pounced on the dark gargoyles that attacked them. the two fireballs shot out. after the two fireballs flew for more than twenty meters, they collided and merged into a giant one in a blink of an eye. the size of the fireball soared more than ten times, and the light around it distorted. it hit the dark gargoyles with a long tail of flames. ¡®bang!¡¯ the giant fireball exploded in the air, and a dozen-meter tall ball of flames rose. the sky suddenly lit up, and heat waves surged. the spell power was unleashed to the maximum without the terrain to stop it. it directly swallowed the gargoyles. the lizard commander¡¯s face distorted. ¡°immune to magic?! i¡¯d like to see what kind of magic you are immune to!!¡± ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ however, while the lizard commander was on the verge of joy, the sound of wings flapping begird the battlefield. a few massive fireballs rushed out from the flames. the flames on their bodies disappeared after a few breaths, and the body of the dark gargoyle appeared. the flame-filled sky turned into a backdrop, and the body that reflected the metallic luster became even brighter. the dark gargoyle was unharmed. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the other dark gargoyles did not take a detour at all. they directly passed through the area of flames and dived down. they charged straight at the lizard mage behind them. the lizardman commander was shocked, but it could not just sit there and wait for death! it roared angrily and suddenly tightened its grip on the monitor lizard¡¯s reins. ¡°monitor lizards, tear them apart!!¡± more than ten giant monitor lizards around immediately uttered a prolonged cry. these more than five meters long monitor lizards suddenly jumped from the ground when the first dark gargoyle dived. they were like crocodiles that hunted wild oxen in the water. the gargoyle flapped its wings and nimbly avoided the opponent¡¯s giant mouth. the sharp claws on its legs suddenly stomped on the giant monitor lizard¡¯s head. blood splattered everywhere, and the giant monitor lizard fell to the ground with a wail. but because the gargoyle¡¯s attention was on this giant monitor lizard, another giant monitor lizard at the back seized the opportunity. ¡®phew!¡¯ the giant monitor lizard suddenly jumped and bit the gargoyle¡¯s thigh. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the terrifying bite force dented the gargoyle¡¯s body and left a bite mark. its excessive weight outrightly grabbed the dark gargoyle tightly, and no matter how hard it flapped its wings, it could not get away. desert giant monitor lizard was rare 2-stars. the other giant monitor lizards also jumped abruptly at this moment. under the sudden attack, three or four giant monitor lizards forcefully dragged the dark gargoyle down. when the other dark gargoyles saw the dragged comrade could not escape, they simply did not leave. they waved their sharp claws and started to fight against several five-meter-long giant monitor lizards. they were ferocious and domineering. they stirred up sand on the ground. the number of desert giant monitor lizards was limited, after all. when more dark gargoyles rushed down, no power could stop them. the lizard cavaliers and warriors surrounded the gargoyles at this moment. they tried to stop the dark gargoyles from killing the lizard mage. however, no one could stop the charging dark gargoyles. sharp barbs covered their sharp claws, wings, elbows, and knees. they were born to kill. every charge accompanied a vast number of body fragments that flew. the killing was intense. xina looked at the lizardmen frantically hunted with a bright smile on her scarred face. death and slaughter were glorious. ¡®roar!¡¯ the detestation in her heart rose to the extreme. and the lizard commander suddenly raised the black magic mace in its hand. an exaggerated whirlpool-like power in the sea condensed frantically. magical tides even surrounded the battlefield. the mace¡¯s top suffused dim light. the majestic aura was like thousands of tons of seawater had rolled into the sky and filled with an indescribable sense of oppression. when xina saw this scene, hatred rose in her eyes. ¡°relic¡­¡± if the lizard commander did not have this treasure from the relic, how could she be captured?! she suddenly looked up at the sky and shouted with all her strength. ¡°quickly leave this area. that magic mace is a relic that can seal all the power in the surroundings¡­¡± before she could finish her sentence, a wave of magic sealed her mouth and made it unable to produce any sound. the lizardmen behind her immediately commanded the giant monitor lizards to retreat to the side. xina could only sigh in her heart, her gaze fixed on the sky. the young man looked at the lizard commander as expected in the next second. the lizard commander waved its hand. the gargoyles around seemed to have gone mad. they ignored everything else and directly charged toward the lizard commander. the lizard cavaliers acted as the last line of defense. the lizard commander sent the remaining seven or eight giant monitor lizards to protect themselves. their defense was at its peak. however, when dozens of rare 3-star dark gargoyles attacked the same target, their power was exceedingly stalwart. those giant monitor lizards were fierce, but the dark gargoyles were fiercer. under the layers of protection, the dark gargoyles forcefully tore the enemy¡¯s defense line. they took a piece of broken limbs and killed it to the core position. a sturdy magic shield rose in front of the lizard commander at this moment. it tried to block the gargoyles with force. but a shocking scene appeared in the next second. the gargoyles waved their sharp claws. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound of shattered glass rang out. the sturdy magic shield ultimately didn¡¯t last three seconds under the siege of a few gargoyles before it shattered. the black magic mace in its hand released a terrifying amount of mana, but the gargoyles did not care at all. they charged forward, their sharp claws pierced through the lizard commander¡¯s abdomen. it pulled hard, and blood spurted out. the lizard commander¡¯s spell was finally complete at this moment. blood spurted out of its mouth, and the lizard commander waved its black magic mace. ¡®bang!¡¯ a frizz of air surged like a ripple. it shot out in all directions. in that instant, the surrounding air seemed to have frozen. everyone, including richard, stopped in their tracks. only the lizard commander with a large hole in the abdomen and magic mace in hand could move. however, the lizard commander only coughed up blood unwillingly. its eyelids became increasingly heavier. and finally, with a plop, it fell from the giant monitor lizard¡¯s back onto the sand. the black magic mace in its hand also flew out. in that instant, the frozen space regained its freedom¡­ when the surrounding lizardmen saw the death of the lizard commander, they instantly went berserk. one by one, they ferociously charged toward the dark gargoyles. their state was like that of a mad demon. however, the leaderless lizardmen faced the much stronger dark gargoyles. they were like mayflies that tried to shake a tree. the charging lizardmen toward the gargoyles only became corpses. these rare 3-star troops used their heftiest stance to show off their strength. after the gargoyles eliminated the gravest threat, they turned to death and started a round of brutal slaughter. no lizardmen could escape from their sharp claws. even if the defeated lizardmen in the end and the cavaliers wanted to escape, they could not get away with the gargoyle¡¯s sharp claws¡­ xina fell from the back of the giant monitor lizard during the battle. then, two giant monitor lizards that bled profusely blocked her. she could only hear the sounds of the battle that gradually weakened. in the end, the air became so quiet. all she could hear was herself breathing. was the battle over? after a long time. ¡®sasha! sasha! sasha!¡¯ the sound of footsteps on the sand could be heard. then, the giant monitor lizard corpse that blocked her line of sight shook and began to rise. her line of sight looked from the ground and gradually widened. two dark gargoyles¡¯ thick thighs appeared in front of her. after the gargoyles moved the giant monitor lizard away, the young man who was in the air just now stood outside. two mummy heroes stood guard on both sides. the handsome young man played the lizard commander¡¯s dark magic mace. his pitch-black eyes looked at her after the lizard copse moved away. xina looked directly into the young man¡¯s eyes. their eyes met. curiosity filled their standpoint. who was this young man? Chapter 105 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at the woman tied up in chains with scars all over her body with interest after the giant lizard¡¯s corpse was moved away. the woman had long golden hair that looked like flames. her eyes were sharp, and her aura carried the ferocity of a veteran soldier. even though she was heavily injured, no one dared to underestimate her. ¡°who are you?¡± a hoarse voice entered richard¡¯s ears. !! richard did not respond to her question. he waved his hand. and the bandaged mummy pressed the three captives who had come from the territory on top of her. when the three captives saw xina in a much worse state than them, their feelings were particularly complicated. they wanted to contribute and bring the residents of twilight city back to oasis city. however, they did not expect that in just two or three days, not only did they fail to bring the people back, but they also became captives. what made them want to cry without tears was that even the newly established oasis city no longer existed. and the owner of the oasis city had become a prisoner just like them¡­so unfortunate. ¡°lord xina¡­¡± when xina saw these three captives, she forced herself to be alert and asked in a deep voice. ¡°are you the lord of twilight city?¡± before she sent out the spies, she naturally had a detailed understanding of the city. twilight city only had a few small squads of soldiers. even if they had developed for more than ten days, how strong could they be? but what was going on now? the dark gargoyles displayed elite-level battle strength, and their potential was above the rare 2-stars level. just these four squads of dark gargoyles alone were enough to make oasis city suffer. how could the enemy¡¯s troops develop so strongly in less than ten days? she could not understand the battle prowess of twilight city¡­ richard did not respond. after he confirmed the enemy¡¯s identity, he opened his status panel with curiosity. [xina krina] [hero unit] [level: 8 (elite hero, strength + 30%)] [potential: unknown (bloodline seal)] [job: fearless warrior, rare (advanced, strength + 50%)] [status: heavily injured (all attributes reduced by 70%.)] [blood qi: 500 points (recovers 5 points per second, heavily injured status + 20 points)] [skills: fearless heart (a-rank)¨C fearless in the heart. immune to all halo-type pressure. never-failing morale. immune to mind-type control skills. immune to instant soul execution skills. all attributes increased by 70%.] [krina blood (a-rank)¨C powerful bloodline has extraordinary power. able to control the fresh blood in one¡¯s body to store energy.] [innate warrior (a-rank)¨C has an innate ability to comprehend battle. battle techniques are set at master rank, at the same time proficient in all weapons. able to unleash the strongest characteristics of the weapon.] [heaven¡¯s fury (a-rank)¨C condenses energy on the weapon to kill the enemy in front. no cooldown time, every time it is used. a minimum of 100 blood essence is consumed. the more blood essence is injected, the higher the damage dealt (sealed).] [destruction (a-rank)¨C uses blood and qi to strengthen the weapon. increases its sharpness by a huge amount. it can pierce through heavy armor and breakthrough magic shields(sealed).] [hero characteristic: when you are fatally injured, you will instantly recover 50% of your strength. you can also use blood and qi to heal your injuries (sealed).] [race talent: the higher the damage you receive, the faster your blood and qi will recover.] [fetter-fearless: the stronger the enemy, the stronger the will to fight. for every level higher than oneself, the enemy¡¯s strength will increase by 30%, up to a maximum of 5 levels.] [description: a sturdy warrior. she has nothing to fear in her heart.] ¡®damn, this attribute is too strong.¡¯ richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he did not expect xina to be so mighty. ¡®are the women of the krina tribe that extraordinary? ¡®why was her bloodline sealed? and her strength restricted by more than half? ¡®what was going on?¡¯ but even so, richard was still moved. ¡®this hero¡¯s strength was not inferior to that of gray and gunter.¡¯ ¡°young lady, i can see you are very suitable to join twilight city. are you interested in coming home with me?¡± although she had some thoughts in her mind, she didn¡¯t show anything strange on her face. she stared at the young man and weakly said, ¡°i¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°lady xina, i¡¯m inquisitive as to why these lizardmen would attack the oasis city¡­¡± xina turned her head and looked to the side. the residents the lizardmen captured were now being guarded by the mummies. ¡°lord of twilight city, release my people¡­ i¡¯ll tell you all this information.¡± the descendants of the krina tribe were not afraid of death. however, she did not want hundreds of innocent residents buried with her. richard shook his head. ¡°lady xina, twilight city needs a large number of people. these refugees should belong to me. it¡¯s just that your appearance has interrupted my progress in subduing them.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t hurt them. you can ask these guys what they saw in twilight city. are residents in my territory worse than oasis city?¡± xina turned to look at the three captives. they looked at each other and were bereft of speech. although captured, they had to admit that the residents in twilight city were not inferior to oasis city at all¡­or even better. when xina saw the captives¡¯ expressions, she understood. she did not dwell on it and said it directly. ¡°some time ago, a terrifying sandstorm swept through the desert. that storm opened up an ancient tomb. ¡°i got a piece of parchment out of it that marked the location of ruins.¡± his eyes turned cold. ¡°but although i found the location of the ruins, i didn¡¯t have the key to enter it. ¡°the lizardmen got the key from somewhere¡­the black magic mace. ¡°the black magic mace can sense the location of the map¡­ but the map can¡¯t sense the black magic mace. ¡°a few hours ago, the lizardmen launched an attack on oasis city for the map¡­ ¡°the black magic in your hand is the key to the ruins. and it has the power to freeze space. ¡°if not for this black magic mace, the lizard commander wouldn¡¯t have kept me here.¡± a proud expression appeared on her face. even in such a miserable situation, it was still convincing. an ancient ruin? richard was not very interested in other things. but this particular word made his eyes light up. ¡°where is that ruin?¡± ¡°there is a mark on the map¡­¡± richard looked behind him. the troop searched, and they would have an answer in a while. richard did not dwell on it. instead, he asked about the topic he was most interested in. it was also the target of this operation. ¡°the oasis can accommodate so many people, and you plan to continue expanding¡­ i think the production of resources, treasures, and food in your hands must be quite high. did the lizardmen snatch them away?¡± xina looked straight at him. ¡°human lord, i have to say that you know quite a lot¡­ i took that treasure out of my clan, so the lizardmen won¡¯t be able to find it.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a pound. so he didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said straightforwardly. ¡°i need that resource treasure.¡± xina gestured at the chain on her body with a determined gaze. ¡°i¡¯ll use that treasure to exchange for my freedom¡­¡± ¡®let go? what if you run away? even a hero of this level would have to tie you back¡­¡¯ before richard could think of a way to deal with xina, he changed the topic. ¡°ms. xina, what made you come to the oasis to establish your territory?¡± richard continued and did not wait for xina to speak. ¡°is it the ruins or related to the seal in your bloodline?¡± after richard said this, he felt a cold kill intent lock onto him. anger filled her tone. ¡°human lord, how did you know about the seal?!¡± richard raised his eyebrows. was this still taboo? after he thought for a while, he said calmly, ¡°i can sense the aura of the seal on your body. your injuries have made it even more obvious¡­¡± xina deeply stared at richard. richard also looked directly into her eyes and did not retreat. after a very prolonged time, the exchange of gazes finally ended. xina looked at him profoundly and did not speak for a long time. richard made a judgment in his heart. he was right. the young lady genuinely built the city in the oasis to seal it¡­ after he thought, richard said softly, ¡°lady xina, there is a kind of powerful honey in my territory. it can remove negative states. perhaps, it can give you some help¡­ it may not be impossible to break the seal.¡± xina¡¯s eyes regained their calmness. and the aura of a veteran was once again revealed. it was so fierce that it made people gasp in admiration. ¡°human lord, you can¡¯t imagine what kind of power the seal has¡­¡± ¡°using resources and treasures to exchange for my freedom is not a loss for you.¡± ¡°moreover, the women of the krina tribe are the curse of death for men¡­¡± as she spoke, she revealed a playful smile. ¡°of course, if you¡¯re willing to be my lover, that¡¯s another matter¡­¡± richard recalled the legend of the krina tribe women personally killing their husbands in exchange for power. he instantly felt a chill. ¡®i only wanted to subdue you, but you wanted to sleep with me. you¡¯re simply vicious. ¡®however¡­ i¡¯m not interested in you. what does this legend have to do with me? ¡®such a powerful hero. if i let her go, she would jump and slap him.¡¯ ¡°it¡¯s fine that i let you go. but where are you going next?¡± ¡°back to the territory? isn¡¯t the curse settled?¡± these two questions struck directly at her soul. it caused xina, who had just calmed her emotions, to be stunned again. the oasis city she had worked so hard to build shattered in the blink of an eye. and now, she had become a captive and could be slaughtered at will. even freedom had become a luxury at this moment. where could she go now? back to her clan? what was the point of her coming out if she could return so soon? richard felt emotional when he saw the change in her attitude. he looked at xina with a gentle gaze. ¡°if you don¡¯t know where to go, why don¡¯t you come with me first? twilight city needs a lot of soldiers to work. ¡°twilight city is a peaceful and prosperous city. life is full of hope. you can stay here temporarily. ¡°it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to join the troop. you can do what you like. ¡°i promise you that as long as you need it, i will use twilight city¡¯s strength to help you solve the curse.¡± the leadership skill had a strong personality charm. there was a certain chance that the troops in the wild would surrender. twilight city¡¯s characteristic was to live a peaceful life and work well. ninety points of popular support had been activated. it had a unique attraction for refugees and heroes. richard gave xina a strong sense of trust at this moment. it seemed that it was not difficult to accept and follow him to that strange territory¡­ as she looked at this young man¡¯s handsome face, inexplicable meaning reflected in his eyes. and she slowly opened her mouth. ¡°human lord, i know what you¡¯re thinking¡­ the commander of the krina tribe is the warrior that every lord craves. our reputation reverberates throughout the entire desert! ¡°but i don¡¯t mind. ¡°if you can help me break the seal in my body, i¡¯m willing to become the blade in your hand!¡± as she spoke, her tone became more solemn. ¡°i found some knowledge about breaking the seal in that ancient tomb. perhaps, that ruin can help me. i need to enter it with you to explore¡­¡± the lizardmen were defeated. so the ruins would naturally become the other party¡¯s spoils of war. she had left her people and built a city by herself. everything she had done was to break the seal in her body for the sake of the krina tribe, who had suffered hundreds of thousands of years. it was not easy for her to find this information about the seal. she could not miss it no matter what. her gaze was firm. and her determination could not be shaken. if the other party could truly break the seal, she would not hesitate to take her life and soul, not to mention seek refuge. everything was for the sake of the krina tribe. [ding~ xina krina has issued you a hero recruitment mission ¡ª break the god¡¯s curse in her body and break the bloodline seal.] [mission completed. she will seek refuge with you and become your subordinate.] when richard saw the system notification, his scalp immediately went numb. ¡®break the¡­god¡¯s curse in her body? ¡®xina¡¯s bloodline seal was caused by a god¡¯s curse? ¡®i don¡¯t know if i should say this¡­¡¯ Chapter 106 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation (author¡¯s note: the previous chapter was updated last night. after an hour, there were a few hundred words of change. if you read it early last night, you can take a look at it again.) ****** richard looked at the system notification and raised his eyebrows. [hero recruitment mission ¡ª break the god¡¯s curse in her body and break the bloodline seal.] ¡®why does she let me slaughter the god??¡¯ !! he looked at xina deeply. ¡®what kind of secret is the krina tribe hiding?? why would the gods curse them??¡¯ he felt as if he had touched upon something extraordinary. ¡®mortals are qualified to be cursed by the god?¡­ a divine spell could destroy even the soul¡­ why would she need to spend so much effort?¡¯ as his thoughts raced, he looked directly into the lady warrior¡¯s eyes. ¡°i sensed an unimaginable power in the seal of your body. do you know the origin of that power?¡± xina¡¯s heart shook, and her gaze became more subtle. ¡°lord, you can honestly sense that power?¡± she sighed after she said that. ¡°that is a secret only the clan leader can know¡­¡± on his bloodied face was a hint of unwillingness. ¡°this¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. there was indeed a problem. an unspeakable secret is involved in this matter. otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have concealed it from a cursed clan member. however, richard didn¡¯t have anything to worry about, so he went straight to the point. ¡°the seal in your body has something to do with gods.¡± xina¡¯s heart jolted, and as she recalled something, her eyes turned blank. ¡°i knew it¡­ i knew it¡­¡± richard slightly dissented when he saw this. it seemed that the lady warrior had also noticed it. his mood became delicate after he thought for a while. perhaps, this was the genuine difficulty of the advanced hero recruitment mission. richard obtained the three heroes in his hands in different ways. adele was young and easy to fool. gray had a clear target because of the black gold system¡¯s notification. moreover, he was exemplary lucky to obtain the mummy¡¯s heart, which allowed the other party to be born. otherwise, it would have been quite a good harvest if he could obtain a c-rank hero. gunter was even more unexpected. the dungeon contained a vast opportunity, and without the restriction of the rules, there were all sorts of possibilities. now, xina had let him experience the difficulty of a high-level hero recruitment quest. to break the seal set by the gods, was this a joke?¡­ richard waved his hand. he ordered someone to remove the chains on xina¡¯s body and restore this lady¡¯s freedom. the lady warrior was still startled even though he ordered the shackles to be removed. xina finally regained her senses after a long time. she looked at richard, and her eyes reconquered firmness. she would break it even a god¡¯s curse! absolutely! the fierce aura of the lady warrior became more and more striking. even without looking at anything else, just from this aura alone, one could tell that this was a warrior who had experienced countless bloody battles. the pain did not make her frown. but her gaze still was determined. xina bowed slightly to richard. ¡°descendant of the krina tribe, xina krina. greetings to you. may the desert protect you.¡± richard nodded lightly. ¡°lord of twilight city, richard, may the desert bless you.¡± xina stood up and glanced around. she picked up a sharp piece of gravel from the ground. then, she pulled it with her palm. the blood instantly dyed the gravel red. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he looked at the lady veteran with some confusion. this person was ruthless and didn¡¯t say much¡­ surprisingly, the blood in xina¡¯s hand gradually condensed into a thumb-sized crystal. this crystal was hand-glass clear and did not have the slightest tinge of crimson. xina¡¯s expression changed slightly. she withdrew her palm after the crystal formed. while she ignored the rapidly healing wound, she handed the blood-condensed crystal to richard. ¡°lord richard, other than hunting, this is the source of food in the oasis city¡­¡± richard looked at her heartily. ¡®hiding things in blood? ¡®it seemed that this tribe had a lot of hidden things¡­¡¯ after richard took it, he opened the attribute panel. [sand wheat (resource treasure)] [level: 3-stars] [range: 15 acres] [characteristics: must be planted in the desert. requires a certain amount of water to irrigate. ripens once a month.] [description: a resource treasure exclusive to the desert.] ¡®three-star treasure? ¡¯15 acres of sand wheat?¡¯ surprise filled richard¡¯s eyes. it was a food that ripens once a month!! he finally got what he wanted after going through many twists and turns. this trip was not in vain. the corners of his mouth frizzed. moreover, sand wheat was more suitable as a staple food than sand dates. the development of a territory could not always rely on hunting. fifty-one thousand people might be possible, but 50,000 or 100,000 people still depended on hunting. the most stable income was only farming. richard had been begging for these precious resources and treasures all along. his farming plan finally took a big step forward after more than half a month. it was so comfortable¡­ gunter, who searched the lizardmen for loot, finally found something and rushed over. he handed him a piece of badly weathered parchment. ¡°lord, i found this under the giant monitor lizard mounted by the lizard commander¡­¡± as richard reached out to take it, he directly flipped through it. the parchment had an ancient yellow hue as if buried in an ancient tomb for thousands of years. it could break if one is not careful. it was recorded in strange writing. but because of many broken places, several gaps and only a few could be seen in the records. [broken parchment] [level: none] [description: it seemed to contain some information about the ancient wizard tower, but the content was damaged too much and lost its original appearance.] richard flipped through the map a few times. but he did not find the map he had imagined. he could not help but feel a bit bewildered. ¡°xina, is there no location of the ruins on this map?¡± the weak xina raised her head and looked at the sun sinking into the desert. ¡°at dusk and dawn, the map will appear¡­¡± as soon as she finished speaking, the last sunlight ray in the sky disappeared. the black magic mace which had not reacted a moment ago in richard¡¯s hand, now emitted pale yellow light. the broken map in xina¡¯s hand also floated at the same time. in the next second, the light from the black magic mace covered the parchment. later, the broken parchment suddenly became translucent. in the center, a map made of blue energy appeared. a picture of a round tower that floated up and down was at the center of the map. it was indeed miraculous. xina didn¡¯t look surprised as if she had seen it before. she pointed at the undulating blue round tower. ¡°this is where the ruins are. it¡¯s ten hours away from us. i built the city in the oasis because of these ruins¡­¡± she was not interested in owning her territory. oasis city would not have existed if it were not for the fact she wanted to break the seal. richard was very interested. ¡°are there any powerful forces around the ruins?¡± xina shook her head. ¡°the wind and sand in that area are very fierce. no one exists. i¡¯ve been there more than ten times.but i haven¡¯t seen anyone else¡­¡± the glow in richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ten hours was not a long journey. moreover, the ancient ruins were something the ¡°shining era¡¯s¡± official website focused on. often a vast number of treasures from the ancient era hid inside. it was similar to a dungeon. however, unlike a dungeon, everyone could enter the ruins without restrictions. if one were willing, it would not be a problem for tens of thousands of people to explore the ruins. in a week, the large-scale dungeon was about to open¡­ how many people would be able to block twilight city¡¯s attack if they could obtain a few more gargoyle-like lairs? the light in richard¡¯s eyes blazed. he wanted to make those top-tier lords lower their heads in front of him. if he wanted these ruins, even if god came, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them. at this moment, the light of the black magic mace in richard¡¯s hand suddenly dimmed. the map revealed on the parchment also disappeared at the same time. it was as if nothing had happened just now. richard opened the attribute panel again. this time, the black magic mace finally revealed its attributes. [black magic mace] [level: special] [temporary solidification skill: space freezing (beyond a-rank) ¡ª freezes the space within a kilometer radius. only the caster can move freely. duration: 20 seconds. can be released 1/3 times.] [characteristics: the key to the resplendent wizard tower.] [description: you can use it to open the gate of the wizard tower.] ¡®beyond a-rank skill? space freeze?¡¯ richard¡¯s heart leaped a thump. ¡°if this thing is permanently solidified, it¡¯s surely a 3-star. no, it¡¯d 4-star strategic equipment.¡± fortunately, the lizard commander did not use them all 3 times. otherwise, he would indeed hang that lizardman and whip its corpse. but even if he could only use it once, its value was immeasurable. it was a powerful trump card that could be used at a critical moment to change the outcome of a battle. Chapter 107 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord, the corpses of the lizardmen have been gathered.¡± gunter¡¯s words from behind interrupted richard¡¯s train of thought. he set aside the black magic mace that could cast a beyond a-rank skill. richard turned his head to gaze at the mountain of lizardmen corpses behind him. he nodded. ¡°those corpses are all yours. go, and recruit them.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± !! excitement tinged gunter¡¯s voice. the mummy hero, wrapped in blood-colored bandages, strode to the massive pile of corpses. it stretched out its right hand. in the next second, the mummy¡¯s body released endless crimson energy, and light instantly covered the corpse in front of it. ¡°no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.¡± its mouth chanted extremely obscure incantations. those refugees the lizardmen captured and were now in the care of the mummies looked panic-stricken. they seemed afraid of being devoured alive. under the shroud of the blood-colored light, the lizard corpses piled up outside melted like ice and snow. the flesh and bones turned blood water. the corpses at the bottom sucked up the blood that gurgled. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp. he saw the 15 lizard corpses suck the blood and energy like sponges. ¡°this one wants to turn the giant monitor lizards into mummies?¡± richard¡¯s expression was a bit weird. ¡°could this work?¡± a few minutes later, hundreds of lizard corpses disappeared without a trace. only 15 giant monitor lizards were left. pervading blood and flesh energy turned into strips of crimson bandages that wrapped around the giant monitor¡¯s lizard¡¯s body into an extraordinary mummy. the system notification quietly sounded when the last ray of light dissipated. [ding~ twilight city¡¯s hero: gunter fresh blood, recruited 15 giant monitor lizard mummies from the lizard corpses.] [giant monitor lizard mummy] [level: 4] [potential: rare 2-stars] [skills: mummy body (d-rank), pouncing bite (d-rank), swinging tail (d-rank), berserk (d-rank)] [race talent: when in the desert, the recovery speed of injuries will be increased by 50%.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies is greater than 50, the strength will be increased by 30% (activated).] [description: unusual mummy, with good strength.] richard gazed at the 15 five meters long giant monitor lizard mummies wrapped in blood-colored bandages. they were exceedingly conspicuous in the yellow sand. he was jovial. in ancient egyptian myths and legends, cats were made into mummies for burial following the pharaoh¡¯s death. ¡®if cats could turn into mummies, why couldn¡¯t lizards?¡¯ he was in a high-spirited state of mind. gunter was genuinely a treasure hero. while on the road the preceding day, gunter hunted down some troops in the wild and let them recruit three teams of elite 1-star bandaged mummies to save mummy recruitment quota. there were four and a half teams of recruits with these 15 mummified giant monitor lizards. truly delicious. after the mummy hero gave the giant monitor lizards the ability to mummify, these enormous soldiers immediately became super meat shields. using these recruits as the front platoon and cannon fodder was simply perfect. richard saw the aghast residents around him from the corner of his eye. his heart gladly demeanor. he turned around and said to xina. ¡°i want to send these residents back to twilight city. ¡°xina, i need your help to calm them down.¡± when xina heard this, she felt a little serpentine. these were her people, and now she wanted to give them away to someone else¡­ however, she had established the territory to explore the ancient ruins and break the seal in her body. now that the lizardmen had burned down the territory, all the efforts for so long had turned to ashes. there was no reason to persevere. she was more willing to gallop on the battlefield than to manage the territory. she was born to fight. when richard saw the excited expressions on the refugees¡¯ faces after xena passed by, he didn¡¯t say anything. the conversation ended after a long while. seven or eight of the residents walked out and came in front of richard together with xena. they saluted with their hands on their chests. ¡°lord richard, these are the managers appointed in oasis city¡­¡± richard looked at the highly-strung people and consented slightly. ¡°i will send you to twilight city. it¡¯s my territory, so it¡¯s starkly safe there. ¡°i need you to manage the others well and don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± one of the middle-aged men said hesitantly. ¡°lord, can we look for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce? we followed them across the desert¡­¡± richard smiled. ¡°what do you think?¡± the man subconsciously glanced at gray, whose face was shriveled to the bone. and the two 3 meters tall and exceedingly oppressive dark gargoyles. the middle-aged man was at a loss for words and didn¡¯t dare to speak again. ¡®how could the weak have the right to negotiate with the strong¡­?¡¯ richard didn¡¯t pay any more attention to these people. he looked at the residents and thought. he had initially planned to send the troop to escort these residents back to the territory. but it would take two to three days for these hundreds of people to arrive. moreover, a vast amount of clean water has to be provided on the way. he didn¡¯t have that much time to waste. he glanced at the three-meter-tall dark gargoyle beside him and decided in his heart. weren¡¯t the dark gargoyles the best means of transportation? a dark gargoyle could carry two people. it would take more than an hour to transport them, and a round trip would only take two to three hours. even if they had to make a few round trips, it would be several times faster than the troop¡¯s journey¡­ if the aborigines saw the use of rare-level troops to transport civilians, they would probably think it was an illusion¡­ since when could a lowly civilian ride on the neck of a rare-level troop? even the eyes of the residents weren¡¯t quite right. was this lord for real? however, under richard¡¯s will, no one dared to object. they carried out the plan immediately. the operation to capture the oasis city officially ended when the first batch of dark gargoyles took off. although the lizardmen had interfered midway, the overall harvest was still very considerable. first, richard obtained a 3-star resource treasure ¡ª 15-acre sand wheat. this strategic treasure was worthy of the word strategy. it laid a solid foundation for his farming plan, which was 15-acre of sand wheat! it matured once a month! ¡®how many people could this feed??¡¯ the second harvest was xina. the hero with the god¡¯s seal on her body. if he could subdue the other party, he would have a sword in his hand to charge forward. gunter and gray were mage heroes, while xina was a pure warrior hero. the mage heroes had the upper hand in influencing the battle situation. 1 however, to the threat of the enemy commander, the warrior hero was undoubtedly mightier, and each had its emphasis. the third harvest was an ancient ruin¡¯s detailed information. the ruin was thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years ago. some powerful forces or empires collapsed due to various reasons. finally, it was buried deep underground or hidden in an area of ??the dimensional plane. exploring ruins was an enormous selling point in the ¡°shining era¡±. it was not inferior to dungeons. the fourth harvest was the 500 plus residents. the addition of these people could significantly fill the population gap in twilight city. not only could they complete the requirements for upgrading their territory, but they could also alleviate the urgent talent shortage problem. finally, there was a black magic mace that could cast a beyond a-rank skill. it has freezing space within 1,000 meters for 20 seconds¡­ this thing could change the battle situation. it was extremely overbearing. richard was in a good mood after he took stock of the gains from this battle. any one of these spoils was worth his time and effort. ¡°this round is not a loss.¡± after he regained focus, he took out the black magic mace engraved with a beyond a-rank skill. richard¡¯s eyes flashed. a key engraved with a beyond a-rank skill. how many treasures would be in this ancient ruin? Chapter 108 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the following morning, may 21. richard, who had slept all night in the burned-out oasis city, got up early. after breakfast, he waited for all the dark gargoyles who transported the residents all night to return to the team. he immediately gathered everyone and prepared to go to the ancient ruins to explore. xina was in a state of embarrassment the other day. her body scars healed and disappeared with a vast amount of honey. !! her new leather armor made her look like a cheetah and perfectly displayed her figure. the fierce aura of a veteran warrior was in stark contrast to her exquisite and perfect face. she held a cross-shaped longsword in her hand, and her gaze was as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. xina was starkly different from adele¡¯s naivety. her fierce demeanor could make people tremble in fear. she was a pure warrior. the battlefield was where she belonged. ¡°xina, after we entered the ruins, all actions will be carried out according to orders.¡± richard¡¯s gaze was solemn. a team could only have one voice. xina was not his subordinate yet. he had to clarify the rules. xena looked directly into richard¡¯s eyes and was extremely serious. ¡°yes, lord commander. i will starkly carry out your orders!¡± 1 ¡°but if i find a treasure that can remove the seal, i beg you to help me¡­¡± richard consented slowly. ¡°i promise you with the glory of twilight city that i will do my best when necessary!¡± the eyes of both sides met at this moment. the troop set off. richard continued to ride on the dark gargoyle. after he had the transportation means, he lost interest in traveling. although it was not as cool as a giant dragon, the dark gargoyle¡¯s appearance was cool enough. other than its buttocks, there was nothing wrong with it. shortly after they left the oasis, richard suddenly thought of something. since xina happened to have a map that led to the ancient ruins, she built the city in the oasis because of the ruins. her hero recruitment mission was to break the seal¡­ then, could it be that the way to break the other party¡¯s seal was ultimately the ruins? although this speculation was a bit far-fetched, it made sense. in richard¡¯s eyes, xina was like a sharp battle knife. as long as the dust was wiped away, it could reveal its dazzling sharpness. and he wants to use this battle knife. even if broken, it had to be when he held the hilt in his hand. to conquer heroes, recruit troops, obtain treasures, occupy resources, explore maps¡­these were the essence of the ¡°shining era¡±. in the quiet atmosphere, the troop quickly moved toward its target. xena had been to the ruins before, and since richard had already synced the map in the parchment to the system map, she wasn¡¯t afraid of missing the target. after they moved north for more than five hours. ¡®huff! huff!¡¯ the wind in the desert began to grow stronger. the gust of wind twisted the fine sand and blew on their faces, which hurt people. this was a place where the wind and sand were violent. no wonder xina said there was no one here. no normal person would come to this lousy place. when richard saw this, he scattered the dark gargoyles to investigate the situation from a further distance. the further he went, the stronger the wind and sand became. it was hard to open one¡¯s eyes when he reached the back. however, the mummy troop did not react to this and continued to move forward at a constant speed. to not waste gunter¡¯s recruitment characteristics, richard hunted down several field troops and recruited another three units of elite 1-star blood-colored mummies. as a result, the number of recruited units reached seven and a half. six units of elite 1-star, and one and a half units of rare 2-stars giant monitor lizard mummies. after richard granted these units the sand transformation skill, they would be of great use. he braved the wind and sand for a few more hours, then he compared the map and was instantly energized. they had arrived! xena, who rode on the back of the giant monitor lizard mummy, also signaled to the team they had reached their destination. richard immediately recalled the dark gargoyles dispersed and then landed on the ground. xena pointed at a conspicuous dune in front of them. ¡°lord commander, after crossing the dune in front, we will arrive at the ruins¡­¡± richard nodded and let gray lead the gargoyles to investigate. they only continued forward when there was no threat. the troop arrived at the foot of a large dune amidst the whistling wind and sand. the dune in front was more than 200 meters tall and stretched hundreds of meters. it was indeed spectacular. in front of it, there was a conspicuous dent due to the strong wind. the wind and sand were pronouncedly much smaller while richard stood in the dent. he looked at the dune in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat. ¡®that ancient ruin was buried under the dune?¡¯ he took out the black magic mace from the system space. it immediately lit up after the black magic mace was exposed. richard calmed his mind. he was in the right place. he turned his head to look at the mummy hero beside him. ¡°gray, gunther, each of you, take two teams of dark gargoyles and all the bandaged mummies to investigate the surroundings. ¡°i want to ensure absolute safety¡­¡± ¡°as you wish!¡± the two heroes did not hesitate and immediately led their troops away. richard held the black magic mace and the map in his hands. at this moment, the two relics radiated light. however, he was like a stone statue as he quietly looked at the dune in front. he did not move. the only thing left in the air was the whistling of the wind. when xena saw this scene, a hint of admiration rose in her eyes. when ordinary people saw the allure of the ancient ruins, they would probably be unable to restrain themselves for a long time. the other party was indeed extraordinary. this kind of temperament was hard to come by. it took a full half an hour. richard only relaxed when gray returned to report it was safe and sent three teams of blood-colored mummies to guard the surroundings. he turned his head to look at xina. ¡°xina, how do i open the ruins?¡± ¡°close to the dune, the ruins will call¡­¡± richard nodded and handed the two items to gunter. ¡°leave the soul phylactery and go open the ruins.¡± the ruins were full of unknowns. and gunter could be resurrected. it was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. the mummy hero wrapped in the blood-colored bandage was fearless. after richard left the soul phylactery, he walked towards the dune. the black magic mace and the parchment map in his hands gradually lit up. gunter came to the bottom of the dune and felt something. he slowly placed the two items on the steep slope of the dune in front of him. the next second. ¡®crash!¡¯ the yellow sand above the dune shook, and a large amount of fine sand shook off. and the two items were buried within. the yellow sand forced gunter to retreat. richard sensed something was wrong and immediately waved his hand. ¡°everyone, retreat! leave this valley!!¡± the troop had just retreated not long ago. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the more than 200 meters tall dune shook. and the yellow sand on it tumbled down like an avalanche. dust flew into the sky, and with the impact of a tsunami, it rolled down like a natural disaster. it was not something humans could withstand. the scene was exceedingly spectacular. the dark gargoyle immediately swooped down and lifted gunter into the air before being buried. after a few breaths, yellow sand shrouded dozens of meters deep depression. after richard checked and confirmed no one was swallowed, he heaved a sigh of relief. although there was sand, there was no need to waste this life-saving skill before entering the ruins. the dust was too heavy. and it was hard to see the left and right. after a long time, under the blowing of the wind and sand, the field returned to silence. the brilliant scene appeared in richard¡¯s line of sight. the two-hundred-meter-tall dune was like a goddess that had taken off her outer clothes and revealed her true form. a vast bronze arch stood in the middle of the yellow sand. and there were as many as nine. the middle arch was a hundred meters tall. countless magic runes were engraved on it and shone a bronze light. indescribable mystery filled its appearance. a white-bearded wizard on the gate made of an unknown material wore a high-horned wizard hat and a luxurious wizard robe. the enormous relief was lifelike, and its eyes were bright as if alive. it would probably take hundreds of years if a mortal craftsman carved it. there were four vice gates to the left and right of the main gate that were dozens of meters tall. the further outside, the lower the height of the vice gates. wizards of different appearances carved these secondary gates. and they were extraordinary. this miraculous scene made richard¡¯s mind waver. what kind of powerful force was it to be able to cast a gate that was hundreds of meters tall to show its majesty? and why did this force become a ruin under the dune? xena was speechless for a long time when she saw this scene. nine bronze gates were too overbearing. after a long time, she suddenly saw something familiar that pointed at the right side of the deputy gate. ¡°the scepter is over there¡­¡± richard turned his head and saw traces of the black magic mace. at this moment, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have discovered an ancient ruin ¡ª the resplendent wizard tower.] [every ancient ruin contains numerous risks and opportunities. you might be able to find the lost artifact, or you might be able to trigger a forbidden spell buried for many years.] [please, feel free to explore everything.] after richard read the notification, he opened the black gold system. as expected, it displayed the information. [resplendent wizard tower (ancient ruins)] [level: 3-stars] [threat level of the secondary gate: medium, from left and right to the inside. the danger level is gradually increasing.] [threat level of the main gate: extremely high.] [note: the ruins can not be upgraded.] ¡°damn, a 3-star ruin!¡± ¡°no wonder it looked so domineering.¡± fortunately, the threat level of the secondary gate was slightly lower, and the black magic mace was the key to the right of the nine gates¡­which was also the door with the minimal threat. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°xina, do you know anything about these bronze doors?¡± xena shook her head. ¡°i only learned from the parchment that this wizard tower once had unique research on seals. it often captured some powerful creatures from other planes and sealed them in the resplendent wizard tower. ¡°that¡¯s why i plan to come in and find a way to break the seal. ¡°but the secondary gate is safer. we might be able to give it a try¡­ but i¡¯ll listen to your orders for all operations, lord commander.¡± richard consented. his eyes paced. ¡°regroup, prepare to enter the ruins¡­¡± Chapter 109 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation as the twilight city troops stepped on the soft yellow sand, they arrived at the bronze door on the far right. although it was the smallest sub-door, it was at least 30 meters tall. when a normal-sized human stood here, he suddenly felt as small as a dwarf. the relief on this arch door was of a fat wizard with a big belly. the other party had a kind face and gentle eyes. gray wore a bandage, and the mummy stood guard around the door. richard slowly approached when there was no threat. !! it was unknown whether the yellow sand swallowed the map or not, but it had disappeared. only the black magic mace hovered in the air. richard reached out and held the black magic mace. in the next second, a magical scene appeared. the bronze door rippled like water. after a few blinks, the bronze door gradually turned into a half-bright door. only the statue of the fat wizard did not change. instead, it became more vivid. ¡°welcome home, children.¡± the statue suddenly spoke in a gentle voice. richard suddenly raised his head. was this thing alive? before richard could react, the statue stretched out its hand and waved the mace in its hand. the next second. he felt an exceedingly powerful force that surged. his vision blurred, and he appeared in an unfamiliar environment. it was an arched hall, about two hundred meters wide and more than thirty meters high. three pitch-black passageways in the surroundings led to an unknown place. the ceiling was carved with countless exquisite colorful patterns as if it was the most luxurious palace. one could not help but be amazed. metal seemed to irrigate the surrounding walls and reflected a unique light. a magic lamp emitted light not far away. although the hall was not bright, he could see the situation around him pronouncedly. the unfamiliar environment made richard raise his vigilance to the maximum. he turned his head and looked around. when he saw that all the troops had not fallen, he weighed a sigh of relief. he had been careless. the other party did not show any martial arts and ultimately launched a sneak attack¡­ [ding~ you have entered the ruins. you are free to explore.] after the system notification sounded, xina gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and held the cross-shaped longsword in front of her chest. her gaze was cold. at this moment, the aura of a hundred battles veteran in her body became exceedingly conspicuous. ¡°lord richard, we have triggered the magic guards of the resplendent wizard tower¡­ ¡°the enemy is coming.¡± the moment she finished speaking. ¡®crack! crack!¡¯ ¡®crack! crack! they heard a rotating sound of machinery from the front. they heard the sound of orderly footsteps following from the three passages connecting the hall. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°troops, retreat to the front of the wall and fight against the wall! ¡°blood-colored mummy, giant monitor lizard mummy, protect the front! ¡°scorpion warriors, bandaged mummies, protect the undead soldiers and cursed pharaohs!¡± after richard gave a series of orders, the troops immediately organized the formation. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound rapidly approached, and richard¡¯s breathing subconsciously slowed down. the most startling enemy was the unknown. after a few breaths, magic puppets emerged from the right and left passageways under the illumination of the magic lights. they were two and a half meters tall. their bodies made of green-gray metal exuded an indescribable sturdiness. they appeared humanoid. a pair of eyes inlaid their heads and revealed white light. every row of magic puppets had a small team, and richard¡¯s troop attacked them in unison. they were too many to count. after the magic puppets discovered the troops of twilight city, their eyes immediately turned red and symbolized a threat. ¡°intruders found. kill!¡± the magic puppets spat out mechanical sounds, and in the next moment, their hands suddenly changed shape. their wrists directly split open, and two sharp serrated blades extended out. those sharp serrated blades were half a meter long, which turned the magic puppets into killing machines. [magic puppets] [level: 5 (elite soldier, defense increased by 15%.)] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: body of a puppet (c-rank), serrated blade (d-rank), shield breaker (d-rank), armor breaker (d-rank)] [race skills: special magic construct, strength increased by 50%.] [fetter-puppet: puppets can cooperate in battle.] [description: every wizard likes to research and create magic puppets to protect the resplendent wizard tower.] [rare 3-stars, level 5.] richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. it was only the first stage, and the enemy was already so powerful. wouldn¡¯t there be rare and glorious-level troops in the future? a 3-star ruin was indeed terrifying. richard immediately gave the order. ¡°gargoyles, rise into the sky. blood-colored mummies activate sand transformation to trap the enemy. ¡°soldiers of the axe of the dead, attack freely!!¡± ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the magic puppets moved in unison as they approached the troops of twilight city. their speed was neither fast nor slow. however, there was an exaggerated sense of oppression among many of them. the first to attack the magic puppets were the dark gargoyles. these flying troops swooped down abruptly. their wings spread out the sharpest cleavers. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ the powerful strength that came with the rarely-seen troops caused the bodies of four to five magic puppets to explode with a single charge. they were severely damaged. however, these puppets made of metal were far mightier than ordinary life forms. the dark gargoyles were about to soar into the sky with a single dive. the strong sense of obstruction prevented them from charging forward like they encountered the lizardmen. after the magic puppets lost more than a squadron, they immediately responded. they stood close to each other. arms held out sharp blades and raised diagonally toward the sky like spears. if the dark gargoyles attacked again, the first wave would hit their sharp blades¡­ after a short exchange, the severe collision began. the five teams of magic puppets rushed to the front of twilight city¡¯s troop side by side. the sharp blades in their hands slashed down with great power. they could even tear apart steel. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the blood-colored mummy blocked the front and had no chance to dodge. its body directly exploded and sent sand that flew in the air. however, after the mummies activated the sand transformation, they could withstand the powerful magic puppets for ten minutes. the sharp claws in their hands stabbed out, and they began to counterattack. the magic puppet¡¯s metal body and defense were astonishing. no matter how the blood-colored mummy attacked, it could not cause any damage. although the attack did not succeed, it blocked the magic puppets successfully. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the chains rattled, and the tomahawks whistled. the genuine killer soldier, the axe of the dead, launched its most ferocious attack. in a range of 21 to 40 meters, the power of the tomahawk slash was increased by 60%! the magic puppet did not know how to dodge at all. the tomahawks did not miss. ¡®crack!¡¯ deep cracks appeared on the solid green-gray metal body. one of the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead swung the chain in its hand. it transmitted the body¡¯s explosive power along the chain to the tomahawk. endless power gushed out. ¡®crack!¡¯ the metal body of the magic puppet severed into two pieces. ¡®bang!¡¯ the magic puppet fell to the ground, its blood-colored eyes dimmed. at the same time, a few crystal-clear gemstones fell out of the crack on its chest. one of them rolled for half a circle due to inertia. suddenly, an arm appeared and picked up the gemstones. richard straightened up and was about to observe when the system notification rang. [ding~ you have obtained 1 unit of a gemstone.] he was slightly stunned. when he followed the direction of the gemstones, he saw the broken chests of the magic puppets and several gems scattered on the ground. in an instant, a prodigious sense of surprise surged into his mind. ¡°these gemstones drive the magic puppets?¡± in his gaze, the magic puppet threats immediately turned into glittering treasures. ¡°tear down all these magic puppets! don¡¯t let anyone escape!! ¡°there might be over a thousand magic puppets here¡­ f*ck, this wave would be abundant.¡± Chapter 110 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation there were too many magic puppets. and they attacked in a uniform manner, which put a lot of pressure on the front row. the elite-level blood-colored mummy was unable to withstand it. it was still killed and exploded even if it activated sand transformation. some gradually retreated. when richard saw this, he immediately suppressed the excitement in his heart. !! the 15 five-meter-long giant monitor lizard mummies rushed forward with a wave of his hand. ¡®crack!¡¯ the giant mouth with sharp teeth bit the magic puppet. in the next second, the magic puppet crazily shook its head and tried to use the strength of its body to tear the enemy apart. however, the sturdy body of the magic puppet made it difficult for the berserk giant monitor lizard mummies to deal any effective damage. however, their vast size bought a lot of time for the attack from the back row. it made it safer for the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead to annihilate. from time to time, richard saw the magic puppet¡¯s broken bodies scattered with gemstones! it made him very happy. it was a rare resource. a mini metal ore vein only had 100 units of reserves. killing a few teams of magic puppets here would give him the vein of metal ore reserves. the pleasure of killing monsters and dropping equipment made him feel particularly decent. some twilight city¡¯s troop defense was destroyed as an increasing number of magic puppets were used in the passage. the giant monitor lizard mummy could not withstand it even with the sand transformation¡­ the excited richard immediately gave the order. ¡°poisonous scorpion warriors and bandaged mummies, hold them up! don¡¯t keep your hands! take down all magic puppets!!¡± the troops immediately reinforced their shaky defensive line in front after they held two rare-level troops. the magic puppet¡¯s strength lay in its countless numbers and the pressure brought by the coordinated attack. however, the troop in his hands was ultimately not weak. after the bandaged mummy enhanced its attack, its sharp claws tore apart the magic puppet¡¯s sturdy body and caused enormous damage. although it could not use curses to reduce the opponent¡¯s strength, it could forcefully withstand the attack. there was no need to mention the scorpion warriors. these melee units were known for their powerful power attack. their sharp iron pincers made the magic puppets suffer a great loss. especially the curved iron hook at the front end. when it waved, it would be nailed into the opponent¡¯s body and pulled with force. it could tear off more than half of the magic puppet¡¯s body. magic puppets dealt physical damage. the damage they dealt to the undead soldiers was not fatal. if they could not withstand it, they would immediately activate their sand transformation and enter to kill. however, there was a lot of room for maneuvering. after the number of magic puppets had reached a certain level, the defensive line in front of them continuously compressed. richard¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°tomahawk slash!!¡± the next second, the tomahawk flew out of the undead soldier¡¯s hand. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ a sharp sound echoed in the surroundings. ¡®crack!¡¯ a clear sound rang out. the magic puppets exploded into countless pieces with the tomahawk¡¯s condensed energy. it swept around like a storm. twenty tomahawks blew death storm. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the sound of metal colliding rang out continuously. a vast area of cracks appeared on the magic puppet¡¯s bodies at the core of the slashing tomahawk. its sturdy defense was now riddled with injuries from the bombardment. the magic puppet¡¯s body was mostly destroyed after the death storm swept through. its battle strength had fallen to the freezing point. more than two squadrons of magic puppets were directly crippled. the axe of the dead displayed to the fullest its terrifying lethality¡­ however, there were too many magic puppets. even with great losses, the troops at the rear soon made up for it. the battle continued. the dark gargoyles in the sky launched another attack after the magic puppet formation loosened. every time the dark gargoyles dived down, they would obtain a significant result. these flying troops were extremely flexible. when faced with the slightly stiff magic puppets, they were simply killing randomly. their lethality was not any weaker than the axe of the dead. the twilight city¡¯s troops became the gears for grinding meat. the magic puppets were quickly devoured. and the gemstones on the ground also increased. richard felt that a large number of gemstones were in his bag every time he saw a magic puppet fall. that feeling made him excited, and he continuously commanded the troops to adjust their direction to fight. however, the troops soon suffered casualties¡­ after the blood-colored mummy finished sand transformation, the magic puppets¡¯ sharp irrigated blades immediately severed it. after a few exchanges, there were only two teams left. these elite 1-star troops had no resistance against the magic puppets without sand transformation. richard did not let the blood-colored mummy die. he ordered the two teams to retreat. when the next round of sand cooled down, these cannon fodders would still be useful. the battle began to heat up with casualties. xina never made a move all this while. she sharply looked at one of the tunnels that continuously surged magic puppets. her gaze was calculating. ¡°lord richard, i request to fight!¡± richard looked at the space constantly being compressed and nod solemnly. xina¡¯s body shot out like lightning after she received the approval. she charged in from the magic puppets densest in the middle. powerful and violent. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the two magic puppets in front wanted to stop her, but they only saw a flash of cold light. the two huge heads directly disintegrated, and their bodies flew out. xina¡¯s fighting style was extremely domineering. she was decisive and her sword was sharp. wherever she passed, the magic puppets that tried to stop her would be decapitated with a single sword. the fighting power she unleashed was indeed worthy of the aura of a veteran. richard retracted his gaze. when the pressure on the battlefield still increased, he continued to give orders. ¡°gunter, the ball of corruption!¡± the moment the mummy hero, covered in blood-colored bandages, heard the order, its body emitted an endless amount of crimson energy. in its hand, a blood-colored ball that constantly pulsed rapidly condensed. if it used the blood to condense the ball of corruption, he would receive an additional 50% magic damage. however, these were all magic puppets, so there was no blood for him to use. however, the magic of an a-rank hero was also terrifying enough. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the ball of corruption tore through the sky and smashed into the magic puppets densest at fifty meters away. ¡®boom!¡¯ a muffled explosion sounded. countless magic power with strong corrosive properties enveloped the magic puppets thirty meters in diameter. unlike the explosion of the axe of the dead, the ball of corruption was like highly concentrated sulfuric acid that directly corrode the body of the magic puppet until it was full of potholes. after some key nodes were destroyed, the magic puppet was directly paralyzed and starkly destroyed. with two top-tier heroes joining the battle, this area became a real meat grinder which rapidly depleted the number of magic puppets. the battle lasted for nearly an hour, and the number of enemies that poured out from the three passageways gradually decreased until they finally disappeared without a trace¡­ when the last magic puppet fell, richard wiped the sweat from his forehead. the high-intensity command had exhausted his physical strength, which was not inferior to the fighting troops in front of him. when he saw the ground from the corner of his eye, his mood became excited again. at this time, the floor of the hall was covered with a thick body of magic puppets. a large number of gemstones were scattered in the surroundings. under the illumination of the magic lamp, they reflected a sparkling light. he felt as if he had entered the treasure house of a dragon. the ruins were truly abundant. Chapter 111 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [ding~ your troop has defeated a group of magic puppets and won a small-scale battle. you have gained 20,000 experience points.] [ding~ the cursed pharaoh has experienced a large number of battles. its level has increased. it is currently level 6.] the system notification sounded, and richard felt increasingly at ease. twenty thousand experience points? how many gathering points in the wild would he have to clear to get that? the magic puppets all over the place made him more excited. !! gemstones powered the magic puppets as the energy core. these puppets all over the place could get at least a few thousand units of a gem. it was too wonderful. richard immediately gave the order. ¡°sever the magic puppets and take out the gemstones inside¡­¡± the magic puppet was irreparable after it was damaged. so, there is no such thing as having 10,000 bottles of drinks in one hand and selling them in the other. based on the current situation, the final profit of this ruin might not be worse than that of the dungeon. while richard thought, he looked at the three passageways with no more magic puppets. with a wave of his hand, he divided the remaining two into three teams and sent them out to explore. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°these cannon fodder soldiers are starkly helpful. i¡¯ll have gunter accumulate more in the future. ¡°if there¡¯s a chance in the future, i¡¯ll have gray learn how to recruit mummies as well¡­ the white whoring characteristic of the undead is much more comfortable.¡± the soldiers who had whored for free did not feel any heartache even after they died. using them to scout and act as cannon fodder was indeed not bad. not long after, all the bloody-colored mummies returned the same way they came. they signaled it was safe inside. richard nodded and let gray lead the team to investigate the specific situation. gray returned safely and handed a map after waiting for about ten minutes. ¡°lord, i found the architectural layout of this ruin at the other end of the passage.¡± [resplendent wizard tower, arcane hall architectural layout] [level: ordinary] [description: this map records the layout of arcana hall.] richard opened the map, which was a bit blurry because of the yellow hue. common language recorded the buildings. ¡°we are in the arcana hall of the resplendent wizard tower. it is the area that specializes in making magic puppets. ¡°after we pass through the guards on the outside, we can continue to move forward. there are several building areas ahead. ¡°in the deepest part, there are warehouses that store a large number of construction materials for magic puppets¡­ the exit is also here.¡± richard¡¯s heart pounded after he looked carefully at it a few times. ¡°good heavens, a warehouse that stores magic materials¡­? how many good things are here?¡± but it was a pity. most of the map¡¯s construction areas were not marked. and there was only a simple route. otherwise, it would be even better to search for the buildings that store the treasures would be even better. dismantling the magic puppets was completed after a full hour. as the energy source, the magic puppets consumed different amounts of gemstones. those that consumed the most left with only one or two units, while those rich left with three or four. in the end, richard obtained a total of 3000 units of gemstones. he made a massive fortune. a miniature gemstone mine only had 100 units of reserves. this harvest was equivalent to mining 30 mini gemstone mines. of course, if he did not have the strength to rush in rashly, there might not even be any bones left. the vast number of magic puppets that came in waves like a tide few words could not describe. after richard consolidated the troops, he made sure there were no additional gains in the hall while he was in high spirits and led the army into the central passage. soldiers had already explored the other two passages. the magic puppets were stored here. there was nothing left after the magic puppets were cleaned up. richard entered the magic puppet manufacturing room after he passed through the 100-meter-long passage. the hall was 40 meters high and more than 500 meters in diameter. messy puppet parts piled up all over the place. one pile after another, towered like a small mountain. the scene was quite spectacular. how many parts did it take to fill up such an enormous space? and some of the empty areas were left behind by the puppets after they left. there was a moldy smell in the air, abandoned for a long time. several puppet parts could not withstand the corrosion of time and lost their magic power. some old and rusted steels also added a bit of a ruined aura to the scene. richard could not help but feel regrets after looking at it carefully. it was all useless now. if it was undamaged, it could form a troop that could wipe out all the lord players. as richard looked at the map, he led his troop through the mechanical fragments left behind by the resplendent wizard tower. passing through a 20-meter-long passage was only enough to enter the second building complex. smelting room. all kinds of magic and metal materials were smelted in this place. there are dozens of giant furnaces more than 10 meters high tall in the smelting room hundreds of meters wide. below each furnace were four giant bellows with openings aimed at the bottom. these furnaces had long since shut down, and only rare ores were scattered on the ground. the magic array on the wall had also become dim¡­ the most eye-catching part was the center of the furnace engraved with countless runes and was as tall as 30 meters. perhaps, even dragons could be smelted. the magnificent scene of this ruin made people sigh with emotion. richard immediately arranged for the troop to enter and search after he regained his composure. there were many good things here. the ores on the ground were pronouncedly high-grade goods. but the troop had not dispersed yet. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the open passage behind suddenly closed and turned into a wall. even the crack in the door disappeared without a trace. the moment the passage disappeared. the copper furnaces shut down for god knows how many years and suddenly burned up. ¡®huff! huff! huff!¡¯ the sound of a violent wind could be heard. the massive bellows below the furnaces kept sounding. they blew a large amount of air into the furnaces. it caused dozens of furnaces to burst into flames in an instant. the burning flames rose to a high temperature and began to melt the steel in the furnaces. richard¡¯s expression changed. he sensed an exaggerated danger in those copper furnaces. ¡°leave this place immediately!¡± he led the troop to the exit of the smelting room. however, just as they reached the entrance, the furnace closest to them suddenly sprayed several meters of molten iron. the hot molten iron fell from the sky and quickly turned black, but the terrifying heat made sizzling sounds as it fell to the ground. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp, and he saw a terrifying life form covered in flames that crawled out of the furnace. and this was only the beginning. in the next second, dozens of fireballs crawled out of the furnace that had been ignited. each of them exuded a powerful aura. the high temperature of the burning was enough to melt everything. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°retreat into the tunnel!!!¡± when the troop rushed into the next tunnel, he opened the attributes panel of the fire monsters. [flame element] [level: 6] [potential: rare 1-star] [skills: body of flame (c-rank) ¡ª life born from fire. immune to all flame-type magic damage. the body¡¯s surface of the body is constantly burning at a high temperature that can melt steel. it can be instantly ignited which allows the fire to envelop an area of five meters in diameter.] [flame fireball (c-rank)¨C able to condense a flame fireball to attack the enemy. cooldown time: 30 seconds] [devouring flames (c-rank) ¡ª able to devour flames to quickly recover from injuries.] [burning flames (c-rank)¨C able to raise the temperature of the flames in the body by five times. lasts for 5 minutes. cooldown time: half an hour.] [race talent: immune to physical damage.] [fetter-flame: able to devour flames to revive if killed in flames.] [description: elemental life forms. their bodies are burning with flames.] [rare 1-star, level 6, elemental life forms are immune to physical damage¡­] the temperature in the air instantly skyrocketed. xina seemed to have thought of something at this moment and hurriedly spoke. ¡°this wizard tower captured these elemental life forms from the elemental plane to refine magic materials. with so many fire elements, there might even be a fire elemental lord¡­¡± before she could finish his sentence. in the central area, the 30-meter-tall giant furnace splashed red molten iron. the scene looked like a volcanic eruption. a giant life form more than 15 meters in size crawled out from the furnace. flames burned on its body. a terrifying majesty instantly enveloped the surroundings, as if a mountain that was hundreds of thousands of meters tall had collapsed. it was exceedingly terrifying. richard subconsciously opened his status panel and gazed. his breathing froze. [fire elemental lord] [boss unit] [level: 18] richard was bereft of speech. his scalp tingled. Chapter 112 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°level 18 boss?!!¡± richard could feel the aura emanating from the fire elemental lord, and his breathing stopped. the pressure from the fire elemental lord was much stronger than the god¡¯s ancient tree, which could breed poisonous wasps. ¡®crash!¡¯ just as the fire elemental lord climbed out of the furnace, the sound of countless iron chains that sharply clashed audibly surrounded the battle area. !! countless energy chains that flashed azure light appeared above the fire elemental lord. it forcefully trapped the level-18 boss that tried to climb out of the furnace. ¡®roar!¡¯ the fire elemental lord ejected forth a hysterical roar. countless blue runes surged that released firework-like light. no matter how hard it struggled, it could not break through the chains¡­ in the end, it could only watch unwillingly as starlight city troops entered the tunnel. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a fireball with a long flame tail smashed at the tunnel¡¯s entrance. the fire elemental lord could not leave the seal, but the other free-moving fire elementals that appeared from the furnace launched the attack. ¡®bang!¡¯ the flames exploded, and a scorching high temperature instantly surged up. the narrow tunnel became a vent for the high temperature. the two gargoyles at the back suddenly spread their wings and forcibly blocked the flames. the flames behind them still exploded. dozens of fire elemental life forms were enough to carry out a continuous fireball bombardment. the hundred-meter-long passage quickly came to an end after running at high speed. richard¡¯s sight suddenly widened. it was another hall a few times larger than the first one. colorful murals carved on the sky dome made it magnificent and imposing. however, richard was not interested in these things at the moment. after he made sure no enemies were in the hall, he immediately gave the order. ¡°avoid the front of the tunnel. be careful of the fireballs released by the fire elementals! ¡°the dark gargoyles will be the main force. don¡¯t let those fire elementals break in! ¡°the axe of the dead will be standing on the side. as soon as the enemies show their heads, attack immediately! ¡°gray, gunter, take the cursed pharaoh with the axe of the dead.¡± fortunately, this passage was relatively narrow, so the fire elementals could not pass through. it made twilight city troops to better deal with the elementals at the same time. luckily, the fearsome fire elemental lord was imprisoned in the furnace. or else, it would have to overturn the battle troops today. the attributes of the level 18 boss were all unknown. this was not something richard could deal with now. ¡°what was the origin of this ruin in the past? to be able to casually imprison a level 18 fire elemental lord as fuel¡­ what a big deal.¡± while richard was deep in thought, a fireball suddenly flew out from the tunnel in front. four teams of dark gargoyles guarded the front tightly. one of them suddenly swung its fist and directly hit the fireball. ¡®bang!¡¯ the flames erupted and enveloped the surrounding dark gargoyles. however, after the flames subsided, the dark gargoyles¡¯ bodies still reflected light and were not affected in the slightest. they were overbearing and powerful. magic-immune units just didn¡¯t make sense. if it were not for fire elementals¡¯ physical damage immunity, these dark gargoyles could decide the tide of the battle. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ fireballs incessantly flew out. after the explosions, the surrounding temperature rose rapidly. meanwhile, the light in the tunnel became increasingly hot. the figure of the fire elementals appeared in the gargoyles¡¯ sight. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead troop immediately launched an attack after waiting for a long time. the tomahawks in their hands flew out with the power to shatter the city wall. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sound of the chains was the murmur of death. one fire elemental failed to dodge when it sensed the undead soldier¡¯s attack and impulsively exposed its head. ¡®boom!¡¯ elemental life forms were immune to physical damage, but the power condensed tomahawk dealt magic damage. the tomahawk pierced through the fire elemental¡¯s body. the body that exuded melting steel-like temperature trembled. it was like something severed the soul apart, and its breath instantly extinguished. ¡®crack!¡¯ the body collapsed to the ground and shattered like glass. the flames gradually extinguished, and pieces of pitch-black ore-like objects appeared. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp. he saw a ray of light flash through the fire elemental¡¯s body which was more dazzling than gemstones. but before richard could keenly observe, more flame elements surged over. the axe of the dead guarded the cave¡¯s entrance. the whistling sound of the tomahawk became the whisper of death. the twilight city troops immediately killed on the spot those fire elementals. ¡®kacha!¡¯ another fire elemental¡¯s body shattered, and a unique fiery-red gemstone fell. [ding~ you have smashed sugar palm. you hit the ground and bounced up high.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up as he opened his attribute panel. [fire elemental core] [level: 1-star] [characteristics: a magic item that can enchant items or equipment giving them fire damage.] [description: an item that can only be born from the fire element.] ¡°1-star treasure? ¡°fire elemental core? ¡°can someone enchant items and equipment?¡± a strong sense of surprise surged into richard¡¯s heart. ¡®was killing monsters and dropping equipment the genuine way to open this ruin?¡¯ when richard made a discovery, the battle became more intense. the fire elementals almost broke through the defense line several times. after gray and gunter joined the battle, the situation began to change. once the axe of the dead could not suppress the fire elementals, the two mummy heroes would act in time. the situation gradually stabilized. at this moment. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the sound of mechanical footsteps came from another tunnel. richard¡¯s expression changed. he turned around abruptly. ¡°magic puppet?!! ¡°poison scorpion warrior, bandaged mummy, guard that tunnel!¡± after he said that, he was still worried. he transferred two teams of dark gargoyles from the already stable fire elemental tunnel to go forward. the troop had just formed. the sound of mechanical footsteps approached quickly under the dim light of the magic lamp. after a few breaths, several magic puppets appeared in his sight. richard¡¯s eyes focused. he found this batch of magic puppets mixed with several four-armed magic puppets. from the appearance of these magical creations that emitted faint-silver radiance were pronouncedly more advanced. he opened his stats panel and gazed. [level: 7] [potential: rare 2-stars] other skills were almost the same as rare 1-star magic puppets. however, their skill level and various attributes had increased significantly. richard¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°block the passage, don¡¯t let any magic puppets escape!¡± as his voice fell, the four-armed magic puppet extended out sharp blades. the silver-white rare-level four-armed magic puppet flicked out battle blades. one did not need to experience it to know that one should never underestimate this magic puppet¡¯s destructive power. the enemy was fierce. but twilight city troops know no fear. the poisonous scorpion warrior directly charged forward. their iron pincers clashed head-on with the magic puppet¡¯s sharp blades. in an instant, sparks flew in all directions. ¡®clang! clang! the metal crash resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. the scorpion warrior only felt a vast force that could destroy the city wall surge over. it took three steps back before it could barely stop itself. the potential of the magic puppet was a vast level higher than the scorpion warrior, and its strength was much mightier. its edge forcefully suppressed the fierce scorpion warriors. it began to retreat step by step. when richard saw this, he decisively changed his strategy. ¡°dark gargoyles, take over the battle! the rest of the soldiers that haven¡¯t activated the sand transformation take turns to advance! the main task is to drag out!¡± the axe of the dead was the primary force in killing the magic puppets, but they had to deal with the more difficult fire elementals. as long as they could spare a hand, these magic puppets would be severed to pieces! the battle continued. the number of magic puppets in the passage was almost endless, and an increasing number of fire elementals surged out from the smelting room. this resplendent wizard tower was once incomparably glorious. even if yellow sand swallowed it for hundreds of thousands of years, it still had a startling power guard. richard commanded the battle on both sides with high intensity under the enemies¡¯ backs. he was both in pain and joy at this moment. every time he defeats a magic puppet, e would obtain a few units of rare resources¡ªgemstones. and every time he killed a fire elemental, he would obtain a 1-star treasure¡ªthe fire elemental core. Chapter 113 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation magic puppets could drop gemstones. fire elementals could drop fire elemental cores¡­ was this the charm of the ruins? richard felt deep-pressed pressure after the fire elemental cores landed and the gemstones rolled down. it immediately transformed into a powerful driving force. every time he takes down an enemy, he feels the harvest. the feeling was exceedingly astonishing. !! ¡°resist the pressure. deal with the fire elementals first, with the magic puppets!¡± richard¡¯s order made the axe of the dead¡¯s attacks increasingly intensive. they heard the incessant whistling sound of the tomahawk. the two axe of the dead teams guarded a passage. cursed pharaoh and the two a-rank heroes, and two teams of dark gargoyles acting as the front row, were there to support. the fire elementals were still pressed into the passageways although their potential had reached rare-level, and the temperature of their flames could melt steel. the battle lasted for half an hour. ¡®roar!¡¯ everyone could hear the trembling roar, and the wildly attacking fire elementals suddenly retreated¡­ the heat in the air began to subside after a while. the raging fire elementals seemed to have returned to the furnace. when richard saw this, he could not help but release a long sigh of relief. there was not much joy about defeating the enemy but some regrets. he had not had enough yet. how many fire elemental cores had exploded? this was a 1-star treasure that could reinforce equipment¡­ without much hesitation, he immediately dispatched two teams of blood-colored mummies to search for the fire elemental cores from the broken bodies of the raging fire elementals. at the same time, richard dispatched the axe of the dead to the tunnel front, where the fierce battle was. only the axe of the dead could suppress the situation in facing a rare magic puppet with an exaggerated defense. although the dark gargoyle could block the opponent¡¯s sharp blades, its killing efficiency was not high. as expected, heir killing speed dramatically increased when the axe of the dead joined the battle. the mighty magic damage was enough to describe this unit as extraordinary. richard paid close attention to the gemstones that gradually covered the ground¡­ fortunately, his troops in hand were undead. so, there was no need for such a thing as a stamina bar. otherwise, they would have long been exhausted from such a high-intensity battle if it were any other life form. even so, the troop¡¯s breath was much weaker. the most intuitive reaction was that the speed and strength of the undead soldiers had pronouncedly weakened. the undead relied on their soul power. although long-term battles would not exhaust them as humans did, they would still be exhausted. however, if they consumed too much, it would also attenuate their soul power and the decline of their various attributes. this might also be a balance of the ¡°ara of radiance¡± origin of rules for various races. another hour passed. just as the speed and strength of the axe of the dead¡¯s attacks had visibly decreased, and all of the troop¡¯s sand transformation had entered cooldown, the sound of mechanical footsteps behind them finally stopped. in this endurance battle, twilight city obtained the final victory. this battle of attrition had almost run out of ammunition and food. except for the blood-colored mummies that collected the fire elemental cores at the rear, the other troops, including the giant monitor lizard mummies, have fallen into a slump. their soul energy was severely overdrawn. richard was in a delighted emotional state after he made sure there were no casualties among the troops. he looked at the corpses of the magic puppets on the ground.and several gemstones were faintly discernible of all¡­ although this wave of attacks was extremely tiring, and the fire elemental lord almost prevented them, they still managed to reap a bountiful harvest. and it was a bountiful harvest!! more than half an hour later. all the harvests were counted. richard had obtained 160 fire elemental cores from the fire element. this was a 1-star treasure¡­ a magic item that could reinforce equipment and enchantment. it was simply perfect. and the gemstones had a total of 4,000 units!! a large portion of them was found in rare-level magic puppets. so, adding it all up. he had 7,000 gemstones and 160 fire element cores! even if this exploration of the ruins ended here, he had already earned a lot of money. the excitement in his heart made the corners of his mouth curl up. he opened the map and gazed. he only needed to pass through two more buildings to reach the arcana hall warehouse. this made him very excited. the resources in these ruins were so abundant that it was mind-blowing. as expected of the resplendent wizard tower, it was so rich. ¡°i wonder what level of treasures are hidden in the main gate? ¡°unfortunately, i don¡¯t have the strength to explore now¡­ ¡°even the most dangerous side gate is sealed with a boss like the fire elemental lord. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not surprising for a boss above level 20 to appear at the main gate.¡± just as richard was about to explore deeper¡­ suddenly, a hollow voice came from the smelting room. ¡°human, i¡¯m the fire elemental lord. there¡¯s no need to be afraid. i want to talk to you¡­ those damned wizards have imprisoned me for 500,000 years! ¡°the wizards in this resplendent wizard tower have already fallen in the divine war of gods, and i¡¯m still unable to escape. ¡°if you can help me, i¡¯m willing to give you an unimaginable reward¡­¡± richard suddenly turned around and looked at the smelting room that emitted flames a hundred meters away. his expression rather showed cosmic interest. in this day and age, could a boss negotiate with people? no, ¡°shining era¡± was no longer a game. every character here had their own experiences and could not be influenced by stereotypes. just as richard deeply thought, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have triggered an emergency ¡ª fire elemental lord requests for help.] [five hundred thousand years ago, the legendary wizard of the resplendent wizard tower entered the fire elemental plane and sealed one of the fire elemental lords. it brought the lord back to the resplendent wizard tower and locked it in a special forging furnace.] [five hundred thousand years later, the resplendent wizard tower collapsed in the battle of the gods. the still-sealed fire elemental lord wanted you to release it.] [note: there is no fixed reward for a sudden incident. any choice you make will affect the reward.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. another sudden incident? the last sudden incident¡ªdesert bandits robbed the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce caravan. he had reaped a bountiful harvest. even a merchant onyx from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce brought him a valuable blueprint for the hero¡¯s altar. ¡®this powerful boss that had lived for hundreds of thousands of years couldn¡¯t possibly be inferior to onyx, right?¡¯ as his thoughts raced, he spoke in a clear voice. ¡°fire elemental lord, you should know that your actions just now made it impossible for me to trust you. ¡°however, i think it is exceedingly cruel to deprive one¡¯s life freedom for 500,000 years. ¡°i can help you, but i need to ensure your sincerity!¡± the sound came from the tunnel into the smelting room, and the sound of swinging chains could be heard. a moment later, the dim light in the smelting room began to brighten again. ¡°human, don¡¯t attack, i will possess my descendant to negotiate with you¡­¡± after the empty voice sounded, a fire elemental appeared on the other side of the tunnel. the atmosphere suddenly became tense. richard opened his attribute panel and did not find anything unusual. he told the axe of the dead to remain vigilant and keep a close eye on the approaching fire elemental. if the enemy showed even the slightest threat, the troop would immediately launch an attack. the fire elemental gradually approached and the temperature rose. when richard saw this, he was quite curious. what would the level-18 fire elemental lord want in exchange for his freedom? Chapter 114 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the fire elemental lord that possessed the fire element gradually walked out of the passage¡­ its gaze swept around. finally, his gaze ceased onto the human lord guarded by the undead troops at the core position. the trapped lord never imagined it would one day seek the help of those damned humans!! but 500,000 years was too long¡­ it was too long. !! he could not bear it even if he had almost eternal life. moreover, the wizard had sealed the lord in a furnace for 500,000 years! that narrow space made the lord almost go crazy. endless loneliness and emptiness constantly gnawed at his heart. but the seal of this resplendent wizard tower was too dreadsome. even if those damned wizards had long fallen, the seal that could automatically absorb magic showed no signs of loosening for hundreds of thousands of years. the human in front was the first group of outsiders the captured lord had discovered over countless years. the trapped lord had initially planned to capture, enslave, and force them to fulfill orders. but the rescuers were much stronger than the trapped lord had imagined. the trapped lord would have been able to melt them all in an instant without the seal. but that damnable seal had restricted its power to the furnace. after its anger, the trapped lord was afraid. people would soon leave and the trapped lord imprisoned for another hundred thousand years¡­ the fire elemental lord missed the lava lair it had built. it missed the fire and heat elemental plane. this time, no matter what price it had to pay, the trapped lord had to obtain freedom. ¡®freedom!!!!¡¯ no one knew how strong the desire for freedom was for an intelligent life imprisoned for hundreds of thousands of years. only when the other party got closer did richard see the appearance of the fire elementals. the bodies of these fire elementals were semi-transparent and mysterious substances. terrifying flames scorched around them. richard felt his hair raised even though they were more than 20 meters apart. after the death of these fire elementals, their bodies would rapidly solidify into an ore-like substance. the core of their bodies contained sturdy magic power. ¡°human, you are strong enough. ¡°i beg you to go to the deepest part of the arcana hall. in the warehouse where magic materials are stored, it is where the key to open this seal could be found.¡± ¡°as long as you can help me find the key, i will give you a generous reward¡­¡± the voice of the fire elemental lord had a subtle tone. it was the high-level elemental language. high-level languages had one thing in common ¡ª they allowed listeners who did not know this language to understand its meaning. richard had seen abyssal and undead blasphemy. and it was no longer rare for high-level languages. he caught the keywords from the other party¡¯s words. ¡°in the warehouse where the key stores magic materials? fire elemental lord, your seal can be opened with a key?¡± the flames on the fire elemental lord¡¯s body soared. ¡°those despicable wizards didn¡¯t take the key with them!¡± richard said in surprise. ¡°you have so many fire elementals around you, why didn¡¯t you send them?¡± ¡°all magic power is forbidden in that area. fire elementals are elemental lifeforms, so they are also repelled. ¡°believe me, i have tried many times more than you can imagine¡­¡± that¡¯s true. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there was no other way, with this trapped lord¡¯s hatred towards humans, why would he ask for help from these people? richard had an idea and continued. ¡°fire elemental lord, although i sympathize with your suffering and am willing to help you. ¡°but we weren¡¯t on friendly terms just now. how can i ensure you won¡¯t hurt me after i get you out of here?¡± he had no interest in the matter of the farmer and the snake. after a moment of silence, the fire elemental lord possessed by the fire elemental spoke again. this time, its tone was extremely solemn. ¡°under the witness of the elemental god, i swear on my soul after i obtain my freedom, i will not hurt you or your troop. i will also pay you as promised. ¡°if i violate the oath, my soul will be turned into ashes and will never be reborn.¡± richard was stunned. just as he was about to open his mouth¡­ a powerful fluctuation appeared from the fire elemental¡¯s body and directly enveloped him. richard suddenly felt exceedingly strange energy that tried to establish a connection with him¡­ [ding~ the fire elemental lord, under the witness of the elemental god, has applied to enter into a contract with you¡­] [the contract content was the fire elemental lord¡¯s promise. the breach of contract would directly destroy the fire elemental lord.] after richard read the system notification, he was immediately interested. how could there be such a thing? his mind spun. ¡°fire elemental lord, i need to know, what reward can i get for helping you?¡± the two sides had nothing to talk about it. the fire elemental lord pondered for a moment and slowly said, ¡°i have learned many human spells over countless years. ¡°you should know how precious knowledge is. i can teach you three powerful b-rank grade spells¡­¡± as the trapped lord spoke, the flames increased. ¡°and i can sense the aura of the desert from you¡­ you don¡¯t seem to have changed your level. ¡°i accidentally obtained a rare level skill that used to be very powerful in this wizard tower ¡ª yellow sand mage.¡± ¡°this level is extremely compatible with the power in your body¡­ i can instantly help upgrade your level.¡± richard¡¯s heart jumped a beat. rare-level? yellow sand mage? when richard heard these words, it seemed to be a level tailored for him¡­ he suppressed the throbbing in his heart. ¡°no, it¡¯s not enough.¡± the fire elemental lord¡¯s voice carried adamant pressure. ¡°what else do you want?¡± ¡°three a-rank spells, plus 300 fire elemental cores¡­¡± ¡°impossible! the spells i¡¯m teaching you will require immense soul power. it¡¯s not as simple as you think. besides, i don¡¯t have any a-rank spells to teach you¡­ i can give you 300 fire elemental cores.¡± ¡°500.¡± ¡°deal.¡± richard gestured to xina beside him. ¡°also, i hope you can help my friend break the seal in her body.¡± xina was stunned. she didn¡¯t expect richard to still remember his promise to her at this moment¡­ the fire elemental lord turned its attention to xina after the trapped lord heard that. the flames on its body fluctuated after the captured lord sensed for a moment. ¡°no, impossible!! the seal on her body has a power that i can¡¯t touch¡­ that¡¯s an exceedingly horrifying aura!¡± richard was slightly disappointed. the recruitment mission for an a-rank hero was indeed not that simple. however, he immediately recovered his mood. ¡°if that¡¯s the case, i¡¯ll use two strategic treasures in exchange for this condition.¡± after a moment of silence, the fire elemental lord¡¯s flames gradually dimmed. ¡°deal¡­ this is the final condition.¡± the final deal¡­ the fire elemental lord used a rare-level, three spells, and 500 1-star treasures ¡ª the fire elemental core and two strategic treasures in exchange for richard¡¯s help. richard was in a great mood. the fire elemental lord¡¯s offer had far exceeded his expectations. moreover, the place that the fire elemental lord wanted him to go to was the place he wanted to go to in the first place. it was because the passage to leave the ruins was in the deepest part of it¡­ the fire elemental lord¡¯s mission was practically a gift. moreover, the entire mission had no restrictions on him. if he could not complete it, he would not be punished. although the fire elemental lord was stalwart, richard had absolute control over the initiative. the contract between the two parties concluded when they met the negotiation conditions. the fire elemental lord, trapped for hundreds of thousands of years, saw the freedom hope. although it had exchanged a lot of conditions for this hope, nothing was more important compared to freedom¡­ the pain of being imprisoned in a small place for countless years was unimaginable to outsiders. ¡°now, you can tell me where the key is.¡± the flame of the fire elemental lord immediately rose. ¡°the key to open the seal is stored in the deepest part, which is the core that controls the entire arcana hall¡­ ¡°that is the anti-magic area. no one can use magic there. and there are a lot of magic puppet guards, but with your army, you can eliminate those dangers. ¡°the core of the arcana hall is a fist-size crystal. it¡¯s full of magic power. ¡°the arcana hall will collapse in ten minutes once you remove the crystal. you have to go back immediately.¡± the fire elemental lord¡¯s voice was very grave. the collapse of the building would not destroy the seal of the furnace. on the contrary, it might be buried and lose the chance to be free. richard took out the map and gestured to it from a distance. ¡°are there any special treasures in these buildings?¡± ¡°no. i have sent my descendants to explore the areas for hundreds of thousands of years¡­¡± ¡°when those wizards left, they had already taken most of the things. the rest are with me. after my freedom, i can give them all to you¡­¡± richard nodded and asked about the details of the ruins. after he made sure there were no mistakes, he stepped on the body of the magic puppet and led the troop into the next passage¡­ he was very envious of the trapped lord¡¯s reward. he kept thinking about rare-level¡ªthe yellow sand mage. ¡°this level-18 boss is ultimately a super boss!¡± Chapter 115 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation with anticipation for the rare level, richard stepped on the body of the magic puppet and walked through a passage that was dozens of meters long. he entered the rare-level magic puppet manufacturing room. a familiar scene appeared before his eyes. broken bodies of rotted magic puppets filled the ground like a large-scale waste factory. a long time was enough to decay everything. the troop scouted the surroundings for several hours. they did not find anything of value. !! since they did not find anything, richard did not stay any longer. he came to the passage of the next area. his gaze turned serious. ¡°the fire elemental lord¡¯s information ¡ª the next building area is the glorious-level magic puppet manufacturing workshop¡­¡± although the trapped lord said the battle had destroyed magic puppets in this workshop, he still did not dare to be careless. first, he sent two teams of bloody-colored mummies out to scout the way. after richard made sure there was no threat, he ordered gray, gunter, and xina to enter. he was the last to enter. the moment he saw the hall, richard¡¯s eyes widened. hundreds of giant magic puppets more than five meters tall appeared in front of him. these magic puppets had different shapes. some were human, some were beasts, and some were even bird-shaped with wings on their backs. no matter how oddly their shapes were, these magic puppets had one thing in common ¡ª their only purpose was to kill. sharp weapons of mass destruction equipped every part of their bodies. one could still imagine how glorious and powerful magic puppets were even if the passage of time had long made them decay. fortunately, this was the secondary gate. the evaluation would not be a medium threat if there were several glorious-level magic puppets. when richard thought of this, he was suddenly shocked. the main gate of this ruin was extremely dangerous. could it be that glorious-level troops filled the main gate? or, could there be a higher level of existence? he felt his scalp go numb when he thought of the glorious-level troops coming in all directions. he had decided not to go to the main gate until troops were sturdy enough. gunter returned to report after it led the troop to search carefully. ¡°lord, there are no gemstones or other valuable items found in the bodies of these magic puppets¡­¡± richard nodded and looked at xina. ¡°did you get anything?¡± xina shook her head. ¡°no¡­¡± ¡®so far, there was no information about the seal.¡± richard did not hesitate and waved his hand. ¡°keep moving.¡± the troop came to the passage leading to the next area. richard¡¯s eyes became weighty. before he stepped into the passage, he sensed the active magic power in the surroundings had quieted down. he tried to move a few steps forward, but he could hardly sense the presence of magic power. the anti-magic area. after richard glanced at the map, they arrived at the core of arcana hall. he stared at the troop behind him after some profound thoughts. ¡°the next area is the area that creates unique magic puppets. and it is also the center of the material storage and the entire arcana hall. ¡°this area is sealed with spells. ¡°at the same time, magic puppets of unknown strength guard the area. danger lurks everywhere. ¡°everyone must be vigilant! ¡°gray, gunter, stay outside and wait here with the cursed pharaohs.¡± the two mummy heroes were both spell casters, and the anti-magic area was the natural enemy of all wizards. a spellcaster who could not mobilize magic power was not necessarily better than the militia¡­ just as he was about to explore this unknown map, richard turned around with a serious expression. ¡°xina, the next battle is exceedingly dangerous. you are not yet my subordinate, so i can allow you to stay here. ¡°this is for your safety.¡± he paused for a moment, and his voice became louder. ¡°of course, you can also fight alongside us, sharing life and death.¡± one needs to build a good impression slowly. the four great ironies of life¡­ a friendship forged through the fires of war together. there was no need to say how precious it was. richard¡¯s words pointed out what they were experiencing together, reinforcing the connection between the two sides. there was also the premise he was negotiating with the fire elemental lord. richard gave up other benefits and specifically asked for help to remove the seal in her body. china¡¯s gaze did not waver at all. 1 ¡°lord richard, i request to fight with you!¡± richard deeply looked into her eyes. ¡°xina, from now on, you will temporarily become a member of twilight city. i will command you as a subordinate. if necessary, you will even give up your life! are you ready?!¡± ¡°xina will listen to your orders!¡± since richard truly cared about solving the seal for her, she would not let her companions down. richard nodded in satisfaction. china¡¯s personality was completely different from adele¡¯s. using this method to build a close relationship was much better than being a sissy. his gaze focused as he began to give out orders. ¡°blood-colored mummy, go and scout the enemy. immediately return if you encounter the enemy. do not fight the enemy if you can lure them out. ¡°the other troops, wait for my orders!¡± the blood-colored mummy disappeared for a short while. suddenly, an intense battle sound erupted. after a short while, the battle disappeared without a trace. the opponents wiped all the two troop squads in just a few breaths. not a single one of them survived. due to the dim light, the ten-meter-tall arched passage was like a vast bloody-mouthed beast. it seemed to be able to devour all the troops. richard looked at the silent air and frowned. the number of casualties of the recruited troops did not make his heart wrench. what made his heart stew was how strong the enemy inside could be. after he pondered for a while, he gradually had an idea. he extended his hand to signal a cursed pharaoh who had not used sand transformation to approach the passage. ¡°activate sand transformation!¡± after the cursed pharaoh received the order, its body became blurry.as if it was made of countless sand grains¡­ when richard saw this, he was festive. ¡°not bad, not bad at all!! ¡± we could still use sand transformation in the anti-magic area!¡± sand transformation was his lord¡¯s talent. it was a bloodline skill that consumed his strength. ¡®what you freeze is free in the air magic energy. what does it have to do with the power in my bloodline?¡¯ magic-immune units like the dark gargoyles can do sand transformation. this doesn¡¯t seem to be surprising. ¡°rest here and wait for everyone¡¯s sand transformations skills to recover before entering.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were burning. the guards in the magic-immune area could only be physical weapons. ¡°sand transformation, heaven-defying physical damage!¡± the last battle was so intense that most soldiers used sand transformation. they could only wait at this point. his sand transformation cooldown time was one hour, and subordinates¡¯ had doubled. it would take two hours to refresh. the exhausted troops¡¯ aura also recovered to its peak state after everyone¡¯s skill cooldown time was restored. to prevent accidents from happening. richard ordered a small team of bandaged mummies to activate sand transformation to explore the path twenty meters ahead. the rest of the troops followed behind. the passage was only dozens of meters away. it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the last area of arcana hall. the view suddenly widened. it was a hall that was more than fifty meters high. engraved on the surrounding walls were countless obscure and mysterious magic inscriptions. the majestic building seemed to have entered the most ¡°shining era¡± of the resplendent wizard tower in ancient times. but the next second, richard¡¯s expression suddenly became exceedingly staid. a squadron of magic puppets stood a hundred meters away. bodies of the blood-colored mummies¡¯ were scattered around ¨C as if chopped off. those magic puppets were over five meters tall. their entire bodies were made of metal and glowed with a white-gold light. their auras were transgressively horrifying. each of their arms carried a thick-edged broadsword over two and a half meters long. it weighed several hundred pounds. there was a well-defined tail behind them. the end tail was as sharp as a spear. even a heavy shield could not resist it. protruding death weapons covered the shoulder armor, elbows, and knees. they are ultimate killing machines. richard only took a glance and immediately felt his brain swell. [heavy sword wariors] [level: 9 (elite soldier, strength increased by 15%.)] [potential: glorious 2-stars] ****** Chapter 116 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation glorious 2-stars¡­ richard¡¯s breathing stopped. suddenly, he felt his mouth and tongue dry. and this was not just one or two. the heavy sword warrior in front of him surpassed a squadron! how the hell was he supposed to fight? !! he let out a long breath and continued to watch. [skill: body of a puppet (b-rank) ¡ª a body forged with precious materials. strength increased by 90%. defense increased by 90%. magic resistance increased by 50%.] [violent cleave (b-rank) ¡ª after charging for a short period, 500% of strength can be unleashed to attack the enemy.] [spiral storm (b-rank) ¡ª the long blade is stuck in the hand. the body rotates in a gyro. a powerful lethality erupts. the rotation speed is 5 revolutions per second. the power increases by 50%. the speed increases by 30%. and the additional armor-piercing damage is obtained.] [excessive overload (b-rank) ¡ª consumes 20 times of energy per second. increases the rotation of spiral storm by 3 times.] violent tail thorn (b-rank) ¡ª increases the sharpness by 90%. increases the sturdiness by 90%. the attack launched after charging has armor-piercing damage. can pierce heavy armor.] [race talent: immune to curses, poison, pestilence, and mind-type control skills.] [fetter-magic puppet: when the body is broken, it can be repaired automatically.] 1 [description: a specially forged magic puppet with powerful physical damage.] ¡®five b-rank skills?¡¯ richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. but when he saw they were all physical damage, he could not help but let out a long sigh. at this time, the ray of light in the eyes of those heavy-blade warriors had already turned red. and they were killing with a mechanical pace. two thick-edged heavy blades could split the city wall open. as he watched the enemies approach, his brain was spinning wildly. in the anti-magic area, without the assistance of two powerful a-rank mage heroes, it could not kill these glorious-level magic puppets in one wave. however¡­ the sand transformation skill bestowed upon his troops had a chance to turn the tables. ¡°those magic puppets can only inflict physical damage! all of you, turn into sand, surround, and kill these puppets!! ¡°remember, as long as there are only two minutes left in the sand transformation, retreat immediately. don¡¯t stay here for too long! ¡°if you couldn¡¯t kill them in one wave, then consume them to death!¡± richard was unusually decisive. ¡°axe of the dead, focus fire and output on the same enemy! ¡°the other troops, create a space for the axe of the dead to deal damage!¡± the entire troops turned into sand the moment richard gave the order. the bandaged mummy, the poisonous scorpion warrior, and the dark gargoyle immediately charged forward. the axe of the dead followed closely behind with its tomahawk in hand, ready to attack at any moment. richard looked at xina with a solemn expression. ¡°the glorious-level magic puppets are very powerful. xina, fight freely. protect your safety first. don¡¯t take credit for it.¡± xina nodded firmly. ¡°i will use sharp blades to tear the enemy¡¯s chest apart! ¡°the descendants of the krina tribe would never retreat!¡± as soon as she finished speaking, her figure galloped out. several afterimages appeared in the air. this lady with a sealed bloodline had a battle technique of the master level. she was still so powerful that it made people¡¯s hearts tremble, even if she could not use bloodline power! xina arrived later. she was the first to clash with the heavy sword warriors. the horrifying and violent magic puppet with two giant swords in its hands waved its arms, and the blade made a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air. it seemed it could tear even space apart. xina turned her body slightly to the side, and the battle sword slashed across the face. only a third of a palm¡¯s distance away from chopping off her head. however, this short distance was like a ravine in the sky. in that instant, her right foot stomped on the ground violently. the powerful force rebounded back, causing her speed to soar to the maximum in an instant. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ a cold light flashed. a deep sword mark appeared on the heavy sword warrior¡¯s thigh. however, the defense of a glorious-level soldier was too exaggerated. this injury was far from being able to stop it from fighting! ¡®whoosh¡¯ the two heavy swords slashed again. the magic puppets did not show any emotional fluctuations. they only had one goal ¡ª to hunt down the enemy and never die. it was violent and crazy. xina¡¯s body suddenly bent forward at this moment. the heavy swords slashed from the back, and the cold wind blew the leather armor. her body exerted strength, and her body flashed forward. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks flew in all directions, and the sword mark became increasingly pronounced. the attack succeeded. and a stride forward, out of the attack range of the magic puppet. she launched her second attack without any pause. the magic puppet brandished two large swords, and the horrifying power it carried was enough to shatter even the city walls. however, xina, whose battle skills had always been at the master level, was like a ballet dancer dancing on tiptoes on top of a sword. every time, she managed to avoid her opponent¡¯s attacks. ¡®clang!¡¯ the third, the fourth, the fifth strike¡­ ¡®kacha!¡¯ the magic puppet that repeatedly attacked snapped its right foot. it flew seven to eight meters away with a strong swing and hit another magic puppet before it stopped. the five-meter-tall body of the heavy sword warrior suddenly bent short. its body staggered and lost its balance. it fell directly to the ground. ¡®bang!¡¯ a dull voice surrounded the battlefield. the opponent tried to struggle to get up. at this moment, xina¡¯s figure appeared on the opponent¡¯s back. one foot stepped on the opponent¡¯s sturdy head, while the other was on the shoulder blade. she held the cross-shaped longsword tightly with both hands and released a low growl. her body was like a spring compressed to the extreme, and deathless power burst out. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the longsword streaked across the sky. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the sound of a metal symphony rang out. in the next second, a vast head flew more than ten meters away and then rolled not far away from richard. glorious 2-star soldier, pawn. richard keenly observed xina and felt pleasure as he watched. xina¡¯s fight gave him an overbearing feeling, spiritual and skill-filled. extraordinary. when xina revealed her strength, the battle between the twilight city troops and the magic puppets reached a fever in the second collision. the poisonous scorpion warrior, the bandaged mummy, and the dark gargoyle were fearless after they were petrified. they charged forward. they blocked the enemy¡¯s path. but the heavy sword warriors were even more overbearing. the two-and-a-half-meter slash range of the long heavy sword in its hand was so wide. it made dodging impossible for the troops. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the heavy sword directly slashed the body of a dark gargoyle that swooped down and made sand splash into the air. these sword blades can even cut a giant elephant into two pieces. the dark gargoyle was unscathed, and the blade¡¯s wings fiercely slammed with the magic puppet¡¯s body. ¡®bang!¡¯ the powerful impact forced the opponent to retreat at a great distance. the dark gargoyle took advantage of this opportunity. the sharp claws that could tear through steel attacked crazily. ¡®clang!¡¯ exaggerated scratches appeared on the heavy sword warrior¡¯s body. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sword slashed down again after the magic puppet steadied itself. ¡®clang!¡¯ it pierced through the body of the dark gargoyle again. the attacks of the violent tail thorn were even more concentrated. the tail thorn, which could pierce through heavy armor, blasted large holes in the gargoyle¡¯s body. even 100 lives wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it if it was an ordinary life form. but the gargoyle remained unmoved no matter how the sand fluttered. exchange injury for injury. the fight against the gargoyle was immune to 99% physical damage. the magic puppet with a higher level and potential than the gargoyle was at an absolute disadvantage. at this moment, the protected axes of the dead at the back became the main attack point of this battle. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ¡®clang!¡¯ twenty tomahawks hit the magic puppets entangled by the two scorpion warriors. their five-meter height gave them exceedingly powerful strength. but at the same time, it is also deprived of a certain degree of flexibility. their enormous bodies were the best targets. this round of attacks caused large pieces of cracks on the magic puppets ¡®bodies. however, the damage to their appearance did not affect their movements, and their battle strength was still overbearing. the enemies slashed the two scorpion warriors until they exploded. ¡®crash!¡¯ the axe of the dead pulled on the chains, and the tomahawk flew back into its hands. in an instant, it flew out of its hands again. throwing it after it entered one¡¯s hands could trigger the soul execution. controlling the chain attack did not deal enough damage to the magic puppet. richard was unsure if this soul execution would work on the magic puppet. he could only try. however, his only regret was that he did not know if it really could not work. or if this group of glorious-level troops was one level higher than the axe of the dead and had a lower chance of triggering it. the second and third throws still did not trigger the soul execution. after three rounds of attacks, the damage caused by the 60 tomahawks overflowed the limit the magic puppets could withstand. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sturdy body exploded. and the cracked places were shattered. the vast body fell to the ground. mages loved the magic puppets for no reason. they could not withstand three rounds of attacks from the two axe of the dead teams if they were ordinary glorious-level soldiers. the magic puppets could not kill effectively and went berserk when they faced a group of almost invincible enemies. there was a sudden change. the heavy sword warriors opened their hands, and a few buckles extended out from their wrists and fastened the unique heavy sword buckle. the two war swords were symmetrical, forming a straight line. the waist position suddenly changed and contracted, forming a wasp-like waist. the lower half of the body remained motionless while the body¡¯s upper half began to whirl. the two heavy swords in its hands had now become a meat grinder-like killing machine. it was like the propeller of a helicopter. ¡®whirl! whirl! whirl! whirl!¡¯ moreover, the five-meter-tall heavy sword warrior could tilt the upper half of the body and allow the spiral storm not to have any blind spots. a bandaged mummy¡¯s body was in the opponent¡¯s attack radius. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the sharp sword made its body explode and shatter continuously. the bandaged mummy could not even walk out of the opponent¡¯s spiral storm range. five revolutions per second were equivalent to five attacks per second. the real five gunshots per second. even if it was immune to 99% of the physical damage, it will be frustrated in the face of this dense attack. in richard¡¯s eyes, hundreds of magic puppets activated their spiral storm simultaneously. like giant gyros that were thousands of times magnified and rushed toward them¡­spiral storm! this scene was visually impactful. Chapter 117 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s eyes became unusually solemn when he saw this shocking scene. he gave a decisive order. ¡°all troops, retreat immediately!!¡± ¡°don¡¯t linger in battle!¡± the spiral storm could attack five times per second¡­ they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it even if the troops activated the sand transformation. they would only suffer enormous casualties if they tried to force it. !! the storm spiral severed several troops¡¯ bodies. the twilight city troops did not hesitate and shortly rushed to the rear when richard gave the order. xina, who had just chopped off the second heavy sword warrior, also decisively retreated from the third about-to-be killed magic puppet. as a veteran of hundreds of battles, she understood the importance of obeying orders better than anyone else. although the troop could not withstand the attacks of the heavy sword warrior¡¯s spiral storm, if they simply retreated, the magic puppets with no ability to keep people could not stop them. it was still two minutes before the sand transformation ended after the twighlight city troops retreated out of the tunnel. the troops returned to their posts when the heavy sword warriors left. the other soldiers¡¯ bodies were ramshackle at this time, aside from the dark gargoyles that could fly. if they had retreated too late, the magic puppets immune to 99% physical damage might have killed them. the magic puppets also had a skill immune to 99% damage, which could increase their rotation speed by three times¡­ fifteen times a second, this was like a propeller turning into a spirit! richard looked at the dark passage and mulled over. ¡°just now, the entire troop had frantically attacked but killed only less than six magic puppets. ¡°xina took down two of them¡­ ¡°as expected, glorious-level troops are not easy to deal with.¡± richard did not feel depressed at all, although the opponents had blocked his first attack. his eyes were still firm and determined. ¡°although the result of the battle was lower than expected, it proves that this strategy is effective.¡± if he couldn¡¯t clear it once, then 10, 20 times! he still had enough time. richard pondered. the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ all troop lairs have refreshed. lords, please recruit on your own.] [ding~ this week is the resource week ¡ª gemstone production will increase by 10 units per day. lords, please arrange the production.] when richard heard the notification, he snapped back to reality. today was may 22, monday. the system refreshed all the soldier¡¯s lair. unfortunately, it was not in the territory. however, when he returned, the troop strength in his hands would increase once again. his heart felt much better as he mused on this. this time, when he returned, he wanted to continue buying soldier¡¯s lairs and destroy a wave of soldiers. the dungeon was about to open. the troops on hand were strong enough, but their numbers were pronouncedly insufficient. when he shook his head, he collected his scattered thoughts and focused on the next battle. whether it was the reward from the fire elemental lord, finding more resources, or leaving the ruins. he had to get rid of those glorious-level magic puppets. richard brought the army, which had already cooled down, back into the dungeon after they rested for two hours. those magic puppets had already returned to their normal state. having learned his lesson last time, he did not split his troops to delay the other magic puppets. he waved his hand and pointed at the enemies at the front. ¡°everyone, focus fire! the target of this round ¡ª kill ten magic puppets! ¡°remember, when the enemy activates the spiral strom, retreat immediately and never linger!¡± it was impossible to break through the passage in one go. they could only use sand transformation to deplete the enemy¡¯s remaining strength. fortunately, the enemy did not have a hero to command. otherwise, this level was hopeless to defeat. the troops moved with remarkable decisiveness and with a clear goal in mind. they were here to hunt magic puppets and would not care about anything else. the targeted heavy sword warriors immediately tasted the taste of hundreds of soldiers that pounced them. the number is only a few more squads than the opponents, but they used the sea of people tactic¡­ the axe of the dead finally triggered the soul execution at this time. richard was greatly relieved. this soul execution was still effective against the magic puppets. perhaps, the axe of the dead did not kill the opponent¡¯s soul but destroyed the magic array in the opponent¡¯s body. but no matter what, this powerful skill did not lose its effectiveness against the magic puppet was the best news. xina still fought alone. no one could stop this hero with terrifying battle skills without a mage. her strength might not be that strong with her bloodline sealed. but her nerve-racking battle skills that made up for this flaw magnified her strength to the extreme. the longer they fought, the more richard admired xina. if this hero could be starkly subdued and the seal in her body lifted. then, how sturdy her burst of power would be?! seven magic puppets toppled down in the second attack. then, heavy sword warriors activated the spiral storm. although he did not complete the goal, richard did not hesitate. he immediately ordered the troop to retreat. two hours could only attack for less than five minutes. this battle became tough. the troops had only crushed two magic puppets on two occasions, and the heavy sword warriors activated the spiral storm. richard could only retreat under such a paralyzing attack. time slowly passed. on the night of may 23. a day and night of fighting exhausted richard. especially in the previous battle, those magic puppets had activated their powerful skill for the first time ¡ª excessive overload. the three times increase in rotation speed allowed him ultimately experience the troops¡¯ perversity. the five bandaged mummies were one step too slow. more than ten magic puppets surrounded them in the middle. even if the bandaged mummies had activated the sand transformation, they would lose in the face of 15 revolutions per second paralyzing attack. it was the first time richard had seen a soldier who had activated desertification torn apart by physical damage. it shocked him. magic puppets had knapped the indestructible golden body of the sand transformation. it also raised vigilance in his heart. no matter what, he could not be careless. he could not starkly rely on an invincible skill. richard regained his steadfastness and quietude after serious reflection. he began to arrange the battle more carefully¡­ on the morning of may 24. richard finally reduced the number of heavy sword warriors to a small team after a fight for a day and two nights. he could not remember the times he had stood against these five-meter-tall magic puppets. out of the corner of his eye, he saw the destroyed magic puppets around him. a strong sense of accomplishment rose in his heart. these two days had been tough than ever. but victory would still belong to him! ¡°destroy the last magic puppets! end this long battle!¡± richard¡¯s order became the horn for the general attack. the troop swarmed forward. the number of a squadron attacking a small team of magic puppets was overwhelming in terms of numbers. the opponents immediately activated the spiral storm after twilight city troops smashed three magic puppets. ¡®hu-hu-hu-hu!¡¯ excessive overload. ¡®hu-hu-hu-hu! hu-hu-hu-hu!¡¯ the two-and-a-half-meter heavy sword rotated 15 times per second. the whistling sound it made seemed to tear space apart. however, the troops that had activated the sand transformation did not have any scruples. they rushed forward and forcefully slowed down the speed of the enemy¡¯s rotation using their bodies. the axe of the dead at the back took this opportunity to focus fire one after another. one minute remained before the sand transformation process. the head of the last heavy sword warrior flew up high. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the closed spiral body suddenly fell, and the heavy sword kept on slicing the ground. the metal-irrigated ground shot out several sparks that left exaggerated scratches on the battleground. after a few rounds, the strength of the thick and heavy sword weakened. it stuck on the ground and no longer turned. when richard saw this, his exhausted expression suddenly became highly spirited. his mood instantly soared. he had finally won¡­ inner emotions tumbled fiercely in his heart. twilight city had obtained the final victory after a day and two nights of a tough fight. the feeling was indescribable. [ding~ the troop you led has annihilated a group of magic puppets and obtained victory in a miniature battle. you have earned 20,000 experience points.] a squadron of magic puppets had given richard 20,000 experience points. but that was not the main point. richard looked behind the heavy sword warrior at the building engraved with magic inscriptions. his breathing quickened. the magic material warehouse, the central core of the fire elemental lord¡¯s seal¡­ now, it was time to harvest. Chapter 118 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he might be able to get a warehouse full of treasures, dragon eggs, and artifacts as long as he opened the door in arcana hall¡­ richard seemed to be full of endless temptation at this moment. he took two deep breaths to suppress the emotions in his heart. the closest moment to success was also in the moment to failure. richard deeply agreed with this sentence. he was not in a hurry to act. he looked away from the building engraved with countless magic runes. !! he looked at the glorious-level magic puppets and the scattered body fragments of the mummies around him. a day and two nights of battle had yielded fruitful results. however, there were also many casualties. not only were the blood-colored mummies used to scout the way turned into corpses. during their clash, the glorious-level heavy sword warriors sliced the 15 giant monitor lizard mummies using their 15-turn-a-second sword kill. even the number of bandaged mummies had dropped to three small teams. it was the battle where twilight city had lost the most, and credits to the sand transformation, a skill that dealt physical damage. if it hadn¡¯t been for the sand transformation, even a large troop would be insufficient to kill these heavy sword warriors. the glorious-level troops had already reached another level of strength. however, it was all worth it. richard felt better when he looked at the broken bodies of the magic puppets and the gemstones scattered all over the ground. he waved his hand and ordered the troops to dismantle all the magic puppets and pull out the gemstones from their chests. a hundred glorious-level magic puppets contributed a total of 3,000 gemstones. including the gemstones he had obtained from killing the magic puppets, the total number in his hands had reached an exaggerated 10,000 units. it was a heart-pounding harvest. ¡°are these the ruins? this harvest is simply startling¡­ it¡¯s a pity i didn¡¯t pick up any dragon eggs on the way. otherwise, i would have scored 100 points.¡± richard¡¯s mood was high. but it was not over yet. the genuine harvest still awaits. he glanced at the tall building used to store materials in the arcana hall a hundred meters away. the passage to the outside world and the central crystals needed by the fire elemental lords were here. at this time, his excitement rose that he was about to open the dragon trove. ¡°rest for two hours. after the sand transformation, we¡¯ll go in to explore!¡± richard summoned the two a-rank heroes guarding outside after he gave the orders. ¡°gray, gunter, you go in with me to explore. these are the ruins of the resplendent wizard tower. ¡°those wizards can¡¯t honestly destroy their excessively powerful points. maybe there¡¯s something you can use inside. ¡°since there is sand transformation anyway, it is not too late to run when there is danger.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± richard did not hesitate after the troops restored their sand transformation. he waved his hand and asked a few bandaged mummies to come forward and open the warehouse door of arcana hall. the ten-meter-high door was left ajar, and the bandaged mummies came forward and pushed. ¡®yiyaya!¡¯ ¡®yiyaya!¡¯ the core building of the secondary door separated the left and right. thick layers of dust blew on their faces. after the dust had partially subsided, they pronouncedly saw the scene in front of him. the environment at the entrance was messy. the people here seemed to have left in a hurry, supplies scattered all over the ground. storage racks made of all kinds of unknown materials collapsed on the ground. under the corrosion of time, most of them had turned into ashes. only a few with magic runes engraved on them were still intact. one could vaguely feel how much material in this warehouse was, from the usually twenty to thirty meters high storage racks. however, other than these storage racks, the house interior was empty. there were no magic materials everywhere as imagined. warriors had taken a lot from this resplendent wizard tower during the evacuation. richard could not help but feel a little disappointed. didn¡¯t these guys know to leave some for him? ¡°gray, gunter, you lead the team and search the entire building. don¡¯t miss any corner! ¡°remember, focus on searching for the central crystal and the passage to leave the ruins. once you encounter the enemy, retreat immediately.¡± ¡°as you wish!¡± after the two mummy heroes answered, they brought their troops in one after another¡­ richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to enter and waited quietly at the door. naturally, he did not need to do such a thing himself. it didn¡¯t take long for gray to return and report excitedly. ¡°lord, we found the central crystal that you mentioned¡­¡± richard¡¯s spirit immediately roused. under gray¡¯s lead, they went around some buildings that obstructed their view and arrived at the core area of the warehouse. a completely-white altar was on an empty space engraved with countless magic runes. azure-colored magical power surged around it. with the altar as the core, the magic power spread for several meters. it contained exceedingly majestic energy as if a volcano was about to erupt. it was so paralyzing this made people¡¯s hearts tremble. an azure crystal ball engraved with a mysterious pattern floated above the altar. countless blue magic power surged from the altar and poured into the crystal ball. the unique flavor of the fantasy world seemed to fill the scene. it was exceedingly mysterious. a transparent magic shield twenty meters in diameter covered the altar. this anti-magic area was starkly ineffective against the crystal ball. and it was the only exception. when richard witnessed this magical scene, he opened the attribute panel excitedly. [azure magic crystal] [level: 3-stars [characteristics: the arcana hall center controls the interaction of all magic power and is the energy source for all magic circles.] [description: the resplendent wizard tower was used to be made of extremely precious materials. once the azure magic crystal leaves the arcana hall, this area will collapse. ¡®is this the mission item?¡¯ richard was interested. he reached out and touched it. that layer of the magic shield was like water. there was no obstruction. he was not in a hurry to send someone to move the central crystal. he turned his head and looked at his surroundings. ¡°search the entire hall. don¡¯t miss any corner!¡± it took so many days to annihilate those glorious-level magic puppets. he had not harvested, right? the entire warehouse turned upside down half an hour later. other than a few units of gemstones scattered on the ground, nothing else was there. what made richard frown more until this time was that he hadn¡¯t found a way out of the ruins. during his recent conversation with the fire elemental lord, he had paid extra attention and talked about how to leave the ruins. the level 18 boss promised to deliver them after they obtained their freedom. although he had the other party to back him up, richard preferred to hold the initiative in his hands. under his will, even if he did not discover it, the troop would go over and over again. they would touch every corner and not miss a single gap. however, there was still no harvest. the warehouse seemed to have been deliberately emptied¡­ after another two hours, a dark gargoyle unintentionally pressed an inconspicuous magic lamp. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the mechanical sound rang out, and a perfectly intact wall in front of him suddenly split open. ¡®rumble!¡¯ in an instant, dust flew up, and a secret chamber slowly revealed itself. the enormous commotion immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding troops. after richard had waited for a few hours, he received the news. his spirits mounted. they finally found it. there was a kind of excitement when the object of the first desire had passed away¡­ he immediately brought the troops over to check out the situation. before they even got close, they discovered two teams of dark gargoyles were closely guarding this place. they separated the troops and looked at the scene. the hidden area was divided into countless small houses. some rooms even had empty shelves, and magic runes still flashed around them. ¡°lord, this is the area where precious resources are stored¡­¡± gray looked around and saw the scattered gemstones. he said softly, ¡°but they seem to have been taken away¡­¡± richard raised his eyebrows. ¡°bring some people in and search. don¡¯t forget the gemstones inside.¡± gray nodded immediately. the troop entered and began to search carefully. however, to his disappointment, although the troop kept taking out some gemstones, they could not find any strategic treasures or troop lairs. other than that, there were no gains. half an hour later, the gemstones on richard¡¯s status panel had an additional 1,000 units, but he still could not find the troop lairs he wanted. after another ten minutes, gray returned and shook his head at richard. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t find¡­¡± ¡®clang!¡¯ before it could finish its words, a dark gargoyle crashed into a house at the entrance of the hidden area. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a secret door rose from the wall of the corridor. a giant magic puppet appeared from their foot to their heads. richard and gray turned their heads at the same time. their expressions immediately changed when they saw the two heavy swords in the magic puppet¡¯s hands. two-star glorious-level heavy sword warriors still here?!!! and there were as many as three squads! the power of these deadly magic puppets was superabundant. they have suffered a lot in the past two days. ¡°alert!!!¡± with an angry shout, the troop immediately entered the highest state of alert. they were ready to activate the sand transformation at any time. several dark gargoyles stood before richard, ready to carry him away. everyone¡¯s fixed their eyes on the magic puppets. once they made a move, they would unleash their deadliest attack. xina also rushed over quickly. this warrior with powerful battle skills brazenly guarded richard¡¯s side. her gaze was as sharp as a blade! her body muscles tensed to the extreme. a paralyzing blow could erupt at any time. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ¡®whoosh!¡¯ only richard and xena¡¯s breath could be heard in the air. it was dauntingly placid. but the magic puppets still did not move after dozens of seconds. if not for their new appearance and powerful aura, the two mummy heroes would have thought these puppets had been abandoned¡­ richard seemed to have thought of something in the tense atmosphere, and his eyes lit up. he separated the dark gargoyles in front of him and opened the attributes panel of the magic puppets. his breathing quickened in the next moment. [heavy sword warrior] [level: 9] [potential: glorious 2-stars] [status: in hibernation, you can inject spiritual power into the puppet to activate it. after binding it, you can direct the magic puppet to fight through spiritual power.] [description: a magic puppet created using a unique method. after activating it, it can fight for you.] richard¡¯s mood instantly soared to the peak! so, this was the genuine harvest after clearing the ruins¡­ three squads of glorious-level troops! this wave was flying into the sky!!! he had personally experienced how dauntless these troops were. that spiral storm attack was simply a super killer weapon. when the two thick heavy swords rotated wildly at the speed of a helicopter¡¯s wings, it was simply a nightmare for close battle. the bandaged mummies were 99% immune from the physical damage using sand transformation. this damage could even lead to death. these magic puppets were not only powerful, but they were also deviant. now, this idiosyncratic troop he fought for two days and a night was about to become his trophy. surprise filled every cell. ¡°made a colossal fortune!!!¡± Chapter 119 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard took a few deep breaths to suppress the excitement in his heart. just in case, he gestured for a bandaged mummy to come forward and check. all the troops were prepared at this moment as the bandaged mummy slowly came forward. once the magic puppet woke up, it would launch its most potent attack in the next moment. after a while, everything was safe. !! gunter then checked again. after the second confirmation, richard walked closer. these three teams of glorious-level troops¡­now belonged to him! injecting spiritual power would bind the puppets. he went forward. richard looked at the five-meter-tall body in front of him and held two heavy, thicker than a door sword. his emotion surged with the heavy sword warrior¡¯s strong visual impact. these magic puppets had made him suffer when they were enemies. he was satisfied now that he owned them. without the hero commander, the heavy sword warriors were less than half. sand transformation that dealt physical damage to the sky conqueror had also blocked them for so long. there was no need to say their battle wit and strength were so strong. the moment richard got close, he had even thought of how to create a strategy for the heavy sword warriors. he stepped and saw a thumb-sized hollow on the heavy sword warrior¡¯s forehead. he signaled for the dark gargoyle beside him to kneel on the ground. he stepped on the shoulder of this soldier and slowly rose. he stopped the gargoyle when it reached the same level as the magic puppet. he stretched his right hand and pressed his thumb on the hollow of the heavy sword warrior¡¯s forehead. ¡®crack!¡¯ he felt a sharp needle pain in his thumb as if he had touched an organ, and blood oozed out. in that instant, richard felt his spirit stretch out and branded a symbol in the magic array that drove heavy sword warriors. a stream of information flooded his mind at the same time. to make the magic puppet more suitable, the ancient wizards spent a lot of effort on the process of creating a mighty characteristic. activating magic puppets for the first time could bestow a skill on the opponent. the magic puppet would imprint the skill on its magic core. richard was overjoyed after he repeatedly confirmed the information. was there such a good thing? a yellow sand-like light spread out from his hand and enveloped the heavy sword warrior. the next moment, a familiar system notification sounded. the opponent had successfully obtained the sand transformation skill. it made richard enthusiastic. these magic puppets created that the resplendent wizard tower was too perverted, right? after the heavy sword warrior activated the sand transformation, they would then launch a spiral attack..! this troop was going to defy the heavens! while richard was excited, the heavy sword warrior¡¯s magic core quietly closed. at this point, the heavy sword warriors starkly belonged to him. even the original creator could not change the rules within. in the future, the heavy sword warriors could only be destroyed and could not be captured or dismantled. the magic circle inside would automatically be damaged if forcibly dismantled. the ancient wizards who created the heavy sword warriors had considered all of this. richard retracted his mind and immediately felt he could control the opponent¡¯s body. he thought a move. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the heavy sword warrior smoothly knelt on one knee. two tailor-made heavy swords stabbed into the ground, and sparks flew everywhere. this sudden movement caused the surrounding troops on guard to react. the sharp tomahawk in the axe of the dead¡¯s hands almost fell. fortunately, richard stopped it in time. otherwise, the mummy troop would have severed this puppet apart¡­ he took a step forward and stepped on the shoulder of the heavy sword warrior from the shoulder of the dark gargoyle. then, he controlled the heavy sword warrior to come to the side of the second puppet. controlling the heavy sword warrior felt very easy. it was like commanding one¡¯s arm. without any command, with a thought, the other party would follow and make a move. it was even smoother than commanding an ordinary soldier. richard sighed with emotion. the scene of those ancient wizards controlling these magic puppets to fight was probably excessively spectacular. richard took the three teams of heavy sword warriors into his pocket as his thoughts spun. at the same time, he gave them the most mighty divine skill in twilight city ¡ª sand transformation. the power in his hands increased dramatically because of the three squads of glorious-level troops. glorious-level troops¡­ this was the overlord-level existence at the current stage! however, richard could not be happy for a while. the heavy sword warriors suddenly slowed down and stopped moving. at first, he was shocked and thought that something was wrong. however, after checking it once, he discovered deactivation for a long time. that is why there was no energy left¡­ he was confused about whether to laugh or cry. immediately, he ordered the troop to open the energy chamber that holds the gemstones pulled out from the heavy sword warrior¡¯s chest. they took out the ones that had lost energy and turned them into ordinary stones. he started changing gemstones. gray came to report after a busy moment. ¡°lord, each heavy sword warrior requires 300 units of gemstones to be reactivated. ¡°a magic circle inside can absorb magic power. after starkly consumed, it can absorb the free magic energy in the air. ¡°there is no energy now because the magic puppet has not activated yet.¡± ¡°the gemstone as the core of energy has been in a state of being consumed for hundreds of thousands of years, that made it not usable¡± richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡®each gemstone requires 300 units?!!!¡¯ ¡®i don¡¯t know if i should say this¡­¡¯ richard glanced at the attribute panel. [gemstones: 11,500 units] other than the original 300 or so units, the rest of the gemstones were obtained from the ruins. were they considered capable in the game? they were stuck¡­ he thought he had made a fortune, but they were all bubbles. compared to the glorious-level troops, these gemstones were not significant. richard waved his hand, took out 9,000 units, and piled the ground into a small hill. it was so shiny that it was rather dazzling. after the troops replaced the energy sources of all the magic puppets, the heavy sword warriors who had just lost power immediately returned to ordinary. the white-gold luster on its body became more and more eye-catching. the five-meter-tall giant body has a sturdy oppressive force. even the three-meter-tall dark gargoyle which stood beside the heavy sword warrior looked much smaller. richard was satisfied. just the heavy sword warriors from these three squads had earned him a lot of money exploring the ruins. this was a glorious-level troop! to upgrade from a rare-level troop lair to a glorious-level troop required a total of five million units of resources. moreover, the number of resources needed for recruitment was an astronomical figure. but now, he had five million resources in his hands to create a fighting force. he was exceedingly excited. he ordered the troops to continue searching for other items left behind. but obviously, the glorious-level troop of three squads was already exaggerated enough. he didn¡¯t obtain any more treasures. two hours later, richard came back to the central crystal. richard looked at the crystal that emitted an azure light. his gaze became solemn. now, it was time to get down to business. this azure magic crystal was the key to breaking the fire elemental lord¡¯s seal. it was also the key to obtaining several rewards and leaving the ruins. he motioned the bandaged mummy to enter. he tried to remove the central crystal. however, to his surprise, although the bandaged mummy could penetrate the magic shield, it was blocked when it was five meters away from the central crystal. the blue magic energy that surged around the altar was like magnets that repelled each other. it had a powerful repelling force. it was impossible to enter. richard frowned and stretched out his hand to change his troop. the scorpion warrior went forward, but the result was the same. it couldn¡¯t get close. the undead soldier, the dark gargoyle, the heavy sword warrior, and the cursed pharaoh had all tried¡­ but still, it had no effects. ¡°lord, this may require a powerful magic manipulation technique¡­ the excessively dense magic power formed the repulsive force. ¡°for countless years, this central crystal has stored a lot of magic power.¡± ¡°the magic power is already so dense that it¡¯s overflowing, and the unique design of the surroundings has prevented this majestic magic power from dispersing. it has formed a unique area.¡± they heard gunter¡¯s voice with a unique tone. ¡°if you want to get that central crystal, you face that magic power directly¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°gunter, are you confident?¡± he didn¡¯t want to send heroes to risk their lives. if a soldier died, so be it. he could recruit them with just some resources. but where could he find an a-rank hero? the mummy hero wrapped in blood-colored bandages nodded. ¡°lord, i have the phylactery of the soul. i won¡¯t make a mistake¡­¡± richard nodded. after gunter gained lich¡¯s power, it also inherited its most perverse aspect. resurrection. ¡°be careful.¡± gunter should be the last to step into the magic shield. he gradually got closer to five meters, and that wave-like surging dark blue energy began to repel again. but at the same time, gunter took out the magic ball ¡ª his soul phylactery. richard frowned. ¡®what was it doing?¡¯ the next second, the soul phylactery that emitted dark gray light was like a black hole. it crazily swallowed the dark blue magic energy. the energy was like a flood discharge from a high mountain reservoir. it crazily poured into the soul phylactery. the energy poured too much and made richard¡¯s heart jump. he was afraid the other party¡¯s soul phylactery would break. the light that the dark magic ball emitted gradually deepened as the energy poured in. and its aura began to rise. five, ten minutes¡­ two hours had passed. the five-meter dark blue magic energy had shrunk to three, but it was still incomparably majestic. at this time, the aura that the body of gray emitted gradually increased with the soul phylactery. the level had quietly risen to 7. whether it was a soldier or a hero, each upgrade would improve a lot of basic attributes, increase strength, health, defense, and so on. the higher the potential, the more it would increase¡­ although there were no detailed data, the increase in strength was real. gunter¡¯s aura gradually caused changes. the central crystal that floated in the dark blue magic energy slowly moved towards him. richard stared at this scene, and his breathing slowed down. gunter noticed the change in the central crystal. to everyone¡¯s surprise, he slowly let go of the dark magic ball in its hand. the dark magic ball did not fall to the ground. instead, it lost its gravity and floated into the air. on one side was the central crystal that emitted blue light, and on the other was the dark soul phylactery. the two treasures seemed to be attracted to each other in space. they slowly approached each other. they gently collided under countless dark blue magic energy. the sound of a glass cup colliding was heard. then, the two crystal balls seemed to be stuck together and didn¡¯t separate anymore¡­ richard looked carefully. when gunter¡¯s phylactery came into contact with the central crystal, a wisp of gray energy spread out and entered the central crystal. a thought that made his breathing quicken appeared in his mind. gunter wanted to refine this central crystal into a phylactery of the soul!!! this soldier was going to defy the heavens! Chapter 120 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation gray¡¯s energy gradually tainted the central crystal following gunter¡¯s movements¡­like a drop of ink in clear water. the situation gradually became delicate. and gunter¡¯s astonishing action seemed to be exceedingly energy-consuming. the speed at which it devoured the surrounding magic power suddenly increased several times. the majestic energy around the altar became the best supplement at this moment. no one knew how much energy it would take to forcefully refine a three-star crystal that could become the center of a resplendent wizard tower¡¯s arcana magic hall into a soul phylactery. !! at this moment, the scattered magic energy around the altar for countless years by chance had become gunter¡¯s food. if the wizards who built the arcana hall knew this, they would be furious. if someone controlled the arcana hall, gunter would not be able to succeed if it was even ten or even a hundred times strong. however, the central crystal at this time was a dead object. no matter how powerful the energy was, it would only operate according to the original design. the wizards who built the arcana hall would never think that hundreds of thousands of years later, there would be a mummy who had obtained the power of a lich and would be bold enough to refine it into a phylactery of the soul. moreover, it was using the power of the central crystal to devour it. it was simply a stroke of genius. the majestic energy accumulated for countless years was quickly consumed. the dark light of the central crystal also gradually deepened. time passed slowly. at this moment, richard was half excited and worried. he wondered if gunter could control the central crystal. could it also control the entire arcane hall or even the entire ruin? he didn¡¯t want much. three or five thousand glorious-level soldiers would be enough¡­ time passed quickly while richard he had scattered thoughts. the magic energy around the altar gradually faded, and the phylactery of the soul was finally completely devoured¡­ and when the last wisp of blue energy disappeared. the blue light in the central crystal extinguished and starkly turned into a phylactery of the soul that emitted a dark atmosphere. [ding~ gunter fresh blood has created a new soul phylactery ¡ª dark crystal. the current number of soul phylactery: 2.] richard was shocked. as he opened the central crystal again, the status panel had already changed. [dark crystal (bound to gunter fresh blood)] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: soul phylactery. after the lich dies, it can be resurrected without any loss.] [skills: magic energy strengthening (increases the mage¡¯s magic energy damage by 100%.] [magic energy storage (can store 5,000 magic energy points in the central crystal space. can be used directly when used.)] [magic energy imprisonment (can suck out magic energy points within a diameter of 300 meters and store it in the central crystal space. during this period, you can freely use the magic power in it. lasts for 10 minutes. cooldown time is one day.)] [description: once upon a time, the central crystal of a certain resplendent wizard tower¡¯s arcana magic hall had a powerful magic resistance ability¡ªeven if used to cast a forbidden spell.] ¡®good stuff!¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the three skills that came with the azure magic crystal were each stronger than the last. there was no need to say much about strengthening magic attacks. magic energy storage and magic energy impisonment were both superb skills. richard thought about it. didn¡¯t this mean that gunter had taken a big step in the direction of the magic cannon? the amount of magic energy was always an important factor in measuring the battle strength of the mage unit. with the support of the dark crystal, gunter¡¯s battle strength soared by several levels. it had received an exaggerated reinforcement. richard was excessively delighted. the combat strength of an a-rank hero was distinct to all. gunter¡¯s power had made his superb battle strength sharper. a crisp cracking sound interrupted his thoughts. he turned his head to look at the source of the sound. he saw massive cracks on the altar that had just filled the central well like glass that fell on the ground. richard heard another crisp cracking sound as if something had broken¡­ richard instantly felt an indescribable pressure that assaulted him. every cell in his body warned him at this moment¡­! a threat, extreme threat! it would collapse in ten minutes once someone took the central crystal¡­ the fire elemental lord¡¯s words rang in his ears again. instantly, his hair tingled. there must be some kind of rule carved into the central crystal. after gunter refined it, he directly touched the carved rule. ¡®if they continued to delay, they would die.¡¯ ¡°everyone, evacuate immediately!! go to the furnace!!¡± richard turned over,sat on the dark gargoyle¡¯s back, and went straight back. the troop did not stop and immediately ran out of arcana hall¡¯s warehouse. ¡®crack!¡¯ as they moved forward, the sound kept on exploding, and the magic inscriptions around the wall began to show enormous cracks¡­ this scene made people¡¯s scalps go numb. the shadow of death hung over everyone¡¯s heads. no enemies blocked the way. with a solemn expression, richard returned to the furnace as fast as he could. only at this moment did the sense of threat decrease a little. but still, richard felt uneasy. dozens of furnaces sensed the intrusion of outsiders and immediately burst into flames. the raging fire element once again burned the furnace red. the enormous furnace in the center spat out a stream of hot molten iron, which fell to the ground with a sizzling sound. a giant hand stretched out from the furnace and suddenly climbed onto the top of it. a gasp of marvel. countless chains condensed from blue inscriptions made a crazy noise at this moment. light shone brilliantly. the flame giant, more than 15 meters tall, was immediately sealed. no matter how hard it struggled, it could not climb out of the giant furnace. ¡°ah!!!!¡± a furious, hysterical roar resounded in the surroundings. the terrifying aura was like lava erupting. it was boundless, and it was like a mountain collapsing in an instant. unable to resist, unable to resist. it gave an exceedingly terrifying psychological shock. fire elemental lord. level 18 boss. its indescribable strength was so powerful. ¡°central crystal!!¡± high-level elemental language. the fire elemental lord¡¯s surprised voice sounded. because of the excitement, the invisible chain above the furnace sounded even louder. ¡®boom! countless magma-like molten iron erupted. the temperature of the air began to rise rapidly. richard reached out his hand to signal gunter. his tone was calm. ¡°fire elemental lord, i have completed your task and obtained the central crystal! ¡°now, it¡¯s time to fulfill your promise.¡± the fire elemental lord was exceedingly satisfied with him. ¡°human¡­ you¡¯ve earned my trust and friendship!¡± [ding ~ the fire elemental lord¡¯s affection towards you has increased to friendly.] 1 the hundreds of thousands of prisoners were about to end, and he would obtain his precious freedom! the fire elemental lord¡¯s excitement could not be greater. ¡°fire elemental lord, the central crystal is sealed by powerful magic energy. ordinary methods are impossible to obtain. ¡°my subordinate risked soul destruction to refine the soul phylactery. only then did he remove the central crystal. ¡°after breaking the seal, please return this item to him.¡± the fire elemental lord nodded. ¡°breaking the seal will not affect this crystal ball. there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± he didn¡¯t care about the soul phylactery. it was enough that the central crystal didn¡¯t break. even without magic energy, it wouldn¡¯t affect him breaking the seal. richard nodded slightly and asked gunter to send the dark crystal to the furnace. gunter didn¡¯t dare to go near. no one could withstand the damage of high-temperature that could instantly melt rocks. it spread hands instead, and the dark crystal slowly floated up and flew toward the furnace. after a dozen breaths, it approached the furnace. then, endless flame energy surged out from the furnace. in an instant, it enveloped the crystal. a large amount of flame energy caused the dark crystal ball to become fiery red and endless light burst. in an instant, the light shone on the furnace. the magic chains solidified by the inscriptions were now cracking. they cracked when stretched to the extreme. it broke into pieces. it was as if ice had melted into the flames and disappeared without a trace. the next second, it was as if gasoline poured into the fire. the 20-meter vast furnace instantly burst into flames. the surrounding temperature rose by dozens of degrees. richard, who was 100 meters away, only felt the heat approach. his hair in front of him immediately bent. at this moment, two enormous troops climbed out of the furnace from both sides. a giant over 15 meters tall with two horns on its head and burning flames stood on top of the furnace. furnace constantly spewing red molten iron under its feet. the flames on its body shot up to the sky. it burned the dome engraved with countless magic inscriptions above until it constantly exploded. dozens of furnaces also exploded molten iron around it. this scene was like the birth of the legendary inferno demon from hell. it was a very visually striking scene. ¡°hahahahaha!!¡± ¡°countless years of imprisonment!! ¡°countless years of despair!! ¡°freedom!!!¡± the high-level elemental language resounded throughout the land. the tone contained the fury of countless years and the excitement of being reborn. richard looked at this surging scene, and his heart suddenly wavered. was this the power of a level 18 boss? its gaze was incomparably hot. sooner or later, twilight city would also possess such power. even fire elemental lord would have to lower its head! the unyielding nature in its heart aroused its even greater fighting spirit. after a long time, the anger and joy in its heart finally calmed down a little. the fire elemental lord looked at richard. its giant ruby-like eyes became more and more eye-catching under the burning flames. ¡°human, thank you for your help. it has been hundreds of thousands of years¡­ the taste of freedom is truly intoxicating¡­¡± as he spoke, its tone turned cold. ¡°i will personally take back the mistakes this wizard tower has made. even if they are already dead!¡± after the angry roar, his tone softened again. ¡°elemental lifeforms have always kept their promises. i will not break the contract we made¡­¡± with a wave of its hand, the space in front of richard shattered. ¡®crash!¡¯ countless fire elemental cores fell to the ground. ¡°these things formed after my power overflowed. my descendants were all born with these cores¡­¡± richard understood. no wonder the fire elemental lord did not care about these things. ¡°next, the treasures i obtained inside¡­ there are two in total.¡± the shattered space split open again, and two balls of light fell out. a black mace half an arm¡¯s length and a black mage robe engraved with countless runes. [magic mace (main hand)] [level: 2-stars] [characteristics: increases magic damage by 30%.] [skills: magic energy strengthening (can be used 5 times a day, increases the strength of the troop within a 100-meter radius by 30% for 10 minutes.)] [description: a magic mace with extraordinary magic energy. it has a good bonus for the troop. perhaps, every lord would want it.] ** [mysterious robe] [level: 2-stars] [characteristics: increases the wearer¡¯s spellcasting damage by 30%.] [skills: magic shield (can be cast five times a day. when attacked, it can automatically cast a magic shield with strong defensive power. lasts for 10 minutes. it will shatter after receiving overload damage.)] [description: contains a mage robe. when attacked, it can automatically defend itself. this is enough to make it a highly sought-after and valuable item. richard was thrilled after he obtained the two pieces of equipment. the skills of the two pieces of equipment were not accumulated. they were both first-class and practical. the fire elemental lord did not give him time to look at the attributes for the second time. ¡°that exceedingly powerful rare level ¡ª yellow sand mage. it is an ancient class that those despicable mages obtained from other ruins. it possesses the most fundamental power.¡± ¡°after i help you change level, i will give you three b-rank spells compatible with the desert power in your body. this is our contract.¡± glorious level¡­ the most fundamental power¡­ the fire elemental lord¡¯s words immediately filled richard with anticipation. Chapter 121 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°fire elemental lord, the arcana hall is about to collapse. should we leave this place first?¡± richard suppressed the emotions in his heart and said rationally. if this boss could survive the collapse here, the twilight city troop might not. the fire elemental lord¡¯s body surged with majestic energy. it slowly shook its head. !! ¡°i¡¯ve temporarily controlled the magic array nearby. don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll break through the space and send you back to the surface¡­¡± the constant flames on its body formed a sea of fire and directly enveloped the entire furnace as soon the fire elemental lord finished speaking. the temperature rose to the extreme. the surrounding fire elements that surged out also joined in followed. the terrifying flames caused severely distorted the surrounding light rays. everything became blurry. everyone only saw the flames burning. however, the flames that seemed to be able to melt steel did not harm the twilight city troop. after the flames surged to a certain limit. they surged out and enveloped richard. richard felt the flames were no longer hot and turned into endless energy that entered his body. it was as majestic as thousands of mountain waterfalls rushing over. every cell in his body crazily devoured the energy that surged into his body. he felt his strength increase at an unimaginable speed. at the same time, countless images appeared in his mind. a mage with a blurry figure stood on the yellow sand, facing a troop of hundreds of thousands of demons. the mage waved a magic mace and instantly swept a startling sandstorm through the sky. one person destroyed the countless soldiers ahead¡­ one person blocked a thousand soldiers! under a towering city, a mage¡¯s body was emitting a yellow light. countless yellow sand rolled up like a tsunami in the next moment that directly drowned the entire city. a tall mountain made of yellow sand appeared on the spot in just a few breaths. that big city was forcefully wiped away¡­ ****** as those horrifying scenes changed, richard began to understand how to control magic, yellow sand, and the desert power¡­ 1 the seemingly boundless energy of the fire elemental lord was too exaggerated. it triggered the power hidden deep in his body. in the depths of his bloodline, the power of the desert dominator¡¯s innate ability gradually recovered and began to circulate crazily. richard¡¯s body directly turned into countless gravel. this gravel seemed to have particularly distorted in the raging fire. richard, who crazily absorbed all kinds of energy and knowledge, suddenly heard a notification from the system. [ding ~ you are changing to a rare level ¡ª yellow sand wizard. rank compatibility is over 98%. talent triggered ¡ª desert dominator.] [rare level yellow sand wizard is beginning to advance to a glorious level ¡ª yellow sand lord. please maintain sufficient energy. without energy, you will fail to advance.] ¡°rank¡­ advanced?!!¡± richard looked at it a few times before he confirmed that it was not a mistake. a strong sense of surprise instantly surged into his heart. ¡®could this work?!¡¯ ¡®praise the desert!¡¯¡­ he must have visited the goddess of luck in his dream the other night¡­ richard could not suppress the excitement in his heart even after taking a few deep breaths. he simply closed his eyes in the end and began to devour the energy around him. the fire elemental lord had accumulated enormous energy over countless years. the wizards had imprisoned it here to refine magic materials and make magic puppets. it would consume its energy every day. however, after the wizard tower collapsed, the energy gathered by the magic array was no longer used by anyone. the fire elemental lord could only use a small portion of its power while imprisoned. over the long years, the energy had accumulated in the furnace. the remaining was still exaggerated even when most had dissipated. this was similar to the altar of the central crystal. majestic, surging. like the stars and the sea, it was endless. at this moment, richard¡¯s body absorbed energy at a deep-sea whirlpool speed. it got increasingly faster. the flames around him seemed to have encountered a hurricane as they madly fell in his direction. the scorching energy strengthened every grain of sand in his body after sand transformation. gradually, those grains of sand became a little hot. his rank advancement had some subtle changes because of the fire elemental energy. he didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. it seemed like an instant, but it also seemed like half a century had passed. richard felt that his strength had increased by more than ten times. only then did his body gradually calm down after absorbing the energy¡­ the moment he opened his eyes, the system notification sounded. [ding~ you have activated the power in your bloodline depths during the rank advancement process. you have absorbed a massive amount of fire elemental energy. rare-level yellow sand wizard has advanced to glorious rank: yellow sand lord. additional characteristic: fire resistance. all fire elemental damage received was reduced by 50%.] finally¡­ advanced!! richard¡¯s spirit instantly soared to the peak. a powerful aura like a wild beast emitted from his body¡­ the power of thousand running rivers lurked in his body. as long as he was willing, he could erupt with an incomparably terrifying power at any time. at this moment, even someone as powerful as xina and the two mummy heroes felt heavy pressure. it was as if someone pressed a sharp blade against his throat, and a deadly aura lingered in his heart¡­ richard did not notice this. after taking a few deep breaths, he slowly opened his stats panel. [richard (lord)] [hero unit] [level: 6 (elite hero, magic damage increased by 30%.)] [camp: desert camp (neutral)] [territory: twilight city (level 1 small city)] [military structure: little] [lord talent: desert lord (special growth talent, currently b-rank), leadership skill (special skill, ordinary) [magic energy: 1,500 (recovers 10 points per second. recovers 30 points per second when standing on the yellow sand.)] [job: glorious level ¨C yellow sand lord (ordinary, magic damage increased by 100%.)] [skill: yellow sand control (beyond a-rank) ¡ª can freely control the yellow sand within a 200-meter radius. magic consumption is related to the amount of sand. minimum ten magic energy points per second.] [sandy earth (beyond a-rank)¨C with oneself as the center, turn the 300-meter radius of non-yellow sand land into yellow sand. duration: 3 hours. cooldown time: 6 hours.] [sand condensation (into armor) (beyond a-rank) ¡ª condensing yellow sand into battle armor can be applied to oneself or a troop within a 100-meter radius. duration: 10 minutes. minimum consumption of 100 magic energy points. the more energy consumed, the sturdier the battle armor condensed.] [sand regeneration (beyond a-rank) ¡ª after death, can condense sand to revive within 10 minutes. cooldown time: 3 days.] [flame sandstorm (beyond a-rank) ¡ª creates a sandstorm within 300 meters. a vast amount of fire magic damage consumes 50 magic energy points per second.] [fire resistance (special-rank) ¡ª all fire elemental damage received will be reduced by 50%.] [strategic treasure: magic mace (2-stars), mysterious robe (2-stars)] [description: a desert lord with considerable strength and nerve-racking talent.] glorious level¡­ five beyond a-rank skills! richard¡¯s heart pounded rapidly. the emotions in his heart reached their peak at this moment. he stretched out his right hand, and the yellow sand-like light burned like flames. he clenched his fist. ¡®baah!¡¯ the light dissipated. he had become twilight city¡¯s pinnacle of battle strength from this moment. ¡°human, your talent has exceeded my expectations¡­ the power you control now is enough to amaze mortals.¡± the fire elemental lord observed richard and said in a low and muffled voice. ¡°i initially planned to gift you three b-rank spells. but you obviously won¡¯t be able to use them now¡­¡± after it pondered for a moment, the fire lord continued. ¡°with your talent, you will surely have a bright future¡­ i have beyond a-rank skill that suits you. are you willing to exchange the three b-rank spells for it?¡± richard looked at the massive body of flame and suppressed the excitement in his heart. he nodded decisively. ¡°fire elemental lord, your sincerity is more dazzling than the sun. i believe in you.¡± 1 richard accepted the mission to rescue the lord¡¯s opponent and let it free. it was unquestionably the most rewarding mission to date. this fire elemental lord was his lucky star¡­ the fire elemental lord, who was in a better mood than richard, nodded happily. the wave of the fire lord¡¯s hand surged endless fire energy into richard¡¯s body again. a certain special power began to awaken¡­ after a long time. [ding~ you have received a gift from the fire elemental lord. you have comprehended a new skill ¡ª double spellcasting.] [double spellcasting: beyond a-rank. can cast two spells at the same time.] ¡®it was this skill!? it is a remarkably robust skill only an extraordinary above level 20 spellcaster could master.¡¯ a detailed description of this skill appeared in richard¡¯s mind. it was a skill recorded on the ¡°shining era¡¯s¡± official website. he took a deep look at the fire elemental lord. ¡®just how powerful is this lord? at level 18, it can master the skill only an extraordinary above level 20 can master.¡¯ when richard regained his senses and looked at the six beyond a-rank skills on the attribute panel, his mind couldn¡¯t help but waver. if he wasn¡¯t careful, it seemed he had become a boss¡­ Chapter 122 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation who would have thought this ruins expedition would yield such a massive harvest? glorious rank, these words were enough to represent everything. the fire elemental lord sensed the change in richard¡¯s aura and slowly restrained the scattered flames. the dark crystal floated down and returned to gunter¡¯s hand. then, a red gemstone twice the size of the other fire elemental cores shattered the void and landed in front of richard. !! the high-level elemental language that was hard to forget after hearing it once sounded again. ¡°my name is klose flame. when you hold this fire elemental core and shout my name, no matter where you are, i will descend and shoot for you once.¡± ¡°young human, you have terror-stricken potential and talent. i hope you can survive in this world¡­¡± richard held the red gemstone in his hand and looked at the fire elemental lord with a burning gaze. ¡°lord richard of twilight city. lord klose, i accept your friendship.¡± ¡°if you need my help in the future, regardless of whether it¡¯s for lack of resources or anything else, twilight city will do its best.¡± ¡°trust me, you will be happy with what you¡¯ve done today in the future¡­¡± this fire elemental core could summon a fire elemental lord to attack once. how exaggerated was a level18 boss? this was a powerful trump card that could intimidate most enemies in the early stages. however, richard was not satisfied with this. he saw more from it. if he could maintain a relationship with this level 18 fire elemental lord, he might be able to obtain more benefits from the other party¡­ he was a lord of the fire elemental plane. there were too many implications in this. for example, trade across planes¡­ richard¡¯s words caused the fire elemental lord to ponder. finally, the fire lord said slowly, ¡°what i need isn¡¯t something you can obtain right now. wait until you¡¯re strong enough.¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up slightly. that was exactly what he wanted to hear. ¡°lord klose, i believe that day won¡¯t be too far away.¡± the fire elemental lord stared at richard, who fearlessly face pressure and suddenly laughed loudly. ¡°i like your confidence, lord richard¡­ i¡¯ve memorized your name. come find me when you¡¯ve reached level 15.¡± [ding ~ the fire elemental lord¡¯s attitude towards you has increased to close.] the system notification had just sounded. ¡®rumble!¡¯ suddenly, they heard the sound of mountains and the earth toppling from the surroundings. a chill ran down richard¡¯s spine, and the intense vibration of death rose in his heart¡­ richard subconsciously turned his head to look at the passage that led to the depths. he saw countless cracks spread out like spider webs on the wall. faint blue magic runes continuously exploded¡­ the ruins were about to collapse! the fire elemental lord also sensed something wrong and waved its hand. countless flames surged. ¡®crack!¡¯ a sharp crack sound exploded. the space in front of richard exploded dozens of meters wide, and space debris flew out. the flame energy surged and forcefully melted the debris, forming a temporary space door. ¡°this space door leads to the outside world. you should leave this place, it will collapse soon¡­¡± as soon as the fire elemental lord finished speaking, richard did not waste any time. with a wave of his hand, he immediately ordered the troop to pass through. when richard stepped through the dimensional door after the troop left, he turned his head and took a deep look at the fire elemental lord, who was as hot as the sun. ¡°lord klose, i hope to see you again next time.¡± within the gigantic flames fifteen meters tall, that pair of fiery eyes flickered slightly as he nodded. the next second. ¡®boom!!!¡¯ the space around the fire elemental lord suddenly collapsed. then, endless flames surged from another plane. the terrifying high temperature instantly vaporized the rocks, as if they had entered the sun. the fire elemental plane! after this word popped up in richard¡¯s mind, the fire elemental lord motioned its hand goodbye. then the space around him wrapped him up, forcefully sending him a gift of ruin. the scene in front of him disappeared. the last scene in richard¡¯s line of sight was the fire elemental lord merged with the endless flames. it was like a legend in a mythological epic. it was an extensive visual strike. when he came back to his senses, nine bronze doors appeared in front of him. the collapsed hill had been covered with a layer of fine sand for a few days¡­ he turned his head to look at the bronze door on the far right. the fat wizard relief sculpture with a big belly was still on the door. it seemed like nothing had happened. if anyone entered the bronze door at this moment, flames would swallow them instantly. the fire elemental lord tore a corner of the fire elemental plane. endless flames poured down with its anger. the arcana hall had become a pure sea of fire. richard turned his head and looked around. the troop was there, and nothing unexpected happened. he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. he did not expect that his initial plan of taking over the oasis would end up with him accidentally exploring the ruins¡­ and the rewards were colossal!! in a good mood, the corners of his mouth curled up. he began to count the rewards. first, he obtained a glorious level so powerful that it could make people¡¯s hearts tremble ¡ª the yellow sand lord. the rare level triggered his lord¡¯s talent ¡ª the advancement obtained after the desert dominator. six beyond a-rank skills were incomparably powerful. needless to say, the word ¡®glorious¡¯ was enough to describe everything. there were still a few days before the large-scale dungeon would open. it is of great significance to succeed in changing levels at this critical moment. he had gone from a lord who could only rely on the protection of the troop to a mage lord who had great power in his hands and could change the situation of the war. twilight city¡¯s biggest weakness had been made up! in the future war, he could command as he pleased. in his mind, he could already imagine the exciting expression when the enemy suffered countless casualties and finally broke through the blockade of twilight city¡¯s troops and rushed in front of him to be beheaded. only to realize that he was the biggest boss. Chapter 123 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the benefits of this wave of exploration from these harvests alone could be priceless. how comforting! the second harvest was three teams of glorious level magic puppets¡ªheavy sword warriors. the physical damage of these powerful magic puppets almost reached its peak. even the mummy that activated sand transformation could be drunk to death. the violence was so sturdy it reached the level of numbness on the scalp. !! the appearance of the heavy sword warriors remarkably strengthened the top-tier battle strength in its hands. moreover, he could command these magic puppets directly through his mind, and they could immediately carry out orders. it was invaluable for war. moreover, at this stage, who could withstand the spiral storm the heavy sword warrior attacked 15 times a second? the third reward was the dark crystal. this 3-star treasure was the central crystal of the arcana hall! after gunter refined it into a soul phylactery, it had three thunderous skills. it gave the a-level hero an extra life. it also increased its battle strength dramatically and took a big step toward the magic turret. the reinforced gunter and gray as absolute loyal a-rank heroes to him, the more delighted he was. these were all sharp blades that fought for him. fourth is the resource harvest¡ªmore than 1,000 units of gemstones and 650 units of fire elemental cores. of course, the worth of gemstones is priceless. richard had never had the resources to build the hero¡¯s altar. and one of them required a large number. and recruiting dark gargoyles was also inseparable. the 650 units of fire elemental cores were colossal rewards. these treasures could enchant equipment and give them magic damage. they could starkly reinforce a troop. the only question was whether or not adele could use these fire elemental cores to reinforce the troop. if she could directly reinforce the troop, then their value would double. the fifth is the strategic harvest¡ªtwo 2-star strategic equipment. magic mace and the mysterious robe. it was the first time richard had obtained an offensive strategic weapon. the two pieces of equipment together could increase magic damage by 60%. moreover, each piece of equipment also came with a skill: [magic energy strengthening (can be used five times a day.increases the strength of a troop within a radius of 100 meters by 30% for 10 minutes.)] [magic energy shield (can be used five times a day. when attacked, it can automatically release a magic shield with a powerful defense. lasts for 10 minutes. it will shatter after receiving overload damage.)] both skills were ultimately prosperous. the last reward was the gemstone the fire elemental lord gave him¡­ he could make this level 18 boss attack once. it was enough to change the battle outcome at a critical moment with the opponent¡¯s strength. moreover, the fire elemental lord had left behind a prelude¡­ richard would come to the fire lord after reaching level 15. it would take level 15 to complete this. this was pronouncedly an advanced quest. there might be several risks involved. but the benefits would ultimately be considerable¡­ just as richard was in high spirits, the on-guard dark gargoyles around him suddenly roared. ¡°enemy attack!!!¡± the loud voice interrupted his thoughts. he suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction of the voice. in the next second, his eyes turned cold. he saw a large group of figures that rode on wargs on the sand two hundred meters away¡­ they were different from the desert wolves he had met before. these six to seven hundred-pound wolves were rotten all over, with pustules growing all over their bodies. they looked like corpses soaked in a stinky ditch for dozens of days. they were exceedingly disgusting. the rotting wargs opened their enormous mouths, and saliva dripped from their sharp fangs. their mouths exuded a disgusting stench. on the wargs¡¯ backs, withered yellow-skinned desert orcs clenched the reins in their hands. their mouths had fangs that exposed their lips. their eyes were severely fierce¡ªthe orc warg cavalry. richard glanced around, his gaze focused on the core position. behind a white warg was a figure two-head taller than the other wargs that weighed more than two tons. seated was a desert orc warg leader covered in scars. its eyes had been shot blind by sharp arrows. its aura was fierce. richard checked its attributes. orc warg cavalry, level 5, rare 2-stars potential. berserker warg cavalry, level 7, rare 3-stars potential. the strength of the orc warg cavalry was divided into two levels. the total was probably more than seven squadrons. the densely packed figures continuously let out low growls, giving people considerable psychological pressure. it was the most ferocious troop richard had ever encountered. in the middle, the desert orc warg riding on the white warg was a hero unit with c-rank potential and level 8. the desert orc leader also noticed mummies were protecting richard. when it saw richard sizing up, the desert orc leader showed a cruel grimace. it slowly motioned its right hand across its neck. it showed a throat-cutting gesture. the surrounding wargs immediately cried out loudly. their morale soared¡­ when it saw richard ignored its provocation, the halfling lord snorted coldly and looked at the more than five meters tall magic puppets. fanaticism and greed filled the desert orc leader¡¯s eyes. ¡°ruins!¡± a massive tremor caught the desert orc leader¡¯s attention three days ago. at that time, it happened to be hunting around this sandstorm area. when it sensed something strange, it immediately led its troop over. when it rushed over, it immediately discovered nine mountain-tall bronze doors. ancient ruins. it immediately fell into a state of excitement¡­ but without the key, no matter how hard it tried, it could not enter. and the person who opened the door had long disappeared. he left only a strong aura in the air. it could only wait outside. the desert orc leader, for three days, even assumed the person had long been buried inside for three whole days¡­ now, it finally saw the preemptive prey come out! Chapter 124 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation now, the desert orc leader could have all of this!!! in the desert, the strongest can have everything. and he is the lord of this sandstorm! the desert orc¡¯s warblade pointed at the magic puppet. the orcish roared. !! ¡°that¡¯s the loot of the sharp tooth tribe! kill!!¡± ¡°awooo!¡± accompanied by the howls of the wargs, hundreds of warg cavalry swarmed over. their ferocious gazes and hunting posture looked exceedingly horrifying. even veterans would tremble at the sight of this. a dark gargoyle suddenly came before richard and knelt as if wanting to help him get up¡­ richard did not move. he looked at his attribute panel. [yellow sand control (beyond a-rank) ¡ª can freely control the yellow sand within a 200-meter radius. magic consumption is related to the amount of sand. minimum ten magic energy points per second.] ¡°yellow sand control¡± he lowered his head slightly and looked at the sand that covered the instep of his foot. the power hidden in his body boiled like magma. a yellow sand-like light rose from his body. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the sand on the ground seemed to be blown up by a storm. it began to revolve around him. in the blink of an eye, the sand had covered his figure. the surrounding ten meters were covered as if there was a sandstorm tornado¡­ then, a scene that made the desert orc leader widen his eyes to the extreme appeared on the field. the human who commanded the mummy troop shortly floated in the air amidst the hurricane created by countless grains of sand. yellow sand danced in the sky, and the sunlight dimmed. the moment the other party appeared, the entire desert cheered for him¡­ as if he was the master of the desert, ruler of the yellow sand, and controller of this land. the desert orc leader suddenly woke up, and an unconcealable fear emerged in his heart. ¡°a desert mage! ¡°that human lord is a damn desert mage!!! ¡°kill him!!!¡± a hysterical roar came from his throat!! several squadrons of warg cavalry increased their speed by three times. when one looked down from the sky, the scene of hundreds of wolves swarming up together was visually striking. a pack of wolves hunted a lion. in the sandstorm, richard slightly narrowed his eyes. the power in his bloodline gushed out unscrupulously. at this moment, he could feel that with him as the center, within a radius of 200 meters, the entire yellow sand land was under his control. every grain of sand was an extension of his perception, a part of his body. at this moment, he was the lord of this place¡­ he stopped in the air after he flew 30 meters high under the encirclement of the sandstorm. he lowered his head slightly. in his line of sight, hundreds of wargs had already rushed to the front of the twilight city troops. most blatant brutality and bloodlust filled their ferocious faces. the battle¡­ was about to erupt! richard raised his head slightly and looked at the desert orc leader riding the white wolf two hundred meters away. in the next second, the corner of his mouth curled up. he revealed an extremely arrogant grimace. he extended his right hand, and endless yellow light burned like a flame at this moment. his five fingers clenched into fists. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the yellow light suddenly spread out at this moment. in an instant. countless sand grains surged like raging waves on the yellow sand land. it was a tsunami that occurred in the desert. with richard as the center, the surrounding yellow sand surged dozens of meters into the air. it was in the shape of a ring that surged violently in all directions and set off a vast wave of sand. this scene was like a natural disaster. a broad wave of sand dozens of meters high rose at the edge of the 200-meter radius. it surged forward and backward¡­ sand waves covered the sky in the middle of the ripples. hundreds of warg cavalry looked at the vast shadow and appeared in front of them. an unconcealable fear swallowed their hearts. at this moment, they seemed to have become sampans in a level 18 storm. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the terror-stricken sand wave was enough to smash mountains and destroy city walls. the wargs ran madly, even wanting to jump out of the sand wave. but all of this seemed so pale, powerless, and laughable in front of this natural disaster. after a few breaths, two dozens of meters high waves of sand fiercely, with an indomitable momentum, fiercely attacked together. ¡®bang!¡¯ an indescribable dull sound of collision rang out. the sand waves destroyed everything with their mighty and invincible power. the sky and earth eclipsed at this moment. the earth overturned during the turbulence. the sand and dust rose hundreds of meters high and blocked all light. twilight city troops could be seen as the core when the dust gradually receded. a more than 40 meters high ring-shaped giant dune has formed around the core. the hundreds of rare and uncommon mounted warg cavalry were all buried within it. a blurry figure surrounded by yellow sand was left alone in the sky. the scene fell into a deathly silence. Chapter 125 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation one person stopped a thousand troops. the yellow sand lord. he was the true lord of yellow sand. richard looked at the circular sand ring in front of him. at this moment, he truly realized how powerful his strength was. the beyond a-rank skill could destroy seven to eight squadrons of desert orc troops. !! as for the same skill¡­he had a total of six! ¡°as long as i increase my level, i¡¯ll have enough magic energy¡­¡± he alone was a natural disaster! the dust that had thrown up most of the light blocked the surrounding sun. he used his trembling hand to touch the bean-sized sweat on his forehead. richard let out a long breath. he was a little careless¡­ although the beyond a-rank skill could be called a natural disaster, its consumption was also exceedingly exaggerated¡­ not only did it deplete his 1,500 magic energy points when such an enormous commotion set off. but it also severely exhausted the bloodline power in his body. at this moment, a negative status appeared on his status panel ¡ª magic energy exhaustion. within two hours, all attributes were reduced by 50%. fortunately, the sand had covered their visions, so no one knew his current status. after taking a few deep breaths, he barely recovered. now surrounded by the yellow sand, his magic energy recovery speed increased to 30 points per second. it was enough to maintain the minimum consumption of 10 magic energy points so he would not fall. he flew up in the sandstorm. richard saw the miserable desert orcs in the distance after he passed through the ring-shaped dune. the desert orc leader had retreated 300 to 400 meters away. no one could imagine how richard felt when he saw the disaster-like sand wave engulf the elite cavalry he had forged. richard could create a sand wave dozens of meters high with a wave of his hand¡­ was he f *cking human??? fight? with what?? they wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a wave of damage even if they had ten times more troops¡­ when the desert orc leader saw richard float up, its last bit of courage immediately shattered. the desert orc leader brought the remaining dozens of wolf cavalry with a wave of its hand and ran away with their tails between their legs. ¡°f*ck, i don¡¯t want to fight with mages anymore!! i don¡¯t want to anymore!¡± richard watched the desert orc leader leave with the last cavalry units. his eyes narrowed. ¡°tried to run after they pretended?¡± he waved his hand, and a weak voice sounded. ¡°gunter, gray, life or death¡­¡± after a few breaths. gray and gunter led the four teams of dark gargoyles like arrows after the bowstring snapped. they flapped their wings and chased after the desert orcs. the air became quiet again. they looked down at the troop still trapped in the sand ring. they took a few breaths and waved their hands. a rustling sound could be heard. a colossal amount of sand flowed, and a hole appeared in the middle of the sand ring¡­ the troop immediately left this man-made dune. after everyone was safe, richard turned his head and saw the sand ring had covered the nine bronze doors. now, he didn¡¯t have to worry about outsiders getting there first¡­ his mood immediately became much more relaxed. richard landed on the ground again. with a thought, he directly made a heavy sword warrior lie. he sat on the magic puppet and slowly recovered his exhausted strength. ten minutes later, the system notification rang. [ding~ you have led a troop to annihilate a group of desert orcs. you have won a small-scale battle. you have obtained 10,000 experience points.] the dark gargoyle returned from the sky with the dozens of warg corpses not long after the notification rang¡­ the desert orc leader was among them. although richard still felt weak and weak, his mood immediately improved. ¡°lord,¡± gray respectfully said as he got off the dark gargoyle¡¯s back. ¡°lord, those orcs have all been killed. we have not brought back some of the corpses¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°go, don¡¯t miss anything.¡± with gunter around, these corpses could immediately become new battle strengths and squeeze out the last of their value. not long after, the dark gargoyles returned all the warg cavalry. richard was not in a hurry to let gunter recruit the mummies. he stood after resting for two hours and recovered to his peak condition. he looked at the towering ring-shaped dune in front of him. the yellow sand on his body surged. he waved his hand. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ countless grains of sand surged. the desert orc corpses buried alive emerged one after another. it was as if someone had dragged them out. unfortunately, they could not eat these rotten wargs. otherwise, they could be sold for tremendous resources. however, it was not a loss to use them to recruit mummies. they pulled the last warg cavalry corpses out of the dunes. a pile of corpses was already in front of them. richard looked to his side. ¡°gunter, let¡¯s go¡­¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± the mummy hero wrapped in a blood-colored bandaged mummy stood up and majestic blood-colored energy rose from its body. ¡®huhu!¡¯ the energy covered hundreds of warg cavalry corpses in just a few breaths. these corpses released a vast amount of blood-colored energy into the air in just a moment. it caused the crimson light around them to become even brighter. after the energy in the corpses¡¯ bodies overflowed, they seemed to have dried for thousands of years. they quickly decayed and disintegrated¡­ only three teams left of the hundred corpses at the front. the desert orc leader and its white wolf mount were in the lead. only at this moment did the blood-colored energy around them swarm¡­ it was like opening a floodgate and pouring into the remaining corpses. blood-colored bandages condensed out of thin air wrapped around the wargs and the orcs behind them. under the effect of some special rules, the orcs gradually linked with the wargs and became inseparable symbiotes¡­ when richard saw this scene, his heart moved. ¡°gunter, release all the magic energy stored in the dark crystal and bless these mummies¡­¡± his order was the only law. gunter immediately took out the dark crystal. [magic energy storage (can store 5,000 magic energy points in the central crystal space. can be used directly when used.] gunter directly poured the 5,000 magic energy stored in the dark crystal into the body of the warg cavalry about to transform¡­ the body of the desert orc leader seemed to have turned into a black hole after the mutation. the surging magic energy was completely devoured after a few breaths. when richard saw this scene, he was delighted. it was effective! he immediately asked gunter to activate magic energy imprisonment. [magic energy imprisonment (can suck out magic energy points within a diameter of 300 meters and store it in the central crystal space. during this period, you can freely use the magic power in it. lasts for 10 minutes. cooldown time is one day.] the corpses absorbed all the magic energy within 300 meters within two breaths because of the dark crystal. this area became forbidden. and there were no more magic fluctuations. and this time would last for 10 minutes. gunter poured all the magic energy the dark crystal plundered into the three squad mummies. after the colorless magic energy passed through the crystal, it became a dark gray. the desert orc leader absorbed the most. and the aura it emitted was also the most powerful. a steady stream of magical energy continued to release for 10 minutes. gunter only withdrew the dark crystal ball in its hand when the characteristic of magic energy imprisonment disappeared. at this time, the mummified body of the warg cavalry suddenly moved as if given a new soul. a blood-colored warg on the ground howled and let out a long howl. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the warg cavalry of the three squads all stood up in unison. [ding~ twilight city¡¯s hero: gunter fresh blood, recruited three squads of mummies from the corpses ¡ª rotten cavalry.] [ding~ one of the rotten cavalries successfully advanced to hero unit because he swallowed vast magic energy¡­¡± richard looked at the desert warg leader while it slowly stood up. it exuded the unique aura of a hero. and joy filled its eyes. this method was ultimately effective¡­ at this moment, he thought of countless possibilities for the future. in the future, could this method be used to obtain heroes on a large scale?? who would have thought after gunter obtained the dark crystal from the ruins that the enormous enhancement was ultimately the ability to recruit mummies? this time, it was a bloody profit¡­ Chapter 126 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation author¡¯s note: the holidays are finished. from now on, i¡¯ll work hard to maintain the chapters. thank you for your subscriptions and tips. i love you all! 1 ****** while richard was deep in thought, the rotten cavalry in front of him had all gotten up. the enormous size of the blood-colored bandage-wrapped white warg still stood out. the desert orc leader seated behind it looked even more ferocious. richard kept the matter of recruiting heroes in his heart. he retracted his thoughts after he made up his mind. he would surely try it in the future. !! he looked at the first hero recruited from the orc corpse in front of him. he opened his stats panel. [baal sharpclaw] [hero unit] [level: 5] [potential: d] [skills: rotten body (d-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, plague, curse, and strength increased by 50%. after being injured, it can devour the body of a non-undead creature to recover its injuries.] [siamese symbiosis (special-rank) ¡ª it has become one unit with the mount and can not be separated.] [crazy bite (d-rank) ¡ª when biting an enemy, 200% of strength can be released, causing armor-piercing damage.] [corrosive saliva (d-rank) ¡ª carries poison and viruses. corrodes thick armor and infects the enemy, causing illness-like death.] [extreme charge (d-rank) ¡ª when attacking, can instantly increase 300% charging speed within 30 seconds.] [hero talent: when commanding cavalry units, increases all cavalry¡¯s running speed by 20%.] [race talent: as long as a mount or knight can survive one of them, they can recover from their injuries.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies exceeds 50, strength increases by 30%, and speed increases by 30% (activated).] [description: a mummy hero born from a corpse.] ¡®a d-rank hero?¡¯ the potential recruited was one level lower than the desert orc leader. but what matters most is it was for free and could be mass-produced in the future¡­ thinking of this, richard felt deeply overjoyed. gunter¡¯s skill, divine skill¡­ richard didn¡¯t expect a sudden idea would have such an effect. he was delighted. baal sharpclaw, the newly born hero, saluted gunter. it drove the warg tightly wrapped in colored-blood bandage to come before richard. it placed its hand on its chest and bowed. ¡°great lord, baal sharpclaw is sending you the highest regards.¡± although gunter recruited this soldier, the ownership still belonged to richard. gunter could not command without his orders. richard looked at the rotten cavalry and nodded. the potential of these soldiers under the nourishment of magic energy and hundreds of wolf cavalry had reached a rare 1-star. a total of 29! this time, it was a genuine bloodbath gain. richard had risked his life to obtain the glorious level of soldiers. it was completely different from the experience of these soldiers who were paid for nothing. he transferred the command of the rotten cavalry to baal. ¡°you will be in charge of this cavalry in the future.¡± ¡°great lord, thank you for your trust¡­ i will use my soul to defend your will!¡± richard waved his hand and let the newly born hero go down to organize the troop. after he had sorted out the situation, richard stared at the ring-shaped, spectacle-like dune. this ruin still contained an astonishing amount of wealth, and he would come back again. dozens of meters high dune collapsed with a wave of his hand. it sent dust flying into the sky. the nine bronze doors were still starkly buried. outsiders wouldn¡¯t find them without a detailed map. he had already marked it on the system map. there would be no embarrassing things about not finding it out. ¡°return to the territory¡­¡± sooner or later, he would open all nine bronze doors. he turned around and left with his troop without nostalgia. richard had already gained enough this time. next, he had to return to the territory to digest and convert all of his gains into the strength of twilight city. moreover, the territory troops had refreshed a few days ago. when richard returned and released those troops, his strength would reinforce again. more importantly, the large-scale dungeon was about to begin at the end of the month. richard could not have time to waste. he had to prepare for the expedition dungeon. he looked forward to clashing with those lord-class players. he wondered what their expressions would be when they saw the glorious 2-stars heavy sword warrior. only one person had a different mood among the troop. xina looked at the figure seated on the shoulder of the heavy sword warrior. her thoughts were complicated. the lord that needed the troop protection a few days ago had now grown to a powerful existence that could destroy hundreds of wolf cavalry soldiers with a wave of his hand. she even had a strong feeling that if she were to fight the other party, she would surely die. that calamity-like power made her feel suffocated. but then, an intense excitement rose in her heart. perhaps, this young man¡¯s miracle growth speed could break the seal in her body¡­ the disappointment in her heart she had found nothing in the ruins had swept away. and her eyes regained determination. she would never back down before breaking the seal that had troubled the krina tribe for hundreds of thousands of years. may 25, at noon. the twilight city residents were busy and suddenly looked at the entrance in surprise. ¡°the lord is back!¡± a cry of surprise made the entire territory boil. this oasis expedition was the longest time richard had ever left the territory. he was the soul of twilight city. the entire territory seemed to be missing something when he was out. at this moment, the ruler of this land had finally returned. ¡°good day, my lord¡­¡± ¡°my lord¡­¡± ¡°welcome back¡­¡± Chapter 127 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when they entered the territory, the surrounding residents held their chests excitedly and bowed. the smile and joy on their faces were not the least bit fake. it was a joy that came from the bottom of their hearts. xina looked at the territory in front of her with some curiosity. unlike what she had imagined, this territory was not enormous. she could see that it had just started. but what touched her the most was the smile on the faces of the territory residents at this moment¡­ there seemed to be light in their eyes. hope and the future seemed to have filled this place. !! she thought of oasis city. when the residents saw her, they were more afraid and distant, although they were respectful. it was the first time she had seen the residents so happy from the bottom of their hearts. she had never even seen such an atmosphere in the krina tribe. this city¡­was positively something different. she stared at the figure with a profound gaze and was the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. the refugees sent to twilight city a few days ago had also seen the lord who had sent them back to this territory for the first time. just as the old residents had said, they had deeply loved richard. after the popularity of the people rose to 90, twilight city¡¯s attraction to outsiders increased a lot. those refugees had been in twilight city for a few days and rapidly integrated into the environment under the efforts of the other residents. this city seemed to have had a unique charm that made them feel particularly at peace. ¡°lord richard, your territory seems to be a little different¡­¡± after everyone bowed, richard suddenly heard a wave of emotion coming from his side. he turned around and smiled at xina. a fierce aura of a hundred battle-veteran filled her being. the hundred battle-veteran had fought side by side with him for a few days. and their relationship had already become close. they were no longer strangers to each other. however, there was still a long way before he could command the veteran like he commanded gunter and gray. ¡°every city has its soul. the soul of twilight city might be even more special. you must carefully experience it. ¡°there won¡¯t be too much intense battle for the next two days. ¡°there are many empty rooms in the lord¡¯s mansion. i¡¯ll get someone to clean up two of them. you can stay here in peace. ¡°that¡¯s the blacksmith¡¯s shop over there. adele is in charge of the work there. she¡¯s the best blacksmith in twilight city. you can seek advice from her if you need weapons. however, she¡¯s currently researching how to upgrade scorpion warrior attacks. she probably doesn¡¯t have much time¡­¡± after the introduction, xina¡¯s expression relaxed a lot. a smile also appeared on her face. ¡°lord richard, i can walk on my own. there¡¯s no need to trouble you¡­¡± she said squeamishly. ¡°the desert honey you gave me last time¡­ is it here?¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh and pointed outside. ¡°it¡¯s the agricultural area over there. the agriculture of twilight city is strenuous here¡­¡± xina looked in the direction of the russian olive forest as she spoke, and her eyes immediately lit up. the honey richard gave her a few days ago had an indescribable, exaggerated taste that left a deep impression on her. she bet it was the best desert honey she had ever eaten. ¡°can i seek permission to take a look?¡± richard nodded slightly and pointed at a bandaged mummy, asking it to accompany xina. sure enough, no one could escape the taste of the desert crown honey¡­ when xina went to the russian olive forest to watch the bees in high spirits, karu rushed over excitedly. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± the old white-haired man deeply sighed after he saw richard unharmed. the pressure in his heart these days had swept away, and his wrinkled face relaxed at this moment. his spirit and energy suddenly had energized. richard reached out and patted the older man¡¯s shoulder. he could tell that karu must have been under a lot of pressure during this period. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard. i¡¯ll give you a break for the next two days. have a good rest¡­¡± ¡°my lord, it¡¯s an honor to serve you¡­¡± amidst the reception, richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion after a few days. the 30 heavy sword warriors he had brought back were left in the space outside the mansion, allowing the excited residents to visit. richard sat on a chair in the hall center and didn¡¯t think of anything else to do. after drinking two sips of warm tea, he looked at karu. ¡°have you counted the population from oasis city?¡± ¡°there are a total of 560 people. exactly 1,000 people, including our original 340 residents.¡± after he said that, karu added another sentence. ¡°there are also 30 long-arm laborers and 20 desert gnomes ¨C 1,050 people in total.¡± the population had finally exceeded 1,000. it wasn¡¯t easy. richard sighed deeply. it would simply kill him to get some population in the desert. and the territory upgrade required a sufficient population, which almost made him lose his temper. ¡°have those residents settled down?¡± ¡°there¡¯s still quite a big gap in the houses¡­¡± richard felt his thoughts weren¡¯t clear enough, and his tone became slightly heavy. ¡°karu, report in detail the progress of various aspects of the territory in the past few days.¡± karu stood up. his gaze was solemn. ¡°yes, lord richard.¡± ¡°first is the construction aspect. we have built 30 new completed residential houses.¡± ¡°a portion of the new residents who have joined the territory live in these residential houses but can only accommodate ten people. so, many still stay in the barracks and open spaces outside. ¡°we can meet our current needs if we upgrade these 30 residences to elite residences. ¡°however, this requires your strength.¡± the gods had given the lord the ability to upgrade territory the soonest. it was an unparalleled strength. he could only wait for richard¡¯s return. ¡°secondly, the stables and winery have already been built.¡± Chapter 128 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°relevant talents have been currently selected from the residents to join them. ¡°however, there are currently no horses or camels in the stables, so they can not use the livestock for the time being. ¡°currently, the distillery lacks wine recipes and raw materials, and the food workshop lacks research and development talents¡­ we must replenish all of them.¡± richard raised his eyebrows. damn, they had everything they needed¡­ !! ¡°what about the russian olive forest?¡± a smile appeared on karu¡¯s face. ¡°the russian olive forest has gradually matured. we can pick olives in a few days. the estimated output is 80,000 units, which can provide enormous raw materials. ¡°we can use the olives at that time to develop fruit wine. and we can also produce food like olive candies, which can extensively alleviate our needs. ¡°as for the desert crown honey, due to the influence of its flowering period, we can only produce the lowest yield of 35 units of honey from the three hives of bees. ¡°maybe, it¡¯s because we don¡¯t have enough pollen, and we haven¡¯t found any signs of a nest for the time being. ¡°additionally, the fire dragon rabbit has begun to shed its hair. we could weave blankets from the harvest. ¡°the 42 young rabbits have already grown to half the size of the adult fire dragon rabbit. the desert gnomes expect to enter estrus next month, and it won¡¯t be long before they give birth to new cubs. ¡°eight adult fire dragon rabbits will reproduce again next month. there will be five adult female rabbits and 30 female cubs. ¡°the number of fire dragon rabbits in each nest is between 8 to 12, and the time for them to give birth is around a month. ¡°it is estimated that we will harvest hundreds of young rabbits in mid-august¡­¡± ¡®why are these guys so rare when they can produce so many babies?¡¯ as if he could see through richard¡¯s question, karu continued. ¡°after the fire dragon rabbits breed to a certain number, they will have fewer babies and will no longer reproduce indefinite number¡­¡± richard nodded. he could only sigh at how big the world was. there were all kinds of strange things. in just over a month, they would be able to grow from a baby to a mature stage. moreover, they could continue to reproduce seamlessly. this thing could only be worthy of being called a solar-powered board¡­ it was too magical. ¡°make sure to take precautions. the fire dragon rabbit is of great importance. there must not be any mistakes.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± karu continued. richard also asked several questions after karu¡¯s another ten minutes of reporting. when he finished asking, he had directly understood the current situation of the territory. the development did not stop just because he left. the city grew in the desert deep rapidly. karu, the butler, did a substantial job. richard walked out of the lord¡¯s mansion and came to the residential houses after he dealt with trivial administrative matters through karu¡¯s reminder. in front of him were 30 basic houses and ten intermediate houses. the comparison between the upgraded houses and the unupgraded houses was distinct. in the attribute panel, there were still over 100,000 resources. to upgrade a basic house to an intermediate level required 500 wood and 500 gold coins. thirty houses meant 15,000 and 15,000 units of resources ¨C 30,000 in total. that was not a lot. after getting people to summon the residents, they directly chose to upgrade. a wave of yellow sand covered the buildings in front of him. thirty basic houses had upgraded to elite level under the cries of the new residents. ten original houses added to 40 elite could accommodate 1,200 people. twilight city only had 1,000 people at this time, which was enough to meet the demand. richard was not in a hurry to leave after upgrading the residential houses. instead, he opened the territory stats panel. [twilight city] [level: 1 small city (10,000 units of gold, stone, wood, and iron ore required to level up. three buildings have reached an advanced level, 500 residents.)] territorial upgrades had always been at the back of his plans. in contrast, he preferred to invest his resources into military power. so, even though he had a glorious-level troop, his territory was still a pitiful level 1 small city. however, the player dungeon examines the overall strength of the territory. the territory level was still unknown. to be safe, he had to raise the territory¡¯s level. they met the population requirement for the upgrade. only three advanced buildings was lacking. the blacksmith¡¯s shop was currently the only advanced building in twilight city. they still needed two more upgrades. richard looked at the food workshop and the winery after he pondered¡­ without hesitation. he spent two hours upgrading these two buildings from ordinary to advanced. after reaching the advanced level, the attributes of the two buildings changed dramatically when the buildings had reached the advance level. it surprised richard. [winery (10 spaces)] [level: advanced (50,000 units of wood and 50,000 units of stone are required to upgrade.)] [characteristics: the wine produced from this wine will increase its taste by 30%, making it more fragrant and mellow.] [research and development: can develop advanced wine that can temporarily increase strength after drinking (requires hero units to activate).] [resident hero: none] [hero¡¯s additional characteristics: none] [capacity: minimum of 10 people, maximum of 100 people] [description: advanced winery can develop wine with extraordinary strength.] ** [food workshop (10 spaces)] [level: advanced (30,000 units of iron ore, 30,000 units of wood, and 30,000 units of stone are required to level up)] [characteristics: the taste of the food produced will be increased by 30%.] [research and development: can develop advanced food that can quickly restore one¡¯s stamina after consumption (requires hero units to activate).] [resident hero: none] [hero¡¯s additional characteristic: none] [capacity: minimum of 10 people, maximum of 100 people] [introduction: the high-level food workshop can already develop food with extraordinary power.] ¡°so, this is the correct way to open a building!¡­ only high-level buildings can be considered buildings!¡± richard finally understood why the other lords were keen on upgrading their territories. upgrading their territories seemed to be more in line with traditional orthodoxy¡­ he seemed to be a big step behind in this regard. however, richard immediately adjusted his mood. ¡°what orthodoxy¡­ i want them all!¡± Chapter 129 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s attention focused on another aspect after he considered the properties of the building a few times. advanced buildings needed heroes to move in before research and development functions could be activated. the future territory development will be closely related to heroes. there will be technological advantages with more heroes and strong potential. fortunately, richard had already recruited adele earlier, the talented a-rank hero. he wanted to ensure twilight city¡¯s technology would not be left behind. !! he recollected his thoughts and focused on leveling up the territory. he could upgrade the level because the population had stuck for a week. it was too difficult to get a population in the desert. his intuition tells him that the future population might be the biggest obstacle to twilight city¡¯s upgrade. [ding~ do you want to use 20,000 gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore to level up your territory?¡­] ¡°confirm.¡± when he confirmed, the yellow sand light immediately shrouded the emptied lord¡¯s mansion. it seemed covered by a layer of the mysterious veil from the outside. and it is not real. the bluestone floor of twilight city continued to extend outwards and swallowed the rolling yellow sand at the same time¡­ the territory expanded rapidly. three hours later, the light faded. [ding~ twilight city has been upgraded to a level 2 small city. the territory has expanded by 50 empty spaces. the current space is 56 spaces.¡± richard looked at the system notification and was delighted. previously, the upgrade from a level 3 village to a level 1 small city had only expanded by 30 empty spaces. in comparison, the higher the territory level, the greater the expansion range with each upgrade. among the newly built buildings in the past few days, the winery occupied ten empty spaces, the food workshop occupied 10, the stable occupied 4, and the residence occupied 30. the remaining 60 empty spaces from the previous upgrade had gone through a series of projects, leaving only 6. now that they had obtained 50, the pressure had decreased. to upgrade to a level 3 town required 30,000 units of gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore, four high-level buildings, and a population of 1,000 people. the population was enough, but the attribute panel only had less than 50,000 units of resources left. after several rounds of leveling up, the resources were insufficient again. richard pondered at the territory level ranking. a level 2 city pushed twilight city into the top 10,000,000. at this time, the top 1,000 lords had all reached level 3. however, more than half a month had passed, and the territory that had reached level 3 first had yet to level up. one could see it would not be so easy to level up any further. since richard was short of resources, he was too lazy to continue the building upgrade. after closing the forum, he suddenly thought of something. he took out the precious 3-star resource treasure from the system space ¡ª 100 mu of sand barley. [sand barley (resource treasure)] [level: 3-stars] [range: 100 acres] [specialty: it must be planted in the desert. it requires a certain amount of water to irrigate. ripens once a month.] [description: a resource treasure that belongs exclusively to the desert.] it was the goal of conquering the oasis. who would have thought this would involve ruins in the end? the most important after returning to the territory was to transform the gains from the expedition into genuine battle strength to enrich the heritage of twilight city. after richard pondered in his heart, he didn¡¯t waste any more time and went straight to the russian olive forest. this area was the agricultural planting area of twilight city. the future output would be here. as far as the eye could see, the lush and verdant fruit trees were already full of red-spotted russian olives. each string is densely packed, one after another. it made people feel happy, but at the same time, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the tenacity of the tree trunk. xina was currently in a daze in the forest. she was particularly interested to see the olive trees heavily jammed with fruits and the bees that flew back and forth. the fierce aura of the hundred battle-veteran on her body had also eased up a lot. richard did not disturb this hero with a starkly unique style of battle fighting. he proceeded to the west side of the olive forest alone, a few hundred meters away. the terrain of this area was relatively flat. there were no large slopes, so it was suitable to plant the sand barley. however, even if it wasn¡¯t flat, it wasn¡¯t a big deal¡­ he could control the yellow sand with his beyond a-rank skill. he could produce instant sand mountain if he wanted. ¡°if i plant these 100 acres of sand barley, this desert will become an oasis¡­¡± as richard pondered, he opened the [trading market]. search¡­for spring water. the previous week had been drought week. many lords had a vast demand for water, so no one hung on it. after the drought week, the number of treasures in this area increased. spring water (1-star resource treasure) ¡ª 50,000 units of iron ore spring water (1-star resource treasure) ¡ª 48,000 gold coins spring water¡­ the quantity was not small, and the price was around 40,000 to 60,000 resources. during this half a month, the lords were adapting to this world. most of them understood what was valuable and not. luckily, not many lords needed spring water. otherwise, the price would be even higher. richard instantly chose the lowest price to buy, 45,000 units of wood. he had only a few thousand units left after he had gathered all the resources on hand and exchanged all of them for wood. he was horrendously poor. [ding~ transaction successful. you have lost 15,000 units of wood and obtained spring water (1-star treasure) * 1.] when the spring water was in his hands, he directly buried it into the sand under his feet. the next second. ¡®puff!¡¯ a gravel-laiden column of water erupted from the ground. under the sunset, it brought out a rainbow. the column of water gradually lowered and began to gurgle out. the surrounding sand was soaked and turned into hard blocks. then, clear water washed away the gravel and turned them into the sand. richard touched the water droplets on his face and happily placed the sparkling treasure in his hand into the sand beside the spring water. the clear water slowly flowed onto the treasure¡­ a few bubbles appeared. a green seedling poked its head out from the sand a moment later. then, it grew upwards at a visible speed. the birth of life. every time richard saw this scene, he would always feel comfortable all over. after the green sprout poked its head out, he did not stay any longer and immediately turned around to leave. after he walked out of the sand barley range, he turned around and saw a green seedling had emerged from the ground. on the yellow sand, the seedling broke through the soil. this extremely contrasting scene made people gasp in amazement. a miracle of life. the 100-acre area was ten times wider than the russian olive forest. it matured once a month. this resource treasure tremendously guaranteed the food safety of twilight city. these were all the results of his expeditions, and richard couldn¡¯t help but be delighted. when he reached the russian olive forest, he called the fat aunt who was in charge of managing the olives over. the fat aunt¡¯s face, which looked like a red apple cut in half, left a deep impression on him. ¡°i¡¯ve placed a god-given item that can grow sand barley in that area, and i¡¯ve given it all to you to manage. if you don¡¯t have enough people, ask karu for provision.¡± the fat aunt was exceedingly excited. she spoke in a unique, fast tone. ¡°thank you for trusting, lord! ¡°i¡¯ll ultimately manage the russian olive forest and sand barley well!¡± after she said that, she seemed to have thought of something and hesitated. ¡°lord, those poisonous wasps have been eating our bees recently¡­¡± when richard heard this, he could not help but think of the terrible figure that kept waving its branches and bombarding the earth from the dusky sky. god¡¯s ancient tree, level 10 advanced boss. ¡°this matter has touched upon an exceedingly panic-stricken existence. i will resolve it sometime¡­ ¡°everyone is forbidden to talk about the poisonous wasps. you are to supervise them¡­¡± when the fat aunt heard this, she immediately patted her chest firmly and agreed. she promised she would not let anyone else talk about it. richard nodded. he felt slightly annoyed in his heart. sooner or later, he would dig up that ancient human-faced giant tree and plant it in twilight city. he would let the poisonous wasps guard the russian olive forest. he did not believe they would not be able to do anything to a tree after a period of development. the bees that were eaten would be treated as fertilizing each other in advance. Chapter 130 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation xina heard the conversation outside and walked out also of the russian olive forest. this hero had been in a shallow mood because she had not found a way in the ruins to break the seal. when she saw the bees, it seemed to have prompted her mood, and reflections of strong determination filled her eyes. ¡°lord richard, twilight city needs a lot of water. why don¡¯t you plant it next to this spring?¡± richard smiled. ¡°who said this city doesn¡¯t have any spring water? i put a spring in the center.¡± !! hina was stunned¡­ ¡®was it so easy to get a god-given item?¡¯ the system notification suddenly rang in his ear before the hundred battle-veteran could say anything. [ding~ scorpion warrior¡¯s basic attack has been successfully researched. it had enhanced into a territory characteristic. you can go to the blacksmith¡¯s shop and freely increase the scorpion warrior¡¯s attack.] ¡®scorpion warrior¡¯s basic attack has been successfully researched and developed?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth curled up. ¡®adele is indeed a treasure!!¡¯ ¡®this developed a-rank hero would be perfectly amazing!¡¯ he had personally experienced how much the bandaged mummy¡¯s strength had increased after its reinforcement. he wondered how much strength would the reinforced scorpion warrior increase. in his heart rose jubilant anticipation. richard looked at xina and his eyes swept across the long severely-gapped sword in her hand. ¡°xina, you may need a long sword tailored for you¡­ twilight city happens to have a blacksmith with amazing forging skills.¡± xina glanced at the cross-shaped sword in her hand. she had long lost the weapon she brought out from the krina tribe in her previous battles. her heart warmed. ¡°thank you, my lord.¡± richard nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. he brought xina back to the territory. they went straight to the blacksmith shop. when they entered the research room, adele was excitedly looking up and down in front of a scorpion warrior with two iron pincers that shone a metallic luster. it was as if a master of art was admiring its meticulously carved work. when she saw richard¡¯s arrival, she immediately said excitedly. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve already discovered how to reinforce the scorpion warrior! ¡°praise the god of forging! ¡°perhaps, it won¡¯t be long before i can break through to special-level blacksmith. i¡¯m just one step away¡­¡± richard was full of smiles. he was not stingy with his praise. ¡°adele, your talent is enough to dim the stars! let alone special-level blacksmith. it would only take some time before you reach special-level blacksmith.¡± as richard spoke, he looked at the scorpion warrior beside him with a pair of dazzling iron pincers. ¡°is this your masterpiece?¡± ¡°yes, my lord!¡± an intense pride appeared on adele¡¯s face as she reached out her hand to gesture at the scorpion warrior. it was like a child showing off in front of their parents a 100-point result in the final exam. ¡°the most powerful thing about the scorpion warriors is their attack. ¡°i conducted a similar study on the scorpion warriors using my knowledge and experience in studying the bandaged mummies. ¡°from the body part where they exert their strength to the maximum attack range, the maximum attack power, and the maximum endurance¡­ ¡°i tested it in detail. ¡°after the experiment, i reinforced their iron pincers according to the scorpion warrior¡¯s characteristics.¡± adele pointed at the scorpion warriors shone with a metallic luster as if she counted her family jewels. ¡°reinforcement is not achieved by simply covering their bodies with steel. they are just warriors wearing a layer of iron skin. it¡¯s better to build them a set of armor. ¡°in this process, we need to calculate the point of attack, the angle of damage to the enemy, and even our own attacking habits. ¡°after the experiment has produced several necessary data, we will summarize the data. finally, we will carry out the second phase of the experiment, revise it, summarize it, and experiment again¡­ this cycle will continue until we reach the ideal state. only then will the research and development be considered a success.¡± what andrea said gave richard a great understanding of her work. this seemed to have a lot of similarities with modern laboratories. however, there was no so-called high-tech here, and the properties of the various materials were also different. magic and alchemy technology were the mainstream of the ¡°shining era¡±. with some curiosity, richard opened the attributes panel of the scorpion warrior. one of the skills with the prefix ¡®enhanced¡¯ made him exceedingly overjoyed. [enhanced powerful iron pincers (d-rank) ¡ª the sharpness of the two pincers increases by 70%. the strength of the swing of the two pincers increases by 50%. when the hook is used, the explosion property is obtained. and the armor of the opponent can be instantly torn apart.] powerful iron pincers (d class, the sharpness of the two pincers increases by 50%. the strength of the swing of the two pincers increases by 50%.] the contrast between the two enhancements was obvious. this enhancement allowed the already sturdy scorpion warrior to gain even more paralyzing lethality. richard was in a great mood. it should be this way. then, as if he had thought of something. he reached out and took out 20 fire elemental cores from the system space. he handed them to adele. after the blacksmith took them, he explained their uses. finally, he said. ¡°since you can reinforce the mummy and the scorpion warrior with steel, can you use these fire elemental cores on them?¡± [fire elemental core] [level: 1-star] [characteristics: a magic item that can enchant items or equipment, giving them fire damage.] [description: an item only fire element can produce.] ¡®the fire elemental core¡¯s characteristic is to enchant equipment and items¡­ ¡®why couldn¡¯t it be used on the iron pincers of the scorpion warrior? ¡®these soldiers do not have pain perception. so they couldn¡¯t be damaged no matter how they played with it.¡¯ richard¡¯s whimsical suggestion warmly disturbed adele¡¯s thoughts. her eyes began to shine, and she was eager to try. ¡°lord, i can try. this idea is mind-blowing¡­¡± the best blacksmiths could even forge divine weapons. maybe, adele couldn¡¯t enchant with bare hands, but using materials for equipment wasn¡¯t a problem for her. richard nodded with a smile. he liked adele¡¯s unconventional personality. after adele received the approval, she immediately took the fire elemental core and brought the scorpion warrior to the operating table. richard initially thought results would not be in the short term. but he was quickly attracted by the blacksmith¡¯s actions. adele placed the fire elemental core on the scorpion warrior¡¯s arm. after carefully observing it for a moment, she took out a translucent glass bottle that contained a large amount of green liquid from a nearby storage cabinet. then, she dripped two drops on the fire elemental core. ¡®sizzle! sizzle!¡¯ it was like sulfuric acid dripping onto the ground. it gave off a pungent smell. adele was quick-witted. she put down the green liquid glass bottle and took out a yellow liquid glass bottle. following the previous method, she dripped it on the fire elemental core. in the next second, the solid fire elemental core melted into a pool of liquid like ice and snow met a raging fire. the liquid flowed slowly and covered the scorpion warrior¡¯s iron pincers. the iron pincers that reflected the metallic luster were quickly dyed red. the area was like red ink dripping into a clear pool and spreading. after a dozen breaths, a large red spot appeared on the scorpion warrior¡¯s iron pincers, which was particularly eye-catching. with adele¡¯s calm gaze, she continued to take out the second fire elemental core and operated it in sequence. the scorpion warrior¡¯s two iron pincers had a unique red color after using up to ten fire elemental cores. raging flamed seemed to have surged on them. [ding~ adele has used the fire elemental core to reinforce the scorpion warrior successfuly¡­] after the system¡¯s upgrade sound rang out, richard¡¯s disposition instantly cascaded. [enhanced powerful iron pincers (d-rank) ¡ª the sharpness of the two pincers has increased by 90%. when swinging the two pincers, it increases strength by 50% and carries fire elemental damage. when using the front hook attack, it gains the flame explosion characteristic. it can instantly tear apart the opponent¡¯s armor and ignite the opponent¡¯s body.] after being enhanced, not only did the pincers increase their sharpness by 20%. but it also allowed the scorpion warrior¡¯s attacks to carry additional fire elemental damage. furthermore, the flame explosion characteristic could also be said to be overbearing. after two reinforcements, the scorpion warrior had already walked in the direction of becoming a monster. reinforcing a scorpion warrior required ten fire elemental cores, and it had 650 of them in its hands¡­ not only the scorpion warriors could be enhanced by adele. all the troops in twilight city could be as well. ¡°if i had known this was so useful, i would have let the fire elemental lord trade 500,000 cores¡­ ¡°no, i must establish business relations with the fire elemental lord in the future. the fire elemental cores aren¡¯t important. mainly because i like to make friends¡­¡± Chapter 131 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard felt that he had lost 100 million. after giving it some thought, he did not order the reinforcement of the scorpion warriors. instead, he ordered his men to summon an undead soldier from the axe of the dead. he motioned to adele. ¡°can you use the fire elemental core to strengthen the axe of the dead?¡± the scorpion warriors were rare 3-stars, while the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead were rare 3-stars. there was a big difference in levels. !! 1 directly reinforcing the axe of the dead was undoubtedly more rewarding. the dungeon would open in three days, and their strength should increase as much as possible. adele shook her head after checking it wasn¡¯t possible for the ferocious axe of the dead. ¡°i was able to reinforce the poisonous scorpion warrior so quickly because i¡¯ve studied them thoroughly these past few days. ¡°everything about the axe of the dead is unfamiliar to me¡­ i need time.¡± richard nodded, not surprised. ¡°on the 28th, twilight city will participate in an unprecedented battle. ¡°i need to get an accurate reply before that event. if you don¡¯t have enough time to develop it, reinforce the poisonous scorpion warrior first.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± adele didn¡¯t back down. instead, excitement filled her eyes. such a challenging mission directly aroused her fighting spirit. ¡®ga! ga!¡¯ a loud and strange sound suddenly came from outside just as richard was about to continue his conversation with adele¡­ it sounded like the voice of some kind of beast. his heart skipped a beat. he suddenly turned his head and looked outside through the open window. he saw an enormous shadow flying through the sky at high speed. he didn¡¯t even have time to see what the flying figure was. immediately after, a sharp horn sounded throughout twilight city. ¡®enemy attack!¡¯ xina, behind richard, had a condensed look in her eyes. murderous intent filled her being. ¡°venom vultures!!¡± ¡°lord richard, venom vulture is a powerful hunter in the desert. it likes to attack human territory and kill humans¡­¡± richard frowned. ¡°it likes to attack human territory? ¡°how dare of them!¡± he waved his hand and left 100 fire elemental cores behind. then, he turned around and left the blacksmith¡¯s shop. he wanted to see how fierce these soldiers were! the moment he stepped out of the blacksmith¡¯s shop, an enormous shadow flashed across the sky. he looked carefully and saw the true face of the venom vultures. these terrifying monsters had a more than 12 meters wingspan and bare gray heads. they had disgusting blue pustules. each of them contained lethal poison. the vast beak on their mouths was like a butcher¡¯s iron hook, and it could easily pierce through a warrior¡¯s thick armor. their pair of sharp claws shone with a cold blue light that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. their power attack was startling and carried a paralyzing poison. even if an opponent did not die on the spot after being hit, the poison would still corrode the opponent. venom vulture, level 8, rare 2-stars. within a few times, several venom vultures swarmed into the sky. the number exceeded two squadrons. they almost covered the sun. the dark gargoyles had already risen into the sky when the enemy appeared. they forcefully clashed with the enemy. gray and gunter seized the opportunity and sat on two of the dark gargoyles to participate in this sudden battle. however, it happened so suddenly that no one had expected it. even with the help of the two a-rank heroes, the battle was unusually intense. the claws of the venom vultures and the eagle¡¯s beak were terrifying sharp weapons. they would be heavily injured as long as they attack the enemies. these vultures were exceedingly agile in the air. the difficulty of gray and gunter¡¯s spellcasting increased significantly. moreover, they had to protect the residents on the ground, so their magic effects were greatly reduced. however, although they were at a disadvantage, under the command of the two heroes, the dark gargoyles did not show any signs of weakness. although they were few, they forcefully withstood the enemy attacks, which was several times more than the number of the enemy. they did not let the sudden appearance of these wild monsters affect twilight city too much. the residents fled in all directions amidst the chaos. the screams and cries made the scene even more chaotic¡­ after the battle broke out, all the troops in twilight city came to the streets to maintain law and order and prevent the enemy from breaking into the ground. however, other than the long-range attacks of the axe of the dead, few of the cursed pharaoh¡¯s magic spells could also be used. they attacked the poisonous flying vultures in the air. the other troops could only watch helplessly. this scene hurt richard. there was still an enormous loophole in twilight city¡¯s defense. the lack of long-range attacks could be fatal to the city¡¯s defense. at this moment, he was determined to arm the city to the teeth in the future!! the battle power sizzles. after gray controlled a poisonous vulture, the sharp claws of the dark gargoyle directly pierced through its head. it flapped its wings a few times and then suddenly fell. ¡®kacha!¡¯ it directly destroyed a residential house and sent dust everywhere. to richard¡¯s surprise, he initially thought the poison vultures attacked twilight city. however, he didn¡¯t expect that after they blocked several attacks, the terrifying wild monsters didn¡¯t linger in the sky above twilight city and directly fly towards the russian olive forest in the north¡­ it seemed that the attack just now was a false shot. in his line of sight, he saw that the poison vultures seemed to swoop down from the sky. they wanted to break through the barrier of the dark gargoyles. he was shocked. naturally, the venom vultures were not interested in the russian olive forest. the real purpose of these wild monsters was¡­! desert crown bee!!!!! not good! richard¡¯s face was cold as he stretched out his right hand. endless yellow sand flashed. in the next second, the sand outside twilight city was like iron filings attracted by a magnet that floated and surged over. ¡®huff! huff!¡¯ the yellow sand instantly covered the residents¡¯ vision creating a sandstorm out of thin air. amidst the yellow sand that filled the sky, richard suddenly rose to 100 meters high after a few breaths. he flew in the air. he flew to the olive forest at an exceedingly fast speed. at this time, the dark gargoyles were still desperately trying to stop the venom vultures from charging down. the two mummy heroes had sensed each other¡¯s true purpose and worked hard to build a defensive line¡­ however, the desert crown bees seemed to have an exceedingly paralyzing potent temptation. these monsters would not retreat even if they fought to the death. after they heard the buzzing sound of the bees, they became even more berserk¡­ when richard, who came with the sandstorm, saw this scene, a cold light filled his eyes. ¡°gray, gunter, land!¡± they heard a somewhat erratic voice. the two mummy heroes immediately commanded the dark gargoyles to fall into the russian olive forest. the yellow sand on richard¡¯s body shone brightly in the next second. countless grains of sand floated from the ground and covered the sky above the russian olive forest in a few blinks of an eye. from a kilometer away, one could see an oval-shaped sand ring that spanned hundreds of meters and rotated in the air. the yellow sand pressed down on the city. at this moment, the residents of twilight city saw a shocking scene. the yellow sand that covered the sky ignited like gasoline and instantly exploded. ¡®boom!¡¯ flames engulfed the sky, and the light reflected dozens of kilometers away. at this moment, every grain of yellow sand seemed to have become combustible. when the residents saw this scene, endless fear rose in their eyes. those flames could envelop the russian olive forest!! but in the next second, despair turned into shock. after that terrifying flame burst, it pressed at 10 meters above the russian olive forest, and there was no fluctuation. [flame sandstorm (beyond a-rank) ¡ª causes a sandstorm within a 300-meter radius, with a huge amount of fire magic damage. consumes 50 magic energy points per second.] the ground below was unharmed. the poisonous vulture in the air became the fuel trapped in the vast furnace. the terrifying flame sandstorm swirled and burned with flames. the red flames caused damage and pain to the body. the venom vultures wanted to fly out, but to their surprise, the flame sandstorm had become a massive vortex. it was spinning at an unimaginable speed, and no matter how much they flapped their wings, they could not escape the fire vortex. it was almost impossible for them to escape. except for the venom vultures in the outermost area who escaped when the flames lit up. at least one and a half squadrons of venom vultures were smothered and killed above the russian olive forest. after a few breaths. ¡®huhuhu!¡¯ one after another, the flame sandstorm killed the venom vultures and fell from the sky. but when they tried to smash into the russian olive forest, flame sandstorm blew the venom vultures away. ¡®bang!¡¯ the stout body smashed into the yellow sand, creating huge holes in the sand. the twilight city troop, who waited on the ground, immediately went forward to control the enemies left alive. however, when they came up to them¡­ they found that none of them were alive. a beyond a-rank skill ¨C flame sandstorm. horrible injury. when the magic energy in richard¡¯s body was exhausted, the terrifying flame sandstorm vortex gradually dissipated. this time, although his magic energy was overdrawn under his control, it did not have the negative effect of 50% of all attributes. as richard took advantage of his remaining strength, he waved his hand, and the sand in the air slowly fell beside the russian olive forest. after a great battle, the olive trees were still verdant¡­ after he sighed, he looked down and saw corpses of highly toxic vultures had filled the ground. after he felt relieved, he turned his head to look at the fleeing venomous vultures and waved his hand. ¡°gray, bring the dark gargoyles and chase after the vultures!! i want to know where these venomous vultures originated! find their lair!!¡± this attack was too sudden and strange and gave him a bad feeling. Chapter 132 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the residents of the territory reacted the most after the battle ended. they had witnessed with their eyes that richard created the flame sandstorm like a natural disaster. their eyes were burning as if they were looking at a god! ¡°gods above, this must be the power of a god¡­¡± ¡°i, what did i just see?! the lord single-handedly killed thousands of monsters more powerful than the dragon!!¡± !! ¡°great gods, is the liege your savior?¡± discussion continued¡­ during the heated discussion, the residents¡¯ pride almost overflowed from their chests. this was their liege! their guardian! praise the twilight city, praise the great lord!! xina, who was holding her longsword tightly, took a deep breath. the emotions in her eyes become more and more complicated. if it were her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape that terrifying attack¡­ richard turned to look at the corpses of the poisonous vultures around him after he fell from the sky. ¡°put these corpses away¡­¡± although the poisonous vultures were covered in poison and couldn¡¯t be eaten, they could be kept to recruit mummies or sold in exchange for urgently needed resources. when he thought of this, he felt a little better. but he was no longer as relaxed as before. these wild monsters seemed to have entered an uninhabited land. he was exceedingly annoyed. wasn¡¯t this bullying an honest person? ¡°after gray returns, arrange for two teams of dark gargoyles to temporarily guard the russian olive forest.¡± fortunately, the desert crown bee was not injured. he felt some lingering fear in his heart. if he were not in the territory today, even if there were two mummy heroes and dark gargoyles, he would still suffer heavy losses. desert crown honey was the future pillar industry of twilight city. it would be a tremendous blow to his plan if something went wrong. ¡®i would have to consider the territory defense, especially the long-range damage¡­¡¯ while he reflected on this battle, the venom vultures on the battlefield quickly gathered together. karu immediately reported after he finished making all the statistics. ¡°lord richard, twelve residential buildings have been damaged, and three burned down. a total of 45 people were injured, and no deaths occurred. ¡°in terms of harvest, we have obtained 141 poison vultures. all of them have died in battle¡­¡± he said in a solemn tone after hesitating for a moment. ¡°lord, we might have to consider building defensive measures such as arrow towers and siege crossbows.¡± richard nodded slightly. first, go to the residents and count the talents in this area. if there are any suitable ones, arrange for them in the blacksmith¡¯s shop. once adele is done with her work, immediately start building them.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± both arrow towers and siege crossbows needed construction blueprints¡­ now, they could only see if adele, this talented blacksmith, could come up with any ideas. the foundation of the city of darkness was too shallow. it lacked everything, so they could only take it gradually. richard didn¡¯t struggle over this. he looked at the poisonous vultures piled into a mountain of flesh in the sand and frowned slightly. these behemoths with more than 12 meters of wingspan could easily hunt bison and lions. ordinary arrows could not penetrate their iron-like wings. however, the problem was if the residents could not eat them. it would reduce their value. however, it was too wasteful to use them to recruit mummies. right now, he was in dire need of resources¡­ after richard thought for a moment, h opened the [trade market] to take a look. as the lords quickly integrated into the world of light, the food gradually stabilized. among them, the price of meat had dropped to 1 unit for 15 units of resources. the sand barley was 1 unit for ten units of resources. unfortunately, the poison vultures couldn¡¯t sell at this price, or else this wave would be rich¡­ with a different mood, he opened the reward area. the undead mostly issued the bounty for the corpses of soldiers. and the price of rare soldiers was..? ten thousand units??? richard was pleasantly surprised after he ensured it wasn¡¯t a mistake. he had 141 venom vultures. does it mean he could sell them for millions of resources?! how could that undead be so generous? how could they offer such a high price? if he remembered correctly, he could not sell the soldiers¡¯ corpses at a high price. and the rare ones were only a few thousand units. richard only understood after he looked at the posts on the [forum chat]. the dungeon was about to open, and the lords¡¯ confidence in getting loot shares held back their energy to prepare for the violent soldiers. meanwhile, the resources that could increase the troop¡¯s strength rose along with the tide. he looked at gunter beside him and did not remember selling them. ¡°gunter, what level can these venom vultures recruit?¡± gunter made a slight estimation and said. ¡°two stars at most¡­¡± richard immediately gave up on using venom vultures to recruit mummies. rare 2-stars, that was too low. with over a million resources, he could purchase a new branch and recruit a few squadrons of rare troops. why bother? moreover, after twilight city¡¯s troop lair respawned, there was still no recruitment¡­ without hesitation, he directly exchanged all these corpses for resources. he purposely sold them in batches to avoid nurturing a powerful undead lord. in the end, he earned a total of 1.41 million units of resources. his stats panel has filled to the brim like never before. richard looked at the series of numbers and was in a great mood. this exchange swept away his gloominess from before. although the process of the venom vultures¡¯ ambush made him unhappy, the result was still pretty good. instead of waiting for gray to go after the venom vultures in the russian olive forest, richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion with some anticipation. the first thing he did was to recruit all the troops that had spawned in the troop lairs. elite 3-stars, guardian mummy, before recruitment: 120¡ú after recruitment: 150, cost: 3,600 units rare 3-stars, bandaged mummy: 20¡ú51,25,000 units rare 3-stars, scorpion warrior: 27¡ú34, 8400 units rare 3-stars, curse pharaoh: 5¡ú10, 6000 units rare 3-stars, undead soldier: 20¡ú250, 60,000 units rare 3-stars, dark gargoyle: 40¡ú60, 240,000 units, 200 units gemstones. a total of 340,000 units of resources had been consumed after all this work, not counting the change. richard could not help but sigh. war had always been about economics. however, it was all worth it. the troop had become more powerful than ever. this was only the recruitment of troops. there were still two more troops that it did not count ¡ª 29 rare 1-star rotten cavalry led by d-rank hero baal sharpclaw and 30 glorious 2-stars heavy sword warrior. with these two troops, they could still be powerful even though it excluded the mummified guardians used to protect the territory. richard¡¯s troop also reached 239 people. including gray, gunter, baal, and the other heroes like him and xina. the total force was close to two and a half squadrons. moreover, these were extremely powerful elites, not trash randomly assembled. the lowest level of troops was all rare, and the highest level had reached the glorious 2-stars. a few a-rank and even a beyond a-rank hero, richard, led the team. their battle power was strong enough to dazzle any lord-tier player. even though more than half a month had passed, elite soldiers were still the main force of lords. only top-tier lords could possess rare soldiers. as for rare soldiers¡­ if one wanted to obtain rare-level soldiers, one had to attack the gathering grounds of rare-level soldiers and occupy the lairs of these wild monsters before they could recruit them. with this step, who knew how many lords would fall? put aside whether or not they would be able to find a rare-level troop lair. even if they did, just think about how much a lord would have to pay to attack troop lairs guarded by dozens of axe of the dead soldiers. ¡®as for glorious-level troops..? what was that thing???¡¯ most of the troops they had seen before were already ten meters tall¡­ but these troops were now neatly arranged in front of richard like cabbages. they were almost dreamy in the eyes of the other lords¡­ at his disposal. Chapter 133 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard still had 1.07 million resources after spending 340,000 to recruit all the troops. a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. this amount of resources was enough to do a lot of things. finally, he could experience the life of a wealthy landlord. !! he opened the [trading market]. he searched for the desert camp, rare-level troop lairs. the prices were from the highest to the lowest. but after a few glances, he could not help but shake his head. the most expensive batch of rare-level troop lairs was worth more than 200,000 units of resources, and the cheapest was worth 100,000 units of resources. although the prices were high, the attributes were getting worse and worse. richard gave up on buying a batch of rare-level troop lair upgrade to rare-level after only looking for a few minutes. he started from the elite troops. the market would become abundant with an enormous base. half a month ago, there were only a few hundred to a thousand elite troops, but over a million of them now. and this was just the desert camp. with the addition of the other camps, the number was exceedingly high. ¡°with gray, gunter, and i, two a-rank heroes around, the troop doesn¡¯t lack magic damage, but long-range attacks are too scarce¡­ ¡°the axe of the dead¡¯s attack range is only 40 meters. it¡¯s enough for close battle, but against enemies like the venom vulture, i can only watch¡­¡± this sudden outbreak of battle made richard realize the weakness of his current strength. and no matter what battle, there would be more room for manipulation with enough long-range troops. after he made up his mind, he immediately started searching ¡ª mummy, long-ranged attack. flying claw mummy, elite 1-star ¡ª selling price: 8,000 units of wood. highly toxic mummy, elite 2-stars ¡ª selling price: 15,000 units of stone. spear thrower mummy, elite 3 star ¡ª selling price: 30,000 units of gold. ****** the higher the potential of a troop lair, the better the attributes would be. and the price would be more extravagant. it would eliminate other players after they became mighty because they could not level up a troop lair, even if some of the troop attributes were good. or, they would sell some of the troop lairs with good attributes at a high price. and then use resources to buy many violent soldiers with ordinary-level characteristics. although the troops with ordinary-level attributes were not potent in combat alone, wouldn¡¯t it be nice that they were several times more numerous than any opponent? at this moment, richard finally understood what it felt like to be dazzled. when purchasing a troop lair, the first thing to consider was whether it had the potential to cultivate. the second was the problem of matching it with other troops. and finally, the technological research and development in twilight city. many troops met one condition, but those who met all the conditions immediately became scarce. after richard made a selection for two hours. he finally chose two troops that satisfied him. sand condensation archer, elite 3-stars ¡ª 50,000 units of gold coins, 5 units, 250,000 units of resources. giant axe death knight, elite 3-stars ¡ª 70,000 units of iron ore, 3 units, 210,000 units of resources. upgrading elite-level troop lairs to rare-level requires 100 ordinary troop lairs. eight soldier nests would be 800, and each would have 500 units of resources. that would total 400,000. richard only had 230,000 out of the 1.07 million units in his hands after the preparations. he did not have the slightest nostalgia for this. if he did not use the resources he earned to increase his battle power, did he use them to buy a graveyard? he built eight elite 3-stars troop lairs in the front of the lord¡¯s mansion courtyard after he closed the [trading market]. it cost him nearly 10,000 units of resources. richard was excited when he looked at the eight troop lairs rising from the ground. regardless of why the venom vultures came to twilight city, these monsters had contributed to the development of twilight city. their deaths were not wasteful. the sand condensation archers¡¯ lair was a pyramid filled with arrows. it was as if they had encountered 10,000 troops. a tragic atmosphere shrouded the pyramid. the giant axe death knight¡¯s troop was a pyramid made from the corpses of horses. a unique atmosphere filled the buildings, and it was terrifying. [sand condensation archer pyramid (elite 3-stars) ¡ª by consuming 100 cores of ordinary desert troop lairs, you can upgrade it to rare 3-stars. the conditions have been met. do you wish to upgrade?] [giant axe death knight pyramid (elite 3-stars) ¡ª consuming 100 cores¡­] richard did not hesitate after he looked at the black gold system notification. the 800 ordinary troop lairs were consumed and upgraded the eight lairs. after selection, the yellow sand light penetrated the sand condensation archer pyramid while the giant axe death knight pyramid glowed a pale white light¡­ after more than a dozen breaths, the light above these pyramids gradually dissipated. richard opened his stats panel excitedly. [sand condensation archer pyramid (5)] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruit type: sand archer (rare 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 20] [weekly output: 10] [recruitment requirements: 400 gold coins, 400 units of wood, 400 units of iron ore] [description: a soldier that can condense yellow sand to form arrows and possess special damage.] *** [giant axe death knight pyramid (3)] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruit type: giant undead knight(rare 3-stars)] [recruit quantity: 14] [weekly output: 7] [recruitment requirements: 400 gold coins, 400 units of stone materials, 400 units of iron ore] [description: able to recruit undead cavalry with outstanding mobility.] *** richard chose to recruit without hesitation. for each 1,200-unit resource of the sand condensation archer, 100 units would be 120,000. the 220,000 resources suddenly dropped to 100,000 units. in the next moment. the five pyramids in front of him immediately made some movements. the sand shot by countless broken arrows surged like spring water that slowly condensed into a bandaged mummy. the opponent did not have any weapons. it turned around after condensing its body. it extended its right arm into the pyramid and grabbed a broken arrow. it pulled with force. a sizzle sounded. a lot of sand flowed after it pulled the arrow. the sand floated in the air, and a longbow of yellow sand condensed with the sand in the mummy¡¯s hand. the remaining sand condensed into a rough quiver behind him which contained arrow after arrow. only when the quiver was full did it stop. at this moment, the sand condensation archer was officially born. the entire process was exceedingly magical. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched as he watched. why was the appearance of every soldier so cool? he opened the attribute panel. [sand condensation archer] [level: 3] [potential: rare 3-stars] [range: 220 meters (+ 66 meters)] [skills: undead body (d-rank) ¡ª immune to poison, curses, and plagues. strength increased by 50%.] [sand condensation arrow (d-rank) ¡ª can use sand to form a longbow and arrows. no need for resupply. after damage, it will automatically condense sand to recover.] [charged power attack (d-rank) ¡ª after charging, an arrow can release 300% of its strength, with additional piercing damage.] [rapid fire (d-rank) ¡ª shoots 30 arrows in a row within 10 seconds. cooldown time is 5 minutes.] [race talent: accuracy increased by 40%.] [fetter-achers: when the number of archers exceeds a squadron, range increases by 30%, and strength increases by 30%.] [description: their arrows are endless when standing in the desert.] richard nodded in satisfaction. he finally had a true long-range soldier in his hands. this sand condensation archer was perfectly suited to the desert environment. as long as there was sand, he would have unlimited ammunition. it was perfect. richard would not worry even if he left the desert. his beyond a-rank skill ¨C sand transformation, could turn hundreds of meters of land into desert. at that time, no matter who he met, he would have the advantage of fighting on his home ground. five troop lairs had recruited a squadron of sand condensation archers. richard was in a good mood when he looked at the neatly arranged troops. it was what a violent troop should be. he gazed at the giant axe death knight pyramid. he chose to recruit without hesitation. three giant axe death knight pyramids could recruit 42 giant axe death knights. only the last 50,000 units of 1.41 million resources were left after he spent 50,000 units of resources. in the next second. a pale light surged above the giant axe death knight pyramid. the pyramid formed from the bones of the horses changed. the body of a white-boned horse trembled, and within its skull, a faint blue soul fire lit up as if gasoline ignited. the white-boned horse slowly stood up, raised its head, and swung it left and right. its hooves stomped on the ground. its movements were no different from a live horse. after it mobilized its muscles and bones, the white-boned horse turned around and came to the front of the death knight pyramid, directly lying on the ground. it seemed to be waiting for its knight to mount. ¡®crack!¡¯ countless bones splashed out, and a bandaged arm protruded from the pyramid. then, a mummy with a long-handled white-boned tomahawk climbed out of the corpse. it turned over and sat on the white-boned horse¡¯s back. herod. the white-boned horse stood and raised its front hooves high before hiding again. ¡®bang!¡¯ the hooves hit the ground with a dull sound. when the 42 giant axe death knights appeared in the same way from the giant axe death knight pyramid, the violent troop had consumed millions of resources has finally completed. richard now had the rotten calvary legion recruited from orc calvary that numbered up to seven small teams. it made up for the lack of mobility on the ground. richard now had a suffocating troop with the addition of sand condensation archers. ****** author¡¯s note: i don¡¯t have it today. i feel like i can¡¯t write it down¡­ tomorrow is the opening of a large dungeon. after farming for so long, it¡¯s time to go out for a drive. Chapter 134 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at the strapping giant undead knight in front of him and opened his stats window with some anticipation. [giant axe death knight] [level: 3] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: body of the dead (d-rank) ¡ª immune to poisons, curses, and plagues. strength increased by 50%. charge speed increased by 30%.] !! [furious charge (d-rank] ¡ª can be increased to maximum speed in three seconds. charge strength increased by 200%.] [giant tomahawk slash (d-rank) ¡ª swinging the giant tomahawk while charging can increase strength by 50%. it causes heavy damage.] [sand walk (d-rank) ¡ª charges on the sand. speed increased by 30%. charge strength increased by 50%.] [race talent: when on the sand, strength increased by 50%. recovery speed increased by 50%.] [fetters-strikes: when the charging distance reaches 100 meters, the charging force increases by 300%.] [description: they are spears that tear through the enemy¡¯s defense line. no one is willing to face the cavalry that is charging.] this soldier is quite similar to the white-boned cavalry he saw in the underground area where he obtained gray. once they charge, they will turn into an invincible sharp blade. that battle had left a deep impression on him. if not for the sand transformation¡¯s physical damage, twilight city might have lost more than half of its troops under the enemy¡¯s charge. his eyes sparkled. more importantly, he could now bestow the giant undead knight with sand transformation. when these units reached the peak of their charge, they also possessed near-immortal abilities. this could be described as extraordinary. richard thought about it and felt his sand transformation skill was vehementlyfearless. he would be able to face all enemies with physical damage if he matched it with the close battle troops. it was comfortable. compared to these two new troops, the sand condensation archers had less need for sand transformation. after all, long-range troops would always be protected in the front row. if the enemy broke through to the back row to attack them, then the entire troop would be defeated not far away. however, the sand transformation abundantly increased their ability to protect themselves. however, this way, there was more room for maneuvering. for example¡­using these troops as bait to attract the enemy to attack at a crucial moment. the enemy would suddenly realize they could not kill the prey when they paid an enormous sacrifice and charge over. that scene would be exceptionally enthralling. the troop had gathered while richard thought. when he saw this, he slowly extended his right hand. a yellow sand light flashed in his palm and bestowed sand transformation on everyone¡­ he had recruited 142 people from the eight newly purchased troop lairs. the troops reached 381 people plus the original 239 people. there were nearly four squadrons. moreover, the potential of the troop lairs was rare-level and above. after richard thought about it, he felt a little excited. it had only been a month. fervor congested his eyes. at this moment, he looked forward to clashing with the other players in three days. twilight city¡¯s battle saber thirsted for blood¡­ ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the sky suddenly darkened, and richard was startled awake. he raised his head. the figure of the dark gargoyle appeared in his line of sight. the troop sent out to track the venom vulture had returned. the dark gargoyle landed outside the lord¡¯s mansion after circling a few times. no troop was allowed to land directly in the lord¡¯s mansion. this was an iron law that it had set. a moment later, gray wearing a colorful crown and white bones left on his face, walked over quickly. he had just stabilized himself when he immediately bowed. ¡°lord, we could not find the lair of those venom vultures¡­¡± gray¡¯s tone was unusually solemn. ¡°several wyverns suddenly appeared midway that blocked our path¡­ i didn¡¯t continue to chase and only returned to my territory after i took a detour.¡± ¡°wyverns?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°isn¡¯t this a type of dungeon race? why would they suddenly appear in the desert?¡± apart from the main plane, there were countless other dimensional planes in the ¡°shining era¡±. and in the depths of the main plane, there were underground worlds of all sizes. legend had it that gods used these underground worlds to lock up criminals during the ancient era. countless years later, these prisons slowly changed, and their lives flourished. because of this, life in the underground world was collectively known as the dungeon race. the most famous of the dungeon race was their signature troop lair ¡ª the wyvern. fierce and tyrannical. however, these troop lairs would only appear underground. once they appeared on the surface, that meant¡­ gray¡¯s hollow eyes burned with the flames of his soul. ¡°lord, i suspect there¡¯s an entrance to the underground world nearby. ¡°those venomous wyverns might have been driven away¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®there is the entrance to the underground world?¡¯ in the main plane of glory, the name of the underground world was often synonymous with wealth and adventure. legend had it that the underground world had countless golden gemstones, treasure vaults of dragons, and fertile underground cities¡­ but at the same time, there were countless dangers. nagas, minotaurs, evil eyes, half-nagas, and black dragons were all creatures of the underground world. they were ruinous and powerful. ¡°lead two teams of dark gargoyles to search the place where the wyverns appeared. but do not engage the enemy! if you encounter danger, retreat immediately.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t have time to explore the underground world for the time being¡­¡± gray immediately supported his chest in response. ¡°as you wish.¡± richard pressed his temples. he felt a slight headache. ¡°i remember i obtained a 2-star treasure map before, but i didn¡¯t explore it. ¡°there are still eight bronze doors left in the ancient ruins¡­ ¡°other than that, we discovered the dark temple for the first time. there was a lot of good stuff inside. ¡°the level 10 boss that breeds poisonous wasps ¡ª the god¡¯s ancient tree is still waiting for me to dig it out¡­ ¡°the food workshop and the winery lack heroes to activate the research department. we need to think of ways to recruit heroes from related levels¡­ ¡°the troop lairs can be upgraded long ago. this requires a lot of resources. ¡°there¡¯s no sign of xina¡¯s hero recruitment quest. there¡¯s no clue about the enemy¡¯s god¡¯s seal¡­¡± ¡°we need to solve the territory¡¯s defense problem too. we can¡¯t be attacked by venom vultures the next time. the troop can only watch helplessly¡­¡± richard realized that it would take months to settle all the matters at hand after he thought for a while. he shook his head helplessly. he could not be in two places at once. time was tight. he had no time to care about other things now. he had to prepare for the large-scale dungeon. after gray left, he got someone to call gunter and baal sharpclaw, the cavalry heroes of twilight city. ¡°gunter, take the bandaged mummy, the scorpion warrior, and the sand archer to go out and sweep the map¡­ i need you to raise the sand archer¡¯s level to 5 as fast as possible. and activate the additional characteristics of the rare-level soldier! ¡°baal, i¡¯ll assign the giant undead knights to you. just like gunter, raise their level to 5 within two days¡­ in addition, bring back all the prey and corpses you¡¯ve obtained.¡± after richard finished speaking, he assigned half a team of dark gargoyles to each of the two heroes to watch and scout the way. the remaining three teams of dark gargoyles and two and a half teams of undead soldiers of the axe of the dead stayed behind to guard the territory. the wyverns that gray had mentioned had put him on high alert. twilight city needed to have enough forces to defend it. as a powerful mage hero, gunter did not have any pressure to lead a few troops to sweep the map. although baal¡¯s potential as a knight hero was a little low, it led the entire cavalry out. it had mobility and no lack of attacks. nothing would happen as long as it did not attack the gathering place of the too-powerful field forces. twilight city began to operate according to his will after his order¡­ richard came to the sand and prepared to strengthen himself after the few heroes went out. he could not control those powers accurately due to his lack of combat experience, although he had several beyond a-rank skills. he did not want to experience the feeling of overdrawing his magic power and suffering from kidney deficiency for a few hours. meanwhile, richard captured xina. no one was more suitable for the role of sparring partner than whose battle skills were always at the master level. xina was also quite excited. it was a rare opportunity to fight against such a powerful mage. the only thing to note was that the power in the opponent¡¯s body could blow up the entire desert. if one were not careful, they would be severely injured¡­ the hero scanned the map outside while richard trained there. it had been like this for a few days¡­ in the blink of an eye, it was the 28th of may. early in the morning, the sky had just brightened. richard had already walked out of the lord¡¯s mansion. he immediately gathered all the troops in twilight city. he did not arrange any more missions because today was the opening time of the large-scale dungeon. one million top-tier players would enter a dungeon together. it was an unprecedented event. Chapter 135 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the game ¡°shining era¡± was divided into 12 months. and each month had a fixed 28 days. there was no difference in the number of the month. the 1st of each month was monday, and the last day of each month¡ªthe 28th¡ªwas sunday. it was may 28, 12:00 noon. the system would release the lord¡¯s overall strength ranking board. at that time, among the 20 billion lords, the top one million lords would obtain the qualifications to enter the large-scale dungeon. richard had already gathered all the troops before 7 o¡¯clock. !! he waited for the ranking board¡¯s announcement to be released and also wanted to raise the battle strength of another wave of troops for the last time. blacksmith shop. adele was holding onto the console with one hand. although fatigue shrouded her face, her gaze was intensely proud as she looked at richard. ¡°lord, i haven¡¯t let you down!¡± adele gestured for the undead soldier of the axe of the dead behind her to be equipped with a bullhorn helmet. it was a full-body armor with a mandala tattoo and a pale golden tomahawk in its hand. ¡°i¡¯ve researched how to reinforce the axe of the dead with the fire elemental core!¡± richard was immensely touched when he looked at the blacksmith hero with dark circles under her eyes and was exhausted. he reached out and touched her little head, his eyes serious. ¡°all the residents of twilight city will remember your contributions! after reinforcing these soldiers, you should rest well for a while. you are not allowed to work with such high intensity anymore.¡± she had not left the blacksmith shop for the past few days, and he could see the hard work she had put in even without mentioning it. he was deeply grateful that he had recruited adele. she was a true wealth of twilight city. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s my honor to be of service to you¡­¡± adele¡¯s eyes were crescent moons. she liked her current job and living in this city full of vitality. no matter how much effort she put in, she would admirably complete the mission. it was her persistence. ¡°karu, send another ten units of desert crown honey over¡­¡± adele¡¯s eyes lit up. when she thought of the sweetness of the honey, she pursed her lips and looked toward the door. ¡°lord, let¡¯s reinforce the axe of the dead first¡­¡± richard deeply stared at the blacksmith hero and didn¡¯t say anything else. he turned his attention to the axe of the dead. from the looks of it, the axe of the dead didn¡¯t look any different. he opened the attribute panel. one of the skills made his eyes light up after he took a few glances. [flame tomahawk slash (c-rank) ¡ª after throwing the tomahawk, it will explode and shatter, causing a huge amount of magic damage to enemies within a 10-meter radius. the tomahawk fragment has a high temperature of molten steel, causing second high-temperature degree damage to enemies within a 20-meter radius.] ¡®the fire element core reinforced the flame tomahawk slash skill? ¡®what a good thing!¡¯ the previous axe smash was able to deal magic damage to a diameter of 10 meters. the additional high temperature now had increased its attack range to 20 meters. it meant that this skill could deal two waves of damage ¡ª the first wave was the magic damage from axe smash, and the second wave was the high-temperature burn¡­ this initially paralyzing skill has superseded enhancement after adele¡¯s research. richard was extra joyous. he waved his hand and summoned all the undead soldiers. there were 25 of them including the ones already been reinforced. he had used 20 of the 100 fire elemental cores he had left. there were 80 left. including the ten that he had used to reinforce the scorpion warrior last time, he had obtained a total of 620 of the 650 fire elemental cores. reinforcing the axe of the dead required 15 cores and 285 for the remaining 24 undead soldiers. after a few days of experiments, adele¡¯s operation was smooth. in less than five minutes, she could complete the reinforcement of the axe of the dead. it was different from the scorpion warrior that used a special potion directly on it. adele had to use a unique item to liquefy the fire core first. and then draw a unique pattern out of the liquefied solution. adele completed the enhancement when the undead soldier absorbed the pattern. it seemed simple, but it would take a lot of effort to experiment with this enchantment. all of the undead soldiers¡¯ enhancements from seven to nine were completed. the tomahawk slash was a tremendous killer weapon. it was starkly reinforced into flame tomahawk slash. this weapon, which already had tyrannical attack power, was further enhanced. after one round of reinforcement, 335 out of 620 fire elemental cores remained. richard did not keep them and called the scorpion warriors. the total number of scorpion warriors was 34. one soldier had already been reinforced three days ago. these fire elemental cores were just enough to reinforce the remaining scorpion warriors. adele suddenly felt much more energetic and continued to work after she took a few cups of desert crown honey. at 11:30, she had starkly reinforced the troops. the enormous double pincers of the 34 scorpion warriors had turned dark red and reflected a luster. even without experiments, one would know the horror of their lethality. richard was in a great mood after he looked at the scorpion warriors and undead soldiers¡¯ final moment of reinforcement. the harvest from this exploration of the ruins was simply too bountiful. in the future, he must establish trade relations with the fire elemental lord. such good things could not be buried by the other party¡­ when richard saw that noon was about to arrive, he brought all the troops gathered in the open space of the twilight city ready and prepared for the dungeon. his eyes were burning. after half a month of preparation, it was finally time to test their strength. opening the [forum chat], the sand sculpture players were so excited and going crazy. [ow! ow! the comprehensive strength of the territories will be counted soon!! my territory is a third-level village, but i got rare-level troop lairs. i can squeeze into the top one million, right?] [ha ha ha, my level three small city has upgraded. i¡¯m sorry, i have to decide on this reward!] [what about the big guys at the game company? can you tell me about this run?] [f*ck, for the sake of this dungeon, i have stormed to eight battalions!! i don¡¯t believe that anyone can withstand the skeleton sea¡¯s tactics! i, the undead, am the true god of the world!] [demon faction, please form a team. my city ¡ª level 2 small city. there are five squadrons of elite-level demons, one of the rare-level demons, and at the same time, there is a high-potential g-rank hero¡­] [why is there still no news? waiting makes me panic¡­¡± [the dungeon is about to open. i¡¯m cute, please, take care of me. my leg hair has been shaved clean¡­] 1 the exchange of posts continued¡­ richard looked at the players¡¯ messy posts, and his mood lulled. sure enough, no matter what time it was, these sand sculptures were a source of joy. time slowly passed, and finally. the system notification arrived at 12 o¡¯clock sharp as promised. [ding~ the ancient battle of lords shattered the river of time, causing countless time fragments to remain in the main plane.] [one of the time fragments is about to appear. [lords, please take note. the territory strength ranking board has released the qualifiers. please check for yourself.] [the top one million players on the lord ranking board can enter the time shard to explore in 10 minutes.] [the lords who enter the time shard this time will receive the protection of the guardian shield until the lord returns from the time shard.] [note 1: this is the only time. the next time, you will not be able to obtain the guardian shield. lords, please take note of the safety of the territory.] [note 2: after the death of the troop the lord carries, the lord can spend points to resurrect at the end of the time shard. the lord can resurrect himself for free.] [note 3: the time shard contains all sorts of special treasures. the winner will receive a special reward. lords, please be prepared.] with the system notification, the entire forum immediately went into a frenzy. everyone opened the lord ranking board to check if they were on the one million qualifiers. richard was also extremely excited and immediately opened the lord ranking board. in the next second, another series of notifications sounded. [ding ~ in twilight city¡¯s comprehensive strength statistics, each judge will receive corresponding prosperity. after adding all the prosperity, the territory¡¯s comprehensive strength will reach a maximum of 1,000 prosperity points.] [territory level: 2 small city ¡ª insignificant land, 10 points of prosperity.] [number of residents: 1,000 ¡ª very few, 5 points of prosperity.] [business relationship: not opened ¡ª no one is interested, 1 point of prosperity.] [territory buildings: several high-level buildings ¡ª average, 5 points of prosperity.] [cultural characteristics: none ¡ª barbarian land, 0 points of prosperity.] [religion: none ¡ª city of the faithless, 1 point of prosperity.] [territory specialties: desert bees, fire dragon rabbits ¡ª the future can be expected, 500 points of prosperity.] [military strength: three squad¡¯s glorious-level troops, one squadron¡¯s rare-level troops, several squadron¡¯s rare-level troops ¡ª dugu qiubei, 1,000 points of prosperity.¡± [heroic battle strength: three a-rank heroes ¡ª who can contend with them, 1,000 points of prosperity.] [lord strength: glorious-level ¡ª one hand covering the sky, 1,000 points of prosperity.] total ¡ª 3,522, territory overall strength ranking ¡ª 5,232. richard was exceedingly interested. he did not expect the territory¡¯s overall strength would be tested on a total of 10 items. when he looked at the first few items, his heart turned cold. ¡°what cultural characteristics, religious beliefs, number of residents, business relations¡­? in this godforsaken place, how could he have such a thing???¡± fortunately, the last three items were directly filled up which forced the overall score to rise. but even so, the ranking was still lower than 500,000¡­ according to this kind of calculation, the score would probably be higher than the others in prosperous areas of the territories. but no matter what, he got the admission ticket. his eyes sparkled when he looked at the full score of the three troop forces. he had poured all of his resources into the troop forces during this period, and it had not been in vain. next, it was time to test the brilliance of twilight city! he wanted to see how those lords with 1,000 prosperity in terms of culture, trade, and territory level would resist the saber in his hand. Chapter 136 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [f*ck, my territory¡¯s ten capital points add up to 100 prosperity, and it¡¯s ultimately a stark score¡­] [why can¡¯t my territory¡¯s 1,000 prosperity rank in the top 1,000,000? there must be something fishy going on!! i want to complain and to report. i want to apply for a new ranking!!] [i¡¯m sorry, brother, my territory¡¯s religion and cultural characteristics are all 900 prosperity. hahahaha, awesome. just watch my performance this time¡­] [brother, i¡¯ve accepted 9,000 residents. and i¡¯ve cut 800 prosperity in the population. i¡¯m asking if you guys are astonishing!!] [did you see the pervert on the ranking list? f*ck, the first-ranked territory¡¯s prosperity has exceeded 6,000! doesn¡¯t this mean that this guy has six stark evaluation points?? this damn pervert!] !! [why is my friend¡¯s level 2 small city¡¯s prosperity 500? i¡¯m also a level 2 small city, and my prosperity is only 20??] [above, the prosperity of the territory level should be ranked according to the level. for the same level, the prosperity of the first level is high, and then the next level is low¡­ [f*ck, i have a rare building, why is it only giving me 300 prosperity? i refuse to accept it!] raging and delighted posts continued. amidst the excitement and anger of countless people, a system notification sounded in the ears of the top one million lords. [ding~ your territory¡¯s overall strength has met the requirements. you can enter the time fragment in five minutes. please be prepared.] [after entering the time fragment, you could not use the [forum chat]. a dungeon forum chat will be opened. lords can communicate in the dungeon forum chat.] [in the time fragment, you can use the [forum chat] id to replace your information. do you want to use it?] richard looked at the system notification and was stunned. ¡°was there such a benefit?¡± without any hesitation, he confirmed it. after he chose, the notification sounded again. [ding~ please choose the troop you want to bring into the dungeon.] the next second, a panel appeared in front of richard. they could choose the troops and heroes they wanted to bring into the dungeon. without hesitation, he selected all the troops already lined up. [ding~ the troop has been selected. do you wish to enter the time fragment ¡ª the decisive battle¡¯s prelude?] ¡®decisive battle¡¯s prelude?¡­ from the sound of this name, it did not sound like a world peace dungeon¡­¡¯ richard took a deep breath. ¡°enter.¡± the moment he decided. he only felt a wave of dizziness in front of his eyes. in the next second, his vision suddenly dimmed. the surrounding environment suddenly changed. in his vision, he saw a withered grass field. the withered grass swayed slowly in the breeze. at the same time, a burning stench mixed with the pungent smell of fresh blood rushed into his nostrils. his breathing felt a bit suffocating. richard subconsciously frowned. he turned his head and looked around. in his sight, the grass and trees were scorched. some haystacks still emitted black smoke. the wind blew them in all directions and blurred his vision. in the grass not far away, he could vaguely see a few human corpses with broken armor, and large patches of blood left with distinct traces. a feeling of desolation came to his face. ¡®roar!¡¯ suddenly, a terrifying roar from afar interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he suddenly woke up and subconsciously turned his head to look. at the end of his line of sight, under the dark clouds on the horizon. dozens of startling faces with wingspans of over 30 meters swept the sky. ferocious dragon wings, terrifying aura¡­ a word emerged. giant dragon! the tyrannical dragon¡¯s might was enough to make one¡¯s heart skip a beat even if they were thousands of meters away. richard¡¯s breathing slowed down subconsciously. the first round was the dragons? he felt that things were getting out of hand. if they were all high-level soldiers, this large-scale dungeon would be much more strenuous than he had expected. as his thoughts raced, he opened his stats panel a second before the dragons disappeared. [templar dragoons] [level: 19] ??? ??? ??? when he saw the other party¡¯s stats, he could not help but feel his heart skip a beat. a level 19 dragoons?!¡­ there was something he did not know whether to say or not. the vigilance in his heart has exalted to the extreme. compared to the previous 1-star dungeon, this was distinctly a hell-level difficulty. richard took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the throbbing in his heart. he turned around and looked around. when he saw the twilight city troops were still there, he finally calmed down. just as he was about to let the troop retreat from this area, a system notification suddenly sounded. [ding ~ in the ancient era, the gods were constantly in conflict. the war between the various factions never stopped.] [under the arrangement of the undead king, the four factions of hell, the abyss, the undead, and the dungeon, allied ¡ª the covenant of evil. they planned to attack the capital of the templar empire ¡ª templar city.] [the templar empire sensed the threat and summoned the allies of the oath of light ¡ª the elves, the fortress, the church, and the three camps to fight against the covenant of evil together.] [all lords can freely choose to join the covenant of evil or the oath of light and become a member of the two major factions.] [killing the enemy faction¡¯s troops will obtain the corresponding points.] [one point for ordinary troops, 10 points for elite, 30 points for rare, 100 points for advanced, and 600 points for glorious. every time you kill an enemy camp lord, you will receive 1,000 points.] [killing a troop from your camp will not result in points.] [the lord can also choose to become a neutral force and not join any camp. killing all troops will result in points but will be divided into two.] [the score list and the dungeon forum chat will open in an hour. please check for yourselves.] [when the time shard ends, the higher the scores, the better the rewards. the top 100 will receive additional rewards.] Chapter 137 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [the time fragment is currently in a safe exploration mode. every choice you make will affect your subsequent encounter. please explore on your own.] the battle of the gods was related to the dungeon¡¯s background. no wonder he could see the dragoons when they appeared. richard frowned. in the background introduced by the system, a total of eight factions appeared. he estimated that these factions included at least 90% of the players. !! the situation was a little subtle. ¡°gray, gunter, each leads two teams of dark gargoyles to explore the surroundings. i need to know where we are now!! ¡°be careful. quickly retreat if you encounter powerful enemies!¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± the two heroes immediately rode on the dark gargoyles and took off to explore the surroundings. richard ordered the troops to hide and wait quietly. about ten minutes later, gray commanded the dark gargoyles to land on the ground and quickly turn over. he pointed in a direction with an urgent voice. ¡°lord, several demons have appeared on the west side. they are rapidly rushing towards us. there are at least ten legions!!!¡± there are also intensely strapping demon heroes commanding them. we need to leave this place immediately¡­ ¡± ¡®more than ten legions?¡¯ ¡®ten squadrons for one legion¡­more than 100,000 demons?¡¯ richard immediately felt his scalp go numb. ¡°have you found a suitable place to settle down around here?¡± gray hesitated for a moment before it continued. ¡°we found a village close to a river behind the woods on the south. the terrain is high, and there is a large area of sand¡­¡± ¡°but this village has just been attacked by a giant dragon. and the fire ignited by the dragon¡¯s breath has just been extinguished. ¡°moreover, water surrounded the village on three sides, and there is only one way out from the front¡­¡± ¡®just been attacked by a giant dragon?¡¯ richard thought of the dozens of terrifying dragoons and frowned. but the large area of sand was intensely appropriate for twilight city. a sand fight would double the combat ability of the troop. ¡°are there any other suitable locations?¡± ¡°lord, the troops are coming from several directions. only in this direction can shake them off the fastest¡­¡±. gray¡¯s tone became a little faster. ¡°otherwise, we can only head in the direction of the dragoons. however, there are many abyssal hounds in the demon troop, so we can still catch them up¡­ ¡°i suggest that we head to the village. since the dragoons have already left. there must be more important missions to carry out. it¡¯s impossible to turn around and launch a second attack twice on a small village.¡± when richard heard this, he immediately decided. ¡°all troops retreat immediately¡­ head to that village.¡± after he dispatched two dark gargoyles to summon gunter, the twilight city troops immediately rushed towards the village in the south. this birth point was not a good place. there were dragons in front and demons behind, and the workspace was too small. after the troop marched on the grass for more than twenty minutes, richard saw a village three to four hundred meters away, built on a low hill by the river that emitted black smoke. gunter had returned to the team on the way. at this time, two teams of dark gargoyles entered the village to eliminate the danger. when the troop gradually approached the village, richard breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®awooo!¡¯ suddenly, a shrill howl shook his mind. the demons were coming¡­ the dark gargoyles that were on guard in the sky swooped down. ¡°lord, several demon hounds are coming from the south¡­¡± this tightly knitted richard¡¯s brows. but he still did not avoid these monsters. he was worried about the hundreds of thousands of demon troops behind him. and these demon hounds were just appetizers. he waved his hand violently. ¡°immediately enter the village and build a defensive line!!¡± the troop moved faster. when he got closer, he could see the details of the village. the village was built on a low hill by the river. only a 60 to 70-meter-long steep slope could enter the front. some houses still wafted smoking, and the smell of burnt furniture was a little pungent. a river nearly 300 meters wide lie to the east of the village. however, because the water level had dropped, tons of sand grains were exposed from the river. richard came to the riverbank when the army entered the village. his heart moved as he looked at the sand on the riverbed. the endless yellow sand on his body flashed. in an instant. the sand in the river seemed to have lost its gravity. it floated in the thin air and condensed into a vast river of sand in mid-air. beyond a-rank skill, yellow sand control. after richard¡¯s control reached a limit, with a wave of his hand, the wet sand directly surged into the village. ¡®crash!¡¯ a lot of sand fell that paved the road with a thick layer of shell¡­ a few colossal deep holes remained in the riverbed after some consecutive operations. meanwhile, fine sand shrouded most of the village¡­ richard had forcefully created a home ground suitable for twilight city¡¯s troops to fight in. every beyond a-rank skill had the power of a natural disaster. ¡®awooo!¡¯ a mournful howl rapidly approached. richard immediately entered the village and looked into the distance from a high vantage point. in his line of sight, a large group of demon hounds that emitted an evil aura appeared. their entire bodies were pitch black, and their bodies were only slightly smaller than a horse. as they ran, their throats continuously let out a low roar that made one¡¯s heart tremble. their monstrous mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth secreted a highly toxic mucus, pulling out long thin threads in the air. their ferocious appearance was enough to make the hearts of the determined veterans tremble. at a glance, there were probably more than five squadrons. ¡°prepare for battle!!¡± richard¡¯s cold voice immediately caused the army of twilight city to tense up to the extreme. killing intent was awe-inspiring. tall grass mounds covered their vision on the opposite village¡¯s river bank. at this moment, the two players hiding in the grass were so shocked that they could not return to their senses for a long time. the scene of countless grains of sand that flew into the sky made them feel like they were in a dream. that was simply a miracle! ¡°was this something that players could do at this stage? that was simply a joke!¡­ this kind of power is nothing more than a hang-up, right?!¡± the two of them only returned to their senses after a long time. they looked at each other and swallowed their saliva. the younger one was the first to speak. ¡°third brother¡­ that, that guy is a player! he can¡¯t be an npc, right? how can a player be so strong?¡± the player he called third brother stuttered. ¡°but, maybe he is¡­ old brother, didn¡¯t you see? i just detected an id¡­¡± ¡°what id?¡± ¡°qingqiu¡­¡± old brother was stunned. ¡°qingqiu? why does this name sound familiar? i seem to have heard it somewhere¡­¡± he shook his head and gritted his teeth. ¡°forget it. i don¡¯t care who that is. i just want to ask, what should we do about our quest? ¡°the other party is pointing at us to enter that village to retrieve the quest item.¡± old brother got excited as he spoke. ¡°that npc is ultimately a big shot of the evil faction. he escaped from being besieged by so many dragon knights. if we hug the other party¡¯s thigh tightly, this dungeon will be able to take off¡­ ¡°i don¡¯t care who qingqiu is. we must not let him stop us from completing our mission!¡± Chapter 138 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°roar!!¡± they heard a deep roar that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. those slightly smaller than a horse demon hounds galloped over at high speed with a savage aura. their sharp teeth could easily tear apart a warrior¡¯s thick shield. after the enemy discovered the twilight city troop, their blood-colored eyes became increasingly infiltrated. !! richard stared at the rapidly approaching enemy with a cold gaze. ¡°dark gargoyles, rise into the sky and attack on my command!¡± ¡°scorpion warriors, the bandaged mummies are stationed at the front to prevent the enemy from entering.¡± ¡°the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead can attack freely. sand archers, gather your strength and prepare to fire in unison!¡± after a few breaths, more than a hundred demon hounds rushed up the steep slope that had entered the village. their speed was like a sports car that had its accelerator pressed down¡­ ¡°attack!!¡± ¡®xiu! xiu! xiu!¡¯ the sand archers released the pulled to the limit bowstring. ¡®bang! the bowstring released a powerful force that shot out the arrow. ¡®huhu!¡¯ the arrow pierced through the sky that produced an ear-piercing whistle. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ a demon hound was directly pierced through the head by the arrow. the tremendous force straightly nailed it to the ground. fresh blood was like a burst tap water pipe splashed several meters high. its body convulsed crazily. it wanted to struggle. but the more it did, the more its blood vessels ruptured. finally, it let out a mournful howl, and its eyes lost their light. [ding~ your troop has killed a rare-grade demon. you have received 15 points.] [ding~ your troop has killed¡­] a series of system notifications rang in richard¡¯s ears. in just a few breaths, the number of points on his status panel had exceeded 500 and still increased at an alarming rate. richard felt much better when he saw this. the feeling of gaining something for every enemy he killed was not bad. although a squadron of sand archers could cause severe damage, the number of arrows was too few. it was not enough to cover the fifty meters wide and seventy to eighty meters long road in front of them. the demon hounds were too fast. before they could launch a second round of attacks, the enemy had already charged at the scorpion warriors and the blood-colored mummies. ¡®roar!¡¯ when the demon hounds got close, richard could distinctly see the sharp fangs in their monstrous mouths. no matter how hard the bones were, they could not withstand a single bite. the scorpion warriors were fearless in the face of these wild beasts. after being strengthened twice, the dark red iron pincers swung fiercely. ¡®crack!¡¯ the curved hook at the front end of the iron pincers was sharper than the butcher¡¯s iron hook. when a demon hound pounced on it, it pierced the opponent¡¯s abdomen in mid-air. it pulled hard. the severed blood and flesh sizzled. an exaggerated scratch appeared on the abdomen. fresh blood and internal organs rolled and fell. in the next second, the giant pincers exploded with incomparably hot energy. ¡®swish!¡¯ the demon hound¡¯s body seemed drenched in gasoline as it exploded. [enhanced powerful iron pincers (d-rank) ¡ª the sharpness of the two pincers increases by 70%. the strength of the swing of the two pincers increases by 50%. when the hook is used, the explosion property is obtained. and the armor of the opponent can be instantly torn apart.] the double-enhanced iron pincers became exceedingly outrageous. [ding~ your troop has killed a rare-grade demon, you have received 15 points¡­] [ding~ ¡­] the twilight city troops firmly blocked the demon hounds that charged over. the battle strength of the scorpion warriors had a tremendous increase after the enhanced attack. they began to slaughter in all directions as they faced their enemies more powerful than their own side. they ignited the demon hounds one by one into fireballs. the notifications for the points constantly rang out. the moment the two sides clashed, the battle entered a state of madness. the demon hounds that did not know death surged to the extreme. the undead creatures did not have any feelings towards death. they would only listen to orders, attack, and attack again! the battle lasted for about ten minutes. the demon hounds¡¯ corpses on the ground filled the steep slope in front of them. the points on richard¡¯s status panel had already reached an exaggerated 10,000 points. every death of a rare-level soldier would correspond to 30 points. a player who did not join any faction could only receive 15 points¡­ these 10,000 points meant that the player had extinguished several squadrons of demon hounds. however, with a frenzied massacre, the number of demon hounds did not decrease and showed signs of increase instead¡­ as the situation became increasingly anxious, a strange mutation occurred. several malevolent-looking inferior and fallen demons with spiked chain balls surged a kilometer away from the village. the tidal wave number of enemies surged as a colossal wave that extended for a kilometer¡­ the demon troops headed in the dragons¡¯ remains ¨C to the east. the village was in the south, and they were at the edge of the demon troop¡¯s march. tens of thousands of troops had crossed the border, and the black torrent was enough to crush all obstacles¡­ although the demon troops¡¯ target was not the inconspicuous twilight city. but the death of several demon hounds had also attracted the attention of many demons. a portion of the inferior and the fallen demons separated from the demons¡¯ main troop long before. they intended to cooperate with the demon hounds to annihilate twilight city. although it was only a few of the demon troops, it was probably more than three main troops if one looked at the number¡­ richard¡¯s eyes focused. ¡°the beginning of hell. if we were to delay for a while on the way, i¡¯m afraid we would have to face the main troop of the demons now¡­¡± his blood pressure immediately rose when he thought about the scene surrounded by more than 100,000 demons in the middle. the demon troops that split up immediately became excited when they approached the village. their speed suddenly increased as they stepped on the knee-deep grass. Chapter 139 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the deep murmurs kept coming out of its throat. it gave people stalwart brain pressure. the moment the demon troop in front rushed into the distance of 100 meters. richard suddenly waved his hand. ¡°sand archers, fire!!¡± ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo! the arrows condensed from sand once again tore through the sky. !! they streamed over a hundred arrows in the blink of an eye with a powerful penetrating force. ¡®puchi!¡¯ fresh blood exploded like a fountain. an elite-level demon wanted to block the arrows with its hand. but after the arrow accumulated power, it pierced through its palm and head and finally nailed it to the ground. the smell of blood permeated the air. [ding~ your troop has killed an elite-level demon. you have gained 5 points.] [ding~ ¡­] notifications congested the system again after a series of deaths. the sand archers had now become the scythe of the grim reaper. under the intensive enemy attacks, the arrows could not miss. ¡°hit, hit again!¡± however, there were too many demons. they gushed like waves. no matter how sharp the sand archers were, they could not suppress the enemy. after more than ten breaths, richard saw the inferior demons¡¯ sharp teeth through the gaps left by the scorpion warriors and heard the abyss¡¯ whispers coming out of the fallen demons¡¯ mouths¡­ ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the tomahawk whistled out. ¡®boom!¡¯ the undead soldiers slashed the demons in front of them into fragments using the powerful skill of the axe of the dead. after they attacked the two long-range defense lines and killed them, the demon troop still relied on their vast numbers and rushed to the front. like a colossal frizz, they launched wave after wave of attacks. although the number of troops in twilight city was small, they were like a sharp meat grinder. no matter how many demons rushed at them, they were all massacred¡­ a mutation occurred again not long after. among the demon troops that appeared one after another, flames covered their bodies and were three meters tall. they held tremendous axes in their hands. ¡°flame demons! ¡°level 6, rare 2-stars soldier!¡± there was also a berserk demon with a vast baboon head. it held a sizeable mace in its hand along with flame demons. they were above 3.5 meters tall. level 7, rare 3-stars soldier. the participation of these rare-level soldiers in the battle caused the pressure on the front line to rise sharply. they were about to break through the defense line a few times. richard¡¯s gaze turned unfriendly. this dungeon was simply insane! giving such a big gift the moment they arrived, they were not afraid he would have indigestion¡­ with a thought, the glorious 2-star troops behind him that had never been shot from the rear ¡ª the heavy sword warrior suddenly tightened its grip on the heavy sword thicker than a door. in the next moment, the three teams of heavy sword warriors suddenly activated. they directly charged toward the demon troops. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ the heavy thick sword split the enemies open as if they were cutting grass with a sharp knife. the five-meter-tall magic puppets were like lawn mowers in the face of these demons. even the rare 2-stars flame demons and the rare 3-stars berserk demons could only retreat continuously in the face of the heavy sword warriors. as long as they dared to fight head-on, with a single slash, the scene of their weapons being cut apart along with their people would often appear. the terrifying lethality caused even the unafraid of death demons to feel some fear. [ding~ your troop has killed a rare-level demon. you have obtained 50 points.] [ding~ ¡­¡±] the harvest increased explosively once again. with violent heavy sword warriors going up, the situation immediately stabilized. richard looked into the distance and looked at the endless demon troops. his expression became exceedingly serious. although killing the enemy would earn him massive points, there were too many demons. he had to consider leaving a way out. ¡°tomahawk slash!!!¡± twenty-five tomahawks whizzed out. ¡®kacha!¡¯ terrifying magic damage burst out. it cleared the area within 10 meters. at the same time. a scorching flame burst out from the tomahawk fragment, enveloping the area with a diameter of 20 meters. the high temperature scorched those demons that dodged the tomahawk shard. it seared their hair instantly, and the skin on their bodies directly festered. it was exceedingly panic-stricken. this round of attack had cleared a large circle of the dense demon formation in front of them. their points instantly skyrocketed by several thousand. with a thought, three teams of heavy sword warriors took the front line and continued to slaughter the demons. however, there were too many enemies. even if the dark gargoyles, heavy sword warriors, undead soldiers, sand archers¡­and other types of soldiers with vigorous attack power were there, it was still as if they were trapped in a huge ocean wave. they could not escape. richard once again felt the terror of the crowd tactics. the advantage of the crowd tactic reached the extreme, especially in this plain terrain. even though this steep slope had avoided a lot of extra attacks, it wasn¡¯t much better. the battle continued for another 20 minutes. the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ dungeon chat forum has opened. please check it yourself, lords.] richard wiped the sweat off his forehead. when he saw the situation wasn¡¯t too dangerous, he opened the chat forum. he just wanted to know if all the players were like him, encountering over 100,000 demons as soon as they entered the dungeon¡­ the new system panel had two main modules, the forum chat, and the ranking board. the ranking board also had a countdown timer that could start in one minute. the system divided the forum chat into full-dungeon chat and faction chat. at this time, when it had just opened, several players crazily commented. [f*ck, i¡¯m suffocated. i can finally speak. that big shot told me, how can i clear this dungeon?¡­] [who¡¯s in the covenant of evil? come to white-bone city and form a party! let¡¯s go hunt the light faction players to earn the points¡­] [people from the oath of light, let¡¯s go f*ck the scum of the covenant of evil!] [f*ck! a group of the undead attacked me as soon as i came out. they wiped out my entire troop. i¡¯m f*cking husky!! these skeletons are freaks. don¡¯t let me see them. otherwise, i¡¯ll show what it means to have a broken anus!] [who designed this dungeon?? do you know what i encountered? a level 15 giant dragon. that¡¯s right. a giant dragon! with dragon breath, he burned my strongest hero to death. f*ck¡­] richard was a little unhappy after he took a few glances. it seemed he was the only one who had encountered such a freakish situation. after he waited for more than ten seconds, the countdown on the dungeon¡¯s overall strength ranking board changed to 0. the system notification instantly sounded. [ding ~ the dungeon¡¯s overall strength ranking board has opened. please check it yourself.] at this moment, countless players opened the ranking board. the next second, everyone split open. the ranking board had two parts; the points ranking board and the task ranking board. at this moment, the points leaderboard ranged from 100 to second place, and the points were all within 3,000. however, when everyone looked at the first place, they immediately cursed. [points rankings] [first place: qingqiu, points, 73,245] [second place: wind song, points, 2,235] [third place: ¡­ points, 2,203] the exchange of sarcasm continued. everyone exploded. [wdnm, am i blind? that pervert qingqiu has 30 times more points than the second place??] [let¡¯s play with a hammer, i want to quit the game¡­] [how did that bastard qingqiu earn 70,000 points within an hour of the dungeon opening?] [impossible, this player must be a cheater!! i want to report it!!] [i only have 10 points, and qingqiu already has 70,000 points?? are you kidding me? who the hell can earn 70,000 points within an hour ???? who the hell can tell me how to earn 70,000 points within an hour?] [two thousand two hundred points for the second place. seventy thousand for the first place. i just want to ask. how did this ranking list come out????] at this moment, the players who could not enter the dungeon heard the system notification ¡ª the dungeon ranking board had opened. when the lord-tier players outside the dungeon opened it, they were stunned. ¡°qingqiu¡­ it was qingqiu again.¡± for the past half a month, they had thought that this player, who sold a lot of resources in the early stages of the game, would gradually lose his advantage. however, the performance now of this player made everyone cry¡­ ¡°f*ck, how could this freak be so strong!!!¡± ¡°the 70,000 points, it had only been an hour!¡± hunt down an elite-level soldier would earn 10 points, and they had to kill 7,000 of them! hunt down a rare-level soldier would earn 30 points. this meant that the enemy had killed 2,500 of them in an hour¡­ they did not know that richard had not joined any faction yet, and the number had doubled. richard, who had been silent for half a month, shocked everyone with an hour of the dungeon opening¡­ this guy¡­ is it a person??? Chapter 140 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard closed his stats panel after a few glances. the demon¡¯s attacks were too fierce. richard had no time to catch his breath. as twilight city slaughtered the demons, the large number of casualties caused the demon¡¯s main force to be on guard. as the number of flame and berserk demons increased, the pressure on the scorpion warriors and the bandaged mummy in front of them gradually increased¡­ when a group of draconic demons over four meters tall with a ferocious dragon head and a giant saber appeared, richard could no longer sit still. !! ¡°glorious troops!¡± his troops would topple down even when doubled if this continued. his tone was solemn when he turned his head. ¡°gray, gunter, you guys cooperate with the heavy sword warriors to hunt down those dragon blood demons. i¡¯ll be leaving for a while!¡± when he finished his words, he directly summoned a dark gargoyle. he flipped over and commanded it to fly backward. the terrain of this village was extraordinary. water surrounded it on three sides, and only the front could leave. when one had enough strength, this place would be easy to defend but hard to attack. it was the best defensive fortress. however, when the enemy was strong, this terrain advantage became a cage that was hard to break. richard flew to the back, and an extensive lake appeared before him. a thick fog floated above, and one could only see 20 to 30 meters. richard controlled the dark gargoyle to fly hundreds of meters high in the air and looked into the distance. the thick fog stretched as far as the eye could see, and land appeared at the end of his line of sight. this lake was thousands of meters wide. richard¡¯s face was a little solemn. there were too many soldiers in twilight city. although the dark gargoyle could take some of them away, the brilliant level 5-meter heavy blade warriors could not move. not to mention there were seven teams of orc cavalry. it was not realistic to evacuate from the air. his thoughts spun wildly. he had to think of a way to break the troops out or¡­hide. he lowered his gaze as he thought of this and saw the lake covered in thick fog. a bold idea suddenly rose in his heart. he drove the dark gargoyles and quickly descended ten meters high above the lake. the yellow sand on his body flashed. the next moment¡­ the bottom of the lake bubbled up, and the water began to get muddy. ¡®¡±wow!¡± a bunch of wet sand surfaces and the water droplets dripped back to the lake like a rainstorm. richard felt overjoyed when he saw that. the gravel fell back into the water with a wave of his hand. then the surface of the lake seemed to stir like a giant beast. a series of rustling sounds came from the bottom of the lake. a long shadow rose from the surface of the lake a moment later. the shadow slowly expanded, and then the water surface gradually emerged. when he looked down, a road made of gravel appeared out of thin air in the lake. this scene was quite visually impactful. richard took a step out of the dark gargoyle¡¯s body, and countless gravel spun around him and floated in the air. every time he floated forward a certain distance, the passage below would extend for a certain distance. it was not until he was hundreds of meters away that he stopped on a small island with lush vegetation in the middle of the lake. when he turned his head, this passage loomed under the fog. the corners of his mouth raised high. yellow sand control¡­ whether it was in the desert or not, as long as there were grains of sand. he could exert power to the limit. richard immediately breathed a sigh of relief after he had confirmed that his idea was feasible. no matter how strong the demon was, he still had enough leeway. he seated on the dark gargoyle again and flew to the front of the water passage. with a wave of his hand, a 50-meter-long stone road hid under the lake. the road 50 meters after could not be seen clearly in the fog on the lake. it can be reproduced anytime when needed. richard returned to the city once more after he had arranged the escape route. at this time, gray and gunter had just teamed up with the heavy sword warriors to hunt down those glorious 1-star dragon blood demons. although these powerful demons did not break through the defensive line, they still caused enormous pressure. the battle continued, and the demons¡¯ attacks became increasingly fierce¡­ the gray-recruited bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, and blood-colored mummies took turns. several troops used the sand transformation, the most substantial life-saving skill. these killing machines would gradually subdue even with sand condensation archers and the axe of the dead. the only thing that made richard feel fortunate was that twilight city¡¯s troops did not need logistical supplies. otherwise, in such a high-intensity battle, he could not support them, not to mention the loss of the troops, even the consumption of weapons and arrows. ¡°third brother, what should we do? are we still going to enter?¡­¡± the two players on the riverside do not want to leave. they still stared at the increasingly intense battle between offense and defense. ¡°that pervert qingqiu is too powerful!!¡± the two hiding players immediately confirmed richard¡¯s identity when the points rankings were released. only qingqiu had such a powerful troop. the two hiding players fidgeted when they saw that the demons¡¯ attacks could not shake the mummies. ¡°that was a real battle!!¡± compared with each other, their small army was a joke. ¡°what should we do?¡± ¡°old brother, don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll talk about it later¡­¡± third brother, who had a goatee, shook his head. as he spoke, he took out a thumb-sized gemstone from his pocket. the gemstone emitted a warm glow. ¡°the treasure is still inside. it hasn¡¯t taken away¡­¡± ¡°but how long will we have to wait¡­¡± old brother was a little unwilling. ¡°that npc only gave us one day. it is obviously a chain mission. if we don¡¯t complete the first round, the subsequent missions will all be lost.¡± Chapter 141 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°we still don¡¯t know what will happen next!¡± third brother stroked his beard. ¡°it won¡¯t be long before qingqiu points reach 100,000¡­¡± old brother was puzzled. ¡°what¡¯s the connection?¡± !! ¡°nonsense, so many demons have been killed. retaliation is possible, right? can qingqiu seriously wipe out these hundreds of thousands of demons? ¡°when the true elites of the demons appear, will qingqiu be able to hold on? ¡°moreover, this place is surrounded by water on three sides. only the front has a way out. qingqiu¡¯s troops might be able to escape with the help of the flying forces, but defeat is inevitable. ¡°wait until the demons drive qingqiu¡¯s troops away, then we¡¯ll sneak in and retrieve the quest item¡­ one day is enough.¡± ¡°third brother¡­ will this work?¡± ¡°if you can¡¯t, you must!¡± ¡°all right, i¡¯ll send a message to sixth brother first, tell him to keep that npc¡­.¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ a terrible roar froze the battlefield¡¯s atmosphere. richard jerked his head around. as far as the eye could see, dragon blood demons appeared that pulled a demon chariot. glorious-level demons pulled the chariot like cattle at the moment. the chariot was countless wider than the one richard had seen in the 1-star dungeon. it had three floors. it looked like a moving giant fortress. one could see upon closer inspection that the chariot carried all kinds of heavy offensive weapons, and powerful demon mages stood on it. at the head of the chariot, a demon throne made of skulls and gemstones was exceedingly conspicuous. on the throne sat a demon lord with wings on its back and a mace in its hand. its aura made the surrounding demons want to escape like crazy¡­ its exaggerated appearance was unforgettable. richard subconsciously opened his opponent¡¯s stats panel. [akana darkness (mind eater demon)] [hero unit] [level: 18] [???] [???] [??] he felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°level 18 hero¡­ this is insane!!¡± at this moment, the level 18 mind eater demon on the throne turned around and looked in richard¡¯s direction. the two of them stared profoundly at each other from a distance. at this moment, the air seemed to have fallen into tranquility. the mind eater demon waved its hand after a few breaths. behind the chariot appeared several glorious 3-star soldiers with two heads and giant warhammers ¡ª raging demons. at a glance, there were probably more than five squadrons¡­ even if the number of heavy sword warriors in the three squads increased by ten times, it was still two squadrons less than the enemy. richard¡¯s pupils constricted, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of such things. he signaled his hand. ¡°retreat!!¡± level 10, glorious 3-stars¡­ these demons had no morals¡­ he took a deep breath. ¡°tomahawk slash!! cover the troops and retreat!¡± twenty-five tomahawks immediately flew out. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound rang out, and flames burst. the terrifying damage directly suppressed the demon troops that surged forward. ¡°retreat!¡± richard ordered without stopping. ¡°dark gargoyles, cover! the other troops retreat to the lake behind the village immediately!!¡± level-18 demon heroes and several hundred level-10 glorious demon soldiers smashed their giant warhammers¡­ the troop immediately retreated to the back. six squads of dark gargoyles swooped down from the sky and forcefully blocked the gap in front of them. however, the scanty defense line of the heavy sword warriors immediately swayed, almost ready to collapse at any time. richard beckoned. ¡°blood-colored mummies, leave four squads behind. activate the sand transformation and cover the retreat of the troops!¡± these four squads had not used the sand transformation yet, and he had purposely left it behind. it was time for these recruitment units to take effect. the blood-colored mummy immediately charged forward without fear of death after it activated the sand transformation. it forcefully blocked the demon¡¯s charges with the help of the dark gargoyles¡­ the mind eater demon seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. three squadrons of demons from the side of the chariot flapped their wings and flew up. they charged straight to the village with the mind eater demon¡¯s gesture. bloodthirsty demons, level 8, rare 3-stars. richard took a deep breath and waited until the enemies were close to 100 meters away. yellow sand rose from his body. the next moment. the sand all over the village seemed to have lost its gravity and suddenly floated. the demons sensed this scene and had no intention to retreat. their savage nature made them fearless. at this moment. under the effect of magic power, the yellow sand in the sky formed a fierce sandstorm that covered hundreds of meters of space. the sandstorm bombarded at a violent speed, like countless bullets that hit the bloodthirsty demons. but the demons¡¯ defense was exceedingly exaggerated. the sandstorm hit their bodies which produced a metallic sound but slightly damaged. at this moment. ¡®boom!¡¯ gasoline seemed to ignite countless sand. suddenly, a green flame rose. the sandstorm under the magic power began to spin crazily, and its speed became increasingly faster. it formed a terrifying fire sandstorm in a few blinks of an eye. the demons on the ground and even the sky could not escape this attack. the high temperature burned the sand red. under the support of the storm, it hit the demons at a paramount speed. an armor would suffer enormous damage even if it could withstand it. as long a soldier exposes any body part. the flame burnt their hair and skin¡­ some sand even entered the ears and nostrils¡­ that suffocated them to death. [ding~ you have annihilated rare-level demons. you have received 100 points.] [ding~ you have annihilated¡­] they could not hear the dense system notifications beside their ears. the other lord players saw a scene that shocked them. on the ranking board, qingqiu¡¯s original 100,000 points had jumped to 130,000¡­ the players who saw this scene reacted frantically. ¡°f*ck¡­ my eyes must be playing tricks on me. didn¡¯t qingqiu just get 100,000 points? why did he get 130,000 points in half a minute?¡± ¡°teacher ma, what happened just now?¡± ¡°first place, 100,000 points. second place, 3,500 points. that¡¯s right. this dungeon is about evenly matched opponents.¡± ¡°qing qiu, has he massacred the city? how can he earn 30,000 points in an instant? even if he¡¯s cheating, he should at least talk about the basics!!¡± ¡°i¡¯m numb¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m tired. hurry up and destroy.¡± the exchange of reactions continued¡­ third brother and old brother looked at the scene that looked like a natural disaster on the other riverside. and they were in a daze. ¡°old brother, are we in the wrong place?¡­ are we playing the same game as qingqiu?¡± old brother spat out a few words from between his teeth. ¡°qing qiu. that damn pervert qingqiu, damn pervert!!!! ¡°those were demon troops! with such a vast number, he could suppress them to the point that they couldn¡¯t even raise their heads!! ¡°was this still a f*cking human?? ¡°why were qingqiu¡¯s troops so powerful?¡± other players might have suspected that qingqiu had cheated, but they had seen it with their own eyes. qingqiu wasn¡¯t hiding anything. ¡°that pervert had cut down 130,000 points with every slash!!¡± however, when they saw it with their own eyes, they felt this was even more unacceptable than the qingqiu¡¯s troops cheating¡­ richard took a few deep breaths after he had killed several squadrons of bloodthirsty demons in one go. a level-18 demon gave him profoundly frightening pressure. even if his troops multiplied ten times, they couldn¡¯t fight these demons head-on. ¡°dark gargoyles, take the blood-colored mummies and retreat immediately!¡± richard didn¡¯t even have time to wipe the sweat off his forehead as he spoke. while he raged along with the ongoing sandstorm, he directly turned around and sat on the back of a dark gargoyle. he flew straight back. the other dark gargoyles immediately grabbed the blood-colored mummies beside them and used their fastest speed to escape from the battlefield. the terrifying heat brought about by the beyond a-rank skills gradually dissipated after they disappeared. the mind eating demon personally watched as the troops he sent were all massacred. its blood-red eyes revealed an incomparably brutal light. he had a feeling of wanting to stomp a bug to death. but in the end, this bug bit back. ¡°find that bug!!! i want him dead!!¡± the abyssal blasphemy resounded throughout the battlefield. in places where the village could not be seen. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ thousands of bloodthirsty demons flapped their wings and flew away. among them were several even loftier high-level bloodthirsty demons, glorious troops¡­ after the flames subsided, the inferior demons, fallen demons, demon hounds, dragon blood demons, berserk demons¡­ a huge troop rushed into the village that no one could stop. they destroyed everything. but when the mind eater demon drove the chariot to the village, it only received one piece of news ¡ª the enemy had disappeared. ****** author¡¯s note: i¡¯ve written quite a lot today, but i can¡¯t change it anymore. this chapter changed from 10:30 to now. changing it takes more time than writing it¡­ there¡¯s one more chapter to update tomorrow morning. everyone, go to bed early. Chapter 142 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®huhu! huhu!¡¯ the flapping of wings and the low-pitched roar of demons kept coming from the sky. richard and gray hid in the vegetation on the island. he looked up at the thick fog with a heavy expression. that blocked his line of sight. the enemy¡¯s movements could only be guessed by sound. !! they would not be exposed to the thick fog as long as the enemy did not descend to an extremely low altitude of 10 meters. there was no trace of any soldier on this small island. if one walked to the island shore, one could see the motionless mummies in the lake¡­ in the hollow eye sockets of the other party, the soul fire burned in the water. the soul fire was energy, and it was not afraid of water. like the undead that did not need air, although the battle strength would drop drastically in the water, they could still survive for a long time¡­ from this perspective, the undead¡¯s survivability was almost off the charts. richard reintegrated the gravel tunnel into the lake bottom after the troops passed through. the sand and gravel covered the troop¡¯s footprints. gray reminded richard at this moment. ¡°lord, the demons are vigorously robust. we need to wait for some time before we send out the dark gargoyles to search for information¡­¡± richard listened to the humdrum demon roars from the thick fog and nodded slightly. he had no intention of leaving at all. that terrifying level-18 mind eater demon probably wanted nothing more than to throw him in pieces through the fire after he had extinguished several demons¡­ the demon¡¯s search continued until late at night. the bloodthirsty demons flew over the island several times. however, they lose interest in stepping into the dense grass and empty environment to explore¡­ these demons probably would not have thought the enemy hid in the lake. the enemies were mummies and desert soldiers. they spent the whole night like this until early morning the next day, when the demon¡¯s roar in the fog gradually disappeared. the air gradually returned to calmness. richard was not in a hurry to send the dark gargoyles out to search and continued to wait patiently. when no enemy came to explore until ten in the morning, he sent two dark gargoyles to take a long detour and go to search for information from another direction. soon, the dark gargoyles returned with a piece of news that made his mouth dry. the demon troops did not leave. instead, they camped in the village¡­ richard was terrified. these demons did not speak of martial virtue at all. he was worried and personally rode a dark gargoyle to check the news. sure enough, through the thick fog, he could vaguely see various bloodthirsty demons dancing in the village sky ahead. the inferior and fallen demons guarded the exposed riverbed behind them after the recession of the lake water level¡­ richard immediately felt a headache coming on when he saw this scene. ¡°f*ck! what should i do now? i can¡¯t just kill my way out, right?¡± he wouldn¡¯t give up. he flew close to the lake surface and searched in several other directions. similarly, several bloodthirsty demons hovered in the sky. they could not escape from the enemy¡¯s sight considering their troop size. richard starkly gave up on the idea of an immediate escape from this dangerous situation at this moment. he did not try anything else rashly. that level 18 mind eater demon already suffered a loss once. it would ultimately explode with a thunderous strike if it discovered the enemies. there was almost no room for manipulation. the difference in strength between the two sides was too considerable. at this time, the other players looked at the ranking board. richard¡¯s 130,000 points did not increase any further. they were almost in tears. ¡°that pervert had finally stopped!¡­ the heavens had opened their eyes!!!¡± if this continued, they would not even have to play anymore. third brother and old brother looked at the demon-occupied village on the other side of the river. unwillingness filled their being. ¡°that qingqiu is finally expelled. but a group of even more perverse demons came. f*ck!¡± ¡°third brother, we only have less than two hours left in the mission time¡­ what should we do?¡± when old brother recalled the high-level mission he had received on his entrance to the dungeon, he thought he would be rich. however, he didn¡¯t expect to be stuck in the first step. he was extremely unwilling. ¡°that¡¯s an a-rank mission¡­ from the strength of that npc, i¡¯m afraid that the follow-up mission can only reach s-rank. who knows, it might even yield godly equipment¡­¡± wasn¡¯t this the reason why he entered the dungeon? when he thought of the advanced-level equipment, countless treasures, and powerful skills in front of him but couldn¡¯t get them, his mood was about to explode. when third brother heard this, he felt inordinately indignant. he gritted his teeth and said fiercely. ¡°let¡¯s fight! we can still revive even if we die. at worst, we can just leave the dungeon right now! ¡°if we win, we can take off in one wave!!! ¡°the worse case scenario is that we don¡¯t get anything, but we have a chance to fight for a future!!¡± old brother was a little confused. ¡°third brother, you¡­ you¡¯re not planning to fight impulsively! we¡¯re not that pervert qing qiu, right?!!!¡± third brother gritted his teeth and said, ¡°didn¡¯t that npc says that the token he gave us would attract the attention of the templar dragoons? he wants us to drip two drops of blood on it every three hours to cover up our presence¡­¡± when he saw that old brother returned to his senses, he continued. ¡°the time is almost up. we¡¯ll wait for half an hour this time before dripping blood.¡± third brother looked at the demons dancing in the sky across the river as he spoke. his gaze was ruthless. ¡°lure the templar dragoons over and kill these demons! we¡¯ll take advantage of the chaos to go in and retrieve the mission item!¡± old brother¡¯s blood boiled first, then he hesitated. ¡°those dragons are chasing after that npc. if we lure them here, will it?¡­¡± ¡°we can¡¯t care so much. otherwise, when the mission fails, that npc won¡¯t have anything to do with us anymore!¡± Chapter 143 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°then, how do we go in?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you open the treasure chest and obtain a treasure that can breathe underwater? that npc said a small path behind the village leads directly to the secret room where the mission items are stored.¡± old brother¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°dive underwater??¡± this idea didn¡¯t seem too bad. !! ¡°that¡¯s right. when something lures those dragon riders here, the battle will ultimately fall into chaos¡­ that is our only chance!¡± ****** after richard found out the demons had settled down, he pondered hard about how to escape from their encirclement. suddenly! a roar of nerve-racking pressure pierced through the fog. he was shocked and subconsciously turned his head. the fog covered everything, and he couldn¡¯t see anything. but he had heard this voice before¡­ a word that made his breath quicken appeared in his mind. the templar dragoons!! the level 19 dragoons had returned?? ¡®roar!¡¯ another roar came from outside the fog. the demon¡¯s roars and screams accompanied the horrible sound this time. the dragoons attacked the demon¡¯s base! richard¡¯s mind jolted. he turned over and sat on a dark gargoyle. he lowered his body and flew out of the fog close to the surface. he stopped when the thick fog gradually thinned. he looked at the mountain village in his hazy vision. a tremendously robust scene appeared in front of his eyes. dozens of giant dragons with wingspans of more than 30 meters are currently rampaging in the distant sky. they opened their monstrous mouths, and the dragon breath that could vaporize steel stretched dozens of meters in the air. the dragon¡¯s breath spat out and distorted the surrounding light. that ignited all obstacles along the way. the demons fearlessly launched wave after wave of attacks. however, the dragon scales were indestructible. the demons pounced forward as if they were attacking a city wall that was hundreds of thousands of feet tall. no matter how sharp their claws were, they could not leave a single scratch on their bodies. it was like hitting a rock with an egg. the ferocious demons looked so pale and powerless in front of the giant dragon. ¡®roar!¡¯ as the king of the flying forces, the demons could not resist these terrifying existences without any means to deal with them. what about the mind eater demon? when richard turned his head to look, there was a sudden change. the light in the sky distorted like a colorful painting smeared by a child¡¯s hand. dozens of spaces exploded like glass smashing on the ground, shattering and flying out. a group of five-meter-tall high demons with dark gray bodies engraved with countless abyssal runes emerged from the cracks in the space. they had broken wings on their backs, blood-red eyes, and long spear-like tails that could tear through all armor. the three sharp claws on their arms were sharp as battle knives. evil, dark, brutal¡­ all these words were not enough to describe the terror of those demons. [supreme demons] level: 18 [???] ??? richard¡¯s pupils constricted¡­ these dark creatures were genuinely one of the most famous high-level demons in the abyss, supreme demons. these existences had left behind countless terrifying legends in the ¡°shining era¡± main plane. their bloodline talent¡ªspatial movement. it was the ability to jump without restrictions. it was the nightmare of all high-ranked troops. this was the true strength of the demons. these powerful existences were enough to become the templar dragoons¡¯ mortal enemies. the battle between the two sides instantly erupted! panic-stricken collision distorted the surrounding space¡­ the outsiders¡¯ vision suddenly became blurred. the templar dragoons were violent and crazy, and their dragon breath could destroy everything. the supreme demons were strange and cruel and often appeared from unexpected places. the sharp claws in their hands were the best weapons. even the tough dragon scales that made one¡¯s hair stand on end did not dare to take them head-on. the battle between the two sides was enough to describe the natural disaster that could destroy everything. scorching heat filled half of the sky, and just the aftermath of the battle was enough to make people feel terrified. the supreme demon¡¯s bloodline contained strapping magic power. it could release all kinds of magic in an instant. the various resistance of the dragoons was so high that it made people want to jump out of their skin. the dragon¡¯s breath was a great weapon that could destroy everything. richard had seen for the first time a battle of this level. he was dazzled. in comparison, even a glorious-level soldier would not survive the second round of such a battle. while richard observed the shocking scene of a fight between the dragoons and demons, third brother and old brother took advantage of the chaos in front of them and quietly entered the river bottom. they were ready to risk their lives to complete the mission¡­ the battle continued for twenty minutes, and the dragoons in the sky still fought with the supreme demons. until now, there were still no casualties on both sides until this moment. the endurance of the high-grade troops and the endless emergence of life-saving skills amazed richard. both had vigorous blood, high defense, and substantial magic resistance. it was exceptionally tough to kill the other side. not to mention various teammates that watched over them. he had seen a dragon¡¯s sharp claws smash a supreme demon¡¯s head, but the other side recovered the next second. he had also seen a supreme demon pierce a dragon¡¯s heart, but the other side continued to fight as if nothing had happened¡­ the village below was destroyed for the second time in the aftermath of the battle. those garrisoned demons and almost could not escape all turned into corpses¡­ the scene was exceedingly exaggerated. a scene that broke the deadlock appeared after the two sides clashed for a few more rounds. initially, the supreme demons were scattered to fight with the dragoons. but they simultaneously used spatial movement after the stark spreading of the dragoons. in an instant, they appeared in front of a dragon rider. they focused their attacks. the expressions of the surrounding dragon riders changed drastically. they kept spitting out dragon language spells, wanting to assist. but the supreme demon¡¯s speed was too fast! ¡®pfft!¡¯ dozens of sharp claws frizzed, and the dragon¡¯s head being taken care of was directly severed. a supreme demon lifted the head of the dragon and directly shattered space to escape the battlefield to prevent accidents from happening. the body of the dragon rider behind also shattered after the dragon¡¯s death¡­ the first level-19 templar dragoon was killed in battle. this sudden scene thoroughly infuriated the remaining dragoons. the magic power on the dragon¡¯s back surged like a storm, and the dragoon language magic instantly spat out in its mouth. the aura of the dragoon that sat on the dragon¡¯s back began to surge. with endless roars, it charged straight at the supreme demon. they wanted to shred these bastards apart!! as for the dragon that had lost its head, its muscles were still struggling subconsciously, and at the last moment, it flapped its wings violently a few times. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ its body slithered through the air for a distance under the tremendous power. a supreme demon grinned hideously and grabbed the dragon¡¯s tail when it saw this. it spun a few rounds in the air before it suddenly let go. ¡®bang!¡¯ a muffled sound rang out. the dragon¡¯s corpse crashed into the lake¡¯s surface like a meteor that created vast ripples. richard suddenly turned his head. hundreds of meters away, the headless dragon¡¯s corpse was spewing out a large amount of blood, dyeing the lake¡¯s surface a layer of crimson. the scene was extremely spectacular. he had never thought such a scene would occur. his heart pounded wildly at this moment. a level 19 dragon¡­ Chapter 144 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard took a few deep breaths but could not suppress the throbbing in his heart. a giant dragon was right in front of him. who could resist the temptation? that was a giant dragon! he looked up at the sky. at this moment, because of the death of his companions, the templar dragoons had gone crazy. they attacked the supreme demon without caring about anything else. !! naturally, the demon would not show weakness. it used unlimited space movement to delay the opponent. both sides wanted to kill each other. no one paid attention to the lake¡¯s surface. in a fierce battle, they could not collect the corpses of their companions. that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. richard was brokenhearted. he commanded the dark gargoyles to return to the small island where the soldiers hid and called gunter over. in a few words, he recounted what had happened outside and finally said, ¡°can you use that dragon corpse to recruit a mummy?¡± gunter immediately became excited. ¡°lord, i need to get close to the dragon corpse to know, but i will ultimately not let you down!¡± richard did not waste any more time and immediately brought gunter to where the dragon had fallen. at this moment, the battle on the field had gradually gone into a frenzy. the furious counterattack of the templar dragoons suppressed the supreme demons. there was no more situation where the second dragon had fallen. both sides were in a real fight. no one had the time to pay attention to the dragon corpse that still floated in the water. richard did not rashly approach the dragon corpse. he stopped the dark gargoyle from a few hundred meters away. the sand at the bottom of the lake surged with a wave of its hand. a stone platform made of sand appeared under the water in an instant. gunter could stand on the stone platform after diving into the water. richard controlled the stone platform and slowly transported gunter to the water¡¯ssurface, where the dragon floated at a distance of more than ten meters under the water. underwater elevator¡­ third and old brother were loftily excited as they walked underwater, each carrying a stone. their plan to dive into the water was quite successful. the two used the treasure that allowed breathing underwater and successfully avoided everyone¡¯s eyes and ears. they went from the bottom of the water to the back of the village. they could dive into the water to get the mission item as they found the right time. however, they did not expect to see a shocking scene on the way. a vast dragon descended from the sky. it crashed into the lake not far away from them¡­ this made them feel a rush of hot blood in their minds. ¡®f*ck!¡¯ that was a giant dragon!! both of them went crazy as they looked at the floating dragon corpse. this wave would ultimately not be a loss if they could find any treasure from the body of the giant dragon, even if the mission failed. in their excitement, the two didn¡¯t hesitate at all. the two carried the stone and directly walked towards the direction where the giant dragon appeared¡­ they were laughing so hard at this moment that their teeth looked bright at the bottom of the dark lake. they were going to be rich this time¡­ why would they need a bicycle with a dragon corpse? the two almost ran at the lake bottom. after they passed through a large area of the river bed, they finally arrived at the bottom of the dragon¡¯s corpse. the two laughed out loud while looking at the vast creature that spread its wings and floated on the lake¡¯s surface. they wished they could just carry this colossal creature away. ¡®clang!¡¯ they let go of the stone in their hands, and their bodies became light as they floated toward the water¡¯s surface¡­ they suddenly saw a scene that gave them goosebumps from the corner of their eyes just as they reached the bottom of the dragon¡¯s corpse. they saw a mummy covered in blood-colored bandages standing on a stone platform made of gravel in the deeper part of the dark lake. it was floating in the water without any power. ¡°what the hell is this?!!¡± this strange scene made their scalps split open. ¡°is this game still haunted???¡± this scene was too scary. any ordinary person would be stunned. they were about to react when the blood-colored bandaged mummy suddenly looked at them. these two players¡¯ blood was about to turn cold. in the next second, the stone platform beneath the mummy¡¯s feet suddenly shattered into half, and the gravel went straight towards them in a way that defied common sense. both of their souls almost separated from their bodies. ¡°what was this thing?¡± they could not exert much strength underwater even if they wanted to resist. the gravel still caught them in a while, even if they tried their best to swim in other directions. the sand seemed to have a life that directly formed shackles and locked their hands and feet. then, the sand at the lake¡¯s bottom surged and tied them up into circles of dead pigs. they could not move anymore. the two slowly sank to the bottom of the lake while staring at the dragon¡¯s corpse right in front of them. enormous desperation impregnated their eyes. what could be more tragic than picking up a giant dragon and the enemies¡¯ arrest? ¡°i hated it!!!¡± richard did not expect that someone would want to take the dragon¡¯s corpse under the lamp just like him. fortunately, he acted quickly. if he hesitated for a while, something might have happened. they were undoubtedly players judging from the looks of those two people. an ordinary npc would not be so bold. he was not in a hurry to pay attention to the two people who could not resist. he continued to use the gravel to form a stone platform and sent gunter under the dragon. gunter did not hesitate at all and directly took out the dark crystal. majestic magic energy surged out. adamant bright-colored light suffused the surroundings¡­ this operation would surely attract the attention of the dragoons if it were any other time. however, the battle at this time with the supreme demon had already entered a white-hot state. and the terrifying magic had already torn the sky apart. compared to the battlefield, this magic energy fluctuation was almost negligible. although it had lost its head, the level-19 dragon¡¯s energy was as violent as a storm to gunter. the bloody light surged into the dragon¡¯s corpse and began to devour the dragon¡¯s flesh and blood. no one knew about the dense red light spreading through the surroundings under the thick fog on the lake¡¯s surface. gunter began to inject a large amount of magic power into the dragon¡¯s body according to the method of recruiting an orc cavalry. the effect might be better if they used the dark crystal in the anti-magic area. but this thing was too noisy, so they could only give up. however, the energy in the dragon¡¯s body was already terrifying enough, so there was no need to replenish it. under gunter¡¯s control, the dragon¡¯s flesh and blood began to transform into crimson energy that poured into the blood-colored light. the light that enveloped the dragon became increasingly dazzling. a moment later, the dragon, which had just been full of flesh and blood, turned into a colossal skeleton. the surrounding blood-colored energy was so dense that it could almost drip out water. the scene profoundly moved gunter. it had a special feeling that it could do better¡­ gunter began to control it more subtly after the blood-colored energy reached a limit. the emitted blood-colored light maintained a high-speed and precise state as it poured into the giant dragon¡¯s skeleton, not wasting a single bit. that dyed the eerie white skeleton with a layer of scarlet. and then it became starkly blood-colored, like a red crystal. ¡®crack!¡¯ ¡®crack!¡¯ the skeleton shrank slowly and became increasingly solid. the severed dragon¡¯s head grew back under the blessing of energy. the headless dragon¡¯s body transformed into an undead dragon with a blood-colored skeleton when the body with a wingspan of 30 meters shrunk to 20 meters. the two players vividly saw the dragon¡¯s corpse transformation into an undead, and how a faint blue soul fire suddenly ignited in its head. the body suddenly moved. the pair of broken dragon wings, which only had bones left, flapped violently and rose from the water¡¯s surface. the dense fog around it swirled like a whirlpool at this moment. richard trembled in fear after the massive movement made him sense everything through the sand. immediately, gunter stopped the dragon corpse from spreading its wings and flying away. [ding ~ twilight city¡¯s hero: gunter fresh blood. a unique type of soldier was recruited from the dragon¡¯s corpse: the skeleton blood dragon. it was solidified into the hero¡¯s ability due to the soldier¡¯s unique nature. in the future, you can recruit the same type of soldier from the corpse of the dragon or the corpse of the hybrid dragon.] the sudden sound of the system notification surprised richard. ¡®skeleton blood dragon? ¡®it¡¯s cool to hear the name.¡¯ he hurriedly opened the attribute panel. [skeleton blood dragon] [level: 10 (advanced-level soldier, strength increased by 30%.)] [potential: glorious 1-star (glorious-level soldier, strength increased by 20%.)] [skills: blood dragon body (a-rank)¨C strength increases by 200%. defensive body increases by 200. magic resistance increases by 200%. immunity to lethal poison, curses, and instant death skills.] [blood dragon breath (a-rank)¨Cblood dragon breath with strong corrosive properties. able to cause a huge amount of magic damage and corrosive damage.] [dragon might (a-rank)¨Cgives off strong dragon¡¯s might, causing enemies with lower potential to be intimidated. causes them to fall into fear, having a high chance of causing the enemy to flee.] [sharp claws tear (b-rank)¨Csharp claws and sturdiness increase by 150%. possesses armor-piercing and magic-piercing properties.] [broken dragon wings (b-rank)¨Csolidified flying spell, flight speed increased by 50%. it can also fly in the anti-magic area.] [blood dragon power (b-rank)¨C the body is burning with blood-red energy like flames, with a sturdy corrosive property. able to corrode the surrounding enemies.] [race talent: immune to mind control, immune to pressure.] [fetter-dragon: when the number of dragons is greater than 10, dragon breath damage increases by 30%. when the number of dragons is greater than 20, dragon breath damage increases by 60%. when the number of dragons is greater than 50, dragon breath damage increases by 100%.] [description: a soldier recruited from the corpse of a dragon. although it has lost most of its previous strength, its battle power is still considerable.] richard could not help but laugh at the sky. ¡°level 10, glorious 1-star! ¡°awesome, gunter! ¡°this wave is about to take off!!¡± moreover, gunter had solidified this soldier into its characteristics. in the future, as long as it could obtain the dragon¡¯s corpse, it could produce a continuous supply of glorious-level soldiers. even the corpses of hybrid dragons would be fine¡­ richard suddenly remembered the information gray had reported before him entering the dungeon. a group of bipedal wyverns blocked gray¡¯s troops while tracking the wyverns. ¡°weren¡¯t bipedal wyverns also hybrid dragons?¡± Chapter 145 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation gunter¡¯s solidified characteristic of recruiting a glorious-level soldier was priceless. not only did this represent a mobile soldier¡¯s lair, but as long as there were enough dragon corpses or mixed-blood dragon corpses, they would be able to recruit skeleton blood dragons. ¡®was this the true potential of an a-rank hero?¡¯ richard took a deep breath to suppress the excitement in his heart. he could only explore the matter of the two-footed wyverns after leaving the dungeon. right now, the key was how to deal with the dungeons. !! his eyes gradually regained their clarity. his gaze looked towards the battlefield that occasionally lit up the fog. the battle between the templar dragoons and the great demons was still intense. but no matter who wins later, they would positively check back. they would ultimately overturn this lake if they discovered the dragon¡¯s corpse was missing. they couldn¡¯t stay here any longer and had to leave! the tightly bound third and old brother watched as gunter transformed the dragon¡¯s corpse into a skeleton blood dragon. they instantly felt their hearts bleed. they were the first to arrive¡­ they thought that this dungeon would end there. however, unexpectedly, the undead wrapped in a blood-colored bandage rode away on the blood dragon and ignored them. the two looked at each other and felt they had survived a nearly-death experience. were they safe? they felt the chains on their bodies tighten as soon as this thought appeared in their minds. then a powerful force pulled them into the lake depths. that threw the little joy in their hearts thousands of miles away. ¡°you even got the dragon¡¯s corpse. why don¡¯t you let us go¡­ don¡¯t be too cruel.¡± third brother gritted his teeth and said, ¡°f*ck, we might not be able to escape this time. when we see each other, we¡¯ll directly crush that gemstone! ¡°let that npc kill the opponent!!¡± when old brother heard this, he was stunned and said anxiously, ¡°third brother, this npc said we could only use the gemstone once. now that we¡¯ve used it, what should we do when we get close to that mission item? touching that thing will kill us¡­¡± ¡°when the time comes, i¡¯ll go and get it. if i die, the curse will be gone!¡± third brother¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of coldness. ¡°if we don¡¯t make a move, we won¡¯t have any chance at all!¡± after a brief conversation, their eyes quickly brightened. ¡®splash!¡¯ the two popped their heads out of the water. water droplets flowed down their wet hair, and their vision became blurry. they shook their heads violently and shook off more than half of the water droplets before they could distinctly see the scene in front of them. not far away was a small island in the middle of a lake. on the side of the island, a troop of mummies climbed from the water¡­ then, they saw the figure sizing up the skeleton blood dragon. ¡°qingqiu!!!¡± the two were shocked. this player ultimately didn¡¯t leave. and he even dared to loot under the lights during the battle between the demons and the dragoons¡­ this player was practically going to the sky. no wonder his points didn¡¯t increase for the whole day. it turned out that he was hiding here. both of their emotions were exceedingly complicated. they were both humans. not only did the other party obtain several points within a few hours of entering the dungeon, but they were also unharmed in pursuit of the demons. now, they could easily occupy the corpse of the giant dragon. yet, they were fine. the two had finally provoked the battle between the dragoons and the demons. but in the end, they did not obtain anything and lost themselves. ¡°what a f *ck!¡± why were they so unlucky??? did the goddess of misfortune deliberately push them? third brother glared at richard unwillingly after exchanging a glance. he lowered his voice. ¡°follow my instructions later!! it¡¯s enough to drag the lord with the highest points out and bury him with us!¡± ****** the skeleton blood dragon was much smaller than the level-19 templar dragoon, but its wingspan was also 20 meters. rubies carved out the bones all over its body, which made it look exceptionally high-class. the dragon wings did not have flesh or a diaphragm. they were broken everywhere. it looked like the wings of a bat weathered for decades. however, it did not affect its flight after solidification with flying magic. the barbs on the front end of the dragon wings were sharper than spears, and the bones were like cleavers. it was positively an absolute killing weapon. the wings of the dark gargoyles seemed to have come from a giant dragon. the soul fire burned in the head while it stood on the ground. the strapping dragon¡¯s sturdiness made the mummies around feel a monumental pressure. other than the magic puppets and dark gargoyles, the other soldiers did not dare to approach the giant creature. although the skeleton blood dragon was no longer an ordinary giant dragon, it was still domineering and gave people a strong visual impact. it was not famous for being a skeleton blood dragon. richard was proudly satisfied. when he saw the desert dragon in the desert, he decided to get a dragon as a mount. although gunter had resurrected the skeleton blood dragon from the dragon¡¯s corpse, it could have fulfilled his wish. it seemed that after a few glances at the skeleton blood dragon, richard finally turned his attention to the two players tied up by the gravel ropes. the strength of a beyond a-rank skill was not something an enemy could escape. as richard grabbed the moment the troop crawled out of the water, he beckoned, and the gravel dragged the two to him. he had seen players for the first time since he entered the ¡°shining era¡±. the two wore black leather wallets. there was a long sword on their waists. however, they did not look like high-level players. they looked like players from the human camp, judging from their appearance. other information was unknown. he opened the stats panel. [name: third brother] [name: old brother] only two names were displayed. there was no way to find out more. richard recalled the system notification that allowed him to use his forum id to hide his information when he entered the dungeon. a blood-colored light erupted from third brother¡¯s body just as richard was about to speak. Chapter 146 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®f*ck!¡¯ launching a sneak attack without saying a word?!! his body suddenly retreated. with a thought, the two heavy sword warriors beside him immediately protected him from the rear. the skeleton blood dragon spread its wings instantly, and a powerful breath condensed in its throat. in the blink of an eye, the blood-colored light on third brother¡¯s body condensed into a figure with dark runes engraved on its face. the figure floated in the air and emitted efficacious magic energy fluctuations. it looked indeed extraordinary. !! the figure opened its eyes and saw dozens of giant magic puppets and dark gargoyles eyeing it. a death dragon with a wingspan of 20 meters condensed its breath. two mummified mages with strong auras not far away condensed their spells. question marks seemed to have suffused its eyes when he saw this scene. ¡°what was going on?¡± [phantom] [level: 9] [description: able to bear a portion of the mage¡¯s power.] ¡°level 9?!¡± richard¡¯s expression turned extremely interested after he looked at the other party¡¯s attributes. he thought these two players would recruit some terrifying existences. he even thought a fire elemental lord would appear. but after all that, a level 9 phantom?! third and old brother, who had wanted to use this trump card to turn the tables, were dumbstruck. ¡°what the hell is going on? didn¡¯t that npc summon him when he encountered an invincible enemy after discovering that mission item? why is he only level 9?¡± third brother was going crazy. old brother stuttered. ¡°third brother, could it be that¡­this npc has a special way of keeping the mission item regardless of how powerful it is. after all, templar dragoons besieged the other party and are still in a near-death state¡­¡± third brother felt as if lightning struck him when he heard this. who would have thought of this when they heard this? that was an npc that could escape from dozens of level 19 templar dragoons?¡­ how could they not?!! the shadow turned to look at the village, his expression increasingly changing. ¡°why did you call me out now?!!¡± there was indescribable anger in his tone. he thought that the other party had completed the mission. what the hell were these two idiots trying to do now?!!! who were these undead soldiers? when third brother heard this and said with his last hope, ¡°lord ferguson¡­ we need your help! those undead soldiers have captured us, and i need you to save us!¡± what if the other party was just hiding his strength, and he was still holding on to his last hope¡­ the phantom in the air felt that it had received 10,000 true damage. condensing this phantom had used up all his last bit of strength, and he still wanted to recover some by retrieving his items. ¡®in the end, you¡¯re telling me this?!¡¯ he wished he could strangle these two idiots to death!!! when richard heard this, his expression became extremely interesting. these two sand sculpture players were top-notch. before he took out his trump card, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the 3 of clubs or the king of spades. seeing that the troop had already come out of the water, he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. the skeleton blood dragon prepared to spit out the dragon¡¯s breath with a wave of his hand. but at this moment, a change occurred. the phantom in the air suddenly waved his hand, and a transparent blade slashed out. but the enemy wasn¡¯t attacking the twilight city troops, but the two players who had summoned him¡­ ¡®plop!¡¯ the slash destroyed their souls. and their bodies fell dead without any wounds. third and old brother widened their eyes. they would never have thought they would leave the dungeon in such a way¡­ the two heard the system notification say who had killed them after their resurrection in the main plane. they immediately looked at each other and saw each other¡¯s almost distorted faces. grief and indignation shrouded their hearts. ¡°f*ck!¡± what the hell is going on?!¡­ this is too f*cking depressing. if i had known earlier, i would have let qingqiu kill me!¡± when richard saw this scene, his interest tremendously increased. there seemed to be some hidden reason behind this. he waved his hand and asked the troops to delay their attacks. he spoke seriously. ¡°sir, please tell us your origins¡­¡± the phantom felt even more resentful after it killed the two idiots. why did he give the task to these two idiots at that time? he looked at richard. the energy in his body could not hold on for much longer. if he could not get the item, he would lose everything. he suppressed the anger in his heart and said in a low voice as if he was trying his best. ¡°lord from the desert, i am the vice-president of the scarlet council¡ªferguson. ¡°yesterday, i was besieged by the templar dragoons. i left a valuable item in the village ahead. ¡°the dragoons are extremely sensitive to my aura. i can¡¯t enter it now. that item has a time-limited effect. if we delay any longer, it might lose its effect.¡± a broken ruby floated out of the two players¡¯ arms. ¡°i need you to sneak into it and retrieve that item¡­ as long as you find that item, i will give you a generous reward!¡± the moment the other party¡¯s voice fell, a system notification sounded. [ding~ you have triggered an a-rank mission¡ªlost keepsake.] the scarlet council¡¯s vice-president, ferguson, was about to execute a valuable mission. however, templar dragoons discovered him on the way. as a member of the evil faction, ferguson had attracted the attention of the dragoons. he accidentally left behind a valuable item during the battle. ¡°you need to retrieve that item. mission reward: scarlet council¡¯s favorability, ferguson¡¯s special reward.¡± an a-rank mission? richard¡¯s pupils constricted. no wonder these two players would appear at the bottom of the lake. the other party did not attack after they saw the dragon¡¯s corpse. instead, their goal from the beginning was to sneak into the village guarded by several demons. he recalled that when he entered the dungeon yesterday, the templar dragoon had left from the direction of the village¡­ and after he entered, he also witnessed the traces left behind by the dragon¡¯s breath. all of this matched up. but he was not in a hurry to agree. sneaking into the village now, if this was not courting death¡­any dragoon or supreme demon would be too much for him to handle. as his thoughts raced, richard suddenly thought of the fire elemental lord. the deal he made with that boss back then had given him a bountiful reward. the reward wouldn¡¯t be small, judging from the difficulty of the a-rank mission. he stared at the phantom. ¡°strange existence, i need to know what price you can pay.¡± ¡°you should know what¡¯s going on outside. the templar dragoons are fighting against the supreme demons. going out now is similar to courting death.¡± ¡°and i can¡¯t trust you either. what guarantee do you have that you¡¯ll pay me after i have completed the mission? at the same time, won¡¯t you attack me after the mission?¡± these words were merciless. but the phantom heaved a sigh of relief. at least, the other party could still talk. moreover, this lord who possessed the power of the desert had a troop countless times stronger than the idiot he had just killed with his own hands. for a moment, the despair in his heart ignited hope again. the two fools who had received the mission from him yesterday did not even say a word before they eagerly went. their despicable attitude made him disdain them. at this moment, this lord of the desert¡¯s attitude was like he was talking about something. his gaze became solemn. after a silence, ferguson slowly said, ¡°we can sign a covenant of death. those who violate the covenant will have their souls taken away by death¡­¡± as he spoke, a hint of heat flashed in his eyes. ¡°as for the reward¡­¡± he pointed at the skeleton blood dragon brewing its dragon breath. ¡°i can turn it into a powerful heroic unit!¡± richard turned to look at the skeleton blood dragon¡­ a giant dragon hero? his heart raced. Chapter 147 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation dragon hero¡­ these words carried a great temptation. as richard¡¯s thoughts spun, he suppressed his inner emotions. his expression did not reveal any true thoughts, and his tone was solemn. ¡°it¡¯s not enough, sir ferguson. your chips are far from the risks that this mission requires!¡± the phantom ferguson floated and stared at richard with its illusory eyes. it enunciated each word distinctly. !! ¡°what if i say that this is an a-rank hero?¡± richard¡¯s breath froze. ¡®an a-rank¡­ dragon hero?!¡¯ richard¡¯s heart instantly throbbed faster as he looked at the superior posture of the skeleton blood dragon from the corner of his eyes. it only retained the three rudimentary characteristics of the dragon after the skeleton blood dragon was transformed into glorious-level, although still an intoxicating soldier ¡ª dragon breath, might, and body. however, it did not have the dragon¡¯s other great weapon ¡ª dragon language magic. it would be able to learn the dragon language magic and control the most powerful magic system in the ¡°shining era¡± if transformed into a hero. it was a temptation enough to make anyone drool. ¡°a-rank hero¡­ as long as i retrieve that item, can you immediately fulfill your promise?¡± richard stared at the phantom and did not relent. ¡°i need a specific answer.¡± ferguson did not get angry when he heard this. instead, it looked at richard with admiration. ¡°not bad, desert lord. your personality is very similar to mine when i was young¡­¡± its tone became heavy as it spoke. ¡°after you retrieve that item, escort me back to templar city¡­ i have a dragon crystal in the scarlet council that i found in an ancient ruin. that dragon crystal is enough for this skeleton blood dragon to transform!¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°the scarlet council¡­is in templar city?¡± that was the capital of the templar empire. it gathered the elves from the nature camp, dwarves from the fortress camp, and various god sects from the church camp. to the evil creatures, this was ultimately the forbidden area among forbidden areas. this scarlet council, which was distinctly an evil force, was actually in templar city¡­ this information made him feel a surge of undercurrent. ferguson looked at richard deeply. ¡°the scarlet council was born in templar city. humans do not only have kindness and light¡­where light can not reach, darkness and evil will exist forever.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. this scarlet council was indeed not simple. richard thought of the dungeon background as his thoughts wandered ¡ª the covenant of evil versus the oath of light.it also involved the battle of the gods¡­ to be able to fight dozens of templar dragoons and escape alive, to be able to complete an a-rank mission at once, and to be able to turn a dragon into an a-rank hero. the more he thought about these, the more he could feel the terror of this scarlet council and ferguson¡­ it was like an abyss beast that hid under the water¡¯s surface. but the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. ¡®wasn¡¯t the dungeon about taking risks and courting death? ¡®why would he come to the dungeon if he wanted peace?¡¯ richard would ultimately take the dragon crystal that could turn a dragon into an a-rank hero! moreover, he could feel that this mission might be a series of mission switches. ¡°sir ferguson, escort you¡­ are you unable to fight anymore?¡± after a short conversation, the phantom dimmed a lot. its expression was a little complicated. ¡°i was already heavily injured, and the attack of the templar dragoons aggravated my injury¡­¡± richard understood. it seemed that this was the colossal difficulty of this a-rank mission. richard¡¯s scalp went numb when he thought about how he wanted to send the templar dragoons to the lair of the light faction under the siege of the templar dragoons. ¡°i need to know what arrangements you have, sir.¡± ¡°the people of the scarlet council are already waiting for us at the moat outside templar city. we can still escape whether the templar dragoons discover us, as long as we arrive¡­¡± richard was finally relieved. he does not want to force his way into templar city. ¡°sir, perhaps, no one knows the threat better than you. if i get that item, i need you to cash out a part of the reward first.¡± ¡°hahaha¡­¡± ferguson laughed. ¡°in my unforgettable adventure thirty years ago, i told the same thing as you did.¡± after the smile disappeared, ferguson nodded slowly. ¡°i can teach you two special spells that i created.¡± then, ferguson added, ¡°their effects are sometimes no less than an a-rank skill.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°yes.¡± ¡°i need you to teach me and my subordinates two more spells that can recruit undead¡­ it would be even better if you recruit a mummy.¡± ferguson didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°you genuinely are¡­ we have to return to templar city. the scarlet council has a master mage who is proficient in the undead. perhaps, he will have one.¡± 1 the phantom looked at richard and wanted to say something after it said that. ¡°this is the last condition. but i promise that as long as you can complete the mission, i will give you an additional reward in addition to the conditions i promised.¡± richard finally gave up. then, ferguson began to discuss the specific terms with richard. ferguson began to chant after the discussion reached a point where both accepted. it was a language that richard had never heard before, which made people feel solemn. ¡°o great being that controls death, please listen to our call. i implore you to witness the covenant of death we made¡­¡± it was under the prayers of the obscure language. a system notification sounded in richard¡¯s ear. [ding~ scarlet council¡¯s vice president ferguson has applied to make a covenant of death with you. the rules of the covenant are as follows¡­] [the content of the covenant was an agreement between ferguson and richard. ferguson was not allowed to harm richard and his troops in any way or form after richard completed the mission. ferguson has to fulfill the promised rewards within the stipulated time, and so on.] most of the covenants were limited to ferguson. richard had experienced this with the contract with fire elemental lord.he is an expert this time. they strangle in the cradle unwanted threats. richard confirmed after both ensured there were no mistakes or incorrect terms. a special connection emerged in his mind. the god of death witnessed this covenant. they signed the covenant. ferguson, the powerful existence who could escape dozens of templar dragoons siege, relaxed serenely. it looked at richard with admiration. ¡°lord richard, i have to say that your caution is extremely rare. the attitude of those two lowly humans to get my reward is disdainful¡­¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard this. if those two players heard this creature¡¯s evaluation of them, he did not know if they would come and fight this being to death¡­ however, the sand sculpture players had always been shameless in their missions. it was not surprising. ¡°sir ferguson, i¡¯m afraid the battle outside is about to end. we need to act as soon as possible.¡± the phantom turned its head and looked outside. ¡°it¡¯s still early. the number of these two high-level soldiers is not much different. the battle will not be decided so quickly without a stronger force that would intervene¡­¡± richard was stunned for a moment. but when he thought of the petrifying vitality of those soldiers, he nodded in agreement. ferguson looked at his gradually transparent shadow and sighed. it sped up its speech. ¡°there¡¯s a dungeon in that village. you can enter it directly from the passage under the withered tree on the side. ¡°take this gemstone. after you enter the dungeon, it will naturally lead you to the token¡­ it¡¯s a crystal bottle containing golden liquid. ¡°remember, after you find it, immediately drop blood on it. otherwise, the templar dragoons will discover the aura it gives off. ¡°leave on the spot after you get it. there is a place where five rivers meet about a hundred kilometers downstream of this lake. i will wait for you on the island in the center! ¡°you only have six hours. after six hours, the crystal bottle will give off a powerful aura. by then, the templar dragoons will find it!¡± as soon as ferguson finished speaking, the phantom image shattered like a bubble¡­and turned into a wave of energy. then, it condensed into a floating map in mid-air. there were a few locations marked on it ¡ª the location of the treasure, where the five rivers converged, and the templar city, which was further away. when richard saw this, he could not help but frown. if he had known that he would not be able to make it, would he not have told him earlier? after synchronizing the system map, he looked at the two players¡¯ corpses from the corner of his eye. he needed fresh blood to suppress that item¡­ the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. wasn¡¯t there a ready-made one? he instantly ordered the mummy to take the two players¡¯ fresh blood while their bodies were still warm. he squeezed out the last value of these two fellows who had died unjustly. 1 Chapter 148 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation but unexpectedly, when the two mummies were taking blood, they found a special item on both players. [underwater breathing stone] [level: special] [characteristics: can grant five people underwater breathing characteristics, lasting 12 hours. cooldown time is one day.] [description: perhaps, those curious about underwater would like this item.] !! ¡®explosive stone??¡¯ richard looked at the pale white stone in his hand and was pleasantly surprised. he had thought that the ability to dive underwater for a long time was the skill of two players, but he did not expect it to rely on a stone. he placed the underwater breathing stone and the fresh blood into the system. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. although the game has eliminated the two sand sculpture players, they still participated in this a-rank mission through the unique method of giving away treasures and leaving fresh blood. this round was not a loss. richard hoped he could continue to work hard and create more glory in the future. ¡°lord, the underwater troops have all arrived¡­¡± gray¡¯s voice interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned his head to look at the crowded troops on the small island and raised his eyebrows. he could not continue hiding here. he did not want to discuss the risks he would take to complete the a-rank mission later. the outcome of the battle would be decided later after the enemies found that the body of a giant dragon was missing from the battlefield. those terrifying troops could blow the lake away. however, it was not practical for the dark gargoyles to move the troop. the five-meter-tall heavy sword warriors could not fly at all¡­ richard saw the sparkling lake¡¯s surface from the corner of his eye after he pondered for a while¡­ a whimsical thought suddenly popped into his mind. ¡°it¡¯s not possible to leave from the air, so why not from the bottom of the water? ¡°those two players know how to use the lake water to avoid dragons and demons¡­ ¡°they can condense sand at the bottom of the water and let the troop stand on the platform and leave from the water.¡± when richard thought of this, he could not help but laugh. sure enough, mages were the most flamboyant occupation¡­ he immediately arranged for the troop to go back into the water. the mummy troop¡¯s advantage was once again revealed at this moment. they did not need to breathe. they would be fine even if they were to soak in the water for two or three years as long as their soul fire was not extinguished. the yellow sand on their bodies flashed, and the sand next to the island began to condense crazily. a massive sand platform appeared underwater. richard condensed three sand platforms to facilitate manipulation and avoid obstacles. each sand platform placed a part of the troop. he condensed an arch-shaped fixing device on the sand platform to prevent the troops from being washed away. sticking his feet into it could stabilize it. the water itself had a strong buoyancy. the troops standing on the sand platform would not cause him too much pressure. hundreds of troops took turns diving into the water and fixed themselves on the sand platform. richard laughed out loud while he stood at the island edge and watched the troops dive into the water. ¡°i never imagined twilight city would have a navy overnight and a high-end submarine force. ¡°i¡¯ll appoint a desert navy commander to lead the twilight city navy one day.¡± he took out the underwater breathing treasure he had obtained from the two players and wore it before diving into the water after he had settled everything. the lake depth was around 30 meters. as far as the eye could see, the surroundings were dark and silent. not many sounds could be heard. people with claustrophobia probably would be scared to death if they came here. the experience of breathing underwater was quite special. richard tried to open his mouth but did not expect to be able to speak normally. it was just that the sound had become a little out of tune after being transmitted through the water. richard stood on the sand platform at the front and specially condensed a popular underwater chair for himself. he condensed a sand platform with aquatic plants above the sand platform again to enhance concealment after he keenly pondered for a while. as a result, one could only see various green aquatic plants floating from the lake¡¯s surface. richard used sand to form a few sand buckets and placed the mummies inside to be safe. green aquatic plants covered the water surface and created camouflage. in the sand buckets, the mummies revealed an eye that could constantly observe the situation above and around them. richard was quite satisfied after layers of arrangement. it was impossible to find a secretive troop in the environment of thick fog on the lake surface unless one dived into the lake water to check. richard controlled the sand platform to start swimming downstream with satisfaction after he did his best to ensure safety. surfing underwater was the most heavenly feeling he had ever experienced. it was not much better than the overwhelming ignorant summer when he turned off the lights at eighteen. he could see a few 1 to 2 meters long freshwater fishes swimming in front of him from time to time. unfortunately, it was not in the sea. otherwise, the scene in front would be even more magnificent. he could see on the map that he was more than ten kilometers away from the lake after traveling for half an hour at the bottom of the lake. richard was relieved enemies did not surround them. he sent two dark gargoyles out of the water to scout the surroundings. they were indeed more than ten kilometers away from the battle zone. there were no traces of demons or dragons in the surroundings. richard surfaced when he received a safe message. he lowered his head and looked at the sand platform hung with large patches of aquatic plants on the way. he could not help but be amused. only a ghost could tell there were so many mummies hidden underneath¡­ ¡®who said that the desert ruler could only rule the desert?¡¯ the place where there was sand under the sky was his home. he sent gunter and gray to check out the surroundings after some thought. gunter returned to report not long after. Chapter 149 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord, there¡¯s a small island ahead¡­¡± ¡°if you still plan to return to that lake to retrieve sir ferguson¡¯s items, i suggest leaving the troops here. ¡°after such a long time, perhaps, the battle between the templar dragoons and the great demons has ended¡­¡± richard nodded. if it were not for the time limit, he would have waited a day or two before going. !! the risk now was too considerable. the great demons and the templar dragoons were not easy to be trifled¡­ unfortunately, he only had six hours. ¡°call gray back. we¡¯ll leave the troop here.¡± as richard spoke, his body flashed with light that increased the speed of the sand platform. after twilight city troops traveled less than a kilometer, they saw the small island gunter had mentioned. the fog around the small island, which had been much thinner on the river surface, was exceptionally dense. it was the appropriate place to hide. richard had hidden the entire troop under the small island. for safety reasons, he had left four teams of dark gargoyles here while letting gray stay behind to guard. the troops had to be commanded by a hero. otherwise, they could not make an accurate judgment in a critical situation. moreover, richard did not have much confidence in this adventure. he and gunter could resurrect. after dying for a few minutes, they would become a hero again. gray would not be able to do it. an a-rank hero had died. who knew how many points it would take to resurrect?¡­ after richard had arranged everything. richard did not hesitate and led gunter¡¯s two teams of dark gargoyles into the water again when he fully restored his magic energy. without the pressure from his troops, richard was at full speed. the amount of magic energy he used to drag his soldiers was negligible. seven to eight minutes later, they returned to the small island they had just left. at this time, the sounds of battle on the horizon had yet to stop¡­ richard ordered gunter to wait here for the time being while he rode on a gargoyle and slowly left the thick fog. his vision reflected the battlefield once again. while he was away, the battle between the great demons and the templar dragoons had not stopped and reached a state of madness. the number of both sides had decreased. no matter how high-level the military was, the stalemate couldn¡¯t continue. he even saw a giant dragon corpse smashed into the dilapidated buildings of the village. unfortunately, the distance was too far¡­ richard knew the battle was about to end. the moment this thought arose. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the world suddenly changed color. in the next second, a shocking scene appeared on the field. the demon chariot that the level-18 mind eater demon was riding on ultimately flew straight into the air. the three-story tall demon chariot turned into a floating fortress. a vast magic shield enveloped the surroundings, and its strength could withstand dragon breath. the demon mage above had become the main point of attack. the heavy siege weapons were also fully deployed. the scene revealed before their eyes a ferocious war machine that floated in the air. this scene was extremely eye-catching. ¡°no wonder the demons always pull the chariot when they appear¡­ i used to think that it was just for show. this thing is an aircraft carrier.¡± on the demonic throne of heads and gemstones, the level-18 mind eater demon stood. the black mace in its hand glowed endless dark light. ¡°no, no, no, no, no.¡± under the great roar of the profanity of the abyss. 1 ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the sky is full of thunderbolts. the silver dragon danced wildly, and lightning pierced the magic shield and struck the mace raised by the mind eater demon. the demon chariot galloped amidst the lightning like it was a divine creation. at the same time, the demon mage on top of the demon chariot frantically channeled magic power into the mind eater demon¡¯s body. the bright lightning reflected the mind eater demon¡¯s ferocious face. it seemed to have transformed into the god of lightning at this moment. and the power in its hands was enough to tear apart the sky and the earth. the templar dragoons felt a colossal threat at this moment, and they fled frantically. however, the great demon who had been dodging all this time appeared brazenly at this moment, ignoring its own life and death to stop the templar dragoons who wanted to escape. this sudden scene made richard feel an unprecedented opportunity. he did not have time to explain to gunter and directly flipped over from the dark gargoyle¡¯s body and fell into the water. ¡®splash!¡¯ the lake water soaked his body, and countless grains of sand surged up from below. in an instant, a heavy sand armor condensed on his body. pushed by the grains of sand, his body quickly rushed forward in the water. in a few breaths, he was close to the shore. when he left the water, richard¡¯s body had already turned into countless grains of sand¡­ he turned his head and looked around. the first thing he saw was the withered tree that ferguson had mentioned. fortunately, this thing had avoided the destruction of the dragon breath. a broken path appeared in front of him from behind. his body flew up. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a vast light flashed in the sky. terrifying energy burst out and tore half of the sky apart. because of the angle, he could no longer see the shocking scene of a level-18 mind eater demon driving a war chariot against the templar dragoons. he had no time to care about anything else and quickly sneaked into the village. the aftermath of the battle just now had almost wiped out all the demons in the village. after he entered, he did not encounter any enemies blocking his way. while he held the ruby given by ferguson, that unique aura guided him to hide behind the ruins of the collapsed houses. he quickly flew to the secret place of the village ¡ª the dungeon. the entrance to the dungeon was already more than half broken, and it seemed like it could collapse at any time. the flames caused by the dragon breath were still burning outside, and the smoke was enormously pervasive. richard felt the heat from the ruby and immediately entered the dungeon in a flash. the almost abandoned building had a long period of uninhabited coldness. Chapter 150 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he immediately scanned the surroundings. seven or eight cells appeared in his line of sight, each covered with cobwebs. there was no crystal bottle in front, so it should be in the depths. while he held an astonishingly hot ruby, he hurried to the last cell. a body curled up on the ground, completely stiff, came into view. !! the body¡¯s face was pale, with the same mysterious inscription as ferguson¡¯s. in his hand was a crystal bottle sealed with an oak cork. golden liquid rippled in it. a glance at it would make one feel that it must be an expensive item. what surprised him was the conspicuous cut on the corpse¡¯s wrist. a dried blood trail flowed down from above. the direction was the crystal bottle in his hand. but there was not a single trace of blood on the crystal bottle¡­ he opened the attribute panel, but unexpectedly, there was no indication. however, the heat the ruby emitted almost scalded his hand. this was it! without the slightest hesitation, richard took out the fresh blood from the two players of the system space. it was a large basin. as richard stepped forward, the sand surged. he took the crystal bottle from the corpse and prepared to put it into the blood. but the moment the crystal bottle was released¡­ ¡®shua!¡¯ the golden liquid in the crystal bottle emitted an endless light. a powerful breath gushed out from it. richard¡¯s expression changed. ¡°dragon might!!¡± the breath that emanated from the crystal bottle was countless times stronger than the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s skill ¨C dragon might!! was this the blood of the giant dragon? no wonder templar dragoons besieged ferguson. the energy waves which emanated from this dragon blood bottle were from an exceedingly mighty dragon. those templar dragoons outside could not even compare to it! richard forcefully suppressed the throbbing in his heart and grabbed the crystal bottle in an attempt to store it directly in the system space. but the crystal bottle didn¡¯t respond to the system space at all. he gave up this method immediately and quickly immersed the crystal bottle in blood. in the next moment, the terrifying draconic aura began to fade away. but before he could turn around and leave. ¡®boom!¡¯ the earth shook. in the dark dungeon, the light suddenly lit up. a scene that made richard¡¯s scalp numb appeared in his sight. the dungeon buried underground seemed to have suddenly opened a window. the wall in front of him broke and collapsed like a cut into a cake. he stood there as if he was on a ten-story building and stared at the scenery. he gazed out and saw that the ground in front of him had collapsed for dozens of meters. the demon chariot not far away that had turned into a floating fortress floated steadily. the level-18 mind eater demon stood at the highest peak. the magic mace in its hand still gathered endless power. however, the other party¡¯s gaze was not on the templar dragoons. but¡­turned to him. however, the templar dragoons were no longer the only ones that confronted the demon chariot. this made richard¡¯s breathing stop. a life form that emitted pure white light, a pair of white wings that flapped slowly behind him, and a sword of holy light in its hand stared at him. a name that sent chills down his spine appeared in his mind..! ¡®angel!!!¡¯ archdemon, mind eater demon, templar dragoons, angel¡­ these top-tier battle powers all stopped at this moment and looked at him. or rather, it was a crystal bottle soaked in a bloody basin. a chill rushed into richard¡¯s mind. ¡®was this the difficulty of an a-rank mission??? ¡®f*ck! do you have to go this far?!!¡¯ ¡°the blood of the holy dragon¡­¡± the templar dragoons were in an uproar. their eyes flashed with anger and joy. ¡°damn human!! you can even spy on such a treasure?!¡± a human at level 6 or 7 dared to snatch food in front of them!! when the two-winged angel heard this, the sword of holy light in its hand shone with endless light as if it had become the sun. it also looked at richard with excitement. when the mind eater demon heard the words ¡®holy dragon¡¯, its eyes widened. ¡°there was such a treasure here?!¡± ¡°catch it!!¡± the great demon and the templar dragoons went crazy at this moment and attacked richard simultaneously. however, the next moment, the humans they thought were doomed suddenly flashed with yellow sand. ¡®shua!¡¯ the surrounding rocks and soil instantly turned into yellow sand. the human seemed to have fallen off a cliff and fell. sand into the ground. beyond a-rank skill. the expressions of the supreme demons changed, and their bodies suddenly disappeared. a second before the human completely hid in the sand, he tore through the void and appeared above him. ¡°huh!¡± the claw tore through the air. the head covered in thick armor was blasted apart and turned into sand. ¡°th curse of holy light!¡± the two-winged angel saw that the situation was diabolical. it spat out a holy word. under everyone¡¯s perception, a terrifying holy light energy pierced through time and space and struck the human. however, the holy spell didn¡¯t stop him, and the human sank to the ground. the dozen supreme demons felt the human played with them. the sharp claws in their hands carried the energy of shattering the void as they crazily attacked the sandy ground. they raised sand and dust in the sky. however, the human had disappeared even if they instantly pierced through dozens of meters. in the next second, an even crazier scene appeared. the corpses of the supreme demons that had fallen to the ground suddenly seemed to have sunk into quicksand. they disappeared simultaneously with the human. when the mind eater demon saw this scene, it felt its anger rush into its mind. ¡°how dare that human!!!! how dare he snatch the corpse of the great demon in front of me?!!!¡± when the two-winged angel saw this scene, its expression turned extremely ugly. that was because two of the bodies of the templar dragoons had disappeared into the sand¡­ Chapter 151 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation that human was only level 6 or 7. his strength was so weak that everyone looked down on him. however, they despise his existence,yet he just swaggered away. it was as if a hand had slapped their big mouths. for a moment, richard drew the hatred between the demon and the angel. both sides were so angry that they began to attack the sand crazily. !! the magic mace in the mind eater demon¡¯s hand burst out with storm-like magic energy and smashed into the ground. ¡®rumble!¡¯ countless yellow sand flew, and a hollow pit dozens of meters deep suddenly appeared. the holy light battle sword in the angel¡¯s hand was like a sun. endless lights blossomed. ¡®crack!¡¯ the ground shattered. sword energies pierced through the yellow sand that shattered even the rock and earth into sieves. the breath of the templar dragoons could gather. ¡®boom!¡¯ it was like gasoline poured on it, and it instantly exploded. it drew a tongue of fire that was dozens of meters long. the yellow sand melted into lava. this quickly wiped out the sand that was hundreds of meters in diameter under the joint attack of both sides. when this exposed the rocks on the ground before their eyes, there was still no trace of that human. when the mind eater demon saw this scene, the fury in its eyes could melt steel. the angel with the sword of the holy light also had an aura like a raging sea, capable of devouring everything. he ran away¡­ not only did he escape under their siege, he even took away the corpses of their companions. flames ignited their hearts. ¡°there¡¯s something strange about that human. i can¡¯t use tracking magic¡­¡± the mind eater demon¡¯s magic spell was ineffective as it glared at the angel. ¡°it¡¯s all because of this bastard. otherwise, that bottle of holy dragon¡¯s blood would only be our only war trophy!¡± ¡°i want that human dead!!!¡± the two-winged angel with the holy light that radiated in its body turned to look at the templar dragoons behind. ¡°that human is already under the curse of the holy light. he can only live for ten minutes at most. ¡°after he dies, it will reveal the blood of the holy dragon without the cover of his blood. ¡°lead a small team of troops to find that human and retrieve the blood of the holy dragon!¡± as it spoke, it looked at the mind eater demon that could gather magic again. killing intent filled its eyes that emitted white light. ¡°let me remove the evil here!¡± a small team of templar dragoons immediately received the order and left. the two-winged angel immediately brandished its long sword to stop the supreme demon lord that wanted to entangle. the two sides that had just stopped fighting erupted into a battle that was several times more intense than before. it vented the humiliation it had suffered from richard on the other side. ¡°we would not rest until that human died!¡± at this moment, richard did not know that because of his actions, the number of casualties of the great demons and templar dragoons had increased several times. run, run away madly. after the earth turned into sand, richard¡¯s perception covered every corner of the sandy land. the five supreme demons and two giant dragon corpses made his heart almost jump out of his throat. he steeled his heart. he controlled the sandy land and dragged the corpses into the yellow sand. at the same time, he quickly moved from the depths of the earth toward the lake. the sandy ground covered a large area of the lake. the lake¡¯s surface couldn¡¯t turn into sand, but the bottom of the lake could. fortunately, the sandy ground hindered the terrifying fighting strength of those few, which made him buy precious time. before this destroyed the sandy ground, richard dragged the corpses into the lake. this time, he didn¡¯t walk to the bottom of the water. instead, he directly traveled through the earth. there was a large amount of sand at the bottom of the lake. even if he left the area of the sandy land, he still did not encounter any obstacles. this gave him a lot of room to maneuver. however, the only pity was that the body of the giant dragon was too big. its wingspan was 30 meters. once it left the sandy land, its speed would become extremely slow. at this rate, he would not be able to go far. finally, he gritted his teeth and hid the two dragon bodies in the lake¡¯s depths. he quickly left with the five relatively small great demons. at this time, richard could no longer care about gunter and the dark gargoyle who waited on the island in the lake. gunter had a soul phylactery in his hands. even if the other party died, they could be resurrected. as for the dark gargoyle, it did not matter if it died. it could still be resurrected with points. there was nothing to be sad about. richard walked through the gravel at the bottom of the lake for a full 20 minutes before he stopped. it was not that he was safe, but there was a terrifying negative attribute on his status panel ¡ª the curse of the holy light. you have been corroded by the holy light, and you are about to die¡­ when he sank to the ground, the two-winged angel hit him with a terrifying attack. that thing could not be dodged at all. ¡°this angel is also an old coin¡­¡± richard felt his body become weak. he gritted his teeth and used the last of his strength to hide the five supreme demon corpses in the deepest part of the sand. then, he felt endless darkness surge over. his body, which had been in the sand for a long time, turned back into sand and shattered bit by bit¡­ ¡®so this is how death feels like.¡¯. that was richard¡¯s last thought. the templar dragoons that flew in the sky suddenly sensed something and became excited. ¡°the power of the holy light has disappeared¡­ the curse of the holy light had killed the human¡± ¡°the blood of the holy dragon is not far away! keep on looking!¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ the giant dragon flapped its wings and flew across the lake and the riverbank. it didn¡¯t miss any corner or the grass¡­ if they had the power to shatter the earth, they would ultimately dig out the ground around them. who knew how long had passed? in his daze, richard felt the endless darkness light up again. then, the sand that had collapsed at the bottom of the lake after his death seemed to have gained life repeatedly. sand regeneration, a beyond a-rank skill. after death, it would gather sand and revive within ten minutes. the only flaw of this skill was perhaps its three-day cooldown. when richard¡¯s pupils regained focus and control of his body, his surrounding senses reappeared. he let out a long sigh of relief. there was also some lingering fear in his eyes. ¡°a level-18 mind eater demon, dozens of great demons, and a two-winged angel leading dozens of templar dragoons¡­ ¡°this a-rank mission is amusingly difficult. ¡°no wonder ferguson is willing to raise the stakes so high. ¡°if it were anyone else, i¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t even have bones left.¡± he initially thought that escorting the other party into templar city was the toughest part of the mission. however, he did not expect the crystal bottle would lose its suppression once it left the corpse. its terrifying draconic aura would be immediately discovered by the other party. how could he escape the pursuit of the enemy after obtaining the crystal bottle?¡­ this was the toughest part of this mission. the other party had a great demon that could move through space, an angel with unparalleled battle strength, a mind eater demon with proficient magic, and templar dragoons extremely familiar with the holy dragon blood in the crystal bottle. anyone could make this mission impossible, let alone the four sides combined. and what was even more vicious was¡­ the curse of the holy light, the death spell that the angel had personally cast. even if he escaped the pursuit of the four sides, the spell could still kill him. it was a sure-death situation, and there was no escape. ¡°fortunately, fortunately!!¡± richard let out a long sigh. turning the earth into sand skill, controlling the yellow sand, and regenerating the sand, these beyond a-rank skills allowed him to escape from this kind of weird encirclement. he came back to his senses and thought for a moment, although this wave was exceedingly dangerous, and he had almost really lost, in the end, not only did he obtain the mission item. but he also conveniently scooped up five supreme demon corpses and two giant dragon bodies hidden at the bottom of the lake¡­ even if gunter and the dark gargoyles were sacrificed, he still earned back everything. this wave of missions he risked his life for did not let him lose anything. if ferguson¡¯s reward was added to the mix, the first wave of the adventure would have been very profitable. Chapter 152 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the gravel condensed into an overgrown ball and fixed the blood basin and the crystal bottle. richard sensed the five supreme demons¡¯ corpses in the depths of the earth and gradually regained his calm. at this time, he was not utterly out of danger. opening the champagne in the middle was a big taboo. he took a deep breath, suppressed his inner emotions, and continued to control the gravel to move the corpses downstream in the direction where the mummy troop was hiding. there was sand below, a lake above, and thick fog on the lake¡¯s surface. !! after he activated the sand transformation, one would be immune to magic detection and enemy lock-on. it was a characteristic that richard had discovered during the few days of training with xina. even when they were face to face, xina could not use her bloodline power to lock onto richard. she could only fight with brute force. xina was not a member of twilight city, so she could not follow him into the dungeon. all the skills were refreshed after the resurrection. richard immediately activated the sand transformation to put himself in the safest state to prevent accidents. at this time, the sand covered every corner of the surroundings and formed a powerful shield. under several layers of protection, the templar dragoons in the sky flew over richard¡¯s head several times without being able to detect his location. they speculated that richard might have escaped from the river and never left the two riverbanks. and it was immeasurably laborious to find an unknown target in a river two to three hundred meters wide and long. but what made them confident was that the curse of the holy light had already taken effect, and the human¡¯s soul had already died. as long as they swam around and waited for the blood energy to dissipate, they would ultimately find the holy dragon¡¯s blood. the two-winged angel¡¯s curse of the holy light ensured them great confidence. but because of this, richard had the space to escape danger calmly. he didn¡¯t walk fast in the earth¡¯s gravel, even if he could control it. especially when he dragged the five great demon corpses. and to avoid making his target too obvious, he could only slow down. after an hour, richard returned to where he hid the mummy troop. his head emerged from the bottom of the lake. he immediately summoned gray. ¡°immediately set off downstream to meet with ferguson! the templar dragoons and the two-winged angels may catch up at any time.¡± ¡°as you command!¡± gray should be the last. he could not find any traces of gunter, so he could not help but hesitate. ¡°lord, do we need to wait for gunter to resurrect?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°gunter isn¡¯t dead yet. his soul phylactery hasn¡¯t moved yet.¡± ¡°let¡¯s leave first. we can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± ¡°yes!¡± it was an urgent matter. richard didn¡¯t want to face a terrifying existence like the double-winged angel head-on. he dived back into the water. he was even more careful as he drove the sand platform downstream. meanwhile, the templar dragoons still waited for the blood to disappear. the holy dragon¡¯s blood exuded an aura. they did not dare to move too far away from the area where they sensed the curse of the holy light took effect. he was afraid that the great demons would beat them to it. richard controlled the sand platform at the bottom of the river and slowly left the range of the templar dragoons patrol just like that. one hundred kilometers away, where the five rivers converged. richard found a safe bend in the river and released the remaining four teams of dark gargoyles after he marched in the water until sunset. he had them scout the surroundings. richard felt much more relaxed with the reconnaissance troop in the air and far away from the terrifying lake. it was too exciting this time. escaping from the joint attack of the two-winged angel and mind eater demon and snatching great demons¡¯ corpses and two giant dragons, the process was simply too much. the only pity was that he did not know if the other party would discover the giant dragons¡¯ corpses he had hidden at the bottom of the lake. however, he could not return now. he could only wait for the time before returning after the storm here subsided. they finally arrived where the five rivers marked on the system map converged after more than half an hour of travel. multicolored clouds filled the sky. after the rapids washed away the surroundings, they formed a vast lake. at first glance, it was vast and mighty. it was many times bigger than the lake upstream. richard frowned. just as he was about to send the dark gargoyles to investigate, the ruby in his arms immediately emitted warmth. it guided him in the direction. his heart relaxed. he waved his hand and handed the gemstone to gray and ordered him to bring a few dark gargoyles to investigate. in less than ten minutes, gray returned to report he had found ferguson. only then did richard feel at ease. with a wave of his hand, all the mummies floated out of the water. only the sand platform at the bottom remained as if the troop rode the sand platform down the river. the trick of hiding soldiers under the water could have an incredible effect at a critical moment. there was no need to expose this trump card. under gray¡¯s guidance, richard led the troop to the island in the lake¡¯s center. a pale figure appeared in front of them the moment they stepped onto the ground. the vice president of the scarlet council, level-19 hero, ferguson. the figure wore a black robe and was about 45 years old. its body was thin, and its breath was weak. it had the aura of a ruined body, like a man about to die. what caught people¡¯s attention were the two rows of runes on its forehead, which exuded a mysterious aura. its pair of blue eyes were as sharp as a sword. even though it could barely stand, it still gave people a sense of pressure. that was the unique temperament of a high-level hero. he opened the stats panel. [ferguson] [hero unit] [level: 19] [status: near death (all attributes reduced by 90%)] [???] [???] [???] damn, a level 19 hero, even sturdier than the mind eater demon. Chapter 153 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation unfortunately, the word ¡°near death¡± caused the figure to lose most of its strength. ¡°desert lord, i sensed the aura of the crystal bottle¡­ you, have you brought it back?!¡± ferguson¡¯s trembling voice carried a strong sense of surprise. richard shrugged. ¡°sir ferguson, perhaps, you should have asked me about my losses first. if you knew there were level 18 mind eater demon, dozens of level 18 great demon, level 19 templar dragoon, and enormously robust double-winged angel in the sky above that village.¡± !! ferguson laughed loudly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. the reward will ultimately be considerable!¡± however, ferguson was too excited. it began to cough violently after laughing a few times. its face became increasingly pale as if it could pass out at any time. it made richard¡¯s heart skip a beat. he did not want to fail when he did not receive the mission reward¡­ that would be f*cked up. fortunately, ferguson recovered after taking a few quick breaths. ¡°lord richard, take out the crystal bottle. i need to recover my strength¡­¡± richard waved his hand. a ball condensed from sand flew out of the water and floated in front of him. the sand fell the next moment. it revealed the tightly wrapped blood basin. when ferguson saw the crystal bottle soaked in the blood basin, its breath immediately quickened. richard took out the crystal bottle and slowly handed it over. his tone was solemn. ¡°sir ferguson, i have fulfilled my promise.¡± god of death witnessed the covenant between the two parties. he needed to take back the item, and he must not use it to fill his own pockets. ferguson needed to ensure its safety and pay a reward. whoever violated the covenant would have their soul taken away by the god of death. but even if there were no covenant, since he had already promised, he would do it no matter what. a man¡¯s promise was worth a lot. it was the bottom line. ferguson sensed that richard was serious. it was stunned for a moment, and then a smile appeared. it looked at richard deeply with a solemn look. ¡°lord richard, thank you for your help.¡± it slowly bowed to him and then took the crystal bottle solemnly. this ordinary scene seemed to have an extra meaning at this moment. ferguson picked up the crystal bottle and put it in front of its eyes to observe. the golden liquid slowly flowed and gave people a feeling of a holy spirit. ¡°lord richard, do you know what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°the holy dragon¡¯s blood. when i took it, the dragon¡¯s power inside attracted the attention of demons and angels. ¡°they even stopped attacking each other and attacked me simultaneously for this treasure¡­¡± richard¡¯s tone was calm. he was like talking about a trivial matter. ferguson looked up and stared into his eyes¡­ it was not lying. it thought that what richard had said before about being besieged was just rhetoric of wanting to get extra rewards. but now, it seemed richard had ultimately escaped from the attack of the demons and angels. this little guy was not simple. moreover, richard knew this treasure was precious and did not act rashly. perhaps, it was mainly because of the restrictions of the contract. but even the petty seal at the bottle¡¯s mouth had not been opened. it was clear that the other party had kept his promise and did not have any intention of peeking at this item that could cause demons and angels to fight over it. it once again looked at the other party with high regard in the heart. ¡°that¡¯s right. it is the holy dragon¡¯s blood. we spent an unimaginable price to obtain this supreme treasure. ¡°and this can turn the tide of the battle of templar city!¡± these words made richard¡¯s eyes widen. as expected, he had participated in an undercurrent mission. now, it was the clash of the eight primary factions! angels, dragons, demons, and these top-tier troops were all formed by several small teams¡­ how much confidence did he need to say those words to turn the tide of the battle of templar city? ¡°you have the power of the desert. i originally planned to give you two equivalent skills as rewards, but your sincerity moved me¡­¡± as ferguson spoke, it slowly opened the cap of the crystal bottle. with a crisp pop, a faint draconic aura spread out. it carefully poured two drops of golden holy dragon¡¯s blood into its palm. the two drops of golden blood turned into a small water ball that rolled in its hand. there was no sign of it sticking. when ferguson closed the cap again, its body emitted a scarlet light. a drop of golden blood slowly fused into its palm. the next second, ferguson¡¯s breath was like a giant dragon that had broken free from its shackles and begun to grow wildly. the terrifying breath pressed down on the mummies behind made them restless. richard felt as if a heavy boulder pressed on his chest. he could not breathe. in a moment, the near-death status on the opponent¡¯s status panel turned into a serious injury ¡ª all its attributes were reduced by 50%. although it was still far from complete recovery, it had recovered a lot of battle strength and was no longer in the state of a candle in the wind. when the breath subsided, ferguson, who had recovered, let out a long sigh. then, it slowly stretched out its right hand, and the drop of golden holy dragon¡¯s blood burned brightly. ¡°we cast a powerful curse on the holy dragon¡¯s blood. if we don¡¯t break the curse and come into contact with it, we¡¯ll die immediately¡­ ¡°fortunately, you are not greedy. otherwise, you would have gone to see that great god before death took your soul away. ¡°i have already broken the curse on this drop of the holy dragon¡¯s blood. ¡°i admire your behavior. this is an additional reward for you.¡± ¡°when you reach level 15, you can use the holy dragon¡¯s blood to activate the bloodline power in your body and strengthen one of your skills to the extreme.¡± Chapter 154 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s heart thumped. it was a treasure that could make demon lords and angels put down their hatred and fight for it together! perhaps, this was the genuine reward of this a-rank mission? or could it be that the original mission reward was an a-rank hero, but because this mission exceeded the a-rank difficulty, it received an additional? taking a deep breath, he took out an empty glass bottle from the system space about to contain the desert crown honey. he carefully placed it inside. !! [holy dragon¡¯s blood (one drop)] [level: glorious] [characteristics: can be used after level 15. can activate the potential in the bloodline. and raise one of its skills to the extreme.] [description: blood was taken from the heart of the holy dragon. this is a supreme treasure, but it¡¯s best not to let the dragon discover its aura, or else you might experience the feeling of being viewed as an enemy and hunted by the entire world¡¯s dragons.] ¡°level¡­ glorious¡± intense excitement shrouded richard¡¯s heart. this wave was about to reach the sky. to strengthen a skill to the extreme? he had already reached an exaggerated beyond a-rank skill. what level was above that? he did not know that the official website of the ¡°shining era¡± did not have a description of a higher skill level. but no matter what, the glorious level was enough to explain everything. the only pity was he had to reach level 15 before using it. level 15¡­ he remembered what the fire elemental lord had said. it would look for him when he reached level 15. this boss from the fire elemental plane had a new mission waiting for him. when richard retracted his scattered thoughts, these things were still too far away from him. he was still a distance away from level 10. after he stored the holy dragon¡¯s blood in the system space, he revealed a brilliant smile. ¡°sir ferguson, thank you for your generosity.but i¡¯m also very interested in the two skills you¡¯ve researched¡­¡± ferguson was stunned, and then he laughed loudly. this time, his voice was distinctly loud. ¡°you little guy. we were too similar when i was young. too similar¡­ you won¡¯t be at a disadvantage as long as you seize the opportunity.¡± it was not easy for ferguson to stop smiling. at this time, the lost treasure had already returned to its hands. and it especially admired richard. in a good mood, it was not stingy. with a wave of its hand, the majestic power in its hand surged. and a scarlet light enveloped ferguson. ¡°close your eyes, and experience the power i pass to you¡­¡± richard only felt a special energy surge into his body, and at the same time, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ ferguson (level 19 hero) is teaching you a skill. will you accept it?] there was no need to think about it. richard accepted it and then immediately closed his eyes. the next moment. a large amount of information and images appeared in his mind. he tried his best to digest them. after a long time, the energy released by ferguson dissipated, and a notification rang in richard¡¯s ears. [ding~ you have acquired special skills ¡ª threat perception and concealment power.] richard opened his eyes and felt the newly acquired power in his body. he was in a great mood. he immediately opened his attribute panel. [threat perception (special) ¡ª able to use the bloodline power to sense impending threats. range: 500 meters.] [concealment power (special) ¡ª able to mobilize the bloodline power. able to make oneself or a troop item enveloped by the concealment power lose all traces of perception and sight.] 1 ¡®damn! no wonder ferguson was able to escape the hunting of the templar dragoons. the combination of these two skills was simply a godly skill.¡¯ the concealment power was even more overbearing. it could erase people from perception and sight. ¡®if used in a bath¡­ ugh, if used on a troop, then it could directly hide a troop. using it for an ambush was simply unsolvable.¡¯ 1 the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. this round of adventure was worth it. not only did he obtain five great demon corpses, but he also obtained a drop ofglorious-level holy dragon¡¯s blood. in the end, he also obtained two extremely practical special skills. moreover, as long as he escorted ferguson back to templar city, he could also obtain a dragon crystal that could turn the skeleton blood dragon into an a-rank hero¡­ for a time, ferguson became an inexhaustible treasure in richard¡¯s eyes. Chapter 155 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°it¡¯s enormously murderous to enter templar city. your troop can¡¯t just follow us like this.¡± ferguson¡¯s words interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he closed the attributes panel of the two skills and looked directly at the other party. ¡°sir, you should know how important these troops are to me¡­ i don¡¯t have the scarlet council¡¯s foundation, so i can¡¯t abandon these troops.¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not asking you to abandon the troops. you can take the troops with you, but you have to use a different way¡­¡± ferguson waved its hand as it spoke. a palm-sized black wooden card appeared out of thin air. countless inscriptions were carved on it and emitted a faint extraordinary energy fluctuation. !! ¡°this is a high-rank tibetan soldier card. it can accommodate a large troop¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately sparked. ¡®was there such a good thing?!!¡¯ ¡°but this is also limited. it can only hold undead, machinery, and other types of soldiers that don¡¯t need to breathe¡­¡± he reached out to take it and was overjoyed. wasn¡¯t this a treasure tailored for twilight city? ferguson said with heartache while staring at richard¡¯s exuberant eyes. ¡°i obtained this treasure from the ancient ruins. there¡¯s only one left¡­ ¡°no one else can use it after you bind it. you can keep the troop first.¡± [tibetan soldier card] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: it can accommodate 1,000 troops.] [restrictions: it can not accommodate breathing life forms. its body size can not exceed 5 meters. it will take up an additional ten slots for every one-meter increase.] [description: a rare treasure created with ancient magic. it is tremendously precious.] ¡®a good treasure!¡¯ it was essentially a divine weapon if used well. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. according to ferguson, he first bound it with spiritual power and engraved his mark on it. others could not use it even if someone destroys it in the future. then, with a thought. the space in front of him suddenly became illusory. it formed an opaque arch 10 meters high and 8 meters wide. at this moment, the light became a little distorted. entering through the arch was the space inside the tibetan soldier card. richard waved his hand without hesitation, and all the troops entered. as the troops passed through the illusory arch, he could sense the special space of the tibetan soldier card in his hand became smaller. and the five-meter-tall heavy sword warriors each occupied ten slots. the most exaggerated one was the skeleton blood dragon, which occupied 50. he only left two squads of dark gargoyles as his mounts after they were gathered. only a few of the 1,000 slots were left. in the end, with his trying mentality, he also placed the five great demon corpses inside. he did not expect it would honestly work. that made richard sigh in relief. this way, he did not have to keep dragging these corpses and running away. gunter was still in the lake. even if he wanted to recruit soldiers from the great demon¡¯s corpse, he could only wait for the other party to return. it seemed better to have a few more people who knew how to recruit mummies. otherwise, it would be too inconvenient. richard looked at the rapidly decreasing number of troops and suddenly felt much more relaxed. although the twilight city troop wasn¡¯t weak, it wasn¡¯t enough to face powerful enemies like angels and demons. ¡°sir ferguson, should we go to templar city now or wait for your injury to recover¡­¡± ferguson shook his head. ¡°i only used the holy dragon¡¯s blood to suppress my injury. i need to return to the scarlet council to recover completely.¡± ¡°return to templar city first. we can¡¯t delay any longer.¡± its tone became crucial as it spoke. ¡°you must be careful in your next actions. if the situation of the gargoyles in these two teams is urgent, you must be willing to sacrifice yourself.¡± richard nodded solemnly. ¡°sir, please do not doubt my determination. since i promised to escort you back, i will fulfill whatever it takes. ¡°even if i have to sacrifice all my troops!¡± his face did not even turn red when he said this. everyone carried the sedan chair. this level-19 hero was so generous that he did not mind continuing to build a closer relationship between the two sides. ferguson smiled in satisfaction. although he could see through richard¡¯s thoughts, he didn¡¯t care. the two didn¡¯t have much of a relationship before. if they wanted help from others, they couldn¡¯t just rely on empty words. the real motivation was still a substantial reward. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± as soon as his voice fell, ferguson sat on a dark gargoyle. richard and gray followed closely behind and headed toward the center of the battlefield¡ªtemplar city. this city was the key to the dungeon. all the battles and missions in the dungeon revolved around it. as richard took this step, he would directly collide with millions of players. richard could not help but feel a little excited. he had been looking forward to this for a long time. ****** because he had to avoid enemies that could catch up at any time, ferguson led the team to fly very carefully, and its speed was not fast. on the way, richard took a little time to open and look at the ranking board. he wondered how the other players were doing in the dungeon these two days. he had not earned any points for a whole day, but he was still at the top of the ranking board with 130,000 points, leading the second place by 80,000 points. the second place finally reached the milestone of 50,000 points after more than a day of hard work. he only needed to work hard for a few more days to catch up with him¡­ richard could only say it was not about being too sturdy but that the opponent was too fierce. who knew that such a scene would happen right from the start? being ranked first was also an exceptional experience. the 3rd to 10th places were around 40,000 points and were close to each other. the rest of the players were not idle either, and the speed at which they obtained points was not necessarily slow. it was just that they looked more pitiful compared to him. he opened and scrutinized the chat forum. the system displayed four panels. the full dungeon forum. the covenant of evil forum. the oath of light forum. in addition, there was a [forum chat]. he did not join the faction. he could only enter the entire forum and post. he opened the [forum chat] and viewed it. the players seemed to have never stopped talking about the ranking of points. there were countless posts about him. [f*ck! that pervert qingqiu! he¡¯s still 80,000 points ahead of second place even though he hasn¡¯t moved his for a day!!] [i thought that guy was just lucky. he could earn 130,000 points in an hour, and the others wouldn¡¯t be bad either. but a day has passed, and qingqiu is still betting on 1,000,000 top-tier lords¡­ just how terrifying this guy is???] [it makes me f*cking angry just thinking about it. i killed 100 rare-level soldiers and only got 3,000 points¡­ doesn¡¯t that freak qingqiu kill over 4,000 rare-level soldiers? or 20,000 elite-level soldiers? f*ck! even if it¡¯s tens of thousands of pigs, they can¡¯t clean up in an hour, right?¡­] [rise, brothers! we have 999,999 people! we can¡¯t let just one person step on our heads!] [that¡¯s easy for you to say. let¡¯s not talk about anything else. why don¡¯t you go kill 1,000 rare-level soldiers and try to climb up to 30,000 points!] the exchange of heated discussion continued¡­ qingqiu¡¯s points did not increase at all for an entire day. most of the players were very excited. they thought that their chance to catch up had come. however, they suddenly felt powerless when they saw the vast difference in points on the ranking board after working hard for an entire day. what kind of monster was this to be able to score points beyond their reach in the first hour or two? they could only pray and hope right now that this bastard, qing qiu, had already been eliminated. or enemies had starkly wiped out his troops. especially the top ten players on the ranking board are even holding back their energy. there was indeed a vow posture of slaying qingqiu under the horse¡­ richard looked at them a few times and found it funny. only a handful of soldiers would last 10 minutes if the demon troops besieged these players. richard focused on other aspects while he ignored these sand sculpture players, especially the content of the players¡¯ exchange dungeons. he obtained a lot of information after he browsed through it. the covenant of evil was gathered in a city 500 kilometers away from the templar empire. the four great evil factions sent out several spies to harass and investigate the news of templar city. the oath of light used templar city as its core and gathered supremely startling troops. it also issued various missions to fight against the covenant of evil. the battle between the two sides outside was very intense. many players had received the missions. some of them were secretly discussing how to collude with the other side¡¯s camp and be spies so the other side could complete them. richard did not take the war between the two sides in the slightest. there were those young noble wives who initiated to seduce the other side and let the enemies capture them. some offered a high reward for helping to get a few elves back¡­ and some of them had such big ideas on their heads. such tricks made richard¡¯s mouth twitch when he saw them. these sand sculptures are inseparable from their nature, no matter what. they even let themselves go without the threat of death in the dungeon. ****** the moon hidden in the clouds in the middle of the night emitted a weak light. it was hazy and was not clear. the earth was silent. they could not even hear the sound of insects. this unsettling atmosphere was probably the ultimate picture of the war before. it was probably because ferguson¡¯s concealment power was profoundly secretive, or the demons had distracted the templar dragoons¡¯ attention. richard, who had been on the road since dusk, was most worried that the situation had not appeared ¡ª the winged angels had not brought the templar dragoons to chase after him. just as he was about to open the system map to see how far away they were. ferguson suddenly commanded the gargoyle to stop. it looked into the distance in the night. its voice carried a different emotion. ¡°templar city¡­ we¡¯re here.¡± richard was delighted. he suddenly raised his head and looked through the night. a scene that surprised him appeared at the end of his line of sight. a towering city stood like a heaven-swallowing behemoth. bright torches and magic lamps surrounded and illuminated the towering city walls. all kinds of exaggerated arrow towers and siege crossbows looked particularly ferocious under the illumination of the light. this magnificent city in the sky above was an even more striking angel phantom that radiated holy light. it held the sword of holy light in both hands and placed it in front of its chest. the twelve wings on the angel phantom¡¯s back made people feel solemn. the twelve-winged angel phantom was probably more than 300 meters tall. it still gave people an intense psychological and visual impact even from a distance. ¡°what is that?¡± richard could not help but ask. ferguson¡¯s eyes revealed a cold smile. ¡°that is the ultimate troop building of the templar empire ¡ª the phantom of cloud city. it can recruit troop types ¡ª angels. ¡°and the dragon¡¯s nest in the south recruit templar dragons. they are the two pillars of the templar empire. ¡°they are also the peak battle strength of this city.¡± richard¡¯s blazed as he looked at the shocking angel phantom image. the phantom of cloud city, angels, dragon¡¯s nest, and templar dragoons? these forces were probably the best troops in the ¡°shining era¡±. he clenched his fists tightly. sooner or later, he would make twilight city have a similar or even more stalwart force. at this moment, the light in his eyes was significantly hot. Chapter 156 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°for the rest of the journey, we can¡¯t ride on gargoyles anymore. it¡¯s easy to be exposed.¡± richard nodded and commanded the dark gargoyles to descend from the sky. he put the two gargoyles into the tibetan soldier card. ferguson looked at gray. ¡°send this mummy in as well. the smaller the target, the safer it will be.¡± richard was stunned. ¡°even heroes can enter it?¡± !! ¡°as long as it¡¯s a normal life form¡­¡± he nodded and took out the tibetan soldier card. the hallucinatory space reappeared, and gray entered it as well. this thing was honestly a treasure. richard was well-pleased. in the future, whoever he went to negotiate with, he had to agree with the other party that they would only be allowed to meet privately. if they could not reach an agreement, he would shake them¡­ negotiating with force was also a negotiation. if they were to fight his troop alone, it was time to show off their strength. ¡®you¡¯re welcome.¡¯ the degree of concealment increased by another level when only two people were left. ferguson looked at the sky. ¡°we¡¯ll enter again after daybreak. after nightfall, the most powerful heroes and troops of templar city will go out on guard to prevent the invasion of the covenant of evil. my current strength is unable to avoid their detection.¡± it then comforted richard. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry. the scarlet council has been operating in templar city for decades. it¡¯ll be fine.¡± richard nodded. he had restored the sand transformation skill. as long as there was an undoable danger, he could just run away. he was not as worried as ferguson thought. after the ultimate battle, he realized that beyond a-rank skill was initially used to create a home-field advantage. using it to escape was honestly a godly skill¡­ now, with the two skills that ferguson had taught him, threat perception and concealment power, he really could not see his own shadow. the two of them quieted down in the night. richard thought for a moment. he took out two fire dragon rabbit blankets and handed one to ferguson. ferguson was not impolite. he took it and sat down comfortably against the tree. no enormous beasts or wild troops were gathering in this area because they were close to templar city. not long after, the sound of flapping wings came from the sky. a small team of giant dragons whizzed past their heads. ferguson and richard suddenly stopped moving. they even held their breath. richard only breathed a sigh of relief when the giant dragons flew out of the area. his relaxed mood immediately tensed up. it was the lair of the light faction. if the enemies discovered what happened, it would be as easy as turning his bones into dust¡­ moreover, he had also snatched a few great demon corpses from the hands of the demons. he had offended the two main factions of the dungeon. it was also incredible. ¡°keep quiet. concealment power is a skill i spent a lot of effort developing. it has an exceptionally audacious effect. they will surely not discover us while those giant dragons are not within 30 meters of us.¡± stunning confidence filled ferguson¡¯s entirety. the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. thirty meters? he could only pray those scout dragoons would not be so stubborn. only when the sky gradually brightened did richard heave a sigh of relief. during this half of the night, more than 20 small squads of the templar dragoons passed over their heads. the number of these top-tier troops was so large that it made richard¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡®was this the true heritage of an empire? ¡®twilight city still had a long way to go.¡¯ ¡°it¡¯s time to move¡­¡± ferguson stood up when the sky had starkly brightened. richard was about to ask this scarlet council leader to return his blanket, but ferguson waved its hand and put the blanket into a storage space without changing expression. richard opened his eyes. ¡®this leader was taking advantage of this? ¡®that was a fire dragon rabbit blanket sold at a high price¡­¡¯ ferguson looked at richard¡¯s stiff expression and was secretly happy. richard had always been in control since they signed the covenant. this made the scarlet council leader very depressed. it finally made this player suffer a loss. outside templar city, a river more than 200 meters wide flowed slowly around the city wall. it formed a giant moat. and in the southeast corner of the sub-gate, there was a deep-water dock. a bustling small city had even been built around the dock. at this time, the sky had just brightened, and several people and fleets had already begun to work. all kinds of supplies were loaded and unloaded from the ships. it was very lively. however, there were also some disharmonious scenes. a large circle of lords with various accents had come to the city in the past two days. and they talked nonsense. they claimed to be the grace lords. and the gods had summoned them to help the templar city defend against evil. some even asked the residents if they had any missions to issue¡­ the ordinary residents had never seen this before. at first, they were severely scared. but after coming into contact with these so-called grace lords, they realized they honestly did everything. from going out to hunt demons, killing their enemies, helping deliver letters, beating up the hoodlums across the street who were spying on their daughters, to even helping their own homes dig out sewers and drain feces¡­ they were capable of anything. that made the residents feel indeed curious. they gradually began to wonder if these god-blessed lords¡¯ collective brains had been damaged¡­ how could a lord send his troop to do such a thing? however, these guys were distinctly trouble-free. some people were even willing to do it without giving them any reward. the fear of the impending attack of the great demons and undead was greatly diluted by the sudden appearance of these sand sculptures for some time. richard immediately saw players shuttling back and forth after he followed ferguson into the dock town. their unique flashy temperament and the way they had to follow them everywhere were too obvious. however, he was not interested in these players who did not fit in. his gaze was fixed on the templar city soldiers who passed by from time to time. and his heart was tense. he initially thought that the two of them were going to sneak in. however, after ferguson hid the inscription on his forehead, he strode into the town from the main gate. he even greeted a few guards warmly with a smile. the scene made richard wonder whether those were its relatives. there was a space full of carriages at the corner of the gate. a bearded coachman immediately drove a luxurious carriage to the two people not long after ferguson finished greeting them. ¡°good day, lord ferguson¡­¡± it seemed the coachman had been waiting here for a long time judging his expression. ferguson smiled proudly as if it could see richard¡¯s confusion. ¡°our scarlet chamber of commerce is a big chamber of commerce in templar city. young man, there¡¯s still a long way to go. watch and learn¡­¡± richard understood. this was its cover. he did not say anything else. under the coachman¡¯s surprised gaze, he got into the carriage with ferguson. ¡°lord ferguson¡­ do you, do you want to call another carriage to pick up your friend? how can he sit with you?¡± ferguson¡¯s angry voice came from inside. ¡°this is my nephew. it¡¯s fine. let¡¯s go. don¡¯t block the way.¡± ¡°nephew? how come i don¡¯t remember you having such a nephew?¡± the coachman muttered as he drove the carriage forward. the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. this bastard was too narrow-minded. how could he take advantage of this? the feeling was joyous every time ferguson saw this young man¡¯s expression having the same personality during childhood. it was a cruel joke. ¡°big brother¡­ the strength of this scarlet chamber of commerce is truly terrifying! ¡°yesterday, i saw a level 14 hero enter the secret chamber. i also heard from those npcs that this level was as a gatekeeper in the headquarters¡­¡± ¡°the quests this chamber of commerce randomly triggered are all d-rank and c-rank. they are countless times stronger than the outside world! if we successfully join, we will surely have a golden leg!¡± in the core area of the dock town, in front of a three-story shop that occupied a huge area. dozens of luxuriously dressed merchants stood at the entrance as if they were waiting for someone. a few players who did not fit in with the surrounding people stood at the back. their gazes burned as they looked at the end of the street. ¡°i heard the person we¡¯re welcoming is the vice president of the scarlet chamber of commerce. he has connections with the great nobles in templar city.¡± ¡°if we can earn its recognition. tsk, tsk, we¡¯ll surely be able to take off in one go. by then, qingqiu will count as nothing. wouldn¡¯t obtaining a few treasures be better than grinding monsters to death?¡± one of the skinny players said, ¡°i just heard that the vice president has a high position and is extremely difficult to approach. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a top-tier npc that requires a lot of time and effort to gain favorability. everyone should be mentally prepared.¡± the calm-looking leading player said, ¡°right now, the most important thing is to join the scarlet chamber of commerce as soon as possible.¡± the skinny player shook his head. ¡°the entrance to this chamber of commerce is insane. we are still probationary members. i¡¯m afraid we will need at least three days to become official members¡­¡± as he spoke, he became excited again. ¡°however, i believe that we are the players with the fastest progress. as long as we could join this chamber of commerce, we will surely obtain amazing benefits!¡± a commotion came from the front just as the few immersed themselves in their hopes for a better future. the vice president of the scarlet chamber of commerce had arrived! the few players immediately stretched their necks to look. it was the npc with the highest status they could come to meet. it was ultimately a big shot. if they could get closer to it, this dungeon would win¡­ under the players¡¯ gazes¡­ ¡®creak! creak! creak!¡¯ the carriage slowly came to a stop. a few npcs with the highest status stood in front of them. they usually did not even have the right to greet them. they immediately stepped forward with smiles and took the initiative to open the carriage door for them. their humble attitude made the few players even more excited. they had great expectations for the npcs inside. the next moment, a thin figure with a solemn expression and an extraordinary aura walked out of the carriage. he was about forty years old. they immediately opened their status panel and gasped when they saw the level 19 player. due to the concealment power, they could no longer detect the hero¡¯s condition. at this moment, they could only sigh at the strength of this hero. after the vice president alighted from the carriage, the surrounding high-level npcs immediately stepped forward and greeted him respectfully. however, to the players¡¯ surprise, the vice president only nodded indifferently. he then moved aside and pulled the carriage door open. this scene immediately silenced the crowd. what was this? a few breaths later, an exceptionally handsome figure who wore a black robe appeared from within the carriage. the vice president at this moment was ultimately a top-tier big shot in the players¡¯ eyes still. but it pulled the carriage door open. grant the vice president to pull the carriage door open for the young man. the few players were stunned. what level of a worthy young man was this? they could not help but feel excited as they hurriedly opened the young man¡¯s attributes panel. they were starkly stunned. an id that all dungeon players were intensely familiar with appeared before their eyes. qingqiu. the few players looked at each other and saw the stupefaction in the other party¡¯s eyes. ¡®what the hell is going on???¡¯ ¡®how did that qingqiu get involved with the vice president of the scarlet chamber of commerce? furthermore, the other party even opened the carriage door for him!¡­¡¯ ¡°f*ck! that¡¯s a level 19 hero!!¡± ¡°does a dauntless leader need to open the carriage door for the young man??¡± ¡°isn¡¯t this looking down on our pride and disdain?¡± ¡°you¡¯re a level 19 hero. and the vice president of a force like the scarlet chamber of commerce. why would you help a player pull the carriage door?!!!¡± the few players felt as if their entire bodies were about to collapse. they had done so many missions and sacrificed half of their troops. but they were still a trainee member. and they needed to look up to, or even beg to see, a top-tier npc that ignored them. yet, in front of player qingqiu like them, they had done such an inhumane and despicable thing. did he have any humanity? did he talk about the basic law? where was the justice!!! Chapter 157 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation surrounded by the crowd, a few players watched as qingqiu and ferguson swaggered into the scarlet chamber of commerce. the way those high-level npcs smiled at qingqiu made them crush their teeth. ¡°what about your arrogance? don¡¯t you have any dignity?¡± after the group of high-level npcs left, a lower-level manager who was unqualified to assist ferguson into the hall for a meeting suddenly saw a few players who had not made any movements. he was already in a bad mood, so he found them even more annoying. !! he quickly walked over and reprimanded them loudly. ¡°what are you guys looking for?! that¡¯s lord ferguson. how can you look at him like that?? ¡°hurry up and go to the warehouse to move the next batch of goods! ¡°why don¡¯t you take a look at your own identity?!¡± the few of them suddenly felt as if lightning had struck them¡­! ¡°why can¡¯t we just take a look??? ¡°that vice president of the scarlet chamber of commerce has personally opened the carriage door for qingqiu!?! why don¡¯t you go and question him???¡± when they thought of this, sorrow began to rise in their hearts. they were all players, and various high-level npcs treated qingqiu as distinguished. various high-level npcs surrounded him as they ate, drank, and waited. yet, not only did they not have the qualifications to go in, they even had to f*cking carry the goods¡­ they were all human, so why was the difference so vast? the scarlet chamber of commerce did not smell good for a moment which they had spent so much effort to enter¡­ however, these players did not know that richard had not noticed them at all. there were too many people. and they almost squeezed their seats into the bushes nearby. they did not know if these guys, who had suffered a tremendous blow, would be hurt again if they knew this news¡­ ferguson led richard and the higher-ups of the scarlet chamber of commerce to exchange some pleasantries. ferguson quickly sent them away in the name of dealing with important matters. then it led richard into a luxurious room. countless defensive magic arrays marked the surrounding walls. from the looks of it, they were probably able to withstand the dragon¡¯s breath. they would only think the merchants were afraid of death even if outsiders entered. ferguson¡¯s identity was the best disguise. richard saw that after the door closed, no one from the crowd followed in. he could not help but feel a little puzzled. ferguson saw his confusion and said with a trembling voice. ¡°the scarlet chamber of commerce has no connection with the scarlet council. the scarlet chamber of commerce is a genuine and legitimate chamber of commerce. the members inside are all residents of templar city with clean backgrounds.¡± with a wave of hand, ferguson removed the concealment power that enveloped its entire body. it revealed the striking magic inscription on his forehead. ¡°there is a powerful magic array carved in this room. outsiders are unable to detect it¡­¡± as soon as it finished speaking, ferguson, who had been full of vigor just a moment ago, spat out a mouthful of blood. and its breathing immediately became sluggish. it was like a strong wind had blown and could extinguish a candle at any time. ¡°i can¡¯t delay any longer. the injuries on my body have already worsened¡­ ¡°the power of that drop of holy dragon¡¯s blood has been completely exhausted. i have to return to the scarlet council immediately¡­¡± richard quickly helped ferguson sit down. he opened the status panel and found that the negative buff that reduced all attributes by 50% had increased to 70%. he immediately asked when he saw the situation didn¡¯t look good. ¡°how do we enter templar city?¡± he hadn¡¯t gotten his hands on the dragon crystal yet. it was an a-rank hero. ferguson let out a long breath, and its face turned even paler. it looked at the carpet embroidered with exquisite patterns from the corner of its eyes. ¡°help me lift the carpet.¡± richard nodded. he bent down and slowly lifted the thick carpet. a striking colorful pattern with deep religious connotations appeared on the ground. but other than that, there was nothing unusual, not even the slightest magical fluctuation. ¡°there is a crystal bottle in the corner of the oak bookshelf¡­ bring it here and pour the powder inside it.¡± richard immediately got up and found the crystal bottle from the bookshelf by the window. crystal clear powder filled the crystal bottle that looked like glass fragments. he unscrewed the bottle cap, slightly tipped it over, and tapped the bottle¡¯s opening with his finger. the powder inside was sprinkled slowly on the floor. a sparkling light flashed in an instant. and a magic array hidden in a pattern slowly appeared in front of his eyes. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°holy shit! how could this thing be so hidden?¡± ferguson saw that the magic array was not surprising, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°this is a two-way teleportation circle, connected to the magic circle in the city¡­ it¡¯s an item i found in the ancient ruins. ¡°this teleportation circle is different from other ordinary magic circles. it doesn¡¯t consume the magic power in the surroundings but directly uses the power of space. the movement is seriously delicate. and even the top-tier mages can not detect it.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. this thing was distinctly a high-quality treasure. he did not know if he could get his hands on it¡­ ferguson dragged its seriously delicate body to stand up. richard immediately helped it to stand in the center of the magic array. a mysterious spell sounded. in an instant, the magic array on the ground flashed. the space in front of them began to blur. in the next second, the two appeared in a spacious basement. the surrounding walls flashed with the same magic inscriptions as ferguson¡¯s bedroom. the floor was painted black and reflected the light of the magic lamp. the first thing richard saw was a middle-aged one-armed guardian who stood from a stool. when the one-armed guardian saw ferguson appear from the magic circle, its eyes revealed an unconcealable shock and fear. its expression repeatedly changed as if it had not expected the guest to appear. however, when it found the other party¡¯s aura was seriously delicate, it immediately suppressed its emotions and tried its best to restore its natural state. its tone was somewhat dry and excited. ¡°lord ferguson, you¡¯re finally back. elder david and the president are waiting for you¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed¡­ there was something wrong with this guardian. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. it was a level-9 hero. its attributes were ordinary and nothing special. ferguson, whose injuries rapidly deteriorated, was distracted and did not notice these details. ¡°activate the magic array and send us to the headquarters¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression was a little ugly. ¡®this was only a transit station?¡¯ the one-armed guardian was delighted when it heard this. then, it sharply gazed at richard and lowered its head as if it did not dare to look at him and ferguson. it turned around and took out a bottle of red powder from a few boxes placed together on his back. it walked not far from them and sprinkled the powder on the ground. a sparkling light flashed, and another magic array appeared in front of them. ferguson braced himself. ¡°this is special access to the scarlet council headquarters but can only be used once. ¡°the site will be abandoned once used.¡± richard fixed his eyes without speaking. ¡°ready, my lord¡­¡± richard looked at the one-armed guardian, who had not raised its head. its temperament was somewhat timid. its eyes became increasingly strange. this guardian always gave richard a weird feeling. it was like when he was in school. he climbed over the school wall. and when he was about to enter the school the following morning, the teacher hit him in the head. ferguson was exhausted from suppressing its injuries and had no time to care about anything else. it motioned for richard to stand in the center of the magic circle with it. richard frowned. but still went forward and stood abreast. the one-armed guardian chanted a spell.the magic array on the ground flashed in an instant. then, the space in front of them began to blur. it was not until the moment before the teleportation the guardian raised its head. relief and excitement filled its eyes. a bad feeling rose in richard¡¯s heart. there was honestly something wrong with this one-armed guardian. at the moment when the teleportation array was activated. it suddenly pushed ferguson and staggered out of the teleportation array together with him. ¡®shua!¡¯ the teleportation array was activated with a flash of light. and the two had already left its coverage area. ferguson suddenly woke up and turned his head to look at richard. before he could ask anything, richard shouted coldly. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with that guardian! this teleportation array is very likely a trap!¡± ferguson was shocked. it turned its head to look at the one-armed guardian¡¯s cold smile. anger filled ferguson¡¯s tone. ¡°oddo?!!¡± even though ferguson was heavily injured and could not stand up, the one-armed guardian was still so scared he took a few steps back. it gritted its teeth and threw the crystal bottle into the teleportation array. richard¡¯s pupils constricted. with a wave of his hand, dozens of grains of sand flew out and knocked the crystal bottle away. however, the magic array had a powerful suction force. it still forcefully sucked the crystal bottle away, even if knocked out. ¡®shua!¡¯ a large amount of red powder fell into the magic array. the next second. the light the magic array emitted was like a flame splashed with gasoline. it exploded with enormously majestic energy. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the teleportation array could not withstand the energy and directly cracked as if it could collapse at any time. then, a hallucinatory blood-colored figure condensed in the air. its head had a pair of short horns. its face was profoundly horrible and savage, and a tail swung behind. it looked very much like the legendary evil life form¡­ ¡°demons?!!¡± ferguson was speechless. why would a demon appear at the scarlet council¡¯s most secretive transit point?!!! the scarlet council had an unexpected incident! the phantom of the demon shattered just as this thought appeared in ferguson¡¯s mind. and it turned into a wave of pure energy. ¡®shua!¡¯ ferguson was directly dragged into the teleportation array. everything happened too quickly. richard wanted to save ferguson, but that boundless energy was something no one could resist, even if he exhausted all his strength. richard suppressed the gravel he controlled the moment it flew out. it was a powerful force that was far beyond his imagination. ¡°richard, go to the black oak manor on 17th street to find knowles¡­¡± ferguson¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his mind. the next moment, blood-colored energy enveloped ferguson and disappeared from his sight along with the blood-colored light. it has finally activated the teleportation array. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound of shattered glass rang out. the array in front of ferguson directly collapsed after teleportation. it only left richard with a stunned expression and the one-armed guardian in the hall. ¡°hahaha, the great ruler has arrived! it will topple down all rebellion!¡± as it said that, it looked at richard fiercely. this human had almost ruined its good deed! richard¡¯s heart raced at this moment. the dragon crystal that could create an a-rank hero was about to be obtained. and now the one who gave out the mission reward had disappeared¡­! ¡°is there anything more f*cked up than this???¡± Chapter 158 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard turned his head and looked at the one-armed guardian. killing intent filled his eyes. he took out a wooden bucket filled with sand with a wave of his hand from the system space. the one-armed guardian was a little bewildered when it saw this scene. then it laughed out loud. ¡°lowly human, are you using this sand to build your own grave?!¡± it swung its arm as soon as it finished speaking. !! the magic array on the surrounding walls suddenly emitted an endless ray of light. however, before it could continue to control, a wave of shock surged into its mind the next moment. in its sight, the sand in the wooden barrel exploded like lightning. the one-armed guardian did not even have time to react. it only felt an indescribable pain. ¡®puff!¡¯ its throat, eyes, face¡­ the sand pierced its entire body. it turned into a hornet¡¯s nest. the smell of blood in the air was thick and pervasive. this level 9 hero went straight to the sky in a single move. richard, who was enraged, wanted nothing more than to grind this soldier¡¯s bones into dust. ¡°he is an a-rank hero!!!¡± at this moment, the system suddenly rang with a notification. [ding~ you have triggered an emergency¡ªsave ferguson.] [ferguson, who had a vital mission, returned to the scarlet council with the blood of the holy dragon when suddenly a demon attacked it¡­ the secret stronghold guardian had become a traitor. and it kidnapped the heavily injured ferguson.] [1. you can go to the black oak manor to look for knowles and get more clues.] [2. you can leave this matter alone.] [you can report this to the guards of templar city.] [in free-form exploration mode, each choice you make will affect the rest of the plot. and gain different benefits¡­] it¡¯s another unexpected situation. richard heaved a sigh of relief and suppressed his emotions. the eyes gradually returned to clarity. knowles, 17th street, black oak manor¡­ devil, scarlet council, holy dragon¡¯s blood, mysterious mission¡­ he increasingly felt there was an undercurrent in this mission. what exactly was ferguson¡¯s mysterious mission that required a glorious-level item of sacred dragon¡¯s blood to complete? and why would the demon suddenly attack the scarlet council? had the scarlet council fallen? or was this just an accident? countless complicated thoughts lingered in his mind. it made him feel as if the muddy waters got increasingly deeper¡­ the unhappiness in his heart disappeared again when he thought of the benefits he had gained from the previous incidents. this mission was so difficult, so the benefits must be very substantial¡­ thinking about it didn¡¯t seem like a bad thing. with a thought, he took out his tibetan soldier card. richard summoned gray and two teams of bandaged mummies and dark gargoyles. he repeated the situation to the other party and finally looked at the tightly shut door of the basement. ¡°gray, lead the troop and search this place. i want to know where we are now.¡± although he did not sense the fatal danger outside, he still had to be careful. with a thought, the released energy gushed out and enveloped the troop. the concealment power. the body of the bandaged mummy disappeared. even its aura was gone. only the immune to magic dark gargoyles remained where they were. richard didn¡¯t care. he let these dark gargoyles stay here to protect him. ¡®yah!¡¯ the door slowly opened. the turned invisible mummy slowly left. after he had confirmed it was safe, gray followed behind¡­ the sand that had killed the one-armed guardian slowly floated out again. the sand circled him and formed a defensive shield. when richard encountered danger, he could immediately control the sand to block it. he glanced around and saw that magic runes covered the walls. although he had changed his job to a mage, his knowledge of magic was only limited to his inheritance. he was unable to recognize these runes. however, after he looked around, a few oak chests behind the one-armed guardian¡¯s seat caught his attention. the one-arm guardian took the bottle of red powder that summoned the demon here¡­ he walked forward with some curiosity. he opened the attribute panel. [white oak treasure chest] [level: 3 stars] [description: an unlocked treasure chest. maybe you can get some good treasures from it.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°treasure chest out??¡± he had gotten so few treasure chests in such a long time. at most, he would get a 1-star treasure chest after he conquered the troop base in the wild. he didn¡¯t even want to mention the junk that came out. it was the highest-level treasure chest he had ever obtained. however, other than this treasure chest, the other four did not have any attributes. he was not disappointed. these treasure chests could be additional rewards. he took a few steps forward and chose to open it. [ding~ you have opened a 3-star treasure chest. you have found among them a 2-star strategic treasure ¡ª leaping boots.¡± [leaping boots] [level: 2-stars] [skill: spatial leap (able to jump to a distance of 100 meters in an instant. can also carry ten people apart from oneself. body size can not exceed 5 meters. can be cast 3 times per day.)] [description: some mages have cast spatial magic on it, giving it a subtle power.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. good stuff. wasn¡¯t the skill that came with it the great demon¡¯s talent? it was simply a top-tier skill. one can use it to escape and fight. the only pity was that one could only use it three times a day¡­ but its value was also considerable. the unhappiness in his heart since the demon had abducted ferguson instantly dissipated. he took two steps back, put on the leaping boots, and then controlled the gravel to open the remaining four unattributed treasure chests. ¡®yah!¡¯ a ray of light flashed under the illumination of the magic lamp. a crystal-clear rare-level resource appeared in front of him ¡ª crystals. richard was amused. he did not expect these unattributed treasure chests to have such a high price. he immediately put the crystals into his bag. each box had 300 units. four boxes had 1,200 units, and each box had half an extra crystal. it didn¡¯t seem like a lot, but this was the output of 12 miniature, rare-level mineral veins. rare-level resources contained vast amounts of energy. not only could they be used to recruit high-level soldiers or build remarkable buildings, but also as the core of magic arrays. therefore, their value was extremely precious. richard felt he didn¡¯t lose so much after he earned two extra profits. he looked at the open basement door and took a deep breath. while he waited for gray, he also began to think about his next plan. it was impossible to give up the dragon crystal. the value of an a-rank hero was enough for him to take the risk. moreover, the benefits behind the sudden incident also made him restless. gray returned safely with a small team of mummies while richard was thinking. ¡°lord, there¡¯s a quiet courtyard outside. i didn¡¯t find any danger. ¡°it seems to be a bustling street outside. i can feel a large number of humans walking around. ¡°but there are often templar dragoons flying through the sky. we don¡¯t dare to leave the courtyard¡­¡± richard heaved a sigh of relief. fortunately, they were in the city. it would be difficult to enter if they were still outside. ¡°did you find other treasures like strategic equipment in the other rooms?¡± ¡°no, this place is empty. there are no valuable items here.¡± richard nodded and did not hesitate anymore. the sand had destroyed the magic array. he did not know if it would attract the attention of other powerful existences. it was better to leave this place for now. they walked out of the basement under gray¡¯s guidance, through a winding, dark tunnel, and came to the ground. just as they walked out of the house and came to the front yard. ¡®roar!¡¯ a low roar came from the sky. richard subconsciously raised his head. a squadron of templar dragoons quickly passed by at a low altitude of 100 meters¡­ it still made people feel a sizeable pressure even if the horrible draconic aura was restrained. when the giant dragon flew away, the sky covered by the dragon once again became clean. a vast shadow of a 12-winged angel stood above his head. that holy light was enough to make any evil feel fear. it was like a sacred object in myths and legends, giving people a profound psychological and visual impact. richard took a deep breath, and his heart inexplicably felt modest excitement. templar city, he came¡­ Chapter 159 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®ta-ta-ta!¡¯ ¡®ta-ta-ta!¡¯ the horse¡¯s hoofs hit the floor. it made a uniquely crisp sound. richard looked out from the glass window while he sat in the carriage. prosperous, spectacular, and fantastic. !! it was his most straightforward impression of templar city. he quietly left the stronghold and went to the street to hire a carriage after he collected all the troops into the tibetan soldier card. he headed to 17th street. although he did not know whether knowles was living in the black oak manor, ferguson said this name at the last moment, so it must be someone trusted. the templar city was worthy of the status of the king¡¯s city. the main street was 100 meters wide. on both sides stood three to five-story, 10 to 20-meter tall dome-shaped buildings. the style was simple and elegant, full of dignity and elegance. they embossed images of angels and dragons on most of the empty spaces on the walls. each wall seemed to be the most precious piece of art. the stained-glass windows of the houses shone under the morning sun. it scattered different bright colors that added a bit of atmosphere to the street. this place was surprisingly bustling. on both sides of the street, shops sold all kinds of goods. the crowd surged, and all of the items were dazzling to the eyes. the pedestrians were bustling with activity. there was not only one race of humans: the elegant and arrogant elves, the short and sturdy dwarves, and the orcs with beast heads¡­ all kinds of strange races came into his sight from time to time. and the players who attracted richard¡¯s attention the most were those with especially obvious temperament. these guys would occasionally ask some high-level npcs next to them if they needed help. the elves with good looks were especially popular. it was also richard¡¯s first time experiencing so many players around him. it was quite a novel feeling. however, he didn¡¯t have any thoughts about experiencing this method. high-level players naturally had high-level ways of playing. richard came back to his senses after observing for a long time. as if he had thought of something, he opened his mouth and asked the coachman in front of him. ¡°sir, do you know the situation of the black oak manor?¡± the young coachman seemed to have held back for a long time when he heard this and muttered. ¡°sir, why are you going to that manor?¡± there lived a creature who liked alchemy and machinery¡­ the last time i helped it bring in a batch of goods, it kicked me out without even giving me a mouthful of water. moreover, it didn¡¯t even pay me the bill. the second time i went, it only gave me the last salary!! ¡°god of justice, even if you are his friend, i have to say, that creature is simply the most stingy guy in the world!!¡± richard was stunned. it was a little different from what he had thought. ¡°alchemy and machinery¡­ what kind of alchemy machinery?¡± ¡°who knows? no one can enter its manor¡­¡± the driver seemed to often help in bringing goods and didn¡¯t even keep his mouth shut. ¡°the goods he needs are similar to the ones i sent to the other mages. the only difference is that there are many more machines¡­¡± richard asked for many details, but in the end, he only got unlikely information from the coachman. the thing coachman mentioned the most was that it wouldn¡¯t pay him. it made richard not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°my lord¡­ we have arrived at the black oak manor.¡± the young coachman¡¯s call woke richard up. after he paid the carriage fee with gold coins, the other party even reminded him. ¡°if you are here to complete your bounty missions, you must hand over the money and the goods. otherwise, that old miser will steal your goods!¡± richard could not help but laugh. after thanking the coachman, he got off the carriage. the black oak manor came into view. it was a medium-sized manor. the courtyard wall was seven to eight meters high, almost like a city wall. when richard looked, he could see the towering oak trees inside. but unlike ordinary oak trees, the trunks of these oak trees were all pitch black. it seemed to be the origin of the name of the manor. he stepped and pressed the conspicuous magic doorbell in front of the giant door that seemed to be for giants. richard waited for a long time, just when he thought the doorbell was defective. ¡®yeah!¡¯ the manor¡¯s door finally moved. however, an angry voice came out first before the door opened. ¡°damn bastard!! who disturbed me while doing my experiment?¡­ if there is no proper reason, trust me, i will shove your head into your butt!!¡± the door made of black oak opened a crack. a dwarf who was about 1.4 meters tall appeared in richard¡¯s sight. it had messy hair, and body proportions were vastly out of place. the dwarf¡¯s bright red nose made it look like a clown. its appearance was especially comical. it was a race similar to dwarves, but they did not have strong muscles like dwarves. they were more famous for their protruding heads. they were a member of the fortress faction. ¡°you¡¯re the one who rang the damn doorbell? human, tell me why you¡¯re here!! otherwise, i¡¯ll let you know, master knowles¡¯ fist!!¡± richard looked down at the angry dwarf as it waved its fist, and the corners of its mouth twitched. ¡®why did this guy look a little unreliable? ¡®was ferguson sure that i did not find the wrong person?¡¯ he opened the attribute panel. [knowles] [hero unit] [level: 19] [???] [???] [???] richard¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡®another level-19 hero?¡¯ and this dwarf was not like ferguson, who was heavily injured. its strength was at its peak. even if the opponent was a dwarf, its level-19 strength was enough to blow up a giant rock with one punch. as richard¡¯s thoughts spun, his tone was solemn. ¡°are you knowles? ¡°sir ferguson has entrusted me to look for you.¡± the dwarf frowned. ¡°that idiot ferguson asked you to look for me? impossible! how could it recruit an outsider¡­ could it be that something happened to him?¡± its eyes were fixed on richard as it spoke. at this moment, its gaze became incomparably sharp. the aura it unintentionally emitted instantly made richard feel like a giant dragon was targeting him. its tone became a little lower. ¡°sir ferguson was seriously injured on the way. we encountered a traitor when i escorted him from the stronghold outside the city to the inner city. ¡°the traitor lured sir ferguson into the teleportation array for the demons to snatch it away¡­ and they disappeared without a trace.¡± after he said this, knowles¡¯face suddenly froze. an immensely paralyzing pressure on its body was like the collapse of a high mountain. it pressed firmly on richard¡¯s chest. at this moment, the body of the dwarf seemed to have given birth to a giant abyss beast! ¡°what did you say?!!¡± richard took a deep breath and said slowly. ¡°the demons took away seriously injured ferguson lured by the traitor. its life and death are unknown!¡± as richard spoke, energy rose from his body and enveloped his entire body. he lost all traces in his opponent¡¯s eyes. ¡°the concealment power?!¡± knowles sensed this scene and quickly withdrew the pressure spreading out. its gaze fixed on richard, who had lost all traces. ¡°this is that idiot¡¯s skill! unless it was willing to teach it. there can not be a third person who knows it!¡± ¡°i agreed with ferguson. there are two versions of the power of concealment. the first was the one that taught if one has to. but there¡¯s an obvious flaw in that skill.¡± ¡°but you used the other version. i also gave a lot of suggestions for this skill. otherwise, how could that idiot have developed it?!¡± the hostility on the dwarf¡¯s face disappeared after it sensed something for a moment. the concealment power on richard¡¯s body eased up with a wave of its hand. the dwarf¡¯s gaze softened a little. ¡°human, who are you? how did you gain ferguson¡¯s trust?¡± richard¡¯s tone was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°the lord of twilight city, richard. sir, shall we talk at the door?¡± knowles turned its head to look behind him. after it made sure there was no one behind richard, it nodded and signaled for him to come in. they entered the main door. ¡®yiya!¡¯ there were two immensely crude-looking giant puppets behind the main door. they looked like someone had randomly piled up them with rubbish. they slowly pushed the main and closed the door. richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to them at first, but out of curiosity, he opened the attribute panel to take a look. the next second, his eyes immediately narrowed. [glorious-2 stars, level 11¡­] after he saw these two attributes, he immediately felt this dwarf was not easy. it was made casually but had reached a glorious level. combined with the information of the coachman, he instantly had a rough assessment of knowles. this dwarf was oddly remarkable. they entered a vast green grassland in front of the manor. a prodigious black oak tree trunk in the central area was particularly striking. knowles did not bring richard into the main building in front. instead, they went around the backyard and entered an inconspicuous house. richard¡¯s breathing stopped when the dwarf pushed the door open. there were dozens of three-meter-tall mechanical puppets inside. each of them was a glorious 3-stars and was level 14. ¡®this dwarf has something¡­¡¯ he was relieved that ferguson did not trick him. he saw a basement entrance in the central area when they passed through these cold and rapacious puppets. ¡°kid, don¡¯t touch the things inside¡­¡± knowles turned its head to warn richard and signaled him to follow. richard slowly walked down with the dwarf in front of him as they followed the wide metal stairs. they arrived at the mysterious area after hundreds of steps. richard looked around and saw a shocking scene. it was an enormous underground space with a diameter of more than 500 meters. there were a lot of mechanical puppets around, almost filling up the space. it was no worse than the arcana hall used to produce magic puppets in the ancient ruins of the resplendent wizard tower. and in the center area. a 15-meter-tall giant mechanical puppet that looked like a prehistoric beast stood in the center. to his surprise, the chest of the mechanical puppet was open. it revealed a space that could accommodate adults. ¡®that was¡­ the cockpit?! ¡®humans can drive this mechanical puppet?!¡¯ richard immediately opened the attribute panel after he returned to his senses. his heart started beating faster in the next second. this dwarf was astounding. [extraordinary hunter-mechanical puppet] [level: 20] [characteristics: can be operated in battle] [???] [???] [???] [level 20¡­ prodigious hunter] although he couldn¡¯t see the specific attributes, just the level of level 20 was enough to explain everything. ¡®f*ck! if i moved this astounding dwarf back from the dungeon..? wouldn¡¯t i be able to fly into the sky??? Chapter 160 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°how is it, human young man? have you seen it? it is the big thing i created!! ¡°that idiot ferguson can only beg for mercy in front of me!¡± knowles, who had a head full of chicken poop, proudly came to the feet of the prodigious hunter. however, he was not taller than the instep of the mechanical puppet, so he lookedcandidly funny. richard collected his thoughts and gave the short race a hearty thumbs up. !! ¡°astounding!¡± it was indeed a bit astounding to create a puppet of a prodigious level. when it heard this compliment from the bottom of the young man¡¯s heart, knowles immediately opened its mouth and laughed loudly. however, its laughter was worse than crying and was scary among the machines. richard continued to ask, ¡°sir knowles, i wonder if others can get this magic puppet?¡± ¡°although i appreciate your vision, the manufacturing cost of this thing is too high. you can¡¯t afford it. i¡¯ve already emptied¡­¡± the dwarf said hatefully. ¡°that idiot ferguson never dared to admit the power of my mechanical puppet!! ¡°humph! now it¡¯s been taken away by someone else! that idiot! it already had a puppet for self-defense. how could such a thing happen?¡± as it spoke, its eyes turned cold. ¡°tell me, did something happen to ferguson? and how did you two meet?¡± richard did not hide anything. he told the dwarf everything that had happened in the past two days. finally, he said, ¡°when the demon dragged ferguson into the teleportation portal, it told me through magic voice transmission it wanted me to come to black oak manor to look for you¡­ sir knowles.¡± knowles half-leaned on the prodigious hunter¡¯s foot and scratched its head. it was a little angry. ¡°idiot ferguson! now it knows to come to me!! tell it not to take risks. don¡¯t take risks, and do not listen to my advice!! ¡°the fury of revenge has consumed the idiot!! it only wants to let those dirty and disgusting nobles die! but how can such a thing be done in two or three days?! ¡°that idiot!!!¡± its tone became even angrier. ¡°the demon who set up the ambush must have lured that idiot vice president of the scarlet council. it had advocated for them!! ¡°ferguson has told me this more than once¡­ it even made up its mind to eliminate the other party when it returned this time. unexpectedly, those bastards made the first move¡­¡± as it said this, knowles seemed to have thought of something, and it suddenly walked toward a nearby storage rack. after it flipped through it for a long time, knowles found a piece of parchment. knowles handed it to richard after a few glances. anger filled its tone. ¡°this list contains the names of those who proposed to cooperate with the demon in the scarlet council. it contains their addresses and hidden identities¡­¡± richard took the list and looked at it. there were more than 50 of them. most were heroic units above level 10. the vice president of the scarlet council, david, who was at the top, was level 18. it was exceedingly stalwart. if the other party had already defected to the demons and had additional backing, its true strength would probably be even more terrifying. ¡°sir knowles, what are your plans?¡± the dwarf¡¯s disproportionate figure suddenly waved its hand and said fiercely. ¡°kill them one by one!! until we find that damn demon!!¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°with such a big commotion, at such a sensitive time in templar city. even if you can drive an extraordinary mechanical puppet, you might not be able to win, right?¡± the scarlet council was not a benevolent force, to begin with, and ferguson did not know where he got the holy dragon¡¯s blood. if this commotion were too big, the big shots in templar city would discover it. not to mention a level 20 mechanical puppet, even 10 or 20 would not be much use. this dungeon involved the background of the battle of the gods. even gods could appear¡­ level 20 could only be considered top-tier battle strength. there was still a lot of ultimate battle strength and above¡­ the most important goal was to rescue ferguson and get the a-rank dragon crystal. he had no interest in courting death with this creature. knowles immediately became silent and muttered unwillingly. ¡°then what can you do?¡± richard waved the list in his hand and smiled. ¡°who else hates the demon the most besides us?¡± ¡°besides us?¡± knowles shook his head. ¡°none, including us. everyone in this city hates the demon!¡± ¡°if that¡¯s the case, why do we have to do it ourselves?¡± knowles was startled. ¡°you mean¡­ get someone else to do it?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°that¡¯s right. since we have the specific address information, i think many people are willing to eliminate these dangers for us.¡± ¡°but ferguson¡¯s safety is not the same as being threatened? those bastards who talk about justice and light won¡¯t care about its life¡­¡± ¡°no, knowles. those peripheral, unimportant people, let others clean up for us and cut off the demon¡¯s claws.¡± richard¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°when the time is right, we will be mainly responsible for hunting the most important being¡­ the scarlet council president, david!¡± these words made knowles¡¯eyes light up. but it was still a little hesitant. ¡°will those bastards follow these small characters and trace the clues to the scarlet council? won¡¯t ferguson be in danger as well?¡± richard nodded. ¡°we can¡¯t rule out such a risk.¡± after richard pondered for a moment, he continued, ¡°let¡¯s think about it another way. we can attack at the same time!¡± ¡°with the help of the templar city¡¯s troops, they will attack simultaneously. they will clean up their minions, and we will ambush the primary target and cut off their heads! ¡°in this way, the enemy will not be able to react in time. even if they find the clues, they will not cause us any more trouble. ¡°the large-scale deployment of troops will distract the enemy, and the pressure on us will be much less.¡± knowles nodded. ¡°it is indeed better than hunting them down one by one. but how can we spread the news and ensure that the enemy will attack simultaneously?¡± richard stared at the level-19 dwarf and said in a deep voice. ¡°leave it to me, but i need you to help me hide my aura using alchemy. ¡°if possible, it would be best if you could hide my appearance, too. ¡°i have already met the templar dragoons and the two-winged angels. templar city is so big that i might not meet them. ¡°but we have to consider this possibility. we can¡¯t pin our hopes on things we can¡¯t control.¡± knowles looked at him deeply. ¡°human, you¡¯re very similar to ferguson when it was young. you¡¯re responsible and courageous¡­ ¡°i might slightly understand why ferguson would teach you a skill like the concealment power¡­ ¡°follow me.¡± it turned around and came to a wall with countless alchemy potions. it reached out and took a dozen bottles from it. finally, it let him lie down on the operating table. it was the first time richard had experienced the skill of a level-19 dwarf¡­ half an hour later. richard looked at the ordinary-looking, sallow-faced middle-aged man in the mirror. he bolted out of the blue. it was simply a change of face. it was even more overbearing than the three great evil spells in asia. moreover, not only his appearance but his aura was also starkly concealed. if someone gave him a photo, he probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to recognize that it was him. ¡°hello, i¡¯m¡­ draco¡­¡± a dull middle-aged man¡¯s voice came out of his throat. it sounded like he had smoked too much tobacco. and it was somewhat hoarse. a special buff appeared on the stats panel. [glorious disguise spell: within three days, your aura will change into another person. unless you use a divine detection spell to identify you three times in a row, you will not be able to see through your disguise.] [this dwarf is astounding. i would like to call it the mightiest skill that leads to the opposite sex bathhouse¡­] Chapter 161 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°as soon as the operation begins, you will crush this crystal. once i sense it, i will immediately launch an attack¡­ ¡°if there is an accident, you will crush the second crystal. i will immediately retreat. ¡°the last crystal is a sensing crystal. i can sense where you are at any time. after i rescue ferguson, i will find you¡­ if i encounter a threat, i will crush this crystal. you will immediately leave templar city.¡± ¡°richard, be careful.¡± ¡°take care, sir knowles.¡± !! ****** ¡°draco, the place where you found the demon is here?¡± a human commander in black armor with a big belly glanced at the house across the street and frowned at the sallow-faced middle-aged man in front of him. the middle-aged man who suddenly came to report to him two hours ago with an item contaminated with the demon¡¯s aura claimed to be a wandering mercenary for a long time and found traces of the demons. no one could fake the aura on that item, so he immediately brought two teams of troops to investigate. as expected, he found something wrong. his methods could not detect anything wrong with the building opposite as if it was uninhabited. but he had seen with his eyes people were moving inside¡­ ¡°that¡¯s right, sir.¡± the sallow-faced middle-aged man¡¯s tone was solemn. ¡°i suggest that you dispatch more troops. it would be best to completely seal off the surrounding space to prevent the other party from escaping. you should know how proficient the demons are in spatial magic¡­¡± the fat commander¡¯s expression eased up a little when he saw the middle-aged man neither servile nor overbearing response. ¡°i hope what you said is true. otherwise, you will know the consequences of lying about military information!¡± he had been at level four commander for far too long. this mission to discover the demon might advantageously make him a level five commander he dreamed of reaching¡­ there was a risk, and he was willing to take it! disguised as a middle-aged man, richard secretly heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. after he came out of the black oak manor, he spent a large sum of money for an officer¡¯s information in the tavern that sold information. a commander rated as unsatisfactory in intelligence was desperate to be promoted. he was two times dumber than an ordinary person. this commander became richard¡¯s target. richard used the officer¡¯s identity as a freelance mercenary. the officer in the tavern gave demon information to richard for money. sure enough, this guy was already crazy about promotion. it was not easy for him to seize this opportunity and take immediate action. and he was even more proactive than him. the fat commander took out a short whistle from his chest pocket, put it in his mouth, and blew hard. but the short whistle strangely did not make any sound. after a few breaths. the situation suddenly changed. a two-winged angel with three small squads of the templar dragoons from the sky swooped down like lightning. the giant dragon sealed off the surroundings, and the two-winged angel with the sword of holy light charged in. the pedestrians on the street were all startled. what happened? a moment later, a terrifying resentful scream resounded in their ears. an extremely evil aura rose. it was the darkness from hell¡­and it made people feel fear. at this moment, the pedestrians realized something was wrong. they subconsciously screamed and wanted to escape from this dangerous place. but to their horror, they found that they could no longer move¡­ the demon was unwilling to be slaughtered and began to resist¡­ but under the leadership of the two-winged angel, no matter how crazy the counterattack was, it would not cause any waves. the speed at which the battle subsided was beyond richard¡¯s imagination¡­ after only a dozen breaths, the two-winged angel left with the templar dragoons. only a collapsed building on the ground explained what had just happened. the passersby had regained their freedom, but seeing that the situation had calmed down, no one ran away¡­ ¡°it¡¯s the demon!!¡± the human commander with a big belly laughed out loud and looked at richard in surprise. ¡°wait for me here!¡± with that, he waved his hand, and the two squads behind him immediately followed. richard looked at this scene with a calm expression. after a long time, the fat commander sent someone to call him. richard did not hesitate and followed him into the house. then, in the half-collapsed hall, he saw the fat commander holding a piece of burnt parchment. after the fat commander with a big belly saw richard, he said excitedly. ¡°draco! look what i found! ¡°a list! a list almost burned in the brazier! ¡°it recorded several traitors who fornicated with the demon!¡± 1 that was a considerable achievement! richard was also surprised. ¡°sir, you must be favored by the goddess of luck!¡± he said hesitantly, ¡°but is this list genuine? ¡°what if¡­¡± before richard could finish, the fat commander said fiercely. ¡°impossible, this is faithfully genuine!! i found it in the brazier!! those flames are still burning on the paper. how could it be fake!? ¡°the brazier could have burned this list if i had come a little later!! ¡°hahaha, credit it all to my quick hands and eyes!¡± it was a vast contribution. anyone who dared to question the fat commander would be hesitant. richard still hesitated. ¡°sir, should we go and investigate first?¡­¡± the other party said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll handle this matter. you don¡¯t have to care so much¡­¡± as the fat commander spoke, he gave richard a deep look. ¡°i won¡¯t take credit for your work. if your superiors come to investigate the cause of this matter, i hope you can tell everything as is¡­¡± Chapter 162 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he was the one who acted decisively to achieve such a result. if he hesitated for even a moment, the brazier could have burned the list to ashes. ¡°yes, sir¡­¡± the fat commander nodded, his gaze sharpening. ¡°next, we will arrest these damned demon¡¯s minions one by one!¡± that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. his majesty the king now hated those evil creatures to the extreme! !! at this moment, he could already see the door of promotion open to him. ¡°sir,¡± richard hurriedly said. ¡°sir, those demon¡¯s minions are likely to be in contact with each other. if we go one by one, it might leak the information¡­ ¡°at that time, it is very likely that there will be a situation where we gain quite a lot in the beginning and then miss everything in the end.¡± these words shocked the fat commander. ¡°then what you mean is¡­¡± ¡°deploy the army and capture everyone at once! that way, we can minimize the possibility of news leaking out. ¡°and we have to act as soon as possible¡­ they had already destroyed this place. the other demons will realize that something¡¯s wrong at any time and move on. ¡°if we miss, this mission will be greatly reduced!¡± if he would waste such a rare opportunity, he could jump up and slap himself in the face. the fat commander gritted his teeth and said, ¡°first, confirm the situation of the demons. then report the news here to the superiors. gather the army, and eradicate the evil in one fell swoop!!¡± he did not have the authority to command the army to wipe out dozens of demons at the same time¡­ after he tasted the sweetness and saw the opportunity for coveted promotion, the fat commander was already in a state of excitement. no one could stop him!! not long after, the fat commander scouted seven or eight regions and found something was wrong. he confirmed the accuracy of the list of names he had rescued from the brazier¡­ then, an army arrived. the residents in several regions saw the templar city¡¯s army searching for the demons. when richard saw the army move also, he silently crushed the crystal in his hand. this plan could not be said to be complicated, but the thing was that at this time, both the covenant of evil and the oath of light camps were in a tense state. even the slightest mistake would cause great alarm. he had just started, and the templar city¡¯s army took the initiative to clean up the rest. the most crucial point was that richard also wanted to avoid the scene of knowles fighting with the demons¡­ if the mission went according to plan, the level-19 dwarf, knowles, would drive the level-20 extraordinary hunter to get rid of the demons¡¯ minions one by one. he would surely encounter fierce battles. by the time he finally rescued the vice president of the scarlet council, the other party would have already gathered their strength. the final battle would probably be exceedingly strenuous. in a collision of this level, it would be too difficult for him to ensure his safety. it would be like trying to retrieve the holy dragon¡¯s blood, with only a slim chance of survival. his regeneration skill had yet to recover, and since he was in templar city, it would be suicidal for him to use it on the sandy ground. now, this plan not only allowed him to bypass the most intense main battlefield, but also ensured his safety. it also directly eliminated all of the demons¡¯ subordinates and weakened the vice president of the scarlet council. this made the rescue operation of the dwarf knowles even smoother. killing three birds with one stone¡­ after the encirclement began, blood about promotion already filled the fat commander¡¯s head. he wished that every devil stronghold would personally lead an army to encircle and annihilate them. richard was arranged to enter the garrison of the guards. he was also happy to be idle, quietly eating melons at the back while he waited for the dwarf to rescue ferguson¡­ the battle to suppress the demons ended very quickly. under absolute power, the dozens of scarlet council members who colluded with the demons had no room to resist and were directly eliminated. however, the cleaning of the battlefield was not completed until dusk. as the fat commander had said, a few high-ranking officers came to ask him about the demons. with the super strong disguise spell, he naturally did not cower. he repeated his original story. the other party cast a few screening spells on him. after confirming that there was no problem, he took a drop of blood from his body and left. richard waited until late at night before he saw the fat commander return. after the fat commander entered his temporary settlement, his expression was exceedingly ugly. he was not excited at all. ¡°draco, i¡¯ve been promoted. i¡¯m now a level five commander. i can command a thousand-man army!¡± richard was puzzled. ¡°why can¡¯t i see the joy on your face? did something happen?¡± ¡°the third princess has disappeared¡­¡± the fat commander said fiercely. ¡°those damn bastards, they blamed the reason for the third princess¡¯ disappearance on our city guards. they told me to find the princess within a day!¡± richard was stunned. what the hell¡­ what third princess and eighth princess? he was not interested in these things. he stood up and prepared to find an excuse to leave. the dwarf should have succeeded by now. but before he could finish his words, the other party took a medal out of his pocket and handed it to him. ¡°this is the credit i asked for you. you are now a level one commander and can command a team of ten people. ¡°it¡¯s not easy for an ordinary person to join the army, let alone become an officer. ¡°but under my great protection, i made an exception and promoted you to a level one commander.¡± after the fat commander said that, he looked at richard proudly. ¡°how about it? i¡¯ll keep my word! following a superior like me won¡¯t mistreat you! ¡°take the medal. this is your proof of identity. the drop of your blood today was used to bind it. this is a magic item. remember not to lose it¡­ otherwise, you¡¯ll be punished by the military regulations!¡± after richard took the medal, he was stunned. ¡°sir, i¡­didn¡¯t say i wanted to join the army, right?¡± what was going on here? the dragon crystal for the a-rank mission was still waiting for him to collect it. moreover, he had to think of a way to get that dwarf¡¯s level 20 mechanical puppet. who would want to be a level one commander in this terrible place? moreover, he had worked so hard to save ferguson this time. wouldn¡¯t that guy be rewarded with three to five kilograms of holy dragon¡¯s blood? the fat commander laughed loudly. ¡°this is not up to you. his majesty the king has already issued a draft order. as long as there are capable residents, they must join the army. we must fight against the evil pact!¡± ¡®f*ck! why was this scenario different from what i had thought.¡¯ the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. at this moment, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have been appointed as level one commander of the templar city guards. you have received a level one medal.] [military medal] [level: 1] [characteristics: increases the wearer¡¯s strength by 10%.] [description: an item the templar city army used to prove their identity.] richard was stunned for a moment. there were still attributes?? however, the system notification was not over yet. it continued to ring. [ding~ qingqiu has become the level one commander of the templar city. the ranking board has been opened. the lord of the templar city can join the army on his initiative and obtain military merits. military merits can be exchanged for unique rewards in the army. please explore the specific situation on your own¡­] [ding~ you have achieved a special achievement ¡ª first officer. you have obtained 1 gold point.] [gold point: you can exchange for rare rewards after the time fragment ends.] richard¡¯s expression was quite interesting at this moment. ¡®could this also work?¡¯ he just wanted to avoid a direct battle between the dwarf and the vice-president of the scarlet council and kill someone by using someone else as an excuse¡­ how did he end up in the templar city empire¡¯s army? however, this golden point seemed to be a rare item. the players in the dungeon did not know the secret behind it. when they saw the system notification, they immediately started discussing enthusiastically. the players from the oath of light camp immediately became fragrant. ¡°mighty boss qingqiu¡­¡± ¡°another way to make money, awesome¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect big brother qingqiu to be on the same side as us!¡± ¡°hahaha, is this the benefit of being on our side? the things in the army are obviously of high quality¡­¡± the discussions continued¡­ the people from the covenant of evil camp were instantly displeased when they saw that the other party didn¡¯t have any of them. ¡°qingqiu hasn¡¯t been kicked out yet? is there any justice in this world? why does this pervert keep coming out to break the rules¡­¡± ¡°military merit ranking? why isn¡¯t there an evil pact? ? it¡¯s not fair, i want to protest! !¡± 1 ¡°qingqiu, why is it qingqiu again¡­ it wasn¡¯t easy for him to calm down for a few days, but in the blink of an eye, he¡¯s shaking again.¡± the player continued to vex. the players¡¯ attitude toward richard was quite complicated. they were both impressed and unwilling. his points hadn¡¯t been moved in the past two days. but even so, second place in the ranking was still 40,000 points away from him. the other party had worked hard for three days and still had not broken through 100,000 points. on the other hand, richard¡¯s points had only been hacked down in more than an hour on the first day. such a comparison almost suffocated everyone. the two words ¡°qingqiu¡± were like a vast mountain that crushed down everyone¡¯s heads. they felt what they could see was not the sky but qingqiu¡­ that guy made everyone look down. Chapter 163 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when richard returned to his senses, he looked at the fat commander starkly proud of himself and did not know what to say. this plot was too far-fetched. the scarlet council wanted to overthrow the templar city, and he was deeply bound to the scarlet council. not only did he take a drop of the holy dragon¡¯s blood, but he also used the corpse of the templar dragoons to recruit the skeleton blood dragon¡­ he might have to continue making enemies with the templar dragoons. !! but now, he had become the enemy¡¯s officer. did this count as entering the enemy¡¯s camp? however, this medal was still okay. it could increase his strength by 10%. the additional gains were not for nothing. richard wore the medal on his chest with peace of mind. the fat commander quickly turned his attention to business. ¡°draco, searching for the third princess is the most important thing at the moment. come with me!¡± after the fat commander said that, he led him out of the residence and began to call for the army. not long after, a 1,000-man army arrived. the newly appointed level-five commander was in high spirits and assigned richard a small team of subordinates. rare level 9 soldiers ¡ª longsword warriors. it was only now that richard realized how powerful the templar city¡¯s army was. the lowest level in the barracks was the rare-level type of soldier, the glorious type, or even the higher type of soldier. and this was only the city guard army. the elite in charge of fighting was probably even more powerful. after the army gathered, the fat commander came to the high platform in front of him. his voice was filled with anger as he roared. ¡°the third princess went missing for no reason several hours ago. his majesty the king was furious and issued a death order. we must get her back within a day! ¡°the city guards are responsible for the safety of the city. the third princess went missing. we have a responsibility that we can not shun! ¡°next, we must find the third princess at all costs. even if we can find clues, we will be rewarded handsomely! ¡°everyone set off immediately!¡± with the fat commander¡¯s order, richard had no choice but to lead the squad of longsword warriors out to patrol with the army. what was going on? he could only think of a way to slip away on the way¡­ ¡®this fat commander is also a scammer. i helped you get promoted, and you will treat me like this?¡¯ stepping out of the barracks, he immediately felt the chill of the atmosphere. it was already late at night, but several soldiers still walked on the streets. the winged angels and the templar dragoons appeared in groups in the sky. the scene looked extremely grand. it made him feel something was wrong. although the status of the third princess of the empire was noble, there was no need to go to such great lengths, right? it was understandable under normal circumstances, but now was the time when the four dark camps of the covenant of evil¡¯s army approached templar city. wasn¡¯t it insane to use so many armies to find the third princess? was the oath of light taking gg¡¯s script this time? with such a king, it would be difficult to find him. while richard was hesitant, he approached the fat commander and asked. ¡°sir, what are the characteristics of the third princess? where did she go missing? how are we going to find her?¡± the fat commander could be described as stupid by intelligence reports, so his reaction was not that good. richard asked, but he did not ponder about it and directly told him everything. the more richard heard, the more shocked he became. the third princess was not a member of the royal family who had nothing to do. she was the commander of the templar dragoons. she was a superb existence that was above level 20. when the third princess was born, the king of the templar city had specially begged for the blood of a demigod-level dragon to bathe it in dragon blood and let it grow up. she was exceedingly powerful and talented when she came of age. she won the respect of the terrifying templar dragoons and became their commander. the third princess was a templar city genius and was a salient member of this battle. at such a critical moment, the commander of the templar dragoons disappeared. no wonder his majesty the king was furious. even if the other party did not have the identity of the third princess, the commotion couldn¡¯t be small. ¡°a level 20 hero has disappeared in the city. the waters are too deep¡­¡± richard became more vigilant. after he got the information he wanted, his thoughts changed. he said, ¡°sir, the templar city is so big. it¡¯s too inefficient for us to continue searching like this, and it¡¯s easy for other armies to get ahead of us¡­¡± ¡°i suggest that we split up into small teams and search separately. that way, we¡¯ll have 100 search teams, and the chances of finding them will be much higher than if we all gather together.¡± the silly fat commander nodded his head in praise. ¡°not bad, that¡¯s a good idea!¡± as he spoke, he quickly ordered the army to split up into small teams and search for the third princess. initially, the fat commander wanted to bring richard along so that he could give him some ideas. however, richard did not want to follow this guy. he found an excuse to fool him and wandered around the city with his subordinates. along the way, he saw many players. these guys had received similar missions. they were all very motivated and went wherever they went. after two hours, just as richard was hesitant about whether or not there was a problem with the dwarf¡¯s rescue plan. ¡®thump! thump! thump!¡¯ a small team of longsword warriors behind him all fell to the ground. richard suddenly turned around and saw the figure hidden in the shadows. his tone was full of surprise. ¡°sir ferguson!¡± ferguson was also in a great mood when he saw richard. ¡°richard, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time¡­¡± as ferguson spoke, it looked up at the templar dragoons that flew everywhere and waved its hand. ¡°this is not the place to talk. let¡¯s leave first.¡± as it spoke, it waved his hand, and a wave of energy enveloped the being. the concealment power. however, when ferguson used it now, it was countless times stronger than before¡­ richard opened his attribute panel, and the other party had returned to normal. the power of a level-19 hero was no longer discounted. he was relieved. this a-rank mission had been completed in a strange and tortuous way. facing angels and demons was not something an ordinary person could bear, not to mention other things. after ferguson winded around for half an hour, it led richard into a luxurious manor. when richard stepped into the hall, he immediately saw level 19 dwarf knowles sitting on a chair and drinking tea. he had a chicken head. ¡°oh, my friend! hahaha, you completed our plan!¡± when knowles saw richard, the dwarf directly jumped down from the stool. it said happily, ¡°you didn¡¯t see how sublime the scarlet council elder¡¯s expression was when it wanted to gather the army but found the templar city entangled its minions!!¡± ¡°i swear, that was the funniest scene i¡¯ve seen in the past ten years! ¡°you¡¯re a genius, richard!¡± after knowles shared its joy with richard, it looked at ferguson arrogantly. ¡°ferguson, you idiot. if not for the powerful master knowles and richard¡¯s help, that bastard david would have still imprisoned you. you should thank us!¡± the corner of ferguson¡¯s mouth twitched, but it did not care about knowle¡¯s words. it waved his hand, and a crystal that emitted powerful magic waves appeared out of thin air. when the crystal appeared, a wave of magic energy swept through the surroundings. one didn¡¯t need to look to know that it was a high-level treasure. ferguson stretched out and handed it to richard. most sincere gratitude filled its tone. ¡°richard, this is the reward i promised you¡­ the dragon crystal i obtained from the ancient ruins can transform your undead dragon into an a-rank hero.¡± richard¡¯s breathing quickened as he reached out to receive the dragon crystal and opened his attribute panel. [ancient dragon crystal] [level: special] [characteristics: a treasure taken from the head of a level 29 dragon hero. can transform a dragon-type lifeform into a hero unit.] [description: only dragons above level 20 can give birth to dragon crystal. every dragon crystal is a treasure to a dragon.] ¡°hahahahahaha!! ¡°finally! finally! finally!!¡± a powerful dragon hero was about to be born in his hands! richard was indescribably excited at this moment. this was an a-rank hero and a dragon hero at that!! ferguson continued after richard¡¯s excitement subsided a little. ¡°when your undead dragon transforms into a hero unit, it will consume a large amount of flesh and soul. you must be prepared for transformation again. if he lacks sufficient energy, his potential may not reach a-rank.¡± after richard firmly remembered this point, he looked directly at ferguson and said in a solemn tone. ¡°sir, your promise has been fulfilled.¡± ferguson laughed loudly. ¡°no, it¡¯s far from it. this time, i definitely won¡¯t be able to escape without your help. i still owe you a favor¡­ ¡°but i don¡¯t know what gift to give you for the time being. if you need anything, you can tell me. i¡¯ll help you get it.¡± ferguson was full of confidence after recovering to a peak when it said this. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°then let¡¯s wait¡­ i believe more in what you¡¯ve prepared for me.¡± these words threw the burden on richard. at least it was a life-saving favor. if he could return it, it wouldn¡¯t be worse than the blood of the holy dragon and the dragon crystal, right? ferguson couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°young man, you¡¯re honestly too similar to me in the past¡­¡± at that moment, richard suddenly thought of something. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± he said in a condensed voice, ¡°the third princess of the templar dragoons and the commander of the templar city went missing a few hours ago. the templar city will ultimately stir up a storm. ¡°i¡¯m afraid that the situation will change drastically. is this manor safe? should we leave templar city first?¡­¡± ferguson and knowles were about to speak when a tall figure who wore a black cloak appeared at the open door. the figure¡¯s face, hidden in the hood, only revealed a pair of blue eyes. the soul-stirring light was like a giant beast crouching in the night, ready to unleash its most brutal attack at any time. ¡®thud! thud! thud! thud!¡¯ the crisp sound of footsteps came from the leather boots as the figure walked into the hall step by step. it slowly walked up to richard and looked directly into his eyes. ¡°third princess¡­¡± the tone was a little hoarse. ¡°we caught her.¡± richard¡¯s scalp went numb. the scarlet council captured this level 20 hero who led the templar dragoons and had countless people protecting them. ¡®do you want to be hanged like this¡­¡¯ Chapter 164 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the news that scarlet council had kidnapped richard and the third princess shocked him greatly. richard took a few deep breaths to suppress his inner emotions and opened the attributes panel of the mysterious cloaked figure with intense curiosity. [jones] [boss unit] [level: ???] !! [???] [???] the mysterious cloaked figure was not a hero but a boss unit. what was more laughable was that he could not see the level of the mysterious cloaked figure. all he could see were question marks. the mysterious cloaked figure was ultimately the sturdiest and most mysterious npc he had ever met. richard looked at the mysterious cloaked figure with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, ¡°your excellency is¡­¡± ferguson and dwarf knowles only returned to their senses at this time. after the two bowed to the mysterious cloaked figure, ferguson took the initiative to introduce the mysterious figure. ¡°richard, this is the president of the scarlet council, lord jones! ¡°lord jones, this is the richard i mentioned to you. he took the holy dragon¡¯s blood from the angels and demons and escorted me back. ¡°after those traitors attracted the demons and kidnapped me, he went to black oak manor alone to seek help from knowles. ¡°he also formulated a plan to use the templar city army to eliminate the traitors and personally completed this mission. it bought knowles precious time¡­¡± the deep blue eyes under the cloak looked at richard with a hint of admiration. then, the mysterious president slowly pulled down the cloak on its head, and a face that made richard¡¯s expression solemn appeared in front of him. the other party was about 50 years old. scars of all sizes shrouded its face. it was as if it had used a sharp knife to carve tens of thousands of times on a mirror. it was tragic and cruel. just one look was enough to make one¡¯s heart ache. no one could imagine how much pain the other party had suffered. this was a boss with a story. generally speaking, such a character¡¯s strength was usually exceedingly terrifying. but in the next second, jones bowed to him very seriously. ¡°sir richard, thank you for your help¡­¡± this action immediately made richard think highly of the cloaked figure. with such terrifying strength, it was still willing to bow to him. just this breadth of mind was not simple. richard returned the bow. ¡°sir jones, you are too polite. i also received the reward.¡± the other party smiled, which made the scar on its face even more eye-catching. ¡°this is not important¡­¡± before it could finish its words, a long, low roar suddenly came from the sky. and a powerful force covered the earth. jones looked at the dome ceiling as if its deep eyes had penetrated the building. its face became colder. ¡°such a powerful military service is ruled by a group of lowborn nobles like worms. it is a great shame¡­¡± when richard heard this, he suddenly remembered what knowles, a level 19 dwarf, had said the other day. flames of revenge consumed ferguson¡¯s rationality, and it wanted to overturn those nobles at all costs¡­ it seemed that the scarlet council was as he had guessed. everything they did was to destroy templar city. the vice president of the scarlet council was the same. and so was the president. he did not know what had happened to them to make such a choice¡­ however, with the nature of the dungeon, their experience was outrightly horrifying. moreover, the scars on jones¡¯ face seemed to have explained much. just as richard was about to speak, the system notification suddenly rang in his ear. [ding~ the third princess of the templar city has disappeared in templar city. this triggered the wrath of the king of the templar city. it has issued an order to everyone to find the missing third princess.] [mission difficulty: s-rank. mission reward: the title earl of the templar city. the king of the templar city will personally reward you.] this notification rang three times. richard glanced at jones. the princess was currently in the hands of the scarlet council?¡­ are you going to use this to test the officials? he opened the [forum chat] and glanced. as expected, a large number of players were discussing this matter. he realized this was a public mission other players besides the covenant of evil faction could accept. however, judging from the s-rank evaluation, the difficulty was simply heaven-defying. ¡°you might not believe me if i tell you, but i know the clues to this s-rank mission. ¡°moreover, the culprit is right in front of me¡­ ¡°what¡¯s worse is that i¡¯m also one of them¡­¡± richard felt it was a pity he could not complete the s-rank mission. if he leaked the mission, this seemingly polite boss in front of him would probably kill him instantly. the scarlet council had been planning for so long, so how could they let him ruin the plan so easily? and to him, the scarlet council was even more lucrative. he was now in the upper echelons of the scarlet council, so it was no joke that he had built up a good relationship with ferguson and knowles from difficult situations. no matter what it was, he had to be alive to take it. was an s-rank mission something that ordinary people could touch? an a-rank mission almost made him gg¡­ ¡°sir richard, i admire your courage and attitude¡­ are you willing to join the scarlet council?¡± at this moment, jones, the mysterious boss, interrupted his thoughts with a query. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he repeated it. ¡°sir jones, you invited me¡­ to join the scarlet council?¡± the other party¡¯s scarred face revealed some deep meaning. ¡°that¡¯s right, don¡¯t give me an answer yet¡­ do you know the purpose of the scarlet council?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°sir ferguson didn¡¯t mention it to me¡­¡± jones¡¯deep blue eyes shone with a burning light. at this moment, there seemed to be a flame burning inside. ¡°the purpose of the scarlet council is to overthrow the corrupt rule of the nobles! to send the king to the guillotine! ¡°we want to build a city hall and elect officials from the residents. ¡°we would build a kingdom where the citizens elect the country¡¯s future. ¡°each of us was born free. why should these corrupt kings and nobles rule us? ¡°this fate is unfair to each of us. since it is unfair, then we should overthrow it! even if it is fate!¡± ¡®what the f*ck¡­? send the king to the guillotine? why did this slogan sound so much like the western bourgeois revolution?¡¯ richard was stunned. was this time and space in disorder? but looking at jones, who was looking at him with unprecedented seriousness, he felt that any doubt was like blasphemy. the president of the scarlet council was like the most devout believer who had seen the god it had believed in all its life. the belief emanated from the depths of its heart was firm and unquestionable. it was even willing to sacrifice its life and soul for it. no one could shake it. in an environment where aristocracy was deeply rooted in the people¡¯s hearts, a high-level battle ability could determine the fantasy time of a kingdom¡¯s survival. it was almost impossible for such a system, where ideals were greater than reality, to exist. but the other party had such an idea. although idealists often had unpredictable endings, richard admired such a being. moreover, this was ultimately a mission with great potential they could tap. his gaze was firm, and his tone was sonorous. ¡°president jones, the lord of twilight city, richard, is willing to join the scarlet council and fight to overthrow fate! ¡°we are born free. no one can bind us, not even gods! ¡°kings, nobles, and religions. the root of the oppression of the residents of these three mountains is the sigh of the lower-class residents. it is the most tragic emotion in the heartless world. ¡°whoever stands in our way, we will destroy them!! ¡°ultimately, we can not surrender!¡± these honest words caused the three people in the room to be exceedingly impressed with richard. in addition to what he had done previously, closeness instantly filled his eyes. comrades! this was a comrade who understood and approved of them! jones was also delighted. he could feel that richard¡¯s words were not fake at all. this level of thought was too high! he had spent a lot of effort convincing the others before. he did not expect that he would shout slogans like ¡°the king, the nobles, and religion are the three mountains¡± just by listening to him say it once¡­ unfortunately, he did not know there was a super strong inheritance of knowledge called compulsory education. more than a billion people in another world understood this. he looked at richard with a solemn gaze. ¡°richard, your thoughts are the treasures of the scarlet council. and the scarlet council cannot ignore the contributions you have made. ¡°when we eliminated the traitors just now, three out of the twelve elders of the scarlet council were executed. ¡°a vacancy has appeared in the seat. although your strength is weak, your courage and wisdom are enough to shoulder the heavy responsibility! ¡°i appoint you as one of the twelve elders of the scarlet council. you will be responsible for spreading the scarlet council¡¯s beliefs and purposes to the outside world and attracting more talents to fight against the fallen templar city. 1 ¡°let¡¯s overthrow this rotten kingdom together and build a kingdom that truly belongs to the lower class of the templar city!¡± richard¡¯s expression instantly became very interesting. had he become one of the twelve elders of the scarlet council just like that? just because of these words? was that even possible? the scarlet council was a terrifying force that could kidnap the third princess, who was the commander of the templar dragoons. no one knew how terrifying its hidden strength was. now, he had become one of the rulers of this force¡­ even though it was a publicity stunt, he was still an elder. was this the reward that came with the a-rank mission, or did his words make the other party break the rules and promote him? it would ultimately bring him many benefits if he handled this identity well. richard felt that he had bet on the right treasure. he took a deep breath and said with a determined gaze. ¡°president jones, i will ultimately not let you down!¡± jones nodded and slowly walked forward. with a wave of its hand, a scarlet book appeared in its hand. ¡°extend your hand¡­¡± richard did not hesitate and extended his right hand. jones waved its arm, and a bloody slit appeared on its wrist. blood gushed out and dripped onto the scarlet book. in an instant, a bloody glow bloomed. richard sensed special energy binding him. after the glow faded, jones slowly closed the book. the scar on its wrist also healed in an instant. ¡°this is the most precious treasure of the scarlet council ¡ª the scarlet book. ¡°as long as the blood remains on it, you can sense your location and safety through this. ¡°at the same time, at the critical moment, i can directly open the space gate and descend to your side to provide support.¡± the moment the other party finished speaking, the system notification sounded again. [ding ~ you have successfully joined the hidden force ¨C the scarlet council. and you have become one of the twelve elders in control of the scarlet council. you have obtained a special achievement ¡ª underground ruler. you have received five gold points.] [during the period of being the twelve elders, you will receive an additional one gold point per week.] [you can exchange gold points for rare items that you cannot exchange for ordinary after the time fragment ends. they are exceedingly precious.] [you have obtained 1,000 units of gemstones, 1,000 units of mercury, and 1,000 units of crystals as salary and remuneration per week.] [you can command a portion of the scarlet council¡¯s army to carry out missions¡­] [you have earned the privilege of purchasing materials from the scarlet council at a 70% discount¡­] richard¡¯s breathing quickened as he looked at these series of notifications. he had decided. as long as he stayed in the dungeon, he would live and die with the scarlet council! no one should disturb him. he would ultimately become one of the elders! Chapter 165 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the scarlet council elder¡¯s position could have so many benefits. it was simply too much. if he stayed in the dungeon for ten weeks, wouldn¡¯t he be able to accumulate several rare resources and gold points without doing anything else? the feeling of making money while lying down was indeed exhilarating¡­ moreover, he could get a 70% discount when buying items in the scarlet council. this position of elder was a little too practical. richard was in a high mood. !! out of the series of rewards, the five gold points he obtained were the most important to him. this was the second time he had obtained gold points¡­ although he didn¡¯t know what it was for yet. but to be reminded by the system was ultimately precious. it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t simple. and from then on, he would be able to reap 1 point every week. it was simply astonishing. the scarlet council was his blessed land¡­ after this, the atmosphere in the room became even more harmonious. richard thought for a moment and asked. ¡°president jones, what plans do we have next?¡± whether it was the kidnapping of the third princess or the holy dragon¡¯s blood that ferguson had gotten from god knows where it all meant that the scarlet council had long prepared to topple the templar city. he was excited just thinking about being able to participate in such an enormous plan. while the other players still considered how to complete the faction mission, he prepared to flip the table. if this plan succeeded, who knew what the expressions of those players would be when they saw the already collapsed templar city after completing the mission¡­ however, the only pity was that the difficulty of this mission was probably several levels higher than s-rank. jones¡¯ deep eyes shone as he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°elder richard, do you know the function of the holy dragon¡¯s blood?¡± richard hesitated. ¡°it can strengthen skills?¡± jones smiled, and the scars on his face became even more ferocious. ¡°that is only a part of the ability of the holy dragon¡¯s blood¡­ ¡°the more important characteristic is as long as there is enough holy dragon¡¯s blood, it can strengthen every part of the body, making the body incomparably strong. ¡°until the final transformation into the body of a dragon, with the talent and power of a dragon.¡± richard frowned slightly. things were good, but¡­ ¡°what does this have to do with our plan?¡± jones did not directly respond but looked to the side. ¡°ferguson, you tell elder richard¡­¡± ferguson, who had a very eye-catching magic inscription on its forehead, smiled and went forward. it began to explain the function of the holy dragon¡¯s blood and the complete plan of the scarlet council. since richard had already left a mark on the scarlet book, he was one of them. once he intended to betray, the scarlet book would issue a warning. this was also why ferguson had prepared the list of traitors in advance. if it had not been in a hurry to get the holy dragon¡¯s blood back, it would have executed those traitors who had fornicated with the demons long ago. ¡°richard, when the third princess of the templar city was born, her father, who is now the king, once sought the blood of a giant dragon who had touched the boundary of the gods and transformed her body into a powerful dragon¡¯s body¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression gradually became amazed as he listened to the other party¡¯s story. when ferguson told him everything, he could not help but exclaim in surprise. ¡°in other words, the dragon blood in the third princess¡¯s body is very special. ¡°as long as the blood of the holy dragon with an ancient curse mixed with her body with dragon blood and poured into her body again, she will become a cursed body¡­ ¡°as long as the third princess returns to the king¡¯s city, she will spread the curse to all the templar dragoons. so that the most powerful force of the templar city, the templar dragoons will completely lose their ability to fight.¡± ¡°even the templar dragoons that have fallen into madness will attack their people¡­¡± ¡°and because the curse was from the blood of the holy dragon, it has a terrifying characteristic that no one can dispel. even the angels who control the holy power could not prevent this from happening¡­ ¡°even the angels will be affected by the curse, reducing their ability to fight¡­¡± at the end of ferguson¡¯s speech, richard felt the madness and horror of this plan. if this happened when the covenant of evil launched its attack, the templar city¡¯s main battle power would probably lose control instantly. however, he immediately realized the problem. ¡°if we let the templar city¡¯s main battle power collapse, who will be able to resist the evil monsters from the abyss and hell?¡± the scarlet council wanted to overthrow the rule of the templar city, not destroy it. jones slowly turned its head. certainty and strong confidence filled its eyes. ¡°i¡¯ve already prepared for this problem¡­ ¡°i¡¯ve traveled in other dimensions for a long time and made many friends. ¡°when the templar city¡¯s troop collapses, and those rotten nobles fall into the mud¡­ my allies will send troops to disperse the evil. ¡°a new kingdom will be established on this land!¡± richard was shocked by this news. this boss was genuinely a super boss. even the armies of other dimensional planes had it. the water in this was getting more and more muddled¡­ he was now a little confused about the direction of this dungeon. why did it feel like many scenarios played out at the same time? ¡°since we have the ability, why don¡¯t we build a kingdom somewhere else? we must build a kingdom in the templar city¡­¡± jones¡¯ tone was indescribably cold. ¡°chains of the nobles in this city once whipped ferguson and me! ¡°pain and despair once consumed our hearts. ¡°the pain we suffered will be repaid thousand times over!¡± richard looked at the other party¡¯s scarred face and suddenly understood. the story behind this was not something that few words could explain. a person¡¯s current situation must be directly related to their past growth experience. perhaps, the other party had such unrealistic ideals because they were forged from pain over and over again. however, he had no interest in persuading them. to idealists, these persuasions could only strengthen their beliefs. if they could change, they would have changed long ago. beliefs were illusory, but sometimes they were as strong as mountains and could not be shaken. jones soon calmed down. ¡°let¡¯s leave templar city first. using the blood of the holy dragon to create an ancient curse will cause a huge commotion¡­¡± richard nodded and was about to say something. suddenly. an indescribably terrifying pressure crossed the void and came over. at this moment, it was like a giant abyssal beast, hundreds of thousands of feet tall, torn the earth apart. the majestic aura seemed like angry sea waves could destroy everything. the sky and earth lost their color. ¡®bang!¡¯ a giant hand seemed to have flattened the towering roof. beams, wood, and rocks flew in all directions. a pitch-black night sky appeared in front of them. at the top, an old mage with grayish hair and a mage¡¯s scepter floated in mid-air. that pair of cold eyes looked down. when it saw jones, it shouted out loud. ¡°jones?! ¡°how is it possible¡­ how can you still be alive?!!¡± jones raised its head, its dark blue eyes looked at the old mage, and said slowly, ¡°the needle of fate has been pulled back to its original position.¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ such a vast commotion had already attracted the entire city¡¯s alert troop. in the distance, the templar dragoons and angels rushed over quickly. ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± richard said in a deep voice. ¡°president jones, we need to leave immediately.¡± jones waved its hand, and the space in front of them shattered. a girl with eyes tightly shut, wearing tight-fitting leather armor, and a face that could topple cities appeared out of thin air. ¡°ferguson, richard, take the third princess with you. i¡¯ll send you off.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. third princess, s-rank mission¡­ after jones finished speaking, its body suddenly grew taller and instantly turned into a five-meter-tall giant. the terrifying aura surged like a mountain collapsing. it threw a punch. the space directly exploded. the old mage¡¯s expression changed drastically and instantly disappeared. the mage¡¯s strongest life-saving skill ¡ª blink. but the moment the opponent appeared hundreds of meters away. ¡®bang!¡¯ a fist directly hit its heart. ¡®crack!¡¯ the magic shield that had just risen on its body exploded, and a large part of its chest caved in. blood spurted out wildly. the arrogant old mage was heavily injured in one blow. the ultimate boss of the scarlet council was so powerful that it could not be described. after jones¡¯ victory, it did not hesitate and threw another punch. ¡®crack!¡¯ an irregular spatial crack appeared in front of them. ¡°take the third princess and leave, quickly!!¡± knowles, a level 19 dwarf, has almost gone crazy. how could they run at this time? ¡°president jones, let¡¯s go together¡­¡± jones said quickly, ¡°my aura has been locked onto by the templar city¡¯s artifact. if i go with you, no one will be able to escape.¡± as soon as the president finished speaking, it waved its hand and the third princess fell into richard¡¯s arms. ¡°you guys leave first. i have a way to escape¡­¡± at this moment, a system notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have triggered an emergency ¡ª escape danger.] [the scarlet council had kidnapped the third princess because of their plan to overthrow the templar city. this had angered the entire oath of light faction.] [the other party would do anything to get the third princess back. please protect the third princess and escape from this place.] [mission difficulty: s-rank. the reward for each emergency is uncertain. please explore on your own.] ¡®emergency? s-rank mission??¡¯ richard was shocked. this sudden shock only lasted for a few breaths. the situation had changed too quickly. ferguson did not give him time to react. it pulled richard and knowles into the spatial rift. the next moment. the space collapsed. jones was the only one left on the spot. the figure with scars all over its face slowly looked up at the sky. the twelve-winged angel¡¯s shadow was so eye-catching at the moment. a cold smile hung on the corner of its mouth. ¡°the templar city¡­ ¡°today is the starting point of your collapse!¡± jones¡¯ five-meter-tall body suddenly expanded and directly reached 10 meters. the long robe on its body shattered and revealed scarlet armor. ¡°kill!¡± with a stomp of its foot, a vast force bombarded the ground, and dozens of spider-web-like cracks appeared. powerful force supported its body as it leaped into the sky. with a punch, the templar dragoons in front of jones exploded into a bloody mist ¡ª instant kill. no one could stop jones¡­ richard did not see jones¡¯ crazy massacre in templar city. at this moment, he had no time to care about anything else. because after he left templar city, a system notification made him tense up and rang in his ears. [ding ~ there are traces of the third princess of the templar city. lords, please search for her yourself. the king of the templar city will personally reward you for finding the third princess.] [the king of the templar city has left a mark on the third princess with a divine weapon. every three hours, her position will be displayed once. it will be displayed ten times.] [lords, please follow the position of the third princess.] after richard had read the notification a few times, richard¡¯s expression became extremely interesting. ¡®every three hours, the third princess¡¯ location would be revealed.¡¯ now, the third princess of the templar city was in his hands. didn¡¯t this mean that¡­? the entire dungeon would hunt him!?! finding the third princess was an s-rank mission. anyone would be excited. moreover, players and top-tier npcs would also mobilize. this process would last for 30 hours, and they would be exposed ten times along the way¡­ for a moment, richard felt his scalp go numb. ¡°was this a f*cking s-rank emergency?? could it be that sick?!!¡± Chapter 166 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°the templar city must have come here under jones¡¯ protection because of the artifact marks on the third princess¡­ this time, it¡¯s too sloppy. ¡°we¡¯ve already revealed our position once, and now we still have three hours to turn back¡­¡± as richard¡¯s thoughts spun, he felt the pressure on his face. three hours later, everyone would attack them. his eyelids twitched when he taught of the scene of the angels and dragons swarming over. !! ferguson, whose magic runes on his forehead were extremely eye-catching, raised its head and looked around. ¡°this is the forest on the west side of the city. it¡¯s only 10 kilometers away from the city. we have to leave immediately.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, it waved its hand. a special energy surged out of its body and enveloped richard and the dwarf knowles beside ferguson. the concealment power directly covered the traces of the three people. their bodies and breaths starkly disappeared. the effect of using this skill was sublimely sturdy with the properties of ferguson¡¯s body. richard was not in the mood to think about this at the moment. he lowered his head and looked at the third princess sleeping in his arms. he said slowly. ¡°we need a more detailed plan¡­ this time, we are in big trouble!¡± knowles raised its head and said in confusion. ¡°what trouble? president jones is stalling time for us inside. and ferguson, that idiot, has concealment power to hide his aura. can those lowly bastards from the templar city still find us?¡± richard looked at the dwarf and shook his head. ¡°the sacred artifact of the templar city just locked onto the third princess, not president jones! ¡°the artifact left a trace in her soul. ¡°this will expose her aura every three hours. and after ten times, it will dissipate¡­ ¡°in other words, this process will last for 30 hours.¡± ¡®hiss!¡¯ these words sent chills down their spines. every three hours¡­? does this mean their concealment power would be ineffective? and the consequence of this was the entire templar city would hunt them down! initially, they were fearless because the templar city was in the open while the scarlet council was in the dark, giving them more room to maneuver. but now, putting everything in the light highlighted the gap between the two sides. when richard thought about the scene of thousands of templar dragoons and angels chasing after them, even the neurotic dwarf knowles felt its mouth dry. the two sides were not on the same level at all¡­ unless jones, the mysterious big boss, is willing to let the armies of the dimensional plane come to support them, they would encounter a terrible disaster. ¡°is this news true?¡± richard nodded. ¡°there¡¯s no mistake¡­¡± his tone was calm, but there was an unquestionable certainty. the two instantly fell silent. based on richard¡¯s previous performance, there was no need to doubt his words. ferguson took a deep breath, and a subtle hint of anxiety appeared in its eyes. ¡°if it¡¯s just the enemy chasing us, i have a hundred ways to escape. ¡°but it will be fatal to us if we expose the third princess¡¯ location every three hours¡­¡± the third princess was the core of the templar city. the plan they had been plotting for countless years would collapse without her. however, it was difficult to escape with the third princess under the pursuit of the entire oath of light faction¡­ the current templar city did not only have humans, elves, dwarves, and churches. these forces were equally powerful and had many more tricks up their sleeves. this was not the end. richard¡¯s subsequent sentence chilled both of their hearts. ¡°after the news of the third princess¡¯ disappearance spread, covenant of evil spies will ultimately send it back. ¡°those dark beings will be glad to see the third princess, who commanded the templar city, fall. ¡°at that time, we may not only have to face the enemies of the oath of light, but the covenant of evil will also be our enemy!¡± he had just taken some time to look at the [forum chat]. the players of the covenant of evil had also received a mission. however, unlike the oath of light faction¡¯s mission to find the princess, their mission was ¡ª hunt. this shattered his initial plan to set himself on fire and go to the covenant of evil to escape. when knowles heard this, it rubbed its messy hair and angrily said, ¡°damn bastards! the bastards of templar city and those dark monsters deserve to die!! ¡°third princess, we absolutely can not give up! ¡°richard, you are smarter than idiot ferguson. do you have any way to avoid the pursuit of those people?!¡± richard said in a grave tone. ¡°where are we sending the third princess?¡± ferguson waved its hand, and a map made of energy appeared in front of it. there were two points marked on it ¡ª the templar city and an arch. ¡°that arch is a passage to another dimensional plane. we have to send the third princess here. ¡°this is a newly born plane. it can only accommodate a power of level 14 at the most. the plane¡¯s dominion will directly repel anyone above this level and can not enter. ¡°they especially chose this plane to prevent the enemy from interrupting our transformation into the third princess. ¡°the scarlet council has arranged many methods inside.¡± as it spoke, its tone became bitter. ¡°if not for this matter, the methods we arranged can starkly avoid the enemy¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°but right now, the oath of light and covenant of evil are all focused on the third princess. i¡¯m afraid that even if we send the third princess inside, it would be useless¡­¡± ¡®that plane could only accommodate level 14 battle power?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. his sharp senses told him this was probably the only way to break through this s-rank mission. the millions of players do not nag him but the npcs whose battle power had already reached the ceiling. if he could avoid those npcs who could destroy the city walls with a single strike, he had a 30% chance of success. the remaining 70% would depend on whether the goddess of luck took off her long dress for him¡­ ¡°after we enter, is there any way to destroy the spatial door and sever the connection with the outside world?¡± knowles interrupted. ¡°if the time of being locked by the artifact hasn¡¯t passed, severing the connection with the main plane will expose the dimensional coordinates of the dimensional plane. ¡°at that time, the enemy can outrightly shatter the space and enter without entering from the front. ¡°only after the artifact could not track the third princess can the dimensional door be destroyed to hide the plane.¡± richard¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°since the artifact can track the third princess and expose the dimensional coordinates, why can it still hide the plane?¡± ¡°because the dimensional stone has already been concealed by president jones using special methods. outsiders can not track it.¡± knowles continued to explain, ¡°the third princess is now equivalent to a magic warning device. the outside world can guess the coordinates of the dimension through its position¡­ ¡°if the enemy anchors the coordinates of the dimension after we enter, wouldn¡¯t the result be the same? ¡°now that the dimensional plane connects to the main plane, it is a part of the main plane. so it is impossible to guess the coordinates¡­¡± after knowles explained, richard felt a bit of a headache. there indeed wasn¡¯t a single loophole in this s-rank mission. if they wanted to take the third princess away, they could only take on all the players and npcs on the map and withstand the risk of exposing their location ten times. in these 30 hours, danger lurked everywhere. ferguson waved its hand. and the map in the air suddenly changed, and a new terrain appeared. ¡°this is the map of the dimensional plane. the points on it are the troops we have arranged inside. ¡°you have already branded your mark on the scarlet book. once you enter it, you can directly command them¡­ ¡°our level has already exceeded the plane¡¯s limit, so we can only entrust it to you.¡± richard synchronized the map with the system map. as he was thinking, a twisted and special area came into view. he looked at the terrain and found it familiar. it seemed to be¡­? a rift valley? a mark in the middle that looked like an earthworm made him squint his eyes. he pointed at the area. ¡°where is this?¡± ¡°this was originally a stone mountain, but due to the formation of the long plane, it became a rugged land made of countless sand and gravel due to the hurricane. ¡°there are deep valleys, pitch-black caves, and various strange passageways. ¡°this area is sublimely inconsistent. large-scale collapses often occur that bury the underground passageways. ¡°that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t deploy troops in this area.¡± richard¡¯s eyes gradually lit up. sand, gravel¡­ ¡°how big is this area?¡± ¡°hundreds of kilometers.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the black line in the middle?¡± ¡°on the most prodigious rift in this area, there are high rocky cliffs up to several thousand meters on the left and right sides, and the middle is bottomless. ¡°according to president jones¡¯ speculation, this is the first rift in this plane, formed by the extension of two pieces of land.¡± ferguson hesitated. ¡°sublimely enormous creatures inhabited this area ¡ª sandworms. ¡°they are the only creatures above level 15 in this plane. they are monsters that have existed since the birth of this plane. ¡°they can even hunt giant dragons¡­¡± richard stared at that area for a long time. the goddess of luck ultimately did take off her long dress for him¡­ he turned his head and stared at the two, clearly enunciating each word. ¡°i will shoulder this mission. ¡°i will do everything, even if i sacrifice my life and soul. i will protect the third princess.¡± at this moment, his expression was extremely solemn. ¡°ferguson, knowles¡­ i need you to listen to my orders in the next operation.¡± the two looked at richard, whose aura was countless times weaker than theirs. at this moment, they felt as if they were facing jones. at this moment, some pressure rose in their hearts. ferguson and knowles subconsciously looked at each other. then, they took a deep breath and solemnly saluted him with their hands on their chests. ¡°i¡¯ll listen to your orders, elder richard!¡± when ferguson and knowles stood up again, the way they looked at richard had already changed. they no longer looked at him as a junior but as an equal or as a leader. even though there was a vast difference in strength between the two sides, he had won their respect by relying on his responsibility, courage, and wisdom. although richard¡¯s expression was calm, his heart began to sink into a state of extreme excitement. it was not because he had gained the approval of the two. but because he thought he was about to face the pursuit of npcs and players from the entire plane. his blood rushed to his head. one person, against a million players. was there anything more exciting than this? since he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he would give it his all. he wanted to see if twilight city¡¯s sharpness could make those players feel fear. ¡°prepare¡­to fight!¡± Chapter 167 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation at this moment, the public s-rank mission ¨C save the third princess, agitated all the players. ¡°s-rank mission, the king¡¯s reward¡­ i¡¯m sorry, everyone. the third princess is mine. i¡¯m ultimately going to be the prince!!¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll get a few divine artifacts if i complete this mission, right? i¡¯m so envious¡­ when will the position of the third princess be announced??¡± ¡°the most difficult part of this mission is not how to find the third princess, but how to snatch the third princess from the hands of others and return the princess to the templar city safely¡­¡± ¡°that sounds about right. there are npcs involved in this s-rank mission. the difficulty of snatching the third princess away from others is simply heaven-defying.¡± !! ¡°hey, why isn¡¯t everyone paying attention to who kidnapped the third princess? since it¡¯s an s-rank mission, the person who kidnapped the third princess must be sublimely paralyzing, right?¡± when they heard this, the group of players shifted their attention away from the mission reward and started discussing who the main culprit was. most of them thought it was some powerful npc, or else it would be impossible for him to do such a thing. some people also guessed that a top-tier player did it, but no one took it seriously. how could ordinary players do it if they wanted to snatch someone from templar city¡¯s hands? it would still be strenuous, even if they added the top ten players on the ranking board together. not long after, the envious and indignant players from the covenant of evil faction heard the system notification simultaneously¡­save the third princess. the quest level was also s-rank. this time, the players from the covenant of evil faction immediately trembled. ¡°hahaha, the bastards from the oath of light faction want to return the third princess to templar city? what the f*ck are you thinking?!¡± ¡°i wonder if we can recruit an a-rank hero after we use the third princess to recruit skeletons? forget about an a-rank hero. it would be a meteoric rise if we can get a b-rank hero!¡± ¡°hahaha, brothers, i¡¯ll go scout the way first. my undead troop is already hungry¡­¡± the discussion continued¡­ the players from the oath of light discussing the intense competition were instantly dumbfounded. ¡®this is our mission, and your covenant of evil faction wants to get involved.¡¯ they instantly felt that the difficulty of this mission was increasing rapidly. however, the rewards of an s-rank mission could go to the heavens. without hesitation, they immediately set off for the outskirts of templar city. according to the news released by templar city, the other party had already kidnapped the third princess and left. judging from the difficulty of an s-rank mission, the other party could not just stand there and wait for them. some players were quick-witted. while they set off to search for the third princess, they secretly began to hunt down players from the opposing faction. killing a lord would earn them 1,000 points. in their eyes, the lord of each opposing faction was a walking point. in just one or two hours, the clash between the players from both factions outside templar city was countless times more intense than the previous few days. after they waited for three long hours. suddenly, the entire forum erupted. it was because a message suddenly appeared in the minds of all oath of light players. what followed was a flash point that appeared on the system map. and the words ¡°third princess¡± were marked on it. ¡°f*ck, is this the function of the templar city¡¯s artifact? it can directly send us information about the enemy. is that artifact called the big dipper satellite?¡± ¡°i saw the templar city troop rushing in the direction where the third princess appeared!! don¡¯t let the npcs get there first!!¡± ¡°it¡¯s 100 kilometers west of templar city. quick, everyone, charge!!¡± ¡°hahaha, third princess, your prince is coming to fetch you back¡­¡± the exchange of boastful words continued. ****** one hundred kilometers west of templar city. ¡®puchi!¡¯ an undead player from the covenant of evil faction could not escape after the enemies cleared the last skeleton soldier who suddenly attacked. an arrow pierced its head, and its corpse fell to the ground¡­ feng ge looked at the white bones lying on the ground and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°clear the battlefield!¡± ¡°yes, guild leader!¡± more than ten players at the back immediately commanded the troop to clean up. feng ge ignored everything else and opened his attribute panel. the attack he had just launched had earned him a total of 2,000 points. as the second player on the ranking board, he had finally earned 100,000 points after this battle. no one knew how much he had suffered in the past few days to obtain points. he had been hunting the enemies of the covenant of evil faction almost day and night. but even so, he was only¡­second place. that¡¯s right, second place! he opened the ranking board and glanced. the two words ¡°qingqiu¡± above his name were entirely glaring. it had been three and a half days. feng ge had not moved for the rest of the time, other than the points obtained in the first hour. at first, he did not think much of it. qingqiu was able to earn 130,000 points in an hour. how could he be weaker than others? however, after fighting the enemies in this dungeon, he realized how wrong he was! how many of the 20 billion people who could stand out were weak? there was no shortcut for him to earn points. he could only kill them one by one. the more he fought, the more his confidence collapsed. qingqiu¡¯s 130,000 points were like a heavenly gully to him, simply unreachable. after feng ge saw how difficult the enemy was to deal with and how difficult the points were to earn, he realized how ridiculous the value of 130,000 points was. under his observation, the mentality of the other players had also changed. at first, there were still people who doubted qingqiu. but after a few days, after knowing the difficulty of obtaining points, no one said anything more. qingqiu could obtain 130,000 points in an hour. but they could not, even if they worked hard a few for an entire day¡­? doubting qingqiu, wasn¡¯t it just themselves? but, he would never admit defeat! feng ge gritted his teeth. his stare was dauntless. he would ultimately trample qingqiu under his feet, he swore! he turned his head to look at the players behind him. ¡°if you don¡¯t have any treasures, then don¡¯t waste any more time. get ready to set off and search for the third princess. ¡°this s-rank mission is the first public mission in the dungeon. we will ultimately reap a huge reward if we can complete it! ¡°as long as we can get a share of the loot, it won¡¯t be any lesser than the rewards from fighting for the ranking board.¡± as feng ge spoke, he took a deep breath. ¡°qingqiu is already an officer of the templar city. he will indeed participate in this mission. we must not let him trample over us again!¡± a dozen players behind him were members of the guild he had established. that is why he had the confidence to compete in the ranking battle. as he spoke, his tone became colder. ¡°life and death are determined within a dungeon. ¡°once you discover qingqiu, even if you have to pay a certain price, as long as there¡¯s an opportunity, immediately eliminate him!¡± ¡°yes, guild leader!¡± more than ten players nodded in unison. with so many of them, they couldn¡¯t even compare to one qingqiu. that made them extremely angry. at this moment, a stream of information suddenly surged into feng ge¡¯s mind. after that, the system map began to flash. the third princess¡¯ location! feng ge¡¯s eyes lit up. what made him even more breathless was..! the location was only a few hundred meters away from them!!! a tremendous surprise of finding a treasure rushed into his mind. ¡°quick!! chase after her!! ¡°the third princess is not far away!!¡± after saying that, feng ge immediately waved his hand, and more than ten griffins covered in mixed-colored fur and looking a little sloppy flapped their wings and fell from the sky. mixed-haired griffins, elite troops. feng ge immediately led more than ten players and rode up. the troop below quickly followed from the ground. a distance of several hundred meters was only a few breaths¡¯ time under the speed of flying troops. after they rushed out of the forest, feng ge immediately saw a scene that quickened his breathing. a giant mechanical puppet more than 15 meters tall floated in midair. the aura it emitted was like an avalanche of ice and snow. the power that engulfed everything sent chills down people¡¯s spines. he would lose the courage to resist as long as he looked at it. it was too terrifying. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. [extraordinary hunter ¨C ultimate puppet, level 20¡­] this simple attribute caused the excitement in his heart to freeze on the spot. an unconcealable fear surged into his heart. ¡®f*ck! level 20???¡¯ ¡®could a human complete this mission?!¡¯ thinking about how he had to rescue the third princess from an opponent of this level, his blood instantly turned cold. it was still impossible even if given a troop ten or a hundred times sturdier! but at this moment, his gaze suddenly saw the figure of a sleeping girl on the shoulder of the giant mechanical puppet. the third princess! feng ge¡¯s pupils constricted. he immediately recognized his target. but the next second, he turned his attention to the person holding the third princess. who was this person? he could bravely stand on the shoulder of a level 20 extraordinary mechanical puppet. were they partners? he subconsciously opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel. there were only two words on it. qingqiu. Chapter 168 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s expression was somewhat unsightly. he felt the exposure had ticked him. he had thought that the blood loop would expose the third princess for a quick span but did not expect traces left behind by the artifact in her soul would continue to ripple for several minutes. that made his thoughts of escaping quickly fall through the cracks. there substantially was not a single loophole in the s-rank mission¡­ !! ¡°knowles, leave immediately!¡± as soon as richard finished speaking, a large amount of sand suddenly floated around him that locked him firmly onto the mechanical puppet like a chain. the dwarf hero piloting a level 20 extraordinary hunter, immediately controlled this gigantic mechanical puppet to fly across the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ a sonic boom sounded, and a mist exploded behind him and quickly disappeared before his eyes. the speed was so fast that several afterimages were left behind¡­ wind song and a dozen players riding mottled griffins watched as richard disappeared before their eyes, unable to return to their senses for a long time. they opened their mouths, wanting to say something, but could not say a single word. ¡®qingqiu¡­ qingqiu again!! ¡®why was he involved in everything?!! ¡®wasn¡¯t he an officer of the templar city?? ¡®how could he be the one who kidnapped the third princess? ¡®what was up with that level 20 mechanical puppet?! ¡®why was he able to stand on the other party¡¯s shoulder and receive the other party¡¯s protection?? ¡®was this level of npc something that current players could come into contact with? ¡®that guy¡­? what else was he hiding?!??!¡¯ countless questions filled feng ge¡¯s mind, almost driving him crazy!! a minute ago, he thought of stepping on the other party¡¯s head, but now, he had only met him once, and the other party might not even see him. that thought was like a flame ignited by a match splashed down by a bucket of water, ruthlessly extinguished. it chilled his heart. ¡®roar!¡¯ suddenly, a roar interrupted his thoughts. dozens of templar dragoons whizzed over, their terrifying draconic aura wantonly erupted. the mongrel griffin sitting on the ground was suddenly greatly frightened and began to scream and flee frantically. feng ge was caught off guard and almost flung away. he suddenly grabbed the reins and tried to control the griffin. however, the griffin was terrified and completely ignored the manipulation. it dived abruptly and buried its head in the grass, and shivered. they did not dare to move, no matter how he commanded them. it was scared out of its wits by the draconic aura. when feng ge saw this scene, an unconcealable sense of defeat rose in his heart. ¡°f*ck! the level-20 mechanical puppet sitting that qingqiu was sitting on could make the templar dragoons unable to catch up. on the other hand, he could only sit on the miscellaneous-haired griffin. not to mention fighting against the giant dragons, the griffin had already collapsed before it could even get close to these troops. he let out a long sigh. he no longer had any thoughts of comparing himself to the other party. he was ultimately defeated. he waved his hand lifelessly. ¡°let¡¯s go. continue hunting the covenant of evil faction¡­ ¡°qingqiu¡­ is no longer something we can compare to.¡± griffins embarrassed more than a dozen players in the rear that fell into silence. this scene had substantially dealt them a heavy blow. ****** run. run like crazy. richard did not stop for even a moment. he stood on the extraordinary hunter¡¯s shoulder and quickly ran into the planar gate. ferguson disappeared without a trace and did not move with them. behind the extraordinary hunter, a long line of troops appeared. dragons, angels, unicorn pegasus, griffins, airships¡­ almost all the top-tier soldiers of the templar city had gathered. the scene looked sublimely gigantic. when richard saw the enemy was gradually approaching, his expression was a little ugly. ¡°knowles, speed up!¡± ¡°damn the templar city. do you think you can catch up to master knowles? superpowers overload¡­ activate!¡± ¡®boom¡¯ they could hear the sound of gasoline burning. the speed of the extraordinary serial killer soared several times¡­ the large group of pursuers behind them watched helplessly as the giant machine pulled away. ¡°magic imprisonment!!¡± a four-winged angel roared furiously. ¡°commander, the opponent¡¯s mechanical puppet is immune to magic!¡± ¡°what about that human?¡± ¡°he¡¯s too fast. we can¡¯t pick out a target. furthermore, special energy shrouded the opponent¡¯s body. it¡¯s grandly arduous to identify him¡­¡± ¡°activate the spatial chains, lock on to him!! inform the troop to activate the teleportation formation and take a detour to intercept him!¡± ¡°yes, commander¡­¡± not long after the third princess¡¯ aura was exposed for the first time. a piece of news on the players¡¯ [forum chat] caused everyone to explode ¡ª the third princess was in qingqiu¡¯s hands. when the players heard this news, they were all dumbfounded. ¡®wasn¡¯t this guy from templar city? why did he kidnap the third princess?¡¯ this was everyone¡¯s first reaction. the other party activated the military merit system. how did this have anything to do with this? however, when they regained their senses, everyone was furious. ¡°qingqiu! f*ck! that bastard! why is he involved in everything?!¡± ¡°do you guys dare to believe it? qingqiu got a level 20 mechanical puppet out of nowhere and is currently hiding from the npcs.¡± ¡°why is this bastard everywhere? i refuse to accept it. no matter what, i have to destroy that fellow!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t let qingqiu continue to be a scourge. if this continues, he will get all the benefits!¡± ¡°right, we should unite and besiege qingqiu!¡± ¡°well said, unite and besiege qingqiu!¡± ¡°besiege qingqiu!¡± ¡°besiege qingqiu¡­¡± most players had complicated feelings toward richard, who had always been on top of them. they admired his strength but were heavy-hearted because he had gained many benefits. at first, the players were just excited. but after someone said about the besiege of qingqiu, everyone began to copy and paste the words. the entire [forum chat], whether it was the covenant of evil or the oath of light, was flooded with the words ¡°besiege qingqiu.¡± Chapter 169 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation it was utterly spectacular. it was a miracle he could become everyone¡¯s enemy and receive a response. soon, besieging qingqiu became the consensus of all the players. many of them began to report his escape route. soon, some idle players began to take the initiative to gather this information. they opened a few posts to update richard¡¯s whereabouts in real-time. some players even took the initiative to provide information to the npc that caused richard to suffer a few losses. !! after the npc rewarded a player¡¯s information with a strategic treasure, it starkly aroused the players¡¯ enthusiasm to hunt richard¡­ richard had no time to care about the forums, so without him knowing, millions of top players had joined forces because of him¡­ on the 3rd of june, at 8:00 sharp. richard, who had spent a lot of effort to escape from the enemy¡¯s hands, revealed the aura of the third princess in his arms for the second time. the pursuing troops not far away from him appeared one after another. because there were too many enemies, they could not escape with speed like before. knowles barely broke out of the siege after it drove the extraordinary hunter through a bloody battle. however, at the most critical moment, the supreme demon of the covenant of evil faction appeared and cut off their escape. this forced knowles to activate the life-saving skill of the extraordinary hunter ¡ª space teleportation. he retreated to a thousand meters away and continued to flee¡­ large patches of it had already been shattered after such an intense battle, even though this mechanical puppet was level 20. three hours later, at 11 o¡¯clock sharp, the aura within the princess¡¯s body spread out for the third time. this time, richard was not worried about being exposed, because he had not been able to escape from the enemy¡¯s pursuit in the past three hours. if not for the extraordinary hunter that could activate the superpowers overload and increase its speed by five times and the sublimely durable mechanical puppet, the enemies could have trapped it into a tight besiege. but even so, this level 20 war machine was damaged beyond repair and could be destroyed. the pursuers were too powerful. the elves¡¯ unicorn pegasus, the dwarves¡¯ airship, the templar city¡¯s dragon, the templar griffin, and the angels on both sides. this power could make anyone¡¯s heart tremble. the pursuers were still splendid. they were scared of the third princess being in richard¡¯s arms, so they didn¡¯t dare to attack at will. but the covent of evil faction responsible for hunting him was different. the great demons of the abyss, the archdukes of hell, the bone dragons of the undead, and the black dragons of the dungeon race, as long as they saw her, they would shoot her first. they were ultimately aiming to kill the third princess. they had caused the extraordinary hunter great danger. they caused most of the broken scars left on its body. in the end, the oath of light faction had to split a portion of their forces to stop the covenant of evil faction from killing the third princess. 14:00 noon. after the blood loop revealed the fourth aura, the mechanical puppet knowles was driving exploded and exposed a colossal hole in its chest. the figure of a supreme demon flashed and disappeared. the level 20 mechanical puppet finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. after barely withstanding the aura for five long minutes, the gigantic figure of the mechanical puppet suddenly disappeared. in front of it appeared the figure of a level 19 dwarf, knowles. at this moment, the other party was sitting on the abdomen of a four-meter-tall puppet. the level of this puppet had also dropped from level 20 to level 19. its performance had been reduced by more than ten times, although there was only a one-level difference. initially, it could still block the sharp edge of the pursuing troops, but now it could only escape. however, without the extraordinary hunter¡¯s intense speed, in just a few breaths, the figure of an elf unicorn pegasus appeared in front of it¡­ there was no escape. but just as it was about to enter a desperate situation¡­ richard¡¯s body suddenly emitted an endless yellow sand glow. the next moment, the ground turned into sand, and he fell into it with knowles¡­ the pursuing troops were stunned, and then they began to attack wildly. but they could no longer find any traces of richard after the sand transformation emptied the sand. after they pursued him for several hours, they ultimately found nothing. and richard was even able to escape under their noses. everyone¡¯s expressions became extremely ugly. they felt a great humiliation at this moment. meanwhile, the players tracking and reporting on qinqiu were also stunned. ¡°no way¡­ how could qingqiu escape? aren¡¯t these npcs too useless?¡± ¡°f*ck! qingqiu is simply incredible. i can¡¯t understand how this guy can be so exceptional. is there any fairness left?¡± ¡°everyone, don¡¯t be discouraged. since it¡¯s an s-rank mission, it definitely won¡¯t be so easy to complete. continue to search. once you find it, provide the information to the npcs. i don¡¯t believe we won¡¯t be able to kill him!¡± the heated discussion continued¡­ the pursuing troops searched the surroundings for three hours. at 18:00, their aura was revealed for the fifth time. only then did they realize that that bastard was ultimately hiding in a lake. however, when they rushed over, spatial energy surged. the other party had suddenly moved from one side of the map to the other side¡­ space teleportation? richard had fooled them! as this thought arose, the space teleportation exploded violently. the explosion completely disrupted the surrounding space. the thought of following the other party was immediately interrupted. this scene ultimately ignited the fury of these top-tier soldiers. all of their faces were ashen.and their fingers were clenched so tightly that they made cracking sounds. ¡°damn! why did they suddenly move over a hundred kilometers?? what did qingqiu do??¡± ¡°space teleportation¡­ what a good trick!!¡± the players looked at richard, who had escaped again, and suddenly felt helpless. ¡°is this guy still a human? why is he still safe and sound despite being pursued at such a high intensity?¡± ¡°how many tricks does he still have hidden?¡± ****** ¡°he entered the dimensional plane through this spatial crack¡­¡± in a valley, ferguson and knowles gestured to the surging spatial crack in front of them like a water curtain. their gazes were somewhat complicated. they had already used all their tricks in the past more than ten hours. a power above level-14 could not enter the dimensional plane, isolating the enemy¡¯s top-tier severity. this could buy richard more time to catch his breath. if they stayed outside, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the rest of the time. but they also knew that the real test would come next. richard had to face the enemy alone. although there were many methods set up by the scarlet council, in front of such a domineering hunter, it was still a question of whether he could survive two breaths¡­ in the end, he might be the only one left to fight. ¡°the third princess¡¯ power has already been sealed. it won¡¯t affect you from bringing her in. the suppression of the plane won¡¯t lift the seal. you don¡¯t have to worry. ¡°president jones has already left templar city. although he can¡¯t free his hands yet, as long as he can stall for time, he¡¯ll immediately control the plane stone and close this spatial crack.¡± richard took a deep breath. ¡°there are only five breaths left¡­ fifteen hours.¡± he smiled as he spoke. ¡°ferguson, knowles¡­ wait for me to come back.¡± as he finished speaking, he slowly extended his hand, and ferguson held it tightly. knowles was anxious when he saw this. he immediately raised his hand and held it. but because of his height, it was a little strange now. the two looked at the dwarf¡¯s appearance and smiled at each other. everything was said without saying. knowles raised its head and smiled. at this moment, the relationship between the three rose to another level. [ding~ the relationship between knowles and ferguson has risen to respect.¡± the relationships in the ¡°shining era¡± were divided into mortal enemies, hatred, strangers, friendliness, intimacy, respect, and worship. each level represented a certain degree. although the three had not known each other for a long time, the friendship forged in the flames of war was always uniquely strong. richard¡¯s mood also improved a little. after they finished this farewell ceremony, richard turned around with the third princess in his arms, intending to enter the dimensional space. if operated properly, he could have wasted another opportunity for his pursuers. when the enemies caught up and found that they could not enter the dimensional space, they could only redeploy their troops. however, before they could step into the dimensional space, knowles walked in front of him with short steps and handed him a pitch-black iron ring. the dwarf felt his heartache as he spoke. ¡°damned human brat!! i knew that you had your eyes on my great treasure. although it¡¯s more than half broken now, you can still use it once or twice¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already erased the brand within it. you can bind it to it if you drop your blood on it. ¡°i spent all my savings to make this!! i won¡¯t even let that idiot ferguson touch it! ¡°the dimensional plane doesn¡¯t allow above level 14 power. once you use it, it will be damaged if you support it after five minutes at most¡­ but this can save your life. ¡°you need it more than i do now.¡± richard was startled. he reached out to receive it, and the system notification rang. [ding~ knowles (level 19 dwarf hero) has gifted you a level 20 extraordinary hunter mechanical puppet (broken). you can bind it by dripping blood on the control ring.] Chapter 170 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked deeply at knowles. a level 20 extraordinary hunter, its value was immeasurable even if it was already broken. this generous gift was ultimately indispensable. his tone was lucid. ¡°knowles, i won¡¯t let you down!¡± !! the dwarf nodded in satisfaction. he wanted to pat knowles on the shoulder to show his satisfaction, but when he realized its height was not high enough, he was unwilling. knowles stood on tiptoe and finally reached the top. this made the warm scene inexplicably funny. after satisfying his thoughts, knowles thought for a moment and handed him a half-palm-sized crystal. ¡°this magic crystal contains a colossal amount of magic energy. although your skill is powerful, the magic power limits its power.¡± ¡°at the critical moment, this thing may be more useful to you than my big baby.¡± after richard took it, knowles said earnestly, ¡°young human, i have high hopes for you. go and meet your destiny. the powerful and wise master knowles will bless you.¡± ¡°remember, be as brave and fearless as a dwarf!¡± richard was bewildered. this guy completely wiped out the little atmosphere in his heart. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he waved his hand and left. ferguson looked at richard, who had disappeared into the space gate, and sighed. ¡°knowles, do you think we can realize our dream¡± this question made knowles fall silent. it shook its head after a long time. ¡°who knows? but there are some things that no one will do if we don¡¯t do them¡­ ¡°whether we succeed or fail, at the very least, we have tried, worked hard, and fought hard. the needle of fate may not turn toward us¡­ but, so what? ¡°isn¡¯t what we do to break fate? what else can make us retreat if we are not afraid of fate?¡± ferguson stared at the dwarf in a daze for a long time before he said faintly. ¡°how can you say that?¡± knowles was so embarrassed that he roared in anger. ¡°damn bastard! you idiot, master knowles is ten thousand times smarter than you! ten thousand times!¡± ****** after passing through the spatial gate, a forest three to four meters tall appeared in richard¡¯s line of sight. it seemed to be thin and sparse due to malnutrition. he did not rush into action because there was an indescribable danger around. there was a troop lying in an ambush. ¡°i am an elder of the scarlet council, richard. mir, come out and listen to my orders!¡± the voice traveled over an extremely long distance. a moment later, that sense of threat disappeared. not long after, surrounded by a group of soldiers who used vines to make armor, a heroic unit riding a long-horned deer approached. the other party¡¯s gaze was burning. the other party holding a scarlet book similar to president jones caught richard¡¯s attention. ¡°are you an elder of the scarlet council? ¡°i feel a familiar aura¡­¡± mir opened the scarlet book and looked down at it. he then looked up at richard, closed the book, and flipped over. he knelt on one knee. ¡°mir welcomes your arrival, elder richard¡­¡± richard nodded. ferguson had already explained the situation in the dimensional plane to him. mir was the main person in charge here. a b-rank heroic unit with potential had reached the limit of this plane¡¯s capacity ¡ª level 14. he looked directly at the other party. ¡°mir, the plan has already begun.¡± he gestured to the third princess in his arms. ¡°but we are now facing the pursuit of both the covenant of evil and oath of light factions¡­¡± he used the shortest words to inform the other party of the current situation. finally, he said in a deep voice. ¡°how many troops do you have now?¡± ¡°there are five legions, and all are level 10 to 14 elites! ¡°four of them have the potential of a glorious level, and one has the potential of a crown¡­¡± richard heaved a sigh of relief. the information was not wrong. with five legions, they might be able to last for a few hours¡­ as for completely blocking the enemy¡¯s attack, it was almost impossible ¡ª unless there was ten times the number of troops. no one could estimate what kind of troop the covenant of evil and oath of light factions would send¡­ he learned from ferguson that the third princess¡¯ dragon body was an extremely exaggerated bonus to the entire templar dragoons, and its importance was almost irreplaceable. without her, the battle strength of the templar dragoons would be reduced by at least 30% or even more. ¡°i need you to gather all your troops and defend the spatial gate. stop the enemy at all costs! ¡°for the next battle, everyone, listen to my orders!¡± as one of the twelve elders, he had the highest authority in the absence of his elders. he was in charge of defending such an indispensable area of the dimensional plane, so he was ultimately the scarlet council¡¯s most loyal troop. as expected, mir didn¡¯t have any objections to richard¡¯s seizure of power and handed over command directly and neatly. ¡°i¡¯ll listen to your orders¡­ everything, for the scarlet council!¡± mir¡¯s tone softened a little as it spoke. ¡°elder richard, please head to the war fortress at the rear immediately¡­¡± richard shook his head. ¡°no, i need you to pull out all the troops in the fortress and defend the space gate. ¡°the enemy we are facing is not something that the fortress can defend against. ¡°the only thing you need to do is to stall for time. we will be safe while we hold off for 15 hours¡­¡± ¡°fifteen hours?¡± mir immediately raised its head. ¡°as long as one of us is left, we won¡¯t let any enemy enter!¡± richard nodded and scanned his surroundings. ¡°why don¡¯t we set up a defensive structure around here?¡± ¡°elder richard, the spatial crack only opened at the back. moreover, there¡¯s a large amount of gravel under the forest. it¡¯ll take a lot of time to build a defensive structure¡­ what we lack is time.¡± no wonder these trees grew so thin and small¡­ ¡°wait, gravel¡­ sand?!¡± richard narrowed his eyes slightly. after carefully sensing for a moment, he was in a great mood. there was a large amount of gravel buried under the grass and soil. he had an advantage in the home field! under his order, the large armies scattered around the plane began to gather. five legions. this was an extremely exaggerated power for him. but this was not enough. he did not hesitate to release all the troops of twilight city from the tibetan soldier card. the upcoming battle was a splendid time to gain points. even if the final mission failed, he had to earn money first. taking advantage of the time while they deploy the troops, richard had all the mages bombard the earth. at the same time, he cut down the trees around the space gate and cleared the land¡­ when the bombardment reached three to four meters underground, a large amount of gravel and sand appeared in his line of sight. with a thought, richard took out the magic crystal knowles had given him. [magic crystal] [level: special] [characteristics: 100,000 magic power has been stored. after it is used up, the magic crystal will shatter.] [description: a one-time use item.] the value of this treasure was not inferior to a permanent three-star strategic treasure. one hundred thousand magic energy points were enough for him to do many things. after clenching the magic crystal, he lowered his head to look at the earth. the yellow sand on his body surged. in the next moment, the deeply buried sand began to surge out. under everyone¡¯s gaze, a sandstone city wall that surrounded the 100-meter-long spatial crack grew at a speed visible to the naked eye. when the surrounding hundreds of meters of earth sank a large part, a 12-meter-high and 5-meter-wide wall stood in front of the 8-meter-high spatial gate. it was like a miracle. as a result. as long as the enemy stepped into the spatial crack, they would face the frenzied attacks of the troop. richard was intensely worried when he saw this. with a wave of his hand, the sand surged out again. and dozens of arrow towers of different heights were erected behind the wall. a defensive fortification that looked like a hedgehog appeared in front of him. his original plan was to hold them off for three to five hours. with the city wall, he quietly increased the time to eight hours. by the time they dispatched the troops and completed the city wall, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening¡­ the aura left behind by the divine artifact on the third princess immediately gushed out. the troop searching around when richard disappeared for the fifth time immediately felt that aura. they immediately turned around and swarmed over. however, this time, the first thing the troops that had suffered a loss did was to seal off the space. this was to prevent the enemy from using their teleportation formation to escape. at this moment, the players were also excited because richard¡¯s traces had been exposed. ¡°f*ck! i just saw several levels 20 and above npc heroes appear. qingqiu is going to die soon¡­¡± ¡°although this guy will ultimately die, to be able to hold on for such a long time is simply too ridiculous.¡± ¡°with the sword in hand, subdue qingqiu!!¡± curse words continued¡­ soon, the troops chasing richard found the spatial crack hidden in the valley. they immediately confirmed that richard had escaped to the alternate dimension. however, just as they were about to enter the alternate dimension in a rage, they discovered something enormously embarrassing. this newly born dimension could not contain too much power. the dimension repelled them! they could not break in¡­ this was too much. those top-tier heroes were furious. the covenant of evil faction had also arrived. they did not care so much and went straight to the point. some powerful existences even planned to directly destroy this dimension and let the templar dragoons commander of templar city perish along with the dimension. but unexpectedly, this plane seemed to have been connected to the main plane by some powerful existences using some special means, becoming a part of the main plane. it was impossible to destroy it. in anger and humiliation, they turned their attention to the plane stone. but they couldn¡¯t even enter the plane, how could they find the plane stone in the depths of the plane? this formed an endless cycle. they were about to kill the enemy, but they were stuck at the door¡­ ¡­ in anger¡­ the oath of light faction began to join forces. in just a short hour, they built a large-scale teleportation formation. this teleportation formation was directly connected to templar city, and they could send troops directly from templar city. after that, the king of the templar city gave the order to conquer that dimension at all costs and take back the third princess. all lord players of the oath of light were summoned. the players received the news that qingqiu had been locked in a cage. now, they were just waiting to catch him. with the fantasy of obtaining rich rewards after completing the s-rank mission and the excitement of killing this bastard, hundreds of thousands of players began to gather to participate in this super battle¡­ Chapter 171 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the noise came through the space crack. richard knew what was happening even if he didn¡¯t see it. his eyes turned cold, and his breathing slowed down. although he had experienced countless battles of all sizes, today, he commanded five legions of brilliant level and above to fight against the entire world. it was ultimately the first time. it was also the monumental war he had encountered so far. !! moreover, he was the core of this war, everyone¡¯s first goal. whether he succeeded or not would directly determine the direction of this world. ¡°gray, take good care of our troops. ¡°remember, everything is for protecting ourselves and minimizing casualties.¡± in such a vast scene, the hundreds of soldiers in twilight city were like a drop in the ocean. he had arranged an extremely safe position for the troops, where they could freely harvest points simultaneously. as the commander of the troop, this action was effortless. ¡°yes, lord!¡± the moment gray¡¯s voice fell. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ a long horn sound pierced through the space crack. the war had begun! richard¡¯s face froze. ¡°archers, get ready!!¡± the troops were positioned. the soldiers stationed on the city wall pulled their longbows in unison. the sound of the tightly stretched bowstrings instantly froze the battlefield¡¯s atmosphere. in the next second, along with the sound of the horn, the densely packed mechanical puppets passed through the space crack that was like a curtain of water. these 5-meter and more war machines were the dwarves¡¯ masterpieces. the various ferocious weapons on their bodies gave people goosebumps a mere glance at them. ¡°attack!¡± a cold snort spread across the battlefield. the archers on the city wall, the arrow formation behind the city wall, the arrow towers of different heights¡­ they released the tightened to the extreme bowstrings in their hands simultaneously. ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo!¡¯ arrows that reflected the cold light whistled out. the overstated number of arrows covered the sky. the city wall was only a hundred meters away from the widest point of the spatial gate. the arrows were utterly within the maximum damage range. [ding~ you have hit sugar palm.] the first batch of soldiers were all mechanical puppets with sensational defensive capabilities. however, under the saturated attacks, the templar city defense pierced through their bodies and directly broke their weak joints. within a few breaths, the killing machines had turned into a pile of mechanical limbs. however, this small number of casualties was insufficient to stop the templar city¡¯s attack. increasing mechanical puppets poured in through the spatial gaps. there was a pile of mechanical limbs in front of them in less than ten minutes. it looked like some kind of large-scale mechanical demolition factory. it was visually impressive. however, not long after, the attacking enemy troops changed. various human warriors and archers covered in magic shields began to push forward with the mechanical puppets. surprisingly, those human soldiers had more than a dozen buff spells. although those above level 14 could not enter, they used another method to reinforce the troops. the will of the plane did not reject this. richard took a deep breath when he saw this. the real test had just begun¡­ after the enemy entered, the recently decimated mechanical puppets became the best cover. the five-meter-tall body was enough to cover a few people. with the protection of the magic puppet¡¯s limbs, their archers kept pulling the trigger to suppress the enemy. the human soldiers quickly pushed themselves below the city wall. the 12-meter-tall city wall might be an impossible height for ordinary people to climb. however, for the first batch of elite soldiers who launched their attacks, their levels were almost all at 14. it was a piece of cake to climb over it. the fully armed human soldiers leaped and stabbed their long blades into the city wall before stomping on it. ¡®kacha!¡¯ cracks riddled the city walls, and the immense force of the recoil caused them to rise in height. the archers at the back suppressed the incoming troop, and only the soldiers at the front posed a threat to them. in just a few breaths, enemy soldiers filled the front of the city walls. there were too many of them, and they could not kill their way over¡­ however, just as the enemy was about to succeed¡­ ¡®iiisss!¡¯ the city walls formed from sand and stone were like the bristles of a hedgehog blowing its hair, and countless sharp spikes shot out instantly. the soldiers close to the city walls to avoid the arrows were unprepared, and their armor could still block the attack. the barrel instantly pierced through the armor¡¯s weak spots of the neck, face, and eyes. blood splattered everywhere, and one by one, corpses fell to the ground. [ding~ you have killed a glorious-level soldier. and you have obtained 300 points¡­] [ding¡­] the system¡¯s notifications rang in richard¡¯s ears. [yellow sand control, beyond a-rank¡­] this attack had killed at least seven to eight squadrons of enemies. [ding~ your level has increased.] [current level: 8] [your maximum magic energy points have increased to 2,000 points.] when the last notification rang, a majestic power that looked like lava gushed into his body. richard¡¯s aura instantly returned to its peak condition. and all the skills on cooldown refreshed. every time he leveled up, this would reinforce his rudimentary attributes. the benefits of leveling up were palpable, although it wouldn¡¯t show. and the higher his potential was, the more ridiculous the upgrade would be. as a glorious level, richard¡¯s upgrade was much more than others¡­ feeling the power surge in his body, he took a deep breath, and excitement rose in his eyes. he had finally leveled up¡­ the higher the level, the lower the experience points gained from killing low-level troops. now that he had toppled down a group of glory-level and crown-level troops, the rewards were enormously exaggerated. Chapter 172 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation while he lost thought, the enemy troop surged forward again. when richard saw the enemy had indeed started to use the mechanical puppets to gather a large number of crossbowmen to suppress the soldiers on the city wall, richard¡¯s brows jumped. ¡°mage troops, fire spell¡ªcover fire!¡± the enemy relied on the mechanical puppets to act as a cover, which meant that the entire area would be under attack. behind them, five squadrons of mages began to chant their spells. !! after a while, hundreds of fireballs whizzed had marked a long trail of flames behind them. ¡®boom!¡¯ the fireballs crashed onto the ground, causing flames to spread all over the place. the temperature suddenly increased. flames directly enveloped the troops behind the mechanical puppets. the enemy still experienced pain under repeated damage even though magic shields protected them. once the war started, it would not end that easily. the enemy¡¯s offensive did not slow down because of this. instead, it became increasingly aggressive. these troops recruited from the high-level troop lairs charged fearlessly under the leadership of heroic units. elven archers, dwarven machines, human warriors, church priests¡­ various troops began to pour in that replaced the original pure human troops. the explosive power of the various troop formation was mightier than that of a single troop. the notably fatal arrow just now had its power reduced by more than half this moment. the priest¡¯s healing and courage halo made the warriors charging in front particularly heroic. and the mechanical puppets began to construct siege ladders, which richard made the geographical advantage smoothed out¡­ half an hour after the battle began, the dwarven mechanical puppets completed the construction of siege ladders. the enemy¡¯s troops could charge up the city wall as soon as they stepped out of the spatial gate. richard immediately deployed the archers on the city wall to the rear and formed a new arrow formation to launch a projectile attack. at the same time, he used his yellow sand control to continuously cover the puppet troop in front of him, trying his best to cause the collapse of the enemy¡¯s siege weapons. however, maintaining and repairing the city wall required tremendous magic energy points. and he could not spare too much energy to deal with all of this. at level 8, he still did not have the strength to lead the direction of this 100,000 soldiers war. he still had to rely on the scarlet council¡¯s troops to fight head-on with the enemy. ¡°flame tomahawk slash!¡± richard looked at his troops as a large group of human warriors climbed up the city wall. other than the heavy sword warriors, all the melee players had been put into his tibetan soldier card, leaving only the coagulation sand archers and the undead soldiers to fight outside. among the players, no one could defeat twilight city¡¯s troops. however, they are incomparable to those trained by these top-tier npc forces. he could only use long-range attacks to gain hunting points. the only thing that made him regretful was that he could not count the scarlet council¡¯s troop hunters¡¯ enemies on his head. otherwise, with this 50,000 troops, he felt he could charge up to level 10 in one wave. ¡®kacha!¡¯ twenty-five tomahawks smashed under the city wall. countless fragments flew out, covering a diameter of 10 meters. it covered a diameter of 20 meters with scorching heat. even though the human warriors below were at level 14, heavy and stacked attacks still destroyed them¡­ the battle had not even lasted for an hour. as the defender, richard had already lost a troop. the attack of the oath of light faction had far exceeded his expectations. it was a charge that did not care about the cost and did not care about casualties. in addition, the top-tier battle forces constantly buff these troops with magic to increase their battle strength which caused him to be under more and more pressure. 12 o¡¯clock at night. the third princess revealed the aura left behind by the divine weapon for the seventh time. the enemy¡¯s attack had already reached its peak. almost every second, several troops would fall on the battlefield, and their lives were worthless at this moment. the city wall was already rotten. the enemies could have broken this only line of defense long ago if not for his crazy repairs¡­ three and a half hours into the war. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ a large number of griffins, dragons, and pegasus covered in armor appeared from the space crack. the oath of light launched its final attack after it sensed the weakness of the guards. they could no longer endure this slow progress. not only the sky, but richard could also clearly sense a group of strange giant beetles had tunneled into the ground through a spatial crack. there was a depression in the abdomen of those giant beetles with spikes all over their bodies. and many human warriors were sitting inside. it was a unique type of troop, the earth-drilling insects. these giant beetle insects had left dozens of passages at the entrance. as long as the troop at the back entered them, they could enter the back of the city wall through the underground passage. richard¡¯s expression became increasingly colder. the enemy had already launched a triple attack from the sky, the ground, and the underground. they madly strangled the severely attenuated scarlet council troops. the situation gradually lost control and collapsed¡­ if he had been level 14, he might have been able to hold on for a few more hours. however, to maintain the city walls from collapsing, he had used up enormous magic energy points, preventing him from taking any more actions. a group of level 10-14 troops is still insignificant even if the number has already reached 10,000. although beyond a-rank could deal with natural disaster-like damage, they still needed enough magic energy to support them. by the time the fourth one disappeared, the situation was no longer salvageable. richard took a deep breath and held the magic crystal given to him by knowles tightly in his hand. there were still 80,000 magic energy points left inside¡­ a cold smile hung on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes gradually became arrogant. let everyone witness the descent of a natural disaster. ¡°mir, tell all the troops to withdraw from the city wall!¡± covered in blood, mir saw that the enemy troops swarmed in and knew they couldn¡¯t complete their target of resisting the enemy troops for eight hours. at this moment, he immediately carried out richard¡¯s orders. he led the remaining troops and retreated while fighting. when richard saw the troops were leaving quickly, he waved his hand. and a sand-condensed chrysalis protected the third princess behind him. he had already taken advantage of the time when twilight city¡¯s troop was free to take back the hidden weapon medallion. hundreds of people could not even splash with such a tremendous battle. the endless yellow sand glow on his body began to surge. in an instant. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the broken city wall crashed forward like an avalanche¡­ [ding~ you have annihilated an elf warrior (crown-level) and obtained 1,000 points.] [ding¡­] he could not hear the notification of obtaining points. the next second, he looked at the ground. deep underground, the giant beetle burrow had already opened dozens of roads. a large number of troops rushed in. they intend to circle and kill them. a cold smile hung on his lips. he pressed down with both hands. the earth let out a muffled thunder-like sound. the tunnels dug out by the earth-drilling insects collapsed. the thick soil buried everyone. [ding~ you have killed a human heavy armored soldier (glorious-level). you have obtained 300 points.] [ding!] at this moment, over a dozen of level 14 dragons swooped down, their throats burning with flames. it was a dragon¡¯s breath that could melt steel and burn down the city walls. the target was richard. richard smiled when he saw this scene. he directly extracted 30,000 magic energy points from the magic crystal. in an instant¡­ the collapsed city walls on the ground suddenly rose into the air, and a vast sandstorm whirled in an instant. the sand on the city walls had become an indispensable killing tool that covered the sky. it was crazy and violent. ¡®whooosh!¡¯ everyone heard the roar of the demon. the sand hit their faces and made them feel pain. [ding~ you have hit sugar palm.] 1 the armor made a crisp collision sound. and the scarlet council soldiers who had fled far away saw a scene that shocked them. an enormous sandstorm completely covered the 100-meter-wide space crack in front of them. the troop that surged out could not escape even if they struggled. only the strong dragon could forcefully break free from the terrifying pulling force of the storm¡­ just when they thought it was over. ¡®boom!¡¯ the dragon¡¯s breath had ignited the dry haystacks of autumn. in an instant, the sandstorm ignited a flame that could melt steel. it enveloped everyone within. it didn¡¯t differentiate between a friend and a foe. even if the scarlet council¡¯s troops didn¡¯t escape, they were all devoured at this moment. ¡®roar!¡¯ countless terrifying roars and screams pierced through the sandstorm. natural disaster! the enemies were all suffocated to death. wind song, the second player on the ranking board, had an extremely stiff expression. he was paying close attention to this battle. but in the blink of an eye, why did this guy¡¯s points increase from 300,000 to 500,000¡­ who can tell him what happened? Chapter 173 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the entire world began the war of hunting one person, the players became excited. one by one, they shouted that they wanted to kill qingqiu. but the subsequent discovery made them very uncomfortable. because qingqiu ultimately commanded the troop which blocked the oath of light. the other party was the leader of a troop of tens of thousands of people! !! incredible¡­ unbelievable!! can players control a troop of tens of thousands of npcs? it was like a dream to them. when most heard the news, they immediately felt something was amiss. what made them even more excited was that the other party¡¯s points, which had not moved for several days, began to increase exponentially. in the first hour of the war, the points increased by hundreds and hundreds every minute. after three to four hours, the points increased by thousands. in that instant, the number increased by 200,000. at this moment, the players helplessly realized that the top ten players on the ranking board had finally reached 130,000 points. richard¡¯s points had soared to 500,000 in just a few hours. in comparison, the players from the chamber of commerce on the ranking board were sublimely eye-catching. the previous rankings on the board were all glorious-level. but now, the players who entered the ranking board became the foil to richard. especially the second place was dubbed the honorary title of unlucky ghost. this position of second place for ten thousand years was ultimately going to last until the end¡­ ¡°f*ck! that pervert qingqiu, with these 500,000 points, he¡¯s already earned a lot after exiting the dungeon!!¡± ¡°is this the true strength of the top players? ¡°i¡¯m so angry. i didn¡¯t even kill him¡­¡± wind song continued to seethe. from the moment richard entered the dungeon, he had already become the nightmare of all players. at the most intense moment of the storm. richard used the 2-star strategic treasure ¡ª the spatial leap ability that came with the leaping boots. he brought the sand chrysalis away from the sandstorm and quickly came to mir¡¯s side. ¡°you take the troop and station at the base! ¡°stall for time. ¡°if the situation is untenable, leave immediately. there¡¯s no need to force it.¡± mir was still in shock and only returned to his senses at this time. he immediately responded loudly. ¡°yes! elder richard!!¡± richard nodded and no longer hesitated. he took out the tibetan soldier card and summoned the skeleton blood dragon. before the enemy could react, he flew away. mir looked at the troop beside him and decisively gave the order. ¡°leave a portion of the troop behind. the rest of you retreat to the fortress to buy time for elder richard¡­¡± there was nothing they could do for the rest of the battle. it was all they could do. richard¡¯s speed reached its limit. the sand around him pushed the skeleton blood dragon sitting on the ground to a higher speed. he took some time to look at the [forum chat]. by then, the players had already exploded. they kept repeating this sentence¡­ ¡°kill qingqiu!!¡± ¡°kill qingqiu!!¡± they kept reposting the message¡­ from besieging qingqiu to killing qingqiu, his attitude became more determined than ever. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw this. these sand sculptures were still in the mood. then with a huge blow,a piece of news made the players excited again. ¡°good news, the troop controlled by qingqiu has been defeated!! the enemy is trapped in the dimensional plane. there is no way to escape!¡± ¡°catch the turtle in the jar!¡± the players spread the message. at the entrance to the spatial rift as the raging sandstorm subsides. several troops began to pour in. the players playing soy sauce began to enter after knowing the resistance force had been defeated. the huge troop began to conduct a thorough search¡­ richard ignored everything else and commanded the skeleton dragon to fly to the region of the rift valley in the northwest corner. a spectacular scene appeared in his line of sight. the land was like long-drought farmland, with cracks that looked like spider webs. countless cracks tore through the land like gullies. some of the rifts were bottomless. and if one fell, even with the dragon¡¯s defense, they would turn into meat paste. on both sides of the ravines were yellow gravel and sand. richard could feel the surging power of the earth, and his heart was surging. now, the opportunity to turn the tables had come. it was the terrain he had dreamed of. all of his power was in the yellow sand. and this land belonged to him. it was equivalent to a mage who could control an avalanche, fighting under the mountains piled with snow everywhere. what was a home-field advantage¡­ this was it! he tightened his grip on the magic crystal with 50,000 magic energy points left. the raging inferno sandstorm that had just killed countless glorious and crown-level troops only consumed 30,000 magic energy points. if he used up all 50,000 magic energy points¡­ he could use the terrain here to create a natural disaster that would cause mountains to collapse and the earth to shatter. as long as the enemy entered this piece of land¡­! life and death would no longer be up to them! at this moment, his pitch-black eyes gradually sharpened. the position of the hunter and the prey silently changed. he kept the skeleton and blood dragon in his weapon storage token. then, his entire body quietly floated above the countless cracks in the earth, surrounded by gravel. his gaze swept around, ready to find the location of the next big battle. after a moment, he focused his gaze. his body quickly landed in a crack that was dozens of meters wide. he looked down. he saw a 30-meter-diameter circular tunnel in the center of the crack that was more than 300 meters tall. it was smooth as if a machine had dug it. he looked like a dwarf, feeling insignificant when he stood in front of the tunnel. suddenly, from the depths of the pitch-black tunnel, there was the sound of gravel collapsing. ¡®crack!¡¯ ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound lingered as if it came from deep underground. richard seemed to have thought of something, and a name appeared in his mind ¡ª sandworm. the monster that ferguson warned about is the only life in this plane that exceeds level 15. they could even hunt dragons for food. it was not intuitive to listen to them, but standing in front of this tunnel, one could truly feel the terror of these monsters. the diameter of this tunnel was more than 30 meters¡­! how terrifying would the real size of these monsters be? the advantage of size was splendidly helpful in most battles. even though they were both level 10, the two teams of human warriors might not be able to deal with a 15-meter-tall giant. some innate talents were the most unreasonable, and size was one of them. after richard observed for a moment, he lowered his body and flew into the depths of the rift. when he landed underground, he saw a passage larger than the previous one. richard frowned slightly. how many terrifying life forms were there in this area? he suppressed his thoughts and waved his hand. the wrapped in sad third princess flew to him. he carefully sensed that the other party was still in a deep sleep, and her life force was stable. the most significant target was not out of the ordinary. richard heaved a sigh of relief. he ignored everything else and began to observe the maze-like cracks in the ground. he wanted to choose a large enough cemetery to bury all his enemies. ****** june 4, 3 am. the players searched around the plane and suddenly became excited. they all looked in one direction. the third princess¡¯ aura appeared once again!! the templar city troop initially clearing out the remnants of the scarlet council at once turned around and left, swarming toward the northwest¡­ this weak dimension was not very big. it was only about a hundred kilometers from the central region to the northwest corner. they arrived in about twenty minutes with soaring flying forces and speed. however, when they saw the crisscrossing rifts on the ground¡­ their expressions became extremely ugly. in such a complicated terrain, finding the enemy in a short time was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. they needed more troops! the troops reacted enormously quickly and immediately gathered the mages to start building a teleportation portal. when the news spread out of the dimension, the top-tier heroes waiting outside began to take out various treasures that could teleport the troops. they directly teleported the troops from the front of the spatial rift to the rift region. the air soldiers among them were almost calculated in terms of a unit. there were so many of them that even covered the sky. the players also took this opportunity to hitch a ride and swarmed to this area. when they saw the land of the rift, they immediately cursed at richard¡¯s craftiness. when the flying forces that covered the sky entered the rift, they felt relieved. to deal with such a pervert, they should hunt him from all directions! ¡°according to the actual battle report, qingqiu has been surrounded by a million soldiers in a rift. ¡°next, we¡¯ll see when the enemy is haunted. ¡°qingqiu, he¡¯s going to die for sure this time!!¡± these words caused a large group of players to become excited. ¡°he¡¯s going to die for sure!¡± ¡°he¡¯s going to die for sure!¡± they continued to curse. they wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until they killed that pervert qingqiu!! they didn¡¯t believe the enemy would run out of ammunition and rations after fighting to this extent. what else could they do to escape from so many advanced units? everyone was confident. Chapter 174 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when dragons, unicorn pegasus, airships, and griffins impregnated the crisscrossed rifts, the ground troops crowded as ants surged above the rift valley. the scene became enormously exaggerated. displeasure cloaked the players¡¯ hearts when they saw this scene. although they were all here to kill qingqiu, to be viewed and targeted by the entire world, wasn¡¯t that additionally an honor? those top-tier npcs would not even take a second look if it were them. !! moreover, under such pressure, richard managed to hold on for over 20 hours. this made them gasp in shock. but now, everything was coming to an end! no matter how strong qingqiu was, he would stop here today¡­ a player shouted when the troop reached the rift zone center. ¡°qingqiu is in this rift!!¡± a surprised shout caused the troop to tremble. everyone immediately swarmed over. more than a dozen players who were closest immediately rushed over. a terrifying giant rift appeared in their line of sight. it was more than 300 meters wide and more than 5,000 meters deep. even with a good line of sight, they could barely see the ground. a god seemed to have split the ground near them when they looked down from the sky. at this moment, yellow sand shrouded a figure whose face was abstruse and floated in the valley. behind the figure, a chrysalis condensed from sand revealed a face with its eyes closed. after opening the attribute panel to confirm, the player was both excited and delighted. they had finally found that bastard qingqiu!! ¡°qingqiu¡­ boss, you can¡¯t run away!¡± ¡°why are you so respectful? scold him¡­¡± ¡°f*ck! go and scold him? do you dare?¡± ¡°hahaha, is qingqiu ugly? why doesn¡¯t he dare to show his face? f*ck! even if he can¡¯t beat me, i¡¯m satisfied. strength is nothing. looks are the truth!¡± ¡°it¡¯s an s-rank mission. to catch qingqiu is everything¡­¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard the sand sculpture¡¯s conversation. he veered his head and rippled his hand. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the mountain they were standing on suddenly collapsed. more than a dozen players only had time to shout ¡®sh*t¡¯ before they fell into the rift valley. they experienced the feeling of flying for free before dying¡­ [ding ~ you have annihilated a player from the oath of light faction. you have obtained 500 points.] [ding¡­] right at this moment. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ there was the sound of giant dragons flapping their wings. dozens of level 14 giant dragons swooped down. when they saw the third princess, instant joy wrapped their faces. ¡°found it!¡± the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly when he saw this scene. his body descended rapidly. the templar dragoons became anxious and immediately began to chase him down. both sides descended from 5,000 meters high to the bottom of the valley at high speed. there were already crushed stones under richard¡¯s feet, and there was no way out. the giant dragon instantly surrounded richard in the center, and a scorching dragon¡¯s breath began to condense in its throat. if it weren¡¯t for the third princess behind richard, he would have already tasted the breath that could melt steel by now. ¡°are you the qingqiu that those lords of the divine grace mentioned?¡± a black armored dragon rider with a cold gaze sat on the white, giant dragon¡¯s body.it was a lot bigger than the other giant dragons in the front. the dragon lance in the other party¡¯s hand reflected a chilling light, which looked soul-stirring. the aura on its body surged like a mighty wave. it heaved a sigh of relief when it saw richard had nowhere to run. however, when it thought of richard¡¯s previous actions, it continued to pressure him. ¡°a level 8 mage dares to participate in the crime of treason?¡± ¡°the president of your scarlet council has been burned to ashes by dragon breath.¡± ¡°what you¡¯re doing now is meaningless! ¡°human, now i¡¯m giving you a chance to surrender to me. ¡°put down the third princess, and i¡¯ll let bygones be bygones¡­ i can even reward you. ¡°the great templar city will not be defeated by conspiracy!¡± ¡°the powerful king will rule this land forever! ¡°you can only submit!¡± as it spoke, it made a special code gesture to the hand behind ¡ª delay the attack, wait for the mage and reinforcements, and prevent the other party from jumping over the wall that would harm the third princess¡­ richard sensed the other party¡¯s small actions and did not care. he smiled. just as he was about to speak, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ an emergency has been triggered ¡ª pre-battle announcement. ]. [the underlings of the decaying forces are proudly announcing their strength to you. as an elder of the scarlet council, you will not tolerate this!] [you must announce the scarlet council¡¯s purpose to others.] [mission requirement: before the battle, announce the scarlet council¡¯s purpose in front of all the enemies. reward: minimum of 1 gold point. the more enemies, the higher the rewards.] ¡®this works too??¡¯ the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®pre-battle speeches? is there still such a thing now?? ¡®and this can also earn gold points?? ¡®if that¡¯s the case, i¡¯m sorry, i can speak for an entire day without repeating myself¡­¡¯ he raised his head and looked at the templar dragoon hero. his voice was calm. ¡°give me¡­ a chance to surrender? ¡°who do you think you are? how dare you?¡± ¡°f*ck! this bastard wants to die!!!¡± the templar dragoon hero who spoke cracked the handle of his lance in its hand. its eyes were about to burst into flames. richard said calmly, ¡°in twenty minutes, i will give you an explanation! ¡°i will not leave until the time is up!¡± with a wave of his hand, the chrysalis wrapped around the third princess grew countless sharp barbs. it would only take an instant to kill her ultimately. after being sealed, the other party¡¯s power was no longer there, so killing the other party was not empty talk. ¡°who dares to make a move before this time?¡± Chapter 175 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°let everything calm down.¡± the templar dragoon hero¡¯s pupils shrank. although the princess was incomparably powerful, it did not dare to gamble. it could sense that the princess had already lost her strength at this moment¡­ it forcefully suppressed the urge to kill this bastard instantly. it saw richard did not run away, so it patiently waited for reinforcements. !! it would personally kill this traitor after its troop set everything up!! it waited for a while. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ groups of aerial templar dragoons crazily swarmed over the rift valley. elven pegasus, dwarven airships, griffins of the church¡­ the 300 meters wide and thousands of meters deep rift valley began to become crowded. not long after, the mages of templar city arrived. these mages cast a spell to seal space first to prevent richard from using space magic to escape. at the same time, dozens of anchor spells locked onto richard and the third princess. his every move was under the perception of countless people. there was no escape. several players had also received the news and rushed over at this moment. those who had flying troops watched the scene from afar and were intensely excited. ¡°real-time battle report!! hundreds of thousands of troops blocked qingqiu in a rift valley!! the other party will be dead for sure!!¡± ¡°hahaha, qingqiu is done for, brothers. there are hundreds of mages around me casting spells. that guy can¡¯t use the space teleportation to escape¡­¡± ¡°next is the moment to witness history¡­¡± ¡°qing qiu, that bastard, is finally going to die!!¡± death wishes for richard continued¡­ it was not easy. over a million people chased one person, yet they were dragged out for such a long time. just the thought of it made them angry and stifled. now, it was finally the end of the plot and the end of the story. richard suddenly spoke after he looked at the flying forces packed with enemies in the valley. ¡°the scarlet council has made it their mission to overthrow the corrupt empire and strive for a happy life for all the civilians. ¡°the king, the nobles, and the church are the three mountains pressing on everyone. they are the rotten dregs. ¡°these things can not exist forever. ¡°we are born equal. why should these worms rule us? ¡°we were born free. why should filthy nobles oppress us? ¡°the scarlet council¡¯s purpose is to establish a country where all the residents elect the chief administrative officer with one vote, and the residents decide their own country and their own destiny!¡± ¡°the oppressed residents, join the scarlet council and resist the injustice of this world and the tyranny of kings, nobles, and churches¡­¡± the players were dumbfounded. ¡®big brother, what are you doing?¡¯ ¡®do you still want to play an awkward game when you¡¯re about to die??¡¯ richard, thick-skinned to a certain extent, did not feel embarrassed when he saw no one speak for a long time. as the scarlet council¡¯s propaganda elder, there was nothing wrong with publicizing the scarlet council to the world¡­ moreover, everyone would remember his words because¡­ the number of enemies was enough. after the templar dragoon hero regained its senses, its face was ashen as it gritted its teeth. ¡°human, it¡¯s been 20 minutes. it¡¯s time for you to explain¡­¡± the enemies had set everything up in the rear. even if the other party had the power to reach the heavens, he couldn¡¯t escape! at this moment, a sudden change occurred. countless demons flapped their wings and rushed over from another direction. they had madly attacked the oath of light troops. richard veered his head to take a look, and his mood became better. ¡°the other wave of masters has arrived. i think, this time, it should be the end¡­¡± the templar dragoon hero suddenly had a bad feeling. then, it saw that the human suddenly crushed the crystal in his hand. then, indescribably majestic energy surged into his body. endless yellow sand light surged. in an instant. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a clear sound rang out. it seemed like something had broken. under the gazes of all the players and npcs. ¡®rumble!¡¯ exaggerated cracks appeared on the mountain joints on both sides of the rift valley. as if the most critical piece of the building block had been removed. ¡®kacha!¡¯ after the entire mountain lost its critical support, the mountain weight pressed down. large amounts of rubble exploded. then the mountain suddenly collapsed toward the center. the five-thousand-meter-deep rift avalanched at this moment. the sky and the earth collapsed. tens of tons and hundreds of tons of the mountain fell like raindrops. its power could be said to be world-destroying. the troop in the valley, who had been wary of the third princess and did not make a move, only felt a chill rush into their minds from the back. the templar dragoon hero¡¯s eyes widened in shock. what¡­ what was that?! it was a dream for the troop crowded deep in the valley to escape in the face of such a natural disaster. that is apart from the fact that the top troops could easily break out. both sides were wary of each other aside from the fact that demons swarmed over. furthermore, their number was too large, seriously affecting their flying speed¡­ a variety of reasons are superimposed, and at this moment, the troops below experienced the taste of disaster. ¡°damn bastard!!!¡± the templar dragoon hero let out a hysterical roar. it charged fiercely toward richard. but in the next second. it suddenly discovered that the surrounding land had turned into sand¡­ then, the enemy brought the third princess along and sank into the sand. the templar dragoon hero missed. in its anger, it began to attack the earth crazily. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a huge rock more than 30 meters long fell like a meteor. hatred blinded the templar dragoon hero. it didn¡¯t notice anything. while attacking the sand, the enemy and the dragon were smashed into meat paste. natural disaster. what was a catastrophe? when a 300-meter wide and 5,000-meter deep earth rift collapsed, the word ¡°natural disaster¡± was clearly explained. the collapse of a mountain was not something that a human could withstand. if those top-tier battle forces were still outside the dimensional plane, they might still be able to use all sorts of methods to escape. however, the strongest hero among these troops was only level 14. moreover, they sealed off the surrounding space first to prevent richard from escaping. this made the only way to escape ineffective. the craziest one was the npcs from the covenant of evil. they had initially planned to kill the third princess, but as soon as they entered, they were amidst the excitement of a mantis stalking a cicada and an oriole following behind. however, they were unhappy for a few minutes when the valley collapsed. could such a valley collapse? this was not a joke¡­ however, it was useless even if they were depressed. a natural disaster that could destroy everything would not care about which camp they belonged to. the collapse at the valley center also triggered a series of reactions. the valley that spanned the entire region of the rift began to collapse. the scene was like the end of the world. the players eating melons in the rift valley were now out of luck. most of them did not have a flying troop. in the face of such a disaster, not having a flying troop meant death. if the ground collapsed, where could they run to? the excitement of finally killing qingqiu immersed them just a moment ago. in the next second, they were in complete despair. and the players that expected the enemies to kill qingqiu suddenly had stiff expressions. it was because richard¡¯s points increased at an indescribable speed. his scores soared up thousands of thousands of points every second. a portion of the players took the time to pee and opened the ranking board again. then, they were dumbfounded. [qingqiu ¡ª 1,268,963 points.] ¡®one¡­ 1.2 million points?¡¯ ¡®wasn¡¯t that just half a million?¡¯ ¡®that bastard¡­? what did that bastard do in such a short time???¡¯ Chapter 176 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [ding~ you have triggered a landslide and caused a natural disaster. the rift valley that stretched for hundreds of miles collapsed due to a chain reaction and destroyed countless enemies. you will be the main factor and receive experience and points.] [ding~ you have been upgraded to level 9.] [ding~ your current points are 1.26 million.] [level: 9 (120,000/1,000,000)] in the earth¡¯s depths. !! richard stood in a circular tunnel with a diameter of 30 meters. sandworms left this path behind. a sense of oppression filled the rumbling tremors that kept coming from above. it seemed like it could collapse at any time. he glanced at his attribute panel, and the corners of his mouth curled up. ¡®f*ck! this round was ultimately worth it.¡¯ he would receive a portion of the points for enemies who died because of the valley collapse. that directly increased his points to an intensely exaggerated level. moreover, the terrifying experience allowed him to rise from level 8 to 9. the experience required for level 10 was a total of 1,000,000. he was afraid he would not be able to level up in the short term. such a killing move was something that could only be encountered and not sought. with this precedent, the other party would not act senseless if they wanted to do so again in the future. a portion of the players seated in the flying units was speechless when they saw the scene of the valley collapsing into rubble. at this moment, fear replaced the excitement they felt about hunting qingqiu. they had almost gotten their revenge in advance. ¡°qingqiu is such a pervert! he is so ruthless!!!¡± richard killed at least 100,000 pursuers in one go. no, under the chain reaction, the earth even swallowed hundreds of thousands of people! who knew how many troops had died in this wave if those brought by the players count? although the opponent¡¯s points had jumped from 500,000 to 1.2 million, they still felt this was a small amount. even doubling it doesn¡¯t matter. it was because richard did not count the troops that had died on the outskirts of the battlefield. after the [forum chat] displayed richard¡¯s actions of killing hundreds of thousands of troops. all the players were silent. ¡°i don¡¯t know what to say anymore¡­¡± ¡°is this qingqiu??¡± ¡°this pervert!! pervert!! why is he so strong to this extent? are npcs all idiots? how could qingqiu lure them to the bottom of the valley without any precautions?¡± ¡°fortunately, that guy is finally dead¡­¡± ¡°the total points of the top 10 players on the ranking board can¡¯t even compare to qingqiu alone¡­¡± the players¡¯ discussion about qingqiu continued. after wind song looked at the ranking board and hunted players from the covenant of evil faction outside the dimensional space, he was not surprised. he even felt a little lucky. fortunately, he had met qingqiu before and gave up on the idea of hunting him down. as expected, richard wiped out those idiots in one go. ¡®hahaha, qingqiu, that pervert, is he someone you guys can surround and kill? ¡®i don¡¯t have any money at all¡­¡¯ he felt he could do it again compared to those unlucky fellows. ¡®although i¡¯m ranked second, except for qingqiu, i¡¯m stronger than all of you!¡¯ initially, the players thought that richard was buried and killed just like that. however, they suddenly felt another aura permeating the air after some time. everyone felt a sense of powerlessness while they looked at the already rubble-filled rift valley. ¡°damn it! this guy wasn¡¯t dead yet!!¡± ¡°is the other party still a human???¡± ¡°what right did he have? thousands of troops have died, so why was he still alive?¡± however, the valley had already been filled up. it was impossible to go down. although the remaining npcs were in despair, the fact that the third princess was still alive gave them another shot in the arm. when this news reached the silent dimensional space, the top npcs immediately gave the order. they had to save the princess at all costs. their losses were already disastrous. only by saving the princess could they complete their salvation¡­ not long after, the large-scale teleportation formation outside the undestroyed rift flashed again. the special troop that richard had seen in front of the spatial rift appeared from within ¡ª the sandworms. it was almost impossible for people or even magic to clear the land thousands of meters deep in a short time, but these special troops could do so. then, after suffering a heavy blow, the pursuers began to move again. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ along with the sounds of movement. the sandworms used their sharp claws to dig out large holes and began to dig deep into the ground¡­ richard quickly sensed the movements of the other party through the sand. these pursuers were truly omnipresent. as expected, it was impossible to complete an s-rank mission until the very last moment. after the other party closed in, the yellow sand on his body flickered. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the tunnel dug by dozens of sandworms suddenly collapsed, and the earth directly buried them. however, a scene that surprised him appeared. the thick bone armor of the sandworms was sublimely effective against the rubble collapse. without sufficient weight and a corresponding height of impact, it was utterly unable to destroy the enemy¡¯s thick armor. meanwhile, the sandworms were in the enemy¡¯s abdomen. they were firmly protected and were also safe and sound. the level 14 sandworms had notably strong vitality. was this too tough? richard felt his teeth itch. at this moment. ¡®kacha!¡¯ suddenly, a special sound came from the depths of the tunnel. richard turned his head. he looked at the circular tunnel. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound approached quickly. the enemy was coming¡­ he sensed great danger. every cell in his body was warning him. a word suddenly appeared in his mind. sandworm! it was the only giant monster in the dimension over level 15. this 30-meter tunnel diameter was created by the enemy. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound got closer and closer. richard took a deep breath and let the sandworm cocoon that wrapped the third princess float up. he looked at the ground. he waved his hand. the sand below began to separate to both sides. in a few breaths¡¯ time, a hole appeared. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the noise coming from the depths of the giant tunnel grew louder and louder. even the ground began to tremble. richard used the concealment power to cover his entire body. his gaze fixed on the direction where the sound came. although the underground was dark, as long as there was sand, it was the area where his perception extended. after more than ten breaths in the dark cave, the earth¡¯s shaking became increasingly obvious. after it reached a certain limit. an intensely terrifying existence appeared in his perception. the first thing he perceived was an enormously startling bloody mouth. the diameter was almost the same as the tunnel, reaching an astonishing 30 meters. countless sharp teeth were spiral-shaped, layer by layer. each of the sharp teeth was almost as tall as a person. the sharp teeth also had the teeth of a saw. solid rocks would also turn into gravel under the sharp teeth. the muscles on the side seemed to make the huge mouth wider like a flower spot. once attacked, it would probably be able to swallow a few giant dragons with a wingspan of 30 meters. the body behind him had not reached its end after he had sensed for more than 50 meters¡­ [sandworm] [boss unit] [level: 19] [???] [???] level 19? it turned out that the level above 15 that ferguson had mentioned was not level 15, but really above level 15¡­ this bastard! he would ultimately have to pay for his spiritual damage later! after richard caught a glimpse of it, before the sandworms swarmed over, he entered the tunnel below. the gravel wrapped around him as he fell. in this land of sand and gravel, he moved more freely than the sandworms. at this time, the sandworms did not notice richard at all. after using the concealment power, his breath had already disappeared. what attracted his attention was the movement above. at this time, countless sandworms still dug the gravel. this movement stimulated the sandworms. the enemy was provoking it! the sandworms dug with great enthusiasm when they suddenly felt the earth shake. ¡®rumble!¡¯ before a few sandworms could react to what had happened, they felt the gravel around them suddenly sinking. just when they thought the place they dug had collapsed, they suddenly bumped into a sublimely sharp tooth. a sense of horror rose in their hearts. ¡°f*ck! they had gotten themselves into big trouble!!¡± but it was too late for them to react at this moment. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the huge mouth closed abruptly, and countless sharp teeth began to grind. behind the prodigious mouth, two huge passages that looked like ears spurted out countless pieces of gravel with blood. after the sandworm swallowed huge stones and gravel into its mouth, it could discharge its mouth through the two holes. these creatures born to move on the earth were born for this purpose. not long after, some players who were reluctant to leave the rift saw a scene that surprised them. the troop that dug just now suddenly climbed up like crazy. before they could recover from their shock. they saw a giant monster that could be called an abyss monster and suddenly jump out of the ground. its huge mouth opened like a flower petal, and its diameter was more than 50 meters. those densely packed teeth enough to drive the agoraphobia crazy sent chills down their spines. just as it climbed out of the ground, it swallowed dozens of sandworms. it was like a fish jumping out of the water and then falling again. ¡®bang!¡¯ its huge body crashed heavily into the ground. the ground directly shattered and spurted countless pieces of sand and gravel. rocks smashed to death a few players close to it¡­ ¡®rumble!¡¯ after the opponent leaped out of the ground for a short while, it once again burrowed into the ground. the long gray body continued to wriggle on the ground, and only after a long time did it disappear. when the players returned to their senses, they only saw two huge pits with a diameter of more than 30 meters¡­ the shock in their hearts could not be any greater. ¡°f*ck¡­ what are those things? ?¡± ¡°level 19 boss¡­people like us are just giving them away for free.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t there no level 14 or higher existences in this dimensional space? are those npcs trying to scare me?¡± players continued to converse¡­ and that was not all. the second one, the third¡­ when dozens of sandworms of various sizes jumped out and devoured life. the players completely collapsed. they no longer had any thoughts of chasing after richard. they turned around and left. ¡°f*ck! whoever was willing to die would go! anyway, i¡¯m not doing it anymore!!!¡± meanwhile, the npc troop that had just gathered their morale looked at the sandworms that squirmed on the ground and were speechless for a long time. the despair in their hearts was even more intense than the players¡¯. could it be that the gods had already stopped blessing them? why were there monsters of such a level in this plane?! why!!! richard seemed to have thought of something and began to head deeper into the earth frantically after the sandworms left. he was very curious. where did those sandworms live? would there be any different discoveries in the depths of the earth? he did not know how much time had passed, but suddenly. his perception suddenly widened. ¡®underground space?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he controlled the gravel and gradually broke below after it sensed no danger. his perception has fully activated. this was an incomparably huge underground space, probably more than a hundred meters in height. what caught his attention was that at the outermost periphery, there were dozens of huge tunnels connecting the depths of the earth and the surface. a stinky smell rushed into his nostrils¡­ the sandworm smell. he lowered his head and extended his perception downwards. he instantly discovered more than ten sandworm larvae sleeping in the underground sand. each of them was more than ten meters in size. when richard sensed this scene, his eyes immediately lit up. the sandworms¡¯ lair??? the terrifying sandworms had been lured away. it seemed that there was no defense here¡­ richard¡¯s heart thumped faster. could there be any treasure in the monster¡¯s lair of this level? Chapter 177 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation taking a deep breath, richard suppressed the excitement in his heart. after the concealment power covered his entire body, his sight and perception starkly disappeared. and even his breathing was covered. he was not afraid of being discovered. he carefully sensed and extended his perception to the extreme¡­ after repeated investigations, he confirmed the entire lair was in an empty state with no one guarding it. !! the only enemies were the sandworm larvae hidden in the sand and were more than ten meters long. although more than ten meters was a huge size for an ordinary person. for an adult sandworm that was more than 30 meters in diameter, these larvae could not fight. he slowly controlled the sand to descend. when he got closer, he could sense the appearance of the sandworm. the skin of the sandworm was countless times tougher than a cow¡¯s. and it was very smooth, so it would not be too much of a hindrance to moving through the sand. its head had no eyes, only a huge mouth that could open like a flower petal. although it was still a larva, the sharp teeth in its mouth had already taken shape. its spiral-shaped layout was like a crusher, and even the hardest rock would turn into pieces of sand after being crushed in circles. behind its mouth were two colossal, ear-like organs. when it moved through the sand, the sand swallowed by the mouth would flow out from these two organs. the organs of the sandworm had evolved to move through the earth. he opened the attribute panel. [sandworm larvae] [level: 10] [status: larva] [description: when the body grows to 30 meters, it will enter the growth stage. eighty meters will be the adult stage. 100 meters and above will be the prime stage.] the larvae are all level 10¡­ awesome. perhaps, their potential and skills are all blanks because they have yet to mature. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®kacha! at this moment, one of the sandworm larvae touched a huge rock that was five to six meters tall on the ground in a daze. the muscles in the other party¡¯s mouth suddenly expanded, and his colossal mouth expanded to more than ten meters. it bit down on the prodigious rock with one bite. then, its millstone-like teeth began to creak. the other party¡¯s bulging mouth squirmed and quickly shrank¡­ then, gravel spewed out from the hole behind the huge mouth¡­ richard was a little envious. ¡°this thing is a little ugly, but they¡¯re all high-level soldiers. ¡°if we can raise a few of them, they¡¯ll be helpful in twilight city¡­ ¡°once the enemy attacks from the ground, they¡¯ll be completely exposed to the giant mouths of the sandworms. it¡¯ll be like delivering vegetables.¡± moreover, the desert was the main battlefield for these monsters. their environment was intensely compatible with twilight city. he was a little tempted¡­ he did not alarm the larvae still lying in the sand. he slowly controlled the sand to begin exploring the underground space. as he sensed carefully, the area where the sandworm larvae gathered immediately attracted richard¡¯s attention. behind the sandworm larvae, there was a colossal tunnel. three two-meter-long sandworms covered in mucus crawled out of it¡­ was it the sandworm breeding area? richard¡¯s eyes lit up. after strengthening his concealment power, he flew into the tunnel from the top. every moment was an extension of his perception. his observation of the surrounding environment was even more distinct than when he was on the ground. he suddenly sensed a different aura after he flew for dozens of meters. excitement rose in his heart. his speed suddenly increased. after a few breaths, his perception suddenly widened. a huge underground space filled with fine sand appeared in front of him, with a diameter of more than 300 meters. what made him breathe faster was that several sandworm eggs were in the fine sand. based on his rough perception, there were at least thousands of them. ¡°hahaha! great harvest, great harvest!! ¡°this wave is going to be rich!!¡± however, richard, who had just smiled, suddenly stiffened. after carefully sensing, he found most of the eggs had no signs of life. some eggshells had even weathered away, and only a few eggs still had signs of life. it was pronouncedly the breeding ground of the sandworms for god knows how many years. most of the eggs were left behind from before. his heart instantly ached. ¡°i feel like i¡¯ve lost 100 million. ¡°if these sandworm eggs were good, i could directly build a huge army of sandworms¡­¡± it was a high-level battle ability that surpassed level 15 in adulthood. what a pity. richard focused his attention on the eggs that still showed signs of life. ¡°1,2,3¡­10,11,12¡­? that¡¯s it?!¡± ¡°out of thousands of eggs, only 12 can hatch?¡± but before he could count it again¡­ ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ two crisp sounds rang out in succession. two eggs cracked, and the sandworm larvae broke out of their shells. the other party quickly swallowed the shells and then left the tunnel in a daze. ¡°10¡­..¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he had lost two more troops¡­ these hatched eggs were not easy to take away. moreover, he did not know how to subdue them. if the other party resisted and attracted the attention of the sandworms, it would be a pain in the ass. calling for parents was the specialty of the larvae. without hesitation, he quickly found the eggs that still showed signs of life and controlled the gravel to take them out. these eggs were one head taller than a human. they were not easy to carry and might break if not handled properly. richard thought for a while and decided to use the sand to form a vast chrysalis. just like wrapping the third princess, it firmly protected the eggs inside. ten huge eggs flew in the air, which looked rather strange. ¡°fortunately, i¡¯ve changed my class to become a mage. if i were a warrior, it would be pretty good if i could carry away one or two of these things.¡± after richard looted everything, he turned around and prepared to leave this troublesome place. when those sandworms returned, they would go crazy. however, to prevent missing any eggs, his perception continued to extend. his body emitted a thick yellow sand glow. the sand within a few hundred meters became a part of him at this moment. after he searched three times, just as he was about to leave, a slight fluctuation appeared. um? no, there was an intensely weak aura here. his senses immediately gathered in that direction. that aura had mysteriously disappeared again. he was unwilling to give up. his senses went deep into the earth and turned that area upside down. finally, he found that aura under a few weathered eggs. the other side was buried deep in the sand. he might not have noticed it if it wasn¡¯t for his focused senses. he slowly flew to the sky above that area. he waved his hand. the sand surged. the heavily weathered eggshell around them cracked. a moment later, the sand surged like a spring, and a special sandworm egg slowly floated to the ground. this egg was a size smaller than the other eggs. the eggshell was a faint golden color, and there was a mysterious pattern on it, which was quite strange. ¡®what is this?¡¯ richard felt that this thing seemed to be a good thing. he opened the attribute panel with some curiosity. [ancient sandworm egg] [level: unknown] [status: life aura is weak] [description: can hatch ancient sandworms with great potential, but the weak life aura makes it lose the possibility of hatching.] ¡®ancient sandworm egg?¡¯ from the name, it didn¡¯t sound weak. but the weak life force made him frown. he didn¡¯t know how long this thing had been there, and the eggs on it had all weathered¡­ richard couldn¡¯t figure out the value of this egg without seeing its attributes. as long as there was a chance to hatch it, it would be fine no matter what it was. he kept it. after richard wrapped it in the sand, he didn¡¯t delay any longer and immediately returned the way he came. he quickly searched for the sandworm¡¯s lair after he left the hatchery. however, the sandworm was not a giant dragon. it did not have the hobby of collecting treasures and gold coins. there was not even a corpse inside. he did not obtain any more rewards. however, he was not disappointed. these 13 eggs had already filled his pockets with the sudden whim of exploring. although he had commanded tens of thousands of high-level soldiers in battles, no matter how sturdy the troop in the dungeon was, it was not his. it was just the plot. he would not get lost because of this. when he thought about how twilight city would soon have more than ten giant troops 100 meters long after he left the dungeon, he felt excited. Chapter 178 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard obtained no other harvest, he did not stay. he used the yellow sand control to open a new channel and quickly moved away from the sandworm lair. however, before he left for less than three minutes, he suddenly felt the earth shake. ¡®roar!¡¯ a voice with infinite anger came from the depths of the earth. !! the sandworm discovered the eggs had disappeared. richard¡¯s heart tightened and immediately fled in the opposite direction. because of the strapping characteristics of the concealment power, the eggs did not leak the slightest breath¡­ but this was a resilient situation for the troop on the ground. anger ignited the sandworms, and they launched an attack desperately. those pursuing soldiers who were still harboring fantasies promptly met the cruelest beatings. a group of furious giant beings was enraged and caused maddening destructive power. the earth crumbled, and the rift valley collapsed. the army on the ground was dumbfounded. they had no idea what was happening. based on the starting point of the sandworm lair, hundred of sandworms razed the surrounding rift valley of several kilometers to the ground in ten minutes. as long as the troops above were not flying troops, none of them will survive. the situation above the rift valley was strictly out of control. the troop in the sky fell into despair. it was already enormously arduous to catch a flying mage in this area with complicated terrain. after the opponents manipulated the sand to create landslides, the success rate of this pursuit became intensely slim, but there was still a glimmer of hope. but now, everything was gone. that bastard not only hid deep in the ground, but he also ignited the anger of those monsters. the sandworms who were not in the plan dashed all their hopes¡­ when the news reached the ears of the commander waiting outside the dimensional plane, he immediately fell into a rage. in his rage, he led the troops to ruthlessly slay the covenant of ecil faction because of their small tricks. let the covenant of evil faction lose more than two squadrons of top-tier troops. however, after venting their anger, they also fell into a notably embarrassing situation. this dimension blocked the entry of existences above level 14, so they couldn¡¯t do anything. it was once again connected to the main dimension if they wanted to destroy or break this dimension. they couldn¡¯t do anything about it unless they broke the spatial door. however, if they broke the spatial gate, what if the space hid the dimension? all sorts of situations caused them to enter a state of madness and helplessness¡­ the opponent was just a weak existence that wasn¡¯t even above level 10. he had ultimately forced the alliance formed by their four factions into a helpless state. when the players saw this scene, they felt complicated emotions. ¡°qingqiu, that pervert, can¡¯t he roughly be killed?¡± ¡°he killed hundreds of thousands of troops in one go. is there anything crazier than this? these npcs must hate him to death¡­¡± ¡°f*ck! i¡¯m not playing anymore. we¡¯ve given up on so many quests and have not earned so many points. why are we still chasing qinqiu? can that guy be killed?¡± sharp words toward qingqiu continued¡­ the players¡¯ transformation was also cardinally distinct. they started brimming with confidence but gradually tarnished with anger. when the enemy forced richard to hide in the dimensional space, the players thought if enemies caught the turn in the urn, they would ultimately kill him. finally, they found richard in the rift valley when they looked forward to the peak. his tricks killed hundreds of thousands of troops¡­ it was as if a bucket of cold water poured from the head to the bottom of their hearts. someone had calculated the number of players chasing qingqiu this time was more than 400,000¡­ but in the rift valley, no less than 30% of the players had been tricked and killed. in other words, 100,000 people. in addition to the troop led by these players, they could describe it as tragic. most of them had died from the indirect landslide that richard had caused. qingqiu alone had used various means of beating them all over the place. ¡°i don¡¯t want to see qingqiu anymore!! f*ck!¡± a player in charge of summarizing the battle report posted the last message and deleted the battle report post. after that, he did not post anymore. the players who participated in this mission were speechless. after they spent so much effort and used more than a million troops to hunt down a person, they ended up like this. they honestly didn¡¯t know what to say. was qingqiu thunderous? thunderous, but was he indeed invincible? he was far from being invincible, but there were endless ways to play. it was as if he had infinite trump cards they couldn¡¯t handle¡­ it was unbearable. when they saw the players on the forums throwing their helmets and armor, they stopped talking about qingqiu. those players still above the rift valley also silently turned around and left when they saw the sandworms leap out from the ground and prey on everything. most thoughts they would never meet that pervert qingqiu again popped up¡­ while the sandworms wreaked havoc. the third princess¡¯ last aura was revealed. richard sneaked thousands of meters underground and pushed his senses to the limit to prevent accidents from happening. the soldiers from the oath of light faction in the sky looked at each other after they sensed this aura. they had no intention of taking action. if they were outside, with the strength of a high-level hero, even if they were hiding in the ground 10,000 meters deep, they would have had the means to deal with it. but now, not to mention how deep it was, even the group of sandworms on the ground, which numbered more than a squadron, had already rendered them helpless. the strapping bodies of those sandworms could withstand the dragon¡¯s breath! and what was even more exaggerated was that the enemy could swallow sand and gravel to recover from their injuries. even if the enemy exhausted the means to injure a sandworm, it would appear vigorously again within a few minutes as long as it dived into the ground. the last bit of the princess¡¯ aura had been exhausted¡­ five minutes later, the aura of the divine artifact left on the third princess¡¯s body unexpectedly exploded. it was like a crystal falling to the ground. it splashed countless energy fragments. when the energy fragments disappeared into the void, the third princess¡¯ aura returned to calm. richard¡¯s tensed heart finally soothed. the stoutest hurdle has passed¡­ from the moment he received the mission until now, these twenty-odd hours felt longer than half a century. they could only describe this encounter as outrageous. he had also used all his means to be safe and sound. but at the last moment, he still had enough confidence. the items he had accumulated before were all his trump cards. richard thought about it. even if they had not settled this s-rank mission, his harvest was already bountiful. the first one was also the one he valued the most. a black iron ring appeared out of thin air in his hand ¡ª the control ring. inside was the level 20 extraordinary hunter that the level 19 dwarf hero knowles had given him! although it was damaged, knowles said one or two uses would wholly damage it. however, this was a level 20 extraordinary mechanical puppet. how much benefit could this bring? he thought of the boss unit that gave birth to the poisonous wasp ¡ª the god¡¯s ancient tree. he had been coveting it for a long time. with this mechanical puppet, wouldn¡¯t he be able to destroy that ancient tree? that was a boss unit that could give birth to thousands of poisonous wasps. its value was immeasurable. ¡°i said i would dig you up and plant you in twilight city. i will surely fulfill my promise. ¡°even if i say so, someone powerful won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡± richard was in a great mood. although he had broadened his horizons in the dungeon and commanded a troop of tens of thousands of people. that could not overwhelm richard because these powers did not belong to him. twilight city was the foundation. he just needed this for the plot. his territory was still a long way from being strong. after richard left the dungeon, the real excitement and challenges began. the second reward was undoubtedly the 1.26 million points. no one could peek at the number one spot on the ranking board anymore. he looked forward to what treasures he could exchange for after the system opened the points exchange. at the same time, he also looked forward to what rewards he would get for being number one on the ranking board. it was so decent. the third reward was the 13 sandworm eggs in his hands. these giant beasts could reach level 10 as larvae and15 as adults. they were over 100 meters in length. this thing was ultimately a strapping existence in the desert. these beasts could still be of great value as transport ships if not used in battle. they cultivate these giant beasts in the future. how many goods could these beasts transport in one go with their length of 100 meters? if they were to create a unique tool for this thing, a desert train? in the future, when twilight city opened up trade with the outside world, these things that could both fight and transport would be of great use. was there a more gainful troop unit than this in the battle and life integration? richard instantly thought of countless possibilities of the sandworms for the future. the final harvest was the s-rank mission about to be completed. he had spent so much effort and effort. would it be worth it if this s-rank mission gives him a dozen or twenty artifacts? Chapter 179 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was in a good mood after he took stock of his recent gains. the process was a bit tortuous, but it was starkly worth it. when he returned to his senses, he suddenly thought of something and placed the control ring in front of his eyes to carefully examine. on the surface, the ring looked ordinary, and nothing was special about it. however, there was a super weapon inside. !! knowles¡¯ words appeared in his mind¡­ richard could bind the extraordinary hunter if he drops blood on the control ring. the previous battle had been too intense. he was worried that binding the extraordinary hunter would severely deplete his magic energy, causing a negative buff that would deplete his magic energy and affect the battle. he was not in a hurry to bind it. moreover, he did not intend to use this item for the dungeon¡¯s strategic value. now that the greatest crisis had passed, it was time to take this level 20 mechanical puppet into his bag. the sand condensed into a sharp knife and pierced his finger. fresh blood seeped out and dripped onto the ring. in an instant, richard¡¯s perception extended into the space inside the ring. the figure of the extraordinary hunter appeared in his mind. at this moment, the chest of this 15-meter-tall mechanical puppet had a large hole. it was a scar caused by the supreme demon. the mechanical parts on the outside were broken in large areas, like a piece of paper that was crumpled after being forcefully kneaded. but even so, this great killing weapon still gave him a strong sense of oppression. his spiritual power followed the guidance and gradually spread to the entire body of the extraordinary hunter. finally, all of it surged into his head. inside, a magic crystal the size of a human head was embedded in the alchemy array. this was the energy core that drove the entire mechanical puppet. with a thought, richard injected his spiritual power into the magic crystal, permanently leaving his spiritual imprint inside. from now on, unless he took the initiative to remove it, this mechanical puppet would forever belong to him. even if outsiders entered the cockpit, they would not be able to activate the extraordinary hunter. it was different from the magic puppet found in the ancient ruins ¡ª the heavy sword warrior. this mechanical puppet had to personally enter the cockpit to connect to the control array on its body and engage in battle. although the magic puppet and the mechanical puppet seemed to have a lot in common, there was a fundamental difference. when the magic puppet was created, the mage had already injected the corresponding command into it and could give the order for it to fight on its own. as for the mechanical puppets, they relied more on the controller himself. of course, the difference between these puppets was not entirely clear. whether they were created into magic puppets or mechanical puppets depended entirely on the thoughts of the creator. after richard retracted his spiritual power, he fell into deep thought. ¡°i wonder if it¡¯s still possible to repair the extraordinary hunter?¡± to the current twilight city, the value of a level 20 extraordinary battle power was immeasurable. if it could be repaired, it would be a great safety guarantee. with a wave of his hand. the surrounding gravel and sand surged in all directions, and a huge underground space appeared in front of him. ¡®shua!¡¯ ¡ª a 15-meter-tall extraordinary hunter appeared in front of him. richard raised his head and looked at this heavily damaged mechanical puppet. he was sublimely delighted. although the previous extraordinary hunter was good, it wasn¡¯t his. although it was broken now, it completely belonged to him. with intense curiosity, he opened the attribute panel. [extraordinary hunter ¡ª mechanical puppet] [level: 20 extraordinary ¨Cactivate extraordinary characteristic ¡ª cleaving edge consumes 100 points of energy per second. the weapon is imbued with extraordinary power and can destroy magic. it can break through all energy shields. the more energy consumed, the stronger the effect.) [potential: special] [status: severely damaged] [stored energy: 1,000,000 (recovers 100 points per second)] [consumed energy: consumes 100 points per second after activation.] [skills: mechanical body (beyond a-rank) ¡ª strength increased by 500%. defense increased by 500%. immune to magic after the body is damaged. it can devour the corresponding materials to repair itself.)] [super power overload (beyond a-rank) ¡ª energy consumption increased by 20 times in an instant. all attributes of the body increased by 300%. speed increased by 500%. extraordinary blade-breaking damage increased by 500%. (could not be used if badly damaged.)] [floating flight (a-rank) ¡ª energy consumption of 10 points per second. floating flight, upper speed of 400 kilometers per hour. (speed decreased by 50% if badly damaged.)] [sharp blade attack (a-rank) ¡ª special forged sharp blade¡¯s sturdiness increased by 150%. sharpness increased by 150%, along with armor-piercing, tearing, bleeding, and cutting characteristics.] [mind control (a-rank) ¡ª enter the cockpit and control the mechanical puppet with your mind, making it like an arm without dullness.] [berserk bombardment (a-rank) ¡ª 50,000 points of energy consumed, turning both arms into siege hammers, attacking enemies 300 times in 20 seconds. superpowered overload increased to 600 times. (could not be used if badly damaged)] [race characteristic: immune to all instant death, mind control skills, and other skills that only work on normal life forms.] [all directions perception: with the mechanical puppet as the center, all information within a 300-meter radius can be transmitted to the pilot in real-time.] [description: this is the masterpiece of the mechanical puppet master. it has powerful strength and defense. perhaps, you can drive it to fight against the dragon.] ¡°strong! ¡°extremely strong!¡± at this moment, richard could hear his heartbeat. although the skills of the extraordinary hunter were not many, they were all exceptional. and the most important thing was that this mechanical puppet could repair itself automatically. ¡°go back and ask knowles what materials the extraordinary hunter made. i will get it even if i end up bankrupt!¡± Chapter 180 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation this time, it went straight to the heavens!!! richard took a few breaths but could not calm the excitement in his heart. after admiring it for a while, this is the ring of control that he does not want to give up. now, he could only use this thing once or twice. if he could not have it repaired, he would be reluctant to use it. if a circumstance completely damaged it, then he would not even have a place to cry. !! just as he put it away, a distinct sound suddenly rang in his ears. ¡®crack!¡¯ something seemed to have broken¡­ his expression froze, and he immediately extended his perception. at this moment, outside the dimensional plane. the terrifying aura of the templar city commander looked at the dimensional crack that looked like a mirror. it increasingly broke by inch after falling from a ten-story building. its face turned ashen. it felt like it was about to go crazy. the hundreds of top-tier soldiers frantically attacked the dimensional rift and tried to force their way. however, the powerful repulsive force of the dimensional rift made their attacks seem like they were hitting cotton. they were so depressed they wanted to vomit blood. some powerful heroes wanted to forcefully maintain the dimensional rift and prevent it from shattering. however, it was useless even if they used all their methods¡­ in the end, they could only watch as the dimensional rift disappeared. the cliff walls of the valley appeared in their line of sight once again. the templar city commander did not make a move for a long time. they had deployed many troops and traversed hundreds of kilometers to chase one person. moreover, the other party was a weak existence and had yet to reach level 10. however, under such circumstances, the other party not only killed hundreds of thousands of people, but he also escaped unguarded. moreover, with the disappearance of the dimensional rift, they completely lost track of the third princess¡­ ¡°that damned bastard!!¡± the calmness on the surface could not conceal the extreme anger that rose in its heart. ¡°send the news back. have its majesty the king use his divine artifact to lock onto that plane! i want that damned bastard dead!!¡± the ice-cold voice caused the surrounding temperature to drop sharply. the killing intent was fierce. the demon commander of the covenant of evil faction from far away was also somewhat stunned when it saw this scene. then, it revealed a gloating smile. although its assassination mission didn¡¯t succeed, it also caused the other party to fail in search for the templar dragoons commander. ¡°hahaha, hypocritical oath of light faction. it seems fate designed you to fail!!¡± but just as it was about to retreat, the surrounding space suddenly froze. the next second, the oath of light faction troop, who had nowhere to vent their anger, launched an attack on them. this immediately made the demon commander sneer. ¡®do you want to die?!!¡¯ the fearless evil life form, to begin with, immediately retaliated without any fear. then, an intense horrifying battle broke out in this area. the two factions that chased richard lost countless soldiers¡­ and a large portion of the players also lost their lives. they left the dungeon while they cursed. ****** just as richard was vigilant around him¡­ suddenly, the space in front of him distorted. a figure covered in blood appeared in his line of sight. he was shocked. he subconsciously wanted to attack. but when he saw the face of the other party, he immediately stopped. a surprised smile appeared on his face. ¡°president jones?!¡± the president of the scalet council, this mysterious boss, gave richard a deep look and his tone was full of praise. ¡°elder richard, your courage and wisdom are amazing. it is an honor for the scarlet council to have you join them!¡± as it spoke, it turned its head to look at more than a dozen sandworm larvae. after it confirmed the third princess was safe again, it suddenly relaxed. at the same time, its favorability towards richard soared to the extreme. [ding~ the relationship between the president of the scarlet council, jones, and you has increased to respect.] when richard heard the system notification, his mood immediately elevated. the other party¡¯s arrival meant that the s-rank mission was over. the rich mission rewards were waiting for him. ¡°it¡¯s my honor to be able to join the scarlet council¡­¡± he frowned after he said that and looked at jones, whose robe was almost drenched in blood. ¡°president jones, the injuries on your body¡­¡± the other party¡¯s aura was very unstable. it had pronouncedly encountered a great battle. to successfully fight hard in front of the templar city enemies, don¡¯t think of the pressure you have to go through. ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯ll recover after a few days of rest. the templar city still doesn¡¯t have the strength to stop me from leaving.¡± jones¡¯ casual tone made richard¡¯s mouth twitch. ¡®damn it. it had tricked me again.¡¯ now, he couldn¡¯t even see the level of the other party. so, he didn¡¯t know how strong this boss was¡­ ¡°we need to leave this plane.¡± jones¡¯s voice was a little low. ¡°leave? can¡¯t you close the spatial rift?¡± richard was confused. several enemies still waited outside. hundreds of thousands of soldiers would surround them if they went out now. ¡°i¡¯ve already closed the spatial rift.¡± ¡°then why¡­¡± ¡°this plane is about to collapse.¡± ¡®the plane was about to collapse? did it have to be so exaggerated?¡¯ when jones saw richard¡¯s confounded expression, it said slowly. ¡°the rules of this newborn plane are intensely fragile. it can not accommodate existences above level 14. ¡°when i came in, the plane took my power. and the rules just collapsed¡­¡± ¡°you broke the plane?!¡± ¡®how good is this boss?¡¯ jones said nothing more. with a wave of its hand, the space in front of it shattered. ¡°let¡¯s leave first¡­¡± they stepped into it. richard did not hesitate. he controlled more than a dozen sandworm larvae to follow. the next second, his vision suddenly darkened, and the air was deathly silent. he turned his head to look around, and all he could see was darkness and nothingness. it was as if he had entered space. ¡®what is this place?¡¯ just as he was puzzled, his expression suddenly froze. in the extreme distance, an enormous plane that looked wrapped in bubbles appeared before his eyes. unlike the world on blue star world, the plane was flat and just floated in the void. he could even faintly see the land and mountains on the plane. but because of the distance, it was a little hazy. while astonished, jones, who stood in the void, narrowed its eyes slightly. it spoke slowly in a somewhat hoarse voice. ¡°this is the land of the void, outside the main plane¡­ ¡°the plane in front of you is the dimensional plane we were in just now. ¡°the existence of a plane is like fine sand drifting in the endless sea. ¡°no one knows how many planes exist in the void, just like no one knows how many grains of sand exist in the sea. ¡°the main plane is only the broadest grain of sand. perhaps, there is the second grain of sand that is so large beyond the void far away. ¡°that bubble-like object is a plane barrier. its purpose is to isolate the erosion of the void. ¡°once the collapse destroys the plane barrier, this will instantly annihilate the plane.¡± as it spoke, a crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the plane in front of it. then, it was as if something punctured the bubble in the water. ¡®crack!¡¯ the transparent shield directly exploded. the energy of the void pressed into it. it was as if it was under high pressure at the bottom of the sea. the plane outrightly collapsed and broke. then, the void completely swallowed it. the whole process only took a few minutes. it was like a scene in a silent movie. richard¡¯s mind shook. a plane, this was a plane that carried countless lives. now, it was gone just like that? jones¡¯ dark blue eyes were still as calm as water. this scene didn¡¯t affect him at all. it was as if he was used to all this. when the collapse of the plane gradually subsided, it said softly. ¡°wait for me here for a few minutes.¡± after it said this, its body suddenly disappeared in the direction of the collapse of the plane. this boss¡­ what was it going to do? the chaotic energy that surged after the collapse of the plane, even though there was an immeasurable distance between them, shocked richard. it was simply not something he could come into contact with right now¡­ even a level 20 transcendent would only have one option in the face of such a natural disaster, destruction. there was no other choice. fortunately, jones, who had disappeared not long ago, returned. the aura on its body became more and more unstable. it was like an active volcano that could spew lava and burn everything at any time. before richard could speak. jones reached out and handed him a fist-sized pitch-black stone. it spoke in a somewhat weak tone. ¡°you¡¯ve made a great contribution this time. this is your reward¡­¡± ¡®an s-rank mission reward was just a stone?¡¯ richard reached out and took it. he opened his stats panel with some curiosity. the next second, his breathing froze. a name appeared on it. [dimension stone¡­] Chapter 181 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at it three times to make sure he was right. at this moment, his heart chilled. the plane stone¡­ the plane core. no one could describe its value in simple words. ¡®was that the stone of the plane that jones had just taken? !! ¡®f*ck! was this boss honestly that powerful?¡¯ he quickly looked at the properties below. [dimension stone] [level: special] [characteristics: the cornerstone of the birth of a dimension. it can bear almost unlimited power. perhaps, you can use it to forge divine artifacts.] [description: when a dimension is shattered, the stone will collapse along with it. only the extremely rare dimension stone can be preserved.] jones did not seem to care too much about this and said. ¡°the dimension stone contains a sublimely vast amount of energy. at the same time, it can bear the most brutal power. ¡°in the future, when you build a wizard tower, you can use it as the core of the magic formation. ¡°although you don¡¯t need it now, you might need it in the future.¡± jones¡¯words made richard fall silent. ¡®was this a big shot? ¡®using a dimension stone as the core of the wizard tower¡¯s magic formation? ¡®this was a treasure that could bear the power of a dimension. wasn¡¯t it a bit of a waste to use it as the core?¡¯¡­ he delightedly placed this priceless treasure into the system space. his humor was at its peak. he had never been this excited even when he spent the night outside with his first love. the s-rank mission reward was indeed outrageous!! however, the only regret was this thing was too high-end. richard could only keep it for future use. when the time came, he might be able to forge a few divine artifacts¡­ richard thought for a moment and said solemnly. ¡°president jones, thank you for your generosity.¡± ¡°however, my territory is not considered strong at the moment. such top-grade items are temporarily unusable. does our scarlet council have any items more suitable for me now?¡± jones could not help but laugh. ¡°no wonder ferguson said that your personality is very similar to his¡­ ¡°when you return, you can enter the warehouse and choose five items at will.¡± it said apologetically. ¡°but to realize our ideals, most of the items we have accumulated over the past few years have been used up. only a few precious treasures left in the warehouse.¡± richard was delighted. ¡°it¡¯s okay. my requirements are not high.¡± he did not expect jones to be so generous. this time, he had earned a lot. jones seemed to have sensed something. it turned its head and glanced at the plane about to be destroyed. ¡°someone from the templar church is chasing us. let¡¯s leave first.¡± richard looked at the pitch-black void but found nothing. jones did not wait for richard to speak, its dark blue power erupted and enveloped him. the surrounding void shattered. in the next second, a tunnel with distorted light appeared in richard¡¯s line of sight. across space. in this area, time seemed to have lost its meaning. richard¡¯s perception of the outside world was completely suppressed. and he could only rely on his eyes to observe. half an hour later, jones stopped. he suddenly turned around, his gaze fixed on the sand chrysalis behind him. ¡°elder richard, open this sand chrysalis.¡± richard was stunned and didn¡¯t understand. because it wasn¡¯t the third princess inside the sand chrysalis. with a wave of its hand, the sand grains dispersed. then, it revealed the pale golden sandworm egg he had obtained in the sandworm¡¯s lair. what surprised him was that. the ancient sandworm egg that had a weak aura and seemed like it could be broken at any time now glowed. the mysterious pattern on it seemed to have come alive. ¡°what is it?¡±jones said in surprise. ¡°this insect-killing egg is devouring the power of the void¡­ it has the bloodline of the void.¡± ¡°the bloodline of the void?¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up, although he did not know what was special about the bloodline of the void. it was extraordinary for jones to pay so much attention to it. this super boss took the dimension stone from the collapse of the dimension with its bare hands. it had such high standards. after it sensed carefully for a moment, jones confirmed its guess. it stretched out its hand, and the surrounding distorted energy began to surge into it. ¡°the first drop of blood is on the eggshell. i will imprint your spirit into its soul. after it is born, it will perfectly obey your orders.¡± when richard heard that, he immediately took action. he went forward and dripped the blood on the eggshell. when the blood seeped into the eggshell, a special connection arose in his heart. he could feel that a weak life form has nurtured inside. it was on the verge of death as if it could be put to death at any moment. however, what made him slightly relieved was the weak life form rapidly devoured the energy around it and grew stronger. ¡°the sandworms in that plane are most likely the descendants of the void sandworms. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that its power has deteriorated to the freezing point with no nourishment of void energy after countless years. ¡°this sandworm egg was laid by the pure-blooded void sandworms, as well as the power of void lifeforms.¡± jones controlled void energy to irrigate the golden egg and explained to richard. ¡°void lifeforms are lifeforms born outside the plane. their power is incomparably strapping. and they are naturally able to resist the erosion of the void. ¡°even transcendents are unable to fight against the weakest void lifeforms. the powerful beings within can even hunt gods¡­¡± ¡°the further away from the main plane, the stronger the void lifeforms become. ¡°after you possess the power to traverse the void in the future, you must remember to be careful of these terrifying existences.¡± richard nodded to indicate he had noted it down. although he did not know when he could traverse such a terrifying place. after the egg swallowed a large amount of void energy, the aura of the ancient sandworm egg gradually stabilized. the faint flame of life also began to burn gradually. richard waited with great relief at this big shot that made a move. this process lasted a long time¡­ halfway through, he was still worried that the templar city would find him. but jones¡¯words they could not find him dispelled his worries. may 6, 12 noon. after the ancient sandworm egg with a weak aura devoured countless void energy, it had already turned into a pure golden bug egg that emitted a powerful aura. the aura of life burned like a giant dragon. and at this moment, it had finally reached saturation after it absorbed the void energy. after jones dispersed its energy, its eyes showed a rare look of exhaustion. it looked at richard and smiled. ¡°this void sandworm¡¯s descendant has already devoured enough energy. it will be an intensely strapping existence after breaking out of its shell. ¡°during this process, i strengthened and sorted out its bloodline. now, not only can it survive in the void, but it can also survive in the mortal plane. ¡°this time, you¡¯ve picked up a treasure.¡± the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up, and he was intensely excited. this harvest was purely a pleasant surprise. if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had searched the sandworm¡¯s lair many times to prevent any mistakes, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to find this egg buried deep underground. moreover, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had completed the s-rank mission, jones wouldn¡¯t have worked so hard to help him. this egg would probably be able to be used to stir-fry the egg with green pepper in a few days. one ring after another, it would not work without it. wonderful. ¡°the void sandworm will break out of its shell in about a month. ¡°remember, don¡¯t feed it any food. the power of the void is its food. it will tear the space itself and devour it. ¡°once you feed it with other food, it is easy to weaken the power of the void in its body while it is young.¡± richard quickly memorized it. ¡°i understand.¡± after jones said that, he looked at the remaining ten sand chrysalis¡­ ¡°president jones, do these sandworm eggs still have the void bloodline?¡± jones didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°the void bloodline is not sand. how can it be everywhere? it is already tremendously lucky to get one.¡± ¡°then can these sandworms be tamed like before?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not enough to just drip blood on it. you also need to brand it with a spiritual imprint¡­¡± jones said and waved its hand. ¡°go and drip blood on it. i¡¯ll help you.¡± this gesture deeply moved richard that made him about to cry. he honestly wanted to ask if the president was interested in going to twilight city to play around¡­ he could practically fly to the sky with such a big shot backer. richard sensed the aura of the remaining ten sandworm eggs and smiled after everything. ordinary sandworms might not have as much potential as void sandworms. but in his imagination, these sandworms were used to transport goods for trade. they might be more valuable for farming than for fighting. ¡°we should go back. ferguson and the others have been waiting for a long time¡­¡± jones¡¯ tone was not impatient. richard made an exceptional contribution this time. it was starkly worth rewarding him. richard nodded and didn¡¯t waste any more time. he delightedly wrapped the golden sandworm eggs with sand and followed along with the other worm eggs. ¡°it will hatch in a month. ¡°in the future, raise the void sandworm and let it find other planes when it¡¯s free. ¡°won¡¯t it be a piece of cake to start a cross-plane trade by then?¡± ¡°eh, thinking about it, it seems to be very interesting. ¡°i seem to have discovered the true value of the void sandworm¡­¡± Chapter 182 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard thought about how to make a fortune with the void sandworm. jones¡¯ voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± as soon as jones finished speaking, the distorted light and space around it disappeared. its vision suddenly widened. !! it was now in an incomparably huge square, paved with bluestones. when one looked around, one could not see any buildings until the end of the line of sight. it was vast and empty. when it looked back, it saw a city thousands of meters high, or rather¡­a mountain. the hollow out in the mountain peaks built the city. thick rocks formed all kinds of buildings. circle after circle, layer after layer. this was a unique sight in the fantasy world. to stand here and look up gave a strong visual impact. at the bottom of the mountain, a city wall up to a hundred meters high defended the city. the guards on top walked back and forth. at the same time, countless magic lights flashed, and strapping pressure filled them. they densely arrange vast siege weapons. once they found the enemy, they would immediately launch a fatal attack. it could not imagine what kind of power would be needed to take down this city. ¡°this is the city of fortified walls, the true headquarters of the scarlet council.¡± savage scars covered jones¡¯ face. it softened at this moment as if it was a wanderer returned home. it looked at slightly surprised richard by his side, and it smiled. ¡°elder richard, welcome home.¡± ¡®home¡¯¡­ richard murmured. yes, he was now one of the 12 elders of the scarlet council. he was also a part of this place and was well-deserved to be the leader. richard regressed to his senses and sighed at this fortified city. a sense of heroism rose in his heart. his eyes burned. one day, twilight city would be more shocking than this magnificent city. jones did not take him into the city on foot. instead, he came to an open space hundreds of meters away. when it got closer, it found there was a unique teleportation formation carved there. ¡®shua!¡¯ the teleportation formation flashed. the two suddenly disappeared. in the next second, a hall more than 50 meters high appeared in richard¡¯s sight. the surrounding rock walls were embossed with countless exquisite statues. this place was even more magnificent than the palace. ¡°richard!!¡± he heard a surprised voice. richard veered his head and saw two familiar figures. he instantly smiled. ¡°ferguson, knowles¡­¡± knowles, the dwarf, was the most excited. he rushed to richard¡¯s side with his short legs and shouted. ¡°damn human boy. i knew you would be okay!!¡± he stood up and patted his shoulder. ferguson also walked closer and looked at him with admiration. the magic inscription on its forehead became increasingly distinct as its injury healed. ¡°richard, after you took back the holy dragon¡¯s blood from the demons¡¯ and angels¡¯ threat, i knew¡­ you deserve any degree of trust. ¡°you did a perfect job this time. perhaps, no one could be better than you!¡± not only did the other party survive the process of protecting the third princess, but he also single-handedly killed dozens of the enemy¡¯s troops. this was a glorious achievement worthy of an exaggeration! his reputation had already spread throughout the entire templar city. that cowardly king had even single-handedly ordered a considerable bounty placed on his head. the other party was worthy of his pride. richard could not help but laugh. why was everyone doing this? after that, the few of them chatted excitedly for a long time before they dispersed. the third princess was already in their hands. they still had more important things to do. when richard removed the sand wrapped around the third princess, jones officially took over the third princess. a familiar notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have completed an s-rank mission ¡ª escape from danger. your outstanding performance has won everyone¡¯s admiration. your name has begun to resound in the ears of everyone in the troubadour¡¯s praises. you have obtained 20 gold points.] [ding~ you have completed an s-rank mission ¡ª pre-war speech. because of the brilliant battle results you have created, your speech has become widely known along with your reputation. it has played an extremely important role in the spread of the scarlet council¡¯s beliefs. you have obtained 5 gold points.] two notifications allowed him to receive 25 gold points. his mood instantly mounted. the harder it was to obtain something, the more precious it was. there was no doubt about that. gold points were ultimately not a treasure that ordinary points could compare. ferguson arranged for him to have the best room and let him have a good rest. after they arrived at a safe place, his tight nerves immediately lulled. richard, who had not slept for a few days, lay on the bed and fell asleep. he didn¡¯t know how long it took and gradually regained consciousness when someone knocked on the door. he got up and opened the door. knowles raised its head to look at him and grumbled unhappily. ¡°richard, you slept for two whole days! ¡°how can you sleep at such a young age? ¡°when master knowles was your age, he only slept for half an hour a day! 1 ¡°do you know how the extraordinary hunter was created? it¡¯s all thanks to master knowles¡¯ diligence!¡± richard looked at the braggart dwarf in annoyance. ¡°has the plan begun?¡± ¡°president jones has recovered from its injuries and is about to begin. so, i asked you to go over¡­¡± as knowles spoke, it sized him up a few times and asked curiously. ¡°you¡¯re also lucky. this time, i¡¯ll let you take advantage of me again.¡± knowles felt a little emotional after it spoke. ¡°but you deserve it. to be able to protect the third princess from so many pursuers, you can¡¯t overpraise her.¡± when richard heard this, his interest was immediately piqued. after he hurriedly washed his face, he followed knowles to the depths of this fortified city. in the center of the mountain peak, outside a huge hall, soldiers emitting a powerful aura were stationed. on the way, they could see that the soldiers were all above level 15. knowles led them in. the hall was cardinally simple. there were no statues around, only hard rocks. a long black table was placed in the center. there were five carved chairs on each side, one in front and one at the back. all the chairs added up. they were twelve. jones had already taken a seat right in front of the main seat. at this time, only the seat opposite jones and the seat to jones¡¯right were left empty. the other seats had already been taken. when they heard footsteps, everyone turned their heads to look at them in unison. when richard saw this scene, his expression did not change. he bowed slightly. ¡°president jones, good day.¡± ¡°good day.¡± jones wore a red and white robe. it slowly stood up and gestured to the crowd around it. ¡°allow me to introduce you to everyone. this is the elder of the scarlet council, richard. he is responsible for the scarlet council¡¯s publicity.¡± ¡°a few days ago, a traitor who leaked information betrayed ferguson. on the way, the templar dragoons attacked ferguson. the blood of the holy dragon was lost. ¡°in a moment of crisis, elder richard was alone. he retrieved the blood of the holy dragon under the siege of demons and angels. ¡°at the same time, he escorted ferguson back to templar city. ¡°at that time, the shadow of the traitor appeared again. he used the devil to abduct ferguson. ¡°elder richard immediately went to find knowles and entered the camp of the templar city alone. he used the enemy¡¯s power to remove the devil¡¯s minions and save ferguson. ¡°then, the aura of the divine artifact on the third princess was revealed. it was elder richard who led the third princess away at the critical moment. ¡°even though millions of templar city soldiers pursued him, he still protected the third princess of the city and killed dozens of enemy troops in one fell swoop. ¡°and elder richard¡¯s speech before the war in the rift valley made everyone in templar city talk about our faith and purpose¡­¡± in a short but powerful speech, jones repeated what richard had done during this time. when it finished, the elders who had never met each other looked at richard with admiration. ¡°before the last war, it was a stroke of genius to proclaim the faith we seek. ¡°hahaha. now, everyone in templar city is talking about our scarlet council¡­ ¡°we were born equal. why should these worms rule us? ¡°we were born free.why should filthy nobles oppress us? ¡°since fate is unfair, then we will rebel against fate!¡± the introduction continued. jones looked at the elders, and no one questioned whether richard was qualified to be an elder. a smile also appeared on its face. this was also an important reason why it was so satisfied with richard. the other party honestly approved and agreed with its idea, and was willing to fight for their common ideal. otherwise, who would make such a move before the start of the war? the other party was a comrade who shared the same ideals and goals with it, so no matter how it supported him, it would not be too much. thinking of this, he said in a solemn voice. ¡°elder richard, we have completed the production of the ancient curse. ¡°next, we remove the dragon¡¯s blood from the third princess¡¯ body. ¡°after injecting the holy dragon¡¯s blood, it will be injected back into her body. ¡°in this way, the ancient curse will have great power and will not be dispelled.¡± richard nodded. ¡°president jones, is there anything i can help you with?¡± jones smiled. ¡°of course, i need you to carry the dragon¡¯s blood in the third princess¡¯ body¡­¡± after jones said this, the other elders present revealed envious looks. but since it was jones¡¯decision, they did not dare to say anything. moreover, richard¡¯s actions were worthy of this reward. that¡¯s right. it was a reward. richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the gazes of the people around him. was this even a good job? if you said that, then he wouldn¡¯t be sleepy anymore. jones didn¡¯t wait for him to ask a question and took the initiative to speak. ¡°the dragon blood in the third princess¡¯ body of the templar city empire is intensely violent. it contains the unique power of a giant dragon. if an ordinary person touches even a single drop of it, their blood vessels will burst, and their souls will be shattered. ¡°but once they resist that violent and crazy power, they would obtain huge benefits. ¡°you may obtain the magic and forbidden spells inherited from the dragon¡¯s blood, or all kinds of high-intensity magic resistance, or the body of a dragon¡­ ¡°bathing in the dragon¡¯s blood is the dream of all heroes. ¡°and the dragon¡¯s blood of the third princess will temporarily reside in your body, which means that you will obtain the power of the dragon¡¯s blood at a deeper level.¡± it paused for a moment and added. ¡°if you can¡¯t hold on, i will suppress the fury of the dragon blood for you and won¡¯t let you get hurt.¡± Chapter 183 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation jones¡¯ words made richard¡¯s heart skip a beat. to judge from this process, this was probably a part of the reward of the s-rank mission. he spoke decisively. ¡°president jones, i am duty-bound for this mission.¡± jones smiled and nodded. !! ¡°follow me.¡± then, all the elders stood together and followed jones through the side door of the hall. after they passed a passage, they arrived at the side hall. this side hall was different from the main hall. they carved countless magic inscriptions on the surrounding stone walls. the surging magic power was like the waves of the ocean that can make one¡¯s breathing quicken. in the central area, on a dark blue altar, the third princess slept quietly lay on it. ¡°elder richard,¡± jones said softly. ¡°elder richard, please lie beside the princess of the templar city.¡± ¡°this process will last for a week to two weeks. be mentally prepared¡­¡± richard nodded. he was not in a hurry to go up. he took out the tibetan soldier card and let gray out. he looked at ferguson. ¡°ferguson, do you still remember what you promised me? ¡°after we returned to the scarlet council, you taught my subordinates the skill to summon mummies.¡± it was something he wanted to do. he had never had the chance before, but now he could not let it go. ferguson did not know whether to laugh or cry. it waved its hand. ¡°i will arrange this.¡± richard said seriously. ¡°this matter is fundamental to me. please, pay attention to it.¡± ferguson said unhappily. ¡°go. how could i mistreat you?¡± after the two became closer, their conversation became much more casual. ¡°also, i have a subordinate in the lake where i stole the holy dragon¡¯s blood. ¡°if it¡¯s possible, please, send someone to bring him back¡­ gray, take gunter¡¯s soul ball. you can find him when you get close.¡± ferguson waved its hand and agreed to such a small matter. it could just send two flying units to solve it in a day. after it gave some instructions, richard laid down beside the third princess in peace. the altar was spacious enough, so it was not crowded. jones took the holy dragon¡¯s blood, sealed tightly with a bottle cap, from the shelf next to him. ¡®poof!¡¯ it pulled out the bottle cap and looked at richard with its deep blue eyes. ¡°go to sleep¡­ when you wake up, you will have more power.¡± as soon as it finished speaking, richard felt a wave of sleepiness sweep over him, and he fell into a deep sleep. he didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. he was in a daze and felt like lava shrouded his body. his blood vessels exploded, his bones shattered, and his muscles torn apart¡­ an indescribable feeling surged into his mind. but at this moment, he was like an outsider. in a daze, he had no sense of pain. he could only see his body was broken and healed in that energy. he was destroyed and healed repeatedly. he could feel that his body got increasingly stronger in this process. in the end, power shrouded every part of his body. this process lasted for an extremely long time. it was as if several centuries had passed. he fell asleep countless times along the way, and a special feeling awakened him several times. and in the process, the depths of his bloodline seemed to have undergone a different change. ****** on june 27, the development of the dungeon was very fast. although the two main factions broke out in several big battles and suffered countless casualties, there was still no victor. the impenetrable city walls of templar city were like mountains, unshaken no matter how many times the covenant of evil struck. meanwhile, after such a long time had passed, extremely active players were still discussing an id¡­ ¡°qingqiu has been missing for three weeks. has that bastard lost? why didn¡¯t we see him even during the epic battle of the covenant of evil attacking templar city?¡± ¡°1,260,000 points¡­ 650,000 points for second place. in other words, it will take at least another month to catch up to him.¡± ¡°these few big battles are much more comfortable than qingqiu¡¯s. that kind of pervert shouldn¡¯t have appeared in the dungeon¡­¡± hostile discussions continued¡­ even though richard had been missing for a long time, it was still one of the hottest topics. the most discussed topic was where he might have gone. why was there no sign of him in the last few big battles? the influence brought by the act of killing hundreds of thousands of people was too extensive for the players. moreover, the ridiculous number on the ranking board made it difficult for them to ignore it. he was the first person to open the ranking board, and they could not avoid him. at this moment, the system notification suddenly sounded, making everyone excited. [ding~ the time fragment¡¯s energy is about to be exhausted. the dungeon will end on june 28 at midnight. lords, please make preparations. the points exchange will begin at that time.] was the dungeon about to end? they had worked hard for a month. finally, it was time to reap the rewards. while the players excitedly discussed what they could exchange for the next day. in his daze, richard seemed to have heard something. he suddenly opened his eyes. ¡®huff!¡¯ ¡®huff!¡¯ his chest rose and fell rapidly a few times. the air entered his lungs and infused him with power once again. he slowly sat up. there was no one else in this side hall. only the blue runes that emitted magical waves flickered. he let out a long breath. his consciousness gradually regained consciousness. how long had he slept? just now, it seemed that the system notification had sounded. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. he was stunned. june 27. the dungeon deadline was the following day. the points exchange had begun. it¡¯s the 27th? did he sleep for 20 days? richard was a little bewildered. this was too exaggerated. did he sleep through this dungeon just like that? he continued to open the system notification. there were still a few things that he had not seen before. [ding~ you have spent a week in the position of scarlet council elder. you have obtained one gold point.] [ding~ your salary for this week is 1,000 units of mercury, 1,000 units of gemstones, and 1,000 units of crystals. please, go to the scarlet council warehouse to collect them.] the repeated notifications increased his gold points by 3 points. and he also obtained 9,000 units of rare resources. his expression instantly became a little strange. ¡°is this considered making money lying down?¡± his mood immediately improved. this feeling was not bad. a moment later, he suddenly felt something. his eyes narrowed slightly. the power in his body was like countless rivers surging. the majestic power seemed to be able to make him smash the city wall with one punch. when he gradually adapted to that power, the system notification rang again. [ding~ you have bathed in dragon¡¯s blood. maximum magic power increased by 1,000. magic energy recovery increased by 20 points per second.] [current magic energy: 4,000 (30 points per second, 60 points per second when standing on the yellow sand)] [ding~ you have bathed in dragon¡¯s blood. you have obtained a special skill ¡ª dragon¡¯s power.] [dragon¡¯s power (special) ¡ª your body has become incomparably powerful after being bathed in the dragon¡¯s blood. your defense has increased by 300%. and your strength has increased by 500%. you are immune to lethal poisons, plagues, and instant death skills. you are also immune to aura-type suppression. [ding~ you have bathed in dragon¡¯s blood. the bloodline in your body has been stimulated and changed. you have obtained a new lord¡¯s talent ¡ª yellow sand halo (b-rank) ¡ª able to grow] [yellow sand halo (b-rank) ¡ª able to grow. the power you emit is like a sandstorm sweeping across the land, causing a powerful psychological shock to the enemy.] [the enemy will fall into a state of fear if their willpower test fails. they will either surrender to you or flee. moreover, all of their attributes will be reduced by 30%.] [range: 100 meters. consumes 50 magic energy points per second. the higher the magic energy consumption, the stronger the fear effect.] richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. he laughed after he carefully looked at it a few times. what a good guy. bathing in dragon blood was so fierce? not only did his magic energy increase by 1000 points. his magic energy recovery speed increased by 20 points per second. he also obtained two powerful skills, one of which was a yellow sand halo skill that could grow. to obtain such a colossal harvest after sleeping for 20 days, he wanted to buy an annual package¡­ the thing that moved him the most was the yellow sand halo. they could not learn halo-type skills. this was because it was a talent. if you had it, then you had it. if you didn¡¯t have it, then you didn¡¯t have it. the dragon¡¯s might that came with the dragon was the most typical halo-type skill. and most halo-type skills would only appear on top-tier lifeforms, such as dragons, titans, supreme demons, and angels¡­ halo skills were the symbol of top-tier lifeforms. it might not necessarily have an aura if it was a human or a dwarf, even if it was beyond level 20. without such a talent in his bloodline, it would be useless. what was worse was that his halo could still grow. however, the word ¡®grow¡¯ was too awkward. his lord talent, desert dominator, had allowed twilight city to develop gradually until now. now there was a similar one¡­ comfortable. just as he was getting excited, a voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°richard, how does it feel bathing in the dragon¡¯s blood?¡± knowles entered the room and stared at him as if it was looking at something strange. richard looked at the curious look of the dwarf and didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°you can ask president jones to give it a try.¡± ¡°forget it. i¡¯m not interested in dragons. master knowles relies on intelligence! how can a weak human know how powerful a dwarf is!¡± richard didn¡¯t argue with him and asked. ¡°knowles, have we carried out our plan?¡± the other party waved its hand. ¡°the president is already making arrangements. you can¡¯t be of much help in this matter. ¡°with your little strength, you won¡¯t be able to defeat a soldier guarding the city¡­ ¡± those who could guard the city wall in such a crucial battle were all elites. almost all of them were level 15. the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®this being, can¡¯t it speak properly?¡¯ as knowles spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and said with some envy. ¡°the president asked me to take you to the warehouse to pick five items as a reward¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. Chapter 184 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°knowles, take me there.¡± the dwarf nodded and mumbled as it walked. ¡°although the warehouse has consumed a lot of precious treasures because of our plan in the past few years, there are still good things. but you surely don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± ¡°the things placed outside aren¡¯t that good. the ores thrown in the corner are the ultimate treasures. you can use some of the things inside in making divine artifacts!¡± knowles said mysteriously. !! ¡°the ones in my warehouse are genuine treasures. richard, one day, master knowles will take you there to open your eyes¡­ ¡°you¡¯ll know that dwarves are the richest!¡± richard was amused. this guy was ultimately a top-notch treasure. ¡°of course, if you can let me choose ten treasures¡­¡± knowles looked at richard warily. ¡°even the greedy goblins don¡¯t dare to be as beautiful as you think! that¡¯s my treasure! ¡°i¡¯ve already given you my big treasure. don¡¯t you dare think about me again!¡± as it spoke, its thoughts jumped again. ¡°in this battle, i¡¯ve discovered that colossal treasures still have many shortcomings. this time, i want to create an even more powerful puppet!! ¡°if those guys dare to chase us next time¡­ i promise to crush their corpses into pieces!! ¡°master knowles¡¯s wisdom is not something those lowly beings can imagine¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. ¡°knowles, the enemies badly destroyed the extraordinary hunter. what materials can we use to restore it?¡± knowles said arrogantly. ¡°in the past, i had to repair the mechanical puppet personally when it was damaged. it was too troublesome. ¡°to solve this problem, i tried countless times when i created the extraordinary hunter.¡± ¡°in the end, i created a unique new special structure ¡ª advanced restoration. ¡°with this feature, as long as the extraordinary hunter is not completely damaged, it can automatically absorb materials to recover¡­¡± after saying this, it paused for a moment. when it saw richard listening attentively, it continued with satisfaction. ¡°there are two types of materials to repair ¡ª one is rare resources. ¡°gemstones, mercury, crystals, sulfur. these resources contain special resources that can repair the rudimentary damage of an extraordinary hunter. ¡°and to repair the hollow damage, such as the alchemy magic formation, you need to use an exceedingly unique material ¡ª mithril.¡± it sighed with emotion as it spoke. ¡°mithril is a specialty of the underground world. other than the underground world, it¡¯s hard to find it in other regions. ¡°because this material has strapping characteristics, one can use this in making divine artifacts. it has always been regarded as a supreme treasure by the dungeon race and is arduous to obtain. ¡°if you want to repair the extraordinary hunter, you get enough mithril first.¡± richard took these words at heart and asked at the same time. ¡°knowles, in your warehouse¡­¡± knowles didn¡¯t wait for him to finish speaking and immediately looked at him vigilantly. ¡°don¡¯t even think about it! i have all used up my mithril. not a drop left!!¡± richard laughed. ¡°no, i want to say, do you still have the blueprint for the extraordinary hunter in your warehouse?¡± ¡°this mechanical puppet is ultimately the best piece of art i have ever seen. ¡°my territory happens to have a blacksmith who is indeed talented. ¡°i want to let her admire your masterpiece. as long as i can learn a thing or two from it, it might be of great help to my territory.¡± these words made knowles smile. it raised its head and said. ¡°human boy, although you flatter master knowles, i consider it telling the truth. i admire your honesty.¡± as it spoke, it took out a thick stack of blueprints from its pocket. it was clear there was a treasure hidden in the clothes inside. it handed it directly to richard. ¡°this is the blueprint for the extraordinary hunter. ¡°take it. ¡°next time, master knowles will create an even more powerful one to open your eyes¡­¡± even the extraordinary hunter had given it to him, so a blueprint was nothing to him. richard reached out to take it and immediately opened the attribute panel. [extraordinary hunter¡¯s blueprint (permanent)] [level: special] [characteristics: able to create level 20 extraordinary hunter-mechanical puppet.] [requirements: 100,000 units for gemstones, crystals, mercury, and sulfur, 10,000 units for mithril. requires a master-level mechanical puppet maker.] [description: a blueprint designed by a genius, but because of this, it is exceedingly arduous to create.] after richard took a few glances, he suddenly lost the idea of creating it. that series of materials could kill him. it was impossible to take it out now. not to mention the need for a master-level mechanical puppet maker. this was the first time he had heard of such a thing. he glanced at the smug dwarf. it would be great if he could kidnap it¡­ putting away the blueprint, he was in a good mood. although he couldn¡¯t make it in the meantime, he still had a thought. when twilight city expands in a few years, he might be able to take it out and use it. while the two conversed, they arrived at a heavily guarded area. soldiers above level 15 were everywhere. they had arrived. knowles brought richard to the front of a huge metal door in high spirits. after it conversed with the guard alone for a moment, the guard immediately came forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°welcome, elder richard. ¡°the president has already instructed that you can freely take five treasures from the warehouse. ¡°please, follow me.¡± knowles said with envy and pretended to be disdainful. ¡°go, human boy. master knowles is waiting for you here. remember, take the ores from the corner¡­¡± richard smiled and didn¡¯t mind this guy being crazy about ores. he entered the treasure warehouse with anticipation after the guard opened the door. there was a corridor inside., he arrived at the second heavily guarded door after a hundred meters. after the guard confirmed his identity, he handed him a crystal. ¡°elder richard, this crystal can open the magic shield protecting the treasure. ¡°whatever treasure you choose, touch the crystal to the magic shield. ¡°after five times, the crystal will turn into ashes. ¡°remember not to touch the magic shield directly. this will trigger a powerful guard spell¡­¡± richard took it and nodded with a smile. this indicated he understood. the guard did not say much and immediately used a complicated spell to open the giant stone door without a key. richard entered the ultimate treasure after the warehouse door opened. strange, this was his first impression. the makers of the shelves in the treasure warehouse carved them out of the mountain rocks. row after row, like the bookshelves in the library. the difference was that they were not made of wood but were carved out of rock. it connected from the underground to the top, which was more than 20 meters high. for obvious reasons, this treasure warehouse was deliberately dug out of the mountain when left behind. the magic inscriptions on the surrounding walls were densely packed, even more, exaggerated than the secret chamber where jones had swapped blood with the third princess. just looking at the terrifying magic fluctuations made richard shudder. no one knew how powerful it was to destroy these inscriptions. he retracted his gaze and turned his attention to the rock storage shelves. to his slight surprise, most of the storage shelves were empty. there was no picture of precious treasures everywhere as he had imagined. jones was pronouncedly not being modest when he said that the scarlet council had emptied most of the treasury over the years in preparation for their plan. he walked along the tall rock storage room and entered. after a few dozen meters, the treasures began to pile up. most of the treasures were resources, gems, crystals, and other rare resources. they had piled up quite a bit. each storage stored 5000 units. it was obvious they had been arranged. the storage compartments were also set up with the magic formations, just like the guards had said. one could only open them with crystals. there was no possibility of them being taken away secretly. richard did not care about these resources. he looked at the scattered strategic equipment. his eyes immediately lit up. the sublimely sparse strategic equipment outside was now at his disposal. it was very comfortable. he began to check the attributes of each of them. [chopping knife] [level: 1-star] [characteristics: increases the attack power of cavalry by 20%.] [description: a hero who is suitable to lead cavalry.] ****** [heroic longsword]. [level: 2-stars] [characteristics: can raise the morale of a troop to the peak and will not be affected by the opponent¡¯s magic and drop.] ****** [white dragon¡¯s tooth (material)] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: can be used to forge high-level equipment.] ****** although there were several empty shelves, the scarlet council had a large business. and there were still countless strategic treasures. it did not take long for him to inspect more than 50 items. however, most of them were 1-star or 2-stars. and their attributes were also very ordinary, so he was not very interested. he only had five chances to choose, so he could not waste them on such ordinary equipment. half an hour later, he found the first piece of equipment that made his eyes light up. [sword of oath (short, secondary)] [level: 3-stars treasure ] [characteristics: life connection. the wielder can connect the lives of two squadrons of troops, sharing 50% of each other¡¯s damage. limited range: within a 300-meter radius of the sword of oath, only limited to the same troops.] [description: a strategic treasure with good attributes.] this was the most special treasure he had ever seen. although it did not have an attribute bonus, this additional attribute was simply insane in his eyes. it could allow two squadrons to share 50% of the damage. this meant that as long as they did not wipe out the entire troop in one go, there would be a troop that was almost unkillable. the more they thought about it, the more they realized how extraordinary it was. the effect would be even amplitude if the characteristic is applied to high-level troops with high hp and defense. in other words, one could use this in the later stages. moreover, it was a secondary weapon, so they did not have to worry about not being able to use it when they obtained sturdier equipment in the future. weapons were divided into primary and secondary weapons. the primary weapons could increase the attributes of the troop, while the secondary weapons often had some special characteristics. the sword of oath was very obvious in this regard. moreover, the effect would be even more essential if this characteristic was paired with sand transformation. when richard thought about how the enemy could not kill the twilight city troops in the future, he was in a great mood. he noted down the location and did not hurry to keep it. what if he could encounter a few more divine weapons later? after he confirmed it, he would keep it together. he continued to explore while he felt good. these treasures filled his expectations. Chapter 185 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was somewhat excited as he continued to walk deeper into the city. however, there were no instances where the treasure hidden inside was of a higher level. it was still mainly rare resources, with 1-star and 2-stars equipment and materials as support. he looked very carefully. he would think about whether or not every piece of equipment would have effects on twilight city troops. after he made sure there were no effects, he would give up even if it was a 4-stars treasure. after a long time, he found the second and third items. there were two blueprints. one could use these blueprints together. !! [dragon hunting crossbow blueprint (permanent)] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: can be mass-produced 4-star dragon hunting crossbow bolts.] [attributes: sharpness increased by 200%. penetrability increased by 200%. additional armor-piercing damage. two hundred percent penetrability to heavy armor. three hundred percent additional damage to dragons.] [required materials: 500 units of crystal, 500 units of sulfur, 500 units of mercury, 100 units of refined iron (requires iron ore smelting), special-class blacksmith.] [description: crossbow bolts specially designed to deal with high-armored lifeforms. they can pierce through dragons! ****** [dragon hunting crossbow (permanent)] [level: 4-stars] [attributes: can be mass-produced 4-stars dragon hunting crossbow.] [attributes: each dragon hunting crossbow can be mounted with 10 arrows. the shooting range is 800 meters. arrow flying speed increased by 300%. attack power increased by 300%, with piercing property causing additional damage to heavy armor units. hit increases by 70%. when using dragon-hunting crossbow arrows to attack, the shooting range is increased by 200 meters. other attributes doubled.] [required materials: 5,000 units of mercury, 5,000 units of sulfur, 5,000 units of crystals, 1,000 units of fine iron, fascia of dragons or mixed-blood dragons above level 15, special-class blacksmith.] these two 4-star blueprints could be used to create a terrifying heavy weapon ¡ª the dragon-hunting crossbow. before entering the dungeon, when the venom griffins attacked twilight city, the sight of the ground troops staring at them was always a thorn in his heart. twilight city exceedingly lacks such a powerful heavy weapon. richard¡¯s eyes shone. the venom griffins would not dare to act so recklessly with this weapon. as long as there were 20, no, 10, or even 5 of them. moreover, it was not easy to obtain such a high-level item. this was also top-tier equipment that one could use in the later stages. he kept it. after he memorized the location of the two blueprints, richard¡¯s interest grew. more good things could be hidden in this treasure warehouse. he continued to explore. this time, he did not let go of any corner. he would take the ladder next to him and explore them even if beyond his reach. in this kind of treasure warehouse, if he missed any storage space, he might miss equipment with endless uses. his hard work paid off. two hours later, he found the fourth treasure in unremarkable upper storage space. [two-way teleportation door] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: can place a pair of teleportation doors that one can open in two directions within 50 kilometers.] [description: an intensely rare treasure.] it would not be an exaggeration to say it was priceless if used well. although twilight city did not have any use for it at the moment, one could only find this thing by chance, so one had to keep it. the smile on richard¡¯s face was extremely bright. good guy. the harvest this time was huge. these few treasures entered the account, giving twilight city some foundation. it was comfortable. there was only one more item left. richard couldn¡¯t hold back the anticipation in his heart and continued to search. this time, his eyes became even pickier. he ignored all the treasures that looked good before. time gradually passed. two, three, and five hours later, he had explored more than half of the entire treasure warehouse. he found three candidate items. they were all 3-stars strategic treasures with good attributes. he saw a few 4-star items, but these did not match his level. for example, some items could increase the healing effect of a radiant priest or increase the strength of a church knight¡­ one look and it was obvious they were items he had seized. richard became impatient over and over again. on the 12th hour after he entered the treasure warehouse. finally, an item that made his heart race appeared in a storage box in front of him. [dark contract] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: after defeating an enemy, you can forcefully contract the other party, enslaving their soul and making them obey orders eternally. [restrictions: 1. the contestant¡¯s mental strength must be exceedingly weak. once the will to resist is strong, the contestant will suffer a backlash. [2. the contestant can not be higher than level 3. otherwise, the contract will directly fail.] [3. the highest level of the contestant can not exceed 15 levels. after the contract, the restriction will be lifted.] [4. the contestant can not be a life form of the light faction.] [introduction: this is a contract made by a powerful evil life form. there is surging power surging on it.] richard¡¯s eyes shone. dark contract, 4-stars treasure¡­ although there were a series of restrictions, they did not affect the power of this treasure. this meant that as long as he could find a suitable contract partner, he could immediately gain a powerful fighting force. moreover, this thing was mandatory. as long as the other party could not resist, he could forcibly enslave it. a figure suddenly appeared in his mind. god¡¯s ancient tree ¡ª that level-10 boss unit! the other party perfectly fulfilled the dark contract¡¯s restrictions. more importantly, god¡¯s ancient tree had sublimely sturdy potential. just the fact that the other party could breed poisonous wasps on a large scale. and after leveling up, they could also breed wasps of higher levels. this unit had an immeasurable value. as long as he planted the other party near the jujube field, he did not need to send troops to guard it. he could just rely on this boss to defend it. an intense excitement rose in his heart. fortunately, he did not impulsively take away the other treasures. this contract represented a boss that was stronger than hero units. until now, the five items he had chosen were all confirmed. [between the oaths ¡ª a 3-star treasure. it could connect the lives of two squadrons of soldiers, sharing 50% of the damage.] [dragon-hunting crossbow and dragon-hunting crossbow arrow ¡ª a 4-star blueprint. it could be used to create powerful heavy crossbows, a great weapon to defend a city.] [two-way teleportation door ¡ª a 4-star treasure. it could be placed within 50 kilometers and could be used for two-way teleportation.] [finally, this was the darkness contract ¡ª a 4-star treasure. it could forcefully contract non-light faction lives, and its value was immeasurable.] after a bit of calculation, the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. the benefits of this s-rank mission were simply too great. dimension stone, void sandworm, bathing in dragon¡¯s blood, five top-tier treasures¡­as well as the extraordinary hunter and its creation blueprint. he just wanted to ask, would he be able to stay in this dungeon forever in the future? not only was this trip not in vain. it was practically going to heaven. it was comfortable. richard, who was in a great mood, did not delay. he touched the magic shield with the crystal one by one and took out the treasures he had chosen one by one. when he took out the last one, the crystal shattered with a crack and turned into powder. there was no loophole. richard was not greedy. he walked out of the treasure warehouse with five pieces of equipment with a smile. the guards outside immediately went forward to register the items and asked him to sign them with his fingerprint. richard put the equipment into the system space after the procedures were completed. after he left the door, the first thing he saw was knowles. it was sleeping soundly in the corner of the treasure warehouse. when richard saw the dwarf¡¯s comical sleeping posture, his heart warmed. although this dwarf had a good personality, it could give him a mechanical puppet at the level of an extraordinary hunter at a critical moment. it was a decent person. this guy could handle it. he took a few steps forward and was just about to wake him up when knowles suddenly opened its eyes. when he saw that it was richard, something instantly energized it. he hurriedly said. ¡°richard, how is it? what did you take out of the treasure warehouse? ¡°did you see the ores in the corner? did you bring them out?¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°knowles, i didn¡¯t notice those ores¡­ besides, don¡¯t you still have several ores in your warehouse?¡± knowles suddenly lost interest when it heard this. it twitched its mouth. ¡°stupid humans are indeed not as smart as dwarves. they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good.¡± it stretched its back as he spoke. its said weakly. ¡°let¡¯s go. president jones has returned. let¡¯s go see him¡­¡± as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and sighed. ¡°your subordinate outside was brought back by ferguson two weeks ago. ¡°i have to say that you¡¯re lucky. those two mummy heroes have high potential. ¡°they¡¯ve been studying in the resplendent wizard tower these days. maybe you¡¯ll be surprised when you see them.¡± richard was a little surprised. did gunter return? and both had been studying in the resplendent wizard tower of the scarlet council? Chapter 186 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°master.¡± richard followed knowles to another hall. before he entered the door, he saw gray and gunter. the two mummy heroes¡¯ auras were much stronger than before. it was distinct that they had gained a lot in the past few days. with some anticipation, richard opened gray¡¯s status panel first. after he glanced, his eyes immediately sparked with admiration. !! [curse language (a-rank) ¡ª able to cause any enemy within 300 meters, within a radius of 50 meters, to fall into a state of chaos. the movement will be suspended for 10 seconds. the cooldown time is 2 minutes. consumes 100 mana points) [corpse transformation (a-rank) ¡ª able to transform a corpse into a mummy. the stronger the corpse, the stronger the mummy will be. at the same time, mana can be channeled into the mummy to increase its strength. a daily number of transformations: 3 teams.] he remembered clearly that the cursed pharaoh¡¯s powerful control skill was b-rank before, with a casting diameter of 20 meters. now, it was genuinely upgraded to grade a. not only did the casting range soar, but the control time also increased to 10 seconds. and the corpse transformation skill was explicitly gunter¡¯s! when this skill was on gunter, it was only b-rank. was this the surprise knowles had mentioned? it was indeed powerful. in a great mood, richard opened gunter¡¯s stats window again. [corpse explosion (a-rank) ¡ª can cause a single corpse within a 50-meter radius to explode. the damage dealt depends on the strength of the corpse. at the same time, mana can be injected into the corpse to increase the damage. the casting range is 300 meters. there is no cooldown time. each time, the minimum mana consumption is 50 points.] [corpse transformation (a-rank)¡­] good heavens, gunter¡¯s b¨Crank corpse explosion had also been upgraded to a-rank. at the same time, its corpse transformation skill had also been upgraded to a-rank, just like gray¡¯s. he was very curious about what the two heroes had done in the resplendent wizard tower these past few days. to upgrade a skill was an intensely punishing thing to do. moreover, skills were upgraded from b-rank to a-rank. with this upgrade, their power and strategic significance would increase exponentially. not to mention that gray had also learned gunter¡¯s corpse transformation skill. didn¡¯t this mean twilight city could obtain six small squads of free soldiers every day? although the troop they recruited wasn¡¯t sturdy, the key was they didn¡¯t need money. richard laughed heartily. although his strength had increased rapidly during this time, a territory required several troops to support it. it would still be the same even if his level were 20 or 30. there was no situation where he became sturdier, but troops were useless. top-tier battle strength and ordinary troops complemented each other. occupy resource points, capture cities, guard farmland, protect territories¡­ no one could leave the troops. after richard encouraged the two heroes, he followed knowles into the hall with a strange expression. ¡°where did you find such a potential subordinate? ¡°he¡¯s almost comparable to master knowles¡­¡± richard smiled. ¡°luck.¡± the dwarf rolled its eyes angrily and couldn¡¯t be bothered with him anymore. richard smiled. after they entered the hall, he immediately opened his mouth when he saw the figure in front of him. ¡°good evening, president jones, ferguson.¡± ferguson spoke first with a smile. ¡°i heard that you went into the treasure warehouse. didn¡¯t knowles ask you to bring ore for its warehouse?¡± knowles suddenly opened its eyes and angrily said, ¡°bastard, how could the wealthy master knowles ask a human kid to bring ore for me! ¡°the treasures in my warehouse can forge ten thousand mechanical puppets!!¡± richard found it a little funny. this guy would probably never change its stubbornness even if it died. he looked at jones, whose face was full of hideous scars, and said slowly. ¡°president, has the third princess been sent back?¡± jones nodded. ¡°the princess of the templar city has returned to the capital.¡± admiration filled his tone. ¡°thanks for your previous speech. the scarlet council now has countless followers in the templar city.¡± ¡°now, as long as we wait for the right moment, we can realize our final dream ¡ª to build a country without the oppression of kings, nobles, and sects! ¡°a great dreamland that everyone is willing to give everything for!¡± as it said this, it eyes shone with a dazzling light. idealists always had a unique charm ¡ª stubborn, determined, and unwavering¡­ when richard saw this, he took a deep breath. although the difficulty of achieving this ideal was as lofty as the sky, he still had to give his blessings. after all, he had contributed to this ideal. and it was a great effort. after richard thought for a moment, his voice became a little deeper. ¡°president jones. ¡°i¡¯m leaving tomorrow. ¡°go back to my plane. maybe i won¡¯t have the chance to see this great scene¡­¡± as he spoke, he glanced at the few of them and smiled. ¡°perhaps, the scarlet council can find a new elder.¡± a few were not surprised. the few meaningfully looked at richard. ¡°we have guessed a lot about the origins of the lord of divine grace. we also found out from the side you definitely could not stay for long. ¡°more than ten hours ago, the spies received the news. a lord of divine grace said they leave tomorrow. ¡°we thought maybe you wouldn¡¯t be an exception. ¡°but this doesn¡¯t affect our friendship.¡± jones handed him a resource bag. ¡°this is your salary during your tenure as an elder.¡± after richard reached out to take it, he slowly extended his hand. ¡°elder richard, may our faith shine on your path forward.¡± richard was stunned. he was touched and firmly held by the other party. when ferguson saw this, it slowly reached out and held the two people. knowles was anxious. it also raised its hand and joined in. the four people looked at each other and laughed in unison. then, their inexplicable laughter grew increasingly louder. in the end, laughter canopied the entire hall with their laughter. the two mummy heroes looked at this scene which reflected question marks on their faces. they did not understand why they laughed so happily¡­ when richard left the hall, it was already four or five in the morning. he was heavily drunk. this was the last night. the four were starkly drunk. even jones, the mysterious boss who had always been elegant, had a rare loud voice. it drank to its heart¡¯s content. when richard woke up, it was already 11 a.m. when he saw an hour remaining in the countdown before leaving the dungeon, he quietly got up and washed up. then, he led the two heroes out of the room and slowly walked out of the fortified city. gray looked at richard¡¯s back and asked in confusion. ¡°lord, aren¡¯t you going to say goodbye to sir jones and ferguson?¡± richard smiled. ¡°last night was a farewell.¡± as he spoke, he turned to look at the magnificent city and shouted piercingly. ¡°we were born free and should not be bullied and trampled upon by anyone! ¡°we were born free and should not be oppressed by kings, nobles, and churches! ¡°since fate is unfair, then overthrow fate!¡± as his last words fell, richard and the two heroes suddenly disappeared. their breaths had starkly disappeared. jones, ferguson, and knowles suddenly appeared at the place where he had left. when they sensed no one around, they all fell silent. their comrade had left¡­ ferguson said slowly. ¡°i hope that young man can return safely.¡± knowles snorted. ¡°human boy, when we meet again in the future, master knowles will let you see a mechanical puppet that is a hundred times stronger than an extraordinary hunter.¡± jones, whose scars of all sizes wrapped around its face, said with some anticipation. ¡°i hope elder richard can also fulfill our faith in his plane! let the flame of freedom burn in everyone¡¯s chest¡­¡± ferguson pondered for a moment and said, ¡°president jones, richard has left. the position of the elder¡­¡± jones slowly shook his head. ¡°choose one of the most determined people. ¡°but as long as the scarlet council is still around, elder richard will always be our elder. no one can remove him from his position!¡± Chapter 187 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation as the countdown reached zero, all the players left the dungeon simultaneously. meanwhile, in the dungeon, the battle that players had not yet contested for victory was still in a stalemate¡­ richard only felt a flash and appeared in the lord¡¯s mansion in twilight city with gray and gunter. when he looked at the familiar environment in his heart, he felt inexplicably at ease. he was finally back. !! the corners of his mouth curled up. the harvest from the dungeon this time was priceless. it was honestly a great harvest. but at the same time, he felt somewhat disappointed and lost. there were ultimately many more missions the players could explore in this dungeon. moreover, whether the follow-up third princess plan was successful or not and whether the scarlet council could establish an ideal country, he was interested in these plots. unfortunately, there was no time left. [ding~ the dungeon ended on the eve of the decisive battle.] [mission reward calculation¡­] [ding~ your points reached 1268,963. you ranked first and obtained 50 gold points.] [ding~ you ranked first in the dungeon for a month in a row and obtained an additional 30 gold points.] [ding~ you completed an a-rank mission and obtained an additional ten gold points. an s-rank and 50 gold points.] [in the time fragment, you have received the following gold points: became the first military officer in templar city and received one gold point.] [became an elder of the scarlet council and received five gold points. you have served for three weeks and received three gold points.] [gave a pre-battle speech and received five gold points.] [completed an s-rank mission and received 20 gold points.] [the total number of gold points you received is: 174.] [ding~ you ranked first on the ranking board. you have the right to exchange five treasures for free ¡ª two in the ordinary points store and three in the gold points store.] [ding~ you have completed an s-rank mission and are ranked first on the ranking board. you have obtained the right to exchange items in the gold points store for free.] [ding~ the points market has opened. please redeem for yourself.] with a series of notifications, overwhelming gaiety immediately filled richard¡¯s expectations. it sounded like he had become a wealthy landlord. he quickly opened the [trading market] that appeared in his mind. one was a grayish-white ordinary points market, and the other was a gold points market. when he looked at the series of points above him, the corners of his mouth curled up. it was finally time to reap the rewards after he had spent so much effort. first, he opened the ordinary points store. it displayed the enemies he had toppled down in the dungeon¡­ all of them were blood-colored mummies. this thing would be cannon fodder if recruited. it was not worth the heartache of dying. when he looked down, four options appeared in his line of sight. they were troops¡¯ lairs, resources, strategic treasures, and building blueprints. richard didn¡¯t hesitate and opened the troop¡¯s lair first. the next column showed the detailed options: faction, potential (highest level: rare), melee/ranged¡­ there were 10 of them. the highest they could exchange for was a rare 3-stars troop¡¯s lair. he wondered if he could exchange for a few glorious or crown-level ones. but the other party didn¡¯t give him a chance. richard felt a little regretful. he started to search. desert camp, potential¡­ rare 3-stars. in an instant, several troop lairs appeared in front of him. desert lizardmen ¡ª rare 3-star, exchange points 100,000. desert orcs ¡ª rare 3-star, exchange points 100,000. ****** rare 3-stars troop lairs had 100,000 points, rare 2-stars troop lairs had 9,500 points, and rare 1-star troop lairs had 90,000 points¡­ rare 3-stars troop lairs¡¯ points were 50,000, elite troop lairs¡¯ points were 10,000, and ordinary troop lairs¡¯ points were only 1,000. there was no fixed logical equation. the lower level means the lower points. richard looked around and did not find any soldiers with whom he was satisfied. he suddenly thought of something and searched in the detailed search bar ¡ª axe of the dead. this soldier was the trump card of twilight city and had great value in training. he had always wanted to buy the axe of the dead¡¯s troop lair, but he had never found anyone selling it on the [forum chat]. the next second, a search result appeared. [axe of the dead ¡ª elite 3-stars, exchange points: 10,000] richard¡¯s eyes glared up. so inexpensive? he wanted to buy 100! [ding~ you have obtained an axe of the dead troop lair, which cost 10,000 points.] [ding~] ¡­ however, after ten consecutive times, the system suddenly prompted. [ding~ the number of units you purchased has reached the upper limit. you can no longer repurchase.] ¡®what is this thing? is this even limited?¡¯ richard beamed a helpless expression. after a moment, he chose the mummies¡¯ lair and continued to search. over a million points were still left. richard had to spend them¡­ he was afraid that if versaille¡¯s idea spread out, other players would spray him to death. however, he was not in a hurry to buy it. he began to think seriously ¡ª what kind of troop did twilight city lack right now. the melee soldiers had bandaged mummies, poison scorpion warriors, and heavy sword warriors. the flying soldiers had dark gargoyles. the middle-range attacks had the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead, and the long-range attacks had the sand condensation archers. the cavalry had the giant axe death knights. they were equipped with almost all the types of soldiers that he wanted. the only one lacking was the cursed pharaoh. furthermore, with two a-rank mummy heroes, the sturdiest curse skill of this type of soldier was of little value. ¡°the cursed pharaoh can be incorporated into the city defense troop. this type of soldier isn¡¯t weak. but it¡¯s overshadowed by the hero¡¯s radiance. ¡°but if that¡¯s the case, i need to find a new mage troop. ¡°the mage troop that twilight city lacks right now isn¡¯t offensive. instead, it lacks a troop that can cast buff spells on the troop and increases all attributes.¡± Chapter 188 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when richard thought of this, he silently searched in his heart¡­ mummy, mage unit. but this time, the number of people that appeared had pronouncedly decreased. richard checked them one by one. twenty minutes later, he found a special mage unit in a rare-level troop lair. crazy sand master¡­ rare 3-stars, 100,000 exchange points. the mage troop was twice as expensive as the ordinary troop. !! however, the powerful attributes of this troop made him quite tempted. he did not hesitate and directly bought it. but this time, when he bought five of them, it indicated he had reached his limit. as expected, mages were the true gods. the price was high, and the quantity was low. as a result, these 15 troop lairs cost him 600,000 points. however, he was still in a pretty good mood. the troop¡¯s strength would increase again as long as they built troop lairs. moreover, the mage troop lairs could be encountered but not sought. he did not consider this round a loss. after richard thought for a while, he opened the option of building blueprints. he could count the number of buildings in twilight city on his one hand. it was honestly pitiful. the blueprints were divided into permanent and one-time. the highest level ¡ª 3-stars. richard did not have a specific target. he searched according to the highest standard of points exchange. the next second, his eyes gleamed with eagerness. good stuff. hurricane arrow tower blueprints (permanent) ¡ª 3-stars. exchange points: 200,000. [hurricane arrow tower] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: 1. arrows shot from the tower will deal wind magic damage.] [2. increases the flying speed of arrows by 40%, accuracy by 40%, and attack speed by 30%.] [3. increases the range of bows and crossbows by 100 meters.] [4. can install ten large-scale siege crossbows, increasing the range of large-scale siege crossbows by 300 meters.] [number of people the basic arrow tower can accommodate: 60 people] [construction requirements: 50,000 units for gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore, 500 units for crystal, 500 units for gemstones, and 500 units for mercury.] [required workers: 100 people, advanced-level architect, 20 mages] [construction time: 20 days] it was an arrow tower with magic damage. although it was expensive to build, its attributes were ultimately worth the price. he had the blueprint for the dragon-hunting crossbow in his hands. this way, he could have a place to place this killing weapon. he had the combination of the arrow tower and the dragon-hunting crossbow. this could extensively guarantee twilight city¡¯s safety. in the future, if they encounter a poisonous vulture invasion, the ground troop could do nothing. it was fifty thousand points for one-time blueprints and 200,000 points for permanent blueprints. richard bought the permanent blueprints without hesitation. after he kept them, he continued to flip through them. there were indeed several blueprints for the construction of the territory. one could almost imagine all of them. windmills, mills, gardens, fountains, warehouses¡­ he didn¡¯t find anything he needed urgently or was particularly precious. he didn¡¯t rush to buy anything, so he opened up the strategic treasures section. he had the experience of randomly choosing treasures in the scarlet council¡¯s treasure warehouse. although these strategic treasures exchanged for points weren¡¯t sour-rated, they looked somehow mediocre overall. after he examined it for a long time, he finally found a piece of special equipment. [broken steel longsword] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: sturdiness increases by 100%. sharpness increases by 100%. when attacking the opponent¡¯s head, there is a 20% chance to trigger the instant death skill ¡ª decapitation, killing the enemy directly.] [description: a longsword forged from a special material, possessing strapping characteristics.] the attributes of the long sword are not complicated, but there is a chance to trigger the instant death skill ¡ª decapitation. this immediately caused the value of the long sword to soar. a total of 200,000 points were required. richard directly bought it. in this way, 1,260,000 points left from 160,000 points. after he pondered for a long time, he still could not find anything satisfying, so he opened the resources panel. [ordinary-level resources, 1 point for 1 unit.] [rare-level resources, 100 points for 1 unit.] the salary of the scarlet council elder allowed him to obtain 3,000 units of gems, crystals, and mercury each. in addition, he initially had more than 1,000 units of gems left. rare-level resources could barely be considered valuable, but only if he didn¡¯t repair the extraordinary hunter. currently, only one resource was left ¡ª sulfur. sulfur was the most commonly used rare resource in the dark abyss, hell, the undead, and the dungeons. it contained a colossal amount of negative energy. the construction of a unique building ¡ª hero¡¯s altar, needed this rare resource. without hesitation, he directly exchanged all his remaining points for a rare-level resource ¡ª sulfur. he exchanged a total of 1,689 units. he exchanged extra points for ordinary materials without any waste. after he exchanged all the points in his hands, he still had two free exchanges left. after he thought for a while, he started to search again. in the end, he spent a lot of time and finally found two 3-stars resource treasures ¡ª 100 acres of russian olive seed forest and 100 sand barley. without any hesitation, he directly exchanged for them. he exchanged all the ordinary points. when richard looked at the rewards on the table, he was in a great mood. without this dungeon, it was impossible to obtain so many treasures unless one risked great danger to explore the ancient ruins. they would have drooled when they saw this scene if no other players were present. although the system selected from the entire team those players who entered the dungeon, the dungeon level was too high. they could not even compare their obtained points to a fraction of his points. most of them could only exchange for 1-star items and 2-stars items. the price of 3-stars items was far beyond what the players could afford. not everyone could obtain 200,000 points other than the players on the ranking board. on the other hand, many people gritted their teeth and spent 10 points to exchange for a rare-level troop¡¯s lair. after he exchanged for the ordinary points store, richard looked at the more substantial golden points store. when he opened it, his eyes immediately radiated unfathomable joy. the golden points store did not have any troop¡¯s lair or strategic equipment to exchange. but there were several special treasures. moreover, they were all at 3-4 stars. the items were a few levels higher compared to the ordinary points market. because there were too many items, richard¡¯s eyes were dazzled. half an hour later, a treasure entered his sight. [hero¡¯s certificate] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: can allow non-hero units to be directly converted into b-rank heroes.] [exchange price ¡ª 50 gold points] his breathing suddenly became rapid. ¡°b-rank hero!! ¡°f*ck! this thing can directly obtain a b-rank hero!!¡± he instantly thought of many things. twilight city was currently in dire need of talent. with this thing, he could ultimately nurture a core force. he didn¡¯t lack battle-type heroes. the most abiding support are gray, blood lich gunter, and the fearless warrior xina, whom he was about to subdue¡­ in addition to the ancient dragon crystal in his system space, he could upgrade the skeleton blood dragon to an a-rank hero. there were four powerful heroes. however, in contrast, twilight city was severely lacking in life-type heroes. the research and development conducted by the advanced blacksmith, adele, had given the bandaged mummy and the scorpion warrior a qualitative increase in their attack power. it had allowed him to see the strength of life-type heroes directly. and now, the winery, the food workshop, these few advanced buildings could already develop and produce top-tier items that could increase attributes. however, there were no heroes to activate these characteristics. seeing so many good things he couldn¡¯t use made him highly uncomfortable. with the proof of heroes, it was starkly possible to cultivate the corresponding life-type heroes and develop and produce several high-tier items for twilight city. richard¡¯s thoughts began to wander, and he thought of more. ¡°in the future, twilight city will have to rely on trade to solve the resource shortage problem. ¡°with the [trading market], there¡¯s no need to worry about sales. the only thing we need to solve now is production.¡± the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle had reached the rare-level. if he wanted to advance to a glorious-level troop, he would need a total of five million units of resources. this was simply a strapping pressure for him. moreover, this was only the requirement for a single troop lair. richard had dozens of troop lairs in his hands. the resources required could be exaggerated if he wanted to upgrade these troop lairs. it was difficult to earn so many troop lairs by other methods. richard could only rely on trade. when richard thought of this, he waved his hand and directly exchanged for three hero¡¯s certificates. he originally wanted to use the free exchange authority to exchange for a few more. but he was immediately notified he had already reached the exchange limit. he prepared for limited purchases. so he was not disappointed. twilight city would soon have three more b-rank heroes, which made him feel great. this kind of shopping with ample ammunition was honestly enjoyable. he finally experienced the joy of continuous buying. now, he still had 21 gold points. and four free exchanges left. he continued to look at the mall. Chapter 189 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [yellow sand mage tower building blueprints ¡ª rare] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: a strapping mage tower can be built. hero spells and skills can be upgraded in the mage tower. magic attacks can be reinforced, and restrictions ¡ª can only be built in the desert.] gold points required for exchange: 200 points ****** !! [magic garden: rare] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: a garden with strapping magic power can be built. magic plants can be cultivated here.] [gold points required for exchange: 100 points] ****** [magic fountain: rare] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: a fountain with mighty magic power can be built. it can live in the surroundings for a long time. the maximum amount of magic power can be permanently increased. the probability of the birth of a mage hero can be increased.] [gold points required for exchange: 100] ****** richard heaved a sigh of relief after he chose three blueprints in the gold points store. the prices of things related to magic were all extremely high. if he used the gold points he obtained to exchange, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to exchange for the yellow sand mage tower. it would cost 200 points. after he obtained the item, he immediately felt at ease. the things he obtained after exchanging them for free felt different. there was still one last chance to exchange for it. after he had chosen for a long time, he traded for another piece of blueprint ¡ª transportation machinery manufacturing workshop ¡ª rare. [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: can be developed here, producing transportation machinery that is suitable for all types of terrain.] [gold points required for exchange: 200 points] [what is the biggest obstacle in the desert ¡ª the harsh environment.] the negative impact of the environment is all-sided, and the most intuitive one is traffic. to be rich, first, build a road. it is the eternal truth. it will undoubtedly massively reduce the environmental impact if one has the corresponding special means of transport. and the future of twilight city can not be limited to a corner of the land. it was inevitable he would have to conduct business with the outside world. at this time, transportation was crucial. there was one more thing he was enormously concerned about ¡ª the sandworm. if he could create a colossal transportation tool suitable for pulling sandworms, wouldn¡¯t it be a desert train or a desert cargo ship? even in the future, when he went out to battle, he could use transportation tools to pull them along, unlike now, where he could only walk on his feet. although the dark gargoyles were flying troops, they were unfit for troop transportation. a five-meter-tall heavy sword warrior was enough to make them helpless¡­ after richard pocketed the blueprint happily, he used up four free exchange opportunities. without hesitation, he exchanged the last 21 gold points for a 3-stars treasure ¡ª the secret message crystal. the secret message crystal was divided into 10 sub-crystals and one main crystal. the main crystal could connect to all the other sub-crystals. and could transmit messages to each other within 50 kilometers. wasn¡¯t this the fantasy version of the walkie-talkie? the transmission of information was simply a divine artifact. he directly spent 20 points to buy it. as for the last gold point, he exchanged it for 100 units of rare resource ¡ª sulfur. at this time, he had exchanged all the points. richard began to calculate. he traded ordinary points for ten elite-level undead troop lairs. five rare-level yellow sand mage troop lairs. a 3-stars broken steel longsword with instant death. three-stars building blueprints with magic damage ¡ª hurricane arrow tower two 3-stars resource treasures, 100 acres of russian olive seed forest, 100 acres of sand barley, plus more than 1,600 rare resources sulfur, and a small number of ordinary resources. he exchanged gold points for three hero¡¯s certificates, which could directly convert non-hero units into b-rank heroes. in addition, there were three 4-stars building blueprints for mage towers ¡ª yellow sand mage tower, magic garden, and magic fountain. there were also 4-stars blueprints for transportation ¡ª transportation machinery manufacturing workshop. finally, there was a 3-stars communication treasure ¡ª secret message crystal. after calculating, richard felt that he had gained too much this time. but it didn¡¯t matter. richard could still withstand this kind of pressure. it would be fine even if he had more. but the only thing that troubled him was¡­ ¡°how many resources did it take to build these buildings?¡± he didn¡¯t feel it when he exchanged them, but now that he calculated, he was instantly speechless. damn it, even after twilight city was emptied, he still wasn¡¯t able to build all these building blueprints. for example, three magic building blueprints required an utterly large amount of rare resources. he was currently strappingly poor and couldn¡¯t afford this kind of consumption. however, as long as the resources were in place, he could start construction. there was no such thing as wasting them. these treasures tremendously increased the foundation of twilight city, and their value was immeasurable. in the past, it was already considered a bumper harvest to be able to obtain one. but now, increasing piles of them were placed in front. that feeling was too superb. at this moment, he was in pain and happy. he looked to the side and waved his hand. ¡°gray, go and call karu over.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± after gray left, richard stretched his back, walked out of the hall in a good mood, and came to the front yard. after he took out the military tag from the system space, he released all the troops. the residents on the street smiled in surprise when they saw the troops that had left for a month walk out of the lord¡¯s mansion in batches. ¡°the lord is back!¡± the news quickly spread throughout the territory. the heavy atmosphere in the air swept away, and everyone¡¯s eyes became bright. after the people¡¯s morale reached 90 points, richard¡¯s reputation in the territory was beyond the imagination of the other lords. at this moment, the system notification sounded, which made good mood richard, a little surprised. [ding~ the dungeon has completely ended. the protective shield has been shattered.¡± [ding~ the lords have passed the novice stage. the rules of the [trading market] have been adjusted. each transaction requires a 30% handling fee. please, be aware, lords.] [ding~ the world is completely open. territories may encounter all kinds of dangers at any time. please make preparations in advance.] richard raised his eyebrows. [in the future, there will be a 30% handling fee in the [trading market?] he immediately felt the meaning behind this. in the future, there would be increasingly fewer and fewer transactions of cheap items through the [trading market] on a large scale. a 30% high processing fee was enough to dissuade many people. ¡°perhaps, in the future, a trading mode like the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce that uses caravans to transport goods might become the mainstream for players.¡± in the [trading market] increasing high-level rare items might be traded. when richard thought of this, he gradually had an idea. it seemed the transportation machinery manufacturing workshop he chose would be of great use. some sandworms were more than a hundred meters long when they reached adulthood. these were the main forces of the future. ¡°lord richard!!¡± a surprised voice interrupted his thoughts. he looked at the person who came and immediately smiled. ¡°karu.¡± the old white-haired man looked excited, and delight filled his eyes. after he saw him, his whole face was flushed, as if he was a dozen years younger. as the magistrate of twilight city, richard was not in the territory, so he naturally had to be responsible for all the territory affairs. however, in the situation where twilight city did not have enough troops to guard it, the pressure he was under was indescribable. when richard returned, the massive rock in his heart finally fell to the ground. after he exchanged pleasantries with this excited old white-haired man for a few minutes, he began to change the topic. ¡°how¡¯s the development of twilight city in the past month? give a detailed report.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± when karu got down to business, his expression became serious. ¡°the first thing is the population. ¡°half a month ago, we found a group of residents separated by the storm in the desert. after we gathered them, the population had already exceeded 1,500 people. ¡°for this, we built another 20 low-level residential houses. we still need you to upgrade them¡­ ¡°the second point is in agriculture. ¡°at the beginning of the month, the russian olive seed forest had a bumper harvest. we obtained a total of 80,000 units of russian olives. ¡°by the end of the month, 100 acres of russian olive seed forest had matured. the output per acre had reached 1,000 units, and we harvested 100,000 units of russian olives. ¡°these two items will enormously alleviate the problem of food shortage. ¡°third, at present, the desert crown bees have all gathered in seven nests. we have harvested honey four times this month and obtained 200 units of high-grade honey.¡± the more he talked about it, the more excited karu became. these were the foundations of twilight city in this desert. ¡°fourth, the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s cubs have already entered adulthood. last week, they started the first round of hair replacement. we harvested a large batch of rabbit hair, and we made velvet. ¡°after the hair replacement, the fire dragon rabbit has started breeding again. according to the reports of the desert gnomes, all the female rabbits have already had their fetuses. ¡°it is estimated they could give birth by the end of next month. by then, the number of fire dragon rabbits will show explosive growth. for this, the desert gnomes are already building a second breeding base. ¡°as for the military, two weeks ago, more than ten bipedal wyverns launched an attack on us. fortunately, the enemies could not destroy the protective shield outside the territory. otherwise, we would have suffered heavy losses. ¡°but after those bipedal wyverns failed, they shifted their target to the jujube forest¡­¡± there was a hint of anger in karu¡¯s eyes. ¡°fortunately, veteran xina risked her life to fight. ¡°when the enemy swooped down to attack, wyverns jumped onto her. ignoring its safety, it used the wyverns to kill several enemies and forced the other wyverns to retreat. ¡°veteran xena was also severely injured. she lay in bed for half a month before she recovered. ¡°in this battle, we lost five acres of rusian olive forest. ¡°lord richard, veteran xina said those wyverns might have come from the underground world, just like gray said.¡± richard¡¯s face turned cold. xina was seriously injured, and they destroyed five acres of russian olive forest. he was a little scared. fortunately, xina could not go into the dungeon. otherwise, the opponents could have destroyed the entire agricultural area. were these wyverns looking for death? Chapter 190 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard took a deep breath. his gaze was solemn. ¡°karu, how¡¯s xina¡¯s situation now?¡± ¡°lady xena has recovered. she¡¯s been searching for the lair of those wyverns for the past few days.¡± karu added, ¡°she just left this morning.¡± richard nodded slightly. !! ¡°i¡¯ll take care of this.¡± he glanced at the skeleton blood dragon in the courtyard. its bones were like rubies. gunter was a glorious 1-star soldier that could kill dragons or mixed-blood dragons. when he was inside the dungeon, he had already set his sights on those wyverns. now, these beings still dared to come. ¡®weren¡¯t they courting death?!¡¯ moreover, knowles had also warned him that if he wanted to repair the extraordinary hunter, he needed the underground world¡¯s unique precious ore ¡ª mithril. whether to eliminate the threat or obtain the wyverns¡¯ corpses and mithril, he had to go to the underground world. he collected his thoughts. ¡°is there any other news?¡± karu said in a deep voice. ¡°a week ago, two blood-colored mummies returned and reported that the human-faced giant tree was moving in another direction. they have already followed this god¡¯s ancient tree and continued to monitor¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes shafted. the treasure he took out from the scarlet council¡¯s treasure warehouse ¡ª the dark contract ¡ª prepared specially for this powerful boss unit. if he dug up the god¡¯s ancient tree and planted it in twilight city, the wyverns wouldn¡¯t be so shameless. this time, he had to speed up the establishment of twilight city¡¯s air defense system. the hurricane arrow tower and the dragon-hunting crossbow were all great weapons. he couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he thought of this. twilight city¡¯s foundation was weak. they had to build everything from scratch¡­ fortunately, he had gained a lot this time, which gave him enough confidence. ¡°where¡¯s adele?¡± karu replied respectfully, ¡°miss adele is still studying in the blacksmith shop. she also told us we can¡¯t disturb her unless there are important matters¡­¡± after he said that, he saw that richard did not continue asking questions. after he organized his words, he continued reporting. ¡°lord richard, the brewery and food factory has already started working. we are trying to conduct experimental research and development on salted wheat and salted olives. ¡°however, due to the lack of leadership of the relevant heroes, the research progress is slow. ¡°fortunately, there are a few residents who understand this area. we have initially used salted barley and salted olives to produce fine wine and delicacies.¡± ¡®oh??¡¯ these words piqued richard¡¯s interest. in his plan, brewing wine and food processing were the primary points in business. ¡°do you have any samples?¡± ¡°i had already instructed someone to fetch them when i came¡­¡± as soon as karu finished speaking, footsteps came from the door. a young resident hurriedly entered the house with a tray. after the young resident saluted respectfully, he placed the tray on the table and went out of the hall. richard looked at the two trays on the table curiously. murky and bottomless wine filled one of the ceramic bowls. it also emitted a pungent smell. more than half a bowl of black olives filled the other ceramic bowl. it looked disgusting. karu looked at richard¡¯s strange gaze, and his old face turned red. he said awkwardly. ¡°lord richard, our residents don¡¯t have much experience. this is already the best sample. ¡°you¡­want to try it?¡± so be it. after all, richard was immune to the poison after bathing in the dragon¡¯s blood, whoever was afraid of that. richard frowned and picked up the olives. he took a few glances. it was too dark. richard wondered if these guys put carbon in it. based on its appearance¡­? could 100 units be sold for one gold coin? he slowly put it into his mouth. under karu¡¯s expectant gaze, richard chewed a few times before quietly spitting it on the tray. he looked at karu with a severe expression. ¡°you did well in this research and development¡­ don¡¯t do it again in the future.¡± as richard spoke, he consoled the dejected karu. ¡°send the research and development of this olive to the boiler. we cannot waste on this kind of person for research and development¡­¡± then, he picked up the bowl of murky and bottomless wine and placed it on the side of his nose to sniff. the sour smell of alcohol rushed into his nose and almost made him lose the courage to drink it. he frowned and slowly took a small sip. gulp. after he swallowed it, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and wiped away the impurities from the corner of his mouth. then, he let out a long sigh. ¡°give all the olives and wine produced to the residents to enjoy. i can¡¯t bear this suffering alone.¡± he said seriously. ¡°you definitely can¡¯t use my name to distribute it. just use the name of the research and development personnel. ¡°tell everyone the personnel produced this. this honor is for them to enjoy alone. ¡°in addition, the materials in the warehouse will be temporarily stopped from being transferred to the brewery and food workshop.¡± after richard gave his instructions, he waved his hand and quickly asked the bandaged mummy beside him to throw that thing out. after he said that, he seemed to have thought of something and took out three hero certificates from the pile of treasures on the table. richard felt these three hero certificates at this moment were simply priceless treasures. while he looked at karu¡¯s puzzled eyes, he said softly. ¡°this is a hero certificate. it has incredible power and can directly convert ordinary people into hero units. ¡°i need you to find two talented residents. one is responsible for brewing wine, and the other for producing food.¡± he said seriously. ¡°remember, before the corresponding heroes move in, we prohibit the brewery and the food workshop from developing anything else.¡± the first half of the sentence attracted karu. his eyes were bright as he said excitedly. ¡°yes, lord richard. i will ultimately find the most suitable candidate!¡± to directly transform an ordinary person into a hero unit is simply a supreme treasure! in the eyes of the aborigines, a hero unit was the highest pursuit, their ultimate dream. if an ordinary person wanted to become a hero, they would only have the chance to experience a near-death adventure and discover strength from a desperate situation. there was simply no systematic way. when karu was young, he was also a hero. when he was old, he lost the power of a hero because of his weak body. because he used to be a hero, he knew how big the gap was between a hero and an ordinary person. after richard handed this matter over, he thought for a moment and took out the blueprints of the hurricane arrow tower. they had to build the defensive structure immediately. the five acres of destroyed russian olive forest had explained everything. he did not want to go out and see a sea of fire upon return. after he explained the attributes of the blueprints, he said in a sincere tone. ¡°build the hurricane arrow tower as fast as possible. we need enough defensive structures.¡± he had a lot of blueprints in his hands. but in the case of a lack of resources, he could only choose the most urgent and paramount construction. the space in the territory was not enough. richard still needed to upgrade the territory¡¯s level. richard could not help but feel slightly confused when he thought of this. he waved his hand and let karu calm down. he began to comb through his thoughts. the most urgent thing in twilight city now was to have a sturdy defensive force. the hurricane arrow tower and the dragon-hunting crossbow could do this. adele and karu would do it. secondly, he needed to solve the problem of the wyverns. there was such a colossal hidden danger near twilight city that he could not feel at ease even if he went outside to scan the map. they had to eliminate the threat. gunter needed to use the wyvern corpse to recruit the skeleton blood dragon. in addition, there was the possibility of the existence of the underground world¡­ no matter from which aspect, the wyverns were his priority to solve. thirdly, he needed to obtain a lot of resources. not only did he need a lot of building blueprints, but he also needed to upgrade the troop lairs, recruit soldiers, and even research and development technology¡­ honestly, the crux of all the problems was he didn¡¯t have enough resources. he could quickly destroy the wyverns with sufficient resources. fourth, he would attack the dark temple. the dark temple he had discovered was something he had been thinking about for a long time. with the current strength of his troop, he could ultimately take down this special place. did he wonder what treasures would be hidden in that mysterious building? fifth, the god¡¯s ancient tree. this human-faced giant tree had already left its original location, and its whereabouts were still unclear. the sooner they subdued this boss unit, the more at ease he would feel. the poisonous wasps could provide a certain amount of air defense. no matter how one looked at it, the god¡¯s ancient tree was exceedingly valuable. sixth, to repair a level 20 extraordinary hunter, the repair of this great killing weapon required a large number of rare materials and the unique mithril in the underground world. however, this was a long-term project. and it would take a long time. there was no need to rush it. in addition, there were many further targets. he still had a 2-stars treasure map in his hands that he had never had the chance to explore. since it was a treasure map, there must be some good treasures. eight bronze doors were still left to explore the ancient ruins, and the things he had obtained inside made him very interested. however, he was not in a hurry. he could take it slowly. the problem of trading with the outside world also needed him to consider and plan. did the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce obtain the desert crown honey? did onyx, the merchant hero he had saved, persuade the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce to trade with twilight city? while calculating the time, the other party should have returned to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce when he entered the dungeon. if he had accurate information, he should have returned to twilight city soon. there was still no news of the god¡¯s seal in xina¡¯s body¡­ richard heaved a sigh of relief when he thought of this. he had too many things to do¡­ he couldn¡¯t be in two places at once. he had to lead the team to complete most of the tasks. it was impossible to hand them over to the two heroes. after he cleared his mind, he immediately regained his clarity. after he dealt with all these matters, twilight city¡¯s strength would probably rise by a few levels. right now, the easiest and most profitable thing was to poach the god¡¯s ancient tree back. although the level 10 boss had the poisonous wasps protection, it was still very mighty. however, it was only a single battle unit. there was no need to consider other implications. it was the most practical deal. this was not the first time he had seen the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was only level 5, and it had yet to change classes. it was a newbie lord that did not even know any skills. perhaps, he could use this boss to test his strength after he obtained the legendary template and bathed in dragon¡¯s blood? however, using the troop to push him away, he could sit at the back and wait for the overturn of the other party. it seemed like a good choice¡­ ¡®f*ck, that¡¯s how it is when you become stronger¡­¡¯ Chapter 191 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation although richard had chosen the god¡¯s ancient tree as his first target after his return to twilight city, he was not in a hurry to set off immediately. while retracting his scattered thoughts, he seemed to ponder on something and glanced at his stats panel. [gold coins, wood, stone, and iron ore were left, with 50,000 units each.] [gems: 4,500 units, crystal 3000 units, sulfur 1789 units, mercury 3000 units] they accumulated ordinary resources before entering the dungeon. apart from some gems, rare resources were all harvested. !! what made him quite happy was that in the month he had left, the troop lairs in twilight city had all been refreshed. the military lairs could store two weeks¡¯ worth of military production. he could recruit them right now. after he looked at the number of military lairs, richard¡¯s expression froze again. after some calculations, he needed 700,000 to 800,000 resources to recruit all the military lairs. there was still a gap of 500,000, which was far from enough. and building the 15 newly acquired military lairs also required a large number of resources. ¡°looks like i¡¯ll have to recruit the key troop¡­¡± richard felt a little helpless. however, this scene might become the norm in the future. as the troop lairs increased, the resources needed for recruitment also increased explosively. in addition, the resources needed for various buildings also increased. in the future, he might fail to recruit every time the lair spawned. this thing consumed too many resources. after he thought about it, he looked at the three heroes, gray, gunter, and the calvary hero with d-rank potential ¡ª baal. ¡°each of you will lead a troop to sweep the map and hunt. i need a lot of resources!¡± today was june 28. the ¡°shining era¡± was fixed at 28 days per month. tomorrow was july 1st, monday. at 8 pm, the system would refresh the army¡¯s lair. if he delayed, he would undoubtedly waste the production of the troop¡¯s lair. he still had a whole day to get supplies. he had to recruit the dark gargoyles and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead first. the resources required for these two rare soldiers were already exaggerated. rare 3-stars, axe of the dead, number of recruits: 10, resources required, 120,000 units. 1 rare 3-stars, dark gargoyle, number of recruits: 40, resources required, 240,000,200 gemstones. that added up to 400,000 resources and 200 gemstones. richard facepalmed, poor¡­ ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± the three heroes each led a team and left. he did not remind them too much. before entering the dungeon, the heroes already had the experience of leading a team to hunt alone. after the troop left, richard put the items back into the system space. ¡°karu, go and confirm the location of the hurricane arrow tower and prepare the workers. when the materials are enough, start construction.¡± the hurricane arrow tower required 50,000 units of gold coins, wood, stone, iron ore, 500 units of crystal, 500 units of gemstones, and 500 units of mercury. right now, they could only recruit the troop and take a breather before building it. karu should be the last to leave with the blueprints in high spirits. his mission was not limited to this. he still had to find talented people for the brewery and food workshop. this was a heavy burden. karu had to be careful and not make any mistakes. when he went out, he saw the sachet of wine spilled in the front yard. he felt a little regretful. this kind of high-quality wine had not caught the lord¡¯s eye. although it was a little sour and bitter, it was genuinely wine¡­ richard was left in the house to protect the mummy. he shook his head and stood up to walk out of the territory. the 15 lairs he had exchanged for were not placed for the time being. he would wait until he had enough resources to recruit soldiers¡­ he once again experienced the pain of a shortage of resources. he had many good things in his hands. but he could not use them. it was too embarrassing. he became more determined to develop trade. no matter what era it was, only trade could quickly earn several resources apart from robbery. hunting alone was not a long-term solution. the first condition for trade is to have enough attractive goods. but to produce this kind of goods requires high-level talent. there was no way before. but he has three hero¡¯s certificates now. soon, he will be able to solve the winery and the food workshop. it won¡¯t take long to solve this fatal problem. and his most valued desert crown honey and fire dragon rabbit, these two super specialties, are rapidly growing. the desert crown honey might have a limit, but the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s reproduction was too startling. he had a feeling this thing might become a real money-making machine. the blanket made of the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur was something he couldn¡¯t put down. this kind of high-end product would ultimately not be hard to sell. after he walked out of the lord¡¯s mansion, the surrounding residents that passed by immediately became excited when they saw him. everyone put their hands on their chests and saluted him everywhere he passed. respect shrouded their gazes. ¡°good day, lord¡­¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± the greetings and salute continued¡­ at this moment, the system displayed twilight city¡¯s 90 points of popular sentiment. they nodded slightly at the residents. after the small territory had 1,500 residents, it became more prosperous. the crowd on the street was much denser. some residents who had just arrived were distinctly not used to it. when they saw richard, they were both curious and excited. they also followed the other residents and saluted. richard did not care too much. under the respectful gazes of the people, he walked out of the territory and went straight to the agricultural area. before he got close, he saw the scorched russian olive forest. at this time, the second batch of olives had ripened. in two days, they would be able to pick them. on one side, the wyvern attack scorched the olives. they were full of fruits on the other. in comparison, the difference was exceedingly distinct. this scene stung richard. his gaze became colder. it was the first time twilight city had suffered such a huge loss. it was a permanent resource treasure that could continuously produce olives. this revenge must be avenged. near the russian olive forest. the fat aunt in charge of the agricultural area, whose face was like a red apple cut in half, immediately revealed a smile from the bottom of her heart when she saw him. after she went forward and bowed, she spoke with a sublimely unique and quick tone. ¡°lord, those poisonous wasps have not come to hunt our bees for a week! ¡°thank you, gods. it must be the blessing of the gods.¡± then, he muttered. ¡°but last time, those damn bipedal wyverns destroyed half of our russian olive forest. if i hadn¡¯t run fast, i might not have seen you¡­¡± richard said seriously. ¡°those bipedal wyverns will soon become fertilizer for the russian olive forest. i promise you, aunt mary.¡± the fat aunt laughed happily. ¡°my lord, i praise you! you should quickly go and see the desert crown bees. those little guys have bred many lairs¡­ you are brilliant, knowing that the other side will split up¡­¡± her unique and quick tone made richard feel a little friendly. after she said a few words with a smile, she turned around and entered the russian olive forest. as he approached the central area, the bees swarmed over him. they seemed to be extremely happy. richard was in a good mood when he saw this. after he counted carefully, there were already seven lairs of desert crown honey. there were also more than ten empty wooden boxes around him. it was obvious that they were prepared for the other party to split their nests again. however, before he upgraded these little fellows, the desert crown honey bees would not do as they wished. he turned his head and looked around. the wyvern destroyed the russian olive forest less than ten meters away. his gaze turned cold. those monsters deserved to die. he walked out of the russian olive forest and reached the sand veins to take a few glances. over a hundred acres of sand barley had already started heading at this moment. it would not be long before they could harvest the second round of sand barley. at this moment, more than ten residents tended to their crops inside. the sand barley shorter than its thighs swayed slightly under the breeze. and the green barley grains appeared rather plump. exuberance filled this scene and made richard feel better. he took out two 3-stars resource treasures he had exchanged for his points from the system space. he had one hundred acres of sand barley and 100 acres of russian olives. ¡°they planted sand barley in the middle of last month. it¡¯s a month of maturity, and it just happens to be harvested in the middle of last month.¡± ¡°if i place this piece of sand barley now, i can stagger the harvest time. whether drying it or snatching it, it¡¯ll be much easier when that time comes.¡± stagger the placement of resources and treasures could slow down the harvest time and reduce the pressure of harvesting and storage. on the other hand, the russian olive forest could stagger the flowering time and allow the harvest of desert crown honey every day. however, there were only five acres left in the russian olive forest. it wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact.so, richard couldn¡¯t be bothered to wait any longer. he first walked to the sand land near the 100 acres of sand barley and placed the barley there. the green area became even more enormous when the second 100 acres of sand barley grew. the verdant seedlings were full of vitality. even a glance at them was enough to make people happy. then, they did the same thing and placed more than 100 acres of russian olives next to the russian olive forest. as a result, the crops in twilight city reached 305 acres. there were two hundred acres of sand barley, 105 acres of russian olives, plus seven lairs of desert crown bees. and the number of fire dragon rabbits that were about to explode. the farm he planned took shape and had the most basic framework. after they selected the right person, he would change to a b-rank life hero and let the brewery and food workshop officially operate. everything would be fine. Chapter 192 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard called the fat aunt and asked her to recruit people to manage the area after he placed the two resources. the fat aunt excitedly agreed. now she is the head of the agricultural area, and everyone has to listen to her. the bigger the agricultural area, the more people she will manage. she liked this job. !! there were no mistakes or omissions in the agricultural district for a long time. richard had a good impression of this fat aunt who had once used a worker¡¯s nose to track the highly poisonous wasps. she was trustworthy. after he gave her a few words of encouragement, he went to the nearby fire dragon rabbit¡¯s breeding base. just as he got closer, he heard the gnome¡¯s exaggerated tone. ¡°oh great lord, this must be a gift from the gods. you¡¯re finally back.¡± green tooth, who was as thin as a toothpick, stepped forward excitedly. its humble posture seemed like it wanted to kneel on the ground and help him wipe his boots. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at this stubborn fellow. ¡°how are the fire dragon rabbits?¡± green tooth patted its chest and loudly said, ¡°lord, those rabbits are growing very well under our diligent care.¡± ¡°it is estimated that by the end of next month, the number of fire dragon rabbits will increase to 400 after their cubs are born¡­¡± ¡®damn, no one else could reproduce at this rate.¡¯ richard was cardinally delighted. ¡°take good care of them. when the size of the fire dragon rabbits reaches 10,000, i will let you be the minister of the breeding department of twilight city and manage all the matters related to raising them.¡± green tooth was so excited that its eyes turned green. ¡°thank you for your generosity, my great lord! i¡¯ll surely provide for those fire dragon rabbits like my grandfather!¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®as long as you¡¯re happy.¡¯ after richard thought for a while, he controlled the gravel to float in the air. he passed through the purple vines and thorns and glanced at the furry fire dragon rabbits that were half the height of a person. after he confirmed there was no problem with its life force, he nodded in satisfaction. he drew a few more large cakes for the gnome. and green tooth was so excited that it wanted to replace the fire dragon rabbit. and then it left. after richard returned to twilight city, he walked straight toward the blacksmith shop. he didn¡¯t know if adele had come up with anything new in the past month. when he arrived at the blacksmith shop and was about to go up to the second floor, the guard informed him with a bitter expression that adele was in closed-door cultivation. ¡®did he need to inform her?¡¯ he thought about it and decided not to disturb her. adele had already said she would break through to become a special-level blacksmith. if he interrupted her, wouldn¡¯t that be a crime? however, before he walked out of the blacksmith¡¯s shop, adele heard the commotion downstairs and rushed. she excitedly shouted for him to stop. ¡°lord richard!! i¡¯ve broken through to become a special-level blacksmith!!¡± richard turned his head and looked at adele with her clothes covered in black dust. she looked disheveled and had a pair of dark circles under her eyes. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°you did a great job, but you must pay attention to rest in the future. your body is everything. don¡¯t tire yourself out because of other things.¡± as he spoke, he opened his stats panel and glanced. his eyes immediately lit up. could a special-level blacksmith become so strong? [adele thorin] [hero unit] [level: 8 (elite hero, strength increased by 30%.)] [potential: a-rank] [occupation: solin blacksmith (special, forging and research success rate increased by 20%.] [skills: breathing forging method (grade a, when forging strategic equipment, it can obtain additional skills, and has a chance to forge a higher level weapon) [weapon strengthening (a-rank) ¡ª can strengthen strategic equipment. it can obtain additional characteristics.] [blood of thorin (a-rank) ¡ª constitution increased by 200%. strength increased by 200%. able to differentiate between different types of forging materials, innate ability to sense smelting materials.] [hero characteristics: research speed of territory attack type technology increased by 40%. the success rate increased by 40%.] [race characteristics: have extraordinary talent in forging weapons. the success rate increased by 30%.] [fetter-copper hammer: when using a long-handled copper hammer to forge, the forging skill level will increase by one level.] [description: clang! clang! clang! clang!. your artifact is ready. do you want to test its power?] attributes of adele received a massive increase after upgrading. her previous blacksmith class had become ¡ª thorin blacksmith. one could tell with a single glance that this had something to do with her bloodline. it was most likely a family inheritance. moreover, the special-level blacksmith had an additional 20% success rate. the other party¡¯s hero characteristic had also increased from a 30% increase in research and development speed and success rate to a 40% increase. in other words, after the upgrade, adele¡¯s success rate in forging and research and development had increased from the original 30% to the current 60%. it had doubled. that was a little abnormal. as technological development became more advanced, the success rate would naturally decrease. that was unavoidable. however, adele¡¯s attributes could make up for this huge flaw. this girl was simply a treasure that the heavens had given to twilight city. perfect. richard praised her with great satisfaction. ¡°adele, one day in the future, i won¡¯t be surprised if you forge a divine weapon for twilight city. ¡°because in my eyes, you are the brightest star in twilight city! no one can compare to you!¡± the girl¡¯s face flushed red with excitement after richard praised her straightforwardly. she said shyly. ¡°lord richard, thanks for your unconditional support and training. i will work harder!¡± when she first agreed to join twilight city. she even thought that richard would force her to do a lot of work that she did not want to do. but she did not expect him to give her a lot of freedom. other than her usual work, what she wanted to develop or what materials she needed. as long as there was something in the warehouse, there would never be a lack of it. richard¡¯s unconditional support was ultimately the most important reason why she advanced so quickly. ¡°my father said before that i would need at least three years to become a special-level blacksmith. ¡°but now, i want to tell him that i¡¯m ten times faster than he expected!¡± richard laughed when he heard this. ¡°onyx of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce left twilight city at the beginning of last month.¡± ¡°according to the time, he will be back soon. ¡°maybe i can bring you news about your father then.¡± she thought for a while. ¡°soon, i might make a trip to solan city myself. if you are willing, you can come with me.¡± adele¡¯s eyes lit up, and the idea tempted her. however, after she glanced at the ores in the room, she shook her head reluctantly. ¡°after i advanced, this awakened a part of the power in my body. i can sense that father is still very safe. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about me. ¡°besides, my father is much more powerful than me. as long as there are people, he can live very comfortably. ¡°if it weren¡¯t for the town¡¯s residents, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk to cross the desert. ¡°i¡¯m afraid he has already become the chief forger of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°this is the promise the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce gave him.¡± as she spoke, she revealed her true feelings. ¡°i still have many things that i want to research. and i don¡¯t want to leave the territory for the time being. ¡°after i become a special-level blacksmith, i¡¯ve made many discoveries¡­ if my father knows about this, he will ultimately support me. ¡°but, if possible, please send a letter to him for me when the time comes¡­¡± richard saw the sincere look on adele¡¯s face. he didn¡¯t say anything more. who knew what kind of relationship this father and daughter had? he also felt a little emotional. adele¡¯s delving spirit had honestly reached the level of obsession. there was no wonder she could become a special-level blacksmith so quickly. he suddenly seemed to have thought of something. a smile appeared on his face. ¡°follow me to the backyard. i¡¯ll show you my big¡­ bah, the big treasure that knowles gave me.¡± adele was also a bit curious when she saw richard¡¯s appearance and quickly followed him. just as she walked to the backyard, her eyes suddenly lit up. in front of her appeared a 15-meter-tall mechanical puppet broken all over. although its appearance was already more than half broken, its body structure and special materials made her feel quite shocked. the layman watched the show while the expert watched the door. this astounding manufacturing process immediately attracted her attention. the person who made this machine was ultimately a master-level figure, much higher than her level. the girl observed for a long time before she said, ¡°i¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°lord richard, i beg you to leave this mechanical puppet here. i¡¯ll do everything i can to repair it.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were still reluctant to leave the extraordinary hunter as she spoke. ¡°if i can understand the structure of this mechanical puppet, perhaps, i can break through again¡­ ¡°this is too perfect. ¡°i can¡¯t find any flaws.¡± a level 20 extraordinary hunter. how could this thing not be amazing? moreover, this was created by a level 19 dwarf hero. who knew how high the level of knowles was? richard looked at adele¡¯s big eyes and felt much better. no matter how good a dwarf¡¯s skills were, it was useless. if he wanted to use such a beautiful girl to research a mechanical puppet, the eye would be pleased. he took out the extraordinary hunter¡¯s blueprint knowles gave him from the system space and handed it to adele. ¡°this is the blueprint for this mechanical puppet.¡± adele¡¯s eyes immediately radiated. she excitedly took it and flipped through it. after a few glances, amazement gradually shrouded her expression. after a long while, she raised her head and said with a solemn gaze. ¡°lord richard, the person who made this mechanical puppet must be a genius-like master. these ideas are too great.¡± she said curiously. ¡°can you let me meet that genius-like master? is he your friend?¡± richard was stunned for a moment and said with a warm smile. ¡°yes, he is my friend, but we may not be able to meet him. he is fighting for their ideals¡­¡± Chapter 193 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation adele didn¡¯t quite understand what richard meant. the lord looked at the young girl¡¯s confused expression and didn¡¯t say anything else. he returned to the main topic. ¡°this mechanical puppet has enormous energy. it can devour the surrounding materials and repair itself automatically. ¡°the most important thing is the rare resources and the underground world¡¯s unique ore ¡ª mithril. ¡°you can also conduct additional research on this¡­¡± !! the extraordinary hunter needed a massive amount of rare resources to repair. what he had right now was probably not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. furthermore, without mithril, there was probably no hope of repairing it. ¡°yes, lord.¡± adele nodded and said seriously. ¡°i¡¯ll work very hard, sir richard.¡± after the two conversed for a moment, richard took out the dragon-hunting crossbow and the dragon-hunting crossbow bolt, which were two 4-stars blueprints. ¡°adele, these are the dragon-hunting crossbow¡¯s blueprints. this weapon will be of great help to us now. can you forge it?¡± adele reluctantly put away the extraordinary hunter¡¯s blueprints and took the two new blueprints. after a few glances, her eyes curved. she was eager to give it a try. ¡°compared to that perfect mechanical puppet, these two blueprints seem more suitable for the current me.¡± she became more confident as she spoke. ¡°lord richard, as long as you provide me with enough materials, i can forge it. ¡°but this might take half a month¡­¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. these were 4-stars blueprints. it was indeed different after breaking through upgraded her to a special-level blacksmith. however, adele¡¯s words made him feel a little helpless. materials needed to build the dragon-hunting crossbow: 5,000 units of mercury, 5,000 units of sulfur, 5,000 units of crystals, 1,000 units of fine iron, fascia of a level-15 or above giant dragon or hybrid giant dragon, and special-level blacksmith. he was poor¡­ ¡°the forging process requires over a hundred units of fine iron. you should start smelting the fine iron first¡­ i¡¯ll get the rest of the materials back as soon as possible.¡± adele nodded, and excitement rose in her eyes. making high-level equipment was a rare enjoyment for her. after she said that, richard said seriously again. ¡°but before you start work, you need to rest for three days. you¡¯re not allowed to enter the blacksmith shop for three days.¡± the girl with the huge dark circles under her eyes still wanted to argue. but richard used his eyes to suppress her ruthlessly. she could only gloomily agree. richard first put away the extraordinary hunter. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to send it to the girl after she had rested for a few days. then, he left the blacksmith¡¯s shop with adele. he even specially instructed the guards to prevent adele from returning in the next two days. that cut off adele¡¯s plans to come back the next day. she could only go back to rest dejectedly. after richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, he seemed to have thought of something. the sand once again lifted the 11 sandworm eggs in the corner with a wave of his hand. they brought back these eggs when they left the dungeon. however, there was still a month before they could hatch, so he did not pay too much attention to them. ¡°it seems like i have to cover them with sand¡­¡± after he thought for a moment, he went straight to the back courtyard of the lord¡¯s mansion. he placed the sandworm eggs in a corner. then, the residents outside suddenly saw countless sand grains fly into the sky and rush into the lord¡¯s mansion. visual impact graced this scene. the new residents were significantly shocked and quickly asked the people around what this was. the proud old residents began to announce richard¡¯s previous achievements. especially in the sky above the russian olive seed forest, the feat of killing hundreds of venomous wyverns in one fell swoop was even more exaggerated. after the popularity of the people reached 90, the residents would naturally spread the greatness of twilight city and richard to the new residents¡­ most of the new residents settled down in this environment. when everyone said that the territory was good and the lord was great, they honestly meant it was good. no matter how strong the resistance was, it would collapse in a week or two. the power of the people was unlimited. richard did not pay attention to these trivial things. he let the sand cover the sandworm eggs with a thick layer. when he sensed the life force of the eggs did not change much, he was relieved. ¡°work hard, little worms. you will be the sturdiest vehicle in twilight city in the future. ¡°when the time comes, i will make a cool desert wheel for you. i will drag you there if you have nothing to do.¡± after he expressed the capitalists¡¯ expectations, he summoned two teams of guardian mummies and asked them to guard this place at all times. now, he only needed to wait for these giants to hatch. after richard dealt with the sandworms, he seemed to have thought of something and taken the ancient dragon crystal from the system space. that was the reward ferguson gave him after he completed the a-rank mission. it could allow the skeleton blood dragon to transform into a heroic unit. but ferguson had also peculiarly mentioned that the transformation process required a multitude of flesh and blood. or else it might lead to a decrease in potential. richard rubbed it for a moment and helplessly put it back. now, there was no time to get so much flesh and blood.and he also needed to convert the hunting gains into resources to recruit troops. he could only delay. in the evening, three heroes who went out hunting brought back a lot of prey. the resource points and the field troops¡¯ gathering places would refresh every monday. this month, there were no troops around twilight city to clean up. so, the harvest wasunusually rich. however, richard did not let them stop there. instead, he continued to hunt in the darkness. they were all undead creatures. with the black gargoyles as eyes, they were not afraid to encounter cardinally strapping enemies. richard was not idle either. he also took a troop to participate in the map-sweeping. he started in the evening. he returned three times in a night with rich prey. Chapter 194 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation each kill brought back could be exchanged for nearly 70,000 to 80,000 units of resources. and that was with a 30% commission. otherwise, it would have been even more profitable. the following morning was monday, july 1. the hunt continued. every monday night at 8 o¡¯clock, the troop lair would refresh. and he still had more than 10 hours. !! the troop also went increasingly further away. from dawn to dusk, the surrounding troop¡¯s gathering place had been cleared, which brought him 300,000 units of resources. after two days and one night of hunting, the total resources of 200,000 units on richard¡¯s status panel soared to 900,000. that quietly gratified him. finally, he had some surplus food¡­ however, he also saw clearly that this was the amount accumulated from not clearing the troop¡¯s gathering place for a month. he couldn¡¯t have so much prey for him to clear out every day. the short harvest would not affect his long-term plans. he could finally carry out the violent troops now that he had several resources. his next plan was to clear out the threat of the wyverns, find the entrance to the underground world, surround the god¡¯s ancient tree, or continue to explore the ancient ruins. he could do nothing without the strength of the troop. the first two lairs that richard chose were two rare-level troops. rare 3-stars, axe of the dead¡¯s undead soldiers. recruitment quantity: 10. required resources: 120,000 units. rare 3-stars, dark gargoyles. recruitment quantity: 40. required resources: 280,000.200 gemstones. he used up 400,000 units of resources to recruit all of them without hesitation. after he completed the recruitment, the total number of undead soldiers in his hands reached 35. the total number of dark gargoyles reached 100, which was just enough for a squadron. after this round, he still had over 500,000 resources left in his hands. after richard thought about it, he recruited all 14 scorpion warriors. this brought a total of 48. he used up more than 10,000 resources. cursed pharaoh, number of recruits: 10 ¡ª total: 20. used up 12,000 units of resources. remaining sand condensation archers, number of recruits: 100, current number: 100. giant axe death knights, number of recruits: 42, current number: 42. richard did not recruit any more. if he recruited more, the resources in his hands would be insufficient. moreover, the current numbers of these two troops were barely enough, so he set them aside. he thought for a moment and took out the 15 troops¡¯ lairs he had exchanged for points. ten elite-level undead soldiers. five rare-level mad sand mages. he built all of them. ten elite-level undead soldiers consumed 12,000 units of resources and were successfully built. the number of recruits ¡ª 100 undead soldiers consumed 120 units of resources each, a total of 12,000 units. five rare-level mad sand mage nests, using 60,000 units of resources to build successfully. available to recruit ¡ª 50 mad sand mages, 1,200 units of resources each, a total of 56,000 units. after this recruitment, he still had more than 370,000 points of resources left. richard did not make any further moves. at eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the system notification sounded on time. [ding~ the troop lairs have been refreshed. lords, please recruit on your own.] [ding~ this week is storm week. please take precautions.] ¡®storm week?¡¯ richard felt that it was indeed novel. but there seemed to be one thing about his lord talent¡­ the storm would hide from his territory. it was quite useful¡­ he did not think too much and reopened the troops¡¯ lair. sure enough, the troops¡¯ lair he had just recruited had been refreshed. richard continued to recruit as before. rare 3-stars, undead soldiers. five units can be recruited. sixty thousand units of resources are required. total after recruitment: 40. rare 3-stars, dark gargoyles. twenty units can be recruited. one hundred forty thousand units of resources are required. one hundred gems. total after recruitment: 120. scorpion warrior and cursed pharaoh. the elite-level undead soldiers, sand mages¡­ he recruited all of them. he still had 130,000 units of resources left after the second round of recruitment. the strength of his troops soared again after this round of recruitment. although he had not recruited a few branches, he had recruited three weeks¡¯ worth of production for the main. richard opened the branch panel and looked carefully. there were 3-star elite branches ¡ª mummy guardian, total: 150. undead soldiers, total: 150. the resources in his hands were no longer enough to upgrade ten elite-level undead soldiers to rare-level, so he decided to put them aside for now. when the resources were enough, he would upgrade them again. rare 3-stars branches had the most numbers. mummy bandage, total: 51. scorpion warriors, total: 55. cursed pharaoh, total: 25. sand condensation archers, total: 100. giant axe death knights, total: 42. mad sand mages, total: 75. rare-levels were the core strength that added up to a total of 348. rare 3-stars troops were ¡ª dark gargoyles, total: 120. undead soldiers, total: 40. glorious-level. currently, he could not recruit military lairs. however, he had obtained three teams of brilliant 1-star heavy blade warriors from the ancient ruins. in addition, he had recruited the skeleton and blood dragon from the corpses of the templar dragoons. this was all the troops he had at the moment. he had 656 soldiers, excluding the 150 guardian mummies that could only protect the territory. there were more than 65 parties and six and a half squadrons. moreover, the quality of the troop was extremely high. they were all the elite forces that he had carefully selected. and they could burst out with strapping battle strength. at this time, richard¡¯s mentality had completely adjusted from the dungeon. although he had commanded tens of thousands of level 10 to 14 high-level soldiers in a massive battle. but those were all fake and had nothing to do with him. the power of twilight city was the power that truly belonged to him. what made him most gratified was that the number of dark gargoyles had already reached 12 small teams. these air soldiers had extremely high strategic value. in the ¡°shining era¡±, the number of flying troops was the least. and it was also the rarest. it was a lot less than the number of mage troops. it had always been a significant force in the troop. and its priority was even higher than the mages. the importance of air supremacy was needless to say. it could almost determine the direction of a war. the production of as many as ten dark gargoyles per week was even more satisfying to him. in the future, the first thing he would do when he had sufficient resources was to upgrade the dark gargoyles¡¯ lair to a glorious-level. after richard recruited the army, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something. he took out the five supreme demon corpses he had obtained from the tibetan soldier card. these were the corpses he had obtained when he had taken the holy dragon¡¯s blood from the demons and angels¡¯ siege in the dungeon. he had left gunter in the lake after escaping and had never had the chance to use it. unfortunately, the angels discovered the two corpses of the templar dragoon riders he had hidden at the bottom of the lake to escape in the end. gunter had not brought them back. however, the corpses of these five supreme demons were genuine harvests. so, it was worth it. he looked at the two mummy heroes. these two fellows could recruit mummy soldiers. it could be fulfilling the thoughts that he had in his mind before entering the dungeon. ¡°gray, gunter, summon these five supreme demons¡¯ corpses into mummy soldiers¡­¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the two immediately responded respectfully. then walked in front of the supreme demons and began to cast spells simultaneously. faint blue magical energy suffused in gray¡¯s body. it exuded the coldness of a dead spirit. power of blood suffused in gunter¡¯s body. he was like a corpse walking out of a mountain of corpses and bones with a terrifying feeling. in an instant. a majestic power surged. five five-meter-tall supreme demons began to rot and collapse, revealing their pale skeletons. their flesh and blood turned into pure energy and poured into the white bones¡­ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. after he recruited the skeleton blood dragon from the templar dragoons¡¯ corpses, gunter solidified this army into a special skill. he wondered if the two could give him the same surprise by recruiting a supreme demon that was on par with the templar dragoons. Chapter 195 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation with the surge of magic power, the scene gradually changed. the corpse of the great demon began to melt. it turned into pale skeletons without flesh and blood. this scene was shocking. unlike the skeleton blood dragon, the skeleton of the great demon did not turn blood red. instead, it became even paler. it was like the already faded clothes had been rinsed. there was an unnatural sense of horror. after the flesh and blood disappeared, the other side of the great demon gradually revealed itself. !! the elbows, ankles, shoulders¡­ almost all the parts that could launch an attack revealed sinister barbs. the cold light that flickered was enough to make richard¡¯s heart tremble. the most eye-catching thing was the three sharp claws in its hand. they were countless times sharper than a razor. even dragon scales would not be able to block its sharpness. richard keenly observed. gray¡¯s dark blue energy suppressed gunter¡¯s blood-red energy, enveloping four of the five supreme demon corpses. gunter¡¯s blood-colored energy had only been converted to one. at the same time, the two a-rank heroes frantically infused magic energy into the corpses. an additional feature added magic energy to increase the ability to convert soldiers¡¯ strength after the corpse conversion skill had been upgraded to a-rank. however, the bodies of the supreme demons contained abounding power, and their magic energy only served as a catalyst¡­ the transformation continued for a few minutes until it finally reached a certain threshold. ¡®boom!¡¯ soul flames suddenly ignited in the empty heads of the five supreme demons. a new undead life was born at this moment. [ding~ twilight city¡¯s hero, gray, has recruited a special troop from the dragon¡¯s corpse: skeleton blood dragon. due to the special nature of the troop, it has been solidified into the hero¡¯s special ability. in the future, you can recruit other similar troop types from the demon¡¯s corpse.] [ding~ your hero gunter has recruited a type of soldier from the supreme demon¡¯s corpse ¡ª glorious 1-star soldier, skeleton demon.¡± as the system notification sounded, the five newborn skeleton demons slowly stood up. even without flesh and blood, just their ferocious skeletons and sharp barbs at their joints still gave people a strapping pressure. glorious-level soldiers. richard¡¯s mood instantly soared! gunter solidified skeleton blood dragon soldier and gray solidified skeleton demon soldier. it was simply perfect. the dragon and demon would both be on his kill list in the future. after he took a deep breath, he opened the opponent¡¯s attributes panel. [skeleton demon] [level: 10] [potential: glorious 1-star] [skills: spatial movement (a-rank) ¡ª consumes soul power. freely traversing through space. the further one traverses, the more soul power is consumed.] [piercing claw (a-rank) ¡ª adds space power to the claw, causing it to be able to break through armor and magic.] [race talent: after the body is damaged, soul power can be consumed to quickly recover.] [space affinity: has an exceedingly strong accord to space power.] [description: an undead that was born on the corpse of a supreme demon. it has retained the supreme demon¡¯s sturdiest skill.] the skeleton demon¡¯s attributes were unexpectedly simple. it only had two skills. however, because of its crucial skill ¡ª spatial movement, it had retained its battle power. therefore, its battle power was still immensely splendid. that was especially so when combined with the opponent¡¯s terrifying attack power that could forcefully break armor and shield. the damage it could cause would surely not be weaker than the skeleton blood dragon. richard was in a zenith humor. these were five level 10 glorious troops that were proficient in spatial power. their battle strength was not inferior to the two a-rank heroes. while richard waved his hand, he summoned all the newly recruited troops. the yellow sand light emitted from his body and enveloped everyone. following that, a system notification sounded. [these troops had simultaneously obtained the twilight city¡¯s signature skill ¡ª sand transformation.] their strength had increased by a whole level. and the skeleton demon, which possessed spatial movement and powerful attacks, coupled with sand transformation, this soldier could be described as incomparably tyrannical. he looked forward to the performance of this soldier in the future. if its performance on the battlefield were as strong as he thought it would be. in the future, he would invest additional resources into this soldier to expand it. the same was true for the skeleton demon and skeleton blood dragon. actual battle was always the standard to test everything. after richard had done all this, he looked at the two mummy heroes. his eyes revealed some exhiliration. ¡°assemble the troop and hunt the god¡¯s ancient tree!¡± he already took in his bag the boss he had once could not touch! the moment he saw the dark contract in the scarlet council treasure warehouse, he designed the god¡¯s ancient tree destined to become his hunting target. twilight city also lacked air defense. to bring the god¡¯s ancient tree back could make up for this gap to a large extent. to hunt this boss did not require a colossal troop. the human sea tactic was simply useless against the god¡¯s ancient tree. the enemy¡¯s large body could crush the weak troops like ants. richard only planned to bring elites this time. first, he had to choose the targets ¡ª two powerful a-rank heroes ¡ª gunter and gray. then, there were five crown 1-star skeleton demons, and one skeleton blood dragon. in addition, 12 teams of dark gargoyles had to follow. there were also four teams of rare-level undead soldiers and eight team of sand condensation archers. there were nearly 25 teams of troops. the other troops were all left to guard the territory. ¡°lord, how are we going to deal with that human-faced giant tree?¡± when it saw the god¡¯s ancient tree strike the earth, the sound it created was like an aftershock. gray was a little solemn. the impact that the boss had brought was enormously profound. richard gave the other party a deep look. ¡°i already have the plan to deal with this problem.¡± as he spoke, he looked at the troop ordered to stay. ¡°the sand condensation archers will form a group of two, and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead will form a group of one. they would each ride on the dark gargoyles.¡± after richard gave the order, the troop did not hesitate and immediately began to move. richard took the opportunity to speak. ¡°gray, what is the most powerful part of the god¡¯s ancient tree?¡± the mummy hero thought for a moment before it answered. ¡°it has several poisonous wasps, and its close battle ability is extremely sturdy¡­¡± richard smiled and did not comment. ¡°what about its weakness?¡± ¡°weakness?¡± gray fell into deep thought. after a long while, it looked at the troop gradually. it gradually rode on the back of the dark gargoyle, and suddenly thought of something. ¡°the troop you brought is all long-range attacks¡­ the greatest weakness of the god¡¯s ancient tree is that it doesn¡¯t have long-range attacks?¡± richard nodded. ¡°you¡¯re half right. every life has its own weakness, and the god¡¯s ancient tree is no exception. ¡°no matter how strong it is, it can¡¯t escape this basic rule¡­ ¡°what is the weakness of the tree?¡± after richard asked the question, he saw the troop had already gathered. he did not wait for gray to answer. he stepped forward and began to size it up. although the dark gargoyle was not a type of troop suitable for riding. however, the opponent¡¯s back was immensely extensive. to temporarily act as mount wouldn¡¯t be a problem. while richard looked at the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead and the sand condensation archers sat on the back of the dark gargoyle, he smiled faintly. didn¡¯t twilight city have a long-range air force? what was the biggest weakness of the tree?¡­ ¡°tomorrow morning, we will gather in the same way as now.¡± the following day was july 2, at 9 am. the troop was ready to set off. because there was no ground troop to hold them back, they moved enormously fast. the area of rubble that had been hit by the earthquake appeared in front of them in less than an hour. there was not a single sign of life on the devastated land. meanwhile, the god¡¯s ancient tree in the central area had already run away. all that was left was a vast pit. there were distinct footprints in the direction the other party had left until the traces in the desert gradually disappeared. gunter used his special senses to find the blood-colored mummy that had stayed behind to monitor the god¡¯s ancient tree. after a round of questions, it continued to chase in the northwest direction. after that, it could see a blood-colored mummy half buried in the gravel as a road sign at intervals along the road. these undead creatures carried out the original order completely. 1 o¡¯clock, noon. richard looked at the colossal figure rooted in the ground in an oasis in front of him. and his face revealed some enthusiasm. he had found his target. ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ in this place, they could hear the sound of the poisonous wasps flapping their wings from a great distance. richard was not in a rush to make a move. so, he let the troops land on the sand and hide. he flew up to a higher sky alone. he looked at the oasis where the god¡¯s ancient tree was from a distance, but what surprised him was that. the area in front of him that should have been an oasis had now become a blood lake. a large number of corpses floated on the water surface. it looked like a blood pool in the abys. and it was indeed horrifying. after he passed through the blood pool, he focused attention on his final target ¡ª the god¡¯s ancient tree. other than a large number of poisonous wasps flying around it, the thing that attracted his attention the most at this moment was a golden fruit on the top of the dried tree fork emitting a unique and alluring aura. even hundreds of meters away, he could pronouncedly sense that it was extraordinary. but the moment his heart moved, his heart thumped. that thing was sublimely perilous. just as he was astonished, a group of desert gnolls suddenly appeared in his line of sight. those monsters rushed excitedly into the blood pool oasis. after they smelled the special aura in the air, their eyes turned red. the gnolls directly rushed toward the god¡¯d ancient tree. their expressions were like drug addicts that had seen powder. they almost gone crazy. but the moment they entered the oasis¡­ ¡®sizzle¡­¡¯ dozens of roots suddenly stretched out from the lake, splashed water and dragged them into the blood pond. the crazy gnolls had no time to react at all. the whole process happened quickly. ¡®gulp! gulp! gulp!¡¯ bubbles appeared on the surface of the blood-colored lake. not long after, a few new corpses floated up. richard was quite surprised. ¡°this tree¡­is fishing?¡± Chapter 196 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the golden fruit that exuded an exceptional aura was an uncompromising bait. the corpse that floated in the blood pool also explained the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s battle achievements during this time. he opened the attribute panel and glanced at the other party¡¯s attributes. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s level had already risen to level 11. it was distinctly much sturdier than when he first discovered the human-faced giant tree. !! richard retracted his gaze and began to think. the a-rank skill of the god¡¯s ancient tree ¡ª the body of the curse was exceptionally strapping. it was immune to all spells and curses below a-rank. it was immune to instant death skills and poison. it could absorb energy from the surrounding corpses to quickly restore vitality until the corpse¡¯s energy was exhausted. this skill was coupled with its boss¡¯ characteristic ¡ª turning the land within a 100-meter radius into rotten land. it could store the energy of the corpses in the ground. it instantly made it highly subtle. it was like a rechargeable treasure with a massive amount of power. as long as it was injured, it could immediately absorb the energy stored in the ground to recover. although the dark contract was a 4-stars treasure with a-rank attributes, it had many restrictions. the most critical rule was that the human-faced giant tree could not have a will too strong to resist. that meant it could only sign the contract after the god¡¯s ancient tree was down to its last breath. when richard thought of this, his eyes sparked with vitality as he looked at the poisonous wasps that flew in the sky. he asked the two mummy heroes to wait there with a troop. he went alone. to him, the biggest threat was not the god¡¯s evil ancient tree itself. but the poisonous wasps that it bred. he would cripple this ancient god¡¯s ancient tree in his eyes without the protection of these flying troops. he could only let him slaughter it. more importantly¡­ he felt he received an extensive increase in strength after the bathe in the dragon¡¯s blood. he wanted to see if his strength could take down this boss alone. although the opponent¡¯s level had risen to level 11, it was a powerful boss template. but in comparison, his beyond a-rank skills, glorious-level template, and bathing in the dragon¡¯s blood had extensively increased his attributes. he was even more insane than the opponent. he seemed more like a boss compared to the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard¡¯s glorious-level battle record in the dungeon, coupled with his increased control and knowledge of his skills in battle, had already built up strong confidence at this moment. moreover, the desert was his home ground. yellow sand surged and floated in the air. richard approached the blood-colored oasis with sand and dust. the light in the sky gradually dimmed at this moment. it was the first time he had seen the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was only level 5 and had not changed ranks yet. at that time, he was so shocked he only dared to take a glance from afar. he immediately retreated before he could see the appearance of the other party. with the strength of twilight city at that time, they would not be able to defeat this powerful boss even if all the troops were to fight. however, he did not expect that in just two months. he had already grown to the point where he could look down on the boss. whether it was himself or the strength of twilight city, both of them had greatly enhanced. a strong sense of achievement rose in his heart. the massive movement that brought with it a sky full of yellow sand immediately aroused the vigilance of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the distorted face on the trunk suddenly let out a low, chilling roar. ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ several highly poisonous wasps instantly buzzed as noisy as if someone had stabbed their beehive. the noise was ten times louder. the 10-centimeter-tall giant wasps revealed poisonous needles that glowed with a faint blue light on their abdomens and surged wildly toward richard. on one side was a sandstorm, and on the other was a troop of wasps. the sky was divided into two parts at this moment. it gave a strong visual impact. when the poisonous wasps approached richard. an even more majestic power erupted from his body. countless grains of sand surged up from the ground and flew into the sky. ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ the grains of sand hit the poisonous wasps with a powerful force, like a crisp sound of metal colliding. the poisonous wasp fearlessly charged into the sandstorm. it wanted to intercept it head-on. a massive round sand chrysalis condensed around the target when they got close. the poisonous wasp attacked crazily, its stinger continuously stabbed into the sand chrysalis. but no matter how they attacked, they could not break through this thick and heavy sand chrysalis. their small size gave them an exceptionally nimble advantage in speed. however, their weakness was they were helpless against such an exaggerated and thick shield. the poisonous wasps were like assassins. they had high attack and agility, and they carried poison. their attack power was low. richard sensed the sand chrysalis already crawled with poisonous wasps. he flew over to the sky above the god¡¯s ancient tree with some playfulness. the human-faced giant tree sensed the enemy was approaching. the twisted face of the tree trunk let out a low roar. the sound was like the roar of a giant beast from the abyss. it made one¡¯s soul tremble. the tree trunk danced as if it wanted to shoot down the enemy in the sky. however, richard floated 50 meters in the air, far beyond the attack range of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the existence of the poisonous wasps made up for the weakness of not being able to attack the air. however, the poisonous wasps could not stop richard from advancing in this way. the sand chrysalis around him was more than one meter thick. the poisonous wasps were only 10 centimeters in size. with the toxic wasps¡¯ stingers, they were no more than 20 centimeters. the three poisonous wasps couldn¡¯t pierce through the sand chrysalis even if they were connected. what was worse was that the sand chrysalis could be filled up at any time¡­ under the fury of the god¡¯s ancient tree, all the poisonous wasps swarmed over and wrapped the sand chrysalis around them. richard was pleased. Chapter 197 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation have fun with the fire. the next second, the endless yellow sand on his body surged. the sand on the ground floated out. the yellow sand covered the sky. the world lost its color at this moment. countless grains of sand began to spin crazily. !! it enveloped the surrounding hundred meters. ¡®boom!¡¯ the grains of sand rose into flames when gasoline seemed to have splashed them. the poisonous wasps squeezed into a ball received the most intense burning. beyond a-rank skill, flame sandstorm. ¡®creak!¡¯ ¡®creak!¡¯ the poisonous wasps that attacked the sand chrysalis dissolved the ice and fell like snowflakes under the terrifyingly high temperature and the burning red grains of sand. in a dozen breaths, this smothered thousands of poisonous wasps to death. the god¡¯s ancient tree rooted in the sand also received the malice of this world. ¡®roar!¡¯ they could hear terrifying roars. the human-faced giant tree branches swayed and waved in the red sand. loud bangs bombarded the surrounding land. richard looked from afar. a sandstorm that covered an area of ten meters spun crazily. the sandstorm burned with a scorching flame, and the sand inside burned like red-hot steel. it kept bombarding the human-faced giant tree in the middle with violent power. the god¡¯s ancient tree twisted and swayed in the red sandstorm. the distorted figure was faintly discernible with endless pain and roars as if a balrog was born in it. the scene seemed to have a sturdy visual and psychological impact. richard¡¯s figure disappeared above the god¡¯s ancient tree before the magic power was exhausted. a moment later, the flame sandstorm gradually dissipated. the poisonous wasp that flew in the sky earlier had disappeared. however, what was surprising was that the god¡¯s ancient tree, one of the main targets of the attack, remained full of vitality even after it received such a terrifying attack. moreover, the opponent¡¯s injuries recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye. richard could not help but frown when he saw this. this boss was too meaty. he thought he could use his beyond a-rank skill to suppress the boss by force. however, the boss¡¯ life force has not weakened at all. the ability to devour the surrounding flesh and blood to heal his injuries was too extraordinary. as long as he did not deplete the energy stored in the god¡¯s ancient tree, it was impossible to kill the boss. ¡°unless my strength increases to the point that i can cripple this boss in one wave and prevent it from recovering, i will ultimately be in a stalemate. ¡°but to possess such strength, i¡¯m afraid my current magic energy will have to increase by ten times¡­¡± even beyond a-rank skills could not progress. richard felt a little frustrated. ¡°i should get rid of the blood pool next to the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°this thing is like a charging device. it constantly replenishes strength.¡± after he had a definite goal, his train of thought gradually opened up. ¡°if it were on a rocky, perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to do this, but here, it¡¯s a desert¡­¡± he again approached the god¡¯s ancient tree after his magic energy recovered to its upper limit and his exhausted spirit has starkly restored. this time, richard directly controlled the gravel to build a tunnel-deep underground. it was 200 meters. richard separated the surrounding gravel and came to a hundred meters from the god¡¯s ancient tree. at this moment, the blood-colored lake was above his head. he waved his hand. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ in the depths of the earth, the sand moved to both sides, and the ground began to spew sand continuously. three hours later, the extra sand on the ground formed a small hill. the god¡¯s ancient tree also sensed something this time and appeared very uneasy. but it did not know how to deal with the things underground. it could only control its roots to be alert. that is to prevent enemies that might suddenly appear. a massive underground space gradually took shape in the sand two hundred meters deep. richard estimated it was about time. he wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned around to leave the underground. after he returned to the surface, he pressed down with both hands. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the underground space barely supported the sand above it and collapsed. the ground suddenly sank with the vast weight of the lake. a huge hole appeared on the ground. at this moment, the bottom of the blood-colored lake on the ground exploded. countless amounts of blood surged into the depths of the earth and were sucked dry by the dry sand. after the blood dried up, several white and swollen corpses appeared at the bottom. that made one¡¯s hair stand on end. at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient tree was frantically trying to stop the blood from seeping into the earth. however, its roots were not made of cloth, so how could it stop all of this¡­ ¡®roar!¡¯ ¡°no!!¡± a strange language resounded in the sky. the enemy let out a heart-wrenching roar. when richard saw this, yellow sand began to shine. endless sand once again enveloped the enemy. this boss was cardinally strapping. but its most fatal weakness, or rather, the fatal weakness of all these life forms ¡ª it could not move! a tree was still a tree, and only by taking root on the ground would it be the most powerful. however, this most strapping point, at certain moments, would also become a fatal weakness. although the opponent could pull out the roots of the tree and run away. after it lost the earth as a support tree, the tree still had some strength. the god¡¯s ancient tree could devour the blood pool energy to recover its life. in addition, the existence of the poisonous wasp could offset this weakness to the greatest extent. however, when the opponent¡¯s proudest trick was destroyed, its weakness would still be exposed. the flame sandstorm rose again. however, this time, richard did not let the troops wait any longer. he waved his hand. ¡°gray, gunter, take all the troops into the air!! ¡°remember, don¡¯t get closer to the opponent¡¯s attack range!¡± when richard gave the order, the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead and the sand condensation archers immediately rode on the dark gargoyles and took off. Chapter 198 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the sand condensation archers had a range of more than 200 meters. if they attacked from a height of more than 100 meters, not only would their opponents be unable to hit them, but they would also be reinforced by gravity, making their power even more robust. as for the undead soldiers, although its range was not that exaggerated, it had reached 40 meters. it is starkly out of the opponent¡¯s attack range. the god¡¯s ancient tree was immune to the instant death skill, so richard was not afraid of the undead soldiers killing it. ¡°sand condensation archers, charged power attack!¡± [charged power attack (d-rank) ¡ª after charging, an arrow can release 300% of its strength, with additional piercing damage.] !! with an order, a squadron of condensation archers pulled the bowstring in their hands to the limit and quietly released it. ¡®bang!¡¯ a clear sound rang out. ¡®xiu!¡¯ the arrows tore through the sky. the flame sandstorm did not hinder the arrows. instead, due to the high temperature and the cyclone support, the power of the arrows increased by a few levels. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the sound of metal colliding rang out. sparks flew in all directions. even arrows with stalwart-piercing characteristics could not penetrate the wrinkled bark of the human-faced giant tree. moreover, even if the enemy was injured, it could still recover at the first opportunity. the roots of the boss devoured the energy in the surrounding soil. although the blood-colored lake had already collapsed, the energy stored earlier was enough for the boss to last for a long time. when richard saw this, he was not surprised at all. he continued to give orders. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead came from the other side and threw 40 tomahawks at the target. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound of chains rubbing against each other resounded through the sky. the immobile god¡¯s ancient tree had become the best target at this moment. the moment the tomahawks hit. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound of glass shattering rang out. the tomahawks directly shattered into countless pieces that enveloped the god¡¯s ancient tree. after the first wave of damage, half of the tomahawks¡¯ flame energy rose and caused the second wave of damage. it was a pity the fire element core did not reinforce the newly recruited undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. otherwise, its power would be even more exaggerated. gray and gunter constantly adjusted the troops¡¯ attack frequency. at the same time, the ball of corruption in gunter¡¯s hands did not stop. the power of this magic that could corrode everything was particularly outstanding. the sand condensation archers¡¯ piercing attacks, the undead soldiers¡¯ tomahawk destruction, gunter¡¯s ball of corruption, and richard¡¯s beyond a-rank skill flame sandstorm. under the barrage of attacks, the god¡¯s ancient tree became even more furious. the roar from its mouth made one¡¯s soul twist. the flame sandstorm gradually disappeared as richard¡¯s magic energy faded. when richard¡¯s vision returned to normal, the god¡¯s ancient tree, which had just received a terrifying attack, quickly recovered to its peak condition. while he waited for his magic energy and spiritual power to recover, richard continued to command the troops to expend energy without stopping for even a moment. the troop was no longer a threat after he annihilated the poisonous wasp. he could use his range advantage this time to launch an attack without restraint. however, what richard did not expect was this. the battle he thought would end mostly in one or two hours lasted from noon to evening. then from evening to early morning. the endurance of this level 11 boss immensely infuriated him. if not for his magic energy recovery speed that reached 60 points per second, as long as he recovered, he would immediately use his beyond a-rank skill. he was afraid that the opponent had not suffered much damage yet. richard¡¯s face had already turned pale at three o¡¯clock in the morning. cold sweat shrouded his forehead. although his magic energy had recovered, his spiritual energy depleted extensively, and he felt exhausted. it was as if he had been with his girlfriend seven times a day for a month. the sand condensation archers had already landed on the ground and replenished hundreds of arrows with gravel. the frequency of the undead soldiers had dropped to a terrible state. everyone¡¯s consumption had reached a limit. both sides now competed over who could last longer¡­ finally, after another raging flame sandstorm, richard noticed the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s injuries could no longer recover. the enemy¡¯s stored strength was finally exhausted. at this moment, he had a feeling that tears welled up in its eyes. this boss was ultimately durable to the extreme. even if it was a considerable dragon, he could have killed it several times, right? letting the troop continue to attack in a high-pressure posture, richard rested at the rear for more than ten minutes before he could get rid of the floating air. after he had recovered a lot of his spirit, he looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree with a burning gaze as its aura gradually withered. his heart gradually became excited. it was finally time for the final harvest! this tree was his! Chapter 199 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he placed the god¡¯s ancient tree into his bag just as he was about to end this long battle of attrition. ¡®shua!¡¯ the earth trembled, and dozens of enormous roots violently pulled out of the sand. dust flew all over the sky. the 30-meter-tall god¡¯s ancient tree suddenly rose to 40 meters high. !! the roots beneath it were like legs that supported the weight of the tree trunk as they began to move outward¡­ the god¡¯s ancient tree¡­was running away? although he knew that the god¡¯s ancient tree could move, to see a tree running away still made him feel a little out of place. richard took a deep breath. he immediately gave the order. ¡°continue to attack. the sand condensation archers and the undead soldiers will suppress it. we must not give this human-faced giant tree a chance to catch its breath!¡± due to the death of the poisonous wasps, the god¡¯s ancient tree no longer had any means to deal with them. they constantly beat it up. however, the more it was like this, the more tempted it was. it could withstand over ten hours of hysteria bombardment from him and over a hundred troops. how many lives of the same level could do this?¡­ ¡°twilight city is your final destination.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree needed a large-scale troop to unleash its true power. richard¡¯s eyes were burning. to plant this tree in twilight city was ultimately a matter of great significance. a yellow sand-like light flashed, and its body floated in the air as it immediately followed. the god¡¯s ancient tree sensed richard¡¯s aura approached. its twisted human face stared fixedly at the human it hated so much. like a long gray snake,the twisted human-faced giant tree lashed out at richard with several grains of sand. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ they could hear a strong sound of torn-apart air. this attack could probably shatter the city wall! richard dodged lightly and avoided the terrifying attack. then, he stretched out his hand. endless sandstorms enveloped the god¡¯s ancient tree again. ¡®boom!¡¯ flames rose. scorching sandstorms enveloped this boss once again. the god¡¯s ancient tree did not know how many times it had suffered such damage. it could still withstand it at the beginning. but the enemy¡¯s attacks were too concentrated and violent. that also destroyed the land that stored energy. it has unduly exhausted. ¡®rumble!¡¯ amidst the flames that filled the sky and the endless sandstorm. the enormous figure slowly collapsed. ¡®bang!¡¯ it crashed into the sand with a muffled sound. this left an exaggerated mark on the sand. a large amount of yellow sand splashed. everything became blurry under the cover of the flames. this attack had finally become the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. the muscles in richard¡¯s body trembled uncontrollably at this moment. his chest heaved up and down rapidly. but he did not stop. the sandstorm slowly subsided after his magic energy has exhausted. under the illumination of the cold moon this time. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s huge body collapsed in the desert. its entire body was charred black, and holes and arrow holes of various sizes filled its bark. no one could imagine how many times a squadron of sand condensation archers and four squadrons of undead soldiers attacked this boss in the past ten hours. water droplets pierced through rocks. it would still crack under long-lasting and concentrated attacks no matter how tough the defense was. the life force scorching as the sun as before had also turned into torches that swayed in the wind at this moment. although it was still far from being extinguished, it did not lose its previous strength. after the other party collapsed, richard did not stop there. he continued to let the troop continue to attack. he was like the most experienced savage. he would not let his guard down until the very last moment. the sound of the sand condensation archers¡¯ arrows and the undead soldiers hitting the god¡¯s ancient tree spread far and wide in the silent desert¡­ these attacks were not fatal, but they squeezed the final strength of the god¡¯s ancient tree. this process lasted for half an hour. ¡®roar!¡¯ the god¡¯s ancient tree on its last breath suddenly let out a mournful roar. its collapsed figure suddenly stood up, its huge trunk and terrifying roots waving wildly. even a hundred-meter-tall boulder would probably shatter under the impact of such terrifying power. a terrifying voice that rushed straight into the mind came along with the attack of the tree roots. it was a sublimely indescribable evil language. it seemed to echo in the blood sea of hell for eternity. richard felt his head swell and his eyelids twitched wildly even though he was hundreds of meters away. [whisper of the soul (a-rank) ¡ª within a diameter of 100 meters from the tree trunk, the cursed ancient tree can affect the enemy¡¯s mind, causing the enemy¡¯s will to collapse.] it starkly enveloped the surrounding troop. the soul fire seemed to have encountered a storm. it swayed and could be extinguished at any time. fortunately, the soul was the strongest among the undead. when the enemy erupted, the troop activated their sturdiest life-saving skill under the orders of the two heroes this time. ¡®peng!¡¯ the giant tree roots hit dozens of dark gargoyles in the next second. and their bodies directly exploded. sand flew all over the sky. fortunately, the enemy used tree roots and did not have the instant death characteristic of the tree branches, so the troop retreated. when richard saw the enemy had stirred up the earth into chaos, like a sandstorm, he did not attack again. it lasted for three minutes. the god¡¯s ancient tree let out a mournful roar, and its body collapsed for the second time. richard finally waved his hand to stop the attacking army this time. he floated and approached alone. in his perception, the enemy¡¯s life turned from a torch to a candle that was about to burn out. weak and small. it floated above the enemy. yellow sand covered his body. the next second. an indescribable pressure surged over. it was like the collapse of a hundred thousand feet high mountains. it pressed down on the ancient tree in the most overbearing way. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s face faced the sky. in its perception, the figure that made it extremely angry appeared. however, it was too weak. it no longer had the strength to stand up. and the other party approached gradually. the powerful aura it carried was like a sandstorm that destroyed everything in the desert. it felt an indescribable fear. despair and unwillingness surged in its heart. the fear of death for life seeped out from the depths of its soul. it couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°surrender or die?¡± richard¡¯s voice was cold. he used his spiritual power to convey the meaning of his words to the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°i am the ruler of the desert, the master of the yellow sand.¡± ¡°surrender. you will receive my nurturing and receive endless flesh and corpses. in the future, you will become an eternal tree of darkness that would stand on endless planes. ¡°death. you will wither and break. as time passes, you will gradually decay and turn into sand. time will erase all traces of your existence¡­ ¡°surrender or die?¡± richard increased the amount of magic energy at another interrogation and poured it into the yellow sand halo. the more magic energy he poured in, the more powerful the yellow sand halo would be. he wanted to crush the final will of this boss. ¡°surrender, or die!¡± the aura of the giant dragon began to spread at the same time out from his body. he starkly mobilized the power in his body. the pressure on his body was now fully unleashed. ¡°surrender, or die!¡± every time he repeated it, it was a massive impact on the god¡¯s ancient tree on the verge of collapse. death approached. it smelled the scent of despair. it felt the gaze of death¡­ no, no!! it couldn¡¯t die just like that!! its initial memories appeared in its mind at this moment¡­ when it was still a sapling, it had unintentionally grown next to a corpse with tremendous power. it had gradually grown into such a powerful existence because it had devoured the flesh and blood of that corpse. it did not want to die. it could not die¡­ it wanted to live, live¡­ ¡°submit, or die!!¡± a thunderous roar caused its will to completely collapse. ¡°submit¡­¡± the unique ancient tree¡¯s language was very weak. when richard heard this, the corners of his mouth curled up. at this moment, his heart was extremely comfortable. he had finally made this boss kneel and sing ¡®conquer¡¯. take out 4-stars treasure from the system space ¡ª dark contract, prepare to contract each other¡¯s time. the god¡¯s evil ancient tree¡¯s second sentence made richard stunned. ¡°i will¡­give my soul¡­¡± ¡°give up your soul?¡± [ding~ the god¡¯s ancient tree (level 11 boss unit) is willing to offer its soul and submit to you. do you accept the power of the other party¡¯s soul? note: everything is under your control after the other party has offered its soul. you can use the soul power of the other party to control its life, death, and actions.] richard¡¯s expression became extensively riveting at this moment. he lowered his head and looked at the dark contract in his hand. ¡°this thing¡­cannot be used??¡± Chapter 200 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked at the system notification and didn¡¯t know what to feel at this moment. he had spent so much effort to notably go to the scarlet council to select the dark contract. but he no longer needed it at the critical moment¡­ after he returned to his senses, he rejoiced again. wasn¡¯t this equivalent to baiting the boss? it was comfortable. !! he immediately chose to confirm. in an instant. a notable wisp of soul power emanated from the body of the god¡¯s ancient tree closely connected to him. at this moment, richard could distinctly sense the emotions of the god¡¯s ancient tree toward him. it was anxiety, trepidation, and endless fear of death. as long as he was willing, he could use this wisp of soul power to destroy the other party¡¯s soul at any time. the twisted human-faced giant tree¡¯s thoughtful ways of doing things satisfied richard massively. he had saved this precious 4-stars treasure which starkly allowed him to have another target to enslave. it was too great. it would be much easier if everyone were as obedient as this god¡¯s ancient tree. richard¡¯s heart ached a little when he stared at this god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡®who was so cruel to you, my baby?¡¯ this guy better not die now. ¡°gray, gunter, immediately lead the troop to hunt around the area. i need several corpses and flesh.¡± ¡°at your command, lord.¡± the two heroes immediately led the troop and left richard alone. richard was no longer like before at the peak of the battle in twilight city. he did not need the troops to guard him at all times when he went hunting for elite soldiers. the considerable benefit of becoming stronger was that it guarantees safety apart from being able to show off in front of others. as a lord who hid at the back and commanded the troop to attack the city and conquer the land, protected by countless soldiers, it was not too much for him to take on alone, right? an hour later, prey shrouded the god¡¯s ancient tree. danger filled the desert at night, and the chances of encountering soldiers in the wild increased significantly. the hunt did not encounter any obstacles, with two powerful heroes present. the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree were like straws, directly split out thin roots and stabbed into the corpses. richard did not feel any pain even after he looked at the corpses. the roots forcefully sucked up the flesh and blood that formed rings and sent them into the trunk. as the corpses gradually dried up, the faint aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree burned again. richard could not help but sigh at the perversity of this boss. they could not have exhausted this boss the next day if they had not destroyed the blood lake this time. it was not until daybreak that the hunting party stopped. dried corpses filled the ground this time. a twisted human-faced giant tree that had returned to normal stretched its branches under the sunlight while richard looked at it. an incomparably tyrannical aura was unbridled. more than a dozen newly grown fruits above them were indeed eye-catching. richard and his troops have burned all the poisonous wasps in the other¡¯s day battle. the god¡¯s ancient tree brewed new guards this time. although the poisonous wasps were a rare species, these species were more similar to assassins. they had high agility and attack, and they carried lethal poison. they had low blood. and the shallow defense was their weakness. in a head-on battle, they could deal a wave of explosive damage. at the same time, richard¡¯s group attacks effortlessly wipe them out like a blazing sandstorm. ¡°lord¡­¡± the voice of the god¡¯s ancient tree was a little low and empty like an echo in the valley. god¡¯s ancient tree language. at this moment, richard looked at this big fellow, who needed to raise his head to see the whole picture clearly, and nodded in satisfaction. the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree was more than 30 meters tall above its root. there were 16 giant dried branches on its body. these branches were more than 20 meters long and could wave freely. with the 20% instant death characteristic, these tree trunks became a serious killing machine. the roots were even more exaggerated. there were more than 50 tree roots, each 40 meters long. it was very eye-catching when they waved. even if the roots did not have the instant death characteristic of the tree trunk, the damage they could cause was also intensely exaggerated. they would ultimately be invincible if they were to defend notable terrains like the city walls or passes. he was willing to call the other party the king of standing. if there were troops to cooperate with this boss to block the long-range damage from the outside world, then this would magnify its battle power. when richard thought about how the god¡¯s ancient tree would always guard twilight city in the future, he immediately felt as comfortable as eating an iced watermelon on a hot day. at the same time, he felt a sense of satisfaction from the toy he had looked forward to since he was a child. with this toy, why would he need a bicycle? after he calmed himself down, richard seemed to have thought of something. after he organized his words, he asked. ¡°do you have a name?¡± ¡°lord, you can call me treebeard. it is the name i gave myself¡­¡± the human-faced giant tree¡¯s words were immensely laggard. it was like a slowed-down video to 0.5. ¡°treebeard, where did you come from?¡± the twisted human-faced giant tree revealed some thoughts. and then it slowly said. ¡°i was born in the abyss. i appeared in the mortal plane because of a spatial fluctuation. ¡°after a long time, i finally could walk. i broke through that underground space and obtained freedom.¡± born from the abyss¡­ richard¡¯s eyes shafted a light. he thought of the other party¡¯s description ¡ª an ancient tree born from the god¡¯s flesh and blood. god¡¯s evil was a terrifying thing that even gods had a headache over. in all the legends of gods and evil in the ¡°shining era¡±, there were these few words to describe this divine life ¡ª blasphemer, powerful, immortal. ¡°what happened to the god¡¯s flesh and blood that you devoured?¡± ¡°when i was conscious, i sensed a body of flesh and blood beside me. at that time, i didn¡¯t know that it was god¡¯s evil.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree said with some regret. ¡°when i realized it later, i had already appeared in the mortal plane because of that spatial disturbance¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t even swallow a tenth of that corpse¡¯s flesh and blood.¡± richard¡¯s mouth and tongue immediately went dry. ¡°that god¡¯s evil corpse still there??¡± if he could use it to recruit mummies, wouldn¡¯t he be able to f*cking fly into the sky? ¡°can you return to the abyss now?¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree shook its trunk. ¡°my current strength is too weak. i can¡¯t open the space yet.¡± the twisted human-faced giant tree sensed that richard seemed a little disappointed. so, it added. ¡°but i can sense the body¡¯s location through the strength in my body¡­ ¡°when i¡¯m strong enough, i can find a way back.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°how strong is enough?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­¡± richard wasn¡¯t disappointed. at least he had a thought. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to discuss it when it was strong enough in the future. ¡°let¡¯s go, treebeard. come home with me. ¡°twilight city will be your territory from now on.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± after treebeard said that, richard floated up and flew to the top branch of the god¡¯s ancient tree. then, he sat down steadily. this raised his line of sight suddenly. seated on this giant¡¯s body was very different from flying. he felt superlatively safe. he had the dark gargoyle drag the troop around to escort them. then, he guided the god¡¯s ancient tree to move into the twilight city direction. in this battle, the skeleton blood dragon and the skeleton demon richard had forbidden to attack stood on the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree, like a bird¡¯s habitat. this scene was full of fantasy. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s branch instant kill characteristic was too abnormal. the two crown soldiers were both convenient battles. it would be a waste to let them attack with perfect tactics. there would be many more battles and countless ways to test their battle strength in the future. richard experienced the feeling of charging forward along the way. the soldiers in the wild who saw the god¡¯s ancient tree were greatly shocked. not only did they not have the slightest intention of getting close, they even fled far away. not to mention anything else, just the human-faced giant tree¡¯s size was too intimidating. dozens of giant roots supported the body as it walked in the desert. how cool was that? the journey was smooth and unimpeded. they sat on the god¡¯s ancient tree and returned to twilight city in the afternoon. the appearance of this exaggerated boss caused a stalwart shock to the residents. all opened their mouths wide and blurted out, ¡°f*ck!¡± ¡°what is this thing?¡± ¡°where did the tree become a spirit?¡± was there such a thing in the desert? wasn¡¯t it said those only elves could nurture tree men? while they looked from within the territory, a colossal figure filled their line of sight. the residents raised their heads as if they were looking at a myth. pressure filled that colossal figure. it would probably destroy the territory would in an instant if such a monster went berserk. the three-story building was not even as tall as the tree¡¯s roots in front of it. however, this shocking scene did not cause a commotion because the people saw the dark gargoyles fly in the sky and the lord seated on a tree branch. when they turned around, the residents¡¯ admiration for the god¡¯s ancient tree turned into a crazed worship for richard. the lord could even conquer such a terrifying monster! praising the gods, this was practically too shocking! those who had just joined had already begun to assimilate into the territory. the impact was even broader at this moment. previously, when others said how powerful his lordship was, they had only heard about it and had no concrete concept. now, richard appeared in front of them in such a manner. it immediately caused the praise from before to merge with the present. a sturdier emotion than that of the old residents erupted in their hearts in an instant. it was their lord!!! praise the gods, praise the twilight city! richard looked at the boiling twilight city in a splendid mood. in his line of sight, all the buildings in the territory had shrunk. he saw the blacksmith shop, the winery, and the lord¡¯s mansion¡­ he saw a figure in the residential house who had changed his clothes and left the windows open. now, the windows were closed. that guy, karu, was running all the way here this time. the excitement on his face was no less than the others. he didn¡¯t stop the god¡¯s ancient tree after it was 50 meters away from the territory for the time being. such a big guy couldn¡¯t put directly into the territory. how could he have so much space to accommodate it? he had accidentally stepped on a few houses, so who was he going to ask for compensation?¡­ in the future, if he built a city wall, he might be able to let it guard the city gates. it was the most strapping guarding force. according to legends, the elves seemed to like using tree men to protect the city walls. after richard landed on the ground, he let the troop disperse to repair themselves. he then looked at karu, who walked over quickly. ¡°karu!¡± the gray-haired old man said excitedly, ¡°gods above, i dare to bet that this is the most shocking scene i have ever seen!¡± ¡°this human-faced giant tree can probably easily destroy the city walls of an empire¡¯s imperial capital!¡± ¡°lord richard, this is too amazing!!¡± richard smiled. it was rare to see this old gray-haired man so excited. ¡°karu, this is the god¡¯s ancient tree i told you. the fruit on its branches can breed poisonous wasps.¡± ¡°now, i have conquered this powerful existence. ¡°in the future, it will fight for twilight city.¡± Chapter 201 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation karu was amazed and praised again. after a long time, he seemed to have thought of something and said with some hesitation. ¡°my lord, how should we feed this ancient tree?¡± such a big guy distinctly couldn¡¯t just drink water to absorb the earth¡¯s nutrients. but if the other party wanted food¡­ !! when he thought of this, the excitement in his heart suddenly turned into bitterness. how much food would it take to feed this giant tree? richard smiled. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about the flesh and blood that this ancient tree needs. i¡¯ll take care of it.¡± as he spoke, he looked up at treebeard that stood on the ground. now, he had to think about where to place this giant tree. he thought for a moment, then floated up and surveyed the surroundings of the territory. the urban and the agricultural areas were currently the two most indispensable places in the territory. however, the human-faced giant tree¡¯s method of pulling up its roots gave him much more leeway to choose. his gaze focused on the west side of the territory. this direction was very close to the agricultural area. if the enemy invaded, the god¡¯s ancient tree could support them from both sides at any time. this tree could control the tree roots and run away. so, he didn¡¯t have to worry at all. ¡°you can temporarily take root here and guard this area. ¡°you¡¯re a part of twilight city. the residents around you are the people you want to protect. you absolutely can¡¯t hurt them. ¡°there¡¯s an enemy invasion in the territory or the agricultural area. you will need immediate support. ¡°this is karu, the administrative officer of twilight city. when i¡¯m not in the territory, he needs your help in places. cooperate with him to the best of your ability¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree immediately obeyed the order and controlled the tree roots to settle in front after exhortations. after the ancient tree drilled tree roots into the ground, it was still more than 30 meters tall and could be seen clearly in the territory. the residents felt superlatively safe when they saw this. with such a strapping human-faced tree protecting them, they were afraid of any wild beast attacks! even if the giant dragon came, they would not panic. at this moment, they wished they could worship richard¡­ with such a lord ruling them, it was simply perfect. after richard settled everything down, he looked at the bare branches of the god¡¯s ancient tree and asked curiously, ¡°where is the fruit that you used to lure your prey by the lake?¡± treebeard said in a muffled voice, ¡°lord, that¡¯s the fruit that i condensed with my soul power. after eating it, i can slightly increase my potential. it has a special allure for most living beings¡­ ¡°but my soul power is highly feeble at the moment. i need sufficient flesh and blood to replenish it before i can condense it again.¡± richard¡¯s eyes shafted luminescence. he didn¡¯t expect the god¡¯s ancient tree to have such a characteristic. it seemed like he would have to bear a few fruits to taste it in the future. the other party¡¯s fishing method, speaking of which, was abundantly helpful if he thought about it carefully. if he operated it well, he would receive several resources if he could lie down. ¡®automatic fishing machine?¡¯ the image of the god¡¯s ancient tree while fishing appeared in his mind again. he sensed infinite possibilities in this. however, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to launch if it were near the territory. what if an enemy approached, didn¡¯t attack the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the territory attracted it? wouldn¡¯t that be inviting trouble? he had to find a way to solve this problem if he wanted to fish. a treasure that he had picked from the scarlet council treasure warehouse appeared in richard¡¯s mind ¡ª a spatial gate. it could open two interconnected spatial gates within 50 kilometers. this was definitely of great strategic value. and it was very suitable for the current god¡¯s ancient tree. but the problem was. the spatial gate could only accommodate life shuttles of up to 8 meters. the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree was more than 8 meters in diameter. it was simply impossible to achieve. it made him feel a bit embarrassed. fishing, letting the prey come to him automatically, could not be wasted. however, it would easily cause danger to the agricultural area and the territory if it was carried out in the vicinity. it was too far away, and the god¡¯s ancient tree could not protect the territory. this seemed to have become a dead end¡­ richard suddenly felt a little helpless. he temporarily put this problem aside after he thought about it. he could only wait until there were no sound solutions in the future. the safety of the territory was always the priority. he could not put this hometown in a dangerous situation for the sake of fishing. he had to put the cart before the horse. especially now, when the wyverns still threatened the territory, it was even more so. at this time, richard, who was in a state of happiness and worry, did not know that while he thought about how to make the god¡¯s ancient tree play an expansive role, a caravan of more than a hundred people was slowly walking towards twilight city. jonah thorin, who had a full beard and an extremely burly figure, made people wonder if he had the bloodline of a giant. he stared fiercely at the pregnant onyx beside him. ¡°onyx, you know that i agreed to bring the town¡¯s people across the desert of death because of adele! ¡°if you didn¡¯t say that the phoenix-tailed flower chamber of commerce merchant would have more opportunities for adele to improve her forging skills, i wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk with you! ¡°now, you know that my daughter is in the territory of a small lord of the desert. why didn¡¯t you bring her back? why did you let her stay in that territory?¡± the more jonah thorin spoke, the angrier he became. ¡°if anything happens to adele, i will surely throw you and that damned lord into the furnace and melt them into dregs!!¡± onyx touched the humped camel lying on the sand to rest. then, he unscrewed the lid of the water bag and took a comfortable sip. after that, he looked at the furious bearded man helplessly. ¡°jonah, you¡¯ve been complaining to me for 25 days with the same words this month. can¡¯t you change your lines like those actors in solan city¡¯s theater?¡± when onyx saw the bearded man was about to lose his temper, he added another sentence. ¡°we¡¯re about to reach twilight city. isn¡¯t adele still very safe? why are you in such a hurry? ¡°although twilight city¡¯s territory isn¡¯t big, it can be considered a safe place. ¡°and how many times have i told you that adele was willing to stay there? i can¡¯t take her away by force.¡± onyx had a headache. he had thought the dwarves were the most stubborn race in the world, but this bearded man was even more unreasonable than the dwarves. how could he not know the danger of the desert? a sandstorm could submerge a big city, let alone a humble and unremarkable territory like twilight city. however, at that time, adele had taken the initiative to stay behind. he wanted to take her away, but she disagreed. not to mention lord of grace saved his life. what could he say? moreover, twilight city also had a peerless treasure like desert crown honey. he couldn¡¯t possibly have strained the relationship¡­ jonah snorted coldly. ¡°impossible. why would adele agree to join an inconspicuous territory? ¡°that young lord who must have coerced her. ¡°and it¡¯s very likely that the young lord used the news of my disappearance to force adele.¡± the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was right. news of an evil and unfaithful lord lured a girl where a storm blew his father¡­ he didn¡¯t even dare to imagine that scene. onyx looked at the bearded man with a headache. how could he not see that the young lord did not force adele? he didn¡¯t even know how this stupid guy could have superb forging skills. he thought for a while and said weakly, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°no matter what, lord richard saved adele and me. after you enter twilight city, don¡¯t hurt him and his territory.¡± jonah angrily said, ¡°you¡¯d better pray the damn lord is honest as you said. that adele joined voluntarily!¡± ¡°otherwise, regardless of whether he saved you or not. i will use my hammer to smash his head. no, all the living beings in that territory, i will smash their heads into pieces!¡± after he said that, he added another sentence. ¡°it would be like smashing an egg!¡± he was a level 10 hero! destroying a weak territory with less than a hundred soldiers was lucidly easier than drinking water. furthermore, onyx said that the lord wasn¡¯t even level 5¡­ thinking about this made him even angrier. he was jonah thorin, the most talented blacksmith in the thorin family! how noble was his daughter¡¯s status? such a weak lord dared to make his daughter submit to him?! ¡®damn it!¡¯ the closer he got to that territory, the angrier he became. ¡°solan city has such abundant supplies. if that damned lord didn¡¯t use despicable methods to restrict adele, she would have been able to become a special-level blacksmith by now! ¡°she only needs two years, no, even one year to advance!¡± onyx¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. senior and master-level blacksmiths were the dividing line. special-level blacksmiths meant they could forge strategic equipment that was at least 3-stars! it was extremely precious to any force. he had traveled a long distance to lure this person to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce because he was a special-level blacksmith half a step away from becoming a master. although this person was a little simple-minded, his skills were high. therefore, he could only endure this person who was short-witted throwing a tantrum. ¡°if miss adele is willing to return to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce with you, we are willing to provide her with the treatment of a special-level blacksmith.¡± then, he added another sentence. ¡°but the premise is that miss adele has to agree on her own.¡± richard had saved her life before, and this time, he had to make a deal with the other party. he didn¡¯t want to create a rift because of this. the value of the desert crown honey could be seen from the fact that the president had asked him to leave after he tasted it. of course, he also suspected that the president had asked him to come because he liked to eat it¡­ but he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. jonah¡¯s expression softened when he heard this. he deeply understood the special-level blacksmith treatment of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. it was ten thousand times more generous than the town he was. ¡°of course, adele will agree! if she doesn¡¯t, i¡¯ll take her away by force. i¡¯ll see who dares to stop me. ¡°what future can i have in such a small place? ¡°what lord of grace? after a sandstorm, it will only turn into ruins¡­ when the bearded man heard this, onyx didn¡¯t know what to say. after all, what this guy said was the truth. he had only experienced the power of the sandstorm two months ago. this territory was indeed too remote. at the same time, some other thoughts arose in his heart. he thought that when he saw richard later, he should persuade him to go back to solan city with him. what would be the future of this kind of desert? he didn¡¯t even know when a sandstorm would drown him. the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was feasible while touching his chin. at most, he could pay some money to help richard buy a piece of land for him to rebuild his territory. it would be an endless stream of wealth with the desert crown honey. why should he guard this kind of broken territory? onyx was in a better mood. he waved his hand and told the well-rested caravan to set off. jonah thorin fumed with anger and muttered that he must show that young lord a lesson, followed suit. the caravan rapidly approached twilight city¡­ Chapter 202 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation since richard couldn¡¯t find a way to fish with the god¡¯s ancient tree, this didn¡¯t bother richard. he turned his attention to another matter. when richard thought of the space gate, he suddenly realized he already had a lot of treasures in his hands. but he hadn¡¯t used them. it was especially true for the high-level treasures he obtained in the dungeon. the first was the plane stone. president jones gave him this mission reward. !! it was a top-tier treasure he took from a collapsed plane. its value was immeasurable. but because it was too high-end, he still does not know how to use it and what to do with it. he could only put it aside. the second item ¡ª holy dragon¡¯s blood. ferguson gave this reward to him after he completed the a-rank mission. to be able to upgrade a skill to the extreme, he needed to be level 15 before he could use it. it was also unlikely to be used in a short period. the third item was a dimensional portal. it could connect two spaces within 50 kilometers. this thing had strategic value, but there was no place for it to be used at the moment. he could only keep it for the future. the fourth item was a large number of blueprints in his hands. the yellow sand mage tower, the magic garden, and the magic fountain. the extraordinary building was the hero¡¯s altar and the transportation machinery manufacturing workshop. there were also the dragon-hunting crossbow and the dragon-hunting crossbow arrow. they could not forge these two 4-stars blueprints because of limited resources¡­ when richard thought of this, he could not help but let out a bitter smile. ¡°top-tier treasures can¡¯t be used, and those that can be used lack resources¡­ isn¡¯t this too difficult?¡± other than these, the ancient dragon crystal hadn¡¯t been given to the skeleton dragon yet¡­ to obtain an a-rank dragon hero was of great significance. but this required various flesh and blood and time to complete. ¡°those unduly high-end treasures can¡¯t be used for the time being. we can wait for the future. there¡¯s no need to rush. ¡°we can find an opportunity to use the building blueprints and the ancient dragon crystal.¡± richard slowly sorted out his thoughts. ¡°the building blueprints require resources. we can focus on this.¡± ¡°the matter of the skeleton blood dragon becoming an a-rank hero will also be on the agenda. when the giant dragon hero is born, we will focus on finding the whereabouts of the twin-legged flying dragon and solve this huge hidden danger.¡± the twin-legged flying dragon was like a ray of light on his back. it also involved the underground world, which had mithril, so he paid more attention to it. now the god¡¯s ancient tree had become his troop, which would extensively reduce the pressure on twilight city¡¯s defense. ¡°so, the first goal is to obtain various flesh and blood to feed the god¡¯s evil ancient tree. ¡°if there¡¯s enough time, i¡¯ll earn another amount of resources to build a special building that can resurrect heroes ¡ª the hero¡¯s altar. at the same time, i¡¯ll forge the dragon-hunting crossbow urgently needed to defend the city.¡± as long as the territory¡¯s defensive strength increased, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much. however, he had to eat his food one bite at a time. and he had to do everything one thing at a time. right now, the key was to cultivate the poisonous wasps. two hours later, the troop was back to their peak condition, and richard again ordered the three heroes to lead the troops out to hunt. bring back the dead bodies of the prey they had obtained. give priority to the god¡¯s ancient tree to hatch the poisonous wasps. the god¡¯s ancient tree did not need his support. as long as there were enough poisonous wasps, it could feed itself. the purpose of the poisonous wasps was to help the god¡¯s ancient tree hunt. the troop hunted for two days in a row. on july 6, after feeding several corpses, the twisted human-faced giant tree¡¯s empty branches bore dozens of fruits. hundreds of poisonous wasps buzzed around the crown of the tree. although it was still quite a distance away from the black mass of wasps, it had regained the ability to develop. richard stood at the edge of the territory and watched this scene with a sense of accomplishment. other people planted ornamental trees. but he could plant them to kill. and the wasps that had once hunted for desert honey had now become the fighting force to protect twilight city. the wheel of fortune had turned. at this moment, dust flew into the sky from the distant horizon. gray led the troop and returned with various prey. after gray fed the prey to the god¡¯s ancient tree, it went forward to report. ¡°lord, we found a temple in a bush¡­¡± ¡°a temple?¡± richard was startled. ¡°is there a big tree next to that temple?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± richard smiled. wasn¡¯t this a coincidence? the dark temple was ultimately fated with him. ¡°this temple was my target before you were born.¡± the dark temple was the first high-level map he discovered. or rather, desert gnomes did it. at that time, he only had the bandaged mummy in his hands. he hadn¡¯t even bought the cursed pharaoh¡¯s army lair, let alone become a hero. at that time, he met the desert gnomes while he went out to scan the map. those currently raising the fire dragon rabbit brought him to that temple. because the temple guards were powerful, he had never had the chance to conquer this map. however, the current twilight city was no longer the same as before. since gray had already explored there, there was no need to keep it. fate could not be stopped even if it was fated to be. ¡°gather the troops and follow me to attack the dark temple.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± gray immediately took out a crystal from his hand and began to use his spiritual power to communicate with gunter and lizardmen commander baal. three-stars treasure ¡ª whisper crystal. within 50 kilometers, the whisper crystal could be used to communicate with each other. with this strategic treasure, the efficiency of the troop¡¯s communication has significantly increased. after gray put away the whisper crystal, richard seemed to have thought of something and said it in a sincere tone. ¡°have you found any traces of the wyvern and the underworld?¡± Chapter 203 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when the troop went out these past few days, it was not just for hunting. finding the entrance of the wyverns and the underground world was an essential mission. ¡°we have already investigated the area where the wyverns appeared last time, but we haven¡¯t found anything. ¡°what about xina?¡± ¡°we didn¡¯t find any trace of lady xina either.¡± richard frowned slightly. !! after the wyverns attacked twilight city, they disappeared without a trace. even xina, who had gone to look for the wyverns, had disappeared. it gave him a bad premonition. but when it came to finding people, there was no better way than to increase the number of people. an hour later, all the troops that had spread out returned. richard put the matter of the wyvern and xina aside for the time being and focused on the dark temple. he was very curious. ¡®what kind of treasures are hidden in the dark temple? ¡®there should be a few divine artifacts in the temple, right?¡¯ 1 after richard gathered the troops, he felt like he had killed the boss of the novice village, which had once given him a headache. the god¡¯s ancient tree was now in his pocket, and only the dark temple was left. this attack could not only bring the air force. after richard thought about it, he began to send orders to the troops. rare-level troops ¡ª bandaged mummy 51, poison scorpion warrior 58, giant axe death knight 42, sand condensation archer 100, crazy sand mage 75, rare-level troops ¡ª dark gargoyle 120, axe of the dead 40, 2 glorious-level troops ¡ª heavy sword warrior 30. crown-level troops ¡ª skeleton blood dragon 1, skeleton demon 5. bring all the above troops. guardian mummy, cursed pharaoh, and 100 elite-level axe of the dead guarded the territory. with the god¡¯s ancient tree, the safety of the territory had been fundamentally reduced. after the troops were in order, richard looked at karu, who came in a hurry. ¡°karu, send some more people to look for xina. since she promised to return as soon as possible, no one had seen her for a few days. maybe she¡¯s in trouble.¡± it was highly punishing to look for a person whose whereabouts were unknown in this vast desert. it could only be said to be a matter of luck. ¡°yes, lord.¡± after richard gave a few more instructions, he didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. with a wave of his hand, he led the troop to the dark temple. this time, he had gathered the most powerful elites of twilight city. he would flatten the map in one go. after he left the territory, the troop moved very slowly on the sand. but he was used to flying fast, so he couldn¡¯t bear it. he was about to take the tibetan soldier card to collect some of the troops, and the dark gargoyles dragged away the rest. richard lowered his head to look at the heavy sword warrior five meters high on the ground. and his eyes suddenly lit up. he thought of how he had dived into the bottom of the lake to control the sand platform to avoid the templar dragoon¡¯s detection. he immediately got the troop to stand close to him. the yellow sand on his body surged with light. in an instant, the sand on the ground condensed into a strange desert boat. the front section was shaped like a boat, while the back was an open sand platform. richard¡¯s maximum magic energy was raised to 4,000 points after the bathe in dragon¡¯s blood. while he stood on the sand, his magic energy recovered up to 60 points per second. it was already a supremely extraordinary range. using the beyond a-rank energy, yellow sand control, to control the level of magic energy recovery, he began to manipulate the desert boat and move forward. ¡®rustle!¡¯ the desert boat, which had pulled hundreds of troops, began to move on the sand. richard stood at the front, like a captain controlling the rudder. the yellow sand that glowed on his body was the only energy source. at first, he was not fast. after he became familiar with it, he began to control the uneven sand in front of him to become smooth, making it easier for the desert boat to move forward. he even made the desert boat fly across some huge steep slopes that forcefully crossed them. the scene looked massively cool. his speed gradually increased. and in the end, he ultimately experienced the thrill of racing¡­ ¡°controlling the yellow sand is the ultimate essence of this glorious-level lord of yellow sand¡­ it¡¯s simply amazing.¡± richard, who surfed in the desert, nearly got high. with the artificial desert boat, the troop moved extremely fast. the journey, which was supposed to take three to four hours, took half an hour. when he saw the dense and broad shrubs in front of him, he waved his hand and caused the desert boat to collapse. the troop immediately turned into battle mode. richard was sublimely satisfied with this mode of transportation. not only did he come with a wave of his hand, but he did not have to consider the big problem of parking. as the troop increased, he could also expand the range of the desert boat and pull in more people. the only thing that restricted him was the consumption of magic power. after two months, the shrubs grew increasingly denser. richard waved his hand and let gray lead two teams of dark gargoyles to scout for news. a moment later, gray returned to report. the dark temple did not make any extra movements, but the temple guards outside had already reached two squadrons. richard was deep in thought. ¡°twilight city has been developing for the past two months, and this temple hasn¡¯t stopped growing either. its strength has increased quite a bit.¡± he decided to go check it out personally after some thought. he waved his hand, summoned the skeleton blood dragon, and sat on its back. they took off. the six teams of dark gargoyles behind them followed and guarded. although the skeleton blood dragon with a wingspan of 20 meters was not as strapping as the templar dragoons, it was still immensely intoxicating a crown 1-star and a level-10 rating. the skeleton blood dragon and the broken dragon wings that covered its entire body were like rubies. this made it look tremendously cool. its appearance alone was enough to be used as a mount, not to mention other things. the only pity was that there was no noble girl in the desert. no matter how handsome he was, no one could see him¡­ ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ richard did not hide his figure and directly drove the skeleton blood dragon to the center of the bushes. the 20-meter-tall tree appeared in his line of sight. under the tree, the temple with nine giant stone pillars in front of it was particularly eye-catching. colorful patterns of ancient gods were carved on each of the stone pillars. the aura it emitted made people¡¯s hearts tremble as if they fastened some strapping demons inside. behind the stone pillars, the temple¡¯s open door emitted a faint light that gave people a particularly mysterious feeling. in front of the temple, more than two squadrons of temple guards surrounded the perimeter. these temple guards were no different from the ones he had seen for the first time. the black armor with the picture of a human-faced lion reflected a cold light in the mottled sunlight through the leaves. in their hands, they carried a strange weapon with a curved blade at the front and a straight handle. they wore pointy hats with two colorful ribbons on their heads, which made them look like the pharaoh¡¯s guards in egyptian mythology. guard of the dark temple of ankham, level 8, rare 3-stars. he had previously regarded them as powerful existences that he could not stop. but now, they could no longer stop him. the temple guards on the ground also noticed richard in the sky. they all raised their heads and glared at him with angry eyes. the skeleton blood dragon roared when the troops sensed the enemy¡¯s unkindness. the dragon¡¯s power swept down. but this action seemed to have violated some taboos. a wave-like aura surged out from the dark temple. like the collapse of an endless abyss, the terror hidden in darkness and evil opened its eyes from the fog. at this moment, the sky and earth seemed to have darkened. only darkness and evil remained. richard sensed the unspeakable surging power and was shocked. could there honestly be something terrible hidden in the dark temple? Chapter 204 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he felt the oppression brought about by the power, like the collapse of the sky and earth even more terrifying. richard waved his hand violently and ordered the troop to retreat immediately. the temple gave him a feeling of fear and trepidation. the super paralyzing enemy was always the unknown. no one knew what kind of monster would appear if they rushed down. !! it was not until they retreated to the bushes that richard felt the aura disappear. he summoned the two a-rank heroes and told them about the situation inside. blood-colored bandages covered gunter, who spoke first as soon as richard finished speaking. ¡°lord, the evil beings in that temple might be significantly mighty. but there must be a limit. ¡°otherwise, when the draconic aura provokes them, the other party will attack. ¡°they won¡¯t allow you to leave.¡± gray agreed with these words. it glanced at the high shrubs, and a hollow voice rang out. ¡°lord, perhaps we don¡¯t need to attack directly. we can use the fire to force out the lives in the temple.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he looked at the two mummy heroes with admiration. ¡°harvest all the hay outside, then let the dark gargoyles transport it to the dark temple and drop it.¡± ¡°then we¡¯ll force it out since the other party doesn¡¯t show up!¡± the unknown was the greatest fear. only by knowing the enemy could they make a strategy. under richard¡¯s will, the troop moved quickly. one by one, they turned into lawnmowers and kept harvesting the bushes in front of them. even green bushes mix with various dried branches in arid areas such as deserts. hundreds of people moved at the same time. they cleared a vast space in front of them in less than an hour. tall grass piled up on the side. richard waved his hand, and all the dark gargoyles picked up a large pile of hay and took off. he flew to the sky above the dark temple on the skeleton blood dragon and stared at the uneasy temple guardian below. the aura that made him tremble in fear had been restrained. but the sense of danger in his heart was not much less. ¡®swish! swish!¡¯ the dark gargoyles threw tons of hay. the temple guardian held a strange weapon and was instantly furious. the enemy blasphemed their god! unforgivable! they repeatedly slashed hays that drifted while they waved their weapons. these troops without heroes did not perceive the true intention of the enemy. after a few rounds, thick layers of hay covered the ground. even the top of the temple was no exception. at this time, richard was also confident. the powerful evil aura just now was just as gunter had said. it had a huge limitation. otherwise, it would be impossible to show it once, and then there would be no movement. it would be impossible to let it spread the grass on the temple. after the last round of throwing, gray approached the dark gargoyle. ¡°lord, the troop is ready!¡± richard turned his head and looked at the dark gargoyle that had just delivered the hay. it was full of sand condensation archers and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. he smiled and said, ¡°i don¡¯t care who they are. burn them all!¡±! ¡°attack!¡± the moment he gave the order. ¡®boom!¡¯ the flames suddenly burned from outside the bushes. at the same time, the sand condensation archers released the bowstrings pulled to the extreme. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh¡¯ the arrow pierced through the sky with a harsh sound. the temple guard below with no anti-air ability became a living target at this moment. one of the temple guards waved its weapon and forcefully blocked the incoming arrows. however, there were too many arrows. as soon as one deflected, the second and third arrows came at it again. the dense attacks caused him to make a mistake, and the result was¡­death. the sharp arrows pierced its throat, and the powerful impact forced it to lie back. there were gaps in the dense formation. when the troop attacked, the fire also came at the same time. under the burning of a large amount of dry grass, the fire rolled up flames seven to eight meters high. two sand condensation archers rode on each gargoyle, and a squadron only needed five teams. the remaining seven teams of dark gargoyles continued to transport dry grass from outside and threw them down from the sky. once the fire started, it would even ignite raw shrubs. the temple guards did not understand the attack on both sides until the flames burned. they immediately went forward to counterattack flames. however, the sand condensation archers hunted them immediately. without the command of a hero unit, these guards began to lose focus. however, as the fire intensified, there was a possibility that it would threaten the safety of the temple. the temple guards could no longer endure it. they roared and rushed into the fire in front of them and wanted to attack the fire. but just as they got close to this area¡­ ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ an ear-piercing sound came from the air. ¡®puff!¡¯ the temple guardian at the front felt a sharp pain in its chest. it looked down and saw a tomahawk reflecting the fire in its chest that cut through its armor. then, the tomahawk suddenly cracked and shattered. it only felt that countless sharp blades pierced its body in an instant. and then it lost consciousness. the temple guards who put out the flames immediately went to see the god they believed in after the forty tomahawks were shattered. richard did not make a move. he fixed his eyes on the dark temple. after the flames burned, the sense of danger that made him feel as if there was a knife at his back became increasingly obvious. every time he flew a distance to the dark temple, the threat would multiply. he could only suppress the thought of personally making a move and remaining 200 meters away. his eyes were cold and fierce. since he could not make a move, he would let the troop push him away! as the ruler of twilight city, he was not alone. the troops advanced with the flames. the temple guards without anti-air ability could not resist the sharp edge of twilight city. they could not also extinguish the growing flames. two squadrons of rare-level temple guards did not even have the chance to clash head-on with twilight city¡¯s troops. three or four squadrons already hunted down. the fire still approached the temple. the high temperature burned so much that even the light rays were distorted. the hay thrown by the dark gargoyles had already piled up in front of the nine massive stone pillars of the dark temple. just as the temple guards had been completely hunted down. a tall figure walked out of the dark temple. a black hood covered its entire body. it held a mace with a twisted rune in its hand. however, what was shocking was that the revealed head outside the hood was enormously ferocious and strange. it was a face with dozens of long octopus tentacles, and a pair of dark eyes appeared sublimely horrifying on the tentacles. this monster that suddenly appeared was not from any of the races in the ¡°shining era¡± he knew. that strange creature seemed to have sensed something and slowly raised its head to look at richard. their eyes met. richard only felt a chill rush from his back into his mind. at this moment, it was as if he stood in an ancient and empty temple under the gaze of countless powerful and evil beings. an empty and sublimely majestic voice appeared in its mind. submit¡­ kneel¡­ eternal faith, the great ankham¡­ the only true god in the world is watching you¡­ the moment the voice sounded, an overbearing power surged out from the depths of richard¡¯s blood, forcefully dispelling the chill. when he returned to his senses, cold sweat already covered his forehead. ¡®f*ck, this monster is too evil!¡¯ richard opened the attribute panel. [ankham believer] [servant of god] [level: 12] ??? ??? evil god¡¯s power covered it and could not be detected. ¡®evil god¡¯s follower¡­ god¡¯s servant? ¡®was the evil god worshipped in this dark temple?¡¯ when ankham¡¯s god¡¯s servant saw that richard had regained consciousness, its expression changed. that pair of dark eyes revealed an unspeakable evil light. ¡°a lowly life that can not become a believer! ¡°filthy, stinky blasphemer!! ¡°my go will imprison you for a million years!!¡± this strange language seeped into the soul and had a distorted pronunciation that defied all common sense of life. at this moment, the souls of the undead troops in twilight city seemed to have frozen. the blue soul fire in the head rippled as if it could be extinguished at any time. blasphemy. it was the language used by evil gods to blaspheme the god of light. only the craziest and most evil followers of evil gods would use it. the language itself was a powerful spiritual attack spell. but as soon as it spoke, a powerful aura swept over like a vast yellow sand pressure. it forcefully offset the impact it had caused. yellow sand halo. richard¡¯s eyes were intensely cold. he almost fell for it. ¡°this bastard wanted to turn me into a bullsh*t evil god believer?! ¡°i want to see if your god can take it! ¡°flatten this temple!! i want to throw the evil god inside into the dung pit of twilight city and suppress it for ten million years!!¡± when ankham god¡¯s servant heard this, the fury in its eyes almost ignited the sky. ¡°damn blasphemer!!¡± ¡®crackle!¡¯ at this moment, the flames that surged to the front of the temple interrupted the other party¡¯s attention. when the strange life-form saw this scene from the corner of its eye, it growled and pointed the twisted mace in its hand at the ground. ¡°sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle! sizzle!¡± an obscure incantation resounded through heaven and earth. ¡®boom!¡¯ a powerful blast of air rose from the ground. it¡¯s like a nuclear blast, more potent than a magnitude 18 storm. the storm snuffed out raging flames at this moment. it even blew up the grassroots on the ground. in a few breaths, a giant hand horizontally pushed the ground. it flattened all the hay and shrubs. the ground turned into a vast expanse of yellow sand with the temple as the center, within a thousand meters. the twilight city troops are scattered at this moment. the formation had long been scattered. the dark gargoyles in the sky were blown far away. when all of this has been done. god¡¯s servant ankham looked at the nine vast stone pillars in front of the temple and let out the most brutal roar. ¡°kill them!!!¡± ¡®kacha!¡¯ they could hear a crisp sound of breaking. the nine stone pillars at the door suddenly shattered. as if an eggshell had hatched, nine monsters with terrifying auras appeared. they had disgusting octopus tentacles on their faces and a pair of broken flesh wings on their back. they were over two meters in size. they seemed to be the strange products of some forbidden life forms. ¡®whoosh! the pair of wings spread, and the evil and dark aura spread like a tide. with the appearance of these monsters. in the temple, the terrifying pressure appeared again. the world dimmed at that moment. everyone felt a massive stone pressed on their hearts, and an indescribable fear rose. dark light surged out of the temple and poured into the bodies of the nine monsters. at the same time, their bodies expanded to four meters high like balloons. warts covered their grayish-black bodies, and their fleshy wings looked even ferocious. one could see upon closer inspection that there was an illusory chain on the backs of the nine monsters. like the umbilical cord of a baby connected to the depths of the temple. the mysterious cloaked monster that created all these movements melted like mud. it splits into nine parts and merges into the bodies of the nine monsters. within a few breaths. the nine monsters seemed to have been given life. they opened their eyes and flashed with a dark light. all of this happened too quickly. it gave no time for anyone to react. when richard returned to his senses, these monsters already took shape. his heart jumped when he felt the terrifying pressure from those monsters. he opened his attribute panel. [ankham¡¯s claw] [divine guard] [level: 14] [???] [???] [???] the power of the evil god enveloped it and could not be detected. ¡°nine level 14? ¡°divine guard?¡± richard took a deep breath, and his eyes shone brightly. he felt as if he had caught a big fish this time¡­ Chapter 205 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°sand condensation archer, charge power-accumulating bows!!¡± richard could feel that the mysterious existence in the temple of darkness had forcefully increased the power of the nine ankham divine guards, weakening them by a large margin. however, the other party rapidly recovered, and he could not drag this on. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a squadron of sand condensation archers in the sky gathered their strength, and the arrows pierced through the sky. !! the arrows immediately enveloped the distorted ankham divine guards below. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the arrow pierced through the enemy¡¯s body in an oppressive manner. but what was surprising was that these monsters¡¯ bodies were like mud. after the arrows pierced, they immediately returned to normal. they were not injured. this sudden attack infuriated the nine ankham divine guards. they suddenly raised their heads, and endless light burst into their dark eyes. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ behind them, only the broken flesh wings of the skeleton flapped. it was as if a layer of a transparent membrane supported it with a violent airflow as it rose into the air. richard¡¯s heart jumped when he saw the other party pounce toward the dark gargoyle. ¡°dark gargoyle, retreat immediately and avoid a confrontation with the enemy!¡± the sand condensation archers shot out arrows as they retreated. it was as if a video was accelerating, and their attack speed soared. they shot out 30 arrows in a row within 10 seconds. however, no matter how sharp the arrows were, they could not cause any real damage to the monsters. their bodies seemed to be immune to physical damage. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp as he watched the umbilical cord-like chains behind the ankham guards elongated with their height. the sand condensation archers¡¯ arrows pierced through the shadow but did not cause any damage. it was not something that conventional means could break. his sharp senses told him that it might be his fatal weakness. ¡°gunter, ball of corruption!¡± gunter, who had prepared for this a long time, smashed the ball of blood that had a strapping corrosive power. ¡®boom!¡¯ the ball of corruption exploded in the air. it covered an area of dozens of meters in front of it. when the strapping corrosive magic power touched the body of the ankham guard, it made a sizzling sound. its mud-like body swallowed the enemy¡¯s magic power in the blink of an eye. and the illusory chain connected to the temple behind them was still not affected in the slightest. neither physical nor magic methods could damage it. it seemed that it was just a simple shadow. just as richard¡¯s expression became increasingly solemn, the nine ankham guards suddenly froze and stopped in their tracks. their bodies were like rubber bands that had run to the limit, and spring pulled them back. his eyes shafted luminescence. the opponent¡¯s illusory chain had a limit! he quickly confirmed that its diameter was around 150 meters around the temple. ¡°sand condensation archers attack from 100 meters away from the temple. the phantom chains behind those monsters have a distance limit!¡± after they pulled the nine divine guards back, they immediately fell to the ground. the soldiers on the ground did not react as quickly as the dark gargoyles. the troop below was under enormous pressure at this moment. the evil aura from the enemy¡¯s body charged straight at the soul. even if the undead did not know fear, the soul fire was still unstable under that powerful pressure. ¡®xiu! xiu! xiu!¡¯ the arrows still madly suppressed the divine guards. however, these unique divine guards of ankham did not dodge at all. their five fingers were like butcher knives charged at the bandaged mummy in front of them. the bandaged mummy let out a low roar and waved its reinforced claws as it charged forward. they did not know what fear was. richard turned the sand transformation on this time. ¡®crack!¡­¡¯ the arm of the ankam guards caused the body of the bandaged mummy in front of them to explode. however, the bandaged mummy returned to normal in the blink of an eye. its sharp claws stabbed into the abdomen of the guards, but it was like it had stuck into the mud. it did not achieve anything. the dark eyes of the divine guard of ankam did not have the slightest fluctuation of emotion. a cold light rose from its body as it waved its arms again. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the finger in front of it, sharper than a dagger, pierced through the head of the bandaged mummy. cold energy swallowed the body that had turned into sand. the next second, its body suddenly stiffened, and the divine guard extinguished its fire soul. the divine guard forcefully killed the bandaged mummy after its sand transformation. and this was only a part of the battlefield. the nine ankham divine guards were like a thick mountain that forcefully blocked the twilight city troops. a level-14 divine guard, with the support of a god¡¯s power, could explode with incredible strength. richard looked back at the rare-level troop that had just been recruited a few days ago and had yet to experience a great battle ¡ª mad sand mage. he chose this troop because of a superlatively overbearing group skill. all mad sand mages could cast spells together ¡ª ¡°mad sand mage! prison!¡± the moment richard gave the order. the 75 mummified mages who wore yellow capes at the back suddenly raised the white bone mace in their hands. in an instant, the sand on the ground surged up. they formed an enormous prison that forcibly confined the nine guards inside. the yellow sand prison formed a prison that trapped the enemy. it consumed mana to maintain it. moreover, this was an area-of-effect spell. as long as there was a mad sand mage with mana, this skill would be able to last. the more mad sand mages there were, the more powerful this skill would be. they closed the door and beat the dog. the divine guards of ankam charged madly, but the yellow sand prison was like an unshaken mountain. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ the tomahawks in the hands of undead soldiers dropped. Chapter 206 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation forty tomahawks whizzed over. the tomahawks directly struck the opponent¡¯s body, and then with a crack, the fragments exploded in the body of the ankham divine guard. countless fragments shot out in all directions. it caused various holes to appear on its body. ¡®boom!¡¯ the flames erupted twice and directly enveloped it within. !! while richard took advantage of the opponent¡¯s inability to fight back, his gaze became increasingly cold and fierce. ¡°skeleton blood dragon, skeleton demon attack!¡± in an instant. the space in front of the yellow sand prison directly shattered, and the skeleton demon¡¯s pale and tall body appeared. three sharp claws like daggers waved. it forcefully destroyed the shield and the demon¡­ ¡®puchi!¡¯ it directly pierced through the opponent¡¯s abdomen. when the skeleton demon withdrew its hand, an enormous gap appeared. the ankham divine guard¡¯s throat let out a hysterical roar, but it still could not break out of the yellow sand imprisonment. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the skeleton blood dragon flapped its wings and dived down at this moment. blood-colored energy diffused from its throat. it spat out dragon breath. the long blood-colored energy enveloped the nine divine guards within. [bloody breath (a-rank) ¡ª spews blood-colored dragon breath with strapping corrosive properties. able to cause massive magic damage and corrosive damage.] ¡®ssizzle!¡¯ they could hear the sound of thick sulfuric acid dripping onto the ground. the divine guards of ankam emitted thick smoke. the series of intensive attacks caused exaggerated scars to appear on the bodies of the imprisoned monsters. however, richard was not too happy. on the contrary, his face was solemn. he could sense that the flame of life on the opponent¡¯s body did not weaken. instead, it grew increasingly violent. these monsters were practically indestructible. physical and magic damage and the sould destruction characteristic of the axe of the dead were all ineffective. after a few rounds of attacks, large cracks suddenly appeared in the prison that imprisoned the divine guards of ankham. the opponent struggled crazily and forcefully exhausted the mad sand mage¡¯s magic power. ¡®kacha!¡¯ yellow sand splattered all over the sky. they broke free. the bodies of these monsters, which were like mud, returned to normal in a few breaths. under the continuous transmission of energy from the illusory chain like an umbilical cord behind them, they seemed to have unlimited power. the sand condensation archers and the undead soldiers continued to attack, but they could not stop these monsters that had gone crazy. a skeleton demon used space movement to leave after it attacked. but in the next second, the ankham divine guard suddenly rushed up and punched out. ¡®bang!¡¯ the space exploded. it shattered the body of the skeleton demon that had just entered space. it was forced out. unable to fight head-on, the skeleton demon immediately dragged its broken body out of the space again. this time, the monsters did not find any traces of them. by the time the skeleton demon appeared again, its broken body had recovered, but the attack weakened its soul power. ¡°gray, curse word!¡± a faint blue light flashed. the divine guard of ankham, who had just recovered, immediately felt a powerful impact in its mind, and its thoughts instantly became chaotic. this support-type hero did not have any offensive skills, but his powerful crowd control skills created several opportunities for the troop. good damage output was hard to come by, and top-grade support was even more precious. the troop seized this opportunity to erupt once more! within 10 seconds, the sand condensation archers, the undead soldiers of axe of the dead, the skeleton blood dragon, the skeleton blood dragon¡­ all the attacking armies bombarded each other several rounds in a row. they almost blasted the ankham divine guards into a pile of mud. but a shocking scene appeared. when the imprisonment disappeared, the opponent¡¯s body recovered at a visible to the naked eye speed. richard¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. his gaze became increasingly solemn. with a thought. the heavy sword warrior, who had been silent at the back, took up the front row. a total of three teams of glorious-level troops charged directly at the ankham divine guards. these five meters tall magic puppets had already been branded with his soul imprint. at this moment, he could control these puppets as if he directed its arms. it held two huge knives that were as thick as doors and directly chopped down at these monsters. the ankham divine guards did not care who their enemies were. they only wanted to destroy these blasphemers! the two sides clashed head-on. although there were many heavy sword warriors, their level 9 strength could not be compared to the enemy¡¯s level 14 strength. the divine guards instantly suppressed the heavy sword warriors. the outer armor made of special materials began to explode. the opponent¡¯s rotten body was more immune to physical damage than sand. after richard manipulated the heavy sword warriors to entangle with the ankham divine guards, his mind moved. the buckle stretched out from his wrist that firmly held the hilt. ¡®hu! hu! hu!¡¯ the heavy sword warrior¡¯s body spun like a tremendous top. spiral storm. this skill had once killed the mummy that had activated the sand transformation in the ruins. it tore everything apart. the ankham divine guards had never thought that there would be such a place, as a tornado sucked five of them. overload! the speed of the tornado instantly increased to 15 revolutions per second. ¡®hu! hu! hu!¡¯ three squads of heavy sword warriors surrounded the ankham divine guards and attacked dozens of times per second. the monsters wanted to charge out as they waved their claws, but it was as though they had been placed into a meat grinder reduced inch by inch. the muddy body had turned into debris. however, a shocking scene happened. in the tornado, the broken body of the ankham divine guard did not splatter. instead, it stuck to the blade like chewing gum. after a few breaths¡­ Chapter 207 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®sizzle!¡¯ they could hear the sound of corrosion. the long thicker than a door sword in the hand of the heavy sword warrior had strewed rust. some rotten bodies stuck on the heavy sword warrior¡¯s body had even corroded the surrounding area and left various holes. not long after, the bodies of the heavy sword warriors, which were supposed to corrode the vital parts, suddenly tilted and directly fell to the ground. !! ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the battle swords hacked at the ground and splashed tons of sand grains. this directly destroyed seven or eight heavy sword warriors. this could have destroyed three squads of heavy sword warriors if not for richard¡¯s timely discovery. after he manipulated the heavy sword warriors to retreat, the broken bodies were like magnets absorbed into the bodies of the divine guards of ankham. while richard looked at this scene, he felt paramountly troubled. these nine divine guards were far more strenuous to deal with than he had expected. he could not continue to waste time with these monsters. the opponents had the support of the god¡¯s evil power, which was sturdier than the god¡¯s ancient tree. moreover, the other party could fight against the air, so it was almost impossible to exhaust them to death. richard looked at the imaginary chains behind the other party and saw the dark temple. to catch a thief, one must acquire the leader first. ¡®let¡¯s see how arrogant you are after i destroyed your lairs. richard was also ruthless. ¡°baal, lead the giant axe death knights to charge! ¡°bandaged mummy, scorpion warrior, coordinate with gray to tie down the enemy. ¡°gunter, take the skeleton demon, the skeleton blood dragon, the undead soldier, and the dark gargoyle that didn¡¯t ride on the sand condensation archers to destroy the temple at the rear!¡± he gave the order. ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ the d-rank axe dead knight hero baal sharpclaw, who had prepared for a long, immediately charged forward with the colossal axe of the death knights. the colossal axe death knights had a rather strapping characteristic ¡ª the longer the distance of the charge, the more punishing the impact force they carried. the nine ankam divine guards looked at the ferocious cavalry and subconsciously wanted to fly up and dodge. however, before they could control them with their voices. ¡®boom!¡¯ the power that impacted their souls attacked again, and their bodies stiffened violently. the curse words were never absent. horse riding camp. baal led dozens of undead with giant tomahawks as they swept past like a gale. ¡®hu!¡¯ the giant tomahawks hacked into the monsters¡¯ bodies, which caused their mud bodies to explode. the warhorses charged forward. even though the divine guards of ankham were four meters tall, the impact of this power still knocked them back. undead horses trampled them. gunter seized the opportunity and immediately rushed into the dark temple with the skeleton demon, the axe of the dead, and the heavy sword warrior. richard stared at this scene, ready to issue a new order. the superlatively paralyzing aura in the dark temple still startled richard. that unknown existence was like a hunter hidden in the darkness, ready to unleash a shocking attack at any time. he could only maintain his patience and suppress his desire to attack. moreover, the troop in his hands was not a harmless little white rabbit. this was a troop that could pierce through the eyes! however, as the troop instantly gathered, richard seemed to have thought of something. while he controlled the sand, he suddenly approached within a hundred meters of the dark temple. just as the threatening aura sharp as the back of a blade soared more than ten times, the yellow sand-like light on his body surged. the yellow sand on the ground gathered directly onto the troop below. a sturdy yellow sand armor was formed on the troop¡¯s body in a few blinks of an eye. [sand condensation (into armor) (beyond a-rank) ¡ª condensing yellow sand into battle armor can be applied to oneself or a troop within a 100-meter radius. duration: 10 minutes. minimum consumption of 100 magic energy points. the more energy consumed, the sturdier the battle armor condensed.] the yellow sand armor on the troop got increasingly thicker and heavier. but at the same time, due to the mana, it was almost as light as nothing. it did not burden the troop at all. even a dark gargoyle immune to dark magic and did not affect buffs had armor that floated on its body. this was the armor that it had condensed on the enemy. it was not a buff¡¯s magic nor directly cast on the enemy. it was equivalent to giving the enemy an additional layer of armor. however, sand condensed this layer of armor. after this was all done, it immediately retreated to avoid the paralyzing threat of death. when richard was 200 meters away, cold sweat the size of beans had already appeared on his forehead. the moment he got close, he felt as if he had entered the mouth of a giant abyssal beast. every cell warned him. at this moment, gray still forcibly controlled the nine ankham divine guards. gray also entered the dark temple with its troop at this moment. richard calmed and used his mind to control the heavy sword warrior to step into the temple. the next second, an indescribable coldness and evil aura assaulted him. even though he had not personally come, an indescribable chill rose on his spine. through the heavy sword warrior¡¯s line of sight, a terrifying scene appeared in his perception. this temple from the outside did not seem to take up a large area. however, after he entered, he discovered that it was 30 meters tall and the hall was more than 200 meters wide. at this moment, it was as if they had entered the mouth of some giant beast. the shape of the temple was oval. countless octopus tentacles with sticky liquid waved around. long tentacles shrouded even the ceiling. and sharp teeth filled each tentacle. fear would devour anyone with agoraphobia at first glance. at the end of the line of sight. a giant evil god statue with a flesh-winged skeleton behind stood in front. its legs were together, and its body curled up. the octopus tentacles on its face were particularly eye-catching. the giant evil god statue gave off a terrifying aura of an evil god from the abyss that had existed for countless eras and stared at intruders. richard could sense that the source of everything was this giant evil god statue. the nine umbilical-like cord imaginary chains connected to the ankham divine guards extended from its tentacles. Chapter 208 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°everyone, activate the sand transformation immediately!¡± the heavy sword warrior spoke in a mechanical voice. richard controlled it from afar. ¡°gunter, use the ball of corruption to blast away the tentacles in front of you. ¡°everyone, attack! destroy the giant evil god statue!¡± !! the blood-colored bandage wrapped around gunter¡¯s body, and the scarlet mana on its body burned like flames. the a-rank ball of corruption appeared in its hand again. it directly smashed toward the distorted tentacles in front of it. ¡®bang!¡¯ a muffled sound rang out. the intense corrosive energy caused large holes to appear on the twisted tentacles as if charcoal burned a foam box. the skeleton blood dragon beside it suddenly spread its folded wings, and its draconic aura gushed out without restraint. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the giant mouth of the white bone opened, and a strong-corrosive blood-colored dragon breath gushed out. the tentacles swept over were like ice and snow and melted when they met with flames. large amounts of liquid dripped onto the ground and made sizzling sounds of corrosion. although these tentacles were highly poisonous, they were no longer the kind of physique that monsters like the ankham divine guards outside couldn¡¯t kill. richard heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. the skeleton demon was the fastest. it directly used spatial movement to appear in front of the giant evil god statue more than 10 meters tall. it waved its sharp claws. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the attack sent dazzling sparks on the giant evil god statue. ¡®clang!¡¯ the attack that had the spatial movement power and could forcefully break shields and armor only left a white mark. this action immediately angered the surrounding tentacles. these tentacles, whether some life form or organs went crazy, were unknown. they all waved wildly and smashed fiercely at enemies. there were too many tentacles and too few places to move. after a skeleton demon used spatial movement to dodge the attack in front of it, it just revealed itself. ¡®bang!¡¯ a tentacle thicker than a broken plate smashed into its body. ¡®bang!¡¯ the sound of the whip that whips the air exploded, and its body crashed directly into the ground under the powerful impact. however, when it focused its gaze, it could see that the impact did not damage its body at all. a crack appeared on the yellow sand armor that protected richard¡¯s body, but it was far from damage. this beyond a-rank skill significantly increased the defense and survivability of all the troops. ¡°tomahawk smash!¡± gunter gave the order and threw its tomahawk out. in an instant, ¡®peng!¡¯ terrifying shards rose along with the flames, burnt and destroyed large areas of the distorted tentacles. ¡°dark gargoyles, carry the undead soldiers and approach the giant evil god statue!¡± four teams of dark gargoyles immediately carried the undead soldiers on their backs. the remaining three teams guarded the surroundings. the temporary air soldiers appeared once again. with the agile flight of the dark gargoyles, the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead could unleash even more powerful attacks. however, the tentacles in the temple quickly responded. they extended directly, formed a disgusting net of flesh between them, and blocked their way. richard¡¯s brows furrowed. under the control of his mind, the heavy sword warrior, who crazily hacked the tentacles, stretched out its arms while the clasp on its wrists held tightly onto two giant swords. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the sound of the wind rang out once again. ¡°spiral storm!¡± ¡°excessive overload!¡± the speed of over ten rotations per second made these magic puppets become the propellers of the helicopter. the two teams of heavy sword warriors charged forward. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the shards of the poisonous tentacles that formed a net flew everywhere. ¡®sizzle! the highly corrosive poisonous liquid splashed in all directions and landed on the yellow sand armor that made the sound of boiling pots drip into cold water. however, that did not starkly corrode the yellow sand armor and only had a few black spots. if there were too much venom, the yellow sand armor would automatically drop some sand to avoid consuming too much of the armor¡¯s energy. when richard noticed this scene, he was pleasantly surprised. although he had tested the yellow sand armor before, he had never used it in battle. he did not expect it to be so practical. as expected, every beyond a-rank skill was extraordinary. with the protection of the yellow sand armor, the heavy sword warrior rampaged and tore a bloody path for the dark gargoyle. when the troop arrived in front of the giant evil god statue, the yellow sand armor gradually reached its limit and began to crumble. richard noticed that each yellow sand armor blocked at least ten tentacles¡¯ direct attacks. its endurance could be insane together with the flying corrosive liquid. ¡°tomahawk smash!!¡± in an instant, the sound of the axe shattering rose again. the tomahawk directly hit the giant evil god statue. the shattered pieces that caused shrapnel damage and high-temperature burn immediately enveloped the surroundings. but what was surprising was that. under such an attack, the giant evil god statue only showed slight damage. for a 10-meter-tall statue, it was far from touching the foundation. ¡®roar!¡¯ the battle outside the door changed immediately after the twilight city troops entered the temple. the nine ankham divine guards felt external enemies gone crazy had invaded the temple. they recklessly charged at the twilight city troops and tried to kill their way back to the temple. at this time, the offense and defense changed. the twilight city troops became the party that desperately tried to stop the enemy from entering the temple. the giant axe death knights coordinated with gray¡¯s control of the curse language. they used the powerful impact to deal increasing waves of damage. they could forcefully restrict the enemy¡¯s advance at critical moments. however, the damage dealt by these unkillable monsters was too terrifying. five squads of bandaged mummies had all died to delay the enemy in the short few minutes that the battle had begun. Chapter 209 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the enemy¡¯s sharp claws with unique negative energy could forcefully tear apart thrice at most, even with the favored yellow sand armor. even after they activated sand transformation, they could not block the enemy¡¯s damage. the evil energy on the ankham divine guards also countered this skill that had made countless contributions. the scorpion warriors, the giant axe death knights, and the bandaged mummies had suffered heavy losses. but even at such a high price, the troops could not stop the nine ankham guards from rushing into the temple. !! richard¡¯s face became increasingly cold. he could accept the loss of the troop, but not substantial losses that would fail to achieve their strategic goals. those monsters were thunderously unusual. these crossed his heart. he approached the temple within 100 meters to face the fatal danger coming. his body flashed with light. the yellow sand rose again. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the endless flame sandstorm enveloped the nine ankham divine guards. their mud-like bodies began to shake and distort. but even so, this still could not cause any damage to them. richard¡¯s face froze. the next second. ¡®boom!¡¯ a terrible flame rose. in an instant, the temperature in the flame sandstorm rose wildly. the red-hot sand hit the opponents at a magnified speed. ¡®crack! black smoke came out of their bodies. their life force finally began to drop. but soon, the imaginary chains poured energy into them again, and the wounds of these monsters quickly recovered. when richard saw this, he immediately asked the temple¡¯s troops to speed up their attack. they had to break the evil god statue, or they could not slaughter these monsters! when richard looked at the nine divine guards whose bodies twisted in the flame sandstorm, he noticed the sand next to him. suddenly, as if he thought of something. enthusiasm sparked in his eyes. with a wave of his hand, the ground in the center of the sandstorm suddenly caved in. the nine ankham god guards fell directly into it. the sand started to move and buried them alive. double casting. richard gritted his teeth and controlled the flame sandstorm in the ground. he didn¡¯t believe it. he wouldn¡¯t be able to trap them if he couldn¡¯t kill these monsters! after richard confirmed that the ankham divine guards below couldn¡¯t escape for the time being, he looked at the dark temple. ¡®shua!¡¯ the flame sandstorm directly charged toward the temple. however, just as the flame sandstorm approached, a transparent shield suddenly rose in front of the temple. it directly blocked the flame sandstorm outside. richard sensed the power of the magic shield and decisively waved his hand to cancel this beyond a-rank skill. he saved mana to control the ankham divine guards that he trapped. nine divine guards that were level 14 and which they could not kill fell into the quicksand at this moment. the sand above them pressed down crazily while the ground below them kept falling. in an environment full of sand, it was almost impossible for them to struggle. when richard felt this, his eyes became brighter. he seemed to have discovered another powerful characteristic of controlling the yellow sand ¡ª using sand to create a prison. this skill seemed more strapping than the mad sand mage¡¯s use of magic to imprison forcibly. as long as one fell into the yellow sand, it would never be able to escape from his control. unless the other party knew spatial magic or was as huge as the god¡¯s ancient tree. sure enough, fighting was the best way to increase his strength. the nine terrifying monstrous divine guards he could not slaughter just now could only struggle in the yellow sand. however, the desert was his home ground. even if these divine guards crazily attacked the surroundings and wanted to break out of the cage, they would not be able to break through the sand. he was only borrowing the power of the desert. under richard¡¯s precise control, the divine guards of ankham gradually fell into the ground a hundred meters deep. he starkly controlled the enemies to death. after the troops outside had no more enemies, they immediately rushed into the temple and cooperated with those that entered first to attack the giant evil god statue crazily. when richard saw this scene, his mood also became quite subtle. he thought it was a tie, but he did not expect it to develop into such a situation. after all, he had imprisoned the ankham divine guards. the aura in the dark temple became more and more unstable. richard sensed that the threat had increased sharply and immediately retreated to a 200-meter radius. he was the enemy¡¯s target. the other party seemed to know that he was the soul of the twilight city troops, so they had locked onto him from the beginning. the mysterious existence had chosen the right target, but the opponents had misjudged richard¡¯s cautiousness. the danger perception he had learned from ferguson allowed him to avoid the fatal attack the opponent was ready to launch at any moment. and just as the situation gradually stabilized and the giant evil god statue slowly crumbled¡­ richard suddenly had a bad feeling. because the aura of the nine divine guards of ankam, who were trapped in the depths of the desert, became extremely weak in the blink of an eye. the imaginary chains on their backs also broke at this moment. the mysterious existence in the dark temple had sucked away the divine guards¡¯ power! the vigilance in his heart raised to the extreme at this moment. he quickly retreated. but at this moment, an indescribable paralyzing aura gushed out from the temple. the space around richard suddenly froze. he didn¡¯t even have time to react. he only felt an indescribable pressure had approached. in a trance, a paralyzing life form more than a hundred meters in size appeared before his eyes. the opponent¡¯s head had countless squirming octopus tentacles. its pair of dark eyes stared at him coldly. evil, darkness, death, cruelty¡­ all negative adjectives couldn¡¯t describe the aura it emitted. ¡°rustle! rustle! rustle! rustle! rustle! rustle! rustle!¡­¡± and the opponent cast a dreadful spell. richard¡¯s mind went back hundreds of times ¡ª to the great god, ankham. he did not even have time to respond. the opponent directly forced its soul bound to his soul. that horrible being tried to assimilate him by force. it even¡­ wanted him to be its slave!! by the time richard returned to his senses, it was too late to escape the terrible assimilating force. however, he did not panic at all. he was strangely calm. he did not even resist the erosion of the other party¡¯s power and allowed his own power to dissipate. that was until the evil existence devoured and fused with more than half of his soul. richard suddenly revealed a bright smile and slowly extended his middle finger toward the terrifying figure. then, ¡®bang!¡¯ his soul directly exploded. self-destruction. at this moment, both sides had already merged by more than half. the self-destruction directly caused irreversible consequences. the evil sensed all of this, and an indescribable fear arose in its heart. it frantically wanted to cut off the power it had assimilated. but at this moment, it was already too late. the collapse spread to its soul. everything was in oblivion. the moment richard completely lost consciousness, he heard a system notification. [ding~ you have killed an evil god¡¯s will and obtained a drop of divine power¡­] [ding~ you have died and triggered a beyond a-rank skill ¡ª sand renegeration.] Chapter 210 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation darkness and chaos. unspeakable emptiness and dead silence lingered in his mind. richard experienced this environment for the second time. he did not know how long it had been, whether it had been a minute or centuries. he only slowly regained consciousness when he sensed a light ahead of him. !! then, he gradually took control of his body. the majestic power hidden in his flesh and blood returned. he slowly opened his eyes. in front of him was a mummy with a crown and two ribbons that floated in the air. gray. after the name appeared in his mind, his memories flooded in. in an instant, his eyes regained their clarity. he slowly sat up and let out a long breath. he looked around. at this moment, the troops had gathered. richard could see the dark temple quietly seated not far away through the cracks. the aura that made him feel great danger had disappeared without a trace. there was no sign of battle around him. in the depths of the earth, the nine ankham divine guards he had imprisoned with quicksand lay quietly in the yellow sand. it was as if they were dead. after he calmed himself down, he stood up and looked at gunter. ¡°is that giant evil god statue broken?¡± the mummy hero, covered in blood-colored bandages, immediately reported. ¡°lord, the giant evil god statue broke down automatically after the soul fusion released a powerful dark aura¡­ ¡°the tentacles also turned into liquid.¡± then, gunter handed him a palm-sized statue. ¡°we found a small statue of the evil god among the fragments. it seems to contain a huge amount of power.¡± richard reached out to take it and immediately felt the unique coldness of the metal. he put it in his palm and carefully observed it. the statue¡¯s surface was pitch-black, and countless tentacles were on its rough face. it had wings on its back. its hands were placed on its knees. its body was curled up, and an evil aura filled the palm-size being. as expected, it was the same as the giant evil god statue. after he opened the attribute panel and glanced, his eyes immediately rejoiced. this thing¡­was of the highest quality. [ancient god statue (unbound)] [level: special] [characteristics: 1. soul enslavement. it can imprison a powerful soul into it, making it listen to the orders of the bound person. the statue has not been destroyed, and the soul can not be killed. after the soul is shattered, it can be reborn in the statue. 2. flesh feeding. it can provide a large amount of flesh and soul to increase the power of the imprisoned soul. it can also form a body for it.] [description: a unique item forged by an ancient god of the past. it has distinguished special power.] ¡°has this statue formed the nine unkillable divine guards of ankham? ¡°but the question was, why could the statue form nine unkillable divine guards while could only imprison one soul?¡± this was completely unreasonable. however, if this treasure was nurtured, it would surely have power that was not inferior to the god¡¯s ancient tree. when richard thought of the immortal unkillable guards no matter what, his interest immediately soared. moreover, unlike the god¡¯s ancient tree, this statue could be carried around with him. it was a powerful existence that could not die and could even devour flesh and blood to increase its power. just thinking about it made him feel invincible. in the battle just now, he had already fiercely experienced how difficult it was to deal with the enemy. if it not for his many tricks and being able to trap those divine guards, twilight city troops would have suffered even more heavy losses. after the evil god saw the nine divine guards trapped and had completely lost all hope, it wanted to disregard everything and forcefully enslave richard. richard was afraid that it was using the slave soul function of this statue. but fortunately, he had the kingly talent of sand regeneration. he dragged the opponent, and they died together. otherwise, the outcome was ultimately uncertain. without hesitation, he used his spiritual power to brand his mark on the treasure. successful binding. in the future, he would need to find a soul with powerful strength to lock up and let it fight for him. dragon? demon? or other life forms? richard rubbed his chin. there were many options. moreover, they could continuously cultivate this thing. as long as one had potential, one would not be afraid of being weak. after he put away this top-tier treasure, it seemed that the system had given him a notification at the end. he opened it and glanced. he did not pay attention to anything else but the most important one ¡ª [ding~ you have killed an evil god¡¯s will and obtained a drop of divine power. you have obtained 100,000 experience.] evil god¡¯s will? one drop of divine power? richard¡¯s breathing became rapid. ¡°f*ck, is there such a good thing? ¡°where was that drop of divine power?¡± he hurriedly opened the system space. instantly, he sensed that a gray droplet the size of a pinky finger with an endless evil aura floated in the system space. he didn¡¯t need to think to know what it was. he willed it. that droplet of divine power appeared in the air. an evil force that looked like a level-18 storm instantly swept through the surroundings. the sky seemed to dim like a giant abyssal beast had torn through the plane and was coming. the soul power of all the surrounding troops trembled crazily. it was like the evil force could extinguish a flame in the wind at any time. richard resisted the pressure in his heart and entered the system space as he felt the terror-stricken impact. in the next second. the air returned to silence. it was as if everything just now was just an illusion. but his heart still beat wildly. this short moment almost made him collapse. it was too petrifying. ¡®was this the power that only gods could have?¡¯ he made up his mind. he would never take it out again when he was not strong enough. this thing could kill him. Chapter 211 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after richard took a few deep breaths, he calmed his agitated mood. he opened the evil god¡¯s power attribute panel. unexpectedly, the information was quite a few. [evil god¡¯s power (1 drop)] [level: divine] !! [description: the divine power condensed by the evil god.] there were only these few lines of simple information. it did not explain how to use it like the holy dragon¡¯s blood.] however, this did not affect richard¡¯s joy. the pressure just now had explained everything. moreover, the treasure was in his hands now. there would be plenty of opportunities to study how to use it in the future. ¡®perhaps, the evil god¡¯s power is similar to the holy dragon¡¯s blood, and it can also increase the power in my body?¡¯ this thought flashed through his mind. he was not interested in using the only drop of evil god¡¯s power to try. he withdrew his scattered thoughts and looked at the dark temple in front of him. ¡°gunter, did you find any other treasures inside?¡± gunter nodded. ¡°there are four prodigious treasure chests under the evil god statue. we haven¡¯t opened them yet. ¡°in the corner, we found two troop lairs¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes amply gleamed. they had gained a lot. ¡°take me there.¡± gunter immediately led the way. they came to the dark temple and looked around. nine broken stone pillars lay around. at the outermost part of the temple were the bones of a few giant axe death knights. after richard did not sense any danger, he stepped on the cracked steps and entered the temple. the ground was full of broken grayish-black octopus tentacles. sharp teeth covered the tentacles, and sticky black mucus shrouded the grounds. it was sarcastically nauseous. a foul smell assailed his nostrils as if he had walked into a garbage heap fermented for more than ten days. at the end of the hall, the twilight city troops stood guard around a collapsed statue. richard frowned and controlled the sand to float up. he landed in front of the statue from mid-air. at this time, the dark gargoyle moved out of the way, revealing the four golden treasure chests behind it. although dust starkly cloaked the treasure chests, they were equally attractive. richard opened his attribute panel and was slightly disappointed to find they were not the treasure chests he had imagined. he waved his hand and controlled the sand to open the golden treasure chests. suddenly, a light flashed. various rare resources appeared in the treasure chests. a type of resource filled the four treasure chests and one of the treasure chests. richard immediately smiled when he saw this. what a guy. he ultimately had everything he needed. not bad. this evil god was ultimately engrossing. this time, he would not drag your statue into the toilet. after he happily put it away, the four resources on the interface increased by 3,000 units each. [current rare resources ¡ª gem: 7,300, crystal: 6,000, sulfur: 6,000: mercury: 6,000] the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°high-level maps indeed hide treasures.¡± he could finally start constructing those few blueprints with these resources in his hands. it was so comfortable. ¡°where are the trooplairs you found?¡± when he followed the guidance of an undead soldier of the axe of the dead, he immediately saw two inconspicuous stone statues in the corner. he went forward to take a look. [ankham temple guard statue] [level: rare 3-stars] [characteristics: can recruit temple guards of ankham] [requirements: followers of ankham, 10 units of gemstones, 10 units of crystals, 10 units of sulfur, and 10 units of mercury] no wonder they prepared so many rare resources for recruiting these troops. however, richard lost interest after a few glances. ¡°only followers of the evil god ankham could use this thing to recruit members. ¡°i had already killed that bullsh*t ankham once.¡± even though the divine power was in his hands, have faith among them¡­ just ask him, ¡°are you worthy?¡± he chose to destroy. the next second, the statue in front of him shattered, and two miniature troop lairs appeared. if he wanted to recruit next time, he would have to re-expend resources to build them. however, it was useless to build them. if one weren¡¯t a follower of the evil god, one wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit them either. these two lairs could only be nourishment for him to upgrade the other troop lairs. in this way, it didn¡¯t seem to be a loss. after all, a rare-level troop lair required dozens of units of resources to cultivate. after he had the troops check the surroundings a few more times and made sure there were no additional gains, richard didn¡¯t stay any longer. he took everyone and left the dark temple. outside, gray had already gathered all the troops and piled stock of the casualties. ¡°gray, how are the losses?¡± gray answered immediately. ¡°the nine monsters slaughtered all 51 of the bandaged mummies while they tried to delay them. none of them survived.¡± ¡°the enemies slaughtered 12 of the giant axe death knights. there are still 30 left. ¡°the enemies also slaughtered 8 of the scorpion warriors. there are still 50 left. ¡°they slaughtered 10 of the heavy sword warriors and left 20¡­¡± ¡°there are no casualties among the remaining troops.¡± richard was silent for a moment when he heard this. he did not expect this almost certain temple would bring him such a massive loss. he took a deep breath. he suppressed the pride that he had felt because of the recent smooth sailing. he immediately began to reflect. although his current strength had increased massively compared to before. richard was still cardinally frail in this world that had existed for countless eras. perhaps, compared to other players, he was already strong enough. however, in the mortal plane, any power could have existed for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. this inconspicuous relic has such terrifying power, those aboriginal forces, he was afraid they were too powerful to speak. in the future, they would need to be even more careful. this world was still cosmically voluminous, and twilight city still had a long way to go. accumulating grain, digging deep holes, and slowly becoming a king ¡ª this was a famous saying. right now, the main goal first was to farm and develop and further enrich twilight city¡¯s foundation. while richard thought of this, his thoughts gradually returned to clarity. previously, due to the storyline, he had been able to call the wind and summon the rain. but now, in the face of this naked loss, he had regained his rationality. ¡°fortunately, although we lost a lot of troops this time, the gains were not small.¡± he silently calculated. first was the ancient god statue. this unique treasure could nurture a powerful soul. before he broke the statue, this soul was unkillable. what was eminently unusual was that they fed the evil statue flesh and blood to make it stronger. just thinking about it made one understand the meaning behind it. in the future, twilight city would probably have a superlatively frantic battle strength. just this harvest alone was worth ten times today¡¯s losses. second, divine power. although there was only one drop, it was enough to call it a treasure because it was a power that only gods could gather. he did not want to face that earth-shattering pressure again. he had a strong feeling. if those npcs knew about this treasure, it would cause a colossal sensation. third, two rare-level troops, and four rare-level resources, every 3000 units. although they could not recruit these two troops¡¯ lairs, these things were rare-level. he needed to spend more than 500,000 resources. two rare-level lairs were worth millions of resources to upgrade from ordinary to rare-level troops. the next time he upgraded the axe of the dead or the dark gargoyle to glorious-level, he would save millions of units of resources. and the four rare-level resources were items that he urgently needed. the total amount of resources in the four boxes reached 1,200 units. it was a prodigious sum of money. whether it was the blueprints in his hands or the restoration of the extraordinary hunter, they all had a prodigious demand for rare-level resources. richard rubbed his chin. when he thought about it, annihilating this enemy seemed to have gained so much. it was simply a tremendous profit. how many resources did it take to recruit this little troop? for a moment, most of the unhappy feelings in his heart disappeared. if there were such a business in the future, richard would have to do it even if he had to sell everything. Chapter 212 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord.¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± richard nodded slightly at the troops bowing continuously. after he cleaned up the dak temple, he did not stay any longer and returned to his territory. it was still afternoon and still early before dark. !! however, because he had died once, he was rather tired and had no thoughts of going out to hunt. he ordered the three heroes to go. after all, mummies did not know fatigue. this kind of labor force that could work all the time made the capitalists want to cry. moreover, killing the enemy could increase their strength, so these mummified heroes were also exceedingly willing to go out to hunt. after the three heroes left, richard thought about what type of soul lock he wanted to build in the future into the ancient god statue when he met the energetic adele. when adele saw richard, the young girl immediately went forward and pleaded with him. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve already rested!! can i go to the blacksmith shop now?!¡± he forced her to rest for the past few days. and it suffocated her. richard found it a little funny when he saw her big blinking eyes. this girl was probably the most active worker in the entire territory. or rather, she wasn¡¯t working. she enjoyed forging and researching. then, he felt slightly regretful. if he had a few more capable heroes, he could start working on technology and forging blueprints like the dragon-hunting crossbow. adele right now is busy with work. so, she couldn¡¯t spare time to research and develop offensive technology. it caused his idea of improving the attack power of the sand condensation archers to be put on hold. ¡°sure, i¡¯ve just obtained several resources. i can forge the dragon-hunting crossbow now¡­¡± halfway through this sentence, he was stuck again. dragon-hunting crossbow required materials: 5,000 units of mercury, 5,000 units of sulfur, 5,000 units of crystals, 1,000 units of fine iron, fascia of a level-15 or above giant dragon or hybrid giant dragon, special-level blacksmith. there were enough rare resources. but the problem was that the fascia of a level 15 or above dragon was slightly arduous to obtain¡­ level 15 was already another level of existence. he had been quite confident before, but after clashing with those level 14 undying existences in the temple, he immediately became cautious. at this time, adele also noticed something and smiled. ¡°you¡¯re worried about the problem with the dragon fascia, right?¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ve carefully studied the dragon-hunting crossbow¡¯s blueprint. without the dragon fascia, we can temporarily replace it with other bowstrings. when we have the dragon fascia, we can replace it¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s just the power of the crossbow will be greatly reduced.¡± when richard heard this, his eyes immediately shafted luminosity. this method was not bad. ¡°okay, then we¡¯ll make the dragon-hunting crossbow first. we¡¯ll replace it after we hunt a dragon.¡± the two chatted for a while before they arrived at the blacksmith shop. when they reached the second floor, he placed all the materials needed for forging in the warehouse on the second floor. as a result, the resources on the attribute panel instantly plummeted again. developing a dragon-hunting crossbow did not require gemstones. so, only these remained unchanged. there were still 7,200 units left, and the remaining three items left with only 1,000 units. richard could only sigh at the lack of resources in the desert mines. he had only found a few small logging and quarries during the past few days. he was too lazy to send people to mine those resources. they were honestly useless. on the [forum chat], there were other lords with rich terrain. many of their territories had broad mineral veins near them. and they produced up to 100,000 units a week. they could occupy a few and take the money lying down. it made richard unduly envious. indeed, people are incomparable. this different situation made him suddenly think of the middle eastern oil-producing countries of planet blue. those rich people from the desert who were making money lying down were all in the desert. how did he end up in such a miserable state? adele¡¯s eyes curved into a crescent moon when she looked at the warehouse filled with rare resources. she said to richard seriously. ¡°lord richard, i will ultimately try my best to complete the mission you gave me. i will surely not let you down!¡± as she said this, she lowered her head shyly and awkwardly. ¡°that¡­ can you leave your big baby here?¡± ¡®cough! cough!¡¯ richard almost choked. ¡°that mechanical puppet is called the extraordinary hunter. remember to call it by its name in the future.¡± with that, he waved his hand and asked her to follow him to the backyard. he then released the extraordinary hunter from the control ring. he had no other plans for the next few days, so he didn¡¯t need it. he would first let this talented girl, adele, study it properly. what if the other party had an epiphany one day and created ten of them in one night? who knows, right? richard thought that this idea was highly correct. ¡°once we discover the entrance to the underground world, i will immediately bring the extraordinary hunter away. but before that, you should study it first.¡± stars filled adele¡¯s eyes as she looked at the 15-meter-tall war machine in front of her. she was in a daze. ¡°yes, yes, i will surely study it well¡­¡± richard could not stand adele¡¯s fascinated look and waved his hand to leave. let the other party do her research. when richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, he took a sip of hot tea and asked someone to call karu over. karu hurriedly entered the house. after he saluted, he immediately began reporting. ¡°lord, they had prepared the hurricane arrow tower. as long as the resources are in place, we can start the construction immediately¡­¡± richard nodded. the hurricane arrow tower construction required only a few resources. gold coins, wood, and stone materials, 50,000 units each for iron ore, 500 units for crystal, 500 units for gemstones, 500 units for mercury, and four empty spaces. although he had the god¡¯s ancient tree, the hurricane arrow tower¡¯s defensive characteristics were hard to replace. its power would be maximized with the dragon-hunting crossbow when the time came. ¡°don¡¯t worry about the resources. i¡¯ll give them to you later.¡± as he spoke, he took out a blueprint from the system space he had obtained two months ago ¡ª hero¡¯s altar. [hero altar construction blueprint] [level: special building] [characteristics: can be used to construct the hero¡¯s altar. after the hero dies, he can use up resources to revive in the hero¡¯s altar. five people can be revived every month. [space: 4] [rresources required for construction: 10,000 units of stone materials, 10,000 units of gold coins, 10,000 units of wood, 500 units of crystals, 500 units of gemstones, 500 units of mercury, and 500 units of sulfur.] [description: an extremely rare-level construction blueprint that can even move dragons.] this blueprint was obtained from the hands of onyx, a merchant from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. he had always thought about it, but because he lacked resources, he had never constructed it. at this time, he finally gathered enough materials for the construction. richard handed the blueprint to karu and explained its use to the city before he finally said. ¡°build this blueprint together. it¡¯s highly valuable to us.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± karu¡¯s face was full of smiles. no matter how many soldiers were killed or injured, they could still be re-recruited. if a hero died in battle, it meant an ultimate death. with this treasure, the heroes of twilight city would no longer have to be afraid. there would be more room for maneuver. after this topic ended, richard seemed to have thought of something and asked. ¡°how¡¯s the progress of finding talented winemakers and chefs?¡± after the last incident, the winery and food workshop had been in a state of shutdown. it was a primary project he had high hopes for. it would take up a large portion of transactions with the outside world in the future. it didn¡¯t make sense without a suitable hero to host it. he honestly didn¡¯t want to taste that thing from last time. it was simply too traumatizing. karu revealed a helpless expression. it has troubled him for the past few days. he could find someone, but it would be arduous to find someone with talent. there were thousands of people in the territory. who knew if one had talent in this area? this thing was not something that could be seen or touched¡­ when richard looked at karu¡¯s expression, he knew the result, so he did not say much. ¡°you should hurry up. if you have a suitable construction talent, you can also find one.¡± ¡°there will be many things to be built in twilight city in the future.¡± the blueprints he obtained would become increasingly advanced, and he would eventually have some requirements for architects. he would be in deep trouble if he obtained a few top-tier blueprints but couldn¡¯t use them. karu hurriedly nodded. that indicated he had noted it down. after that, there was nothing else to do. richard placed the resources needed to build the hero¡¯s altar and hurricane arrow tower in a predetermined location. they placed the rare-level resources in the lord¡¯s mansion warehouse. when they needed them, they would come and collect them themselves. after they had done all this, it reduced to the bottom resources on his status panel. when richard saw this, he could not help but smile bitterly. especially the rare-level resources. richard painstakingly accumulated tens of thousands of units, but before he could even warm them up, he had already spent more than half of them. the crystals and other resources were all cleared. the most numerous gemstones still have 6,200 units left and 500 units of sulfur. it was a pity that the [trading market] needed to charge a 30% handling fee. otherwise, he could have exchanged the gemstones for other rare materials. now, he had lost 30%. when he thought of this, he felt a bit embarrassed. the changes in the [trading market] rules would ultimately force players to trade offline. he sighed. the lack of resources is probably the predicament twilight city will face for a long time. his thirst for resources was almost permanent because he needed the troop lairs to upgrade. it was almost impossible to satisfy it. just as richard thought about how to earn more resources to develop. suddenly, a system notification sounded. [ding~ twilight city resident, lucy, has successfully used fire dragon rabbit fur to combine with twelve desert plants to create a 2-stars treasure with strong thermal properties ¡ª a yellow sand robe. successfully promoted to d-rank hero.] [ding~ your territory has developed a unique 2-stars treasure ¡ª yellow sand robe. it has solidified into a territory specialty.] [this specialty is produced in twilight city and has an additional 30% attribute increase.] richard was stunned when he heard the notification. he opened it a few more to ensure he did not hear wrongly, and his eyes revealed a hint of unconcealable surprise. ¡°developing a 2-stars treasure¡­ promoted to hero? ¡°which little cutie was so awesome?¡± and it was a local specialty. he suddenly smelled the scent of wealth. Chapter 213 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation lucy¡­took note of this hero unit promotion. she was one of the residents. richard immediately turned off the system notification, got up, and left the lord¡¯s mansion. he went directly to the residents¡¯ houses that usually cut clothes. because there wasn¡¯t a tailor shop yet, or he didn¡¯t pay attention to it. the tailors in the territory all sewed clothes in the residences of the residents. !! although this world retained a part of the special rules of the game, in the real world, there was no way that the residents wouldn¡¯t be able to make clothes without the tailoring shop. it was just that without the tailoring shop¡¯s attribute bonuses, the production efficiency and attributes might not be that high. twilight city was in a desert. the climate was dry and hot, so there wasn¡¯t much demand for clothes. a simple set of clothes was enough. moreover, the mummy troop in twilight city didn¡¯t need any military uniforms, so he had never paid much attention to tailors. unexpectedly, the brewery and food workshop he had high hopes for hadn¡¯t moved yet. and the tailor shop he had neglected all this time had given him such a big surprise. for the system to rate 2-stars treasures and solidify them into a local specialty of the territory, one didn¡¯t need to think to know how precious it was. when richard arrived, the residential building was very lively. tailoring in the ¡°shining era¡± was not a simple profession. only those who were clever and skillful could do it. and women happened to have an astounding talent in this area. therefore, all the employees in the tailoring shops were women. before they got close, they could hear the chattering inside. ¡°the rabbit fur of these fire dragon rabbits is a fine material. it¡¯s so comfortable to touch¡­¡± ¡°this is a treasure that the lord has repeatedly told us to be careful of. it¡¯s not simple. i heard one can sell it for tens of thousands of gold coins outside!¡± ¡°tsk, tsk, tsk¡± if i had a piece of clothing of this level in my life, even if i didn¡¯t live in vain.¡± ¡°how can we afford such a precious item? at the very least, only the lord¡¯s concubines are qualified to wear it¡­¡± ¡°sigh, the lord doesn¡¯t seem to have any concubines, right? do you guys think that if i sent my daughter to the lord¡¯s mansion, will the lord take a fancy to her?¡± ¡°come on. your daughter is already 40 years old. are you trying to find a wet nurse for the lord? can¡¯t you think of something better?¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with a wet nurse? my daughter can do the same! maybe the lord likes it¡­¡± the residents continued to banter¡­ before richard stepped into the room, richard¡¯s face was full of black lines before he stepped into the room. ¡®these old women who had nothing to do after eating their fill, couldn¡¯t they talk about something more with sense?¡¯ ¡®cough! cough!¡¯ after two coughs, the room suddenly became dead silent, as if someone had pressed the pause button. then, a freckled girl stuck her head out to take a glance and then shrank back as if she had been electrocuted. not long after, more than twenty people came out of the room. before they could say anything, they all fell to their knees and trembled. they didn¡¯t even dare to look at him. richard was both angry and amused. ¡°weren¡¯t you able to talk just now? are you all mute now?¡± he looked at the group of aunties whose legs trembled in fear. he suddenly lost interest in reprimanding them. he waved his hand and got down to business. ¡°did you guys just use the fire dragon rabbit and the desert plant to create a long robe?¡± most people were stunned when they heard this. and then they looked a little confused. did they? how come they didn¡¯t know?¡­ the aunties in charge of managing the tailor shop saw that richard didn¡¯t intend to punish them, and they immediately heaved a sigh of relief. they glared at the two gossiping companions, and their faces were already pale. if they were to talk about the lord privately, they would be strung up and whipped in other territories. after they calmed themselves down, one hurriedly opened her mouth. ¡°lord, we¡¯ve been dealing with the newly retrieved fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur today. we didn¡¯t sew a robe¡­¡± this was strange. who else could it be if none of these aunties developed it? richard frowned slightly. the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit was extremely precious, but one had to weigh it on a scale. if it were missing even a tiny bit, one would be punished. the rabbit fur processed every day had to be immediately counted. others could not take it. as the other party spoke, he seemed to have thought of something, and his face turned slightly pale. ¡°lord, i, i brought my daughter here today and asked her to help sew a few pieces of clothing on the third floor¡­¡± ¡°could it be that she accidentally used the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur?¡± as soon as she finished speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps came from inside the house. then, a young and excited voice was heard. ¡°mom, aunt susan, look, i¡¯ve sewed a highly excellent robe for my lord! it¡¯s so warm when you put it on¡­¡± halfway through her sentence, she suddenly saw the scene outside through the door. and her words were stuck in her throat. when she saw a handsome figure, the girl¡¯s face turned red, and she lowered her head. she did not dare to look at richard anymore. richard looked carefully. the girl downstairs was about 14 years old, and her voice was still childish. he opened the attribute panel to take a look, and his eyes immediately glowed ardor. [lucy] [hero unit] [level: 3] [potential: (d-rank) ¡ª (underage, still could develop) [occupation: tailor (elite, success rate of developing new clothes increased by 15%.] [skills: nimble mind (c-rank) ¡ª able to use materials to the maximum when making clothes.] [dexterity (c-rank) ¡ª able to develop unique clothes through various strange ideas.] [solidifying specialty: creates a yellow sand robe. the yellow sand robe created by her alone will have an additional 30% increase in attributes. there is a chance to create a 3-stars yellow sand robe.] [hero specialty: increases the success rate of research and development by 15%. the attributes of the items she created will be increased by 30%.] [race talent: can learn the knowledge of all high-level races.] [fetter-cut: when making clothes, a 30% increase in success rate, and a 30% increase in production speed, can optimize the structure of the clothes. more suitable for the wearer.] [description: some people have the potential to become master tailors. she is one of them.] ¡®is this the first hero unit in twilight city that grew up on its own?¡¯ richard was highly pleased. although lucy was a hero of life, her value was not inferior to that of a battle hero ¡ª especially now that the other party had already achieved results. when the manager saw richard size up her girl for a long time without saying a word, her face turned even paler. she stammered and explained. ¡°lord, lord, this is my daughter lucy.¡± ¡°her sewing skills are unusually meritable. she sewed half of the robes sent to the lord¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°she recklessly used the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur to make a robe for you. i beg you to reduce her punishment¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. good heavens, if the girl didn¡¯t use it, would this hero be born? was he someone who lacked such materials? it seemed that he would have to take out a portion of resources to nurture talents in the future¡­ when the girl in the room heard this, she thought that she had gotten into trouble. she held the robe in her hand and froze on the spot. her mouth shrunk and her eyes turned red. ¡°get up. i¡¯m not here to punish you.¡± she looked at the aggrieved girl and smiled. ¡°your name is lucy? can you show me the robe in your hand?¡± when the girl saw his kind smile, the nervousness on the girl¡¯s face eased a little. but she still clutched the snow-white robe in her hand tightly. she didn¡¯t know how to react. richard¡¯s status in twilight city was like that of a god. the ordinary residents only had respect and worship. and during this period, he had been on the move. and there were very few people who could come into direct contact with him. the distance gave rise to mystery and majesty, which increased his unapproachable image. in addition, he had enslaved the terrifying god¡¯s ancient tree a few days ago, which strengthened the halo on his body infinitely. not to mention the ordinary residents. even the administrator dealing with richard karu felt great pressure. anyone who faced a person who could decide their future fate with a single word would be nervous. when richard saw that the girl was so nervous and didn¡¯t know what to do, he smiled and walked into the room. he reached out and picked up the long robe with golden rims from her hand. he said softly. ¡°does it have a name?¡± lucy looked at the handsome face and lowered her head shyly. ¡°my lord, i call it the yellow sand robe¡­¡± ¡°why is it called this name?¡± ¡°because it was born in the desert.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he saw the puzzled look in the girl¡¯s eyes. he thought it had some special meaning. it seemed that he would have to repackage it when he sold it in the future. the desert crown honey was the best example of packaging. high-end items should at least have the names of some treasures used by the desert kings. otherwise, they could not sell it for ten times or a hundred times the price. with the name of the royal family, it would not be too much to sell it for 100,000 to you for 100,000 to 1,000,000, correct? i can¡¯t afford it. i¡¯m sorry, i don¡¯t deal with poor people¡­ this thing only scams nobles. he opened the attribute panel. [yellow sand robe] [level: 2-stars] [skills: heat resistance and cold resistance (c-rank) ¡ª able to absorb the heat of the sun and store it in clothes. automatically releases or absorbs heat according to body and external temperature. absorbs heat once. can maintain a maximum temperature of one week.] [magic affinity (c-rank) ¡ª able to increase magic affinity. eight mana recovery speed per second.] [vitality recovery (c-rank) ¡ª wearer¡¯s vitality recovery speed increased by 25%.] [description: a treasure that can resist heat and cold. perhaps, for the residents of the land of ice and snow. this is a gift from the gods.] awesome. richard¡¯s eyes rejoiced. he would like to call it a walking air conditioner. this thing could absorb heat when it was hot and release heat when it was cold. it was much more comfortable than a blanket made from the fire dragon rabbit. moreover, it had two characteristics: mana recovery and stamina recovery. it was a top-grade robe. although it was only a 2-stars robe, in his eyes, it simply contained endless business opportunities. he recalled what onyx of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had said when he saw the fire dragon rabbit ¡ª in the kingdom of ice and snow, the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit was a treasure that only the royal family and great nobles could enjoy. in such a notable cold place, one million units of resources were not too much, right? with the bonus of stamina recovery, it was not too much to add one million units, right? with the mana recovery bonus, noble mages could also wear it. with an additional 3,000,000, it was not too much to sell it for 5,000,000, correct? make up a few more stories, and do some marketing. sell a thousand of them, it was not an exaggeration, right?¡­ Chapter 214 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard was supremely pleased as he looked at this young girl under his excitement. adele was a gift from god to twilight city. lucy was a treasure that twilight city had nurtured themselves. he praised her. ¡°lucy, you¡¯ve done well! you¡¯ve made a massive contribution! ¡°this¡­ yellow sand robe has excellent attributes.¡± !! she asked the question she was most concerned about after richard praised it. ¡°are the materials needed to make it rare? can we mass produce it?¡± lucy asked nervously. ¡°they are common desert plants we can collect outside the territory¡­¡± richard was relieved. ¡°go back and write down the process and materials needed to produce the yellow sand robe, especially the ratio of those plants.¡± the girl naturally did not dare to refuse and obediently agreed. ¡°yes, my lord¡­¡± richard nodded and looked at the group of aunties who had already stood up and said seriously. ¡°the yellow sand robe is of great significance to twilight city. everyone must learn how to make it from lucy within a week.¡± ¡°i will arrange for people to take the assessment. we will punish those who fail production according to the rules of the tailor shop. we will not spare those who deserve to be expelled.¡± when they heard richard¡¯s words, the group of aunties was immediately shocked. ¡°this robe was that powerful? had it attracted the lord¡¯s attention?¡± ¡°moreover, why did he seem to come deliberately for this robe?¡± they did not know lucy had finished it. ¡°how did the lord know?¡± no one dared to say too much, no matter how many doubts they had in their hearts in front of richard. richard¡¯s words were the only law in this land. everyone could only carry out his words. there was no room for negotiation. ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± as richard listened to the voices, he waved his hand and continued. ¡°later, i will ask karu to build a tailor shop distinctly to produce the yellow sand robe. lucy will be in charge of technical guidance and management. ¡°remember, this matter is enormously predominant to twilight city. everyone must starkly listen to the orders and assist lucy. we will deal with any violator according to the laws of twilight city!¡± lucy was too young. richard was afraid these aunties would cause trouble and directly enforce their authority. however, he was more worried about the popular sentiment as high as 90 points. the orders he gave without discount were not empty words. when the aunties heard this, they were all quite excited instead of showing displeasure or jealousy. the territory had not paid much attention to tailors for a long time. it also caused their status to be inferior to the technical staff of the blacksmith shop. now, it was great that the lord chose a person like lucy. they would soon settle their tailor shop. then, their status would rise by a large margin. many aunties already conceived of how to show off to their husbands when they got home. their hearts were gleeful. lucy was stunned at first when she heard this. then, an unconcealable surprise rose in her eyes. she did not expect the lord would take a fancy to the robe she had sewn. her face flushed red. she felt both proud and uneasy. moreover, richard¡¯s order to manage a tailor shop caught her off guard. ¡°lord, i¡­¡± richard knew what she was going to say before she could speak. he interrupted her. ¡°you can ask your mother to assist you, but no one can replace you.¡± it was not easy for a hero to appear, so how could he allow someone else to take his place? he said encouragingly. ¡°this is a rare opportunity to train. you have to seize it. ¡°i have high hopes for you. you can take on more responsibilities in the future and make more stupendous contributions to twilight city. ¡°work hard. don¡¯t be afraid of making mistakes. how can you grow if you don¡¯t make mistakes? ¡°and you have my support. what are you afraid of? if something goes wrong, i¡¯ll take care of it!¡± after a strong encouragement, the girl¡¯s worries disappeared. she looked at the handsome figure in front of her with admiration. stars sparkled in her eyes. ¡°my lord, i¡¯ll ultimately work very hard. i won¡¯t let you down!¡± richard inclined his head with delight. young people were easily motivated. ¡°the yellow sand robe is only a basic version now. there will ultimately be room for improvement in the future. you can continue to develop it. ¡°if you need any materials, you can contact karu immediately. ¡°if there are any extremely rare and not available in the territory, you can tell me. i will think of a way to find them.¡± these words were no longer as simple as valuing them. they were treating lucy as the focus of twilight city¡¯s cultivation. the smiles on the aunties¡¯ faces grew brighter. it was good. the more important lucy was, the higher their status would be. when they returned, they would show their bastard men that they were much more promising than the other party. the lord had personally encouraged them. wasn¡¯t that enough? after richard gave lucy a lot of encouragement, he took the yellow sand robe made according to his size and left. his height, weight, and shoulder width were all recorded in the tailor shop, and the most substantial record was that it couldn¡¯t be unfit. after he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, richard asked someone to call karu over. then, richard changed out of the mage robe that could automatically trigger the magic shield and put on the yellow sand robe with golden edges. the fitting cut and robe material made him look even more exquisite. the mage robe was a 2-stars treasure the fire elemental lord gave him in the nine bronze gates of the ancient ruins. it could automatically trigger the magic shield when he encountered an enemy ambush. however, he had a lot of life-saving skills, and he also had the insane skill of threat perception. there was no need for it, and he had not triggered it for a long time. it is not a waste to exchange rewards for other heroes. even gunter could wear it. after putting on the yellow sand robe, he immediately felt a cool sensation. he felt as comfortable as if he had eaten an iced watermelon on a hot summer day. the desert in july was enormously feverish. if he didn¡¯t have the talent of being a desert dominator, he would have been like a fish in water in the desert. the overemphasized heat alone would have been unbearable for him. richard could feel the yellow sand robe quickly devour the heat at the outermost layer and store it. moreover, once the body¡¯s surface temperature differed from the outside world temperature, it would absorb the body¡¯s surface temperature and release. richard would be in a cold fresh state. after a few rounds of walks under the sun, richard still did not feel the slightest bit of heat. he was instantly delighted. this thing was a few levels better than the high-tech clothes of planet blue. it was simply a model of the magical world. it was comfortable. it was the correct way to open the production department. the things produced by the brewery¡¯s food workshop were simply a disgrace to him. not long after, karu rushed into the hall. ¡°my lord, what did you call me here for?¡­¡± richard waved his hand and stopped him from bowing. he told karu the news of lucy developing the yellow sand robe and building a tailor shop. finally, he said. ¡°the yellow sand robe is priceless. it can become our main commodity to the outside world. ¡°we must pay attention to it if it can exchange for a huge amount of resources for us.¡± his tone became serious as he spoke. ¡°after some time, if there is still no news from the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, i will personally make a trip to the outside world to open up trade channels. ¡°therefore, we must prepare more yellow sand robes. it is the door to our foreign trade.¡± karu became excited when he heard this. as an experienced veteran who had experienced countless storms, he had encountered much more things in the ¡°shining era¡± than richard. he immediately noticed the prodigious wealth hidden in the yellow sand robes. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i will supervise and execute the entire process.¡± as he spoke, he became even more excited. ¡°the ice kingdom will ultimately treat it as a treasure! ¡°if we can open up a trade with the other party, we could obtain a huge return. we can even exchange all kinds of blueprints and strategic preparations, not just materials.¡± richard smiled. ¡°one step at a time. first, build the production line. when the quantity of fire dragon rabbits reaches a certain level, and the production of rabbit fur is stable, then we can start the trade.¡± karu immediately agreed. then, he seemed to have thought of something and said hesitantly. ¡°lord, we had better be careful. money can move people¡¯s hearts¡­ ¡°if the outside world knows we can raise the fire dragon rabbit and develop a treasure like the yellow sand robe¡­ it may not raise a peeping heart for us.¡± everyone acknowledged that one couldn¡¯t raise the fire dragon rabbit universally. once the news leaked about twilight city knowing how to raise the fire dragon rabbit¡­ we don¡¯t have to think many people will be interested in it. this thing was priceless. it wasn¡¯t some cheap item. karu added another sentence. ¡°although we¡¯re in a desert, no matter how harsh the environment is, it can¡¯t stop the greed of humans.¡± these words made richard restrain his excitement. having wealth and being able to keep the wealth were two different things. after richard thought for a moment, he said delicately. ¡°i will take note of this.¡± karu smiled in relief and didn¡¯t say anything else. richard was more vigilant than him. he only needed to mention it. he had absolute trust in the future owner of the territory. richard asked karu to wait for a while. then he opened the [trading market] and searched for the blueprints of the tailor shop. instantly, several blueprints appeared in front of him. the tailor shop was not a high-class building. many territories even had it from the beginning. a one-star treasure chest can open for tailor shop blueprints. there was no shortage of them. after richard spent 50,000 units of resources on the tailor shop blueprints, he gave them directly to karu. after the old gray-haired man left, richard began to make some calculations. they needed to do many things in the territory now. adele was forging the dragon-hunting crossbow. at the same time, selected residents were constructing the hurricane arrow tower and the hero¡¯s altar. now, there was an additional production of yellow sand robes. he even had four or five blueprints in his hands. he was forced to stock them up due to a shortage of resources. the pressure of building twilight city in a short period was not slim. just the resources that he needed were enough to give him a headache. the only good thing was that the yellow sand robe now gave him hope of solving the shortage of supplies. on the other hand, as long as he could get through this period of food shortage, he would be able to develop steadily for a time. twilight city¡¯s strength would surely increase abundantly. Chapter 215 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the rise of lucy as a hero was a shock to richard. it also gave him additional ideas. if heroes can be born, why not increase the training? although the process of how to be born is not controllable, it can guide or shape the corresponding environment, which is more suitable for the birth of heroes. after richard thought about it, he felt that they could do this. !! for example, some industries could hold seminars regularly. some experienced people could take the lead and share their experiences with the younger generation. they would promote and improve together. it was highly ordinary on planet blue. but not in the ¡°shining era¡±. technology and craftsmanship were the bread and butter. who would be open to others¡¯ learning? there was no such environment. what he needed to do was to create such an environment. once communication started, learning from each other would speed up the industry¡¯s technological progress. under such an atmosphere, wouldn¡¯t the probability of a talented resident becoming a hero be better than learning by himself? the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was a good idea. not only could he create such an environment, but he could also guide the residents of the entire territory to participate in learning. at present, many of the residents of the territory were illiterate and could not read at all. this added another layer of restrictions to the already difficult-to-produce heroes. education changed lives. a great man could create such a feat as a literacy class in difficult times. now that his environment was stable, he could learn from this advanced experience. after he thought for a while, he asked the maid next to him to bring a pen and paper.he asked to put the idea in his mind into writing. the first was the industry seminar. it was held every three days or once a week. in the beginning, the teacher leads the team to share experiences and solve problems. in the later stages, they could discuss some questions together. they could formulate some rules for the production of items¡­ the second focused on talent cultivation. those who were up-and-coming talented could focus on training and more resources to tilt. all was to cultivate heroes. the third was to open literacy classes so that everyone in the territory could learn and those who engaged in technical work could read and write without barriers. the fourth was to assist the highly skilled masters in composing and recording their experiences into books for others to learn. he also had to write basic technical introductory books so the apprentices could quickly grasp the basic knowledge. they could include practical knowledge and helpful experiences various masters had discovered. they could reward those who provide experiences to improve their enthusiasm. the fifth¡­ richard did not stop. he wrote more than twenty articles in total. some were sudden ideas, and some were ideas after deep thought. after he filled out the paper, he took a few glances and deleted and edited some of the unreasonable points. he was in a great mood. once they carry on this plan, it may not be possible to experience the effects in three to five months or even one to two years. however, this was the germination of seeds. it must have formed the corresponding rules, allowing twilight city to have this soil. then, in the future, even if there were only three or five more heroic units like lucy in each industry, it would still be worth it. not to mention that the quality of the entire territory had improved, which was also a prodigious increase in productivity. however, richard also distinctly saw it. needless to say, this idea of a start-up had a lot of shortcomings. however, this thing was a framework they could adjust as implemented. one day, they could formulate rules to the extent suitable for twilight city. after richard checked it a few times, he got up and went to see the newly released regulations. he went straight to karu, who had just left. the old gray-haired man was very busy that he could spin faster than a top. he was responsible for various projects. however, this guy was also enjoying it. building a territory gives him a feeling of amusement, so richard only lets him go. after he discussed it for a long time and made some adjustments to some overly idealized terms, richard immediately decided to implement them. he had people copy these rules again and put them on the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. at the same time, he sent people to explain the contents to the residents. when the residents heard the lord created this plan, they immediately became interested. after they heard the contents and the lord¡¯s intentions, they immediately felt excited. ¡°gods above, do i? do i have the chance to learn how to read?¡± a middle-aged man in his forties with a face filled with vicissitudes of life widened his eyes in disbelief. literacy represents invaluable knowledge.it is incomparably precious knowledge! and knowledge was exclusive to the nobles. most ordinary people couldn¡¯t even afford a single book, not to mention having to be taught by a teacher after studying, and having to advance to learn even more profound knowledge¡­ in the ¡°shining era,¡± this wasn¡¯t something ordinary people could afford. ¡°and now, me, a lowly commoner from a slave background, could also get this opportunity?¡± when the young man in charge of the lecture heard this, he immediately shouted. ¡°that¡¯s right. you can! ¡°this is what the lord has personally said. he wants everyone in twilight city to be able to read! he wants to pass on his knowledge to everyone in the territory. ¡°from now on, every night at 8 pm, the lord will send a special teacher here to teach everyone the most basic words.¡± after he received a positive answer, the surrounding crowd was in an uproar. ¡°long live the lord!!¡± ¡°praise the gods, praise the lord!¡± ¡°this is simply unbelievable¡­¡± the crowd continued to throw and exclaim expressions of praise and gratitude to the lord. no matter what world it was, knowledge was eternally sublime. and it had some sacred attributes. and in the ¡°shining era,¡± this sacred attribute had increased countless times because nobles monopolized it for a long time. the central news was literacy for all staff first. others seemed much more typical. however, it was especially shocking to the workers in the relevant industries. especially the rule of the seminar, which made them even more dumbfounded. ¡°could such cooking skills be brought out to be discussed with each other?¡± ¡°what if others taught one?¡± under normal circumstances, other than apprentices who could learn some skills, most people were very secretive about their proficiency. they were intensely afraid others would learn. because if others learned it, they might not have any food to eat. it was a highly pragmatic and cruel problem. but now, the lord had broken this rule. not only that, but he also had to organize the old master¡¯s experience into books for everyone to read. ¡°didn¡¯t this mean we could also learn other people¡¯s profound skills and rich experiences?¡± for a moment, anxiety and anticipation imbued their hearts. they were worried that they might hand over their skills, hoping that they would be able to learn other people¡¯s strapping skills¡­ although some residents did not understand and were confused, with 90 points of popular support, they would still support richard even if they did not understand. the benefits of high popular support allowed him to achieve twice the result with half the effort. when richard issued the order, everyone would starkly carry it out without taking away any part. perhaps, this was the ideal state every lord wanted ¡ª to be able to carry out orders without any restrictions. unfortunately, not everyone seizes the opportunity like richard to raise the popular support of the territory. most players would lose their popular support when the number of residents increased. with too many people and too many hands, it was easy to create chaos. twilight city was in the depths of the desert, isolated from the world. because there were too few residents, richard had enough time to exhaust the new residents. the addition of new residents did not cause the hearts of the people in the territory to drop. from a certain point of view, this is one of the few perks and benefits of the desert. under richard¡¯s will, every industry quickly set up its seminars. the blacksmiths had workshops for blacksmiths, the tailors had workshops for tailors,the architects had workshops for architects¡­ even wineries and food workshops had to reflect on what kind of garbage they had developed. during the blacksmith workshop, adele shared her experiences. the experience of the master blacksmith was so valuable to the rookies that they eagerly absorbed it. but most of them couldn¡¯t take notes because they couldn¡¯t read. some of them couldn¡¯t remember or miss something. they were so anxious that they scratched their heads. after they suffered a loss, they realized the importance of literacy, which led to an increase in the number of people attending literacy classes at night. during the day, workers worked. they gather in the square at night to gradually learn to read. every three to five days, they would hold relevant seminars to share their experiences. during the past few days, the most discussed topic on the road was how many words they had learned during the day. who could not write their name¡­ under these few decrees, twilight city began to embark on another path of development they had never imagined. richard, who made the plan, could not say for sure what the results would be. but from the residents¡¯ perspective, it was clear that the results were not bad. Chapter 216 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation july 10. a tired caravan slowly moved forward in the scorching desert on the expansive yellow sand. two front leaders at this time rode their camel shoulder to shoulder. jonah thorin looked at onyx with a frown. ¡°are we truly close? you said the same thing a week ago¡­¡± !! onyx brushed the sand off his face and took out the magic map to take a look. ¡°if we didn¡¯t encounter that terrifying sandstorm five days ago, we would have arrived a long time ago¡­¡± as onyx spoke, his face revealed some worry. ¡°let¡¯s hope twilight city survived this sandstorm.¡± jonah was a little anxious when he heard this. ¡°that sandstorm was so fierce, which weak territory would withstand it??¡± he roared as he spoke. ¡°it¡¯s all that damned lord¡¯s fault!! if he didn¡¯t deceive my daughter, how could adele be in danger!? ¡°when i see that damned lord today, i will surely show him what pain is!¡± when jonah thorin thought about the grievances he had suffered on the road this month, he was furious. why would he make this trip if it wasn¡¯t for that young lord? moreover, a weak territory with only a few dozen people in the troop wasn¡¯t worthy of his daughter¡¯s support! it was simply a slap to his face! he slapped the back of the bactrian camel hard with anger which caused it to speed up. onyx felt helpless when he saw this. he felt exhausted dealing with this idiot. when he looked at the territory at the end of his sight line, he could only pray twilight city did not suffer too much damage from the storm a few days ago. he waved his hand and told everyone to speed up. ****** ¡°lord, we¡¯ve detected a caravan approaching twilight city.¡± ¡°there¡¯s a phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce on the flag.¡± at the lord¡¯s mansion, richard looked at the dark gargoyle while it reported the caravan information and was pleasantly surprised. after he waited, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce finally arrived. in an instant, he imagined the scene of heaps of rolling wealth entered into his account. however, after he returned to his senses, he still asked vigilantly. ¡°how¡¯s the strength of that caravan?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not very strong. it can¡¯t pose a threat to us¡­ ¡°there¡¯s no need to stop them. the sky has already turned dark, and the hunting troops will return soon.¡± ¡°let them enter the territory. inform karu to bring those merchants to see me after he made arrangements.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± ****** the blurred buildings in the distance gradually became clear. the exhausted caravan immediately became excited. everyone subconsciously increased their speed. onyx saw people still walked outside twilight city, and his mood immediately soared. ¡°praise the gods, lord richard¡¯s territory is still there!¡± although he did not know how much damage that sandstorm had caused to that small territory, at least it had not starkly destroyed this territory. he said with a firm tone. ¡°this time, no matter what, we have to make lord richard leave this petrifying desert and return to solan city with us. ¡°this kind of place is not suitable for living. ¡°i don¡¯t want the yellow sand to bury a treasure like desert crown honey.¡± he only had this plan before. but the sandstorm he encountered a few days ago made him starkly moved. it was already the second sandstorm he had encountered in the past few months. two months ago, the caravan that returned from the other end of the death desert suffered heavy losses. they would have suffered heavy losses again if not for the unique strategic treasure the lord had bestowed upon them. this desert was too dangerous. jonah thorin¡¯s anger grew even more intense after he distinctly saw twilight city. ¡°hmph! this kind of territory doesn¡¯t even have a city wall. let alone a sandstorm. even a few wild beasts can trample it to the ground! ¡°i honestly don¡¯t know where that lord has the confidence to make adele submit to him.¡± as he spoke, he laughed coldly. ¡°moreover, even if adele defected to him, would he be able to take out the things that adele needs to forge for him? ¡°this kind of territory can nurture a special-level blacksmith?!¡± which special-level blacksmith wasn¡¯t nurtured by several resources? this territory occupied an area that wasn¡¯t even as big as the residential area of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s employees. in jonah¡¯s belief, it was simply a joke. onyx immediately felt a headache when he heard this. but in the end, he still wanted to save some face. he didn¡¯t want this guy to embarrass richard. although he didn¡¯t want to reason with this muscular man whose muscles shrouded his brain, he still tried to persuade him tactfully. ¡°sir jonah, no matter what, it was still miss adele¡¯s choice. ¡°if miss adele is fine, i hope you won¡¯t make things difficult for lord richard. ¡°after all, he saved my life. at the same time, i will also invite him to solan city. you might see each other more often in the future.¡± jonah looked at onyx¡¯s pleading gaze and remained unmoved. he snorted coldly. ¡°that will depend on the specific situation of that young lord!¡± ¡°if anyone has wronged adele here, i said that i would personally use a hammer to smash everyone¡¯s head in this territory! ¡°that lord is no exception!¡± this damned barbarian was even more unreasonable than the dwarves. onyx swallowed hard and instantly lost interest in talking. he turned around and ordered his guards to stop jonah if he went crazy. the caravan of more than a hundred people arrived at the territory when the sun sank into the yellow sand. onyx did not bring people directly into the territory. he got off the camel from outside. he asked the guards to tie the camel properly and wait for his order. Chapter 217 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation this was basic courtesy. how could he ride a camel and run around in someone else¡¯s territory without permission? but jonah thorin scoffed at this. how could such a territory be worthy of his respect? while they rode their camels, onyx took the lead and directly entered the territory. he immediately had a headache. to prevent any accidents, he immediately had two guards chase the barbarian into the territory with him. after jonah thorin entered the street, he saw buildings piled up everywhere. many people carried wooden blocks or stones with dirt on their faces. !! it seemed that they were no different from other territories that enslaved the residents to do manual labor. he glanced around and saw a few familiar faces. this made him furious. ¡°that lord must have enslaved these residents and forced them to work!¡± he had seen this kind of scene too many times! just as he was about to lose his temper, a resident that carried stones saw jonah thorin riding a camel and immediately shouted excitedly. ¡°lord jonah!!¡± this cry attracted the attention of many people. soon, various residents gathered around. these people were all companions who had followed jonah thorin across the desert to avoid the war. when they saw jonah who had been missing for more than two months, was fine, they were extremely excited. two months ago, this was the leader they had relied on. if it wasn¡¯t for that detestable sandstorm, perhaps, they would still be following each other. ¡°lord jonah, thank the gods you¡¯re still alive! ¡°miss adele is in the territory. i¡¯ll go get her for you! ¡°praise the gods. i didn¡¯t expect to see you again¡­¡± jonah was dumbfounded. he looked at the familiar figures and became excited. he then turned around and got off the camel¡¯s back. he then hugged the people around him warmly. he finally regained his senses after he got excited about a while. when he saw the residents around him stained with fines of dust due to their work, he immediately shouted in anger. ¡°i¡¯ve already settled down in solan city!¡± ¡°everyone, pack your things and leave with me immediately. i¡¯ll take you all to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has already promised to help everyone arrange your work. ¡°this kind of territory is not worthy of my people from ironstone town staying behind! the more he spoke, the louder he became. ¡°even if you sign a contract to sell yourself to that evil lord, it will all be null and void. they should not oppress my companions. everyone is free!¡± jonah had initially imagined everyone would respond to his appearance as the savior. however, it was unexpected. after he said that, the lively scene just now seemed to have pressed the pause button. there was silence. everyone looked at jonah in a daze. there was a strange look in their eyes. that expression was as if they stared blankly at¡­ a fool. the surrounding residents were all stunned. ¡°they¡­heard that, right?¡± let them go? after they had experienced so much suffering, life finally got better. let them go? this was worse than killing them. moreover, what kind of lord was oppressing them? ¡®was there a better territory than twilight city in this world?¡¯ ¡®was there a better lord than lord richard?¡¯ ¡®has the sandstorm filled lord jonah¡¯s head with sand?¡¯ jonah thought that these residents were afraid of the lord. so, he roared angrily. ¡°you don¡¯t have to be afraid!! that damned lord would never dare to stop you from leaving! ¡°i will smash his head with a hammer if he bullies the residents of my ironstone town! ¡°who would dare to stop my ironstone town people in such a weak territory?!¡± as soon as he finished speaking. suddenly, the sky darkened. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ a gigantic dragon, without any flesh or blood on its body, flew across the sky. its bones were as clear as red crystals. its gigantic body gave off an intense visual impact. the paralyzing dragon emitted horror-stricken might that made people tremble. jonah raised his head and was shocked when he saw this scene. ¡®undead dragon?? ¡®how could there be such a high-level undead here? ¡®are they here to attack this territory??¡¯ just as jonah was about to react¡­ he suddenly saw a black mass of gargoyles fly over the sky. several mummies also rode on the gargoyles. this made him freeze. with so many troops, let alone him, even the entire caravan came for nothing. he subconsciously lowered his body and nervously looked at the troops in the sky. after he waited for a while, he realized that the troops ignored him and directly landed in the territory. he was bewildered. ¡°what was going on?¡± he turned his head and looked at the surrounding residents whose expressions did not change much. he suddenly felt enormously awkward. ¡°those soldiers, are they from this territory?¡± the middle-aged man who was the first to call out to jonah nodded his head as if it was a matter of course. he did not feel anything strange at all. ¡°these troops went out to hunt. they return to the territory at dusk.¡± jonah dared to speak. suddenly, they could hear the sound of footsteps. several mummy troops surged into the territory from behind. there were mummies wrapped in bandages, monsters with scorpion bodies and two iron pincers, and warriors with battle axes and chains tied to their hands. he even saw mechanical puppets that were up to five meters tall¡­ after hundreds of soldiers entered the territory. he did not return to his senses. suddenly, the ground shook. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ it was as if someone hit the ground with a battering ram. when jonah felt the gazes of the surrounding moving people, he subconsciously turned his head to look outside the territory. he saw a terrifying giant tree dozens of meters tall, with no leaves but a tree trunk had slowly approached the territory. its aura sent chills down people¡¯s spines as if it were an evil being planted at the bottom of a bottomless abyss. Chapter 218 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation an indescribable fear welled up in his heart. he even subconsciously slowed down his breathing. fortunately, the evil giant tree stopped outside the territory. and then it slowly pulled roots in the earth. it seemed to be the most loyal guard that protected the territory. jonah focused his eyes and saw hundreds of buzzing wasps on the top of the tree. the wasps emitted sounds from a very close distance. !! he was starkly dumbfounded and looked at the residents with a dry mouth. ¡°this, this is also a troop of this territory?¡± his tone slightly trembled. the other party nodded. he said with a hint of worship. ¡°this is the god¡¯s ancient tree that the lord personally conquered. ¡°did you see the poisonous wasps on that big tree? they are rare species. they said there are mostly a few hundred thousand of them¡­ ¡°lord karu said that the god¡¯s evil ancient tree goes fishing a few kilometers away every day. it came back quite early today.¡± jonah was in a mess. ¡®could anyone conquer this kind of monster?? ¡®and what the hell was fishing? ¡®were there fishes in the desert to catch?¡¯ and this kind of terrifying aura, why did it feel like it would be a waste for him to send a large troop forward? shame instantly impregnated his face when he thought about how he had wanted to flatten this territory. ¡®f*ck! just this giant tree alone could take ten of my life. flatten it, flatten it with a hammer.¡¯ at this moment, onyx had also come to jonah¡¯s side. when he heard the conversation between the two, he opened his mouth, wanting to say something. but onyx could not say anything. the resident looked at the dumbfounded jonah and seemed to have thought of something. he warned him solemnly. ¡°lord jonah, although i understand that you want to help us. this is twilight city. i absolutely won¡¯t allow you to slander my lord! ¡°as for what you said about leaving this city with you, do not mention this anymore. ¡°twilight city is the best city i¡¯ve ever seen in all the territories! ¡°this is our home! ¡°no single noble can oppress, bully, enslave us. i don¡¯t even dare to think i could become a member of twilight city in this lifetime.¡± as the resident spoke, his gaze became more solemn. ¡°lord jonah, you were our leader in the past. and you led us forward. ¡°but now, we¡¯re a member of twilight city, and the lord is our ruler. i won¡¯t allow anyone to say anything adverse about twilight city in this territory. ¡°please have some self-respect.¡± jonah suddenly felt a heavy hammer strike his heart ten thousand times. he looked at this old friend of his who had known him for more than ten years with his mouth agape. ¡®what right did this territory have? ¡®how long had it been, and why had my old friend changed a lot?¡¯ he wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. his old friend had said it so seriously. what else could he say? the resident sighed in his heart and bowed slightly to jonah. then, he picked up the building materials on the ground and went to work in high spirits. the others did the same. after they bowed, they continued to do their things. the troops surrounded just a moment ago. but in the blink of an eye, they all had gone. jonah was still at a loss for words. when onyx saw this scene, onyx didn¡¯t know what to say. he could only pat jonah on the shoulder to comfort him. jonah returned to his senses and immediately went to the blacksmith shop not far away under the guidance of a resident. it didn¡¯t matter if the others didn¡¯t want to go with him. as long as adele was there, it was enough. when jonah arrived at the blacksmith shop, adele, who had received the news of her father¡¯s arrival, rushed downstairs. when she saw that familiar figure, her eyes immediately turned red. her crystal-clear tears left long traces of tears. she quickly walked forward and shouted with excitement and grievance. ¡°father¡­¡± jonah looked at his daughter¡¯s grievance and his heart almost melted. ¡°adele, don¡¯t cry. don¡¯t cry! i¡¯m here to pick you up. ¡°how have you been lately? are you hurt?¡± adele cried and laughed. ¡°i¡¯m fine. this place is fine. i¡¯m just too happy to see you¡­ jonah didn¡¯t believe her. his anger rose again when he looked at his daughter¡¯s appearance. ¡°did that damn lord trick you into staying? ¡°i don¡¯t know what drug that lord gave the others. i asked them to return to solan city with me, but they weren¡¯t willing! ¡°hmph! this kind of territory, although it¡¯s fine now, sandstorm would instantly submerge this city as long it encounters one.¡± when adele heard this, she stopped crying and shook her head. ¡°father, lord richard is very kind to me. he didn¡¯t lie to me, and i stayed here voluntarily.¡± jonah angrily said, ¡°that¡¯s not important. pack your things and leave this place with me. i¡¯ve already helped you find a suitable job at the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°they are willing to treat you as a special-level blacksmith.¡± as he spoke, he became excited again. ¡°with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s abundant resources, they can upgrade you to a special-level blacksmith in a year at most¡­¡± adele was stunned for a moment before she revealed a brilliant smile. ¡°father, i might have made the same choice as the others.¡± jonah¡¯s heart thumped as he had a bad premonition. sure enough, what the other party said next made him feel as if he had received 10,000 points of true damage. ¡°i¡¯m now a member of twilight city, and i won¡¯t leave.¡± jonah¡¯s face instantly stiffened. no, won¡¯t leave?! ten thousand question marks congested in his mind. ¡®why? why are all of them like this?!¡¯ forget about the others¡­ ¡®why would adele stay here?¡¯ ¡°adele, do you know what you¡¯re saying? ¡°you¡¯re one step away from being promoted to special-level blacksmith. your stay here will only delay you!¡± Chapter 219 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°the bloodline of our thorin family can only be activated when we become a special-level blacksmith. ¡°once the bloodline is activated, not only can we have greater power, but we can also have a lifespan several times longer than humans¡­¡± adele laughed. ¡°but father, i¡¯m already a special-level blacksmith.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care what reason you have, you¡­ hmm? you, what did you say??¡± !! jonah suddenly froze. his eyes widely sparked as he stared at adele. adele¡¯s smile grew brighter. ¡°father, i¡¯m already a special-level blacksmith.¡± as she spoke, a remarkable power rose from her body. at this moment, the bloodline in his body revealed its aura at the same time. jonah was exceedingly stunned. ¡°the aura of the thorin family¡¯s bloodline¡­ has it truly been fully activated!!¡± while he listened to her sweet flower-like voice, he instantly went crazy. ¡°but¡­ but how have you become a special-level blacksmith??¡± ¡°it¡¯s only been two months!! how can this shabby territory satisfy the resources you need to become a special-level blacksmith? ¡°which special-level blacksmith couldn¡¯t only advance after forging a large number of high-level equipment. ¡°this territory doesn¡¯t even have a city wall! ¡°wasn¡¯t this a joke?¡± however, there was no way adele¡¯s aura could be fake. dilemma instantly caught him. then, he seemed to have thought of something and said excitedly. ¡°this must be because of your outstanding talent! i knew it! my daughter isn¡¯t someone ordinary people can compare to!¡± adele shook her head and interrupted his fantasy. ¡°lord richard provided me with various resources. so, i became a special-level blacksmith.¡± adele became a little excited as she spoke. ¡°lord richard even gave me a 4-stars equipment blueprint. unfortunately, it¡¯s too difficult. i still need to study it for a while before i can forge it¡­¡± she took out the blueprint from her bosom and gestured as she spoke. then, she seemed to have thought of something and hurriedly put it away. ¡°i almost forgot. father, are you from twilight city? i can¡¯t let you see it.¡± ¡®four-stars equipment?¡¯ jonah was slightly in a daze. the top-tier treasure blueprint was a rare-level treasure even in the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. even he, who had not joined for a time, could not come into contact with it. now, twilight city lord is giving the blueprint to a blacksmith who had just advanced? ¡®what kind of treatment was this?¡¯ ¡°lord onyx¡­¡± adele wiped her tears. only then did she remember there were others. she immediately invited him in embarrassment. ¡°you were supposed to tell father about me, correct? it¡¯s been hard on you. come in and have a seat. have some tea.¡± onyx shook his head. ¡°i won¡¯t participate in your father-daughter reunion. i still have to go and request to see lord richard.¡± when she heard this, adele did not force him. after a few polite words, she happily brought jonah into the blacksmith shop. jonah suppressed the disgust in his heart and prepared to go upstairs to have a good chat about what was going on. but just as he was about to step up the stairs, he suddenly saw a 15 meters tall extraordinary hunter in the backyard through the half-open back door. as a top-tier blacksmith who was just one step away from becoming a special-level blacksmith. his eyesight beamed outstandingly. he stopped in his tracks instantly. he pointed at the mechanical puppet in the backyard with a shocked tone. he said with a trembling voice. ¡°what¡­ what is that?¡± adele was shocked and quickly closed the door. ¡°lord richard didn¡¯t agree to let outsiders study it.¡± she said with embarrassment. ¡°that¡¯s a mechanical puppetlord richard especially left for me to study.¡± ¡°especially left for you to study?¡± jonah felt like he had received a tremendous shock. although it was only a fleeting moment, he was extremely sure that it was a mechanical puppet made by a master who was countless times stronger than him. the essence was to deal with the materials to maximize their performance, although quite a distance separated the blacksmith and the mechanical puppet. he knew the value of this mechanical puppet better than adele. ¡®if one would place it in the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, it would probably be locked in the most heavily guarded treasure vault. ¡®not to mention placing it in the backyard for research, even a glance at it would require an application. ¡®but for such a precious treasure, that lord just let adele casually study it in the backyard? ¡®what the hell kind of treatment was this? ¡®was this still an unremarkable territory built in the desert?¡¯ he felt some of his ideas collapsed¡­ Chapter 220 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation lord¡¯s mansion. the big-bellied onyx looked at the handsome figure in front of him. he respectfully saluted with his hands on his chest. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s been two months¡­¡± the other party saved his life. he was indeed excited this time after a long time. it¡¯s been a long trip. !! richard smiled and was in a good mood, too. the arrival of the other party meant that twilight city¡¯s trade was finally about to start. ¡°long time no see onyx. did you have a smooth journey?¡± onyx stood up after he saluted and shook his head repeatedly. ¡°when i went back, desert bandits attacked me again. fortunately, another caravan of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was not far away that time.¡± ¡°when i came, i encountered a terrifying sandstorm a week ago.¡± he smiled bitterly as he spoke. he would have suspected that a goddess of misfortune had blessed him if he hadn¡¯t been able to escape death every time. otherwise, how could he have been so unlucky during this time? due to the terrain, they would form a relatively safer route in the desert. the fact that the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce could cross the deadly desert to do business meant they had found a safe route. for example, twilight city was definitely in a dangerous area. if it weren¡¯t for the previous storm and the desert crown honey, he wouldn¡¯t have come here a second time. it was too much of a persuasion. only then did richard remember that last week seemed to be the storm week. however, with him around, no matter how fierce the sandstorm was, it would still go around twilight city. one of the characteristics of the desert ruler¡¯s talent was to make the sandstorm not invade the territory. an overbearing stroke. after onyx sighed with emotion, he immediately collected his mind and got down to business. ¡°lord richard, after i brought desert crown honey back to solan city, it attracted the president¡¯s attention.¡± richard immediately perked up and looked at the other party with a burning gaze. ¡°what is the attitude of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce?¡± onyx said excitedly. ¡°after the president tasted it, he is willing to buy it in full.¡± he added. ¡°buy as much as you can!¡± the wealthy phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had the confidence and strength to say this. richard¡¯s gaze was like a knife when he stared at the other party. ¡°what price can the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce offer?¡± because resources could recruit soldiers, the transactions between aborigines were currency-based resources. among the resources, gold coins had always been the main currency for ordinary goods transactions because of their small size and light weight. and the transactions of top-tier items were usually based on rare resources ¡ª gemstones, crystals, and other higher-value items as currency. of course, barter was usual. it all depended on one¡¯s choice. ¡°yes,¡± onyx said. ¡°the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce is willing to pay 100 gemstones per unit.¡± ¡°one hundred gemstones?¡± richard frowned slightly. he had never been to solan city before. and he had no direct contact with the outside world on the main plane. richard was currently in a closed state. he didn¡¯t know the market price. so he couldn¡¯t determine whether the price was low or high. although he could get a lot of information from the players¡¯ forums, he didn¡¯t know how vast the main dimension was. one region was different from another, so it was impossible to generalize. he felt helpless thinking of this. he made up his mind. after he finished his work, he would surely make a trip to solan city. when onyx saw that richard was silent, he said anxiously. ¡°lord richard, i swear by the god of merchants that this price is starkly fair.¡± ¡°in solan city, a bottle of good alchemy potion can only be sold for ten units of gemstones.¡± ¡°desert crown honey is a consumable. each unit is 100 gemstones. only the great nobles can afford it¡­¡± richard did not say anything. he nodded to karu, who had been silent the whole time. and the latter turned around and left the hall. a moment later, he returned with two maids holding trays. an intensely remarkable fragrance began to spread as the two entered the room. onyx smelled that familiar scent and felt his saliva secreted crazily in his mouth. gulp! even though he tried his best to suppress the sound of swallowing saliva. it was exceptionally distinct in the quiet room. a handmaiden stepped forward and slowly lifted the wooden cover on the tray. that incomparably rich fragrance gushed out once again. ¡°try it.¡± onyx had some strange movements. he wanted to pretend to decline, but when he saw the honey sparkle in the porcelain bowl, he immediately swallowed his words. in any case, lord richard did not lack this bit of honey. his bottle had been taken away by the president. as his thoughts surged, he picked up the bowl. ¡®gulp! gulp! gulp! gulp!¡¯ the taste buds in his mouth instantly exploded, and he had a graceful feeling. it was a peerless delicacy. as he drank, he felt as if the price was lower¡­ after he finished drinking, onyx¡¯s expression suddenly changed slightly. he looked at richard and said in surprise. ¡°i feel my physical strength is recovering rapidly, and another kind of power¡­ is restoring magic power?¡± richard nodded. ¡°the quality of the honey supplied will all be of such quality, and it will even be better in the future.¡± onyx took a deep breath and said decisively. ¡°in that case, we are willing to buy it at 200 gemstones per unit!¡± the price immediately doubled. a miniature rare-level resource vein only had 100 units of reserves, and they needed to send people to mine for more than a month. a unit of honey could buy the reserves of two miniature rare-level mineral veins. Chapter 221 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation he then added another sentence. ¡°several alchemy potions in solan city are more effective than desert crown honey, but the price is not more than 100 units of gemstones.¡± solan city was not a small city. as a prodigious city on the brink of death, it developed various industries. no shortage of alchemy potions could restore stamina and magic power. what onyx valued more was the unconquerable taste of desert crown honey. after he combined the two, he could make such a high price. !! richard began to ponder. he currently had one main hive and six secondary hives. the minimum yield of the main hive was 15 units per week. if there was enough pollen, this could increase to 20 or even 30 units per week. six secondary hives, a fixed yield of 10 units per week, made up 60 units. the weekly output would be around 80 to 90 units if he added them up. he could exchange one unit for 200 units of rare resources. and 80 units would be 16,000 units. four weeks in a month, a total of 64,000 units¡­ even if a portion were left, there would still be 40,000 to 50,000 rare resources in the account every month. moreover, richard could still upgrade desert crown honey, and its output could continue to increase in the future. it was ultimately good news for twilight city, which is supremely short on resources. richard¡¯s mood improved a little. the tens of thousands of units of rare resources he had spent were all obtained after he completed high-difficulty missions. to attack the dark temple and assume the scarlet council eldership was a nearly-death encounter. he had even died before. it was because he had a regeneration skill that he survived. the only thing easy was probably the gemstone he had obtained from the magic puppet in the ancient ruins. however, a level-18 fire elemental lord had also attacked him and almost died. he obtained everything at significant risk. none of them was easy. however, the desert crown honey was different. they would not be uprooted as long as he protected these bees from the enemy. they could produce a fixed amount of honey every week. they could earn money while they lay down. that was comfortable. sure enough, the future of farming was bright. richard looked at him meaningfully. ¡°onyx, i will go to solan city soon. ¡°don¡¯t hide the price of the desert crown honey from me.¡± onyx said frankly. ¡°lord richard, we have to earn a part of the profit from buying the desert crown honey from you, but it is not from lowering the price. ¡°so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. the price i offer is surely higher than the price you can sell desert crown honey in solan city.¡± richard looked at him for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. ¡°i can sell you 200 units now.¡± he added. ¡°but some of them are ordinary quality honey that you sent back before, and only some are high-quality honey. ¡°in the future, we will trade all the honey of high quality. ¡°we can trade 200 units per month.¡± although the food workshop is currently closed, it will restart soon. selling desert crown honey directly is expensive. they still needed to develop higher-quality products to obtain higher value-added. onyx nodded happily. ¡°lord richard, to show our sincerity, i¡¯m willing to buy all of them at the price of high-quality honey.¡± richard accepted with a smile. this way, 16,000 units of rare resources would be in his account. he was also somewhat moved. it was more than what he had gained from risking his life. it was the way to get rich. richard signaled the maid beside him to bring up the second item after they settled with the first deal. when he opened the wooden cover, a white robe with golden edges appeared in the air. onyx looked at richard in confusion. ¡®robe? ¡®this thing was suitable for their trade?¡¯ ¡°forget about the robe in solan city. it is easy to produce even the luxurious clothes that kings wear.¡± richard smiled. ¡°try it on.¡± onyx reluctantly picked it up and put it on without taking off his own. however, the ordinary yellow sand robe bulged due to his big belly. it somehow added a sense of humor. onyx looked at the maids¡¯ strange eyes around him and felt a little hot. just when he wondered what richard was thinking, his face suddenly changed. in such a hot environment, the unfit clothes tightly wrapped around his body didn¡¯t make him feel stuffy. even after a few breaths, a crisp feeling came over him. it was like he soaked in a cave¡¯s flowing cool water. his entire body was elegant and graceful, and he felt incomparably comfortable from head to toe. ¡°wonderful¡­¡± after a long time, onyx finally returned to his senses. he caressed the sleeve of the robe lovingly. he could not hide the surprise that lingered in his eyes. ¡°good stuff! good stuff!!¡± after he carefully sensed it, his expression changed again. ¡°can it also recover physical strength and magic power?¡± he looked at richard with enormously summery eyes. ¡°lord richard, how many more of these treasures are there?! i want all of them!!¡± the hot weather could kill one while traveling in the desert. he felt splendid if he hadn¡¯t experienced the robe before. but after he tried it on, he didn¡¯t want to take it off no matter how bad it was. he had to buy one for himself no matter how expensive this treasure was. it was ultimately a peerless blessing for people who often traveled in the desert! after he said that, he seemed to have thought of something, and his breathing hastened. ¡°lord richard, could twilight city mass produce this robe?¡± this lord would not have brought this out in such a grand manner knowing his personality if not for the mass production. as richard¡¯s thoughts spun, his eyes became brighter. this was ultimately not inferior to desert crown honey. no, it was even more valuable than desert crown honey! if he did not eat the desert crown honey, he would mostly not be able to enjoy this delicacy. however, this robe could avoid the high temperature that caused pain. he had only heard that the top-tier equipment those big shots in solan city made would have this characteristic. however, he had never seen it before. moreover, it was impossible to promote such a level of treasure. many people could not afford it. the robe onyx wore had 2-stars energy fluctuation. what did this mean? lower production cost, lower price. it could be promoted on a large scale! onyx sensed the endless business opportunities contained in the robe. if it were as he thought, the president would probably reward him with a manor in the solan city center. richard looked at the other party¡¯s excited expression. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. sure enough, a finished product with high added value was more attractive. if it was only the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit, it might temp the other party. but he wouldn¡¯t be so excited. moreover, the price would ultimately be greatly reduced. while richard was determined to develop a superior finished product of desert crown honey, he looked at onyx with a smile. this time, if he didn¡¯t kill him, he would be sorry for lucy¡¯s hard work. Chapter 222 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard made up a story with a serious face. ¡°this robe is a specialty of twilight city. it composes of 128 kinds of subtle materials.and it is highly costly to produce. ¡°it has strapping characteristics. first, it can absorb heat and keep the body cool when it is hot. ¡°even under the heat of the desert, it¡¯s like bathing in the mountain cool spring water. ¡°second, it can release heat when it¡¯s cold. so the wearer can maintain the most comfortable state at all times. !! ¡°even if ice and snow surround the outside, it¡¯s like being in a warm room with red charcoal fire. ¡°third, because of the additional magic materials, it has the strapping characteristics of recovering stamina and mana. ¡°this is the production blueprint we obtained from the ancient ruins. ¡°in the ¡°shining era¡±, this was the most beloved robe of the ruler of the death desert. its name was the crown robe.¡± when onyx heard the first part of the sentence, he was excited. the last part of the sentence made the corner of his mouth twitch. did he say that on the desert crown honey? but he didn¡¯t care. they might hire someone to make up a few more perfect stories if they worked together. otherwise, how could they sell it at a high price? ¡°lord richard, how¡¯s the production of the crown robe?¡± it was onyx¡¯s most concern. it would tremendously reduce the value if there were only three or five pieces. richard didn¡¯t respond immediately. he began to think carefully. at present, the fire dragon rabbits still multiply rapidly. next month, the number would reach hundreds. and for every yellow sand robe, it would take about five fire dragon rabbits to shed their fur. they would produce a conservative estimate of 50 to 80 yellow sand robes the following month. the only thing that worried him was what the desert gnome said ¡ª after the fire dragon rabbits multiplied to a certain extent, they would gradually stop and maintain a specific number. 2 it would have an enormous impact on his plans. ¡°because production is difficult and materials are scarce, the current production of the crown robe is limited.¡± ¡°starting next month, it is estimated that they can produce 50 pieces monthly.¡± onyx heaved a sigh of relief. although it was much less than he had imagined, they could still operate 50 pieces. there would not be a few pieces left that they could not continuously export. richard slowly came to a realization when he looked at onyx¡¯s reaction. he had always thought that the land of ice and snow was the honest buyer of the yellow sand robe. and he still thought about when he should go there. however, the heat resistance of the yellow sand robe made it extremely practical in the desert. it also had a vast market. it didn¡¯t necessarily mean to sell it in the cold area. at this moment, he thought about letting lucy develop a robe for the desert. moreover, there was no need to add any mana or physical recovery. just the heat resistance alone was enough. if he thought about it carefully, he would realize that this was ultimately a substantial market. richard¡¯s eyes radiated luminosity. the three treasures of planet blue¡¯s summer appeared in his mind ¡ª wifi, watermelon, and air-conditioning. he could not create wifi in this world anymore. he didn¡¯t know if there were watermelons or not. it would be fine if he did not have the first two. it would be distinct how popular it would be if they could create a walking air-conditioner. it could cause a sensation even if they brought it to planet blue. who could refuse to wear an air-conditioner to go out and have fun? and not only that, would lucy be able to develop corresponding clothes for various climates in the future? when he thought this way, the tailor shop had raw materials production¡¯s unlimited potential with such powerful properties as the flame dragon rabbit. ¡°lord richard, do you have a price for the crown robe?¡± onyx¡¯s words interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. richard revived from his quick siesta and smiled. ¡°onyx, what do you think the value of the crown robe would be?¡± onyx took a deep breath and shrunk the tight stomach of the clothes. after he felt his body was not as stretched as before, he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°1,000 units of gemstones per piece¡­¡± richard raised his eyebrows. ¡°not enough.¡± onyx hurriedly said. ¡°i¡¯m talking about the deposit. i¡¯ll need to take the exact price back to solan city before i can confirm it.¡± richard then nodded. the fire dragon rabbit fur¡¯s production was limited. so it had to take the high-end route. it¡¯s impossible to be low-end at the low-end. only the nobles could make bucks of money. ¡°i¡¯ve already ordered people to produce it overnight. when you go back, you can take 10 pieces with you.¡± onyx nodded repeatedly. then, as if he had thought of something, he asked. ¡°lord richard, are there female-style clothes here?¡± ¡°noble ladies would surely love clothes that can resist the heat. the price will also be higher¡­¡± richard could not help but laugh. sure enough, no matter which world it was, the purchasing power of women was top-notch. ¡°you can talk to karu later and bring up all your requests.¡± onyx was too lazy to ask for too many details after richard set the general direction. how could he waste so much time on this? the atmosphere between the two traders became more harmonious after they settled the two substantial matters. after they chatted for a long time, a guard suddenly entered the mansion to report that adele and her father pleaded to see him. when richard heard this, he seemed to have thought of something, and his expression turned cold. he waved his hand and asked the guard to bring them in. after they entered the mansion, adele excitedly went up and bowed. ¡°lord richard.¡± as she spoke, she gestured to the burly figure beside her that made people suspect he had the bloodline of a giant. ¡°this is my father, jonah thorin. ¡°father, this is the lord of twilight city, lord richard¡­¡± it was the first time jonah thorin had seen the lord of this territory. when he entered the territory, this dispelled most of his initially despondent encounters in his heart. now that he saw richard, his emotions were very complicated. this was especially so after he gave so many good things to adele and allowed her to become a special-level blacksmith. this made his complicated feelings even more intricated. he even found the prodigious puppet in the backyard that made his heart waver. jonah immediately squeezed out a smile and said softly. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± as soon as he finished speaking, an extremely scared witless aura surged from the excessively young lord¡¯s body. everyone in the room at this moment seemed to see the surge of paralyzing sandstorm would engulf the world. everything dimmed under pressure. while jonah thorin faced the pressure, he felt like a mountain pressed on his head and cracked the floor beneath his feet. then, the tall and sturdy body began to bend under infinite pressure. finally, under everyone¡¯s gaze, it was like a massive rock squashed a piece of bamboo. he bent his knees and knelt, unable to endure the pressure anymore. two deep marks appeared on the floor. jonah thorin¡¯s face turned red, but he could not utter a single word. this suppressed the strength in his body, and an indescribable fear rose in his heart. the young lord¡¯s eyes were like those of a god that looked down on a lowly believer. as long as the young lord was willing, he could crush the other party¡¯s soul at any time. jonah¡¯s sense of hearing and smell¡­ the pressure stripped off all of his senses at this moment. in the prodigious living room, everyone around had disappeared without a trace. that figure with an indifferent expression occupied the entire world. bean-sized sweat dripped down jonah¡¯s forehead. how could that lord have such scare stiff force? the other party¡¯s level was not even higher than his¡­ at this moment, intense fear stuffed his eyes. the bold words he had said before he entered the territory in his mind ¡ª he wanted to flatten this territory. compared to the current situation, at this moment, shame and fear swept through his heart at the same time. just as he forcefully supported himself with his hands to prevent himself from lying on the ground under that pressure¡­ an indifferent voice sounded in his ears like a clap of thunder. ¡°when one travels livestock into twilight city without authorization and incites the residents to rebel in public. ¡°karu, according to the laws of twilight city, how do you deal with this?¡± another voice said flatly. ¡°fifty whips for the first crime and execution for the second¡­¡± ¡®execution?!¡¯ jonah thorin felt an indescribable sense of horror under the pressure of a sandstorm. at this moment, he even felt the gaze of death. he would die. he would ultimately die! that pair of indifferent eyes looked straight at him without speaking. the pressure he was under at this moment almost made him break down. he was like a toddler who had just learned how to walk and face the endless sandstorm that turns the world upside down. even at this moment, speaking was a luxury. the will in his heart rapidly collapses after that sentence of execution¡­ he vaguely heard another voice as if it was saying something. in the end, that pair of indifferent eyes fluctuated. he spoke slowly. ¡°your daughter, adele, is willing to exchange all her contributions for your life. but sin is a sin. the law does not forgive. drag him out and hang him in the desert for three days under the sun. whip him 1,000 times.¡± in that instant, the pressure dissipated. jonah thorin seemed to have come back to life at that moment. however, when he looked at the young man sitting on the main seat as if nothing had happened, the contempt in his heart had long been shattered, and fear replaced it. even though the city would punish him like this, he did not dare to say anything more at that moment. he could feel the cold attitude of the young lord. he would die if he dared to say anything more¡­ he looked at his daughter with shame and lowered his head. after the guards pulled jonah thorin out, richard looked at the unexpectedly calm adele. he asked curiously. ¡°don¡¯t go out and take a look.¡± adele shook her head. ¡°lord richard, i know my father¡¯s character better than you do. i should have let him suffer a great loss a long time ago.¡± ¡°it¡¯s normal to hang him for what he did in other territories¡­ no lord can tolerate outsiders trampling on the law in their territory.¡± he hesitated. ¡°this punishment won¡¯t affect the thorin family¡¯s bloodline.¡± ¡°how about another 1,000 lashes? i¡¯m afraid father won¡¯t learn his lesson after only 1,000 lashes¡­¡± the corners of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. it would probably hurt more than 1,000 lashes if that heard this. he waved his hand. ¡°i gave the order. there¡¯s no way to change it.¡± he said with a smile. ¡°twilight city has just made a few deals with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°next, there will be voluminous rare resources in the account. ¡°i¡¯ll have to trouble you for this time.¡± adele¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°my lord, it¡¯s not hard at all. i can use all the resources i have!¡± when richard saw the girl¡¯s excited expression, he inexplicably felt that he had asked for a low price in the transaction just now¡­ Chapter 223 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the two settled the deal for desert crown honey and yellow sand robes. richard received the most abundant resource ever ¡ª a total of 50,000 units of gems. forty thousand of these units were from the sale of 200 units of desert crown honey. ten thousand units of gems were the deposit for ten yellow sand robes. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce controlled several gemstone mines, so they had always liked to use gemstones to trade. !! richard was also quite helpless about this. so he could only ask to use other rare resources to trade next time. onyx naturally did not have any objections to this. with 50,000 units of gems in his bag, the data on his attribute panel instantly soared. he was in a good mood. however, he still had a few precious blueprints that required other rare resources to build. so, he could only postpone it for now. there was also a pity that when onyx left the last time, he asked the other party to bring some blueprints to trade. although onyx also brought a lot of architectural blueprints as he had hoped this time. but because it was too ordinary, he could buy it at will on the forum. so he didn¡¯t. the first transaction between the two parties came to an end. and both richard and onyx were satisfied with it. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce caravan stopped for a while. first, it was a tiring journey. and onyx wasn¡¯t in a hurry to return. second, he had to wait for ten yellow sand robes to finish. third, twilight city laws punished jonah thorin, hung him up, and had to wait three days before they could put him down. the following day, july 11. there was good news. they finished building the tailor¡¯s shop. richard was in high spirits and went to check it out. it was an indispensable source of income for twilight city. they built the tailor¡¯s shop not far from the blacksmith¡¯s shop and occupied four spaces. at this moment, a large group of aunties proudly looked at the two-story building in front of them. it was their confidence. these few days, after they told everyone how important richard was to the tailor shop, they heaped a sigh of relief. whether at home or outside, the respect they received had pronouncedly increased. they even coaxed lucy to the heavens, who brought them this good luck. when they saw richard arrive, a large group of people quickly bowed excitedly. ¡°good day, lord¡­¡± ¡°my lord¡­¡± greetings of respect and salute continued¡­ the commotion over here attracted many people. and when they saw this scene, they all revealed envious gazes. how could a group of menopausal aunties keep their mouths shut? not to mention such a proud matter, they naturally had to add fuel to the fire. therefore, less than a day later, the entire territory knew the tailor shop had made a substantial contribution. and that the lord had specially built a tailor shop for them. this naturally attracted the envy of many people. they also wanted to receive this kind of treatment. richard also found it funny when he saw this. it seemed that no matter which world it was, a group of aunties gathered together would be a gathering place for gossip. the morning sun aunties were a legendary organization. after richard waved them off, he looked at lucy. residents surrounded her in the center with flushed faces and with admiration. ¡°lucy, you¡¯ve done well in the past few days. ¡°especially the sharing session the day before yesterday. i heard from others that you won the applause of the entire hall. ¡°that¡¯s right. you should demonstrate your excellence to everyone. i¡¯ve always had great confidence in you. ¡°from now on, i¡¯ll leave the tailor shop to you. if you have any ideas, do boldly. don¡¯t feel pressured.¡± after he said that, she looked at lucy¡¯s mother. ¡°you help lucy with her work so she can study in peace. ¡°if you encounter problems that karu can¡¯t solve, you can come to me directly.¡± ¡°yes, my lord!¡± lucy¡¯s mother smiled enormously brightly and looked at the aunties around her with a rather proud expression. instantly, this attracted lemon spirits. richard nodded and looked at the shy girl. ¡°lucy, do you have anything to say?¡± the girl hesitated for a moment before she whispered under richard¡¯s encouraging gaze. ¡°lord richard, can we grow the materials to make the yellow sand robe ourselves?¡± other than the rabbit hair of the fire dragon rabbit, the yellow sand robe also had twelve kinds of desert plants to add to it. however, those plants were not rare. they were not everywhere in the desert but were easy to find. moreover, the current production was slim. was it too much of a worry to plant? when lucy looked at richard¡¯s bewilderment, she hurriedly explained. ¡°lord richard, the plants we got outside did not grow very well because of water and fertilizer scarcity. the quality is very different. ¡°if we need to mass produce in the future, there will inevitably be problems with the quality. ¡°if we can plant it ourselves, we can control the quality and produce better yellow sand robes in the future.¡± this eventually gratified richard. as expected, the hero unit was different from the ordinary residents. ¡°i will let karu do this. you can participate in it and make your request. the agriculture department will find a way to solve it.¡± when lucy heard such a straightforward answer, she immediately became happy. ¡°thank you for your trust, lord.¡± richard nodded and looked at the two-story high shop. ¡°is there anyone inside?¡± ¡°no, they¡¯re all waiting for you.¡± after he got the response, he asked the people around him to spread out a little. he opened his attribute panel and directly chose to upgrade it. twenty minutes later. the two-story building turned into a three-story building. from the outside, it looked magnificent, not inferior to a blacksmith¡¯s shop. [tailor¡¯s shop (4 spaces)] [level: advanced (level requires 5000 gold coins, 5000 units of wood, 5000 units of stone)] [characteristics: production efficiency of clothing increased by 30%.] [research and development: you can develop clothing with special attributes. currently, you can choose the free research and development mode (allow the hero to develop independently) and focus on the research and development mode (research and development for a specific size and style) [resident hero: lucy] [hero additional characteristics: increase the success rate of research and development by 15%. increase the attributes of the items produced by your research by 30%.] [capacity: minimum 2 people, maximum 30 people.] [description: the advanced tailor shop already has a certain level of extraordinary power.] this attribute was not bad. it was still satisfactory to richard, although lucy¡¯s bonus to the tailor shop was not comparable with adele¡¯s. after all, she was a hero grown up on her own. moreover, lucy was still underage, so there was still room for her to grow up. just as the group of aunties excitedly wanted to go in and looked at the upgraded blacksmith shop¡­ ¡°lord!!¡± suddenly, an urgent call interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. when he looked at the person who came, a young lad anxiously looked at him. he frowned slightly. ¡°what happened?¡± the young lad hurriedly said, ¡°lady xina is heavily injured. lord karu has asked me to report to you.¡± richard¡¯s expression changed. he immediately turned around and left. when he returned from the dungeon, xina had already left the territory for some time. these days, he had sent people to look for her, but there was no sign of her. she had finally returned, but the word ¡®heavily injured¡¯ made him frown. a large group of people surrounded the front on the other side of the territory. ¡°the lord is here. move aside!!¡± when the surrounding residents heard this, they immediately retreated to both sides. richard stepped forward and immediately saw a round-faced woman in her forties that held gauze to clean up xina¡¯s wounds while a little girl stirred the porcelain bowl in her hand with a wooden spoon. when he looked at the half-unconscious xina, his eyes instantly turned cold. scars of all sizes covered xina¡¯s body, and the leather armor on her body was almost in a bad shape. fresh blood dripped down through the cracks in her leather wallet, which made one¡¯s heart go numb. needless to say, she must have encountered an extremely horrifying battle. after the little girl melted the desert crown honey in the bowl, she half-squatted on the ground and slowly fed xina to drink it. she could still swallow it, although she was in a semi-coma. her breath instantly recovered a little after she swallowed a bowl of high-quality honey. he was no longer as if he could die at any time. the aunt cleaned the wound and wiped the sweat on her forehead with her sleeve. she let out a long breath. ¡°lord, lady xina¡¯s injuries have temporarily stabilized.¡± richard also let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at his side. ¡°karu, what happened?¡± karu said with a solemn expression. ¡°lady xina was already in a coma when the search and rescue team found her¡­¡± richard did not say anything else, but his eyes became increasingly colder. after the girl fed xina three bowls of desert crown honey in a row. the girl¡¯s breathing gradually improved, and vast energy supported her. xina subconsciously snorted and slowly opened her eyes. the first thing she saw was richard¡¯s worried gaze. and her eyes immediately lit up. she opened her mouth slightly and spoke in a weak voice. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve found the location of the wyverns¡­ ¡°the dungeon race¡­ ¡°various dungeon race troops are building fortresses at the entrance to the underground world¡­ ¡°they¡¯re exploring the surroundings¡­ ¡°twilight city has become their target¡­ ¡°they have prodigious troops of wyverns¡­¡± her voice was intermittent, and it took her a great deal of effort to speak clearly. richard saw that the girl who used to be so valiant was now in such a miserable state that she almost lost her life. her eyes were as cold as ice. he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice. ¡°where are they?¡± ¡°to the south¡­ ten hours away¡­ a rocky area¡­ it¡¯s very hidden¡­ magic covered its aura¡­¡± richard could see xina¡¯s aura was unstable again, so he immediately said. ¡°i understand. you don¡¯t have to worry about this. rest well. i¡¯ll handle it personally.¡± when xina heard this, her tensed heart suddenly relaxed. and she fell into a deep sleep again. richard immediately ordered his men to carry xina to the lord¡¯s mansion. when the surrounding residents gradually dispersed, karu immediately rushed forward and said in a deep voice. ¡°lord richard, the dungeon race is a great danger. we need to clear this danger away. ¡°the enemy has already regarded us as their target. i suggest sending troops to attack! ¡°although twilight city now has a powerful guardian force like the god¡¯s ancient tree, we have not completed the construction of the hurricane arrow tower, and the dragon-hunting crossbow is far from completion. ¡°there are too few ways for us to deal with the wyverns. ¡°drawing the war to the enemy¡¯s land can guarantee the safety of twilight city to the greatest extent. ¡°please make a decision!¡± Chapter 224 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when richard heard this, he could not help but deeply looked at karu. he admired the old gray-haired man¡¯s view of the big picture and liked to take the initiative. it was very in line with his style of doing things. it was also why he had always placed karu in the administrative position of twilight city. ¡°you¡¯re right. twilight city has never been a defensive style. !! ¡°this time, i¡¯ll go to the west to investigate.¡± xina¡¯s words made richard not only see the risk. he also noticed the enormous benefits. ¡°a large number of wyverns. what did this mean? ¡°skeleton blood dragon! crown-level soldier! ¡°weren¡¯t these wyverns the best prey?¡± moreover, a 4-stars dragon-hunting crossbow required a dragon fascia above level 15. more importantly, the wyverns came from the underground world. it meant that he could explore a new map. this represented a prodigious benefit. even the mithril needed to repair the extraordinary hunter was in the underground world¡­ after richard figured out the key, richard¡¯s initially heavy mood gradually softened. the dangerous wyvern had now become his prey. it was even an opportunity for the entire twilight city to develop. karu held his chest and lowered his head. ¡°yes, lord.¡± after richard made his decision, he immediately asked the troop to assemble. this time, it was mainly to investigate, so he didn¡¯t need to lead too many troops. mainly a flexible air force. but at the same time, he immediately put the troop on martial law to prevent the enemy from launching a surprise attack. the large-scale movement of the twilight city troops quickly attracted onyx¡¯s attention. he asked a few residents. but he couldn¡¯t have an accurate answer. he only knew that someone was injured. he immediately came to ask if richard needed help. richard didn¡¯t stand at the ceremony either. ¡°dungeon clan attacked my people. their injuries were highly profound. if there is a medicine that can treat their injuries, i can buy it from you.¡± without saying anything else, onyx took out two bottles of golden potions. ¡°these are potions the solan city¡¯s sun temple produces. they contain holy water that has a powerful recovery effect. it might help the lady warrior. ¡°as for buying them, there¡¯s no need. you saved my life last time!¡± when richard heard this, he patted onyx¡¯s shoulder and asked someone to bring them to xina to consume. then, he looked at onyx and said, ¡°i need to go out for a while. i hope you can help me if enemies are attacking twilight city.¡± as he spoke, he gestured to the god¡¯s ancient tree. poisonous wasps outside the territory surrounded this twisted human-faced giant tree. ¡°the god¡¯s ancient tree will fight with you.¡± onyx smiled bitterly. how could he not hear that richard was secretly warning them? if they did not obey, that terrifying giant tree would also send them to death. however, he was counting on twilight city to make him rich. so he did not have any thoughts at all. he patted his chest and said frankly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i will not let you down.¡± richard did not say anything more. after he looked for karu to warn him for a moment, he came in front of the assembled troops. all the dark gargoyles were present. at the same time, the undead soldiers of four squads mounted already on the dark gargoyles¡¯ bodies. the rest of the troops stayed behind to guard the territory. without saying another word, richard waved his hand. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± after he gave the order, he turned over and rode on the skeleton blood dragon. he commanded the undead dragon to swiftly fly across the yellow sand. beside him were four squads of dark gargoyles that the undead soldiers of the axes of the dead mounted. around them were eight teams of pure dark gargoyles. gray and gunter, the two a-rank mummy heroes, were spread out on either side. xina has not mentioned the exact location. but with the general direction and a net-like aerial search, the troop found the gravel area two hours later. richard commanded the skeleton blood dragon to hover above. when he looked over, he found that the area was so vast that he could not see the end of it from hundreds of meters above the ground. three to four meters high boulders covered the ground. they were separated one by one and rarely connected. some of the boulders were more than ten meters high, expansively obscuring his line of sight. when he thought of what xina had said, the other party used magic to cover himself, and he could not help but frown. he was not afraid he would not be able to find the enemy. he was afraid of alerting the enemy. especially, richard did not know the enemy¡¯s exact strength. after he thought for a moment, he looked at the two mummy heroes. ¡°gray, gunter, each of you will lead four teams to search. ¡°be careful. the enemy has used magic to cover himself. it may not be so easy to find him.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± he gave the order, and the troops moved immediately. richard seemed to have thought of something and slowly closed his eyes. the next moment, his perception spread out. there was a large amount of sand in the crevice under the rock. as long as there was yellow sand, it was the range of his perception. he was like a human-shaped radar that drove the skeleton blood dragon to fly forward. he quickly searched everything in front of him. half an hour later, richard¡¯s tightly shut eyes suddenly opened. his eyes burned as he looked at an area of ??boulders more than 15 meters high, two hundred meters away. from the outside, boulders filled that area. at most, it was a little bigger than the surrounding boulders. there was no problem. however, from his perception, several people walked around in the area of ??boulders. the other party stepped on the gravel! just as xina said, magic covered their tracks. they couldn¡¯t even sense the breath of life. if he couldn¡¯t sense the movement of the gravel, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if he flew over its head. richard opened the system map and marked the location. then, he decisively commanded the skeleton dragon to go around the area from the side. he used the whisper crystal to inform the troops to meet up. he led the large group in another direction and did not return the same way. after he left this colossal area of ??rubble, richard looked at the two heroes and said. ¡°the dungeon race is building a fortress using the cover of magic.¡± gray turned its head and looked at the area of ??rubble. in its empty eyes, the fire of its soul scorched. ¡°lord, do we need to send troops to attack immediately?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go back first. we¡¯ll come back when we¡¯re ready. this is going to be a tough battle.¡± richard was very decisive. after he returned to the territory as quickly as possible, he went straight to the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion and looked at the troop lairs in front of him with burning eyes. today was july 11. the system refreshed the troop lairs three days ago. because the time of the ¡°shining era¡± was fixed. every month was 28 days. so, every month¡¯s 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd were mondays, when the system refreshes troop lairs. he delayed the recruitment because he didn¡¯t have enough resources. these few days of accumulation had already earned enough resources for recruitment. without hesitation, he used up all the resources he had accumulated over the past few days and recruited all the troops he could. elite troops ¡ª mummy guardian 150¡ú250, axe of the dead 100¡ú150 rare troops ¡ª bandage mummy 0¡ú42, scorpion warrior 50¡ú57 giant axe death knight 30¡ú72 sand condensation archer 100¡ú200 mad sand mage 75¡ú100 cursed pharaoh 25¡ú30 rare troops ¡ª dark gargoyle 120¡ú140, undead soldier 40¡ú45, glorious troops ¡ª heavy sword warriors 20. crown troops ¡ª skeleton blood dragon 1, skeleton demon 5. he did not recruit the sand condensation archers, giant axe death knights, bandaged mummies, and guardian mummies last time, so this time they could recruit two weeks of production, slightly more. the several resources were still the sand condensation archers and the two rare troops with the highest levels. after a round of recruitment, he had spent more than 600,000 units of resources and 100 units of gems. the losses the previous attack on the dark temple had caused starkly replenished this time. after richard gave the newly recruited troops the divine skill of sand transformation, he instantly gathered the rarest troops and above. a dense mass of black filled the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. there were nearly seven squadrons. their strength was unprecedentedly strapping. richard glanced at them and nodded in satisfaction. this troop was an elite troop that he had personally forged. and they had achieved countless battle merits. ¡°gray, gunter, and baal, the three of you will immediately bring the newly recruited troops out to sweep the map and level up. i need everyone to level up to level 5 and above. ¡°at the same time, there is no need to bring back the corpses you obtained from the hunt. you can directly recruit the blood-colored mummy. we need cannon fodders. ¡°i will only give you three days. on july 14, send troops to the dungeon race.¡± ¡°we will listen to your orders!¡± the troop quickly left under richard¡¯s will. the dungeon race was already building a fort. how could they allow others to sleep beside their beds? once the other party gained a foothold, twilight city would face danger head-on. these dungeon race members were not people who loved peace. destruction, plunder, and conquest were their natures. just as karu had said, to draw the flames of war to the enemy¡¯s territory was countless times better than to wait for their attack. the territory developing quietly for the past few days tensed up because of this news. however, with the support of the high people¡¯s hearts, they continued to do their jobs without the slightest bit of chaos. in fact, because of the external threats, the cohesiveness of the territory had increased significantly. the following day, on july 12, xina woke up. richard immediately went to visit her. he looked at the girl on the bed whose life aura had gradually stabilized. his heart calmed down quite a bit. it had to remove the seal in her body. it had to release her true fighting strength. the losses this time would be immeasurable if this high-level hero died in battle. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± when she saw richard rush over, xina¡¯s gaze softened a lot. ¡°rest in peace. i¡¯ve already found the dungeon clan¡¯s fortress. ¡°twilight city is safe enough. no one can harm you in this territory.¡± warmth filled xina¡¯s heart. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry. scars are glory and honor to the krina tribe.¡± as she said this, she seemed to have thought of something. her weak tone became more serious. ¡°perhaps, you need information about the dungeon tribe now¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be anxious. speak slowly. don¡¯t affect your injuries.¡± xina said in a weak voice. ¡°after i left twilight city, i tracked a group of wyverns and found the fortress they were building. ¡°it took me a lot of effort to sneak through the enemy¡¯s weak points. ¡°i learned that the forces that built the fortress on the surface were a defeated dungeon race. ¡°they had about three companies of level 10 rare soldiers ¡ª wyverns and three of them were glorious-level soldiers. ¡°two companies of level 9 rare-level soldiers ¡ª evil eyes. ¡°three squadrons of level 8 rare-level soldiers ¡ª half-snake-people. ¡°apart from that, they control more than five squadrons of caveman slaves. ¡°the one controlling this dungeon clan force is a level 13 half-snake-people dungeon clan hero. ¡°i didn¡¯t fight with them. after i sneaked in, i followed the underground passage and came to the real underground world¡­¡± richard was deep in thought. the strength of the dungeon race was indeed not bad. but it was still within the acceptable range. after he returned to his senses, he became very interested in the underground world that xina had mentioned. ¡°what¡¯s the difference between the underground world and the surface?¡± ¡°the underground world¡¯s environment is dark. poisonous insects and snakes are everywhere¡­ other than that, there is an extreme shortage of food. there are a lot of hungry monsters. ¡°it is ten times more difficult to get food underground than in the desert. most of the beasts and monsters are poisonous and inedible. ¡°at the same time, they are ten times more dangerous than on the surface.¡± richard was deep in thought. ¡°is there an underground city in that area?¡± ¡°there is an underground city ruled by the underground barbarians. they are fighting against the grey dwarfs. ¡°the war between these two forces caused those dungeon races to escape to the surface.¡± richard became more interested. ¡°have you heard about the mithril?¡± xina thought for a moment and said uncertainly. ¡°it seems that the gray dwarfs control mithril mine. ¡°this is the information i got after i captured a half-snake-person. i didn¡¯t pay attention to it at that time.so, i couldn¡¯t confirm its authenticity¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Chapter 225 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the gray-colored dwarves controlled a mithril mine¡­ this news made richard¡¯s heart race. was there any hope of repairing the broken extraordinaire hunter? at this moment, xina¡¯s gaze revealed some pleading. ¡°lord richard, can i follow you into the underground world? perhaps, i can find a way to break the seal in my body in that mysterious region¡­¡± !! richard looked at her unhappily. ¡°you¡¯re already injured. why would you still want to come with us? wait until you can get out of bed and walk.¡± xina raised her head stubbornly, her gaze unwavering. ¡°lord richard, this might be the most promising one. ¡°i¡¯ve heard the gray-colored dwarves control a supreme unique alchemy that can change the blood of lives. ¡°they extract the blood of ordinary living beings and then infuse it with the blood of powerful living beings to increase their strength. ¡°as for those who have their blood swapped, no matter what is in their blood, the process will eliminate them.¡± exchange blood? richard suddenly thought of what the president jones of the scarlet council had done to the third princess of the templar city in the instance dungeon. he extracted the dragon¡¯s blood from the other party¡¯s body and infused it with the blood of the cursed holy dragon. he also obtained the power of a giant dragon and a growth halo from it. it seemed like a good idea. however, the operation was much more difficult. he thought of the key ¡ª could it be that hina¡¯s hero recruitment mission has completed underground? richard was willing. he fell into deep thought. hina saw some hope and continued. ¡°lord richard, i could recover more than half in two days. it will not affect the troops¡¯ operations!¡± when richard looked at that pair of resolute eyes that never showed any fear, she revealed a pitiful pleading look. richard slowly and said solemnly. ¡°on the 14th, the troops will depart on time. ¡°if you can not recover to a state that i am satisfied with, then you will remain in the territory for this operation.¡± xina immediately let out a sigh of relief, and a brilliant smile appeared on her pale face. ¡°thank you, lord!¡± richard looked at the girl in a bad mood and reached out to take out two bottles of desert crown honey. he opened the lid, put it on the wooden table by the bed, and then brewed a bowl of honey water for her to drink. when he saw that the girl¡¯s breath had improved, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°xina, do you feel uncomfortable drinking the desert crown honey all the time?¡± ¡°i heard that most of the recovery items have a certain limit. if you drink too much in a short period, it will cause energy accumulation. and it will reduce the effects¡­¡± it was what a player had mentioned on the [forum chat] that richard heard. the other party¡¯s territory had an alchemist who made potions with a drinking limit. if one drank too much, they might even cause damage. xina smiled. ¡°lord richard, only alchemy potions or magic potions have adverse effects. ¡°honey is a natural recovery product. there won¡¯t be any side effects as long as the body can withstand it¡­¡± she added. ¡°but i heard from my clansmen that one would gain weight if they drink too much honey.¡± richard listened attentively and almost spat out a mouthful of blood. wasn¡¯t this turn of events a little too drastic? ¡®you are a veteran who has experienced life-and-death battles¡­? with your figure, do you still need to worry?¡¯ ¡°take good care of your injuries.¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he instructed xina and left the room. he was still in the mood to worry about these stupid things. it seemed that there was no big problem. after he left, he went straight to the backyard of the blacksmith shop. he stared at the 15-meter-tall giant in front of him with a burning gaze. with a thought, he took out 10,000 units of gemstones. he stacked them into a small mountain. [mechanical body (beyond a-rank) ¡ª strength increased by 500%. defense increased by 500%. immune to magic after the body is damaged. it can devour the corresponding materials to repair itself.] the automatic repair of devouring material was one of richard¡¯s most satisfying skills. it also allowed him to see the possibility of obtaining a starkly extraordinary battle ability. his mind power is connected to the control ring on his hand. in an instant. the extraordinary hunter¡¯s eyes suddenly beamed luminescence. an indescribable aura gushed out at this moment. it was powerful and majestic. it was as if he stood under a mountain. it made one feel insignificant. level 20, transcendent. no matter where he was, he was already at the upper level of the pyramid. under his control, the transcendent extraordinary hunter¡¯s body emitted unique energy. it enveloped the gemstones in front of him. the gemstones were like ice and snow that slowly melted when they collided with flames, melting slowly. then, as if they had lost their gravity. they floated into the air and merged into the extraordinary hunter¡¯s mechanical body. richard could distinctly feel it. some of the damaged areas of the extraordinary hunter recovered rapidly. the body was on the verge of collapse. and it could collapse at any time. but it had recovered to the extent of glued together. it was still far from complete recovery but has some resilience, the least. after the mechanical puppet swallowed clean the gemstones on the ground, the system notification suddenly sounded. [ding~ the extraordinary hunter has swallowed 10,000 units of gemstones and restored a portion of the body¡¯s performance. the current damage level is 75%. pilotable battle time: 30 minutes. it will destroy anything over 30 minutes.] [note: high-intensity battles and collisions will shorten the pilotable time.] when richard heard the system notification, it suddenly piqued his interest. it was the first time he had seen such a number. the damage was as severe as 75%. richard could not help but exclaim at its durability. it was no longer broken. it was already a top-grade item. however, after the repair, the piloting battle time was increased to half an hour. this made him feel much more comfortable. richard exchanged ten thousand units of gemstones to obtain an extraordinary battle time of half an hour. although the price was high-cost, it would be the final kill if they used them well. Chapter 226 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation even 100,000 gemstones would be insufficient to buy a transcendent, not to mention 10,000 at the critical moment. this battle strength level was equivalent to a nuclear bomb in twilight city. nothing can replace its strategic significance. this round was not a loss. after richard thought about it, he waved his hand and took out another 20,000 units of gemstones for insurance. !! ¡°tx, i want to recharge!¡± if he couldn¡¯t beat them, he would pay through the nose. it was an unchanging truth. [ding ~ extraordinary hunter has swallowed 10,000 units of gemstones and restored a portion of the body¡¯s performance. the current damage is 70%. piloted battle time: 60 minutes. it will destroy anything more than 60 minutes.] [note: high-intensity battles and collisions will shorten the piloting time.] it smashed down twenty thousand units of rare resources. and it increased by another half an hour. the damage level decreased from 75% to 70%. ¡°the higher the degree of repair of this thing, the more they will spend resources.¡± richard seemed to see a bottomless pit. but he was willing. even if he spent a high price for a mechanical puppet of this level, there would be nowhere to buy it. a level 20 extraordinary power could kill a dragon. after he sent someone to inform adele, he took the extraordinary hunter away from the blacksmith shop. at this moment, the girl was still at the edge of the territory with her father. richard ordered his soldiers to hang up her father and expose him to the sun. the troops hung up jonah thorin outside the territory for the past two days. it had become a sight in twilight city. if there were nothing to do, everyone would happily go and take a look. that guy, whose muscles filled his brain, was initially a little ashamed. but he got used to it later on. he smiled and chatted with his former partner. it made her both angry and amused. later, she decided to ask about forging skills. naturally, there was no secret about her daughter. just like that. jonah thorin, while hung up, began to teach her magical forging skills¡­ the scene became very strange. time flew by. it was july 14, 5:00 pm. three heroes returned with the hunting troops. they lined up neatly in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. the newly recruited troop had all risen to level 5. at the same time, gunter and gray had recruited 24 teams of blood-colored mummies in the past few days. although richard¡¯s original intention was for them to recruit cannon fodder, it was beyond his expectations. these blood-colored mummies had the potential of a rare 1-star. their battle power was intoxicating. it made him feel gratified. it was why he had always wanted both heroes to learn the skill of recruiting mummies. free sex always makes people feel good. with a wave of his hand, he gave these 24 squads the rare soldier desertion skill. the number of troops in his hands had soared to nine squadrons. it was enough to fight a small-scale war. ¡°lord richard.¡± richard heard the voice from behind and turned his head slightly. he looked at xina, who had a determined gaze and a strong aura of a veteran. he nodded slightly. yesterday, the girl could already get out of bed and walk. today, she recovered from a serious to a light injury. although her battle strength had not yet recovered to its peak, she could already fight. she estimated the light injury on her body would completely heal in another day. xina¡¯s powerful bloodline was the main reason, and the desert crown honey without any side effects was also the key. in addition to the high-level magic potion given by onyx, she forcibly lifted a dying hero in three days. richard thought for a moment and took out the 3-stars treasure he had exchanged his points for ¡ª broken steel longsword. its additional characteristic was particularly overbearing ¡ª decapitation, a 20% chance to directly kill the enemy. it was the same instant death skill as the soul execution of the axe of the dead. ¡°xina, half a month ago, the wyverns attacked the territory. you risked your life to defend twilight city and made a massive contribution. ¡°twilight city will not forget your sacrifice, and neither will i. ¡°i originally planned to hold a glory gathering to honor you, but the military situation is urgent. i¡¯ll hold it for you after we return.¡± after he said that, she handed the broken steel longsword over. ¡°i paid a huge price to obtain this sword. now, i¡¯ll give it to you.¡± xina looked at the serious-looking richard and felt slightly touched in her heart. ¡°this is my duty.¡± she took it solemnly with both hands. then, she pulled out the cross-shaped broken steel longsword from its sheath and felt the weight and sharpness of the blade. she slowly closed her eyes. when she opened them again, the expression on her face was superlatively happy. ¡°lord richard, i can feel that this sword is calling me. it has an exceptional power¡­¡± richard smiled. ¡°now, it belongs to you.¡± after he said that, he did not waste any more time. he walked to the front of the troops. his eyes were cold. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± when richard gave the order, the troops immediately turned around and walked out of the territory. this time, he used all the troops in the territory. they vowed to kill the enemy who had yet to gain a foothold. the five acres of destroyed russian olive forest was like a slap on the face of twilight city. it reminded richard at all times. after they left the territory, richard condensed sand again and created the desert boat. he only used this method once and fell in love with it. in the inconvenient transportation of the ¡°shining era¡±, this method was lucidly indestructible. he felt he could make a lot of money even if he became a captain of a transportation team. more than nine squadrons of troops, under the sunset, rode the wind and waves on the desert boat. there were skeletal blood dragons and dark gargoyles in the sky which escorted them. fantasy world flavor filled the scene. ******* ¡°kadam! what did those damn barbarians say?!¡± Chapter 227 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the snake language resounded through the dark cave. it was a three-meter-tall half-snake man with four arms on its back. the lower half of its body was that of a snake. and the upper half was that of a human. the half-snake man looked coldly at its subordinates. ¡®tick-tock!¡¯ cold water seeped out of the rock wall above its head and dripped into the small puddles on the ground. it made a crisp sound. !! the atmosphere turned cold for some reason. the two-armed half-snake man in front lowered its head, and its tone was somewhat cold. ¡°great master, the lord of bloodhoof city¡­ wants us to surrender.¡± these words were like the flames that ignited gunpowder. it instantly angered the four-armed half-snake man. ¡°it¡¯s not enough that their war with the gray-colored dwarves has starkly destroyed our territory, and they still want us to submit to them?!¡± ¡°we have three squadrons of wyverns! we have powerful troops!!¡± ¡°we will never surrender to anyone!!¡± ¡°those damned dungeon barbarians will never make us bow our heads!¡± endless rage filled the cold voice. the two-armed half-snake man lowered its head and allowed its rage to pour out. after it vented for a long time, the four-armed half-snake man gradually calmed down. ¡°apart from these, what other requests did bloodhoof city make?¡± ¡°the other party also suggested that we pay tribute to the captured night elves in exchange for bloodhoof city¡¯s protection¡­¡± this time, the four-armed half-snake man did not get angry. instead, a cold smile appeared on its face. ¡°the target of bloodhoof city has probably always been the night elves we imprisoned!¡± the other party was puzzled. ¡°why would a night elf be so valued?¡± the four-armed half-snake man looked at its confidant and slowly said. ¡°shadow bloodline¡­¡± the two-armed half-snake man¡¯s breathing immediately quickened. ¡°legend has it that the bloodline contains tremendous power that can even tempt evil gods!¡± ¡°but why would it appear in the bodies of night elves?!¡± the four-armed half-snake man said in a deep voice. ¡°legend has it that in ancient times when the underground world was still the cage of the gods, the gods imprisoned the evil spirits and tortured them day and night. ¡°during this process, massive divine power spread out and seeped into the bodies of other living beings that formed this special bloodline. ¡°anyone can obtain it¡­¡± as it spoke, its gaze turned cold. ¡°maybe, it¡¯s not just those damn barbarians. those bastards from the gray-colored dwarves are watching us too!¡± ¡°they have the alchemy technology to use the blood of other life forms to strengthen themselves. how could they miss the shadow bloodline?! ¡°if these two forces were not sure about the purity of the night elf¡¯s bloodline, they would have attacked long ago.¡± the two-armed half-snake man¡¯s scalp immediately went numb when he heard this secret. the allure of the shadow bloodline was too great. its effects were several times stronger than the blood of dragons. even a tiny sip could abundantly increase one¡¯s strength and potential. they would have exterminated their entire race if the outside world knew about this. it was impossible to guard such a treasure without sufficient strength. ¡°great master, how should we respond to bloodhoof city?¡± in the end, strength was king in the underground world. even if they knew what the other party was planning, what could they do? the four-armed half-snake man sneered. ¡°bloodhoof city¡¯s inquiry is just a probe. hold them off for now. they won¡¯t be able to withdraw their forces from the pressure of the gray-colored dwarves for a while.¡± as it spoke, it raised its head and glanced at the top of its head. ¡°when we build our fortress, we don¡¯t need to bother with them anymore¡­ who would have thought we would find a passage leading to a rich surface world?¡± its tone was a little heated. ¡°even if the top is the most barren desert on the surface, it¡¯s still much more than the prey in the underground world! we won¡¯t have to worry about food anymore!¡± it seemed to have thought of something. and its long and narrow eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction as soon as it finished speaking. ¡°not to mention that there¡¯s a weak but highly fertile territory in the desert not far away. ¡°once we built the fortress, everything will be ours¡­¡± Chapter 228 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the four-armed half-snake man looked forward to the future. ¡®roar!¡¯ a hysterical roar suddenly came from above. the wyvern voice. enemy attack!! !! the moment this thought arose. the sound of an even more intense battle rang out. it shocked and enraged the four-armed half-snake man. ¡°an attack from a life form on the surface?! ¡°why didn¡¯t the enemy trigger the magic shield when they entered?!¡± after it reacted, it was instantly enraged. triangle¡¯s eyes revealed cold murderous intent. ¡°blow the horn! ¡°no matter who it is, they must pay the price!¡± it was distinct there were no powerful forces within 200 kilometers of the surface! no force could threaten them, at least. it was the information the wyverns had obtained after searching for nearly a month. when the two-armed half-snake man in front of it heard the order, it immediately took down the fang horn hanging from its waist. ¡®wu! wu!¡¯ it sounded like the sharp sound of a beast being injured and dying. the four-armed half-snake man did not stop. its gray snake body wriggled out of the dark cave. there was a natural underground passage with a diameter of more than 20 meters outside the cave. from time to time, one could see sharp-edged stone pillars that hung down from it. one connected to the ground, and the other was deep underground. several two-armed half-snake men with triangular eyes held their weapons and waited outside. and in the deeper part of the cave, several iconic life forms of the dungeon race ¡ª the evil eye. the evil eye was a terrifying life form with octopus tentacles on the lower half of its body. the upper demigod had no head and only had a gigantic eyeball. it could float on the ground out of thin air. when it attacked, it would gather magic power and shoot out death rays with strapping penetrating power from its eyeball. the expression of the four-armed half-snake man relaxed a bit when it saw its troops. these troops were its most tremendous confidence. the shadow bloodline in the night elf¡¯s body was about to wake up. as long as it could stand firm on the surface, no matter how big the commotion caused by the awakening of its bloodline was, it could avoid the detection of the underground forces. as for it, it could enjoy the bloodline that possessed great power alone. it could use this to break through level 15 and return to the underground as a king. trample the bloodhoof city to the ground and enslave the gray-colored dwarves! its heart began to tremble with excitement. it would eventually wear the crown! in a high mood, it immediately led the troops to the tunnel ahead. not long after, its line of sight suddenly widened. it looked over, and when it saw the scene in front of it clearly, its expression changed repeatedly. a mechanical puppet of an exaggerated size currently floated in the air. this mechanical puppet had a humanoid appearance and had normal limbs. however, what made its heart tremble was that the mechanical puppet¡¯s creator seemed to have welded together sharp claws on its hands with a butcher¡¯s knife that reflected waves of cold light. even the dragon scales could not resist its excessive length and sharpness. there were large patches of cracks on the surface of the puppet. it was obvious that it had experienced a terrifying battle. it looked like it could shatter at any time. however, it was just a broken mechanical puppet. at this moment, it was like a wolf entering a flock of sheep. it was proud of its wyvern troop. it was the army that even the barbarians and gray-colored dwarves were afraid of. at this moment, it slaughtered its prey like a chicken. the wyvern rested in two large rock crevices over 25 meters tall. there was a natural cave underground. several wyverns charged out from the crevices and attacked the mechanical puppet. however, as long as the wyvern was in the air, the opponent would immediately dive down. the sharp claws on the arms of the mechanical puppet made the wyvern¡¯s scalp go numb. the mechanical puppet¡¯s claws effortlessly tore apart the wyvern¡¯s sturdy scales and body like cotton. it scattered tons of flesh and blood on the ground. the mechanical puppet used its strength and forcefully killed the wyverns that surged. after the wyverns paid the price of dozens of deaths, they realized they could not win in a close battle. a few wyverns led them. their gigantic mouths opened and spat intensely corrosive poisonous liquid. a poisonous breath more than 20 meters long pulled out of the air. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the venom scattered on the ground instantly corrupted the rocks and gravel until black smoke rose. but what shocked the four-armed half-snake man was that the wyvern¡¯s poisonous dragon breath spat on the mechanical puppet, like using water to wash away the dust. it did not cause the slightest damage to it. its expression became extremely ugly. the mechanical puppet ultimately suppressed the three wyvern squadrons¡­ it was ultimately unacceptable! it took out a horn that was a third of the size of a palm from its chest pocket. it immediately blew it. the wyvern in a chaotic state a moment ago suddenly rippled and immediately unleashed an even more ferocious attack. ¡°fight for your life!¡± it forcefully surrounded the mechanical puppet. the underground troop quickly rushed out of the tunnel to take advantage of this opportunity. the wyvern explosion disrupted the mechanical puppet and won them precious time. when they turned around and saw more than half of the troop behind them had rushed out, the four-armed half-snake man stared at the mechanical puppet. ¡°evil eye saturation attack! ¡°shoot down that damned mechanical puppet!¡± three squadrons of evil eyes formed a dense attack formation. in an instant. the evil eye¡¯s gigantic eye compressed strapping magic power. death ray. a ray with destructive power shot out. hundreds of dark red rays became a striking light. destroy! the four-armed half-snake man was excited. the evil eye¡¯s attack was strapping magic damage. it could pierce through armor and shields. how could the broken mechanical puppet withstand this damage? the 15-meter-tall giant body became the best target. the opponent didn¡¯t seem to react, and a death ray enveloped it. in an instant. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the light burst out and dazzled repeatedly. the four-armed half-snake man temporarily lost track of the front. after the light dissipated, its exciting expressions instantly froze. the focus fire of the evil eye did not harm the mechanical puppet that was about to break at any moment. the armor was still broken. but that was all. it was like the evil eye¡¯s attack was a harmless water cannon. ¡°how was this possible?? ¡°three squadrons of the evil eye¡¯s concentrated fire did not cause any damage to the mechanical puppet??¡± just what was the background of that mechanical puppet? the moment this thought appeared in its mind, an indescribable terror suddenly swept through its heart. because the mechanical puppet turned to look at it. death¡¯s gaze. its body stiffened. just as the four-armed half-snake man thought that the mechanical puppet would come at it¡­ ¡®crack!..¡¯ the sound of glass shattering rang out in the sky. it broke their magic shield that could cover their aura. several dark gargoyles obeyed and flew over. the mechanical puppet slowly looked away when it saw this scene. the four-armed half-snake man heaved a sigh of relief as if it had escaped from the scythe of death. but at this moment. several gargoyles had already arrived above the evil eye and half-snake man troop. ¡°tomahawk smash!¡± ¡°sand condensation arrow!¡± two voices sounded. only then did the four-armed half-snake man realize that the gargoyles carried manifold mummies on their backs. ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo!¡¯ arrows poured down from the sky like a rain of arrows. at the same time, undead soldiers suddenly threw dozens of tomahawks when the gargoyle swooped down to a low altitude. ¡®crack!¡¯ a crisp explosion sound rang out. the ground exploded like a bomber drooped a bomb. fragments of tomahawks covered the half-snake man and evil eye¡¯s bodies that pierced through like a sieve. flames rose after that and caused another round of damage. the ground troops suffered heavy casualties in a single round of attacks. ¡°counterattack!! ¡°half-snake man, protect the evil eyes!¡± the four-armed half-snake man commanded the troop to adjust their direction. ¡®xiu! xiu! xiu!¡¯ countless dark red death rays shot into the sky. what made its heart chill was the gargoyles¡­ they were immune to magic. the death rays that struck their bodies did not cause any damage. instead, the archers on the enemy¡¯s back and the troops that held tomahawks used the gargoyles¡¯ bodies as shields to deal crazy damage. the most paralyzing wyvern troop was stuck in the cave and could not fly. no one could deal with the gargoyles. the consequence of losing air control was that they could only endure endless attacks. what made the four-armed and half-snake man feel even more helpless was¡­ after they broke the magic shield, various troops appeared outside. undead soldiers that rode skeletal horses, warriors with scorpion bodies, mummies wrapped in bandages, giant mechanical puppets¡­ it was impossible. an unwilling roar. ¡°retreat!¡± just as the half-snake man gave the retreat order. it suddenly felt an indescribable fear rise up. the mechanical puppet that blocked the wyverns quickly emitted a majestic yellow sand glow. after that. the earth surged. countless grains of sand surged over like a tsunami that directly blocked the passage where they came. the four-armed half-snake man saw that grains of sand buried the troop that entered the passage. it instantly felt a chill run down its spine. it turned out the wyverns did not drag the mechanical puppet. it tried to lure the wyverns to bring out the troops¡­ the other party wanted to slaughter them all. it looked at the mechanical puppet while it slaughtered the wyverns. the four-armed half-snake man roared with extreme unwillingness. ¡°why are you attacking my territory?¡± when the mechanical puppet heard this, it suddenly turned its head as if it slip a big joke. a cold voice sounded. ¡°you invaded my territory and destroyed my property. you still dare to ask why?¡± the four-armed half-snake man was shocked. there was only one territory around¡­? ¡®that weak human territory??? ¡®but why is it so strong?¡¯ Chapter 229 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation carefree, unprecedented carefree. richard had already closed his eyes in the pilot cabin of the extraordinary hunter. he sensed the power the extraordinary hunter it brought. amazement filled his heart. the extraordinary hunter was now like a part of his body. he could sense the state of every inch of his body. !! he could control it as he pleased. there was no obstruction at all. due to the severity of the damage, it could not use its two most powerful skills. and it could not display its most strapping battle strength. however, the extraordinary was still remarkable. the power of level 20 made it feel like an unprecedented experience. the wyvern it blocked in front of it was not only level 10 but also had a rare 3-stars potential. there were even advanced glorious-level wyverns. but there were no exceptions. no matter how high the opponent¡¯s level was or how strong they were. they could only become ghosts under the extraordinary hunter¡¯s sharp blade. its creator replaced its fingers with five more than two meters sharp blades more exaggerated than the heavy sword warrior¡¯s battle blade. and its level 15 physique gave it supremely paralyzing strength. killing a wyvern was like killing a chicken! the extraordinary hunter would slaughter the wyvern that rushed out from the underground space on the spot. no power could stop the extraordinary hunter. it waited until the opponent¡¯s controller, a level 13 half-snake man, appeared. he then slightly diverted its attention. the dark gargoyles could only slaughter troops unilaterally without air control. as expected, the situation quickly changed. the enemy wanted to escape¡­ however, since their prey had already appeared, how could it let them leave? the yellow sand covered the passage and completely blocked their escape route. the twilight city troops that swarmed over erupted with powerful battle strength. the battle directly entered a white-hot state. however, one had to say that even if they lost air control and the sand condensation archers and undead soldiers crazily attacked them, these dungeon race soldiers were still ferocious. when they realized there was no hope of escaping, the level 13 four-armed half-snake man led the remaining troops and charged forward. they swore to create a gap in the front. at this moment, the blood-colored mummy, the cannon fodder troop, was the first to clash with these half-snake people. under the leadership of the four-armed half-snake man, its explosive attacks were paramountly lacerating. the blood-colored mummy was cut into pieces when it came into contact with them. the difference in strength was too significant, and it was impossible to contend against them. however, the role of these cannon fodder was not to fight head-on but to hold the enemy back. ¡®shua!¡¯ its body turned into grains of sand. it forcefully withstood the charge of the half-snake people. at this time, the evil eye at the back was still following the troop in front. that gigantic eyeball once again condensed magic power. ¡®xiu!¡¯ one terrifying death ray after another pierced through space with a blasting lethality. sand condensation archer dealt physical damage but was not immune to magic. the blood-colored mummy could not avoid it and was directly shot and exploded. sand and gravel exploded in the sky. the deaths of these cannon fodder soldiers made the scene even more tragic. but the craziest one was the four-armed half-snake man, this level 13 hero unit. four arms held four long knives. it was like a whirlwind under the lunatic attacks. no one could block it. the four-armed half-snake man would slaughter the blood-colored mummy in front of it even if it turned into sand. although it couldn¡¯t kill it quickly, it still led several half-snake people and rushed out like an arrow. richard alone suppressed hundreds of wyverns. so he didn¡¯t have time to worry about the battle outside. if he let the wyverns escape, it would be even more troublesome. the air troop was not like the ground force. if they scattered and ran, who knew where they would fly? these were all materials to recruit skeletons and blood dragons. richard felt like he had gained crown forces after every slaughter. he was in a good mood. after he saw the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s madness, he immediately counterattacked. ¡°gunter, gray, and xina. cooperate with the skeleton demon to hunt down the dungeon race heroes!¡± although he couldn¡¯t spare any effort, one could not trifle with his subordinates. after he gave the order, the three top-tier heroes who madly attacked the enemy turned their attention to the four-armed half-snake man that led the charge. xina directly charged toward the four-armed half-snake man. this descendant of the krina tribe slaughtered in all directions on the battlefield. her combat style was violent. her steel longsword would either decapitate the half-snake man¡¯s head or slash its body horizontally wherever she turned. especially after she received the broken steel longsword from richard, her attacks became even fiercer. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ gunter and gray commanded the dark gargoyle to fly above the four-armed half-snake people. they began to chant a mysterious spell. in an instant, when they sensed danger, the four-armed half-snake man roared and sped up its charge. it would die if delayed any longer! these damned mummies were too troublesome! suddenly, its heart skipped a beat and abruptly moved to the side. the space on the spot suddenly shattered, and an arm with sharp, long knives suddenly stabbed out. white bones and pale blue soul flames scorched in the hollow eye sockets. crown-level soldier, skeleton demon. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s long knives fiercely hacked at the opponent¡¯s sharp claws while the other arm swung the blade at another space. the next second, the second space exploded, and the long knife hacked at the sharp claws that suddenly appeared. beast instinct. after it blocked two enemy attacks, the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s triangular eyes narrowed. the remaining two arms fiercely swung the knives. a lightning strike. the skeleton demon tried to block, but the knife was too fast. Chapter 230 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®kacha! under the power of a level 13 hero, it directly chopped its body into pieces. the white bones shattered into pieces. it immediately disappeared on the spot when it sensed it could not do things. by the time it reappeared, its body had already returned to normal. it used soul power to repair its body. !! a powerful talent. the skeleton demons were not weak, and the four-armed half-snake man had even burst out with a fighting strength that belonged solely to hero units. this dungeon hero was very similar to xina, and they were both battle-type heroes. the four long knives seemed could cut through the void with a wave of their hands. together with their powerful combat techniques and an acute sense of danger. even if the enemies besieged and slaughtered five level 10 crown-level soldiers proficient in spatial movement skills, they still could not do anything to the other party, even if they chopped their bodies into pieces. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact they were proficient in spatial movement skills and possessed powerful sand regeneration abilities, the opponents could have slaughtered the five skeleton demons long ago. the gap between the heroes and the soldiers was now fully displayed. when xina came to charge over from the other half-snake man. gray and gunter had already condensed their magic to the maximum. the three heroes took their positions. ¡°do it!¡± covered in blood, xina snorted coldly and gave the order to attack. her figure rushed forward like lightning. gray and gunter commanded the dark gargoyles to dive down. gray was the first to make a move. it chanted a mysterious spell from its mouth. in an instant, the four-armed half-snake man below, who frantically resisted the skeleton demon¡¯s attack, felt a powerful impact in its mind as if a giant hammer had hit it. its body suddenly stiffened. curse language, a-rank. it caused the enemy within a radius of 50 meters to fall into a state of mental confusion, causing their movements to halt for 10 seconds. when xina sensed the target¡¯s sluggishness, her eyes beamed brilliance. her speed increased by another three points, and she slashed through the half-snake man that blocked her way. she charged through the body and severed it in half. she has annihilated the four-armed half-snake man. but at the most critical moment, the eyes of the four-armed snake-man suddenly turned red. its three-meter-tall body suddenly expanded to four meters tall. it forcefully broke free from gray¡¯s control. its four arms fiercely swung its trenchant knives. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ sparks flew everywhere. they forcefully blocked this fatal blow. a massive force rebounded, and the broken steel longsword in xina¡¯s hand almost fell out of her hand. she suddenly lowered her body and dodged the opponent¡¯s follow-up attack. with her agile movements, she immediately retreated. the injuries in her body had not recovered, and her most vital bloodline power had been sealed. she was far from being able to withstand a level-13 powerful hero. a series of attacks enraged the four-armed half-snake man, and it wanted to retaliate. however, at this moment, a gigantic blood ball fell from the sky. it crashed directly to the ground. the expression of the four-armed half-snake man changed drastically, and it suddenly dragged a two-armed half-snake man from the side to block in front of it. ¡®bang!¡¯ the gigantic blood ball exploded with a loud bang, and countless strong corrosive energy swept in all directions. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the two-armed half-snake man corpse became a meat shield and suddenly melted like snow. a voluminous paste-like liquid appeared. the other unblocked half body of the four-armed half-snake man melted like it. however, before it could react¡­ ¡°explode!¡± a cold shout echoed in the surroundings. gunpowder seemed to have shrouded the bodies of the four-armed half-snake man and the surrounding corpses and ignited. ¡®boom!¡¯ they exploded. a-class skill, corpse explosion. the four-armed half-snake man, whose eyes were blood-red and whose body had expanded from three meters to four meters tall, took all the terrifying damage. ¡®roar!¡¯ a heart-wrenching roar came out of its throat. however, its wounded body did not collapse at this moment, and it surprised the other party. instead, it recovered crazily. moreover, its aura got increasingly ferocious. its opponent had used some kind of powerful forbidden spell. xina instantly confirmed the status of the four-armed half-snake man. her eyes were burning, and the desire to fight grew stronger. she turned around and went up again. at this moment, the five skeleton demons again broke through the void and appeared. they attacked at the same time. the four-armed and half-snake man, who had already fallen into madness, suddenly turned around. the four sharp knives burned with a strange blood-colored flame. ¡°whew!¡± they spun like windmills. they directly spun and slashed at the skeleton demons. the two skeleton demons could not dodge in time. in an instant. their bodies shattered. at the same time, the flames entered their bones and devoured their marrow. it directly burned the two skeleton demons to death. the battle strength of this level-13 hero in the desperate situation had already exceeded the limits of these crown-level troops. the remaining three skeleton demons decisively left when they sensed they could not obtain victory. the four-armed half-snake man let out a beast-like roar and charged toward the surrounding blood-colored mummies. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ the four long knives burning with crimson flames completely ignored the blood-colored mummies¡¯ sand transformation. one knife at a time, each slaughtered anyone who got close! in a short moment, the four-armed half-snake man slaughtered more than a squadron of blood-colored mummies. when there was a gap in the surroundings, that pair of cold blood-colored eyes stared fixedly at xina, who had attacked it. the killing intent instantly condensed into ice. its body fiercely charged toward xina. its speed was like lightning. in that instant, its aura skyrocketed to the extreme. even in a trance, xina felt she faced an ancient dragon with a wingspan of over a hundred meters. but her heart was fearless. ¡°kill!¡± when she stepped on the ground with a single step, the enormous force caused large cracks to appear. the body borrowed the force and stabbed out like an arrow. the broken steel longsword vowed to cut everything. the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s steel knife flashed with a cold light. the two sides collided at this moment. but the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s body suddenly stiffened for a moment. the steel knife that blocked xina¡¯s attack shifted slightly. Chapter 231 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®kacha! under the power of a level 13 hero, it directly chopped its body into pieces. the white bones shattered into pieces. it immediately disappeared on the spot when it sensed it could not do things. by the time it reappeared, its body had already returned to normal. it used soul power to repair its body. !! a powerful talent. the skeleton demons were not weak, and the four-armed half-snake man had even burst out with a fighting strength that belonged solely to hero units. this dungeon hero was very similar to xina, and they were both battle-type heroes. the four long knives seemed could cut through the void with a wave of their hands. together with their powerful combat techniques and an acute sense of danger. even if the enemies besieged and slaughtered five level 10 crown-level soldiers proficient in spatial movement skills, they still could not do anything to the other party, even if they chopped their bodies into pieces. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact they were proficient in spatial movement skills and possessed powerful sand regeneration abilities, the opponents could have slaughtered the five skeleton demons long ago. the gap between the heroes and the soldiers was now fully displayed. when xina came to charge over from the other half-snake man. gray and gunter had already condensed their magic to the maximum. the three heroes took their positions. ¡°do it!¡± covered in blood, xina snorted coldly and gave the order to attack. her figure rushed forward like lightning. gray and gunter commanded the dark gargoyles to dive down. gray was the first to make a move. it chanted a mysterious spell from its mouth. in an instant, the four-armed half-snake man below, who frantically resisted the skeleton demon¡¯s attack, felt a powerful impact in its mind as if a giant hammer had hit it. its body suddenly stiffened. curse language, a-rank. it caused the enemy within a radius of 50 meters to fall into a state of mental confusion, causing their movements to halt for 10 seconds. when xina sensed the target¡¯s sluggishness, her eyes beamed brilliance. her speed increased by another three points, and she slashed through the half-snake man that blocked her way. she charged through the body and severed it in half. she has annihilated the four-armed half-snake man. but at the most critical moment, the eyes of the four-armed snake-man suddenly turned red. its three-meter-tall body suddenly expanded to four meters tall. it forcefully broke free from gray¡¯s control. its four arms fiercely swung its trenchant knives. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ sparks flew everywhere. they forcefully blocked this fatal blow. a massive force rebounded, and the broken steel longsword in xina¡¯s hand almost fell out of her hand. she suddenly lowered her body and dodged the opponent¡¯s follow-up attack. with her agile movements, she immediately retreated. the injuries in her body had not recovered, and her most vital bloodline power had been sealed. she was far from being able to withstand a level-13 powerful hero. a series of attacks enraged the four-armed half-snake man, and it wanted to retaliate. however, at this moment, a gigantic blood ball fell from the sky. it crashed directly to the ground. the expression of the four-armed half-snake man changed drastically, and it suddenly dragged a two-armed half-snake man from the side to block in front of it. ¡®bang!¡¯ the gigantic blood ball exploded with a loud bang, and countless strong corrosive energy swept in all directions. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the two-armed half-snake man corpse became a meat shield and suddenly melted like snow. a voluminous paste-like liquid appeared. the other unblocked half body of the four-armed half-snake man melted like it. however, before it could react¡­ ¡°explode!¡± a cold shout echoed in the surroundings. gunpowder seemed to have shrouded the bodies of the four-armed half-snake man and the surrounding corpses and ignited. ¡®boom!¡¯ they exploded. a-class skill, corpse explosion. the four-armed half-snake man, whose eyes were blood-red and whose body had expanded from three meters to four meters tall, took all the terrifying damage. ¡®roar!¡¯ a heart-wrenching roar came out of its throat. however, its wounded body did not collapse at this moment, and it surprised the other party. instead, it recovered crazily. moreover, its aura got increasingly ferocious. its opponent had used some kind of powerful forbidden spell. xina instantly confirmed the status of the four-armed half-snake man. her eyes were burning, and the desire to fight grew stronger. she turned around and went up again. at this moment, the five skeleton demons again broke through the void and appeared. they attacked at the same time. the four-armed and half-snake man, who had already fallen into madness, suddenly turned around. the four sharp knives burned with a strange blood-colored flame. ¡°whew!¡± they spun like windmills. they directly spun and slashed at the skeleton demons. the two skeleton demons could not dodge in time. in an instant. their bodies shattered. at the same time, the flames entered their bones and devoured their marrow. it directly burned the two skeleton demons to death. the battle strength of this level-13 hero in the desperate situation had already exceeded the limits of these crown-level troops. the remaining three skeleton demons decisively left when they sensed they could not obtain victory. the four-armed half-snake man let out a beast-like roar and charged toward the surrounding blood-colored mummies. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ the four long knives burning with crimson flames completely ignored the blood-colored mummies¡¯ sand transformation. one knife at a time, each slaughtered anyone who got close! in a short moment, the four-armed half-snake man slaughtered more than a squadron of blood-colored mummies. when there was a gap in the surroundings, that pair of cold blood-colored eyes stared fixedly at xina, who had attacked it. the killing intent instantly condensed into ice. its body fiercely charged toward xina. its speed was like lightning. in that instant, its aura skyrocketed to the extreme. even in a trance, xina felt she faced an ancient dragon with a wingspan of over a hundred meters. but her heart was fearless. ¡°kill!¡± when she stepped on the ground with a single step, the enormous force caused large cracks to appear. the body borrowed the force and stabbed out like an arrow. the broken steel longsword vowed to cut everything. the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s steel knife flashed with a cold light. the two sides collided at this moment. but the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s body suddenly stiffened for a moment. the steel knife that blocked xina¡¯s attack shifted slightly. Chapter 232 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation it revealed a fatal flaw. soul command, a-rank, forcefully controlled the enemy¡¯s soul and ordered it to move¡­ the broken steel longsword streaked across the sky. a unique power surged out, and it launched the head-cutting trigger. ¡®puchi!¡¯ !! xina¡¯s body brushed past the four-armed half-snake man. bang! when she landed on the ground, a tremendous head flew up. fresh blood was like an exploding faucet. it splashed a distance of more than ten meters. ¡®plop!¡¯ the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s enormous body fell to the ground due to inertia. the three level 8 twilight city heroes with five crown-level troops worked together to kill the level 13 dungeon race hero. after they annihilated the sturdiest fighting force, the dungeon race troop, which had already suffered greatly, immediately fell into great chaos. the troop, which had lost its hero leader, could only be described as a pile of loose sand. under the leadership of the three powerful heroes, their number decreased quickly. without any worries, richard also sped up the pace of killing the wyverns. it would consume tens to hundreds of units of rare resources every minute it activated the extraordinary hunter. even the landlord¡¯s family could not withstand such a consumption. twenty minutes later, when a half-snake man was pressed under the corpse and was still breathing, xina stabbed it again. the sound of a system notification rang in richard¡¯s ears. [ding~ a hero led your troop and destroyed a group of dungeon race soldiers. you have obtained victory in a small-scale battle. you have 50,000 experience points.¡¯ [current experience points: level 9(750,000/1,000,000)] after they slaughtered dozens of troops in the dungeon, his experience immediately soared to 650,000/1,000,000 at level 9. after they returned to attack the god¡¯s ancient tree and the dark temple, richard gained quite a bit of experience points. at this time, he was only one step away from level 10. [however, the higher the level, the lower the experience points gained from hunting troops. it is also a big problem.] the sunset in the sky had yet to fade away when the cold bright moon revealed. the battlefield that had just been intense was now completely silent. richard could only hear the sound of the wind and his heartbeat. in front of him, the corpses of the dungeon race soldiers have piled up a small hill. at the top, the headless four-armed half-snake man¡¯s enormous body was particularly eye-catching. richard paid no attention to this. at this time, he stood beside the corpses of the wyverns that covered the ground and looked around. these were the spoils of war that he had personally killed. he was delighted. after an inventory, the corpses of the wyverns had exceeded three squadrons. the gains after the war always made people feel happy. twilight city¡¯s current highest level military branch ¡ª the crown 1-star skeleton blood dragon, its recruitment requirements were the corpses of dragons or mixed-blood dragons. these hundreds of wyverns could recruit several small squads of skeleton blood dragons even if they included the recruited casualties. it was a tremendous harvest. these wyverns could starkly make for the losses caused by the enemy¡¯s attack on twilight city last time, and there was even a lot of surplus. it was so comfortable. richard, who was in a good mood, saw gray return from the search and immediately asked. ¡°gray, did you find any treasures or resources?¡± gray shook his head. ¡°lord, we didn¡¯t find any valuable treasures here. the steel knife on the half-snake man hero¡¯s body is just an ordinary weapon¡­¡± richard turned his head to look at the four-armed half-snake man¡¯s corpse piled up among the corpses. ¡°was this guy so poor?¡± as he was about to say something, gunter suddenly escorted an ugly-looking caveman with a bent body. ¡°lord, i found this caveman in a crevice.¡± richard looked at the caveman with a hunched back who looked like a deformed human and frowned. this guy was too ugly. the trembling caveman looked at richard¡¯s gloomy expression and felt his life was about to be lost. he immediately shouted in a trembling voice. ¡°great lord, i beg you to forgive me. i am willing to submit to the great you¡­¡± after it said that, it saw that the other party was unmoved and immediately became anxious. ¡°great lord, i know where they imprisoned the night elves!¡± the caveman¡¯s common language had a few strange accents. it sounded severely arduous to hear. the other party only understood what he meant after it said it a few times. at first, richard wasn¡¯t interested, but the name night elf made his eyes light up. ¡°night elf?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, great lord. that night elf is exceedingly beautiful. such an existence should be dedicated to you, great lord!¡± richard waved his hand in annoyance. he couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to this guy¡¯s nonsense. he hurriedly asked gray to bring it back to the night elf. after the other party left, he looked at gunter. ¡°gunter, i need you to summon all the corpses of these wyverns into skeleton blood dragons.¡± gunter said hesitantly. ¡°lord, the wyverns¡¯ bodies don¡¯t have enough power. it¡¯ll likely take several of them to recruit a skeleton dragon. the skeleton dragons were recruited from the corpses of the templar dragoons. they were a level 19 troop. these level-10 soldiers could not be compared to them at all. richard was no exception. if skeleton dragons were so easy to recruit, they would not be a crown-level troop. ¡°just do your best.¡± gunter held his chest. ¡°as you wish.¡± after gunter went down to prepare, not long after, a night elf tightly bound by chains that wore skin-tight leather armor and with fair skin was brought up. richard looked at it up and down. although the other party was in a repentant state, its exquisite face and curvaceous figure still gave him a strong visual impact. especially the tied-up one. they didn¡¯t know how to operate it. so they tied its chest tightly. and it was very artistic. it was very similar to the essence of a particular island nation¡­ full of strong temptation. however, shouldn¡¯t the skin of night elves be black? ¡®why was it so white?¡¯ he was about to ask. suddenly, its chest felt warm. ¡°eh?¡± richard¡¯s brows furrowed, and he reached out to take out an item with a dense dark aura. the statue of the ancient god of the past. at this moment, this unique treasure he had obtained from the dark temple emitted a dark light. just as he was puzzled¡­ the system notification sounded. [ding~ a soul that contains divinity has been discovered. its compatibility with the statue of the ancient god of the past is over 99%. do you wish to absorb it?] richard stared at the pale night elf with wide eyes. ¡®a soul with divinity?¡¯ Chapter 233 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation divinity was the source of divine power, equivalent to the bloodline power of ordinary life. it was a supernatural existence far beyond the imagination of mortals that contained infinite power. richard looked at the night elf in front of him. it had a delicate and beautiful face. it had fair skin and a specifically vast chest because of the chains. for a moment, his expression was quite interesting. he had never thought he could obtain a soul that could satisfy the ancient god statue in this place. !! did the goddess of luck do something indescribable to him last night while he was sleeping? it was too comfortable¡­ ¡°hahaha!¡± he could have more in the future if he had nothing to do. he could still bear it. next time, he had better pick up a few artifacts for nothing. he took a few deep breaths to suppress the excitement in his heart. it was a bloody profit! not to mention that the corpses of hundreds of wyverns could recruit dozens of crown soldiers. just this divine soul alone was a great harvest. just as he was about to make a choice, the restrained night elf¡¯s body suddenly emitted a supremely intoxicating aura. at this moment, it was as if an abyss demon that could destroy the world was born in his body. mighty pressure like the collapse of a lofty mountain surged forth. in an instant, the soul flames of the surrounding troop swayed wildly under that pressure, like a candle in a storm that one could extinguish at any time. richard¡¯s expression changed. the power of an evil god! when the evil god ankham of the dark temple revealed its aura, it was severely similar to this power. under the impact of the incomparably powerful aura, the chains as thick as a thumb made clear cracking sounds. large cracks began to appear. the sturdy chains were now as fragile as mud. richard felt an indescribable danger. every cell in his body warned him. he smelled the scent of death. without hesitation, he activated the ancient god statue in his hand with a thought. in an instant. the dark aura on the ancient god statue surged out and directly enveloped the night elf¡¯s body. the terrifying evil god¡¯s pressure seemed to have met its natural enemy. it formed a phantom and roared as it struggled free. at the same time, richard heard the roars of countless abyss demons as if he was in a vengeful-spirit-filled sea of ??blood. the dark light of the ancient god statue suddenly transformed into countless ferocious arms, forcefully pulling the distorted soul out of the night elf¡¯s body. a soul with a face of a night elf, but demonic wings on its back appeared in the air. the other party was unwillingly madly attacking the light of the statue of the ancient god. the demonic roar that richard heard became increasingly shrill and terrifying. if an ordinary person heard it, they would probably go crazy. the light of the statue was like the sturdiest cage. no matter how hard it attacked, it was useless. countless illusory arms gradually dragged the divine soul away. when the soul starkly entered the statue, the terrifying pressure and the resentful roar that pierced through the eardrums suddenly disappeared. as if nothing had happened. the only sound in the air was the sound of the wind blowing against the rocks. and at this time, the dark light that the ancient god statue emitted became increasingly terrifying. richard wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a long breath. he was just a bystander, but the pressure still made him almost unable to breathe. only now did he directly realize the power of the divine soul. it was a kind of pressure from the level of life that seeped into the soul. even if his talent was already exaggerated enough, he still could not avoid it. he became excited again after he returned to his senses. it was good to be strong. he liked strong. now, this terrifying soul was his. he would fight for him in the future. his spiritual power spread out. he carefully sensed the statue of the ancient god in his hand. that divine soul was currently locked in the space in the statue center. and it crazily attacked the surroundings. the illusionary arms of the statue had turned into tentacles at this time. various circles wrapped around the soul, assimilating it into a part of itself. he opened the attribute panel. [ancient god statue] [level: special] [status: soul transformation] ****** at the bottom, richard saw the black gold system¡¯s notification. [divine soul is being transformed. you can invest divinity or divine power to increase its potential. the more you invest, the stronger the transformed soul will be.] ¡®invest divinity to increase its potential?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. but he instantly frowned again. how could he have such a thing? he could not help but pat his forehead the moment this thought arose. he seemed to have it. he opened the system space. a box carved out of gemstones was placed in the corner. there was a drop in the divine power of the evil god inside. they were the spoils of war he obtained from killing the evil god¡¯s will in the dark temple using the method of mutual destruction. he doesn¡¯t know how to use it because it was too high-end. so he kept it temporarily. without hesitation, he took out the gemstone box. in an instant, an evil aura gushed out. although the gemstone box blocked it, it was still terrifying. it seemed that richard was not holding the box but the heart of a giant dragon. the craftsman carved the gemstone box on purpose. the rare resources could withstand the powerful energy and could barely be used to store this drop of divine power. he held the ancient god statue and slowly opened the box to calm his mind. the intensely paralyzing pressure surged again. it was like a volcano that had been silent for a long time and erupted at this moment. the world paled in comparison. even richard felt his soul creak as if a giant hand squeezed it. Chapter 234 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation while he gritted his teeth, richard forcefully withstood the pressure and dripped his divine power onto the statue of the ancient god statue. ¡®bo!¡¯ the divine power dripped down like it was dripping onto a sponge. the statue of the ancient god statue directly devoured it. in the blink of an eye. !! a dark light burst forth. the still struggling divine soul suddenly felt a surge of energy like the thousands of great rivers. it firmly suppressed it with a crushing force. the soul quickly assimilated¡­ a moment later, the shining statue suddenly dimmed. it no longer revealed its aura. but richard was even more. he could sense which drop of divine power had all poured into the divine soul. the enormous power caused it to fall into a deep sleep. the other party was like a volcano about to erupt. it suppressed the terrifying energy to the extreme. [ancient god statue (bound)] [level: special] [characteristics: 1. soul enslavement. it can imprison a powerful soul into it and make it listen to the orders of the bound person. no one has destroyed the statue and killed the soul. after the soul is shattered, it can be reborn in the statue. 2. flesh and blood feeding. it can provide voluminous flesh and blood and the soul can increase the strength of the imprisoned soul. it can also form a body for it. [contract soul: renee (level 10, potential: divine life, transmutation) [description: a special item an ancient god has forged. it has an extremely special power. other attributes did not change much, except for one. renee, level 10, divine life. ¡®divine life¡­¡¯ richard wanted to laugh out loud. this was so comfortable. divine life forms already possessed part of the characteristics and power of gods. in the ¡°shining era¡±, some divine life forms that resided at the bottom of the abyss could even slaughter gods. the upper limit of their growth potential was as high as gods. the future was immeasurable. now, all he had to do was wait for the other party to wake up, and he would immediately have an undying and powerful battle strength in his hands. ¡°in the future, if i nurture this soul into a transcendent or even a god¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be like going to heaven?¡± when he thought about how his future enemy had spent so much effort to finally kill the other party and then resurrect in the blink of an eye, he felt a wave of excitement. this was even more cruel than cheating. after he happily kept the ancient god statue in his arms, he discovered that gunter had already finished preparing to recruit the skeleton blood dragon. this immediately attracted his attention. unlike the restriction of the blood-colored mummy that could only recruit three teams a day. as long as there were enough dragon corpses, there was no limit to the number of skeleton blood dragons that gunter could recruit ¡ª as long as it could afford to recruit them. however, this was only a beautiful wish. dragons were not cabbages that one could kill at will. even a hybrid dragon like the wyvern was extremely powerful. it was he who forcefully piloted a level 20 extraordinary hunter to block the wyvern in the cave with absolute dominance. otherwise, he would have to pay an enormous price to annihilate the three squadrons of wyverns with just his troop. as richard thought of this, a look of anticipation rose in his eyes. the skeleton blood dragon could just increase the power of the air. this was self-evident to help him explore the underground world. gunter¡¯s aura, which was wrapped in blood-colored bandages, soared. crimson energy burned like a flame and spread out in all directions. after a few breaths, it enveloped hundreds of dragon corpses in front of him. however, that energy did not stop there. it continued to spread to the other soldiers¡¯ corpses of the dungeon clan. the crimson energy seemed to carry a strong corrosive sulfuric acid. it melted all the corpses other than the wyverns into pure flesh and blood energy. the hundreds of corpses quickly dried up, and in the end, it even snapped the bones. after the crimson light faded, the tall mountain of corpses seemed to have weathered for thousands of years. a gentle breeze blew, and with a crack, it directly collapsed. it sent flying dust everywhere. gunter held the dark crystal ball he had obtained from the ancient ruins tightly. it extremely controlled the dense crimson energy to pour into the wyvern¡¯s corpse. especially since they took care of the three teams of glorious-level wyverns. as time passed. most of the wyverns¡¯ corpses gradually decayed and turned into energy. only a small portion of their aura began to grow, and their bones gradually turned crimson. the entire process lasted for more than ten minutes. gunter continued to pour magic power into them. it continuously controlled the energy and poured it into them. the scattered energy gradually decreased, and when the last ray of crimson light disappeared. more than half of the wyverns¡¯ corpses on the ground had collapsed, and less than one-tenth remained. the remaining wyverns¡¯ bodies had completely turned crimson. it looked like gasoline had ignited in the hollow skull. suddenly, it emitted a faint blue light. this gave birth to the second batch of skeleton blood dragons. the system notification suddenly sounded. [ding~ twilight city¡¯s hero: gunter fresh blood. from the corpse of the wyverns, you have recruited 30 1-star crown-level soldiers ¡ª skeleton blood dragons.] ¡°thirty??¡± richard was overjoyed. this wave was so profitable that it made his brain bleed. these were all crown-level soldiers, born level 10! they were two levels higher than the highest potential soldiers from twilight city¡¯s troop lairs. he could already imagine the scene of 30 skeleton blood dragons simultaneously launching a formation and spewing dragon breath. their battle strength was not comparable to the dark gargoyles, which could only attack in a close battle. and in the battle just now, twilight city had lost cannon fodder like the blood-colored mummy. apart from that, two skeleton demons had died. using this little loss to exchange for 30 skeleton blood dragons. this deal was worth it. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the newly born skeleton blood dragon spread its wings and flew straight into the sky. at this moment, the last ray of sunlight between heaven and earth disappeared. it left only the cold moonlight shining down. the ruby-like crimson skeleton reflected the crystal clear light at this moment. it was like a work of art. thirty crown-level soldiers with a wingspan of 20 meters, born level 10, spread their wings and flew away. the scene had a visual impact. twilight city¡¯s air force went up another level. richard revealed a brilliant smile. although he had only obtained two things from this trip, it could not be said it was reasonable. one was a soul that contained divinity. it was indestructible and possessed boundless potential. in addition, were the 30 skeleton blood dragons. they were also extremely precious to twilight city. even if they had the resources, they could not recruit such a high-level troop. more importantly, he had already occupied the entrance to the underground world. next, a high-level map still waited for him to explore. when he looked down at the gravel-covered entrance to the underground. Chapter 235 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the yellow sand on richard¡¯s body surged out. in an instant, the sand that sealed the passage seemed to come alive and overflowed. not long after, a small hill formed outside the underground passage. it revealed the buried passage again. !! while richard looked at this scene, he was in an intense mood. yellow sand control, this beyond a-rank skill, was indispensable in the desert. the more he used it, the more he realized how powerful this skill was. there were too many things he could do. after the dust settled, he looked at the brave figure beside him. ¡°xina, where does this underground passage lead to?¡± xina replied softly. ¡°lord richard, it leads to a swamp full of death traps. ¡°outside the swamp is the territory of the dungeon barbarians. they have built a powerful underground city ¡ª bloodhoof city. ¡°because of the battle between bloodhoof city and the gray-colored dwarves, these dungeon dwellers we hunted were forced to hide in the swamp¡­¡± richard nodded and asked his most concerned question. ¡°how strong is bloodhoof city?¡± xina¡¯s tone was solemn. ¡°very strong. the enemy has a bloodhoof troop formed by a glorious-level troop. and there are more than three large squads. ¡°there are more than five large squads under the glorious-level. ¡°apart from that, they also enslave more than 100,000 cavemen. ¡°the lord of bloodhoof city is a level-15 dungeon barbarian hero. he is on par with the chief of the gray dwarves.¡± xina did not stop after answering his question and continued. dozens of big and small forces occupied the surrounding area other than the two main forces, bloodhoof city and the gray dwarves. ¡°the powerful ones are stronger than the dungeon race we destroyed. the weak ones are only a few squadrons of soldiers¡­ ¡°the underground world is in a state of chaos.¡± she paused to give him a few seconds to think before she continued. ¡°bloodhoof city has suppressed the other small forces because the war is tight. they want to subdue them and fight against the gray dwarves together¡­¡± richard gradually outlined the general image of the underground world in his mind after he asked more detailed questions. he felt more relaxed. chaos was not scary. the underground world union was scarier. he did not hesitate to gather the troop when he had a clear idea. they went straight to the underground world. the underground world covered by a mysterious veil was like a goddess hiding in a quilt. it stimulated his desire to explore. what could there be in the underground world if he had obtained so much outside? black dragons, treasures, underground cities, ores, gray dwarves, night elves¡­ all these words flashed through his mind. that mysterious land filled him with anticipation. xina was in charge of clearing out any possible dangers. she led the blood-colored mummy forward. richard did not sit on the skeleton blood dragon. he controlled the sand to float in the air. he could react at any time if he encountered any danger. he had already put the extraordinary hunter into his control ring. he had only used this great killing machine for ten minutes. now, the time he could fight had dropped to fifty minutes, which made his heart ache. he did not know what he would encounter underground, so he could not use it recklessly. he could only use it as a trump card and make the final decision at the most critical moment. the underground passage was pitch-black. there was not a single bit of light in sight. richard did not let his subordinates light the torches. undead creatures relied on their soul perception, and darkness could not affect them. he and xina were the only normal creatures. but xina¡¯s bloodline was remarkable. and she could maintain sufficient battle strength in the darkness. although richard could not see his surroundings clearly, he could control the power of the yellow sand. he allowed a small amount of sand to float in the air, extending a distance of 100 meters. through the feedback from the impact of the sand, he could sense what was in front of him. this kind of sensing ability was even better than his eyes. the troop gradually went deeper into the tunnel. from time to time, a breeze would blow through the tunnel. the air was not stuffy at all. after about ten minutes, there was a sudden movement in front of them. xina¡¯s voice came from the whisper crystal. ¡°lord richard, we found several cavemen in a cave.¡± ¡®several cavemen?¡¯ richard was a little interested. he immediately ordered the army to speed up and catch up with xina. an enormous cave was on the right side of the passage. a kind of moss gave off a faint light around the rock wall. the blood-colored mummy blocked the door. it focused its gaze. several ugly-looking troglodytes came into view. troglodytes were standard underground life forms. they had enormous gray eyes. their arms were sturdy, and their bent backs were like broken nine-segment whips. they were full of deformities. there was an intensely distinct difference between them and surface life forms. after xina saw him, she immediately opened her mouth to explain. ¡°lord richard, cavemen are the lowest life forms of the dungeon race. ¡°because they have poor appetite for food, even moss can fill their stomachs. that was why one could widely find in all kinds of forces. ¡°the number of cavemen here is no less than 30,000¡­ ¡°when we launched the attack, they were resting, so we didn¡¯t see many of them.¡± richard looked at the trembling underground lifeform and frowned. it was too ugly. he had seen one on the surface, and the other party had even revealed the information about the night elves. but one was fine, but when there were too many of them, just looking at them was disgusting. he immediately lost interest. he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of bringing these cavemen back to twilight city. it would take him less than three days to fail with 90 points of popular support if he brought them back. the cost of governing the lives of different races would double if they lived together. ¡°what do you suggest?¡± xina thought for a moment. ¡°cavemen are only suitable to live in the dark underground environment. if they live in an environment that is too bright, they will lose sight. ¡°i suggest that they stay here temporarily. we can make these people who are naturally good at digging into the labor force if we need to build a city underground in the future.¡± richard nods. after he thought for a moment, he waved his hand and left baal, the knight hero, behind. he asked baal to lead the giant axe death knights to guard these cavemen. the underground world¡¯s environment was harsh. and it is a swamp to go out, and it is difficult for the cavalry to play. it was suitable for guarding. after richard dealt with it, just as he was about to leave, his expression suddenly froze. he suddenly turned his head and looked in a direction of the cave. his gaze was somewhat playful. ¡°a rat is hiding in here. ¡°i¡¯ve caught you.¡± the moment he finished speaking. the sand on the ground suddenly surged out. it pounced towards a corner. they could hear an unbelievably angry roar. it forcefully lifted a transparent figure into the sky. countless grains of sand cover, one could see a figure frantically struggling and twisting. richard controlled the grains of sand and brought the human figure to him. perhaps, knowing there was no hope of escaping, the other party took the initiative to reveal himself. it was a medium-sized humanoid with two short bull horns on its head. it wore gray leather armor, and strange runes were engraved on its exposed skin. it looked strange. [dungeon barbarian, level 9, d-rank hero, shadow stalker] after richard glanced at the other party¡¯s stats panel, he became somewhat interested. ¡°and a hero? ¡°you¡¯re from bloodhoof city?¡± when the dungeon barbarian hero heard the question, it was still angry a moment ago. it panted and unexpectedly calmed down. that pair of blood-red eyes looked directly at richard. ¡°lord,¡± it said respectfully. ¡°respected human champion, gray horn sends you the noblest greetings.¡± then he added, ¡°i am a member of bloodhoof city.¡± gray horn? when he looked at its two short horns, richard smiled. this name was quite good. after he sized up the other party, his smile disappeared and his tone became solemn. ¡°hero of bloodhoof city, what is your purpose for coming here?¡± ¡°respected human powerhouse, my mission is to find the traitor of the gray dwarves!¡± gray horn replied honestly. ¡°when i arrived, the gravel blocked the passage. to find out what happened, i hid here. ¡°after the gravel was cleared, you appeared¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°your mental state is normal. very good. you didn¡¯t lie. you won the chance to live.¡± these words made the other party heave a sigh of relief. when it lowered its head, its tone became more respectful. ¡°bloodhoof city has always liked to make friends, especially with a powerhouse like you. ¡°if the lord knew that you came from the surface, he would treat you warmly. ¡°the dungeon race¡¯s hospitality? are you sure it¡¯s not a cold joke?¡± richard thought for a moment and said softly. ¡°you are now my prisoner of war. during the war, you will be executed immediately.¡± these words made the other party¡¯s heart rise to his throat again. after richard said these, he changed the topic. ¡°but i can give you a chance. you can use treasures, resources, or enough information to exchange for your life.¡± the understatement made gray horn feel an indescribable heavy pressure. the other party¡¯s words could decide his life and death now. his fate was no longer in his hands the moment they discovered him. he let out a long sigh. ¡°respected human powerhouse, i would never dare to hide what you need to know. ¡°it seems you have chosen to use the information to exchange for your life. ¡°i like smart people.¡± richard stared at him. ¡°do you know about the mithril lode?¡± ¡°mithril?¡± this word stunned gray horn, and he hesitated. ¡°respected powerhouse, mithril is very rare and precious underground. ¡°i have never heard of any faction occupying the mithril lode, but¡­¡± as he spoke, he glanced at richard and waited for him to signal for him to continue speaking. ¡°but bloodhoof city once obtained a portion of mithril.¡± ¡°the castellan is currently using it as a mission reward. as long as you can complete the mission, you will be able to obtain that portion of mithril.¡± oh? this news was out of richard¡¯s expectations. xina had previously said that she had interrogated a half-snake man and found out that the grey dwarves seemed to possess a mithril lode. she did not expect bloodhoof city did not to have this information. she looked away and focused on another point ¡ª blood hoof city also had mithril. ¡°what kind of mission is the reward of mithril?¡± when gray horn that richard seemed interested, it became more spirited. ¡°a lot of food and liquor.¡± richard was stunned and turned to look at hina. didn¡¯t they say that mithril was very precious? why was it used to exchange for food and liquor? xina saw his confusion and explained in a soft voice. ¡°lord richard, the war between bloodhoof city and the gray dwarves has made the underground world, where food is already scarce, even tense. ¡°you¡¯d better not view the underground world from the surface. ¡°the rules here are starkly different from the surface. ¡°food is even more precious than gemstones.¡± when richard stared at the dungeon barbarian in front of him, he nodded. richard suddenly realized. he found a way to open the underground world. a smile appeared on his face. ¡°sir gray horn, twilight city has always been kind to people and likes to make friends as much as bloodhoof city.¡± ¡°i¡¯m very interested in exchanging food and liquor for mithril that you mentioned. ¡°of course, other than the exchange of mithril, we also need other goods. ¡°my territory also uses all kinds of delicious food. maybe, it can help you¡­¡± Chapter 236 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation twenty minutes later. after a conversation, the ugly-looking barbarian hero with two short horns took the initiative to lead the way for the twilight city troops under xina¡¯s supervision. this dungeon hero named gray horn was very excited at this time. god of the dungeon, he indeed persuaded these humans from the surface to go to bloodyhoof city! and they were honestly willing to use food to trade. !! praise the gods!! the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ war against bloodhoof city had starkly destroyed a portion of the grain-producing areas that could still produce food previously. over the past few months, food was severely insufficient. and most of the monsters in the underground world were highly toxic. unless one possessed the body of a black dragon, no one would dare to eat it. the bloodhoof city troops did not lose much, but they were still in a difficult situation. they were short of food. there was insufficient food in the underground, and this situation made it worse. gray horn went out to search for this dungeon force. the other purpose was to find out how much food they had left. if there were enough food, bloodhoof city would immediately send out troops. however, gray horn did not expect this exploration to have twists and turns. first, this dungeon force discovered the passage to the surface. then, the surface forces slaughtered the other party¡¯s troops. finally, the surface forces were very interested in trading with bloodhoof city. twists and turns did not allow gray horn to have any expectations. ¡°damn gray-colored dwarves! as long as there is enough food, the final victor will surely be the great bloodhoof city!¡± its eyes were unprecedentedly excited. after they had walked for ten hours in the underground tunnel, there was finally news from the front¡­ the underground world had arrived. richard¡¯s eyes immediately sparked delight. he led the troops and sped up. richard¡¯s vision suddenly widened after a hundred meters of a walk. in front of him was supremely a magical scene. the sky was thousands of meters high, and the rocks formed the sky. a special kind of moss grew on top of it. it gave off a white light and lit up the entire world. although one could not compare it to the surface, it was enough for him to see clearly from a thousand meters away. richard looked around, and the air had a slightly rotten smell of mud. mud grew various strange underground plants. the twisted branches and leaves were like the withered palms of the undead. richard turned. he stood on an underground, connected to the sky dome above. it was supremely spectacular. richard was amazed. it would have been a tourist area with more than a dozen a-rank tourist areas¡­ he returned to his senses and was about to call the ugly-looking barbarian hero with two short horns over. suddenly, dozens of armored wyverns appeared in the distant sky. behind each was fully armed cavalry. richard¡¯s eyes focused. ¡°prepare for battle!¡± when he gave the order, the troops immediately set up a defensive line outside the cave. the sand condensation archers and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead rode on the dark gargoyles¡¯ backs. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ thirty skeletal blood dragons with seemed ruby-carved bones flew up. they glared at the armored wyverns that flew over. cunning troops that flew over the swamp slowed down when they saw this scene. they let out low growls and did not dare to approach. ¡°lord richard, that is the army of bloodhoof city!¡± at this moment, gray horn hurriedly came forward to report. it immediately explained while it looked at richard¡¯s sharp gaze. ¡°i found the four-armed half-snake man sent a message after it led the troop into the cave¡­ they are not here to deal with you.¡± when richard heard this explanation, he told the troop to be alert, although his face softened slightly. ¡°gray horn, you can ask them to send a representative to talk to me.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± gray horn immediately breathed a sigh of relief. he quickly rode on the dark gargoyle to communicate with the wyverns under xina¡¯s watch. a moment later, a leading wyvern slowly landed on the wet ground in front of them. the heavily-armored barbarians in the dungeon walked over. the barbarians were slightly relieved to see that gray horn was safe. then, they looked at surrounded richard in the center. ¡°bloodhoof city, boer, a powerhouse from the surface. thank you for forgiving gray horn.¡± it clenched its fists as it spoke and hung them on its chest. richard smiled. ¡°i have always liked to make friends. sir gray horn did not harm twilight city.¡± ¡°the main reason for going underground this time is to trade with bloodhoof city. i wonder if bloodhoof city is using mithril to reward food and liquor as sir gray horn said?¡± boer¡¯s eyes widely beamed. ¡°indeed. bloodhoof city welcomes all friendly exchanges.¡± food was the biggest problem for every underground force. richard¡¯s words were no different from telling a person dying of thirst in the desert that he was here to deliver water. ¡°but for the details of the transaction, please come to bloodhoof city¡­¡± ****** as the strongest force in this region, bloodhoof city ruled over a vast territory. and the new ruler of bloodhoof city, sel bloodhoof, was undoubtedly the person with the most authority. as a young lord in his early thirties, he had amazing ambitions. he wanted to completely conquer the underground world within three years! but the gray-colored dwarves broke all of these plans three months ago. these enemies suddenly launched an attack on bloodhoof city. and all this caused the death of the previous ruler of bloodhoof city, his father. sel bloodhoof had thought the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ attack was just a ridiculous and comical performance and that the war would end soon. but he did not expect that those lowly bastards who drove all kinds of strange mechanical puppets and enslaved powerful monsters would make the ferocious and fearless underground barbarians gradually retreat. if it were not for the towering city walls that bloodoof city had built for hundreds of years, the enemies might have defeated them when the other side launched their first attack. in the underground, there was only one way to defeat ¡ª death. once an enemy breached bloodhoof city, they would go from a dominant position to an unremarkable small force. because of that, he mobilized his troop at all costs and finally repelled the attack of the gray-colored dwarves after they paid unimaginable hardships. however. the crisis was not over. the food in bloodhoof city had run out in the past few months. if they could not find a new source of food¡­ even if the enemies did not breach bloodhoof city, they would still encounter an unprecedented disaster. however, food was not rock or soil. one could not instantly obtain it. even if they found a suitable land to cultivate now, they would still have to wait a long time before they could harvest it. however, the turning point came half an hour ago. the spy reported¡­that a force on the surface had gone deep underground and was willing to trade with them. and they exchanged the food they had saved up. ¡°what do you all think of that human lord?¡± inside the city lord¡¯s mansion in the center of bloodhoof city. sel bloodhoof wore a black bird-feather coat and sat on a throne inlaid with thousands of gemstones. his gaze scorched as he looked at the ten clans below. they were all the higher-ups of bloodhoof city. when he heard this question, a clan leader stood up and loudly said. ¡°lord sel, the surface is full of gold and food, and there are countless clear water sources. ¡°i suggest we imprison that lord directly, interrogate the passage leading to the surface, and send troops to conquer the surface! ¡°as long as we occupy the surface rich in resources, we will no longer lack food.¡± another clan leader heard these ridiculous words and immediately stood up and shouted. ¡°no, lord sel, we can not make any more enemies! the gray-colored dwarves are our main enemy now! ¡°i suggest we cooperate with the surface humans. we need a lot of food! the other party came with good intentions. we will be the first to lose if we offend them and cancel the deal! ¡°moreover, the surface resources are so abundant. the troop they can raise will be stronger. we can¡¯t conquer them just like that! ¡°shut up, you coward. how can the great bloodhoof city cooperate with the greedy surface humans?!¡± ¡°idiot, now we need food! if you have the ability, go get the food back!!¡± the heated discussion continued¡­ just as the topic dropped, the pros and cons that supported and opposed cooperation instantly fell into a quarrel. when sel bloodyhoof saw this, he frowned. he stood up abruptly and was about to get angry when a horn sounded. he immediately swallowed the words in his throat. ¡°the human lord has come!¡± ¡°come out with me to welcome him!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he stepped down from the throne. however, his pupils constricted when he stepped out of the door. at the end of his line of sight, he saw over a hundred armored wyverns protecting dozens of undead dragons that had a wingspan of more than 20 meters. the bones all over their bodies seemed to be carved out of rubies as they slowly flew into the city. what was even more shocking was that. a 5-meter mechanical puppet floated in front of the troop. even though the mechanical puppet¡¯s outer shell was badly damaged, the aura it exuded made him feel as if a mountain pressed down on his chest. every breath became difficult. that power¡­was extraordinary?! shock brimmed his eyes. the higher-up barbarians in the dungeon still indignant and wanting to send out troops to capture the human lord had their bodies stiffened at this moment. their expressions became rather ugly. a hint of relief rose in their hearts. fortunately, they did not attack. the human lord¡¯s power was not something they could easily control! sel took a deep breath and looked at the expressions of the people around him. he immediately knew how to face the human lord. a smile appeared on his face as he slowly walked up to him. bloodhoof city was the friendliest and most hospitable city¡­ Chapter 237 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard looked down at the underground city from the sky. he was a little surprised. this city was more like a war fortress than a city. the city wall was more than 40 meters high. there were all kinds of siege crossbows on it. each of the siege crossbows had a striking bloodhoof mark. it was unforgettable. !! these siege crossbows were different from the weapons on the ground. they were all made of steel, and their ferocious appearance was chilling. even the giant dragons would not be able to resist their hunting. behind the city wall, there were arrow towers of different heights. at a glance, there seemed to be more than 200 of them. between the gaps of the arrow towers, several catapults with strange shapes were ready to launch a fierce attack at any time. they were armed to the teeth. after they flew into the city, richard immediately noticed special crossbow arrows on the arrow towers aimed at the air. those changeable angle crossbow arrows had targeted him. the other party unsurprisingly dared to let him enter with such swagger. it was not an exaggeration to describe this defensive force as a dragon¡¯s den or a tiger¡¯s den. the skeleton blood dragon slowly descended on a broad square in the city under the leadership of the wyverns in heavy armor. they aimed more than thirty arrow towers at them. they would immediately attack if there were any hostility. sel bloodhoof felt more pressure than anyone else when he looked at the broken mechanical puppet. as a level-15 hero, his strength was the absolute king in this area. however, he seemed like an ant standing at a giant dragon in front of this mechanical puppet. it seemed like it could break at any time. the aura the other party emitted made sel wants to escape uncontrollably. dangerous, extremely dangerous. however, as the lord of bloodhoof city, how could he retreat? he took a deep breath. he raised his head to look at the giant puppet and said in a clear voice. ¡°human lord from the surface, i am the ruler of bloodhoof city. now, you can leave this mechanical puppet. i can guarantee that you¡­¡± before he could finish his sentence. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the enormous limit puppet disappeared into thin air. a sand-surrounded human that floated in midair reflected in his pupils. he wore a white robe with golden edges. his heroic aura was dazzling. under everyone¡¯s gaze, richard slowly landed on the ground. he looked at the ruler of the barbarians in the dungeon. the two lords of the two forces looked at each other. time seemed to have slowed down at this moment. judging from the danger his body sensed without looking at his attributes, this hero was supremely strapping. murderous threats filled every cell in his body. he opened his attributes panel. [sel bloodhoof, level 15, top hero, potential b-rank¡­] as expected. he watched as the mechanical puppet disappeared without a trace. he forcefully suppressed the surging emotions in his heart. he brought the higher-ups beside him to richard. for the second time, he took the initiative to speak. ¡°a human powerhouse from the surface, sel bloodhoof, greets you.¡± one must maintain sufficient respect when dealing with a powerhouse. it was an eternal and unchanging rule. the strength displayed by the other party was enough for bloodhoof city to treat him as an honored guest. richard also withdrew his probing gaze and responded with a smile. ¡°richard, the lord of twilight city, lord sel. i¡¯m delighted to be a guest in your city.¡± the frozen atmosphere relaxed slightly with the courtesy of the two people. ¡°i¡¯ve already heard about your background from my subordinates. may i know what you need when you¡¯re underground?¡± richard was stunned for a moment. did they get to purpose so quickly? he did not hesitate and went straight to the point. ¡°i heard that bloodhoof city needs food and strong alcohol. coincidentally, my territory has ample supplies. ¡°so, i¡¯ve come here for trade.¡± for trade. these words made the surrounding barbarian higher-ups somewhat moved. previously, they wanted to snatch him because they did not know his strength. the power he displayed made the barbarians feel he had equal status to trade with them. the underground world was more naked than the rules on the surface ¡ª because there were no rules here, no justice or evil. only profit and survival. the strong could have everything. richard belonged to the ranks of the strong¡­ at least to them. the smile on sel bloodhoof¡¯s face also became more sincere. ¡°bloodhoof city welcomes all kinds of friends, please.¡± as sel bloodhoof spoke, he gestured to the hall behind him. richard nodded slightly. he motioned for xina and gunter to follow behind him. this time, he only brought two heroes and 30 skeleton blood dragons. the remaining troops were in the underground passage. richard hid a part of the troops in the tibetan soldier card in his arms. he could drive the extraordinary hunter to leave or escape through the sand if something went wrong. it would be easy to target them if they brought a troop with them and had malicious intentions. the group entered a banquet hall with a long table. richard sat on the left side of the long table, and sel bloodhoof sat opposite him. other than that, everyone stood to the side. although there were many empty seats, no one else sat down. although only three people faced all the enemies, richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. that confident attitude and calm bearing made all the dungeon barbarians give him another sidelong glance. when sel bloodhoof saw this, he narrowed his eyes slightly. in his heart, he was sure that this human lord¡¯s territory was not small. this bearing wasn¡¯t something that a mechanical puppet could bring. it had to have been through countless grand scenes. he looked directly at the other party. he said in a solemn tone. ¡°lord richard, bloodhoof city has always welcomed trade. ¡°but i wonder, what do you need?¡± food and strong wine were well-deserved hard currency in the underground world. but he needed to know what the other party wanted. could bloodhoof city afford it? richard also saw through these people¡¯s personalities and spoke bluntly. ¡°mithril, lord sel. i need bloodhoof city¡¯s mithril.¡± ¡°i heard bloodhoof city is offering mithril as a reward for food. i¡¯m here for this.¡± sel heaved a sigh of relief. fortunately, he could afford this price. ¡°bloodhoof city¡¯s mithril ore still has 50 units. our mission requirement is ¡ª 500,000 units of food.¡± richard frowned slightly when he heard this number. ¡®mithril ore¡­ 50 units?¡¯ ore was not mithril. just like iron ore, one could obtain real mithril obtain after refining. he did not know how many units of mithril could be refined out of these 50 units. moreover, each unit of ore was sold for 10,000 units of food. one hundred acres of sand wheat could only produce 100,000 units of food in a month. this could only be exchanged for 10 units of ore. he was a little unsure if this price was too high or too low¡­ moreover, the price of wheat was currently purchased from the market. including the 30% handling fee, roughly 10 units of resources could buy one unit. five hundred units of food for 5 million units of resources. he seemed to be unable to afford this money¡­ behind him, xina¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this, and her breathing quickened. she seemed to want to immediately go forward and agree on richard¡¯s behalf. five hundred units of food could buy 50 units of mithril ore? the desert god, how could there be such a good thing? richard didn¡¯t notice xina¡¯s expression, and his voice sank. ¡°it¡¯s too high, lord sel. you should know the value of this food.¡± ¡°mithril is not mithril. you should know how much 50 units can be extracted.¡± sel frowned. although mithril was indeed valuable, food was also rare underground. normally, he would not sell it. but now, they could not use mithril as food¡­ after he thought for a while, he gritted his teeth. ¡°at least 400,000 units of food. one less unit is not enough!¡± richard wanted to say something but suddenly felt a tug on his back. he immediately swallowed his words. he did not look back at the slightly excited xina and smiled. ¡°deal, lord sel. this price is very fair. i want this deal to be a witness to our friendship.¡± sel immediately heaved a sigh of relief. four hundred thousand units of food were far from enough to solve the food crisis in bloodhoof city, but it could still loosen the rope around their necks a little. richard was not happy after sel bloodhoof agreed. instead, his heart was a little heavy. four hundred units of food were not so much in twilight city¡­ but since xina had indicated, the price would not be a loss. the problem was, how could he get so much food? even if he robbed now, he would not be able to get so much. he did not know how much time it would take to kill monsters¡­ no, he couldn¡¯t use the old ways. he had to think of a new way. richard¡¯s thoughts spun wildly. how could he earn money the fastest? or, who in this world was the easiest to earn money? the moment this thought arose in his mind. the answer appeared in his mind. ¡®players. ¡®a huge number of players!¡¯ with this thought in mind, he thought of an excellent plan in a few breaths. as long as he did it well, not to mention 400,000 units of food, even 4,000,000 units wouldn¡¯t be a problem. as long as the dungeon barbarian in front of him cooperated¡­ however, judging from the other party¡¯s appearance, they definitely couldn¡¯t refuse him. in an instant, he looked at the ruler of bloodhoof city as if he was looking at an unprecedentedly fat bull. intense temptation filled his tone. ¡°lord sel, when i entered bloodhoof city, i discovered that its defenses were extremely perfect. i imagine that bloodhoof city must be very skilled at forging weapons, right? ¡°i still have a large amount of food to trade¡­ ¡°are there any obsolete or surplus weapons that can be sold in bloodhoof city? ¡°it doesn¡¯t need to be too top-tier. there are even some that are damaged.¡± when sel heard this, his eyes sparked. was this human lord in front of him the savior sent by god? he had plenty of broken weapons in his warehouse! ¡°yes, as long as you replace them with food, i¡¯ll buy as much as you want!¡± richard¡¯s tone was even more straightforward. ¡°as long as you sell, i¡¯ll buy as much as you want!¡± Chapter 238 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡®yah!¡¯ they opened the thick and heavy warehouse door. a biological lamp made of glowing plants emitted a weak light that barely illuminated the warehouse. although it was slightly better than total darkness, it was still limited. sel bloodhoof pointed at the colossal warehouse in front of him, which was 300 meters wide and more than 500 meters long. !! he sighed with emotion. ¡°this is a warehouse for storing weapons. as long as there are damaged weapons, we would seal them here. the blacksmith shop will choose a part of them to repair. ¡°however, because there were too many of them, and the new weapons were sharper, the blacksmith could not repair most of the damaged weapons over time. ¡°as a last resort, we will clean them every once in a while, but the last time was 20 years ago. ¡°and only a small part of it was starkly destroyed. most of it is still there.¡± as sel bloodhoof spoke, he pointed to a corner. ¡°that side contains weapons in good condition but were eliminated due to technological reform. mostly are siege crossbows¡­¡± as he spoke, he looked at richard with a burning gaze. ¡°lord richard, we will sell all the weapons in this warehouse to you as long as you want it.¡± richard looked at the weapons on the shelves and could not help but laugh out loud. he looked at the many long knives thrown as junk in the warehouse without even a thumb-sized hole. to bloodhoof city, these things were just a pile of garbage. however, it was different for players. most of the soldiers in the territory lived an ordinary life, not a troop of mummies and mechanical puppets like twilight city. ordinary life needed armor, weapons, and all the equipment they could wear. it had only been two months, and many players could produce no weapons. the bloodhoof city eliminated higher quality weapons than most of the lords¡¯ troops. after all, they were an underground force that had existed for hundreds of years. their foundations were something they could not catch up to in a few months. richard waved his hand, and his heroic spirit soared to the heavens. ¡°i want all of it!¡± sel bloodhoof was stunned, and then he burst into laughter. his eyes were so carefree. he would not have let others clean them up if he had known he could still sell this junk. ¡°lord sel, send someone to do the inventory.¡± then he added. ¡°take turns in doing one thing at a time. don¡¯t leave anything behind.¡± the almost suffocated higher-ups of bloodhoof city due to food shortage were overjoyed when they saw such a silly rich dog. they immediately sent people to count the equipment they thought was tattered. of course, they were too embarrassed to raise the price too high. they were afraid that this guy would wake up and not buy it. the inventory quickly began. ¡°one notched long knife, 20 units of food.¡± ¡°one chipped shield, 50 units of food.¡± ¡°chipped armor¡­¡± the staff calculated more resources¡­ after the inventory staff determined the price, they immediately shouted and categorized it. ten weapons were in a pile, and someone next to them immediately counted them. richard immediately went to the market and hung them when the pile filled. [sharp long knife (chipped), 50 units of food] [strong shield (slightly damaged), 100 units of food.] ****** the iron ore of the ¡°shining era¡± could be collected from resource points, so as long as it was not strategic equipment, one would not highly inflate the price of ordinary weapons. richard was tremendously delighted. [a long knife only lacks a hole and sells you 50 units of food, aren¡¯t you secretly happy?] a shield selling 100 units of food is a gift of warmth, okay? and the transaction fee is set to be paid by the buyer. in the end, richard complained that this thing was too slow. he might as well have gathered 100 weapons and sold them together. god knows how much equipment there was in an abandoned equipment warehouse for decades. moreover, this was the underground world. the frequency of weapon consumption was not something one could imagine in peaceful areas. not long after, the players on the forum realized something was wrong. someone sold several cheap pieces of equipment for hundreds. the id of the equipment seller shocked them even more ¡ª qingqiu. that super boss had left the dungeon for half a month without a trace. how did he suddenly appear again? at first, not many people paid attention to richard¡¯s actions, but an hour, two hours, and three hours later. he still sold equipment. it shocked a portion of the players. ¡°f*ck, what did qingqiu do?! why is he still selling equipment after selling for three hours???¡± ¡°what a joke. i did a rough calculation. this guy probably sold more than 100,000 pieces of equipment in these few hours¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible, right? is there a system bug? why does that guy have so many weapons to sell?¡± ¡°boss, i¡¯m on my knees. i just spent 5,000 units of food for 100 long knives. they¡¯re so f*cking useful. although most of them are chipped, they¡¯re much better than the ones forged by my blacksmith shop that can¡¯t even cut tofu.¡± ¡°hahaha, everyone, hurry up and snatch the weapons that boss qingqiu sells. they¡¯re cheap and cool. they can buy back and repair them if everyone¡¯s territory can repair their equipment. then, they can make a profit again.¡± ¡°i¡¯m crying. boss qingqiu, are you here to give me warmth?¡± the conversation continued¡­ it was usual to sell weapons and equipment. it was unusual to sell for several hours, and more than 100,000 of them. moreover, the person who sold them was none other than qingqiu, who left a deep impression on everyone. a few points combined, and it did not take long for billions of players to know what he had done. after the players who bought the weapons used them, they posted crazily. they shouted boss qingqiu had sent them warmth and that he had come to ask for them. later, it reached the point where richard could instantly kill a player if he hung the weapons on it. at this time, sel bloodhoof and the high-ranking officials of bloodhoof city went crazy. they urged the staff inside to speed up the inventory. they even wished they could do it themselves. it was not that richard was charming, but he gave too much. as long as he counted 1000 weapons, he would pay the bill immediately. later on, they even sent a special food delivery team to wait. to prevent accidents, richard directly summoned the extraordinary hunter. as long as he wanted to, he could activate it. with this killer in charge, he was not afraid that these people would get greedy. he sold too many items and exceeded the storage limit of the system space. in the end, because the transaction volume met the requirements, the system activated a separate space. but it could only temporarily store for 12 hours. so, he simply paid directly. for the first time, richard experienced the thrill of counting money until his hand numbed. it was too cool. as long as he counted it, he could sell it to other players immediately. although the equipment was a little damaged, it did not affect its use. moreover, the price was low-cost. and it was cardinally popular. the players had never seen such a low-price dumping stance before. they were instantly on their knees, increasingly bought crazily. the market of 20 billion players was so huge that even if he had ten times more weapons, it would still not be able to meet the needs of all the players. he was currently lying down and making money crazily. trade. trading was still the most profitable thing. the smile on richard¡¯s face was extremely bright. this exploration of the underground world was too comfortable. he immediately waved his hand when he saw that the workers¡¯ speed had slowed. ¡°hurry up, bring out all the weapons inside, don¡¯t leave any behind¡­¡± sel bloodhoof heard this behind him. the corners of his mouth curled up to the back of his head. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ll immediately get someone to gather them and see if there are any obsolete weapons! just wait! don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave!¡± Chapter 239 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°quick, quick, quick, i heard that a lord came to the surface and is collecting junk¡­ bah, collecting all kinds of old weapons. the neighbor took a rusty, long knife and exchanged it for 30 units of food.¡± ¡°what? there¡¯s such a good thing?¡± buyers were superlatively overwhelmed¡­ since the war between bloodhoof city and the gray-colored dwarves began, there had never been such a lively situation. everyone rummaged through their homes. they brought all kinds of unwanted, old weapons and armor to the warehouse and exchanged them for sacks of food. !! it was the underground world, and there was no shortage of ores. who didn¡¯t have a few weapons? the residents of bloodhoof city who received the food lamented that the surface lord was a good person. he collected so much junk and gave it back. sel bloodhoof did even close his mouth. he looked at richard and almost pulled him to bow. he called over a few of the most beautiful women of the dungeon barbarians and waited on them. he did not want to do this, but the other party had given him too much. he could only use this method to make up for the uneasiness in his heart¡­ richard looked at the female dungeon barbarians whose arms were thicker than his legs. after a long silence, he let them stand in a row behind him. nothing else but a sense of security. this thing was like having a mountain behind it. the whole process of inventory and selling equipment lasted for nearly six hours. when richard sold the last pile of weapons, the warehouse in front of him was cleaner than his face. and he had acquired the equipment that the residents brought. when sel bloodhoof saw this, he sighed with regret. ¡°lord richard, we have sold out our weapons.¡± what a great opportunity! if there were ten or eight more warehouses of this size, wouldn¡¯t they be rich this time? richard looked at sel bloodhoof with a smile and said meaningfully. ¡°lord sel, there are still intact weapons without damage.¡± these words moved sel bloodhoof. but he shook his head in the end. ¡°we need to deal with the attack of the gray-colored dwarves!¡± richard patted the level-15 hero on the shoulder and said kindly. ¡°my friend, our cooperation will not only happen once.¡± ¡°after we defeat the gray-colored dwarves, i think you can open a processing factory to produce weapons for me. ¡°i can use food, liquor, and even more materials not available in the underground world to exchange with you.¡± the moment the first batch of resources entered his account, he knew that this was a business with a lot of money. an old hen that could always lay golden eggs. what was the point of fighting and killing? in the future, he could use the economy to control bloodhoof city and let the underground city produce weapons and equipment for him. wouldn¡¯t that be great? what was trade? the essence of trade was to use unequal resources to earn profits. the resources included information, channels, logistics, and so on. but in the end, i can do it. you can¡¯t do it, so you have to let me earn this money. there was no market to digest them in the underground world, no matter how many powerful weapons bloodhoof city could produce. the other forces¡¯ produced weapons might not be inferior to bloodhoof city¡¯s. the channel of resources that richard controlled was different. even if the system eliminates a portion of the 20 billion players, it would still be a terrifying massive market. as long as there were good things, they could earn huge profits. it was a channel advantage that bloodhoof city would never have. sel bloodhoof was extremely satisfied with richard¡¯s words. ¡°lord richard, our friendship will last forever!¡± he could not let such a big dog go. richard thought for a while and said a bit of temptation. ¡°lord sel, if bloodhoof city is busy for the time being, we can buy weapons and equipment from other forces. ¡°as long as it is suitable, i can buy all of them. ¡°and not only weapons and equipment. i also need tons of mithril mines and rare resources. strategic treasures¡­¡± bloodhoof city couldn¡¯t produce them themselves. weren¡¯t there other forces? and there was no need to buy them. bloodhoof city was so powerful. couldn¡¯t they do something else? his smile was exceptionally bright. when the time came, he would use the sharp edge of bloodhoof city to plunder other dungeon race members. in the end, wouldn¡¯t the other party still have to sell the spoils of war to him? when he thought of bloodhoof city fighting in the underground world in the future and taking a large portion of the spoils of war, he instantly felt very comfortable. it was the correct way to open the underground world. when sel bloodhoof heard this, his eyes lit up. that¡¯s right. bloodhoof city could not quickly obtain several weapons and equipment, but other factions did. he could completely capture other factions and let them forge weapons for him. if he thought about the long term, he could also buy some food at a low price and sell it at a high price to earn a price difference. the lord of bloodhoof city and richard instantly thought the same thing. they looked at each other and smiled happily. after they discussed some details of the transaction. richard got down to business. ¡°lord sel, do you want 400,000 units of wheat for the mithril ore to be placed here or¡­¡± sel bloodhoof pointed at the vast bluestone ground in front of him. ¡°just put it in front. next to it is the warehouse where the food is stored.¡± richard did not hesitate. he took out 400,000 units of wheat from the system space. it directly piled up into a few small hills. sel bloodhoof looked at the ring in richard¡¯s hand with great emotion. he would not know how much food this space ring hid. at the thought of this, he glanced at the 15-meter-tall mechanical puppet. sel bloodhoof immediately suppressed his inner thoughts. strength was the only pass to the underground world. this saying was perfectly true. after the staff estimated the food on the ground was not much different from 400,000 units. sel bloodhoof did not hesitate either. he directly asked someone to bring 50 units of mithril ore and handed it to richard personally. fifty units of mithril ore was a few times smaller than a human head. its appearance was very rough and emitted faint white light. when richard held it in his hand, he could immediately feel the surrounding magic energy become active. after he opened the attribute panel and confirmed that it was mithril ore, he was satisfied and entered the system space. with that, he finally obtained the mithril ore he desperately needed. and accompanying it was the wheat temporarily stored in the system space, with a quantity of up to 3 million units. that¡¯s right, three million units. to be more precise, it was 30,561,000 units. 1 he sold all the worn-out weapons in bloodhoof city. he didn¡¯t expect his sudden idea would bring him such an exaggerated profit. it was three million units of food. richard had exchanged these into resources at a market price of 1:10. a total of 30 million units. it was enough to upgrade 60 elite-level troops to rare-level. it was enough to upgrade six rare-level troops to brilliant-level. moreover, he had obtained the mithril needed to restore the extraordinary hunter. even if he could not fully restore, it was enough to increase the duration of this extraordinary-level battle strength. this trump card allows him to deal with most of the dangers at this stage. his safety factor would skyrocket. thirty crown-level skeleton blood dragons if he added in the still-sleeping divine soul. and the future bloodhoof city, a chicken that could lay golden eggs. this exploration of the underground world was simply a bloody profit!! Chapter 240 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard completed the transaction. bloodhoof city held a grand welcoming banquet for richard. at the banquet, the smiles on the faces of the bloodhoof city higher-ups never disappeared. in the end, the pile of junk in the warehouse and the mithril ore sold three million food units at an overstated price. three million units! !! this was outrightly a massive fortune to the underground world in dire need of food. it was a true lifesaver. the severely depleted warehouse instantly filled up. although it couldn¡¯t completely solve bloodhoof city¡¯s food shortage problem, it had already earned them an extra month of buffer time. more importantly¡­ the success of this transaction meant they had established a cooperative relationship with this powerful great lord on the surface. they could continue the transaction as long as both sides could maintain this friendly relationship. bloodhoof city could use this opportunity to get through this most arduous period. if they defeated the gray-colored dwarves and became the ruler of the underground world, food would no longer be a problem. those damned gray-colored dwarves occupied a vast land that a city could use to grow light wheat. as for whether they could defeat the gray-colored dwarves, this question was never within their scope of discussion. with all sorts of causes and effects, the importance that richard received in bloodhoof city cardinally increased. the stalwart level 15 dungeon hero, sel bloodhoof, delayed his departure after the guests and hosts had their fun. instead, he excitedly brought richard to the backyard of the castellan¡¯s mansion for a visit. there was an unusually remarkable underground garden here. because of the environment, most plants in the underground world emit faint light. richard suddenly seemed to have walked into the galaxy in the sky. exquisite flowers, vines that covered the walls, and even the root trees emitted light. it was even more attractive than the most beautiful light show on planet blue. it was magnificent and soul-stirring. when sel bloodhoof saw that richard was in high spirits, he extended his hand and introduced. ¡°this garden has a festive magic power. it can grow most plants that are difficult to survive. ¡°my father collected the plants you see here. although they no longer have magic power, they are still quite precious. ¡°lord richard, i don¡¯t think there are any underground plants on the surface. if you like them, i can give you a batch when you leave.¡± when richard heard this, he suddenly thought of the three magic building blueprints he had exchanged for points. the yellow sand mage tower, the magic garden, and the magic fountain. because of rare resources shortage, they hadn¡¯t built yet. in the future, if they create a magic garden, it would be stupendous to plant some glowing underground plants in it. he agreed readily. ¡°thank you for your gift, lord.¡± sel bloodhoof smiled indifferently. ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s not a precious magic plant. i¡¯ll get someone to prepare a batch for you later. you can take it with you whenever you need it.¡± he seemed to have thought of something and asked after richard thanked him again. ¡°lord sel, does bloodhoof city still have the three rare resources of mercury, crystal, and sulfur? i can still trade a sum of food¡­¡± this time, selling the weapons and equipment in bloodhoof city¡¯s inventory had earned him three million food units. this was after he purchased the mercury mine. twilight city was not like bloodhoof city. there was no need to store so much food. with its small population, he could finish it in two years. the wool came from the sheep. using the food earned from bloodhoof city to exchange for urgently needed resources was distinctly more in line with twilight city¡¯s interests. the idea of food in the future starkly moved sel bloodhoof. although he had already obtained a lot of food, the current stock could only provide bloodhoof city with more than a month¡¯s consumption. after this crisis, he realized that food was the foundation of a city. this predicament must not shake him. after a moment of silence, he said slowly. ¡°one unit of rare resources for 60 units of food. ¡°i can sell 10,000 units of crystals and 10,000 units of mercury.¡± richard¡¯s eyes sparked like diamonds. the underground city¡¯s foundation was not so easy to empty. the previous transaction did not involve the other party¡¯s core at all. ¡°i want all 50 units. we can trade now!¡± richard¡¯s straightforwardness made sel bloodhoof very satisfied. ¡°deal!¡± richard exchanged 50 units for one unit of rare resource and 20,000 units for one million. it was one-third of the amount obtained from this transaction. sel bloodhoof delightedly said after they settled the deal. ¡°lord richard, when do we have the next transaction?¡± richard had no thoughts about what commodities to use for the next transaction.although he had not left yet, he could not wait to taste the sweetness. richard thought for a moment. ¡°as long as there are enough goods, we can do it anytime.¡± he said with a profound meaning. ¡°but next time, i hope to exchange for more items.¡± ¡°weapons, equipment, rare resources, precious building blueprints, and even the corpses of powerful monsters are what i need¡­¡± sel bloodhoof¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°you also need monsters¡¯ corpses?¡± this operation had a lot of room. richard gestured for gunter and xina to follow in the distance. ¡°my subordinates have mummy heroes. they can recruit mummies from corpses.¡± it was not a secret that undead rioters mainly relied on corpses. any intelligent being in the ¡°shining era¡± would know. they were not afraid to reveal anything. moreover, for twilight city, corpses were not only used to recruit troops. the god¡¯s ancient tree needed several corpses to grow poisonous wasps. even the sleeping divine being could devour flesh and soul to grow. he chose to develop the mummified troop after he considered the geographical environment. it was inseparable from corpses. of course, the mechanical puppets were currently a big part of twilight city¡¯s battle strength. in the future, he might try to walk on two legs and invest a certain amount of resources into the mechanical puppets. when sel bloodhoof received a definite response, he immediately became excited. ¡°then, the price of the transaction¡­¡± richard smiled. ¡°the price is based on the level. the stronger you are, the higher the price.¡± ¡°in addition, i¡¯m willing to buy the corpses of the wyverns or other half-blood dragons at a high price.¡± bloodhoof city occupied the underground world and had a powerful military force. he could pay the other party to work for twilight city ¡ª after all, he earned the payment from the other party. using the power of bloodhoof city to strengthen himself, and also to receive the other party¡¯s gratitude. it was simply the act of a capitalist. when sel bloodhoof heard this, he felt urged to dispatch the troop to go hunting. there was no shortage of monsters in the underground world. they were all free food. after they discussed it for a while, richard suddenly thought of the main point. ¡°the corpses of those monsters are easy to destroy. twilight city can¡¯t transport them to the underground world every day. does lord sel have a solution to this problem?¡± the energy in the corpses would gradually disappear as the bodies rotted. richard did not want to spend more money to buy useless corpses. sel laughed and turned his head to look around. a moment later, he pointed at a broad-leaved grass half the height of a person in the garden. ¡°this grass is called the flowing light grass. it means to retain time.¡± ¡°sprinkle it on the prey, and it will not decompose for half a month.¡± ¡°this is a common plant used to store food underground. as long as you carry the transaction within the corresponding time, there is no need to worry.¡± richard looked at the plant in surprise. as expected, one could not look at a fantasy world with pure common sense. he made up his mind to bring some on his return to twilight city to plant when he left. this thing seemed to have endless uses. when he saw that richard was so concerned about the monster¡¯s corpses, sel bloodhoof seemed to have thought of something and fell into hesitation. richard noticed the change in sel bloodhoof¡¯s expression and said softly. ¡°lord sel, we are friends.¡± ¡°i think you should know that twilight city and bloodhoof city have no conflict of interest, and i have no intention of conquering the underground world.¡± ¡°i hope bloodhoof city can be stronger and open more deals in the future.¡± sel looked deeply at richard. he said something that made his heart race. ¡°i wonder if lord richard is interested in the corpse of the extraordinary dragon.¡± ¡°bloodhoof city just happens to have one¡­¡± Chapter 241 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord sel, do you honestly have the corpse of an extraordinary dragon in your hands?¡± richard fixed his gaze on the dungeon hero in front of him. he wanted to discern the truth about the other party¡¯s words. an extraordinary was not a chinese cabbage. it was a top-tier existence in the upper levels of the pyramid. he was very clear about what this meant. !! the extraordinary hunter has 70% damage, but it could still slaughter wyverns at will. the value of an extraordinary dragon corpse was not something few words could explain. sel bloodhoof nodded with a complex look in his eyes. after he released a long breath, his voice became a little modulated. ¡°my father hunted that extraordinary dragon.¡± ¡°a few months ago, he passed away due to a relapse of his old injuries. the main reason was that dragon.¡± sel bloodhoof said a few about this topic. after he adjusted his mood, he looked at richard with a burning gaze. ¡°although we took away most of the materials in the dragon¡¯s corpse, the body is still there. the energy inside is still majestic! ¡°i can sell it to you at the price of two million units of food.¡± he added. ¡°this is the lowest price.¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he just happened to have two million units left. ¡®could this guy tell fortunes?¡¯ but if it was an extraordinary dragon, this price was not expensive to him. in the outside world, even if he took out five million units of food, no one would sell a corpse of this level. extraordinary had already stepped to another level. the battle power was far from what an ordinary person could imagine. ¡°i need to see the corpse before i can make a decision.¡± sel bloodhoof nodded, not taking it seriously. ¡°it should be so.¡± after he said that, he did not waste any time. he turned around and led richard out of the beautiful underground garden. after that, they detoured and arrived in front of a mysterious building, half buried underground. as they got closer, richard felt an ice-cold attack. it was as if someone had opened an air-conditioned door on a hot summer day. he did not sense any danger. he relaxed a little and followed sel into the mysterious building. after they went down the stairs and passed through the door, his eyes immediately lit up when he saw this scene. he saw an enormous pool in the central area. at this time, the pool was completely frozen. cold smoke rose from the ice. the chill came from there. on both sides of the pool, hundreds of plants with blue flowers luxuriously grew. the roots of the plants extended into the pool. it looked strange. richard could distinctly feel the plant roots were constantly emitting cold energy. these plants genuinely made ice in the pool. sel looked at the slightly surprised richard and took the initiative to introduce it. ¡°this is the frost grass. a powerful magic plant. its roots can emit special energy to lower the surrounding temperature.¡± as sel spoke, he took a few steps forward and stood in front of the pool. his gaze was complicated. ¡°the flowing light grass can preserve the body for a short time. one can use this method for a long time.¡± richard also stepped forward and stood at the edge of the pool. when he looked down, he was immediately shocked. seven to eight meters below the ice, a black dragon with its eyes closed appeared in his line of sight. the dragon¡¯s corpse transmitted dominion through the thick ice. even though the dragon was already dead, it was still terror-stricken. however, he immediately realized something was wrong. this giant dragon did not have dragon scales. as if sel saw richard¡¯s confusion, he explained. ¡°this extraordinary giant dragon has already lost its scales due to its old age. that¡¯s why my father killed it¡­¡± richard was quite surprised. ¡°doesn¡¯t the older a dragon is, the stronger the power it controls?¡± ¡°the bloodline of this dragon is not pure. moreover, it has already lived for more than a thousand years, and its lifespan has been exhausted.¡± richard was no longer doubtful. eagerness brimmed his eyes. ¡°can it break through the hard ice? i¡¯ll buy this dragon!¡± being wealthy and imposing meant that he had confidence. moreover, he initially earned the food in his hands from bloodhoof city. he used the money he earned from bloodhoof city now to buy the treasures in bloodhoof city¡¯s hands. it could be said that they complemented each other. sel looked at the dragon¡¯s corpse below with some excitement. without hesitation, he waved his hand to summon the guards beside him and ordered them to defrost the ice. the other party had taken from this dragon¡¯s body all the most valuable crystals, blood, claws, and horns. although the remaining flesh contained a tremendous amount of energy, it also contained sturdy toxins, which were of little value to him. the price of removing those toxins was too high-cost, and it was not worth it. if it were not for the fact the other party was a giant, extraordinary dragon, perhaps, he would have been thrown out of bloodhoof city long ago. soon, a dungeon barbarian spell caster that carried a magic staff entered the room. the other party bowed and began to chant a spell. in an instant, the plants that emitted a chill began to absorb the energy. the hard ice melted at a speed visible to the naked eye. in less than twenty minutes, the enormous ice melted into a pool. the giant dragon¡¯s corpse also became more eye-catching. its enormous size made people¡¯s hearts tremble. it was like a terrifying giant beast that could surface at any time to launch an attack. richard glanced at sel and said directly. ¡°lord sel, i will use this dragon body to strengthen my subordinates later. can you please get someone to guard the door for me?¡± sel did not hesitate. he had sold it to him anyway. how to deal with it was richard¡¯s own business. he waved his hand and ordered the troop to retreat. after richard sensed there were no outsiders in the hall, he willed. the enormous body of the extraordinary hunter suddenly appeared beside the pool. after the security was in place, richard waved his hand and asked gunter, who was at the door, to bring over the first skeleton blood dragon recruited in the dungeon. not long after, the skeleton blood dragon glided into the pool. he did not hesitate and directly let the ruby-like skeleton of the undead creature dive into the bottom of the pool. at the same time, he took out the ancient dragon crystal from the system space. this treasure, which he had risked his life to complete an a-rank mission, could turn a dragon into an a-rank hero. however, this process requires a voluminous amount of fresh blood energy. if the energy is too low, it would cause its potential to drop. previously, he had never had the chance to use it. now that an extraordinary dragon was right in front of him, it was enough for him to complete his transformation. with a thought, a small amount of sand flew out and dragged the ancient dragon crystal into the bottom of the water. it landed on the skeleton dragon¡¯s head. [ding~ do you wish to use the ancient dragon crystal to reinforce the skeleton dragon?] [note: the reinforcement process is irreversible. lack of energy will result in unpredictable consequences.] naturally, there was nothing to hesitate about. ¡°confirm.¡± the ancient dragon crystal suddenly emitted a bright light in the next second. then, like a water droplet, it directly merged into the skeleton dragon¡¯s skull. in an instant, its body emitted a dazzling scarlet light. it directly enveloped the corpse of the extraordinary dragon next to it. sulfuric acid seemed to have decayed the dragon¡¯s corpse and began to melt continuously. the skeleton dragon starkly devoured melted energy. it did not waste a single drop. the aura of the skeleton dragon gradually rose. at this moment. ¡®boom!¡¯ suddenly, a dull explosion came from a distance. richard, who paid close attention to the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s transformation, jerked its head around. ¡®is that noise coming from outside the city? ¡®what¡¯s going on?¡¯ richard was in disbelief. he was just about to send xina to investigate the situation. the sky flickered with light. and then¡­ ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ there was an even louder crack. richard looked over his shoulder at the slowly changing bones, and his face changed. ¡°f*ck! at this critical moment, someone is attacking the city?!¡± Chapter 242 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation not long after the explosion, the level 15 dungeon hero sel bloodhoof, rushed into the house with a solemn expression. ¡°lord richard, the gray-colored dwarves have attacked us.¡± his tone became more serious as he spoke. ¡°you are a friend of bloodhoof city. you can leave through the side door if you encounter a threat.¡± ¡°the food you traded with us has already been of great help.¡± !! richard was stunned for a moment. he thought the dungeon hero was here to seek help, but he didn¡¯t expect to say such a thing. he couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression of the other party in his heart. this dungeon hero can handle things, so if there¡¯s anything, he can let him escape first. before he could reply, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have triggered a sudden event ¡ª the attack of the gray-colored dwarves.] [the gray-colored dwarves had been eyeing the position of the overlord of the underground world for a long time. after the death of the previous castellan of bloodhoof city, they immediately launched an attack. this time, they mobilized all their troops to launch a fatal attack. bloodhoof city was in imminent danger.] [optional missions: 1. assist bloodhoof city in resisting the attack of the gray-colored dwarves; 2. assist the gray-colored dwarves in breaking through bloodhoof city 3. remain neutral and withdraw from bloodhoof city immediately.] [you are currently in free exploration mode. your choice can determine the direction of the plot. the rewards you receive are also related to your choices.] ¡®another unexpected incident?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes sparked luminescence. he was a little restless. he had benefited a lot from the unexpected incident. as he thought about it, he looked at this level-15 hero sincerely. ¡°we are friends, lord sel. ¡°when my subordinates have done reinforcement, i will fight alongside you. ¡°those damn gray-colored dwarves, with me around, don¡¯t even think about stepping into bloodhoof city!¡± sel was stunned. a warm feeling rose in his heart when he looked at richard, who did not seem to try to shirk from his responsibility. he took a deep breath. his gaze was firm. ¡°thank you for your support, my friend. ¡°bloodhoof city will always remember your friendship!¡± after he said that, he didn¡¯t waste any more words and turned around to leave. he didn¡¯t have time to waste here. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the bursts of light in the sky became increasingly eye-catching. the loud booming sound was shocking. a few higher-ups of bloodhoof city who waited outside couldn¡¯t help but frown when they saw sel return alone. ¡°lord sel, that surface human is not willing to fight together with bloodhoof city?¡± ¡°hmph, i knew it. the surface human is unreliable!¡± ¡°lord sel, do you want us to expel them now? otherwise, when the time comes, the other party will have an affair with the gray-colored dwarves¡­¡± sel coldly glanced at the surrounding crowd and shouted. ¡°shut up!¡± a powerful aura surged out of his body. he instantly suppressed his voice. when he looked at the still unconvinced people, he said coldly. ¡°lord richard¡¯s subordinates are transforming. they can¡¯t spare time for the time being¡­¡± a higher-up member of the dungeon race muttered in a low voice. ¡°it¡¯s just an excuse to be afraid of death.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, sel looked directly at him. the pressure increased tenfold. it made the other party almost kneel on the ground. ¡°i just took the initiative to ask lord richard to leave bloodhoof city. ¡°but he refused. ¡°and he frankly said that when his subordinate completed the transformation, he will fight alongside bloodhoof city!¡± when the higher-up member party heard this, his face immediately turned red. because he felt embarrassed, he hurriedly turned his body. sel glared at that guy. ¡°i don¡¯t want to hear such remarks in the future! ¡°lord richard is not from bloodhoof city. what position do we have to ask him to help us? ¡°and without lord richard¡¯s help, bloodhoof city wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with those damn gray-colored dwarves! ¡°remember, never place your hopes on others! ¡°we are the dungeon barbarians, the powerful and fearless dungeon barbarians! ¡°whoever dares to provoke us will have to accept our wrath that burns everything!! ¡°everyone, follow me and slaughter the enemy!!!¡± one had to admit that this level 15 hero was prodigious. his short words ignited everyone¡¯s spirits. they were the heroic dungeon barbarians. how could they place their hopes on someone else??!! one by one, they followed sel with burning eyes and madness. on the city wall of bloodhoof city. the troops shot out bows and arrows from the city wall like raindrops. ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo!¡¯ sharp whistles filled the sky. the targets of these arrows were the mechanical puppets that constantly approached the city wall and the ferocious and twisted underground monsters. those mechanical puppets were very different from the mechanical puppets on the surface. most of them were very strange in appearance and shape. gray-colored dwarves piloted the underground machinery. these gray-colored dwarves let out strange laughter and looked very crazy. although these mechanical puppets looked strange, their battle strength was not weak. they all raised thick shields on their arms to block the vital parts of their chests and necks. even if arrows pierced the rest of their body parts, they could not cause fatal damage. the giant monsters mixed in between the mechanical puppets seemed to be stitched together with the corpses of countless lives. strangeness shrouded the troops. the masterpiece of the gray-colored dwarves ¡ª using the blood of powerful lives to increase their strength. they had forcefully created these terrifying existences. as they raised their vision, behind the countless mechanical puppets and monster troops, hundreds of giant alchemy cannons more than two meters in diameter lined up in a row. some gray-skinned gray-colored dwarves constantly filled the cannons with round alchemy ammunition. when the ammunition was loaded, the gray-colored dwarves suddenly pulled the chain next to the cannon barrel. the giant cannon barrel shrank back in an instant, and a puff of black smoke rose. ¡®bang!¡¯ an enormous explosion sounded like muffled thunder in everyone¡¯s ears. in less than a breath. ¡®bang!¡¯ a lofty arrow tower behind the city wall exploded from the middle. an enormous flame rose, the arrow tower could not withstand the impact and it collapsed. it smashed the few catapults on the ground. terrifying damage. this was only the effect of one alchemy bomb. when hundreds of giant alchemy cannons fired at the same time, the scene instantly became extremely shocking. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ one by one, the giant alchemy cannons with a fatal aura smashed into the city and immediately exploded. no one could withstand the damage of the cannon fire. the terrifying shrapnel and the scorching heat were the scythes of the grim reaper at this moment. the fighting troops destroyed everything. the cannon fire washed the ground. this was a scene comparable to a natural disaster. the sturdy bloodhoof city encountered an unprecedented danger. when sel arrived, a large area of space had already appeared on the city wall. blood and broken limbs mixed with smoke scattered in every corner of the battlefield. the stench of burnt hair forced its way into his nostrils which made him feel nauseous. he leaned against the city wall and looked out. he saw the giant alchemy cannons spew flames. he immediately felt a chill in his heart. ¡°these damn bastards!! they brought the city-guarding cannons of fortress city here!!¡± ¡°damn it! damn it!!¡± fortress city was the main city of the gray-colored dwarves. it was a powerful city that was as majestic as bloodhoof city. these giant alchemy cannons had always been the symbol of fortress city. it was the most powerful city defense force. however, he did not expect the gray-colored dwarves to be so insane! to bring the city defense cannons here, were they not worried that the city would be attacked by other forces? ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the long sword at his waist was unsheathed. the tip of the sword was pointed straight at the enemy. sel decisively gave the order. ¡°the rear troop will fill up the gaps in the city wall and resist the mechanical puppets! ¡°the siege crossbows on the arrow towers will aim at the enemy¡¯s giant alchemy cannons and attack! ¡°the catapults will throw fireballs to block the enemy! ¡°the wyverns will rise into the sky and launch an attack immediately. i want those damn giant alchemy cannons never to be able to fire again!!¡± the furious voice resounded throughout the entire bloodhoof city. the troop immediately had a backbone. the siege crossbows on the arrow towers quickly adjusted their direction and aimed at the alchemy cannons a kilometer away. with the blessing of various attributes. the range of these arrow towers had become extremely exaggerated. ¡®kacha! kacha! kacha! kacha!¡¯ a few dungeon barbarians hinged the crossbows, and the thick bowstring kept being pulled and bent under the power of the winch. after they pulled the bowstring to the limit. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ the soldier suddenly pulled the snap. ¡®kacha!¡¯ arrows three times thicker than an arm shot out like lightning under the strong elasticity of the bowstring. the triangular arrowhead cut across the sky. the distance of a thousand meters was gone in a flash. the alchemy cannon troop attacking bloodhoof city suddenly had a blur in their eyes. then, a huge arrow directly pierced into the cannon barrel of the giant alchemy cannon. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ everyone could hear the sound of metal clanging. and half of the arrowhead was revealed behind the cannon barrel. the gray-colored dwarf equipped with ammunition at the rear looked at the arrowhead pressed against his chest. a chill rose in his heart, and his entire body suddenly collapsed. ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo!¡¯ the artillery camp immediately suffered the craziest baptism as the first arrow fell.. they suffered heavy losses in an instant. but since the gray-colored dwarves dared to pull out the giant alchemy cannons guarding the city, they couldn¡¯t be unprepared. the commander at the rear smiled hideously and waved his hand. hundreds of mechanical puppets more than four meters in size at the rear of the artillery camp raised their heavy shields and stepped forward. they directly protected the giant alchemy cannons within. the specially designed shield just revealed the barrel of the artillery. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ those crossbow arrows attacked again. but this time, without exception, extremely sturdy heavy shields blocked the attacks. the crossbow arrows that posed an enormous threat to the artillery camp could no longer cause any damage. the artillery fire that had just stopped rang out once again. ¡®bang!¡¯ on the city wall, sel, while he closely monitored the situation, saw this scene and his expression became extremely ugly. if he did not clean up these alchemy cannons, bloodhoof city might not be able to hold on! however, the mechanical puppets and those distorted monsters had already rushed to the city wall bottom as he was about to give the second order. the siege battle was about to begin. sel took a deep breath and ordered the troop to move forward and defend. however, just as he thought that this siege was no different from the other times. he suddenly realized that not too far away, there were over a hundred strange-looking puppets three times bigger than the other mechanical puppets gathered together. they charged straight toward the city wall. an adverse premonition suddenly rose in sel¡¯s heart. that direction was the area where the artillery attack was the fiercest!! the broken steel longsword changed its direction. ¡°everyone, attack the mechanical puppets immediately!!¡± as soon as he gave the order, the arrows on the arrow tower started to suppress the mechanical puppets. however, the mechanical puppets were too close to the city wall. even though the crossbows were extremely powerful, they only managed to kill a third of the mechanical puppets. the mechanical puppets still managed to reach the city wall. under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a series of earth-shattering explosions sounded. it was as if this was the only sound left in the entire world. in an instant. the towering city wall crumbled like tofu, and boulders flew hundreds of meters into the air. inside bloodhoof city. at this moment, richard had just come out of the underground building and floated in mid-air. he wanted to investigate the battle in the distance. suddenly, he saw a burst of flames that soared into the sky. then, countless boulders flew into the sky. his face immediately stiffened. that was..the city wall? his expression immediately became extremely interesting. ¡°do you want to play like this????? the city wall has only just begun, and it has already collapsed. ¡°is the city wall of bloodhoof city made of mud?¡± he lowered his head and looked down. at this moment, the transformation progress of the skeleton and blood dragon was less than one-tenth of its original speed. Chapter 243 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°hehehe, those rude, lowly, disgusting barbarians will become history from today onwards!!¡± a platform made of machinery at the back of the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ camp had several weapons placed on it. it was similar to a demonic chariot. the gray-colored dwarf chiefain with a crown on its head let out a weird laugh that made people¡¯s hair stand on end. the few gray-colored dwarves around it immediately praised it loudly. ¡°great king, you should rule the underground world! !! ¡°those newly developed giant alchemy cannons are ten times more powerful than before! they are enough to wipe out this city! ¡°lowly dungeon barbarians are only fit to kneel on the ground and lick the toes of the great gray-colored dwarves!¡± the gray-colored dwarf chieftain laughed in satisfaction. ¡°all of this will become dust! only the gray-colored dwarves will live forever!¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ at this moment, a roar came from afar. three squadrons of heavily armored wyvern cavalry rushed out of bloodhoof city, when the gray-colored dwarf chieftain saw this scene, a hint of hatred flashed in its eyes. in the vast underground world, among the countless races, only the gray-colored dwarves could not raise wyverns!! their short bodies could not tame those wyverns with explosive temperaments. and the wyvern cavalry of bloodhoof city had caused them great pressure during this period. a large part of the reason why they could not break through bloodhoof city was because of this. ¡°but this time, will the great gray-colored dwarves still do as you wish?!¡± the gray-colored dwarf chieftain suddenly waved its hand. a guard beside it blew a horn. in an instant, the wyverns that charged straight at the alchemy artillery corps suddenly saw thousands of mechanical puppets rise around them and pounce toward them. these mechanical puppets had strange spiral wings, and their bodies were only two to three meters tall. the wyverns that wore heavy armor would not be afraid of this. they immediately roared and charged forward. after a few breaths, the two sides directly collided. the wyvern cavalry thought they had a 100% chance of success, but something unexpected happened. the flying mechanical puppets didn¡¯t dodge their attacks. they crashed into instead. the moment they crashed into them, they exploded like alchemy bombs. flames rose, and the mechanical fragments enveloped them like sharp knives. one or two might be fine, but there were thousands of self-destructing mechanical puppets that attacked at the same time. the confident wyvern cavalry tasted what pain and death meant. ¡®rumble!¡¯ bright fireworks of death bloomed in the air. this scene gave an inexplicable sense of beauty. but when the distant sel bloodhoof saw this scene, it was like a basin of cold water poured down from the beginning. his heart kept sinking. the anger in his heart rose to the extreme. those self-destructing flying machines besieged the wyvern troop he valued the most. less than 20 people escaped¡­ they destroyed this troop just like that which had spent countless energy and resources to forge. the veins on the back of his hand, which held the longsword, were now exposed. ¡®bang!¡¯ an enormous alchemy bomb exploded not far away from him, and the roar drove him out of his pain. he turned his head abruptly and saw that the mechanical puppets had already poured into the gap in the city wall. it instantly enraged him. ¡°rear troop, block the gap in the city wall. we must not allow the enemy to enter!! ¡°arrow tower, suppress the attack!! ¡°spell caster troop, immediately cast a spell to support!¡± as soon as sel gave the order, the troop immediately carried it out. the soldiers did not give up on resisting because of the collapse of the city wall. their morale was still high. the troop at the rear flooded into the gap of the city wall like a tide that forcibly blocked the mechanical puppets and the ferocious and twisted monsters. arrow tower fired wildly to suppress the enemy! the catapults on the open ground threw massive rocks in a concentrated manner that bombarded the mechanical puppet troop outside the city. however, there were too many enemies. moreover, they came fully prepared. in contrast, bloodhoof city rushed into the battle and lost the initiative. and then they lost the geographical advantage of the city walls. the troop could not deal with the enemy¡¯s most strapping alchemy artillery corps. the situation began to collapse uncontrollably. after the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ alchemy artillery lost its threat, it was like the whisper of death at this moment. every bombardment would cause massive damage to bloodhoof city. bloodhoof city¡¯s long-range attack power could not do anything to the enemy. and the gap in firepower between the two sides was astonishing. bloodhoof city was now in a state of complete suppression. there was no way to fight back. the enemies had slaughtered half of bloodhoof city¡¯s guards on the city wall half an hour after. the giant alchemy cannons killed two-thirds of them. under the dense coverage, even if the soldiers found the location of the alchemy bombs, it was still difficult to avoid them. the ambitious bloodhoof city was in an unprecedented predicament. the only good news now was that the enemy had not broken through the gap in the city wall. however, the entire city would fall if the situation continued to deteriorate. an hour later. a higher-up commander of bloodhoof city rushed to the city wall with scars all over his body. tears filled his voice. ¡°lord sel!! the enemy almost wiped out our troops!!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t hold the city wall anymore. let¡¯s retreat¡­ use the streets as the battlefield. let those damned gray-colored dwarves enter the city. and use the geographical advantage of the streets to destroy them!!¡± these words were like a sharp knife that stabbed sel¡¯s heart. ¡®let the gray-colored dwarves enter the city? ¡®could the vast bloodhoof city still exist after the war?¡¯ he wanted to refuse, but when he looked at the gap in the city wall, the troops gradually retreated under the enemy¡¯s attack. they were on the verge of collapse. he felt a sense of powerlessness. they couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. the enemy¡¯s giant alchemy cannons almost shattered bloodhoof city. moreover, he had already lost hope of counterattacking the enemy. at this moment, indescribable despair surged into his heart. was he going to lose hope? he seemed to have thought of something and suddenly turned his head to look at a spot behind him. the higher-up commander who came to report couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw this. ¡°lord sel is waiting for that surface lord? i think he might have already left. ¡°no one will come to help us under such circumstances. ¡°lord, we can¡¯t place our hopes on something that can¡¯t happen. ¡°and what can he do even if he comes? he¡¯s only one person. how can he change the direction of this war¡­ ¡°his mechanical puppet is powerful, but it¡¯s already severely broken. we haven¡¯t seen its battle strength, and no one knows if it can support a war. ¡°lord, decide now. we can not delay any longer!¡± sel heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°i believe lord richard will not leave just like that.¡± as he spoke, he waved his hand. his tone was firm. ¡°defend the city wall with your life. once they broke this defensive line, we will lose all hope!¡± as he spoke, he gave the higher-up a deep look. ¡°korro, i now appoint your battlefield commander to direct this war!¡± when he heard this, the other party was stunned. ¡°lord sel, you¡­¡± ¡°go and face the enemy together with my troop!¡± as he said this, he suddenly clenched the longsword in his hand, and his burly figure shot out like lightning. even if it were death, the dungeon barbarians would still die on the battlefield. they would not retreat even half a step! at the gap of the city wall that was more than 50 meters away. a figure descended from the sky and released a powerful aura. the longsword in his hand was like a storm as it attacked the surrounding mechanical puppets. ¡®kacha! kacha!¡¯ they sliced those sturdy mechanical puppets into pieces like tofu. ¡°it¡¯s lord sel!¡± when the troop at the rear saw that figure, their morale soared. their city lord did not abandon them!! ¡°kill!¡± the troop that had almost collapsed just now immediately charged forward. a level 15 hero was indeed powerful enough. he had almost single-handedly blocked the gap in the city wall. but this heroic action did not have much effect on the direction of the war. the fierce fire of the gray-colored dwarves almost wiped out the front and back of the wall. the living forces of bloodhoof city suffered an unprecedented blow. an hour and a half after the start of the war. sel¡¯s strength while he wielded his weapon got continuously weaker. he could not even break through the mechanical puppet¡¯s defense and cut off the head of the giant monster. he felt that his strength has severely overdrawn. every breath felt like someone crushed his heart. and the burning pain stimulated his nerves. he had reached his limit. perhaps, he would sleep here forever with his city. death. he saw death stared at him. was there no hope? ¡®crack!¡¯ after sel used the last of his strength to chop off the head of a mechanical puppet, his expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. in front of the city wall, an enormous mechanical platform appeared in his line of sight. countless mechanical puppets surrounded it. he saw a gray-colored dwarf with a crown on its head above that mechanical platform. it currently looked down at him in a supremely arrogant manner. ¡°gray-colored dwarf¡­¡± sel used his longsword to support his body so that he would not fall. he turned around and looked around. there were only a pitifully small number of troops left by his side. and wounds shrouded all of them. they could not fight anymore. an indescribable despair engulfed his heart. he thought of the ambition he had when he became the ruler of this city. he thought of his father¡¯s encouragement before he died. he thought of the expectations that countless clansmen had placed on him¡­ but now, everything was empty. these gray-colored dwarves would flatten bloodhoof city. they would become history. no one could save them¡­ when he thought of this, he turned his head and looked behind him with some fantasy. it was empty. the broken mechanical puppet still did not appear. a bitter smile appeared on his face. and then he instantly became determined. he held the longsword in his hands tightly and placed it in front of his chest. he fixed his gaze on the gray-colored dwarf chieftain above the mechanical platform. ¡°bloodhoof city, charge with me!!¡± the gray-colored dwarf chieftain arrogantly swept his gaze across the city wall about to collapse. he looked mockingly at sel. he still wanted to fight like a cornered beast. his voice reverberated throughout the entire bloodhoof city. ¡°in the name of the king of the gray-colored dwarves, i declare that the lowly bloodhoof city will no longer exist from today onwards. ¡°this despicable city will become history! ¡°the great gray-colored dwarves are the rulers who unify the underground. and i will be crowned king!¡± as the voice faded, a gigantic mechanical puppet over 10 meters tall and more than a squadron behind the mechanical platform slowly closed in. it prepared to destroy the resistance of bloodhoof city. when it looked at the vast body¡­ sel let out a hysterical roar. with heavy steps, he launched the last charge of his life. however, at this moment, an indifferent voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°gray-colored dwarves?¡± ¡°the ruler of the underground world?¡± ¡°who do you think you are?¡± ¡°you have the right to declare yourself a king?¡± his tone was calm. but infinite contempt filled it. under everyone¡¯s gaze, sand appeared out of thin air above the battlefield. it surrounded a heroic figure. he lowered his head and looked down at everyone. Chapter 244 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°lord richard?¡± the exhausted sel was stunned when he saw the figure floating in mid-air. his face turned red with excitement! he knew that the other party would not leave bloodhoof city and would not break his promise! the other surviving barbarians in the dungeon also revealed an indescribable joy when they saw the figure. that powerful human lord did not abandon them! !! he will save them!! ¡°praise the gods!¡± korro, who had just taken over the command of bloodhoof city, also revealed an enormous surprise when he saw this scene. he never expected that the surface lord, whom he initially thought had escaped, would appear in such a situation! but then, a companion beside him whispered that caused a suppressed joy in his heart. ¡°but, it¡¯s too late¡­¡± korro was stunned for a moment. and then indescribable despair and pain appeared on his face. yes, it was too late. the enemies destroyed the city walls, and their guards suffered heavy losses. at this moment, the number of soldiers that could still fight in bloodhoof city had decreased to the point where they could not fight against the gray-colored dwarves anymore. even if the human lord appeared, nothing would change. it was too late. when sel returned to his senses, he also noticed this. he opened his mouth to say something to the figure in the sky. but in the end, he could not say a word. the hope that had just risen in his heart sank again. he let out a long sigh and was silent for a long time. it was the day bloodhoof city would become history. there was no hope. the expression of the gray-colored dwarf chieftain instantly became extremely ugly. they were about to crush bloodhoof city, and someone still dared to cause trouble. moreover, what infuriated it was when it saw one person on the other side. an ant below level 10. it trampled on the dignity of the gray-colored dwarves! ¡°lowly human! no one dares to provoke the great gray-colored dwarves.you are courting death!¡± he wanted to capture this lowly human and turn him into the ugliest and most ferocious monster to torture him day and night!! the moment this thought arose. the hard rock on the ground suddenly turned into sand. the mechanical platform was too heavy which caused it to sink a distance away and almost flipped over. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain was furious as he stared at the figure covered in sand. ¡°you think you can stop the advance of the gray-colored dwarves with just these little tricks?! dream on!¡± as it spoke, it waved its hand violently. ¡°i want him dead!!! no, bring him to me, i want to torture him for a hundred years!!¡± hundreds of self-destructing mechanical puppets rose from the ground and charged toward the humans in the sky. but in the next second. the sandy ground seemed to have lost its gravity as countless grains of sand floated up. the scene was extremely spectacular. sel, who used his longsword to support his body, was delighted. however, when he saw the grains of sand hit the mechanical puppet, it could not break through the defense. the disappointment on his face was obvious. the other members of the dungeon race were also in a good mood. the scene was magnificent, but the lethality was too weak. when the gray-colored dwarf chieftain saw this scene, it immediately mocked. ¡°lowly human, are you using sand to tickle my ultimate puppet?!¡± the moment he finished speaking. the sand that had already covered the sky suddenly emitted a red light. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain suddenly had a bad premonition. the next second. as the first red light rose. the sand seemed to have splashed with gasoline and encountered open fire. ¡®boom!¡¯ in an instant, it burst into flames at an excessive speed. in the blink of an eye, the flames followed the sand and covered the mechanical puppets and giant monsters hundreds of meters in diameter in the city wall gap. the floating sand gradually turned red under the high temperature of the flames. under the power of the storm, it bombarded the mechanical puppets with ferocious strength. the sand could not penetrate the heavy armor, but the mechanical puppets were not perfect items. there were several large and small cracks at the joints. since it could not break the ring from the outside, the red sand entered the body of the mechanical puppets through the cracks. this action immediately caused great damage to the mechanical puppets. gradually, the mechanical puppets emitted a series of sparks and could not move. the distorted giant monsters were not any better. their bodies were charred black, and sand pierced through. their throats continuously emitted painful howls that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. the scene instantly became very visually impactful. within the city walls, the soldiers of bloodhoof city opened their mouths wide as they looked at the fiery sandstorm that a line separated it. when they saw those sturdy mechanical puppets gradually lose their mobility, their hearts suddenly felt a tremendous impact. so, this was the true function of the sand. this human lord was too powerful!! sel was so excited that his hands trembled. at this moment, a strong hope ignited in his heart. without that mechanical puppet, lord richard was also so shockingly powerful!! spellcasters were a strategic force on the battlefield. a warrior¡¯s battle was nothing compared to spellcasters. just when the soldiers of bloodhoof city thought that richard was going to use the flame sandstorm to completely kill the enemy, a soft voice rang out. ¡°alves, crush them!¡± as the voice fell, a high-pitched dragon¡¯s roar came from within bloodhoof city. everyone subconsciously turned their heads. they saw an undead dragon that was covered in scarlet flames, it exuded boundless dragon might, with a wingspan of over 30 meters, and 30 dragons whose bones sparkled as rubies that flew over at high speed. the flames from the leader of the undead dragons seemed to have been added to the dragons at the back. it caused their auras to become extremely powerful. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ the damaged dragon wings flapped, and the undead dragons charged into the flaming sandstorm fearlessly. the destructive flame sandstorm did not cause any damage to them. instead, it seemed to make the undead dragons¡¯ attacks even more savage. ¡®roar!¡¯ the leader of the undead dragons condensed scarlet energy from its throat and spat it out. in an instant. it drew out a dragon¡¯s breath that was dozens of meters long. the mechanical puppets on the ground that came into contact with the dragon¡¯s breath melted like candles. their posture was exceptionally overbearing. under this kind of disaster-like damage, the mechanical puppets and giant monsters below couldn¡¯t resist at all. they couldn¡¯t touch people at all. and those self-destructing mechanical puppets had already become broken. after the skeleton blood dragon entered the arena. ¡®shua!¡¯ a vast and blurry figure suddenly appeared in the raging flame sandstorm. it had a broken appearance, a malevolent weapon on its arm, and an extremely terrifying aura¡­ ¡­ sel¡¯s face revealed an extremely excited expression. that powerful mechanical puppet! ¡°praise lord richard!¡± when the extraordinary hunter joined the battle, the situation was no longer in suspense. the moment the flames rose, the gray-colored dwarf chieftain on the mechanical platform activated the magic shield on the outermost layer that forcefully withstood the terror-stricken attack. it initially wanted to wait for this terrifying spell to pass before retaliating. but then, a group of undead dragons with powerful corrosive dragon breath appeared in front of its eyes. especially the leader of the undead dragons. the strength of their dragon breath made it shudder in fear. the dragon¡¯s breath could melt those mechanical puppets with high resistance to magic. this was simply abnormal!! however, what caused it to collapse was the starkly shattered 15-meter-tall mechanical puppet. the moment it saw that mechanical puppet, the line of defense in its heart was directly pierced through. a layman was just watching the show. with a vast troop of mechanical puppets, it was more proficient in machinery than anyone else. although that mechanical puppet was completely shattered, its exquisite manufacturing and master-level craftsmanship caused it to be greatly shocked. a transcendent-level mechanical puppet!! it would die!! it looked at the broken walls of bloodhoof city with extreme reluctance. it released a low growl and walked to the control panel on the side and pressed a button. a sharp horn sounded. the next moment, the space around the mechanical platform suddenly distorted. before the gigantic mechanical puppet arrived, it disappeared from its original spot. teleportation. the next moment, the extraordinary hunter stopped above the enemy. richard frowned. he had miscalculated. he did not expect the enemy to have such a move. he felt depressed. it was like he had punched the air. these damn gray-colored dwarves were too cunning. as he looked down at the troop that had not left, he snorted and dived. he began to control the troop of extraordinary hunters to slaughter the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°if i can¡¯t kill your heads, will i still be able to kill your scum?¡± the troop that had lost the command of a hero immediately turned into a pile of loose sand. what followed was a one-sided massacre. whether it was the mechanical puppets or the modified monster troop, none of them could survive a round against the extraordinary hunters. their posture was overbearing to the extreme. when the flame sandstorm subsided, it destroyed more than half of the dense mechanical puppet troop that wanted to charge into bloodhoof city. not many of the monsters survived. at the back, due to the sound of the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ retreat horn, the initially aggressive troop dispersed in an uproar. others said there was a vast difference between the gray-colored dwarves and the dwarves of the fortress race. if it was the dwarves on the surface, it was more likely that the other side would not retreat even if they fought to the death. but when they saw the situation was not right, they all ran away faster than anyone else. giant alchemy cannons bombarded bloodhoof city too severely and lost the power to continue chasing. meanwhile, richard did not chase after them after he charged for a while with the newly born dragon hero and the skeleton blood dragon. at this moment, the scene in front of him attracted his gaze. hundreds of giant alchemy cannons were too heavy. the gray-colored dwarves could not drag them away in time, so they were left on the battlefield. the giant cannon fire that destroyed the scene of bloodhoof city was still in front of him¡­ Chapter 245 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [ding~ unexpected event ¡ª you have successfully resolved the attack of the gray-colored dwarves. you have obtained the friendship of bloodhoof city. bloodhoof city¡¯s favorability towards you has increased to respect.] [ding~ you have led your troop that defeated the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ troop. together with bloodhoof city, you have obtained a victory in a medium-sized battle. you have obtained 50,000 experience points.] the sound of two system notifications followed the sudden incident had come to an end. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the gigantic extraordinary hunter disappeared from the battlefield. !! richard¡¯s figure appeared in the air. it was finally over. after two consecutive battles, the extraordinary hunter¡¯s one-hour usage time had dropped to 35 minutes. his heart ached terribly. it was the time for 20,000 units of rare resources to pile up. it was strong enough after activation, but it was too expensive. even if his family had a few mines, they could not afford them. no, it should be that once one activated it, it would consume a few mines. after richard calmed down, he focused his attention on the ground. hundreds of giant alchemy cannons lined up at this time, and behind them were numerous alchemy bombs. excitement suddenly rose in his heart. they looked supremely imposing from their appearance, not to mention the attributes of these giant alchemy cannons. their caliber was more than two meters. with a diameter of two meters, it would be a cannon with a caliber of 2,000 millimeters on planet blue. ¡®what kind of f*cking cannon could have such an exaggerated caliber? ¡®was it used for star wars?¡¯ the fantasy world, as expected, did not pay attention to science. the barrel was about five meters long, like two iron barrels of different sizes. there were curves on the outside, and a sense of technology filled it. several twisted and strange inscriptions were carved on the barrel. at this time, it still emitted a faint mana fluctuation. it was not an ordinary alchemy cannon. two special machines held the barrel below and made the cannon muzzle angled toward the sky. ordinary people that stood in front of this cannon seemed to have shrunk. richard explored the alchemy cannon with great interest. he spent a lot of effort just to figure out the firing process of the giant alchemy cannon. when he fired, he first placed the ammunition into the hatch at the back. then, he pulled the chain on the side. he activated the magic array in the cannon chamber and fired the giant alchemy bomb. the operation was simple. however, the alchemy bombs with a diameter of more than one and a half meters still made his mouth twitch. no wonder these cannons were so powerful. a shell of this size could kill a group of people, even if it were a solid bullet. the caliber of the cannon represented truth and power. the truth was the cannon¡¯s caliber, and the measure of the country¡¯s size was the range. richard had always liked this saying. a vast-caliber gun was a man¡¯s eternal romance. now, he could finally have the freedom to fire it. with these hundreds of giant alchemy cannons, the current twilight city could not fit. he opened the attribute panel. [cannon] [level: 3-stars] [range: 1,200 meters] [attrition rate: if the attrition rate is higher than 40%, the range decreases by 30%. if the attrition rate exceeds 60%, the range decreases by 50. if the attrition rate is higher than 70%, there is a 50% chance of explosion.] [skills: rapid fire cannon (b-rank) ¡ª can store three alchemy bombs, fire them all within 3 seconds.] [mana reinforcement (b-rank) ¡ª increases the power of alchemy bombs by 40%.] [super long range (b-rank) ¡ª after storing energy for 10 seconds, it can increase the range by 500 meters.] [description: there are no flaws in the underground gray-colored dwarves¡¯ masterpiece other than cumbersome. ****** [alchemy bomb] [level: 3-stars] [characteristics: explosion (b-rank) ¡ª after a violent impact, there will be an explosion. maximum damage range: the explosion diameter is 30 meters] [exclusive artillery shell (b-rank) ¡ª using a specially-made cannon can increase the explosive power by 40%.] [description: the exclusive artillery shell made by the gray-colored dwarves for the cannon. perhaps, you need to ask a few barbarians to help transport it.] the ammunition and the cannon were a complete set. they were both three-star weapons of mass destruction. richard was quite satisfied. it was not realistic to carry this thing out to war. it was suitable to be used to defend the city. what twilight city lacked now was the city¡¯s defensive ability. after he took the inventory, he obtained precise data ¡ª 105 cannons. the 12 among them were starkly destroyed and unusable. the number of cannons was also not small. each had no less than 20 cannons. the total number exceeded 2000. if he counted it this way, it was an exceedingly enormous wealth. these hundreds of cannons are impossible to produce without hundreds of thousands of rare resources. these heavy weapons that could destroy the sturdy city walls of bloodhoof city belonged to him now. and what he had to pay was the ten-minute usage time of the extraordinary hunter. at the very most, it was worth more than ten thousand rare resources. in comparison¡­ this round was not a loss. richard¡¯s smile gradually brightened. however, he felt pain when he saw those empty ammunition boxes. those gray-colored dwarves were prodigal. they needed to learn how to save some. these were all his spoils of war. who gave them the right to abuse his spoils of war? indignant, he would go to the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ cities in the future and take back the rest of his spoils from war. he couldn¡¯t let these insensible gray-colored dwarves spoil it. while richard was happily cleaning up the alchemy cannons, bloodhoof city at the back finally regained some vitality. people began to clean up the battlefield. sel bloodhoof, a level-15 hero who had almost run out of oil after the battle against the gray-colored dwarves, finally recovered. he brought a few subordinates to richard¡¯s side and solemnly bowed to him. ¡°thank you for your help, lord richard. ¡°everyone in bloodhoof city will remember it. ¡°from now on, you will always be bloodhoof city¡¯s most honorable friend!¡± richard¡¯s strong disposition in the face of danger undoubtedly won everyone¡¯s awe and respect. without him, bloodhoof city would have become history by now. richard smiled. ¡°lord sel, there¡¯s no need for that. i¡¯ve said it before. we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± as he spoke, he reached out to help him stand up and patted his shoulder. ¡°i hope that bloodhoof city can always remain strong. we¡¯ll have to carry out more transactions in the future.¡± it was an inexhaustible gold mine. richard could not bear to see any city destroy bloodhoof city just like that. sel gave richard a deep look. ¡°it¡¯s an honor of bloodhoof city to be friends with you.¡± as he spoke, he extended his hand to signal the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield. ¡°i¡¯ve sent people to collect the mechanical puppets and the monsters¡¯ corpses that died in battle. these are your spoils of war¡­¡± richard smiled. he was indeed satisfied with this sharp-witted lord. ¡°the rest are not very important. i want to take these giant alchemy cannons with me. ¡°twilight city currently lacks a guardian force.¡± sel was very clear about the current situation. ¡°these are your spoils of war. we won¡¯t interfere in how to dispose of them.¡± as he spoke, he glanced at the large cannons with the exaggerated caliber and said hesitantly. ¡°it is said that alchemy cannons need to be maintained frequently. otherwise, they will easily be damaged. ¡°moreover, alchemy bombs also need to be produced specially. ¡°lord richard, is your territory equipped with relevant machinery workshops?¡± when richard heard this, he also frowned. from the attributes of the large cannons, it seemed to confirm sel¡¯s words. it was true that this thing was powerful. the cost of maintenance and usage in the later stages was also very shocking. forget about that. the most important thing is that richard doesn¡¯t have relevant talents on hand. even if he could afford the maintenance, no one would help him maintain it. he could not turn the alchemy cannon into a one-time deal, right? for a moment, he could not think of a good solution, so he could not help but look at sel. ¡°lord sel, do you have any good ideas?¡± as he spoke, he deliberately reminded him. ¡°just don¡¯t tell me to attack fortress city.¡± he knew that the gray-colored dwarves had a complete set of production equipment, but he was not interested in courting death. although he had won this time, it was arduous to replicate the contingency. unless he had a complete version of the extraordinary hunter, there was a high chance he would attack the other party¡¯s lair. who knows if the enemy has inherited truth cannons from the ruins of their ancestors? the one with a diameter of 20 meters? it was a magical world. anything could exist. without the truth cannon, with a 5-stars alchemy bomb, the one that could level everything would be difficult. sel shrugged. ¡°i want to say this. you have to be willing to go¡­¡± after he said that, he returned to the main topic. ¡°i know where a gray dwarf proficient in alchemy technology lives. ¡°the other party was once the production manager of fortress city. later, a situation forced him to leave fortress city due to a high-level struggle. ¡°the other party now lives in a small city. although its defense is not weak, it can not stop your mechanical puppet. ¡°as long as the operation is properly, it could carry on.¡± richard¡¯s eyes delighted when he heard that. Chapter 246 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation catching a gray-colored dwarf proficient in alchemy was something one could do. moreover, sel can keep it in his mind. one does not need to think about it and know that the other party must be vastly skilled. richard was interested. ¡°lord sel, do you have a map of the other party¡¯s city?¡± after he said that, richard added, ¡°if it¡¯s convenient, please give me another map of the underground world.¡± !! this small request was naturally not a problem. sel immediately waved his hand and asked the guard to return and get it. richard looked at the figure of the soldier who had left and suddenly thought of something. he fell into deep thought. sel¡¯s words reminded him. since he could capture the gray-colored dwarves with extraordinary alchemy skills, why couldn¡¯t he capture other talents with superb skills? the moment this thought arose, richard felt that his train of thought immediately opened up. alchemy, magic, forging, brewing wine, processing food, tailoring, and so on. he needed all these talents. moreover, if he only selected elite talents, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the morale of the twilight city residents dropping because of the influx of too many foreign races. the more richard thought about it, the more he felt that this idea had great potential to be tapped. what was twilight city lacking right now? talent, and it was supremely lacking. he suspended the brewery and the food workshop where he had high hopes because no heroes were moving in. the industry he wanted to build now was only the tailor shop that could produce the expensive yellow sand robe. the other ideas were still on paper. richard became increasingly excited as he continued to think along this line of thought. the underground world was so vast that there were too many resources available. aside from he could develop it into his dumping channel, monopolize the goods it produced, and earn more profits. but he could also collect the talents of the underground world for his use. it didn¡¯t matter even whether he didn¡¯t use those talents to the surface world. he could build a base underground. he would use this underground base to digest the various resources of the underground world. and with the output, it would feed twilight city. the various transactions with bloodhoof city would also become convenient this way. when richard thought of this, he had already made a decision. he would gradually implement this plan in the future. it would make this underground world into a map of nutrients for twilight city. however, this process might take a long time. but there was nothing arduous in this world, only those with the heart. there would always be something to gain as long as one did it. after they chatted for a while, the soldier brought two maps. richard assimilated them into the system map without hesitation. then, he had the skeleton blood dragon, alves, who had just become an a-rank hero, bring his troop to guard his cannon. he and sel returned to bloodhoof city. he still had some plans to discuss with the ruler of bloodhoof city. after they returned to the city, richard realized that the gray-colored dwarves heinously attacked the armed-to-teeth bloodhoof city. a large part of the 40-meter-high city wall had collapsed, and enormous boulders were scattered all over the ground. the hundreds of arrow towers behind the city wall had almost all collapsed. as if a tiger where has pulled out its teeth. the enemies mostly destroyed the setup in the open catapults. further behind, several residential houses had collapsed, and thick smoke still rose from many places. the scattered city guards were all injured. and none of them were in good condition. however, richard estimated that this damage would take at least three to five months to rebuild. it made him depressed. he had initially hoped bloodhoof city would send troops to conquer other forces and plunder resources to trade with him. the actions of the gray-colored dwarves had directly damaged bloodhoof city. it was likely that they would not be able to recover their vitality in a short time. sel felt moved when he saw richard¡¯s displeasure at the destruction of bloodhoof city. a friend in need is a friend indeed. richard had a burning heart. ¡®i was not wrong about him.¡¯ ¡°lord richard, you don¡¯t have to worry. ¡°i received news that the gray-colored dwarves would attack from the south, so i sent a 4000-man troop to the station in the fort in the south. ¡°now that i think about it, the news is just a conspiracy of the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°i have already ordered the troop in the south to be sent back. although bloodhoof city suffered heavy casualties this time, it will not be in danger.¡± sel added. ¡°in the underground, the only ones who can threaten bloodhoof city are the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°but the enemy¡¯s most sturdy city defense cannons have become our spoils of war. they can¡¯t bring out the second batch of weapons with such strapping power. ¡°so as long as the gap in the city wall is blocked, bloodhoof city will still be indestructible.¡± this time, it was the enemy who unexpectedly used giant alchemy cannons. otherwise, the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ siege force could not take down bloodhoof city. it would still be the same even if they blew down the city walls. richard looked at sel in surprise. ¡®there were still 4000 troops? ¡®damn, bloodhoof city was ultimately a big business.¡¯ ¡°with that, i can rest assured.¡± they could still carry out the plan. furthermore, the enemies have heavily injured bloodhoof city. shouldn¡¯t they attack a few more forces to recover their blood? the two chatted as they returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. only this time, the surrounding soldiers did not look at richard as vigilant and wary as they did a few hours ago. instead, respect and fear shrouded these soldiers. they respected his actions and feared his strength. they sat down at the long table again. sel personally poured a cup of unique underground flower tea for richard. just as richard took a sip, a soldier entered the room with two yellowed parchments and handed them to sel. sel opened them and looked over with a smile on his face. ¡°lord richard, thank you again for your help. ¡°the resources in bloodhoof city are not as rich as those on the surface, and i don¡¯t have much to give you. just use these two special drawings to express the gratitude of bloodhoof city.¡± ¡°may our friendship last forever.¡± richard was a bit interested. a treasure that a level 15 hero and bloodhoof city ruler sel gave him as a thank-you gift, is not trash. after he reached out to take it, he opened the first one. the pattern of an alchemy bomb appeared on it, followed by a series of production processes. unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with these. he could not see anything after a few glances. but after opening the attribute panel, his eyes immediately gleamed felicity. [star fragment bomb blueprint (permanent)] [level: 4-stars] [characteristics: can produce a 4-stars alchemy bomb ¡ª star fragment (contains a large number of sharp blades, after the explosion, it will cause massive damage within a radius of 50 meters.)] [it can adjust the ammunition size according to the caliber of the cannon. the larger the volume, the more resources are needed to make it. and the power will increase accordingly.] [production requirements: 100 units of refined iron, 1000 units of mercury, 1000 units of crystals, 1000 units of sulfur, expert alchemy hero.] [description: alchemy bomb blueprint passed down from ancient times.] ¡®4-stars. ¡®what a treasure.¡¯ richard was satisfied with this gift. he was just worried about how to solve the problem of the cannon¡¯s ammunition in the future. it was sel who understood him. this person was capable and willing to take out the good stuff. with the first 4-stars blueprint, it aroused his appetite. with mighty expectations, he opened the second blueprint. unexpectedly, this blueprint was not a blueprint for weapons and equipment but a treasure map. he was too familiar with this thing. previously, he had obtained a 2-stars treasure map, but he had never had the time to explore it. he opened the attribute panel. the next second, after he read the words on it, his eyes widened. [dragon treasure map] [level: special] [characteristics: hidden treasure of the black dragon.] [description: you can find the location of the treasure the dragon buried.] richard raised his head and looked at sel. his mouth and tongue were dry. ¡°the transcendent black dragon left this behind?¡± sel nodded. ¡°yes, the transcendent black dragon left it. ¡°and the treasure location is in the swamp in front of the surface.¡± richard was a little bewildered. ¡®they already knew the location, so why didn¡¯t they search for it until now?¡¯ the transcendent black dragon had been dead for a few months, and the swamp was narrow. it was more than enough to search ten times. as if sel saw richard¡¯s confusion, he explained with a bitter smile. ¡°when father slaughtered the black dragon, he found a lot of treasures in its nest. this treasure map is one of them. ¡°we searched the swamp many times but found no trace. ¡°i think that treasure belongs to the lucky ones. bloodhoof city doesn¡¯t have that kind of luck.¡± richard nodded slightly. there was always a chance to get the treasure since there was it. it was the treasure map of the extraordinary dragon. it was arduous to find, but if they found it¡­ the harvest would be superlatively rich. after he placed the two blueprints into the system space, richard thought about it. the series of events that happened after he entered bloodhoof city had given him a bountiful harvest. not to mention the trade, just the birth of alves, an a-rank hero, and the fact that the hero had used the extraordinary dragon¡¯s corpse to transform.., obtaining an extremely powerful beyond a-rank skill was enough to make his trip worthwhile. next was the hundreds of cannons. they were definitely worth hundreds of thousands of resources. moreover, this did not include the cost of time and labor. these cannons could highly increase twilight city¡¯s defensive capabilities. the meaning of this was not something one could describe with just a few resources. that was his lair. the third was the 4-stars blueprint for the shattered star bomb. one could only find treasures of this level by chance. even if twilight city didn¡¯t use it in the future, they could still manufacture it and sell it to players on the forums. finally, there was the extraordinary dragon¡¯s treasure map. although sel had searched for several months, he still hadn¡¯t found it. didn¡¯t this show just how precious the items inside were? why would the black dragon hide ordinary treasures? when he thought of this, he felt a great sense of relief. ¡°next, we¡¯ll take the great gray-colored dwarves away, and this trip to the underworld will be perfect.¡± Chapter 247 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation every adventure that brought great rewards always made people happy. after richard took stock of his gains, he seemed to have thought of something and turned his head to look at the door. at this time, gunter and xina still guarded the outside. ¡°lord sel, some powerful force sealed one of my subordinate¡¯s bloodline. she can¡¯t use her power¡­¡± as he spoke, he told sel about xina¡¯s problems and the idea of changing her blood to remove the seal. !! finally, sel said. ¡°i wonder if the gray-colored dwarf¡¯s change of blood can remove the seal in her body?¡± not to mention xina¡¯s hero recruitment mission, the veteran had followed him through life and death during this time. even when he wasn¡¯t around, she had risked her life to protect twilight city. he would think of a way to solve the problem of the seal that the girl cared about the most. moreover, sel and the gray-colored dwarves were mortal enemies. he was more concerned about the other party¡¯s news than the average person. when sel heard this, he could not help but frown. he organized his words before speaking. ¡°although the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ ability to change blood is supremely sturdy, the monsters they produce are all monsters. i can¡¯t judge whether they are capable or not.¡± ¡°perhaps, you can ask him after you capture the gray-colored dwarf alchemist. ¡°this method of creating monsters is just a derivative of alchemy.¡± richard instantly understood. it seemed that he must capture the gray-colored dwarf. after they talked for a while, he suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t received the millions of units of food that he had traded previously. he went to the warehouse and took the food out of the system¡¯s temporary space. he obtained 10,000 units of mercury and 10,000 units of crystal from sel. he thought for a moment and took out 10,000 units of gemstones to repair the extraordinary hunter. this increased its usable time to 50 minutes. this finally made him feel a little more at ease. as a result, he still had 10,000 units of gemstones, mercury, and 10,000 units of crystal in his hands. he had accumulated quite a bit. when he returned to twilight city, he would put on the agenda the buildings he couldn¡¯t build due to the lack of resources. during the extraordinary hunter repair process, richard had initially planned to use the mithril ore to repair it. however, he didn¡¯t expect the extraordinary hunter to absorb the mithril ore so slowly that it was hair-raising. he estimated that it probably could not absorb it in a month. when richard saw this, he simply set it aside and returned to twilight city. he would repair it when he had time. after he completed this series of actions, richard did not stay in bloodhoof city any longer. he got all the benefits he needed, and the rest of the deal was long-lasting. after he bade farewell to sel, he returned to the city outskirts. at this time, they had piled up the corpses and mechanical fragments on the battlefield into a few small hills. it was what sel had clearly said about the spoils of war. the only unfortunate thing was that the gray-colored dwarves blew down to pieces the wyvern troop of bloodhoof city, and they could not use it to recruit skeleton blood dragons. while richard looked at the pile of monster corpses, he did not hesitate. he took out the ancient god statue. at this time, the divine soul was still in a deep sleep, and no one knew when it would complete its transformation. with a thought, the dark light on the statue rose and enveloped the pile of corpses. in an instant, time seemed to have deprived these corpses. it was like they had been weathered for hundreds of years and became shriveled. then, they gradually collapsed and turned into ashes under his eyes. only a thin layer of ash was left when the dark light faded. the deeply asleep soul has absorbed the power that the ancient god statue devoured. the other party¡¯s deep sleep was to resolve the consumption of the majestic power within its body. from the looks of it, he seemed to have made it sleep even longer. ¡°i¡¯m ultimately looking forward to this divine life awakening.¡± ¡°i wonder if the other party could grasp divine arts, the ultimate skill of the ¡°shining era.¡± this soul not only had divinity, but he had also injected a drop of divine power into it. he was not surprised at what the other party¡¯s kind of power could obtain. he removed the ancient god statue again and walked to the front of the cannon. ¡°lord¡­¡± the giant dragon hero, alves, whose entire body burned with a blazing blood-colored light, immediately descended from the sky when it saw richard. richard looked at this giant creature with a wingspan of more than 30 meters and nodded in satisfaction. some had said that after it had transformed from a skeleton blood dragon into a hero unit, its appearance had become even more attractive. the sparkling and translucent blood-colored skeleton constantly burned with crimson flames. these flames had an intense corrosive nature, and even steel could not resist. and after corroding life, it could also devour the corroded energy to recover its loss. it was so powerful that it was remarkable. the broken dragon wings spread out and were even taller than the main sail of a massive ship sailing on the sea. combined with its ferocious appearance, it gave people a strong visual impact. the birth of alves has completely satisfied his previous desire to have a giant dragon as a mount. this level of handsomeness was not inferior to an ordinary gigantic dragon. not to mention that it was an a-rank hero who had mastered beyond a-rank skills. after richard retracted his gaze, he focused on the hundreds of cannons. after he sized them up a few times, he suddenly had a headache. these big things were quite powerful, but their weight had also reached a terror-stricken level. the biggest problem now was¡­ how could the soldiers move these cannons back? these things could kill him. after he thought for a long time, he finally decided to transport them by air. they could not transport them back to twilight city if they traveled by land for a week. and they could only transport a few at once. he took out his tibetan soldier card and summoned all the dark gargoyles. then, he asked gunter to go to bloodyhoof city and borrow hundreds of chains to bind the cannon tightly. they tied the other end of the chain to the skeleton dragon. the dark gargoyles weren¡¯t small, but they were still not enough to be compared to the cannon. only ten dark gargoyles could barely pull it. if they wanted to be stable, they needed at least 15. however, it was severely exasperating to tie them up one by one. richard simply handed the heavy responsibility to the skeleton blood dragon. one could say that the giant dragon¡¯s strength was indeed unquestionable. even if it became an undead creature, it was still domineering. two skeleton blood dragons could easily pull up a giant cannon. after they had worked for hours, they finally fixed it. richard did not hesitate. he left two teams of gargoyles to guard the place and flew with the skeleton blood dragon. the distance from bloodhoof city to the underground passage wasn¡¯t too far. it was about 100 kilometers. it would take a day to walk, but flying would be faster. even though he dragged the giant cannon, his speed was extra slow. he arrived at the underground passage two hours later. when he passed through the swamp in front of the passage, richard even took out the dragon treasure map and glanced at it. as expected¡­ there was no movement. he did not probe further. there would be plenty of time in the future to search. when they returned to the tunnel, gray immediately came up to them. ¡°lord! ¡°during the time we were away, nothing happened, right? ¡°other than killing a few underground monsters that suddenly barged in, we did not encounter any other enemies.¡± richard nodded and looked at alves. ¡°bring the cannon back to twilight city and let gray settle it down. ¡°the dark gargoyles will be under your command. let them escort you. ¡°after you place it, return immediately.¡± ¡°as you command, lord.¡± then, the terrifying behemoth flapped its wings and flew straight into the tunnel depths. only then did gray discover the giant cannons that the skeleton blood dragons carried. it couldn¡¯t help but be greatly surprised. ¡°lord, this is?¡± richard laughed as he recounted the harvest of this trip that caused the mummy hero to exclaim repeatedly in surprise. this underground world indeed contained a massive amount of wealth. on the other side, alves had encountered a lot of trouble on its way back. many areas of the underground tunnel were only 20 meters in diameter. its wingspan reached an exaggerated 30 meters that it couldn¡¯t fly through. however, this hero with a beyond a-rank dragon breath was also particularly overbearing. he directly used its dragon breath to melt the rocks. he forcefully widened the passage by a large circle. at the same time, he also melted some of the obstructing rocks, creating an unobstructed passage. this action was so deep he wanted to build a road first. when alves landed in twilight city with its ridiculously large cannon. it immediately caused an enormous sensation. this thing was too visually striking. ordinary people were not even as tall as the cannon muzzle. the power of this thing was distinct. onyx, who had not yet left, looked at these panic-stricken alchemy weapons in astonishment. he even thought of buying a few on his return to solan city. it wasn¡¯t for his use but to show off. this thing was at the gate of the mansion. one on the left and another on the right. wasn¡¯t it cooler than planting flowers and plants? more importantly, it wasn¡¯t afraid of stealing. that¡¯s right. only giants could carry this thing. there was no need to worry about losing it. on the other hand, adele¡¯s father, the special-level blacksmith the guards had just put down, was intensely curious. this thing had a distinct underground style. the symbol on it was the gray-colored dwarf¡¯s symbol. could it be that twilight city had already conquered an underground city? jonah felt a little emotional. previously, he had thought this territory was weak and had no potential for development. he had even thought of asking adele to return with him. now, it seemed that his thoughts simply slapped his face. did jonah still call not having potential? then, what was potential? it made his heart flutter remarkably that mechanical puppet far beyond his level. if the other party could give him research, he would even want to come to this territory. unfortunately, that lord might not take a fancy of him¡­ when jonah thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed. if he had known earlier, he would not have acted so pretentiously. but now, not only whips humiliated him. he could not also open his mouth to study that mechanical puppet. he regretted what he had done in the first place. the residents did not care so much. they were so excited when they saw such a strapping weapon. good heavens! this thing would probably destroy a dragon with a single shot! after they regained their senses, their reverence and worship of richard grew even higher. an inexplicable pride and delight rose in their hearts. their lord could always surprise and shock people. the skeleton blood dragon transported over a hundred cannons six times. with the addition of 2000 rounds of ammunition, more than ten lays that they later used with the dark gargoyles. when the troops had delivered over a hundred cannons to twilight city, everyone¡¯s mind wavered. how powerful would it take to capture so many weapons? karu, the head butler, was the only one with mixed feelings. he was excited, but he also had a lot of headaches. this thing was too big. if one wanted to move it, one would need dozens of mummy guardians to work together. moreover, twilight city did not have city walls, so karu needed to figure out where to put this thing. for a moment, he felt both pain and joy. after karu sent all the spoils of war back to twilight city, richard was ultimately relieved. richard called a few heroes over and explained the next phase of the mission. ¡°gunter, you¡¯re in charge of guarding the underground passage. ¡°bring the 3,000 cavemen down and have them build a base outside the passage. ¡°build the base first, then build the other buildings behind it. ¡°gray, xina, and alves, the three of you follow me to capture that gray-colored dwarf alchemist. ¡°remember, this mission is to capture people. if things don¡¯t work out, retreat immediately. don¡¯t fight.¡± the heroes immediately put their hands on their chests and saluted. ¡°as you wish.¡± richard didn¡¯t waste any more words and left the troops with the soldier tags in the tunnel. he only took the flying skeleton blood dragon with him. after richard left the underground tunnel, he sat on alves and commanded the dragon hero to quickly fly toward the gray-colored dwarf city marked on the map. Chapter 248 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the feelings of flying underground and in the desert were two completely different experiences. the underground was dark, and plants emitted all the light. in some areas where plants were few, the light would suddenly dim, and one could explicitly see a goddess without clothes. the appearance of the underground plants was also distinctly strange. it was indescribably twisted and ferocious. this appearance seemed could scare off the wild beasts that ate them. along the way, richard also found many underground monsters. !! these monsters had two extremes. either they had a pair of enormous eyes, or their eyes had almost disappeared that acted entirely on perception. their appearances were also increasingly strange. it made richard feel that it was an eye-opener. the fantasy world was indeed colorful. but when he looked at the scenery, this trip was not in vain. after he flew 200 kilometers per hour for two and a half hours. richard blocked the city marked on the map. although it was a small underground city like sel¡¯s words, the 20-meter-high city wall and the dozens of one-meter-diameter alchemy cannons on the city wall showed the guardian was sturdy. ¡°lord richard, how should we move?¡± because xina knew richard¡¯s target this time was an alchemist who knew about the gray-colored dwarf¡¯s blood exchange technology, she had been quite excited. this was the most promising time for her to break the seal on her body for a long time. the seal in her body was an invisible chain that forever imprisoned her body¡¯s freedom. outsiders could never experience the oppression from her bloodline¡¯s depths. her greatest wish was to break the seal on herself and her clansmen. for this, she would do anything. richard turned his head and glanced at the girl. he knew she had high expectations this time, but the feasibility was still vague. he did not want her to be too disappointed when the time came. he thought about it and said seriously. ¡°xina, regardless of whether we can break your seal this time, don¡¯t be disappointed. believe me. we will eventually find a solution as long as we persevere.¡± xina looked into those deep eyes, and warmth rose in her heart. she nodded firmly. all the things that richard had done for her had long won her trust and respect. otherwise, she would not have stood up and risked her life when the wyverns attacked twilight city. when richard saw this, he did not say anything more. he turned his attention to the gray-colored dwarf city in front of him. it was a pity sel did not know what a gray-colored dwarf alchemist looked like. otherwise, he could have just gone in and taken him. now, he had to destroy the enemy¡¯s defense and then slowly search. ¡°alves, lead the skeleton blood dragon troop to destroy the gray-colored dwarf city defense.¡± ¡°gray, xina, you two work together to kill the gray-colored dwarf hero and chieftain.¡± ¡°attack head-on!¡± richard gave the order. the excited alves immediately brought the skeleton demon and blood dragon troop down from the sky. ¡®roar!¡¯ the roar instantly resounded throughout the entire gray-colored dwarf city. endless draconic might spread out this moment, and the world seemed to dim because of it. the guards on the city walls only felt an indescribable pressure that seeped into their souls, and their legs went weak. they wanted to react, but their bodies did not listen to their commands. and they could not move at all. then, they could only watch as the murderous behemoth swooped down. thick blood-colored light suffused alves¡¯ throat when it reached the top of the city wall ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the dragon¡¯s breath shot out like a high-pressure water gun. the blood-colored dragon¡¯s breath enveloped the city wall. the guards on the city wall were like burning candles. they melted one by one. even the mechanical puppets on the city walls with high magic resistance could not resist the corrosion of the beyond a-rank dragon breath. with just a dive attack, the breath destroyed one-third of the city wall guards. ¡®woo! woo!¡¯ at this time, the scared silly gray-colored dwarves blew the warning horn. but before the troop could react, dozens of skeletal blood dragons appeared in the sight of the gray-colored dwarves who blew the horn. ¡°god of the gray-colored dwarves¡­¡± ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the dragon¡¯s breath swept across. it felt an indescribable pain in its body, and its body armor corroded and melted simultaneously. the intense pain made it fall immediately. ¡®bang!¡¯ it crashed into the ground. after it lay on the ground, its eyes finally reflected those terrifying undead dragons that charged into the city he was protecting¡­ the blood dragon skeleton¡¯s breath that constantly spewed out turned into the scythe of death that wantonly took the lives of the army below. the gray-colored dwarf troop caught off guard felt the sharpness of twilight city¡¯s soldiers. ¡°counterattack!! ¡°explode puppets into the air, blast those damned undead dragons to death!! ¡°siege crossbows, focus on shooting that dragon hero!!! ¡°everyone, don¡¯t panic! hold your ground!!¡± the gray-colored chieftain continued to give orders. it forcefully roared. the gray-colored dwarves, on the verge of collapse, barely managed to organize their defensive forces. the alchemy crossbows began to recharge in the arrow tower behind the city wall. their arrows aimed at the particularly striking alves. a moment later, the crossbows fully charged. the alchemy array flashed and disappeared. ¡®shoo! shoo! shoo! shoo!¡¯ the thicker than a human¡¯s arm arrows let out a sharp whistle as they streaked across the sky with a powerful force. the heavy weapons would even shatter a large part of the city wall. alves, who wantonly slaughtered, suddenly turned his head. when he saw the arrows that pierced through with speed arduous to see with the naked eye, the blood-red dragon breath in its throat instantly condensed and then directly shot out. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain behind it was delighted when it saw this scene. ¡°using dragon breath to fight against the arrows? ¡°stupid undead dragons!¡± special anti-magic techniques forged those arrows. it would be a dream to destroy them with dragon breath! at this moment, alves opened its mouth fiercely wide. in the eyes of the gray-colored dwarf chieftain, it was sending itself to death. it seemed to have seen the crossbow arrow pierce through the other party¡¯s throat, which would tear apart its head and nail it to death on the spot. but in the next second, the smile on its face froze. the sturdy crossbow arrow with extremely high magic resistance flew into the range of the dragon breath. it was like an ice cube thrown into a furnace that could melt steel. just like that, right under its eyes. it melted. yes, those arrows forged with special materials that could pierce through sturdy dragon scales melted!! in an instant, the joy on the face of the gray-colored dwarf chieftain turned into infinite fear. ¡°what kind of monster was this undead dragon? dragon breath directly melted the crossbow arrows? ¡°was this a joke?!¡± it was not like it had never seen a dragon before. but how could dragon breath be so powerful?! yes, the dragon it had seen was not purebred. but this undead dragon could not possibly still have the strength of a living dragon!! an a-rank dragon¡¯s breath had already exceeded the limits of what an ordinary person could imagine. the suicidal arrow tower successfully attracted the attention of alves. this paralyzing dragon hero flapped its wings fiercely, and under the terrified gazes of the surrounding gray-colored dwarves, it directly crashed into the tallest arrow tower. ¡®rumble!¡¯ its sturdy body directly passed through the middle. the arrow tower was like a mountain that collapsed as it smashed horizontally into the air. ¡®bang!¡¯ after it crashed to the ground, it made a loud sound. it sent dust everywhere, and wood shavings flew far away. when the enemies looked at alves again, there was not the slightest injury on its body. alves turned around, and its body suddenly accelerated. the dragon hero did not use dragon breath anymore. it just rammed into the arrow towers one after another. it has destroyed all the arrow towers. the scene was very visual. when the gray-colored dwarf chieftain saw this scene, an indescribable fear rose on its face. ¡°this monster, monster!!¡± it deeply penetrated the defense line in its heart. it did not dare to resist anymore. it turned around and sped away. after a few breaths, the dwarf chieftain disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. ¡®roar!¡¯ alves raised its head and let out a crazy roar. then, it lowered its head and looked down at the street with the most mechanical puppets and distorted monsters. it suddenly stooped down its body and flashed across the street. at this moment, the blood power on its body suddenly soared. it was as if gasoline splashed on its body. on the street, the mechanical puppets instantly lost their mobility and turned into a pile of scrap metal. the blood that replaced the distorted monster¡¯s body began to emit black smoke. then, the blood-colored energy visibly corroded it. it seemed that thick sulfuric acid had soaked the bones, muscles, and hair. after the body corroded, it turned into energy, and alve¡¯s blood-colored energy devoured it. that was more outrageous. this terrifying dragon hero could cause massive damage to its surroundings even without using its body and dragon breath to attack. it could rely on the blood-colored energy on its body that seemed to burn like flames. at this moment, alves was even more of a headache for the gray-colored dwarves than a hedgehog. if it attacked from a close distance, its blood-colored energy could melt their bodies before they could even attack. if it attacked from a distance, it would be like scratching an itch for it unless the enemies used a heavy weapon like a city-breaking crossbow. this gray-colored dwarf city had starkly lost its ability to counterattack after a few rounds of attacks. it had become meat on a chopping board and let anyone rub. richard could see clearly from the outside. although gray, gunter, alves, and even xina were all a-rank heroes. in terms of true battle strength, alves was number one. if gunter could learn more offensive spells, it could keep up with alves. gray was a pure support-type hero. its role was not to deal damage but to control the enemy. anyone who had played the game would know how powerful a control-type hero was when paired with an output hero. even a control-type support-type hero was more effective than an output hero. xina, on the other hand, was a standard warrior hero. her battle skills had solidified to the master level. this allowed her to run amok without fear. the only flaw was that some power has to activate the sealed power in her bloodline. according to the game¡¯s positioning, xina would be the top player, gunter would be the middle of the mages, alves would be the meat type, with both meat and output, and gray would be the hard control support. the current, basic configuration was still okay, except for the wild assassin and the long-ranged archer who could steadily deal damage. of course, the more classic combination was still the battle mage and priest. however, the religious camp monopolized the priest level. it would be difficult to obtain this class unless one believed in a god. from the hunt of the level 13 four-armed half-snake man hero on the surface, one could see gray, gunter, and xina¡¯s cooperation. when several people worked together, their explosive battle power far exceeded that of a single person. when richard thought of this, he could not help but feel excited. at this moment, it was like he played collecting heroes and nurturing them. how to create a powerful hero lineup and match each position was remarkably interesting. however, if the outside world knew that he had a hero lineup, it would probably cause public outrage. ¡®roar!¡¯ a roar interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw that alves had already stopped attacking. all the fortifications in front of the city wall were now in ruins. his troops had starkly wrecked the enemy¡¯s defensive strength. the other skeleton demons and blood dragons moved into the city. when he saw this, he immediately ordered the army to stop attacking and have them seal the city exit. don¡¯t kill the alchemist in the chaotic battle. that would be funny. richard was in a good mood while he looked at the city that had fallen into chaos. he did not expect that in two months, his troop had grown to the point where he did not need to attack to capture a small city with good defense. next, it was time to reap the rewards. Chapter 249 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°great existence! that damned alchemist is in this mansion!¡± in front of a mansion with faint blue shimmering plants inlaid at the door. a few gray-colored dwarves pointed at the door with smiles on their faces. ¡°it¡¯s said that a big figure in fortress city chased that bastard away. we knew that he wasn¡¯t a good person! ¡°if you want to take revenge on him, you can do it now!¡± !! as it spoke, it carefully raised its head and looked up at the human mounted on the undead dragon. ¡°great existence, can you let us go? we are not soldiers. we are not a threat to you¡­¡± when richard heard this, he lowered his head and looked at a few supremely humble-looking gray-colored dwarves. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. although he knew that gray-colored dwarves and ordinary dwarves were not the same types of life. these spineless still opened his eyes. after they annihilated the troops guarding the city, richard casually asked alves to capture a few gray-colored dwarves. before he could speak, the other party knelt, kowtowed loudly, and said all sorts of information. without any difficulty, richard obtained the information of the gray-colored dwarf alchemist. from the mouths of these gray-colored dwarves, he knew that the alchemist¡¯s craftsmanship was indeed not bad, and his reputation was quite astonishing. everyone in this city knew about the alchemist. these spineless dwarves couldn¡¯t bother richard, and he commanded alves to fly into the mansion. the few gray-colored dwarves immediately revealed ecstatic expressions when they saw this scene. they instantly fled. however, just as they ran out of a street, a skeleton blood dragon flew over their heads and spat out its dragon breath. ¡®sizzle!¡¯ the gray-colored dwarves turned into blood and some brave died in peace. ¡°lord, there is an aura of a soul under the backyard of this mansion.¡± after they roamed around in the sky. alves¡¯ empty eyes stared straight at the lawn in the backyard that emitted a faint light. richard lowered his head to take a look. he thought of the dungeon where the dwarf hero had built a secret room underground. ¡°tear open the surface of the ground, but don¡¯t hurt the beings inside.¡± ¡°as you wish¡­¡± ****** ¡°lord brown!! what is the background of those panic-stricken undead dragons? why did they destroy the city guards in such a short time? ¡°is it safe for us to hide in here? should we escape the city? i know that there¡¯s an inconspicuous city gate that leads out to the city. usually, only the hounds enter and exit the city. no outsiders will know about it¡­¡± ¡°bastard, you want lord brown to go through a dog hole? how can that be?! where¡¯s that hole? tell me. i¡¯ll go and take a look at the situation first¡­¡± ¡°lord brown¡­¡± the gray-colored dwarves continued to worry¡­ in a secret room filled with machines and all kinds of alchemy materials. more than twenty gray-colored dwarves talked about the fear in their hearts. in the center of these gray-colored dwarves was a slightly plump gray-colored dwarf sitting in a wheelchair. the plump dwarf wore single-eyed crystal glasses with only one lens and a long chain hung down. one of its hands was naturally deformed. it was only a few centimeters long, like bean sprouts that grew on its shoulder. when the gray-colored dwarf heard the filthy words, it was immediately furious. ¡°damn bastard! from now on, i will throw whoever dares to say one more word about leaving into the corpse pool today!¡± with a furious roar, more than ten mechanical puppets in the shadows around them suddenly moved. their savage weapons were aimed at the gray-colored dwarves as if they were going to drag them away immediately. instantly, it was as if one pressed the pause button. everyone was silent and did not dare to speak anymore. when the gray-colored dwarf in the wheelchair saw this scene, it snorted in satisfaction. they raised their heads. they said proudly. ¡°great gray-colored dwarves, when have we ever been a deserter?! ¡°no one can make us give in. never surrender is the motto of gray-colored dwarves. ¡°the noble character of gray-colored dwarves should be everyone¡¯s pursuit!¡± as it spoke, it glared at these dwarves. ¡°look at you. what do you look like? can you have some courage? ¡°if you can learn half of what i know, you won¡¯t be so useless!¡± when the gray-colored dwarf in the wheelchair looked at gray dwarves who were afraid to speak, it scolded them fiercely. its anger did not subside. in the end, they waved their deformed arms that looked like bean sprouts and snorted coldly. ¡°my basement is made of special materials. not only can it prevent magic prying, but it also has a strapping defensive ability! ¡°as long as we don¡¯t go out, even if the enemy destroyed the entire city, no one could harm us!¡± when the surrounding gray-colored dwarves heard this, their eyes seemed to come alive. all of them shouted. ¡°praise you, lord brown! i knew you would have foresight¡­ your wisdom is comparable to that of a god! ¡°great lord brown, your courage is enough to make people worship you. you will become an exceptional existence in the underground world in the future. ¡°the great dungeon race is not something that lowly undead can compare to!¡± they continued to flatter. a series of shameless flattery made the gray-colored dwarf in the wheelchair feel very comfortable, and their smiles became even brighter. just as their voices became intense, everyone heard a piercing sound like a sharp weapon breaking glass. everyone in the room felt their hearts skip a beat, and they suddenly stopped. they subconsciously raised their heads to look at the ceiling. ¡°what¡¯s that sound?¡± the room was silent for a moment, and after they detected no movement, brown, who was in the wheelchair, shouted. ¡°bastard, no one can discover this basement! shut your mouth!¡± ¡°so what if the enemy comes? great gray-colored dwarf fears nothing!¡± the voice had not yet faded away. ¡®bang!¡¯ a sturdy white bone-sharp claw directly pierced through the ceiling. ¡°ah!!¡± all the gray-colored dwarves let out the most panic-stricken scream. they scattered in all directions. no one cared about brown, who was under the dragon¡¯s claw. ¡®crack!¡¯ the next second, the dragon¡¯s claw pulled back fiercely. the scene fell into silence for the second time. but at this moment, no one dared to breathe loudly. their eyes widened as they looked at the ceiling. then, under brown¡¯s horrified gaze. the dragon tore open like paper the sturdy secret chamber he was so proud of and the ceiling that could withstand the impact of the catapult. it was sent flying. large patches of soil fell from the edge. at this moment, it finally saw the figure above. a dragon. a death dragon. scorching blood-colored flames shrouded the undead dragon. the other party¡¯s empty eyes stared straight at the dwarf. the dwarf only felt an indescribable chill rush from its back to its mind, and all its thoughts fell blank. the surrounding gray-colored dwarves even covered their mouths tightly. they were afraid the undead dragon would target them if they made a sound. what made them even more shocked was that¡­ there was a human sitting on the back of that paralyzing undead dragon. what kind of existence could enslave such a mighty dragon? as if the human sensed their presence, that human slowly floated down and gently landed on the floor. in an instant. an indescribably majestic pressure gushed out without restraint. the dwarves felt as if they had seen a sandstorm that could destroy everything. under the terrifying pressure, all the gray-colored dwarves felt a deep fear in their bones. ¡°you are the alchemist who previously controlled the production of fortress city?¡± the indifferent words sounded like the voice of a god sitting high in the sky. brown, the gray-colored dwarf sitting in the wheelchair, suddenly returned to its senses. then, under the hopeful eyes of the other gray dwarfs, it used its intact hand to hold one of the handrails and knelt on the ground with a bang. it raised its head and spoke in a heated tone. ¡°great lord, gray-colored dwarf alchemist, brown, your humble servant sends its most noble greetings to you.¡± as it spoke, it bent down and pressed its forehead against the other party¡¯s boots. the scene immediately became quiet. richard turned his head and looked around. he found that the expressions of these gray-colored dwarves seemed to be quite complicated, but he did not take them seriously. he opened the attributes panel of this gray-colored dwarf alchemist with some curiosity. after richard glanced, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it. [brown] [hero unit] [level: 12 (advanced hero, the attributes of alchemy items produced increased by 30%. the success rate of developing new alchemy items increased by 20%.)] [potential: b-rank ¡ª increases the production speed of alchemy items by 40%.] class: dungeon alchemist (special, 50% increase in alchemy bomb production success rate.) Chapter 250 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation [potential b-rank, level 12 ¡ª underground alchemist and class level also reached special-level¡­] this dazzling attribute immediately made richard¡¯s interest soar. someone was finally in charge of maintaining the alchemy cannon and producing shells. with mighty expectations, he continued to read. [skill: underground alchemy (a-rank) ¡ª familiar with the various material attributes of the underground world. able to develop all kinds of alchemy items with magic.) !! [advanced ammunition research (b-rank) ¡ª researching and improving alchemy bombs increase the success rate by 40%. the higher the grade of the alchemy bomb, the lower the success rate.] [advanced mechanics (b-rank) ¡ª have a profound understanding of machinery. when optimizing a mechanical puppet, increase the success rate by 40%. the higher the rank, the lower the success rate.] [intelligent brain (b-rank) ¡ª has spectacular understanding of alchemy. when learning alchemy, increase the learning efficiency by 40%.] [hero talent: when devoted to researching an alchemy item, increases intelligence by 30%.] [race talent: creating destructive alchemy items increases power by 20%.] [fetter-apprentice: when the number of apprentice alchemists exceeds 10, the success rate of research increases by 10%, and the manufacturing speed increases by 10%. when the number of apprentice alchemists exceeds 20, the success rate increases by 20%, and the manufacturing speed increases by 20%.] [description: an alchemist among the gray-colored dwarves. it has outstanding research ability.] not bad, very good. richard was delighted after he read it a few times. he had to admit that the alchemist the bloodhoof city lord sel recommended was extraordinary. its skills and attributes were perfect for alchemy. richard lowered his head and looked at brown, whose head was still on the ground, and its body was trembling. he spoke softly. ¡°get up.¡± unexpectedly, the gray-colored dwarf did not get up. it only raised its head slightly and looked at richard. it said in a high-pitched voice. ¡°no, distinguished being. i like to kneel and listen to your teachings.¡± the corner of richard¡¯s mouth twitched. this guy was also a top-notch one. richard suddenly thought of the desert gnome who was also afraid of death¡­ no, even the desert gnome was not that important, right? when it looked at the human who could decide his life and death in front of him, it did not speak for a long time. brown¡¯s heart kept sinking. it glanced at the ceiling from the corner of its eye and saw the enormous white skeleton dragon head staring at it with its empty eye sockets. it seemed that the other party could eat it up at any time. the more it thought about it, the more panicked it became. the gray-colored dwarf did not want to die yet!! it hadn¡¯t used the alchemy materials it bought the other day. the goods it sold last week still waited for him to collect the money. it bought a few night elves a few days ago and was about to arrive¡­ moreover, it could still live for hundreds of years. it could not die here! ¡°great existence.i, i am willing to give everything i have to you! ¡°i only hope that you can forgive my mistake. my lowly life is not worth your hands¡­¡± richard looked at the other party¡¯s dying expression and did not know whether to laugh or cry. he did not know how the gray-colored dwarves had become the overlord of the underground world. were the other races so useless? however, he had to admit in his heart that this spineless character might allow them to survive better. his eyes focused, and the pressure on his body surged again. ¡°brown, do you choose death or surrender?¡± as soon as richard finished speaking, the other party shouted without saying anything. ¡°surrender!! i choose to surrender to you, great lord! ¡°i will give everything i have to serve you.¡± when richard saw that the other party was so straightforward, he did not know what to say for a moment. before he came, he had thought of all kinds of methods to make the other party submit. but now¡­ what was there to use? this guy was even more proactive than him. ¡°very good. i like to talk to smart people. get up.¡± as richard spoke, he gestured to the surrounding gray-colored dwarves. ¡°they are your apprentices?¡± brown heaved a sigh of relief. he finally dared to stand up. when it heard, it immediately glared at the surrounding gray-colored dwarves. ¡°kneel, damn bastards! still not loyal to the great lord! you lowly bastards, are you courting death?¡± the surrounding gray-colored dwarves looked at the shameless brown and cursed in their hearts. ¡®bastard! ¡®is this the spirit of the gray-colored dwarves you bragged about never giving in? ¡®you also fooled us.¡¯ although they slandered it in their hearts, their faces beamed brighter than the previous ones. ¡°lord¡­¡± for some reason, the sense of accomplishment brought by the victory of the war instantly disappeared by more than half when richard saw this scene. to defeat such a group of dwarves did not seem to be anything worth being excited about. he could not be bothered to say any more nonsense. ¡°brown, pack up all your wealth!¡± ¡°my territory is on the surface. from now on, you and your apprentices will live on the surface.¡± ¡®the surface?¡¯ the fat on brown¡¯s face twitched. that deformed bean-sprout arm waved. it wanted to say something, but when it raised its head to look at the undead dragon, the dragon¡¯s aura immediately suppressed it. it was a clear reply. ¡°lord, please give me ten minutes!¡± ¡°go, take the valuable ones with you. throw the worthless ones away.¡± ¡°yes.¡± richard waved his hand, and a large amount of sand gushed out, and then directly built a gravel staircase. then, he let the apprentices all go up to the ground. when he looked at the trembling captives in front of him, he seemed to have thought of something. he used the whisper crystal to summon gray and xina, who were still hunting the fleeing gray-colored dwarves in the city. with this treasure like a walkie-talkie, it was much more convenient to communicate. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°lord richard.¡± after the two bowed, richard motioned to brown, who returned in its wheelchair. ¡°we have found the target. did you find anything?¡± xina looked at brown with a burning gaze. although she wanted to ask about the blood exchange and the unsealing, she held back her temper and said. ¡°lord richard, we have slaughtered the city lord of this city among the escaping gray-colored dwarves.¡± ¡°according to the captives of the gray-colored dwarves, there are many treasures hidden in their lord¡¯s mansion.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he had been in a hurry to find his main target, and he had almost forgotten about this. although this city was not vast, it was still a proper underground city. it could have some good things. the victor of the war naturally had to enjoy the treatment of the victor. ¡°xina, immediately take two small teams of skeleton blood dragons to empty the resources in the castellan¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°gray, take a team of skeleton blood dragons and search for treasures in the big mansion in the city, especially the gray-colored dwarf nobles. don¡¯t let them go¡­¡± as he spoke, he pointed at the gray-colored dwarf apprentices beside him. ¡°you can choose a few of them to take you. they know better than us that the noble has accumulated more treasures.¡± ¡°gather here in an hour!¡± ¡°as you wish¡­¡± the two heroes immediately split up. after the two heroes heard richard¡¯s order, the gray-colored dwarf apprentices felt their blood boiling and volunteered to follow the two heroes. the treasures they obtained, in the end, had nothing to do with them. what did that have to do with anything? just snatching other people¡¯s treasures was enough to make them excited. in the following hour or so, this gray-colored dwarf city. under the leadership of their chieftain, they encountered an unprecedented dark moment. those damned undead dragons had plundered all their wealth. what made the gray-colored dwarves even angrier was that because of the existence of the mole, they couldn¡¯t hide even if they wanted to. finally, when they looked at the treasure vault that was cleaner than a rat licked, they suddenly burst into tears. those damned undead dragons!! and those gray-colored dwarves who betrayed them! don¡¯t let them catch those bastards! when the heart city of the gray-colored dwarves ¡ª fortress city¡¯s troops received the news and rushed over. in front of them was only a ruined city that constantly wailed. and the instigator of this disaster had long disappeared without a trace. but when the furious gray-colored dwarf chieftain behind learned that the ones who attacked this city were a group of undead dragons that blew flames and that the leader was a human. the terrifying flame sandstorm and the countless tyrannical mechanical puppets instantly appeared in its mind. it ordered the troop that had just arrived to return to fortress city immediately¡­ those gray-colored dwarf nobles who had counted on the troop to help take revenge suddenly felt that they had suffered 10,000 damage as they watched the troop leave. the entire world seemed to have abandoned them¡­ richard did not expect that his mere appearance frightened the gray dwarf chieftain. otherwise, he would have stayed longer. but even so, he was satisfied supremely with the capture of the dungeon this time. the gains far exceeded his expectations. Chapter 251 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation in the underground passage, while gunter instructed cave workers to widen the cave, it suddenly turned its head to look at the cave entrance. the next moment. ¡®whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ blood-colored skeleton dragons flew into the cave one after another. each of these undead dragons carried a wooden box bound with chains. it seemed they hid many precious treasures inside these boxes, judging their weight. !! the tremendous skeleton blood dragon wore a white robe with golden edges. it was particularly striking. 1 gunter bowed respectfully. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard turned around and nodded a bit when he saw no accidents. ¡°gunter, stop the construction of the base temporarily. ¡°immediately pick ten commanders from the cave workers and let them manage three squadrons of cave workers. ¡°at the same time, leave the red-colored mummy to guard them.¡± gunter did not hesitate at all. it should start selecting suitable candidates later. richard initially wanted to build an underground base in the tunnel to increase his influence on the underground world. however, after they captured the gray-colored dwarf city, they found that its thoughts seemed slightly conservative. the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ strength was not as exaggerated as thought. or rather, twilight city¡¯s strength was even sturdier than he had expected. not to mention the extraordinary hunter, just a few a-rank heroes and twilight city¡¯s troops alone were enough to conquer a city with stark defensive power. in the current situation, there was no need to build another underground base. the gray-colored dwarves had already built a ready-made one for it. it would be unwise not to go and live there. he would be letting down the other party¡¯s hospitality. as for safety, later on, he could build a war fortress on the surface of the earth to cut off the connection between the surface and the underground. this way, the underground world would be starkly in the hands of twilight city. not long after, gunter picked out ten cave workers. richard did not waste any more time. after the other party had arranged everything, he let all the troops return to their teams. then, he went straight into the depths of the tunnel. brown, the remarkable dungeon alchemist, sat on the back of a skeleton dragon with a few gray dwarf apprentices. at this moment, its mood was very complicated. it also did not expect it would experience the feeling of someone sitting at home and causing trouble from the sky. it had initially thought that being chased out of fortress city by that damned gray-colored dwarf chieftain was already bad enough. now, he didn¡¯t even have his only residence, and he still had to go to an unknown surface territory. that broke its heart. it immediately stopped when it saw that heroic figure. lord of the gray-colored dwarves. it still wanted to live a few more years. a few gray-colored dwarves apprentices spoke in a low voice. they were afraid and curious at the same time. ¡°lord brown, what is the surface like? is it like the legends, where there is food and clean water everywhere?¡± ¡°will that human lord kill us?¡± ¡°lord brown¡­¡± when brown heard a series of questions, it pretended to be disdainful and ignored them. how would it know what the surface looked like? had he ever been there? but legend had it the surface was 10,000 times richer than the underground world¡­ as it listened, a sense of anticipation rose in its heart. ¡®i wonder if the human territory called twilight city will be like the legend. ¡®lord of the gray-colored dwarves, i hope you can bless your humble believers this time¡­! or else i¡¯ll change my faith to the god of forging!¡¯ because most were ground troops, the speed was sluggish. when richard saw this, he asked gunter and gray to stay behind to lead the troops. he took the box of spoils of war from the gray-colored dwarf city with the skeleton blood dragon and returned to twilight city first. after he got used to the extreme speed of flying, slow travel was torture. ¡°the lord is back!¡± with a cry of surprise, the entire twilight city was in an uproar. when richard heard the cheers from below, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl up. it had been such a long time. he had long regarded twilight city as his home. every time he went out and returned, he had a special feeling. it was the territory he had personally established. and he had a unique sense of achievement. the skeleton blood dragon slowly landed in the lord¡¯s mansion amidst the residents¡¯ cheers below. ¡®clang!¡¯ one vast chest after another emitted a crisp sound of metal colliding. in the end, richard commanded alves to land. its enormous body with a wingspan of more than 30 meters made everyone feel indescribable pressure. the dragon¡¯s might unintentionally released made the residents feel like an enormous rock that weighed a thousand pounds and pressed their chest. even breathing became arduous. but even so, the residents still felt that this giant dragon was a supporting role. their ruler, their lord, shone with a brilliance that no one could cover. his unique superior temperament made richard look like the stars in the night. he was dazzling. it seemed he was the center of the world wherever he was. the domineering alves became his foil at this moment. when it looked up from the residents¡¯ perspective, there was a blue sky behind richard. there were no clouds in the sky. there was an undead dragon below him that burned with blood-colored flames. its existence became more and more extraordinary under the infinite blood-colored light. this scene was like an ancient mural passed down from a church wall. ¡°my lord¡­¡± ¡°good day, my lord¡­¡± a greeting of respect continued¡­ after the residents regained their senses, they immediately placed their hands on their chests and bowed. their attitude was respectful and humble, and passion shrouded their eyes. richard turned his head and looked around. the atmosphere was not bad. and this scene was especially suitable for a few words to say. after he thought for a while, he said in a clear voice. ¡°our troop has just conquered a powerful underground city. ¡°we have seized several treasures and alchemy cannons. ¡°this is the victory of the troop, and it is also the victory of each and every one of us! ¡°the troop has used victory after victory to tell everyone that twilight city¡¯s glory is rising. ¡°my people, you must remember today. in the future, you will see more glory and hear more trumpets of victory! ¡°twilight city will become the dazzling starlight in the desert!¡± in this atmosphere, anything was appropriate. the moment his voice fell, a loud cheer sounded. richard did not say anything else. he turned over and let the surrounding mummy guardians carry all the boxes that the skeleton demon and blood dragon brought back into the lord¡¯s mansion. richard looked at the boxes a few people could carry. he immediately showed a satisfied smile. he had never thought he could obtain such a great harvest in that city¡­ ¡°lord richard¡­¡± a sudden voice from behind interrupted his thoughts. he turned around and saw that the wrinkled karu rushed over. the other party greeted him and said excitedly. ¡°have you found the underground world?¡± richard looked at the excited karu. he was in a good mood. richard briefly told karu what had happened in the underground world. finally, he gestured to a few gray-colored dwarves who had just come down from the back of the skeleton blood dragon. at this time, they were not comfortable being watched like monkeys by the residents. ¡°that gray-colored dwarf with a naturally disabled arm is an alchemist. it is skilled in alchemy cannons and alchemy bombs. ¡°arrange for them. ¡°in addition, i have already established a cooperative relationship with bloodhoof city. in the future, i will have to conduct long-term trade with them. ¡°you settle the matter of the food workshop and the winery as soon as possible. i need qualified people to become heroes.¡± the three certificates of heroes in his hands had not been used up until now, which made him quite depressed. in the future, if twilight city wanted to gain more profits from the trade, they had to have products that they could sell. although they had the yellow sand robe now, the production of this thing was limited. just selling it to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was already in short supply. not to mention other things. this time, karu did not show a troubled expression. instead, he said with a bright smile. ¡°lord richard, the seminar and literacy class these two days are worked. we have selected five talented people from them. ¡°perhaps, we can start our plan now.¡± ¡®the seminar and literacy class had worked?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°call them over. i¡¯ll take a look.¡± ****** Chapter 252 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation karu immediately summoned two residents and asked them to bring the five people he selected. richard returned to the mansion. the smile on his face grew wider when he looked at the 30 wooden boxes neatly arranged in the front yard. ¡°my lord, what¡¯s inside?¡± karu looked at the wooden box with the gray-colored dwarf symbol on the ground and was slightly curious. !! it was an expensive item since the skeleton blood dragon could bring it. with a wave of richard¡¯s hand, the yellow sand that covered the sandworms in the backyard began to float. after that, they transformed into arms and undid the chains on the wooden box that opened it. when the sand flew back to the backyard, the old gray-haired karu immediately looked at it. ores filled three of the wooden boxes that emitted a faint fluorescent light. mysterious black items filled the other wooden box that looked like sand. there was also an extremely pungent smell. richard pointed at the ore with a smile. ¡°this is mithril ore.¡± the old karu¡¯s eyes gleamed with delight. ¡°these three boxes are mithril ore??¡± richard laughed. that¡¯s right, all three boxes!! he had never thought he could obtain so much mithril ore in that small city. although the color of these ores was a few grades lower than the ones traded with bloodhoof city, they had a lot of impurities. there were a lot of them. each of these three boxes contained more than 1000 units of ore, for a total of 3000 units. even if the ore had a lot of impurities, its mithril content would still be higher than the 50 units of mithril ore he had obtained from bloodhoof city. and this was his spoils of war, free of charge. it made him even happier. ¡°what are the remaining boxes?¡± ¡°alchemy gunpowder, an item used to make alchemy bombs!¡± richard smiled radiantly. the alchemy gunpowder was the best powder brown had developed. and it contained an enormous amount of mana. this gunpowder is the main content of the alchemy bombs used in the giant alchemy cannon he had seized from the gray-colored dwarf. it was superlatively strapping. the 27 boxes of alchemy gunpowder were now his. the size of each box was limited. richard compressed them to store more. a rough estimate was that there were at least 30000 units. he had asked brown before, and the 30000 units could produce at least 3000 alchemy bombs for the giant alchemy cannon. it could even produce tens of thousands of alchemy bombs of the usual size. it was not a small sum. and it could support the consumption of a medium-sized battle. in his opinion, they could use alchemy gunpowder to produce more than just alchemy bombs. it had great potential to be unearthed. in addition to these two gains, he also obtained 20000 units of rare resource-mercury from the gray-colored dwarf city. twenty thousand units were worth a million units of food and millions of resources. each of the four rare resources contained powerful magic suitable for various purposes. the runes on the dwarves¡¯ cannons were all carved with mercury. rare resources, gunpowder, mithril ore, and brown, a level 12 alchemy hero. the harvest from the attack on the gray-colored dwarf city had far exceeded richard¡¯s expectations. the saying ¡°the winner takes it all¡± had never been untrue. ¡°seal up the alchemy gunpowder and store it in the warehouse. you must get my approval if you want to use it.¡± ¡°yes, my lord ¡­¡± five young residents came to the lord¡¯s mansion entrance as the two continued to talk. at this time, adele chatted with the gray-colored dwarf alchemist with a deformed arm, brown. the five young residents respectfully saluted when they passed by. ¡°lady adele.¡± adele turned around and recognized them as the talents selected from the seminar over the past few days. she also participated in the selection. ¡°where are you going?¡± ¡°his lordship has summoned us over. he seems to have some instructions¡­¡± adele nodded thoughtfully. ¡°go.¡± onyx sighed as he watched the five of them leave. ¡°lord richard¡¯s way of doing things is always so unexpected. who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d let these civilians learn as well? ¡°i¡¯m afraid their jaws would drop if other people knew about this.¡± one could not share limited resources with everyone. the usual practice in the ¡°shining era¡± was to concentrate resources and then nurture a portion of top talents. richard¡¯s actions were the complete opposite. adele couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and retorted. ¡°mr. onyx, so lord richard is the ruler of twilight city. and you¡¯re a member of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± onyx revealed a bitter smile. previously, he did not think that the status of a phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce member was lower than that of a desert lord ¡­ the old gray-haired karu immediately extended his hand and introduced the five young men after the guards brought them in. ¡°lord richard, these are the people we¡¯ve selected. they did well and quickly learned. they have potential¡­¡± richard looked at the nervous young men after they bowed. he comforted them and opened the attribute panel to glance. if the young men were not hero units, their potential would be unknown and could not be determined. however, each of them had an exemplary characteristic. although richard couldn¡¯t see their distinguished potential, they looked pretty good overall. their characteristics included being sharp, steady, earnest, hardworking, and determined. richard thought for a moment. he decided to choose the young man who was sharp and earnest. the two of them were from the distillery and the food workshop. the remaining three were also good, but these two were more suitable for research. he took note of those he didn¡¯t choose and would reconsider them when a suitable opportunity in the future would come. with that, one of the three proofs of heroes remained with him. he had to think of what kind of talent to nurture for this one. it¡¯s good to keep one. when a suitable choice in the future comes, it wouldn¡¯t be late to use it. the two chosen young men were so excited, and their faces were red. they looked at the handsome figure in front of them with burning eyes as if they were devout believers who had seen their god. they¡¯ve caught lord richard¡¯s eye. praise the gods! it must be the blessing of the goddess of luck! ¡°karu has already told me about your performance. ¡°in my plans, the distillery and food workshop will be the invaluable pillars of twilight city in the future! ¡°its importance is no less than the breeding base and the blacksmith shop.¡± richard fixed his determined eyes on the two young men, and his tone was remarkably persuasive. ¡°the fact that twilight city has chosen you shows that you are beyond ordinary. your future should not be limited to this. ¡°as long as you dare to shoulder the responsibility, i can grant you exceptional power. ¡°are you willing to accept my summons and take on the responsibility of the distillery and food workshop to create more value for twilight city?¡± the two looked into his deep eyes. at this moment, an incomparable sense of glory welled up in their hearts. they were teary-eyed. it was almost a roar. ¡°my lord, i swear to serve you with my life!!¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°i hope that in the future, you will not let me down.¡± after richard said that, he took out two proofs of heroes from the system space. [ding~ do you wish to use the proof of hero? two target professions have been detected: apprentice chef and winemaker. do you want to change their professions to the corresponding professions?] richard¡¯s eyes brightened. he didn¡¯t think they could rank-change after they became heroes. that saved him a lot of trouble. he chose to confirm without any hesitation. at that moment. the two proofs of heroes shattered like glass. it turned into a majestic energy that surged into the two of them. then, under his gaze, the power in the depths of their bloodlines began to activate, and their auras gradually rose. the magic power in the surroundings also surged into his body simultaneously. the transformation process didn¡¯t cause too much of a commotion. after about ten minutes, the aura gradually calmed down. [ding~ you have successfully used proofs of the hero. you have obtained two b-rank heroes.] as the system notification rang out, richard opened up their attribute panels. [nassie] [heroic unit] [level: 4] [potential: b] [class: winemaker (elite, increases wine brewing success rate by 20.)] ******* [reis] [hero unit] [level: 3] [potential: b] [profession: chef (elite, increases the taste of food made by 20%.)] ****** he roughly looked at the skills and hero characteristics of the two players and had an idea. the skills of the unit¡¯s proofs of hero transformation were undistinguishedly outstanding. but they were not bad either. in general, it was above the passing line. richard encouraged the two as they regained consciousness. ¡°you now have the power of a hero. your future will be bright. ¡°i hope you can create more value for the construction of twilight city in the future. and all the residents of twilight city will be proud of you! ¡°karu, pass down my order. from tomorrow onwards, the two will be in charge of the food workshop and the distillery. ¡°if you need any materials or supplies, you can ask master karu for them. ¡°i need you to develop a qualified food and liquor as soon as possible.¡± the two teary-eyed young men looked at the handsome figure in front of them with only one thought in their minds. even if they had to die in battle for their lord, they would not hesitate! the other party had given them everything! ¡°my lord, i will live up to your trust!¡± his voice almost pierced the sky as if only the loudest could express his attitude. richard nodded in satisfaction. after a few more words of encouragement, he let the two young men go. as soon as they stepped out of the lord¡¯s mansion, they ran into adele and onyx. they were about to enter, and jonah thorin was there. the two newly born heroes didn¡¯t act arrogantly at all. they saluted before they left. they looked at the other party¡¯s backs as they left. onyx and jonah thorin looked at each other and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡®a heroic unit? ¡®did i see it wrong?¡¯ ten minutes ago, the five young men who had entered the mansion were still ordinary-level. the other three had already left, and nothing was unusual. ¡®how did the two become heroes? i haven¡¯t seen them for more than ten minutes! ¡®what kind of joke was this? ¡®how can one cultivate heroes in such a way?¡¯ those who did not train from a young age or those whose power in bodies after birth and death did not awake. who wants to become a hero unit? in disbelief, the two tried to sense it a few more times. however, after they sensed it, they were even more surprised. not only did they become a hero in a short ten minutes. their bloodline power was supremely strapping. at the very least, he would be a hero with potential above b-rank. in an instant. the two turned to look at the lord¡¯s mansion¡¯s city gate simultaneously, and their expressions became extremely interesting. then, they thought of the series of things that had happened after they entered the territory. from the god¡¯s ancient tree, the mysterious mechanical puppets, the alchemy cannon, the undead giant dragon¡­ a layer of obscure veil suddenly shrouded the entire territory their hearts could not explore. even though onyx had the back of a behemoth like the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, he was still in awe. the lord was too mysterious. his idea of getting the other party to move out of the territory before he stepped into twilight city was inexplicably ridiculous. did he have the right to plan the future of such a character? Chapter 253 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when onyx entered the lord¡¯s mansion, the guardian mummies moved wooden boxes filled with gunpowder to the warehouse. he looked at the boxes of alchemy gunpowder that emitted strong mana fluctuations. his face showed some emotion. who would have thought that a small force with only a few dozen units two months ago would grow to such a level? he could only describe what he saw and heard in twilight city in one word¨C exaggerated. !! such a growth rate was simply unheard of. he would not imagine how much twilight city would develop in a year or two. he felt like he had witnessed history in a daze. perhaps, one day in the future. this unremarkable territory would become an existence one could not ignore in the desert. furthermore, onyx had a strange feeling that his premonition might come true. after he took a few deep breaths, he forcefully suppressed his inner thoughts. he took a few steps forward, bowed, and sighed. ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t expect the twilight city¡¯s troop to be so sharp. congratulations! you¡¯ve gained a lot this time.¡± he didn¡¯t have much reaction to these supplies¡­ he can see anything in the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. in comparison, the mysterious operation of the two residents that had become hero units in the blink of an eye attracted him more. richard said a few words of courtesy, and then he seemed to have thought of something. ¡°onyx, does the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce have high-quality wine recipes for sale?¡± onyx was stunned for a moment. then, he said with a strange expression. ¡°you may not know, but fine wine has always been a high-profit product. ¡°there¡¯s no one willing to sell good wine recipes. even if some were willing to sell, the price would be ridiculously high. ¡°the wine recipes on the market are all low-quality wines with no value ¡­¡± richard immediately gave up on the idea of buying the recipe. he had also looked for wine recipes in the trading market on the forum, but they were all ordinary wine recipes with no unique characteristics. most of them were not suitable for the desert. the desert has a few production materials. it would be fine in an area with rich land. but the desert was too barren with prodigious tight production. that was why he was so keen on cultivating his heroes. only with the ability to research and develop could he adapt to local conditions and create products exclusive to twilight city. the yellow sand robe was the best example. onyx looked at richard, who was deep in thought. onyx finally asked the question that had just bewildered him after a wisp of hesitation. ¡°lord richard, i just saw two ordinary citizens advance into heroes¡­¡± richard sensed that onyx tried to be careful. it was as if onyx was afraid of offending his gaze. richard smiled. ¡°i found three magic items with special powers in the ancient ruins. ¡°it can directly advance an ordinary-level person into a b-rank hero. i only have one left.¡± onyx was both envious and regretful when he heard that. unfortunately, an item would be great if it could directly advance a person into a hero. although the value of the ancient ruins was still considerable, it was not short-term cooperation. onyx retracted his thoughts from this thought for a moment and said seriously. ¡°lord richard, thank you for the hospitality these past few days.¡± ¡°we will return to solan city tomorrow morning. the president is still waiting for me to return with the desert crown honey. he then added. ¡°the yellow sand robe is also a perfect item. i hope that the next time we come, we can make a bigger deal.¡± ¡°onyx. twilight city will not disappoint you.¡± when richard said this, it piqued his interest. ¡°i¡¯ll be visiting solan city in a while. how can i contact you then?¡± the desert had trapped richard for a long time. it had been almost three months. richard saw the outside world because of the dungeon instance. and what puzzled richard the most was¡­ why had he not discovered the existence of other players in such an enormous death desert? according to onyx, there were quite some players in solan city. onyx didn¡¯t ponder about it. he took out a wooden token with an engraved vulture flower pattern. ¡°you just need to take this wooden token to any of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in solan city. i will immediately receive the news.¡± richard nodded and put the wooden token into the system space. onyx seemed to have thought of something and hesitated. ¡°if you leave the desert, it¡¯s best not to ride on those undead dragons¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t understand. ¡°why?¡± onyx laughed bitterly. ¡°this desert was once the battlefield of the ancient gods. that is why primitives named the desert of death after death. vengeful wronged souls of countless gods cursed this place. ¡°the longer you fly in the desert of death, the more likely you will become disoriented and automatically flaunt to the supremely murderous dead zone. ¡°even the undead are no exception. ¡°that¡¯s also why the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce doesn¡¯t use flying mounts to transport goods. ¡°we once paid a painful price.¡± he then added. all the chambers of commerce that didn¡¯t believe this fact paid the price. richard looked up at the dragon in the sky. his expression was a little strange. ¡®become disoriented?¡¯ it seemed like richard didn¡¯t need to be afraid¡­ ¡®the twilight city residents wouldn¡¯t get lost in the desert. wasn¡¯t it the territorial talent of twilight city?¡¯ this restriction did not affect him. ¡°i¡¯ve seen quite a few flying beings in the desert¡­¡± he had seen a level 15 desert dragon in front of the one-way teleportation gate that led to the dungeon. not to mention the vulture and the wyvern. onyx explained. ¡°flying beings born in the desert can move within a certain range, but if they leave that area, they will also be cursed and lose themselves¡­ the difference is that the stronger you are, the stronger your resistance.¡± richard¡¯s heart began to beat faster. however, this had little to do with him. ¡®it¡¯s your problem to become disoriented. what does it have to do with twilight city?¡¯ ¡°i understand, onyx. see you in solan city.¡± onyx gave richard a deep look. ¡°see you at solan city, my friend.¡± jonah thorin, adele¡¯s father, was a super blacksmith with a strong body that seemed to have the bloodline of giants. he stepped forward with shame, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lord richard. i apologize for my recklessness. ¡°it was the wisest choice for adele to join twilight city. thank you for your support.¡± richard looked at the extraordinary blacksmith who had been hung up and beaten. he nodded. ¡°adele will be better off in twilight city than anywhere else.¡± jonah thorin took a deep breath. if he had not heard this, he would have scoffed at it. but now, he nodded in agreement. he had thought it would take a year or two for adele to become a unique blacksmith, but she broke through in two months. didn¡¯t this mean anything? 1 not to mention the resources that adele had enjoyed while forging the dragon-hunting crossbow. his eyes were red with envy. he didn¡¯t expect this territory, which he had disdained before, to be so rich. he was envious of her, but he did not say anything about letting adele follow him on his return to solan city. after the two left, richard looked at adele, who seemed to have something to say, and smiled. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± adele said shyly. ¡°lord richard, can you give me a few boxes of those alchemy flames? i¡¯ve just had an exchange with master brown, and i feel like i¡¯ve gotten a lot of inspiration¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡®good lord, she was a science fanatic.¡¯ ¡°i¡¯ll get karu to send you five boxes later. you can play with them however you want.¡± he had always been generous with the treasure of twilight city. ¡°but don¡¯t delay the production of the dragon-hunting crossbow.¡± the girl¡¯s eyes instantly curved into crescents. ¡°yes, my lord!¡± richard only relaxed after the others left. deep in the underground world, his mind was constantly in a state of high tension. his body could still take it, but he felt a little tired in his heart. after he called the maids over and ordered them to prepare a sumptuous lunch, he slept comfortably on the bed. he didn¡¯t know how long he had slept. but he heard the system notification in his daze. [ding~ the system refreshed the spawn rate of all soldier types and nests. lords, please recruit them. [ding~ this week is remarkably the disaster week ¨Cwild beasts out of the cage. lords, please take note.] when richard opened his eyes, it was already dark outside. he sat up and glanced at the system notification. it immediately humored his interest. ¡°the system refreshed the troop lairs?¡± however, the disaster week notification at the end made him frown. ¡®the beast was out of the cage¡­ what the hell was this?¡¯ he felt an inexplicable sense of uneasiness. it was as if something terrible was about to happen. Chapter 254 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard personally sent onyx out of twilight city the following day. onyx took ten newly made yellow sand robes. he had high hopes for onyx when he returned to solan city. the yellow sand robes undoubtedly would be a salient source of income for twilight city if they perform well. however, richard suddenly thought of something as they were about to leave. !! he took out the 2-stars treasure map from the system space. ¡°onyx, i got this treasure map by chance. there¡¯s a volcano marked on it. do you know where it is?¡± onyx, who had a big belly, was stunned for a moment before he subconsciously reached out to take it. he frowned after he closely looked at it. ¡°lord richard, this volcano seems to be a blue flame volcano¡­¡± onyx paused for a moment. then he shook his head. ¡°but that volcano is superlatively perilous. i suggest you don¡¯t take the risk.¡± ¡°extremely dangerous?¡± richard was interested. ¡°how dangerous is it?¡± ¡°it is said a group of monsters live in the magma deep inside the volcano. when outsiders come close, this angers them. ¡°those monsters can even trigger volcanic eruptions¡­¡± as onyx spoke, he took out the map and pointed in a direction. ¡°this is the place.¡± richard stared and found they were more than 1000 kilometers away from twilight city. he immediately had an idea. richard patted onyx¡¯s shoulder after he shared the map. ¡°i¡¯m well aware of this matter.¡± ¡°have a safe journey.¡± onyx didn¡¯t say anything else. besides, the other party¡¯s determined personality wasn¡¯t something he could persuade. he revealed a sincere smile. ¡°goodbye, lord richard. i look forward to your visit to solan city.¡± on the other side, jonah thorin had also finished bidding farewell to the red-eyed adele. he rode on the camel reluctantly. the flag of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce began to flutter as the coachman waved it. with onyx¡¯s command, the convoy set off, and everyone left twilight city. onyx suddenly turned around after a long distance. the buildings had become blurry, and only the towering tree still swayed. his expression was a little emotional. it had only been two months since they last met, and the territory had changed so much. he was still determining what would change the next time he came here. when onyx thought of this, he subconsciously touched the space ring on his hand, and his expression became happy again. two hundred units of extremely precious desert crown honey and ten yellow sand robes can automatically adjust the temperature. this time¡¯s hard work was not in vain. an inexplicable sense of anticipation rose in his heart. he wondered what kind of reward the president would give him when he returned this time. onyx left. richard consoled the pitiful adele, and after the girl smiled again, he returned to the mansion alone. he didn¡¯t stay idle, so he called for the gray-colored dwarf alchemist, brown. the nervous brown entered the hall and slowly approached richard. it was only then that richard noticed how strange the way that gray-colored dwarf walked. it seemed that in addition to the naturally deformed arm, there was also a problem with the leg. it was no wonder it was in a wheelchair when he saw it. ¡°great lord, brown greets you¡­¡± after brown approached, it suddenly knelt and saluted. its attitude was superlatively humble. the gray-colored dwarves were a race extremely afraid of death. they were at two extremes from the stubborn and brave dwarves in the legends. brown lifted its head slightly and looked at richard. the young human lord was leaning back in its chair and sipping its tea nervously. this young human lord was now the master of its fate. he only needed one sentence to determine its life and death. absolute power formed absolute authority. richard put down his cup and gestured for the man to stand up. when he looked at brown¡¯s scared appearance, he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he didn¡¯t eat people. he looked at the other party with interest. ¡°how is it? how does twilight city compare to the underworld?¡± brown said carefully. ¡°brighter than the underground world¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. it was a comparison so strong that he couldn¡¯t refute it. after they chatted for a while, they shifted the topic to the main agenda. ¡°the defense plan of twilight city was to use the hurricane arrow tower as the core. ¡°but the giant cannon i seized gave me an extra plan to add another layer of defense. ¡°the dragon-hunting crossbows placed in the hurricane arrow tower are used to deal with the enemy¡¯s top-tier battle power. ¡°giant cannons, attack the ordinary troop. ¡°however, twilight city doesn¡¯t have an industrial system that can produce giant cannons. ¡°even maintaining the current artilleries is a problem.¡± as richard said that, his gaze turned serious. ¡°brown, i¡¯m giving you an important task now. that is to establish the alchemy industry system of twilight city.¡± as soon as richard finished speaking, brown¡¯s eyes lit up. the fact that the other party was willing to give him such an important task meant that his life would not be in danger for the time being. immediately, his spirit and energy rose. he flattered. ¡°lord, we¡¯ll do as you say!¡± richard nodded. ¡°from today onwards, the 105 cannons will be under your care. ¡°if you need any materials, you can ask karu. ¡°but no mistakes are allowed.¡± he paused for a moment before he continued. apart from that, i¡¯ll set up an alchemy department, and you¡¯ll be the head of the department. brown praised loudly. ¡°praise be to you, great lord. i will be a good supervisor!!¡± richard chuckled, his tone deep. ¡°being a supervisor is not that simple. in addition to the work at hand, you have to take two hours a day to teach the residents in the territory and popularize alchemy knowledge. ¡°at the same time, you can choose those talented residents to learn alchemy from you. ¡°remember, the people you choose must be talented. they will work in the alchemy department in the future, and you will be their direct leader. giving lessons to the residents? spreading alchemy knowledge? brown suddenly recalled the scene of a large group of people learning the common language in the square in front of the feudal lord¡¯s mansion last night. he was puzzled. ¡°my lord, why do you want to pass on noble knowledge to those lowly commoners?¡± in the underground world, knowledge was a treasure more important than life. he really couldn¡¯t imagine why twilight city had made such a policy. richard didn¡¯t explain. ¡°just do as you say. come and ask me if you still don¡¯t understand in three months. ¡°also, the seminar in the other departments is open to the public. if you¡¯re willing, you can attend. ¡°knowledge is precious, but it¡¯s not the only one.¡± after richard said that, he looked at the gray-colored dwarf. this confused richard. he gave an intense warning. ¡°brown, remember, this is twilight city, not the underworld. ¡°there are new rules and laws here. ¡°throw away your inherent ideas and welcome this new world. as richard spoke, he recalled how this guy had kowtowed after it entered the room and felt a little touched. ¡°from the moment you stepped into twilight city, you were one of us. ¡°as long as you don¡¯t betray this city, no one will hurt you. i¡¯m no exception. ¡°you must not be as lowly as the underground world anymore. as long as you can make enough contributions in the future, you can raise your head and be a human with your back straight. ¡°no one will look down on you because you are a gray-colored dwarf or because of your physical defects. everyone will respect you because of your achievements. ¡°remember, you are brown from twilight city.¡± he looked into those deep eyes. the level 12 alchemist suddenly fell silent. an intense feeling rode in its heart. after brown thought about it for a long time, a word appeared in its mind¡­ respect. in the underground world, the strong could take all. they either had to receive the worship of others or kneel to others. this feeling was too special ¡­ after brown took a deep breath, it was just about to kneel and thank the human lord when it suddenly thought of the actions of the others. brown forcefully stopped and slowly placed its hand on its chest to pay respects. ¡°yes, my lord ¡­¡± by the time the gray-colored dwarf alchemist left the lord¡¯s mansion, it had inexplicably lost some of its humility and fear. it had more confidence. brown turned around and looked at its surroundings. in its heart, it had gained more recognition of this territory that he had just arrived at for a day. the human residents were no longer so unfamiliar. [ding~ you have used your words and charm to convince a level 12 gray-colored dwarf alchemist that caused its character to undergo a certain degree of change. the progress of the [leadership] skill has increased to 80%.] [leadership skill: special skill, ordinary (80%). possesses strong personal charm. can easily persuade and influence subordinates, making them have strong trust in you. at the same time, there is a certain chance to make the troops in the wild surrender.] richard¡¯s expression changed when he heard the notification. ¡®it¡¯s been a long time since i¡¯ve heard of this special skill being upgraded¡­ ¡®isn¡¯t it too difficult to level up this thing?¡¯ it had been more than two months. and it was still at the beginner level. it wondered if it should find a few people to talk about life ideals in the future. when it looked at his condition, this was the way to level up. the effects of the leadership skill were not as direct as the attack skills. but if it were upgraded to an advanced level, it would still be very impressive. this was especially so for increasing his charm. there was no such thing as too much. not to mention, it could also make the troops in the wild surrender. in the future, when his level was higher, he could subdue the enemy with his words. it was not bad. at that moment, a roar came from far away and resounded in the sky above twilight city. the moment this roar rang out, other voices came from all around. richard suddenly looked up, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. Chapter 255 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard heard the deep roars that came from far away. the agitation in his heart rose to the peak. the system notification from last night popped up in richard¡¯s mind. [this week is remarkably a special disaster week. the beast was out of the cage.] he immediately stood up and walked out of the hall. two dark gargoyles descended from the sky. !! ¡°lord, several troops have suddenly appeared in the wilderness around the territory. ¡°they¡¯re quickly gathering towards twilight city.¡± a low, muffled voice sounded. richard¡¯s face turned cold. sure enough. just as expected, twilight city had become the target. ¡°the beasts released from the cage had to eat meat. ¡°and wasn¡¯t the player territory just a piece of fat meat?¡± he turned around and looked at the soldiers that guarded an enormous horn not far away. ¡°blow the war horn!¡± ¡®woohoo! woohoo! woohoo!¡¯ a longhorn sounded from the lord¡¯s mansion. in an instant, the residents outside of twilight city who heard the bugle horn immediately put down their work and returned to the city as quickly as possible. the horn sounded. a level 1 battle preparation. a bugle horn made from a notable buffalo¡¯s horn released a remarkably penetrating sound. with twilight city as the center, one could hear the sound of the horn from ten kilometers away. the horn sounded. ¡®roar!¡¯ a series of fierce roars came from the distance. the enemies responded to and provoked the twilight city horn. richard raised an eyebrow. his face was cold. such courage. then, he seemed to have thought of something and opened the players¡¯ [forum chat]. yesterday, before he went to bed, he glanced at the [forum chat]. nothing happened in the forum. but at this moment, there were already wails. [oh my god! when i woke up, a group of terrifying half-wolves appeared outside the territory. there are more than two brigades of them. if i hadn¡¯t had a prodigious troop last night, i¡¯m afraid there wouldn¡¯t be a single hair left today.] [f*ck! this striking week is a monster siege? the f*cking system! i just spent all my resources on upgrading my territory! f*ck you!] [i¡¯ve already dug a solid hole in the ground. i¡¯d hidden in it before those monsters arrived. now, those idiots must have left with their tails between their legs. hahaha, smart as i am!] 1 [it¡¯s too terrifying. even a 10-meter tall mammoth-man has appeared! are there any brothers within 200 kilometers south of lionheart city in the hengduan mountains? i beg you to help me! i recently got ten elves back. who can help me guard a wave? i¡¯ve given them all to him¡­] conversations continued in the [forum chat]. richard looked at the lively forum and inexplicably felt a lot calmer. indeed, suffering together was the true meaning of life. some of the dumbass players¡¯ skills were also enlightening to him. when they encountered enemies, they would send the residents out to die while they sneaked away. some even told everyone to hide in the bunkers they dugged long ago. some brought their families and didn¡¯t even want their territory¡­ there were all kinds of operations. however, from the players¡¯ posts in general, one could see that this disaster week was not so easy to fool. while richard pondered, a few figures hurriedly entered the lord¡¯s mansion. ¡°lord¡­¡± ¡°lord richard¡­¡± gray, gunter, xina, and karu. all the main heroes of twilight city had arrived. alves, the undead dragon, also circled in the sky and did not land. richard nodded at his generals. ¡°due to the influence of rules, twilight city will suffer an unprecedented impact. ¡°the soldiers scattered in the desert will gather and attack us. ¡°it might take as long as a week. everyone should be mentally prepared!¡± the enemy¡¯s attack will last for a week? the heroes ¡®expressions immediately turned serious. richard continued. ¡°gunter and gray command the troop to defend twilight city. ¡°push out all the alchemy cannons. don¡¯t be stingy with the ammunition. ¡°karu, stabilize the residents. no one is allowed to go out. put an end to all hidden dangers.¡± the old gray-haired karu couldn¡¯t help but panic. ¡°lord richard, what about the agricultural area?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. there were currently two points of defense for twilight city. one was the territory, and the other was the agricultural area. without any hesitation, richard gave the order. ¡°bring the desert crown honey and the fire dragon rabbit back to twilight city immediately. leave the bees in the backyard of the lord¡¯s mansion, and lock the fire dragon rabbit in the stable.¡± karu took a deep breath and said. ¡­i guess i can only give up on the agricultural area¡­¡± richard shook his head. ¡°i can¡¯t give up any of them. ¡°the god¡¯s ancient tree and i will guard the agricultural area. ¡°you will guard twilight city.¡± two hundred acres of barley and 105 acres of russian olive forest. how much effort did they put in to accumulate their wealth? richard would never give up unless it was impossible. the old gray-haired karu¡¯s face turned serious. although the god¡¯s ancient tree and richard were the most strapping battle forces of the twilight city, they were still the most powerful. however, with only two combat units to guard such a large area, one could imagine the pressure. fortunately, the god¡¯s ancient tree had already reproduced hundreds of venomous wasps during this period. ¡°be careful, lord richard.¡± richard nodded and turned to gray. ¡°how many troops are there in the surrounding wilderness? how¡¯s his strength?¡± gray immediately responded. ¡°the north and south have the most people. there are more than five brigades now. and the number is still increasing. ¡°they¡¯re all above level 5, and there are even quite a few at level 10.¡± richard¡¯s heart began to sink. fortunately, it was within the scope of twilight city¡¯s response. if a few hundred of the level-15 desert dragons he had seen before appeared, it would be a big problem. ¡°i¡¯ll leave the territory to you guys. remember, there can¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± the skeleton blood dragon and the dark gargoyles are the keys. we must make good use of these two air forces. ¡°yes, lord!¡± twilight city was the foundation. and he had to put sturdy power there. a few a-rank heroes commanded the battle. and they would not be any worse than him. when necessary, richard and the god¡¯s ancient tree could also return to provide support at any time. after richard gave the orders, he waved his hand without hesitation. and the sand he¡¯d placed in the front yard suddenly rose and lifted him into the air. after he flew several hundred meters up, the temperature dropped significantly. his vision could see into the distance. from the north and south, several wilderness troops rapidly approached twilight city. his aura was ferocious. richard didn¡¯t hesitate. he flew to the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree rooted outside the territory. ¡°lord¡­¡± a deep voice sounded. the wrinkled tree bark revealed a twisted face. richard didn¡¯t waste any time. ¡°uproot the roots and guard the agricultural area with me!¡± he ordered. ¡°we¡¯ll follow your orders¡­¡± his voice fell. ¡®shua!¡¯ the sand exploded. countless grains of yellow sand flew hundreds of meters high. it covered the sky and the sun. the gigantic roots rose from the ground. and the earth cracked open at this moment. the 30-meter-tall tree instantly grew to 40 meters. coupled with its terrifying branches that had the characteristic of instant death, it was simply a super killing weapon. they would have to guard a narrow checkpoint if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the agricultural area was too prodigious. the god¡¯s ancient tree could completely block a troop of thousands by itself. after the god¡¯s ancient tree took root in the north, they protected the russian olive forest and the sand barley behind it. richard could already see the shadows of the monsters. desert lizardmen, desert half-orcs, desert gnolls¡­ they were almost all the races he had seen. the only thing they had in common was that the eyes of all the soldiers in the wild had turned into a strange dark red. his eyes flashed with a brutal look. it was like a wave rose from the desert. it rolled up a tsunami with a posture of drowning everything. ¡®roar!¡¯ in the sky above twilight city, the skeleton blood dragon flew up under the leadership of alves. the 30 undead giant dragons, whose bone armor glowed like rubies and exuded a blood-colored power, gave people a tremendous psychological impact. the dark gargoyle that carried the congealing sand archer and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead also rose into the air simultaneously. under brown¡¯s command, a level 12 alchemist, they arranged the cannons they plundered from the underground world in a criss-cross formation. at the same time, the guardian mummies at the back began to load up their vast ammunition. and in front of the territory. the bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, heavy-sword warriors, and giant axe death knights already waited for them. twilight city, which had been chaotic a moment ago, had now become a military fortress armed to the teeth. richard felt a fire burning in his chest when he saw what was happening in twilight city. Chapter 256 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°father, what¡¯s happening outside?¡± the war horn sounded. karu said during the drill that it is a level 1 battle preparation. and the enemy will attack soon¡­ in a residential house, a boy of about 12 or 13 years old stood by the window. he placed his hands on the window sill and looked into the distance anxiously as if he was trying to find an answer. the bearded father pressed on the boy¡¯s shoulder from behind and said in a low voice, ¡°nali, remember, no matter what happens, you must remain calm! !! ¡°only by controlling your inner emotions can you be your master. ¡°be it sadness or worry, don¡¯t let your emotions interfere with your judgment.¡± the boy looked up at his father in confusion. ¡°but father, i, i can¡¯t do it¡­ ¡°i don¡¯t want the enemy to invade twilight city.¡± as the boy said that, he pointed at the troop below. ¡°i want to be like those soldiers, fighting for the lord, taking up arms to protect the territory¡­¡± his father looked at the child-like face. and a different kind of emotion churned in his heart. protect the territory. fight for the overlord¡­ before he came to twilight city, he had often heard the soldiers of other lords say this. but at that time, he only felt disdain and ridicule. ¡°does your territory deserve our defense? ¡°are those greedy and foolish lords worth fighting for?¡± but now, after he heard these words from his son¡¯s mouth, he felt a strong sense of agreement. from the first day they arrived in twilight city, lord richard had never mistreated them. he had always protected them with his power. he lived a life free of oppression and slavery. he even learned to write his name. for the first time in decades, he felt alive. in his heart, he had already regarded this territory as his home. he would not allow anyone to invade twilight city! even if he had to give up his life, he would not back down! he took a deep breath, turned the board around, and bent down slightly. he looked straight into his son¡¯s eyes. he said seriously. ¡°nali, twilight city is our home. we will not allow anyone to invade it! ¡°but you don¡¯t have enough power to fight the enemy yet. ¡°you have to work hard to grow if you want to protect this city. ¡°whether it¡¯s to learn the battle skills of warriors or to learn knowledge. only when you are strong enough can you contribute to twilight city. ¡°you could receive a medal that symbolizes a hero from the hands of the lord maybe one day. ¡°i think everyone will cheer for you when the time comes.¡± nali¡¯s eyes beamed like the stars in the night sky when he saw the encouraging gaze. however, he was still a little unconfident and spoke with some hesitation. ¡°can i? really?¡± ¡°of course, you can. as long as you¡¯re determined to do it, you¡¯ll definitely can. the boy clenched his fists tightly. passion welled up in his eyes as he nodded. ¡°father, i will. i will become your pride and receive the medal from the lord!¡± when the father heard this, he patted the son¡¯s head in relief. he looked out the window from his son¡¯s ear, and the desert outside the territory came into his eyes. his son was so determined to protect twilight city. was he not the same? if he were a warrior, he would not hesitate to stand on the defensive line of the territory. for this city, for the lord. this territory with no oppression, no slavery, and no evil deeds from other regions had long become his. it was irreplaceable. ****** ¡°mother, the lord will chase those bad guys away, right?¡± ¡°of course, the lord is the most powerful hero in the world. be good. have a good sleep. when you wake up, you¡¯ll hear the lord has chased away the bad guys¡­¡± ¡°yes, yes, mom. i will sleep already¡­¡± ****** ¡°master guard, please remember my name. i will offer my life to defend the honor of the lord! believe me. i¡¯m prepared to die!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll remember you, young man. but the lord has ordered that no one is allowed to go out. the war is about to begin, so you should stay at home.¡± ****** in the residential area of twilight city, almost everyone discussed the reason for the horn. most of the residents were determined and already mentally prepared to go to the battlefield. many even volunteered. there was no chaos in the territory because of the war. this moment vividly reflected the benefits of having high morale. the level 12 alchemist brown finally rested after richard ordered the troop to set up the giant alchemy cannons. the gray-colored dwarf wiped the sweat off its forehead and prepared to return to its room to change clothes. although it was only level 12, alchemists weren¡¯t as strong as warriors. in addition, its body was naturally weak, so its physical fitness wasn¡¯t high. not long after brown returned to its room, the gray-colored dwarf apprentices in the same residential house all rushed in a nervous mood. after they saluted, they looked at the quiet desert outside the window and asked. ¡°lord brown, what kind of trouble have those humans encountered? if the situation doesn¡¯t seem right, please take us away. gods above, those humans cannot drag us down¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, lord brown, let¡¯s take advantage of the chaos and secretly escape¡­ ¡°if we report the news of the surface to fortress city, they will reward us! the gray-colored dwarf apprentices continued to urge the alchemist¡­ the group seemed to want to use words to vent their inner fear and uneasiness. their voices did not stop. however, while brown sat on the chair, it frowned and did not say a word. it just quietly listened to the apprentices¡¯ complaints. after a long time, a few gray-colored dwarves found something was wrong with brown and quickly pulled their companions to shut them up. the room gradually quieted down. finally, the gray-colored apprentices looked at the expressionless brown. their hearts suddenly thumped. it didn¡¯t dare to say another word. brown waited for everyone to tone down before it rolled its eyes and looked around. it said indifferently. ¡°go on, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? i¡¯m listening.¡± the cold voice sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine. ¡®bang!¡¯ the good-conditioned hand smacked the armrest of the chair. the sound was like thunder. and all the gray-colored dwarf apprentices¡¯ hearts almost jumped out. with a plop, the few gray-colored dwarves in front of it knelt on the ground. brown turned a blind eye to this. there was an indescribable coldness in its tone. ¡°i¡¯ll only say this once. i¡¯m now a member of twilight city, lord¡¯s subordinate. ¡°all of you are also a part of twilight city. no one is an exception! ¡°the underground world is a thing of the past. i don¡¯t want you to mention it again! after it finished speaking, its gaze swept around like a knife. ¡°if anyone dares to disobey my lord¡¯s order, i will open your mouth and pour the corpse-dissolving liquid into it.¡± it walked out as soon as it finished speaking. however, it stopped when it reached the door. it turned around and looked at the few gray-colored dwarf apprentices who still knelt on the ground and trembled. its expression was a little subtle. ¡°in the future, stand up and don¡¯t kneel!¡± it left the room without a pause after that. ¡®bang!¡¯ it slammed the door shut. all the gray-colored dwarf apprentices trembled and looked at each other. it took a long time before they returned to their senses. question marks shrouded their minds. why has lord brown, ultimately dissatisfied with this human territory yesterday, no, even this morning, and privately hinted to them to find a chance to escape¡­ changed its attitude in such a short time? what has happened? just as they were about to discuss the reason. ¡®woohoo! woohoo! woohoo!¡¯ the sound of a war horn suddenly rang out. it caused their hearts to jump. a few gray-colored apprentices immediately went to the window and looked into the distance. the next second, the image reflected in their pupils and made their scalps tingle. countless mixed troops surged forward like a wave. it made them feel breathless just by looking at it. it was as if the god of death stared at them. especially the soldiers¡¯ bloodshot eyes. the enemy was here. Chapter 257 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard could see the enemy¡¯s numbers growing. the dark clouds pressed down on the city. he roughly estimated there were more than four brigades. among them, the desert half-orcs and lizardmen cavalry accounted for 70% of the population. suddenly. ¡®awoooo!¡¯ !! a prolonged wolf¡¯s howl resounded through the sky. richard suddenly turned his head to look at where the sound emanated. a giant wolf with a shoulder height of more than four meters appeared in front of him. a twin-headed creature on the back of the giant wolf that held a terrifying sharp teeth-covered life-form caught his attention. it stared at him and the god¡¯s ancient tree. as for the other party¡¯s eyes¡­ it was not red! he immediately raised his guard against this anomaly. he opened the attribute panel. [twin-headed ogre lord] [heroic unit] [level: 14] [potential: b] ??? ??? [concealed by equipment, unable to detect.] ¡°a level 14 hero? ¡°this was the strongest boss in this monster siege?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. when he looked around, he saw the twin-headed ogre lord had more than three companies of twin-headed ogre cavalry. glorious 2-stars, level 12. they were powerful and overbearing. this force would be a disaster if it were an ordinary-level territory. out of the 20 billion players in the entire ¡°shining era¡±, the number of players who could withstand such an attack could be counted on one¡¯s fingers. but¡­ ¡®i¡¯m sorry, this is twilight city.¡¯ richard¡¯s mood lifted. after a tight development, twilight city finally had the strength to face the challenge. it was now time to harvest the seeds he had sown before. just as he thought, the troops that heard the howls of the giant wolves seemed to have received the order to attack. they started to run madly and charged straight at them. the god¡¯s ancient tree that lay horizontally in front of the agricultural area had become a force that no one could ignore. richard¡¯s brows furrowed. he wasn¡¯t afraid of the enemy¡¯s tremendous number as long as they won¡¯t disperse. he could not accept the consequences if the enemy bypassed them and directly destroyed the agricultural area behind them. while richard pondered, he suddenly recalled the golden fruit used for fishing in the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°treebeard, condense that golden fruit.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± the gods¡¯ ancient tree language sounded. the leafless branches shook, and one of the fruits used to hatch venomous wasps fell in a few breaths. its appearance had changed from gray to pure gold. it dazzled. the moment the fruit appeared, it released a distinguished scent. the attraction of the scent to life was like suddenly smelling the sweetness of honey-coated bread after being hungry for ten days. an irresistible temptation. a fruit condensed from the tree¡¯s roots that used the power of the soul. it has a powerful effect. after one eats it, it can increase one¡¯s potential to a certain extent. it has a special allure to most living beings¡­ even though richard had witnessed the birth of the golden fruit, he still had the urge to pick it and eat it. it was a natural impulse he could not avoid. he returned to his senses. the sand on the ground suddenly rose into the air with a wave of his hand. it spun wildly like a tornado and formed distinguished sand airflow. then, he scattered the sand in all directions. it caused a blast of air. the soldiers that charged felt an indescribable feeling in their hearts. every cell in their body expressed their desire. the initially slightly scattered formation suddenly condensed and directly attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree. the scarlet eyes became increasingly intense. it seemed like they could drip blood. when the enemy was 100 meters away from the critical point. the venomous wasp initially flew slowly above the god¡¯s ancient tree and instantly turned excited as if it had dug out its nest. the buzzing sound of the wings became extremely noisy. it seemed like a fighter jet roared over their heads. this group of more than 500 rare 3-stars soldiers suddenly flew forward. when richard first conquered the god¡¯s ancient tree, he used his sand transformation and flame sandstorm to kill these troops. he had not seen their true power. only now did he realize how terrifying the advantage of numbers was. although one could not compare it to a troop gathered in the wilderness. however, these 10 centimeters long giant wasps gathered together and formed a dark cloud. they shot out at a bullet speed. more than two companies of level 8 lizardmen cavalry were at the forefront of the enemy¡¯s charge. in the blink of an eye, the two sides collided. ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ the venomous wasp turned into a tributary arrow. it pierced through the sky at an invisible speed. their method of attack wasn¡¯t to hover over the opponent¡¯s body and then attack with poison needles. instead, they bent their abdomen and used the z-shaped poison needle as an arrow. while they flew at high speed, they would slice through the opponent¡¯s weak point like a sharp blade. eyes, face, neck, wrist¡­ any part of the body the armor does not cover was their target. regardless of whether the attack was successful or not. the venomous wasp did not stop. instead, it continued to flap its wings and shot toward the next enemy like an arrow. this environment magnified the advantages of their exaggerated nimbleness and small bodies. they could control their wings to dodge the attacks of the lizardmen cavalry. although the two squadrons of lizardmen cavalry madly waved their long swords, they had only killed a dozen venomous wasps when they passed by each other. the lizardmen cavalry roared and continued to charge, but they seemed uninjured. however, after a few breaths. the skin on everyone¡¯s face suddenly glowed deep blue. then, their bodies stiffened and started to foam. under the high-speed charge of the lizardmen, the death knights fell to the ground. the strong inertia made them draw long scratches before they stopped. venomous wasps did not kill their enemies with brute force. poison was their true specialty. the opponents almost starkly wiped out two squadrons of lizardmen cavalry in just a few breaths. only a few remained alive. the scene became strappingly exaggerated. at this moment, no one cared about the dead lizardmen cavalry, and the main force continued to rush forward. after the victory, the wasps did not continue to attack and quickly returned from the sky. five hundred was still small. if there were ten or twenty times more of them, the wasps could directly annihilate these enemies. ordinary beings did not have the poison immunity of undead like mummies. so they would be defeated by the poisonous wasps. the boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, was a troop of its own. the enemy attacked rapidly under the golden fruit temptation. the surging waves finally hit the submerged reef. they set off monstrous waves. the half-orcs and lizardmen cavalry at the front roared and rushed to the bottom of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the golden fruit thoroughly attracted them. desire. extreme desire. as long as they ate it, they would undergo a vast transformation. the scarlet eyes reflected the golden fruit. however, when they were ten meters away from the god¡¯s ancient tree¡­ the paralyzing treebeard devoured the body of the gods and became the boss unit. it violently waved the tree trunk several times thicker than the beam of a house. ¡®hu!¡¯ an ear-piercing sound rang out. the tree trunk slammed down with the force of a thunderbolt sweeping holes. they crushed dozens of strong half-orcs with fangs like tofu. ¡®crack!¡¯ the bone armor exploded, and the body¡¯s limbs flew dozens of meters away. in an instant, blood splattered all over the ground. the scene was overwhelmingly scary. however, the other troops with bloodshot eyes seemed to have lost their fear. the scene did not frighten them. instead, the sturdy smell of blood stimulated their nerves. they let out a low growl and increased the speed of his charge. ¡®hu!¡¯ the trunk of treebeard became the blades of a meat grinder. none of the enemies who rushed up could withstand the terrifying power. not to mention that the trunk also had a 20% instant death characteristic! it was an ultimate killing weapon. the king of war. the golden fruit that attracted the troop had already gone crazy. and all headed toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. a few lizardmen cavalry rushed to the tree trunk and swung their sharp blades at the tree trunk. however, the tough tree bark was like a city wall. they could not cause any damage to it regardless of how they attacked. instead, the opponents chipped the weapons in their hands because of their low quality. the god¡¯s ancient tree stood on the ground and let the monstrous waves hit the opponents wave after wave. but it remained indifferent. at this moment, the vast branch became the death¡¯s scythe that frantically severed lives. and when the enemy¡¯s numbers reached a certain level. ¡®shua!¡¯ the ground suddenly split open. the buried deep underground roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree broke out of the ground like gigantic iron chains. ¡®hu!¡¯ as it swung wildly, it brought a tremendous force that could split mountains and rocks. the roots were over 40 meters long. the god¡¯s ancient tree waved dozens of straight roots simultaneously. the troop on the ground was like meat in a meat grinder. in a few breaths, unstoppable power slaughtered them. in fact, due to several enemy corpses, it forced to slow down the roots¡¯ recovery speed. the soldiers in the wild with bloodshot eyes also demonstrated their terrifying side. even if the opponents had crushed their bodies, they would still use their teeth to bite and sharp claws to tear. they would attack the god¡¯s ancient tree regardless of everything. it was like the zombies in some works on planet blue only had the desire to kill. it was supremely terrifying. however, in the face of absolute power, all resistance was futile. there was only one end, whether the desert orcs or the lizardmen. death. after the golden fruit attracted these troops in the wild, they gave the god¡¯s ancient tree the invincibility advantage in a close battle. it swept across everything. they looked down from the sky. he could see a leafless-giant tree with 16 twisted trunks that waved its trunk. every time it waved, it had the power to split a mountain. the air whirred. in the areas where the tree trunks could not attack, roots over 40 meters long became sickles for cutting grass. no matter how many enemies rushed in, they blew them into pieces. this scene was superlatively impactful. in a place invisible to the naked eye, after the god¡¯s ancient tree smashed the enemy¡¯s bodies, the roots underground began to grow tiny tentacles. like a straw, it directly pierced into the broken limb fragments. ¡®goo! goo! goo!¡¯ rings emerged from the roots and devoured their flesh and blood frantically. richard could sense the blood and flesh had turned into his energy after it entered the god¡¯s ancient tree. after that, the fruit on top of the god¡¯s ancient tree began to grow at a visible speed. devour enemies. strengthen oneself. cultivate wasps. the wild troops that had fallen into madness had all become nourishment for the god¡¯s ancient tree. at this moment, the disaster of these wild beasts coming out from their cages seemed to have become the benefit of the god¡¯s ancient tree. every enemy was the energy that bred the wasps. if the number of enemies continued to increase ¡­ perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they could raise several wasps to the entire 3000. richard¡¯s heart swelled with excitement at the thought of the wasps that covered the sky. the disaster week this time¡­ it was not bad. much better than any resources. Chapter 258 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation when the god¡¯s ancient tree strangled the enemy with its almost invincible strapping strength¡­ they could hear the mournful howl of the wolf again. richard turned to look into the distance. a troop of over 1000 soldiers flew up from the twin-headed ogre lord¡¯s head. giant bat cavalry. rare 3-stars potential, level 9. !! they were the twin-headed ogre cavalry that rode on ferocious giant bats. the enemy equipped each ogre with a long-range attack weapon. they came whistling. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he subconsciously pressed down on the control ring. but to his surprise, he thought the giant bat cavalry would charge straight at them. however, he did not expect the other party to ignore the god¡¯s ancient tree. instead, it turned around toward the agricultural area and headed straight for the twilight city behind him. he turned his head and looked at twilight city behind him without doing anything. his face was surprisingly calm. it was like the territory about to be attacked was not his territory. it was like he was an outsider. he watched the upcoming war from a unique perspective. the south side of twilight city. a troop even more enormous than the one that attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree from the north appeared in the sight of the city guards. the densely packed numbers made one¡¯s scalp tingle with fear just by looking at them. these troops and the giant bat cavalry charged simultaneously and formed a double encirclement in the sky and on the ground. if they allowed the enemy to attack, the only result would be the collapse of the territory. ¡®roar!¡¯ a deep roar pierced through the space. when richard saw the giant bat cavalry charge straight at him, the blood-colored light on alves¡¯s body instantly burst up tens of meters high. in an instant, the blood-colored light enveloped all the skeleton blood dragons behind. ¡°kill!¡± a low roar. alves flapped its wings and led the charge. when the enemy saw this, the giant bat cavalry commander, who quickly approached twilight city, let out a sharp roar. all the twin-headed ogres drew their bows and arrows in the next second. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the arrow pierced through the sky with a sharp whistling sound and came straight for him. the rain of arrows that thousands of people formed had a powerful impact. the giant bat cavalry commander with normal eyes realized that the undead dragons did not dodge! it suddenly felt slightly excited. ¡°damned undead, welcome your destruction!¡± but in the next second, it was like someone poured a basin of cold water over its head. the excitement was no longer in his heart. after the arrows hit the undead wyverns that glowed blood-colored light, they were like bubbles baked at high temperatures. blood-colored light directly corroded them. even if the remaining broken arrows hit the skeleton, they could not cause any damage. ¡°how was this possible? ¡°when did the undead wyverns have such powerful strength?¡± the giant bat cavalry commander roared again. the second round of arrows whistled through the air. but did not cause the opponent any damage. the speed at which the two sides moved was supremely swift. the skeleton blood dragon collided with the other party and did not wait for the giant bat riders to launch the third round of attacks. alves, who flew at the forefront, suddenly had a blood-colored glow on its throat. the next second. ¡®hu!¡¯ the corrosive beyond a-rank dragon breath spat out. it shot out a distance of tens of meters. the giant bat cavalry who held air cavalry¡¯s long spears and prepared to attack in front of them had great fear in their eyes. however, it was too late to react as the dragon¡¯s breath devoured everything. they only felt an indescribable pain. it was like somebody threw their bodies into concentrated sulfuric acid. even the armor on their bodies instantly turned into mucus and melted. the scene was supremely hyperbolic. the giant bat cavalry, who had dodged the dragon¡¯s breath with agility, roared and approached alves. it waved the sharp weapon and tried to tear the enemy¡¯s body apart. however, as the giant bats approached, the situation was not as simple as they thought. the blood-colored light on the other party¡¯s body was like bone marrow. it directly enveloped them. they were horrified to find out. the blood-colored radiance that burned like a flame had a paralyzing corrosive effect. what was even more terrifying was that the blood-colored energy was like flowing water. it could pass through the gaps in the armor and directly corrode the skin. the terrifying pain caused them to collapse instantly. they let out hysterical wails that sent chills down their backs. large holes appeared in the wings of the giant bats, and they fell while they howled. driven by inertia, they slid directly into the sand, leaving a long trace and splashing yellow sand all over the sky. alves had gone mad from killing. it rushed into the center of the giant bat cavalry alone without care for anything else and spat out corrosive dragon breath without restraint. from the outside, one could only see a vast scarlet figure that countless bats hid. at the same time, giant bats constantly fell from the sky ¡­ the giant bat commander in the rear now released a sharp screech. it constantly ordered the troop to change their formation in an attempt to kill alves with long-range attacks. it would never allow its enemy to be so shameless! however, as an undead dragon who had absorbed an ancient dragon crystal and devoured an extraordinary dragon¡¯s body to complete the hero transformation, it now possessed a beyond a-rank dragon¡¯s breath. alves¡¯s battle power had reached an extremely extraordinary level. its battle ability might not be comparable to the god¡¯s ancient tree, which had countless roots. but it was far beyond the imagination of outsiders. what was even more exaggerated was that after the blood power in its body corroded the enemy. it could also devour the other party¡¯s energy to recover itself. in this way, no matter how intense the siege was, it could maintain its peak condition. in the end, alves had the energy to control the blood power to transfer the extra to the other 30 skeletal blood dragons. it had gone crazy. the residents couldn¡¯t see the god¡¯s ancient tree in the agricultural area. it was like a god had descended to the world and swept away all the melee battles. however, they could see the aerial battle happening in their territory. thirty skeleton blood dragons and hundreds of dark gargoyles fought against an enemy ten times their number. they could never forget this intense battle scene in their hearts. it was the lord¡¯s troop. it was the troop that protected them. even if the enemies outnumbered them, the troop was fearless. this scene moved countless people. some residents even regarded it as an honor to witness this battle¡­ it was the battle when twilight city was weak, and they were lucky enough to see and grow with it. after alves led the skeletal blood dragon into the giant bat cavalry. gray rode on a dark gargoyle and commanded the air force with the congealed sand archers and undead soldiers to cooperate with alves in killing the giant bat calvary. the mummy hero, who had a strapping crowd control, had also shown his strong side as a support hero in such a big battle. as long as the enemy forces charged up, they could forcefully control them. the sand condensation archers and undead soldiers immediately rushed forward to attack. they didn¡¯t give the other party a chance to counterattack at all. therefore, although the overall strength of the dark gargoyles was not like that of the giant bat calvary, with the support of these powerful heroes, they achieved excellent results. even if they were incomparable to alves that charged into the enemy¡¯s depths, one could be proud of them. the air battle got intense. the wilderness troops that charged from far away had also approached twilight city. the vast number of waves was like a black tide, enough to make people tremble. at this moment, gunter, who had taken over, waved its hand. giant alchemy cannons, attack!! ¡®bang! bang! bang! the giant alchemy cannons released deafening sounds. in an instant, they fired hundreds of bullets from the barrel. they smashed into the dense enemies in front of them at a speed which is invisible to the eye. the first cannonball landed in the middle of a group of desert boars. ¡®bang!¡¯ a huge flame shot up into the sky. and a terrifying wave of air swept out in all directions and devoured everything on the outermost edge. the enemy sent the wild boar in the center more than ten meters high and fell heavily into the sand. the fall shattered all the bones in its body, and blood flowed out of its five senses. it was no longer breathing. countless shrapnel accompanied the shock wave with terrifying power. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ it pierced the air. when the surrounding wild boars heard the sound, their bodies were already in unspeakable pain. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sharp shrapnel pierced their bodies, and blood gushed like a broken water pipe. the scene was extremely shocking. and this was only the first one ¡­ when the ammunition of hundreds of giant cannons fell from the sky¡­ the enemies immediately felt how sharp the blades of the twilight city were. each alchemist¡¯s bomb that fell on the ground meant it had cleared a large area. it didn¡¯t matter if they were level five, six, eleven, or twelve. they were all fragile and tiny in front of the alchemist¡¯s bombs. unless it was a top creature like a dragon, no one could resist the power of an alchemy bomb. the spoils of war that richard had plundered from the underground had become twilight city¡¯s killing machine and the enemy¡¯s nightmare. Chapter 259 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation ¡°hurry up! load the ammunition!¡± at the artillery position, brown constantly asked the surrounding troops to speed up the loading of the alchemy bombs. the enemy¡¯s dense formation gave the alchemy cannon a lot of space to unleash its power. as long as they could fire the cannons, there would be gains. brown wanted to be valued, and this was the best opportunity. !! one¡¯s efforts earn status, and nothing more was valuable than military merits. unfortunately, the alchemy cannons could not starkly annihilate the enemy. the bomb¡¯s magnified weight caused the loading time to be extra slow. hence, after a few rounds of attacks, when they missed targets, the enemies still managed to reach the front of twilight city. a hand-to-hand battle broke out. the bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, heavy-sword warriors, and giant axe death knights were all part of the defense line. after the baptism of fire, the enemy¡¯s attack was still powerful, but it no longer had the pressure that made people breathless. furthermore, the twilight city troop had a unique advantage¨Csand transformation. once one activated the sand transformation, one would be unparalleled and run amuck without fear. the heavy sword warriors were the most overbearing among the several types of soldiers on the defensive line. richard wasn¡¯t controlling these glorious-level puppets, but they were still as strong as ever. it was especially true for his trump card¨Cspiral storm. after the berserk activated the skill, the enemies with red eyes rushed up like they were going into a meat grinder. with more than ten revolutions per second, the heavy sword warriors were like the wings of a helicopter when swung. and even the hard and thick armor was as thin as paper. after a few slashes, it could even tear the person¡¯s armor apart. the battle on the ground had already entered a period of calm. with the support of the alchemy cannons, the troops in the wild that had lost their rationality could only become cannon fodder. the battle in the sky also gradually became clearer under the madness of the dragon hero, alves. after it led the team into the center of the giant bat calvary, the dragon breath of the beyond a-rank had never stopped. and the troop that appeared in front of it, no one could stop its sharp edge. in addition, it could use the power of blood to heal its injuries. alves had become a killing machine that never got tired. it madly and wantonly slaughtered the giant bat riders. even if the giant bat riders wanted to break out of the situation, they faced an enemy who couldn¡¯t be killed from a long distance and was like a porcupine in a close battle. furthermore, the enemy had supremely terrifying attacks. they still felt waves of despair. more than four-fifths of the skeleton blood dragons had died, and the number of them had not decreased under the leadership of alves. 1 the defensive line in the heart of the giant bat cavalry commander completely collapsed. it raised its head and let out a shrill cry that led the rest of the troop to escape in the other direction without looking back. he never wanted to see these damned undead dragons ever again! i don¡¯t want to anymore! alves, who enjoyed the slaughter, was instantly enraged when it saw the enemies escape. ¡°it dared to play a trick on lord alves?!¡± it flapped its wings and wanted to catch up, but it calmed down as soon as it flew out. they now defended their territory. it lowered its head, and its empty eyes stared at the ground troops that charged at twilight city. there was a long howl. the surrounding skeleton blood dragons immediately gathered behind alves. a blood-colored force ignited on all the skeleton blood dragons in an instant. alves took the lead and swooped down. the other skeleton blood dragons immediately followed. the 30 skeleton blood dragons flew side by side. when they were close to the ground. ¡®roar!¡¯ the undead dragon hero suddenly released a fiery breath. the unprepared troop on the ground melted away like candles. the troop below could not retaliate at all. although a height of more than 20 meters was not considered high, it was a vast ravine for the ground troops who could not fly and a long-range attack. wherever the skeleton blood dragon flew past, they would clean up the ground. they would leave behind only bloody limbs. the scene was supremely spectacular. the giant alchemy cannons stopped firing after they annihilated the main enemy. ¡®tap!¡¯ ¡®tap!¡¯ the cavalry, which has rested for a long time, also launched their charge after the skeleton blood dragon joined the ground battle. the d-rank cavalry hero, baal, rode a giant mummy wolf and personally led the team. the cavalry charged forward with considerable momentum like a sharp arrow and rushed out of the territory. it went straight to the enemy¡¯s chest. they directly crushed the enemies under the charge of the cavalry, although the remaining troops were many. the horse trampled the camp. several armies advanced side by side and showed off their sharp edges. richard watched the battle like an outsider. he looked away as soon as he saw the situation had stabilized. the troop¡¯s performance was not bad. the troops did not disappoint richard. at this moment, the battle of the god¡¯s ancient tree continued. the golden fruits attracted several like colossal waves. they crashed in wave after wave. the god¡¯s ancient tree had also gone crazy at this time. corpses shrouded the ground, and the yellow sand was long-time soaked in blood. it was blood-hued and horrifying. and for every enemy killed, the underground roots would devour the energy of an additional corpse. the enemies who wanted to seize the golden fruits had all become the nourishment of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the number of wasps that bred fruits rapidly increased as time passed. richard was enormously delighted. the attacking enemies were the wasps. he did not fight the monster siege but cultivated venomous wasps. those troops in the wild who had already lost their rationality willingly took the bait that the god¡¯s ancient tree endowed. as troops died in large numbers, the twin-headed ogre lord in the distance finally couldn¡¯t sit still. intense greed brimmed its eyes as it looked at the fruit of the god¡¯s ancient tree. it patted the giant wolf¡¯s head it sat on. ¡°awooo!¡± the giant wolf howled into the sky. its terror-stricken howl reverberated through the desert. the next second. the surrounding three squadrons of level 12 twin-headed ogre cavalry followed the twin-headed ogre lord and charged toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. and in the process. richard could see. the twin-headed ogre lord¡¯s body suddenly emitted a green light. it directly enveloped the army behind. in an instant, it was like this troop had become a whole. and the auras were one. at this moment, the body of the twin-headed ogre cavalry at the back dried up like thousands of years had weathered it, and then it broke into pieces. the moment the cavalry died, the troop¡¯s aura rose sharply. one, two¡­ 20 twin-headed ogre cavalry died in the same way. the troop, which had been intensely ordinary just a moment ago, now emitted the light of the scorching sun. they were stronger. richard¡¯s face grew serious. what was that skill? he opened the attribute panel and saw that the ogre cavalry had additional status. [brutal worship: sacrifice your companions to gain strength. all current attributes increase by 50%. duration: 3 minutes] ¡°woah! these twin-headed ogres were simply extraordinary.¡± it was no wonder he dared to attack the god¡¯s ancient trees even after so many casualties. ¡®tap!¡¯ when he was about a hundred meters away. the twin-headed ogre lord¡¯s green aura surged again. the next moment, all the cavalries and the giant wolves they were riding on swelled up. ¡°go crazy!¡± all attributes increase by 50% for 15 minutes. after the skill is over, the user will fall into a state of weakness for 12 hours, and all the attributes will be¨C50%. the opponent has activated another powerful skill. the aura of this troop had reached its peak. richard still didn¡¯t make a move. he just watched while his opponent attacked. after a few breaths, the ogre cavalry at the front rushed into the attack range of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the other party¡¯s unbridled behavior seemed to have angered the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡®shua!¡¯ they pulled roots from the ground. in an instant, the thick roots swayed wildly like octopus tentacles as if dozens of ropes waved in the open space. it was supremely impactful. a twin-headed ogre that rode a four-meter-tall wolf was extremely fast. after it dodged a few attacks, it charged into the 30-meter range. but at this moment. several roots blocked its path. the other party leaped up and prepared to flip over by force. hu ~ a piercing sound rang out. ¡®bang!¡¯ it hit hard the giant wolf that flew in the air. under the impact of the massive force, it flew more than ten meters away and smashed into the ground. it shattered half of its body¡¯s bones, and its aura disappeared. the twin-headed ogre cavalry¡¯s aura rose as the beam-thick roots smashed into their bodies. the only result was that their bones cracked and their bodies broke. although the losses were tremendous, the wolf pack tactic was very effective. after they successfully distracted the attention of the god¡¯s ancient tree, some of the twin-headed ogre cavalries rushed to the tree trunk and jumped up. they tried to climb up. this death-seeking action completely infuriated the god¡¯s ancient tree. it suddenly pulled all its roots out of the ground and whipped its surroundings like steel cables. destructive attacks crushed the seemingly overbearing cavalry. the enraged god¡¯s ancient tree could be said to be invincible. but then, richard noticed something. the level 14 twin-headed ogre lord had disappeared without a trace. just as richard focused his attention and wanted to sense it, the other party appeared directly on the crown-level god¡¯s ancient tree in the next second. ¡°teleportation?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. the other party also had equipment similar to the jumping boots that could teleport. the twin-headed ogre lord turned around and saw the golden fruit behind richard. it looked straight at richard with a ferocious smile on its face. it patted the giant wolf he sat on and suddenly leaped up and pounced at him. at the same time, it waved the giant mace in its hand. the twin-headed ogre lord wanted to finish richard off first. when richard saw this scene, his expression became extremely interesting. Chapter 260 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the twin-headed ogre lord revealed a sinister smile. it could feel the vast energy contained in the golden fruit. as long as it could get its hands on it, it could break through level 15 and step into a sturdier realm. it could not resist this temptation. it ignored the human in front of it who had not even reached level 10. !! how could such a weak being resist its power? the giant wolf under it leaped up and swung the spiked club in its hand. it caused a violent air-breaking explosion. at this moment, the twin-headed ogre lord could already imagine the scene of its opponent¡¯s body exploding and blood splattering everywhere. the evil smile at the corner of its mouth became increasingly intense. but the next second, the smile on its face froze. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing exploded, and sparks flew everywhere. the spiked club that could shatter a gigantic rock seemed to have hit a towering mountain peak. the powerful recoil numbed the web between its thumb and forefinger. and the spiked club almost fell out of its hand. ¡®bang!¡¯ the giant wolf, with a shoulder height of four meters, could not stop in time and directly crashed into it. it fell onto the tree trunk and wailed in pain. the twin-headed ogre lord raised its head, and in the next second, a profound upset shrouded its heart. a vast shadow appeared on the spot that covered the sky¡¯s sun. the other party¡¯s feet left the tree crown and floated in the air. the aura it emitted made its soul tremble. ¡°a mechanical puppet? ¡°that human had such a terrifying war machine!¡± when it returned to its senses, its pupils reflected the other party¡¯s arm that tore down with the force of lightning. even if it were to reach level 15, it could not withstand this attack. ¡°he would die!¡± richard indifferently controlled the opponent to attack. he initially didn¡¯t plan to make a move, but since the other party sought death, then he wouldn¡¯t be polite. however, just as he was about to attack his opponent¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear the crisp sound of glass breaking. the next second. the curved blade in the hand of the extraordinary hunter missed. the twin-headed ogre lord disappeared into thin air just like he had come. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he spread out his perception. he immediately discovered the other party¡¯s tracks dozens of meters away. another space warp. this twin-headed ogre lord had many trump cards. richard¡¯s eyes turned cold. in an instant, the colossal extraordinary hunter disappeared from its spot. [leaping boots, 3-star strategic treasure.] [skill: spatial leap (able to jump to a distance of 100 meters in an instant. can also carry ten people apart from oneself. body size can not exceed 5 meters. can be cast 3 times per day.)] initially, it was impossible to use this skill with the body size of an extraordinary hunter. however, richard had found a loophole in the previous experiments. driving the extraordinary hunter was equivalent to using it himself, and he could bypass this restriction. however, the negative effect was that he could no longer bring anyone else with him, which was equivalent to sacrificing ten slots in exchange for higher authority. the twin-headed ogre lord had already left the attack range of the god¡¯s ancient tree. it felt lucky that it had escaped death. the other party had almost killed it. ¡°damn humans!¡± it felt shocked and angry. however, before it could calm down, shadows shrouded the ground again. the twin-headed ogre lord raised its head, and the gigantic mechanical puppet appeared above it. ¡°this mechanical puppet also had spatial leap skill?¡± its expression changed drastically. suddenly, it disappeared from where it stood. but the moment it reappeared, its massive body appeared once more. this time, it was no longer sure. fear began to devour its heart. ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear the sound of glass breaking. the twin-headed ogre lord disappeared again. ¡®hu!¡¯ a sharp claw tore through the space the moment it appeared. ¡®puchi!¡¯ an enormous arm severed the giant wolf¡¯s body. the next second, it pulled it back. ¡®shua!¡¯ its body exploded into pieces, and countless dust of flesh and blood flew everywhere. the sharp claw slaughtered the giant wolf with a shoulder height of four meters in an instant. the twin-headed ogre lord flipped over and landed behind the giant wolf that avoided the slaughter. however, the other party¡¯s overbearingness shook its mind. ¡°damn b*stard! how could this mechanical puppet be so strong?!¡± it gritted its teeth. the aura on its body instantly weakened. the next second. a terrifying spatial storm rose. countless spatial shards that could cut through everything enveloped the mechanical puppet in front of it. its body suddenly disappeared from the spot, and in the next moment, it appeared dozens of meters away. it frantically fled without looking back. after it ran for a few hundred meters, it suddenly turned back and found that the mechanical puppet which the spatial storm enveloped disappeared. suddenly, a colossal shadow cast from the sky. it raised its head. an indescribable sense of despair engulfed it. ¡®hu!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ two enormous heads flew up. the level 14 twin-headed ogre lord¡¯s corpse immediately splattered blood more than ten meters high. ¡°plop!¡± the corpse fell to the ground. in the face of absolute power, schemes and intrigues were so weak. the extraordinary hunter disappeared on the spot along with the other party¡¯s death. richard hovered in the air. his face was cold. he didn¡¯t expect the twin-headed ogre lord to have so many tricks up to its sleeve. the spatial storm just now had reduced the usage time of the extraordinary hunters by a few minutes. the previous battle lasted less than a minute, but the usage time had dropped from 45 to 40 minutes. it was a huge loss. even a lion would use its full strength when hunting a rabbit. richard definitely couldn¡¯t be careless again in the future. he slowly descended. with a wave of his hand, the sand around him transformed into a few arms and directly stripped the corpse of the twin-headed ogre. from it, he found a map carved with exquisite patterns, a small ball like a glass bead. there was nothing else besides that. this pauper. ¡°isn¡¯t that too shabby?¡± it would have at least a few semi-divine weapons, not to mention a divine one for such a high-level boss. 1 it¡¯s embarrassing to come out and rob when one is so poor. richard looked at the map in the hand of sand. he opened the attribute panel. [mysterious map] [level: 1-star] [attribute: able to automatically know the location marked on the map when held in hand.] [description: the marks on the map point to particular areas.] ¡°this thing¡­ a magical version of the navigator?¡± richard took the map, and a strange feeling rose in his heart. he turned to face the north. it was like the map pointed in that direction¡­ he placed the map into the system space, and the feeling disappeared. it was ultimately magical. however, the system didn¡¯t say what it hid. so richard couldn¡¯t figure out its value. while he pondered, he looked at the thumb-sized glass ball with his last bit of anticipation. he couldn¡¯t just pick up the corpses after a battle. he had to get a few good treasures¡­ he opened the attribute panel. [spatial movement] [level: special] [special property: teleports user 80 meters away after being crushed.] [description: one can condense a treasure in an area rich in spatial energy.] did the twin-headed ogre lord rely on this thing to teleport? this item was a one-time use. and it was not bad for escaping. however, the leaping boots were much unworthy of it. what lifted his spirits was the introduction below. richard mused. is an area rich in space energy could produce¡­ a mysterious map? with a thought, he took out the map with the navigation function. aren¡¯t these two items a set? one path, one yield ¡­ the disappointment in his heart swept away in an instant. and it greatly aroused his interest. could the reward for this monster siege be the area indicated on the map? moreover, the items dropped by a level 14 field hero couldn¡¯t be worthless, right? Chapter 261 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard put away the two treasures and looked around. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a gigantic trunk struck a twin-headed ogre cavalry 10 meters away from the god¡¯s ancient tree and swept over. its body exploded like a baseball that hit a watermelon. the death of the twin-headed ogre lord caused the already hopeless situation to collapse quickly. !! the two-headed ogre cavalry was still as ferocious as before. however, in front of the terrifying boss unit, the god¡¯s ancient tree, the damage it could cause was very limited. the 40-meter-long roots and the trunk with the instant death characteristic made it impossible for them to attack the ancient tree of divine sin at close range. this menacing monster siege directly halted. no matter how crazy the remaining enemies were, they would only be fertilizer for the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard looked at this scene, and his thoughts were a little subtle. he saw the difference between a top-tier with strapping battle power and an ordinary soldier again. the number of soldiers that launched an attack was much higher than the god¡¯s ancient tree. however, when faced with the god¡¯s ancient tree, he was like a child who had just learned to speak. he had no resistance at all. the only way to deal with this powerful boss was to find its flaws and surround it. however, it was a pity that twilight city eliminated the weakness of the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was the lack of long-range attacks. richard¡¯s mood brightened at the thought. when the god¡¯s ancient tree was his enemy, the stronger it was, the more it displeased him. however, after it became a member of twilight city, the stronger it was, the more itpleased him. it wasn¡¯t in vain that he had been thinking about it for so long. the battle in the agricultural area was coming to an end. alves and the skeleton blood dragon gradually settled the battle in twilight city. without the harassment of the enemy¡¯s air force, the skeleton blood dragon was undoubtedly the overlord. the ground troops could not escape the corrosive dragon breath. the battle scene vividly reflected the importance of air positioning advantage. the performance of these crown-level troops in this war was extremely outstanding. twenty minutes later. the system notification rang in richard¡¯s ears. [ding~ your territory has received a special reward during the special disaster week¨Cthe beasts have come out of their cages and defeated several enemies. twilight city has obtained a special reward¨Cit has upgraded all troops to one level. [ding~ you have received 100,000 experience points.] [ding~ your experience points are at maximum. you have triggered the mission¨Cbattle of the heroes.] please hunt a wild hero with c-rank potential and above and a level above ten by yourself. [after the mission is completed, it can promote you to a high-level hero. before the mission is completed, you will remain at level 9 and unable to gain experience.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the system notification. it had been almost three months, and he had finally reached level 10. it wasn¡¯t easy. and the next level was the first watershed. troops above level 10 were called advanced troops, and heroes were called advanced heroes. all attributes will receive additional bonuses. they said this level was the first step of a qualitative change. after that were the two vital levels. levels 15 and 20. with every checkpoint, their battle power would increase explosively. who knew when he could level up to 15 or 20 if it took so much effort to level up to 10? ¡°the mission¨Cbattle of the heroes allows me to hunt down a level 10 hero unit with a potential of c-rank and above alone?¡± richard sniffed at the smell and turned to look at the headless body of the twin-headed ogre lord. was he too fast just now¡­? it was a level 14 boss, and he gave it away for nothing. this mission might be tight for other lords. after all, not everyone could fight a level 9 heads up to level 10. and the opponent was a hero. but to him¡­ ¡°wasn¡¯t it too easy to kill just one?¡± his current template was even more bizarre than the god¡¯s ancient tree. even if he didn¡¯t use his extraordinary hunter, he could still toy with the level 14 twin-headed ogre lord to death. a beyond a-rank was enough to make him invincible among those of the same level. in comparison, he was more like a boss. with a wave of his hand, he rolled up the corpse of the twin-headed ogre lord with the sand and threw it near the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°keep this body. we¡¯ll use it to recruit mummies in the future.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree that devoured the corpses around immediately dragged the ogre¡¯s corpse into the desert. richard raised his head and saw that the god¡¯s ancient tree had grown hundreds of golden fruits, which had only been ten before the war. they were indeed conspicuous while hung on the empty branches. that elated his mood instantly. they were all venomous wasps. when all are hatched, the number exceeds a thousand. today¡¯s colossal harvest was the mysterious map that pointed to an unknown treasure trove. these were the corpses. each corpse represented voluminous nutrients. when richard had raised the number of venomous wasps to the maximum of 3000. it would vastly improve the defense of twilight city. they didn¡¯t even need to let the enemies come over in the battle just now as the thousands of venomous wasps were enough to annihilate them. with that thought, richard looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree with immense satisfaction. this boss was indeed his favorite. he was simply too valuable to be cultivated. after the god¡¯s ancient tree had devoured all the scattered corpses on the periphery, richard looked at the sand covered with dried blood and frowned slightly. with a wave of his hand, he controlled the sand and buried the shriveled bodies under the yellow sand. the sand in a mess returned to its original state as if nothing had happened. ¡°lord richard! we¡¯ve already defeated the enemy!¡± karu ran out of the territory excitedly. before he even got close, he could hear richard¡¯s excited voice. richard chuckled at the old gray-haired man. ¡°what are the casualties?¡± the old gray-haired karu laughed. ¡°other than a few bandaged mummies that died, there are no other damages. ¡°the giant alchemy cannon you brought home is too powerful. ¡°our troops have more than half of the enemies before they could even get close to twilight city. ¡°the bandaged mummies and scorpion warriors protected those unslaughtered because they blocked the artillery shots.¡± as karu spoke, he turned and looked around. ¡°the battle on your side¡­¡± he was stunned halfway through. the quiet and peaceful environment he saw was starkly different from the battlefield he imagined. ¡°what was going on?¡± richard chuckled. ¡°it¡¯s already been resolved.¡± he looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree as he spoke. ¡°treebeard, go to the territory and devour all the dead bodies. let the venomous wasps reproduce.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord¡­¡± treebeard¡¯s slow ancient treeman language sounded. ¡®shua!¡¯ treebeard mobilized its roots and went around the agricultural area. it returned to twilight city. old karu¡¯s heart trembled. this twisted human-faced ancient giant tree was more than 40 meters tall. even though richard had seen it walk many times, it still looked quite shocking. when the tree roots saw the corpses and limbs all over the south of their territory, they immediately rooted themselves in the ground in a happy mood. soon after. tiny roots grew out and pierced into the limbs like straws. it devoured the energy of the corpses around them. the golden fruits on the tree¡¯s crown quickly expanded like balloons after the tree received sufficient energy. the color gradually darkened. a few minutes felt like a few months. the golden fruits gradually cracked open. it revealed the ¡°flesh¡± inside¨Cvenomous wasps connected to transparent tubes. the wasps started to spread after their exposure to the air they slowly stretched their bodies and let the air dry the sticky liquid on their bodies. after their bodies had dried up, the wasps slowly flapped their wings and broke free from the transparent tube that looked like an umbilical cord. they slowly flew around the tree trunk. more and more golden fruits cracked open. and the newly born poisonous wasps quickly formed thick black clouds above the god¡¯s ancient tree. the buzzing sound spread far and wide. after the god¡¯s ancient tree finished devouring the corpses on the south side, richard opened the man¡¯s attribute panel and saw the data that satisfied him. [venomous wasps, count-1621.] these were rare 3-stars troops. it was so comfortable. as expected, any disaster week is fake. but welfare week is genuine. those resource weeks were a lie. to the desert, the resource weeks that increased the production of resource points should be called disaster weeks. he could only look forward to a few more similar disaster weeks. he was fine, and twilight city could still withstand this kind of pressure¡­ Chapter 262 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation after the war ended, twilight city regained its liveliness. the residents who had just come out of their homes excitedly gathered in front of the lord¡¯s mansion square. they high-spiritedly discussed the war they had just overruled. gratitude to twilight city for it did not have walls. they were able to witness the battle up close. whether it was the terrifying dragon breath of the skeleton blood dragon that could melt people or the fierce artillery fire of the giant alchemy cannons that could tear everything apart, both supremely delighted the residents. a strong sense of honor rose in his heart while he shared the pride. !! ¡°did you guys see that? those giant alchemy cannons killed hundreds of enemies with one shot!¡± ¡°that¡¯s nothing. what i saw was even more powerful. lord alves burned tens of thousands of people to death with one breath of dragon breath!¡± ¡°in the future, i want to become as strong as a giant dragon. i want to protect my territory and fight for the lord!¡± ¡°do you still remember that there were only a dozen mummies in twilight city two months ago? now, our troop¡¯s strength has increased more than tenfold! praise the lord.¡± praises and expressions of overwhelming admiration continued¡­ richard had just returned the god¡¯s ancient tree to its old place after the old tree devoured all the dead bodies and limbs. he walked into the territory. he smiled at the sudden increase in the number of venomous wasps. when the excited residents saw him, they immediately began to call out in a tsunami-like manner. the entire territory began to boil like they had poured cold water into the hot oil. everyone looked at their lord with burning eyes. he was the only ruler of this land. wherever richard went, the residents on both sides of the street immediately bowed to him. their respect radiated from the bottom of their hearts. richard smiled and nodded at everyone. he then stood at the lord¡¯s mansion and waved to the residents. he said in a clear voice. ¡°citizens of twilight city. ¡°we¡¯ve won!¡± this sentence was like he ignited a powder keg. it exploded instantly. ¡°praise the twilight city!¡± ¡°praises be to lord richard!¡± ¡°long live the lord!¡± the residents continued to applaud. the best way to raise morale was to win. and winning a foreign war would double it. twilight city had won beautifully this time. and it was a victory in the eyes of everyone. the encouragement to the residents was countless times stronger than being injected with chicken blood. richard didn¡¯t have much to say. the atmosphere had already reached this point, and they no longer needed words. he waved at the crowd and turned to enter the lord¡¯s mansion. the excitement of the residents didn¡¯t decrease, and they still vent their inner delight. the jest didn¡¯t go away for a long time. richard opened the player [forum chat] with a satisfied look when he returned to his room to enjoy the hot tea the maid had brewed. it was like the comfort of surfing the internet after a busy day. although twilight city had survived the crisis and even turned the disaster into a benefit, the other players were not so powerful. the disaster week this time was a genuine disaster for them. [my territory has been conquered. what should i do now? the system notified me that i had lost my overlord status. f*ck. it even said that because my popular sentiment was less than 70 points, the residents did not intend to follow me and all ran away¡­ f*ck, what the hell is this disaster week?] [these wilderness troops are too fierce! there¡¯s even a level 10 hero in there. if i didn¡¯t sacrifice my fat to ask for help from the noble lady npc near my territory, these wilderness troops could have finished me this time. but now, i¡¯m ultimately happy because i¡¯m going to celebrate her 60th birthday!] [hahahaha, the sea of skeletons will always be a god! my sea of skeletons drowned those little rascals. the only disadvantage is that i only have 100 level 1 little skeletons left in my territory¡­] [everyone, pay attention. the ¡°shining era¡± isn¡¯t a game. people honestly die¡­ enemies slaughtered seven of our guild¡¯s 20 players in front of me. their heads rolled to the bottom of my feet. my legs are supremely feeble now¡­] the exchange of comments and battle experiences continued¡­ among the players¡¯ comments, some survived the wave of monster siege, and some didn¡¯t. some captured their territories and became lords in exile. a wave even directly crushed and killed some. it was already lucky to be able to post anything. but most of them died without a name. ****** a bloody war had made many players who had a gaming mentality about the ¡°shining era¡± realize the cruelty of this world. if he didn¡¯t develop and become stronger, he would die even if he didn¡¯t go out. when the enemy came to their door, they did not even have the power to fight back. this disaster week profoundly changed the players¡¯ attitude towards the ¡°shining era¡±, and even directly affected the future structure. richard didn¡¯t think much about it. the disaster was just a blessing for twilight city. there were thousands of rare 3-stars venomous wasps. if they were to spend resources to recruit them, how much would it be if they were to use 12000 resources to recruit a rare unit? tens of millions. he felt comfortable just thinking about the tens of millions of resources he had obtained for free this time. ¡°power is the foundation of everything. ¡°without power, a natural disaster is a natural disaster. with power, a natural disaster can also become a benefit.¡± richard closed the forum page. he sighed. it made him even more determined to develop twilight city quickly. the best way to deal with all dangers was to become strong regardless of the situation. after he thought for a while, he got someone to summon all the heroes of twilight city. richard cut to the chase after everyone. ¡°karu, what are the losses in this war?¡± Chapter 263 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation karu, whose face was full of wrinkles, stepped forward and reported. ¡°lord richard, we used up 510 alchemist¡¯s bombs in total. we still have 1630 left. !! ¡°we lost 20 bandaged mummies. twenty are left. ¡°scorpion warriors: 4 dead, 53 remaining. ¡°that¡¯s all the losses.¡± then, he continued in an amazed tone. ¡°the cannons were exceptionally effective in this battle. they killed 70% of the enemies. ¡°your decision to bring the giant alchemy cannons back to twilight city was clever.¡± richard smiled. the gray-colored dwarves used giant alchemy cannon as a weapon to defend the main city walls. 1 if the other party had not wanted to take down bloodhoof city and brought these giant alchemy cannons here, he could not obtain them so quickly. the harvest from the underworld had also affected twilight city. ¡°very good. this time, all of you have done well.¡± after richard complimented them, he looked at a level 12 alchemist with a naturally deformed arm. ¡°brown, is the cannon severely damaged?¡± the gray-colored dwarf that sat in an inconspicuous position at the long table immediately became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. brown¡¯s heart suddenly tensed up, and its voice trembled. ¡°lord, the cannon was designed to fire 50 alchemy bombs, and we need to maintain it. at present, it has only fired half of the number. ¡°however, with our current alchemist¡¯s bomb storage, we don¡¯t need to maintain it for the time being¡­ ¡°if the cannonballs could not be maintained after we fired them, there is no point in maintaining them.¡± richard nodded. ¡°what items do you need to maintain the alchemy cannon?¡± ¡°mercury!¡± ¡°when brown saw that richard looked puzzled, it quickly said,¡± ¡°the firing of a giant alchemy cannon will wear out the mercury engraved in the bore. it is a part of the alchemy magic array. ¡°once the firing had seriously worn the alchemy magic array out, it will reduce its range and power. if a city has not maintained it for a long time, there is even the risk of an explosion.¡± these words were almost the same as the system¡¯s introduction. ¡°how much mercury is needed for each maintenance?¡± ¡°it depends on the wear and tear of the cannon. the more serious the wear and tear, the more energy it will consume¡­ if it remained unmaintained after 50 launches, each door would consume 30 units of mercury.¡± ¡°thirty units? ¡°one hundred five units would be 3150 units.¡± richard knew that compared to the power of the giant alchemy cannons, the price was worth it. i will keep 20000 units of mercury in the warehouse. if you need to repair the cannons, you can ask karu. the gray-colored dwarf immediately became excited. ¡°yes, lord!¡± it was the first time richard had assigned brown a mission in public. it meant that he had started to integrate into this territory. and this was what it valued the most. richard turned to the other heroes. ¡°is there anything else you want to report?¡± with a determined gaze, xina slowly stood up. she exuded the ferocity of a veteran. she looked straight at him. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s strange that the wilderness troops attacked twilight city this time.¡± richard was interested. ¡°what do you mean?¡± xina said in a deep voice. ¡°after we build the territory, it will affect the activities of the surrounding creatures. therefore, these monsters will unite at some point to destroy the enemies that pose a threat to them. ¡°there¡¯s another legend. it¡¯s a rule set by the god of creation that wild troops will siege territories. that¡¯s because the lord has power far beyond ordinary people and enjoys the noblest status. ¡°so, the god of creation ruled that if you want to become a lord, a god must test you. ¡°including the krina tribe, troops in the wild attack them every once in a while. ¡°sometimes once every few years, sometimes once every few months.¡± ¡°however, these attacking units have normal intelligence. if they encounter too many casualties, they will immediately retreat.¡± as she said that, her voice became serious. the enemies that sieged twilight city this time had blood-colored eyes. it¡¯s extremely bizarre they wouldn¡¯t retreat even though they were all killed. richard looked at xina. he was in deep thought. he noticed a few keywords. every once in a while, troops in the wild would attack the krina tribe¡­ in other words, the special disaster week was also effective for the native forces. the beasts would not only target players. on the other hand, the troops that attacked the krina tribe did not have blood-colored eyes¡­ he recalled the twin-headed ogre lord. the other party¡¯s eyes were normal. and it ran when it couldn¡¯t win. it didn¡¯t lose its mind. what was with those blood-red eyes? was it a remarkable treasure? some powerful skill? was it a unique rule of the disaster week or an extraordinary characteristic of the desert of death? he suddenly thought of the two items he had obtained from the twin-headed ogre¨Cthe mysterious map with its navigation and the spatial bead. richard could get the answer from the mysterious place the map pointed to. as he pondered, he suppressed the urge to go on an adventure immediately. now was not the time. his attention returned to the room. ¡°there¡¯s too little information on this matter. i can¡¯t make a judgment yet. ¡°i currently have a clue. we¡¯ll investigate when we¡¯re free in two days. xina nodded and didn¡¯t dwell on it. richard thought for a moment, then looked at the gray-colored dwarf. he asked the question that xina was most concerned about. ¡°brown, do you know that the gray-colored dwarves have mastered a special alchemy technique-blood transfusion¡­¡± these words immediately made xina¡¯s heart jump. its eyes fixed on the other party, and its breathing subconsciously slowed down. brown quickly said. ¡°lord, a gray-colored dwarf alchemist developed the alchemy blood transfusion in fortress city. as brown said that, hatred shrouded its eyes. ¡°that damn bastard led the gray-colored dwarves onto the wrong path!¡± then, it began to talk about it indignantly. from brown¡¯s explanation, richard gradually understood the secret. the gray-colored dwarves had weak bodies and were the only race among the earth prison race that could not conquer the wyvern. this weakness was the most painful part of the gray-colored dwarf¡¯s heart. under its inferiority complex, it developed a new idea¨Cto use other races to strengthen itself. which gray-colored dwarf didn¡¯t want to have the body of a dragon? they said that the wisdom of the gray-colored dwarves was indeed extraordinary. although it was tight to implement after countless experiments. he had finally developed an alchemy technique that could use the blood of powerful beings to strengthen himself. after the transformation, the weak gray-colored dwarf could have supremely strapping strength. however, this alchemy has not widely spread because it had a nerve-racking consequence¨Cit would turn one into a monster. the more power they gained, the more deformed the monster they turned into. brown, who had seen its companion become a terrifying monster, firmly opposed the application of this technology. its opposition had offended its supporters. specifically, the gray-colored dwarf chieftain in a rage and expelled it from fortress city. at the end of brown¡¯s sentence, it said in excitement. ¡°lord, you must not believe in the alchemy blood exchange technique. it will only turn people into monsters that would lose their minds. without their minds, what¡¯s the use of having great power?¡± richard waved his hand. he signaled brown to calm down. he then told him about the seal on xina¡¯s body and his idea of removing the seal with blood exchange. after brown heard this, it fell into deep thought. after a long time, it looked at xina with surprise. ¡°the seals of the gods. the god of the gray-colored dwarves above, lady xina, your ancestors must have been supremely strapping. ¡°if one was not powerful enough, how could they offend a god and make the god release a curse that one could pass down from their bloodline?¡± finally, brown said with some uncertainty. ¡°to refute that bastard, i also studied the blood transformation alchemy in depth. ¡°alchemy blood exchange can release all the blood in lady xina¡¯s body. and it can keep her alive. ¡°but if you want to break the seal, you¡¯ll need another powerful type of blood to fuse with it. ¡°seals are unique powers. ¡°lord, please find a bloodline as powerful as lady xina¡¯s. i can try with fresh blood that withstands the god¡¯s seal power.¡± richard¡¯s eyes widened with zealousness. was the paralyzing hero, xina, finally going to be released from her cage? he had been looking forward to this for a long time. in her complete form, xina¡¯s battle strength would be superior to that of the dragon hero, alves. the opponent¡¯s powerful single-point breakthrough ability was the best in the entire arena. with this warrior, it would improve the ability of the twilight city¡¯s troop to behead people by a few levels. however, blood that could withstand the power of a god¡¯s seal did not seem easy to find. Chapter 264 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard suddenly thought of the holy dragon blood. he could use this amount of blood which contained an enormous amount of energy to replace the princess¡¯s blood. mythical item. however, he immediately denied it after he thought about it. just one drop was beyond enough, not to mention its value. after he took note. !! richard smiled at the girl, whose eyes were red with excitement. ¡°xina, don¡¯t worry.¡± it was just a few simple words, and he didn¡¯t seem to say anything, but xina looked at him with supreme satisfaction and gratitude. from the moment he agreed to help her remove the seal in her body. richard had never forgotten this. what he had done was far more than what he had said. sometimes, she even thought that if it weren¡¯t for the seal, perhaps, she would have knelt in front of him and pledged her loyalty willingly. it was her honor to fight for such a lord. after a few more discussions, richard dismissed the meeting. there wasn¡¯t much to conclude from this war. the irrational enemy was directly wiped out under the roar of the artillery, unable to cause any waves. this time, there were no mistakes in the command or defense of the twilight city. compared to that, something else caught his attention¨Cyesterday was july 16, monday, and the system had refreshed troop lairs. however, the resources were insufficient they needed for recruitment¡­ he looked at the tens of thousands of resources left in his attribute panel. richard said helplessly. the other players worried about where to recruit a sturdier troop, but he worried about recruiting too many troops. each recruitment would consume hundreds of thousands of units of resources, which was not a small amount for the desert with barren mines. and as time went on, the profits from hunting decreased. in addition to the 30% processing fee in the [trading market], it made his already poor self feel even worse. he immediately let a few heroes lead the team out to hunt. every time this happened, he would deeply feel his foresight in nurturing a few heroes. he could leave the tedious work of scanning the map to his subordinates. as his level increased, the experience he gained from scanning maps was pitifully little, so he had lost interest in this matter. his level was still stuck, and he had to kill a level 10 wild hero to continue leveling up. the next day, on the 18th of july, good news arrived¨Cthey had completed the hero¡¯s altar. it piqued richard¡¯s interest. and he immediately went to check it out. the hero¡¯s altar was the earliest blueprint he had obtained, but due to the lack of rare resources, it took him more than two months to start building it. this time, they finally completed it. they built the hero¡¯s altar near the military camp. it looked like a pyramid, with nine layers of stone and wood, each one a meter high, and a long step in the middle. at the very top of the nine-story altar, there was an altar made of crystals and gemstones. although the entire building was not grand, it looked simple and had a special charm. he opened the attribute panel. [hero¡¯s altar] [level: special] [attribute: you can consume resources to resurrect heroes bound to the altar (you can only resurrect five heroes per month. you can only resurrect a single hero three times a year.)] [current bound hero: none ] [description: an altar with special powers. it has incredible power.] richard¡¯s mood brightened. heroes were different from soldiers. if the soldiers died, then so be it. they could recruit more later. it would just be a waste of some resources at most. unless hero units had obtained lich power like gunter, who could use the soul phylactery to resurrect, they were genuinely dead. however, with the appearance of the hero¡¯s altar, everything was different. the heroes of twilight city would no longer fear death. the significance of this was so important that it was indescribable. he would not have to worry about the future when he used his troops. even if it were a battle that required heroes to die, they could still order and execute it. although he could only resurrect three times a year, wasn¡¯t it enough to die three times a year? moreover, there was no upper limit to the number of heroes the hero¡¯s altar could bind. although it can only resurrect five people every month, if the number of deaths was too high, it could only resurrect the next month. however, with the current number of heroes in twilight city, he did not have to worry about this. richard¡¯s smile was bright. he instantly thought of many ways to do it. such as exchanging one hero for one. using a hero as bait to lure the enemy. after the other party paid a heavy price and finally killed the hero, the other party appeared again. it would cause a serious psychological shadow. without any hesitation, he stepped onto the nine-level altar. he placed his right hand on the altar and felt a cold touch. the information on how to bind the altar appeared in richard¡¯s mind. he spread out his spiritual power and entered the altar. in an instant, it imprinted his mental energy on the altar. then, he had a special feeling. he had a connection with the altar in front of him. from now on, even if he died in battle, they could resurrect him here. richard thought for a moment. with his beyond a-rank skill, sand regeneration. he had three lives now. ¡°does this count as a third life?¡± it was too comfortable. after dark, the heroes returned from their hunt, and richard immediately ordered them to bind them. brown, the alchemist, had finally finished binding. although the city didn¡¯t need to use alchemy on the battlefield, it would be a massive loss if this guy died in an accident. after brown found out about the hero altar¡¯s function. it bewildered him. the corners of his mouth twitched. it almost reached the back of his head. Chapter 265 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation gods above, the great master had given him a second life! as long as twilight city did not fall, he would never have to worry about dying in an accident! the hero altar stirred up his emotions. his loyalty to richard and his sense of belonging to twilight city rose rapidly. in the end, richard summoned the two transformed life heroes and bound them to the altar. !! this way, even if they were to encounter an assassination attempt in the future, there would not be a problem. after all, the heroes could be resurrected. richard felt a sense of security he had never felt before. in the future, no matter how intense the war was, he would not have to worry about irreparable losses. time passed quickly. two days later, it was the 20th of july. the hunting army had gathered enough resources for recruitment. richard didn¡¯t hesitate to recruit all the new units. their total military strength had increased greatly. the biggest advantage of the mummy was that they did not need to consider logistics. as long as the soldiers dropped, there was no other expenditure. he was most satisfied with this. if it was a normal troop type, just the daily food and drink of these thousands of people would be enough to make him collapse. how many supplies did he have to carry with him once he went to war? in terms of the territory¡¯s security, after the large army in the wild was defeated the day before, there were only a few troops. the beast was killed by him as soon as it was released from the cage. the dark gargoyle¡¯s patrol range had expanded to 50 kilometers, but there was still no large gathering of enemies. with the god¡¯s ancient tree and several venomous wasps as defense, richard was no longer worried about his safety. after everything was settled, richard took out the two items he had obtained from the twin-headed ogre lord. after some thought, he immediately gathered the air force and called karu. ¡°master karu, you take care of the territory.¡± as he spoke, he gestured to the map that came with its own navigation. ¡°this is the map i got from the enemy last time. there are probably many good resources hidden in that area.¡± this item was a reward dropped by a level 14 hero from the monster attack on the city. he felt that he would be able to gain a lot this time. this was especially true for the space pearl, which had a lot of meaning behind it. master karu seemed to have thought of something and asked another question, ¡°my lord, do we need to send more troops to guard the entrance to the underworld?¡± richard nodded. ¡°the mummies will be enough. the underground world is in chaos, and the forces that pose a threat to us can¡¯t escape. we only need to prevent the enemy from coming to the surface without us noticing.¡± the underground world contained a huge amount of wealth, but it would take a lot of time to develop. however, what he lacked the most right now was time. moreover, he had already made a fortune underground, so he could not just grab a sheep and exploit it. it would not be too late to go after bloodhoof city had conquered a few underground forces. it would happen gradually. as he spoke, he scanned the territory, ¡°if there¡¯s an emergency, you can send the venomous wasps to help.¡± although the combat power of the venomous wasps was not as strong as that of the skeleton blood dragon, their quantity was overwhelming. without an area-of-effect skill like dragon¡¯s breath, the venomous wasps would definitely become an enemy¡¯s nightmare. in the next second, master karu understood it, ¡°yes, my lord. please be careful.¡± richard didn¡¯t stay any longer after giving out his orders. he left twilight city with 160 dark gargoyles, 30 skeleton blood dragons, and 4 a-rank heroes, as well as all the sand condensation archers and the undead axe. as the army took off, richard turned his head to see that his air force had grown to a certain size. his eyes were sparkling. ¡°after this expedition, i¡¯ll accumulate resources and upgrade all the lair i have. when i¡¯m strong enough, i can enter the ancient ruins again to explore. i wonder how many more treasures are hidden in the remaining doors¡­¡± as richard thought about it, he commanded one of the heroes to fly out of the territory. the 30 skeleton blood dragons led the army, followed by more than 100 dark gargoyles. it was a pity that they did not encounter a demon army. otherwise, they could develop the remaining three skeleton demons and greatly increase their power. the skeleton blood dragon and the skeleton demon were both 1-star. a skeleton blood dragon could be recruited by hunting a mixed-blood dragon, but a skeleton demon required a pure-blood demon. however, the desert was not an abyss. how could there be so many demons? as such, the number of skeleton demons had always been a pitiful few. richard had to give up on this shortcut to get crown-level troops because of the difficulty of getting the bodies. furthermore, compared to killing enemies, it was undoubtedly more reliable and practical to recruit from one¡¯s own lair. ¡°i have gone one round, but reaching the end is difficult. we¡¯re lacking in resources¡­¡± richard was having a headache. originally, he had gone to the underground world to perform a major mission and earned a lot, but he had used it all up. during this period, he obtained a top-tier hero and tens of thousands of rare resources. although there was a huge profit, the scarcity of resources still could not be solved. ¡°when i return this time, i¡¯ll put aside the other things and focus on earning resources. i¡¯ll set a small goal-a month later. twilight city must have 20 lairs of a glorious-level troop!¡± to upgrade toward a glorious level, richard would need 5 million resources. twenty of them would need 100 million. as richard pondered, the army never stopped moving. five hours later, richard, who was sitting on a hero, waved his hand with the mysterious map in hand. ¡°stop,¡± he ordered. the moment they heard the order, the army seemed to have a pause button pressed, and they directly hovered in the air. he compared it to the map and looked into the distance, and his spirit was instantly lifted. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± everyone immediately focused their attention. a thousand meters away, a layer of radiant and colorful shield descended from the sky¡ªisolating the front like a city wall. through the shield, a special scene could be seen. an ethereal lake was suspended in the sky. it wasn¡¯t just lake water. rather, it was water that was connected to the land. above him was azure water, and below him was an irregular rocky ground. it was like a lake that had been cut open like a cake. however, the lake water that was in the air did not trickle out. instead, it was fixed to the rocks on the ground as it flowed. as far as the eye could see, the entire desert in front of him was a parted lake floating in the sky. it was vast and magnificent. even the most imaginative dream would not be able to conjure the magnificence of this scene. it was extremely visually impactful! at that moment, a system notification suddenly rang out. [ding~ you have discovered the land of broken laws.] the battle of the gods caused chaos in the organization of certain areas. in order to prevent them from completely collapsing, the gods had sealed off these areas. within the broken land, there were extremely chaotic laws and special life forms. however, it was also possible to obtain treasures and equipment that were not available on the main plane. careful exploration would be needed. Chapter 266 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s eyes brightened at the notification. and he read it a few more times. the land of broken laws. the remnants of the battle of the gods. it was possible to obtain treasures the main plane didn¡¯t have. he raised his head and looked at the lake that floated in the air. it immediately stirred his interest. !! the treasures were good. he loved treasures the most. with a wave of his hand, he led the troop forward. the closer they got to the broken lakes, the more shocked they were. it could make countless broken lakes connected to the earth fly into the sky and never fall. this kind of power was starkly beyond his knowledge. perhaps only in the dungeon, the president of the scarlet council who took out the plane stone from a collapsed plane with its bare hands and gave it to him, has the power. it was a pity that the big boss only existed in the dungeon. richard floated up from alves¡¯s back when the troop was about twenty meters away. he controlled the sand and slowly moved to the front of the shield that connected the sky and the earth. he reached out his right hand and touched the transparent shield. he immediately felt resistance like he pressed on a spring. the more force he used, the more pressure he felt. ¡°can¡¯t i enter?¡± richard¡¯s brow furrowed. while he looked at the mysterious map in his hand, which constantly gave him instructions, he suddenly had an idea. he tried to touch the shield with the map. at that moment. the shield rippled like water, and he immediately went through it without any resistance. he felt more comfortable. he pulled back his hand and didn¡¯t rush to enter. instead, he silently opened the black gold system. as expected, there were more detailed hints about it. he discovered a notable area¨Cthe land of broken laws. [degree of regional rule fragmentation: 2-stars ] [threat level: medium ] [special rule: unable to use spatial magic.] [prompt: unable to increase the level of regional rules.] [2-stars, medium danger.] all of these were easy to explain, but the special rule made him thoughtful. he could not use spatial magic¡­ is this related to the formation of the space bead? when he looked up at the sky, the broken lakes were about twenty meters above the ground. with brute force alone, even giants would not be able to carry it. this could only be due to the rules of space. richard¡¯s interest was piqued. the weirder the rules, the more special the hidden things would be. this area was very similar to the easter egg map in other games. perhaps, one could find a divine weapon and a few dragon eggs. he turned around and looked at the troop behind him. ¡°sand condensation archers and undead soldiers, come down immediately and form a defensive line. ¡°alves, bring all the air force back to twilight city as fast as possible and take the bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors¡­ bring all the rare-level troops and above!¡± the dark gargoyle immediately put down the two units and returned to twilight city with alves. they flew at full speed, and it only took them two and a half hours to return to twilight city. alves then immediately gathered the troops and carried them on the ground. alves transported even the weirdly heavy magic mechanical puppets such as the heavy sword warriors with the skeleton blood dragon. but even so, it still took three full trips to transport the entire troop to this land of broken laws. richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the lack of transportation. it was not efficient to rely on flying units for transportation. it was still fine for now, but once the battle situation became urgent, he might send the main force to act as the carriage. 1 however, he was glad that the sandworms would hatch in about ten days. those 100 meters long giant beings might be able to change the terrible traffic conditions in twilight city. when the time came, he would design a special carriage for the sandworms and let a giant beast with a body length of 100 meters pull the carriage. that commotion was quite cool to think about. ¡°when i¡¯m rich, i¡¯ll raise nine sandworms to pull the carriage. ¡°nine bugs pulling a carriage? who else?¡± richard looked at the c-rank hero. baal, take the death knights and guard this place. if you see any enemies, contact me with the whisper crystal. richard didn¡¯t want others to block his escape route. ¡°yes, lord.¡± ¡°gunter, lead five teams from twilight city to explore the way. retreat immediately if you encounter any danger. don¡¯t linger in the battle.¡± as a blood lich who had a soul phylactery and could be resurrected, gunter was the one who led the way. after richard gave the orders, he controlled the sand to place the map on the shield. the troop advanced smoothly. he only kept the map after the troop had passed. like a closed door, the shield was no longer accessible. what surprised richard, however, was that the feeling of the map guiding him forward was still there. the destination that the map pointed him to was not this area, but a certain place in the area. ¡°it really became a gps?¡± as he pondered, he changed his direction and directed the troop to the area indicated on the mysterious map. at the same time, he spread the dark gargoyles far away that would kill all possible dangers in the cradle. one had to admit that this land of broken laws was mysterious. he lifted his head and looked at the broken lake that floated above his head. it was a visual impact. especially in those broken lakes. there were even fishes that swam, which made it even more dreamy. however, in such an environment, the gods¡¯ vision was greatly affected. not only was the broken lane in the sky affected them, but the rocks of various sizes on the ground also became obstacles. the only good news was that sand brimmed the cracks in the rocks. the twilight city troop was still in their home ground. for safety¡¯s sake, richard slowed down the troop¡¯s pace. that allowed the dark gargoyles to scout every corner. however, while he was on high alert, he was surprised to find there were no enemies around him as he had imagined. there was not even the sound of the wind. the surroundings were so quiet that they could only hear the troops¡¯ footsteps sound and his own breathing. ten, twenty minutes. one, or two hours had passed. richard couldn¡¯t find out how wide this land of chaos was, and his surroundings remained the same. it was so quiet that it was strange. suddenly, it lifted his spirit. when he looked down, the mysterious map in his hand suddenly emitted a faint blue light. the feeling of guidance in his mind got increasingly closer. they were almost there. however, he did not relax. instead, he gave another order. ¡°everyone, be on your guard. we¡¯re almost there!¡± he shouted. the slightly loose formation of the troop immediately began to shrink and guard the surroundings in the most serious manner. the dark gargoyle in the sky continued to survey its surroundings. richard was extremely defensive. after he advanced for another ten minutes, gunter who scouted ahead, suddenly sent a message through the whisper crystal. it found a special area. richard looked at the map in his hand, which got increasingly brighter. his heart calmed down a little. he had finally found it. he led the troop and speed up to that area. ten minutes later, richard suddenly stopped. an extremely spectacular scene appeared in front of him. a few hundred meters away, the surrounding broken lake had disappeared without a trace. in its place was a huge river in the air. he felt like he was in the depths of the sea. when he looked, he could see the deep blue of the river. the river flew into the sky. there was a transparent shield below the floating river that was like an inverted bowl, that isolated the lake. in the middle, there was a colossal arched area. the river above flowed around the arch which formed a dazzling scene. however, voluminous blood and several corpses were left at the bottom of the river. the corpses belonged to the twin-headed ogres. they were like had been dead for a long time judging from the battle traces around them. but surprisingly, the corpses did not rot at all. it was like they stored them in ice. richard¡¯s eyes hardened. his eyes followed the corpse to the center. the most special item in this area¨C twelve blue crystals, more than three meters in diameter and shaped like a warrior¡¯s thick shield, were suspended on the ground half a man¡¯s height. the 12 giant crystals slowly rotated in a clockwise direction. through the gap between them, one could see a hollow crystal ball the size of a human head carved with countless mysterious runes. the crystal ball emitted a special aura. space fluctuated. the spatial energy surged. the mysterious hollow core made richard¡¯s heart skip a beat. once the power within exploded, it would probably wipe out everything within a thousand meters. the energy it contained was many times more powerful than the magic crystal that gunter had refined into a soul phylactery that it had found in the ancient ruins. when richard took a closer look, he suddenly realized. hundreds of thumb-sized transparent crystals floated around the 12 huge crystals. the spatial bead. richard¡¯s pupils contracted. this was the loot he had found on the twin-headed ogre. he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the throb in his heart. he turned to look at other places, but he didn¡¯t find any traces of life. the air was still terrifyingly quiet. ¡°lord,¡± gunter reported to richard as soon as it saw him. ¡°we didn¡¯t find any enemies around here.¡± richard nodded and turned his attention to the special hollow crystal. ¡°no enemies?¡± could he obtain these treasures so easily? he had never harbored the mentality of getting lucky. rather than believing he was the chosen one, it was better to believe in the saber in his hand. his gaze turned cold. ¡°troop, get ready! prepare for battle!¡± as soon as he gave the order, the surrounding troops immediately got into an attacking stance to prevent any possible enemies from appearing. richard waved his hand, and the sand on the ground formed a human figure. then, it floated into the air and slowly approached the hollow crystal ball that emitted spatial energy. after they entered the 10-m boundary, richard¡¯s eyes lit up. his eyes were wide open as he stared at the twelve giant crystals. under the reflection of the crystal, countless black dots suddenly appeared in the sky above the peaceful blue lake. it was like a swarm of locusts. an indescribable sense of danger welled up in his heart. he suddenly raised his head. in the lake above them, countless beings with fish lower bodies and human upper bodies that held special bows, arrows, and tridents appeared in their sight. these half-murloc monsters were not as beautiful as the mermaids in the legends. instead, they had ferocious faces and unspeakable viciousness and greed brimmed their eyes. the way they looked at them was like¡­ a hunter who captured its prey while hunting in the mountains. at this moment. a figure with a crown on his head, a body five meters tall, and countless times stronger than the other half-mermen swam out of the half-murloc men. the other half-mermaids immediately backed down. their eyes showed an extremely humble attitude. the half-murloc with the crown appeared above richard¡¯s head. it looked around through the lake water, and its ferocious face became increasingly horrifying. a shrill voice filled with anger pierced through the lake. ¡°lowly ogres, you only managed to lure in so little prey!¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to hang you in the water and let the piranhas gnaw on your bones!¡± ancient murloc language. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. for some reason, he felt a little ridiculous. was this mysterious map the bait that the murlocs used to fish? and the twin-headed ogres that died on the ground were the result of biting the bait? have these half-mermen acted like tigers, enslaved the twin-headed ogre lord that he had killed? and now, the half-murloc treated him as prey? Chapter 268 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation those cold eyes made richard¡¯s heart skip a beat. he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the pound in his heart. he focused his attention. it revealed the megalithic shadow. it had a long head, two curved horns, and an exaggerated body shape¡­ centaurs. !! a female centaur hid in the water and held a long-handled giant axe. a simple leather armor covered the other party¡¯s chest, and her eyes were cold and emotionless. it was as if she was a puppet. a centaur in the water¡­ a strong sense of disharmony filled this scene. it made her feel a little strange. how did the half-murlocs involved with the centaurs? but when richard thought about it, even the lake was in the air in this land of broken laws. so centaurs in the water didn¡¯t seem strange. no matter what kind of being it was, it would give people a sturdy psychological impact once it has magnified hundreds or thousands of times. just as richard thought¡­ ¡®hu!¡¯ the centaur swung the long-handled giant axe in its hand. the blade of the axe directly penetrated the shield below. then, its prodigious body fell from above. ¡®bang!¡¯ its four iron hooves landed on the ground, and its body bent slightly under the pressure of its weight. there was a dull sound from the ground. it was like a siege hammer hit the earth. everyone could feel the ground shake. richard¡¯s eyes grew serious. after the centaur landed on the ground, he realized it was more than 10 meters tall. the long-handled giant axe in its hand was even more exaggerated to the extreme. if the centaur swung it, it could easily shatter the city wall. the two curved horns on its head glowed faintly. its face was particularly exquisite. however, its prodigious body and emotionless eyes only made others feel danger and fear. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he finally understood how the half-murloc lord had enslaved the twin-headed ogre lord. he opened the centaur¡¯s attribute panel. [ancient guardian] [boss unit] [level: 15] [potential: a] [skill: ???] [boss characteristics: ???] [racial talent: ???] [fetter: ???] [description: the guardian of the land of the broken laws. due to the passage of time, its power has regressed from a demigod to level 15.] richard took a few deep breaths. but he couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement. this centaur¡¯s origin was truly bizarre! the guardian of the land of broken laws was once a demigod! even though its power had regressed to level 15, it was still known as a boss. it had only encountered two bosses in such a long time. in the dungeon, the president of the scarlet council took the dimension stone from the destroyed dimension with his bare hands. the god¡¯s ancient tree grew by devouring the corpse of a divine sin. this centaur was the third boss. he didn¡¯t know if the president of the scarlet council had the power of a demigod. but this terrifying existence that held a long-handled axe must be exceptionally strapping. even if its severity had regressed to level 15, a demigod was still a demigod. it was enough to explain everything if it had only been a demigod in the past. after the centaur guardian landed, the crown-wearing half-murloc lord looked at the ancient god statue that continued to devour the twelve crystals and immediately shouted angrily. ¡°damned human! a god has left that item behind! you blaspheme with the gods! ¡°stop what you¡¯re doing immediately!!! ¡°kneel and surrender. offer your soul to our god, and we will forgive you for your sins!!¡± richard didn¡¯t even raise his head. he fixed his eyes on the centaur boss with a blank expression. ¡°a level 12 half-murloc hero¡­ what the hell is this?¡± it enraged the half-murloc lord when richard ignored it. ¡°how dare you be so arrogant in front of the powerful guardian of the land of the broken laws? ¡°emily! slaughter him!¡± the giant centaur guardian looked at richard the moment it received the order. it charged towards him. its massive hooves stomped on the ground. it made a dull thud. richard glanced at the ancient god statue that quickly devoured the twelve huge crystals. he immediately perked up. ¡°i¡¯m in my final moments, and i can¡¯t allow you to disturb me.¡± the next second, a mechanical puppet with a broken surface appeared in the sky. it was 15 meters tall and looked overbearing and cruel. no one could imagine what kind of attack this mechanical puppet had suffered that shattered it into such a state. the half-murloc lord¡¯s hopeful expression froze on its face. it had thought richard would die. ¡°why does that damned human have such a terrifying mechanical puppet?¡± the aura it emitted made it feel an indescribable fear. the pressure it felt was even greater than the centaur guardian ¡­ richard, who piloted the extraordinary hunter, didn¡¯t feel too excited. instead, he looked solemn. even though he sat in this level 20 mechanical puppet, he could still feel the danger from the centaur boss. it was as if a sword was on his throat. he knew better than anyone how terrifying a boss was. previously, to conquer the god¡¯s ancient tree, which was also a boss unit, he had led hundreds of troops and spent an entire day fighting the other party before winning. and this centaur was a being even more powerful than the god¡¯s ancient tree. as his thoughts spun¡­ the centaur boss¡¯s eyes were empty as if they had no soul. it stomped on the ground and attacked quickly. ¡®tata! tata! the earth shook. the ten-meter long-handled axe in its hand tore through the air. it contained a terrifying power that could split mountains and cut through all obstacles. the extraordinary hunter waved its arm fiercely. its two-meter-long sharp claws clashed with the attack. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing exploded in everyone¡¯s ears. sparks flew. an indescribably powerful force came over, and the extraordinary hunter¡¯s feet directly sank into the ground. the centaur boss¡¯s strength was no less than that of an extraordinary hunter. the collision between the two sides entered a state of white heat. it was easier to go crazy in a close battle. richard encountered a former demigod. he was under immense pressure. this was the first time he had encountered a powerful boss head-on. when he attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree, he took advantage of the fact that the other party could not launch long-range attacks. but at this moment, the ancient god statue was right behind him, and he could not retreat even half a step! there was no pretense in the head-on battle. an exciting scene appeared in this land of broken laws. a heavily damaged mechanical puppet fought fiercely with a 10m-tall centaur that held a long-handled axe. neither the half-murlocs above the lake nor the twilight city troop could interfere in the battle. the shockwaves between the two behemoths could cause tremendous damage to them. even if they kicked the gravel on the ground, it would carry a supremely paralyzing force, enough to kill people. when the half-murloc lord saw the stalemate below, it fell into an extreme state of shock and anger. ¡°damned human! he blocked the guardian¡¯s attack!¡± the crystals on the ground continued to melt quickly. it could feel that the laws around were already unstable. if the enemy destroyed the magic array on the basis, it would destroy everything here. at that time, the half-murloc might even go extinct¡­ when the half-murloc thought of the terrifying consequences, it became even more determined! ¡°close battle troops, charge!! ¡°we have to stop that damned human no matter what price!!¡± as soon as the half-murloc lord gave the order, the murloc archers who shot quickly immediately moved aside to make room. then, several extremely strong half-murlocs with tridents jumped down from the sky¡ªdeath leap. the highest point of this space was a hundred meters high. to jump down from above was a suicide attack. however, none of the half-mermen hesitated. these hideous monsters were like hornets where the enemies poked their nests, and they fell into the craziest state. ¡®clang!¡¯ richard could sense its madness after another clash with the centaur boss. he looked at the statue of the ancient god that had swallowed two giant crystals. determination resided in his heart. he could sense that the ancient god statue was undergoing a distinguished transformation. even the divine soul that still slept inside had become more powerful. if he completely devoured the twelve-sided crystal, he would gain huge benefits. even if the heavens were to come today, he would not let them interrupt! ¡°alves, xina, gray, gunter! ¡°take the troop and guard the statue. don¡¯t allow anyone to interrupt the statue and devour the crystal! ¡°even if i die, i won¡¯t allow half a step back!¡± Chapter 269 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the twilight city troop, led by a few heroes, immediately set up a defensive line with the ancient god statue as the center after richard¡¯s orders. at this moment, above twilight city troop. the crown-wearing half-murloc lord held a sturdy trident and jumped down from the sky with a desperate posture. ¡®hu!¡¯ a violent air-piercing sound rang out as it pounced toward the ancient god statue. !! however, unexpectedly, no broken limbs were on the field. this mighty half-murloc lord suddenly stopped floating like a feather falling to the ground. then, it started to swim on the ground. after these beings left the water, they could still float in the air. this land of broken laws had once again reflected rules that went against common sense. an extraordinary spatial power above the 12 crystals covered an area of tens of meters. it could not pass through from the sky, so they could only walk on the ground. several half-murlocs gathered together. more than a thousand people appeared like dumplings falling from the sky. they charged forward. the bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, and heavy sword warriors formed a defensive line at the front. undead soldiers, sand condensation archers, cursed pharaohs, and wild sand mages became the rear damage dealers. gray ordered calmly. ¡°tomahawk smash!¡± ¡°let¡¯s fire!¡± ¡°curse language!¡± ¡°yellow sand concealment!¡± they used the trump cards of the various troops. the frenzied half-murlocs immediately suffered the fiercest attack. floating in the air made them easier targets. the battle immediately became intensely brutal. both the attacking and defending sides did not back down. richard was in a deadlock. the centaur boss was like a soulless body. and it did not release any skills during the battle. however, the power contained in the other party¡¯s body was severely terrifying. even though the extraordinary hunter was five levels higher than the other party. it felt an indescribable pressure. ¡®clang!¡¯ the long-handled giant axe in the hands of the centaur boss directly cut the rock at the bottom of the broken lake. the gigantic rock exploded. it was like an explosive bombarded it. the two half-murloc soldiers didn¡¯t pay attention, and a rock hit them. the enemies shattered their bodies on the ground. richard took advantage of the moment when the man pulled out his knife. he closed in and swung his right arm. it stabbed the weapon into the man¡¯s body. ¡®puchi!¡¯ he pulled hard, and an exaggerated scar appeared. but surprisingly, not only did the wound not bleed, but it also seemed to be a scar. instead, he returned to normal in two short breaths. it was like the injury he had just suffered was fake. it had a terrifying self-healing ability. richard¡¯s face grew increasingly solemn. every time the centaur boss swung its long-handled giant axe, it would bring richard paralyzing pressure. once the weapon has slashed, the already broken armor would immediately crack even more. on the other hand, although the damage it caused was considerable, the other party¡¯s recovery ability was too bizarre. and it could recover in the blink of an eye. this boss still had the body of a demigod¡­ richard¡¯s expression was grave. for some reason, the centaur had lost its soul and was as stiff as a puppet. it could not cast any skills. however, there was still a power in his body that was beyond the reach of others. it was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. as the battle became increasingly intense, the aura of the ancient god statue, which devoured the twelve giant crystals, soared to a certain level. the dark light enveloped the remaining crystals. the devouring speed suddenly increased. and this scene provoked the crown-wearing half-murloc lord even more. ¡°attack! immediately smash that statue! stop these damn bastards!¡± a hysterical roar reverberated in the surroundings. it could feel the laws around it becoming increasingly unstable¡­ the fear in its heart almost drove it crazy. the crown-wearing half-murloc lord immediately launched an even more paralyzing attack. the line of defense in front of the ancient god statue was on the verge of collapse. at the critical moment, a few heroes stood up. alves, while it hunted the half-murloc soldiers nearby, flapped its wings and charged forward with all the skeleton blood dragons. alves spat the dragon¡¯s breath with strong corrosive power from its mouth. the half-murloc lord who jumped from the lake immediately tasted the dragon¡¯s breath. gray commanded the troop to fight while it ordered the other troops to attack. once the enemy¡¯s formation is dense, they would immediately release the language of curses. it would forcibly control the situation and create an opportunity for the troops to attack. gunter, wrapped in blood-colored bandages, raised a ball of corrosion in its hand. this strapping hero was like a cannon. it cast spells in a frenzy. they cleared out area after area. the dead half-murlocs in front of them would also explode. it caused tremendous damage to their companions. although the half-murlocs were aggressive, under the leadership of a few powerful heroes, they were not as they seemed. they were able to withstand wave after wave of attacks. ¡®woohoo! woohoo! woohoo!¡¯ suddenly, a deep horn sound came from the water. richard suddenly noticed that the centaur boss in front of him emitted a terrifying aura. countless blue runes appeared around its body. the long-handled giant axe in its hand also bloomed with blue spots at this moment, and the sharp edge of the long-handled giant axe blade almost cut through the space. the pressure it was under instantly rose to the extreme. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. the yellow sand on his body surged. in an instant, the centaur boss¡¯s aura rose to its peak. and the ground under its feet suddenly sank. he took advantage of the momentum and pressed forward. the sharp blade was brandished. the centaur boss raised its long-handled giant axe to block the attack. ¡®clang!¡¯ in an instant, the two sides were in a deadlock. richard suppressed the centaur with all his might, and at the same time, he controlled the sand to sink the centaur into the quicksand that would prevent it from using its full power. the centaur boss that had just exploded was immediately restricted. the two sides were in a stalemate, and the key to the battle was the clash between the half-murloc and the twilight city troop. one side defended. the other side attacked! however, with the four powerful a-rank heroes, the half-murlocs could not break through twilight city¡¯s resistance even if they had geographical and numerical advantages. it melted more and more of the twelve crystals. the half-murloc lord could no longer sit still. with a wave of its hand, a dark blue magic staff appeared in its hand. it jumped down from the lake and landed on the ground. then, it waved its hand. hundreds of fist-sized holes appeared on the transparent shield in the sky. and the lake water flowed down. the moment the lake water fell, it formed sharp icicles that pierced the twilight city troop at a terrifying speed. ¡®puchi!¡¯ ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear bone-cracking sounds. the icicles hit and severely injured the troops. magic attack. even if richard activated the sand transformation, he could not block it. fortunately, sand transformation had a powerful healing ability. so the troop could withstand it. however, this large-scale spell put a lot of pressure on the troop, and the half-murlocs took the opportunity to advance quickly. the defense line shook again. xina, who charged forward, saw this scene, and her eyes narrowed. ¡°gray, gunter, cooperate with me!¡± the voice fell. its body instantly disappeared. the next second. the dozen mighty half-murlocs in front only saw a flash of afterimage. it felt a sharp pain in its neck. it lost consciousness in an instant. there was only one thought in its mind before it died. so fast¡­ this strapping hero with master-level battle skills was like a sharp sword at this moment. wherever it passed, it could shatter even the mightiest and thickest shield. when the half-murloc lord saw that xina charged towards it, his face showed a cold smile. it waved its hand. ¡®hu!¡¯ the lake water in the sky suddenly fell. a broad lake water shield formed around its body. then, voluminous water waves surged and enveloped xina. countless icicles condensed in an instant and shot through the air like arrows. at the same time, a pair of solid ice crystal shackles formed under her feet. double casting. an extraordinary characteristic. but before the half-murloc lord could smile¡­ ¡®clang!¡¯ the sword shadow flashed, and the shackles on its feet burst. the lady warrior with a cold gaze moved even faster and rushed into the icicle that contained a killing power. it has brandished the long sword madly. ¡®kengqiang! kengqiang!¡¯ heavy icicles in front of it were all cut apart in the blink of an eye. not a single one was left behind. the half-murloc lord felt a chill down its spine. it didn¡¯t have time to react. ¡°kill!¡± the other party shouted. the voice came to it like a bolt of lightning. a cold glint flashed. ¡®hu!¡¯ it directly pierced through the lake water shield. xina wanted to break the shield directly, but the sword in her hand felt as if it had cut into mercury. it became countless times heavier in an instant. it tremendously reduced the power of her attacks. one could not break it. when xina sensed this, the battle-hardened veteran turned sideways. it directly charged into the surrounding trident-wielding half-murloc lord. it seemed like he had given up on the half-murloc lord. just as the half-murloc lord heaved a sigh of relief, it saw its companion¡¯s corpse thrown frantically next to the shield. when it saw this, its expression could not help changing. they immediately continued to condense icicles to launch more concentrated attacks. however, the female warrior¡¯s combat skills were beyond the lord¡¯s imagination. no matter how penetrating his attacks were, the other would always have a way to counter them. it watched helplessly as the other party slaughtered dozens of half-murlocs. after the corpses had piled up into a small mountain. suddenly, a cold voice rang out. ¡°explode!¡± the corpse in front of the lake shield exploded with a boom. it was like it stuffed alchemy gunpowder into it. ¡®bang!¡¯ the terrifying shockwave shattered the shield. in the next second, the lady warrior with the longsword reflected in the eyes of the half-murloc lord. it was shocking. it waved its hand, and a water shield appeared on its body. ¡®boom!¡¯ a terrifying impact hit its mind. it was stunned on the spot. then, it felt a cold touch on its neck. ¡®puchi!¡¯ after the head flew high into the air, it fell heavily to the ground. a headless corpse appeared. only then did xina¡¯s figure appear behind it. the fierce warrior did not hesitate at all. her body flashed, and she continued to kill the surrounding half-murlocs. however, the half-murloc lord that had its head cut off suddenly did something that left everyone dumbfounded. the headless body on the ground suddenly stood up, picked up the head that fell on the ground, and swished its fish tail. it swam straight back to the lake in the sky. when xina turned around, she noticed something was wrong and saw the back of the other person running away with its head in its hands. astonishment shrouded her face. ¡°it didn¡¯t die?¡± after it returned to the lake, the half-murloc lord placed its head back on its neck. then, with a surge of energy, the scar completely recovered in a few breaths. other than its aura being a little weaker, it was starkly fine¡­ ¡°kill them! i¡¯m going to destroy those bastards!¡± the half-murloc lord roared in anger and shock. however, this time, the level 12 hero would not leave the lake no matter what¡­ richard still trapped the demigod centaur boss in the sand. it could not escape. the half-murloc lord didn¡¯t dare to leave the lake. the remaining half-murloc soldiers were extremely ferocious. but they could not break through the defense line of twilight city. in this stalemate. in the end, the ancient god statue increased the speed at which it devoured. it starkly finished the twelve crystals that contained vast spatial energy. the system notification sounded at the same time. [ding~ the ancient god statue has devoured the seal of the land of broken laws. this area will completely collapse in an hour.] [ding~ the sleeping divine soul has devoured several crystals that contained spatial laws. the divine attribute in the body has increased by 1 point, and at the same time, it has obtained special spatial power. [ding~ the ancient god statue has devoured several space crystals that contained laws. it improved its quality. the number of souls it can accommodate has increased by 1.] Chapter 270 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the system notification. he wanted to increase the quality of the ancient god statue, but to obtain an additional soul capacity was a huge surprise. his undying and indestructible battle strength was overbearing. moreover, the sleeping-divine soul had also gained an additional divinity point. that was divinity! not cabbages. !! he got 1 point for something that only gods could have. it was so comfortable¡­ at this moment, the ancient god statue that had finished devouring bloomed bright light. it enveloped the hollow crystal, and then the crystal that contained infinite power disappeared. at the same time, the ancient god statue appeared out of thin air in richard¡¯s arms. richard¡¯s expression changed when he sensed the familiar presence. even the statue knew that he had returned. ¡°was it becoming a spirit?¡± suddenly. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ a sound came from the ground. the ground was like a spider web, and large cracks appeared. the broken lake in the sky began to shake. the calm lake water inside seemed to have encountered a tremendous wave that surged violently. this land of broken laws was about to collapse¡­ the half-murloc lord, whose head had already healed, let out a terrified scream. ¡°no!¡± all the ugly and ferocious-looking half-murlocs above fell into an indescribable fear. deep in their hearts, they could feel the disaster that was about to happen. the death stared at them. richard used all his strength to suppress the centaur boss. richard trapped it in the quicksand. he ordered decisively. ¡°alves, gray, take the troops out immediately! ¡°this area is about to collapse! after you leave, don¡¯t stay. ¡°take the death knights at the entrance with the giant tomahawks!¡± if the broken lake above collapsed, it would instantly form a massive flood. the twilight city troops definitely could not withstand it. as he spoke, he took out the weapon token from the system space and controlled the sand to send it to the man. ¡°store the troops in the tibetan soldier card!¡± after gray took it, it immediately opened the tibetan soldier card and stored the heavy soldiers, who were large and not easy to move. at this moment, the half-murloc lord looked at the earth-shaking scene and returned to its senses. it fixed its eyes on the extraordinary hunter. ¡°destroy that automaton! kill that damn human!¡± the accumulated anger in its heart starkly ignited at this moment. it would finish the half-murlocs if they destroyed this. it would drag the culprit along since it was going to die! the half-murlocs that attacked the twilight city troops were like wolves that had smelled blood and charged at the extraordinary hunters ferociously. however, the actions of the half-murloc lord had bought time for the twilight city troops. after the immense troops were stored in the tibetan soldier card. the air force carried the rest of the troops. richard left the land of broken laws as fast as he could. he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to escape. he continued to fight the boss. the addition of the uncountable half-murloc soldiers placed him under prodigious pressure. the human wave tactic had an effect one could not ignore at any time. as a last resort, he could only release the suppression of the centaur boss and smash all the enemies that pounced at him. the half-murloc¡¯s broken limbs flew everywhere. after it lost the suppression, the centaur boss immediately regained its ferocity. the long-handled giant axe swung again with a violent whistling sound. ¡®boom!¡¯ suddenly, a lake that floated in the sky behind him crashed to the ground. the earth trembled, and the gravel jumped more than ten centimeters high. the broken lake was like an opened floodgate, and voluminous water gushed out. it raised a tremendous wave more than ten meters high. it rolled countless pieces of sand and gravel. in an instant, it surged in all directions. grains of sand enveloped everyone. heavy water current scattered the dense group of half-murlocs. richard¡¯s extraordinary hunter continued to crash into the centaur boss in the water without stopping. after the first floating lake collapsed, he immediately felt the space around him become active. the seal on the spatial energy in this area no longer existed. ¡®woohoo! woohoo! woohoo! in the extreme chaos, the war horn sounded again. the centaur boss¡¯s aura surged wildly, and the runes on its body dazzled. richard¡¯s brows furrowed, and he quickly turned his head. only to see the distant half-murloc lord blow its horn like crazy. ¡°was this guy looking for death?¡± the giant, extraordinary hunter disappeared into thin air. the next second, the gigantic figure appeared a hundred meters away. but the moment it appeared, it disappeared without a trace. the centaur boss on the ground turned around stiffly. ¡°where are the enemies?¡± the moment the half-murloc lord saw the mechanical puppet disappear, an indescribable fear rose in its heart. an arm broke through the air before it could put down the horn. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the two-meter-long heavy blade directly pierced through its body. all the anger on its face froze. extreme unwillingness rose in its eyes. however, before the half-murloc lord could do anything else ¡­ the giant mechanical arm swung fiercely and tore the body into pieces. fresh blood spurted out. this half-murloc lord, who was beheaded, was now as dead as dead could be¡­ when the half-murloc lord died, the horn that could control the centaur boss in its hand shattered. it didn¡¯t give richard a chance to take it. after it broke the war horn, the centaur boss, who had lost its target, suddenly froze. then, its empty eyes suddenly lit up. it was as if it suddenly had a soul. the other party turned to look around and finally saw the giant body of the extraordinary hunter and the limbs of the half-murloc lord. the other party lost its thought for a moment. it turned around and left on the muddy lake. richard turned around when he heard the noise. he looked at the back of the centaur boss with mixed feelings. he wanted to conquer this centaur with a demigod¡¯s body¨Che still had a dark contract in his hand that was born from the god¡¯s ancient tree. it could forcibly contract a life. however, this boss was too strong. an extraordinary hunter that had yet to be repaired could not take down the other party. it shook his head and didn¡¯t dwell on it. there were countless powerful beings in this world. there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. it turned its attention back to its surroundings. without the hero¡¯s command, the half-murloc soldiers were in chaos. some of them continued to attack richard, while the others turned and ran. when richard saw no more room for discussion, he took a deep breath and planned to leave. however, as if he suddenly thought of something, he waved his hand, and countless grains of sand gushed from the ground. he searched the half-murloc lord¡¯s broken body. a moment later, the arm made of sand found a unique item that looked like a stone on the man. it exuded a strong magic fluctuation, which was very extraordinary. unfortunately, he only had this one. after putting it away in the system space, richard flew up through the cracks of the broken lake. at this moment, he realized how huge these broken lakes were. some lakes were more than 300 meters and more than 1000 meters wide. there were countless lakes. if it fell, it would be countless times more terrifying than a tsunami. richard¡¯s field of vision widened as he flew above the broken lake. the blue sky was cloudless. the bright sun above their heads was exuding a scorching heat. his mood instantly lifted. he lowered his head to take a look. the countless pieces of broken lakes below reflected the sun¡¯s rays and sparkled. this scene had a unique beauty to it. it seemed to be a scene from the legends. however, just as he gasped in admiration. all of a sudden, the broken lakes began to fall. one piece after another. ¡®boom! boom! boom!!¡¯ there was a muffled sound. it was as if a siege hammer smashed the earth, and the momentum was astonishing. the speed of the lake¡¯s descent was getting increasingly faster. the sound waves were also terrifying. when the entire area fell ¡­ ¡®hualala!¡¯ a 100-meter-tall wave rose. it swept in all directions with a fierce intent to devour everything. this was a true natural disaster! even a transcendent hunter would be swept away if they entered. after the gigantic waves surged wildly into the surrounding desert, a lake with no end in sight appeared in front of him. the sand was mixed in. it made it look rather muddy. richard was surprised. he had only seen such a big scene in movies that cost a lot of money. but it felt completely different from seeing it with his own eyes. ¡°i wonder how the centaur boss is doing?¡± he lowered his head to look at the surface of the water. unfortunately, everything had returned to calmness. it was a pity that the other party had a powerful half-god body, so he could not do anything to it. the usage time of the extraordinary hunters had been reduced from one and a half hours before the battle to 20 minutes. it would destroy this mechanical puppet if they continued to fight. with this in mind, he took out the ancient god statu and the item he got from the half-murloc lord. fortunately, he had paid a high price this time. but he didn¡¯t lose out. he was about to check the attributes of the two treasures. suddenly, a system notification rang in his ear. [ding~ large-scale special dungeon battle of the guards will begin on august 15 at noon.] [when the time comes, everyone¡¯s territory will be transferred to the same instance dungeon.] [endless monsters of another dimension will attack your territory. please defend your territory under the attack of the monsters.] [the longer you persist, the more generous the rewards will be.] [all overlords will be participating in this large-scale instance dungeon.] [the dungeon lord and soldiers can spend points to revive after they die in the dungeon.] [all lords, please be prepared.] Chapter 271 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation the dungeon will open on august 15. richard heard the notification and read it a few more times. after he confirmed he had not misheard, it incited his curiosity. this dungeon was quite something. the system will transfer all players¡¯ territories to the instance dungeon, and monsters from other dimensions will attack them. !! and the evaluation standard was whether or not the territory could defend itself from capture. the longer they persisted, the greater the rewards they would receive. this playstyle incited his curiosity. he had just plundered hundreds of 3-stars giant alchemy cannons from the underground world. with such a great weapon to defend the city, wasn¡¯t this the same as hitting the muzzle? there was one difference between this instance dungeon and the previous one. richard could spend points to revive troops this time. with the ability to resurrect infinitely, he could fight without restraint. richard¡¯s eyes glowed. there were 20 billion players in the ¡°shining era¡±. even if the system eliminated a quarter of the players during this period, more than 15 billion players were still left. tens of billions of people competed on the same stage. just a thought of it stirred his excitement. ¡°this time¡¯s instance dungeon is to defend a territory. it¡¯s very different from the previous plot quest.¡± ¡°there are still more than 20 days before the instance dungeon begins. we need to build the city walls during this time. ¡°additionally, we will prepare as many resources as possible for the war.¡± the defense was different from the offense. when they attacked, they had to consider the number of supplies they had to bring. however, the defense was different. as long as the territory could accommodate, the more, the better. richard rubbed his chin, lost in thought. ¡°this disaster week¨Cthe release of the beasts from the cage, could it be in preparation for this instance dungeon?¡± with this in mind, he opened the [forum chat] in high spirits. sure enough, the players were in an uproar, and everyone discussed the new dungeon. [f*ck! can everyone participate in this instance? hahaha, i didn¡¯t expect i¡¯ll be the champion this time. no need to be polite with me.] [everyone, i¡¯m sorry. when it comes to city defense, if my fortress clan claims to be number one, no one would dare to claim to be number two! this time, it won¡¯t trouble us to compete for first place.] [seeing the word ¡°instance dungeon¡± reminds me of that pervert from qingqiu. will that guy be participating this time? judge, can we join hands to drive that bastard out?] when a small portion of people mentioned the id qingqiu, it immediately reminded the players who had entered the instance dungeon last time of the psychological shadow that had caused them to despair on the lord ranking board. [this mission doesn¡¯t seem to have any restrictions on attacking other players. everyone must be on guard! if we find qingqiu, we can not let this guy off!] [with the blade in hand, kill qingqiu!] [no, do you all have to be so afraid of qingqiu? didn¡¯t that guy just get a first place last time? if that guy appears near my territory this time, i¡¯ll f*ck him up in half an hour.] [sir, you¡¯re so arrogant. what was your place on the dungeon lord ranking board last time?] [tsk, if i weren¡¯t unwilling to go last time, first place would have been easy to get!] [f*ck! you don¡¯t even have the qualifications to enter the dungeon. and you dare to brag.] the players¡¯ uproar and vaunts continued. initially, the players discussed the dungeon. but the topic started to change. especially when they mentioned qingqiu. it caused a massive commotion. in the end, a supremely bizarre scene appeared. qingqiu and dungeons mixed, and he became a hot object of discussion. some felt that qingqiu was the biggest threat in the next dungeon, and they had to get rid of him first if they had the chance. otherwise, no one could stand the millions of points they would get. the other group of players said it was because they were not around. and those who entered the instance dungeon. if they were around, how would qingqiu stand out? those not qualified to enter the instance dungeon boasted with great enthusiasm. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. was this considered an undeserved disaster? after he watched for a while, his hopes of getting more information from the players hurtled. most players just bragged, and no one knew more information. richard decided to close the [forum chat] after he found no more valuable information. at this moment, an id that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time suddenly popped up. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: f*ck! you got more than a million points in the last instance dungeon. that¡¯s too awesome!] qingqiu was speechless. [qingqiu: have you heard about the news of the qing dynasty¡¯s fall?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: it¡¯s a problem. it¡¯s mainly because i¡¯m not on the principal plane for a while.] [qingqiu: can you open transactions with other planes now?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu, what are you thinking? during the last battle, a giant dragon accidentally spat on me, and i left the instance dungeon early.] [at that time, you were still in the instance dungeon, so i did not contact you.] [my sister and i went to clear the 2-stars dungeon you told me about before after i came out. i have to say, the difficulty of a 2-stars dungeon is crazy. i only came out of that dungeon today. didn¡¯t you contact your old man immediately?] it piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°the 2-stars dungeon was successfully cleared? how strong are the monsters inside?¡± the average level of the troops in a 1-star dungeon was rare. richard had never encountered a single 2-stars. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: it¡¯s crazy. they¡¯re all rare-level. we spent half a month clearing it. it¡¯s too f*cking difficult.] as he said that, he started to show off again. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: however, the harvest was truly bountiful. let¡¯s not talk about the treasures. i¡¯ve casually obtained seven or eight items.] [my sister and i have also recruited a b-rank hero each. what do you think? are you envious? hahaha, that¡¯s a b-rank hero!] as he spoke, he became more and more excited. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu, you may be strong, but you may not know what a b-class hero means. this is a top-tier hero!] [b-rank heroes in the ¡°shining era¡± are the ceiling one can get at this stage. now, i have one in my hands!!] [to obtain this hero, i have suffered so much! hahahaha, brother qingqiu, the next time you come, i¡¯ll show you how powerful that b-rank hero¡¯s talent is!] it was a rare opportunity for him to show off in front of richard. he couldn¡¯t wait to show off his top-tier hero. richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he thought of the four to five a-rank heroes in his hands, as well as the boss units¨Cthe god¡¯s ancient tree and the divine soul in the ancient god statue¡­ ¡®when did b-rank become top-tier heroes?¡¯ [qingqiu: i¡¯m looking forward to seeing your top hero.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: hehehe. wait for it. next time, i¡¯ll ask my sister where we teleport a top-notch treasure. i¡¯ll go shopping in your territory.] he seemed to have thought of something and asked. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu, there is another desert a few hundred miles away from me, which desert are you in?] [qingqiu: death desert] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: death desert?!!!! how is that possible? brother qingqiu, don¡¯t joke with me. there can¡¯t be players in the death desert. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed when he read the message. [qingqiu: what do you mean by ¡°there can¡¯t be players¡±? [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i heard from my sister the death desert is a high-level map. in the later version update, some areas will be connected to the dimensional planes. at that time, powerful monsters will appear and it will be extremely dangerous.] [that¡¯s why the ¡°shining era¡± didn¡¯t arrange for players to spawn on this map.] richard¡¯s heart trembled. he held his breath. a high-level map that would be connected to a different dimension in the future, without players¡­ Chapter 272 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation richard¡¯s mind raced. he did not expect to get such pivotal information from where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon. no wonder he had not encountered any players. it turned out that it was not a map where players were born. but why would he be here? a bug appeared? what about the dimensional planes that appeared in the later versions? !! countless questions raced through his mind. he took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions. [qingqiu: is this news genuine?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: of course, it¡¯s genuine! my sister is the planner of one of the departments in the game ¡°shining era¡±¡­] [although a lot of information has changed after the ¡°shining era¡± became a reality¡­] [but the basic settings shouldn¡¯t be wrong.] [my sister has also verified the information in her hands. no changes in the more basic information as the length of time, the changes in the four seasons, and the geographical layout.] [the only change is in some of the game plots. for example, the divine artifacts stored in certain places may no longer exist¡­] richard¡¯s expression changed. being born in the desert, the lack of resources was already astart. now, it had grown steadily through hunting and exploration. now, someone has told him this was not peaceful. not only would it merge with other dimensional planes in the future, but a large number of powerful monsters would also appear. just thinking about it made his head hurt. [qingqiu: do you know after the first version update, the death desert will connect to other dimensions?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu, i do not know. it stands to reason that after the first large-scale instance dungeon, there should be a version update. but now, there is nothing, so this information is inaccurate.] [according to my sister¡¯s explanation, it might take at least two or three years, but it¡¯s hard to say. it is the kind of change that happens¡­] [qingqiu: i understand. thank you. is there any more news about the desert of death?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: no, my sister just mentioned it. i¡¯ll help you ask later.] he asked curiously. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother qingqiu, are you in the death desert?] richard didn¡¯t try to hide anything. [qingqiu: that¡¯s right, i haven¡¯t found any other players around me.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: awesome! you¡¯re the only one who has a map!] some of the basic information he had before seemed incorrect. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i finally know why you¡¯re so powerful! sigh, if only i were born in the desert! maybe i can get first place in the dungeon points and show off in front of 20 billion overlords. just thinking about it makes me excited¡­] richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®if you were in the desert, a sandstorm could send you to heaven.¡¯ when richard thought of this, he looked at his desert lord talent. perhaps, he was born in the death desert because of his unique talent? he didn¡¯t struggle after he couldn¡¯t think of a reason. it had already become a fact, so it was useless to think about it now. after he continued to chat with the other party for a while, where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon suddenly asked. [brother qingqiu, do you still have any rare resources? i¡¯ve acquired a special construction blueprint that requires 5000 units of mercury. can you lend me some?] [the rare resources outside are too expensive. aren¡¯t those greedy people afraid of being struck by lightning when they sell them at such a high price? i¡¯m as poor as a dog now¡­] richard glanced at his attribute panel. after he attacked the gray-colored dwarf underground city, he plundered thousands of mercury. they had enough ammunition now. although this guy was usually quite uncowed, when gray transformed into an a-rank hero and needed an extremely precious mummy¡¯s heart, he did not hesitate to take it out. he had always remembered this favor in his heart. one must repay revenge and kindness. these were richard¡¯s principles. moreover, his opinion tells the favor he owed last time was worth more than 5000 units of rare resources. it was an a-rank hero. its value was simply immeasurable. where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon pondered. ¡®i feel like i¡¯m a little insensible. at this critical moment, who can easily lend out thousands of units of rare resources?¡¯ moreover, he might not have that much face. after some thought, he was about to send a message to smooth things over when he suddenly heard an email notification. he opened it. [ding~ you have received 5000 units of mercury from qingqiu. do you want to collect it?] where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was stunned for a moment and then felt a strong sense of emotion. [brother qingqiu, from today onwards, you are my brother-in-law. i must introduce my sister to you!!] richard didn¡¯t bother to answer. after he told him to help him discover more about the death desert, he suddenly remembered that this guy had been lucky to get good treasures. the other party was the child of fortune, and the few treasures he had obtained in the early stages were all sold by this fellow. he asked while it intended to try. [qingqiu: my territory doesn¡¯t have a city wall for the time being. i won¡¯t need to return these resources if you can help me find a city wall construction drawing with special effects.] [if it¡¯s expensive, i can pay for the difference.] he added. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother-in-law! you¡¯re my father! your business is my business! i¡¯ll help you find a remarkable city wall construction blueprint!] as he said that, he sent several messages about his sister¡¯s 36d, her long legs covered in black silk, and how she was gentle and easy to push over. richard¡¯s face darkened, and he closed the [forum chat]. he ignored the guy. not to mention the last favor, just by learning the truth about the death desert from the other party, he felt that it would be worth it even if he had to spend 5000 units of rare resources. this news directly affected the life and death of the territory. when richard thought of the sudden appearance of a troop from another dimension in the death desert, he reflected himself in the dark and felt a lingering fear in his heart. twilight city would probably suffer heavy losses if caught off guard and encountered such a situation. where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon was his lucky star.it always brought him unexpected things. richard gently collected his thoughts. he turned his attention back to the two items in his hands¨Cthe ancient god statue that had devoured twelve giant crystals and the treasure he got from the corpse of the half-murloc lord. in addition, they stored the hollow crystal ball that the twelve crystals protected in the internal space of the ancient god statue, together with the divine soul. a god left behind this item, and one could simply judge its value. just as richard was about to check his attributes¡­ ¡®plop!¡¯ suddenly, the soft sound of splashing waves entered his ears. richard lowered his head and looked in the direction of the voice. a figure splashed muddy water two hundred meters below him. as it floated, its strength was supremely delicate. it seemed like it could sink at any moment. he focused his attention and looked over. after he saw the figure clearly, his eyes widened. a centaur boss? his entire inner person immediately became spirited. after he looked closer, he confirmed the figure was the centaur boss! however, the centaur boss was no longer the 10-meter tall, god-like existence. at this moment, the other party¡¯s body had shrunk several times and was only one or two heads taller than an average human. its front hooves splashed water. its aura was no longer as strong as before. but instead, it was as weak as a candle in the wind. richard didn¡¯t check the two treasures¡¯ attributes. his body descended and landed tens of meters above the other party¡¯s head. however, richard maintained his vigilance and didn¡¯t rush to get close. instead, he opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel. [ancient guardian] [boss unit] [level: 9] [status: power is rapidly depleting] when richard saw the attributes, his expression showed interest. ¡®after the land of the broken laws collapsed, this guardian with a demigod body also lost his power? ¡®if that were the case, wouldn¡¯t that mean¡­¡¯ richard¡¯s breathing hastened. as he waited patiently, the other party¡¯s level still dropped. level 9 became level 8. then it dropped to 7, 6¡­ finally, it stopped at level 1. after richard could no longer sense the danger, he turned to the figure. a massive sense of joy rose in his heart. he was going to make a profit this time! Chapter 273 translator: dragon boat translation editor: dragon boat translation at this moment, the centaur boss suddenly stopped struggling, and its body slowly fell. richard returned to his senses, and the yellow sand around him began to surge. the sand in the lake quickly condensed, and after a few breaths, the water around them suddenly became clear. the centaur¡¯s figure rose and emerged from the water. then, it continued to rise and float in the air. !! at this time, he could see the sand platform below the centaur. the water flowed down from all directions. it created ripples on the small, clean lake. the centaur boss felt like it could breathe. in a daze, it raised its head and saw a blurry figure with its head that had touched the blue sky. it looked down at her. it opened its mouth. it wanted to say something. but then it felt a sense of powerlessness. its body could no longer support it. and it collapsed on the sand platform. richard moved the platform closer. he felt a little strange when it looked at the unconscious centaur boss. he had never thought that the other party would appear in front of him in such a way. as expected, the world was unpredictable¡­ no. it was like, the collapse of this broken land caused the centaur¡¯s situation. richard said while he rubbed his chin. in that case, the other party was his spoils of war. well, he liked surprises like this. he could have more of them in the future. in the battle just now. this powerful boss with a demigod body almost killed the level 20 extraordinary hunter. its battle power was the fiercest existence he had ever seen in the main plane. he took two steps forward and stepped onto the sand platform. he got closer to the centaur and looked down. the other party had already fallen into a deep coma. after it shrunk in size, the centaur became gentler that was different from the overbearing war god¡¯s appearance before its wet black hair covered half of its face. it made its delicate figure quite attractive. a pair of curved, long horns peeked out from its hair. it looked more slender, no longer full of power and killing intent. the upper half of the human body had snow-white skin. and a simple cloth covered the pride on its chest. at this time, it was half-pressed on the ground, and its chest caved in slightly. it made people feel its beguiling softness. richard looked away and opened his attribute panel with anticipation. this time, he could finally see his opponent¡¯s attributes. [ancient guardian] [boss unit] [level: 1 (beginner boss, strength increased by 30%. defense increased by 30%.)] [potential: a] [status: heavily injured] [profession: giant battle-axe knight (special, strength increased by 100%.)] [vitality: 200 points (recovers 5 points every second)] [skills: immortal body (beyond a-rank) ¡ª a body with slight divine power. strength increases by 500%. defense increases by 500%. magic resistance increases by 300%. immune to instant death skills, poison, control skills, and curses. able to consume vitality to recover from any injuries.] [battle-axe killing blow (a-rank) ¡ª allows the vitality to surround the giant battle-axe, increasing its sharpness and toughness by 100%. has a 30% chance of directly killing the enemy.] [unparalleled combat skill (a-rank) ¡ª battle skill fixed at master level.] [blood surge (a-rank) ¡ª burns 50 vitality per second to increase all attributes by 100%. the more vitality is burned, the more attributes will be increased. the highest consumption is 200 vitality per second to increase all attributes by 300%.] [boss characteristics: able to transform into a 10-meter heavy warrior, all attributes increased by 100%, duration of 6 hours, can be used once a day.] [race talent: able to run on all terrain. immune to the terrain¡¯s adverse effects.] [bond-vitality: for every 10% decrease in vitality, all attributes will increase by 10%, and injury recovery speed will increase by 20%.] [description: a warrior who has been given great power by the gods. although her power has been reduced by more than half as time passes, she still has infinite potential.] ¡°not bad, not bad at all!¡± richard said with a bright smile. the centaur boss¡¯s skills and additional features were all severely strapping. it was after the boss had lost more than half of its power. if it were at its peak, this boss would probably be heaven-defying. now, this powerful top-notch existence was his spoils of war. it was so comfortable. after richard at the other party¡¯s attributes a few times, he reluctantly closed it. the next step was to wait for the other party to wake up and consider how to subdue it. he didn¡¯t want to use the dark contract in this situation. moreover, the centaurs seemed to be from the other camp, so it was hard to say if one could use them. after he sensed a moment and ensured the other party¡¯s life was not in danger, he felt a sense of relief. only then did richard pull his attention back. he took out the two items that he was about to check. with some anticipation, he opened the attributes of the ancient god statue that had devoured the twelve crystals. he took a closer look and immediately noticed a few new attributes. the first message was the number of soul slaves had increased from 1 to 2. without a doubt, as the most core skill, even if it were just one more, it would be a tremendous improvement for the statue of the ancient god. its value was multiplied. the second was a new feature-space movement. within 500 km, the statue will be instantly returned to the bound person¡¯s hands after being recalled. at the same time, the bound person can directly teleport to the location of the statue (can be used once per day). third, the divine soul can only leave the statue within a radius of 300 meters. it can not exceed this distance, but within 300 meters, it can directly travel through space and return to the inside of the statue. the two additional attributes were related to spatial abilities. richard was especially interested in the second attribute. within 500 kilometers, teleportation is possible. the more he thought about this skill, the more powerful he felt it was. if they placed the statue of the ancient god in twilight city, it would only take an instant for him to return if he encountered danger while scanning the map. it was like a free return ticket. it would be worth a lot if they used this function well. as for the third one, it allowed the soul to return to the statue instantly, which would be superlatively effective in battle. ¡°the ancient god statue devoured the twelve crystals and obtained more than i expected. it is so satisfying¡­¡± richard picked up the statue and stroked it. then, as if he thought of something, he released his power of the will. he entered the interior of the statue. at the moment, the core of the land of broken laws¨Cthe hollow crystal floated above the divine soul that slept. the divine soul devoured the spatial power it emitted. it was the core of this strange scene. however, he could take it out at any time if he wanted to. his eyes sparkled. he wondered what kind of surprise the soul fed with so many good things would bring him when it woke up. he looked forward to it. to his excitement, he looked at the treasures he had obtained from the half-murloc lord. the treasure looked as unremarkable as a stone, but the rich magic fluctuations were frightening. it was an extraordinary item. [broken lake] [level: 4-stars] [special property: can summon a lake with a diameter of 5000 meters and a depth of 100 meters that can float in the sky and never dry up.] [description: a treasure with magical powers.] ¡°the f*ck? what the hell? was this the broken lake that had just collapsed?¡± richard looked at the attributes and was shocked. ¡°it can drop this thing?¡± it floated in the sky¡­ ¡°was he going to become immortal?¡± after he returned to his senses, he immediately became extremely interested. ¡°other people¡¯s lakes are on the ground, but my twilight city¡¯s lake is in the sky. isn¡¯t this cool?! ¡°in the future, we can buy a few mermaid nests and let them swim in simple clothes. they can see it when they look up. wouldn¡¯t that be great? ¡°we can also build a villa with lake views on the lake. it¡¯ll be a different experience to look at the lake in the desert¡­ ¡°hahaha, it¡¯s not bad.¡± richard was in a good mood. he put the treasure away. he was satisfied with his gains this time. whether it was the powerful centaur boss with unlimited potential, the great increase in strength from the ancient god statue, the mysterious hollow crystal, or the 4-stars treasure from the half-murloc lord¨Cthe broken lake. they were all priceless. it was especially true for the centaur boss. its paralyzing battle power was invaluable. it would not be weaker than the god¡¯s ancient tree if nurtured. after he returned to his senses, he started to search the lake again. it wanted to see if there were any additional gains. half an hour later, the sand gradually sank to the bottom of the lake, and the water became clear. but still found nothing. richard nodded and didn¡¯t continue. today¡¯s harvest was already good enough. now, it was time to return and subdue the centaur boss. he controlled the sand platform and brought the unconscious centaur along. he followed the system map and flew out in the direction he came. before he heard some movement behind him, he did not fly far. richard turned around and saw the centaur lying on its side. the centaur slowly raised its head. its exquisite face was in a daze. in the mist, a unique soft voice called out to him. ¡°father¡­¡± richard¡¯s face fell. it was ultimately exciting to call him that. ¡°but you¡¯re a centaur¡­¡± Chapter 274 richard turned around and approached the half-lying centaur boss. he looked down at the misty eyes exposed in the wet hair. the other party¡¯s appearance was that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, with some childishness. richard said slowly. ¡°do you still remember your name?¡± !! the centaur said in a weak voice. ¡°emily¡­¡± he said in a seemed like a bullied child tone. ¡°father, have you forgotten my name? ¡°you were the one who named me. emily¡­ its eyes suddenly turned red, and its eyes welled up with tears. however, it held back its tears, like a child who had its favorite toy stolen but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. while richard looked at its aggrieved expression, he felt like he had done something terrible, and a sense of guilt rose in his heart. after he thought for a while, his voice became gentler. ¡°emily, do you still remember the past?¡± there must be something wrong with this centaur boss¡­ when the other party heard this, confusion flooded its eyes. then, it held its head in pain. ¡°father, i, i can¡¯t remember.¡± the collapse of the land of the broken laws caused the boss to lose all its power and soul. richard¡¯s brow furrowed. he sighed again when he looked at the helpless look on its face. how could he bear to let such a pitiful and helpless little girl suffer so much? he wished he could bring it back to twilight city and take good care of it to enjoy the world¡¯s warmth. not for anything else. but for its kindness. he revealed a kind smile on his face. ¡°emily, the land of the broken laws has collapsed. you have completed your mission. i¡¯m here to take you home.¡± the teary-eyed centaur raised its head. its wet hair covered a portion of its face, and its dark eyes that peeked out from the ends of its hair immediately lit up. with a bit of happiness and uncertainty, it said carefully. ¡°father, you¡¯re not lying to me?¡± richard waved his hand, and the sand formed a platform for the being to lean on. he walked closer to the centaur and rubbed its little head. his tone was gentle. ¡°of course, my child. let¡¯s go home now.¡± at this moment, the overbearing boss had become a little girl. its eyes curved into crescents as it cheered in joy. ¡°long live, father!¡± after it finished speaking, it seemed to have thought of something and said it with some uncertainty. ¡°then, will you still abandon me in the future?¡± that highly-strung look could make people¡¯s hearts clench for some reason. richard patted the girl¡¯s head and looked into its eyes. i won¡¯t. i won¡¯t ever do it again. just don¡¯t leave me in the future. i¡¯ll never abandon you. emily, the ¡°little girl¡± who only had the mind of a five or six-year-old girl, was happy to hear this, and a bright smile appeared on its face. ¡°i won¡¯t leave my father!¡± ¡®cough! cough!¡¯ after the excitement, he covered his mouth with its hand, and its face turned pale again. richard checked the status. the centaur was still heavily injured. without hesitation, he took a bottle of desert crown honey from the system space. he unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to the little centaur. he comforted the ¡°little girl¡± softly. ¡°emily, this is the best honey in the world. try it. you¡¯ll recover after drinking it.¡± emily¡¯s small nose twitched slightly, and she swallowed a mouthful of saliva when she smelled the sweet fragrance. then, it carefully received the honey. he turned to richard with a satisfied look. ¡°father, this is the first time you gave me a present¡­¡± after the centaur finished speaking, it held it with both hands and took a small sip. the taste that made its taste buds explode immediately lit up its eyes. it was too wonderful. after a few more sips, it handed the honey to richard happily. he was reluctant, but he was not stingy. ¡°father, here you go. this honey is heavenly good.¡± richard looked at those clear eyes with a subtle expression. it seemed not a bad idea to raise such a daughter¡­ he reached out and pinched its face. ¡°we still have a lot at home. you need to drink more to get better.¡± ¡°yes, yes!¡± emily held the honey with both hands and began to drink it happily. after it drank a bottle of honey, its breathing immediately recovered gradually. then, white and red energy rose from its body. after a few breaths, the little centaur stood up from the ground. although its aura was weak, it was no longer as before. its condition also recovered from severe injuries to light injuries. after it got up, the little centaur rubbed its head against his shoulder. its eyes were full of trust and reliance. richard couldn¡¯t express his emotions. he didn¡¯t know if it would continue in this state or if it would recover one day¡­ if it recovered its memory in the future, he didn¡¯t know if it would die on the spot. after some thought, richard wondered if he should get a magic crystal to record emily¡¯s appearance. what if one day, after the other party recovered its memory, he would take it out and play it repeatedly¡­ as they resumed their journey, richard felt the area around him grow lively. emily looked at the items around her that moved quickly and chattered excitedly. ¡°father, why is the sky blue? what if we go to the top of the sky? ¡°father! father, look, there¡¯s a fish in the water! wow, it¡¯s so big. can we go down and catch fish? ¡°father, hahaha, the wind is so refreshing. i want to have a bite, ah¡­ cough! cough! cough! cough!¡­ ¡°father, can we go and chase the sun in the sky? i want to take the sun back¡­ ¡°father¡­¡± richard¡¯s heart relaxed when he heard those innocent words. when he looked at the little centaur gazed around excitedly, a gentle smile hung on the corner of his mouth. oh my, he had quite the feeling of being a father. twenty minutes later, the sand platform flew away from the vast lake and returned to the desert. richard turned to look and saw that the land of the broken laws had become a giant lake. wave after wave of ripples appeared, and the water¡¯s surface reflected the light. in the future, this desert will have an additional lake. without the injection of running water, perhaps, one day in the future, this lake would gradually dry up like the other countless lakes. after it flew in the direction of twilight city for a short while, he saw alves and 30 skeletal blood dragons. the troop immediately flew over excitedly when they saw him. xina, who rode on the back of a skeletal blood dragon, saw the figure that held a long-handled giant axe and jumped around richard. she was immediately bewildered. ¡°which strapping centaur is this? ¡°how did that enormous creature become so small?¡± when she got close, she jumped off the skeleton blood dragon and landed on the sand platform. she placed her hand on her chest and bowed. ¡°lord richard.¡± after the bow, xina couldn¡¯t help but look behind richard, who peeked at her with curiosity. the other party¡¯s expression and gaze gave her the feeling of a child. ¡®was this the same terrifying being that took on lord richard head-on? ¡®how could it be so strange¡­¡¯ richard nodded. when he saw xina¡¯s puzzled look, he extended his hand and introduced the centaur. ¡°this is my¡­ my daughter, emily. ¡°emily, this is a resident of twilight city, xina. you can call her big sister xina from now on.¡± emily stared at xina with a curious look. but her expression relaxed a little after she felt no hostility from her. she said softly. ¡°big sister xina¡­¡± ¡®daughter?¡¯ ten thousand question marks rose in xina¡¯s heart. ¡®lord, you¡¯re a human. wake up¡­¡¯ but richard didn¡¯t say anything, and xina knew something must¡¯ve happened. she smiled and nodded at the centaur. ¡°hello, emily.¡± richard¡¯s eyes grew serious. ¡°xina, how are the casualties of the troop?¡± xina¡¯s expression became more solemn when they talked about serious matters. ¡°my lord, the mummies suffered the most losses. the enemies killed half of them, and only three teams were left. ¡°the enemies killed two scorpion warriors. four parties remained. ¡°the enemies killed three teams of sand condensation archers. twenty-two remained. ¡°other than that, the rest of the troops are uninjured.¡± richard nodded, unsurprised. although the overall strength of the half-murloc was average, they took advantage of the geographical supremacy. the twilight city troops had always been at a disadvantage. and they had to protect the ancient god statue from being interrupted. it was inevitable to suffer losses. however, this loss was nothing compared to the harvest this time. when richard thought of this, he suddenly returned to his senses. his level-up mission was to solo kill a level 10 and above field hero. it was a pity that he killed the half-murloc lord in the end, but xina had also severely injured it, so he could not be considered to have killed it alone. it seemed like he would have to find a field hero to kill in the next few days and level up first to level 10. he returned to his senses and said in a solemn voice. ¡°xina, have all the troops return to the territory immediately. we will face an intense battle in 20 days. ¡°by then, countless powerful monsters of other dimensions will attack twilight city. ¡°this time, the enemy we¡¯re facing is unprecedentedly powerful.¡± Chapter 275 it was already night when richard returned to twilight city. the clear moon shone down from the sky, and the moonlight was like water. it covered the entire territory. it looked like it had a remarkable layer of beauty. in the square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion, the residents who had just finished dinner actively attended literacy classes and learned new knowledge. !! everyone started learning from literacy, and the class only taught a little profound knowledge. the ¡°shining era¡± was unlike the modern era, where information exploded. the aristocrats monopolized the rare item, knowledge. how could ordinary people have the right to acquire it? only the great lord of the great twilight city could be so kind and generous. at this moment, he could display it in front of them so straightforwardly and let them learn as they pleased. the residents, who had realized the value of knowledge, were hungry for it. it was impossible to imagine how high the desire for knowledge of ordinary residents was without experiencing the background of this ¡°shining era¡±. in this world, knowledge represented power, authority, social status, and class¡­ it represented everything. even if enemies forced them to leave twilight city one day, they could find a job without worrying about food and clothing with their strong literacy skills. not to mention, his lordship had also promised that those who studied well would have the opportunity to be specially trained. these residents who couldn¡¯t even find a way to learn before had put in a lot of effort after they got this opportunity. and the cohesion of the people¡¯s hearts with this policy was far beyond his imagination. some of these residents worshipped him as a god and almost wanted to build a church for him. when richard looked at the crowded square, he quietly dismissed the soldiers. he did not disturb the residents in class. after he brought home emily secretly to the lord¡¯s mansion, he arranged for two people to take care of the centaur that had turned into a five or six-year-old girl under the surprised gazes of the maids. after a sumptuous dinner, emily couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open anymore. she was so sleepy that she kept yawning. the centaur was nervous and unwilling to let go while it held richard¡¯s hand. it said, ¡°father, you won¡¯t leave me, right?¡± richard looked at the figure who sat on the carpet and gazed at him with a face full of dependence. he felt a little strange in his heart. why did it feel so wonderful to be called father? while he looked at a figure who trusted him without any reservation and looked at him helplessly, he felt something strange. he touched its head. ¡°emily, be good and go to sleep. i¡¯ll take you to collect honey tomorrow morning.¡± the little centaur¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. it pursed its lips as if it were reminiscing the taste it had just tasted. ¡°father, is it the very, very sweet food we ate today?¡± richard smiled. ¡°of course.¡± when the centaur looked forward to collecting honey the next day, emily reluctantly went upstairs to rest with the maidservants. karu, whom richard had summoned to the side, didn¡¯t feel as uncomfortable as the other heroes who had seen emily¡¯s power like the god of war. even though she looked only 15 or 16 years old, she was still very young. however, he still had many doubts in his heart. ¡°lord richard, how did miss emily become your daughter?¡± richard shrugged and leaned back in his comfortable chair. he recounted the day¡¯s events. he finally said. ¡°i¡¯m guessing that the collapse of the land of the broken laws caused emily to lose all her power and also damaged her soul to a certain extent. it caused her to lose a large portion of her memories.¡± therefore, its memory and thinking levels are only at the five or six-year-old child level. karu nodded thoughtfully. after he thought for a moment, he hesitantly said, ¡°my lord, i suggest that if you have a way to help miss emily regain its memories, there is no need to rush.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°we can let miss emily live in twilight city for a while and build up her relationship¡­¡± richard shook his head. it¡¯s still a question of whether she can recover or not. there¡¯s no point in thought about this. with emily¡¯s current condition, it¡¯s probably going to be difficult. it wouldn¡¯t be bad for the centaur if it could never regain its memories. at least the other party could start over. in the land of broken laws, he had dropped from a demigod to level 15. and he was even ordered around by a level-12 lord of the half-murloc. when he thought about this long period that spanned hundreds of thousands of years, it was not a happy experience. now that the land of broken laws had collapsed, it wasn¡¯t bad for the other party to return to its carefree childhood. how many people would dream of returning to their childhood¡­ the old gray-haired karu nodded and did not say anything more. he believed richard knew better than he did. ¡°lord richard, the gray-colored dwarf is looking for apprentices to make alchemy bombs. master brown has proposed to me to build an alchemy workshop.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t have a drawing at the moment, but master brown said he knows how to build it and doesn¡¯t need drawing.¡± it humored richard¡¯s curiosity. ¡°do you agree?¡± ¡°this still needs your decision.¡± ¡°let him list the resources we need. we will start construction tomorrow. on the 15th of next month, the territory will experience a striking war¡­¡± richard explained the dungeon mission to karu. ¡°therefore, we prepare sufficient war supplies in the shortest time possible.¡± the old gray-haired karu immediately realized the urgency of the matter. ¡°my lord, we need to defend against the enemy¡¯s attack. the most important thing now is to build the city wall. ¡°we also need to build targeted fortifications.¡± especially the alchemy cannons¡¯ installation point. ¡°the alchemy cannons will be very useful to the defenders. they can deal a massive blow to the enemy if they are appropriately set up¡± ¡°the artillery needs to cover the entire territory, not just one direction. ¡°we haven¡¯t even formed a proper defense system yet¡­¡± karu¡¯s words pointed to the biggest problem of twilight city¨Cthey had power, but they did not have a defense system. the way they dealt with the enemy now was based on the brutal power of the troop. it was far from the geographical advantage it should have in a city defense war. in the end, the core problem was the lack of city walls. all other arrangements would not be effective without the city walls. richard had a headache. ¡°i already know about this problem. i¡¯ll think of a way to solve it.¡± building a city wall required a drawing. but he could only find one of an ordinary city wall in the market. it was okay if the quantity was small, but the price would start from 300000 units of resources, which was sky-high. he had spent all his savings to recruit a troop type, and he had enough resources to buy them now. he could only wait. they didn¡¯t dwell on this and changed the topic. ¡°has any progress in the distillery and food workshop come up these past two days?¡± the two b-rank heroes converted by the proof of hero had taken over the two buildings for some time. but he heard no good news. karu shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°lord, the research and development will take a long time, especially since this is their first time. i¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have to wait patiently for a while.¡± richard knew these two projects could not benefit him until the dungeon opened. richard didn¡¯t exhaust too much thought about it. he was already mentally prepared. he was afraid this required long-term investment to see the output. ¡°you can leave now. call adele over.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± not long after karu left, adele entered the hall in a hurry. ¡°good evening, my lord.¡± after the bow, the girl looked at him with bouncing curiosity. ¡°i heard that you brought home a beautiful centaur daughter. where is that miss emily?¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°emily went upstairs to sleep.¡± adele¡¯s mood went even sky-scraping. ¡°my lord, how do centaurs sleep? do they sleep on the bed too?¡± ¡°centaurs naturally can¡¯t sleep on the bed. so i asked the maidservants to bring a few blankets and put them on the ground¡­¡± richard waved his hand. he beckoned to cut off the gossiping girl and get down to business. ¡°you¡¯ll see for yourself later. now, let¡¯s talk about repairing the extraordinary hunter.¡± as he said that, he had an idea. the 15-meter-tall extraordinary hunter appeared in the hall. he almost touched the tall ceiling. after the intense battle with emily, the duration of the extraordinary hunter is reduced to 20 minutes. the armor got increasingly broken. richard was worried they could not fight a second battle if they didn¡¯t fix it. if this killing machine were to collapse like that, the losses would be huge. it was his strongest trump card at the moment. there was no other. after he looked up and sized it up, adele frowned. ¡°my lord, can¡¯t mithril repair an extraordinary hunter?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°no, one can still repair it. but the speed at which the extraordinary hunters devour mithril is too slow.¡± as he spoke, he took out a piece of mithril from the system space and placed it at the feet of the extraordinary hunter. under the girl¡¯s gaze, the extraordinary hunter emitted a faint light that enveloped the ore. after that, it began to devour the mithril in the ore at an ultimately sluggish speed. it looked like a snail that crawled, enough to make the most patient person anxious. adele looked at the ore thoughtfully. ¡°there are a lot of impurities in mithril. refining it into pure mithril will speed up the absorption. lord richard, let me try it.¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s why i called you here.¡± then, he seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°how¡¯s the forging of the dragon-hunting crossbow?¡± there was a little pride on adele¡¯s face. ¡°lord richard, the first dragon-hunting crossbow will be ready by tomorrow! i definitely won¡¯t let you down.¡± richard¡¯s mood improved. ¡°not bad, you¡¯ve done well, adele. you¡¯ve never let me down. ¡°speed up the forging process and try producing more before august 15.¡± twilight city lacked powerful heavy crossbows. the dragon-hunting crossbow was a blueprint he had obtained from the treasure vault of the scarlet council. it was a 4-stars weapon. it was extensively deadly. in his defense plan, the giant alchemy cannons with soaring damage were responsible for clearing the enemies on the ground, while the dragon-hunting crossbow was for killing the enemy heroes. two-pronged approach. he still had more than 20 days, and he had to raise the defenses of twilight city to the maximum. at this moment, he already looked forward to the arrival of the dungeon. Chapter 276 july 21. morning. the residents of twilight city suddenly discovered a centaur roamed around their territory. the centaur had an exquisite and cute appearance. it was about 14 or 15 years old. what surprised the residents was that the other party¡¯s words and actions were no different from that of a five or six-year-old child. !! the residents were already a little surprised. but when the centaur called the lord ¡°father¡±, it immediately caused a massive discussion. ¡°my lord, you know how to play¡­¡± an elderly middle-aged man put his hand on his waist and looked envious. ¡°the lord must have claimed miss emily from somewhere, right? she looked like she was 14 or 15 years old¡­ it can¡¯t be the lord¡¯s child.¡± a young lady mumbled with a pout. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s or not the lord¡¯s biological daughter. since the centaur called the lord father, miss emily is our princess.¡± ¡°i¡¯m so envious of miss emily. it would be great if my father were the lord¡­¡± ¡°bastard, am i not worthy of being your father? where¡¯s my belt, come over¡­¡± the residents continued to discuss. they were curious and careful about emily. but as they came near this innocent centaur who hummed a song, they slowly let go of their worries. after that, the residents warmly welcomed the centaur wherever it went because it was too cute. moreover, the little centaur was sensible and would not delay the residents¡¯ work. at most, it would stand at the side and look at them with curious baby eyes that asked questions. the residents quickly fell in love with this sensible ¡®little girl¡±. gradually, they took out the delicious food they hid and threw it into the food without any hesitation. early in the morning, emily¡¯s crisp laughter shrouded the territory. the entire territory seemed to be relaxed and happy. richard didn¡¯t care about the centaur. he let it have fun. the first thing he did when he woke up in the morning was to send his troop out to hunt. the lack of resources was the eternal pain of twilight city. the upgrading of the territory, troop lairs, building, and forging of the treasures. all of these required resources. the speed at which he earned resources was already fast enough, but compared to the vast expanses of the territory, it was still a drop in the ocean. it was especially true for the upgrade of the troop-type lairs. even the bottomless pit wasn¡¯t as exaggerated. ¡°when the extraordinary hunter recovers, i¡¯ll go to the underground world again. how many years and months will it take to save enough resources for the upgrade just by hunting like this¡­¡± as twilight city developed, hunting was the main source of income for resources in the early stages. richard gradually reached a bottleneck. it already somewhat could not supply the tremendous amount he needed. so he invested several resources into developing new products so early on. in the future, it would be difficult to rely on hunting alone to support twilight city. only a more profitable trade could support his grand plan. after breakfast, richard headed out to look for wild heroes to complete his level-up mission. adele entered the mansion excitedly. ¡°lord richard, the dragon-hunting crossbow is complete!¡± richard¡¯s eyes brightened. the dragon-hunting crossbow was a 4-stars treasure, and he had looked forward to it for a long time. he followed the girl to the backyard of the blacksmith shop filled with anticipation. the moment he stepped into the courtyard, a ferocious heavy crossbow in front of him attracted his gaze. this heavy dragon-hunting crossbow was more than five meters wide, and its curved arc revealed a frightening cold glint. dozens of ordinary bowstrings together formed the dragon-hunting crossbow¡¯s string. the dragon-hunting crossbow with engraved special runes and the powerful magic fluctuations revealed an extraordinary aura. it intensely increased the attack power of the heavy dragon-hunting crossbow. at the bottom was a wooden base with four wheels that could push the dragon-hunting crossbow. unless one had the bloodline of the giants, no ordinary person could move such a heavy crossbow. so it set the dragon-hunting crossbow up with an elaborate mechanism¡­ there was a winch on each side. when one turned the winch, the hook at the back would pull the bowstring and fix it to the buckle. he could pull the trigger and release the arrows when he needed to attack. there were also ten giant crossbow arrows neatly arranged on the ballista. the workers designed them exquisitely so that once they launched an attack, one pulled the bowstring and fired continuously without loading the crossbow. moreover, there was a specially made crosshair in front of it. it was full of fantasy. he opened the attribute panel. [dragon-hunting crossbow] [level: 4 stars] [characteristics: each dragon-hunting crossbow can be equipped with 10 arrows with a range of 800 meters.] [arrow¡¯s flying speed increased by 300%. attack power increased by 300%. the hit rate increased by 70%. has a piercing effect, and deals additional damage to heavy-armored units (inactive). deals additional 200% damage to giant dragons (inactive). when using the dragon-hunting crossbow to attack, the range increases by 200 meters, and other attributes double. [description: a super heavy dragon-hunting crossbow used to hunt and kill giant dragons.] these attributes were overbearing. coupled with the dragon-hunting crossbow arrow that was over five meters long. richard couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of boss would be worthy of being killed by a dragon-hunting crossbow. even an extraordinary hunter would have to maintain the highest level of vigilance in the face of such a terrifying weapon. if it wasn¡¯t careful, it might be skewered with a candied gourd. moreover, this heavy crossbow had additional damage to the dragon¡¯s life. if it could forge over a hundred of them and use them with alchemy cannons¡­ twilight city would become the enemy¡¯s nightmare. ¡°the only pity is¡­ without the fascias of a level 15 dragon, the dragon-hunting crossbow is still an incomplete version, and one cannot activate the additional damage to dragons.¡± ¡°and this thing is too expensive ¡­¡± forging a single one would require 15000 units of rare resources. if this thing was mass-produced, twilight city could not withstand it¡­ no. richard had to go to the underground world to get more wool. he took advantage of bloodhoof city, but didn¡¯t the gray-colored dwarves still have so many cities? the tens of thousands of units of mercury that he had plundered from the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ underground city gave him a lot of pleasure. since the other party was so generous, it would be a waste of the hospitality of the gray-colored dwarves if he did not continue to work. he retracted his thoughts and looked at the young lady beside him who was slightly proud. he patted the other party¡¯s head in admiration. ¡°well done, adele. i can always trust you.¡± the young girl¡¯s eyes instantly narrowed into crescents. she was like a child whom a teacher had praised. ¡°how long does it take to forge a dragon-hunting crossbow?¡± adele her head and thought for a while then said happily. ¡°my lord, if the materials are sufficient, i can shorten the forging time to five days, but i need the cooperation of 30 apprentices¡­¡± richard knew what to do. ¡°use our current resources to prepare the materials needed for forging. i will make up for the lack of resources as soon as possible. we will need enough dragon-hunting crossbows for the battle next month. ¡°adele, you have a vastly massive burden on your shoulders.¡± adele raised her head and looked into his eyes. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s my honor to serve you!¡± richard was pleased with the girl¡¯s attitude. ¡°let¡¯s go and refine the mithril ore first. i need you to repair the extraordinary hunter as soon as possible. after that, we have to go to the underground world.¡± if they wanted to take over the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ city, they first had to have a strong gun. ¡°as you wish.¡± after he left the blacksmith shop, richard went to the front of the lord¡¯s mansion. he was deep in thought. when he looked at the tall walls, he opened the territory panel. twilight city had been a level 2 city for far too long. to upgrade to a level 3 city, it required 30000 gold, wood, stone, and iron, four high-level buildings, and a population of 1000. he had barracks, a blacksmith¡¯s shop, a distillery, a food workshop, and a tailor¡¯s shop. that was more than enough. the population had also exceeded the limit. with a wave of his hand, he ordered the servants to summon all the maidservants in the lord¡¯s mansion and chose to upgrade. in that instant. the light of the yellow sand surged. when they looked down from the sky, they could see the open space outside twilight city had rapidly expanded. the gravel swallowed the stone slab. this process lasted from noon to the afternoon. a full four hours before he heard the system notification. [ding~ the system has upgraded twilight city to a level 3 city. the territory has expanded by 60 empty spaces. currently, there are 98 empty spaces.] richard let out a sigh of relief when he heard the notification. it had been almost three months, and he had finally advanced from a grade 1 village to a grade 3 city. he opened his attribute panel and looked at the level-up requirements. his face immediately fell. to upgrade to a level 1 advanced-level city, they need 50000 gold, wood, stone, and iron. the territory will have a population of 2000, and one technology will reach an advanced level. the resources required had increased to 200000 units. the population was 2000 and required advanced technology. among these requirements, only the resources were easy to obtain. the population was the eternal pain of twilight city. advanced technology¡­ so far, the twilight city had only studied the basic attacks of the bandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, and undead soldiers. there was still a long way to go before he could reach an advanced attack. the problem was that the leader of the scientific research elite of twilight city, adele, was currently busy with other tasks and could not conduct scientific research. it gave him a tremendous headache. ¡°when will the twilight city become a territory that doesn¡¯t lack resources and talents? ¡°the road ahead is still long. comrades still need to work hard.¡± Chapter 277 after the system upgraded the territory, richard looked at the much more exquisite lord¡¯s mansion and couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. there were many buildings with potential in twilight city¨Cthe advanced blacksmith shop that could develop attack technology; a tailor shop that could produce yellow sand robes; in addition, wine workshops and food workshops had room for development in the future. !! however, the residents could use only two or three at the moment. they needed to invest more in this to support the idea. in terms of territory defense, the giant alchemy cannons and the dragon-hunting crossbows were colossal killing weapons. the construction of the hurricane arrow tower, which richard had redeemed with his points, was in full swing, and they would complete soon. in addition to the troop of twilight city and the ultimate boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, they were not weak. in terms of agricultural area, he had 200 acres of sand barley, 105 acres of russian olive forest, plus the fire dragon rabbits and the desert crown bees. these were the foundations that maintained twilight city, and they had great potential for development in the future. richard turned his attention to himself. for such a long time, he had accumulated a lot of good things in his hands. but he had never seriously sorted them out. after he thought carefully, he began to count them one by one. the blueprints he had to build were the mage tower building blueprint (4-stars), magic garden (4-stars), magic fountain (4-stars), and transportation machinery manufacturing workshop (4-stars). these blueprints either lacked resources or were too laborious to build. he could only wait until he had enough resources before he started to work. a few treasures caught his eye¨Cthe magic wand (2-stars), the mage robe (2-stars), the leaping boots (3-stars), and the sword of promise (3-stars). the magical wand and the mage robe had been given to him by the fire elemental lord in the ancient ruins of the nine bronze doors. although their attributes were good, he had no use for them now. ¡°i can give these two to gray.¡± the leaping boots could perform space jumps and could even be used to drive extraordinary hunters. it was intensively practical. and one could keep it. the sword of oath could allow two companies of soldiers to share their lives. it was an exceptionally strategic precious item. it was from the treasure vault of the scarlet council. however, he had no use for this treasure at the moment. no good hero could keep it. so he kept it in his hands. in addition, there were even more advanced treasures. the extraordinary hunter (mechanical puppet) was at level 20. it was currently the most strapping weapon in his hands. in his opinion, the value of the ancient god statue (special) was no less than that of an extraordinary hunter. its growth and potential were endless. special treasure¨Cthe dragon¡¯s treasure map given to him by bloodhoof city. it was a 2-stars treasure map that he had obtained from killing monsters. he didn¡¯t have time to explore the two treasure maps, so he could only put them aside for now. a two-way portal could connect 50 kilometers, but no suitable place to position it. behind the lord¡¯s mansion, one cannot ignore the 11 sandworms that would hatch at the beginning of next month. one had a powerful void bloodline. and when it developed in the future, it could travel through dimensions with unlimited potential. one-time treasure¨Cthe obsidian staff with nine bronze doors used to open ancient ruins. it contained a beyond a-rank skill, time freeze. it could freeze the surrounding time for ten seconds. it was a valuable trump card, but no enemy could force him to use it. one could use the dark contract to contract dark creatures and be equally valuable. the high-end treasures he didn¡¯t need at the moment were¨Cthe dimension stone and the blood of the holy dragon. the plane stone was too high-end. and he still didn¡¯t know how to use it. the holy dragon¡¯s blood could upgrade a skill to its limit. but one has to upgrade to level 15 first. it was impossible to do so in a short time. with that in mind, richard couldn¡¯t help but feel that the wealth he¡¯d accumulated during this period was substantial. then, he couldn¡¯t help but fall into more profound thought. ¡°although the value of the treasure is high, it can¡¯t play an extensive role in the development of the territory. ¡°before the instance dungeon opens, we still focus on developing the territory. ¡°there are three things we need to do in twilight city¨C first, build the city wall. second, upgrade the troop lair nest. and third, speed up production and research.¡± the city wall was the core of the territory¡¯s defense. they had to have it if they want to fight in the dungeon. the lairs of the troop ranks were the most strapping source of confidence for twilight city. they had to have at least three glorious-level lairs of the troop ranks in the next 20 days. the system upgraded the rest of the troop lairs to rare-level. research and production, needless to say, was a way to earn resources in the future. at night, the heroes returned after they had gone out to hunt. richard gave the magic wand and wizard robe to gray. it was the powerful support hero. the magic wand could increase the strength of the entire troop, and the mage robe could automatically trigger the shield of protection when attacked. it would block damage. they were all intensively functional skills. as for gunter, the mummy hero¡¯s two soul caskets were powerful magic weapons and could deal a lot of damage. after richard coaxed the little centaur to sleep with two short stories at night, he also fell into a deep sleep. july 22. richard woke up and didn¡¯t stay in the territory early the following morning. he brought alves and a small team of skeletal blood dragons out to hunt. at the same time, they also actively looked for level 10 field heroes to kill. however, to his surprise, no level 10 field heroes with c-rank potential or above were found for several days until july 25. there were a few with e-rank and d-rank potential, but alves melted all of them with its beyond a-rank dragon breath. when they returned to the territory in the evening, an excited karu reported good news. ¡°lord richard! they had completed the hurricane arrow tower!¡± ¡°oh?!¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he suddenly turned his head and looked at the hurricane arrow tower more than 20 meters tall in the west of the territory. he hadn¡¯t paid much attention these few days, and only now did he realize builders had capped the hurricane arrow tower. while richard looked outside, the hurricane arrow tower had three floors. and each floor was densely packed with shooting holes. they would be as fierce as a porcupine once the troop settled in. hurricane arrow tower [level: ordinary] [area: 4 empty spaces] [special characteristics: 1. arrows shot from the arrow tower will carry wind magic damage.] [2. increases 40% of the arrow¡¯s flight speed, 40% of accuracy, and 30% of attack speed.] [3. can increase the range of bows and crossbows by 100 meters.] [4. can install 10 large ballistas. increases the range by 300 meters. [basic arrow tower capacity: 60 people] [level up requirements: 50000 units of gold, wood, stone, iron ore, 1000 units of crystal, 1000 units of the gem, 1000 units of mercury] [description: an arrow tower with special powers. it will be the fang of the territory. ] the attributes of the hurricane arrow tower were outstanding, and it could greatly increase the battle power of the guards. while richard was satisfied, he entered the hurricane arrow tower himself. after he entered the tower from the outside, there was an enlarged space below. they could use it to store war supplies. the spacious stairs were up there. one can reach the first floor when it is about 10 meters up. he turned his head to look at the wall. steel reinforced the wooden and stone structure. it made them extremely strong. the runes carved on the walls caused the air to fill with a vast amount of magic energy. as long as they attacked from within the hurricane arrow tower. magic energy would cover the arrows that would give the enemy extra damage. as richard reached the third highest floor, his line of sight suddenly became wider. he came to the front of the open hole of the siege crossbow. he put his hands on the solid windowsill and looked out. he could see the desert on the horizon. there were firing holes in the four walls. at the same time, they used a few protruding areas to store heavy crossbows. one could move the crossbows. this caught richard¡¯s curiosity. once they encountered an enemy, they could adjust their direction at the right time, and the heavy crossbow could shoot without any blind spots. the old gray-haired karu pointed outside and said. ¡°my lord, one hurricane arrow tower is far from enough.¡± if we can build two more hurricane arrow towers to form a triangle, it will be easier for us to deal with the enemy¡¯s attacks. building two hurricane arrow towers would require¡­ 400,000 units of ordinary resources and 3000 units of rare resources. richard held his forehead helplessly. the system refreshed the no. 22 troop lair but had no time to recruit them. now, he had to spend hundreds of thousands of units¡­ ¡°build! we¡¯ll start work first. and i¡¯ll make up for the resources as soon as possible.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a soldier suddenly rushed upstairs and reported loudly. ¡°my lord. lord gunter has discovered a pack of more than five squads of desert mount wolves. they attacked a group of humans¡­ richard¡¯s spirits agitated at the words. humans? ¡°where are they?¡± Chapter 278 ¡°southwest, 50 kilometers.¡± richard was on the verge of tears. ¡°damn it, how long has it been since i¡¯ve seen a human in the desert?¡± in this place where birds don¡¯t shit, it was harder to see someone than to win the lottery. !! the high morale of the people in twilight city was very attractive to the refugees, but without anyone, everything was empty talk. ¡°go now, immediately!¡± he couldn¡¯t bear to continue looking at the newly built arrow tower. he immediately went downstairs, called alves, and left the territory while it rode the dragon hero. it flew at full speed. it did not take long for him to see the skeleton blood dragon circling in the sky. gunter, wrapped in a blood-colored mummy, immediately summoned its dragon to report to richard. ¡°lord, while we were hunting, we discovered that wolves attacked humans. ¡°but those humans were exceptionally smart. they set fire to the dragon¡¯s feces, and the aura they emitted made the wolves not dare to attack.¡± richard nodded. ¡°how many humans are there?¡± ¡°more than two squadrons.¡± ¡°take me there.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± after a brief conversation, gunter turned around and flew away. on the ground, there were still scorpion warriors, bandaged mummies, and the elite-level undead soldiers. richard ordered the ground troops to stay where they were, while he led the ten skeleton blood dragons in the sky. gunter led the way and flew for less than ten minutes before a dune covered with boulders appeared in their sight. from a distance, he could see dozens of giant wolves with terrifying bodies that wandered under the sand dunes. their target was the more than 200 humans on the top of the dune. however, the top of the sand dune currently emitted thick smoke, and a special aura in the smoke made the wolves not dare to approach. richard¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight. on the market, the price of food had been maintained at 1 unit for 10 units of resources. each desert mountain wolf weighed thousands of units, and could easily be sold for tens of thousands of units of resources. these dozens of mountain wolves represented hundreds of thousands of resources. it was definitely the biggest income he had made in the past few days. he only took a glance at those humans and didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. they were all his spoils of war and couldn¡¯t run away. on the top of the sand dune, a middle-aged man wrapped in white gauze and had been bitten by a giant wolf from the thigh saw the undead giant dragon burned with blood-colored energy in the sky. endless despair filled their eyes. ¡°oh my god, are we really going to die here? ¡°those damn giant wolves were already terrifying enough. why were there so many undead giant dragons?!¡± that was a dragon! even a dead wyvern had unspeakable power. what was worse was that the dragon¡¯s feces could scare the wolves, but not the undead dragons. in the midst of despair, his voice was hoarse. ¡°everyone, listen up! if the undead wyverns attack later, immediately scatter and escape!¡± ¡°we could not fight these undead dragons.¡± ¡°uncle kevin¡­¡± he said. a child¡¯s eyes were red, and his voice was choked. the surrounding commoners stood up silently. no one spoke. they knew that they would not survive this time. but since they dared to cross the death desert, they were already prepared to die on this land. however, just as they thought that their fate had been decided¡­ a human surrounded by yellow sand slowly flew out from the back of the undead dragon that burned with flames. the other party¡¯s handsome face seemed to have been carved by a master. coupled with the posture of an undead who had enslaved the undead dragon, it brought an extremely strong psychological impact to everyone. ¡°what was this?¡± it bewildered the crowd. the next second, under their nervous gazes, the yellow sand on the mysterious human¡¯s body surged. on the ground, endless yellow sand lifted up dozens of meters high. the waves swept across the world. the light dimmed, and everything lost its color. the dozens of ferocious desert mountain wolves were like small boats in a level 18 storm. they were directly submerged in the sand waves. everyone could hear a series of wails. in a few breaths¡¯ time, sand shrouded the giant dunes. the ferocious mountain wolves were nowhere to be seen. this scene, which was like a natural disaster, made the people who had just been prepared to die open their mouths wide. it was like they had seen a legend, and were unable to return to their senses for a long time. they looked at each other and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. those fierce and brutal mountain wolves were annihilated just like that? ¡°who was that human surrounded by yellow sand?¡± ¡°why was he so powerful?¡± countless doubts rose in their minds. then, they were shocked to find when the human looked at them. in an instant, endless pressure swept over. everyone felt like they looked at a sandstorm that could tear the world apart. they felt like the figure could destroy them at any moment. fear consumed their hearts¡­ as the human gradually approached, the pressure rose to the extreme. surrender, kneel¡­ this thought rose uncontrollably, like a wildfire that burned a dry grassland. no one knew who knelt first, but with a soft thud, the crowd knelt in unison in a few breaths. no one was left standing. then, they lowered their heads and saw a pair of leather boots on the ground. the few people in front suppressed the fear in their hearts and raised their heads slightly. that handsome face appeared in front of them. however, the other party¡¯s indifferent expression was like that of a god high up in the sky that looked down on all living beings. even if they knelt on the ground, they didn¡¯t dare to complain. there was only endless fear. the middle-aged man in the lead endured the pain from his wound and lowered his head with his hand on his chest. ¡°respected strong man, kevin, i pay you the highest respect and thank you for saving us.¡± at the same time, joy filled everyone else¡¯s hearts as they held their chests in awe. he was extremely humble. richard said slowly as he looked around. ¡°kevin, tell me, where are you from? do you have any companions?¡± kevin raised his head and spoke with an extremely weak tone. ¡°lord, we came from the rhino empire to avoid the war. ¡°we still have quite a few companions.¡± ¡°where are your companions?¡± kevin¡¯s tone was dejected. ¡°we passed by a broken temple before and were planning to rest there for a while.¡± ¡°but i don¡¯t know who touched the mechanism. it turned the area around the broken temple into quicksand, and several terrifying monsters appeared. ¡°we were looking for food and water outside and were lucky enough to escape, but those damned mountain wolves targeted us.¡± the other party kneeled on the ground and begged in an extremely painful tone. ¡°respected strongman, i beg you to save my companions. as long as you can save them, we are willing to be loyal to you¡­¡± [ding~ you have triggered an emergency¨Crescue of the lost.] [to avoid the war, some humans risked their lives to cross the desert, but they were trapped in the dangerous land.] [can complete mission 1: rescue the trapped humans.] [2. drive the trapped humans into the dangerous area.] [3. reject the request for help and leave immediately.] [the sudden event mission reward is closely related to your choice.] ¡°broken temple? ¡°an emergency?¡± it enlivened richard¡¯s curiosity. Chapter 279 ¡°do you think uncle kevin can save miss vale? not only that quicksand surrounded that area, but also several monsters.¡± a young man said with mixed feelings as he watched the undead dragon fly away in the sky. the expressions of the older civilians changed slightly. they looked up at the skeleton blood dragon that still hovered above their heads. ¡°shut up! that powerful lord could definitely save miss vale and the others! !! the other party immediately lowered his head and did not dare to say anything more. the weak could do nothing but pray in this situation. richard had heard more details about the broken temple. however, a giant mountain wolf bit kevin¡¯s thigh. kevin was not clear about the exact situation and could not explain the main point. he didn¡¯t ask for any more valuable clues. they flew full speed. their speed was very fast. twenty minutes later, kevin pointed at the desert area ahead and shouted. ¡°my lord, this is the broken temple. my companions are trapped inside!!¡± richard looked over. the desert in front of him was calm, and nothing was special about it. at the end of his line of sight, he could vaguely see a building the size of a thumb in the central area. ¡°the desert below is quicksand. there are many monsters below the surface¡­¡± as he spoke, his eyes were filled with hatred. it was obvious that he had suffered a great loss. richard lowered his head to take a look, but didn¡¯t say anything. quicksand was a special terrain in the desert. after one has stepped into it, one would gradually sink into the sand until completely submerged and suffocated to death. however, he didn¡¯t have to walk on the ground. he drove alves to fly towards the building. when they entered the land of quicksand kevin had mentioned, the sand below began to flow. the monster below sensed an unfamiliar aura, but it did not reveal itself. the area wasn¡¯t very long, with a radius of about 10 kilometers. it flapped its wings a few times and flew to the central area. the temple ruins appeared in front of richard, a hundred meters in diameter. more than two hundred people were squeezed in the upper left corner of the ruins. on the sand around the temple, dozens of ferocious-looking monsters swam. these monsters were seven to eight meters long and had huge mouths. dozens of tentacles wriggled on their bodies, which looked extremely disgusting. long-bearded sandworm, level 9, rare 3-stars potential. however, there seemed to be something special about this broken temple that made those monsters not dare to approach. when they saw outsiders coming from the sky, the long-bearded sandworms around them let out a series of roars, then sank into the sand and disappeared without a trace. however, richard could sense they were hiding under the sand. if there was any movement from above, they would immediately attack. when the civilians on the ground saw the monsters around them had disappeared, they did not show any joy on their faces. fear showed instead. they trembled as they looked at the giant dragon that burned in the sky. when kevin saw that his companions were still on the dragon¡¯s back, he couldn¡¯t help but wave and shout excitedly. ¡°i¡¯m here to pick you up!¡± when they heard this familiar voice, the residents raised their heads one by one. when they saw kevin, they were immediately delighted and surprised. ¡°uncle kevin?¡± ¡°it¡¯s kevin!¡± ¡°he was the one who brought these undead wyverns¡­¡± richard paid no attention to the excited residents below. his eyes were fixed on the broken temple. in such a large area, only the statue in the center was intact. the statue held its hands in front of its chest, and in its palms was a gray stone that looked unremarkable. what made his heart palpitate was that the statue had no facial features, so he couldn¡¯t see what god it was. a faceless statue. coupled with the surrounding broken environment, it gave people a strong psychological impact. as richard pondered, he had alves land at the edge of the temple. kevin also came down from the back of the skeleton blood dragon. when he saw the fellow with blood that oozed out of his thigh, he excitedly rushed forward to hug his companions before he walked up. ¡°what did you guys touch inside?¡± as richard approached, he seemed to have silenced the excited crowd. all looked at him in fear. to enslave such a powerful undead dragon, it was obvious that it was not an existence to be trifled with. when kevin heard this, he subconsciously looked to the back of the crowd. then, the crowd parted to the left and right, and a thin figure appeared, brushed past the shoulders of the crowd. the man walked up to richard. after the figure bowed, it stood up and said in a clear voice, ¡°my lord, the stone ball in the statue¡¯s hand is actually a crystal. there is a desert inside the crystal.¡± richard looked at the girl in front of him. she was no more than 17 or 18 years old, and the words enlivened his curiosity. ¡°there¡¯s a desert inside the crystal?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the other party¡¯s tone did not fluctuate much. ¡°our companion wanted to take the crystal from the other party¡¯s hand, but as soon as he touched the crystal, the surrounding desert turned into quicksand, and several monsters appeared underground¡­¡± richard turned to look at the faceless statue. his heart suddenly skipped a beat as he felt a strong sense of danger. it was as if it wasn¡¯t a god statue, but a ferocious giant beast. it was full of pressure. as his thoughts turned, he slowly said. ¡°kevin, get everyone to board the skeleton blood dragon and leave this area.¡± kevin heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. gratitude shrouded his eyes. ¡°thank you for your kindness, my lord.¡± richard waved his hand dismissively. ¡°from now on, you will be a member of twilight city. my people will be under my protection. go.¡± the surrounding commoners were surprised to hear this. however, when he saw that kevin and the thin girl did not speak, he suppressed the doubts in his heart. ¡®hu!¡¯ the monster in the quicksand sensed the skeleton blood dragon had left. it rose its head from the sand unwillingly and roared. however, no matter how angry the ground troops were, they could not do anything to the flying troops. it took three trips for the 200 plus people and 10 skeleton blood dragons to transport all of them. in the end, only richard, kevin, and the emaciated girl were left on the field. ¡°are you sure the quicksand area appeared after you touched the crystal?¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± the figure in front of him was neither servile nor overbearing, and his temperament was like a tenacious weed that grew on the grass, inconspicuous but full of tenacity. although the girl¡¯s appearance could only be considered delicate, her special temperament left a deep impression. richard nodded. ¡°you guys get on the skeleton blood dragon and leave this area. ¡°gunter, receive him from behind. don¡¯t come any closer.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± even though the situation seemed to be safe and sound. richard couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. the danger that the faceless statue brought made him maintain the highest level of vigilance. after gunter and the rest had left a certain range. alves was the only one who waited for him. richard didn¡¯t hesitate any longer. he waved his hand, and a cloud of sand rose into the air. a figure appeared in front of him. after he formed the sand golem, it slowly walked toward the faceless god statue. without any accidents, he arrived beside the statue. at the same time, he felt the dim crystal in the statue. richard took a deep breath, and slowly controlled the sand golem to grab the unremarkable crystal. he held it tightly and slowly picked it up. the moment the crystal left the statue¡¯s hands. ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear a crisp sound. the faceless statue cracked like glass on the ground, and then it shattered into pieces. the instant the faceless statue crumbled, the surrounding space was immediately sealed. rumble, a violent tremor rang out, and large spider web-like cracks appeared on the ground. then, it was like the collapse of a mountain, the ground sharply collapsed. at this moment, an extremely terrifying pressure rose from the ground. it was like a giant abyssal beast that could devour the world and had torn the earth apart. richard felt an indescribable sense of danger, and every cell in his body was on alert. it was horrible, extremely horrible. at this moment, he felt like the god of death stared at him. he would die if he stayed any longer! he forcefully resisted the terrifying aura and let out a low growl from his throat. the power in his body gushed out like lava. the yellow sand halo instantly activated, negating the pressure that felt like a god or devil¡¯s gaze. he controlled the sand to fly up rapidly. at the same time, the figure that the sand formed dispersed and brought the crystal to him. richard was quick to react. after he kept the crystal into the system space, he got on alves¡¯ back and commanded the dragon to fly away. in less than a breath¡¯s time. ¡®boom!¡¯ the ground within 10 kilometers of the broken temple collapsed. the dust flew up a hundred meters high. at the same time, a vast and boundless dark aura, like it was the nine heavenly galaxies that fell, rushed up from inside. ¡°i¡­ eternal and indestructible! ¡°yellow sand monarch¡­¡± ¡°hundreds of thousands of years of imprisonment¡­ i will definitely take revenge.¡± richard, who sat on alves¡¯s back, looked down. on the collapsed earth, a dark light swallowed everything which made it impossible to see the traces deep inside. he could barely make out an indescribable, blurry figure that twisted and turned wildly in the darkness. suddenly, when it sensed the aura of an outsider, a giant tentacle condensed from dark energy suddenly reached out from the ground. it directly tore through the air. alves flapped its wings wildly as if it had gone crazy. but mercury seemed to have filled the space around. and its speed was countless times slower than usual. at this moment¡­ the dark tentacle grabbed alves¡¯s sharp claws. it pulled hard after it wrapped it a few times. ¡®hu!¡¯ the power of the tentacle grabbed this powerful undead dragon with a wingspan of 30 meters into the dark abyss like a little chick. alves roared in anger. it lowered its head and spat out a dazzling scarlet energy at the tentacle. however, the beyond a-rank dragon¡¯s breath that could easily melt steel could not cause damage to it. alves¡¯s roaring figure completely disappeared into the darkness after a few breaths. after the dragon hero couldn¡¯t fight back, the strapping tentacle killed it right in front of richard. richard turned around after he flew for ten miles. his expression was unprecedentedly serious. the dark land was like the abyss of the main plane. it imprisoned the most brutal dark king. ¡°what was that terrifying being?¡± countless questions arose in his heart. at that moment, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have opened the dungeon where the dark monarch is sealed. it triggered a special mission¨Cattack the dungeon. [defeat the dungeon guard and you can obtain the hero imprisoned in the dungeon¨Cthe dark lord.] richard was stunned when he heard the system notification. the dungeon, dark lord? Chapter 280 ¡°the dungeon detained a hero unit here?¡± and after he defeated the dungeon guard would give him this hero? richard¡¯s expression changed. ¡°are you kidding me?¡± !! how the f*ck was he supposed to defeat them? he didn¡¯t even dare to get close. alves was one of the most strapping heroes in the twilight city, but killed it like a little chick in front of him without even being able to resist. was this something he could tackle now? he would still feel hopeless even if an extraordinary hunter were to repair it. the pressure the aura gave him was too exaggerated. richard took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions and marked the location on the map. richard didn¡¯t hesitate. he left with gunter, who had waited for him. to explore such a high-level map now was definitely courting death. he could only return after he became stronger. after what had just happened, kevin and the girl, who sat on the back of the skeleton blood dragon, had mixed feelings. the girl¡¯s expression was still considered usual, but kevin¡¯s legs had gone soft at this moment. he thought about how he had walked back and forth in such a terrifying manner for so long. it was as if he wandered in front of the god of death. it was a miracle he survived. ¡°my lord, what is that underground?¡± kevin only dared to speak after they were far away from the area. richard glanced at the pale-faced man. he shook his head slowly. an extremely strapping being, even a dragon, is nothing more than prey. kevin immediately stopped asking. from his trembling lips, one could tell how scared he was. after they returned to the crowd, the remaining residents were initially quite excited, but felt a little strange when they saw kevin¡¯s expression and the girl. after they asked what had happened, they immediately patted their chests in relief. ¡°my lord, is your territory lacking manpower?¡± richard ordered the skeleton blood dragon to drag some of the residents back to twilight city and summon the other aerial units. the limping girl approached richard while he studied the crystal. when richard heard the question, he looked at the girl whose temperament was obviously different from other civilians and nodded slightly. ¡°that¡¯s right. twilight city is located in the depths of the desert. its population is very scarce. ¡°so, don¡¯t worry. you¡¯ll have a good time in twilight city.¡± the girl nodded slowly. ¡°i believe that since you didn¡¯t let anyone else take the crystal, you must have treated everyone well.¡± the nobles and lords had always been sending civilians to their deaths. however, it was obvious that the other party¡¯s actions were very different from the other lords and nobles. richard looked at the girl with interest. he didn¡¯t feel any fear from this person. this was a bit rare. he opened the attribute panel. it widened his eyes immediately. [vale] [level:6] [potential b-rank] [hero unit: internal affairs hero] [skills: calm, intelligence, command, management, political affairs] an inexplicable feeling of gratitude rose in his heart. how long has it been? it had been three months since the last hero, adele, had appeared. finally, he had found a new hero among the ordinary residents. ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°vale, my lord.¡± ¡°vale, you have a high reputation among your companions. you¡¯ll be in charge of managing your companions.¡± vale was shocked. she did not expect richard to say something like that. she was about to say something, but richard¡¯s next sentence made her swallow her words. the new residents may not survive in the territory. at this time, they need someone to represent their interests. ¡°if you don¡¯t agree, no one will redress their grievances when their interests are damaged.¡± vale couldn¡¯t help but fall into contemplation. these words were very reasonable based on her experience in other territories. after new residents joined, they would often be excluded. if she could have a certain status, it would undoubtedly be better for her companions to benefit. and if she didn¡¯t stay in this territory for long, she could lead the residents away again. after she figured out the key point, she slowly bowed. ¡°thank you, for your trust.¡± richard chuckled. as his strength increased, he had enough confidence when facing ordinary heroes. ¡°i don¡¯t care whether you agree or not. i¡¯ll just tie it first and bring you to twilight city.¡± under the influence of the 90 people¡¯s sentiment, she would become a member of twilight city in less than a month, no matter how stubborn she was. this kind of assimilation ability reflected vividly in the process of taking in the previous waves of refugees. there were too many benefits to having a high morale. after he tricked vale, richard took out the crystal he got from the faceless statue. when he looked at the crystal¡¯s attributes, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. although the terrifying dark monarch had killed alves, richard did not lose anything this time. [land of quicksand (unbound)] [level: 4-stars] [special property: creates a quicksand area with a diameter of 10 kilometers. after binding, the user can freely control the quicksand area. a portion of the experience points generated by the enemies killed by the quicksand will belong to the bound user.] [description: initially a powerful semi-divine weapon. but after dark energy corroded it, this lost most of its power. however, it still has magical abilities.] in terms of attributes, this treasure had the same effect as the broken lake. however, the biggest difference was that when the enemy was killed in the land of quicksand, the bound person would gain some experience. it was a little perverted. in the future, he would use the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s ¡°fishing method¡± to lure his enemies into the land of quicksand. wouldn¡¯t he be able to lie down and earn experience every day? richard¡¯s mood brightened at the thought of quicksand devoured the enemies. furthermore, the large-scale dungeon was about to open, and there would be several enemies that would attack twilight city. ¡®wouldn¡¯t the land of quicksand be the best weapon to kill enemies?¡¯ with this thought in mind, he spread out his mental energy and bound it to this special treasure. now, all he needed to do was find a suitable place to place it. and he could harvest an endless amount of experience. he put the crystal back into the system space happily. he looked at the ground covered in sand. there was still a harvest that had not been dealt with. he waved his hand. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sand surged. the recently buried desert mountain wolves emerged from the sand one by one. there were 53 in total. each weighed thousands of units. richard was in a good mood as he sold all the bodies. it had exactly 530000 units of resources. in addition to the resources that the troops had obtained from hunting these days, the resources on the attribute panel had once again reached one million. this was the remaining resources after he spent the required resources for the construction of two hurricane arrow towers. the only thing that gave richard a headache was the fact that he had to resurrect alves at the hero¡¯s altar. who knew how many resources he would need to obtain this level 10 dragon hero? after the skeleton blood dragon sent the first batch of civilians back to twilight city, it brought all the air force. afterward, he took the remaining residents away. under the moonlight, the troop quickly returned to twilight city. when he saw the brightly lit territory from afar. kevin turned to look at vale, who had a thin face, and asked hesitantly. ¡°vale, what do you think this territory will be like?¡± the girl took a deep breath as she looked at the nervous kevin. ¡°no matter what territory it is, uncle kevin, we have to protect the others.¡± kevin smiled bitterly. ¡°we have to be mentally prepared. this territory is built in the desert. you should know better than me what the desert is like. ¡°we lack water, food, clothes, daily necessities¡­ there¡¯s nothing we have, we lack everything¡­ ¡± then, he sighed. ¡°but no matter what, we have a stable territory now. no matter how broken it is, no matter how hard life is, we should endure it for now.¡± when vale heard this, she fell silent. that¡¯s right. a territory built deep in the desert. how could there be a good environment? in her mind, she could already imagine the sight of civilians with tattered clothes and numb eyes that wandered around the territory like corpses. she clenched her fists and looked serious. no matter how hard it was, she would lead the others to live well. definitely! at that moment, the troops arrived in the sky above twilight city. they had arrived. Chapter 281 although vale¡¯s expression remained calm, her emotions inevitably fluctuated with the descent of the skeleton blood dragon. this territory might be where she would live for a long time if nothing she expected happened. no one wanted to live in a barren land filled with hunger and cold. after the undead dragon under her landed, vale saw two well-dressed young men approach her with gentle smiles. !! hello, beautiful lady. please, register here. as he said that, he gestured to the other area where they had already formed the queue. vale was stunned. the two young men who greeted her were the complete opposite of the residents she had imagined. not only was his face ruddy, but he was also full of energy, not at all barren. she would have believed he was a noble if it weren¡¯t for the fact he wore ordinary clothes. ¡®how could a civilian look so good?¡­¡¯ she suppressed her emotions and nodded. ¡°thank you,¡± she said. she turned to look at kevin. only then did kevin, who looked around, return to his senses. he quickly smiled and nodded at the staff. the two went to the queue to register. they looked at the three wooden tables in front, where the staff members asked questions and had them fill out information politely and sincerely. she was immediately amazed. ¡°vale, this territory seems to be different from the others.¡± when the residents of the other territories saw outsiders like them, they felt hostility and exclusion without saying. however, they didn¡¯t sense this from the people around them. on the contrary, the receptionists smiled, and their faces were quite gentle. the apprehension in the hearts of the surrounding people eased a lot when they saw this. a man with a rarely sturdy physique was impatient when he saw the long line because he came down late. he patted the shoulder of the resident in front of him. ¡°you don¡¯t mind if i queue before you? right?¡± the other party looked at the majestic figure and was instantly stunned. ¡°no, i don¡¯t mind¡­¡± that guy smiled complacently and stepped forward. with this method, he quickly cut in line with four or five people. vale saw this scene and frowned slightly. the staff on duty also saw this scene and quickly walked over and stared at the strong man. ¡°first come, first served. no cutting in line.¡± ¡°no matter what your previous identity was since you¡¯ve come to twilight city, you must abide by the laws of twilight city.¡± ¡°sure, if you won¡¯t line up. you¡¯ll have the right after you receive the silver medal from the lord. the middle-aged man was shocked, but when he turned his head and saw that the staff around him didn¡¯t seem to care, he suddenly regained his confidence. he fixed his eyes on the other party¡¯s thin body. they are all willing. ¡°sir, you can ask them.¡± he turned around as he spoke and looked at the residents behind him. the resident¡¯s expression changed slightly. he quickly nodded in agreement. they couldn¡¯t afford to offend this guy. although the man smiled apologetically, her eyes immediately became smug when she saw this scene. ¡°my lord, how was it? i wasn¡¯t wrong, right?¡± the skinny staff member laughed out loud when he heard this. it was like he had seen something rare. ¡°in this day and age, there are still people who dare to disobey the laws set by the lord?¡± as he spoke, he picked up a short whistle and blew it. a small team of mummy guardians who patrolled outside immediately turned around. then, they dragged the man who begged for mercy out of the team like a dead dog. ¡°cutting the queue without permission. violating the law. fifty whips and one month of construction free of charge!¡± the cold voice immediately made the surrounding crowd fall silent. this seemingly gentle territory was not gentle. when vale saw, inexplicable admiration filled her heart. this territory had even made such a rule. and the residents implemented it firmly. the feeling it gave her got increasingly different. after the long queue, it was finally vale¡¯s turn. only then did the girl realize that the staff member in front of her had really asked her everything. from her age to her race, he asked dozens of questions and learned almost everything about her. at first, vale was worried the staff would ask for bribes, but she didn¡¯t even see a shadow. she even saw a staff reject a person who wanted to bribe. and the other party even warned him sternly that such behavior was against the law. fifty whips, if there¡¯s a next time. everyone was shocked and overjoyed. was there such a law? it was simply unbelievable. vale¡¯s expression changed again when she saw this. this territory allowed every ordinary staff to follow the rules even without supervision. putting everything else aside, just this point alone was enough to surprise her. what kind of method would they need to achieve this? at the very least, she couldn¡¯t do it. a few exclamations rose in his heart. not to mention the other aspects of this territory, this rule alone had made her look at it in a new light. that handsome figure suddenly appeared in her mind. several layers of halo seemed to have shrouded the other party for a moment. vale followed the others to the open space after the staff asked. around them set up large woks. they cooked food. large pieces of meat rolled inside. all sorts of soft bread were at the side. the commoners who used to live a hard life in the desert were almost in tears. wasn¡¯t the lord too generous? he let them eat so much meat? vale looked at the bowl full of hot meat and felt supremely complicated. after the meal, a staff member immediately came over. ¡°everyone, listen up. you¡¯re now a part of twilight city. someone will assign your own residence. ¡°be careful. families and children should stand together in case you are separated later.¡± the people who had just eaten their fill felt dizzy when they heard this. they weren¡¯t dreaming, right? ¡®what was this place? not only they provided food, but they also allocated a residence.¡¯ he became even more excited. after the twilight city residents led away the crowd, they thought they would live in a miserable place. however, they immediately became excited when the bright house appeared in front of them. they ate so well and lived so well. was this a territory in the desert? after a staff assigned a room to vale, she looked at it with only one bed and felt complicated. there would be no problem if they added a few pieces of furniture to this room. repeated encounters had washed away the negative feelings he had for this territory. a burst of warm applause and cheers suddenly awakened the girl after she sat in a daze for a long time. she went to the window and looked out with some curiosity. she saw several ordinary citizens gathered in the square. it was like they were listening to someone¡¯s speech. however, she could not hear clearly because the voice was too soft. she opened the door and went downstairs with some subtle emotions after she thought for a while. he found hesitated kevin when she reached the bottom of the building. it was like he wanted to take a look at the square. after the two met, the two immediately smiled after they met. ¡°i just asked those people, and they said there¡¯s no curfew in twilight city. you can walk anywhere. but you can¡¯t go to the desert, which is very dangerous at night.¡± vale nodded in a subtle mood and didn¡¯t say anything. the two walked to the square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. they peeked through the gaps in the crowd but could not see anything because there were too many people. a young girl beside them saw their curious expressions and smiled. ¡°you must be the new residents here today, right?¡± ¡°yes, hello.¡± kevin smiled and pointed inside. ¡°what are they doing, why are there so many people?¡± the girl said happily. ¡°of course, i¡¯m learning.¡± ¡°learning knowledge?¡± kevin and vale looked at each other in confusion. ¡°of course, his lordship ordered a study and a research class some time ago. they teach us knowledge every night.¡± admiration filled the girl¡¯s eyes. kevin was shocked when he heard the news and said in disbelief. ¡®the lord is passing that precious knowledge on to everyone so simply? ¡®that was knowledge! how precious was that!¡¯ only the nobles were qualified to learn it. how could someone teach it to lowly commoners so casually? she couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of this. she was shocked. this news shocked vale. admiration for that handsome figure filled her heart. what kind of a generous lord could formulate such a grand strategy? the girl became even more excited when she saw their expressions. it was like a child showing off her certificate. she began to talk about the various things that happened in twilight city. ¡°that¡¯s nothing. i bet you don¡¯t know there are hundreds of acres of sand barley in our territory, do you? ¡°and there are also hundreds of acres of russian olive forest aside from the sand barley¡­ ¡°his lordship even breeds precious bees sold for hundreds of rare resources. i was lucky enough to have a sip last time. it was delicious. ¡°the lord has also established a cooperation with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡­ ¡°the last time, several enemies came to attack. his lordship defeated tens of thousands of people by himself¡­¡± vale felt dizzy toward the end. it had long shattered the pessimism in her heart. there was only one thought in her mind. ¡®why is this territory so extraordinary?¡¯ she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of admiration for richard. the one who had created all of this¡­ Chapter 282 july 26. morning. emily¡¯s happy voice awakened richard. ¡°father, it¡¯s time to get up and have breakfast. there¡¯s very, very fragrant toast today.¡± he got out of bed, put on his clothes, and opened the door. he saw a little centaur with crescent-shaped eyes and a delicate breakfast tray in her hands. !! richard¡¯s mood brightened up when he saw that innocent smile. he reached out to hold the other party¡¯s delicate face and ruthlessly pinched it a few times. in the end, he looked at the little centaur as she turned her head away angrily and didn¡¯t want to talk to him and laughed. ¡°emily, i¡¯ll take you to the desert after breakfast.¡± the little centaur¡¯s anger immediately subsided, and its eyes lit up as it looked at him in surprise. ¡°really?¡± ¡°of course.¡± the little guy immediately became excited after she got his promise. she quickly entered the house and placed the food on the round table. it was like she wanted him to finish it in a second. richard ate his breakfast while he played with emily after he washed up. the little centaur was angry for a moment and then giggled. a relaxed atmosphere filled the room. the two got gradually closer over the past few days. richard did look like he had a daughter. this little fellow was not only mischievous. she was also very obedient and sensible. he was not the only one. no one in the entire twilight city disliked this little centaur. richard fulfilled his promise to emily after the meal. he left twilight city with her and went to the god¡¯s ancient tree stationed outside the territory. he looked at the powerful being that had no trunk. venomous wasps surrounded the magical tree. the centaur subconsciously hid behind richard. her hands gripped tightly to his shirt. ¡°father, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± her voice was soft. it was like she was afraid the god¡¯s ancient tree could hear her. richard chuckled at the adorable girl. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. the tree roots won¡¯t hurt you.¡± as he spoke, he stretched out his hand and waved. the god¡¯s ancient tree immediately twisted its branches and formed a ladder in front of him. she was more obedient than anyone else. richard climbed up the natural ladder to the top of the tree. ¡°emily, follow me.¡± the centaur¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when she saw this scene. ¡°yes, father¡­¡± first, he carefully took a step forward. he immediately walked up the tree trunk after he made sure there were no problems. soon, the two arrived at the top of the tree. they stood more than 30 meters tall and looked down at the vast desert. excitement shrouded emily¡¯s face. ¡°father, look at them. they¡¯ve become smaller¡­ ¡°look, that¡¯s uncle ned. he gave me some delicious bread yesterday. ¡°the blacksmith shop is there! big sister adele said she would custom-make a beautiful armor for me.¡± ¡°ah, shy sister ruili didn¡¯t close the window when she changed clothes. the following words were dolly. the chattering and innocent words filled the air with childlike fun. richard ignored the excited little one and directed the god¡¯s ancient tree toward the agricultural area. it received the order. ¡®shua!¡¯ colossal roots rose from the ground. and in an instant, sand and stones flew up. enormous cracks appeared. the yellow sand splashed up dozens of meters high. this dramatic action caused another round of exclamations from emily. she excitedly pulled richard over to let him see. after they crossed the agricultural area, richard had the man continue deeper into the desert. after about 15 kilometers. only then did the god¡¯s ancient tree stop and pull back the roots on the ground. richard checked the system map and confirmed they had arrived at the target area. the north of the territory. without hesitation, he took out a slightly gray crystal from the system space-land of quicksand. he could place this 4-stars treasure he obtained from the faceless statue in a land of quicksand with a diameter of 10 kilometers. more importantly, he could gain some experience from the enemies he killed in the land of quicksand. it was very comfortable. lying down and making money. it was simply a landlord in a fantasy world¡­ while he thought of this, he had an idea. [ding~ do you wish to place quicksand land here? (note: you cannot move the quicksand land once you placed it.)] confirmation. the next second, after he made his choice. the crystal ball in front of him suddenly shattered. a thick wave of energy gushed out like a storm and poured into the surrounding sand. it quickly spread to the surroundings with the god¡¯s ancient tree at the center. richard looked at the quicksand on the ground. it did not seem any different, and curiosity encumbered his eyes. ¡®it was just quicksand. how could it be rated as a 4-stars treasure? was this thing really so powerful?¡¯ with a few probing thoughts, it floated up and slowly landed on the sand. the moment he stood on the sand, his body immediately sank uncontrollably. it was like he stood in mercury. the seemingly thick sand could not support his weight at all. the sand had sunk into his thigh in just a few short breaths. richard felt as if countless arms pulled his feet, and he felt weak. tsk, he had underestimated the power of quicksand. he exerted all his strength and tried to pull his legs out of the sand. however, in the quicksand with no support, the more he struggled, the faster he sank. richard couldn¡¯t take it any longer when the sand reached his stomach. he let out a low roar, and his bloodline power exploded to its limit. the sand below him exploded, and his body suddenly rose from the sunken ground. dragon power. he used brute force to break free from the quicksand. the smile on richard¡¯s face froze as soon as he fell to the ground. his foothold sank rapidly. there was no safe zone in this land of quicksand. richard tilted his head. he did not use his beyond a-rank skill, yellow sand control. he used the power he gained from bathing in the dragon¡¯s blood instead to rush to the bottom of the god¡¯s ancient tree from a hundred meters away. sweat flooded his forehead already by the time he held onto the tree trunk. the quicksand was much more terrifying than he had imagined. the more they struggled, the easier for the yellow sand to swallow them in a place without any support and with an area that constantly sank. it was not as simple as he thought. the best way was to use gentleness to overcome gentleness, avoid excessive movements, and increase contact. as richard¡¯s thoughts wandered, the system notification rang. [ding~ you have successfully placed the land of quicksand. you will gain experience points for every enemy you kill in the land of quicksand.] [ding~ the system detected a boss unit in the land of quicksand. do you want to place the boss unit in the land of quicksand? (note: after you place the boss unit, it could control the land of quicksand.)] his eyes sparked with delight after he checked the notifications a few times. he could place a boss in the land of quicksand? to let the god¡¯s ancient tree control the quicksand didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea. he immediately chose to confirm. the next second. the pale yellow light that had initially isolated the god¡¯s ancient tree surged over and enveloped it. after the light had dissipated, the aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree had already fused with the surroundings. richard was just about to check out the new attributes of quicksand when he felt the ground beneath his feet shake, and then he saw something that made him stop breathing. the god¡¯s ancient tree began to move quickly in the desert without pulling out its roots¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t moving, but the sand around it was moving. control the quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree had used the quicksand to drive itself like a car¡­ richard was a little surprised. he didn¡¯t know he could use the quicksand in this way. he gradually felt something was wrong after he regained his senses. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡­ did it gain super-strong movement ability? after richard pondered for a while, he suddenly revealed an extremely bright smile. this time, he had earned big! what was the most powerful thing about the god¡¯s ancient tree? standing armor! with its enormous body, trunk, and instant death characteristics, its battle power in a head-on battle was the ceiling of the same level. and what was the opponent¡¯s greatest weakness? inflexibility! even if the other party could pull out the roots and escape, this weakness was still fatal. he took advantage of its inflexibility to subdue it. but now, the appearance of the land of quicksand was different. when a boss was almost invincible when it stood up, it would gain more flexible movement speed than ordinary people. if that were the case, it would vastly enhance the boss¡¯s battle power! richard suddenly felt that the quicksand was worth more than he had imagined. Chapter 283 above the yellow sand. an enormous tree more than 30 meters tall moved quickly on the sand. outsiders would be full of question marks if they were here and saw this scene. ¡°big trees can run away these days?¡± !! the endless yellow sand seemed to have become an ocean. and that leafless tree was like a huge ship that rode the wind and broke the waves in the yellow sand. this scene had a strong visual impact. however, the crisp sound from the treetop softened this rather shocking scene. ¡°hahahahaha! uncle treebeard, quick! let¡¯s go to the dune! let¡¯s go! on the treetop, emily held the two branches in front of her excitedly and giggled. richard had the god¡¯s ancient tree cooperate with the little one, which moved in whichever direction she twisted its branches. the god¡¯s ancient tree seemed to like emily very much as well. it cooperated with her and became a boat in the desert. it attacked wherever she pointed, and this made emily extremely happy. richard keenly observed. the god¡¯s ancient tree could control the quicksand to move forward at a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour. the meaning of this was self-evident for the god¡¯s ancient tree, whose advantage lay in its large body size and whose main output relied on standing. the only pity was that it could not move the land of quicksand. otherwise, the god¡¯s ancient tree would be heaven-defying. after half an hour of playing, richard had gained a thorough understanding of the characteristics of the roots in quicksand. he then had the giant god¡¯s ancient tree return to the center of quicksand. tree roots condense fruit that can attract other life. ¡°today, we¡¯ll try to fish with the land of quicksand.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± the moment the muffled sound rang out. a golden fruit emitted a special magic on the treetop. it turned from gray to pure gold. it emitted an aura of endless temptation. even emily put down the branch she held tightly in her hand. her eyes were wide open, and one could see a hint of desire. that fruit seemed to be very delicious ¡­ the golden fruit that could increase one¡¯s bloodline potential had an indescribable attraction to life. after the golden fruit took shape, richard used the sand to create a whirlwind and blew the aura away. not long after. ¡®roar!¡¯ an excited roar came from outside the land of quicksand. the excitement in the voice was like someone had finally stepped into the club after its release from prison¡­ however, they could not see the other party¡¯s appearance due to the distance and the uneven dunes. but when the monster stepped into the quicksand, richard immediately thought of it. it was a giant desert bear with a shoulder height of more than 12 feet and a ferocious head. it gave off a fierce aura, and it was above level 10. as the lord of the land of quicksand, it could sense every movement in this area. it was as if it had a god¡¯s perspective. ¡®tap!¡¯ the giant desert bear rushed into the land of quicksand excitedly. however, unexpectedly, the behemoth that weighed more than five tons did not sink into the sand. its steps were steady. the giant bear moved forward very quickly while it was excited. in the blink of an eye, it had reached the 1000-meter mark. however, at this critical point, it suddenly felt that the ground beneath its feet was empty. it was no longer under force. its entire body suddenly sank. how could the giant bear, which was excited, tolerate this? its temper instantly flared up. it released a hysterical roar. it began to struggle madly. the tremendous force was like a giant deep-sea beast that stirred the sea tides. it lifted the sand dozens of meters high. however, the more it struggled, the faster the giant desert bear sank. when it noticed this, fear rose in its heart. it struggled and tried to retreat. however, it was shocked when it realized¡­ the path of retreat that it had come from had also turned into quicksand. with every step it took, the giant desert bear would sink madly. the sand was as light as floating cotton, far from that could support its weight. it was like it tried to find out the depth of a muddy puddle, only to find out that it was a good dozen meters deep. it simply couldn¡¯t step to the bottom. ¡®roar!¡¯ the giant desert bear¡¯s unwilling roar resounded through the world. however, the falling sand was like a giant hand that kept pulling it into the depths of the earth. the giant desert bear¡¯s brute force was enough to be called overbearing. and it struggled madly to run outside. however, it could not exert effort on the sandy ground. this caused the giant desert bear to sink deep every time it landed. it could not extricate itself. its strength gradually exhausted under such a siege. in the end, the giant desert bear cried a wail and slowly sank into the ground. the entire process seemed long, but it only took three to five minutes¡­ richard finally realized how insane the quicksand was. it turned out that the giant desert bear did not think it would sink into quicksand upon entry into the land of quicksand. instead, it would trigger the quicksand after it had entered 1000 meters. when the other party realized something was wrong and wanted to escape, this 1000-meter distance would become the path of its death. after the giant bear had sunk into the yellow sand and died of lack of oxygen, the system notification rang out. [ding~ the land of quicksand has devoured a level 10 giant desert bear. you have gained ten experience points.] ¡®a level 10 bear only gave ten experience points?¡¯ the notification interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he looked at the pathetic ten experience points and shook his head. the higher the level, the harder it was to earn experience. if one wanted to obtain a large amount of experience quickly, one might have to reproduce the actions of killing dozens of people in the dungeon¡­ however, this was money he earned while he lay down. moreover, the quicksand land would continue to provide him with a steady stream of profits in the future. he wouldn¡¯t lose anything, no matter what. at that moment, the second system notification sounded. [ding~ your experience points are full. please complete the promotion mission in time. richard looked at the notification in exasperation. damn it. he had to embezzle these ten experience points¡­ his mind turned and his attention returned to the land of quicksand. he was amazed by the rule that the quicksand was only triggered when he was 1000 meters away. it directly avoided the awkward situation of the enemy¡¯s escape as soon as they stepped into the land of quicksand. it was a fatal blow that left no room for retreat. when he thought of this, he had an idea. his spirit spread out and sank into the sand below. not long after, a special feeling welled up in his heart. he had an understanding in his heart. as long as he wanted to, he could change the rules of triggering quicksand within 1000 meters at any time. there were two additional rules, but they had to conform to the characteristics of the land of quicksand. if they didn¡¯t, the land of quicksand couldn¡¯t do it. richard pondered for a moment, and his excitement grew. this 4-stars treasure was complicated. it was not as richard thought. how should he set the remaining two rules? while he pondered, he pulled out his spiritual power and sensed the land around him again. at this moment, the second batch of field troops had arrived. the golden fruit of the god¡¯s ancient tree was indeed worthy of being called bait. in the next two to three hours. the soldiers in the wild that had not been killed by the twilight city¡¯s troops immediately swarmed over like sharks that had smelled blood after they sensed the aura. the land of quicksand, which had a diameter of 10 kilometers, had now become a graveyard where it swallowed everything. richard enjoyed the thrill that he collected money while he sat. the only thing that annoyed him was that his level was stuck. and he wasted all the experience points. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s fishing with the golden fruit previously was not 100% accurate. some of the more intelligent soldiers in the wild could easily sense that something was wrong when they saw the terrifying appearance of the other party. no matter how great the temptation was, they didn¡¯t care and turned to leave. the ones caught were usually the beast-type troops with lower intelligence. but with the addition of quicksand, the situation was different. many troops in the wild quickly rushed over after they smelled the golden fruit scent. however, before they could see the god¡¯s ancient tree and sense something was wrong, they felt the ground had collapsed¡­ by the time they reacted and wanted to leave, the path of retreat had already become a land of death. this distance of 1000 meters was too fatal. however, there were accidents along the way. richard saw with his own eyes a squadron of desert kobolds that used their comrades as stepping stones to escape the quicksand. although this method was cruel, it was effective¨Ceven though they were still 500 meters away from the safety zone after being devoured. but richard also saw a loophole. the scene of the kobold chieftain running away while it stepped its companion¡¯s body made the troop leader pitiful when it wailed while the quicksand swallowed it. then, he silently changed the rule of triggering quicksand from 1000 meters to 1500 meters. in this way, the enemy¡¯s tactic of stepping on the corpses of their comrades to leave would be less effective. how many people would it take to fill up the 1500-meter gap? ¡®gratitude to these great hound-head soldiers. their sacrifices are worth it and glorious. praise them¡­¡¯ richard didn¡¯t feel tired even after he stayed from morning to afternoon. he was in a good mood as he watched his prey come up to him one by one to give him warmth. a term appeared in his mind-automatic fishing device. for some reason, he began to look forward to the instance dungeon next month¡­ Chapter 284 it was only in the afternoon that richard returned to twilight city with the reluctant emily. the god¡¯s ancient tree continued to stay here and fish. with the land of quicksand, this automatic fishing device was a super killer weapon. he was also glad to see that the land of quicksand was north of twilight city. it formed a protective barrier between the agricultural area and the desert outside. !! in the future, if any enemy wanted to attack twilight city from the north, they would encounter the land of quicksand first. richard was a little disappointed. what a pity. ¡°if i could obtain a few more quicksand lands, it would be great to surround twilight city. by then, whoever comes would be the first to die¡­¡± richard let emily go and have fun on her own after they returned to the territory and saw the busy residents. he went straight to the blacksmith shop. ¡°lord¡­¡± a few hurried apprentices saluted him with their hands on their chests. ¡°where is adele?¡± he asked. ¡°miss adele is in the backyard.¡± richard waved his hand. he told the apprentices to go on with their businesses. he then strode through the hall and into the backyard. the extraordinary hunter with a broken appearance appeared in his sight. however, he immediately noticed that this mechanical marionette was different. compared to a few days ago, the current extraordinary hunter had been tremendously repaired and no longer looked like it could collapse at any time. richard glanced at the attribute panel after he opened it. his mood immediately perked. extraordinary hunter, damage-60%, usable for 4 hours. as expected of adele, how many days had it been? she had reduced the damage of the transcendent hunter by 10%. and she restored its usage time to four hours. the current extraordinary hunters were enough to support a high-intensity war. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± she said. at this moment, a clear voice came from behind. he turned around and saw the slender figure of adele. dirt covered her clothes, and it was distinct she had just left the fire. the young girls approached richard. her eyes smiled. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve used gemstones, crystals, and mithril to increase extraordinary hunter¡¯s speed recovery¡­¡± i can repair it in two weeks, at most, if we have sufficient resources. richard¡¯s heart ached as she said that. ¡°there¡¯s less than half of the mithril you gave me¡­¡± richard laughed. ¡°you¡¯ve done a great job and helped me a lot.¡± ¡°if we want to repair the extraordinary hunter, the resources we need can be said to be heavenly. it¡¯s difficult to gather them in a short time. so there¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡± ¡°although mithril is precious, don¡¯t be too calculative. use it as you wish. if you don¡¯t use the resources, do you want to leave them in the warehouse to rot?¡± adele smiled happily. richard¡¯s constant support moved her heart. it was such a blessing she could work for such a lord. richard asked. it was like he remembered something. ¡°is there any apprentice in the blacksmith shop that is worth training? ¡°you¡¯re too busy right now and can¡¯t care about anything else. i plan to train a new hero to share some of your tasks and specialize in research on technology¡­¡± the speed of technological advancement in twilight city was sluggish. in the past three months, they had strengthened the bandaged mummy, scorpion warrior, and undead soldiers only. the rest of the troops were still in a blank state. after they had reinforced them, the troops¡¯ battle power would increase by at least 20%. the difference was distinct. however, adele was too busy to leave. he could only think of another way. moreover, there was a restriction in upgrading the territory from a small city to a middle city¨Cit had to have advanced technology. it would be a loss to invest resources into technology, whether on planet blue or in this world. when adele heard this, she smiled bitterly. ¡°my lord, these apprentices are all very diligent and motivated, but in terms of talent¡­ i really can¡¯t take it out.¡± richard had a headache. the residents of twilight city were almost all refugees who had fled from other places. the quality was uneven. and it was arduous to pick a few good seedlings from them. ¡°pay more attention. we¡¯re in need of talent now. ¡°especially the seminar. you must make good use of it. ¡°if there are no talents, then we will take the initiative to cultivate¡­¡± just as the two of them chatted happily, an apprentice suddenly knocked on the door and reported. ¡°my lord, master brown is outside requesting to see you outside.¡± ¡°brown?¡± ¡®did this gray-colored alchemist make any discoveries recently?¡¯ richard nodded and stopped his conversation with adele. he asked the apprentice to lead the way and left the blacksmith shop. as one of the core buildings, he had issued a ban a few days ago¨Coutsiders were not allowed to enter the blacksmith shop without permission. he will deal with those who disobey military orders. of course, he also banned the tailor shop. richard didn¡¯t care about the other departments that didn¡¯t do well. in twilight city, if one wanted to win respect, one could only rely on their results. nothing else was substantial. he had deliberately created an atmosphere of competition. a stagnant pool of water could raise good fish. and from the performance these days, it had indeed affected everyone. the other departments that made no progress now tried their best to make some achievements. all wanted to make their department the third military-restricted area of twilight city. as soon as he walked out of the door, he saw the level 12 gray-colored dwarf alchemist with a naturally deformed arm as short as a bean sprout-brown. ¡°good day, lord.¡± the moment brown saw richard, it subconsciously wanted to kneel and kowtow but held back. it saluted with an intact arm on its chest. richard nodded. after these few days, it had progressed and no longer knelt on the ground. brown¡¯s humble attitude annoyed richard when they talked about business. he just wanted a reliable assistant. he did not wish for a timid slave who wouldn¡¯t raise its head and only knew how to answer. ¡°brown, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the gray-colored dwarf alchemist immediately responded. ¡°lord, i have found a way to remove the seal in lady xina¡¯s body. but¡­¡± brown stopped halfway through his words and hesitated. richard had been pleasantly surprised, but he couldn¡¯t help but frown at the sight. ¡°don¡¯t worry, just say what you have to say.¡± brown was still a little afraid, but under richard¡¯s intense gaze, the gray-colored dwarf alchemist braced itself and said, ¡± ¡°it¡¯s miss emily¡­ the blood in her body contains a vast amount of power, and can withstand the seal in lady xina¡¯s body.¡± brown was also quite conflicted when it confirmed the matter in the past two days. it was afraid that richard would kill him in a fit of rage. after all, she called richard ¡°father¡­¡± it was also curious about the centaur¡¯s mother. richard wasn¡¯t as angry as brown had expected. instead, he was pleasantly surprised. ¡°are you sure emily can do it?¡± brown heaved a sigh of relief and immediately responded. yes, the energy in miss emily¡¯s blood is supremely enormous. no one is more suitable than her. richard understood. after all, emily was once a demigod. she was still a demigod. although her power had disappeared along with the destruction of the land of the broken laws. however, she still had the foundation of a demigod, and the blood flowing in her body was still full of power. ¡°how much blood does it take to break the seal? will it affect her?¡± brown patted its chest and said confidently. ¡°lord, although i didn¡¯t develop the alchemy blood exchange technique, i¡¯ve already thoroughly understood it to refute the other party. ¡°even if it can¡¯t break the seal, we won¡¯t let emily and lady xina get hurt.¡± richard relaxed. ¡°do you need any other ingredients other than the blood of emily?¡± ¡°i need 10000 units of mithril to inscribe an alchemy magic array.¡± brown further explained, ¡°this process requires an abundance of magic power at all times¡­¡± richard nodded. his heart beat with excitement. he had long looked forward to xina, the strapping warrior that gods cursed to break free from her shackles. he just doesn¡¯t know if the other party could break through the limits of an a-rank hero and become an even more powerful existence after the process breaks the seal. ****** author¡¯s note: i have time to write today. but i¡¯m quite stuck. i¡¯ve been writing for four to five hours. i¡¯ve repeatedly written and deleted. my head is empty. i don¡¯t know what to write. let¡¯s ask if there¡¯s anything that everyone wants to see but i failed to include. or a plot that anyone found interesting¡­ if there is, i welcome my friends to suggest it and inspire me. i felt like my brain wasn¡¯t enough. i want to crowdsource to write a novel¡­ Chapter 285 richard immediately told brown to choose the location after he decided. the location was in the lord¡¯s mansion¡¯s hall since the alchemy workshop was still under construction. brown immediately set up the array after it got 10,000 units of mercury. this level 12 alchemist was outstanding. it had filled the hall with alchemy magic array runes in just a day. !! the dense magic fluctuations were like surging tides. they looked dazzling. on the evening of the 27th of july, xina received the news and came to the lord¡¯s mansion hall with excitement. she found the long table at the center moved. a black stone platform engraved with magic runes replaced it. an indescribable mystery filled all of this. ¡°xina, are you ready to welcome a new life?¡± richard walked down the stairs. he smiled as he approached, and anticipation filled his eyes. ¡°the light of the krina tribe will once again shine upon you. ¡°twilight city will also shine because of you.¡± ¡°lord richard¡­¡± she said. she was a fearless warrior with a strong mind and dared to charge even in the face of a dragon. her eyes turned red as she watched the handsome figure approach. at this moment, she was extremely touched. after the twilight city troops rescued her from the lizardmen, she agreed to stay temporarily in the territory to find a way to break the seal in the ancient ruins. she had only wanted to explore the ancient ruins in the beginning. and she did yet pay attention to twilight city. she didn¡¯t expect richard to keep his promise to break the seal for her. her firm heart constantly waved in the face of a lord who treated her like this. eventually, she quietly felt it was worth it to die for him. the other party¡¯s charm made her feel sincerely convinced. her experience during this time replayed in her mind like a movie. finally, she fixed her gaze on the figure that smiled in front of her. ¡°xina, i promised you i would help you break the seal in your body.¡± richard looked at the girl with a unique temperament in front of him and said in a particular tone. ¡°now, it¡¯s time to honor it.¡± ¡°my lord¡­¡± xina opened her mouth. she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. she could only stare at him in a daze. it was like she wanted to imprint his face into her soul. at this moment, a cheerful figure entered the hall. the crisp voice immediately relaxed the atmosphere in the room. ¡°father¡­¡± ¡°sister xina¡­¡± emily squeezed her way out from between the two. her eyes were wide open as she looked around curiously. ¡°so many magic runes¡­ father, are we going to set up a magic array?¡± richard¡¯s mood brightened when he saw the pure look in her eyes. he reached out and pinched her little face. ¡°an evil guy sealed xina¡¯s body. and she suffered. today, we¡¯ll help your big sister xina break the seal and let her regain her freedom. ¡°but i need your help.¡± emily was happy to hear this. ¡°father, i¡¯m willing. i¡¯m willing¡­¡± she said. richard explained everything to centaur without hiding anything. emily clenched her fists tightly. her face turned pale. she subconsciously hid behind richard. but then, she raised her head and said firmly. ¡°father, although i¡¯m afraid of pain, i¡¯ll help sister xina¡­¡± she said. as she spoke, she clenched her young fists. it was like she encouraged herself. richard¡¯s eyes grew gentler as he patted her head. ¡°it won¡¯t hurt. you¡¯ll be fine after you sleep on the stone platform¡­¡± emily¡¯s expression brightened up, and her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°sure! i love sleeping.¡± he then turned to look at xina and comforted her. ¡°sister xina, don¡¯t be afraid of pain. i¡¯m not afraid anymore.¡± xina looked at the young face that gave her sincere advice. an indescribable emotion rose in her heart. her eyes seemed to be a little blurry. she took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°big sister xina will learn from emily.¡± ¡°father, big sister xina said she wanted to learn from me. hahaha, am i not great?¡± richard was generous with his praise. ¡°of course, you¡¯re the best. everyone in twilight city has praised you.¡± people and dogs despise naughty children, but they especially love sensible ones. ¡°lord, it¡¯s ready.¡± alchemist brown was soaringly excited while sweat covered its forehead. it was a primary battle for him to show off its abilities. the only thing allowed was a success! richard looked at brown and could not help but laugh. it was in a different state from before. he found that these scientific researchers were like different people once they entered their field. when adele did the research, she was in the same state as brown. ¡°safety first. if there¡¯s a problem, we must ensure their safety. even if we fail, we can¡¯t let them get hurt.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± brown¡¯s expression turned serious. he directed the excited xina and the bouncing emily to sleep on the stone platform. emily was a centaur. so she could only lie on her side. xina faced the ceiling. she felt nervous, excited, and in disbelief. all sorts of emotions were intertwined. she had never been so nervous in her entire life. however, the constant chatter in her ears soothed her mood. ¡°sister xina, let¡¯s go collect honey later. honey is my favorite. ¡°sister xina, father took me to play in the desert yesterday¡­ the tree roots are supremely strapping. they can run very fast in the sand. father said that the tree roots control the quicksand. sister xina, do you know what quicksand is? ¡°ah, a mosquito bit me¡­¡± she said. he turned his head and looked at the little centaur whose eyes moved around. at this moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of peace. a moment later, xina felt the magical energy around her gradually rise. then, she felt sleepy. she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and slowly closed her eyes. however, she did not fall into a deep sleep. she still retained a trace of consciousness. in the blurriness, she felt like something sliced her wrist open. her power began to surge out rapidly. her body gradually became weak and powerless. in the end, even breathing became difficult. she couldn¡¯t sense the pain, only the general process. when the last bit of energy in her body disappeared, she felt like she had entered a dark prison. nothingness enveloped her. it was as if this was a world outside the endless plane. and darkness was the only color. there was no concept of time in this pitch-black land of death. it was a long, long time. everything in this world seemed to have nothing to do with her. lonely and helpless. an indescribable thought rose in her heart. why not just sleep forever¡­? however, the will in the depths of her heart supported her. she didn¡¯t sink into it. she didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. it felt like a minute, but it also felt like centuries. suddenly, an unfamiliar power entered her body through her wrist. the connection with her body that she couldn¡¯t sense gradually restored. a ray of light lit up the dark space just as she rejoices. then, she sensed a unique scene. a father sent a five or six years old small centaur to a land with countless lakes that hung upside down in the sky. he knelt in front of a shadow that exuded endless majesty. that was the master of this world¡­ a deity. the centaur received a gift from a faceless god and gained control of a supremely enormous amount of energy while she was confused. furthermore, she had also gained an endless lifespan. as long as this area existed, she would never die. the only restriction was that she could not leave. from then on, the little centaurs began to guard this majestic area. she gradually understood that something had shattered the land of the broken laws during the battle between the gods. a powerful god had fallen here. the god had her guard the area to prevent the resurrection of the fallen god. gods had chosen her because of the special bloodline in her body. it could carry the power the gods bestowed. in the beginning, the little centaur was very happy. she thought this was a matter of great responsibility. she took the initiative to guard this area. she patrolled day and night. however, as time passed, this area was still deathly silent. the centaur could not leave this area. she was too lonely. then, she helped the only remaining race in the area¨Cthe half-murlocs. she thought she would live like this forever. however, 200,000 years later, there was a sudden change. the half-murloc suddenly reported to her that they had found a remarkable area. the little centaur that had already grown into a demigod immediately went to investigate. she discovered that the area was an incomplete divine kingdom. in the divine kingdom, she even discovered the aura of a god¡­ the fallen god was not dead yet! furthermore, the opponent recovered its strength. to complete its mission. the demigod centaur gathered all the half-murloc people and charged into the broken divine kingdom with her. they had killed the diety with only a wisp of soul power left this time. but the centaur was almost dead. after the deity died, the god¡¯s kingdom devoured its divine power kingdom. the fragile divine kingdom miraculously stabilized. it formed a remarkable plane. the severely injured centaur could no longer destroy the divine kingdom. she was worried the remaining power of the divine kingdom had also contaminated some half-murlocs. to end future trouble, she forcibly suppressed her god kingdom in the core of the land of the broken laws. however, a bigger problem appeared. as time passed, the suppression did not destroy the god¡¯s kingdom. instead, it gradually devoured the chaotic rule force around it and slowly perfected itself. the little centaur¡¯s power rested on the land of the broken laws. after she lost her power in the land of the broken laws, her strength also became weaker. under such circumstances, she could no longer deal with god¡¯s kingdom. in addition, her injuries got increasingly severe. so she had no choice but to seal her soul and fall into a deep sleep. gradually, generation after generation of murloc folk died. the little centaur that sealed its soul had gone from its original dominant position to a helper for the half-murlocs. as for the rules of the land of broken laws, they gradually ceased to become a threat to the plane because of the devoured chaotic laws. time could erase everything, and no one would remember what existed here. no one cared about what was here. the world forgot everything. after an endless amount of time. suddenly, one day, the little centaur that had fallen into a deep sleep woke up. she suddenly discovered that the land of the broken laws she guarded for hundreds of thousands of years crumbled. the chains and prison on her body were no longer there, and she could leave this area freely. however, before she could be happy, the collapse of the surrounding rules made her power disappear completely. after that, the collapse wounded again her already battered soul. she had lost her memories. then, the little centaur opened its eyes and saw its father¡­ after xina finished reading the memory, only one thought appeared in her hazy consciousness. that god realm suppressed in the land of the broken laws didn¡¯t disappear. and she knew how to open it. Chapter 286 after xina watched the memory, she fell into darkness again. however, there was a difference from before. this time, she didn¡¯t feel helpless. the strength in her body quickly recovered. !! and that power no longer had the pressure that carried a heavy burden on her back. an unprecedented sense of relaxation gushed into her heart. with the influx of power, she regained control of her body. she quietly sensed that special aura circulated in her soul. although it was weak, it was like a tender sprout in spring. it was full of vitality and vigor. it was not a power she was familiar with. but it was intensely compatible with her. xina accepted the new power. she fused with it very happily. that special power was like a catalyst that caused her original strength to transform. as time passed, she felt her strength grow increasingly boundless. in the end, it was like lava flowed in her blood vessels. it was fulfilling and satisfying. time slowly passed. xina had no idea how much time had passed. it was as if they had experienced the collapse of an era. finally, the power in her body reached a limit. she regained control of her body and used all her strength to open her eyes. the sky dome ceiling came into view. her blurry vision gradually cleared up. her thoughts woke up from the mist¡­ at this moment, her body felt more relaxed than ever. the power in her body roared like thousands of rivers. the seal in her body had disappeared. xina¡¯s eyes turned red as she looked at the ceiling. bean-sized tears fell from the corners of her eyes and dripped into her hair near her ears. she had waited this day for far too long. after a long time, she managed to suppress her inner emotions. it was like she had thought of something. she turned her head slightly and looked at emily. she lay beside xina. the little centaur slept very soundly. its mouth still savored the taste. it was like she dreamed of something delicious. gentleness filled her eyes. she thought of the hundreds of thousands of years of emily¡¯s life. when he was five or six years old, her father sent her to that cold area. she lived a life without anyone to help her. she didn¡¯t even have anyone to talk to for a long time. although she had received the gods¡¯ blessings and obtained eternal life and the power of a demigod, it also imprisoned her. moreover, it was an endless imprisonment. one could think about it. it could imagine how shocking the loneliness and helplessness of guarding that land of broken the laws was. perhaps, after the collapse of the land of broken laws, emily lost her memories and returned to the age when she entered that area. it was the blessing of the goddess of luck. to return to childhood was a dream adults have the most while they lay in bed. xina let out a soft sigh and reached to touch her face, then sat up from the stone platform. ¡°lord, lady xina just woke up¡­¡± the soldiers who guarded the outside immediately passed the news out. soon, the sound of hurried footsteps approached quickly. then, the figure she remembered in her soul appeared in front. ¡°lord richard.¡± the smile on xina¡¯s face was brighter than ever. then, the girl seemed to have thought of something and slowly came down from the stone platform. slowly, she made her way to richard¡¯s side in front of everyone. she knelt on one knee. there was an indescribable solemness and determination in her tone. ¡°my lord richard, xina of the krina tribe swears an oath to you. ¡°from this moment on, i will defend your honor with my blood and soul. ¡°i¡¯m willing to be the sharp blade in your hand and clear all obstacles for you¡­ ¡°in the name of the desert, bear witness to my oath.¡± the familiar beep of the system notification reached richard¡¯s ears. [ding~ you have completed the hero recruitment mission. xina of the krina tribe is now officially your subordinate.] [ding~ you have used a special alchemy technique to break the divine seal in xina krina¡¯s body. it has released her potential. [in breaking the seal, she fused with a powerful bloodline and enhanced her potential.] [in breaking the seal, she devoured the weak divine power contained in god¡¯s seal and transformed it into her power. it intensely increased her potential.] [ding~ xina krina, potential promotion to beyond a-rank.] ¡°a beyond a-rank hero?¡± richard looked at the system notification in surprise. and then he burst out laughing. ¡°beyond a-rank!¡± it was a huge profit! just as he felt extremely excited, the system notification sounded again. [ding~ you have broken the god seal of the krina tribe. you have attracted the hostility of the evil god, kurto.] [it has marked your territory as a place that the kobolds hate. kurto¡¯s believers and worshippers will see you as an enemy. they will attack your city.] ¡°kurto?¡± a place that the dog-headed people hated? richard calmed himself down and read the notification twice. his brows furrowed. ¡°the creator of the divine seal is the god of kobolds?!¡± the god who had the divine titles of greed and plunder was not a good person. ¡°what had the krina tribe done in the past? why would the god of the kobolds target them?¡± no, now that evil god also targets him. richard pondered. in the ¡°shining era¡±, gods could not descend to the plane because their powers were too great. it was okay if he had offended them. but this was a beyond a-rank hero. even if the other party did not like him, he could only summon his believers to attack him. it could not do it personally. while richard pondered, he looked at the figure who still knelt on the ground. ¡°get up, xina. twilight city will need your protection in the future.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll do my best!¡± unprecedented determination filled xina¡¯s tone. her life and soul belonged to the handsome human overlord in front of her the moment the seal broke in her body. she would listen to all his orders unconditionally. she was fearless even in the face of death. after she got up, xina turned her head to look at the little centaur on the stone platform and said in a gentle tone. ¡°lord richard, how much longer until little sister emily wakes up?¡± richard gave her a second look. they weren¡¯t that close before. ¡°emily has lost a portion of her blood. she will need two to three days to recover. ¡°although she¡¯s fragile, it wouldn¡¯t affect her much. ¡°a portion of your blood has also entered emily¡¯s body. she has also benefited a lot.¡± only then did xina¡¯s expression relax. then, it was like she remembered something. she turned around and looked at richard with a solemn expression. ¡°i saw the memories of emily when i was in a deep sleep.¡± richard blinked. ¡°memories?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. all the memories of hundreds of thousands of years¡­¡± xina¡¯s tone carried a hint of sadness. ¡°a father sent a child of only five or six years to a hopeless area, and the child guarded alone for hundreds of thousands of years.¡± ¡°how helpless was this? ¡°while she guarded that area, didn¡¯t this imprison her as well?¡± then, she suddenly thought of something and said it solemnly. ¡°lord richard, in emily¡¯s memories, a god who fell in that land of the broken laws. ¡°she was stationed in that area, mostly because of that fallen god.¡± ¡°a fallen god?¡± richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°that¡¯s right. and after emily guarded for hundreds of thousands of years, they discovered that the fallen god was still alive. ¡°it even repaired a part of its divine kingdom.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. there was such a secret? he asked in a deep voice. ¡°what happened after that?¡± ¡°after that, emily led her subordinates into the divine kingdom and killed the remnant soul of the fallen god. ¡°but she was severely injured. she could no longer destroy that divine kingdom. ¡°to prevent the gods from using the divine kingdom to revive again, emily suppressed it deep within the land of the broken laws. ¡°however, after hundreds of thousands of years, it destroyed the divine kingdom and devoured the broken natural order in that area. it also formed a new dimension. ¡°lord richard, i know where the divine kingdom is. and i know how to open its door¡­¡± richard looked at xina¡¯s solemn expression. the fluctuations in her emotions were even more intense than when she became a hero with the potential to become beyond a-rank. emily guarded the land of the broken laws that suppressed the fallen god. and the other party resurrected halfway? although it killed in the end, one was left behind¡­ a divine kingdom? xina knew where the divine kingdom was, and she could open it. a beyond a-rank hero, a divine kingdom¡­ wasn¡¯t the harvest this time a little unreasonable? but why did he feel so comfortable¡­ Chapter 287 richard took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. he thought for a moment and asked. ¡°xina, do you know what¡¯s in that divine kingdom?¡± xina¡¯s face turned serious as she said carefully. !! ¡°emily found a broken part of a god¡¯s body inside¡­¡± ¡°god¡­ body?¡± richard¡¯s mouth went dry. ¡°such a thing exists?¡± xina said seriously. ¡°the fallen god resurrected because of this divine body. ¡°and because the divine body contains enormous divinity, it¡¯s difficult to destroy it with ordinary means. ¡°that severely injured emily after it annihilated the god¡¯s remnant soul. she could not deal with it and could only seal it.¡± richard¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°so, the divine body is still in the divine kingdom?¡± xina gave richard positive answers and also revealed more secrets. ¡°that¡¯s right. the corpse is still there¡­ moreover, its divinity is constantly emitting, polluting many half-murlocs. ¡°over the past hundreds of thousands of years, the contaminated half-murlocs reproduced. ¡°during her last investigation, emily found a powerful half-murloc troop in the divine kingdom, with an average level of over level 15.¡± she hesitated as she spoke. ¡°if you plan to explore that divine kingdom, i suggest you develop it for a while and wait for the military to be strong before you explore it. ¡°it¡¯s hard to deal with that contaminated half-murlocs with our current strength. ¡°and after such a long time, no one can be sure if a powerful evil life has been born among the contaminated half-murlocs.¡± with the speed of development of the city, she believed that it would not take long for it to grow to a higher level. xina had absolute confidence in richard. richard nodded. it took him a long time to digest the explosive news. the body of a god! words could not simply describe the value of this item. the only pity was that he couldn¡¯t explore it now. with an average level of 15, this was a high-level map, and the military power of twilight city was far from enough to explore it. he took a deep breath and warned her seriously. ¡°we can¡¯t let a third person know about the divine kingdom.¡± richard turned to look at centaur, who was still sound asleep. ¡°is there any chance of recovering emily¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°it¡¯s highly arduous. it has injured emily¡¯s soul twice. this kind of damage is irreparable.¡± ¡°don¡¯t mention to her that you¡¯ve obtained her memories¡­¡± he said. xina sighed. ¡°as you wish.¡± ¡°this time, i¡¯ll let emily have a happy childhood. ¡°there was no need for her to bear with those unpleasant memories.¡± richard suddenly thought of something. he opened xina¡¯s attribute panel. her beyond a-rank skills made him feel highly dazzled. he knew better than anyone how powerful beyond a-rank skills were. moreover, xina had also leveled up to level 12, and the increase in attributes was outrageous. now, there was another abnormal existence in twilight city. this paralyzing warrior of the krina tribe had finally removed the shackles on her body. it was about to bloom with its edge. her investment during this period had finally paid off. and she was in a great mood. xina seemed to have thought of something and said softly. ¡°lord richard, i need to tell my people how to break the seal¡­¡± it was what she had always pursued. richard laughed. ¡°of course, you should not carry the shackles on your bodies.¡± he said meaningfully. ¡°if the krina tribe doesn¡¯t have an alchemist to help them, you can ask them to come to twilight city.¡± ¡®the famous krina tribe in the desert should have a hero as powerful as her, right? at that time, if 30 to 50 of them came, couldn¡¯t they ascend to the heavens?¡¯ xina explained when she saw through his thoughts. ¡°lord richard, our tribe has a master alchemist¡­ it is the law of the krina tribe, so i can¡¯t summon my tribesmen here.¡± ¡°what about you?¡± ¡°i¡¯m alone, and i have a mission¡­¡± ¡®damn, there¡¯s such an unreasonable rule?¡¯ richard wanted to tell them that the ¡°shining era¡± should break the cage of the old and pursue freedom¡­ the twilight city was very suitable. ¡°just pass on my message. anyone who wants to look outside is welcome at any time.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± ¡°how do you contact them?¡± ¡°i have a special magic item that can send a message directly to the tribe. however, i can only use it once and only in the most urgent situation.¡± xina¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she spoke. a smile from the bottom of her heart sparked. her ultimate pursuit was to break the seal. now, twilight city finally made this happen. the feeling of being shackled down was indescribable. and all are inseparable without the support of the charismatic lord in front of her. richard understood. when he looked at the impatient xina, he waved her off. he was in a good mood as he watched xina disappear around the corner. xina finally got her wish. however, before richard could sustain happiness, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ this week is a special disaster week¨Ca rainstorm. lords, please take note.] [ding~ the system has refreshed the spawn rate of all soldier types and lairs. lords, please recruit them.] xina¡¯s transformation took two days. it was already eight o ¡®clock on the evening of august 1st. the day was monday. and the system refreshed the troop lairs again. richard opened the territory panel and glanced. the troop lairs had already accumulated two weeks¡¯ worth of production. but richard had not recruited a single one. the troop-type lair could only accumulate two weeks¡¯ worth of production. he had to recruit all of them before august 8th. otherwise, he couldn¡¯t make it in time for the next troop lair refresh. after he thought for a while, he asked someone to call karu. ¡°i¡¯m going to the underground world immediately. make arrangements for the territory.¡± the old gray-haired karu nodded and said hesitantly. ¡°lord, we need to start building the city wall of the territory.¡± richard¡¯s expression was a little strange. ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. i already have one.¡± the old gray-haired karu was stunned. ¡°why didn¡¯t i see it?¡± richard stretched out his hand, and a miniature wall appeared in his hand. ¡°my lord¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°a god-given treasure that can directly build a city wall around the territory.¡± the old gray-haired karu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°where did you get this? it is too amazing¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression was unreadable. ¡°a friend gave it to me.¡± he didn¡¯t expect [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] to be so powerful. the other party had previously sent richard a private message early morning. he said he had a colossal treasure to see. before he could say he wasn¡¯t gay, the other party sent him the attributes. [city wall] [level: special] [special property: able to build a 20-meter tall wall for a small city. its effect is the same as an ordinary wall. additional special property-rock-solid. the soldiers on the walls have their defense increased by 20% and strength increased by 20%.] to place the city wall would require 2 million units of stone. [description: a treasure passed down from the ancient era. rare and precious. ] when he borrowed 5000 units of mercury from [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon], he had asked him to get him a blueprint of the city wall. he didn¡¯t expect that this guy would directly get a city wall, and it even came with attributes. this gesture touched richard. he quickly asked the other party to help him get a few divine weapons¡­ however, even though he had obtained the item, he could not use it. it required a total of 2 million units of stone to build city walls. the twilight city could not gather so much money even if they emptied their pockets. furthermore, the troop-type lair upgrade and recruitment required tons of resources. it gave him a massive headache. he could only turn his attention back to the underground world. at the moment, the hunting speed was too slow. and the trade output was too low. they only gathered enough resources in a short time last time when they started the war and carried out large-scale sales of weapons and equipment. ¡°the other party must be a generous person to be able to give you such a precious treasure. praise him.¡± richard also smiled at karu¡¯s words. although [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was a little out of place, his character was still good. he could take out a 4-stars treasure¨Cthe mummy¡¯s heart. he gave it to richard without hesitation and did not ask anything in return. ¡°go and make the arrangements. wait for emily¡¯s stats to increase, and don¡¯t let her go to the desert. the territory might not be peaceful for the time being.¡± then, richard told karu about the seal in hina¡¯s body that alchemist brown broke. he also told him how the kobold god hates him. finally, richard warned. ¡°during this period, we must be extremely vigilant. i will leave a portion of the troop in charge of the territory¡¯s defense.¡± karu¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that the evil god who likes to plunder set up the seal in lady xina¡¯s body¡­ that god isn¡¯t an open-minded entity. perhaps, the kobold troop has already gathered by now.¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s why you need to be on guard. the desert is not the territory of the kobolds. they will need time to gather their troops even if they launch a surprise attack. ¡°i¡¯ll earn enough resources to build the city wall. ¡°whether it¡¯s the hostility of the kobolds or the attack of powerful dimensional monsters half a month later, none of them can shake our territory.¡± Chapter 288 in the underground world. alves seemed to burn with flames. it was quite conspicuous in the dim light. as it flew across the sky, the dragon¡¯s might it emitted swept around like a storm. the underground creatures on the surface fled in all directions in fear. !! dragons were the overlords of the sky and were undeniably high-level lifeforms. ordinary lifeforms would tremble in fear when faced with an existence of such a level. dozens of skeleton blood dragons followed closely behind alves. the cold-faced dark gargoyles followed. the sand condensation archers and the axe death knights rode behind. they held their weapons and were ready to attack at any time. richard sat on alves¡¯s back. his eyes were calm as he watched the scenery fly past him. the unique sights of the underground world did not attract him at all. he had to get to bloodhoof city the soonest to obtain enough resources. in half a month, the instance dungeon would open. he still had a lingering taste of the rewards he had earned from the instance dungeon. this time, tens of billions of people competed on the same stage. it was full of temptation for him. this time, he wanted to let everyone know the power of twilight city. the underground city that crawled on the ground like a giant beast appeared in sight after more than an hour. among the bards, the underground city was often on the same level as countless gold and gem paintings. richard thought so too. the underground world was a gold mine that one could not excavate unless strong enough. the bloodhoof city, under its continuous reconstruction, repaired the city wall that the giant alchemy cannons blew. the cruel baptism of war did not cause the city to lose its fangs. instead, it became increasingly shocking. only a few arrow towers behind the city wall looked like the teeth of wild beasts. they still need to rebuild them. bloodhoof city¡¯s defenses had not weakened but had grown stronger instead. that surprised richard, however. the wyverns in the sky, clad in heavy armor, were the most striking. their numbers exceeded five companies. the ferocious aura made people look sideways. the armored wyverns noticed alves¡¯s presence before it even got close. a twin-legged wyvern leader twice the size of its companions quickly arrived with a squadron of soldiers. however, when it got closer and saw alves with richard on its back, its hostility disappeared immediately. the wyverns lined up in two neat rows in the air under the leader¡¯s command. the dungeon barbarian sky soldiers placed their fists on their chests and saluted solemnly. although they were far away and no one said anything, their attitude was enough to explain everything. richard¡¯s eyes were calm as he commanded alves to fly through the wyverns. such a scene did not cause any ripples in his heart. he was no longer the weak existence who went hunting with more than a dozen bandaged mummies and would be excited to meet a few wild wolves¡­ a caravan loaded with two-armed half-snake men entered the bloodhoof city main gate. the eyes of the four-armed half-snake man leader immediately turned cold when it saw the skeleton blood dragons and dark gargoyles flew over the city wall. they were distinctly not the bloodhoof city troops. ¡°the lord of bloodhoof city said that no one is allowed to enter the city from the sky¡­ could it be those damned undead dragons are also from bloodhoof city?¡± when the nearest dungeon barbarian sky soldier heard this, it turned its head and looked at them with a disdainful expression. ¡°the gray-scaled tribe?¡± the leader of the half-snake men said while it suppressed its anger. ¡°that¡¯s right. the lord of bloodhoof city has invited us to engage in arms trade.¡± ¡°i would like to ask, why would the lord of bloodhoof city tell us we are not allowed to fly into the city, but the troops that rode the undead dragon could? ¡°they aren¡¯t bloodhoof city¡¯s troops, are they?! the tall dungeon barbarian soldier looked at the half-snake man leader from head to toe. ¡°why? i¡¯ll tell you the reason!¡± it pointed to the sky as it spoke. ¡°the one seated behind the first undead dragon is the surface lord who scared the dwarves of fortress city more than ten days ago¨Clord richard, the most respected friend of bloodhoof city.¡± the dungeon barbarian soldier¡¯s voice turned cold after it said that. ¡°tell me, what right to mention do the gray-colored dwarves have in the same breath as lord richard?¡± ¡°is it the level 11 chieftain or the squadron of wyverns?¡± horror reflected in the eyes of the four-armed half-snake man leader. he cried out involuntarily. ¡°he¡¯s the human overlord from the surface? the one whom dwarves of the fortress city offered a reward of ten million units of food for the terrifying existence of his head? ¡°ten million units of food! ¡°this was an exaggerated wealth in the underground world where food was scarce!¡± now, they could obtain it by killing a human. he had never heard of such a high reward, never! the dungeon barbarian soldier looked up at the disappearing figure of the skeleton blood dragon with an indescribable heat in its eyes. ¡°that¡¯s right! if you can make fortress city offer ten million food to hunt you down, you can make an exception for bloodhoof city today! ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense here if you can¡¯t do it. you don¡¯t have the right to negotiate with bloodhoof city! ¡°he had participated in the brutal war more than ten days ago. ¡°i had witnessed how the lord from the surface had saved bloodhoof city and scared the damn gray-colored dwarves out of their wits that caused them to throw away the giant alchemy cannons and escape. ¡°if it weren¡¯t for lord richard, bloodhoof city would have ceased to exist.¡± the half-snake man leader took two deep breaths and didn¡¯t dare to say another word. it has long time shattered the bit of dissatisfaction in its heart. bloodhoof city and fortress city were the two overlords of the underground world. it could force the long-prepared gray-colored dwarves to retreat and let these greedy lives offer a shocking price of ten million units of food to kill. one could only imagine how powerful the human from the surface was! one had to show enough respect to the strong. it was the most basic way of survival. richard had no idea what was going on down there. alves had just landed in the square in front city lord¡¯s mansion. the ruler of bloodhoof city, the level 15 hero, sel bloodhoof, immediately came out of the lord¡¯s mansion. before they even got close, he shouted. ¡°lord richard, the most honored guest of bloodhoof city, my friend! we welcome you!¡± the loud voice made the surrounding barbarian soldiers look at the handsome figure with curiosity and awe. most had not experienced that war. however, the reward of ten million units of food for the gray-colored dwarves and the hellish scene they had seen when they returned to bloodhoof city were enough for them to maintain the highest degree of respect for this human from the surface. ¡°long time no see, sel.¡± richard smiled back at sel. he clenched his fist in the air. after they exchanged a few pleasantries, sel excitedly pointed at a merchant group that had just entered the city. ¡°i¡¯ve followed the method we discussed last time these past few days and purchased several weapons and equipment from the outside world. ¡°other forces sent these caravans to do business.¡± passion shrouded his tone. ¡°lord richard, the amount of this deal is far beyond my expectations.¡± richard¡¯s eyes brightened. he didn¡¯t expect sel to be so efficient. it had only been a short while, and he had already gained something. he patted his chest and promised. ¡°no matter how many pieces of equipment you have, i¡¯ll take care of them all.¡± he then added. ¡°use food to exchange for all of them!¡± there were tens of billions of players in the market. even if they sold all the weapons and equipment in the underworld, it wouldn¡¯t cause much of a stir. it could not satisfy the hungry players at all. sel¡¯s heart burst with joy when he heard these bold words. his runes-engraved face revealed a smile brighter than a chrysanthemum. ¡°praise the gods!¡± the goddess of luck must have blessed him to meet such a rich man! the two looked at each other and laughed in a carefree manner. after sel returned to his senses, he seemed to have thought of something. and his tone suddenly became solemn. ¡°lord richard, you helped bloodhoof city defend against the enemy last time. and you¡¯ve made an enormous contribution. ¡°the food you brought even helped bloodhoof city tide over its crisis. ¡°the elders of the bloodhoof city council have unanimously decided to invite you to be the vice-president of the bloodhoof city council. ¡°we¡¯re willing to deepen our friendship with twilight city and share both honor and disgrace¡­¡± richard was astonished for a moment. he hadn¡¯t expected this. just as he was about to speak, a system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ your strength has won the recognition and respect of the dungeon barbarian soldiers. they have unanimously decided to invite you to become the vice-president of the bloodhoof city council after a discussion. (note: after you agree, you will unlock a new attribute¨Cglorious level.)] [glorious level: you can obtain this by doing glorious deeds. your reputation will be widely spread among the natives. the higher your glorious level is, the easier it is to attract high-level heroes to join you. the easier it is to make the wild troops surrender.] Chapter 289 richard¡¯s expression changed when he heard the notification. ¡°glorious level?¡± after he watched it a few more times, he suddenly became interested. doing legendary deeds would earn them points and would be spread among the natives. !! and a notable glorious level could attract heroes to take the initiative to join. it looked pretty good. come to think of it, as a human on the surface, he had to gain the approval of the underground overlord. they also took the initiative to invite him to be the vice president of the city council. his experience was indeed glorious¨Calthough the symbolic significance of this identity was greater than the practical significance. richard looked at the level 15 dungeon hero and said solemnly. ¡°sel, i accept your invitation.¡± ¡°may the friendship between twilight city and bloodhoof city be eternal!¡± the words without the slightest shirk made sel bloodhoof smile brightly. ¡°president sel, it¡¯s an honor for twilight city!¡± if the other players knew that an npc took the initiative to ask richard to be the vice-president of their city council and that richard had taken advantage of him after he had agreed, they would probably be more jealous than eating lemons. at this point, other than a few players who could make it, most needed to have the right to be looked at by high-level npcs. the players¡¯ development time was still short. [ding~ you have become the vice president of bloodhoof city¡¯s council. it will automatically activate attributes: glorious level.¡± [ding~ you have been recognized by the underground clan as a human from the surface and have obtained a high status. you have received 1 point for underground world mythos.] [ding~ fortress city has offered a reward of 10 million units of food for you for setting an unprecedented record in the underworld. your reputation has spread far and wide in the underworld, and you have gained one underworld glorious point.] the system notifications put richard in a good mood. richard¡¯s expression became a little strange after a few glances. he could understand why he had to become the vice-president of bloodhoof city to gain a glorious level. why did fortress city offer a reward of ten million units of food? would the gray-colored dwarves be willing to spend so much money? the food in the underground world and the food on the surface were two different concepts. however, both sides were already mortal enemies, so there was no problem for the other party to do so. this high reward had added another glorious deed to his list. it was a benefit given to him by the gray-colored dwarf. richard opened up his legend status panel with a burning curiosity. [glorious level: 2 (famous reputation, limited to the underground world)] [additional feature: deterrence-intimidate enemies with lower mythos than you, causing them to feel awe. there is a slim chance of attracting dungeon heroes to take the initiative to join you. when entering the underworld city, the relationship will automatically be upgraded to cold.] the attributes didn¡¯t look bad. the key was that he did not pay anything. and it was purely an extra gain for whoring. when he obtained more glorious points, the additional attributes would continue to increase in the future. perhaps one day, he only needed to say his name, and the field troops and heroes would kowtow to him. just like gods, when a powerful god descended on the main plane, the troops in the wild would probably kneel before the other party before they spoke. it was deterrence. the only pity was that these two points of glorious level were only effective in the underground world. he was delighted, and his gaze on sel became increasingly kind after the harvest. the underground world had an endless amount of gold. the two entered the city lord¡¯s mansion together in a harmonious atmosphere. in the hall, they sat opposite each other. after a few minutes of small talk, richard brought the topic back to business. ¡°have there been any strange movements from the gray-colored dwarves?¡± sel¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°ever since you scared away those lowly beings, they have not dared to invade bloodhoof city. ¡°they even vomited out the territories that they had originally occupied.¡± as he spoke, emotion filled his eyes. it was the deterrence of top-level battle power. richard had scared the gray-colored dwarves out of their wits. and all of their powers cooped in fortress city, no longer as arrogant as before. as sel spoke, he seemed to have thought of something, and his tone became serious. ¡°vice-president richard, the dwarves are scared. but they haven¡¯t given up yet. ¡°fortress city had looked for a way to deal with you. ¡°they offered a sky-high price of 10 million units of food as a reward for your life a week ago.¡± sel gritted his teeth at this point. it was like something had poked his wound. ¡°ten million units of food! the land occupied by those damn bastards is too fertile!¡± ¡®good lord, did he have to be so excited? ¡®but why do i feel like you¡¯re not worried about me? but targeting the 10 million units of food?¡¯ richard waved his hand dismissively. this proves that the gray-colored dwarves are guilty instead. there¡¯s no need to worry. as sel said that, richard¡¯s eyes revealed a probing look. ¡°i left in a hurry the last time and forgot to ask what the strongest trump card of fortress city was?¡± sel¡¯s expression was off as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°an intensely strapping alchemy weapon. it¡¯s a hundred times more paralyzing than a giant alchemy cannon. ¡°a hundred years ago, when bloodhoof city was at its strongest, the vanguard of the troop once suppressed fortress city. ¡°but i still failed in the end¡­ ¡°my grandfather, a powerful existence who was about to become an extraordinary warrior, was buried under that terrifying alchemy weapon.¡± sel consoled richard when he saw his serious face. the weapons of the gray-colored dwarves are powerful. but their size is also intensely exaggerated. they can only use them to defend cities. as long as we don¡¯t go to fortress city, there won¡¯t be any major problems. richard nodded. as expected, there were no weaklings in the underground forces. then, he asked curiously. ¡°bloodhoof city should have such a weapon too. why didn¡¯t they use it last time?¡± sel shrugged helplessly. ¡°when my father was hunting that transcendent black dragon, the dragon breath destroyed the weapon¡­ richard was left speechless. no wonder the dwarves were so unscrupulous. his trump card was gone, so how could he blame his opponent for not caring about martial virtue? he then asked about the alchemy weapon of the gray-colored dwarves, and sel answered the details. this underground world had already become his exclusive property, and they had to clean all disharmonious voices in the future. fortress city was the biggest obstacle. richard had a rough idea of what was going on. after he took this matter to his heart, he didn¡¯t dwell on it. there was plenty of time to resolve it in the future. he shifted his attention to the primary purpose of his visit to the underground world. ¡°how many weapons have the other underground prison forces transported during this period?¡± sel immediately perked up. ¡°countless, ¡°after i spread the news and bought some equipment with food, it spread around.¡± in the past ten days, dozens of merchant groups have entered bloodhoof city. he didn¡¯t expect the response to be so big, so he was both excited and nervous. he was excited because the price he offered to the other forces was not high. if he continued to sell to richard at the same price as last time, bloodhoof city would make a lot of money. he was apprehensive because he had already spent more than half of the food he had to earn more. it wasn¡¯t just the profits from the last time. sel had also used up a third of the food in inventory. bloodhoof city would face an unprecedented disaster if richard didn¡¯t show up. fortunately, he had made the right bet this time. the other party didn¡¯t retract his word and even arrived early. richard¡¯s mood brightened when he heard that. it was wise to build a good relationship with bloodhoof city and support them. he didn¡¯t need to do anything now. they gave all the work to sel. he would directly harvest it after the workers did the dirty tasks. what could be more satisfying than this? it reminded him of the european nobles in the medieval age of planet blue, who exchanged cheap industrial products for expensive gemstones and furs in the new world. pure profiteering. no, he and bloodhoof city were mutually beneficial. how could it be the same as the colonizers? richard said. ¡°sel, move the weapons you bought these days out of the warehouse. we¡¯ll carry out the transaction now¡­ we¡¯ll still use food to settle the bill.¡± sel was overjoyed, but he suddenly thought of something and said hesitantly. ¡°vice-president richard, many caravans have yet to trade with me. would you like them to come with me¡­¡± richard looked at him meaningfully. ¡°sel, those caravans are here to make a deal with you. ¡°i will only buy weapons from you.¡± sel was stunned for a moment. gratitude and admiration shrouded his eyes. the meaning of these words was explicit¨Cgive up the benefits. he didn¡¯t want to go around him and let him continue to earn his share. however, the trade this time involved millions of units of food. what a considerable amount of wealth this was! would he give up several benefits if he were in his shoes? it would be arduous to do. richard¡¯s position in his heart rose again. it was the blessing of the goddess of luck to have such a wide and generous partner. richard suddenly remembered something. ¡°sel, we¡¯re doing long-term trade. you¡¯d better set a price that the caravan can accept without feeling like they¡¯re losing out. ¡°squeezing it dry in one go is far from a long-term solution.¡± ¡°and for the first trade, most of the forces must be very cautious and didn¡¯t send all the goods over¡­¡± sel sighed and bowed deeply to richard with his hands on his chest. ¡°vice-president richard, i¡¯m impressed by your vision and breadth of mind. ¡°don¡¯t worry. they are delighted with the price bloodhoof city offered.¡± richard didn¡¯t say anything more. only when everyone could make a profit could the trade last. it was true the dungeon forces sold obsolete weapons now, but couldn¡¯t they forge top-tier weapons for sale in the future? the thing that the underground world did not lack the least was ores. it would bring endless wealth in the future as long as they develop the underground world. now that sel had obtained a portion of the profits, he would be more active in expanding the market. it would allow more forces to participate in the trade. all he needed to do was to come and harvest once in a while. in this way, giving up a portion of the benefits was a substantial benefit. not long after, in front of bloodhoof city¡¯s warehouse, richard began to sell equipment in bundles, just like last time. the players on the forum were surprised to find that several cheap damaged pieces of equipment had suddenly appeared on the [trading market.] a familiar feeling rose in his heart. he quickly looked at the seller¡¯s id¡­ the two syllables ¡®qingqiu¡¯ shone brightly. as expected, it was him! countless players gritted their teeth. they already had a deep memory of this id. messages flooded the forum not long after. the content was¡­ that qingqiu pervert is here again! Chapter 290 ¡°f*ck, brother-in-law, are you that fierce? i¡¯ve seen you selling equipment for three hours. didn¡¯t you take out the dwarves¡¯ ¡®hometown¡¯? where are we going to get so many broken weapons?¡± richard collected money while he lay down, and [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] sent him a private message. ¡°i made a small deal. do you want it? i can help you keep three to five thousand¡­¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: you motherf*cking! three to five thousand? i¡¯m jealous. you¡¯re so rich, brother-in-law. do you have any humanity?] !! [sigh. it¡¯s a pity i got a few high-level equipment blueprints from the dungeon. i¡¯m still forging them myself. so i don¡¯t have use for them for the time being¡­] richard¡¯s mouth twitched. if he wanted to show off, he could¡¯ve just said so. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] seemed to have thought of something and added. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother-in-law, have you thought of a plan for the instance dungeon in half a month?] when richard looked at the message, it piqued his interest. [qingqiu: do you have any information regarding the pocket dimension?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: my sister happened to be in charge of this area. she knows a little more than others. hehe.] [qingqiu: tell me.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: the utmost feature of this instance dungeon is that it encourages players to kill each other.] [the pocket dimension will have several monsters coming out from the other every once in a while.] [but as long as we defeat them, we¡¯ll have time to rest.] [during this time, we can plunder the territories of the surrounding players. moreover, the points obtained from capturing them are more than killing monsters.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®attack other players¡¯ territories? ¡®interesting.¡¯ [qingqiu: is there anything else?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: other than that, there will be a powerful wild boss in every region.] [those wild bosses will guard highly rare-level treasures. it could be strategic equipment or the lair of high-level troops. as long as you kill those wild bosses, you can take them.] he then added. [however, this is all information from before. i am curious to know if there are any changes now.] richard said, deep in thought. to encourage players to kill each other. and killing wild bosses could get great rewards¡­ the instance dungeon was more exciting than he had imagined. [thank you, this information is beneficial to me.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: brother-in-law, why are you so polite with me? what¡¯s our relationship? do you need to do this? of course, if you feel bad calling me father, i won¡¯t mind. i¡¯ll call you brother-in-law, and you¡¯ll call me father. we¡¯ll go our separate ways.] richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he would let him realize what it felt like to be hung up and whipped if this guy was in front of him. after richard closed the private message, he glanced at the [forum chat]. he noticed most posts discussed the issue of him selling his equipment. each of them gritted their teeth, and they could feel the sourness in their hearts through the screen. [i just want to ask that qingqiu pervert, where did he get so many weapons and equipment?] [damn it! one can¡¯t sell it in a few hours. is this guy going to an immortal?!] [this is already the second time. qingqiu must have used a bug to do this! i want to make a report!] [that¡¯s not fair. i don¡¯t even have a blacksmith shop! how did that guy manage to sell tens of thousands of equipment?] the heated discussion continued. some who had managed to get their hands on it were exclaiming how fragrant it was. [hahaha, qingqiu boss, you¡¯re astounding. it¡¯s the same as last time. the quality is still as good.] [such a fair price, qingqiu is a good person.] [since i bought your equipment, qingqiu, i will not attack your territory in this instance dungeon.] they continued to exchange regards. most had mixed feelings towards qingqiu, who caused heated discussions every time they made a move. they were all humans, so why was there such a vast difference? not only was he the number one in the instance dungeon, but he also brought out several resources they desired. in comparison, his life was too terrible. with such a strong contrast, many players immediately felt unhappy. [who cares about qingqiu? no matter how strong he is, can he stop all of us? whoever finds qingqiu¡¯s territory in the instance dungeon, please post it on the forums, and we will fight it together!] [we must suppress this qingqiu fellow¡¯s arrogance!] this post immediately attracted a lot of attention. many people left comments below. [why is qingqiu the only one who can live so well? were they doing so desperately? they were unhappy!] most players had seen how difficult qingqiu was to deal with in the previous instance dungeon. they were the first to join in and did not spare any effort to encourage the others to fight against qingqiu. they didn¡¯t want to experience being left behind in this instance dungeon again, where they couldn¡¯t even see the other party¡¯s shadow. not long after, some players on the forum formed an anti-qingqiu alliance. there were quite a few of them. only a few of the several people would be interested, so the number of people gathered together was already enough to be considered exaggerated. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he snuck into the enemy¡¯s base to glance. he closed the [forum chat] without getting any useful information. he didn¡¯t have the time to bicker with these idiots. he was the king of all mouths, but he would know how to call him daddy when he met twilight city. in bloodhoof city, a few hours after the trade between the caravans of the other forces had started, a group of people arrived. they finally discovered bloodhoof city would eventually sell to the lord from the surface the equipment they bought from them. many thought they would go around bloodhoof city and directly trade with richard. sel bloodhoof didn¡¯t stop them. instead, he watched the leaders of the forces approach with a smile. richard didn¡¯t hesitate to reject the trade offers. he had repeatedly emphasized his relationship with bloodhoof city. he had even made clear his status as the vice president of the bloodhoof city council. the other factions were disappointed. but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything in front of richard¡¯s reputation. not to mention that they were in bloodhoof city. even in the wilderness, they did not dare to act rashly with only this human lord. it was a terrifying existence that the gray-colored dwarves had offered a reward of tens of millions of units of food. the bounty varied on the strength of the person rewarded. it was the consensus of everyone. even the gray-colored dwarves, one of the underground overlords, could not do anything to the other party. they were not qualified to negotiate with him. after this incident, those factions recognized the reality and obediently traded with bloodhoof city. richard didn¡¯t ask how much sel had offered to the factions. he continued to post on the [forum chat] at a doubled price. weapons bought from bloodhoof city with 50 units of food would cost 100 units. the higher the level, the higher the price. richard was in a good mood as he watched several resources enter his account. as expected, there was no future in hunting in the territory. trade was the fastest way to make money. this kind of trade was a business without capital. he purely lay down and made money. more importantly, everyone who participated in the transaction gained benefits. first, he was satisfied selling the equipment to the other forces in bloodhoof city. the weapons and equipment they sold were all damaged and out of use. so one could not use it on ordinary days. to exchange a pile of trash for the underground world¡¯s precious food was a profit no matter what. bloodhoof city was satisfied. all they had to do was collect the equipment from the other factions and sell them to richard. this simple process would allow him to earn huge profits. richard was even more pleased. it was a business without cost, and his actions were equivalent to directly plundering wealth from the underground world. other people needed capital to do business. he just needed to post the equipment on the [forum chat] and let the hungry players fight for it. the players were also satisfied. the piece of equipment was still cheap, although slightly damaged. moreover, all were better than the ones they were using now. it was a model of good quality at a lower price. everyone in the trade chain felt they had made a considerable profit. richard, the upstream and downstream core, earned the utmost share of the cake. and gratitude toward him filled all the participants. it could be considered a profit. the deal lasted for five hours. richard only returned to his senses when sel bloodhoof, the ruler of bloodhoof city, informed him that the warehouse was empty. he looked at his attribute panel. his breathing quickened. thoughts flooded his mind. gold coins: 9 million, wood: 9 million, stone: 10 million, iron ore: 9 million. the total number of ordinary resources added up to 37 million units. thirty-seven million resources! what kind of concept was this? a rare troop lair would require 5 million units of resources to upgrade to glorious level. that was seven lairs of glorious level units, and there were still some left. he had earned seven glorious-level units while he lay down in just a few hours. this wave was simply a stroke of genius. he turned to look at the level 15 dungeon hero beside him and laughed. ¡°sel, bloodhoof city is twilight city¡¯s eternal friend! ¡± sel, who had also gained a lot this time, brilliantly smiled when he heard this. ¡°vice-president richard, your kindness and generosity are enough to dim the sun! ¡°praise be to you!¡± Chapter 291 thirty-seven million units of resources. ¡°i have never fought such a rich war in my life.¡± richard couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement even after he took a few deep breaths. he urged to return to twilight city immediately and promote all his troops. !! this time, all he needed to do was to wait for the instance dungeon to open. the players also trembled in fear under the sharp edge of twilight city. sel stood in front of him and seemed to have thought of something. he looked at richard with a burning gaze and said in a clear voice, ¡°vice-president richard, the deal was perfect. but i think we can work together even more.¡± it stimulated richard¡¯s interest when he returned to his senses. ¡°sel, what do you think? ¡°the forces involved in the trade this time are all selling worn-out equipment. ¡°no matter how much they have in their inventory, they will eventually run out. ¡°if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we buy new equipment?¡± sel¡¯s tone became increasingly excited. ¡°the underground world has no lack of ores. so every force¡¯s forging ability is not weak. ¡°in the past, no one dared to produce it. first, it was enough. and second, if we put all our resources into weapons, it would affect other aspects. ¡°they will reactivate their idle production capacity to produce tons of equipment for us if we purchase the weapons they forge at a high price.¡± sel paused for a moment. he fixed his eyes on richard. ¡°but i¡¯ll need your approval, vice-president richard.¡± richard was the core of this trade chain. bloodhoof city could only hold back their thoughts if he disagreed. the underground world couldn¡¯t afford the weapons and equipment various forces produced. the consequence of overcapacity was that everyone¡¯s life would not be good. richard looked at him. he was pleasantly surprised. he didn¡¯t expect this guy to have the same thoughts as him. the underground world had productivity but no market. he had a market but no productivity. the two complemented each other. there were tens of billions of hungry players. and they could eat any number of weapons! moreover, the players were all lords. after three months, who didn¡¯t have three to five companies of troops? one could only imagine how ridiculous this market was. ¡°sel, your idea is immense. ¡°i promise you, as long as you can buy high-quality weapons, i¡¯ll buy them no matter how many you have.¡± this act of offering money to the door was very much in line with sel¡¯s taste. the smile on sel¡¯s face instantly brightened. he had waited for this sentence. ¡°vice-president richard, meeting you is the greatest fortune of bloodhoof city. i bet the gods are watching over us!¡± the two main leaders had reached an agreement. and they finalized the cooperation this time. the forces that had just finished trading in bloodhoof city were in a good mood and prepared to transport the resources back to their territories. before they even left, they received this piece of news that made them extremely excited. from now on, bloodhoof city would continue to buy weapons and equipment on a large scale. this time, they would mainly purchase new equipment. the price particularly tempted them. most people would have doubted this news if it was before the deal. but now, the food exchanged for their damaged weapons had already filled the carriage. everything else was unreliable except for the most precious food in the underground world. the forces that struggled with a hunger for years were supremely excited. they didn¡¯t care what went on in bloodhoof city. they didn¡¯t care what they sold as long as they could get food. the first thing these forces did when they returned to the territory was to take out the ores from the warehouse to smelt and start forging weapons. only a few did not react among the dozens of forces involved in the trade. the forces that still watched also joined the battle under the temptation of food. this news swept through the underground world like a storm. the human lord of the surface among them attracted everyone¡¯s attention. bloodhoof city didn¡¯t hide richard¡¯s position in the deal. he couldn¡¯t hide it. with the reward of ten million units of food for the gray-colored dwarves, richard became the most striking figure in the underworld in a short time. many greedy eyes on him were also among them. bloodhoof city threw a grand banquet to welcome richard after they settled the deal. after they tasted the sumptuous dinner, richard didn¡¯t go to the room prepared for him. instead, he continued to join the long table in the hall center. he drank tea and chatted with more than ten high-ranking officials of bloodhoof city. everyone was in a good mood because they had gained so much today. richard suddenly remembered the glorious level had gained today as he talked. a few different thoughts rose in his heart. he changed his mind. he looked at the red-faced sel bloodhoof and said, ¡°sel, can i ask you for a favor?¡± everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him. richard was the god of wealth in bloodhoof city and a terrifyingly powerful one at that. no one dared to ignore his words. sel also perked up. he said in a solemn tone. ¡°vice-president richard, please speak. as long as it¡¯s within bloodhoof city¡¯s means, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± richard nodded. ¡°twilight city is about to go into a massive war. and we¡¯re in dire need of talent. when sel heard this, his tone turned serious. bloodhoof city has just been through a war. and they have lost a lot of power. ¡°but, vice-president richard, you are our friend. bloodhoof city is willing to send a large troop to help twilight city.¡± he then added. ¡°this is the best we can do. the gray-colored dwarves have never given up on spying on bloodhoof city.¡± richard chuckled at sel¡¯s words. he was a straightforward man. he waved his hand. ¡°no, i don¡¯t want your troop. twilight city doesn¡¯t lack military power.¡± it confused sel. if they didn¡¯t lack troops, what did they lack? resources? however, it didn¡¯t seem like it when he saw the other party could buy the entire underground world. richard cut to the chase. ¡°twilight city lacks heroes, especially professional players¡­ ¡°sel, i¡¯m well-pleased with the gray-colored dwarf alchemist you told me about last time. he made a tremendous contribution to my territory. ¡°but it is not enough. i need more life heroes.¡± sel¡¯s face turned bitter. ¡°vice-president richard, heroes are the pillars of a faction. there¡¯s nothing extra in bloodhoof city.¡± richard said while he waved his hand. ¡°no, i don¡¯t need the hero of bloodhoof city.¡± ¡°then you are¡­¡± ¡°sel, i need you to help me send a message. i¡¯m recruiting all kinds of heroes in bloodhoof city. i¡¯ll bring them to life on the surface as long as i¡¯m satisfied.¡± sel heaved a sigh of relief. for him, this was a matter of just moving his mouth. bloodhoof city¡¯s influence in the underground world was not something that an ordinary faction could compare. ¡°leave this matter to me. in just one day, everyone will know about this news!¡± richard¡¯s face broke into a smile. the unique characteristic of glorious points¨Cit could attract heroes to take the initiative to join. he wanted to try out the effects of this thing. if there were any, it would be a pure profit. and no one would not lose anything even if there were none. the next day, the news spread under the various channels of bloodhoof city. the strapping lord of the surface, who had a reward of ten million units of food from the gray-colored dwarves, announced he was recruiting heroes of the underground world. the news spread to all the major underground cities. to the surface, the underground world was mysterious and wealthy. the surface of the underground world represented sunlight, safety, endless food, clean water, and fertile land where one could plant. it was even more attractive to the underground world¡¯s beings than the underground world¡¯s beings on the surface. no one didn¡¯t yearn for a prosperous life. just like that, this news caused a storm no one had expected. Chapter 292 richard wouldn¡¯t know the underworld¡¯s reaction to the news of his hero recruitment. he went to bed early after he got tired the whole day. sel woke richard up the next day after a night¡¯s rest. there was still day and night even though the sun didn¡¯t shine in the underground world¡­ !! every twelve hours, the mosses that emitted light in the sky would automatically lower their brightness. although the changes seemed small to outsiders, it was like night for the underground life forms. sel bloodhoof got down to business after richard had his breakfast. ¡°vice-president richard, you said you¡¯re buying carcasses too?¡± richard¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°of course, i won¡¯t refuse anyone.¡± sel immediately smiled. during this period, the troop hunted and obtained several corpses. they kept them in the south of the city¡­ richard was interested. ¡°sel, can you take me there? i¡¯ll buy everything as long as it¡¯s suitable.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree could devour corpses to become stronger and breed venomous wasps. the twilight city could use the two a-rank heroes, gunter and gray, to recruit mummies¡­ corpses were supremely indispensable strategic resources to twilight city. it was what sel wanted to hear. without further ado, he turned around and led the way. richard walked out of the mansion and looked around curiously. it was the first time he strolled through the streets of bloodhoof city. the last time he came, he was in a hurry and didn¡¯t pay much attention. the buildings in the underground world had a completely different style from those on the surface. the houses on both sides of the street were built with stones and were as strong as fortresses. even a trebuchet could not collapse them. the house roof had a sturdy and fantastical style¨Cit was as small as a cone with an arc. and the sharp edge was even made of steel. it reflected a cold glint. it was not a roof to shelter them from the rain. but a weapon to defend against enemy invasion. several houses were connected. they stood upright like canine teeth, long and sharp. the residents on the streets could avoid the attack of diving enemies from the sky. they just have to hide in the alleys or houses. moreover, these buildings had caved-in bunkers. so they could avoid the sharp arrows from the sky even if they didn¡¯t enter the houses. these bunkers could become fortifications if an enemy attacked the city. these buildings had considered almost all possibilities. it designed everything for war. it intrigued richard. no one would wonder if the gray-colored dwarves would dismantle the giant alchemy cannons used to defend the city and launch attacks on these buildings. they could achieve much if they had ten times more troops than bloodhoof city. while richard looked at the unique style of the underground city with interest, the crowd also sized him up. sel led them, and they were indeed striking. richard¡¯s aura was similar to that of the underworld creatures. it made him the center of attention. those who had finished their trade with bloodhoof city but had yet to leave were all very curious. ¡°that human is the lord of the surface whom the gray-colored dwarves offered a reward of tens of millions of units? ¡°one¡¯s strength must be supremely terrifying for the gray-colored dwarves to value them¡­¡± ¡°have you heard? that human overlord is recruiting heroes. he will bring you back to the surface if he takes to fancy you¡­ that¡¯s the surface, safe, rich, and full of life.¡± ¡°hmph, it¡¯s just a rumor. why would the humans be willing to recruit the heroes of our dungeon tribe? is he not afraid of death?¡± ¡°what do you know! did you see the undead dragon that he brought? that human overlord isn¡¯t an ordinary person. i heard that the last time he came, he brought several mummies that could accommodate the undead. why would he be afraid of us, the dungeon race?¡± ¡°this¡­ that¡¯s true, but who knows what will happen to us if we go to the surface? what if the other party wants to murder¡­¡± ¡°idiot! how powerful is that surface lord? did he spend so much effort recruiting heroes just to murder them? what was his purpose in doing this? can¡¯t you use your brain to think?¡± they continued to compete for insights, the people around them discussed all sorts of things. the surface was just as mysterious and alluring as the underground world. however, with the terrifying existence of sel bloodhoof that accompanied them, no one dared to step forward. they could only look at him carefully. several people paid attention to richard, so he didn¡¯t mind. on the way, he communicated with sel as he walked. ¡°sel, our deal should not be limited to weapons and equipment. ¡°we can trade things like god-given items or soldier lairs. ¡°especially god-bestowed items. as long as i¡¯m satisfied, i¡¯m willing to spend a lot of money to buy them.¡± sel nodded with a smile. ¡°i¡¯ll immediately send this news out¡­ i believe powers will be satisfied with this.¡± as a middleman, the uttermost richard¡¯s range of business, the more resources he could trade. the more benefits he could obtain, the more he was to cooperate. after a brief discussion, the guards escorted the two. they went to the city¡¯s west side¨Cthe warehouse where they stored the monster corpses. tons of crisp grass lay on the corpses piled into a small mountain. richard did remember the grass. it was a specialty of the underground world. and could keep corpses from rotting. it also had a special name-flowing light grass. the monsters¡¯ corpses were faintly visible among the grass. from the outside, the exposed and hideous wounds were particularly terrifying. ¡°this is the monster we hunted.¡± sel smelled the stench in the air. disgust filled his eyes. these underground monsters were poisonous and inedible, and he was annoyed. he wouldn¡¯t even look at it if it weren¡¯t for the food he could get from richard. they gained enormously from killing these monsters. some were also very ferocious, which would inadvertently cause several casualties. the gains did not make up for the losses of long-term hunting. if not for bloodhoof city¡¯s lack of food, he would not be willing to do this business. richard looked at them with great interest. the average level of these monsters was around level 10. and the number of them was uncountable. it was a pity he did not let gray and gunter follow him this time. so he could not directly recruit mummies. ¡®pull him back?¡¯ he gave up the thought the moment it came to mind. there were too many. and it was a waste of time. it was more in line with the plan to exchange for resources. he had the soldiers around him count the number of monsters without hesitation and put the monster corpses into the market to sell. these days, as the instance dungeon¡¯s opening time approached, the price of high-level corpses had also increased. the undead was a large faction, and the number of players was in the billions. furthermore, the undead did not need any supplies. so they could have an unlimited number of soldiers. therefore, there was no such thing as market saturation. after they hung the corpses in the market¡¯ these filled the warehouse and were quickly sold out. when the players saw that it was qingqiu who sold, envy, jealousy, and hatred filled their hearts. many even cursed at the pervert. however, the players started to get numb to richard¡¯s actions. and their reactions weren¡¯t as exaggerated as before. but this time, the anti-qingqiu alliance on the forums became even more active. the players who were involved all spoke up. they said they must punish this b*stard in the dungeon. there were even many who left messages. they asked them to search for qingqiu¡¯s territory in the main plane¡­ of course, some of the more rational ones didn¡¯t follow, as they didn¡¯t want to die. that was qingqiu. they could just talk a little, but if they did it, everyone would panic. the sale of the monsters ¡®corpses and the payment for bloodhoof city had earned richard a net profit of three million units of resources. in addition to the previous 37 million, he had earned an unprecedented 40 million units in the underground world. the string of zeros on richard¡¯s attribute panel dazzled him. it meant he could directly nurture eight lairs¡¯ glorious-level troops. even among the npc forces, a glorious-level troop class was considered the backbone of the force. this trip to the underground world was purely to rob money. no, it couldn¡¯t be so fast to rob. more importantly, such transactions could continue in the future. he could obtain endless wealth as long as he could continue to control the underground. with this in mind, he couldn¡¯t help but think about the entrance to the surface. it was like he had to find time to seal off the entrance. this underground world could only be his personal property. no one could touch it. richard was in high spirits after the deal. the next step was to return to twilight city and invest these resources in the territory¡¯s construction. it was so comfortable. when the soldier closed the warehouse door again, richard looked at the flowing light grass and suddenly thought of the magic plant that sel had used to preserve the extraordinary black dragon¡¯s corpse. ¡°sel, can you give me some that can create ice? it is tremendously hot in twilight city¡­ ¡°that magical plant was a natural refrigerator. wouldn¡¯t it be nice to bring it back and make some iced desserts?¡± sel didn¡¯t care much about such a small matter and said straightforwardly. ¡°i¡¯ll immediately have someone dig out 200 of them and give them to you,¡± richard chuckled. it was the kind of person he liked. he was about to say something when a system notification rang in his ear. [ding~ the sandworms you placed in the backyard of the lord¡¯s mansion have successfully hatched, please feed them in time.] [ding~ an atavism body has appeared in the hatched sandworm. the successful atavism is a void sandworm. please take care of it.] richard looked at the system notification again. and his face lit up with surprise. has the sandworm finally hatched after a month of incubation? the sandworm with the void bloodline was also born ¡­ could he start his super transportation plan? he became excited when he thought of those giant creatures over 100 meters long. Chapter 293 anticipation filled richard¡¯s heart. the twilight city could use sandworms for battle and transportation. they said it could be a multi-functional troop. the void sandworm was even more impressive. it was a void creature the scarlet council highly praised. it was the paralyzing boss who retrieved the dimension stone from the collapsed dimension. !! in the future, when it grows up, it could cross the void and go outside the main plane to find life in other dimensional planes. he had high hopes for it. he wondered what its attributes would be like after they hatched. such a powerful lifeform should be a beyond a-rank, right? he didn¡¯t mind having a divine life form if it didn¡¯t work. sel was surprised when he saw the smile on richard¡¯s face. he thought richard was interested in these magic plants. he thought for a moment and said. ¡°vice-president richard, there are still a lot of magic plants in the back garden. i¡¯ll get someone to dig some for you.¡± richard returned to his senses. he knew that the man had misunderstood him but no longer expalined. ¡°sel, thank you for your generosity.¡± ¡°no, i should be the one saying that!¡± emotion filled sel¡¯s eyes. this surface human lord completely changed bloodhoof city. food was a hard currency in the underground world. bloodhoof city had earned so much food from the enemy, but it was not just for food. they could also purchase the resources and troops that bloodhoof city needed from other powers. it meant that richard had fattened up bloodhoof city all by himself. now, he only hoped to deepen their relationship. the feeling of sucking up to someone was too comfortable. under sel¡¯s will, it did not take long for the soldiers below to bring back more than 20 types of magic plants, hundreds of them. richard¡¯s face beamed. although twilight city was not involved in magic potions, he would accept such good things. the more, the better. richard accepted it with pleasure. he didn¡¯t stay in bloodhoof city any longer. although he also wanted to wait and see if his glorious level had any effect. however, the sandworm incubation made him feel an unbearable itch. after he fixed the magic plants on the skeleton blood dragon and made another deal on august 12, he ordered alves to leave bloodhoof city. many of the foreign forces in bloodhoof city watched richard leave. their eyes flashed. someone immediately turned around and left bloodhoof city to spread the news. some people wanted to follow him silently¡­ richard didn¡¯t know about this. and he wouldn¡¯t care even if he did. after he left bloodhoof city, he used the concealment power to wrap up the entire troop. he must have left in a hurry, so he did not know that other dungeon heroes were coming to bloodhoof city because of his recruitment notice. as soon as richard disappeared into the air, the higher-ups of bloodhoof city gathered behind sel. everyone¡¯s expression was very subtle. he was both happy and worried. after a long silence, a tall and thin dungeon barbarian hero took the initiative to speak. ¡°lord sel, are we not sending anyone to follow them?¡± sel didn¡¯t turn around. he just looked at the dim sky calmly. ¡°and then? even if we know where vice-president richard¡¯s territory is and what¡¯s on the surface, what can we do?¡± ¡°leave vice-president richard alone? or send troops to attack his territory? or should i look for another human lord?¡± the barbarian hero was a little unwilling. ¡°but we¡¯re too passive.¡± ¡°the initiative is no longer in our hands. the other party can cooperate with other forces at any time, and they can even cut off our supply¡­¡± sel then turned around and looked at the other person deeply. ¡°your worry is not without reason.¡± ¡°but have you ever thought about why vice-president richard has the upper hand and not bloodhoof city?¡± he didn¡¯t wait for his reply and said slowly. ¡°strength. only strength determines who has the initiative. ¡°vice-president richard was able to force the dwarves, who had been armed for a long time, to give up and take over our territory. he even offered an unprecedented bounty. ¡°that¡¯s why he has the initiative. ¡°tell me, does the current bloodhoof city have the strength of the enemy?¡± these words silenced everyone. they would have unified the underground world long ago if they had the power. ¡°but are we just going to cooperate with them like this?¡± ¡°what else? what other choice do you have?¡± sel asked. the other party¡¯s face immediately flushed red, and he could not say a word. sel had no intention of making things difficult for him and let out a long sigh. ¡°therefore, we must seize the time to become stronger and finally unify the underground world. ¡°strength is the foundation of our survival. ¡°when we are strong enough, we could initiate again. ¡°that¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry about richard¡¯s territory or how many forces there are on the surface. you have to worry about how much power the gray-colored dwarves are hiding. and when we can become the only master of the underworld!¡± as he said that, he raised his voice. ¡°now, immediately! immediately order the secret agents to act. i need more information. especially that terrifying weapon in fortress city.¡± ¡°yes, master sel!¡± at this moment, everyone held their chest in unison. after the higher-ups left, sel finally calmed down. the fire in his heart burned. ¡°vice-president richard, bloodhoof city won¡¯t keep you waiting for long. this underground world will eventually become my territory.¡± ****** ¡®whoosh! alves flapped its wings and flew into the sky from the underground tunnel. it brought up a wave of air and lifted high sand and dust. richard turned to look at the wide-open entrance. his body glowed with yellow sand. the surrounding sand immediately seemed to come to life and gushed into the cave. in a short moment, it wiped away all its traces. only the surrounding boulders seemed to grow taller. richard didn¡¯t care about the others. he turned around and commanded the dragon hero. it glowed blood-colored light to fly towards twilight city. however, not long after, he suddenly discovered something unexpected. on the ground, small teams of kobolds headed into the twilight city direction. he suddenly recalled the system notification that had sounded when he broke the seal in xina¡¯s body. the kobold god had already marked twilight city. he frowned. the followers of the god of kobolds had come quickly. as the god of all races, the kobold god could completely dominate the entire kobold race. he had talked about how the other party would quickly take revenge, but he did not expect it to be so fast. how long had it been? it drove alves to submit. a single breath melted more than half of the team of kobolds. it left only a few panicking fellows. alves¡¯s powerful four limbs landed on the ground. and its forelimbs pressed down on the two kobolds. the tremendous force was like a mountain. it made them unable to move. under the terrifying dragon¡¯s might, the kobold urinated. it released a series of hysterical screams. its appearance made richard frown. with a wave of his hand, the sand on the ground surged and transformed into two hands. it lifted the two kobolds into the air. it looked at them with a cold gaze. it said indifferently. ¡°tell me your purpose, kobold.¡± as soon as the figure appeared, the two kobolds, who were still in fear, suddenly quieted down. their green eyes glared at richard with extreme malice. ¡°blasphemer!! ¡°the great god has already issued an imperial decree. it will raze your territory to the ground. and your soul will be nailed to the wall of pain by my god for countless years!!¡± richard¡¯s brow furrowed. the kobold god¡¯s revenge had come. he looked at the two kobolds who had lost their rationality. he waved his hand, and the giant hand of sand clenched tightly. ¡®crack!¡¯ the two gods that roared straightened their bodies and then collapsed. the two bodies that were supposed to fall to the ground now floated in the air. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he felt an indescribable, hair-raising sense of danger coming from the two bodies. before he could do anything, the two corpses suddenly opened their eyes. their green eyes glowed with a dark light. the two bodies spoke at the same time. and there was an accent. ¡°humans, no one would dare to disobey my will. ¡°i¡¯ve already bought your soul from death. just wait for your destruction¡­¡± just as it thought under the divine might, the other party would show fear or even break down. the figure on the back of the undead dragon suddenly reached out to it and clenched his fist. while confused, the man slowly raised his middle finger. although it didn¡¯t know what consciousness this was, it felt a rush of hot blood rush to its brain. Chapter 294 while his opponent was still in a daze, richard¡¯s energy began to surge like lava. the light on his body suddenly flickered. the sand and gravel on the ground violently swept up. but at this moment. !! in the sky, an indescribable aura suddenly appeared. it was ancient and weathered. it was like it had crossed the long river of time. the two corpses of the kobold god in front of him suddenly swelled up the moment the aura appeared. ¡°no! damn the rules!¡± the two corpses only had time to let out a scream, and then, like balloons that had been inflated to the limit, they exploded with a bang. broken limbs flew everywhere. richard¡¯s sense of danger vanished without a trace. after that, the ancient aura disappeared like the wind. ¡°the rules? the rules of the main plane? no gods are allowed to descend?¡± he heaved a sigh of relief when he thought of the rule set by the god of creation in the ¡°shining era¡±. the terrifying pressure was not something that outsiders could imagine when one faced a living god. at his current level, he was still far from being a transcendent, let alone a god. fortunately, this guy had exploded. after he came back to his senses, his expression became serious. the seal of the krina tribe was more important to the god of kobolds than he had imagined. a god had personally appeared on the main plane. what kind of great risk was this? it seemed like the krina tribe had a secret that he did not know about. richard looked up at the sky and let out a long breath. ¡°we have to be prepared when we go back this time. don¡¯t worry about twilight city before the instance dungeon even opens.¡± he didn¡¯t stay any longer after he didn¡¯t sense anything unusual in the surroundings. he commanded alves to continue on his way to twilight city. he also encountered several teams of kobolds on the way, but he was not in the mood to care about these little lackeys. the skeleton blood dragon beside them sent them back to the embrace of death. ¡°the lord is back!!¡± with a shout, the residents in the territory immediately looked up. in his sight, the skeleton blood dragon, which emitted a blood-colored light, flew across the sky and landed on the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. as soon as richard got down from alves, he noticed that the atmosphere in the territory was a lot heavier than usual. the surrounding troops were obviously on alert, and a murderous aura filled the air. even the residents did not have many smiles on their faces. he immediately waved his hand and ordered the soldiers around to summon karu and the other heroes who were stationed there. not long after, old gray-haired karu and a few other mummy heroes rushed into the lord¡¯s mansion. he saw richard command the troop to cut down the plants on the dragon¡¯s back, which were emitting strong magical waves. he immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said in a deep voice. ¡°lord richard, the kobolds attacked us since this morning. the agricultural area was almost set on fire by a group of creatures who sneaked in. fortunately, we discovered it in time and didn¡¯t let them succeed.¡± as he spoke, his expression became more and more serious. ¡°my lord, this must be the revenge of the kobold god.¡± richard said to himself. ¡°that¡¯s right. it is indeed revenge. i met him on the way.¡± these words immediately caused the atmosphere to freeze. carl stammered. ¡°yo-you met the kobold god?!!¡± his eyes were filled with disbelief. richard nodded. ¡°before i killed the two kobolds who went to scout, the other party recognized me. following that, a wisp of the kobold god¡¯s will sensed my existence and descended upon the main plane. however, the two corpses were directly erased by the power of the rules of the main plane.¡± as he spoke, his tone sank. ¡°you guys have to be mentally prepared. after the believers of kobold god gather, perhaps we won¡¯t just have to fight against their army.¡± there was also the possibility of facing an extremely powerful opponent! since the other party could descend the first time, it was not impossible to descend a second time if they were prepared. richard could tell from the way the kobold god descended what kind of person he was. why would a normal god pay special attention to an existence that had not even reached level 10? even if it was a higher-level being, those gods would probably not even care about it. after all, a god was still a god. they controlled the most powerful force in this world. however, the other party didn¡¯t play by the rules. he appeared directly and even parted harsh words to him. considering his two divine titles, greed and plunder, he was certainly a powerful god. this kobold god was really fierce. when xina heard this, her eyes were filled with guilt. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lord. i didn¡¯t expect that false god to be so despicable¡­¡± richard shook his head. who would have thought that such a being created the seal? ¡°you¡¯re a member of twilight city. no matter what happens, we¡¯ll stand together. so what if i have to face the gods? the main plane has its own rules. even if the other party is a god, he has to obey the rules. besides, this is the desert. the desert is not their territory.¡± every god had its own set of believers. except for populated races like humans, most of the believers of other gods lived in relatively concentrated places. some were gathered in an underground world called the dark dungeon. there were also many kobolds in the main plane, but they were quite scattered. it was unlikely that they would be able to gather a huge army to attack twilight city in the desert. after all, the desert was a forbidden land of death to the living beings outside. to twilight city, the desert was the strongest defense. the harsh environment was enough to limit the vast majority of life. however, even if only a small portion of the kobolds in the desert were gathered, it would still be a huge challenge for twilight city. xina was touched and bowed again with her hands on her chest. she relayed, ¡°sir, i¡¯ll immediately ask for help from my clansmen.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°will they come?¡± xina¡¯s gaze was serious. ¡°the twilight city made a sacrifice for the sake of breaking the seal for our people. we have no reason to refuse.¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°the twilight city will remember this friendship.¡± it was a good thing to have reinforcements, but what piqued his interest was whether he could recruit more soldiers from xina¡¯s clansmen. he didn¡¯t ask for much¡ªjust 30 to 50 heroes like xina would be enough! in the future, wouldn¡¯t it be great for twilight city to form an army made up of beyond-rank-a heroes? xina didn¡¯t hesitate. she turned around and left after bowing. richard pondered for a moment, then turned to karu. ¡°karu, mobilize all the available manpower in twilight city to build a defense tower. i have obtained a large number of resources from the underground world. it¡¯s enough to solve most of our current problems. i will build the city wall later.¡± forty million units of resources. what an outrageous number! ¡°gray, you lead the army and be on guard at all times to prevent any surprise attacks from the enemy.¡± he continued, ¡°you, bring the skeletal blood dragon and the gargoyles out for a patrol and eliminate the scouts of the enemy. if there¡¯s a large army of kobolds, immediately return and report.¡± ¡°understood, lord!¡± richard waited for the others to leave, then took a moment to compose himself before looking at the backyard. with some anticipation, he walked forward. the sandworm he brought back from the dungeon had hatched. he had always had high hopes for those terrifying life forms that could reach a hundred meters in length when they reached adulthood. richard looked around the backyard. on the ground covered with a large amount of yellow sand, 11 sandworms that had just hatched were half-hidden. gray skin could be seen faintly. these newly-born sandworms were about 7 to 8 meters long and as thick as a bucket. although it was still a larva, he could sense the majestic power contained in it. after richard¡¯s arrival, the sandworm smelled his scent. suddenly, they crawled out of the yellow sand one by one, opened their horrifying mouths that were full of sharp teeth, and rolled toward him in a rather flattering way¡ªrevealing their gray stomachs. richard felt a chill run down his spine. these bug larvae acting cute was a little scary. this thing could probably eat ten little kids in one bite. he opened the attribute panel. [sandworm] [level: 10] [potential: unknown] [status: larva stage] [description: a life form with outstanding potential. they can even prey on dragons when they reach adulthood.] it was a level 10 newborn! richard nodded in satisfaction. they would all be at least level 15 when they reached adulthood. the sandworms he had encountered in the dungeon were all level 19. one could see their potential. richard glanced around and was immediately attracted by the only sandworm that was different from his companions. the young sandworm¡¯s gray skin was engraved with fist-sized dark golden runes. it looked like a work of art¡ªfull of a special aura. sensing it carefully, one could find that there was a dim and empty energy surging around the young sandworm. it was as if there was a volcano that was about to erupt in its body. it was filled with an indescribable overwhelming energy. none of the young sandworms dared to get close to it. [void sandworm] [level: 14] [potential: unknown] [status: larva] [description: a void being with a special bloodline. it has unlimited potential.] a level 14 newborn! after reading it twice, his eyes immediately lit up. the smile on his face instantly intensified. void being! awesome! the larva that had just hatched immediately became the highest-level existence in the city. perhaps it was the reason why it was valued so much. wasn¡¯t this thing more powerful than a giant dragon? a newborn void sandworm was already level 14. how much higher would it be when it matured? a level 20 transcendent? a level 25 legendary? or level 30 god? Chapter 295 [author¡¯s note: sorry.~ i haven¡¯t finished editing this chapter. you can read it in 10 minutes.] ****** richard had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself. the void sandworm¡¯s future was full of hope. !! after his senses returned, he looked at the larvae trying to approach him and express their affection. he immediately released his power and comforted these restless sandworms. he had no interest in playing tag with the other party¡­ this thing can eat people. he waved his hand after he thought for a moment, and the sand on the ground surged up. it wrapped around the sandworms and let them float in the air. then, he went to the front yard. at this time, the residents removed the magic plants fixed on the back of the skeleton blood dragon. he picked some flowing light grass that could preserve corpses and magic plants that could create ice. he took them with the sandworm to fly away from the territory. to the north, past the agricultural area, where the land of quicksand was. richard descended from the sky at the center of the god¡¯s ancient tree. he waved his hand and placed the sandworm in the quicksand near the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°treebeard, take care of these sandworms. don¡¯t let them leave the land of quicksand. ¡°in addition, you can let them hunt some monsters trapped in the quicksand under safe circumstances.¡± as richard spoke, he gestured to the dark golden rune-engraved void sandworm. ¡°this sandworm will automatically devour void energy to grow. ¡°don¡¯t let it eat other food. it will affect its potential.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s face that grew on the twisted trunk immediately looked at the sandworm. ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± richard gestured to the dozens of magic plants around him after he gave his orders. ¡°these two magic plants have remarkable effects. the flowing light grass can keep a corpse from rotting for half a month, and the one here can make hard ice. ¡°in the future, we will use these two magic plants to preserve the high-level field troops we obtain in the land of quicksand. gunter and the others can use them to recruit mummies.¡± the land of quicksand had the god¡¯s ancient tree as bait, and it had already become a tremendous trap. every day, he would gain quite a bit. some high-level corpses might not be substantial to the god¡¯s ancient tree, but the city can use them to recruit blood mummies of higher levels. as richard spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and continued to urge. ¡°these magic plants live in a low-light environment for a long time. they might not be suitable for exposure to the sun. ¡°expand an underground space under the roots to plant them. ¡°this way, we can protect these magic plants from battle destruction.¡± this request was a piece of cake to the god¡¯s ancient tree that could control quicksand. ¡°as you wish.¡± richard¡¯s body glowed with a yellow light after he warned. he gave the sand transformation skill to the sandworm babies. they immediately mastered the ability of sand transformation, although they were still in the larva stage. after richard told them to listen to the god¡¯s ancient tree in his mind, he let these seven to eight meters long larvae play by themselves. sandworms were indeed creatures born for the desert. these larvae that had just broken out of their shells were like swimming fish. they burrowed into the sand and left traces in the quicksand. and the quicksand that could sink into ordinary life forms posed no threat to them. richard ignored the sandworm babies. now, they also had a vast amount of power in their bodies. but they could not use them at all. they would only be of great use when they grew up. he opened the attribute panel of the god¡¯s ancient tree of divine sins and glanced. the number of wasps that the boss had hatched exceeded 2000. however, most were out hunting for it and did not stay on the tree crown. ¡°treebeard, speed up the hatching of the venomous wasps. i need you to increase the number of wasps by 3000 before the 15th.¡± he said with hope. ¡°you can store energy in the ground, so you have to kill as many wild monsters as possible during this time and fill the surrounding ground with energy. we are about to encounter an unprecedented battle.¡± as far as richard was concerned, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s most freakish attribute wasn¡¯t just its terrifying battle power. and that almost inexhaustible power. the ability to store energy on earth one could describe as a statement. back then, this characteristic had almost caused him to collapse. now that he had the land of quicksand to collect prey for him, he had no intention of strengthening this characteristic. richard didn¡¯t stay any longer after he gave the orders. he got up and returned to twilight city. there was the god¡¯s ancient tree that guarded this direction. so he was very at ease. the only pity was that the sandworms that he had high hopes for would not be of much use when the instance dungeon opened. they were still in the larva stage, and their power was far from enough. back at the territory. richard took out the unique treasure that [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] gave him¨Cthe city wall. this thing required a total of 2 million units of stone to place. but fortunately, this harvest had made him rich like never before. with money, one¡¯s backbone would be mighty. [ding~ do you wish to spend 2 million units of stone to place the treasure¨Ccity wall?] confirmation. the moment he made his choice. the stone on the attribute panel immediately dropped by 2000000 units. the mini city wall in his hand suddenly shattered like a glass panel. it turned into a stream of light that flowed into the surroundings of twilight city. then, under the shocked gazes of the territory¡¯s residents. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the earth rumbled. like a tree that sprouted in spring, a wall made of giant stones grew out of the endless sand. the city wall had grown out of the ground. shock shrouded the eyes of the residents. and this was only the beginning. the city wall began to rise rapidly. five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters¡­ it only stopped when it reached twenty meters. when the residents heard the commotion, they came out of their houses and looked at the towering city walls. their mouths were agape, and their eyes were about to pop out. ¡°gods above, w-what am i seeing?!!¡± ¡°this, this is impossible! we can build the city wall out of thin air!¡± ¡°what a miracle! it must be a gift from the gods!¡± ¡°my lord, my lord created this!!¡± a child¡¯s surprised shout made the surrounding people subconsciously turn their heads and see the heroic figure. at this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes flared with passion. they suddenly knelt on one knee with their hands on their chests. they used the most humble attitude to express their inner emotions. they expressed their worship and fanaticism for the ruler. richard stood in the middle, and the residents from the other streets knelt immediately. even the residents who didn¡¯t see richard did the same. the scene gave people an inexplicable strong shock. richard looked around. his heart raced. the city wall represented safety and hope in the ¡°shining era¡±. it was not something one could explain with a few words. twilight city would no longer be an unremarkable territory from then on. they could call this territory a city¨Cwith its city walls. richard opened the attribute panel. [city wall] [level: ordinary (can level up along with the territory¡¯s level. the next level requires 1 million units of stone)] [special characteristics: 20 meters high, 10 meters wide, 30 degrees of sturdiness] [skill: tenacity] [increases the strength and defense of the city guards by 20%.] [description: a city wall with decent defense.] he had an additional skill that could increase the battle power of the troop. it was much better than the city wall construction blueprints he had seen in the [trade market] that had no attributes. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was his lucky charm. Chapter 296 richard climbed high and looked into the distance. he stood on the 20-meter-high wall and looked into the distance. at the end of his line of sight, he could see the vast yellow sand. the city wall was an irregular square shape that surrounded the territory. !! the uneven battlements were half the height of a man, and soldiers could shoot from the depressions. they could use the protrusions to block arrows from below. not even a ballista could pierce through the sturdy city walls. there were four city gates in total. the sturdy stone door was like a mountain that could isolate everything, firmly closed. to open the stone door, one had to turn the turntable behind the city wall and use the clever mechanism to make the stone door shrink to the left and right. richard held onto the battlements. satisfaction shrouded his eyes. twilight city immediately gave him a different feeling¨Cwith the city walls. it was like rootless duckweed that floated and had turned into a towering tree. richard seemed to have thought of something after some observation. he waved his hand to summon the level 12 alchemist brown. richard waited for the gray-colored dwarf alchemist brown that panted to come up to him and cut straight to the point without waiting for him to bow. ¡°brown, get half the giant cannons to the city wall and set up the firing points. ¡°the rest will set up their positions behind the city wall.¡± cannons were not bows and arrows, and the power of a direct shot was mightier than that of a projectile from behind. he even wanted to fill the four walls with alchemy cannons if possible. this exaggeratedly powerful killing weapon was invincible against the ground troops. unfortunately, there were too few of them. they could only carry the artillery fire out under certain conditions. ¡°yes, my lord, my lord!¡± brown replied excitedly. now, he could finally receive orders around by himself and take on such a significant responsibility. richard nodded and continued to ask. ¡°how¡¯s the production progress of natural alchemist¡¯s bombs?¡± the alchemy cannon was powerful, but its uttermost weakness was that it required sturdy logistics support. it would empty his inventory in a few minutes if one could fire this thing without restraint. brown immediately replied. ¡°lord, we will complete the alchemy workshop by tomorrow. the estimate is that it can produce 50 pills a day¡­¡± ¡°fifty?¡± richard¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°too small. we don¡¯t have the time to accumulate slowly now. ¡°i need you to produce 1500 pills by the 15th.¡± richard looked at the other party, who seemed to want to say something else after he said that, and his tone became serious. ¡°this is an order!¡± brown immediately swallowed all his words. he gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°yes!¡± richard¡¯s expression softened. ¡°during this period, if you need any resources, you can ask karu for them. it includes workers.¡± brown heaved a sigh of relief. at most, it would not rest for 24 hours! it would complete this mission! it was the right time to contribute. it would lose the position he had worked so hard to get if it made a mistake! after brown left, richard looked at the russian olive forest in the distance with a subtle expression. there were no more problems in the territory except for the lack of protection for the agricultural area. now, he just hopes the agricultural area will not fall into the dungeon. otherwise, once the war entered a state of white heat, they could not spare any strength to defend. richard felt more at ease after a tour of the city walls. he returned to the mansion. the city wall construction had cost him 2 million units of stone. after he deducted the odd number, he still had 38 million units of resources left. it was time to upgrade the troop-type lair that had been stagnant for a long time. he opened the troop¡¯s lairs¡¯ attribute panel and looked at them carefully. there were a total of 13 elite-level lairs. [guardian¡¯s land (elite 3-stars, 3)] [battle-axe log cabin (elite 3-stars, 10)] [there were a total of 18 lairs for rare-level troop classes.] [great pyramid (rare 3-stars, 3)] [scorpion lair (rare 3-stars, 1)] [cursed pharaoh pyramid (rare 3-stars, 1)] [sand condensation archer pyramid (rare 3-stars, 5)] [giant axe death knight pyramid (rare 3-stars, 3)] [sand mage pyramid (rare 3-stars, 5)] [there were a total of 3 lairs for rare-level troop lairs] [dark gargoyle¡¯s lair (rare 3-stars, 2)] [tomahawk woden house (rare 3-stars, 1)] one hundred ordinary troop-type lairs were required to upgrade from elite to rare-level. it was worth 5000 units of resources. rare-level promotion to advanced-level requires 1000 normal troop-type lairs worth 500000 units of resources. a rare-level upgrade to glorious-level requires 10000 normal troop-type lairs. that would be five million units of resources. richard upgraded the 13 elite-level lairs to rare-level with a wave of his hand. he spent 65000 resources. the number of rare-level troops increased to 31 with that. unfortunately, the troop-type lair had a cooldown of 7 days. for the time being, one could not promote the newly promoted ones the second time. richard didn¡¯t hesitate to upgrade the remaining 18 units to rare-level. the upgrade cost for each troop-type lair was 500000 units, so the total consumption was¨C9 million. the thirty-eight million resources, plus the original amount, had 29.2 million units left after two rounds. the system upgraded all the rest to rare-level other than the 13 troop lairs that needed to wait for seven days. in addition to the original three, there were a total of 21. richard¡¯s heart trembled as he looked at the numbers on the panel. twenty-one rare-level troop lairs! ¡°twenty-one! ¡°this was not some cabbages!¡± and upgrading from rare to crown would require 5 million units. these 21 would require 105 million resources. richard¡¯s mouth twitched after some thought. the numbers got increasingly outrageous. after richard thought for a while, he chose three rare-level troop lairs that he could upgrade¨Ctwo dark gargoyles and one of his favorite troops¨Cthe undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. they needed three thousand ordinary troop-type lairs and 15 million resources to upgrade the three troop-type lairs. fortunately, the [trading market] opted to buy according to the conditions. otherwise, just buying 30000 crystals would take him a few hours. the black gold system quietly lit up with a notification. [tomahawk wooden house (rare 3-stars) ¡ª consume 10 rare-level desert camp troop-type lairs to upgrade it to glorious 3-stars. conditions have been met. would you wish to upgrade?] [gargoyle¡¯s lair¡­] three notifications popped up, and richard chose ¡°confirm¡± in all three. at that moment. the thousands of tomahawks hung in front of the wooden house that emitted faint golden light and suddenly shone brightly. an indescribable aura began to surge. the tomahawk wooden house quickly grew like bamboo shoots. it had grown to six meters tall in a blink of an eye. the tomahawks that hang on the outside also became crystal-clear like a diamond at this moment. there was also an artistic atmosphere. on the other side, the two dark gargoyle statues had also grown to six meters tall. they even looked even more ferocious. [tomahawk wooden house upgrade successfully. current level: glorious 3-stars.] [gargoyle¡¯s lair upgrade successfully. current level: glorious 3-stars.] he then opened the black gold system¡¯s notification. as expected, he needed ten glorious-level troop lairs to upgrade from glorious to crown-level. to upgrade a single pill would require 50 million resources. once again, richard felt poor. five thousand units. that was the total amount of twilight city¡¯s resources. he looked at the lairs of the two glorious-level troops and immediately became interested. [gargoyle¡¯s lair (rare 3-stars, 2) ¡ª recruitable troops: dark gargoyle. recruitable quantity: 40. resources required for individual recruitment: 14000 gold coins, 14000 units of wood, 14000 units of stone, 50 units of gems] [resources required for recruitment: 1.84 million, 2000 units of gemstones] [tomahawk wooden house (rare 3-stars, 1) ¡ª recruitable troops: [axe of the dead] [recruitable quantity: 10] [resources required for single recruitment: 4000 gold coins, 4000 units of stone, 4000 units of iron ore, 50 units of crystal] [resources required for recruitment: 460000 units, 500 units of crystals] when richard looked at the data, his heart suddenly trembled. he felt his mouth and tongue inexplicably dry. ¡°damn it! it seemed that after the upgrade, the resources needed for recruitment were also a huge expense i could not ignore.¡± at this moment, he felt both pleasure and pain in his heart. he took a deep breath, waved his hand, and chose to recruit. the resources on the attribute panel immediately decreased by a significant amount. twilight city gave birth to the first batch of glorious-level troops it had cultivated. Chapter 297 richard glanced a few and instantly sank into a good mood. it was powerful and overbearing. the dark gargoyle and the undead soldier increased in their attributes compared to before. the tomahawk slash range had increased from 40 meters to 60 meters. its attack power had increased by another level. !! furthermore, the tomahawk smash, which had a range of 10 meters, was now 30 meters, which gave this unit a strategic advantage. one could describe it as overbearing. thirty meters in addition to the 10 meters of burning flames, the coverage reached 40 meters, which was more than just abnormal. even the giant alchemist cannon bombs didn¡¯t have such an exaggerated damage range. this troop class had entered the glorious-level. the improvement was too distinct compared to the previous promotions. although the attack range of the undead soldiers was far from that of the sand condensation archer, it was already close to 300 meters. however, in a battle like defending a city¡­ an attack range of 60 meters was more than enough. the only pity was that richard didn¡¯t have many resources left. so he couldn¡¯t upgrade all the axe of the dead troops. moreover, the axe of the dead troop-type lairs bought later were rare-level. even with the resources, it would take two weeks to upgrade to glorious-level. richard nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the imposing and tall undead soldier. after some thought, he waved his hand and recruited all the remaining troops. the system upgraded all the troops he had recruited previously to the current level of the troop-type lairs after it cleared the production in two weeks. the resources in his hands also fell rapidly. after the recruitment, richard¡¯s forces had reached an unbelievable height. rare-level troop-type lairs guardian mummy 280¡ú350, undead soldier 200¡ú300 rare-level troop-type lairs bandaged mummy 30¡ú72 scorpion warrior 50¡ú64 giant axe death knight 114¡ú156 sand condensation archer 220¡ú320 sand mage 125¡ú175 cursed pharaoh 30¡ú35 glorious-level troop-type lairs dark gargoyle 160¡ú200 axe of the dead 50¡ú60 heavy sword warrior 20. crown-level troop-type lairs skeleton blood dragon 30 skeleton demon 3. the total number of soldiers was more than 1500. fifteen squadrons, 150 squads¡­ moreover, the main force was rare-level soldiers. on top of it were the 28 glorious-level squads and three crown-level squads. richard was more confident than ever. in addition, three a-rank heroes¨Cgray, gunter, and alves. beyond a-rank hero, xina, and a boss¨Cthe god¡¯s ancient tree. the power in his hands was unprecedentedly strapping. other than that, some centaurs had lost their power. and the souls of the gods who still slept in the ancient god statue. even with a rough estimate, richard felt that the power in his hands was a bit too strong. he did not know, at this stage, which player could compare to him. just a few heroes and bosses were enough to destroy a strong player¡¯s territory. this time, the harvest in the underground world was satisfying. ¡°a man can¡¯t be rich without external wealth. a horse can¡¯t be fat without night grass¡­¡± it lifted richard¡¯s spirits. suddenly, a soldier rushed in from outside. ¡°my lord, there is an urgent report from the front. we discovered several kobold troops in the desert!¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°how many are there?¡± ¡°there are roughly more than five brigades, and they¡¯re still gathering¡­¡± ¡°how far is it from twilight city?¡± ¡°about 80 kilometers. they¡¯re in the depression of a hill and have used magic to hide their traces. we might not have discovered them if not for several troops that we gathered¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. what was supposed to come would still come. ¡°sound the battle horn, and the entire city is on guard!¡± ****** chris had always been cautious as the president of the secret society. especially since the ¡°shining era¡± was no longer a game where one could never die, it was even more cautious. it moved chris this time. it was because kurto, the god of kobolds, gave an oracle to all the kobolds in the territory. they would attack the desert territory. whoever killed the human overlord and offered his soul to the kobold god would receive an unprecedented generous reward. it was an a-rank mission. after chris received the oracle, it didn¡¯t think much of it. after all, its territory was in the dark dungeon, which was too far away from the desert. if it brought the troop along, it could reach it in a year and a half. but then something else immediately made chris excited. it had obtained a teleportation treasure in the instance dungeon, which could open a space gate for a short time and send the troop to a designated destination. and the god of kobolds found this news when chris prayed. the powerful evil god used its divine power to strengthen the treasure. it increased its duration by several times. it had even personally given it the task of hunting down the other party and gave it a token. as long as it went to the desert, it could lead the troops they gathered in the desert. what made chris even more excited was that it found out that the territory was not a city of powerful npcs but a god-bestowed territory, which was the territory of players! the other party¡¯s territory was still solitary. this news made chris unable to calm down for a long time. it didn¡¯t believe anyone could stop the dark dungeon¡¯s troop attack! therefore, in its opinion, they could pick up this a-rank mission for free. even though it had been cautious, the god of kobolds personally gave the mission. chris took a deep breath and turned to look at the dozen or so players who were eager to try. ¡®it is a direct mission from the god of the kobold. we will leave an impression on the god of kobold¡¯s heart as long as we complete it. ¡°the dark dungeon only has one master. we have no choice but to try our best to win the attention of the kobold god.¡± a young player said excitedly. ¡°guild leader, you¡¯re being too cautious. we¡¯re going there to freeload some credit. what¡¯s difficult about a dozen of us attacking a player¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°the kobold troop in the desert has already gathered. we can still command them¡­¡± then, it seemed to have thought of something and shouted. ¡°so what if the other party is qingqiu¡¯s territory? could they withstand our attacks? ¡°we can flatten whoever comes!¡± they had developed in the dark dungeon for several months and had accumulated a tremendous force. it is true with the god of kobolds, whose character was not as unattainable as the other gods. he would often send down miracles. and they took many missions from it and obtained countless benefits. with such a background, they were more confident than anyone else. chris smiled. ¡°not bad! no one could stop our vanguard!¡± it turned its head and looked at the troop around. it waved its hand. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± more than a dozen players passed through the teleportation circle with a winning mentality. they were ready to trample on that unknown player¡¯s territory. Chapter 298 ¡®woohoo!¡¯ the battle horn sounded again in the sky above twilight city. with the previous experience, the residents did not panic at all this time. slowly, they finished their work in an orderly manner. !! the people outside the city returned to the city. they did what they had to do in the city. before the higher-ups gave orders, they did not stop their work at all. after the chubby woman in charge of the agricultural area finished her work, she led the staff through the towering city gate. she looked at the sturdy building above her head. excitement filled the woman whose face was like an apple cut in half. ¡°praise the lord, this is all too incredible¡­ ¡°i came out this morning and there was no news. it¡¯s a miracle!¡± the residents around her were even more excited than her. ¡°auntie marie, this is a miracle!¡± her eyes were burning. ¡°with the lord here, those hateful enemies can forget about stepping into the city!¡± the residents of twilight city had more confidence in richard than they had in him. with the high morale of the people, the people of twilight city were truly united. when faced with an enemy, no one would think of retreating. at this time, the troop did all kinds of work in a clear and organized manner. the most important ones were the desert crown bee and the fire dragon rabbit. richard frowned as he watched the fire dragon rabbit locked up in the stables. once the twilight city found an enemy to attack, the agricultural area outside the city would often be the first area to be in danger. the agricultural area without walls was like a naked young girl placed in front of a group of villains sentenced to death. it doesn¡¯t have the slightest strength to resist. come to think of it, this wasn¡¯t the first or second time such a situation had occurred. the venomous vultures, wyverns, monster attacks, and the kobold attacks¡­ the agricultural area was not spared every time. richard let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°i have to find a way to solve the agricultural area problem in the future. ¡°the enemies that twilight city will encounter in the future will only get stronger. it¡¯s impossible to keep the agricultural area intact every time. ¡°furthermore, the agricultural area will continue to expand in the future. when an even more powerful enemy descends one day¡­ if life forms from other dimensions attack, it¡¯s very likely that this area will be turned into scorched earth.¡± richard pondered. ¡°farming is a must. trade will solve the problem of development, and farming will solve our own safety. ¡°we can¡¯t miss out on any one of them. ¡°but in the future, we can¡¯t just build agricultural areas in an unprotected desert.¡± in the beginning, before the enemy attacked, richard didn¡¯t find any problems with the agricultural area. however, after he experienced a few enemy attacks, this area had almost become a worry for him. he took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. he summoned alves with a wave of his hand, who flew into the sky. before he went to the underground world, he had spent 10000 units of gemstones to resurrect this a-rank dragon hero from the hero¡¯s altar. every time he saw alves these past two days, he would feel heartache. at the same time, he was very unhappy with the monarch of darkness who was imprisoned in the dungeon. he¡¯s still so arrogant even though he¡¯s locked up in the dungeon. bullying an honest person. capturing the dungeon would allow him to subdue the monarch of darkness. this was something he had always remembered. one day, he would catch her and return the 10000 units of gems. ¡°lord¡± the dragon hero¡¯s empty voice resounded all around. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°if the enemy doesn¡¯t have any flying units, you will lead the skeleton blood dragon to set up an ambush in the land of quicksand. i will give you orders through the riddle crystal.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± alves immediately flapped its wings and flew away. he left twilight city with the skeleton blood dragon. richard didn¡¯t go to the agricultural area alone. the enemy he faced this time was not the wilderness troops that attacked twilight city during the previous disaster. his enemy was a god, a god whose divine titles were greed and plunder. he could not predict what the top existence of the ¡°shining era¡± would do. even if the face of the main seat was no less than that of a god, since the other party could descend once, they could land a second time. as a precaution, he had to make sufficient preparations. ****** ¡°president chris, we have calculated the numbers. there are more than six teams of kobold soldiers gathered in the desert. ¡°one of them is a very rare-level kobold heavy soldiers. ¡°there are four battalions of rare soldiers kobold warriors, archers, and spearmen. ¡°the remaining brigade is made up of elite-level troops.¡± in the vast desert. chris nodded in satisfaction as it listened to the players¡¯ reports. he had not expected the kobold god to be so powerful. the troop he had gathered in the desert was so powerful. for safety¡¯s sake, each of the 15 players of the secret society had brought a large team of soldiers. in other words, they now had more than two legions in their hands. that would be 21 brigades, 210 squadrons, and 2100 squads. they didn¡¯t believe that there was a player who could resist the almost invincible power in his hands at this time! ¡°no one can come!¡± pride shrouded its heart. ¡°what about the player¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°the enemy has already retreated into the city.¡± ¡°very good. all troops, set off to retrieve our rewards!¡± after putting away the teleportation formation, chris¡¯s pride increased. the troop surged toward the direction of twilight city with a wave of its hand. tens of thousands of soldiers marched forward. they formed a dense black mass. when their numbers reached a certain level, the pressure they brought was terrifying. however, chris soon felt something was wrong. it had only been less than half an hour, but the morale of the troop already dropped. even it felt a little uncomfortable. chris looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was in the west. it heaved a sigh of relief. fortunately, it was already evening. if it was noon, the high temperature would be enough to make the kobold troop suffer. a sense of vigilance rose in its heart. an environment like the desert was indeed not a place ordinary people could stay in. this war had to end quickly. a journey of tens of kilometers was not considered long on the plains but in the desert. it was not until the moon was high in the sky that they met up with the vanguard troop. however, the kobolds had night vision, so the night had no effect on them. on the contrary, because the heat during the day had disappeared, the morale of the troop rose significantly. ¡°lord chris, the blasphemer¡¯s territory is two kilometers away!¡± a kobold god in thick armor looked into the distance. under the clear-as-water moonlight, a not-so-large city stood in front of them. that was their destination. the territory of the players. a hint of pride appeared in chris¡¯ eyes. it had two legions under its command, and its strength was unprecedented. it would be a miracle for that territory to send out two thousand troops. ¡°even if the other party has two thousand troops, with twenty thousand against two thousand, i have the advantage! ¡°prepare to attack!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the kobold hero in front immediately turned around and prepared to mobilize the army. but at this moment, a disturbance suddenly came from the side. the kobold troop released a series of howls. chris raised an eyebrow. ¡°what happened¡­¡± before it could finish its sentence, the tip of its nose suddenly twitched. an indescribable feeling rose in his heart. a strong desire filled every cell in its body. it was as if it had been starved for half a month and smelled the sweetness of the bread, and the feeling was irresistible. the kobold hero who had just left immediately turned around and returned. intense excitement shrouded its voice. ¡°lord, our scouts have found a giant human-faced tree on the side. it has 10 golden fruits on its crown! those are magic plants that can purify bloodlines!¡± it immediately moved chris¡¯s heart. ¡°purifying bloodline? ¡°there was even such a treasure?¡± moreover, he could not fake the desire in its body. ¡°how strong is the giant human-faced tree?¡± ¡°extremely powerful. i¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to mobilize several large groups of soldiers to capture it!¡± chris wasn¡¯t disappointed. instead, its eyes lit up. ¡°if the giant human-faced tree was weak, it must be a trap¡­ this place was so close to that territory, so it was impossible for the other party to not notice.¡± but now, there was only one possibility. the other party had discovered it but could not deal with the giant human-facaed tree. it immediately decided. ¡°send 6 battalions to surround the remaining three sides of this territory!¡± ¡°two brigades in each direction. keep your distance and don¡¯t attack for the time being. the remaining troops will stay here and station four brigades to support the other troops. the rest of the troops, follow me.¡± the troop immediately took action. some surrounded the city in front of them. the other part went towards the giant human-faced tree with the powerful magical fruit. they entered a seemingly soft sand field not long after the troop advanced. but no one took it seriously. after a while, chris led the troop closer to the giant human-faced tree. he immediately noticed the 10 golden fruits at the top. the desire in his heart rose to the extreme. the giant human-faced tree pushed back the heroes who attacked at the front. ¡°lord chris, we can¡¯t do anything to this giant human-faced tree with just our troop!¡± chris waved its hand. this giant human-face tree is level 13 and extremely powerful. it¡¯s also a boss. ¡°send in 10000 soldiers from outside. i¡¯m going to use the human wave tactic to crush it!¡± excitement shrouded its eyes. ¡°good lord, this a-rank mission was a little satisfying.¡± before he conquers the human territory, he would let it harvest 10 magical fruits that could improve the bloodline. Chapter 299 chris was excited. the troop initially stationed outside began to enter the area where the sand was a little soft. there were no problems other than this. the troops pressed down on the border. !! they wrapped the giant human-faced tree with ten golden fruits and had no trunk. ¡°you lowly bastards, no one can beat the giant treant!¡± the treant in the center, whose trunk was human-faced, roared madly. it was like the troops of tens of thousands of people gave tremendous psychological pressure. the other party was afraid. chris was even more confident. the only pity is that the difference between the two was too big, and chris could not see the treant¡¯s detailed attributes. [god¡¯s ancient tree] ¡°this name is unusual. no wonder the surrounding troops were so sturdy.¡± when the twilight city archers saw the tens of thousands of legions besiege the god¡¯s ancient tree layer after layer, they positioned in the rear. chris smiled brightly. ¡°long-range archers, fire! ¡°surrounding troops, stop attacking! ¡°this god¡¯s ancient tree is strong. but it doesn¡¯t have any long-range attacks. it¡¯ll die without a doubt with continuous exhaustion!¡± chris had found the biggest weakness of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the surrounding troops began to retreat. they maintained a distance of 100 meters. the range of the kobold archers was 200 meters. they could completely cover the god¡¯s ancient tree. furthermore, the other party was such a large target. it was simply a living target. ¡°attack!¡± the moment chris gave the order in an excited voice¡­ suddenly. an inexpressible sense of danger rose in its heart. it was like the god of death stared at the president and pushed it up. every cell in chris¡¯s body warned. dangerous. extremely dangerous. chris was bewildered. suddenly, it felt the soft sand under its feet empty. it looked down and saw the sand on the ground had quickly submerged its feet under the pressure of its body weight. the sand that had just turned soft could no longer support their weights. a profound fear suddenly rose in its heart. a word that represented death appeared in its mind. ¡°quicksand!¡± ¡°this area was a land of quicksand! ¡°no wonder it was soft when i first stepped in! ¡°tons of quicksand. and we triggered the quicksand!¡± chris raised its head and let out a hysterical roar from its throat. ¡°everyone, retreat immediately!! ¡°a quicksand in this area!¡± its voice reverberated in the night sky with endless fear. the soldiers who had just launched the first round of attacks lowered their heads and saw their ankles rapidly sank. ¡®roar!¡¯ endless panic exploded in everyone¡¯s heart. they turned around and ran. however, there was no support under their feet. every step required tons of strength to pull feet out of the sand. meanwhile, over 10,000 soldiers scattered at the same time. it caused tremendous congestion and chaos. at this moment. the giant human-faced tree rooted in the sand suddenly did something that sent chills down the kobold¡¯s spines. the 30-meter-high treant began to move in parallel within the sand. it was extremely fast as well, and it charged directly in the direction of most enemies. the dozen twisted human-faced tree trunks thicker than house beams began to swing wildly. in an instant, the kobold troops on the ground were like smashed watermelons with wooden sticks. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the kobold¡¯s bodies exploded into pieces without any resistance. the scene was extremely bloody and terrifying. even if some kobolds wanted to resist, their insignificant attacks couldn¡¯t penetrate the bark of the god¡¯s ancient tree. furthermore, the surrounding quicksand began to churn gradually after the god¡¯s ancient tree moved. it was like a whirlpool in the deep sea. it span. ¡°control quicksand.¡± after richard placed the treant in this area, this boss could control the surrounding sand. it was why troops of more than ten thousand people had entered this area. when mortals faced natural disasters, no matter how ambitious they were, they would all turn to dust at this moment. the kobolds had never been a strong-willed race. when they saw that the situation was out of their control, they even pushed their fellow that blocked their escape to the ground and ran out while they stepped on their physical bodies. however, under the control of the god¡¯s ancient tree, could they come and go as they pleased in this land of quicksand with a diameter of 10 kilometers? the sand surged. the crazier the kobolds were, the faster they sank. chris¡¯s hands and feet turned cold as it looked at the scene of how the god¡¯s ancient tree killed the kobolds without restraint. ¡°no wonder the players did not defeat this boss¡­ this treant is too strong!¡± he still didn¡¯t think that this terrifying god¡¯s ancient tree had any connection with the territory next to it. ¡°how could an ordinary player have the power to defeat such a boss?¡± he watched as the quicksand swallowed the tens of thousands of kobolds. an inexpressible sense of powerlessness rose in its heart. chris let out a long howl, and the players who peed their pants and the two kobold heroes in front suddenly disappeared. the next second, chris appeared outside the land of quicksand. just a moment ago, it was still in high spirits. it thought it had found a treasure, but a few minutes later, it ran out in such a sorry state. chris looked over and saw the troop, which had been so fierce just a moment ago, now ran out crying for their parents. however, the quicksand had turned into a vast vortex that continuously spun. as for the 30-meter-tall treant under the moonlight, it killed wherever there were more kobolds. it didn¡¯t give the kobold troop any chance. right in front of their eyes. the quicksand devoured an entire legion of kobolds. other than the few, no one else had survived. the god¡¯s ancient tree slowly returned to its original position when the last kobold sank into the quicksand. the ten golden fruits hung on the empty treetops still exuded an alluring aura. the tens of thousands of soldiers around them did not leave any traces behind. it was like nothing had happened. chris suddenly felt a chill down its spine. it turned around and looked at the vast desert. it felt a strong sense of respect for this area. complete this mission and never step into the desert again were the thoughts that rose in its heart. ¡°president¡­¡± the three players beside chris were in a daze, and their expressions showed interest. chris¡¯s heart trembled as it spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°gather the troop and attack that human city! ¡°this time, it was just an accident. ¡°our mission is to capture that city and enslave that player¡¯s soul! ¡°as long as we can gain kurto¡¯s favor, we can earn back our losses!!¡± then, chris turned around and left. it did not even look at the area. while there was no one around. in the land of quicksand, a skeleton blood dragon¡¯s skull emerged from the sand. soon after, a gap appeared in another area. a swarm of venomous wasps stopped in it and began to breathe in the fresh air. high up in the sky, richard, who had not dispelled his invisibility, smiled radiantly. he had the venomous wasps buried underground to lure the enemy into the trap. if the kobolds had an air force, these venomous wasps and the skeleton blood dragon buried in the sand would become their nightmare. when richard looked at the ten golden fruits, the corners of his mouth curled up. no one could resist the temptation of becoming sturdier. it was the nature of life. the fishing this time was undoubtedly a model of success. first, he controlled the quicksand to soften, and when all the enemies came close, it devoured them in one fell swoop. this wave was simply a massive profit. how many venomous wasps could it hatch from tens of thousands of corpses? how much power could it store for the god¡¯s ancient tree? it also gave him great inspiration. if he continued to explore its potential in the future, he could turn this land of quicksand into a land of death. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ at this moment, a long battle horn sounded. the kobold troop launched an attack on twilight city under the moonlight. richard looked into the distance. his smile grew sternly. Chapter 300 [author¡¯s note: i needed more time to change it again. everyone, you can read it when this sentence is gone ~ i will get it done as soon as possible.] ******* twilight city was only a level 3 city, so it did not occupy a large area. when the 10,000-strong kobold troop surrounded the city, they immediately blocked the entire city. !! richard stood on the city wall and looked down. above the yellow sand, the moonlight shone on the kobold troop. countless green eyes appeared in the darkness. even a veteran would feel an inexpressible sense of fear if one saw such a scene. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ the long battle horn sounded round after round. a murderous aura cut through the night sky. the atmosphere was as heavy as ice. the city residents had already entered their houses. they looked at the city walls through their windows in the dark. they had long extinguished in the room the candles made of oil. it would be easy for the residents to become the enemy¡¯s target when the lights in the house were on during a night battle. it was knowledge they had learned in the literacy class. the literacy class not only taught people how to read and write. it also taught them practical knowledge. determination shrouded the residents¡¯ eyes. many still held crude weapons as they silently stated their choices. they would never let their lord fight alone. they would rush down to fight the enemy at the first moment when the need arose. were they not afraid? of course, they were afraid, but so what? even if they were to die, they would not dodge! they were willing to die in battle for twilight city! they were fighting for their beliefs! when the enemy¡¯s battle cries reached their ears. everyone began to pray at that moment; for the twilight city, the great lord, and themselves. the people¡¯s will. richard had returned to twilight city from the quicksand. after he removed the concealment power, his figure appeared on the west wall. he stood at the center of the room, and the city gate was below him. in a siege battle, the city gate was often the most intense. the defensive side would no longer have the geographical advantage if the attackers on the side could take down the city gate. richard looked into the distance. the kobold soldiers rapidly approached the city wall with their bloody mouths wide open and sharp fangs exposed under the moonlight¡¯s illumination. he could smell the cold killing intent. the war had begun. richard waved his hand. ¡°sand condensation archers, get ready!¡± on this side of the city wall, a squadron of sand condensation archers had all drawn their bows. ¡®yihaa!¡¯ the sound of a tightened bowstring came into his ears. it made his heart tense. richard¡¯s eyes glowed as he watched the enemy approach. it was his first time to set forth command to an official battle while defending a city. his enemies were players, heroes, and regular troops that believed in gods. that feeling was completely different from the chaotic attacks of the troops in the wild. when the enemy approached a certain critical point. ¡°attack!¡± a cold shout. ¡®bang!¡¯ the bowstring sounded. the sand formed an arrow that tore through the sky and fell. ¡®hu!¡¯ one of the kobold soldiers that charged felt a sharp pain in its head before it lost consciousness. ¡®puchi!¡¯ blood spurted out like a broken tap. its fellow turned around and saw a special arrow pierced through its head. there was no fear in its heart at this moment. its heart¡¯s brutal side stimulated instead. it roared toward the sky and accelerated. as the first kobold warrior fell, arrows lunged down like rain. they nailed the kobolds one by one to the ground. the smell of blood filled the air. the kobold¡¯s eyes charged gradually became bloodshot, and the veins on its body popped out. its speed increased again. meanwhile, the sand condensation archers seemed to have activated acceleration. the moment they released the previous arrow, the bowstring pulled back. rapid shots continuously released 30 arrows within ten seconds. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the arrows were like the grim reaper¡¯s scythe. they willfully reaped the enemies¡¯ lives under the moonlight. corpses draped the ground behind the kobold when it reached the city wall bottom. the kobolds did not carry any siege weapons. sharp hoofs that could pierce through armor popped out of their claws after they rushed to the city wall bottom. then, the soldiers began to climb up the city wall like geckoes. the rare-level undead soldiers stationed above saw this scene and immediately threw their tomahawks down from above. the rare-level soldier of the axe of the dead had an attack range of 30 meters. it was incomparable to the 60 meters of the glorious-level. however, it was more than enough to deal with the kobolds on the city wall. ¡®hu!¡¯ the tomahawk howled. although they were agile, the kobolds could only dodge to a limited extent as they were on the city walls. twilight city troops struck some kobolds and could not react. blood instantly splattered everywhere. they would fall from the city wall and lose their threat even if they survived. the kobold troops crashed into the city walls like eggs without long-range attacks. the twilight troops shattered the kobolds one by one. a few aimed to reach the top of the city wall, others to capture the city wall. the president of the secret society, chris, who was in charge of commanding the rear, was a level 8 player. when it saw this, it heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°there¡¯s no quicksand under the city wall¡­¡± it was still terrified of the significant loss it had suffered at the hands of the treant boss. after the president of the secret society got the information it wanted, it looked at the b-rank kobold hero beside it. chris was proud of this general. its eyes turned cold. ¡°orke, lead three large groups of soldiers and press forward. take this city down!¡± Chapter 301 ¡°at the same time, order the other three sides to attack immediately and create pressure to disperse the enemy¡¯s forces.¡± even though the treant boss had devoured half of its troops, the enemies still had the absolute advantage in numbers. this territory was only so big, and the troops couldn¡¯t exceed two thousand. it still had 10,000 soldiers, and it was rare to have more than four legions. !! the anger it had suffered in the hands of the god¡¯s ancient tree now vented on the player¡¯s territory in front of it. ¡°massacre the entire city after we topple them down!! leave no one behind alive!!¡± its cold tone boosted everyone¡¯s morale. it was how the kobolds always did things. after they plunder the caravan, they would usually slaughter everyone. chris knew its actions were very much in line with the character of the god of kobolds. it had already figured out the kobold god¡¯s character after it went through the dark dungeon for so long. ¡°yes, lord!¡± the two kobold heroes and a few players who listened to its orders immediately left with their respective troops. start the operation. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ richard looked up after the second battle horn. in an instant, the mighty troops launched an attack. the other three directions also sounded along with the horn from the west. the opponent directly launched a general attack without holding back after a simple test! gray led all the bandaged mummies and scorpion warriors in the north, a squadron of sand condensation archers, and dozens of glorious-level undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. xina led all the wild sand mages in the east, a squadron of sand condensation sand archers, and two of guardian mummies. gunter guarded the south side. it was with guardian mummies, two squadrons of rare-level undead soldiers, and all the cursed pharaohs. the dark gargoyles stood by in the city. just like that, they completed the structure of the entire defense system. there were four walls, and a mighty hero guarded each. the city wall had a geographical advantage, and the enemy had a numerical advantage. therefore, after they activated the battle formation, they directly entered the state of white heat. richard was in charge of the west. he faced the enemy¡¯s main force. the pressure they faced was the greatest. as the main force pressed forward, he waved his hand, and the sand in front of him surged. in an instant, it floated up and formed a set of yellow sand armor on the troop. beyond a-rank skill, sand condensation armor. after they used the skill, the troop¡¯s defensive ability significantly increased. however, he suddenly felt an inexpressible sight of danger. it was like a giant beast crawled out of the abyss and stared at him. that mighty palate of danger made him break out in cold sweat. ¡°this aura¡­ the god of kobolds¨Ckurto!¡± the other party had indeed appeared again. no, not yet, but he had also discovered his existence. richard immediately focused on his surroundings and pushed his perception to the extreme. at the same time, he let the unremarkable sand float over the entire battlefield. he sensed the threat that could come at any time. ¡°kill!¡± ¡°blasphemers must die!!¡± ¡°for the glory of our god!¡± curses continued to mingle in the air. the opponents attacked the four city walls simultaneously. the scene immediately became chaotic. on the other hand, the enemies who had no siege weapons but could climb up the city walls immediately pressured twilight city defenders. after they paid a certain number of casualties, several kobolds managed to reach the top of the city wall under the attacks of several times more troops than their own. two players on the north side watched this scene excitedly. winning would be arduous if one considers the troop powers. as long as they could break the city wall. but in the next second, the excitement in their hearts suddenly froze. those warriors who carried the giant axes and heavy armor threw their tomahawks violently down the city wall. ¡®crack!¡¯ after the crisp sound, a scene of shattered glass appeared before his eyes. then, a terrifying metal storm enveloped an area of thirty meters and instantly wiped out the densely-packed troop. dozens of tomahawks created a large of no man¡¯s land. they quickly annihilated the troops that broke into the city walls after they lost the endless stream of reinforcements. east¡ú. the guardian mummies on the city walls, the wild mage mummies, immediately cast their spells when the enemies gathered. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ sharp earth spikes shot out on the ground one after another. the hundreds of sand mummies had turned the ground into a death zone. they pierced the body through the head from the lower half of the body. the scene was supremely exaggerated. the damage caused by mage troops was always particularly significant. the destructive power of the sand spikes was extremely high, and they were not any weaker than the sand archers on the other city walls. xina held the broken steel longsword and looked ahead with a cold gaze. she saw the two players who gave orders hundreds of meters away. after the wild sand mages had used most of their magic powers and could not stop several kobolds from rushing up the city wall, her body suddenly bent like a crossbow. after it stretched her to the limit. ¡®bang!¡¯ her body shot out directly. she shot from the city wall into the kobold troop like a lightning bolt. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the moment she landed on the ground, her speed increased by 30%. the broken steel longsword in her hand suddenly ignited with a supremely destructive energy. as the sound flickered, countless sabers seemed to have slashed all the surrounding kobolds, and their bodies instantly turned into pieces. she could see a terrifying path paved with broken limbs and fragments when she looked down from the sky. it extended from the city wall. no kobold could stop this beyond a-rank hero. Chapter 302 she was ultimately overbearing. the two initially at ease players suddenly saw a blood-colored shadow that charged straight at them from the front of the troop and felt instantly frightened. they immediately ordered the surrounding troops to stop the enemy¡¯s attack. however, how could these rare troops stop a beyond a-rank hero? !! xina quickly slaughtered her enemies. it terrified them when they saw this. their bodies suddenly appeared 50 meters away without hesitation. but before they could recover from their shock, suddenly¡­ a sword light with a terrifying killing intent streaked across the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ their bodies immediately turned into pieces. there was no escape. after that, the soul directly disappeared without a trace. under the effect of the power of the rules, it entered the god¡¯s kingdom of the kobold god. after the hero died, the god they believed in would lead them to their own god¡¯s kingdom and become an imperishable holy spirit¡­ in other words, it would always be free labor. a kobold hero with b-rank potential roared and wanted to fight back, but in the next second, xina¡¯s steel longsword flashed. a colossal kobold¡¯s head flew into the sky. the two players¡¯ death and the kobold hero immediately threw the surrounding kobold troop into chaos. the pressure on the city wall suddenly disappeared. no one would have thought they would clear first the enemies from the east. xina¡¯s momentum became increasingly fierce. she raised her sword and directly killed in the direction where the enemies gathered¡­ with the support of all her beyond a-rank skills, she was invincible unless an immense troop of surrounding troops¡¯ longbows surrounded her. south. richard stationed gunter there. this powerful main was the main output. the dark crystal ball could store 5,000 points of mana. it had become a cannon with the addition of its mana. one corrosive ball after another exploded. each time, it would cause a tremendous amount of damage. what was even more overbearing was its a-rank skill, corpse explosion. this skill, which had no cooldown time, was a nightmare for the enemy on the battlefield. it targeted every physical body it saw everywhere. the teammates who charged at it a second ago became gunpowder-filled wooden barrels the next second and exploded with a bang as soon as they fell. it would be equivalent to having a new target once the explosion killed more enemies. they could carry out the second round of detonation, and the second round that killed enemies could carry out the third round¡­ therefore, while the other directions still tried to kill the enemy, the kobold troop in the south fell into a state of extreme fear. they didn¡¯t even think about getting close to the city wall, let alone attacking it. it was too terrifying. it was like they had walked into a corner of certain death as long as they stepped into the area filled with corpses. gunter, the blood lich wrapped in blood-colored bandages, exerted its power to the extreme. it could have guarded one side of the city wall alone without any flying troops if it weren¡¯t for the restriction of magic power. overbearing, powerful, and unreasonable. the most challenging part of the battle was richard¡¯s west side. the sense of danger was always there, like a venomous snake that hid in the dark that watched. the moment it acted rashly, the other party would launch a fatal blow. the troop could only rely on their strength to resist the enemy. fortunately, their defensive capabilities greatly improved after the yellow sand armor. furthermore, it was the defense side, so the geographical advantage was highly distinct. in addition to the most strapping life-saving skill of the twilight city¨Csand transformation, it would suppress the enemies even if they managed to attack the city walls. the troop would immediately activate the sand transformation process if they were no match to the enemy. then, as if it had activated his peerless power, it began to kill crazily in the crowd. chris, the secret society president, supervises the battle and watches the city wall as they gradually suppress the enemies. its face slowly revealed a bright smile. that¡¯s more like it. how could a player¡¯s territory withstand its attack? it would be a piece of cake to take down this territory even if that powerful boss killed tens of thousands of people. it was because it had judged its strength and not because it was arrogant. it didn¡¯t come alone. the entire secret meeting was here. there were also thousands of soldiers in the desert and several b-rank heroes. if this force were to attack its territory, it could not withstand it. a kobold messenger with an anxious expression suddenly approached as the situation on the battlefield became distinct. ¡°lord chris, lord reed has sent a message¡­¡± ¡°profit? has it conquered the north?¡± chris had a smile on its face. ¡°you¡¯re making good progress.¡± the kobold was on the verge of tears. ¡°my lord, a powerful a-rank mummy hero guarded the north. our troops have tried to attack it several times but failed to progress. more than half of our soldiers have already died¡­¡± disbelief drowned chris¡¯s face. ¡°you must be joking¡­ an a-rank hero? how could there be an a-rank hero in this territory?¡± the few b-rank heroes it had obtained had been through risking its life. ¡°what kind of mission would the lord have to complete to obtain an a-rank hero?¡± before the kobold could reply, a kobold messenger came in and shouted. ¡°lord chris! the twilight city stationed a powerful a-rank mage hero in the south! our troop has suffered heavy losses. i request reinforcements¡­¡± chris¡¯s face froze. it gazed at the kobold messenger with an inexpressible deposition. ¡°a-rank mage hero?¡± the other party nodded with certainty. ¡°that¡¯s right. its magic power is supremely terrifying. it can make the corpses explode without limit. we can¡¯t even get close to the city wall!¡± just as chris was about to speak, a third kobold messenger suddenly appeared. it looked at the other party¡¯s dejected appearance and immediately felt bad. it asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°the enemies had stopped the attack from the east?¡± the kobold said while its tone sobbed. ¡°lord chris, the enemy has a powerful hero who directly killed our troops from the battlefield front. ¡°no one can stop the other party¡­ they had murdered the two lords of the secret society.¡± chris only felt waves of dizziness. ¡°this, this was the third a-rank hero? ¡°why, why were there so many a-rank heroes in this territory? ¡°i¡¯m not convinced, i¡¯m not convinced! ¡°who was that player?!¡± Chapter 303 [author¡¯s note: i still haven¡¯t changed some documents. i¡¯ll look at them later.] ****** the kobold troop¡¯s battle power was not weak. they could not withstand a single wave if it were any other player¡¯s territory. !! however, it was a pity chris faced twilight city. the owner of this place was qingqiu, an existence that caused countless players to experience shock and fear. the a-rank heroes he stationed on the city walls immensely increased twilight city¡¯s defense. the enemies were mentally unprepared. and they had to deal with twilight city like with ordinary players. it was its destiny to be badly injured. however, one could not see the information about the territory in the attribute panel, so until now, he still didn¡¯t know the enemy. ¡°lord chris, what should we do now¡­¡± the few kobolds who received orders were anxious when they saw chris had not returned to its senses for a long time. ¡®hu!¡¯ chris heaved a sigh of relief and forcefully suppressed the frustration in its heart. it raised its head and looked at the city wall the kobolds had breached. its eyes were lifeless. it didn¡¯t matter if the other attacks failed. it would settle everything if they could break into the city. ¡°have the troops on the other three sides slow down their attacks and focus on how to contain them¡­¡± as soon as chris finished speaking, it raised the steel knife. ¡°sound the horn! all troops, attack! ¡°for the glory of our god!¡± since things had come to this, there had not much room for retreat. the cost of sinking the desert expedition was too high. chris couldn¡¯t accept it if it retreated now. a bit of ruthlessness perched in its heart. they would attack the city at all costs since there was no other choice. it could make up for the losses this time as long as it could complete the a-rank mission. moreover, chris did not think the few a-rank heroes on the other side could resist its troops. ¡®woohoo!¡¯ the horn sounded for the third time. the troops that charged immediately accelerated. the pressure on the west walls of the city increased dramatically. the situation started to get out of control. when chris saw this, it clenched its fists and smiled. confidence in victory engulfed its heart. suddenly, chris heard a buzzing sound. ¡°eh?¡± it suddenly had an injudicious feeling. chris suddenly turned its head to look in the direction of the sound. at the end of its sight, under the illumination of the moonlight. a mass of dark clouds quickly flew over. ¡°that was¡­ hornet?¡± its pupils desperately shrank and immediately opened the attribute panel¡­ [venomous wasp] [level: rare 3-stars.] in an instant. an inexpressible fear protruded into its heart. ¡°how could this territory still have such terrifying power?¡± chris was absent-minded at the moment. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± dark clouds in the sky that could cover the moon quickly swooped down with a fierce aura. it was like a terrifying wave surged. it deluged everything. the kobolds that had climbed up the city wall grinned and were about to start a massacre. when they saw this scene, it was like they fell into an ice cellar. it wasn¡¯t even worth it to react to. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the venomous wasps were like arrows. they left afterimages in the air as they streaked past the kobolds. the 10-centimeter-long tail stinger reflected a dark blue light. the tail stinger was like the long spear of an aerial knight under high-speed flight. ¡®shua!¡¯ a long gash appeared on the kobold¡¯s armor¡¯s weak points and the skin uncovered by the armor. blood spurted out. when the wounds would turn green in the blink of an eye was extra fatal. it then spread throughout the kobold¡¯s body. it caused the body to stiffen. after it twitched a few times, it fell to the ground and died. the autumn wind swept the fallen leaves. no kobold soldier could stand where the dense wasp had swept past. the scene was supremely visually impactful. in just a few breaths, they starkly wiped out the kobold troops. these kobolds were about to take down the city wall. it was a fruitful battle. it was unforgiving. after the wasps annihilated the enemy, they continued to sweep the city wall. the kobolds felt like their liver and guts were about to burst when they witnessed this terrifying scene. in the face of this enemy called a natural disaster, even if they were loyal to the gods, it still scared their wits. in the blink of an eye, the favorable situation took a sharp turn for the worse. the kobold¡¯s terrified and pained wails were the only sound that remained in the air. the wasps continued to buzz. wherever the wasps passed, they wiped out the kobolds in front of them like water guns. chris, who thought about how to kill the a-rank heroes after they attacked twilight city, was now a little worried. he looked at the wasps that formed a black cloud and the kobolds¡¯ troop that fled in a frenzy. it numbed half of its body. its head buzzed. chris was about to go crazy. ¡°what was going on with these wasps? ¡°was this the troop had the player raised?¡± ¡°but how did they have such powerful strength? ¡°on what basis?!¡± its determination to conquer the city at all costs. at this moment, the poisonous wasps directly crushed those descended from the sky. after the wasps formed a large scale, unless the mage used an area-of-effect spell, the wasps could not survive. otherwise, the effect of the kobold¡¯s blade and sword would be pitiful. ¡°lord, are we, are we going to retreat?¡± the two players beside chris already panicked. they no longer had any thoughts of counterattacks. they did not want to die! chris was still very unwilling to give up. ¡°i am not convinced! the 15 players each led a large team of soldiers. the six troop soldiers gathered in the desert. two legions of soldiers had failed to take down a player¡¯s territory¡­ ¡°i refuse to accept this!¡± richard¡¯s expression did not relax as he watched the venomous wasps slaughter the kobold troops. Chapter 304 richard could sense the danger that lurked in the dark had not disappeared. the kobold god was like a venomous snake that waited for an opportunity to strike. the control ring was already in his hand. as long as there was the slightest movement, the extraordinary hunter would appear. !! however, the development of the situation surprised richard. the kobold army annihilated the venomous wasps, which could not counterattack. but the kobold god still held back¡­ the uneasiness in its heart grew sturdier. ¡°what is the other party waiting next?! ¡°they had wiped out the enemy, so what does the god of kobolds plans to do?¡± ****** gray in the north summoned the dark gargoyles from the central area after they weakened the kobold¡¯s attack. it held up the glorious-level undead soldiers of the six teams. it led a team deep into the kobold troop and began to kill the enemies. this mummy hero had powerful crowd control skills, and with the sharp attack of the axe of the dead, the kobold troop without air defense was simply meat on the chopping board. xina severed the two players in command from the east. the situation immediately collapsed after xina defeated them. the lionhearted warrior xina charged into the crowd with her sword. it caused the kobolds to fall into extreme fear. the remaining kobolds scattered and fled in all directions not long after and lost the ability to resist. gunter in the south cast a spell alone and forced the kobold troop to stay a hundred meters away from the city wall. they could only shoot arrows from a distance. it was not a threat at all. the surrounding situation gradually stabilized, and the crisis seemed to end smoothly. the kobold god¡¯s revenge could not affect twilight city¡¯s foundation. the situation of building a city wall on the west side gradually became pronounced after the attack of the wasps. when the players saw that the battle had starkly collapsed, they gave up resistance. they retreated with the troop around. it was like the war was about end. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his face grew serious. he looked up at the sky. an inexpressible threat came from above. the next second. the kobold¡¯s corpses on the battlefield suddenly melted into streams of gel-like blood. it was like a magnet absorbed the blood. then it turned into rays of blood light that shot into the sky. it wasn¡¯t just the west side. all the corpses outside twilight city melted simultaneously and rose. this scene was inexplicably horrifying. the city residents suddenly discovered that countless blood-colored light rays surged the outside city walls. they all gathered in the air. the night sky emitted a scarlet light. at this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes reflected a horrifying scene. blood-hued mud suddenly twisted, and a kobold¡¯s face appeared after the blood-colored energy gathered. the other party opened its mouth, and its deep voice contained indefinable rage. ¡°lowly ants¡­¡± ¡°i will burn you for a million years! i will make you suffer the most extreme pain in this world¡­ forever and ever!¡± the god of kobolds¡­ richard¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. ¡®so, the troop that attacked twilight city was just a sacrifice? ¡®the kobold god had used the corpses of its believers to descend upon the world!¡¯ that was why the kobold troop was so weak¡­ the other party did not expect to break into twilight city. an indescribable and terrifying pressure bursts out without restraint after it has formed the kobold god¡¯s face. it was as if a mountain had collapsed at this moment, and thousands of rivers surged violently. the twilight city residents felt a mountain pressed down on them, and their souls trembled. it was not an existence that ordinary people could imagine¡­ ¡°that was a god!¡± richard¡¯s face grew serious. he could sense that the other party devoured the corpses on the ground to gather strength. if it were to take form and descend, it would destroy twilight city instantly. he gritted his teeth and made up his mind. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a 15-meter-tall broken mechanical puppet appeared on the spot. it was the extraordinary hunter. its aura had become stronger after the restoration. however, the terrifying pressure still seemed so small compared to the sky. gods had already transcended the mortal world and controlled the most ancient source of the world¡¯s power of the most rules. they were so powerful that even the main plane rejected them. chris, who was just about to escape, saw this scene in the sky, and an indescribable joy rose in its heart. it wanted to laugh out loud. chris sensed it the moment the aura appeared. it was the ruler of the dark dungeon, the god of kobolds, kurto. the god that it worshipped in the underworld territory. its eyes became extremely crazy when it thought of the attack that it had just repulsed and the troops it had destroyed. even if the other party had several a-rank heroes, even if the other party hid thousands of rare-level wasps, they were still dead! ¡®there was no chance of survival when a god attacked!¡¯ however, a vast mechanical puppet appeared when chris thought. it shocked the society president. ¡°what was this?¡± chris opened its attribute panel and glanced, only to see a short message. [extraordinary hunter] [level: 20¡­] it was like a giant hand clasped its heart. chris¡¯s breathing immediately stopped. level 20, extraordinary hunter¡­ ¡°who was that player? ¡°how could there be a mechanical puppet of this level?¡± Chapter 305 however, when chris saw the mechanical puppet rush into the sky, the blood energy condensed into an enormous face formed from the corpses of nearly ten thousand kobolds. the jealousy in its heart turned into endless ecstasy. ¡°hahaha!¡± ¡°you are seeking your death! !! ¡°no matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t pilot a damaged mechanical puppet to face the mighty god!¡± chris could almost see the mechanical puppet¡¯s broken image at this moment. it felt as comfortable as eating an iced watermelon during the hottest time of july. it was dangerous, paralyzingly dangerous. every cell in richard¡¯s body was on alert. even though he piloted the extraordinary hunter, the fear in his heart grew stronger every time he got closer to the blood-hued mud that condensed in the sky. he seemed to jump into the mouth of a giant abyss beast. he was closer to death than ever. however, he had nowhere to retreat. once the condensation formed the blood-hued mud, twilight city would suffer an unprecedented blow. the enemy could even wipe the city out. ¡®never underestimate the power of the gods.¡¯ ¡°ah!!!¡± he let out a low growl. the veins on his neck popped out under the terrifying pressure. countless grains of sand on the ground surged to isolate the power that devoured. however, the condensed sand suddenly lost control like a kite with its string cut in the next second. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he rushed to the front of the rolling blood-hued mud under unprecedented pressure. the sharper than the knight¡¯s blade of an extraordinary hunter¡¯s two-meter-long claws waved wildly. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a cold glint flickered. the attack pierced through the blood-hued mud. but it immediately returned to ordinary after it rolled. the sharp claws emitted waves of black smoke as the sludge corroded, on the contrary. richard took the brunt of the power. he summoned all from his body to control the hunter to attack. however, the fierce attack did not damage the blood-hued mud at all. it was no different from the sand transformation skill, which had an extremely short and terrifying suppression of physical attacks. richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. instead, the corners of his mouth revealed a somewhat playful smile. ¡°can¡¯t be destroyed?¡± a dark statue appeared in the space the next second. after that, the extraordinary hunter grabbed the statue like an ordinary person. it then plunged into the highly corrosive blood-hued mud. ¡®shua!¡¯ the sound of water that dripped into a hot pot immediately appeared on its arm. the blood-hued mud rapidly corroded the mechanical arm. but at the same time. richard could feel it. the ancient god statue rapidly devoured the energy within in a crazy manner. the corners of his mouth curved up. in the land of the broken laws, the ancient god statue had shown its devouring power to items with divinity. the crimson body of the kobold god might be unsolvable to other people. it could only watch as the other party descended. but to him¡­ wasn¡¯t this the best food for the ancient god statue? the ball of blood-hued mud sensed something was wrong and quickly twisted wildly. it constantly corroded the transcendent hunter. at the same time, the ancient god statue also devoured this power at a faster rate. on the ground, countless physical bodies began to melt and float into the sky. the two sides were in a deadlock. the plan was feasible, but richard needed to be in a better position to face the divine pressure. that terrifying pressure seemed to want to shatter his soul. the usage time of the extraordinary hunter began to decrease its speed excessively. richard watched as the usage time of the extraordinary hunter decreased rapidly. he pondered. several rare resources appeared in front of him that floated in the air. after that, the extraordinary hunter began to devour the rare resources in front of the kobold god¡­ under such a unique environment, the speed of absorption by the ordinary hunter was more than ten times faster than usual. richard was pleasantly surprised. after that, he frantically took rare resources without hesitation and forcibly replenished the energy of the extraordinary hunter. on the other hand, the rapid decline of the extraordinary hunter¡¯s usage of time slowed down a lot under intense consumption eventually. it reduced the seven-hour usage time to less than four hours in just two to three minutes. it was a terrifying consumption. Chapter 306 ¡°the player blocked it?¡± chris looked at the deadlock in the air. its eyes widened, and its face was full of disbelief. ¡°that was a god!¡± even if the kobold god had only sent a wisp of his power, it was enough to suppress everything. !! in front of that vast and brilliant divine might, it could feel its legs trembling even from such a long distance, and it almost wanted to turn around and run. however, the player that controlled the mechanical puppet had forcefully blocked the other party¡¯s arrival. at this moment, chris felt incredulous. ¡°how could this player be so powerful? ¡°so, could the other party use that mechanical puppet to kill the kobold god? ¡°was this the difference between this player and the top players? a sense of powerlessness rose in its heart. ¡°an a-rank mission, was this the difficulty of an a-rank mission?¡± that player had already become a boss and had more than a dozen soldiers, but could still defeat this boss¡­ the players around were not as pessimistic as chris. they still had strong confidence in their eyes. ¡°president chris, don¡¯t worry too much. lord kurto will win!¡± ¡°that mechanical puppet is on the verge of collapse! how can we stop lord kurto¡¯s descent?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! it¡¯s just a level 20 mechanical puppet, how can it be compared to a god?¡± ¡°you still dare to resist now? hmph, you¡¯ll definitely suffer an even more tragic blow later!¡± gauges of insult and resentment continued. ¡°mortals also wanted to resist the gods? ¡°what a dream!¡± ¡°it was not something that a player could compete with even if it was a god who could not descend to the main plane!¡± ¡°that player must die!¡± the dead kobolds¡¯ corpses on the ground still melted. they turned into blood-hued mud that merged into the sky. the venomous wasp that had just swept through everything was forced to fly 300 meters away from twilight city after a paralyzing divine might enveloped them. these rare-level soldiers only felt that their souls were no longer under pressure after they flew so far away. the divine might almost crushed the venomous wasp¡¯s soul the moment it appeared. that was the pressure the unfamiliar level brought and it was unavoidable. on the city wall. all the mummies were like candles in a storm. their soul fire swayed wildly. it was like the enemy could extinguish them at any time. the vast troop had lost its battle power. the might of a god was terrifying. when the other players realized the broken mechanical puppet blocked the god, the face the kobold god formed using countless kobold¡¯s corpses distorted and emitted obscure syllables. ¡°????!??????!??!??????!?????!¡± at that moment. the godly might already be like a landslide multiplied. heaven and earth seemed to have dimmed at this moment. the pressure was like ten million tons of lake water that surged into the sky and then smashed down. richard stood at the bottom of the lake and faced the pressure. the pressure on his heart was far beyond what others could imagine. it seemed to have shattered his soul at this moment. the extraordinary hunter¡¯s arm had even reached into the twisted, bloody face of the kobold god. that was even more exaggerated. this wasn¡¯t just a direct confrontation, but also a direct physical contact. ¡®shua!¡¯ the terrifying corrosiveness caused the extraordinary hunter¡¯s arm to rust crazily. it emitted bursts of black smoke. under such circumstances, no matter how many rare resources the transcendent hunters consumed to repair themselves, they could not make up for the consumption. the usage time still decreased rapidly. the cracks on the outer shell became increasingly startling due to excessive energy consumption. it seemed as if it could shatter at any moment. but with such a huge investment, the effect was also very obvious. the dark light the ancient god statue emitted became increasingly intense as it devoured the other party¡¯s power without restraint. it forcefully stopped the kobold god¡¯s thoughts from quickly descending. the face of the kobold god it had just revealed had disappeared without a trace. in the sky, there was only a twisted mass of blood-hued mud that rolled. ¡°????!??????!??¡­¡± the terrifying blasphemy that carried an evil aura reverberated in the surroundings. it was like a giant hammer that pounded one¡¯s heart. it gave off strong pressure. those who did not have a firm will would probably fall into boundless fear in an instant. divine might surged. the venomous wasps retreated another hundred meters. the situation got increasingly intense. richard¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck bulged. he used his strong will to resist the terrifying pressure. the divine might would shatter his soul any moment if he showed even the slightest weakness in his heart¡­ but suddenly, his expression turned extremely grave. he glanced at his attribute panel ¡­ the something had used up the tens of thousands of units of rare resources that he had accumulated during this period! it was two hours left before the use of the extraordinary hunter. he didn¡¯t know when it would devour the ancient god statue. the situation suddenly turned bad. as he thought, his voice resounded throughout the battlefield. ¡°gunter, xina¡­ alves, practice your attacks on this lump of blood! ¡°gray, bring the dark gargoyle and destroy the corpses on the ground¡­ i¡¯m immediately moved!¡± richard gave the orders. a few of the heroes who waited for a long time immediately drove the dark gargoyles into the sky. the other troops could not move under the divine might. but the dark gargoyles were immune to magic and the soul-crushing divine might would not affect them. gunter was the first to arrive. however, it could not get any closer. its soul fire was about to collapse when it was 50 meters away. the blood lich could only start to cast spells from a distance since this forced it into a difficult position. tons of blood suddenly condensed on the corpse below. the blood-hued mud in its hand, which contained a strong corrosive power, streaked across the sky. Chapter 307 ¡®hu!¡¯ the ball of corruption dragged a scarlet flame tail and smashed into the blood-hued mud. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ball of corruption exploded within it. !! it swelled up like a balloon and then disappeared. however, richard could feel that part of the energy had disappeared. ¡°it worked!¡± in the next moment, xina stood behind the dark gargoyle with a steel longsword in her hand and a cold gaze and approached a distance of 30 meters. however, she had no choice but to stop. her body glowed with boundless light as the broken steel longsword in her hand condensed into a vast and majestic power. ¡®slash!¡¯ the steel longsword light tore the sky apart. it directly cut into the blood-red mud. it twisted again. it injured her again. this move seemed to infuriate the god of kobolds. ¡°????!??????!??!¡± the demonic blasphemy that exploded in the sky suddenly increased in a clamor. richard could only hear the demonic roars of countless abyssal demons in his ears. the shriek of tens of thousands of people at the same time was enough to destroy the minds of the veteran. at this moment, ¡®hu!¡¯ in the sky, alves emitted a scarlet light, flapped its broken dragon wings, and flew over. the dragon hero¡¯s throat suddenly lit up with a scarlet glow. the next moment¡­ ¡®hu!¡¯ the beyond a-rank dragon¡¯s breath left a 30-meter-long trail of scarlet flames in the air. the dragon¡¯s breath, which was also highly corrosive, enveloped the other half of the blood-hued mud. ¡°hiss!¡± the two energies collided with a violent sound. bubbles appeared on the surface of the blood-hued mud as if burning divine power condensed this strange object. ceaseless attacks from two a-rank and one beyond a-rank hero substantially reduced richard¡¯s pressure. on the ground, gray led the heavy sword warriors and dark gargoyles, unaffected by the divine might, and began to destroy the corpses. however, they soon realized whether they chopped up or buried the blood-hued mud in the desert, they could not stop it from devouring the sky. after gray thought for a while, it had the dark gargoyle throw the corpse hundreds of meters away to interrupt the enemy¡¯s fatal blow. the ancient god statue devoured the inside. the three heroes attacked the outside, and gray destroyed the corpses below. the three sides exerted their strength. it immediately reduced the speed at which the blood-hued mud gathered its power. as for the targeted kobold god, it felt unprecedented anger at this moment. ¡°how could these lowly ants humiliate the gods!¡± what attacked it now was nothing more than a bug to the kobold god. it could destroy with a wave of its hand. but this was the main plane! he couldn¡¯t even unleash a hundredth or a thousandth of its strength. how aggrieved was this? especially after it felt the statue in its body that devoured its power. it shocked and angered the kobold god even more. an ancient god item. ¡®this damned lowly life secretly hides an ancient god item¡­¡¯ the body injected with divine power rapidly declined. ¡°bitch!!¡± however, no matter how furious it was, it had no way to vent. it enraged the kobold god! ¡®shua!¡¯ the pressure that weighed down richard¡¯s heart mounted. it had reduced the usage time of the extraordinary hunter to half an hour. without the rare resources as a thick shield, the energy consumption at an encounter with a god was too terrifying! he did not have much time left. he looked at the ancient divine statue in the blood-hued mud. its divine soul was still in a deep sleep during the induction and showed no signs of awakening. even facing a god could not wake it up¡­ his eyes gradually became firm as he decided in his heart. this soul that contained boundless power was his last resort. if things didn¡¯t go well, he would directly awaken the god¡¯s soul in the transformation. as the master of the ancient god statue, he could control everything about it. to incite it was just a matter of thought. however, that would impact the soul of a god, and it might even affect one¡¯s potential. he would not use this overbearing trump card unless he had no other choice. however, twilight city was his foundation, and he would never allow the kobold god to descend, no matter how high the price was. if the enemies destroyed the foundation, everything would be over. fifteen minutes, 13 minutes, 12 minutes¡­ richard watched the energy contained in the extraordinary hunter¡¯s body drop to freezing point. the current damage was even more severe than when he had obtained it. it could have crumbled long ago if it weren¡¯t for the repair that used tons of mithril and rare resources obtained from the underground world. but at this moment, it had reached the limit¡­ ¡°i can¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°even if the encounter devoured more than half of the blood-hued mud, the kobold god could still descend, cast a divine spell, and could wipe out twilight city. richard made up his mind. he never held any hopes of luck. he had a thought. the sleeping god¡¯s soul slowly released an aura. it released an aura of darkness, desolation, and death. it was an indescribable aura as if everything was about to disappear¡­ at that moment. the divine might of the kobold god, which suppressed everything, now had an extra rival. it sensed the terrifying aura. the terrifying incantation that constantly echoed in its mouth suddenly disappeared, and a voice filled with extreme fear exploded. ¡°old, ancient god statue?! do those remaining lowly forms still exist in this world?! ¡°damned bastard! do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± the moment its voice fell¡­ the dark light of the ancient god statue instantly expanded as if it had transformed into a black hole. in the blink of an eye. the power of the ancient god statue swallowed the blood-hued mud in the sky. the terrifying divine energy disappeared like it never existed. in its place was a new lonely, dark place. although it did not have the might of the gods like a tidal wave, it made people feel more fear. Chapter 308 when richard saw this scene, his face was solemn. the extraordinary hunter disappeared, and he appeared in mid-air. with a wave of his hand, the ancient god statue fell into his hand. when he sensed it carefully, the divine soul was like a volcano about to erupt. !! the energy inside was extremely violent. richard thought. the aura wrapped the ancient god statue. it soothed its closed eyes. after a while, the power that was about to explode dimmed again. the divine soul continued to sleep. richard let out a sigh of relief. fortunately, it didn¡¯t wake up starkly. otherwise, who knew the effects it would have if this interrupted the transformation? when he looked up at the sky, he could no longer feel the threat, and his tense heart suddenly relaxed. at that moment, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ the divine soul sleeping in the ancient god statue has swallowed five drops of divine power and one drop of divine energy. its strength has immensely increased and will wake up in 3 weeks.] richard smiled when he heard the system notification. ¡®this kobold god was still willing to f*cking enter the dungeon. ¡®five drops of divine power, one drop of divine energy¡­ it didn¡¯t seem to be a loss. ¡®it would wake up after three weeks.¡¯ the divine sleeping soul was finally about to be born. a strong sense of anticipation rose in richard¡¯s heart. divine soul. he had fed it a drop of divine power along the way and had also swallowed twelve crystals that contained the power of the natural order. the hollow crystal ball still slept with it in the statue. he wondered what level of battle power it would deliver. a divine soul would not die as long as nothing and no one destroys the ancient god statue. he felt a strong sense of excitement when he thought of this characteristic. he took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions, and then he thought of what the kobold god had always mentioned¡­ an ancient god item. and the awakening of the divine soul made the evil god even more afraid. it made him fall into deep thought. ancient god statue¡­ what kind of existence was it? he lowered his head to look at the ancient god statue. an item left behind by an ancient god could trigger such a vast reaction from a god. what did it hide behind this? when the divine soul emitted its aura, the fear the kobold god showed was genuine. as a god, what was the other party afraid of? as his mind turned, he remembered this matter in his heart. richard turned to look at the players after he set the statue aside. in his perception, he could only sense that the spatial energy was somewhat chaotic. the few players had already disappeared without a trace. in the dark dungeon. chris looked at the familiar environment in front of it. it was still in shock. the president was confident it would defeat the enemies. he never thought that this expedition would end in such a sorry state. a troop of 20000 people. it was gone just like that! they were the only ones left¡­ ¡°secret society president, who is that player? why does he have such a powerful strength?¡± a player from the secret society roared with a strong sense of unwillingness. ¡°i¡¯ll admit that our troop can¡¯t beat them! they were strong and had a-rank heroes, but what right did he have to fight against a god? on what basis?¡± it was something that no one could figure out. the failure of the troop was understandable. after all, the other party was indeed strong enough. however, a deity was the god of the kobolds, the ruler of the dark dungeon. to them, that was an existence at the pinnacle of the great dao. however, the player in front of them defeated the god they had never thought would fail. the fear in the kobold god¡¯s voice puzzled them. ¡°how could the other party be so powerful to this extent?¡± ¡°who was he? even for the famous qingqiu players, the boss-level player couldn¡¯t be this powerful, right?¡± chris¡¯s expression showed enthusiasm as it looked at several people¡¯s unwilling expressions. ¡°how willing could they be?¡± it had initially thought it could complete the a-rank mission. it had even fantasized about what kind of reward the kobold god would give chris. but in the end, this happened. ¡°how willing could i be?¡± ¡°remember, this player¡¯s territory. i will step on it in the future!¡± Chapter 309 it ended. when richard saw no more kobolds in the field, he suddenly relaxed. if it weren¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want it, who would be willing to face the pressure of the gods? at this moment, the lunar surface that covered half of the moon in the sky just left. !! the pure white moon appeared high in the sky. from twilight city¡­ the millstone-sized moon was just behind richard¡¯s head. at this moment, the moon was above his head, and he stepped into the void. the bright moonlight shone down and covered him with a layer of silver armor. it made his temperament even more extraordinary. in the dark houses of twilight city, various residents held onto the windowsills tightly and tried to stick their bodies out. it was like this was the only way to see it more clearly. at that moment, they stared at the standing figure in the air. striking dignity filled his eyes. ¡°we defeated the gods¡­¡± there was an undefinable excitement in his heart. when a power formed the blood-hued mud, the figure seated at the high altar appeared in everyone¡¯s mind¨Ckurto, the god of kobolds. the god¡¯s name resounded in their minds along with an evil blasphemy. it was as if it wanted to enslave and oppress them. countless people felt an irresistible fear that almost suffocated them. but now, they had won the final victory. the hero of all this was their lord, their ruler, the only master of this territory. the other party had shattered the image the kobold god had left in their minds with absolute power. even if someone were to say richard was a god, most people would believe it. at this moment of their victory, a large margin raised richard¡¯s prestige once again. richard heard the system notification ring in his ear just as everyone was shocked. [ding~ your mortal body repelled the descent of the kobold god. you have received one point of the mythos.] [ding~ you have forcefully defeated a god in front of the residents. it has immensely increased personal charm and upgraded leadership skills into elite-evel.] [leadership skill: special skill, elite. you have a mighty personal charm. at the same time, your attractiveness to the opposite sex has increased. you can easily persuade and influence your subordinates and make them have a strong trust in you. at the same time, there is a certain chance to make troops and heroes in the wild take the initiative to join you.] richard blinked. ¡°this works too?¡± he quickly opened the notification. the first one was that his glorious-level had increased by one point ¡­ his current mythos was¨Cone (it would increase to three in the underground world). the attributes haven¡¯t changed much. richard¡¯s face broke into a smile. geographical restrictions did not limit the glorious points he could obtain by clicking the kobold god like the points obtained before. instead, they were universal. what was more interesting was that going to the underground world could add two points to the underground world¡¯s glorious level. this attribute seemed a room for development. in the future, when it was piled high, he could wave his hand and have his underlings kowtow to him. in a good mood, he looked at the second message. it has upgraded his leadership skills from ordinary to elite. although the increase in attributes was not a qualitative change, it was still not bad, especially one point¡­ increased attractiveness to the opposite sex. it seemed a lot of fun. richard was in high spirits after he glanced at it a few times. was he going to turn into a walking aphrodisiac in the future? but then again, why would leadership skills attract the opposite sex? he touched his chin. ¡°the nature of intelligent life is to worship the strong. and those with strong leadership often have a higher status in the tribe¡­ if you think about it this way, it makes sense.¡± as he shook his head, he didn¡¯t think much about it. he looked at the other additional feature¨Cit could attract troops and heroes to join. previously, it could only attract troops in the wild, but after he leveled up, it could now the heroes. this characteristic was also quite in line with his appetite. however, the problem was that the effect of the low-level leadership skill was too weak. he had not seen any soldiers take the initiative to join him in such a long time. moreover, this attribute coincided with the unique characteristic of glorious level¨Cthe ones that could attract heroes to join. ¡°i wonder if i can have the effect of one plus one being greater than two when i add two attributes together?¡± richard shook his head. only time will tell. in the future, he will increase his level and try again. he didn¡¯t bother about anything else. after he collected his thoughts, he prepared to land. when he turned around, he suddenly saw countless city residents stood by the window. they looked at him with burning eyes. the emotions in his eyes could almost light up charcoal. all the residents had witnessed the battle. it moved richard. he said in a clear voice. ¡°citizens of twilight city.¡± ¡°just now, we defeated a powerful evil god¨Cthe kobold god, the descent of kurto! ¡°the enemy wants to destroy everything we have! ¡°but i¡¯m still in twilight city, and it¡¯s not up to a kobold god to interfere! ¡°tonight, victory still belongs to us, twilight city, and everyone! ¡°no one can hurt our city. no one!¡± as he spoke, his tone suddenly rose. ¡°long live the twilight city!¡± his simple yet provocative words instantly caused a vast reaction in such a hot atmosphere. the dry gunpowder ignited at this moment. the city residents were immersed in the excitement and let out hysterical shouts at this moment. it was crazy and passionate. ¡°long live the twilight city!! ¡°long live the twilight city!¡± honor and praises continued¡­ at this moment, everyone wanted to suppress the fear in their hearts and let out excitement. Chapter 310 his voice was like a tremendous wave that swept the world, deafening. the twilight city walls shook. victory would always be the only magic weapon to unite everyone. the victory of repelling the invaders was even sweeter and more refreshing. !! pride shrouded everyone¡¯s eyes. their overlord had defeated a god in front of their eyes! that was a god. an invincible god! richard felt honored. he slowly landed on the city wall amidst the cheers. he turned his head and saw a few heroes who had just made considerable contributions land beside him simultaneously. gunter, gray, hina, and alves, the dragon hero, stood on the city wall. it made it seem like the city wall was very low. after xina got closer and saw the handsome figure in front of her, her expression suddenly became slightly subtle. for some reason, she felt that richard gave off a strange aura. his charm was off the charts. a magnet seemed to attract her eyes, and she was reluctant to look away. her heart beat faster for some reason. ¡®my lord¡­¡¯ richard didn¡¯t pay attention to anything else. he looked at gray first. ¡°have you calculated the casualties?¡± gray nodded. ¡°not yet. please wait for a moment.¡± he then added. ¡°we have the geographical advantage of the city wall. without heavy siege weapons, the damage to us is not great. you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± although the kobolds could climb walls, they didn¡¯t bring siege weapons like catapults and ballistae. in a regular war, these heavy weapons would often cause tremendous damage. it was not that they were useless just because they could climb over the city wall. however, it was not surprising they did not carry heavy weapons since the players led this troop. richard nodded. his mood enlivened. then, he seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°have you noticed the lord of divine grace¡¯s existence?¡± the other mummy heroes shook their heads. the battlefield was chaotic. if they did not pay extra attention, they would not care if the enemy was a lord of divine grace. they only cared about whether they could slaughter or not. xina took a step forward and said. ¡°i saw the aura of the two heroes is somewhat similar to yours¡­¡± it humored richard¡¯s interest. ¡°where are they?¡± ¡°the head i chopped off might have already turned into a pool of blood¡­¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°it¡¯s fine. ¡°each of you will lead a group of dark gargoyles and skeleton blood dragons to the surrounding desert to clean up the escaped kobolds.¡± after a few left. richard looked at the surrounding troops who cleaned up the damage. he seemed to have thought of something, and his body glowed. the sand immediately floated up and wrapped around him as he flew directly above the agricultural area. when he looked down, the russian olive forest was still green after peasants picked from them. the sand veins further away harvested ears of barley, and the breeze stirred up waves of wheat. richard heaved a sigh of relief. fortunately, the kobold troop did not damage the agricultural area while they besieged the city. however, he was not consistently in a good mood. ¡°this time, the enemy did not attack the agricultural area, but next time? what about the next time? ¡°could we always count on the enemy to ignore the agricultural area in the future? ¡®¡±this was nonsense. ¡°but how do we protect the agricultural area?¡± richard¡¯s head began to throb. if there was more quicksand, it could seal the surrounding area. however, how could he obtain such a treasure so quickly? and even if the land of quicksand surrounded them, what if they encountered air force? what about an enemy unafraid of quicksand? it was still in vain. richard felt helpless while he thought of this. this agricultural area, which he had spent a lot of effort to build, had now become a worry for him. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± the sound of flapping wings interrupted his thoughts. he turned around and saw the wasps that had just slaughtered the kobold troop flew back to the god¡¯s ancient tree from the horizon. when richard saw this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little pity. the kobolds who had attacked twilight city had suffered heavy casualties, but the kobold god destroyed the corpses. from now on, the kobold god would fight to the death with twilight city. the future would not be peaceful even if they survived this wave. richard made up his mind while he thought of this. ¡°kobold god, you just wait. one day, i¡¯ll smash your dog-head.¡± ****** onyx looked at solan city in the distance and was very excited. he turned his head to look at the burly jonah thorin beside him and loudly said, ¡°jonah, the president will reward us handsomely when we return this time!!¡± when jonah thorin heard this, he turned his head and glanced at him. he let out a long sigh and did not speak. this time, he brought his daughter back to twilight city so that she could break through and become a remarkable blacksmith in solan city. but he didn¡¯t expect so many things to happen. the territory he thought was weak and bearable had such great potential. it also helped adele advance to special-level blacksmith¡­ ¡®that human overlord was extraordinary.¡¯ although he had lost all his face this time, he was still quite pleased. as long as there were no accidents, the activated thorin bloodline was enough to give adele a lifespan of hundreds of years. ¡°you can go by yourself. i¡¯m going back to forge weapons. ¡°adele has already become a special blacksmith. i can¡¯t be surpassed by her!¡± onyx laughed heartily. this time, richard controlled this big barbarian, which made him very happy. he waved his hand and didn¡¯t think much of it. he was just looking for someone to share the joy in his heart. after they entered solan city, onyx excitedly returned to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce as fast as he could. he got off the carriage and ran straight to the main hall. as they approached the door, they couldn¡¯t suppress the excitement in their hearts and shouted as they walked. ¡°president, president! i¡¯ve returned from the desert. i brought back 200 units of desert crown honey! ¡°in addition, i also obtained a special treasure¡­a yellow sand crown robe! it can automatically adjust the temperature¡­¡± onyx entered the main hall of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce with excitement. but just as he stepped through the door, the voice suddenly stopped. a long table in the center of the vast hall and two beautiful figures sat opposite each other. on the left was a 26-or 27-year-old lady. she had an alluring face, but there was a bit of dignity between her brows. she wore a purple noble evening dress with blooming roses embroidered on it. it was extremely luxurious. on his right was a young girl in her early 20s. her eyes were bright. it was like stars shone on them. she wore a silver crown and had a graceful and elegant temperament. the two enjoyed black tea while the maids served them. at this moment, they all turned their heads to look at the door. onyx was shocked when he saw this and immediately saluted with his hand on his chest. ¡°good day, chairman windsor.¡± as he spoke, he immediately placed his hands on his chest and bowed to the girl with the crown on her head. ¡°your highness, onyx sends you his highest regards.¡± the lady in the purple evening gown looked at the travel-worn onyx with a smile. she didn¡¯t mind his rudeness and said softly, ¡°onyx, how much desert crown honey did you say you brought back?¡± ¡°200 units!¡± onyx immediately responded. ¡°also another unique product of twilight city¨Ca treasure that can adjust body temperature, a crown robe¡­ when she heard this, the eyes of the girl with the crown lit up. ¡°sister vanessa, is the desert crown honey the one you gave us last time?¡± windsor, the president of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and a lady in a purple evening gown, nodded slowly. ¡°it¡¯s the same honey as last time.¡± after she answered, she seemed to have thought of something and asked onyx. ¡°the sandstorm half a month ago was so violent. did anything happen to twilight city?¡± it was a small territory in the desert, and she would not even take a second look at it on ordinary days. however, the city¡¯s desert crown honey was outstanding, and she remembered it in her heart. the interest in the eyes of the girl with the crown grew even mightier. ¡°sister windsor, is that territory in the desert?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, and¡­and extremely weak.¡± windsor said thoughtfully. ¡°the desert crown honey is extremely valuable. if the other party¡¯s territory is too weak, we can invest in them and let them move to solan city.¡± onyx¡¯s expression turned serious when he heard this, and he immediately spoke. ¡°no, president windsor, with the city¡¯s potential, i don¡¯t think we have the right to move twilight city¡­ Chapter 311 at the mansion¡¯s front yard. ¡°lord, we have calculated the number of casualties. ¡°mummy guardians have lost five teams, bandaged mummies have lost three, sand condensation archers have lost two, rare-level undead soldiers have lost two, and skeleton demons have lost three¡­ ¡°a total of 14 units died in the battle.¡± !! richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much when he heard gray¡¯s report. over 10,000 kobold soldiers attacked the city and created a vast commotion. however, in such a crazy attack, only 100 people from twilight city died. in total, the casualty ratio had reached an exaggerated one to one hundred. it was a brilliant achievement. apart from the geographical advantage of the city wall, the remarkable contributor was the strapping battle power of a-rank heroes and the sand regeneration skill of the troops. there was no doubt about the strength of a-class heroes. with the troop¡¯s cooperation, they could block the enemy¡¯s offensive. as for the sand regeneration skill, where the enemy did not have a spellcasting troop, it would preserve several troops. it had become an invincibility skill that the opponent could not break. the twilight city¡¯s troops had something other troops did not have¨Cthey only died in battle but were not injured. due to the existence of sand regeneration, even if injured soldiers lost an arm or a leg, as long as they did not die in battle, they could activate sand regeneration to repair themselves after the war. every time they calculated the number of casualties, richard had to sigh at the overbearing nature of his overlord talent. half of the reason why twilight city could develop so well was due to the nerve-racking skill¨Cof sand regeneration. richard retracted his scattered thoughts and said seriously. ¡°gray, although there weren¡¯t many casualties this time, the battle had exposed many problems. ¡°the archer¡¯s shooting range is not enough. the troop¡¯s front and back connections are not enough. and the cooperation between the various types of soldiers in the city defense is stiff. all of this needs you, heroes, to master.¡± richard¡¯s tone was solemn. ¡°although the giant alchemy cannons, we did not use the hurricane arrow tower this time, and we have not fully exerted our power. everyone must be aware of this. ¡°we need to optimize our defense and military arrangement. ¡°it was easy to say that guarding the city wall was a simple task, but it was like a sophisticated instrument. ¡°if there were a problem with one of the segments, the entire team would be affected. ¡°and in this war, he had seen too many shortcomings¡­¡± gray immediately held his chest. ¡°lord, we¡¯ll make adjustments immediately. we won¡¯t let you down.¡± richard nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. after gray left in a hurry, he looked up at the bright moon in the sky. thoughts flooded his mind. twilight city faced countless challenges. the enmity of the kobold god, the upcoming instance dungeon, and even the future connection of the desert of death to other dimensional planes¡­ none of those things were that simple. in addition, a god¡¯s kingdom waited for him to explore the land of the broken laws, and a part of a god¡¯s body hid inside. previously, there was a dungeon at the place where alves died that imprisoned a strapping hero¨Cthe dark lord. they could get the imprisoned hero as long as they could topple down the dungeon. the dark lord regarded the underground world as its exclusive domain. one of the overlords, the gray dwarves, also eyed the lord covetously and tried to find a way to deal with it. in addition, richard had yet to explore the ancient ruins of the remaining eight bronze doors¨Cthe resplendent wizard tower. he had planned to visit the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in solan city but lost time. he still had to think of a way to protect the agricultural area to prevent it from battle destruction in the future. richard couldn¡¯t help but get a headache while he pondered on all this. his thoughts cleared up after he took a few deep breaths. the greatest danger now was the threat the kobold god brought. it was true that it forced the other party to retreat this time, but when they came down, they would bring a supremely strapping troop. at the same time, they would be more prepared. ¡°this time, we must obtain sufficient benefits from this instance dungeon.¡± ¡°it¡¯s best to prepare a few substantial deadly weapons that can resist the descent of gods.¡± richard¡¯s mind began to race. various rare pieces of equipment were exchanged for points as long as he obtained enough benefits in the dungeon. he could deal with the kobold god. even though the other party was a god and had several believers. however, twilight city took a lot of work to match. withdrawal and surrender would never be his choice. two maids walked out of the hall with pale faces just as he thought of a plan. ¡°my lord, miss emily has fainted!¡± richard spun around. ¡°what happened?¡± the two maids were on the verge of tears as they hurriedly said. ¡°after the evil god appeared, miss emily suddenly became very weak. ¡°i couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, and she fainted. we¡­we didn¡¯t know what happened either¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t say anything more when he saw how flustered the two were. he quickly walked in. these days, the once demigod emily had been very obedient, which he honestly liked. he genuinely treated her like his daughter. he was not in a hurry to let the young girl recover since he considered her memory loss. richard planned to recuperate her for a while longer so that she could build up enough emotional ties with the twilight city before she could improve its strength. that way, even if the other party recovered her memory, he would not say resentment or dissatisfaction with twilight city. Chapter 312 as a little centaur with the potential to reach the boss level, emily had a bright future ahead of her. he didn¡¯t want mistakes to happen. on the second floor, they entered the room. the little centaur slept on the carpet. !! richard let out a sigh of relief when he sensed that the girl¡¯s life force hadn¡¯t changed. he opened the attribute panel and saw a special status on the adorable young girl¡¯s status bar. some kind of power stimulated her soul, and she fell into a coma. ¡°the kobold god caused this? that divine might?¡± richard¡¯s face darkened. ¡°did that dog-headed bully my daughter?¡± it has injured emily¡¯s soul twice. the suppression of the god in the land of the broken laws was the first time it caused her injury. the collapse of the land of the broken laws was the second time. when richard looked at the attributes, it shouldn¡¯t be life-threatening. the only thing that made him hesitate was whether it would cause any side effects. ¡°go and call xina over.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± not long after the maid left, xina, who was in a hurry and nervous, entered the house. when she saw the sleeping emily was not in any danger, she let out a sigh. since she had obtained most of his memories, her heart ached for this miserable little fellow. ¡°xina, take some time to look after emily for the next few days. i¡¯m worried that something might happen to her body this time.¡± xina nodded. ¡°it should be so.¡± he asked. ¡°are you leaving the territory?¡± richard turned to look out the window. a layer of silver light covered the tall hurricane arrow tower under the moonlight, which was particularly striking. ¡°our enemies are remarkably fierce, and twilight city needs a mightier troop. ¡°i¡¯m going to the underground world again. richard seemed to have thought of something as he spoke and turned around to look at xina. ¡°did the krina tribe respond to you?¡± because of the incident with the kobold god, xina had once asked her tribesmen for help. however, the kobold troop had arrived too quickly. before the krina tribe had received any news, they had already appeared. xina looked at the handsome young man in front of her. he was full of charm, and her eyes softened. her tone was confident. ¡°we¡¯ll receive the latest news by tomorrow.¡± richard nodded. he didn¡¯t say anything. he had never placed the fate of twilight city in the hands of others, and it would not affect his plans even if the krina tribe did not come. however, if the other party did not come, there would be no place to kidnap the krina hero¡­ that would be such a pity. as the two conversed, the sound of footsteps from the door interrupted richard¡¯s train of thought. he turned around and looked at the person. ¡°officer karu, have you appeased the residents?¡± karu, in high spirits, glanced at emily and laughed after he confirmed she was okay. ¡°those guys don¡¯t need to be appeased. they¡¯re more excited than anyone else¡­¡± ¡°their lord had attacked the gods under their instigator. ¡°with such an unprecedented achievement, one could imagine the excitement of the residents.¡± after karu finished speaking, he hesitantly brought up another topic. ¡°my lord, the lady you brought back last time, miss vale, has been doing very well in handling government affairs these days. ¡°i¡¯m thinking, can i ask her to be my assistant?¡± ¡°vale?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°is it the b-rank internal affairs hero in that group of refugees trapped in the broken temple a few days ago?¡± he had asked the hero to manage internal affairs for the past few days. but he had not paid much attention to her. from what officer karu said, it was clear that this b-rank hero had achieved something. ¡°i¡¯ll leave this matter to you. miss vale can¡¯t be in charge of confidential matters for the time being.¡± old gray-haired karu nodded. ¡°yes, my lord, i know what to do.¡± richard didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°i¡¯m going to the underground world again. our current defense is far from enough. we need more resources to invest.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a warmth in his chest. richard waved his hand and took out something warm¡­ the ancient god statue. ¡°what was this?¡± he was about to check its attributes with some doubt. suddenly, a pure white stream of light floated up from the statue. then, it condensed in the air. when the white light dissipated, a mysterious pattern-carved crystal ball appeared in front of him. the moment the crystal ball appeared, the surrounding space rippled like water. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. in the land of the broken laws, the ancient god statue swallowed the crystal ball that the twelve crystals protected in the middle into the internal space and slept with the divine soul. ¡°why did it suddenly appear?¡± he focused and sensed that the hollow crystal ball looked rich in energy, but it was empty inside. it was no longer as hot as the sun. and if one looked carefully, one could see slight cracks outside. although they were not obvious, it was enough to explain the changes. richard opened the attribute panel. [space crystal] [level: special] [status: severely damaged (will shatter after three hours) ] [attribute: can reinforce a space treasure below 3-stars, causing it to upgrade by one level, or strengthen a 4-stars space treasure.] [description: initially, a crystal contains tons of energy, but the ancient god statue devoured more than half of it.] richard was delightedly surprised. the space crystal had more than half of its power devoured by the ancient god statue, yet it still had such attributes. it could upgrade a treasure below 3-stars by one level. and the use of a 3-stars would become a 4-stars. if 3-stars upgraded the treasure, 4-stars could also reinforce it. this thing was worth a lot. but¡­ richard looked at the attributes a few times and felt a little regretful. usage applies only to spatial treasures and would shatter after three hours. Chapter 313 richard only had one space treasure. the two-way portal he had obtained from the scarlet council¡¯s treasure vault in the last dungeon. with this in mind, he took out the treasure piled up in the corner of the system space. [two-way portal] [level: 4-stars] !! [special attribute: can place a pair of teleportation doors that one can open in both directions within a 50-kilometer radius.] [description: a supremely rare-level treasure.] he had planned to place one end of the treasure in twilight city and the other at the entrance to the underworld. it would connect twilight city to the underworld. however, he later discovered twilight city was more than 80 kilometers away from the tunnel. this thing was still quite a distance away from that place. richard had no choice but to set it aside for now. it was the only spatial treasure he had left. if he could increase the distance of its connection after reinforcement, he would not lose at all. the underground world was a place of treasure. this time, he had obtained 40 million units of resources, which was enough for him to eat his fill. he also had a deeper understanding of the monstrous wealth contained within. it was an utterly good investment. he didn¡¯t hesitate while he pondered on this. he immediately chose to reinforce the two-way portal. ¡®crack!¡¯ the hollow crystal ball shattered and turned into pieces of crystal the size of a fingernail. they then merged into the mini-arch half the size of his palm. after the majestic energy surged in, several runes appeared on the mini-arch. a system notification sounded as the light faded. [ding~ it has reinforced the two-way portal.] richard opened his attributes to check, and his face glimmered with a smile. [two-way portal] [level: 4-stars] [special attribute: can place a pair of teleportation doors that one can open in both directions within a 100-kilometer radius. ] [description: a supremely rare-level treasure. ] it was ultimately comfortable. he didn¡¯t stay in the room. he got up and went to the land of quicksand. he placed a two-way portal not far from the god¡¯s ancient tree. the mini-arch in his hand turned into a stream of light and fell to the ground. in an instant, a vast arch door condensed in front of him. the arch was 10 meters tall and 6 meters wide. it was like a water curtain in the middle, with a faint white fluorescent light. richard reached out to touch it and could feel resistance. he needed to place another portal to pass through. richard was in a good mood. he didn¡¯t hesitate. he immediately took off with the skeleton blood dragon and the dark gargoyle troops and headed straight to the underground tunnel. when they arrived, he controlled the sand to reveal the buried passage. after they passed through the path for more than 20 kilometers, he found a wider area and placed another portal. richard walked through it and appeared in the quicksand after he set up the portal. he burst into laughter when he saw the god¡¯s ancient tree in front of him. after they returned to the underground passage through the two-way portal, he was particularly delighted. richard did not say anything. he returned to the exit. then, he controlled the sand to sweep up the surrounding rocks. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ he completely blocked the 20-kilometer passage. at this point. he no longer had to worry whether or not the outsiders discovered this underground world. there was no need to worry about the underground life appearing on the surface. the god¡¯s ancient tree guarded the other in the land of quicksand. if the underworld life forms wanted to get out, they would have to go through the boss¡¯s suppression. at this point, this underground world completely became his private property¡­ everything he develops would belong to him. Chapter 314 in an unknown tavern in bloohoof city, the stench of alcohol and sweat filled the air. dozens of underground creatures drank and chatted. they did not care about the terrible air around them. as far as the eye could see, there were half-snake men, prison barbarians, halflings, lizardmen, taurens¡­ one could see all kinds of strange races here. a tauren with a face full of scars and a pair of blood-tinted eyes picked up the bowl on the table and gulped down the sour-strong wine in one go. !! ¡®burp!¡¯ its face was flushed red. it suddenly stood up and shouted at its two companions under the influence of alcohol. ¡°did you guys hear? the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ reward for the surface lord increased to 15 million food units from 10 million units!¡± its eyes turned even redder. ¡°fifteen million units! if we can get this, our tribe won¡¯t have to worry for three years, no, five years!¡± as the tauren said that, it slammed the table. it quickly caused the lively tavern to quieten down. everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the tauren that appeared particularly tall after it stood up. the tauren noticed this and shouted. ¡°what are you looking at? aren¡¯t you interested? that¡¯s 15 million units of food! ¡°what a great fortune this is!¡± a dwarf pursed its lips in disdain when it heard this. it suddenly stood up on the bench and wiped the food residue from the corner of its mouth with its sleeve. it shouted. ¡°you buffaloes must have drunk too much and slept in the sewer for a few days, right? ¡°the information is bullshit.¡± the crowd burst into laughter when they saw the dwarf¡¯s funny appearance. it quickly annoyed the bull-headed man. ¡°damned shorty! what did you just say?¡± as it spoke, it picked up the long-handled axe inclined on the wooden table. the dwarf glanced at it and said in disdain. ¡°the reward for the surface lord in fortress city has been raised to 18 million food units! ¡°your 15 million is already out of date!¡± these words immediately caused a commotion in the tavern. ¡°that¡¯s right! i just got the news that the gray-colored dwarves have raised the reward for that human. ¡°above the gods, 18 million units of food. if it were to me, i couldn¡¯t finish them in my lifetime¡­ ¡°the gray dwarves are so rich. they can take out tens of millions of units of food just like that.¡± ¡°tsk, tsk, tsk, the price the gray dwarves offered is genuinely impressive, but what¡¯s even more surprising is the human lord from the surface¡­ with such a high bounty on his head, no one could do anything to him! what kind of strength is this?¡± the tauren¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°it took two days for the gray-colored dwarves to raise the price, and now it¡¯s increased again? what did that surface human do?¡± the dwarf picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it. it looked at the crowd around proudly. ¡°that human overlord plundered the iron fort two hundred kilometers away from fortress city this morning! ¡°oh, god of gnomes! the human took several resources from the iron fort.¡± after the dwarf finished speaking, it stared at the interested audience and increased its voice. ¡°and when the gray-colored dwarves sent their troops to besiege the human lord on the surface, the human lord slaughtered them, and there were several casualties. ¡°the surface lord is fighting the level 13 iron fort lord alone!¡± ¡°in a one-on-one battle, the human lord slaughtered the iron fort lord! the dwarf added. ¡°that¡¯s right. the enemy didn¡¯t use that powerful mechanical puppet!¡± these words immediately caused a burst of exclamations. ¡°what?! it didn¡¯t use any mechanical puppet?!¡± ¡°isn¡¯t the surface lord only level 9? the iron fort lord had already reached level 13 and was extremely powerful. how could the surface city troops defeat them?¡± ¡°where did you get this information? it must be inaccurate!¡± ¡°this is a bit fake! the iron fort lord must have besieged and slaughtered the human opponents!¡± it continued to bewilder the crowd¡­ the dwarf was even more excited when it heard the heated discussion. shorty enjoyed being the center of attention. it shouted. ¡°this is a message from a friend of mine in fortress city! ¡°my friend witnessed the battle with its own eyes. the iron fort lord suffered a tragic death. ¡°if it weren¡¯t for this, how could the reward for the gray-colored dwarves increase from 15 million to 18 million?! ¡°don¡¯t doubt it! if the human leader is not strong, how can he become an ally of bloodhoof city?¡± the surrounding crowd immediately thought of the various legends the human overlord left behind during this period and quickly shared their knowledge. ¡°indeed, if it were someone else, this might be nonsense. but that human overlord is not an ordinary person¡­¡± ¡°in the past three days, the human lord has attacked seven cities of the gray-colored dwarves! seven cities in three days¡­ it¡¯s ultimately unbelievable!¡± ¡°as expected of someone from the surface. the human lord annihilated a level 13 hero with his level 9 power. it¡¯s explicitly unbelievable!¡± the more they talked, the more lively the atmosphere in the tavern became. someone brought up another matter not long after. ¡°do you think the news this lord of the surface recruited our heroes and brought them to the surface could be true?¡± the people around immediately responded. ¡°of course, it¡¯s true! otherwise, why would they ask bloodhoof city to help spread the news?¡± ¡°and the notice is posted outside lord¡¯s mansion of the city. anyone who wants to join the city human lord can get a free house to live in¡­¡± Chapter 315 ¡°tsk, tsk, tsk!¡± if it weren¡¯t for the human overlord who only wants heroes, i¡¯d want to go and see. that¡¯s the earth¡¯s surface. a rich and fertile land where sprinkling just a few seeds can grow food!¡± ¡°and that overlord is so powerful. isn¡¯t it ten thousand times better than living a hard life underground if such an existence rules us?¡± ¡°but why hasn¡¯t he come to bloodhoof city after so many days? it¡¯s already the 8th! that lord has already left for a week.¡± ¡°are you stupid? what had the human overlord been doing these days? attack the city of the gray-colored dwarves! he doesn¡¯t have time to come to bloodhoof city. if you want to go, just wait. a big shot that even the gray-colored dwarves can¡¯t do anything about, he won¡¯t retract his words.¡± !! in the underground world, the strong were respected. as for the lord from the surface, everything he had done during this period was too legendary¡­ he came from the surface, they were bloodhoof city¡¯s allies. he had offended the other overlord of the underground world. the gray-colored dwarves offered a reward of nearly 20 million units of food for the human overlord¡¯s head. the human overlord was also a tycoon. he had bought several weapons in bloodhoof city and scattered millions of units of food. furthermore, the human overlord had a transcendent-level mechanical puppet that was extremely powerful. all sorts of legends made the halo behind the human overlord extremely dazzling. the attention it attracted was phenomenal. many underground creatures had heard the news over the past two days. and we¡¯re very interested in richard¡¯s recruitment order. a lord with no ability and status would only be laughed at even if he issued a recruitment order. however, if a powerful, wealthy, and legendary figure issued a recruitment order, it gave them a chance. with a different status, even if they did the same thing, the results would be completely different. bloodhoof city, city lord¡¯s mansion main hall. more than 20 bloodhoof city¡¯s higher-ups who sweated profusely, looked excitedly at the messenger. a white-haired barbarian hero stood up. its eyes were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. ¡°are you sure the information is accurate?¡± ¡°vice-president richard verily attacked the iron fort? ¡°and not only did he take all the resources inside, but he also slaughtered iron fort lord in a one-on-one battle without a mechanical puppet?¡± the messenger panted a few times and said in a loud voice. ¡°there¡¯s no mistake. many parties have verified this disappearance. our people even saw the iron fort lord¡¯s corpse¡­¡± as he said that, he looked at the main seat, where excitement shrouded sel bloodhoof¡¯s eyes. ¡°lord sel, the gray-colored dwarves have raised their bounty on vice-president richard to 18 million units of food,¡± ¡°they¡¯ve even spread the word that they¡¯re offering an equal price for the treasure that can kill president richard.¡± even treasures with special effects can be exchanged for rewards in fortress city. the white-haired barbarian hero finally smiled when he heard this. he turned around and looked at the main seat. ¡°as expected of vice-president richard, lord sel! this attack has shaken the foundation of the gray-colored dwarves.¡± sel knitted his eyebrows. ¡°vice-president richard, you¡¯ve done well this time, but you¡¯ve only taken the resources. you didn¡¯t take over the city. it¡¯s not enough to shake the dwarves¡¯ foundation, correct?¡± the white-haired barbarian hero shook his head. ¡°my lord, the gray-colored dwarves can maintain their position as underground overlords. in addition to their strength, there is another reason¡­ everyone¡¯s respect for the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°this is the soft power that the gray-colored dwarves have accumulated over hundreds of years. ¡°now, vice-president richard has broken that respect and stepped on the gray-colored dwarves with a domineering attitude. ¡°as long as vice-president richard¡¯s fine, they¡¯ll lose all their dignity. ¡°that¡¯s why they offered such a high reward! ¡°this isn¡¯t just to kill the threat of vice-president richard, it¡¯s also to protect the foundation of the gray-colored dwarves!¡± as he said that, his face revealed some excitement. ¡°vice-president richard has created a remarkable opportunity for us. now, it¡¯s time for us to strike!¡± when sel heard this, he appeared thoughtful. the messenger continued. ¡°when a giant is injured, the wild beasts around him will not think about helping him. instead, they will think about how to get a piece of his flesh after he dies. ¡°as long as we can let the others see it, that giant is indeed going to fall¡­ a pack of wild wolves won¡¯t mind sharing a prey.¡± sel was enlightened when he heard this. he then thought of the figure who rode the undead dragon and came to bloodhoof city alone. for some reason, he felt lucky. it was unquestionably bloodhoof city¡¯s good fortune to ally with them. bloodhoof city would have become history if they had chosen the gray-colored dwarves. he suppressed the emotions in his heart and said seriously. ¡°then, let¡¯s take action immediately. we can¡¯t waste this opportunity. ¡°let¡¯s spread the news that the gray-colored dwarves are tough on the outside but weak on the inside. at the same time, enrage conflicts between the surrounding forces and the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°then, send people to attack the dwarves¡¯ various mineral veins. at the same time, spread the wealth contained in them.¡± the white-haired barbarian hero nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. one or two times might not be enough to shake the gray-colored dwarves, but if we do it too many times, it will wipe their prestige. that will be when bloodhoof city becomes the only overlord of the underground world. sel also smiled. bloodhoof city had waited for this day for far too long. then, he seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°apart from that, we need to increase our efforts in purchasing weapons and equipment from other organizations.¡± Chapter 316 sel had earned a considerable sum from his last trade in bloodhoof city. he had tasted the sweetness of it. he treated the acquisition as the most important thing. another prison barbarian hero stood up and said hesitantly. !! ¡°lord sel, should our weapons department also produce¡­¡± sel shook his head. ¡°we can increase production, but we keep the higher-grade equipment first. we need more weapons for the upcoming war. ¡°to earn food isn¡¯t our goal. our goal is to unify the underworld!¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± it wasn¡¯t just bloodhoof city that discussed this matter. almost all the underground factions discussed richard. the human lord from the surface had conquered seven gray-colored dwarf cities in three days. after they plundered tons of wealth, he still retreated calmly. the furious fortress city had offered an astronomical price of 18 million units of food as a reward for the head of the human lord. as well as various treasures one could use to deal with the enemy. this news swept through the underground world like a whirlwind. the human lord amazed everyone from the surface. it was something that had never happened in the underground world. the human from the surface was too powerful! he swayed countless people. it was the instinct of all life to worship the strong, and the law of the jungle in the underground world deepened this worship. but just as everyone waited for the surface lord¡¯s next move¡­ it seemed to have evaporated from the world and disappeared without a trace. however, it did not disappoint the expectations. instead, curiosity and anticipation filled their thoughts. they were curious about the human lord¡¯s shocking move the next time he appeared. a few gray-colored dwarves¡¯ cities were left¡­ when the fortress city sensed the disappearance of their arch-enemy, an indescribable atmosphere filled their perimeters. this time, the twilight city troops were already so crazy they attacked other gray-colored dwarf cities without fear. could the human lord¡¯s next target be¡­ fortress city! the gray-colored dwarves thought of the terrible consequences and suddenly fell into a prodigious panic. previously, they had absolute confidence that the human from the surface would not return. however, the troops led by the human lord plundered their cities one by one, and they could not do anything to his powerful troops. their confidence had quietly collapsed. the gray-colored dwarves had never thought that even when bloodhoof city was at its strongest, it did not make them feel uneasy. but now, a human from the surface, who had just broken through to level 10, threatened them. richard¡¯s feat of taking down seven cities in three days boosted his reputation in the underground world to an unstoppable level. the number of people that headed toward bloodhoof city had increased. some were there to seek refuge. while others were there to see if they could get the 18 million units of food reward¡­ in the underground tunnel. richard stood in front of the two-way portal. he looked at the troops that had returned to twilight city. his mood was better than ever. the expedition to the underground world. his gains were far beyond his expectations. when he returned this time, twilight city would unquestionably experience another wave of exaggerated development. as richard thought of this, he subconsciously opened his attribute panel. he skipped over the ordinary resources and looked at the rare ones with a satisfied expression. [gemstone: 25329 units, mercury: 54320 units, sulfur: 12412 units, crystal: 32306 units ] this time, he had become rich¡­ Chapter 317 ¡°lord, do we need to send a few troops to guard the underground tunnel?¡± gray looked at the troop that passed through the two-way portal and hesitated. ¡°the underground passage is not a secret if the gray-colored dwarves retaliate¡­¡± for the past few days, twilight city ran amuck in the underworld. !! the amount of wealth they had plundered from the gray-colored dwarves was the hatred they had for them. richard said while he shook his head. ¡°let the blood-colored mummies initially stationed here continue to be on guard. it¡¯s enough to inform the tree roots beforehand if enemies are coming.¡± it was not much of use to send defensive troops. if they sent too many, twilight city could not handle the troops. if they sent too few, they could not deal with the enemy. they stationed the god¡¯s ancient tree on the other side of the two-way portal. if the other party wanted to go to the surface through the teleportation formation, it would be a piece of cake. moreover, spatial energy protected the two-way portal. even extraordinary hunters could not destroy it, so there was no need to worry about the other party¡¯s destruction. gray immediately stopped talking. after richard made some simple arrangements, he watched the last skeletal blood dragon leave without hesitation. he let alves, who sat down, fold its wings and cross the portal with his body lowered. after it passed through a small obstacle, richard saw the towering figure of the god¡¯s ancient tree. he revealed a smile on his face. the feeling he traveled a hundred miles with one step was perfect. unfortunately, the two-way portal was a 4-stars treasure that only luck could provide. otherwise, they could expand the sphere of influence of twilight city by a lot. after richard instructed the abomination gu shumi to guard the two-way portal, he returned to twilight city with his troops. the sun was about to sink into the earth, and the orange setting sun shone on his body. it gave him a layer of dazzling armor. coupled with his outstanding temperament, richard was striking. it was especially true for the young women of the city. their faces reddened at the sight of him, and their eyes glowed. he wanted to take a few more glances, but he was somehow shy and didn¡¯t dare to. after richard dismissed the troops, he didn¡¯t return to the lord¡¯s mansion. instead, he went straight to the blacksmith shop. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re back!¡± when adele saw him, she was pleasantly surprised. she wiped the sweat off her forehead. she didn¡¯t notice some dust on her hand, which left a distinct mark on her face. however, with that lovely face, she looked a little more playful. ¡°you¡¯re back. the harvest this time is not bad.¡± richard looked at the young girl¡¯s smile. his mood improved. ¡°how¡¯s the forging of the dragon-hunting crossbow?¡± adele responded in a light tone. ¡°we have completed the preliminary preparations. as long as the rare resources are in place, we can make five dragon-hunting crossbows in three days.¡± the dragon-hunting crossbow was a 4-stars treasure, and richard had always regarded it as a trump card. they developed this to hunt giant dragons. so one could imagine its destructive power. in the dungeon that was about to open, there was no need to think to know that a powerful boss would appear. he could not stop the other party, so it was a perfect defense system for twilight city. the dragon-hunting crossbow existed to kill bosses. the weapon was powerful, but the resources it required were also ridiculous¨C5000 units of mercury, 5000 units of sulfur, 5000 units of crystal, 1000 units of refined iron, the fascia of a dragon above level 15 or a mixed-blood dragon, and a notable blacksmith. with this in mind, he glanced at his attribute panel, and the feeling of getting rich instantly disappeared by half. ¡°damn, after plundering so much from the underground world, i only had enough to forge three to five dragon-hunting crossbows.¡± he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because the underground world was destitute or if this thing was genuinely precious. however, there was scant to say about the level of a 4-stars treasure. ¡°i¡¯ll give you ten thousand units of mercury, sulfur, and crystal each for the time being to forge two swords.¡± ¡°we have completed one hurricane arrow tower, and two more were still under construction.¡± there should be at least one dragon-hunting crossbow in each of the three arrow towers. in addition to the one he smithed earlier, he now had three. ¡°forge six dragon-hunting crossbow bolts first, and i¡¯ll also give you the resources.¡± the dragon-hunting crossbow was relatively cheap. it required 500 units of crystal, 500 units of sulfur, 500 units of mercury, and 100 units of refined iron. however, as a consumable, the crossbow bolts were also expensive. as a result, 39,000 units in this wave and the rare resources in his hands immediately fell sharply. [gems: 12,329 units] [mercury: 41,320 units] [sulfur: 412 units] [crystal: 19,306 units] the other resources were still sufficient, but there was a shortage of sulfur, so he could not continue to increase the price. richard¡¯s head hurt. ¡°the financial resources of twilight city are not enough to use the dragon-hunting crossbow as you please, so you need to make some ordinary heavy crossbows to match it¡­¡± adele said with a paltry admiration. ¡°it¡¯s alright, lord. it¡¯s already enough that you¡¯ve developed twilight city into such a powerful state in just three months. ¡°these difficulties are only temporary. i believe we can solve them soon.¡± richard¡¯s heart warmed at the trust in those eyes. he reached out and pinched the girl¡¯s face and wiped away the mark on her forehead. when richard saw the young girl¡¯s face turn red and shyness filled her eyes, he laughed. ¡°did you find any apprentices with the potential to become heroes?¡± adele was busy with her tasks. she lost time on technology research and development. it was imperative to train a second blacksmith. one of the conditions for upgrading twilight city from a level 3 small city to a medium city was to possess advanced technology. Chapter 318 however, relative conditions had stuck the technology of twilight city for a long time, and they only had three primary technologies. when adele heard this, her eyes flickered. she said hesitantly. ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s a potential candidate among the residents of twilight city ¡­¡± richard raised an eyebrow. !! ¡°what now? is the candidate not willing to join the blacksmith shop?¡± adele shook her head. ¡°no, that¡¯s not the reason. it¡¯s¡­ the candidate only has one arm.¡± ¡°only one arm?¡± richard flinched. ¡°an arm? then, how would the candidate forge?¡± although adele intended to train him to be a hero who specialized in research technology, forging was the root of the blacksmith profession. no matter what industry, losing an arm was more difficult than usual people encounter. not to mention the blacksmith profession. richard wasn¡¯t the only one who had the same question. sam¡¯s choice puzzled the people around him. it was simply too arduous for a person with a missing arm to choose the profession of a blacksmith. ¡°sam, i heard the blacksmith hired you?¡± sam, who had just returned from the blacksmith¡¯s shop, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his right hand. he looked at the woman in front of him and nodded with a smile. ¡°that¡¯s right, auntie marie. ¡°lady adele hired me.¡± auntie marie said while her heart ached. ¡°silly boy, of all the things you can do, why would you choose to be a blacksmith? ¡°you can only¡­ sigh.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re not used to it, you can go to the agricultural area and help me manage the russian olive forest and sand barley¡­ thanks to his lordship¡¯s trust, i am in charge of the agricultural area. i am currently recruiting people.¡± her round face was like a red apple and was oddly kind at this time. sam was very grateful. this lady lord had helped them a lot in the past few days. ¡°thank you, madam marie. but i¡¯m already a part of the blacksmith shop. i would no longer trouble you.¡± he said seriously. ¡°i like the blacksmith profession. i like the feeling of forging ores into farm tools and weapons.¡± as he said that, he turned his head and looked into the room with a gentle gaze. ¡°also, shanna likes it when i become a blacksmith.¡± auntie marie sighed again. ¡°you¡¯re a good child, and shanna is a blessed person¡­¡± before he could finish, the door opened. a freckled girl in a coarse, long dress appeared at the door. the girl¡¯s face was thin due to long-term malnutrition. surprisingly, the freckled girl¡¯s eyes were wide open when she looked at the two people from the door. there was no focus at all. they were like the eyes of a mechanical puppet. the girl pushed the door open and faced the side where neither of them was. ¡°sam, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°i heard auntie marie¡¯s voice. auntie marie, are you there?¡± her tone was as light as a sparrow¡¯s. when auntie marie saw this, her heart ached. ¡°shanna, i¡¯m here.¡± when the freckled girl heard the sound, she held onto the wall and turned around carefully. ¡°good afternoon, auntie marie. thank you for the olives you sent over last time. they were delicious.¡± her eyes were still unfocused. auntie marie stepped forward and supported her. ¡°if you like them, i¡¯ll send more next time.¡± then, she turned to look at sam. ¡°your sweetheart went to the blacksmith shop to apply for a job today. they had already hired him. from now on, he will work for the lord. that is a decent job. ¡°his lordship places great importance on the blacksmith shop.¡± when the freckled girl heard this, surprise shrouded her face. she turned in the direction of the voice, but she couldn¡¯t face sam. ¡°sam, is this true? the blacksmith hired you? you can work for the lord in the future?¡± something suddenly seemed to block sam¡¯s throat. he nodded vigorously. ¡°shanna, that¡¯s right! the blacksmith shop has already hired me, and i¡¯ll get a salary every month!¡± ¡°we don¡¯t have to receive any more financial aid from the lord. we can earn our own money to buy food.¡± the girl clapped her hands excitedly. ¡°that¡¯s great! sam, i knew you could do it!¡± he seemed to have thought of something and suddenly said carefully as she spoke. ¡°they¡­ the lord didn¡¯t say anything to you, right?¡± sam shook his head. ¡°no, shanna. the master in the blacksmith shop values me very much. they didn¡¯t have any objections because i¡¯m missing an arm!¡± auntie marie felt a lump in her throat when she heard this. how could it be so easy for an ordinary person with a broken arm to join the highest-ranking blacksmith in twilight city? when she thought of this, she felt an inexplicable sense of pride. they were in twilight city, not any other city. the lord and the residents will not discriminate against capable candidates. ¡°that¡¯s right. sam is capable. ¡°don¡¯t worry, shanna. this is twilight city, under lord richard¡¯s rule! no one would dare to do such a thing! ¡°and i¡¯m here. whoever dares to bully sam, i¡¯ll back them up!¡± the girl instantly smiled. ¡°thank you, auntie marie!¡± after aunt marie said that, she turned to face sam again. this time, she finally faced him. she said in a solemn tone. ¡°sam, twilight city is a territory worth protecting. the lord¡¯s kindness to us is more precious than gold. ¡°go to the blacksmith¡¯s shop and work hard. contribute to twilight city and his lordship. ¡°without twilight city, we could have died already in the broken temple. ¡°we¡¯ve moved through so many territories, but have you seen that values ordinary residents like twilight city? ¡°they did not discriminate or oppress us. they gave us a warm and safe house and enough food¡­ ¡°this is a huge favor. without twilight city, we could have never found a home to live in peace. ¡°sam, i know you¡¯d have a better life without me. that¡¯s why i hope you can still live well even if i¡¯m not here one day. ¡°your talent is not limited to this. you can shine in twilight city¡­¡± sam looked at the solemn girl in front of him, and his eyes turned red. the girl¡¯s eyes were still devoid of spirit, but in his eyes, they were as bright as the starry sky. that night, someone summoned sam to the lord¡¯s mansion. then, the second blacksmith was born in the city. before sam left the lord¡¯s mansion, the young man with only one arm knelt in front of the gate and kowtowed nine times. he silently swore in his heart that in this life, he would only be for shanna and twilight city¡­ [ding~ the axe of the dead is a medium attack. twenty days, estimated resources required: 20,000 gold coins, 20,000 units of stone, 100,000 units of iron ore, success rate: 60%.] richard was in a good mood while he glanced at the system notification system. after more than a month, twilight city finally launched the technological research of the city. this time, it was no longer the precious adele who took this heavy responsibility. but the blacksmith master whom she bestowed with the power of a hero¨Csam. richard was pleasantly surprised to see three of the man¡¯s remarkable traits after he summoned him¨Ctenacity, intelligence, and diligence. sam has yet to become a hero. the two residents richard had previously promoted to heroes only had one characteristic. it was no wonder adele thought so highly of him. later on, richard learned that this one-armed blacksmith had lived alone with a blind girl, and it quite touched him. he had found them in the desert. before the accident, they had planned to cross the desert of death¡­ the two physically disabled sweethearts snuggled up to each other and wanted to cross the vast desert. that feeling made him silent just thinking about it. the heavens had deprived them of a lot, so he would give them hope again. after sam became a hero, his attributes were also quite good. he now had the attribute bonus of increasing the success rate of research and development by 20%. although he was not as outstanding as adele, he could unquestionably take on the substantial task of developing technology. after richard provided the resources for research and development at the blacksmith shop, he returned to the mansion. as soon as he entered the house, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ this week is disaster week. it will resurrect the dead. lords, please be prepared.] [ding~ the system has refreshed the troop lairs. lords, please recruit your soldiers.] Chapter 319 ¡°the resurrection of the dead?¡± richard looked at the system notification with a subtle expression. ¡°another disaster week¡­¡± however, it differed from the wild beasts released from their cages during the previous disaster week. !! it was distinctly the world of the undead. ¡°i wonder if there will be more monsters that will attack the city this time.¡± he shook his head and did not think about it. he just had to keep the troop on guard. to others, the disaster week was a disaster, but to twilight city, it was a bonus. he didn¡¯t pay too much attention and focused on the troop lairs. [the instance dungeon will open in a week.] it was the last time the system refreshed the troop lairs before they opened the instance dungeon. however, since even twilight city would enter the dungeon this time, he should recruit more troops. just as he pondered, a surprised voice from behind interrupted his thoughts. ¡°lord richard, lord richard¡­ miss emily is awake!¡± richard turned around and saw the overjoyed maid behind him. he let out a sigh of relief. then, he seemed to have thought of something and slowly asked. ¡°is there anything wrong with emily?¡± the maid shook her head. ¡°other than scantly weak, there¡¯s nothing wrong with miss emily. she¡¯s currently drinking the desert crown honey¡­¡± richard calmed down. he stepped into the house and went up to the second floor. as soon as he entered, he saw emily half-leaning on the soft couch. her usually lively eyes didn¡¯t have much glow, and her face showed weakness from a long-term illness. the young girl held a wooden cup with both hands and drank honey water with a straw made from a plant root. after emily saw him, she immediately smiled and called out to him. ¡°father¡­¡± richard relaxed when he heard that. he opened the attribute panel. the young girl¡¯s status had become slightly weak, but it was not a big problem. he went up and rubbed the little centaur¡¯s head. he said gently. ¡°how do you feel? do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡± emily shook her head. ¡°father, i¡¯m fine with it. it¡¯s just, it¡¯s just¡­¡± her face as she spoke revealed a streak of pain, and she pulled out a hand to rub her temple. her voice trembled. ¡°i had a very long nightmare¡­¡± she said. ¡°nightmare?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what was that nightmare about?¡± the little centaur put the empty wooden cup aside and raised its head pitifully. she hugged his legs with both hands and rested her chin on her thigh with a sense of reliance. with a slightly immature tone, her organizational ability could have been better than an adult¡¯s. ¡°father, i dreamed i was watching over an excessively, extremely powerful deity. ¡°but the other party suddenly resurrected and wanted to kill me¡­ ¡°i killed him after some time. but i discovered that his soul did not completely dissipate. ¡°to prevent him from resurrecting, i could only seal his remaining soul in a special area¡­¡± as she said that, he frowned. ¡°and to suppress him again in the future, i left a special treasure inside.¡± ¡°but i just sensed that thing is calling me. ¡°the sealed god has resurrected.¡± she then added. ¡°however, the god is weak and can¡¯t break the seal i¡¯ve set up¡­¡± as she spoke, she lifted him slightly, her chin off her knees, and her eyes were a little dizzy. ¡°father, am i genuinely just dreaming? ¡°you see¡­¡± the little centaur stretched out her hand and revealed her wrist. richard looked down and saw a thumb-sized golden rune that shimmered on it. the aura it exuded was notably special. ¡°emily, what is this rune?¡± ¡°father, i dreamed this rune could open that special area and control that treasure to seal that god again.¡± she was a little annoyed. ¡°however, i¡¯m too weak right now. i can¡¯t activate this rune for the time being.¡± richard was a little surprised. ¡®wasn¡¯t the cause of her collapse due to the god of kobolds¡¯ divine might? ¡®instead, was the god sealed in the god¡¯s kingdom in the land of the broken laws about to revive?¡¯ while richard thought of this, his face couldn¡¯t help but turn serious. he waved his hand and asked the maid beside him to call xina over. when xina broke the seal, she obtained most of emily¡¯s memories. he needed more information to support his guess. not long after, xina came in a hurry. after she bowed to richard, she quickly asked about the centaur¡¯s condition. her expression immediately relaxed when she received an answer that nothing had happened badly. richard didn¡¯t waste any more time and asked emily to tell xina about her nightmare. xina listened diligently. after emily finished talking, xina solemnly said, ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t get all of emily¡¯s memories back then. there are still many unclear parts.¡± ¡°however, the memory of the sealed god¡¯s body is distinctly defined. ¡°emily used a broken stone as the core to suppress the god¡¯s body in her divine kingdom. ¡°but i don¡¯t have a memory of what that broken stone was.¡± richard nodded slowly. unfortunately, now was not the time to explore that sealed-god country. xina had mentioned before several fallen murlocs with an average level of 15 in that divine kingdom. the twilight city still could not deal with the enemy. moreover, the instance dungeon was about to open. if some went on an adventure now, it would be good if there were benefits. if there were no benefits, it would undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the upcoming instance dungeon. however, he was not willing to just watch. Chapter 320 while richard thought of this, he turned to look at the little centaur. ¡°emily, do you know what treasure has sealed the god?¡± ¡°father, it¡¯s a fragment of a divine artifact.¡± ¡°a fragment of a divine artifact?¡± !! it suddenly incited richard¡¯s interest. ¡°do you still have other treasures hidden inside?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know, i¡¯ve forgotten¡­¡± there was a blank look in her eyes. richard didn¡¯t say much and changed the subject. ¡°can you sense how long it will take for the god to break the seal?¡± the little centaur said hesitantly. ¡°father, i can¡¯t confirm the exact time, but we should be able to resist for another three months¡­¡± ¡°three months?¡± richard said. ¡°it was enough!¡± with a three-month buffer period, twilight city could accumulate a mightier troop to explore. the body of a god, the fragments of a divine artifact¡­ there were many good things in this kingdom. interest filled richard¡¯s heart. he looked at the centaur¡¯s still scared face. he gently rubbed her face. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, emily. i¡¯ll remember this. ¡°in three months, we¡¯ll return and seal the god you¡¯ve sealed before. ¡°with me here, no one can hurt you.¡± richard gave her a few more words of advice after he comforted her. ¡°in the future, if you sense any strange movements in that area, let me know at any time.¡± when the centaur heard this, it immediately relieved her expression. xina seemed to have thought of something and said in a deep voice. ¡°lord richard, we¡¯d better go check it out ourselves and confirm the situation¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°emily, you should rest first.¡± the little centaur nodded obediently. although she was a little worried about the two, she did not make a fuss about following them. xina did not answer and continued. ¡°my lord, emily is more familiar with that area. we should bring her along¡­¡± richard thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°come with us, emily.¡± ¡°yes, father¡­¡± the little centaur immediately became happy. after the three left emily¡¯s room, they rode alves together and flew out of twilight city. richard didn¡¯t bring any troops this time. the main thing was to confirm the movements in that area. if they brought too many people, it would be difficult for them to escape if something unexpected happened. ¡®hu!¡¯ alves¡¯s flapping wings created endless waves of air. the air was particularly cool as they flew under the night sky. the cold moon shone on the ground. it covered the rough desert with a soft silver veil. however, none of them were in the mood to look at the desert under the night sky. they flew to the land of the broken laws as fast as they could. ¡°we¡¯re here!¡± as xina spoke, richard waved alves in the air. he looked over. the lake water that flew in the sky had now condensed into a vast lake in the desert. the water in front of them sparkled under the moonlight. richard¡¯s sharp eyes immediately spotted the wet sand on the shore. it was the lake water that evaporated and the water level that dropped. although the lake was exceptionally enormous, it rapidly receded without flowing water. his perception was at its peak, but the surroundings were quiet, and there was no life in the lake. after alves rose to an altitude of 500 meters, it continued to fly toward the lake. richard finally noticed the lake after it flew for ten minutes. under the moonlight, one could see half-murlocs with fishtails playing on the lake¡¯s surface. after the collapse of the land of the broken laws, some of the lifeforms that previously lived in the broken lake naturally became residents here. however, as the lake water rapidly dried up, these creatures that should not have existed in the desert in the first place would not have long to live in peace. ¡°emily, can you sense where the divine kingdom is?¡± the little centaur frowned and pointed ahead. ¡°it¡¯s in this direction,¡± the faint golden rune on her wrist emitted a much more dazzling light. richard nodded and immediately commanded his dragon to fly forward. he was afraid to miss his target, so he didn¡¯t fly too fast this time. about ten minutes later, emily suddenly shouted for alves to stop. ¡°father, i see it¡­¡± ¡°you saw it?¡± richard lowered his head to look at the lake. the lake surface still rippled with light, without any other patterns. just as he felt puzzled. emily slowly extended her hand. the rune on her wrist that emitted a golden light suddenly bloomed with a dazzling radiance. the sun seemed to have been born in the night sky. the rippling surface of the lake became clear and transparent at this moment. richard¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. at the bottom of the lake, a vast bubble blocked the erosion of the water. broken palaces had shrunk dozens of times inside the bubble. upon closer look, one could see many tadpole-sized, pitch-black murlocs swim around the palace. if one looked down from the sky, one could see the inscription-engraved ground and mysterious areas one after another. the inscriptions were like a spider web that enveloped within. one can find an arm placed in the center of the spider web. the exuded aura could make one¡¯s heart tremble even through the lake water and the bubbles. divine kingdom, divine body¡­ richard couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. the majestic divine kingdom he had imagined had appeared in front of him in such a state. just as he was about to ask. the air in the god¡¯s kingdom, wrapped in bubbles, suddenly changed. an indescribable and terrifying divine might came from the body suppressed in the center. at that moment. in the divine kingdom, countless dark energy rolled. a shadow with three heads appeared in the air bubble. the three heads slowly raised their heads to look at the sky. it was impossible to see their exact appearance through their blurry facial features, but the divine might they exuded was enough to shock anyone. it was like kneeling and submitting was the right thing to do. a mere shadow seemed to be able to suppress the heavens and earth. suddenly, the ancient god statue in richard¡¯s arms flew into the air. the dark light suddenly bloomed. loneliness, darkness, vicissitudes, and an indescribable aura shrouded the sky. he forcefully suppressed the other party¡¯s divine might. after richard sensed the aura of the ancient god statue, its apparition, who had been insufferably arrogant just a moment ago, suddenly became furious. suddenly, his body began to tremble. it was like a mouse that met a cat. the fear was almost impossible to hide. then, the virtual image turned into a balloon filled to the limit and exploded with a bang. the dark energy once again hid within the divine kingdom. at the bottom of the lake, the divine kingdom wrapped in bubbles was still the same as before. only the miniature fallen murlocs still wandered around the ruined kingdom. when richard sensed the aura of the gods had dissipated, the dark light the ancient god statue emitted gradually dimmed. after that, it returned to its unremarkable state. richard¡¯s expression was one of wonder. it had indeed awakened the god in the mini-divine kingdom at the bottom of the lake. the good news was¡­ the god was exceptionally fearful of the ancient god statue. ¡°father, the god is afraid¡­¡± emily looked at him with a hint of joy. ¡°the other party is no longer breaking the seal.¡± richard¡¯s expression became more and more subtle. while he thought of the past of this ancient god statue, he held it in his hand and slowly stroked it. ¡°what level of treasure was this thing?¡± other people would be afraid to encounter a god, but this statue wasn¡¯t at all after it sensed the aura of a god. instead, it wanted to devour it¡­ he had planned to explore the bottom of the divine kingdom at the bottom of the lake. he didn¡¯t expect to draw out the statue of the ancient god. at this moment, he was even more curious about the ancient god statue than the god at the bottom of the lake. ¡°what kind of gods were the ancient gods? ¡°why were they so powerful against ordinary gods in the ¡°shining era¡±? it was the same for the kobold god and this sealed god. these days, when he had free time, he had also gone to the player forums to search for related information. no information regarding this. tens of billions of players found nothing on this. as for the natives, they had no results. it was as if the term ¡®ancient god¡¯ did not exist in this world. while richard pondered, he looked at the bottom of the lake, which had calmed down. he felt more confident. ¡°let¡¯s go back first. the next time we come, this god will become our food.¡± Chapter 321 richard pondered at the lake, which had returned to its peaceful state. he did not stay any longer and drove alves away from the area. after he confirmed the power of the ancient god statue, his heart considerably eased. this weapon could fight against gods, and its value was immeasurable. !! that sealed god¡¯s kingdom would be his spoils of war sooner or later. on their way back, richard asked emily to confirm¨Cthe special treasure that sealed the god¡¯s body was no longer under the god¡¯s attack. the fear the ancient god statue had brought to him was honestly real. however, this little centaur was not in a good mood on the way back. the treasure kept calling for her, but she did not have the power to use it. richard patted the centaur¡¯s head. he decided in his heart. she had to increase her power as soon as possible. august 9, the day that followed. richard woke up early. he stood in the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion and looked at the row of troop lairs. he was considerably happy¨Cit had been seven days since the last upgrade of the troop lairs. he did not hesitate to upgrade the three guardian mummies and ten undead troop-type lairs from elite to rare. as the city upgraded the troop-type lairs, it upgraded all the previous elite troop-type rare troop-types. at this point, all the troops in his hands had become rare-level. he recruited in high spirits all the refreshed soldiers into troop-type lairs the other day. after a series of operations, less than a million units of resources were in his hands. at the same time, the troop strength in his hands had also reached an exaggerated level. [rare-level troop-type¡­] [mummy guardian 300¡ú330] [axe of the dead 270¡ú330] [bandaged mummy 42¡ú63] [scorpion warrior 64¡ú71] [giant axe death knight 156¡ú177] [sand condensation archer 300¡ú350] [wild sand mage 175¡ú200] [cursed pharaoh 35¡ú40] [glorious-level troop-type] [dark gargoyle 200¡ú220] [axe of the dead 60¡ú65] [heavy sword warrior 20.] [crown-level troop-type] [skeleton blood dragon 30.] richard scattered the troops after the recruitment and had a few heroes level up. at the same time, yuan shun also recruited blood mummies as cannon fodders. this week was disaster week¨Cthe resurrection of the dead. some of the slaughtered wild monsters around twilight city would transform into undead. in addition, the number of undead would also increase significantly this week. this disaster week would allow the newly recruited troops to level up quickly. quietly, the disaster week turned into the welfare week for twilight city. on the 12th of august, the troops would still level up. but they received the good news that day¨Cthe city completed the construction of the two hurricane arrow towers. the two newly built buildings formed an iron triangle with the original one and relied on each other. richard didn¡¯t waste any time either. he immediately upgraded the three ordinary arrow towers to advanced ones. the upgrade tremendously increased the attributes and the number of sand condensation archers the city can accommodate. once the war started, the city would station the sand condensation archers there. the arrow towers that dealt magic damage would become a powerful source of output for twilight city. in addition, they placed a dragon-hunting crossbow in each of the three arrow towers. at the same time, they equipped each with five 4-stars dragon-hunting crossbow bolts and 100 ordinary crossbow bolts. the city significantly enhanced the hurricane arrow tower¡¯s attack power. besides, the production of alchemist¡¯s bombs was also in progress. they estimated the newly built alchemy workshop could produce 2,000 alchemy bombs before the 15th. it was much more than the 1,500 gold he had asked brown to give him. in addition to the 1,700 he had left, it was more than enough to deal with a large-scale war. on the afternoon of august 12, richard returned to the underground world after he finished his business in the territory. today was the agreed trading day with bloodhoof city. with the cooperation from last time, the forces around bloodhoof city had almost pulled out all their assets. they transported several resources to bloodhoof city. as the middleman, bloodhoof city earned from the price difference. richard didn¡¯t refuse anyone. what made him happy was the enormous new high-grade equipment in the deal. therefore, the harvest was more abundant than the last time. however, richard did not keep all the resources and took out half of them to exchange for several rare resources from bloodhoof city. as a person with a growing reputation in the underground world, his words carried a thousand weight. bloodhoof city promised. richard said. after he utilized several resources, he exchanged all four rare resources for 50,000 units. after they completed the deal, sel bloodhoof, the master of bloodhoof city, told him another piece of good news. ever since he released the hero recruitment order, many heroes joined. richard was pleasantly surprised. glorious-level was so helpful. he immediately asked sel bloodhoof to take him to check. however, a thin line often separated heaven and hell. richard had just entered the hero¡¯s inn. an alchemist¡¯s bomb exploded. the terrifying impact razed half the street to the ground. it crushed richard into pieces, who was in the middle of the attack. behind him, sel bloodhoof had also suffered an exaggerated injury, and he almost died. not a single one of the dungeon heroes who had come to seek refuge had survived. this scene made the bloodhoof city¡¯s higher-ups so angry that their eyes turned red. they immediately closed the city gates and conducted an extensive search. the scouts were overjoyed to see richard torn to pieces. they immediately spread the news. Chapter 322 ¡°vice-president richard¡­¡± he said. sel bloodhoof, who used tons of precious healing medicine to save his life, lay on a stretcher and brooded on the ruins with a pale face. ¡°you didn¡¯t find the body?¡± his trembling voice silenced the higher-ups of bloodhoof city. !! to have such a powerful bomb explode in front of them. ¡°their bodies¡­ were there still corpses?¡± a white-haired barbarian hero stood up and sighed. ¡°lord sel, that giant alchemy bomb is the most powerful in the hands of the gray-colored dwarves¨Cthe sigh of death. ¡°the only reason you¡¯re still alive is the 5-stars treasure you have. ¡°vice-president richard¡­ there¡¯s no chance of survival.¡± when everyone heard this, their hearts felt particularly heavy. he thought he could hug the golden thigh of the surface lord. but he didn¡¯t expect the human overlord to die here. sel bloodhoof was silent for a long time. his mood gradually dropped to the freezing point. suddenly, one of the barbarian warriors exclaimed. ¡°lord sel! look!¡± as soon as the barbarian warrior finished speaking, countless grains of sand slowly floated up from the ruins. under their gazes¡­ the sand grains formed a human figure. sel figured that familiar face. he almost jumped into intense excitement and wanted to cry. ¡°vice-president richard!¡± richard¡¯s face turned somewhat ugly and darkened after he regained consciousness. he had not perceived any danger before he entered this area. then, a spatial fluctuation happened. the surroundings exploded. the gray-colored dwarves used the teleportation method to plant the alchemy bomb in. this trick was simply impossible to guard. ¡°sel, i¡¯m fine.¡± then, everything returned to normal. richard turned around to look at the shipwrecked ground. his eyes were somewhat half-hearted. he knew the opponents would take revenge, but he didn¡¯t expect them to use such a strategic method. sel said through gritted teeth. ¡°those damn gray-colored dwarves. one day, bloodhoof city will trample them to the ground!!¡± they sent such a terrifying alchemist¡¯s bomb into bloodhoof city and let it explode outrightly under his nose, and he almost died. just the thought of it sent a chill down his spine. ¡®what if the city lord¡¯s mansion had exploded today? ¡®would it also slaughter the higher-ups of bloodhoof city?¡¯ ¡°damn the gray-colored dwarves!¡± sel¡¯s words quelled richard¡¯s anger. his voice was tenebrous. ¡°since they badly want me dead, i¡¯ll grant their wish. ¡°sel, you can now announce the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ alchemy bomb crushed me into fine pieces.¡± sel stared at richard meaningfully. ¡°next, my territory will encounter a big problem. it will take a month or two. i could not deal with the gray-colored dwarves for the time being. ¡°bloodhoof city. as long as we can stop the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ attack, ¡± richard said. ¡°when i return the next time, it will be the day we join hands and annihilate them.¡± it immediately incited sel. ¡°that¡¯s right. the gray-colored dwarves don¡¯t know about your situation now! ¡°we can use this information to set up a trap and get those gray-colored dwarves out of the turtle shell of fortress city! ¡°as long as the opponents leave fortress city, we¡¯ll have a chance to wipe them out!¡± richard cut to the chase. he told them to return and discuss how to arrange this matter and set up traps. after richard finished speaking, he looked around with straw pity. more than a dozen heroes had come to seek refuge with him. one of them even had a b-rank potential. but now, a bomb smashed them and sent their ashes into the sky. it was a sad and tremendous loss. with that in mind, richard gave the death sentence to the gray dwarves. initially, he did not plan to eliminate the gray-colored dwarves in such a hurry. however, this scourge was now a serious threat to him. the instance dungeon was about to open, so he needed some time. he could only deal with this matter after the instance dungeon was over. it was time for the underground world to be at peace. a stable production area was undoubtedly more valuable to twilight city. not long after, the news of the overlord¡¯s death swept through the underground world like a hurricane. everyone was in disbelief when they first heard the news. ¡°the overlord with a bounty of 18 million food units in his head died just like that?¡± it was too hard for them to accept. the gray-colored dwarves, who accomplished this feat, also released news to confirm the authenticity of the matter. then, they immediately regained their domineering arrogance. they began to attack the surrounding forces that had robbed them of their ore veins. they reversed the decline they had previously fallen into in one fell swoop. the underground world was once again in a stalemate. in the eyes of the dungeon life form, the human overlord from the surface appeared to have genuinely disappeared without a trace. richard quietly returned to twilight city with the profits he earned from the underworld. the next time he went to the underground world, it would be the day he would flatten the gray-colored dwarves. richard was more confident than ever with twenty million ordinary resources and two hundred thousand in rare resources. he immediately asked adele to forge three more dragon-hunting crossbows and 15 dragon-hunting crossbow bolts. adele didn¡¯t disappoint him. she finished forging the weapon on the morning of the 15th. they equipped the three hurricane arrow towers with two 4-stars dragon-hunting crossbows. at the same time, they equipped each with five dragon-hunting crossbows. its damage to high-level bosses had increased significantly. richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to use the twenty million he earned. they quietly waited to enter the instance dungeon. they saved these resources for emergency use. since they didn¡¯t know the situation of the instance dungeon, they could play it safe. august 15 at 11 am. richard stood on the city wall with his troop that earnestly waited. his face revealed a look of anticipation. the entire territory would enter the instance dungeon and face the monster attacks from the other dimensions. it has already engrossed him just the thought of it. of course, the premise was that he could spend points to revive in the dungeon. without this resurrection mechanism, the tens of billions of players would not have such a good attitude. it was unquestionably a prodigious feat for more than ten billion people to enter the same instance dungeon. however, the territories of these people could occupy an enormous amount. ¡°lord richard, everything is ready.¡± officer karu stood beside him and reported respectfully. ¡°the residents have all returned to their rooms other than the working staff. ¡°at the same time, we have assigned everyone to the reserve force. if there is a need, we can dispatch immediately to assist. ¡°in addition, we prepared enough dry food for everyone in the territory to eat for a month. ¡°there¡¯s no need to waste time cooking. ¡°in terms of weapons, we have distributed pieces of equipment you brought back from the underground world to the residents. although most are unusable, we could use them as temporary combat forces.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. twilight city had been extremely well-prepared to enter the dungeon during this period. the people¡¯s livelihood, the troop, the city¡¯s defense, food, water¡­ he was ready for whatever he could think. he has no idea how long he would have to stay in this instance dungeon. although the residents couldn¡¯t fight, they could be responsible for production, construction, and maintenance. ¡°you can go down first and patrol the area for a while. we¡¯ll be heading to another dimension in an hour. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± richard opened the player forums after karu left. as they approached the dungeon, these idiots were also excited. [hehehe. i¡¯ve been preparing for this dungeon for a month. you guys were lucky previously when i only asked for a million people. this time, you¡¯ll tremble in fear under my praise!] [this is the undead disaster. in terms of other aspects, the undead might not be the best, but aren¡¯t we grandpas in the city defense? the corpses of the monsters that attacked the city are the best source of soldiers. this kind of battle is simply a dream for the undead¡­] [in terms of city defense, are undead even worthy of being compared to the fortress race? trash¡­] [brothers, remember, whoever meets that pervert qingqiu this time, you must report your coordinates!] [big guys, how are we going to play this instance? can anyone give a suggestion?] [caw! caw! caw! eagle cutesie, please take care of me!] Chapter 323 a message from [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] intrigued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°a hero upgrade scroll? ¡°is there such a good thing? ¡°i wonder if i can use the boss unit, the god¡¯s ancient tree? !! ¡°if i used the beyond a-rank warrior xina, what level could she reach?¡± richard found it funny he hadn¡¯t even seen the real thing yet. [qingqiu: where did you get the news? is it reliable?] it made the [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] instantly unhappy. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother how could you despise me!] [this is pure inside information. it¡¯s even crystal clear than pure water. it¡¯s unquestionably reliable!] it provoked richard¡¯s interest. [qingqiu: how strong is the boss? can we eat it?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: that boss is naturally intensely strapping. otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be such a good item.] [as for the specific situation, we will only know after we enter the instance dungeon.] richard understood. he welded an idea after a few more exchanges. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] obtained this information from his sister after she completed a special mission.] as for whether the other party knew the special mission when she was working in the ¡°shining era¡± company, it was not clear. however, as an insider, the convenience of this information was undoubted. [qingqiu: any other news?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: no, we told you everything we know.] after the [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] replied, he spoke in high spirits. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: after we enter the dungeon, other than the trading forum that one cannot use, we can use private messages as usual. we can just contact each other directly.] [this time, with our two swords combined, not to mention top ten, even first or second place will be fine.] [don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t despise you for being useless. the saying goes, ¡°the greater ability, the greater the responsibility.¡± this saying is right for me. [with me here, how many people alive can rival me?] [if there was no one in the world, i wonder how many people would be called kings and emperors¡­] richard¡¯s lips entwined. he was too lazy to reply to this superb self-credence. after he closed the private message, he looked at the idiotic players¡¯ comments on the [forum chat]. as he confirmed there was not much gainful information, he closed the [forum chat]. he was just about to go down to inspect the preparation work. a voice from the side interrupted his footsteps. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± the voice said. he turned around and looked at the person. ¡°xina, is the troop ready?¡± this fearless warrior had the unique veteran ferocity, and bone-chilling murderous intent enfolded her eyes. that overbearing presence only softened when she saw richard. xina nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s all ready.¡± the light in her eyes suddenly dimmed like a candle that had fire sideswiped after her reply. ¡°my lord, my clansmen have not replied to me yet¡­¡± xina sent the relevant information back to the krina tribe after the gray-colored alchemist broke the seal on her body. she did not hide the threat the kobolds men posed to twilight city. she thought her people would immediately send troops to rescue her after they received the news. but surprisingly, more than half a month had passed. not only did she not receive any reinforcements from the krina tribe, but she did not receive any reply. it was a massive blow to her audaciousness. ¡®why has the krina tribe become so weak? ¡®where is the race that could make the entire desert tremble?¡¯ she had countless questions in her mind. richard¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. he was not disappointed. initially, he didn¡¯t have any hope for this request for help. after all, the krina tribe was not a single person but a race and a force. an individual could be selfless and sacrifice himself for others. however, countless people that formed a force must be selfish. it was the rule of society. between forces, benefits were the only thing that would forever remain. friendship was just a derivative of benefits. because of this, he would never place his hopes on others. he only believed in the saber in his hand. his only regret was that he could not recruit the krina tribes¡¯ heroes. xina returned to her senses and slowly lowered her head. her tone carried a bit of suppressed anger. ¡°lord richard, after this crisis, i would like to request permission to return to the krina tribe.¡± richard chuckled when he saw the serious look in her eyes. ¡°return to your homeland and people. your loyalty to twilight city should not forget your nascency.¡± he consoled her softly. ¡°no matter why the krina people did not send troops to help twilight city, you don¡¯t have to be sad.¡± ¡°after all, this concerns the fate of everyone. ¡°and the uttermost pillar of support for twilight city is ourselves.¡± xina raised her head and looked at the handsome face with eyes that encouraged her. her heart felt warm. she immediately pulled herself together. ¡°lord, i¡¯ll remember it.¡± ¡°our greatest support has always been ourselves!¡± the overbearing presence appeared once again. this battle-hardened hero was worthy of anyone¡¯s trust. time passed by slowly. under the anticipation of countless players, the time finally arrived at 12 o ¡®clock. the system notification sounded as promised. [ding~ the system has officially prompted the large-scale special dungeon battle of the guards.] [please note that it will transfer all overlord territories to the same instance dungeon in five minutes.] [endless monsters of other dimensions will attack your territory.] [please defend your territory against the monster attacks.] [the longer you persist, the more generous rewards you will receive.] [at the same time, every time you kill a life form of another dimension, you will obtain points equal to your strength.] [ordinary troops: 1 point, elite troops: 5 points, rare: 20 points, 50 points, crown: 100 points¡­] Chapter 324 [every time you capture a player¡¯s territory, you will earn 5000 points.] [all overlords will participate in this large-scale instance dungeon.] [the dungeon lords and soldiers can spend points to revive after they die in the dungeon.] [all lords, please be prepared.] richard perked up at the notification. the instance dungeon they had waited for a month was finally about to begin. he was excited at the thought of tens of billions of players fighting on the same stage alone. after he returned to his senses, he looked at the system notifications a few more times and filtered out the main points¨Cthe longer he could defend his territory, the more generous the rewards would be. one would earn points if it killed monsters and conquered players¡¯ territories. these three points represented the most indispensable way to gain something. their morale was high. the twilight city residents had long sharpened their swords, and now, they just waited for the enemy to come to them. richard excitedly opened the [forum chat] and found the boisterous players. [brothers, charge! today, i¡¯m invincible!] [today is the day we attack and take over the shabarka empire! i¡¯m sorry, brother meng. i¡¯ll accept the first place!] [i am slag, a brother will come and f*ck me¡­] expression of arrogance continued¡­ in his excitement, five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. the moment the system¡¯s countdown reached zero¡­ a dim light suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s line of sight. the ray of light that appeared out of thin air shrouded the entire twilight city. then, like a red ink that dripped into clear water, it quickly spread outwards. he only felt his vision gradually darken. after a few breaths, he could finally see the front again. the scene reflected in his eyes quietly changed. thick dark clouds shrouded the sky that had blazed just a moment ago. dark clouds covered the city. it was like a heavy storm was about to fall. black clouds that rolled gave people an inexpressible sense of oppression. richard looked into the distance. the yellow sand was still there, but an enormous, black land was at the end of his vision. the wind blew, and a stinky smell filled his nose. it was like the black land had locked the air in an enclosed space for a long time without circulation. it immediately made people feel a little suffocated. [ding~ your territory has entered the collapsed earth. it is a dangerous and crazy world. please take care and protect.] [ding~ the battle of the guards has started. one cannot use the [forum chat] in the dungeon.] [ding~ the system has opened the ranking scoreboard; the guardsmen ranking scoreboard. please view.] a few system notifications jolted richard back to his senses. ¡®the name of this instance dungeon was¡­ the collapsed earth? ¡®how did it collapse?¡¯ after richard closed the notification, he seemed to have thought of something. he directly controlled the sand to fly into the air and look around. what surprised him was that the instance dungeon had moved the agricultural area. the crisp russian olives and puffy barleys rippled in the breeze. curiosity sideswiped his heart when he saw this scene. if that was the case, didn¡¯t that mean the land of quicksand had also entered? he turned his head and glanced at the god¡¯s ancient tree, which did not dare to move in the city square. his mood improved. if the land of quicksand was brought in, with this fishing expert around, wouldn¡¯t the monsters of the other dimension trap themselves in the city? without any hesitation, he flew out. after he passed through the agricultural area, the land of quicksand came into view. richard chuckled. as expected. he flew around twilight city after that and discovered the land of quicksand wasn¡¯t the only place brought in. the instance dungeon had brought in an area of about 20 kilometers. it made him feel very comfortable. with the desert around, it was the troops of twilight city¡¯s home ground. he was not afraid the enemy would target him and his troops. then richard summoned alves with a wave of his hand as if he remembered something. he had the others stay on guard while he commanded the dragon hero to fly straight out. alves flew at high speed. it crossed the yellow sand in the blink of an eye and flew into the collapsed earth. when the dragon hero looked down, no plants grew on the black collapsed earth. and it gave off an unpleasant smell of sulfur. when it sensed carefully, the black land also emitted evil energy the dragon hero never saw before. it was like the aura that the abyss left behind. it could send chills down one¡¯s spine. richard¡¯s expression was solemn. he could sense danger from the ground. ¡°alves, descend.¡± the dragon hero with a wingspan of more than 30 meters immediately flapped its broken wings and landed on the ground. richard jumped down. when his legs touched the ground, his expression changed. the evil energy mixed into the soil and rocks was like a shark that had smelled blood. instantly, it surged up from his feet, devoured, and assimilated his power. he could sense that if he stood still for a long time, the evil energy in the earth would starkly find him. ¡°this is the collapsed earth?¡± richard pondered at the black collapsed earth before he floated back up and sat on alves¡¯s back. the dragon hero had also sensed something was wrong with the ground. as soon as richard sat on it, it spread its wings and took off. it did not stay for even a second. as he thought about it, he continued to fly out. richard saw something different after he traveled for about ten miles. it was a lush forest. the aura it emitted was starkly different from the surrounding evil land. he immediately became interested. it drove alves closer. however, just as he entered two hundred meters¡­ ¡®weng!¡¯ suddenly, they could hear a bird¡¯s cry. from the forest, 300 ¨C 400 lives with gray wings and falcon heads flew out. they held bows and arrows in their hands. they stared at the approaching alves with fear in their eyes. [harpy, level 5, rare soldier.] after richard looked at his stats, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. it had been more than three months since he entered the ¡°shining era¡±. and he had finally seen his first player¡¯s territory. this territory was incompatible with the collapsed earth and belonged to the nature faction. harpies were quite famous on the forum. these units were born with the ability to fly and had expansive mobility. when richard looked at the harpies¡¯ vigilant look, he did not approach any further. he commanded alves to fly in another direction. the instance dungeon had only just begun. it would be too dull to act so quickly. it¡¯s good to keep it for fun. after richard flew another 10 kilometers, he saw the second player¡¯s territory. it was a city that looked like a machine. the fortress city. alchemy cannons, flintlocks, and mechanical puppets were the signature power of the fortress city. outside this territory was low grass, and one could view the city from a distance. similarly, richard had only made a rough estimate of his opponent¡¯s strength and did not make any further moves. next, he patrolled the surroundings with twilight city as the center. in total, he discovered ten player territories. there were two in the nature camp, three human city-states, one undead, two fortresses, one church, and one demon castle. the distance between the territories was about 10 kilometers. they would arrive in about an hour if they marched on the ground. the flying units could make a return trip in ten minutes. after richard returned to his territory, gray reported to him that the dark gargoyles on guard outside encountered a group of harpies, who had retreated after they spotted the twilight city troops from afar. that happened after he left. richard was amused. since he explored other territories, these would naturally have ways to explore twilight city. [however, was this guy here to deliver food?] Chapter 325 [author¡¯s note: i won¡¯t be able to edit it. i¡¯ll see after half an hour when this sentence is gone.] ****** [is this an instance dungeon? f*ck! this land is poisonous. a virus seemed to have infected half of the scouts i sent out and turned them into disgusting monsters!] [hahaha! four human territories surround me. it is so cool! when i take over their city and turn everyone into undead, this area will be the starting point of the undead disaster!] !! [where are the monsters? my condor is already hungry and thirsty!] the players were very excited while richard thought about how to deal with the dungeon. all excitedly waited for the arrival of the monster. some even thought of ways to attack other lords. just when everyone was excited about this dungeon world, dark clouds suddenly appeared in the sky like a wave in the ocean. the wind blew, and the clouds surged. a powerful and evil aura rose from the ground. the black earth began to roll like boiling water. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the ground shook. the surrounding space began to twist. when it reached a limit. ¡®crack!¡¯ a spatial rift would appear every other two hundred meters. ¡®roar!¡¯ ¡®roar! roar! roar!¡¯ a creepy growl came out of it. one by one, pitch-black monsters with twisted faces crossed the space and appeared on the black land. these monsters were in squadrons. and they formed a gathering point every two hundred meters. the system didn¡¯t distribute these monsters. the closer they were to the players¡¯ territory, the fewer they were. the closer they were to the center, the more they were. the smallest had a company, while the largest had more than five companies. countless monster-gathering points appeared on the black ground. after the spatial fluctuation disappeared. a pile of black crystals that emitted dense mana fluctuations appeared where the spatial rift had initially appeared. it was an unknown resource. those dark-skinned monsters looked around with fierce eyes and firmly guarded the pile of black crystals behind them. the sudden change in situation enlivened richard¡¯s spirit. he turned to look at the hero beside him and immediately gave the order. ¡°gray, gaunt, and xina guard the city walls.¡± ¡°alves, bring all the skeleton blood dragons and follow me!¡± he ordered. the heroes immediately supervened after richard gave the order. richard mounted on alves¡¯s back and flew away with the 30 skeleton blood dragons. after they passed through the sand, the first team of black monsters that guarded the black crystals appeared in front of them. these monsters walked upright and were about three meters tall. they had claws as sharp as daggers on their limbs. there were four sharp sword-like barbs on its back, and its tail whizzed like a steel whip. its terror-stricken posture would tell others that it was unquestionably not a decoration. the head had no eyes, only a nose and a mouth full of sharp teeth. the aura on its body was like it had crawled out of the mass grave of rotten corpses. it was full of a weird sense of horror. it was supremely terrifying! he opened the attribute panel. [void hunter, level 14, potential: glorious 3-stars] richard¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw the monsters¡¯ stats. ¡°good lord, these monsters were unquestionably intensely strapping.¡± although their potential was not comparable to the 1-star crown-level skeletal blood dragon, their level 14 was enough to show how terrifying these monsters were. ¡®what were those black crystals? how could a troop of this level guard these crystals? richard opened the attribute panel of those black crystals with intense curiosity. [dark crystal] [level: special] [attribute: can increase the potential of life.] [description: a treasure that can only be born in special environments. extremely precious.] ¡°holy shit, there¡¯s even such a treasure?¡± richard¡¯s eyes reddened at the sight of the pile of dark crystals. if he were to bring all these black crystals back to twilight city, it would not even be impressive to train a few beyond a-rank heroes. moreover, with such a large number, he could nurture several heroes. after all, twilight city was in dire need of talent. ¡°good stuff, good treasure!¡± in his excitement, he suddenly saw a void hunter from the corner of his eye beside the dark crystal that emitted faint golden light. richard¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at the hunter¡¯s attributes. [level 16, hero unit, potential b-rank.] ¡°if these monsters that guarded a small pile of dark crystals were so powerful, what about those in large piles?¡± when richard looked into the distance, he saw the void hunter that guarded the enormous pile of dark crystals. their numbers exceeded five companies. there were ten void hunters with faint golden bodies. the leader only had a small part of his body black. and the rest was golden. [void slayer, level 19, potential a-rank ] other attributes¨Cthe level difference is too high, unable to be checked. richard¡¯s eyes twitched when he saw the attributes of the lord. [level 19, potential a-rank, hero unit] ¡°holy shit!¡± for such a boss, it would be useless even if he piloted an extraordinary hunter. he immediately gave up on taking those enormous piles of dark crystals. a boss of this level was invincible at this time. unless they would starkly restore the extraordinary hunter, there was no chance. he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the pound in his heart. he set his eyes on the dark crystal closest to the sand. a squadron of void hunters only guarded this pile of dark crystals. eagerness flashed in richard¡¯s eyes. the sudden appearance of this dark crystal was unquestionably a benefit of the dungeon. Chapter 326 as for how much the players could get from it, that would depend on their abilities. then, he seemed to have thought of something and opened the [forum chat] to glance. as expected, it was all similar information. [f*ck! are there any dark crystals near your territory? it is a treasure that could increase one¡¯s potential! it¡¯s simply going to the heavens!] !! [woah! those void hunters are at least level 14! how many f*cking rounds are you playing!?] [if you want to get a pile of dark crystals, you pay at least half of the troop! damn it. i can¡¯t make a decision!] [brothers, this is unquestionably a plot of the dungeon. if we use the troop to capture the dark crystal, how can we defend against the real monsters when they attack?] [what¡¯s there to be afraid of? today, i want only the dark crystal. it¡¯s against the heavens if i don¡¯t accept such a treasure!] the void hunter¡¯s level 14 was too ridiculous. to most of the lords at this stage, it was unsolvable. one could only send most of its troops if one wanted to obtain the dark crystals. it was a difficult choice. of course, this was a difficult choice in the eyes of other players. but to richard¡­ ¡°choice? ¡°he had developed for so long. wasn¡¯t it all for this moment? ¡°alves, attack!¡± the voice fell. the undead dragon with a wingspan of more than 30 meters rushed into the sky and bowed down. the 30 skeleton blood dragons immediately followed. on the ground, the void hunters had already raised their heads when they sensed the abnormality. although these monsters had no eyes, they seemed to stare at them as they attacked. alves swooped down to a low altitude of 30 meters. its throat emitted an extremely glaring light. ¡®pfft!¡¯ it spat a long stream of blood-colored energy. it drew an arc dozens of meters long in the air. beyond a-rank dragon breath. the dragon¡¯s breath swept across the earth, and the black silk soil made a sizzling sound as large areas corroded into liquid. however, to richard¡¯s surprise¡­ the void hunters, who waited for their deaths, suddenly turned illusory and disappeared. the next second. the other party¡¯s hideous body appeared in the air. its sharp claws madly tore at alves. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing exploded, and sparks flew in all directions. these monsters possessed the characteristic of the abyss¡¯s iconic troop type¨Cthe supreme demon¡¯s void movement! more than four teams of void hunters appeared out of thin air and surrounded alves, the dragon hero who had reached level 13. the concentrated attacks were like a swarm of bees that bite. alves¡¯s body, a wingspan of more than 30 meters, was the best target. alves was infuriated, and the blood-colored energy on its body burst into flames as if it splashed gasoline on it. [a-rank skill¨Cblood dragon power] it could corrode everything around it and turn into a god of energy restoration. it was a powerful skill. but then, something happened that left richard in shock. a layer of dark energy appeared on the surface of the void hunters¡¯ bodies. it forcibly resisted the corrosion of the blood-colored energy. it caused the attack to lose its original effectiveness. at that moment, 30 skeleton blood dragons arrived. these level 12 soldiers with glorious 1-star spat out dragon breath simultaneously. they left trails of flames in the air. the scene instantly became intensely spectacular. dragon¡¯s breath enveloped some of the void hunters that couldn¡¯t dodge in time. one had to admit that the dragon was domineering. even if the other party had dark energy to protect themselves, the power of the dragon¡¯s breath would still cause these monsters to suffer massive injuries. but now that they were on guard, the void hunters immediately spread out. they were like ghosts that ran madly in the air. they forced themselves to attack the skeleton blood dragons. it was the complete opposite of what richard had expected. if they didn¡¯t help, the situation would directly collapse. but just as he was about to make a move. the void hunters constantly attacked alves. the dragon hero completely fell into madness. it raised its head and roared. it let out a hysterical roar, and the aura of the 30 skeletal blood dragons around it suddenly dropped by a large margin. instead, the blood-colored energy on alves¡¯s body was so dense that it looked like water could drip out of it. [hero special characteristic: you can use the blood power to buff your subordinates when you command the undead dragon troops. this would increase the dragon breath damage by 40%. you can also transfer the strength to yourself up to three squadrons, and the maximum power is 30%.] this undead hero had activated its trump card skill. thirty percent of the 30 skeleton blood dragons¡¯ strength added to its body. in an instant, alves¡¯s power skyrocketed. the dark energy gathered on the void hunter¡¯s body was like ice and snow that collided in flame. it instantly melted. blood-colored energy covered the god¡¯s tough skin in the body after it lost protection. ¡®zzzzzzz!¡¯ the terrifying corrosiveness directly swallowed these void hunters. its body was like a fire burned a bubble. it melted in large chunks. they immediately let out shrill screams. the pain crazily devoured their will. more than two squadrons of void hunters fell from the sky and crashed to the ground with a dull sound. the rest used their spatial abilities to escape an area the blood-colored energy covered. but the void hunters didn¡¯t give up. they immediately aimed their spears at the skeleton blood dragons and reduced their strength. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a figure suddenly appeared. dozens of void hunters launched an attack on the skeleton blood dragons simultaneously. a skeleton blood dragon could not withstand the terrifying damage and tore it into pieces. they killed five skeleton blood dragons in less than a minute. it was the first time the troops decreased since its birth. Chapter 327 richard¡¯s brows corkscrewed at the sight of this scene. he scanned and raised vigilance to his surroundings. the 14 void hunters and that level 16 hero were unquestionably mighty. suddenly, the moment this thought appeared¡­ !! a fierce figure appeared above alves¡¯s head. the soul-paralyzing murderous hell-bent was like the collapse of heaven and earth that surged down. alves raised its head and saw the level 16 miniboss. the dark energy in its body blocked the blood dragon power. its body glowed faint golden light and was like a power-filled bronze statue. at this moment, time seemed to have frozen. it waved its sharp claws. ¡®hu!¡¯ the soul-paralyzing force was enough to shatter the city wall. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sharp claws pierced through the bone armor with spick-and-span sounds. large cracks appeared on alves¡¯s head. they spread out like a spider web. ¡®roar!¡¯ the dragon hero let out a shallow growl. crimson energy suddenly spewed out. ¡®hu!¡¯ a long tongue of fire drew out from his mouth. but at this moment, the level 16 void hunter had already appeared behind alves. ¡®bang!¡¯ its sharp claws turned into a fist and smashed down on it. the prodigious force was like a battering ram that stroke the city wall. ¡®bang!¡¯ with a loud explosion, the colossal body with a wingspan of 30 meters fell several meters. it was enormously soul-paralyzing. this boss¡¯s attitude was extremely domineering. alves¡¯s anger surged, but at this moment realized that it could not deal with the agile void hunter hero. it suddenly turned around. it swooped down towards the dark crystal on the ground. this time, the level 16 boss and the void hunters that attacked the skeleton blood dragons disappeared. it rushed madly toward the location of the dark crystal. it heaved richard¡¯s spirits. it has exposed the biggest weakness of the void hunters¨Cthese monsters could only flash about 50 meters away each time. and there was a three-second interval. although they could travel in the void, this ability was limited. it immediately took out the whisper crystal. alves used an epic move that made people tear their hearts¨Cshake people. ¡°gray, and xina, immediately send the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead to mount the dark gargoyle to reinforce our troops.¡± as the ruler of twilight city, richard didn¡¯t have to partake in the battle. he had plenty of ways to win. alves¡¯s attack on the dark crystal touched the void hunter¡¯s bottom line. these monsters that could hide in the void swarmed forward and attacked without regard. they looked like wolves starved for a month and had just seen fresh meat. ¡®hu!¡¯ the void hunter was fearless. it resisted the corrosion of the blood dragon power and tried to leave cracks on alves¡¯s body. among them, the level 16 mini-boss was the craziest. every time it attacked, large cracks would appear on alves¡¯s body. it was like a heavy hammer that hit glasses. the scene made people¡¯s hearts shake like a leaf. fortunately, alves was an undead dragon. it combined the two enormously stalwart races. it was still fierce even when seven or eight teams of void hunters surrounded it. its beyond a-rank blood dragon breath displayed its destructive power. it hit head-on. it would still corrode the opponents even if they had dark energy to protect their bodies. large patches of skin festered. half of some bodies had even turned into blood. [ding~ your subordinate alves has slaughtered a glorious-level void hunter. you have obtained 50 points.] [ding~ ¡­] as the death toll of the void hunters increased, the notifications in richard¡¯s ears became more frequent. every time his troops killed an enemy, he would gain something. it was a pretty ecstatic feeling. the remaining 25 skeleton blood dragons joined the battle when the opponents outrightly attacked alves at once. these glorious 1-star soldiers with wingspans of over 20 meters did not know what fear was. blood dragon breath shot incessantly toward alves. they seemed not to care whether it would shroud their boss. the void hunters quickly suppressed the blood dragon power and blood dragon breath. ¡®roar!¡¯ shrill screams would reverberate in the sky when opponents could not dodge in time. several void hunters directly corroded into a pool of blood, and some fell to the ground. richard looked at the several dying void hunters on the ground and frowned slightly. at this time, the black earth gushed out a vast amount of evil energy, which madly drilled into his body. the scars on their bodies healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. even if blood dragon breath damaged half of their bodies, they would recover as long as they didn¡¯t die on the spot. it was a strange scene. it was a home game. this black land was indeed not that simple. he didn¡¯t delve into the matter and focused back on the battlefield. ¡®roar!¡¯ alves was in a killing frenzy at this moment. its blood dragon power surged more than twenty meters high like one sprayed gasoline. the void hunters had to pass through this layer of highly corrosive energy if they wanted to counterattack. it was the most powerful armor. the blood dragon breath was even more ferocious. it would severely injure even the most strapping void hunters as long the breath reaches them. it would corrode the bodies into a pool of blood, and many would die without a corpse. the only pity was that opponents outnumbered them under the frenzy attacks of the level 16 void hunter¡­ alves¡¯s injuries magnified. it almost swished its harder-than-steel bone armor. at this moment, alves was like a glass cup smashed to the ground. although it didn¡¯t shatter, countless cracks appeared, and it could break at any time. ¡®hu!¡¯ as the situation gradually got out of control, the sound of wings that flapped came from behind richard. he turned around, and his mood brightened. the judders had arrived. more than 500 soldiers had come to reinforce. there were 220 dark gargoyles, 65 3-stars glorious-level undead soldiers, and 330 rare-level other soldiers. at this moment, they all rode on the back of the dark gargoyle. one person sat on the glorious-level, two on the rare-level, and a small number of three people squeezed together. however, because the dark gargoyle¡¯s body was not strong, it was a little crowded for two people, let alone three. however, this did not affect their battle strength. the axe of the dead didn¡¯t require close combat. gray and xina, the two team leaders, rode a dark gargoyle and quickly approached richard. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°my lord,¡± richard looked at the two generals he trained and nodded slightly. he gestured to alves, who was in a fierce battle. ¡®those monsters are called void hunters. they can teleport in the void. their weakness is that they can teleport up to 50 meters in a three-second interval. ¡°gray, you¡¯re in charge¡­ don¡¯t leave a single one!¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard gave the order. gray and xina immediately flew forward with the axe of the dead while they mounted the dark gargoyle. several troops approached and immediately angered the void hunters that madly attacked alves. more than half of these monsters disappeared from where they were and suddenly attacked the axe of the dead troops. gray ordered decisively the moment it saw them appear from the void. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± ¡®hu!¡¯ hundreds of battle axes broke through the air. ¡®crack!¡¯ one could vividly hear crisp crack sounds. the tomahawks exploded instantly. a metal storm swept through the surroundings. it sealed off the path ahead. it quickly enveloped the void hunter that had just teleported over. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the tomahawk shard pierced through the monsters¡¯ bodies with a violent force. thick blood exploded. the flowers of death bloomed lustrously. [ding~ your subordinate, undead soldier of the axe of the dead slaughtered glorious-level void hunters. you have obtained 50 points.¡± [ding¡­] the sterling sound of system notifications handsomely rang in his ears. Chapter 328 the axe of the dead joined the battle. it quickly wiped out the void hunters¡¯ advantage in numbers. twilight city¡¯s troops had the advantage in numbers instead. the axe of the dead troop level was much lower than the void hunters. !! however, the quality of their skills was superior to their opponents. it was especially true for the great weapon, the tomahawk smash. hundreds of tomahawks smashed at the same time and created a saturated attack. it could enormously reduce the living space of the void hunter. after richard discovered the void hunter could only teleport up to 50 meters away and had a 3-second cooldown, his troops could escape. the insufferably arrogant void hunters felt the iron fist of twilight city. the tomahawks whistled. it was as if the god of death harvested souls every time a soldier threw them. however, the void hunters were strong. after they sacrificed more than half of the damage, they forcibly used teleportation to rush to the center of the undead soldiers. these ferocious troops vowed to carry out a massacre. however, as soon as the two teams of void hunters appeared, they felt a powerful impact in their minds. it was as if someone bombarded their heads with a siege hammer. their figures instantly froze. [a-rank skill, curse language. it can cause all enemies within a 50-meter radius to enter a state of mental confusion and could not move. it lasts for 10 seconds.] gray¡¯s trump card. this support champion didn¡¯t have any offensive skills, but its control skills could particularly overpower. the next second. ¡®hu!¡¯ hundreds of tomahawks tore through the sky. they quickly dismembered the void hunters that had yet to attack. the flowers of death bloomed in the air. [ding~ ¡­ you have obtained 50 points.] [ding~ ¡­] the system notifications rang in richard¡¯s ears. he pondered his points. it had been less than ten minutes since the battle started, but he had already accumulated more than 3,000 points. the twilight city troops had slaughtered more than six teams of void hunters. after they eliminated local forces, the advantage of twilight city in numbers became more apparent. in particular, there was a freakish support hero like gray, who was the nemesis of the void hunter. every time the void hunters would launch a surprise attack, gray could always control it at the first moment. a target that lost the ability to move was the best target for the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. as the tomahawks flew past, none of them survived. the level 16 boss, the void hunter hero with b-rank potential, fell into an even crazier state when it saw the heavy casualties of its subordinates. the sharp claws struck out in a concentrated manner as if they tried to kill the undead giant dragon in front of it. however, as an a-rank hero, alves had devoured an ancient dragon crystal and the body of an extraordinary dragon to become a top-tier battle unit. it couldn¡¯t inflict effective damage because of the opponent¡¯s flexibility. however, its durability had reached a shocking level. it allowed the void hunter hero to attack however it wanted. no matter how exaggerated the cracks on its divine body were, the fire of its soul still burned. furthermore, blood dragon power¡¯s unique characteristic of being able to devour the surrounding life force to recover itself made it even more fleshy. it installed the enemy¡¯s most strapping battle force and settled the situation. the leadership of the three heroes of twilight city slaughtered an entire squadron of void hunters. those that fell to the ground earlier were also chopped up and fed to the dogs. its previous farming and development had now paid off. in the end, only the level 16 void hunter remained on the battlefield. this b-rank hero with a dark aura fell into absolute madness. its body surged with majestic dark energy and attacked alves most brutally. moreover, the cooldown time of the enemy¡¯s blink did not exceed one second. it was enormously arduous to stop the other party. however, this void hunter was already engaged in a battle of attrition with alves. it was as if these ten thousand spirit dragons were the culprit behind everything. richard was calm as ever. it was the advantage of being a lord. wherever he looked, there would be troops willing to die for him. with a wave of his hand, he commanded hundreds of millions of soldiers. it crushed all who refused to submit. it was the dignity a lord should have. furthermore, it was only a level 16 mini-boss, and the twilight city troops were more than enough to deal with it. after he dealt with the surrounding void hunters, the troops immediately surrounded it. two hundred twenty glorious 3-stars dark gargoyles stood in the air. the undead soldiers on their backs clenched tightly. they were ready to launch a shocking attack at any time. gray supported from the outside, and it already prepared the incantation. it stared at the void hunter that still attacked alves fiercely. when xina saw this, her fighting spirit rose instantly. she urged the dark gargoyle beneath her to charge forward. when she got close to alves, her body bent like a bow. her legs instantly exerted force. ¡®bang!¡¯ the massive force caused the dark gargoyle to fall. xina flew horizontally like an arrow. ¡®bang!¡¯ she brazenly landed on alves¡¯s back. at this very moment. the level 16 void hunter¡¯s body appeared less than 10 meters away from her. the two sides met directly. xina did not hesitate for half a second. she waved the broken steel longsword in her hand, and her figure flashed out. the fearless warrior never retreated. the opponent¡¯s terrifying life form that emitted dark energy also launched an attack simultaneously. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the longsword tore through everything. the sharp claws slashed through the air. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of clashing metal exploded. the figures of the two sides collided like lightning. it created more than a dozen afterimages. in an instant, they had exchanged dozens of blows. outsiders could not see the collision between the two. she was a natural-born warrior and beyond a-rank. she has an inborn comprehension of battle, and her fighting techniques fixed at the glorious-level. [fetter-fearless: the stronger the enemy, the stronger the fighting spirit. for every level higher than the user, all attributes will increase by 30%, up to 5 levels.] at this time, xina was level 12. the level difference between her and the void hunter was an overwhelming four, and a qualitative change of 15 between them. however, the potential of a beyond a-rank hero made her battle strength unusual. with the addition of comradeship, when fighting with an enemy one level higher than oneself, attributes will be increased by 30%. four levels of difference, 120%. at this moment, xina was fierce and powerful. under everyone¡¯s gazes, she brazenly clashed head-on with the opponent. and against this level 16 hero who could constantly flash, she was not at a disadvantage. richard¡¯s lips curled into a smile. after he broke the seal in xina¡¯s body, the kobold god would bear a grudge against twilight city. but now, it seemed that it was all worth it. it could not fake the level 16 hero¡¯s strength, but how could the heroes under him be weak? gray had overbearing control, and alves had beyond a-rank blood dragon breath. and xina was fearless¡­ to devour the bodies of the divine grew the god¡¯s ancient tree. blood lich gunter had a soul phylactery and was known as a wizard¡¯s tower. twilight city will soon nurture the centaur, emily. but she was once a demigod-level and was now also a boss unit. the void hunters were much more potent than those who guarded the dark crystal. the power of twilight city would unquestionably be any weaker. if one were to drive the transcendent hunter, it would be possible to take down the monster stronghold in the central area guarded by a level 19 a-rank hero. as richard lost his thoughts, the battle between xina and the level 16 void hunter became more intense on alves¡¯s back. the void hunter¡¯s killing intent was crazy, and so was hina¡¯s. richard wanted to test hina¡¯s true strength. as he approached the troops, he waved his hand to stop gray, who was about to attack. with such strong support, the battle balance would not tilt in the void hunter¡¯s favor. this decision was what xina wanted. a true warrior should defeat a mighty enemy head-on. she was delighted with this opponent. without any worries, they fought even more fiercely. the glorious-level battle technique made the void hunter feel like the opponent stabbed its throat. every time it flashed, the enemy would predict her movements. they would often face the other party¡¯s sword ray the moment they appeared. even if they didn¡¯t expect it, the other party would make the most reasonable response. even though its level was higher than xina¡¯s and could move nimbly in the void, the veteran warrior could still restrain. after it realized it couldn¡¯t get any results, the void hunter quickly stopped moving. the faint golden light on its body suddenly brightened. in an instant, an indescribable majestic power surged in its body. it was as if a volcano had accumulated energy for countless years and erupted at this moment. its body quickly disappeared without a trace. in xina¡¯s perception, the other party completely disappeared. the next second. ¡®puchi!¡¯ she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as a half-hearted sharp claw tore through her armor. it left an enormous bloody mark. the opponent disappeared again before she could draw her sword and slash. ¡®puchi! puchi!¡¯ everyone could hear the sound of flesh torn apart and blood splattering. exaggerated gashes of blood appeared on xina¡¯s body. it was enormously terrifying. ¡°lord.¡± gray couldn¡¯t help but turn to richard. xina couldn¡¯t touch the other party¡¯s face, so even the strongest warrior couldn¡¯t do anything. it was what warriors hated the most about spellcasters. richard¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. ¡°let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± how could this beyond a-rank hero only be this strong? ¡®puchi!¡¯ another soul-stripping wound appeared on her shoulder. it was like xina gave up on resisting. she fiercely pressed the long sword in her hand against the ground. she no longer waved her hand to resist. more and more scars appeared on her body, and her aura became increasingly weaker. after a few attempts, the void hunter could no longer hold back the killing intent in its heart. the enemy¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in front of warrior xina. in the next second, the distorted sharp claws pierced through her throat. the other party must die! however, just as the level 16 boss got excited¡­ suddenly, it felt the aura of the human in front of it. she was going to die, but suddenly she soared. [hero¡¯s special characteristic: when you are fatally injured, you will instantly recover 50% of your strength. you can also use blood qi to heal your injuries (sealed)¨Ccooldown time: 3 hours] the pair of tightly shut eyes suddenly opened at this moment. the blood qi in her body was like a ten thousand feet high tsunami. it surged up. ¡°slash!¡± a cold snort exploded like thunder. the broken steel longsword in her hand instantly condensed into a dazzling blood-colored light. an inexpressible fear rose in the void hunter¡¯s heart, and it suddenly disappeared. xina didn¡¯t stop just because the opponent disappeared. the steel longsword in her hand slashed out. a sky-piercing light streaked across the sky. the next second. ¡®puchi!¡¯ dozens of meters away, the void hunter¡¯s body appeared in the path of the sword light. a colossal head tossed in mid-air. the thick blood burst like tap water. stars filled the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ it decapitated the level 16 boss that flew out of alves¡¯s back and fell onto the black ground. although tons of evil energy from the ground surged into its body, xina destroyed it and could no longer affect it. at this moment, xina stood with her longsword in hand. her eyes were as sharp as a blade. the aura on her body had reached its peak. it was majestic and panic-stricken. a fearless warrior would never be afraid. level 12, formation slash, level 16. [ding~ your subordinate xina has killed a level 16 void hunter (heroic unit, b-rank potential). you have obtained one golden point.] ¡°killing a void hunter hero would give me golden points?¡± richard was overjoyed. he turned to look at the black ground. this area, and the countless void hunters¡­ for some reason, he felt that this instance dungeon would be colossal. Chapter 329 golden points were enormously precious. he had risked his life so many times in the last dungeon and earned only a hundred or so points. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect this instance dungeon to obtain precious points in such a direct way.¡± it was so comfortable. !! after richard pondered, nothing seemed wrong. a level 16 void hunter was almost invincible to the players at this stage. he suppressed his inner emotions. he turned his head to look at xina on alves¡¯s back. admiration impregnated his eyes. the beyond a-rank hero finally showed her brilliance. and it was so stunning. even if he knew breaking the seal in her body would make her a mortal enemy of the gods, he would not hesitate if given another choice. it was worth it. it slowly floated and landed on alves¡¯s back. ¡°xina, you should rest first.¡± the girl looked at the handsome figure in front of her, and her cold eyes quickly showed straws of warmth. ¡°my lord, i¡¯m fine.¡± she could mobilize her blood qi to recover from her injuries after the alchemist broke the seal. it starkly recovered from the injuries she sustained in the battle. only the almost shattered leather armor would show how tragic the battle had been. she seemed to have thought of something as soon as she finished speaking. she turned and looked at another gathering place of void hunters 200 meters away. battle hell-bent fraught her eyes. ¡°lord, i request to fight!¡± her tone was sonorous and mind-blowing. determination fraught her stand. it had been a long time since she had encountered such an evenly matched battle where she had to use all her means to win! the longsword in her hand thirsted for blood. the battle intent in her heart sang loudly! she was fearless! richard looked at the veteran¡¯s burning eyes. richard nodded slowly. ¡°i¡¯ll agree. ¡°but remember, don¡¯t risk your life. ¡°you can use the battlefield as your whetstone, but you can¡¯t let yourself fall into a situation of certain death because of it. xina felt warm in her heart and nodded while she stared at his serious face. ¡°my lord, xina¡¯s life and soul belongs to you. no one can take them away without your permission.¡± richard¡¯s heart was in turmoil¡­ he subconsciously reached out to rub her head. the girl¡¯s body stiffened, and the intense energy on her body immediately softened. richard tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear before he retracted his hand. he didn¡¯t say anything more and gave xina enough time to recover. he looked at the pile of dark crystals on the ground. these pitch-black crystals were like agate, and the dense mana fluctuations they emitted seemed could drip water. at a glance, they could feel they were extraordinary. he let alves land on the ground. richard jumped down and picked up a piece from the ground. the dark crystals were of a uniform texture, about the size of a fist. interestingly, each piece was almost the same size. and it was light, like bubbles, without much weight. he opened his attributes and pondered. there was no surprise. its specialty was still to increase one¡¯s life potential. with a thought. the light of the yellow sand surged out and directly enveloped the dark crystal in his hand. in an instant, wisps of dark light escaped from the dark crystals and flowed into his body through his palm. richard could feel the energy sink into his blood vessels and make up for some of his deficiencies. a moment later, the dark crystal turned into powder. however, the massive improvement he had imagined did not appear. he only felt a trace of it. if it weren¡¯t for his control over his body, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the change. ¡°is my power already strong enough now, or¡­ is this thing too ineffective?¡± richard turned to the sky. while he frowned and thought, he let a glorious-level undead soldier fall. he handed a dark crystal to the other party and let it devour it. the axe of the dead did not hesitate. it took the dark crystal in its hand and began to devour its energy. under his gaze, the dark crystal turned into powder in less than a minute. at the same time, the soul fire of the undead soldier was nerve-racking. richard let out a sigh of relief. the dark crystals could improve the abilities of different troop ranks and levels. they were worthwhile. it seemed that it was not that dark crystal was not stalwart but that his potential was too strong. he felt a little helpless when he thought of this. he would need an astronomical number of dark crystals to increase his potential. a hundred piles of dark crystals of this scale would be enough for farming. richard placed all the dark crystals into the system space without hesitation after a rough idea of the situation. he was not in a hurry. he would slowly make arrangements when he returned. he had 98 left other than the two he had just devoured. in other words, a pile of crystal stones was 100 pieces. this number corresponded to a squadron of void hunters. richard cleaned up his loot and looked at the rocks on the ground. his mouth twitched. no wonder there was such a tremendous pile of them from afar. ¡®isn¡¯t this the meat from a restaurant? at first glance, it looked like a lot, but in reality, there were only three to five pieces of meat on top and side dishes below.¡¯ richard made a careful inventory when he thought of this. the gains from the capture of this monster stronghold were quite considerable. the first item was the 100 dark crystals that could increase one¡¯s life potential. it was needless the value of these things. they were essential for training heroes and were resources that twilight city was in urgent need of. next were 5,000 ordinary points and one gold point. the ordinary was still okay, but the gold was intensely astounding. in addition, there were still dozens of corpses left, apart from a few blood dragon¡¯s breath turned into blood. these were all level 14 troops. and no matter what their uses are, they were worth a lot. Chapter 330 richard gathered his thoughts and ordered the soldiers to collect the bodies, which he fed to alves afterward. the dragon hero had just suffered severe injuries. it could have died several times if it were an ordinary life form. alves¡¯s blood dragon power spread out and turned the corpses into energy streams. the blood-colored skeleton that cracked quickly healed. !! his aura returned to its peak. even higher than the city gate tower when the corpses on the ground disappeared without a trace. it was what made richard feel good about the undead. they were durable and easy to recover. ¡°all troops, listen up. continue to attack the next stronghold. ¡°use the axe of the dead to attack in a wide range and clear out the enemy¡¯s living forces. the skeleton blood dragon will penetrate and clear out the enemy. ¡°xina, take charge of the level 16 void hunter heroes. gray will assist you¡­¡± richard quickly set his target on the second monster stronghold 200 meters away after he tasted the benefits. the entire troops took off and quickly launched the second round of attack. this time, alves still led the charge. this dragon hero with a wingspan of more than 30 meters had an unparalleled ability to attract void hunters when it used its dragon might. it instantly attracted the attention of more than half of the void hunters. in the next second, they appeared all around it. alves was not afraid at all. it burned its blood-colored power and clashed with dozens of void hunters. it was the perfect demonstration of what a tank was. furthermore, its damage output was equally soul-stripping¨Cthe beyond a-rank blood dragon breath was enough to make most life forms tremble. ¡°tomahawk slash!¡± ¡®hu!¡¯ hundreds of tomahawks attacked in a saturated manner. ¡®crack!¡¯ countless fragments tore through the void hunters and quickly fatally injured those who couldn¡¯t dodge in time. blood spurted out and scattered all over the sky. the fierce axe of the dead immediately pulled the void hunters from alves. the void hunters released a series of roars and disappeared. what happened at the previous stronghold was repeated at this moment. however, this time was different from the last time. the void hunter¡¯s ability to teleport was no longer a problem. in particular, the 3-second cooldown after teleportation intensively increased the undead soldiers¡¯ ferocity. although three seconds was short, it was enough for them to unleash their full power. in addition, gray had a powerful control skill. the void hunters had teleported in not to kill but to deliver themselves to the door. twilight city¡¯s iron fist smashed into the void hunters¡¯ heads. as the battle turned white and hot, a graceful figure shot like lightning. ¡®bang!¡¯ the other party landed on the ground, and the powerful force caused its legs to bend slightly. blood shrouded the body. her eyes sharply looked at the level 16 void hunter of the garrisoned dark crystal. fighting spirit filled xina¡¯s eyes. ¡°for twilight city!¡± she held the sword with both hands in front of her chest. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ she charged forward. the level 16 void hunter at the front was furious when it saw that someone dared to provoke it. a low growl came from its throat. at the same time, its body disappeared. it was the second time she had fought against an opponent of the same level, but xina had improved significantly. the glorious-level battle technique allowed the level 16 enemy to experience what overbearing was. from the moment it attacked, even if the power in its body was mightier than xina¡¯s, it was still firmly suppressed. one could use the ability to move through the void to escape. ****** in the players [forum chat]. after the appearance of the dark crystal, the players fell into a state of excitement and conflict. they were excited because as long as they sent out their troops, they could obtain a treasure like the dark crystal that could increase one¡¯s life potential. they were at a loss because the enemy that guarded the dark crystal was too powerful. if they were not careful, they might lose their lives. it was tough for most players to decide whether to attack or not. however, this conflict did not exist for cheng feng, who cheated. as a member of the fortress city, he had obtained a total of 20 4-stars alchemy bombs in a race dungeon. moreover, a boss in the dungeon strengthened these alchemy bombs. it was several times more powerful than an ordinary four-stars alchemy bomb, and the explosion range could cover a hundred meters. it was no weaker than a 5-stars bomb. with such a great killing weapon. against the void hunters that only knew how to guard the front of the dark crystal mine, it was simply a dimensional attack. and that was indeed the case. he first had a few mechanical puppets lure the void hunters to gather. then, he used the alchemy cannon to shoot out the 4-stars alchemy bomb from the back. one shot was enough to destroy a monster encampment. cannons killed even the level 16 void hunter heroes. however, doing so would often destroy a portion of the dark crystals and reduce his harvest. but does he still care about this? one shot could earn him 5,000 points, so what was the point of keeping those bombs? with this killer weapon, he had conquered 20 mines in a row within half an hour and obtained 100,000 points. he was at the top of the ranking board. the smile on cheng feng¡¯s face never faded. among the tens of billions of players, he was the first. everyone had to look up at him. and this made him shudder with excitement. this b*stard¡¯s acting was somewhat crisp than pretending. in his excitement, he suddenly thought of a name that made him grit his teeth¨Cqingqiu. the last time he had participated in an instance dungeon, he had lived in the shadow of qingqiu from the beginning to the end. it was not that this pervert qingqiu suppressed his points¡­ but it shot him to death when he chased qingqiu. yes, qingqiu slaughtered him. it was like hitting a fly. he would never forget that humiliation. he would not have held such a grudge if they had died in battle. the other party had been in a hurry, and he had rushed out before he could stop him. the opponent had slapped him to death. the most important thing was that he was with a girl at that time. ever since the girl left the pocket dimension, how she looked at him still made him want to crawl into cracks in the ground. it was too shameful! with this in mind, cheng feng gritted his teeth and posted a thread on the [forum chat]. [young qingqiu, i¡¯ve taken first place this time! last time, you used a little more than an hour to earn 100,000 points, but i only used 30 minutes this time! i posted this post for no other reason than to tell you that with grandfather here, you can just wait to eat sh*t this time!] he had the support of the number one on the ranking board. this post immediately caused a massive response. especially when the players opened the ranking board and saw qingqiu was not in the top 1,000. they were even more excited. countless people followed the post. [f*ck!! that¡¯s awesome! right now, they could only kill void hunters and capture player territories to earn points¡­ 100,000 points, that¡¯s 2000 void hunters. they¡¯re a 3-stars glorious-level troop rank. and they¡¯re high as level 14. you¡¯re so cool!] [hahaha, i¡¯ve never liked that pervert from qingqiu. all the best. even if any random person gets first place this time, don¡¯t let that qingqiu guy snatch it.] [no, do you have to do this? qingqiu was nothing. it was pure luck that he got first last time. but did he get first every time? the top 1,000 does not even include him. aren¡¯t you guys flattering him too much?] [f*ck, 100,000 points just like that? that¡¯s too unusual¡­] expression of despise toward qingqiu continued¡­ this post became quite lively. cheng feng looked at the dense reply from the players, and the smile on his face was brighter than a chrysanthemum. there was a sense of satisfaction in his heart. of course, many players were unhappy with his behavior and began to mock him on the [forum chat]. [what a joke! the instance dungeon has only just started, and you¡¯ve already jumped out in a hurry. can you maintain your position as number one? don¡¯t talk about comparing to boss qingqiu. even i look down on you.] [are you kidding me? boss qingqiu used a few strengths. don¡¯t pretend. lightning will strike you.] expressions of stern regard for qingqiu heated up¡­ those who were happy with qingqiu were unhappy again. [we are scolding qingqiu. why are you all so nosy?] [did qingqiu feed you guys dog food? why are you in such a hurry to protect your master?] [oh my, qingqiu is very powerful. why don¡¯t i see his name on the ranking board?] a few supporters of qingqiu¡­ the other side immediately retorted, and it became a war of words in just a few rounds. however, several people soon drowned the few supporters of qingqiu. in the end, other players scolded them and didn¡¯t even dare to raise their heads. unbeknownst to richard, he had somehow become the center of attention again¡­ it was especially so for the players who had gone through the previous instance dungeon. when they saw that the id ¡®qingqiu¡¯ was not on the ranking board, they felt as good as if they had eaten a cold watermelon in summer. ¡°that pervert finally couldn¡¯t cause any waves.¡± Chapter 331 [ding~ your subordinate xina krina has slaughtered a level 16 void hunter (hero unit, b-rank potential). you have obtained one golden point.] [ding~ your subordinate alves has slaughtered a void hunter (glorious-level). you have obtained 50 points¡­] [ding~ you have led a troop to victory in a small-scale battle. you have received 5,000 experience points.] [current level: 10 (110000/1200000)] !! when alves¡¯s blood dragon creath has turned the last void hunter into a pool of blood. a series of system notifications rang in his ears. richard nodded in satisfaction. the second battle was much more relaxed than the first. it was especially true for xina. she unintentionally used her trump card blood qi in her first battle, the instant recovery of 50% of her health. it was her ultimate skill. this time, before the void hunter could use its ultimate move that could teleport without limit¡­ she would chop its head. the beyond a-rank hero¡¯s battle strength had increased rapidly in high-intensity battles. after richard kept the dark crystal, he ordered the troop to bring the body back to twilight city. alves¡¯s injuries were not severe this time, so there was no need to waste the void hunter¡¯s body. after he cleaned up the loot, he didn¡¯t hesitate and continued to move on to his next target. although he could not compare to the players with strapping lethal treasures, the speed was somewhat fast. however, he played and won steadily. his speed was ultimately not slow. more importantly, the treasure that killed void hunters would not give the players golden points. the others were unaware of this and still immersed in the excitement of their points that rose rapidly. they didn¡¯t know they had missed the more precious golden points. as more and more players took over monster strongholds¡­ richard slowly figured out a way to deal with the void hunters. the speed of the clearing began to increase. two hours had passed when he finished clearing the 10th monster stronghold. he saw the enormously popular post on the [forum chat]. the words of those idiots left him at a loss for words. these guys were tremendously idle and carefree. ¡°what did it have to do with you, the points i obtained¡­¡± as for what the player called cheng feng had said, he had only glanced at it briefly and skipped it over. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m too busy. i¡¯m not interested in such a passerby.¡± what incited his curiosity were the other two posts-details of attacking the level 19 void slayer. a player was enormously lucky to obtain a powerful 5-stars treasure. he planned to use it to kill the level 19 void slayer. the idea was good, but the end was tragic. the void slayer had used the space power to block his 5-stars treasure. the enraged void slayer killed him and all his subordinates in the end. fortunately, he had accumulated enough points to revive himself. otherwise, he would have to leave the dungeon. the other player was even more arrogant. he had a forbidden spell called spatial collapse. although it was not as powerful as the complete version of the forbidden spell, it was still impressive. this guy planned to kill the level 19 boss directly. he didn¡¯t even want the dark crystal. this scroll, which had one-third of a forbidden spell¡¯s power, was ultimately overbearing. after it was released, it destroyed all the void hunters within a thousand meters, along with the dark crystals. the power was enough to destroy the world. he had even found a rainbow treasure chest in the dark crystal guarded by the level-19 void hunter. however, before he could do anything. the level 19 boss, covered in blood, appeared from the void. it went frenzy when it saw the opponents had destroyed everything. he stepped out of the black land and razed the player¡¯s territory. it even destroyed the territories of more than a dozen players around it. the player who had caused the trouble would have turned into ashes if it weren¡¯t for the teleportation scroll that allowed him to escape quickly. after richard read these two posts, the two players¡¯ regard for good luck deeply moved him. at the same time, he deeply understood the level 19 void slayer. this boss was unquestionably an enormously powerful existence. even though the rainbow treasure chest mentioned in the post tempted him, he did not have any thoughts of seeking death. it was unrealistic for a transcendent hunter to deal with a level 19 hero with a-rank potential without repair. he would have to figure out how to kill that level 19 boss. after richard closed the [forum chat], he continued to fight. every time he captured a monster camp, he would gain a lot of rewards. he was addicted to it. the players were also very excited. they also bragged while they fought against the monsters. and the rank with the highest gold points became the focus of their heated discussion. cheng feng ranked first with 120,000 points, far ahead of the others. the only pity was that after the opponents¡¯ points rose to 100,000, the increase in the number became very slow. the top ten on the ranking board all had more than 80,000 points. the catch-up speed was ridiculous. to the players at this stage, void hunters were unquestionably high-level battle forces and tough to deal with. however, some lucky players obtained all kinds of strange treasures from dungeons or treasure chests. this world might lack players who could dominate everything, but it would never lack lucky people. there was no other player like richard, who used the strength of twilight city to take down one monster stronghold after another. not everyone could reach beyond a-rank like xina. she could solo a level 16 void hunter at level 12. not everyone could have troops like alves, skeleton blood dragons, undead soldiers, and dark gargoyles. however, the players on the ranking board were indeed complex. after four hours, some even began to move towards 200,000 points. it was many times faster than the first dungeon. but then, the players on the list realized something embarrassing. they had used up all the treasures they had. it was a good time in the early stages. but they could only watch the void hunters wander in front of them without powerful treasures. in the fourth hour of the dungeon, the first place had 180,000 points, while the top 100 had 120,000 to 150,000 points. however, at six o ¡®clock in the evening, in the sixth hour, the top ten had only increased by two to three thousand points. it seemed a joke compared to the previous 100,000 yuan increase in half an hour. however, most knew the reason for the increase in their points, so they did not find it strange. however, the [forum chat] quickly changed. at the 1,000th position, an id that caused a severe psychological shadow to the players of the previous instance dungeon quietly appeared. [qingqiu.] abominable premonition rose in their hearts. after that, countless people immediately paid attention to this. as expected, the situation they were most unwilling to see had occurred. after qingqiu entered the top 1,000, their points would increase by 5,000 every 10 minutes, and it had never stopped. half an hour later, it rose from the 1000th to the 800th, then 500th, 300th¡­ at 8 pm, the id qingqiu had already entered the top 100. however, the momentum did not stop there¨C50th, 40th, 30th¡­ the players who had mocked qingqiu were all dumbfounded when they saw this. they didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°this pervert qingqiu, what was he doing?¡± ¡°how was it possible for someone to maintain a 5000-point increase every ten minutes?¡± what made them feel helpless was that with such a steady rise, it was easy for qingqiu to enter the top 10. it was only a matter of time before he would rank first place. the [forum chat] was about to explode when they saw this strange phenomenon. [f*ck you! f*cking qingqiu, how did this freak appear in the top 30 after a few hours?] [how can this freak qingqiu withstand so long? an average increase of 5,000 points every 10 minutes, isn¡¯t this just a gathering point¡¯s void hunter¡­] language of mockery for qingqiu flooded the [forum chat]¡­ many players who saw this news had creepy thoughts in their minds. ¡®qingqiu¡­ had he relied on his army to eliminate the void hunters?¡¯ the moment this thought appeared, they immediately suppressed it. ¡®impossible, absolutely impossible!¡¯ ¡®that was a gathering point with a level 16 boss, not to mention a troop of 100 3-stars glorious-level and level 14 powerful monsters!¡¯ ¡®how could anyone rely on their troop to hunt down such a powerful gathering point?¡¯ and the most important thing was that he did not only destroy one camp but one every ten minutes. ¡®wasn¡¯t this a joke?¡¯ they could clear one or two strongholds if they fought and starkly the whole troop, but it was impossible to do one in ten minutes. Chapter 332 richard didn¡¯t care about the heated discussion on the forums. he continued to attack the monster strongholds that guarded the dark crystal at a fixed pace. as long as the battle started, he could control it to end within seven or eight minutes, and after a short rest, he could launch the next round of attacks. he had gradually become familiar with the characteristics and weaknesses of these monsters after several times that he fought with the void hunters. under the targeted attacks, the battle was smooth. !! however, the one who improved the most was xina. this fearless warrior used all her cards from the start, but now she could even kill a void hunter four levels higher than her in less than a minute. she could kill her opponent with light injuries within 5 minutes if slowed down. this beyond a-rank hero became increasingly comfortable on the battlefield, and her presence was robust. she well-deserved to be the mvp. the intense battle lasted until 9 pm, and richard¡¯s points had broken two hundred thousand. fifty points for each glorious-level troop. he had already killed 4,000 void hunters, a total of 40 footholds. at the same time, xina had killed 40 level 16 void hunters and obtained 40 golden points. and 4,000 dark crystal stones in the stronghold. each stronghold could provide her with 5,000 experience points for 200,000 experience points. this wave was overwhelming. richard¡¯s face was full of smiles. dark crystals filled the system space in the end. richard had no choice but to return to twilight city and store them in the territory¡¯s warehouse. the territories were 10 kilometers away, and the black earth acted as a barrier. he cleared two-thirds of the area to twilight city west after 40 strongholds. only the monster stronghold in the central area was left. each of these strongholds had two to three squadrons of soldiers and was relatively large in scale. moreover, the void hunter heroes stationed there were even more powerful. the boss that led two squadrons of void hunters had reached level 17. the one that led three companies was level 18. four companies, level 19. the five squadrons were all level 19, and their potential had increased from b to a ranks. xina wasn¡¯t afraid of the level 17 void hunter and was eager to fight. richard stopped her. he could still control the situation if he took down a company¡¯s stronghold. the situation would be different if it were two squadrons and a level 17 boss. the number seemed to have only doubled, and the boss¡¯s level had only increased by one. however, if they were to fight, the losses of three to five small teams would be considered light. it was not worth it. ¡°lord¡­¡± as he put away the dark crystals, gray stepped forward and gestured west. richard turned. to the west, 2700 to 800 meters away, there was a dense forest¨Cthe territory of the nature faction. hundreds of harpies flew in the air. they seemed to have set their eyes on a monster base only 100 meters away from the forest. however, the other party was afraid of the void hunters and did not make a move. richard only glanced at them and ignored them. if they did not even dare to attack an ordinary monster gathering point, he was not interested in this. to capture a monster¡¯s stronghold and collect golden points was much more valuable than this. after the troop recovered, they flew toward a target in the north. they still needed to clear the map here. there were simply too many monster strongholds in the black earth, so he did not have to worry about not finding them. after the twilight city troops left, in the high forest, a player that rode a giant eagle¨Cforum id: steamed bun lover, flew into the air. ¡°my lord, those undead creatures have gone far away.¡± the harpy hero beside him had an indescribable disgust in its eyes. ¡°dead souls that defile life are disgusting.¡± life in the nature camp had a natural enmity towards the undead, which violated the laws of nature. the steamed bum lover looked at the other party unhappily. ¡°why didn¡¯t you say so when the people were here?¡± unfortunately, the harpy was afraid the other party would think it planned to ambush him, so he did not dare to get close to check the other party¡¯s attributes. speaking of which, that player was ultimately mighty. it killed hundreds of void hunters so quickly. or perhaps, these monsters weren¡¯t that strong? at the thought of this, he looked at the batch of dark crystals that reflected light hundreds of meters away and immediately became excited. he turned to look at the harpy hero beside him. ¡°organize the troops and immediately eliminate the evil in front! ¡°if other people could obtain the dark crystals, so could we!¡± ¡°we will follow your orders!¡± the harpy hero immediately blew the horn in its hand. more than a large group of harpies rushed out from behind a moment later. they were all level 6 and had a rare 3-stars potential. this force was considered mighty even among the players. at least, that was the case in the eyes of the steamed bun lover. otherwise, how could he be confident to take down a stronghold guarded by a level 14 glorious troop? ¡®hu!¡¯ with a flap of their wings, the thousands of harpies in the air blocked out most of the light. at an altitude of 200 meters, they slowly stopped in mid-air. steamed bun lover suddenly pulled the longbow in his hand. at the moment when he stretched it to the limit, he shouted at the same time. ¡°fire!¡± ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ thousands of arrows pierced through the sky like raindrops. when steamed bun lover saw this, the corners of his mouth curled up. this distance was the harpy¡¯s maximum killing range. even if the other party were a level 14 troop class, they would not have it easy. he already fantasized about the monsters killed in one wave¡­ he had just seen that the troop players that could throw battle axes were the void hunters eliminated with fire coverage. the excitement in his heart just rose. but in the next second, he felt as if a basin of cold water poured over his head. the bodies of the void hunters suddenly disappeared. by the time they appeared, they had passed most of the arrows. these would not cause fatal damage even if the remaining arrows pierced their bodies. the player immediately launched an attack after the other party teleported. it starkly suppressed the void hunters. but now, he realized that it was simply a fool¡¯s dream for his troop to achieve this. the void hunters disappeared again in just two breaths. after a few consecutive teleportations, the number of people the other player had lost was less than two teams. after that, those monsters with fierce killing intent directly appeared in his troop. ¡®no matter how fast one could fly, how could one be faster than teleportation?¡¯ the two sides collided. only then did steamed bun lover discover in horror. the void hunters the player had just killed were now like invincible bosses in his troops. the sharp claws in their hands tore through the sky, and the fragile bodies of the harpies were like papers. the scene instantly turned into a one-sided massacre. the harpy¡¯s greatest strength was their shooting technique. after being closed in, it could not display the sturdiest point. the close battle was like delivering food to the enemy. in less than twenty breaths. the void hunters killed more than three squadrons. steamed bun lover was terrified. he shouted out orders in shock and anger. ¡°retreat! retreat!¡± the harpies that the enemies¡¯ savage killing intent had scared out of their wits flew back into their territory like crazy. but even so, they had to pay the price of two squadrons to escape. the void hunters didn¡¯t pursue. covered in blood, they returned to the vicinity of the dark crystal and continued to guard. after steamed bun lover lovers fled to the territory in a panic, they saw that more than half of the harpy troop had died. his heart bled. it was a troop he had saved up for several months! the void hunters slayed half of them in one wave! the scene of the player killing the void hunters appeared in his mind again. his troop was much larger than the other side¡¯s, but the result was tragic. the number of void hunters he had killed was probably less than three teams. there was a bitter taste in his mouth. it turned out that one could not treat people equally. previously, he was still very confident that even if that player came to attack his territory, he would not be afraid. but at this moment, he could only feel the world¡¯s malice. ¡®how strong was that player?¡¯ that player quickly killed the void hunter, the same void hunter that quickly slayed his troops. if that player wanted to deal with him, wouldn¡¯t he be able to take his old life with a single finger? steamed bun lover suddenly felt a chill down his spine after he thought of this. ¡®no, this won¡¯t do. this instance dungeon has only just started. i have to earn enough¡­¡¯ he didn¡¯t see that player¡¯s id just now, but judging from the fact that he cleared out a bunch of void hunters in a few minutes, he could be a big shot in the top 1,000. with this in mind, he quickly opened the [forum chat]. when he looked at the rankings, a familiar id suddenly displayed. [qingqiu, 200,000 points, ranked 10.] ¡®how did qingqiu get to the tenth rank?¡¯ he opened the chat section and saw that most people talked about this id. it was especially true that players¡¯ points would increase by 5,000 every 10 minutes or so, which caused a heated discussion. the post that suspected qingqiu had relied on his strength to defeat the void hunters had caused steamed bun lover to feel a sense of shock. ¡®didn¡¯t that player just take a few minutes to destroy a monster gathering point?¡¯ qingqiu, the most famous id on the forum, appeared in his mind. in an instant, his entire body went numb. so, was he just learning from qingqiu? when he returned to his senses, he wanted to slap himself. ¡°f*ck, what right do i have to learn from that pervert qingqiu?¡± he turned his head and looked at the harpy troop, which had descended from a large group to five squadrons. he wanted to cry but had no tears. Chapter 333 every time they captured a monster stronghold, they would receive a significant amount of loot. richard was particularly excited. there were simply too many void hunters guarding the dark crystal on the black land. he didn¡¯t have to worry about cleaning it up. !! furthermore, the number of void hunters the other territory players captured near twilight city was almost zero. he had seen with his own eyes the two players had led a troop attack. the defeat forced them to retreat after they paid an enormously heavy price. a level 14 void hunter paired with a level 16 hero. one couldn¡¯t gnaw down this combination without sufficient strength. after richard witnessed this, he was even more aware of twilight city¡¯s strength. previously, the world isolated him in the desert. he had a vague understanding of the forces of other players. it was unyielding to judge based on the [forum chat]. one could see the difference between ordinary players and twilight city now that they compare. the hero in his hands could kill a level 16 void hunter. the troop he had brought was less than half of the total number of players in twilight city, and they could still easily capture a monster stronghold. even if the other players went all out, they could not take down a single stronghold. the difference between them was evident. well-prepared. this word appeared in his mind. after such a long period of farming and development, he finally received a generous return. his mood immediately rocketed. the players on the [forum chat] watched as the id qingqiu rose from 1,000 to 10th rank. and then to 3rd rank. he felt numb. it was especially so for the players who had mocked qingqiu previously, all flushed with anger. who would have guessed that qingqiu, which was not even in the top 1,000, would climb at a faster speed? within a few hours, he climbed up at such a dread speed and directly reached the top three. at this moment, no one had any doubts about whether the first place on the ranking board would belong to that id. that pervert was simply unreasonable. cheng feng looked at qingqiu, who was less than 10,000 points away from him. despair draught his face. to protect his first place on the ranking board. not only did he use all the 4-stars alchemist¡¯s bombs he obtained, but he also used them. he had even used up all the military supplies he had saved up. fortress city relied on logistics. he had starkly used up his accumulation over the past few months. ninety percent of the mechanical puppets had died, and less than three layers of the troops were left. however, such a colossal price could only delay his first place as much as possible. however, qingqiu¡¯s steady increase of 5,000 points every 10 minutes left him in despair. ¡®did he have to be so perverted?¡¯ he prayed for a miracle in his heart. but what made his heart tremble was that half an hour later, the first place on the ranking board, qingqiu¡¯s name shone. the players who had previously mocked and scoffed at the qingqiu id suddenly fell silent. the other party didn¡¯t say anything from the beginning to the end. but they felt like qingqiu slapped them in the face repeatedly. nothing was more painful than using strength to slap the face. [i don¡¯t know what to say anymore¡­ qingqiu, this damn pervert!] [you might not believe it, but when qing qiu appeared at the 1,000th place, i knew he would retake first place¡­] [is the difference between people so enormous?] languages of remorse sprang in the [forum chat]¡­ but what the players did not expect was that qingqiu¡¯s rise to the top of the ranking board was only the beginning. a scene that made them even more desperate appeared. five thousand increased in his points in about ten minutes. two hundred fifty thousand, 300 thousand, 400 thousand¡­ from the afternoon of august 15 to 9 a.m. on august 16. qingqiu¡¯s points already exceeded 500,000. as for cheng feng, who was ranked second, his current points were¨C250,000. it was two times the difference. the players on the [forum chat] who had been through the previous instance dungeon saw this scene and remembered the fear of being dominated. as for the players who were previously full of confidence and entered the dungeon for the first time¡­ after they experienced the power of the void hunter. the same feeling as the players in the previous instance dungeon rose in their hearts. the other party¡¯s high and mighty points were beyond their reach. they felt a strong psychological impact. they were all players and had entered the game at the same time. [how could you be much mightier than us in three months of puberty?] [on what basis?] the flames of envy and jealousy burned in their hearts. not long after, the anti-qingqiu alliance rapidly grew¡­ the players who had mocked qingqiu and slapped them in the face were the first to join. the post that called for the players to attack qingqiu was the most popular. everyone thought in unison that qingqiu was a pervert and they could not allow him to live. if they let him mess around in the dungeon again, would he still have a way out? countless people began to ask where qingqiu¡¯s territory was¡­ they wanted to eliminate the tyrants and bring peace to the good! richard found it funny when he saw the angry players on the [forum chat]. [why did he seem to have become the villain for no reason?] [this wasn¡¯t the previous dungeon. did these idiots have to do this?] he ignored the angry players and opened the ranking board with great ease. a total of 500,000 points. it meant he had conquered 100 monster strongholds and killed 10,000 void hunters. he also obtained 10,000 units of dark crystals, 100 gold points, 500,000 experience, nearly 10,000 level 14 void hunters, and 100 level 16 void hunter hero corpses. it was the result of his twenty hours of hard work. players could see the points they had accumulated. and the corresponding rewards behind scores were enormously overwhelming. on the first day of the dungeon, richard had already experienced the feeling of eating until his mouth was full of oil. it felt too good. it was an instance dungeon. with enough strength, he could unquestionably eat the most sumptuous cake. ¡°lord, we have sent back the body to the land of quicksand.¡± gunter, wrapped in blood-colored bandages, spoke in a deep voice. his excellency treebeard has frozen the level 16 void hunter¡¯s body. it had devoured the rest. richard looked at gunter, who had just reached level 10. he nodded in satisfaction. gray had leveled up to level 10 six hours ago. after it became a high-level hero, he called gunter over. this hero, stuck at level 9 for a while, rose to level 10 under the feed of enormous experience points. [it has successfully promoted to an advanced hero.] he had to admit that this was a little unfair. when he leveled up, he had to complete a trial and kill a hero alone, but these heroes leveled up very smoothly. there were no trial missions. richard¡¯s only regret was that the void hunter¡¯s corpse contained a unique evil energy. gray and gunter¡¯s mummification skills were not effective on it. on the contrary, the god¡¯s ancient tree was tremendously interested in these corpses. the evil energy was more like a tonic to it. richard wasn¡¯t stingy, either. he gave all the bodies to the god¡¯s ancient tree, which had returned to the land of quicksand. after the boss devoured several corpses, it stuck at level 12 for a long time and rose to level 13. he took a big step towards the qualitative change of level 15. xina also advanced side by side with the god¡¯s ancient tree. after she slayed 100 level 16 void hunter heroes by herself, this powerful beyond a-rank hero became the second level 13 hero in twilight city. with gunter¡¯s promotion to a high-level hero, the battle units of twilight city had all been upgraded to level 10 and above. the god¡¯s ancient tree was at level 13. xina was at level 13, alves was at level 12, gray was at level 10, and gunter was at level 10. his experience points were also at 600,000/1,200,000 after he conquered 100 stronghold dogs. his level-up progress was at 50%. the strength of the twilight city heroes had significantly improved. from 9 o¡¯clock to noon, his points had increased to 590,000. richard had no intention of stopping. however, just after 12 o¡¯clock. the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ the second phase of the dungeon¨Cthe battle of the guardians has begun. [at 12:00 a.m. on the 17th of august, all dark crystal nodes will reopen their spatial gates. several dimensional life forms will appear and attack the territory.] [when the time comes, it will weaken the strength of the guards. please work hard to clear the dark crystals and close the spatial gate to reduce the enemy¡¯s attack.] [ding~ the battle of the bounty has begun¡­ [the first person to obtain the darkness crystal protected by the level-19 void slayer will receive a 5-stars treasure related to that race.] [the first player to conquer 100 player territories will receive a unique skill reward.] [ding~ death arena has opened.] [it would select the top 1 million players to participate in the death arena ring in three days.] [each player can only lead three squadrons into the arena to fight. the winner will receive a generous reward.] [lords, please be careful.] Chapter 334 the contents of this instance dungeon were much more prosperous than he had imagined. he looked at it a few more times. the first mission¨Cthe monster stronghold siege a spatial crack would appear in the dark crystal again, and the other world monsters would descend from there. !! in that case, he was right to clear the dark crystals. there was also another point¨C after it opened the spatial gate, it would weaken the guards. at that time, one could attack the strongholds with stronger troops. the second mission¨Cbounty the first settlement with a level 19 void slayer will receive a 5-stars treasure of the same race. it was the first time he had seen a 5-stars treasure in the past few months. but¡­ it was too difficult. he was unconfident even if he had an extraordinary hunter. he could only put it aside for the time being. the other reward was to be the first to conquer 100 player territories, which would give him an extra skill reward. it was indeed interesting, as it encouraged players to kill each other. apart from that, the top one million people would enter the death arena in three days. furthermore, each of them could only bring along with three squadrons of soldiers. richard was very interested in this. the death arena ring. from the name, one could tell that it was a place where players would slay each other. he had to think about which troops to bring to the war. with his current reputation, if he were to enter, everyone would regard him with hostility. it could be a situation of one against 999,999. he couldn¡¯t help but find it funny. ¡°being viewed as an enemy by so many people, i feel like a villain now¡­ ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll let you all experience the warmth of twilight city.¡± he opened the [forum chat] and glanced. as expected, most of the players discussed this matter. [f*ck, not defective this time. there are so many missions¡­] [let¡¯s not talk about anything else. the ancient roar guild starkly covered the conquer of 100-player territories! we¡¯ve already killed 70 player territories¡­ i can¡¯t kill the void hunters, but killing a few players is a piece of cake!] [the death arena ring. one million players and three squadrons of troops are fighting each other. this event seems very exciting.] [f*ck! i should have told you earlier that a space gate would appear in the dark crystal. damn it! i haven¡¯t cleared a single darkness crystal near my territory¡­] exchange of arrogance continued¡­ after a few glances, richard seemed to have thought of something and opened the private message. [buttface, what¡¯s the situation on your side?] not long after, [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] sent a high spirit message. [please call me hottie, thank you.] [big brother, you¡¯re still the best. you¡¯ve rushed to first place again!] [i was just attacking those monster strongholds with my sister. f*ck, those void hunters are too strong, especially that level 16 boss. they cause massive casualties to us every time.] [fortunately, we can spend points to revive the troop. otherwise, we could have left the dungeon.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] seemed to have thought of something and quickly asked. [big brother, how did you capture those monster strongholds?] richard said. [horizontal push.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] somewhat pondered. [big brother, how are the casualties of your troop?] richard didn¡¯t hide anything. [five units died.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was enormously surprised. [only five units die in every battle? that¡¯s illustriously unusual¡­] [qingqiu: no, i meant five people died.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] starkly placid¡­ after a long silence, he was unwilling to give up and asked again. [big brother, how do you deal with that level 16 boss? are there any tricks to it?] richard was honest. [i have a subordinate who can single-handedly slay that level 16 boss.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] bewildered¡­] he suddenly felt that the world was not worth it¡­ ¡®why the f*ck am i looking for a blow here? ¡®after we fought for a day and a night, they had obtained 600,000 points and only lost five people? ¡®and the hero could single-handedly defeat a level 16 boss?! ¡®was there any f*cking justice in this world?! ¡®can¡¯t you talk about some basic laws?¡¯ when [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] thought of the level 16 void hunter that rampaged his troop like it entered no man¡¯s land, he felt numb. what level of existence would he be if he could single-handedly slay this kind of boss? there were ten thousand things he wanted to say in his heart. however, when he thought about the pervert he chatted with, he was currently at the top of the ranking board and had more than double the second placer¡¯s points. he could not say anything. ¡®i¡¯m stupid, indeed stupid. i shouldn¡¯t have married into this family¡­ pfft, i shouldn¡¯t have asked such a pointless question. ¡®i¡¯m an ordinary person. why should i compare myself to this pervert?¡¯ after [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] adjusted his state of mind for a long time, he decisively changed the topic. [big brother! the boss that could drop the scroll to increase a hero¡¯s potential did not appear. my sister said it might be in two weeks.] [qingqiu: it¡¯s okay. contact me at any time if you have any news.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: alright.] richard didn¡¯t continue the conversation. he immediately closed the [forum chat]. at the same time, he also thought about the scroll that could increase a hero¡¯s potential. ¡®i wonder if it¡¯s effective on heroes at the level of xina and the god¡¯s ancient tree? ¡®the only pity was that the dark crystal did not have much effect on high-level heroes. ¡®otherwise, the harvest this time would be even more overwhelming.¡¯ he shook his head and didn¡¯t think much about it. he then turned his attention back to the system notification. he did not focus on the bounty mission for the time being. whether it was the level 19 void slayer or the 100-player territories, they were not things one could quickly solve in a short time. the appearance of the space gate in the dark crystal was related to his vital interest. he could ignore everything else, but not this one. he turned his gaze back to the black ground without hesitation. gunter continued to lead the team to clear the monster strongholds. he still had twelve hours to obtain more rewards. the void hunters, who were enormously terrifying monsters in the eyes of other players, had now become a benefit of twilight city. ¡°yes, lord.¡± richard continued to watch the battle from the rear. he showed no intention of making a move. after a day of high-intensity battle, the troops had formed the standard mode to deal with the void hunters. all he needed to do now was to wait for the battle to end and collect the spoils. he would leave the rest to the troops. the life of a lord was always so simple and unadorned. the battle started again. xina, now at level 13, showed off her abilities to richard. this fearless soldier didn¡¯t wait for the troop and charged forward alone. they faced 100 level 14 troops led by level 16 void hunters. the enraged hunters immediately swarmed over. however, these terrifying monsters were like paper under the broken steel longsword. there was an explosion of blood. and the most shocking thing was¡­ at this moment, xina flew in the air without any external help. after she reached level 13, the fearless warrior possessed glorious-level battle techniques and had a new understanding. she controlled the blood qi and flew into the air. this ability allowed xina¡¯s battle power to soar visible to the naked eye. a strapping warrior with the ability to fly meant it would starkly liberate her. in addition to her keen battle sense, xina faced hundreds of void hunters alone, but it had become a one-sided slaughter. every time the long sword slashed out, there would be an explosion of blood. it quickly enraged the level 16 void hunter. its figure teleported and appeared. xina charged forward with her steel longsword. it was fierce and threatening. as the sword light flickered, no one could get close to interfere. however, less than three minutes after the two sides collided¡­ ¡®puchi!¡¯ a headless corpse fell from the sky and smashed into the ground¡­ she could kill a level 16 at level 12. after she leveled up, a level 16 void hunter could no longer stop her. after xina beheaded the enemy¡¯s strongest boss, she did not stop and immediately flew to the next target. before the twilight city troop could move, they had already charged into the stronghold guarded by hundreds of void hunters. she killed a level 16 hero under the siege of several void hunters. the overbearing scene even dazzled richard. if this scene were to spread, it would make the scalps of tens of billions of players go numb¡­ this fearless warrior¡¯s battle power level had increased enormously with just one level up. it was the true light of a beyond a-rank, perhaps. in the end, gunter only needed the troop to clear out the monster strongholds without a leader. he no longer had to worry about the level 16 void hunter¡¯s suddenly going out of control. the players who excitedly discussed the new event suddenly realized that qingqiu¡¯s points, which were already ahead of the others, had suddenly increased by two points¡­ when they saw this scene, the excitement in their hearts quickly faded. many people opened the post against the qingqiu alliance and left their friendly greetings. this pervert, immortality would not be enough to appease the public¡¯s anger¡­ Chapter 335 the night was dark. the points on his attribute panel had reached an overwhelming 990,000. his other gains also extensively bounced. dark crystal¨C19,800. gold points¨C198. experience points¨C990,000. richard had also reached a level (1,090,000/1,200,000). !! it had only been a day and a half, but he had already gained as much as he had in the last instance dungeon. at 00:00 on the 17th of august¡­ the dark clouds in the sky suddenly surged with a vast wave of energy. the energy connected to heaven and earth surged toward the dark crystal in the monster stronghold. richard stopped in advance and rode on alves¡¯s back. he watched the scene from above the sand of twilight city. in the sparse monster strongholds ahead, the dark crystals emitted dark light at the same time. the space around the dark crystal started to ripple like a lake after the energy from the sky poured. it rippled wave after wave. the moment the fluctuation reached a limit, ¡®crack!¡¯ the crisp sound of breaking glass resounded through the sky. then, with an explosion, countless crystal-like space fragments flew out. when richard focused his attention, he saw an eye-catching spatial rift where the dark crystal was. the dark crystal that emitted a mighty magical wave was at the bottom of the spatial rift. it forcibly supported it. the foundation stone. ¡®roar!¡¯ the moment the crack appeared. low roars came from it as if countless bloodthirsty devouring-limb demons were on the other side of the spatial gap. the sound they made was creepy. ¡°all troops, be on guard!¡± richard¡¯s eyes fixed on the spatial rift. his expression was grave. the dark gargoyles at the back also held their axes tightly. they were ready to launch a fatal attack at any time. the throat of the skeleton blood dragon already glowed with a blood-colored light, and its breath brewed. xina held her sword. her blood qi filled the long sword, and her killing intent was awe-inspiring. gunter quickly chanted an incantation, and the magic power in its body surged like a tide. under the highest level of alert. there was a new movement in the spatial rift in front of them. three companies of void hunters guarded the rift¡­ one after another, monsters with fist-sized tumors all over their bodies and distorted appearances passed through the spatial rifts. these monsters had stooped divine bodies and raised high backs. and their limbs were on the ground, like hunting wild beasts. the most shocking was their tongues. they were more than 1.5 meters long. dense barbs, each that glowed with a deep blue color, covered their tongues. the poison the barbs contained could kill mammoths in an instant. void licker, level 7, rare 3-stars potential. other attributes: dark energy that couldn¡¯t be detected shrouded the licker. richard¡¯s eyes were still on high alert even after he saw his opponent¡¯s stats. he didn¡¯t let his guard down just because his opponent¡¯s level wasn¡¯t high. it was only the first wave of enemies. there was still a long time to go. endless monsters that attacked the city would be strenuous. he looked to the other side and saw a monster stronghold left behind on purpose. there was only one squadron of void hunters stationed there. the void licker from the spatial gap was a level 5 and 3-stars potential. the more dark crystals there were, the sturdier the monsters would be. with that in mind, richard immediately directed alves to fly into the sky and look at the center, where a level 19 void slayer guarded the monster stronghold. when he looked over, his heart jumped. only a few monsters appeared from the spatial rift. it made richard frown. [void licker, level 10, rare 3-stars potential.] as expected, the more dark crystals there were in the monster stronghold, the sturdier the enemy would be. after the void licker appeared, the level 16 and level 17 void hunter heroes that guarded the ordinary strongholds suddenly turned and left. in the blink of an eye, they gathered around the level 19 void slayer. only the level 14 void hunters were left to guard the portal. richard planked an eyebrow. ¡®was this what the system had said about the guards¡¯ strength that decreased after it opened the spatial rifts? ¡®it honestly wasn¡¯t lying.¡¯ the most strenuous to deal with in a monster stronghold was the paralyzingly soul-devouringly powerful hero unit. after he left, the threat of the remaining level 14 void hunters dropped instantly. ¡®roar!¡¯ after the void lickers passed through the spatial rifts, they immediately rushed toward twilight city. however, richard cleared most of the monster strongholds. so there were very few of them left. only a few monsters emerged. when they ran across the vast land, it seemed a little empty. there was no sense of oppression. the void licker moved very fast. in the blink of an eye, it passed through the black earth and appeared on the yellow sand. richard waved his hand. the sand on the ground formed a giant hand and grabbed one of the void lickers like a chicken. he let it float in the air. the void lickers curved tongue writhed wildly. the air whistled like a steel whip. it pierced into a person¡¯s body and broke their bones. richard looked at that ferocious posture. he shook his head after a while. it was too ugly¡­ no future. the giant hand of sand squeezed hard. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sound of shattering bone armor rang out. the other party¡¯s body suddenly went limp. at the same time, it keenly sensed that dark energy slowly spread out from the corpse. [ding~ you have slaughtered a void licker (rare). you have obtained 10 points.] although these monsters looked ferocious and terrifying, they had not exceeded the scope of life. however, the dark energy¡­ it seemed strange. as richard pondered, he let the hand of sand disperse. he looked at the spatial rifts not far away, where three companies of void hunters still guarded. he waved his hand while he ignored the monsters that swarmed toward twilight city. ¡°destroy that spatial rift!¡± gunter immediately led its troops and swarmed forward. without the powerful hero unit, the twilight city troops immediately became more at ease. even though the number of soldiers this time was only two more companies than before. but the difficulty level was multiplied. fortunately, the three heroes were strong enough. and alves attracted most of the energy. under their joint efforts, they took over 20 minutes to take down the monster stronghold. richard looked at the void lickers that crawled out of the spatial gap and had an idea. ¡®i wonder where the other side of the spatial rift leads to?¡¯ the moment this thought rose, it grew like wild grass. the light on his body surged, and the sand around him transformed. he controlled the sand and stepped into the spatial rift. without the slightest obstruction, he disappeared before the eyes. but then, he tried to use sand transformation to sense the other world. an indescribable sense of danger surged into his heart. it was like a god of death stared at him. that panic-stricken feeling sent a chill down his spine. he gritted his teeth and cut off all contact with the sand transformation. only then did that fatal feeling disappear. when he returned to his senses, bean-sized sweat shrouded his forehead. richard was bewildered. that plane was not the one he knew. a power that his body rejects surrounded. it was more like¡­ the otherworld was not like any other dimensional plane. it was a world that did not belong to the power system of the ¡°shining era.¡± richard¡¯s brows furrowed at the sight of the spatial rift. he felt that this instance dungeon was simple as he had imagined¡­ he opened the [forum chat] and sent a private message. [do you know the plot of the later versions of the ¡°shining era¡±?] not long after, [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] replied. [the subsequent version? my sister mentioned that the ¡°shining era¡± seemed to have fallen into turmoil at the end, but she¡¯s not in charge of the specific version information.] richard¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡®was it in turmoil?¡¯ could the aura he felt be a plot of a version? ¡®the instance dungeon¡¯s activation of this guard mode seemed complex.¡¯ he turned his head and looked at the strange-looking void hunter. he kept this matter in mind. although t could not charge the general situation, if he could predict the future in advance, he could still make many arrangements. he wouldn¡¯t be at a loss when a problem occurred. his heart settled down. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] also noticed something wrong. [big brother, did you find anything?] richard explained what it felt like to cross the spatial rift. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] quickly appeared solemn. [big brother, i¡¯ll let my sister know immediately. she¡¯ll reply if there¡¯s any news.] richard didn¡¯t say much. after he closed the private message, he looked at the dark crystals that emitted rich energy. with a wave of his hand, the sand moved and carried these crystals out. without the crystal¡¯s energy support, the spatial rift slowly shrank and finally disappeared. one of the monster exits was closed. the only pity was that he only had 150 dark crystals. it was the stronghold of three companies of monsters. although it was easier to conquer without the level 18 boss as a guard, the rewards have shrunk accordingly. Chapter 336 he turned his head to look in other directions, and many void lickers let out brutal growls as they charged into the sand and swarmed toward twilight city. to the north side, where the quicksand was. the four-limbed void licker quickly stepped into the soft sand. however, after it stepped into the thousand-meter range¡­ !! it felt the sand under its feet sink all of a sudden. when the four-limbed void licker sensed the dangerous aura, it released a low growl and increased speed. it wanted to rush through this area. however, with a diameter of 10 kilometers, these monsters experienced the dangers of the human world. the more they struggled, the faster they sank. the malicious and disgusting void lickers roared as they slowly sank into the sand. in the end, they waved only the 1.5-meter-long barbed tongue above the yellow sand and splashed sand all over the sky. [ding~ the land of quicksand killed a void licker (rare). you have received 10 points and 5 experience points.] [ding~ ¡­] the system¡¯s notifications rang in richard¡¯s ears. he turned to look toward the land of quicksand, and his mood instantly improved. when he placed the land of quicksand, it was the situation he wanted. he didn¡¯t need to do anything at all. he could earn a lot of experience while he lay down. and now there were extra gain points. it was comfortable. he would have left more dark crystals in this direction if he had known earlier¡­ the land of quicksand, which had a diameter of 10 kilometers, had become a land of death. it would devour enemies in the north if they went around the quicksand. with the god¡¯s ancient tree of divine sin, even if the enemies could escape the engulf of the quicksand, they couldn¡¯t get past the boss¡¯ attack. even more ridiculous was that the god¡¯s ancient tree could control the quicksand to move freely, and its speed could reach up to 100 kilometers. after the god¡¯s ancient tree gained the ability to move quickly, it was a nightmare that no one wanted to face. the land of quicksand blocked the enemies in the north, but the void foragers did not pose much of a problem in the other three directions. it was a pity that they had captured most of the monster footholds. and the number is only a few. from the east, the void forager appeared in the sight of the city guards. after these monsters smelled the aura of the twilight city troops, the low growls from their throats became excited, and they sped up. they thirsted for blood and souls. the three 40-meter-tall arrow towers behind the city walls stood like mountains behind the 20-meter tall city wall. they were enormously striking. advanced hurricane arrow tower. the densely packed bullet holes on it made one shiver. the moment the void forager charged within 100 meters of the boss¡­ in the arrow tower, the sand condensation archers prepared for a long time released their taut bowstrings. the arrows formed from condensed sand whistled out. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ with the help of the hurricane arrow tower. a faint green energy covered the arrow. their flying speed suddenly increased by a large margin. it was hard to see with the naked eye. the void licker in front felt a strong sense of unease. it sensed danger and wanted to turn around to avoid it. however, the arrows were as fast as lightning, and it was too late for them to realize something was wrong. the void licker at the front suddenly felt a sharp pain in its head. a powerful force pulled it back, and its body leaned backward. ¡®crack!¡¯ the arrow pierced through its head and nailed it to the ground. the void licker¡¯s body trembled as it tried to get up, but the more it struggled, the weaker it became. finally, it fell to the ground. and this was only the beginning of the war. the three tall arrow towers were at the corners of each other, and the four walls were within their attack range. at this moment, the sand condensation archers looked down from above and posed a sniper-like existence. not only did they have the height advantage, but the hurricane arrow tower¡¯s attributes also enormously increased their accuracy, speed, and damage. every arrow that shot out would achieve results. the massacre suddenly accelerated. the three arrow towers were like meat grinders. they devoured all enemies. what was interesting was that arrows did not fill the weapons and equipment warehouse in the hurricane arrow tower but with sand. richard was most pleased with the fact that these arrows were sand-made. they didn¡¯t require any support. this alone would save a lot of resources and energy for twilight city. and in this long, high-frequency war. without the logistics, it was enough to make the humans and fortress city players envious. under the high efficiency of the sand condensation archers, the void hunters, which were not many, to begin with, were often shot to death before they could even touch the city walls. the situation of defending the city became unusually easy. richard, who paid close attention to the situation, hesitated. it seemed a loss for him to continue clearing the monster strongholds under such circumstances. it would reduce a portion of the void lickers every time he clears a spatial rift. it made him a little unhappy. it was the primary source of points. if other players knew what he thought, they would feel it was not worth it. they just thought to destroy the spatial rifts to reduce the pressure brought by the void licker, but this lord planned to let the void licker go. but soon, richard¡¯s hesitation disappeared. it was because of a tide of void lickers that swarmed over from the black earth in the distance. it was like a massive wave crashed into a reef. the number was so great that it made people¡¯s scalps numb. richard, who was in mid-air, looked further away. Chapter 337 he instantly understood. not all players could clear a monster stronghold quickly like him. he gave a decisive order. ¡°clear the surrounding dark crystals immediately. don¡¯t let a single one go!¡± !! as soon as he finished speaking, he led the troop to the next dark crystal stronghold. without the protection of the hero units, it was not a big problem for twilight city. xina took the lead. the fearless warrior had a fierce aura, and the broken steel longsword in her hand exuded endless blood-colored energy. before she could even get close to the spatial rift, the guarding void hunters saw a terrifying sword light that cut through the sky. the void hunters suddenly disappeared, but wherever the sword light passed ¡­ dozens of corpses fell out of the void. xina angrily slashed the sky and broke the void. even if the void hunter hid in space, it could not escape the killing power of this beyond a-rank skill. it was enormously masterful. alves flapped its wings and flew up when xina revealed her sharp edge. the beyond a-rank dragon¡¯s breath left a trail of flames tens of meters long. it would gnaw down anyone it touched into a bloody mess. even leaving no bones behind wherever it passed. at this moment, several void lickers swarmed toward the monster base. these monsters sensed the aura in the sky, and all roared. if one tried to look down, the densely packed sinister faces made one¡¯s scalp tingle. when gunter saw this, blood-colored energy condensed in his hand. a ball of corrosion with terrifying mana fluctuations tore through the sky. the ball of corruption did not attack the enemy on the ground but continued to aim at the void hunters. the moment these monsters teleported, they exploded. it directly enveloped an area of tens of meters, and a blood-death flower bloomed in the air. it slaughtered more than two teams of void hunters on the spot before they could react. the corroded corpse left behind fell and smashed into the ground. ¡°explode! ¡°kill!¡± gunter shouted coldly. the bodies that fell to the ground instantly exploded. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying wave of air rose, and the black mass of void lickers on the ground flew several meters into the air. the casualties were overwhelming. ¡°explode!¡± a second cold shout followed. the slaughtered void lickers corpses exploded once more. dozens of corpses exploded the second time, and the destructive power was terrifying. the powerful impact tore everything around it into pieces. it almost cleared the area within a hundred meters. they slayed several squadrons of void lickers. gunter, wrapped in blood-colored bandages, displayed the fearsomeness of a spell caster again. although it was not as good as xina in a one-on-one battle, not as tanky as alves, and not as good in control as gray, he was not weaker than anyone in such a large-scale war. the magic cannons. the surrounding void lickers smelled the thick blood and immediately went crazy. however, they could not fly, and no matter how they roared, they could not do anything to the twilight city troops. richard led troops in a massacre of the void foragers. the players who held back their anger and wanted to earn points after the monster attack quickly realized something. qingqiu, already far ahead of them, suddenly seemed to be on a rocket, and its points increased at an unbelievable speed. the players initially immersed in joy, looked at their pitiful rate, and instantly felt they were not as good. ¡°was there a need to?¡± ¡°did that bastard qingqiu have to do this?¡± ¡°did he have to be so perverted?¡± ¡°why couldn¡¯t they just leave them a way out?¡± ¡°it was fine to be unusual at the beginning. but the monsters were still deviant in the siege. do you still have to be deviant until the end of the dungeon?¡± the players, who had no feelings for qingqiu at first, now understood why there was such a thing as an anti-qingqiu alliance. ¡°this pervert deserved to die!¡± steamed bun lover, the first player to confirm qing qiu¡¯s identity, was in a dilemma. he attacked the monster¡¯s stronghold that guarded the dark crystal before the spatial rift appeared and caused him a massive loss. although he could spend points to revive the dead troops, he needed 30 times more than hunting them down. he needed to slay a rare-level soldier to earn 10 points. but to resurrect a rare-level soldier would cost 300 points. he had lost five squadrons of harpies. he needed¡­150,000 points to revive. just a thought of it suffocated him. he wasn¡¯t one of those lucky players who obtained a treasure of mass destruction, and he didn¡¯t have those crazy harvesting methods. after the void licker appeared, his points gradually increased. although those monsters couldn¡¯t fly, the evil energy in their bodies would cause enormous damage to the forest. it wouldn¡¯t be long before it would pollute the entire area. the instance dungeon would be over once it destroyed the forest. he could not defend his territory if this progressed, not to mention gaining more benefits. by then, if the troop died again, the points he earned could not revive the troops. he felt a burst of despair when he thought of this. ¡®i can¡¯t continue like this.¡¯ he had to think of a way. at this point, an id appeared in his mind¨Cqingqiu. the number one big shot on the ranking board was right next to his territory. ¡®was this the will of the heavens?¡¯ in the forum, those players called for the location of each other¡¯s territories for the public to know. but he was just confused. he honestly didn¡¯t know what those idiots thought. the big boss, qingqiu, could even chop melons and vegetables while he destroyed the monster stronghold guarded by a level 16 void hunter. ¡°a few motley crew could crush the other party to death?¡± he found it a little funny. moreover, what was the use of so many people that responded? even if they had a teleportation treasure, how many players would attack them? can one take them down as soon as they come?¡± he was enormously disdainful of the idiotic people on the forums who openly opposed qingqiu¡¯s actions. as he thought of this, a bold idea suddenly popped into his mind. ¡®if everyone else was hostile to qingqiu, why could i not hug qingqiu¡¯s thigh?¡¯ when this thought arose, he instantly felt the world had become cozy. if this big shot could protect him, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this instance dungeon. but the problem was, why would the other party want him? who would want to bring a burden along? he couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought¡­ the final eye god was still uncertain, but he slowly took a thumb-sized seed from his pocket. when he looked at the seed that surged with magic energy, a conflicted look flashed in his eyes. should he use this treasure he had no use for to hug someone¡¯s thigh? this treasure was enough to be used as a bargaining chip. if he could obtain enough from this instance dungeon, it would unquestionably resolve the crisis in the territory. if he would not gain anything from this instance dungeon, then there would be a high chance that his territory would no longer exist¡­ ¡®there was no point in keeping this treasure.¡¯ with that thought in mind, he turned and looked at the void lickers that reared. he was in a daze. he remained static for a long time¡­ he did not have much time left. Chapter 338 the pressure on the surroundings of twilight city began to swell up. however, it was not disadvantageous. predominantly since the benefits of the land of quicksand increased at a visible rate. the boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, was enormously excited. it controlled the quicksand, buried group after group of void lickers. !! after the ancient tree smothered the monsters, it transported the bodies to the roots with quicksand. the boss enjoyed a sumptuous meal. richard¡¯s keen senses picked up the presence of both the void hunters and the void foragers when he tried to probe the other side of the spatial rift. the bodies of these monsters all contained unique evil energy. the energy was similar to the one he felt on the other side of the spatial rift. it made his heart palpitate. however, there was no more information, so after he took this matter at heart, he didn¡¯t continue to pay attention to it. the god¡¯s ancient tree was different. in the short two days since the instance dungeon started, it had devoured more than 10,000 void hunters. the number of void lickers that came out of the spatial rift increased dramatically. the number of corpses the boss had devoured was uncountable. the god¡¯s ancient tree gradually sensed that it absorbed the evil dark energy due to its colossal amount. its trunk and bark now emitted a faint gloomy light. the aura it emitted was extremely close to that of the void hunter and licker. the system could upgrade to a hero unit as long as one has potential, but it could not be to a boss. the birth of every boss unit required the right time and place. ordinarily, the probability was zero. the god¡¯s ancient tree had devoured the divine sins, terrifying life forms comparable to the gods before becoming a boss. the centaur, emily, had become a demigod because of the blessings of the gods. and after she became a boss unit, it would be even tougher to break through its original potential. it was even tougher to improve than to go from the first foot to the ninety-nine feet combined. however, at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient tree could feel its soul had transformed because of the dark energy. even though the process was very slow. treebeard could sense it. its heart, which had been silent for a long time, fell into madness at this moment. it directly formed five golden fruits. it fished by force. a golden fruit can increase one¡¯s life potential. it has an irresistible attraction to life, and its effects are much stronger than the dark crystal. the aura of the five golden fruits was like poison to a drug addict, full of fatal temptation. the void lickers that surrounded went into a frenzy afterward. they looked down from the sky. one could see the densely packed figures of the monsters. they were like a troop of ants at this moment. one with intensive phobia would probably tremble if one saw this scene. the land of quicksand had now become a well-deserved graveyard of the dead. no matter how many void lickers entered, the quicksand will swallow them. however, as the number of enemies increased, the situation gradually changed. the void lickers from the north rushed in from the same direction, and on the sand, they paved a path with blood and corpses. the lickers in the rear stepped over the corpses of their comrades in front of them. and they quickly rushed to the god¡¯s ancient tree. the number of these monsters is vast. the speed of swallowing the quicksand can¡¯t compare to that of the influx from the outside. the void lickers were like zombies that had lost their minds in some scary movies. they charged toward the god¡¯s ancient tree in a frenzy. they looked down from the sky. a death passage that constantly devoured void lickers extended from the black earth to the quicksand land. then to the center of the god¡¯s ancient tree. countless void lickers were on all fours, their backs bent, and they charged at the fastest speed possible while they stepped on their fallen comrades. then, they pounced on the god¡¯s ancient tree. at this moment, the ancient tree of divine sin was like an ancient god of war. the strong trunk of instant death characteristic made a whooshing sound as it moved. ¡®bang!¡¯ the tree trunk smashed into the void licker like an egg. the limb-stripping power directly smashed these monsters into pieces. severed body parts flew everywhere. the dried sand was dyed red with blood. it was like a rock had hit an egg. the god¡¯s ancient tree went crazy. at the same time, the boss constantly controlled the sand to sink the broken limbs and fragments on the surface into the ground. it was to prevent the blood from flowing like a river. countless hair-thin roots grew under the sand. the roots pierced into the corpses and devoured flesh and blood like straws. as the boundless energy gushed into the tree¡¯s body, the faint light emitted from the god¡¯s ancient tree became even more distinct. it stored another part of the power in the surrounding land. [boss special characteristic: it can turn the ground within a 100-meter diameter into a land of decay. it can store the energy of the corpse.] this skill gave richard a lot of trouble. the ridiculous killing rate in quicksand quickly alerted richard, who busily took over the spatial rift. after richard cleaned up the spoils of war on hand, he came to the land of quicksand with some curiosity. he saw the land of quicksand swallows countless void lickers as soon as he reached the sky. the god¡¯s ancient tree slaughtered the surrounding enemies like a meat grinder. to richard¡¯s surprise, he discovered that after the god¡¯s ancient tree devoured the void foragers, it could also absorb the dark energy that made his heart palpitate. under the feed of several corpses, its appearance had already changed, and a dark light covered it. he also discovered that as the ancient tree boss devoured dark energy, the land of quicksand also fused with the boss¡¯s power. it was as if it wanted to become a part of it. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s range of energy storage expanded from 100 meters to the surrounding area. and it broke the initial boundary. if the other party continued to devour like this¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be long to expand to the entire land of quicksand. it gratifyingly surprised richard. he didn¡¯t expect the dark energy he was so afraid of would have such a good effect. the god¡¯s ancient tree was superb. with some excitement, richard opened the boss¡¯s attribute panel. after a glance, he immediately saw a status that made his breathing speed up. [god¡¯s ancient tree] [status: transforming.] [current progress: 5% (once the transformation reaches 100%, the system will promote the potential to beyond a-rank.)] the god¡¯s ancient tree was a boss template with a-rank potential. xina was a hero with the potential to become a beyond a-rank skill. in terms of battle power alone, xina could not defeat the god¡¯s ancient tree at the same level. it was the power of a boss template. however, its tree foundation limited the god¡¯s ancient tree and could not do anything to the other party. xina could still run if she could not win. if the god¡¯s ancient tree upgrades to beyond a-rank and matches with the boss template¡­ this divine tree¡¯s battle power was probably going to soar to the heavens! its other change was equally gratifying¨Cthe transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree at this time had also enveloped the land of quicksand. the other party assimilated this area. if the god¡¯s ancient tree assimilated this land of quicksand, then as long as it was in this area, it could use the energy stored in the depths of the earth at any time. it would undoubtedly increase the boss¡¯s battle power and survivability. in the future, there would be a land of quicksand that one could not destroy. the god¡¯s ancient tree could rely on its superb movement speed and the energy stored in the earth to sweep away all enemies. richard laughed as he watched the void lickers swarm toward him. he had thought the points would be his biggest gain. he didn¡¯t expect that the god¡¯s ancient tree would bring him such a great surprise. this boss was already enormously limb-stripper. if he could continue to strengthen it¡­ he couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of enemy could cause fatal damage to him. it was about to give birth to an invincible boss of the same level. in this instance dungeon was a heaven for the strong. it was so comfortable. richard suddenly thought of the event three days from now¨Cdeath arena. for this special event, they could only bring three companies of soldiers. he wondered if he could bring the god¡¯s ancient tree into it¡­ if he brought this boss into it¡­ ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i want to hit 100!¡± richard thought of the other players¡¯ expressions when they saw the god¡¯s ancient tree more than 40 meters tall after it pulled up its roots. confidence invaded his heart. those sand sculptures would probably cry in fear. Chapter 339 the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree was an opportunity hard to come by in a millennium. the boss would be invincible if he could take this step. no one had thought the dark energy that made his heart palpitate would have such an effect on the god¡¯s ancient tree. good fortune and bad luck co-exist together. !! this time, he felt more comfortable. ¡°treebeard, keep on hunting. i¡¯ll try to attract as many enemies as possible.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s low and muffled voice carried subtle excitement. the increase richard saw on the panel was nothing compared to the one he experienced himself. every time he killed an enemy. it could devour more of that unique power. it would reinforce his soul. this feeling was overly cosmic. richard turned around and flew away from the quicksand. and the god¡¯s ancient tree immediately picked up its pace. the tree trunk waved like a meat grinder that rapidly spun, and all the enemies that rushed over would end up smashed. the void lickers had all gone crazy due to the golden fruit temptation. it was what the boss honestly liked. no matter how many opponents would come. the giant tree trunk waved like it smashed eggs. it directly exploded the opponents. the roots tore apart the opponents and swallowed several corpses. after the boundless energy completely fused with its body, several quick-ripening golden fruits appeared on the crown of the human-faced twisted tree under the nourishment of flesh and blood. not long after, the golden fruit that ripened quickly cracked open and revealed the poisonous wasp inside. breed the bee colony. with the supremely mighty characteristic of the god¡¯s ancient tree, this boss was a troop of its own. in less than a minute, the wasp¡¯s shell became hard. after the mucus on its body dried, it immediately flapped its wings and flew away from the tree. these newly born lifeforms received some order and quickly descended toward a desert without a void licker. it followed the crack and went into the depths of the earth to hide. it did not attack the nearby void foragers. the god¡¯s ancient tree hid a trump card. the sea of corpses became the best nourishment at this moment, and the number of golden fruits increasingly bloomed. soon, only one golden fruit remained on the tree¡¯s crown. the fruit bloomed, and the wasp inside spread its wings and flew away. richard heard the system notification as he left the quicksand. [ding~ the number of poisonous wasps the god¡¯s ancient tree recruited has reached the maximum. a unique skill¨Cit has activated a mad swarm of bees dance. when the number of bees reaches 3,000, the venomous wasps¡¯ flying speed and poison strength will increase by 40%. when more than ten venomous wasps attack the same target, the damage will increase by 50%. [note: when the number of venomous wasps is less than 2,500, the ¡°swarm of bees¡± skill will automatically lose its effect. it would only activate upon replenishment of the 3,000 of them.] it brightened richard¡¯s eyes. good fellows. full venomous wasps? they were not a low-level troop type. and their potential was all rare 3-stars. and there were as many as 3,000. he didn¡¯t even have that many soldiers. and this newly activated skill made the already atrocious bees even more perverted. he turned his head to look toward the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the arc of his mouth became increasingly brilliant. the god¡¯s ancient tree was a genuine treasure, and it would always bring him surprises. to let the god¡¯s ancient tree hunt more void lickers and transform. richard took down the bases with spatial rifts while he lured the void lickers to the quicksand. the pressure on the land of quicksand suddenly increased. however, the god¡¯s ancient tree did not reject them. the more he killed, the more excited he became. the dark glow on his body gradually became increasingly conspicuous¡­ the connection between the land of quicksand also got increasingly related to it. if this continued, no one could stop the boss¡¯s transformation. august 17, at 12 o ¡®clock. the monsters had attacked the city for twelve hours. the players on the forum still discussed excitedly at the beginning, but all wailed now. [whoa, isn¡¯t this too much? those monsters are endless. who can resist them?!] [damn, the undead recruitment skill is useless against these void foragers¡­] [f*cking instance dungeon! who the f*ck designed this thing?! if the undead can¡¯t use the corpses, then aren¡¯t we just useless?] [i¡¯m going to die, brothers. i can¡¯t hold on any longer. the set of using points to resurrect the troop is useless. i seriously could not make ends meet now¡­ players continued to discuss sentiments¡­ one could only use the points accumulated from killing dozens of enemies to revive a unit of the same level. the extreme imbalance made the previously confident players feel the world¡¯s darkness. it had only been 12 hours, but void foragers flooded several players¡¯ territories. to the twilight city, the encounter with these level 5 and 6 elite and rare-level troops did not create pressure. however, it was different for other players. their main troops were only at the rare level, and a large portion was still elite. when the opponents attacked on the same level, the pressure they faced was naturally different. more importantly, the opponent¡¯s numbers seemed endless. some players saw things weren¡¯t going well and simply went all out. they chose to accumulate as many points as possible than revive the troops. then, they watched as the enemies razed their territory to the ground and left the dungeon. under the intense attacks of the void foragers, in just 12 hours, the system eliminated at least one-third of the players in the instance dungeon. it made them feel the brutal beating of society. in contrast, the players who were high up on the ranking board became increasingly striking. even the 1,000th place had a lot of popularity. the players had experienced how difficult it was to earn points, so they knew how crazy it was to be on the top ranking board. with such a background, the top-ranked qingqiu naturally made the players grit their teeth. qingqiu, 2.15 million points. second place, 720,000 points. he was ahead of the second place by three times points! countless players were envious of this. ¡°how strong is this perverted qingqiu?¡± the existence of the ranking board was equivalent to creating a ranking board that updates wealth in real-time in the real world. if one could see how much money the wealthiest earns everyday in reality¡ªthe number changes in real-time. the ordinary people who saw this list would also clench their teeth. especially when the other party¡¯s daily or even an hour¡¯s income was more than what they could earn in half a lifetime, the blow was even more overwhelming. one should hang rich people on the street lamps. the elimination of several players did not affect the progress of the dungeon. at this moment, twilight city had also entered an even more intense battle. although the quicksand in the north had shared a large part of the pressure, the quicksand here was the most soul and spirit-devouring. however, as the number of enemies increased, the defending troops felt the difficulty of dealing with the void foragers. these monsters with bent backs and ran on four limbs could ignore the obstacles of the terrain. they climbed up the city wall from the ground. it was very similar to the dog-headed troop. the only difference was that the void lickers were crazier and did not fear pain or death. the number was ten times more than that of kobolds. wave after wave of monsters came from the distance. the visual impact and psychological pressure were beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination. fortunately, the twilight city troops consisted of the undead. there was no fear. gray stood on top of the hurricane arrow tower and commanded the twilight city troops. the size of twilight city was unlike a city. it was more like a fortress. it was a powerful a-rank mummy hero that could command this defensive battle alone. it led to lesser pressure. on the city walls. scorpion warriors, bandaged mummies, guardian mummies, blood-colored mummies, heavy sword warriors¡­ all the troops had arrived and jointly defended. the wild sand mages and the cursed pharaohs worked together to protect the city. in the city center, the giant axe death knights and skeleton blood dragons were ready to attack at any time. to the knights, they could not participate in defending the city. at this moment, they could only wait for the order to attack. on top of the hurricane arrow tower, 33 squads of sand condensation archers drew their bows and arrows. the sand-formed shafts surged like raindrops. the void lickers¡¯ corpses had already covered the front of the city walls. when they looked down from the sky, this place seemed wicked in an endless abyss. blood flowed like a river¡­ with the support of powerful firepower, the situation in twilight city was stable with the force-strapping firepower. no signs of instability. south. a figure held a long-handled giant axe, with a bit of fear in its eyes. but it firmly stood in the front line and tried to attract gray¡¯s attention. ¡®emily.¡¯ this boss unit that had once reached the level of a demigod now held a long-handled giant axe tightly with both hands. it was like she was a newbie on the battlefield. fear and helplessness conquered her eyes. but she did not retreat. her father protected twilight city. she would fight alongside her father! determination brimmed the little centaur¡¯s eyes. gray, on the arrow tower, was afraid something would happen to emily, so it had asked the sand condensation archers to pay special attention to the south. as a result, the little centaurs did not encounter any enemies even after two hours on the city wall¡­ but on the battlefield, there was never a shortage of surprises. at this moment, a void forager climbed up the city wall. it braved several arrows, broke through the guardian mummies¡¯ blockade, and arrived in front of emily. the thick-barbed tongue and the dark blue that symbolized poison were striking at this moment. the mummies would be sound if enemies attacked them. the poison did not have much effect on the undead. however, ordinary life forms would unquestionably pay an unbearable price. emily watched as the ferocious monsters approached. the initial fear in her eyes suddenly disappeared. an indescribable sense of familiarity welled up in her heart. she subconsciously swung the long-handled giant axe in her hand. a cold glint flashed. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a head with a long barbed tongue flew several meters into the air. blood splattered on her armor and left bloody marks. the guardian mummies turned their heads to look at the figure that held the long-handled giant axe. the soul fire in the head burned even brighter. they suddenly felt an aura that made them tremble. it was a pressure that came from the soul. the little centaur, only five or six years old in her heart, took the first step into her new life. the battle talent that slept in her body woke up. Chapter 340 at 21:00 on august 17, after a fight for more than 20 hours¡­ the number of void lickers that swarmed in gradually decreased. at 00:00, a system notification suddenly sounded. [ding~ the first wave of monsters has ended. the next wave will begin after the death arena is over.] !! [please destroy the dark crystals on your own, lords.] richard¡¯s vision returned to normal as he heard the voice. no more void lickers. at this moment, many of the players released a sigh of relief. joy shrouded their faces. they finally made it through. monster attacks intensified for an entire day. they destroyed the territories of billions of players. only those who had faced this war could understand the pressure. richard¡¯s face showed signs of fatigue after the skeleton blood dragon corroded into blood, the last void licker. he had been in the dungeon for three days. he had not closed his eyes. under such a high-intensity battle, no matter how tough one¡¯s spirit was, it would reach its limit. he landed on the city wall and looked around on his return to twilight city. the dark clouds had a faint glow so the dim environment would not be starkly unclear. blood covered the ground outside the city wall. the corpses covered the yellow sand, and the blood froze the sand. the scene was creepy. richard raised his head and looked at the agricultural area further away. his eyes twitched when he saw what was in front of him. at this moment, the void lickers must have trampled a hundred acres of barley into a mess and damaged a large area. it was enough to raise blood pressure. the russian olive forest was even worse. the enemies directly withered large areas of trees and died. it turned the green leaves into yellow. when the void lickers passed through, they carried a dark aura like sulfuric acid. it had a fatal corrosive effect. plants sensitive to the environment would suffer double the damage. the void hunters have razed the breeding base of the fire dragon rabbit. the walls were scattered everywhere. richard knew this would happen, but it still hurt. these were resources he accumulated with great difficulty, and who knew how much effort he had exhausted in managing them? now, everything was gone. furthermore, there were still a few more battles to come. it could destroy the rest as well. after the battle started, they couldn¡¯t prepare any energy to take care of this area. ¡°i must think carefully about how to resettle the agricultural area.¡± richard fell into deep thought. even though they could buy food from the market now. however, when the city population increase in the future, the consumption of resources will only exhaust the finances. supporting 2,000 people, 20,000 people, and 200,000 were completely different concepts. if twilight city¡¯s population increased to 100,000, even if they only consumed two or three units of food, that would mean 200,000 to 300,000 units and two to three million resources a day. they would have to pay hundreds of millions of resources in a month. and what if the [trading market] continued to increase the handling fee in the future? during the week of natural disasters, grain production decreased, and the other players raised the price or even stopped selling. if the agricultural industry is not under his control, he would have to pay a painful price he could not bear if an accident happened. in the corner of his eye, richard caught sight of a figure who slowly approached. it held a long-handled giant axe in her hand. the little centaur seemed in a particularly low mood. she turned a deaf ear to everything around her. there were large patches of blood stains on her armor, which looked quite frightening. ¡°emily¡­¡± the little fellow raised her head when she heard the familiar voice. she suddenly felt a lump in her throat when she looked at warm and worried eyes of richard. she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. she buried her head in his arms and cried. richard was surprised, but a smile soon appeared on his face. he patted the little centaur¡¯s head. he comforted her softly. ¡°don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. behold. i am here. no one can bully you now¡­¡± when she heard this, the little girl cried even harder. after a long time, the little centaur seemed tired from crying, and her voice became softer. she sobbed as she slowly left his embrace. her eyes were red as she looked at him pitifully. ¡°father, i just killed many, many monsters¡­¡± as she spoke, she clutched his long robe tightly as if afraid that the only person she could rely on would leave. richard smiled and wiped away the tears on emily¡¯s face. ¡°i¡¯m glad that emily is strong.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not your fault. don¡¯t worry. those monsters are our enemies. if we don¡¯t kill them, they will destroy everything we have. ¡°when facing an enemy, there is no need to hold back. ¡°you¡¯ve done a great job. not only have you helped me, but you¡¯ve also helped everyone in twilight city. ¡°the residents will be proud of you. i am proud of you.¡± when she heard this, the centaur¡¯s eyes lit up. her voice was soft and uncertain. ¡°really?¡± richard nodded in agreement. ¡°it¡¯s true.¡± it was as if the judge had declared her innocent and released her. and it gave the centaur a new life. her depressed mood instantly rose, and her red eyes curved into crescents. however, her throat still uncontrollably sniffled after a long cry. richard found it funny. the kid¡¯s face was like the weather, changing at will. it was only then that emily realized something. she turned her head and looked around in a daze, only to find the surrounding troops all fixed gaze at her, especially xina. the veteran stared at her with a smile. Chapter 341 her ears were red from embarrassment. ¡°father¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at sight. after he consoled the little girl for a while, the centaur finally dared to raise her head. however, she immediately turned around and left with a spring in her steps. !! she was so shy she didn¡¯t even dare to look at xina. richard¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he watched the little girl disappear. after this, his tense mood immediately relaxed a lot. it¡¯s interesting to raise such a little girl. he turned his head and looked at the veteran beside him. ¡°xina, go and rest for a while. there¡¯s still a big battle coming up, so there¡¯s no need to be so tense.¡± hina¡¯s fierce aura at this moment almost eased up. she slowly nodded as she looked at the handsome face in front of her. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± she didn¡¯t persist. in the battle just now, she was the main force. she led the troops and consistently charged forward every time. even if the physical resilience is remarkable, the mental consumption is irreparable. she would probably wear her body down if she continued to fight. richard looked at the mummy hero beside him after xina left. ¡°gray, how are the losses of the troops?¡± gray¡¯s empty voice sounded. ¡°lord, five mummy guardians, three bandaged mummies, and two scorpion warriors have been killed in this battle. ¡°in total, we lost one squadron.¡± this number seemed to be a lot, but compared to the time of day and a night of battle and the number of enemies the troops killed, it was a small number. the casualties were almost negligible. richard knew what to do. he was satisfied with this. the tall city walls gave the defending troops a geographical advantage. the three hurricane arrow towers at the back gave the troops strong firepower support. the quicksand outside was able to share the pressure. the defense system in which richard invested tons of resources eventually showed its effect. furthermore, he had not used the alchemy cannon in the battle. richard still hid the power of twilight city. he gathered his thoughts and scanned the city. suddenly, he saw many residents that stared out their windows. although worry and fear were in their eyes, they were more eager. they immediately became excited when richard looked at them. they did not want to spend their entire time in their rooms. they want to help twilight city. even if they had to die, they would live and die with twilight city. the high popular sentiment of above 90 points was an arduous figure. richard understood what he was getting at. ¡°gray, send my order to karu. let the residents continue working. ¡°tell everyone that even if they die, i can resurrect them. there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± bursts of enthusiastic cheers filled the residential houses when gray sent the news. it fulfilled its lord¡¯s wish. several residents rushed out of their houses moments later and spontaneously gathered in the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. they looked at the figure on the city wall with a burning gaze. he was the ruler of this land and the leader they trusted and worshipped. richard turned around slowly when he heard the heated discussion behind him. his emotions fluctuated when he saw the burning gazes of nearly 2,000 residents. these were all his people. they would all fight for him with a single command. he held power and controlled the life and death of countless people. this feeling was enough to make the most determined person exclaim in admiration. power was a man¡¯s best coat. this saying had never been untrue. his voice resounded through the sky. ¡°my people. ¡°you are now in another dimension. ¡°we¡¯re in the middle of a long war. ¡°death, slaughter, blood¡­ darkness filled this world.¡± ¡°countless monsters surround the outside city walls. they attack and kill day and night. ¡°twilight city will fall if we fail to resist these monsters. ¡°i need your help. ¡°i need you to contribute your strength and fight for twilight city.¡± his provocative tone immediately boosted the morale of the residents below. they clenched their fists and held their breath. they waited for their lord to give the order. at this moment, they would not hesitate even if he asked them to bring their weapons to the battlefield. they were willing to give up everything for twilight city. they might be afraid, but they would never back down. ¡°officer karu will arrange for you to enter the production department later. ¡°everyone, listen to the arrangements and perform your duties. ¡°remember, i can still resurrect you even if you die on this plane. ¡°meeting dismissed.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the residents bowed with their hands on their chests. nearly two thousand people saluted simultaneously. it brought a strong visual impact. richard didn¡¯t say anything more. he turned and returned to the mansion. when the residents saw this, they also dispersed in an orderly manner with excitement and began to work in the corresponding departments. blacksmiths, tailor shops, distilleries, food workshops¡­ several people poured in. the city had returned to its usual hustle and bustle. but this time, because the enemy could attack at any time, all the residents were particularly excited. even production efficiency has enormously improved. richard didn¡¯t hurry to rest upon his return to the mansion. instead, he went to the corner of the front yard where the troop lairs were. after the soldiers died, they could spend points to revive them. at that time, it will regive birth to the troops that died from the nest. he opened his attribute panel and glanced. the resurrection rare-level troops required 600 points. Chapter 342 it didn¡¯t seem like a lot, but killing a rare soldier would only give 20 points. these 60,000 points would require him to kill 3,000 rare-level monsters. the cost of resurrection had increased by 30 times. in the eyes of ordinary players, this was definitely a tremendous loss. !! however, the wealthy and powerful richard didn¡¯t care. the troops that had just died immediately reappeared with a wave of his hand. in addition, the number of skeleton blood dragons killed had also increased to ten in the recent elimination. the enemies would often fire these charging soldiers first. however, each crown soldier was worth 100 points, so 30 times would be 3,000 points, so ten of them would be 30,000 points. in this way, once there was a large-scale death, the points needed to revive would take up a large part. some weak players might not earn points to revive the troops. richard glanced at his points after he spent 90,000. 3.78 million. the corners of his mouth curled up. quicksand contributed at least 1.5 million points. the god¡¯s ancient tree had gone crazy from killing. at this time, the second place on the ranking board only had a little more than 1 million points, and the gap increased. richard reopened the troop lairs¡¯ panel in front of him after he revived the troops. the 15th was a monday when he entered the dungeon. the troop lairs would refresh at 8 pm. but he didn¡¯t have the time to do so. richard immediately felt much more relaxed now that he glanced. as expected, he could recruit troops in the instance dungeon. he didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately recruited all the new units. when he entered the dungeon, he had only earned 20,000,000 from the underground world as a reserve. they had sufficient ammunition. the number of troops immediately rose. rare-level troop type¡­ mummy guardian 330¡ú360, axe of the dead 330¡ú380 bandage mummy 63¡ú84 scorpion warrior 71¡ú78 giant axe death knight 177¡ú198 sand condensation archer 350¡ú400 wild sand mage 200¡ú225 curses pharaoh 40¡ú45 glorious-level troop type- dark gargoyle 220¡ú240, axe of the dead 65¡ú70, heavy sword warrior 20. crown-level troop type skeleton blood dragon 30 richard recruited 209 rare units. each cost 12,000 units of resources. he spent 2.508 million resources. he recruited 25 glorious-level units, each unit price was 42,000, and he spent 1.05 million. he left more than 16 million resources from the 20 after a round of recruitment. the only unfortunate thing was that he could not use the [trading market] in the instance dungeon. otherwise, he could have upgraded the three troop lairs¡¯ levels to glorious. he shook his head. he didn¡¯t ponder about it. richard had the newly recruited soldiers immediately guard the city wall after he bestowed the sand transformation to the troops. he massaged his temples, exhausted. he needed some rest. a few days without sleep had taken a toll on his body. after he instructed the troops to guard the place, he returned to his room and fell asleep. he didn¡¯t know how long he had slept. a series of urgent knocks on the door woke him up. richard sat in a daze and opened the door with a wave. gray-haired karu¡¯s figure appeared in front of him. ¡°lord richard, we¡¯ve found a special merchant¡­. richard¡¯s brows twitched, and he quickly returned to his senses. ¡°a merchant?¡± ¡®this was a dungeon. where did the merchant come from? ¡®could it be some player was here to show off?¡¯ karu nodded with a serious face. ¡°that¡¯s right. he said he was a space merchant from another dimension¡­ ¡°his strength is terrifying. lady xina is confronting the other party. lord gray asked me to report to you immediately.¡± richard got off the bed and frowned. ¡®a space merchant? ¡®what was his background? ¡®even hina was so alert?¡¯ the maid outside the house brought in hot water and toiletries while richard pondered. he immediately went out with the butler karu after he washed his face. long after he left twilight city, he met the space merchant in the destroyed agricultural area. the other party wore a long black cloak, and his silver eyes were half-hidden under it. the tip of his nose was slightly protruding. his aura was inexplicably mysterious. even the space around him had dimmed. it gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression. xina stood not far away with her sword, her expression extremely serious. in the sky, alves led dozens of skeleton blood dragons to soar. scarlet energy gathered in their throats, ready to attack at any time. gray and gunter watched from a distance with the axe of the dead. they would be the first to act if an accident happened. the sudden appearance of the space merchant made the twilight city troops sense a massive threat. the highest level of alert. it was only after richard¡¯s arrival that the tense atmosphere eased a little. richard opened the merchant¡¯s panel. his expression immediately turned solemn after he glanced. black robe merchant [level: 20 (transcendence)] [relationship: friendly ] ??? ??? [description: you could purchase some special items from him.] ¡°level 20? ¡°where did this boss come from?¡± richard was bewildered. he took a few deep breaths and suppressed the throb in his heart. he waved his hand. ¡°put away your weapons. this strange friend is not our enemy.¡± it could not deceive the word ¡°friendly¡± in their relationship. moreover, if this level 20 transcendent wanted to make a move, he wouldn¡¯t wait until now¡­ these words calmed the atmosphere. the merchant in the black cloak heard this and slowly raised his head to look at him. the silver eyes hidden under the cloak were unforgettable. ¡°unfamiliar lord, i¡¯m a merchant from another world. you can use your points to buy treasures from me. the other party¡¯s voice was a little hoarse, and he spoke in the common language of the ¡°shining era¡±. ¡®points?¡¯ richard caught on to the keyword. could this black-robed merchant be an npc that the system had specially arranged to exchange for points? richard immediately became interested. ¡°sir, can you show me the treasures you have?¡± the black-robed merchant nodded slowly. he extended his right hand, and dark energy rose. it formed five black boxes in the air. ¡°this is the most suitable treasure for your territory. ¡°the lowest price is 3 million points. ¡°you can only buy two at a time.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®the lowest price¡­ 3 million points?¡¯ his emotions fluctuated when he looked at the five unremarkable boxes floating in the air. what level of treasure is required to be worth 3 million points?! Chapter 343 ¡°can i open the wooden box and let me choose?¡± the black-robed merchant waved his hand slightly. the five black wooden boxes floated in the air and slowly opened. the first one was a pure black medal. !! death elegy medal [level: 5-stars ] [characteristics: when commanding the undead troops, all attributes increase by 50%. can resurrect three teams of dead undead troops every day. the time of death can not exceed three days.] [description: a medal with powerful death energy.] [price: 3 million points] richard¡¯s breathing quickened when he saw the first item. it was a 5-stars treasure and a medal that was ultimately rare. although its characteristics were plain, its practicality could be said to be insane. a 50% increase in all attributes. wouldn¡¯t that be heaven-defying if used on high-level troops? the ability to resurrect three teams a day was also unreasonably strong. resurrecting teammates was the signature skill of the archangel, a soldier of the light faction. however, that was the ultimate troop level at birth level 20! with three million points, it was ultimately worth it. richard¡¯s heart immediately raised even higher expectations with the first item as the base. the second item was an old, yellowed scroll. it was ordinary and nothing special in its appearance. he opened its attributes. [doomsday horn-scroll] [level: forbidden spell] [property: after tearing the scroll, it can summon meteors to attack enemies within a 5000-meter diameter and destroy everything within.] [description: even gods are unwilling to face a forbidden spell.] [price: 5 million points ] richard¡¯s eyes twitched when he saw the attributes. this unremarkable scroll was a forbidden spell! furthermore, the doomsday horn-scroll was the signature skill of asmodeus, the lord of the nine hells. it is the terrifying boss in the hell faction in the ¡°shining era¡±. he had an illustrious background. it was a pity that the 5 million points price only allowed him to look at it. he took a deep breath and turned to look at the third treasure. richard was stunned for a moment. this box did not contain useless items but sandstorms that constantly surged. the catastrophe that could destroy everything was countless times smaller. and it appeared striking. he opened the attribute panel. [sandstorm (unbound)] [level: 5-stars] [special property: 1. after placing, it can form a never-ending sandstorm with a diameter of 30 km.] [2. after binding to the owner, the owner can freely control the strength of the sandstorm, and the enemies killed by the sandstorm will provide a certain amount of experience.] [3. it can place wind attribute hero units to assist in controlling the sandstorm. the limit is 3.] [description: this is a natural disaster-like magic item. it has terrifying power.] [price: 5 million points] ¡®sandstorm?¡¯ richard¡¯s heart began to race. he could freely control the sandstorm after he bonded. it was similar to quicksand land. he understood how precious this treasure could change the terrain after he experienced the mighty characteristics of the land of quicksand. unfortunately, the price was also as high as 5 million points. richard could only shake his head. he continued to look at the fourth item. it was an extremely eye-catching crown. the black gem was the main body, and the dark red was the embellishment. the patterns were classic and grand, filled with a unique charm. although the tone of the dark color was not as bright as gold and silver, it was more stable and splendid. it was perfect for richard¡¯s taste. he opened the attributes. [crown of the king of darkness] [level: glorious] [special property: 1. the style of a king. it enormously increases the personal charm and the attraction to hero units. it massively reduces the difficulty of recruiting heroes.] [2. it will intimidate the surrounding life after the dark halo (halo) is activated, causing them to be swallowed by fear and have a strong sense of respect for you. life with a glorious-level of fewer than 10 points will not be immune.] [3. unafraid of the light. when commanding the undead troop, you can be immune to the damage bonus from the light and nature to the evil camp.] [4. lord of darkness (sealed)] [5. king of darkness (sealed)] [description: one of the dark king¡¯s suits. gathering all three pieces of this equipment will activate its hidden power and evolve it into a semi-divine artifact.] [price: 5 million points] ¡®glorious-level equipment?¡¯ richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. it got increasingly outrageous! this black-robed merchant even brought out such a thing to sell¡­ moreover, the glorious-level equipment was part of a set. a set could become a semi-divine artifact if he gathered all the pieces. envy filled his eyes immediately. however, the price of 5 million points made him silent again. he looked at his attribute panel. 3.78 million. he had thought that he had already earned enough, but now¡­ he couldn¡¯t afford it. he glanced at the black-robed merchant. was this guy not here to piss people off? after he suppressed his emotions, he looked at the last treasure. it was a black water droplet that floated in the box. he could not sense too much because his aura ceased. however, with four treasures at the very beginning, he would not underestimate this one, no matter how ordinary it could be. divine blood of the dark god. [level: glorious] [characteristic: allows a dark life form to undergo a perfect transformation. (note: this process will cause a huge backlash. the user must have a mighty body to withstand the corrosion of the divine blood, or it will destroy their soul.)] [description: blood obtained from the heart of a dark god. a priceless treasure.] [price: 8 million points] [divine blood of the dark god¡­] richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. his mouth became superly arid. ¡®even the god¡¯s blood is out? ¡®wasn¡¯t that a little too exaggerated?¡¯ the attributes of this treasure made him think of the god¡¯s ancient tree that currently devoured dark energy and transformed. with this treasure, the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree would not be an accident! however, it was still 8 million points. he couldn¡¯t afford it even if he doubled his 3.78 million. this black-robed merchant tried to tempt him. ¡®i honestly want to snatch this guy away¡­¡¯ elegy of death medal, doomsday horn-scroll, sandstorm, dark king¡¯s crown, and divine blood of the dark god. each of the five treasures the black-robed merchant took out was overly tempting. but it was a pity. being poor was an original sin. with 3.78 million points, he could only purchase the elegy of death medal. he took a deep breath and looked at the black-robed merchant. ¡°your excellency, can you stay in twilight city for a while?¡± the black-robed merchant slowly shook his head. ¡°i will only stay for three hours. ¡°i¡¯m a merchant. i have other customers.¡± richard fixed his gaze on the merchant. ¡°you told me i can only buy two items at a time. ¡°so, you¡¯ll come a second time. ¡°can you tell me when your next visit will be?¡± a hoarse voice came from under the hood. ¡°in two weeks.¡± richard let out a breath of relief. fortunately, there was still a chance! he couldn¡¯t sleep well if he couldn¡¯t get his hands on such a good treasure. then, he seemed to have thought of something and asked again. ¡°will you sell these treasures to anyone else?¡± the black-robed merchant nodded. ¡°of course, as long as someone can afford it.¡± richard glanced at the ranking board. at this moment, the second place¡¯s points just broke one million. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. his competitor¡­ he seemed unqualified to compete with him. ¡°i want to buy the elegy of death medal.¡± he would initially buy the one with the lowest price, and the rest would cost at least 5 million points. the difficulty of purchasing it had increased by another level. the black-robed merchant revealed a rare smile. ¡°three million points.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a system notification rang out. [ding~ do you wish to spend 3,000,000 points to purchase the elegy of death medal (5-star)?] richard nodded. ¡°yes.¡± the moment he confirmed, his points dropped from 3.78 million to 780 thousand. the black-robed merchant nodded with satisfaction, took out the elegy of death medal from the black box, and handed it to richard. with a wave of the merchant¡¯s hand, the rest of the treasures disappeared before the lord of twilight city¡¯s eyes. ¡°human, you are the first to trade with me. i can give you a piece of information.¡± he heard the black-robed merchant¡¯s hoarse voice again. richard¡¯s eyes gleamed luminescence. ¡°thank you for your generosity, sir. please speak.¡± the merchant nodded, and his silver eyes looked into the land of quicksand¡¯s direction. ¡°it is intensively rare to devour dark energy from a low-level void being. ¡°that big tree has great potential. ¡°but there¡¯s a problem¡­ although devouring tons of dark energy can complete the transformation. ¡°but this metamorphosis is not perfect.¡± richard perked up. he fixed his eyes on the merchant. ¡°do you have a way to solve this?¡± ¡°divine blood of the dark god.¡± the black-robed merchant¡¯s tone did not change. ¡°after absorbing enough dark energy, it will transform. the process will devour it at the final step.¡± ¡°the divine blood of the dark god contains a vast amount of dark energy. it could use this opportunity to activate the abomination power in its body. richard was pleasantly surprised. this information was too valuable. ¡°thank you for this hint, sir. it would be helpful to me¡­ he said in a solemn tone. ¡°the twilight city owes you a favor.¡± the black-robed merchant¡¯s eyes softened. he gave richard a meaningful look. ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. you¡¯re the only lord who can buy the divine blood of the dark god.¡± after the merchant said that, richard¡¯s expression returned to its calm state. ¡°do you still need to purchase other items?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll buy them in two weeks.¡± he said while he shook his head. ¡°then, this deal ends here.¡± as soon as the black-robed merchant finished speaking, the figure gradually turned illusory and disappeared. richard could no longer sense any aura. he held the elegy of death medal and ensured that the merchant had left. he put the pure black medal in front of his eyes and observed it. the patterns on it were classic and grand. although there weren¡¯t many decorations, it gave people an extraordinary feeling. the boundless energy it contained was more like waves that rolled. he immediately felt at ease. it was the first 5-stars treasure he had obtained! the corners of his mouth curled up. this time, the instance dungeon genuinely satisfied him. previously, he had obtained several experience points, dark crystals, countless corpses, and the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree. now, this 5-stars treasure. it had only been three days, and they had already made such a huge profit. after this, he would earn points and obtain the remaining treasures. wouldn¡¯t he soar in one go? his heart was filled with fighting spirit when he thought of a beautiful tomorrow. he glanced at the time. it was seven o ¡®clock on the 19th. the other event of the instance dungeon, the death arena, would open at midnight. there was still time. xina immediately led the troop out to clear the monster strongholds! ¡°as long as we can take them down, we¡¯ll flatten them all!¡± Chapter 344 however, at this moment, many players realized that firmly at the top of the rankings, qingqiu suddenly disappeared from the top rank. ¡°what was going on?¡± the sharp-eyed players were stunned. they used to grit their teeth and complain about that id. so they were a little at a loss for what to do when the person suddenly disappeared. !! [did that pervert qingqiu provoke some boss and get killed?] after that, no one cared who was currently at the top of the ranking board. it quickly scrolled down. they found traces of qingqiu on the last few pages of the list not long after. qingqiu, 930th, 780,000 points. it bewildered several players. [why did it suddenly fall to the tail?] [i remember that qing qiu¡¯s points were 3.78 million. why did it suddenly become 780000? what about the remaining 3 million?] [hahaha, qing qiu must have spent 3 million points reviving the troops!] [that guy could earn so many points in such a short time. how could he not pay the price?! i¡¯m sure everyone knows how many it takes to revive a troop!] [that makes sense. qingqiu could not withstand the troop expenditure and used his points to revive his troops. hahaha, that serves him right!!] [the heavens finally have eyes. this pervert will have his day!] [brothers, work hard, don¡¯t let qingqiu charge up again!] [you spent 3 million points to revive the troop? doesn¡¯t that mean qingqiu has at least 10,000 rare soldier types? f*ck this pervert!] as qingqiu showed off his abilities repeatedly, the players used to pay attention to each other. like the top few wealthiest people on planet blue, countless people watched everything they did. richard¡¯s points had plummeted, just like how the rich were affected when it reduced their wealth. [damn, now that you¡¯re so rich, you know the pain.] but the players didn¡¯t get excited for long. suddenly, they saw qingqiu, which had only 780,000 points, swiftly raised in rank. his points would jump up by a chunk every ten minutes or so. the crowd that gloated suddenly fell silent again. they recalled the first time they saw each other on the ranking board¡­ [was it going to start again?] before they could even hope they would be lucky, qingqiu¡¯s 900th ranking rose again. 800,600,500¡­ at 11 o¡¯clock in the evening, his ranking shot up to 100. the players who gloated earlier now felt like they had eaten two pounds of flies. [f*ck! this damn pervert!] [are you using them to make fun of us?] all of them gritted their teeth. they wished they could hack qingqiu to death. [ding~ your subordinate has killed a void hunter (glorious). you have obtained 50 points. [ding~] a series of notifications rang out, and the troops immediately gathered the corpses on the ground. someone would send them to the land of quicksand later. richard landed on the ground and put the dark crystal into the system space. after a few hours of battle, his points finally rose to 1 million. his fighting spirit was exceptionally high on his obsession with earning points to buy treasures. richard temporarily stopped his operation after he cleared the monster base. he opened the attribute panel. there was a notification that constantly flashed red. [ding~ your points have entered the top 1 million. in half an hour, the system will select you to join the death arena fighting ring to fight with other lords.] [please select the unit type to participate in the gladiator fight.] [note 1: each overlord can only lead three squadrons and three heroes to participate.] [note 2: after the death arena fighting ring opens, every lord¡¯s territory will still face the enemy¡¯s attack. please be careful.] the instance dungeon event was about to begin. richard had to stay for some time to rest. he retracted his thoughts and turned his head to signal to the ground. ¡°gunter, return to twilight city immediately after you send these corpses to the land of quicksand.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± richard waved his hand after gunter left with its troops. ¡°the rest of you, return to the city.¡± richard rode on alves and landed on the city wall. he pondered as he stared at the busy residents in the city. he could only choose to bring three squadrons of soldiers to the death arena fighting ring, which was still too few. as he deeply thought, he looked at the skeleton blood dragon that flew in the sky. he had to bring along these 30 1-star glorious-level soldiers. two hundred seventy left¡­ he turned to look at the troops on the city wall and weighed up. there were many choices available now. cavalrymen¨Cgiant axe death knights. long-range troops¨Csand condensation archers. warriors¨Cbandaged mummies, scorpion warriors, heavy sword warriors. spellcaster troops¨Cwild sand mages. every troop type had its characteristics, and there was a reason to bring someone or not. after some thought, richard¡¯s eyes returned to sanity. ¡°there are only three squadrons. there¡¯s no need to bring all the soldiers.¡± he should still focus on cooperation. ¡°the troops to capture the monster strongholds have been integrated. we need to split them up again every time. ¡°this time, i¡¯ll bring 30 skeleton blood dragons, 135 dark gargoyles, and 135 undead soldiers.¡± he felt a little helpless after he decided. three squadrons were too few¡­ if he can get a place in a brigade, then the battle power in their hands can be raised by several levels. however, if they entered the death arena fighting ring this time, the enemy would still attack twilight city. they had to leave troops to guard the place, so that was the only way. Chapter 345 richard decided without hesitation. ¡°god¡¯s ancient tree, xina, alves.¡± [ding~ you cannot bring the god¡¯s ancient tree since it is a boss unit. please replace.] richard blinked. !! it didn¡¯t make sense he couldn¡¯t bring a boss unit. so he could only prepare heroes? however, no one responded to him, so he could only replace it. ¡°gunter, alves, xina.¡± alves¡¯s beyond a-rank dragon breath, gaunt¡¯s ball of corruption and corpse explosion, and xina¡¯s single-target battle strength. these three heroes all possessed supremely soul-strapping battle abilities. although they could not compare to the god¡¯s ancient tree, which could take on an entire troop by itself, they were by no means inferior. [ding~ you have confirmed your choice. please wait patiently.] richard perked up. even though this event limited the number of troops. however, in terms of quality, twilight city still had an overwhelming advantage. thirty crown 1-star heroes, 205 glorious 3-stars heroes, 65 rare 3-stars heroes, and one beyond a-rank and two a-rank heroes. this power was shocking to hear. ¡®i wonder how one plays this death arena? ¡®don¡¯t let those dumbass players down.¡¯ while richard thought of this, he turned his head and glanced at xina as she held a broken longsword and stood calmly. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. these few heroes alone could defeat several large brigades. would those idiots love the joy of being beaten up by a beyond a-rank hero? suddenly, he began to look forward to the opening of the death arena fighting ring. after richard made his choice, the other players also chose their most elite units. they were all full of confidence. if the players were brought into a large group or even more. there would be an uneven scene. however, with only three squadrons, the situation was different. after a few months of development, those who could make it to the top one million on the ranking board more or less would have impressive troops. the system would already eliminate the weak ones from the dungeon. limiting the number of players would reduce the advantage of the top players, which was the best thing for ordinary players. as the countdown approached, the players began to discuss it. [damn it! after we entered the death arena fighting ring, enemies could still attack our territories¡­ doesn¡¯t this mean that when we return, there¡¯s a possibility we could lose our homes?] [i¡¯m sorry. i brought three squadrons of rare 2-stars star mechanical puppets. hahaha, that¡¯s how it is! the champion is mine!] [holy see, to earn points, i just threw in most of the troops¡­ why did this bullsh*t death arena choose me? do you know how expensive it is to use points to revive troops? i¡¯ve even lost out this time. damn it! it is too much nonsense!] [who knows the inside story of this event? death arena, is it a battle where everyone is fighting and only one person is left?] [brothers, whoever meets qingqiu or the freaks on the ranking board, remember to team up and eliminate them first! we might not stand a chance if we fight alone, but we can achieve outstanding results if we team up!] [that¡¯s right, let¡¯s go all out. everyone, kill qingqiu first, then kill the ranking board! [that makes sense. let¡¯s kill qingqiu first, then kill the ranking board!] [kill qingqiu first, then slaughter the ranking board!] the exchange of curses against qingqiu continued¡­ not long after, the chosen players formed a common hatred for the enemy. they were determined to spurn the players on the ranking board. as the main villain, qingqiu naturally received the most attention, and there was even an anti-qingqiu alliance that encouraged the atmosphere. the [forum chat] immediately became lively. richard chuckled at the idiotic fools that tattled around. ¡®they didn¡¯t even know the rules of the death arena. so what was the use of shouting their slogan now? ¡®a motley crowd.¡¯ when richard recollected his thoughts, he waved his hand to call for gray-haired butler karu and gray. he told them about his plan to bring his troops into the death arena fighting ring. finally, he warned. ¡°gray, you¡¯ll be in charge of the troops and guards when we leave. karu, you¡¯ll manage the residents and maintain production. ¡°we must guard the city strictly. there might be other lords that would attack twilight city. we must not allow any siege to happen! ¡°yes, lord.¡± the two immediately agreed. after a brief explanation, richard thought for a moment, then got up and went to the quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree still consumed the majestic energy it had just devoured. one could not ignore the boss¡¯s dark glow. the transformation continued¡­ he opened its attribute panel and glanced. [status: transformation progress 10%.] richard¡¯s brow furrowed. previously, it was 5%. after it slaughtered several enemies, it only increased by 5%. the difficulty of the upgrade exceeded his tone. ¡®at this speed, how many enemies would the god¡¯s ancient tree needs to devour to complete its transformation?¡¯ just the thought of it made his scalp tingle. ¡°we still have to get the divine blood of the dark god. otherwise, if we don¡¯t spend enough time in this instance dungeon, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s transformation will likely fail on the verge of success.¡± in this instance dungeon was not on the central plane, so he didn¡¯t know how long it would last. the last instance dungeon was a month-long, but who could be sure that this time would not be 20 days or even shorter? one couldn¡¯t miss this once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity to transform. furthermore, the black-robed merchant had mentioned that using the divine blood of the dark god would have a chance to activate the power of the abomination in the other party¡¯s body. the source of the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s power was the divine sins¡¯ flesh and blood it devoured. abominations were terrifying existences that could kill gods. its value would be immeasurable if it could activate the power to kill gods. no one could resist this temptation. richard shook his head and stopped thinking. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about anything else first. there is only one important thing at the moment¡­ before the next black-robed merchant comes, we will try to earn as many points as possible.¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± when the god¡¯s ancient tree sensed richard¡¯s presence, it spoke in a low, muffled voice. the giant twisted human-faced tree trunk was quite scary. richard nodded and repeated what happened in the arena. he looked around at the space and suddenly had an idea. ¡°treebeard, if the enemies attack twilight city, you must immediately go to the rescue. ¡°when there are no enemies, you can attack the nearby spatial gaps, hunt the void hunters, and obtain the dark energy of the transformation. for the time being, no void lickers would appear in the spatial rift, so to guard here was a waste of time. it was better to let this boss clear out the enemies and earn points for its lord. the god¡¯s ancient tree had the power to do so. as the ceiling of the battle power of the twilight city, this boss was equivalent to a troop. ¡°as you wish¡­¡± ¡°yes!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree answered rather excitedly. it had a deeper understanding of its transformation. the feeling of its bloodline that improved was irresistible. after a dull sound. ¡°buzz! buzz! buzz!¡± the venomous wasp that hid in the land of quicksand flapped its wings and flew out. in an instant, it formed a soul-strapping black cloud in the air. it then quickly flew to the top of the tree and stopped there. from a distance, it was as if the god¡¯s ancient tree had grown leaves. with the protection of these 3,000 rare 3-stars venomous wasps, this boss could starkly destroy the monster stronghold. he was so overbearing. richard didn¡¯t stay any longer and returned to twilight city. this boss¡¯s intelligence was no worse than a human¡¯s, so it was enough to give a general direction. they quietly waited on the city wall until 00:00 am. the system notification rang out as promised. [ding~ the system has opened the death arena fighting ring.] [the top one million players on the ranking board will participate in the death battles.] [death gladiators are in group of 100.] [the system will randomly send each group to a distinct area, where they will fight and kill each other.] [each group only has ten advancement slots. it will hold the test every hour. if fewer than ten people are left, you can advance to the next round.] [the lord who kills the most opponents in each group will get extra rewards. the top three will get five, three, and two points, respectively. the fourth to tenth will get one point.] [you can exchange the points for rewards when you leave the death arena fighting ring.] [killing other overlords in the death arena fighting ring will also earn you ordinary points.] [the soldiers and the lord who died in the arena will automatically revive when they leave the fighting ring.] [the lord promoted to the next round will also revive all the dead troops.] [in a distinct area of the arena, all kinds of powerful bosses will appear. please be careful.] [there are no rules in the death arena. the winner is king.] [the final winner of the death arena will receive a generous reward and the remarkable title of the king of gladiator.] [every death arena will turn on the live broadcast function. lords not participating in the battle can watch the live broadcast, but lords who will cannot check the attributes of the gladiator or can not contact it.] [announcement completed. death arena fighting ring, opening¡­] Chapter 346 all the players chosen felt their vision blur, and when they reopened their eyes, they were in a new environment. the snow-capped mountains, the blue waves of the island, the forest that covered the sky, the boundless grasslands¡­ there were countless terrains of all kinds. in the death arena fighting ring. !! the players who did not enter the arena noticed that a new section had appeared on the forum. in the live broadcast section. as one clicked on it, one could see several livestream rooms. there was a group of players in each room. and one million people meant 10,000 live broadcast rooms. the players eliminated from the instance dungeon also saw this scene. they were instantly interested, and countless people swarmed in. there were too many players. even if there were tens of thousands of rooms, hundreds of millions of people were in each room on average. it was an exaggeration. [hahaha, we can even send bullet comments? it is so interesting. why didn¡¯t you activate this function earlier? is there anyone who wants to test the waters?] [i didn¡¯t expect such a benefit even if the system eliminated me. little brats, kill each other and try your best to please me!] [quick! quick, see if there¡¯s a camera angle adjustment function. i just saw someone wear a short skirt¡­] [who knows which room qingqiu is in?] the privy players plagued the forum. the players who watched this death arena were very excited and curious. in each room, one looked for his acquaintances or big shots on the ranking board to watch. it was the same for the participants. after they entered various strange terrains, they immediately became alert and explored with great interest. the nature faction players looked for forests to hide. undead players took out corpses from their storage bags to recruit undead. the fortress faction assembled their machines and cleared the cannons¡­ there were different races, troops, and ways of dealing with them. richard¡¯s eyes focused again, and he looked around vigilantly. his pupils reflected on the scene in front of him. in front of him was a patch of black mud and countless muddy shallow puddles. the faint mist in the air limited his vision to two to three hundred meters. he looked around and saw that plants surrounded him. there were pink flowers that grew on the lush water gourds, and the green leaves had drops of crystal water. the green vines with copper coin-sized leaves grew and spread around. some dwarf plants writhed with them. some covered the mud surface, which left behind a green space. if it weren¡¯t for the pungent smell in the air, perhaps the scene in front of them would be worth a few more glances. [ding~ you have entered the death arena fighting ring. current terrain: swamp.] [every hour, the system will conduct a check. in the arena, if the number of surviving lords is less than or equal to 10, it will automatically promote the remaining lords.] [ding~ the system will activate the live broadcast function in one minute. the lords outside the death arena can automatically choose any player to watch.] [the lord who receives the most views in each battle will receive 1 million ordinary points. the second place will receive 800,000, the third 500,000, and the fourth to tenth places will receive 300,000.] [the audience cannot get information about the lord and his subordinates, but they can know the level of the monsters in the arena.] [ding~ a distinct boss will guard the center of every arena. killing the boss will give you additional rewards.] [ding~ current number of players alive: 100, please take note.] a string of system notifications jolted richard to attention. [one hundred would be placed in the same area to fight for the top 10 and then advance to the next round.] this setting was quite interesting. the only thing that made him frown was the live broadcast function. his thoughts moved. the yellow sand on his body glowed. at that moment. the sand hidden in the mud began to float up. slowly, it surrounded him. under the effect of magic, it cleared away the stench of the gravel. it turned into clean and pure yellow sand. a small amount of sand floated on his face. it made his appearance blurry. his face regained its calm after he had done all this. he didn¡¯t like to reveal everything about himself to others¡­ however, the first place with the most viewers would receive a reward of 1 million points. it slightly tempered him. if he could get first place in five rounds of popularity, he could directly exchange for a 5-stars treasure from the black-robed merchant. nothing seemed bad¡­ with this in mind, he immediately adjusted his thoughts. the players outside could not see the attributes of the players inside the arena. so there was nothing to worry about it. he retracted his thoughts and turned to look to his side. gunter led three small teams of dark gargoyles to scout the surroundings. ¡°report back immediately if you find any enemies!¡± gunter, wrapped in blood-colored bandages, immediately left. richard waited again, stupefied. with a thought, the sand beside him dragged him straight into the sky. he rushed into the clouds. five hundred meters in the air. richard¡¯s field of vision widened. the white mist in the swamp stopped at this height and did not rise any further. he looked into the distance. above them was the blue sky, cloudless for miles. below him was a sea of fog with rolling waves. heaven and earth seemed divided at this moment. at the end of his sight, there was no second scene. ****** [steamed bun lover] felt a little regretful and could not enter the death arena fighting ring. unfortunately, although the top one million on the ranking board didn¡¯t appear high, it was a competition fought by tens of billions of people. it was honestly one in ten thousand. although he was not considered weak, he suffered too many casualties when he attacked the monster stronghold the dark crystal guarded. he could no longer compare to the first team. moreover, even if he was allowed to enter now, with the quality of his troops, he could not achieve any good results. therefore, he had let it go. moreover, he was more concerned about earning more points than entering the death arena fighting ring¡­ even though he had managed to withstand this round of monster attacks. but what about the next round? he was not willing to spend points to revive the dead troops. if the points were to resurrect the troops, how would it solve the big problem after they left the instance dungeon? he had initially wanted to seek refuge with the big boss of the territory¨Cqingqiu, but he could not find an opportunity. when he saw that the livestream was on, he immediately started it. he did not care about the others and went straight to the room where qingqiu was. as expected, it immediately revealed the room number of the person, the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. 560. [steamed bun lover] clicked to enter. a swamp came into view. it was the perspective of an elf girl. the viewer looked down from the sky and saw the troops the other party carried. [steamed bun lover] had no interest in the elf with the big chest and immediately scrolled down from the perspective of the 100 players to the right. he immediately saw the familiar id in the middle¡­ qingqiu. his mind jolted, and he chose to enter. after he entered the livestream room, he glanced at the current number of viewers on the upper left corner of the screen. 500 million. it omitted the last few numbers. he was full of praise in his heart. it was a battle with over a million participants. and it was only the beginning. qingqiu alone had attracted 500 million people to watch. how exaggerated was its influence? [steamed bun lover¡¯s] mood fluctuated as he collected his thoughts. know yourself and know your enemy. if you want to rely on this big shot, it¡¯s best to know what the other party lacks¡­ when he entered the livestream room, he saw a yellow light that surged out of the other party¡¯s body. then, tons of sand wrapped around him and shot into the sky. in an instant, the scenery in the sky appeared before his eyes. however, no one cared about the scenery at this moment, and qingqiu¡¯s actions instantly shrouded the bullet screen. [f*ck! what kind of skill is this? it¡¯s so cool!] [is qingqiu a spell caster? no wonder he¡¯s so strong¡­] [tsk, it¡¯s so sour! i¡¯m a level 8 mage. but i can¡¯t even leave the ground, let alone fly¡­] in the next second, a scene that made the audience even more shocked appeared. after the figure wrapped in yellow sand fell from the sky, it stunned the audience. the troops behind the figure appeared in the live broadcast room. when the audience saw the mighty skeleton blood dragons, the bullet screen immediately covered the image. [am i blind? was that an undead dragon? there¡¯s someone who can recruit such a top-tier troop rank now?] [tsk, these are at least glorious-level troops! do you have to be so exaggerated? even the highest grade in my troops is rare!] [f*ck! thirty undead dragons? and there was one bigger than the other undead dragons. dragon hero? is this qingqiu¡¯s true strength?] expressions of bewilderment continued to flood the [forum chat]. the fight with other players had not started yet, but when they saw richard¡¯s troops, they knew they had to fight. the players in the livestream room drooled. when [steamed bun lover] saw this, he pouted. [what do you country bumpkins know? qingqiu bosses can even kill a level 16 void hunter instantly!] [when you see the other party¡¯s true strength, won¡¯t you be so scared it will pull out your tongue?] an inexplicable sense of pride rose in his heart¡­ Chapter 347 after countless battles, his heart had long been tempered to the point that it was unperturbed. he landed on the ground again after not getting much information in the air. just as he was about to set up the operation, a system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ the system has updated a map. please take a look at it yourself.] !! ¡°oh?¡± when he heard the notification, he immediately became interested. he opened the system map and looked at it carefully. his starting point was in the south, and the north was the central area. he thought about the information the system gave that there was an extraordinary boss in the central area. richard did not stay any longer. after he took out the riddle crystal and let gunter return, he closed the map and waved his hand. ¡°head north!¡± as he spoke, he stopped flying and flipped over to sit on alves¡¯s back. in the livestream, the players saw alves with a wingspan of 30 meters. its body burned with blood-colored energy and with broken wings. its eyes turned green with envy. [he¡¯s too f*cking handsome! f*ck! where did this bastard qingqiu get a mount¡­] [a mount? idiot, that is a f*cking hero! undead dragons are troops above glorious-level, and the size of this dragon is ultimately a hero above b-rank!] [are there any players from the undead faction? who knows how to get a dragon?] [you want to get the undead dragon? you also overthink!] [you¡¯re just boasting. how could qingqiu have it if it¡¯s so arduous?] [do you know the conditions for recruiting an undead dragon? an advanced-level undead recruitment spell. in addition, the corpse of a giant dragon at level 15 or above must be present!] [the corpse of a dragon above level 15? can¡¯t it be from the troops¡¯ lair?] [we can¡¯t rule out this possibility, but the undead wyverns are at least glorious-level troops. if we want to get the troops¡¯ lair, we¡¯ll have to attack the dragon¡¯s lair first, with several squadrons of glorious-level guarding it.] [and in such a dragon lair, there will ultimately be heroic units guarding it¡­ the dragon lair produced only one or two per week. the 30 if qingqiu simply recruited would have taken at least one or two months to accumulate.] [in other words, the other party already had the power to occupy a lair guarded by a glorious-level troop type a month or two ago. was that possible?] outsmarting continued. the bullet comments immediately became noisy. dragons were high-level troops at all times, and most players at this stage had never seen them in the central plane. now that several had appeared, they found it hard to accept. they could not understand how qingqiu could have so many undead dragons in such a short time. however, it destined their doubts to be unanswered. the troops that had spread out to explore the way moved through the fog. but they did not find any traces of the enemy. richard was on high alert. the thick fog had blocked out a lot of information, so it was better to be careful. he had a clear goal¨Cthe central area. compared to the other players, he was more interested in the boss that could provide special rewards. the other players would probably think the same and move closer to the center. after the troops flew slowly for about ten minutes, gunter¡¯s voice suddenly came from the riddle crystal. ¡°lord, there is a beast troop ahead¡­¡± richard perked up on alves¡¯s back. ¡°stand by!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately led the troops to increase their flying speed. not long after, he saw gunter rode a dark gargoyle. ¡°lord, we found a beast troop that repaired themselves on the hard ground ahead. they don¡¯t show any signs of leaving.¡± it piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°how many are there?¡± ¡°three squadrons, just like what you said before. they are probably lords from the central plane.¡± ¡°how¡¯s the opponent¡¯s strength?¡± ¡°wolf cavalry as the main force, no air force.¡± richard knew what to do. ¡°all soldiers, prepare to attack!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he commanded alves to take the lead, followed by 30 skeletal blood dragons. the 135 undead soldiers that rode on the dark gargoyles clenched their tomahawks and followed. he had just passed through the fog. a shrill wolf howl came from the front. the orcs had discovered the twilight city troops¡­ richard looked down from a hundred feet above. in the swamp, mud covered the dry, hard ground. three squadrons of cavalry soldiers looked up at the sky. the mount wolf below bared its fangs and drooled as it let out a low growl. the orc cavalry held their crossbows in one hand and reins in the other. they controlled their mount wolves to move left and right. in the central area, an overly mighty orc player looked at the undead dragon in the sky with a depressed expression. he had chosen cavalry because they had the absolute advantage in a head-on battle. moreover, the troops in his hands were one of the most powerful. he was not afraid to fight any ground troops. however, the most depressing thing happened¡­ he was born in the swamp. [who the f*ck could he find to reason with?] he had no choice but to wear it on this hard ground that could launch a charge and wait for the other players to come and die. he did not expect that the enemy would come, but now, it seemed that he was the one who was going to die. at that moment, the undead wyverns swooped down. the orc players felt their scalps go numb. he suddenly roared in anger. ¡°attack! attack!¡± with a hysterical roar, the wolf riders pulled the trigger of their crossbows, and one arrow after another pierced through the sky. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ however, the crossbow bolts that could pierce through a warrior¡¯s armor met with the most direct defeat. ¡®ding! ding! ding!¡¯ the skeleton blood dragon charged straight down. when the arrows hit its body, there was a metallic sound. all that was left were tiny marks on the blood-colored skeleton. he could not even injure the skeleton blood dragon, let alone kill it. such an attack was like a joke unless it was a heavy siege crossbow or a high-level crossbow ¡®roar!¡¯ he let out a low roar. alves, who charged at the front, had a blood-colored glow in its throat. at that moment. ¡®hu!¡¯ the corrosive beyond a-rank dragon breath left a trail of flames that was tens of meters long. the arrows in the sky turned into sticky liquid. on the ground. ¡®shua!¡¯ the wolf cavalry soldiers immediately tried to dodge, but the range of support was too vast. and they could never avoid it. as long as the dragon¡¯s breath touched them, no matter how sturdy their bodies were, it would tarnish the bodies into a pool of blood. it had slaughtered small teams of wolf riders in a single clash. before alves could get up, the skeleton blood dragon added fire from behind. ¡®hu!¡¯ the dragon¡¯s breath was like a flamethrower. it formed a crossfire net. the wolf riders could only use their crossbows to attack the ground and finally felt the horror of this world. in just two rounds of attacks, it killed half of the three squadrons. the orc player¡¯s eyes were wide open. but since the ground troops were unprepared, the threat of the air cavalry was zero. ¡°retreat! scatter and escape!¡± a helpless roar resounded through the sky. as soon as the orc player¡¯s voice fell, he immediately led two small teams of wolf riders and charged out. such an eye-catching move immediately made him the target of alves. the damaged dragon wings flapped. ¡®hu!¡¯ with a few flaps of its wings, the dragon hero was already on top of its head. with a wingspan of 30 meters, the pressure it gave off was insane. he lowered his head. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the terrifying dragon breath swept down. the orc player couldn¡¯t react and instantly turned into blood. the troop that had lost its backbone immediately fell into greater chaos. he began to run around randomly. and an enemy without the ability to resist was like a circle of sheep. the skeleton blood dragon had entered its hunting phase. no matter how fast the ground troops were, how could they fly faster than the flying troops? moreover, this was a swamp. the wolf riders who fled in all directions slowly ran in the mud and enjoyed the dragon breath of the skeleton blood dragon. [ding~ you have killed a lord and obtained 5,000 points. the current number of lords kill: one, rank 10.] after the last wolf rider fell, richard heard the system notification. he opened the so-called ranking board and glanced. it was the ranking in the arena. the nine people in front of him had also killed one. the order of attack was based on the time of the attack if the number was the same. richard didn¡¯t feel much about killing the orc player. the moment the other party did not have any means to counter the air force, it decided the outcome. he was used to it, but the players in the livestream room went crazy. [fuck, am i blind? how old was he? three squadrons of wolf cavalry soldiers were all killed by qingqiu?] [it hasn¡¯t even been five minutes, and he¡¯s already shocked me for a year. how is this freak so strong?!] [no way? it works too? the troops that rode on the gargoyles at the back of qingqiu did not even make a move, and only 30 undead giant dragons had killed the other party ¡­ f*ck, why is this bastard so perverted?] [how ridiculous is the level of those undead wyverns? the wolf cavalry can¡¯t even withstand half a dragon breath¡­] the players continued to be shocked and bewildered. most players knew qingqiu was strong. but they did not have a specific impression of it. the battle just now had made them experience what it meant to be strong. the autumn wind swept away the fallen leaves and cleared the enemies in just a few minutes. this kind of direct impact was starkly incomparable to the few posts on the forum. at this point, the players in the live-streaming room realized in shock that the gap between them and the qingqiu monster was supremely enormous¡­ Chapter 348 this player was supremely fragile compared to the enemies he had encountered during this period. the only thing that stirred his interest was the 5,000 points he could get from killing the other party. there was no value in anything else. moreover, killing the troop of players would not give him any points. it further dampened his enthusiasm. !! the most promising was still to deal with a boss. poor players were unworthy of his use of his sword. after the easy battle, richard gathered his troops and had alves turn the rotten corpses on the ground into blood-colored energy to devour before he continued to the center. there was a distinct horror when the troops flew in the fog. it was like monsters would appear at any time. they could hear the long roars of wild beasts from time to time in the surroundings. it made the misty environment even more terrifying. richard tried to control his speed and spread out simultaneously as much as he could to scout the area. although he had no distinct thoughts about hunting players, 5,000 points were still quite attractive. he didn¡¯t know that a heated discussion had already started on the [forum chat]. the players who witnessed twilight city¡¯s troops annihilate the orc troops could not hold back their excitement and began to post wildly on the [forum chat]. [everyone, quickly go to room 560! that qingqiu monster slaughtered a soul-strapping orc player in less than five minutes!] [isn¡¯t qingqiu¡¯s strength too terrifying? even with the same number of troops, the other party couldn¡¯t fight back¡­] [it¡¯s not fair. we should lock the top 100 players in the same area and let the top players on the ranking board deal with that qingqiu monster!] hostility toward qingqui continued to air on the [forum chat]¡­ under the connivance of several players. the number of viewers in room 560 began to increase. from the initial 500 million, it directly rose to more than 2 billion. and of this 2 billion, qingqiu alone took 1.8 billion, and a few dozen that remained split the 200 million. and most of the audience who watched other players didn¡¯t have good intentions. after they entered the live broadcast room, the first view was the extremely fierce elf girl. the group of idiotic players was overly happy at this moment. [hahaha, this vicious sister still doesn¡¯t know that she is with qingqiu?] [the perspective of a victim, a pure victim¡­] [what a joke! there¡¯s no point in entering the death arena fighting ring. it¡¯s so unlucky to meet qingqiu right at the start¡­] many players saw that some players ridiculed their fierce big sister and began to refute. [this elf¡¯s strength is good. three squadrons of horned eagle cavalrymen are superior to qingqiu!] [even though qingqiu is strong, it is not invincible. each player can only bring three squadrons of troops. how many players could he deal with it? he slaughtered that beast¡¯s troop because it had no anti-air force abilities.] [this is not a one-on-one battle. although qingqiu is soul-strapping, if we continue to fight, we will suffer heavy losses, and the outcome may be uncertain!] while heated discussions flooded the bullet comments, many viewers in the livestream rooms began to locate the players and how far they were from each other through the distinct map in the livestream rooms. there was no such function for the audience. so the players in the arena couldn¡¯t experience it. it was interesting for the audience to watch it from a god¡¯s perspective. many people quickly realized two players had overlapped with qingqiu, who headed toward the central region. they were about to encounter him. this discovery immediately attracted several viewers to the perspective of the two players. they prepared to see the next victim with their own eyes. one of the two players was from the earth prison tribe and had 100 evil eyes, 100 blood-eyed taurens, and 100 venom vultures. at the same time, each unit had a heroic commander. melee, long-range, air force, everything was available, and the military strength ratio was very reasonable. the other player was a dwarf from the fortress race. he had 200 wild boar heavy-armored cavalrymen and 100 wild boar musketeers. although there was no air force, one cannot underestimate the existence of musketeers. the two players didn¡¯t feel anything unusual and continued to move forward according to the established route. they quickly discovered each other before richard arrived. there was no such thing as peace in the death arena fighting ring. they immediately set up their battle mode and started the battle when they discovered the other party. the dwarf boar heavy-armored cavalry charged forward, and the boar musketeers pulled the triggers. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the sound of guns pierced through the fog. the dungeon race players didn¡¯t show any weakness. the blood-eyed tauren raised their battle axes and formed a defensive line of flesh and blood. the evil eye with a gigantic eyeball began to gather energy. in between breaths, ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the ray of death streaked across the sky and shot at the charging boar heavy-armored cavalry. the venomous vultures in the sky let out ear-piercing screeches and swooped down. ¡®pfft!¡¯ a highly toxic and corrosive slimy substance spat out from the air. the collision between the two players was quite intense. and the scene looked very exciting. however, no one from the spectators who watched the battle paid attention to the two. the bullet comments flooded the screen. [tsk, these two fools. qingqiu is about to arrive, and they are still fighting!] [quickly run, qingqiu is coming¡­] [i can¡¯t laugh anymore, brothers. i can¡¯t help but look at these two idiots. who gave you the courage to fight on the path of qingqiu?] [i¡¯m worried to death. these two idiots, don¡¯t they know to send scouts to guard the surroundings? they¡¯re throwing in all the troops!] malevolent regards continued. countless viewers were in a heated discussion. Chapter 349 at this very moment. from the perspective of the two players. ¡®hu!¡¯ the sky suddenly darkened. !! giant undead dragons that exuded powerful auras and burned with raging energy streaked across the sky. ¡®hu!¡¯ a long blood-colored flame drew out of its throat and swallowed everything. ¡®shua!¡¯ it was like concentrated sulfuric acid poured on the ground. the bodies of the troops on the ground melted like candles in high temperatures when the dragon breath touched them. the wild boar heavy-armored cavalry, the blood-eyed tauren with a battle axe¡­ the dragon breath enveloped all the troops, and they immediately tasted death. [ding~ you have been attacked by qingqiu.] the two players looked at each other on the battlefield when they heard the notification. they could see the fear in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°qingqiu!¡± even the most ignorant players would have heard of this famous id. he was the top player in the last dungeon and had caused countless waves on the forum. everyone knew him as a spirit-stripping existence. the system assigned this lord to the same group as them¡­ an indescribable emotion welled up in their hearts. what kind of bad luck did they have? in an instant, they immediately shifted their hostile gazes away from each other and roared in unison. ¡°attack those undead dragons!!¡± fortunately, their battle had just begun, and there were few casualties. they still had enough power to launch a counterattack. the evil eyes and the wild boar musketeers on the ground immediately turned around and fired into the sky. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the laser and the bullet tore through the sky at the same time. the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s wingspan was more than 20 meters. such a vast target allowed them to have a high hit rate. however, before the two could show joy, it was like a basin of cold water poured over their heads. be it pellets or rays, they could only leave insignificant marks on the undead wyverns. their most outstanding achievement was only to cause a certain amount of cracks to appear on the other party¡¯s body. the target was big and easy to attack. however, high defense and thick blood were also the characteristics of these troops. it instantly destroyed the tiny bit of hope that rose in their hearts. ¡®qingqiu¡­¡¯ this id was like a mountain that pressed down their hearts. ¡°damn it, how could i be so unlucky¡­¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ in the sky, the only venom vulture that resisted charged over. the two players raised their heads. but in the next second, it extinguished their hopes before they could even rise. the undead giant dragon with blood-colored bones all over its body pounced directly at the vultures. in close combat, the venom vulture, which only had a wingspan of ten meters, was like a three-year-old child that adults bully. after a few charges, it tore a squadron of venom vultures to pieces, their limbs scattered all over the sky. its powerful fighting strength made the scalps of the two players involved numb. previously, they had only heard of qingqiu¡¯s name, but now, after they fought with him. they finally felt a sense of powerlessness. the absolute difference in strength¡­ ¡°annihilate and devour everything!¡± richard rode alves¡¯s back, cleared the air force units, and immediately ordered the dragon hero to attack the evil eye troop of the dungeon players. ¡®pfft!¡¯ the beyond a-rank dragon breath swept across, and those slow evil eyes immediately turned into a pool of blood. their beam attacks were like tickles to the mountain of flesh alves was. there were no waves. it wiped out this long-range attack with two dive attacks. the remaining blood-eyed taurens also became live targets. richard¡¯s air force troops could destroy them no matter how soul-strapping these 2.5-meter-tall warriors were. they couldn¡¯t fly in the air. the dragon breath devoured all the soldiers who still stood on the battlefield. after the last enemy stopped breathing, the system notification sounded. [ding~ you have slaughtered two players and obtained 10,000 ordinary points. current number of lords killed: 3. rank: 1st] richard didn¡¯t feel anything. but the audience glanced at the corpses on the ground with mixed feelings. [it was supremely smooth. it instantly crushed the players¡¯ joint attack¡­] [qingqiu¡¯s undead soldiers that rode the gargoyles haven¡¯t even moved, isn¡¯t this too much?!] [f*ck, i¡¯m so shocked after watching it. how strong is this lord?!] [the victim¡¯s perspective, these two players are too pitiful¡­] commiserations idealized the forum¡­ the livestream viewers realized that this was only the beginning of qingqiu after he extinguished the two obstacles. the leading lord had swept away all the players in his way with absolute dominance in heading to the central area. he pushed twelve people in a row! the number of kills directly rose to the highest number of 15. the four people in second place were not even a fraction of it. richard¡¯s ability to defeat all obstacles with only 30 skeleton blood dragons shocked the audience the most. ¡®the axe of the dead troop at the back did not join the battle at all.¡¯ ¡®just a tiny portion of the troop was enough. ¡®then, how terrifying was his true strength? ¡®if the other party brought his entire troops, how powerful could they be?¡¯ most of the audience suddenly felt their scalp go numb as they thought of this. the players who had previously thought qingqiu¡¯s achievements were just a trick went speechless. if this was a trick, then what was not? the other party¡¯s strength could easily defeat them ten times over¡­ richard¡¯s unwitting display of power had left many players dumbfounded. as a result, his popularity rose again. the number of players that watched the match suddenly broke through 3 billion, and it was the most popular. it was several times more than the one billion that the second place had. he was the only one who could be so overbearing in battle. richard had no idea what was going on in the outside world. he didn¡¯t know how much heated discussion he¡¯d caused on the forums. it was the first hour of entering the death arena fighting ring after he slaughtered players in a row. the system notification came as promised. [ding~ there are 42 lords left in the arena. the system will eliminate the lord furthest from the core immediately. that led to forty-one people left.] the moment the notification sounded, the players that hid at the outermost perimeter tried to escape. they immediately left the death arena. it stunned richard for a while. he wondered what would happen if the players hid or fought. he didn¡¯t expect the system to be prepared. the players should move closer to the center to avoid elimination at the outermost periphery. and the smaller the area, the higher the chance of encountering it. at that time, it would be difficult not to meet. ¡®roar!¡¯ a soul-penetrating roar interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts as he pondered. as they neared the central area, the density of the fog had increased to the point where everything beyond a hundred meters was white. he fixed his eyes on the sound. and he saw an enormous figure, dozens of meters long, shut through the fog. he couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s appearance clearly, but from the size, he could feel a strong sense of oppression. with a thought, a special aura surged out. the surrounding troops had disappeared without a trace. they left only four to five small axe of the dead troops. the concealment power. as the giant figure drew closer, richard realized that a demon player led two squads of demons in a run. their faces were pale as they fled. an abstruse monster chased them. it was then the demon player noticed richard¡¯s troop. the opponent abstained from that direction. it suddenly changed direction after it saw richard. it led the terrifying figure toward the twilight city troop. the demon player had diverted the disaster to the east! the demon player looked at the mysterious troop that gradually appeared from the fog, and its face showed some joy. it was saved! however, at this moment, the players in the live broadcast room laughed like crazy. [f*ck! is this a joke? he left from the other side, qingqiu might not even do anything to him, but this idiot came directly to the door of death!] [it¡¯s so sudden, i don¡¯t know what to say¡­] [hahaha, dumbass, run! the pervert in front of you is much stronger than the boss behind you!!] [he probably doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s doing¡­] under the gaze of countless spectators, the demon player flapped its wings and flew to the front of the twilight city troop. [brother, that boss will drop items if you kill it. i¡¯ll leave it to you!] just as the other player finished its sentence¡­ richard calmly dispelled his concealment power. alves and the dozens of skeletal blood dragons behind suddenly appeared in front of the demon player. the excited expression on the demon player¡¯s face froze when they saw this. an extensive question mark slowly appeared in their minds¡­ Chapter 350 he didn¡¯t expect it to be overly straightforward. ¡°good fellow, if you want to trick me, use your brain¡­¡± the demon player looked at alves behind richard. it wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°big brother, why are you hiding when you¡¯re so strong? if i knew that you were so fierce, would i have needed to? ¡°big brother, i¡­¡± !! before the demon player could finish its sentence, alves¡¯s scarlet energy suddenly erupted. in an instant. the flames extended for dozens of meters. the fear on the demon player¡¯s face had just appeared, but it was already too late for it to react. its body was like melted plastic. it fell with foul mucus and smashed into the mud. the livestream¡¯s viewers laughed hysterically as they watched the demon player die overly easily. ¡®tsk, i don¡¯t know what to say. of all the people i could have offended, i had to choose this pervert qingqiu¡­ ¡®perhaps, he still doesn¡¯t know who his enemy is¡­¡¯ a player thought. [hahaha, thank you, brother. i was seriously depressed, but i suddenly recovered today.] [i¡¯ve seen all kinds of deaths, but this is the first time i¡¯ve seen someone rush death like this. i¡¯ve learned a lot¡­] viewers turned happy-go-lucky¡­ the players quickly forgot about the unlucky demon player and focused their attention on the new boss after they teased each other. the mysterious figure slowly revealed its huge body after it broke through the heavy fog. although they couldn¡¯t see clearly, they could still see the other party¡¯s information. the audience could not see the players ¡®information, but they could see the level of the monsters in the dungeon. the bullet screen exploded when they saw it. [these things aren¡¯t real, right? a level 15 boss with b-rank potential? it is the first time i¡¯ve seen a boss model unit¡­] [tsk! qingqiu is in big trouble this time. a top-tier unit with a boss template, this is going to be a good show!] [hahaha, there¡¯s finally a monster that qingqiu can¡¯t handle. let¡¯s kill this monster, boss!] innuendos poured¡­ after the initial shock, the audience in the live broadcasting room immediately became excited. although there was a chance that richard could kill the boss and see what treasure he could get, most of them still hoped that the new boss would kill him. they were all competitors, and the players naturally didn¡¯t want their opponents to live well. richard¡¯s face turned grave when he saw the figure crawl out of the fog. his vision gradually became distinct. it was a snot-like life. its body was over 40 meters long, and its diameter was over 10 meters. coupled with its constantly wriggling posture, it looked enormously horrifying. sticky and disgusting green liquid covered its body. and when it crawled in the mud, it would leave a long trail behind it. its mouth was full of sharp thorns, which could easily tear boulders apart, but its biggest weapon was a mouthpart with a diameter of two meters on its upper jaw. in the air, only one injured demon escaped after the dragon breath baptized it. the other party had just flown over the monster¡¯s head. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a green liquid gushed out from its mouth. ¡®shua!¡¯ the demon didn¡¯t have time to dodge, corroded its body, and left holes in it. it screamed, fell into the mud, and lost all signs of life in the blink of an eye. it looked rather horrifying. corrosive attack. richard¡¯s brows shot up as he checked the opponents¡¯ stats. [rotten worm] [level 15] [boss unit, potential b-rank] [other attributes???] [description: a boss born in the mud. its body is covered with poison and has powerful attack power.] ¡®level 15 boss.¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes immediately turned grave. the strength of a boss template was far higher than a hero template. it was the rule of the ¡°shining era¡±. no one could change it. furthermore, this was a level 15 boss¡­ one cannot underestimate its battle strength. richard¡¯s senses were at their peak, and he didn¡¯t find any other enemies. he took a deep breath, and his heart beat with excitement. aside from the god¡¯s ancient tree and the centaur emily, he had not seen many boss units for a long time. however, killing the boss would give a special reward. it is what the system would prompt. he had never minded getting more rewards. he gave a decisive order. ¡°all troops, prepare to attack. our target is this rotten worm in front of us! ¡°alves! attract their attention and create space for the troops to attack! ¡°gunter! order the axe of the dead to attack. pay attention to the enemy¡¯s corrosive cannon! ¡°xina! you¡¯re free to move. find an opportunity to give a fatal blow!¡± richard¡¯s body glowed with a yellow light. the sand he deliberately condensed in the air suddenly scattered instantly. it formed a suit of armor on the surrounding troops. the sand armor protected the crucial parts of the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s vast body. sand condensation (into armor), beyond a-rank. the only pity was that there needed to be more sand to fully utilize. with the protection of the sand shield, the troops immediately began to move. alves was the first to charge forward. this dragon hero didn¡¯t need any verbal provocation. the unbridled draconic aura it spewed out was the mightiest provocation tool. before it even got close, it became the first target of the rotten worm. ¡®pfft!¡¯ it opened its huge mouth, and a thick green liquid shot out. under the terrifying pressure, the liquid¡¯s speed was even faster than an arrow. alves suddenly dodged to the side and avoided the corrosive attack. it spat out dragon breath which was also highly corrosive. ¡®shua!¡¯ the scarlet dragon breath, dozens of meters long, swept down. Chapter 351 the rotten worm was not afraid at all, and it attacked forcefully. ¡®bang!¡¯ the corrosive slime shot into the dragon breath, and the two sides collided. at that moment, it was like gasoline encountered an open fire. !! it abruptly exploded. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying blast of air surged out in all directions. the dragon breath and the slime¡¯s double corrosion instantly enveloped the surroundings. the corrosion lifted the mud on the ground dozens of meters high. it corroded several plants into mucus. the skeletal blood dragon swooped above the rotten worms when the two sides collided. dragon breath shot out and enveloped the level 15 boss. however, the thick skin with green goo had an exaggerated defensive power and forcefully blocked the damage of the dragon breath. even if hit directly, there would only be faint black spots on its skin. it couldn¡¯t break its defense! the players who watched the livestream immediately perked up when they saw this. [this boss is so powerful! it can resist the dragon breath!] [it¡¯s that strong? even the dragon breath can¡¯t hurt this snot worm¡­] [kill qingqiu, you snot! don¡¯t let me down!] [i¡¯m about to cry. it¡¯s been a few hours, and i could finally see qingqiu suffer!!] hopes of qingqiu¡¯s damnation continued¡­ it was the first time the players saw an existence that could resist the undead dragons of qingqiu. previously, they were on the verge of despair, and they all thought this lord was invincible. at this moment, they finally saw the hope of qingqiu¡¯s defeat from the divine altar. [that lord was ultimately not invincible!] [boss, give me some strength!] richard¡¯s expression was subtle. the audience expected the opponent could thwart the skeletal blood dragon¡¯s attack. if he could kill a level 15 boss overly quickly, it would be unworthy of being called a boss. ¡°axe of the dead, attack!¡± he issued the second order. the axe of the dead, which had not made a move all this time, suddenly drove the dark gargoyle it seated on and charged forward. ¡®hu!¡¯ the long-handled tomahawk in its hand whistled out with a terrifying aura. ¡®pfft!¡¯ the tomahawk pierced through the opponent¡¯s skin. however, this attack was just like scratching an itch compared to its enormous body before the players could send mocking comments. ¡®crack!¡¯ they heard a crisp sound. the giant tomahawk that pierced through the opponent¡¯s skin broke into pieces. ¡®puchi!¡¯ countless pieces of the tomahawk pierced through the opponent¡¯s skin in all directions. it pierced through the thick skin that could withstand the dragon breath. large areas of wounds burst open, and the tomahawk attack was more effective than dragon breath. the audience in the live broadcasting room immediately swallowed their mocks and stared at the next scene. although the opponent suffered such a heavy blow, the rotten worm¡¯s wound did not bleed, but more corrosive slime appeared. the boss escaped from alves¡¯s taunt and let out a chilling roar. it aimed at the undead soldiers¡¯ tomahawks around it. ¡®puff! puff! puff!¡¯ the mandibles on its upper jaw were like a machine gun. it continuously attacked dozens of times. the corrosion cannon. the corrosive cannon hit several dark gargoyles that could not dodge in time. ¡®shua!¡¯ as there was not much sand on his body, the uncondensed and thick yellow sand armor could not withstand the damage. it collapsed and turned back into grains of sand. the opponent¡¯s attacks were too concentrated, and the few dark gargoyles had yet to escape the area. ¡®puchi!¡¯ another corrosive bomb landed on its body. it corroded its magic-immune body and left large potholes. magic immunity was ineffective. sand transformation! the dark gargoyle immediately activated sand transformation, which had invincible physical resistance, to block the damage. at the same time, the undead soldiers on its back activated this powerful life-saving skill. however, the opponent¡¯s body organs secreted slime that caused corrosive damage and not physical or magic damage. it was a notable damage, and even sand transformation was not immune to it. it could not save itself from corrosion even if sand transformation performed a soul-strapping sand regeneration ability. the opponent hit the dark gargoyles and fell to the ground along with the undead soldiers. they turned into liquid. it was the first time the troops suffered casualties in the death arena fighting ring¡­ richard¡¯s face was emotionless. he didn¡¯t even look at the dead dark gargoyles and the undead soldiers. he focused and directed the troops to kill the rotten worms. the system would revive all the troops as long as they advanced to the next round. so what if they all died? they must kill this boss to make a profit. the others might have to consider how to deal with the other players without a troop, but he did not need to¡­ richard could still defeat all the players without the troops and the heroes. it was the accumulation of countless previous explorations, and outsiders could not imagine it. ¡°the two small teams on the side, axe of the dead, immediately fly to the northwest to attack and avoid the opponents¡¯ concentrated attack area¡­ ¡°gunter, form the ball of corruption. when the target opens its mouth, attack the mandibles on its upper jaw. even if the target¡¯s resistance is high and ineffective, it can slow down the attack. ¡°alves, continue to dive down and attack. attract the enemy¡¯s aggro at a low altitude. don¡¯t let the enemy¡¯s attention be on the undead soldiers!¡± the troops carried on orders¡­ there was no such thing as betrayal or loyalty in the undead troops. it was an instinct engraved in the soul to carry out the orders. richard commanded the undead soldiers with ease. it was probably the reason why he was so obsessed with it. however, even if the troop cooperated well, their attack rhythm was full blast. and their damage output was off the charts. their attacks could not be considered smooth. the two sides fought for more than 20 minutes, and he had already lost four teams of undead soldiers and one of the skeleton blood dragons. this level 15 boss was far more arduous than the level 16 void hunter hero that guarded the dark crystal outside. the thing that gave him the most headache was the opponent¡¯s frighteningly meaty body. the undead soldiers and the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s attacks were intensely brutal, but the rotten worms withstood them. more overboard was that the opponent¡¯s highly corrosive mouth cannon had a spirit-strapping destructive power, so he had to deal with it carefully. meaty like a dog, sharp attacks. it seemed a common characteristic of the top battle units. these two characteristics were particularly prominent in boss units. the god¡¯s ancient tree was like this, and so was this rotten worm. it was a pity ricard couldn¡¯t bring the god¡¯s ancient tree. otherwise, if the boss and this worm collided, it would be a supremely exuberant battle. this battle also attracted several players. unbeknownst to richard, the number of players in his stream already exceeded four billion. it occupied a quarter of the total number of players. this number was simply ridiculous. the posts in the [forum chat] about the encounter of qingqiu with the boss attracted most of the new viewers. their purpose for coming from the start was to see how the boss would defeat qingqiu. but now, the players felt their scalps go numb. even though qingqiu had not killed the boss yet, he displayed shaking battle prowess. [f*ck! who is the real boss? how can the qingqiu troops be so strong?! [it¡¯s a level 15 boss, but qingqiu¡¯s troops could suppress them. who knows what level the qingqiu troops are at?] [isn¡¯t that dragon hero a little too powerful? i saw with my eyes that the worm¡¯s corrosive cannon hit the opponent five times, and he¡¯s still alive and kicking¡­] [this boss is still alive even after several troops bombarded them. can they honestly kill this opponent? now that i think about it, qingqiu seems even more insane. to step over a boss of this level, i¡¯m speechless¡­] bewilderment continued¡­ at this moment, the other players in the other rooms also encountered bosses one after another. however, without exception, in front of a level 15 boss, it slaughtered those players like little chicks. although the map and the bosses were different, the bosses were all strong. no weak player was there. in the other live broadcasting rooms, they saw how the boss slaughtered the players. and they saw qingqiu suppress the boss. the extreme contrast brought about a completely different experience. some intelligent players in the other live broadcasting rooms started to team up to defeat the boss. however, this usually required 20 to 30 players to deal with the boss. in comparison, the other dozens of players either fought the boss together or the boss chased them around. only qingqiu was unique. this monster fought a level 15 boss by himself. Chapter 352 it had been half an hour. the battle was still in a state of anxiety. on the surface, the other party looked as if it would collapse at any moment, but richard could feel it had only consumed one-fifth of the exuberant energy in its body. he would have to continuously attack at such a high intensity for another two to three hours before he could completely exhaust that energy¡­ !! when he thought of this, his eyes turned vapid. it was impossible to waste so much time. if this dragged on any longer, the second round of the fight would begin soon. if only ten or fewer players remained in the arena, everyone would advance to the next round. at that time, even if he managed to reduce the boss¡¯s blood to a sliver, it would be useless. he made up his mind. after he exhausted his efforts, he had to eat this piece of fatty meat right in front of his mouth. he turned his head and looked to his side. his tone was exhausted. ¡°xina, prepare to kill¡­ no matter what the cost!¡± the veteran had not made a move and clenched the broken steel longsword in her hand. at this moment, her eyes were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. it was piercing to the eyes. ¡°alves, draw the power of the other skeleton blood dragons to enhance your body. rush down, and fight! the rotten worm always hides its belly in the mud, which may be its weakness. you must try your best to create an opportunity for others! ¡°gunter, attack with all your might! we¡¯ll stop until we die!¡± a cold voice resounded through the sky. the billions of viewers in the live broadcasting room immediately perked up. [is this a general attack?!] [f*ck! who doesn¡¯t show off? there are less than 20 players left in this arena. i don¡¯t believe qingqiu can kill this boss before the 20 players kill each other and reduce to 10.] [qingqiu is still sharp-witted. he knew they could not drag this any longer. however, they were too rash. when the enemy wiped them out, i want to see how they will deal with the other players.] mixed hopes for qingqiu continued¡­ in the eyes of the viewers, richard was strong, but the boss was stronger. they had never heard of anyone killing a boss. moreover, even after being bombarded for half an hour, the boss was still full of energy. there was no sign of fatigue at all. on the other hand, the qingqiu troops suffered heavy casualties, and it seemed they could not hold on any longer. at the moment, a few viewers were optimistic about richard¡¯s chances. the audience¡¯s opinion did not influence the battle. alves swooped under the gaze of countless people after richard gave the order. this time, the dragon hero didn¡¯t leave after a simple attack. instead, it crashed into the rotten worm in the most violent manner. ¡®bang!¡¯ there was a muffled explosion, and even the rotten worms could not withstand the force of the impact. the two enormous creatures began to roll on the ground. the surrounding mud flew more than ten meters high. alves, who had initiated the attack, was the first to recover. after it woke up from the dizziness, the blood power on its body ignited like gasoline splashed with it. with a boom, boundless blood light rose from the muddy ground. it directly enveloped the rotten worm beside it. ¡®shua!¡¯ the strong corrosiveness came into contact with the opponent¡¯s scar-covered body surface. and immediately, there was a burst sound as if cold water dripped into a pot of oil. the slime on the rotten worm¡¯s body was like an open tap. it quickly secreted and resisted the corrosion of the blood power. alves did not hope for blood power. it immediately opened its mouth and bit down. ¡®puchi!¡¯ its teeth sank into the thick skin of the opponent. then, it pulled it back. ¡®shua~ its soul-stripping force pulled a large piece of the rotten worm¡¯s body. the wound immediately oozed out more mucus¡­ the rotten worm regained its consciousness from the excruciating pain. the level 15 boss turned around, opened its mouth, and began to fight alves. the two top-notch lifeforms with exaggerated body sizes were now engaged in the most direct melee battle in the mud. mud splattered on the ground. the scene was supremely spectacular. gunter now approached the battlefield with the axe of the dead. it didn¡¯t hesitate when the undead soldier saw the two sides fight. the tomahawk in its hand shattered the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ scars appeared on the rotten worm¡¯s body. the remaining 20 skeleton blood dragons also provided fire support at this moment. and their dragon breath also enveloped alves. at this point, the battle had already entered a state of white heat. the system was about to reveal the outcome. the audience in the live broadcasting room was also in high spirits. this spectacular scene was indeed satisfying even though they were not happy with qingqiu, compared to the other players who took time to fight. however, the level 15 boss was supremely mighty. it was overly sturdy that only a few audience members believed that richard could topple the boss down. the best result would be a lose-lose situation for both sides. many viewers noticed the number of players in the arena had dropped from 20 to 16. the critical point for all ten members to level up approached. only 20 minutes remained before the second hour. in twenty minutes, based on the route of those few players, the system would reduce the number of players to less than ten. judging from the battle just now, if they wanted to kill this boss in 20 minutes¡­ it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. even if the other party was qingqiu! the [steamed bun lover] was one of the minority at the moment. he didn¡¯t care about the bullet comments in the live broadcasting room. that was the boss he had acknowledged. if you say it¡¯s impossible, it¡¯s just impossible for you! he firmly believed that qingqiu could create a miracle! reason? no reason, just because the other party was qingqiu. the qingqiu that countless people admired! as time passed, only 12 players remained in the arena. it got increasingly closer to the time of promotion. however, the battle to kill the boss was still in an intense and deadlocked state. as the number of soldiers killed increased, the bullet comments in the live broadcasting room all thought it was impossible. [just give up. it¡¯s almost time. what¡¯s the point of being so cowardly now? the next arena won¡¯t have the same boss, so there¡¯s no point in getting experience from it¡­] [just a little bit more is just a little bit more. qingqiu may be strong, but he could not defeat this boss.] [he soloed a level 15 boss alone. f*ck! he almost killed the other party¡­ even if this freak didn¡¯t kill the boss, it¡¯s enough to surprise us.] the outcome of defeat remained a mystery¡­ at that moment, the number of people in the dungeon suddenly dropped from 12 to 10. the number of people who needed to advance to the next round of the dungeon was already satisfied. only five minutes remained before the system tallied the statistics. it would promote the remaining ten people. at this point, no one thought that qingqiu could defeat the boss. however, just as the barrage of comments tried to persuade him to give up¡­ a figure the players didn¡¯t notice before shot out like lightning. the blood qi in her body broke through the clouds. the majestic aura was like the god of war that descended. the audience was stunned. they instantly focused on the majestic figure¨Cthe unremarkable human female warrior behind qingqiu¡­ [the other party was this strong?] the terrifying aura came through the live broadcasting room. they felt an unspeakable fear even while they watched the livestream. before they could even react. a graceful figure wielded a cross-shaped longsword and rushed to the side of the rotten worm restrained by alves. they followed the figure¡¯s gaze. only then did they notice the rotten worm¡¯s belly on the ground, turned over. at this moment, there was a small white mark on its chest ¡­ while the players were still at a loss. ¡°slash!¡± an angry roar exploded like rolling thunder. the female human warrior¡¯s aura instantly gushed out like a tidal wave. it rolled up endless waves. blood qi condensed on the long sword. the next second. it cut through the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sword ray pierced into the white spot on the chest of the rotten worm. the side of the rotten worm¡¯s body, which alves forcefully controlled, was cut open like a cucumber. countless slimy liquids spurted out, and the powerful corrosiveness caused a large area of alves¡¯s bones to char. alves saw this, and the dragon hero tore at it with all its might. ¡®crack!¡¯ the longsword tore open the massive gap. it forcefully tore the cucumber cut in half into two. half of them had neat cuts, while the other half was bloody. ¡®puchi!¡¯ countless drops of sticky liquid sprayed out. the rotten worm¡¯s body started to shake violently on the ground. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ countless siege hammers struck the earth, and the dull sound was like a knock on the heart. after it vented its anger, the body, tens of meters, slowly stiffened and then collapsed to the ground. it killed the rotten worm, a level 15 boss, unexpectedly in front of billions of players! [ding~ you have commanded the troops to kill a level 15 boss with b-rank potential. you have obtained five gladiator points, five gold points, and 50,000 ordinary points.] richard let out a long breath as the system beeped. he had gained something after all! however, a thin layer of yellow sand covered his face, and no one knew how he felt. he turned around and looked at the desolate land. he felt a little strange. although this boss¡¯s potential was b-rank, with the enhancement of the boss template, its battle power was almost off the charts. in the battle that lasted more than 40 minutes, six teams from the axe of the dead and two from the skeleton blood dragon died. alves was severely injured, and gunter¡¯s magic power had been exhausted for a few rounds. three powerful heroes and troops paid a heavy price to take down this boss. richard had to admit that his battle strength was tyrannical. the players who waited to see richard fail were all dumbfounded. [f*ck! am i blind?] [he has killed the boss? it¡¯s so fake?] [no way! what level was that female human hero? how could she cut down the boss with one strike? it¡¯s not fair!] [f*ck! i thought qingqiu would fail this time. i didn¡¯t expect him to win this way¡­] at this moment, the [steamed bun lover] wanted to stand up and shout. [they won! they defeated the level 15 boss!] [moreover, the other party had attacked itself!] [out of millions of players, he was the only one!] furthermore, this was only a tiny portion of the qingqiu troops. while they thought of this, their breathing became rapid. when they looked at the live broadcasting room, they saw a figure that stood there calmly. he quietly took out the seed that emitted strong magical waves from his bosom. after he touched it, he was extremely determined. he had to hug this thigh. even jesus could not stop him¡­ richard didn¡¯t know how much of a heated discussion he¡¯d caused. alves drew all of their attention. ¡°lord, i found this in the monster¡¯s stomach¡­¡± alves flew to richard¡¯s side and slowly placed a crystal clear treasure chest beside him. richard looked at the treasure chest made of crystal and immediately felt at ease. it was the special reward that the system had mentioned. in addition to the five gladiator points, five gold points, and 50,000 ordinary points he had obtained earlier, he did not lose anything this time¡­ Chapter 353 richard¡¯s mood brightened as he glanced at the crystal treasure chest. it was the first time he had seen such a treasure chest. moreover, unlike the other treasure chests, a boss dropped this one. the special reward from the system. ¡°are there any other treasures in the rotten worm¡¯s stomach?¡± !! alves shook its head. ¡°i didn¡¯t find anything.¡± ¡°let¡¯s go and search again.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± richard looked down after alves left. although alves took the crystal treasure chest out of the rotten worm¡¯s stomach, it was not dirty. a master seemed to have carved the crystal clear treasure chest. it was a remarkable charm. he opened the attribute panel with vigorous anticipation. [crystal treasure chest] [level: special] [attribute: you will receive a special treasure after opening it. its value is not lower than that of a 4-stars item.] [description: a rare treasure chest that contains precious treasures.] at the very least, he could get a four-stars treasure. richard¡¯s face broke into a wide smile. it was a huge profit. the players in the livestream drooled when they saw this scene. their eyes were red with envy. a few of the billions of players thought qingqiu could kill the boss in the last few minutes. who would have thought that the unremarkable human female warrior could burst out with such a bold attack and turn the impossible into a possibility? now, it had dropped a treasure. the considerable contrast made them so jealous that walls separated them. a level 15 boss dropped a crystal treasure chest. it was distinct and would give an extremely precious treasure. but this harvest had nothing to do with them. qingqiu obtained it alone. he fought against everyone¡¯s doubts and killed the boss. even if most people were unwilling, they could only watch helplessly. that feeling was unbearable. [i feel like after eating ten thousand lemons, how can qingqiu be so mighty? that¡¯s a level 15 boss¡­] [this treasure chest should be at least a four-stars, right? i marvel at what good things i could get. i want it.] [uncle, are your feet clean? always thinking of good things.] [hurry up and open it. i¡¯m so envious¡­] [this freak, could he have killed all the players this time?] hostility toward qingqiu continued. amidst the heated discussion. qingqiu seemed to have opened the crystal treasure chest. in an instant, the bullet screen became sparse. richard seemed to have thought of something and waved his hand. the surrounding sand moved and formed a wall that blocked the surrounding vision. then, the concealment power enveloped him and the crystal treasure chest. it starkly isolated them from the outside world. he was not interested in opening the treasure chest to the vire of the spectators. it was not a good thing to let everyone know. he leaned over after this and slowly opened the unlocked crystal treasure chest after the concealment power. a rainbow-colored gemstone appeared in the center of the crystal treasure chest after a bright flash. the first-sized gemstone and majestic energy gushed out from it. it was a stunning sight. it was a distinguished item. richard was in a good mood. he took out the gemstone and held it in his hand. it felt like a heavyweight. the moment he stood up, the system notification rang. [ding~ you have opened the crystal treasure chest and obtained a 5-stars psionic gemstone. ¡®five-stars treasure?¡¯ richard laughed when he heard the notification. he eagerly opened the attribute panel. [psionic gem] [level: 5-stars] [special property: 1. can enhance a troop type to the extreme. can choose the enhancement direction after use.] [restrictions¨C] [1. reinforcement is to strengthen an aspect of the troop type¡¯s characteristics. one cannot reinforce if the troop type does not have characteristics.] [2. the system will reinforce all newly recruited troops after use.] [3. the system can only reinforce a single attribute. no one can reverse the entire reinforcement process.] [4. you can only enhance the troops produced from the troop-type nest. you cannot with summoned creatures and mechanical puppets.] [description: extremely rare item. it can reinforce a troop type. it is a treasure that all overlords dream of. ] excitement oozed from richard¡¯s eyes after he checked the attributes a few times. he can reinforce a troop type to the extreme. could it be understood as upgrading a characteristic or skill of a troop type to the highest level, such as beyond a-rank or higher? he first thought of the axe of the dead¡¯s tomahawk slash. wouldn¡¯t it be heaven-defying if he further supremely reinforced this powerful skill with instant death characteristics? no. enhancement seemed not just about enhancing skills¡­ the more richard thought about it, the more he felt that this treasure had potential after he pondered. its value was immeasurable. this time, he felt more comfortable. in a great mood, he put the psion gemstone into the system space. now was not the time to study it. he would think about it carefully when return. he had a strong feeling this treasure could enormously improve twilight city. next, he would try his best to get a few more. since no one dared to attack those bosses, he would take care of them¡­ richard was in high spirits after he set his goal in the death arena fighting ring. he waved his hand after he calmed down to disperse the concealment power and the surrounding sand. the viewers cursed when they saw the crystal treasure chest was empty. [f*cking qingqiu! this bastard ate all the food for himself!] [be a human! we don¡¯t want your treasure. can¡¯t you show us what it looks like?] [tsk! one day, i will kill that qingqiu old yin dog with the saber in my hand!] more words cursed qingqiu¡­ good lord. he had filled up everyone¡¯s expectations and stopped them from watching. his tyrannical actions made billions of viewers want to pull him out of the screen and beat him up. the news that qingqiu killed the boss and obtained a crystal treasure chest caused a huge commotion on the forums. out of the millions of players who had entered the arena, this lord was the only one who had obtained a boss treasure chest. about 3,000 to 5,000 arenas have unfinished battles, but only a few fought the boss. there were even fewer players who had a chance to overpower the boss. most only had a chance if dozens of players worked together. this kind of temporary group might look powerful, but it was still a different story about whether they could kill the boss. as the only scorpion cake, richard¡¯s popularity soared again. the number of viewers in the live broadcast room directly soared to 5 billion. at this time, the number of spectators in second place was 500 million, a difference of ten times. richard didn¡¯t know about the heated discussion on the forums. after he put away the psion gemstone, the system notification rang. [ding~ the current number of lords: 10. everyone can advance to the next round.] [number of players killed: 15, ranked first, obtained five gladiator points. you solo killed a level 15 boss and accumulated additional five gladiator points. current gladiator points: 15.] [the next round of deathmatch will begin after all the battles have ended. the system has resurrected your soldiers.] the surrounding light surged as the system¡¯s notification sounded the bodies of the fallen soldiers shattered like glass and transformed into energy shards that merged in front of richard. in the blink of an eye, the system successfully resurrected the soldiers¡¯ dead bodies. richard¡¯s mood brightened. the rewards from overthrowing this boss were simply too rich. it earned him five gold points, 50,000 ordinary points, and five gladiator points. now, he earned additional five gladiator points and a 5-stars treasure. it felt so good¡­ if they could take down another 30 to 50 bosses, wouldn¡¯t they be invincible? and most importantly, the system revives for free the troops that died. it had made up all the incurred losses. in other words, he had killed a boss for nothing. it was wonderful. in a good mood, richard looked at the shield around him. he could not leave and shook his head. one can only test once an hour, so who knew how long it would take for the other players to finish? richard thought for a moment. he took out the blanket made of the fire dragon rabbit. he flipped over to alves, laid on it, and then fell asleep in front of billions of people. in the live broadcasting room, question marks shrouded the audience who waited for the next round of gladiator fights. ??? ??? [no way. the other live broadcasting rooms are still struggling, but you¡¯re lying down and sleeping?] [it was such an intense battle just now, but he¡¯s acting like nothing happened. what kind of heart does this lord have?] [big brother, be human. you¡¯re in the death arena fighting ring, not in an amusement park¡­] [you should at least stand up and say a few words. if you can¡¯t communicate, don¡¯t you know we¡¯re watching your live broadcast? look at the others. they¡¯re all crying for us to stay¡­] complaints flooded the [forum chat]¡­ after a series of complaints, a riveting scene appeared. the livestream¡¯s number of viewers didn¡¯t drop even though richard had gone to sleep after annihilating the boss. they increased when other players saw the ridiculous news¨Cqingqiu slept in the death arena fighting ring. billions of people stared at the lying figure on the back of the undead dragon with strange feelings. Chapter 354 for most players, it was worth writing about killing a level 15 boss. they were so excited they couldn¡¯t sleep. however, richard couldn¡¯t be excited about a level 15 boss with b-rank potential. in the last dungeon, he used a landslide to destroy hundreds of thousands of players. he had personally witnessed the plane collapsed. and he had seen the big shot take out the plane stone from the collapsed plane. he was used to all kinds of big scenes, so a level 15 boss almost inconquerable in the eyes of other players was nothing to him. !! he wouldn¡¯t even bother to take a second look if it weren¡¯t for the generous reward. however, 5-stars psion gemstones were good treasures. richard¡¯s trip to the arena wouldn¡¯t be in vain if he could earn a few more. those players had better keep their eyes open and not get in the way of him fighting the boss in the next arena. he only earned 5,000 points when he killed a player. he was not interested in such a small reward. he didn¡¯t know how long he had slept. the system notification woke richard up. [ding~ this round of deathmatch has ended. the next will begin in 3 minutes.] [ding~ you have the most viewers in this round¡¯s livestream of the death arena fighting ring. you have obtained a reward of 1,000,000 points.] richard sat up in surprise. he read the message to ensure he didn¡¯t mishear it. and a big smile appeared on his face. ¡°one million points? ¡°hahaha, this is too comfortable!¡± he immediately opened his attribute panel and glanced. before he entered the death arena fighting ring, his points had just reached one million. in the arena, killing 15 players had earned him 75,000. killing a level 15 boss had earned him 50,000, and now, another 1 million. in just a few hours, his points had soared to 2.125 million. it was much more comfortable than going from one monster stronghold to another in the instance dungeon. after he received the reward. the players suddenly saw a familiar id appear at the top of the ranking board. ¡°qingqiu!¡± jealousy struck red their eyes. at first, some were envious. but it was quick for the players to find the root of the problem. these one million points seemed a gift to qingqiu. qingqiu quickly obtained a million points when they watched him in the live broadcast! it caused the players to feel as if they had received 10,000 damage. why did they have to be so despicable¡­ [everyone here is responsible for this pervert qingqiu being so rich!] [no, we cannot allow qingqiu to be so comfortable. everyone, stop looking at qingqiu! go and look at the other players. we cannot let qingqiu earn this 1 million points!] [that¡¯s right. everyone, let¡¯s get moving. we¡¯re helping the enemy¡­] these players realized what their jealousy caused them. even though they were satisfied, this freak qingqiu had obtained 1 million points for nothing¡­ he would earn more. now, they were in the same instance dungeon, and everyone was a competitor. wasn¡¯t this the same as helping the enemy? they felt enormously depressed when they thought about how qing qiu earned the points because of them. they immediately called for everyone to stop watching qing qiu¡¯s live broadcast. if one could not help it, one could go to qingqiu¡¯s live broadcasting channel to watch other people¡¯s live streams. after several posts began to state the pros and cons, the players jealous of the 1 million points immediately responded to the call and watched other live streams. richard¡¯s live broadcasting room had a peak of six billion viewers, but under the call of countless people, the audience retreated like a tide. less than 500 million left not long after. although it was still enormous, it was incomparable to before. richard unconsciously lost his first place to a bunch of greedy players. at this moment, he was still in a good mood. after the three-minute countdown reached zero¡­ richard and the soldiers around him felt their vision blur as they entered the second death arena. after he returned to his senses, he immediately turned his head and scanned his surroundings. the area was a circular square. it neatly embedded milky-white bricks in the ground perfectly. it gave an obsessive-compulsive disorder an extremely comfortable experience. one-meter-high solid guardrails surrounded the square. it had a diameter of about 500 meters. north, south, east, and west. a 50 meters gap in diameter in each direction. what surprised richard wasn¡¯t the square, but¡­ it floated in the air! in the floating square. outside the square, the blue sky was clear without any impurities. at a glance, one could see the end of the sky. soft, white cotton clouds moved slowly at the bottom of the square. it was as if someone had piled up fluffy cotton under the sky. the scene was quite attractive. when he looked at the distance, he could see similar squares that floated hundreds of meters away. the fight was in the air this time. it stirred richard¡¯s interest. and he was about to continue his investigation. the system notification rang quietly. [ding~ the system has formally opened the sky arena. the current number of people in the dungeon: 100. [the system forbids all life from flying in the sky arena.] [a notable boss will appear in the gladiator arena in the central area. you can get a special reward after killing it.] [the sky arena will automatically collide with another every 20 minutes.] [a lord can control the sky arena toward the central area.] [every hour, the system will test the arena. it will eliminate the lord that is the furthest from the central area.] in the livestream, the players also saw the system prompt. they were curious about the sky arena¡¯s fight setting. they discovered a fatal setting¨Cflying was not allowed. the audience immediately became excited. [hahaha, qingqiu is finally going to call me daddy! no flying! it¡¯s so cool!] [in the previous battle, qingqiu relied on the troops¡¯ flying ability to attack the other players. let¡¯s see his arrogance now that the game rule restricted his most soul-strapping ability!] [it finally restricted this pervert!] [let¡¯s go! we must destroy qingqiu this time!] the anti-qingqui members confidently rejoiced¡­ in the eyes of most players, richard¡¯s previous achievements were due to the advantage of his aerial units. if they were all ground troops, he wouldn¡¯t win so cleanly. his overly mighty strength is restricted now. it soared the other players¡¯ chances of winning. they didn¡¯t expect any player to kill this monster directly. but in a battle of attrition, qingqiu, who had lost its mobility, might not hold on. soon, the news of richard¡¯s flight restriction in the sky arena spread. a group of players that gloated immediately poured into the live broadcasting room. they were so happy the corners of their mouth were about to stretch to the back of their heads after they confirmed that the news was genuine. it was unusual to see qingqiu in trouble. however, the lively live broadcasting room became quiet again after others vigorously promoted that watching qingqiu would give him points. anyway, there were hundreds of people in the sky arena. it did not matter who watched. there was no need to give qingqiu free points. richard didn¡¯t expect that the sky arena would not allow flying. he immediately readjusted his battle strategy after a quick moment of shock. there wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of regret on his face, nor was there any scene of him that cursed the system for being unfair. it disappointed the players who waited to watch a good show. [this guy was too calm, wasn¡¯t he?] but when he returned to his senses, he was filled with even more malice. [let¡¯s see what you can do when you can¡¯t fly!] ¡°dark gargoyles, form a troop formation to protect the axe of the dead and create enough space for the tomahawk to attack. ¡°alves, lead the skeleton blood dragon to the front line and attract hatred. ¡°gunter, you¡¯re in charge of fire support, but you must maintain a certain amount of magic power. ¡°xina, while you ensure safety, directly kill the enemy commander.¡± the orderly arrangement allowed the troop to form a new formation. the dark gargoyles protected the axe of the dead while the skeleton blood dragon was on the front line. the twilight city troops were not extreme as the players thought. they would lose their flexibility if they couldn¡¯t fly. under the same conditions, it wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact on the troop battle power. the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s powerful body had a natural advantage in hand-to-hand battles. moreover, it could not reduce the destructive power of the dragon breath. the dark gargoyles were close-battle units. richard had only transformed them into mounts. they were still strong in close battle without flying. there was no need to mention the axe of the dead. it was a ground force, but he had arranged for them to sit on the dark gargoyle. a complete formation appeared after he reorganized the troop. the undead soldiers were as quiet as statues. they waited for richard to give his next order. richard suddenly noticed the square that floated on the west side began to move. he quickly approached the square where he was. he immediately perked up and looked at the square that floated over. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. ¡°prepare for battle¡­ there¡¯s a fat sheep at the door.¡± on the west side of the floating square, the 300 heavy cavalrymen in heavy armor on the west side of the floating square currently stared at the front under the leadership of a human player. the warhorse continuously stomped on the ground, and two streams of white mist came out of its nose. it seemed they were ready to charge at any moment. a human player on the warhorse had a bright smile on his face. it forbade flying, and it was a floating square without any obstacles! it was a battle environment that the cavalry dreamed of! it looked like victory was going to be his again. the human player shouted. ¡°my friends, don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave. the battle is about to begin.¡± ¡°the terrain is to our advantage this time. no one can withstand our heavy cavalry on open and flat ground!¡± ¡°last time, we were first in the instance dungeon. this time, we will be first still¡­¡± ¡°soldiers, let¡¯s get a wave of 666 first. this time, let¡¯s see how my armored cavalry will crush the players on the other side!¡± although they couldn¡¯t see the other players ¡®comments, they maintained a certain number of viewers by interacting with the other players in the arena. in the end, he killed his way to 10th place and obtained a reward of hundreds of thousands of points. the most important thing about a livestream is to make the interaction interesting and attractive. his job was to do live streaming before he entered the ¡°shining era,¡± so he is overly familiar with it now. he looked at the human player¡¯s confident appearance. at this moment, the 1 billion viewers in the live broadcast room were all overjoyed. [hahaha, i just saw a floating square that flew over in qingqiu¡¯s live broadcast room¡­ let me look for the victim. is this the person who will first face qingqiu?] [god knows how loud i laughed. this poor guy still doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯ll face¡­] [even though qingqiu¡¯s flying ability is restricted, and the other players have a chance of winning, but¡­ that was after the enemy had lost several soldiers of their troops. now, this guy was the first to go up against qingqiu¡­ i can only say that this luck is unparalleled.] [how many victims has this been? my cavalry will crush them¡­ haha, my stomach hurts. it¡¯s so funny¡­] [if he knew that qingqiu was on the floating square, i wonder if he would be so scared that he would pee his pants¡­] the human players on the warhorses are still full of confidence at this moment. ¡°no one can stop our iron hooves!¡± ¡°we will ultimately win!¡± ¡°we will ultimately win!!! the heavy cavalry behind him shouted in unison, their morale high. under the gazes of tens of thousands of people, the two floating squares¡­ he got closer. Chapter 355 and it¡¯s as high as level 15? richard¡¯s first thought was of twilight city¡¯s most overbearing god¡¯s ancient tree. the boss that could take on an entire troop by himself had the same template and potential as the dark valkyrie. however, the god¡¯s ancient tree was two levels lower than the other party¡­ !! richard suddenly felt the hidden boss wasn¡¯t as good as he had thought. the two floating squares approached each other quickly, and the human player held the reins of his warhorse and was still optimistic. at this moment, he already fantasized about the shocked expressions on the faces of the opposing players when they saw his cavalry. to face a cavalry on open ground where flying was not allowed was a hellish experience that no one would want to encounter. ¡°soldiers, double fire that last wave of 666s! we¡¯re getting close to the enemy!!¡± he still tried to create a dramatic effect to attract the audience. although he couldn¡¯t see the other players ¡®comments, he could roughly guess¡­666 comments mixed with words that crushed the other party would fill the bullet screen. when he thought of this, the emotions in his heart became increasingly high. three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters¡­ the moment the floating square was 100 meters away, the enemies on the opposite, which gauze covered them initially, suddenly became clear. ¡®it was¡­ the sky arena¡¯s settings?¡¯ the human player¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the opponent. however, the human player¡¯s confident expression slowly stiffened after he distinctly gazed at the opponent in front. ¡®that was¡­ an undead dragon?¡¯ his eyes slowly turned uneasy. alves, with a wingspan of more than 30 meters, stood in the center of the square with its wings half-folded. it was still enormously striking when he stood up more than 10 meters, even though its sight partially covered its body. it was a behemoth that no one could ignore. in the live broadcasting room. the number of viewers had soared to 1.5 billion. they had witnessed the entire process of the human player¡¯s expression from confidence to shock. and eventually to horror. they all cramped up from laughter. [it¡¯s so exciting. i¡¯ve never seen such exciting face-changing scenes in sichuan opera.] [hahahaha, it¡¯s time to deduct 666¡­.] [i can¡¯t laugh anymore. why aren¡¯t you charging? charge! i have high hopes for you!] [my brothers, qingqiu is right across from us. today¡­we will show you all the 365 ways to commit suicide¡­] crosstalks enlivened the forum¡­ this kind of funny reversal made the live broadcasting room very lively. amidst the audience¡¯s jeers. the two floating squares slowly collided. the two 50-meter-long gaps were joined together tightly. [ding~ the floating square has been successfully connected. you can freely attack the lord¨Cqingqiu.] when the human players on their warhorses heard the notification, they finally realized who their enemies were. at this moment, he felt his mouth dried, and his hands trembled unnaturally. he forcefully suppressed the throbbing in his heart and focused on the screen again. at the forefront was a giant undead dragon that burned with blood-colored flames as if it had crawled out of the abyss. the undead dragon¡¯s empty eyes stared at the human player indifferently. it was like it stared at a tiny bug. thirty smaller units of the same type were behind this undead dragon. the dozens of giant dragons immediately brought an indescribable sense of oppression. the human player rode on a warhorse, but he couldn¡¯t even hit the abdomen of his opponent¡­ dark gargoyles behind these powerful units reflected metallic light that protected the undead in full-body armor. the tomahawks in their hands coldly glowed light. the heavy cavalry the human player relied on were like helpless sheep compared to qingqiu¡¯s troops. the two sides had yet to collide, but the human player already felt an inexpressible sense of death. but he had already knocked his troops, and they had to fire! while he gritted his teeth, he pulled out his cross-shaped longsword and pointed it at the opponent. he roared boisterously. ¡°all troops, attack!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a green light emerged from his body and enveloped the entire troop. the audience could hear the uncontrollable tremble of his voice while the human player cloaked his actions with courage. ¡°hahaha, don¡¯t be afraid. it¡¯s coming this time. the big one is coming! ¡°cavalry company, charge! ¡°if you don¡¯t come back, then so be it. ¡°high energy ahead, 300 armored horsemen bravely died. qingqiu¡¯s blood splattered on mandarin duck restaurant. ¡°qingqiu, i¡¯m here to bring you your points. are you ready?¡± the human player tried to intimidate with optimism. delight and laughter filled the live broadcasting room. the 300 armored heavy cavalries burst forth. the silver bottle broke, and the liquid burst. the cavalrymen collapsed like mountains as their sabers and spears howled through the sky. ¡°kill!¡± the horse¡¯s hooves stomped on the ground. it was like a heavy drum had banged one¡¯s heart. once the cavalry increased their speed, all the obstacles in front of them seemed to crush. in an instant, the 300 cavalrymen violently passed by the human players. they were like flying arrows as they stepped over the junction of the two squares. ¡®tap!¡¯ ¡®tap!¡¯ the heavy cavalry¡¯s posture was unparalleled, and they vowed to trample everything! after the troop rose, the human players at the back showed hope. there was still a chance! as long as he could destroy these undead dragons that could not fly in one wave, victory might be his! after this thought rose, the light emitted from his body became increasingly brilliant. the surrounding troops increased their speed. just as the heavy cavalrymen were about to collide with the undead army in front of them ¡­ alves, who stood at the front like a mountain, let out a low roar. its throat suddenly glowed with a blood-colored light. beyond a-rank dragon breath. at this moment, the 30 skeleton blood dragons behind alves also spat out scarlet flames. Chapter 356 dozens of dragon breaths were like high-pressure flintlocks. they shoot out dozens of meters away. the highly corrosive death energy instantly devoured the charging heavy cavalry. ¡®shua!¡¯ the warhorses were the most important. !! the breath could have burned the hooves and limbs into magma without the protection of the armor. they melted into a pool of liquid in just a breath or two. in the high-speed charge, the collapse of the warhorse still carried a terrifying inertia. it caught the cavalrymen behind. the reins in their hands broke, and the opponents threw them more than ten meters away. he crashed onto the ground and could no longer get up. a cavalry versus an evil undead dragon. a sense of fantasy filled this scene. however, there was no picture of a cavalry killing an evil undead dragon and a promotion to a dragon slayer. it was the undead dragon who slaughtered the cavalrymen instead. the cavalry¡¯s charge could not avoid the net of death the dozens of tongues of fire sealed. that was dragon breath! the undead dragon was also a top-tier soldier, and 70% of the damage of this soldier came from the dragon¡¯s breath. however, the charging cavalrymen had no way to retreat! ¡°kill!¡± amidst madness. even though the opponents annihilated the first two companies of cavalry before they could even touch the enemy, the high-speed charging troop behind them did not retreat. while the human player stepped over the corpses of his companions, he finally reached alves in the gap between the dragon breath. while he held the cavalry¡¯s spear in his hand, the war horse galloped like lightning. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ a series of dull sounds exploded on the ground. ¡®crash!¡¯ the trump card of the cavalry. the heavy cavalrymen with violent strength forced alves to retreat. it was like it would fall at any moment. the long spear in his hand pierced into its blood-colored skeleton and caused large cracks. the cavalry of the king of land battles finally showed their edge at this moment. however, before hope could rise on the faces of the human players behind him, a scene that made him highly desperate appeared. alves¡¯s body suddenly burst into majestic blood-colored energy. ¡®shua!¡¯ the charging cavalry seemed to have entered the water, and blood-colored energy enveloped them. those powers ignored their armor and seeped into their bodies through the cracks. it directly corroded their bodies. ¡°ah!!!¡± with painful wails, all the cavalry died heroically. the twilight city troops all annihilated them. the momentary glory of the heavy cavalry did not bring about the victory. the human players, who had been full of confidence a few minutes ago, now looked at the troop that had not a single survivor. and their expressions alternated between green and white. the human player¡¯s initial self-confidence had long since disappeared. what he felt was an indescribable fear. ¡®qingqiu. ¡®it was qingqiu.¡¯ it was enormously bitter in his mouth. he had won first place in the last arena. and the other players were as weak as lambs under the heavy cavalry¡¯s crushing. he had established a strong confidence he was not inferior to anyone. however, reality had given him a tight slap in the face. he had lost so badly in the sky arena suitable for cavalrymen. he didn¡¯t even have the strength to fight back. this tragic battle made him understand the gap between him and qingqiu. but he would never admit defeat! he held the reins tightly and pointed the tip of his sword at the undead dragon in front of him. ¡°heavy cavalry, charge!¡± the cavalry troop that only had him left charged forward. ¡®tap!¡¯ ¡®tap!¡¯ however, just as he approached the twilight city¡¯s troops¡­ alves, who stood in front, kicked the warhorse away. the great force sent the warhorse flying. the human player who charged over only saw a warhorse in heavy armor fall from the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ the warhorse directly crushed him into the air and fell on his back. his eyes were wide open as the warhorse trampled him to death¡­ it ruthlessly broke the heroic scene of being killed by the dragon¡¯s breath while he charged. he died a tragic death. the tragedy just now had turned into a comedy. when they saw this scene, the live broadcasting room immediately became joyful. [hahaha, you still want to learn from my cavalry company? it is too funny.] [why do i laugh when i see an opponent beat this guy up? [life is always full of fun¡­] [brother, do you still want to deduct 666?] fun encouraged the audience to form unity against qingqiu¡­ after the speech, the audience shifted the topic to him. [didn¡¯t they say that a flight restriction would decrease this pervert¡¯s battle strength? why does it seem like this fellow isn¡¯t affected at all¡­] [is this the true power of qingqiu? it¡¯s panic-stricken!] [the gargoyles and the tomahawk-wielding undead soldiers have not even joined and moved. and he has already slaughtered this cavalry¡­] [why do i feel that qingqiu has become even more unusual after the battle rules forbade him to fly?] bewilderment shrouded the audience¡­ at this moment, the audience had also returned to their senses. the situation was completely different from what they expected. [why was qingqiu still so perverted even after the battle rules forbade him from flying?] [after all, he was the number one player in the last arena.] [it might not be arduous to fight with the other party, but he couldn¡¯t just win without paying any price, right?] [this effortless attitude is too much!] for a moment, the audience pondered at the figure. grains of sand covered its face. all they could see was a pair of deep eyes. their feelings were particularly complicated. they finally condensed countless words into one sentence¨Cthis pervert! [ding~ you have killed a player and obtained 5,000 points.] [the next round of movement is about to begin. by default, you have chosen to move to the central area. you can also control the floating square to move to the north and south, but you can not move far away from it.] [after the floating square you are in is connected to another overlord, it will automatically self-destruct. please take note.] five thousand points appeared on richard¡¯s attribute panel as the system notification rang. at the same time, the floating square of the human player rumbled. after an explosion, it collapsed and fell into the clouds below. Chapter 357 before he could overthink, the ground suddenly shook. then, the floating square under his feet began to fly toward the west. the second round of the gladiator fight was about to begin. richard turned the troop in a different direction and opened the system map. !! the boss¡¯s central location was in the west. he had to pass through several floating squares to see the boss. if he didn¡¯t want to kill the boss, he could also move in the north and south direction to kill other players. the only thing he could not do was retreat. he retracted his thoughts and looked ahead. since he couldn¡¯t get around these players, he would destroy them all. no one could stop him from fighting the boss, not even jesus. the floating square gradually approached the players in the west. after richard entered the hundred-meter range. his vision cleared up. the enemy he was about to face appeared in his eyes¡­ an elf! to his surprise, the elf player grew a tree seven to eight meters tall in just 20 to 30 minutes. moreover, these trees were not just ordinary, but also the elven troops¨C treeman. there were hundreds of them at a glance. it still looked mighty enough. but richard could not compare it to a boss like a god¡¯s ancient tree. above the treants, elves with pointy ears and green leather armor stared at him with longbows in their hands. he was ready to attack at any moment. the elf player¡¯s live broadcasting room was also lively at this time. [i just saw someone sending warmth, don¡¯t let qingqiu have it easy this time!] [overbearing girl, these five companies of treemen are phenomenal! qingqiu wants to attack us. you¡¯re just dreaming!] [although the elves do not deal as much damage to the undead as the priests who believe in the god of light, the nature faction also deals additional damage to the undead ¡­ this time, i¡¯m optimistic about this elf.] [there¡¯s ultimately the hope of winning. it¡¯s not easy to be a referee¡­] crosstalks shrouded the forum¡­ as the two floating squares approached each other, the atmosphere in the live broadcasting room became increasingly lively. what excited the audience the most was the public information the nature faction had additional damage to the undead. the elves who protect nature loathe all life that disobeys the laws of nature. the undead dragon is their central target. their skills often had the characteristic of increasing the damage to the undead. qingqiu was at an absolute disadvantage with the addition of the 500 treant warriors. it was arduous to see the hope of winning against qingqiu. in the anticipation of countless players. the two floating squares connected with a bang. the floating square they were in would shatter if they didn¡¯t attack. the attacking side had no other choice. the female elf player took a deep breath and slowly waved the wand. an emerald green magic enveloped everyone. at this moment, specks of starlight flickered on the elves and treants. inviolable holiness filled them. after she cast the spell, a silver light rose from the female elf player¡¯s body and reinforced the surrounding troop again. it sparked the audience to heated discussion in the bullet comments when they saw this. [this elf girl is so strong. the first is an advanced spell, the holy cleansing. it increases damage to evil faction players by 30%. the second is an advanced elven talent, nature¡¯s blessing. it increases damage to players who defy nature by 35%¡­ holy shit, there¡¯s a third spell? it was the moonlight spell, which increases the damage dealt to the undead by 25¡­ qingqiu will kick an iron plate this time!] the high hopes for qingqiu¡¯s defeat enlivened the forum¡­ after a player from the elf camp explained the details, the audience in the live broadcasting room became increasingly excited. five hundred treants, 300 sprites, and attribute restraint¡­ could the elf girl finally beat qingqiu at the sight of many excited spectators? richard looked at the treant troop with strong magic fluctuations. it slightly stirred his interest. ¡®this elf was quite something. ¡®however, was that all?¡¯ ¡°all troops, attack!¡± an indifferent voice sounded. alves in the front immediately pressed forward with the skeleton blood dragon. the gargoyles and the undead soldiers followed closely behind. gradually, they did not have the speed of a cavalry charge, but the pressure they gave off was even sturdier. it was like a colossal wave. it was difficult to resist. before they even got close to the tunnel. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ an arrow pierced through the skull of a skeleton blood dragon in front of him. the white arrow incessantly flickered and created a duang sound. web-like cracks appeared around the skull. it broke his defense! ¡°fire!¡± this arrow seemed to be the horn of attack. the other elves released their bowstrings at the same time. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the sound of arrows that pierced through the sky rang out. the hard bones could no longer block the elves¡¯ arrows after magic enhancements¡¯ several rounds. it was the first time the skeleton blood dragon felt the sharpness of an arrow. ¡®crack! crack!¡¯ a crack would appear in the surroundings when an arrow pierced through a skeleton blood dragon. after a few rounds of attacks, the skeleton blood dragon was like a piece of glass that fell on the ground. five of them died. it made the spectators cry like ghosts and howl like wolves in the live broadcasting room. they were so excited that they couldn¡¯t control themselves. fortunately, the distance was not too long. alves forced its way through the connection point while it withstood the arrows. it stood opposite party¡¯s treeman troop. ¡®roar!¡¯ a blood-colored light suddenly shot out of alves¡¯s throat. the tree man prepared to resist instantly had large patches of charred skin. the dragon breath corroded all the leaves on the trunk away. it forced the concentrated attacks of the elves to slow down, which gave the skeleton blood dragon some breathing space. Chapter 358 it began to burn the treemen. the corrosive dragon breath had a powerful killing effect on ordinary life forms, but when it attacked the treants strengthened by the elven magic, it did not destroy them quickly as expected. the axe of the dead finally arrived at the front. ¡®hu!¡¯ !! without the slightest hesitation, the long-handled giant tomahawk in its hand whistled out. the broken tomahawk set off a storm again. the treants could not hold on this time, and they fell to the ground one by one. however, the elves didn¡¯t seem to want the treants to fight. they began to use the trees to move and shoot. their high flexibility prevented the twilight city¡¯s troops from touching them, and their sharp arrows could suppress the attack. the collapsed treants also became an obstacle for the troops to advance. in a short while, the death of skeleton blood dragons rose to 10. the soul-stripping magic damage attached to it was truly extraordinary. ¡°lord richard, please accept my challenge.¡± xina saw that the battle was not in her favor and took the initiative to stand up. her eyes burned. richard chuckled and waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. it¡¯s just training. it is the first time i¡¯ve met an elf who has mastered so many spells. there¡¯s no harm in learning more.¡± if they wanted to fight, he could release xina as well. how many rounds of attacks could the other party withstand? xina could even kill the other side by herself. richard does not frequently deal with players, and it was unusual to meet someone who had mastered so many spells. however, it seemed this was all the opponent had. he looked at the dozen or so skeleton blood dragons on the ground. he thought about it and, under the audience¡¯s gaze in the live broadcasting room¡­ he slowly took out a black medal and wore it on his chest. ¡°so, you¡¯re the only one who can improve the combat power of the troop?¡± it was an ordinary gesture. and a few people paid attention to it. however, in the next second, the audience suddenly realized the situation was not right. the undead soldiers, which the elven arrows tortured, suddenly became ferocious. the arrows that could easily pierce through the undead dragon¡¯s body seemed to have hit a city wall at this moment, and they could no longer break through the defense. ¡°what was going on?¡± question marks flooded the live broadcasting room. following that, it filled the bullet screen with encouraging comments for the elf players. they could not lose to qingqiu! it was the most hopeful time! [death¡¯s lament medal, 5-stars] [when commanding undead troops, all attributes increase by 50%. it can resurrect three undead soldiers that die every day. the time of death can not exceed three days.] richard never wore the strategic treasure he had bought from the black-robed merchant. after he equipped it, the elf on the other side immediately felt like the opponent crushed it to death. it increased all attributes by 50%, which was simply insane! the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s dragon breath¡¯s destructive power increased sharply, while the axe of the dead¡¯s tomahawks shattered like a storm that could clear everything. the viewers in the livestream who thought qingqiu would lose were now dumbfounded as they watched the twilight city troops charge forward. the elves¡¯ resistance was like short, dry weeds that tried to block the carriage¡¯s advance. it was starkly futile. he saw the elves caught off guard and frantically retreated. richard¡¯s lips curled up. to compete with him in terms of foundation¡­ out of the tens of billions of players, no one seemed to have the right to do so. however, just as he was about to order the troops to wipe out the elves¡­ suddenly, an inexplicable sense of horror emerged in his heart. he turned around abruptly. to the north of the floating square was an illusionary figure that floated. it seemed to have crossed the void and slowly condensed into a solid form. a slender figure in pure black armor floated half a meter above the ground at the edge of the floating square. the sky arena¡¯s no-fly rule did not work against it. richard only glanced at the figure, and an indescribable sense of danger welled up in his heart. it was as if a sharp sword pressed against his throat. the other party was extremely dangerous! he forcefully suppressed the emotions in his heart and carefully examined the situation. the figure wore a black mask with carved patterns that only revealed his eyes. the light from its pale golden eyes was like a sharp sword. the golden cape on its back fluttered in the wind. it brought a strong visual impact. the mysterious being was about 1.75 meters tall, but the blade in its hand was more than three meters long. more chills horrified the narrow, curved long blade. it distorted the space around the battle blade. the aura on its body was like a volcano that was about to erupt that could bring endless destruction. this existence that suddenly appeared was an arduous opponent to fight with! [ding~ you have encountered the sky arena¡¯s hidden boss¨Cdark valkyrie.] [every arena has a hidden boss that will appear randomly. if you kill this boss, it will enormously increase your reward.] [please prepare for battle.] richard calmed down a little when he heard the system notification. he wasn¡¯t afraid of the enemy being powerful. but of the enemy being unknown. because he knew the boss was coming, the pressure immediately disappeared by more than half. the term ¡®hidden boss¡¯ piqued his interest. however, the strong sense of danger from the other party made him quickly collect his scattered thoughts. his gaze was unprecedentedly serious. he opened the attribute panel. [dark valkyrie] [boss model] [potential a-rank] [level: 15] [other attributes: ???] [description: this is an enormously soul-strapping being. no one is willing to face the saber in its hand.] Chapter 359 those pale golden eyes had an inexpressible majesty. it was like a god looked down on lowly beings. it did not release its aura without restraint, but the pressure it exerted on richard was tremendous. it was a compelling opponent! !! at this moment. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ with a vibration, the floating square of the other party condensed into form. the two arenas connected. the dark valkyrie held a long, curved blade more than three meters long and slowly floated over the junction of the two squares. at this moment, there was only one person on the other side. but it had the overbearing aura of a troop of thousands. it brought the pressure increases by a notch with its every step. richard didn¡¯t launch an attack. instead, he immediately retreated to the floating square where the female elf player was. he turned his head and looked at the troops cleaning up the mess. his voice was cold. ¡°alves, clean up the enemy immediately!¡± ¡°gunter, xina, prepare for battle.¡± his voice was solemn. on the other side, the elves who resisted foolishly could no longer hold the crazy undead troops. alves¡¯s dragon breath sent out the elven player highly regarded by the audience. but at this moment, no one felt that it was a pity. everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the figure that floated half a meter in the air. it wore pure black armor and had a beautiful figure. level 15 boss! their initial expectations of the elf immediately shifted to this a-rank boss. no one believed qingqiu could still deal with this boss after the rules restricted him from flying! they were all excited. bullet comments filled the live broadcasting room shouting to kill qingqiu. ¡°get into formation!¡± after the troops finished clearing the elves. richard immediately adjusted the formation. at this moment, his gaze was unprecedentedly solemn. the dark valkyrie in front of him was unique from the rotten worms he had killed in the arena. not only was the other party more powerful, but twilight city could not rise into the air. and they could not use some of their powerful tactics. against players, it didn¡¯t matter if they rose or not. no one had the right to provoke twilight city. however, it would be much tougher to deal with an a-rank boss two levels higher than the god¡¯s ancient tree. they were two different concepts. the dark valkyrie looked at the troops with indifference. it stepped into the floating square where the withered treants had collapsed. however, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the other party did not launch an attack. instead, it slowly raised its head and looked at the sky. the next second. it brandished that terrifying curved long blade. the blade light cut through the void. ¡®crack!¡¯ the surrounding space collapsed instantly. it exploded into countless fragments. the players in the live broadcasting room suddenly blacked out. the live broadcast was lost. when the players saw this scene, question marks shrouded their faces. ¡°what the f*ck was going on?¡± ¡°the boss¡­ cut off the live broadcast?¡± ¡°f*ck! it is breaking the fourth wall?¡± ¡°it couldn¡¯t just charge out of the screen, right?¡± it has shattered their anticipation of seeing qingqiu crushed by that boss. then, the forum became lively again. some were curious about how strong the boss was to interrupt the live broadcast. but most of them felt it was a pity they did not get to see the scene of the boss killed qingqiu. a level 15 a-rank boss. just this simple attribute alone was enough to explain everything. ¡°that pervert qingqiu finally met his match! a tough one!¡± even if they couldn¡¯t view it, they still felt very confident. the world had been in misery for a long time. many people also joined the other players¡¯ livestreams. they hoped to find some clues about qingqiu. but to their disappointment, after the dark valkyrie swung its sword, they could not find traces of qingqiu¡­ [ding~ dark valkyrie has cut off the surrounding rules, live broadcasting interrupted.] the system notification stunned richard when he heard the announcement. ¡®it cut off the surrounding rules¡­ was this boss that powerful?¡¯ this system prompt immediately made him feel the other party was tough to encounter. however, with the livestream turned off, he didn¡¯t need to hide anymore. he waved his hand. the death elegy medal in front of his chest emitted unique energy. the bodies of the skeleton blood dragons that the elves have killed recovered rapidly after nature magic began to enchant them. it reignited the extinguished soul fire. this 5-star treasure could increase the power of the undead by 50% and resurrect three small teams of troops. a strategic treasure exchanged for 3 million points. a moment later, the yellow sand around richard¡¯s body began to surge. in an instant, it enveloped the entire floating square. after that, the yellow sand light penetrated deep into the ground, and the hard ground suddenly cracked into grains of sand. beyond grade a-rank skill¨Csandy earth! but under his control¡­ only half of the floating square, which was more than 50 meters deep, had turned into sand. there were still rocks on the ground so that the entire square would not turn into sand and everyone would not fall. it was a home game. after the ground turned into sand. the sand around them surged up. it formed thick armor on all the soldiers. due to the abundance of sand, the armor was several times thicker than the one they had used against the decaying worms. while the dark valkyrie floated in the sky, its eyes were still indifferent. it was as if his actions were not worth mentioning. after it was done. a clear and cold voice resounded through the sky. ¡°strange human, i sense a special aura on you¡­ it¡¯s making my soul feel fear.¡± it was a high-level language that he had never heard of before. it had a strong rhythm and was somewhat obscure. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®a wave of¡­ a special aura?¡¯ was this the reason for the appearance of this hidden boss? he lowered his head and looked at the death elegy medal. ¡®was it this treasure?¡¯ however, when he saw that the other party¡¯s gaze did not stop at his chest, he suddenly thought of that unique item¡­ the ancient god statue. the fearful voice of the god of kobolds still rang in his ears. an ancient god¡¯s item¡­ as his thoughts spun, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°so, what¡¯s your purpose in coming?¡± the dark valkyrie looked at him with its pale golden eyes. ¡°i¡¯ll do it. i¡¯ll shatter fear.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, its aura was like the collapse of snow on a mountain. its figure flashed out. alves at the front felt that a strapping threat approached. with a low growl, it spewed out a beyond a-rank dragon breath. the ten-meter-long tongue of fire carried a terrifying death energy that seemed to want to destroy everything. at this moment, dragon breath enveloped the other party¡¯s figure. but before alves could rejoice¡­ a shocking scene appeared in the next second. the dark valkyrie¡¯s blade suddenly burst with endless light as if it was going to shatter the world. ¡®slash!¡¯ with a wave of its hand, a curved white blade light slashed in all directions. its blade destroyed the domineering beyond a-rank dragon breath. ¡®what kind of power was this?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes twitched. however, it was too late for him to react. in a breath¡¯s time, the dark valkyrie braved the dragon breath that could destroy everything and arrived in front of alves. its body suddenly rose to a distance of more than ten meters. an enormously soul-stripping blade light exploded. it swung the saber in its hand. the world seemed to have dimmed at this moment. the glaring blood-colored dragon breath became unremarkable in the brilliance of the blade light. it slashed down vertically. ¡®crack!¡¯ the surrounding void exploded into countless fragments. when it looked from the side of the floating square. a terrifying blade of light slashed from the sky to the ground, then penetrated the floating square. then it cut through the thick white clouds below and left a vast space. alves suddenly froze while it spat out dragon breath. the dragon breath suddenly stopped. after a while. a crack appeared on its forehead. it quickly spread to the back of its head. it instantly extended to the tail. it split the a-rank dragon hero¡¯s body into two right before everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ it crashed to the ground. ¡°soul execution!¡± Chapter 360 richard¡¯s narrowed as he looked at the undead dragon¡¯s corpse. the enemy¡¯s sword extinguished its soul flame. an indescribable shock rose in his heart. ¡®level 12 alves¡­ the undead dragon that was as fleshy as the mountain was dead?¡¯ ¡®a single saber strike killed the dragon?¡¯ !! he looked at the figure in black body-fitted armor and held a three-meter-long curved sword. the pressure in his heart suddenly increased. ¡®was this the true combat power of the opponent?¡¯ the other party¡¯s victory was partly due to alves¡¯s flying restrictions and underestimation of the enemy. however, no explanation could justify that the other party could kill an a-rank dragon hero with a wingspan of 30 meters in one strike. ¡®did an a-rank boss¡¯s strength increase to such an extent after its promotion to level 15? compared to the dark valkyrie, the rotten worm, which was also level 15 in the previous arena and had a potential of b-rank, was as weak as a lamb. or was it because the other party was a hidden boss? but the moment alves fell. a figure with soaring bood qi shot up from the ground like a sharp arrow shot from a fully drawn bow. ¡°kill!¡± her cold shout resounded through the sky. the cross-shaped longsword in her hand instantly burst out with endless sword light. xina! this level-13 beyond a-rank hero stood out. she was fearless even if the opponent killed her teammate in one strike! ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing exploded. the dark valkyrie held her sword horizontally in front of her and blocked the violently broken steel longsword. at this moment, the auras of both sides were like mars and earth colliding. however, the anti-air zone had a vast impact on twilight city. she used her strength to fly into the air. after she dispersed the force, xina¡¯s figure immediately fell quickly. at this time, the dark valkyrie in the air bent down and attacked with her sword. the blade glowed. [ding~] the two collided dozens of times in an instant. there was no way to borrow power in the air. but her legendary level combat skills allowed xina to withstand the cold killing intent of the opponent. she stomped and instantly rushed up the moment she landed on the ground. more than ten afterimages streaked across the sky. the figures on both sides became blurry. only sparks that exploded. she had to seize a fleeting opportunity. ¡°kill!¡± the longsword in xina¡¯s hand burst out with endless light. furious slash of the heavens! after her blood qi burned, it turned into a pure sword ray and slashed out. but in the next second, the dark valkyrie¡¯s sword exploded with heat. ¡®clang!¡¯ a powerful blast of air exploded. the sand started to roll. tens of meters separated the two. xina¡¯s eyes were cold, and her battle intent surged into the sky. the dark valkyrie floated half a meter in the air, full of murderous intent. however, just as the two sides were about to clash. on the ground, countless grains of sand suddenly surged up. it was as if a giant beast hid on the ground, opened its mouth, and swallowed it. it trapped the dark valkyrie in place. the troops behind it seized the opportunity to charge forward. ¡°ball of corruption!¡± ¡°tomahawk smash!¡± ¡®hu!¡¯ a scarlet ball of blood streaked across the sky and exploded more than ten meters away from the dark valkyrie. ¡®bang!¡¯ a corrosive energy surged wantonly. with the countless cooperation of the troops, xina had long formed a tacit understanding and immediately retreated. at the same time. countless tomahawks whistled through the sky. ¡®crack!¡¯ it exploded. a metal storm swept through the surroundings. it forcefully enveloped the opponent. before it was over, the energy in the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s throat burst out. ¡®puff!¡¯ dragon breath came out, and the third round of attack arrived. the dragon breath had not stopped. ¡°slash!¡± a crisp, cold snort resounded through the sky. the steel longsword in xina¡¯s hand suddenly burst out with an exaggerated sword light. she had consumed all of her blood qi. the sword radiance that could cut through everything tore the sky apart. beyond a-rank, a furious slash of the heavens! ¡°four-fold attack!¡± however, the sand and all kinds of attacks covered the sky and made it impossible to see what happened inside. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°everyone, retreat!¡± the voice had just left his mouth. ¡®hu!¡¯ terrifying blade auras burst out from the core area as if someone had swung the blade a hundred thousand times in an instant. wherever the blade light passed, all the attacks directly annihilated. it was the same as the scene when the opponent cut off the dragon breath. the dark valkyrie could destroy all attacks. richard took a deep breath. the flying restrictions had a massive impact on twilight city. it multiplied the difficulty of fighting the boss. the opponent was mighty. when experts clashed, even if there was only a slight difference, it was enough to determine the battle¡¯s outcome. after the dark valkyrie reappeared, a deep mark appeared on its black armor. its aura had also become somewhat chaotic, no longer as invincible as before. ¡°you guys have angered me.¡± its golden eyes scanned the surroundings. and as soon as it finished speaking, its speed suddenly increased. it had already rushed into the group of skeleton blood dragons before richard could even blink. it swung the three-meter-long saber, and its radiance shattered the void. ¡®crack!¡¯ it separated a skeleton blood dragon¡¯s head from its body. the head just flew into the air. ¡®crack!¡¯ it shattered. it extinguished its soul fire. the dark valkyrie fought with its hands as if no one was there. it instantly killed ten skeleton blood dragons. at this moment, these crown 1-star troops were like little chicks. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ xina¡¯s figure flashed out and blocked the dark valkyrie¡¯s path. on the battlefield, only this top-notch existence with legendary-level battle techniques could fight with it. the troop¡¯s attack seemed particularly powerless in the face of the long saber that could destroy all damage. once again, richard felt the power of this hidden a-rank boss. no one could block the direction of the saber. and under the other party¡¯s overbearingness, the situation quickly collapsed. it slaughtered all the skeleton blood dragons. it slaughtered all the dark gargoyles. it slaughtered all the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. three squadrons of troops seemed so small at this moment¡­ in the end, death elegy¡¯s resurrection was exhausted. it was the first time in a long time that twilight city had been in such a helpless situation. the opponent could float in the air, and its sharp blade could destroy all attacks around it. on the other hand, twilight city could not fly, and its attacks had limited effect on the opponent. in addition, the opponent had seized the opportunity to kill alves, the central output at the beginning, and now they had entered a situation where there was no hope of turning the tables. they would¡¯ve lost the fight long ago if it weren¡¯t for richard¡¯s sand transformation and keeping the dark valkyrie in check. the battle had only lasted for less than 20 minutes. only richard, gunter, and xina remained in the twilight city troops. richard had used up his magic power a few times, and gunter¡¯s soul phylactery was almost empty. dense scars appeared on xina¡¯s body. she even used her life-saving passive-instant recovery of 50% of her health. at this moment, the fearless warrior had already activated sand transformation and used the mightiest life-saving skill of twilight city to fight the dark valkyrie. however, the destructive sword did not affect the opponent. ¡®puchi!¡¯ xina was exhausted and dropped to a freezing point after another round of collision. a saber pierced through her abdomen. ¡®bang!¡¯ the dark valkyrie kicked her in the stomach and sent the veteran flying. it pulled the long knife out of her body, and blood splattered. xina flew out for more than ten meters and smashed into the sand. it left a long trail. she could no longer get up after she struggled a few times. this beyond a-rank hero could not hold on any longer. it vividly demonstrated the power of the boss template. unit type template, hero template, boss template. the soldier type template was an ordinary soldier type, and under the same level in the hero mode, even if one¡¯s potential is d or e rank, it would be easy to kill two or three small teams of soldiers of the same level. the number of bosses was much less than the number of heroes, but at the same time, the strength of the bosses would also increase dramatically. this hidden boss¡¯s battle power was probably at the top of bosses of the same level and potential. the dark valkyrie¡¯s eyes slowly turned to richard after xina lost her ability to resist. ¡°i want that thing.¡± richard glanced at its attribute panel. it still recovered mana points. he sighed. it seemed lucky enough to find the other party¡¯s weakness of long-range attacks when he was hunting the god¡¯s ancient tree. however, at this moment, the other party had the advantage. they were at a disadvantage. it was also level 15. 5, 10, 15, 20¡­ every five levels would result in a qualitative change. boss with a level 15, qualitative change would be so powerful that it would make one¡¯s hair stand on end. perhaps, only the god¡¯s ancient tree could fight with the other party. ¡°if you want it, i¡¯ll give it to you.¡± richard spoke unhurriedly. he took out the statue of the ancient god statue from his pocket. the moment the other party saw the statue, its eyes bloomed with brilliance. as he spoke, he threw the statue of the ancient god statue. the dark valkyrie suddenly felt a chill down its spine. an indescribable sense of danger made it retreat. the ancient god statue that flew in the air released an endless light. the ray of light suddenly condensed in the air in the blink of an eye. an inexpressible aura surged out. it was as if there was no light in the world. an illusionary figure appeared in the air. it had a slender figure, perfect looks, and a pair of pointed ears that indicated its identity¨Can elf. it held a light long knife in its hand and carried an elven-engraved longbow on its back. the moment the other party appeared. this figure immediately became the center of attention. richard looked at the fear in the eyes of the dark valkyrie under the mask. its tone was indifferent. ¡°the fear you want is here. crush it.¡± then, he looked at the illusionary elven figure. renee, divine soul¡­ it woke up. Chapter 361 it felt like a fatal threat from the opponent. richard¡¯s eyes twitched. a level 14 divine soul and all of its skills were divine spells. it was the ultimate existence fed with divine power. !! even it didn¡¯t know how strong they were. the dark valkyrie took a deep breath and suppressed its emotions. it had come to crush its fear, so why would it be afraid? it held the three-meter-long saber in its hand, and its pale golden eyes showed a strong desire to fight. the blade light protected its body as if it would cut through all obstacles. ¡°renee, crush your enemy.¡± a calm voice resounded in the surroundings. the divine soul that appeared in an elf form¨Crenee, slowly raised its head. it held the exquisitely-carved sword in front of its chest. ¡°for the glory of our lord!¡± high elven language. as soon as it finished speaking, it disappeared. space manipulation could perform a moment without any consumption every 0.3 seconds, up to 200 meters. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing. the elven sword condensed from soul energy collided with the dark valkyrie¡¯s three-meter-long sword. ¡®hiss!¡¯ sparks flew. renee¡¯s soul formed the longsword, and this weapon was a part of her. it met colliding force and did not show any weakness. after it blocked the first attack, renee suddenly appeared behind the dark valkyrie. ¡®hu!¡¯ the sharp sword stabbed out. the dark valkyrie raised the sword over its head with its right hand and once again blocked the blade. the next moment, renee teleported in another direction. the attacks were as dense as a storm. the innate ability renee obtained from the space crystal ball in the land of the broken laws gave it unprecedented flexibility. the attack exploded. the a-rank boss dark valkyrie that had just killed alves with a single strike is now in a tough battle. the illusory floating figure suppressed it with one slash after another. renee used its control space to suppress the dark valkyrie that quickly slaughtered the twilight city troops. richard smiled when he saw the terrifying power. renee¡¯s attacks sharply throve after they got used to the battle rhythm. it made richard feel better. the opponent rapidly grew. the suppressed dark valkyrie was just as fierce. as it relied on its strength, it blocked renee¡¯s blade after blade. there were no weaklings here, only the strong and soul-strappers! it was a competition between the two kings. both sides gradually went crazy. at the center of the battlefield, space crumbled, and energy was in chaos. it was like the end of the world. no one could interfere, and no one dared to. just the shockwaves from the battle could destroy the void. after the dark valkyrie forced back renee¡¯s attack once again¡­ its pale golden eyes suddenly brightened. the aura on its body was like a high mountain reservoir that had opened its gates to release water. it gushed out a majestic energy that made one¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°destroy!¡± a deep sound exploded in the sky. the saber in its hand slashed in all directions. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh¡¯ the sound of air torn apart howled in their ears. cold, semi-circular blade glints swept through the surroundings like a storm. they were so fast that the naked eye could not catch up. the blade light instantly tore apart the surrounding 200 meters with the illusory soul in the center. the blood auras pierced the floating square under its feet. and it cut into pieces the clouds below. ¡®puchi!¡¯ renee¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in mid-air. dozens of holes appeared in its body, which the blade light pierced. moreover, a sharp aura was attached to those wounds. this crazily destroyed its body. even nine lives wouldn¡¯t be enough if it were an ordinary life form. but renee didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of emotion at this moment. the energy on the illusory soul body surged out. its body with a breath, which was like a sieve, recovered. its body reduces 70% of physical and magical damage received. immortals could use god power to recover. these two divine spells gave it a mighty life force. after the soul recovered from its injuries, renee, who was a hundred meters away, extended its left hand and pointed at the dark valkyrie. the next second. ¡®bang!¡¯ with the dark valkyrie as the center, a dark flame suddenly burst out and instantly swept across a hundred meters. however, the terrifying energy did not cause any damage to the sand on the ground. it was as if it was just a shadow. within 500 meters, a designated area will erupt with inextinguishable soul flames to attack the target¡¯s soul. range: a diameter of 100 meters. the moment the dark valkyrie saw the opponent reach out, it was already too late for it to react. it seemed to throw its soul into a furnace. the terrible pain from the burn almost made it collapse. it let out a muffled groan. it pressed its temple with one hand and forcefully suppressed the intense pain. then, the faint golden light in its eyes burst out, and the blade in its hand ignited as if gasoline splashed with it and instantly increased in power. the dark valkyrie waved its saber. the blade light that could destroy the dragon breath cut through everything. it was as if the black flames that could burn for eternity were forcibly isolated from the outside world. the black flames attached to the soul slowly burned without support from the outside world. one could see that the dark valkyrie was charred black if the soul turned into a physical body. ¡°slash!¡± the dark valkyrie did not wait for renee to attack again, and its blade light condensed to the extreme. it slashed down. it was like this light was the only thing left in the world. renee felt that something locked its soul just as it was about to move away. it was an inexpressible force! it revealed its sharp edge. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the saber ray slashed across its forehead and cut through the floating square with eternal power. it only gradually dissipated in the void hundreds of meters away. renee¡¯s soul body shattered into countless pieces like porcelain. this scene was very similar to the time when dark valkyrie slaughtered alves. it launched an attack that could tear the sky and earth. and the dark valkyrie, who had been so potent just a moment ago, suddenly became dispirited like a deflated balloon. it could not hide the fatigue in its pale golden eyes. it didn¡¯t even feel this way when it slaughtered several squadrons of twilight city¡¯s soldiers. at this moment, after its fight with the divine soul for less than ten minutes, it felt enormous fatigue. it turned its head and looked at richard, who had put away the ancient god statue. with a saber in hand, its figure flashed like lightning. however, before it could get close¡­ ¡®hu!¡¯ a terrifying sense of danger struck. it turned its head and saw renee shattered into pieces just a moment ago, resurrected on the spot, starkly unharmed. it held a pattern-carved longbow and eleven sword pinned to its waist. it pulled the bowstring to its limit, and deadly energy filled the arrow. it felt like the opponent strangled its neck, and it could hardly breathe. ¡®weng!¡¯ the bowstring rang. the dark arrow streaked across the sky. [death hunt: choose a target within 500 meters and use the power of the soul to form an arrow of death. it will hit the target¡¯s soul. each use consumes 20 divine power.] it was a sure hit. with the addition of the two words, this skill instantly became a well-deserved killer move! the dark valkyrie¡¯s pupils shrank. it swung its long blade in the air. infinite blade light exploded. however, the blade that could cut off the dragon breath and isolate the soul flame energy could not stop the arrow. richard could see the dark valkyrie in its black body-fitted armor wield a three-meter-long curved sword. a sharp, incorporeal arrow pierced through its forehead and the back of its head. no blood flowed out, but it could feel that the other party¡¯s life aura suddenly froze. the arrow that pierced the figure¡¯s head instantly froze in place. it was scary and creepy. Chapter 362 the scene froze. the battle seemed to end. richard wondered why he didn¡¯t hear the system notification. ¡®crack!¡¯ !! a crisp sound came from the distance. the dark valkyrie¡¯s black armor shattered like glass. at the same time, the arrow that had pierced through its head also disappeared. the next second. a set of black and gold armor appeared before it. the dark valkyrie¡¯s solidified life force erupted as a volcano suppressed for countless years. its pale golden eyes turned pure gold. dozens of curved blade glints suddenly appeared beside it. the surrounding void constantly collapsed and reformed under the pressure of the saber radiance. richard was stunned. he opened his opponent¡¯s attribute panel. and a shocking status appeared on it. [dark valkyrie] [level: 18 (temporary)] [potential: beyond a-rank (temporary)] the explosion overpowered this boss! three levels increased, and its potential rose from a-rank to beyond a-rank! richard¡¯s scalp went numb. was this the strength of the hidden boss? if he didn¡¯t have a divine soul, he wouldn¡¯t be able to play with it! was the system not planning to let anyone kill this boss? at this moment, renee suddenly appeared beside the dark valkyrie. it felt the terrifying aura of the dark valkyrie. with a long sword in hand, it charged forward! if it could kill his opponent once, it could also kill the second time! the tricked dark valkyrie had its eyes filled with dazzling golden light. it waved the saber in its hand and charged forward. ¡®clang!¡¯ the two sides collided again like meteors. the surrounding space instantly blurred and collapsed. the dark valkyrie displayed unparalleled battle power after the seed explosion. its potential temporarily raised beyond a-rank. and its level was four levels higher than renee¡¯s! the situation where renee could suppress its opponent with its control of space no longer occurred. every time the dark valkyrie swung its blade, the space around would collapse. the scene looked enormously visually impactful. richard couldn¡¯t imagine how many troops he needed to take down a boss like this. at the back, gunter, who was only level 10, could no longer interfere. the difference of 8 levels was enough to pull everything apart. xina, who had recovered a little, was not afraid at all. this pure warrior would never fear any enemy, no matter how strong they were! however, she was only level 13, and there was no point in going up. she wasn¡¯t weak, but her opponent was even mightier. it had already exceeded the limits of what she could handle. richard¡¯s breathing slowed. it was the most arduous battle he had ever encountered. even when the kobold god had attacked twilight city, he had not felt so difficult. although this battle wouldn¡¯t decide anything, it would resurrect death outside the arena. however, he couldn¡¯t give up. he had the capital to win! the level 14 divine soul versus the level 18 hidden boss, the dark valkyrie. renee¡¯s soul constantly changed as it controlled space, and its powerful divine spells could often be fatal. the dark valkyrie used force to break through techniques, and the blade light could cut through everything. the opponent¡¯s saber flare could shatter any energy attack. a pin against an awn. the battle between the two sides became enormously exaggerated. the sky arena rules seemed weaker than those of the central plane. when the two sides collided, space twisted and crumbled like it had become a norm. ten minutes after the seed explosion. ¡®destruction!¡± the dark valkyrie¡¯s blade light once again cut through the world. the blade that killed alves in a second reappeared. ¡®crack!¡¯ renee couldn¡¯t avoid it, and its body shattered. but in an instant, it returned to its original appearance. four divine soul points could resurrect renee four times. after it woke up, the ancient god statue also had a new attribute¨Cit could resurrect renee three times a day. it had seven lives in this battle! without any worries, the divine soul attack became increasingly ferocious. after the seed explosion, the dark valkyrie raced against time to win the battle before its strength fell back. the dual battle was crazy! renee used death hunt three more times after it consumed 20 points of divine power. it would pierce through the dark valkyrie¡¯s head every time, but it would return to normal in the blink of an eye. in the unique state of seed explosion, its vitality was particularly terrifying. renee also suffered from the dark valkyrie¡¯s all-destroying sword strike. after the fourth resurrection, it had starkly consumed the divinity that could only recover one point every week. the next time it died, its resurrection would be in an ancient god statue. there were three more chances. it had been half an hour since the dark valkyrie¡¯s seed explosion. to richard, however, it felt like half a month had passed. just as renee was about to launch another attack¡­ the dark valkyrie¡¯s almost infinite aura suddenly enfeebled like a candle in the wind. its burning golden eyes had also become enormously dim at this moment. it was like any moment would extinguish them. richard opened his attribute panel. the dark valkyrie¡¯s level had returned to level 15, and its potential had returned to a-rank. it was time. in this brutal battle, the dark valkyrie loses by one move. renee noticed this and drew its bow for the fifth time. twenty points of divine power disappeared. the death god arrow pierced through the void. it pierced through the head! this time, the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t have a second seed explosion. the other party¡¯s life force suddenly dropped to the extreme. the figure that hung high in the sky fell to the ground with a plop. it fell into a deep coma. it set the situation. twilight city troops finally won. renee¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in front of the dark valkyrie. it raised its elven sword high, ready to end this enormously soul-strapping opponent in the next moment. richard shouted as if he¡¯d just remembered something. ¡°stop!¡± ¡®hu!¡¯ the sharp longsword stopped at the dark valkyrie¡¯s forehead. renee retracted its sword without hesitation. richard activated its leaping boots boots and appeared beside the dark valkyrie. he immediately heaved a sigh of relief in this scene. when the divine soul saw him, it knelt on one knee with its illusory body. with its right hand on its chest, it said in the most humble tone. ¡°my lord, your humble servant sends you its most noble greetings.¡± as the master of the statue, the soul bound was ultimately under his control. he could even erase it with a thought as he wished. richard nodded, satisfied. ¡°get up. you¡¯ve done well.¡± this top-notch existence he had spent so many resources to nurture did not disappoint him in the end. then, he looked at the dark valkyrie lying on the ground. the majestic golden and black armor that had just appeared had now returned to black. it seemed armor appeared under certain circumstances. the opponents¡¯ life force was still stable. but it had already become enormously weak. if he didn¡¯t take any measures, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he met the god of death. xina and gunter had also come to his side. they all had mixed feelings as they looked at the dark valkyrie on the verge of death. it was rare to see such a powerful enemy. unfortunately, they could not defeat the other party yet. a strong fighting spirit rose in xina¡¯s eyes. the descendant of the krina tribe was no weaker than anyone else. she would become sturdier than the others! she swore! ¡°lord richard, how do you plan to deal with it?¡± richard¡¯s face broke into a bright smile at xina¡¯s question. he took out a scroll that emitted a dark aura from the system space. [dark contract] [level: 4-stars] [special property: after defeating an enemy, you can force a contract with the other party and enslave their soul, making them obey orders for eternity.] it was a top-tier treasure he had obtained from the treasure vault of the scarlet council in the previous dungeon. he initially planned to use it on the god¡¯s ancient tree, but he had not expected it to choose to submit directly, so he saved this treasure. but now, an a-rank boss could reach a terrifying level of 18 after its seed exploded. wasn¡¯t that the best contract partner? while richard pondered at the dark valkyrie lying on the ground, the smile on his face became increasingly brilliant. so what if he won first place in the death arena fighting ring, obtained the title of king of gladiator, and other rewards? how could they compare to a living level-15 boss? it was a battle unit of equal value to the god¡¯s ancient tree. dark valkyrie¡¯s battle strength could even suppress everyone else after its seed exploded. it had killed alves in one strike and suppressed beyond a-rank xina¡­ it quickly slaughtered three squadrons of soldiers. if it wasn¡¯t for the unique nature of the divine soul, which gave renee an insane ability to resurrect¡­ it would be difficult to take down the other party in this battle. nothing could measure such an existence. at this moment, he only had one thought. ¡®this wave, i had bloodily profited!¡¯ Chapter 363 the dark valkyrie alone was enough to make a fortune in the instance dungeon. one couldn¡¯t exchange it for ten thousand gold. however, he hesitated again after he glanced at the attributes. the scroll of darkness could force a contract, but the restrictions were also explicit. !! 1. the spirit of the contracted life form must be weak. once the will to resist is strong, it will suffer a backlash; 2. the contracted life form can not be higher than the host by three levels, or the contract will fail directly; 3. the level of the contracted life form can not exceed level 15 at the time. the system will lift the restriction after the contract is signed; 4. the contracted life form can not be of the light faction. the other conditions were all met, but there was one thing¡­ his current level was only 11. and this was one level before he entered the death arena fighting ring. but he was still one level away from forming a contract with the other party. an upgrade from level 11 to 12 required 1.4 million experience points. now that he was in the sky arena, it could not gain more than a million experience points. richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache when he pondered. then, he seemed to have thought of something and took out his tibetan soldier card. he couldn¡¯t use it on the dark valkyrie after an attempt. he couldn¡¯t help but frown. don¡¯t let the last bit of fat in your mouth slip away. even if he received a quasi-relic for killing the opponent, he would not be willing to do so. he turned around and looked at renee. he seemed to have thought of something and took out the statue of the ancient god statue. the ancient god statue could hold two souls after its upgrade. if he couldn¡¯t take it away, could he just devour the opponent¡¯s soul? there was no reaction from the statue of the ancient god after an attempt. although the opponent¡¯s soul was strong enough, the ancient god statue accepted only divine souls. it bewildered richard looked. renee could see richard was in a difficult position, so it spoke softly. ¡°my lord, are you planning to take it away?¡± richard nodded and explained the restrictions of the dark contract. gunter and xina fell into deep thought. but there was nothing they could do now that they were trapped here. they couldn¡¯t possibly carry it for the rest of the journey, could they? moreover, whether he could bring the opponent to the next arena remained a question. wouldn¡¯t he get any benefits if he didn¡¯t win? renee¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°my lord, you can temporarily place it in the statue.¡± richard¡¯s brows furrowed. he knew there was a unique dimension within the statue, but it was a place where souls slumber. renee whispered as if it saw through his confusion. ¡°you are the master of the statue. you can change the rules.¡± it stirred richard¡¯s interest. with a thought, his mind entered the ancient god statue. a moment later, a dark light rose and covered the dark valkyrie¡¯s body. the other party gradually turned illusory. after a few breaths. it had disappeared. at the same time, inside the ancient god statue, the dark valkyrie lay quietly in the area where its divine soul had once slept. with a thought, a dark light enveloped the other party. the dark valkyrie, whose life force gradually grew weak, had stabilized. as long as he continued to inject power into it, he could maintain the state of the dark valkyrie. the price to pay was that the divine soul would have one less chance of resurrection every day. however, to revive twice a day was enough as long as he did not seek death. after he dealt with all this. richard turned his head to look at the ground reduced to dust. it lifted his mood. to forcefully keep the domineering and unparalleled level 15 hidden boss, that feeling was like he received a confession from the person he had crushed on. what could be more satisfying than this? he glanced around and suddenly saw the floating square in the distance. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. perhaps, the players who fought to the death would never have thought of how much he had gained. if they had known, the number of people against the qingqiu alliance on the forum would have been many times more¡­ ¡®hahahahahaha.¡¯ his thoughts ran wild. suddenly, there was a loud rumble. the two floating squares of him and the dark valkyrie suddenly collapsed and slowly fell into the clouds. the traces disappeared. at this moment. suddenly, the system notification rang. [ding~ the system has restored the rules to usual. the live broadcast has resumed. the audience members who had lost their images felt depressed when their eyes suddenly lit up. the scene returned. the crowd immediately focused their attention and looked over. after they saw the scene on the floating square, they were all stunned. the solid ground of the floating square had turned into sand. only qingqiu, the mummy hero, and the human female warrior who had killed the rotten worm boss with one strike remained on screen. the other one was an elf with a somewhat illusory body. the other party was a vengeful spirit. and a battle unit qingqiu deliberately hid. the overbearing undead dragons, ferocious gargoyles, and tomahawk-wielding undead soldiers of qingqiu had all disappeared. the only things they could see were the corpses buried under the sand. it was like they told the story of the battle. this scene immediately made the players excited. [hahaha, qingqiu, to think you would have such a day!] [that level 15 boss defeated qingqiu?] [f*ck, what¡¯s going on? where¡¯s the boss?] [such heavy casualties, isn¡¯t it great? hahaha, be happy for me for an entire year!] sarcasm continued¡­ the number of viewers in the live broadcasting room began to increase rapidly. not for anything but to see how the opponent overturned qingqiu. they were all secretly pleased when they saw that lonely place. there were many posts on the forums about qingqiu encountering bosses, the wiped-out troops, and the current state of the twilight city troops. everyone clapped and cheered. the massive loss the opponent had suffered made them feel extremely comfortable. however, no one knew about the actual situation. if these gloating idiots knew the truth, jealousy would probably fill their stomachs. a level 15 boss¡­ ¡®boom! boom! boom!¡¯ after the two floating squares on the side collapsed, the square under their feet moved to the west again. twilight city only had four powers left. they encountered the third player from the sky arena. the demon camp players excitedly cried out when they saw that richard¡¯s troops were down to their last few. they thought the system would deliver the points to them. however, the moment the two floating plazas met. the demon player realized how ridiculous its idea was. xina took the lead charge. she cut all the enemies in half wherever she went. demon? they were just a bunch of chicks. as for renee, who could control space, this divine being could solo a level 15 boss. it was like a wolf entered a flock of sheep and faced a group of rare and mixed groups. it killed in all directions. gunter also transformed into a magic cannon. although it wasn¡¯t very effective against the dark valkyrie, it was a massacre against a group of elite troops. no soldier could stop the three heroes. richard hadn¡¯t even stepped into the floating plaza, and the demon player was already dead. it was a crushing victory. in the live broadcasting room, more than three billion viewers waited to see how other players would beat qingqiu. they were dumbfounded as they watched the figures slaughter the monsters. a f*cking hero? why was the hero in their hands so weak? if they were the ones facing this demon troop that was not weak, the c and d-rank heroes under them would not survive, let alone cut vegetables. it would be a miracle if they were still alive. were they playing the same game? this qingqiu monster, how much does he hide? under the shocked gazes of the players, richard continued his way to the central region after he cleared out the demon players. the billions of players waited for richard¡¯s death, but it never happened. no matter how strong the opponent was, they couldn¡¯t withstand the sharpness of three top-notch battle forces. there were even situations where three squadrons of the opposing players were not enough to kill. when they saw this scene, the billions of viewers in the live broadcasting room were so depressed they almost vomited blood. it was especially so when they saw a few heroes charge in and out of the enemy¡¯s troops that ran amok. it drove richard even more. he was even too lazy to move. ¡°f*ck, this bastard did it again?!¡± Chapter 364 the elven longsword in renee¡¯s hand cut through the last mechanical puppet. a familiar system notification rang in richard¡¯s ears. although the entire troop died, the three top-tier battle forces in his hands swept through the whole sky arena in an overbearing manner. after he kept the dark valkyrie in the ancient god statue, none of the players he encountered next could withstand the power of the twilight city. !! the viewers in the live broadcasting room turned numb as they watched players get defeated one after another. they thought the qingqiu troop could not last much longer after their deaths. but who would have thought that this was only the beginning? he only had three heroes left. but he still beat everyone up until they couldn¡¯t even resist. exceptional! it was enormously bizarre! richard continued to move west along the floating square after he knocked down a fortress player. he had finally arrived at the central plaza where the boss was. its diameter was several times larger than an ordinary square. the most striking spot was the four-winged angel statue that held a long sword in both hands. the statue¡¯s face was not kind and benevolent. it had four sharp fangs instead, and the veins on its face bulged. it was like countless earthworms wriggled on them. its ferocious face immediately gave people a strong sense of disharmony. while richard examined the statue, seven or eight floating squares arrived at the central square. some floating squares had only one player that came down, while some had two or three. each led their troops and occupied a direction of the square. no one moved rashly. he looked around warily. the two players who came down from the floating square next to richard saw that only a few of his men remained, and eagerness filled their eyes. they seemed to want to eat this fatty meat in his stomach. however, when they considered how the surrounding players stared at them and seemed tigers watching their prey, they held back and did not move. the audience was disappointed to see the two cowards in the live broadcasting room. [i didn¡¯t expect these two soldiers would hold back¡­] [hehe, when we make our move and they find out their target is qingqiu, i wonder what expression they would have?] expectations rose¡­ after the other players called for them not to give points to qingqiu, richard¡¯s live stream viewership dropped from a peak of six billion to around five hundred million. it wasn¡¯t as good as at its peak, but it was still grandly lively. at first, the audience still looked forward to the other players to overpower and cheered for them. however, after a few rounds of richard¡¯s wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, they saw the players flipped over and bewildered. he liked this feeling again. it¡¯s always so comfortable to see other people in trouble. on the forums, many posts began to speculate on the strength of hero xina because of richard¡¯s terrifying battle record. after multiple verifications and deductions, the players on the forum finally recognized a fact¡­ richard¡¯s heroes were at least a-rank! and this news caused a huge uproar. it was a massive blow to many players with one or two c or d-rank heroes in their territories. it was just like when he earned 3,000 yuan a month and suddenly found out that the fellow graduated at the same time with 300 million yuan a year. he didn¡¯t feel good. there were three a-rank heroes. they would be four if to include the dead dragon hero! how exaggerated was this? countless people were shocked and puzzled when they saw this news. it was not like they had never encountered a high-level hero before, but the difficulty of the recovery mission for a b-rank hero was ridiculous. often, it would take more than a month to complete. they wondered how qingqiu could complete the mission of recapturing four a-rank heroes so quickly¡­ envy, jealousy, and hatred feelings of most people were difficult to express. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ richard frowned at the angel statue. loud noise jolted it awake. he turned around and saw the floating square connected to the central square had collapsed entirely. they fell into the clouds below. all the players had lost their way out. after the floating square collapsed¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ a crisp sound of an explosion rang in everyone¡¯s ears. the hearts of the remaining 20 or more players in the square skipped a beat. he suddenly looked towards the central area¡­ the outer shell of the ferocious-looking four-winged angel statue cracked and fell off. an indescribable dark aura surged out. the world seemed to have lost its color. and for every inch of the statue¡¯s outer shell that crumbled, the dark aura it emitted would increase by a notch. it was as if a giant abyssal beast was out of its shell. the terrifying pressure was soul-stirring. no one dared to move for fear that the terrifying existence would choose them as a target. when the statue¡¯s hard shell completely faded away, a terrifying four-winged monster with black wings on its back and a ferocious face appeared in front of them. it was three meters tall, and its dark eyes seemed could devour souls. with just a glance, it gave people an inexpressible fear. its four long and narrow wings flapped gently, and its body floated in the air. it was like a demon was born. all the players on the floating square felt a heavy pressure on their hearts. even breathing was difficult. [corrupted angel] [boss unit] [level 15] [potential b-rank] [description: no one was willing to face the blade of an evil angel with great power.] Chapter 365 at this moment, all the players in the square felt uneasy¡­ scorching hot. ¡°brothers, listen to me. this boss¡¯s level is too high. none of us can deal with it alone! ¡°and the floating square already collapsed. no one can escape. ¡°we only have one enemy now, and that¡¯s the boss in front of us! !! ¡°the only thing we need to do now is to team up and take down this boss! ¡°there¡¯s no need for internal friction!¡± at this moment, a steady voice resounded through the sky. however, the central square was too big, so no one knew who spoke. however, these words stabilized the situation somehow. at least, most players agreed with this insinuation. ¡°anyway, we can still revive after we die. at most, we¡¯ll just leave the arena. we won¡¯t suffer any losses.¡± ¡°but if we can defeat this boss, then we¡¯ll be making a profit!¡± ¡°besides, there¡¯s a live broadcast outside. fighting the boss will be more attractive than us killing each other.¡± ¡°if more people can watch it, everyone could get points from the system¡­¡± ¡°and if we don¡¯t do anything and let the boss kill us one by one, we¡¯ll all be in trouble.¡± ¡°brothers, let¡¯s attack together!¡± as the compelling voice fell, five players from the north had come together and began to command the troop to press forward. when the other players saw, they had various thoughts in their minds and took action. they had already accepted most of this explanation in their hearts. killing a player would only earn one 5000 points at most. if one could kill a boss, the rewards would not be small! and fighting bosses was so interesting¡­ they immediately looked at the corrupted angel after the players activated their dna. all had the mentality of getting a big hit, and they commanded their troops to approach the central area and aim for the corrupted angels. richard saw this and stopped his attack. it was the first time he had seen so many players work together. it was interesting. he glanced at the time. there were less than 20 minutes left before the system would do a headcount. it would promote everyone if the people were fewer than ten. however, to defeat a level 15 boss in just over ten minutes¡­ ¡®could these players do it?¡¯ the moment this thought appeared in his mind, the scattered troop of players began to attack. ¡°fire!¡± with an angry roar, the battlefield instantly became hot. there were elves, dwarves, humans, orcs, and demons. there were players from five different races. some had lost a portion of their troops, while others retained their strength. when they gathered together, they looked like a black mass and did have some momentum. ¡°kill!¡± the corrupted angel shouted after it entered the attack range. all the long-range soldiers attacked at the same time. arrows, pellets, flying axes, throwing spears¡­ all sorts of weapons flew across the sky. something seemed to awaken the corrupted angel after they hit it. and its dark eyes regained focus. however, it was too late for it to dodge. with more than a large group of long-range soldiers that attacked simultaneously, even a giant dragon would lose half its life. the corrupted angel wore armor and appeared to be as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings. it had blocked the concentrated attack. although there were many scars, they were only superficial wounds and did not cause any substantial impact. its battle power was still the same. however, these attacks had angered the corrupted angel that had just woken up. the boss flapped its wings and disappeared. the next moment, it appeared in the player troop closest to him. the black longsword in its hand danced wildly. the surrounding troops were like lambs. several fell. no one could block its edge. this sudden scene instantly disturbed the hearts of the players. the players who did not have a unified command were at a loss. some immediately changed directions and attacked the player. the other group hesitated. they didn¡¯t know whether to advance or retreat. the so ambitious players who aimed to take down the boss became a pile of loose sand. everyone was aware of the disadvantage, but unfortunately, the situation changed too quickly, and there was no time to choose a commander ¡­ one could only rely on its strength to fight. and the result was a one-sided slaughter. in the live broadcasting room, the viewers were speechless when they saw the boss slaughter the players in a frenzy while the others were at a loss. [i thought they were spectacular. it turns out they¡¯re just a motley crew.] [it¡¯s too difficult to kill a powerful boss without a commander.] [what about qingqiu? why aren¡¯t you making a move?] inuendos continued¡­ the players in the central square did not know of qingqiu¡¯s existence, but they did. at this moment, the guy who only had two or three subordinates and no one cared about him was the giant crocodile in this fish pond. he looked at the chaotic situation. richard¡¯s expression was a little strange. he¡¯d wanted to see what the other players would do when they faced the boss. however, he didn¡¯t expect such a scene to happen. more than 20 players from more than three large teams of soldiers. it shattered with a single touch in battle. there wasn¡¯t even any decent resistance. of course, this was partly due to a disoriented command. but the root cause was the quality of the troop. if they didn¡¯t even have a solid force to block the enemy, what could the damage attackers at the back use? he watched as the furious corrupted angels crushed the large swaths of the troop. a sense of achievement rose in his heart. only with comparison could he feel the gap. at this moment, the collapsing situation exposed the gap in strength. the distance between twilight city and the ordinary players widened. Chapter 366 he turned his head to look at xina. she had already recovered to her peak state. and renee, who carried a body somewhat illusory. ¡°go all out and kill that corrupted angel.¡± ¡°we only have ten minutes.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve given you a chance, but you¡¯re useless. i¡¯ll let twilight city take care of it.¡± !! the voice fell. the two top-notch combat forces beside him immediately surged with battle intent. the players who were lucky enough to survive but were still in chaos suddenly saw the boss, who they thought was invincible, forcibly restrained. the first to arrive was renee, the ultimate existence at level 14. the divine spell of space control gave it unparalleled flexibility. after it crossed the void, it appeared directly in front of the corrupted angel. the angel slaughtered in all directions. its right hand grabbed renee¡¯s neck. perhaps, nothing was more embarrassing than this. the corrupted angel¡¯s eyes were red, and the anger in its heart could melt steel! the long sword that could cut through the void swung up. it could even cut down even the city walls! however, renee didn¡¯t mind the other party¡¯s attack. it exerted force with its fingers. ¡°explode!¡± a cold snort resounded through the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ endless black flames burst out, the corrupted angel as the center. it was like a massive wave a hundred thousand feet tall, violently swept in all directions. it didn¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe. it also devoured the surrounding troops. the moment the black flames surged over, the soldiers felt as if the enemy threw their souls into a furnace that melted steel. it covered its head with its hands and fell to the ground. its body twitched uncontrollably. then, in extreme pain, it stopped breathing. divine spell, soul flame. the burning corrupted angel¡¯s body trembled, and the pain from its soul almost drove it mad. its already twisted face became even more ferocious. ¡°ah!!!¡± it roared. the longsword moved even faster and ruthlessly cut into renee¡¯s body. but unexpectedly, the corrupted angel¡¯s attack directly passed through the other party¡¯s body. although it left behind an exaggerated scar, it caused scant damage. the divine body reduces 70% of physical and magic damage received. the corrupted angel¡¯s attack had not stopped. ¡°slash!¡± a bright sword light tore through the sky. at this moment, renee¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. the corrupted angel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. it could smell the scent of death. ¡®threat!¡¯ ¡°ah!!!¡± it used all of its strength and turned sideways. ¡®puchi!¡¯ in the nick of time, it had avoided its vital parts. however, the terrifying sword¡¯s radiance still managed to slice through its waist. it directly penetrated the sturdy armor, and an exaggerated scar appeared on the abdomen. blood splattered everywhere like a broken faucet. furious slash of the heavens. after the terrifying killing move. the elven sword reappeared in renee¡¯s hand after its disappearance. the sharp sword tore through the sky and slashed at the corrupted angel in the most violent manner. this level 15 boss almost could not block the series of consecutive attacks. with an unwilling roar, its figure instantly appeared in the middle of another player¡¯s troop a hundred meters away. the player had not yet recovered from the sudden change in the situation and felt its scalp numb. [f*ck! what grudge do you convey to come here?] but it didn¡¯t have time to react. an illusory elf appeared in its line of sight. in renee¡¯s eyes, the space movement of the corrupted angel was like child¡¯s play. its palm grabbed the opponent¡¯s neck again. under that extremely humiliated and angry gaze¡­ a dark light burst out from its body and engulfed a radius of a hundred meters, it as the center. the soldiers within the range of the dark light suddenly felt like someone threw their souls into a meat grinder, and endless pain came. in an instant, it destroyed the souls of all the soldiers enveloped by the dark light. without exception. [divine spell, soul attack.] [releases a powerful wave of soul energy, destroying the souls of all enemies within a 100-meter radius. every cast costs five divine power.] ¡®roar!¡¯ the corrupted angel hysterically roared when it fought the divine spell again. the pain from its soul was on the verge of collapse. the battle sword in its hand was like the counterattack of a dying beast, and it began to attack crazily. at the same time, gray energy gushed out of its body and swept violently in all directions. the ground exploded under the pressure of the energy. however, no matter how violent the power was, it would be weakened by more than half when it hit renee. to this ultimate battle force that could resurrect and trade injuries for injuries was like a joke. when the aftermath of the soul attack dissipated ¡­ reyne withstood the frenzy attacks of the corrupted angel. its right hand clenched into a fist, raised it high, and then waved it at the angel¡¯s forehead. at that moment. it formed a dark arrow in its hand. at that moment, an inexpressible fear rose in the heart of the corrupted angel. the death stared at it. but it¡­ it could not avoid it! ¡®puchi!¡¯ the arrow pierced through his head. no blood flowed out, but the other party¡¯s life force at this moment. at the same time. a figure leaped up from the ground. it streaked across the sky like lightning. the cross-shaped longsword in its hand slashed down. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a colossal head rose high. the fresh blood bloomed into the most resplendent flower of death. the corrupted angel suddenly stopped its flapping wings, and under everyone¡¯s gaze, it fell from the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ the head that flew high followed closely behind and smashed into the ground with a dull sound. the scene fell into a deathly silence. the players still alive looked at the illusory elf that floated in the air and xina landed on the ground and stood with her sword. their hearts felt like they had been hit by a magnitude 18 earthquake. dumbfounded. no words could describe their shock at this moment. a level 15 boss was a terrifying existence that could kill them like dogs. under their watchful eyes, one or two heroes killed it¡­ yes, there were only two people on the other side! that was! level 15 boss, a boss! it was not some random nobody! and they quickly nailed it, so cleanly, so shocking! without any delay! several dazed players suddenly realized something after they regained their senses. from the moment the two heroes made their move to the end of the battle, it took less than a minute¡­ with that in mind, all the remaining players turned to look at richard. the face covered by the sand seemed to be filled with endless mystery. that pair of deep eyes made them hold their breath. a question that was so strong that they couldn¡¯t wait to know immediately appeared in their mind. ¡®who was he? why did he have such powerful subordinates? why?¡¯ in the broadcast room. the moment it chopped the corrupted angel¡¯s head. it was as if someone had pressed the pause button on the bullet screen, and the screen went blank for a long time. Chapter 367 [they slaughtered the level 15 boss in less than a minute. what kind of f*cking battle power is this?] [am i hallucinating? how did that boss disappear in the time it took me to pee?] [that¡¯s a level 15 boss!] everyone was stunned¡­ !! in the live broadcasting room, the bullet comments blank for a long time suddenly flooded in. the players who had witnessed the beheading of the level 15 boss now spammed the bullet screen like crazy. although they were just spectators, the shock they received was no less than the players who were lucky enough to survive. they knew qingqiu heroes were powerful, but they did not expect them to be this exceedingly powerful! even more outrageous was that qingqiu had paid an enormous price to kill the same-level boss and the rotten worm in the previous arena. moreover, the high-intensity battle lasted for an hour before they finally won. but now, they no longer had that powerful dragon hero and the three squadrons of powerful troops. the battle ended even faster? it bewildered billions of players who watched the battle. they looked at the key person who controlled this sudden battle¨Crenee¨Cwhose body had a somewhat illusory divine soul. could this undead hero that appeared later be more soul-strapping than an a-rank hero? the more they thought about it, the more shocked they were. the system also posted the shocking battle record on the forum. various discussions about how the heroes of qingqiu could have killed the level 15 boss in less than a minute followed that. the players who didn¡¯t see this scene showed disdain when they first saw these posts. they didn¡¯t believe it at all. what a joke! if a level 15 boss was that easy to deal with, would there be a need for dozens of people to form a party? however, they soon realized that something was wrong. one person could fake it, but everyone said the same thing. could it still be fake? they were all shocked after they confirmed the authenticity of the news. in their excitement, they hyped the news even more. dozens of players ignored even the news of the defeated second boss. richard had no idea what was going on outside. however, renee and xina¡¯s cooperation had indeed exceeded his expectations. the battle power of these two top-notch existences of twilight city was too explosive. renee¡¯s divine power was the only price to pay for killing the corrupted angel. no matter how one looked at it, it was a massive gain. however, what made him frown was that although divine power was supremely soul-strapping, it also had a big flaw¨Cthe recovery time was too slow. renee could only recover one point of divine power every hour. she would need 40 hours to recover her 40 points of divine power. and this was fast already. the divinity that could resurrect would take an even more ridiculous time to recover. it only recovers one point every week. four points of divinity would take four weeks which was a month. renee consumed its divinity after first meeting the dark valkyrie and now fighting the corrupted angel. the next arena would be arduous. however, the outside world did not know the inside story. it only saw that the opponent killed in less than a minute the level 15 boss, who rampaged through the player¡¯s troop. [ding~ you have commanded your troop to kill a special boss] [the system notification returned richard to his senses. it exalted his mood immediately. now, it was time to reap the rewards. richard looked at the headless corpse of the corrupted angel. as he strode forward, gunter immediately followed behind. his movement immediately became the focus of everyone. ¡®tata! tata!¡¯ the square filled with corpses suddenly fell silent. they only hear the crisp sound of boots stepping on the floor. everyone¡¯s eyes followed the indifferent figure. step by step. he arrived next to the corrupted angel. killing monsters and dropping equipment¡­ the alive players watched with burning eyes, but none dared to move. although the other party only had four subordinates, everyone knew who was in charge of the arena. his every word and action could determine their fate at this moment. the live broadcasting room viewers had mixed feelings when they saw that the surviving players didn¡¯t even dare to speak. they looked at the calm voice that took control of the situation without saying a word. many people thought this was how a real man should be. qingqiu did not make a move but controlled the situation. he did not say a word, but everyone trembled in fear. this kind of deterrent force was more powerful than any words. it made people yearn for it. he could calm down troops and control the situation with a snap of his fingers and a wave of his hand. it seemed the demeanor a lord should have. richard looked at the headless body on the ground, and anticipation shrouded his eyes. in the last boss, he had obtained a crystal treasure chest and a 5-stars treasure¨Cthe psionic gemstone. this boss¡¯s loot shouldn¡¯t be any worse than the previous one, right? ¡°gunter, perform a body search.¡± naturally, he didn¡¯t need to search the bodies. he only needed to wait for his subordinates to present the treasures. as a blood lich, gunter had no feelings for corpses. the undead hero bent down and began to search. however, he shook his head after it searched carefully. it indicated it had found nothing. richard frowned. Chapter 368 just as richard felt puzzled, he suddenly saw the base where the corrupted angel stood when it was still a statue¡­ it was a huge white rock. ¡°xina! split that rock!¡± xina quickly stepped forward with her sword. she slashed down under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡®clang!¡¯ !! the sound of metal clashing rang out. unable to withstand the powerful force, countless cracks appeared on the boulder. then, it fell off with a cracking sound. a crystal-clear crystal treasure chest appeared in the air. it immediately made countless viewers drool. it was the second crystal treasure chest that qingqiu had obtained! ¡°i want it¡­¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up. it was great. it didn¡¯t disappoint richard. he stepped forward and arrived in front of the treasure chest. just as he was about to open it, he suddenly thought of something. with a wave of his hand, inconspicuous sand in the distance flew and blocked the view of outsiders again. his gesture made the audience in the live broadcasting room babble and curse. they wished to hack this bastard to death. [was there such an annoying person?] [so what if he allowed us to see? it¡¯s not like he¡¯s a hanako!] [f*cking qingqiu!] richard didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else. he opened the second crystal chest with mighty anticipation. the moment he opened the box, a light flashed, and a familiar item appeared at its bottom. five-stars treasure, psionic gemstone. it startled richard for a moment, and then he pondered. it seemed not a stroke of luck that he had found a psionic gemstone last time. there was a high probability that all the treasure chests in the death arena fighting ring would only give out psionic gemstones. it might be a special reward from the death arena fighting ring. as he pondered, he kept the multicolored gemstones in the system space. he was in a good mood. regardless of whether there were other treasures, it was a great deal to get the spiritual power gemstone! he could enhance a troop type to the extreme. after use, the user can choose the direction of enhancement. there would never be too many treasures that could directly enhance the strength of a troop class. this treasure could be futile to other players because it could not level up their troop lairs. but he was different. the black gold system, which could upgrade the troop lair, could maximize the special characteristics of this treasure. he could use his troops until the later stages. to him, the value of this treasure had increased by more than one grade. it was wonderful. richard seemed to have thought of something after the sand scattered. he gazed around. the remaining players appeared in his eyes. when the players saw this, they immediately felt nervous. although they had just said they would work together to deal with the boss and not kill each other, they would not do it. however, the joint attack just now was like a joke. and it didn¡¯t have any effect. moreover, from the beginning to the end, killing the boss had nothing to do with them. they were just the ones the boss slaughtered. without the camaraderie of comrades, qingqiu could destroy them all with a single command. however, no one thought that the other party couldn¡¯t do it. just as the players nervously waited to see if qingqiu would attack, the system notification suddenly sounded. [ding~ current lords: 8. everyone can advance to the next round.] after the notification, a translucent shield rose and isolated all the players in the arena. it made everyone heave a sigh of relief. each revealed the joy of surviving a disaster. if possible, they never wanted to meet this freak again! [ding~ the number of players killed: 13. you ranked first and obtained five battle points. you killed a level 15 boss solo and received an additional five battle points¡ªcurrent battle points: 30.] richard nodded in satisfaction. when he hunted the corrupted angel, he accidentally killed a few players beside him¡­ it increased his kill count to 13, and he won first place for the second time. richard waved his hand in a good mood and formed a chair using sand. he laid the blanket of the fire dragon rabbit on it and leaned against it comfortably. he didn¡¯t know when the other arenas would end, so he decided to lie down first. the audience in the live broadcasting room didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°this guy started that again!¡± however, he had to admire his big heart. he had just experienced such an intense battle and now would sleep just like that. it was indeed astounding. after he lay down comfortably for three hours, the system notification rang again. but this time, all the players were excited. [ding~ the second round of the gladiator challenge has ended. the current number of players alive: 9,238.] [the third round of the death arena fighting ring, the demon king challenge, is about to begin.] [the lord who has won first place in two consecutive death corner fights will become a great demon king and face challenges from other lords.] [each great demon king can choose four challenge modes: easy, average, hard, and nightmare.] [in the easy mode, the great demon king will face the joint attack of five lords. in the average, the great demon king will face 10 lords, 20 in the hard, and 30 in the nightmare mode.] [the lord who doesn¡¯t get first place two times in a row can spend one gladiator point to become a great demon king and accept challenges from other lords.] [after the lords who challenged the great demon king joined forces to defeat the great demon king, everyone will receive the reward for killing an average boss¨Cthree gladiator points, three gold points, and a 3-stars treasure chest.] [if the great demon king has defeated the challenging lord. in easy mode, you will receive a reward for killing a special boss¨Cfive gladiator points, five gold points, and a 4-stars treasure chest.] [the average mode will reward you with double the kill of a unique boss.] [the reward for hard mode is 3x, and for nightmare is 4x.] [every great demon king will have three chances to choose the difficulty level.] Chapter 369 [after the demon king challenge ends, the system will promote the lords with the top 1,000 points to the next round. it will eliminate the rest of the lords.] richard was awoken from his daze and immediately rechecked the area. in the end, he looked rather excited. this great demon king¡¯s challenge was enthralling. !! he was no longer interested in ordinary players. it was like playing a game with a group of low ai machines. it was no challenge at all. however, the situation would be starkly different if 10, 20, or even 30 players worked together. it was especially true when several troops under his command were limited to only three squadrons. the death arena fighting ring did not have the walls of twilight city as a defense, and the pressure on them was not light when they faced enemies dozens of times their number. it was arduous beyond one plus one equals two if the number increased. the difficulty of dealing with it would also increase exponentially. players who could advance after two rounds of elimination were the elites chosen from tens of billions of people. there were no weaklings. however, the most enthralling thing about the challenger league was that players were not npcs. once these guys prepared, they were much more shameless and could come underhanded. moreover, these guys could be lucky enough to get some powerful treasure from opening the treasure chest. for example, the damaged forbidden spell that had appeared on the forum¡­ however, it was also because of this that richard found it enthralling. ¡°i hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± ¡°xina, gunter, alves, and the even more terrifying divine soul, renee, anyone could become a great demon king.¡± now, he had four of them¡­ the corners of his mouth curled up. ¡°i also hope that you won¡¯t cry¡­¡± just as he was eager to try, the other players were also excited. whether to become a great demon king or to challenge a great demon king, he could obtain great benefits. and it was indeed interesting. [ding~ after announcing your two consecutive victories, you will automatically become the lord of the great demon king.] [first place: qingqiu.] [second place: abalone lover.] [third place: christina.] [fourth place¡­] announcement of ranks continued. [one hundred twenty-third place: i love a stick of firewood.] [the top three great demon kings will automatically choose the nightmare difficulty in the first round. the fourth to tenth great demon kings will automatically have the hard. the rest of the great demon kings are free to choose.] [all ordinary lords, please make your preparations. after the next round, please choose a great demon king to challenge.] [one million players had participated in the death arena fighting ring, and the system would at least eliminate 90% of them. after two rounds, less than 10,000 players would remain in the death arena fighting ring.] however, he did not expect that more than a hundred people could take first place for two rounds in a row. it surprised the players the system did not eliminate. but then they saw the id at the top of the list¨Cqingqiu. they were stunned at first, but then they revealed looks of wild joy. [qingqiu!] [that fellow was still there!] furthermore, the system had set the enemy to the highest nightmare difficulty, which meant that one had to face the combined attack of 30 players! the heavens blessed them! thirty people could finally work together this time to defeat this freak! [the devil? hahaha, this time, i¡¯ll make you a soft-legged shrimp!] the thought they could trample on the top player on the ranking board, the most popular top player on the forum, made the players burst with excitement. this time, no matter what, they had to kill qingqiu! at that moment, all the viewers in the live broadcasting room saw the system notification on the screen. tens of billions of people are immersed in the emotions of the two qingqiu heroes killing the boss. when they glanced at this scene, it stunned them, and they all became excited. they believe qingqiu would die this time no matter how perverted he was! Chapter 370 a deep voice rang out from the black ground. the void hunters that guarded the dark crystal turned to look toward the sound. in their perception, a terrifying treant that exuded an evil aura appeared. they saw more than a dozen dried branches like the arms of the undead without flesh and blood. they were twisted and deformed, and several long roots moved forward on the ground. !! its posture was overbearing and powerful. there was a group of remarkable wasps on the leafless crown of the tree. its black mass was like a dark cloud, and they could hear a buzzing sound from a long distance. god¡¯s ancient tree. this level-13 boss was the most powerful in the entire twilight city before the appearance of the divine soul. the eyeless void hunters relied on their perception to observe their surroundings. at this moment, they could sense the treant in front of them contained the majestic energy of thousands of waterfalls that dell from the nine heavens. the monsters of darkness immediately raised their vigilance to the extreme. the guarding darkness crystal was a mark imprinted in the soul. it was unshakeable. whoever dared to offend them would have to face the most brutal attack. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the muffled sound of heavy hammers hitting the ground rang out incessantly. the void hunters could sense the opponent approached quickly! the moment the opponent reached the 100-meter limit¡­ more than half of the three squadrons of void hunters suddenly disappeared. the next second. a dense group of void hunters appeared in front of the god¡¯s ancient tree. these hideous monsters crazily charged at it. the sharp claws in their hands that could tear through steel struck the giant tree trunk. a series of scratches appeared on the giant tree trunk. it was ferocious and crazy. even a sturdy city wall would collapse under such concentrated attacks. the twisted human-faced giant tree trunk frowned slightly. the next moment. ¡®hu!¡¯ they heard an explosion. the giant tree trunk with instant death characteristics tore through space. the power was shocking. the void hunters can teleport once every three seconds. after teleportation, these monsters would not fall from the void and could still move around. a powerful ability. however, the target of their attack was the god¡¯s ancient tree, and if they wanted to cause damage, they had to get close. the invincible god¡¯s ancient tree loved this charge close-battle unit the most. without long-ranged restraints, this boss¡¯s battle power was so strong that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡®bang!¡¯ the giant tree trunk hit a void hunter in the air. its body was like a baseball, and the giant tree trunk kicked it to fly like a cannonball. the void hunter flew a hundred meters away and smashed into the black ground with a dull sound. when the giant tree trunk focused and glanced again, it broke all the bones and muscles in the other party¡¯s body. it was supremely tragic. the giant tree trunk, which was 70% thicker than the beam of a house, was more than enough as a weapon for a 10-meter-tall giant. with such a violent attack, it would even smash a giant dragon and make it vomit blood. the void hunter was still powerless against such absolute power although the void hunter was at level 14. ¡®buzz! buzz! buzz!¡¯ the venomous wasps swarmed down from the tree crown as it moved. it was like a massive wave. it quickly drowned the enemy. the void hunter¡¯s outer bone armor was as hard as steel. they could not withstand the poisonous sting of the bee. these agile troops flapped their wings and shot down at a terrifying speed like sharp arrows. ¡®rip!¡¯ the bone armor looked like a scalpel had cut it. the poisonous stingers streaked across its body. before the void hunter could react, the venomous wasp passed by it. after a few breaths, the surface of his body started to turn blue. after it twitched a few times, the terrifying poison devoured the monsters¡¯ vitality, and they fell from the sky and crashed to the ground. it activated an attribute that when the number of venomous hornets reached 3,000¡­ as long as ten wasps attacked a single enemy together, it would enormously increase the damage dealt. with all these buffs, no matter how tenacious the void hunter¡¯s vitality was, it couldn¡¯t resist the poison damage. however, the void hunter was not a lamb. it waved its sharp claws wildly and made a fierce counterattack. death was the only outcome when an opponent hit a wasp 10 centimeters in size. the battle had become enormously intense from the very beginning. the god¡¯s ancient tree had become a well-deserved meat grinder. it would kill those opponents who dared to charge forward. the terrifying destructive power made the void hunter experience how powerful it was. it broke a hundred tricks with one move. as an assassin, the venomous wasps were an offensive type. the two sides complemented each other. under such an overbearing attack, even if the void hunters could teleport, it killed them in just two to three minutes. those corpses became the spoils of war for the god¡¯s ancient tree. after it devoured them, the golden fruits on the trunk began to rapidly grow. it quickly replenished the venomous wasps lost in the battle. this boss was an entire troop that used war to sustain the battle. it could produce even more powerful wasps if its level continued to increase. it had cleared the enemies in front, but the god¡¯s ancient tree did not stop. it quickly charged toward the enemies that guarded the dark crystal. the remaining void hunters fought back frantically. their sharp claws left deep marks on the tree trunk. however, these attacks were like tickles to the boss, who was enormously resistant to armor. under the attack of the god¡¯s ancient tree, it smashed the void hunters that guarded the dark crystal under its overbearing posture. blood covered the black ground. it razed the monster stronghold guarded by three squadrons in less than 10 minutes. after the giant tree trunk devoured all the corpses, the god¡¯s ancient tree looked at the dark crystal that supported the spatial rift. it was not in a hurry to roll out the dark crystal and let the wasps send them back to twilight city. instead, he looked at the space rift that rippled with hesitation. before richard left, he had told it that something was terrible on the other side of the spatial rift. ¡°go there only if it were necessary.¡± however, as it devoured more and more dark energy ¡­ its body transformation got increasingly deeper. it could feel a unique force on the other side of the spatial rift attracting it. that feeling was¡­ the dark power it had obtained lacked something. and the other side of the spatial rift could make up for it. after it pondered. the god¡¯s ancient tree tried. the feeling that came from the depths of its soul could not be wrong. it slowly extended a root into the space gap while it pondered. in an instant, it felt indescribable majestic energy surge into the root. it had devoured the dark energy several times purer than the ones from the void lickers and void hunters. its soul immediately felt the joy of a thirsty person that met water from a well, and the transformation suddenly accelerated a little. after the god¡¯s ancient tree didn¡¯t sense any danger, it was greatly relieved. slowly, more and more roots passed through the spatial rift. at this moment, it could also sense the environment within a hundred meters of the space gap. there was no life around it. and dark energy filled the sky and earth it desperately desired. the dark energy in the ground was especially active, and it was a hundred times richer than the black earth it was on! when it sensed this, it immediately stuck its roots into the ground. as a big tree. the giant tree was best at absorbing nutrients from the soil. without any danger, the god¡¯s ancient tree began to devour the power that could transform it. after an unknown period, when the energy in its body had reached a certain level ¡­ suddenly. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s aura rose sharply. it spewed out in all directions without any restraint. after it returned to its senses, the boss immediately felt a sublime change in its soul. although it had yet to transform, it had gained a new power¡­ it was a newly awakened skill. however, before it could sense the power in detail, an indescribable aura passed through the spatial rift and arrived. at this moment, it was as if a mountain ten thousand feet high had collapsed and brought a majestic aura that shook the world. the soul of the god¡¯s ancient tree seemed frozen. an indescribable sense of danger filled the air. death stared at it! just as it was about to make a move. ¡®crack!¡¯ it broke dozens of roots that passed through the spatial rift. it shocked the god¡¯s ancient tree. it violently twitched the roots that bound the dark crystals. the dark crystals immediately scattered in all directions. the spatial rift slowly collapsed like a bubble without the support of energy. that terrifying pressure finally dissipated. the god¡¯s ancient tree looked at the spatial rifts that disappeared in silence for a long time. it finally understood what its lord meant by ¡®great terror¡¯. that kind of power was beyond its imagination. after a long time, it returned to its senses and ordered the venomous wasps to send the scattered dark crystals back to twilight city. when it cleared the dark crystals on the ground, it was about to turn around and leave. suddenly, it turned around and looked at the spatial rift that had disappeared. it could sense that its roots had regained their senses and connection¡­ the roots brewed a new power. the boss muttered after it stared at it for a long time. ¡°seed¡­ i planted a seed in that strange plane¡­¡± ***** [author¡¯s note: i¡¯m sorry. i was planning to write more today. but i was asked to work overtime again. i have to work overnight tonight. it¡¯s past five in the morning, and it¡¯s almost dawn. i can only write one chapter for now. i still needed five more chapters.] Chapter 371 ****** richard didn¡¯t know what had happened to the god¡¯s ancient tree. not long after the system notification sounded, the sky arena suddenly blurred before his eyes. then, a vast plain appeared before him. he only took a few stares when the system notification sounded again. !! [ding~ the demon king challenge has begun. you have automatically become the demon king. the nightmare difficulty challenge has started. please wait for the challenger to arrive.] [please block the challenger¡¯s attack and kill all the lords. if you die, you will lose the challenge.] [the system has resurrected all the soldiers that died in the previous challenge.] what surprised him was that he didn¡¯t hear about the live broadcasting of points this time. he was first in the last round, but this round, how couldn¡¯t he even make it into the livestream audience list? a strange smile appeared on richard¡¯s face after he pondered for a while. could it be those guys saw that he obtained one million points and deliberately went to other live broadcasting rooms to see it? with a player¡¯s personality, this was the only explanation he couldn¡¯t squeeze his tail in. he shook his head and didn¡¯t mind about it. this thing wasn¡¯t something he could control. it would be an unexpected gain, but it wouldn¡¯t be a loss if he didn¡¯t. he looked at the troops beside him. and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. level 14 renee, level 13 xina, level 12 alves, level 10 gunter, level 10 skeletal blood dragons, and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead and dark gargoyles that had an average of level 9. the composition of the troops was simple and crude, but whoever came would tremble. ¡°nightmare mode, 30 players working together¡­¡± he turned his head and looked around. he quietly waited for the enemy to arrive. not only that, but the system had also opened the nightmare difficulty demon king challenge for nine other players. however, there was no excitement on the players¡¯ faces. all had bitter expressions. they knew what they were doing. they might still be confident if he were up against two or three players. however, against 30 players with an entire troop¡­ just a thought about it made one feel suffocated. three hundred troops were against 9,000 enemy troops, and none were weak. to win was simply a fantasy. however, the system¡¯s arrangement left them helpless. they could only wait for the failure before it could change to a lower difficulty mode. the players who did not become demon kings excitedly chose their challengers. richard naturally became the hottest topic of discussion. the number of players in line was twice the number of great demon kings combined. the live broadcasting room was also lively at this time. [why haven¡¯t you started? i want to see you abuse qingqiu!] [by the way, why do i feel that even 30 people aren¡¯t enough?] [in the demon king challenge, i feel that other than the demon king qingqiu, the others are just there to fill in the numbers¡­] [why do i have a bad feeling? why do i feel that qingqiu might not lose this time¡­] [with 30 people surrounding qingqiu, can he still win? if you have the ability, i¡¯ll f*ck the fan live!] malevolent regards continued¡­ at first, most of the players looked forward to richard¡¯s death. but the more they discussed, the more uncertain they became. there were many times when they thought qingqiu would be doomed. but every time, he emerged with absolute dominance. the repeated face-smacking gave some players a strange feeling about richard. they hoped he would fail. but they didn¡¯t think he would lose. it was a dilemma. but most of them still thought richard would fail. thirty people. a total of 9,000 troops. they couldn¡¯t possibly be invincible, no matter how strong they were, right? amidst countless people¡¯s anticipation and heated discussions. the demon king challenge had finally started. [ding~ the first round of the great demon king challenge has begun. there are a total of 315 great demon kings in this round.] [it will teleport the lord who made his choice to the arena in three minutes.] [there is absolute freedom in the arena. all lords can move freely.] easy mode: five, normal mode: ten, difficult mode: 20, demon mode: 30. it did not seem like much, but when one thought about how each player could carry three heroes and three squadrons of troops, one could tell how much more difficult it was with each level up. everyone looked forward to it. three minutes passed. the scene before the players who made their choices changed appeared in all kinds of arenas. on the wide grass. several troops suddenly appeared. they were so dense that one couldn¡¯t even see the end of them. because there were all kinds of camps, the moment they appeared, the troops below almost started to fight. under the players¡¯ comfort, the atmosphere finally calmed down. then, the elf player flew into the sky on its horned eagle. ¡°let me introduce myself. my id is black dragon knight. i¡¯m ranked 10th. i¡¯m the vice guild leader with 500 players. ¡°i¡¯ve commanded more than 20 large-scale wars with more than 10,000 people. ¡°if you can trust me, i will be in charge of this battle. ¡°anyway, the system resurrects the dead troops and everyone¡¯s troops. so there is no need to worry about my command level being too low.¡± ¡°and as long as we defeat qingqiu, everyone will receive a reward, so there is no such thing as stealing equipment or credit. ¡°we¡¯re all comrades on the same boat now. only with an absolute trust could we exert the most soul-strapping power. ¡°defeat qingqiu! it is our common goal! ¡°this victory will ultimately be ours. ¡°all players, you can gather in the central area first. we¡¯ll discuss how we should fight next.¡± his calm voice was quite convincing. some of the clueless players immediately trusted him. they gathered in the central area after they settled down their subordinates. they saw such an organized scene. the audience in the live broadcasting room raised their spirits. [not bad, you¡¯re finally getting something out of this.] [with a pile of loose sand, qingqiu could ultimately turn the tables. but now, i¡¯m numb, hehe. i¡¯m looking forward to seeing qingqiu being surrounded and beaten!!] [as long as the commander is not brainless, with an immense advantage, even a simple flat push can overwhelm the opponent.] after fermentation, on the forum, 30 players led 9,000 troops to encircle and suppress qingqiu. it has become everyone¡¯s absolute focus. a pitifully small number challenged and watched the other great demons. what is the meaning of veggies pecking each other? wouldn¡¯t it be nice to join forces to attack the top players the forum recognized and pull qingqiu from the undefeated stage? although most didn¡¯t watch in richard¡¯s live broadcasting room, they were unwilling to give him points. but the live broadcasting room of the 30 players was vivacious. thirty players poured in an audience of more than ten billion. the 30 players formed a conspiracy to defeat qingqiu during their negotiation under the gaze of tens of billions of spectators. their absolute quantity advantage made them feel overconfident. the elf player did his part to become the supreme commander. after a series of plans, 30 players immediately began to act. before long, the scattered soldiers merged. corresponding heroes grouped the heroes of the same race. it didn¡¯t take long for the reorganized troop to head toward the center of the map with the expectation of tens of billions of viewers. qingqiu waited for them. the focus of the battle. Chapter 372 when the 9,000 soldiers who wore armor and held weapons attacked¡­ richard looked at the front, and the pressure on his heart was starkly unimaginable from these numbers. it was a dark mass. it looked like a surging wave. it made people¡¯s minds tremble. !! this time, they only had one enemy¨Cqingqiu. ¡°they¡¯re finally here.¡± richard looked into the distance. he rode alves¡¯ back. his eyes revealed some excitement when he saw the player troop. ¡°prepare to face the enemy!¡± a cold voice resounded through the sky. and the atmosphere immediately turned somber. from the players¡¯ perspective, the twilight city troop did not move much, and they just waited for them to approach. the player in charge of commanding the troop, the top player with the id black dragon knight, ranked tenth on the ranking board. he seated on the horned eagle. he looked at his opponent, who did not move much, and a vapid look flashed in his eyes. ¡°qingqiu, you have such confidence!¡± qingqiu¡¯s repressiveness towards their arrival immediately made him hold his breath. the 30 players discussed for a long time and formulated so many plans, but qingqiu seemed dismissive of them. that feeling was not good. ¡°he will pay for his arrogance!¡± at this moment, the 30 players all rode on the flying units and gathered together. the players who did not have any aerial units arrived with horned eagles. they were somewhat unhappy when they heard the black dragon knight¡¯s words. ¡°let¡¯s see what he can do when we wipe out his entire troop!¡± ¡°brothers, we must win this time! otherwise, it¡¯ll be too embarrassing.¡± ¡°f*ck qingqiu to death!¡± trash talks against qingqiu fraught the forum¡­ the crowd was furious. they could see the formation of the players¡¯ celestial ascension when they looked down from the sky. on the left was the darkness faction. the undead, demons, and abominations were all attacking again. the neutral faction in the middle, mechanical puppets, gargoyles, elementals, and the orcs. on the right were the good, the cult troop, the elven troop, and the human troop. although the composition of the troop was complex due to the different players, this combination allowed them to be mighty and did not have a drop in morale due to the varying camps. five hundred meters, four hundred meters, three hundred meters¡­ the troops slowly approached. at this moment, the 30 players in the central area of the troop had subtle expressions on their faces. even though qingqiu¡¯s troops were a few, the undead soldiers that richard rode on had a wingspan of more than 30 meters. and it gave off an exaggerated sense of oppression. they would probably collapse with a single charge if any led the troop here. however, it was different now. the vast number of people gave them enough confidence. ¡°sound the horn.¡± the black dragon knight ordered sternly. an elf that rode on a horned eagle took out an exquisite horn the size of a palm from his waist and blew it slowly. ¡®wu! wu! wu!¡¯ the small horn released a loud and exciting sound. it gave off a strong sense of contrast. the moment they heard the horn, the morale of the surrounding troops quickly rose. at the same time, they felt that the strength in their bodies suddenly increased by a lot. it was a 4-stars treasure, the horn of courage. the bugle horn sounded, and the heroes who led the troops of their respective camps cast their skills to enhance their strength. the strength of the rear troops rose again. he acted in an orderly manner while maintaining good order. the audience in the live broadcasting room had a new level of respect for the black dragon knight in command. the troops mixed. to do this, they were indeed men. at this point, they extinguished the audience that still had hope for qingqiu. against a group of scattered players, qingqiu still had a chance of survival. but he had no chance of winning against an entire troop, no matter how heaven-defying qingqiu was. nine thousand against 300, the advantage was so great that a few heroes could not make up for it. even if the few heroes of qingqiu could take on an entire troop, it would be futile! under the attention of thousands of people. the players¡¯ allied troop of challengers finally got within 200 meters of twilight city¡¯s troops. ¡®wu! wu!¡¯ a hurried horn sounded. the troop that advanced quickly stopped in their tracks. the next second. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the dark mass of arrows covered the sky. a sharp whistling sound pierced the eardrums. at this moment, in the livestream¡¯s audience¡¯s eyes. qingqiu sat on the back of the overbearing and handsome undead dragon. he slowly snapped his fingers. the next moment. the wind and clouds on the ground changed. the crisp grass suddenly turned into endless yellow sand. it was as if he had become the god of creation and could change the rules with a word. in the next second, the sand on the ground suddenly floated. as it surged madly, it condensed into an enormously thick sand armor on the bodies of the troops behind. the arrow finally arrived. ¡®ding! ding! ding!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing rang out. the attacks landed on the sand armor. it caused cracks to appear on it, but they instantly returned to their initial state. the rain of attacks did not kill any of the twilight city troops. this scene quickly shocked the livestream¡¯s viewers. ¡°f*ck! i thought qingqiu only had a few heroes! why is he so strong?!¡± ¡°when they turned a few hundred meters of grass into the sand with a snap of his fingers, so cool, my god!!¡± ¡°those sand shields are so powerful? could it withstand the arrows? didn¡¯t the rotten worms break with a single touch when we fought the boss?¡± ¡°is this the power a player at this point can possess?¡± Chapter 373 the scene enthralled the spectators¡­ richard had never shown his true power to the players since he entered the death arena fighting ring. the only time he had used it was when he fought with the rotten worms. however, there was not enough sand, so it appeared just an ordinary skill. as a result, the audience thought qingqiu relied on a few powerful heroes to survive. they didn¡¯t expect that the big boss was himself. !! it made the players feel a strong sense of bewilderment. however, this was only the beginning. ¡°attack!¡± a cold shout resounded through the world. in an instant, countless people watched as the twilight city troops stared at the arrows and flew. they charged toward the player troops. the axe of the dead rode on the dark gargoyle. the heroes all rode on the back of the skeleton blood dragons. amidst the countless arrows, the troops in yellow sand armor were overbearing. they blocked countless bullets, spears, and other attacks. the scene was like a science fiction movie and had a strong visual impact. within 100 meters of the player troops. the audience in the live broadcasting room saw richard¡¯s body on alves¡¯s back. he glowed with yellow sand. at that moment. in the middle of the player¡¯s troops, countless grains of sand suddenly floated. then, the yellow grains spun crazily. ¡°natural disaster, sandstorm!¡± the initially solid troops quickly turned somewhat chaotic. the sand hit their bodies like bullets, and blood immediately appeared in the areas without armor. however, this scene had already dazzled countless people. richard snapped his fingers again. ¡®pa!¡¯ the next second. the sand that floated and circulated covered an area of several hundred meters and exploded. it was like gasoline had splashed and collided with an open fire. a flame that could blind rose in the sky. a terrifyingly high temperature gushed out, and waves of scorching air waves swept in all directions. even though they were a hundred meters apart, their hair was still slightly curled. ¡°ah!!!¡± shrill cries of pain came from the sandstorm that exploded. the terrifying sound seemed to come from the abyss of purgatory. it was creepy. the high temperature burned the sand and turned them red. under the high-speed rotation, the sand again hit the opponents¡¯ bodies and caused more than ten times the damage. furthermore, the refined sand grains could even enter the body through the gaps in the armor. even the mechanical puppets with strong defenses would be of no help in the face of such pervasive attacks. to ensure the suppression. black dragon knight arranged his troops very closely. it was impossible to escape in such a short time. this attack smothered at least two large battalions. in the live broadcasting room, the players who saw this scene felt their backs go numb. they felt waves of dizziness. many subconsciously opened their mouths and couldn¡¯t close them for a long time. they thought they were overbearing enough to turn the ground into sand and form armor that could block arrows. he didn¡¯t expect the opponent would use such a skill that could be called a natural disaster! ¡°qingqiu! ¡°it was qingqiu?¡± then, he looked at the blurry figure behind the undead soldiers surrounded by yellow sand. at that moment, he felt that a sense of worship rose. in the blink of an eye, qingqiu annihilated the enemy. [he was too f*cking handsome!] if he could show off for them just this once, he would not have lived his life in vain! the 30 players at the back were not affected, but their expressions turned supremely ugly when they felt the heat from the blazing sandstorm. especially black dragon knight in charge of command. the strong confidence in his heart was like an egg smashed from the tenth floor before the troops could officially clash with the opponent. he clenched his fingers tightly and made cracking sounds. at this moment, his eyes turned supremely cold. the rising flames in front of him were like a slap to his face. his emotions of unwillingness surged. ¡°he can¡¯t possibly keep casting such a powerful skill!! ¡°sound the horn of attack! kill qingqiu at all costs!¡± the suppressed anger in his voice brought the surrounding players back to their senses. he immediately echoed loudly, as if this was the only way to vent the chaos in his heart. ¡®wu! wu! wu!¡¯ when the troops in chaos heard the horn, they quickly suppressed the fear in their hearts and fixed their eyes on the opponents in the sky. they would not die in this mystical plane. even human soldiers would not have too much fear because of the ability to resurrect. right, middle, and left, the air forces of three military formations immediately took off. the long-range soldiers on the ground began to attack. the ground troops were responsible for providing cover. if the enemy landed, they would immediately swarm forward. after the troops changed their formation. the attacks immediately became concentrated. richard¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°let these players experience the edge of twilight city! ¡°all troops, attack with me¡­ don¡¯t leave a single one!¡± as soon as richard finished speaking, he took the lead and commanded alves to rush towards the good camp troop on the right. he saw elves and priests in white robes in the troops¡­ light magic has additional damage to the undead troops. the most dangerous was to exterminate first. ¡®hu!¡¯ alves, who had a wingspan of 30 meters, burned with the power of blood. the bones were crystal clear rubies. it looked domineering and majestic on the outside, and at the same time, it had a powerful oppressive force. when it reached the opponents¡¯ heads, it increased the pressure by several levels. ¡®hu!¡¯ the dozens of meters long dragon breath swept down. the troops below roared and wanted to fight back. however, sharp arrows could not penetrate its bones, and spears could not hurt its head. its terrifying defense made it a soul-strapping overlord. the skeleton blood dragon behind richard also attacked at the same time. dozens of tongues of fire formed a net of fire. no matter how powerful the troops below, as the dragon breath enveloped them, they would turn into a pool of blood at the first moment. ¡®rip!¡¯ after the undead soldiers behind him lowered to a height of 40 meters, they threw the tomahawks wrapped around their arms. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the chains rattled. the tomahawks that tore through the void fell from the sky. a priest of the sun god below felt the danger and raised a magic shield to block the attack above him. but the next second, the tomahawk appeared. ¡®crack!¡¯ the magic shield shattered in less than a second. his entire head exploded like a tomato. as for the attacks from below, there were arrows, bullets, spears, and all other weapons. although they were not weak, they were all aimed at the dark gargoyles with a strong defense. the dark gargoyle would activate the sand transformation quickly to save its life even if it could not withstand it. the biggest threat to twilight city was the unconscious spellcaster troop. the priests of those religions were even more soul-strapping against the skeleton blood dragons and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. richard knew this very well, so he gave gunter the task. once the enemy showed up, the blood lich would quickly cast a ball of corruption to devour the opponent. this powerful spellcasting hero displayed explosive damage output on the chaotic battlefield. corpse explosion, in particular, had no cooldown. it was like sending warmth to the corpses on the ground. and every explosion would cover an area of tens of meters which could create more corpses. gunter could destroy this troop by itself if it had enough magic power. the only thing that restricted the output of a spellcaster was magic power. after the unstoppable attacks, the players¡¯ flying troops finally gathered. their numbers exceeded that of an entire brigade! the leader was a harpy hero with a pair of gray wings. however, it was messy because it was a troop gathered from various players. there were all kinds of races. demons, undead, elves, humans¡­ however, at first glance, it was a dense mass of black, which still gave people mighty pressure. after the opponent condensed and formed, they quickly charged toward twilight city troops. they were aggressive. richard¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°alves! gather the power!¡± alves¡¯s soul flame suddenly expanded. the next moment. the opponents drained the power of the 30 skeleton blood dragons. the blood-colored power on their bodies exploded more than ten meters high. richard saw this and quickly ordered the dragon hero to charge into the enemy¡¯s aerial forces. the scene overwhelmed the viewers in the live broadcasting with emotions when they saw this scene. [f*ck! he¡¯s too f*cking handsome riding on a giant dragon!] Chapter 374 his attitude was overbearing. no one could block the damage of a beyond a-rank skill. the exaggerated corrosiveness became the nightmare of the opponents. they would turn bloody as long as one was in contact with twilight city troops. the burning power of blood became a natural shield. !! they would be like sheep entering a tiger¡¯s mouth if the enemy wanted to get close to attack. the defense troops would directly devour them. richard had only two battle units, but no one could stop him with alves at his back and call. the players at the back had ugly expressions on their faces. they had hoped that the air force could suppress the twilight city troops. however, they didn¡¯t expect the dragon alone could throw the entire troop into chaos. ¡°increase the distance! spellcaster, long-range attack!¡± the harpy hero was shocked and angry at this moment. he constantly commanded the troops to adjust the direction of the attack. however, alves¡¯ flying speed was too fast. it was simply a fantasy for ordinary flying troops to distance themselves from the giant dragon. in the end, the other party gritted his teeth and used three squadrons of close-battle soldiers as shields to forcefully block alves¡¯ path. at this moment, twilight city troops had killed a third of the air force. only then did the remaining troops start to attack from a distance. the elves on the horned eagles began to cast nature magic. some of the soldiers had a unique glow on their bodies. the next moment, the arrow whistled out. finally¡­ scars appeared on alves¡¯s body. the crystal skeleton had crisscrossed cracks. but before they could get excited¡­ as the blood-colored light surged, the cracks returned to their initial state. the harpy hero took a deep breath and adjusted his strategy again. however, the players¡¯ flying troops were like moths to a flame in the face of absolute strength. it would melt them into charcoal of the scorching fire, no matter how crazy they were. many people felt sour as richard slaughtered in the live broadcasting room. why didn¡¯t they have such a strong hero? all made up their minds to get themselves a dragon as a mount in the future. not for anything else, just because he was handsome. the dragon flew in all directions and soared through the sky. the sky battlefield had become alves¡¯s performance venue. the flying troops had become the background board which made the troops appear supremely ferocious. the black dragon knight in charge saw this scene, and his expression turned colder. he was shocked and angry. ¡°qingqiu was simply inhumane! ¡°a single person slaughtered thousands of dimensions. wasn¡¯t this the same as picked their faces and rubbed them on the ground? furthermore, it was a live broadcast! although he didn¡¯t know the exact number of people that watched, such an exciting challenge definitely wouldn¡¯t lack people! because they challenged qingqiu! he did not have much reputation, but what kind of reputation did qingqiu have? he initially wanted to get rid of the other party as quickly as possible and push his reputation to a notch to attract more people to join his guild. however, forget your reputation this way. even if he won, he would probably become the opponents¡¯ background! he would not allow it! he took a deep breath and turned to look at the elf that rode on the horned eagle. ¡°is the spellcaster troop ready?¡± ¡°my lord, everything is ready.¡± the black dragon knight nodded slowly. ¡°begin plan b!¡± ¡°yes!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the bugle horn sounded again. suddenly, the skeleton blood dragon, which flew in the sky, felt like it carried a boulder that weighed a thousand tons. its body fell uncontrollably. alves also felt the strangeness at the first moment. ¡°lord, the other party has cast a spatial delay spell¡­¡± richard¡¯s face was as calm as ever. the players weren¡¯t idiots, and with their flexibility, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for them to react. ¡°return and face the enemy with the troops.¡± alves immediately gave up on hunting down the enemy¡¯s flying units. it turned around and stared at the soul-strapping pressure that fell slowly on twilight city¡¯s troops. richard looked down at the crowd. not only did the enemy¡¯s magic restrict them, but they were also unable to fly. however, to the challenger troop, the ground troops were the stronger troops. the existence of the air force did not matter much. the other party expanded its advantage. when the spectators in the live broadcasting room saw the fearless undead dragon land, they quickly lifted their spirits. [sure enough, there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers among the players. ] [one cannot underestimate an oponent!] [qingqiu, it¡¯s impossible for you to turn the tables against so many troops, right?] [isn¡¯t this scenario for the sky arena?] words that insulted qingqiu filled the forum¡­ whether to fly or not had a fatal impact on qingqiu¡¯s troops. at this moment, the hope for the players¡¯ alliance to defeat qingqiu rose again. skeleton blood dragons and dark gargoyles protected the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. ¡°gunter, fire support. ¡°xina, go and find the opponent¡¯s lord. ¡°renee, fight freely.¡± from richard¡¯s point of view, the battlefield was a mess. all sorts of soldiers attacked from all races. it would be difficult for him to discover the players that deliberately hid under such circumstances. the players in command at the back would keep themselves from richard. the sound of the magic horn could instantly reverberate throughout the battlefield, and it was impossible to deduce anything. Chapter 375 ¡°when all these troops are dead, i hope you can still hide! ¡°attack with all your strength! leave no one alive!¡± the voice fell. the player alliance troop launched their sturdiest offensive. !! human cavalrymen, dwarf mechanical puppets, orc berserkers, elven swordsmen, fallen demons, skeleton warriors¡­ the vast troops attacked like waves. they launched interspersing waves of attacks. at this moment, the twilight city troops formed a circle to deal with the situation. the dragon breath of the skeleton blood dragon could reach up to 30 meters. it was like tongues of fire that intertwined into a fire net. the opponent would suffer the fiercest attack at the first moment. the attack of the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead followed after they passed through the net fire. the tomahawks were like the scythes of the grim reaper. even a warrior with a heavy shield would find it hard to withstand the terrifying damage. and the most soul-strapping killing weapon¨Ctomahawk smash¨Chad made it the source of terror for the attacking troops. the rare-level tomahawk smash range was 20 meters, but the glorious-level increased to 50 meters. each time it exploded, it would clear a large area. after the opponents charged in, the soldiers still had to face the dark gargoyles that emitted metallic luster. these glorious 3-stars units all spread their wings and stared at the opponents. once they got close, the sharp claws that could tear through steel would burst out with shocking killing intent! the three units formed three lines of defense. although the number was dozens of times less than the other party, it was like a sharp knife that ruthlessly pierced the other party¡¯s chest and abdomen. the battlefield had become a meat grinder. the situation was not as one-sided as the viewers in the live broadcasting room had imagined. the qingqiu troops exploded with a battle power that made their mouths dry when they faced a sea of opponents. overbearing, mighty, and crazy! a few players expected richard¡¯s troops to be this powerful. the scene was like a meat grinder that crazily crushed meat. the enemies who rushed over tasted the craziest slaughter at the first moment. the sharpness of the blade made people speechless. ¡°long-range suppression! attack!¡± the long-range troops organized by the wings immediately became the hope of the battlefield after the other party blocked the close-range soldiers. more than a brigade of long-range soldiers launched a fierce attack. arrows, spears, pellets, flying tomahawks¡­ the densely packed weapons almost covered the sky. it starkly shattered the yellow sand armor richard wore after two rounds of attacks. before the commander could get excited¡­ richard looked at the location of the opponents¡¯ long-range troops. his voice resounded through the sky. ¡°charge and slaughter with me!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the opponents surrounded the troops of the twilight city, but qingqiu¡¯s troops quickly charged in one direction. alves became the spearhead of the team. its dragon breath directly tore through all obstacles on its way. the troops at the back formed a triangle and started to charge forward. in a situation where the quality of the troops was almost overwhelming, no opponent could stop them. the twilight city troops slaughtered the opponents¡¯ close-range troops in front in charge of dragging them. the recently organized long-range troops immediately fell into chaos. because of the chaos on the battlefield, even though the commander quickly gave orders, the twilight city troops delayed them inevitably. when the opponents¡¯ long-range troops were ready to retreat, the twilight city troops quickly killed their way through the front line. the twilight city troops slaughtered all. whether a mechanical puppet, orc berserker, elven swordsman, or fallen demon. the dragon breath of the skeleton blood dragon, the dark gargoyle¡¯s sharp claws, the undead soldier¡¯s tomahawk, gunter¡¯s spell, xina¡¯s broken stell longsword¡­ all of this became a dazzling scene on the battlefield. they still slaughtered more than two-thirds of the long-range troops even though they fled quickly. gunter¡¯s corpse explosion was the uttermost contributor. as long as one person fell. before it exhausted its magic power, it would drip the red ink into the clear water and quickly spread it around. when one person died, the corpse explosion would control the explosion and kill more people, thus creating more corpses. then, a more powerful would quickly occur and create more corpses¡­ the scene was supremely terrifying under the infinite loop. after richard took charge of the long-range soldiers, he continued to command his troops to charge into the opponents¡¯ ranks. it reduced infinitely the opponent¡¯s advantage in numbers after the situation fell into chaos. richard valiantly fought even if the opponents were not afraid of death. however, commendable orders are arduous to execute, and their bravery seemed so weak in the face of the blades of twilight city. when richard wore the death elegy medal, the attributes of all undead soldiers increased by 50%. although the quantity was small, they were incomparable in terms of quality. in the live broadcasting room. the audience, who looked forward to the alliance troop that would slaughter qingqiu, now watched the twilight city troops run amok amidst thousands of players. suddenly, their expression became quite interesting. why was this so different from what they had imagined? ¡°qingqiu, was he that powerful?¡± they looked at the figure that rode on the back of the undead dragon with a calm gaze. the emotions in their hearts were particularly complicated. they were all players. and they had entered the ¡°shining era¡± altogether. how could he be so soul-strapping? that was an alliance of 30 players! they had the stomach full of words to say, but in the end, they all turned into one sentence¡­ ¡°this damn pervert!¡± black dragon knight¡¯s face was so dark that he appeared like water was about to drip out of it. thirty players, 9,000 troops, in the end, they could only let this bastard charge around! however, there was nothing they could do at the moment. it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to give orders, but with the situation in such a state of chaos, the disadvantage of having too many different types of troops was evident. he wanted to give orders, but only a few soldiers on the other side followed his orders. it was especially true for the darkness camp¡¯s troops. the demons and the undead went crazy from the blood stimulation at the beginning of the battle. unless he stopped the war, reorganized the troops, and arranged a hero to command¡­ but was that possible? will qingqiu give him time to adjust? black dragon knight watched as the other party continued to charge toward the enemy with more people, which completely messed up the situation. he turned to look at the players beside him. he expelled a long breath. ¡°we¡¯ve lost this round,¡± when the players behind him heard this, they were all confused. ¡°lost?¡± ¡°the battle was only halfway through. how did we lose?¡± when the flight restriction wasn¡¯t in place, they would still go back and forth with the other party. now that the system banned them from flying, the other party had lost the advantage of flying, which they were best at. how could they lose? black dragon knight was very straightforward when he looked into the players¡¯ eyes. ¡°there are at least four large battalions left on the battlefield, but we can no longer hold back qingqiu.¡± ¡°let¡¯s consider the next round.¡± the scene fell into a long silence. many players subconsciously turned their heads to look at the troops that attacked them. the other party¡¯s domineering attitude and when they saw how they slaughtered their allied forces made their hearts twitch. half an hour later. the forum exploded with an exaggerated piece of news. [in the first round of the demon king challenge, among the difficulty levels of easy, average, difficult, and nightmare, only one person won.] [only qingqiu single-handedly slaughtered the 30 players, toppled down 9,000 troops, and snatched the only victory!] Chapter 376 when several players saw the news that only qingqiu had won in the three-level challenge, their first reaction was startled. then, they felt it was difficult to understand. it was understandable for the demon king players to fail the nightmare level with 30 players. however, no one cleared the average and difficult. they quickly caused a heated discussion after they posted their questions and doubts on the forum. !! [are you kidding me? only the top one million players can enter the death arena fighting ring. only the top one million players can join. after two rounds of elimination, are there any weaklings here?] [it was simply a fool¡¯s dream to fight against ten, or even twenty or thirty people alone¡­ qingqiu should not count! he¡¯s a pervert!] [those who have this kind of question are brainless. think about it. even the five players challenged the easy level. what kind of concept is this? he only had 300 troops and had to face an attack of 1,500. he could only have a chance of winning by defending the city. however, it had raised the average level to 10 players and 3,000 troops¡­ just the thought of it is suffocating. to win at such a level, hehe. other than qingqiu, everyone else here is happy!] [is qingqiu undefeatable? i don¡¯t believe it. it¡¯s just that the system didn¡¯t choose me¡­] it was a mixture of support and hatred over qingqiu¡­ at first, most players didn¡¯t know about this challenge, but after the results were out, they had an impression of it. [so, qingqiu was that powerful.] [the other players could not even win against a 10-man challenge. but qingqiu alone and his 300 troops could fight against 9,000. he caused the enemy to lose their armor and could not resist.] there would be no harm without comparison. after this, the reputation that was already full of gold appeared even more impressive. in contrast, ¡°pervert¡± was the most frequently mentioned word when the system announced qingqiu. his strength had already become a first-class existence, and the players most talked about a few heroes. richard didn¡¯t know how the outside world reacted. after the first match of the challenge ended, the system¡¯s notification quietly rang out. [ding~ you have led a troop to block the allied challenge of 30 lords. you have obtained the reward for killing a special boss x4. the system will reward you after the demon king challenge. when richard saw the notification, his mood immediately lifted. four times the reward! it was too comfortable. [ding~ you can freely choose the difficulty level for the next challenge¡­] ¡°nightmare.¡± [ding~ selection successful. the system will revive all dead troops. the second round of the demon king challenge will begin in ten minutes. please be prepared.] besides richard, who had chosen nightmare mode, the rest of the ascendants had all lowered their difficulty to easy. fewer than ten people chose the average level. some winners of the previous easy level wanted to show off this time. the other groups were the top players who had almost won the last time. they were not willing to give up. however, no matter how lively the players were, they all tacitly did not test it on the nightmare and difficult level. this thing simply was not something they could beat. it was too difficult. the players who had just experienced the taste of defeating the demon king and obtaining the fruit of victory were also supremely enthusiastic about signing up. however, when they saw that only a few great demon kings chose the higher level, they all cursed and shouted that these bullsh*t great demon kings were all weaklings¡­ black dragon knight looked at the choices on the attribute panel and fell into an extreme dilemma. demon king¨Cqingqiu, nightmare mode, number of lords: 30 he failed so quickly the last time. it caused him to feel a strong sense of unwillingness in his heart. he came here to make a name for himself, but after he took command, he didn¡¯t have much room to resist. it was hard for him to accept this failure. he wanted to do it again. but every time he thought of the overbearing attitude of the undead dragons in qingqiu, he felt a sense of fear. it ruthlessly suppressed the courage to choose his heart. in this simple clash, qingqiu gave it a feeling of invincibility. even if he had to face a level 15 boss, he didn¡¯t want to encounter that guy covered in sand again. with this in mind, he decided in his heart. ¡®to hell with fame, i quit! ¡®i don¡¯t want to face that pervert anymore.¡¯ with this thought, he heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed with this thought. a person¡¯s name was like the shadow of a tree. although one couldn¡¯t see or touch it, the various glorious achievements in the past still inevitably left traces in their hearts. ¡°black dragon knight, commander? do we still choose to challenge qingqiu?¡± at this moment, a hesitant voice sounded from behind. black dragon knight turned around and saw that it was a member of his guild. he had an inexplicable expression on his face and slowly shook his head. ¡°i don¡¯t want to challenge him anymore. let¡¯s find an easy one.¡± when the other party heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. he nodded repeatedly. ¡°that¡¯s right. that¡¯s the logic. commander black dragon knight, i¡¯ll tell the others.¡± after the other party said that, he turned around and shouted at the few people not far away. ¡°don¡¯t worry! commander black dragon knight said we will no longer challenge qingqiu this time!!¡± the players were overjoyed. ¡°commander is so wise!¡± ¡°i knew it. we are all earning points anyway. why bother with that pervert qingqiu?¡± they exchanged words of delight¡­ when black dragon knight saw this, he was somewhat angry and amused. it turned out that qingqiu traumatized these soldiers¡­ his mood immediately improved when he saw several people felt the same feeling as him. Chapter 377 the second round of the demon king challenge began with the anticipation and excitement of the players. the sharp-eyed audience realized that the players who had challenged qingqiu in the previous round had all disappeared. a new group of ambitious players replaced them. their gazes were determined. and their faces still showed the joy of victory. !! it was distinct they had won the challenge against the other demon kings. the viewers in the live broadcasting room burst into laughter when they saw the players in high spirits. ¡°f*ck, they still don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to face¡­¡± ¡°hahaha, i hope they can still laugh after half an hour.¡± they knew how it worked with qingqiu¡­ excited and highly-strung players were about to slay qingqiu.l the second round of the demon king challenge. two hours later. alves¡¯s dragon breath destroyed the last player¡¯s magic shield and wiped out the last of its resistance under its unwilling gaze. [ding~ you have led a troop to block the alliance of 30 lords. you have obtained the reward for killing a special boss x4. you will receive your reward the demon king challenge. it was another satisfying victory. moreover, the battle this time was much easier than the previous one. the 30 players without a strong commander starkly scattered. it was so chaotic that they could not organize an effective attack. it was like a sharp knife in the face of the twilight city troops, no matter how they resisted. they could not do anything. all the players who participated in the challenge appeared in the open space after they left the death arena fighting ring. only the great demon king remained in the arena. the players who appeared in the same place looked at each other and saw the bitterness in each other¡¯s eyes. the excitement they felt when they first entered the instance dungeon had long since disappeared. ¡°qingqiu!¡± the audience expected richard¡¯s victory after they witnessed many of his battles. but even so, they were still amazed to see the other party annihilate the player troop as quickly as cutting melons and vegetables. more people died and threw goods away. the difference between ordinary players and qingqiu was simply too enormous. the soul-strapping battle power that xina and the other heroes showed made the audience in the live broadcasting room feel even more envious. an ordinary troop could not compare, and a hero was not even worthy to carry shoes. ¡®tsk!¡¯ richard suddenly felt bored at the thought of this. when would they have the same level of power as qingqiu? richard¡¯s third match began while the forums were in an uproar. at first, the audience thought that this would be another slaughter-like battle. but unexpectedly, the intensity of this battle far exceeded their expectations. it was because the one who commanded the battle this time was a soul-strapping priest player. the opponent was a red-robed cardinal personally bestowed by the sun god. it could summon the shadow of a level 19 angel to descend. the angel did not have any powerful offensive skills. but it could enhance all the troops with light magic, which would cause double the damage to twilight city¡¯s troops. even though richard had the death elegy medal, a 5-stars treasure, which increased the attributes of all undead troops in twilight city by 50%, he could still use it. however, due to their natural restraint, they still inevitably suffered significant losses. the skeleton blood dragons, the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead, and the dark gargoyles all died in the battle. none of them survived. it convinced the spectators and the players on the battlefield that richard would no longer be the victor of this battle. but at the last moment. they saw an angry richard. the sand around his body was like the god of the desert. he turned the ground into a desert again with a wave of his hand. the terrifying and raging flames and sandstorm swept across the world again. at the same time. a 30-meter tall wave of sand rose from the ground and swept in all directions. the terrifying sand wave directly swallowed the concentrated troops around the alliance force. at the same time, alves, xina, gunter, and renee, the four top-tier combatants, attacked with all their might. the audience in the live broadcasting room had never thought that a hero alone could kill thousands of troops. however, at this moment, they witnessed how terrifying a top-tier hero attacks madly. after ten minutes in the live broadcasting room of the 30 players¡¯ alliance, the bullet comments were as few as paper. everyone was dumbfounded as they looked at the figures that madly hunted down the troop of players. alves¡¯s dragon breath, xina¡¯s broken steel longsword, gunter¡¯s corpse explosion, and renee¡¯s divine spell and space control. and richard¡¯s sand transformation. the surrounding troops were not even enough for them to kill. and renee¡¯s bug-like divine spell death hunt forcibly shattered that level 19 angel shadow after she consumed 20 points of divine power. all of the other party¡¯s support had turned into bubbles. when he slaughtered the last enemy. the battle that the tens of billions of people watched finally ended. at this moment, when they saw the figure that rode on the giant dragon¡¯s back and surrounded by yellow sand, no one had any contempt or disdain for him. a strong sense of amazement, admiration, and fear replaced their contempt. an uncontrollable fear. the instinct of life. the power that richard exhibited far exceeded the limits of their imagination. initially, they thought qingqiu¡¯s troops were mighty. and their heroes had more potential. but after this battle. only then did they understand that this wasn¡¯t just a little stronger, a little higher. it was simply a difference of nature! most people would not be willing to admit defeat when the gap was still visible. but when the difference was so significant that is beyond description and imagination¡­ that feeling was immediately different. not long after. the news about this battle on the forum was like fuel that ignited and burned wildly. everyone discussed. several people from the initially lively anti-qingqiu alliance quietly withdrew. a few people commented that they took things too hard and were sick in the head¡­ the change in attitude was so significant that it was funny. but everyone knew why the other party did this. that undefeatable freak was like a huge rock. he pressed down on everyone¡¯s heart. perhaps, this is the king of gladiator! Chapter 378 [ding~ you have become the great demon king and have won the challenge.] [after you become the great demon king, you can obtain a reward for killing a special boss in the easy mode¨C5 gladiators and 5 gold points, and a 4-stars treasure chest. the players on the forum were all excited about the demon king challenge. richard was in a good mood. !! [ding~ you will get double the kill reward in average mode, triple in difficult mode, and quadruple in nightmare mode. [you¡¯ve won three nightmarish demon king challenges. you¡¯ve obtained 60 gladiator points, 60 gold points, and 12 four-stars crystal treasure chests. [the reward has been sent. please take a look.] as the system notification rang. this additional event came to an end. this time, richard completed the nightmare level three times in the demon king challenge. he received a reward that made everyone envious. the gladiator and gold points were enough to earn him a fortune. not to mention the 12 four-stars crystal treasure chests. this time, they were simply here to replenish their stock! in his excitement, he opened all the treasure chests as a reward from the system. it was as he had expected. all the treasures were 5-stars treasures that could improve a characteristic of a troop type¨Cthe psionic gemstone. in addition to the two he obtained, he now had 14. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it could increase the strength of three to five troop units by a large margin. his primary target was the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. if he could upgrade this troop, its range would increase to two to three hundred meters. and it would become a strategic force. in addition, the scorpion warriors, wild sand mages, and sand condensation archers all had good potential. if he could strengthen the axe of the dead, the strength of his troop would definitely increase at a crazy rate. this wave of the harvest was reposeful. richard was in a state of excitement. and the players on the forum were all aware of what he had gained. the rewards from the demon king challenge were open to the public. and they could figure out his harvest by calculating the levels. it immediately attracted several envious people. [awesome¡­ in that case, could qingqiu earn more than ten 4-stars treasure chests? tsk! i¡¯m getting jealous.] [i¡¯m so envious. one can get four times the harvest for a single nightmare level in the demon king challenge. three times is 12 times¡­ [tsk! i want to say something, but i don¡¯t know what to say. qingqiu fought their way out this time with their strength. i can¡¯t say anything wrong about this guy.] ¡°qingqiu¡­¡± words of envy filled the forum. richard faced 30 players three times in a row to practice his skills, and he won all three times. apart from him, only three people completed the average level¨Cface the joint attack of 10 players. no one would choose to be in the nightmare level. on the other hand, more than 30 great demon kings had successfully defeated the challengers at the easy level. however, compared to qingqiu¡¯s glorious battle record of fighting 9,000 troops alone. it was not worth mentioning at all. the players on the forum didn¡¯t even bother to look at others. it was impressive to defeat five people at once. but they were not splendid like richard. a comparison was the scariest thing. the demon king challenge ended with another system notification. [ding~ the demon king challenge has ended. the next round of the death arena fighting ring, the king of gladiator, the furnace battle, will begin in ten minutes. [the top 1,000 players in the current gladiator ranking will participate in this battle. the system will quickly eliminate the rest.] [in this battle, 1,000 people in the same arena will fight. for every lord killed, one will get one battle point.] [and the final winner will receive the title of king of gladiator.] [there¡¯s only one winner in this battle.] [step on the enemy¡¯s bones and win back the glory.] [the winner shall be the king of gladiator!]¡± in the live broadcasting room, the viewers cheered in excitement when they saw the system notification on the screen. [one thousand people fighting together. it is exciting.] [the winner shall be king of gladiator! this sentence is coquettish.] [qingqiu, i have high hopes for qing qiu! who wants to bet with me?] [bullshit, qingqiu attracts a lot of attention. in such a chaotic battle, a single one will be the target of everyone¡¯s attacks, and they might not achieve a good result¡­] higher hopes filled the forum¡­ although it was a chaotic battle that involved a thousand players, the players who hoped for richard¡¯s defeat in the demon king challenge now looked at the figure surrounded by yellow sand. although they were unwilling to admit it. however, everyone understood who had the last hope of winning this battle. was there anyone who could stop the overbearing lord of the desert? just a thought of the other party¡¯s dazzling battle record, they all fell silent. unless¡­ thousands of people will attack at the same time. the spectators discussed who could win and who could stop richard. time passed by quietly. ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. richard¡¯s eyes darkened. suddenly, he felt the air around him become hot. he turned around and saw that the ground was crimson. it was like red blood seeped into the soil. a wave of hot air rose from the ground. it seemed like a volcano was about to erupt. ¡°lord, you see¡­¡± gunter seemed to have noticed something. it pointed at the sky in the distance. richard raised his head and looked up. he stopped breathing. a shocking scene appeared in his eyes. it was the end of the world. a giant ten of thousand meters tall showed its upper body. he looked at the red land indifferently. Chapter 379 its terrifying size gave off an indescribable pressure just by looking at it. it was like it stood at the foot of a mountain about to collapse. the irresistible pressure in his heart pressed down like a mountain rock. in the sky, a faint mist covered the giant¡¯s detailed face. it added countless mysteries and made it even more terrifying. the giant, hundreds of thousands of meters high, moved. it turned around and walked away. !! ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground trembled with every step it took. it was like stepping on his heart. richard¡¯s breathing slowed. he wanted to open the other party¡¯s attribute panel, but because he was too far away, it did not work. xina, this determined warrior, was now dumbfounded. her senses didn¡¯t come back for a long time. ¡°my lord, what is that? a god?¡± richard took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. ¡°don¡¯t mind it. the other party definitely won¡¯t make a move.¡± if the giant were to make a move, even the 1,000 players could not stand up to it, let alone the twilight city. that giant could quickly destroy a plane. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ while richard pondered. the giant who had reincarnated and left returned. but this time, the other party held a large bunch of them¡­ wood. every piece of wood had the same terrifying size. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the giant casually threw the giant trees, and they suddenly hit the ground with a loud boom that sounded like a landslide. then, the other party picked up one and stuffed it in front of it. a series of enormous flame explosions rose into the sky as bombs exploded. the giant¡¯s face reflected a fiery red. richard was stunned. the giant was¡­ start a fire? he suddenly lowered his head. the heat that the crimson land emitted became increasingly startling. a bad feeling rose in his heart. the furnace battle, this was the furnace battle? these people fought in the furnace of the giants! if they continued to drag this on, the other party would add more firewood to the fire, and the red land would completely melt. wouldn¡¯t it finish them all? even if they could fly, who knew if the flowers wouldn¡¯t explode like hot oil after the ground turned into lava? when that happened, they would explode hundreds to thousands of meters high. and flying troops would be scant. as richard pondered, his scalp went numb. he suddenly turned his head to look at his surroundings. a towering red mountain peak that reached into the clouds came into view. it was the only mountain that entered his sight. ¡°this challenge is to force everyone to the top.¡± richard knew what the system was trying to do. but he didn¡¯t waste any time. he immediately ordered the troop to take off and head towards the red mountain peak. the other players were not alive either. although they were also stunned by the terrifying giant more than 100,000 meters tall, they felt that the situation was not good after they returned to their senses. they quickly ran toward the red mountain. richard felt terrible pressure when he reached 150 feet in the air. it was as if an object weighed tens of thousands of kilograms on his body. within 50 meters, the pressure suddenly disappeared. limited space. as expected, there were no loopholes in this arena. richard immediately ordered the troops to increase their flying speed when he noticed no loopholes. in the live broadcasting room, the tens of billions of viewers did not expect this to happen. anticipation shrouded all of them. that red mountain peak was where a fierce battle was about to break out. however, a few unlucky ones were born on the other side of the red mountain. because of their poor vision, they didn¡¯t see the giant burned the fire. they only knew that the ground was a little hot, but they didn¡¯t know what would happen next. when the audience saw these guys still fought each other, they couldn¡¯t help but mourn for them for half a second. however, richard was the one who received the most attention. richard¡¯s odds would have been outrageous if no one had placed a bet on him, the king of gladiator in everyone¡¯s hearts. as it was the last battle, most players could not be bothered to give him points. one by one, they came to richard¡¯s stream, eager to see how this guy would fight his way out of a thousand players. the audience was jealous of richard at the start. but after the many battles, he¡¯d proven himself to be the best. he well deserved everything he¡¯d gained so far. the audience¡¯s hatred, envy, and jealousy toward qingqiu now disappeared because of this. they looked forward to a car overturning him and hoped he would continue to show his most domineering attitude and crush all his enemies. it was like a newbie watching the top player¡¯s operations. although he couldn¡¯t do it himself, it didn¡¯t stop him from hoping to see these. richard, on the other hand, was delighted with this mentality. he was so strong that it didn¡¯t make sense. so strong that even people who didn¡¯t like him had to admit his strength. it was the result of battle after battle. and there was no false hard power to speak. ¡®bang!¡¯ richard flew in the air with his troop when a hundred-meter pillar of fire burst from the ground. it was like an eruption of lava. the terrifyingly high temperature could melt everything. richard¡¯s pupils contracted. he ordered his soldiers to go around the area and fly faster. it seemed a signal. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the giant outside the furnace added more wood. a terrifying spark exploded once again. the temperature of the ground rose rapidly. richard opened the system map and found that he was the furthest away. xina smiled helplessly. they continued on their journey. along the way, he encountered two players who also rushed toward the red mountain. richard got renee to kill them quickly to save time and obtained two battle points. it allowed the two players to escape from this suffering. after they flew madly for 20 minutes, they finally arrived at the mountain peak. they encountered several flame explosions along the way. however, the mountain was supremely vast. and when richard arrived, he did not notice any traces of players. his heart suddenly relaxed. just now, alves landed on the ground. one hundred fifty feet away. red lava gushed out again. richard¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted. he saw a crystal-like figure rise from the lava. he stared at it carefully to avoid mistakes. sure enough, in the next second, the gem-like thing fell to the ground again. in the blink of an eye, lava covered the item. with a thought, the sand on his body surged. he immediately condensed a scatterer and went out. not long after, he found the treasure in the lava. after the soldiers retreated, richard was overjoyed. the next second. a familiar and unfamiliar dull sound rang in richard¡¯s ears. ¡°lord richard, this is a special aura. the heart of lava?¡± ¡°it is the¡­ fire elemental lord!¡± he slammed the item the fire elemental lord gave him into the ancient ruins. the level 18 boss who helped him transfer to become a mage was the first top battle power he encountered. the fire elemental lord said that once he reached level 15, he could get in touch with the lord using the item. he also thought about letting twilight city open trade with the other party for a while to earn treasures unique to the plane¡­ why did this big boss with a level as high as level 18 suddenly appear? richard looked down at the gemstone surged with magic power in his hand. ¡®is such a crystal clear thing called a lava heart? ¡®is this thing precious?¡¯ Chapter 380 richard opened his attribute panel, filled with curiosity and doubt. the system displayed the attributes of the treasure that had caused fire elemental lord to appear. [heart of lava] [level: special] !! [attribute: contains a tremendous amount of fire energy.] [description: a treasure that only the primary plane can condense from the core. it has extraordinary power.] ¡®it contained a tremendous amount of fire energy? ¡®no wonder it could attract this level 18 boss to appear.¡¯ richard looked at the fire elemental core in his hand as he thought about it. when fire elemental lord rescued him, it also promised to help him in the future. a level 18 boss unit, one could not underestimate this battle power. however, he had never used it. ¡°lord klose, i can feel the surging energy inside the heart of lava. is this useful to you? ¡± the low and muffled voice of fire elemental lord klose blazestone sounded again. ¡°the heart of lava can help me become transcendent. ¡°but only the primary plane can condense this kind of treasure¡­ ¡°i¡¯ve been looking for it. ¡°hundreds of thousands of years ago, those damn bastards from the resplendent wizard tower imprisoned me because i wanted to enter the primary plane to find the heart of lava!¡± fire elemental lord revealed even more secrets. richard was surprised. although the energy contained in the heart of lava was not a waste, it could upgrade a level 18 boss to transcendent. no, it might have already reached level 19 by now. wasn¡¯t that too exaggerated? fire elemental lord explained as if it sensed richard¡¯s confusion. ¡°the heart of lava contains a unique material. it is the condensation of the fire elemental laws. the primary plane is the most perfect, and so are the laws. ¡°one cannot compare the fire elemental plane to the primary plane.¡± he said with some regret. ¡°it¡¯s a pity there are too few of them. if i had more than a thousand, i could become a transcendent immediately.¡± richard nodded. the corners of his mouth curled up. ¡°lord klose, i¡¯m willing to trade this heart of lava with you. ¡°my friend, i¡¯m delighted to help you become transcendent.¡± after fire elemental lord heard this, it turned silent for a moment. and then emotion filled its tone. ¡°lord richard, it¡¯s an honor to meet you, my¡­friend.¡± although they had met in the ancient ruins, their first meeting was detestable. but in the end, richard freed the lord from its prison. now, he was so generous to give it the treasure of its dreams¨Cthe heart of lava. although it was a deal, the elemental lord was still quite touched. this human was competent. richard suddenly thought of something. he turned to look at the scorching red ground. he said hesitantly. ¡°lord klose, i obtained the heart of lava in my hand from a giant¡¯s furnace. ¡°for some reason, i¡¯m now trapped in this furnace. ¡°and there might be more beneath the ground in front of us. but now there¡¯s a problem¡­¡± he then repeated the encounter in front of him and said, ¡°do you have any way to make me temporarily immune to high temperature? i can try to dive in and help you find the heart of lava.¡± ¡°since the heart of lava was hidden under this red land, could there be other treasures? ¡°furthermore, this was a furnace battle. anything that could make a giant start a fire to smelt must be precious minerals. ¡°i might have unexpected gains if i could sneak in.¡± as for the king of gladiators¡­ he would just let those idiots fight first. shouldn¡¯t the big boss be the last to appear? when fire elemental lord heard this, it was silent for a longer time than before. a giant more than 100,000 meters tall and a furnace that was tens of kilometers wide. it took the lord a long time to digest this information. richard¡¯s offer to take the risk made it even more emotional. after a long time, the boss said with a firm tone. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯ll always be my friend. ¡°as long as you need my help in the future, i will do my best.¡± richard¡¯s face sparked a bright smile. these were the words of a boss about to advance to transcendent. the amount was not something any random cat or dog could compare. it changed his job with the help of the other party, and the other party had a treasure that could strengthen his troops with a fire elemental core. the potential of this boss was unlimited. getting closer to the other party would only have benefits and no disadvantages. richard would wave his hand and bring this transcendent boss over if he encountered any powerful enemies he couldn¡¯t defeat in the future. when the enemy was about to win and saw fire elemental lord appear, they would probably want to curse. in the modern world, wealth and resources could make connections and affect one¡¯s future. however, it could determine life and death in the ¡°shining era¡±. its importance was self-evident. ¡°i have a skill that can grant you temporary immunity to fire energy. but it can only last for three hours. ¡°you have to leave the lava within these three hours.¡± richard nodded. ¡°i naturally won¡¯t take any risks.¡± then, fire elemental lord gave him a few more words of advice. the fire elemental core in his hand suddenly burst out with an indescribable scorching energy. it was like a flame that swallowed him quickly. an indescribable feeling rose in his heart. richard felt like every cell in his body had turned into a flame. a soul-strapping heat covered his entire body. that feeling was even more marvelous than sand transformation. Chapter 381 he opened his attribute panel and took a look. a special status appeared on it. [ body of flame: immune to all fire elemental energy (lasts for three seconds) ] now, he could finally enter the magma and take a bath? the corners of his mouth curled up. !! after that, richard whispered to gaunt, hina, and the others what to watch out for. he slowly walked into the red land. he could no longer feel the heat on the ground. he walked to the exit where the lava had just erupted, bent down, and touched the lava on the ground. it was like flour paste on his hand. it only felt sticky, and there was no additional touch. after confirming that there was no damage. richard lowered his head to look at the boiling red lava. he jumped down and jumped into the magma with a plop. the moment he entered, he spread out his spiritual power and everything within a hundred meters was reflected in his mind. he was like a fish in the water. the thick lava did not hinder him, but allowed him to take to the water. in the broadcast room. when the players saw richard jump into the lava, they were dumbfounded. ¡°no way, qing qiu is going to die?¡± what¡¯s going on? doesn¡¯t he want the king of gladiator? ¡± ¡°there¡¯s definitely something shady going on! is the dealer controlling the board?¡± ¡°¡­¡± none of them had expected that someone would suddenly jump into the lava. as they could not see the attributes of the players in the live broadcast room, they had no idea what had happened. he looked at the screen of the live broadcast room, which had turned red, with a dumbfounded expression. richard, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. richard¡¯s actions quickly caused a heated discussion in the forums. however, the live broadcast did not affect the progress of the gladiator fight. as the earth became hotter and hotter ¡­ the players who could not stay outside began to rush up the red mountain. other than the unlucky ones who were burnt by the sudden eruption of lava, most of the people had successfully arrived. after the players arrived, the giant outside started adding firewood even faster. the ground became hotter and hotter, and finally, it completely melted into a sea of lava. even the sky was dyed blood-red by the reflection. what shocked the players even more was that the red mountain peak was also melting. it was like a vertical ice block being placed in a pot. the bottom part melted bit by bit, and the height gradually decreased. the area above the red mountain was getting smaller and smaller, and the players who were climbing up finally began to fight to the death. battle, battle! no one could stay out of this fight where there was only one winner. some fought alone, while others formed groups of three or five. the battle was far more intense than the previous fights. even the scenes in science fiction movies were far from comparable. however, at this moment, most of the audience felt a sense of boredom as they watched the intense battle. because qing qiu was not around. the great demon king had disappeared for more than two hours after he jumped into the lava. no one knew what that guy was doing. the screen of the live broadcast room was still red. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the troops he left behind were still standing guard and constantly killing the enemies that were attacking from other directions ¡­ they had really thought that qing qiu was in deep trouble. but, what was wrong with that guy? the players who were in the middle of an intense battle would never have thought that the viewers in the livestream room would be so uninterested in them. it was like opening an action movie during sage time. time passed by slowly. the height of the red mountain was getting lower and lower. meanwhile, the players ¡®battle had also entered a state of white heat. there was less than a third of them left. the third hour. just as the audience was about to give up on richard ¡­ suddenly, the originally red scene became clear. richard reappeared in the lava. the audience¡¯s sharp eyes noticed. the smile on the other party¡¯s face seemed to be exceptionally bright. ¡°what did qing qiu do in the lava just now?¡± ¡°is it possible that the other party is going to complete a mission?¡± no way, boss. i was looking forward to you killing everyone. now that he¡¯s gone, you¡¯re finally here? ¡± ¡°¡­¡± originally, a large group of people had been expecting him to push through, but now, he only came out when it was almost over. richard didn¡¯t know what the audience was thinking, and he was in a good mood. he did not expect that he would gain so much this time. the fire elemental overlord wanted thousands of lava hearts ¡­ he had gathered all of them. not only that, but he also found even more precious treasures inside. in the broadcast room. when the players saw richard jump into the lava, they were dumbfounded. ¡°no way, qing qiu is going to die?¡± what¡¯s going on? doesn¡¯t he want the king of gladiator? ¡± ¡°there¡¯s definitely something shady going on! is the dealer controlling the board?¡± ¡°¡­¡± none of them had expected that someone would suddenly jump into the lava. as they could not see the attributes of the players in the live broadcast room, they had no idea what had happened. he looked at the screen of the live broadcast room, which had turned red, with a dumbfounded expression. richard, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. richard¡¯s actions quickly caused a heated discussion in the forums. however, the live broadcast did not affect the progress of the gladiator fight. as the earth became hotter and hotter ¡­ the players who could not stay outside began to rush up the red mountain. other than the unlucky ones who were burnt by the sudden eruption of lava, most of the people had successfully arrived. after the players arrived, the giant outside started adding firewood even faster. the ground became hotter and hotter, and finally, it completely melted into a sea of lava. even the sky was dyed blood-red by the reflection. what shocked the players even more was that the red mountain peak was also melting. it was like a vertical ice block being placed in a pot. the bottom part melted bit by bit, and the height gradually decreased. the area above the red mountain was getting smaller and smaller, and the players who were climbing up finally began to fight to the death. battle, battle! no one could stay out of this fight where there was only one winner. some fought alone, while others formed groups of three or five. the battle was far more intense than the previous fights. even the scenes in science fiction movies were far from comparable. however, at this moment, most of the audience felt a sense of boredom as they watched the intense battle. because qing qiu was not around. the great demon king had disappeared for more than two hours after he jumped into the lava. no one knew what that guy was doing. the screen of the live broadcast room was still red. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the troops he left behind were still standing guard and constantly killing the enemies that were attacking from other directions ¡­ they had really thought that qing qiu was in deep trouble. but, what was wrong with that guy? the players who were in the middle of an intense battle would never have thought that the viewers in the livestream room would be so uninterested in them. it was like opening an action movie during sage time. time passed by slowly. the height of the red mountain was getting lower and lower. meanwhile, the players ¡®battle had also entered a state of white heat. there was less than a third of them left. the third hour. just as the audience was about to give up on richard ¡­ suddenly, the originally red scene became clear. richard reappeared in the lava. the audience¡¯s sharp eyes noticed. the smile on the other party¡¯s face seemed to be exceptionally bright. ¡°what did qing qiu do in the lava just now?¡± ¡°is it possible that the other party is going to complete a mission?¡± no way, boss. i was looking forward to you killing everyone. now that he¡¯s gone, you¡¯re finally here? ¡± ¡°¡­¡± originally, a large group of people had been expecting him to push through, but now, he only came out when it was almost over. richard didn¡¯t know what the audience was thinking, and he was in a good mood. he did not expect that he would gain so much this time. the fire elemental overlord wanted thousands of lava hearts ¡­ he had gathered all of them. not only that, but he also found even more precious treasures inside. ¡°¡­¡± originally, a large group of people had been expecting him to push through, but now, he only came out when it was almost over. richard didn¡¯t know what the audience was thinking, and he was in a good mood. he did not expect that he would gain so much this time. the fire elemental overlord wanted thousands of lava hearts ¡­ he had gathered all of them. not only that, but he also found even more precious treasures inside. not only that, but he also found even more precious treasures inside. Chapter 382 xina looked at the bright red gemstone in richard¡¯s hand. she was surprised at first, but her face soon turned solemn. ¡°my lord, i feel that this gemstone is extremely dangerous. it contains terrifying energy. it seemed a sun hid inside.¡± richard¡¯s lips frizzed out. ¡°this gem is priceless.¡± !! as he spoke, he opened his attribute panel and glanced. [heart of the sun] [level: special] [attribute: contains violent fire elemental energy. it can transform a life into a fire elemental life form and raise its potential to a-rank.] [description: a treasure condensed in the area with the densest fire elemental laws. extremely precious.] to turn an ordinary life form into an elemental life form with a-rank potential¡­ it reminded richard of the ancient dragon crystal he obtained from the a-rank mission in the last dungeon. that dragon crystal gave birth to the dragon hero, alves. the treasure richard picked up in the lava had the same function. wasn¡¯t this the same as picking up an a-rank elemental hero for free? moreover, richard picked the treasure up without paying any price. it was an absolute surprise. he did not expect to obtain such a generous reward on a whim. the only unfortunate thing was that he only found one pill before the time of immunity to fire element was up. he then turned around and glanced at the bubbling magma sea. he didn¡¯t know how much more good stuff it contained. it was a commiseration¡­ richard ensured no one would come to provoke him for the time being as he set aside the heart of the sun. he picked up the fire elemental core again and released his spirit. ¡°my friend¡­¡± as soon as he sent the message, fire elemental lord klose quickly responded. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯ve left the lava? your immunity time is almost up.¡± richard was flabbergasted. he didn¡¯t expect klose to be concerned about him instead of the heart of lava. his disposition improved a little. it seemed he had pulled close enough to his relationship with this boss. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m safe.¡± ¡°lord klose, although we¡¯ve encountered danger a few times, the heart of lava¡­ i¡¯ve helped you gather them.¡± disbelief riveted klose¡¯s voice. ¡°you¡¯ve gathered all of them?!!¡± richard¡¯s lips frizzed out. ¡°the total number is about 1,235.¡± the count made the soul of klose tremble. ¡°thousands of them!¡± he had done it. the other party had helped him collect over a thousand lava hearts! the joy in its heart at this moment was beyond words. after klose suppressed the excitement in its heart, he said in a decent tone, ¡°lord richard, i, klose blazestone, extend my most respectful gratitude to you.¡± richard¡¯s lips twiddled. ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? i¡¯ve always treated my friends with the utmost sincerity.¡± ¡°hahaha, that¡¯s right, my friend. it¡¯s my honor to be your friend.¡± klose was in zenith spirits. ¡°the heart of lava is priceless to me. lord richard, what do i need to offer you in exchange?¡± good fellow. it raised about trade. richard¡¯s face broke into a smile. like a little rabbit. ¡°the price is your discretion. you can give as much as you think is worth. this question immediately stunned klose. it was an opportunity to break through to the extraordinary realm. how much was it worth? it was a priceless treasure to him. klose slowly said after it pondered for a long time. ¡°the wealth i once accumulated has been lost over hundreds of thousands of years. ¡°the most valuable thing in my hands now is probably the fire elemental core i gave you last time.¡± richard¡¯s eyes shafted brilliance. fire elemental lord klose could enhance the skills of its troops. the axe of the dead¡¯s tomahawk smash upgraded to flame tomahawk smash after enhancement. the scorpion warrior obtained the flame iron pincers and enormously increased its attack power after enhancement. unfortunately, there were too few of them. he had always thought about the fire elemental core. unfortunately, richard was unfamiliar with fire elemental lord klose at that time. although he could contact the other party, he did not have anything to trade with this big boss. now, he had finally seized the opportunity. ¡°yes, the fire elemental core will be useful to twilight city.¡± klose was relieved to hear this. it didn¡¯t hesitate and went straight to the point. ¡°two hundred thousand fire elemental cores. that¡¯s all i have.¡± to enhance undead soldiers of the axe of the dead only required a few¡­ richard¡¯s lips twiddled. ¡°deal, my friend. it is the price you offered. i trust you.¡± fire elemental lord klose felt a little embarrassed. ¡°indeed, we can¡¯t compare that to the various hearts of lava you gathered this time. i¡¯ll find you a few more top-notch treasures in the future.¡± ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a deal. ¡°but how do i hand over the hearts of lava to you?¡± ¡°you should leave this special dimension first. after you return to the main dimension, everyone will pass on the message. i will naturally appear.¡± richard cogitated for a moment. if it could come to the mortal plane to fight for him, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. richard placed the fire elemental core into the system space in ecstatic humor after the two exchanged a few words. the profits from this instance dungeon were too considerable. the imprisoned dark valkyrie in the ancient god statue, the 5-stars spirit gemstone that could improve the characteristics of troops. and now he had a heart of the sun and hundreds of lava hearts that could help fire elemental lord klose become extraordinary. in this instance dungeon was simply a place to give out benefits. richard was in ecstatic humor. although spectators in the live broadcasting room could not hear his conversation with klose, they could tell from his appearance that he enormously benefited after he dived into the lava. Chapter 383 however, it was a pity that no one knew the specific attributes of the heart of the sun that he just took out. otherwise, they would all be madly jealous. an elemental life form with a-rank potential appeared out of thin air. who could withstand such a thing? it was even more exaggerated than winning the lottery. ¡®roar!¡¯ !! suddenly, a wild roar interrupted richard¡¯s train of thought. he turned around. four to five hundred meters away, a group of six-meter-tall rock giants crazily attacked a group of orc soldiers with muscles that looked like someone watered with bronze. the battle between the two sides had a visual impact. the rock giants were already impervious to swords and spears. and they also wore exaggerated armor. although the beasts were fierce, they couldn¡¯t do anything to the rock giants. on the contrary, the other party would cause tremendous casualties to the orc troop every time they swung their spiked clubs. no one could fight against those giant rocks. the enemy quickly declared the battle over, and they slaughtered the orc troops. they could not even escape. hundreds of giant rocks turned their attention to the twilight city troops after they destroyed the orcs. their killing intents were obvious. richard quickly drew back his attention to the battle. the king of gladiator event was not over yet. he raised his head and looked at the peak of the mountain. his eyes burst out with a brilliant light. ¡°twilight city, hear my order! ¡°proceed to the peak of the red mountain. all the enemies who will block you. ¡°slaughter!¡± his voice was indifferent. but it carried an unquestionably overbearing and abusive tone. in the live broadcasting room, the initially calm audience immediately became excited after they heard this. ¡°tsk, qingqiu is indeed qingqiu. it is better than acting.¡± ¡°slaughter! when will i have the confidence to say that?¡± ¡°this is the show that i want to watch. you little brats on the mountain, your lord is back!¡± richard¡¯s reconnection quickly raised everyone¡¯s anticipation. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ at this moment, the ground suddenly trembled. the rock giants, who had just finished clearing out the orcs, quickly charged toward the twilight city troops. richard turned his head. ¡°kill!¡± a casual voice exploded in their ears like thunder. alves, xina, gunter, renee, the skeleton blood dragons, the undead soldiers of the axe of the sead, the dark gargoyles¡­ all the troops of the twilight city quickly pressed forward. the battle instantly began. the dragon breath of the skeleton blood dragons, the tomahawks of the undead soldiers, xina¡¯s broken steel longsword, gunter¡¯s corpse explosion, and renee¡¯s spatial movement all rained down as if they were free. the ferocious rock giant army was like a chicken in front of the tyrannical twilight city. they quickly tore it apart. before the rock giant commander recovered from the shock, an ethereal elf suddenly appeared. then, the other party¡¯s elven sword pierced its heart. in the player¡¯s live broadcasting room. they had been rather excited after they saw the giant rock crush a powerful orc player. these hundreds of giant rocks demonstrated innumerable times their power in the previous battles. many of the audience even speculated them as strong candidates for the championship. however, they did not expect that the dark horse in their eyes would be so weak in front of that qingqiu monster. a single touch of twilight city troops would crush them. they were even worse than the other players¡­ [ding~ you have commanded a troop to kill a player. you have received one battle point.] as they flattened the first player on the red mountain peak¡­ richard and his troops continued their advance to the peak. next, the audience in the live broadcasting room witnessed being overbearing and brutal. twilight city troops would wipe out all the enemies on their way wherever they passed! they did not avoid them at all. even if only a few players fought in some areas. they quickly slaughtered them and overturned all the cars. along the way, he also encountered players from other guilds who joined forces to deal with him. however, as the great demon king, these players were so weak in the face of absolute strength. the players who encountered twilight city felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. they were enormously mighty! they were massively soul-strapping that their troops seemed weaklings in front of them. they could not surge resistance. from the soles of the audience¡¯s feet to the pores of their hair, the audience in the live broadcasting room felt delighted. it was because of this overbearing attitude! many put themselves in the perspective of twilight city. they fantasized about having troops that could slaughter in all directions on the battlefield without anyone¡¯s mercy. defeat and death were the only outcomes for the enemies they faced! because of the exaggerated behavior, the forum began to ferment again. in the end, the players didn¡¯t even care if they gave points to richard. the number of people who watched his stream rose rapidly. two billion, three billion¡­ in the end, it grew to an exaggerated seven billion! among the tens of billions of viewers, he alone occupied 70% of the audience and still rose. most who entered the live broadcasting room had an idea at the moment. they wanted to see, in the vast arena, the top elite players among the tens of billions of players who could stop pervert qingqiu! Chapter 384 at the top of the red mountain. richard sat on alves¡¯s back and looked around. he swept his way from below and crushed nearly a hundred players who crossed his path. the battle power of twilight city made the enemy players feel despair. !! in particular, when a few of the heroes went all out, the brilliance of twilight city was even more breathtaking. at the peak of the red mountain was a vast square with a diameter of more than 3,000 meters. in the center of the square, a throne made of red crystals attracted the players¡¯ attention. the mysterious throne was simple and unadorned. and the aura it exuded seemed like an item from the ancient era. the blood-colored light it emitted made people¡¯s hearts tremble for some reason. richard also found traces of other players. everyone had no choice but to rush to red mountain peak because it melted quickly and the altitude decreased. the scene fell into a strange serenity after several players gathered. everyone vigilantly looked at the enemies around them, and no one dared to act rashly. while they hesitated, more and more players arrived at the top. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ outside the furnace, the giant added more firewood, and the sound of rocks collapsing came from below. the speed at which the red mountain melted was particularly shocking. the peak would also sink into the sea of lava in at most an hour. the atmosphere in the square grew increasingly tense as they sensed the situation¡¯s urgency. the audience in the live broadcasting room also gradually became excited. [hurry up and start! qingqiu is standing in front of you. and there are hundreds of players here. if you all attack together, you can ultimately kill that monster.] the final battle¡­ [qingqiu, slaughter! destroy all these little bastards!] words of high expectations filled the forum. the kind of gathering of everyone and a chaotic battle was what the audience wanted to see compared to previous fights. most of the audience had high hopes for richard. although they were still jealous, they had no choice. he was simply too strong. he was so strong that even the audience, who didn¡¯t like richard very much, had to admit that he was the uncrowned king! the strength of the other top players was on a different level, but qingqiu¡¯s was on another level. they were starkly on different levels. it seemed a king player had entered the silver tier to fry fish. just as the atmosphere turned increasingly restless, many players eyed him covetously¡­ suddenly, a bewildered voice sounded in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°qingqiu?!¡± this word made the players who were just about to make a move suddenly freeze. the players who entered the arena were not allowed to watch the livestream, so they were unaware of richard¡¯s astounding achievements in the death arena. however, it didn¡¯t prevent their fear of this id. that was qingqiu, a super player who was famous on the forums. some players formed an anti-qingqiu alliance before they entered the instance dungeon because of his overbearing attitude¡­ furthermore, challengers in the previous stage of the demon king challenge had been in the same square. thus, they knew that qingqiu had single-handedly defeated 30 players and won three consecutive victories on the nightmare level. a person¡¯s name was like the shadow of a tree. everyone subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the voice. the angel¡¯s shadow that emitted pure white light suddenly rose from that direction. light instantly illuminated the players. they felt like they were soaked in warm water and soothed their fatigue. richard¡¯s brows shot up. in the demon king challenge, the sun sect¡¯s cardinal had recruited angels. that guy had advanced. qingqiu activated the nightmare mode and fought 30 players by himself in the demon king challenge¡­ he has won. if there is anyone in this deathmatch who has the highest chance of winning the title of king of gladiator, it is undoubtedly qingqiu! the two-winged angel¡¯s shadow glowed with holy light as it pointed its finger at richard. the voice reverberated throughout the arena and drew the players¡¯ attention to richard. he rode alves¡¯s back. when they saw the dragon hero with a wingspan of more than 30 meters, the players¡¯ expressions suddenly turned devout. [there is only one winner in the death arena fighting ring.] [if he does not quickly get rid of qingqiu, then once a chaotic battle starts, qingqiu could preserve their strength secretly. then, he will ultimately win this battle.] [all of us will become his foil.] these words made all the players¡¯ eyes turn cold. they would probably not even bother if they meant these words to another person but the other party was qingqiu. [who would dare to ignore it?] [that is why we need to work together to eliminate qingqiu!] [let¡¯s get rid of the strongest one. we¡¯ll compete next!] the audience in the live broadcasting room felt immediately interested. good fellow, the first thing he saw was qingqiu being the target. interesting. in the end, more than 150 players waited in the square at the top of the red mountain. if all these players attacked qingqiu. then this freak who was most likely to win the king of gladiator would most likely be eliminated. qingqiu was too strong, and everyone was on their guard. ¡°sun¡¯s blessing!¡± before the players in the square could react, the sun sect¡¯s cardinal, who had not revealed himself, suddenly cast a blessing spell that affected everyone. the angel in the sky slowly opened its eyes and waved its hand. holy light fell like rain. Chapter 385 all the non-evil camp troops instantly felt their strength had improved. at the same time, the weapons in their hands also carried a holy power. the church knights and priests in white armor swarmed in richard¡¯s direction. when the players saw this, they also turned their heads and aimed at the existence they thought was the biggest threat. !! qingqiu. no one who could enter the final battle was an idiot. all of them would have a chance if the system eliminated qingqiu. if qingqiu survived, the king of gladiator would no longer have anything to do with them. more than 150 players led a troop of nearly 30,000. even though most of them felt wary of each other. but now, their enemy was qingqiu! they still had an enormous advantage in numbers even if they didn¡¯t trust each other. it was also impossible for there to be any mistakes! the audience in the live broadcasting rooms watched richard with rapt attention. they were eager to see how he would deal with so many enemies. until now, the great demon king that everyone targeted had not spoken a word. [doesn¡¯t qingqiu know how to fight for it? if he were to open his mouth and accept some people, i¡¯m sure many would stand aside and watch the battle. there might even be a lot of people who would help him.] [at least 20,000 players remained on the field, although opponents slaughtered several of them in the previous battle.] [it is already a miracle for 300 to fight against 9,000. could qingqiu use the 300 soldiers to fight against 20,000 players? what kind of joke is this?] it bewildered several spectators. they hoped richard could turn the tables but also hoped one would defeat him. as everyone stared at richard nervously, the corners of his mouth curled up. yellow sand blurred his face with an enormously arrogant curve. an indifferent voice resounded through the sky. ¡°all troops, do not leave a single one alive!¡± although the tone was taciturn, it instantly made the scalps of all the viewers in the live broadcasting room go numb. [that was a troop of tens of thousands, and qingqiu was so bold to give the order to attack?] [what was he trying to do?] [was he going to take over a troop of a thousand by himself?] [three hundred troops could defeat nearly 30,000 troops?] [how could one make a difference of a hundred times?] the audience went crazy. the bullet comments were so dense that they couldn¡¯t see the screen. countless people in the audience were so excited that their blood boiled! they wished they could ride their warhorses and charge into the battlefield! it was the scene they waited for! ¡°qingqiu! qingqiu!¡± the players on the square still hesitated at first. when they heard this, they were about to explode. ¡°what did that mean?¡± more than a hundred and tens of thousands of soldiers had gathered. ¡°how dare this referee gives the order to attack?¡± ¡°what was he trying to do?¡± ¡°who gave him the courage to look down on them?¡± ¡°even if he was qingqiu, could he be invincible? could it be that even with more than a hundred working together, they were not worthy of the other party feeling threatened?¡± anger instantly burned in their chests. ¡°you¡¯re so high and mighty. so today, i¡¯ll trample you and let you know the pain! the players in the demon king¡¯s challenge against richard were even more excited. they were determined to avenge their humiliation! they gathered into a battle line troops¡¯ shattered morale. everyone only had one goal¡­ qingqiu! richard looked at the troop that surged. his eyes flashed with a bit of madness. ¡°then, i¡¯ll let you witness the rise of twilight city. ¡°gunter, xina, alves, renee. ¡°we don¡¯t need to hold back in this battle.¡± four top-tier combat units. in addition to him, a desert ruler with glorious-level. five top-tier battle power. the troops in his hands could not fight one against a hundred. however, he would make everyone remember how dazzling twilight city was. the voice fell. in the enemy¡¯s face, a hundred times their number. under the gazes of over ten billion spectators, richard led his troops forward. the final battle began. [play] the ground instantly turned into a desert. then, countless grains of yellow sand surged up and condensed into yellow sand armor on all the soldiers. then, in the next second. a massive wave of sand more than 30 meters tall suddenly rose from the ground and rolled toward the enemies who charged at them at high speed. the enemies that charged felt their vision go dark as they saw a monstrous wave of sand come toward them. they wanted to avoid it, but it was too late. only the flying units managed to fly off the ground and barely escaped. soul-strapping sand waves drowned the rest of the troops. that scene was comparable to a natural disaster. beyond a-rank, yellow sand control. although this skill didn¡¯t have any additional damage attribute, it was like the ability to control steel in some movies and tv works. it could control sand to make all kinds of soul-stripping lethal attacks. it was the core skill of this glorious-level. one wave of attacks could wipe out at least two large groups of enemies. the next moment. renee flashed to the center of the enemy. she waved her hand. a dark light gushed out. at that moment. all the soldiers within a hundred meters, with renee in the center, felt the opponents threw their souls into a meat grinder. they instantly shattered into pieces. before the troops could react. renee waved her hand. a few hundred meters away. the area with the densest troop. ¡®bang!¡¯ a pure black flame rose. it instantly enveloped the surroundings. soul flame. gradually, the troops could not rise, and terror extinguished their auras. the steel longsword in hina¡¯s hand bloomed with thousands of light rays. she slashed the sky in anger. the world was silent. the coalition forces that came in densely saw a bright light flash and lost consciousness the next moment. it emptied a vast space in front of them. gunter rode on a skeleton blood dragon. the ball of corruption in its hand pulled a long-tail flame and smashed into the most densely populated area of the enemy. ¡®bang!¡¯ a popping sound exploded. it devoured all enemies within 50 meters with mighty corrosive magic. no one could resist the corrosive effect of this a-rank magic, even if those soldiers wore armor. massive decay appeared on their bodies, and they died in pain. but the moment they fell. ¡®bang!¡¯ high explosives seemed stuffed in their bodies and burst open. a soul-strapping air wave swept all around. the explosion quickly tore apart the surrounding troops who had just escaped. this group of troops exploded again while they still breathed. the scene was like the collapse of dominoes. one after the other, more exaggerated than being infected with the plague. the soul-strapping lethality left the players heartbroken. several people didn¡¯t even have time to react. none of their troops remained alive. ¡®bang!¡¯ everyone could hear a loud whistling sound. the players in the back turned their heads and saw a colossal sandstorm swept all around. then the sandstorm burst into flames as if gasoline poured over it. the most soul-stripping strikes attacked the surrounding troops. the tens of billions of players in the live broadcasting room watched as the twilight city troops suddenly erupted with attacks comparable to natural disasters repeatedly. heart shock. their hearts hit like never before. exploded tens of meters of sand waves. the fiery sandstorm swept the heavens and the earth. the black flames burned the soul. slit the sword light of heaven and earth. the magic could detonate corpses in series. which skill was weak? unbelievable, incredible, shocking. inexpressible emotions emerged in their hearts. in the end, all eyes focused on the figure where grains of yellow sand shrouded its face. qingqiu. he is the center of the world at this moment. Chapter 386 the red mountain peak. the ultimate arena. at this moment, no one paid attention to anything else. all their attention was on the figure the grains of yellow sand surrounded. richard¡¯s aura was like an endless sandstorm that swept in all directions after a series of attacks. !! it was supremely masterful! the sand on the ground formed twisted waves that swept across all the enemies under his control. some of the viewers had already witnessed richard¡¯s power. however, at this moment, they had no scruples and went all out. the explosive breaking power increased by more than one level. it made hearts tremble. the power displayed by those powerful hero units was already marvelous enough. however, they could not overshadow qingqiu¡¯s radiance. the endless yellow sand was like waves ten thousand feet high. it devoured and cleared everything. the momentum was so great that it made people¡¯s hearts want to split. under the full-on firepower of several top-tier battle forces. the twilight city troops also launched the most violent attack. the dragon breath intertwined in the sky. it created layers of scorching flames. the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead could not break the void. a massive area of enemies on the ground would clear every time they whistled. for the first time, the long-polished battle sword, twilight city, was unreservedly displayed in front of tens of billions of viewers. moreover, it was in such a masterful and shocking manner. each of the five best fighters, richard, gunter, xina, alves, and renee, dominated a battle. richard¡¯s yellow sand control was overbearing. gunter¡¯s ball of corruption and corpse explosion were like human-shaped cannons. the dense attacks made the enemy feel uneasy. xina¡¯s broken steel longsword swept through all obstacles. no one could stop the veteran¡¯s quick advances. alves¡¯s beyond a-rank dragon breath burned the sky and the earth. the enemies that even wore steel armor thawed instantly. renee controlled the unpredictable spatial movement. she continuously teleported to wantonly slaughter her enemies. a few divine spells with area-of-effect destructive power even more terrified her enemies. the player troop was like harvesting wheat. the enemies hunted them down. however, with the absolute volume advantage of the enemies, they immediately threw their hesitation to the back of their minds. they attacked the twilight city troops with all their might after the soul-strapping battle power erupted from the city. undead soldiers, demons, dwarves, elves, orcs¡­ dozens of races and hundreds of troops launched an overlapping wave of attacks. there was no will to retreat for the twilight city troops. and they fought back with their attacks. their posture was extremely fierce. this scene also made the tens of billions of players in the live broadcasting room exclaim in cheer. one man fought troops of thousand. it was something many people dreamed of. but at this moment, someone helped them realize their daydream. the battle got increasingly grave. the players who were not under the threat of death also showed a supremely mighty will to fight. they didn¡¯t even take half a step back! at this moment, everyone had the same goal and will. they have to topple down qingqiu! the power he displayed made them feel a profound fear. they had over a hundred people, a troop of nearly thirty thousand. now, shockingly, they fought repeatedly with the enemy¡¯s 300-soldier troops. twilight city troops even shook and gravely beat them. they found it hard to accept. there was a suffocating feeling in their hearts. they wanted to see how strong qingqiu was. undefeatable? ha! they didn¡¯t believe this! after the brutality emerged in their hearts. killing desire shrouded everyone¡¯s eyes. the troops¡¯ attacks also became increasingly ruthless! even if they had to die, they had to attack twilight city¡¯s troops. some resisted the dragon¡¯s breath. others used their lives to block xina and buy time for the long-range troops behind them. and those who held on to the skeleton blood dragon did not let go even if they died¡­ the scene was crazy and tragic. those with weak hearts would have nightmares even if they just glanced at it. the players¡¯ tenacity also served as a foil to the power of twilight city. they didn¡¯t care how the other party attacked them. under the leadership of several heroes, they still killed the enemies and cleared the battlefield repeatedly. as time passed, the twilight city troops turned gradually exhausted after they slaughtered several soldiers. the enemies slaughtered the 30 most ferocious skeleton blood dragons first. the player with the identity of the sun sect¡¯s red cardinal had a team of pegasus warriors that surrounded the skeleton blood dragon. then, the church priest and the angel shadow took action. it directly melted the skeleton blood dragons with a powerful holy light. then, there were the dark gargoyles and the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead. these two troops were overwhelmed by the enemy¡¯s numerical advantage. after the tomahawks shattered countless times, the soul energy of the axe of the dead weakened to an extent. it could no longer use this powerful killing skill as it pleased. the enemy took advantage of the weakening. there was a multitude. moreover, they were all soldiers unafraid of death. however, the players got extremely excited when they saw none of the twilight city troops on the battlefield ultimately stood. ¡°qingqiu was not invincible!¡± ¡°we¡¯ve killed his entire troop!¡± now, it was the turn of these heroes. they looked at the few figures in the sky who slaughtered wantonly with an extremely serious and excited gaze. in this battle, they would ultimately not let the other party continue to wreak havoc. the victor could belong to any one of them, but not qingqiu! the audience in the live broadcasting room saw that the battle had progressed to this extent. they were all extremely excited. would qingqiu defeat a hundred enemies and become the final victor? or would the players defeat this demon king who had never lost before? Chapter 387 this battle was exciting. the final battle began under everyone¡¯s gaze. the player alliance troop didn¡¯t care about the price and used all their might. like waves, they launched overlapping attacks on twilight city, which only had a few people. !! however, the charging soldiers were like eggs smashed against the city walls. no matter how fierce the troops were, they could not do anything to them. richard¡¯s mana was limited, so he could not perform yellow sand control to create waves, but he could control a part of it to form small sandstorms that could tear apart the enemies. once they recovered enough mana, they would set off terrifying sand waves or raging sandstorms that could devour everything. he had killed more than five platoons of soldiers by himself. he was known as the soul reaper. xina¡¯s steel longsword was unparalleled in its sharpness. no one could block her charge. even if the other party had repeatedly mobilized their troops to besiege and kill him, this veteran with glorious-level battle skills could kill her way out without any effort. alves¡¯s gigantic body attracted the most attacks. it was ultimately the first soldier to attract hatred. however, the blood-colored energy in his body could corrode the corpses around him. it turned them into blood-colored energy to heal his injuries. this dragon hero wasn¡¯t in too much danger. on the contrary, the dragon breath caused fatal damage to the allied forces every time. the most ethereal was renee¡¯s divine soul, which existed within the ancient god statue. although her divine power had been exhausted, she could still rely on her teleportation ability. the elven sword in her hand was still invincible. it swept across the area. gunter was the first hero to encounter danger. the player coalition has long targeted this terrifying spellcaster. after she cast spells without limit and caused enormous damage to the enemy troops, the magic power in her body fell to the bottom. what restricted the strength of a spellcaster was always the upper limit of magic power. a spellcaster without magic power was like a tiger without teeth. fortunately, alves had arrived at the critical moment and let gunter ride on his back. with the protection of this powerful meat shield, gunter had a stable mana recovery space, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to display his soul-strapping attack power again. at this point, the battle was like fighting a boss. the only difference was that this big boss was a player like them. the battle continued, but the situation had changed. the number of players in the allied troops decreased at a visible rate. although only five combatants remained on the field, each was a monster. the morale of the players in the arena, which had been at its peak after they cleared out the twilight city troops, gradually plummeted¡­ an indescribable fear and uneasiness welled up in their hearts. could it be that even with a hundred of them, they could not defeat a single qingqiu? no, it was impossible! they roared in their hearts and threw the unacceptable ending out of their minds. they were the final victors! they couldn¡¯t fail! ¡°kill!¡± roars of anger sounded again. the long-range archers, priests, mages, close-range knights, warriors, swordsmen, and thieves attacked again. however, the figures they faced were like stone monuments that would never collapse. the twilight city troops didn¡¯t care how the enemies attacked. they could not cause any substantial damage to them¡­ the number of people might have reached the limit. however, the quality was still a lot terrifying. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ suddenly. the ground shook while the players in the middle of the battle fought. they saw that half of the red mountain below them fell to the same height as the lava in the furnace. it exposed only three to five meters of it. they stood under their feet. they could even feel the heat from the lava. at the same time, a soul-strapping pressure pressed down from the sky. all flying units quickly descended violently. the pressure starkly banned from flying the force that previously restricted the height. richard fell to the ground, and his eyes narrowed. he was running out of time. he looked at the thousands of soldiers left on the battlefield. he waved his hands. ¡°slay!¡± perish together? it did not exist. there could only be one winner in this battle. the other players could sense richard¡¯s attitude when they heard the snort. they quickly threw back to their minds the fear and uneasiness in their hearts. grief and humiliation filled their hearts! wasn¡¯t this an insult to them? ¡°even if i have to die, i¡¯ll drag this bastard down with me!¡± ¡°slay!¡± furious, the troops attacked again. the finale of this death battle broke out as the red mountain gradually sank in the magma. it is against the enemy, against the time. whoever killed everyone else before the mountain sinks into the lava will be the victor. only life and death. Chapter 388 ¡®bang!¡¯ the lava that constantly exploded splashed up dozens of meters high. it was like cold water poured into a pot of oil. it was hot and crazy. the red mountain slowly sank into the lava. !! the pressure in the sky got increasingly soul-ripping, and the flying troops could no longer take off. no one could escape once the lava submerged them. the rules. richard was in a frenzy. the sand around him was like the most violent hurricane. it constantly tore apart the enemies in front of him. ¡°only one victor in this death match! ¡°the others would all turn bones.¡± there were no exceptions. a few heroes noticed the rapid change in the situation. they had also used all their might to attack. alves charged forward on the ground. it engaged in a close-range battle. xina¡¯s hands incessantly waved the broken steel longsword. the moment gunter¡¯s magic power recovered, the magic in its hands immediately surged out. renee¡¯s spatial movement caused a series of blood-colored lights to appear. everyone had gone mad from killing. there was only one goal. and that was to clear all the enemies in front of them. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ a violent sound rang out, and the ground split open. ¡®puchi!¡¯ lava spurted out from the cracks. the square could not hold on any longer. this crack divided the death arena fighting ring into one-third of its area. it was like a power forcefully tore a round pancake. lava flowed out of the irregular cracks. the troops in the shattered zone immediately jumped over the death rift and came to the blood throne. the next second. a massive change occurred. the broken square was like a rock soaked in the lake. with a series of bubbles, it sank into the lava. the troops that had not managed to escape in time were burned alive. it was soul-crashing. when they saw this scene, the atmosphere in the troops froze for a moment before they immediately fell into an even greater frenzy. the players could no longer care about anything else. they hysterically ordered the troops to attack. ¡°attack at all costs!¡± they were ultimately unwilling to be eliminated in such a cowardly manner. even if one had to die, it had to be on the battlefield! richard¡¯s eyes grew colder. three hundred troops against nearly 30,000 enemy soldiers! they fought one against a hundred to this extent. everyone was already like an oiless lamp. the pressure exhausted their magic powers countless times. the players¡¯ troops were not pigs waiting for the butcher to slaughter them. instead, heroism led them, and magic supported them. they did not fear death. one could only imagine the pressure on one¡¯s heart to withstand the attacks of these powerful enemies. the number of enemies was not a matter of one plus one equals two, but a multiplication. richard faced 9,000 enemies alone during the demon king challenge. although the pressure was equally enormous, it was a completely different concept compared to facing troops of nearly 30,000. but the more pressing the situation was, the calmer he was. not only did the battle intent in his eyes not fade away. it became even more intense. ¡°the final victor would be twilight city!¡± nothing could shake the will in his heart. at this moment, the players in the live broadcasting room could not predict the outcome. but no matter who became the king of gladiator¡­ the sword that twilight city had drawn this time was enough to shock the world. even if fate gave the king of gladiator to another player, they would not doubt qingqiu. that monster wasn¡¯t someone they or any other player could question. ¡°qingqiu!¡± tens of billions of viewers were amazed at the figure surrounded by yellow sand. ¡®crack!¡¯ the crisp sound echoed in the sky. it destroyed one square after another. everyone¡¯s living space became smaller and smaller. they had no choice but to squeeze near the blood throne. everyone could only fight in a close battle as they couldn¡¯t fly. however, it was due to this the giant¡¯s fire and the boiling lava in the furnace were the backgrounds. the final battle had now become more glorious. it was like a mural in an ancient church. it was bewitching. the remaining players¡¯ unwillingness, madness, and anger gradually shattered at this moment. and in its place was an unspeakable despair. because they realized that even after they paid such a painful price¡­ ¡°qingqiu still fought!¡± he was like a mechanical puppet that would never get tired. even now, he still controlled the sand to slaughter everything around him. the other hero units also made them feel the same fear. although the auras of these heroes were countless times weaker, their attacks were still fierce. it was like their power would never dry up. they had thought victory was within their grasp when they had cleared the twilight city¡¯s troops. but now, it was like a mountain hundreds of thousands of feet tall blocked their way. each of the enemy¡¯s five battle forces was a mountain. an indestructible mountain peak. perhaps, when they had first entered the death arena fighting ring, they should have gathered everyone to attack qingqiu! however, no matter how much regret they had, there was no medicine for it. ¡°qingqiu¡­¡± ¡°even if we die, we must die on the path of the charge.¡± ¡°let¡¯s go together!¡± the last more than 20 players saw they had nowhere to run. they reincarnated and looked at the remaining troops of less than 300 around them. they slowly raised the weapons in their hands. they roared. ¡°attack!¡± ¡®woohoo!¡¯ an elf blew the horn in its hand. the final voice rang out. when the other party charged over. sonorous. a dazzling sword¡¯s radiance cut through the heavens and earth. a sharp sword light cut through the dense troop in front of them. the troops realized something was odd. they felt excruciating pain in the abdomen and suddenly took off their upper bodies. split into two. Chapter 389 ¡®roar!¡¯ the skeleton blood dragon released dragon breath dozens of meters long again. although the aura contained in it was much weaker than before, it still caused enormous damage to the enemy¡­ ¡°corpse explosion!¡± a blood-colored ball smashed into the crowd and exploded instantly. the terrifying corrosiveness swallowed everything around it. !! ¡®bang!¡¯ a black flame burned fiercely. it covered a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. those who were uninfected immediately felt a fire burned their souls¡­ the last of the troop fell on the smoking square. only richard¡¯s indifferent figure remained among the 1,000 players in the final battle. none of the other players survived. the initially tense atmosphere suddenly turned peaceful at this moment. under the silent gazes of over ten billion people in the live broadcasting room, richard stepped through the cracks of the bones on the ground and made his way to the blood throne in the center. he turned around and turned his back to the throne. he raised his head slightly to look at the sky. it was red in contrast to the sea of lava. at this moment, the endless sea of lava surrounded the broken square like an isolated island. a giant hundred of thousands of meters tall outside the furnace stood brazenly. time seemed to have slowed down by dozens of times. the corpses all over the ground and the epic scene on the outside made everything seem so special. the audience in the live broadcasting room had already exceeded 10 billion. the system had extinguished the rest of the live broadcasting rooms. no one had a second choice. the audience looked at the figure. it stood in front of the blood throne. they could not calm down for a long time. even though many people initially were confident that qingqiu would be the victor. but no one had expected that the other party would ascend to the throne in such a manner. he had stepped on all the players who had stopped him reach the altar. it was so direct, so turbulent, so¡­ it was shocking. after the death match started. ever since they had encountered the first special boss, the rotten worm, they had thought countless times that the other party would fall. however, qingqiu used his absolute might to slap them in the face repeatedly. now, he had even won the title of king of gladiator in such a special way. the audience¡¯s emotions are complicated beyond words. qingqiu could fight one against 30, and 300 against 9,000 in the demon king challenge. they thought it was an unsurpassable legend. but they didn¡¯t expect to see one against a hundred and 300 against 30,000, and still, the victor. ¡°qingqiu, bull nose!!!¡± qingqiu is the first player to make them feel like they can¡¯t touch him. no matter how strong the others were, they were still within the average level. but this monster is so strong that he doesn¡¯t follow the rules¡­ [f*ck, i¡¯m also a member of the anti-qingqiu alliance? is it too late to back out now?] [this battle made my scalp tingle. it¡¯s so cool. it is the ultimate goal we pursue, to sweep away everything. all enemies!] admiration, envy, and regret shrouded the forum. the audience had never felt so conflicted before. richard¡¯s strength shocked them, and they envied his troops. the players who had left the final battle saw the comments on the forum. all of them were supremely bitter. many people clenched their fists. unwillingness shrouded their faces. hundreds of people were against one person. in the end, they still lost. they had lost so thoroughly that they couldn¡¯t even find a reason. the other party simply crushed them. it was a crushing defeat of strength. there was no reason for it. who would believe it? they were all players, but one person annihilated hundreds of them. the only thing that comforted them was that the person who overturned their car was qingqiu. to be defeated by this top existence among tens of billions of people¡­ it didn¡¯t seem hard to accept. at the very least, they had fought with the other party. those who continued to talk on the forums did not even have the chance to battle with qingqiu. when they thought of this, their hearts inexplicably felt comfortable. ¡°qingqiu defeated us. we are different from weaklings. you can¡¯t even touch qingqiu¡¯s face. what reason do you have to mock us?¡± richard looked at the sky and the giant¡¯s shadow for a long time before he returned to his senses. a high-intensity battle would consume a vast amount of spiritual power. he turned around and looked at the few heroes who silently accompanied him. a smile appeared on his face. fortunately, he had them. xina, gunter, alves, and renee. on the day forward, these are his companions who fought for him. he was not alone. and outside the death arena fighting ring, countless residents unconditionally trusted him and longed for his return. he was never a loner. the face that grains of yellow sand blurred suddenly showed a bright smile. the exhaustion in his heart eased a lot. before he knew it, he had already had countless fetters and concerns in the ¡°shining era¡±. and at some time, he also possessed unimaginable powers for ordinary players. ¡°twilight city, from today, let us shine in this world. ¡°one day, everyone in the ¡®shining era¡¯ will know that there is a bright pearl in the desert of death!¡± at that moment, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ the death arena fighting has ended. you have obtained the final victory and become the gladiator king¡­] [you will receive the following rewards¡­] Chapter 390 solan city, at the main hall of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. a lady in her late twenties dressed luxuriously. she sat at the head of the wooden table with a faint majesty in her eyes. she looked at the other people at the long table indifferently. at this moment, a middle-aged man sat at the back, stood up, and reported respectfully. !! ¡°chairman windsor, several god grace overlords have mysteriously disappeared¡­ soul-stripping forces seemed to have wiped out their territory, and no one could enter. ¡°no one knows where they have gone. ¡°but from the information we got, some of the god grace overlords who disappeared mysteriously returned. ¡°this scene seemed strange. ¡°we sent people to ask them for information, but the reply we got was also very vague.¡± the sudden disappearance of the players had a massive impact on the outside world. although most of them weren¡¯t strong and had limited influence, this illogical phenomenon caught the attention of many forces. no one liked to see things beyond their knowledge. as the chairman of the largest trade association in solan city¨Cphoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¨Cwindsor held great authority. she wasn¡¯t an exception. after she frowned and thought for a moment, she slowly said. ¡°continue to pay attention to this matter. if there¡¯s any new information, report back immediately. ¡°from the looks of it, although those god-grace overlords are unpredictable, they still have extraordinary potential. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will continue to recruit talents from them¡­¡± as she said that, she suddenly thought of the lord of grace that the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce merchant dealt with in the desert. the desert crown coney and desert crown robe produced by the other party were enchanting. especially the honey. it was the first time to have seen such a delicious thing during this period. the chairman had used these rare treasures to earn a lot of favors. this deal ensured the grace mainland lord was worth recruiting. at this point, she recalled onyx¡¯s words when she wanted to move her territory to solan city¡­ the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was unworthy of recruitment of that unremarkable territory. the corners of her mouth curled up into a playful smile. he did not know if onyx was exaggerating. or¡­ did the desert lord have such potential? as she pondered, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps that hastened into the hall. ¡°chairman windsor, my lord. her highness christy requests an audience.¡± when she heard these words, the room immediately fell silent. everyone¡¯s gaze fell on the graceful figure who sat in the main seat. windsor glanced at everyone indifferently. ¡°you guys can leave first.¡± ¡°yes, chairman windsor!¡± the group of senior managers in their forties and fifties did not say a word of nonsense. they immediately stood up, saluted, and left respectfully. that posture was like a primary school student that faced her most dignified teacher. the surrounding maidservants were not surprised at all. they seemed used to this scene. a girl wore a silver crown and a long white dress and appeared in the hall with another girl in a blue dress. the three women, all of whom were exceptionally beautiful, lit up the hall. ¡°sister windsor¡± the girl with the silver crown came forward and greeted her intimately. then, windsor immediately ignored the figure beside her. ¡°this is rebecca frostwolf, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf.¡± the girl in the sky-blue dress immediately stood up and bowed slightly. ¡°it¡¯s an honor to meet you. the owner of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, lady windsor.¡± windsor stood up and gave a slight nod. she didn¡¯t show any signs of surprise due to the other party¡¯s identity. and her voice was calm. ¡°welcome, miss rebecca.¡± i hope you have a pleasant trip to solan city. the girl with the crown laughed. ¡°big sister vanessa, rebecca is not an outsider. she was my classmate when i was studying at the imperial academy.¡± these words made the initially slightly stiff scene harmonious. windsor revealed a faint smile. ¡°welcome.¡± this time, she was finally sincere. rebecca could sense the change. she also smiled. ¡°you¡¯re welcome. you¡¯re my role model¡­ you took charge of the entire phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce at seventeen. and it only took you a year to make everyone listen to your orders willingly. that¡¯s amazing.¡± windsor nodded. she was not as happy as she had imagined, and her tone was neither warm nor angry. ¡°miss rebecca, you can ask christy to show you around solan city. you won¡¯t be able to see the desert in the ice empire. the crown-wearing christy smiled sweetly. ¡°rebecca didn¡¯t come here for a vacation.¡± ¡°oh.¡± windsor acknowledged softly and didn¡¯t pursue the matter. christy didn¡¯t mind, and she turned to rebecca. ¡°it¡¯s okay. you can tell sister windsor what you think.¡± when she heard this, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke immediately spoke. ¡°chairman windsor, christy gave me a special robe a while ago.¡± ¡°someone wove that robe from the fire dragon rabbit fur¡­ ¡°she said it¡¯s a product exclusive to your phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± it raised windsor¡¯s interest. ¡°that¡¯s right. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has accidentally discovered a territory with such a special product in the desert. miss rebecca, what is your purpose in coming?¡± the weather in the ice empire was supremely cold. there were eight months of winter in a year. Chapter 391 the crown robe that could adjust the surrounding temperature was a blessing to them. the value of the desert crown robe was like the value of water in the desert. it had strategic significance. however, there were no deserts in the ice empire and no fire dragon rabbits. therefore, when she heard that the other party had a stable supply of goods, she could not sit still. !! ¡°chairman windsor, you should know the environment of the ice empire. ¡°that yellow sand crown robe is exceptionally precious to us. ¡°i¡¯m here to ask, can you provide several such robes?¡± as she spoke, her gaze somewhat probed. ¡°if you can, can you sell us the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit?¡± she then added. ¡°we are willing to use the price of the finished product to conduct the transaction.¡± ¡°the rabbit fur that could resist the cold and keep warm should not only be used to make ordinary clothes. one could use it to make strategic items that troops needed. in such an icy and snowy environment. to be able to obtain such raw materials. to her, it had indescribable strategic value. it could even be an opportunity for the frostwolf clan to rise if they could obtain a sufficient supply of materials. as the eldest daughter of the frostwolf family, she was not looked upon favorably by outsiders. she would need to make sufficient contributions if she wanted to control the entire clan. she had waited for this opportunity for far too long. she could not give it up! she would fulfill her mother¡¯s last wish. even if he had to give up everything! windsor looked at rebecca with a firm gaze. it was like she pondered, her eyes softened a lot. ¡°you want to control the frostwolf family?¡± rebecca was stunned and didn¡¯t expect the other party to say it straightforwardly. but she didn¡¯t hesitate. her voice is soft but with unshakable determination. ¡°i promised my mother.¡± the sentence turned windsor silent. her eyes were a little dazed like she had recovered some memory. it took her a long time to recover. she took a deep breath and gazed at rebecca again. there was no alienation in her eyes. ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce can give up the cooperation right of the desert crown robe, but what deal can you offer?¡± a bit of a surprise appeared on rebecca¡¯s face. she didn¡¯t expect to get the perfect answer. she took some breaths and suppressed the excitement in her heart. ¡°chairman windsor, i discovered a giant blue steel mine in the land of frost eternal mark last year that i can give up 50% of the share.¡± windsor was surprised. ¡°blue steel mine?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± after rebecca received a positive response, she profoundly stared at the chairman. ¡°your courage makes me believe that you have the opportunity to take charge of the frostwolf clan. ¡°onyx will discuss the cooperation with twilight city. i will send a maid a servant to summon him. you can talk to him.¡± she immediately asked the maid to go down and call onyx. long after. fat-bellied onyx flung the fat in his face and entered the room. ¡°chairman windsor, good day. ¡°her royal highness christy, greetings to you. ¡°distinguished lady, onyx welcomes you.¡± ¡°no need to be polite, onyx. tell miss rebecca the situation in twilight city.¡± after windsor finished adding sentences. ¡°miss rebecca is the eldest daughter of the ice empire, the grand duke of frostwolf. this time, for the desert crown robe.¡± when onyx heard this, he looked at the figure in the blue dress next to him, startled. the eldest daughter of the grand duke. the status is rare. ¡°miss rebecca, please ask.¡± rebecca said after she organized her language. ¡°how many flame dragon rabbits are there in that desert territory, and can they provide enough rabbit fur for a long time?¡± onyx pondered. ¡°when twilight city first caught the flame dragon rabbit, i saw it with my own eyes. only a few dozen of them. ¡°it stands to reason that providing too much rabbit fur is impossible. but this time, lord richard said he could provide desert crown robe. ¡°i asked from the side whether twilight city has mastered raising flame dragon rabbits. lord richard did not deny it.¡± ¡°lord richard?¡± ¡°he is the lord of twilight city.¡± rebecca was immediately excited. almost everyone knew that it was impossible to raise the flame dragon rabbit. it is not that the ice empire has not tried. but no matter what they feed them, those rabbits do not survive. so when she heard that the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce could supply those robes made from flame dragon rabbit and rabbit fur a long time, her first reaction was not to believe it. ¡°but in my heart, what if it were true? such a thought arose. ¡°that¡¯s why i came to solan city from a long distance. ¡°unexpectedly, i got the most desired answer. ¡°the surprise in my heart almost overflowed my chest.¡± ¡°is this true?¡± onyx shook his head. ¡°miss rebbeca, lord richard has not personally admitted it. i can¡¯t say for sure. ¡°if you have time, i suggest you go to twilight city and talk to lord richard in detail.¡± twilight city now lacks trade channels with the outside world. if this extraordinary can come to twilight city, it will starkly give that closed territory more choices. although ice empire is in bad weather, it is rich in minerals. when rebecca heard this, she silently added a sentence to her heart. ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t take those jars of desert crown honey.¡± when rebecca heard this, she responded immediately without hesitation. ¡°i came here for this. even if i have to cross the desert of death. i would do it.¡± when onyx saw her determination, he nodded and said nothing. rebecca pondered for a while before she spoke again. ¡°lord onyx, may i ask, what is the most lacking in that¡­ lord¡¯s richard territory? ¡°i think i¡¯ll settle the matter this time.¡± onyx pondered. ¡°lord richard exchanged tens of thousands of rare resources with me before¡­ presumably, twilight city is short of these items.¡± ¡°short of¡­scarce resources?? and only tens of thousands of units?¡± rebecca was a little surprised. not that rare resources are not precious. but for a force like the frostwolf clan, rare resources are available. what¡¯s more, there are only tens of thousands of units. compared with the flame dragon rabbit, who has a remarkable spot in her heart, these needs are a bit strange. after rebecca thought for a while, she didn¡¯t know what to say. after she pondered, she asked again. ¡°what kind of territory is twilight city?¡± in her initial imagination, it must be an extraordinary existence to raise the flame dragon rabbit. but even short of rare resources, she was uncertain. when onyx heard this, under the gazes of several people, he immediately became excited. it was like they beat him with blood. ¡°amazing, that is a magical territory. please, forgive me. i can¡¯t find a better word to describe it than this world. ¡°when first entered twilight city, the opponent had only dozens of troops and one or two hundred residents. ¡°the entire territory is even more barren. barren to the point of severe barrenness. ¡°but this time, the city has a wall dozens of meters high. the population exceeds 2,000. not only that. it also has hundreds of acres of sand barley and russian olive forest. and a troop of nearly 1,000 soldiers.¡± the more he talked, the more excited onyx became. ¡°but what struck me the most was the territory, no beggars, no people in tattered clothes. everyone had a big smile, and their eyes sparkled with hope. i have never seen a territory with such a unique spirit. ¡°even lord richard let residents earn knowledge. yes, you heard it right. everyone is learning knowledge that only nobles can learn. ¡°every night, literacy classes are held in twilight city. every resident who has worked for a day is eligible to study¡­ ¡°this is something that even other lords can do. ¡°you can¡¯t imagine that in twilight city. a giant tree man can move. it is more than 100 meters tall and is stronger than the dragon. ¡°and when we went, lord richard plundered hundreds of alchemy cannons from the underground world. ¡°the troop is even mightier. ¡°special workshop. ¡°after onyx said the long-held knowledge in his heart. onyx finally said aloud. ¡°the growth rate of twilight city is beyond everyone¡¯s imagination! ¡°lord richard is the most potential lord! ¡°i believe that sooner or later, twilight city will shine through the desert of death. ¡°absolute.¡± when windsor, christy, and rebecca pondered at the excited figure, they looked at each other. they all saw surprise and intense curiosity in each other¡¯s eyes. is that city deep in the desert of death so extraordinary? Chapter 392 [ding~ you have stood out from millions and become the final king. you have received the glorious title¡ªking of gladiator.¡± [king of gladiator, glorious. when fighting with other lords, if the enemy troops exceed 500, your attributes will be increased by 30%.] [when the number of enemy troops exceeds 1,000, your attributes will increase by 40%, and the troop attributes will increase by 30%.] [the enemy troops have more than 3,000 soldiers. your attributes have increased by 50%, and the soldiers¡¯ attributes have increased by 40%. it has raised all the soldiers¡¯ morale.] !! [ding~ your legendary deeds have been widely spread. you have received 3 points mythos.] [ding~ you have obtained a rainbow treasure chest (glorious): 1 point] [ding~ you have obtained 10 gold points. current gold points: 330 points.] [ding~ you have obtained 10 battle points. current battle points: 238 points.] [ding~ you have obtained a level +1 reward. your level has increased to level 12.] the chain of system notifications made richard¡¯s smile reach its peak. the title of king of gladiator with overbearing attributes. a glorious rainbow treasure chest, three glorious points, two points, and level +1. the harvest this time was so comfortable¡­ put everything else aside. and the title of king of gladiator, which could massively increase one¡¯s attributes, was priceless. the more enemies one faced, the more bonus one¡¯s attributes and troop classes would receive. coupled with the 5-stars treasure¨Cthe death elegy medal +50% of the undead troop¡¯s attributes, the battle power of the twilight city troop was simply unbelievable! in the future, if he were to nurture a high-level troop type, it would improve these characteristics even more. it is so good. he had placed the rainbow treasure chest in the system space. he glanced at it but was in no hurry to open it. what made him even more concerned now was that he had leveled up to level 12. it meant he could finally contract the level 15 boss, the dark valkyrie, locked up in the ancient god statue with unparalleled battle power. ¡°hahaha¡­¡± the thought of that overbearing boss made him feel excited. it would never be too much to have such top-notch battle strength! [ding~ all lords participating in the death arena, please take note the system has activated the redemption of gladiator points.] [each can exchange for three treasures. you can choose freely.] [the exchange will be closed in ten minutes. please hurry.] the system notification jolted richard out of his reverie. he glanced and saw that he still had 238 points. he had killed special bosses, completed the demon king challenge, and killed hundreds of players in the battle of the furnace. he didn¡¯t know the specific data of the other players¡¯ gladiator points, but after a calculation, the highest should not exceed 30 points. compared to the other players¡¯ bitter gladiator careers. he had swept through everything. a new panel appeared in his mind. he had initially thought it would be a shopping mall with many treasures to choose from. however, unexpectedly, only five items were on the gladiator point exchange page. three of them were strategic treasures, while the other two were a 3-stars and a 4-stars treasure chest. it was too pitiful. richard¡¯s mouth twitched. the first item he saw was a black magic staff. [dark night staff ] [level: glorious)] [points required: 200] he looked at it twice to make sure it wasn¡¯t a mistake. it showed the easy level and how many points one could exchange. but it did not on the attributes. although it was as high as glorious¡­ this thing also needed to draw a blind box. richard looked at the second item. it was a necklace that shone with the light of the stars. it looked striking. [shining star necklace] [level: glorious] [exchange points: 200] it was the same introduction. there was no additional explanation. richard shook his head helplessly. the word ¡°glorious¡± was good enough. but the problem was that he wasn¡¯t sure if useful for twilight city. if he could get a treasure that could enhance his demon or devil troop, he would have done it for nothing. he looked at the last item with hope in his eyes. it was a rather special treasure¨Ca cloak. the cloak was black. and there were dark golden ancient patterns engraved on it. it emitted a faint light, and it had an indescribable mystery. [dark king¡¯s cape] [level: glorious] [exhange points: 200] ¡°the king of darkness¡­ a cloak?¡± richard looked at the name and instantly thought of the black-robed merchant who exchanged the elegy of death medal. the other party also had a glorious treasure¨Cthe crown of the king of darkness. and that treasure was a three-piece set. there were two attributes that he remembered very clearly. one was that when he commanded the undead troop, he would be immune to the damage bonus from the light and nature to the evil factions. he suffered losses when he fought other players. so he felt that this attribute was extraordinary. the other was¡­ he could only exchange three treasures with points. although the other two are still at the glorious level, they were still good. but in comparison, he preferred to be sure. and this king of darkness cape had even mightier potential. ¡°exchange for the dark king¡¯s cape.¡± after his choice, his points instantly dropped to 38 points. then, the cloak appeared in the system space. richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to check its attributes. he looked at the items he could exchange for¨Cthe 3-stars and 4-stars treasure chests. a 3-stars treasure chest was 5 points, and a 4-stars treasure chest was 10 points. fortunately, there was no limit to the number of treasure chests one could exchange. gladiator points were out of date. and there was no use in keeping them. after he glanced at the two glorious items with some pity, he exchanged them for three 4-stars and one 3-stars treasure chest. Chapter 393 he had used up all his points. at this point, the death arena event finally came to an end. to him, the harvest this time is exaggerated. it would make all players¡¯ eyes turn red with envy if word of this got out. !! the first was the first loot. richard thought it was the most important¨Ca level 15 hidden boss with a-rank potential, the dark valkyrie. that¡¯s a boss unit. in terms of battle power, the enemies had killed even someone as strong as renee several times by this divine soul. the boss alone was enough to make a lot of money, even with no gains from this trip. the second reward was the heart of the sun. this treasure could transform an ordinary creature into an elemental life form with a-grade potential. it was simply overbearing. moreover, he picked this thing for free without paying any price. the third reward was the title of the king of gladiator. the attributes of this title were so soul-strapping. moreover, this title could improve the attributes of all troops, unlike the elegy of death medal. it targeted the undead troop. the fourth harvest¨C14 5-stars psionic gemstones that could improve a characteristic of the troop class. richard obtained 12 crystals from the demon king challenge and two from the special bosses. the 5-stars rating was enough to explain everything, although he had not used it. furthermore, this was a unique reward from the death arena fighting ring. after this village, he could find this shop again. the ridiculous number of 14 pills could starkly strengthen the battle power of several units to the extreme. it was a treasure that could enhance the foundation of twilight city. he was excited, and the system had yet to reveal its value. the fifth reward was the friendship of the fire elemental lord. he had picked up thousands of lava hearts from the furnace to help the elemental plane¡¯s boss become transcendent. once the other party successfully advanced, it would mean that he would have a powerful trump card in his hands. he was able to summon an extraordinary boss to fight. it was simply going to the heavens. moreover, he would keep 1,000 lava hearts given away for free. he could exchange them for 200,000 fire elemental cores from the fire elemental lord klose. it was a precious treasure he could use to enchant troops. just like the spiritual power gemstone, they were treasures that could improve one¡¯s foundation. it could only be encountered but not sought. in addition, there was the glorious treasure he had just exchanged for the king of darkness cape. if he were to earn more points and exchange for the crown of the king of darkness from the black-robed merchant¡­ he had already gathered two of them. if he got the last one, he would have a quasi-relic. when he thought of this, he couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on his face. it was too comfortable. in this instance, the dungeon was purely for restocking. [ding~ point exchange closed. death arena fighting ring closed. the livestream closed. after the system¡¯s notification. richard¡¯s vision blurred. the giant started the fire, and the endless sea of lava disappeared. rows of houses of different heights appeared in front of him. and a busy crowd moved all kinds of supplies in and out. twilight city¡­ he was back. ¡°good day, my lord ..¡± ¡°my lord ¡­¡± the citizens were surprised to see richard in the square. but they quickly bowed to him in joy. richard¡¯s tensed heart relaxed at the familiar sight. it was as if he had unloaded a heavy burden. the sand that had covered his face disappeared. it revealed his handsome face. his eyes smiled. he nodded slightly at the residents who bowed. ¡®i¡¯m home¡­¡¯ this city starkly belonged to him and had long become his most secure home. he turned around and looked at the figure beside him. ¡°xina, you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days. you should go and rest first. the battle has not yet subsided, and we still need you to carry the flag next.¡± the other battle units were all undead, so sleeping was of no use to them. the fatigue in xina¡¯s eyes was distinct. she smiled and nodded. she didn¡¯t say much. she saluted with her hands on her chest and turned to leave. in the death arena fighting ring, this brave warrior charged at the front line for several days and never retreated. as an ordinary lifeform, she was already mentally exhausted. not long after he left, old gray-haired head butler karu came over excitedly. ¡°good day, lord richard.¡± ¡°no need to be so polite. have there been any accidents these few days?¡± head butler karu shook his head. ¡°no, the troop is following orders. everything is going according to plan.¡± as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something, and his tone became heavy. ¡°however, lord treebeard seemed tohave run into some trouble. the god¡¯s ancient tree? richard¡¯s brow rose. what happened to the boss? ¡°what kind of trouble?¡± head butler karu said hesitantly. ¡°lord treebeard said that he planted a seed in another world through the spatial gap in the dark crystal¡­ ¡°furthermore, this seed still rapidly grew.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Chapter 394 when richard heard the words of karu, in his mind flashed the image of the glorious divine power he felt when he manipulated the sandman to pass through the spatial rift supported by the dark spar. that suffocating feeling was even more incredible than when the kobold god had appeared in the sky above twilight city. one couldn¡¯t simply describe it with words. at that moment, it froze its soul. when richard suddenly heard that the god¡¯s ancient tree planted the tree in the dark plane, he was surprised. !! his gaze was solemn. ¡°how¡¯s treebeard¡¯s condition? did it find anything strange in the dark plane?¡± head butler karu could hear the seriousness in his voice. and his tone became even more profound. ¡°lord, treebeard is fine. it closed the spatial rift. but treebeard is still stationed nearby and has not left. richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°where is it? take me there immediately.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± karu didn¡¯t hesitate. he immediately ordered the soldiers who knew the location of the god¡¯s ancient tree to lead the way. richard ordered the resurrected soldiers to disperse and guard the city walls. he then left twilight city with renee and alves. north, outside the land of quicksand. on the pitch-black earth, a vast tree man rooted there. from a distance, the dried branches looked like the arms of a dried-up corpse. the crown of the wasps flew all over the place and made a heart-wrenching buzzing sound. it made people feel enormous pressure just by looking at it. in addition to the thick dark clouds in the sky, horror shrouded filled everything there. alves flapped its broken dragon wings and approached quickly. richard sat on its back and sensed nothing wrong with treebeard. it put to rest his worries. alves landed on the ground. richard flipped down and walked to the base of the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s tall trunk. ¡°treebeard, what happened here? how did you get to that dark plane?¡± the tree trunk revealed a twisted face. ¡°lord¡­¡± a low, muffled voice sounded. ¡°after i killed the void hunter that guarded the dark crystal, i sensed the dark energy i needed on the other side of the spatial rift¡­ ¡°so i extended my roots inside. ¡°my soul transformed and obtained a new ability¨Cseed sow after i devoured tons of energy. ¡°at that moment, a soul-crushing aura came from that plane and chopped off my roots. ¡°for safety reasons, i pushed away the dark crystal that supported the spatial rift. it disappeared without a trace after i lost its support, and the soul-crushing aura also disappeared. ¡°but after that, i suddenly felt the few chopped-off roots start to sprout. ¡°and i¡¯m still connected to the seed even though i¡¯m in a different plane.¡± treebeard¡¯s story piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°a new ability? seed sow?¡± richard immediately opened the attribute panel of treebeard. at this point, the level 13 boss had already reached level 14. and in addition to the initial skill, there was an additional skill. [seed sow (a-rank) ¡ª can sow 5,000 seeds and grow them into dark treants. each dark treant is level 5 of the user¡¯s level. after the limit, it can consume tons of energy to upgrade the treant¡¯s level. for every 1,000 dark treants born, it can cultivate a treant hero. if the user dies, it can revive the hero among these treants.] the attributes were still worthy. in addition to the ability to breed venomous wasps, the god¡¯s ancient tree was utterly on the path of one man against a troop. moreover, after it died, it could use these treants to resurrect. it made him even more overbearing. ¡°the dark plane did not reject your seeds?¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree shook its trunk. the voice slowly rang out. the roots have devoured the dark energy and are no different from the aura of a void hunter¡­ richard understood. he didn¡¯t mind about it. he thought about what this could bring to twilight city. he could sense a lot of room for manipulation. as his thoughts turned, he searched for the essence of the problem¡­ ¡®which dark plane had something of value? ¡®or rather, was there something twilight city needed in that plane?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes brightened as the answer appeared in his mind. ¡°void licker.¡± the infinite number of void lickers from the spatial rifts might be a massive disaster for others. but they were a unique and rare resource for twilight city. it was because the god¡¯s ancient tree needed it. whether it was to increase its level or to breed venomous wasps, treebeard needed corpses. with the additional treants, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s demand hugely increased. moreover, the monsters that contained a massive amount of dark energy could also help in the transformation. if it could open a spatial rift after it left this instance dungeon and continuously lure the void foragers out, it could escape. without a doubt, the god¡¯s ancient tree had found a long-term and stable source of experience. it was the quickest benefit to achieve. when twilight city becomes undisputed in the future, there will be more things to do¡­ for example, conquer a plane. when richard thought of this, his mood immediately became better. to open a spatial rift might have been very difficult in the past. however, he had the void sandworm. it was a life praised by the president of the scarlet council and the ultimate boss who had wiped the plane with his bare hands in the previous dungeon. as long as the void sandworm matured, this wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Chapter 395 ¡°treebeard, let those seeds of yours lay low and quietly absorb the energy. you must not attract the attention of the void monsters.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. he took another glance at the boss¡¯s attributes. the transformation progress had already reached 30%. !! it was still a long way to go before he could complete the transformation. ¡°it seems i still have to use points to buy that drop of dark divine blood from the black-robed merchant.¡± the black-robed merchant distinctly mentioned that the divine blood of darkness could complete the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree and even make it one level higher. it could activate the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree in the body. however, what gave him a headache was that the price of the divine blood of darkness was as high as 8 million points. in addition, he wanted to exchange for the crown of the king of darkness, which was worth 5 million points. then, he had to earn 13 million points before the end of the dungeon. with that in mind, he glanced at his attribute panel. the points column on it showed¡­ 3.57 million. he was still close to 10 million from his target. it was not a small amount. however, his fighting spirit immediately filled up when he thought about the two treasures in front of him. no matter what, he had to earn enough points this time. he sighed and looked up at the sky. ¡®i hope that we can extend the duration of this instance dungeon.¡¯ the moment he thought of this, the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ the system has activated endless survival mode. the life form hidden in the dimensional plane will descend again in three hours.] [the attack this time will be endless.] [it has opened the survival time ranking board. the system will reward handsomely the lord who can resist the monsters for the longest time in the endless mode. please be prepared.] ¡°endless survival mode?¡± richard was enthralled. but after he read the notifications twice, he smiled. this model was sparingly engrossing. now, he was afraid the dungeon would close early. and the divine blood of darkness and the crown of the king of darkness would be gone. in this mode, one could survive longer as long as one had the ability. he could use this to earn enough points. other players might be hesitant, but he had the support of twilight city. if twilight city could not survive, how many territories among the tens of billions of players could? he had sharpened his blade for ten years just for this moment. he had used his absolute power in the death arena fighting ring to show the tens of billions of players the power of twilight city. this time, the twilight city would ultimately not be weaker than anyone else in this test of territory foundation. with that in mind, he opened the player [forum chat]. he didn¡¯t know what those idiots did at this time. after a few cursory glances, he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the players on the forums discussed the final battle in the death arena fighting ring. all screamed in excitement. in particular, the rewards he would receive after he became the king of gladiator made the players¡¯ hearts itch. of course, they were more impressed by the power of twilight city. only a few posts discussed the endless mode. richard didn¡¯t get any prosperous information from the forum, so he closed it. he wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat with others on the forum and waste his time. after he let the god¡¯s ancient tree return to the land of quicksand to prepare for the battle, he did not stay for long and immediately returned to twilight city. after he told head butler karu that the enemy would attack again in three hours, richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. he drank a cup of newly-brewed hot tea and took out the 4-stars treasure he valued the most from the system space¨C the doomsday horn-scroll. it could force a contract with a life form no higher than three levels and make it eternally loyal to him. it was a top-grade treasure he had obtained from the scarlet council¡¯s treasure vault in the previous instance dungeon. he initially planned to use it to have a contract with the god¡¯s ancient tree. he didn¡¯t expect the boss to surrender on its own to save him the rare treasure. at this moment, it finally had a worthy use. after he placed the doomsday horn-scroll on the table, he slowly took out the ancient god statue that emitted a faint light. with a thought, the spiritual energy spread and entered the statue. in an instant, a remarkable scene appeared in his mind. the dark valkyrie wore black armor and lay quietly on the ground. an armor covered its face and only revealed a pair of tightly closed eyes. the curved sword that could cut through everything lay quietly beside it. no one would have thought this would be a powerful and overbearing boss unit judging from the quiet atmosphere. his heart moved. the next moment. a gloomy aura enveloped the dark valkyrie, and the boss¡¯s figure gradually faded. then, in the hall, a shadow started to form. in a few breaths, the heavily injured and unconscious dark valkyrie lay on the long black table. unconscious woman. richard didn¡¯t hesitate. he slowly picked up the doomsday horn-scroll. he pricked his finger, and blood dripped on it. the next moment, a wave of majestic energy surged and enveloped the dark valkyrie. the contract opened. Chapter 396 the dark contract suddenly shattered. it turned a stream of pure energy that poured into the sleeping dark valkyrie. at that moment. richard felt a strange connection to the other party¡¯s soul. the contract was signed. !! it had long weakened to its peak the unconscious dark valkyrie¡¯s will to resist. in her daze, she only felt a majestic energy that surged into her mind. she was powerless, although she was on guard. she could not resist, no matter how unwilling she was. she could only allow the energy to fuse slowly into her soul. a moment later, a certain feeling in her heart gradually changed. a unique emotion rose in her heart. ¡°lord¡­¡± when the majestic energy branded the dark valkyrie¡¯s soul, it also repaired the soul that the divine spell injured. richard could sense that the faint life force of the figure on the table slowly burned. in the end, it was like a fire that burned the world. it became scaldingly hot. the scars on the dark valkyrie¡¯s body also healed at speed visible to the naked eye. the majestic energy restored the pure black armor of the other party. and the scene looked quite magical. ten minutes later. the dark valkyrie¡¯s aura had reached its peak. the guards at the door felt a massive pressure. renee silently guarded richard¡¯s divine soul on the side and raised her vigilance to the highest level. the enemy in front of her was a terrifying existence that had killed her several times. finally, the dark valkyrie¡¯s aura reached a limit. the pair of tightly shut eyes suddenly opened. and the next moment, its body floated up and stood horizontally in the air. the three-meter-long saber automatically flew into her hand. with a saber in hand, she floated in the air. the super boss that could suppress everything appeared again. a soul-stripping pressure like a hundred thousand feet wave swept the world and surged out. the residents of twilight city subconsciously turned to look at the lord¡¯s mansion with bewilderment. richard looked at the unparalleled figure, and the corners of his mouth curled up. the dark valkyrie. from this moment on, this boss would belong to twilight city. it would fight for the city. the dark valkyrie finally snapped out of her daze and looked at richard. their eyes met. the dark valkyrie¡¯s golden eyes suddenly narrowed. after that, she slowly descended to the ground and kneeled before richard with her right hand on her chest. an advanced language with an unusual accent resounded. ¡°lord, your most loyal warrior, fay, sends you her respectful greetings. the moment she finished speaking. richard felt the connection between them grew more robust. at this moment, if she wanted to, she could directly wipe out the boss¡¯s soul in front of her. she looked at the top boss in the sky arena, who could even kill the a-rank dragon hero, alves, in the most humble way to pledge her loyalty to him. an indescribable sense of accomplishment rose in his heart. he felt ten thousand times better than getting the goddess in his heart. he opened his attribute panel with firm anticipation. [the dark valkyrie¨Cfay] [boss unit] [level: level 15 (top-tier boss, all attributes increased by 300%, level 15 bonus: increase strength by 50%.] [potential: a-rank (strength increased by 100%.] [bloodline: dark martial god (special, attack increased by 150%.)] [dark vitality: 10,000 points (recovers 100 points per second)] [skills: body of the god of war (beyond a-rank) ¡ª immune to instant death skills, soul control, curses, plagues, poisons, aura suppression, and forever high morale. immune to the damage bonus from the light and nature to the dark faction. could ignore all anti-air magic, float in the sky, and when receiving a fatal attack, it will automatically consume 1,000 blood energy to be immune to this attack.] [god punisher (beyond a-rank) ¡ª consumes 3,000 vitality to deal ten times the damage. within 300 meters, it will utterly hit the target. cooldown time: 10 minutes.] [all-encompassing destruction (beyond a-rank) ¡ª with the user as the center, it can unleash 10,000 blade auras, causing indiscriminate damage within a 100-meter radius. the minimum vitality consumption is 1,000 points, but it can increase the vitality consumption to increase the power and range of the attack. cooldown time: 5 minutes) [longsword lord (special) ¡ª has the sturdiest talent for longswords. using a longsword as a weapon can maximize the effects of the longsword. it can increase the damage to all skills by 50%. currently bound to the battle sword-long wind blade.] [special characteristics: final form. when in a near-death state, she will transform into the valkyrie and immediately return to her peak state. her level will increase by three levels. her potential will increase by one rank. skill cooldown time is reduced by 50%, and blood recovery speed will increase by 300%. duration: 30 minutes. cooldown time: 24 hours.] [race talent: void-piercing longsword. dark qi and blood are attached to the weapon. when attacking, it can destroy all the skills and attacks of the enemy. it consumes 100 qi and blood every second.] [fetter-valkyrie: has a strong sense of smell in battle. she can easily see through the enemy¡¯s weakness. no illusion or clone skills will work on her and can see through all disguises.] [description: a powerful boss. wherever her blade points, the world will turn dark. no one dares to face her blade.] this attribute was a little fierce¡­ after he glanced a few times, he wanted to laugh out loud. it was so comfortable. although the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t have many skills, they were all supremely soul-crushing. furthermore, he used these skills in the sky arena. so one can describe its battle power as fierce. Chapter 397 especially his opponent¡¯s final form. once activated, the universe would explode, and the battle power would skyrocket. if not for the fact that he had a powerful enough trump card, he could not have taken down this boss in the sky arena. when they had become enemies, the stronger the other party was, the more annoyed he was. now, he could only feel pleasure. !! ¡°hahaha¡­ it was a level 15 boss, a super king bomb!¡± if renee¡¯s divine soul could not resurrect, she could not do anything to fay. moreover, the dark valkyrie was an independent battle unit, unlike renee, who had to stay in the ancient god statue and couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°no need to be so polite, fay.¡± richard took a few more looks at it when the dark gargoyle stood up. a black armor, a slowly floating cape, and a shockingly long saber in her hand. just judging from her looks, she could be stalwart and heroic. he was intensely satisfied. then, he seemed to have thought of something and asked curiously. ¡°have you been living in the sky arena all this time?¡± the dark valkyrie slowly shook her head. ¡°lord, i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t know?¡± her response bewildered richard. he did not expect a such reply. ¡°you lost your memory?¡± ¡°yes, lord. i don¡¯t have any memories of that.¡± the dark valkyrie said, but confusion clouded her golden eyes. ¡°i don¡¯t have any memories of the past.¡± ¡°i only remember that you are my lord¡­ i¡¯ve forgotten everything else.¡± richard frowned. ¡®was it because renee¡¯s divine spell had damaged the dark valkyrie¡¯s soul? or was it because the dark valkyrie was the hidden boss of the sky arena?¡¯ however, there were straws of information. richard could not come up with an answer even after he pondered for a while. he did not dwell on it, either. in any case, the boss had already become a member of twilight city. in the future, they would all fight for him. the past was no longer as important. he waved his hand and asked the two maids to take the dark valkyrie away to give her some basic information about twilight city. it was after they chatted for a while and found out that she really couldn¡¯t remember anything. richard was in a good mood. after he settled down the dark valkyrie, he took out another treasure from the system space he had obtained in the arena. [rainbow treasure chest (glorious)] it was the reward for becoming the king of gladiator. he had never even opened a 5-stars treasure chest before. let alone a glorious-level treasure chest. his eyes could not help but reveal a strong sense of anticipation with this in mind. he reached out and slowly opened the rainbow-colored legendary treasure chest. the next second. a brilliant light erupted. it was as if the seven-colored light was the only thing left in the world. a bright gemstone appeared in front of him when the light gradually dimmed. the gemstone emitted a strong mana fluctuation. even before richard checked its attributes, he could tell it was extraordinary. just as he reached into the box, a system notification rang in his ear. [ding~ you have obtained a glorious-level treasure¨Cvictory gemstone.¡± ¡°the victory gemstone?¡± richard was stunned while he held the gemstone and weighed it. it was as heavy as steel. and the magic power inside it was like magma. he opened the attribute panel in high spirits. this thing couldn¡¯t possibly be trash, right? [victory gemstone] [level: glorious] [special characteristics: the person who holds the victory gemstone will bring endless hope to his subordinates. even if defeated to the point of losing a soldier, they will follow him without wavering. his aides will never betray him and never give up.] [description: this is a treasure that the goddess of victory used to reward her loyal believers. if embedded in strategic equipment, it will give it the characteristics of the goddess of victory¡¯s blessing.] richard looked at the attributes and was stunned. a victory goddess gave the treasure? it was good. but the problem was¡­ he seemed to have little use for it. the title of the king of gladiators would boost the morale of 5,000 enemies. furthermore, the twilight city troop was mainly composed of undead and dark gargoyles, which did not require morale. it didn¡¯t matter how much morale they increased. on the other hand, humans, who could gain additional attribute bonuses when their morale was high, were very suitable for this treasure. but he doesn¡¯t particularly need it either. what is the state of the evil that the undead troop is afraid of¡­ the skill is more suitable for the light faction. it tailored both features for the light faction. richard is a bit stubborn. the colorful box opened something he couldn¡¯t use. he turned and glanced in the direction where dark valkyrie stayed. is it that getting this boss used up his luck? richard shook his head. he set aside the brightly radiant victory gemstone in his hand. ¡®in the future, i can only find opportunities to sell or exchange for others. ¡®glorious gemstones are not rubbish. for the light faction, they are ultimately top treasures. ¡®after the dungeon is over, you can go to solan city. the phoenix-tail flowere chamber of commerce could use the victory gemstone. and you¡¯re tired of staying in twilight city. it¡¯s time to go outside and see the flower world. ¡®also, i do not know if onyx has sold the desert crown honey and the desert crown robe.¡¯ after he gathered his scattered thoughts, he still felt a little regret. it¡¯s hard to open such a top-level treasure box. but there were no valuable treasures. but it¡¯s nothing. several top treasures await in the dungeon. currently, the most important thing is to earn points, get the dark blood, and the crown of the king of darkness that can transform the god¡¯s ancient tree. needless to say about the former, if the god¡¯s ancient tree activates the power of gods and sins, this already soul-crushing and outrageous boss could reach the sky. and the crown of the king of darkness is also not weak. it is immune to the damage bonus of the light and nature to the evil factions. twilight city will be fearless again with this soul-strapping feature. energy stirred richard quickly when he thought of this. he still has the opportunity to save enough 13 million points to redeem two treasures in this wave of endless survival mode. he could not exchange a few more pieces from the black-robed merchant if he seized the opportunity. Chapter 398 richard set aside the victory gemstone and suddenly thought of something. from the system space, he took out the treasure he had exchanged for his gladiator points. one 3-stars treasure chest, three 4-stars treasure chests, and a glorious strategic treasure¨Cthe dark king¡¯s cape. dark valkyrie and the rainbow treasure chests were not the only things he had gained this time. !! ¡°i¡¯ve gained so much that i almost forgot about such an ordinary treasure. what a headache¡­¡± he opened the treasure chest first. richard opened all four chests without hesitation. however, unexpectedly, he did not get any strategic equipment. they were all resources and treasures. [fish pond] [level: 3-stars] [scope: 100 acres] [specialty: can open up a fish pond to raise all freshwater fish. the growth cycle is one month. storage requirements: three medium-sized spring water.] [description: a treasure.] ****** [thorn fruit forest x3] [level: 4-stars] [scope: 300 acres] [special characteristics: can produce unique thorn fruits, suitable for making spirits.] [description: a rare treasure] two treasures appeared from the four treasure chests: one fish pond and three thorn fruit trees. the fish pond was still fine, but the thorn fruit forest¡¯s unique characteristic¨Cwas suitable for making adamant wine, which enormously increased his interest. he had invested so many resources into the distillery but yielded no fruitful results. it made him unhappy. nine hundred acres of thorn fruits might put the wine-making project in twilight city on track. his mood immediately lifted. he did not get any battle equipment. however, the resources and treasures were not futile. they could enrich one¡¯s foundation. and it would never be too much. the only thing that caused him to hesitate was¡­ ¡°where should i farm these plants next?¡± void foragers destroyed the agricultural area outside the city after richard entered the instance dungeon. if he placed these resources and treasures outside the city¡­ the agricultural area destroyed in the event of a battle would not be difficult to imagine. richard felt a headache when he thought of this. it would tremendously hinder his farming plan if this hidden danger were unresolved. but the problem was, although the desert was vast, where could he find a place where outside forces would not pester and could use it for farming in peace? the underground world appeared in his mind. but he immediately shook his head. the harsh climate and environment of the underground world were not suitable for agriculture. otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be a food shortage. richard thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°after this instance dungeon is over, let¡¯s go to solan city and see if there is a way to solve this.¡± he didn¡¯t dwell on this matter any longer. he placed the four resources and treasures into the system space. then, he took out the last item he had obtained from the death arena fighting ring. one of the three-piece demigod sets¡­ the dark king¡¯s cape. he grabbed it with both hands and shook it gently. it revealed the handsome cape in front of him. the cape was a very soft exceptional material filled with an ancient aura. it was like a work from hundreds of thousands of years ago. the dark golden patterns engraved on it made it even more charming. while richard held it in his hand, he felt appeased. it was like he stood under the shade of a tree by the water when the sun was hot at noon. richard pondered at the cape and opened the attribute panel with anticipation. [king of darkness cape] [level: glorious] [special characteristics: 1. the style of a king enormously increases personal charm, massively increases the attraction to hero units, and reduces the difficulty of recruiting heroes.] [2. absolute defense. the cape can condense a shield of darkness that can block any skill attack once. cooldown time: 30 minutes.] [3. darkness descends. with the user as the center, a radius of 500 meters will descend into absolute darkness. it will suppress the enemy¡¯s vision and perception to a 10-meter radius. the user can control the power of darkness and teleport without limit. duration: 30 minutes.] [4. lord of darkness (sealed)] [5. king of darkness (sealed)] [description: a part of the dark king¡¯s cape set. gathering all three pieces of this equipment will activate its hidden power and evolve it into a semi-divine artifact.] good fellow! richard¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. this attribute was indeed worthy of being a glorious treasure! the first attribute, the king¡¯s wind, had the same attributes as the crown of the king of darkness. it increased personal charm and attractiveness to heroes. however, the second and third messages were different. the absolute defense could form a shield to block one attack. he suddenly thought of the dark valkyrie¡¯s soul-strapping kill-move that slaughtered alves in one strike-god slayer. there was also renee¡¯s divine soul, which required 20 points of divine power to cast¨Cdeath hunt. these two skills had a sure-hit effect. he couldn¡¯t even think of dodging. an absolute defense that could block a skill once was undoubtedly the decisive factor when facing fearsome opponents like fay and renee. he now had another powerful life-saving trump card. the third characteristic was also intensely exaggerated. it would compress the enemy¡¯s perception of the dark valkyrie¡¯s vision to only 10 meters in the darkness. but he could perform unlimited teleportation. it was comparable to renee¡¯s spatial movement. how powerful. was this the correct property of glorious strategic equipment? what would it be like if he gathered all three, activated the remaining two skills, and turned them into semi-divine artifacts? hope filled richard¡¯s eyes. the attributes of a 5-stars treasure like the death elegy medal were already ridiculous enough to him. this glorious treasure was even more surprising than the death elegy medal. he did not waste time and immediately put on the dark king¡¯s cape. Chapter 399 in an instant, a unique connection emerged in his heart. at this moment, as long as he wanted to, he could immediately cast the skill on the cape, which was no different from casting his skills. after he wore the golden dark king¡¯s cape, he felt a sense of majesty. a unique aura emerged. !! the wind of a king. a few maidservants waited at the door, and when they saw richard in his cape, they felt he had changed a lot. ¡®oh, my god! why is my lord so handsome and charming¡­ oh my god, my heart is beating so fast¡­ if¡­ if i could be with you¡­ kindness, just once¡­ yes, yes, once.¡¯ charm flooded his initially mesmerizing figure that made them reluctant to look away. his face blushed. his eyes were watery. it was like they could drip water. ¡®oh, my god! my lord, why are you so handsome and charming¡­ i could die. oh, my god, my heart is beating so fast¡­ if¡­ if i could be with you, lord, this life wouldn¡¯t be in vain.¡¯ richard overlooked the small details. at this moment, he had finally sorted out his gains from the arena. all that was left was the heart of the sun, which could turn a typical lifeform into an a-rank ordinary, and the thousand lava hearts. the heart of the sun wasn¡¯t in a hurry. he has battle units now. he would change targets when he found a suitable one. he has to give the heart of lava to the fire elemental lord klose. but he would have to wait until they left the dungeon. richard looked at the time. the system would activate the endless mode in two hours, and he was tired. he returned to his room and had a good night¡¯s sleep. while he slept. ¡®wu! wu!¡¯ the deep sound of the horn resounded through the sky. richard jolted back to his senses. after he got up and washed his face, he immediately left the lord¡¯s mansion and went straight to the west city wall. gunter, gray, xina, fay, and the centaur amelia were all there. the western wall of the twilight city faced the depths of the desert of death. so richard always used the west as the primary wall and liked to discuss matters there. the few heroes knew his habits and waited for him. they saluted richard respectfully. ¡°good day, lord.¡± ¡°good day, lord richard.¡± richard was in a super mood and looked at the figure in front of him. her hand was on her chest. other players would curse and swear if they knew twilight city had so many top-tier battle powers. there were two bosses on the city wall alone, one beyond a-rank and two a-rank heroes. in addition, there was the dragon hero alves, the boss, and the god¡¯s ancient tree. unknowingly, the number of a-rank and above battle heroes in his hands had reached seven. the three of them were bosses. although the little centaur, amelia, had yet to mature, she had once been a demigod, and her potential was no less than anyone else¡¯s. if renee¡¯s divine soul was also included. twilight city troops could easily defeat the joint attack of more than 100 players with just the top-tier battle power. it was true. hundred-man enemy. farming has developed for so long, and finally, no one can hide at the edge of twilight city. at this point, pride filled his heart. richard waved his hand and had them stand up before they walked to the front of the city wall. he reached out to hold the cold wall and looked into the distance. at the end of his sight. the void licker that had disappeared earlier appeared and swept the earth again. the hideous appearance and the low roar from throats made the veteran panic. along with these void lickers were the void hunters who had guarded the dark crystals in the monster stronghold. the endless survival mode this time was arduous, unlike before. richard sparingly frowned when he saw this. he turned to look to the side. ¡°gray, are the alchemy cannons ready?¡± gray responded quickly. ¡°lord, they are ready!¡± richard nodded. ¡°the alchemy artillery should not attack for the time being. wait for my order. ¡°in the endless survival mode, the longer the time, the stronger the enemy¡¯s attack. ¡°we cannot waste firepower in the early stage.¡± ¡°yes, lord¡­¡± richard turned his head and glanced at the three hurricane arrow towers in twilight city after he urged. they can¡¯t waste the advantage of the sand condensation archers since one cannot use the alchemy artillery due to ammunition issues. the light suddenly escaped from his body while he pondered. in an instant, the yellow sand on the ground in front of the city wall rolled outwards. in less than two minutes, a 30-meter deep and more than 50-meter wide gully appeared 50 meters away from the city wall. sandhill moat¡­ richard nodded with satisfaction when he saw this. it is matched with a sand archer with the blessing of an arrow tower, although it has no lethality. one can¡¯t underestimate its effect. the sand archer can teach the opponent to behave as long as the enemy¡¯s footsteps slow down. richard did not stop and continued to incarnate as a digger after digging out a deep ditch on the west side. deep ravines appeared not long after on the walls of twilight city. one round wasn¡¯t enough for richard, so he made another three rounds. in this battle of survival, he had to give twilight city the upper hand as much as possible. richard has one goal. to earn points, earn a lot. at least before the enemies capture the twilight city, they exchange the dark divine blood and the crown of the king of darkness from the black-robed merchant. they have to accomplish this goal. he could still operate it now, but when the battle started, he might not have had so much time to care about these things. the enemy in the distance had already entered the sand after he did all this. it was so dark that it made people panic. richard¡¯s eyes were like lightning. he was intensely excited, and there was no fear in his heart. the void monsters in front of him moved to point into his eyes. the black-robed merchant¡¯s treasure vault still waited for him. this wave is enough to slaughter him. he seemed to have thought of something as the enemy approached quickly. he turned and glanced behind him. the residents he recruited in the logistics support now carried the materials for the war. many were nervous. one could visibly see their anxiety. richard narrowed his eyes. it is an excellent opportunity to unite people¡¯s hearts. external conflicts are always the best way to transfer internal conflicts. after the popularity of twilight city rose to 90 points, it stayed at that status for so long. with a thought, he slowly flew into the air amidst the lingering gravel. he looked down with deep eyes and spoke in a grave voice. ¡°people of the twilight city, we will be together and fight side by side.¡± the sound quickly attracted the attention of the crowd below. everyone turned their heads to the sky. the initial fear in their hearts disappeared when they saw the familiar figure. emboldened became immediately sufficient. ¡°that is their leader, their master!¡± it vividly reflected the advantage of the archers. richard¡¯s voice gradually became higher when he sensed the change in morale. ¡°monsters from different planes are about to attack quickly. ¡°all troops, get ready. maintain the frequency of attacks and avoid excessive casualties. we must kill the most enemies with the least cost. ¡°this is going to be a long battle. it is also a battle of defense that everyone in twilight city must participate in. ¡°all of us must fight together and wipe out the enemies again. ¡°this plane is intensely remarkable. it can even revive death. ¡°so, my people, let go of the fear in your hearts. follow me and slaughter all the enemies to protect our refuge!¡± richard¡¯s voice echoed throughout the city. all the soldiers immediately turned their heads to look at the voice in the sky. ¡°for twilight city!¡± this sentence immediately ignited the atmosphere. the residents below gasped for breath and quickly shouted. it vented their suppressed fears. ¡°for twilight city!¡± ¡°for twilight city!¡± morale soared quickly. even the elderly and children in the residential houses had sparks in their eyes. it united everyone. all in one heart. Chapter 400 [ding~ your words and actions have won the recognition and worship of all residents. popular support has increased to 93 points. leadership skill upgrade progress to 70%. current level: elite (70%).] the sudden system notification lifted richard¡¯s spirits as he looked down at the city. he smiled and looked at the residents while they shouted. as expected, uniting hearts in the face of a foreign enemy was twice effective with half the effort. !! however, popular sentiment had only increased by three points. it was much more arduous after they reached 90 pints. the progress of his leadership skill was okay. if he did it again, he could upgrade it to the advanced level. richard waited for the residents to calm down, then landed on the wall again. his eyes burned as he looked at the void monster that gradually approached. his fortune depended on this wave. he turned around and looked at the champions beside him. ¡°all of you return to your city walls.¡± it wasn¡¯t like they were going to fight a boss, so there was no need to gather so many top-tier battle forces on one wall. ¡°yes, lord.¡± just as gray and the others were about to move, they suddenly turned their heads and looked in a direction. their eyes instantly turned cold. richard noticed something was wrong at the same time. he turned his head and saw hundreds of harpies that flew toward twilight city from the distant sky. the player troops. the fewer number sparingly puzzled him while he pondered at them. ¡®the void monster was about to come, so what does the other party try to do now? ¡®a surprise attack on twilight city?¡¯ richard turned his head and looked at the tall hurricane arrow tower. ¡®was that guy blind, or did twilight city look like a pushover?¡¯ as question marks filled his face, the harpies that flew at the front suddenly waved a white flag from somewhere and raised it high. ¡®surrender?¡¯ richard¡¯s mouth twitched. only players would do something like this. however, twilight city did not attack, so why would they surrender? he glanced at the void monster still thousands of meters away and waved his hand. alves, who was behind the city wall, suddenly took off. richard floated into the air and mounted the dragon hero. it flew towards the harpies. although killing a player would give him 1,000 points, the players were too scattered. it would be a waste of time to hunt down each. it was far less rewarding than hunting void monsters. although he was too lazy to attack the players around him, it didn¡¯t mean that these idiots could be disrespectful in front of him. alves approached quickly, and the dragon¡¯s might that swept through the world spewed out wantonly. the harpies in front immediately felt a massive pressure. the initially neat formation began to turn chaotic, and everyone involuntarily slowed their flying speed. the pressure of a higher life form on a lower life form could seep into the bloodline and soul. and it was unavoidable. when the two were about a hundred meters away, the harpies no longer dared to move forward due to the terrifying dragon breath. the morale, which was already low, dropped even crazily at this moment. the harpies could have scattered and fled due to the command from the rear. in the ¡°shining era,¡± normal life forms with flesh, blood, and souls, such as humans and orcs, would erupt with super battle power when morale was high. and they would be invincible. in contrast, these lives would also flee in defeat when their morale was low. troops like the undead and mechanical puppets did not enjoy the boost in morale. of course, they were also immune to the effects of it. each had its advantages and disadvantages. richard¡¯s voice echoed through the air as he looked at the troops. ¡°tell me why you¡¯re here, strangers.¡± a nervous voice came from the harpy troop as soon as richard finished speaking. ¡°qingqiu boss, don¡¯t do anything. the imperial troop asked me to pass you a message¡­ bah¡­ big brother, i¡¯m here to surrender!¡± the harpies at the front split up, and a player in his late twenties rode a horned eagle, wore light green armor, and appeared in his sight. the player glanced at the troop behind him. it gritted its teeth and commanded the trembling horned eagle to fly toward richard. the closer they got, the slower the horned eagle¡¯s flying speed became. they did not dare to fly any further after they reached a distance of 30 meters. it looked like a cat watching the mouse. [steamed bun lover] looked at the supremely handsome undead dragon with a wingspan of more than 30 meters. shock encompassed its heart. as expected of the strongest existence among the billions of players. even the mount it rode on made him feel suffocated. it was honestly envious. what threat would it have to worry about if it could have such a powerful hero? it was all bullshit! wouldn¡¯t he wipe out all the orcs around its territory? richard looked at the player, who seemed particularly small in front of alves, and frowned. he had no interest at all. ¡°surrender? your troops can¡¯t even withstand a single breath from the dragon breath beneath me.¡± ¡°what use do i have for you?¡± one had to show some value if one wanted to surrender. this strength was not as good as killing and earning 1,000 points. [steamed bun lover] took a deep breath to calm down the pressure in its heart and continued. ¡°qingqiu boss, don¡¯t worry. since i am here, i am confident that you will agree.¡± it piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°tell me, what¡¯s the source of your confidence?¡± [steamed bun lover] raised its clenched right hand and slowly spread it open. a thumb-sized, slightly shriveled seed appeared in the air. ¡°with this¡­¡± richard looked at the unremarkable seed and was slightly enthralled. ¡°this was¡­ seed? just with this thing?¡± Chapter 401 although richard could feel that mana flowed on it, it was faint. it was not even comparable to a 3-stars strategic treasure, let alone his legendary cape. as he frowned, he opened the attribute panel. he didn¡¯t have any hope at first, but in the next second, he was shocked. questions marks shrouded his heart. !! ¡°damn it. it could even obtain such a treasure? ¡°did this guy dig out the god¡¯s treasure?¡± [shriveled seed of the world tree] [level: special] [status: withered] [attribute: the seed of the world tree. although it has not absorbed enough energy during its conception and is very shriveled, it can still grow into a world tree that supports a medium-sized plane if it can germinate.] [description: it requires tons of energy to bring it back to life. it is a priceless treasure that can move the hearts of gods.] [the seed of the world tree¡­] what was the world tree? in the legends of the ¡°shining era¡±, this thing was a supreme treasure used by the god of creation to support the primary plane. now, the player in front of him, who could not even withstand alves¡¯s dragon breath, had obtained a treasure of this level. although it was a shriveled seed and in a withered state, it required a vast amount of energy to bring it back to life¡­ however, no reason could hide the fact that this thing was the seed of the world tree. richard was jealous. he thought that his luck was good enough. but compared to the lucky girl in front of him, covered in the skirt of the goddess of luck, he was still not good-looking. richard¡¯s eyes were wide open, and [steamed bun lover] sighed. qingqiu still knew what was good. ¡°boss qingqiu, can we have a proper talk now?¡± richard returned to his senses and looked at the man. ¡°bring your troop and come with me.¡± feeling relieved, [steamed bun lover] immediately waved his hand and had the harpies behind him follow. at richard¡¯s signal, alves¡¯s dragon breath allowed the troops behind to catch their breath. [steamed bun lover] followed behind alves and quickly approached twilight city. curiosity filled his eyes as he looked around. it was qingqiu¡¯s territory, and everyone on the forum was curious about this big boss. the first thing that caught its attention was the 30-meter-high wall outside. the ferocious troop of mummies shrouded the wall. after they crossed the city wall, the three tall arrow towers were like the fangs of ferocious beasts. the dense barrage of arrows on them made its heart turn cold. after they flew into the city, several houses and buildings rehearsed in an orderly manner. hundreds of alchemy cannons of exaggerated sizes waited on the empty ground. they were ready to fire a shocking blow at any time. [steamed bun lover] bitterly smiled. he pondered at the small but orderly twilight city. compared to the other party¡¯s city, his territory was like a primitive man. although harpies liked forests, who wouldn¡¯t want to build a magnificent city if their abilities didn¡¯t limit them? elves liked forests too, but elven cities were famous in the ¡°shining era¡±. the harpies landed on the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. it was under the guidance of the troop that took off in front. the surrounding skeleton blood dragons stared at these outsiders. they would immediately know what pain was if they dared to move. richard ordered alves to return to the back of the wall while he landed on the wall. [steamed bun lover] also followed closely behind and had the horned eagle land on the city wall. horned eagles were a type of mount that the nature faction loved. they had a high production rate. they were small and agile and were quite soul-strapping in battle. after [steamed bun lover] got off the horned eagle, he immediately strode over to richard¡¯s side. just as it was about to speak, it suddenly saw a few heroes around from the corner of his eye. he could feel the suffocating pressure and disbelief filled his heart. in the arena, the few a-rank heroes that had shocked countless people were not even the full strength of qingqiu! richard suddenly took two steps forward, and the dark valkyrie appeared in front of [steamed bun lover]. he was stunned at first, but when he saw the figure clearly, his eyes widened and his face revealed an unprecedented shock. ¡®was this the hidden boss that had cut off the livestream in the sky arena? ¡®how, how was this possible?¡¯ he clearly remembered when this boss called the dark valkyrie appeared, her attributes were at level 15, with a-rank potential. qingqiu had only three heroes left when the livestream reconnected. at that time, he had thought that this boss had killed the entire qingqiu troop and qingqiu lost¡­ from the looks of it, this was not! defeat! but huge gain for qingqiu! and what was the most difficult for him to understand was¡­ one could tame bosses? [steamed bun lover] looked at the dark valkyrie and felt like his world was about to collapse. he knewqingqiu was strong and could take on 100 enemies at once. but he did not expect him to be so strong that he could even subdue a boss. ¡®isn¡¯t this a f*cking violation of the fundamental laws? ¡®is there any place for good people to live?¡¯ he suddenly thought of the level 16 void hunter hero with b-rank potential he had encountered when he attacked the monster stronghold guarding the dark crystal. the other party slaughtered his troop as if they were lambs. the hero with b-rank potential was already so powerful that it made him tremble. how powerful would this boss with a-rank potential be? he couldn¡¯t suppress the shock in his heart even after he took a few deep breaths. in the end, he could only smile wryly at richard. ¡°boss qingqiu, i didn¡¯t expect you to defeat a boss of this level¡­¡± Chapter 402 he praised him and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°awesome!!¡± richard found it a little funny when he looked at his expression. it seemed dark valkyrie had left a deep impression on him. !! what would his expression be like if he knew richard had two bosses like the dark valkyrie and were not weaker than her? ¡°we¡¯ll talk about this later¡­ how should i address you?¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, my forum id is steamed bun lover.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°not bad. the buns are good. it¡¯s white and clean. i like it too.¡± [steamed bun lover] revealed an ambiguous smile and immediately felt they were much closer. ¡°boss qingqiu, let me tell you, don¡¯t be fooled by the harpies¡¯ wings. the rest of their bodies are bare¡­¡± richard waved his hand dismissively. ¡°ahem, let¡¯s talk in private later.¡± as he spoke, he gestured to the seed of the world tree in his hand. ¡°where did you get this?¡± when it came to serious matters, the budding lovers also became solemn. ¡°i found this in an elven ruin two months ago. ¡°we found a total of ten seeds. but the other seeds have all weathered away. only this shriveled one still has its attributes.¡± richard immediately thought of the ruins of the nine bronze gates. he¡¯d gained a lot from there last time. he would have to find time to explore it again in the future. ¡°did you find any other treasures?¡± [steamed bun lover] shook his head regretfully. ¡°no, there¡¯s only one seed.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what do you mean?¡± [steamed bun lover] said seriously. ¡°boss qingqiu, the seed of the world tree is too high-level. i can¡¯t use it now. i want to give it to you.¡± richard looked at him calmly. ¡°everyone knows the saying ¡®don¡¯t take a reward without doing anything¡¯. what do you want? ¡± he didn¡¯t believe his charm was so great that other players would take the initiative to offer their treasures. it might be possible if it were a native. after all, his charm was already quite impressive with the buffs of a few skills. if he couldn¡¯t survive in the future, he could even go to an npc city and find a few noble young women to live off. [steamed bun lover] heaved a sigh of relief and revealed everything with a bit of bitterness. ¡°boss qingqiu, my territory is in danger. i need a mighty troop¡­ from his explanation, richard understood the predicament of [steamed bun lover.] on the primary plane, the territory of [steamed bun lover] was on the plains. and there was a powerful orc force around his territory. the beast men were from the tribal camp and acted arrogantly. they treated other races as prey. the other party could have wiped him out if it weren¡¯t for his weak territory. but even so, as the territory grew, they gradually felt the malice from the orcs. the enemy had more than 20,000 troops. and they even had high-level troops like the wyvern. the other surrounded his territory and could devour any time. therefore, he needed a powerful force to break the situation. the seed of the world tree was precious. however, this thing was too advanced. [steamed bun lover] had no idea how to use it. although he had tried countless times, he could not restore its vitality. therefore, the seed of the world tree had become of little value to him. he didn¡¯t know how to use this treasure in exchange for living space, or he would die of thirst in the desert with the gold. it was not a choice for him at all. he initially planned to take a big gamble after he entered the instance dungeon. but the cruel reality had made him realize how weak he was. he could only wait for death if he didn¡¯t use the seeds of the world tree to exchange for a chance of survival. richard¡¯s mood was a little strange after he heard the words of [stemaed bun lover]. the geographical environment of twilight city was harsh. and the resources were scarce to an outrageous extent. however, it had to be precise because he was in the desert. and there were no enemies around that he had sufficient space to develop. ¡°i can make a deal with you, but what do you want?¡± richard looked at him calmly. ¡°this treasure is supremely precious, but i¡¯m sure you know it¡¯s not priceless.¡± ¡°state your conditions. we¡¯ll proceed with the transaction if they¡¯re within a reasonable range.¡± desire filled the eyes of [steamed bun lover]. ¡°boss qingqiu, i hope you can help me earn points. in the last instance dungeon, many people exchanged for a mighty troop lair¡­ richard shook his head. ¡°let¡¯s change the condition. i also need several points, and i need more than you. the divine blood of darkness and the crown of the king of darkness would cost 13 million points in total. richard still had tens of millions of points left. so he could not give up on these two pieces of equipment. ¡°also, it¡¯s too late to develop a troop now. will the orcs give you time to develop?¡± when [steamed bun lover] heard this, he was in a dilemma. after he pondered, he saw the dark valkyrie beside him. his eyes suddenly brightened. it was indeed as the other party had said. there was still time if [steamed bun lover] only wanted to earn points to exchange for a troop-type nest to develop. the other party would not give him the time. he took a deep breath as he thought of the beast¡¯s actions. he decided in his heart. he looked at him with a burning gaze. ¡°boss qingqiu, i will use the seed of the world tree in exchange for your help.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°help you deal with that beast force?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°our territories are not connected. ¡°i have a way to get a teleportation scroll¡­¡± when richard saw the anticipation in the eyes of [steamed bun lover], it immediately moved him. ¡®i didn¡¯t want to help, but he gave me too much.¡¯ a seed of the world tree in exchange for his help. he could make this deal ten times a day without feeling tired. ¡°sure, but let me make this clear first. if the orcs¡¯ strength exceeds my capabilities, i will only be responsible for protecting your safety. if you have to give up your territory, then give it up. ¡°but i can also promise you that i will do my best to help you. ¡°if you can¡¯t hold on to your territory, i can give you some resources to start a new business.¡± after he heard these extremely responsible words, [steamed bun lover] quickly calmed down. he looked at richard with gratitude. ¡°boss qingqiu, thank you.¡± after he said he had no friends, he directly handed the seed of the world tree his hand to him. richard took the seed of the world tree from him. he looked at [steamed bun lover] and didn¡¯t mention signing a contract or any other form of protection. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he wasn¡¯t afraid of being cheated¡­ but since he had promised, he would do it. it was his bottom line. a man¡¯s promise weighed a thousand money. while he held and sensed it for a moment, he could find a very faint trace of vitality in the seed of the world tree. his heart settled down. one could only encounter this kind of treasure by chance. and even if it was a seed without vitality, it still had infinite value. the black gold system suddenly lit up with a notification. [shriveled seed of the world tree] [currently withered. 1. water of life can be used to water it to restore its vitality.] [two thousand one hundred points of divinity can be consumed to strengthen its vitality and restore its energy.] it surprised richard at first. but after he read it a few times, he was overjoyed. the value of a withered seed of the world tree was not on the same level as that of an intact one. the black gold system was forever a god! he did not know what the elixir of life was, but divinity¡­ richard turned his head to look at renee. her body was still a little illusory. the other party has four points of divinity, which can be recovered by one point every week. he had already recovered to full status by the time he left the instance dungeon. anticipation drowned his heart. he called for renee. ¡°inject a drop of divinity.¡± his voice entered the other party¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t give [steamed bun lover] any chance to hear it. renee nodded and reached out to take the seed of the world tree. then, dark energy surged in her body. then, she injected it into the seed. a few minutes later, renee¡¯s divinity on her attribute panel had already dropped by one point. at the same time, the divinity required for the seed of the world tree had reached 99 points. it genuinely worked! an enormous surprise filled his heart. it lifted richard¡¯s spirits. Chapter 403 richard could feel the seed of the world tree¡¯s vitality, and his smile was expressly bright. the only problem now was that it could only restore renee¡¯s divinity sparingly every week. one hundred points were needed, which meant 100 weeks to reignite the vitality of the seed of the world tree. seven hundred days. !! in addition, he had to reserve some divinity for battle. probably, it would take two years for him to recover. even so, richard was still overjoyed. although it had been a long time, this was the seed of the world tree! it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to describe it as a divine weapon. richard looked at [steamed bun lover] after he calmed down a little. ¡°you can take your troops and station them on the city wall with twilight city. ¡°as for how many points you can get, it¡¯s up to you. ¡°the instance dungeon is over. i will fulfill my promise and help you out of this predicament.¡± richard turned to gray and did wait for the bun lover to respond. ¡°make arrangements for their people.¡± [steamed bun lover] looked at him gratefully. it liberated the pressure from the life-and-death crisis with richard¡¯s firm promise. ¡°boss qingqiu, i will follow your arrangements.¡± the person in front of the bun lover was the strongest player among the 20 billion players! if qingqiu could not help the bun lover, then no one could. [steamed bun lover] had not been so confident and worried before he came to twilight city. after all, those beasts were natives and had terrifying strength. however, even a boss like the dark valkyrie submitted to richard. her trust in him had skyrocketed to the point where she was almost blind. richard nodded. ¡°pay attention to your safety. don¡¯t die so early.¡± after a few words of warning, he didn¡¯t say much and let [steamed bun lover] leave with gray. it didn¡¯t matter to twilight city whether or not the other party¡¯s troops joined the battle. it was a war of attrition. and it was good to have more artillery fire. ¡®roar!¡¯ at this moment, a particularly shrill roar cut through the sky. richard turned around. the void monster got within a thousand meters of the city wall in a few minutes when richard communicated with [steamed bun lover]. the dark numbers were like a pile of locusts. it gave people an enormous visual impact. the deep sound from their throats was like the roar of a dying beast. it made people¡¯s hearts tremble. richard frowned when he saw this. ¡°all troops, prepare for battle!¡± the cold voice was like thunder that rolled and exploded in the sky. the atmosphere suddenly became intense. the war was about to begin. the few heroes took the opportunity to return to the city wall they guarded and performed their duties. he stationed gray in the north. xina and emily in the east. and gunter in the south. richard and the dark valkyrie will be in the west. alves brought the skeleton blood dragon to the square to prepare for battle. it waited for orders. the boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, had already returned to the land of the quicksand. at this moment, it tried its best to stop the void troop from the north. the troop of monsters got increasingly closer. eight hundred meters, 600 meters, 400 meters¡­ it suddenly stopped when the void licker at the front stepped into the 300-meter boundary. on the ground, a gully surrounded the entire twilight city like a giant mouth that began to devour the enemies. ¡°sand condensation archers, fire!¡± the range of the sand condensation archers exceeded 300 meters with the support of the advanced hurricane arrow tower. the moment richard gave the order. the sand condensation archers¡¯ bowstrings stretched to the limit and suddenly released. the soul-crushing elasticity allowed the arrow condensed from sand to shoot out like lightning. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ it was as if arrows rained down from the sky. at the same time, they pulled back the bowstring for a second shot the moment they released the arrow. the speed was so fast that it left people speechless. the void monsters ahead were so dense that there was no need to aim. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the void forager just crawled out of a giant gully. when it revealed its head, an arrow shot through it. the powerful inertia caused its body to fly backward. and the arrow that pierced through the back of its head continued to stab into the second void licker. two birds with one stone. the enemies that charged at them immediately cut down like wheat. the god of death harvested souls. it became difficult to shoot through the air in such an environment. however, even so, the number of void lickers did not decrease significantly. they still rushed through several ravines like a turbulent tide. they slammed against the city wall in a crazed state eventually. the void lickers¡¯ razor-edged limbs pierced through the walls and began to climb up. these monsters could ignore the terrain. ¡°axe of the dead, attack!¡± richard issued another order. the undead soldiers quickly whistled out tomahawks. the densely packed monsters below were like living targets. ¡®puch!¡¯ after the tomahawks tore the target¡¯s bodies apart, the chains swung with a huala. and a supremely soul-devouring power killed the next enemies. [swing (c-rank) ¡ª after throwing the tomahawk, it can use the chain wrapped around the arm to pull the tomahawk to carry out attacks.] the 3-stars glorious axe of the dead made the other party feel the edge of twilight city. as the void licker attacked madly¡­ in the sky, a ferocious-looking figure suddenly appeared. it had a curved back with sharp barbs, sharp limbs that could easily tear through steel, and a long tail like a hunter¡¯s javelin. level 14 glorious troop, void hunter. the void monsters that guarded the dark crystals and could teleport also attacked with the void lickers. Chapter 404 the void hunters that suddenly appeared were like fish. they swam quickly into the sky and attacked the back of the city wall. richard¡¯s eyes revealed sharp killing intent. ¡°fay, renee, xina, get rid of these void hunters!¡± ¡°i¡¯m giving you a face, right? !! ¡°do you think you can come and go as you please in twilight city?¡± the voice fell. renee stood behind him and was the first to move. she instantly disappeared from her spot and appeared in front of a void hunter. the void hunter bared its fangs and waved its sharp claws. it ardently desired to attack. but the void hunter discovered that the enemy disappeared from its perception before it could attack. it bewildered the void hunter. it suddenly felt a chill on its neck before it returned to its senses. blood spurted out from its neck like a high-pressure water gun. its hideous head flew into the sky. unknowingly, renee had cut off its neck¡­ this level 14 divine soul could teleport once every 0.3 seconds. it could be called overbearing. as renee began her massacre of the void hunters, the dark valkyrie floated into the air. the battle blade in her hand carried a sharp edge that could cut through everything as she charged straight at the nearest void hunter. although fay couldn¡¯t teleport, the body of the war god could float and ignore the effects of the air-sealing power. this valkyrie with off-the-charts battle power made the void hunter experience slaughter in one strike. xina¡¯s battle was the most violent. this fearless warrior bent her legs and then suddenly straightened them. her body quickly rose into the air with a soul-crushing power explosion. the broken steel longsword in her hand erupted with shocking sword intent. her glorious-level battle techniques made her the most striking image. the void hunters dealt a fatal bow that used the joint attack of three top-tier battle forces when they teleported into twilight city. among the three of them, even though xina was the weakest and a beyond a-rank hero, she could break the sky with one sword. [steamed bun lover] and gray while stationed at the northern city wall. they were a little worried when they saw the void hunters charge into the city. but in the blink of an eye, they saw the heroes kill the monsters as if they were chickens and dogs, and their expressions became quite interesting. the bun lover suddenly recalled when he attacked the monster¡¯s stronghold and the void hunters slaughtered them. he smiled bitterly. the difference between him and the qingqiu bosses was simply too enormous¡­ although it was incredible to see the other party fight against 100 people alone in the live broadcasting room. he experienced it on the screen and not personally. at this moment, he watched the enemy he couldn¡¯t shake to kill at will at such a close distance. the impact of his intuition became particularly strong. but he felt at ease again when he returned to his senses. he was now a friend of the twilight city, and he had successfully latched onto the golden thigh of this big boss. the stronger the other party would prove that his judgment was better. ¡®to join enemies when you can¡¯t beat them, i¡¯m superlatively wise.¡¯ after the bun lover quickly suppressed the void hunters¡¯ intention to break into twilight, he looked at the sparse enemies below the city wall. he turned to look at the mummy hero beside him and asked curiously. ¡°lord gray, why so few enemies on this wall?¡± a soul fire burned in gray¡¯s empty eyes. the support hero extended its bandaged arm and pointed forward. ¡°lord treebeard has blocked the enemies in this direction.¡± the bun lover was stunned. why did they have to go outside the city to resist the enemy in a battle to defend themselves? ¡°that lord¡­ roots? how many soldiers did you bring with you to stop the enemies in one direction?¡± gray said calmly. ¡°no, lord treebeard is not leading a troop. it is alone. ¡°it didn¡¯t bring troops? ¡°only¡­ a single soldier?¡± the bun lover was at a loss for words as he looked at the mummy hero wrapped in bandages. suddenly, as if [steamed bun lover] had thought of something, he turned his head and looked at the void monsters that came toward him like a flood. he immediately felt his mouth and tongue go dry. ¡°what a joke! how could one person stop an enemy from one direction?¡± there were at least tens of thousands of void monsters here¡­ however, gray didn¡¯t have any reaction. it forcibly suppressed the bun lover¡¯s doubts in his heart. from the corner of his eye, he saw the dark valkyrie slaughtered wantonly in the sky. and an indescribable shock rose in his heart. ¡®he could even conquer a boss like the dark valkyrie¡­ was this a joke?¡¯ the bun lover suddenly felt his scalp go numb as he pondered on this. ¡®one man against troops of ten thousand. ¡®ten thousand men¡¯s enemy¡­ ¡®damn! was this the true power of boss qingqiu!? this freak!¡¯ he felt that the shock he had received today was more than all he had received since he entered the ¡°shining era¡±. he couldn¡¯t imagine how someone could grow to such a level in just a few months! no one had the time to care about the shocked fans of [steamed bun lover], and everyone¡¯s energy focused on hunting down the enemies attacking twilight city. twilight city faced wave after wave of enemies under richard¡¯s orderly command. [ding~ you have commanded a troop to kill a void hunter (glorious). you have obtained 50 points.] [ding~] the system notifications that rang in his ears were so dense that he had no choice but to activate the filter mode. the points on the system panel increased at an alarming rate. at this moment, the players eliminated in the dungeon also faced a wave of monsters. several people could not hold on for ten minutes before they drowned under wave after wave of attacks. the void lickers were easy to deal with. but these monsters could only rush in from the front of the city wall. what touched the players was the level 14 void hunter, which could teleport. the players¡¯ most elite troops were only level 10 or so. most were still below level 10. in the face of these monsters that were so powerful that they didn¡¯t follow basic laws, it was tough to deal with them if he used all his strength. it was especially so since the other party could teleport once every three seconds, which made them feel even more hopeless. to kill a glorious level 14 troop class in three seconds was an impossible dream for players. the other party could immediately teleport away once the three seconds. the super flexibility of the game made the players suffer. other than the top-tier players who could barely deal with it, the enemies broke through the defense of the ordinary players in a few moves. every half an hour. it eliminated half of the billions of players. angry comments flooded the forums about the players who entered endless survival mode. meanwhile, [steamed bun lover] had twilight city troops in front of them. he was very carefree and read the forum when he had the time. he saw the players¡¯ reactions. he laughed in his heart. it was a good thing he was sharp-witted. Chapter 405 north, the land of quicksand. on the crown of the god¡¯s ancient tree, ten golden fruits exuded a soul-stirring aura. monsters with hideous faces charged toward the human-faced tree as if they had gone crazy on the quicksand that sank continuously. the temptation of the golden fruit that could increase one¡¯s potential was deep in one¡¯s soul. no matter how strong one¡¯s will was, it was hard to resist it. !! one by one, the quicksand swallowed them. but the scene from last time reappeared. the massive number of them piled up to form a passage. even the quicksand couldn¡¯t devour all of them. the void licker that stepped on its companion behind it dodged the devour of the quicksand and began to face the god¡¯s ancient tree. this boss, who had already reached level 14 and was just one step away from transformation, once again revealed its soul-strapping battle power. it was invincible. the dried branches with instant death properties were like the twisted arms of the undead. as they waved wildly, they tore through the air and exploded. it quickly smashed the charging void foragers into a pool of blood. a meat grinder. in the sky, after several venomous wasps reached 3000, they were strengthened and became killing machines. they formed a dark cloud, advanced, and retreated together. they flapped their wings like lightning and cut through the void like a razor. under their high-speed flight, they pierced through the void lickers like a sharp arrows and left scars on the bodies of these monsters. the terrifying poison invaded their bodies. and after two to three breaths, it would stiffen these monsters¡¯ bodies. they would convulse a few times and fall to the ground. they could not get up, and the sand would swallow them¡­ the scene was fierce and violent. when the god¡¯s ancient tree wantonly massacred the enemies and devoured the dark energy to strengthen itself¡­ one by one, void hunters with long tails and twisted bodies appeared out of thin air around the god¡¯s ancient tree. these monsters swam freely in the void like fish in the water. the golden fruits locked their senses on the tree crown. the void hunter¡¯s body suddenly disappeared when several of its companions exceeded a squadron. in the next moment, ferocious figures suddenly appeared on the crown of the god¡¯s ancient tree. they directly attacked it. ¡®rip!¡¯ a series of sparks flew. the sharp claws that could tear through steel left scratches on the twisted human-faced tree trunk. it did not cause any substantial damage. the twisted human-faced tree showed some anger. ¡°dirty bugs¡­¡± a deep voice rang out like a muffled thunder. at the same time, the dried tree trunk waved wildly. it was as if it drove away flies. ¡®hu!¡¯ however, the void hunters were extremely agile as they swam in the void. they were more than ten times more agile than the void lickers on the ground. they could still use teleportation to leave if they couldn¡¯t avoid it in time. the god¡¯s ancient tree noticed this and immediately pulled its roots from the ground. dozens of tree roots like steel whips launched a net-like concentrated attack. the number of deaths of these glorious level 14 troops immediately began to increase. however, the void lickers were too agile. they could not effectively kill it. after they drew away its attention, the number of void lickers also increased. and the attacks on its massive godly body became more concentrated. they looked down from the sky. the void monsters were like locusts. after the human-faced tree pulled out the roots, the terrifying treants of more than 50 meters submerged in the center. if a person with trypophobia were to do it again, they would probably be scared out of their wits. in the air, the void hunters that swam around freely were like ferocious beasts that hunted. they seized the opportunity to attack immediately. they could leave a mark on the god¡¯s ancient tree each time. countless monsters besieged the twisted human-faced tree. this scene was like an ancient mural on a church. it was supremely impactful. the enemy could have drowned the twisted human-faced tree if it were ordinary. however, the god¡¯s ancient tree became increasingly courageous as it fought. the yellow sand would devour the corpse every time it slaughtered a void monster. the remaining roots grew hair-thin tree roots on the earth ridge. it covered the entire area within two hundred meters of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the thin roots were like a spider¡¯s web. and the corpses that the yellow sand swallowed would directly stick to the root web. the roots would immediately wrap around the corpse and devour it clean at the fastest speed. the energy of the devoured flesh and blood returned to the body of the god¡¯s ancient tree and healed scars. at the same time, it reminded it of its strength. it used the enemy¡¯s body to support itself. this boss was the only one excited about this battle in twilight city. at this moment, the enemy was its nutrients. they make the human-faced tree stronger. it absorbs the dark energy in the void monster¡¯s body along with the other party¡¯s flesh and blood. its soul transformed steadily and firmly. at the same time, the quicksand land under the god¡¯s ancient tree gradually formed an increasingly closer connection with it as its energy dissipated. in the end, no one knew what kind of existence this powerful boss would transform into before the final moment arrived. time passed quickly in the high-intensity battle. it was the sixth hour of endless survival mode. the tens of billions of players had now fallen to less than 100 million. the system cleared out over 99% of them in the instance dungeon. at this moment, the players still in the instance dungeon were all the highest existences. but even so, they still felt immense pressure. they expected an elimination at any time. in the ninth hour of endless survival mode, the situation changed¡­ the enemy got stronger. the void licker, initially level 5 or 6, had now become a level 7 or 8 existence. Chapter 406 the pressure on the players began to increase. the number of eliminations increased again. one hundred million, 50 million, 10 million¡­ by the 12th hour, less than a million people remained. !! on the 16th hour, the level 16 void hunter hero joined the attack. this ultimate move caused the remaining players to fall to less than 10,000¡­ on the 20th hour, the level 17 void hunter hero appeared. in less than 10 minutes, only 78 people¡¯s time still moved on the survival ranking board. the 22nd hour¡­ the number of players left: one. all the players who left the dungeon were speechless when they saw the dark ranking board. they had initially thought they could survive some time in endless survival mode. however, the system unexpectedly eliminated them in less than a day. only two people remained on the field. that extremely familiar id was currently on a dark ranking board. it shone brightly. qingqiu! [this pervert again!] the other one was an id that they had never heard of. steamed bun lover. [qingqiu again! it had eliminated tens of billions of people. can¡¯t you come with us?] [f*ck! level 17 void hunter hero. my strongest hero is only f*cking level 7¡­ guard your iron bucket.] [i can¡¯t accept it. why were we eliminated? why can¡¯t we bring qingqiu down? i don¡¯t believe this guy can withstand such a terrifying attack!] [i can accept qingqiu is so strong. but who is that bun lover? he can block the attack of a level 17 void hunter?] [if i had known that the attacking monsters were so terrifying, i wouldn¡¯t have used my points to revive the troop. now that i¡¯ve spent my points and breached my territory, what the¡­] most of the players were extremely unhappy. they felt no sense of achievement in this survival mode. they were the side abused. there was no more drama to watch. the two people who survived the battle became the center of discussion. richard was fine. everyone expected it. except for the bun lover they never heard of. in the beginning, everyone thought the system would eliminate this guy soon. however, as time went on, 24 hours, 30 hours¡­ the bun lover was still there. it immediately caused a heated discussion. the forum¡¯s attention was focused on [stemed bun lover]. level 17 void hunter hero had already appeared in the 20th hour of the endless mode. now that it¡¯s been 30 hours. [i¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more terrifying. that bun lover is a big shot to be able to survive¡­] [does anyone know about steamed bun lover¡¯s situation? why didn¡¯t i see this big boss in the arena last time?] [finally. there is a top player who can compete with qingqiu. hahaha, as long as he is not the number-one player in qingqiu. i can accept anyone¡­] they tossed words of discouragement against qingqiu. the world had been in misery for a long time. everyone had been under richard¡¯s thumb for far too long. and when they saw someone come out to compare with him, they gave steamed bun lover the greatest encouragement. fortunately, there was no livestream. otherwise, the players on the forum would go crazy if they found out the truth¡­ the bun lover looked at the words of praise on the forum and was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. his mood had never been so carefree before. he once again realized how correct he decided to hug qingqiu¡¯s thigh. he didn¡¯t mind about his strength. the key was that there had to be someone above him. richard ignored the news on the forum. he scanned his surroundings with a solemn gaze. after 30 hours of battle, the pressure the enemy gave him had become supremely exaggerated. all the twilight city troops engaged in the battle. the skeleton blood dragon and the dark gargoyle behind him also joined in. although the pressure of an ordinary void licker was heavy, the one that made him the wariest was the void hunter hero. level 19. after it killed the level-16, 17, and 18 void hunters¡­ a level 19 void hunter hero with b-rank potential had appeared a minute ago. it was an enemy that they did not dare to act rashly against when they first entered the instance dungeon. the powerful aura of the other party was like a monstrous wave that swept toward twilight city. they could feel the pressure from the other party even from hundreds of meters away. even though richard was already level 13, the absolute leader among the players, he was still six levels lower than the void hunter hero. they watched as the level 19 void hero led three squadrons of void hunters to attack. richard¡¯s eyes were cold. it could not face this powerful boss head-on. but he was never alone. the twilight city was his uttermost source of confidence. he turned his body slightly and looked in a direction. ¡°fay, don¡¯t let that monster enter twilight city.¡± his words decided the life and death of the level 19 monster. the dark valkyrie heard the order and looked at the incoming enemies. she quickly floated up and came to the sky at the forefront of twilight city without any change in her expression. she looked at the void hunter hero that flew toward her. the dark valkyrie was such a striking target that she immediately caught the attention of the level 19 void hunter hero. at this level, he was the most powerful boss in the eyes of the current players. the moment it was within a hundred meters, the other party let out a deep roar. in the next second, the three companies of void hunters around it suddenly disappeared. at the same time, a large number of ferocious figures appeared around the dark valkyrie. they savagely packed and blocked the view from the ground. teleportation. however, before the monsters could attack¡­ the dark valkyrie¡¯s golden eyes instantly turned cold. ¡°ant.¡± the mysterious, advanced language was like a thunderclap that exploded in the sky. the three-meter-long curved longsword in her hand suddenly burst out with endless blade light. a dazzling blade aura suddenly erupted with her as the center. it was as if the dark valkyrie had drawn her sword and slashed tens of thousands of times in an instant. the void hunters that had just gathered around suddenly felt an indescribable fear in their hearts. at this moment, the god of death stared at them. she wanted to teleport away, but the short three-second cooldown of teleportation felt as long as a century. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the blade light shattered the void. the flower of death bloomed in the air. endless blade light tore the three squadrons of void hunters apart. broken limbs fell to the ground. none of them survived. [all-encompassing destruction (beyond a-rank) ¡ª with the user as the center, it can unleash 10,000 blade auras, causing indiscriminate damage within a 100-meter radius.] after it slaughtered 300 void hunters in an instant, the dark valkyrie raised her eyes slightly and saw the level 19 void hunter hero in front of her. the light of the battle longsword in her hand bloomed again. in less than a breath. the sword radiance that could tear the sky and earth apart caused the surrounding space to distort. death approached¡­ the level 19 void hunter hero felt its blood run cold. it subconsciously used teleportation to leave. but the next moment, its soul seemed frozen. it cannot use all skills. only a burning blade of light streaked across between heaven and earth. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the level 19 void hunter only felt a sharp pain. and before it could understand what happened, it lost consciousness. instant kill. [god punisher (beyond a-rank) ¡ª consumes 3,000 vitality to deal ten times the damage. within 300 meters, it will utterly hit the target. cooldown time: 10 minutes.] on the city wall. the bun lover was on high alert the level 19 void hunter appeared. they had thought this would be a supremely soul-devouring battle. but in the blink of an eye. something reversed the situation. the fear in their hearts was indescribable. [that was level 19 void hunter!] [killed by a single sword?] [am i blind?] [can anyone kill level 19 heroes too?] when they looked at the dark valkyrie again, her emotions were unspeakable. it was shocking, crazy, unbelievable, and all emotions mixed inside. eventually, they were deeply amazed. they initially thought the power of twilight city was exaggerated enough. but at this moment, they still underestimated this territory. she killed level 19 with a single sword. it was like a dream. and what trembled them most, [the dark valkyrie was so mighty. how did twilight city conquer her?] [to make the dark valkyrie bow her head, does it mean twilight city is more powerful than the dark valkyrie?] Chapter 407 [ding~ your subordinate, dark valkyrie, has killed a level 19 void hunter hero. you have received 10,000 points. current points: 10.71 million.] richard looked at the heroic figure in front of him as the system notification rang. he held a long and narrow saber. he had a cape that fluttered behind him. satisfaction shrouded his eyes. when he saw the dark valkyrie use her instant death skill, he felt refreshed. !! the level 19 void hunter was a terrifying existence that he did not dare to touch when he entered the dungeon. however, only half a month had passed, and he could not withstand a single blow from twilight city. moreover, the dark valkyrie was not the only one who could kill a hero of this level in seconds. a void hunter hero of this level would only appear once every half an hour. after he got rid of the most dangerous enemy, the next step was to hunt time. the twilight city went all out, and the void foragers¡¯ corpses strewn all over the ground. the blood shrouded the scene with the smell of blood. time passed quickly, hour after hour. it was the most intense battle richard had ever fought. these dozens of hours had exceeded that of a large squadron just it had resurrected the number of troops. he had spent millions of points. however, it was also a blessing in disguise. all of the troops had reached level 9 during the intense battle. he was only one step away from becoming a high-level troop. the skeleton blood dragon, a crown 1-star soldier born at level 10, even rose to level 13. the destructive power of the a-rank dragon breath got increasingly ferocious. the other players were inexperienced in this battle for survival. it had become a benefit for twilight city to sharpen itself and improve its foundation. the 36th hour. the void forager had reached level 10. the number of level 14 void hunters also began to increase rapidly. the explosive increase in the enemy¡¯s strength caused the scene to shake. richard sensed this and immediately ordered the use of the alchemy cannons. the long-awaited level 12 alchemist brown, a gray dwarf from the underground world, waved its arm with a grim smile when it received the order. ¡°attack!¡± the next second. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the vast alchemy cannons spewed out thick smoke. and beams of light suddenly shot into the sky. after a few breaths, the alchemy cannonball with gunpowder whizzed through the air and smashed into the ground covered by the void lickers. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the thunder from the nine heavens exploded. huge airwaves set off like a level 18 storm. the alchemy bomb explosion tore all the void foragers apart within a range of several dozen meters. it sent several nearby void lickers flying 20 to 30 meters into the air. it shattered their bones, and when they landed on the ground, they were a pile of soft flesh. these 3-star cannons stolen from the underground world immediately made the void forager feel fear. the deafening sound of artillery fire meant that it had cleared an area. on the forums, the players discussed how long qingqiu could last and were shocked to find out. qingqiu¡¯s points rose at an excessive speed on the ranking board. in less than five minutes, the price had skyrocketed by millions¡­ this sensational scene stunned countless players. even though they knew qingqiu was a monster, he could not possibly have such a sturdy battle power after dozens of hours of endless survival mode! unfortunately, without a live broadcast, no matter how unbelievable it was, he could only guess the reason. the bun lover was already numb to the sight of the huge cannon that cleared the area. he had never stopped feeling shocked ever since he arrived in twilight city. it was like a dream. powerful troops, heroes, and defense¡­ none of them were weaknesses. he couldn¡¯t understand how twilight city could be so powerful. fortieth hour of endless survival mode. when richard saw his points had exceeded 15 million, he smiled brightly. among them, god¡¯s ancient tree contributed at least 4 million points. the boss controlled the land of quicksand and attracted countless void monsters. its killing frenzy was even greater than that of twilight city. he took a deep breath, his eyes filled with excitement. the divine blood of darkness and the crown of the king of darkness¡­ he had finally obtained the two supreme-grade treasures! the ancient tree of divine sin was about to welcome its ultimate transformation, and the second piece of the darkness king¡¯s three-piece set was about to be obtained ¡­ after leaving the dungeon, it would improve the strength of twilight city! richard didn¡¯t plan to stop after when he accomplished his primary goal. the black-robed merchant had more than just these two treasures¡­ just as richard was in a good mood, a dark energy came from the front of the mansion. a moment later, an illusionary figure gradually condensed into a physical body. the man wore a black robe that covered his entire body, and his temperament was inexplicably mysterious. richard sensed something was wrong and turned around. his eyes lit up when he saw the figure. ¡®the black-robed merchant!¡¯ the other party had finally appeared again after a week. he turned around to look at the battle. both sides were still in an intense stalemate. there would be a few changes in the short term. he immediately floated up to the other party¡¯s side. ¡°your majesty. welcome.¡± all beings above the transcendent level in the ¡°shining era¡± were qualified to be addressed as ¡®your majesty¡¯. Chapter 408 meanwhile, the black-robed merchant was level 20 ¡­ the other party raised its head slightly. it exposed the tip of its tall nose in the air, and indescribable light filled its silver eyes. ¡°human overlord. i am delighted to trade with you again¡­ i thought you have prepared more points this time¡­ richard waved his hand. !! just like the last time, five boxes appeared in the air. ¡°you can exchange two pieces for each transaction.¡± richard¡¯s breathing hastened when he saw the black box. ¡®i already exchanged for one last time. logically speaking, there should be four more left. now, there are five more.¡¯ the black-robed merchant seemed to refresh these items every time. he had personally tested the power of the death elegy medal he had exchanged for in the battle. and this was only the treasure exchanged for three million points. he asked the other party to open the wooden box with mighty anticipation. in the next moment, familiar treasures appeared in his sight. [doomsday horn-scroll] [level: forbidden spell] [five million points] [sandstorm (unbound), level: 5 stars, 5 million points.] [crown of the king of darkness] [level: crown, 5 million points] [dark divine blood] [level: crown, eight million points.] the four treasures from last time were still there. the only difference was that a new one appeared. [starry necklace] [level: 5 stars] [special property: can store 100,000 points of magic power and recover 10,000 points of magic power every day.] [description: a rare magic storage treasure.] three million points. richard¡¯s eyes lit up at the new item. ¡°good stuff.¡± although the starry necklace was not high-level as the dark divine blood and the crown of the king of darkness. it was supremely beneficial. one hundred points of magic power¡­ it reminded him of the magic crystal the dwarf hero, the original owner of the extraordinary hunter, gave him in the last instance dungeon. in the final battle, he used the tens of thousands of magic power stored in the magic crystal to cause an exaggerated landslide and bury hundreds of thousands of people. his eyes burned when they tasted the sweetness of it. unlike the magic crystal, one could only use once last time, this 5-stars treasure was permanent. what limited a spellcaster was always the upper limit of magic power. with 100,000 points of magic power, he could create a natural disaster! he reluctantly looked away from the starry necklace and glanced at the other items ¡­ they were all good things. and he wanted them all. richard suppressed his emotions and gestured for the dark divine blood and the crown of king of darkness. ¡°lord, please exchange for these two items.¡± the black-robed merchant smiled faintly. ¡°happy cooperation¡­¡± he waved his hand. the divine blood of darkness and the crown of the king of darkness floated up and came to richard. at the same time, the 15 million points on his attribute panel suddenly dropped to 2 million. he wanted to throw his head back and laugh when he received the two items. richard finally got it! after working so hard for so long it felt like he had finally won the heart of the goddess he had admired for a long time¡­ he was so excited that his mood was indescribable. the dark divine blood could help the god¡¯s ancient tree transform. it allowed the human-faced tree complete its ultimate transformation and activate the power of divine sins in its body. [crown of the king of darkness] is one of the king of darkness¡¯s three-piece sets. with this treasure in his bag, he had already collected two of the three. as long as he could get his hands on the third one. it would upgrade these two glorious items. in the ¡°shining era¡±, anything that had something to do with god would be the best. richard couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement even after he took a few deep breaths. then, he seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at the black-robed merchant. ¡°lord, based on the intensity of the void monsters¡¯ attacks, twilight city might not be able to hold out until his majesty comes again. ¡°we¡¯re the last surviving lords. it¡¯ll be arduous to find another trading partner elsewhere. lord¡­ ¡°i have a presumptuous request. can i ask your holiness to stay in twilight city for a while?¡± when the black-robed merchant heard this, he subconsciously wanted to refuse. however, he seemed to have thought of something. he turned his head to look in the direction of the bun lover. there was a hint of disdain in his eyes. finally, he slowly nodded. ¡°you¡¯re the last survivor. so i¡¯ll give you the privilege to stay here for the time being. as long as you accumulate enough points, you can trade with me. richard was overjoyed. it worked! this way, he could earn points and exchange them in real time. without waiting for the long seven days. twilight city could hold on for so long, no matter how confident he was. with the promise, richard returned to the wall to command the battle. this time, he was supremely motivated. it made him physically and mentally happy every time the notification of points obtained rang in his ears. on the battlefield, the giant cannon had become the craziest weapon. even though the enemies repeatedly restrained the attack frequency for maximum damage, their points rose crazily. the two million points had increased to three million in less than half an hour. richard didn¡¯t hesitate. he went to the black-robed merchant and exchanged it for the starry necklace. when he wore it on his neck, he felt the roaring and surging magic power as sturdy as the deep sea. as long as he wanted to, he could use the 100,000 magic power with a thought! in this battle, the vast cannon exploded with a supremely exaggerated destructive power! the price was that the alchemy bombs accumulated for a long time were all used up. he only left one as his last resort. after he lost the suppression of the alchemy cannons, the situation on the battlefield immediately returned to its previous precarious state. Chapter 409 the enemy¡¯s attacks were beyond the scope of twilight city¡¯s response. richard¡¯s yellow sand began to shine as the void creatures grew in numbers, and the city walls were about to fall. he stood in the void. he slowly raised his hands. !! the next moment, an invisible giant hand seemed to lift the ground. a terrifying wave of sand more than 200 meters wide and more than 50 meters tall appeared in everyone¡¯s sight. the residents were shocked when they saw waves of sand that even the 30-meter-high city wall couldn¡¯t cover. they would drown twilight city quickly if they attacked them. however, what made them so confident was¡­ the figure above the sand wave was their lord, the only ruler of this land! the great city lord controlled the waves of sand! time seemed to have slowed down countless times at this moment. countless residents engraved this scene in their souls. and they will never forget it when they get old. finally, after a long breath, the wave of sand reached its peak and collapsed. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the terrifying wave of sand crashed forward with a roar. the monstrous sand wave swallowed the dense void monsters on the yellow sand while they could not dodge in time. the scene looked spectacular from the sky. richard stood on top of the wave. he controlled this natural disaster and used the most ferocious and overbearing momentum to sweep everything away ¡­ he devoured all the void lickers within the sand wave¡¯s range. the sand wave had a powerful impact force in addition to its weight. it was like a mountain had collapsed from a thousand meters in the air with the support of magic power. the roller of the bulldozer rolled over the ground. as it surged, any void licker in its way would immediately explode into pieces. it was as if an ancient demon god had descended to the world and heard this scene in shock. richard was in his true form and floated in the air. the bun lover¡¯s eyes were wide open as he watched richard single-handedly destroy a troop of thousands. his heart trembled. at this moment, the impact he felt was countless times stronger than the one the dark valkyrie used to kill the level-19 void hunter hero in one hit. the other party was not a native who had existed for a long time. but a player who had been in this world for less than half a year, just like him. he suppressed a troop with one hand. such a scene had only appeared in his imagination. but now, it had appeared in front of him. he suddenly thought. what would the expressions of the players in the forum be like if they saw this scene? it was qingqiu, the strongest of the 20 billion players! there was no other! one hundred thousand mana was like a vast ocean. it provided richard with tremendous support. he experienced the feeling of going all out. such a splendid scene consumed more than 1,000 points of mana per second¡­ an ordinary level 13 spellcaster could not last more than two seconds. he could only last for six seconds under such overconsumption if he had 6,000 points of mana without this 5-stars treasure. but now, with the starry necklace, he could control this catastrophe for 100 seconds! it was enough to cause significant damage, although it was quick. amid this apocalyptic disaster. the ground cleared. only a blank space remained where the huge wave passed. richard¡¯s domineering momentum forced him to cross the 20-kilometer-long desert. the giant wave killed its way into the black earth eventually. the sand wave that roared rushed out for a hundred meters before it shattered and stopped. richard turned around, and everything came to a standstill. he saw a long sandy path behind him¡­ the densely packed void monsters from just a moment ago were no longer visible on the sand road. richard opened the panel again. the points he had just used to exchange for the starry necklace had now soared to two million¡­ the natural disaster-like attack killed uncountable monsters. it even shook richard. it was power. richard turned around and looked at the enemies that swarmed in from all directions after he calmed himself. he looked at the black earth and suddenly turned to leave. he had used up one hundred thousand mana. he could only wait for the starry necklace to recover mana if he wanted to repeat this feat. it would take ten days to recover 10,000 points every day. however, this recovery time was nothing compared to such a terrifying destructive power. time continued to pass. it was the 48th hour. it had been two days since the system activated the endless survival mode. the casualties in twilight city increased. in the end, richard¡¯s points for reviving the troops reached zero. he would enter a state of loss if he continued to revive like this. he noticed this scene. he immediately adjusted his fighting style. the other troops gradually gave up except for powerful battle units such as the axe of the dead and the skeleton blood dragon. no more resurrection. the increase in casualties also made the residents of twilight city see the cruelty of war. at the same time, they also knew the price richard had to pay to protect them. the more the people¡¯s hearts united with the opponent in front of them. admiration and trust for richard filled the citizens with his ability to resurrect the troops. to resurrect lives was the power of a god! no one felt afraid when he announced he decided not to resurrect the troop anymore. to depart from twilight city, the residents rushed to the battlefield with their worn-out weapons after the monsters attacked the city. Chapter 410 they died heroically on the front line. even the elderly and children took the initiative to join the battle. although the 2,000 ordinary residents could not cause any harm to the void monster, this kind of feeling of sharing life and death still made them feel strong emotions. his sense of belonging to twilight city increased once again. !! it would be quick for the popular sentiment. it rose to 93 points, to go up another level. the scorpion warriors, mummy guardians, and bandaged mummies¡­ they sacrificed all the close-battle units after all the residents died. the situation was out of control. the void monsters still breached twilight city even though they tried their best to resist. the void foragers destroyed twilight city in less than ten minutes. they crumbled buildings and toppled down houses¡­ it reduced all of his efforts to nothing at this moment. they looked at the monsters that wreaked havoc in twilight city. up in the sky, the battle emptied richard¡¯s heart as he continued to fight with his flying units. he could use points to recover all of it, even if he knew that after leaving the dungeon. but he still couldn¡¯t control his emotions. he couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if twilight city would face such a powerful enemy one day. could he hold on? his eyes were a little dazed. but in just a moment, he suppressed the emotions in his heart. his gaze was firm. it would be the last time. the twilight city would not fall again! richard¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked down at the scene below. he had thought that he would immediately leave the dungeon after the fall of twilight city. however, he did not hear any notification that the city defense had failed. with a thought, he looked toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡®was it because of the boss? or because he was still alive?¡¯ as his thoughts turned, he immediately gave the order. ¡°everyone, retreat to the land of quicksand!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree still fought, he was still alive, and the twilight city had not fallen. the troops immediately changed direction and headed north where the monsters were the least after they adjusted their thinking. the black-robed merchants of twilight city flew into the sky the moment the opponents captured the city. the void hunter didn¡¯t seem to notice its existence and ignored it. the black-robed merchant looked at richard¡¯s back. it hesitated for a moment before it followed him. as long as the other party did not die. the trade could continue. the land of quicksand. at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient tree in the center emitted an exaggerated dark aura like that of an ancient demon god after it devoured countless void monsters. its transformation had already reached a shocking level. and it seemed to take the last step at any time. when richard arrived, he saw three level 19 void hunter heroes attacking the god¡¯s ancient tree. however, this boss was not afraid at all. it slaughtered the normal void monsters that charged at it while it resisted the attacks of the level 19 void heroes. the battle between the two sides was supremely explosive. when richard saw this, he immediately ordered the troops to send reinforcements. first, kill a level 19 void hero. the dark valkyrie and renee immediately unleashed their mightiest killing moves. beyond a-rank skill¨Cgod punisher. divine art-spatial movement. it had killed two of the three level-19 void hunter heroes quickly! after renee¡¯s burst of power, her figure was one step faster than the dark valkyrie. she disappeared from her spot and appeared in front of the remaining void hero. it brandished the elven sword. she used his terrifying spatial movement ability and forcefully suppressed the other party¡¯s sharp edge. even if it was five levels higher than her. her divine soul was not inferior. it was a top-notch that defeated the dark valkyrie and forced her into the final state. the skeleton blood dragon and the axe of the dead that rode on the dark gargoyle also joined the battle. with the god¡¯s ancient tree as the center, they organized a resistance once again. after the fall of twilight city, the enemies from the other directions began to surge towards the land of quicksand. the land of quicksand, which had become the core battlefield, had become a true land of death. the quicksand that could devour everything had caused the void monsters to suffer heavy casualties. they could only use numbers to pile up if they wanted to cross. the situation was once again on the verge of collapse as time continued. level 16, 17, 18. the void hunter heroes began to appear in batches under the leadership of the level 19 void hunter heroes. the skeleton blood dragon could kill soldiers of the same level as the axe of the dead. however, in the face of several heroic units, they immediately felt a sense of powerlessness. one after another, they chopped the heads of the skeleton blood dragons off. and they tore the bodies of the dark gargoyles and soldiers of the axe of the dead apart¡­ they killed all the last of the troops. after that, a level 16 void hunter slaughtered gray while a level 19 void hunter crushed gunter¡¯s head¡­ more than 20 void heroes slaughtered alves. the little centaur, amelia, the boss that had yet to mature, was also overwhelmed by several squadrons of void hunters. at the end of the battle, only richard, renee, the dark valkyrie, and the god¡¯s ancient tree were left. the four were the mightiest existences in the entire twilight city. without the need to command the troops, he could fight as he pleased. however, no matter how powerful their existence was, there would be a time when they would be exhausted. and as time passed, the invading enemies even produced level 19 void hunter heroes in batches. the system did not intend to let twilight city continue to exist. as the weakest of them all, richard would have a hard time dealing with an enemy that was far more powerful than twilight city. he turned around and looked at his surroundings. while renee covered him, he rushed to the side of the black-robed merchant before the activated sandification disappeared. he used his fastest speed to choose the last treasure he wanted to exchange¨Csandstorm, 5-stars, 5 million points. after he stored the treasure in the system space. ten level 19 void hunters appeared behind him. he glanced at the dark valkyrie, the god¡¯s ancient tree, and renee, who still fought not far away from him. his initially tense mood suddenly relaxed. the battle was finally coming to an end¡­ in the next breath. a system notification rang in every player¡¯s ears. [ding~ endless survival mode has ended. qingqiu survived for 53 hours and 12 minutes. you are ranked first. you have received an additional reward.] [ding~ the dungeon has ended. you can restore all troops that have died and territories destroyed by using one-tenth of your points.] [this instance dungeon¡¯s rewards will now be calculated¡­ the system will activate points exchange in 10 minutes¡­] Chapter 411 richard found himself back in twilight city when he opened his eyes again. he turned his head to look at his surroundings. the buildings destroyed in the dungeon had now returned to usual. he resurrected the soldiers and residents who died in battle at the places where they died. outside twilight city, the vast figure of the god¡¯s ancient tree swayed slowly, and a few heroes appeared beside it. !! many residents looked at their bodies curiously. when they didn¡¯t feel anything strange, they shouted excitedly. ¡°we¡¯re home! praise the twilight city! ¡°i knew it, my lord, you will lead us to victory!¡± ¡°long live the twilight city!!¡± the excited crowd immediately made the environment noisy. richard¡¯s mood sparingly lifted when he heard the shouts. he slowly raised his head and looked at the bright sky. the thick clouds in the instance had disappeared. at this moment, the clear sky common in the desert appeared in sight. in the past, he had always despised the scorching sun. but at this moment, he felt a unique sense of happiness. people would only feel precious when they lost something. it had always been like this. at this moment, the system notification quietly sounded. [ding~ your final points are 3.75 million. you are ranked 26th. you have obtained an additional reward¨C4 stars treasure chest *1. you have obtained¨C468 gold points.] [ding~ the system deducted 1/10 of current points (375,000). revive all troops and repair the territory.] [ding~ you have become the player who has survived the longest in endless survival mode. you have received an additional reward-fusion crystal (special)*3.] [fusion crystal] [level: special] [specialty: able to merge two types of troops. after the merge, it will become a territory specialty. it can retain and reinforce the characteristics of the two troops.] [after a successful fusion, you can spend rare resources to fuse all similar units in your territory.] [restriction: 1. extremely high chance of failure when fusing soldiers from different camps.] [2. the troops integrated must be of the same level and potential.] [3. the fusion process is irreversible.] [introduction: an extremely precious treasure.] richard read it a few more times. it was still okay at the beginning. richard had exchanged so many top-tier treasures, but not being first on the ranking board was his sacrifice. there were gains and losses. however, to his surprise, the reward for the longest survival time was such a special treasure. it could allow the two types of troops to merge while maintaining their own characteristics. after the merge, it would become a territory characteristic, and in the future, they could use rare resources to continue producing¡­ this made him think of countless wild and imaginative ideas. for example¡­ could the axe of the dead be integrated with flying units to give it greater mobility? he could feel that there was great potential in this. after he regained his senses, he looked at the troops and residents still squeezed together in front of him and said slowly, ¡°gray, gunter, you take the troops and leave.¡± ¡°continue to guard the city wall. ¡°karu, inform all the residents to take a two-day break. tell them to leave now. ¡°the high-intensity battle during this period had left everyone mentally exhausted.¡± the heroes immediately supported their chests and agreed after they heard this. after a while, the crowd in the city started to disperse. richard didn¡¯t give any more speeches, either. his mind focused on the harvest. the dark divine blood, the crown of the king of darkness, the fusion crystal that he had just obtained, the heart of stone and the heart of the sun he had brought into the sky arena, the dark crystal that could increase the potential of ordinary life forms, the 5-stars psionic gemstone that could strengthen the characteristics of troops¡­ the various gains made his hands go soft. he was not in a hurry to check the rest. first, he opened the points exchange interface. normal points¨C3.375 million, gold points¨C468. it still cost more than three million points even after he exchanged so many treasures from the black-robed merchant. the golden points he obtained were several times more than the points he obtained from the previous instance dungeon. this made him feel great. he opened the general points exchange interface. but he was stunned after a glance. there were only five treasures in front of him¡­ [dragon slayer sword, 5-stars. points required: 3 million] [dark shield, 5-stars. points required points: 3 million] [skybreaker bow, 5-stars. points required points: 3 million] [treasure chest, 4-stars. points required: 300,000. redeemable quantity:3] [treasure chest 3-stars. points required: 50,000. redeemable quantity:3] ¡°this instance dungeon doesn¡¯t have a mall that we can choose from last time?¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he also wanted to exchange for a few powerful troop lairs to increase the battle power of twilight city. but now, he had nothing. what was worse was that he could not see the specific attributes of the treasure he exchanged this time. he was simply a hooligan. it¡¯s not the same as when he exchanged for treasures in the death arena fighting ring. it¡¯s just the same¡­ richard¡¯s mouth twitched. after he came back to his senses, he pondered for a moment and finally chose the dragon slayer sword. the other two items were a shield and a longbow, which were not useful to the heroes in twilight city. if he changed to another sword, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it being idle. after he spent 3000,000 points, the dragon slayer sword appeared in his hands. richard held it up in front of his eyes. the front part of the long sword was a cross hilt with a unique pattern on it that could greatly increase friction. one easily control it with one or two hands. the slender sword was engraved with a ferocious fire-breathing dragon pattern. it gave off a fierce aura. not to mention other things, just the feel and shape alone could tell that it was extraordinary. he opened the attribute panel. [dragon slayer sword] [level: 5-stars] [special characteristics: 1. dragon slayer, deals 300% additional damage to dragon-type creatures.] [2. giant killer deals 200% damage to blood twice the size of the user.] [3. sharpness. when using a long sword to cast a skill, it can increase the skill damage by 50%.] [4. unbreakable. could recover automatically after wear and tear.] [5. sharpness: sharpness increased by 300%.] [description: an extremely sharp sword that can easily cut off the head of a giant dragon.] richard saw the attributes and immediately heaved a sigh of relief. not bad, this was not a loss. these five characteristics were worth 3 million points. it was also time to change xina¡¯s equipment. the other party still used the 3-stars weapon that he had exchanged for in the previous dungeon-the broken steel longsword. although the broken steel longsword had a 20% instant-death effect. for xina, the chance of triggering it was very small if the enemy was too strong. if the enemy was not strong enough, she could kill them directly. this characteristic was somewhat useless. this 5-stars longsword could enormously increase the battle power of that beyond a-rank. as for the dark valkyrie, richard didn¡¯t consider her. the long sword in her hand was specially made to perfectly display her battle power, so he didn¡¯t need to find any extra equipment for her to replace. in a good mood, he placed the dragon slayer sword on the table. then, he used his remaining points to exchange for a 4-stars treasure chest and a 3-stars treasure chest. the remaining 20,000 points were used to exchange for 200 units of rare resources. not a single unit was left. richard took out the four-stars chest from the system space with the two chests in his hands. the reward for the twentieth place. the three treasure chests lined up and opened one by one. the 3-stars treasure chest gave him a resource treasure that he was familiar with¨Crussian olive, 100 acres. it was not a loss. the two 4-stars treasure chests gave him a treasure that surprised him. thorn fruit forest, 300 acres. including the three 4-stars thorn fruit trees he had obtained from the gladiator arena, he now had five pieces. in total, it was 1500 acres. ¡°resources and treasures are the specialties of this dungeon, right?¡± although he was surprised that the 4-stars treasure chests all gave the same type of treasure, he was not disappointed. making wine was part of his plan for the future of twilight city, and the thorn fruit was suitable for making spirits. it was not a loss. after he stored a few resources and treasures in the system space, he turned his attention to the golden points. five treasures on the golden points exchange panel were unexpected. they were not equipment, but all remarkable items. [enhanced crystal] [level: 5-stars, could upgrade one skill to beyond a-rank (only for heroes), golden points required: 150 points. exchangeable amount: 3] [spirit gem] [level: 5-stars] [could enhance a characteristic of an enhanced troop type. gold points required: 100 points. exchangeable amount: 3] [dark crystals] [five thousand pieces] [level: special, could increase the potential of life. golden points required: 100 points. exchangeable amount: 15,000 pills] [treasure chest, 4-stars. gold points required: 30 points] [treasure chest, 3-stars. gold points required: 10 points] he had both the spirit gem and the dark crystal, but richard was not interested in them at all. only the enhanced crystal made his eyes light up. to upgrade a skill to beyond a-rank¡­ it was a priceless treasure! he was distinct on how powerful a beyond a-rank was. even if used on ordinary c-rank and d-rank heroes, it could make them a top-notch existence. richard was excited the most at¡­ he didn¡¯t need to use the enhanced crystal on a battle hero. it could strengthen lifestyle heroes. it could enhance the heroes of the wine-making, food workshop, tailor, blacksmith, and even alchemy¡­ for example, if he could upgrade a hero¡¯s research and development skill to beyond a-rank, wouldn¡¯t that allow him to develop an area rapidly? and this time, he could not only exchange for one. but three! if he could raise the skills of the three life-type heroes to beyond a-rank¡­ just thinking about that scene made him excited. richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. he used 450 points to exchange for 3 strengthening crystals without hesitation. only 18 gold points remained after he obtained the treasure. when he saw this, he did not hesitate and exchanged ten golden points for a 3-stars treasure chest. he used the remaining 8 points to exchange for 800 units of sulfur. then, he opened the 3-stars treasure chest he had just exchanged and obtained a new resource treasure¨Cwatermelon land. it was a 3-stars watermelon land that covered 100 acres. richard, who didn¡¯t have much hope, was overjoyed. he swore that this was the most satisfying treasure of the day. there was no other. even a glorious treasure could not make him feel so good. to enjoy two iced watermelons in the hot desert during summer was promising. Chapter 412 in a good mood, richard put the resources and treasures into the system space. although he didn¡¯t have as many options as last time, he was still quite satisfied. however, a moment later, he thought of all the resources and treasures he had yet to find a place to store. and his brows furrowed. it has restored the agricultural area destroyed in the instance dungeon. !! however, with this destruction, they could no longer use the initial agricultural development plan. richard would have to place his resources and treasures there if he couldn¡¯t find a place where the outside world wouldn¡¯t disturb him. the final result would draw with a wicker basket¡­ twilight city couldn¡¯t guarantee that it would be free from attack. after a few days, i¡¯ll find some time to visit solan city and see if there are any solutions. richard nodded and didn¡¯t dwell on this matter. he slapped his forehead as if he¡¯d just remembered something. he took out the glorious equipment from the system storage¨Cthe crown of the king of darkness. he looked at the treasure in his hand. his face reddened. in the instance dungeon, the battle had been too intense, so he forgot to wear it¡­ the crown was lighter than he had imagined. upon closer inspection, one could see that the crown was mainly black with red rubies as embellishments. the style was simple and grand. and the magic that flew on it made it look extraordinary. richard nodded in satisfaction. he wore the crown on his head. in that instant, the black cape behind him fluttered despite the lack of wind. it emitted dim light. at the same time, the crown also emitted light and echoed with it. the two dark energies slowly fused. at this moment, he could hear the sound of broken glass. richard could feel that something broke the invisible seal. he opened the attribute panel with strapping anticipation. he immediately discovered the two skills previously sealed¨C[lord of darkness] and [king of darkness]. it has activated the lord of darkness. he immediately looked at the skill attributes. when in a dark environment, the user can control the darkness within a 300-meter radius around the user. the user can materialize the king of darkness. (to be activated) this skill¡­ richard raised an eyebrow. it seemed to have a similar effect as controlling the yellow sand. although it didn¡¯t have any additional damage, it was not weak. then, he thought of something and looked at the king of darkness cape. this cape had a unique skill¨Cdarkness descent. with the user as the center, a radius of 500 meters will plunge into absolute darkness. it will compress the enemy¡¯s vision and perception to a 10-meter radius. the user can control the power of darkness and teleport without limit. these two skills were compatible. he couldn¡¯t help but feel satisfied when he saw this. as expected of a set. he had to find a chance to test these two skills and see if they were as powerful as he thought. he glanced from the corner of his eye at the skill still sealed¨Cking of darkness. he wondered how powerful this skill would be after he unsealed it. the future promised. after richard checked the attributes of the two pieces of equipment a few times, he finally restrained his joy. after he thought for a moment, he took out all the items he obtained from this instance dungeon and arranged them on the long table. he even took off the two pieces of king of darkness equipment he wore. he looked at the dazzling equipment in front of him. he was highly excited. for him, this instance dungeon was a huge profit! he could not suppress the excitement after he took a few deep breaths. he counted from left to right. [the first harvest was what he thought was the most vital and precious treasure¡­] the seed of the world tree. the name alone was enough to explain everything, although it had shriveled and had yet to recover its vitality. the only pity was that this thing was the same as the dimension stone he had obtained in the last instance dungeon. it was too high level. he still didn¡¯t know how to use it. however, this was okay. as the level and strength increased, the plane stones and the seed of the world tree would come in handy. [the second harvest was the dark valkyrie.] the boss he conquered with the dark contract had already shown his strength in the battle. without the seed of the world tree, the biggest gain this time would undoubtedly be this overbearing and unparalleled existence. it was so comfortable. [the third harvest¨Ctwo of the three pieces of the king of darkness set.] the attributes of these two pieces of glorious equipment were not of little value. they were compatible. and each skill was supremely soul-strapping. moreover, if he could collect all three of them in the future, he could even turn them into demigod weapons. it could describe its value as priceless. [the fourth harvest¨Cthe mission reward for the longest survival time¨Cfusion gemstone.] it could fuse two types of troops, and after the fusion, it could also obtain additional strengthening while it retains its characteristics. it was a treasure to twilight city. he thought about it. if he could merge the axe of the dead with the troop type and let this destructive weapon have the ability to fly. wouldn¡¯t that be a wave of soaring? after the unit types merged, it would become a territory specialty and could produce incessantly. he could only describe it as perfect. [the fifth reward¨Cdark crystal and a 5-stars psionic gem.] the dark crystal could increase the life potential of a troop type. in contrast, the spirit gemstone could increase the characteristics of a troop type and strengthen one¡¯s strength. they were all rare treasures. it was of great significance to twilight city. [the sixth harvest¨Cthe heart of lava and the heart of the sun.] both were treasures that richard had obtained without paying any price during the battle of the furnace. the heart of lava could transform the fire elemental lord klose into a transcendent, but it would also give him a powerful trump card. if the relationship between the two sides was closer, they could even engage in in-depth trade with twilight city and obtain enormous benefits. as for the heart of the sun, it would allow him to obtain an a-rank fire-type hero. [the seventh harvest¨Cthe title king of gladiator.] [the eighth harvest¨Ctons of resources and treasures, 3-stars: russian olive forest, watermelon field, fish pond, 4-stars: thorn fruit forest x5] agriculture was the foundation of everything to have stability. and without work, there would be no wealth. in his vision for the future, this had heavy responsibilities. [the ninth harvest¨Cthe enhanced crystal and the dragon slayer sword. both of which were treasures exchanged with points. the enhanced crystal could strengthen the skills of a troop type beyond a-rank. it was too cool, and it had a wide range of uses. if used well, it would be a pure profit. and it would not even be arduous to take off. the dragon slayer sword was just suitable for xina to use. [the tenth harvest¨Cdark divine blood.] it was a glorious-level treasure that could transform the god¡¯s ancient tree and activate the power of the divine sins in the body. it cost him a total of 8 million points. 11th, 5-star treasure, sandstorm, exchanged for 500 points. it can form a sandstorm in an area. and the wind can control it¨Cattribute heroes. its effect was similar to that of the land of quicksand. if he could obtain a few more similar treasures, he could completely seal off the surroundings of twilight city. in the future, if the enemy wanted to attack, they would first have to face natural disasters at the outermost perimeter. richard was delighted with the results. twilight city would take off if they could run this dungeon a few more times. now, the most important thing was to consume these spoils of war and convert them into actual battle power for twilight city. the dark divine blood wanted to transform the god¡¯s ancient tree, merge the crystals, and synthesize troops. the dark crystals that could increase one¡¯s life potential would be selected for suitable troops or residents and trained into hero units. the strength of twilight city would increase as they digested the spoils of war. as he thought about it, he put all the dazzling treasures on the table into the system space. the king of darkness ¡®crown and the cape remained. he put on his cape and crown again. in an instant, an indescribable temperament emerged. a charming aura filled his face, coupled with his handsomeness. the two of king of darkness equipment both had a skill¨Cking¡¯s wind. it was an arduous overlap. but an additional upgrade. the change in temperament was the most moving. richard¡¯s maid went upstairs to call xina down after he got dressed. ¡®weng! weng!¡¯ they could hear the sound of the stairs. xina changed into loose clothes and planned to rest in the lord¡¯s mansion. when she saw richard, her eyes lit up like the stars in the sky. her breathing accelerated uncontrollably. and her heart beat wildly. her face was flushed red, like a cooked shrimp. ¡°l-lord richard¡­¡± her voice trembled unnaturally. richard didn¡¯t mind the details. he handed the dragon slayer sword to the lady. ¡°dragon slayer sword, 5-stars treasure. it is your reward for your contribution to twilight city. ¡°i¡¯m highly delighted with your effort.¡± when xina heard, her face turned even redder. the fearless warrior didn¡¯t even dare to look richard in the eye. she took it, thanked him with a trembling voice, and then ran upstairs. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he watched the women leave. was there a need to¡­ he touched the cape on his back. this thing was simply a divine tool for picking up girls. he didn¡¯t think much about it and left the lord¡¯s mansion, heading straight for the land of quicksand. it had to hand the dark divine blood over to the god¡¯s ancient tree. this boss would bring about an unprecedented transformation. he could not wait to see the scene where this invincible existence would activate the god¡¯s power in its body. Chapter 413 the first thing richard saw when he arrived at the quicksand was the god¡¯s ancient tree body which emanated endless dark energy. no one could ignore this supremely terrifying existence. it stood there like a mountain that would never fall. this boss, who had devoured an uncountable amount of dark energy now emitted a faint light that darkened the bright sky. !! richard could sense the other party¡¯s soul-stirring aura from a great distance. extreme evil life. when he got closer, he could see a savage horde of venomous wasps that flew around the bare tree trunk. they could hear the buzzing sound of their wings that flapped. this boss would be invincible if he waited for the god¡¯s ancient tree to breed another 5,000 treants. richard only realized the god¡¯s ancient tree had grown by five or six meters after he was a hundred meters away from it. its trunk had also grown thicker. if this continued, it could even grow into a giant tree that was a hundred meters tall in the future. ¡°lord¡­¡± because the twisted human-faced tree sensed the familiar aura, it slowly appeared on the gray tree trunk. richard didn¡¯t waste any time after he landed on the sand. he took out the dark divine blood from the wooden box. the god¡¯s ancient tree became excited before it could speak. ¡°lord, my soul is trembling¡­ ¡°the treasure in your hands will be of great benefit to me.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°this was a mythical item exchanged for 8 million points. how could it not be good? ¡°it can transform your soul and activate the power of the divine sin in your body¨Cdark divine blood. ¡°i paid an enormous price to obtain it.¡± as richard spoke, he handed over the dark divine blood. ¡°thank you for your gift, great lord!¡± the tone of the god¡¯s ancient tree revealed a rare excitement. the voice fell. ¡®hualala!¡¯ a root slowly rose from the sandy ground. it wrapped around the box that contained the dark divine blood like a snail¡¯s tail and then retracted back into the land. after a while, the boss¡¯s aura began to rise. but just as richard thought the god¡¯s ancient tree would transform in one go, it began to calm down. he raised his eyebrows and looked at it in confusion. ¡°treebeard, what happened?¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree said hesitantly. ¡°lord¡­ my instincts tell me it¡¯s not the time to consume this drop of dark divine blood yet.¡± ¡°not time yet?¡± it stunned richard for a moment before he opened up the man¡¯s attributes panel. the status bar on it made him frown. [status: transformation in progress (degree of transformation: 80%)] he carefully thought about what the black-robed merchant said when he recommended him the dark divine blood. the god¡¯s ancient tree could devour the dark energy to transform, but this transformation was not perfect. after it had absorbed enough dark energy, it could use the dark divine blood energy to activate the abomination¡¯s power in its body at the final step¡­ richard finally understood. in other words, the transformation progress of the god¡¯s ancient tree had to reach the maximum value to use the dark divine blood to achieve the desired effect. when he thought of this, his expression turned ugly. back then, he was most worried that the god¡¯s ancient tree would not have completed its transformation when he left the instance dungeon. he had bought the dark divine blood for this, and now he could only use it when maxed out¡­ sure enough, murphy¡¯s law was true. whatever you are most worried about will happen. richard rubbed his forehead. where was he going to find the special dark energy for the god¡¯s ancient tree to consume after he left the pocket dimension? after a moment of thought, he narrowed his eyes. he turned to look at the god¡¯s ancient tree and asked with some anticipation. ¡°can you still sense the seed left in the dark plane?¡± the ancient tree of divine sin immediately responded. master, i can sense it, but the connection isn¡¯t as strong as it was in that plane ¡­ richard let out a sigh of relief. fortunately, there was still hope. however, a new problem arose. how was richard going to open that plane? while he hesitated, he seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes lit up. he glanced around and looked at the sand around him. the power of yellow sand surged out of his body. they could hear a rustle. not far away, the quicksand began to move. after a few breaths, more than a dozen sandworms 20 meters long broke out of the ground and appeared in the air. after more than a month of growth, the young sandworm¡¯s skin had aged. the giant mouth of a flower petal that bloomed possessed a soul-strapping destructive power. in this battle, these ¡°little fellows¡± still larvae had secretly killed quite several void monsters. but what caught richard¡¯s attention the most was the golden glow of the void sandworm, a top-tier creature with countless mysterious patterns on its body. ordinary sandworms fed on meat and sand, but the void sandworm didn¡¯t need any food. it could directly devour the power of the void to grow. in the previous dungeon, the president of the scarlet council, the boss who rubbed the plane with its bare hands, had praised him. he was only a newborn at level 14. its power was self-evident. however, what caught his attention the most was the characteristic of void life¨Cthe ability to travel freely in the void outside the primary plane. it was a small matter to connect the two planes with this characteristic. the president of the scarlet council had told him a lot about the void sandworm. the only thing that made him hesitate was that although the void sandworm was already more than 20 meters long, it was still a larva. he wondered if he could control the power to pierce through the void. richard thought for a moment, then summoned the giant void sandworm. the ¡°little fellow¡± immediately made a wuwu sound when it sensed his aura and even wanted to rub its head against him. Chapter 414 they were supremely intimate. richard had bound their souls to them before the eggs hatched. the sandworms could sense richard was just like their father after hatching. richard didn¡¯t care. he just needed them to follow his orders. !! he slowly reached out his right hand and pressed it on the void sandworm¡¯s closed mouth. it released his spiritual energy at the same time. it connected to the other party¡¯s soul. the void sandworm¡¯s consciousness was still very young and could not communicate normally. it took richard a long time to find a way to communicate with the man. he could transmit his thoughts to the other party¡¯s soul through his spiritual energy. as it was an interaction of spiritual energy, the other party could understand it directly. even so, it still took him a long time to understand it. in the end, the void sandworm replied happily, like a child who had found a toy. richard didn¡¯t waste any more time. he had the god¡¯s ancient tree share its link with the seed to the void sandworm. the void sandworm was still a little afraid of the god¡¯s ancient tree that often disciplined it. he allowed the other party¡¯s spiritual power to seep into its mind. after some communication, the void sandworm¡¯s body suddenly glowed with a golden light. it was like a light with a switch. the surrounding space rippled like water in the golden light. it was as if an ordinary person could shatter space with a wave. after the fluctuation reached a certain limit. ¡®crack!¡¯ a crisp explosion sounded. the space that rippled was like glass that fell from the sky and shattered, splashed everywhere. an eight-meter-wide, irregular spatial rift appeared before richard. at the same time, an evil and dark aura surged out of the spatial rift¡­ the dark dimension! richard¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the familiar presence. he succeeded! the void sandworm was awesome! at this moment, ¡®roar!¡¯ a low growl came from the other side of the crack. a spine-chilling sound came from the void hunter. sharp spikes covered its back, and its limbs were like daggers. he sensed a strange aura. the void hunter was like a shark that smelled blood. and it rushed toward the spatial crack. however, a strange change occurred when they passed through the spatial rift. ¡®bang!¡¯ the monster seemed to have hit a layer of transparent glass, and its body violently bounced back. ¡°failed!¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. before he could figure out the specific reason¡­ suddenly, a black mass of void lickers appeared behind the void hunters. these monsters had bent backs and two-meter-long tongues with ferocious barbs. a glance at the twisted and hideous exterior was enough to palpitate one¡¯s heart. these level 6 and 7 monsters did not encounter obstacles like the void hunters, and they swarmed out directly. the god¡¯s ancient tree saw this. ¡®hu!¡¯ the vast branches waved violently. the terrifying power could split mountains and split rocks. the void lickers that came out of the spatial rift were smashed into pieces before they could react. fresh blood and severed limbs splattered all over the ground. the void sandworm trembled in fear at this sudden scene. the energy it emitted suddenly dimmed, and the spatial rift shattered. the space that rippled just now returned to usual. richard immediately turned to the void sandworm. it released this little fellow¡¯s mental energy. and it seemed a little upset and apologetic. after a few moments of calm, richard tried to ask the man if he could keep the spatial rift open. the void sandworm thought for a moment. after recovery, it could open it for a while, but it couldn¡¯t keep it open. richard calmed it down and opened up a spatial rift again. the same scene appeared before his eyes. this time, the void sandworm was prepared and wasn¡¯t frightened. it wasn¡¯t until four hours later that the void sandworm finally closed the spatial rift due to exhaustion. richard knew what to do. this little guy¡¯s strength had not yet reached adulthood, and he could only open a space gap about seven meters in diameter with all his might. moreover, it could only allow level 8 void foragers to pass through due to lack of energy. the space barrier blocked these void monsters above this level. richard was satisfied with the information he¡¯d gotten. although the time was a little short, at least the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree could continue to progress. as the void sandworm grew, one day, it could open a spatial crack 24/7. moreover, he could filter out high-level monsters, which relieved him. his biggest worry was that a high-level boss would appear after he opened up a space rift. now, it cut off this hidden danger. as for the god of the dark plane¡­ i¡¯m sorry, the central plane does not allow gods to appear. if the other party used the method of darkness descent, then sorry, he had the enormous killing weapon of the god¡¯s ancient statue. what made him even more excited was¡­ after the god¡¯s ancient tree transformed, it could still kill void monsters to level up. in the future, he could set up a training point in the land of quicksand for the newly recruited troops to level up. not bad. richard didn¡¯t lose out this time. he patted the void sandworm with satisfaction more than 20 meters long. having the god¡¯s ancient tree and the void sandworm hunt the monsters of the dark plane on their own, richard didn¡¯t stay any longer. there was still a long way to go for the god¡¯s ancient tree to reach 100% of its transformation. it was not something that could solve in two or three days. after richard returned to twilight city, he took out two treasures from the system space¨Cthe fusion crystal and the psionic gemstone. when he arrived in front of the troop lairs, he pondered. three fusion crystals could fuse two into one unit and retain the characteristics of the two units. it was undoubtedly a soul-strapping treasure. but what made him hesitate was whether he should fuse them first or use the psionic gemstone to improve the characteristics of the troop type first before proceeding with the fusion. he had to improve the characteristics before fusing them. could he get additional improvements when he fused them again? richard hesitated momentarily, then looked at the gemstone¡¯s system panel. [psionic gemstone] [level: 5-stars] [special property: 1. can enhance a troop class to the extreme. can choose the enhancement direction after use.] [restrictions] [1. reinforcement is to strengthen an aspect of the soldier type¡¯s characteristics. one can not reinforce if the soldier does not have characteristics.] [2. after use, it will reinforce all newly recruited troops.] [3. it can only reinforce a single attribute. it cannot reverse the entire reinforcement process.] [4. you can only enhance the troops produced from the troop-type lair. you can not reinforce summoned creatures and mechanical puppets.] [he still had 14 pills on hand. so he could try one out.] richard¡¯s eyes fell on his favorite troop class. the axe of the dead. he took out a psionic gem and walked to the front of the tomahawk cabin, silently chanting to use it. [ding~ please use it when you research the technology of this troop type.] richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®you should¡¯ve said so earlier. it¡¯s a waste of expression.¡¯ with this in mind, he looked at the fusion crystal. now, he would test the waters with the fusion gem ¡­ however, what kind of troop type should he combine? he looked at his troop-type lair panel. there were a total of 9 with a troop-type lair. 1. scorpion warrior, 2. axe of the dead, 3. bandaged mummy, 4. guardian mummy, 5. yellow sand mage, 6. sand condensation archer, 7. giant axe death knights, 8. dark gargoyle, 9. cursed pharaoh. skeleton blood dragon and skeleton demon, these two crown 1-star troops, were recruited from the corpses of the giant dragon and the demon by the two mummified heroes. they could not be fused. richard pondered as he looked at the soldiers before him. Chapter 415 the bandaged mummies of the nine units were a gift from the start, while richard carefully selected the rest. they all had great potential and outstanding merits. short-range cavalry, air force, spellcasters, archers, they had everything. however, this did not mean richard was satisfied with the current configuration of twilight city. !! after the battle test, he found that not all troops were as effective as he had thought. there was still a lot of room for improvement and reinforcement. they were like giant axe death knights. this cavalryman with a giant battle axe was sturdy. however, the contribution of this troop type was low even though it had led troops in so many battles. what did cavalrymen need? charge! it smashed all the enemies in front of it. the battle style of twilight city had always been to use their superior firepower to suppress the enemy. and then annihilate them when they had the absolute advantage. such tactics were carried out thoroughly with the help of the undead soldiers of axe of the dead and the sand condensation archers, in addition to the cooperation of the air force. this put the giant axe death knight in an awkward position. if it charged at the very beginning, it would undoubtedly cause great damage to himself. however, it would make no difference if they attacked later. also, after getting used to the mobility of the flying units, the giant axe death knight¡¯s inability to maneuver over long distances undoubtedly lowered richard¡¯s opinion of them. the other units that didn¡¯t have a high sense of existence had a similar problem. richard thought for a moment, then sighed. ¡°it¡¯s a long way to go. ¡°i¡¯ll have to adjust my thoughts in the future. what i need to change the most is the configuration of the troop. i have to make the structure of the entire troop more in line with the battle style of twilight city. ¡°secondly, we need to improve our tactics and use all the troops. we can¡¯t just develop the air force. ¡°if we rely too much on a single unit, the consequences will be fatal if an accident happens.¡± in the dungeon, the sky arena¡¯s no-fly restriction had put twilight city in an awkward position. after a long while, richard finally focused on his favorite troop type. the axe of the dead. since the birth of this powerful troop, they had firmly occupied the top position of twilight city with their explosive battle power. one cannot push axe of the dead down even with the appearance of the skeleton blood dragon. however, as the enemies that twilight city faced became increasingly more robust, it exposed the weakness of this troop type. its low mobility and short attack range were all flaws that one could not ignore. his first choice for the fusion of troops was the axe of the dead. but what kind of troop could be matched with the axe of the dead? richard¡¯s eyes shifted to the dark gargoyle lair. similarly, after richard obtained the dark gargoyle lair from the single-player dungeon, this unit initially became the main force, but unknowingly became a mount. this also explained many problems. they were strong in a close battle, but richard wouldn¡¯t launch the first attack against a powerful enemy. this was because it would often cause additional losses. he had always liked to use the least effort to exchange for the greatest results. the dark gargoyles¡¯ strengths are their agility and strong defense. especially their immunity to magic, which makes this troop class even more valuable. ¡°its weakness is its short arms, so it can only fight in close combat.¡± the strength of the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead lies in its terrifying destructive power. its area-of-effect skill, tomahawk smash, makes it a well-deserved violent troop. ¡°its weakness is its short range, slow movement, and average survival ability. ¡°if i can combine these two types of troops ¡­¡± richard took a closer look at the properties of the crystal with that in mind. fusion crystal¨Ccan fuse two types of troops. after fusion, it will be solidified into a territory characteristic, which can retain the features of the two troops and be strengthened. after a successful fusion, you can spend rare resources to fuse all the similar soldier-type lairs in your territory. [restriction: 1. extremely high chance of failure when fusing soldiers from different camps] [2. the troops integrated must be of the same level and potential.] [3. the fusion process is irreversible.] richard decided without hesitation. out of all the military units, these two were the most suitable. with a thought. the system¡¯s notification quietly rang. [ding~ you have chosen a dead stone statue and a dark stone gargoyle. do you want to use the fusion crystal to merge the two?] ¡°i¡¯m sure.¡± the moment he made his choice¡­ the fusion crystal in his hand suddenly shattered and turned into a bright light that merged into the two troop lairs in front of him. the two adjacent troop-type lairs emitted a blinding white light in the next second. the already dark sky seemed to have two suns that rose. a brilliant light erupted. the two lairs were like candles where a flame pressed them and began to melt under the power of the fusion crystal. richard observed the situation closely. the two melted lairs slowly flowed and intertwined with each other. they turned into a squirming jelly. a few minutes later, the troop-type lair had wholly merged into one. the molten energy slowly condensed into a new troop-type lair. it was a house made of stone, about six meters tall. sharp battle tomahawks filled the walls outside the stone house, just like the wooden cabin with tomahawks. if one looked carefully, one could vaguely see a ferocious gargoyle¡¯s shadow carved on the wall filled with tomahawks. Chapter 416 it combined the two lairs in this unique way. a system notification rang, followed by the last ray of light that dimmed. [ding~ the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle have completed their fusion. it gave birth to a new troop type¨Cthe stone statue of the dead. you can now recruit new soldiers from the lair.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. !! he quickly opened the attributes panel of the troop-type lair in front of him. [stone statue of the dead lair] [level: glorious 3-stars] [available troops: stone statue of the dead (glorious 3-stars) [available recruitable quantity: 20] [weekly production: 10] [recruitment requirements: 100 units of gemstones, 100 units of crystals] [introduction: a nest formed by the fusion of two types of troops. it¡¯s very rare.] richard¡¯s anticipation grew as he looked at the base¡¯s stats. the stone statue of the dead. one could tell from the name that it combined two types of troops. he didn¡¯t know if this new soldier type¡¯s attributes would be as he wished. and if he could make up for his shortcomings with its strong points. richard chose to recruit with a mighty look of anticipation. at this moment. a rock-like pale gray light rose from the stone statue of the dead lair in front of him. the light quickly condensed in the stone house. a vague figure appeared in the air. after a few breaths, the shadow condensed into a body and walked out of the stone house. then, he took a tomahawk from the wall. when he held the battle tomahawk in its hand, countless chains condensed out of thin air and tightly wrapped around its arm. the fusion gave birth to the stone statue of the dead. richard¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of the new unit. its body was strong, and it was more than three meters tall. its aura was indescribably fierce. a pair of brown wings was on its back. like it was carved out of rock. on the surface of the stone statue of the dead, pieces of stone armor that looked like dragon scales appeared. it was a piece of armor that had grown out of the body. it was no longer a piece of worn armor. it was entirely black and supremely soul-crushing. its arms were thick and soul-devouring. it held the battle tomahawk firmly with chains wrapped around it. once it threw the battle tomahawk, it would cause hyperbolic damage. the eyes were empty, and the soul fire burned in the head. the stone statue of the dead was indeed worthy of its name. it was a stone statue driven by the soul of the dead. from the looks of it, this new troop type had entirely inherited the physical characteristics of the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle lair. he opened the attribute panel. [stone statue of the dead] level 9 [potential: glorious 3-stars] [skill: dead stone body (b-rank) ¡ª its special body structure makes the dead stone statue immune to magic damage and instant-death skills. at the same time, the piercing and armor-piercing damage it receives is reduced by 50%. it can receive evil-type buffs.] [mad battle tomahawk slaughter (b-rank) ¡ª within 80 meters, the user can throw the battle tomahawk to attack the enemy. it causes tons of magic damage. at the same time, the user can pull the battle tomahawk with the chain on the arm to attack continuously. the user has exquisite control over the battle tomahawk.] [explosive battle tomahawk shatterer (b-rank) ¡ª after it throws the battle tomahawk, it will explode into pieces. it causes tons of magic damage to enemies within a 30-meter diameter. the battle tomahawk shatterer will cause a second explosion after it hit the enemy. its strong penetrating power causes physical damage. the shatterer has an instant-death effect. [dead colossus (b-rank) ¡ª able to transform into a dead colossus. body size increases by 200%. defense increases by 600%. it recovers 20% of life every minute. additional special effect¨Clife steal. each attack can convert 30% of the damage dealt to the user¡¯s [life duration: 30 minutes, cooldown time: 120 minutes] [steel destroyer (b-rank) ¡ª strength increased by 70%. battle tomahawk sharpness increased by 70%. durability increased by 70%. penetration increased by 70%.] [rapid flight (b-rank) ¡ª agility and speed increase by 70% during flight.] [race talent: after something breaks the battle tomahawk, it can condense again with energy. as long as an enemy does not destroy the soul, the user will not die.] [fetter-battle tomahawk: after it throws the battle tomahawk, the damage dealt is increased by 60%. there is a 30% chance to trigger the instant-death skill¨Csoul slash, which directly kills the enemy. the higher the enemy¡¯s level, the lower the trigger chance.] [introduction: a half-undead, half-constructed life form specially synthesized. it has a soul-devouring attack power.] ¡°awesome!¡± joy shrouded richard¡¯s eyes. the attributes of the stone statue of the dead entirely inherited the characteristics of the two types of troops, and it even gave them a vast boost. six b-rank skills, one race talent, and one [fetter]. none of them were weak. richard valued the fetter the most¨Cthe axe of the dead¡¯s original skill was limited to a range with¨Ca chance to cause instant death damage. at this point, it had evolved to the point where a throw of the battle tomahawk could cause instant death damage. there was no distance limit. at the same time, the tomahawk smash skill also received a considerable boost. initially, the battle tomahawk shatter only dealt tons of damage. now it had a 30% chance of triggering an instant death effect. it simply overpowered¡­ richard could not hide the smile on his face. although it was two in one, the battle power of the stone statue was mightier than the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle lair combined. the fusion crystal¡­ it was simply a divine artifact! what satisfied him most was that this new soldier type had already solidified into a territory specialty. in the future, if he obtained the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle troop lair, he could directly consume rare resources to fuse them without the need for a fusion crystal. this wave of blood was f*cking worth it. he looked at the two remaining fusion gemstones in his hand. richard¡¯s mouth was wide open. he had to take a few deep breaths to suppress the excitement in his heart. ¡°no, there¡¯s no good troop type worth synthesizing anymore.¡± Chapter 417 ¡°i¡¯ll go buy a few more powerful troops first. i can¡¯t waste the fusion crystals.¡± he composed himself and looked at the troop lairs in front of him. he waved his hand and summoned all the stone statues of the dead. it consumed 2,000 units of gemstones and crystals each. after the fusion, he could no longer recruit with ordinary resources. he could only recruit with two rare resources¨Cgemstones and crystals. !! in other words, it would produce ten stone statues of the dead every week. and each lair would require 2,000 units of rare resources in the future. richard¡¯s excitement subsided a little at the thought. in the future, when there are more high-level troops, the recruitment costs alone will be astronomical. however, when he looked at the several stone statue of the dead neatly arranged and had fierce auras¡­ the corners of his mouth curled up again. any price would be worth it with such a troop! the yellow sand light on his body surged out. it directly enveloped the new troop type in front of him. it gave them the iconic skill of the twilight city-sand transformation. as a result, the stone statue of the dead had two powerful life-saving skills¨Cthe dead colossus and sand transformation. its survival ability was close to a freakish level. richard finally understood why all high-level soldiers were so durable. each skill was more potent than the last. he seemed to have thought of something and opened the unit-type panel. it had been seven days since the last time he upgraded the troop-type lair. he could use the black gold system to continue upgrading. however, he only had around 16 million in ordinary resources left. he could only upgrade three based on the 5 million required for each level up. on the other hand, he still had close to 200,000 rare resources. after some thought, he spent 5 million ordinary resources to buy 10,000 troop lairs and upgraded one of the axe of the dead¡¯s troops to glorious 3-stars. in the new fusion panel, he fused the remaining dark gargoyle troop-type. [ding~ do you want to use 5,000 crystals to fuse two soldier-type lairs?] [each fusion required 5,000 crystals¡­ compared to the attributes, this price was not considered high.] confirmation. then, he chose. the fusion of the two units was successful. richard didn¡¯t hesitate to recruit another 20 stone statues of the dead. this way, there were four small teams in this new troop type. it was flexible and had a strong attack power. at the same time, it also had an overpowering defensive ability. it was as if he could use the perfect troop type to describe the stone statue of the dead. the only regret was the previously recruited units could not be integrated. richard didn¡¯t hesitate. he recruited all the production he had accumulated over the past two weeks. all of a sudden, the resources on the attribute panel dropped drastically all of a sudden. on the other hand, the strength of the twilight city troops had soared. rare troop type¨C30, 45, 21, 7, 21, 50, 25, 5 mummy guardian 360¡ú390, axe of the dead 380¡ú425 bandaged mummy 84¡ú105 scorpion warrior 78¡ú85 giant axe death knight 198¡ú219 sand condensation archer 400¡ú450 yellow sand mage 225-> 250 cursed pharaoh 45¡ú50 glorious units¨Cdark gargoyle¡ú240, axe of the dead¡ú70 stone statue of the dead¡ú40 heavy sword warrior¡ú 20. crown troop type¨Cskeleton blood dragon¡ú30 he had recruited 204 rare units. each unit was 12,000 units of resources, and it consumed 2,448,000 resources. in addition, it will cost five million to upgrade the axe of the dead troop-type lair from elite to rare. out of the 16 million resources, he had only a little more than 8 million left. rare resources: gemstones, 9000 crystals, 4000 crystals. [remaining: 41,000 gemstones, 46,000 crystals, 50,000 mercury, 50,000 sulfur] it was the current total number of resources. richard¡¯s head began to throb. he had enough rare resources for now, but he lacked ordinary resources. eight million seemed like a lot. but it was only enough to upgrade a troop-type lair¡­ richard shook his head. he didn¡¯t think much about it. after he bestowed sand transformation to his subordinates, he sent the troop to report to gray. he had already given up on capturing resource points in the wild. the barren desert did not allow him to develop like this. the benefits of hunting gradually decreased due to the increase in twilight city¡¯s thirst for resources. he would have been stuck with resources for a long time if he had not developed the underground world. he would have to start from the underground world and establish the trading system of twilight city if he wanted to earn more resources. it was far more challenging to earn resources from trade than hunting. the treasures he obtained now could develop the industries in twilight city. there were plenty of resources and treasures. a dark crystal could increase potential, and an enhanced crystal could directly upgrade a hero¡¯s skill to extraordinary. all of these increased the difficulty of earning resources through underground trade, which was far better than hunting. these were all top-notch treasures that could increase one¡¯s foundation. they were top-tier treasures. Chapter 418 at the blacksmith shop. ¡®hu!¡¯ the apprentice pulled the bellows, and tons of air blew into the furnace. it caused the green fire to burn even brighter. a young man with only one arm stared at the ore in the furnace with a frown. !! when the ore was red hot, he immediately took it out with a pair of pincers and placed it on the forging table beside him. there was a slightly hollow hole in the center, just enough to hold the ore. the young man picked up the iron hammer on the side with one arm and lifted it. the moment the iron hammer flew over his head, he used gravity to smash it down. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks flew in all directions. although he only had one arm, his movements weren¡¯t clumsy. he was so skilled that it shocked them. hammer after hammer, the fist-sized ore incessantly shrank. when the temperature dropped, he placed it into the furnace to burn again. he briskly repeated the process like a mechanical puppet that did not know exhaustion. he didn¡¯t know how many times he had passed it, but the ore had already shrunk to its original size, but he still didn¡¯t stop. ¡°sam, the lord said that the whole city will be on holiday for two days. you haven¡¯t had any rest, so go back and accompany shanna.¡± the young man stared at the furnace fire and turned his head slightly when he heard the voice. sam immediately revealed a respectful gaze when he saw the person distinctly. ¡°good evening, lady adele.¡± after he bowed, he shook his head and rejected the other party¡¯s proposal. ¡°i¡¯m just one step away from success¡­¡± as he spoke, he saw the ore had turned red again and immediately took it out. his eyes flashed with relief while he looked at the extremely hot ore. he directly threw the ore into the stone barrel filled with black liquid beside the furnace. ¡®rip!¡¯ an ear-piercing sound rang out. and the black liquid began to bubble as if it boiled. its color had even changed from black to a magma-like red. excitement filled sam¡¯s eyes when he saw this. he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. then turned his head and gestured to the scorpion warrior beside him to let him come closer. after that, he picked up a unique tool and carefully poured the liquid from the stone bucket onto the scorpion¡¯s tail. the scorpion quickly swallowed the moment the fiery-red rock body fell. it formed a layer of hard black armor. when the hard armor covered the entire scorpion tail, an extraordinary power emitted from it, and the surrounding magic power flowed faster. red spider web-like marks appeared. just from its appearance, one could feel that the scorpion tail had become supremely extraordinary. sam turned to look at adele. his voice choked with emotion when he saw this. ¡°lady adele, i didn¡¯t let the lord down¡­¡± he held an unimaginable respect for the fantastic existence that had given him everything. was the research a success? adele also showed a surprised smile. ¡°lord richard will be so happy! ¡°let¡¯s go. we¡¯ll see lord richard. he seems to have a more important task for you.¡± after sam calmed down, he looked at his unkempt appearance with embarrassment. ¡°lady adele, should i go and change my clothes first¡­¡± dirt soaked in his body since he was forging beside the furnace. ¡°go on.¡± ¡°yes.¡± a moment later, sam had changed into a clean set of clothes. he followed behind adele respectfully and headed to the lord¡¯s mansion. he didn¡¯t dare to say a word along the way. in richard¡¯s eyes, adele was a cute little girl with a little bit of a research maniac¡¯s aura. however, in the blacksmith shop, she was a queen-like figure who could decide the fate of an apprentice with a single word. the apprentices respected her well with her forging skills and richard¡¯s unconditional trust. few people in the entire twilight city could be presumptuous in front of her. sam became nervous as soon as he entered the lord¡¯s mansion. to him and all the residents of twilight city, a sacred aura shrouded this mansion. it was because of the great existence they respected the most and have lived here. typically, only some people had the right to enter the lord¡¯s mansion. one could brag to others at this point, even if he could enter to deliver food and rice. the mummy guard looked at him with empty eyes when sam stepped through the door. the soul fire seemed to freeze everything. sam¡¯s heart trembled. he did not dare to while he lowered his head. he followed closely behind adele. he crossed the front yard and entered the hall. andrea immediately bowed. ¡°good evening, lord richard.¡± sam heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the familiar voice and immediately stepped forward. ¡°good evening, my lord¡­¡± richard, who had just heard the system prompt, saw the two and smiled. ¡°no need to be so polite, sit.¡± when the two sat down, they looked at sam with appreciation. ¡°it¡¯s been hard on you guys these past few days, sam. i¡¯ve seen your hard work. you¡¯ve done well.¡± sam quickly stood up. he saluted again with excitement and with one arm on his chest. ¡°my lord, this is all your gift! i¡¯ll give you everything i have, even my soul!¡± richard chuckled and gestured for him to sit down. ¡°continue to work hard in the future. i have high hopes for you.¡± ¡°i will not let you down!¡± richard nodded and didn¡¯t continue the topic. the scorpion warrior¡¯s elite technology was worth celebrating, but after obtaining so many high-level treasures, he was already immune to such ordinary progress. he looked at the girl beside him and entered the day¡¯s main topic. ¡°adele, you can postpone the forging of the dragon-hunting crossbow.¡± Chapter 419 ¡°now, i¡¯ll give you an important task.¡± as richard spoke, he placed the 14 energy crystals on the table. ¡°these are the most valuable treasures i obtained in the dark plane. their function is to reinforce the characteristics of troops¡­¡± after richard explained the function and restrictions in detail, he concluded. !! ¡°this mission is of great importance. it can enhance twilight city¡¯s foundation, so i need you to devote yourself to it.¡± adele¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when she heard this. to the young lady, nothing was more interesting than research and forging. it was her passion. ¡°my lord, i won¡¯t let you down!¡± her tone was clean and crisp without any hesitation. it was the pride and confidence of a special blacksmith. it was also the confidence of a-rank heroes. it is the troop type i want you to research how to reinforce the stone statue of the dead. richard said while he gestured at one of the stone statues of the dead he¡¯d left behind. ¡°this is the new troop type of twilight city. it has soul-strapping battle power and potential. adele¡¯s eyes were like a child who had just found her favorite toy. she looked at the stone statue of the dead while she held the spirit crystal. ¡°my lord, i¡¯ll get the results as soon as possible,¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. it¡¯s not too late to rest for a few days.¡± ¡°mmm.¡± adele mumbled a few words. but she did not listen. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he waved his hand, and andrea left with the five spirit gems. richard kept the rest. he still had to figure out how much the spiritual gems could improve the troop types before he made any arrangements. after the young lady left, richard looked at sam. he only had one arm. he admired the blacksmith who he had given the power of a b-rank hero. not to mention that the other party had already provided the results of his research and proved himself. he could still become a blacksmith after he lost an arm and even protected a blind girl. it was enough to make people look up to him. he admired those who worked hard and refused to yield to fate. after he pondered for a moment, he took out the enhancing crystal under sam¡¯s nervous gaze. it could reinforce a hero¡¯s skill to reach beyond a-rank. of course, it was worth using adele, but this girl was already an a-rank hero. her potential was limitless, and if she continued to level up, there was a high chance that her skill would reach beyond a-rank. it was not cost-effective to use it on the other party. sam was undoubtedly a suitable candidate. perhaps, some people had more potential than him, but he admired him. as the sole ruler of this land, he could easily change the fate of any resident if he wanted to. even if the other party had a broken arm, so what? richard opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel while he pondered. [sam] [heroic unit] [level: 7] [potential: b] [profession: blacksmith (advanced)] [skills: natural intelligence (increases research success rate by 20% when conducting research. and increases attributes by 20% when improving and optimizing equipment.)] [tenacious (with a firm will, will not be shaken by any failures during forging.)] [striving to improve (able to devote oneself to forging for ten years as if it was a day)] [hero¡¯s special characteristic: smithing with one arm can increase the attributes of smithed equipment by 20%.] [race specialty: able to quickly learn various forging techniques and integrate them. [fetter-childhood sweethearts: when in the same city as your lover (shanna), forging speed increases by 35%. the forged equipment has a 10% chance of an additional special effect¨Clove is mightier than gold. it can instantly recover 30% of health.] [description: a blacksmith with a broken arm. his eyes are full of determination. no one knows what he can achieve in the future.] although sam¡¯s overall attributes were not as good as that of the pearl of twilight city, adele, twilight city would still consider him excellent. richard didn¡¯t hesitate after he decided. he picked up an enhanced crystal. he stared at the other party. ¡°sam, i will now grant you new power. ¡°remember, more power, more responsibilities. twilight city needs you to contribute.¡± sam rose to his feet and looked at richard nervously and excitedly. he wanted to say something. but richard didn¡¯t give him a chance. [ding~ do you want to enhance sam¡¯s skill-innate intelligence?] ¡°yes.¡± the moment he chose. the reinforced crystal in his hand turned into a stream of pure energy and flowed into sam¡¯s body. in an instant, sam¡¯s entire body trembled. he felt as if thousands of great rivers ran through his body. amid the surging majestic energy¡­ it reinforced the power in the depths of his bloodline rapidly. richard looked at sam carefully. other than a bit of pain, there was nothing unusual about his face. the entire strengthening process lasted for about 20 minutes. because it was a lifestyle hero, an overwhelming aura made people breathless. it only fluctuated slightly for a moment before they returned to usual. when sam¡¯s new clothes were wet again, richard heard a notification. [ding~ reinforcement completed. natural intelligence (b-rank) ¡ª has been upgraded to unparalleled intelligence (beyond a-rank). [increases research success rate and speed by 50% when conducting research. it can increase attributes by 30% and reduce material consumption by 30% when improving and optimizing existing equipment.] the smile on richard¡¯s face immediately brightened after he examined the beyond a-rank skill¡¯s attributes a few times. as expected of a beyond a-rank skill, it was heaven-defying. the success of his research only increased her attributes by 60% as an a-rank hero and a special blacksmith even after a series of attribute buffs good lord, sam¡¯s skill was now at 50%! a skill of this level was indeed unreasonable. moreover¨Cit could reduce research time by 50%. richard realized that his initial idea of cultivating a hero who specialized in science and technology was perfect. sam finally came back to his senses. he felt the extraordinary power in his body and looked at richard with a passionate gaze. he directly knelt on the ground and saluted most humbly. ¡°lord richard, thank you for your gift. sam swears on his soul that he will be eternally loyal to you. from this moment on, your wish will be the direction in which i will move forward¡­ we praise you!¡± richard waited for the man to calm down before he helped him get up. ¡°i¡¯m giving you strength. so you can protect your lover and twilight city. ¡°sam, remember that you¡¯re a member of twilight city. everything you do is for yourself and your lover.¡± after he finished speaking, he quickly assigned tasks. ¡°return and study the scorpion warrior¡¯s high-level attacks. ¡°i need to see results within half a month!¡± sam said firmly. ¡°as you wish!¡± richard nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. he gave the man a few more words of advice before he allowed him to leave. adele researched how to reinforce the stone statue of the dead, while sam researched advanced technology. they advanced at the same time. the first condition for upgrading twilight city from a small city to a mid-city was to have advanced technology. it had stuck him on this requirement for more than two months. furthermore, if he continued to upgrade like this, he would need more advanced technology. if they wanted to develop, technology was an indispensable part. however, he felt much better now that he had two top-tier researchers. although their current progress might be slower than the other players. however, to catch from up from behind was not a problem with the presence of adele and sam, moreover, one could see the reinforcement of the troops by technology. one could describe the battle power of the bandaged mummies and scorpion warriors as skyrocketing every time the blacksmith reinforces them. it was because the enemies they had dealt with during this period were too strong that it slightly reduced the presence of these two troops. and even if he didn¡¯t need to upgrade the territory, he would invest several resources. a technological powerhouse, this was not nonsense talk. when twilight city¡¯s troops became increasingly higher in the future, they could not advance. at this time, high-level technology would undoubtedly become another option to enhance the battle power of the troops. ****** and even if he didn¡¯t need to upgrade the territory, he would invest tons of resources. Chapter 420 the first crystal¡¯s effect gave first-hand experience to richard of the treasure¡¯s might. he played with the two remaining pills in his hand and couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. how to distribute them was a problem. the blacksmith shop had enough space for the two to conduct research. !! the remaining departments he had high hopes for included the tailor shop that produced yellow sand robes, the distillery and food workshop, and the alchemy workshop mainly made by gray-colored dwarves. now that the decision was in his hands. he could make the department he wanted to develop catch up. ¡®we can¡¯t produce on a large scale because the raw materials from the fire dragon rabbit in the tailor shop are limited. we can postpone it. ¡®the food workshop can¡¯t find a clear development path. and the benefits are inadequate profits. i can also delay it. ¡®the position of the alchemy workshop in twilight city is to manufacture defensive weapons. it can¡¯t be like the fortress race, which focuses on alchemy technology as the core of its development. the focus of twilight city is not on this. richard¡¯s eyes fell on the distillery after much thought. the wine had always been an extremely profitable industry since ancient times. and it was necessary. as long as he could develop a few types of top-grade wine, he could earn a vast amount of resources. due to the existence of the black gold system, his desire for resources was mightier than any other player. however, it was still the same old problem. twilight city still needs more talent. previously, he had thought that if he upgraded the brewer to a b-rank hero, the other party would bring him the good news. however, two months passed, and the distillery had developed a few types of wine during this time. however, one could describe the taste as ordinary, and there was nothing to be proud of. now, he had the reinforcing crystal, but he could not find a suitable target to use it on. he felt it was a waste to use it on the original person. ¡°what talent¡­¡± richard had a headache. the battle hero of twilight city is the best in the world. they are incomparable. he could even defeat 100 players by himself. in comparison, lifestyle heroes were very scarce. although there was also an exceptional blacksmith like adele, it was more than a rank lower compared to the military¡¯s talent pool. richard heard a notification ring in his ear just as he relaxed. without further ado, he opened the chat forum and glanced. it constantly sent private messages. richard checked. [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, save my dog¡¯s life!!] richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®why does this guy sound like [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]¡­? [qingqiu: those orcs attacked your territory?] the bun lover heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the instant reply. he hurriedly replied. [steamed bun lover: not yet, but they¡¯re exploring the territory more and more intensely ¡­i¡¯ve thought it¡¯s better to deal with it early. it¡¯ll be too late by the time the other side attacks.] [qingqiu: contact me when you¡¯ve prepared the teleportation scroll.] richard said without hesitation. since he had made a promise, he would fulfill it. this was his bottom line. moreover, the bun lover offered him the seed of the world tree in exchange for his help. he would agree to this deal without any hesitation if it were to happen ten more times. the bun lover immediately perked up. [steamed bun lover: no problem. i¡¯ll be able to get the teleportation scroll by september 3rd at the latest!] richard answered. [qingqiu: it¡¯d only be a few days.] then, he seemed to have thought of something and asked. [qingqiu: do you have any wine-making talents in your territory?] he then added. [qingqiu: i don¡¯t need a hero. i just need someone with a talent for brewing wine to develop a brewing industry. i lack talent.] [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, you have good eyes! the wine has always been a bestseller, so there¡¯s no need to worry about sales in this business.] [steamed bun lover: but it¡¯s a pity my subordinates are all harpies. and they know nothing about winemaking. big boss¡­] it didn¡¯t disappoint richard. but just as he was about to reply, the other party sent another message. [seamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, can your territory accommodate half-orcs? although i don¡¯t have any talent in this area, the beast clan rules over a special tribe that is extremely good at making wine.] ¡°oh?¡± [qingqiu: a special tribe?] it stirred richard¡¯s enthusiasm. [qingqiu: can you confirm this information?] the bun lover immediately responded. [steamed bun lover: when i sent people to scout for information, they encountered the tribe¡¯s transport vehicles.] [steamed bun lover: i even stole half a barrel of wine¡­ that is the best i¡¯ve ever had. no wine on planet blue can compare to it.] [steamed bun lover: what¡¯s more impressive is it can increase attributes to zero after drinking it.] [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, as long as your territory can accommodate half-orcs and take back that tribe, you will not be disappointed.] it piqued richard¡¯s interest. [qingqiu: which tribe is the half-orc? how many were there? how¡¯s his strength?] [steamed bun lover: the other party is from the white-tailed cat clan. there are about 200 of them. they are weak and have relied on the protection of the beasts.] [steamed bun lover: the orcs in the ¡°shining era¡± belonged to the horde camp. they looked similar to the orcs in a world of warcraft. their lips exposed two fangs, and their bodies were strong and fierce.] it was full of strategic intentions. [steamed bun lover: apart from that, there were also many half-orc races in the horde camp, such as lion men, tiger men, rhinoceros men, hippo men, and cat men¡­] [steamed bun lover: as the most powerful existence in the tribe camp, the orcs had always occupied the dominant position, and the half-orcs were in a dominant position.] it set richard¡¯s heart on fire. [qingqiu: try to gather as much information about the white-tailed cat tribe in the next few days. in addition, help me find as many winemakers as possible. if i¡¯m satisfied with the right person, i¡¯ll thank you.] [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, don¡¯t worry. i will make the necessary arrangements. wait for my good news. i will contact you as soon as i get the teleportation scroll!] richard seemed to have thought of something after their conversation. he opened another message. [qingqiu: are you still alive?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] replied a few minutes later. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, you¡¯re so mean. it took you so long to send me a message¡­] richard didn¡¯t want to waste time on the fellow¡¯s complaints. [qingqiu: did you get the scroll that can increase a hero¡¯s potential in the dungeon?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] reminded him before they entered the dungeon that as long as he could kill the boss in the middle of the two players ¡®territories, he could obtain a scroll to increase the hero¡¯s potential.] he was quite excited and was ready to make a move. however, after he entered the dungeon, he found that the boss was a level 19 boss with a potential of a-rank. it caused his plan to fail. he would have the strength to fight after he subdued the dark valkyrie. however, he was not able to move on time. the system has activated the endless survival mode. it made him feel regretful. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] immediately scratched and proudly said.] [big brother, do you know why i didn¡¯t message you after that? hehe, that¡¯s because my sister took me to kill two level 19 bosses! that¡¯s right. it¡¯s a level-19 void hunter hero with a-rank potential!] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: after the boss got killed, we also perished with the remaining void hunters.] [as for the hero advancement scroll, my sister and i got one each¡­ i¡¯ll be honest with you now: i already have an a-rank hero! hahahaha!] [an a-rank hero, what a soul-strapping existence!] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] could not help but smile when he thought of this a-rank hero¡¯s exaggerated attributes. it felt good. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry¡­ ¡®an a-rank hero? just this? ¡®if this guy knew that he had kidnapped a level 15 hidden boss, who knew what his expression would be?¡¯ [qingqiu: congratulations.] after richard gave a perfunctory reply with a lack of interest, he repeated the matter he asked of [steamed bun lover] about the wine-brewing talent. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] quickly responded. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i don¡¯t have talents. but my sister seems to know where to find the recipe. it¡¯s also a very high-level top quality wine. i¡¯ll help you ask later.] within a few minutes, [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] appeared again. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, my sister said that the recipe is glorious and the task involved is very cumbersome. she can¡¯t do it now but can give you the related task items. you can do it yourself. richard was in a good mood. both [steamed bun lover] and [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] are lucky stars. Chapter 421 solan city. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. in a luxuriously decorated room, the owner of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, lady windsor, sat behind a large desk and carefully reviewed documents. sometimes she frowned, and sometimes her face relaxed. !! onyx stood in front of the desk with two documents in his hands. he waited respectfully. he even slowed his breathing for fear of disturbing the other party. although he was cautious and meticulous, the girl with the silver crown on her head at the side tea table didn¡¯t seem to mind. he looked at the other young man who had just entered the room with interest and asked in a clear voice. ¡°did you get the latest news about the grace mainland lord?¡± the lady immediately turned to onyx while he stood in front of the desk to deliver documents when she saw that the young man was hesitant about whether to answer. ¡°onyx, can you help me ask big sister vanessa if it¡¯s convenient for an outsider like me to hear about the grace mainland lord?¡± onyx looked at the quick-witted lady and laughed bitterly. ¡°your highness, with your relationship with chairman windsor, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has never kept any secrets from you.¡± it made the young lady smile sweetly. lady windsor sat behind the desk and read through the documents in her hand before she looked up at the young man caught in a dilemma. ¡°what is it?¡± the other party immediately heaved a sigh of relief and took two steps forward. the young man didn¡¯t dare to look at the lady anymore and lowered his head. ¡°president, according to the latest news, the grace mainland lords have all returned from that other dimension.¡± windsor frowned slightly. ¡°did you find out if the grace mainland¡¯s lords could travel to the other planes?¡± the messenger¡¯s eyes turned serious. there¡¯s only one possibility¡­ great god. the atmosphere in the room suddenly froze as soon as she finished speaking. lady windsor¡¯s eyes suddenly turned sharp. it was like a sword that could pierce through armor. the pressure from her body gushed out like a tsunami. it was like she had pressed a massive rock into everyone¡¯s heart. and even breathing became difficult. ¡®god¡­¡¯ she muttered the word that would make all the natives of the ¡°shining era¡± tremble in fear and fall into deep thought. after a long time, lady windsor returned to her senses and retracted the terrifying aura. she looked at the reporter with a dignified gaze. ¡°is there any other news?¡± sweat dripped into the young man¡¯s forehead. but he didn¡¯t dare to wipe it off. he replied with a trembling voice. ¡°president, we also heard that in that particular plane, the gods have selected the most soul-devouring one million out of the 20 billion grace mainland lords to fight to the death¡­ ¡°oh?¡± lady windsor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°deathmatch? millions of people?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, and each lord can lead 300 troops to participate in the battle. only one lord can win in this gladiator fight¡­ the young man¡¯s eyes revealed a strong sense of admiration and yearning. ¡°and the one who killed millions of grace mainland lords and ascended the throne in this deathmatch is a lord named qingqiu. ¡°not only did they show their strength in the previous battle, but in the last battle, they even led 300 troops to fight against 30,000 hundreds of lords. ¡°in the end, qingqiu beheaded all his opponents and became the final winner with an absolute advantage. he was undeniably the king of gladiator. ¡°other than that, there¡¯s also¡­¡± he then described everything richard had done in the dungeon. such as the sudden surge in points and the crushing of ten billion people. there was no way to hide this information that all players knew. towards the end, he seemed immersed in it, and his tone was unusually excited. ¡°that qingqiu is a legend among the grace mainland lords. ¡°the strongest of 20 billion people!¡± even lady windsor, used to all kinds of things, couldn¡¯t help but look around after she heard all this. the system will select the mightiest one million from the 20 billion people to fight. in the end, facing countless pressures, he killed his way out of millions of people and took the crown in front of several people! how bold was that grace mainland lord? it was a pity that the other party was away from solan city. if only she could meet him and make him hers¡­ onyx sat beside her and was also full of amazement. although the current grace mainland was still far from being soul-devouring, he knew how powerful it was to reach the top among 20 billion people. for some reason, he suddenly found the territory deep in the desert in his mind. ¡®i wonder who will win if lord richard were to go head-to-head with qingqiu?¡¯ although the grace mainland lord qingqiu had an impressive record, onyx had a feeling that twilight city was not inferior to him. the lady with the silver crown had the same thought as onyx and looked at him with interest. ¡°onyx, the desert lord you hold in high regard, compared to this qingqiu, who is better?¡± ¡°last time, you said that mr. richard has unlimited potential and that even the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is not qualified for him to join¡­¡± onyx blinked his eyes as she said that. ¡°i wonder what rank lord richard competes with the grace mainland lords?¡± onyx naturally understood the lady teased. but he still responded solemnly. ¡°your highness, even if that qingqiu is first, i don¡¯t think lord richard will lose.¡± ¡°are you that confident in that lord?¡± onyx nodded firmly. ¡°naturally.¡± christy shook her head. she didn¡¯t understand why he was so optimistic about that territory. although he had heard a lot of information about the extraordinary territory from onyx, more should be needed to make a merchant hero who had been doing business for decades to be so stubborn, right? he didn¡¯t dwell on this topic and looked out the window with some emotion. ¡°i wonder where rebecca is now¡­ i hope she can get a satisfactory answer when she looks for lord richard.¡± the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke had already brought a hefty gift to twilight city three days ago to purchase the fire dragon rabbit fur. as for whether the other party could get what she wanted, no one knew. onyx consoled. ¡°your highness, you don¡¯t have to worry. there¡¯s no danger that we can¡¯t deal with on the road to twilight city. ¡°with miss rebecca¡¯s speed, she¡¯ll arrive by the 15th of september at the latest. ¡°lord richard is a man of his word. with the letter from me and the crouching phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, he won¡¯t make things difficult for miss rebecca, regardless of whether the deal is successful.¡± christy looked at onyx with a strange expression. ¡°rebecca has brought three squadrons of level 15 troops¡­ could that territory even make things difficult for rebecca?¡± onyx didn¡¯t argue and simply added. ¡°your highness, twilight city is not the territory grace mainland lord as you know. it is twilight city, a city full of miracles.¡± after onyx said that, he seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at the slightly dazed president windsor. ¡°president, i invited lord richard to solan city before. now that all god¡¯s grace lords have returned from the other planes, i¡¯m afraid he¡¯s about to make his move. ¡°maybe he¡¯ll come back with miss rebecca. when lady windsor heard this, she nodded slightly. ¡°i¡¯d like to meet this god grace overlord that you hold in such high regard.¡± ¡°let¡¯s see if he has some of qingqiu¡¯s radiance¡­¡± ******* [author¡¯s note: i¡¯m finally done. i¡¯ll start paying off my debts tomorrow. i¡¯m indebted to ten chapters now. counting the interest from the past few days, i¡¯ll owe 15 chapters. i¡¯ll compensate by the weekend.] Chapter 422 twilight city. richard fell into a deep sleep after he made the arrangements. the next day, august 27th. he only got out of bed comfortably when the sun was high in the sky. !! the maidservant helped him wash up. he enjoyed lunch the chef carefully prepared. during this period, he had been tense in the instance dungeon. now that he no longer had the pressure of life and death, he felt very comfortable. he felt so lazy that he didn¡¯t want to move. it felt like he was finally on a break after a month of high-intensity overtime. he suddenly thought of something after he ate and drank to his heart¡¯s content as he sipped his tea in the main hall. he then took out a very special treasure from the system space. [sandstorm] richard opened the black box. he looked at the miniature sandstorm that spun in the palm-sized space with great interest. this scene was similar to the pirates of the caribbean, where they stored captain jack¡¯s black pearl in a glass bottle. it was a treasure he spent 5 million points to exchange for from the black-robed merchant. this kind of treasure that could change the terrain was supremely scarce, and one could find it by chance. as for its power, the land of quicksand was the best example. after he paired it with the god¡¯s ancient tree, that desert became a land of death without a doubt. in the past few battles, they had played an irreplaceable role. he opened the attribute panel. [sandstorm (no fetter)] [level: 5-stars] [property: 1. after placing, a sandstorm with a diameter of 30 km will form on the ground without stopping.] [2. after binding to the owner, the owner can freely control the strength of the sandstorm, and the enemies killed by the sandstorm will provide a certain amount of experience.] [3. you can place wind attribute hero units to help control the sandstorm. the maximum number is 3.] richard nodded in satisfaction. thirty miles in diameter was several times wider than the one in the land of quicksand. although he didn¡¯t know how powerful it was, it was not trash since it was a 5-stars item and required 5 million points to exchange. with a thought, his mental power slowly merged into the mini sandstorm that surged in the wooden box. he seemed to have merged into a sandstorm, and a terrifying howl resounded in his mind. richard¡¯s eyes slowly closed, and the light in his body began to surge. it activated the yellow sand halo at the same time. after a few breaths, the sandstorm no longer resisted him. instead, it became as gentle as a breeze. a bright smile appeared at the corner of his mouth when he opened his eyes again. he had already imprinted his spiritual power on the core of the treasure. now, this natural disaster entirely belonged to him. he held the wooden box in his hand and examined it for a long time before he closed it. he got up and left the hall, and headed for the desert. ten minutes later. twilight city to the east. richard sat behind alves. he scanned the sandy landscape. the system map showed that they were 30 kilometers away from twilight city. the land of quicksand was in the north. it would connect the two special disaster areas directly if placed there. seal off the north and east. he didn¡¯t hesitate. he locked the wooden box and connected his spiritual power to the mini sandstorm. after a few breaths, the wooden box exploded. a brutal wind attribute power was like a wild beast that broke free from its cage. ¡®hu!¡¯ a violent whistling sound instantly rang in his ears. in an instant, a strong wind rose with him as the center. the violent wind quickly blew away the yellow sand on the ground. the initially clear air immediately became turbid. the wind howled. a sandstorm¡­ richard stood in the center. his vision blurred in a few breaths. all he could hear was the wind¡¯s breath and the sound of the sand that flew at high speed. although his ears could not hear any other sounds, the sandstorm did not hinder his perception. instead, it flew out along with this natural disaster. a special scene appeared in his mind. the gravel and giant rocks swept up where the sandstorm passed. there were several footholds within this 30 km area for the wilderness troops. the monsters could dodge the violent sandstorm in time and sweep up into the sky. they directly tore some of the weaker troops in the wild to pieces in the terrifying sandstorm. sand instantly covered the blood and broken limbs. it even swept up into the sky without mercy the desert buffalo. it weighed several tons. the sand sent it to the most soul-stripping terrifying area of the sandstorm with a shrill cry. under the tearing of countless sharp gravel and sand, its body was like a sieve, with holes of various sizes appearing on it. it lost its vitality in a few breaths. it was an utterly natural disaster. richard couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the terrifying scene. the more impressive was that he could gain experience for every soldier he killed. [ding~ the sandstorm has killed the buffalo. you have received 5 experience points.] [ding~ the desert wolf¡­] although he could only obtain a portion of it, it was still a petty increase due to the massive amount. the terrifying sandstorm only slowed down when it was extremely far away. as richard looked from the outside, he could see a terrifying natural disaster with a diameter of 30 kilometers and a height of more than 800 meters. it was like a 10,000-foot-high wall that stood horizontally from twilight city to the east. richard could feel that the area around him had stopped expanding. he commanded alves to fly up into the sky. ¡®hu!¡¯ the damaged dragon wings flapped wildly, and he quickly floated up from the ground. after a dozen breaths, the undead dragon broke through the sandstorm¡¯s obstruction with a powerful aura. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sand on his body fell crazily. richard¡¯s field of vision widened, and the blue sky and white clouds reappeared. he suddenly looked down after he flew out of the sandstorm. the sandstorm on the ground that covered everything was like the waves in the sea that surged violently. it gave people a strong visual and psychological impact. in the vast desert, sandstorms were the most panic-stricken killers. [ding~ the system has successfully placed sandstorm and refreshed attributes.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up at the system¡¯s announcement. was there such a good thing? he immediately opened the panel. [sandstorm (fetter)] [level: 5-stars] [range: 30 kilometers in diameter] [skills:] [tornado storm: can control the sandstorm to form 20 tornadoes with a diameter of 80 meters. the wind power can reach level 26 (natural disaster). it can be summoned three times a day and could last for one hour each time.] [control sandstorms. can freely control the strength of the sandstorm. the outermost radius of the sandstorm is 5 kilometers, and the highest is level 18 (hurricane). the core 10 kilometers is level 24 (natural disaster). enemies killed by the sandstorm will provide a certain amount of experience.] [currently placed heroes: 0/3] [description: an utterly natural disaster!] delight shrouded richard¡¯s eyes when he saw the attributes. after he placed it, it became stronger! although there were only two sandstorm skills, they were both supremely soul-devouring. a tornado could reach level 26. richard was skeptical about what level 26 meant, but on planet blue, the highest hurricane was only level 18. they were 80 meters in diameter and 20 in total. it was a calamity grade super. it was not weak in controlling sandstorms either, with a diameter of 30km, which meant that it had a radius of 15km. it could reach level-18 within a radius of five kilometers, and the highest wind force within a ten-kilometer radius was level-24. it was calamity-level damage, just like the tornado. richard looked down in amazement after he read it twice. his mind power once again connected to the sandstorm below with a thought. at this moment, a giant hand seemed to twist the bursting sandstorm. it started to spin crazily. in less than ten breaths, the central area began to turn back. it was like a whirlpool had appeared in the sea. a moment later, 20 tornadoes more than 80 meters appeared in front of him. it was so high that it connected heaven and earth. the sandstorm was already terrifying, to begin with. but the appearance of these tornadoes immediately increased their destructive power. richard could feel the brutal power of the catastrophe. he couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of life could withstand such terrifying damage. in the future, if they encountered battles similar to monster attacks, the north would become an insurmountable city wall! after a moment of shock, richard suddenly remembered something. he took out a special item from the system space. the heart of the sun. it was a treasure that he had obtained from the giant furnace. it could turn ordinary life form into an a-rank fire elemental hero. he felt a little regretful when he felt the searing energy surge. it¡¯s a pity. if this treasure could turn ordinary life forms into wind-type life forms, it would allow them to control sandstorms. it was arduous to find a wind-attribute hero. after a moment of lamentation, richard suddenly had an idea. ¡®my beyond a-rank skill, raging sandstorm, is also a combination of fire and sandstorm ¡­is it not possible to use fire elemental life forms?¡¯ before he placed it, the prompt on the sandstorm said that he could put it as a wind attribute hero. however, after that, the system would refresh the attribute, and the prompt would no longer be there¡­ richard said while he rubbed his chin. he had to consider the feasibility of this. Chapter 423 richard decided that it was worth a try after he pondered. he would lose nothing regardless of whether he succeeded or not. if it were successful, it would undoubtedly increase the destructive power of the sandstorm by a few levels. imagine it broke 20 level 26 tornadoes that suddenly burst out like gasoline. !! the terrifying heat could melt steel in a breath. however, he had to use the heart of the sun to get to klose. there was no hurry. the gains from the instance dungeon had greatly enriched the city¡¯s strength, and there was not much pressure on the city¡¯s defense. richard released his spirit after he collected his thoughts. sandstorm once again enveloped it. he revealed a bit of joy after he carefully sensed it. like the land of quicksand, one could set the rules for a sandstorm using one¡¯s will. there were three rules in total. the sandstorm would flow according to the rules when no one controlled it. he immediately became spirited. first, he set the wind speed of the sandstorm to the lowest. once several enemies entered the core area, he would immediately activate the massive storm. as for the tornado, one had to cast on its own. one could not set it. richard didn¡¯t stay any longer with that simple mindset. he drove alves high up in the sky and crossed the sandstorm. alves descended to a low altitude of 100 meters after they left the coverage area. the scene was completely different from the outside. it was like a sandstorm on the sand that came at him. it gave people a strong sense of oppression in addition to the exaggerated height of 800 meters. it was as if it would collapse like a mountain. richard nodded, pleased. just this appearance alone was enough to make most living beings feel fear. he let alves land on the ground. he flipped down from his back after he watched for a moment. he thought of the heart of the lava that he did not give to the fire elemental lord when he pondered how to use the heart of the sun. it was a top-notch treasure that could help a fire elemental lord break through to the transcendent realm. in the instance dungeon, he had promised the lord that once he returned to the primary plane, he would contact it to send the heart of the lava over. now that he had some free time, he could ask the boss if he could use fire elementals to guard the sandstorm¡­ an old monster who had lived for tens of thousands of years could give some gainful advice. he took out the elemental core that could contact fire elemental lord klose as he pondered. his spiritual power spread out and directly triggered the energy inside. the fire elemental core immediately emitted a scorching light. in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a blurry figure in the air. when the illusionary figure formed, he heard a somewhat muffled voice of joy. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± richard saw this and smiled. ¡°lord klose, i¡¯m leaving that special plane.¡± when the fire elemental lord heard this, its tone became even more delighted. ¡°wait a moment. i¡¯ll immediately break open the void¡­¡± the voice fell. the fire elemental core in his hand exploded with a crack. it turned into pure energy and surged into the air. within a few breaths. the energy caused countless cracks to appear in the void. it was like a spider wove a giant web. at this moment. ¡®bang!¡¯ the giant arm that burned with terrifying flames passed through the crack directly. it was like a hammer had smashed a glass. ¡®crack!¡¯ the space exploded. as the space fragments scattered, a boiling-hot wave of air surged out. the air became unbearably hot. richard¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. he had the special property of reducing fire elemental damage by 50%. although he had a few chances to use it, it did not affect his strength. the second two arms grabbed the unopened space under his gaze. then, he forcefully pulled his hands apart to the sides. his attitude was supremely insulting. they could hear a cracking sound. it tore the space apart like a bed sheet and revealed a massive void. a terrifying ten-meter-tall life form covered in flames stepped out of the space crack. although the primary plane did not allow powers above the level of gods to descend, there were not many restrictions on life forms below the level of gods. there would not be too much of a problem if he did not come from hell or the abyss. it was an evil place opposed by the will of the primary plane. the fire elemental lord was distinctly not within the scope of the primary plane¡¯s rejection. after a few months, it finally saw this boss again. but richard¡¯s mood was different. the other party was still so powerful that it made people¡¯s hearts tremble. however, he was no longer like the first time he met him in the ancient ruins, where he had no power to resist. at this moment, he had three boss units with the same potential as the other party. there was a damaged level 20 extraordinary hunter in the control ring in his hand. even if he were to clash head-on with the other party now, he would still have the strength to fight. strength was the uttermost confidence. ¡°lord klose, my friend. it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again.¡± the fire elemental lord, who had retracted its brutal power, looked at richard with eyes brighter than the sun, full of praise. ¡°lord richard, your growth has exceeded my expectations.¡± the other party was just an ant that one could easily crush when they first met. although he had outstanding talent, that was all. however, in just a few months, he felt a trace of danger from the other party. it was enough to explain everything, although it was weak. richard chuckled. ¡°lord klose, i think this might be a good thing. you need a strong friend more.¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s not bad.¡± the fire elemental lord nodded. richard was too polite to the elemental lord and took out thousands of hearts of lava. he controlled the sand and held it in the air. the fire elemental lord¡¯s body suddenly burned when he looked at the neatly stacked lava hearts. the surrounding light began to distort. violent power seemed to shroud it. ¡°the heart of lava¡­¡± it was its chance to become a transcendent, a once in a thousand years opportunity! it took the risk to enter the primary plane to find the heart of lava five hundred thousand years ago. in the end, it imprisoned the lord for eternity. the lord would still be locked up in that little furnace if it weren¡¯t for richard. at this moment, it satisfied its obsession from hundreds of thousands of years ago. one could imagine the emotions in its heart. ¡°lord klose, this is my promise to you. now, these treasures belong to you.¡± the sand table dragged the heart of lava and flew to the front of the fire elemental lord as soon as richard finished speaking. this boss had already reached level 19. the flames on its body suddenly rose and directly enveloped the heart of stone. then, the thousands of lava hearts seemed to lose their gravity and gradually spun around the figure. the lava hearts gradually released a special energy under the burning flame on its surface. the fire elemental lord was like a thirsty traveler who found an oasis. it immediately devoured the energy. ¡°i only need a month to break through to transcendent!!¡± the fire elemental lord was overjoyed when it felt the change in its power. it had longed for transcendents for hundreds of thousands of years. hundreds of thousands of years, how long was that¡­ it suppressed the excitement in its heart after a long time. he looked down at richard, opened his mouth, and spat out a pure golden flame. indescribable holy power filled the flames, and they slowly drifted toward richard. ¡°lord richard, i planned to use 200,000 fire elemental cores as trade, but after i pondered about it¡­ this treasure might be more suitable for you¡­¡± it stirred richard¡¯s curiosity. what kind of treasure could be worth 200,000 fire elemental cores? richard opened the attribute panel with some anticipation. [flame source] [level: glorious] [property: when the flame source baptizes non-water units, they can strengthen one of their skills, causing it to carry fire element damage.] [restrictions: 1. only glorious tier and above soldiers can withstand the baptism of the flame source.] [2. each troop type can only be strengthened once.] [3. only 100 units can be strengthened every day.] [description: the most source flame of the fire elemental plane has incredible power.] ¡°source of flame? a glorious treasure?¡± richard was overjoyed. it was indeed a treasure worth 200,000 fire elemental cores. the value of this item was immeasurable. once one has consumed all, the source flame continuously strengthens them no matter how many elemental cores. it was like a chicken that could always lay golden eggs. ¡°lord klose, i¡¯m supremely delighted with your gift.¡± the fire elemental lord¡¯s excited voice rang out. ¡°this is a flame that accompanied me when i was born. ¡°if you encounter a powerful enemy, you can use it to call me at any time. ¡°my friend, this is proof of our friendship.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a system notification suddenly rang out. [ding~ the fire elemental lord¡¯s favorability toward you has increased. your current relationship with him is¨Crespectful.] richard¡¯s smile brightened. he felt more comfortable. not only did he get a glorious item that could continuously strengthen his troops. but he also allowed this top-tier boss, who was about to become transcendent, to become his trump card for summoning battles. he didn¡¯t lose anything this time. a special location suddenly appeared in his mind as he pondered¨Cthe dungeon that imprisoned the lord of darkness under the broken temple. when he went to look for the refugees, he accidentally triggered a mechanism, which led to the appearance of the dungeon. at that time, a tentacle dragged alves underground, and the dragon hero died immediately. that was also the first time alves died in battle, and it had to spend tens of thousands of gemstones to resurrect him from the hero altar. richard could subdue the heroes imprisoned inside if he took down the dungeon. that was unforgettable for richard. he could try and let the remarkable fire elemental lord hold the line for him after some time when twilight city will be strong enough. it was perfect. Chapter 424 richard took out the flame source after he kept it in the system space. he then gestured to the sandstorm behind the klose after explaining the effects of the treasure. then, he upgraded himself to fire elemental hero. he placed it in the sandstorm and told his idea to control the sandstorm. he decided to seek the opinion of his boss, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. !! he had only intended to ask, but he did not expect klose to give him such a big surprise. ¡°i¡¯ve obtained tons of knowledge from that damned resplendent wizard tower, and there are records of similar treasures. ¡°and this treasure of yours doesn¡¯t have such a huge limitation. wind elementals can unleash their full power because they can control hurricanes. ¡°fire elementals aren¡¯t inferior either. it will enormously increase the power of the hurricane and the flames. ¡°if i can pair a wind and fire elemental hero, the effect will be even better.¡± ¡°when you have a fire elemental hero, i can help it enter the fire elemental plane. it will be safe with my protection. ¡°if necessary, make it open a passage from the fire elemental plane and let the fire burn everything.¡± richard¡¯s eyes brightened. indeed, the longer one lived, the more one knew. moreover, he had never thought of connecting to the fire elemental plane. if the fire elemental plane opens at a critical moment, there might not even be a need for a sandstorm. just the high temperature alone could destroy everything. as he thought of this, the scene of the fire elemental lord in the ancient ruins, such as breaking through the void and causing endless flames to pour in, destroying everything, suddenly appeared in his mind. that shocking scene left a deep impression on him. ¡°lord klose, thank you for your help. i¡¯ll contact you again when i find a suitable candidate.¡± richard suddenly thought of something and continued. ¡°is it possible for the twilight city to engage in long-term trade with the fire elemental plane? ¡± cross-plane transactions contained massive profits. it was a plan he had thought of long ago. previously, the relationship between the two sides was not good, so it was sparingly abrupt to bring it up. it was possible now, but he suddenly remembered that elementals did not seem to have any needs¡­ ¡°what could a ball of fire buy?¡± klose answered the question solemnly. but the result was defective. ¡°elementals don¡¯t have many human desires. becoming mightier is their only pursuit. ¡°if you can provide lava hearts in the long term¡­¡± the lord¡¯s sentence cut off halfway through richard¡¯s anger. it was a treasure he had found in the giant furnace. it wasn¡¯t something that he could casually obtain. he was a little disappointed. ¡®damn, cross-plane trading is not a good start¡­ i still wanted to earn a lot of money.¡¯ richard suddenly felt that it was a little funny after he pondered. it would be strange if there were any follow-up to his trade with a group of fire elementals. he could only blame himself for not studying enough and suffering the loss of being uncultured. he didn¡¯t have too many strange emotions in his heart and immediately adjusted his plan. in the future, if he were to carry out cross-plane transactions, he would have to choose a plane with ordinary life. in any case, he had the void sandworm, a strategic treasure. he would not have to worry about not finding a suitable dimension. richard chatted with the fire elemental lord for another ten minutes before they ended the meeting. the other party broke through the void and returned to the fire elemental plane with adamant excitement. the next time they met, he would be a transcendent boss. of course, it would also be his invaluable trump card. he got back on alves and returned to twilight city. richard was in a good mood as he looked at the bustling streets. he had built this city from scratch, bit by bit. that sense of accomplishment was hard for outsiders to understand. he went straight to the east wall after he sent alves to rest. the corners of his mouth curled up when he looked at the sandstorm that blocked one direction more than ten kilometers away. the rewards from this instance dungeon were simply too bountiful. these treasures would continue to reinforce the power of twilight city. richard suddenly remembered that he had to prepare for the instance dungeon for the past month as he had deep thoughts. now that the instance dungeon had ended, how would twilight city¡¯s future development be? richard began to contemplate. the first was the internal department, and the most fundamental core was to persist in the development of farming. development was the most fundamental principle. as for development, he could divide it into several directions, internal and external. he already had a target for the domestic industry, the distillery he valued the most¡­ the white-tailed cat race that the bun lover talked about. in two days, when he would help the other party clean up the orcs, he could snatch it over and make it a member of twilight city. moreover, he still had two enhancing crystals in his hands. as long as the other party was truly talented, he could fully support him. in addition, he had to increase the investment in food workshops and tailor shops. it was always good to walk with more legs. in addition, the foundation of everything¨Cagriculture¨Chad to find a safe planting area as soon as possible. it was also the top priority. he had almost ten resources and treasures in his hands. in the future, agriculture will produce the resources needed for wine brewing, and there could not be any mistakes in this link. to deal with the outside world, they were still mainly with threats. fortunately, the desert of death didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to twilight city at this stage. however, richard worried about the information before of [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. there were no players in the desert of death because it was a high-level map, and the system might integrate it with other planes. the city¡¯s safety now does not mean it will be safe in the future. hence, he had to develop and reinforce twilight city as much as possible. no one knew when the death desert would merge with other planes. at that time, he did not know what kind of danger he would face. it was the uttermost uncertainty. and it tensed richard, and he could not relax. next was the second invaluable threat¨Cthe god of kobolds. this evil god they had unintentionally offended had become the arch-enemy of twilight city. if there were a chance, the other party would ultimately destroy them at all costs. the last time he had used the ancient god statue to devour the other party¡¯s divine power, he had been able to keep him in peace for a while. but one thing was for sure, if the other party attacked again, it would ultimately burst out with an attack that would make people tremble. there was only one way to solve this: to reinforce himself. fortunately, he had gained enough from the instance dungeon this time. he just needed some time to continue developing. he would become increasingly confident. richard¡¯s thoughts cleared up. other than what he currently did, there were still a lot of things he needed to deal with¡­ first, conquer the underground world. last month, before he entered the dungeon, the gray-colored dwarves had used an alchemy bomb to ambush him. it killed him once in bloodhoof city. at that time, the instance dungeon was about to open, so he didn¡¯t have time to deal with this matter. for this reason, he had planned a scheme with bloodhoof city. he hid the fact that he was still alive and lured the snake out of its hole. in the past month, the duergar must have launched a fierce attack on bloodhoof city. the first thing he wanted to do when he was free was to completely flatten the underground world and make bloodhoof city the overlord. he had tasted the sweetness of harvesting resources from the underground world a few times. in his heart, he had already regarded this underground world as his private territory. as long as he eradicated the gray-colored dwarves, a stable and peaceful underground world would surely provide a steady stream of resources and income for the city of dusk. second, the god that existed in the broken lake. the little centaur, emily, was once a demigod who guarded the broken lake and was used to imprison gods. and that god had already awakened. it was a high-level dungeon map. before he entered the instance dungeon, he had even seen a god¡¯s kingdom hidden at the bottom of the lake. fortunately, he had the ancient god statue, and the newly awakened deity was scared out of his wits. and what kind of ridiculous benefits could one get by breaking into a god¡¯s kingdom with a god? just a thought about it moved him. but the biggest problem was his skepticism about winning. at the moment, he could only wait for the fire elemental lord to break through to the transcendent level before he attacked. with the ancient god statue and a transcendent boss as trump cards, there was surely a chance of conquering the city. third, the ancient ruins with several treasures buried within. of the nine bronze doors, eight were unexplored. the last time he met klose, he obtained a glorious profession. the benefits that he had obtained laid the foundation for the rapid growth of twilight city. he had to take some time to explore it again. who knew how many buried treasures were inside? twilight city was different from what it had been a few months ago. it was possible to open the remaining eight bronze doors at once. fourth, the dungeon that imprisoned the lord of darkness. if he could conquer the dungeon, he could subdue the heroes inside. this system prompt had always been full of temptation to him. but the problem was that the dungeon was too fierce. a tentacle even dragged a dragon hero with thick skin like alves underground. the lifeforms inside definitely had powers above the transcendent level. he could slow this down, and it would not be too late to attack after it had grown. other than these urgent and important matters, there were also many other matters. for example, the krina tribe that xina was from did not respond when xina asked for help last time. at that time, xina had even requested to go back after leaving the instance dungeon. at that time, he might even have to go with her. he was very curious about this long-standing race in the desert. it would be very comfortable if he could recruit a few more heroes as strong as xina. besides, he also had to make time to visit solan city. one was that they had long yearned for a native city. secondly, he wanted to see how a large city like this could solve the problem of its agricultural areas not being affected by the war. moreover, he had helped [steamed bun lover] resist the orcs and snatch the white-tailed cats¡­ richard¡¯s head ached at the thought. there were too many things to do. at the moment, they could only deal with it as an emergency. ¡°let¡¯s settle the issue of [steamed bun lover] first and get the white-tailed cat race back. ¡°then we¡¯ll send our troops to the underground world and destroy the duergar. we¡¯ll head to solan city after that¡­ ¡°why do i feel like i¡¯ve become busier than i was on planet blue after i became a lord? what went wrong?¡± richard chuckled helplessly. ****** [author¡¯s note: i have overestimated my writing speed. i¡¯ll update you today and continue to work hard tomorrow.] Chapter 425 richard¡¯s mind cleared up after he went through the plans for the future development of twilight city. his goal became clear. ¡°in the following period, i still have to turn the gains from this instance dungeon into actual strength.¡± the current twilight city could be unparalleled among the players. !! however, in the entire ¡°shining era¡±, it was still far from it. this world had gods who controlled the power of rules, forces that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years, and countless powerful races¡­ to face a group of natives with an unknown amount of resources¡­ the twilight city was still too weak. richard could only respond with the greatest caution. however, no matter how powerful the enemies they would face in the future were, he always believed that twilight city would one day no longer need to be at the mercy of any other forces. even if the other party was a god! richard slowly lifted his head to look at the sky. the scene of the god of kobolds that descended that night seemed to have reappeared in his vision. the corners of his mouth curled up into an arrogant and unbridled arc. ¡°god¡­ ha¡­¡± richard returned to the mansion after some silence. he took the flame source that fire elemental lord klose gave him in the front yard without rest. he pondered at the pure golden flame with admiration. although it was a flame, the aura it emitted did not make people feel hot. on the contrary, it made people feel relaxed and happy. it was like a mother hugged them. it was filled with warmth. a glorious treasure that can strengthen 100 units every day gave their skills fire elemental damage. it was worth more than 200,000 fire elemental cores¡­ richard felt it in his hand, and after a moment, he felt sparingly regretful. this treasure could only reinforce troops and did not affect heroes. he waved his hand to call for the stone statues of the dead after he pondered. there was a limit as to how much one can reinforce the source flame. only troops at the glorious level or above could withstand the baptism. it was a pity that most of the troops in twilight city were still rare levels. richard would have to wait for a while if he wanted to reinforce them. a few minutes later, the 39 stone statues of the dead occupied a vast area in the front yard¡­ adele studied the one missing in the blacksmith¡¯s shop. richard looked at the burly, strong, and fierce troops and was quite satisfied. the stone statues of the dead had reached a perfect level in his opinion after he combined the two troop types into one. he stretched out his right hand and spread the flame source in the air. the flame source released a pure golden flame in the next second, like ink that dripped into clear water. in the blink of an eye, it enveloped all the stone statues of the dead. a special power began to flow into the bodies of the stone statues of the dead. their aura gradually rose¡­ the first thing that changed was the chain wrapped around the wrist of the stone statue of the dead. blood-hued lines appeared on it. they spread to the battle tomahawks in their hands like a spider web not long after the lines appeared. when lines covered the battle tomahawks, a scorching aura began to spread out. but just as richard thought something big was about to happen, the presence returned to its calm state. the blood-hued lines from earlier gradually lost their glow and turned into faint lines. however, this was not a failure. it was the restraint of energy. when he looked at the battle tomahawk again, he realized that the cold glint on it had turned into a violent fire elemental energy. one would feel a burning pain in the eyes if one stared at it for a long time. [ding~ the flame source has baptized the stone statues of the dead. it has enhanced the mad battle tomahawk slaughter to raging flames of the wild tomahawk.] [raging flames of the wild tomahawk (b-rank) ¡ª a soldier can throw to attack enemies within 80 meters which causes tons of magic damage to the enemy. at the same time, the target will explode after hitting it which causes high-temperature damage to enemies within 10 meters. one can pull the chain on the arm to attack continuously. has precise control over the battle tomahawk.] ¡°raging flames of the wild tomahawk?¡± richard was pleasantly surprised. this skill is so powerful¡­ the original violent tomahawk smash didn¡¯t have the characteristic of high-temperature damage that can destroy the surrounding 10 meters after it hit the target. this characteristic allowed the initially ordinary attack skill after reinforcement to immediately have a strategic attack power. it would explode every time it hit an enemy. ¡°wasn¡¯t this a replica of battle gunter¡¯s corpse explosion?¡± although its coverage and power were inferior, this thing had no consumption. it was as if every attack had the explosion of the corpse explosion technique. just a thought about that scene made him excited. more importantly, reinforcing such a domineering skill was optional, and one could carry on for a long time. there was only one word¨Cworth it! the fire elemental lord was indeed a treasure. he had to continue to build a closer relationship with the lord in the future. it would be a waste of their feelings if he didn¡¯t get more good things from him. he loved to make friends with wealthy lords¡­ richard summoned the 70 glorious level undead soldiers of the axe of the dead after he reinforced the 39 stone statues of the dead. the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead gained the ability to make the enemy explode when they hit, similar to the stone statue of the deaf after reinforcement. richard looked at the battle tomahawk axe covered in dark red patterns and was particularly excited after they completed the transformation. he couldn¡¯t wait to bring the stone statue of the dead and start looking for a stronghold for the wilderness troops. richard couldn¡¯t enjoy his meal if he didn¡¯t test its power with such a soul-riveting skill. that feeling was like a child who got a wooden sword and had to go to the field to fight wild grass and vegetables to test its sharpness¡­ richard rode on alves ten minutes later and glanced at the desert. his target was below¡­ a group of 50 desert lizards with an average level of 8. their potential is rare, their body is 7 ¨C 9 meters long, and they look strong. ¡°so strong, it must be very durable, right?¡± he waved his hand with anticipation. a small team immediately swooped down from the stone statue of the dead that hovered in the air beside him. they swung their battle tomahawks when they were 80 meters away from the ground. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the sound of chains that rubbed against each other resounded through the sky. in the blink of an eye, the battle tomahawk first thrown out had already struck the desert lizard on the ground. the majestic monster only heard the sound like one tore the air apart, and before it could react, it felt a sharp pain from its back to its abdomen. ¡®puchi!¡¯ blood spurted more than ten meters high. richard¡¯s senses were at full blast, and he could see everything. the moment the battle tomahawk penetrated the giant lizard, the dark red patterns on the giant lizard quickly brightened. a scorching energy burst out from the other party¡¯s body. it was like a furnace used to refine steel had exploded. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifyingly high temperature swept out in all directions. the few desert lizards closely packed together did not have time to react, and airwaves quickly enveloped them. the moment the high temperature surged, the formidable and thick skin scorched and quickly roasted the weak organs such as the eyes and nose. the stench of burnt flesh and hair spread in all directions. the high temperature roasted more than five giant iguanas. ¡®roar!¡¯ the rest of the giant iguanas finally realized that something was wrong. they raised their heads and roared fiercely. it was like they wanted to tear apart the enemy in the sky. however, they met even more battle tomahawks. the stone statue of the dead entirely crushed these creatures that could not fly. every time it attacked, as long as it caused damage to the enemy, the battle tomahawk would release a terrifyingly high temperature and can create tons of damage to the surroundings. richard had expected the skill to be mighty. but it was still far beyond his expectations. the ten dead stone statues had only launched one and a half rounds of attacks. and they cleared the five teams of desert lizards on the ground. only charred corpses remained. richard was pleased to see this. although the subject of the test was not potent, their strength after the reinforcement was already very obvious. in the future, if they encounter a massive battle like a monster siege, this skill will play a crucial role. not only that. it could increase the battle power of the troops when adele¡¯s research on using spirit gems to improve the characteristics is successful. the integration of military arms, technological research, the upgrade of spirit gems, the reinforcement of flame source¡­ she will use a series of methods. even if the level and potential of the opponent¡¯s troops were the same as that of the twilight city¡¯s, their battle power would be several level lower. Chapter 426 richard returned to twilight city after he understood the power of the skill. he had just sat down and sipped half a mouthful of tea when his private message notification popped up. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, my sister has retrieved the treasure. she¡¯s sending it to you by mail now¡­] it lifted richard¡¯s spirits when he saw the message. !! the other day, he had asked [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] for a winemaker, but the other party did not have one. then, he said that his sister had information about the legendary wine recipe, which one could obtain by doing missions. he thought the bun lover would delay his response for a few days, but he did not expect it to be so fast. as he was about to reply, he saw his email pop up. [ding~ you have received a mail containing a 2-stars treasure¨Cthe key to dacromet. the other party has set the transaction fee to 0 units of resources. the system has determined that this treasure is worth 10,000 rare resources. please pay 3,000 rare-level resource transaction fees.] richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he saw the notification. a 30% processing fee was more than enough. moreover, even if the other party didn¡¯t want the money, they still wanted to take it forcefully. he shook his head. it was the unique rules of the [trading market] that players had to consider offline trading. he couldn¡¯t tell if it was good or bad. richard received the 2-stars treasure after he paid 3,000 units of mercury¡­ it was a rusty bronze key. [the key to dacromet] [level: 2-stars] [attribute: when the moon is high in the sky, the moonlight can help open a portal to enter a particular plane.] [description: you could use it to find some special treasures. ] the description baffled richard. ¡°could this key lead to an instance dungeon? and could it even lead to a special area like the ancient ruins?¡± richard decisively opened the black gold system when he could not come up with an answer. as expected, he obtained more detailed information from the higher-ups. [you have discovered the particular treasure, the key to dacromet. it could open the single-player dungeon¨Cdacromet winery. dungeon level: 2-stars] [unit type average ability: rare 3-stars] [hero unit: yes] [hero¡¯s highest level: 16] [faction: dwarves, humans, elves] [prompt: unable to level up the dungeon. ] ¡°single-player dungeon?¡± it stirred richard¡¯s interest. the last single-player dungeon he entered was a burning village. back then, he had won the a-rank hero, gray. richard replied to [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] after he played it for a moment. [qingqiu: i¡¯ve received the treasure. does your sister have any more detailed information about this instance dungeon?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] replied. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: nothing, my sister got the reward from a mission. she didn¡¯t know about it from the company.] [the only information we have now is that there is a glorious wine recipe in it. as for how you can get it, you have to figure it out yourself.] richard understood. they would have to be careful with the current strength of twilight city if it were a 3-stars or 4-stars dungeon. ¡®however, there won¡¯t be much of a problem for 2-stars dungeons as long as you pay a little attention.¡¯ the highest-level hero in the dungeon was only level 16¡­ it was not a threat. richard closed the [forum chat] without further ado after he thanked [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. neither of them mentioned any remuneration. their relationship had grown closer after a few months. richard also saw [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] and the long-legged black as his friends. although this guy could have been more reliable at times, his character was unquestionable. he never hid good things. he couldn¡¯t even remember how many treasures he had obtained from him. in the future, he would just send it back if he found a suitable treasure. there was no need to waste time. richard gave himself a few days off after work like the other residents. he comfortably enjoyed the decadent life that an overlord should have. however, something interrupted his leisurely life before he could enjoy it. news came from [steamed bun lover] on september 2nd. the teleportation scroll was in his hands. [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, i have already completed the chain mission and obtained the teleportation scroll! when will you be free?] richard perked up when he saw the message. [qingqiu: i¡¯m free anytime.] [what¡¯s the situation with that orc? have you heard about the other party¡¯s strength in the past few days?] [steamed bun lover: i¡¯ve done my research. the orcs have 30,000 troops. their levels are between levels 6 and 9. their potential is mainly rare-level, about 20,000 of them. and about 10,000 of them are rare-level.] however, it¡¯s worth noting that the other party has over a thousand wyvern cavalrymen with glorious 2-stars. they¡¯re level 13 and are very powerful. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°dragon cavalry?¡± how long had it been since the skeleton blood dragon had expanded? finally, there were suitable materials for summoning¡­ he was even more interested in going on an expedition. [qingqiu: where¡¯s the hero of the orcs?] [you have discovered the particular treasure, the key to dacromet. it could open the single-player dungeon¨Cdacromet winery. dungeon level: 2-stars] [unit type average ability: rare 3-stars] [hero unit: yes] [hero¡¯s highest level: 16] [faction: dwarves, humans, elves] [prompt: unable to level up the dungeon. ] richard knew what to do. a level 17 chieftain with a-rank potential and three level 16 heroes with b-rank potential. there was also a troop of 30,000 at the rare level. this force might not be much to the soul-strapping natives. but to the players at the current stage. it was invincible. just the four level 15 and above heroes were enough to form a deterrent. Chapter 427 however, that was only for ordinary players. the orcs had to face twilight city. confidence filled his eyes. he continued to ask after he recollected his thoughts. !! [qingqiu: how long can one open the spatial gate?] [steamed bun lover: it could open a 10-meter diameter spatial gate, lasting for 10 minutes.] [don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve obtained five scrolls this time. you don¡¯t have to worry about returning.] [in an hour, open the spatial gate according to the coordinates i gave you.] [qingqiu: yes, i¡¯ll be on time!] [steamed bun lover: there were details of the coordinates of twilight city on the system map. so it wouldn¡¯t be embarrassing when they can¡¯t find where you are.] richard went to the mansion¡¯s front yard after he closed the message. the other day was september 1st, monday. the system had refreshed the troop-type lair, but he had no time to recruit them. he looked at the few million resources left on the panel and recruited all the troops without hesitation. [rare-level troop type units¡­] [mummy guardian 420¡ú450] [axe of the dead 570¡ú615] [bandaged mummy 126¡ú147] [scorpion warrior 92¡ú99] [giant axe death knight 240¡ú261] [sand condensation archer 500¡ú550] [wild yellow sand mage 270¡ú295] [cursed pharaoh 55 ¡ú60] [total¨C2477.] [glorious-level troop type units] [dark gargoyle 240] [axe of the dead 70] [stone statue of the dead 40¡ú60] [heavy sword warrior 20] [total¨C390] [crown-level troop type units] [skeleton blood dragon 30] [skeleton demon 0] the number of soldiers in twilight city had reached 2,897 after careful examination. it was an exaggerated number that was close to three brigades. moreover, they were all troops that were rare and above. the quality was the best. it did not include the 3,000 venomous wasps that the boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree carried, and the 5,000 treants it could sow in the future. a sense of accomplishment filled richard after he bestowed sand transformation to all his units. the weak twilight city finally grew up. in the future, he would take the city to an even higher mountain peak. he opened the troop-level panel and pondered carefully. they still needed to select the troop to go on the expedition carefully. in this attack on the orcs, they had to focus on agility and high attack power. the first was the most soul-crushing stone statue of the dead, except for one. richard had to leave it for adele to study and took away the other 59. he selected the rest one by one. sixty-one giant axe death knights. two hundred forty dark gargoyles, 615 rare-level, 70 glorious 3-stars undead soldiers, 30 skeleton blood dragons, 295 wild yellow sand mages, and 300 sand condensation archers. the total was 1,600 soldiers and 16 squadrons. he had a tibetan soldier card that could hide and hold 1,000 types of troops. so he could bring a lot with him. he did not have to worry about his mobility being affected. after richard determined the troop type, he immediately chose the hero for the expedition. divine soul renee, dark valkyrie fay, xina, alves, gunter. in addition, there was the level 7 centaur, emily. gray and the god¡¯s ancient tree would stay in the territory. there were now five top-tier battle power players, and with one more, emily, there were six in total. they were all fierce and overbearing characters. everyone was mighty. the level 17 beast chieftain would probably be very surprised to see these heroes¡­ richard quickly gathered the troop under his command. the most excited of them all was the little centaur, emily. this little girl¡¯s face was red. she looked at his handsome father with her big eyes full of worship. it was the first time she had officially participated in the war and stood in the troop. she was in the giant axe death knight formation. a d-rank hero commanded this cavalry who led them all this time. emily would be fighting alongside the cavalry from now on. this former demigod¡¯s sense of smell and battle power on the battlefield still made her a dazzling existence. although she only recovered to level 7. it wouldn¡¯t be long before a third giant would rise in twilight city. the current peak battle power¨Cthe dark valkyrie, the god¡¯s ancient tree, and renee, the soul of the ancient statue, had natural limitations even though she was undying. even xina, the beyond a-rank hero, was a little inferior. richard had always had high hopes for her. richard didn¡¯t waste time as he looked at the neatly arranged troop and led out of twilight city. they headed for the land of quicksand. [steamed bun lover] gave coordinates in the land of quicksand. it would not be a big problem with the god¡¯s ancient tree at watch even if they encounter difficulties, even if the human-faced tree could not deal with it. the ancient tree of divine sin, which had just cleaned up a group of void hunters, still had blood on its trunk. the void sandworm could open a spatial rift for four hours a day. these four hours were the happy time for the god¡¯s ancient tree to kill void monsters and devour dark energy. after a few days of hard work, the other party¡¯s upgrade progress had increased to 85%. at this rate, the transformation will finish at the end of september. the human-faced tree was about to devour the dark divine blood and undergo the ultimate transformation. he would feel a strong sense of anticipation at every thought of this. after waiting for a while, an hour passed. the void sandworm happily played around adjacent to richard. it suddenly stopped and turned to look in a direction. ¡®roar!¡¯ its throat made a piercing sound like sandpaper that rubbed against the rough ground. it sent chills down one¡¯s spine. the next second. ¡®crack!¡¯ a ten-meter wide spatial rift suddenly burst open on the sand. [steamed bun lover] appeared on the other side of the crack after the space stabilized. ¡°boss qingqiu!¡± richard smiled when he heard the familiar voice. he waved his hand without hesitation and let renee step into the spatial rift first. the other party indicated no danger. the dark valkyrie, xina, and alves, the soul-devouring heroes, entered one after another. the troop entered after richard ensured everyone¡¯s safety. he was the last to step through the portal. the initially hot air immediately became cool when he stepped through the door. there was a vast grassland under the feet of the troop when he looked around. towering trees covered the sky a hundred meters away. one could vaguely see harpies flap their wings and shuttle through the forest branches. the bun lover waited in front of richard and immediately rushed forward excitedly. ¡°boss qingqiu!¡± richard smiled when he saw him. ¡°don¡¯t look like you¡¯re about to die.¡± the bun lover immediately felt more intimate and relaxed when interacting with players. this kind of feeling was supremely scarce to find in the natives. the bun lover chuckled and gestured behind richard. ¡°boss qingqiu, the journey is tiring. let¡¯s go in to welcome the guests. there is no need to rush to deal with the orcs. i have already prepared the best food and wine. as the bun lover spoke, he moved closer and revealed an ambiguous smile. ¡°last time. i got a few cat-eared girls from the beast clan. they jumped and put on clothes. i¡¯ve already asked them to prepare¡­ of course, there are harpies as well. tsk, tsk, tsk, these harpies are even better. other than the feathers on their backs, their other parts are even shinier than their faces¡­¡± the things they did not dare to do on planet blue could be done as they pleased in the ¡°shining era¡±. these players are bound by the rules and civilization of the ¡°modern era¡± for a long time when faced with such an opportunity¡­ richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he remembered the guy¡¯s id. the enemy was right before him, yet he still played around. ¡°lead the way.¡± Chapter 428 it was richard¡¯s first time in a player¡¯s territory. what interested him was the bun lover¡¯s territory. they built it in the forest and were different from ordinary players. they built a unique treehouse on a tall tree. there was no ladder, and ordinary people could not go up even if they wanted to. however, it was very suitable for the harpies to live in. !! richard found it very novel. the [steamed bun lover¡¯s] mansion was in a towering tree more than forty meters in diameter. the entire tree was hollow. however, the green leaves outside were still green and the tree had not died. these made the mansion enjoyable. the nature faction was indeed different. however, the layout of the house was relatively ordinary. there was only a long wooden table in the middle, and the surroundings were empty. it did not match the treehouse. [steamed bun lover] had richard sit at the head of the long table when they entered the room while he sat on the left. richard didn¡¯t refuse and sat down. strength determines one¡¯s right to speak, and it was applicable at all times. the other heroes stood in the room. they quietly waited for the two decision-makers to discuss. [steamed bun lover] waited for the harpy maid to serve the tea and snacks on the table before he said with an ambiguous look. ¡°boss qingqiu, the beast-eared ladies are already inside. dress up and dance¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°it¡¯s broad daylight¡­ let¡¯s talk business first.¡± [steamed bun lover] revealed an ¡°i understand¡± expression. he chuckled, then his face became serious. he took a map from the system space and laid it flat on the table. the marks were new. it was obvious that no one had not marked it not long ago. he pointed at a wolf head mark on the map. ¡°the orcs have a city built in the middle of a valley about 50 kilometers away from my territory. ¡°the other party¡¯s sphere of influence covers the forest where i live. ¡°however, because there is a group of illusionary demons living in the forest that can create illusions, the orcs are not immune to illusions. so they don¡¯t like to come here. ¡°but as my territory grew and expanded, the scope of my activities increased, and i inevitably had conflicts with the orcs. there have even been seven or eight small-scale battles. ¡°in the past few months, the beasts have noticed something strange in the forest. ¡°the pressure i felt got increasingly enormous. the enemies even sent a wolf rider to search for my position before i entered the dungeon. ¡°once the orcs realize that my territory is a great danger to them, they will attack immediately.¡± richard had an idea as he pondered on the map. this guy was also unlucky to be born in the orc territory. but fortunately, although the orcs were on guard against him, they did not take him seriously. the two sides were in the dark. this gave him a lot of room to maneuver. this time, he had three goals. first, he wanted to eliminate the orcs and remove the threat of [steamed bun lover] to fulfill his promise. second, find the white-tailed cat clan and bring back all the half-orcs who can make wine. third, kill the wyverns of the orcs and increase the number of skeleton blood dragons. they would have to focus on conquering the underworld when he settled this matter. the other day, the bloodhoof city in the underground sent a messenger to twilight city to inform them that the gray-colored dwarves gathered a troop to launch a general attack on bloohoof city¡­ richard gathered his thoughts and continued to ask. ¡°how many troops are there in the orc city?¡± [steamed bun lover] said seriously. ¡°one and a half legions, that¡¯s 15000 people. it is the information we got from the beast captives.¡± the four orc heroes were in the city for a long time. they won¡¯t leave quickly. richard nodded. ¡°where is the white-tailed cat clan?¡± ¡°they live near a mountain spring that is suitable for brewing wine. it¡¯s 40 kilometers from the orc city and 30 kilometers away from my territory¡­¡± the bun lover pointed at a mark on the tail of the map as he said that. richard kept that in mind. the bun lover looked at the heroes of twilight city with some hesitation after he spoke. ¡°the pressure we would face would be massive if we were to fight head-on¡­¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, my idea is to surround the point and attack the reinforcements. ¡°first, we¡¯ll deal with the orc troop outside and use them as bait. we¡¯ll use the strong to attack the weak and eat up most of the enemy¡¯s forces. then, we¡¯ll work with the orc city and settle the situation in one fell swoop!¡± the bun lover¡¯s tone became more confident as he spoke. ¡°based on my experience with the orcs, this is the safest way.¡± richard nodded but didn¡¯t comment. richard¡¯s emotionless face made the bun lover feel sparingly guilty. ¡°boss qingqiu, am i too extreme? why don¡¯t we follow your plan¡­¡± ¡°radical?¡± richard shook his head. he cast a sidelong glance at the few heroes behind him who waited for orders. ¡°the orcs have four heroes. one level 17, three level 16, and one shaman¡­ ¡°i need you to behead them directly after the war starts. leave no one alive.¡± richard looked at the confused bun lover after he said that and tapped his finger on the map of where the orc city was. ¡°you¡¯ll take care of the remaining orcs after we destroy it. any problems?¡± the bun lover gulped and stammered as he looked at richard. ¡°b-boss, y-you¡¯re planning to attack the orc city directly?¡± ¡°but, the other side has one and a half regiments stationed there. and they also have a complete set of defensive weapons. if we do this¡­¡± richard ignored and looked at him. ¡°did you not hear my question? is there a problem with you taking care of the remaining orcs?¡± the bun lover was on the verge of tears. ¡°no problem. once the city falls, the beast troop will be scattered and won¡¯t be a threat to me¡­ ¡°but¡­¡± richard ignored the buts and slowly rose to his feet. he synchronized the map on the table to the system map. he walked out of the wooden house. he raised his head slightly and saw the sun high in the sky. but the leaves blocked most of its light. it left only a few spots of light. he turned his head and glanced at [steamed bun lover] in a daze. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. ¡°i¡¯ve never seen a dress-up dance performed by a beast-eared lady. tell your beast-eared ladies to get ready. i¡¯ll be back before the sun sets.¡± a terrifying aura surged from a distance as soon as he finished speaking. ¡®hu!¡¯ alves¡¯s enormous body flew out from the wide forest and flapped its wings. at this moment, the unbridled dragon breath was like a hundred thousand feet wave that hit its chest. in the treehouses in the air, the harpies all trembled. they didn¡¯t even dare to spread their wings and fly away. a pressure seeped into the soul. richard jumped up and sat on the back of the creature. without looking back, he commanded the undead dragon to spread its wings and fly away. they disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye. the other heroes did not waste any time and immediately followed. the harpies at the front reported that the twilight city troops had all left. [steamed bun lover] was still confused as he looked at the empty forest. he¡¯d thought the discussion would take a long time, and richard would ask for his full cooperation and even lead the charge¡­ however, they had only met for about ten minutes. after receiving news of the orcs, they left after they received the information of the orcs and headed straight for the heavily-guarded orc city. the reason was that he was too lazy to waste time. a sense of desolation rose in his heart. the emotions in his heart were so complicated that he couldn¡¯t speak. he suddenly shouted after a long time. ¡°bring me the most beautiful beast-eared lady. tell them to prepare for the dance!¡± Chapter 429 richard looked at the orc city in the valley, his eyes supremely interested. the orcs¡¯ architectural style was more rugged than the desert, or one could describe it as barbaric and primitive. the orcs built the city wall with giant stones. it was more than 30 meters high and 100 meters long, connecting two hills more than 100 meters high. the surface was uneven. ordinary people could even climb up on their hands and feet. !! they called it a city wall, but it was more like an enlarged version of a wall. on the top of the city wall, enormous sharpened wood wrapped around steel pestles and pointed outward. it was completely different from the delicate design of human cities. it was outrageous. orcs over two meters in size with their fangs exposed outside their lips patrolled back and forth. their fierce eyes constantly looked outside the city wall. soldiers covered in scars of all sizes would tell the enemy who the owner of the land was at the first moment once an enemy attacked. richard could see dozens of arrow towers that looked like the teeth of giant beasts as he looked over the city wall. the densely packed bullet holes on them made one¡¯s heart tremble. large and small fortifications covered the two 100-meter-high hills on the left and right. the attack they would receive would not be any weaker than a frontal attack if the enemy wanted to cross the hill. it was a rough but armed city. however, the orcs on high alert at the moment puzzled richard. the wyverns in the sky continued to rise and fall. they loaded the heavy crossbows on the arrow towers. the number of soldiers on the city wall even exceeded the usual number. the orcs seemed to be on guard against something. ¡®did the other party know about the arrival of twilight city? ¡®but it didn¡¯t make sense. with this vigilance, it was distinct that it would last for a while. ¡®could it be that the other party could predict in advance? ¡®or we have been exposed?¡¯ richard turned his head and looked behind him. the concealment power had enveloped the entire troop, and the outside world ultimately could not sense it. gunter rode on a dark gargoyle and approached richard quickly while puzzled. ¡°lord, we caught two small teams of wolf riders¡­ richard listened carefully. ¡°we found out that the total number of orcs in the troop is 12,000 after interrogation.¡± ¡°three thousand less? what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°three thousand people have already died. the orcs went on an expedition ten days ago. they used more than two legions and only returned three days ago¡­¡± richard nodded. the orcs were always aggressive, so this wasn¡¯t a surprise. no wonder the security was so tight. it was the aftermath of the war. ¡°what force did the orcs fight with?¡± ¡°it¡¯s an ancient vampire castle. they seem to have gained something. the city has been on alert for the past few days.¡± ¡°vampire?¡± richard¡¯s brow furrowed. in the ¡°shining era¡±, vampires belonged to the standard evil camp. although a few were in the primary plane, they were well-known for their soul-stripping battle power. ¡°what else did you find out?¡± gunter shook his head with a hint of pity. ¡°there¡¯s nothing else. the other party couldn¡¯t withstand my spiritual erosion, and its soul collapsed¡­ richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the uneasiness in his heart dissipated after he understood. his eyes gradually became sharp as he looked at the orc city with dozens of wyverns. ¡°heavily guarded?¡± he would like to see if the other party could withstand the power of twilight city¡­ ****** the orc chieftain, a lot stronger than the other orcs, was on the tall stone wall. it checked the defense with more than ten guards. the chieftain immediately stepped forward and shouted at the orc guards once they let their guard down. the high-frequency patrols kept the city¡¯s defenses on high alert. the chieftain stopped after two rounds of strolls, and a few guards took advantage of the time to drink water to look at the orc chieftain in confusion. ¡°my lord, didn¡¯t we win the last time we attacked those vampires? although we didn¡¯t raze the castle to the ground, we killed or injured more than half of the vampires. why are we still so careful? ¡°in this land, the orcs were the most powerful kings. ¡°who could threaten us?¡± when the orc chieftain heard this, it thought about how it hadn¡¯t even seen a fly in the past few days, let alone an enemy, and its expression relaxed a bit. ¡°don¡¯t be careless. it¡¯s the chieftain¡¯s order!¡± it lowered its voice as it spoke and revealed a look of excitement on its face. ¡°don¡¯t tell anyone that the shaman seems to have gotten a lot of good things from the blood clan. to prevent those lowly lives from doing something desperate, he has been on high alert¡­¡± those who could become personal guards were the most trusted people, so the orc chieftain didn¡¯t hide anything. a few personal guards suddenly understood, but then they seemed to have thought of something and said it with disgust. ¡°my lord, when will we expel those grace mainland overlords? i¡¯m disgusted by the sight of those cunning and greedy humans¡­¡± the orc chieftain shook its head. ¡°we couldn¡¯t break into the vampire¡¯s castle so easily without the information from the grace mainland lords. although those lowly humans are greedy, they are quite capable. in the future, you guys¡­¡± a rumbling sound sounded like a waterfall fell from the nine heavens before the chieftain could finish its sentence. the orc chieftain had a bad feeling and suddenly turned its head to look outside the city wall. in the next second, it felt its hands and feet turn cold. at some point, the green grass outside the city walls had turned into a yellow sand land. in the blink of an eye, countless grains of sand rose from the ground, forming a 50-meter-tall sand wave. one had to look up to see the sand wave distinctly if one stood more than 30 meters high. ¡°what was this?¡± the orc chieftain was extremely shocked. however, just as it was about to move, the monstrous sand wave had already condensed to its limit. in the next second, the mountain collapsed. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ it swept toward the city wall with a terrifying aura that could devour everything. ¡°natural disaster!¡± all the orc soldiers on the city wall swallowed their saliva, and their hands held weapons trembled uncontrollably. the orcs dared to charge even when facing a dragon. however, these brave and fearful soldiers felt an irrepressible fear. it was the emotion that seeped out from the depths of the soul of ordinary life forms when they were helpless against natural disasters. even the strongest and bravest veteran felt a chill down its spine. the orc chieftain finally recovered and fiercely turned its head. it used using all its strength to roar hysterically. ¡°enemy attack!¡± however, rumbling sand waves drowned the sound waves within twenty meters. at this moment, the only sound in the world was the roar of the sand waves. even if the orc soldiers were only one or two meters away, they had to use their loudest voices to hear the other party. it threw the orcs on the city wall into chaos. some soldiers turned around and ran. some raised their shields and prepared to take the hit. and some were at a loss, not knowing what to do. the sand wave was too fast. it did not give the orcs much time to react. the orcs were in chaos. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the terrifying wave reached the front of the city wall. a colossal wave 20 meters above the city wall was about to surge into the city. at that moment, a translucent magic shield appeared. it covered the entire city. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ when the sand wave hit the magic shield, it was like a vast wave that hit a reef. sand and gravel flew up to a height of 100 meters. this scene had a strong visual impact. when the orcs saw this, they panicked on the city wall and felt a sense of relief that they had survived a disaster. and they subconsciously turned their heads. they saw an old orc with a hunched back that floated in the air. on top of the black staff in its hand, a transparent gem exuded dark blue magic energy. it forcibly supported the magic shield. everyone was overjoyed. ¡°lord shaman!¡± it quickly calmed down their heart filled with fear and anxiety. their morale began to soar. with the great shaman around, no one could take down their city! everyone was in a state of excitement. the sky suddenly darkened. in the orc¡¯s eyes, a dazzling blade light slashed out from the endless sand waves. wherever the blade ray passed, the space shattered like glass. the shaman, who floated in the sky, had an indescribable fear on its face. it wanted to struggle and escape, but it was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed it down on the ground. it could not move. under the gazes of all the orcs. at this moment, the only blade light in the world cut through the shaman with an overbearing posture. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the blade cut the corpse in half. the blade light behind it directly shattered it into countless pieces. it continued to move backward after it cut through the shaman. one by one, the top of the tall arrow towers were cut off and fell to the ground. it caused dust to fly into the air. the ray of light extended for hundreds of meters before it disappeared into the air. the surprised expressions on the orc soldiers¡¯ faces were like lightning hit them. their eyes were wide open, and disbelief filled their faces. ¡°a level 16 shaman¡­ gone?¡± the enemy killed the shaman, right under their eyes? the situation had changed too quickly, and they needed to be more mentally prepared¡­ in the orc city, a few players who had just received the orc chieftain¡¯s reward heard the commotion outside and immediately came out in high spirits. they wanted to see if there were any new quests to trigger. but the first thing they saw when they walked out of the building was the death of the level 16 orc shaman, who was almost invincible to them. shock, disbelief, and confusion. the expression on their faces changed drastically. ¡°the enemy killed the level 16 hero instantly just like that! ¡°who was attacking? why was he so powerful? ¡°these damned orcs, why did they provoke an existence they couldn¡¯t afford to offend? a crisp crack resounded through the sky before they could return to their senses. the players subconsciously looked up at the city wall where the sound came from. their pupils reflected a scene that made them even more stunned. countless cracks appeared on the translucent magic shield blocking the sand wave ¡­ the next second. bang~ without the support of the shaman¡¯s power, the magic shield broke. the compressed-to-the-limit sand wave smashed down. waves swallowed the orcs on the city wall. the wave of sand was highly violent and drowned everything. the tall arrow towers collapsed one by one, destroying the houses. the orcs who wanted to escape could not do anything, and sand waves directly swept them. Chapter 430 the orcs gathered almost all their troops near the city wall to maintain tight vigilance. the sand wave swallowed the area hundreds of meters behind the city wall when they destroyed the arrow towers. it directly reduced the city¡¯s defense power by 70%. richard created this disaster and had used up all 100,000 points of mana stored in the magic crystal in one go. the orc city in front of him had been half-submerged after his mana ran out. !! only a few arrow towers remained undestroyed as far as the eye could see. richard¡¯s heart was in turmoil with this sight. the newbie who couldn¡¯t even defeat the bandaged mummy after a few of growth had the power to destroy a city¡­ the future was bright. richard looked into the distance after he calmed down. the battle was not over yet. the enemy¡¯s hero was still alive. he waved his hand. ¡°all troops, attack and kill the remaining orcs!¡± the six teams of stone statues of the dead and the three teams of skeleton blood dragons flew forward quickly after he gave the order. the 260 dark gargoyles that carried the same undead soldiers followed closely. the battle started behind the orc city that the waves hadn¡¯t devoured. the orcs¡¯ command system collapsed after the sand wave attack. the surviving troops couldn¡¯t form an effective fighting force without a command. the overwhelming twilight city massacred them. the little centaur emily was already eager to try behind the sandstorm. she immediately led three companies of giant axe death knights after richard gave the orders. although the sand covered the city walls, there were still enough enemies on the hills on both sides for her to massacre. this little centaur who had lost her demigod power seemed to enjoy fighting by nature. there were no obstacles on the way as the sand submerged the city walls. emily led her troop directly up the hill. the little centaur held a long-handled giant axe. she took the lead alone. wherever she passed, the long-handled giant axe would dance up and down. the influential orc veteran was like a slaughtered chicken. although this boss was only level 7, the battle power it displayed was already at the beginning of its extraordinary. no enemy could stop her iron hooves. furthermore, emily also had a supremely soul-splitting race talent. she could run on all terrain, which made her immune to its damaging effects. her killing speed wasn¡¯t any slower even though she wasn¡¯t as dazzling as the dark valkyrie, renee, and xina in the air. further back, the remaining two squadrons of axe of the dead and the three sand condensation archers formed and slowly advanced. it was still a heart-shaking move, although there were no flying units. the sand condensation archers with long shooting ranges could also provide fire support to the troop at the front. the enemies would have to face the brutal axe of the dead if the surviving orcs wanted to attack them. the twilight city troops became meat grinders on the battlefield. and the orcs who had not been able to organize themselves tasted the taste of death. the most eye-catching thing on the battlefield was the stone statue of the dead. it was a fierce unit formed from the fusion of two types of troops. their battle strength was so brutal that even the souls of the orcs on the battlefield trembled. the killing range of the battle tomahawk throw had reached 80 meters. they flew nimbly in the air. they would immediately swing their battle tomahawks once they found an enemy. not only did the battle tomahawk have a 30% instant death effect. it also had additional fire damage after being reinforced by the flame source. it would detect first the instant-death skill once it hit the enemy. the flame energy would then explode and envelop the surrounding 10 meters if not triggered. as a result, the battle tomahawks they threw could cause several rounds of damage. they would lose their lives in the high temperature even if the battle tomahawks missed them. the stone statue of the dead became the spokesperson of death. no one could stop their sharp edge¡­ the chaotic orcs finally reacted after they saw the massacre in twilight city. it was especially so when the level 17 orc chieftain with a-rank potential appeared in the city square half-submerged in the sand. the remaining orcs immediately found their backbone and began to gather with the orc chieftain as their core. the two level 16 orc heroes also joined in the troop assembly. in the sky, the glorious 2-stars troops and the wyverns that weren¡¯t affected by the sand wave quickly arrived above the orc chieftain. the few players mixed in with the orcs would have been full of confidence if they had seen this scene in the past. but at this moment, fear shrouded their eyes after being scared out of their wits. those unknown enemies were too fierce¡­ they had heard that the orcs didn¡¯t have any powerful enemies. but now, the other side had razed over half of the orc city to the ground. the player in the lead suddenly widened its eyes as if it saw something unbelievable. intense shock shrouded its face. it pushed the two companions beside it and signaled them to look forward. the other two players discussed who attacked the orcs and almost pushed over when they didn¡¯t notice. they subconsciously glanced in the direction the other party pointed at just as it was about to curse at the player. then, its pupils suddenly enlarged. it subconsciously held its breath. an extremely familiar figure appeared in their line of sight. it was the undead dragon with a wingspan of more than thirty meters and a body that burned with blood-colored energy. its bones were crystal clear like rubies! the other party¡¯s terrifying dragon breath gushed out without restraint. it was like an iron hammer pounded their hearts every time it flapped its wings. it was terrifying! following the undead dragon were dozens of shrunken dragons and several soldiers that rode on the gargoyles¡­ although these troops were fierce and powerful, there were other keys to their shock. the key was¡­ qinqiu! they had watched the final battle in the death arena fighting ring. no one would ever forget qingqiu. he had crushed over a hundred players on the undead dragon, over ten billion players! ¡°the ones who attacked the orcs weren¡¯t the natives, but¡­ qingqiu!¡± the players felt their mouths go dry after they discovered it. a sense of absurdity and fantasy rose in their hearts. even though they knew that qingqiu could take on a hundred enemies at once and was extremely powerful. however, that was in an instance dungeon where he faced players. in the final battle, each player could only bring three squadrons of troops! it was far from the players¡¯ mightiest state ¡­ but now, they couldn¡¯t accept that the other party attacked a force of orcs that they thought was invincible at the current stage! they had racked their brains to complete who knew how many missions to get closer to the orcs¡­ it was a long-term target for them to attack. and even a force of natives that they could rely on. however, qingqiu took it down. that kind of intense impact made their feelings complicated to the extreme. how could this freak be so vital to this extent? it was a powerful city with level 17 orcs and a troop of over ten thousand! ¡°how did the other party break through so quickly?¡± killing intent filled the fully-armored orc chieftain¡¯s eyes that could pierce the heavens. the orcs immediately knew the ruler of this mysterious force when alves appeared. they fixed their eyes on the heroic figure behind the undead dragon. the figure wore a black and red crown on his head and a black cape with a dark red pattern on his back. his temperament was full of soul-devouring charm and unforgettable. the pair of black eyes also looked at them. their eyes met, and the orc chieftain suppressed its anger that was about to burst out immediately and roared. ¡°human, why are you attacking my city!!¡± richard glanced at the orc chieftain and said casually, ¡°attack you?¡­ do you need a reason?¡± these words made the orc chieftain¡¯s expression freeze, and it didn¡¯t know how to vent its anger. the players couldn¡¯t suppress their extreme emotions when they heard this. ¡°damn it. it was the attitude that a player should have!¡± the orc chieftain clenched its heavy-great sword tightly as it cast a glance at the three-meter-long dark valkyrie and the illusory renee. they floated in the air from the corner of its eye. it forcefully suppressed the flames of anger in its heart. it could feel the danger of a sword against its throat from these two fighters¡­ ¡°state your purpose in coming!¡± richard looked indifferently at the orc chieftain, who constantly suppressed its roars. ¡°you have no right to ask me. ¡°now, i¡¯ll give you only one choice. surrender, or¡­ destruction.¡± although his tone was calm, the overbearing power in his words made the players feel their hot blood rush to their heads. ¡°support!¡± ¡®why did these words sound so cool¡­¡¯ richard pointed at a level 17 orc chieftain with a-rank potential and asked contemptuously, ¡°submit or destruction.¡± ¡®this attitude killed me.¡¯ a strong sense of revenge rose in his heart as he recalled how he bowed down in front of the orc chieftain before and how the chieftain ignored him after he did several quests. qingqiu¡­ ¡°awesome!¡± Chapter 431 the orc chieftain felt sparingly dazed when it heard this. a special feeling arose in its heart. it was the temperament that a leader should have. this charming existence seemed worthy of reliance. however, the orc chieftain suppressed this thought after a moment. ¡°orcs will never be slaves!¡± !! a deep roar resounded through the sky, and its body suddenly emitted scarlet energy. the energy enveloped the surrounding troops. the next moment. the orcs, who wavered, immediately had blood vessels in their eyes, and their momentum rose sharply. their hearts became supremely fierce, and they no longer had any thoughts of surrender. berserk. the signature skill of the orcs. ¡°human, you are seeking your death!¡± the orc chieftain glared at richard with bloodshot eyes. it saw a large group of wyverns fly over from the horizon out of the corner of its eyes. its face gradually became ferocious. his reinforcements¡­ they had arrived. richard sat on alves¡¯s back and smirked at the sight. ¡°you¡¯re stalling for time and waiting for reinforcements? what a coincidence, i¡¯m also waiting for reinforcements¡­¡± the indifferent voice gave the orc chieftain a nuisance feeling. in the next second, renee, who seemed illusory, suddenly disappeared from her spot. she subconsciously turned her head. she appeared among the wyverns with a few flashes. ¡®bang!¡¯ a black flame burst out. it covered an area of a hundred meters. the wyverns immediately felt the enemies threw their souls into a furnace. a series of painful wails rang out, and the terrifying sounds sent chills down one¡¯s spine. there was no damage to their bodies. but in the blink of an eye, the flying dragons fell from the sky like rain. they smashed into pieces some sturdy houses¡­ the scene was quite spectacular. renee could use space movement every 0.3 seconds. every time she appeared, she would take the life of a wyvern. the vast sky had become her performance stage. in the square, the orc chieftain waited for the wyverns to arrive and immediately launch a counterattack. the chieftain was bewildered! ¡°how dare she, that damned bastard!¡± the chieftain saw more than ten wyverns pass through the blockade from the side. it immediately flipped over and sat on a wyvern. ¡°kill!¡± it adjusted its posture slightly and clenched its heavy great sword thick as a door. it quickly charged at richard. they cannot outdo the two majestic orc heroes. each rode a wyvern and followed closely behind the orc chieftain. richard¡¯s expression was as calm as ever, and he didn¡¯t react. he just watched the orc chieftain attack him. when the chieftain was 50 meters from the critical point, the dark valkyrie slowly raised the longsword in her hand. her pale golden eyes bloomed with a deep and cold light at this moment. a level 17 hero dared to challenge her lord¡­ she should kill the chieftain! her figure suddenly flew out the next moment and charged straight at the orc chieftain. xina simultaneously charged toward a level 16 orc chieftain. although there was a difference of three levels between them, not only was there no fear in her eyes, but her fighting spirit was also exceptionally high. it was only level 16, and she had already killed many of them! xina controlled the blood aura to fly into the air. this beyond a-rank hero held a 5-stars weapon, the dragon-slaying sword, and clashed with the level 16 orc hero. the sword glowed. the figures on both sides became blurry. the dark valkyrie held her sword and faced the mi existence¨Cthe level 17 orc chieftain! as the peak battle power of twilight city, the dark valkyrie¡¯s three-meter-long sword glowed as she faced her enemy. the berserk orc chieftain clenched its heavy blade and rode on its wyvern. it launched the fiercest attack at the dark valkyrie. the blade in its hand, under brutal speed, could almost cut off the giant dragon¡¯s head. the chieftain slashed the dark valkyrie down with absolute power when it got close to the enemy. they have imposed full sounds. the two weapons collided! sparks flew in all directions. the orc chieftain should have had the upper hand with the wyvern¡¯s speed buff, but at this moment, its body suddenly stopped, and it felt a landslide¨Clike the power transmitted from its weapon. the web between its thumb and forefinger hurt, and the heavy great sword in his hand almost fell. it transmitted the terrifying power to the wyvern below. ¡®roar!¡¯ it broke the bone armor on the wyvern¡¯s back. this unit couldn¡¯t avoid falling even though it flapped its wings incessantly. the situation was evident when the two sides collided. the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t hesitate, and she swung her sword again. it has imposed deep sounds. one slash after another. there was no fear in the chieftain¡¯s heart when it went berserk even though it was terrified, only a fierce killing intent. they clashed with their axes. the two sides had clashed dozens of times in the air in a dozen breaths. the wyvern it sat on spurted out blood. in the end, it couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and fell with a wail. the orc chieftain¡¯s expression changed, and it suddenly stood behind the wyvern. it glared at the dark valkyrie that floated in the air. the dark valkyrie looked at the orc chieftain. she quickly fell, and her body flickered. she fell with the chieftain. at this height, the wyverns could not kill the orc chieftain. the orc chieftain let out a low roar, and its body suddenly expanded. the armor on its body was so complete that it was about to burst. it clenched the heavy great sword and hacked at the dark valkyrie again. the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t retreat at all. she charged forward and clashed with the sword. she imposed deep sounds. sparks exploded. it transmitted the power to the wyvern, and the bone armor exploded again. blood stained the orc chieftain¡¯s feet. it landed on a three-story house with a loud crash after a few collisions. ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear a crisp explosion. stones and wood chips flew into the air. the dark valkyrie suddenly floated above the rolling dust and looked at the blood-soaked figure in ruins with cold intent. the orc chieftain didn¡¯t stop for a moment. it bent its legs and stomped on the ground. ¡®bang!¡¯ its body shot out like a cannonball. it suddenly rose more than ten meters high and attacked the dark valkyrie. the battle between top-tier heroes was usually supremely exaggerated. the destructive power it brought to the surrounding environment was also terrifying. xina and the dark valkyrie each had their targets, and the remaining level 16 orc hero had his eyes on richard. he rode on the wyvern and charged towards alves. the two champions were the most dangerous people on the field. the chieftain did not mind the remaining dragon¡­ it did not have time to move when it approached alves. the orc hero felt an indescribable sense of danger. death stared at its eyes. it wanted to escape, but it couldn¡¯t use any power. it was as if it froze its soul. a black arrow pierced through the void before it could even blink. it instantly pierced through the orc hero¡¯s head. the level-16 hero fell and rolled down from the wyvern¡¯s back. it crashed to the ground, and blood splattered everywhere. low-level divine art, death hunt. the heroes fought, and the twilight city troops showed off their abilities. in the sky, the stone statues of the dead forcibly stopped the wyverns that had escaped the net. the battle power of these glorious 3-stars military units was so strong that it made people tremble. soldiers of the same rank were like little chicks to them. every time the tomahawks in their hands whistled, it meant it would take a life. the stone statues of the dead became highly agile with the wings. they were almost the perfect unit with the battle tomahawk¡¯s attack range of 80 meters. they targeted a stone statue of the dead that was alone and directly charged at it after a small team of wyverns went around the hunt. a battle tomahawk broke through the air and arrived after the dragon flying team approached 50 meters. the prepared wyvern immediately flapped its wings and dodged the attack. however, before they could get excited ¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ they heard a crisp sound. the battle tomahawk exploded into pieces. the sharp shards covered an area of thirty meters. it pierced the seven wyvern¡¯s body through in an instant. ¡®bang!¡¯ the fragment exploded a second time. it blasted a few uninjured wyverns with exaggerated holes in their bodies. the remaining affected wyverns felt a terrible pain in their souls after being hit by the dense shards, and they lost their breath of life in the blink of an eye. explosive battle tomahawk shatterer dealt tons of magic damage to enemies within a 30-meter diameter. when the explosive battle tomahawk shatterer hits the enemy, it will explode a second time with strong penetrating power. it causes physical damage. the explosive battle tomahawk shatterer has the instant-death characteristic of a fetter. the level 9 stone statues of the dead had annihilated a party of level 13 wyverns with one skill. this terrifying battle record sent a chill down the spine of the players who closely watched the battle. they had thought it was already unbelievable that qingqiu could create waves of sand to destroy cities. but now, even their troops were so powerful that they could feel their scalps tingle. ¡°was this the true strength of qingqiu?¡± his opponent¡¯s glorious battle record of one against a hundred in the death arena fighting ring was still not his true strength. the few looked at each other, unable to say a thousand words in their hearts. Chapter 432 in the sky, renee and the stone statue of the dead forcefully blocked the wyverns of more than a troop. the dark gargoyle carried the stone statue of the dead on the ground and continued to harvest the souls of the orc warriors below. the great axe death knights on the flank led by emily had already conquered a hill. she had also slaughtered more than half of the troops on it. the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead behind them and the sand condensation archers formed a four-sided troop formation. they advanced steadily and killed the orcs that fled. !! xina and the level 16 orc hero had already fought from the sky to the ground. the orc hero was far more potent than the level 16 void hunter hero in the dungeon. the enemy was also an elite who fought through life-and-death battles. although its potential was two levels lower than xina¡¯s, it was as high as level-16, and its strength had enormously increased after it went berserk, so it could still block xina¡¯s attack. and xina¡¯s battle frenzy had always been known for being violent. she went all out, and the frequency at which she waved the dragon-slaying sword in her hand was dazzling. the battlefield of the two had become a demolition team. it destroyed all the houses and streets wherever they passed. the most eye-catching battle was between the dark valkyrie and the orc chieftain. it was the level 15 boss with a-rank potential against the level 17 hero with a-rank potential. although the orc chieftain was two levels higher than the dark valkyrie, there was no qualitative difference between the two. they were both in the range of levels 15-20. the dark valkyrie also had the transformation that the orc chieftain had obtained after reaching level 15. moreover, hers was mightier than his due to her boss mode. the orc chieftain could still fight the dark valkyrie after it went berserk, but as time passed, the power of its berserk state weakened, and the other side became increasingly courageous. it could block the attacks head-on at the start, but later on, it had to use its skills to maintain its attacks. the more it fought, the more the orc chieftain trembled. it could even feel its sea-like power gradually dried up. however, the other party was like a bottomless ocean. it had used all its means, even traded injuries for injuries, but it could not achieve the desired result. ¡°i can¡¯t drag this on any longer.¡± they had to kill the other party to win this battle¡­ it made up its mind when its thoughts reached this point. the next moment. blood qi surged out of its body. its aura instantly rose several times. the blue veins on its body wriggled like earthworms. it was terrifying and crazy. the terrifying aura made all the living beings in the surroundings turn their heads subconsciously. they suddenly discovered as they looked closely that besides the orc chieftain¡¯s increase in aura increase, a ten-meter-tall shadow quickly condensed behind it. the phantom held a long saber with three war flags that floated in the wind behind it, and its eyes were tightly closed. and the moment the phantom completely condensed, the orc chieftain immediately became the center of the world. this level 17 hero had an indescribable and terrifying aura of thousands of rivers that flowed into the sky. its power exploded to the extreme. the orc chieftain clenched a heavy great sword and pointed it at the dark valkyrie. then, under the orc warrior¡¯s expectant gaze, it swung its sword. ¡°kill!¡± a deep roar resounded through the sky. the ten-meter-tall phantom behind it suddenly opened its eyes. they followed the orc chieftain¡¯s movements and swung their swords. the orc chieftain¡¯s movement neatly cut off the void around the dark valkyrie. she quickly backed away and tried to avoid the sharp edge. however, no matter how fast she was, the space around her exploded. there was no escape! ¡®crack!¡¯ a terrifying sound reverberated in her ears. the invisible heavy great sword directly hit the dark valkyrie. the orc chieftain stared at her and wanted to roar at the sky. he had finally killed this terrifying enemy! however, the moment this thought appeared. the dark valkyrie¡¯s body suddenly glowed with dim light. it directly negated the invisible attack that cuts through everything. the joy that had just appeared on the orc chieftain¡¯s face immediately froze. ¡°how is this possible?!! ¡°how could she have blocked?! ¡°argh!!!¡± it raised its heavy great sword with a long roar and slashed again! the ten-meter-tall orc phantom behind it also attacked! the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t move this time, but her golden eyes coldly watched the orc chieftain. the surrounding space exploded once again. the moment the shapeless attack cut through her body dark light again and blocked the unavoidable damage. the orc chieftain spat out a mouthful of blood. shock and anger shrouded its eyes! an indescribable sense of despair emerged in its heart¡­ it couldn¡¯t kill the other party! it turned its head and looked at the shadow behind it. it gritted its teeth. it swung its heavy great sword for the third time! this time, the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t retreat. instead, she charged at it. victory and defeat, life and death. the blade in the orc chieftain¡¯s hand tore through the void. ¡°kill!¡± a terrifying roar reverberated throughout the world. the level-17 hero¡¯s pitch-black hair suddenly turned white, and its face seemed to have aged more than ten years. at the same time, the orc phantom behind it almost materialized and slashed with its saber. the space around the dark valkyrie exploded again, and the damage was several times stronger than before. the invisible blade struck the dark valkyrie for the third time. under the expectant gazes of countless orcs, the dark light appeared for the third time. ¡®crack!¡¯ he had silently neutralized the attack¡­ the orc chieftain was heartbroken. disbelief and shock shrouded its widened eyes. it gritted its teeth and wanted to attack again. but a graceful figure in front of it had already crossed with it like lightning. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a vast head flew in the air. the level 17 orc chieftain died after three slashes. the scene suddenly fell into a deathly silence when it saw the murder. everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at the dark valkyrie that floated in the air with a three-meter-longsword in her hand. the other party¡¯s pale golden eyes were like a god that stared at the earth. the moment they swept past them, their souls would tremble. [body of the god of war (beyond a-rank) ¡ª immune to instant death skills, soul control, curses, plagues, poisons, and aura suppression, forever high morale, resistant to the damage bonus from the light and nature factions to the dark faction, could ignore all anti-air spells, floating in the sky, and when receiving a fatal attack, 1000 life would be automatically consumed to avoid the attack. the passive body of the god war forcibly blocked three consecutive sure-kill skills. renee, this divine soul, had once used a divine spell¨Cdeath hunt. it was a killing move that could penetrate the soul but could not kill the dark valkyrie¡¯s life. it was needless for the orc chieftain¡¯s ferocity. one could not compare to the hunting of divine spells. on the other side, it had killed the orc chieftain. xina caught the weakness of the orc hero. it was fear exposure. ¡°slash!¡± a dazzling sword radiance slashed through the void. furious slash of the heavens. the orc hero hurriedly blocked with its blade. however, the terrifying power caused its weapon to fly out of its hand. by the time it wanted to save the situation, xina had already come for it. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the dragon-slaying sword swung down from above. her figure directly passed through the middle of the other party. the two halves of the body fell to the ground, one on each side. level 16 orc hero, dead. this scene was brutal and crazy. this fearless warrior had once again used the enemy¡¯s blood to prove its strength! she killed the last two orc heroes. the orc troop that could barely resist immediately fell into chaos. some of them went berserk and charged at the twilight city¡¯s troops, while others wanted to regroup with their companions and form a defense line again. the situation was out of control. a group of orcs without a commander faced a single, fierce, well-organized troop led by a mighty hero. even if they tried their best to resist, the outcome was a death struggle¡­ the resistance collapsed entirely when the twilight troops cleared more than half of the remaining orcs, and the system notification suddenly rang. [ding~ you have led a troop to attack orc city and achieved a glorious victory. obtained 200,000 experience points.¡± [ding~ your strength intimidated several orc warriors (326), and they wish to join you. do you accept?] it piqued richard¡¯s interest. the 200,000 experience points were a good reward. even more interesting was that a troop in the wild wanted to join him. it was the first time in a few months¡­ was this because of the king of the king of darkness¡¯s equipment set¡¯s special effect? or was it the effect of the leadership skill? or was it the effect of glorious rank? or was it the result of the sum of these few things? richard was in a good mood, so he agreed. the orcs that survived dropped their weapons and knelt before richard. ¡°respected expert, i¡¯m willing to submit to you¡­¡± ¡°please stop the attack. we surrender¡­¡± their pleads echoed in the air, in this way, the situation already under control no longer had accidents. the orcs chose to surrender after a while and gathered together and watched. richard was excited to see the first batch of surrendered orcs, but when he got off alves¡¯s back, he saw gunter and reported that he had found a few grace mainland lords. the news intrigued richard. ¡°players? ¡°what were these guys doing in orc city? was it a mission or a deal? ¡°bring them over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± gunter turned around and left. it brought three players with their wrists bound by chains back dejectedly. their expressions were a mix of joy and excitement when they saw richard. it is qingqiu¡­ he wanted to open the attribute panel to check the other party¡¯s attributes, but it said energy blocked it, and he could not detect it. they could only smile bitterly. the difference was too enormous. richard could not even see the attributes¡­ the player in the lead was the first to react. it took the initiative to speak after a deep breath. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­ we¡¯re on a mission, but we didn¡¯t expect you to attack these orcs.¡± ¡°if i knew, i wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved.¡± ¡°no, we didn¡¯t participate in the battle. we didn¡¯t help the orcs from the beginning to the end¡­¡± they¡¯d wanted to help at first, but when they realized it was richard who attacked, they gave up. the name ¡°shadow of the tree¡± and the status of the id ¡°qingqiu¡± in the hearts of the players was beyond richard¡¯s understanding. richard didn¡¯t comment. ¡°what quest are you here for?¡± the three players instantly panicked when they saw his emotionless gaze. qingqiu might have killed them even if they survive the battle¡­ they didn¡¯t believe in any gods, so they wouldn¡¯t be taken to the divine kingdom even if they died. they would die if they died. the leader of the players immediately said. ¡°boss qingqiu, we discovered this orc faction and wanted to gain some benefits from it. we have conquered them and done all kinds of missions¡­¡± the leading player¡¯s heart skipped a beat when it saw richard¡¯s frown. he didn¡¯t dare to speak any more nonsense. ¡°boss qingqiu, i have a vital piece of information¡­ i hope we can trade this information for our freedom. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°important news? tell me about it¡­¡± the player heaved a sigh of relief and immediately said. ¡°we helped the orcs get the sacred item of the vampire¡¯s castle¨Cthe blood coffin. ¡°blood coffin?¡± it piqued richard¡¯s interest. and he recalled the information he had gathered from the wolf riders¡­ the orcs had launched an attack on the vampire¡¯s castle ten days ago. ¡°what¡¯s the use of that treasure?¡± the player immediately heaved a sigh of relief when it saw his interest and answered. ¡°boss qingqiu, the blood coffin has been the research of the orc chieftain for the past few days. we do not know its use. ¡°but it¡¯s very likely that there¡¯s an archduke of the blood race sleeping in that blood coffin ¡­¡± ¡®the grand duke of the blood race?¡¯ richard perked up. Chapter 433 ¡°humans heavily stressed publicity on vampires because they fed on blood and had a good reputation in the ¡°shining era¡±. ¡°in addition, these dark life forms had highly soul-crushing battle abilities. it added some glorious-level qualities to them. ¡°however, it was relatively difficult to encounter vampires due to their small number. ¡°the title of a grand duke among vampires was not an ordinary title, but a real strength. !! ¡°only transcendent blood race men were qualified to be called grand dukes!¡± richard stared at the three players. it was like he tried to figure out something from their faces. he said word by word. ¡°is this information true?¡± the player replied immediately. ¡°boss qingqiu, it¡¯s true. we dare not lie to you! the blood coffin is in the orc chieftain¡¯s residence.¡± it piqued richard¡¯s zealousness. ¡°lead the way. i won¡¯t make things difficult for you if that is true.¡± the players heaved a sigh of relief after they got the promise. they were glad that this big shot was not a bloodthirsty person¡­ richard didn¡¯t realize that he¡¯d become a man of absolute power. he could send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine. power was a man¡¯s best coat. this saying had always been true. the coat he wore was already dazzling as the ruler of twilight city. in the future, it would even be as bright as the stars. they crossed several ruined streets under the lead of the three players. richard found the blood coffin in a half-collapsed building. the item was just like its name. the coffin was three meters long and seventy to eighty centimeters wide. its entire body was blood-red, and the light on it seemed to flow like human blood. it gave people a strong visual impact. richard opened the attribute panel with some profound thought. [blood coffin] [level: special] [attribute: a special treasure of the blood race. it can improve the quality of the blood when used to store fresh blood. the blood race can slowly increase strength when sleeping inside.] [description: do not open it, or you will encounter an unprecedented disaster.] this attribute¡­ no wonder it was said that there might be a vampire grand duke that sleeps inside. the description and characteristics all hint at the existence of the blood race. richard closed the panel and touched the blood coffin. he felt the cold touch, and his expression was strange. he had never thought he could obtain the blood race¡¯s treasure after he attacked the orc city. that was weird. the light on his body surged and slowly seeped into the blood-colored coffin. but something blocked the power in the next second. it couldn¡¯t penetrate the coffin. richard¡¯s brow furrowed. he carefully examined the blood coffin after a few fruitless attempts. in the end, he found the blood coffin had no cracks. it was a whole body, and he couldn¡¯t open it. he turned around and looked at the players. ¡°did you find anything unusual when you got the blood coffin?¡± ¡°no, after the orcs attacked the vampire¡¯s castle, it was like this when they carried the blood coffin out of their forbidden land.¡± ¡°then how can you be sure that the grand duke of the blood race is sleeping inside?¡± ¡°it was the vampire who told us. when we were on a mission in the vampire¡¯s castle, we accidentally heard that the other party¡¯s grand duke sleeps in the blood coffin. ¡°later, i found that my intimacy with those guys couldn¡¯t go up. i had to be a vampire if i wanted to continue to develop. ¡°but we don¡¯t want to be that thing, so we told the orcs about this¡­¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. it was indeed a player¡¯s style. ¡°what did the orc chieftain get from there?¡± ¡°no, he didn¡¯t get anything. he kept trying to open the blood coffin but failed in the end.¡± ¡°before this, the orc chieftain also gave us a b-rank mission to find a way to open the blood coffin.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but ponder. ¡®this blood coffin was a good thing. but he was sparingly hesitant about the possibility that the vampire grand duke hid inside. ¡®if a transcendent grand duke of the blood race was in a deep sleep, wouldn¡¯t that be equivalent to carrying a time bomb? ¡®but what if it weren¡¯t, there must be something good hidden inside. ¡®this thing was a reward for the capture of orc city. he would lose a lot of money if he gave it up¡­¡¯ richard pondered. then he slapped his head as if he had just remembered something. he almost forgot about the black gold system ¡­ he opened the black gold system. the information on the blood coffin immediately changed. [blood coffin] [the blood race grand duke is sleeping within it. nothing can awaken it for the time being.] [1. you can collect¨Choly water, the water of life, and light gems. kill the opponent.] [2. it can be placed in fresh blood, allowing it to drink to its heart¡¯s content and recover its strength.] ¡®it was honestly true! ¡®there was a grand duke vampire sleeping!¡¯ richard was surprised. this trip was not in vain¡­ richard was very interested in the two tips in those two days after he read the notifications twice. one was how to kill the other, and the other was to restore the other¡¯s strength. he had to choose one. ¡°it¡¯s a pity. it would be awesome if only there is a way to subdue the other party¡­¡± richard was a bit disappointed. he heaved a sigh of relief after he closed the attribute. it would be easy to handle as long as the grand duke did not wake up for the time being. he could bring it back and store it first. it had become meat on the anvil anyway, and there would be ways to deal with it in the future. the best way was to get a few more treasures similar to the dark contract and make the vampire grand duke know and sing ¡®conquer¡¯. richard¡¯s mood brightened at the thought. after telling his subordinates to take good care of the blood coffin. he looked at the three nervous players. ¡°where is the orc¡¯s treasure vault? do they still have anything valuable?¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, i know! i¡¯ll take you to¡­¡± ¡°alright, you guys take my troop to¡­¡± then he looked at xina and the dark valkyrie. ¡°you guys continue to guard this place and search for the spoils of war.¡± ¡°don¡¯t linger in battle if you encounter an undefeatable existence, retreat immediately.¡± then, he looked at the players. ¡°you can leave when i come back.¡± although the players wanted to leave right away, they didn¡¯t dare to say anything and immediately laughed in agreement. richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. he left most of his troops behind and left the orc city with six squads of stone statues of the dead and thirty skeleton blood dragons. the target was the white-tailed cat race. his three goals were to attack the orc city to fulfill his promise to [steamed bun lover], kill the wyverns to expand the number of skeleton blood dragons, and plunder the white-tailed cat race to develop his wine-making business. he only had one of the three left. the white-tailed cat race was about 30 kilometers away from the orc city. the journey might take a few hours on foot. but it was impossible to get there with the speed of flight. they arrived in about ten minutes at the location marked on the map by the white-tailed cats¨Ca spring water suitable for making wine. but richard noticed something wrong as soon as he arrived. there was no one in the small village below. the white-tailed cat race was already empty¡­ his eyes suddenly turned sharp. ¡°what was going on?¡± ¡®i attacked the orc city decisively, and the other side still heard about it?¡¯ it supremely displeased him. it would reduce his harvest by more than half if they truly escaped. ¡®when would the wine-making industry in twilight city begin?¡¯ he immediately flipped over after he let alves land and went to investigate personally. richard¡¯s sharp senses told him¡­ the food was still warm after he searched through the rooms. it immediately cheered him up. the white-tailed cat race had left not long ago. ¡°spread out immediately to search. we can¡¯t let the white-tailed cat race leave.¡± he had to find them quickly. he still had to go back and collect the spoils of war from the orcs. he had no time to waste. and the fat meat in their mouths, could they fly away? Chapter 434 the troop dispersed in all directions. they began to search for traces of the white-tailed cat race. the aerial units were fast, and flat plains surrounded them. richard thought they could track them down very quickly. but unexpectedly. the search area expanded from 10 kilometers to 20 kilometers and 30 kilometers in the last 50 kilometers. !! the white-tailed cat race seemed to have disappeared into thin air, and there was no trace of them. richard waited for news at the base of the white-tailed cat race and lost his thoughts. the fatty meat in his mouth flew away. they transferred together the old, weak, sick, and disabled since they left in a hurry. how could there be no traces left? he did a second search in the village as he thought. a detail made his heart skip a beat after he looked through most of the houses and buildings. they found many wine-making tools in the village but none good wine. there wasn¡¯t even a wine jar. ¡°those white-tailed cats left in a hurry. how could they have moved the brewed wine away so quickly? it¡¯s impossible to do it under ordinary circumstances¡­ ¡°they either have a spatial storage treasure or¡­ they aren¡¯t far. they hid on the spot.¡± the white-tailed cat race is the vassal of the orcs. the probability of precious spatial storage treasures is low. it¡¯s more likely they hid the wine. richard¡¯s thoughts got increasingly clear. ¡°since you can hide the wine, can you also hide the person?¡± ¡°no matter how fast the white-tailed cat race is, it¡¯s impossible for them to escape from the search of the flying units without leaving any traces¡­ the undead doesn¡¯t use their eyes to search.¡± richard looked around the village again for possible hiding spots and finally walked to the spring as he pondered. the spring pool was about 30 meters wide, and they built the surrounding area neatly. countless bubbles accompanied the water and gushed out. it was impossible to see the bottom of the lake. his heart moved when he saw this. the yellow sand light on his body surged and scattered toward the bottom of the pool. however, he felt unique energy that blocked his way just as his perception penetrated the water¡¯s surface for a few meters. his eyes immediately lit up. there was indeed a problem! richard didn¡¯t jump into the water when he sensed something wrong. alves silently followed them and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°lord, do you need me to go underwater?¡± he turned to look at the vast monster and shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. could this small pool hold you if you go down? richard waved his hand and told him to wait at the side. then, the sand on both sides of the stream flowed down from the spring water. it suddenly rose to the surface with a wave of his hand. a moment later, it condensed into a sandman over eight meters in size. ¡®plop!¡¯ the sandman stepped on the water and finally jumped into the spring after its formation. ¡®bang!¡¯ the water surface splashed up. the sandman didn¡¯t sink but stood in the lake. it was like it stepped on transparent glass. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the sandman bent down. its arms wriggled and formed a sharp awl. then, it plunged into the water. ¡®bang!¡¯ the waves on the water¡¯s surface splashed even more. the sandman was like a perpetual motion machine. it continuously attacked hundreds of times. finally, after it reached a limit¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ the crisp sound of porcelain breaking pierced through the water. richard¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately increased the sandman¡¯s strength. the next second, they heard a voice filled with fear. ¡°respected powerhouse, stop attacking. we¡¯ll come out now¡­ as expected, it was inside! richard laughed. the sandman floated up and left the water with a wave of his hand. a moment later. ¡®hulala!¡¯ bubbles appeared on the surface of the water, and a transparent ball slowly rose from the bottom of the water. what surprised richard was that he could see through the ball, and there seemed to be no one inside. however, he could vaguely see the light and shadow through the crack when the other side turned around, the transparent ball was only 10 meters in diameter. how could this thing hold so many people? richard watched as the ball rolled to the shore, where a small opening appeared. an old-looking cat with furry ears and a long white tail walked out. when richard appeared and the even more terrifying alves behind him, he subconsciously glanced at the eight-meter-tall sandman. its body stiffened on the spot. it couldn¡¯t suppress the shock in its heart even after taking a few deep breaths. finally, he stepped forward. it trembled and saluted richard in the most respectful way possible. ¡°respected powerhouse¡­ i, brook whitetail, extend my most respectful greetings to you.¡± richard nodded. ¡°your clansmen are all hiding inside? you¡¯re pretty smart.¡± the old-faced brook whitetail smiled wryly. richard would not have found it if it were truly smart. however, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything and responded carefully. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± richard looked at brook curiously. ¡°it took me less than half an hour to trample the orcs. you were tens of kilometers away. how did you get the news?¡± brook whitetail¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°you trampled the orcs flat?¡± brook felt increasingly uneasy. it said carefully. ¡°the chief once gave us a magic item. once one input magic power, the color of the magic item will change¡­ richard finally understood. this thing was not bad as a warning. brook asked in a low voice after it took a deep breath. ¡°my respected lord, the chieftain, it¡­¡± richard chuckled. ¡°your protector is me now. ¡°you could see its corpse, as for the orc chieftain, if you return with me now.¡± it still shocked brook to hear it from richard¡¯s mouth, although it had already guessed something went wrong with the orc city. how long had it been since such a powerful force had appeared? could it just disappear just like that? richard did not explain when he saw that brook was still in a daze. he looked at the transparent ball. ¡°ask your clansmen to come out.¡± brook¡¯s heart skipped a beat but did not refuse. it forced him to look more energetic and it slowly turned around. then, it whispered something to the door. the white-tailed cat race members came out uneasily after a while. the number of people by the spring exceeded 200 not long after. richard couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in wonder. could that ball be the glorious holy weapon? the motorcycle of india? he opened the attribute panel and checked them one by one. the attributes of these white-tailed cats were almost the same, but their race characteristics were very special¨Cthey were master winemakers. [master winemaker] [it has a special way of the materials used to make wine. it can make top-tier wine with a 50% increase in taste and a 50% decrease in the adverse effects of alcohol.] richard was excited. this race was good at making wine, as [steamed bun lover] said. ¡°how could it not be proficient? even its race¡¯s innate talent was like this. ¡°brook, where¡¯s the wine that your race brewed?¡± old-faced brook, as the leader of the white-tailed cats, knew better than anyone else that the uttermost thing to survive in this world was to have power. the white-tailed cat race did not have a strong power, so they could only rely on other forces. they had no choice now that the terrifying existence of the dragon slayed the orcs. as for loyalty to the orcs¡­ ¡°i¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no such thing between the extinction of a race and inheritance.¡± the white-tailed cat race had long used to rely on the mighty¡­ brook immediately adjusted its attitude and said respectfully, ¡°lord, there are still 50 jars of 100 kg in there. we brewed them before, but we haven¡¯t had time to send them to the orcs.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll get someone to get it for you immediately.¡± richard looked at brook with interest when he sensed the change in its attitude. ¡°bring me the best jar.¡± ¡°yes.¡± a moment later, two young white-tailed cats came out and carried a fat wooden bucket half the height of a man. they placed it in front of richard. richard skillfully opened the lid of the wooden barrel after he sought permission. the rich fragrance of fine wine hit his face in an instant. this smell was like the wind that blew in the wilderness, fresh and comfortable, unlike the pungent smell of ordinary alcohol. it was not an ordinary item. with some anticipation, he opened the system panel and the attributes of the wine immediately appeared. [white-tailed wine] [level: 4-stars] [taste: 90] [intensity: 52] [fragrance: 92] [special property: 1. after drinking, increases life recovery speed by 50%. duration: 30 minutes] [2. excessive consumption will not have any sequelae or adverse effects.] [description: a specialty of the white-tailed cat race. there¡¯s no other specialty other than this.] ¡°wow, it¡¯s a 4-stars wine.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the attributes of wine were different from weapons and equipment. however, the data looked very outstanding. and what satisfied him the most was the introduction at the back¨Cwhite-tailed unique brew, only one with no other branches. he was in a good mood as he looked at the nervous white-tailed cat race. this time, he had finally found a gigantic treasure. as long as they could manage it properly, these guys would be chickens that could lay golden eggs. Chapter 435 [steamed bun lover] looked at the harpie that panted at him and was supremely anxious. ¡°have you caught your breath? hurry up and release it if you¡¯re even! how far has boss qingqiu advanced? have you captured the city wall?¡± the enemy was so strong the battle between the two sides was supremely intense. the red-faced harpie took two deep breaths before it stammered. !! ¡°lord, it¡¯s, we captured it¡­¡± the bun lover¡¯s anxious heart finally relaxed a little. it was good to capture the city wall. the fact that they captured the city wall meant they had the initiative. the harpie finally calmed down a little before it could ask for more details and spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°we have taken down the orc city and killed the orc chieftain on the spot. we have annihilated the entire orc troops, and lord qingqiu searched for resources.¡± [steamed bun lover] looked at the other party with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°what¡¯s this? not to take down the city wall? to take down the orc city?¡± ¡°a level 17 orc chieftain¡­ someone killed it on the spot?¡± ¡°boss qingqiu already searched for supplies?¡± he looked at the harpie as he spoke with a face full of doubt. ¡°are you under the illusion of the forest sprites? someone, give him twenty slaps and wake him up¡­¡± the harpie immediately jumped up. ¡°lord! i¡¯m not under an illusion! i saw it with my own eyes. lord qingqiu summoned a monstrous sand wave and razed the orc city to the ground!¡± [steamed bun lover] was finally sure the harpie who had sent the message was not under the illusion after repeated explanations. but deep confusion and bewilderment shrouded his eyes when he returned to his senses¡­ ¡°how long has it been? excluding the time it took to travel back and forth, did it take half an hour?¡± that was orc city and a troop of over 10,000. they heavily guarded it and didn¡¯t even dare to face it! the orc chieftain was even level 17! he even had three level 16 hero supports¡­ ¡®it was captured just like that? who the hell would believe it? if it weren¡¯t his spy. the harpie immediately asked about the specific situation of the battle and vividly repeated the battlefield scene. what sand wave that swept everything. what dark valkyrie that slashed the orc chieftain¡­ the bun lover heard this and thought of the scenes he saw in the instance dungeon. in the end, they fell into a long silence. the emotions in his eyes were complicated and hard to understand. he sighed after a long time. ¡°the beast-eared girl i¡¯ve carefully recruited¡­ tell them to prepare and give them to boss qingqiu later.¡± ****** in the orc city, the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead carried the nervous white-tailed cat race and landed on the flooded square. from the moment he saw the city submerged in sand. the white-tailed cat race¡¯s original joy no longer existed. they trampled flat their protector. brook whitetail, the elder of the cat race, was the first to recover. it directed its race to stand organized and stop the trouble. their average level was only level 7 or 8. while they faced a terrifying existence that could flatten orc city, they would only be courting death if they made any moves. the white-tailed cat race relied on the strong to survive. since the orcs were already a thing of the past, and the human overlord valued them so much, it was no big deal for them to move to another place to live. the weak who could not decide their fate had no choice. they were used to such a life. richard was quite pleased with the leader¡¯s reaction. he turned around and went to the half-collapsed orc chief¡¯s mansion after he left a portion of the troop to guard the place. at the moment, the troop piled up the resources they had found in the open space. it was crystal clear. it dazzled and was quite eye-catching. the three players immediately became excited when they saw richard. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­¡± richard was amused. he asked after he pondered. ¡°where is the vampire¡¯s castle that the orcs attacked? are there any other treasures inside?¡± the leader of the players immediately said. ¡°the castle constantly declined because of the vampire grand duke¡¯s slumber. there are no valuable treasures inside other than the blood coffin. ¡°if not for this, we would not have turned to the orcs¡­¡± richard nodded. he was right. the players wouldn¡¯t sell the vampires so easily. ¡°share the map of that castle with me.¡± ¡°yes!¡± richard glanced at the location after the players shared the map. the other party was close to about 300 kilometers away from orc city¡­ eh? the ice empire? the bun lover was very narrow-minded about his surroundings and did not have information from so far away. he did not expect that he would come to the area of the ice empire. the ice empire was more than ten thousand miles away from the desert of death¡­ richard waved them off after he was sure he couldn¡¯t get anything useful from the players. the three players were immediately overjoyed. they rolled and crawled out of the ruins and ran faster than anyone. thousands of miles separated the two sides, not to mention the fulfilled promise. these weaklings did not affect him, and he was too lazy to do anything to them. richard waited another hour or so before the troop finished their search after the players disappeared. gunter reported. ¡°lord, we have accounted for the spoils of war.¡± ¡°speak,¡± he said. ¡°yes, we found a total of rare resources¨Ccrystals and gemstones. there are two piles in total, estimated to be about 20,000 units. the sand destroyed the warehouse for ordinary resources, and there was nothing to pick up. ¡°we found a total of rare-level troop-type lairs¨C20 orc warriors, ten orc archers, and five orc shield warriors. rare-level soldier-type lair¨C5 orc berserkers.¡± ¡°a full-body armor has been found on the orc chieftain. it is a 3-star treasure. it is currently damaged and can be handed over to miss adele to repair.¡± ¡°a 3-stars heavy sword.¡± ¡°we obtained a 3-stars staff from the orc shaman. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. resources were nothing to him, and a few 3-star treasures could not even pique his interest. only these troop lairs made him excited. it was the first time he seized so many soldier lairs after several battles. there were five rare ones, each worth five million resources. in addition, there were 35 rare rank ones¡­ there would be a total of eight of them, worth 40 million if they were used to synthesize rare-level ones. five rare ones remained. one could describe just this harvest alone as overwhelming. to capture a high-level city in the wild was simply too profitable. it made him think of his desert¡­ ¡°damn it, a barren land was a barren land. it seemed he had to find an opportunity to leave the desert of death and go outside to seek the autumn wind. this development was simply too cool. richard was in a good mood after he returned to his senses. this expedition had perfectly achieved the set goal. 1. complete the request of [steamed bun lover]. 2. hunt wyverns and expand the skeleton blood dragon. 3. conquer the white-tailed cat race. in addition to the established goal, the other gains were also particularly abundant. most importantly, it was the blood coffin in which the blood tribe grand duke was sleeping. this thing¡¯s value was immeasurable. if it was well-controlled, it could even enslave the other party¡­ it was a transcendent being. ¡°how much was this worth?¡± next was the harvest from the troop-type lairs. this thing could save him vast resources. this time, twilight city had a lot to eat. richard was in a good mood. ¡°gather the bodies of the wyverns. gunter, you will recruit the skeleton blood dragon!¡± this time, he had brought gunter and let gray stay behind to take care of recruiting skeletons. as long as one would give the corpse of a dragon, this blood lich could produce a top-tier crown 1-star soldier. Chapter 436 gunter immediately ordered the troops to gather all the wyverns killed after it received the order. renee took the stone statue of the dead and killed wyverns because of richard¡¯s special instructions before the battle. in the end, not many left the orc city alive. they piled the bodies on the sand. richard looked at the orcs who had surrendered to him. !! the number of people in the three squadrons, and all of them had rare potential¡­ even rare-level troops couldn¡¯t last until the last moment. however, these majestic warriors seemed to have overindulged themselves because the berserk state had ended. their faces were pale, and some could not even stand steadily. the orcs¡¯ berserk state could enormously increase their attributes, and their power was well-known. however, the side effects of the enhancement were also distinct and caused them to be in a weak state for more than ten hours. richard couldn¡¯t help but frown. he began to consider whether he should accept them after the excitement of the soldiers to join him had passed. orcs were normal lifeforms. and they were utterly different from the twilight city troops. moreover, these mighty soldiers needed food and water. it could cost them half their lives if they were to fight in the desert. they could only use it to defend the city. and it was useless. more importantly, it would have a fatal impact on their morale if they mixed these soldiers with mummies. no ordinary living being would want to be with the undead all day long. the orcs were not soldiers of the desert camp. so they couldn¡¯t accept mummies. they could not hide their fear when they looked at the twilight city troops. richard said while he rubbed his chin. ¡°i was happy for nothing. although orcs aren¡¯t weak, the eggs are useless when we bring them back. it¡¯s also a waste of food. ¡°[steamed bun lover]¡­ i am thinking if you¡¯re interested in recruiting these troops to do business with them.¡± ¡°three squadrons of rare troops should be worth a lot of money. that guy got the seeds of the world tree, so he should have several good things hidden¡­ ¡°after all, the harpies belonged to the nature camp. although they were not on the same front as the orc tribe, it would not lower their morale.¡± richard did a quick check on the orcs¡¯ stats. it was a pity that there were no heroic units, or he could sell them for a higher price. the orc soldiers looked at richard with pleading and apprehensive eyes. the only person who could decide their fate on this land now was this heroic and extraordinary human lord. richard couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything to these people who couldn¡¯t stand still. he just looked at his loot excitedly. he thought he finally had someone to rely on. it would be great if he could attract some powerful heroes¡­ gunter reported that he was ready to explode after a round of inspection. they gathered most of the wyvern corpses, other than a small portion that the sun buried. there was a large group of thousands of them with a rough estimate. they piled up the square, which was half-buried by the sand. richard looked forward to it. it had been too long since the skeleton blood dragon had increased. in other words, there were too few troops with dragon blood, so few that he could not find a suitable target even if he wanted to hunt. gunter walked to the vast pile of corpses after richard permitted it. the blood-colored bandages on his body slowly glowed with a crimson light. the crimson light seemed alive and directly enveloped all the wyvern corpses. it was like ice and snow that met the blazing sun when the corpse came into contact with the crimson light. it began to melt rapidly. they turned into balls of blood-colored energy and floated in the air. it formed a blood river not long after. the thick smell of blood assaulted his nose and stimulated his sense of smell. the blood river gradually became majestic. the light on gunter¡¯s body reflected the light and grew increasingly bright. it quickly spread out when it reached a limit. a blood-colored mist covered the entire orc city in two to three minutes. one could see from the sky blood-colored energy rose from the sand and ruins of buildings. the soldiers buried in the sand couldn¡¯t escape the fate of turning into blood-colored energy. the corpses on the ground gradually distorted as a large amount of energy gushed. it was like the wind dried them for decades or even centuries. his ferocious and terrifying appearance would give one a nightmare. no more blood-colored energy seeped out of the ground ten minutes later. gunter noticed this and slowly pressed down in both directions. the blood river in the sky was like a vast wave and poured into the wyvern¡¯s broken corpse. under everyone¡¯s gaze. the corpse of the wyverns, left with only a pale skeleton, slowly became crystal clear like a ruby. and its aura began to rise. the world became distinct again when the corpse absorbed all of the blood-colored energy in the sky. the soul fire in gunter¡¯s head exploded. the next moment. ¡®whoos!¡¯ all the wyvern corpses¡¯ heads suddenly lit up with a dark blue soul fire. ¡®roar!¡¯ the dead body, which was still, suddenly twisted and struggled. and a series of deep roars that sent chills down people¡¯s spines echoed through the sky. it gave birth to the skeleton blood dragon. they spread out their broken dragon wings after these newly born crown soldiers got up. ¡®hu!¡¯ they spread their wings and flew. it covered the sky in an instant. [ding~ your subordinate gunter has recruited 120 skeleton blood dragons (crown1 star, newborn level: 10) from the wyvern corpse.] it pleasantly surprised richard. according to ancient practice, it takes more than ten dragon-blood creatures to recruit a skeleton blood dragon. richard thought it would be good enough if there were seven or eight teams, but he didn¡¯t expect there to be so many more. the bodies buried under the sand were quite functional. as a result, the number of skeleton blood dragons in his hands increased from the initial three teams to 15. it was a crown 1-star troop level, not a weakling! moreover, alves, a soldier with the elegy death medal, was the commander and the title of king of gladiator. these powerful troops would become the nightmare of all enemies with additional characteristics. he looked at the skeleton blood dragon that almost blocked out the light in the sky. richard was in a good mood. the higher the rank of the troop level, the more resources they needed to recruit. putting everything else aside, with so many crown troops, how many resources could he save? a few hundred meters away from the orc city, [steamed bun lover] rushed over and happened to see the scene of the undead dragons that soared into the sky. it instantly shocked the bun lover. he clearly remembered that there were only a few dozen undead giant dragons before, but now they covered the sky. he immediately thought of the central point, the undead recruitment spell. so this was how the lord formed the twilight city troops¡­ no wonder it was so powerful. envy shrouded his heart. ¡°f*ck, the undead were indeed a perverted race. such a way of sending out troops simply made people envious.¡± [steamed bun lover] let the harpie troop stay outside after he sent someone to report and waited for a reply, while he entered the orc city with two small teams of guards. the scenes on the ground came into view as he got closer. the vast yellow sand had swallowed up the original city wall. only two arrow towers stood alone on the vast ground, but they were only four to five meters above the ground. it also destroyed most of the buildings in the war that the sand did not bury. it reduced the ruins of the city that one could call a prosperous town in the past. to witness all of this with their own eyes, though mentally prepared, still gave [steamed bun lover] a vast psychological impact. the bun lover recalled the powerlessness he felt when he discovered the orc city when he came to investigate. he sighed. the bun lover landed on the square under the guidance of the stone statue of the dead. he got down from the horned eagle and immediately saw richard¡¯s aura. he went up to him excitedly. ¡°boss qingqiu boss¡­ bull nose!¡± ¡°your troops annihilated the orcs just like that! you are my god!¡± i¡¯d even be willing to offer my chrysanthemums to you if i didn¡¯t like women¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he cast a disdainful glance at the man. ¡°get lost, don¡¯t disgust me.¡± [steamed bun lover] chuckled and didn¡¯t seem to mind. he sighed in admiration after he gazed around and saw the moans of the white-tailed cat race. it had only been a short while, and richard had solved everything. the bun lover raised his head and looked at the sky. the sun sets in the west, but some distance was there before setting. the other party said they would flatten the orc city before dark and return to see the beast-eared girls dance. they could bring forward the matter. what a pervert¡­ it was indeed a fitting scene to have guan yu kill hua xiong with warm wine in ancient times and see through his clothes at sunset in qingqiu. richard stared at this guy that gazed around with shifty eyes and gestured to the orc over there. ¡°do you see those orcs?¡± the bun lover was stunned for a moment and did not understand what he meant. ¡°you saw it? isn¡¯t this your captive?¡± richard chuckled. ¡°orcs are not suitable for twilight city.¡± the bun lover¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up when he heard this. ¡°boss, you, you mean¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. i¡¯m selling these to you.¡± tears shrouded the bun lover¡¯s eyes. ¡°boss, there¡¯s no need for a deal between us. i¡¯ve wandered for half my life and only hate that i haven¡¯t met a wise master. if you don¡¯t mind, i¡¯m willing to be your godfather¡­ Chapter 437 in the end, richard didn¡¯t let go of the unfilial [steamed bun lover.] however, he didn¡¯t take the orcs with him. he gave them all to the bun lover. he had obtained the seed of the world tree last time. he also gained several benefits from the battle with the orcs this time. he didn¡¯t want to get entangled with these troops that didn¡¯t suit twilight city. however, the bun lover was also a stubborn person. since richard could not acknowledge him as his godfather, he still gave him two teleportation scrolls. this sparingly embarrassed richard. he gained too much from this guy, but he didn¡¯t refuse and accepted the scroll with a smile. !! ¡°this guy is also not bad. i can make more friends in the future. it¡¯s a long journey, and who knows what will happen in the future?¡± the other party could get the seed of the world tree from the beginning. [steamed bun lover] luck was good, and he might surprise him at any time. [where¡¯s your italian f*cking italian cannon] was a good example. richard didn¡¯t stay in the orc city for long. he took all the loot and returned to twilight city. the bun lover felt a great sense of regret. he¡¯d had the beast-eared girls prepare a dress-up dance for richard. and it ruined his initial plan to give richard the few beast-eared girls. richard gave a few more instructions before he crossed the portal. he asked [steamed bun lover] to help him gather information about the vampire¡¯s castle, which might come in handy in the future. the blood coffin in which the blood race grand duke slept was still in his hands. he would pull it out of its coffin in the future, although he has no deal with the boss inside now. the bun lover promised happily. he was delighted to ride on richard¡¯s cape tail. [steamed bun lover] had seen the true power of the twilight city after he took over the orc city with ease, and his desire to ride on its cape tails was unshakeable. when the last skeleton blood dragon folded its wings and passed through the space gate, ¡®crack!¡¯ the space in front of him suddenly shattered and then returned to usual. only the bun lovers and the harpies remained in the city ruins. the harpie hero said in a low voice as richard disappeared. ¡°my lord, lord qingqiu has already eliminated the main force of the orcs, but there are still several soldiers outside. we still need to be careful. passion shrouded its eyes as it spoke. ¡°without the threat of the orcs, it¡¯s time for us to develop quickly.¡± the bun lover harshly smiled when he heard this. ¡°be careful?¡± richard dealt with the main force and left only the defeated. he could not be careless. the difference¡­ he shook his head and was too lazy to think about it. to compare himself to richard was simply asking for unhappiness. what qualifications did he have? even tens of billions of people couldn¡¯t compare to richard. he gritted his teeth and made up his mind. ¡°we eliminate the threat of the orcs as soon as possible. we can¡¯t even do such a small thing when boss qingqiu asks us next time! ¡°immediately send people to search for information about the vampire¡¯s castle!¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± the land of quicksand. richard had smiled ever since he returned from the orc city. this time, he not only fulfilled his promise to [steamed bun lover], but the profit was also so great that it surprised him. he was more than happy to have similar activities in the future. he buried the blood coffin where the blood race grand duke slept under the roots of god¡¯s ancient tree. let this boss protect them. there was a massive space under the god¡¯s ancient tree. magical plants that richard had acquired from the underground world filled it. the plants in the underworld didn¡¯t like light. and there was no place to grow them in twilight city, so he had just left them in the land of quicksand. there were also magic plants that could create ice. his initial plan was to preserve the corpses of the heroes that the god¡¯s ancient tree slaughtered and use them to recruit the blood mummies in the future. maybe, there would be a hero. in addition to the four orc hero corpses they brought back this time, there were more than 20 corpses in the storage. now, it could fully use to place the blood coffin. moreover, with this boss guarding it, the blood coffin would be safer than it was in twilight city. richard asked the heroes to return to twilight city with their troops after he settled everything, and he called for the void sandworm. this 30-meter-long ¡°little guy¡± was like a mountain that lay on the sand, full of oppression. dark golden runes covered its body and made it look extraordinary. richard pressed a hand on the worm¡¯s mouth. light began to emanate from his body, and his psychic energy began to link up with the worm¡¯s soul. the gains from this expedition had given him a new idea¨Cto continue the hunt for powerful forces. the desert of death was too barren, and he had to think of a way. however, the difficulty of this idea was the distance. the desert of death was so vast. he couldn¡¯t spend half a month to a month on the road, right? it would be of great help to the development of twilight city if the void sandworm could solve this problem. the spiritual transmission¡­ could he open the spatial rift in the primary plane if he had detailed coordinates? the void sandworm¡¯s response surprised him. it could open a spatial rift no matter where it was as long as it had the coordinates. however, richard was a little regretful. the void sandworm was still in its infant stage, so opening a spatial rift was massive for it. moreover, due to the restrictions of the perfect rules of the primary plane, the energy required to maintain the spatial rift was several times more than that of the other planes. therefore, he still couldn¡¯t do what he wanted¨Cto go wherever he wanted. richard was sparingly disappointed. just because he couldn¡¯t do it now didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t do it in the future. when the void sandworm matured, it would often leave the desert of death to hunt. it would no longer be an illusory dream. he felt that the void sandworm¡¯s value was limitless after the battle with the orcs. long-distance travel had always been a big problem because the ¡°shining era¡± was so huge that it was borderless. otherwise, he would not have placed so much importance on the development of the flying troops. it could maintain the spatial rift for a long time if the void sandworm reached adulthood. therefore, its value was strategic. it was no wonder the president of the scarlet council, the big boss who rubbed the plane with his bare hands, repeatedly warned that the void sandworm had unlimited potential. it was a pity that he had only gotten one. wouldn¡¯t he be able to go wherever he wanted in the entire ¡°shining era¡±? he glanced at the remaining ordinary sandworms with a bit of regret. however, these big guys were also helpful. it was like a mechanical transportation workshop which they did not build. it would be a good thing to let these sandworms pull the carriage. richard decided to return to twilight city after he pondered. at this moment, the two-way portal in the land of quicksand connected to the underground world flickered, and a blood-colored mummy appeared in their sight. its empty eyes scanned the surroundings. it immediately stepped forward and saluted when it sensed the lord¡¯s aura. ¡°great lord, news from bloodhoof city¡­¡± it presented a sealed letter with both hands as it spoke. richard raised an eyebrow. he had planned to attack the underground world after they slaughtered the orcs, and now they had sent a letter. he reached out to take it and opened it. he was sparingly surprised after he pondered. the letter said that the gray-colored dwarves had gathered all their troops and marched toward bloodhoof city. they will arrive at bloodhoof city on the 6th of september. the final battle will begin. this battle would determine the ownership of the underground world. richard sighed. the underground world was finally coming to an end. although twilight city did not involve with it for a long time¡­ however, it also affected the situation in the underground world. the enemies could have destroyed bloodhoof city long ago if not for twilight city. it was also because of him that the war had lasted until now. after the last time the duergar had used a trick to kill him, he had long been unable to hold back his inner desire. he could not resist to unify the underground world and become the only overlord. richard kept the letter and returned to twilight city. he immediately summoned the level 12 gray-colored dwarf alchemist, brown. the alchemist he snatched from the underground world had now utterly submitted. even the most unyielding character could not hold on for too long with the support of the high people¡¯s hearts. this assimilation ability toward new members was hard for outsiders to imagine. brown, whose arms are as short as a bean sprout and disabled, saluted richard with great respect when it saw him. ¡°lord.¡± respect shrouded its face from the bottom of its heart. it was no longer as unwilling as it was when richard first brought it to twilight city. richard looked at the hero in charge of alchemy-related work in twilight city and nodded slightly. ¡°you¡¯ve done a good job during this time. you didn¡¯t let me down.¡± then, he repeated the changes in the underground world and said, ¡°now, we¡¯re going to attack the duergar. do you have any suggestions?¡± brown was so excited that he couldn¡¯t control himself when it heard this. the alchemist had fantasized countless times that one day it could kill its way back and ruthlessly step on the current duegar chieftain who drove it out from the primary city. now, the opportunity had finally come. it couldn¡¯t suppress the excitement in its heart even after it took a few deep breaths. finally, the alchemist spoke in a deep voice after it pondered. ¡°lord, i have a question to ask you.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°speak,¡± he said. ¡°do you plan to focus on alchemy?¡± the gray-colored dwarf, who had always been careful, straightened its back and appeared determined. its temperament was completely different from before. richard shook his head without hesitation. ¡°no, alchemy technology is only a supplement to the defensive forces of twilight city. we will not invest several resources into it in the future.¡± the twilight city was not a fortress faction, and no matter how much they invested in alchemy, it would be difficult to compare with the races that focused on alchemy. he had a clear mind, and that was because it took a fancy to the power of the alchemy cannons. he had never thought of changing the development path of twilight city. brown nodded and had an idea. ¡°then i suggest you send your troops this time if you do not plan to focus on alchemy to occupy the primary city of the gray-colored dwarves and control their original production tools. ¡°at the same time, conquer the other duergar and make them work for us.¡± its gaze became more serious as brown said that. ¡°not only that. you should also transfer the alchemy department of twilight city to the underworld. ¡°alchemy technology requires a massive investment of resources. ¡°land, resources, population, treasures, and so on.¡± ¡°the later stages, the greater the investment needed. ¡°the alchemy technology we have now is only superficial. it will be obsolete in the future as twilight city progresses. ¡°so, since we don¡¯t plan to invest much money, we¡¯ll move this technology out of twilight city. ¡°the underground world has a perfect alchemy technology system. ¡°to use the original foundation of the gray-colored dwarves to develop is countless times better than to build from scratch.¡± fanaticism filled its eyes with fanaticism as it said it. ¡°as long as the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ forces are utterly integrated and the divided gray-colored dwarves are all devoted to the research of alchemy technology, i can guarantee with my life that you will be satisfied with the results. ¡°in the future, we can use the underworld as-weapon factory. we don¡¯t need to invest any additional resources, and we can continuously provide twilight city with the resources needed for war, be it alchemy cannons or alchemy bombs.¡± richard gave brown a deep look. he would integrate the original forces of the gray-colored dwarves and develop alchemy technology with all his might. he would no longer need the resources of twilight city, and the entire underworld would become the weapons factory of the city. the alchemist opened up richard¡¯s mind. and he had to admit that these words moved him. his initial plan was to let the underworld provide all kinds of weapons and resources for twilight city, which would become his resource warehouse. now, twilight city would only benefit¡­ if he could add the alchemy technology. they could no longer use the resources of the underground world for fighting after the war ended. they would use them for development. the result would be different. Chapter 438 richard had a better idea of the underground world¡¯s location after his conversation with brown. it had to be said. this gray-colored dwarf was indeed smart enough. its advice was valuable after he considered it for the sake of twilight city. since the gray-colored dwarves developed in the underground world for many years and laid a solid foundation for alchemy, they could reach a higher level with a straw of support. !! the gray-colored dwarves would develop their alchemy technology and provide enough alchemy bombs and cannons for twilight city. they would allow other races to produce ordinary weapons and provide materials for the foreign trade of twilight city. walking on two legs was right. he could lead the land with millions of intelligent lives and develop in the direction he wanted as long as he controlled the underground world. it was a safe and stable territory, a golden land that could continuously support twilight city. it was his precise location of the underground world. there might be a lot of trouble in the process. however, the military power of twilight city was no longer the same as before. force could still crush it no matter how big the obstacle was. brown excitedly left after it received his affirmative reply. next, the gray-colored dwarf alchemist would go to war with the troop. this time, he would take revenge on the enemy who had trampled on him before as a king! brown was determined. the gray-colored dwarves should belong to twilight city, and they could only have a better future by relying on their great lord. what it saw and heard in twilight city had long been convinced the alchemist. it would remember the scene of its resurrection in the instance dungeon and when it stood firm against the attacks of all kinds of terrifying monsters. such a lord could lead the gray-colored dwarves to glory. richard returned to his senses a long time after brown left. he opened the lair panel and pondered as if he remembered something. he had not found a suitable unit to fuse after he used the fusion crystal to create a powerful and fierce stone statue of the dead last time. the remaining troops each had their strengths and weaknesses. he was not satisfied no matter how he fused. he decided to put it on hold after some thought. a treasure like the fusion crystal would lose with every use. he would rather wait for a while than waste it. his eyes still gathered on the stone statue of the dead after he pondered for a long time. he might increase the number of dead stone statues of the dead since there were no suitable ones. currently, there is still nine rare axe of the dead soldier-type lairs. he could fully equip it with nine more dark gargoyle lairs. it had been a while since he had purchased a new base for soldiers. first, the current military power of the city was enough to deal with the current situation. secondly, a high-level military base consumed too many resources, so he had no choice but to put off the idea of mass-producing troops. he couldn¡¯t afford it. richard opened the [trading forum] without hesitation. search, [dark gargoyle troop lair] the next moment, many options appeared. [dark gargoyle, rare 3-stars, price, 2.7 million stone] [dark gargoyle, rare 3-stars, price, 2.3 million wood] ****** the price of the dark gargoyle was unexpected. it was more than two million resources. richard looked at the resources left with only a little over 6 million, and his mouth twitched. he would die of poverty one day. his eyes lit up after some thought. he had just snatched dozens of soldier lairs from the orcs¡­ five rare, 35 rare. couldn¡¯t he buy it if he sold the spoils of war? he checked the price first. open the orc troop lair, filter, rare. immediately, several troop lairs appeared. [orc wolf rider, rare 3-stars, price 4.2 million wood] [orc berserker, rare 3-stars, price 3.1 million gold coins] ****** to richard¡¯s surprise, rare-tier orc lairs cost more than three million units of resources. it was much higher than the dark gargoyles of the same level. what was the reason? he searched for similar news on the [forum chat] with some curiosity. he had an idea after he read a few posts. generally speaking, the higher the number of players in a faction or race, the higher the price of the corresponding weapons and troop lairs are because the demand is high. one could not sell them for a high price because there were few players, although the attributes of the lairs of some races were high. the players weren¡¯t fools. after a few months of exploration, they knew the relationship between the troops and the races. to rashly use the troops of other races would often cause a drop in morale and even affect each other¡¯s battle power. hence, the troops purchased were mainly from the same faction. most of richard¡¯s desert soldiers or dark gargoyles had no morale. he didn¡¯t even want the surrendered orcs. richard chuckled. he hung up all the orc troops he had. there were 35 rare ones, each sold for 200,000 units of resources. there were five rare ones, each sold for 3 million. there was only a difference of one level between rare and rare. but the current price was as different as the sky and the earth. almost all the players already had rare military types, but they were still exclusive to the top players. what made him feel pity was that after he upgraded the troop-type lair with the black gold system, it would be bound to him, and one could not sell or give. otherwise, he could buy a low-level troop-type lair at a low price and synthesize it into a high-level troop-type to sell. the price difference would make him rich. he would sell the dozens of lairs in less than 10 minutes as the price was slightly lower than the market. Chapter 439 after two instance dungeons and several months of development¡­ the players already had a certain level of strength. unlike before, when they were all poor. not only twilight city developed, but all the players also grew. it sold thirty-five rare troop lairs for 7 million resources. richard sold five rare ones for 15 million, a total of 22 million. !! the dark gargoyle lair¡¯s average price was 2.4 million, and richard had spent 21.6 million on nine of them. it was just enough. he sighed with emotion when he saw that the resources obtained cleared out again. one should not easily spend money. fortunately, the dark gargoyles were not that popular, or the cost would be even higher. there was no way to synthesize this thing. the lowest level was rare. and it could combine with a lower level. he did not ponder about it. his mood improved after he held the nine dark gargoyles in his hands. it meant he could now synthesize nine stone statues of the dead. there were 11, in addition to the original two. the production of stone statues of the dead was 10 per week, which meant he could recruit 11 teams every week. this was not a small amount. however, just as he was about to fuse them, he was shocked to find that¡­ failed. [ding~ fusion failed. please upgrade the dark gargoyle and the undead troop lair to glorious-level.] was it because the previous fusion of military professions was glorious, and the future fusion of military professions had to reach this level before one could fuse them? why didn¡¯t you say so earlier ¡­ richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he has to upgrade all 18 troop lairs to glorious¡­ each required 5 million in resources. so that would be 90 million in total. he felt his mouth go dry when he thought of the number. that was too much. twilight city could not produce 90 million units even if they squeezed themselves dry. no, he had to let the white-tailed cats make wine and take over the underground world. twilight city would be poor to death if this continued. and this was only at the glorious tiers. in the future, when the glorious tiers advanced to the crown tiers, each would cost 50 million resources¡­ richard¡¯s heart trembled at the thought. he immediately asked someone to summon the elder of the white-tailed cat race after he returned to his senses. he had no choice but to earn money. at this moment, the white-tailed cats who had not settled looked at the strange city with joy and curiosity. all the white-tailed cats had lost hope before they came to twilight city. they all believed this was a city under the jurisdiction of the human lord who led the undead troops. it must be an evil place full of corpses, dangers, and no life. however, their conjecture that not even a blade of grass would grow and the other conjectures were the opposite. it was a city where several ordinary humans lived. what surprised them was that the residents here had nothing to do with the slavery and oppression they had imagined. a smile from the bottom of their hearts shrouded everyone¡¯s face. even when they saw these races, the human residents didn¡¯t show signs of rejection. on the contrary, they were extremely friendly. at first, they thought that this was just an illusion to confuse them. however, when they smelled the goodwill and sincerity from the other party, they were all at a loss. why did a city with undead soldiers have such a lively atmosphere? they really couldn¡¯t figure it out. one could not see such a scene even in a bustling orc city. they couldn¡¯t find beggars and starved people present everywhere, here. furthermore, the city was clean. the passing residents would remind their companions who spat on them to be hygienic and ethical and to strive to be outstanding residents of twilight city. it would be unremarkable if it were just one person, but all of them¡­ all the white-tailed cats were at a loss for words and at a loss about this strange city. it didn¡¯t know what kind of mood it should face. as an elder, brook whitetail¡¯s expression became even more complicated when he heard richard¡¯s call. to avoid trouble, he specifically told its soldiers not to cause trouble. it hurriedly followed the messenger to the lord¡¯s mansion after it adjusted its mood. however, for some reason, the fear it had for this strange city disappeared for half a year after it saw the unbelievably kind atmosphere. what replaced it was a strong sense of curiosity. richard thought he saw an old cat as he watched wrinkled and aged brook whitetail. speaking of which, didn¡¯t the white-tailed cat race have a beast-eared lady? why did he have to go to the territory of that bun lover to watch the dress dance¡­ brook respectfully said after it bowed. ¡°my lord, brook will listen to your orders. may i know what you need us to do?¡­¡± richard¡¯s sharp senses picked up the change in the man¡¯s tone. in his heart, he was shocked. the high and mighty people were indeed overbearing. it had only been a short while, and he had already affected the other party. ¡°brook, you should know why i¡¯m bringing you back to twilight city,¡± brook took a deep breath. ¡°my lord, please explain.¡± richard glared at him. ¡°then i¡¯ll tell you my arrangements for you.¡± ¡°i brought you back to twilight city instead of killing you on the spot like the other orcs, is that you are more valuable than the entire orc city and the tens of thousands of orcs in my heart.¡± ¡°your potential is limitless.¡± brook couldn¡¯t believe it. he was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. what was the status of the white-tailed cat race among the orcs? the sheltered, the enslaved, and the ruled needed to turn into the labor tools of wine. Chapter 440 even a slight delay would result in abuse and punishment. in serious cases, it would even order execution not to mention they might even be executed not to mention being ignored and unvalued. the white-tailed cat race had always lived in fear. now, the lord who had easily annihilated the orcs and killed the level 17 orc chieftain was telling him in such a serious manner that their value was higher than all the other orcs combined. it was difficult for outsiders to understand the feeling of being recognized. !! even a simple compliment would be enough to excite anyone with richard¡¯s status. the influence of a superior was nothing more than this. brook said in a trembling voice as it tried to suppress its excitement. ¡°my lord, you¡¯re too kind. the white-tailed cat race can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°if i say you can, then you can!¡± richard¡¯s tone was unquestionable. ¡°just because the orc chieftain didn¡¯t make use of you doesn¡¯t mean that twilight city doesn¡¯t see your value. ¡°from today onwards, you belong to twilight city. ¡°i will give you unprecedented treatment. ¡°we¡¯ll give you resources and talents. i will give you first all the resources of twilight city as long as it¡¯s within a reasonable range. ¡°i only have one request. bring out your best craftsmanship and produce the best wine for me. ¡°i will give you everything you want, identity, status, wealth, courtesy, everything as long as you can show enough value.¡± these words made brook¡¯s face turn red with excitement. richard would give the white-tailed cat whatever it wanted! it had lived for decades, but this was the first time it had heard such comforting words. brook would have developed a better wine long ago if the orc chieftain had such courage. it looked at the charming figure in front of it and felt it was lucky twilight city captured it. brook answered as loudly as it could with a red face. ¡°my lord, our white-tail wine is the best wine. it won¡¯t disappoint you! ¡°it¡¯s not just the white-tailed wine. in the future, you¡¯ll have to develop even better wine. ¡°you¡¯ll be critical in twilight city in the future! ¡°the white-tailed cat race will fulfill your will!!!¡± richard rose to his feet and patted the cat on the shoulder. ¡°very good. this is the kind of momentum i want. ¡°from today onwards, you¡¯ll be in charge of the wine workshop in twilight city. i will allocate the resources you require as soon as possible. i want to see a satisfactory output in half a month.¡± brook was so excited that it couldn¡¯t help but leave the mansion after a round of encouragement. brook realized richard had convinced it quickly when it stepped out of the door. it even thought about to produce better wine for twilight city¡­ its face revealed a bit of admiration as its points reached this point. the lord was worth following. his mood immediately improved when he thought of the promise that the other party had just given him. the feeling of being valued by others was enormous. was his white-tailed cat race finally going to step onto the center stage? he had to seize this opportunity! the uneasiness on their faces immediately disappeared when the other members of the white-tailed cat race saw brook¡¯s return one by one, they asked anxiously. ¡°elder brook, did the other party make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°elder, what did the lord say? how are you going to arrange us?¡± ¡°you¡¯re not hurt. are you?¡­¡± questions flooded brook. the chaotic voices made brook frown. it berated angrily. ¡°shut up! what nonsense are you saying?! how could the great lord make things difficult for me? ¡°you can¡¯t imagine how wise and powerful the lord is. ¡°now, the white-tailed cat race has officially become a member of twilight city. in the future, no one is allowed to have any disloyal thoughts! it will be our home! ¡°in the future, i will punish anyone i hear say anything bad about the lord!¡± it confused the white-tailed cats when they heard this. the atmosphere became very strange. many people opened their mouths but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°elder brook, that¡¯s not what you said when you left. ¡°what kind of magic did the lord have? why did you change your mind so much? Chapter 441 richard pondered and called for karu not long after brown left. he had to watch out for something as important as fully developing the wine-making project. he couldn¡¯t put his energy into this, and he still had to let the administrative power of twilight city take up the responsibility. it had always been the case for twilight city. !! he was in charge of setting the general direction, while administrative staff like butler karu were in the specific implementation. richard solemnly advised after he explained the arrangements for the white-tailed cat race in detail, ¡°the white-tailed cat race will become an important force for us to earn resources. we must treat this seriously.¡± he gestured for the other party to look at the jar of whitetail wine placed on the long table as soon as he finished speaking. it is a wine unique to the white-tailed cat race, and its quality is as high as 4-stars. each weighed more than a hundred kilograms. and they obtained a total of 50 jars. he had been in a hurry before and hadn¡¯t had the time to taste it. richard deeply thought, then stood up and poured himself and karu a glass of wine with the tools the maid had prepared. butler karu received it with both hands. his face flushed with excitement. what kind of glory was a lord personally to pour over a wine? he was the first one in the vast twilight city. a strong sense of glory welled up in his heart. then, he slowly drank the wine in the cup. it was like he was on a pilgrimage. richard chuckled. karu¡¯s achievements were worthy of this glass of wine. he picked up the transparent wine glass and probed. the whitetail ultimate brew was not turbid at all. it was clear and glimmered like the stars in the sky. it was full of charm. it was a mark of visual impact. he placed it near his nose and sniffed it lightly. a unique and rich fragrance assailed his nose. it wasn¡¯t as acrid as ordinary alcohol but had a supremely captivating fragrance. it was like one stood under a tree by the lake in a hot summer, and the cool breeze brushed past one¡¯s face. his entire body relaxed. it was a mark of sensual smell. he placed it by his mouth and took a sip. the wine entered his mouth. an indescribable, luring taste bloomed in his taste buds. not only was it not as acrid as other spirits, but it also gave people a refreshed and wonderful feeling. it was like they floated with the breeze. it was a mark of enticing taste. ¡®gulp!¡¯ the mark of joyous swallow. warm energy flowed from his stomach to his limbs. his fatigue began to recover quickly, and he was full of energy. richard¡¯s eyes opened after a long while. the marks amazed him as he gazed at the cup¡¯s content. the best wine was indeed the best wine. this taste, this fragrance, this feeling of drinking it¡­ absolutely! he had drunk a lot of wine on planet blue. but compared to the whitetail wine, it was like washing a pot of water. the transcendent world¡¯s production was simply overwhelming. he finally knew why the bun lover overly admired the white-tailed cat race. it could kill any wine in seconds if one lay down this thing on planet blue. karu snapped out of his daze and turned to richard with excitement. ¡°lord richard, is this a gift from the gods? ¡°gods above, how could there be such a good wine in this world¡­¡± the more he spoke, the more excited he became. it was like one mouthful of this was a complete life. richard was a little emotional. karu exaggerated, but he felt like he was right. it was what he expected of a top-tier wine of 90 points in taste and 92 points in fragrance. it was only a 4-stars rating. richard wondered what a 5-stars rating would feel like. and he still had the single-player instance that [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] gave him¨Cthere was a possibility of getting legendary wine inside. he wondered how it would feel. becoming wealthy was not a dream. it is the specialty of the white-tailed cat race¨Cwhitetail wine. ¡°ask the white-tailed car race to make a list of the materials needed for the wine after they take charge of the wine workshop. report it to me immediately if there is any shortage. i will make up for it. he will invest all the resources of twilight city in the wine workshop for the next month. it is the most indispensable project for them during this period. although he had always advocated for the self-sufficiency of the agriculture industry in twilight city, he had never thought the city would be so prosperous. however, he wouldn¡¯t be so stubborn. for a wine like the whitetail brew, he would go to the market to buy them if it lacked ingredients. he would first satisfy the production requirements and then consider the succeeding matter. ¡°yes, my lord!¡± karu left in high spirits after they discussed the development of twilight city for a while. he had a feeling that the whitetail brew would ultimately be an invaluable pillar of the future of twilight city. he had to make proper arrangements for these white-tailed cats. richard looked out the window. the moon was already high in the sky. he shook his head and dispelled the idea of immediately sending the troop to the underground world. they expected the gray-colored dwarf troops to gather on september 6th, a few days away, although he could not wait to integrate the vast underground world into his ruling territory. too early could not be good. ****** to the forces of the underground world, the changes in the situation in the past few months were unpredictable. in the beginning, in the battle between the gray-colored dwarves and the prison barbarian race, the gray-colored dwarves almost defeated the prison barbarian race with their superior strength. in the end, they almost took down bloodhoof city. but at this time, the human overlord from the surface appeared. the other party had helped bloodhoof city win the war in an overbearing manner. it also led to the gray-colored dwarves offer a reward of tens of millions of units of food to the human. the situation had entered the second stage of stalemate probing. the gray-colored dwarves did not dare to attack rashly because of the human lord from the surface. they began to shrink their defense line. bloodhoof city blew the horn to attack. they continuously took back their occupied territories. in the process, the lord of the surface went to the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ territory alone and annihilated seven or eight cities in a row, and they hailed him a legend. it shocked everyone. the bounty on his head became increasingly exaggerated as a result. however, just when everyone thought that bloodhoof city would obtain the final victory after they obtained the support of the surface lord¡­ the situation had changed again¡­ the gray-colored dwarves kicked the bloodhoof city¡¯s mightiest reinforcement, the surface lord. then, the offensive and defensive positions reversed again. the situation had entered the third stage. the gray-colored dwarves began to mobilize several troops. it swept all the way and shrank the territory of the dungeon barbarians to bloodhoof city again. only bloodhoof city remained in the prison barbarian race. the gray-colored dwarves surrounded them but did not attack, and they rested for half a month. during this period, he probed and confirmed that bloodhoof city had no more trump cards. finally, they decided to launch an all-out attack. the factions near bloodhoof city saw the change in the war situation and had complicated emotions. during this time, bloodhoof city¡¯s actions of purchasing weapons had provided them with tons of food. furthermore, the other party had stated that such a transaction would be ordinary someday. it made several forces worried about food overjoyed. food was more precious than water in the desert in the underground world. bloodhoof city¡¯s actions undoubtedly gave them a way out. they could not enjoy this kind of deal if the gray-colored dwarves took down bloodhoof city. everyone in the underground world knew what kind of personality the gray-colored dwarves had. they were arrogant, crazy, greedy, blind, and irritable¡­ he could not find any other good words other than being exceptionally smart. many forces secretly or overtly helped bloodhoof city with mixed feelings. it was impossible to send a troop into battle, but it could send some invaluable information without anyone knowing. however, bloodhoof city seemed could not fight back. they could only defend bloodhoof city in the face of the gray-colored dwarves even with their help. the hope in the hearts of those forces gradually shattered when they saw this scene. last time, a lord from the surface saved bloodhoof city. but will there be a savior this time? even the most optimistic person looked at the tightly surrounded bloodhoof city in silence. the gray-colored dwarves would play a victory song when they killed the lord from the surface. perhaps, from today on, it would give birth to the only ruler in the underground world. in the vast underground world, a few people were optimistic about bloodhoof city, but sel bloodhoof, the controller of the barbarians in the dungeons, was confident. in the lord¡¯s manor, the majestic lord of bloodhoof city looked at the messenger with a cold gaze. ¡°how long until the main force of those damn gray-colored dwarves arrive?¡± ¡°the enemy¡¯s troop of monsters is expected to arrive in three hours¡­ three hours¡­ sel bloodhoof sneered and continued to ask. ¡°did lord richard reply? when will twilight city troops arrive?¡± ¡°lord richard said that he¡¯ll attack the gray-colored dwarves from the back after they join the battle. we¡¯ll utterly annihilate the gray-colores dwarves this time¡­¡± it lifted sel bloodhoof¡¯s spirit. ¡°get the city guards ready. this time, we can¡¯t let those lowly bastards go back alive! ¡°there can only be one ruler in the underground world!¡± the upper echelons looked at each other and were sparingly excited when they saw this. the plan had been in motion since the gray-colored dwarf chieftain killed richard. wasn¡¯t all that effort just to welcome the arrival of the final moment? the outsiders wondered if a savior would appear, but the higher-ups of bloodhoof city did not hesitate. the human lord from the surface, the ruler of twilight city, the vice president of the bloodhoof city council, the controller of the extraordinary mechanical puppets, the slave of the dragon hero, the destroyer who had a reward of nearly 20 million units of food by the gray-colored dwarves¡­ a great existence with countless legendary deeds stood with them. their savior had always been there! Chapter 442 ¡®woohoo!¡¯ it cut the deep and drawn-out sound of the bugle horn through the sky. under the dim light. several malevolent mechanical puppets swarmed forward like a tide. !! one after another, twisted and swollen monsters stitched together with corpses followed the mechanical puppets. they only had one target¨Cboodhoof city. at the rear of the troop. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain wore a pure gold crown and luxurious clothes on a massive mechanical platform and looked excitedly at the troop that surged around it. ¡°those damn bastards! who can stop our troop without the help of the humans on the surface!¡± ¡°the great gray-colored dwarf chieftain should have ruled this world long ago!!¡± the surrounding gray-colored dwarves immediately praised in unison. ¡°that damn surface lord also went to see the god of death under your clever scheme! great master, you are our guide. and you will lead the gray-colored dwarves to glory!¡± ¡°no one can compare to you. your wisdom is brighter than the sun on the surface¡­¡± shameless flattery shrouded the chieftain. it made the gray-colored dwarf chieftain even more excited. ¡°we can find a path to the surface after we subdued bloodhoof city. then, not only will the underground world become our territory, but it will also become our territory! ¡°it was a great act to counterattack the surface and spread the glory of the gray-colored dwarves when the sun was bright. ¡°i couldn¡¯t wait to complete it! ¡°as for bloodhoof city¡­ hehe. we could have captured them already without the surface last time!¡± ¡°i have slaughtered the enemy¡¯s savior. ¡°in the vast underground world, no one could stop the gray-colored dwarves!!¡± the ugly face at the thought of this revealed a look of enjoyment. ¡°i couldn¡¯t wait to accept the worship of all the lives in the underground world. ¡°i would become the supreme ruler!¡± the gray-colored dwarf chieftain suddenly pulled out the short broken sword at his waist and pointed it forward. he shouted profusely. ¡°all troops, attack!¡± its voice passed through the alchemy magic equipment on the mechanical platform and instantly resounded in every corner of the battlefield. the next second. the vast troop rumbled and immediately charged toward the city wall. they looked down from the sky. mechanical puppets and swollen stitched monsters intertwined while they formed an offensive line that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. they had covered the ground. there were so many of them that they probably exceeded five legions. less than ten thousand soldiers in the city looked at bloodhoof city after a long siege. they could not even form a legion. meanwhile, far away from bloodhoof city. on a small hill without any shelter. lives of various forces bloodhoof city filled the city. halflings, nagas, dwarves, harpies¡­ and so on. and so forth. it gathered all kinds of strange life forms here. they were not here to participate in this massive battle but to pay attention to the battle outcome. it was a battle that would determine the overlord of the underground world. whoever wins would become the only king of this land. the outcome would affect their fate. however, a few people were optimistic about bloodhoof city¡¯s chances. the gray-colored dwarves had planned this for a long time and were too powerful. although a few people liked to deal with those greedy and arrogant gray-colored dwarves, who could change the situation? some already thought about how to get along with the gray-colored dwarves¡­ a white-haired dwarf squeezed into an unremarkable corner with a young dwarf on the top hill. worry delved into its face. the little dwarf seemed to have noticed something and asked confusingly. ¡°grandpa, don¡¯t you want the gray-colored dwarf to win?¡± the old dwarf¡¯s face grew older. ¡°the tribe doesn¡¯t have much food left¡­¡± it sighed as it spoke. ¡°i had planned to forge a batch of weapons to exchange for food. i didn¡¯t expect the gray-colored dwarves to surround bloodhoof city after i did. the little dwarf seemed to have thought of something, and its face turned pale. ¡°grandpa, those gray-colored dwarves won¡¯t exchange for food, right?¡± the old dwarf shook its head with a bitter smile. ¡°gray-colored dwarves¡­¡± it didn¡¯t answer the question. but it was more soul-crushing than an answer. it paused for a moment and then said in a low voice. ¡°i had planned to take my people to seek refuge with the surface troops, but i didn¡¯t expect them to slaughter the surface lord in such a way¡­ it clenched its fists tightly as it spoke. unwillingness resided in its heart. their tribe only had a hundred people. it was too difficult for such a weak force to survive in this land. the enemies could quickly destroy them if there were no other circumstances. initially, it sensed some hope when they spread the news of bloodhoof city to exchange for food. but who could think of the unexpected ending? ¡°grandpa¡­ what should we do now?¡± the old dwarf fell into a long silence as he looked at the little dwarf¡¯s blank eyes. it couldn¡¯t answer this question. or it didn¡¯t dare to answer¡­ the forces had complicated feelings; they angered bloodhoof city, and the gray-colored dwarves were excited. the final battle erupted. the hearts of the forces outside the arena turned cold as soon as the battle began. the oval-shaped mechanical puppets rushed toward the city wall under the distorted and swollen monsters. the prison barbarian, who had experienced the last war, was shocked when he saw this scene. he ordered his men to attack the strange mechanical puppets. however, mechanical puppets were durable, to begin with, not to mention several monsters to protect them. they destroyed only a dozen or so. and the rest reached the city walls. the next second. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ they heard an earth-shattering explosion. a terrifying flame soared into the sky. the mechanical puppets immediately exploded. they sent like foam boards that flew to the sturdy city walls. they surged massive rocks tens of meters high before they heavily crushed them. the earth made a dull thud, and they could feel vibrations from thousands of meters away. as the hundreds of mechanical puppets exploded. one gap after another appeared on the city wall. the situation already favored the gray-colored dwarves even before the fight started. the uttermost advantage of defending a city was the natural barrier created by the city walls. the enemies had broken the natural barrier, and their strength was at an absolute disadvantage. the situation had become irredeemable. the prison life on the hill fell into a deathly silence on the situation. although they knew they had decided the outcome of this battle. no one had expected bloodhoof city¡¯s defense line would collapse as soon as the battle started. the old dwarf still had a trace of hope in its heart, but the cruel scene destroyed it. ¡°bloodhoof city is gone.¡± the survival of the tribe in his heart had also collapsed with the collapse of the city wall. it was like something sucked out its spirit from itself and instantly aged more than ten years. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain waved its hands and screamed when it saw this scene. ¡°hehehe! lowly, brainless barbarians kneel and surrender. your master, the great gray-colored dwarf, will be the master of this land! ¡°those lowly bastards and disgusting surface humans couldn¡¯t save you even if magic resurrects them¡­¡± Chapter 443 the gray-colored dwarf chieftain resounded throughout the battlefield. however, as the troop closed in, even the prison barbarian soldiers who supremely hated them could not refute. the moment they captured bloodhoof city, it would be as the other party said. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain would become the only ruler. !! the furious sel bloodhoof stood on a tall arrow tower while heavily armored wyverns guarded the sky surrounded. there was not much fluctuation in his eyes as he looked at the scene of the city collapse. ¡°have the troops gradually withdraw into the city and fight the gray-colored dwarves in the streets. ¡°we have to force the gray-colored dwarves to show their trump cards. ¡°this time, we won¡¯t care about the casualties. ¡°as long as we can obtain the final victory, any price will be worth it.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the surrounding high-level heroes of bloodhoof city responded in unison. they had already deduced who knew how many times for today¡¯s scene. the troop on the city wall immediately retreated into the city after he gave the orders. they didn¡¯t defend themselves to death, and half of the city wall had already collapsed. the gray-colored dwarf troops did not hesitate and immediately entered the city. an even more intense battle broke out in bloodhoof city after they abandoned both sides. bloodhoof city was a military fortress, and one could see the defensive facilities in the city at regular intervals. they built the city into an iron wall after some preparations. the gray-colored dwarves had to abandon several mechanical puppets and swollen monsters with blood transfusions with every step they took, although they were fierce. the two sides of the city wall fell into an even more intense collision when they breached it. outside the city, the lifeforms in the dungeon who watched the battle from afar had a subtle expression when they saw this scene. although the resistance of the prison barbarians was intense, the battle seemed to have lost its suspense¡­ how could they win when their numbers were several times greater? a charge occurred at this moment. the gray-colored dwarves chieftain looked at the slow-moving situation. a strong sense of impatience rose in its eyes. ¡°damn, bastard¡­ let the great chieftain of the gray-colored dwarves crush everything you have!¡± the voice fell. alchemy weapons shrouded the front of the mechanical soldier. the space twisted. ¡®crack!¡¯ an exaggerated fist pierced through the space. and then¡­ ¡®bang!¡¯ the unknown life tilted its body forward, and the distorted area shattered like glass. the next moment. the watching dungeon life all sucked in a cold breath. unspeakable fear clouded their eyes. the gray-colored chieftain summoned the terrifying monster stitched together with the flesh and blood of machines and lives. it was so strange that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. it was like one had opened the top of one¡¯s head. one could vaguely see it was initially a mechanical puppet. however, at this moment, blood-red muscle fibers without skin covered the exterior of the mechanical soldier. one could see the gray-colored mechanical parts on the bones that the muscles could not cover. the joint of each part was no longer mechanical but pure flesh and blood. combined with its exaggerated body size, it was an artificial object utterly different from this world¡¯s aesthetic standards. it was even more terrifying than the most soul-exploding abyssal monsters in myths and legends. biological machinery. what made their hearts tremble even more was that they felt an irresistible pressure from the monster. level 19. this monster had even touched the threshold of transcendence! the lips of the old dwarf, who had witnessed everything, trembled. it held the little dwarf¡¯s hand so tightly that she didn¡¯t even realize it hurts. the gray-colored dwarf created such a monster. ¡°bloodhoof city¡­ sigh¡­¡± a deep sigh explained everything. many of the surrounding creatures turned around and left as soon as they regained their senses. level-19 had already exceeded the original power of the underground world. he had to inform his soldiers of this news and get ready to welcome the rule of the gray-colored dwarves. bloodhoof city was gone. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain looked at the ferocious and terrifying bio-machine with a crazed look. ¡°lowly barbarians, did you see that? the great dwarves are the true masters of this world!¡± ¡°this is the power of the gray-colored dwarves!!¡± its tone became increasingly excited. ¡°even if you resurrect that surface lord today, my terminator¡¯s feet will turn him into a meat paste!¡± the gray-colored dwarves named the bio-machine terminator, and it walked to the mechanical soldier with the chieftain¡¯s wave of its hand. then, it lowered its head and aimed its eyes at the soldier. ¡®crack!¡¯ an eye suddenly moved to the side. the chieftain laughed as it stepped through the terminator¡¯s eyes and into the head. the next moment. the initially dull terminator immediately became more agile. it turned around and walked towards bloodhoof city. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ it could feel the tremors several kilometers away when it stepped on the ground. terminator reached out and grabbed half of the city wall when it arrived at the broken city wall. a burst of power. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ it directly pulled the city wall. the giant rocks flew everywhere. it raised it over its head and threw it hard. ¡®hu!¡¯ a loud explosion sounded as it smashed into the street. giant stone walls that rolled like paper crushed the surrounding houses. they crushed the barbarian guards in the dungeon into meat paste. it was bloody. terminator entered the city under the control of the chieftain after it revealed its power. its gigantic body was the best weapon. the arrow towers of bloodhoof city targeted terminator. however, arrows that could quickly kill ordinary troops were like tickles to the terminator. their blood-red muscles could send them flying, not to mention the mechanical parts wrapped in muscles. Chapter 444 ¡°siege crossbow!¡± the barbarian commander still tried its best. however, terminator crushed the crossbow bolts that could destroy city walls. the terrifying attack could pierce through the muscles, but it could not cause any damage to the mechanical body inside¡­ !! ordinary attacks were almost ineffective. terminator stepped into the streets that the gray-colored dwarf troops had yet to attack under the pressure of the concentrated fire. the next moment, the muscles on its feet instantly spread out in all directions. it grew like wild grass. it had extended to a hundred meters around them within a few breaths. muscle fibers bind the prison barbarians within this range. it devoured their flesh and blood. the only things left of the nearby prison barbarians were white skeletons when it retracted the muscle fibers within a hundred-meter radius. this scene sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine. its opponent¡¯s attack was too strange¡­ it sensed the fear from the prison barbarians around. the chieftain of the gray-colores dwarves became even more excited. ¡°gah! gah! gah!¡± ¡°no one can stop the gray-colored dwarves from advancing¡­ there¡¯s no one!¡± ¡°the taste of death is superb!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll let your corpses weave my crown!¡± neurobic madness unclasped the shrill voice of the chieftain. the combination of it with the terrifying body of terminator gave off an inexpressible impact. this monster! outside the city. no one on the hill spoke again. they just stared at the terrifying monster that ran amok in bloodhoof city. no one could tell what they felt at that moment¡­ they had witnessed the history of the underground world. however, no one could determine whether the rulership of the gray-colored dwarves was good or bad. those greedy and arrogant lunatics, perhaps one day, one would kill them all and use them to create monsters¡­ sel bloodhoof watched as the terminator broke through bloodhoof city¡¯s line of defense. he gripped the war blade in his hand tightly. the aura on his body soared to the sky. at that moment. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain commanded terminator and suddenly turned around and looked at sel with its scarlet eyes. the soldier walked towards sel step by step. the muscle fibers under its feet instantly filled the surroundings with every step. wherever it passed, only pale skeletons were left behind. it was like it had become the representative of the death god in the mortal world¡­ the terminator came to a stop 30 meters away from the arrow tower where sel stood. the muscles under the feet of terminator instantly burst out as it stared at the arrow tower much taller than it. ¡®crack!¡¯ ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the arrow tower fell. naturally, this height would not pose any danger to sel and the higher-ups of bloodhoof city. they could only look up to the terminator after they landed. the satisfied gray-colored dwarf chieftain looked down at them. ¡°puny lord of bloodhoof city, sel bloodhoof. ¡°you have no chance. even if that disgusting surface lord appears, i¡¯ll tear him apart with my hands! ¡°now, the great ruler of the gray-colored dwarves, i¡¯ll give you a chance to swear your allegiance. ¡°as long as you kneel and pledge your loyalty to me. and lead the prison barbarians to submit to the gray-colored dwarves for all eternity. ¡°then i will forgive your sins and spare you from the death penalty! ¡°i will also forgive all the prison barbarians.¡± its voice spread to every corner of bloodhoof city. instantly, the intense battle stopped. all waited for sel¡¯s reply with a strange expressions. at this moment, the gray-colored dwarf chieftain was so excited that it almost overflowed. it was so excited it almost went crazy. how long has it been? ¡°how long has it been?¡± today, it had finally done it. it had made the ruler of bloodhoof city prostrate on the ground and submit to the chieftain! the people from the dungeon race outside the city looked at each other and sighed. it made the king of the past surrender. fortunately, they could survive, and the chieftain could free them from extermination as long as they retreat. there was no such thing as a backbone in the underground world. surviving was the most important thing¡­ it would not surprise anyone if sel retreated, even if he was the ruler of bloodhoof city. survival was always the number one priority in this land. they could abandon everything. it was silence. sel bloodhoof, the barbarian controller, suddenly turned slightly to look at the sky as if he had sensed something. then, he looked at the terminator with a calm face. he smiled mockingly under the gaze of the gray-colored dwarves¡­ strong disdain filled his tone. ¡°a bunch of greedy and lowly bastards. do they have the right to make bloodhoof city surrender?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. from today on, there will only be one ruler in the underground world, but it¡¯s not you dwarves, but ¡­ the prison barbarian race.¡± his eyes became extremely hot as he said that. ¡°our savior has returned!¡± the gray-colored dwarf chieftain suddenly looked up and saw something in the sky. a group of undead wyverns flapped their broken wings and suddenly appeared in the sky. it was like the other party waited for a long time. it felt the aura. it has ignited its anger. ¡°the surface lord! damn bastard, you didn¡¯t die?!¡± these words immediately changed the atmosphere on the battlefield. surprise filled the eyes of the prison barbarian warriors. the great human overlord was still alive! there was a commotion in the gray-colored dwarf troop. a strong sense of uneasiness rose in their hearts when they thought of that terrifying existence that had forced them to withdraw their forces. the spectators outside the city were in an uproar. the alchemy bombs used by the gray-colored dwarves to flatten several streets assassinated the surface lord, and it was not dead! they suddenly thought of the last time the gray-colored dwarves attacked bloodhoof city and destroyed half of it. the other party had also descended with the same posture¡­ a strong sense of anticipation rose in his eyes. this time, could the other party still turn the tide and defeat the gray dwarves? it was like a flame quickly extinguished with water when this thought arose. in his line of sight, terminator with terrifying physiques suddenly and slowly floated into the air. one person emitted an aura and could fight against hundreds of giant undead dragons in the sky. they almost forgot that the current dwarves were no longer the dwarves they had been a few months ago. they had already researched this monster they had touched¡­ ¡°grandpa ¡­ can the human lord from the surface win?¡± the little dwarf heard the lively discussion around and immediately asked curiously. the old dwarf¡¯s hands trembled unnaturally. its emotion conflicted at the moment. it hoped the other party could win, but its rationality told it could not win against a level 19 monster the gray-colored drove¡­ the gray-colored dwarf chieftain floated in the air. its eyes shone. it had thought something resurrected a dead person. it was initially a terrifying thing. but it piloted terminator the gray-colored dwarves had spent a lot of resources to create. it wanted to personally slaughter this surface bastard who had once scared its wit away! ¡°gah! gah! gah!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that i could personally crush you! ¡°surface human, do you still think that the great chieftain¡¯s power is as weak as it was a few months ago? ¡°summon your extraordinary machine. ¡°i¡¯m going to tear him into pieces bit by bit. finally, ravage your body and soul into meat paste! terminator¡¯s aura began to rise as the chieftain spoke. the world seemed to have dimmed in an instant. they could only see terminator¡¯s hideous body. it suppressed even the hundreds of skeleton blood dragons. ¡°do you feel this power?¡± ¡°this is the crystallization of the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ wisdom. this is the power that can kill gods in the future! ¡°tremble in fear!! ¡°i, as a level-19 terminator, judge your sins!¡± richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change when he heard the demented voice. his tone was calm after the chieftain stopped speaking. ¡°you speak too much nonsense. ¡°also, not all trash can make me fight.¡± ¡°fay, behead the trash talker!¡± the next second, the indifferent words that resounded through the sky followed. under the gazes of the gray-colored dwarves below, under the anticipation of the prison barbarians, and the astonishment of the audience outside¡­ the dark valkyrie attacked with her blade. the next moment. a blade light as bright as a shooting star streaked across the sky. it was a level 19 terminator who was almost invincible in everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡®crack!¡¯ saber ray beheaded it. it sent a massive head that flew. ¡®bang!¡¯ it fell heavily to the ground. the scene fell into a deathly silence. Chapter 445 the terminator¡¯s colossal head hit the ground, and at the same time, it hit everyone¡¯s heart. it was a level 19 monster made of flesh and machinery, a terrifying existence that made everyone tremble. at this very moment. under their gazes. !! dark valkyrie chopped the monster¡¯s head off. it was so clean and neat. and so unexpected. there were massive waves in its heart. the shock it received was so weak that one couldn¡¯t describe it in any words¡­ ¡°h-how is this possible¡­? that¡¯s level-19!¡± ¡°is this the true power of a surface lord?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t imagine what kind of powerful being could kill this flesh puppet with one strike¡­ the chieftain was at a loss for words. the dungeon life forms outside the city widened their eyes, and they even forgot to breathe. when the human overlord appeared, many people had a glimmer of hope. but no one thought the other party could win against that monster. level 19¡­ how long had it been since such a powerful existence had appeared in the underground world? the chieftain of the gray-colored dwarves and the city lord of bloodhoof city were the top battle forces. he was only level 15. the difference was four levels! but now, the existence that they thought was invincible couldn¡¯t even take one move. the impact on their hearts made them almost unable to control themselves. many people even wondered if magic deceived them. how could the other party be so soul-exploding? the gray-colored dwarves behind him were dumbfounded. no one knew better than them how much resources they spent to create this flesh puppet. the enemy had emptied the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ foundation accumulated for hundreds of years. they had a firm belief when they created terminator. they would dominate the underground world! but now, the enemy shattered all their dreams. the one who destroyed their hopes was the surface lord who had brought them endless fear! a few months ago, the other party had also appeared like a god who had descended to the mortal world. at this moment, the scene reappeared¡­ it finally cleared the apprehension in the hearts of the soldiers of bloodhoof city. his face was red with excitement. ¡°lord richard!¡± not only was he the lord of the surface, but he was also the vice president of the bloodhoof city council. their¡­ the savior! richard was the center of the world. he rode on the back of all the undead. although the dark valkyrie dazzled, she could not hide the brilliance of the one who had chopped off the head of terminator. that was because he was the one who gave the order. richard was the master of the situation. the colossal battlefield fell into an indescribable strange atmosphere. no one had expected that the situation would take such a turn. and at this moment. the severed head of terminator on the ground suddenly began to swell with muscle fibers and directly formed a plant-like body structure. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain of the duergar¡¯s sharp voice resounded in the sky again. ¡°damned bastard! i¡¯m going to tear you all to pieces!¡± ¡°the gray-colored dwarf chieftain is not dead?¡± has the situation changed again? the gray-colored dwarf troops¡¯ morale, which had fallen to the freezing point, immediately soared like a flame poured gasoline with it! the head moved towards the terminator. a reunion of the flesh could revive the mechanical puppet. the head moved so fast, and it was too late for the prison barbarians to stop it. the spectators outside the city were also on tenterhooks. due to the high altitude and the fact that the buildings in the city were severely damaged, they were able to see this scene. everyone subconsciously held their breath. their hearts beat like drums in their ears. the direction of this battle would determine their fate. who would win, and who would lose? the situations they faced were completely different. under the supremely nervous gazes of countless people¡­ the head finally arrived at the feet of the body under the control of bloody¡¯s muscle fibers. the muscle fibers of the headless body began to spread downward and wanted to receive it when it sensed the approach of the head. however, the moment the two sides merged, a tall figure that held a saber descended from the sky and landed directly at the intersection of the two. it floated in the air. the dark valkyrie. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain¡¯s joy of regaining his power was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. it chilled its heart. ¡°lowly bastard! how dare you!¡± an endless fear and panic filled its voice. the dark valkyrie¡¯s pale golden eyes seemed to stare at an unremarkable ant. to the strong, the curses of the weak were nothing more than the laments of powerlessness. it was meaningless. the wails of the weak. the three-meter-long sword in her hand suddenly emitted a dazzling sword light as soon as it finished speaking. her figure flashed out like lightning. it instantly arrived above the gigantic head. she swung her long saber. ¡®crack!¡¯ it chopped open the head so mighty like tofu that even the siege crossbows of bloodhoof city could not do anything to it. she nearly split it into two. among the skulls scattered throughout the alchemy array, the face of the chieftain appeared in the air, filled with endless fear. ¡°no, this is impossible¡­¡± its words in panic had lost their logic, and they only knew how to scream. its body suddenly simultaneously erupted with vast energy that protected it. the gray-colored dwarf chieftain finally showed some of the momenta of a top-tier level 15 hero. the dark valkyrie¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change at all. her figure suddenly approached and swung her long saber. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the opponent¡¯s energy did not even have the slightest resistance against the battle blade. Chapter 446 a head with its eyes wide open flew into the sky and fell heavily. it was the gray-colored dwarf chieftain¡¯s head. dead. one of the underground tyrants with endless ambition had died in a way that no one had expected. bloodhoof city, which dreamt of razing to the ground, had died. the dark valkyrie waved her hand, and the energy in her body spread out. it made the head on the ground float up. !! she followed it to richard, who was still in the air. the head that had always been high in the air now slowly lowered. ¡°lord, i have completed your order.¡± the gray-colored dwarves just saw their chieftain and had a chance to turn the tables, felt their legs went weak. the cruelest thing in the world was to give hope and then ruthlessly crush it. richard sat behind alves and did not move from the beginning to the end. but in the eyes of the gray-colored dwarves, he was more horrible than the evilest abyssal monster. one look was enough to make them despair. sel bloodhoof felt as if his chest was about to explode. the initial apprehension he felt when he saw terminator at level-19 disappeared. in its place was a strong sense of excitement and agitation. the savior of bloodhoof city had once again saved them at a crucial moment! they won! it was a clean victory! from now on, only one overlord will be in the underground world! he looked at the figure that rode the undead dragon in the sky with a burning gaze. it was like a devout believer that saw a god that had descended to the world. the existence gave all of these! ¡°praise the twilight city! praise lord richard!¡± outside the city, after the dark valkyrie, hung the chieftain¡¯s head high in the sky¡­ the entire small mountain was in an uproar. everyone knew that the era of the gray-colored dwarves and the prison barbarians¡¯ rulership of the underground world together was over. now, the era where the surface overlord decided the fate of the underground world had arrived. although the troop of the gray-colored dwarves still had an absolute advantage on the field. and they did not even lose much. however, no one thought about this anymore. these troops were just a bunch of meat on a felt board¡­ without the leader of the dwarves, it could not unleash its mightiest battle power. greed, arrogance, cowardice, and extreme personalities made the gray-colored dwarves never a race that would fight to the death. when they encountered danger, the first thing they believed in was to run away. the little dwarf looked at the old dwarf whose lips trembled with excitement and was also very happy. ¡°grandpa, can we exchange food with bloodhoof city now?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. we can exchange for food again. we¡­ a savior saved us!¡± the old dwarf¡¯s eyes turned red. the conclusion of this battle that would determine who would dominate the underground world would also directly choose the life and death of their small tribe. at this moment, a few dungeon life forms who had just left to send a message to their tribe to inform them that the gray-colored dwarves had created terminator at level 19 were back to watch the battle. then, they saw a scene that stunned them. a figure chopped that terrifying level-19. it chopped even the head of the gray-colored dwarf chieftain off. countless doubts rose in their minds. what had happened in just a few minutes? how did the situation change so quickly? the initially quiet scene suddenly clamored after the enemy chopped the chieftain¡¯s head off. the prison barbarians launched a counterattack against the enemy who had invaded the city with a violent attitude. the gray-colored dwarf troops were several times more numbers than the prison barbarians in an unprecedented chaos. in their panic, they began to flee in all directions at the speed of an avalanche. less than 100 gray-colored dwarves still resisted, except for the monsters reshuffled. some of the gray-colored dwarves were so frightened that they even pushed their companions to the ground¡­ the scene was shocking. because there were too many of them, coupled with the blood transfusion stitched monsters and mechanical marionettes, bloodhoof city did not have much energy to stop the gray-colored dwarves from escaping. richard¡¯s brow furrowed. the higher-ups of the gray-colored dwarves were still alive, and their physiques were still perfect, although the chieftain was dead. they could still organize a resistance force as long as they choose a new chief if they escaped. richard had no patience to waste any more time with the gray-colored dwarves. his thoughts stopped there. the next second. the king of darkness¡¯ crown on his head and the cape on his back emitted a vast amount of energy simultaneously. then, under everyone¡¯s gaze¡­ the sky had turned dark. darkness came and centered on him. the world fell into uttermost darkness within a radius of 500 meters. it will compress within 10 meters the enemy¡¯s sight and perception and he can manipulate the power of darkness to perform teleportation, with 30 minutes duration and one day cooldown time. a skill that comes from glorious equipment. the escaping gray-colored dwarves suddenly turned black. they could only see a few meters around. it was frightening. and the vast darkness in the distance is more like hiding an abyss beast that can devour everything. it was like a giant hand at any moment might reach out within and drag them into it. this bizarre scene made the already frightened gray-colored dwarves even more uncontrollable. they started to go crazy and retreated toward the outside. some gray-colored dwarves even swung their weapons at their companions that rushed around the dark¡­ richard felt sparingly amazed when he saw this scene. it was overbearing. it was what richard expected of the skills attached to the legendary equipment. his perception expanded to the entire range shrouded in darkness when it enveloped the earth. he can quickly appear in any corner shrouded with darkness whenever he wants. it was unlimited teleportation. richard was invincible as long as the darkness existed. taking a few breaths could not suppress the excitement in his heart. his right hand slowly stretched toward the void after it forcibly calmed down. five-finger fist. the next second. the darkness that surged around seemed to have turned into a reality. he pressed toward the escaping gray-colored dwarf. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of broken bones exploded. boulders seemed to crush the gray-colored dwarves and directly twisted their bodies even if they wore thick armor. it broke the bones of the whole body and blew the unprotected head into pieces. the scene turned supremely horrific. it slaughtered the gray-colored dwarves within several hundred meters while richard was at the center. there were thousands of casualties. those monsters with supremely tyrannical vitality can withstand the damage that the pressure of the deep sea seemed to crush. those with blood exchange and stitches were no exception. the only thing better is the mechanical puppet. however, it enormously reduced their battle effectiveness and damaged most of their joints. darkness dominated. richard can control it within a radius of 300 meters while at the center. he can also turn it into reality. he felt the battle results, and there was an unspeakable surprise in his eyes. although he knew the skills that come with glorious-level equipment were not weak. he did not expect it to be so powerful. he could dominate with darkness. the whole picture of skill spiked. the skill is simply the skill of a boss. it can clear a field once one released it. ****** Chapter 447 from the outside. endless darkness suddenly enveloped the earth. shrill screams of pain came from inside. it was like they suffered some inhuman torture. the vast darkness domain became silent in the blink of an eye. !! the gray-colored dwarves that escaped had lingering fears. they dared not even take a second look and fled bloodhoof city like crazy. countless dwarves scattered. as a result, many of them managed to escape. the darkness that shrouded the earth subsided in less than three minutes. the dim light covered the area again. everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at that area. the next moment, their breathing involuntarily quickened. on the huge ruins. the undead dragon that burned with blood-colored light flapped its wings slowly and floated in the air. beneath the earth. it was like a giant rock had crushed the corpses of countless gray-colored dwarves and were in a terrible state. the tenacious stitched monsters had also become corpses. they could no longer find any life that could still move in the area shrouded in darkness as far as one eye could see. this scene sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine. an indescribable fear enveloped their bodies when they raised their heads to look at the figure in the sky. it was all the doing of the surface lord¡­ what kind of great power did the other party control? it had buried at least one and a half of the gray-colored dwarf troop in just a few minutes. the impact of this scene, in addition to the dark valkyrie¡¯s slaughter of a level-19 terminator, made richard look like a god to the prison creatures. [ding~ you have slayed the gray-colored dwarf chieftain (level 15) under the watchful eyes of several creatures in the dungeon. you have used a powerful skill and instantly killed one and a half legions of gray-colored dwarves. you have obtained 1 point of underground world legendary and 200,000 experience points.] [ding~ the relationship between bloodhoof city and twilight city has leveled to ¡®revered¡¯.] [ding~ it increased sel bloodhoof¡¯s favorability toward you into worship.] a series of system notifications rang out and announced the battle results to defend bloodhoof city. richard returned to his senses and was surprised. the combination of the two skills, [darkness descent ] and [king of darkness], were too powerful. it was so powerful that it was exaggerated. darkness shrouded the gray-colored troops, and they didn¡¯t even have the chance to escape before the enemies crushed them. it was awesome, as expected from the glorious-level equipment. they didn¡¯t know how powerful the last skill and one could only activate it after they gathered. richard¡¯s gaze returned to normal as he pondered. he drove alves to land on the ground. he flipped down and came before the higher-ups of bloodhoof city. sel bloodhoof excitedly shouted before he could open his mouth. ¡°lord richard, the victory is ours! ¡°the chieftain of the gry-colored dwarves had died and annihilated more than half of the remaining high-level gray-colored dwarves. they could no longer affect the overall situation if there were deserters. richard softly said as he looked at the excited sel. ¡°it¡¯s not time to celebrate yet. take the primary city of the gray-colored dwarves and take down all the other dwarf cities that still have the strength to resist. ¡°the reinforcements from twilight city will be here soon. sel, bloodhoof city will be in charge of coordinating with them.¡± his gaze turned distant as he said that. ¡°i don¡¯t have any plans to take over the underworld. bloodhoof city became the ruler of the underworld after we wiped out the gray-colored dwarves. ¡°but i want the primary city of the gray-colored dwarves. you can send troops to guard it. ¡°i¡¯m going to reorganize the alchemy technology of the gray-colored dwarves and use it to develop the twilight city. he didn¡¯t hide anything and spoke his mind. the underground world would become a backward base that provided resources for the twilight city. he was not interested in ruling directly¡­ for this chaotic land, the cost of direct governance was too high. bloodhoof city would be his perfect representative. furthermore, as the power increased rapidly, he would not have to do anything. and the city would gradually subdue the underworld. strength was an eternal truth. the last bit of worry in sel¡¯s heart disappeared after he heard richard¡¯s promise. the current twilight city could flatten bloodhoof city. however, the other party maintained his pure attitude as usual, which was enough to make him feel at ease. moreover, if twilight city was disloyal, they only had to wait for the gray-colored dwarves to attack bloodhoof city before they appeared. they could also rule the underworld. the other higher-ups of bloodhoof city thought of this as well. and so they were very confident in richard. the weight of words would be as different as heaven and earth with a different status. they had defeated the gray-colored dwarves that had surrounded bloodhoof city once again. they had killed the level 19 monster they had created in one strike. the news of the surface lord had slayed the remaining troops and swept through the entire underworld like a whirlwind. disbelief was the first reaction of all the prison lifeforms who heard the news. they had slayed the surface lord? why would they help bloodhoof city? however, after they confirmed it repeatedly, it shocked them. he had destroyed a troop of 10,000 by himself, and at the last moment, he had descended domineeringly to save the earth prison tribe again¡­ even the heroes in myths and legends could not compare to this, right? what made them feel even more complicated was that the defeat of the gray-colored dwarves would determine the future ruler of the underground world. who would have expected the situation to change so quickly? amid the complicated emotions of the various races¡­ twilight city and bloodhoof city launched wave after wave attacks on the remaining gray-colored dwarves. on the 6th of september, after they dealt with the gray-colored dwarves that attacked the city. Chapter 448 richard led 12 small teams of skeleton blood dragons, six small teams of dead stone statues, and 20 small teams of undead soldiers and dark stone gargoyles toward the primary city of the gray-colored dwarves. he trampled wherever he passed as long as it was a troop belonging to the gray-colored dwarves. at the same time, at his signal, brown, a level 12 special alchemist, participated in the post-war captive-taking work and discovered several gray-colored dwarves who had mastered alchemy skills. september 6th. they had breached more than ten gray-colored dwarf cities for three days. !! twilight city took tons of wealth. since the number of cities they toppled down was too high, bloodhoof city¡¯s troops couldn¡¯t keep up. richard eventually could only conscript a few tribes on good terms with bloodhoof city and use their troops to help defend. september 13th. richard and sel swept through the city and arrived at the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ primary city. fortress city. they built the vast city on a tall and majestic mountain. its defense was terrifying to the extreme. however, richard immediately used the two terrifying skills, [darkness descent] and [king of darkness ], and cleared the dwarves near the wall. the fortress city fell. september 14th. richard and his troops took a whole day to occupy the city built in the mountains and had countless secret passages dug out. they wiped out the enemies that hid in the secret passage. richard didn¡¯t show any mercy to the gray-colored troops. they recruited the gray-colored dwarves with special skills and handed them to brown to manage. twilight city declared the fall of the gray-colored dwarves from the pedestal, once called the overlord, after they wiped out their primary city. richard took the dwarves¡¯ primary city as the center afterward. he ordered the troops to attack in all directions and take in the unconquerable cities of the gray-colored dwarves. the gray-colored dwarves were initially afraid of uttermost extermination and even fled with their properties. richard found later brown, a special alchemist who had once had enormous prestige in the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ primary city, became a member of twilight city. moreover, it was in charge of the custody of the captives. at that moment, several gray-colored dwarves took the initiative to join brown. this race had no moral integrity. loyalty and sacrificing themselves for their country were all bullsh*t to them¡­ how could being alive be better than being dead? therefore, for a time, letting brown come forward instead accelerated the speed of recapturing the gray-colored dwarves. september 18th. richard took him nearly half a month. he utterly wiped out the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ forces. the bloodhoof city had defended all the cities that the gray-colored dwarves occupied. bloodhoof city had no choice but to let the tribes near the city defend and maintain order due to a lack of manpower. richard had no interest in taking over these cities. bloodhoof city was in charge of it all. they had no way of doing so with the current population of twilight city, even if they wanted to manage it. to him, supporting bloodhoof city was much easier than going into battle himself. the lord¡¯s residence, fortress city. richard sat on a golden gemstone-embedded throne in the splendid main hall. he looked at the list in his hand with interest. to eliminate the gray-colored dwarves would be equivalent to conquering a high-level map. the strength of the gray-colored dwarves was no less than the orcs that [steamed bun lover] faced. gains would be definite after the battle. the harvest has overjoyed richard after he plundered the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ accumulation over the years. Chapter 449 ¡°lord, this is the updated list¡­¡± gray entered the room in a hurry. the mummy hero¡¯s tone had a rare hint of excitement. ¡°in the primary city¡¯s deepest part, we found a treasure vault hidden in a rock. we found more than 30,000 units of gems¡­¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. !! ¡°give me the latest list!¡± ¡°yes!¡± gray immediately said. ¡°first, the rare materials¨C60,000 units of gemstones, 70,000 units of mercury, 40,000 units of crystal, and 30,000 units of sulfur. ¡°the gray-colored dwarves used up more than half of their rare resources to create the level 19 terminator, so this data is not much. ¡°we still have to calculate ordinary resources. but we estimate them to exceed 50 million units. ¡°thirty million units of food. we have used these resources to help rebuild bloodhoof city. ¡°troop type lairs¨C215 elite-level, 78 rare-level, 21 advanced-level, and three glorious-level.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh. as expected, a man can¡¯t be rich without a windfall, and a horse can¡¯t be fat without night grass. these resources added up to almost 200 million units of rare resources. that was enough to upgrade four glorious-level troop classes to crown-level. the rewards for conquering a high-level map and annihilating a race were generous. it seemed they could try using the void sandworm to leave the desert of death to cause trouble future¡­ gray continued the report. ¡°in addition, we¡¯ve also gained a bountiful harvest of talents. we have one master alchemist, nine special alchemists, 232 advanced alchemists, and over 1,200 elite and rare alchemists. ¡°brown said we can activate the alchemy department with these top talents shortly and provide enormous support. the smile on richard¡¯s face grew brighter. this master alchemist was a pleasant surprise. special-level was already extremely difficult to achieve. it had to be a genius. the other party had created a level-19 terminator before breaking through to the master-level. the alchemy-related projects in the future will receive massive technical support from such top-notch talents. ¡°military resources, one-hundred twenty (120) 3-star cannons, fifty-thousand (50,000) alchemy bombs, three-hundred thousand (300,000) alchemy gunpowder.¡± ¡°twelve (12) 4-star explosive cannons, one-thousand five-hundred (1,500) alchemy bombs.¡± ¡°twelve (12) 1-star strategic equipment, six (6) 2-star equipment, four (4) 3-star equipment¡­¡± at this point, gray finally stopped and gave him the latest list. richard took the updated list and read through the details a few more times. finally, he felt greatly satisfied. ¡°this wave could be called a sudden windfall!¡± with it, he could increase the strength of twilight city by a large margin if he used and exhausted all of his gains this time. in addition, he could upgrade all the primary troop lairs. he would be capable of combining dark gargoyles and undead soldiers once he upgrade them to brilliant level. now that he had the resources, he could increase the number of these powerful troops. the newly-acquired alchemy weapons would also significantly increase the strength of the defenses of twilight city. they had researched advanced technology. thereafter, more than two-hundred (200) alchemy cannons would be on the city walls as long as he upgraded twilight city to a mid-city. that scene would be very cool to witness. these gains could temporarily alleviate twilight city¡¯s desire for resources. it was a timely remedy. but what richard actually valued the most was that the underground world now belonged to him. his ownership was a significant occurrence. it was something he could treat as a personal item. from now on, he could develop this land however he wanted. he had more control. the underground world was different from the twilight city. however, there were many intelligent life forms, and they had a strong foundation. richard could test many of his ideas on this land. it would be greatly beneficial. he could control such a large piece of land and millions of intelligent life in his hand. it was magnificent. a single thought could change the fate of countless people. that kind of feeling was hard for outsiders to imagine. ****** Chapter 450 it took a long time for richard to recover from his excitement. now that he had obtained the underground world he had longed for, the next step would be to make arrangements for its development. there were so many things that he didn¡¯t know where to start. the soldier at the gate came to report that sel bloodhoof wanted to see him while he pondered. !! richard returned to his senses and called in the exchange department. richard¡¯s presence stunned sel, the lord of bloodhoof city. the scene of the first time he met him appeared in front of him in a daze. richard was only level 9 back then. his uttermost reliance was the heavily damaged extraordinary mechanical puppet. in a short period of two to three months. the other party had already grown to the point he didn¡¯t need the mechanical puppet to exert enormous pressure on him. he took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. he stepped forward and saluted with extreme respect. ¡°lord richard.¡± the bloodhoof city lord¡¯s change in attitude sparingly surprised richard. the two were initially on equal footing. but to get along was hard, as well as before, as twilight city rapidly grew. strength was the only pass. the underground world, which believed in the law of the jungle, had magnified this rule to the extreme. richard chuckled after a moment of silence. ¡°no need to be so polite, sel.¡± ¡°bloodhoof city is still twilight city¡¯s ally. you, sel bloodhoof, are still my friend.¡± sel¡¯s body trembled, and it complicated his expression. finally, he let out a long breath and saluted again. ¡°thank you.¡± the caution in his eyes mostly disappeared, and his expression was much more sincere after he straightened up. he said with a smile. ¡°my lord, bloodhoof had captured all the gray-colored dwarf cities. ¡°we¡¯ve gathered all the resources you didn¡¯t find before. we will send them to fortress city.¡± richard¡¯s face showed excitement as sel said that. ¡°the underground world is now ours. ¡°next, no one could compete with us for resources!¡± the words brightened richard¡¯s eyes. the underground world¡¯s natural environment was harsh, and food was scarce. but it also had its growth-rich minerals. the thousands of thoughts and not knowing where to start gradually became clear. ¡°tell me, what are your thoughts on your future development?¡± next, bloodhoof city would become his representative to rule the underground world. there was a need for serious planning. sel immediately became excited. ¡°lord, the most crucial thing for bloodhoof city now is to restore our troops. now that we have the resources of the gray-colored dwarves, we could reinforce them in at most three months. ¡°second, continue to trade weapons with the surrounding forces. ¡°third, pacify the underground world, conquer the chaotic areas, and bring all the forces under the rule of bloodhoof city. ¡°finally, explore and clean up the unexplored areas of the underground world, and take complete control of it¡­¡± sel well thought of the plans although they weren¡¯t exquisite. a peaceful underground world was more in line with the interests of twilight city. richard nodded but didn¡¯t comment. they had suppressed the gray-colored dwarves, and although the remaining races were powerful, they were not united. their existence had no value if bloodhoof city couldn¡¯t even pile with loose sand. Chapter 451 sel hesitated when he noticed richard didn¡¯t speak. he asked nervously. ¡°lord richard, what is your plan for the underground world?¡± richard smiled as he looked at the nervous look in sel¡¯s eyes. !! ¡°don¡¯t worry. what i want is a peaceful and stable underground world.¡± his eyes turned serious as he said that. ¡°i hope that under the rule of bloodhoof city, the underground world will become a super weapon factory that can produce top-tier weapons and equipment in the future.¡± ¡°on the other hand, fortress city will research alchemy technology and produce alchemy weapons for twilight city. ¡°the underground world is too small. in the future, i hope that bloodhoof city can go with me to the surface and fight against humans, the undead, demons, elves, and orcs. we will conquer those powerful races and plant the flag of bloodhoof city all over the primary plane!¡± his words brightened sel¡¯s eyes. it was a feeling of sudden enlightenment. after they flipped over the gray-colored dwarves, sel suddenly had no enemies. he lost his target and felt empty in his heart. but he saw a bigger goal at this moment. the prison barbarians were not kind creatures. they had long yearned for the rich surface. he didn¡¯t have a chance before, but now that he heard richard¡¯s expectations, anticipation filled his thoughts¡­ ¡°we will plant the flag of bloodhoof city in every city on the surface. ¡°it will make the elves, humans, orcs, and all-powerful races tremble at the feet of bloodhoof city.¡± just a thought about that scene made sel tremble. richard waved his hand after the man calmed down. ¡°but before that, we should calm the underground world down. we need a stable and large rear. ¡°at the same time, bloodhoof city must become strong enough! ¡°the enemies on the surface are hundreds of times stronger than the underground world!¡± richard¡¯s gaze carried a sense of oppression as he said that. twilight city had hunted down the avatar of the kobold god that had descended to the primary plane two months ago. ¡°sel, if you want to follow me to the primary plain, the current bloodhoof city is far from enough.¡± gods were lofty existences in this world. who would dare to blaspheme them? one could even judge slander as blasphemy, and the sect would hunt them down. the twilight city could even kill a god¡¯s avatar. how overbearing and crazy was that? Chapter 452 a feeling of looking up at a tall mountain suddenly arose. bloodhoof city was like a frog at the bottom of a well that could not see how big the sky was, compared to twilight city. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ll ensure to bring the underworld into bloodhoof city¡¯s territory as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°from now on, this land can only have one voice!¡± !! the two powers fought for hegemony over so many races before. and they did not have the energy to meet those forces. now, it was time to clear all the obstacles. richard smiled as he watched sel leave in excitement. he could meet his requirements quickly compared to the power of bloodhoof city with the resources of the underground world. in the future, he would have another power that he could use. at least, when he left twilight city, he could use this force to defend the city at any time. and when the void sandworm matured and could open the space rift for a long time, it could bring its underlings to attack the outside world. brown entered the main hall with a companion whose head was three times bigger than an ordinary gray-colored dwarf not long after sel left. ¡°brown sends its most respectful greetings to my great lord, the underworld, and the twilight city ruler!¡± the level 12 alchemist¡¯s tone was supremely exaggerated, like a gray-colored dwarf. he only had one ordinary arm, and when he waved it, he looked like a clown that showed off his funny face on stage. it was amusing. after brown saluted, the gray dwarf with a big head immediately knelt on both knees and pressed his head against the ground. a sharp voice rang out. ¡°great being, gregor pays respects to you. may the gods bless you.¡± richard looked at the dwarf with curiosity. could the dwarf be a master alchemist? that is for brown to bring it here. he opened the attribute panel. [gregor] [level: 15] [potential: a] [profession: alchemist (master level. increases research success rate by 70%, research speed by 50%, and research consumption by 50%)] [skills: alchemist, super research, rapid production, mechanical puppet repair, blood-changing alchemy.] [hero¡¯s special characteristic: when entering research, intelligence is increased by 50%.] [racial talent: an extra love for wealth, and a 40% increase in efficiency in profitable alchemy research.] [fetter-alchemy: when conquering difficult alchemy, the research success rate will increase by 5% every ten days.] [description: a rare master alchemist. he could research some alchemy items that outsiders can¡¯t.] richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh after he read the attributes. the master level was astounding. furthermore, this fellow¡¯s potential had reached the ridiculous a-rank. the harvest from the underground world this time was too good. ¡°no need to be so polite.¡± after the two stood up. richard asked brown. ¡°how¡¯s the settlement of the gray-colored dwarves? were there any accidents?¡± brown immediately responded. ¡°lord, those little bastards cooperated and had no objections when they heard you will manage the alchemy department independently and permanently station it in fortress city. ¡°the gray-colored dwarves were a bunch of weaklings, and no one dared to voice their opinions.¡± ¡°do you need any help now?¡± ¡°not at the moment. we¡¯re counting the alchemy production tools in fortress city. we estimated we could resume the research in a week.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction after a few questions, and nothing went wrong. he turned his eyes to the alchemist with a big head¨Cgregor. ¡®could it be that a big head would make him smarter?¡¯ ¡°gregor, what top-tier alchemy techniques do you have?¡± ¡°yes!¡± gregor replied quickly. ¡°great lord, master brown said that you have an extraordinary mechanical puppet severely damaged¡­¡± richard chuckled. ¡°that¡¯s right. can you help me repair it?¡± unexpectedly gregor shook its head. ¡°no. lord, we¡¯ll reinforce your mechanical puppet and even let it have its own life¡­ richard shot to his feet. his gaze revealed a shocking pressure. ¡°what did you say?¡± ****** Chapter 453 to turn an extraordinary hunter into real life¡­ does this big-brained alchemist really know the meaning of this sentence? a transcendent hunter was a mechanical puppet! did this guy want to enter the realm of the creator and become the god of creation? even a god wouldn¡¯t dare to say such a thing, right? !! the gray-colored dwarf looked into richard¡¯s serious eyes. the master alchemist gregor suddenly felt the pressure increase. although he had already reached level 15, as a life profession, his battle power might not be comparable to a level 8 or 9 heroes. in his panic, it quickly responded. ¡°yes, great lord! ¡°when i was creating that level-19 terminator, i discovered a way to give it life¡­ ¡°use the blood exchange technique to give it flesh and a body. ¡°then, i¡¯ll use alchemy to fuse the souls of other living beings into it. this way, it could obtain a normal life! ¡°it will have its own battle consciousness and can perfectly unleash the battle power of the mechanical puppet.¡± madness shrouded its eyes as it said it. ¡°as long as you can give me enough materials and resources. i am confident i can successfully transform that extraordinary mechanical puppet¡­ richard let out a sigh of relief when he heard gregor¡¯s explanation. it shocked him it used this method. he really thought that this dwarf can turn machinery into life. he should be the leader of the gods now if he could really do that. richard thought about it carefully and realized that what the master alchemist dwarf said seemed to be feasible after he returned to his senses. it first created the flesh of a living creature, then imprisoned the soul within. the level 19 terminator seemed to have done this. richard slowly replied after he thought for a moment. ¡°i can let you repair that level-19 terminator¡¯s body. after you¡¯re done, you can modify it according to your own ideas.¡± ¡°show me the results first, then we¡¯ll talk about other things.¡± the transcendent hunter was severely damaged and could not withstand any more damage. since the dwarf alchemist had the ability, richard would try it first. his gesture sparingly disappointed gregor. the real difference was not just a tiny bit although the difference between a level 19 terminator and a transcendent was only one level. however, the dwarf alchemist didn¡¯t dare to say anything more and immediately nodded. it didn¡¯t have the right to ask for anything as someone who had just surrendered. it could only apply after it had achieved some results and gained some status. its mood immediately became better after it figured out the key point. no matter what, his little life was now saved. since he could be in charge of the terminator research, he did not have to worry about this surface lord casually dragging him out to kill. richard didn¡¯t dwell on the topic. although the blood exchange alchemy was very peculiar, in his opinion, its greatest value was to solve the problem of the seal of the god of kobolds in xina¡¯s body. the seal had been resolved a few months ago, and now that he knew that her potential was not high, there was no need to go deeper. he seemed to have thought of something and took out a blueprint from the system space after he pondered. this drawing is for a transportation machinery manufacturing workshop, which they use to produce vehicles. you can see which place in fortress city is suitable for construction. twilight city needs a means of transportation that can travel in the desert. he exchanged points for this blueprint in the first instance dungeon. he had not built it yet. he had originally planned to build it in twilight city, but he now had four good options for it in fortress city. traveling in the desert was always a big problem. it would definitely trade with the outside world when the city has developed in the future. the desert crown honey, the desert crown robe, and the top-notch whitetail wine¡­ he already had enough products in his hands. richard would make a trip to solan city, which was at the edge of the desert, to look for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce to start an in-depth trade after he dealt with the underground world. it was also very cumbersome. he could not keep an eye on it all the time although business was important. it was inevitable to hand over to the administrative system to complete. he had to prepare for a rainy day. it would be much more convenient with transportation no matter what one does. there was no news yet as for the void sandworms. even if this void creature that could open space rift grew up in the future, it would have more important tasks, and could not participate in the twilight city trade all times. brown received it respectfully. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± richard thought momentarily, then told them about the idea of using sandworms to pull the carriage. sandworms can reach up to 100 meters in size when they mature. they are a good source of power. ¡°you study it first. when these larvae mature, it might be just right.¡± gregor was very confident in this. ¡°great lord, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely produce a transportation vehicle that you¡¯re satisfied with within a month at most.¡± it was a master alchemist, so he was confident. richard nodded. suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. ¡®since the alchemy foundation of fortress city was solid, could i go to the forum to buy some valuable items or items that players needed and produce them here? ¡®wouldn¡¯t that solve the problem of over-consumption in alchemy? ¡®let the gray-colored dwarves earn money to support themselves.¡¯ as he touched his chin, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was promising. alchemy research was about doing scientific research, and the investment required was not small. although there were many resources in the underground world, they might not be enough for long-term development. richard could undoubtedly save a lot of money for twilight city if he could earn resources to satisfy his own development. the gray-colored dwarves had top-notch alchemy, and richard can utilize them to help twilight city overcome key technologies. Chapter 454 he could use the remaining low-level dwarves to earn resources. there were tens of billions of players, and the market was enormous. there would definitely be people who needed it. everyone cannot be self-sufficient. how could others, if even twilight city could not do it? richard shook his head and didn¡¯t mind about it. he could operate on this once utterly stable. !! it was better to restore the operations of fortress city with so many things to do. he encouraged the two with a few words and let them go down first after he pondered. he stayed in fortress city until the 20th of september. richard left. he had stabilized the overall situation. and the only thing left was to calm down those races that refused to obey. it was enough for bloodhoof city, which currently did well, to be in charge of this. it was not a problem one could solve in a day or two. now, what he wanted to do most was to take the materials he had plundered from the gray-colored dwarves and upgrade his troop lair. then, richard headed to solan city. the agricultural area had always been a problem, and he couldn¡¯t wait to go there. richard left behind a small team of skeleton blood dragons to listen to brown¡¯s orders after he gave him some instructions. he then returned to twilight city with the rest of the troops. richard¡¯s legendary deeds were the only things left in the underground world¡­ ****** only a hundred gnomes lived under an inconspicuous hill, ten kilometers from bloodhoof on the surface. the members of this race started an unprecedentedly fierce quarrel in an open rift. there was only one topic around. ¡°we must go to the lord of the surface!¡± the tone now of the old dwarf outside the bloodhoof city who witnessed the descent of richard to the earth with his own eyes was unquestionably determined. ¡°he wiped out the gray-colored dwarves, and bloodhoof city will dominate the underworld.¡± ¡°what we have to face at that time is either surrender or destruction. ¡°in that case, why don¡¯t we go to the human lord to gain greater development?¡± its tone became more excited. ¡°we have been silent for so long. we need a lot of resources and a better environment to restore the glory of our ancestors. ¡°we should not miss this opportunity!¡± the antagonist was a young dwarf. it was uttermost dissatisfied. ¡°no! the surface lord can¡¯t accept us! ¡°he will reduce us to slaves if we go seek refuge. ¡°why do you trust those b*strd surface humans?! those greedy and evil existences are not worthy of our trust!! ¡°the glory of our ancestors?! hehehe, let¡¯s talk about being alive!¡± there were good reasons for both sides. no one can convince anyone. this debate went on for half a month. from the beginning of their expression to the current fierce quarrel, not only did they reject each other, but the differences became increasingly grave. the old dwarf¡¯s face appeared older when he heard this. it released a long sigh when it looked at its companions around. ¡°in that case, let us divide into two factions.¡± those words made the atmosphere slightly subtle, but no one stopped the old dwarf. the sides have created a rift that is difficult to bridge after a few days of fierce quarrels, and it was impossible to return to the past. half or more dwarves packed their things and came behind the old dwarf. the young dwarf also had fans around. both sides looked at each other with complicated expressions, and the scene was silent. the old dwarf took its grandson¡¯s hand after a long time. he turned around silently and left the place he had lived for decades with the other dwarves that supported it. it was toward the young dwarf who thought the choice of hell. ¡°grandpa, will the surface lord accept us?¡± the old dwarf pondered reluctantly after the little dwarf traveled a long way. the old dwarf smiled. ¡°yes, we are ancient dwarves. the blood of gods flows in our bodies. ****** on the surface. exit from the two-way portal in the land of quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree covered the sky and the sun and wantonly slaughtered the void lickers. the more than 30-meter void sandworms next to the twisted human-faced tree bloomed a bright golden light from the mysterious rune on the body. it supported the space rift in the void. the void sandworm and the god¡¯s ancient tree opened the door. and the other was a big dog, and they cooperated well. any of the two top-level battle power can make players salivate. even aborigines will tremble. richard has a sense of success in stamp collection every time he sees this. ¡°damn collectibles.¡± he opened the attributes of the god¡¯s ancient tree. his eyes locked on the most transformational progress he cared about¨C92%. ¡°this boss will take a big step after half a month of hunting.¡± according to this progress, it could reach a 100% mark in early october. expectations filled richard¡¯s eyes as he looked at the increasingly terrifying boss. ¡°i honestly do not know how powerful the opponent could be after it devoured the dark divine blood and activated the power of the gods in the body. ¡°leave the quicksand and let the troops disperse on their own.¡± richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. first things first. richard would sell the gray-colored troop lairs he obtained from the underground world. in addition to the harvest, the total resources exceeded the 200 million mark. it was an unprecedented wealth. he quickly upgraded nine axe of the dead and nine dark gargoyle troop lairs to glorious-level. richard needed 5 million resources each to promote rare to glorious levels. this action consumed his 90 million units of resources. then he has to combine the two arms to the stone statue of the dead. each combination required 5,000 units of crystals. a total of 45,000 units. after he spent a lot of resources. richard looked at the troop lair with the 11 stone statues of the dead in front and his heart was satisfied. eleven glorious 3-stars units can produce 110 stone statues of the dead every week. ¡°what is this concept?¡± simply invincible. the mighty arm and the battle effectiveness of a single soldier are even higher than that of the skeleton blood dragon. it was simply a bunker. it has accumulated for two weeks without recruiting troops. richard recruited 220 from the 11 stone statues of the dead troop lairs. it was nearly three squadrons if that added to the initial six squads for 280. this unit has formed a considerable scale overnight. richard smiled incessantly when the stone statues of the dead from 28 teams flew into twilight city. if one can bring in the death arena stone statues of the dead from these 28 teams, even if a few heroes don¡¯t take action, they can turn over a troop of 30,000 players. richard did not hesitate to recruit all the remaining troops. the power in his hands soared again. mummy guardian 450¡ú50. axe of the dead ¡ú515. bandaged mummy 147¡ú189 scorpion warrior 99¡ú113 giant axe death knight 261¡ú303 sand condensation archer 550¡ú650 wild sand mage 295¡ú435 cursed pharoah 60¡ú70 glorious arms [dark gargoyle and axe of the dead] 70 110 stone statue of the dead 60¡ú280 heavy sword warrior 20 crown arms [skeleton blood dragon] 120 to earn resources and recruit troops is a good feeling. there were still more than 100 million resources in hand. it was simply delicious. after he pondered, he was calm to upgrade these troops. he held off in one hand. he would go to solan city in two days. it was to see if there were high-level troop lairs for sale. he would buy if there were any and integrate them. he could still improve it at that time. this time, he can spend money openly. ¡°that¡¯s it.¡± richard asked people to put down the alchemy artillery they had seized from fortress city. he got more than 100 doors from the underground world. it is enough or more to form an artillery regiment in addition to the initial. tens of thousands of alchemical bombs were for logistics. it is no exaggeration to say that it is enough to support a large-scale battle. the only thing that made richard sparingly regret was that he found no high-level strategic equipment in the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ troop lair. they used mithril to repair the super hunter for the level 19 destroyer. comfortable rest for two days, september 22nd. richard prepared to leave for the long-awaited visit to solan city when he confirmed no urgent matter. he did not expect a strange caravan to visit twilight city first before he could leave. the team leader relayed it was the eldest daughter of the ice empire, the grand duke of frostwolf. she visited twilight city on purpose¡­ Chapter 455 ¡°an immovable sandstorm? ¡°what a joke¡­ the old white-haired man beside her suppressed the surprise in his heart. ¡°let¡¯s go. take me to see¡­¡± !! ¡°grandpa klei¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. nothing will happen to us since the guard returned safely.¡± he quickly left with the guard after he said said. this time, it took longer than the last time. surprise shrouded the old white-haired klein¡¯s face when they returned. ¡°miss, i¡¯ve lived for decades, but this is the first time i¡¯ve seen such. it was a magical area. the sandstorm doesn¡¯t move in all directions¡­ rebecca found it very interesting as well. ¡®was there such a magical?¡¯ she said hesitantly after some thought, ¡°onyx didn¡¯t mention this area.¡± ¡°and it¡¯s so close to twilight city. could it be¡­¡± klei turned his head. surprise filled his eyes. ¡°miss, are you saying twilight city created this magical storm?¡± he shook his head repeatedly before the young lady could respond. ¡°impossible! extraordinary individuals¨Cno, even glorious-level individuals can¡¯t control catastrophes! ¡°how long has it been since the grace mainland overlord came to our world? can he even surpass the glorious-level?¡± the guards around the old gray-haired man nodded in agreement. they finally understood how powerful the sandstorm was after they saw the terrifying scene. how could it be artificial? moreover, the troop lord was an ordinary grace mainland overlord. it wasn¡¯t like they had never seen a grace mainland overlord before. he was so weak that they weren¡¯t interested in him. he couldn¡¯t be beyond their understanding even if this grace mainland overlord¡­ rebecca thought about it and agreed. if the other party had such capabilities, why would he still stay in the harsh environment of the desert? ¡°since the sandstorm won¡¯t move, let¡¯s set off. if there¡¯s an accident, it¡¯ll be challenging. ¡°let¡¯s reach for twilight city first. ¡°yes!¡± she gave the order, and the caravan that hid for a few hours because of a dark cloud set off again. this time, they went far away from the sandstorm. however, one could feel the horror of the sandstorm that covered the sky even from more than ten kilometers away. they could not survive when ordinary people faced a natural disaster of this level. a strong sense of powerlessness grew in their hearts. it was unmatched. rebecca witnessed the spectacular scene, and her thoughts about twilight city creating the sandstorm disappeared. she could only attribute it to the uniqueness of the death desert. finally, after a long detour, they arrived at their destination¨Ctwilight city, just as half of the sun had set. a smile that rebecca had not shown in a long time appeared when she looked at the striking desert. this time, if she could get enough rabbit fur from the fire dragon rabbit, it would be helpful to her plan to control the frostwolf clan. ¡°mother, i will ultimately fulfill your last wish! ¡°i¡¯ll ultimately control the frostwolf clan! determination shrouded her eyes. they were here for trade. therefore, they quietly stationed the large caravan outside the city, and no one dared to barge in. rebecca looked around with interest while they waited outside the city for summoning. the city in the desert was small-scale. the frostwolf family could only describe it as tiny. the alchemy cannons on the city wall surprised her. there were so many of them that she felt a chill down her spine. from the energy they emitted, these cannons were at least 3-stars. she could even sense a 4-stars. the soldiers on the city wall were all mummies, which matched the characteristics of the desert. several levels of mighty aura of these troops than the soldiers of the same level stunned her. and what surprised her the most was ¡­ she saw a circle of undead dragons that burned blood-colored energy fly in the sky. they were top-tier wyverns, whether dead or alive. more than a squadron was now in the small-scale territory. it was not the end. nearly three squadrons of special troops flew up after the undead wyverns rose. they held battle tomahawks with dark red patterns in their hands and waved them hesitantly like gargoyles. their eyes were cold. the sense of danger it gave her was even greater than that of the undead dragon. he had thought it was over. after that, in the three tall arrow towers behind the city wall. several ridiculously large crossbows slowly aimed at them. the magical energy on it had reached five stars¡­ if she was not wrong, they used this thing to kill dragons. the exposure of fangs exposed made her feel numb as she looked at the unremarkable city. at this moment, she finally understood the meaning of onyx¡¯s tone of admiration. this grace mainland overlord had gained such a powerful military force in just a few months. it was indeed shocking. rebecca had just caught her breath. the next second, an indescribable sense of danger appeared in her heart. it was like the god of death targeted her. the old white-haired man, klei, who protected her, also had a grave expression. rebecca suddenly looked up at the sky. she saw mysterious beings that floated in the air. they stared at her indifferently. the other party held a slender saber dressed in pure black armor. one could see on her face a pair of pale golden eyes. the aura on her body was like a 10,000-foot-high mountain that pressed down on his heart. it made it difficult for one to breathe. ¡°grandpa klei¡­¡± she turned her head and wanted to ask something, but rebecca realized that the old gray-haired man, who had always been calm and composed, now sweat profusely. however, he did not even dare to wipe his sweat. the mysterious existence had already made him feel tremendous pressure by not moving. at this moment, shock and awe shrouded rebecca¡¯s eyes. ¡°what was hidden in this territory? ¡°why, why was he so powerful? ¡°grandpa klei was a level 19 hero!¡± ****** Chapter 456 the situation suddenly fell into a delicate situation. rebecca could not describe her emotions. the power they displayed in this city made her heart palpitate. she wouldn¡¯t be like this if she faced a powerful noble force. but she did with the grace mainland overlord. !! she expected the grace mainland overlord to be outstanding before she came but it exceeded her expectation. it was simply explosive! she felt the sharp aura of the soul-crushing twilight city. the guards at the back of the caravan immediately dispersed. a warrior that wore a set of azure blue armor protected rebecca. these troops all had fierce auras. one would be surprised to find if one looked carefully¡­ they were all level 15, top-tier troops. and their numbers exceeded two squadrons. their power was ultimately shocking with the addition of a level 19 hero. however, no one dared to act rashly at this moment. everyone¡¯s expression was supremely grave. they were afraid city guards in front of them would release the arrows in their hands. level 19 klei looked at the figure in the sky. its heart thumped. thump¡­thump¡­ its heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. although the other party did not move, it was like a sharp blade that could cut through mountains hanging over its head. the other side would ultimately explode with a shocking blow if there were strange movements. ¡°level 15¡­¡± klei gritted his teeth. ¡°where did this abnormal person come from?¡± it was only level 15, but the pressure it gave him was even mightier than level 19. and in the tense confrontation. the situation suddenly changed. a translucent shadow appeared in the sky. he focused his attention¡­ ¡°night elves?¡± her face was exquisite and flawless. she held an elven sword with complicated patterns and a longbow carved with mysterious inscriptions on her back. her body exuded a dark aura. level 14¡­ klei¡¯s heart jumped. his expression became even uglier. he realized this illusory night elf also had a strong sense of danger. the other party was equally fatal. ¡°f*ck! it is superb for a level-15 to threaten me, but how could even a level-14 threaten me???? ¡°what kind of perverts were these???¡­¡± ¡®tata!¡¯ ¡®tata!¡¯ a series of crisp footsteps sounded, and on the top of the city wall, a centaur with a long battle axe in her hand appeared with a curious look. two extremely special mummies accompanied her. ¡°these¡­ all hero units? ¡°and they were all heroes with supremely high potential? klei made his judgment immediately. the emotions in his heart at that moment were complicated to describe. his first impression of the city was that it was ordinary. but, he felt that it was unfathomably mysterious at this moment. ¡®the power this city possessed was something that an ordinary lord could not accumulate in 10 years, no, 20 years!¡¯ troop classes were easy to obtain, but top-tier heroes were intensely arduous to recruit¡­ however, it counted in batches when the other party made a move. it was simply outrageous. the atmosphere got increasingly intense. ¡®hu!¡¯ they could hear the sounds of wings flapping. the flying troops that hovered over twilight city slowly dispersed. and a terrifying existence three times larger than an ordinary undead dragon flapped its wings. the other party¡¯s aura almost numbed klei¡­ undead dragons were also heroes. moreover, the soul fire that burned in its head was even more intense than his, a level-19 hero. this scene also attracted rebecca. she looked at the giant dragon and immediately saw the heroic figure on its back. she was sure that the figure was the ruler of twilight city when she saw it. he was the grace mainland overlord who onyx, a merchant of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, worshipped. that temperament was too outstanding. the figure wore a black and red crown on his head and a dark red cape with mysterious runes on his back. his eyes were as deep as the starry sky and trembled people¡¯s hearts. his posture was even more magnificent and unparalleled when he landed with a dragon. dragons were the top-tier mounts in the ¡°shining era¡±. not to mention this was a dragon hero with unlimited potential. one could not compare dark valkyrie with an overbearing aura to the light in rebecca and klei¡¯s eyes. rebecca took a deep breath. she took two steps forward and said in a clear voice. ¡°your excellency richard, i am the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf.¡± ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s mr. onyx and president windsor introduced us. we are here in good faith to trade with twilight city¡­¡± she raised the letter in his hand as she spoke. [rebecca frostwolf] [potential a] [level: 14] richard looked at his enemy¡¯s stats and then at the soldiers who protected her. frostwolf guard, potential, crown 3-stars, level 15 other than that, there was also a level 19 hero with b-rank potential¡­ this noble girl from the ice empire was quite something. ¡°lady rebecca, welcome.¡± ¡°for safety¡¯s sake, please have your troops wait outside the city. i will provide them with food and water.¡± ¡°you can enter twilight city with your guardians.¡± he could not allow so many troops to enter the city rashly, although the visitors were genuine. one must always be on guard against others. he could not tear down all the buildings if accidents happened and fought in the city. it was still alright as for the level 19 hero. the dark valkyrie or renee could both take them down in one wave. rebecca had no objections to this arrangement. strength determines one¡¯s right to speak. the other party¡¯s strength was enough to arrange everything. rebecca and klei passed through the city gates and entered twilight city after they left their troops outside. rebecca looked around with curiosity when they entered the city. he had heard onyc talk about the wonders of this city. however, she was still a little shocked when he saw the scene before her. there were no beggars or poor people that hid in the dark corners. the streets were clean and tidy, and one wouldn¡¯t find garbage. a relaxed smile filled everyone¡¯s face. and that unique atmosphere could make people relax instantly. they thought of the frostwolf territory¡­ although it could be considered rich in the ice empire, its spiritual appearance was incomparable. the difference was too enormous. her first impression of this territory was that it was different, although he only had a rough look. more importantly, they had built it in just a few months¡­ in her distinct mood, rebecca paid attention to the conversations of the surrounding residents as she followed the tens of millions of soldiers to the lord¡¯s mansion. ¡°brother, i didn¡¯t finish my homework yesterday. the teacher is going to check it tonight. why don¡¯t you help me do it? ¡± ¡°mr. mark, i heard the underground world recruited a group of managers¡­ i don¡¯t know if they will choose me. the lord is too great. he could easily conquer the underground world¡­ ¡°madam, your son¡¯s performance at the seminar at the food workshop yesterday was extremely eye-catching¡­ meaningful conversations continued. the residents who passed by talked about life-related topics. there were no complaints or dissatisfaction. respect and passion shrouded their tone when they talked about the lord. it was the opposite of how the civilians treated the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf when they chatted in the frostwolf territory¡­ here, the people seemed to love the lord from the bottom of their hearts. rebecca followed klei to the lord¡¯s mansion with complicated emotions. she felt an inexplicable uneasiness when she stepped through the door. she immediately saw the lord of this territory when she entered the main hall. the lord sat on the main seat. her splendid temperament made people look and could not move their eyes after the lord looked at her up close. rebecca¡¯s heart began to beat faster. she had seen many outstanding people of the opposite sex in the ice empire with her status. but now, those handsome and charming men of the opposite sex were unsightly in front of this lord. the most eye-catching thing about him was his temperament. it dazzled like a radiant moon, and it was difficult for people to control themselves. she looked back from the corner of her eye and saw two terrifying existences that floated in the air behind her. they looked at her indifferently. rebecca¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she took a deep breath to suppress her emotions. her eyes regained their clarity. the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf. once again, she placed her hand on her chest and bowed. ¡°your excellency richard, greetings to you. i am rebecca frostwolf, eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf.¡± this identity was precious enough in the ice empire. she was very humble at this moment. one must show respect to the strong. it was the most basic rule of the ¡°shining era¡±. twilight city could make her lower her stance. richard rose to his feet and offered a helping hand. ¡°no need to be so polite, lady rebecca. since onyx introduced us to you, we¡¯re friends now. please take a seat.¡± rebecca straightened her back and smiled. she strode forward and handed the letter of introduction to richard, then sat down with the gray-haired level 19 hero, klei. his elegant and calm demeanor, the temperament he had received from a noble¡¯s upbringing since he was young, was also eye-catching. richard took the letter and sat down slowly. he opened it and read it. ¡°you came from the east. you didn¡¯t pass through the sandstorm area, right?¡± these words shocked rebecca and klei in their hearts. they suddenly thought of the immobile sandstorm¡­ ¡®what did that mean¡­?¡¯ ¡°lord richard, we managed to avoid the sandstorm..¡±. rebecca said. richard¡¯s eyes never left the letter. ¡°that¡¯s good. when i set it up, it was to prevent an enemy surprise attack, not to deal with our people¡­¡± these simple words made the two hold their breath. a chill ran down their spines as they thought of the terrifying scene that covered the sky. ¡°you caused that sandstorm¡­ created?¡± rebecca¡¯s voice was sparingly hoarse. richard looked up at them and nodded without much thought. ¡°that¡¯s right. to stop some wild monsters¡­¡± it was the second time that she had received confirmation. rebecca¡¯s heart started to beat rapidly. she turned around and exchanged glances with klei. both could see the fear in the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°that was a sandstorm! the most soul-devouring natural disaster in the desert!¡± even exceptional powerhouses could not resist the sandstorm power in this magical world. now, he had thought that he had created it! an indescribable shock surged in their hearts. klei suddenly felt like he chinned up at a tall mountain as he gazed at the casual figure again¡­ an invisible veil covered twilight city, which had become very mysterious because of the scene at the city gate¡­ Chapter 457 richard didn¡¯t expect the sandstorm in the east to have such a vast impact on them. it was just a 5-stars treasure, even though the system description said extremely rare. however, the land of quicksand didn¡¯t seem rare for twilight city. richard raised his head after he read the letter twice. rebecca and klei didn¡¯t want the lord to look down upon them, so they suppressed their emotions and put on the typical expression. !! he didn¡¯t find anything unusual. the contents of the letter were very ordinary. but in the end, it emphasized the identity of rebecca, the others, and the wealth of the frostwolf clan. at the same time, it also stated what the other party wanted. he was delighted with onyx¡¯s actions. this person was also sharp-witted. it asked him to extort the frostwolf family with the fire dragon rabbit¡­ ¡®ehem! ehem!¡¯ ¡®no, i mean a fair trade!¡¯ ¡°lady rebecca, onyx has already stated your request in the letter.¡± richard¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°twilight city always welcomes friends who come to do business. rebecca took a deep breath when she heard this. she looked at richard solemnly. ¡°thank you for your trust, lord richard. ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the frostwolf family¡¯s demand for the rabbit¡¯s fur due to the environment of the ice empire.¡± rebecca paused for a moment. she looked at richard¡¯s noncommittal expression before she continued. ¡°that¡¯s why i want to buy the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit from twilight city¡­ she quickly added. ¡°we are willing to buy at the price of the desert crown robe. richard chuckled. it was the kind of rich man he liked to deal with. twilight city doesn¡¯t mind selling the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit to the outside world, but he needed to discuss the specific details of the deal again. business is business. and the two did not have a friendship. the chips that the other party took out exceeded enough. now that he had the initiative, he naturally had to fight for more benefits. rebecca was mentally prepared for this, so she had no objections. after some thought, she asked. ¡°lord richard, how many fire dragon rabbits are in twilight city? how much rabbit fur can you provide every month¡­¡± it was the most significant part. it wouldn¡¯t be valuable if there weren¡¯t enough, even if rebecca got the deal. richard turned to look at the mummy guard. ¡°go to the cultivation area and call green tooth over.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± richard had been too busy during this period. he had let his subordinates handle the agricultural area. he didn¡¯t keep an eye on them all the time. richard didn¡¯t have to investigate such a small matter all day long. not long after, the skinny desert gnome entered the hall excitedly. it immediately saluted richard. ¡°i, green tooth, extend my most respectful greetings to the great lord, the conqueror of the underground world, and the ruler of the desert!¡± it knelt on one knee as it spoke and placed its right hand on its chest. it looked decent. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the weak little gnome. he waved his hand. ¡°you may rise.¡± the corners of his mouth twitched as he looked at the ugly face that smiled brighter than a chrysanthemum after it rose. ¡°don¡¯t laugh. you¡¯re so ugly that you can scare the undead¡­ ¡°green tooth, how many fire dragon rabbits have you reproduced?¡± green tooth immediately puffed out his chest and said arrogantly. ¡°lord, there are 875 adult fire dragon rabbits and 395 babies. ¡°the young rabbits are expected to mature in the middle of next month.¡± there were already thousands of them! richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s reproduction speed was indeed startling. ¡°however, why did the number of young rabbits decrease? green tooth quickly explained. it was like it had seen through the lord¡¯s doubts. ¡°lord, i¡¯ve told you before that the fire dragon rabbit can¡¯t reproduce without limit because of its bloodline. after a certain number, the reproduction speed will slow down. ¡°once the reproduction speed slows down, the king of the fire dragon rabbit is about to be born. ¡°after the emergence of the king, the reproduction of the fire dragon rabbit will enter the sluggish period. then the number of offspring will drop to one or two. ¡°the fire dragon rabbit would lose control of its bloodline and enter self-destruction without the king. ¡°this race is estimated to reproduce to about 3,000, and then it will give birth to the king¡­¡± rebecca wasn¡¯t happy when she heard this. instead, she was greatly disappointed. ¡®what could a thousand fire dragon rabbits do? even 3,000 yuan was not enough.¡¯ even if she killed all of them and took their rabbit fur, she could only arm a few large teams, which was much worse than she expected. when richard got the answer he wanted, he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. he waved his hand, signaling for green tooth to leave. he then looked at rebecca and said softly. ¡°lady rebecca, from now on, twilight city could provide 1,000 fire dragon rabbit fur monthly.¡± it startled rebecca. she asked in confusion. ¡°you can provide 1,000 every month? but don¡¯t you only have a thousand of them?¡± richard chuckled. ¡°we¡¯ve used supremely precious treasures and methods to raise them. currently, the fire dragon rabbit can change its fur once a month. ¡°this was true. the fire dragon rabbit could only survive under the sun. ¡°was the sun not precious? it could be considered a peerless treasure, and a few could compare to the sun.¡± rebecca¡¯s face instantly turned from sorrow to joy. ¡°praise the snow goddess! it must be your divine grace!¡± he said excitedly. ¡°lord richard, no matter how much you have, we¡¯ll take it all!¡± her tone was firm and decisive, and she didn¡¯t mention the price. it was her first step in taking control of the frostwolf clan, and it was worth it, no matter how great the price was. the fur of the fire dragon rabbit was too rare. a few could even become luxury goods that only the king and the great nobles could enjoy. richard was pleased with the lady¡¯s attitude. ¡°lady rebecca, one order is for rabbit fur. how many resources do you intend to use to exchange for it?¡± the fire dragon rabbit was half the height of a human and weighed more than 50 kilograms. the rabbit hair produced by each adult rabbit was about ten catties. it was ten units. these were all rabbit fur that fell off naturally and of excellent quality. when this batch of fire dragon rabbits became adults, they could produce more than 10,000 units per month. when they reached their peak, 3,000 would be 30,000 units. the yellow sand robe, including the losses, would require about five units of materials. even if one used all to produce the yellow sand robes, they could still be at 200 pieces per month. one could sell for thousands of rare resources¡­ the harvest here could reach 200,000 units. richard did some quick calculations and marveled at the potential business opportunities. it was a gold mine. since the initial value of the rare resources could reach 200,000 units, the deal with the frostwolf clan¡¯s eldest daughter couldn¡¯t be lower than what he was selling himself. rebecca turned to look at klei, then said in a deep voice, ¡°lord richard, the frostwolf family controls a portion of the ores in the eternal land of frost. we¡¯re willing to buy five years¡¯ worth of production from you with a piece of frost ore!¡± it narrowed richard¡¯s eyes. ¡®using a mining vein to trade? what was this frost ore?¡¯ it looked very precious¡­ he turned his head and looked to his side. ¡°call adele over.¡± the guard left again. the ¡°shining era¡± was too big. other than the god of knowledge, no one would dare to say that they understood everything inside. not long after, adele, who had dark circles under her eyes and looked like she had not rested well, rushed into the hall. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± she said. her voice carried a hint of coyness. ¡°i¡¯m still in the research progress. it¡¯s already at the final moment.¡± the girl had immersed herself in research ever since she had obtained the spirit crystal that could improve the characteristics of troop classes. she remained in the blacksmith¡¯s shop after they conquered the underground world. he even ate and slept in the blacksmith¡¯s shop and made a bed on the floor¡­ richard found it both funny and heartbreaking. he said unhappily. ¡°alright, there¡¯s no rush. i¡¯ll go back and rest for two days before studying it. i¡¯m already exhausted.¡± adele¡¯s face fell, and she looked aggrieved. rebecca and klei looked curiously at this girl. her face still had a few traces of dust. it trembled klein¡¯s heart after he sensed it carefully. ¡®snow goddess above¡­ she is another hero with unlimited potential. ¡®including the one on the city wall, how many had already appeared? even the frostwolf territory wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as this¡­ it was simply too much.¡¯ richard ignored the girl¡¯s emotional outburst and explained the deal to her. then, he said with a deeper meaning. ¡°lady rebecca, what do you think of exchanging a frost mine for five years¡¯ worth of fire dragon rabbit fur?¡± adele¡¯s listless expression immediately brightened like a blade of grass that one had just watered in the afternoon. he turned to look at rebecca. ¡°frost ore? it can produce frost ore filled with ice magic?¡± rebecca smiled and nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°yes!¡± adele nodded excitedly. ¡°my lord, we can use frost ore to forge weapons with ice magic. this weapon could freeze an enemy when attacking. it will freeze the enemy¡­ other than the ice empire, no other place has it, so it¡¯s very precious.¡± adele¡¯s big eyes rolled around as she said that. however, the fire dragon rabbit is equally precious. the value would be unless it¡¯s a vast ice crystal mine. richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. at least he knew how to add to the stakes. it¡¯s not bad. rebecca decisively nodded when she heard this. ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s a giant frost mine!¡± adele¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she turned to richard, as if to say, ¡°hurry up and agree, we have to take advantage of it¡­¡± Chapter 458 richard looked at adele while it pouted and winked at him. her cuteness struck him. this girl¡­ richard stared intently at rebecca after he pondered. ¡°lady rebecca, your offer is good, but¡­ it¡¯s not enough. ¡°the ice empire is too far away from the desert. it¡¯s complicated for us to mine across tens of thousands of miles. !! ¡°besides, frost ore is not necessary for us. even if we get it, it¡¯s just adding flowers to a brocade. his words were sincere. he had never seen a frost mine before, and according to adele, it was not indispensable to the current twilight city, although it was precious. the twilight city troops had weapons, and it was unnecessary to forge them. only races like elves, orcs, and humans needed extra attention. it was because these races could recruit soldiers from the troop lairs and train the natives. it was a racial talent. they used the barracks for this, but the development path of twilight city was different, and there was no need to turn ordinary residents into soldiers. the weapons he obtained from the underground world were all sold for resources. rebecca subconsciously furrowed her brows. she looked straight into the deep eyes in front of her and said solemnly. ¡°lord richard, trust me. you¡¯ll agree to this decision after you see the frost ore.¡± her original bargaining chip was not this precious mine vein, but the initial decline forced her to change it when she saw how remarkable twilight city was. the original item was no longer qualified to be brought to the negotiation table. she never imagined that the mysterious territory was complicated. but there was a new problem now that she had changed the chips¨Cshe awkwardly realized she did not bring frost ore with her. so she could not show how unique the ore was. it was sparingly awkward at this moment. at this time, adele was so anxious that she opened her eyes wide open. she would have agreed on the spot if it weren¡¯t for her limitation to decide. richard fell silent for a moment. he was about to speak again when rebecca suddenly took out a treasure and placed it on the table. ¡°lor richard, how about i add this treasure as a bargaining chip?¡± richard focused on the ice spirit statue of a girl in a long dress. it was crystal clear and exuded a cold aura. it was vivid and appeared to come to life at any moment. he reached out to take the statue and felt the immense magic power contained in it. he immediately became interested. he didn¡¯t rush to reply and opened the attribute panel first. his eyes suddenly lit up after he glanced. [ice spirit statue] [level: 5-stars] [property: 1. the temperature can be freely adjusted when placed in the territory. the highest temperature can not exceed 27 degrees, and the lowest temperature can not be lower than-20 degrees. one can maintain it all year round.] [2. able to summon 100 ice spirits. the ice spirits have ordinary intelligence. in battle, they can add magic to the troop, causing adverse effects such as freezing, cold, stiffness, and trembling to the enemy.] [3. able to use the skill-ice shield to protect the entire territory. duration: 1 hour. cooldown time: 24 hours. one can insert magic power into the statue to extend the shield duration.] [description: a treasure created from the coldest ice. it possesses great power.] ¡®what a 5-stars treasure!¡¯ furthermore, the attributes were so outstanding¡­ each of the three skills was more practical than the last. the first skill could be called a gigantic air conditioner. this thing might be futile use to other territories, but this was a desert¡­ the dry and hot weather was simply torture to ordinary people. a treasure that could adjust the temperature in a large area was nerve-racking. the second skill was to summon ice spirits. it was not bad for battle. what he valued the most was the ability to summon the ice shield. this skill made up for the defensive weakness of twilight city. they could also use it to increase the duration of the shield. it had undoubtedly hit the point he desired the most in his heart¡­ the safety of twilight city. it tempted richard. this bargaining chip was much more attractive than the other party¡¯s offer. ¡°one cannot exchange this treasure for half a year¡¯s supply of fire dragon rabbits that your city produces. the rest of the deal¡­ ¡°i need to see the frost mine before signing it.¡± rebecca finally revealed a smile. the treasure was nothing compared to controlling the frostwolf clan, although it was precious. ¡°it¡¯s a pleasure working with you, lord richard. may the snow goddess bless our cooperation.¡± the transaction was easy, and they settled the remaining details quickly after the general direction. richard asked the most important question after they agreed. ¡°lady rebecca, after we cooperate, how can we guarantee the benefits of both parties? ¡°the cooperation this time would last for a few years.¡± rebecca looked at him with a sparingly startled expression. ¡°you don¡¯t know about the ice contract?¡± rebecca explained with a smile when richard shook his head. ¡°the ice contract is the glory that the snow goddess has spread in the primary plane¡­ the goddess will become the notary of it as long its terms are signed. ¡°the goddess will punish whoever violates the rules of the contract.¡± pride shrouded his eyes as he spoke. ¡°less than ten gods can verify contracts in the entire primary plane. our great snow goddess is the most official one. ¡°that¡¯s why several merchants from other empires will come to purchase the ice contract and let the goddess bear witness¡­¡± richard pondered and nodded. Chapter 459 this snow goddess had some tricks up her sleeves. by doing so, she would gain fame and make money, and at the same time, she could spread her faith and expand her influence. it was killing two birds with one stone. rebecca took out the translucent ice contract as she said this. richard opened his attribute panel, and after he confirmed that the effect was as the man had said and that the gods would witness it, he felt relieved. both parties signed their names after they wrote down the terms. !! richard could faintly feel that the snow goddess constantly watched him the moment they signed the contract. a pair of indifferent eyes seemed to glance in his direction. richard¡¯s holy aura still made her sigh in admiration. although, she had turned and left. the kobold god was nothing compared to the snow goddess¡­ the contract stipulated that all the fire dragon rabbit fur the twilight city produced within five years would belong to rebecca. in addition, they had to provide at least 10,000 units of rabbit fur every month for half a year. after half a year, twilight city couldn¡¯t keep more than 10% of the rabbit fur and couldn¡¯t sell the remaining to the ice empire. as for rebecca, she had to pay ice spirit statue and a frost mine located in the eternal land of frost. the two sides agreed that if twilight city did not accept the frost mine, they would only provide the production of the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur for half a year. the terms were explicit and straightforward. it did not include nonsense. however, the restrictions¡¯ effect was almost absolute because of the gods¡¯ existence. no one would risk violating the terms and the consequences of god¡¯s punishment. of course, it would be a different story if he wanted to court death. after the transaction. richard ground the ice spirit statue in his hand. he was pleased. it was a 5-stars treasure. typically, one could only relax a little in the dungeon and use points to exchange for it. only by taking enormous risks in the primary plane and conquering some high-level maps would one have a chance to obtain it. moreover, this treasure would also make up for the defenseless in twilight city. in the future, there would be no need to worry about the enemy that directly crosses the city wall and attacks the city. richard brought rebecca around the farm after their business. the deal supremely satisfied rebecca as she looked at the energy-filled fire dragon rabbits that walked around and the gnomes that took the opportunity to collect the rabbit fur the rabbits had shed. it was the hope of the future¡­ rebecca suddenly saw two gnomes come out with the roots of some unknown magic plants after she glanced for a while. the roots exuded dense magic fluctuations and seemed to have just finished eating from the bite marks. ¡®was this the food the twilight city used to feed the fire dragon rabbits?¡¯ rebecca and klei threw a few glances. the gnome had sharp eyes and immediately covered the roots with something. they did not allow them to see more. rebecca and klei looked at each other in regret. however, they didn¡¯t look into it. the fact that they could feed the fire dragon rabbit that no one knew how to feed them was a secret. naturally, richard couldn¡¯t let them know. however, klei quietly memorized the shape of those plants in his heart. he thought about asking someone to look for similar ones¡­ richard ignored their gazes and continued to explain how difficult it was to raise the rabbit. ultimately, he brought the two to the russian olive forest and let them taste the fresh desert crown honey. the superb taste made their hearts fly¡­ the sun set on the ground, and the moon hung high in the sky. in the evening, after a sumptuous dinner to welcome rebecca back¡­ richard asked the question that had bugged him during the tea party after dinner. ¡°lady rebecca, it¡¯s so cold in the ice empire. how do you grow your crops? and how do you prevent the food from the wild monsters¡¯ destruction?¡± this question caused rebecca to be sparingly stunned, but after she thought about it, she did not hide anything and directly replied. ¡°our food is a plant called ice fruit. it likes the cold and can take root in hard ice.¡± ¡°the frostwolf territory has a piece of land in the ice mountain. it¡¯s used to produce food and can feed millions of people. ¡°as for resisting the danger¡­ they couldn¡¯t enter unless the enemies outside attacked the entrance.¡± richard was a little disappointed. he could not use this experience as a reference. he wanted to find a safe place, but the desert was arduous. richard explained the agricultural problems of twilight city and asked after he pondered. ¡°is there any way to prevent twilight city¡¯s agriculture from destruction during the war?¡± rebecca didn¡¯t even think and decisively shook her head. ¡°the desert is too barren, and the terrain is too simple. it¡¯s not suitable for agricultural development. it¡¯s not even apt for territory development. ¡°lord richard, with your abilities, you could¡¯ve developed even better outside the desert.¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®i¡¯m here for you to advise and not to pour cold water on me.¡¯ there were countless disadvantages to the desert. but the advantages were also distinct¨Cthe vast desert was a natural shield. there were no enemies around that could threaten twilight city. it would give him enough time to develop. he was still unwilling and continued after he pondered. ¡°how do human cities deal with this problem?¡± rebecca thought for a moment before she spoke. ¡°the geographical conditions of each territory are different, so it¡¯s difficult to summarize. ¡°but generally, we still have to adapt to the local conditions. there will always be a way that suits our territory.¡± ¡°as far as i know, some powerful forces will distribute the production tasks and buy land around dozens of cities to share the risks. ¡°some would sign long-term contracts with lords who own manors and will fixedly purchase them¡­ what¡¯s more, they¡¯ve even occupied a plane to produce¡­¡± Chapter 460 richard didn¡¯t think much of the other options. but the last sentence made him suddenly think of the plane stone he always had¡­ in addition, he even had the seed of the world tree that could support a medium-sized plane. richard frowned again as he pondered. !! he felt that the safe production environment he always searched for was possible through these two treasures. but how to use these two top-tier treasures was the biggest problem. richard pondered. he still couldn¡¯t think of a good idea after a deep thought. his head ached. the plane stone was too high-end, and he didn¡¯t know how to use it. he could activate the seed of the world with 100 drops of divinity. now, renee would inject one into it every week. at present, it would take more than a year before it could regain its vitality. ¡®perhaps, i can only use these two treasures after i become transcendent¡­¡¯ richard smiled wryly. transcendent. even the most powerful dark valkyrie was four levels away from this level. the higher it was, the more difficult it would be to level up. it would take a long time if he wanted to reach level 15. richard rubbed his temples as he felt a headache coming on. he didn¡¯t dwell on this after he returned to his senses. in any case, the treasure was in his hands. and it would come in handy sooner or later. richard suddenly thought of the blood coffin still buried under the roots of the tree of divine sin after he skipped over the topic. it was something the orcs had robbed from the vampire¡¯s castle near the ice empire. he immediately said with some deep meaning. ¡°lady rebecca, i heard from my friend that there are many vampires in the ice empire. have you heard of any news about those evil races?¡± ¡°a vampire?¡± rebecca raised an eyebrow. she did not understand why richard would suddenly ask this. richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. there were traces of vampires near my friend¡¯s territory, so i wanted to know more about this race.¡± only then did the girl¡¯s expression relax. she turned to look at klei beside her, the level 19 hero. ¡°grandpa klei knows vampires better than i do¡­ he participated in the bloody battle 30 years ago.¡± ¡°a bloody battle? can you tell me more about it?¡± the unfamiliar term piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°was there a secret?¡± she looked at richard¡¯s enthusiasm. it wasn¡¯t good to refuse him. ¡°lord richard, thirty years ago, countless vampires lived in the land of the ice empire. those evil beings imposed a blood tax on the humans below. every human had to pay a certain amount of blood as a tax at a fixed time.¡± ¡°in the beginning, the vampires and the ice empire had a healthy cooperative relationship. however, a massive earthquake integrated a top-notch ancient ruin into the primary plane, which changed the situation. ¡°we call that historical site the eternal land of frost. frost ore is its specialty. ¡°the vampires want to occupy the territory with countless precious mineral veins, and an unprecedented conflict broke out with the ice empire. ¡°under the enormous wealth, anger accumulated, and the two sides finally broke off completely. ¡°in the land of eternal frost, the two sides engaged in an earth-shattering battle. ¡°transcendents, glorious, and even demigods all fell on the ice. blood flowed like rivers that soaked the ice. ¡°in this battle, the ice empire won the final victory. the upper echelons of the vampires were all killed. their protector, a demigod-level prince of the vampires, was killed on the spot. ¡°from then on, the number of vampires got increasingly few, and they even gradually disappeared. we could occasionally hear traces of vampires in some remote areas. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®could the vampire duke sleeping in the blood coffin have survived the great war 30 years ago?¡¯ his eyes sparingly narrowed. he asked with a deeper meaning. ¡°lady rebecca, to be honest, i have captured a sleeping vampire before. it is sparingly strong, and i want to enslave it. i wonder if you could do anything about it¡­¡± Chapter 461 ¡°lady rebecca, to be honest, i¡¯ve previously captured a sleeping vampire. he¡¯s not weak. and i want to enslave him. do you have any ideas?¡± richard¡¯s bold voice rang out. it was the good thing about the desert camp. they could boldly recruit suitable troop-type and heroes. they didn¡¯t have to be as careful as the good camp. !! their morale would drop at any time if they recruited troops from the evil camp. and they might even defect during the battle¡­ the ice empire had worked with the vampires for a long time as a neutral camp. rebecca and klei did not have any negative feelings toward richard¡¯s words. in the eyes of the neutral camp, good or evil did not matter as long as one could use them. they were people who did things. ¡°lord richard, may i know your strength?¡± the other party slept in a special treasure. richard¡¯s level is estimated to be no lower level 15. he didn¡¯t want to lie, so he gave a vague answer. if he could find out how to subdue the vampire duke from the two of them, not to mention the battle power brought by the transcendent, just the fact that he could use the plane stones and the seed of the world tree seed was a significant profit. a stable production base would be the perfect addition to the farming business in twilight city. karu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. level 15¡­ vampire marquis, this must be another heroic unit! he suddenly thought of the ridiculous number of heroes in twilight city¡­ ¡°don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s how all those heroes come about?¡± envy engulfed his eyes. ¡®how could the young lady not have such good luck? perhaps, it would not be so difficult to control the frostwolf family if they had the number of heroes in twilight city.¡¯ rebecca felt top-notch heroes were supremely few in the outside world. but they seem abundant in twilight city. she said after some thought. ¡°the vampire¡¯s soul above level-15 has starkly integrated into the body. ¡°this evil clan has a terrifying power. ¡°it will be supremely arduous to enslave them.¡± rebecca replied very seriously. ¡°normal methods won¡¯t work. only the power of the gods can achieve your goal. her words piqued richard¡¯s interest when he realized she wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°lady rebecca, how can i obtain the power of a god?¡± ¡°a soul contract bestowed by the snow goddess.¡± rebecca¡¯s eyes were bright. ¡°the soul contract has the power of the goddess. one can use it to enslave a sleeping vampire without any problem! ¡°even transcendents can¡¯t resist it, let alone level-15 ones!¡± richard¡¯s heart jumped. he did not expect to gain something. he had only asked to try. he asked softly. ¡°lady rebecca, how can i obtain a contract bestowed by the snow goddess? does the frostwolf family have one?¡± klei replied. ¡°lord richard, the snow goddess¡¯s contract is a gift from the goddess herself. only a few exist. its price is even higher than a glorious treasure. not even the frostwolf clan has such a treasure. ¡°i¡¯ve not heard of anyone else having one other than the king.¡± klei hesitated as he spoke. ¡°establish a friendship with the king first to obtain a soul contract¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish his words, but his meaning was obvious. it wasn¡¯t possible. it didn¡¯t disappoint richard, though. he thought of the dark contract that he had obtained from the dungeon. he had also received it by chance. in the future, he could collect information in this direction. it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get a contract with the fire goddess if he couldn¡¯t get one with the snow goddess¡­ there will always be a way. richard would have enough time unless he opened the blood coffin. rebecca asked curiously. ¡°lord richard, did you capture the vampire in the ice empire?¡± richard chuckled. ¡°that¡¯s right. i went to help a friend and accidentally found the slumbering vampire. ¡°it was a fate. my friend¡¯s territory is not far from the ice empire. that¡¯s why i¡¯m here to ask you for information.¡± richard thought of [steamed bun lover] after he said that. he had already conquered the underground world. ¡°he didn¡¯t know if the other party found more about the vampire¡¯s castle. ¡°next time, we can send our troops on an expedition and destroy that old castle.¡± he was deeply interested in attacking such a high-level map. if the orcs could break into the vampire¡¯s castle, so could twilight city. the expedition to the orcs and the underground world gave richard a taste of what it felt like to earn extra money. they would obtain massive harvests if they successfully captured the npc cities with soul-crushing strength. he couldn¡¯t reject such a benefit¡­ no, no one could refuse. rebecca¡¯s quick-witted eyes flickered when she heard this. he took something out of his space ring and handed it to richard. richard took it. it was a crystal lifelike giant wolf-carved ice plate. ¡°lord richard, this is a token from the frostwolf family. you can give it to your friend.¡± enthusiast filled richard¡¯s eyes as she said that. ¡°you¡¯re so far away from your friend. it¡¯s difficult for you to take care of each other.¡± the frostworlf family territory will treat them well with the token she gave. richard thanked her with a smile. although this thing was nothing to him, it was not inferior to a 5-stars treasure to ordinary players. Chapter 462 the frostwolf family¡¯s care was a great honor in the ice empire. what made richard even more emotional was that rebecca knew how to conduct herself well. as expected of someone nurtured by a great noble, he felt comfortable with her every move. the atmosphere between the two became more harmonious afterward. rebecca¡¯s impression of richard got increasingly better after a long chat. richard¡¯s way of conversation, temperament, vision, emotion, and everything he¡¯d revealed in their interactions were supreme character and choice. a maidservant suddenly entered the room amid their lively conversation to report that the elder of the white-tailed cat race, brook whitetail, went to see richard. richard let him in without hesitation. the wine-making business was finally on the right track after the white-tailed cats took over the wine workshop. the wine workshop pioneers had specially reported that the first batch of whitetail wine would be ready in two or three days. old cat-faced brook whitetail stepped into the mansion. two young cat-eared girls followed him and carried two black cloth-covered trays. brook saluted at the long table. ¡°good evening, lord.¡± he placed a hand on his chest towards rebecca and klei as he spoke. ¡°good evening, esteemed guest.¡± rebecca and klein didn¡¯t dare to act arrogantly. they immediately stood up to return the greeting. richard didn¡¯t care about the formalities. he looked curiously at the two cat-eared girls. ¡°brook, have you finished making the whitetail wine?¡± brook was a little excited. ¡°yes, lord.¡± he stepped forward and lifted the black cloth on the tray on the left as he spoke. ¡®weng!¡¯ a transparent glass bottle filled with wine appeared in his sight. the scene was like a river of stars flowed freely in the dotted-star glass bottle. it gave a unique charm. ¡°we¡¯ve succeeded in brewing! the whitetail wine¡­ the genuine whitetail wine!¡± richard¡¯s mood brightened as he looked at the whitetail brew. it looked almost the same as the one he had brought back. it was challenging. how much energy had he spent since he decided to develop the wine-making industry? how many resources had he invested? the first thing he would do almost on his every return was to call karu over and ask about the wine workshop. it had been almost half a year, and twilight city finally had some top-notch wine. the harvest was arduous to come by¡­ ¡°pour the wine. let the two guests taste the best wine in twilight city from afar.¡± rebecca didn¡¯t like wine, so she didn¡¯t care. on the other hand, klei looked at the whitetail wine that seemed to flow like a galaxy. the demand for wine was strong in the bitterly cold winter ice empire. he was a drunkard. however, most of the wines were strong, and good wine was rare because the cold was not conducive to wine brewing. however, as a member of the frostwolf family and a level 19 hero, he could drink whatever he wanted. hence, klei only looked at it out of curiosity and did not take the whitetail wine to heart. the wine was nothing else. it looked bad¡­ the frostwolf territory also had a wine-making department with at least a hundred years of history. however, it was only in the last ten years that the quality had improved. although this territory was extraordinary, for this kind of industry that required accumulation of foundation, it was sparingly better than vinegar¡­ however, it was naturally unkind for a guest to make the other party lose face. a polite smile appeared on klein¡¯s face, and he did not take the so-called wine to heart. brook didn¡¯t notice these details and excitedly placed the wine jars on the table. then, he slowly opened the lids and filled a glass up for each. the aroma of the wine quickly stunned the initially nonchalant klei when he smelled it. ¡®this fragrance¡­ why was it so special?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t wait to bring it to his nose and smell it as he gulped down a mouthful of his saliva. the feeling was like he stood in the wilderness and a natural cool breeze blew his face. his entire body seemed to float. ¡®good wine!¡¯ even though he had yet to put it into his mouth, the unique wine fragrance had already made him feel relaxed and happy. klein suppressed the excitement in his heart and slowly took a sip. the clear and mellow fragrance exploded on his taste buds as the wine traveled through his mouth. he squinted his eyes and savored the exquisite taste. he swallowed it down after a long time. the wine flowed into his stomach and emitted a warm smell. then, it gradually flowed to his limbs. it was like someone soaked him in warm water. it has swept his fatigue away. the wine ¡­ there¡¯s an additional attribute? after a long time, klein put down the glass and looked at brook in surprise. he could feel the lingering taste in his mouth and the warmth from his body. ¡°this wine is called¡­ the whitetail wine?¡± brook could feel the change in his mood, and he was proud. ¡°that¡¯s right, my lord. it was the white-tailed cat race¡¯s research for hundreds of years. other than us, no one else in this world can brew it. he then added. ¡°not even the white-tailed cat tribe from another tribe!¡± klein gave him a big thumbs up. ¡°snow goddess above, i swear, this is the top five best wines i¡¯ve ever drunk!¡± brook¡¯s smile got even brighter. rebecca had also snapped out of her reverie. to taste wine was only part of her daily training as a great noble-nurtured noble daughter, although she didn¡¯t have much interest in wine. good or bad, one could taste it in half a mouthful. she felt that the few top-grade wines she had spent so much on developing couldn¡¯t even compare to this one in terms of taste¡­ her eyes revealed a strong interest after she placed down the wine glass. ¡°lord richard, does twilight city plan to sell this wine?¡± ¡°as long as the price is right, i¡¯ll buy them all!¡± selling fine wine in the ice empire was a huge profit. richard chuckled. ¡°of course there is, but the production process of the whitetail ultimate brew is difficult, and the price is costly.¡± rebecca nodded as if it was a matter of course. ¡°naturally!¡± richard said straightforwardly after he shortly pondered. ¡°fifty units of rare resources for one unit of whitetail wine.¡± the price was costly. the reserves of a micro-mine with rare resources were only 100 units. richard had a few hundred thousand units of rare resources, but most were from the orcs and gray-colored dwarves. who knew how many years the other party had accumulated¡­ however, he didn¡¯t answer immediately. he turned to brook. ¡°how much whitetail brew can we produce each month?¡± brook replied after a moment of consideration. ¡°we can produce 5,000 units per month with the current production rate. richard nodded as expected. as a 4-stars fine wine, the whitetail wine¡¯s production process was quite arduous. it was impossible to achieve mass production in a short time. based on his previous calculations, the production cost of each unit of whitetail wine was around ten units of rare resources. it accounted for the labor cost, raw materials, space, and so on. five thousand units of production per month, sold at 50 units of rare resources. that would be 250,000 units. richard could still earn 200,000 units of rare resources after he deducted the 50,000 units of production cost. richard¡¯s smile brightened. he had planned to use the fire dragon rabbit to earn resources. however, he had already made a deal with rebecca and could not sell it for the next five years. the whitetail wine could fill this gap. it would enormously alleviate the lack of rare resources in the future. the recruitment requirements changed from ordinary to rare resources after twilight city upgraded the troop-type lairs. for example, the stone statue of the dead. each recruitment required 100 units of crystal and 100 units of gems. including the synthesized 11 nests, the current production of the stone statues of the dead was 110 per week. it would cost 22,000 crystals and 22,000 gemstones to recruit all of them. that would be 176,000 units for four weeks in a month. it was only the current burden. the pressure on twilight city would only increase if they continued to upgrade the troop lairs in the future. richard sighed at the thought. he would increasingly earn money, but he would also spend it increasingly faster. ¡°i still have to increase my investment in primary industries such as alcohol. i have to earn more resources to ensure the rapid development of the military power of twilight city¡­ ¡°in this world, power is the most important thing. ¡°dragons don¡¯t associate with ants. ¡°i don¡¯t have enough strength. rebecca and klei would not be so kind as to discuss cooperation with twilight city today.¡± Chapter 463 they quickly settled the deal with the whitetail wine since both parties were interested. richard eventually raised the price from one unit of whitetail wine to 60. both richard and rebecca were satisfied with the price. to richard, this meant he would transfer 300,000 units of rare resources into his account every month. he would obtain a net profit of 250,000 units with 50,000 production costs deducted already. it could completely cover the resources for the stone statue of the dead. !! for rebecca, this level of wine means more than just earning resources. she was now in control of the frostwolf family¡¯s wine sales channels. with this wine, her results would undoubtedly be even more dazzling. both sides took what they needed. richard continued after that. ¡°lady rebecca, i will go to solan city in two days. ¡°twilight city will set up a chamber of commerce in solan city if we can find a suitable location. ¡°in the future, you can go directly to the trade association in solan city to exchange for supplies. you don¡¯t have to spend a long time crossing the desert.¡± richard suddenly thought to set trading in solan city while he conversed with rebecca. it could develop twilight city from nothing. it was necessary to trade with the outside world. the desert of death¡¯s special rules would cause flying units to get lost and eventually fall into terrifying places, so they could only travel on the ground. but this undoubtedly increased the difficulty of trade. the solution was easy. the people could just leave twilight city since they couldn¡¯t come. his talent gave the residents of twilight city an attribute¨Cnever getting lost in the desert. it gave the city the capital to do business in the death desert. the gray-colored dwarves developed desert transportation. they could carry out the trade when the sandworms matured. they could even send flying troops over with essential resources. it was a pity there were very few space treasures in the ¡°shining era¡±, and they could not popularize it on a large scale. otherwise, it would be easy. it pleasantly surprised rebecca when she heard this. ¡°building a chamber of commerce in solan city? that is colossal¡­¡± the long journey in the desert for the past month had left a shadow in her heart. if possible, she would never want to enter the desert again. she had suffered enough. she pondered for a moment after richard finished speaking. ¡°lord richard, i have a medium-sized manor in solan city,¡± ¡°i hope to give it to you¡­ as proof of our friendship if you don¡¯t mind.¡± richard gazed at the girl¡¯s solemn expression and sighed in his heart. the eldest daughter of the frostwolf family had done her best as a business partner. he could not find any fault, even if he would deliberately find one. she gave him a token and her manor. this kind of courage was not something that ordinary people could have. he didn¡¯t bother with the formalities. ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then i¡¯ll accept it.¡± as he spoke, he raised the wine glass in his hand. ¡°miss rebecca, i am delighted to have met you. may our friendship, with the blessings of the snow goddess, last forever¡­¡± the lady to miss, this form of address silently represented the closer relationship. rebecca naturally sensed this, and the smile in her eyes was just as brilliant. she raised her glass. ¡°may our friendship last forever¡­¡± the atmosphere improved after they finished their drinks. richard put down his glass and looked curiously at the lady. her face blushed. ¡°miss rebecca, as the eldest daughter of the frostwolf grand duke, no matter how precious the fire dragon rabbit is, there¡¯s no need for you to come here personally, right?¡± only a few people were willing to travel in the harsh environment of the desert for a month. she didn¡¯t have to take the risk with the other party¡¯s status. a subtle light appeared in rebecca¡¯s eyes as she looked at the charming life before her. she took a deep breath and slowly said, ¡°i still have some things to do¡­ i want to take control of the frostwolf clan.¡± richard furrowed his brows, then relaxed. the status of women was extremely high as the god of creation in the ¡°shining era¡± was a goddess. and there was no such thing as a woman not being in power. however, the main point was not whether rebecca was a man or a woman but rather how intense the competition would be in such a large family. you want to be the clan leader, but others don¡¯t? you made a difference just because you were born a few days earlier? naturally, whoever was more capable would go up. rebecca wanted to make some achievements¡­ richard looked at the girl after he figured out her purpose. he said in a deep voice. ¡°miss rebecca, as a friend, i will do my best to support you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to seeing the frostwolf family welcome a new grand duke. richard¡¯s sincerity in his words slightly stunned rebecca. then, her face bloomed with a brilliant light like a flower in spring. for some reason, the pressure that had pent his heart up for a long time suddenly dissipated by more than half. richard¡¯s approval was something one has to be happy about. ¡°thank you, lord richard. the frostwolf family won¡¯t fall under anyone else¡¯s control with me around!¡± she once made an oath to the goddess that she would fulfill her mother¡¯s last wish. no one could stop her! richard could hear the determination in the lady¡¯s voice. his thoughts started to wander in this direction¡­ it would not be a bad thing to support a powerful ally although the ice empire was farfetched from the desert. Chapter 464 moreover, the two sides now had the foundation for in-depth cooperation. the ice empire had many good things¡­ in particular, only the royal family of the ice empire had one of the soul scrolls bestowed by the snow goddess. it was currently the best solution to enslave the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin. !! however, it would be too difficult for him to obtain a soul scroll because he was unfamiliar with this place. after one left twilight city, it was unlikely to go to the ice empire and plan for a long time. however, what if it was the frostwolf family? the grand duke was eminent status in the ice empire. rebecca could get hold of the soul scroll if she could rise to power and help richard with all her might after she took control of the frostwolf clan¡­ more importantly, the desert of death was tens of thousands of miles away from the ice empire. one was extremely cold, while the other was hot and dry. there was no conflict between the two sides. rebecca would not do anything to harm twilight city if she obtained the ice empire kingship in the future. there would be no future trouble. richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. it seemed like his thoughts were too much¡­ the current twilight city did not have the power to support the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of the frostwolf clan. however, twilight city would eventually grow, so it was okay to plan¡­ the competition for the heir of the frostwolf family would not be short-term. after a year and a half, the role that twilight city could play would become increasingly enormous. he might be the last feather on balance. richard retracted his thoughts and looked straight at the elegant lady. he said slowly. ¡°although twilight city isn¡¯t intensely soul-crushing, it has its strengths. miss rebecca, i don¡¯t know what you need. i won¡¯t refuse if i can be of help.¡± his words touched klein. he thought richard was just being polite, but he was sincere¡­ rebecca¡¯s eyes were as bright as the stars as she smiled. ¡°thank you, lord richard. the stable supply of fire dragon rabbit fur from twilight city is the greatest help we can get.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°naturally.¡± he was curious. ¡°what would miss rebecca do with the rabbit fur, if you don¡¯t mind? to make thermal equipment?¡± rebecca nodded graciously. ¡°that¡¯s right. the cold in some areas of the ice empire is beyond the imagination of outsiders¡­ almost no life can survive in those areas other than ice elements.¡± ¡°and it just so happens that some severely freezing places have mineral veins that can produce top-grade ores. they also have magic plants that are difficult to find¡­ although top-tier equipment can resist the cold, it is too expensive to make. it was unlikely for widely everyone to use it.¡± ¡°on the contrary, the fur of the fire dragon rabbit is very suitable for ordinary troops. ¡°in addition, fire dragon rabbit fur also contains powerful magic. we can make special items. and we can use them to forge equipment that can reduce ice magic damage. its value is immeasurable¡­¡± ¡°i see!¡± richard immediately recognized the value of the fire dragon rabbit. this thing was ultimately a strategic treasure in the ice empire. i no longer wonder other party had to come even from thousands of miles away. he also felt a bit interested. who would have thought that their rare products of the desert would have a unique effect on the severely freezing areas tens of thousands of miles away? the world was full of wonders. richard didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further after he got the answers. ¡°miss rebecca, when you return to the ice empire, please help me gather more information regarding the soul scroll if possible.¡± rebecca blinked. ¡°the vampire seems very important to you, lord.¡± ¡°it is. ¡°extraordinary level power would be the top-tier existence no matter which force is at one¡¯s disposal. ¡°to twilight city, it was equivalent to obtaining a nuclear weapon, and they could not take it too seriously. ¡°i¡¯ll go to ice empire next month and ask the king to give me this treasure.¡± helplessness engulfed rebecca¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°but this is a gift from the goddess. his majesty, the king may not grant it, lord richard. don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± her concern has touched richard¡¯s emotions. he didn¡¯t expect the lady to go this far. it was arduous. richard nodded slowly. ¡°thank you for your help, miss rebecca. it would be best if you succeed, but it wouldn¡¯t change anything if you don¡¯t¡­¡± the blood coffin was still there, and the vampire grand duke could not escape for a while. they addressed rebecca by her name without any ¡®miss¡¯ or ¡®madam.¡¯ it did not displease her. on the contrary, she was delighted. ¡°you¡¯re too kind, lord richard. as friends, helping each other is only natural.¡± richard¡¯s expression relaxed a little as he looked at the warm and pure smile on her face. ¡°that¡¯s right. we¡¯re friends.¡± at this point, they had discussed the main issue explicitly. richard looked at the time. it was almost nine o ¡®clock, so he ended the tea party. he waved his hand at the maid who stayed at the corner of the wall and felt sparingly sleepy while she waited for her master¡¯s errand to bring rebecca to the guest room to rest. klei insisted on staying with the soldiers in the caravan. richard didn¡¯t mind and had people take him to the barracks. they arranged all the level 15 troops here. the maidservant led rebecca to a guest room on the second floor of the lord¡¯s mansion. rebecca changed into plain clothes after she washed up. just as she was about to ask the maidservant to leave and sleep, a small head suddenly appeared at the door. rebecca sensed a strange aura and immediately turned to look, only to see a rather bashful centaur. ¡®was this the centaur hero on the city wall?¡¯ she immediately stood up and nodded with a smile. Chapter 465 ¡°good evening, centaur lady. rebecca greets you.¡± rebecca still maintained enough courtesy, although she didn¡¯t know why this unfamiliar hero came at this time. noble culture. rebecca discovered emily walked into the house with a slightly embarrassed look. !! she then looked at rebecca with curiosity. ¡°good evening, sister rebecca¡­ emily sends her regards.¡± her face revealed some excitement as she said that. ¡°you are from the ice empire? father had said it¡¯s freezing at ice empire, and it would snow a lot¡­ sister rebecca, is it going to snow? what does snow look like?¡± the centaur¡¯s voice stunned rebecca when she heard that young, tender tone. this? however, she seemed to have thought of something and smiled when she saw that pair of pure and innocent eyes. ¡°it¡¯ll snow. the snow is pure white, like cotton. when the snow is heavy, it will cover the ground. it can make it look like cotton covered the land¡­ long-lived races like the elves usually mature until they reach two or three hundred years old. could the centaur in front of her was also for a similar reason? ¡®she looked older, but is she still a child?¡¯ it was impossible to act childish and simple with acting skills. that child-like posture could not be fake. emily¡¯s eyes were bright. ¡°that¡¯s great! i must ask my father to bring me to the ice empire to see the snow¡­ children in dry and hot areas would always have a soul-strapping curiosity and yearn for snow¡­ rebecca said, a little surprised. ¡°father? your father is¡­ lord richard?¡± emily nodded like a chicken that pecked at rice. ¡°father is the best to me.¡± rebecca¡¯s expression was sparingly strange when she saw the lower part of her body that of a horse. ¡®lord richard¡­ he knew how to play.¡¯ but the other party was so young as rebecca pondered. he could not have a daughter this old. ¡®this centaur was his adopted daughter?¡¯ it made sense if she thought about it this way. after all, it was too hardcore if she was her biological daughter. rebecca let down her guard and began to chat with her after she confirmed that the centaur was a child. not long after that, he began to like this ¡°little guy¡± who looked sixteen or seventeen years old but still had the mental age of four or five. motherly love shrouded her face. however, the good times didn¡¯t last long. emily suddenly seemed to have thought of something after a chat for half an hour. she smacked her head and exclaimed as she quickly stood up. ¡°sister rebecca, i almost forgot. i still have to go to class. today is teacher marne¡¯s class. and i¡¯m already late¡­ my teacher is strict. he would hit me with his palm¡­¡± rebecca looked at the flustered little centaur and instantly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯ll go and plead for you¡­ that teacher marne is your personal teacher?¡± ¡°no, teacher marne is everyone¡¯s teacher¡­ we can¡¯t stay here any longer. if we¡¯re late, we won¡¯t be able to find a good seat if the square is full.¡± ¡®the square?¡¯ it sparingly stunned rebecca. this hero with unlimited potential was at¡­ a class in the square? she suddenly thought of what onyx had said¡­ twilight city taught knowledge to every resident. ¡®was this for real? the centaur is not lying to her?¡¯ she quickly became very interested. ¡°emily, can i go with you to class?¡± the little centaur nodded happily. ¡°of course! teacher marne¡¯s lessons are fascinating¡­ rebecca did not delay any further after the centaur affirmatively answered. intense curiosity engulfed the little centaur as she led the guest downstairs. rebecca immediately discovered that people filled the small square as they went outside the lord¡¯s mansion. there was an old white-haired man and a seven or eight-year-old child. an aunt in her forties or fifties and an uncle with calluses on his hands¡­ this complicated composition of people trembled rebecca¡¯s heart. all of her companions were dressed neatly and were polite while she was in class. she had never seen such a scene before. there was a small high platform on the side of the residential building in the dense crowd. and a middle-aged man wrote something on the blackened-wooden board¡­ he turned around and looked at the residents below after he finished writing. ¡°i¡¯ll only recognize these words today! everyone, please read it out loud¡­¡± then, the middle-aged man picked up a wooden stick and pointed at one of the words. they read it out loud. the residents below immediately followed. rebecca looked at the residents of twilight city while they took notes and read them carefully under the illumination of the lamps made of animal fat. she was stunned. although the reading sounds were uneven, each was heartfelt. although the teaching was so shallow, at this moment, those rough hands, old faces, and one look were enough to tell that they were ordinary residents who worked all year round. their sincere expressions when they read gave her an indescribable impact. at this moment, she seemed to finally understand why this territory looked so different from the beginning to the end¡­ it was because the owner of this city treated these unremarkable residents as individuals. they wouldn¡¯t have the right to be human, much less learn if they placed these lower-class residents in other territories. they could only become the slaves of the lord. how precious was knowledge? do you want to learn these tools? in your dreams! even the frostwolf territory was no exception. her family would turn the tables on her the next day if she were to learn from twilight city. the knowledge that only nobles could master, how could those lowly poor people be worthy? what right did they have¡­ it was because she knew the cruelty of the rules of this world that she was so shocked when she saw the deep eyes of the unremarkable civilians. perhaps, only a lord with such courage could build a remarkable city in a barren desert in just a few months. twilight city, richard ¡­ rebecca mumbled to herself a few times before her eyes bloomed with a brilliant light. she had never been so sure that richard¡¯s name would one day resound throughout the mortal plane. this city would eventually rise. Chapter 466 the next day, richard noticed that rebecca didn¡¯t appear in high spirits. it was like she hadn¡¯t slept for the whole night. she only smiled and shook when richard asked her and didn¡¯t say much. richard didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. he simply assumed the young lady was unfamiliar with the new environment. richard suddenly remembered after he finished his meal that he hadn¡¯t used the ice spirit statue yet. !! he left the lord¡¯s mansion without hesitation. he placed the 5-stars treasure on the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion under the curious gazes of the passing residents. [ding~ do you want to place the ice spirit statue here? note: the body will return to its original size, and you cannot move it once fixed.] ¡°i¡¯m sure.¡± the moment he made his choice. the miniature statue on the ground instantly emitted an azure blue light. it was as if a blue sun rose from the earth. the body that his hand could play with grew larger like a balloon. in just a dozen breaths, a five-meter-tall statue rose from the ground. the statue was crystal clear and exuded a refreshing cold air. the sculpture was of a young girl that wore a long dress. her posture was clever and vivid. it was like she was a living person. an azure blue light surged out in all directions like a wave when the statue restored its initial appearance. the surrounding residents who watched the fun suddenly felt the temperature drop rapidly as the light scattered. the heat dissipated and was replaced by a comfortable cool. disbelief and surprise filled the eyes of the surrounding people. ¡°it¡¯s cool, that statue can resist the sun¡¯s temperature¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s so comfortable ¡­¡± ¡°praise the lord!! ¡°what¡¯s this? why is it so cool?¡­¡± in the scorching desert, it was still unbearably hot even in the second half of the night when the temperature was the lowest. the temperature at this moment had dropped from 37 to 26 degrees. it gave everyone a comfortable feeling. some great nobles would prepare cool ice cubes in the summer to beat the heat, but that was a treatment only the nobles had. ordinary civilians were not qualified to enjoy it. the blue energy the ice spirit statue emitted stopped after it reached the city wall. it enveloped the entire twilight city. at this moment, everyone in the streets or the buildings could feel the temperature had dropped. the cold air caused the residents to become restless. many people left their houses in surprise and excitedly asked what had happened. not long after, knowing that it was richard¡¯s doing and that twilight city would always be shrouded in cool air in the future, the whole city was in a frenzy. and the cheers for his lordship were endless. the air conditioner during the hot summer was an exquisite pleasure. richard looked at the excited crowd and smiled. the three glorious weapons of summer¡­ air conditioning, watermelons, and wifi. he already had an air conditioner. he had a 3-stars treasure and 100 acres of watermelon field that he could cultivate. the only regret was that there was no wifi. however, there was a forum, and richard could see the weird comments of the idiotic players, so he was not lonely. richard ignored the excited residents, and his eyes fell on the ice spirit statue that seemed to come to life at any moment. the next second. the azure light that the ice spirit statue emitted suddenly brightened and a stream of energy quickly condensed in the air. after a few breaths, the sharp-eyed residents discovered that the blue energy had condensed into a petite figure with wings. everyone gasped in admiration when they saw the other party¡¯s face when the illusionary figure took shape it was so beautiful¡­ the mysterious being that the blue energy formed was only one meter tall and looked supremely petite. she wore a long blue dress and sparkled beautifully under the sunlight. on her back was a pair of wings carved from ice and snow. she looked like a flower fairy from the legends. her face was exquisite and perfect, as cute as a porcelain doll. the second characteristic of the ice spirit statue¨C [can summon 100 ice spirits. the ice spirits have ordinary-level intelligence. in battle, they can add magic to the troop that can cause adverse effects such as freezing, cold, stiffness, and trembling to the enemy.] under richard¡¯s control. the energy in the sky quickly gathered, and soon, 100 snow spirits appeared in the air. after these little guys were born, they immediately turned their big blue eyes and looked curiously at everything in twilight city. some of the bolder ones would fly to the ground from time to time, babbling and talking to the residents. these little guys were so adorable that the surrounding residents almost melted. in addition to the cool air he emitted, the surrounding people had a much better impression of him. all smiled as they tried to get closer to these particular life forms. the little ones were not shy with strangers. instead, they fluttered their wings and played with the residents. the flavor of a fantasy world engulfed this scene. suddenly, a chubby snow spirit flew in front of richard. she tilted her round face and looked at him with a puzzled expression. the tip of her nose twitched slightly. her eyes immediately curved into crescent moons when she smelled the scent of richard¡¯s body. ¡®yiyiyayaya!¡¯ she mumbled something he didn¡¯t understand like a baby and flapped her wings. she wrapped her chubby arms around richard¡¯s neck and rubbed her face against richard¡¯s body. her eyes beamed with satisfaction. soon, more snow spirits discovered richard, and a large group swarmed over and surrounded him. his entire body seemed to bear fruits¡­ Chapter 467 a little fellow even rode on his neck and happily waved her hands. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. it took him a lot of effort to escape. he couldn¡¯t help but have a headache eventually when he looked at the scene. the introduction was appropriate. these little guys were intelligent. only the intelligence of a child¡­ it was too much. !! richard selected ten ice spirits to lead and be responsible for the other companions. although they couldn¡¯t understand the baby¡¯s babbling, the direct transmission of mental energy allowed these little guys to understand the meaning. the chaotic situation was slightly more orderly with the addition of the captain. it added a riveting scene to the city after the curious snow elves left. at that moment, the system notification rang again. [ding~ you have changed the living environment of twilight city. it has enormously increased the comfort level. popular sentiment of twilight city +1. the current popular is 94.] richard was overjoyed. did it increase popular sentiment again? 94 points? he doesn¡¯t know the highest popular sentiment in other players¡¯ territories. but from the difficulty increase, 94 points were the best. according to the previous rules, it would activate a new attribute when it reached 95 points. richard wondered what kind of bonus it would give. he looked forward to it. the only pity was that after popular sentiment reached 90 points, it became increasingly difficult to increase it. he would have to put in a massive effort to increase it to 95 points. the ultimate goal¨C100 points¨Cwas even more arduous¡­ he shook his head and didn¡¯t mind about it and looked at the third characteristic of the ice spirit statue. [ice shield.] [it can form a shield to protect the entire territory. duration:1 hour. cooldown time: 24 hours. one can insert magic power into the statue to extend the shield¡¯s duration.] it was the uttermost feature of this 5-stars treasure. it was where its value lay. richard¡¯s face grew serious. he turned and looked at the dark valkyrie who silently followed him. ¡°go outside the city and wait for my orders.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± richard¡¯s body began to emit a yellow light after the dark valkyrie left which enveloped the ice spirit statue. in that instant. the statue emitted cold energy, like a storm. that energy had already surged to the surrounding city walls before he could even blink. ¡®crack!¡¯ a crisp sound rang out. a layer of translucent ice rapidly grew with the city walls as the starting point. the naked eye could not keep up with the speed at which the hard ice formed. in a few breaths, the ice shield protected twilight city. it was an upside-down-shaped bowl on the ground. from the inside, the sun shone on the half-transparent ice. it reflected all kinds of strange and beautiful colors. a defense condensed from a 5-stars treasure-frozen shield. richard asked with interest. he wondered how strong his ultimate defense was. he immediately ordered the dark valkyrie outside the city to use her strongest attack to attack the ice shield. the next second after he gave the order. the dazzling saber radiance split the sky and earth. ¡®crack!¡¯ the moment the heavy shield and the sharp spear collided. the blade light disappeared, and the ice shield shattered into large pieces. dense cracks appeared on the outermost area of the ice shield. it was like it would in the next second. richard lowered his head to look at the shield. it should have lasted an hour, but after this attack, it reduced the time by 20 minutes. the statue of the ice spirit dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye. a 5-stars treasure could mostly block three attacks from the other party¡­ he was in a strange mood. he didn¡¯t know if it was because the dark valkyrie was too strong or the shield was weak. with a thought. he began to pour his mana into the statue. the initially dim light became dazzling again not long after. it quickly repaired the shattered ice in the sky after it received the support of magic power. his heart finally settled down when richard noticed this. he could support the shield longer since he had enough mana. richard ordered the soldiers behind the shield to attack after a general idea of its strength. what excited him was that the opponent had a shield with enormous defense. it would not block the attack if an enemy attacked from the inside. it would even cause frost damage to the arrows. he was supremely pleased with this. as expected of a 5-stars treasure, it was extraordinary. ****** rebecca rested in twilight city for two days. she proposed to return home on the morning of 25th september. there was no need to stay longer since she had achieved her goal. next, the key was the fire dragon rabbit fur to its fullest. richard answered with a smile. he also proposed he would send the other party on their way, and at the same time, he would go to solan city to settle the matters regarding the twilight city chamber of commerce. delight engulfed rebecca¡¯s heart when she heard richard would travel with them. ¡°lord richard, this is the best news i¡¯ve heard today.¡± the journey was long, and half a month was too long. it was a good thing to have someone to talk to. klei and the guards beside him were all old acquaintances, but they did not say a word for a long time on the road, which bored them. richard didn¡¯t waste any more time and immediately gathered his troops. rebecca had already planned to go to solan city before reaching twilight city, but her arrival had delayed her plans. she would have company if she were to go now. rebecca had promised to gift richard a manor so she could hand it over. richard would not be polite to this wealthy lady who had the status of the eldest daughter of the grand duke. richard only planned to bring the air force this time. it was time time-consuming to travel on the ground. Chapter 468 richard would not try to travel slowly if the gray-colored dwarves did not develop a means of transportation. the heroes that accompanied him were alves, the dark valkyrie, renee, and xina. they were all top-notch existences. emily, gunter, gray, and the god¡¯s ancient tree stayed behind to guard twilight city. !! he wasn¡¯t worried about the safety of twilight city with the god¡¯s ancient tree around, not to mention the ice spirit statues he obtained. he could just activate the shield and wait for the god¡¯s ancient tree to come and support him if captured and subdued. half an hour later, rebecca¡¯s merchants had gathered by the side of the ice spirit statue. everyone had brought enough food and water for their journey. rebecca was a little confused as she looked at the skeleton blood dragons and the stone statues of the dead that gathered. twilight city appeared to plan the use of their flying units to travel. this¡­ she looked at klei. ¡°grandpa klei, did lord richard not know that the desert of death doesn¡¯t allow the use of flying units for long periods?¡± no one could resist the power of the lost laws. once the flight time reached a limit, they would lose their minds. for hundreds of thousands of years, countless people had thought of ways to crack it, but in the end, none had worked. it wouldn¡¯t allow them to take off from the start to the end, provided the ground forces used the aerial units ¡­ but in this case, wasn¡¯t it unnecessary to bring flying troops? klei laughed after some thought. ¡°it is said that the life forms that live in the desert of death have a range of activity. they will only get lost if they leave this range. ¡°maybe, lord richard is using his aerial unit to send us a bit of distance¡­ we¡¯ll have the troop return when we reach zero.¡± only then did rebecca nod in understanding. it made sense. richard didn¡¯t know what the thoughts of the two were. he had the soldiers of rebecca¡¯s caravan place the goods on the skeletal blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead after he explained to the heroes who stayed behind. rebecca didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately gave the order to cooperate. the extraordinary world¡¯s work efficiency was extremely high. and it took shortly to transfer the materials. they all sat on the back of the dead stone statue with two squadrons of level 15 troops. rebecca and klei arranged to ride on the skeletal blood dragon. richard ordered them to take off without hesitation after he ensured everything arranged. the troops quickly spread their wings and flew away under the gazes of the residents below. but an accident happened just as they were in mid-air. rebecca suddenly discovered the hosts still tied the merchant association¡¯s camels and horses to the square corner. she turned to look at richard, who rode on alves not far away. she shouted. ¡°lord richard, our camels and horses are still down there!¡­¡± richard lowered his head to look. ¡°i know.¡± rebecca didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°i¡¯m afraid we need to double the travel time without the horses and camels¡­¡± klei also said. ¡°lord richard, the aerial units can take us a bit, but it would be a long journey. it¡¯s going to be too much for us to walk. ¡°why don¡¯t we send some troops down and ride on horses and camels while we wait for them in front?¡± richard looked at the two while they tried to persuade him. he smiled. ¡°who said we were going to stop halfway?¡± rebecca and klei looked at each other, both somewhat at a loss. was it not stopping halfway? what was he planning to do? could he fly directly?¡­ it shocked rebecca. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re not thinking of¡­ should we ride the flying units to solan city?¡± the girl¡¯s expression became very interesting when she saw richard nod. she immediately said anxiously. ¡°lord richard, you might not know this, but the desert of death can¡¯t¡­ richard waved his hand. ¡°i know, flying units will get lost in the desert of death¡­ his words bewildered rebecca. ¡°then you are¡­¡± richard said. ¡°rebecca, this is twilight city. the rules¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s ineffective.¡± richard looked around after he said that. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± all the soldiers immediately flapped their wings and flew east. rebecca¡¯s heart trembled while she stared at richard¡¯s back. the heroic figure seemed to have the heroicness to conquer the world. the frostwolf lady didn¡¯t speak much, but richard¡¯s words were heavy. she couldn¡¯t describe the feeling in her heart. it is twilight city¡­ it was a simple sentence, but why did it tremble her heart? the shock in klein¡¯s heart was far greater than rebecca¡¯s. not being restricted by the rules of disorientation. although this phrase was simple, there were too many things behind it. it was the desert of death! the power of the natural order, which many forces had invested effort and resources for many years but could not break, was now ineffective against twilight city ¡­ it meant twilight city could travel through the vast desert of death at will¡­ it was a power that many forces and chambers of commerce dreamed of. twilight city, already highly regarded in her heart, had become even more valuable. from the time she stepped into this territory until she left, the impact suffered in the past few days was more than she did in ten years. perhaps, some people were born extraordinary. klei released a long breath. his eyes were gloomy. he had to persuade miss rebecca to maintain a good relationship with the twilight city when they returned home and not miss out on this territory with unlimited potential. he had an inexplicable feeling that twilight city might play a vast role in the fight for the family¡¯s heir in the future. he turned to look at rebecca with this in mind. he wanted to give her a few words of advice. however, in the next moment, he realized that his worries seemed to have been unnecessary. the girl looked at the figure that had already flown far away, and her eyes had a never-before-seen bright light¡­ Chapter 469 a sense of desolation hit them in the face while they traveled in the endless desert. the land of yellow sand could always make people feel heroic. richard rode on alves¡¯s back and looked forward to the rest of the journey. solan city. !! curiosity engulfed the merchant hero of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce onyx about the edge of the desert from the day he arrived at twilight city, which was said to be glorious. he didn¡¯t have the chance before, but now, he finally had the time. it was also his first time to visit the city since he arrived half a year ago. the information could not make him form an intuitive feeling, although he always saw other players discuss it on the forum. he had three goals on this trip to solan city. first, build a chamber of commerce and open trade with the outside world. the deal with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had put twilight city in a passive position. and they could only wait for the other party to take the initiative. twilight city would have the initiative once they established the chamber of commerce in solan city. the benefits of having a chamber of commerce were obvious. they could sell their excess products and buy whatever they lacked. the most significant point was that the resources that the natives had now were far beyond the players. the [trading market] couldn¡¯t satisfy the needs of twilight city. second, find out how to use the plane stones and the seed of the world tree. he had wanted to explore how to build an agricultural area that would not be disturbed by the outside world. however, richard felt helpless after he obtained the methods of the other forces from rebecca. that was because the experience of those overlords was useless to him¡­ the desert was too barren and did not meet the conditions of the other party. it made him change his thoughts. it was a luxury to have treasures like the plane stones and the seed of the world tree. richard could solve this problem that gave him a headache if he could use it. at that time, he might be able to get even more. there was a clear explanation in the system¡¯s description of the seed of the world tree that it could support a medium-sized plane. it made his imagination run wild¡­ third, find treasures like dark and soul contracts, and try to subdue the sleeping vampire duke in the blood coffin. a transcendent-level existence was undoubtedly as powerful as a nuclear weapon. the earlier he could enslave the vampire duke, the safer twilight city would be. the royal family of the ice empire owned the soul contract of the snow goddess. it was too difficult to obtain it. and one could not put all their eggs in one basket. richard took a deep breath. the desert of death and other planes would merge with the sword of damocles, which made him very nervous. he didn¡¯t dare to let his guard down. the only thing he could do was to make twilight city stronger as soon as possible. meanwhile, the kobold god still lurked in the dark. it plotted how to raze twilight city to the ground¡­ the pressure he faced was arduous. this world was not a safe place. it was still dangerous, although twilight city had grown to the point where it could defeat any player. however, to the native forces that had existed for countless years, their foundation was still too shallow. the uncertainty of the future also played a large part in the sense of urgency in his heart. one could see that the primary plane looked very peaceful from the information of the other players. there were a few large-scale forces that clashed with each other. however, this was often the most fatal. it was the ¡°shining era¡± where gods, abyss, undead, hell, and all kinds of hidden dangers lurked. there would inevitably be massive turmoil after the players grew up based on the game¡¯s setting. then it would be the undead calamity if it weren¡¯t the abyss that shattered. richard was all too familiar with the plot. the undead calamity had already swept through the classic game magical beast so many times¡­ the desert of death would merge with other planes in the future was even more potent evidence. ¡°i¡¯ll make a trip to the land of the broken laws, where it sealed emily in my return if i fail my goal this time. ¡°i¡¯ll try to get the seed of the world tree and the way to use the dimension stone from the remnant soul of the god.¡± richard was most interested in the land of the broken laws of all the high-level maps he knew. the god who had awakened was like a young girl who had lifted her skirt to her waist and frequently seduced him. the last time he went there, the ancient god statue scared the remnant soul of the god that hid in the broken god kingdom. at that time, he was not confident he could subdue the other party, so he did not make a move. now, he had the dark valkyrie and renee in his hands. there was also the god¡¯s ancient tree that was about to transform. he already had the strength to go and investigate. a god knew how to use dimension stones¡­ it all depended on whether he could get what he wanted. in addition to this god, he remembered the extraordinary king of darkness. the enemies imprisoned the king in the dungeon. they could subdue the other party if they broke through the dungeon¡­ it was a vast challenge. if he could obtain the treasure that enslaves the vampire duke in solan city¡­ then, the gods of the land of the broken laws and the king of darkness in the dungeon would become meat on his chopping board. in the current situation, a single extraordinary power was enough to change the current balance of power. richard¡¯s deep thoughts didn¡¯t affect the troops¡¯ progress. however, the troops flew slower than they expected due to the heavy load. a speed of nearly 150 kilometers per hour was still difficult for ground troops to achieve. Chapter 470 they had already covered one-third of the long journey in just one day. and this was after they rested for seven to eight hours at night. september 26th, noon, in flight. rebecca suddenly commanded the skeleton blood dragon to speed up and approach richard. anxiety tinged her voice. ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s a special ore area up ahead¡­ we¡¯d better take a detour.¡± !! richard looked at the girl curiously. ¡°ore area? what kind of ore?¡± ¡°it¡¯s an ordinary glass mine, but it exposed kuangqu to the ground.¡± richard looked into the distance. the sun shone brightly. ¡°is there a problem?¡± rebecca¡¯s face grew solemn. ¡°we encountered a group of desert dragons in this area when we came here¡­ ¡°almost one of the three squadrons died of level 15 troops i brought.¡± ¡®a desert dragon?¡¯ the familiar name reminded richard of the first time he entered the single-player dungeon, burning village. he had encountered a level 15 desert dragon. the other party¡¯s majestic figure left a deep impression on him. that glance made him determined to capture a dragon as a mount. it fulfilled his dream when he obtained alves and the skeletal blood dragon in the instance dungeon, and his obsession with the desert dragon slowly faded. he didn¡¯t expect to hear news of the other party again. it quickly piqued his interest. ¡°how many desert dragons are there? how¡¯s his strength?¡± he had no interest in enslaving these life forms that needed logistical supplies. but he needed to expand the number of skeletal blood dragons. the desert was too barren, and there were too few creatures with dragon bloodlines. richard only had 12 teams of skeletal blood dragons as a result. it would be a massive profit even if he recruited one more of a crown 1-star troop type. rebecca could see his surprise. she didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®why are his thoughts differ from ordinary people¡¯s? ¡®that was a dragon!¡¯ however, the girl looked down at the skeletal blood dragon she sat on and understood something. perhaps, it was because of these undead wyverns? it was no secret that the undead used corpses to recruit troops. even children of three to five years old knew about it. ¡°the number of desert dragons that attacked us exceeded two squadrons. they were between levels 15 and 17. and a level 17 dragon hero led them. ¡°we could only passively defend when they attacked us because the other party occupied the sky. that¡¯s why we suffered quite a lot of losses. ¡°one couldn¡¯t fly in the desert of death. it was a massive restriction for outsiders who entered the desert of death. it would passively position them before the battle started once the air troops attacked them. ¡°it was impossible to carry heavy weapons on a long journey. and an ordinary longbow was just like a tickle to a dragon.¡± it stirred richard¡¯s interest. ¡°those desert dragons have built their nests in this kuangqu?¡± ¡°no, the glass mines attracted the desert dragons. their nest is not here¡­ rebecca shook her head. those greedy beings are particularly fond of things that glow. the god of creation once wanted to create the perfect life. so he put all the characteristics of the dragon. but the most fundamental rules of the world do not allow the appearance of a perfect life. so after the goddess of creation went into hiding, it contaminated the dragons with greed, arrogance, lecherousness, and other negative characteristics¡­ ¡®is this an ancient secret about dragons?¡¯ richard said, deep in thought. richard turned his head to look at the sparkling area when he returned to his senses. ¡°those giant dragons¡­ are they still there?¡± rebecca nodded. ¡°those greedy lives had just formed this mine vein. their lives will mine it clean. they will occupy it for at least two to three months. richard nodded. richard waved his hand to signal the troop to detour after he marked the area in the system map. there were priorities. to head to solan city was his top priority, and he put aside everything else. he could not know how much time he would waste if he were to head there now. it would be a massive loss for twilight city if any mishaps were to happen and a few terrifying dragons appeared and caused rebecca¡¯s death. how much benefit could the eldest daughter of the grand duke determined to take over the family, bring to twilight city? rebecca felt an inexplicable sense of happiness when she sensed richard listened to her. the feeling of being trusted was comfortable. the rest of the journey instantly relaxed after they passed through the hazardous area. there were no more dangers like the desert dragon on the way. they could not cause any waves even if some flying troops attacked them along the way and could quickly slay them. the further out they went, the lower the level of the troops in the wild, and the less dangerous they were. they flew in the desert for three days. it was morning on the 28th of september. richard¡¯s map lit up with a new icon. solan city. finally, they arrived. ¡°lord richard, solan city is just up ahead! the holy church empire is the most powerful city at the edge of the desert, and there are glorious lords there.¡± richard followed rebecca¡¯s lead. a colossal city was at the end of the desert. it made people¡¯s hearts tremble. the city wall was over a hundred meters tall and as thick as a mountain. richard couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of siege machine could collapse a city wall of this level. even if they were two to three thousand meters apart. it still gave him the feeling of standing at the feet of a giant beast that could swallow the world. Chapter 471 richard felt he was supremely tiny. alves¡¯s wingspan of 30 meters or more was like an ant in front of this city. exaggeratedly-shaped crossbows orderly arranged was on top of the black city walls. a siege crossbow with an arrow three times thicker than an ordinary person¡¯s waist, let alone the usual person, was difficult to withstand, and even a dragon could not bear it. !! there was a tall tower at a fixed distance from the city wall. crystal balls surged magical energy at the top. the crystal balls seemed to release a forbidden spell in the next second. they looked over the city wall and saw neat arrow towers like trees. the arrow towers gradually rose in the shape of ¡°¡±. they formed a three-dimensional fire net. it could instantly burst out with a storm of attacks at the siege of an enemy. shadows of horses that flew cast on the ground above solan city. one could see at least three brigades at a rough glance. they were all level 19. richard sighed. he truly felt the foundation and strength of the natives. these factions that had existed for hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years had power the players at the current stage one could not compare. players couldn¡¯t catch up even if chance gave them another three to five years to develop. however, richard¡¯s heart was even more determined when magnificent sight shocked him. he looked at the magnificent city of miracles with burning eyes. fighting spirit engulfed his heart. twilight city would be more soul-executing than this city one day! a group of knights on flying horses approached them from the sky above solan city after richard stopped to observe. there was only one squadron, but the orderly formation that looked from the same mold trembled people. their momentum gave people a strong sense of oppression. the elite of the elites! the leader stepped out alone after the flying horse riders approached. it glanced at the skeletal blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead with slight disdain. the holy church empire belonged to the kind and lawful. and they had always hated such evil troops. it would have already taken action to eliminate them if it had not sensed they belonged to the desert camp. they would not deliberately view the neutral faction with hostility. the lead knight on the flying horse immediately noticed richard after a quick scan while he rode on alves¡¯s back and exuded an extraordinary aura. it could feel the soul fire of the dragon hero that burned under him. the displeased look in its eyes immediately softened and revealed a kind look. only a few had it in this kind of temperament, even among the heirs of the big family. the troops that the undead rode on were all level 15, and they had the mark of a high noble. the other party was ultimately no small fry¡­ one¡¯s eyesight was ultimately the most important as a guard. ¡°honored guest, welcome to solan city. ¡°but i¡¯m sorry to inform you that solan city¡¯s laws state that no one is allowed to bring a troop into the city apart from heroes. ¡°you can leave your troop in the caretaker¡¯s yard outside the city.¡± richard nodded. rebecca had already warned him about this, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. all the cities in the ¡°shining era¡± had similar rules. one could then obtain the privilege of bringing a portion of the troop unless one¡¯s contribution to a city reached a certain level. richard followed the knight¡¯s lead after he thanked it and arrived where they stored the troop. dozens of massive space gates stood on the ground. each spatial gate has an individual faction. and there would be no scenes of elves and demons mixed. the other side of the spatial gate led to a half-plane. the troops would enter a dormant state after they entered. the lord could wake them up with a token. this scene once again showed richard the depth of solan city¡¯s power. using a half-plane as a parking lot was simply too overbearing. richard stored his troop inside after he paid for the 100 units of gemstones. rebecca was the same, but she had an extraordinary command medallion that allowed her to bring three small teams into the city. some carriages waited for guests after they left the storage area. one could see from this that solan city¡¯s trade had already developed very well. it had all kinds of industries. richard and rebecca slowly entered solan cit after they hired ten of the best carriages. richard looked out through the glass window after they passed through a more than 50 meters deep city gate. the supremely grandiose scene of solan city appeared before his eyes. the architecture built dome-shaped buildings close to each other along the street and embossed exquisite patterns in each building. each roof building painted blue was the most striking. it was unforgettable. a dense crowd of pedestrians shuttled back and forth. black heads were all he could see. it piqued richard¡¯s curiosity as he looked around the crowd. he quickly spotted one player after another. these guys dressed in a mess. they had randomly picked up the equipment. the combination looked out of place, but these guys didn¡¯t care and swaggered past. he could hear a few sporadic f*cking words repeatedly. it made him feel a strong sense of affection. as expected, the guys are still the guys¡­ the road for carriages and pedestrians in the center were separated, so they did not affect each other. countless goods-filled shops and taverns were on both sides of the street. the carriage traveled more than a hundred meters wide, and the wheels creaked as they pressed against the stone slabs. rebecca and richard were in the same carriage. the erudite girl introduced him to some of the city¡¯s iconic buildings. angel embossed, bronze gryphon sculptures, flying horse sculptures¡­ it was as if a fascinating story was behind every eye-catching pattern. he fully displayed his noble upbringing at this moment. richard was so engrossed in the story that he lost interest in watching the other players. the convoy crossed the busy street and drove straight to the city center. ¡°lord richard, let¡¯s return to the manor.¡± the scent of the opposite sex constantly wafted into her nose and caused rebecca¡¯s face to blush. she would subconsciously turn away whenever her eyes met richard¡¯s. ¡°let¡¯s rest for the night. we¡¯ll visit the phpenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. onyx and chairman windsor still waited for the desert crown honey you brought. ¡°when the time comes, you can also listen to their suggestions for the chamber of commerce. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is more familiar with this area than i am. with your relationship with them, i believe they will be more than happy to help. ¡°solan city¡¯s black market will open for three days on the 1st of every month. if you¡¯re interested, we can go for a look after a visit to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°good things are always in the black market. maybe some treasures can enslave vampires¡­¡± ¡°black market?¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the black market usually had a unique function under ordinary game settings¡­ he did not know if the players destroyed the black market in solan city. Chapter 472 the long line of carriages stopped in front of a majestic manor. richard got out of the car. he looked at the ten-meter-tall statues of angels on both sides of the gate. the manor walls were as high as the city walls, and his expression was sparingly strange. he turned to look at rebecca, whose expression had not changed much. ¡°this is the ordinary manor you mentioned? !! ¡°the manor was even bigger than twilight city¡­¡± rich dog. common sense could not judge the heritage of the grand duke¡¯s family. rebecca was in a good mood as well. she had finally returned after leaving for a month. to travel in the extremely harsh desert environment was not something ordinary people could bear. it was too torturous. richard turned to look at the bold figure beside him with this mind, who wore a black and red crown. the corners of his mouth curled up. they didn¡¯t waste the trip this time. he gestured to the front. ¡°welcome, lord richard.¡± he blinked his eyes as he said that. ¡°this manor is yours from now on. welcome home, lord of the violet manor. ¡°in a big city like solan, even an ordinary house was not something ordinary people could afford. one could consider this manor close to the center of the city expensive. countless nobles were around her, but none were worthy of her gift. she felt like she¡¯d profited by giving it to richard. she intuitively knew the city¡¯s potential when she saw the territory with her on their trip to twilight city. onyx of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce did not lie to her. no, she even felt that he was being conservative. a manor could not compare the value of twilight city. she could even offer a price that would move anyone if the other party was willing to rely on her. but unfortunately, she could no longer have the chance to materialize this idea¡­ she hadn¡¯t known richard for a long time, but she could sense that the man always had a faint smile. he looked peaceful, but he had unequaled pride and confidence. no one could make him lower his head and submit to them, no matter who it was. some people were born to be kings that led their tribes. they were born to be superior. as his thoughts wandered, the tightly shut gate of the manor slowly opened with the sound of slightly hurried footsteps. dozens of servants in uniform rushed in and stood at the door to welcome him. an old snow-white-haired man dressed in a gentleman¡¯s suit walked forward with a straight waist. he placed his right hand on his abdomen and bowed. he gestured a standard noble etiquette. ¡°welcome back, miss rebecca.¡± ¡°no need to be so polite, butler kent.¡± rebecca elegantly nodded her head. she drew her tone out when she replied, and her pronunciation had a fixed rhythm, which was very different from a normal conversation. he gestured to richard. ¡°please, welcome my guest into the manor, butler kent.¡± ¡°as you wish, miss rebecca.¡± the old butler walked up to richard, bowed, and gestured. ¡°distinguished guest, violet manor welcomes you!¡± richard found it admirable. he could tell that the etiquette wasn¡¯t just for show. the man had melded it into his bones. ¡®was this the culture of the nobles in this world?¡¯ he still maintained his manners even though he wasn¡¯t interested in the thing. he nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s my honor.¡± rebecca led richard through the angel statues on both sides of the gate and into the enormous manor. enormous patches of violet flowers bloomed on both sides of the main road when they entered. the gorgeous colors gave people a strong visual impact. they were used to the deathly silence in the desert. this scene made people feel like the hosts gave them life again. it lifted richard¡¯s mood. following the direction in front of him, he walked towards the main hall ¡­ ****** behind the violet manor, two players wore a mix of equipment and stood in a corner. they tiptoed as they observed what was happening in front of them through the dense vegetation. ¡°boss, did you see clearly? what kind of big shot caused such a massive commotion?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t see clearly, but butler kent went to receive him. he can¡¯t be an ordinary person ¡­there¡¯s a high chance that the high-level rebecca has returned?¡± ¡°f*ck! that eldest daughter of the grand duke? can we finally take on a mission from the other party?¡± ¡°i saw her face. it¡¯s rebecca, hahaha!¡± ¡°third brother, we have to seize the opportunity this time. with the other party¡¯s identity, even if they let something slip from their hands, we could eat a lot¡­ no, rebecca has actually accompanied someone? what level could walk alongside her? tsk, so many people, they blocked¡­¡± ¡°boss, how are we going to get in touch with them? butler kent did not even allow us to the front hall¡­¡± ¡°stupid! we¡¯ve already done so many missions here. and our favorability is not low. we¡¯ll find an opportunity to enter even if we¡¯re serving tea¡­ ¡°when the time comes, you¡¯d better be careful, especially that one beside rebecca. he seemed to have a very high status¡­ the eldest daughter of the grand duke only accompanied, so he must be extremely high. ¡°it takes a lot of work to encounter such a high level. if we can trigger a mission from him, we¡¯ll be rich. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go to the kitchen later and see if you can let us go up when it¡¯s time to refill the tea. i just invited the footmen to jasmine street yesterday. hehehe¡­ we should be able to do this¡­ Chapter 473 rebecca laughed. ¡°butler kent, father gave it to me, so i¡¯ll naturally decide¡­ as for the other matters, i have my arrangements.¡± ¡°grandpa klei, i¡¯ll trouble you to go with butler kent.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± !! butler kent wanted to say something. but he couldn¡¯t because of richard¡¯s presence, so he just nodded. he could not hold back the doubts in his heart not long after he left the living room. ¡°klei, why didn¡¯t you stop him? what have you been through in the desert for the past month? why is the lady so generous to lord richard? ¡°this was the violet manor. who would give it away just like that? moreover, the other party was a grace mainland overlord. how could he not know what a grace mainland overlord was like? ¡°just look at those two guys dressed in a mess¡­ ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, the other party is the grace mainland overlord, right? although he isn¡¯t weak, was the grace mainland worthy of the lady¡¯s attention?¡± klein looked at the confused butler kent and smiled. ¡°kent, if you were to give violet manor to someone else, i would disagree, even if it were the grand duke¡¯s son. but it¡¯s different if you¡¯re giving it to lord richard.¡± ¡°i can only tell you the reason. it¡¯s because the guest is lord richard, the ruler of twilight city.¡± ¡°this, is enough!¡± ¡°you haven¡¯t seen the wonders of the city. and you haven¡¯t seen how unfathomable lord richard is. you wouldn¡¯t understand why the young lady is so generous.¡± ¡°if you were there, trust me, you would have delivered the title deed to lord richard yourself.¡± ¡°as for whether i¡¯m worthy of it¡­ i¡¯m sorry. lord richard is more than qualified to accept this gift¡­ even if the grand duke denies it, i will not change my stance!¡± klei¡¯s disposition stunned butler kent when he heard the firm tone in his voice. he couldn¡¯t imagine what they had encountered in the desert this month. what has changed their attitude so dramatically¡­ he would have suspected they were under a mental spell if it weren¡¯t for their ingenious attitude. butler kent let out a long breath. ¡°i¡¯ll follow the lady¡¯s decision regardless of whether it¡¯s reasonable. however, as a butler, it¡¯s also within my duty to make suggestions.¡± butler kent said expressionlessly and walked towards the secret chamber. klei laughed. this old, stubborn man¡­ he shook his head and didn¡¯t argue. who would believe the happenings in twilight city if one had not seen it with their eyes? butler kent walked a few when he suddenly stopped and gazed in a direction. he frowned. ¡°who let you two into the main hall? look at what you¡¯re wearing. the servants of the frostwolf clan are not so insensible!¡± the smile on the players¡¯ faces who had rushed up to talk to him froze when they saw butler kent. ¡®f*ck! this old fellow, can¡¯t he say something nice?¡¯ they had already demoted them to serving tea to akin player qingqiu, yet they still complained about their odd dress¡­ ¡®do you have any humanity?¡¯ they wanted to refute him. but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything when they glanced at his serious expression. they couldn¡¯t let the hard-won relationship they built go to waste. boss squeezed out a smile and praised. ¡°butler kent, we also want to contribute to the manor. also, we¡¯re full of respect for lady rebecca, and we definitely won¡¯t offend her¡­ even in our dreams, we wish to serve lady rebecca.¡± third brother nodded repeatedly. ¡°yes, that¡¯s it¡­ lady rebecca has brought qingqiu back with her, so i¡¯m sure she will need the help of our grace mainland overlord.¡± their flattery did not move butler kent, but the last word widened his eyes. ¡°qingqiu?!¡± he immediately asked after he cried out in shock. ¡°are you saying that the grace mainland overlord that lady rebecca brought back is qingqiu? the one who fought against 100 people? the strongest existence among the 20 billion grace mainland overlords?¡± the two players looked at the excited butler kent in confusion. ¡°wait, you didn¡¯t know the identity of the guests you brought back?¡± ¡°lady rebecca didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°cut the crap! how did you guys recognize him as qingqiu?¡± ¡°butler kent, did you forget? do i not have the origin tracing skill? a talent for tracing the source of a person¡¯s origin? i will have an impression of them as long as i have seen them in the past. butler kent finally came to his senses. he turned to look at klein and snorted deep breaths. he sighed. ¡°lady is clever!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go to the secret room and get the title deed¡­ lord richard is worthy to receive it!¡± klei was a little confused when he looked at butler kent¡¯s 180-degree change in stance. ¡°what qingqiu? what one against a hundred¡­? what does this have to do with lord richard?¡± the death gladiator had not started yet when he went to the desert. the players had just entered the dungeon and did not know about the news. he had returned hurriedly and had no time to pay attention to other things. he asked in confusion. ¡°who is that qingqiu? what does it have to do with lord richard?¡± butler kent laughed as he described everything that happened in the qingqiu instance dungeon and finally exclaimed. ¡°to stand out from the 20 billion grace mainland overlord and become the king, this lord richard¡¯s potential is shocking!¡± ¡°and the lady brought him back without knowing his identity. it is the goddess¡¯s blessing.¡± klein was both surprised and delighted. although he knew that the potential of the twilight city was limitless, he did not expect it to be so powerful that it could emerge from the 20 billion grace mainland overlords and ranked first! his impressive battle record of defeating 30,000 enemies with only 300 troops dazzled him, who witnessed spectacular scenes. they had not misjudged him! ¡°hahahahaha!¡± the two players looked at the npc, who smiled brightly and was sparingly confused. ¡°no, it has been almost a month since the incident in qingqiu, and you npcs with such a massive force still do not know about it? ¡°what¡¯s even more ridiculous is that she brought him back and didn¡¯t even know his true identity?¡± ¡°what are you guys doing?¡± they wanted to say something, but butler kent and the level 19 hero left in high spirits. they did not even look at them¡­ the two looked at each other¡¯s disappearing figures and wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°what a sin! do you have any humanity? Chapter 474 ¡°hey, i wondered why i couldn¡¯t find you yesterday. so you went to such a dirty place¡­ why didn¡¯t you f*cking ask me to come along?¡± the words of reprimand continued. violet manor, in the largest living room. one could see a long wooden table in the center. !! rebecca sat at the head of the table while richard sat on the left. xina and the dark valkyrie stood not far behind him. renee returned to the ancient god statue. butler karu stood behind rebecca while butler kent arranged for the maids to be busy¡­ only two people sat in the large living room, and the others could stand to the side. however, no one dared to have any objections. rebecca suddenly thought of something after they chatted for about ten minutes. she turned to neatly-combed-haired butler kent in a black suit. it did not have a single crease on it. ¡°butler kent, could you please bring me the title deed of violet manor and the relevant transaction documents?¡± it confused butler kent. ¡°miss rebecca, the title deed is in the secret room. we need to activate the magic array to retrieve it¡­ why do you need the land deed? i¡¯ll get it done immediately.¡± rebecca looked at richard with a smile. ¡°i will hand the title deed over to lord richard for safekeeping.¡± ¡°i already gave him the violet manor.¡± two players that carried tea entered the hall. they couldn¡¯t help but gasp when they heard this. they looked at each other and saw the surprise and excitement in each other¡¯s eyes. she gave away the extremely valuable violet manor in solan city just like that¡­ that npc that had returned with rebecca, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf, just how ghastly was he? the higher the level of a character, the harder it was to come into contact with them. it was a publicly acknowledged fact. at the current stage, they were not even qualified to come into contact with the eldest daughter of the grand duke. they could only build a relationship with the servants. if they could get closer to these two npcs with ridiculous status, take on two missions from them, and get some benefits¡­ just a ponder on that scene made them excited. they quickened their pace and came to the long table. they poured the tea obediently, and neither spoke in such an environment. they could not ask outrightly if they wanted to take on a mission. they were too familiar with the ways of the nobles. they would annoy the ice empire grand duke¡¯s eldest daughter if they interrupted now and could even kick them out directly. how could a servant have the right to speak in front of the lords¡¯ distinguished guests? the purpose of pouring tea was to get familiar with the two so that it wouldn¡¯t abruptly bother the other party when they were alone. rebecca looked at the two strangely dressed men and raised an eyebrow. however, she didn¡¯t want to say anything while richard was there. so she pretended not to notice them. she would ask butler kent. when did the grace mainland lord come into her manor to serve as a servant¡­ these guys weren¡¯t people who would do things with peace of mind. fortunately, the two players behaved well and did not make any mistakes. they turned and left after they poured the tea. only then did rebecca¡¯s expression ease slightly. richard recognized them as soon as they entered the room. it was a little funny. these guys were all-pervasive. however, he didn¡¯t pay any more attention when he saw that the two were only level 8. the difference was supremely vast. richard didn¡¯t mind. the two players who finished pouring the tea left the living room and walked to an empty place. they looked at each other and spoke in unison. ¡°boss¡­¡± ¡°third brother¡­¡± the boss waved his hand and spoke. ¡°i¡¯ll say it first. did you check the npc¡¯s attributes?¡± ¡°no, the system prompted that the other party¡¯s magic power has covered up his aura one cannot detect.¡± the third brother said with a look of disbelief. ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant to say. boss, did you notice the npc looks? a little familiar¡­¡± ¡°familiar? did it trigger your origin tracing skill? that can¡¯t be. this npc¡¯s status is so high. why don¡¯t i have any impression if we have met him before?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. my skill is in effect¡­ after i saw that npc, i suddenly thought of qingqiu.¡± the boss¡¯s heart trembled as he looked at him in disbelief. ¡°qingqiu?!¡± ¡°you¡¯re saying that the npc, and rebecca, the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf¡¯s esteemed guest, is¡­ qingqiu?¡± ¡°third brother, you¡¯re not mistaken, are you? how could it be qingqiu?!¡± ¡°the effect of the origin tracing skill can not be wrong. his figure and aura were the like the npc, although qingqiu covered his face while we watched the live broadcast. no, he is even more charming now¡­ the boss¡¯s face turned red when he received an affirmative answer. ¡°that npc brought qingqiu back. is she trying to fly into the sky? no wonder butler kent said rebecca would go to the desert for a while. isn¡¯t that perverted qingqiu, the lord of the desert?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, and rebecca seems to be giving him this manor¡­¡± at this point, the two players looked at each other and saw the envy, jealousy, and hatred in each other¡¯s eyes. they did not even have the right to interact with rebecca, the top-tier npc, and yet, qingqiu, this perverted freak, was already treated as a guest of honor. what¡¯s more, how much was the violet manor worth? did she give it away just like that? were there still any!! f*cking justice in this world? in the living room, he heard rebecca would send the manor out. butler kent was stunned, then looked at the girl in confusion. ¡°miss, the grand duke gave you the violet manor. do you need to ask him if you want to give it to someone else? besides, this is our base in solan city. how will we settle down the next time we come if we give it away?¡± Chapter 475 ¡°lord richard, i apologize for my rudeness. please, forgive my ignorance. ¡°this is the title deed for the violet manor. please, keep it safe. ¡°later, you can send someone with me to solan city¡¯s city hall to change the new owner. ¡°from today on, you¡¯re the official owner of violet manor. !! richard looked at kent, who had changed his attitude, with a hint of amusement. ¡®how could he change so quickly?¡¯ the quick change puzzled rebecca as she looked at the respectful butler kent. ¡®he had been so reluctant just now. why had his attitude so good now?¡¯ she looked at klei and seemed to have an answer in his heart. grandpa klei must have told butler kent about the various things that happened in twilight city and their cooperation. butler kent turned to rebecca and apologized just as she was about to speak. ¡°lady rebecca, your foresight is truly unparalleled. it must have been the guidance of the snow goddess to find lord qingqiu.¡± it stunned rebecca for a moment. then, she asked in confusion. ¡°qingqiu? ¡°who is he?¡± she looked at richard with confusion. ¡®what was the connection?¡¯ seeing this, klei took two steps forward excitedly when he saw this and lowered his head to whisper into her ear. a moment later, rebecca¡¯s expression was one of surprise and joy. when cree stood up, she immediately turned her head when klei stood up and looked at richard with a burning gaze. he fought against 100 enemies and ascended the throne from 20 billion grace mainland overlords. the mightiest existence acknowledged by all the grace mainland overlords¡­ this sudden news made her heart sway. she knew richard was extraordinary, but she didn¡¯t expect him to have already achieved such a stunning result. the current grace mainland overlord isn¡¯t substantial. however, the other party had also come to the primary plane simultaneously as the other grace mainland overlords. to kill his way out of 20 billion people and subdue all the grace mainland overlords, this was enough to explain everything! at that moment, she believed that going to twilight city was the guidance of fate. if not, how could there be such a coincidence? ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t expect you to be the qingqiu that the grace mainland overlords respect¡­¡± richard immediately thought of the two players who had brought tea into the room. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. these guys weren¡¯t blind. he had used the power of the yellow sand to cover himself, yet they still recognized him. but he didn¡¯t take it seriously. the primary plane was so vast, and the players were scattered everywhere. no one would come from far away to seek death with his fearsome power, even if everyone knew where he was. the players could naturally let loose since they wouldn¡¯t die in the instance dungeon. but, they would die on the primary plane. who had nothing better to do than to come and give their heads away? the two players didn¡¯t plan to make it public. they even planned to suck up to him after they pondered for a moment. wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful if richard would speak a few words and ask rebecca to give them a few missions? ¡°it¡¯s just an opportunity.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°grace mainland¡¯s current overlord is not strong enough¡­ rebecca blinked. ¡°you¡¯re being too humble.¡± the girl didn¡¯t continue on the topic after a few more teasing. she was confident they would cooperate in the future now that the two sides would establish loyal friendships. investing in a person with unlimited potential was like buying a stock that knew it would rise. it made one happy. the atmosphere got increasingly harmonious. rebecca gave richard some information about solan city after that and only stopped when it was almost dinner time. at night, rebecca¡¯s hospitality brought richard to a sumptuous dinner. in contrast, the food used to entertain the guests in twilight city was unattractive. richard didn¡¯t go out at night after dinner but returned to his room. richard looked at hina and the dark valkyrie in the living room outside. he said thoughtfully, ¡°fay, can you sense the aura of the glorious master in solan city?¡± the dark valkyrie turned her head and looked in a direction. ¡°i roughly sense there¡¯s an intensely soul-grinding existence in the east, that¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a power beyond the transcendent. ¡°and after i stepped into this city, a special aura targeted me. although that aura can¡¯t get close, it would discover me if i do anything out of line. richard nodded but didn¡¯t dwell on it. one could not compare the current twilight city to solan city. he slowly said after he pondered. ¡°in this city, do not attack without my order.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± richard turned to the valiant xina after he gave instructions. ¡°it¡¯s not easy to come to solan city. is there anything you want to buy? we¡¯ll go to the black market tomorrow¡­¡± it brightened xina¡¯s eyes as she said softly. ¡°i would like to buy a set of fitting armor if possible¡± this brave warrior had always been at the front line on the battlefield. she could recover quickly even if an enemy injured her with the strength of a beyond a-rank. however, having a set of sturdy armor that fit her would mostly help her. not only could it reduce his stamina consumption, but it also allowed him to attack freely. richard nodded and kept that in mind. then, she seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you to the kreiners when we return.¡± xina had asked the kreiners for help last time at the attack of the god of kobolds, but she had not received a response. the young lady had been worried about the kreiners. she had left them to find a way to break the seal. Chapter 476 now, she had found a way through the operation of the alchemy blood-changing technique. but the problem was that she couldn¡¯t contact her tribesmen¡­ it made her feel sparingly uneasy. although she was starkly loyal to twilight city, she was not a mechanical puppet. !! her attitude towards his tribesmen was still the same. xina¡¯s eyes immediately softened, and her heart warmed when she heard richard¡¯s words. so many things ran through her mind, but the other party remembered her worries. it made her feel that her efforts were not in vain. his cold face revealed a sweet smile for the first time. he nodded vigorously. ¡°yes.¡± richard smiled and rubbed her head when he looked at xina. her youthful appearance had returned. this warrior who was always at the forefront of battle was only in her early twenties. on planet blue, she would have just graduated from university. although the heads she had chopped off could pile into a mountain, she still needed to care. at this moment, a maid knocked on the door and reported that two grace mainland overlords wanted to see him. richard immediately thought of the two players who had recognized him. he had wanted to ignore them, but then he remembered rebecca¡¯s words about the black market opening the following morning. the black market in the eyes of the natives and the players was different. richard pondered for a moment and called the two in as he thought of the purpose of the trip. envy engulfed the two players when they entered and looked at the luxurious room. they had been here for so long. but they had always stayed in a two-person servant¡¯s room. one could not simply mention them in the same breath. then, they thought about how this manor would belong to the other party from now on, and he had nothing to say in his heart. comparisons are odious. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­¡± they looked at the top player. he had an extremely high status on the forum and a slightly nervous expression after they greeted him. the difference between them and the other party was already like the difference between heaven and earth. a single word from him could change their fate ¡­ ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. i don¡¯t eat people. sit down.¡± richard waved them off. the two were weak to pique his interest, but he didn¡¯t want to brag about it on air in front of the players. moreover, he always had a sense of familiarity with the players, which made him quite relaxed and not put on the air. ¡°how did you recognize me?¡± third brother quickly said, ¡°boss qingqiu, i have this skill called origin tracing the source¡­ it can find very subtle traces to find the reason¡­ your disguise only covered your face, figure, and temperament. everything is like a bright light.¡± richard finally understood. so it was talent. there was no reason for that. the other party quickly added. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± richard chuckled but didn¡¯t say anything. he changed the subject. ¡°why are you here at the violet manor? do you have a mission?¡± the two felt assured and quickly responded when richard didn¡¯t pursue the matter. previously¡­ they accidentally discovered that the origin of this manor is not simple. they found out later that the owner lady rebecca is the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf. ¡°so i have been doing missions here. i thought to get more treasures¡­ richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°where¡¯s your territory? why do you have so much time to waste here?¡± ¡°boss¡± said with a bitter smile. ¡°boss qingqiu, not everyone can manage a territory. ¡°we¡¯ve been running our territories for two months. we couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and went bankrupt. ¡°furthermore, those unruly people wanted to rebel against us. so, we sold our territory to come to solan city.¡± richard recalled the players who had abandoned their territories in the forums and felt sparingly emotional. managing a territory wasn¡¯t easy. the leader one wakes up, and hundreds and thousands of people wait for someone to feed them. he still had to be on guard against unknown enemies that attacked the territory after he solved the internal problems. countless players didn¡¯t make it after a month or two without leadership. they couldn¡¯t imagine the difficulties in the real world by playing the lord game in front of the computer and clicking the mouse. only, the game had rules, and the world had not. some territories might have developed very well, but a giant dragon suddenly passed by and casually spat out dragon breath and destroyed it¡­ there were all sorts of strange encounters. ¡°how long have you been in solan city?¡± ¡°we have stayed in solan city after we lost our territory.¡± richard nodded and asked the most interesting question. ¡°do you know about the black market?¡± third brother hurriedly said. ¡°i do know, but the black market is a high-level map of solan city. only players who have contributed 1,000 points to solan city can enter. ¡°we only have 100 contribution points now. we¡¯re still far from it. ¡°i heard from other players that high-grade treasures often appear in the black market. last week, there was even a glorious item, but the price¡­ tsk, tsk, tsk, we can¡¯t even afford it even if we sell ourselves a hundred times.¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, what do you plan to buy from the black market? we can help you find out some information. i know a lot of friends who have been to the black market.¡± richard said. ¡°i want to buy a treasure that can enslave evil faction heroes¡­ ¡°a unique item like a contract scroll. ¡°if you have the means, you can help me find out. i will heavily reward you if i get what i want.¡± the two looked at each other and became excited. the words that came from this person¡¯s mouth carried a different weight. Chapter 477 that was qingqiu. ¡°you¡¯re welcome. we¡¯ll do our best¡­ can you be more detailed with your request?¡± richard said after some thought. ¡°the higher the level of the treasure, the better. it must also be effective against evil faction heroes. !! ¡°the target i want to enslave is most likely above level 15¡­ if the treasure is too weak, it won¡¯t achieve the effect.¡± he didn¡¯t go into too much detail, but it was enough for the two to search for it. the two players gasped. level 15? ¡®f*ck, is this what a big shot is?¡¯ they were only ten levels away, and the enemy would enslave a level 15 hero! richard added. ¡°i still have two 3-stars treasures in my hands. if the information you find is helpful to me, i will give you two as a reward. ¡°you can also tell this news to your friends. i will reward you also if you can get accurate information.¡± ¡®a 3-stars treasure?¡¯ the two recovered from their shock and looked at each other. they immediately became excited. the best treasure they had was only 2-stars. and they had spent half a month completing missions to get it. his moves were extraordinary, as expected of a big shot. ¡°boss qingqiu, are there any additional requirements?¡± ¡°if you can, help me find out if there are any treasures in the black market, especially armor and the like. ¡°alright¡­¡± the two players left in high spirits after a short conversation. boss suddenly thought of something and turned to look at third brother when they left violet manor. ¡°have you noticed the person that stood next to boss qingqiu boss was like a boss in the sky arena?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t watch the live broadcast. how would i know¡­ you could be wrong. how could a boss stand behind a player? who told you one can tame bosses?¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. maybe, i was seeing things¡­ let¡¯s go to jasmine street, and let those guys come with us tonight. it¡¯s arduous to meet the big boss of qingqiu. we can¡¯t embarrass ourselves!¡± ¡°we could hug onto his thigh in the future if we handled this matter well! ¡°the qingqiu bosses are so generous. two 3-stars treasures, just thinking about it makes me excited¡­¡± there would be brave men with such a high reward. to the top players, even 3-star treasures were very rare, let alone ordinary players like them who had lost their territories. richard wasn¡¯t lying. he¡¯d gotten a few treasures from the gray-colored dwarves that he didn¡¯t need. and he wouldn¡¯t be stingy if they could give him the information he wanted. enslaving the grand duke vampire was too tempting. once he successfully captured the other party, the power of twilight city would soar. that was an extraordinary level of power, a nuclear weapon! the uniqueness of players allowed them to have a tremendous vision and different ways of thinking. although he was not strong, his quick-witted mind could make up for it, and it could surprise him. he would not lose anything even if he failed. it could be a drawing of a big picture for them. the following morning, after a night¡¯s rest. a fleet of carriages with the coat of arms of the frostwolf family slowly drove out of violet manor. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. chairman windsor looked at the excited onyx with interest. the influential person in charge of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce wore a rose-embroidered red noble dress. the close-fitting design accentuated her figure and was full of feminine charm. it made her even nobler, coupled with the luxurious temperament of a superior. but no one in the room dared to take another look. one man in the earlier years killed the enemies of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡­ its status today was inseparable from its tough tactics. ¡°are you saying that the owner of twilight city, the mysterious grace mainland overlord richard, has arrived at solan city?¡± onyx¡¯s smile was bright. ¡°yes, chairman windsor. lady rebecca brought sir richard back to solan city yesterday. ¡°the maid just came to report that they will visit this morning.¡± chairman windsor revealed a playful expression when she heard this. onyx had talked a lot about the magic of twilight city, especially their two unique special products, the desert crown honey and the desert crown robe, which had piqued her curiosity. she wanted to see if the grace mainland overlord was that extraordinary. she looked at onyx with a faint smile after she pondered. ¡°onyx, can one compare richard to the most powerful grace mainland overlord qingqiu?¡± with that, she waved his hand and interrupted onyx, who was about to speak. ¡°forget it. you can¡¯t come up with anything new. i¡¯ll find out myself later. ¡°a lord of grace in the desert, and he¡¯s developing so well. interesting. ¡°but what i¡¯m most curious about is whether or not this lord richard is as special as you say, that not even the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has the right to make him submit¡­¡± Chapter 478 ¡°lord richard, this is the poenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± rebecca indicated for richard to look to the side through the glass window. richard turned his head and followed the lady¡¯s hand signal. he saw the dense cluster of buildings ahead. unlike the violet manor, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was not in the form of a manor but a vast building community. !! a few wide roads in the middle extended into the buildings. several carriages went in and out and were supremely busy. the people who came and went all wore the same uniform. and some managers even wore special medals on their chests. this scene reminded richard of the offices of the big companies on planet blue. it was very different from the violet manor, which was more of a residential area. the only thing they had in common was the area they occupied. the carriage followed the middle road and slowly entered the core area. then, he followed the carriages of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and stopped in an enormous open space. richard alighted from the carriage and had dark valkyrie and xina wait. he didn¡¯t want to expose his power starkly. the dark valkyrie was a great weapon of mass destruction. the fewer people who knew about her, the better. he also wondered if he should let her change her equipment next time. many players in the live stream had seen the dark valkyrie before¡­ richard saw onyx just as he finished giving his instructions. ¡°lord richard!¡± the big-bellied-merchant hero walked over quickly. he wanted to hug him. ¡°you have finally come to solan city!¡± richard looked at his old acquaintance and smiled. ¡°onyx, long time no see.¡± the other party was the earliest batch of natives he knew in the ¡°shining era¡±. at that time, twilight city had more than a dozen troops and 200 residents, and they were so weak that it was unsightly. ¡°lord richard, twilight city is too far away from solan city. a round trip would take almost two months. i can¡¯t go there often¡­¡± onyx laughed bitterly. sometimes, he honestly admired richard for developing twilight city to such an extent in the harsh environment of the desert of death. he would probably be back in less than a month if it were him. the hot and dry desert was not a place for ordinary people. onyx then remembered rebecca and hurriedly bowed with his hand on his chest after they exchanged a few pleasantries. ¡°lady rebecca, please forgive my rudeness. it¡¯s been a long time since i last saw lord richard¡­¡± rebecca smiled and nodded. ¡°there¡¯s no need to apologize. it¡¯s reasonable¡­ i have to thank you. if you didn¡¯t establish a connection with twilight city, i might not even know lord richard.¡± onyx said in surprise. it was like lady rebecca already got what she wanted in twilight city. ¡°i wish you well. may you become the heir of the frostwolf family soon.¡± rebecca did not hide her desire to control the frostwolf clan. and she did not care what others would think. her goal had always been firm. onyx excitedly welcomed richard through the main door in front of him into the inner core building of the phonix-tail flower chamber of commerce after a brief exchange of pleasantries. it was a blooming phoenix-tail flower. it marked the unique paint on the surface of the building, which made it very bright. a blooming phoenix-tail flower came into view from afar. ¡°this phoenix-tail flower bloomed when it founded the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. it is also the symbol of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± onyx proudly introduced everything to richard. they entered the building from the bottom of the flower. a comfortable and cool air hit them in the face. ¡°each of our buildings has been enchanted with a constant temperature spell. so we can keep cool all year round.¡± richard turned to look at rebecca. he thought of the ice spirit statue in twilight city. he smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. he turned around and looked at his surroundings. the style was quite exquisite, unlike the rough desert. one could see oil paintings, antiques, and embosses everywhere. they were elegant and luxurious, without the slightest bit of the impetuous aura of a businessman. it gave off heaviness as if it had passed down for hundreds of years. some things needed time to settle, and one could not obtain it shortly. along the way, the staff members hurriedly performed their duties and did not encounter any blind people to stop them. along the way, quite a few players passed by, but they did not dare to get close, only dared to watch from a distance. onyx stood in front of an alchemy elevator with richard and the others after they passed through the hall. richard looked at the strange elevator version and found it very interesting. it was still unique, although the development was different from planet blue. onyx pulled the elevator door open with pride and gestured to the front. ¡°this is the alchemy technology of the fortress city. please, go ahead!¡± it was like he showed off his toy. richard laughed as he entered. however, it seemed understandable as he thought about it. the division between the upper and lower classes in the ¡°shining era¡± was supremely exaggerated. the commoners at the bottom of the world did not have enough to eat. and the overall level of development was still intensely in a low state. it was indeed something to be proud of for having alchemy technology beyond the imagination of ordinary people. ¡®hualala!¡¯ a slight sound of chains that stirred after onyx closed the door came from above him. then, a centrifugal force rose quickly. ninth floor. ¡®crack!¡¯ they heard the sound of the buckle that tightened. onyx tidied his clothes and elegantly opened the elevator door. ¡°inside is the office of chairman windsor.¡± richard nodded and stepped forward. the two guards immediately looked over with knife-like eyes. however, richard ignored them and followed onyx to the door. richard¡¯s eyes glowed with a fiery red the moment he entered. a beautiful figure in a red-noble suit stared at him, her eyes scrutinized him. the other party¡¯s skin was white and soft, and her face was exquisite and perfect. it was like she was a gift from the gods. one could not find a single flaw. no matter how picky this one could be. light purple eyes seemed to have stars that twinkled and exuded a soul-stirring light. the most admirable thing was the other party¡¯s temperament, which was graceful and elegant¡­ it was as if one could use all the beautiful adjectives to describe her. an ordinary noble lady would not even be able to raise her head. although rebecca, the eldest daughter of the grand duke, was also stunningly beautiful, she appeared much more immature and young when compared to her unique aura. richard¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t change much. instead, he opened the attribute panel with some curiosity. he was more interested in her strength than her stunning beauty. however, he only took a glance before his eyes turned serious. [lady windsor] [boss unit] [level: ???] [???] [???] ¡®boss unit¡­¡¯ the owner of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce appeared to be around 27 or 28 years old, was the boss. it reminded him of the president of the scarlet council in the first instance dungeon, the top boss who rubbed the plane with his bare hands. the chairman of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was ultimately arduous. she revealed a smile on her face and held her chest. she slightly turned while she suppressed emotions in her heart. ¡°good morning, honorable chairman windsor. ¡°i¡¯m richard, the lord of twilight city¨C i¡¯m here to greet you.¡± his tone was polite, neither haughty nor humble. now, he was here to visit on behalf of twilight city. even if the other party were a legend, he would treat him as an equal. moreover, it was just a boss unit¡­ there were three twilight cities. the strength in his hands was his uttermost confidence. windsor¡¯s eyes brightened as she looked at richard¡¯s extraordinary bearing. only a few people could compare this temperament in solan city. crown of the king of darkness, leadership, glorious points¡­ these characteristics made his temperament and charm reach an astonishing level. ¡°good day, chairman windsor. thank you for your help.¡± before windsor could respond, rebecca also stepped forward to greet her. windsor glanced at rebecca and richard¡¯s positions with interest. to make the eldest daughter of the grand duke fall behind, this grace mainland overlord¡­ it did seem extraordinary. she nodded slightly. ¡°no need to be so polite. i hope you can take control of the frostwolf clan soon.¡± she turned to richard and bowed back to him. ¡°welcome, lord richard. nice to meet you.¡± she gestured to the white tea table beside him as she spoke. ¡°please, take a seat.¡± richard nodded slightly and sat down with rebecca. after the maidservant filled the cup with tea. windsor glanced at big-bellied onyx and smiled at richard. ¡°lord richard, onyx holds you in high regard¡­ none of the grace mainland¡¯s overlords can compare to you.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he glanced at onyx while he sparingly blushed. he did not expect twilight city to hold such a high position in his heart. he suspected that the few jars of desert crown honey had softened the other party¡¯s mouth¡­ he said softly. ¡°you¡¯re too kind, president windsor. although twilight city has accumulated some power, it¡¯s still far from enough.¡± ¡°grace mainland overlord has many hidden talents. no one can say that one can compare to him.¡± it wasn¡¯t a lie. who knew what kind of fortuitous encounters the idiotic players would have? they might have obtained some treasure like a forbidden spell. ¡°you said you¡¯re invincible, right? come and taste my big baby¡­¡± windsor laughed. ¡°not necessarily. has lord richard heard of qingqiu? in the competition between the 20 billion grace mainland overlords, the other party had swept through everything and ascended to the throne with an invincible attitude.¡± ¡°can¡¯t one say such a person is unparalleled? ¡°furthermore, i have also heard that qingqiu has also taken the crown in the last mission the deity assigned¡­ ¡°i heard that the commotion was even more colossal that time¡­ ¡°he fled with the princess of an empire, faced the siege of the evil and good camps, and fought the world alone. ¡°during the crisis, the other party even designed and created a terrifying rift valley collapse which buried millions of enemies with his own hands. ¡°finally, retreat in one piece.¡± as she said this, admiration engulfed her eyes. he was worthy of her respect, even if he was the grace mainland overlord. onyx stood at the side and felt sparingly uncomfortable. it was like another city outdone twilight city. he was a firm supporter of twilight city. however, the other party¡¯s battle record was exaggerated, and he couldn¡¯t criticize it. he could only whisper. the primary plane is vast, and the 20 billion grace mainland overlords are scattered. the chances of meeting qingqiu lord were so slim that it was almost negligible. ¡°president, twilight city has its strengths¡­ perhaps, i don¡¯t need to compete with qingqiu.¡± the other party was the first among the 20 billion people, but the grace mainland had completed two god missions, and the other party was first in both. there was no way to compare. rebecca¡¯s expression became rather subtle when she heard the discussion between the two. she turned to look at the calm richard, and her mood lifted. it was the first time she had heard of such a shocking incident¡­ ¡®lord richard, you¡¯re amazing.¡¯ her eyes sparkled. she looked at the two while they lamented qingqiu¡¯s admirable battle results and smiled. she was like a child, and another child stole her candy. ****** [author¡¯s note: i¡¯ve written 12,000 words today. although it¡¯s not divided into five chapters, i¡¯ve completed my task~ poor thing~] Chapter 479 richard¡¯s expression was sparingly strange as he listened to chairman windsor and onyx¡¯s conversation. he suddenly thought of something and opened his attribute panel. his eyes stopped on the column above him for a moment. [status: three glorious points (fame spread, additional five glorious points upon entry to the underground world) ] [additional feature: intimidation¨Cintimidate enemies with lower mythos than you, causing them to be in awe. personal charm increases, and there is a chance to attract heroes to join you. the entry to the underground city will automatically upgrade the relationship in awe.] !! [the system activated the glorious status attribute when he became the vice president of the bloodhoof city council.] he had received two points, which were only effective in the underground world. he had gained another three points when he flattened the gray-colored dwarves. now his glorious status in the underworld had reached five points. however, he could only use them in the underground world. the universal three glorious points were the reward he received for becoming the king of gladiator in the death corner fighting arena. at that time, he was still curious about how the system would display this glorious status. now, he knew. the ten billion players were the best advertising staff. the players spread the name ¡®qingqiu¡¯ throughout the primary plane. to take first place out of tens of billions of people was already glorious, although the players¡¯ overall strength was low. even his first dungeon experience dugged three glorious points. the record of killing millions in the spatial rift valley reached the glorious-level. so they unsurprisingly spread. these three glorious points had an enormous impact. ¡°i wonder how many glorious points i¡¯ll need to raise my level to attract high-level heroes to come and join me¡­¡± he had gained the support of many orc warriors when he captured the orcs last time. although he gave them all to [steamed bun lover], he had also tasted the sweetness of it. it made him look forward to the day when he could get a large group of followers to join him just by showing his id¡­ richard looked at the two after he recollected his thoughts and said softly. ¡°there will be a chance to meet that qingqiu¡­ chairman windsor. i¡¯m here to deepen the partnership between twilight city and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. also, to seek some advice.¡± windsor didn¡¯t dwell on the comparison between qingqiu and richard. she still had to take care of onyx¡¯s face. the other party¡¯s bearing gave her a striking first impression, although they had just met and had yet to have a deep conversation. even if richard was not as powerful as qingqiu, one of the most powerful among the grace mainland overlords, he was still worthy of respect. she looked straight into those deep eyes. ¡°you¡¯re welcome, lord richard. just get straight to the point. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has always been friendly to our business partners.¡± richard took a moment to organize his thoughts. ¡°twilight city is in the depths of the desert. it is arduous to contact the outside world. ¡°to better carry out transactions, we have would set up a chamber of commerce in solan city. ¡°twilight city doesn¡¯t have much experience in this area, so¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish his words, but his meaning was obvious. windsor laughed. ¡°this is a good thing. in the future, i won¡¯t have to spend two months deep into the desert to buy the desert crown honey.¡± ¡°onyx, help lord richard with this.¡± then, she seemed to have thought of something and added. ¡°lord richard, to build a chamber of commerce needs a fixed office address. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce can provide you with a house for free as your suitable location for the time being. it¡¯s not too late to move out when you find a suitable location.¡± richard chuckled. it was rare for the other party to take the initiative to offer help when they met for the first time. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce could be considered a behemoth in twilight city. although the things provided were nothing much, the other party¡¯s good intentions were honest. however, with rebecca in front of him, there was no need for the other party¡¯s good intentions. just as he was about to decline, rebecca spoke first. ¡°there¡¯s no need to worry, chairman windsor. i gave the violet manor to lord richard. ¡°the twilight city chamber of commerce already has a place to stay.¡± windsor¡¯s eyes narrowed. it sparingly surprised her as she looked at the smiling rebecca. the violet manor was the frostwolf family¡¯s only residence in solan city. although it was not worth much to a grand duke¡¯s family, it was not cheap. now, she gave it away to richard, and it was a grace mainland overlord. more importantly, she had never met this lord before. she had only gone to the desert once¡­ she glanced at the calm richard, and her opinion of him rose again. she did not think that the eldest daughter of the grand duke would be an idiot. rebecca had just come into contact with the ruler of twilight city, and she already gave him the manor. there must be something special about the other party that she valued. ¡®was it the fur of the fire dragon rabbit? ¡®although it was precious, it was not worth giving away a manor, right?¡¯ she gathered her thoughts and gave richard a meaningful look. ¡°looks like i¡¯m overthinking things. lord richard is extraordinary.¡± richard smiled. ¡°i¡¯ll remember your kind intentions, chairman windsor. in the future, twilight city will have a better partnership with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± richard took out two glass bottles of honey from the system space as he spoke. it was as thick as amber. it glowed faint golden light. it was ultimately eye-catching. ¡°this is the latest high-grade honey produced from the desert crown bee. there are only two jars.¡± Chapter 480 ¡°twilight city is not wealthy as the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. it can bring out too many treasures. i can only express my gratitude with this.¡± the desert crown honey worked with the phoenix-tail chamber of commerce for a long time. richard upgraded the rare-level desert bees to special when he conquered the underground world and plundered vast resources. it has upgraded the honey it produced to special. !! it improved the taste and effect by more than one level. the current desert crown honey could be called the top food. twilight city sold the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit for a reasonable price. the desert crown honey was the first treasure richard had obtained. so they could not leave him behind. windsor¡¯s eyes lit up. she immediately picked up one of the bottles and pondered. even though sealed glass bottles separated them, the fragrance that penetrated the heart and mind was still faintly discernible. windsor couldn¡¯t help but look at richard. she received a signal from him that he didn¡¯t mind after a few exchanges of glances. she didn¡¯t call for a maid but personally opened the bottle. at that moment. a fragrance several times richer than the rare-level desert crown honey from before assailed her nose. the rare-level desert crown honey was already soul-captivating enough, and the special level was simply a gift from the gods. everyone¡¯s saliva started to drool when she smelled the fragrance. ¡°this is the super honey?¡± it has surprised windsor. she picked up the spoon used for eating snacks and scooped a spoonful with a bit of eagerness. richard saw the woman¡¯s eyes curve into crescents when she put it in her mouth, like a little girl who had just found her favorite snack. there was an inexplicable contrast of cuteness. richard¡¯s expression was a little strange. he suddenly remembered what onyx had said before, that his chairman was fond of the desert crown honey. so it wasn¡¯t just a courtesy. the look into windsor¡¯s eyes suddenly changed after she savored it for a moment. she felt a wave of majestic energy enter her body after she swallowed the honey. in an instant, her entire person became alert. she looked at the honey with surprise and joy. not only did it taste better. it enormously improved the original recovery effect! she carefully closed the bottle and looked at richard with a burning gaze. how¡¯s the production of the special desert crown honey?¡± ¡°no less than 300 units per month.¡± she was indeed satisfied with this number. ¡°lord richard, we should update our trading price.¡± ¡°the advanced desert crown honey costs 200 rare resources per unit. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce hopes to purchase one unit of 1,000 rare resources for the special-level. the price was five times higher. it was more than richard had expected. he opened his attribute panel and glanced. desert bee nest [level: special ] [queen bee]: special (after being promoted to an extraordinary queen bee, the hive will produce better quality honey) [special characteristics: it can produce special quality desert honey with a special fragrance. after eating it, it can immediately recover 30% of stamina, injuries, and 30% mana. in the next hour, it can enormously speed up the recovery of stamina, injuries, and mana. [number of bees: vast [secondary beehive: fourteen (can have two advanced, four elite, 8 ordinary secondary queen bees) [production: a minimum of 30 units of special honey per week (current available reserves: 20 units), rare-level queen bees can produce 15 units of special honey (30) every week, elite-level queen bees 10 units (40), ordinary-level queen bee 5 units (40). [description: a rare bee in the desert. extremely rare.] the number of honeycombs increased to 15 when it upgraded the desert bees to special-level all the beehives added together could produce 130 units of special honey every week, which was 520 units a month. one thousand rare resources per unit. that would be¡­ five hundred twenty thousand. it was even more ridiculous than the fire dragon rabbit at the current stage. eleven dead stone statues only required 200,000 rare resources per month, which could cover the recruitment needs of more military lairs. he wouldn¡¯t worry about having enough resources to recruit when expanding the troop in the future. it pleased richard. farming was a project with low returns in the early stages and high returns in the later stages. of course, the most important thing was the black gold system could upgrade the level of the troop lairs. it was the eternal god. she slowly spoke when richard didn¡¯t respond. ¡°lord richard, this price isn¡¯t low¡­ the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will not mistreat our business partners.¡± richard returned to his senses and smiled. ¡°i naturally believe in chairman windsor.¡± as he spoke, he suddenly thought of something and deeply said it. ¡°i came to solan city because i have a favor to ask of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± ¡°i can give three to five years¡¯ worth of the desert crown honey to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce for free if you can help me.¡± these words surprised windsor. it was a massive fortune. ¡°tell me, if you can help, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will not disappoint you.¡± richard said. ¡°i accidentally obtained a sleeping evil faction hero. his strength is above level-15.¡± ¡°i need a contract scroll that can enslave him¡­¡± he said. he had three main goals in coming here this time. he wanted to find the treasure that could enslave the grand duke vampire, set up a chamber of commerce, and find a way to use the dimension stone. the construction chamber of commerce was the simplest, but the latter two weren¡¯t. he could only use all the power he could. it was the same for players to search for information, and it was the same for using the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. windsor looked at him, deep in thought. she slowly shook his head after a moment of silence. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce can¡¯t help you with this¡­ such a treasure is scarce, and one won¡¯t even circulate it in the market. ¡°a treasure that could enslave a hero must be precious. ¡°it would be difficult to obtain it. ¡°however, solan city¡¯s black market is open today. you can go and try your luck. you could find something.¡± she said with some deep meaning. ¡°in the black market, there¡¯s a shop called the red dragon general store. they sell all kinds of strange items. you can go and ask¡­ maybe you¡¯ll get what you want. ¡°you can mention my name if you can¡¯t get into the shop.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the red dragon general store must be expensive if he specifically told them about his status. furthermore, the other party had told him to mention her name¡­ she showed distinct goodwill. as expected, the martial world was not about fighting and killing. it was about the ways of the world. ¡°thank you, chairman windsor¡­¡± the atmosphere became more harmonious after both sides got what they wanted. twenty minutes later, richard said his goodbyes and left for the black market. as for the plane stone and the seed of the world tree, he did not intend to inquire about the news on the bright side. this thing was too precious, and there had never been a good outcome for a child to cross the market with gold¡­ windsor didn¡¯t try to keep him. she had onyx send him out of the chamber of commerce. onyx, the powerful boss, asked with interest after he returned. ¡°the lord of twilight city did not disappoint me.¡± ¡°although the conversation was not in-depth, his temperament, style of speech, and knowledge are all top-notch. even the heirs of the vast families in solan city might not have a bearing. ¡°rebecca, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke frostwolf, gave away the manor so easily. the other party must have seen something in her¡­¡± onyx was a little hesitant. ¡°chairman windsor, you¡¯ve asked lord richard to go to the red dragon general store, is it¡­¡± onyx still couldn¡¯t think of any words to describe it after he pondered. windsor laughed. ¡°didn¡¯t you notice? the crown on his head and the cape on his back were all glorious treasures¡­ a lord in the primary plane for less than half a year could obtain a legendary treasure. how extraordinary is this? ¡°besides, the red dragon general store doesn¡¯t eat people. my teacher is an honest man from the good camp. he¡¯s very curious about the grace mainland overlord¡­ ¡°richard could get the contract scroll from our teacher with lord richard¡¯s ability.¡± she looked at the desert crown honey on the table as he said that. ¡°he made me think more highly of the grace mainland overlord¡­ if lord richard, who is not famous, is so outstanding, i wonder what kind of demeanor the strongest of the grace mainland overlord, qingqiu, has?¡± Chapter 481 the two players arrived at a hotel where people from all walks of life were mixed in when they left violet manor. one could see players everywhere. boss reached out to stop a maidservant. ¡°is brother knight there?!¡± !! the maidservant glanced at them and said unhappily when she saw their messy clothes. ¡°it¡¯s on the second floor.¡± the two didn¡¯t mind. they went up to the second floor of the tavern with some excitement and immediately saw a bald man. he sat by the window. ¡°brother knight¡­¡± the bald man heard the call and turned to look at the two. he said casually. ¡°big li, third li, i haven¡¯t seen you in a few days.¡± ¡°how was your harvest at the violet manor?¡± there was nothing special about the two among the many players in the tavern, so naturally, no one would value them. strength determined one¡¯s status. this saying had always been right. boss stepped forward and sat directly opposite the bald man. he had a mysterious look on his face. ¡°brother knight, i¡¯ve accepted a high-level mission from a big shot. i wonder if you¡¯re interested.¡± the bald man narrowed his eyes. ¡°tell me.¡± third brother interjected. ¡°the violet manor belongs to the frostwolf family. its owner, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke frostwolf, rebecca, has returned.¡± the bald man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°did you guys receive a quest from the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf? not bad, brother.¡± boss shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s not that npc,¡± the bald man¡¯s excited expression froze. is that the butler of the violet manor? ¡± ¡°he¡¯s not the butler either¡­¡± the veins on the bald man¡¯s face gradually bulged. ¡°then who the hell is it?¡± third brother chuckled. ¡°when the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf returned, she had a powerful and mysterious existence beside her¡­ do you know the first thing she did on her return?¡± ¡°what did she do?¡± ¡°she gave the violet manor to that important person.¡± baldie¡¯s irascible mood immediately disappeared, and shock engulfed his face. ¡°she gave away violet manor? this must be a joke. how much was this manor worth? she just gave it away just like that?¡± ¡°we heard this with our ears!¡± the bald man asked excitedly, ¡°so, you guys received the mission from that mysterious person?¡± boss nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. the reward for this mission is extremely generous. if you complete it, you can get two 3-stars treasures. the bald man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°two 3-stars treasures?¡± at the current stage, a 3-stars treasure was a top-tier treasure. the difficulty of obtaining 4-stars and 5-stars was too high. it was impossible to rely on completing missions. the difficulty of the missions had already exceeded the limit, and they could not complete them even if they were given the mission. as long as some lucky people opened treasure chests, they could obtain them by luck. ¡°tell me, what kind of mission is it?¡± the two didn¡¯t beat around the bush and quickly explained what richard had told them. ¡°as long as we provide accurate information, we can get the reward. we don¡¯t need to get it. ¡°the big shot also said that no matter who gets the information, they can go to him to get the reward. that was what they said, but other than the two, who knew who that big shot was? as long as there was any news, it would have to go through their hands. the bald man also noticed this. he couldn¡¯t help but feel that no idiots could survive until now. ¡°i hope you¡¯re telling the truth. otherwise, i¡¯ll let you know what it means to¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough, brother knight. we¡¯re not outsiders, so don¡¯t use this method. i came to you because i want everyone to get rich together. this mission is just the beginning. if you get on that big shot¡¯s good side, you¡¯ll have many benefits in the future.¡± they were not willing to join the players, but if the other party was the number one of the two dungeons, the strongest player, then it was another matter. who wouldn¡¯t want to hug the world¡¯s richest man¡¯s thigh¡­ the bald man asked for some more details. after confirming that the two were not lying, he immediately spread the news of finding a treasure that could contract the hero of the evil camp after he confirmed the two were not lying. this tavern was the gathering place for the players in this area. and it did not take long for several players to know about this. they could directly come to the bar to collect a 2-stars treasure as long as they had similar information¡­ it activated the players¡¯ power, and it spread to every corner of solan city like a big net. ¡ª¡ª after rebecca left the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, she led the convoy in another direction, the black market. the black market was a unique location in most games. with windsor¡¯s advice, richard was also interested. he turned to look at the girl beside him after he repeated this a few times. ¡°rebecca, have you heard of the red dragon general store?¡± rebecca shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m not familiar with solan city. i wouldn¡¯t have come here in person if it weren¡¯t for the fire dragon rabbit.¡± the desert was still too far from the ice empire eventually. richard nodded. but he didn¡¯t pursue the matter. he would know what was inside once he glanced. the convoy traveled very quickly. it stopped in a vast square in less than half an hour. as far as the eye could see, the black market was not built in the dark area as he had imagined. it was an ancient castle that occupied a large piece of land. the dome-shaped building, which was more than 10 to 20 meters long, was closely rehearsed in the castle. the entrance was in the center of the square. several soldiers protected them. a group of flying horses flew across the sky and cast under the sun. as far as the eye could see, people came and went, and it was lively. a vast signboard was on the outermost perimeter of the castle. Chapter 482 solan city, black market. they wrote the name in a unique, high-level language, and even an illiterate person could understand the meaning of it at a glance. such distinct recruitment did not match the name of the black market. the neatly-combed-hair butler kent had waited in the square for a long time. when he saw the carriage with the frostwolf family¡¯s symbol on it, he immediately brought people to welcome it. !! the butler stepped forward and bowed when rebecca and richard alighted from the car. ¡°young lady rebecca, lord richard. ¡°i¡¯ve already made the arrangements. we can enter directly¡­¡± rebecca glanced at richard, and after she confirmed that he wasn¡¯t going to walk around, she nodded. ¡°bring us in.¡± ¡°yes, young lady.¡± butler kent immediately turned around and walked toward the entrance under the protection of two small teams of level 15 soldiers. along the way, the soldiers on guard didn¡¯t stop the group and allowed them to move freely. on the contrary, many players watched from the side, and some even looked for an opportunity to sneak in. however, the sharp-eyed soldiers stopped them, and everyone could hear endless shouts of scolding. richard ignored the players. he looked around excitedly after he passed through the gate. a bustling street appeared. shops and all kinds of goods surrounded it. unlike the shops in the outside world, the things sold in the shops here were remarkably odd. bloody wolf heads, ores with magic fluctuations, water that could speak, leaves that could fly¡­ strange things were everywhere. richard was quite satisfied with this. it was the first time he had seen such a scene after his stay in twilight city for so long. along the way, he also found a lot of good things. two-stars and three-stars resources and not rare treasures, but their prices were also ridiculously high. it immediately dispelled his original thoughts of picking up a bargain. the aboriginals had been living in this land for many years. those who could eat in the black market were not fools. they could tell if they were good things with a few looks. he could only find those sellers who set up stalls alone if he wanted to pick up the leftovers, but most of those people were professionals in this line of work. richard immediately lost interest after butler kent explained the basic rules. it was unreliable to miss such a thing while shopping, as expected. he started to look around with a playful attitude without any thoughts of utilitarianism. richard had to admit that shopping in a fantasy world was quite interesting. he could see all kinds of strange things. half an hour later, richard¡¯s curiosity was satisfied, and he turned to butler kent to ask for the location of the red dragon general store. butler kent did not hesitate and immediately led a group to the red dragon general store. the ancient castle occupied an exaggerated area. richard and rebecca finally squeezed through the crowd and reached the central after 20 minutes or more. red dragon general store. they stood at the door. black stains shrouded the floor. it was dilapidated, and the house appeared in a mess for years. anyone who saw this scene would frown. a white-haired, old man with a black patch in one eye, half-laid on a mechanical rocking chair that emitted magic waves. his eyes were slightly closed, and he appeared like he was sleeping. he appeared supremely relaxed. it piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°why did this person look like the fire cloud evil god? ¡°another big boss?¡± he opened the attribute panel. [peim] [level: 3] [???] [???] a difficult-to-detect unique energy covered it. it bewildered richard. ¡°level 3? ¡°so this lord, you¡¯re a noob¡­¡± he collected his thoughts and took two steps forward. he entered the general store and stood on the messy shelves. ¡°hello, may i disturb you for a moment?¡± there was nothing wrong with this courtesy. the white-haired-old man slowly opened his eyes. he touched his chest with his right hand and looked up at richard. he said in a bad mood after he saw his figure. ¡°who allowed you to disturb my sleep? take whatever you want to buy and pay quickly when done. don¡¯t disturb me¡­¡± he planned to lie down again as he spoke. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®so you know you own a general store.¡¯ ¡°mr. peim, chairman windsor is asking for your help.¡± windsor had only told him about the general store, but that didn¡¯t stop him from using it as an excuse. the other party must be extraordinary for windsor to introduce, although his level was low. as expected, the white-haired, old man was about to lie down slowly but sat up again when he heard richard mention the name. he sized him up a few times and finally pouted. ¡°windsor, that little girl, should broaden her horizons. what can a level 13 lesser lord do to help me¡­ and he¡¯s a grace mainland overlord who knows nothing.¡± ¡°little¡­ little girl?¡± ¡®how could he describe the overbearing leader of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in such a way?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. this white-haired-old man had a close relationship with windsor. he had been using the power of the desert to cover his entire body, but the other party could see his strength at a glance. this seemingly old figure was arduous. ¡°the grace mainland overlord could help you.¡± the white-haired-old man sneered. ¡°then you think too highly of yourself.¡± the white-haired-old man clicked his tongue after he pondered. ¡°there is a qingqiu lord among your grace mainland overlords who is not bad. it is not that i am looking down on you, but unless you are as strong as that qingqiu lord, you should leave quickly and not disturb my sleep.¡± richard chuckled, his voice casual. ¡°mr. peim, let me introduce myself. i¡¯m richard, the lord of twilight city, and also the lord of grace mainland¨Cqingqiu.¡± the voice fell. a majestic aura gushed out. it was as if a sandstorm instantly swept through the world. everything was blurry. the white-haired-old man, who was about to lie down for the second time, immediately sat up straight and widened his unpatched eye. ¡°you are qingqiu?!¡± this level-3 existence was not affected in the slightest under such majestic pressure. richard noticed that immediately. at this moment, rebecca had also entered the store. she felt sparingly proud when she saw the white-haired-old man¡¯s shocked expression. the white-haired-old man said with a smile. ¡°if the qingqiu you are talking about is the one who won the championship after competing with the 20 billion grace mainland overlords in the last god¡¯s mission, then it is lord richard.¡± pride immersed his tone like a child showing off his precious gift. the one-eyed white-haired-old man finally showed some interest. he was enormously impressed. ¡°not bad. windsor, that little girl, has good taste. she¡¯s finally helped me find a worthy lord of grace. ¡°although the grace mainland overlords are trash, you¡¯re not bad to become the strongest among 20 billion people¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®is he complimenting me?¡¯ ¡°what¡¯s your purpose in coming to find me?¡± richard didn¡¯t mince his words and quickly explained the requirements to find the treasure of a hero from the evil faction. the white-haired-old man¡¯s expression was sparingly strange. ¡°the soul contract of the snow goddess. this little fellow with the frostwolf family¡¯s bloodline can get it. why did he come to me? ¡± ¡°the frostwolf family has a soul contract?¡± it sparingly startled the girl beside him. the white-haired-old man shook his head when he saw this. ¡°it seems that you haven¡¯t become the heir yet.¡± he looked at richard. ¡°i can help you get the contract, but i need you to help me with something.¡± his words lifted richard¡¯s spirits. he felt a strong sense of joy in his heart. ¡®was there such a thing?¡¯ ¡°please speak!¡± the white-haired-old man looked at him and said word by word. ¡°i want you to help me find the heart of a god.¡± richard¡¯s expression turned high-spirited. ¡®does this old man know what he¡¯s talking about?¡¯ ****** Chapter 483 ¡°the heart of a god?¡± richard looked at the white-haired-old man whose one eye was black-patched and said, ¡°mr. peim, do you have some misunderstanding about my strength?¡± peim stood up shakily. his blue eyes looked straight at him. !! a moment later, he suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°the grace mainland overlords are a bunch of lunatics who don¡¯t fear the gods, as expected. ¡°i asked you to help me find the heart of a god, but you declined because you were worried that you were not strong enough¡­ it¡¯s not out of respect for the gods. ¡°i can¡¯t see any fear of the gods in your eyes. ¡°i like your attitude¡­¡± the words startled richard. this guy was unpredictable. he shrugged. ¡°so, what do you want to express, mr. peim?¡± the white-haired-old man¡¯s face revealed a subtle expression. ¡°i need you to go to a temple and retract the god¡¯s heart sealed inside. ¡°a prerequisite to entering the temple¨Cyou must be a non-believer of god.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®was the other party for real?¡¯ ¡°mr. peim¡­ a temple sealed a god¡¯s heart. are you sure i can enter it?¡± ¡®the exploration level of this temple would probably be extremely high if what the other party said was a lie. ¡®gods, the masters of the rules of the ¡°shining era¡± the end of everything. ¡®what kind of terrifying power did their hearts possess? ¡®and to what extent would the place that sealed the heart be?¡¯ the white-haired-old man shook his head. ¡°of course, you can. in fact, due to special restrictions, only the god lord can enter.¡± richard¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡®a special dungeon?¡¯ the other party didn¡¯t stop. ¡°before you, 20 were already grace mainland overlords. you can rest assured¡­¡± ¡°a player had accepted this mission? ¡°where are they?¡± the white-haired-old man shrugged. ¡°who knows? i didn¡¯t see anyone return.¡± richard¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°none of them returned?¡± it was an old scammer. peim said as he looked at him with a kind look. ¡°don¡¯t worry. there shouldn¡¯t be any great danger inside. you can handle it knowing your strength.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you say the same thing to the 20 or so players who didn¡¯t return?¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he slowly said after he pondered. ¡°mr. peim, i need to confirm the enemy level in the temple. ¡°also, i need to get the contract scroll first.¡± peim immediately straightened his neck, stared at the single eye, and shouted. ¡°you brat! you¡¯re daydreaming! who would give the reward first?! i can only reward you if you bring god¡¯s heart back!¡± ¡°mr. peim, do you also know that you¡¯re daydreaming?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to pay anything, yet you want me to explore a terrifying place with a sealed god¡¯s heart. ¡°after i get some benefits, i¡¯ll return, and you take the vast share¡­ ¡°there¡¯s no such good thing in the world, right?¡± the two sides stared at each other, and neither gave in. ¡°the ¡®shining era¡¯ was full of danger. you would die if you met a ruthless character. ¡°however, if i could obtain a contract scroll and subdue the grand duke, it would be a different story.¡± peim stared at richard for a while. he suddenly relaxed and laid back down on the mechanical chair. he looked at richard in amazement. ¡°kid, you¡¯re the first one who dared to talk back to me. no wonder you stood out from the grace mainland overlords. ¡°the previous grace mainland overlords didn¡¯t dare to say anything more than i said¡­ a typical good-for-nothing snack. ¡°you¡¯re pretty good.¡± richard was left speechless. he wondered if the players this white-haired-old man tricked to death would turn into undead to kill him after they heard this evaluation. richard calmed himself. then he said, ¡°mr. peim, may i know what you are looking for the heart of a god for?¡± this question made the white-haired-old man subconsciously cover his chest. then, he grinned and said. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯m just missing a heart.¡± richard didn¡¯t smile, though. his face was solemn. ¡°mr. peim, are you serious?¡± this white-haired-old man gave him a strange feeling. he couldn¡¯t figure out what the white-haired-old man was up to. peim laughed and slowly took off his black shirt in front of him. he didn¡¯t know what the material of the shirt was. but it split open like an eraser when he pulled it from left to right. the scene gave off a hooligan-like feeling with rebecca around. however, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy. richard and rebecca could see a fist-sized hole in the white-haired-old man¡¯s chest. the heart that should have existed had disappeared without a trace. only the blood-red muscles wriggled slowly. this scene gave a strong psychological impact. this one-eyed white-haired-old man didn¡¯t have a heart! richard¡¯s heart trembled. he couldn¡¯t suppress the emotions in his heart even though he took a few deep breaths. solemness immersed his eyes when he looked at the white-haired-old man again. he couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of strength was needed to survive after losing a heart¡­ and it was even level 3! the white-haired-old man had probably lived for a long time while he looked at the condition of the general store. it also shocked rebecca. she could sense that the white-haired-old man was an ordinary human, not a race like the undead that could survive after one removed their heads. an ordinary human being could still live without a heart¡­ as the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf, she had seen countless strange things, but she had never seen such a scene. peim looked at the two shocked people and laughed. he looked like a child showing off his toy to his friends. then, he wiped his clothes, and the tear returned to usual as if nothing had happened. richard lowered his voice after he returned to his senses. ¡°mr. peim, can you tell me the reason behind this?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no special reason.¡± peim said slowly. i fought with a red dragon, and it dug out my heart¡­ however, i didn¡¯t suffer any losses either. i cut off the head of that red dragon.¡± richard suddenly remembered the name of the shop. red dragon general store¡­ it was related to the red dragon. ¡°ordinary hearts are useless to me. only the heart of a god with endless power can help me recover¡­¡± peim gave richard a meaningful look. ¡°the strongest lord among the grace mainland overlords¡­ lord qingqiu, since you could get windsor to recommend you, i¡¯m sure you won¡¯t let me down.¡± richard took a deep breath. ¡°mr. peim, you haven¡¯t told me the level of the enemies in the temple.¡± peim spread his hands like a bachelor. ¡°i¡¯ve never been in there. how would i know?¡± richard looked at the white-haired-old man who asked for a beating and didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. it was hard for him to feel any respect for the white-haired-old man even if the other party had a prodigious background. ¡°how did you know the sealed god¡¯s heart is inside?¡± ¡°an ancient secret.¡± ¡°then i still have the same request. we need the contract scroll first, or we can¡¯t complete this mission. richard¡¯s stubbornness annoyed peim. ¡°i can only give you the contract scroll after you have obtained the god¡¯s heart¡­¡± the white-haired-old man disgruntledly waved his hand when he saw richard was about to say something. the next moment, the space suddenly twisted. under his gaze, a silver-white scale that emitted holy light slowly appeared and floated in the air. the moment the scale appeared, the world seemed to lose its light. only the balance would always exist. there was a small tray on each side of the silver-white scale. one tied each with thin chains. on one end of the tray were pure white feathers. while the other was empty. one could see the pride in peim¡¯s eyes. ¡°young man, i can give you anything you want, let alone a contract scroll!¡± richard set aside his bewilderment and opened the attribute panel of the scale. however, his breathing immediately quickened with just a glance. [wishing scale] [level: glorious divine artifact] [special property: after making a wish in your heart, place an item of equivalent value on the other end of the wishing scale. the wishing scale will fulfill your wish.] [restrictions: 1. one must place an item of equal value with every wish. it will not fulfill the wish, if the value is not high enough.] [2. cooldown time: 3 months.] [description: a divine artifact created by the first god of wishes. it was initially meant to create the wishing scales, which did not require payment. however, due to the constraints of rules, it was not perfected. even so, it still possesses incredible power.] shocked immersed richard¡¯s eyes. although he could tell that this scale was extraordinary from its appearance, he never would have thought that this thing was powerful to this extent! ¡®glorious divine artifact! ¡®this was too f*cking overboard!¡¯ peim sighed when he saw the shock in richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°your grace mainland power can know the origin of treasures. what an enviable talent.¡± he said proudly. ¡°you don¡¯t doubt me anymore, do you? ¡°with the wishing scales, you can get whatever treasure you want!¡± richard said after some thought. ¡°since you have the wishing scales, why don¡¯t you just exchange the heart of god for it, mr. peim?¡± the question sparingly embarrassed peim¡¯s face. the embarrassment angered him after he stammered for a moment. ¡°what does a little kid know?! how many treasures would it take to exchange for a god¡¯s heart? who can afford that?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve spent more than half of my savings to exchange for information on the location of the god¡¯s heart¡­¡± richard finally understood. so the information about the god¡¯s heart was also obtained through the wishing scale. it seemed that the function of this glorious divine artifact was more operational than what was introduced. richard¡¯s eyes burned with desire. he could enslave the grand duke of vampires in no time with this glorious divine artifact. he could even learn how to use the plane stones and the seed of the world tree. however, his happiness did not last long before his face suddenly stiffened. this divine artifact was indeed powerful, but its biggest weakness was that it required a treasure of equal value to make a wish. this was a little too much, the wishing scales¡­ it would be better to call it the exchange scales. by the way, could he make some strange wishes? and what level of treasure would it take to get a contract scroll from the wishing scale that could enslave extraordinary beings? when he thought of this headache-inducing question, he immediately looked at peim. Chapter 484 peim shot richard a dirty look. ¡°don¡¯t look at me like that. just tell me if you¡¯re going to accept this mission or not!¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry after he saw the man break the plate. he slowly said after some silence. !! ¡°what¡¯s the price if i exchange for a scroll that can enslave extraordinary heroes from the wishing scales?¡± peim¡¯s eyes widened, and he snarled. ¡°don¡¯t think about such a beautiful thing. you¡¯ve already stepped into another level, although being transcendent is nothing.¡± ¡°you won¡¯t be able to form one even if someone stands and offers you a contract.¡± richard remained unmoved. ¡°mr. peim, this is my business. you just need to tell me the price i have to pay. peim didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but when he saw richard¡¯s look. he said with a smile that was not a smile. ¡°it seems that i have underestimated you.¡± peim continued after he organized some thoughts. ¡°a scroll that can contract extraordinary powers is massively valuable, but i can promise you i will pay any price as long as you can get the god¡¯s heart from that temple.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he was just about to speak. suddenly, he heard the familiar system prompt. [ding~ you have triggered the s-rank mission¨Cthe heart of blasphemy.] [as a demigod, the red dragon tore peim¡¯s heart in a battle, and his strength dropped to the freezing point.] [he used the wishing scales he snatched from the ancient red dragon to obtain information about the god¡¯s heart. then, he started his plan.] [however, the laws of that mysterious place are exceptional. peim spent ten years and still couldn¡¯t take a single step into it.] [until the lord god appeared¡­] [mission requirement: retrieve the sealed god¡¯s heart from the ancient area¨Cthe temple of blasphemy, and hand it over to peim safely so that he can regain his demigod power.] [mission reward: peim¡¯s gratitude, one-time use of the wishing scales. the reward for this mission varies. any choice you make will affect the final merit.] richard¡¯s expression was sparingly subtle when he looked at the notification. s-rank mission¡­ the first s-rank mission he had received was the first instance dungeon. the scarlet council stole the princess of the empire, and he had to take the princess with him to avoid being hunted down by the entire world. only those who had experienced it would know how dangerous it was. it was simply terrifying. now, there was another one. richard looked at peim with a meaningful look after he read the message twice. this white-haired-old man with one eye wrapped in a black patch and even trembled when he stood up was indeed not that simple. ¡®demigod.¡¯ this form of address was enough to explain everything. no wonder he was still alive even after he lost his heart. the fact that peim snatched the wishing scales from the ancient red dragon also surprised him. ¡®how strong was this old man at his peak?¡¯ ¡°mr. peim, is there a time limit for this mission?¡± peim loudly said. ¡°three months, i can still hold on for three months¡­ i¡¯ll have to go see the god of death. if you failed to get that god¡¯s heart in three months.¡± there was no fear in his tone, which was quite similar to the attitude of a frivolous old urchin. richard said. ¡°three months¡­ there was still room for maneuvering.¡± the rewards of an s-rank mission were great, but the chances of survival were slim. in the previous s-rank mission, although his achievements were brilliant, he had the support of the big boss of the scarlet council. he had almost died many times on the way. it was easy to imagine how difficult it would be to face a terrifying place that could seal a god¡¯s heart alone. however, it wasn¡¯t like there was no chance. richard was deep in thought. he had a trump card that he rarely used but could not ignore¨Cthe hero altar. after a hero died, they could resurrect a hero on the altar. it would give him the confidence to face this s-rank mission calmly. he could still survive even if he failed. the losses would be slim. ¡°mr. peim, i¡¯ve always liked to make friends, not to mention that you¡¯re a friend chairman windsor recommended. ¡°i¡¯ll accept this mission.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll ultimately give you the god¡¯s heart in three months. richard¡¯s voice was calm, and confidence immersed it. peim nodded in satisfaction. ¡°i like you, fearless grace mainland overlord!¡± he took out a thumb-sized compass from his pocket. ¡°after you enter the desert of death, drip a drop of blood on it, and the compass will point you to the temple.¡± the moment richard took the compass, the system beeped again. [ding~ you have accepted the s-rank mission¨Cthe heart of blasphemy. please, complete it within three months.] he took a deep breath and looked at the white-haired-old man on the mechanical chair with a burning gaze. ¡°i will not let you down.¡± at this point, he decided on the mission. richard saw the wishing scales and found a way to enslave the grand duke. at the same time, he received an s-rank mission. it would not disappoint richard once he completed it. richard and peim discussed a lot of information for another half an hour after he nodded on the mission. at the same time, richard also asked a few questions about the plane stones and the seed of the world tree. although peim¡¯s strength had dropped to level three, he was still a top boss and gave richard valuable information. he watched richard¡¯s back disappear. peim slowly leaned back on the mechanical chair, his eyes half-closed. at this moment, a cloaked figure slowly appeared behind him. the other party was there all along. the blue eyes under the cloak stared out of the general store as he spoke slowly. ¡°sir peim, this grace mainland overlord is exceptional. i¡¯m afraid he¡¯s a legend. ¡°the crown on his head and the cape on his back are glorious treasures. ¡°that female warrior in black armor outside the store held a long blade and even gave me a hint of danger. ¡°the aura she gave off showed her probably beyond a-rank potential, although only at level 13¡­¡± the man with a cloak lowered his voice when he saw that peim didn¡¯t react and seemed to have fallen asleep again. ¡°lord peim, perhaps this lord can take the heart back¡­ we¡¯ve been waiting for this day for far too long.¡± ¡°everyone in the crimson moon has waited for you to stand up and lead us again. we need your leadership, lord peim!¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 485 richard continued to stroll around the bustling area after he left the red dragon general store. he felt sparingly strange as he watched the various people walk past him amidst the noise. he wouldn¡¯t know when such a scene would appear in twilight city. it was a long way to go. !! richard turned to rebecca after he enjoyed the atmosphere for a moment. he looked at the young lady while she pondered and said slowly, ¡°rebecca, have you heard of peim before you came?¡± a demigod who could survive after he lost his heart was simply a myth and legend. furthermore, the other party had a glorious divine artifact¡­ he would probably be a guest of honor for the kings of various empires if such a person had not lost his heart. rebecca shook her head. ¡°the primary plane is too big. there are countless powerful and mysterious existences like sir peim. ¡°besides, this is not the ice empire¡­¡± richard fell silent. the ¡°glorious era¡± was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. the natives had existed for an unknown amount of time, and the players at the current stage of the game could not compare to them. richard inexplicably felt a sense of relief at the thought of this. fortunately, twilight city was deep in the desert and had a natural barrier from the outside world. there was no need to worry about clashing with these terrifying forces when they were weak. he slowly said after a while. ¡°what do you think of peim?¡± anticipation immersed rebecca¡¯s tone. ¡°his majesty must have been astonishingly powerful at his peak. no one could compete with me for the position of the frostwolf family heir if i can have the power to kill the ancient red dragon¡­¡± he turned to richard, her eyes serious. ¡°lord richard, going to the temple to retrieve the heart of a god will be far more dangerous than you can imagine. ¡°please, reconsider if you don¡¯t have absolute confidence¡­ ¡°the potential of twilight city is unlimited. you don¡¯t need to take the risk yourself.¡± her limpid eyes glowed with a subtle light that was difficult for outsiders to understand after a short pause. ¡°some of my plans can be put into practice immediately once i get the fur of the fire dragon rabbit. by then, i¡¯ll control more resources of the family. ¡°i¡¯ll use this opportunity to find a contract scroll for you.¡± richard looked at the girl¡¯s grave gaze. he felt a surge of warmth in his heart. this eldest daughter of a noble family with an exceptional background had a good character. he nodded slowly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve already made arrangements for this matter. if i¡¯m not sure, i won¡¯t take the risk.¡± rebecca looked at how serious his reply to her was. and she felt happy for some reason. he didn¡¯t say anything else. richard wasn¡¯t an impulsive person judging from their interactions. richard asked as if he had thought of something, ¡°rebecca, where can i buy glorious armor in the black market?¡± his purpose was to buy armor for xina. the dark valkyrie had brought her full-body armor. it had impressive defensive power and could repair itself automatically, so he didn¡¯t need to prepare anything. rebecca was all smiles as she glanced at xina beside her. grand duke solan¡¯s shop might have the equipment that miss xina needs. ¡°grand duke solan?¡± richard was curious about the title. ¡°that¡¯s right, the ruler of solan city, a legendary ascetic.¡± respect immersed rebecca¡¯s eyes when she said this. he exclaimed. ¡°grand duke solan has already reached level 29 two years ago. he is only one step away from becoming a demigod. ¡°it¡¯s admirable that an ascetic can become a legend.¡± ¡°ascetic is a very rare profession?¡± it was the first time richard had heard of this profession. rebecca was stunned. it was like she didn¡¯t expect him to miss the news about this. she immediately explained as she thought of his identity as the lord of grace mainland. ¡°no, ascetics aren¡¯t rare. it¡¯s just an advanced level for warriors, and you can choose it after level 10. ¡°however, not many warriors will change their profession to become ascetics. it was not difficult to change but to level up after becoming an ascetic. ¡°ascetics can¡¯t wear armor or use weapons. they can only fight with their physical bodies. ¡°i¡¯ll have to increase the strength of my body first if i want to level up. i can only level up after i¡¯ve reached a certain strength level. ¡°that¡¯s why you can often see ascetics go to terrifying places to sharpen themselves, fighting magical beasts with their bare hands. ¡°this kind of suffering is not something that ordinary people can bear. ¡°however, such hard work has allowed every ascetic to have a body comparable to a dragon of the same level. ¡°what¡¯s even more ridiculous is that the ascetics can fight four or five heroes of the same level alone. ¡°it¡¯s not a legend for them to hunt dragons with their bare hands. ¡°as for the legendary ascetics¡­ i can¡¯t imagine how terrifying it is. i¡¯m afraid that grand duke solan can use his body to resist the dragon¡¯s breath. entering the lava naked might not feel like taking a hot bath.¡± ¡°my father once said that the ascetics are one of the most powerful existences above transcendent.¡± richard lost his thoughts. he noted down this profession. he had to be more careful if he encountered ascetics in the future. those who were ruthless to themselves were not weak. he would not go at the very least if they asked him to take off his equipment and fight with ferocious beasts with bare hands. ¡°then let¡¯s go to the grand duke¡¯s chamber of commerce and check. i wonder if we can see the elegant demeanor of the legendary ascetic.¡± rebecca pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°the solan chamber of commerce is managed by duke solan¡¯s daughter, her highness christy. i¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to meet her. Chapter 486 butler kent led them in another direction while the two laughed. the group stopped in front of a shop that occupied an exaggerated area. it was like a stadium that could accommodate tens of thousands of people. there was a huge signboard with the words ¡°solan chamber of commerce¡± written in the common language of the continent. !! the outer wall of the building embossed dozens of flying horse statues that were more than ten meters tall. the flying horses kept galloping on the wall after enhancement with magic. this scene had quite an impact. two rows of ten-meter-tall magic stone statues at the entrance held long-handled battle axes and guarded the sides. they were all level 19 top-tier troops. there were many people around, and it was very lively. richard¡¯s group of twenty or so people was nothing in this place. it took some time to settle down the level 15 soldiers of the two teams because they could not bring them to the shop. butler kent then led them into the house. the view suddenly opened up after they passed the magic stone statue. one has carved complicated and exquisite patterns in the 20-meter-high sky and hung colored oil paintings on the surrounding walls. a staff member in his early forties came up to him with a smile before he could look around. ¡°dear guests, the solan chamber of commerce welcomes all of you. i will be at your service from now on. ¡°what are you here to buy?¡± richard returned to his senses and gestured to xina. ¡°i need to buy a set of high-quality armor¡­¡± ¡°armor? what level do you need?¡± ¡°four-stars and above.¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s smile became even brighter when he heard this. ¡°you need to go to the second floor to get a treasure of this level. please follow me¡­¡± richard nodded and followed. however, he had just passed through the crowd and arrived at the stairs. they could hear the sound of an argument. richard turned to look. an old man with a goatee argued with a few players behind the counter. in front of them was a pile of severely damaged items. it was obvious that they had just returned from the wilderness and were there to sell their treasures. a rusty sword, a broken shield, a broken longbow¡­ it was filled with the aura of time as if one had pricked them up from an ancient ruin. the middle-aged man awkwardly smiled when he saw richard¡¯s curious eyes. ¡°my lord, some grace mainland overlords usually come to sell things they got from god knows where. some are very valuable, and some are just junk, so there will be occasional disputes. please, don¡¯t mind them. please, follow me.¡± richard nodded and turned his attention away. he looked away and went upstairs. the argument on the other side became more intense at this moment. ¡°this is a piece of legendary equipment! it shouldn¡¯t be worth so little money, even if it¡¯s heavily damaged, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s all i have. it¡¯s not worth it to have one more serving! when has the solan chamber of commerce ever lied to anyone?¡± ¡°impossible, the price your people gave me last time was three times higher than yours! you¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°who is it? how come i didn¡¯t know about this!¡± the players suddenly noticed the middle-aged man who had become conspicuously halfway up the stairs, and their eyes immediately lit up. he pointed at the stairs and shouted. ¡°we sold it to him last week! call him over. we¡¯ll confront him!¡± the old man with a goatee behind the counter immediately turned to look at richard. it embarrassed the middle-aged man who led the way. he wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t know how to. it was a complete joke to outsiders¡­ later, he would advise the president to move the acquisition area to the backyard. at this moment, the commotion had already attracted the attention of many people. the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t just leave. he apologized to richard with a smile and called for a staff member not far from the stairs to accompany him. then he turned around and walked down the stairs to the players with a dark expression. it piqued richard¡¯s interest. he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to go up. so he brought rebecca and the others down the stairs. he passed through the crowd and approached the people who still argued. ¡°the item i¡¯m selling is the same as the last time. why is the price not even half of the previous one? tell me!¡± the leader held a rusty bronze sword and glared at the two who sold goods. the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes grew even more unsightly when he saw richard. ¡°hmph, the last time i bought that piece of equipment from you, i brought it to a blacksmith to restore it¡­ but do you know what the result was? ¡°our top-notch blacksmith master said that it¡¯s impossible to repair it since it¡¯s so broken.¡± ¡°it is not worthy of repair even if it could be. ¡°the resources needed to repair it are enough to forge a brand new one.¡± the players did not believe it. ¡°hmph, who knows if you¡¯re telling the truth¡­¡± ¡°you can go to another shop and see if they have the same price if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± they continued to argue. richard finally understood what the players argued about after he listened. the price was high the last time they came to sell treasures. they got the same treasure this time, but the solan chamber of commerce offered less than half of the previous price, which was unfair. it was the same for the solan chamber of commerce. previously, he wanted to buy and repair it to make a fortune. however, he didn¡¯t expect the repair to exceed the price of the treasure itself. it was not worth it at all. that¡¯s why this happened. the players¡¯ treasure piqued richard¡¯s curiosity. he opened his attribute panel and took a few glances. [damaged bronze battle blade] [level: none] [status: severely damaged] [description: once a legendary weapon. lost its power over time. ] ¡­ [broken black longsword] ¡­ [broken longbow] ¡­ more than 20 weapons. each was severely damaged. what was interesting was that half of them were legendary equipment. he has no idea where the few players got several glorious-level pieces of equipment¡­ it was tattered. the appraiser with the goatee did not even want to offer half the price after the middle-aged man told him one could no longer repair these weapons. he chased the players away as if he chased away flies. the players were depressed. they cursed in a language the world couldn¡¯t understand and greeted the two¡¯s families. they took out a black cloth bag and unwillingly kept the broken equipment on the counter. an arm can¡¯t win against a thigh¡­ richard chuckled. these guys really didn¡¯t change their nature. he didn¡¯t stay any longer and turned to leave after he watched the show. the players collected the last few items on the table after they took a few steps. [ding~ sugar palm] one of the long blades was too rusty and broke, fell to the ground with a crisp sound. richard turned around. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw the players pick it up while they cursed. he didn¡¯t take it seriously at first, but at that moment, the leader took out a dried branch from his bag and swept the last two treasures on the table into the bag as if he was a garbage collector. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he fixed his eyes on the dried branch in the player¡¯s hand. he felt a strange yet familiar aura. it seemed like¡­ the god¡¯s ancient tree. no, it was even more evil and dark than the aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree. more importantly, this dried branch didn¡¯t seem one had passed it down from ancient times like the other broken branches. it seemed very new¡­ an adamant curiosity rose in his heart. where did these players get this branch? Chapter 487 the branch was mixed with a pile of broken things and did not stand out. one would not take it seriously if one did not frequently contact the god¡¯s ancient tree, although the aura was special. at most, it was just a piece of trash stained with an undead aura. he watched as the few players packed their things and prepared to leave. !! richard looked at rebecca. he stepped closer to the ice empire lady, turned his body slightly, and whispered in her ear. ¡°rebecca, help me keep those grace mainland overlords. they have something i need.¡± rebecca felt a scorching aura reach her ears, and an unnatural blush appeared on her face. she turned around and looked at butler kent. she pretended to be calm. butler kent immediately stepped out and caught up with the cursing players after she gave a few instructions. the players became excited after they chatted for a while. they bowed to butler kent and left happily. butler kent returned after a while. ¡°i have arranged it, lady rebecca. i told them to wait for us outside the black market. they could come to the violet manor and find us tonight if they can¡¯t wait. i¡¯ve also asked for their addresses. ¡°the grace mainland overlords values profit the most. i promised to buy it at a high price. they won¡¯t miss it. other chambers of commerce won¡¯t give the price i offered. they won¡¯t sell it unless they talk to us after the agreement raised their psychological expectations. richard chuckled. butler kent had a good grasp of the players¡¯ mentality. he didn¡¯t know if he could get extra gains. he followed the middle-aged man who incessantly apologized to him to the second floor. he had to get xina¡¯s armor first. he went up to the second floor. he could distinctly feel fewer people here than on the first floor. correspondingly, the dress and temperament of these people also gave people a feeling of being rich and noble. the middle-aged man led them to an open-style tea room in the hall. richard sat, and a maid immediately served him some hot tea. the middle-aged man whispered a few words to the staff member next to him, and the staff member soon returned with an exquisitely made booklet. ¡°my lord, these are the armors we have received recently. they are all treasures of 4-stars and above.¡± richard took it and flipped through it. it recorded the style of the armor and various attribute skills. everybody knew that the solan chamber of commerce was indeed rich. more than 50 armors in the booklet, and all have outstanding attributes. richard handed it to xina, which signaled her to choose. xina found something she was interested in after a short while. [bloodthirsty armor] [level: 5-stars] [special property: 1. bloodlust: each time you kill an enemy, you can turn their blood into energy to recover your strength. at the same time, you can control the blood energy to repair your armor.] [2. boiling blood: able to cast a powerful blood qi on the armor which increases its defense by 500%. duration: 20 minutes. cooldown time: 1 day] [3. fight heroically. immediately removes all control skills and spells on the user. cooldown time: 30 minutes.] [description: the masterpiece of a master blacksmith of the beast clan. it has a strong defense and brute strength.] these skills were very suitable for xina¡¯s attributes. it pleased richard. ¡°how much is this 5-star armor?¡± ¡°my lord, the bloodlust armor is sold for 2,000,000 rare resources. ¡°two million units of rare resources? ¡°the price¡­ a sky-high price!¡± it was also the first time he knew that 5-stars treasures were so expensive in the hands of the natives. it would take at least three to five months to accumulate money for twilight city, even if they did not eat or drink. the middle-aged man seemed to have noticed his difference and quickly explained. ¡°the 5-stars armor is more arduous than ordinary weapons. so the price will be relatively higher. ¡°in addition, the attributes of this armor are outstanding. although the price is high, you will not suffer a loss. ¡°you can also use treasures of the same level to exchange for them. you just need to make up for the difference if the value provided is not enough.¡± richard nodded. he seemed to have thought of something after he pondered. he took out a special treasure from the system space. [broken lake] [level: 4-stars] [property: can summon a lake with a diameter of 5,000 meters and a depth of 100 meters that can float in the sky.] [description: a treasure with magical powers.] he obtained this treasure in the land of broken laws. he had once seen countless lakes that floated in the sky, and that magnificent scenery was still in front of his eyes. it was a pity the twilight city was a desert. there was only one piece of land. he suspected that it would dry up one day without a water supply. he placed the damaged lake on the table, explained its function, and finally asked. ¡°how many resources can such a treasure be exchanged for in the solan chamber of commerce?¡± the middle-aged man was quite surprised. ¡°this treasure could sell for millions of rare resources if it is as you¡¯ve described.¡± richard was pleasantly surprised. one can sell it for four million rare resources. the middle-aged man looked at richard and explained with a smile. ¡°some great nobles will be interested in it, and there are also lords living by the lake who will use it to make a war fortress¡­¡± richard thought back to the land of the broken laws. the murlocs had been shooting at them from the lake in the sky. the lake water was a natural city wall. it was a floating fortress of strategic value. he turned to look at rebecca, and before he could even say anything, the lady seemed to know what he wanted. she said softly. ¡°this price is very fair.¡± it relieved richard when he heard that. however, there was still a significant gap even though the treasure cost a million rare resources. he only had around 20 rare resources left. richard slowly took out the second treasure from the system space after he pondered. legendary treasure¨Cvictory gem. he opened the chest and got this legendary treasure after he became the final victor in the death arena fighting ring. the two characteristics of this gem left a deep impression on him. [1. the person who holds the victory gem will bring endless hope to his subordinates. they would follow him unshakably, even if the enemy defeated them to the point of being a soldier. and they will never betray him or give up.] [2. immune to all spells that shake and lower the morale of the troop. one can cast a purification spell to remove the adverse effects of the evil camp every half an hour. [description: this is a treasure used by the goddess of victory to reward her loyal believers. the goddess of victory will grant blessings if embedded in strategic equipment.] the skill was supremely soul-crushing, but the only drawback was that richard could not use it in twilight city. therefore, the moment he got his hands on it, he thought of coming to solan city to see if he could find another place to sell it. the solan chamber of commerce seemed to be a good choice. rebecca¡¯s face fell when she saw richard take out the victory gemstone. she subconsciously exclaimed. ¡°victory¡­¡± she stopped mid-sentence when she realized what was going on. however, the disbelief and surprise in her eyes were so distinct. she reached out and pressed down on the gem in his hand as she seriously spoke. ¡°i¡¯ll help you make up for the resources you lack. there¡¯s no need to sell this treasure.¡± richard was about to say something but quickly put the victory gem back into the system space when he saw the lady¡¯s burning eyes. ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± rebecca took a deep breath and told him not to be polite. richard had to spend all his money before he could get the 5-stars equipment. even after he sold the broken lane with rebecca¡¯s help. he felt a little emotional., he only had a few ideas when he used his points to exchange for treasures of this level in the instance dungeon. he finally understood the benefits contained in this after his interaction with the natives. they delivered the dark red bloodlust armor to richard after he paid. he didn¡¯t talk nonsense. he asked xina to change into the changing room. xina returned a moment later. she dressed neatly. there was no such thing as whether it fits or not because this set of armor could automatically adjust according to the body size. the cold and dark red metal exterior made xina appear heroic. xina loved the suit of armor. and her eyes were red with tears as she looked at richard. five-stars war dragon longsword, 5-stars bloodthirst armor. the equipment on xina¡¯s body was finally complete. this brave beyond a-rank warrior would shine even brighter in the future. richard looked forward to seeing what kind of expression the enemy would have on their face when they faced this warrior. he was satisfied afterward. he did not stay any longer and left the solan chamber of commerce. after walking for a short distance, rebecca could no longer suppress her emotions and asked in a low voice after they walked from a distance. ¡°lord richard, is that the victory gemstone in your hand?¡± richard looked at the lady curiously. he had been observing the other party¡¯s reaction. ¡°was this gemstone that famous?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. i obtained this by accident. its attributes are not bad, but it shouldn¡¯t be enough to surprise you like this, right?¡± it was something he couldn¡¯t understand. the eldest daughter of the grand duke was not someone who had not seen the world. the gem shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal, even if it were legendary. rebecca was both surprised and delighted when she received an affirmative answer. ¡°surprised?¡± ¡°no, lord richard, i can¡¯t describe it as a surprise. it¡¯s a victory gem!¡± richard couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°so what if it¡¯s the victory gem?¡± rebecca was about to go crazy, and she excitedly said in a low voice. ¡°the victory gem¡­ it can summon the goddess of victory!¡± ¡°the goddess can even personally bless the equipment after one has embedded the gemstone on the equipment!! her words shocked richard. ¡°was the treasure from the rainbow treasure chest that amazing?¡± he wondered how it became legendary with only two characteristics. it turned out that there was such a secret. instantly, his thoughts started to wander¡­ there seemed room for manipulation. ¡ª¡ª, Chapter 488 rebecca was still in a state of excitement. she continued to speak in a low voice. ¡°i once saw one used the victory gem when i was young¡­ the goddess of victory has descended amidst the hymn. ¡°her brilliance is unforgettable.¡± !! ¡°i thought that i would never see such a treasure again¡­¡± indescribable emotions engulfed her eyes. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that this gem would appear in your hands. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve seen countless grace mainland overlords in the past six months, but you¡¯re the most outstanding. perhaps, the gods have truly blessed you.¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at the girl¡¯s fanatical expression. a single gem could make the other party so excited. the majesty of the gods was still deeply rooted in their hearts. however, summoning a god was indeed beyond the imagination of ordinary people. that was the end of the world¡¯s power, the master of the rules! richard said after some thought. ¡°how do i do it to summon the victory goddess?¡± rebecca thought back for a moment before she answered. ¡°let the red-robed archbishops of the victory temple, who are at least glorious-level, activate the mark inside the victory gem. the goddess will descend upon us when she sensed¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°a glorious archbishop? are you sure you¡¯re not joking?¡± how would he know a native of this level¡­ transcendents were already the pillars of a force. ¡°legends were even more overbearing. which glorious wasn¡¯t a big shot with authority?¡± it was sparingly arduous. ¡°does the blessing of the victory goddess directly enhance the attributes of the equipment?¡± rebecca nodded. ¡°yes, the goddess will bestow compelling attributes to equipment, but¡­ they are all good camp skills. ¡°the victory gem is a reward for believers who have made enormous contributions in resisting the invasion of the abyss. ¡°the goddess of victory is a god from the good camp. she hates evil. ¡°to you, perhaps¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but she knew what he would want to get at. twilight city troops were not associated with the good camp. the evil camp faction did not include twilight city because of the desert faction. it was a pity. however, this didn¡¯t disappoint him. he didn¡¯t intend to use it himself. he could sell it for a better price now that he had such a background. ¡°what¡¯s the price of the victory gemstone if that is the case?¡± it startled rebecca, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as she looked at richard. ¡°are you still planning to sell it?¡± richard nodded. ¡°although this treasure is good, it doesn¡¯t match twilight city.¡± he would not keep it if he could not use it, even if one would give him a divine weapon. the victory gemstone was of little value to twilight city. it was better to trade it for resources he could use. everything would be in twilight city as long they developed the city. the territory was the foundation of everything. rebecca sighed to herself when she saw richard¡¯s clear eyes. it was no wonder he had built its territory so well in just half a year after it came to the primary plane. such decisiveness was indeed rare. ¡°lord richard, i hope to buy it from you if you are going to sell it.¡± she then added. ¡°i have a piece of equipment that means a lot to me. i would improve its quality so that it can fight with me¡­ a hand suddenly reached out before she could finish her sentence. surging energy immersed the gem richard held in his palm. rebecca subconsciously reached out to receive it. she looked up at richard in shock. ¡°lord richard, you¡­¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you need it?¡± richard shrugged. rebecca looked at the handsome figure and trembled her heart. she took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice. ¡°lord richard, we haven¡¯t agreed on the price yet, i¡­ richard chuckled. ¡°just remember to send it over if you got anything good later. ¡°i believe you, rebecca. we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± this eldest daughter of the grand duke had a good character. it didn¡¯t matter to him who bought it. not to mention that with the other party¡¯s personality, she would not let him suffer any losses. even if he gave it away, he would not feel any heartache. this eldest daughter of a noble family, full of potential, was worth investing in. richard would have a powerful helper if he could help her become the grand duke of frostwolf. it was the same logic as his investment in fire elemental lord klose. it was a pity that she was not the princess of an empire. it would be interesting if she could cultivate an empress like lu buwei. rebecca¡¯s eyes became increasingly radiant after she stored the victory gem in her spatial ring. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m starting to think that coming to the desert of death is the guidance of fate. ¡°it¡¯s my greatest fortune to have met you.¡± richard chuckled. he didn¡¯t mind about it. it seemed the people he knew were doing well as long as they were his friends as he pondered. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] managed to avoid a 2-stars dungeon in the early stages and escaped. he had cleared out the orc forces that threatened [steamed bun lover]. he had left a few squadrons of orc soldiers for that guy. fire elemental lord klose had also become extraordinary because of him. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had obtained the right to sell the desert crown robe and desert crown honey. now, the eldest daughter of the frostwolf family obtained the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit and the whitetail wine, but also the victory gem, a precious treasure that could summon a god. it was still a win-win situation, although the other party had also put some effort into interacting with these people. Chapter 489 ¡°now that i think about it, have i slept with goddess xin yun?¡± it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t remember what a goddess felt like¡­ he set this matter on hold for a while. richard¡¯s mind was still on the dried branch, and he stopped to wander. !! rebecca had been excited and wanted to return and study it after she obtained the victory gem. the group left the black market. he had only taken a few steps. the few players who sold damaged treasures quickly surrounded him. ¡°lord kent!¡± these guys did not know rebecca. they all looked at butler kent, whose hair was still in perfect condition. ¡°lady¡­¡± butler kent looked at rebecca. he waited for further orders. rebecca then looked at richard. the relationship went around in circles, and the players were dumbfounded. ¡®so, these high-level npcs needed a player to decide?¡¯ ¡®who is this? was it that fierce?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t see richard¡¯s information. but the system had a clear distinction between players and natives. he could tell by looking at the color of the system panel. ¡°we¡¯ll talk about it when we return to the manor.¡± there were too many people, and he was already in front. so, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. a few players did not object and got into the carriage with the frostwolf family¡¯s badge afterward. this kind of great noble was a group of people with the most credibility, so they were not afraid of accidents. in the carriage. the four players discussed in low voices after they sat down. ¡°what do you guys think of that player¡¯s identity? how could he make those two high-ranking nobles so obedient¡­?¡± ¡°this is a high-level player. he might even be the top boss who made it into the top 1,000 in the last instance dungeon.¡± ¡°that¡¯s bullsh*t. what kind of existence is in the top 1,000? it¡¯s not that easy to meet such a big shot. in my opinion, the other party might be doing a mission¡­ when the time comes, we¡¯ll give him some benefits and let him know the bottom line of the two npcs ¡®bidding.¡¯¡± ¡°this is possible¡­¡± ¡°this pile of junk is finally showing signs of growth. our hard work was not in vain¡­ it¡¯s a pity that the ruins have already collapsed. otherwise, we could have gotten a lot of good things.¡± discussion continued. rebecca didn¡¯t mind the players or their junk after they reached violet manor. she left the main hall to richard. she impatiently brought the level 19 hero, klei, to the secret room to equip and study the still-warm victory gem. when the four players saw the two main npcs leave, they stared at each other with wide eyes. in the end, richard sat at the head of the long table. the four players looked at him in surprise. they were sure from the moment they entered the manor. richard was a top-tier noble. not only were the guards all level 15 troops, but there were also level 19 heroes¡­ this kind of manor was something other than what ordinary nobles could own. but now, what was going on with the two main characters? ¡°did he sit on the main seat? and the maids around him had such an expression as if they were in a dungeon?¡± were players doing so well these days? the older player stepped forward with a smile. ¡°friend, my forum id is mo liqing. i¡¯m mainly here to sell some top-grade treasures. are you in charge of this? we are fated¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at the players who came up to him. ¡°don¡¯t tell me the few of you were named like this by mo lishou, mo lihai, and mo lihong?¡± mo lishou nodded his head in embarrassment. ¡°i didn¡¯t think that much at that time¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. these idiots were as steady as ever. however, the other party¡¯s id seemed quite okay compared to [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] and [steamed bun lover]. ¡°it¡¯s not bad, easy to remember.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right. i¡¯m in charge of violet manor¡¯s purchases now. can you show me your top-tier treasures? ¡± the man asked. when he mentioned the top-tier treasure, he deliberately emphasized his tone. mo lishou was immediately embarrassed. this thing could only deceive npcs. in the eyes of the players, it would expose everything once they opened the attribute panel. he coughed and lowered his voice. ¡°brother, we¡¯re not outsiders. it wasn¡¯t easy for me to get this batch of treasures. please, be magnanimous, and let¡¯s be friends today¡­ as he spoke, he extended his hand and gestured three fingers. ¡°as long as the price is right, we can give you a 10% commission.¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. this guy was indeed good at this. he¡¯d done this a lot. he smiled and shook his head. ¡°don¡¯t worry about it. just give me as much as you need. i won¡¯t mistreat you. ¡°but there¡¯s one thing. you need to tell me the origin of all the treasures, where you found them, what special bosses are around them, and the detailed location.¡± a few immediately smiled. the ruins had already collapsed, so this was not a problem. ¡°no problem. all the information will be free if the price is right.¡± richard cut to the chase. ¡°take them all out.¡± the older mo lishou opened the cloth bag and placed the severely damaged treasures on the table. they looked like a waste collection station when piled together. richard¡¯s eyes scanned the area and immediately spotted the withered branch buried at the bottom of the treasure vault. at this moment, he could sense the evil and dark aura even more clearly from a distance. his perception was correct, as expected. he picked them up one by one with a calm expression. he even grouped them according to the degree of damage after he looked at their attribute. it looked like richard wanted to buy it, which them excited. finally, richard found a dried branch in the pile of junk. he asked casually. ¡°this branch is contaminated with the aura of the undead. where did you get it?¡± mo lishou didn¡¯t feel anything wrong with it, so he said with a smile. ¡°no, i plucked this branch from a dried tree.¡± displeasure engulfed his eyes as he said, ¡°that tree grew on a pile of flesh and blood. it has been dead for at least three months when we found it.¡± ¡°i could have made a fortune if i had discovered it earlier.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. this growth habit was indeed so. he said slowly. ¡°the undead could have planted this tree. what¡¯s the tree called?¡± mo lishou answered with certainty. ¡°the rotten tree.¡± he added. ¡°the system said this is an evil tree that grows in blood and corpses. it can also bear blood fruit¡­ unfortunately, i found nothing that time.¡± ¡°rotten tree? ¡°do you still remember the location?¡± ****** Chapter 490 richard pondered momentarily, then asked the question he was most concerned about. ¡°where is that area?¡± mo lishou did not hide anything from him. he opened the system map and shared the location with him. it was an ancient ruin, but it collapsed a long time ago. !! ¡°we¡¯ve been searching inside for two months but found nothing good.¡± when richard said this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little regretful. it was disappointing to find a good place without any treasures. richard opened the map, and there was a mark on it. it was about 500 kilometers from solan city, located in the desert. he decided to explore that rotten tree before returning to twilight city¡­ ¡®its aura was even eviler than the god¡¯s ancient tree, so it shouldn¡¯t wither so quickly, right?¡¯ he looked at the attributes of the dried branch while he pondered. [dried branch] [attribute: carries an evil aura. ] [description: a broken-off branch from a tree. ] there was nothing different about the tree. if these players had not seen the rotten tree, these players would have ignored this if they had not seen the rotten tree. richard didn¡¯t give up after he closed the system panel. he opened the black gold system instead. a more detailed prompt appeared on it as expected. the withered branches of the rotten tree contain a faint vitality. you can use 100 divinity points to reactivate that vitality. ¡°this branch is still alive?¡± richard was overjoyed. although it was the same as the seed of the world tree, which required 100 divine points to activate, that was not the point. more importantly, even the dried branches were still alive. was the rotten tree really dead? he was interested. he didn¡¯t mind digging another god¡¯s ancient tree on his return to twilight city. richard set aside his thoughts and continued to ask about the ruins. mo lishou still insisted richard buy his goods at a high price. he didn¡¯t hesitate to tell him everything he knew. on the other hand, they had searched for two months, and there was nothing good left. richard asked in detail. he understood everything. finally, he had a general idea of the ruins¡­ the rotten tree was only an unremarkable corner of the ruins. sand buried most of the ruins after its collapse. the only danger was in the center of the ruins. a group of terrifying monsters protected it¨Cthe cemetery guards. all were level 15 and above and had even seen a level 19 field hero. however, there were no treasures in there. they had used special means to explore it more than once. richard didn¡¯t beat around the bush after the conversation. he used the price offered by the appraiser of the solan chamber of commerce, which was 5% higher, to buy ten glorious weapons that were not so damaged. he had spent a total of one million units of resources, and he kept his word. it was his bottom line. he got the information he wanted and didn¡¯t mind giving it back. the value of this information to him was far beyond what these resources could compare to. richard felt nothing when he paid for the interface¡¯s hundred million resources. the players were also very excited. one million units were ultimately a considerable sum to them. those players who lost territories had much fewer ways to earn resources. they could no longer be like an ordinary lord and let the residents in the territory mine. the quick turnover of one person¡¯s earning resources is incomparable to a territory with a few thousand residents. richard told the four players he was looking for a soul contract afterward. he asked them to help him find out more. they immediately patted their chests when they heard about the 3-stars treasure reward. after they left. richard stored the glorious items in the system inventory and kept the tree branch to study. it was impossible to activate it with divinity, as the world tree seed had already taken up renee¡¯s output. renee had four points of divinity. she could only recover one every week. it was too precious. now, richard could only hope that the withered and rotten tree also had a trace of vitality in its body. ****** the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. windsor looked at the curious girl in front of her in the living room and smiled. ¡°didn¡¯t lord richard go to the solan chamber of commerce? why are you still asking me?¡± ¡°ah? when did he go? how come i didn¡¯t know¡­¡± onyx stood at the side and said, ¡°your excellency, lord richard went to the black market this morning after he left our place. our men met them at the entrance of the solan chamber of commerce.¡± christy wore a pure white dress and shook her head. ¡°i didn¡¯t go to the black market today.¡± he asked curiously. ¡°shouldn¡¯t you be the one accompanying lord richard to solan city?¡± onyx thought about the situation this morning and said with some emotion. ¡°it was lady rebecca who brought lord richard there.¡± christy frowned. ¡°rebecca has returned, but why didn¡¯t she come to see me¡­ also, were they that close? i¡¯m just going to buy the rabbit fur of the fire dragon rabbit.¡± windsor slowly took a sip of the hot tea in her cup. a playful look engulfed her eyes when she elegantly put the teacup down. ¡°that lord richard is extraordinary.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know, but lady rebecca decided to give him the violet manor.¡± christy asked in disbelief. ¡°that¡¯s impossible, right? how could rebecca possibly give the violet manor to a lord? ¡°no matter how extraordinary the other party is, he shouldn¡¯t be like this, right?¡± Chapter 491 onyx said softly. ¡°lady rebecca said it herself this morning, so it should be real.¡± it sparingly confused him. their relationship shouldn¡¯t have logically reached that stage, but the other party had to do it. he could only attribute it to the extraordinariness of twilight city. richard¡¯s charisma was unparalleled. didn¡¯t he also pursue that magical territory after leaving twilight city? perhaps in the eyes of others, he was also somewhat unreasonable¡­ christy couldn¡¯t take it anymore. she hurriedly got up and walked outside. ¡°this won¡¯t do. i have to go and see rebecca. that grace mainland overlord must have deceived her¡­¡± onyx did not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°your highness christy, i don¡¯t think so. you¡­¡± the girl waved her hand and hurriedly walked away before onyx could finish. she disappeared quickly from his sight. he turned to look at windsor, whose expression hadn¡¯t changed. he whispered. ¡°charmain, do you want me to go and take a look¡­¡± windsor said slowly. ¡°it¡¯s just a small matter. there¡¯s no need to pay attention to it.¡± she seemed to have thought of something as she spoke, and her eyes revealed a thoughtful look. ¡°are the people who went to the red dragon general store back?¡± ¡°not yet, but it should be soon.¡± windsor¡¯s eyes sparingly narrowed as she spoke with a rather complicated tone. ¡°i wonder if the teacher will acknowledge lord richard¡­ we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± onyx thought of some secrets and fell silent. a strange sound came from outside the door as the room fell silent. it got increasingly closer. windsor¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with joy when she heard the voice. she stood up and went to the door. at that moment, a figure sat in a mechanical wheelchair and appeared. ¡°teacher¡­¡± peim looked up at the eye-catching voice and smiled kindly. ¡°little girl, push me in.¡± windsor immediately went to the back of the mechanical wheelchair and pushed peim into the house. onyx immediately saluted most humbly when he saw peim. peim waved his hand and didn¡¯t say anything. windsor poured a cup of hot tea at the coffee table for the old man who had lived for so long despite not having a heart. peim drank in one gulp and laughed after he savored the taste. ¡°not bad, the tea leaves from the southern griffin empire are still so delicious¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll send it to you later.¡± peim shook his head. ¡°no need. you¡¯ll lose the taste if you drink it all day, no matter how good the food is.¡± windsor laughed and didn¡¯t comment on this. she changed the topic. ¡°teacher, why are you here?¡± peim grinned. ¡°what, do i need to ask for your permission to come to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce?¡± windsor smiled. ¡°i hope you can come here every day¡­ by the way, teacher, did lord richard visit red dragon general store?¡± peim immediately became interested when the chairman brought the topic up. that grace mainland overlord is good. he¡¯s the only one i¡¯ve taken a liking to in the past few months. his words surprised windsor when she heard this evaluation. this teacher of hers was once the world¡¯s most fearless expert. he had extremely high standards and never praised others too much. it was unbelievable that lord richard could gain his approval in such a short time. in her eyes, a word of praise from peim was worth more than a month of onyx praise. the weight of their words naturally varies with different statuses. she asked curiously. ¡°teacher, what¡¯s so special about lord richard that he quickly gained your liking?¡± peim looked at windsor with a strange expression. ¡°don¡¯t you know who you¡¯re referring to?¡± it stunned windsor for a moment. ¡°i only mentioned to lord richard that he could get the contract scroll he wants at the red dragon general store¡­ the corner of peim¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°so, that kid said you recommended him at the start. was he just bluffing? ¡°he was bold and black-hearted, as expected of the king who could break out of the 20 billion competitors and occupy the top spot. ¡°this guy¡¯s character was quite similar to mine¡­ promising future. ¡°one needs to discover his other strengths, but the other party is qingqiu.¡± ¡°what did you just say? lord richard is qingqiu?¡± disbelief engulfed her eyes as if she had heard something unacceptable. she praised qingqiu in front of lord richard this morning. the qingqiu she regarded countless praises was actually in front of her. ****** Chapter 492 onyx¡¯s shock was even less than windsor¡¯s. he believed it without reservations when he heard peim say richard was qingqiu. he would be more satisfied if the other party were qingqiu with the magical nature of twilight city. he had a feeling that this was how it should be. !! he was lord richard, the strongest of all the grace mainland overlords. wasn¡¯t that normal? he turned to look at windsor, who was still in a daze, and a sense of honor rose in his heart. even the great lord peim acknowledged lord richard in such a short time. as expected, his eyes were still as good as ever. a complicated look appeared in her eyes when windsor returned to her senses. no wonder rebecca gave the violet manor to him. if the other party were qingqiu, everything would make sense¡­ investing in a grace mainland overlord with unlimited potential was a wise investment. she did not know about richard¡¯s relationship with qingqiu when rebecca decided about this. she could only attribute it to the eldest daughter of the grand duke¡¯s keen eyes. at this moment, rebecca, who had the victory gem in her hands, had already obtained the best benefits. windsor slowly said while she suppressed the subtle emotions in her heart. ¡°teacher, did you give lord richard the mission to explore the temple?¡± peim said disapprovingly. ¡°i¡¯ve already given out quests to dozens of grace mainland overlords. it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s one more or one less¡­¡± windsor¡¯s heart ached a little as she looked at the old man. his personality was the same as always. ¡°teacher, you¡¯ll be fine. i¡¯m sure lord richard will create a miracle¡­ he is qing qiu.¡± thanks to his glorious status, richard¡¯s experience in the two dungeons had spread far and wide. the trust was naturally different from usual after she knew his glorious status. it was not something onyx¡¯s hymn could compare to. memories engulfed peim¡¯s eyes. ¡°i¡¯ve lived long enough¡­ ¡°in the past ten years, countless failures have prepared me for the final outcome.¡± he looked at windsor with anticipation as he spoke. ¡°i¡¯ll leave the crimson moon to you if no one succeeds after three months¡­ ¡°i¡¯ve spent so much time and effort to build this force. and it carries my ultimate dream. i don¡¯t want it to decline just like that.¡± ¡°with your abilities, you could give the crimson moon a new life, windsor. ¡°solan city is still too small. it has confined you. ¡°the whole world is your stage.¡± a mysterious figure in a black cloak slowly appeared behind peim the moment he finished. onyx and windsor¡¯s expressions remained the same. it was like they knew this. the figure hidden under the hood whispered with an unknown meaning. ¡°chairman windsor, it¡¯s not just lord peim¡¯s idea to hand the crimson moon over to you. it¡¯s also the unanimous opinion of the elders. ¡°other than lord peim, only you are qualified to lead the crimson moon.¡± windsor fixed her gaze on them. and she didn¡¯t speak for a long time¡­ ¡ª¡ª a carriage with a noble¡¯s coat of arms headed toward violet manor. when the soldiers patrolling the streets saw the striking coat of arms of the nobles, no matter what they were doing, they would immediately stop and salute with their five fingers clenched to their chest. in the sky, several squadrons of flying horse riders patrolled directly above the carriage. they constantly kept an eye on the movements below. it was all because the carriage belonged to the only son of grand duke solan, chris solan. he was the most distinguished person in solan city. the other party¡¯s movements would always be under the strictest protection at all times. in the carriage, christy looked out the window and mumbled,¡± ¡°jasmine, why do you think rebecca gave the violet manor to the lord of the grace mainland? did she get tricked?¡± the maid at the side shook her head. ¡°your highness, there must be a reason for lady rebecca to do this. i believe something special about that lord of the grace mainland.¡± christy didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°rebecca is the grand duke¡¯s eldest daughter. how can that lord of grace mainland compare to the descendants of the high nobles of the ice empire? i¡¯ve never seen rebecca gift anyone a manor!¡± ¡°this matter is a little strange¡­ i was the one who helped her decorate that manor.¡± the maid didn¡¯t say anything. she couldn¡¯t, even if christy could. the carriage soon arrived at the violet manor. christy rushed in and went straight to the main hall. he turned his head around and didn¡¯t find the lord of grace mainland, so he walked over to rebecca¡¯s side and sat down. he glared at her in dissatisfaction. ¡°why didn¡¯t you come and find me when you returned?!¡± rebecca smiled and reached out to hold her arm. ¡°well. i didn¡¯t make it in time. i had a full day off yesterday, and then i went to the black market with lord richard today¡­¡± it would have been fine if she did not mention richard, but the mention of his name made her furious. ¡°sister windsor said you wanted to give violet manor to the lord of the grace mainland? ¡± rebecca nodded as if it was a matter of course. ¡°yeah.¡± she looked at christy in confusion after she said that. ¡°is there a problem?¡± the other party had even given her a treasure like the victory gem. it was just a manor. how could it compare to the victory gem that could summon the goddess? a sweet smile appeared on her face as she thought about richard¡¯s unhesitating actions. it felt great to be trusted. and it was lord richard¡­ Chapter 493 christy spoke with resentment when she noticed rebecca wouldn¡¯t admit her mistake. ¡°it took me a month to decorate this manor for you, and you gave it away just like that? ¡°did the lord of grace mainland cast a dark spell on you? ¡°this won¡¯t do. come with me to the city lord¡¯s mansion. my father could definitely crack it¡­ !! rebecca didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°i was the one who offered it to lord richard. ¡°magic won¡¯t affect the bloodline of the frostwolf family.¡± her eyes sparkled as she spoke. ¡°besides, giving the manor to lord richard is a profit for me.¡± christy went crazy. ¡°you still profited? i think you¡¯re a fool¡­¡± ¡°he¡¯s just a grace mainland overlord. you shouldn¡¯t be so optimistic about him even if onyx brags about how extraordinary his territory is, right?¡± rebecca was the grand duke¡¯s eldest daughter. how could she treat a grace mainland overlord in such a manner? didn¡¯t she know what kind of person grace mainland was? as long as there were benefits, those guys would eagerly approach her. in the past few months, at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, wanted to get close to her. some even wanted to pursue her¡­ oh my god, this is a nightmare. she didn¡¯t like the grace mainland overlord after all. when rebecca heard this, she realized that christy had misunderstood richard. she retracted her smile and slowly said, ¡°christy, lord richard is not an ordinary lord of grace mainland¡­ he is the most special one.¡± when christy saw that rebecca still stubbornly refused to come to her senses, she said, ¡°you couldn¡¯t mess with me. ¡°the most special? how special could he be? if you¡¯re talking about the lord of grace of qingqiu, it¡¯s still possible. after all, he could ascend to the throne from the competition of 20 billion people. but is richard worth it?¡± just as she finished speaking, rebecca said. ¡°christy, you¡¯re right. so, i¡¯m giving the violet manor to lord richard. is there a problem?¡± christy¡¯s expression froze. christy stared at rebecca in shock. ¡°he, he is qingqiu?! it had only been a month since the last time the 20 billion lord of grace mainland went to carry, although he didn¡¯t like the grace mainland overlord. qingqiu¡¯s name was at its peak. rebecca nodded slowly and was just about to say something. at this moment, klein excitedly entered the house from the side door. due to the angle, he did not see chris. he shouted as he walked. ¡°lady rebecca, i¡¯ve already sent the news of you obtaining the victory gemstone back to the family. the grand duke already knows. his tone became increasingly excited. ¡°praise be to lord richard! the victory gemstone! snow goddess above, you must be watching over us! ¡°my lady, the goddess must have guided us to meet lord richard!¡± he said. ¡°who would¡¯ve thought that such a rare treasure like the victory gemstone would end up in lord richard¡¯s hands!¡± he saw christy after the excitement. he swallowed the words he was about to say and bowed. ¡°good morning, your highness.¡± however, he didn¡¯t feel too strange. christy and rebecca were very close, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for her to know about this. moreover, with grand duke solan¡¯s strength and status, he would not covet a gemstone. christy shot to her feet and looked at rebecca in disbelief. ¡°the victory gemstone? you guys got the victory gemstone that can summon the goddess?¡± rebecca nodded and said casually. ¡°yes, it¡¯s the victory gemstone¡­ lord richard found it by chance and gave it to me this morning.¡± as she said that, she opened her palm, and in the blink of an eye, a gemstone emitted strong magical waves appeared in the air. christy had mixed feelings when she felt the powerful energy. his expression also became very interesting. she had thought that one had tricked rebecca into giving away the only manor in solan city, but now it seemed no one had tricked her. it was a colossal advantage. it was the victory gemstone. it was so precious that words couldn¡¯t describe it. it was especially true for missions above the glorious level. it was because he was lucky enough to meet the goddess of victory. he could go further if he could get a few words of advice or gain some insights. there were records of such information in ancient books. and now, the lord of grace mainland gave a treasure of this level. it caused a strong sense of envy in her eyes ¡­ she also wanted it. she blinked her large eyes and looked at rebecca pitifully. ¡°ahem, rebecca, where¡¯s that lord richard¡­? can you introduce me to him?¡± ****** Chapter 494 richard had nothing to do for the next few days after he returned from the black market. on the way, he went to solan city¡¯s government office and took over violet manor. at this moment, the vast manor in the city center, which covered an area of more than 50 acres, had become his private property. in the future, he will base the chamber of commerce of twilight city here. !! richard, rebecca, and xina took the opportunity to tour the bustling city. he also examined the city¡¯s layout while he visited the city¡¯s scenery and culture, from which he gained a lot of inspiration and a clearer understanding of how to build twilight city. big but not chaotic, big but not messy, big but orderly, this was his summary of solan city. everybody could say that the city¡¯s various plans are perfect. it was worthy of being the most prosperous city in the desert of death. the only difference was that these few days, there was suddenly a graceful and lively figure beside him¡­ christy solan. she was the owner of the city. she was the daughter of the legendary ascetic. she was the current controller of the solan chamber of commerce. to his amusement, this noble girl would come over from time to time to please him and find some random topics to chat about. he even mentioned the victory gemstone a few times in a roundabout way¡­ as for the girl¡¯s thoughts, he could understand them with just a few glances. however, he was starkly uninterested in a girl still in the state of a young girl, so he responded perfunctorily. rebecca ambitioned to become the grand duke of frostwolf, and he was willing to get closer to her and invest in her. this princess christy was just playing with a child, and he had no interest in playing with her. even if she had a terrifying legendary existence behind her. however, it was interesting to note that richard¡¯s nonchalant reaction had stirred up christy¡¯s competitive spirit, as she was used to the divine lords who always chase after her. what right did rebecca have to receive a treasured gift like the victory gemstone? but remain starkly unmoved by her? was she that unattractive? she¡¯s even more eager for richard now. this mentality was very much like children who would compete with each other to see whose toy would be better. rebecca saw that christy pestered richard, so she apologized to richard in private and told her not to take christy too seriously. the family has spoiled her since she was a child. so she was a little naive and stubborn. richard didn¡¯t comment. 2nd of october. in the evening. violet manor, main hall. christy said while she looked for richard with great interest, ¡°lord richard, is there a never-ending sandstorm outside twilight city? where did you get such a treasure?¡± she looked at the other party while they drank tea calmly. she didn¡¯t wait for richard to reply and continued. ¡°also, can you describe the underground world? the next time i go to twilight city, can you bring me to the underworld?¡± ¡°i heard that there¡¯s a black dragon treasure in the underground world. there are spider lairs everywhere. it¡¯ll be interesting¡­¡± the princess continued to seek the support of richard. the chirping sound was as clear as the chirping of birds. although she was talkative, it made people unable to raise negative emotions. richard had gotten used to this blabbermouth after a few days. he said unhappily. ¡°your father allowed you to leave solan city?¡± christy¡¯s face fell. then, he said with hatred. ¡°i¡¯m already level 14! i can make my own decisions when i reach level 15!¡± ¡°then we¡¯ll talk when you¡¯re level 15.¡± ¡°lord richard¡­ you¡¯re so kind.¡± ¡°thank you,¡± he said. ¡°i¡¯m not complimenting you, you bastard.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be rude, your highness.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to talk to me like that!¡± rebecca watched from the side with a smile. it was the first time someone had interacted with christy so casually with her status. richard¡¯s stony attitude made christy happy. she liked the atmosphere. she could feel that richard didn¡¯t see her as his highness¡­ it was a novel concept in the ¡°shining era¡±. they strictly enforce social classes. just as christy chattered away¡­ ¡®tata!¡¯ a series of footsteps came from the door. ¡°lady rebecca, three grace mainland overlords are here to see lord richard.¡± two of them were servants from the manor¡­ one he never saw before.¡± rebecca turned to look at richard. richard¡¯s eyes brightened. could these overlords have information on the soul contract? although he had received the mission from the red dragon general store and the reward was a soul contract, the difficulty of the s-rank mission had exceeded his expectations. before he was fully prepared, he would not go there rashly. he could enslave the grand duke vampire in the blood coffin if he could get a contract before he entered the instance. it would undoubtedly increase his confidence when he entered. he said slowly, ¡°call them in.¡± the guard received the order and turned to leave. christy asked. ¡°lord richard, what did those grace mainland overlords want with you?¡± richard chuckled at the little girl. the other party was a standard curious baby who was interested in everything. ¡°some private matters.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± christy¡¯s big eyes rolled. she suddenly thought of something and asked with interest. ¡°lord richard, did they ask you to go to nightingale street?¡± richard almost spat out the hot tea he had just drunk. nightingale street was the most famous street in solan city. it was famous for its affordable price and outstanding service for female sex workers¡­ it had always been a place where people often went. he looked at the daughter of the glorious master in a bad mood. ¡°what¡¯s in your head?¡± Chapter 495 christy said, ¡°but, my men said that 70% of the people will go to nightingale street when the lord of grace mainland comes to solan city.¡± she looked at him curiously. ¡°lord richard, why don¡¯t you take me there tonight? they won¡¯t let me play¡­ i am curious about what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure your father will wipe out the entire twilight city if he finds out i¡¯ve taken you to a brothel¡­ ¡°don¡¯t even think about it. go back and sleep early tonight. you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere.¡± the two continued to chat. the two players, boss and third brother, quickly approached the hall with a bald player ¡°brother knight¡±. the bald man said in a low voice as he looked at the elegant decorations in the violet manor. ¡°boss li, did the eldest daughter of grand duke frstwolf give this manor to that player?¡± envy engulfed his eyes. ¡°f*ck! how many resources would it take to buy this manor? ¡°how high must the players¡¯ status be to give it away so easily? the boss laughed. ¡°you¡¯ll know when you see that big shot.¡± ¡°i wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡± third brother mumbled. ¡°it¡¯s a pity i didn¡¯t get any news about the soul scroll this time. otherwise¡­ i would¡¯ve obtained those two 3-star treasures¡­¡± the bald man said slowly, ¡°didn¡¯t he say that we can tell him about other things? our news is not worse than the news about the soul scroll¡­¡± ¡°i hope so¡­¡± the three looked at the hall and felt a little strange. they were both players, and now, they had what the other party needed, but they still had to visit. it vividly reflected the status of the two sides. he suppressed the emotions in his heart and stepped into the hall. richard sat in the main seat while the bald man looked at him. he was shocked when he opened the attribute panel and confirmed the other party¡¯s identity as a player. ¡°what was going on? this player¡­ did he sit in the main seat?¡± out of the corner of his eye, he looked to his left and right. it was the first time he had seen the eldest daughter of grand duke frostwolf, but the noble¡¯s coat of arms on her clothes revealed her identity. he continued to read. his pupils suddenly shrank. ¡®her royal highness christy? ¡®the city lord¡¯s daughter is also here?¡¯ ¡®the grand duke¡¯s eldest daughter and the daughter of a glorious master could only sit on the left and right, but not on the main seat with their status? ¡®what was the identity of this player¡­? that was sparingly exaggerated.¡¯ the ¡°shining era¡± was set in a medieval feudal society, and all rules were deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts. it was almost impossible to see people who didn¡¯t sit according to their status. the bald man didn¡¯t know what was going on. the two girls were more straightforward, and after a few days of getting to know each other, neither cared about the primary or secondary seats. richard just sat there casually. he did not expect that this unintentional move would shock the bald man. the two players, boss and third brother, saluted rebecca and richard. they stared at him with envy. big boss, as expected of a big boss, with two noble girls who accompanied him, this life was simply amazing¡­ richard cut to the chase. ¡°boss, third brother, have you heard any news about the soul scroll?¡± boss shook his head. ¡°qingqiu boss, although we have sent players to search for them, we have not received any feedback.¡± rebecca and christy did not react to the word ¡®player¡¯. the natives already knew how the grace mainland overlords addressed each other. at first, they were interested in hearing about it, but it is now the usual thing. ¡°a soul scroll is used to contact level-15 and above is too precious¡­ we¡¯ve heard of a treasure that can contract heroes below level 5.¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°level 5 and below¡­ so the first one was gone. ¡°conquering a level 5 hero required a contract scroll? ¡°then, do you have any other news for coming here this time?¡± it immediately perked boss up when he heard this. ¡°of course, there is ¡­¡± he looked at the bald man. ¡°brother knight, say something!¡± only then did the bald man wake up. he fixed his eyes on richard. the emotions in his heart were like a raging sea. ¡®qingqiu! ¡®f*ck!!! ¡®this big boss is ultimately qingqiu!¡¯ before he came, he was still a little suspicious of whether the two guys fooled him. but his doubts disappeared when he heard the id qingqiu. ¡°this is qingqiu!¡± ¡®the only daughter of a glorious master and the eldest daughter of grand duke frostwolf could sit in the second place¡­ the qingqiu bosses were indeed powerful!¡¯ boss and third brother, these two fools, strived to reach this big boss. goddess xin yun must have stepped on their heads! he immediately said with high spirits, ¡°boss qingqiu, i opened a small bar on 12th street in the southern city. there are a lot of people inside. ¡°yesterday, while i tried to find out more about the soul scroll, i accidentally found a special piece of information. i thought you might be interested, so i paid a visit.¡± richard nodded. ¡°tell me.¡± the bald man looked at the two girls hesitantly and stammered. richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°don¡¯t worry. christy and rebecca are my friends. i can trust them.¡± his words made the two girls¡¯ eyes sparkle. the bald man immediately gave a thumbs-up. he didn¡¯t waste time and said, ¡°those people are going to nightingale street to provide support¡­ ahem, while discussing the truth of life, i completed a¡­ en, it¡¯s just a special mission that¡¯s hard to describe. in the end, i obtained an instance dungeon key.¡± christy looked at him with excitement before richard could say anything. she blinked her eyes as if she wanted to say, ¡°right? i told you, grace mainland overlords like to go to nightingale street.¡± richard didn¡¯t know what to say. he looked away from the girl and stared at the bald man. ¡°what¡¯s so special about that instance dungeon?¡± the bald man said excitedly, ¡°that is a faction instance dungeon. ten factions compete with each other. ¡°each faction can have five players. ¡°the final winner will receive a camp treasure.¡± it stirred richard¡¯s interest. ¡°a treasure of a faction?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, a camp treasure! i¡¯ve seen the attributes posted by other players on the forum before, and they fit the faction perfectly. they can also choose whether they want strategic equipment or resource equipment. ¡°the player who posted the stats is an elf. he obtained a golden tree of life that can summon a level 12 newborn gold elf with a potential of two stars. it¡¯s massively ferocious. ¡°boss qingqiu, we are all from the desert camp. we can get a golden pyramid and recruit golden mummies¡­ he became increasingly excited as he spoke. ¡°this pocket dimension is like an atm for you.¡± in the eyes of the bald man, qingqiu was the golden signboard. the glorious feat of one against three hundred in the death arena fighting ring was still fresh in his mind. this race dungeon would be a piece of cake with this big shot around! it increasingly piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°when will the instance dungeon open? what are the restrictions?¡± ¡°you can register for the instance dungeon in advance. the instance dungeon will open once the players have filled all the slots.¡± ¡°how many people do you have already?¡± ¡°me, boss, third brother, the player who got the instance dungeon, and you. that¡¯s five.¡± ¡°call the player who obtained the instance dungeon over. i will agree to this matter if i find no major discrepancies.¡± ¡°alright! we¡¯ll go now!¡± the three immediately turned around and left the room. richard felt sparingly emotional while he looked at these players¡¯ backs. he finally felt he would look for a party to clear a dungeon. a system notification suddenly rang in their ears before the three players could step out of the door. [ding~ information sheet¨Ccrimson moon will open on the 28th of december.] [the crimson moon will rise from the earth, and the gods will fall into fear.] [the pattern of the primary plane at that time will undergo enormous changes.] [please, lords, prepare for the rise of the crimson moon.] the notification startled richard. ¡°information sheet? ¡°crimson moon?¡± ****** Chapter 496 richard could not help but ponder as he looked at the system notification. he didn¡¯t expect the system to update the information sheet. and the description was so exaggerated. to make the gods fear¡­ !! ¡®what was this crimson moon? ¡®was it an anti-gods force? some mysterious ancient ruins? or was it some kind of soul-exploding profession?¡¯ unfortunately, the short hint gave too little information, and he couldn¡¯t find out more. he opened the player forum while he pondered. news flooded the forum already at this moment. [f*ck, what¡¯s this crimson moon? why did it look so cool? do you have a 20-centimeter sculpture?] [guys, why do i have a bad feeling? i¡¯m a believer in the sun god¡­ don¡¯t tell me they want to take our lives?] [brothers, we will rise tomorrow! new information always meant new opportunities! rise!] inquisitive thoughts shrouded the forum. most players talked nonsense out of boredom and had no other information. richard opened the message. he was sparingly disappointed. he sent a message to [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] quickly replied. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, i was just about to look for you¡­ you want to ask about the information sheets, right?] [my sister has only heard of this information film. she has not personally participated in it¡­] [the general situation is that a group of powerful existences who are not afraid of gods intend to use gods as research subjects to obtain more powerful strength.] [they will attack the faith of the gods in the primary plane.] [the gods use believers as their foundation. they will fall once there are no more believers.] [the beginning of this information film seems to be the fall of a god. as for the end, i don¡¯t know.] richard read the message. he was surprised. ¡®good lord, are you going to play this big this time? ¡®what kind of impact would the aftermath have on the fall of god as the beginning? the crimson moon was also ferocious. it was simply heaven-defying to use gods as research subjects. the world was big, and there were various ruthless people, as expected. richard pondered on how twilight city would deal with the upcoming turmoil. richard replied after he pondered. [qingqiu: is there any other important information?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: my sister suggests that there must be several ruthless people in the crimson moon to make such a big move.] [there¡¯s a high chance that we¡¯ll get several benefits if we could enter the early stages. but it won¡¯t be so good in the later stages.] [the gods are, after all, the masters of this world.] richard agreed. a single crisis could not destroy the gods. then the master of this world was too weak. however, the waves of this would not be small. richard didn¡¯t get additional information after a chat with [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. he opened [steamed bun lover¡¯s] message and asked about the vampire¡¯s castle. [steamed bun lover replied even faster than [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, i have already investigated the vampire¡¯s castle.] [there¡¯s a 5000-strong vampire troop in that castle.] [the average level is around 10.] [a level-18 vampire, marquis led it. and it¡¯s supremely soul-crushing.] [but the castle¡¯s defense is tight. it is difficult to attack from the outside.] richard said, deep in thought. ¡®their strength was not inferior to the orcs we exterminated before.¡¯ he had to find time to go there. it was an ancient castle with a blood coffin, so there was a high chance that there would be other good things. [qingqiu: continue to investigate and report any new information.] [also, you¡¯ve done well. i¡¯ll reward you with a special treasure.] richard sent the frostwolf clan¡¯s token that rebecca gave him to the other party by email. it was a gift from rebecca, who had heard he had a friend near the ice empire. he could obtain the frostwolf family¡¯s help with this token. fortunately, the item wasn¡¯t worth much, and he only spent 300 rare resources as a handling fee. the bun lover was quite surprised after he received it. [steamed bun lover: boss qingqiu, the higher-ups said this is a token from the frostwolf clan. could it be the grand duke¡¯s clan of the ice snow empire?] [qingqiu: that¡¯s right.] [you¡¯re awesome big brother! you can even establish friendships with the grand duke¡¯s family of the ice empire in the desert¡­] [in the future, when you go to a city in the ice empire to handle some matters, just take this token to the frostwolf clan¡¯s base.] [steamed bun lover: alright!] the bun lover was quite excited. he rejoiced at the fact that he had hugged qingqiu¡¯s thigh tightly. any bit of oil or water the other party would leak out would be enough for him to fill his stomach. richard didn¡¯t say anything more and closed the message. the crimson moon that affected his mind would only open on the 28th of december. there were still two months of buffer time, so it wasn¡¯t urgent. ¡°lord richard? what are you thinking about?¡± christy looked at him with a pout. ¡°i¡¯ve called you so many times¡­¡± richard snapped back to his senses and glared at the talkative girl. ¡°what is it?¡± christy glared at him. ¡°lord richard, why are you speaking to me in such a fierce tone? ¡°do you have any objections?¡± ¡°yes, and it¡¯s gigantic!¡± ¡°hold it in, don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°you¡¯re a bully! i¡¯ll mention it, i¡¯ll mention it!¡± rebecca smiled when she saw that richard had diverted christy¡¯s attention with just a few words. she felt that it was interesting for the two to sit together. after a while, christy suddenly remembered what she wanted to say. he looked at richard with great interest. ¡°lord richard, please take me to nightingale street¡­ since your grace mainland overlord likes it so much, i¡¯d like to go and look.¡± richard didn¡¯t know what to say to this curious child. a little girl couldn¡¯t forget about the brothel¡­ ¡°what was there to be curious about?¡± ¡°please stay away from me, your highness.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a little disgusted with you.¡± ¡°lord richard! you bastard!¡± ¡°don¡¯t say vulgarities!¡± ¡°ah ah ah ah, i¡¯m so angry!!¡± the three players returned while they talked and laughed. this time, a tall orc player was behind them. it had a lion¡¯s head, and its sideburns were majestic. it looked rather majestic. although he didn¡¯t have the handsomeness of a human, he still had the wildness of a beast. some noble ladies who liked heavy tastes would be fond of this type. ¡°boss qingqiu, this is the player who obtained the camp dungeon¨Chyena.¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. at least it had the head of a lion. it could be called a hyena¡­ hyena stepped forward. it looked at richard with excitement. ¡°boss qingqiu, i didn¡¯t expect to form a party with you to enter a dungeon! ¡°it¡¯s true fate.¡± hyena was a little resistant to joining a random person before they came. he immediately became very willing when he heard that the other party was qingqiu. it was qingqiu, the big boss of the big bosses., how much good would he have to do to get on his good side? richard nodded. ¡°they told you before you came, right? i need to see the token for that instance dungeon.¡± ¡°i told you, it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll take it out immediately.¡± he immediately took a round chess piece from the system space as he spoke. the word ¡°soldier¡± was engraved on it. richard accepted it. he opened the system panel. [chess piece-soldier] [sequence: 7] [level: 3-stars] [special characteristic: the holder can open the dungeon of the particular camp and compete with players from other camps. the final winner will receive a generous reward.] [current camp: desert] [number of participants: 5] [number of registered people: 4] [total number of factions: 10] [total number of registered players: 43] [the faction dungeon will start when the registration has reached 50.] [description: in ancient times, the gods created this treasure to resolve disputes. each god will send a group of believers into it. whoever¡¯s believer wins the final victory will have to accept defeat.] richard nodded. that¡¯s right. the players did not hide anything. he was not in a hurry to return it to the other party. he continued to open the black gold system and glanced. there was a more detailed introduction to it, as expected. [discovered instance-life and death game.] [instance dungeon level: 3-stars] [unit type average strength: glorious] [hero unit: yes] [a boss-free unit] [highest level unit: 35] [faction: 10 desert, sanctuary, fortress, elf¡­] [prompt: unable to level up the dungeon.] richard gasped. ¡®this is too f*cking exaggerated¡­ the highest level unit is at 35. ¡®f*ck! a god on this instance dungeon?¡¯ richard looked at the descriptions and thought about it¡­ it was a treasure the gods created to resolve disputes. that meant it wasn¡¯t a god who participated but a paragon of this level who might be watching. he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. why would he even bother playing with a hammer if he had to face a level 35 existence? twilight city could not deal with level 20 players, but level 35¡­ he was not a weakling even among gods. he returned the chess piece to the other party. ¡°sure, count me in.¡± when they received confirmation and a reply, smiles immediately appeared on their faces. they looked at each other and saw the excitement on each other¡¯s faces. this wave was stable with such a big shot to lead the way! it tempted christy. she didn¡¯t care that there were other players present and hurriedly said. ¡°lord richard, are you going to explore the ancient ruins?¡± her eyes were bright and full of yearning. she would not lack any treasures knowing her status. she naturally didn¡¯t have the chance to explore the ancient ruins shrouded with legendary colors. richard chuckled. ¡°more or less.¡± richard squinted his eyes as he spoke and rejected the other party¡¯s request before she could even open her mouth. ¡°don¡¯t even think about it. wait until you¡¯re level 15 and can leave solan city.¡± christy felt wronged. ¡°you¡¯re only level 13, so why can you go?¡± then she rolled her eyes and said, ¡°fine. now, can you promise to take me to nightingale street?¡± she took richard¡¯s arm and wrapped it around her. ¡°please, lord richard, i beg you, please take me there¡­¡± the scene widened the players¡¯ eyes in shock. ¡®holy shit, that¡¯s castellan solan christy, the daughter of a glorious master. ¡®now, she was begging qing qiu to bring her to nightingale street?¡¯ he looked at richard with a complicated expression. beast, you can even do this¡­ Chapter 497 5th of october. they erected a brand new signboard in front of the violet manor. it was wrapped in a red silk cloth and looked very festive. on the vast signboard, the words ¡°violet chamber of commerce¡± were engraved in the common language of the continent. !! at the same time, they enchanted the signboard with writing magic. regardless of whether one knew how to read, as long as one saw a few enormous words on it, one could understand the meaning. the development of magic had made it easy for this world with countless races to communicate with each other. as a result, most of the races retained their own culture. only the common language of the continent, the original language left by the god of creation, was used by all races. richard was in a good mood as he looked at the brand-new signboard. he had initially planned to name it twilight city chamber of commerce, but he felt that it lacked the vigor to thrive after he thought about it, he found the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce more open and lively. they officially established the twilight city chamber of commerce in solan city after they erected the signboard. however, it was only an empty shelf for now. richard doesn¡¯t have anyone yet to manage. ¡°congratulations, lord richard. it is a new beginning.¡± it won¡¯t be long before the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce becomes the most famous chamber of commerce in the desert of death with the support of twilight city. rebecca looked at richard while they stood under the giant signboard. her eyes burned. she was the one who suggested the name of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce, and she did not expect richard to accept it so readily. of course, what pleased her the most was that they could carry out future transactions between the two sides in solan city. she would no longer need to send people into the desert of death with the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. the harsh environment of the desert had left a deep psychological shadow in her heart. ¡°next, i should consider how to build the framework of the chamber of commerce.¡± his gaze was apologetic as he spoke. ¡°the frostwolf family doesn¡¯t have much of a foundation in solan city. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard for them to help you in this aspect.¡± richard turned back to look at the girl with the perfect face and determined eyes. ¡°miss rebecca, you¡¯ve already helped me a lot. the violet manor is very expensive.¡± rebecca¡¯s tone was light. ¡°it¡¯s nothing compared to your excellency¡¯s victory gemstone¡­¡± the two looked at each other and suddenly smiled. they had established a unique tacit understanding after they got along this time. ¡°lord richard, christy could help you with the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce framework. ¡°although we have not established the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce for a long time, it has the full support of solan city.¡± ¡°even chairman windsor¡¯s phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce might not be as potent as the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce in some aspects. richard nodded. he looked around but didn¡¯t see the little girl. she had not come to the violet mercantile chamber of commerce this morning. as he mumbled, a luxurious carriage embroidered with a special noble¡¯s coat of arms turned around the corner. herod. the sound of horse hooves was crisp and clear. twelve pure white high-quality war horses snorted a few times and slowly stopped in the open space in front of the manor. the maidservant opened the door, and an elegant voice stepped out of the car. a voice rang out before he even got close. ¡°yeah, the signboard is hung up? lord richard, why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡± christy mumbled and approached, her eyes wide with dissatisfaction while richard stared at the dark circles under her eyes. ¡°we agreed on this yesterday¡­¡± her presence annoyed richard. he asked, ¡°what time is it now?¡± christy took out the dwarf-made clock in a daze. her eyes immediately rolled around after a glance. finally, she said pitifully. ¡°i woke up late! sorry! i won¡¯t do it again!¡± richard looked at the little girl who acted cute and did not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°alright, go in. it¡¯s just hanging a signboard. it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± what¡¯s more important is the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce framework. christy seemed to have thought of something, and a smile appeared on her face again. he looked at richard with a smug smile. ¡°lord richard, the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce is a major event. as your friend, i have a gift for you.¡± she retrieved a pitch-black longsword from her space ring as she spoke. it was a violet orchid-decorated scabbard. although it didn¡¯t match well with the sword, the other party had put in a lot of effort. christy handed the sword to richard and pretended not to care. ¡°i spent a little time in the warehouse yesterday and found this gift that suits you¡­¡± richard took the sword, and it warmed his heart at the sight of the violet orchid. this little girl must have decorated herself to be so ugly. he revealed a smile on his face. ¡®thank you for the gift, christy. i like it very much.¡± christy¡¯s eyes turned into crescents, and she held her head high. it was like a teacher had praised a child. the joy in her heart was beyond words. richard chuckled and pinched her cheeks, laughing at the girl¡¯s protest. the group entered the manor after a while. only then did richard have the time to check the black sword¡¯s attributes. [mourning sword] [level: 5 stars] [special property: 1. can summon a mourning guard one level lower than the user. the number is limited to one squadron. one can summon a guard that died the following day.] 2. after killing the enemy, you can directly resurrect the enemy¡¯s corpse and make them obey your orders. the number of resurrected corpses cannot exceed three squadrons. the strength of the resurrected corpses depends on the enemy. the damage to the corpse can not exceed 70% when resurrected. one cannot resurrect heroic units. Chapter 498 3. after killing an enemy, the user can extract the enemy¡¯s soul and imprison it on the sword. when attacking, it will emit a roar of hatred into the enemy¡¯s mind. 4. vengeful spirit¡¯s fury slash. it can release the vengeful energy trapped in the long sword in one go and attack the enemy¡¯s soul. [description: a long sword made by a powerful evil sorcerer. evil power engulfed the sword.] [5-stars treasure¡­] !! richard blinked. he turned his head and looked deeply at christy while she stuffed a piece of dessert into her mouth. this little girl was indeed a wealthy lady. each of the four characteristics of the mourning sword was stronger than the last, and there was no trash. with this sword, one person could form a troop. even among the 5-stars treasures, it was ultimately one of the best. he touched the longsword and suddenly thought of something. if other players knew they could get a 5-stars treasure with ridiculous attributes from an npc for free, would their eyes turn red with envy? he didn¡¯t get along with christy for any benefit. he got a generous gift from her instead. it was amazing. he set aside the mourning sword, looked at christy, and whispered. they had just established the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce, and there was a vast shortage of workers. ¡°christy, do you have any good ways to get people proficient in business?¡± as she chewed on the snack, christy grunted and swallowed the snack. she sipped the tea and mumbled, ¡°i¡¯m eating, lord richard!¡± ¡°what did you just say?¡± rebecca found them funny. she repeated richard¡¯s words. ¡°does the solan chamber of commerce have the resources for this?¡± christy said softly, ¡°last month, we caught a group of silver gnomes and are still locked up in the dungeon¡­ lord richard, do you suggest the gnomes?¡± ¡°silver goblin?¡± richard was unfamiliar with the term. the desert gnomes still helped him raise the fire dragon rabbit¡­ ¡°they¡¯re proficient in trade?¡± rebecca explained due to his lack of general knowledge¡­ ¡°the silver gnomes are the higher race of the gnomes. they have extraordinary intelligence and are very passionate about trade, which makes every silver gnome the best merchant. richard was interested. ¡°one could have purchased such a valuable race. why is it so difficult to subdue after being locked up for a few months?¡± rebecca¡¯s expression was sparingly strange. ¡°no, on the contrary, they are easy to subdue. it¡¯s just that the silver gnomes are greedy by nature, and it¡¯s intensely arduous to manage them. ¡°their greed is equal to their business talent.¡± ¡°that¡¯s why very few chambers of commerce would use such greedy gnomes.¡± richard was startled. gnomes are something. however, this also piqued his interest. the desert gnomes had given him a big surprise back then. he wondered if these silver gnomes would be the same. ¡°christy, please get someone to bring those silver gnomes here.¡± christy nodded and waved at the maid, who left the hall immediately. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce was only an empty shell now, so he was not afraid of using those greedy guys. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to make adjustments after they completed the chamber of commerce. a series of footsteps came from afar while they chatted. a moment later, onyx, who seemed six months pregnant, rushed in. ¡°good day! your highness christy, lady rebecca, and lord richard.¡± after the bow, onyx wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at richard apologetically. chairman windsor congratulated the establishment of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. but she had urgent matters to attend to and left solan city with teacher peim this morning. ¡°after i sent the president out of the city, i left and rushed over. the president specifically asked me to come and apologize to you. ¡°i¡¯ll personally apologize to you the next time i return.¡± the news of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce¡¯s opening had notified the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce a few days ago. with the current relationship between the two parties, it was inevitable that they would attend. richard didn¡¯t mind. for such a large chamber of commerce, it was usual for them to deal with vital promotion matters. he was curious when chairman windsor left with teacher peim. he thought of the alive and kicking old man without a heart. he felt a little strange with the s-rank mission. windsor¡¯s interface was the boss¡¯s. that graceful and luxurious ruler was not a simple person to be able to become the student of the boss who killed the ancient red dragon. ¡®did they try to explore the temple in the city?¡¯ ¡°onyx, there¡¯s no need to be so formal. we¡¯re all friends. there¡¯s no outsider here.¡± richard recollected his thoughts and smiled. ¡°you¡¯re just in time. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce needs to recruit talents who are proficient in business. christy recommended me to the silver gnomes. ¡°i¡¯m worried that those greedy races will make mistakes. does the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce have any resources in this area?¡± it felt different to play with connections. one could find channels to make it up if one lacked something. although it was richard¡¯s first time leaving the desert of death, he had already established a good relationship with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, the frostwolf family, and christy. behind all of these were ultimate powers. unknowingly, he could say he is rich now with his network and resources. he could immediately do things that other players didn¡¯t even dare to think about as long as he used it. onyx nodded, deep in thought. ¡°there¡¯s no need to elaborate on the abilities of the silver gnomes. but their greedy and vile characters are also a problem¡­¡± as he said that, he seemed to have thought of something and was rather excited. ¡°lord richard, what a coincidence! we got a special slave a few days ago. ¡°we purchased the half-feathered people. ¡°this race has the special ability to discern lies. ¡°if you used these half-feathered people as supervisors, it may be possible to curb the greed of the silver goblins to the greatest extent.¡± his words lit richard¡¯s eyes up. greed should not be a problem. it¡¯s the instinct of intelligent life and cannot be avoided. the main problem is that there must be sufficient oversight. richard initially thought about how to curb the greed of the silver goblins, but he didn¡¯t expect that just as he dozed off, onyx brought the pillow directly. ¡°onyx, please bring the half-hearted people with you.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard felt sparingly emotional while he glanced at onyx¡¯s back. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce is the window to the foreign trade of twilight city. he has to get the framework right and run it the quickest as possible. he can only upgrade two glorious-level troop lairs to rare ones with hundreds of millions of units of ordinary resources in his hands. twilight city¡¯s thirst for resources is intense. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce carried the vital task of earning for twilight city. significance. ****** Chapter 499 an hour later, the maidservant reported that the silver goblins and half-feathered hybrids had arrived. richard got up and left the hall in high spirits. in front of the hall was a clear grass field. about 50 goblins with silver skin looked around timidly. !! these guys were about 1.3 meters tall on average, and their faces were savagely ugly. those who were weak in mental endurance would probably have nightmares just by looking at them. from the outside, other than the slight difference in skin color, they were not much different from desert gnomes. more than 20 half-feathered chained hybrids stood beside the gnomes. they had short wings on their backs that prevented them from flying. [silver goblin] [level: 7] [skills: 1. negotiation c-rank ¡ª increases the success rate when negotiating with outsiders.] [2. inquiry c-rank ¡ª you can find the other party¡¯s base price to the greatest extent when conducting business.] [3. discover business opportunities c-rank ¡ª easier to discover business opportunities and able to grasp them accurately.] [4. information gathering c-rank ¡ª extremely sensitive to all kinds of business information, able to quickly gather the business information you want.] [5. persuasion c-rank ¡ª increases the persuasiveness of the tone, making it easier for the other party to believe your words.] [6. intimidation and deception c-rank ¡ª additional credibility will increase when intimidating and deceiving the target.] [race talent: fanatical greed, a desire for wealth beyond imagination, will never stop earning wealth.] [fetter-traveling merchant: when the number of people exceeds ten, the efficiency of dealing with business affairs will increase by 10%. when the number exceeds 20, the efficiency of dealing with business affairs will increase by 20%. more than 50 people, business skills increased by 30% for more than 50 people.] [description: silver gnomes are natural merchants. their thirst for wealth gives them an extraordinary sense of how to make wealth grow.] the goblin¡¯s stat amazed richard after he glanced at them. the world was full of wonders. all his skills and characteristics were related to business. it was no wonder rebecca and christy held him in such high regard. however, their race¡¯s innate talent was also quite f*cked up. endless wealth¡­ he felt that these gnomes would be willing to risk their lives for a gold coin. not even dragons were this greedy. he ignored the silver goblin and turned his attention to the half-feathered hybrids. the half-feathered hybrids were a supremely potent race in the ¡°shining era¡±¨C a hybrid of feathered beings and humans. the feathered hybrids looked 70% like angels and lived in the city in the sky. they possessed great power. these half-feathered were far inferior to their ancestors. not only did their wings degenerate, but they were also unable to fly. their strength was also supremely inferior. their average level was only one level higher than the gnomes. [half-feathered hybrid] [level: 8] [skills: strong body, nimbleness, master of archery] [race talent: the word of truth. after their questions, they can immediately tell whether the answers are truths or lies as long as the interviewees answer.] [description: a life with the bloodline of the feathered men, but only inherited one-tenth of their power.] the skills were all ordinary and there was nothing special about them. only his race talent caught richard¡¯s eye. the words of truth. it was sparingly amazing. this talent would work perfectly in business. richard said while he rubbed his chin. it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to support the empty violet merchantile association chamber of commerce if these two races worked together. he only needed to arrange for a few high-level members of the chamber of commerce with silver gnomes to lead the overall situation. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce would soon open for business, so there was no need for a complicated structure. ¡°let¡¯s focus on the initial stage first.¡± ¡°christy, i¡¯ll take all these silver gnomes. how much is it?¡± christy waved her hand when she heard this. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ll give you these silver goblins as a gift¡­ they¡¯re not worth much. these guys eat and drink in the dungeon to waste food.¡± richard looked at these ugly guys with disdain as she said that. the silver gnomes were talented, but not many natives liked to use these greedy races. to the great nobles, although top human merchants were not abundant, they were not afraid of not being able to find suitable talents. richard smiled and accepted the offer without hesitation. this wealthy little lady, the entire solan city, was her family¡¯s territory. onyx saw richard¡¯s gaze and spoke first. ¡°sir richard, since the half-feathered hybrids suit you, please accept them as a gift for the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce.¡± richard thanked him and walked to the silver goblin and the half-feathered hybrids. he stared at everyone with an imposing gaze. before he could speak. the yellow sand on his body glowed. at that moment. the world changed its color. it was as if a sandstorm had risen in front of them. the billowing sand wave devoured everything. a terrifying pressure smashed into his heart. the silver goblin and the half-feathered hybrids felt their bodies go soft. they could not resist, unable to resist¡­ the silver goblin was the first to give in. his legs gave way and knelt on the ground. he lowered his head to the ground and kneeled in front of richard. immeasurable fear engulfed his trembling voice. ¡°lord¡­ we¡¯re willing to be your slaves¡­ ¡°i beg you to spare our lowly lives¡­¡± richard continued to observe. the gnomes had never been a race that would rather die than surrender. richard must not have heard him and continued to press down with his intimidating aura. the half-feathered hybrids struggled to hold on and didn¡¯t even last a minute before they followed in the goblin¡¯s footsteps. Chapter 500 they fell to the ground one by one with fear in their eyes. he no longer had that unruly attitude. ¡°i hereby declare that you are my slaves as the ruler of twilight city. do you choose to submit or die?¡± ¡°submit! the great lord! we are willing to submit!¡± !! the silver goblin almost shouted. these greedy guys were starkly scared out of their wits. the leader of the half-feathered hybrids kneeled at the very front and was much stronger than the other hybrids. he produced an extremely hoarse sound. ¡°the ruler of twilight city, the long wind feather race, would willingly listen to your orders.¡± strength was the best pass in this world. richard¡¯s unbridled aura kept them from feeling any dissatisfaction. they searched for refuge with the strong was the rule of survival in the ¡°shining era¡±. moreover, the temperament of a leader filled the other party, which made them appear to have little resistance. [ding~ silver gnomes (number: 52) are willing to pledge their allegiance to you, do you accept?] [ding ~ half-feathered hybrids (number: 20) are willing to pledge their allegiance to you, do you accept?] the system notification came as promised. richard released the pressure after he confirmed the selection. ¡°go to the backyard to change clothes and clean up your wounds. ¡°the leaders of the two races will come to the hall to find me afterward.¡± as he spoke, he waved his hand and asked the servants to take them to the backyard. after richard spoke, he noticed the sparkle in the two girls¡¯ eyes. they looked at him indifferently. the sight of the two girls who stared at him bewildered him. he pinched christy¡¯s face and smiled. ¡°what¡¯s with the look in your eyes?¡± surprisingly, christy didn¡¯t struggle. she still looked at richard with a strange expression. ¡°lord richard¡­ you, you have a halo?¡± his eyes suddenly burned when he said the word ¡°halo.¡± it momentarily stunned richard, then suddenly remembered that in the ¡°shining era¡±, only high-level beings could have aura skills. the dragons, angels, and demons are a few examples. ordinary races couldn¡¯t possess halos. it was the power hidden in their bloodline. how could ordinary humans have such a powerful bloodline? even the most famous long-lived race, the elves, didn¡¯t have halos. in the first instance dungeon, the boss of the scarlet council had used him as a vessel to replace the dragon blood in the princess of the holy church. he had absorbed a large amount of dragon blood to obtain it. ¡°it was a coincidence.¡± richard shrugged. rebecca couldn¡¯t help but sigh in amazement. ¡°it¡¯s unbelievable. even my father, a glorious master, doesn¡¯t have an aura skill¡­ ¡°lord richard, you must have been blessed by the gods!¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°this is my reward for completing an s-rank mission. what does it have to do with the gods?¡± christy said excitedly. ¡°no one would believe you. you¡¯re only level 13, but you already have an aura skill¡­¡± ¡°no wonder you¡¯re the strongest among the grace mainland overlords, lord richard. your talent is amazing!¡± ¡°are you interested in changing your profession to an ascetic? my father doesn¡¯t have any students yet¡­¡± there is no end to the little girl¡¯s broken mouth. she has asked richard to go to the city lord¡¯s mansion with her to meet the legendary ascetic monk. richard could not laugh or cry. he squeezed the other person¡¯s face a few times before changing the subject. ascetic monks gave all weapons and armor. they only cultivated their bodies and even gave up pleasure to sharpen themselves. even if this profession has reached the legend, what¡¯s the point? moreover, he is the master of the desert. glorious level. a super a-rank skill is no less than anyone. christy pouted and hugged richard like a koala when she noticed that he didn¡¯t move. she coquettishly asked him to tell her how to get the aura as she pulled her arms into her arms. the cute scene made the maids next to her sparingly funny. and rebecca couldn¡¯t bear to look outrightly. richard felt the touch of christy¡¯s sharp corners and laughed dumbly. ultimately, he promised to help her get the halo next time. the little girl was satisfied. ****** Chapter 501 the higher-ups of the silver gnomes and the half-feathered hybrids came to the main hall with some apprehension after they washed and changed into clean clothes. twelve had come out of the 52 silver gnomes, while only one of the half-feathered hybrids. ¡°great lord!¡± the silver goblin knelt on the ground without any bottom line and saluted most humbly. !! the half-feathered hybrid looked at these bastards speechlessly. it also required the inner scroll. he took a deep breath, adjusted his mind, and knelt on one knee. he said in a deep voice. ¡°tork, salute you, my lord.¡± richard looked at the two races with distinct personality differences and smiled. he waved them off and told them about the reason for the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce and the arrangements he had made for them. he finally said. ¡°the silver gnomes have a strong talent for business. i will give you the highest authority and fully utilize your business talent. ¡°the half-feathered hybrids will become members of the supervisory department of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. they will be in charge of monitoring the operations of the chamber of commerce. they will question the silver gnomes and weekly report directly to me.¡± the silver goblin and the half-feathered hybrids were pleasantly surprised. richard had already revealed what he wanted them to do in their previous conversation. the plan undoubtedly needed to be carried into practice. other things aside, at least for now, guaranteed their safety. the silver gnomes could not commit crimes with their greedy nature. however, with the half-feathered hybrids to supervise them from the side and their special talents, they could resolve problems immediately. the chamber of commerce had a long development history in the ¡°shining era¡±. so it had long developed a mature system. he didn¡¯t need to redesign it. as long as he recruited enough talents, it would operate according to the corresponding rules. however, after the simple arrangements, there was still a problem that they had to solve. who would manage the chamber of commerce? at the current stage, the silver gnomes and half-feathered hybrids could only become staff, not managers. it required richard to ponder. he turned to look at christy and onyx. then he shook his head. it was reasonable for the lower-level members to ask them for people, but the higher-ups of the chamber of commerce had to be their people. otherwise, what was the point of starting this chamber of commerce? he turned his head and looked at xina after he pondered. he called the lady warrior over and whispered a few words in her ear. then, he passed her the card that stored the troop lairs. xina immediately turned around and went out after she took the card. she ordered the servants out of the city. on the evening of the second day. only then did xina hurriedly return. however, this time, a delicate and pretty figure stood beside her, unlike when she left alone. it piqued richard¡¯s interest when he saw him. he had asked hina to return to twilight city so butler karu could find a few qualified talents to manage the chamber of commerce. richard didn¡¯t think butler karu to recommend vale. ¡°my lord, vale greets you.¡± the delicate voice bowed with a hand on his chest, his eyes full of respect. attackers could have buried him in the desert with her companions a few months ago if it weren¡¯t for the heroic and extraordinary existence infront of her. he had long been full of recognition for this magical city after he came to twilight city for a few months. he treated richard like a god. it was because of this lordship the resplendent twilight city was born. richard nodded. ¡°vale, long time no see.¡± [vale] [heroic unit] [level: 8] [potential: b] [profession ]: internal affairs officer [skill: calm b-rank ¡ª has a calm and objective judgment of everything. he will not be affected by the turbulent times. judgment increases by 40%.] [intelligence b-rank ¡ª possesses keen observation and accurate judgment, intelligence +20%.] [command b-rank ¡ª has unique means to manage subordinates. he could make it easier for them to listen to his command and fear his majesty. majesty increases by 40%.] [management b-rank ¡ª has powerful means of handling various cumbersome affairs, work efficiency increases by 30%.] [government affairs b-rank ¡ª proficient in territory government affairs. he could handle them most appropriately. administrative ability increases by 30%.] [racial talent: learn ¡ª he could learn the knowledge and skills of various races.] [comradeship¨Cindependent charge: when becoming the highest-ranking person in charge, all abilities increase by 30%.] [description: a natural governor. perhaps, you can assign him more vital tasks.] vale was a rare hero among his refugees. they had also found the dark dungeon in their search at that time. the first death of the dragon hero, alves, was by the faceless dungeon¡¯s monarch. at the same time, they had also obtained the land of quicksand, which was extremely important to twilight city. however, butler karu quickly valued vale after he returned to twilight city. he treated him like a disciple and taught him all kinds of government affairs. he didn¡¯t expect that karu would send them here. vale only obtained a few heroes from the refugees and a deep memory of them. the first one to bear the brunt was the pearl of twilight city, the a-rank hero, and the extraordinary blacksmith¨Cadele. the second was the 14-year-old girl from the tailor shop who had developed the yellow sand robe and promoted herself to a hero unit. other than that, there was also the b-rank internal affairs hero, vale. vale, now the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce manager, will be vital to twilight city. ¡°everything is just an empty shell now. i need you to control the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce¡­ he then explained the current situation. he finally said. Chapter 502 ¡°you currently have two missions.¡± 1. set up the system of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce and set up the corresponding departments. make use of the silver gnomes and half-feathered hybrids. 2. collect information in solan city and categorize the types of goods currently circulating in the market. at the same time, sort out the goods produced by twilight city and the underworld and find the gaps in them to prepare for future trade. a chamber of commerce would operate not just because someone said it had to. !! at present, the main products of twilight city¨Cdesert crown honey and desert crown robe¨Cwere a fixed market. as for the whitetail wine, rebecca had also bought all of them. good things don¡¯t have to worry about its sale. however, they could produce these things in the future. they have established the food workshop for almost half a year. they have invested tons of resources in research. they have produced products recently. in the future, vale will exert his strength in this area. secondly, the underground world was so vast. although the natural environment was harsh, it could fully display its advantages. to forge weapons or produce other unique products for sale. the premise of all this was to investigate the market well. there would be stability without farmers and wealth without work. agriculture guaranteed basic survival while industry earned resources. farming was both the foundation and the vital part. the desert was barren. it could not become wealthy by mining in the wild like in other territories. the underground intelligent races occupied most areas, although the underground world was rich in minerals. they had activated the weapon factory plan. in the future, twilight city would only need to purchase finished weapons from the underground creatures and sell them to the players to earn the price difference. there was no need for the city to do such a strenuous and unrewarding job. it would have to rely on its industries if twilight city wanted to develop. trade, on the other hand, was a way to convert industrial products into resources. ¡°city lord, i will not let you down!¡± vale¡¯s thin face had a look. although his appearance was not stunning, coupled with his subtle temperament, it was still quite pleasing to the eye. richard nodded. he told him about the relationship between the violet merchantile association, rebecca, christy, and the phaonex-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°you can ask these forces for help if you encounter predicaments.¡± vale looked at richard in surprise. it had only been a short while, but the city lord had already opened up a new situation in solan city. it was ten thousand times better than what he had expected. he had people and connections. he could not have come if he could not develop the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce with these conditions. although he was an administrative officer, the most important thing for a manager was managing people, not personally taking part in the affairs. that was why richard wasn¡¯t worried about vale. the current violet merchantile association chamber of commerce could build anything they wanted. it didn¡¯t matter if something went wrong. there was nothing to lose anyway. vale summoned all the silver gnomes and half-feathered hybrids and announced his appointment as the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce president. in the future, he would be in charge of all matters of the chamber of commerce. the two races naturally didn¡¯t dare to say anything, and they nodded obediently. vale activated his bond immediately after richard appointed him. he ordered everyone to go to the side hall for a meeting afterward. richard didn¡¯t follow and left the new officer alone. as a paragon, he didn¡¯t need to do everything by himself. he only needed to make sure the person was right. the superior worked for the people, the middle worked for the wisdom, and the servants worked for the people. they hadn¡¯t changed the logic behind them, although the words were simple. rebecca arrived in a hurry not long after vale had left. the eldest daughter of the grand duke frostwolf appeared sparingly dejected at the moment. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± richard¡¯s voice softened when he noticed the lady¡¯s low spirits. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? what happened?¡± complicated emotions shrouded rebecca¡¯s heart when she heard the gentle voice of a charming face. ¡°father called me home.¡± he has already communicated the victory gemstone with the red-robed archbishops of the victory temple. richard chuckled. ¡°you should be happy when you get home¡­¡± she blinked her eyes as he said that. ¡°you can come back afterward. i¡¯ll take you and christy to the underground world.¡± rebecca¡¯s mood improved when he heard richard¡¯s promise. but she still bit her lips and didn¡¯t speak. after a moment of silence, she said shyly. ¡°lord richard¡­ i¨Ccan i hug you?¡± she stammered as she added. ¡°as a farewell.¡± richard smiled and spread his arms wide. rebecca didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eye and immediately gave him a gigantic hug. she subconsciously hugged him tightly. it was like she wanted to merge him into her body. the girl¡¯s heartbeat was subtly fast as she could smell the scent of the opposite sex. she was reluctant to let go for a long time. richard felt a strange feeling in his chest. as expected, one could not compare the tip of the lotus flower to the rolling mountains¡­ he let go of the girl and rubbed her head. ¡°don¡¯t be sad. just come back early.¡± rebecca¡¯s emotions were complicated as she enjoyed the moment of gentleness. she forced herself to calm down after she took a deep breath. her eyes revealed a bit of determination and confidence. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t make it to solan city for a while.¡± she turned to look in a direction as she spoke. ¡°i will become the heir of the frostwolf family when i return this time. ¡°mother, i¡¯ve already waited for far too long¡­ it is her last wish, and i won¡¯t let her down.¡± Chapter 503 she took a deep breath and looked richard in the eye. a smile broke out on her face. ¡°the next time we meet, you might have to call me her majesty the grand duke¡­¡± richard laughed. ¡°i can do it now. the beautiful and mesmerizing her majesty, grand duke rebecca, would you like to have lunch with me?¡± !! rebecca looked at his smile under the sunlight. she felt it was so brilliant and dazzling. her eyes curved into crescents. however, he didn¡¯t want to break this scene, as if he wanted to engrave this scene in her heart. in the end, rebecca did not manage to finish her lunch. she brought along the level 19 hero, klei, and her guards and left solan city in a hurry. she didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye to her friend, christy. richard watched the carriage disappear on the street, and he felt a little strange. he felt that the next time they met, she might become the grand duke frostwolf. he was in charge of a leading noble force that had accumulated for hundreds of years. ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to that day¡­¡± richard returned to his senses after a long while. he turned and walked back into the manor. but a voice suddenly came from behind him before he could step through the door, a voice suddenly came from behind him. ¡°boss qingqiu!!¡± he turned around and saw brother knight, boss, third brother, and hyena. the four players rushed over. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? why are you in such a hurry?¡± hyena, with the lion¡¯s head, said excitedly. ¡°boss qingqiu, it¡¯s full!¡± ¡°what full¡­??¡± ¡°enough people for the faction dungeon?¡± richard asked. hyena nodded fiercely. ¡°that¡¯s right. i just saw the prompt above. it says that the number of people is full. in 12 hours, the dungeon will open.¡± as richard spoke, he took out the chess piece engraved with the word ¡°troop.¡± richard glanced at the system panel. sure enough, the 50 players for the ten factions were full. there was also a rotating countdown on it. the system notification rang as soon as he finished reading. [ding~ please, prepare to enter the faction dungeon.] [this instance is a faction battle. to be fair, no troops or heroes are allowed to enter.] [the lords will receive the troops of their faction once they enter the instance dungeon.] [you can revive if you die in the dungeon.] [gods will be watching this battle. lords, please prepare carefully.] [the final winner will receive a reward from the gods of this camp.] it piqued richard¡¯s interest after a few more perusals. good fellow. ¡®this battle was interesting. no troops and heroes were allowed¡­ wasn¡¯t this a test of the lord¡¯s ability?¡¯ he didn¡¯t know what would happen to other people. but to him, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. death elegy medal, the king of gladiator title¡­ these two treasures and titles could enormously increase the attributes of his troops, so he was not afraid of anyone. moreover, his battle power was also on the level of a bug. however, the thing that made him feel strange was¡­ the gods were watching the battle. the black gold system would give a level 35 hp notification, but a god of their faction will reward the final winner, so it was more sensible. the master god of the desert camp was the god of the desert if he remembered correctly. would this big shot personally watch the battle? they are all gods. the final reward couldn¡¯t be sour, right? just a few artifacts, or a few exceptional loop lairs, he can also accept. ****** Chapter 504 richard brought the few of them to the manor and called vale over. it indicated he would leave for a while. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce would be under vale¡¯s control. xina and the dark valkyrie stayed behind to guard the manor. the two heroes weren¡¯t too happy with richard¡¯s decision to go alone, but they still agreed to it under his insistence. !! he could not bring heroes and troops along. this camp dungeon tested the lord¡¯s own abilities. he wanted to bring the xina and dark valkyrie there. but he was powerless. in solan city, he did not have to worry about their safety. christy and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce were there even if rebecca were to leave officially. they could resolve conflicts except for major problems. twelve hours flashy passed by. the soldier label-engraved chess piece suddenly emitted bright light on the vast violet grass of the manor when the countdown reached zero and formed a void gate. richard, brother knight, big boss, third brother, and hyena stepped over the beautiful flowers and entered the building. the moment the last person stepped in, the space gate suddenly shattered and disappeared. only the fixed gazes of xina and the dark valkyrie were left outside. xina took a deep breath and turned her feelings complicated after a long time. it was the first time richard didn¡¯t allow her to come¡­ he turned around and looked at the dark valkyrie that floated in the air. she revealed only a pair of pale golden eyes. subconsciously, she clenched the dragon-slaying sword in her hand. the veins on the back of her hand were particularly distinct. her voice was a little hoarse. ¡°fay, is it because we¡¯re too weak that lord richard didn¡¯t bring us along?¡± the dark valkyrie¡¯s aura suddenly surged, and the world dimmed instantly. darkness descended. her pale golden eyes flickered. she slowly said after a long time. ¡°my power has indeed been stagnant for a long time.¡± ¡°when i return this time, i will use the fastest speed to become a transcendent, master ¡­i need more power.¡± the unknown, advanced language carried an indescribable dignity and determination. richard had searched for the transcendent vampire in the blood coffin. she had seen all of this. it moved her quite a bit. after this battle, she realized that the power she had been so proud of wasn¡¯t strong enough to make richard feel at ease. there was a strong urge in her heart. she wanted to prove she could protect the city and become his support! she was the valkyrie who had returned from the dark. and she was not inferior to anyone! even if the other party was a transcendent¡­ ¡°my lord, the saber in my hand will make you feel at ease.¡± xina felt the same way. level 10 and above strangers shrouded the streets when they arrived at solan city. level 15 strangers were as many as the cow hair. xina felt a crisis. she saw the prosperity of the outside world. she thought her power was weaker than the dark valkyrie and god¡¯s ancient tree in twilight city. but she didn¡¯t expect it to be outside. xina had reached level 14 but was so unremarkable¡­ a strong fighting spirit rose in her heart. she had to reach level 15 the soonest or even become transcendent. she wouldn¡¯t let lord richard keep her in the manor because of her weakness again. never! richard didn¡¯t think that his unintentional actions would stir up such emotions in the hearts of xina and the dark valkyrie. christy came to violet manor the following morning. but she suddenly realized that not only had rebecca left. richard had as well¡­ christy pouted as she looked at the empty manor. she was depressed. she came to welcome vale and glanced at the most distinguished person in solan city. her delicate face showed a little apology. ¡°your highness, lord richard told me before he left that you would come and apologize to you¡­¡± chris sneered when she heard this. ¡°what do you mean to apologize? i don¡¯t believe lord richard would say something like that¡­¡± vale rolled his eyes as he spoke and coughed to clear his throat. he pretended to speak in a rough voice. ¡°when that little girl, christy, comes over, tell her i¡¯ve left. just say that.¡± vale blinked after he said that. ¡°mr. vale, is that what mr. richard said?¡± richard wouldn¡¯t ask for an apology considering his attitude toward her. she gritted her teeth at the thought of how he¡¯d been so mean to her. this guy doesn¡¯t know what respect is! she was the princess of solan city! in the future, he would ask his father to teach him a lesson¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the thought of richard¡¯s swollen face. vale was a little confused as he looked at the girl with a strange expression. ¡®was it true that lord richard said these noble ladies were all mentally ill?¡¯ he didn¡¯t think much and said with a smile. ¡°lord richard told me to leave the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce in your care after he left.¡± ¡°my lord said that your highness is the most trustworthy person. if you encounter any problems that you can¡¯t solve, you can ask your highness for help.¡± the smile on christy¡¯s face became bright when she heard this. she raised her head with a bit of pride. ¡°that¡¯s right. i¡¯m a good friend of your city lord. just come to me directly if you have any problems this time.¡± she left violet manor with a sense of achievement and trust afterward. ****** [ding~ you have entered the faction dungeon. you have received a chess piece mouse as you are the last person to sign up.] Chapter 505 [the rules of the faction dungeon are as follows¨Ceach faction has five lords, and each will guard one chess piece.] [the system divided chess pieces into elephant¡úlion¡útiger¡údog,¡úrat.] [the elephant is the largest, and the rat is the smallest, but the rat can restrain the elephant.] [the sizeable the chess piece, the more influential the soldier type on it is.] !! [when the chess piece of the previous level is fighting the chess piece of the next level, all attributes of the troop type will be increased by 40%. but one cannot apply this rule to people of a higher level. for example, if an elephant is fighting a lion, its attributes will be increased by 40%, but if it is fighting a tiger, the elephant will not have any additional features.] [eats restrain elephants. when rats fight elephants, their attributes increase by 60%, while elephants¡¯ attributes decrease by 60%.] [after the lord obtains the corresponding chess piece, he can directly command the troops on it.] [the winning rule is that the chess pieces of the same camp can not kill each other. they can only collide with the chess pieces of the other. after the two chess pieces collide, the lord must lead the army to attack the other side¡¯s chess piece. [for every chess piece you occupy, you can command the troop type of the other chess piece. it will convert the enemy¡¯s pawns into their camp¡¯s troops.] [the chess piece of the last will be the final winner. the system notification prompted. a gray light flashed. richard suddenly found himself at the edge of a floating island. the diameter of the island was about 500 meters if one looked into the distance. the terrain was uneven, and there were many caves underground. he turned around and saw four islands that floated a hundred meters away. they engrave the rock walls 100 meters below these isolated islands with striking characters-elephant, lion, tiger, dog, and rat. animal chess¡­ richard lowered his head to look at his floating island. he was the rat the system had mentioned if he guessed it right. he didn¡¯t expect one would obtain a chess piece according to the order of registration. however, this rule was quite interesting. the five chess pieces restrained each other, but no absolute expert existed. there were no attribute buffs for cross-level battles. however, where were his troops? richard looked at the lonely floating island. questions wrapped his face. he should have a few soldiers, even if he were the weakest rat, right? did he honestly have to fight with his arms bare? at this moment, the ground suddenly trembled. a vast crack appeared in the center. in the next second. countless mummy soldiers wrapped in yellow bandages crawled out. as far as the eye could see, it was like a dense pack of rats coming out of their cages. the mummies ¡®appearance was similar to that of the rat-men. when all the special mummies below had climbed out, the system announcement came again. [ding~ you have obtained the right to command the half-ratman mummies.] [number of chess pieces: 1,600] [rat] [troop type: half-ratman mummy] [level: 5 ] [potential: elite 1-star] [skill: plague e-rank ¡ª able to release plague when attacking, reduces enemy attributes by 10% and energy by 2% every 10 minutes.] [bite e-rank ¡ª uses sharp teeth to bite the enemy, increases damage by 30%, infects plague on the enemy.] [body of the mummy e-rank ¡ª will not die unless one hits its head.] [racial talent: all attributes increase by 10% when fighting on the yellow sand.] [fetter-mummy: when the number of mummies exceeds 20, strength increases by 10%. when the number exceeds 50, strength increase by 15%. when the number exceeds 100, strength increases by 20% (activated).] [description: weak mummy troops. perhaps, only the poorest desert lord would be willing to use them.] richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry after reading the attributes. good lord, a level 5 troop type¡­ ¡°isn¡¯t a rat, this chess piece, too weak?¡± although there were 160 teams of mummies, their combat power was not impressive. one of the stone statues of the dead could wipe out all 160 half-ratman mummies. he wondered how mighty the other chess pieces were. while he was deeply curious. suddenly, a new attribute panel appeared in front of him. it showed the current status. [desert camp] [number of chess pieces alive: 5] [troop type: elephantman mummy] [level: 14] [potential: glorious 3 stars] [number of chess pieces: 100] [chess pieces occupied: none] ****** [lion] [troop type: lionman mummy] [level: 10] [potential: glorious 1-star] [number of chess pieces: 200] [chess pieces occupied: none] ****** [tiger] [troop type: tigerman mummy] [level: 9] [potential: rare 1-star] [number of chess pieces: 400] [chess pieces occupied: none] ****** [dog] [troop type: kobold mummy] [level: 7] [potential: rare 1-star] [number of chess pieces: 800] [chess pieces occupied: none] ****** [rat] [troop type: half-ratman mummy] [level: 5] [potential: elite 1-star] [number of chess pieces: 1,600] [chess pieces occupied: none] ****** the highest-level elephant had a level-14 elephantman mummy¡­ he could hang them up and beat up his 1,600 half-ratman without their attributes although they were only 100. with that in mind, richard turned to look at the troops he would lead. these level 5 elite troops were no taller than 1.5 meters. an adult could flip them over. even if there was a counter to the elements, could a rat honestly eat an elephant? just as he pondered. a message suddenly appeared in the chat bar below the new panel. [brother knight: what¡¯s your animal chess piece? mine is a dog. bah, i¡¯m a dog chess piece. bah bah, i¡¯m a dog chess piece¡­ f*ck, i can do whatever i want¡­] [big boss: f*ck! i¡¯m a lion¡­] [third brother: i¡¯m a tiger¡­] [hyena: i¡¯m an elephant! i now have 100 elephantman! that¡¯s awesome! this unit is so strong. it¡¯s five meters tall when it stands up! i can take on 10 of them now!] they didn¡¯t receive a reply from the person they cared about the most. after they glanced at the other players who had reported their chess pieces, they quickly asked, ¡°boss qingqiu is a rat?¡± this news immediately silenced the excited players. their expressions were not good when they plunged back to their senses. Chapter 506 ¡°has the system assigned the golden thigh to the lowest chess piece? ¡°motherf *ck*r! how was he supposed to play?¡± hyena¡¯s excitement of becoming an elephant was gone. ¡°boss qingqiu boss, how do we play this¡­ i don¡¯t have the f*cking confidence to deal with the elephants from the other camps.¡± !! the same camp, the same battle line. there was no such thing as competition between them. to obtain the final victory was the common goal. ¡°boss qingqiu, can the system allow a change of chess pieces? you¡¯ll be the lion, and i¡¯ll be the rat¡­¡± ¡°if they allow change, you¡¯ll be an elephant. i¡¯ll be a rat!¡± they were very clear about the current situation. their opponents were the players from the other nine main camps. even though hyena obtained the most soul-crushing elephant, he couldn¡¯t have the slightest confidence. ¡°i can¡¯t,¡± richard replied with a smile. ¡°let¡¯s just play like this. ¡°rats have their fun. ¡°besides, who said that rats are the weakest? ¡°i¡¯m sorry, mine is a sky-devouring rat¡­¡± with a thought. the yellow sand on his body surged. it quickly enveloped all the mummies. [ding~ you have granted the mummies the power of the desert. they have obtained the skill-sand transformation (b-rank).] [sand transformation b-rank ¡ª desertification of the body will reduce physical damage by 99% and magic damage by 30%. able to devour sand to recover from injuries. duration of 15 minutes. cooldown of 2 hours.] however, it was still not enough. he took out a medal with an evil aura and slowly put it on his chest. five-stars treasure¨Cdeath elegy medal. [when commanding the undead troops, all their attributes will increase by 50%. you can revive three teams of undead that died every day.] the next moment. the mummies felt a surge of energy enter their bodies and immediately boosted their auras. all of them opened their shriveled mouths. they revealed their sharp fangs as they let out hoarse roars. ¡°this¡­ was not enough¡­¡± he looked at his attribute panel. [sand armor beyond a-rank] [sand armor: condenses sand into battle armor that one can use on the user or the troop within a 200-meter radius. the more mana consumed, the stronger the battle armor condensed.] [king of gladiator, glorious-level. when fighting with an enemy with more than 500 troops, personal attributes increase by 30%. and under his command by 20%.] [when the enemy troops exceed 1,000 soldiers, your attributes increase by 40%, and the soldiers by 30%.] [when the enemy troops exceed 3,000, personal attributes increase by 50%, and the soldiers by 40%. their morale will be high and indestructible¡­] now, it was enough. richard¡¯s lips curled up. the dog that could restrain the rat was no longer a threat. it couldn¡¯t beat a few rounds of enhanced rats¡­ and the rat could suppress the mightiest elephant. the situation has become thought-provoking. his true enemies were no longer dogs and elephants but lions and tigers¡­ however, this was before. after richard reinforced the rat, the number was several times more than that of the lions and tigers. it was like he reversed the food chain between the two sides. now, the fearless rats of their natural enemies are the real bosses. suddenly, ¡®rumble!¡¯ the ground shook. a gigantic rat statue slowly rose in the center of the floating island. [ding~ the game begins.] [lords, please protect your chess pieces. the enemy will occupy your floating island as they destroy your chess pieces.] [to obtain victory is to destroy all the opponent¡¯s chess pieces.] [the desert camp is about to fight the sect camp.] [the elephant can decide the battle order.] hyena immediately sent a message after the system notification prompted the last information. [hyena: boss qingqiu, who will go first?] richard didn¡¯t think much of it. [qingqiu: let¡¯s go according to the order.] everyone was a hidden card under the five chess pieces. so it was arduous to get tian ji to race the horse. moreover, every chess piece should have places, so it didn¡¯t matter how one have arranged them. both sides just blindly groped around. on the other side, in the sect camp. the five players¡¯ eyes lit up when they heard their first opponent was the desert camp. the desert camp¡¯s iconic troop type was the mummies. they were undead. the sect¡¯s unique priest system was a natural counter to the evil faction! they were most afraid to encounter the iron cans of the fortress tribe, and they mostly hoped demons and the undead. they did not expect that their wishes would come true. and this would give them benefits. [ding~ the match has been confirmed. the order of appearance has been decided. [begin the battle.] the moment the notification sounded in the sky. ten huge shadows of phantoms appeared. the endless majesty was like a massive wave ten thousand feet high. it made one¡¯s heart tremble. a god! a taboo word appeared in everyone¡¯s mind. a god would come to watch the battle just as the system had said. richard looked at the blurry face and could not see its substance. he deeply glanced. the terrifying divine might almost penetrate the soul. it was the power of a world master. it was indescribable. at this moment, he suddenly felt the floating island below him pull forward with a strong force. he quickly gathered his thoughts and turned to look at the opposite side. a thousand meters away, a floating island with the word ¡°lion¡± on its rock wall simultaneously flew over. his opponent was the lion! he looked to the side. the two camps had already formed a battle. elephant versus dog, lion versus elephant, tiger versus rat, dog versus tiger, and rat versus lion, second only to an elephant! the player from the sect faction who received the lion piece saw richard¡¯s rat fly over. he was excited to speak directly on the information panel. ¡°hahaha, brothers, i¡¯m facing the enemy¡¯s weakest rat! our elephant has avoided the rat. we¡¯re going to win this round!¡± ¡°little rat, come over here obediently and let grandpa devour you! today, i¡¯ll let you taste the holy light lion knight!¡± ¡°hahaha¡­¡± the only enemy that the lion was afraid of was the elephant. it could eat all the other chess pieces. in a certain sense, the strength of a lion was not inferior to that of an elephant. it was a good start in the eyes of the other party as it faced the rat at the bottom of the food chain. the lion was satisfied with the food that the other party would give. Chapter 507 ¡®bang!¡¯ there was a violent collision sound. at the point where the two floating islands collided, crushed rocks and dirt flew dozens of meters high, and dust filled the air. it tightly connected the two floating islands with violent shakes. !! a player from the sect faction who got lion looked at the short mummies of the half-ratman wrapped in bandages in front of them, and they immediately showed a ferocious smile. he waved his hand. ¡°kill!¡± two hundred 200 1-star glorious holy light lion knights behind him clenched their giant sabers and stepped into the floating island marked with a rat. the lion he rode was majestic, and the knight behind him was fierce. the difference between the other mummies and the half-ratman mummy was colossal. ¡°holy light!¡± behind him, a player behind him in a white priest robe raised his arm-long wand. in the next second, all the holy light lion knights¡¯ bodies suddenly glowed with a milky white light, and the holy aura rushed toward the half-rat mummy in front of them like a tide. the mummies could not dodge the holy light in such a small space. however, that was all. the mummies felt no discomfort when the milky-white holy light enveloped them. it was like a gentle breeze¡­ the player from the sect widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°how could it not be effective? ¡°this holy light could cause fatal damage to evil forces! ¡°they were immune to holy light? ¡°how was this possible?¡± the hearts of the players from the sect trembled. ever since he had entered the ¡°shining era¡±, this was the first time he had seen holy light fail¡­ the crown of the king of darkness. attribute 3, unafraid of light. when commanding a troop of undead, immune to the damage bonus from the light and nature to evil camp. the power of glorious equipment was far beyond current players¡¯ imagination. this scene caused a massive commotion and attracted the attention of the ten terrifying shadows in the sky. that blurry and invisible figure instantly brought about enormous pressure. richard lifted his head to look at the sky. he looked straight at the phantom. at this moment, a shadow suddenly shook violently. it was like something angered it, and the terrifying power was like the collapse of a mountain that pressed down. richard felt a giant boulder pressed down on his chest, and it was hard for him to breathe. ¡°hostility!¡± he felt a mighty hostility from the shadow in the sky! the gods were hostile to him! ¡®who was that shadow?¡¯ a word suddenly appeared in his mind when hostility crossed his thought. the god of kobolds! the power of the earth prison race was among the ten camps. the god of kobolds was a member of the god of earth prison¡­ only this mortal enemy would show hostility to him! he recalled how the other party descended upon twilight city and tried to destroy everything he had, only to be devoured by the ancient god statue. richard narrowed his eyes¡­ the dog-headed god was supremely soul-crusher. ¡°i hope you can always maintain this attitude.¡± the corners of his mouth curled up in a cold arc. the crimson moon rose, and the gods fell into fear. he could start making some arrangements¡­ the shadow wanted to descend, but the other nine gods stopped him. the thick fog condensed the phantom, and darkness swayed. he showed great anger. but in the end, they helplessly quieted down. richard calmed down. the ancient god statue in his hand could limit the god¡¯s power and a weapon that could suppress gods. he turned his head and focused on the confrontation between the rat and the lion. the players from the sect camp finally regained their senses and roared in anger. ¡°charge!¡± ¡°i want him dead!¡± ¡°so what if he was immune to the holy light!¡± ¡°i¡¯m a level 10 holy light lion knight, and i can crush rats with a single charge!¡± however, he gave the order the next second. suddenly, he noticed a ray of yellow sand rose from behind the mummies. the dry and hard ground of the floating island turned into a land of yellow sand. the holy light lion knights¡¯ charge immediately slowed down. beyond a-rank skill, sandy earth. however, before he could react, endless yellow sand surged up from the ground and gathered around the half-ratman mummy. in an instant, the sand turned into solid yellow sand armor. its thickness was even three times thicker than a warrior¡¯s shield. beyond a-rank skill, sand condensation armor. it forced the holy light lion knight to slow down and finally charged into the half-rat mummies. ¡®bang!¡¯ the holy light lion knight at the front slammed into the mummies with violent force. the knight had thought that the vast difference in size and level would crush the half-ratman mummy. however, they did not expect that it was as if they had hit a rock. it forced the lion he sat on to stop its charge, although he knocked the other party back more than ten meters. the knight behind him looked over and saw that the half-ratman mummy¡¯s yellow sand armor only had a small crack. he didn¡¯t even hurt it, let alone crush it into a pulp. in a fit of anger and embarrassment. he commanded the lion to move forward and violently waved the giant saber in his hand. it slashed at the other half-rat mummies in front of him. ¡®hu!¡¯ there was a violent whistling sound. ¡®crack!¡¯ they hit a few mummies who could not dodge in time. however, such a terrifying force could not tear the yellow sand armor apart. it only left more cracks on it. in the blink of an eye, the yellow sand flowed and restored the cracks. Chapter 508 its defense was terrifying to the extreme. the lionman was shocked and angry. he wanted to continue his attack, but the mummies around him did not allow him. they swarmed up like a tide. !! it directly drowned out this level 10 1-star glorious tier troop type. the mummies with the fearless yellow sand armor didn¡¯t feel any pain. they didn¡¯t know what fear was and immediately made these high-level soldiers taste fear. after the battle between the two sides. to richard¡¯s surprise, the title ¡°king of gladiator¡± was a title that was very familiar to him. he saw everyone in the sect as an enemy. therefore, the special feature of the second stage of the title was triggered¨Cwhen the enemy troop exceeded 1000. one¡¯s attributes would increase by 40%, and the troop type would increase by 30%. in addition to the 50% attribute increase from the death elegy medal. the battle power of the half-rat mummies had increased to an exaggerated degree. not to mention the yellow sand armor for protection. the b-rank sand transformation would still allow them to ignore physical damage for 15 minutes if it broke the yellow sand armor. the lion knight thought he faced a group of level 5 minions, but the real enemy was a group of fierce hunters. ¡®crack!¡¯ the saber finally broke through the mummies¡¯ shields. the knight on his back revealed a ferocious smile. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the blade slashed down. a single slash that should kill the half-ratman mummy reduced it to countless grains of sand. the saber directly cut the divine body of the other party, but it did not cause any substantial damage. the next moment, the half-ratman mummy ignored the enemy¡¯s attack. it revealed its sharp canine teeth, jumped up, and landed on the lion¡¯s head. against the knight¡¯s furious attacks, he held the lion by force and used his sharp teeth to bite through the gaps in his armor. the mummies took advantage of the pause in their attacks and swarmed forward. it looked like countless rats had crawled out of the sewer and crazily devoured people. the sect camp player was confident in his victory. he watched helplessly as the half-ratman tide drowned the 200 level 10 holy light lion knights. his hands and feet were cold. ¡°how can this desert lord be so strong!!¡± he could not accept this fact. he was the lion, second only to the statue in the sect! ¡°how could a small rat eat a lion? ¡°could a mouse defeat a lion? what a joke!¡± however, no matter how unwilling he was to accept it, reality would not change. he smiled bitterly when he saw the situation completely ruined. it turned out that the other party¡¯s rat was not a mini mouse but a demon wrapped in mouse skin. the enemy became a mini lion toy to the rat¡­ the player from the sect looked up and sighed when several mummies rushed into the floating island. he sent the last message in the chat panel. [brothers, i was eaten by a rat¡­ this rat was f* king poisonous! more ferocious than a lion!] a moment after the message was sent. the mummies destroyed the lion statue in the center of the floating island. it was not just the players from the sect camp but the other players in a fierce battle who suddenly heard the system notification. [ding~ desert camp¡¯s chess piece-rat took over the sect camp¡¯s chess piece-lion.] [desert camp half-ratman mummy] [you received 100 rotten lion knights (glorious 1-star, level 10) as a reward.] [desert camp half-ratman mummy] [you have eaten the opponent¡¯s chess piece. you have received 10 points. as you grew up eating food, you received an additional 20 points.] the players from the sect camp were speechless. a series of question marks appeared below the chat panel. [????] the tiger was speechless. ****** the players from the other factions were also dumbfounded when they heard the notification. ¡°are you f*cking kidding me? the rat devoured the lion? isn¡¯t this funny? can a rat defeat a lion?¡± ¡°the sect camp and the desert camp are going against each other? wasn¡¯t this a natural counter? how did the lion get eaten by the rat?¡± ¡°is the cult so useless? the strongest lion can¡¯t even defeat a mouse¡­¡± in terms of the food chain, lions were the best. even without the attribute bonus from the superior to the subordinate, 200 1-star glorious tier level 10 troops fighting 1,600 level 5 troops would be a piece of cake. they couldn¡¯t understand this strange situation at all. this animal chess game would finish like this? they¡¯ve learned something new. the sect camp wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°f*ck! son of a b*tch! i¡¯m going to skin him when i get back. how can a lion lose to a rat? it¡¯s a waste of a blade for this idiot to kill himself!! ¡°how should i finish this¡­¡± several players from the desert camp shouted in excitement. ¡°f*ck! boss qingqiu, you are my god!¡± ¡°a rat ate a lion, hahaha¡­ even the gods aren¡¯t this powerful!¡± shouts of victory and revenge continued. they had thought richard would be in a difficult situation since the rule assigned him as a rat piece. they didn¡¯t expect the rat would make such a big move. a rat fights a lion and even eats the other party. this thigh was too f*cking powerful. more importantly, the enemy had won the battle and received 100 rotten lion knights as a reward. this time, wouldn¡¯t the rat, who was already strong, be invincible? at the very least, no one in the sect camp could stand up to richard. it enormously boosted their morale when they thought of this. ¡®boom! boom!¡± lion¡¯s floating island slowly crumbled before richard¡¯s eyes after a series of violent sounds. the island under his feet had expanded from 500 meters in diameter to 600 meters. at the same time, a special light surged down from the sky, and then 100 rotten lion knights climbed up from the corpses of the holy light lion knights. Chapter 509 richard¡¯s expression was subtle. he still wanted to use the 5-star treasures that christy gave him¨Cthe mourning sword¨Cto resurrect these corpses. he didn¡¯t expect that he could not take advantage of the loophole. however, it was still okay. because of the yellow sand armor and the sand transformation skill, none of the 1,600 mummies died. !! now, he had obtained 100 rotten lion knights, and his strength had increased significantly. after all, a level 10 glorious troop class was not something a level 5 elite troop class could compare to. with his series of attribute bonuses, the level 10 rotten lion knights could even fight a level 14 elephant alone. he grew up eating and eating, so he was pretty surprised to obtain some extra points. after the harvest from the two large-scale instance dungeons, it was only natural that the more points he had, the better. the god¡¯s apparition that pressured richard saw this and began to stir. the terrifying divine might spread out once again. it was as if he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. richard sensed something was wrong. he looked up at the sky. his eyes were indifferent. the twilight city and the god of kobolds were already in a situation where they would not rest until one of them was dead. the other party couldn¡¯t wait to leave and destroy twilight city, and he was no different ¡­ the instance dungeon¡¯s rules had soul-strapping restrictions, and the other party couldn¡¯t do anything. he focused and looked at the other chess pieces. he would have to wait until he left the instance dungeon if he wanted to make any arrangements. he didn¡¯t mind about it before the kobold god jumped out. he naturally couldn¡¯t reject his good intentions since this guy had jumped out to remind him. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] said the rise of the crimson moon would begin with the fall of the gods¡­ so, why couldn¡¯t it be this old dog? the image of a hyena appeared in his eyes as he pondered. this guy¡¯s luck was pretty good. he avoided the rats and faced the dogs from the sect camp, 800 level 7 troops, and the holy light hounded men. everybody said the initial balance of this faction dungeon was pretty much. and found the corresponding race for the chess pieces. furthermore, the number, level, and battle power were the same. the only difference was who was in charge of these troops. although hyena did not have any powerful skill that could increase the attributes of troops, the level 14 elephantman mummies were strong enough. they had no pressure at all when facing 800 level 7 troops. with a height of five meters, they were like tanks. they rolled back and forth in the middle of the enemy. no one could stop it. due to the distance, he couldn¡¯t see the other chess pieces clearly, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. twenty minutes later, the first round of the battle between the two camps ended. only three pieces left for the desert camp¨Chyena¡¯s elephant, the boss¡¯s lion, and richard¡¯s rat. the enemies devoured third brother¡¯s tiger and brother knight¡¯s dog. the opponent¡¯s remaining chess pieces were an elephant and a tiger. the lion, dog, and rat devoured them. the situation immediately became distinct¡­ richard¡¯s rat ate a lion. in other words, the big boss of the desert camp was not the elephant but this rat. the remaining tiger could swallow it whole if it could even eat a lion. as for the elephant¡­ the rat countered the elephant. the two players from the sect faction were speechless when they saw the situation. how did it become like this¡­ they were the ones who restrained the other side¡¯s camp. how did they end up being restrained? [ding~ the first round has ended. please arrange the order of battle. the desert camp has one more chess piece. the remaining chess piece can continue to fight if one has occupied one of the sand camp¡¯s chess pieces.] hyena laughed so hard that its mouth almost reached the back of its head when he saw the vast advantage on the field. the qingqiu bosses were awesome! the rules would have reversed the situation if the rat hadn¡¯t eaten the lion. after they made the arrangements. the second round began. ¡®hu!¡¯ the air whistled past his ears. richard looked at the elephant that quickly approached and smiled. the elephant in the sect camp watched as the rat came towards him. he wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡®your grandpa. ¡®how could this f*cking rat eat a lion?¡¯ Chapter 510 ¡®bang!¡¯ the two floating islands connected with a loud bang. [ding~ you have encountered a chess piece¨Can elephant. the system increased all troop types under your command by 60%. while it reduced the elephantmen by 60%.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the notification. !! the ordinary rats would have the upper hand against the war elephants after this round of reinforcement, not to mention the rats he led. the players from the sect camp felt that the aura of the troops dropped rapidly, and their expressions changed repeatedly. finally, he gritted his teeth and said fiercely. ¡°i don¡¯t believe that this rat can defy the heavens!! ¡°kill!!¡± one by one, the holy light elephantmen charged forward with heavy steps. however, their speed was like an ordinary person that carried a few hundred pounds of weight. they were extremely slow. the mummies had become more agile after a few rounds of reinforcement. without any nonsense, the battle began. the holy light elephantmen held heavy warhammers, and they could even shatter city walls. however, now that their speed had slowed repeatedly, their attacks were like hitting air when they were up against the agile half-ratman mummies. it was impossible to hit the target. on the other hand, the enhanced half-ratman mummies used their agility to jump onto the holy light statue. their sharp teeth madly tore the areas not protected by the armor¡­ many ants could kill an elephant, let alone a mad rat. with a few casualties, the holy light elephantmen fell head by head. the half-ratman mummies smashed them into the sand and sent dust flying. ten minutes later. no one was left standing on the battlefield, only the crazy half-ratman mummies. the players from the sect camp turned pale as they watched the enemies devour their troops. one elehantman¡¯s lips moved a few times as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. the initial confidence in his heart collapsed at this moment. he eventually heaved a sigh of relief and silently accepted the fate of failure¡­ they couldn¡¯t play anymore when the rat devoured the lion. they had wanted to fight to the death, but now it seemed all in vain. when the mummies swarmed forward and sent the cult players away¡­ on the other side, hyena had won the battle against the elephant and the tiger. [ding~ the second round has ended. you have devoured an elephant. you have obtained 10 points and 50 rotten elephantmen.] [the remaining chess pieces of the desert camp are the elephant, lion, and rat.] the desert camp destroyed the sect camp¡¯s chess pieces and entered the second round of the game. it will revive the lords who died. all overlords received 10 points. [ding~ in this round, you have devoured two pieces. you have gained 20 points.] [current points: 60] [the first round of battle has ended. the faction dungeon has opened the points ranking¡­ [1st place¨Cqingqiu (desert camp¨Crat: 60] [2nd place¨Cchristen (elf camp¨Clion: 40] [3rd place¨Cfanatic zhang san (fortress camp¨Celephant: 40] ****** as the prompt sounded, the system automatically reassembled and resurrected the chess pieces of brother knight and third brother. they quickly felt overjoyed when they heard that they won. in the chat room. hyena flattered qingqiu. ¡°boss qingqiu is awesome!!! ever since i¡¯ve followed you, my waist doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, my legs don¡¯t ache anymore, and even my bowel movements are smoother¡­¡± brother knight said, ¡°you bootlicker, i¡¯m looking down on you¡­ boss qingqiu, do you still need a little brother? what do you think of me? i¡¯m good at running errands, doing work, warming beds, and other things¡­¡± boss said, ¡°shameless, we met boss qingqiu first.¡± ¡°you¡¯re right!¡± richard laughed at their antics but didn¡¯t mind. he waited for the next round to begin. he didn¡¯t care about the win. but the players from the other camps were in an uproar. his eyes widened when he looked at the id of the number one player in the points ranking. ¡°am i fucking blind? qingqiu?¡± ¡°what kind of sin have i committed to meet this freak in a random instance dungeon? ¡°i wonder why the desert camp could still win despite being restrained by the sect camp¡­ so there¡¯s qingqiu in the desert camp. ¡°i was just wondering how the rat ate the lion. now that the rat is qingqiu, it makes sense. this damn pervert, even if he killed the god¡¯s apparition above our heads. i feel that i can accept it¡­¡± words of hatred and envy continued. richard had become a professional player in the eyes of the players with his performance in two instance dungeons¨Ca damn pervert! ordinary bestowment was no longer enough to describe him. they could only express their feelings with hatred and envy. [ding~ the second round begins¨Cdesert camp versus prison camp.] [please arrange the battle order.] ¡°dungeon?¡± richard looked up at the sky when he heard the familiar word. as expected, the god¡¯s apparition was supremely hostile to him and now rippled wave after wave. they could still feel the suppressed anger even though they were far away. the other party would have already exploded if it weren¡¯t for the rules. the players felt the surge of divine might repeatedly. and they also noticed that something was wrong. hyena asked hesitantly. ¡°boss qingqiu, why do i feel that the god¡¯s shadow in the sky is not very friendly to us? is that a god from the sect?¡± boss thought, ¡°no way, is this god so petty? wasn¡¯t it just to destroy their camp? it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡± third brother said, ¡°i also feel that this b*stard seems very unhappy about us¡­ boss qingqiu, what do you think?¡± ¡°that¡¯s the god of the earth prison,¡± richard replied. the god of kobolds.¡± hyena aid, ¡°the god of kobolds? boss qingqiu, how did you know?¡± Chapter 511 ¡°i once had a grudge against the god of kobolds.¡± ¡°hahaha, you¡¯re so funny,¡± hyena said. one could explain a grudge against a god as a joke¡­ third brother said, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to have a humorous side, boss. it¡¯s just a little too cold.¡± !! third brother continued. ¡°laugh! why aren¡¯t you guys laughing? cooperate with me!¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, but he didn¡¯t say anything. the gods were far away from them from the perspective of ordinary players. moreover, if an ordinary person offended a god, there was a high probability that they would not be alive and kicking. [ding~ let the battle begin.] richard didn¡¯t have much time to think. the second round of the battle against the dungeon camp began. he looked ahead and saw a chess piece with a dog engraved on it fly over. [ding~ your opponent¡¯s chess piece¨Cdog, the system has increased your opponent¡¯s attributes by 40%.] the prison player also heard the system notification, but his face turned green when he saw his opponent was a rat. even though there was a difference in attributes between a dog and a rat, the other party was qingqiu, who could eat a lion¡­ ¡°what¡¯s the use of this little attribute?¡± ¡°f*ck the matching mechanism! who designed this? i¡¯ll f*ck you!¡± ¡®bang!¡¯ the two floating islands connected with a loud sound. dozens of rotten statues and hundreds of rotten lion knights stood behind them while they looked at the half-rat mummies on the opposite island, the players in the dungeon wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°what was he playing with?¡± without any additional interludes, the battle immediately broke out¡­ there was no fluctuation in richard¡¯s eyes as he watched the prison dog-headed people in front of him being trampled flat. too weak¡­ the other party was already doing its best to resist. however, under the leadership of the rotten sphinx and the rotten lion knight, the half-ratman mummy annihilated the enemy as quickly as possible. the shadow in the sky grew even angrier when it saw the situation collapse¡ªwaves of divine might sweep down richard like a raging sea. richard¡¯s brow furrowed, and his eyes turned cold. this old dog didn¡¯t know what was good for him! he retracted his gaze and slowly walked to the floating island in front. he immediately noticed the vast dog-headed statue in the center. the corners of his mouth curled up mockingly. he walked to the statue alone and waved his hand. a large amount of yellow sand floated out from his floating island. in the blink of an eye, the yellow sand condensed into a vast war hammer and floated above the dog-kobold man statue¡¯s head. this action starkly ignited the god¡¯s shadow in the sky. a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly appeared in the illusionary body formed by darkness and dark clouds. they were like two suns that made people¡¯s hearts tremble. ¡°lowly desert lord! you¡¯re seeking your death!¡± the words of the gods, which contained endless majesty and coldness, exploded. it shocked all the players. they looked up at the shadow in the sky in disbelief¡­ a god¡­ he opened his mouth. ¡°could the lord of the desert be qingqiu? that¡¯s right, only that damn pervert could enrage the gods¡­¡± ¡°but what was happening there?¡± the players were shocked to the extreme. richard looked up at the figure. his lips curled into a cold smile. endless yellow sand light surged around his body. his apathetic voice, supported by magic power, resounded throughout the sky. ¡°kobold god, can¡¯t you just be an honest dog in your kennel? why are you here?¡± all the players in the faction dungeon widened their eyes and even subconsciously held their breaths when they heard the fluttering voice. they turned their heads in the direction of the voice in shock. his entire person was in a mess. ¡°what the hell did qingqiu say?¡± ¡°the god of kobolds?¡± ¡°the god who spoke was the god of kobolds?¡± ¡°was this guy trying to defy the heavens?¡± ¡°how dare he curse a mighty god so unscrupulously!¡± ¡°that was a god!¡± ¡®awooo!!¡¯¡­ ¡°you¡¯re a f*cking talent!¡± their scalps went numb, their backs went cold, and their hearts trembled. many people felt dizzy and even wondered if it were a hallucination. no words could express his current emotions¡­ even though they knew qingqiu was ferocious, they could not be as to point at the nose of a god and call him a dog. it was honest that the instance dungeon restricted the other party, but what about after they left the instance dungeon? he had to face the revenge of a god! they felt suffocated when they thought of that scene. it was hell to be hated by the gods. no, it was an unprecedented difficulty. qingqiu¡­ as they mumbled this id again, they didn¡¯t know what words to use to describe this audacious and reckless madman. of course, a few lawless players also felt a numbing sensation from their spines to their minds. it was even more pleasurable than having ten orgasms¡­ ¡°point at god¡¯s nose and call him a dog, damn it, what kind of operation was this? ¡°it was too f*cking satisfying¡­¡± the players from the dungeon camp were overjoyed when they saw this. they would face the desert camp and felt they would follow in the footsteps of the sect camp. who would have thought their protector, the great head of the kobolds, would stand out and stop qingqiu? they did not expect qingqiu to be so arrogant that he did not even respect the gods. this time, the heavens were simply helping them! ¡°now that you have offended a god. qingqiu, let¡¯s see what you can do! hyena, brother knight, big boss, and third brother were about to go crazy. they all felt numb. the other party had said that the god¡¯s apparition that was hostile to them was the god of kobolds, but they had not taken it to heart. Chapter 512 they didn¡¯t expect it to be true¡­ moreover, the two had a grudge¡­ even if they didn¡¯t have any grudges against each other, they wouldn¡¯t scold each other like that, right? ¡°this was too f*cking crazy.¡± ¡°he was a god¡­¡± !! ¡°how did boss qingqiu start a feud with the gods?¡± they couldn¡¯t help but sigh in shock when they returned to their senses. boss qingqiu, the boss of the qingqiu clan, such an influential person could not be treated with common sense! he had offended a god outside, and it seemed he had not paid off his offense, but he was still alive and well. they would probably not have ashes left if it were them. and now, he pointed and scolded him, which was something they didn¡¯t even dare to think about. ¡°boss qingqiu, bull nose!¡± the rest of the godly spirits in the sky also shook. they all turned to richard. it was as if they had not expected a mortal to have the guts to point at a god and curse. as the person involved, the kobold mummy god¡¯s illusionary figure seemed to have set off a huge wave. the intense fluctuations made people wonder if the sky would collapse in the next moment. ¡°blasphemer! i will imprison your soul for a million years! i¡¯ll let you, you lowly bastard, live in pain forever!¡± the endless anger-filled words of the gods seemed to make the world collapse. ¡°a dog with a broken spine dares to mess around with dogs?!¡± richard waved his hand. the warhammer condensed on the dog-headed man statue smashed down. ¡®crack!¡¯ the dog¡¯s head exploded. it was like a slap to the face of the kobold god in front of all the other gods. the evil god of the dungeon god system could no longer suppress the flames of anger in his heart. a divine might that was a hundred times more ferocious than before surged out. ¡®crack!¡¯ web-like cracks appeared in the sky. the other party wanted to break through the restrictions of the rules at all costs and vent his anger! the kobold god¡¯s movements were too fast. the other nine shadows wanted to stop him, but it was too late. moreover, a wisp of divine power supported all the phantoms of the gods. they had not descended with their bodies. the kobold god had invested the most divine power. they could not deal with him even if the other god phantoms wanted to stop him. ¡®boom!¡¯ the crack in the sky exploded. pieces of rule fragments shattered like glass and scattered all over the sky. that terrifying shadow did land. when the other players saw this scene, they suddenly felt something wrong. ¡°f*cking qingqiu, was he going to wipe them all out?¡± ¡°was there a need to make such a big scene just to clear a dungeon?¡± ¡°a god taking action personally¡­ who the f*ck can stop this!¡± ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the entire instance dungeon began to collapse from the edge when it broke the rules. the instance dungeon was about to collapse. the terrifying phantom pressed down with boundless divine might with the restriction of the rules. the players were like hurricanes that blew ears of wheat. they kneeled on the ground. no one could stand. no one could resist the pressure that penetrated deep into the soul. the shadow was cold as it looked at the chess piece in the way. ¡°ant!¡± the voice fell. endless divine power burst out. except for the rat in the center, the heavy hammer hit and shattered the rest of the chess pieces. the player¡¯s vision went black, and he exited the dungeon. other players opened the system in fear and found several notifications that made them speechless. [warning: force majeure has destroyed the faction dungeon. this exploration is over.] [warning¡­] fear and shock continued. ¡°qingqiu!¡± they thought of the culprit who caused all this and gritted so hard that they almost broke. ¡°he even dared to look down on the gods. this freak¡­¡± hyena, brother knight, big boss, and third brother appeared on the open violet grass field at the same time. they crawled up in fear when they fell to the ground. at that moment, christy and vale hummed a light-hearted song as they walked past the grass. they were all sparingly surprised when they saw the four players suddenly appear. ¡°what were the grace mainland lords doing? why were they in such a sorry state?¡± vale¡¯s eyes turned cold when he didn¡¯t see richard. he quickly walked toward them and said, ¡°why did you guys suddenly come back? where¡¯s lord richard?¡± the sound jolted hyena awake. its tone was a little frightened when he saw the girl¡¯s anxious expression. ¡°the dog-headed god, the dog-headed god attacked us! boss qingqiu¡­ lord richard still hasn¡¯t left the pocket dimension¡­¡± christy¡¯s eyes narrowed as soon as he finished speaking¡­ ¡°the god of kobolds?¡± what were the grace mainland lords doing? had they touched the level of a god? she quickly approached them and looked at the two with disdain. ¡°immediately tell me everything you know in detail! immediately!¡± hyena¡¯s majestic lion head was like a husky¡¯s at this moment. under the other party¡¯s majesty, he stammered and explained the situation of the dungeon. in the end, christy exclaimed in admiration and surprise. lord richard said he had a grudge against the kobold god before. after the kobold god¡¯s constant provocations, lord richard scolded him before other gods. christy¡¯s breathing became rapid. she clenched her fists and said with excitement. ¡°how did he scold him?¡± boss, who had recovered, rushed to speak with some admiration. ¡°kobold god, can¡¯t you just be an honest dog in your kennel? why are you here?¡± ¡°a dog with a broken spine still dares to mess around with dogs¡­¡± he mimicked richard¡¯s tone, and it was 90% similar. ¡°in the end, it has starkly enraged the kobold god. lord richard broke the rules of the pocket dimension and killed all of us. lord richard is still inside¡­¡± they didn¡¯t notice that excitement filled christy¡¯s face. a dog with a broken spine still dared to mess around. to reprimand a god in his face¡­ she couldn¡¯t help herself as she thought. ¡®so this is lord richard?¡¯ ****** Chapter 513 richard felt his surroundings turned blurry because the pocket dimension still collapsed. the imaginary figure that the kobold god had condensed wantonly exuded divine might. the space became sluggish, and the energy solidified. the phantom had a pair of scarlet eyes. he was like a giant beast that could swallow the sky in a dark and chaotic environment. it was breathtaking. !! the shadow, which had shrunk to more than 30 meters, now floated on the island. the beast looked down. the kobold god¡¯s hatred for richard was so deep that even the waters of three rivers and five lakes couldn¡¯t wash it away! previously, richard attacked the kobold god with the remains of the ancient gods. it caused him to lose his power and divinity. now, richard smashed his statue into pieces the other camp¡¯s gods¨Cafter he stopped him from leaving. ¡°damn, blasphemer! ¡°lowly bastard!¡± richard looked down at the lonely and helpless figure. a strong sense of revenge welled up in his heart. ¡°lowly, filthy human, do you feel fear now? ¡°blasphemer, beg for mercy in your despair! my fury will burn everything you have into ashes!¡± richard looked at the shadow while it constantly distorted with an indifferent gaze. the beast¡¯s divine surge might press him down, but he didn¡¯t feel much. he had once bathed in the blood of the holy dragon in the first instance dungeon and had exceptional skill. [dragon¡¯s strength (special) ¡ª the dragon¡¯s blood has cleansed your body and has become extremely strong. defense increased by 300%, and strength increased by 500%. immune to poison, plague, instant death skills, and aura-type pressure. in addition to the growth skill, yellow sand halo, the effect of the divine might on him was reduced to the minimum. ¡°so what if the other party was a god?¡± a mere phantom wanted him to bow his head? ¡°are you done?¡± richard slowly took out the ancient god statue. a dark light suddenly burst out with a thought and instantly protected him. it forcefully blocked the terrifying divine might. the statue¡¯s aura gradually became more active when it sensed the distorted shadow. it was like a hunter who had smelled the stench of his prey. that nonchalant tone caused the dog-headed god to stop in his tracks, and the words of the gods exploded like rolling thunder. ¡°lowly human lord, you will regret your actions for life!! ¡°do you think you can still borrow the power of the ancient gods?¡± his bright-as-sun scarlet eyes suddenly dimmed after he finished speaking. its breaths in between released endless dark energy. it wiped the last bit of light in the space away. even space froze after the darkness enveloped the world. endless darkness froze the ghostly light the ancient god statue emitted and could not spread any further. ¡°the elanubi gemstone is a remnant of the past. i¡¯ve prepared it, especially for you, lowly blasphemer!¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. this kobold god had probably planned how to get rid of twilight city all this time¡­ however, just as he was about to release the extraordinary hunter and start the second plan¡­ a subtle expression suddenly appeared on his face. at this moment, he quietly sensed it. as the pocket dimension had already collapsed, it gathered all the energy that previously existed near the floating island. what was more coincidental was that after the dog-headed god controlled the mysterious ancient gemstone, he transformed all the energy around him into dark energy. ¡°the darkness¡­¡± he felt that the darkness flowed around him as he muttered this word. the corners of his mouth curled up into a mocking arc. with a thought. it activated the king of darkness¡¯ crown on his head and the king of darkness¡¯ cape on his back. it quickly erupted endless energy. after two breaths. the dog-headed god¡¯s distorted shadow suddenly realized that everything around him was beyond his control. it was like a fish in his hand broke free from its restraints and fell back into the water because of its slippery mucus¡­ fear rose to the kobold god¡¯s heart. ¡°blasphemer! what have you done?¡± the king of darkness cape¡¯s additional skill¨Cdarkness descends. [darkness descends] [with the user as the center, a 500-meter radius will be plunged into absolute darkness. it will compress the enemy¡¯s vision and perception to a 10-meter radius. the user can control the power of darkness and teleport without limit.] [collect two legendary pieces of equipment to activate skill¨Cwhen in a dark environment, the user can control the darkness within a 300-meter radius around the user and materialize.] the collapse of the instance dungeon caused the space to shrink rapidly. it simultaneously plunged everything into darkness. the kobold god used the two mysterious primeval gemstones to condense the darkness ¡­ with all these factors added together, the skills attached to this legendary equipment were instantly enhanced by ten to a hundred times. on the isolated island, the primary and secondary positions had changed. he could feel the power around him that was many times more terrifying than a magma eruption. richard¡¯s eyes glinted with surprise. the horror of legendary equipment had exceeded his expectations ¡­ he looked at the virtual shadow of the kobold god isolated by the darkness while he collected his thoughts, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold arc. ¡°now, have you decided to die like this?¡± the ancient god statue in his hand again released a radiant dark light as soon as he finished speaking, and the ancient aura surged again. at the same time, an illusory shadow elf condensed out of thin air. divine soul. renee, dig out this dog¡¯s eyeballs¡­ this top-notch battle force that was not afraid of death instantly disappeared when she heard the order. due to the collapse of the rules, the main body of the kobold god could no longer put in more divine power while being so far away from the primary plane. the energy that had just suppressed the ancient god statue quickly became a cage that imprisoned the other party after he controlled the thick darkness. Chapter 514 one could turn the darkness into a substance by controlling it. an invisible force currently imprisoned the almost 100-meter-tall god¡¯s apparition. the kobold god struggled madly, but he could not shake the darkness that he condensed. renee suddenly appeared a hundred meters away from the shadow. !! she reached out and took down the exquisite longsword carved with complicated patterns from her back. full draw. an arrow emitted a deadly aura condensed out of thin air. [death hunt] [low-level divine spell] [picks a target within 500 meters and uses the power of the soul to form an arrow of death. it will hit the target¡¯s soul. every cast consumes 20 points of divine power.] ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the arrow streaked across the sky and pierced the god¡¯s shadow imprisoned in the darkness. ¡®roar!¡¯ the soul-tearing pain caused the shadow to cry out a deafening roar¡­ the dog-headed god could no longer endure the injury. the 100-meter-tall shadow suddenly shrank to 70 meters, and its body exploded with endless energy. a storm of destructive energy swept out in all directions. ¡®crack!¡¯ renee wanted to use spatial movement to get past the energy, but the attack was like a tide she could not cross. the moment she appeared from space, her body shattered, and she died instantly. richard tried to control the dark energy around her but to no avail. it was the explosion of divine power, the power of rules. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the terrifying energy crushed everything in its path and washed over richard. the next moment. the king of darkness cape on his back emitted a faint light. the terrifying attack that caused renee¡¯s immediate death was like a gentle breeze that brushed past his face and did cause him any damage. [absolute defense, able to form a shield of darkness that can block any skill attack.] [cooldown time: 30 minutes.] the skill of the legendary cape blocked the terrifying damage. the divine specter temporarily broke through the darkness and regained its senses. the kobold god suddenly realized that richard¡¯s presence hadn¡¯t died. he was instantly furious! his divine power surged again. renee returned to life from the ancient god statue with a wave of richard¡¯s hand. it has fully drawn the longsword in her hand again. [death hunt] ¡®puchi!¡¯ the shadow became faint. renee didn¡¯t hesitate to use a drop of divinity to recover her divine power to the maximum. she drew the bow continuously. renee would keep the remaining three points of divinity to weekly gains for the seed of the world tree to cope with the battle. now, she used up the three points of divinity in less than ten seconds. in addition to her original 40 points of divine power, she had 120 points, and the god¡¯s phantom had suffered six death hunts. in addition to the big move she had released that time, the other party¡¯s aura had changed from insufferably arrogant to erratic. it seemed like it would collapse at any moment. the cage of darkness had completely compressed god¡¯s shadow in place. he could no longer break free. the dog-headed god had not expected such vast change will occur even though he had thought he had prepared well. richard¡¯s manipulation of the darkness was even more challenging to accept. last time, the other party had used a damaged mechanical puppet to fight with him. this time, the other party could use his strength to restrict him. the speed of this blasphemer¡¯s growth gave rise to an exceptionally soul-devouring killing intent in him. richard looked at the shadow that had weakened to a certain extent and tightly held the ancient god statue. richard suddenly had a crazy idea when the enemy could not break free¡­ he wondered if he could imprison its apparition. ¡°wasn¡¯t he a god? perhaps, there was nothing crazier than using a god as a research subject in this world. ¡°even if the other party¡¯s apparition only had a wisp of soul. ¡°however, was it not enough?¡± the crimson moon, whose location was unknown, could make the gods fear. ¡°why didn¡¯t he give him his gift? ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to let them research the god of kobolds? ¡°moreover, what kind of benefits could he get in exchange for the soul of a god?¡± after this thought rose, it spread like wild grass. there was a space within the ancient god statue. previously, it could make the souls of gods fall into a deep sleep and transform. the ancient god statue became extremely strong after it absorbed the energy of the land of the broken land. there was no need to worry about being broken free. furthermore, the ancient god statues fed on gods, and they were the natural nemesis of the other party. but now, the biggest problem was to get the other party¡¯s shadow into the ancient god statue. first, weaken, then absorb! his eyes narrowed. he directly controlled the solidified darkness and sent the ancient god statue above the god¡¯s shadow. as it approached the shadow, the light of the ancient god statue instantly exploded, like a hungry shark that smelled the scent of blood. the dim light directly eroded the divine power of the shadow. richard could sense the ancient god statue grew mightier while the shadow of the god in the dark prison weakened. ¡°damned bastard!!¡± the dog-headed god cried out a wolf¡¯s roar when the situation from before reappeared. his aura instantly rose by a hundred times. the pair of dark eyes suddenly lit up, and the scarlet light reappeared after it forcefully broke free from the prison. ¡°???,???????????????!¡± an indescribable terrifying incantation sounded. scarlet energy bloomed in his eyes. he charged straight at richard. richard could only feel a terrible sense of danger. death murmured in his ears. his figure instantly disappeared. he can move in the darkness without limit. however, not only did the terrifying aura of death not disappear, it became even more intense. Chapter 515 a sure-hit skill. richard didn¡¯t move. renee suddenly appeared when scarlet red light hit his stone. ¡®puchi!¡¯ !! it shattered richard¡¯s body once more. he could not stop his opponent in the slightest. the blood-colored light entered his body. it seeped into his soul and blood. [ding~ the divine spell-blood curse of death has affected you. it will gradually reduce your body and soul to fresh blood and annihilate your soul.] [ding~ sand regeneration has taken effect. it will revive you in 10 minutes¡­] richard felt his body and soul vanish. then, his consciousness entered a dark space. he gradually recovered his senses after some time. when he opened his eyes again and felt the power surging in his body, he was sparingly frightened when he opened his eyes. what a terrifying divine spell. it was a power that constantly eroded the body. the absolute defense which could block a skill attack would be useless without the sand regeneration skill. fortunately, he had many trump cards. he immediately focused his senses. the god¡¯s shadow that had used another big move was less than 10 meters tall. the ghostly light that the ancient god statue emitted enveloped him. now, even the dark prison was useless. the recently resurrected renee wandered around the area in case of any accidents. richard¡¯s face relaxed. he stared at the god¡¯s shadow when renee sensed his recovery. ¡°lowly human lord¡­ you¡¯re not dead yet?¡± the divine specter was on the verge of going crazy when he sensed richard¡¯s resurrection. ¡®why did this blasphemer have so many magical treasures?¡¯ the death blood curse was a divine spell that wouldn¡¯t disappear until it completely devoured the soul. richard ignored the god¡¯s shock. he regained control of the ancient god statue. he accelerated the devouring process. he sensed he had completely died. the god¡¯s shadow kept cursing. richard turned a blind eye to it. the curses of the weak were nothing more than a mockery of his incompetence. the shadow went extremely weak when the ancient god statue had devoured a certain amount of its divine power. the statue glowed brightly and starkly enveloped the shadow. after a short while. in the central area of the ancient god statue. darkness and thick fog formed a shadow and lay quietly on the ground. the two red gemstones on it slowly floated. richard succeeded in his bold and crazy idea of imprisoning the god. he was excited to sense the power of the shadow. of course, what caught his attention the most was that this illusory figure had a wisp of the dog-headed god¡¯s soul. he had imprisoned the soul of a god! although it was only a pitiful amount, this was still a god! furthermore, two mysterious ancient gems were equally powerful as the ancient god statue. he waved his hand. the gemstones in the other party¡¯s eyes fell off and disappeared into the ancient god statue. richard clutched the two egg-sized red gemstones in his hands. he felt the power within. smiles engulfed his eyes. the dog-headed god was indeed a child who scattered wealth. he would bring him good things. the last time, it was divinity and divine power. this time, richard even sent his soul in addition to divine power. moreover, two gems could compete with the ancient god statue. it is the second time richard rubbed the biting puppy into the ground. the pressure the battle brought to richard even though the battle was not long and seemed simple. it is not an exaggeration to describe it as startling. it could not resurrect renee and richard if not for the top-tier skills attached to the glorious treasure. it would be difficult without the ancient god statue if the kobold god restricted the battle area. however, there is no ¡°if¡± in this world. his trump cards obtained from life and death have finally functioned in their roles. this wave is not a loss. Chapter 516 ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the laws continued to shatter, and the world began to collapse. a series of spatial turbulence tore everything apart around it. one could not salvage the destruction of the instance dungeon even if it imprisoned the kobold god¡¯s shadow. !! richard once again witnessed the destruction of the realm. he seemed to see the scene of the first instance dungeon, where the president of the scarlet council, the top boss, shattered the plane and took out the plane stone. as his thoughts turned to this point, an idea suddenly flashed. he took the dimension stone he placed at the bottom of the box from the system space. it broke the law and collapsed the plane¡­ it is seemed related to the plane stone. the function of the dimension stone was to stabilize the dimension and support the rules. richard lowered his head and examined it after he held the dimension in his hand. its appearance was completely grayish-white. it didn¡¯t look much different from ordinary rocks. no one would pay attention to it if one placed it on the side of the road. richard waited for a while, but there was no change in the dimension stone. he couldn¡¯t help but frown. was his thinking wrong? isn¡¯t it how you use the dimension stone? he was unwilling to give up. the yellow sand on his body surged, and he directly injected power into the plane stone. at the same time, he also controlled the surrounding darkness energy to pour into the planar stone. the dimension stone could contain a dimension and was a top-tier treasure in the ¡°shining era¡±. the surrounding power was not able to cause much reaction. richard gritted his teeth and poured in all his power as more and more space crumbled around. the energy had reached a limit under his full power. the situation finally changed. the dimension stone quietly emitted a blurry chaotic light that spread in all directions. wherever the light passed. it calmed the distorted space down and extraordinarily shattered laws. it has halted the collapse. it overjoyed richard while he looked at the situation gradually stabilized. it was effective! he continued to inject more energy into the dimension stone. the light emitted by the plane stone stabilized everything in the surroundings. the chaos covered all the areas that had not collapsed after a dozen breaths. the plane that shook and collapsed a moment ago had quietly regained its calm. the dimension stone gave off a faint light in the darkness. richard looked around excitedly. a quiet and dark area was outside the chaotic light. in the void. it was an eternal land without the protection of the laws. the endless riverbank seemed to hide a giant beast that could devour everything and make people shudder. he was like a child that held a lantern at night. he could only illuminate a small area in the endless darkness no matter how hard he tried. he retracted his gaze and examined the interior of the chaotic light. it has reduced the floating island below at this moment to countless fragments. the fragments had lost their gravity and floated in all directions. none of the soldiers on the chess pieces survived. only his lonely figure remained in this space where the laws had collapsed after renee returned to the ancient god statue. there was complete silence. richard¡¯s heart was a mess when he didn¡¯t hear anything. he felt he was the god of creation who created the world. a world without any living creatures would drive people crazy¡­ he took a deep breath and suppressed the fluctuating emotions in his heart. richard¡¯s thoughts returned to the present situation. he looked at the rules around him that he controlled. and a bold idea suddenly rose in his heart as he clenched the realm stone. the dimension stone has suppressed the space. this place had become land without an owner after the previous few times. could he obtain dimension if he placed the dimension stone here.? he immediately became excited when this thought arose. it was a plane. how ridiculous was its value? even if the area was small now, it didn¡¯t matter. the plane could grow. he learned this information from the old man who lost his heart. it seemed possible without the plane stone¡­ richard had always been a man of action. he immediately increased the power input into the dimension stone. under his control, the power of the plane stone repaired the surrounding rules. richard could sense that everything in the area gradually returned to normal. it made his emotions even more excited. ¡°it would be more rewarding than imprisoning the soul of a god if this idea worked.¡± ten minutes, twenty minutes¡­ after five hours. it had repaired the destroyed laws earlier. even the fragments of the floating island fell. everything was back on track¡­ what excited richard was the realm stone that had formed a close connection with him during the repair process. at this moment, he could even use the power of the dimension stone to control this space. he took a deep breath and slowly stopped injecting power into the dimension stone with some apprehension. nothing in the surroundings changed after he stopped. richard looked around and ensured everything was in order. an indescribable joy welled in his heart. it was a success! he had a plane now! however, the moment he smiled. ¡®crack!¡¯ they could hear the sound of glass breaking. the sound was no less than the rolling thunder in the peaceful environment. richard had a bad feeling. he turned his head abruptly and looked in the direction of the sound. the recently repaired space now had a crack¡­ Chapter 517 he didn¡¯t even have time to move. ¡®crack!¡¯ the crack spread like a spider web covering the entire space. richard¡¯s face fell, and he clenched the realm stone tightly and poured more power into it. !! chaotic light surged. the cracks began to repair quickly under extraordinary power. however, before the restoration was even one-tenth complete¡­ ¡®crack!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the rules of the entire space were like a heavy hammer smashed a heavy hammer glass and exploded with a loud bang. the void also exploded at this moment. the recently repaired space collapsed. and the speed of the collapse this time was more than ten times faster than before. in the span of a few breaths. the void swallowed the space around them, and richard was the only one left. the dimension stone barely supported him and allowed him to stay on the ground, which prevented him from being affected. the sudden turn of events made richard¡¯s expression complicated. he thought he could use the dimension stone to obtain a dimension. however, he didn¡¯t expect that this plane that had collapsed to the point where only a tiny piece of land was left would still be unable to last. he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the churning emotions in his heart. he could not help but fall into deep thought while he looked at the endless void half a meter away. ¡°as expected, controlling a plane is not as simple as i thought. it would have been rampant if quickly done on a plane. ¡°the overall spatial power became very weak after the plane stones repaired the laws, and the spatial barrier can no longer isolate the erosion of the void¡­ it should be the central cause of the plane¡¯s collapse. ¡°and because the dimension stone¡¯s dimension power is so small that one can ignore it, the power of the natural order to mobilize is far from enough to support the dimension. ¡°furthermore, the rules of this faction instance dungeon are not perfect. it will be even more difficult to support an incomplete plane. ¡°moreover, my current strength isn¡¯t enough to fully display the power of the plane stone¡­ ¡°due to various reasons, i failed this attempt.¡± richard¡¯s eyes returned to usual as he made his conclusion. failure wasn¡¯t scary. richard could just try again next time. and this attempt was also quite precious. he had a clear idea of how to use the dimension stone with this experience. he was no longer ignorant and even had to rely on the blind to feel the elephant. he looked at the space in front of him and waved his hand. the dimension stone was in his hand, and he used the remaining power to break the space open. then, he disappeared. he had obtained the coordinates of his return from the laws while he repaired them, so he did not have to worry about getting lost. it starkly eradicated the remaining trace of nomological law in the void when he left. the faction instance dungeon completely disappeared. ****** violet manor. christy waited for hours. but richard was nowhere to be seen. it turned the girl¡¯s expression grave. she looked at the few players beside her, and her eyes turned cold. ¡°are you sure? after dying at that¡­instance dungeon, magical energy can still revive them?¡± to the natives, the so-called instance dungeon was just another name for the ancient ruins, so she didn¡¯t care. due to the special rules of the ancient ruins, it was not unexpected for anything to happen. it was what christy worried about. the players didn¡¯t get angry at christy at all and just nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. the kobold god slayed us, but magical energy resurrected us. ¡°then why hasn¡¯t lord richard returned after so long?¡± christy¡¯s tone was a little dissatisfied. her tone was completely different from before. as the daughter of a legendary master and the most respected person in solan city, richard¡¯s appearance as a little girl in front of her was an exception. in front of outsiders, her every word could decide the fate of countless people. a natural-born superior. a few hesitantly answered, and bean-sized beads of sweat madly rolled down their faces. they stammered and couldn¡¯t say a word. they had seen the kobold¡¯s shadow break the rules and how it quickly killed him. who knew what had happened after that¡­ vale looked at the angry christy and tried to comfort her. ¡°your highness, you don¡¯t have to worry. even if the city lord meets a god, he won¡¯t be in danger,¡± he said. ¡°he had already bound himself to the hero¡¯s altar before he left twilight city. ¡°he knew how extraordinary the magical building that could resurrect hero units was.¡± christy¡¯s expression sparingly improved when she heard this. they no longer looked at those scared out of their wits and looked into the air in a daze. no one knew what richard thought. they didn¡¯t know how long had passed. the space rippled like water. then, a heroic figure appeared out of thin air and landed on the grass. the players were so excited that they almost cried when they saw the figure of the newcomer. ¡°boss qingqiu, you¡¯re finally out¡­¡± the young princess of solan city would skin them alive if he didn¡¯t come out. killing them was simply a matter of a word with the young princess¡¯s identity and status. it wasn¡¯t worth how she did it. and to make this noble girl with such extraordinary status pay attention to her. they could fly if they could ride on the coattails of an npc like christy. the worry on christy¡¯s face disappeared when she saw richard, and she smiled brightly. she dragged her long, pure white noble dress and skipped forward to hug his arm without any restraint. she tilted her head and chattered. Chapter 518 ¡°lord richard, did you just run into a god in the ancient ruins?¡± the players immediately perked up their ears. christy wanted to know what had happened to richard in the past few hours. he couldn¡¯t stay for such a long time with that god¡¯s power, logically speaking. hyena whispered as if he thought of something. ¡°could it be that the god locked boss qingqiu up and tortured him for a period?¡± he suddenly felt that this idea was very likely to be true when he thought of the dog-headed god¡¯s furious attitude before he annihilated them. he looked at richard with a strange expression. brother knight sighed softly. ¡°it¡¯s not easy for boss qingqiu either¡­ ¡°just think about it. to become one of the strongest, one has to pay a vast price¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to the mutterings of the others. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he pulled his arm out of christy¡¯s arms. he was not interested in brother knight¡¯s exposed head. he reached out and pinched her fair face. ¡°you¡¯re just a kid. why are you asking so much?¡­¡± christy stomped her foot and glared at richard after she had waited for hours to satisfy her curiosity. she said hatefully. ¡°lord richard! i¡¯ve been worried about you for hours!¡± as she said that, she looked so aggrieved that anyone who came to see her would feel heartache. richard glanced at vale. when he saw him nod, his heart warmed. although this young girl¡¯s mental age was sparingly mature, her character was quite good. he rubbed her head and comforted her before she finally laughed. christy mumbled, unwilling to be coaxed so easily. ¡°you haven¡¯t told me what happened in ruins¡­¡± curiosity shrouded her as he spoke. ¡°you berated the god of kobolds?¡± even a dog with a broken spine dared to bark¡­ she shuddered at the thought of the heroic richard while he pointed at a god and cursed him. he went against the law, challenged the rules, and looked down on authority¡­ richard¡¯s actions extremely attracted this girl under protection since childhood. the thrill of the adventure was incomparable to the trifle things in life. richard said, amused by the girl¡¯s bright eyes. ¡°the dog-headed god and twilight city will always have a grudge. ¡°a few months ago, the other party desired to descend on the primary plane and flatten twilight city. ¡°we are mortal enemies.¡± he said it casually, but christy¡¯s face turned serious. a god wanted to trample over a territory. furthermore, it was only a few months ago. how long had it been since they built twilight city? could it resist the majesty of a god? at that time, twilight city must have suffered heavy losses. no wonder he was so angry¡­ he slowed down his voice. ¡°what happened after that?¡± ¡°after that?¡± richard only smiled. vale beside him couldn¡¯t help but say with a strong sense of worship in his eyes. ¡°your highness, lord richard slayed the dog-headed god¡¯s clone, and the god of the earth prison race didn¡¯t harm twilight city¡­ that¡¯s why the kobold god hates him so much.¡± ¡°a few months ago¡­ richard had once hunted down the clone of the kobold god?¡± this bombshell news was like a deep-water bomb. it made christy feel dizzy. the gods represented supreme authority in the ¡°shining era¡±. he was a rule master that no one could challenge or blaspheme. he was the absolute ruler. she had lived in such a background since she was young. so one could imagine what a god meant to her. it wasn¡¯t just her. most of the natives had unimaginable respect for those great existences who controlled absolute power. but now, she stood before a lord who had killed a god¡¯s avatar. it was hard for her to describe the feeling¡­ ¡°what happened in ruins?¡± christy¡¯s eyes burned with passion. ¡°lord richard¡­ did you destroy another god¡¯s clone?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t.¡± the anticipation on christy¡¯s face disappeared when she heard his reply, and she regained some calmness. it made sense to kill a god¡¯s avatar. even transcendents and legendary champions could not do it, as it could happen repeatedly. he must have been like the other grace mainland overlords, who had died before they left. she opened her mouth to comfort him, but richard¡¯s following words dumbfounded her. ¡°it was a shadow of the kobold god. i¡¯ve imprisoned it.¡± ¡°imprisoned?!!!¡± richard¡¯s words banged her ears, and blood rushed to her head. ¡°imprisoned a god!¡± these words almost made people lose their balance. ¡°the lord had not only destroyed the shadow but had also captured and imprisoned it!¡± ¡°that was a god!¡± ¡°although the kobold god was not the most powerful existence in the dungeon god system, he was still a god with a well-known name in the entire main plane!¡± ¡°now, the grace mainland lord captured and imprisoned the high and mighty god who controlled the absolute rules!¡± the excitement of breaking a taboo made her lose control of herself. the players felt their mouths go dry when they heard this. the shock they received was no less than christy¡¯s. they had personally felt that majesty! dozens of floating islands collapsed and destroyed tens of thousands of troops with a wave of his hand. that supremely terrifying feeling made them feel close to despair. but now, richard told them he had imprisoned the god they thought invincible! the strong contrast between the two reversal levels could not describe their emotions. they were so excited they wanted to pat themselves on his thigh. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­ awesome!¡± ****** Chapter 519 christy¡¯s face was still red when she returned to the living room. she looked at richard with admiration. a few players were still excited and did not leave for long. the news about the imprisonment of a god, whether to the natives or the players, was too shocking. even if he had only imprisoned the shadow of a god. !! however, no matter how weak they were, they were still gods, the ultimate power of this world. ¡°lord richard¡­ can you let me see the imprisoned god¡¯s clone? just a glance¡­¡± christy looked at richard with a pleading look. she blinked her big eyes and acted cute. the players also perked up their ears. who wouldn¡¯t want to see this? he would have more things to discuss when he went out to brag. richard shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s easy for problems to occur if i take a sealed item¡­ the power of a god is hard to grasp, so we can¡¯t be careless.¡± the most important thing was that the origin of the ancient god statues that fed on gods was too extraordinary. it could make the kobold god and the resurrected god in the land of the broken laws feel shocked and even fearful if he revealed its aura. how exaggerated. he would not reveal it unless he had no other choice. what was an ancient god? after he came to solan city, he secretly explored it several times. but he had not found the answer. no one had even heard of it before, as if such a thing did not exist. this feeling was as if someone had erased everything about the ancient gods. the more this was the case, the more he felt that the secret behind this was terrifying. it didn¡¯t disappoint christy. it would be strange if he could take out a treasure that sealed a god. her unique identity allowed her to be more knowledgeable than ordinary people and know the severity of the situation. ¡°then you have to keep it safe. you can¡¯t underestimate the gods.¡± richard admired the girl¡¯s propriety. he slowly said after he sparingly organized his words. ¡°i have an irreconcilable enmity with the kobold god. he will continue to spy on twilight city as long as he is alive. ¡°christy, i¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a force called the crimson moon, and they have a way to deal with gods¡­ i need to find that force and use their power to kill the god of kobolds.¡± richard¡¯s words made the hearts of every ¡°shining era¡± resident tremble. ¡®god-slayer!¡¯ to control the rules, to be high and mighty, to the point that even touching the other party was an unforgivable sin¡­ dragged into hell. the players were shocked. however, they were more concerned about one thing¨Cthe crimson pact. at this moment, he had a feeling of sudden enlightenment. ¡°no wonder boss qingqiu revealed the secret of imprisoning the god. they wanted to use the power of the young princess of solan city to explore new information.¡± it made sense. since the crimson moon could terrorize the gods, there must be a way to deal with them. search for crimson moon could help him research new information sheets and solve a big problem. it was killing two birds with one stone. christy was the young princess of solan city. she could directly influence all aspects of this terrifying city at the edge of the desert of death was even more challenging. once the other party agreed, it would be of great use. the players couldn¡¯t help but look at christy while they thought of this, who had a little admiration in her eyes. as expected of a big shot, his single actions contained deep meaning. now, not only did he have a close relationship with this rebellious noble girl who loved excitement he also justified his investigation of the crimson pact. they couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary. the crazy idea of killing a god made christy¡¯s heart tremble again. richard¡¯s bold actions challenged her limits. and she had never felt so excited before. his tone was a little unnatural and trembling. ¡°sir richard, are you serious?¡± ¡°of course.¡± the short and powerful response made christy unable to suppress her emotions even after a few deep breaths. ¡°but ¡­ that¡¯s a god.¡± ¡°yes.¡± richard chuckled. ¡°but, so what?!¡± ¡°so what¡­¡± christy¡¯s face was as red as a cooked shrimp. she was short of breath and her eyes fixed on richard. ¡°i¡¯ll help you!¡± god-slayer¡­ it was simply an irresistible temptation to participate in such a deviant and extremely crazy event for a girl who looked obedient on the outside but had rebellious-filled emotions inside. richard reached out and pinched her cheek. he said with a smile. ¡°silly girl, don¡¯t be so nervous. i won¡¯t let you be in danger. you just need to help me find out more information. ¡°twilight city has almost no power outside. it¡¯s too difficult to find out where the crimson moon is.¡± ¡°what i need the most now is to find the crimson moon.¡± the crimson moon was the following information film that would affect all aspects of the ¡°shining era¡± for a long time. he would have gone deep into his plan even if he had not imprisoned the kobold god. christy curiously asked when she heard how important this force was. ¡°the crimson moon¡­ i¡¯ve not heard of such a force. what is their background, and how can they threaten the gods?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°i also learned about this force from a special channel. ¡°the crimson moon has special means to deal with gods, but i don¡¯t know much, so i asked you for help.¡± Chapter 520 as he spoke, he looked into the other party¡¯s lively eyes. ¡°christy, i need your help. ¡°this time, the system had set restrictions on the information of the crimson moon. for example, players could not disclose when the crimson moon would descend. ¡°one could only mention the name and its general influence. !! ¡°the rules would all restrict; opening one¡¯s mouth to transmit information and using magic or paper to record and relay. one could not do them directly. ¡°the natives didn¡¯t react much to the crimson pact with this power. it caused a stir among the players. ¡°they didn¡¯t mind because they were vague even though several players tried to find out about this. ¡°in any case, these guys with abnormal brains were often mysterious. initially, some even shouted they wanted to kill a god¡­they would have been annoyed to death if every word was genuine.¡± christy blushed even harder as she looked into richard¡¯s deep eyes. she avoided his eyes and pretended to be calm. ¡°i-i¡¯ll send someone to investigate the crimson moon once i get back¡­¡± as she said that, he worriedly warned. ¡°however, i want to participate in the follow-up plan!¡± richard could not help but smile as he looked at the yearn-filled girl. ¡°under safe circumstances, yes.¡± only then did christy feel happy. the players wailed in their hearts when they saw christy¡¯s positive response. boss qingqiu was too good¡­ christy still thought about the enormous undertaking of slaying a god afterward. she turned around and left the manor in high spirits. she seemed to be even more concerned about it than richard. only a few players remained in the hall. hyena was the first to speak after a silence. ¡°boss qingqiu, do you have any other tasks for us?¡± this time, he didn¡¯t manage to hug someone¡¯s thigh and clear this faction dungeon. however, after they witnessed the demeanor of the big boss, he was even more determined to cozy up to him. richard said after a moment of thought. ¡°i need you to help me gather information.¡± the few people who were initially sparingly apprehensive immediately perked up and hurriedly said. ¡°you said¡­¡± richard cut to the chase. ¡°first, continue to find more about the scrolls that can contract heroes. focus on the scrolls that transcend and above. ¡°second, use the players¡¯ channels to collect and sort out information about the crimson pact. don¡¯t let go of any clues. ¡°third, help me find out more information about ancient myths. remember a few keywords¨Cancient gods, dimension stones, seeds of the world tree¡­ ¡°i never mistreat my people. i will give you generous rewards if you do these things well.¡± there were still many strategic treasures in the warehouse of twilight city he obtained from the underworld, but he was not interested in them. they were perfect as rewards. they patted their chests. ¡°i definitely won¡¯t let you down!¡± they could survive if they could hug qingqiu¡¯s thigh. the few players left excitedly, and vale, who was silent at the side, slowly said, ¡± ¡°lord richard, can we trust these grace mainland overlords?¡± in the eyes of the natives, the grace mainland overlords had rancid reputations. treachery and no bottom line were common adjectives. the players¡¯ personalities were too unpredictable¡­ although vale had not been in solan city for a long time, he was inevitably affected after he collected information. richard chuckled. ¡°other than you, there aren¡¯t many people i can trust.¡± vale didn¡¯t understand. ¡°then why did you¡­¡± richard shrugged. ¡°even if they spread the word of the mission i gave them, it wouldn¡¯t affect anything¡­ ¡°when you use people, you don¡¯t have to be stuck on certain things. as long as you have the confidence to control the situation,¡± he said. his attitude towards the players had always been purposeful. but he would never disclose it to them. ¡°using them was just a casual arrangement. it would be an additional gain if it worked. one wouldn¡¯t lose anything if it didn¡¯t. ¡°one should keep an eye on anyone for the crucial, other than the heroes under his command. ¡°for example, a few would believe even if they spread the news of imprisoning the god¡¯s shadow¡­ they wouldn¡¯t even know what imprisoned it or how. ¡°they would only think idiots are daydreaming if the natives heard this. ¡°there was nothing wrong with the information they had collected. who wouldn¡¯t want to have those things? ¡°of course, they couldn¡¯t spread it as long as these guys¡¯ intelligence wasn¡¯t low. ¡°it was bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit. ¡°there was no point in doing something that had no benefits.¡± vale looked at richard¡¯s calm face and didn¡¯t say anything more. he only mentioned it as an extra sentence, so it was fine as long he knew what he was doing. besides, he didn¡¯t think the other party would fail over such a small matter. richard looked at the slightly thin voice and changed the topic. vale, do you have any plans for the future development of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce?¡± vale shook his head calmly. ¡°lord richard, i don¡¯t have enough information¡­ i need some time.¡± richard nodded in understanding. they had just built the chamber of commerce, and he needed to lay everything out. it wouldn¡¯t be that fast. ¡°there¡¯s no need to rush. we still have time.¡± ¡°first, set up the framework of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce so that it can operate normally.¡± he muttered. ¡°i¡¯ll leave you with 20 million units of resources as the starting fund. although the silver gnomes and half-orc can be the backbone, we still need to buy some ordinary hardworking merchants to fill in the gaps. ¡°i need to go back immediately.¡± it had been a while since he came out. there were three purposes¨Cestablish a chamber of commerce, find out the effects of the plane stones, and the seed of the world tree. they all had different gains. he wanted to return and prepare for the s-rank mission and the temple exploration. moreover, the branch of the rotten tree was still in his hand. he needed to explore it. ****** Chapter 521 early morning of october 8th. christy looked at vale angrily. ¡°lord richard left? ¡°this scoundrel didn¡¯t say goodbye to me!!¡± !! to think that she had put in so much effort to help him find the crimson moon after she returned yesterday! this fellow should be taught a lesson by her father. vale looked at the unhappy girl and said softly, ¡°lord richard said your highness is open-minded. unlike ordinary vulgar nobles, you don¡¯t care about this secular etiquette. ¡°he even specially instructed me to tell you that he will prepare a special gift for you on his return. it will satisfy you.¡± ¡°a special gift?¡± christy¡¯s eyes lit up, and her anger disappeared instantly. she raised her head and pretended not to care. ¡°hmph, this fellow only knows how to coax me¡­ vale, when lord richard returns, let me know immediately. i¡¯ll settle the score with him next time!¡± vale couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched the young princess leave. he finally understood why richard liked to tease her so much. after he regained his senses, he turned to look at the silver gnomes and half-orcs who got up one after another, and his eyes regained clarity. the next task was arduous. lord richard had sent him from twilight city to take over the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. he knew very well what kind of expectations he had for him. especially since the violet merchant association chamber of commerce was currently the only window to the outside world of twilight city, this responsibility rose to a great extent. however, he would never admit defeat, no matter how difficult it was. he wouldn¡¯t disappoint him. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce would become the most crucial support for twilight city. he firmly believed in this. ****** the carriage stopped at the interdimensional space where it stored the troops. richard stayed a bit after he used the token to bring out the sleeping troops and alves. he rode on alves and flew into the depths of the desert. the guards did not care. the edge of the desert of death could still tolerate flying troops. it could trigger the lost characteristic only when they were hundreds of kilometers deep. richard seemed to have thought of something when they had flown far and subconsciously turned to look behind him. the supremely mighty city was like an ancient beast entrenched on the ground. it made people feel awe. there was a subtle look in his eyes. the next time he came, he might be in a different state. crimson rose. he wondered if this city would change¡­ he turned around and stopped thinking about it. xina and the dark valkyrie beside rode with him. richard felt, for some reason, the two heroes were not in the right mood. when solan city starkly disappeared from his sight, he said slowly, ¡°xina, fay, are you hiding something from me?¡± it jolted xina awake. she was in a daze as she watched the yellow sand land flash past her eyes. she turned her head and saw richard¡¯s curious gaze. his face showed gloominess she had never seen before. ¡°lord richard, am i useless¡­¡± the lady warrior¡¯s solemn tone stunned richard. ¡®useless? ¡®what kind of joke was this? this beyond a-rank hero who would always charge at the front line and tear the defense line apart with the most overbearing stance is useless?¡¯ even if a god came, he couldn¡¯t say something like that¡­ xina continued in a low voice just as richard was about to speak¡­ ¡°it¡¯s all because my strength is low that you didn¡¯t let me follow you when you entered the ruins.¡± ¡°and even if you enter, i couldn¡¯t help you in the battle against the dog-headed god.¡± there was a hint of confusion in richard¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°the kobold god is a sinner who sealed the power of the krina tribe¡­ he is my greatest enemy. ¡°however, i can¡¯t face him directly.¡± unspeakable self-blame filled his voice and made one¡¯s heart ache. richard finally found the crux of the problem. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®damn, you¡¯re just a level 14 hero and want to fight a god?¡¯ he was so depressed because he couldn¡¯t beat the other party¡­ ¡®was it necessary?¡¯ ¡®i would have to bear great pressure in the face of a god, let alone you, even if a legendary master came.¡¯ he reached out and rubbed the other party¡¯s little head as he said gently, ¡°xina, the god of kobolds. he¡¯s a level 30 and above rule master. he¡¯s one of the most powerful existences in this world¡­ you¡¯re only level 14. he isn¡¯t someone you should deal with.¡± ¡°your contributions to twilight city are glorious. ¡°no one is qualified to look down on you. ¡°your future is full of hope. typically, you can¡¯t fight the kobold god now. he has lived for millions of years. how old are you? ¡°but i firmly believe that one day, the dragon-slaying sword in your hand could cut off his head! ¡°there¡¯s no need to be depressed. you¡¯re xina, a descendant of the krina tribe, a hero of twilight city, my most trusted subordinate, and the strongest warrior who will amaze the entire world in the future. ¡°i trust you.¡± power shrouded these words of encouragement that xina heard. a warm current surged into her heart. xina¡¯s eyes reddened, and she took a few deep breaths to suppress her emotions. the blankness in her eyes disappeared, determined again. yes, she was a descendant of the krina tribe, a hero of twilight city. a¡­ lord richard¡¯s vital subordinate! how could she be afraid and retreat? twilight city needed her, and lord richard trusted her¡­ she was unafraid of anything, even if the other party was a god! her gaze was bright and eye-catching. one day, she would ascend to the supreme altar step by step and personally behead the kobold god, just as richard hoped. Chapter 522 she swore on her soul that she would not let richard down! after a long time, xina, who had adjusted herself, said solemnly, ¡°lord richard, i hope to go to the krina tribe alone following our return to twilight city.¡± richard nodded when he saw the girl had regained her usual demeanor. however, he frowned slightly after he fully heard her words. !! ¡°go alone?¡± xina nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. i need to know why my tribesmen didn¡¯t reply to my message. i need to know what happened. ¡°additionally, this trip to solan city made me feel that my strength is far from enough.¡± ¡°i hope to reach level 15 as soon as possible or become a transcendent.¡± her tone was firm and resolute, without any hesitation. she could only become mightier so that richard would not let her wait at the back next time¡­ she hated that feeling. the dark valkyrie¡¯s pale golden eyes sharply gleamed when she heard this. her unique high-level language sounded. ¡°my lord, i hope you can allow me to train¡­ the battle is my home.¡± richard felt the determination of the two top heroes, and he felt sparingly strange. this time, he left the two alone. it moved him unexpectedly. speaking of which, it was also a good thing. it was better for subordinates to be motivated than to lie flat. he slowly nodded after he pondered. ¡°xina, this time, i¡¯ll let fay go with you to the krina tribe.¡± there was no need to worry about any accidents happening to the two with the hero¡¯s altar around. moreover, with their abilities, as long as they did not encounter powers above transcendent or a troop, ordinary opponents would not threaten them. xina and fay were in a good mood after they obtained his approval. alves sat down, heard their conversation, and muttered. ¡°lord, i need to level up too. one cannot trample the great dragon race under others¡¯ feet forever¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. a glance at the few of them pounded his heart. previously, he focused on improving the troop lairs and neglected the cultivation of top-tier combat strength. this time, he could nurture them. especially the dark valkyrie. this boss¡¯s battle power was undoubtedly the best in the entire arena. he could activate her ultimate skill if she could reach level 18 or 19. it was a temporary increase in the level by three. it would allow her to have extraordinary combat strength. he could be confident when he completes the s-rank mission with his trump card. richard opened the system notification while he retracted his thoughts. there were three eye-catching markings on it. a group of desert dragons was on the west side on their way to the glass mine. rebecca had specifically instructed him to avoid them. killing wyverns could increase the number of skeletal blood dragons. richard accidentally found a branch of the rotten tree in the north. it contained a special aura in the hands of a player. that area was a collapsed ruin. south, s-rank mission. the place where a great power sealed god¡¯s heart in the temple. he had initially planned to explore the rotten tree first, but the information he received about the desert dragons in solan city made him set his sights on these predators. the end of october was the breeding season for the desert dragons. every time they reached this point, they would return to the dragon nest and stay inside for a short time. they could not know when they would meet again if they delayed any longer. richard didn¡¯t hesitate anymore after his target. he immediately had alves speed up. he brought the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead behind him and sped away. without the burden of rebecca¡¯s subordinates who had come to drag him down. his flying speed increased enormously. richard estimated it to be over 300 kilometers per hour. it was already considered fast for the skeleton blood dragon, which was not known for its flying speed. if only arveis, the dragon hero, could reach 500 to 600 kilometers per hour. in the evening, the sunset. the sky changed, and the multicolored clouds were blazing hot. it piled up layers of the sun on the undulating yellow sand ground and scattered crystal clear glass ores all over the dunes. the glass reflected the sunlight and rainbow colors filled the sky. it gave people a strong visual impact. richard looked at the magnificent scene in front of him and sighed. no wonder dragons liked shiny items. ¡°lord, i smell the aura of a dragon¡­ they are right ahead!¡± intense battle intent shrouded alves¡¯s tone. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he immediately raised his guard. rebecca had mentioned it before. more than two squadrons of desert dragons were between levels 15 and 17. a level 17 dragon hero led them. he led three squadrons of level 15 soldiers, and the enemies slayed one of the squadrons. one of the reasons was that the giant desert dragon had the advantage in the sky, but it also explained its ferocity. ¡°lord, i request to fight¡­¡± the dark valkyrie said. xina¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a sword. ¡°please give the order.¡± richard nodded slowly after a moment of silence. ¡°be careful.¡± the dark valkyrie floated while she held her three-meter-long saber. her aura instantly soared like a tsunami. xina held the dragon-slaying sword in her hand and wore bloodthirsty armor. blood essence filled her body. she quickly floated into the air and crossed the sky. ¡®roar!¡¯ at this moment, a low roar came from the front. ¡®shuala!¡¯ in the blink of an eye. terrifying giants with wingspans of more than 20 meters rose from the ground. grayish-black scales covered their entire bodies. they were so strong that even a siege crossbow could not pierce through. it was terrifying. a row of razor-like bone spikes grew on their backs from the back of its neck to its tail. it gave a ferocious aura. Chapter 523 the dragon wings flapped and stirred up a powerful airflow. its four muscular limbs had sharp claws that shone with a cold light. it was like it could quickly destroy a city wall. [desert dragon] [level: 15] !! [potential: crown 3-stars] the first color was between levels 15 and 17 as they gazed around. the ferocious appearance gave people an indescribable sense of suffocation. richard allowed the enemies to attack. he feared the skeleton blood dragon and the dead stone statues would suffer heavy losses. there was a significant difference in level and potential between the two sides. richard¡¯s gaze was indifferent. he did not command the troop to evade or do anything else. he just watched as hundreds of desert dragons attacked. the other party wanted to bypass the dark valkyrie and xina. but in the next moment. the two top-notch heroes unleashed their most ferocious attacks. the dark valkyrie¡¯s long saber tore through the air. countless dazzling saber blood qi burst out from her body, and the void exploded. all directions annihilation, beyond a-rank. ten thousand rays of blood qi burst out with the user as the center slashed horizontally in all directions. it caused indiscriminate damage to a radius of 100 meters. it consumed at least 1,000 blood qi. it can increase blood qi consumption to increase attack power and range. the blade light cut the desert dragon¡¯s bodies like tofu wherever the dark valkyrie¡¯s blade light passed. blood splattered from their bodies, and some even pierced through his bones. the scene became extremely bloody and terrifying. the desert wyverns looked down on the dark valkyrie and targeted the skeletal blood dragon behind her. she quickly enraged them. one by one, the top-tier troops crazily attacked. ¡®roar!¡¯ his throat suddenly lit up with a scorching light. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the dragon breath swept over with a temperature that could melt steel. the dark valkyrie waved her three-meter-long saber. endless saber light erupted and slashed at the dragon¡¯s breath. a scene that shocked the desert dragon appeared. the saber light annihilated the terrifying dragon¡¯s breath. the dark blood qi-filled long saber broke through the void. it could destroy all the enemy¡¯s skills and attacks. the dark valkyrie withstood the dragon¡¯s attack and charged forward. she arrived in front of the dragon¡¯s head and brazenly slashed down. the three-meter-long saber slashed through the air. ¡®puchi!¡± a gigantic dragon head flew out. the headless corpse quickly fell to the ground¡­ the dark valkyrie¡¯s fighting style was as terrifying as ever. no opponent could stop her sharp edge wherever she passed. xina, on the other side, was not as fearless as the dark valkyrie in battle. however, this beyond a-rank couldn¡¯t be inferior. her master-level combat techniques, floating ability brought by blood qi essence, and the dragon-slaying sword in her hand could cause severe damage to dragons. the explosive attacks became increasingly ferocious. the 5-stars bloodthirsty armor on her body could provide her with an endless stream of strength after being stained with the dragon¡¯s blood. this fearless warrior seemed to want to vent her pent-up emotions in solan city on the desert dragon. richard watched as his two top-notched heroes brazenly killed the high-level soldiers above level 15. his emotions were also a little subtle. he hadn¡¯t wrongly heard. these two top-notched warriors said they weren¡¯t capable enough¡­ ¡®was this called not having enough ability?¡¯ wouldn¡¯t they die of inferiority if others saw this? he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. but he also felt sparingly emotional. no one knew what kind of soul-crushing power these two top-notch existences would unleash after they advanced to transcendent or even legend. it was worth looking forward to. the foundation he had accumulated in his hands could already be said to be rich without him realizing it. why would he need a bicycle if he could help these two become transcendents? the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin? who was that? how could one compare xina? was she even worthy of being compared to dark valkyrie? the situation changed after more than one-third of the desert dragons died. a fierce dragon¡¯s breath suddenly rose from behind. everyone could sense this aura. richard looked into the distance. a terrifying creature over 30 meters in size showed. the desert dragon hero had arrived. the battle was about to reach its climax. richard did not notice a few players on a small hill a thousand meters away from the battlefield merged into the sand and had no aura. they watched the scene with wide eyes. ¡°f*ck, what kind of existences are those? they killed the desert dragon like a dog¡­¡± ¡°how terrifying. do we still have to complete the mission? why do i feel so weak?¡± ¡°f*ck, what are you afraid of? didn¡¯t you see they lured the desert dragon away? now is the best time!¡± ¡°after this, we brothers will be rich! no matter how big the risk is, it¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°let¡¯s go. before the other party discovers what¡¯s in this glass mine, we¡¯ll take it and escape immediately¡­¡± a few who had fused with the desert quietly sneaked into the glass mine as they took advantage of the time when richard lured the desert dragon away. the two sides that fought did not notice this scene at this moment. ****** Chapter 524 ¡®roar!¡¯ with the appearance of the dragon hero. they wantonly slaughtered the desert dragon and suddenly became more imposing. the grayish-black scales on its body had mysterious earthen yellow patterns. !! an aura as heavy as a mountain spread out, and his defense enormously increased. xina immediately felt distinct obstruction when she slashed again with the dragon-slaying sword, it was as if she was cutting a cow¡¯s head with a blunt knife. at the same time, the dragon breath of the desert dragon became increasingly violent. the additional damage has significantly increased. [desert dragon] [troop type: hero unit] [level: 17] [potential: a-rank] richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the dragon hero with a wingspan of thirty meters. ¡°good heavens, an a-rank hero. ¡°moreover, it was a giant dragon!¡± it was the first wild dragon hero he had encountered. he couldn¡¯t help but feel the temptation. it was a giant dragon, one of the life forms at the top of the food chain in the ¡°shining era¡±. although he had alves in his hands, he was still very envious of this level of battle power. however, he quickly suppressed his thoughts. there was probably no hope of taming a dragon hero in the wild. hero units were difficult to recruit, and the unruly dragons had no contract scrolls. otherwise, hero units wouldn¡¯t be so scarce. it was also the limitation of the rules of the glorious era. richard suddenly thought of a treasure-a high-level artifact after he dismissed the idea, the wishing scale. he could use this divine artifact to exchange for the items he wanted. a level 17 dragon hero with a potential of a-rank, what could he get from it? it made his mood instantly soar. ¡°fay, try to capture that dragon hero alive while ensuring your safety¡­ i don¡¯t care whether injured or disabled.¡± he feared the dark valkyrie would slay the enemy. the dark valkyrie was two levels lower than the other party. however, as a boss model, his potential was two levels higher than the other party. they were on entirely different levels. dark valkyrie immediately retracted her blade when she heard this. he deliberately avoided the dragon hero and swept her longsword in all directions again. they still could not hinder her even though the enemies enormously reinforced their ordinary desert dragons. xina¡¯s fighting spirit soared when she saw the dark valkyrie¡¯s heroic figure. she would not fall behind, although fay was mightier than her! ¡°kill!¡± inside the glass mine, while the situation on the battlefield was tense¡­ a few players who had merged with the desert sneaked into the central area. they stopped at a place where only a few glass fragments were left. one of the tall and thin players whispered after he momentarily compared it with a map¡­ ¡°this is it!¡± the rest immediately perked up when they heard the leader¡¯s words. ¡°troop leader, what should we do?¡± the tall and thin player subconsciously looked back and heard the sounds of the intense battle from the glass mine. ¡°set up immediately. take out the treasures inside as quickly as possible! ¡°a three-stars treasure map. the treasures hidden inside will not disappoint us¡­¡± all their eyes burned. it had been more than a month since they obtained the treasure map. however, the desert dragon had been entrenched in the glass mine a month ago. they tried their best. but they could not find a way to do it. however, the heavens did not let down those who tried. the fishermen benefitted from the fight between the snipe and clam! a few moved very quickly. they swiftly took buckets of fresh blood from the system space, which emitted dense mana fluctuations. they slowly poured it down according to the distribution rules under the command of the tall and thin player. ¡®gu! gu! gu!¡¯ blood seeped into the ground, and the dry sand gradually condensed into a scarlet hard block. a special pattern appeared as they increasingly poured dots. the magic power began to surge. these dots suddenly erupted with mighty energy fluctuation. then, the dots connected directly to everything. in the next second, it was like one inserted a key into a suitable opening. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the ground shook violently and split open. it sent sand flying everywhere. his voice traveled far away. the players¡¯ faces turned green when they saw this scene. ¡°f*ck! did this thing cause such a huge commotion?¡± they hurriedly turned their heads to the side and dared not even breathe loudly, afraid that the enemy would come. they heaved a sigh of relief when the cracks on the ground completely stopped and revealed steps. fortunately, the people outside did not notice¡­ the tall and thin player looked at the crack in the ground and spoke faster. ¡°everyone has a resurrection scroll. you will lose at most three levels if you die. one must have hidden something precious inside for a desert dragon to guard it. ¡°all of you, enter! ¡°it will be worth it even if i die as long as i can get the treasure inside!¡± the other players were already mentally prepared. they dived in without hesitation when they heard this. richard heard the sound of the ground and subconsciously looked in that direction. he did not notice anything unusual due to the undulating dunes that blocked his vision. he only saw a cloud of dust that floated in the sky. however, this scene made him frown slightly. he keenly felt something was wrong. this commotion seemed like something other than the desert dragon could do. ¡°did something happen inside?¡± he turned around and looked at the situation that was still unclear. he had to speed up the progress. his thoughts spun. the endless power of yellow sand surged from his body. the sand suddenly lost its gravity and flew into the sky. Chapter 525 what caught the desert dragon off guard was that the sand directly condensed on their bodies¡­ it forcefully wrapped around the joint. it has enormously affected the agility of its body. xina and the dark valkyrie suppressed it, and the more it could not fight against them now. the dark valkyrie would take the life of a dragon every time she swung her longsword. !! even if the level 17 dragon hero eyed her like a tiger and tried to snipe her. however, it did not bother the dark valkyrie, and she left immediately. it made the dragon hero furious. the dragon¡¯s breath drew out tongues of fire in the sky. it distorted the space. richard didn¡¯t join the hunt. he controlled the sand precisely to create opportunities for the two heroes. his help has tremendously increased the efficiency of their attacks. he was in a good mood as he looked at the one-sided situation. he did not expect that the effect of his support would not be any worse than his going down. xina and fay went all out. they have cleared two squadrons of desert dragons. only the level 17 dragon hero remained on the battlefield. this terrifying existence almost went crazy as it launched wave after wave of attacks at the dark valkyrie. the blade on her hand that could destroy everything forcefully blocked the dragon hero¡¯s attacks. richard raised his hands. ¡®hualala!¡¯ countless grains of sand surged into the sky and forcefully enveloped the dragon hero. the dragon hero¡¯s powerful body ignored the accumulation of sand. but the sand has simultaneously weakened its perception. ¡®clang!¡¯ fay swung her longsword. the longsword light flashed in the sky. the dragon hero only felt a terrifying pain from its right wing. its body suddenly lost its balance and fell. ¡®hu!¡¯ several sharp sand spikes instantly condensed on the ground. ¡®puchi!¡¯ its sturdy body smashed the earth spike down, but its abdomen also suffered considerable damage. the sandstorm still obscured its senses. it tried to get up and struggle. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the pain came from the root of the other wing. it lost its senses¡­ the dragon hero was still ferocious despite its crippled wing. its four limbs propped up its body on the ground and surged a furious dragon breath out. it quickly melted the surrounding sand into lava¡­ the other party wanted to break through the obstruction of the sand, but no matter where it moved, the sand would follow closely. finally, the level-17 creature could no longer endure it. it roared towards the sky. its body suddenly expanded. the scars on its body instantly healed. at this moment, the aura it emitted was ten times or a hundred times more ferocious than before. power filled its body that made one¡¯s heart tremble. it exploded! a powerful energy shockwave spread in all directions. it forcefully blocked the sand outside. the dragon flapped its wings and flew into the sky. this time, its target was not the dark valkyrie but richard. its wings flapped extremely fast. the dragon hero had noticed the crucial point. the endless sand would become the soil embryo on his grave if it could slay richard¡­ however, before it could fly half the distance¡­ a terrifying longsword light suddenly eclipsed the world. the dragon hero subconsciously turned around and slashed down with a longsword that could cut through everything. ¡®puchi!¡¯ from the tail to the back of its neck. the terrifying wound looked horrible. the ferocious dragon hero fell from the sky and smashed into the gravel. it sent dust flying. the dark valkyrie slowly floated over and indifferently observed the dragon hero below. ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for this for a long time¡­¡± she had not used it before because she feared the other party could not withstand god¡¯s punishment. she could survive a wave of damage after reinforcement. richard looked at the level-17 dragon hero, whose momentum had receded like the tide and could not even stand. he felt a little strange. he didn¡¯t breathe loudly when he first entered the ¡°shining era¡± and saw a desert dragon. the desert dragon hero with a-rank potential could only grovel at his feet now. its life and death depended on a single thought. the various encounters within made people sigh. he commanded alves to descend and come before the desert dragon hero. the latter looked at him with extreme hatred. richard instantly dismissed his attempt to subdue the other party. ¡°fay, seal its power.¡± the dark valkyrie stepped forward and swung her longsword. she slashed at a few fatal points and caused the opponent to lose the strength to move. ¡°alves, bring it back to twilight city and hand it over to the god¡¯s ancient tree for safekeeping. six teams of skeletal blood dragons will escort it¡­ bring gray with you on your return here. ¡°it would be more efficient to bring the corpse back.¡± alves immediately stepped forward and used its powerful limbs to grab the other party¡¯s body, then flew into the sky. ¡°stone statues of the dead gather all these corpses together.¡± richard immediately remembered the vibration in the center of the glass mine after he arranged these trivial matters. that was not a sound that a desert dragon could make. he controlled the sand to float up. he brought xina and the dark valkyrie toward the central area. the cracked desert and the pattern drenched in blood momentarily appeared. it was obvious the aura of the blood had just watered it. richard frowned. ¡°this was¡­ a player¡¯s masterpiece? ¡°only those audacious fellows would dare to do such a thing, right?¡± he lowered his head and looked at the bottomless crack. what made these guys want to come in even if they had to risk their lives? he suddenly heard a commotion from below just and felt puzzled and curious. a few dusty guys climbed up the stairs from the crack. ¡°hurry, hurry up. when those npcs can¡¯t hold the desert dragon, we¡¯ll¡­¡± suddenly, the voice of the tall and thin player who had just poked his head out stopped. he stood on the stairs as if his feet had taken root. he did not move at all. the players behind grumbled unhappily. ¡°troop leader, what are you doing? why did you stop? let¡¯s go. didn¡¯t you say that the desert dragon would be back soon?¡± the tall and thin player quivered and turned to roar at the people behind him. ¡°shut up!¡± only then did the players realize that something was wrong. they quickly tiptoed and looked outside. because of the angle, they could only vaguely see a stranger¡¯s hair¡­ the tall and thin player looked at xina and the dark valkyrie. he stared at them coldly and was on the verge of tears. ¡®motherf*cker¡­ these two weren¡¯t the two npcs who had slaughtered the desert dragon like dogs. ¡®damn, desert dragon, aren¡¯t you all too useless? how long has it been since the other party defeated you? ¡®where did these big shots come from? what kind of power could easily kill a desert dragon?¡¯ ¡°xina! let them out!¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± only then did xina step aside. the tall and thin player finally saw richard behind him. he thought the other party was also an npc, but when he saw the player interface, he sucked in a few breaths of cold air and was extremely shocked. ¡®this player controlled two existences that could kill a level 15 desert dragon at will? ¡®f*ck! i want to report this! this b*stard is foul!¡¯ ****** Chapter 526 the players¡¯ faces froze when they came out of the crack. their emotions were indescribable after they saw the dark valkyrie float in the air. the troop leader cursed the desert dragon in his heart¡­ ¡°hello, big brother¡­¡± !! the tall and thin player that led the team braced himself and said. richard looked at them with interest. ¡°are you taking the chestnuts from the fire, or are you the fisherman who benefits?¡± the tall and thin player¡¯s smile was uglier than a cry. they had spent a lot of effort to obtain the resurrection scroll, although they were not afraid of death. it was not a last resort. who would want to waste it like this? not to mention, he would lose three levels. the punishment was too severe. ¡°big brother, we¡¯ve been preparing for this for months. i didn¡¯t expect you to come. ¡°we didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± richard did not comment. ¡°what are you looking for?¡± ¡°nothing, just¡­¡± the tall and thin player didn¡¯t know what to say. richard had caught him red-handed and wanted to make up for it. but he did not know where to find it. ¡°fay, go down and take a look.¡± richard was too lazy to waste his breath. the dark valkyrie didn¡¯t look at these ants anymore. the longword light on her body soared and descended from the crack in the ground with an explosive aura. a few did not even dare to look. the tall and thin player raised his eyebrows when he saw this. ¡®why did the other party¡¯s figure look so familiar?¡¯ it was as if he had seen her somewhere before¡­ he stopped thinking about it after he ran out of thoughts. he decided to speak. ¡°brother, we¡¯re here to look for treasure. they hid a treasure right below¡­¡± the other players panicked. ¡°troop leader!!¡± richard was a little surprised. ¡°treasure?¡± ¡®so the desert dragons appeared in the glass vein was not simply because they liked glass? ¡®it was more likely that¡­ the desert dragon was the guardian of this treasure?¡¯ he keenly sensed the connection between them. ¡®what level of treasure could make a top-tier soldier like the desert dragon guard it?¡¯ it quickly piqued his interest. ¡°did you find anything good inside?¡± the initial plan for this trip was to expand the hunting of desert wyverns to expand the skeletal blood dragons. however, he did not expect to capture an a-rank dragon hero along the way. what surprised him more was his discovery of the treasure that dragons were to protect. indeed, no one could be sure what would happen in the next second in this magical world. the lanky player smiled bitterly. ¡°you don¡¯t need much. i know what to do¡­ you can¡¯t open that door anyway.¡± he looked at richard seriously after he comforted his teammates. ¡°brother, we previously obtained a 3-stars treasure map. the treasure land is here. ¡°however, we only managed to obtain the treasures in the periphery. they blocked the core area. ¡°we don¡¯t have the key to open that door.¡± he steeled his heart as he spoke and took out a tattered map from the system space. traces of time filled the map. the tall and thin troop leader handed it over. the high-alert xina took it and carefully sensed it. she gave it to richard after she confirmed it had no poison or curse. the players looked at the meticulous xina and felt envious. to train such a high-level hero to be so obedient¡­ awesome. [golden dragon¡¯s treasure map (incomplete)] [level: 3-stars] [special characteristic: you can follow the treasure map to find the treasure of the golden dragon.] [description: a treasure map made by the golden dragon. however, it has appeared incomplete due to its age. it is unknown whether certain central information is missing.] the golden, colossal dragon was one of the top races among the countless colossal dragon races. it was famous for its sturdy body and extremely powerful. richard¡¯s gaze was a little subtle after he read the attributes. the golden dragon treasure map. this name looked very tempting¡­ just as he was about to continue asking questions, the dark valkyrie floated out of the crack in the ground. a high-level language with a unique rhythm sounded. ¡°lord, there is a spacious underground space below. there are no enemies inside. ¡°there¡¯s a golden door in the central area. one has carved a giant dragon on it. ¡°i can¡¯t push the door open.¡± richard nodded. he glanced at the players who stared at him. ¡°xina, watch over them. ¡°i¡¯ll let you go on my return from underground. ¡°i have no interest in you.¡± the lanky player immediately swallowed the words he was about to say. no more holy maidens after more than half a year of life and death baptism, although all were players. strangers did not have any feelings for each other. some players would even hunt other players for their belongings. even in the modern world of advanced education, crime was rampant. in a world without laws was a joke to expect players to abide by the law. a wild beast would not maintain its domesticated docility once one has released it from its cage. richard led the dark valkyrie down the stairs and disappeared¡­ the few players were obedient. xina stared at them coldly. they knew she could crush them even if they wanted to escape. they didn¡¯t even dare to make a big move. they feared this npc hunted dragons like a dog would kill them. an exchange of private messages discussed richard¡¯s identity. there were all kinds of guesses, but there were too many players and top-tier experts. they couldn¡¯t conclude, even after they had discussed it for a long time. richard concealed his aura, xina changed her weapon and armor, and the dark valkyrie¡¯s aura was so cold that no one dared to look at her too closely. she didn¡¯t associate with qingqiu for a while. Chapter 527 ¡®ta ta! ta ta!¡¯ his leather shoes produced dull sounds as he stomped on the sand-filled steps. the further down they went, the dimmer the light became. but richard had already covered the entire space with sand. !! everything was within his perception, including darkness. he could even see it clearly with his eyes closed. he felt a soft touch under his feet after he walked down 300 steps. they were underground. he looked up. he could only spot a ray of light on the steps. he stood on the ground and looked around. fried and decayed white bones covered the ground. a shallow layer of sand also engulfed it. it looked like an ancient tomb. players left several footprints on the ground. richard walked forward. ¡®kacha!¡¯ he accidentally stepped on the bones and immediately made a crisp cracking sound. richard¡¯s eyes were no longer indifferent. this scene was already usual to him to have experienced countless battles with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. the dark valkyrie stood in the center of the area and looked around vigilantly. she stood in a 20 meters tall golden door. a colossal door that emitted light illuminated the surrounding space. one has embossed a ferocious and terrifying dragon on the golden door at the closest look. it looked lifelike. it was like it would come alive in the next second. it even emitted a majestic dragon¡¯s might. richard stepped forward. the closer he got, the stronger the pressure of the draconic aura. the relief embossed seemed to have come to life when he was ten meters away. it glared at him with its angry eyes, and the dragon¡¯s might gush out unscrupulously. it would be difficult to breathe for ordinary people in the face of such oppression. no wonder the players said they couldn¡¯t open the door. they probably couldn¡¯t even get closer. richard didn¡¯t rashly push the door open. he waved his hand, and a sandman materialized out of thin air. the sandman stepped forward and pushed the door open. however, the golden door did not budge. he opened the system interface, and it only showed the golden door. other than that, it had no other attributes. richard opened the black gold system without hesitation. more detailed notifications appeared on it. ¡°the golden door imprisons the dragon soul of a golden dragon. one can obtain the inheritance of the golden dragon by devouring its soul. currently, the chosen heir is the desert dragon.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. it was full of surprises. ¡®good heavens, dragon soul, inheritance? ¡®no wonder the desert dragon had been circling here. one has secretly chosen it. ¡®the desert dragon would soon discover something strange if these players didn¡¯t open this treasure. ¡®how much would it strengthen him if he could obtain the inheritance?¡¯ unfortunately, the desert dragon was strenuous to subdue¡­ he felt a headache when he thought of the other party¡¯s gaze filled with crazy hatred. unless he could obtain a contract scroll¡­ however, this thing was not that easy to obtain. the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin had not been dealt with yet. richard placed his attention on alves after he pondered. they were both wyverns. even if the other party could choose the desert wyvern, he could not ignore the skeletal blood dragon, right? however, before that, he still had to wait for the other party to return. richard stepped forward and stared at the tyrannical dragon¡¯s might. his thoughts spun. he came to the front of the golden door and reached out his hand to attach to it. the image of a golden dragon appeared in his mind while it roared at the sky afterward. the terrifying power made people¡¯s hearts tremble. richard pulled his hand away, and the shadow disappeared. he turned around and searched the empty underground space. mottled murals were behind the gold. it recorded the process of a golden dragon that fought against a soul-crushing enemy and ascended to the golden throne. he enjoyed looking at it, although it was dilapidated. the inheritance of this golden dragon was extraordinary if one was to judge from the murals. a sense of anticipation rose in richard¡¯s heart. he did not expect to have such a pleasant surprise here. he left the underground space with the dark valkyrie after he ensured there were no other treasures. the players on the surface heaved a sigh of relief when they saw richard appear again. ¡°big brother, i¡¯m not lying, right¡­? can you let us go?¡± humility engulfed his tone. richard found it funny. these guys were indeed known for being flexible. ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. i¡¯m not interested in you. ¡°do you know what¡¯s hidden inside that golden door?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. we can¡¯t even get close¡­¡± richard carefully sensed the other¡¯s emotional fluctuations. he said, ¡°have you found any treasures related to the golden dragon there?¡± ¡°no, i haven¡¯t.¡± the tall and thin player replied firmly. ¡°i only obtained a few 3-star treasures.¡± he didn¡¯t lie¡­ richard sensed nothing unusual in their heartbeats, facial expressions, and breathing. so he had an idea. his spiritual power became increasingly turbulent as his level got increasingly higher. those lower than him had no room to lie. he instantly lost interest. ¡°just wait. when i get the things inside, i¡¯ll let you go.¡± as he spoke, he waved his hand into the distance. a small team of skeletal blood dragons flew over quickly and domineeringly patrolled the sky. ¡°take care of them.¡± the skeletal blood dragon quickly horrified the expert players when they saw them. a familiar id appeared in the troop leader¡¯s mind¡­qingqiu! it was the best battle he had ever seen. the fierce army led by the other party had deeply affected it. he turned his head to look at his companions beside him. he was so excited that he wanted to speak, but the others said first. Chapter 528 ¡°f*ck, we met qingqiu!!!¡± ¡°those two heroes are the heroes in the final battle? i wondered why they looked so familiar.¡± ¡°troop leader, let¡¯s just stay here obediently. a big shot like qingqiu wouldn¡¯t dishonor his word.¡± words of great expectations continued. !! richard ignored the players. he wouldn¡¯t bother to stay if it weren¡¯t for the golden gate. he was now a far cry from the average player, and very few people could catch his eye. richard slowly took out the food he had prepared from the system space when he saw that the desert dragons had gathered and began to enjoy it. he would not mistreat himself no matter where he was. his food and clothing were the best with his status. alves returned the following morning. gray also arrived. ¡°good day, lord.¡± richard looked at the mummy hero and nodded slightly. he gestured to the skeleton blood dragon beside him. ¡°turn these corpses into skeletal blood dragons.¡± at present, only gray could recruit skeletal blood dragons. other than him, no one else could. gunter could recruit skeletal demons of the same level as the skeletal blood dragon, but monsters were more difficult to find than dragons if one has to judge from the current situation. therefore, the bone demon had been vacant for a long time. ¡°as you wish.¡± richard had seen gunter recruit too often and was too lazy to watch anymore. he brought alves back to the underground space. this unexpected golden dragon inheritance was the most important. the blood-colored power spread out from its body and skyrocketed when alves entered the underground space. blood-colored light covered the dark space. its empty eyes stared at the golden door. ¡°lord¡­ i can feel the dragon¡¯s soul behind that door. it¡¯s roaring at me.¡± richard frowned. ¡°that soul didn¡¯t accept you?¡± alves stared ahead. ¡°it expresses anger and hostility towards me.¡± it turned out that the other party had chosen the successor, the desert dragon. alves had appeared as an undead, which was very different from the other party¡¯s choice. richard pondered for a moment, feeling extremely troubled. he subconsciously opened the black gold system. initially, he only wanted to look at the golden door¡¯s attributes, but he did not expect new information to appear. [the golden gate imprisons the dragon soul of a golden dragon. one can obtain the inheritance of the golden dragon by devouring its soul. the chosen heir is currently the desert dragon.] [it has detected the existence of a new dragon hero, alves. alves can replace the position of the heir of the desert dragon and obtain the inheritance. however, the golden dragon is incompatible with the undead. it requires a higher potential to receive the inheritance.] [one can use a treasure to increase one¡¯s potential and stabilize alves¡¯s soul.] richard was pleasantly surprised. the black gold system was indeed a god! it reminded him of the prompt given by the black gold system when gray, the a-rank hero, was born¡­ it was the same now. a treasure that could increase one¡¯s potential¡­ richard instantly thought of the dark crystal he had used to attack the void hunter encampment in the last dungeon. the function of these crystals was to increase one¡¯s potential. he hadn¡¯t used the dark crystal due to various considerations. now that this move was in effect, wasn¡¯t this hitting the muzzle of a gun? ¡°alves, open this golden door. there¡¯s the inheritance of the golden dragon inside.¡± it jolted alves¡¯s spirit. it stepped forward and pushed open the golden door that even the dark valkyrie could not open. ****** Chapter 529 the golden dragon soul roared toward the sky when the golden door opened. the already terrifying dragon¡¯s might was like a lake that roared from a tall mountain rock. it made one¡¯s heart tremble. even transcendents would have to give in if this dragon¡¯s soul still had a physical body. !! alves endured the pressure as it entered, and its soul fire grew increasingly mightier. battle intent surged. the ferocious golden dragon¡¯s soul immediately pounced on alves when it saw the undead dragon dare to enter. it wanted to expel alves with raging force. alves growled and charged forward fearlessly. the two sides clashed. two streams of dragon might instantly exploded. a strong airflow swept in all directions. dust covered the already dim light. the golden dragon soul could easily crush alves. but without its body, its strength had shrunk to the freezing point. alves¡¯s resistance tore the dragon soul apart in less than a minute. it turned into specks of golden light that fused into alves¡¯s body when it collapsed. alves only felt a surge of energy like thousands of great rivers and surged into its body. its soul fire suddenly surged like gasoline. however, that energy was too enormous. it made alves feel the pain of a full stomach. richard stared at the golden door. he heard alves¡¯s painful groans and immediately took tons of dark crystals from the system space. he controlled the sand to send the dark crystal toward alves. the blood-colored power that richard dispersed in the space was like a shark that had smelled blood. it directly devoured the dark crystal. alves¡¯s pain quickly eased after it absorbed tons of energy from the crystal. its aura stabilized and rose at an excessive speed. the blue soul fire in its head gradually glowed with a golden light. a strange sense of beauty appeared in the stars. its enormous body grew increasingly taller with the crisp sound of its bones. its already exaggerated body size became even more terrifying. the situation was in a stalemate. time ticked away, and it consumed the dark crystal like water. however, no matter how much it invested, there was no sign of it stopping. an hour later, alves¡¯s transformation reached a limit, and its aura suddenly soared. at this moment, the golden door that was twenty meters tall in front suddenly melted like ice and snow under the sun. it gradually turned into liquid and flowed in the air. alves¡¯s body was like a black hole. it directly attracted the golden liquid that floated in the air. a moment later, gold wrapped around the blood-colored bones. and the blood dragon turned into a pure gold dragon. alves devoured the 20-meter-tall golden door in less than half an hour. deep marks appeared on the ground. interestingly, the golden liquid did not become the primary color. it gradually seeped into it after it wrapped around the blood-colored skeleton. it revealed its blood-colored appearance again. the enormous golden door had completely fused into alves¡¯s body on the tenth hour of the transformation, and the golden liquid had disappeared. the blood-colored skeleton that replaced it glowed with golden light. it gave off an unbreakable feeling. no one could imagine how much the other party¡¯s defense had improved. at the same time, alves¡¯s body grew from a wingspan of 30 meters to an exaggerated wingspan of 40 meters. it gave off a suffocating pressure while it lay on the ground without moving. at the same time, alves¡¯s soul flame had also turned dark gold. it gave off an indescribable sense of mystery. richard had already invested 20,000 dark crystals. however, there was still no sign that alves slowed down its absorption. its heart ached regarding this. richard still looked forward to it¡­ twelve hours have passed. alves¡¯s initially turbulent and domineering aura suddenly converged, and he looked like an ordinary skeleton. this scene startled richard. but alves had already turned his head before he could do anything. ¡°lord, the energy the golden dragon soul contained is too great. i need at least a month to absorb it¡­ please take me back to twilight city.¡± its enormous body fell to the ground as soon as it finished speaking. the soul fire in its head dimmed. it turned into a candle-sized spot from a scorching light. richard¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at the mountain-like body. ¡°good fellow, wouldn¡¯t it be half dead to move you back?¡± fortunately, this was a desert¡­ he didn¡¯t remember to move. he turned around and activated his perception. he didn¡¯t find a strange aura, and the black gold system also stopped moving. he didn¡¯t stay any longer. ¡°the treasure has been taken. fay, let¡¯s leave.¡± he waved his hand and controlled the sand on the ground to lift alves after he said. he brought the other party and flew out of the underground space. on the ground. a few bored players who browsed the forums saw the ground roll violently, and countless grains of sand shot into the sky. the yellow sand covered half of the sky. he was shocked and thought that something big had happened. they saw an undead dragon wrapped in yellow sand when the dust settled. ¡°is it the unread dragon hero of boss qingqiu?¡­ wait, why are his bones glowing gold?¡± ¡°do we need a dragon to discover the treasure of the golden dragon? no wonder we couldn¡¯t open the golden door.¡± Chapter 530 ¡°what a pity¡­¡± a few stared at alves with envy. it was like sleeping alone was comfortable. there was nothing they could do, even if they knew the treasure¡¯s secret in advance is what made them most helpless. they didn¡¯t have dragons ¡­ !! richard glanced at the few players who didn¡¯t care and waved his hand. ¡°let them go.¡± the stone statue of the dead in the sky finally dissipated. the few players were surprised and happy as they thanked him. ¡°thank you, big shot qingqiu!¡± ¡°boss qingqiu is indeed trustworthy. you deserve to be so awesome!¡± ¡°qingqiu big shot¡¯s ox nose!¡± he rolled and crawled away after he said that. he was afraid that richard would go back on his word. richard didn¡¯t pay any attention to these guys. he had the treasure, and these little lackeys didn¡¯t interest him. he looked ahead. he immediately noticed the number of skeleton blood dragons in the sky had increased significantly. his eyes lit up as he opened the attribute panel. he found the system notification that he had ignored previously. [ding~ gray has recruited four teams of skeleton blood dragons from the corpse of the desert dragon¨C160] [initial level: 10] [potential: crown 1-star] ¡°four teams?¡± richard was satisfied. previously, he had killed over a thousand wyverns the beast troop raised. but he had only managed to recruit seven or eight teams. the desert dragon¡¯s level 15 and higher potential were the key. he was in a good mood. they say the harvest this time was completely beyond his expectations. his target, the skeleton blood dragon, had four more teams. it was a crown 1-star, a high-level soldier with an initial level of 10. richard would have to spend at least a few hundred thousand units of rare resources if he used resources to recruit them. moreover, there was no place to recruit them. the second reward was a level 17 desert dragon hero with an a-rank potential. although it seemed unless he could obtain a contract scroll, the chances of taming it were slim. he was not very interested in conquering this dragon with alves. instead, he valued its value more. in the later stages, as long as he completed the s-rank mission, he could obtain unexpected rewards with the help of the high-level divine weapon, the wishing scale¡­ the third was the inheritance of the golden dragon that alves had obtained. he had consumed a total of 30,000 dark crystals during the process. this soldier could transform to a surprising extent if one has to judge from the strength of the dragon soul. richard looked forward to alves¡¯s awakening in a month. he was quite satisfied he had gained so much in these two to three days. he decisively gave the order after he ensured clear situation in the surroundings. ¡°everyone, return to twilight city immediately.¡± it was not too late to send alves back first and rest for a while before exploring the collapsed ruins where it hid the rotten tree. on the way back, richard did not sit on the other skeleton blood dragons. instead, he controlled the sand to bring alves along as they sped away from the ground. yellow sand control was an all-purpose skill in the desert. this behemoth with 40 meters wingspan was easy to transport. october 13th, sunset. richard saw a sandstorm that blotted the sun at the end of his line of sight. an emotional feeling rose in his heart. that was the feeling of home. his feelings for twilight city grew increasingly mightier as his bond with the city deepened. this territory now belonged to him and had become his heart¡¯s sustenance. it was a wonderful feeling. he told his subordinates to speed up and cross the sandstorm. they returned to twilight city before nightfall. the residents on the street were excited when they saw richard. ¡°city lord!¡± ¡°good evening, my lord¡­¡± ¡°welcome home¡­¡± greetings of delight and respect continued. in this land, richard enjoyed absolute prestige. richard smiled and nodded at the crowd. he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion under the gazes of worship and madness. first, he placed alves asleep in the spacious backyard. the most heavily guarded place was the lord¡¯s mansion. as long as twilight city did not fall, nothing would happen to alves. richard sat in a familiar position in the hall and drank the hot tea the maid had made after he dismissed the soldiers. he was in a good mood. he would never feel at ease in twilight city. no matter how impressive he was in the outside world. soon after, karu arrived in a hurry after he received the news. the twilight city butler grew older, but his mental state was sharp. he did not look old at all. ¡°lord richard.¡± richard felt a little emotional when he looked at excited karu. karu followed him first and had significant contributions to twilight city. it was a pity that he had yet to find a treasure that restores one¡¯s youth or extends one¡¯s lifespan. otherwise, karu could have continued to shine and heat up. he would not have been so worried that the other party would suddenly collapse that day. richard gestured to the seat beside him and said slowly. ¡°karu, sit down. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. i can hand things over to your subordinates to settle them. you don¡¯t have to do everything yourself.¡± karu laughed. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve finally found the meaning of my life after staying in twilight city for half a year. it¡¯s my honor to sacrifice my life and soul for you and my city!¡± pride engulfed his tone. he believed that more than one person had the same thoughts as him. this city was worth everything he had. richard felt a little conflicted. he looked into the man¡¯s eyes, which were as bright as stars. he didn¡¯t know what to say. butler karu came returned to his senses and smiled. ¡°lord richard, i should report to you about the recent situation in the territory.¡± richard collected himself and nodded. ¡°let¡¯s start from the underground world.¡± ¡°yes!¡± karu¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°first, the unification of the underground world is being completed step by step by bloodhoof city. however, the progress is sparingly slow due to the need to integrate the small forces we have annexed. we estimated another three months to tame those that have escaped. ¡°second, the weapons factory has been opened. the exchange of items and other surface items for weapons in the underworld has begun to spread in the underworld. ¡°the intelligent races of the underground world have responded well. many forces contacted bloodhoof city and established a cooperative relationship. ¡°third, the development of alchemy technology in the primary city of the gray-colored dwarves is on the right track. ¡°currently, master alchemist is in charge of the work. he has already entered the stage of full recovery. he is now integrating the alchemy technology left behind by the gray-colored dwarves. we estimated completion to happen by early november. by then, the level of alchemy technology will be even higher. ¡°fourth, we¡¯ve recruited several dungeon heroes in the underground world. although most have the potential of d-rank, e-rank, and even f-rank, a few were b-rank heroes. a dwarf tribe that is said to have the bloodline of a god who has come to join us.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he had recruited heroes from the underworld for a long time. but he was sent away by the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ alchemy bomb. richard restarted this plan after he conquered the underworld. the hero unit was fine. he had expected it, but what was with this dwarf with the bloodline of the gods? karu added as if he knew that richard would be interested in dwarves. ¡°those sacred-blood dwarves are said to have immense power in their bodies. however, because of the war, the method of development failed. therefore, they have always had treasures that they could not use. ¡°i came to seek refuge to solve this problem.¡± ¡°where are the sacred-blood dwarves?¡± ¡°everyone watched fortress city.¡± richard noted it down. ¡°i¡¯ll make a trip to the underground world later. i¡¯ll take a look then.¡± karu continued to report. ¡°in twilight city, the one-armed blacksmith sam from the blacksmith shop had some insights while they researched offensive technology. his research has broken through to advanced offensive technology. he is currently working on advanced offensive technology. we estimated initial results to yield in a week.¡± another surprise. the mighty, one-armed blacksmith appeared in richard¡¯s mind. he admired the other party¡¯s personality. he would use the strengthening crystal later to bestow him with a beyond a-rank skill. he didn¡¯t expect swift progress. they were about to develop advanced attack technology. he was satisfied. it was like one could not shake the policy of nurturing talents. Chapter 531 ¡°lord richard, the literacy class is going well. most of the residents can now read more than 300 words and can read simple announcements. we will gradually adjust the depth of knowledge in the next step. ¡°the various departments¡¯ conferences have been adjusted many times and are now very suitable for the current situation in twilight city. we have implemented our previous idea of integrating the knowledge of each industry into a book. ¡°as the literacy rate increases, this project is accelerating. we estimated the revision of the first batch of books in two months. ¡°these professional books are the experiences accumulated by the veterans in the relevant industries over a long period. there are also a lot of exclusive secrets, which will be of great help to novice apprentices. !! ¡°also, the government department you asked me to build has already been established. we divide it into five departments: the ministry of people¡¯s lives, the ministry of agriculture, the ministry of weapons, the ministry of industry, and the ministry of commerce. ¡°everyone in twilight city works in these five departments. ¡°the list of managers for the five departments has been sorted out. you need to appoint them¡­ butler karu described the situations in twilight city in detail. richard listened attentively. he would ask if he had any doubts. although he had only left for half a month, the changes in twilight city were not small. it took him some time to digest all the information. ¡°you¡¯ve done a great job. it¡¯s been hard on you. ¡°i¡¯ll organize an appointment ceremony tomorrow. i¡¯ll appoint the managers of several departments at once. ¡°as for the other government affairs, just follow the established plan. report to me if you can¡¯t make up your mind.¡± richard changed the topic. ¡°vale is already in charge of our newly established violet merchant association in solan city. ¡°you need to speed up the statistics of the underworld specialties and report the news to him. ¡°the chamber of commerce is currently the only window to the outside world of twilight city. it will bear even greater responsibilities in the future. ¡°you must help vale immediately with whatever he needs.¡± butler karu looked solemn. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± he had a thorough understanding of the merchant association¡¯s plan. that was why he had sent vale, who was like a disciple to him. richard didn¡¯t say much. his trust in karu was high. karu hadn¡¯t made mistakes since he appointed him, although he was old and weak. ¡°you can go down first. i¡¯m going to the blacksmith shop.¡± richard finished his tea when karu left and followed him out of the lord¡¯s mansion, heading straight for the blacksmith shop. the mummy guardians that protected the door humbly bowed when they saw richard. all the troops recruited from the lair would be loyal to the lord who recruited them while the lord was still alive. it was even more so for undead-like mummies. richard stationed troops in some key departments to prevent accidents as twilight city grew and had more soldiers. the hurried apprentice immediately bowed in surprise when he entered the blacksmith shop. the room immediately became lively. richard nodded with a smile and went up to the second floor. richard saw adele as soon as he stepped up the stairs. she had a few black marks on her face. she held a long-handled copper hammer taller than her and prepared to forge. the girl subconsciously turned her head. her eyes curved into crescent moons when she saw richard. delight engulfed her eyes from top to bottom. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re back!¡± richard looked at the treasure of twilight city and chuckled. ¡°your father¡¯s letter has arrived. it is your father¡¯s reply.¡± as he spoke, he took a letter from the system space and handed it to the girl. previously, when she knew that richard was going to solan city, andel had written a letter to him in advance. this time, when she went, she asked onic to send it to him. adele took it excitedly and tore to open the envelope in front of him to read it carefully. he looked at richard with a smile after a cursory glance. ¡°my lord, father told me to work hard for twilight city¡­¡± richard thought of how he had hung adele¡¯e father up and beaten him up. and how the girl had asked him to punish her more. he couldn¡¯t help but smile. that guy could distinguish between good and evil. richard got down to business after they chatted for a while. ¡°adele, have you made any progress in your previous research on improving the potential of the military?¡± richard obtained a few top-notch treasures from the dungeon last time¨Cthe dark crystal that could increase one¡¯s life potential. these include a strengthening gemstone that could raise a subordinate¡¯s skill beyond a-rank. another was a fusion gemstone that could fuse two troops into one. the other was a spiritual gemstone that could increase soldier potential. he had used most dark crystals on alves and one strengthening gemstone on the one-armed blacksmith sam. currently, two were left. the fusion crystal and psionic gemstone had fused the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyle and gave birth to the stone statue of the dead. two remained. richard earned 14 psionic gemstones and gave five to adele. but he hadn¡¯t seen results from her research. adele¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when she heard this. she said excitedly. ¡°lord richard, i was inspired by sam¡¯s research on attack technology, so i¡¯ve been trying another way to improve myself.¡± ¡°the stone statue of the dead has a very high potential. it¡¯s too wasteful to strengthen it with psionic gemstones alone.¡± ¡°using this new method, i can make the stone statue of the dead even stronger!¡± Chapter 532 ¡°the benefits we can reap will be indescribable if the attempt succeeds! ¡°as for the specifics, i plan to¡­¡± richard had been quite interested at first. but when he heard this, he quickly waved his hand to stop the girl as she went increasingly excited. this girl had stubbornness about scientific research. she was simply crazy about her favorite study. !! ¡°there¡¯s no need to go into so much detail. just do it. i have absolute trust in you! ¡°if you need any resources, you can ask karu. ¡°now that we have conquered the underworld, we no longer lack resources like before.¡± adele¡¯s smile grew wider. richard¡¯s unconditional support for her from the beginning was also an important reason why she was so committed to working for twilight city. it was worth it. when adele went back to work, richard went to see sam. the one-armed blacksmith, who already had his workshop in the blacksmith shop, was excited to see richard. richard encouraged him. he thought of the leveling requirements of twilight city. currently, twilight city is still a small city. one had to meet the three requirements of the population, building level, and technology to upgrade. sam had already satisfied the first two requirements. previously, he was stuck with advanced technology. he had now developed the technology of the scorpion warriors to the advanced-level. he even prepared to upgrade it to the special-level. it completely satisfied the leveling requirements. anticipation rose in his heart when he thought of this. it had been half a year since he came to the ¡°shining era¡±. and he could finally level up into a middle city. richard left the blacksmith shop without hesitation and returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. he swapped out everyone and started leveling up¡­ ****** a convoy in solan city with a phoenix-tail flower insignia slowly moved to the city gate. the soldiers that guarded the city did not check the convoy at all and directly let it pass. the pedestrians along the street also looked at the convoy with admiration. in the hearts of most residents of solan city, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce enjoy an extremely high status. not only was it the largest chamber of commerce at the edge of the desert of death, but it had also protected solan city several times. solan city might have long since ceased to exist if it weren¡¯t for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the controller of this behemoth looked at the street through the glass. seriousness shrouded her exquisite and flawless face. her usual graceful and elegant temperament was now as cold as a blade. her deep eyes could give people terrifying pressure. no one would dare to have any thoughts of blasphemy in front of her superior aura even with her peerless beauty. ¡°young girl, several good things are still in red dragon general store. take them all later. ¡°the future of the crimson moon lies on your shoulder.¡± peim was the old man who hunted the ancient red dragon. he possessed the high-level divine artifact, the wishing scale, and lived for ten years after he lost his heart. at this moment, he half-lay on the soft blanket of the carriage. he looked at windsor with heartache. ¡°in the past, your father and i hoped that you could be a happy girl, like that little girl christy¡­ ¡°after that, you were forced to take control of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. you spent countless efforts and became the president of it, which ordinary people fear. ¡°now, you have to shoulder the crimson moon¡­ ¡°none of this would have happened if we could return to the past. windsor, you¡­you should be carefree.¡± windsor¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she turned to look at peim. he was like a candle in the wind whose life was extinguishable at any moment. her eyes suddenly lit up. she endured the pain in her heart and said slowly. ¡°teacher, i don¡¯t regret any of this. ¡°my father expected me to take charge of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. i could not fail him. ¡°the current phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has already grown to a height that no one dares to underestimate! ¡°it is your wish to control the crimson moon. i will not disappoint you.¡± peim looked at windsor. she was as stubborn as a child, and his heart ached even more. he wanted to say something, but windsor¡¯s stubborn personality made him unable to say anything. the thousands of words could only turn into a long sigh. windsor suppressed her emotions and spoke again. ¡°teacher, the crimson moon will eventually tremble and terrify those false deities! ¡°they are not worthy of ruling this world!¡± peim shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ve never doubted our faith, but i¡¯m still worried about you¡­ i initially wanted to see you get married and give birth to a cute child. i wanted to hold a baby in my arms and cry out. but now, i can¡¯t see a baby anymore.¡± windsor felt a lump in her throat. her voice trembled. ¡°we still have time.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll issue a mission to all the grace mainland overlords in my return. someone could complete it!¡± peim revealed a calm expression. ¡°i know better than what those grace mainland overlords can do. the only hope now is that bastard richard.¡± peim had long become indifferent to death after he lost his heart ten years ago. perhaps, he would have chosen to sleep forever if it weren¡¯t for the crimson moon and windsor. richard¡­ an image of that stunning figure filled windsor¡¯s mind when she heard the name, richard. ¡°could the other party do it?¡± she sparingly trusted him even if he was qingqiu. ¡°no matter what the situation is, grace mainland overlords, those lawless beings are the ones we need to recruit.¡± ¡°it must not be limited to a certain group if the crimson moon wants to expand. all classes and races must recognize them.¡± Chapter 533 ¡°don¡¯t be angry even if richard fails to complete the mission. he¡¯s worth recruiting.¡± windsor fell silent and did not speak again. the convoy entered the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce after they passed through a long street. windsor saw christy¡¯s agile figure when she got out of the car. !! ¡°sister windsor!¡± christy walked over quickly with a smile in her eyes. ¡°how was it? i was fast this time, right? i knew when you entered the city, so i came to wait for you.¡± christy saw peim slowly come down from the carriage when she finished speaking. her excited expression immediately froze, and fear engulfed her eyes. ¡°teacher peim¡­¡± peim glared at christy. ¡°you¡¯re so free. have you finished the magic array research homework i gave you last month?¡± christy¡¯s face was bitter, and she couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. windsor rubbed the girl¡¯s hair and smiled. ¡°let¡¯s go in.¡± the girl heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°teacher peim, let me help you.¡± peim ignored the little girl. a mechanical wheelchair appeared before him with a wave of his hand. he sat comfortably on it. christy scratched her head awkwardly. windsor could not help but smile when she saw this. her previously depressed mood felt much better. the two walked behind, with peim in front. christy couldn¡¯t help but tell them everything that had happened in solan city after some distance among them. of course, richard was the one who brought it up the most. windsor was keenly aware of the friendliness in her words and could not help but find it funny. ¡®that lord had an extraordinary charm. ¡®the eldest daughter of the grand duke, rebecca, gave the manor to him. this little girl, christy, also respected him greatly¡­¡¯ ¡°is that lord richard charming? can he make the little princess of solan city talk about it all the time?¡± christy said nonchalantly. ¡°i¡¯m good friends with lord richard. he even entrusted me to lead the newly established violet merchantile association chamber of commerce!¡± windsor didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°this lord has already betrayed you, yet you¡¯re still so proud? ¡°wouldn¡¯t he have profited if the other party entrusted you the chamber of commerce?¡± christy couldn¡¯t convince them enough. she suddenly lowered her voice and whispered with a mysterious expression. ¡°sister windsor, you don¡¯t know, but lord richard captured a clone of the kobold god in an ancient ruin a few days ago. that clone has a wisp of the kobold god¡¯s soul! ¡± ¡°lord richard also asked me for help to find an organization called the crimson moon. he said that this organization can kill the dog-headed god¡­¡± peim suddenly turned around. her words startled windsor. ****** Chapter 534 october 15th, noon. richard watched as the yellow sand before him gradually dissipated while he stood before the lord¡¯s mansion. it revealed a magnificent building. he was in a good mood. finally¡­ richard had leveled up! !! [ding~ the system has upgraded twilight city level 3 medium-sized city. fifty slots have expanded the lord¡¯s mansion. five hundred and one thousand ninety-eight have expanded the territories.] [twilight city] [level: 3] [city: medium] [ten million units each of gold, wood, stone, and iron] [one hundred thousand units each of crystals, gems, mercury, and sulfur] [population: 50,000] [technology: five special-level] [hero units: 20] from the evening of the 13th to the afternoon of the 15th. it has upgraded twilight city from a level 3 small city to a level 3 medium city.] the area of twilight city had expanded several times if one looked down from the sky. the original buildings were slightly crowded. but now, large empty spaces appeared outside these buildings. what was worth mentioning was that when the system has upgraded twilight, the city walls also expanded along with the city. at this moment, they still firmly guarded the territory. [city wall] [level: elite] [can level up with the territory level] [material required to level up: 10 million units of stone] [characteristic: 25 meters tall, 12 meters wide, sturdiness 50] [skill: endurance. increases the strength and defense of the defending army by 30%.] [description: a city wall with good defense.] the city wall was firmly bound to the territory. there wouldn¡¯t be an awkward situation where the territory area exceeded the city wall. the only thing that gave richard a headache was the requirements for upgrading a level 3 city to a level 1 city were too harsh. resources weren¡¯t an issue with the current abilities of twilight city. twenty champions were not difficult, but the last two were different. five advanced technologies, 50,000 people¡­ he knew how difficult it was to upgrade technology. the consumption of resources was secondary. the time needed for research was the primary point. it was still fine if it was ordinary to intermediate. but twilight city would take a month or even longer to upgrade from advanced to special. moreover, there was a chance of failure. it would take twilight city at least four to five months to complete the five advanced technologies. he arranged to conduct full-time research for sam, the one-armed blacksmith. he required sam to cut the queue to a more urgent task if something unexpected happened midway. it would delay the time. the population of 50,000 also made him speechless. where did so many people come from in the desert? it had been half a year since he came to the ¡°shining era¡±, but the twilight city had only picked up two thousand people from the desert¡­ he simply did not have the strength to complain. those lords who lived in rich lands had at least 30,000 to 50,000 people. the barren resources in the desert made the conditions that were not a problem for other lords extremely harsh for twilight city. richard took a deep breath and calmed himself down before he thought of a solution. ¡°the population problem could not rely on the desert¡¯s production. ¡°who would cross the desert all day for no reason? ¡°the best solution is to import it from the outside world¡­ ¡°this world has no shortage of poor people the war has displaced. ¡°the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce should show its effectiveness. ¡°however, there must be a limit. we couldn¡¯t bring in several residents at once. raising the people¡¯s hearts will enormously promote the development of the territory. ¡°the people¡¯s hearts will scatter if there are too many of them. ¡°i had solved the population problem. i can only let sam work hard on technology. ¡°i have to continue to find talents in this field in the future. ¡°according to these conditions, if we want to upgrade the city in the future, we might still be stuck by technology.¡± richard¡¯s thoughts cleared up. he soon found the crux of the problem. however, this wasn¡¯t something he could solve in a day or two. he could only do it gradually. the development of twilight city would encounter various difficulties. he was mentally prepared for this. he looked around after he recollected his thoughts. it was time for him to upgrade the other buildings. he still had plenty of resources on hand. he had left 20 million for vale previously. so he still had 80 million on hand. he immediately set up without hesitation the blacksmith shop, food workshop, brewing workshop, tailor shop, and barracks¡­ he upgraded all five buildings. three hours later, five special buildings appeared before him. apart from the barracks, all had become four-story buildings. he looked valiant. only the barracks remained the same. the only difference was that the railings outside had become a three-meter-high wall. barracks could train ordinary residents into soldiers and participate in wars. they could even obtain treasures and train special troops. however, the building practical for other lords was sparingly valuable in twilight city. richard did not need ordinary residents to change levels. first, a few residents were more valuable than soldiers. second, the undead troops in his hands were more suitable for desert battles. as a result, the only function of this building was to meet the upgrade requirements of the territory¡­ richard was quite satisfied with his inspection. no matter what, twilight city would go increasingly mightier. however, richard immediately looked at the residential area when he saw more than 70 million ordinary resources left on his attribute panel. he needed a large city with a population of 50,000 if he wanted to level up. the number of residential buildings right now wasn¡¯t enough. richard upgraded all 40 residential buildings to special level after he pondered. he only lost a few million resources after such a crazy upgrade. Chapter 535 richard was in a good mood as he looked at the numbers on his attribute panel. the profits from the last attack on the underground world were indeed abundant. even now, there was still a surplus. he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. it was indeed a gold belt for murder and arson. !! but it appeared sparingly embarrassed when it turned around. it was because it could only upgrade two of the troop lairs to crown¡­ the two formed a strong contrast. ¡°are you reminding me that the strength of the troop is everything? ¡°there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it. no matter how well the people built the city, it¡¯s still a wedding dress for others if there needs to be more power to protect it. ¡°other people store grain while i store guns. his house is my granary??¡± richard upgraded all the buildings in twilight city with generosity to a special level. the next level would require twilight city to upgrade into a large city. it made him lose interest. it was a life-threatening situation with a population of 50,000 and five advanced technologies. ****** in the underground world. an old dwarf stood on the towering walls of fortress city. it looked into the gray distance with an inexplicable expression. they headed toward blood hoof city. it wasn¡¯t looking for the barbarian city. but the figure who had once appeared as a savior. unfortunately, it had been half a month, and the other party had yet to appear¡­ ¡°rand augustus¡­what are you doing up here? damn bastard, if you fall again, i promise i will throw your corpse into the sewers and let those filthy saw-toothed rats devour it!¡± the old dwarf turned around when he heard the curse behind him. a gray-colored dwarf in a wheelchair appeared before the old dwarf. anger engulfed its face. two mechanical puppets pushed the wheelchair behind the gray-colored dwarf. one of its arms, short as a bean sprout, was striking. congenital abnormalities. the old dwarf smiled bitterly. ¡°master brown¡­¡± the dwarf was brown. the level 12 alchemist who had first joined richard. the gray-colored dwarf glared fiercely at the old dwarf. ¡°you fell from here last time. you still dare to come here?!¡± the old dwarf was helpless. ¡°it was just an accident last time. i¡¯m fine, right?¡± ¡°accident? listen, listen! was this something a dwarf could say? gods above, i promise the great lord that if he allows it, i will kick you down and let you experience what an accident is!¡± brown was exasperated. the old dwarf decisively changed the topic when it saw this. ¡°lord brown, why are you looking for me?¡± brown snorted coldly and was too lazy to continue to argue. its life was not his anyway. he said stiffly. ¡°lord returned to twilight city three days ago and specifically asked to see you. ¡°it is estimated that they will arrive at the underground world in two days.¡± it said threateningly. ¡°rand! if you¡¯re lying and don¡¯t have the bloodline of a god in your body¡­ believe me, i will throw all of you into the furnace without the lord getting angry!¡± the old dwarf couldn¡¯t hide the surprise on his face. ¡°lord richard is back?! ¡°praise the dwarf god!¡± brown pursed his lips. ¡°dwarf god? that fellow had fell long ago. what is the use of praising it now¡­ we¡¯re all small races. why don¡¯t you let the dwarves follow me and worship the great god of the gray dwarves?¡± the old dwarf glared at brown indignantly and shouted. ¡°stupid gray-colored dwarf! a great god will never fall!¡± ¡°my god is only sleeping! he will return!¡± brown sneered. ¡°return? the legend of you dwarves? could the moon resurrect it when it rises?¡± brown could not be bothered to say anything else and waved its hand as it looked at the angry old dwarf. ¡°stop arguing. hurry up and inform your clan. don¡¯t make any mistakes and offend the lord. when the time comes, i won¡¯t forgive you!¡± brown seemed to have thought of something after it said that. it sat up straight and said with a hint of flattery. ¡°sir rand, i¡¯ve recently encountered a few questions regarding alchemy. i wonder if you can answer them¡­¡± the old dwarf looked at the other party¡¯s shameless appearance, and its anger disappeared. the old dwarf didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. they were all of the same race, so why was there such a vast difference? it could only open its mouth to ask the other party¡¯s question after a long sigh and explain. the old dwarf wasn¡¯t familiar with alchemy technology, but for some reason, as long as brown described the cause and effect in detail, rand could always think of a way. it was as if the knowledge hid in its mind. the old dwarf took a deep look at the gray city wall and did not stay any longer after brown left in satisfaction. it turned around and left the city wall. the old dwarf headed toward the inner part of fortress city. the streets bustled with mechanical puppets, and gray-colored dwarves shuttled back and forth. the war that destroyed fortress city seemed to have happened decades ago. no one mentioned it again. the lives of the underground world were always so pragmatic. survival came first. it didn¡¯t matter who ruled them as long as the other party could give them a chance to live¡­ coincidentally, the management of the underground world in twilight city allowed it to unleash its potential and find a suitable way to develop. on the way, other than a few mechanical puppets that protected it, no one paid attention to it. the old dwarf did not mind. its pace became much faster with anticipation in its heart. the old dwarf turned into a small manor after it went through two streets. it pushed the door open and entered. the old dwarf ignored the mechanical puppets that guarded it. Chapter 536 when the manor gate opened, dozens of pairs of eyes looked over in unison. ¡°patriarch¡­¡± ¡°sir rand¡­¡± all the gray-colored dwarves, old and young, looked at the old dwarf expectantly. !! the old dwarf always felt a little ashamed of these gazes in the past. it knew what the gray-colored dwarves waited for. however, the old dwarf could not reply. it was different this time. the old dwarf took a deep breath and said in a clear voice. ¡°lord richard had returned to twilight city three days ago. he said that he would come to fortress city in a few days. his name summons us! ¡± these words immediately made all the gray-colored dwarves excited. ¡°it was finally here after a long wait! ¡°praise the dwarf god. i knew that we could obtain the recognition of the surface lord¡­¡± ¡°hahahaha, those clansmen who didn¡¯t come, let them regret it!¡± heated discussion continued. the creatures of the underground world always had enormous respect for the strong. everyone respected the outrageous existence who had single-handedly turned the situation around and finally wiped out the underground gray-colored dwarf overlord. only a few people would have a psychological burden to rely on such an expert. the rules of survival in the underground world were far simple than on the surface¡­ cruel. the old dwarf waited until the heated discussion died down before it spoke again. ¡°everyone else, go back and rest. rest well for the next few days. lord richard may arrive at any time¡­ ¡± the old dwarf looked at two of the middle-aged dwarves after it said that. ¡°come with me.¡± ¡°yes!¡± the old dwarf looked at the two middle-aged dwarves and said slowly when they entered the side hall. ¡°that thing¡­ are you ready?¡± the two had complicated expressions. ¡°patriarch, once we hand that thing over, we will have no way out.¡± ¡°that¡¯s the only treasure left behind by our ancestors. it¡¯s the key to unlocking our bloodline power¡­ ¡± the old dwarf fell silent and did not speak for a long time. the air suddenly fell into a dead silence. the old dwarf raised its head after a long time. the hoarse voice said. ¡°do we have a choice? ¡°we have lost our power for too long since the great dwarf god fell into an eternal slumber. ¡°who can activate the key?¡± incomprehensible complexity shrouded its gaze as it spoke. ¡°the resources needed to activate the key¡­ we couldn¡¯t accumulate enough in ten thousand years with our current strength. ¡°meanwhile, blood hoof city has begun to encircle and suppress the other forces in the underground world. ¡°it¡¯s clear this will exterminate our clan if we don¡¯t seize this opportunity. ¡°either show your worth and survive, or be treated like trash¡­ we have no choice.¡± helplessness and pain engulfed the two middle-aged dwarves¡¯ eyes. the weak¡­ it had always been like this. ¡°then, why don¡¯t we join the bloodhoof city?¡± the old dwarf sneered. ¡°blood hoof city? it¡¯s just a dog that lord richard keeps¡­¡± even though blood hoof city was in charge of the underground world and had an enormous reputation, it was still the same. however, clever people knew who was the true master of the underground world. the old dwarf sighed. ¡°right now, only lord richard can help us. we need to regain our strength. ¡°i can tell that lord richard is not a bloodthirsty person if i have to judge from his attitude toward the underground. ¡°we will get what we deserve.¡± the old dwarf slowly extended its hand to the two middle-aged dwarves as it spoke. ¡°take it out¡­¡± the two looked at the old dwarf with a determined gaze and sighed softly. they did not say anything else. the gray-colored dwarves had lost the power to decide their fate since their god fell asleep. the two each took a short knife and slashed it across their palms. blood instantly flowed out, and the stench was pungent. a shocking scene appeared in the next second. the blood that flowed out seemed to have lost its gravity and floated in the sky. the blood of the two gradually fused. it condensed in the sky a third of a fist-sized dwarf statue after a dozen of breaths. the old dwarf looked at the statue that emitted a familiar aura, and tears streamed down its face. ¡°before our god fell asleep, he once prophesied that the crimson moon would rise and that it would return¡­ but now, we could not wait for that day anymore.¡± Chapter 537 richard made a careful inspection after the upgrade of the territory. he was in a good mood as he looked at the vast city. from the shabby territory of only a few big and small fishes to the soul-devouring twilight city. his efforts in the past six months had not been in vain. !! it was all on this brick and tile. moreover, he could build more buildings in the widened space. he remembered his original goal to make twilight city the brightest pearl in the desert. he was determined to achieve this goal. richard arrived at the northern wall after a stroll. he looked into the distance and suddenly remembered he had not had the time to visit the land of quicksand in the past few days. when he left, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s dark energy had already satisfied the transformation. during this half a month, the void sandworm opened the space gate to let the god¡¯s ancient tree hunt for void hunters. it should be enough to satisfy the transformation. richard flew towards the quicksand without any hesitation. when the god¡¯s ancient tree appeared before him, richard immediately noticed the boss emitted an endless evil aura sparingly strangely. the first was the withered tree branch. the original black-gray color had turned pure black at this moment. it also faintly shone. it was like one had smeared it with a layer of oil. it gave people a flirtatious feeling. its aura was also different from before. it was like a volcano about to erupt, turbulent and unstable. it was unstable. they could still feel the pressure from it even though they were extremely far away. as he opened the attribute panel, new changes indeed appeared on the status bar of the god¡¯s ancient tree. [god¡¯s ancient tree] [troop type: boss unit] [level: 14] [status: transformation (120%)] the other party had already devoured enough dark energy. and it had even exceeded the limit of the transformation. richard frowned. logically speaking, when accumulating transformation energy, the more, the better. but now, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s condition was sparingly unstable. at this moment, he did not dare that it would be beneficial. he immediately approached. ¡°lord¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s leisurely voice sounded. richard nodded. ¡°treebeard, why haven¡¯t you transformed?¡± he had already given the mythical treasure, the divine blood of darkness, which he had spent eight million points to exchange for, to the god¡¯s ancient tree, which could cause a qualitative change. logically speaking, one shouldn¡¯t have dragged it on. the god¡¯s ancient tree said in a muffled voice. ¡°lord, you don¡¯t have to worry. i can still control the power in my body. ¡°this transformation will probably take a long time¡­ i need to wait for your orders.¡± as the mightiest battle force in twilight city, once it fell into a deep sleep, it would affect the entire strategy of twilight city. the god¡¯s ancient tree was not stupid. as a boss unit, its intelligence could be considered outstanding. it was just that his exaggerated battle strength made people overlook this point. richard nodded in relief. ¡°do you need to transfer the items stored under your roots?¡± there was a vast underground space under the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the magic plants he plundered from the world were all planted here. the heroes¡¯ corpses he had killed were also stored inside. ¡°no need. my transformation won¡¯t affect the items below.¡± ¡°what about the desert dragon hero?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already used my roots to control its body. when it¡¯s weak, i¡¯ll directly inject energy into it so that it won¡¯t die¡­ ¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. this boss was versatile. ¡°lord, please don¡¯t let the residents of twilight city enter the land of quicksand while i¡¯m transforming.¡± ¡°i couldn¡¯t control the quicksand.¡± richard nodded. then, as if he had thought of something, he took out the branch of the rotten tree. ¡°treebeard¡­ do you know the origin of this branch?¡± the twisted face of the god¡¯s ancient tree revealed some surprise. ¡°lord, i¡¯m very familiar with the evil aura that this tree is emitting¡­ it was like¡­ the aura of the abyss.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°the aura of the abyss?¡± richard lowered his head and looked at the tree branch thoughtfully. ¡®could it be another evil tree that came to the primary plane from the abyss like the god¡¯s ancient tree? he had to hurry up after his trivial matters. he had to confirm whether the rotten tree had withered and whether he could still save it. richard also spoke more and had the sandworms withdraw from the land of quicksand after a conversation with the god¡¯s ancient tree. one could see the wasps that danced wantonly in the air and gradually landed on the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree as he stood at the edge and watched. soon after, the fluctuating aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree gradually converged and turned into an ordinary withered tree. richard looked at the system panel. at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient tree only had one attribute left¨Ctransformation. he took a deep breath. his eyes shone brightly. alves was in the process of transformation, and so was the god¡¯s ancient tree. the power of twilight city was about to erupt¡­ moreover, what was different from alves was that once the god¡¯s ancient tree successfully transformed, it would obtain the power of gods. abomination¡­that was an extremely evil existence that could kill gods. no one could estimate what heights the already powerful god¡¯s ancient tree could reach at that time. anticipation filled richard¡¯s heart. ¡°i can bring this super big boss into the temple where the god¡¯s heart is to complete the s-rank mission if the god¡¯s ancient tree can successfully transform within two months¡­¡± half a month has passed since the deadline given to him by piem, who had lost his heart. he could only see if there was enough time. richard suddenly seemed to have thought of something after he regained his senses. he looked at the void sandworm with dark golden skin and countless mysterious runes engraved on it. Chapter 538 this guy, who was still a bug baby two months ago, had grown to 50 meters. its trunk was more than 20 meters in diameter. ordinary people felt as if they faced a city wall. it gave off a strong sense of oppression. at this moment, the difference between ordinary sandworms and void sandworms was also evident. !! although the ordinary sandworms had grown a lot, they were still less than forty meters tall. the little ones did not approach the void sandworm and could only whimper at richard from a distance. as a void bloodline, it was a terrifying big boss to ordinary sandworms. richard released his spirit and entered the void sandworm¡¯s spirit sea. the void sandworm sensed richard¡¯s curiosity, and it was excited. ¡°lord!¡± after this development, the void sandworm gradually mastered communication and unlocked its intelligence. richard¡¯s face darkened as he looked at the big guy who still tried to rub its head against him. even the city walls could not withstand it if one had to rub against them¡­ richard stopped its coquettish behavior. he used his mind to ask how long the void sandworm could open the spatial gate. ¡°lord, it¡¯s been six hours since i opened the space¡­ it could shorten the time if the distance is too far.¡± previously, it was four hours. now, it was six hours. the improvement was enormous. the 24/7 opening of the spatial rift he looked forward to could not be far. the ability of the void sandworm was a strategic force for twilight city. the effect was indescribable. richard returned to twilight city after it encouraged the void sandworm and repeatedly reminded it to devour void energy but not food from the primary plane. he temporarily left these big guys to guard the land of quicksand. with the current military strength of twilight city, it had repeatedly cleared the area within dozens of kilometers. it couldn¡¯t unknowingly reach the land of quicksand without being discovered. moreover, it was not necessary to guard the god¡¯s ancient tree¡­ richard sat down and drank hot tea on his return to the lord¡¯s mansion. the dark valkyrie, xina, and the naive little centaur emily arrived together. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°master.¡± ¡°father.¡± three completely different titles sounded at the same time. richard looked at them with amusement. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± xina took a deep breath and said in a deep voice. ¡°i hope to return to the krina tribe¡¯s base¡­¡± it was what richard had promised before his return. however, he didn¡¯t expect it so quickly. richard nodded after he pondered for a moment. ¡°go early and come back early. be careful.¡± after he said that, he looked at emily and rolled his big eyes. ¡°what about you? what do you want?¡± emily went up and put her arm around richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°father, i also want to go out and play with sister xina¡­ ¡°no! go train yourself!¡± richard laughed. ¡°you¡¯re only level 9¡­ the surrounding field troops are enough for you to level up. ¡°you are not allowed to leave twilight city before you reach level 15.¡± emily was on the verge of tears. she pouted and looked at richard pitifully. ¡°father, i beg you! ¡°father!¡± richard ignored her. the little girl tried to act cute for a long time but didn¡¯t get any response. then, she angrily muttered that her father was a big bad guy and ran out the door. richard ruthlessly shattered the plan of the former demigod boss to go out and play for the first time¡­ xina found it funny too. if they could recover the centaur¡¯s memories one day and would know about her experience, who knew what kind of expression she would have? she began to look forward to the other party¡¯s memory recovery. after she regained her senses, she said slowly, ¡°lord, if possible, i¡¯ll try to persuade my tribesmen to join twilight city.¡± xina had always known what richard thought. she hadn¡¯t thought much of it at first, but now, the city of miracles had explained everything. it was not shameful for the krina tribe to join twilight city. it was even an honor. more importantly, the kobold god cursed the krina tribe. the other party had suffered setbacks in twilight city many times, so they must have hated the krina tribe. twilight city could stop the kobold god, but what could the krina tribe do? richard looked deeply at xina. ¡°just try your best. there¡¯s no need to entangle.¡± the current twilight city was no longer a weak territory that one could destroy at any time. it would be good if the krina tribe could join, but it would not affect anything without them. especially now that the god¡¯s ancient tree and alves still underwent a further transformation¡­ ¡°yes.¡± richard glanced at the dark valkyrie. he nodded at the top boss and didn¡¯t say anything. the other party slowly held her chest and did not say anything. one could say everything without words. richard felt a little strange as he watched the two leave. the god¡¯s ancient tree and alves were under transformation. something must have provoked xina and the dark valkyrie to go out and train alone to level up. twilight city was now like the day before a butterfly broke out of its cocoon. the power of twilight city would rise by a few levels if they returned successfully! ¡°looks like i alone have to explore the rotten tree. but before that, i¡¯d better go to the underground world first. ¡°i wonder how much alchemy technology has the fortress city restored. what¡¯s with that dwarf with the bloodline of the gods¡­ ¡± ****** Chapter 539 moreover, it was not necessary to guard the god¡¯s ancient tree¡­ richard sat down and drank hot tea on his return to the lord¡¯s mansion. the dark valkyrie, xina, and the naive little centaur emily arrived together. ¡°lord.¡± !! ¡°master.¡± ¡°father.¡± three completely different titles sounded at the same time. richard looked at them with amusement. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± xina took a deep breath and said in a deep voice. ¡°i hope to return to the krina tribe¡¯s base¡­¡± it was what richard had promised before his return. however, he didn¡¯t expect it so quickly. richard nodded after he pondered for a moment. ¡°go early and come back early. be careful.¡± after he said that, he looked at emily and rolled his big eyes. ¡°what about you? what do you want?¡± emily went up and put her arm around richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°father, i also want to go out and play with sister xina¡­ ¡°no! go train yourself!¡± richard laughed. ¡°you¡¯re only level 9¡­ the surrounding field troops are enough for you to level up. ¡°you are not allowed to leave twilight city before you reach level 15.¡± emily was on the verge of tears. she pouted and looked at richard pitifully. ¡°father, i beg you! ¡°father!¡± richard ignored her. the little girl tried to act cute for a long time but didn¡¯t get any response. then, she angrily muttered that her father was a big bad guy and ran out the door. richard ruthlessly shattered the plan of the former demigod boss to go out and play for the first time¡­ xina found it funny too. if they could recover the centaur¡¯s memories one day and would know about her experience, who knew what kind of expression she would have? she began to look forward to the other party¡¯s memory recovery. after she regained her senses, she said slowly, ¡°lord, if possible, i¡¯ll try to persuade my tribesmen to join twilight city.¡± xina had always known what richard thought. she hadn¡¯t thought much of it at first, but now, the city of miracles had explained everything. it was not shameful for the krina tribe to join twilight city. it was even an honor. more importantly, the kobold god cursed the krina tribe. the other party had suffered setbacks in twilight city many times, so they must have hated the krina tribe. twilight city could stop the kobold god, but what could the krina tribe do? richard looked deeply at xina. ¡°just try your best. there¡¯s no need to entangle.¡± the current twilight city was no longer a weak territory that one could destroy at any time. it would be good if the krina tribe could join, but it would not affect anything without them. especially now that the god¡¯s ancient tree and alves still underwent a further transformation¡­ ¡°yes.¡± richard glanced at the dark valkyrie. he nodded at the top boss and didn¡¯t say anything. the other party slowly held her chest and did not say anything. one could say everything without words. richard felt a little strange as he watched the two leave. the god¡¯s ancient tree and alves were under transformation. something must have provoked xina and the dark valkyrie to go out and train alone to level up. twilight city was now like the day before a butterfly broke out of its cocoon. the power of twilight city would rise by a few levels if they returned successfully! ¡°looks like i alone have to explore the rotten tree. but before that, i¡¯d better go to the underground world first. ¡°i wonder how much alchemy technology has the fortress city restored. what¡¯s with that dwarf with the bloodline of the gods¡­ ¡± ****** Chapter 540 october 16th. before heading to the underground world. richard recruited the newly refreshed troops. he recruited a batch of soldiers on september 22nd before he went to solan city. he recruited two sets accumulated on october 1st and 8th when he upgraded his territory. !! during this period, he recruited a total of four troop lairs. the current total military strength is. guardian mummy¡ú630 axe of the dead bandaged mummy scorpion warrior¡ú141 giant axe death knight 261¡ú387 sand condensation archer¡ú 850 wild sand mage¡ú445 cursed pharaoh¡ú90 glorious troops stone statue of the dead¡ú720 heavy blade warrior¡ú 20 crown troops skeleton blood dragon¡ú160, skeleton demon¡ú0. total military strength: 4536, more than four battalions. he particularly valued the fusion troops, the stone statues of the dead. the number of them had also reached an exaggerated seven squadrons. they could cover the entire twilight city if all rose into the sky. the power in his hands increased again. however, the price was that the resources on the interface decreased rapidly. he had used all the rare resources he had accumulated in solan city. to recruit the stone statues of the dead, he had no choice but to use his ordinary resources to exchange for a large number of rare resources. after this round of consumption, he still had 50,000,000 resources left. it made richard sigh at the abundant resources he had earned from conquering the underworld, but at the same time, he felt a headache over the high expenditure. he initially wanted to accumulate resources and upgrade all the troop lairs to the glorious level. however, after a month, the resources he had got increasingly lesser¡­ it made him feel sparingly helpless. with a vast gold-devouring family like the troop lair, they felt it was not enough no matter how much they earned. ¡°i still earn more by conquering high-level maps¡­¡± unfortunately, it was too hard to find a rich and easy-to-control force like the gray-colored dwarves. the only way to find it was to leave the desert of death. however, at this stage, twilight city didn¡¯t have the strength to carry out long-distance expeditions frequently. the crimson moon was about to arrive, and an enormous change was about to occur. before the spatial movement ability of the void sandworm became unstable, he had to be careful when he hunted. after bestowing the recruited troops with the desert, richard did not hesitate to enter the underground world through the two-way portal established in the land of quicksand. richard still could not sense this boss¡¯s vitality when he passed the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was as if it had truly withered. the poisonous wasps on the branches were also covered in grayish-black color as if they had turned into fossils. this scene looked rather strange. richard observed shortly. it was still too early for it to wake up. after he passed through the spatial rift, he immediately entered the underground tunnel. the dark environment of the underground world appeared before his eyes again. he frowned as he smelled the stench of the mud air. no matter how frequently he came, this world without sunlight would still make him feel uncomfortable. he opened the system map, and after confirming his target, he controlled the sand to fly out. bloodhoof city had become the center of the underground world ever since their enemies had exterminated the gray-colored dwarves. the owner of this city, the dungeon barbarians, had finally become the overlord of the underground world! although this overlord was in quote marks to many people. regardless, before the lord of the surface world spoke, blood hoof city was the most powerful ruler of the underground world. no force could compare to it. at this moment, the streets of bloodhoof city bustled with activity. as far as the eye could see, all kinds of strange and strange dungeon races came and left. most of these creatures were here to trade weapons. the news of bloodhoof city using food to purchase high-level equipment from all forces had spread throughout the underground world before the enemies exterminated the gray-colored dwarves. food was more valuable than anything else in the underworld. nine out of ten fights were for food. suddenly, yellow sand flew into the city from the sky. many people on the street subconsciously looked up. ¡°you dare to barge into bloodhoof city? he was truly courting death¡­ hmm? that was¡­ a lord of the surface world?¡± the streets instantly became noisy. everyone widened their eyes. they wanted to see what the legendary lord of the surface would look like. unfortunately, the speed was too fast. when they reacted, they only saw a blurry shadow¡­ it made many people feel sorry. yellow sand control was richard¡¯s signature ability in the underworld. in addition, his legendary point had already exceeded 10 points. one could describe his fame and reputation in the underworld as terrifying. richard ignored the restless street and flew straight into the city lord¡¯s mansion. sel bloodhoof, the city lord of bloodhoof city, welcomed richard as soon as he landed. the other party was able to know his arrival in advance every time. sel strode forward and bowed. ¡°lord richard! welcome!¡± his posture was respectful and humble. it was what richard admired most about the dungeon¡¯s life. he could take it up and let it go. and when it was time to admit defeat, he would never force himself. a smile appeared on his face. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite, sel. i promised you that the dungeon barbarians would follow twilight city to conquer the surface in the future. ¡°keep a good attitude. we were friends in the past and will be friends in the future.¡± he stepped forward and patted the other party¡¯s shoulder. his tone carried a hint of intimacy. sel straightened up, his emotions complicated. ¡°friends¡­¡± he looked deeply at richard and nodded. the higher-ups of the barbarian race in the dungeon behind him also heaved a sigh of relief. Chapter 541 there was a saying in the underground world¡­ it would be the death of the hounds after the capture of the rabbits in the forest. from richard¡¯s attitude, the other party did not have such thoughts. in the future, twilight city would lead bloodhoof city to attack the surface forces together. richard had promised sel previously, and when he mentioned it again gave them great confidence. he immediately calmed down. !! ¡°this way, please.¡± sel led richard into the hall and made him sit at the head of the table. richard did not stand at the ceremony and sat down. he could rely on the broken transcendent hunter to control bloodhoof city when he first came to the underground world a few months ago. after a few months of development. twilight city was no longer the same as before, and his status would naturally be higher. the saying that strength was the only pass was never a lie. richard cut to the chase after three rounds of tea and a ten-minute chat. ¡°sel, how¡¯s the plan we agreed on, bloodhoof city? ¡± sel¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°lord richard, everything is going according to plan. ¡°the progress of unifying the underground world is already one-third complete. ¡°the small forces around bloodhoof city have all been brought under our jurisdiction. ¡°we have eliminated those who refuse to submit. ¡°the plan to exchange food for weapons is also progressing steadily. we have already exchanged more than 20,000 weapons, and more new weapons will be sent in the future.¡± he had planned to turn the underworld into the weapons factory of twilight city. twilight city needed more energy to invest in the underground world. the best way was to set a goal and guide the underground world in his will. bloodhoof city was his agent. richard nodded. ¡°fine. you did well. you didn¡¯t disappoint me. ¡°i have some new ideas here. you gradually have to promote them later.¡± sel immediately became solemn. ¡°please speak.¡± richard organized his words and told him the thoughts he had just thought of. ¡°to maintain the leading position in weapon forging in the underground world, i need bloodhoof city to open up forge technology to everyone and share forging information.¡± the first sentence shocked sel. and he found it hard to understand. ¡°lord richard, you mean¡­ open up the forging technology?¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. bloohoof city will establish a blacksmith¡¯s association in the future. at the same time, they¡¯ll select the best blacksmiths and impart forging techniques to other forces. ¡°those forces that have submitted to bloodhoof city can send blacksmiths to learn from them. ¡°at the same time, as long as the blacksmiths from those small forces have reached the advanced level, they will come to bloodhoof city to teach. ¡°in addition, as long as you contribute your forging techniques to the blacksmith¡¯s association, you¡¯ll be rewarded handsomely. ¡°if you work behind closed doors, you will never improve. ¡°one can promote knowledge through mutual communication. ¡°of course, this is only the general framework. it¡¯s very rough. i¡¯ll need you to fill in the details.¡± players mainly targeted his weapon business. richard had to be one step ahead of the players for it to continue. as players rapidly developed, their desire for low-level weapons and equipment gradually decreased. in contrast, the demand for high-level weapons increased. he had to let the underground world keep up with the development of the players so that he could continue to use the vast production capacity to reap benefits. the best way to maintain the lead was to promote communication. in this closed world, knowledge was an extremely precious asset. it was especially true for forging, a skill that could make one eat. no one would share their skills if one could not order them. he had already tested the effects of this in twilight city. it was worth a try. sel couldn¡¯t revive his senses for a long time after he heard this. the thought broke the fixed way of thinking and made him feel a crushing pressure. while he still felt smug about the underground world, the other party was already thinking about the future. moreover, what he did was so bold that he did not even dare to imagine it. knowledge was such a precious treasure. how could it be shared just like that? however, from the other party¡¯s simple words, he could hear that it was highly feasible¡­ he was 70% sure everyone would accept it if he were determined to carry it out. no one could refuse to learn the skills of others. the other higher-ups of bloodhoof city were also shocked and speechless. at this moment, they seemed to understand why richard, who had been equal to them a few months ago and even slightly lower than them, could make them respect him a few months later. the difference was too enormous. ¡°lord richard, your magnanimity is amazing¡­ ¡± richard smiled. in the modern world where knowledge explodes, as long as one is willing, ordinary people could even learn the piloting skills of fighter jets and the manufacture of nuclear weapons¡­ there were almost no barriers. it was also because of the open access to knowledge that the entire world developed so quickly. twilight city had already achieved some results in knowledge sharing. the scale of the underground world was countless times larger than that of twilight city, and there were several times more intelligent lives. for a long time, he would be ahead of the players when it came to forging weapons. it would be enough as long as the underground world could do this. Chapter 542 ¡°you have to make arrangements for this matter. ¡°we don¡¯t have to be too hard in the early stages. we¡¯ll use gentle methods first to let the other forces taste the sweetness before we roughly promote it. ¡°as for the specific details, you are free to decide.¡± sel returned to his senses and bowed with his hands on his chest. !! ¡°as you wish.¡± richard continued. ¡°there¡¯s another important thing¨Cregister all the faction heroes. register their rank, level, ability, and all other information. ¡°also, you have to record detailed information about their lair. sel was stunned for a moment before he nodded with a serious expression. ¡°yes!¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°just these two points¡­ you can use my name when you push forward, but you must control the degree and not be too rash. ¡°i can¡¯t let others have too much resistance. ¡°our goal is to carry out the plan, not anything else.¡± sel¡¯s eyes lit up. he knew how terrifying richard¡¯s reputation was now. his endorsement would enormously reduce the difficulty of executing these two plans. when sel chatted about more details, he said shyly, ¡°lord richard, may i request to go with you to the surface world?¡± as he spoke, he seemed afraid he would misunderstand something and hurriedly said. ¡°i just wanted to¡­¡± richard interrupted with a smile. ¡°of course. after the underground world is unified, you can go to twilight city any time after we have unified the underground world. ¡°in the future, we¡¯ll still need the troops from the bloodhoof city to defend the city.¡± sel was overjoyed. he almost engraved the yearning for the surface in the genes of the dungeon race. unfortunately, many dungeon creatures never left this gray world to see the sun, the stars, and the moon. richard said nothing more. he left bloodhoof city after he agreed to trade weapons at the end of the month and headed for fortress city¡­ the higher-ups of the barbarians looked at sel after richard left. ¡°patriarch¡­¡± sel took a deep breath. his eyes burned. he quietly regained his former domineering aura. ¡°immediately get someone to refine these two requests of lord richard. and make a perfect plan at the same time¡­ three days later, we will implement it.¡± ¡°this is a mission personally given by lord richard. we will punish anyone who dares to drag us down according to the laws of bloodhoof city!¡± ¡°yes!¡± a few agreed in unison. sel did not speak again. he turned his head to look at the dim sky outside the window. ¡°conquering the surface¡­ i¡¯m looking forward to that day.¡± his eyes were exceptionally bright. ****** an hour later. fortress city. the soldiers that guarded the city saw a ball of yellow sand fly in. a few gray-colored dwarves¡¯ recruits subconsciously wanted to blow the horn, but their teammates next to them stopped them in the next second. ¡°idiot! that¡¯s the great lord, lord richard!¡± the gray-colored dwarf was shocked. and then it looked at the sky with admiration. ¡°that¡¯s the almighty ruler?!¡± richard ignored this scene. he naturally had enough privileges in the underground world he had conquered. one sentence could decide the fate of countless people. he arrived at the spacious central square after he crossed the city wall. however, his face suddenly darkened just as he was about to land. a stone statue that was more than 30 meters tall appeared in his line of sight. a master seemed to have carved the statue. its appearance was vivid and gave people a strong visual impact. but what left richard speechless was that the statue was him¡­ ¡®who the hell did this?¡¯ richard landed on the ground speechlessly. a moment later, two teams of gray-colored dwarves controlled the mechanical puppets and surrounded him. the gray-colored dwarves sensed the familiar aura, and they immediately opened the cockpit and came out in unison. they shouted in the most flattering tone. ¡°great lord, your humble servant greets you. welcome back¡­¡± richard had been in charge of the city for more than half a month after he took them, and only a few soldiers did not recognize him. moreover, with this statue around, it was difficult not to recognize him. richard¡¯s face darkened. ¡°where are brown and gregor? tell them to meet me here!¡± ¡°yes, great ruler¡­¡± the two gray-colored dwarves immediately turned around to communicate. the other gray-colored dwarves quickly protected the surroundings. they were all ready for battle. about ten minutes later, brown and two mechanical puppets who pushed a wheelchair arrived before the statue. ¡°lord.¡± brown immediately stood up excitedly when he saw rochard and ran over. richard glared at the guy and pointed at the statue before him. ¡°who asked you to carve this?¡± brown¡¯s excited expression immediately, and then he said carefully, ¡°this is the common wish of all the gray-colored dwarves. everyone says it¡¯s the glory of the gods to have a great ruler like you in fortress city!¡± he pointed at the gray-colored dwarf beside him and added. ¡°if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask them!¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at the gray-colored dwarves. they nodded in unison without the slightest hint of lying. although he knew that the gray-colored dwarves had no bottom line, he could not be so inhumane. ¡°you erected a statue for me when i occupied your city?¡± richard didn¡¯t know what to say to these cheap bones. he couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk nonsense. ¡°where¡¯s gregor?¡± gregor, the level 15 master alchemist. they can say he is the top talent in his hands. his precious adele was only a special-level professional, and there was still a long way to go before she could be a master. Chapter 543 the only pity was that this guy was a gray-colored dwarf. ¡®what the f*ck.¡¯ brown said bitterly. ¡°gregor is studying terminator in the secret room. he said he must give terminator life before coming out. do you need me to call him over?¡± !! richard then remembered that the gray-colored dwarf chieftain had piloted terminator. blood-colored muscles wrapped the mechanical puppet when he had annihilated them. after the defeat of the gray-colored dwarf, gregor, the master alchemist, had said that he could bestow life upon the automaton, so he handed over the terminator automaton to the gray-colored dwarf for research. richard did not expect this guy to have the look of a research maniac like adele. ¡°forget it. ignore it.¡± richard glanced at the statue. he ground his teeth. ¡°push this thing away.¡± brown said weakly. ¡°lord, i suggest you keep it. the gray-colored dwarves enormously worship you. the security has been much better recently because your statute is a deterrent for them. ¡®was this a joke? ¡®a statue could improve public security?¡¯ however, he felt sparingly powerless when he saw brown¡¯s serious expression. he really couldn¡¯t understand the brain circuits of these dungeon creatures. he waved his hand. ¡°forget it. if it¡¯s useful, then keep it.¡± out of sight, out of mind. richard was too lazy to stay any longer. he turned around and walked towards the city lord¡¯s mansion. he asked as he walked. ¡°what¡¯s up with that dwarf with the bloodline of the gods? brown followed closely behind and immediately responded. ¡°those sacred-blood dwarves came to join us on their own accord. they claim that they have the blood of the dwarf god that flowed in their veins. ¡°although i can¡¯t tell they honestly have it, there¡¯s one very suspicious thing. those dwarves always insisted they never studied alchemy. but they are very proficient in it. ¡°i often ask them difficult alchemy questions. and they can answer them. ¡°i suspect that they might not only have the bloodline of a god, but they might also have obtained a high-level inheritance.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°dwarf god, didn¡¯t this god fall?¡± he had records of the dwarf god among the mythological information he had collected¡­ brown pursed his lips. ¡°those stupid dwarves don¡¯t think so. they still firmly believe in their legend. after the moon rises, it will resurrect the dwarf god¡­¡± richard¡¯s nonchalant expression froze. his gaze was like a knife as he stared coldly at brown. the voice carried a soul-devouring pressure. ¡°what legend?¡± brown was shocked. he didn¡¯t understand why richard had such a big reaction. ¡°it¡¯s a legend that has circulated among the dwarves. i heard about it by accident. that¡¯s what all the dwarves say. ¡± ¡°i mean¡­ what was the rise of the moon? do you know?¡± richard stared at him, enunciating each word. ¡°is it the crimson moon?¡± ¡°lord, this, this, i¡¯m not sure¡­¡± brown felt an ancient dragon targeted him. the terrifying pressure made it difficult for him to breathe. bean-sized beads of sweat trickled down his forehead¡­ richard slowly retracted his aura when he sensed brown¡¯s candor. however, his expression was still cold. ¡°bring the dwarves here immediately. do not leave a single one of them!¡± ¡°yes!¡± brown replied with a trembling voice. he did not even bother to wipe his sweat. he quickly turned around and led the surrounding soldiers to the dwarves¡¯ encampment. richard arrived at the lord¡¯s mansion and sat on the golden throne in deep thought. he was motionless like a statue. a series of messy footsteps came from afar after a long time. the mechanical puppets escorted about forty dwarves into the hall after a dozen of breaths. the average height of this race was between 1.3 to 1.4 meters. they were ugly and scary. the clothes they wore were also simple but mostly tattered. one could tell they weren¡¯t okay based on their looks. rand augustus, the old dwarf, immediately saw the figure of the throne after he entered the hall. he immediately perked up. he stepped forward and suppressed his heart while the other dwarves were still scared. he knelt and bowed. ¡°great lord, the descendant of the dwarf god, rand augustus, sends you his most noble greetings. thank you for meeting me.¡± ¡°no need for formalities.¡± when he heard the other party¡¯s voice, the old dwarf stood up shakily. but at this moment, he still lowered his head and did not look. that person was a mighty existence that flattened the underground world. the difference in status between them was too vast. ¡°i heard that you have the bloodline of a god. if that¡¯s the case, why did you join me?¡± the old dwarf gritted his teeth and raised his head. only now did he see the figure on the golden throne vividly. the man wore a black and red crown. his face was extraordinarily handsome. a dark black cape partly covered the throne and made him more mysterious. the most remarkable impression on him was that pair of dark, deep eyes. they seemed to see through everything. an aura of a king filled his temperament that made people tremble. it was as if the other party was a natural ruler and he was only worthy of kneeling. he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he spoke. ¡°great existence, although the father¡¯s blood flows in our bodies, the glory of the dwarves have already disappeared in the long river of time¡­ we lost the ability to open the bloodline in our bodies.¡± ¡°now, only a large amount of resources can reactivate our strength. ¡°no one is more merciful than you in the vast underground world. loyalty to you is the only way out¡­ ¡°you can give us hope. he knelt on the ground again after he said that. ¡°great ruler, the gray-colored dwarf race is willing to offer our lives and souls eternally loyal to you.¡± his heart tensed to the extreme as he spoke because the great ruler¡¯s following words would determine their entire fate. at this moment, he was like a criminal that sat in the defendant¡¯s seat. he waited for the court to sentence him. his mind was uneasy. the words with a powerful sense of oppression sounded again afterward. ¡°dwarf, how do you prove your identity?¡± the old dwarf took a deep breath and looked up at the supreme king. he took out a blood-colored dwarf statue from his bosom with trembling hands. ¡°great ruler¡­it is the last treasure left by god our father to the dwarf race.¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted when he saw the statue. his breathing became rapid. that was¡­ the aura of a god! it couldn¡¯t be a trick! just as he was about to open the system panel to check his attributes, the old dwarf¡¯s words made him stand up from his throne. ¡°before the father fell asleep, he had predicted the future. he would return on the rise of the crimson moon. ¡°and this treasure can summon the father to descend¡­¡± ¡°the crimson moon?¡± Chapter 544 this piece of news was like a bomb dropped into richard¡¯s heart that set off massive waves. he had never expected he could obtain information related to the crimson moon in the underground world. moreover, it was so shocking. ¡®when the crimson moon rose, the dwarf god would return¡­ this prophecy seemed ordinary. but it overturned his previous deduction about the crimson moon. !! ¡®wasn¡¯t the crimson moon a terror that could make the gods tremble? ¡®why was he suddenly related to a fallen god? ¡®what was going on with this new expansion pack? ¡®the crimson moon would be countless times more complicated than he had expected if this prophecy were true.¡¯ as richard¡¯s thoughts spun. he looked at the blood-colored statue in the old dwarf¡¯s hand that emitted the aura of a god. he forcefully suppressed the waves in his heart and slowly opened the attribute panel. [statue of the dwarf god] [level: special] [characteristic: seals a part of the soul of the dwarf god and can activate the power of the descendants of the dwarf god.] [introduction: a treasure personally forged by the dwarf god. a part of his soul is sealed in the core.] richard held his breath. ¡®one has sealed the soul of the dwarf god in this statue?¡¯ he found it unbelievable. ¡®when did gods become cabbages? why did he meet them everywhere? ¡®did these guys play so big?¡¯ moreover, this wasn¡¯t like the kobold god¡¯s clone he had imprisoned. it was something that the other party had sealed on its own. his soul power was countless times stronger than that of his clone. from the information just now¡­ this statue was the key to the resurrection of the dwarf god! the light in his eyes flickered¡­ rand augustus, the old dwarf, looked at richard for a long time without saying a word. anxiety engulfed his face. he was scared richard would order his soldier to drag them down and hang them on the city gate¡­ after a long time, he gathered his courage and spoke. ¡°great ruler, do you have any questions?¡± richard was startled awake. he looked at the nervous old dwarf and took a deep breath. ¡°how much do you know about the crimson moon?¡± the old dwarf shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°lord, our father¡¯s prophecies are too vague. we have searched for countless years. but we found nothing about the crimson moon. ¡°we could no longer dig into this legend now that the dwarves have declined¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°our ancestors once speculated that this prophecy might be a legend made up by one of our sages to gather dwarves.¡± ¡°father¡­ it might be difficult to wake him up.¡± bitterness filled his eyes as he said this. the dwarves had yet to find any hope after several years of anticipation and search. the once-powerful dwarves had become the weakest race with the passage of time. the faith that supported them in their hearts had long collapsed. those who firmly believed in the prophecy left behind by the dwarf god had become an absolute minority¡­ they could not afford to waste any more time. richard looked into the man¡¯s eyes, his words heavy. ¡°no, this prophecy is not a lie¡­¡± it shocked the old dwarf. he widened his eyes and looked at the stalwart figure in disbelief. ¡°lord, you, are you telling the truth?!!!¡± his voice trembled so much that it was hard to hear him. in the hall, the dwarves who didn¡¯t dare to open their mouths also breathed rapidly. they stared at the ruler who sat on the golden throne with an unparalleled aura. they waited for the judge to announce their fate. richard nodded. ¡°you are not worth lying to me.¡± ¡°i have confirmed that the crimson moon will rise soon.¡± if someone else had said this, even sel bloodhoof of bloodhoof city, the new underworld overlord, the dwarf would not have believed it. however, the person who said this was the true ruler of the underground world. a great existence that single-handedly wiped out the gray-colored dwarves. his reputation was so vast that even ten bloodhoof cities combined couldn¡¯t compare to him. the dwarf immediately became excited. ¡°wuwuwu¡­ the legend is true!¡± ¡°praise you, the great ruler of twilight city! ¡± ¡°i swear this is the best news i¡¯ve ever heard!! ¡± ¡°excitement continued¡­¡± the old dwarf was even more excited than he could control himself. tears flowed uncontrollably because of the wrinkles on his face. it made one feel inexplicably sad. the old dwarf¡¯s millions of years of expectation, the legend they had no longer hoped for, was true¡­ their protector would reappear! at this moment, the emotions in his heart were so complicated that words could not describe them. after a long time, the group of people gradually recovered. the old dwarf seemed to have thought of something and suddenly woke up. he stepped onto the golden steps and respectfully handed the statue to richard. ¡°great ruler, please control the fate of the dwarf race. ¡°we will fight to the death for your glory!¡± the other dwarves looked at the old dwarf¡¯s actions and felt unwilling. many people even thought about living and waited for the dwarf god to revive¡­ however, his senses quickly returned when he saw the mechanical puppets around him. they had no choice now. their fate was no longer in their hands when they joined twilight city. no, from the moment the dwarves could no longer activate their bloodline, they had already lost the power to control their fate¡­ Chapter 545 richard looked at the old dwarf with interest. a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. he liked to deal with intelligent people. he didn¡¯t refuse and directly reached out to take it. !! the statue was as heavy as a weight. the situation suddenly changed just as he was about to look. the divine aura that he could sense before suddenly disappeared without a trace. the statue no longer had any energy fluctuations, as if it turned ordinary. the old dwarf¡¯s pupils constricted. he was shocked. ¡°what was going on? ¡°why was the terrifying aura on this supreme treasure gone?¡± he lowered his head when he saw nothing unusual in richard¡¯s expression and did not dare to look at him again. he could even erase the aura of a god. this great existence was terrifying. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, but his expression did not change. the power of the statue did not disappear, but fear¡­ in the next second, a ferocious statue silently appeared in his hand. the ancient god statue. he placed the two statues side by side. the dwarf god statue lost its aura. instead, the ancient god statue emitted a faint dark light. it was like a shark that had smelled blood. naturally, he would not rashly take the dwarf god statue. the power of the gods was hard to fathom. richard constantly controlled the ancient god statue to prevent accidents. the ancient god statue fed on gods and was a great killing weapon against the masters of the laws of this world. now, it seemed that it sealed the soul of the dwarf god statue in the depths and had a certain degree of perception. he might not have clear consciousness, but he still knew how to avoid danger¡­ richard sensed the concealed aura and looked at the old dwarf. ¡°rand, how can i use this statue?¡± ¡°are you talking about summoning the father or activating the bloodline in our bodies?¡± ¡°tell me everything.¡± the old dwarf forced himself to calm down and said in a deep voice. ¡°you only need to input energy into the statue if the father has returned, and you could summon¡­ ¡± ¡°then it won¡¯t be that simple. if you want to activate our bloodline.¡± as rand spoke, his expression became a little ugly. ¡°the statue is the key to activating the bloodline. ¡°but we consume one million rare resources yearly to maintain this energy. ¡°because of the dwarves¡¯ weakness, we could not pay vast resources¡­ ¡°this also caused the bloodline in our bodies to not be activated for hundreds of years.¡± the more he spoke, the more complicated his gaze became. ¡°now, we need at least one million units of rare resources to restore the function of the key to the statue.¡± who would be willing to give up everything if one had not forced them to? the dwarf that declined had no way out. richard understood. no wonder the other party was willing to offer the statue. one million rare units of resources was an astronomical figure even for twilight city. he had been in the ¡°shining era¡± for half a year. and the rare resources on his account had not even reached 500,000 units, let alone one million. the few top-notch treasures in his hands might be worth this price, but he could not sell them. moreover, he had to pay one million every year. this thing was simply an unbearable gold-devouring beast. it was no wonder that the gray-colored dwarves were weak. the annual payment of these resources would be enough to drag them down if the power is not enough. richard opened the old dwarf¡¯s attribute panel with some curiosity with this thought in mind. although the other party¡¯s words were beautiful, he still wanted to see if this divine bloodline was worth a massive price. [rand augustus] [troop type: hero unit] [level: 9] [potential: b-rank] [skill: divine blood descendant (glorious, potential increased by one level (upper limit is beyond a-rank). it can actively activate the blood in one¡¯s body. activate the divine blood descendant. it grows to 4 meters tall. all attributes increased by 800%. skill attributes increased by 200%. the level temporarily increased by two. immune to death before the energy in the body is exhausted. duration: 20 minutes. cooldown: 24 hours. (sealed)] [inherited knowledge (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can pass on the ancestors¡¯ knowledge through their bloodline-combat techniques, alchemy, and magical knowledge. (sealed)] [physique (b-rank), undercover (b-rank), dwarf archery (c-rank), dwarf combat (c-rank), forging (c-rank), tailoring technique (d-rank), herbal identification (d-rank) [hero talent: smart brain. when leading a dwarf, intelligence increases by 20%.] [race talent: super comprehension. the learning speed of advanced knowledge such as alchemy and magic will increase by 40%.] [fetter-dwarf: increase intelligence by 10% when the number of dwarves exceeds 20. above 40, intelligence increased by 15%. above 60, intelligence increased by 20%. [description: a dwarf with great potential. he will have an incredible talent once the hidden power in his body is activated.] richard¡¯s expression was rather subtle after he read the other party¡¯s attributes. a word appeared in his mind¡­ ice and fire. the old dwarf¡¯s divine blood descendant and inherited knowledge were two skills that made him jealous. they were top-tier skills. however, other than these two skills, the rest were all trash. it also seemed to explain the dwarf¡¯s current situation indirectly. he had unlimited potential, but he lived in poverty. if not for the fact that he had no choice, why would a battle hero learn a skill like a tailor? richard sighed. his racial talent and bond were okay. he could break the seals of the two top-tier skills. this old dwarf would probably become a top-notch hero in an instant. Chapter 546 he looked at the other dwarves. after looking around, he realized the divine blood descendant on the other dwarves was only beyond a-rank. and it reduced the upper limit of the potential increase to a-rank. the temporary increase had also become one level, and all his attributes had shrunk to varying degrees. but even so, it could still be called a bug if the energy in the body was not exhausted for 20 minutes and the characteristic of immunity to death was still present. however, it was a pity that he did not see the inherited knowledge skill in the other dwarves. in the hall, other than the old dwarf, no one else was a hero. it was the main reason. richard sighed and looked at the old dwarf. what he was most interested in was not the other party¡¯s battle strength but the inherited knowledge. brown mentioned before that the dwarf had never studied alchemy but could answer many alchemy questions he did not know. it was a credit to this skill. twilight city did not lack high-end battle power, but it lacked researchers. the other party¡¯s attributes gave him a new idea¡­ ¡°in solan city, one can sell a 5-stars strategic treasure for millions of units of rare resources. ¡°using one million rare resources in exchange for a powerful hero unit, this deal is not a loss.¡± moreover, he had a lot of dark crystals in his hands. he could nurture ordinary dwarves into heroes. he looked at the old dwarf with this thought. ¡°are there any other dwarves aside from you?¡± the old dwarf said bitterly. ¡± some of our clansmen massively disagreed with us when we joined you. so half of them stayed in the encampment.¡± richard nodded and looked at brown, who had been silent all this while. ¡°brown, send someone to bring those dwarves back to fortress city. don¡¯t let anyone get hurt.¡± brown immediately nodded. then, he let the two dwarves lead the way and turned around to go down. richard glanced around and said slowly after a moment of silence. ¡°are you willing to live on the surface?¡± these words made the eyes of all the dwarves light up. the surface was synonymous with prosperity, safety, and hope in the underground world. almost all the creatures in the dungeon had an obsession with it. ¡°great ruler, we are willing¡­¡± in the end, the old dwarf was the representative. ¡°very good. believe me. you will be proud of your choice today! ¡°i will activate the key function of the statue and give you all the power again when we reach the surface.¡± these words immediately made the dwarf excited. ¡°thank you for your kindness!! ¡°praise you, great ruler!¡± richard was satisfied¡­ he nodded and said nothing more. he waved everyone away. those were not important, although there were still many details one could ask of these dwarves. he could just leave them to his subordinates. richard looked back at the statue of the dwarf god after he cleared the room. it stirred his heart when he sensed the aura of the statue. the statue was extraordinary. richard could not know where to start. the soul of the dwarf god was priceless. but the biggest problem was¡­ how should one use this thing? could one force out the soul hidden inside? it would be a waste to let the ancient god statue devour it. ¡°this is the common problem with all the top-notch treasures in my possession.¡± ¡°the dimension stone is like this. the seed of the world tree seed is like this, and now this dwarf god statue is like this¡­¡± richard shook his head with a wry smile. others were afraid there would be no good stuff. but he had too many good things and did not know how to use them. richard focused on the central problem after he collected his thoughts. ¡°the most important thing now is still the crimson moon¡­ it will solve all our problems if we find the crimson moon.¡± ¡°i wonder if there¡¯s any progress with that young girl christy¡­¡± richard shook his head and did not dwell on it. it would take about two and a half months. they could take a share of the upcoming changes with the strength of twilight city even if they could not find any traces of the crimson moon during this period. wasn¡¯t the strength he had accumulated for so long enough to deal with these unexpected situations? Chapter 547 under richard¡¯s strong will. the next morning. brown brought back to twilight city a group of more than 60 sacred-blood dwarves. richard found the old dwarf rand was already there when he arrived. !! both sides sized up their companions with complicated gazes. the mechanical puppet controlled the dwarf. he immediately panicked when he saw a group of people. he lowered his head in shock and fear. it did not look richard in the eye. richard nodded at the old dwarf. the dwarf saluted richard. he did not waste time talking to the captured dwarves. he opened his attribute panel and looked at his attributes. they found a total of three heroes after one round. one had the potential to be a c-rank, while the other two were d-rank. there were no exceptions. these three heroes had two top-tier skills, the glorious divine blood descendant and the beyond a-rank inherited knowledge. it was not a skill that ordinary dwarves had after one had castrated them. he immediately calmed down. as expected, it was because he was a hero. investing one million rare resources in these dwarves would yield benefits. richard retracted his gaze and looked at the old dwarf. ¡°rand, i¡¯ll leave all the dwarves to you. take care of your internal affairs. look for brown if you have any problems.¡± richard said, then ignored them. he did not even need to do anything to subdue a few dwarves. what were the identities of these dwarves¡­ was he even worthy of him speaking personally to them? it would still be the same even if the dwarf god was around. not to mention, the dwarf even had the soul of his god under his control¡­ ¡°yes, great ruler¡­¡± the old dwarf nodded respectfully. he did not dare to say anything more. the other dwarves did not even dare to fart. what else could they do if not wait for the ferocious lord to decide their fate? brown came to richard excitedly and told him the good news when the dwarves left. ¡°lord, we have completed the mechanical transportation workshop you ordered for us to build¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. swift travel in the desert had always been a big problem in the ¡°shining era¡±, where transportation was inconvenient. the flying troops had a limited capacity and had to take on crucial battle positions. they wouldn¡¯t invest a lot in transportation. they still needed ordinary transportation methods. sandworms that were hundreds of meters long and could drill into the sand were the best motivation. for this reason, richard placed the 4-stars rare blueprint he obtained from the dungeon, the transportation machinery workshop, in fortress city. it was to produce the corresponding tools as quickly as possible. conquering the underground world was not the end. the ultimate goal was to rule this area and enjoy all the hidden conveniences. brown led the way, and richard followed. richard¡¯s mood was sparingly strange as they walked through the mechanical punk-style dungeon. those players would have high spirits if they were obsessed with the game and came to such a place. the machinery and exotic atmosphere mixed. it engraved a deep impression on people. what could alchemy do? this question was like asking the earthlings what physics and chemistry could do for the natives of the ¡°shining era¡±. alchemy was the science of another world that could change the world under the ¡°shining era¡±. for richard, the gray-colored dwarves were a race that delved deeply into alchemy. they reflected almost all the negative personalities in their intelligent life. this race was arrogant, greedy, cowardly, cowardly, and selfish. however, their talent in alchemy was beyond the reach of ordinary people. it was enough for them to win a place in twilight city. richard had always had his ideas on how to use alchemy. however, the biggest problem was that the accumulation of alchemy in fortress city hadn¡¯t achieved the effect he wanted. he could only take it one step at a time. there was an exaggerated courtyard before the vast mechanical transportation tool manufacturing workshop. at this moment, they placed three machines with supremely unique structures on the table. the three machines looked the same on the outside. they were ten meters tall, twenty meters wide, and thirty meters long. they were divided into upper, middle, and lower levels. it looked like a streamlined canoe. interestingly, there was a vast hook at the front and back. it looked like the connection between the carriages of a train. richard was about to ask when brown pointed at the machine before him and shouted. ¡°lord, this is a mechanical boat we specially designed for sandworms! ¡°we¡¯ve adopted a design that¡¯s divided into sections. we can separate the boat with less transportation capacity. we can use hooks to connect to its multiple areas to increase transportation with a larger capacity. ¡°you can take it all down if you don¡¯t need the three-story building and leave only the base of it. it can meet the transportation needs of large-scale resources. ¡°furthermore, the front has specially designed a fixed loading method for the sandworm¡¯s body size. it can automatically adjust its size so that it won¡¯t fall off. ¡°not only that, but we¡¯ve also reserved a magic slot in the mechanical boat. we can even enchant it in the later stages¡­¡± richard was delighted to see brown speak so confidently. ¡°good heavens, just by looking at the appearance of this thing, one could tell how impressive the transportation volume was.¡± the carrying capacity of a mechanical boat was at least comparable to that of a brigade of skeleton blood dragons. this thing was like a desert train¡­ a few months have passed since he obtained the 4-stars rare blueprint for the transportation machinery workshop. finally, there were results. Chapter 548 the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ foundation was indeed strong. not bad. richard was delighted. ¡°lord, although we have formed the mechanical boat, we still need to improve some difficulties. we still need the sandworms to cooperate with us for further research.¡± richard nodded. !! ¡°i will send a few more sandworms for you to study.¡± an idea flashed into his mind as he said that. the creation of the mechanical boat made him suddenly think the direction of alchemy in the ¡°shining era¡± seemed to be born for battle. one could describe his research on the people¡¯s livelihood as needy of improvement. it was because danger shrouded the ¡°shining era¡±. military strongholds in the wild were refreshed weekly like terrifying monsters in the dimensional planes, demons, the endless abyss, the nine hells, the undead¡­ ¡°wait, wait, wait. this world was never safe.¡± maslow¡¯s hierarchy of needs¡­ survival and safety will always be the most fundamental and bottom-level needs. therefore, one has to invest resources to improve their safety and ensure survival when one actively or passively threatens them. it was the most basic logic of military competition. alchemy technology was the same. it was not that others were stupid, but the environmental requirements. everything would be meaningless if they stored food and the enemy next door stored guns. therefore, all forces should develop their military strength. it would be the same even for the development of twilight city. this mechanical boat was similar to a train. it could reduce the communication cost between the two regions, although initially used to transport troops. one could seamlessly switch civil and military use. it made him think of a question that most people could think of. why couldn¡¯t he use alchemy to do more if that were the case? for example, creating specialized mechanical puppets to mine ores, forging weapons, designing special machinery to cultivate farmland, and developing mechanical modules to produce goods¡­ the other factions might have no choice but to engage in an arms race. they had no choice but to invest all their resources into increasing the strength of their armies. however, he had the underground world, and twilight city was deep in the desert, so the surrounding environment was relatively safe. there was space for him to develop. richard rubbed his chin. ¡°the ¡°shining era¡¯s¡± technology is different from that of planet blue, and the basic rules are also different. ¡°but to localize some of the products that have a vital impact on life on the blue planet and use alchemy technology to achieve it¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to be too difficult. ¡°isn¡¯t the underground world¡¯s natural environment bad? is it possible to directly change the environment by planting in a greenhouse?¡± richard thought in this direction. he instantly felt there was a lot to do in this direction. alchemy was a top-notch ¡°discipline¡± that could name it magic. he collected his thoughts and looked at brown. ¡°the sandworm hasn¡¯t fully grown up yet, and its body size will change. did your design consider this?¡± ¡°lord, the mechanical boat was finalized after many discussions. please, rest assured.¡± brown said confidently. they could become the overlord of the underground world and rule a large area for hundreds of years. the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ talent and alchemy accumulation could be considered wealthy. after he conquered fortress city, twilight city gathered several gray-colored talents from another region, although there were many casualties. richard nodded. after he organized his words, he described the idea of developing technology for the people¡¯s livelihood. ¡°alchemy has the potential to create miracles, not just used in military affairs.¡± ¡°altering the natural environment and turning unsuitable environments into environments suitable for us should be the ability of alchemy.¡± brown¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°lord, only a few people would pay attention to this¡­ they initially used alchemy to transform the environment.¡± he said in surprise. ¡°your wisdom is truly admirable. alchemy shedding, alchemy mining, alchemy forging¡­ ¡°one day, we could achieve amazing results if we develop in this direction.¡± richard smiled, pleased with brown¡¯s acceptance. he also looked forward to it. perhaps, some of the quick-witted players had already begun to try something similar. however, it was to have an entire underground world as a test field. also, to have a large city like fortress city as a base. and it was even more difficult for him to race the gray-colored dwarves that had hundreds of years of accumulated technology to work for him. he would have a group of knowledgeable gray-colored dwarves to participate in it if he activated the dwarf god dwarf again. bloodhoof city manufactured weapons. fortress city researched alchemy¡­ the two largest cities of the underground world would once again fight for hegemony. the prize for this victory would be richard¡¯s approval. he would determine their future status in twilight city. no one dared to ignore the will of a ruler. after a round of inspection in fortress city. richard was in a good mood. fortress city was on the right track, and the regime of the gray-colored dwarves seemed to have disappeared. twilight city gradually left its mark here. the gray-colored dwarves understanding of the times allowed his will to carry out in the best way. as long as twilight city controlled the underworld, the gray-colored dwarves would serve it obediently. october 18th. richard quietly returned to the surface after he settled the matters in the underground world. sel was in charge of bloodhoof city, and brown commanded fortress city. both could carry out orders, so he would not need to keep an eye on them. Chapter 549 richard did not disturb the god¡¯s ancient tree in its sleep when he left the underground world. he brought all the sacred-blood dwarves out. their numbers added up to a squadron. several dwarves exist in this world, but the one in his hand might be the only one left with the bloodline of a god. !! richard had intentionally sent the sacred-blood dwarves to fortress city to study alchemy with the gray-colored dwarves. but before that, he had to activate the bloodline in their bodies. however, the one million units of rare resources put him in a difficult position. one could exchange one unit of rare resources for 500 units of ordinary resources in the [trading market]. that was not a small sum. the production of ordinary resources was high. in addition, various mineral veins spawned weekly. mining could make them accumulate a lot after some time, even if it were a low-level organization. rare resources were different. not only did they respawn less, but they also had a low drop rate. richard listened to karu¡¯s report in the lord¡¯s mansion while he thought about where to earn the one million rare resources. richard collected his thoughts when karu stopped. ¡°you can arrange those sacred-blood dwarves the usual way. don¡¯t worry too much. ¡°after the bloodline in their bodies is activated, leave the useful ones behind. send the useless ones back to the underground world.¡± karu nodded. he was uncertain about richard¡¯s attitude towards them when he knew about the sacred-blood dwarves. richard seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at his side. his eyes moved sparingly, then stared at the empty ground. ¡°has there been any news from xina?¡± butler karu shook his head. ¡°not yet. maybe, xina and the dark valkyrie had just arrived at the krina tribe. ¡± richard did not comment. he seemed to miss the protection of xina and the dark valkyrie. he could not get used to their sudden visit to the krina tribe. he hoped the two could reach a higher level the next time they returned. karu continued when richard stopped asking questions. ¡°lord, two hours ago, vale sent a letter back¡­¡± he took an opened letter from his pocket as he spoke and handed it over. karu¡¯s job as the administrative officer of twilight city was to discuss the letter¡¯s content. it was usual for him to open it. richard didn¡¯t take it and waved his hand. ¡°just get to the point.¡± ¡°yes!¡± butler karu¡¯s tone became solemn. ¡°most of the matters are about how to develop the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. we¡¯ve already replied to vale. ¡°there¡¯s only one suggestion that requires your decision.¡± richard became more alert when he saw karu¡¯s solemn expression. ¡°what new ideas did vale have?¡± butler karu seriously said, ¡°vale suggested the special feature of twilight city to not get astray in the desert to start trading¡­¡± richard needed some clarification. ¡°wasn¡¯t this a plan from the start? why did he have to tell me specifically?¡± karu continued. ¡°it¡¯s not just a usual trade. vale suggested that twilight city be made into the core city of the desert of death so that we could circulate all the goods in the desert of death through twilight city. ¡°as for twilight city, we can set up our transportation caravan and use our characteristic of not getting lost to help other forces transport their goods out of the desert of death. ¡°other than that, we can also train specialized guides to guide the chambers of commerce of other forces. ¡°the desert of death has several forbidden areas. those terrifying areas will render all maps and magic items useless. the fact that we will never get lost in the desert of death is an unparalleled advantage.¡± richard¡¯s expression was sparingly subtle when he heard this. ¡°wasn¡¯t this just logistics? ¡°was vale suggesting we build twilight city into a port-type city?¡± Chapter 550 sam left the blacksmith shop after a busy day. his hair was messy like a chicken nest, and his clothes were unkempt. his appearance made people frown. he looked like a wandering beggar, and he was in an extremely sorry state. he only had one arm. his appearance wouldn¡¯t show a good impression. !! but sam didn¡¯t care about that. he still puffed out his chest, and his eyes shone. the residents who passed by him did not look at him strangely. instead, envy and respect filled their state. that was because the gray clothes he wore were uniforms specially designed by the tailor shop for the blacksmith shop. in the entire twilight city, only the staff of the blacksmith shop had the right to wear it. that was the blacksmith shop, the most prestigious place in twilight city. they divided the blacksmith shop¡¯s uniforms into three levels: apprentice, blacksmith, and master blacksmith. he wore the most top-notch exclusive costume for a master forger. it was the symbol of his status. in the entire twilight city, only he and adele had it. sam walked briskly and hummed a tune he just knew from shanna. the girl liked him, and sam liked her too. he couldn¡¯t help but walk faster while he thought of the person who waited for him at home. he had already stayed in the blacksmith shop for a week. he originally wanted to research advanced attack technology before returning home. however, he had no choice but to come out now because today was very special. it was shanna¡¯s birthday¡­ he did not know when shanna¡¯s birthday was. he did not even know his birthday. he treated that day as his and her birthday because he treated the day they met as their shared birthday. to him, this was even more important than his birthday. a light came into his dark life when he met shanna. the girl¡¯s appearance gave him hope and the strength to live. to outsiders, he was the one who had been taking care of shanna, but only he knew. it was the girl who could no longer see this world that supported him. she was the one he relied on. the light in her eyes became gentler. a few months ago, a disabled man with only one arm brought a blind girl across the desert of death¡­ how crazy and suffocating was this? however, for her, he was not afraid of any difficulties. fortunately, he had made this choice back then. sam smiled from the bottom of his heart at the thought of this. twilight would not have discovered him to come to this great city and become a respected top-notch blacksmith if it weren¡¯t for his decision. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± he muttered this name in his heart, and his eyes revealed a burning light. it was the ruler of this territory who gave him everything. he would never forget it¡­ his soul belonged to his girl, but his life had long belonged to this city. he would stand on the city walls without hesitation if the city needed to give everything he had to protect it and lord richard. ¡°sam, you¡¯re going home so early today?¡± a crisp voice of surprise interrupted sam¡¯s thoughts. he subconsciously turned his head and saw a girl with a voluptuous figure. the girl wore a pure white dress, and her big, blue, and gemstone-carved eyes could make one¡¯s heart tremble. her face was exquisite and perfect, and her temperament was elegant and lively. even the most discerning person would find it difficult to find any flaws. sam didn¡¯t dare to look at her for long. he avoided her gaze awkwardly and said stiffly, ¡°miss elena, good morning¡­¡± ¡°today is shanna¡¯s birthday. i would come home a little early.¡± the smile on the girl¡¯s face faded slightly. she showed a forced smile when she heard this. ¡°that¡¯s great. i didn¡¯t expect miss shanna¡¯s birthday to be today.¡± her eyes dimmed as she spoke. ¡°then, i¡¯ll go ahead. i won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± sam nodded blankly. ¡°okay, miss elena. goodbye.¡± the girl lowered her head, turned around, and unhappily left when she realized sam wouldn¡¯t stop her. sam didn¡¯t mind. he regained his happiness and prepared to go home. however, a fat middle-aged man with a big belly stopped him before he could walk far. the other party wore a black robe and looked wealthy. sam chuckled when he saw the person. ¡°uncle ode, good morning.¡± the middle-aged man named ode laughed. ¡°good morning, sam.¡± he looked around as he spoke. ¡°didn¡¯t you meet elena just now?¡± sam gestured in another direction. ¡°yes, miss elena has passed by. ¡± the middle-aged man revealed a subtle expression. ¡°you guys didn¡¯t talk?¡± sam shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ve already told her. besides, it¡¯s shanna¡¯s birthday today. i¡¯m in a hurry to go home¡­ ¡± ¡°understandable.¡± ode sized up sam as he spoke. although dust covered his clothes, he could not underestimate his high-spirited gaiety. ode stepped forward after he pondered and approached sam and lowered his voice. ¡°sam, have you thought about what i told you before? ¡°elena is a famous girl in twilight city. her looks and upbringing are top-notch. many young men want to pursue her¡­¡± sam shook his head decisively. ¡°thank you for your attention, uncle ode. i already have shanna.¡± Chapter 551 the middle-aged man said disapprovingly. ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you to give up on shanna. shanna is a good girl. you can still be with her after you get married to elena.¡± he said proudly. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with a man marrying a few wives?! !! ¡°especially an outstanding man like you. ¡°you¡¯re the pillar of the blacksmith shop, and even lord richard treats you differently. your future potential is limitless! you can¡¯t just marry shanna in your life. you can have other girls, right? ¡°if that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t you marry elena? ¡°if you¡¯re worried that shanna won¡¯t agree, it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll help you talk to her. trust me, she¡¯ll understand¡­ ¡± uncle ode¡¯s retort startled sam. sam slowly shook his head at the middle-aged man after he pondered. ¡°uncle ode¡­ i think you misunderstood me. ¡°there are several beautiful girls in this world. however, that has nothing to do with me. ¡°i only want shanna. ¡°she is enough.¡± happiness filled his face as he spoke. ¡°shanna is my everything. ¡°in this world, no girl can compare to her. no¡­¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s expression finally stiffened. he looked at him in confusion. their eyes met. ode could only see the unwavering love in sam¡¯s eyes. the mountains and seas collapsed, and one could not move. the middle-aged man, who did not believe anyone could resist such temptation, fell silent. he smiled bitterly after a long time. ¡°maybe i underestimated you, sam.¡± he reached out and patted his shoulder. ¡°shanna is a good girl. the goddess must have blessed her to win your favor.¡± sam smiled and shook his head. ¡°no, uncle ode, to be able to be with shana¡­ it¡¯s my honor. ¡°without her, i might have already become a rotten corpse.¡± ¡°she is my light.¡± a moment later, the middle-aged man watched the figure disappear at the end of the street with light footsteps. inexplicable envy engulfed his eyes. ¡°loving someone so firmly must be very blissful.¡± he lowered his head after sam disappeared and pulled up his sleeve sparingly. he tied an impurity-filled crystal bracelet around his wrist. his eyes revealed a hint of reminiscence¡­ ****** ¡°shanna, sam will become a big shot in the future. ¡°he might marry you. but he might not only have one wife. ¡°which of those big shots doesn¡¯t have a few women? ¡°besides, with your situation, staying with him will only delay him¡­ ¡°sam is now a top figure in twilight city. he often misses home for a few days. doesn¡¯t that mean something? ¡°the broader difference in status between you, the harder it will be to maintain this relationship. ¡°shanna, maybe you haven¡¯t realized yet. but sam has gradually forgotten about you. he has a better life now. he won¡¯t put you first anymore¡­ you¡¯re no longer that important to him. ¡°and as you know, he met a girl called elena some time ago. that girl likes him very much. ¡°she has bright eyes and can play a musical instrument called the kronen. her singing is lovely, and her father is a big shot in the logistics department. ¡°they¡¯re the most compatible pair¡­¡± in a brightly lit room, a young man in his early twenties looked at a girl as she sat on a stool with unfocused eyes. the young man was tall and had a shiny golden haired-head. intoxication filled his eyes. he emphasized his tone and tried to increase his persuasiveness. ¡°i¡¯m different, shanna. you¡¯re the only one i want in my life. ¡°i swear to the goddess that from the day i saw you, i have engraved your appearance in my soul¡­ you are the only love of my life. ¡°i¡¯ve already become an employee of the food workshop. i¡¯ll work hard and earn money to treat your eyes. i¡¯ll accompany you every day after work. ¡°there will never be a situation where one will neglect you for many days! ¡°shanna¡­¡± shana was silent for a long time and slowly raised her head when she heard his voice and looked at the figure before her. her tone was firm. ¡°daniel, i¡¯m sorry. please forgive my directness¡­ sam isn¡¯t the kind of person you¡¯re talking about. ¡°in the future, please don¡¯t say anything about sam in front of me. i don¡¯t like it. ¡°sam is my lover and my only one. ¡°other than him, i will never fall in love with anyone else in this life, none, even in the next life. ¡°daniel, since we¡¯ve known each other for a few years and you¡¯ve helped sam and me a lot, i¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened today. you can leave.¡± the boy raised his voice unwillingly. ¡°shanna, don¡¯t you understand? love is mutual! sam could be holding hands with elena right now while they watched the sun rise and set outside the city! ¡°otherwise, why hasn¡¯t he returned for a week? ¡°although the blacksmith shop is busy, it¡¯s impossible that he can¡¯t spare any time! ¡°today is still your birthday! ¡°i can always be with you¡­¡± the girl¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°daniel, i¡¯m warning you for the last time, don¡¯t say anything about sam!! ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about how sam does things! ¡°i won¡¯t accept you even if sam comes home over a month, a year, or forever!¡± Chapter 552 ¡°i love sam more than my life and soul!¡± the young man felt a knife cut through his heart when he saw her unwavering face. he opened and closed his lips a few times. he could not speak again. in the end, he felt something sucked out of his soul. he sighed and staggered away in disappointment. !! the girl didn¡¯t mind the young man¡¯s departure. her mind still thought about her man. ¡°sam must be very busy these few days. i made his favorite honey bread today¡­ i¡¯ll ask aunt to bring me to the blacksmith shop later.¡± a bright smile immediately appeared on the young girl¡¯s face as she thought about seeing sam in the following hours. just as she was about to get up. ¡®yiya! she heard someone push the door open and heard familiar footsteps enter. the girl looked pleasantly surprised and subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the sound. ¡°sam, you¡¯re back!¡± indescribable joy filled her tone. the girl was sparingly angry a moment ago. she was like a statue, and someone gave her life. a lively aura filled her state. the smell of spring flowers filled the air. it was mesmerizing. sam looked at his beloved girl and smiled brightly. he stepped forward and took out a white bouquet from his back. his single hand led shanna to take it. ¡°happy birthday, shanna.¡± the girl held the flowers in her hand and sniffed them lightly. smile and surprise shrouded her face while she smelled the fragrance of the fresh flowers. ¡°whitemoon flowers? sam, where did you get the whitemoon flowers? this is the desert¡­¡± sam laughed. ¡°do you like it?¡± the girl nodded fiercely and held them in her arms happily. she was unwilling to let go. just as she was about to say something, the girl suddenly felt the figure before her squat on the ground. sam held one of her hands. a mellow and gentle voice sounded just as she was puzzled. ¡°shanna, today is our birthday. it¡¯s also the day we met. ¡°this day is like a new life for me. you gave a new meaning to my life. ¡°i hope to protect you, take care of you, and love you forever from this day on. ¡°i hope to be your husband and the father of our child. ¡°i hope to hold your hand when i grow old. and until my hair turns white. ¡°shanna, my true love, i hope you can marry me¡­¡± the girl felt the coldness of the ring on her ring finger as soon as the young man finished speaking. at this moment, an indescribable sense of happiness surged from the bottom of her heart. tears rolled down uncontrollably. her voice trembled uncontrollably. ¡°sam¡­you, are you serious?¡± sam¡¯s tone was solemn and passionate. ¡°i¡¯ve never been so severe in my life. are you willing to be my bride?¡± ¡°wuhuhuhu!¡± i, i¡¯m willing¡­¡± the girl could no longer hold back the excitement in her heart. she choked and pulled the boy into her arms. she smelled sam¡¯s aura and felt the worth of dying. sam whispered in the girl¡¯s ear with a trembling voice. ¡°shanna, i was scared when the desert of death trapped us. i wasn¡¯t scared of death. i feared i wouldn¡¯t make you my wife when i died. ¡°at that time, i thought that if we could leave the desert of death alive, i would definitely propose to you immediately! ¡°fortunately, the goddess has blessed us. lord richard pulled us back from the hands of death and brought us to twilight city. ¡°after that, the lord bestowed great power and gave me everything¡­ now, i can take care of you. ¡°i¡¯ve thought about this when i came to twilight city. ¡°it has fulfilled my wish. i¡¯m willing, even if i die now. ¡°shanna, i love you.¡± when the girl heard the most straightforward and passionate words in her heart, it made her heart drunk. emotions choked her, and she could no longer speak a complete sentence. all she could respond was hug the young man. she tightly held him in her arms. it was like she wanted to rub her body into his. after a long time, she sobbed and whispered. ¡°sam, we will have a future. you have to serve twilight city and repay lord richard with enormous achievements. ¡°we have to live well together. ¡°live until the day twilight city becomes a pearl in the desert. live until the day we can no longer walk¡­¡± sam hugged the girl tightly. ¡°yes, we have to live well. ¡°we wait until twilight city has become immortal. lord richard has not become the ruler of the desert of death yet¡­ ¡°we haven¡¯t repaid the favor we owe¡­¡± Chapter 553 richard felt vale¡¯s proposal to build a logistics core city in twilight city was quite feasible after he thought about it. however, he could not carry out this plan yet¡­ it was not suitable to expose twilight city to the public yet. he could use fearless lost skill to develop, but this core logistics city could not be twilight city. the current twilight could not deal with the pressure from the outside world. !! the fearless lost skill was simply irresistible to the forces around the desert of death. a high chance that nothing good would happen to a child who carried gold through the downtown area if he rashly exposed this skill before he could have enough strength. ¡°it¡¯s not too late to carry out this idea when my strength is sufficient in the later stages.¡± ¡°twilight city now has the power to travel freely in the desert of death. we¡¯ll be able to reap a lot of benefits if we dig deeper.¡± richard rubbed his forehead. ¡°initially, the desert of death was impassable, and doing business there was a great opportunity. however, the appearance of players has smoothed out the price difference in most areas. ¡°it¡¯s unlikely there will be a situation where the prices in some areas differ by a hundred times¡­ a market that allows free trade has changed many rules. the arrival of players could have fundamentally changed the [trading market] in the ¡°shining era¡±. direct and timely trading could save him money even with a 30% handling fee. previously, due to the inconvenience of transportation, the price difference between items in areas that were far away could be dozens of times higher. however, after the players appeared, they directly killed this situation. some players who lost their territories even went to explore unfamiliar maps to find the price difference. he retracted his thoughts and said slowly. ¡°we¡¯ll make plans for this in the future.¡± butler karu nodded and didn¡¯t dwell on this matter anymore. he knew this plan was good. but the timing was inappropriate. he thought for a moment and changed the topic. ¡°lord, the food workshop has recently developed a special food using a magical plant from the underground world.¡± ¡°it can make people feel very cool after eating it. i feel that it has quite the potential¡­¡± richard was interested. the food workshop was the earliest building blueprint he had obtained. he had built it for more than half a year. one could not calculate the resources invested during this time. last time, he heard that the food workshop had made progress. now, there was finally a product that he could take out. however, he wanted to look at the finished product before his evaluation due to the prior poor performance of the food workshop. ¡°get someone to bring that food over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± butler karu immediately turned around and left. not long after, he brought a young man who looked excited and nervous into the hall. the first thing richard saw was the three porcelain bowls on the tray. he spotted a black jelly-like object in the bowl. it looked ordinary, and he had no appetite. ¡°lord, this is the product we developed in the food workshop¨Cblack sorbet.¡± ¡°please, try it.¡± butler karu was a little nervous when he saw richard¡¯s expressionless face. they would only know after his judgment whether they succeeded or not. ¡°bring it over.¡± richard was reluctant, but he had once scolded the food workshop before. he couldn¡¯t do it again, could he? the young man respectfully came forward with a tray. anticipation filled his eyes. richard didn¡¯t rush to taste. he opened the attribute panel to glance. [black sorbet] [level: 1-star] [characteristic: after consumption, recovers 20% of stamina within 10 minutes.] [description: magical food made from special plants.] ¡°one-star item?¡± richard was relieved. it couldn¡¯t be too bad, right? although the level was low. he casually picked up a bowl and examined it slightly. the black sorbet was no different from black jelly. they were both very elastic. he placed it under his nose and sniffed it gently. there was no special strange smell. instead, there was a faint sweetness. it made him heave a sigh of relief. he would never fall for such a trap again if he were jealous. he picked up the spoon beside him and scooped up half a spoonful. he slowly put it into his mouth¡­ butler karu and the two young men were on tenterhooks. he feared richard would put down his bowl and scold him the next second¡­ richard had thought that the black sorbet tasted like jelly. however, in the next second, an icy and sweet texture exploded. the taste was incomparably delightful. at the same time, an intense ice-cold aura spread out as he chewed. it engulfed his entire body. the coldness instantly dispelled the heat in his body. it was different from the coldness of an ice cube. this coldness was more like an air conditioner that blew at 20 degrees. it was just right. he instantly became spirited. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®good stuff¡­ this thing was a hundred times better than any ice cream to relieve the heat.¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but scoop another spoonful and experience that icy feeling again. he quickly finished the bowl of black sorbet ice cream. richard put down his bowl and looked at the two with a burning gaze. butler karu was in a good mood. he knew that the lord was delighted if one would judge from his actions. ¡°lord richard¡­what do you think?¡± richard reached out and patted the shoulder of the young man who held the tray. he laughed loudly. ¡°good stuff! ¡°the food workshop didn¡¯t disappoint me! ¡°black sorbet ice cream has a bright future!¡± it was the scorching desert of death. this food could make people feel great and be a top-notch killing weapon for people in hot areas. Chapter 554 when it was hot like a husky, a bowl of black sorbet ice cream could instantly relieve the heat¡­ just thinking about it, he knew he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the market of this delicacy! compared to this characteristic that could relieve heat, the one-star level and the effect of recovering 20% of stamina were secondary. excitement flushed at the young man¡¯s face at richard¡¯s praise. karu smiled brightly. !! ¡°lord, do we need to increase the black sorbet ice cream?¡± ¡°increase production. use as much force as you can.¡± richard¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade, but he suddenly thought of something and asked. ¡°how much is the production cost of each bowl of black sorbet?¡± karu looked at the young man. ¡°lord, bi qi was the one who led the research and developed black sorbet. i would summon bi qi to report to you.¡± the young man suppressed his excitement and spoke in a trembled voice when he saw richard nod. ¡°city lord, the primary raw material for the black sorbet is the magic plant you brought back from the underground-frost grass. ¡°this magic plant has unique magic properties. its outside stalk doesn¡¯t appear unique but has an invisible ice magic power hidden inside. it will freeze those who touch it. ¡°it can preserve that ice magic power if one has handled it well. ¡°one could only make black sorbet ice cream with the frost grass as the core and 30 other ordinary plants through 12 processes such as grinding, filtering, and steaming.¡± the young man momentarily paused before he continued. ¡°frost grass is the main ingredient of the black sorbet ice cream, but we don¡¯t know the value of this magical plant¡­¡± richard had an idea. the wealth of the underground world was more complex than it seemed. he still had to increase the intensity of development. not only did he have to obtain superficial benefits, but he also had to collect rare plants and unique animals. it couldn¡¯t be useless. he immediately gave the order after he regained his senses. ¡°call rand augustus over. at the same time, go to the food workshop and get the frost grass.¡± ¡°yes.¡± not long after, rand, the old dwarf, entered the hall with a perturbed expression. richard didn¡¯t waste any time and handed him the frost grass he just obtained. ¡°rand, do you recognize this magical plant?¡± the old dwarf reached out and took it. he only glanced at it briefly before he raised his head. he was sparingly puzzled. ¡°lord ruler, this is frost grass. it grows near swamps and water sources. it contains a special magical energy that can make one feel cold when touched¡­ other than that, it doesn¡¯t seem to be of any use.¡± richard¡¯s interest grew. ¡°is this kind of magic plant rare underground?¡± the old dwarf had a strange expression. ¡°rare? in the underground world, it could be everywhere where there is water. there would be¡­ great ruler, do you need the frost grass for something?¡± ¡°where there is water everywhere?¡± richard¡¯s expression was subtle. he shook his head and retracted his thoughts. he reached out to gesture at the bowl on the tray. ¡°try the latest top-notch delicacy the food workshop had developed¨Cblack sorbet.¡± the old dwarf looked at the black, jelly-like substance. he still quickly took a bite, although he was sparingly hesitant. his body trembled when the black sorbet ice cream entered his mouth. he revealed a delighted expression¡­ it was too cool. he couldn¡¯t help but take a few more bites. in the end, after the bottom of the bowl was empty, he couldn¡¯t bear to put the spoon down. he looked at richard in surprise. ¡°lord ruler, what kind of delicacy is this? it¡¯s simply too delicious. that ice-cold aura is simply mesmerizing¡­¡± although there was a statue of an ice elf and the temperature in twilight city remained constant, a desert was still a desert. it was still unbearably hot outside the city. the feeling of cooling down his entire body was simply irresistible in this hot and humid environment. halfway through his sentence, the old dwarf looked at the frost grass in his hand and immediately came to a realization. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect that one could create a delicacy from an ordinary magical plant¡­¡± richard looked at the man¡¯s amazed expression and suddenly had an idea. ¡°rand, all the dwarves will temporarily join the food workshop. we¡¯ll look for special magical plants from the underground world for the food workshop to try and develop new food.¡± these dwarves were not strong enough before the unsealing of the blood in their bodies. he might make the best use of it since that was the case. even if the other party did not have inherited knowledge, he would still have experience in this area since he has lived in the underground world for so long. richard looked at the young man who held the tray after he said that. ¡°bi qi, you¡¯ve done well this time. the black sorbet is of great significance to twilight city. ¡°you will continue to be in charge of the research and development work this time!¡± bi qi was startled. this young man named was a b-rank lifestyle hero. richard knew after he asked karu that bi qi had automatically become a hero unit a week ago. he was a rare talent. ¡°other than that, you must collect recipes from the underworld and food with special effects and flavors. ¡°find something valuable to improve and develop¡­¡± the ¡°shining era¡± was a world with magic. plants had special effects, which turned the delicacy more creative. for example, black sorbet ice cream was a unique specialty. on planet blue, cold air couldn¡¯t cover his feet even if he ate ten ice cream sticks¡­ Chapter 555 richard felt he had opened his train of thought when he thought in this direction. since there were magic plants that were extremely cold, were there any that were hot? he could sell them in hot places, but he couldn¡¯t judge them in cool places¡­ the old dwarf was clever. he quickly sensed the hidden meaning in richard¡¯s order. he answered firmly. !! ¡°yes, lord.¡± ¡°we will do our best¡­ for twilight city!¡± the last slogan sounded a little abrupt, but to the old dwarf, it came from the bottom of his heart. although he had not been in twilight city for some time, he had never felt this city before. full of vitality and hope¡­ it seemed that all the adjectives for beauty were appropriate here. the strong preyed on the weak in the dark and disorderly underground world. they would kill each other for a piece of bread. the difference between the two was so enormous that one could not describe it with words. if the underground world was a chaotic jungle of flesh and blood, then this was the orderly kingdom of god. he might have come to the surface before. but after he felt the different environment, he wanted to bring the dwarf into this territory. richard was about to speak when he heard a message notification. he opened the [forum chat]. a new message immediately popped up on it. it was from the lionman mummy player with the id hyena, one of the players he had met in solan city. [hyena: boss qingqiu, are you still in solan city? several abyssal demons suddenly appeared in a collapsed ruin in the southern region.] [several players have already gathered there¡­] [we¡¯re preparing to team up and see. do you want to come along?] ¡°the collapsed ruins¡­ rotten tree?¡± richard frowned. a frightful hunch rose in his heart. it was indeed the location of the rotten tree after a detailed inquiry. there had been too many things that had happened recently. in addition to the departure of xina and the dark valkyrie, the god¡¯s ancient tree, and alves¡¯s slumber, it had enormously reduced his power, so he did not have the time to investigate. [qingqiu: why did it suddenly change?] [what¡¯s the specific situation?] [hyena: i don¡¯t know. i only heard that several abyssal demons came out, and the experience of those demons is five times that of ordinary soldiers in the wild, so it has attracted several people.] [qingqiu: you guys go first. i¡¯ll be there soon. report to me the soonest if anything horrid happens.] [hyena: alright, don¡¯t worry!] richard closed the [forum chat]. richard suppressed his doubts and looked at karu. he told him about the rotten tree and the collapsed ruins. he said in the end. ¡°i¡¯m going there immediately. you supervise the implementation of our plan. ¡°the value of a single black sorbet may not be high, but it is a consumable. there is a massive market in the hot place, and it can generate tremendous wealth. ¡°send someone to arrange the distribution, quantity, production cycle, and growth requirements. ¡°send the finished product to solan city and give it to vale after you have calculated the cost. let him confirm the price of the black sorbet. ¡°twilight city will also participate in the knowledge-sharing system that bloodhoof city is establishing. ¡°the underground world has accumulated for hundreds of years. their knowledge reserves must be more abundant than ours. ¡°you have to follow up and figure out the situation of the heroes and troop lairs in the underground world. that is crucial to control it. ¡°the alchemy technology in fortress city is full of possibilities. brown has already explored the application of alchemy technology in people¡¯s livelihood. you have to cooperate with him. ¡°in the future, alchemy technology could assist agriculture, mining, forging, and transportation. ¡°now, the food workshop can also benefit from the underground world. we need to strengthen our exploration in this area.¡± the development of the underground world required a long-term stable investment of resources and a vast amount of energy. one could obtain a limited output in a short time. however, a persistent one could eventually produce colossal results one day. Chapter 556 ¡®whoosh!¡¯ hundreds of skeleton blood dragons with wingspans over 20 meters flapped their broken wings and flew away from twilight city. the six squadrons of the stone statues of the dead followed closely behind. they disappeared into the air in the blink of an eye. the residents below mind when they saw this scene. !! they firmly believed that the almighty ruler would emerge victorious no matter what happened next. that was the confidence they had built up over the past half a year. no one could break it. richard did not bring any heroes with him this time because of the change in the situation. the heroes had their mission. gray and gunter were left behind to guard the city. his current power could already bridge many gaps with the increase in his battle strength. he flew at full speed in the direction of the collapsed ruins. richard mobilized the power of the sand to speed up the troop. it allowed the overall speed to exceed 400 kilometers per hour¡­ it whistled through the sky. the stone statue of the dead was born at level 9 and had a brilliant potential of 3-stars. however, its battle ability was much stronger than the crown 1-star skeleton blood dragon, born at level 10. richard even had the confidence to rely on this troop to defeat most players without personally entering the battlefield. as he flew, he communicated with the players from hyena to implement the changes in the collapsed ruins. he had to admit that these players were indeed quite capable. with their connections, they could accurately give him real-time information about the collapsed ruins. as time passed, the situation of the collapsed ruins became worse. increasing demons surged out of the cave, and the number of players gathered rose exponentially¡­ on the morning of october 19th, richard finally arrived within 100 kilometers of his destination. richard grew excited when he saw the mark on the system map and increasingly went closer. the news from last night had not stopped. it has connected the ruins to the bottomless abyss, and several demons appeared inside¡­ the players even forcefully retreated to the outer area. the sound of a system notification suddenly rang in his ears. [ding~ you have triggered a regional quest: the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss has opened up a passage to the desert of death. several demons have appeared in the central plane. they seriously threatened the safety of solan city. the glorious grand duke of frostwolf has quickly sent troops to eliminate the demons.] [lords, you are free to receive missions.] [during the mission period, the experience gained from killing demons will increase by five times.] [you will earn contribution points from solan city for every abyssal demon you slay. you can exchange these contribution points for high-level treasures.] [solan city will reward the lord who seals the abyssal passage.] [time limit for this regional mission: 3 days.] ¡°regional mission?¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. that was the first time he had encountered such a mission. it looked interesting. ¡°but three days only? could that grand duke of frostworf in solan city, the glorious ascetic, make a change in three days? he had never seen a glorious powerhouse in action before. he wondered if he could witness it this time. he immediately sped up. at this moment, the private message rang again. [hyena: boss qingqiu, we triggered a regional mission. did you receive it?] [qingqiu: yes, i got it. i¡¯ll be there in 20 minutes.] hyena was very excited. he could finally rely on a soul-strapping lord again. [hyena: alright, we¡¯ll wait for you!] ****** ¡°quick, retreat!! ¡± f*ck! there are so many enraged abyssal demons. we can¡¯t hold them off anymore¡­ ¡°be careful of the balrog. these demons have already reached level 14¡­¡± in the ruins of a collapsed building. several players led their troops and fought against the demons that surged out of the central area. from the sky, it looked like a black tide surged out, and a low roar that sounded like a beast on the verge of death vastly resounded. it carried a terrifying and sinking language. the abyssal aura was like a giant hand that grabbed necks. the enemies couldn¡¯t breathe. there were too many demons¡­ countless low-level inferior and fallen demons, and high-level furious and flame demons were scattered everywhere. in the outer region, the players led the troop like a reef. they forcefully blocked the tide of demons. the priests of the sect camp incessantly cast light magic and caused massive damage to the enemy. the human archers, the gunners of the fortress city, the beastmen¡¯s flying axe warriors ¡­there were all kinds of races, and the situation became dizzying. however, there were too many demons. the troop players gradually retreated, although they were also very tenacious. moreover, the players were here to hunt and earn contribution points experience, so they would not go against the demons. hence, they retreated while they fought. they did intend to fight with the demons head-on. richard saw the battle scene from thousands of meters away. it was rare for dozens of races to fight against the abyssal demon troop. however, he was not interested in interfering at the moment. richard followed the coordinates that hyena and the others gave and flew in another direction. he sensed hyena and the others hid in a collapsed building a few minutes later. hyena, brother knight, big boss, and third brother excitedly came out of cover when they saw richard land. ¡°boss qing qiu¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°do you know the reason for the sudden appearance of the abyssal demons?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s just that two days ago, a player suddenly sent a message saying several demons had appeared here, and their experience points were extremely high. ¡°at first, the number was still within a controllable range, but later on, it gradually went out of control until it triggered the regional mission.¡± richard frowned. Chapter 557 he had heard from the players who had discovered the rotten tree that the collapsed ruins had existed for a long time. ¡®now, it suddenly changed¡­ could one relate this to the crimson moon?¡¯ although there was no definite connection between them, it gave him a very subtle feeling. ¡°don¡¯t go near the central area. there might be supremely soul-crushing demon heroes hiding inside. it¡¯s enormously dangerous. !! ¡°at the periphery, help me find out as much as possible about the reason for the abyssal demons¡¯ appearance¡­ ¡°i have something important to deal with, so i can¡¯t spare any time.¡± one could only describe the battle strength of the players as ordinary. a small team of stone statues of the dead could quickly slay them. it was futile in battle. but it was suitable for gathering information. ¡°alright, go ahead. if there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know.¡± they were very self-aware and did not compete blindly. richard did not stay any longer. he flew up into the sky and landed on a skeleton blood dragon. he sped off in another direction. he looked at the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead that covered the sky. hyena and the others all revealed envious gazes. ¡°boss qingqiu is indeed boss qingqiu¡­¡± ¡®whoosh!¡¯ richard flew across the sky without any scruples. that caused many players to exclaim. however, he didn¡¯t mind these guys entangled with the demons and quickly flew north of the collapsed ruins. [rotten tree.] the goal of this trip. although he was curious about why the demon would suddenly appear, the most important thing was to find the rotten tree. he wanted to confirm if this evil tree of darkness was still alive. whether or not he could recover. everything else was secondary. his flying speed was swift. even the collapsed ruins that occupied dozens of kilometers could not withstand the flying troops¡¯ speed. ten minutes later, richard coincided with the mark on the map and subconsciously flew ahead. in the next second, his eyes maximally widened. he was bewildered. a twisted, giant rotten tree a thousand meters more than fifty meters tall stood on top of countless ruins. it stationed several abyssal demons a hundred meters away from the rotten tree. these chaotic and evil creatures did not dare to approach it at all. one could see dozens of twisted branches of the rotten tree. they were like shriveled human arms that gave off a creepy feeling. what was more shocking was that there were densely packed human skulls on the trunk of the giant tree. they were like the bumps of ordinary trees. countless skeletons covered the ground within a hundred meters. it was like the corpses in the mass grave had turned over. it added countless horrors to the already terrifying scene around them. in addition, demons, evil, darkness, and cruelty wandered around¡­ one could use negative adjectives to describe this strange, twisted rotten tree. richard suppressed the fast beat in his heart and continued to approach. the demon on the ground sensed the subtle aura and immediately raised its head. it released a soul-shaking roar. richard ignored the demons. but as he approached the rotten tree, he gradually felt terrible pressure. it was pressure from the depths of his soul. it was like an abyssal demon that could devour a demon god stared at him. that feeling reached the 100-meter limit of the rotten tree. richard waved his hand to stop the troop. they did not step into the sky above the countless skeletons. he fixed his gaze on the decaying tree that still seemed lifeless. he opened his attribute panel. [rotten tree] [status: withered (recovering)] [description: a mysterious evil tree.] it was a simple attribute, and he could not see the details. however, he had a bad feeling about the status of ¡°recovering¡±. ¡°it could also receive replenishment after the abyss connected to the central plane?¡± however, ¡°how could he benefit from it¡± was the biggest problem. currently, he does not have a treasure like the dark contract. as his thoughts spun, he opened the black gold system. the notification made his breathing subconsciously down. [rotten tree] [tree of decay, the lord of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss, the king of decay. a seed planted by labrace for some scheme. it contains a wisp of the authority of decay of labrace.] [1. it can water the power of the abyss. it could allow the rotten tree to regain its strength. at that time, labrace can use the authority of decay to recover control of the rotten tree.] [2. you can use holy water to rinse the rotten tree. that could destroy its vitality and shatter its authority. labrace will permanently lose a portion of it and decrease its power.] [3. consumes divine power to snatch the decaying authority hidden in the rotten tree.] richard felt his mouth go dry after he read the notification. the weather was about to change¡­ a portion of the kobold god¡¯s clone he imprisoned, and also the statue of the dwarf god, lay in his hands. he had now discovered another abyss demon, a backup plan buried in the central plane. ¡°is that because a new expansion is coming, so some top presence is gradually surfacing? ¡°but can the current players deal with the existence of this level?¡± his scalp even felt tingling. ¡°in a horrible place like the abyss. who can rule the lord of a plane if this level is singled-out like the kobold?¡± ****** Chapter 558 richard collected his scattered thoughts and turned his attention back to the rotten tree. the first and second points of the black gold system were unacceptable. once the rotten tree regained power, the king of decay would regain control of the authority. ¡®didn¡¯t that mean the 333rd floor¡¯s lord of the abyss, the king of decay, had succeeded in his plan? !! ¡®at that time, who knew how big a storm it would cause?¡¯ it would probably affect half of the desert of death. and it was unknown whether twilight city could avoid it. at that time, even a glorious powerhouse like the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city would have a headache. he was the ruler of an abyssal plane. he had not heard of the holy water mentioned in the second notification. he had no chance of obtaining it. moreover, destroying the rotten tree would not benefit him at all. only the third notification was the most valuable. [can consume divine power to snatch the decaying authority hidden in the decaying tree.] [the rotten authority was the power of the abyssal rulers, terrifying existences above level 30.] [rule force.] it was not something ordinary power could compare to even if it was just a trace. richard took a few deep breaths and forcefully suppressed the throbbing in his heart. his gaze gradually became heated. he sought wealth and honor in danger. with such a heaven-sent opportunity before him, it was worth a try, no matter how enormous the risk was. moreover, one hadn¡¯t opened the connection between the abyss and the central plane. the rotten tree had yet to revive, and solan city did not know what they hid inside. that gave him an empty slot where he did not receive any attention. with a thought, the ancient god statue appeared in his hand. richard looked around. ¡°all troops, listen up. clear the surrounding demons. no one is allowed to approach within a kilometer.¡± a demon troop that couldn¡¯t fly filled the ground. the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead had absolute air superiority. moreover, this was the desert of death. even if the flying demon troops appeared, the terrifying disorientation characteristic would let them experience what it meant to have the home ground advantage. richard gave the order. one squadron of skeleton blood dragons and six stone statues of the dead immediately swooped down. thirty to forty meters above the ground. ¡®roar!¡¯ scarlet energy burst out from the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s throat. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it left a trail of flames dozens of meters long in the air. there was no way for the demons to dodge. the dragon¡¯s breath would envelop and corrode their bodies into broken limbs like ice and snow melting at high-temperature even if their skin was rough and their flesh was thick. the terrifying corrosiveness instantly caused an enormous space to appear on the ground. the stone statue of the dead did not show any weakness. the tomahawk in its hand whizzed out. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the tomahawk shattered, and countless fragments enveloped the surrounding dozens of meters. the fragments penetrated the thick skin of those demons like cotton. and then their bodies exploded and ignited balls of flames. the terrifying lethality simply made one¡¯s heart tremble. after one has reinforced the glorious treasure, the original fire, the axe of the stone statue of the dead, had horrifying flame damage. the denser the enemies, the better the effect. inferior demons, fallen demons, bewitching demons, enraged demons¡­ it slaughtered all kinds of ferocious and terrifying in a one-sided manner without any means to fight in the air. in the distance, a dozen players from a small guild watched the battle between the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead. ¡± is¡­is that a player¡¯s troop?¡± they slaughtered the demon troop that had made their scalps numb like little chicks. moreover, why could the enemy¡¯s troops fly into the desert of death? ¡°i glanced at the master of this troop just now. it¡¯s the player panel¡­ ¡°which big shot is this? are they all so brave? ¡°activate the troop and prepare for battle. that big shot has attracted most of the firepower. we¡¯ll just drink some soup here¡­ ¡± the group of players immediately responded after they recovered from their shock. they could compete with the big shots. but they still could drink some leftovers. richard ignored the battle. among these demons, the most powerful balrog was only level 14. they would often collapse after a few rounds without any means to fight in the air when faced with the siege of powerful stone statues of the dead. even the most powerful demon was like this, let alone others. the one-sided battle did not pique his interest. he stared at the rotten tree corpse before him. richard looked at the white bones on the ground. he had a thought. the yellow sand surged in from all directions and directly submerged the ruins of the building where the rotten tree was. it also moved the bones on the ruins to the yellow sand a few hundred meters away. the ruins of the buildings had turned into a land of yellow sand. the desert was his home ground. in the next second, the ancient god statue in his hand emitted a dark light. in the sky, a body with a faint divine soul condensed. renee. powerful battle power with the resurrection ability. the other party had even relied on the resurrection ability to drag the dark valkyrie down. ¡°lord, i feel an evil power. that tree is not dead.¡± renee fixed her gaze on the rotten tree. solemnity filled his words. richard briefly explained the original plan to the other party. ¡°you used divine power to suppress the power of the rotten tree¡­ take away the rotten authority hidden in the other party¡¯s body.¡± renee replied proudly. ¡°as you wish, my lord.¡± she would not die as long as the ancient god statue is protected. reene didn¡¯t even have the concept of death as a living being residing within the statue. he gripped the elven longsword in his hand tightly. renee suddenly disappeared before his eyes. Chapter 559 in the next second. before a vast, twisted, and lifeless rotten tree. renee appeared out of thin air. then, a somewhat transparent palm slowly imprinted itself on the tree trunk with human skulls. !! at this moment. ¡®boom!¡¯ the mountains collapsed, and the rivers roared¡­ a supremely soul-devouring pressure erupted from the rotten tree. at this moment, the world suddenly dimmed. there was only that twisted and evil giant tree in his eyes. it was as if the other party could directly split open the world and tear the earth apart in the next moment. the dozen or so players behind him subconsciously turned their heads. fear engulfed their eyes. ¡°what was that player doing? why was there such a terrifying aura?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go! quickly retreat from this area!¡± he had wanted to take advantage of the chaos, but now it seemed this was not a f*cking advantage. it was simply the death of the god¡¯s soul. players with such powerful troops were not to be trifled with¡­ ¡°hurry up! run! if you don¡¯t want to die!!¡± richard¡¯s gaze was extremely grave. because¡­ the withered rotten tree moved. the twisted branches, which looked like withered human arms after decades of weathering, slowly waved. in addition to the human skulls that grew on the tree trunk, this scene simply sent chills down one¡¯s spine. a trace of the rotten tree¡¯s actions. richard suddenly felt an indescribable sense of danger. every cell in his body warned him. dangerous, extremely dangerous. it was as if death had clamped a sickle on his neck. with a gentle wave, he could reap his soul. richard retreated a few dozen meters before the danger dissipated slightly. he focused his attention and glanced while he suppressed his emotions. a faint, hazy light appeared on the rotten tree, like the thin mist in the morning. however, wherever the mist passed, indescribable energy seemed to appear in the world¡­ renee pressed her palm against the tree trunk. she was on the verge of collapsing like a candle in the wind. large patches of festering began to appear on its transparent body. the mist had spread a hundred meters away in the blink of an eye. it covered a large number of demon corpses on the ground. in the next second, the recently dead demon corpses visibly decayed. within a breath, it was like pork stored in a trash can for more than ten days. it was smelly and unpleasant. in less than a minute, the corpses turned into pus, and the desert swallowed them and left only skeletons. the stench left in the air made people¡¯s eyes uncomfortable. countless yellow sand on the ground began to decay and shatter into powder. it continued to slide down not long after it revealed the ruins of the building where one had just brought the groceries. the ruins of the buildings could not hold on for long, and they similarly decayed into powder ¡­ richard felt his scalp numbed as he watched everything around him rot and shatter silently. decaying authority¡­ this kind of power was simply terrifying. he looked at renee, who stood before the rotten tree. at this moment, her body began to glow with a faint light. the other party used divine power to block the corrosion of the rotting power. but even so, one could see the supremely soul-devouring pressure on his body. perhaps in the next second, it would directly rot. it was also richard¡¯s first time to see rule force. although there were no fancy moves, the pressure it gave him was even more terrifying than facing any beyond a-rank skill. that was the power of laws. richard stepped into this range and would only send them to their deaths without resistance. moreover, this was before the rotten tree recovered. the other party was not even conscious at the moment¡­ the explosive power of the defensive nature was already a little unbearable for him. renee¡¯s body emitted an even more eye-catching light. however, she seemed far from controlling the rotten tree. richard could feel that after the rotten tree was activated, the speed at which it devoured the surrounding energy began to increase, and his expression turned grave. to consume her divine power would allow her to snatch the rotten authority, but from the looks of it, renee¡¯s divine power wasn¡¯t enough to support this consumption. he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. richard held the ancient god statue tightly. he slowly approached the area enveloped by the power of decay. the moment he got close to the thin mist. a dark light surged out of the ancient god statue. it enveloped richard. at the same time, something blocked the power of decay that could look down on everything and turn rocks and sand into ashes outside. ****** Chapter 560 richard held the ancient god statue and quickly approached the rotten tree that had yet fully recovered. although the rotten tree already waved its branches, it only subconsciously defended itself and had not regained consciousness if one had to judge from its stiff posture. the ruler of the abyss did not control the rotten tree either. the dim light of the ancient god statue resisted the corrosion of the decaying authority. !! not only did the power not dissipate, but it became even hotter. desire¡­the ancient god statue was like a hungry shark that smelled blood. it was restless. richard flew over slowly. the sand around him would quickly decay and crumble once it left the range of the light. it was as if nothing could last long in the decaying authority. that was the power of laws that robbed time. the closer he got to the rotten tree, the more he could sense how terrifying the pressure was. the twisted branches waved slightly, and extreme evil darkness shrouded the tree trunk with countless human heads. ordinary people that stood under the tree trunk were as small as ants before an elephant. richard approached renee. she tried her best to control the rotten tree with her divine power. this divine soul¡¯s body had already become transparent, and the aura that her body emitted was supremely frail. the rotten authority could devour it at any time. richard placed a hand on renee¡¯s shoulder, and in the next moment, the dim light of the ancient god statue spread out and protected renee. instantly, the feeling of being on the verge of collapse disappeared, and she slowly returned to normal. ¡°lord, the power contained in the rotten tree is too overwhelming. i can¡¯t control it with my divine power.¡± guilt engulfed renee¡¯s gaze. she didn¡¯t expect that even though the rotten tree partially regained consciousness, the subconscious release of the ancient god statue¡¯s power to protect her made her feel helpless. moreover, a majestic power hid in the other party¡¯s body. it was like an abyss sea. it was endless. her strength was like a child¡¯s compared to a dragon¡¯s. richard nodded slightly. ¡°let me do it.¡± the rotten tree was complicated. the source of its power was the ruler who controlled the entire plane of the abyss. even though it was still far from recovery, it was still not something ordinary people could imagine. ¡°if you are outside, other demons will approach.¡± renee held her chest. ¡°i will obey your orders.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, he suddenly disappeared and appeared outside. several demons guarded the rotten tree. the ruler must have planned something new with the cunning of these evil creatures. richard looked at the rotten tree before him. it seemed to suppress the lava about to erupt. the surging energy and pressure made his skin hurt. no one could imagine how exaggerated the scene would be if this giant tree were to revive. although the enemy was powerful and fierce, his gaze was burning with passion. ¡°the rotten authority¡­ the power of laws. ¡°this is the closest i¡¯ve ever gotten to the ultimate power of this world. ¡°if i can obtain the power of laws that only gods can control now, then in the future, whether it¡¯s becoming a transcendent, a glorious, or even planning to become a god, there will be great benefits.¡± his gaze became increasingly wanton. he gripped the statue in his hand tightly and pressed it against the tree trunk. ¡®peng!¡¯ a dull sound rang out. in an instant. the ancient god statue shone brightly like a candle splashed with gasoline. it burst into flames. the dim light quickly spread along the trunk of the rotten tree. in a few breaths, it enveloped most of it. ¡®gu gu gu!¡¯ the dark light was like a dried sponge thrown into the river. and it began to devour the power of the rotten tree. the mist-like rotten power in the surroundings gradually thinned. it shook the foundation of the rotten authority. the rotten tree¡¯s twisted trunk increasingly swung as if it sensed an incoming danger. some of the tree trunks began to smash toward richard. one could compare it to a battering ram three times thicker than a millstone. richard did not back down. he pressed down on the ancient god statue and waved his hand. he turned his flesh and bones into the sand. ¡®bang!¡¯ the tree trunk smashed down. the sand exploded, and a portion of it flew out of the area covered by the dim light and directly rotted and collapsed. after the remaining sand had formed, richard frowned. his body was now half broken. it looked miserable. he lowered his head slightly and looked at the ground into an exaggerated hole. the yellow sand on his body surged. in the next second, the sand outside the rotten authority surged out. the vast amount of yellow sand enormously delayed the time of decay and collapse. a large amount of sand rushed over. it repaired the damaged body. richard made up his mind. the rotten authority was the power of rules. but there was only a wisp of it, and no one initiated to control it. therefore, there was an obvious flaw¨Cthe energy of rotten items had an upper limit. he continued to control the sand on the ground to rise with a wave of his hand. around him formed a thick yellow sand shield several meters. it forcefully blocked the smashing of the withered and twisted giant tree trunk. sand and gravel flew in the sky. at this moment, the ancient god statue emitted an aura and became increasingly turbulent. the rotten authority covered an area and gradually shrank. richard could sense that something gradually added power to the statue. it carried an ancient, lonely, dark, and decaying aura that time had washed away. it made one¡¯s heart palpitate inexplicably. the ancient god statue devoured the rotten authority! at this moment, a series of shrill roars came from afar. Chapter 561 richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he turned his head and saw a demon that blotted out the sky in the center of the collapsed ruins. the flying troops of the abyss had arrived. these demons had sharp bone spikes that were half a meter long. it made them appear like hedgehogs. it raised the long trident in its hand. !! it flapped its wings and quickly flew toward the rotten tree. [spiked demon] [level: 12] [glorious 3-stars]. their numbers probably exceeded a large group. ¡°skeleton blood dragon, stone statue of the dead, protect the lord!¡± a cold and clear sound rang out as renee brandished her sword and charged forward without hesitation. the twilight city troop chased away the demons on the ground and quickly changed direction. they flapped their wings and charged at the spiked demons. in a battle between flying troops, the speed of the encounter was often supremely swift. they collided in the blink of an eye. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the first to attack was still the stone statues of the dead. they had enough range advantage with an attack range of 80 meters as long as the opponent was not a long-range archer. the battle tomahawks whistled out. the spiked demons¡¯ wings flapped as they nimbly dodged the incoming tomahawks. a round of attacks failed to hit. but before the demons could get excited, the tomahawks that missed them shattered like glass. a terrifying metal storm erupted in midair. moreover, it was different from the ground. the ground quickly offset the damage from the broken battle tomahawks. tomahawk slaughter in the air would deal severe damage. the 600 stone statues of the dead only attacked the front half of the attack. the first round of tomahawk slaughter caused the metal storm to engulf the area before them. the slaughter tomahawk was more ferocious and had a 30% instant death characteristic and the fire-killing effect granted by the initial fire. the spiked demons exploded, and balls of flames rose in the air. the stone statue of the dead, which was immune to magic, didn¡¯t hesitate to charge through the colossal flames and engage in a melee battle. the spiked demons suffered heavy losses in an instant. they were already furious. the spiked demons wanted to crush the soldiers before them when the enemies approached, most of whom were only level-9. the trident in the spiked demons¡¯ hands tore through the void. they stabbed out with endless anger. however, in the next second, they felt the terror of the trump card of twilight city. in close combat, the stone statue of the dead was still fearless. every time the heavy tomahawk in its hand broke, it trembled the spiked demon¡¯s heart. one could describe the other party¡¯s strength as terrifying. even if their level was lower than theirs, it was useless¡­ the enemies still had suppressed the spiked demons. a frontal charge defeated the initially confident spiked demons. the number of soldiers in a brigade was less than a squadron¡­ several gamers who had run for a distance sensed that the danger had disappeared. they stopped to see what had happened. they used a strategic treasure like a telescope. they had happened to see the aerial battle from beginning to end. a level 12 spiked demon with such outstanding attributes. it thought the mysterious player who provoked the big boss would suffer a heavy loss this time. but it slaughtered those spiked demons in the blink of an eye¡­ the group looked at each other speechlessly and only spoke after a long time. ¡°which god is that player? damn it, how could the enemy defeat a level 12 spiked demon so easily like a little chick?¡± he was as curious as a cat as he scratched his head. half a year had passed, and the skeleton blood dragon was no longer exclusive to twilight city¡­ so they couldn¡¯t figure out who could have such fierce power. richard felt a sense of accomplishment as he watched his troops snipe at the spiked demons that guarded the rotten tree. these were all top-notch troops that he had personally nurtured. the trump card of twilight city. however, outsiders could not imagine how much he had paid to nurture this troop. after richard settled the danger in the outside world, he immediately focused on the rotten tree. the area that the rotten authority covered had already shrunk to 50 meters¡­ the extra energy in the ancient god statue gradually became denser. its terrifying degree even triggered the soul of the sealed kobold god. the other party struggled unconsciously. it was like it had sensed something extremely terrifying. that also made his gaze burn even more. rotten authority. the ultimate power of this world¡­ he wanted it! he could faintly hear a shrill roar. ¡°ancient god statue¡­¡± it was a high-level language full of evil and darkness, and richard immediately understood the meaning. ****** Chapter 562 the pair of pale eyes crossed the void. it was as if the entire world sank under the throne. a terrifying pressure swept over it. decay, darkness, evil¡­ an indescribable aura coiled around his neck like a poisonous snake. !! it made breathing difficult. richard held his breath involuntarily. his heart thumped, thumped, thumped. it was like it had jumped out of his throat. ¡°ancient god¡­¡± on the throne made of countless rotten corpses, a black shroud covered the white and swollen body and squirmed. ¡°reptile¡­¡± ¡°whose believer are you? you dare to associate with an ancient god!¡± blasphemy with a supremely evil aura resounded in the soul. richard¡¯s mind buzzed, and he even urged to kneel and offer his soul to the other party for salvation. it was an instinctive reaction of life, and one could not even shift it at will. a life form above level 30 already existed in another dimension. they controlled the ultimate power of this world. and the power of this abyss ruler was countless times stronger than the kobold god he had faced before¡­ richard grunted, and his tenacious will took control of his body and bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. ¡°puchi!¡¯ the smell of blood spread in his mouth, and the pain made him regain some of his rationality. with a thought, the 5-stars treasure hidden under the robe, the starry sky necklace, suddenly dimmed a little. the 50,000 consumed the 100,000 points of mana he had stored. the yellow sand on his body surged, and he used mighty magic power to suppress the pressure and fear that seeped into his soul. richard¡¯s eyes became extremely serious after it minimized the impact. ¡°what a terrifying existence¡­¡± it could describe its might as world-destroying if the other party descended¡­ richard shifted his attention away from the scene after he stabilized. he silently injected power into the statue to increase the speed at which it devoured the ancient god without a word. the king of decay, who stood outside the endless planes, saw this scene. fear inexplicably rose in its heart when it sensed the increasing power the ancient god statue emitted. ¡°the ancient gods have returned?! ¡°that reptile is the other party¡¯s believer?! ¡°no, that¡¯s impossible!! ¡°those existences have long disappeared. they could not be alive! the king of decay¡¯s pale eyes became even more terrifying. ¡°if it¡¯s not an ancient god, then it¡¯s¡­a scheme by some abyssal bastard against me?¡± Chapter 566 the power of laws that could corrode everything no longer existed. the twisted branches slowed down and finally stopped. the heads on the tree trunk had also lost their luster¡­ richard¡¯s heart was beating fast. !! because it was almost the final moment. the ancient god statue also sensed this. the dark light was like a burning torch that lit up the sky. it forcefully devoured the last wisp of the rotten authority hidden in the rotten tree. at this moment. the evil demons that charged at them were suddenly like puppets with broken strings. they fell into a massive panic and fled in all directions in fear. the twilight city troops couldn¡¯t even stop them. at the same time, the abyssal aura that pervaded visibly dissipated. the evil and darkness that suppressed the crowd¡¯s hearts disappeared in the blink of an eye like a spiderweb lit by a torch. the light of the ancient god statue suddenly dimmed. in a breath, it returned to its usual inconspicuous appearance. richard subconsciously looked up at the sky. the illusory image of the king of decay gradually collapsed. the pair of pale eyes stared at him as if it wanted to remember everything. richard responded indifferently. he stared straight into the other¡¯s eyes. the moment the scene disappeared completely, the pressure that surged dissipated. the oppressive dark clouds in the sky shot out rays of golden sunlight. it was as if thousands of sharp swords had pierced his black armor¡­ richard breathed a sigh of relief. that was a god-level existence, not some random cat or dog. fortunately, the goddess of victory was on his side again! at this moment, a series of system notifications sounded in his ears. [ding~ you have used the ancient god statue to seize a wisp of the king of decay, labraces¡¯s rotten authority.¡± [your bold and reckless actions are glorious. you have gained three points.] [ding~ you have extracted the rotten authority hidden in the rotten tree. the rotten tree has starkly died. you have killed a transcendent boss unit. you have received an additional reward of +1 level. all troops have received a +1. your current is 14.] [ding~ you have destroyed a vast hidden danger. you can tell this news to the lord of solan city, the glorious grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. at the same time, hand over the rotten authority to him. he will give you a generous reward.] [ding~ you have closed the spatial rift in the collapsed ruins. it has upgraded your relationship with the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city to friendship.] [ding~ you have completed a regional mission and obtained 1,000 solan city contribution points. you have killed several demon troops with additional 500 contribution points.¡± [ding~ you have led a troop to kill a demon and obtained a glorious victory. you have 100,000 experience points. this battle will give you five times experience points, increased to 500,000; 500,000/3 million.] notifications continued¡­ richard¡¯s expression was a little strange after he read the notifications. he did not expect it would end up like this. when he first discovered the branch of the rotten tree, he thought he would find a boss unit like the god¡¯s ancient tree. but he did not expect that the origin of this rotten tree was even more exaggerated than the god¡¯s ancient tree. fortunately, despite the many twists and turns, he was able to snatch the ultimate power of this world from the king of decay. moreover, he had also raised his level to level 14. he brought all the troops to level up collectively. that was not a loss. he looked at the giant tree before him that had lost its level after he regained his senses. his heart stirred. he opened the black gold system and glanced. to his disappointment, there was only a simple notification this time¡­ a withered tree. there was no information about resurrection at all. at this moment, a crisp crack sounded. the rotten tree collapsed under richard¡¯s nose, and splinters flew everywhere. it turned from a 50-meter-tall tree into a pile of rotten debris. it blocked the idea of cutting down the withered tree to research whether he could use it¡­ richard¡¯s mouth twitched. it couldn¡¯t be that ruthless. he felt sparingly emotional when he recomposed his thoughts. this time, he had obtained a wisp of rotten authority. the value of this thing must have far exceeded the initial reward of this regional mission. otherwise, this mission was futile. he did not dwell on this. he immediately floated up when he saw no movement and sat on a skeleton blood dragon. he kept renee in an ancient god statue with a wave of his hand and prepared to set off for their return trip. ****** outside the central plane, a divine kingdom lay hidden in the void. the kobold god, who lay in a golden doghouse, suddenly yawned. its expression was strange. it suddenly felt its heart palpitate. its expression became vigilant while it got up and looked around. it sensed carefully. the entire god nation was still under its control. nothing unexpected had happened. its heart sparingly calmed down. no one could harm it in its divine kingdom. as its thoughts spun, a figure that made people gnash their teeth appeared in its mind. ¡°lowly humans! damned blasphemer! ¡°i will make you pay the price! ¡°no, i can¡¯t wait any longer. i want you dead now!¡± it couldn¡¯t take it anymore and walked out of the kennel. at this moment, the kobold god still did not know that in the bottomless abyss, a ruler who had lived for millions of years currently gathered troops¡­ ****** Chapter 569 richard¡¯s lips curled into a smile when he saw sam leave the blacksmith shop in excitement. he did not expect he would be a witness to someone¡¯s marriage again. however, to see this pair of lovers who had experienced countless hardships get together made him feel quite good. he hoped to see a few more examples like this. !! he touched his chin and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. ¡°why don¡¯t we hold valentine¡¯s day in the future? every year on this day, i can help them get married and become a witness to everyone¡¯s marriage¡­ ¡°at the same time, the entire city will have a three-day holiday. they are free to find a partner.¡± he felt this idea was very promising after he pondered it momentarily. wouldn¡¯t he be the godfather of the entire city¡¯s descendants in ten or twenty years? wouldn¡¯t this thing increase the popularity of the people by a hundred or eighty points if he put everything aside? he noted this down in his heart and decided to discuss it with butler karu later to decide on an appropriate date. he walked up to the second floor while he was thinking. transcendent attack technology had given the scorpion warriors such a huge boost. that made richard excited. he wondered how much the stone statue of the dead would receive improvement if five 5-stars treasures and spiritual gems would reinforce it. the stone statue of the dead was always the trump card of twilight city. if it weren¡¯t for the fact that twilight city was stuck at a higher level, this round of technology would have been the stone statue of the dead¡¯s turn. he went up to the second floor. richard saw a figure lying on the operating platform. he was shocked. he stepped forward and felt nothing unusual about the other party¡¯s life aura. only then did he heave a sigh of relief. he focused his gaze and saw adele. her hair was messy while she slept soundly on the dirty console. the corner of her mouth drooled while pressed against the table. she smacked her lips repeatedly and made her look funny and cute. he stepped forward and bent down to pick the girl up. he came to the simple bed beside her and gently put her down. he casually helped her adjust her posture. richard¡¯s heart ached when he saw the girl move her body to a more comfortable position and continue to sleep. this girl must have endured for many days. in the future, he had to get someone to watch over her. if this continued, even the transcendent world could not withstand it. he retracted his thoughts and returned to the corner of the operating table. he saw a curtain that hid a large object. richard spread out his senses, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. why did it block the stone statue of the dead? it lifted the curtain with a wave of his hand. the figure of the stone statue of the dead appeared. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he was delighted at the sight of the scorpion warrior. now that the stone statue of the dead had appeared before him, the visual impact was even more potent. the initial height of three meters had now reached four meters. its initially fierce aura had become like the descent of a demon god. it gave people a supremely wild psychological impact. dark patterns covered the brown wings carved from the rock on its back. it gave off a solemn and agile feeling. on the surface of the stone statue of the dead, the initially inconspicuous dragon-scale stone armor became particularly eye-catching at this moment. it was a piece of armor that had grown out of the body and appeared indestructible to people. it could withstand the explosive shots of a siege crossbow with its attributes. its thick arms held the battle tomahawk tightly, and chains wrapped around it. even a dragon could not withstand it once it threw the dark red battle tomahawk. one could see the burning blue soul fire in its empty sockets. the reinforcement didn¡¯t seem to change the stone statue of the dead. the utmost change was its aura¡­ it gave off a more ferocious feeling than before. he opened its attribute panel. it listed a few changes to the other attributes. [unique characteristics obtained from the promotion:] [1. defense-scales. the defense will increase by 200% with the scale defense system.] [2. reinforced body. body structure maximized, strength increased by 200%.] [3. tough body. the reinforcement gave the body structure extraordinary power. the body can automatically recover from a shatter if it has consumed energy. [4. super flight. the reinforcement has improved its wings and the flight speed to 300%.] [5. axe toss. the reinforcement has extended the chains around the arm. the attack range increased by 100 meters. current distance:180m] although these newly obtained attributes were mighty, they were not to the point of being abnormal. however, if he combined it with the previous skills of the stone statue of the dead¡­ richard could only give a perverted evaluation. no. one would use this word to describe the stone statue of the dead, no matter who looked at it. it was not an ordinary pervert. it was simply too f*cking perverted! was this an attribute that a glorious-level soldier could have? the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s attributes were simply unbearable before the other party¡­ that was a glorious 1-star troop. one could describe the already ferocious stone statue of the dead as invincible after the reinforcement. [ding~ the system has supremely reinforced stone statues of the dead. do you want to solidify it into a lair of troops?] [note: after solidification, you can only recruit dead stone statues after being upgraded from the troop lair.] richard did not hesitate to confirm when he heard the system notification. [ding~ solidification completed. it has automatically upgraded all the current stone statues of the dead to a reinforced state.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he thought he would have to upgrade the other stone statues of the dead, but he did not expect such a benefit. that was alright. adele¡¯s efforts over the past few months had not been in vain. richard seemed to have thought of something and opened the stone statue of the dead troop lair after he glanced at it with satisfaction. Chapter 572 richard upgraded the 10 sandstorm mage troop lair to rare. he consumed another five million rare resources. he went to the front yard and directly built ten troop lairs. the wild sand mage troop lair spun a sandstorm that appeared rich. !! he took out the fusion crystal. [ding~ you have selected a troop¡­] ¡°confirm.¡± he confirmed. the two troop lairs turned into yellow sand and gradually fused. under his gaze. a pyramid of yellow sand at the bottom and a lair surrounded by sandstorms appeared before them. [ding~ the fusion of the two troop-type lairs was successful. it gave birth to a new troop type¨Csandstorm controller (rare 3-stars).] [sandstorm controller] [quantity: 10] [level: rare 3-stars] [recruitable troops: sandstorm controller (rare 3-stars)] [recruited: 10] [weekly production: 5] [recruitment requirement: 200 units of sulfur per soldier] [description: a soldier with mighty control over the yellow sand. it has outstanding battle strength.] ¡°five per week?¡± richard nodded. the production of spellcasters had always been lower than other troops. the weekly production of 50 would be enormous if he fused ten. he could continue to increase the number. he directly recruited them without hesitation. a hand reached out from the pyramid. then, a mummy made of sand climbed out of the pyramid. the sandstorm above him surged down. a special yellow sand robe condensed on his body, and yellow bandages wrapped around its entire body. after a while, the sandstorm continued to surround it and did not dissipate. so handsome. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. not to mention anything else, just its appearance alone made people feel that it was extraordinary. richard opened the attribute panel with intense anticipation. [sandstorm controller] [level: 7] [potential: rare 3-stars] [magic: 1,400 points (recovers 14+7 points per second.] [skill: dead body (c-rank) ¡ª immune to curses, poison, instant death skill, magic damage increased by 50%)] [sandstorm transformation (c-rank) ¡ª 1. transforms into a sandstorm. it reduces physical damage received by 99%. it increases recovery speed by 200%. it consumes five mana per second while flying. it consumes 20 mana per second when attacking enemies. 2. transforms into sand prison, which forcibly imprisons enemies. it increases magic damage received by enemies by 50%. it consumes 30 mana per second.] [giant sandstorm (c-rank) ¡ª can form a giant sandstorm with other sandstorm controllers. the greater the number, the greater the power of the sandstorm. everyone will share mana when they create a sandstorm and bear the damage together. they will not exit the sandstorm state unless one has exhausted all mana or killed them simultaneously.] [death tornado (c-rank) ¡ª can be used as a sandstorm. requires at least 100 sandstorm mages to form a giant tornado sandstorm. the more of them there are, the greater the damage.] [sandstorm thorn (c-rank) ¡ª one can use sand to condense sharp thorns to attack the enemy in a sandstorm state. the more mana one consumed, the greater the damage caused.] [cursed sandstorm (c-rank) ¡ª the sandstorm will envelop the enemies and lose their sense of direction. at the same time, it will compress their will and vision within 10 meters. the sandstorm will also curse them. all attributes will decrease by 20% every minute, up to a maximum of 50%.) [race talent: in the desert, magic damage increases by 50% when they transform into a sandstorm. mana recovery speed increases by 50%.] [bondage-sandstorm: every ten sandstorm controller will increase their magic damage by 2% after sandstorm transformation. at least 100 people can activate it, and the maximum damage is 500%.] [description: a moving sandstorm in the desert. a team will become a moving team once the number exceeds a team!] this attribute¡­ the attribute widened richard¡¯s eyes in excitement. awesome. the combination of wild sand mage and sandstorm mage was more potent than he had expected. it directly transformed into a sandstorm. that was simply too much. moreover, they would share their blood and mana and take the damage together¡­this thing gave a feeling that it was going against the heavens. ¡°fusion crystal, eternal god! ¡± he felt that the sandstorm controller was almost qualified to arm wrestle with his favorite stone statue of the dead if five more psionic gemstones would enhance the entire area. however, the two were different troops, so there was no need to compare them. he fused all ten troop lairs without hesitation. with a surge of energy. under his gaze, it gave birth to 10 new troop lairs. from then on, the twilight city had a second integrated soldier, the sandstorm controller. he could recruit two weeks of production, so richard quickly recruited them all. a total of 100. the lair consumed twenty thousand units of sulfur. a rare soldier already required rare resources to recruit. he could see how potent the sandstorm controller lair was. however, because richard had already used rare resources, he had to exchange them for ordinary resources. one could exchange five hundred units of ordinary resources for one sulfur. these 20,000 units had caused ten million units loss. richard¡¯s heart ached. rare resources¡­ this thing is a must-have strategic treasure. he had to hurry up and earn resources. however, when he saw a squadron of sandstorm controllers float at a low altitude with their feet about ten centimeters off the ground, his heartache turned into satisfaction. Chapter 573 it was worth it, although the reinforcement had cost more than 20 million ordinary resources. this troop was the pillar one could not exchange for money. with a thought, the yellow sand on his body surged and enveloped all the sandstorm controllers. sand transformation¡­ !! although the other party could turn into a sandstorm, sand transformation was not a burden. in the future, he could still withstand it when he ran out of people. however, in this way, his idea of cultivating a long-range attack soldier was temporarily in vain. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to nurture it in the future. it would not be a loss to such a powerful troop. richard looked at the sandstorm controller and waved his hand. ¡°everyone, follow me.¡± he then turned around and left twilight city. they arrived more than ten kilometers away. a squadron of sandstorm controllers followed. these guys were off the ground, and their speed in the desert was faster than an average person¡¯s running speed. this satisfied richard. richard gave another order when there was no one around. ¡°everyone, turn into a sandstorm¡­ attack!¡± the sandstorm controller did not hesitate and instantly activated his most powerful skill. the body of the sandstorm controller at the front instantly scattered like a plate of loose sand and formed a mini-sandstorm around him. the other sandstorm controllers followed closely behind. they turned into sandstorms and merged into each other¡¯s bodies. the sandstorm began to expand at high speed. when a squadron of sandstorm controllers turned into a sandstorm, it enveloped the area within a hundred meters of richard. hurricanes swept the sand and made a violent noise. the whistling sound was like the low roar of a demon. it gave off a terrifying feeling that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. at the same time, the sand was like a sharp knife. it could cause enormous damage if it hit a place without armor protection. richard¡¯s eyes lit up as he formed a yellow sand armor. that was an essential skill. he sent orders again. ¡°go all out!¡± the whistling sound in his ears instantly increased by a hundred times as soon as he finished speaking. it was as if thousands of demons that hid in hell roared at the sky. it increased the strength of the sand by ten to twenty times. bullets seemed to have hit the armor on his body and incessantly exploded. the sandstorm that was still very wide just now gradually condensed. after a few breaths, a sandstorm dragon that could devour everything condensed. death tornado. richard felt as if countless razors cut the yellow sand armor and shattered at a rapid rate. it would have shattered in less than ten seconds if he hadn¡¯t used magic to repair it. at the same time, the surrounding sand suddenly condensed and formed a solid yellow sand prison. it forcefully imprisoned him inside. yellow sand prison. the prison filled with magic power could provide additional energy to the sand that passed through. the damage it could cause the enemy enormously increased. richard felt the space around him locked, and he couldn¡¯t even teleport away. that was not the end. in the sandstorm tornado, hundreds of three-meter-long spikes quietly condensed. under the terrifying wind speed of the tornado, the spikes were ten times or a hundred times more ferocious than the heavy crossbows fired by the siege crossbows. sandstorm thorn. ¡®kacha!¡¯ hundreds of dense thorns shot out, and richard¡¯s yellow sand armor exploded. Chapter 574 the ground exploded with endless yellow sand when the yellow sand armor shattered. it was as if it reversed the rules. in an instant, the yellow sand forcefully controlled the surroundings. this area was out of the control of the sandstorm controller. !! it quickly wore down the sharp sandstorm thorn. the yellow sand around richard¡¯s body glowed. it cut the entire area apart. beyond a-rank skill¨Cyellow sand control. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sandstorm controller launched another attack. the terrifying sandstorm tore through everything, and the giant sandstorm thorn mixed in were like the scythes of the grim reaper. moreover, the sandstorm carried a curse. richard could feel an extraordinary power corroded in his body. however, the yellow sand control forcefully suppressed it. they could not resist the curse hidden in the sand every moment if the person were ordinary. both sides were in a stalemate. although the sandstorm controller had repeatedly erupted, it could not break through richard¡¯s control. the sandstorm suddenly dimmed and gradually dissipated after ten minutes. the owners of the sandstorm fell from the sky one by one. it exhausted his magic power. richard waved his hand and dispersed the power of the yellow sand control. he nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the sandstorm controller below. they were only level 7, and there was only a squadron. he could have such power. this newly born troop was powerful. more importantly, the battle power of the sandstorm controllers increased with their number. the greater the number, the stronger the faction. if it could reach a brigade or even a troop. then, it was almost imaginable for him to become a natural disaster. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. yellow sand prison, sandstorm thorn, cursed sandstorm, and death tornado were within the sandstorm¡­ that series of attacks. among those of the same level, perhaps only the stone statue of the dead, which was immune to magic, could deal with it brazenly. the sandstorm would doom even a crown-level soldier like the skeleton blood dragon if it caught it. the sandstorm controller was not a dead creature without intelligence. they could chase after them, but if you wanted to run, could you outrun the sandstorm? perhaps, their only weakness was their magic power had an upper limit. now, it could only last for ten minutes. moreover, the sandstorm controller had also received negative status-mana exhaustion. for the next 20 minutes, it would reduce the mana recovery speed to one point per 10 seconds. the difference was enormous compared to the previous recovery of more than 20 points per second. ¡°i have to think of a way to increase the magic power limit of the sandstorm controller in the future¡­¡± ¡°limiting the caster¡¯s output, eternal magic power.¡± that didn¡¯t surprise richard. there were restrictions in this soul-devouring unit. it wouldn¡¯t be rare if there were no restrictions. however, he could wait. adele had just been working hard for a few months. it wouldn¡¯t be too late to let her study it after she had rested. with the experience of the stone statue, the reinforcement should increase the time. at this point, richard suddenly thought of something and felt sparingly regretful. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that the reinforcement of the origin fire has a limit. at the very least, a glorious level can strengthen it. otherwise, that soldier could fly into the sky if there¡¯s another round of reinforcement. fire elemental lord klose gave him the origin fire. however, there were many restrictions. one could reinforce up to 100 soldiers a day. and the lowest level was at the glorious level to withstand the pressure. the stone statue of the dead¡¯s explosive battle tomahawk shaterrer became a blazing axe, and its lethality soared¡­ the damage to the sandstorm controller should improve. ¡°won¡¯t the skill of the sandstorm controller become flame sandstorm if the other party can also obtain the origin of fire?¡± richard was very interested. however, he could only wait until he accumulated a wave of resources and promoted the sandstorm controller to a glorious level. he naturally thought of the fire elemental lord when he thought of the origin of fire¡­ after the other party obtained the heart of magma from him, he was already on the verge of breaking through to transcendent. there had been no news for a few months. richard could not know how the situation was¡­ he could only hope that the boss¡¯ promotion would go smoothly. he waved his hand after he regained his composure. he brought the sandstorm master, who had exhausted his mana, back to twilight city. richard did not leave for the next few days. all kinds of government affairs in twilight city had increased exponentially, and he had no choice but to take care of them himself. especially the various government affairs of the underground world, it was even more complicated. bloodhoof city had already implemented the blacksmith forging technique sharing plan. the beginning was not smooth, and not everyone had richard¡¯s vision. knowledge is a supremely precious resource in this world. it was arduous to treasure it, so how could he be willing to give it away? in fact, during the initial promotion, due to improper methods, there were even bloody conflicts¡­ richard sent out the pearl of twilight city after he pondered. his heart was sharp¡­ his super-talented blacksmith adele would lead the team and personally go to the underground world. he summoned the other blacksmiths in the basement and began to teach them his mightiest forging techniques. the underground world only worshipped the strong. this rule also applied to blacksmiths. adele had successfully won the recognition of those forces. she successfully carried out the forging technology-sharing plan. at the same time. the bloodhoof city troop increased the speed at which the big shots conquered the other dungeon forces. every time they conquered an area, they would register the information about the heroes and troop lairs of the relevant forces. the tentacles of twilight city spread steadily in the underground world. Chapter 575 richard ordered the sacred-blood dwarves to return to the underground world after the situation stabilized. these creatures with unlimited potential began to go to various strange places to search for special magical plants and food unique to the underground world. it would provide help for the development of the food workshop. at the same time, the research and development of alchemy in fortress city had also changed its direction. level 12 alchemist brown had already become the controller of furnace city¡­ of course, it was a controller who obeyed richard¡¯s orders. !! fortress city began to connect with bloodhoof city under richard¡¯s will and carried out his plan to use alchemy for production. the first research and development target was alchemy to speed up mining and forging weapons. the progress in this area was smooth with the vast accumulation of technology from the gray-colored dwarves. it wouldn¡¯t take a month to produce results. in addition, the development of desert transportation in fortress continued. after richard sent a few sandworms underground, he had a research subject. he launched the second round of improvement of the mechanical boat. he didn¡¯t need to wait for the sandworms to mature. and it would create an improved version of the boat. at that time, it would fundamentally change the situation of twilight city. the harsh terrain of the desert would limit services, and communication with the outside world would be arduous. that was more comfortable than using the combative soldiers, the stone statues of the dead, and the skeletal blood dragons to transport supplies. moreover, once it formed the transportation system, then the opportunity to start a logistics caravan in the desert of death that vale suggested would be possible. whether or not to do it was set aside. at least there was room for change. it steadily developed the underground world. twilight city was not idle either. the first was the developed black sorbet ice cream. this thing was simply a killing weapon in the hot desert. as for the frost grass that produced the black sorbet ice cream, one could find it in places with enough water sources in the underground world. there was no need to worry about it. richard decisively ordered the production of the black sorbet to go all out. he purchased two new food workshop blueprints, rebuilt two, and upgraded three food workshops to special-level buildings. one was dedicated to research and development, while he intended the other two to the black sorbet ice cream production. to ensure the supply of raw materials, richard had bloodhoof city send out five squadrons of soldiers to collect frost grass. at the same time, they began to investigate and research, prepared to establish a remarkable frost grass planting base to ensure the production of black sorbet. the production of black sorbet skyrocketed after the two new food workshops. each food workshop could accommodate 200 people and could produce up to 100,000 units per day. two workshops would be 200,000 units. vale had already sent back news from solan city. after many investigations by the gray-colored dwarves, the most reasonable price for the black sorbet was 20 units of ordinary resources. the two food workshops could produce four million ordinary resources each day. he could obtain 8000 units of rare resources every day according to the exchange rate on the forum. the production cost was only 400 workers, and one could quickly find frost grass everywhere in the underworld. the profit was considerable, although one could not say it is pure profit. the resources contributed were no less than the desert crown honey. the desert crown honey was remarkably a rare resource treasure. luck could make one find this. twilight city created the black sorbet. as long as the frost grass could keep up, the production could continue to be exaggerated. because the black sorbet contained magic power and the remarkable food workshop could extend the shelf life of food by 50%, the shelf life of the black sorbet was two months after production. that gave richard tons of leeway. he planned to accumulate a batch of goods before they reached solan city. he wanted them to become the main product of the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and open up the market. richard had already informed vale to get ready. other than the black sorbet ice cream, the other whitetail wine he valued the most was also on the agenda for production expansion. currently, the monthly output of 5000 units dissatisfied him. however, the whitetail wine was different from the black sorbet. that was a 4-stars wine, and its price was as high as 60 units of rare resources. the brewing process was complicated. only the white-tailed cat race could brew it. richard initially sent some apprentices there to learn this wine-making technique. but in the end, they couldn¡¯t do it at all. the white-tailed cat race alone had a strong sense of smell for wine and could smell the degree of alcohol fermentation. when it reached that limit, it was necessary to add wine-making materials. as a result, the white-tailed cats relied solely on their abilities to brew. ordinary people did not have such an inspirational nose, so they could not learn it. richard could only express his regret. however, he was more concerned about the white-tailed cats. that race was born to brew wine. richard could not let it go to waste like this. richard built two new wineries and upgraded three to special-level. just like the food workshop. he handed one of them over white-tailed cat race for brewing production. they used the other two to develop new wines. the white-tailed cats managed the other, and humans managed the other. they depended on each other and shared their technology. he could immediately turn one of them into a production line if there were results. richard had planned to have the sacred-blood dwarves go to the underworld to find top-notch wine to expand his product line. however, he did not expect straightforward rejection¡­ brewing wine was a matter that consumed a lot of food. no soil produced good wine in the underground world where food was scarce. even the two overlords, the gray-colored dwarves, and the bloodhoof city could only brew low-grade liquor. richard could only give up and hand the heavy responsibility over to the white-tailed cats. he searched for wine recipes on the forum but found only a few. nothing had caught his eye. those wine recipes belonged to the ordinary type and were not competitive in the market. he learned from the forum that many players wanted to replicate some of the top wines on planet blue, but they failed in the end. due to the difference between crops and world rules, the final taste wouldn¡¯t be the same or even very different, even if they used the same process. that changed his views, and he even valued alchemy more. that was the ¡°science ¡± that suited this world. apart from these two more important matters, another matter caused a sensation in twilight city, and richard had achieved his long-awaited goal of 95 popular support points. the cohesiveness of twilight city had reached an unprecedented height. on november 16th, richard fulfilled his promise and hosted the grandest wedding in the history of twilight city for sam, a blacksmith with only one arm. the blind shanna, the pitied girl in the past, became the object of envy. a pure white wedding dress covered her face on the path covered with flowers. a child led the bride. everyone watched them at twilight city, and richard witnessed. she became sam¡¯s wife. romance and happiness filled the process. flowers and children¡¯s songs calmed the residents¡¯ bad moods. the last scene of the wedding was especially unforgettable. under the afterglow of the setting sun, and the ice elf statue before the lord¡¯s mansion. surrounded by countless adorable snow elves, sam and shana solemnly swore to richard. finally, richard solemnly announced to everyone that they were husband and wife. this scene had a special meaning in the solemn ceremony. countless young men and women had the same thought in their hearts. if they could get married in this life with lord richard as a witness, how perfect would that be? richard announced on the spot while everyone was excited that from now on, november 16th would be valentine¡¯s day in twilight city. every year on this day, he would personally witness weddings. this news immediately caused a sensation in the city, and the mood climaxed. amidst the shouts and screams, richard heard a familiar system prompt. [ding~ your powerful personal charm has influenced all the residents of twilight city. their admiration for you is increasing day by day.] [the system upgraded your leadership skill to advanced level.] [ding~ you have enacted a law everyone will acknowledge and praise. you have also established a new holiday¨Cvalentine¡¯s day. the popularity of twilight city has increased to 95 points. you have obtained attributes¡­] Chapter 576 sam and shanna¡¯s wedding was the most lively celebration since the establishment of twilight city. everyone was in high spirits. smiles shrouded their faces. they held a bonfire party with singing and dancing after the grand banquet. richard didn¡¯t join in the revelry. most people couldn¡¯t relax with him around. !! he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion alone and listened to the lively sounds from outside. his mood was quite comfortable. he watched his territory prosper bit by bit and slowly grow. until now, everyone loved and acknowledged him. it was a feeling that outsiders could hardly understand. a sense of accomplishment filled his purpose. richard glanced at the system notification after he recollected his thoughts. it has finally upgraded the long-stagnant leadership skill to the advanced level with the support of this wedding. [leadership skill: special skill, advanced level. 1. you have strong charisma and have enormously increased attractiveness to the opposite sex. 2. able to easily persuade and influence subordinates and make them zealously trust you. 3. there is a high chance that wild troops with lower levels and heroes with lower potential than you will take the initiative to join.] compared to the elite-level leadership skill, several critical attributes of the advanced leadership skill, it had improved personal charm, trust of subordinates, and attracting wild troops and heroes to join. that couldn¡¯t be bad, although he didn¡¯t have specific data. the only pity was¡­that was a f*cking desert. ¡°if it was in a rich place outside, i¡¯m afraid there would be several refugees in the territory every day. i can see heroes every three to five days.¡± the desert was a godforsaken place. one cannot see even a single person. what could be the use even if it was the most attractive? a clever wife wouldn¡¯t cook without rice. would she show it to the air no matter how charming she was? richard could only shake his head. he continued to look at another notification. the additional attributes also increased vastly after the popularity of the people reached 95 points. [leadership skill: special skill, advanced level. 1. you have strong charisma and have enormously increased attractiveness to the opposite sex. 2. able to easily persuade and influence subordinates and make them zealously trust you. 3. there is a high chance that wild troops with lower levels and heroes with lower potential than you will take the initiative to join.] compared to the elite-level leadership skill, several critical attributes of the advanced leadership skill, it had improved personal charm, trust of subordinates, and attracting wild troops and heroes to join. his other characteristics had also improved. the most important thing to him was that if he did not encounter any special circumstances, the people¡¯s hearts would not fall anymore. that meant twilight city could develop freely. whether it expanded the number of residents or formulated policies, they did not have to worry about the adverse reaction of the residents and caused the hearts of the people to fall. richard picked up the teacup and sipped. it was not in vain that he had invested so much in the people¡¯s livelihood. the returns were so sweet now. the only pity was that the higher the popularity of the people, the harder it would be to increase it. he couldn¡¯t know if he would still have the chance to see what 100 points looked like. on the third day after the wedding, the newlywed sam gave up his honeymoon vacation, which was specially approved by richard, and returned to the blacksmith shop to start researching the attack technology of the dead stone statue. richard initially wanted to see if he could upgrade the sandstorm controller¡¯s technology¡­ but in the end, he had no choice but to give up. they have to study the wild sand mage troop in the wizard tower. meanwhile, twilight city had yet to build a wizard tower. he did have the blueprints in his hands, but he did not have such arrangements. the wizard tower would become a money-grubber once he activated it. it was arduous to handle. he would take it slow first and wait for a few industries to develop. [ding~ stone statue of the dead beginner attack, estimated development time: 30 days. estimated resources required: 10,000 units of crystals, 10,000 units of gemstones, and 10,000 units of sulfur. success rate: 80%] the undead stone statue was indeed terrifying. it required 30,000 units of rare resources to study the attack. he only needed tens of thousands of units of ordinary resources when he researched the scorpion warriors. the difference between the two was vast. it would take hundreds of thousands at the advanced, special, or even transcendent level. richard could only feel joy and pain at the same time. who asked the stone statue of the dead to be so mighty? with the scorpion warrior¡¯s transcendent-level technology, he had high expectations for the technology of the stone statue of the dead. he did not need to reach the transcendent level of technology. as long as he had the glorious technology, the battle power of the stone statue of the dead would increase by another. moreover, after the psionic gemstone reinforced the stone statue of the dead, it raised the initial recruitment level from the nest to level 10. it was the same as the 1-star crown skeleton dragon. that naturally made it the strongest soldier in twilight city. a well-deserved trump card. richard didn¡¯t even blink and piled up 30,000 resources in the warehouse of the blacksmith shop. before sam¡¯s wedding, at the end of october, he went to the underground world. Chapter 577 at that time, apart from they appeased the uneasy dungeon forces about sharing forging techniques, he also bought all the weapons and equipment that bloodhoof city had exchanged. this time, they forged new weapons, not the broken ones from the previous few times. therefore, the price increased quite a bit. interestingly, richard¡¯s large-scale sale caused a sensation among the players. !! the 10% affordable price, lower than the average selling price, caused the instant sale of the weapons. although they sold well, richard also noticed that the quality of the weapons on the market had gradually improved. at the very least, the broken weapon he used to harvest the players¡¯ leeks a few months ago lost its market. that also made him alert and determined to promote the sharing of forging techniques in the underground world to improve the overall forging standards. he also urged fortress city to increase research and development in this area. it could produce weapons and equipment on a large scale and standardized manner, just like the machine-driven steel factories on planet blue when alchemy technology could meet his requirements. then, twilight city would have a place in the weapons market. it could minimize production due to the remarkable circumstances of the underground world. other players might have higher-level forging techniques but could not have the advantage of twilight city. not everyone could rule an underground world. richard did not mistreat bloodhoof city in this transaction. he offered half of the resources he had sold as the purchase price. one must feed the horse with good fodder if you want it to run fast. bloodhoof city saved him a lot of trouble. it was worth nurturing. that made sel bloodhoof smile from ear to ear. even though 70% of this was the purchase price, and he could only earn 30%, a middleman has purely earned this. he did not need bloodhoof city to pay anything, so he made money while he lay down. richard earned 100 million units of ordinary resources from this trade. that also allowed him to replenish his empty resource panel after a lot. that period was income for twilight city. he sent to solan city the 5000 units of whitetail wine produced in october at the beginning of november. he had earned 300,000 units of rare resources in that trade. the net profit was 250,000 units excluding the production cost of 50,000 units. along the way, he also conveniently sent 500 units of special-level desert crown honey to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. he could produce 140 units per week, which meant 560 units per month after he upgraded the desert crown honey. he sold the rest other than a certain amount of reserves. the price of the premium honey was very impressive. each unit was 1,000 rare resources. this transaction allowed him to earn 500,000 units of rare resources. in total, he had earned 750,000 units of rare resources this month. the fire dragon rabbit was initially considered an enormous resource earner. but richard sent the rabbit fur and whitetail wine produced to the frostwolf clan¡¯s shop in solan city because of his deal with rebecca. but even so¡­ richard¡¯s resources reached an unprecedented level of abundance after this transaction. however, earning resources was fast, but spending resources was faster. it has refreshed the troop lairs four times from the end of october to the 17th of november, he has produced a total of 440 stone statues of the dead. each cost 300 gemstones and 300 crystals. he consumed 264,000 rare resources. as for the other top-tier troop, the sandstorm controller, he originally had ten troop lairs and could only produce 50 per week. but richard felt that the number was small. he spent another 40,000,000 units of resources to purchase and upgrade the lairs of the two troops, the wild sand mage and the sandstorm mage. he re-synthesized ten rare-level sandstorm controllers. in this way, the sandstorm controller had 20 lairs. the weekly production increased to 100. but this way, the 20 sandstorm controller lairs would respawn four times, and the total number would reach 400. in addition, he could recruit ten units for an additional week when he recruited for the first time¨C50 units, which added up to a total of 400 units. each consumed 200 units of sulfur, so the total was 90,000 units. just these two troops had cost him 354,000 units of rare resources. there were still 400,000 units of rare resources left. it seemed like a lot, but there were too many things to do in twilight city. the sacred-blood dwarf¡¯s bloodline alone would cost one million rare resources. an enormous gap appeared here. that was because he did not plan to upgrade the lair. the rare resources required for recruitment would skyrocket again if he upgraded the sandstorm controller to glorious level. however, he did not have enough resources to level up 20 sandstorm controller, so he could only delay his actions. after a month of violence, the number of troops in twilight city reached a new height. rare troops 1. bandaged mummy (3 lairs, weekly production of 21) current quantity: 336 2. scorpion warriors (20 lairs, weekly production of 140) current quantity: 554 3. guardian mummy (3 lairs, weekly production of 30) current quantity: 720 4. sand condensation archers (10 lairs, weekly production of 50) current quantity: 1,000 5. cursed pharaoh (1 lair, weekly production of 5) current quantity: 105 6. giant axe death knight (5 lairs, weekly production of 25) current quantity: 466 7. sandstorm controller mage (20 lairs, weekly production of 100) current quantity: 500 crown troops 8. stone statues of the dead (11 lairs, weekly production of 100) current quantity: 1,050 Chapter 578 no troop lairs. rare¨Caxe of the dead 515, wild sand mage 420 glory-dark gargoyle 240, axe of the dead 70, heavy blade warrior 20. crown troops !! skeleton blood dragon 160 the number of sandstorm controllers and undead stone statues he valued the most was considerable. that was especially true for the sandstorm controllers. after he transformed 500 into sandstorms, they had already formed a powerful battle force. he had tried it once, and compared to 100 people, his battle strength had increased by more than ten times. several troops caused the relatively spacious twilight city to be severely crowded and could no longer accommodate them. richard had no choice but to draw a large area where the west side intersected with the sandstorm as a military base. they were all undead soldiers. the harsh environment of the desert did not affect them much. in fact, because of their talent, one could reinforce them in the desert. only then did he solve this blissful problem. the clock moved to november 20th. richard glanced at the packaged black sorbet with interest before a vast warehouse in the food workshop. ¡°butler karu, how many black sorbets have we produced this month?¡± the white-haired old karu said excitedly, ¡°lord, the current stock of black sorbet has reached 2.6 million units. ¡°the two special food workshops worked day and night, and the five underworld troop squadrons searched for raw materials. the production was not much.¡± richard nodded and took out a black sorbet ice cream wrapped like a dumpling from a box made of remarkable plants. butler karu explained. ¡°the black sorbet ice cream is wrapped in a common broad-leaved plant in the underground world. it¡¯s tough to tear.¡± ¡°moreover, it can last for several months without rotting. it can also produce an exceptional fragrance when stored. the creatures in the dungeon often use this plant to store food.¡± the food workshop put a lot of effort into the black sorbet package. it intrigued richard as he followed the opening. a jelly-like black ice cream appeared before him. he took the plant spoon attached to the package and scooped a spoonful. he placed it in his mouth. a familiar icy feeling instantly filled his entire body, and he immediately became spirited. it was a hot day, and this was¡­ it was so comfortable. the relief that could alleviate the heat could make the black sorbet a killer in the desert, although it didn¡¯t have any good attribute bonuses. butler karu seemed to have thought of something and spoke hesitantly. ¡°lord, isn¡¯t the price of 20 units of ordinary resources for the black sorbet ice cream too low?¡± although the ¡°shining era¡± was a world with extraordinary powers, magical plants, and potions were expensive. ¡°it was not that there were no magical plants like the black sorbet that could help people get rid of the heat, but ordinary people could not afford, and they would not consume it. ¡°to enjoy the taste of magic with just 20 units of ordinary resources was inconceivable to the natives.¡± richard suddenly thought of a familiar product when he heard karu¡¯s query¡­ cola. cola, which was always a few dollars, was one of the most profitable businesses on planet blue. they sold hundreds of billions of bottles every year. he would sleep on a mountain of gold if the black sorbet could do this. ¡°the production cost of black sorbet ice cream isn¡¯t high, and i can standardize it for mass production. ¡°it¡¯s more suitable to take the usual route based on the current situation. i can position this product as a daily consumer product if i sink this into the market¡­ ¡°there are already similar products in the high-end market. there¡¯s no need to compete with high-end products. ¡°moreover, it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t make money just because the selling price is low, but it¡¯s the opposite. only when it¡¯s attractive to buyers will the frequency of repurchases increase. ¡°although the more expensive things are, the higher the profit, the fewer people spend on them. ¡°as long as we grasp the profit points well, the profit that we can earn at a low price might be ten times or a hundred times more than that at a high price. ¡°vale controlled the violet merchant association, chamber of commerce already answered how to grasp the profit points.¡± butler karu suddenly understood and said with some shame. ¡°lord, i was ignorant¡­ i didn¡¯t expect you to have such profound insights into commerce.¡± ¡®karu considered this an insight? that was just common sense.¡¯ richard could only pat karu¡¯s shoulder to comfort him as he looked at the native who had not received compulsory education. ¡°send all the black sorbet to solan city and let vale start our plan. ¡°the violet merchant association chamber of commerce needs a blockbuster product to open the market up.¡± it quickly perked karu up. selling the products of twilight city to solan city was something he did not even dare to imagine when he came to this dilapidated territory a few months ago. now, it felt like a dream. in just half a year, everything had changed. the current twilight city was no longer the same as before. when richard returned to his senses, he looked at the mountain of black ice cream, excited and distressed. ¡°lord, should we use sandworms?¡± ¡°of course. let fortress city pull the mechanical boat out. this time, let the sandworms pull it. ¡± it would take time to go back and forth to transport the 2.6 million units if he used the flying troop. it would take him at least half a month to a month. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to do anything during this period?¡± the sandworms had already grown to 60 meters. they could transport the black sorbet ice cream to solan city in one trip with ten sandworms. one trains soldiers for a thousand days only to use them for a few. ¡°wasn¡¯t such an enormous investment in the early stages all for this moment?¡± Chapter 579 ¡°hurry up, damn bastards. the lord has already ordered the delivery of a mechanical boat today to the surface! if you delay, i¡¯ll whip your heads that used to hold water! ¡°disassemble what we need to disassemble. don¡¯t dawdle! we can assemble these on the surface. we cannot carry such a big thing by force!¡± richard¡¯s order made fortress city busy. everyone began to work around the mechanical boat manufacturing workshop. !! level 12 alchemist brown with a hand as small as a bean sprout, sat in a wheelchair and shouted at the gray-colored dwarves to work. the mechanical puppets carried the vast parts out. the scene was like they were ants moving. the soldier who came to pass the order looked at this scene in confusion. ¡°lord brown, isn¡¯t it a waste of time to dismantle the mechanical boat?¡± the city lord waited to use it¡­ brown looked at the young man, and his expression sparingly softened as he explained. ¡°after our second improvement, the mechanical boat has achieved the module production lord mentioned.¡± ¡°we can produce all parts according to the standard. we can reduce the time to disassemble and reassemble each boat to an hour. ¡°it couldn¡¯t delay us as long as we have enough force. ¡°after all, it was such a vast mechanical product. it was not realistic to pull it over and use it immediately. ¡°moreover, the passage to the surface was not wide. it couldn¡¯t pull all the way through.¡± the soldier did not say anything else when he heard this. he quietly watched as they broke the mechanical boat into pieces. several hours later, on the surface. the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead slowly landed in the east of twilight city. one could see that each soldier carried a chain as thick as an arm. they tied the chains to mechanical parts that were in the style of the gray-colored dwarves. after they placed the parts on the soft sand, the gray-colored dwarves began to assemble them with their mechanical puppets. one could know the time they have repeated the process. they had assembled a mechanical boat under high-intensity work in less than an hour. richard watched curiously. it was 30 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 10 meters tall. it was a behemoth in this world. ordinary people who stood below felt as small as dwarves. they shaped the mechanical boat into a ship¡¯s body. the middle of the head and tail were large, and a hatch was on each side. one could close the hatch tightly without causing any impact before diving. richard stepped in from the left hatch. the interior of the mechanical boat had a layered structure in the shape of a chinese character. from the position of the chinese character, one could move the goods to the second and third layers with a hook lock. it could give him the feeling of a modern ship if it weren¡¯t for the mechanical puppets and the flying stone statues of the dead. however, this scene became a fantasy with the locals of the ¡°shining era¡±. ¡°i heard that top-tier fortresses can create airships. that thing is a transportation divine artifact¡­ ¡± richard could only express his envy. they couldn¡¯t build an airship yet with the alchemy technology of fortress city. a squadron of gray-colored dwarves workers inspected the mechanical boat repeatedly after they assembled it. the leader came to report to richard after they confirmed that all the central parts were okay. ¡°lord, we have assembled the mechanical boat. please give the order. do you want to mount the sandworm now?¡± his eyes burned with indescribable passion. it was a great honor to face this legend of the underground world alone. ¡°how many mechanical boats can sandworms pull now?¡± ¡°we¡¯ve tested it before. we can only pull two sections at most if we want a full load.¡± richard had an idea as he looked at the vast warehouse before him. two sections were vast amounts. then, as if he had thought of something, he opened the attribute panel. [mechanical boat (transportation machine)] [level: 2-stars] [maximum load: 200 tons (400,000 units)] [characteristic: 1. it reduces the resistance caused by sand by 30%. 2 when driving in the desert. it reduces weight by 20% when fully loaded.] [description: the gray-colored dwarves created the transportation machine. only creatures with the strength of a dragon can pull it.] ¡°could it hold 200 tons?¡± richard was satisfied. there were currently 2.6 million units of black sorbet in the warehouse. he would only need seven mechanical boats to transport all of them. ¡°assemble seven mechanical boats for the seven sandworms, one for each. ¡°this way, it would be lighter and faster.¡± the gray-colored dwarf leader quickly went down and began to put on the sandworms after he received the order. the sandworm had grayish-black skin and wrinkles like an old tree covered it. at this moment, it was like a vast city wall in the desert. sharp teeth shrouded the vast mouth before him. it could open like a flower petal and devour all life of the enemy. with a length of more than 60 meters and a diameter of nearly 20 meters, these creatures that had just hatched a few months ago were undoubtedly the overlords of the desert though they were only level 15. they could use this thing in war. it did not need to attack. it could cause massive damage when its vast body crush over the enemy. that was a natural racial advantage. and there was no point in being envious. the gray-colored dwarves controlled the mechanical puppet and locked a vast ring-shaped creation in the depression behind the sandworm¡¯s head. Chapter 580 that was just enough to block the giant ring. behind them, they connected chains thicker than thighs to the mechanical boat. it could easily pull the mechanical boat through the chain as the sandworm moved forward. the remarkable design could allow the sandworm to forcefully break free of the restriction and escape on its own in case of an irresistible factor. !! there was nothing special about this design, but it was suitable for the current situation. it could not develop something top-notch in just one or two months. he could improve it in the future. the gray-colored dwarves took them five hours to load the mechanical boat required by the seven sandworms, although the gray-colored dwarves incessantly worked. that exhausted the gray-colored dwarves. richard looked at karu, who had been silent all this while. ¡°in the future, i¡¯ll have two squadrons of gray-colored dwarves in twilight city. they will be responsible for loading goods.¡± that was the first time, so it was understandable that he needed to be faster. but the black sorbet ice cream transactions would become the norm. karu nodded respectfully. ¡°as you wish.¡± richard didn¡¯t mention he planned to do the same after this incident. the mechanical boats loaded the goods after they got ready. the stone statues of the dead flew into the city and moved the black sorbet from the warehouse to the mechanical boat. on the ground, the gray-colored dwarves controlled the mechanical puppets to cooperate. it was slow to transport over a thousand stone statues of the dead back and forth over such a short distance. but richard frowned. once or twice was fine, but the stone statue of the dead couldn¡¯t do such tedious work forever. richard saw the mechanical puppets moving in front of him from the corner of his eye, and his eyes instantly lit up after he pondered. ¡°karu, get brown to develop a forklift truck¡­ it¡¯s a machine specially used to load goods. in the future, the gray-colored dwarves will be in charge of the transportation work. ¡°in addition, immediately send someone to arrange for a suitable area outside the city to build a dock specifically for loading goods. ¡°in the future, we can transport the black sorbet to the dock in advance and load it directly.¡± a professional venue could significantly increase efficiency. richard said nothing more when karu responded. there was no foundation in twilight city, and everything was blank. he could only build whatever he wanted. although more than a thousand flying units were loaded, 2.6 million units still took seven to eight hours. it was not until late at night that the busy work that had started in the morning finally ended. under the millstone-sized moon, the desert, which was hot during the day, became calm. the irritation turned into gentleness, and a layer of silver gauze covered the yellow sand. the glance at the distance was like the long dress of a goddess hung from the sky. seven monsters that were over 60 meters in size lay on the sand. their bodies crushed the sand and created vast dents. the sandworm looked like a demon that crawled out of the abyss under the night sky. they connected twenty as thick as a person¡¯s thigh chains to the mechanical boat that flashed a metallic luster. a unique flavor of a fantasy world filled this scene. they could make a fortune by letting these monsters pull tourists out for a stroll without doing anything if it were on planet blue. ¡°gray, gunter, quickly return after you deliver the goods. stay speedily. ¡°but you listen first to vale if he has an order.¡± the troop prepared to set off immediately after they completed the installation. this time, richard sent five squadrons of stone statues of the dead and one squadron of skeleton blood dragons to escort them. the two mummy heroes were the leaders. he planted the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce flag on the boat. if one looked carefully, one would notice flags of the solan chamber of commerce and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce were also there. that was something he had specially brought back when he left solan city. he would at least reduce half of the trouble with the flags of the families he planted¡­ richard didn¡¯t follow them that time. in the future, such transactions will become the norm. how could he waste so much time on this? many troops had been to solan city last time, so they were unafraid of not finding the way. moreover, with the characteristic of never getting lost, it wasn¡¯t an issue. however, as a precaution, he still chose two recently promoted residents to f-rank heroes to follow him. they could even let the two negotiate if they encountered passersby who did not like the undead. richard officially set the troop they organized for a day after some detailed arrangements. ¡®shualala!¡¯ the seven sandworms wriggled forward, and the thick chains behind them immediately tightened. the powerful force pushed the mechanical boat. the sandworm¡¯s body continued to sink as it moved forward. it revealed only its two-meter-tall body above the desert as it sank halfway into the yellow sand. sandworms were desert creatures. so they could pull the heavy mechanical boat without any pressure, just like fish swimming in the water. they pushed sand out, and a ravine appeared behind it. interestingly, the vast body loosened the sand on the ground, and the mechanical boats behind them immediately became more relaxed as they moved forward. a buffer and anti-collision device in front of it would not allow it to overturn or hurt the sandworms as they slowed down due to inertia. richard was delighted with this. he had considered everything, although the mechanical boat was still a little crude. fortress city had put in a lot of effort. the seven sandworms pulled the boat far away. they left only eye-catching trails behind. richard followed behind and observed silently for a while. after careful calculation, he found that the sandworm¡¯s speed could reach 50 kilometers per hour, which was nothing for the flying troops. Chapter 581 however, for the sandworm that pulled the 200-ton boat, it was already considered fast. at this speed, they could travel thousands of kilometers a day. they could reach solan city in five days at most, even if they rested for a while. this speed would make the aborigines drool with envy for transporting such a large amount of goods. the two mummy heroes led the flying troops to guard the sandworms tightly. at the same time, they spread out a portion of the troop, and the alert range could reach dozens of kilometers. !! richard watched the first shipment of goods disappear before his eyes after he escorted the troop through the sandstorm to the east. his mood was sparingly strange. the long-planned industrial development was finally on the right track. soon, this scene would become the norm. this caravan that headed solan city would continue to earn resources for him. butler karu, who had yet to leave, hesitantly spoke when richard returned to twilight city. ¡°my lord, why don¡¯t we sell the black sorbet to the other grace mainland overlords?¡± butler karu and the other high-ranking officials knew that the grace mainland overlords could trade with each other. even most natives knew this¨Cthe players were not tight-lipped people. as a result, many large factions had specially recruited a group of players to help them purchase their scarce treasures after they discovered this. some far-sighted forces had even started to use players to start a business in the [trading market]. that also led to the prices of many goods being consistent with that of the indigenous cities. no one was an idiot. especially those forces that had existed for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. that also caused advantages to the players where natives initially had to reduce them under various tactics. that was an inevitable trend. that was why the natives were lukewarm towards the players. the players were just a plate of meat before they grew up. there was nothing to worry about. richard glanced at the other party and said slowly. ¡°i¡¯ve already tried.¡± karu pondered. ¡°grace mainland overlords do not approve black sorbet?¡± richard did not comment. the black sorbet was not very famous. he sold a hundred on the market a week ago, but they hadn¡¯t sold out yet. the players were very busy. most were interested in weapons and equipment. there were simply too many food items as the territory developed. one waited millions of pages to flip. the black sorbet¡¯s attributes were not remarkable, so a few players paid attention. ¡°now, it¡¯s not the channels that limit the black sorbet, but the production. once the production goes up, i¡¯ll think of a way to open the grace mainland overlords¡¯ market.¡± with his reputation among the players, it was easy to advertise. the black sorbet was also very attractive to people in the hot environment. but now there was no need for it since they could not increase production. it was better to use it to make the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce famous. that has deeply moved karu. ¡°we still have to speed up the production. the supply of frost grass will be severely limited if we only rely on the wild collection.¡± the frost grass was everywhere, although the underground world was very vast. however, it took time to find and transport them. moreover, most were scattered here and there. it also took time to harvest them. various reasons severely limited the production of black sorbet ice cream. richard frowned. he directly gave a death order. ¡°speed up the location of the frost grass planting area. i need results within half a month, no, a week. ¡°we can get fortress city to cooperate in developing a mechanical puppet that can grow and harvest frost grass.¡± he had high expectations for the black sorbet ice cream. the product was suitable for large-scale promotion and production. but the profit was slim. moreover, he did not have to worry about selling them. although his central market was solan city, the cities in the outermost area of the desert of death were his target customers. several players waited for some to tap the vast player market as long as they kept production up. however, all of this required a good foundation. ****** november 25th. in the afternoon, the sun still hung above the horizon. vale was in the desert a few kilometers west of solan city. anticipation engulfed his eyes as he gazed into the depths of the desert. the merchant group was about to arrive. the little princess of solan city, christy, wore a pure white aristocratic dress and muttered unhappily. ¡°lord richard is so annoying. it took him so long to deliver the black sorbet. ¡°last week, i asked the solan chamber of commerce to make space for the black sorbet. ¡°when i see him later, i must make him decently compensate me! ¡°i don¡¯t know where he got this little thing. it¡¯s quite cool to eat¡­ and it¡¯s so cheap.¡± she said with a scant pride. ¡°i won¡¯t agree if the gift isn¡¯t good.¡± vale looked at the little princess of solan city, who seemed to have not grown up yet, with amusement. ¡°your highness, lord richard might not come this time¡­¡± christy glared at her. ¡°he dares! hmph! i helped him take care of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. how dare he not come!¡± as she spoke, it was like a heartless person disappointed her and stared ahead angrily. at this moment, the pegasus knight in the sky suddenly signaled unfamiliar force approached. ¡°he¡¯s here!¡± when the two received the signal, they immediately perked up. Chapter 582 a moment later, the earth rumbled, and dust rose. the pegasus knights in the sky immediately became alert. they lowered their altitude by dozens of meters and guarded above her highness. christy¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw what was ahead as the dust approached. a few terrifying lifeforms that mostly hid in the desert pulled a strange-looking mechanical boat over at high speed. !! sand flew, and the earth shook wherever it passed. the scene gave off a strong visual impact. the stone statues of the dead and the skeleton blood dragon that flew in the sky were not eye-catching. after they approached a hundred meters. ¡®thud!¡¯ the vast body of the sandworm crawled out of the yellow sand. its exaggerated body was like a huge rock that rolled down. that immediately gave people a strong sense of oppression. christy wasn¡¯t afraid. instead, she was eager to check. ¡°is that lord richard¡¯s subordinate? vale¡­ can i ride it later?¡± vale didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the sandworm slowly stopped when it was 50 meters away. the thick sand covered most of the sky. it took a long time to clear up. several skeleton blood dragons slowly landed on the ground when the dust settled. the two mummy heroes approached vale and the others. they immediately cupped their chests and bowed when they saw the young princess. ¡°good day, miss vale.¡± vale looked at the two terrifying mummies and felt a sense of familiarity. she immediately cupped her chest and returned the greeting. ¡°gunter, gray¡­ good day.¡± she turned around and looked around after the greeting. ¡°lord richard isn¡¯t here?¡± gray shook his head. ¡°lord has other arrangements and did not travel with us.¡± vale was sparingly disappointed. christy opened her eyes and snarled. ¡°bastard, is richard not coming? ¡°where¡¯s the gift he owes me?!¡± the mummies turned to look at her when they heard this. after gray sized her up, the mummy hero said, ¡°you must be her highness, christy?¡± gray respectfully bowed as it said that. ¡°gray, twilight city. greetings, and thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. lord often mentioned you to us when he was in twilight city.¡± christy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°did lord richard mention me?¡± she looked at the two suspiciously after she said that. ¡°i don¡¯t believe it¡­ did lord teach you to say that? ¡°that bad guy loved to scold me, so he would never mention me.¡± gray did not explain anything. it turned its head and waved its hand behind. the two low-level human heroes who followed the troop immediately walked over. one of them held a bouquet of gauze-covered flowers. so one could only see the general appearance. the mummy hero stepped forward and respectfully handed the bouquet to christy. christy took it in confusion, and gray slowly said, ¡°your highness, lord is busy and can¡¯t leave twilight city. ¡°before i left, lord repeatedly told me to maintain the highest respect for you. ¡°lord especially discovered these and arranged this bouquet from the underground world to give to you.¡± christy looked at the bouquet in her hand in surprise. her face revealed a smile. however, she did not show any weakness. ¡°hmph! hmph! that fellow still has a conscience, but i could not consider this a gift¡­¡± as she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. she carefully removed the veil on top. in the next moment, a flower bud appeared in the air. it stunned christy. but before she could react. a wave of magic power surged out. the flower bud instantly bloomed. red and white flowers bloomed. dewdrops shrouded the flowers and made them appear more beautiful. ¡°ah!¡± christy let out a cry of surprise, and a smile brighter than a blooming flower appeared on her face. then, she held it in her arms lovingly and was unwilling to let go. vale enviously watched from the side. sir richard was too good¡­ he had to put extra effort into this beautiful bouquet, although it was just a simple magic technique. gray got down to business after the flowers coaxed christy. it looked at the sandworm. ¡°mr. vale, how do we transport these black sorbets to the city?¡± not to mention that solan city did not allow soldiers to enter. sandworms could not enter even if it allowed them. vale chuckled. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve already borrowed a carriage from her highness, christy. you can just unload the goods.¡± he gestured to the 20 or so carriages pulled by tall white horses. gray shook its head. ¡°i¡¯m afraid this amount isn¡¯t enough.¡± vale laughed. ¡°transcendent blacksmiths forged these carriages. the space inside is a hundred times that of ordinary carriages. two thousand carriages should be enough.¡± gray finally understood. the solan city background also sparingly amazed the mummy soldier. even the carriage that carried things could be into a spatial treasure. it was indeed not an ordinary force. with the solan city chamber of commerce¡¯s flag on the carriage, there was no need to worry at such a close distance. after a simple handover, vale asked them to unload the goods after a simple handover while he brought christy back to the city. the black frozen ice cream had already arrived, so the next step was the main topic. during this period, she had already rented five shops. once the goods arrived, she could immediately start to sell them. vale found several carriages parked before it when he returned to violet manor. he immediately saw a graceful and elegant figure when he emerged from the car. ¡°good day, chairman windsor.¡± windsor looked around and frowned when he saw vale and christy. ¡°lord richard didn¡¯t come?¡± christy held the blooming flowers and smiled brightly. ¡°lord richard still has something to do, so he didn¡¯t come this time.¡± she gathered the bouquet and proudly said, ¡°sister windsor, lord richard gave me these flowers. how are they? aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡± windsor looked at the girl¡¯s happy face and was speechless. ¡®this silly girl was too gullible¡­ ¡®someone would be willing to give it to you, not to mention a bouquet, even if you wanted a plane, with your status.¡¯ however, she did not see that familiar figure, so she was too lazy to say anything. she looked straight at vale. ¡°mr. vale, please tell lord richard i need to see him.¡± vale¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he felt a little strange. he took a deep breath and spoke slowly under the powerful pressure of the other party. ¡°president windsor, do you need me to tell lord richard why?¡± these words were quite artistic. windsor stared at vale. ¡°i have information about the crimson moon.¡± Chapter 583 vale frowned as he watched the carriage with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s flag disappear around the corner of the street. he knew better than anyone else how much richard valued the crimson moon. when vale left solan city, richard repeatedly told him to do his best to find information about the crimson moon information. even christy, the princess of solan city, was mobilized. however, after a month, he could not find anything except the grace mainland overlords who looked for crimson moon. !! now that windsor had personally come to inform him of this matter, he felt that there seemed to be something unfathomable hidden in it¡­ ¡°sister windsor is too biased! you didn¡¯t even tell me that you found the crimson moon. hmph! you must be jealous of lord richard for sending me flowers.¡± christy looked unhappy. vale turned to look at this heartless girl, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, but also a little envious. the other party was the most respected princess in solan city, so there was no need to consider the other side of the world¡­ perhaps, this was why lord richard liked to bicker with him. it was always reassuring to get along with someone who was not scheming. the smile on his face became sincere. ¡°your highness christy, i¡¯ll pass the message to lord richard first.¡± christy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°that¡¯s right. tell that guy to come quickly. hmph, he still owes me a gift.¡± vale was also touched. during this time, christy used much of her power to find the crimson moon for richard. although he didn¡¯t take it back, he had seen all the effort. without hesitation, he immediately took action and wrote a letter in secret. then, he asked the half-feathered man to send him out of the city. richard had arranged for a squadron of dead statues to come and take orders. that is to contact the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. generally, these troops would transmit any news. however, solan city did not allow soldiers to enter the city, so they stored stone statues of the dead outside. vale did not dwell on this matter after he made the arrangements. ¡°lord richard will settle everything after the message.¡± he did not know much about the crimson moon and could not make decisions for richard. christy told vale to inform as soon as richard replied, so she didn¡¯t stay any longer and returned with the flowers. pitch-full black sorbet ice cream filled the carriages and drove into solan city. solan city did not have a curfew, so the streets were still bustling with traffic even in the middle of the night. there were even some races that did not like the sun and high temperatures. the number of people there was no less than during the day. the 20 carriages that carried the black sorbet did not return to the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. instead, they split up into five groups and headed in different directions. soon, the carriages arrived at their respective destinations¡­ in the shop. the violet flower-embroidered flag fluttered in the wind. and illiterate people will not mistake the magic plaque blessed with the ability to read and write. violet merchant association chamber of commerce, shop no. 1. at the door, vale, along with more than ten silver goblins with glowing skin and several half-feather men, watched the carriage stop. he was excited and delighted. after a month, the violet merchant association chamber of commerce finally had its products. he waved his hand. ¡°move the black sorbet to the warehouse.¡± every shop he rented had a large warehouse at the back, so she was not afraid he could not store this black sorbet. as soon as he finished speaking, more than 20 creatures with green skin stepped forward and began to unload the goods. they were muscular, almost three meters tall, and had an ugly bald heads. he quickly went forward and carried the black sorbet ice cream down¡­ a silver gnome beside vale said excitedly in a strange tone as he watched the green-skinned creatures¡¯ practiced movements. ¡°president, the others only know that these green-skinned laborers are hot-tempered, but they don¡¯t know that they are the most docile laborers as long as they have a full meal. ¡°moreover, each green-skinned laborer only needs 50,000 units of resources! oh god of merchants, this is simply a gift!¡± the silver nomes were congenial. these guys did not believe in their god, the god of gnomes. instead, they extremely worship the god of merchants. vale nodded in admiration. ¡°not bad, you guys did well.¡± she finally understood during this period why they called silver gnomes natural merchants. these guys had an extremely crazy obsession with making money. their intelligence would increase exponentially as long as there was profit. vale would think the silver gnomes could easily support a chamber of commerce if he hadn¡¯t discovered that many silver gnomes secretly took kickbacks and made money from underhanded means, vale looked at the half-feathered man beside him. ¡°as supervisors, you must check every single transaction. there must be no mistakes!¡± the half-feathered man immediately replied solemnly. ¡°as you wish.¡± vale glanced at the uncomfortable silver gnome with extreme disdain after it responded. these lowly races wouldn¡¯t be qualified to work with them, but the lord requested them. however, interrogating these greedy fools every day was also challenging. they repeated what happened in shop no. 1 in other shops. the silver gnomes strangled with their power with the half-feathered man as the supervisor, they finished unloading at dawn. vale didn¡¯t return to the manor. he stayed in the shop quietly. Chapter 584 today was a crucial day. the sales of the black sorbet ice cream were exceptionally vital. he had to keep an eye on them. 10 am. they tidied the warehouse and neatly arranged the black sorbet ice cream on the twelve shelves in the shop. !! that was the only item sold in the entire shop. the silver gnome suggested they first go to other chambers of commerce to order a batch of goods to sell, but vale rejected all of them. they could implement that in the future, but not this time. ¡°president, do you want to start the business?¡± vale¡¯s heart thumped rapidly. he took a deep breath and suppressed the nervousness in his heart. ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡± although he was confident, this was the first time the violet merchant association chamber of commerce had opened. it was the first time in his life he had to prove himself. as soon as he finished speaking, the silver gnomes, who had already changed into their uniforms, immediately opened the door of shop no. 1. after a series of actions, the shop officially appeared before the passersby. the location of item no. 1 was the most prosperous, and pedestrians constantly shuttled around outside. vale stared straight ahead. his heart palpitated again. a few people stopped when they opened the door, although there were many passersby. some quickly glanced before they turned around and left. they did not enter. there was no one even after ten minutes. vale frowned. he was confident about the black sorbet ice cream. but no one had even stepped into the shop. how could he sell it? ¡°i should have delayed it for a day to start the ceremony¡­¡± that time was too urgent, and he was unprepared. he was about to say something. suddenly, a few passersby stopped. ¡°violet merchant association chamber of commerce? eh! isn¡¯t this the shop that those silver gnomes offered us to taste for free about two days ago? they now sell their black sorbet ice cream?¡± ¡°what¡¯s a black sorbet ice cream? what¡¯s so good about a shop opened by those greedy silver gnomes? let¡¯s go¡­¡± ¡°wait! the black sorbet ice cream is a good thing. i¡¯ll bring you there today to broaden your horizons.¡± ¡°tsk, i¡¯ve even tasted the meat of a giant dragon. how can some gnome¡¯s food make me open my eyes? tell me, how many rare resources are you buying that thing for?¡± ¡°20 units¡­¡± ¡°20 units? that¡¯s too little. dragon meat costs 500 units of rare resources!¡± ¡°i¡¯m talking about¡­ 20 units of ordinary resources.¡± ¡°what the hell? twenty ordinary resources? i don¡¯t believe this thing can open my eyes today! let¡¯s go in and take a look!¡± a few walked into the shop while they shouted. a silver gnome at the door immediately met them with shining eyes. it was like it stared at gold coins. ¡°sirs, good day¡­¡± a dwarf with a heavy sword entered. a human warrior with a heavy shield and a lover with a beard followed. the three formed a strange combination. the dwarf cursed and mumbled about what good things there could be in 20 units of resources. at the same time, it turned its head around. it was like the dwarf searched for something. the humans would like to retort against the dwarves, but the beasts watched the show indifferently. ¡°i heard that you have something even more amazing than dragon meat here, and you only sell it for 20 units of ordinary resources? take it out, and master luke wants to taste it!¡± the dwarf slammed the warhammer down and caused the ground to shake. it mocked the human. ¡°damn luke, this guy only knows how to show off that he ate dragon meat¡­¡± as the dwarf spoke, the human warrior with a heavy shield reached out and picked up a pack of black sorbet ice cream from the shelf. it smashed the ice cream directly on the other party¡¯s chest. ¡°this is the black sorbet ice cream. i guarantee you¡¯ll feel good after eating it!¡± it handed another to the dwarf beside it after it said that. the dwarf looked at the black sorbet ice cream wrapped in plant leaves with disdain. ¡°could this thing be the leftover paste of the gnomes?¡± it stared at the silver gnome beside it with disdain after the human with a shield said that. the silver gnome was shameless and did not care. in any case, it was fine as long as it could earn money. a few could see they fought, so they didn¡¯t promote it and let them argue among themselves. the other party could not bother the human shield warrior. they opened it and used a spoon to take a spoonful. they shuddered and let out a long breath after it entered their mouths. ¡°this feels good. it¡¯s still the same taste as a few days ago. that feels so f*cking good. i won¡¯t trade it for it even if you give me dragon meat now!¡± the dwarf was furious. that idiot insulted again. just as it was about to open its mouth to curse, a muffled exclamation came beside it. ¡°it¡¯s too good¡­ this black sorbet ice cream is amazing!¡± when it turned its head, it saw the tall and mighty beast appear as it climaxed. no, it felt even better than it climaxed. that quickly annoyed the dwarf. ¡°you two bastards, are you treating me like a clown?¡± he held the black sorbet ice cream and angrily said, ¡°twenty units of ordinary resources can make you do this?!¡± at that moment, it was furious and directly opened the pack of ice cream. it lowered its head to glance. the black and sticky state made the dwarf frown even more. ¡°god of dwarves above, only gnomes like to eat this paste!¡± fortunately, the dwarf didn¡¯t smell anything. otherwise, it would have thrown it away. the dwarf could see the two still enjoyed the ice cream. it snorted coldly and ignored the spoon. the dwarf directly reached into the bag and grabbed a handful. the black jelly in its hand appeared disgusting. the dwarf wore a mask of pain. ¡°damn bastard, can one eat this thing?¡± the human warrior with a heavy shield looked at the dwarf disdainfully afterward. ¡°tsk, if you want to eat it or not, don¡¯t ask me for it when you go to the desert later.¡± as he spoke, he looked at the silver gnome beside him. ¡°give me twenty portions!¡± a muffled voice came from the side. ¡°no, forty!¡± the human warrior with a heavy shield turned to look at the dwarf and grinned. ¡°that¡¯s right, forty portions¡­¡± he glanced at the still hesitant dwarf. ¡°don¡¯t bring anything for this idiot. we¡¯ll each get twenty portions.¡± the dwarf couldn¡¯t stand this provocation. it hardened its heart and stuffed the sticky black sorbet ice cream into its mouth. the dwarf thought that it would taste the gnome paste. unexpectedly, the moment it entered his mouth, not only it tasted okay, but it also had a unique fragrance. the dwarf tasted it and could not help but feel great disdain. ¡°just this?¡± it had not seen the world¡­ however, just as this thought rose in its mind, the cold magic power hidden in the black sorbet ice cream began to surge. it was like a spot of ink dripped into clear water. cold magic power enveloped the dwarf. its entire body shivered. the unbearable heat it just felt disappeared in an instant. that heart-chilling feeling was so comfortable as it closed its eyes. that was a desert with an unbearably hot summer. other than the short winter in december, which lasted for half a month, when could one feel such coolness in seasons? it subconsciously said, ¡°ah, this feels good¡­¡± after a while, the coldness gradually subsided, and the dwarf opened its eyes. then, when the dwarf saw everyone stared at it with strange gazes, its old face blushed. then, the dwarf shouted. ¡°what are you looking at? have you never seen a handsome dwarf?¡± as it spoke, the dwarf looked at the silver gnome. it said righteously, ¡°pack another twenty portions!¡± the human warrior with a heavy shield seemed to have expected this outcome and laughed loudly. ¡°how is it? is the black sorbet ice cream tastier than dragon meat?!¡± the dwarf ignored him and looked at the black ice cream it grabbed. its heart ached. this time, it didn¡¯t use its hands. it gently took the spoon beside it and carefully scooped a spoonful. the dwarf began to taste it happily. it looked like a child who had only one bag of snacks left. that made its two companions laugh again. vale sold sixty servings of black sorbet. that was 1,200 units of ordinary resources. after the other party paid the bill, they left and stared at the big bag of black sorbet ice cream with big smiles. vale, who had observed silently, saw this scene, and his anxiety dissipated. he turned to look at the few silver gnomes. ¡°two days ago, you were the ones who distributed the black sorbet ice cream for free, right? now, take a portion and distribute it on the streets for free¡­¡± as he spoke, his eyes curved into crescent moons. ¡°i think we¡¯ve succeeded.¡± Chapter 585 ¡°slaughter them!¡± a ten meters tall centaur appeared like a god of war and led five squadrons of giant axe death knights. a bulldozer seemed to have pushed the stronghold formed by thousands of rare wild soldiers and desert poachers before them. the small buildings collapsed, and it crushed the desert poachers before them. !! [boss characteristic: able to transform into a 10-meter-tall heavy soldier, all attributes increased by 100%, lasts for 6 hours, can be used once a day.] emily held a giant battle axe almost the same size as hers. she slaughtered the desert poachers before her as she charged forward. she slaughtered the level 9, rare 3-stars soldiers like little chicks. emily slayed the f-rank hero team leader. the enemy couldn¡¯t even take one hit. the giant axe death knights behind her were like a storm. they quickly razed their outpost to the ground. emily gathered her battle axe after the attack. ¡°for twilight city!¡± the hundreds of giant axe death knights behind her roared in unison. ¡°for twilight city!¡± as soon as the voice fell, the aura of the exaggerated centaur suddenly soared. the pressure suddenly increased. [ding~ you have commanded the troop to destroy a medium-sized outpost and obtained a perfect victory. obtained 10,000 experience points.] [ding~ battle hero¨Cemily has been through several battles and has leveled up to 13.] yellow sand surrounded richard in the sky. he silently watched this scene with a smile in his eyes. three bosses were in twilight city; the deeply sleeping god¡¯s ancient tree, the unparalleled dark valkyrie, and the demigod centaur below. the first two were the ceiling of twilight city¡¯s battle strength, but this little fellow who cutely acted by richard¡¯s side did not show off. however, this boss who lost her memories and strength returned to nurture her heart. richard ordered emily to lead the troop to clear the troop strongholds in the wild when xina and the dark valkyrie left for the krina tribe. the little centaur rarely returned to twilight city in the past months. she ground maps day and night. her level rose from 9 to 13. her battle strength also dramatically increased. even she had to be careful once she revealed her 10-meter-tall battle form. emily sensed something and turned to the sky to vent her emotions. surprise and joy engulfed her face after she sensed the familiar aura. ¡°father!¡± the childish voice with a hint of innocence formed a massive contrast with her god-of-war-like body. richard landed. he floated in the air and stared at the exquisite and cute face before him. his eyes softened. ¡°are you tired? go back and rest for a while¡­¡± emily felt richard¡¯s concern, and her eyes curved into crescents. she shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m not tired, father. i want to become very, very strong.¡± ¡°sister xina and the others have already left. they can¡¯t leave me behind¡­¡± she tilted her head and said, ¡°i could protect twilight city and my father once i become mightier! ¡± her tone was sparingly naive and did not have the slightest falsehood. richard felt warmth in his heart as he looked into her clear eyes. these sincere feelings made him feel that his efforts were not in vain. however, the next second, emily¡¯s action made his warmth disappear. the little fellow subconsciously wanted to nudge richard with her head. richard avoided it with a dark expression as he looked at the exaggerated size. it would be no less than being hit by a giant rock if she rubbed that thing. emily also reacted and was sparingly embarrassed when she saw richard¡¯s actions. ¡°father, i can¡¯t become smaller after i grow bigger. otherwise, i could not grow bigger today.¡± she hurriedly added after she said that. ¡°however, i¡¯ll work hard to control this power. i could change it freely in the future¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°so you¡¯re trying hard to control that power just to rub your head in my arms?¡± richard did not follow the five or six-year-old little girl in his heart after he comforted her. a d-rank knight hero was among the giant axe death knights below. richard recruited the hero from corpses in the ruins of the nine bronze doors long ago. a squadron of stone statues of the dead followed in the sky. emily was not afraid of any danger. richard¡¯s presence would split a portion of the experience points she obtained. the supreme ruler could still obtain some experience points just by coming, even if he didn¡¯t do anything. that was the privilege of a lord. only when both parties were at least 10 kilometers away and no longer contacted each other would the hero who led the troops enjoy the experience alone. the lord could still gain some experience if he used the communication treasure to command from afar. however, the further he went, the less experience he could obtain. there was a complete set of experience acquisition mechanisms, and it was difficult to exploit loopholes. richard waved his hand and led the five skeleton blood dragons behind him in another direction when emily disappeared. he did the same thing as emily. he was at level 14 for a long time. level 15 would bring about a qualitative change. moreover, it was already the end of november, and with the new expansion pack at the end of december, the crimson moon reared closer. Chapter 586 richard still had to complete the s-rank mission and retrieve a god¡¯s heart. he had to be even more powerful now to stand firm in the upcoming turmoil. he even planned for enormous benefits¡­ the five teams of skeleton blood dragons split into five groups and scanned the map in a fan shape. !! small troop strongholds in the wild could not stop them. they would immediately inform him if they encountered a massive troop stronghold. he was the ruler of the desert, and he could control the yellow sand. the troop lairs in the wild, and the various mineral veins would refresh once a week. the troops in the wild were abundant, although the number of mineral veins in the desert of death was pitifully low. no one fought him for the monster. they could not withstand several outposts in the wild under the high-speed slaughter, although the experience points gained from killing ordinary soldiers were sparingly at level 14. richard would have to work for it with numbers if a single settlement could not provide experience points. ¡ª¡ª on an unknown dune in the desert of death. this dune was different from the other dunes. the sand here was as black as ink. it gave off a sinister feeling. that would still make people feel cold if one stood, even if the desert was hot. however, the two players held the map and looked around. they were extremely excited about this strange dune. the skinny-hemp-pole-like player shouted. ¡°the black dunes hid the ancient secrets of the desert of death¡­ we finally found the pheasant! f*ck my lousy sandals. this journey is too f*cking difficult!¡± a fat black player beside him also became excited. ¡°haonan, this time, it¡¯s finally our turn!!¡± ¡°we could strengthen hongxing sooner or later as soon we get the treasures inside!¡± the fat black player raised the map in his hand after excitement. ¡°take out that relic¡­ it says that after you find the black dune, bury it in the sand and water it with fresh blood. ¡°the relic will lead to the treasure in the depths of the dune. ¡°activate the ancient secret.¡± the fat black player swiftly took out one from the system space¡­ a black human skull. the evil aura it emitted made it look indescribably strange. he buried the black skull under the black sand without hesitation. then, he took out the blood he had prepared earlier. the skinny-hemp-pole-like player felt something adverse ass he was about to pour the water. his heart thumped rapidly. he frowned and reached out to stop his companion after he hesitated. ¡°shanji, why do i feel that something is wrong¡­¡± the fat black player frowned. ¡°haonan, are you a f*cking coward?¡± as he spoke, he poured the blood into the bucket. the player felt even more uneasy as he watched the scene. he sensed a massive disaster would happen once the blood reached the relic buried in the sand. he quickly stepped forward and held the wooden bucket with one hand. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid!!¡± the skinny-hemp-pole-like player¡¯s expression quickly annoyed the fat black player. ¡°those sons of b*tches attacked our territory. we have sacrificed all our remaining troops just to find this treasure¡­¡± the more he spoke, the angrier he became. in the end, he roared angrily. ¡°we have no way out, do you know that?!! ¡°we don¡¯t even have enough water to go back. that is our only choice!¡± the skinny-hemp-pole-like player who held the wooden bucket shook his head repeatedly. ¡°no, i¡¯m not saying that¡­ to pour blood directly on the relic is sparingly risky. that is what i feel. calm down first, why don¡¯t you¡­ what are you doing?¡± the fat black player before him forcefully poured the blood-filled bucket over the relic before the skinny-hemp-pole-like player could finish his sentence. fresh blood instantly splashed onto the sand and formed a small pit. it faintly revealed the black skull underneath. ¡®gu! gu! gu!¡¯ blood bubbles popped up, and the dried sand instantly swallowed the blood. it formed a dried and hard blood clot around it. the strange aura became even more ferocious. the dark fat player shook the wooden bucket hard. he threw the wooden bucket to the side after he shook the last few drops of blood off. he looked at the other player indifferently. ¡°we¡¯ve already reached this stage. what are you still waiting for?¡± the skinny-hemp-pole-like player blankly stared at the black dune as it exposed the black skull. his heart inexplicably flustered. it even stifled his breath stifled, and bean-sized beads of sweat fell from his forehead¡­ ¡°we seem to have gotten into trouble.¡± the fat black player raised his eyebrows. ¡°f*ck, isn¡¯t this the way to open this treasure? what trouble could they cause in such a large desert? i can¡¯t even see a ghost in the surroundings. even if i poke a hole in the world, it won¡¯t affect me¡­¡± before the fat black player could finish his sentence. ¡®rumble!¡¯ suddenly, he felt the ground beneath his feet churn. the sand began to shake violently. the fat black player panicked. ¡°f*ck, what¡¯s going on??¡± at this moment, the skinny-hemp-pole-like player felt the danger was about to devour their souls. his body trembled and suddenly returned to his senses. he pulled the fat black player beside him and ran. ¡°let¡¯s go, f*cking hell! that f*cking npc tricked us! what treasure is this? this is a trap!!¡± ¡®hualala!¡¯ the black sand began to sink at the top of the giant hill. the terrifying pressure was like a collapsing mountain that was 10,000 feet tall. and the entire world became dim. it was as if a demon god from the abyss had descended. the two ran out desperately. the players subconsciously turned around when they felt the pressure increase. a black skull with a diameter of 100 meters appeared on the high black dune. what even more horrified the players was that the black skull shook its head, like a human that woke up after a doze-off. this scene scared the two out of their wits. ¡°what the hell is this dog?!¡± the fat black player was so scared that his legs trembled. he could have collapsed to the ground. if not for the skinny-hemp-pole-like player who pulled him. fortunately, the giant black skull had just woken up and seemed uninterested in them. it gave them enough time to escape. the two finally heaved a sigh of relief after they ran at an unprecedented speed for ten minutes. the yellow sand on the ground suddenly surged just as they stopped to catch their breaths. that made them feel the surrounding scenery retreated. they realized the yellow sand under their feet had flown up. they quickly flew towards the terrifying black skull¡­ the two players looked at each other and felt despair. ¡°f*ck your mother! we ran so far away, and it still caught us! the scenery moved backward and stopped in the span of a breath. the two felt their hearts almost jump out of their throats. their numb and stiff body slowly turned around. then, they saw an unforgettable scene. a giant black skull covered the sky. the players were like ants that stood under an elephant. what horrified them was that a glorious city appeared below them after the skeleton stood up. a skull of a wolf¡¯s head sat on a yellow sand throne at the city center, and sandstorms surrounded it. it held a black scepter as it watched the two players indifferently. at this moment, the two felt it froze their souls. the horrifying figure did not reveal any aura, but they were like rats that stood before a dragon. humble and insignificant. ¡°i am the lord of the dunes, the lord of the desert of death¡­humans, what era is it now? where did you come from? who is the owner of the desert now?¡± Chapter 587 solan city. phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the atmosphere in the spacious hall was exceptionally oppressive. it was like the dark clouds before a storm. windsor looked at the figure that aged and sat in the mechanical wheelchair before her. the old man remained silent for a long time. she could feel the decay that came from his body. it was like an old tree was about to wither and die, with no chance of revival. time¡­ there wasn¡¯t much left. the old man had lived for ten years without a heart in a wheelchair and had once torn an ancient red dragon to piecespeim noticed the sadness that hid in windsor¡¯s eyes. a smile appeared on his face. he forced himself to be alert and spoke slowly in a tone that sounded like a lamp that was out of oil. ¡°girl, don¡¯t be sad. i can still hold on for a month¡­¡± he released a long sigh as he spoke. a hint of relief flashed across his eyes. ¡°you¡¯ve done well this month. ¡°your arrangements have exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations¡± windsor took a deep breath, her tone somewhat stubborn. ¡°teacher, we still have a chance.¡± peim shook his head. ¡°my body is clearer than yours it¡¯s already too late.¡± ¡°in the past two months, i¡¯m afraid thousands of grace mainland overlords have accepted missions¡± windsor was silent. the old man didn¡¯t expect a response from the other party. he looked out of the window with his turbid eyes. ¡°crimson moon it should have risen by now. ¡°the last day of december let those false gods tremble in fear. ¡°i hope to see this scene before i leave this world.¡± determination engulfed windsor¡¯s eyes. ¡°this day should have come long ago. the crimson moon will illuminate this decaying world!¡± as soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to have thought of something and slowly said. ¡°teacher, i¡¯ve already passed the message to lord richard.¡± peim¡¯s eyes revealed a subtle emotion when he heard this name. ¡°imprison a godthis bold little fellow is surprising.¡± the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. ¡°bring him to see me when he comes.¡± ¡°grace mainland overlord seemed to look for crimson moon? i hope crimson moon won¡¯t frighten him after he has learned about it.¡± windsor thought of that outstanding and unforgettable figure and did not speak. could he bring about the desired effect? she wasn¡¯t sure, and perhaps no one knew outside the central plane. in the endless void. in a mysterious area impossible to pry into. a divine battle that was enough to shake the central plane broke out. lord of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyssking of decay: labrace had opened a void passage and fiercely attacked the god of the prison god system, the god kingdom of the kobold god. divinity battle. it was great and glorious with the cruel and brutal legend in the mouth of the bards. it meant two gods would fight to the death once the war between gods started. that was the cruelest war in the world. the loser would fall from the top of the world¡¯s authority, eternal life, and immortality. it would turn into mud and nothingness. no god could bear the consequences. the holy spirits that emitted divine power guarded the torn gap before the divine kingdom. it blocked the endless abyssal creatures. in the void passage, the rotten dragons, fallen angels, flesh titans, supreme demons all kinds of ultimate soldiers carried pungent smells as they crazily attacked the troop of the kobold god. the grim reaper harvested lives every minute and every second. the scene was crazy and cruel. inside the god¡¯s kingdom, on the throne made of gold and gemstones, the kobold god held the golden bone scepter. it stared at the dozens of cracks in the god¡¯s kingdom with a fierce gaze. he was shocked and furious. ¡°damned king of decay! why did you suddenly attack my god kingdom?¡± he couldn¡¯t understand why someone would target it after it had survived the last battle of gods and never left the divine kingdom. moreover, the one who came was the famous ruler of the abyss, the king of decay. the other party held absolute authority over the rot. although his mastery of greed and the dog-headed man¡¯s godhood was not low¡­ the other party had the battle authority. ¡®kacha!¡¯ terrifying cracks appeared above the god¡¯s kingdom. the scene looked exceptionally terrifying. ¡°king of decay, how dare you?!!¡± the kobold god became even more furious. this scene would never have happened if it weren¡¯t for irreconcilable hatred however, it never offended the other party. ¡°king of decay! why did you attack me? ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid of the siege of the prison god system?¡± the golden bone scepter emitted waves of divine power. it forcibly repaired the cracks in the kingdom and blocked the invasion of the rotten authority. the god¡¯s kingdom was the main battlefield. there would be no suspense in the battles if one broke through. just as the kobold god fumed, an evil voice angrier than he sounded. ¡°bastard! lowly, filthy reptile! ¡°you dare to peep at my authority?! the question that baffled immediately confused the kobold god when it heard this. ¡°damn, are you a fool?¡± he shouldn¡¯t have come up with such a clumsy excuse, right? even if it wanted to find an excuse. ¡°how dare i, the god of kobolds? go to the abyss to spy on my authority? ¡°am i tired of living?¡± even the ruler of the prison god system, the god of the kobolds did not have the guts to do so, right? it tried its best to suppress its emotions and explain. ¡°great king of decay, there must be a misunderstanding! let¡¯s stop first!¡± the voice was not calm as words came out of its mouth. instead, it was like a fire ignited a gas tank and exploded. ¡°crawlers! your soul power and divine power are all under my gaze¡­ and you forcefully snatched the rotten authority right in front of me! ¡°you¡¯ve planned for the central plane for a long time, right? you dare to do this because you have the prison god system as your backer? ¡°crawler, no matter who comes today, it will die!¡± the furious blasphemy shook the entire god¡¯s kingdom. ¡°divine power? soul power? the central plane? snatch it in front of it?¡± the kobold god suddenly thought of a figure when it heard this. the other party had imprisoned its soul! it immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°that f*cking human overlord framed me!¡± ****** ice snow empire, frostwolf territory. rebecca stood in the ice-and-snow-covered courtyard and stared at the blue sky in a daze. she did not move for a long time. a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old stood beside her. she wore a thick white bear fur cotton coat, and a furry hat covered her head. it revealed only her small and exquisite face. the girl surprisingly held a black sorbet ice cream wrapped in plant leaves. she would take a spoonful of it, then shiver and cry out repeatedly. however, the girl didn¡¯t put it down after it was cold. instead, she continued to scoop it up with even more interest. after a long time, rebecca returned to her senses and looked at the girl. she felt helpless. ¡°lilias, you¡¯ve eaten enough. stop eating. that is desert food. you¡¯ll catch a cold and get a stomachache¡­ ¡± the girl happily took another bite and proudly looked at her. ¡°no way. why can¡¯t i eat more of such delicious food? ¡°and why can we only eat it in the desert?¡± rebecca didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, but she allowed her. the girl hurriedly followed when she saw rebecca leave. she tilted her little head and chattered that squeezed rebecca. ¡°sister, is lord richard that outstanding? you still remember him since your return. you even declined father¡¯s arrangement to go hunting with the descendants of other nobles¡­ in the past, you liked this activity very much.¡± rebecca blushed. ¡°how did you know? lord richard is just my business partner.¡± the girl giggled. ¡°sister, you don¡¯t even dare to look at me when you lie¡­¡± anticipation filled her tone. ¡°i want to see if he¡¯s as handsome as the descendants of the archdukes pursuing you if he comes next time. i won¡¯t agree if he is not handsome.¡± rebecca thought of that extraordinary figure, and her tsundere face revealed a bright smile. ¡°those descendants of the archdukes who do you think you are to compare lord richard?¡± the girl beside her covered her mouth and laughed secretly. an elderly butler came forward and reported in a deep voice when they entered the house. ¡°miss rebecca, everything is ready.¡± rebecca had a relaxed expression just a moment ago. she focused her gaze, and she revealed a solemn expression. at this moment, her aura suddenly changed. a dignified and murderous aura appeared. it was as if a queen held the world power and was about to ascend to her throne. it was a stark contrast to the girl next door¡¯s attitude just now. the girl beside her felt that something was wrong. she subconsciously took two steps away, and the smile on her face disappeared. rebecca nodded calmly. ¡°carry out the plan.¡± the old butler looked at the figure whose aura had changed enormously. he was momentarily in a daze as if he saw the young frostwolf grand duke. ¡°yes, young rebecca my lord!¡± he inexplicably could not say the word ¡®miss¡¯. so he subconsciously changed it to a more respectful form of address. after the old butler left, the girl behind rebecca looked weakly at her. she was completely different and said softly. ¡°sister?¡± rebecca turned around and looked at the girl. she reached out and rubbed her little head. ¡°lilias, i¡¯m leaving.¡± the girl panicked and subconsciously grabbed the corner of her clothes. ¡°sister, where are you going?¡± rebecca turned her head to look at the open door. at this moment, snow covered the sky above the courtyard. heavy snow fell. ¡°take charge of the clan.¡± ****** richard busily ground. he heard the sound of a private message. he opened it, and a familiar id appeared before him. [hyena: boss qingqiu, have you heard? soul-devouring force suddenly attacked in the desert of death depths.] [moreover, their different from usual outposts. that force constantly attacked those who sent troops to the desert of death. the powerful force beat many players who went to level up.] [the ruler of that new force calls himself the lord of the dunes] richard was startled. ¡°dune lord? ¡°what was this?¡± he usually doesn¡¯t mind. but he felt something was wrong at this critical juncture. [qingqiu: tell me in detail, when did the dune lord appear? what level is the other party?] [hyena: no one knows when the dune lord appeared. we only know that it started three days ago. the powerful troop attacked some players who were leveling up.] [a few hours ago, a 100-man guild gathered tens of thousands of troops to train. the powerful force eventually wiped out more than half of them. this news just got spread] [boss qingqiu, that dune lord is exceptionally a soul crusher. all of its troops are above level 15. your territory happens to be in the desert of death. i suggest you be careful.] Chapter 588 richard didn¡¯t dismiss the sudden appearance of the dune lord that displayed its desire to rule the desert of death. instead, he took it to heart. the ¡°shining era¡± was a world with a long civilization and history. no one was stupid, especially when there were gods in this world. the only result would be destruction without enough strength to say such words. perhaps a hidden force had appeared with such a vast commotion. he had always remembered the information [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] gave him the system initially set the desert of death ta a high-level map, and it would merge with other planes in the future. in this desert, it was a crime to underestimate any enemy. [qingqiu: please help me pay more attention to the information of the dune lord. report to me immediately if you find any news. this commanding tone made hyena very happy. boss qingqiu now treated him as one of his own. [hyena: alright, boss. don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll contact you immediately if there¡¯s any movement.] richard didn¡¯t dwell on the subject and changed it into another concern. [qingqiu: have you heard about the contract scroll and the crimson moon?] [hyena: no, we haven¡¯t found anything yet] richard was not surprised. contract scrolls were rare, and every member of the crimson moon searched for them. it was an arduous task. richard closed the private message after he comforted hyena and ordered him to search. he looked at the scene that had calmed down. he ignored everything else and continued to scan the map. level 15 was a hurdle he had to overcome as soon as possible. november 28th was the last day of the month. the long-awaited notification finally rang in richard¡¯s ear as the sun gradually sank into the earth. [ding~ your current experience points have met the requirements to level up to 15. you have triggered the promotion missionbattle of despair.] [1. please slay a desert camp hero by yourself. requirements: level 15, potential b-rank and above.] [2. to capture a large-scale faction in the wild, the requirements are: field forces must have five hero units, one brigade of soldiers above level 15, and no less than one legion of other soldiers.] [note 1: before completing the promotion mission, you could not gain experience points.] [note 2: when you reach level 15, it will enhance your attributes.] richard raised an eyebrow at the system prompt. when he leveled to 10, the promotion mission was to kill a level 10 hero. now, the mode had not changed, but the difficulty level had increased quite a bit. it was a completely different concept for a level 9 to solo a level 10 and a level 14 to fight a level 15. moreover, there was an additional condition. eliminate a large-scale wild faction¡­ that reminded him of the gnome forces he helped [steamed bun lover] clean up. the other party seemed to fit no, there were not enough troops above level 15. richard thought for a moment and opened the private message. [qingqiu: what level are you at now?] after a while, he received a reply. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, i¡¯m already level 13. and i¡¯m about to reach 14. what do you think? do you want me to give you a ride?] richard¡¯s face darkened. however, he was also sparingly curious about how this guy leveled up so quickly. it sparingly puzzled [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] after he asked. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, of course, it¡¯s grinding maps. i spend at least six to eight hours a day on this i¡¯ve never been so enthusiastic in my work in planet blue.] richard finally understood. he had too many things to deal with and was busy with various missions. on the contrary, leveling up was the most vital thing in the eyes of ordinary players, and they placed it last. he could have been second-tier if he did not fight a few big waves in the early stages and accumulated enough experience points. he had invested all his energy into the reinforcement of twilight city. so twilight city had its current foundation. [qingqiu: when you level up by 10, what¡¯s the promotion mission?] the message sparingly bewildered [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon], but he answered honestly. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: you want me to lead the troop to encircle and suppress a stronghold in the wild with no less than 500 troops? big brother, why are you asking this?] richard narrowed his eyes. as expected, the system customized the promotion mission according to one¡¯s strength. so the mission seemed so exaggerated. back then, he single-handedly slayed a level 10 hero. in comparison, [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s] mission could have been more challenging. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] returned to his senses after he said that. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, are you leveling up by 15?] [qingqiu: that¡¯s right.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, what¡¯s your mission?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] asked with interest. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: so i could prepare.] richard did not hide anything. [qingqiu: slay a level 15 hero with potential b-rank alone. at the same time, eliminate a wild faction of five heroes, a large team of level 15 soldiers, and no level limit. however, the number of soldiers must exceed one legion.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] fell into a long silence. in the end, he only replied after he held it for a long time. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: big brother, those people on the forum are right] [qingqiu: right where?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon:you¡¯re a pervert!!] [f*ck! soloing a level 15 b-rank hero! destroying such exceptional force] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] wondered if qingqiu could honestly complete this mission. the battered [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] immediately informed his sister of the news after he closed his private message with richard. ¡°sis, big brother¡¯s experience points are already full. he¡¯s about to level up to 14¡± Chapter 589 [night rain flower falls: wasn¡¯t it satisfying the enemies battered him last time?¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: don¡¯t. don¡¯t, i was wrong. boss qingqiu boss is about to level up to 14. he just told me about his promotion mission.] [night rain flower falls: did you get his permission to tell me?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: i got it. i told boss qingqiu i would you so we could prepare however, i don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need it.] it piqued [night rain flower falls] interest. she still had enough respect for the strongest player, although her brother was unreliable. especially in the early stages, the other party had even provided information about a two-stars dungeon and saved their lives. [night rain flower falls: tell me] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]chuckled and repeated richard¡¯s words. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: how is it? is boss qingqiu awesome? sis, why don¡¯t you just give in? i could do whatever in the ¡°shining era¡± with such big brother!] the other party also fell into a long silence before she replied. [night rain flower falls: the difficulty of this mission is probably unparalleled in the entire ¡°shining era¡±.] [qingqiu, as expected of the number one player.] when he saw his sister¡¯s words, he immediately felt that he had gained a lot of faces. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: sis, what about big brother?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon: alright] there was no need to scan the map since the mission had reached a bottleneck. richard returned to twilight city at full speed after he called back the skeleton blood dragons. they were only three to five hundred kilometers away. they had already arrived when the sun sank into the ground, and the sky was dyed red. as soon as he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion, butler karu came in a hurry. ¡°good day, lord richard¡± karu took a letter from his chest and seriously said after he bowed. ¡°vale sent a message. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce chairman, lady windsor, had asked him to report that she knows about the crimson moon.¡± richard raised his head, his eyes sharp. it had been almost two months since the crimson moon rose. that was the first time he had received accurate news from the natives. ¡°any specific information?¡± butler karu shook his head and handed the letter over with both hands. ¡°chairman windsor said she wants to talk to you in person.¡± richard took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully. a moment later, he put down the letter and looked pensive. Chapter 590 vale even reminded him when chairman windsor summoned him, she seemed to have something to hide. he told him to be careful. ¡°secret the crimson moon involves a shocking secret. it would be strange if the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce didn¡¯t quickly deal with it. ¡°i will go to solan city immediately.¡± richard seemed to have thought of something and sparingly frowned as he spoke. ¡°has there been any news from xina and the others?¡± butler karu shook his head. ¡°i didn¡¯t receive any news¡­¡± karu said hesitantly. ¡°lord, should we send someone to look for them?¡± richard momentarily pondered. but he still shook his head. ¡°there¡¯s no need. it¡¯s fine even if something happens with the hero¡¯s alter here.¡± ¡°moreover, with their battle strength, we wouldn¡¯t be much of help unless they mobilize the entire city troops if they encounter trouble they can¡¯t solve.¡± karu thought about it and didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°is there anything else going on these few days?¡± ¡°the sales of the black sorbet are very impressive, and it has already caused a sensation in solan city. vale urged us to increase production, but the market is still far from saturated.¡± richard wasn¡¯t surprised. black sorbet ice cream was a blessing in the hot desert. moreover, the price was so affordable that it would be strange if it did not sell well. ¡°have you chosen the planting area for the frost grass?¡± karu perked up. ¡°currently, there are a total of five areas to choose from. you still need to decide¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°what else is there to decide? plant them all.¡± butler karu was startled and quickly said, ¡°in this case, we need several people. we could not gather them now¡­¡± richard smiled. butler karu nodded. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± richard¡¯s will was the direction twilight city would move forward in. although he felt it would be challenging to take care of too many plants at a time. he only needed to provide suggestions, and the final decision-maker was still the king who ruled the land before him. the only ruler. richard couldn¡¯t sit still anymore after he solved these problems. he stood up and was about to leave. he had to obtain information about the crimson moon the soonest. at this moment. suddenly, a thunderous roar resounded through the clouds. then, a terrifying pressure erupted like a tsunami. it hit everyone¡¯s hearts. the residents of twilight city felt a sense of panic. the pressure seeped into their souls, and they could not resist it. in a panic, everyone subconsciously turned toward the sound¡­ lord¡¯s mansion. richard also felt the terrifying aura. he stopped and suddenly turned around to look toward the backyard. it was a familiar feeling, dragon might. alves slept in the backyard. it just woke up. Chapter 591 alves fell into a long slumber after it devoured the golden dragon soul. alves was expected to wake up in a month, but it had been delayed until now. richard was in a good mood. he brought the surprised karu to the backyard. the size of the lord¡¯s mansion also increased significantly with the upgrade of twilight city. in the spacious backyard, a terrifying existence that looked like an ancient mythical creature appeared before him. the golden skeleton had a faint crimson color that flew on it and made it look extraordinary. the crimson power outside was like a fire ignited with gasoline and burned more than ten meters high. it directly corroded the surrounding flowers and trees into charcoal by that power. living beings were not allowed to approach. one could see the burning golden soul fire from its hollow eyes. its wingspan exceeded 40 meters. just standing there without moving gave people suffocating pressure. no one could imagine how this terrifying creature would go berserk. and what kind of soul-crushing damage it would cause. alves turned slightly and looked at richard when it sensed its appearance. this terrifying existence stepped forward and humbly knelt on the ground. ¡°lord.¡± he could sense how terrifying alves was before he even checked its attributes. he opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel with anticipation (you can check the detailed attributes in the previous chapter). a series of exceptionally luxurious attribute skills pleasantly surprised richard. not only had alves reached level 15, but all of its skills had also reached beyond a-rank. [1. blood breath, 2. golden body, 3. golden dragon¡¯s might, 4. blood power, 5. golden dragon¡¯s fury, 6. void shattering dragon claw, 7. berserk wings] a total of seven beyond a-rank skillsthis was simply a crime. ¡°how powerful was that golden dragon soul before? all beyond a-rank skills no, it¡¯s also because of the tens of thousands of dark crystals.¡± alves¡¯s current state amazed richard. he felt that alves could even fight the dark valkyrie now there would be a significant increase in all aspects of his attributes after it reached level 15. this undead dragon that had only become a hero after it devoured ancient dragon crystal had become a skeleton blood dragon coupled with the golden dragon soul inheritance. finally, alves stood at an extremely high position. richard had many heroes who had evolved from the troop; gray, gunter, and alves were all heroes. however, alves was undoubtedly far ahead of them. ¡°i feel like i have endless power now¡­¡± ¡°my dragon breath and my body are more than ten times stronger than level 14.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°very good, you woke up at the right time. we need to go to solan city.¡± richard flew on his own without alves. this was his mount. the ferocious aura on its body immediately dissipated when alves heard the word solan city. it gradually regained some clarity. it had experienced the horror outside the city, although he had not entered it last time. it still couldn¡¯t do anything before solan city, even though it was countless stronger now the golden flames danced in the empty eye sockets. it could ignore that city one day with its great lord around! it respectfully agreed as it suppressed the swelling because of the battle strength increase. ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard nodded and turned to look in another direction. land of quicksand. it was unknown when the god¡¯s ancient tree would wake up. he was looking forward to how powerful this boss, who activated the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree in its body, would become. richard retracted his thoughts, turned around, and ordered karu to recruit all the troops for the next two weeks. the three types of soldiers that he valued the most, the stone statue of the dead, the sandstorm controller, and the scorpion warriors with glorious level attack technology, had their numbers increased again. [stone statue of the dead: 1,250] [sandstorm controller: 700] [scorpion warrior: 694] these three troops were the pillars of twilight city now. richard took away 16 teams of skeleton blood dragons, eight squadrons of stone statues of the dead, and five squadrons of sandstorm controllers after he pondered. the rest of the troops stayed in twilight city. he focused on the news about the dune lordhyena had mentioned. he might have to go deep into the desert to find the dune lord after he learned about the crimson moon from windsor during his trip to solan city. his mission to level up to 15 was arduous. richard summoned gunter and gray after he assembled the troop. he could grant his subordinates the authority to recruit troops after the system upgraded twilight city to middle city. the soldiers the lord recruited were still absolutely loyal to him. he had concerns before, so he did not give this authority. it could delay him for a long time. it would be a pity to waste a few weeks of production if he did not make it in time. richard made this clear to the two mummy heroes while he pondered. then, he delegated the authority to recruit soldiers to these two mummy heroes who were loyal to him. he could also remove their authority at any time if there were any accidents. he also added he would prioritize the recruitment of the stone statue of the dead and the sandstorm controller. he could postpone it if the other troops lacked resources. richard summoned karu and told him to arrange the planting of frost grass after he delegated the authority. Chapter 592 richard didn¡¯t delay any longer after he made a series of arrangements. he prepared to set off as he gazed at the millstone-sized moon above his head. however, at this moment, a private message notification suddenly sounded in his ear. frowning slightly, he waved his hand to stop the troop. he sparingly frowned and opened the private message. [hyena: boss qingqiu, this is a crucial matter. the lord of dunes robbed a merchant group of an earl in solan city vital treasures were in that merchant association. that earl has already gathered five squadrons of soldiers and headed to the desert.] [the earl has also gathered the players to go with him. this is an a-rank mission. do you want to go and take a look?] ¡°a-rank mission?¡± richard raised an eyebrow. a strong sense of vigilance rose in his heart. danger filled his missions based on previous encounters, although the a-rank mission wasn¡¯t remarkable as the s-rank mission. he could quickly fail if he weren¡¯t careful. ¡®what was the background of that dune lord?¡¯ richard still replied to hyena after he pondered. [qingqiu: i¡¯m preparing to go to solan city. i expect to arrive tomorrow afternoon or evening.] [qingqiu: be careful. an a-rank mission is dangerous. it¡¯s best to keep a certain distance from the main force. you¡¯d give up some credit to ensure your safety.] the words have extremely touched hyena. [hyena: boss qingqiu, don¡¯t worry, we know what to do.] richard flew out of twilight city with his troop after he instructed hyena to report to him if a problem arose. the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead were both flying units, and the sandstorm controller was not bad either. this unit that combined two powerful spellcasting units had a very soul-crushing skill¨Csandstorm transformation. it was also the source of the name of this troop. the skill richard valued the most was one he could indefinitely use whenever there was magic. they only consumed 5 points of magic per second when the enemies attacked. they could recover more than 10 points per second. it covered consumption. richard sat behind alves, who had a more than the forty-meter wingspan. the moon was above his head, and an endless sea of sand was below him. the skeleton blood dragon burned with blood-colored power and flew with him. in the end, a large group of stone statues of the dead orderly marched. their wings, which seemed to be carved from rock, flapped and made a whistling sound. the thing that shocked them the most was a sandstorm that could make any living being in the desert tremble was mixed in with this vast troop. it flew wildly. however, the sandstorm did not cause any damage to the soldiers inside. instead, it increased their flying speed. this scene looked like a scene from a myth. and it had a potent visual effect. november 11th, 8 am. the sun rose from the yellow sand. its orange color made it look like a furnace fire that ignited the world. richard glanced at it. they were still four to five hundred kilometers away from solan city after a whole night of flying. he was happy. the overall speed of the troop exceeded 500 kilometers with the support of the sandstorm controller. this also allowed him to discover another practical use of the sandstorm controller. they would greatly help him transport goods even if he didn¡¯t use them in battle in the future. richard was about to ask alves to speed up but suddenly paused and opened his private message. [hyena: boss qingqiu, it¡¯s over. it¡¯s all over. the dune lord ambushed the earl¡¯s troop and wiped it out the earl died tragically on the spot.] [that¡¯s a level 19 hero. although i can¡¯t see its potential, it¡¯s definitely above b-rank. it¡¯s even possible that it¡¯s a-rank.] [it slayed more than half of the players who followed them. the rest are still being defeated.] [fortunately, we listened to you and stayed 20 kilometers from the main troop. that¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t surround us.] richard raised an eyebrow. he had just said he would eliminate the dune lord last night, and it wiped the enemies out overnight. was the lord too strong, or was the earl too weak? [qingqiu: did you see the dune lord? how strong is he?] [hyena: no, we only saw a giant condensed from yellow sand appear. that giant led three large groups of level 15 soldiers and destroyed the earl of solan¡¯s troop in one wave.] [it¡¯s too terrifying. that yellow sand giant killed a level 19 earl.] [boss qingqiu, it¡¯s best to go straight to solan city. i can sense the current players could not deal with this.] [maybe it¡¯s another large-scale mission] richard thought for a moment and replied. [qingqiu: send me the coordinates first.] hyena did not dare to delay and immediately shared the coordinates. richard imported the system map and was surprised to find that it was less than a hundred kilometers away from him. this distance was only a matter of ten to twenty minutes for the flying troops. he did not hesitate and immediately changed direction after he comforted hyena. he led the leading troop toward the coordinates. a group of three to five scattered soldiers appeared in his line of sight ten minutes after. a few players were still in shock. they were not far from the battlefield. they sped up in the opposite direction of the fleeing soldiers. a terrifying roar suddenly resounded in the sky in less than five minutes. richard turned toward the direction of the voice. a giant condensed from yellow sand roared in the sky. the other party¡¯s body was more than 30 meters tall. it stood in the desert. it was like an ancient demon god. ****** Chapter 593 [qingqiu: i¡¯m preparing to go to solan city. i expect to arrive tomorrow afternoon or evening.] [hyena: that¡¯s a pity. we could not make it in time. let¡¯s set off now] [qingqiu: be careful. an a-rank mission is dangerous. it¡¯s best to keep a certain distance from the main force. you¡¯d give up some credit to ensure your safety.] the words have extremely touched hyena. [hyena: boss qingqiu, don¡¯t worry, we know what to do.] richard flew out of twilight city with his troop after he instructed hyena to report to him if a problem arose. the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead were both flying units, and the sandstorm controller was not bad either. this unit that combined two powerful spellcasting units had a very soul-crushing skill¨Csandstorm transformation. it was also the source of the name of this troop. the skill richard valued the most was one he could indefinitely use whenever there was magic. they only consumed 5 points of magic per second when the enemies attacked. they could recover more than 10 points per second. it covered consumption. richard sat behind alves, who had a more than the forty-meter wingspan. the moon was above his head, and an endless sea of sand was below him. the skeleton blood dragon burned with blood-colored power and flew with him. in the end, a large group of stone statues of the dead orderly marched. their wings, which seemed to be carved from rock, flapped and made a whistling sound. the thing that shocked them the most was a sandstorm that could make any living being in the desert tremble was mixed in with this vast troop. it flew wildly. however, the sandstorm did not cause any damage to the soldiers inside. instead, it increased their flying speed. this scene looked like a scene from a myth. and it had a potent visual effect. november 11th, 8 am. the sun rose from the yellow sand. its orange color made it look like a furnace fire that ignited the world. richard glanced at it. they were still four to five hundred kilometers away from solan city after a whole night of flying. he was happy. the overall speed of the troop exceeded 500 kilometers with the support of the sandstorm controller. this also allowed him to discover another practical use of the sandstorm controller. they would greatly help him transport goods even if he didn¡¯t use them in battle in the future. richard was about to ask alves to speed up but suddenly paused and opened his private message. [hyena: boss qingqiu, it¡¯s over. it¡¯s all over. the dune lord ambushed the earl¡¯s troop and wiped it out the earl died tragically on the spot.] [that¡¯s a level 19 hero. although i can¡¯t see its potential, it¡¯s definitely above b-rank. it¡¯s even possible that it¡¯s a-rank.] [it slayed more than half of the players who followed them. the rest are still being defeated.] [fortunately, we listened to you and stayed 20 kilometers from the main troop. that¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t surround us.] richard raised an eyebrow. he had just said he would eliminate the dune lord last night, and it wiped the enemies out overnight. was the lord too strong, or was the earl too weak? [qingqiu: did you see the dune lord? how strong is he?] [hyena: no, we only saw a giant condensed from yellow sand appear. that giant led three large groups of level 15 soldiers and destroyed the earl of solan¡¯s troop in one wave.] [it¡¯s too terrifying. that yellow sand giant killed a level 19 earl.] [maybe it¡¯s another large-scale mission] richard thought for a moment and replied. [qingqiu: send me the coordinates first.] Chapter 594 richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the giant yellow sand¡¯s words. ¡°my body possesses the power of yellow sand.¡± ¡®what was the meaning of this?¡¯ he looked at his talent, desert ruler. ¡°was the other party talking about this?¡± the giant yellow sand got increasingly excited. the aura on its body incessantly rose like a storm. it attracted the giant yellow sand and began to drift. strands of sand floated up from the ground and lingered around him. it made the already ferocious giant yellow sand even look more terrifying. it was like a mythical creature had walked out of an ancient mural. it was terrifying. ¡°favor of the desert¡­ ¡°lowly human, that¡¯s not a gift you can enjoy!!¡± a shocking roar tore through the sky. it scared the frantically fleeing soldiers and players out of their wits. many people subconsciously looked up at the sky. they wanted to see who angered the monster behind them. instantly, they hovered in the sky and lingered in the yellow sand. the outside world could only see blurry figures that spread their wings and flew in the endless yellow sand. ¡°giant, giant dragon??¡± ¡°what are those monsters? solan city¡¯s reinforcements? ¡°another desert faction has arrived ¡°the enemy of the dune lord?¡± after a series of low exclamations, the defeated soldiers regained their senses and began to run for their lives. they didn¡¯t care who it was. it wasn¡¯t easy for them to have a chance to live. they would be idiots if they delayed any longer. the giant yellow sand gave him information, and it spun his mind. the favor of the desert how did his talent come about? he would still have to come and take it, even if he had the ability! alves could no longer hold it in. this damned giant yellow sand dared to look down on his great master in front of him! this was courting death! ¡®roar!¡¯ a furious roar resounded through the sky. the unbridled dragon¡¯s might erupted like a tsunami. the undead dragon with a wingspan of more than 40 meters, a golden skeleton, and crimson power that burned on its body appeared before everyone. accompanying this was the pressure that seeped into his soul. instantly, all the scattered soldiers within a thousand meters felt an uncontrollable fear. ¡°ah! ¡°a monster!¡± ear-piercing screams sounded out, and the soldiers, whose morale had already dropped to the freezing point, broke down and scattered. however, the terrifying dragon might targeted the ordinary soldiers, but at the tyrannical yellow sand giant in front of them. the two sides were at loggerheads. the two auras clashed in the air. the soldiers at the border instantly bled from their five orifices. their hearts exploded, and they died. hundreds of souls were harvested the players who had escaped to a safe distance looked at the scene before them in shock. it was too terrifying. many people subconsciously opened the skeleton blood dragon and richard¡¯s attribute panels. then, they were shocked¡­ ¡°the one riding the dragon was a player?¡± this scene shocked countless people. ¡°players can enslave such a terrifying dragon might!!¡± ¡°damn, am i blind? was that a player? not the reinforcements from solan city?¡± ¡°this is that f*cking god¡± alves¡¯s body had drastically changed. the yellow sand hid the skeleton blood dragon, and no one could recognize richard. at this moment, the giant yellow sand could not suppress the greed in its heart. it gathered the heavy warhammer made of sand in its hand and pointed it at alves. ¡°kill!¡± it led the troop and charged forward. several large groups of guardian mummies behind gripped their spears tightly and turned around to attack. level 15, a crown 3-stars soldier. its combat strength could already be considered authoritative. no one could ignore the attributes of a top-tier soldier. their numbers were still enough to make one¡¯s heart tremble, even though they seemed extremely small before the giant yellow sand. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he waved his hand. ¡°everyone, attack!¡± a soul of the lord of sand dunes? he wanted to see just how strong the other party was! ¡®roar!¡¯ amidst the roars. alves flapped his wings and flew away. the sandstorm controller charged forward. the skeletal blood dragon and the stone statue of the dead flapped their wings and attacked fiercely. the fleeing soldiers had no time to care about the battle. only some players who did not give up kept turning their heads. the speed of the flying troops was fast. after a few breaths, the two sides collided. ¡®roar!¡¯ alves¡¯s throat suddenly flashed with a crimson light hundred meters away from the moon. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it spat out dragon breath with terrifying corrosive power was spat out. it drew a hundred-meter-long tongue of flame in the sky. the giant yellow sand giant charged ferociously. it aimed at the dragon breath. ¡®thud!¡¯ the sand on his body melted like ice and snow. its terrifying 30-meter-tall body shrunk drastically in the blink of an eye. there was a price to pay for taking on the beyond a-rank dragon breath. the giant yellow sand on the ground was like a magnet that attracted the broken iron. that was what surprised them. it kept flowing up from its legs to replenish its damaged body. this allowed it to maintain its body shape. the 30-second dragon breath left a trail of black flames in the desert. the remaining power on it corroded the sand. Chapter 595 due to the severe corrosion of the yellow sand, a charred outer shell had already formed on the surface of the giant yellow sand¡¯s body. however, the giant yellow sand inside incessantly poured in. its body expanded and caused cracks to appear on the outer shell. it looked inexplicably fierce. the yellow sand giant waved the warhammer in its hand and raised it above its head after it watched the dragon breath. its waist bent like a bow. all of its power erupted. the warhammer smashed down. ¡®peng!¡¯ the entire desert shook. a large portion of the defeated soldiers collapsed a few thousand meters away. ¡®hualala!¡¯ it was as if a giant snake had condensed under the yellow sand. the dragon jagged and coiled around it. it was as if veins popped out. two earth snakes crawled over and extended directly to the feet of the giant yellow sand giant and connected with it. then, the 30-meter-tall giant yellow sand was like a tower that reached the sky. it quickly grew taller. at this moment, two sand snakes forcefully lifted it. this scene was simply dazzling. ¡°was there such a thing?¡± the giant yellow sand reached a hundred meters in just a few breaths. it brazenly fought against alves. it enraged alves. it didn¡¯t even think of escaping the opponent¡¯s attack range. instead, it roared and dove down. it wanted to fight head-on with the other party. not only did alves¡¯s dragon breath receive an exaggerated enhancement, but it also had vast potential after it reached level 15 and beyond a-rank. the physical strength of its body was equally terrifying. richard flew higher into the sky. it did not take part in the battle between the two behemoths. he wanted to see how potent this giant yellow sand was. it had one-fifth of the strength of the dune lord. he also wanted to test alves¡¯s strength as he had predicted. the battle between the two sides instantly erupted. melee battle was different from long-range attacks. the scene looked even more frantic and intense. the giant yellow sand giant swung its war hammer, which was dozens of meters long, and smashed it down. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ an ear-piercing sonic boom sounded in the air. alves didn¡¯t dodge and charged forward. ¡®peng!¡¯ the blunt impact sounded like a battering ram that struck the ground. the enemy hit alves on the shoulder, and its body rolled sideways. however, it did not suffer any injuries. instead, the gravel warhammer rustled, and a large amount of yellow sand fell. it took advantage of this gap. alves approached the giant yellow sand, and the blood-colored power burned on its body increased exponentially. the terrifying corrosive power quickly scorched the giant yellow sand¡¯s body. the two sharp golden dragon claws stabbed out fiercely. it pierced deep into the chest. the giant yellow sand¡¯s body suddenly erupted with yellow sand light, and endless sand squirmed. it seemed it wanted to trap alves with its chest. after all, the giant yellow giant was similar to a summoned creature. it did not have the fatal flaw of an ordinary living surface. at the same time, he swung his terrifying warhammer at alves again. however, alves¡¯s front claws tore at the giant yellow sand forcefully before its strategy could take effect. ¡®kacha!¡¯ countless yellow sand exploded. the terrifying yellow sand energy shattered and could not hinder alves¡¯s attack at all. void shattering dragon claw, beyond a-rank. the sharpness and sturdiness of claws increased by 500%. it possesses the ability to break armor and magic. it was unforgiving when it was in power. its four sharp claws were like the roots of a boston ivy. it firmly grabbed onto the giant yellow sand. the giant head opened simultaneously. a crimson light suddenly lit up in his throat. ¡®whoosh! the scene was like a high-pressure gun that roasted a pig¡¯s trotter. the sand instantly corroded layer by layer. alves¡¯s attack did not lose the giant yellow sand fighting strength. the warhammer in its hand suddenly split into two short weapons and gigantic axes. it waved them around with both hands. ¡®whoosh!¡± amidst the air being torn apart, it frantically attacked alves, lay on its body, and spat dragon breath at its head. the boundless-powered gigantic axes hacked down on alves¡¯ golden skeleton. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks flew everywhere. not only did the sand axe fail to cut through the golden skeleton. it also shattered and caused tons of sand to fall into the sky. the blood-colored power corroded grains of sand and immediately turned charred black. the two behemoths fought from afar. black raindrops fell, and not long after layer of black sand covered the yellow sand. the battle between the two top-notch existences went from an intense start to madness later. the two giant snakes connected the desert under their feet, and endless yellow sand surged. although the giant yellow sand¡¯s body fell layer by layer, it still did not fall into a decline. alves was even more arrogant. although his level was four levels lower than the giant yellow sand, its beyond a-rank potential and the seven beyond a-rank skills after it devoured the golden dragon¡¯s soul suppressed the giant yellow sand. its endurance was even more exaggerated than the giant yellow sand. it could not injure alves no matter how crazy the attacks of the giant yellow sand were. golden bones were ten or even a hundred times harder than steel. richard enjoyed as he watched from the sky. ¡°this was countless times better than any blockbuster movie. was there a live broadcast?¡± he could make a fortune by broadcasting if it were on planet blue. the troop behind the two top-notch combatants behind them also rushed down while the two fought fiercely. [guardian mummy] [level 15 troop type] richard frowned at this sight. ¡°skeleton blood dragon, stay behind. the rest of the troop crush them!¡± Chapter 596 everyone except the skeleton blood dragon surged when richard gave the order. the stone statue of the dead swooped down from the sandstorm. the ground troops were usually at an absolute disadvantage against the flying ones. but something unexpected happened in the next second. the guardian mummies gathered their spears. tons of sand floated up from the ground and wrapped around the spear. the ruby embedded in their empty eye sockets shone brightly. when sand wrapped the entire spear. their bodies suddenly leaned back like bent longbows. the moment they reached the limit. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ they threw the spears out fiercely. at the same time, their bright-ruby eyes dimmed like a light bulb that lost powers. the sandstorm controller created a yellow-sand-covered spear and shot into the sandstorm like lightning. the stone statue of the dead flapped its wings and dodged when it felt a fatal danger approached. however, because they were too dense, several stone statues of the dead could not dodge. ¡®clang!¡¯ ¡®thud!¡¯ it rubbed a piercing sound of a sharp object against the glass and exploded. the spear pierced through the stone statue¡¯s extremely sturdy body. in the next moment. the spear expanded like a balloon. it exploded when it reached the limit. the body of the stone statue of the dead exploded from the inside. the sharp blade tore through everything! some of the stone statues of the dead activated the sand transformation in time, and broken spears pierced them. they exploded in the air, and sand flew everywhere. some could not react in time, and spears directly shattered them. they died on the spot. richard¡¯s pupils constricted. he could not detect the attributes of the guardian mummy skills. he did not expect this soldier to have such a terrifying attack skill. ¡°sand transformation!¡± in the next second, the dead stone statues suddenly blurred and turned into grains of yellow sand. it let out a series of angry growls. ¡°this damned bastard!¡± ¡°tomahawk smash!¡± the speed of the stone statue of the dead increased dramatically, and it threw the chain-wrapped tomahawk in its hand with a thunderous force. at the same time, the guardian mummy had yet to attack surged with their spears. the yellow-sand-wrapped spear brazenly met the tomahawk with dark red patterns that flew around it. ¡®clang!¡¯ many tomahawks and spears collided, and both sides exploded in the air. it was like the explosion of heavy artillery shells. the scene was spectacular. the players who had run far away turned around. a bright light flashed between heaven and earth. they were instantly speechless. ¡°damn, that big shot is too f*cking fierce!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect solan city would have such a god. i feel that even qingqiu can¡¯t compare to him. that dragon hero can crush qingqiu!¡± ¡°what are you thinking? qingqiu has yet to appear for a long time, and you know he hasn¡¯t grown? their undead dragons were already exceptionally soul-strapper a few months ago¡± ¡°the undead dragon versus the giant yellow sand. f*ck, isn¡¯t this scene too exaggerated? is that a power that players can possess?¡± neither side paid any attention to the scattered soldiers around them. at this moment, they charged at each other with killing intent. after the tomahawks of the stone statue of the dead passed through the yellow sand spear, they directly hacked into the mummy guardians. the mummy guardians were nimble and dodged most of the tomahawks. but in the next second. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound rang out. the mummy guardian felt that the grim reaper stared at them and froze their spirits. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ countless fragments of the tomahawks created a metal storm that covered an area of dozens of meters. the guardian mummies not directly hit by the tomahawks enjoyed the taste of destruction. the tomahawk shards pierced into their bodies. this was the first wave of damage, and the 30% death characteristic took effect. it caused the second wave of damage. after the second wave of damage, the hidden flame energy erupted. it caused the third wave of damage. they would lose their battle ability under the triple damage or even be killed directly if the tomahawks¡¯ skin shards hit one in the limbs and were not fatal. the yellow sand spears of the guardian mummies pierced through the bodies of the stone statues of the dead after sand transformation. they did not explode like an axe. the fragments of the spear were pure physical damage and only carried a small amount of magic power though a portion of it exploded in midair. they could not deal fatal damage to the stone statues of the dead after they turned into sand. on the contrary, the tomahawks injured the guardian mummies. although there was a difference of four or five levels and a difference of one in potential. the sandstorm controller finally gathered everything as the stone statues of the dead attacked wantonly. natural disasters appeared. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the howling wind caused the heavens and earth to wail. an endless sandstorm rose at this moment. an even more exaggerated than the firework-like attack of the stone statue of the dead scene appeared. ¡°sandstorm controllers!¡± the sandstorm created by the five squadrons of sandstorm controllers engulfed the guardian mummy below. in the strong wind, the high-speed flying sand grains were like bullets. they hit the guardian mummies. the bandages on their bodies tore apart as if razors had cut them. it revealed the shriveled and empty body of the dead soul. the guardian mummies roared crazily. they stabbed their hands into the ground, and the power of the yellow sand surged out of their bodies. it formed thick and heavy sand shields. several squads of guardian mummies grouped and formed a windbreak wall with sand shields. Chapter 597 they brazenly blocked the erosion of the sandstorm. at the same time, the guardian mummy once again formed spears in their hands. however, the spears were now made of sand and had lost their original sharpness. a shocking scene appeared. they held a shield in one hand and a spear in the other as they waved around fiercely. they stabbed into the air. the guardian mummies repeatedly stepped forward and caused the raging sandstorm to stop. they had caused damage to the sandstorm controller! that displayed the power of the top-tier troops at this moment. it could beat the sandstorm controller to its original form in a few minutes if the guardian mummies were not eliminated in time. the sandstorm controller also noticed this scene. in the next second, it whistled again. in the air, giant sand thorns several meters long condensed. [giant sand spike] the giant sand spikes pierced through the air with sharp edges under the acceleration of the wind. they mixed in with the yellow sand that blurred their vision and ruthlessly stabbed at the guardian mummies with their vast shields and spears. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the power of the giant sand spike reached a terrifying level at the same speed. it directly caused the thick shields in the hands of the guardian mummies to explode. it forcefully pierced and exploded the body. at the same time. the power of the yellow sand spread out, and the sand on the ground suddenly formed a prison that imprisoned the guardian mummies. they formed forcefully separated the shield wall and created an even more massive hole. [yellow sand prison.] at this moment, the stone statue of the dead, which had been adjusted, also attacked. it threw a tomahawk in its hand. it pierced through the sandstorm and smashed into the dense troop of mummies with a whistling sound. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the tomahawk shattered again. because the team was too dense, they could not dodge at all. their souls were directly harvested. a large group of stone statues of the dead and five squadrons of sandstorm controllers joined forces to form a fierce front. unparalleled domineering. the giant yellow sand stepped on the two-headed giant snake. it engaged in a fierce melee with alves. both sides had already gone crazy. just when richard thought the battle might still have some time left suddenly, the situation changed. the giant yellow sand repelled alves¡¯s attack and turned to richard. ¡°lowly human! i will take the yellow sand power in your body!¡± as soon as it finished speaking, its body exploded like a ball of loose sand. alves was in a rage and pounced on nothing. it looked at the four falling grains of sand with a blank expression ¡°where is my opponent?¡± it raised its head high and roared after it regained its senses. it let out a proud roar. it had won this battle. ¡°that lowly coward had escaped!¡± richard wasn¡¯t as happy as alves at the moment. he heard a system notification. [ding~ the dune lord has branded you with the power of the soul. the dune lord will know your coordinates every hour.] ¡°soul brand?¡± the other party treated him as prey richard¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°take out the ancient god statue and brand it with the soul! ¡°what kind of imprint could escape the devour of the ancient god statue?¡± however, it suddenly jumped as he was about to remove the brand. in the next second, an aura appeared in his mind dune lord. richard turned his head abruptly and looked into the depths of the desert. it also transmitted the location of the dune lord to him when the soul brand transmitted his coordinates. suddenly, he gave up using the ancient god statue to take out the brand. ****** Chapter 598 the dune lord sent back a soul brand that was like a scorching sun. richard could sense a strong sense of danger, even if it were just a trace of its aura. a word suddenly appeared in his mindtranscendent. the other party was an existence above the transcendent realm. however the danger was still sparingly superficial and did not feel full in his perception. it was like the weakness of a prisoner, still locked up upon release. it cleared the situation on the ground when the giant yellow sand giant disappeared. under the encirclement of two powerful troops. it drastically decreased the number of guardian mummies without a leader. it quickly slaughtered these crown 3-stars soldiers whose battle strength could be overbearing. the stone statue of the dead was invincible after it activated the sand transformation, although the spear thrower mummy had a potent lethality. it tore the guardian mummies apart into skeletons one by one under the encirclement of the sandstorm [ding~ you have commanded the troop and obtained a glorious victory. your experience has reached the upper limit. please complete the promotion mission as soon as possible.] [ding ~ you have eliminated more than 1,000 level 15 soldiers.] [do you wish the dune lord to anchor you?] [note: the system only releases the bind after a month once the dune lord anchored the target.] the system notification sounded. it announced the end of this mission. richard glanced at the notification and raised an eyebrow. he did not hesitate for even half a second. ¡°anchor!¡± [ding~ anchor successful.] [richard¡¯s eyes flashed with coldness.] ¡°soul brand, right? ¡°i¡¯ll let you brand it!¡± moreover, what interested him more wasthe dune lord greatly valued the power of yellow sand. richard could only start from the other party to get the correct answer. ¡®the giant yellow sand¡¯s body also has the power of yellow sand, if i¡¯m not mistaken ¡®i can¡¯t be wrong if i judge from familiarity with controlling the yellow sand. ¡®one could strip this kind of power from others judging from the attitude of the dune lord¡­ this was interesting. ¡®the other party wanted to hunt, but who couldn¡¯t be a hunter? ¡®soul brandstraight hook fishing.¡¯ richard stared at the depths of the desert as he pondered. he would give this guy a gift. as the battle ended, the sandstorm also quietly calmed down. the sand revealed the sandstorm controller, whose aura significantly weakened. although it had not reached the state of mana overdraft, the attack just now had caused this soldier¡¯s condition to decline severely. after all, his initial level was only 7. it was already rare for him to achieve such a brilliant result by fighting against a level 15 soldier. richard did not gain any experience points after the battle. but the sandstorm controllers all leveled up. he had gained a lot from fighting above his level. richard remembered hyena¡¯s information as he pondered the earl of solan city had come to take back what the dune lord had stolen. then, were those things still there? he immediately perked up. collecting the spoils of war was much more interesting than fighting. richard ordered the army to spread out and search. the uttermost loss in this battle was the stone statue of the dead. these glorious 3-stars, level 10 troops had lost 12 teams. this was the most tragic loss twilight city had ever suffered. it consumed a week¡¯s worth of production. this reminded richard that he had to be vigilant when dealing with high-level troops. they could suffer massive losses if they were careless. his eyes regained clarity after he took a deep breath. there would be losses if it were a war, and he was already mentally prepared. however, he was careless this time. empirically, they subconsciously believed the ground troops could cause damage to the air force. it can cause the troops to charge too densely. moreover, they did not send any troops to probe before they launched an attack. as a result, the other party unexpectedly threw out a wave of spears which caused heavy casualties. fortunately, he had used the powerful life-saving skill, sand transformation. otherwise, the casualties would have been three to five times higher. ¡°take this as a warning.¡± richard concluded that it cleared the idea that the recent smooth sail and his pride caused the loss. the current twilight city could not do as it pleased, so there was no harm in being careful. he opened the private message. [qingqiu: hyena, i¡¯ve cleared out the dune lord troop. where are the goods that the earl robbed? send me the coordinates.] hyena had already traveled dozens of miles and discussed with big boss, third brother, and brother knight whether they continue the retreat. the news widened his eyes in disbelief when he read the message. the others immediately asked when they saw the expression of hyena. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? who has news? is it the giant yellow sand giant chasing after us?¡± hyena opened his mouth and said in a dry tone, ¡°no, no need to run¡± knight brother was the angriest and most anxious. ¡°do you want to die? can you just finish your sentence?¡± only then did hyena was able to suppress the shock in his heart. ¡°boss qingqiu just rushed over.¡± ¡°and then?¡± ¡°and then? then we won¡¯t have to run anymore he has annihilated the troop of the dune lord!¡± it froze their expressions. ¡°the terrifying dune lord slayed a level 19 earl in solan city. ¡°how long had it been? ¡°that was it?¡± an unreal feeling rose in his heart. it was as if the existence they feared was just a bug that one could easily crush. brother knight man said in a trembling voice. Chapter 599 ¡°what happened to the giant yellow sand?¡± hyena shook his head. ¡°don¡¯t you know what kind of person boss qingqiu is? that yellow sand giant i¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be the first to be killed.¡± everyone was silent, then they exclaimed. they could only have a future by following such a big shot richard did not delay. he rode on alves and led the troop away. a dune full of traces of war came into view a few minutes later. richard waved his hand, and countless grains of sand surged on the ground. the grains formed large hands that lifted some of the goods. he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head after he rummaged through them a few times. they were all empty bags. there was nothing else other than a few scattered units of rare resources. the dune lord took the spoils of war immediately after he had obtained them. ¡°it seems like we¡¯re at a disadvantage this time. we won the battle, but we didn¡¯t get any experience points. we didn¡¯t even get any loot.¡± richard shook his head helplessly. he could have flattened the dune lord to get the real reward. a force with a transcendent overseeing it. just a thought about it made his heart beat faster. how many benefits would he obtain if he could have conquered it? however, he had to increase the strength in his hands before that. he has to wait for xina and the dark valkyrie to return, for the god¡¯s ancient tree to awaken, for the fire elemental lord klose to break through to transcendent, and for him to reach level 15 he could carry out the hunting plan. richard didn¡¯t want to stay any longer after he made sure he hadn¡¯t found anything. he led the troop straight to solan city after he ordered hyena and others to conduct a second research. the sandstorm master sat on the back of the stone statue of the dead and slowly recovered. the towering city walls appeared in richard¡¯s sight at ten o¡¯clock in the morning as the sun brazenly scorched. his emotions still fluctuated, although he had already seen it once. the flying horses in the sky, the heavy armaments on the city walls, the sand condensation archers behind them, and the mage towers in the middle¡­ the towering defensive buildings made the city look like a beast with its mouth wide open. it could devour all enemies. a vast gap was still between twilight city and this city that had stood tall for a thousand years. the fighting spirit in his heart rose even higher as he sighed. everything will be there in the future! richard called for the best carriage and entered the city after he stored the troops. ****** deep in the desert of death. black sand surrounded an area and sank the center. one could see a magnificent city that stood in the depression of the dunes if one looked down from the sky. surprisingly, the dunes around the city were more than 100 meters high, but the flowing sand was as hard as a rock. it did not fall to the underground city. it was like a miracle. at the center of the city was a vast square. in the center, a throne made of yellow sand stood tall. the dune lord sat upright on the throne with the head of hu lang, a yellow robe, and a black scepter in its hand. its eyes were dark as it looked at the image displayed in midair. it was the view of the giant yellow sand that had just fought with alves upon closer look. below are the twelve steps of the dune lord¡¯s throne. the two players looked at this scene with subtle expressions. one was as thin as a stick, and the other was dark and fat. the two looked at each other and communicated in private. ¡°shanji, has the enemy effortlessly battered the dune lord? why do i keep watching this scene¡­¡± ¡°who knows? why don¡¯t you go and ask?¡± ¡°f*ck! i don¡¯t want to die why do the soldiers in the picture look sparingly familiar?¡± ¡°hehe, familiar my ass. we¡¯ve been hanging out together all day. how could i not have seen what you¡¯ve seen?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯ve seen it before. let me think¡­ undead? dragons? it could still be so strong! ¡°i remember now!¡± ¡°don¡¯t be so shocked¡­ who is it?¡± ¡°qingqiu! f*ck! the player who battered the dune lord was qing qiu! it didn¡¯t look like an undead dragon. wasn¡¯t it just a soldier that killed everyone in the previous dungeon? they haven¡¯t left those gargoyles, although they have transformed!¡± ¡°now that f*cking put it that way, it does look like¡± at this moment, the dune lord¡¯s gaze shifted from the image in the air to the two players. it gazed at their wretched expressions and frowned. ¡°shanji, haonan, do you recognize the grace mainland overlord?¡± the dune lord didn¡¯t know the meaning of these two names, and he didn¡¯t bother to delve into them. it hadn¡¯t killed them because it had discovered the special features of the grace mainland overlord. they gave him many ideas. the two were so frightened that they quivered. they looked at each other and muttered a few words before the skinny player stepped forward in fear. ¡°great ruler, we recognize him¡± the dune lord suddenly sat up straight. its dark eyes narrowed into a line as it looked at the skinny player with endless greed. ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°qingqiu!¡± the dune lord raised its eyebrows. ¡°you mean the strongest grace mainland overlord?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, great ruler, it¡¯s him!¡± the dune lord slowly stood up. ¡°tell me all the news about qingqiu!!¡± the two players looked at each other and started talking about the first dungeon without hesitation they didn¡¯t know richard at all. to provide information about a stranger does not pressure one. moreover, the great ruler before them was a f*cking top-notch big boss. they could directly go to heaven if they accidentally disobeyed their master. Chapter 600 the two players did not want to die a moment later, the dune lord looked at them as they stopped. the lord of dunes frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°this information is too one-sided. go to the grace mainland overlord¡¯s ¡°forum?¡± ¡°search immediately. i need to know everything about him!¡± the two quickly felt a knife on their backs. in the evening. shanji: f*ck! i shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the forum if i knew this would happen! haonan: who the hell told you to have a cheap mouth? however, if we don¡¯t show our value. i¡¯m afraid we couldn¡¯t survive shanji: do you think we should change our way of thinking? haonan: how? escape? shanji: idiot! since we can¡¯t resist this boss, why don¡¯t we join? we can make a fortune if we work hard for the great ruler. when the time comes, you can help me change a few hidden classes and obtain loot and treasures. you don¡¯t want to be so useless for the rest of your life, right? haonan: f*ck! then let¡¯s do something big. we don¡¯t have a choice anyway!! the two adjusted their mentality and began to work hard to collect information for the dune lord after some communication. the lord of dunes smiled and didn¡¯t pressure them anymore after it sensed they changed their attitudes. the two told the dune lord most of the information they could find on the forum an hour later. the dune lord fell into a long silence. ¡°are you saying that the grace mainland overlord and the kobold god are enemies? and the kobold god suffered a great loss from him?¡± shanji said hesitantly. ¡°an overlord from the dark dungeon said that. it had once participated in the attack on qingqiu¡¯s territory but had fled in defeat.¡± the dune lord slowly looked at the sky and frowned. ¡°possesses the power to resist the gods.¡± this sudden news made him feel a little troubled. it gripped the black scepter tightly and pointed it at the void. an endless demonic power gushed out, and the world instantly dimmed. a blurry image appeared. they subconsciously asked, ¡°lord, what are you doing?¡± shanji quickly covered its mouth after it asked. ¡®damn it shanji! you¡¯re being shameless again.¡¯ but this was also something haonan could ask. the dune lord unexpectedly didn¡¯t scold them. instead, he explained. ¡°i¡¯m calling for the kobold god.¡± the two players were shocked. ¡®calling¡­ the kobold god?¡¯ ¡®what kind of f*cking trick was this? aren¡¯t you the transcendent? how did you get to know the gods? although your head looks a little like a dog¡¯s, you¡¯re not a dog-headed ruler, right?¡¯ the dune lord seemed to have seen through the two player¡¯s thoughts and doubts and said indifferently. ¡°i knew the kobold god before it became a god.¡± as soon as the dune lord finished speaking. the scene condensed into a material object. it displayed an image the next second. the two saw a broken wall and broken arms. the corpses on the ground almost filled the gaps in the ruins of the building. blood flowed down the corpse, and some wood floated up. this scene was shockingly riveting. the two players felt a chill down their spines. ¡®where was this place? didn¡¯t the ruler say to summon the kobold god?¡¯ the dune lord was also stunned at this moment. what was going on? did the ruler mistakenly connect? wasn¡¯t this the kingdom of the kobold god? so miserable? just as the few of them were in shock, a dog-headed figure with scars all over its body and blood all over its robe suddenly appeared before them. one of its arms was even broken. the moment the dune great ruler saw the other party, it cried out in shock. ¡°your excellency orke, what happened?¡± the dog-headed god¡¯s expression was even uglier than when it ate a fly when it saw dune lord¡¯s expression. ¡°i f*cking know what happened to me? ¡°the f*cking king of decay almost killed him! if it weren¡¯t for the dungeon god system¡¯s support that was fast enough, they couldn¡¯t have seen the sun today.¡± it was not in the mood to talk about this topic, so the dog-headed god said in a weak tone. ¡°if you have something to say, just say it.¡± the dune lord saw that the other party was unwilling to discuss further, so it immediately said in a severe tone. ¡°i sensed the power of yellow sand from a grace mainland overlord called qingqiu. i think¡± the dune lord felt a shocking killing intent cross the plane, and the kobold god attacked before the dune great ruler could finish a sentence. the two players felt as if someone extracted their bones. their legs went soft, and they collapsed to the ground. ¡°qingqiu? that grace of the mainland overlord qingqiu?¡± the lord of dunes was also shocked and didn¡¯t understand why the kobold god had such a big reaction. the lord of the dunes trembled as it resisted kneeling and submitting. ¡°your excellency orke, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s qingqiu. you and him¡± ¡°otis, i want you to capture that lowly and filthy blasphemer at all costs! ¡°i want to burn his soul for 10 million years!!¡± ****** Chapter 601 ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ the horse hooves made a unique sound as they stepped on the hard stone path. richard looked through the glass window at the street that constantly moved backward and fell into deep thought. the most vital thing in this trip to solan city was the crimson moon. today was december 1st, and it would release the new expansion pack on december 28th. he only had 20 days left. moreover, the old man at the red dragon general store reminded the three-month deadline to retrieve god¡¯s heart was about to expire. he had to make sufficient preparations during this period. ¡°i hope i can get what i want this time.¡± richard stroked the ancient god statue in silence. after a long time. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the carriage turned to a corner and slowly came to a halt. ¡°esteemed lord, we have arrived at the violet merchant association chamber of commerce.¡± the coachman in front dressed neatly and had a hint of elegance as he opened the door respectfully. it startled richard. he thanked him gently and stepped out of the carriage. he had already arranged things when he got into the carriage. he stood at the entrance of the spacious manor and was sparingly absent-minded. this luxurious manor was now his private property¡­ he smiled. life was unpredictable. he walked toward the manor. a central post was seven or eight meters high behind the closed gate. the two half-feathered soldiers immediately opened the door to welcome him when they heard richard¡¯s voice. ¡°lord richard is back!¡± this news immediately caused a sensation in the manor. on his return, he found that other than the original silver dwarves and half-feathered soldiers, most were unfamiliar faces. vale had just hired or bought a staff member. they planted new plants in the initially empty manor. he felt like he had been reborn. the new employees cautiously and curiously looked at the imposing richard. ¡°was this the real owner of the violet merchant association?¡± that aura was honestly awe-inspiring. richard saw the excited vale at the main hall entrance as he arrived. the current leader of the violet merchant association chamber of commerce cupped his chest and bowed before everyone. ¡°welcome back, lord richard.¡± these words directly announced who the true ruler of the violet merchant association chamber of association was. richard looked at haggard vale and comforted him softly. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard during this period. later, you can cultivate an executive team and assign some non-main tasks to the team. ¡°you will be responsible for the main task yourself. at the same time, you will supervise and correct the work of the executive team regularly. this will enormously increase work efficiency. ¡°the most important thing for a manager is not to do things personally, but to use people.¡± this was richard¡¯s grandest thought. the word ¡¯employment¡¯ was the quintessence of the quintessences. he had made good use of butler karu. so he could spare some energy for other areas during the early stages of twilight city¡¯s development. it was the same for bloodhoof city, fortress city, and vale, who ruled the underworld. vale was in high spirits, although he appeared haggard. a smile appeared on his face. ¡°lord, i understand what you¡¯re saying, but this is the first time i¡¯ve taken on such an important mission.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to disappoint you and teacher karu.¡± richard was momentarily stunned and felt relieved when he saw the determination in vale¡¯s eyes. he saw a familiar light in their eyes. xina, karu, sam, and adele¡­ even countless residents of twilight city had the same spark. faith. they were willing to give up everything for twilight city! the emotions in his heart were sparingly subtle.. what he had sacrificed was not in vain eventually. ¡°take care of yourself and rest¡­ i believe you have your prudence. i won¡¯t disturb you.¡± a bright smile appeared on vale¡¯s face when he heard this. he nodded fiercely. ¡°lord, i won¡¯t let you down.¡± the feeling of being trusted was exceptionally delightful. after a simple conversation, they entered the house and sat down. richard went straight to the point after the maid had served hot tea and left. ¡°this time, there is another vital matter apart from seeing the development of the violet merchant association chamber of commerce the crimson moon.¡± vale straightly sat up and looked at richard¡¯s solemn gaze. his tone became serious. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve been using all sorts of powers to search for information about the crimson moon, but we have just established the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and has too few connections, so i haven¡¯t found anything. ¡°even her highness christy thought the same. ¡°but a few days ago, chairman windsor suddenly came and asked me to tell you she knows about the crimson moon.¡± vale paused for a moment and lowered his voice. ¡°chairman windsor¡¯s expression is too calm. there could be some secrets that outsiders can¡¯t investigate¡­¡± richard was lost in thought. ¡°chairman windsor didn¡¯t reveal any more information?¡± vale shook his head. ¡°she only told me to tell you that she will discuss everything on your return.¡± richard nodded and pondered on the problem afterward. all the players searched for information about the crimson moon, so the natives could not know about it. however, it was interesting that the princess of solan city, christy, could not find it even if she used the power of solan city. but windsor knew about it. moreover, the other party had told him the news by name¡­ among them, he was pleased with himself. however, there was too little information, so he could not draw any conclusions. Chapter 602 he could only listen to vale¡¯s advice and deal with it carefully. richard didn¡¯t get any more information after some discussion, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it. ¡°prepare the carriage. i¡¯m going to visit phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± vale hesitantly responded. ¡°lord should we inform her highness, christy?¡± she trusted christy more compared to windsor, who was dignified and powerful. even if anything unexpected happened, with the young princess of solan city around, richard¡¯s relationship with her would be helpful. richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the thought of the chatterbox. he had already imagined the scene of the young princess as she incessantly mumbled. ¡°send someone to tell her.¡± as he spoke, he looked deeply at vale. the girl¡¯s thoughts were not deep. no, the queen who controlled the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce was not that simple. what the other party wanted to do wasn¡¯t something christy could stop. how could an existence with a boss template be easy to deal with? soon, the carriage was ready. richard boarded the carriage alone and headed to the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce. at the same time, a group of fast horses quickly headed to the solan merchant association chamber of commerce to deliver the letter¡­ when christy got the news, she excitedly jumped up and rushed out. she still mumbled when it had arrived¡­ an old lady with a kind expression suddenly appeared when the carriage disappeared into the corner of the street. if one looked carefully, scars covered the old lady¡¯s face. that gave off a heart-palpitating sense of tragedy. what kind of torture must this lady have suffered to have so many scars on her face? ¡°grace mainland overlord, qingqiu¡± she stared at the street and turned to enter the manor behind him after she muttered a few words. one has carved the manor a few simple and unadorned words in the common language if one looked closely¡­ solan manor. grand duke of solan, the residence of the legendary ascetic. ****** phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. richard¡¯s emotions were sparingly subtle as he looked at the magnificent building complex. the first time was purely out of curiosity, but this time, it was due to unknown factors. he stopped the carriage, reported his intentions, and followed the staff to the top floor of the alchemy elevator. after two months, richard saw the graceful and elegant figure again. windsor. the controller of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had the highest-level boss panel. windsor looked at the heroic figure before her, and a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes. it had been two months since they last met, but the aura of the grace mainland overlord had improved. each one of his movements seemed to magnify a fatal attraction. she would have chased him out if she weren¡¯t sure he didn¡¯t use any charm spells. this figure had already affected her state of mind¡­ ¡°good day, lord richard, we meet again.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were calm. ¡°good day, chairman windsor. it is my honor to visit you.¡± windsor gestured for richard to take a seat after a simple greeting. richard sat down without any restraint. a kind of unrestrained charm was coupled with a unique temperament. richard had no idea how much more attractive he was to the opposite sex after a series of skill buffs. windsor stared at him and sat opposite him across the white round table. ¡°lord richard, may i ask you a question?¡± richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°chairman windsor, you¡¯re too polite.¡± windsor sparingly narrowed her eyes and said with a special meaning. ¡°not only you. it seems that all the grace mainland overlords have asked about the crimson moon¡­ may i know what it means to grace mainland overlord?¡± richard was startled and did not expect such a question. after he momentarily mused, he slowly said, ¡°the future.¡± the new expansion pack could change the world¡¯s structure¡­ this was the future. windsor¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and richard could even feel the joy in her eyes. ¡°future? why do you say that?¡± richard was about to open his mouth when a mysterious force prevented him. he understoodthe system had informed him that he could not reveal information about the crimson moon to the natives. this was the effect of the ruling force. he gave up on the answer in his heart. he momentarily pondered and slowly said, ¡°just trust me.¡± it was just three simple words, and he didn¡¯t say more. windsor looked at richard in a daze. she carefully savored the meaning of those three words. after a long time, she suddenly smiled. ¡°i¡¯ve asked hundreds of grace mainland overlords, but your answer is beyond my expectation.¡± richard looked into the woman¡¯s eyes, which were as bright as stars. ¡°then, i think chairman windsor already knows the subtlety of it.¡± as their eyes met, windsor¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re the most special overlord of the grace mainland overlords i¡¯ve ever met.¡± richard smiled. ¡°chairman windsor, you¡¯re also the most amazing lady i¡¯ve ever seen.¡± windsor smiled. ¡°there¡¯s not much sincerity in those words.¡± he looked at that exquisite and flawless face and said slowly. ¡°so, chairman windsor, i heard you wanted to see me?¡± windsor smiled. ¡°i know about the crimson moon. i want to hear your opinion about the crimson moon.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i want to confirm it too, but before that, i need to know¡­ what is it?¡± the smile in windsor¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°and after knowing?¡± richard¡¯s tone was gentle, but he did not back down. ¡°after knowing, we will naturally make a decision.¡± windsor suddenly stopped smiling. ¡°lord richard, what if i am the crimson moon?¡± ****** Chapter 603 ¡°i am the crimson moon richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the eyes before him that shone a subtle light. he had never thought of such a possibility crimson moon would be a person. how terrifying would it be if it were true? however, he quickly returned to his senses. the new expansion pack, the crimson moon, could cause the fall of gods and change the structure of the world¡­ a single person could not do this. no matter how strong the other party was, she could not do it. richard¡¯s thoughts spun wildly as he suppressed the waves in his heart. he momentarily looked into windsor¡¯s eyes, and she slowly said, ¡°if chairman windsor is the crimson moon, then twilight city will be the crimson moon¡¯s friend.¡± windsor¡¯s eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curled up. ¡°lord richard, are you so sure?¡± richard¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t dodge at all. ¡°i¡¯m sure! i trust you more than anyone else.¡± windsor suddenly laughed. ¡°then what if we want to become enemies with this world?¡± richard¡¯s face was calm. ¡°then, step on the world under your feet.¡± there was no emotion in his voice. but it gave off a sense of determination. windsor was momentarily stunned as she looked into the other party¡¯s deep eyes. ¡®step on the world under my feet?¡¯ his words were crazy. however, she suddenly remembered that the opponent was qingiu, the strongest overlord of the grace mainland. he had buried hundreds of thousands of soldiers and once fought against hundreds of enemies to ascend the throne¡­ furthermore, he had imprisoned a god¡¯s soul. with such a crazy battle record before him. his arrogant words now had some credibility¡­ she picked the exquisite teacup up on the white, round table and sipped warm tea. she said in a relaxed tone after she put the teacup down. ¡°lord richard, it was just a joke.¡± richard hadn¡¯t believed it at first, but the subtle look in the woman¡¯s eyes when she said it made him jump. at this moment, he felt that the other party¡¯s preposterous claim she was the crimson moon was true¡­ ¡®this was too f*cking nonsensical.¡¯ richard¡¯s gaze carried some probe as he suppressed the unrealistic thoughts in his heart. ¡°chairman windsor, can you tell me what you know about the crimson moon?¡± windsor momentarily muttered to herself before she softly spoke. ¡°lord richard, what do you want to know?¡± richard did not stand at the ceremony. ¡°all of them?¡± windsor smiled, neither refused nor agreed. she spoke slowly and elegantly with a unique tone. ¡°the ancient god left behind a power. that is the crimson moon¡­¡± the first sentence shocked richard. ¡®ancient god?¡¯ he had heard this mysterious title countless times. moreover, they had all heard it from the mouth of the gods. ever since he obtained the ancient god statue, he had searched for information in this area. but he couldn¡¯t find this person as a result. one has erased all traces of the ancient god. windsor stared at richard¡¯s face. suddenly, she narrowed her eyes and revealed an expression of understanding. however, richard did not ask anything, and windsor continued in a very charming tone. ¡°after countless years, the crimson moon has long hidden itself. ¡°the war of gods that ended hundreds of thousands of years ago awoke the power of the ancient god. the crimson moon that inherited the will of the gods also gradually recovered. ¡°once the crimson moon rises, the gods will tremble. ¡°at that time, the gods who have mastered the rules of this world will take revenge on the crimson moon. ¡°the gods will regard you as an enemy of the gods if you have anything to do with the crimson moon¡­ the foundation of this world was the gods. becoming enemies with this world was not empty talk.¡± this surprised richard but confused him even more. ¡°chairman windsor, who is the ancient god? ancient gods?¡± windsor shook her head slowly. ¡°no, the ancient god isn¡¯t gods. ¡®they¡¯ are existences that transcend gods.¡± ¡®an existence that transcended gods?¡¯ this evaluation was simply terrifying. richard felt that the ancient gods were perhaps one of the world¡¯s greatest secrets. ¡°then why did the ancient god die? why did the gods wield power now?¡± windsor narrowed her eyes. she revealed cold killing intent. ¡°those damn gods stole the power of the ancient god.¡± ¡°the ancient god has transcended the gods, so why can the current gods still steal their power?¡± ¡°because ancient god isn¡¯t a living being, and it does not desire to live.¡± ¡°not an intelligent life form?¡± the information startled richard. windsor¡¯s tone became low. ¡°that¡¯s right. they are the embodiment of laws. every ancient god represents a law. ¡°at the beginning of the world¡¯s creation, the gods didn¡¯t exist. the ancient gods were the ones who controlled this world. ¡°at that time, every ancient god was the embodiment of laws. other ancient gods could not control a single law. ¡°the current king of gods of the light god system, the god of thunder and light, was the first thief to steal the power of the ancient god.¡± richard took a long time to digest the heavy news and came to his senses. that was why every god he encountered would be horrified at the sight of the ancient god statue. ancient gods stole their power. one could imagine the fear in the imposter¡¯s heart when it suddenly saw the real being¡­ he took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice. ¡°chairman windsor, may i know your relationship with the crimson moon?¡± windsor gave richard a deep look. Chapter 604 ¡°a closer relationship than you think.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. this news was more believable than windsor¡¯s claim that she was the crimson moon. ¡°what is the purpose of the crimson moon? what is your goal?¡± whether a force was evil or good, orderly or chaotic, all they needed to do was to see their goals or doctrines. let the world fall into eternal fear dreadlord. let the world be free of injustice and sin¡­ the god of justice. windsor did not speak. she slowly stood up and walked to the vast french window on the side. this was the tallest building in the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. it overlooked half of solan city. his pupils reflected the scenes outside the window. a hand pressed gently on the glass as if one wanted to touch the world outside the window. ¡°lord richard, did you know? a lot of darkness and injustice are in this world. ¡°the source of all this is that someone controls the fate of the people. ¡°god.¡± ¡°a group of creatures with strong selfish desires. after they stole the authority of this world, they caused the world to fall into endless turmoil. ¡°gods, why do you want to spread faith? ¡°that¡¯s because they don¡¯t have complete control over the power of the natural order. they can only rely on the power of faith contributed by the intelligent life forms favored by the world¡¯s will to control the natural order.¡± ¡°ancient gods don¡¯t need these. ¡°the power of faith is everything to the gods. because of this, their madness is constantly magnified by their selfish desires and greed. ¡°occupy farmland to build churches, incite believers to believe in religion, attack enemy sects, use faith to harvest wealth, and fool civilians¡­ ¡°start a war, slaughter villages, destroy races, and shatter planes¡­ ¡°gods, existence is the original sin! ¡°the crimson moon seeks to slaughter the gods and let the ancient gods regain their authority. ¡°eliminate the unrest and unease brought by the gods.¡± richard looked at the back of the peerless beauty and felt his mouth go dry. he thought that making twilight city the most magnificent city in the desert of death was already a big goal. damn, compared to the crimson moon, it was nothing. slaughter the gods! just this belief alone was crazy. the gods held the authority of this world. the death of every ancient god was a major event that shook the world. but now, they were going to slaughter all the gods. it made his scalp go numb. windsor slowly turned around and stared at richard. ¡°so, lord richard, what is your attitude towards the crimson moon now?¡± as soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the room immediately became subtle. richard could sense that the person before him had a boss template, an unknown level, and was in charge of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the relationship between them and the crimson moon was not trivial. although the other party had already mentioned it, what she said could be true. he trusted his judgment more. he suppressed the emotions in his heart and said slowly. ¡°chairman windsor, my attitude has always been firm¡­ the twilight city is your friend, regardless of your identity.¡± as he spoke, her eyes revealed a dangerous light. ¡°moreover, i¡¯m quite interested in slaughtering gods. perhaps we can cooperate¡­¡± the kobold god¡¯s soul was still imprisoned in the ancient god statue. that bastard had tried to wipe out twilight city more than once. the hatred between the two sides had long been irreconcilable. apart from the new expansion pack, the most important reason he searched for the crimson moon with such great fanfare was¡­ the system notification said that the crimson moon rose, accompanied by the death of the gods. since other gods could fall, why couldn¡¯t the kobold god have a taste of it? his heart would never be at peace if he couldn¡¯t get rid of that old dog. there was always a feeling of being stabbed in the back. the poisonous snake hid in the shadows and might jump out and bite at any time. windsor instantly smiled, and the atmosphere immediately warmed up. ¡°lord richard, perhaps i have made a true friend. ¡°however, i am curious are you not afraid of the gods?¡± richard sensed the aura of the ancient god statue in his arms. he smiled. ¡°afraid? of course, i am afraid. who wouldn¡¯t be of those terrifying existences that controlled power?¡± ¡°but so what?¡± ¡°compared to the gods, i¡¯m more willing to trust my friends.¡± others had a choice, but he.. they had long stood on the same side as the ancient gods. the ancient god statue was the most potent treasure he had obtained. he had relied on this to turn the tables in several desperate situations. if the gods knew all this, they would automatically classify it as a remnant of the ancient gods. as for giving up the statue of the ancient gods? richard would beat the brains out of anyone who dared say that. ****** Chapter 605 richard looked at the calm figure before him and said slowly, ¡°chairman windsor, i have a question.¡± ¡°go ahead, lord richard.¡± ¡°we how could one pull the high and mighty gods from the divine platform? they were now the rulers of this world.¡± windsor said with a playful look in her eyes. ¡°lord richard, this involves the core secrets of the crimson moon are you sure you want to hear it?¡± richard was unafraid. ¡°i¡¯d be happy to know if you can share it.¡± windsor hesitated and momentarily shook her head. ¡°let¡¯s talk about it after you officially become a member of the crimson moon.¡± the two sides talked openly this time. however, it was still too early for the current relationship to involve more core things. richard didn¡¯t insist and went along with the topic. ¡°i have the same goal as the crimson moon or chairman windsor. i have a suggestion. you must announce the descent of the crimson moon into the world if that is the plan. ¡°the best way is to let a god fall and announce the return of the ancient gods to the world so that it would create a commotion.¡± richard gazed meaningfully at chairman windsor after he said that. ¡°set the hunting target as the kobold god.¡± windsor looked at richard with a half-smile as if she knew his succeeding words. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re bold. i never misjudged you. ¡°however, the kobold god is the backbone of the dungeon god system. it might not be easy to deal with him.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he sensed something subtle. windsor¡¯s tone was strange ¡®does she know i had imprisoned the kobold god¡¯s soul?¡¯ ¡®how many players? ¡®no, it was difficult for their words to reach windsor¡¯s ears ¡®what was that?¡¯ richard momentarily pondered. he finally locked onto the chatterbox, christy. christy would have to go through windsor to find the crimson moon relationship with the chairman. it would be easy for her to get information from christy with windsor¡¯s ability. unfortunately, the deeper meaning behind his revelation was to test the true ruler of solan city, the legendary ascetic monk¡­ he wanted to see if the other party could slay a god. it would not outdate the strategic choice of winning allies and isolating the enemy. he didn¡¯t expect to end up with windsor. however, the result was okay. ¡°chairman windsor, i think the kobold god is a perfect hunting target.¡± richard said bluntly. ¡°in my hands, i have imprisoned the kobold god¡¯s soul. there is a wisp of soul power inside¡­ there was no better choice.¡± windsor had already heard the news from christy, but it straightly reached richard¡¯s ears and still made her feel sparingly strange. although she viewed the gods as prey, she had to admit that the ruler of this world was not someone ordinary people could deal with. but now, the grace mainland overlord, who had only been in the mortal plane for half a year, had imprisoned an existence who controlled the power of rules. the crimson moon had plotted long ago, but it had only obtained a wisp of the souls of the three gods¡­ even if the other party could do this, it was very likely that he could rely on the sacred item left behind by an ancient god. it was also enough to make people gasp in amazement. windsor pondered for a long time. she said slowly, ¡°lord richard, are you serious? do you know the consequences of doing this¡­ once the kobold god falls, it will bind you to the crimson moon, and you couldn¡¯t separate from it.¡± ¡°consequences?¡± richard smiled. could twilight city rest easy if the kobold god was not destroyed? although the other party could not descend to the central plane in a complete state, it was still a god. a terrifying existence that had lived for millions of years. once the other party seized the opportunity, no one could predict how much damage the twilight city would suffer or whether it would be destroyed. this danger had to be eliminated. ¡°chairman windsor, the god of the kobolds¡­ it must die.¡± windsor looked at him with admiration when she heard his resolute words. ¡°perhaps, i understand why teacher peim admires you so much. your personality is too similar to teacher¡¯s when he was young.¡± ¡®teacher? ¡®the old man from the red dragon general store?¡¯ richard felt a headache when he remembered he had not completed that s-rank mission. the other players laboriously dealt with what map to clear. what missions to complete, and what ruins to explore¡­ he now had to think about how to slay the transcendent dune lord, the s-rank mission, and the kobold god¡­ all of the urgent matters at hand were arduous. each was more strange than the recent one. richard returned to his senses and asked hesitantly, ¡°mr. peim¡¯s body is it alright?¡± the three-month mission period was almost up. it would be difficult if teacher peim could not make it until the return of dark valkyrie and the awakening of the god¡¯s ancient tree. he couldn¡¯t be confident in completing the s-rank mission. the light in windsor¡¯s eyes dimmed when she heard this. richard shook his head. ¡°there¡¯s still one more month.¡± one month has the crimson moon descended? richard¡¯s pupils constricted. he was keenly aware of the connection. could the appearance of the crimson moon have something to do with teacher peim? the thought of windsor¡¯s identity quickly amazed him. good heavens, he was fated to be with this crimson moon. their status in the crimson moon was high with the power of teacher peim in the red dragon general store. he couldn¡¯t forget the high-level divine weapon he had seen before-the wishing scales. Chapter 606 this thing was not something that any tom, dick, or harry could have. windsor stared at richard. ¡°i hope you can complete teacher peim¡¯s mission if you are confident.¡± at this moment, richard saw the look that begged flash in her eyes for the first time. richard was silent. the s-rank mission was intensely arduous. he wasn¡¯t sure if he could complete it. ¡°i¡¯ll try in half a month. however, chairman windsor, you know how difficult it is to retrieve a god¡¯s heart. i can¡¯t guarantee it.¡± windsor¡¯s eyes softened at richard¡¯s words. ¡°of course. no one can blame you whether you succeed or not.¡± richard didn¡¯t insist on further discussion. there was no need to worry about anything with the hero altar around. richard momentarily pondered. then, he slowly said, ¡°the imprisoned kobold god¡¯s soul is in my hands. now, what should we do?¡± windsor glanced at him meaningfully. ¡°follow me.¡± richard stood up and walked toward the room after she finished her words. the entire space was windsor¡¯s office. it was as vast as a palace. richard followed closely behind. windsor pushed open an inconspicuous room after a few rounds. they entered the house, and richard noticed no windows around. the magic lamps emitted a dim light to illuminate the surroundings. richard said nothing and walked in. windsor waved his hand as they arrived at the center of the house. majestic magic power spread out. countless mysterious and obscure inscriptions instantly appeared in the room. it emitted an ancient aura as if it had crossed tens of millions of years. the chaotic light suddenly covered everything. the surrounding environment suddenly changed when richard regained his vision. this was an ancient palace hall. it was probably more than 300 meters wide, and the milky white tiles on the ground were more than ten meters long. dozens of towering trees supported the 100-meter-tall dome. one could see a forest-embossed sky. one must have carved giant trees on it. one painted colorful murals on the surrounding walls. most were natural landscapes such as lightning, hurricanes, and ice¡­ windsor saw everything around, and her expression inexplicably eased. her eyes heaved a trace of nostalgia. ¡°i grew up here¡± she shook her head after she said that and turned to walk in another direction. ¡°follow me.¡± richard felt sparingly, but he didn¡¯t say anything and just followed. they passed through a shockingly gigantic ancient hall and a few winding corridors. windsor finally pushed a stone door open. ancient carvings shrouded the door. she softly said, ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± richard was curious and followed her into the house. in the next second, the stone door closed. the initially dim light around them suddenly lit up. richard subconsciously looked around. twelve giant statues without faces stood in the stone house. each was ten meters tall. their bodies were twisted and strange. they gave off a strange feeling. each statue was a prison that could hold two or three people surprised him more. at this moment, illusory figures crazily stroke the cage before the three faceless statues on the leftmost side. however, richard could not hear any sound, no matter how hard these illusory figures tried. he found that sparingly odd. it was like one isolated the prison from everything. richard opened the attribute panel of the illusory souls with some curiosity. [god of pain, soul clone] richard was startled [god of knight, soul clone] he was dumbfounded. [river god, soul clone] richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw the attributes. good heavens, the ones inside were the same as the dog-headed soul clone he had imprisoned. they were all soul clones of gods. no wonder the other party was so confident. the foundation of the crimson moon was mightier than he had imagined. slaughtering the gods was not just for a show. the only pity was that he couldn¡¯t see any attributes of those faceless statues. he opened it with the black gold system. he could only get a simple upgradea statue without a face. it did not seem to be a powerful treasure¡­ ¡°lord richard, even the grace mainland overlord can detect the origin of others. you should know the identity of those souls, right?¡± windsor turned around and looked at him calmly. ¡°right now, you are in contact with the greatest secret of the crimson moon.¡± richard took a deep breath. ¡°it¡¯s my honor.¡± ¡°what do i need to do? did you also place the soul clone of the kobold god in the prison?¡± windsor nodded. ¡°the crimson moon will strip everything off on the imprisoned spiritual power of these gods when it rose the ancient gods would appear in this world again.¡± richard nodded happily. ¡°i have a suggestion¡± windsor turned around curiously. ¡°lord, please speak.¡± ¡°can we slay the kobold god first?¡± richard looked at her sincerely. ¡°the rise of the crimson moon is such an important matter. we can¡¯t be careless.¡± ¡°let the kobold god be the first sacrifice to test our strength to prevent any mistakes.¡± richard could not agree more. Chapter 607 richard felt sparingly regretful when windsor ultimately did not agree to his proposal to sacrifice first the kobold god to heaven. the fall of a god had too many implications. it could cause a vast negative impact if one didn¡¯t handle the aftermath well. everything would waste if one ruined the plan. richard took out the ancient god statue and the imprisoned dog-headed god¡¯s soul clone in the prison after he followed her instructions. the steel cage looked very loose, but it could firmly imprison souls. the blurry, fog-like kobold god¡¯s clone soul immediately woke up without the ancient god statue suppression. the distorted figure floated in the cage and charged out crazily. however, it looked like one cut off all the sounds, like a silent pantomime. windsor glanced at it and then turned her attention to the ancient god statue in richard¡¯s hand. there was a subtle look in her eyes. ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t expect you would receive the recognition of an ancient god¡¯s relic. ¡°every living being that comes into contact with the sacred object endures the corrosion of the ancient god¡¯s will. that is the power of laws, and there is no way to escape. as you block the corrosion, you could control the power within.¡± richard frowned slightly. he remembered his first encounter with the ancient god statue. the existence was terrifying and distorted. it almost devoured him long ago if not for the birth of explosive battle tomahawk shatterer. richard momentarily pondered then, raised his head to look at the faceless statue before him and slowly said, ¡°chairman windsor, why is the ancient god statue like this?¡­ ¡°strange?¡± he wanted to say that it was hideous and terrifying windsor smiled. ¡°the world is always foolish, judging the heart from the outside. ¡°the ancient gods aren¡¯t living beings. they don¡¯t have worldly desires, and the formation of their bodies is also related to their laws. ¡°therefore, it seems that its form is special, to the extent that it exceeds the understanding of ordinary people.¡± richard finally understood. the ancient gods always gave him a disharmonious and strange feeling. he did not expect there to be such a secret. however, he also seemed to know why one could eliminate the ancient gods so quickly other than the gods stealing power, could it have something to do with being ugly? appearances were justice. this sentence was applicable in ¡°shining era¡±. no one liked to see a life they could not understand or even feel physically uncomfortable. compared to the gods who currently controlled authority, the image of an ancient god was arduous to spread¡­ richard momentarily pondered and slowly said, ¡°chairman windsor, the ancient gods don¡¯t need believers. what¡¯s our main purpose for letting the crimson moon appear in the eyes of the world?¡­¡± ¡°attacking the faith of the gods and shaking their foundations.¡± windsor¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°without the power of faith, the gods will weaken. ¡°it will reduce the difficulty of reviving the ancient gods.¡± richard nodded and looked at the faceless statue before him. after a moment of hesitation, he spoke. ¡°president windsor, the image of the ancient gods is not conducive for us to spread their deeds¡­¡± he looked at her with a burning gaze. ¡°perhaps, we can modify the image of the ancient gods to make it more in line with the aesthetics of most people¡­¡± ¡°modification? beauty?¡± windsor was shocked by richard¡¯s words. the ancient gods held a very high position in her heart, and one had long engraved her image. how could she change it just like that?¡­ richard nodded affirmatively. ¡°the ancient gods have no desire for life. they don¡¯t care about their image. then why can¡¯t they change it to an image more suitable for the public and recognized by everyone?¡± ¡°the original body of the ancient god doesn¡¯t need to be changed. when we publicize it, we can publicize the changed image as the avatar of the ancient god¡­ as a god, it was normal for it to have a few clones, right?¡± this bold suggestion made windsor fall into a long silence. the ancient gods were the embodiment of the rules. the scarlet moon wanted to revive them, and the most fundamental pursuit was to get rid of the gods with strong selfish desires. let the world return to its original order. therefore, windsor¡¯s attitude towards the ancient gods was not the worship of believers towards gods. instead, she regarded them as a rule. they respected them, but they didn¡¯t worship them. they even vaguely regarded them as a tool to manage the entire world. therefore, richard¡¯s proposal seemed outrageous and audacious at first glance, but on second thought she also felt that there was room for manipulation. at the very least, she didn¡¯t think this suggestion was impossible. after she pondered for a long time, windsor said slowly,¡±lord richard, this proposal it¡¯s too special. i need to think about it before making a decision.¡± as she spoke, she stared at him, and her tone was a little subtle. ¡°in the past, someone always told me that the grace mainland overlord has no respect for anything.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t believe it at first, but now¡­ your excellency has opened my eyes.¡± richard thought of those idiots and smiled knowingly. players were known as the fourth calamity. it was a pity they did not have the resurrection ability, so they were much more conservative. otherwise, one could even slaughter the gods as they dared to show their health bars¡­ ¡°perhaps, this is also why we can become friends.¡± richard shrugged. ¡°a normal person wouldn¡¯t discuss how to kill a god with you here.¡± windsor smiled. these words were true. who would dare to blaspheme a common person? they were the fearless grace mainland overlords. ¡°lord richard, the crimson moon will illuminate the world on the last day of december.¡± ¡°welcome to the ceremony.¡± it was not the first time he had heard of the crimson moon rose into the sky. Chapter 608 he thought it was just a description, but why did it feel like it was an action? he immediately asked the question in his heart. it momentarily startled windsor before she smiled brightly. ¡°that¡¯s because the crimson moon is the body of an ancient god. its true form is the blood-colored moon. it symbolizes the era when the ancient gods controlled the rules.¡± ¡°once the crimson moon reappears, it means that the ancient gods have revived and returned!¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. the crimson moon was the body of an ancient god? his emotions fluctuated. this news was too explosive. no wonder it would cause a change in the world¡¯s structure. there was an additional moon in the sky, and all the gods knew the meaning behind it. the entire world would probably fall into panic. next, the gods would not sit still and wait for death. how could they allow themselves to lose the power they had wielded for countless years? a great change was imminent. he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the rise and fall of his emotions. one has to send this information to twilight city immediately. he has to immediately revise some of the initial plans. richard regained his senses and deeply stared at the elegant figure before him. ¡°president windsor, what do you need me to do now?¡± windsor shook her head. ¡°the plan that has been laid out for countless years has long been formed. even if you are a transcendent or even a crown level, you can¡¯t change anything in this short period.¡± as she spoke, her tone became sparingly lower. ¡°right now, what i need the most is for you to help teacher peim retrieve that heart.¡± richard frowned. he momentarily thought for a moment and slowly said. ¡°president windsor, you know how difficult this is.¡± he said solemnly. ¡°however, if i can obtain a contract scroll that can enslave transcendent beings, i have a sixty percent chance of success.¡± the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin was an extraordinary existence. he thought about him for a long time. he could solve many problems if he could enslave the other party. transcendents had already become a symbol in this world. windsor shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lord richard. it¡¯s not that i¡¯m stingy, but transcendent-level contract scrolls are too precious. from the beginning of the establishment of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce until now, we¡¯ve only handled one such item thirty years ago.¡± richard did need it, but who would not want a contract scroll that could enslave extraordinary powers? it was not an exaggeration to describe this thing as priceless. as long as it appeared, it would cause a vast wave. it was not an exaggeration to say that a war would break out because of this. richard suddenly thought of the high-level artifact, the wishing scales. he organized his thoughts and said slowly, ¡°chairman windsor, perhaps mr. peim has a way. ¡°i know he has a special treasure he can exchange for what he wants¡­¡± previously, he felt that the wishing scales were of average value and could not live up to the name of a high-level divine artifact. but now that he thought about it carefully, this was a priceless treasure. he could exchange it for a treasure of equivalent value if he couldn¡¯t find it outside. windsor shook her head. ¡°there wouldn¡¯t be a problem if it were before¡­ but now, teacher peim¡¯s strength had already reached freezing point, and he could no longer use the wishing scales.¡± richard shook his head. there was no single shortcut. he knew that the ice empire had such a thing, but it was a royal collection, so it was unrealistic to get it. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll think of another way.¡± richard didn¡¯t dwell on the matter. when he returned, he would bring some people to destroy the vampire¡¯s castle and see if there was such a thing where they hid the blood coffin. after a silence, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something and softly said, ¡°chairman windsor, a powerful force has recently appeared in the desert of death. its ruler is called the dune lord¡­ have you heard about it?¡± windsor nodded. ¡°i heard that he had attacked several merchant groups recently.¡± richard was interested. ¡°does chairman windsor know anything about the dune lord?¡± windsor shook her head. ¡°it¡¯s just a small force. i didn¡¯t mind.¡± richard was speechless. judging from the boss¡¯s attacks and attributes, the transcendent lord of dunes couldn¡¯t be a small force. he momentarily pondered and slowly said, ¡°have you heard chairman windsor?¡­ the power of yellow sand?¡± that was the source of the dune lord¡¯s excitement. Chapter 609 windsor looked at him with interest. ¡°the power of yellow sand? lord richard, where did you hear this?¡± ¡°i had a collision with the clone soul of the lord of dunes before, and i overheard it.¡± this family made windsor¡¯s expression turn grave. ¡°looks like the dune lord has an extraordinary background.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°the power of yellow sand is the power of the desert.¡± ¡°the general will of the desert will bestow a portion of its power to those closest to the desert, allowing them to control a portion of the characteristics of the desert.¡± windsor¡¯s tone was very grave. ¡°once you possess the power of the yellow sand, you will be the ruler of the desert. in the desert, you will have a fighting strength ten times or a hundred times stronger than a life form of the same level.¡± ¡°furthermore, if you can control all the power of the yellow sand, you can even touch the laws of the desert.¡± ¡°there is also the power of the ocean and the power of the grassland¡­¡± richard felt his eyes widen. it turned out that the power of the yellow sand he grasped had such a great origin. in the end, he could even touch the power of rules. ¡°the power of yellow sandwill there be many points?¡± ¡°of course. the consciousness of the desert will bestow power to those who are close to the desert. one could bestow this to one person or ten people.¡± he gave richard a meaningful look. ¡°if you can kill someone who possesses the power of the yellow sand and obtain the power of the yellow sand in their body, then it will replenish their power.¡± ¡°become stronger.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. the dune lord was so excited when it saw richard. ¡°chairman windsor, thank you for your information.¡± windsor chuckled. ¡°aren¡¯t we friends? there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± richard looked into her eyes and smiled generously. ¡°yes, we are friends.¡± they understood each other, and that deepened their relationship. of course, the most important thing was that both sides were natural allies on the same front. not to mention that richard had a relic of the past, but he had joined forces with the crimson moon to kill the kobold god. there was no way to retreat. however, he would not retreat. he had more ideas after he learned about the various secrets of the crimson moon. ****** Chapter 610 they returned to windsor¡¯s office when they left the mysterious building. richard was in a different mood as he sat down. he did not expect to establish such a close relationship with this mysterious force when he was only here to inquire about the crimson moon. however, this trip was not in vain. he had already achieved half his uttermost goal; to kill the kobold god. next, he had to wait until december 28th, when the crimson moon rose into the sky. it was unrealistic to slay the kobold god with his current methods. using the crimson moon to achieve his goal was the best choice. as for the ultimate goal of the crimson moon, it was to kill all the gods. he got interested, but not as strongly as windsor. he was more concerned about the status of twilight city and the benefits it could gain from this change. richard cleared the partnership with windsoreach side would get what they needed. windsor needed him to help peim retrieve his heart. the old man lost his heart and wanted to rope him in to join the crimson moon. as for him, he needed to maintain close contact and have more control over the new expansion pack. at the same time, he needed to use the hands of the crimson moon to eliminate the threat of the kobold god. whether the relationship between the two sides would improve or drift apart in the future would depend on the development of the situation. richard was very rational. an individual could be selfless, but a group would put their interests first. he had to be confident enough to bet everything as the ruler of twilight city. richard said slowly. ¡°chairman windsor, can i see mr. peim again?¡± windsor shook his head. ¡°teacher peim has returned to the red dragon general store.¡± as he spoke, he hesitated. ¡°now, he can¡¯t see outsiders anymore. but i can bring you there if you have something important.¡± richard shook his head. since the other party had already said so, what else could he say? ¡°it¡¯s nothing serious. i just want to visit mr. peim. i won¡¯t disturb him if it¡¯s not suitable now.¡± he also stood as he spoke. ¡°i won¡¯t let anyone else know about today¡¯s conversation. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce still has many things to deal with.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll visit you when i¡¯m free.¡± windsor nodded. suddenly, as if she had thought of something, and waved her hand. a gem that seemed to flow with quicksand appeared in her hand. she handed it to him with some reluctance after she momentarily rubbed it. ¡°this gemstone is a treasure that i accidentally obtained previously. you are interested in the power of yellow sand, so perhaps it can help you.¡± at this moment, his body began to cheer. his interest instantly soared. he opened the attribute panel with intense curiosity. [heart of quicksand] [level: special] [1. in the desert, mana recovery speed increases by 100%; 2. able to guide and discover other life forms that possess the power of yellow sand.] [description: a gemstone condensed in the center of the desert. it possesses the boundless power of yellow sand.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the attributes. that was a good item. richard had just learned about the origin of the power of yellow sand from windsor and planned to set up a trap in this area. now, this treasure had delivered itself to his doorstep. it was sending charcoal in the snow. ¡°this treasure is useful to me. chairman windsor, thank you for your generosity.¡± windsor smiled. ¡°one discovered this treasure in a sandstorm more than ten years ago. it has accompanied me for a long time. ¡°i don¡¯t need it usually. i¡¯ll let it play its true role if i give it to you.¡± who would be willing to give away such a unique treasure without a heart? richard thanked her, turned around, and left the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. windsor walked to the french window and looked at half of solan city after richard left. there was no movement for a long time. a muffled voice came from behind. ¡°your highness, did we let the grace mainland overlord know too much?¡± windsor didn¡¯t turn around. she just stared out the window in a daze. it was as if she weren¡¯t interested in the sound behind her. she turned his head after a long time. a figure draped in a black cloak appeared in her line of sight. its high nose bridge and crimson eyes carried a chill and made one¡¯s heart palpitate. ¡°is it a lot?¡± windsor smiled. ¡°i want to see how far this grace mainland overlord can go. ¡°my intuition tells me we can trust that overlord.¡± the other party¡¯s expression momentarily froze when he heard her intuition. then, he lowered his head deeply and said in the most respectful tone. ¡°lady crimson, you will never, ever go wrong¡­¡± ****** Chapter 611 all kinds of thoughts made her emotions churn. she took a few deep breaths and could not suppress the throbbing in her heart. ¡°i can¡¯t find out the specific secrets for now. ¡°everything will surface at the end of the month.¡± windsor glanced at the main building, turned her head, and looked away. no matter how the situation changed, the most fundamental thing was to reinforce oneself. power was the only pass. this sentence had never been a lie. the most important thing now was how to use the information to plan for the long-term future. phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. richard had just entered the main hall when he saw a cute figure lunge at him. she grabbed his arm tightly like a sloth and refused to let go. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re finally back!!¡± richard smelled the scent coming into his nose and felt the subtle touch on his arm. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°christy, you¡¯re the princess of solan city. be careful of your reputation.¡± richard took the initiative to pull his arm as he spoke. christy looked at him with an unconvinced expression. ¡°hmph, who dares to talk nonsense before me? i¡¯ll do whatever i want!¡± she spoke and looked at richard up and down. only to realize that this guy seemed to have become even more handsome. even though she stood there without movement, it made her heart beat faster. she felt that emotion. her face turned red. however, the girl still suppressed the waves in her heart. she raised her head and looked at him arrogantly. ¡°lord richard, where¡¯s my present?¡± it startled richard. he said, ¡°gift? what gift?¡± christy¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°you, you forgot?¡± the last time she received the bouquet, she looked forward to today¡¯s gift¡­ but now, all his fantasies had been shattered. instantly, the young girl¡¯s eyes turned red. she pouted her mouth. she appeared like a neighbor snatched a favorite toy of a child. she felt so wronged. richard laughed. christy couldn¡¯t take it anymore. she turned around, put her hands behind her back, and looked in another direction angrily. she didn¡¯t want to talk to him at all. tears began to roll in her eyes. at this moment, a pair of hands handed over an exceptionally exquisite metal box from the side. ¡°your highness christy, how could i forget your gift? ¡°vale has been reminding me all these days that the violet merchant association has been developing so smoothly because of your care.¡± ¡°i asked the underground world¡¯s craftsmen to make this for you. open it and take a look.¡± richard was very good at coaxing children with a centaur daughter at home. that piqued christy¡¯s curiosity when she saw the box, but she couldn¡¯t keep her face. she put her hands behind her back and refused to take it. richard found it interesting that all girls in the world looked the same when they were angry. the young girl¡¯s tears turned into a smile after a short while. she happily opened the metal box. dozen of flowers carved out of gemstones instantly popped out when she opened the metal box. those flowers slowly bloomed, and a rainbow lit up on them. the colors were bright and beautiful. but that was not all. as the flower rose, crisp music sounded from the box. instantly, christy cried out in surprise. ¡°this isthe elfin music box?¡± she looked at richard with bright eyes. ¡°lord richard, where did you get the music box? a lot said this was a treasure only ancient elves could make.¡± richard smiled at the girl¡¯s satisfied expression. ¡°i asked the gray dwarf craftsmen to develop this for you. it stores ten pieces of music unique to the underground world.¡± the alchemy in this world focused on war, and small things like music boxes were rare. when he went to the underground world, he asked the gray-colored dwarf and found it difficult to return. however, what surprised him was that he developed it in half a month. ¡°this is awesome!!¡± christy couldn¡¯t put it down. vale stood at the side table and was pleasantly surprised. he sensed the business opportunity. ¡°lord richard, is this the next product of our violet merchant association chamber of commerce?¡± richard smiled. ¡°this elfin music box was initially an exploration. later, i¡¯ll get fortress city to produce some. if the sales are good, we can use it as a product.¡± however, it was easy to replicate it, although it looked exquisite. richard found subtle hope for its future. on the other hand, richard focused on the black sorbet, which was sold at a low price and earned little profit. he wanted to make the black sorbet into the coca-cola of the ¡°shining era¡±¡­ twilight city could earn money by lying down. however, it was a good thing to have one more product. it piqued christy¡¯s interest. ¡°lord richard, one shouldn¡¯t sell this treasure in ordinary shops¡­ one should place it in the room of a noble.¡± the speaker was not serious, but the listener was. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. although he didn¡¯t care about this thing, the aborigines did. moreover, this thing was more suitable for the high-end market¡­ he could earn money from fmcg and luxury goods. Chapter 612 after auntie marie emerged from the russian olive forest, she wiped the sweat off her forehead. her chubby face was like an apple cut in half, which was particularly striking. although she had been busy for a day, she was physically and mentally exhausted, especially in a hot environment like the desert. since lord richard appointed her as the person in charge of the agricultural area, she would come on time every day, whether under the scorching sun or the scorching heat. that was her responsibility and also her honor. to contribute her strength to twilight city was her uttermost satisfaction. it was an opportunity she had never experienced in half her life. auntie mari waved at the residents who walked out of the russian olive forest after she rested for a while. ¡°pack up your things. other than those who are on night duty, leave now.¡± although the gods bestowed the treasures russian olive forest and the desert barley that could mature once a month, aunt marie still obliged herself to take care of them. however, as twilight city developed, the russian olives changed from an essential food source to a flower provider for desert bees. although the functions had changed, the responsibilities of everyone in the agricultural area remained the same. ¡®and recently, lord richard ordered a large-scale plantation in the underworld. ¡®this was a gift from the gods, so i must carefully take care of this.¡¯ yearning engulfed auntie marie¡¯s thoughts as she pondered. she had paid close attention to this area as the person in charge of the agriculture area. she would immediately bring the staff of the agricultural area to participate when there was a need. that was the legendary underground world. marie could brag to others soon if she could bring people to the underground world to farm. ¡°auntie marie, we¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°auntie marie, i got two desert-long-necked chickens in the trap i set yesterday. come to my house for dinner today¡­¡± the staff members inside greeted her with smiles on their faces. auntie marie smiled in response. everyone turned around and headed back to twilight city after they gathered. the residents carried farm tools and stepped on the yellow sand at sunset. they left long shadows. they gave off an inexplicable sense of harmony. the crowd perked up as they approached the city wall. the ice and snow spirit statues covered the entire city. no matter how high the temperature outside was, the interior of twilight city was very cool. they could isolate themselves from the heat as they stepped inside the city. that was what every resident who worked outside yearned for the most when they returned every day. as they approached the towering city wall, aunt marie¡¯s footsteps were light. the moment she stepped into the city gate, a loud rumbling sound like a landslide suddenly echoed throughout the world. the group of people subconsciously turned their heads. in the next second, everyone felt a chill. at the end of their line of sight, the sky was like broken glass, with countless cracks that appeared. some of the cracks rapidly expanded, and what was even more terrifying was that countless black spots that the naked eye could not see crawled out from those cracks¡­ they tried their best to open their eyes. but they were too far away. they only saw black dots flew toward twilight city. ¡°enemy attack!¡± a thought appeared in everyone¡¯s mind. it startled aunt marie awake. she roared at everyone. ¡°quickly enter the city! those are the enemies!¡± unexpectedly, there was no chaos. the residents still carried their farm tools and stared fiercely at the enemies. from the looks of it, they wanted to rush up and fight with the attackers¡­ ¡®wuuu!¡¯ a deep and long horn sounded from within the city. the residents who were still busy with work quickly put down the tools in their hands and began to leave in an orderly manner. the crowd orderly moved quickly, although they were noisy. the residents had long developed the habit of dealing with war after several experiences. every week, they would organize drills to deal with the war. in the instance dungeon, twilight city fell, and all the residents died once. they would not wait for the enemies to slaughter them like lambs! coupled with the 95 points of popularity, no one could predict how terrifying the cohesiveness of twilight city would be. the entire city immediately began to operate at high speed. the skeleton blood dragon spread its wings and flew away. it brought back all the residents who still worked outside. it did not miss to bring the desert bees and the fire dragon rabbits either. all the soldiers in the city immediately climbed up the city wall and loaded the alchemy cannons. archers shrouded the three arrow towers. the city, which had just been peaceful, immediately armed to the teeth. auntie marie instructed the workers in the agricultural area to participate in the logistics preparations. she even took a long knife and a small shield to protect herself. it was the same for the other residents. although they could not fight on the front line, they could also support the frontline troops in their ways. karu, gunter, gray, and emily hurriedly climbed up the city wall and looked at the commotion in the distance. the large cracks in space looked terrifying. that was not an action that ordinary life forms could create. karu¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°those enemies they¡¯re not weaklings!¡± he turned to look at the two mummy heroes beside him and was about to say something when emily, the little centaur who had always been like a child, stood up. she stared at the few of them and spoke in a clear but firm tone. ¡°gray, immediately send a message to the bloodhoof city to send reinforcements.¡± Chapter 613 ¡°butler karu, get someone to pull all the alchemist¡¯s bombs from the warehouse as a precaution. ¡°in addition, immediately move the materials needed to recruit the troop to the vicinity of the lair and recruit all the troops for this week. ¡°have the sandstorm controller mage and the cursed pharaoh head to the ice and snow spirit statue and be ready to activate the ice shield. ¡°remember, we have perfect defenses. the enemy can¡¯t possibly take over twilight city. everyone, move immediately!¡± !! emily¡¯s series of orders stunned everyone. it was inexplicably trustworthy at this moment, although her voice was sparingly childish. ¡°yes, sir! miss emily!¡± butler karu was the first to come back to his senses. the two mummy heroes did not say anything. emily walked up to the city wall with her battle axe in hand. she pressed one hand against the cold wall and stared ahead. ¡°father, i will protect twilight city!¡± after two months of bloody trials, this boss unit that was once a demigod seemed to have something different¡­ ****** haonan and shanji were excited when they came out of the spatial rift. they had never thought dune lord would appoint them the overseer of this troop. but they could not make any suggestions. they were powerless and could not even command a small soldier. however, at least the lord has appointed them. that was a big step forward. private message chat. [shanji: f*ck! we¡¯re going to flatten qingqiu¡¯s territory this time. should we open a thread and broadcast it live? the death of the strongest player was worth watching.] [shanji: bro, are you kidding me? the troop of the kobold god and dune lord somewhere in the desert¡­ the number of top-tier soldiers above level 15 exceeded, right? not to mention dune lord was right behind them¡­ how could qingqiu win?] [haonan: you¡¯re right, but there¡¯s no other way. the two of us are just watching the show. whether qingqiu is lucky or not has nothing to do with us.] [shanji: okay, i¡¯ll treat it as watching a blockbuster!] the sky cracked. ¡®rumble!¡¯ two huge spatial rifts appeared. in the next second. the guardian mummies once caused the undead statues to suffer a massive loss, like ants that crossed the border. they swarmed out from the space rifts. kobold warriors with monstrous dog heads and weapons appeared from another spatial rift. the troop from the dark dungeon, the place of faith left behind by the kobold god. several troops incessantly poured out of the two giant spatial rifts as they looked down from the sky. Chapter 614 the troops on both sides did not gather together. instead, they each formed a vast camp. however, the exaggerated number still gave people a strong visual impact. ¡°roar!¡± a series of deep roars sounded as a horde of stinking mount wolf riders appeared among the dog-headed people. behind the mummy troop, archers with longbows and bone arrows appeared. !! more and more troops gathered the two players were terrified. this level of power was too exaggerated. they couldn¡¯t imagine who could stop the current players. the kobold troop in the dark dungeon was above level 10, and the dune lord¡¯s imperial was above level 15. although the kobold god was a god, the kobold race was a low-level troop in the central plane. it was still the same even if they had the protection of a god. kobolds were powerful because they could give birth. they gave birth once every three months. they could give birth to more than ten at most. in just a year, they could grow into battle power. there were no high-level troops, but they won in numbers. the troop of dune lord was all top-notch troops, fierce and violent. after the two troops added up to more than five legions, the number of soldiers in the two troops increased to 10,000. the two troops finally met their commander. a mummy hero rode a skeleton blood dragon. the other party¡¯s level was as high as level 19, and its potential had even reached a-rank. it was terrifying, exceptionally terrifying. the two no longer had any doubts when they saw this hero. it was a sure thing this time. they felt that it was a pity. they could eliminate qingqiu today, the mightiest existence among the players. ¡°haonan, if they slay qingqiu, let¡¯s help him build a tombstone¡­¡± the black-fat pheasant haonan looked at the skinny shanji and nodded. ¡°sigh, we have no choice. that is the only thing we can do. who cares about qingqiu? the kobold god is a god! the dune lord was also a transcendent¡­¡± ¡®wuuu!¡¯ the two of them sighed. the war horn finally sounded from the rear. two large troops moved in the same direction¡­ as lackeys, the two players did not have any real power. they could only be witnesses and follow with other thoughts. a city on the yellow sand appeared before them after the soldiers traveled more than ten kilometers through the desert. the 30 meters city walls symbolized sturdiness, and the arrow towers revealed shooting holes that made people with trypophobia feel numb. the alchemical cannons with an exaggerated caliber made people shudder. in addition, densely packed mummy troops on the city walls and undead dragons flew in the sky¡­ this scene left the two idiots dumbfounded. ¡°what the? this! is this a mistake?? is this the territory of qingqiu? ¡°if i¡¯m not blind, this is a desert, right? you¡¯re in a desert with desolate resources, and you¡¯ve developed the city to this extent in just half a year?¡± it wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t seen a player¡¯s territory before. even experts would be lucky if their territory had a ten-meter-tall wall. moreover, the defensive weapons on it were even more ridiculous. the three arrow towers were acceptable, but what kind of dog was the alchemy cannon? how could there be a one or two meters caliber alchemy cannon? and alchemy cannon filled the walls! after a rough estimate of three to five hundred ¡°what kind of joke is this?! ¡°if they simultaneously fired, how many people would they need to fill the gap?¡± the two idiots looked at each other. they felt extreme jealousy. they were not worthy of living in this world compared to qingqiu. sorrow quickly engulfed their emotions. a pheasant ran to the bottom of the skeleton blood dragon and shouted at the level 19 mummy hero. ¡°commander, qingqiu¡¯s territory is right in front!! beat him up ruthlessly! don¡¯t leave a single strand of his hair!¡­¡± ¡°the strongest, right? invincible? i won¡¯t let you win, qingqiu!¡± ****** Chapter 615 ¡®wuuu!¡¯ the deep and epic horn sounds accompanied the dense troop that quickly approached like marching ants. in the blink of an eye, they were 500 meters away from the city wall. kobold warrior, mount wolf rider, shield warrior, kobold warlock¡­ guardian mummies, spearthrower mummies, sand condensation archers¡­ more than 20 soldiers and tens of thousands of troops surged like a massive wave. !! the kobold troop also brought several siege weapons, siege ladders, flying claws, collision vehicles, and giant shields¡­ this terrifying scene had a strong psychological impact. even a veteran who had been through hundreds of battles would tremble physically and mentally. the emotions of the two players turned subtle again when they saw this scene. their troop would destroy such a powerful city in their hands¡­ it was a complicated feeling. but more than that, they felt an inexplicable sense of revenge¡­ ¡°who the f*ck told you are awesome? now, i¡¯ll let you experience the beating of society!¡± just before the troop attacked. the two players suddenly realized the sky behind them had darkened. they turned around and saw two kobold heroes that rode wyverns and led more than three large teams of level 14 wyvern cavalry to the front of the level 19 mummy hero that rode skeleton blood dragon. the wyverns and hundreds of level 16 skeleton blood dragons met up in the sky. it was a massive investment to form this troop with the characteristics of the low-level kobolds. two level 18 kobold heroes, only slightly weaker than the level 19 mummy commander amazed them. their potential was all a rank. the two saw this scene and fell silent for some reason. it knocked off the ¡®already certain to die¡¯ situation and now even the slightest possibility of turning the tables. there was a hint of pity in their eyes. qingqiu was destined to become history. a kobold rode a wyvern and took out a blood-colored war horn. it placed it by its mouth and puffed up its cheeks. ¡®wuuu!¡¯ a low and murderous voice cut through the sky. at the same time, a strong magic power spread out in all directions. the magic power of the war horn enveloped the soldiers and felt a strong fighting spirit rise in their chests, and the power in their bodies soared. that power boosted the mummy troop although they had no morale. ¡°attack!¡± the level 19 mummy hero sat on the skeleton blood dragon and pulled out the white skeleton longsword in its hand and pointed it at twilight city. that gave the order to attack. in the next second. the kobold troop on the yellow sand quickly charged like a recently released wild horse from its reins. the mummy troop followed closely behind. they brought a majestic aura that was as heavy as a mountain. shadows shrouded the earth. the low roars made the air cold and terrifying. the world amidst the commotion became strangely quiet. everyone could only hear the roars of the dog-headed people. other voices have disappeared at this moment. the siege began. the troop moved quickly, and when the kobold troop approached the city wall, it was about 300 meters away. countless frozen sand archers released their taut bowstrings in the three hurricane arrow towers. the resources for construction have upgraded the tower to special level. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a sharp piercing sound resounded through the clouds. the light in the sky suddenly dimmed. everyone looked up and saw countless arrows that covered the sun¡­ the hurricane arrow towers gave the sand condensation archers a powerful boost. the arrows tore through the sky like a bolt of lightning. they were so fast that it was hard to see with the naked eye. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a level 10 kobold warrior felt a strong sense of danger. however, just as the thought of dodging rose in his mind, it felt a sharp pain in its head and instantly lost consciousness. its body fell backward and smashed into the sand. the arrows that flew at an increased speed were like bullets. the enemies they hit fell back unnaturally under powerful inertia. the dense troop fell like wheat cut before the archers and quickly drew their bows. blood continued to burst out, and the dry yellow sand ground formed into pieces of bloody hard blocks. however, the will of the gods was supreme. the kobold troop did not have any intention of retreating. the kobold soldiers continued to charge forward, and the mummy troop behind them rapidly approached. the troop finally approached a hundred meters from the city wall after they lost more than two battalions¡­ the siege was about to begin. at the same time, more than five teams of guardian mummies had closed the distance between them and the city wall. more than two large groups of guardian mummies gripped their spears tightly. their ruby eyes instantly burst with a scorching light. their bodies leaned back like a spring stretched to the limit. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ it suddenly shot out. two thousand spears more than two meters long pierced through the sky. ¡®clang!¡¯ the spears shattered the yellow sand arrows. and they broke the rain of arrows. the two players could not help but widen their eyes when they saw this shocking scene¡­ ¡°that was so f*cking fierce!¡± this wave of attack could destroy the city before them! that was an attack from a level 15 guardian mummy! they watched nervously. the terrifying spear fell straight into the city. ¡®clang!¡¯ the first spear that landed directly smashed into the city wall, and gravel flew everywhere. in an instant, the sound of metal colliding with metal exploded. that sounded the horn of death. in the next second, spears rained down wantonly. however, just as they thought twilight city would suffer a massive loss, the pupils of the two players constricted when they saw the scene on the city wall. Chapter 616 the spear pierced through the guardian mummies that protected the city one after another. then, the spear exploded and flew in all directions. however, this terrifying attack did not cause any damage to the mummies! the bodies of the soldiers were like grains of sand. they immediately returned to ordinary after spears pierced them. the first wave of destructive attacks only caused sporadic casualties in the end. the enormous damage was¡­ holes filled the city walls and the hurricane arrow tower behind them. !! the two idiots looked at each other and felt their scalps go numb. ¡°f*ck! pervert qingqiu, is he cheating??¡± however, although this wave of attacks did not have the expected effect, it still bought time for the dog-headed troop that crazily charged. the dog-headed troop had already rushed to the bottom of the city wall. dozens of people raised their shields and charged at the city gate with the ramming carriage. they raised the scaling ladders at the same time and smashed against the city wall. the kobold troop stopped and immediately climbed the ladder. there were several siege weapons, although they were light versions. it gave people soul-crushing pressure the troop could break the city wall in the next second. the mummy archers of the dune lord positioned themselves behind the enemies. these top-tier soldiers gripped their skeleton arrows and began to draw their bows. arrows that tore through the boulders whistled through the sky. they provided enormous firepower support for the attacking troop. the strong enemies on the hurricane arrow towers immediately combined. at this moment, the first wave of kobold troops had already attacked the city wall! an even crazier melee was about to erupt. at this moment. ¡®bang!¡¯ the sound of cannon fire exploded like rolling thunder from the nine heavens. the sand that filled the sky covered most of their vision. they could not see clearly. the sand sparingly dispersed and cleared the initially soldier-shrouded area. broken limbs scattered everywhere as if a meat grinder had just strangled them. the two players felt chaotic as they looked at the city wall. in the next second. the meter-caliber alchemical cannons simultaneously spat out tongues of fire¡­ ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ ten thousand cannons fired simultaneously! massive explosions rang out. it caused the world to lose its color. the surrounding troops were like harvested rice. they fell along with the cannons. the scene they were most worried about had appeared¡­ the power of those alchemy cannons was even more terrifying than he had imagined. that shocked and frightened the black-fat pheasant. ¡°motherf*cker, where did that freak qingqiu get so many alchemy cannons? is there any justice in this world?¡± fortunately, the mummy hero quickly countered. the sand condensation archers increased the pressure, and a few mages began to cast spells. at the same time, two level 18 kobold heroes led three large teams of wyverns to attack. the two players heaved a sigh of relief when they saw this scene. they considered whether to flee immediately once the enemy blocked such an attack. however, gargoyles with heavy axes appeared before the wyverns that flew above the city wall before they could celebrate. on the city wall, the kobold troops climbed up immediately and saw a figure with a pair of giant iron pincers and a long curved scorpion tail on its back. they saw the figure charge over even more excitedly than them just as they revealed a sinister smile¡­ the war had just begun. ****** solan city. richard found it funny as he watched christy happily play with the elfin music box. logically speaking, the princess of solan city and her father were legendary powerhouses. she had seen everything. however, these little things could make the other party extremely happy. this girl was too easy to coax¡­ christy returned to her senses and looked at him with a smile. ¡°lord richard, can you make a few more next time you come? record some different songs for me¡­ i¡¯ll get tired of listening to these few songs.¡± the little girl held the magic music box, tilted her head, and blinked her big eyes with a cute and innocent face. her adorable appearance made people unable to reject her. richard was about to say something when an idea struck him. ¡®record some different songs? ¡®wasn¡¯t this just a record?¡¯ the magic music box could play for half an hour¡­ it wasn¡¯t much different from the mp3 players on planet blue. one could modify mp3 players to play longer and have better sound quality. he could do this with the magic music box. he touched his chin and followed his train of thought. he could even turn the magic music box into a music player in the later stages and the songs into cd or tape items¡­ the magic music box was expensive, but the tape was cheap. in the future, he could sell a player and earn a wave of money. he could sell a tape or disc and make a stable income. he valued the deep level. if he could successfully develop this equipment, could he not start the entertainment industry in the ¡°shining era¡± in the future? the speed at which this thing made money was the real profiteering! it was not slower than the sale of goods. although the ¡°shining era¡± did not have the technological support of the blue planet, the rules of the world and even some basic physical rules were different. it was not possible to replicate the products of blue planet. but he had alchemy technology. that was the science of the ¡°shining era¡±. one would localize it if one could not copy it. the possibility of these things was high with the magic music box as a template. it could sing, and he could use a few photographic spells in the future, one that could take pictures. Chapter 617 he would be even more popular if he found a few people who lived a good life to guide him. that would be a vast blow to the ¡°shining era¡±, which had a poor spiritual life if he could do that. the more richard thought about it, the more he felt that there was something to it. the speed of earning money would be comparable to a money-printing machine if he could create something like this. !! at that time, he could recruit and level up several troop lairs. it would be simply profitable. however, before that, he had to solve the problem of the playback time first. then, he had to study how to separate the player from the disc. finally, he has to make this difficult for outsiders to copy¡­ that would require an immense investment. however, it was worth the investment if he could push thru with this. he retracted and organized his thoughts before he told vale about them. vale¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened. there was a hint of admiration. ¡°lord richard, this is a great idea! it¡¯s enough for the gods to praise your wisdom!¡± one could understand the potential in richard¡¯s explanation if one ponders, although his explanation was a little rough. magic music boxes that could change songs were a complete blank in the ¡°shining era¡±. a simple elfin music box was already a skill of the ancient elves. only a few leaked out. one could auction a sky-high price once they appear. richard wasn¡¯t proud of himself, and his face remained calm. the players could think of it if he could. one could tell from the music boxes sold in the [trading market]. however, his current advantage wasn¡¯t that he had more ideas than the other players. but the resources he had at his disposal were incomparable. it would have been useless to know this thing had potential if he hadn¡¯t gotten the blueprint from fortress city and conquered the gray-colored dwarves. the key was to create it, just like the nuclear weapons and chips on planet blue¡­ ¡®who didn¡¯t know that these things were good? but technology limited their production?!¡¯ he could not help but look at the agile figure beside him as he pondered. he slowly said afterward, ¡°christy, i need some high-level alchemists¡­ can you help me get a few?¡± christy blinked. ¡°lord richard, does this magic music box have that much potential?¡± this thing was just a toy to a girl who lived a rich life. ¡®has she thought about earning money? ¡®she wouldn¡¯t even bother to take over the solan chamber of commerce if it weren¡¯t for fun¡­¡¯ richard smiled. ¡°of course. we can give you exclusive rights to solan city if we can figure it out. ¡°we will send you the new products as soon as possible.¡± the latter sentence made the girl¡¯s eyes spark. ¡°let me think¡­ however, such talents were rare and not easy to find.¡± she said hesitantly. ¡°however, i know one has imprisoned two master alchemists in the dungeon of the city lord¡¯s mansion.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°master alchemists? ¡°why have they been locked up?¡± christy said with interest. ¡°i don¡¯t know. it seems like the alchemists studied something strictly forbidden.¡± there was some regret in his eyes. ¡°father doesn¡¯t let me come into contact with them.¡± her tone sounded like a child who didn¡¯t get a toy. richard laughed. this little girl was probably curious because she heard the alchemists studied something strictly forbidden. children in their rebellious phase always liked things that were not allowed. ¡°can you help me ask them to gift these two alchemists to me? ¡°i will imprison them so they will never appear on the surface. ¡°and i promise you. i will only allow study ordinary alchemy and never involve taboos¡­¡± christy shook her head in distress. ¡°i¡¯m going to ask father. i don¡¯t have the authority to release people from the dungeons. those are criminals that father personally imprisoned.¡± richard nodded. he was about to speak when a familiar voice rang in his ear. [ding~ the anchored force of the dune lord attacked your territory. please kill the dune lord and complete the promotion mission. you could only obtain experience points once you have completed it.] his deep eyes suddenly turned cold. he turned and looked into the depths of the desert¡­ the direction of the dune lord didn¡¯t change. he was too careless. the other party stole the house! at this moment, the second notification sounded. [ding~ dark dungeon force of the kobold troop attacked your territory. please organize a defense. you will become a refugee once it falls.] ¡°kobolds? ¡°the dog-headed troop was involved in this?!¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. uncertainty filled his heart. how did the lord of the dunes join with the kobold god?! has the kobold god caused the appearance of the lord of the dunes? or was the lord of the dunes a chess piece of the kobold god?? he said in a solemn voice as he thought about it. ¡°vale, twilight city is under attack. i need to return immediately!!¡± he turned around and walked out as soon as he finished speaking. however, he suddenly felt one pull the corner of his shirt before he could go out. he turned around and saw christy¡¯s pretty face. the girl who looked like a child just a moment ago now seriously looked at him. ¡°lord richard¡­ do you need my help?¡± Chapter 618 heart-wrenching roars became the main melody of the battlefield. the terrifying sound waves spread out dozens of kilometers away. the two idiots behind shanji and haonan watched the fierce battle and fell silent for some reason. they thought the enemies could not escape under the encirclement of the two top forces; the lord of the dunes and the kobold god. !! they could easily capture the city before them. but the result was far beyond their expectations. the enemies managed to hold on for three hours under the turmoiled assault of tens of thousands of soldiers¡­ moreover, there was no sign of their fall. this scene left them in disbelief. the look on the face of the black-fat pheasant went toward the giant iron pincers of scorpion warriors on the city wall and charged around like heavy tanks. he sighed. ¡°where did qingqiu get so many fierce soldiers? ¡°these scorpion warriors, who aren¡¯t even level 10, can easily suppress level 10 kobold warriors. they can even take on level 15 guardian mummies.¡± ¡°i just can¡¯t figure it out¡­¡± they suppressed the enemies and tore level 11 and 12 kobold warriors apart in a few moves. it was like an 80-kilogram man stared at an eight or nine-year-old child and tried to bully the child. but the child eventually slapped the man. the contrast was tremendous. it should not have developed in such a way, but the outcome had become like this. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ another series of artillery fires. the alliance troop¡¯s fierce attack once again pushed back with the sand that flew dozens of meters high. the skinny player, shanji, shook his head. ¡°f*ck, who knows how that pervert developed. ¡°how many hours has it been? the cannonballs are still incessantly firing! ¡°f*ck the cannon barrel! how much ammunition had he produced?! ¡°is this large caliber and powerful weapon so cheap to manufacture? ¡°a three-stars alchemy cannon must have used a high level of ammunition, right? ¡°but why did they fight like they didn¡¯t need money¡­ simply too¡­¡± the two did not know that twilight city had an entire underground world, nor did they know that the gray-colored dwarves¡¯ hundreds of years of accumulation had moved into the warehouse of twilight city after the war. ¡°but¡­i have a feeling the dune lord has some other plans. look at those heroes. they haven¡¯t made a move yet. ¡°they wouldn¡¯t stop on the city wall and unable to push in if they were to attack.¡± the black-fat pheasant curled its lips. ¡°what other reason could this be¡­ was it fishing? didn¡¯t it see that qingqiu still hadn¡¯t appeared?¡± ¡°the main purpose of the dune lord is the power of the yellow sand, not this territory.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t that boss say qingqiu had gone to solan city to hide? who knows if the other party is afraid!¡± ¡°no one knows when the other party will come out. that would be nonsense if qingqiu wouldn¡¯t come out. i don¡¯t think the dune lord would dare to attack solan city.¡± ¡°now is the reasonable time to use the other party¡¯s territory to fish.¡± haonan touched his chin and said in a daze. ¡°no wonder they haven¡¯t taken down the other party¡¯s territory. so this is the reason.¡± the pheasant sneered. ¡°that might not be the case. we could not win without these top-notch heroes. ¡°the troops defending the city have an impeccable geographical advantage. that is something that the attackers couldn¡¯t compare to. ¡°fighting in the opponent¡¯s home ground is disadvantageous no matter what. ¡°what¡¯s more, qingqiu¡¯s firepower is too strong. ¡°especially those alchemy cannons. all living beings are equal before them¡­ there were at least 300 to 500 alchemy cannons, which made up for the difference in the number of troops. ¡°the enemy¡¯s cannon fire is somewhat restricting our hands and feet. those alchemical cannons could harvest the troop wantonly once we invest several soldiers. it won¡¯t be effective if we invest sparingly¡­ ¡°so, even though the opponents seem to have a massive gap with us, they are relying on the city to fight, and the heavy weapons in their hands forcibly evened out the gap.¡± the skinny player sighed when he heard this analysis. ¡°f*ck, i thought i could flatten qingqiu¡¯s city in one wave, but now it seems this guy¡¯s territory is potent. ¡°i don¡¯t understand. where did qinqiu obtain so many good things?¡± the two idiots suddenly noticed two skeleton blood dragons flew over from behind while they discussed. the other party went to the side of the level 19 mummy hero and started chatting. the two skeleton blood dragons momentarily returned. the next moment, the deep war horn sounded again. their morale, which had been slightly low due to the prolonged attack, began to soar with the sound of the horn. regroup. this time, other than the three top-notch heroes, the defending troop at the rear did not stop and began to press forward. that invigorated the two players. ¡°the dune lord is no longer pretending? ¡°the fish they want to catch¡­ did it take the bait? ¡°why haven¡¯t i seen qingqiu?¡± the actions of the two allied forces immediately met with a counterattack. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the alchemy cannon with an exaggerated caliber spewed out flames. every flash of light represented the harvest of a large number of souls. arrows rained down from the shooting holes of the arrow towers. they pierced through the sky with the cries of the grim reaper. the sand condensation archers controlled the savage heavy crossbows and the dragon-hunting crossbows aimed at wyverns. although the counterattack was sharp, it was different this time. the pressure on twilight city had increased tenfold! Chapter 619 the wyverns and skeleton blood dragons in the sky recklessly charged at the defense line of the stone statues of the dead¡­ the other party had launched an all-out attack! twilight city had lost more than half of its troops after three hours of a fierce battle. they were gradually unable to hold on. the fierce scorpion warriors collapsed one by one. the enemies tore the bandages of the bandaged mummies and scattered them over the ground. they trampled the heads of the guardian mummies. they shattered the battle tomahawks of the undead. they broke the wings of the dark gargoyles. they exhausted the cursed pharaoh¡¯s mana. they gradually moved the magic staff into the hands of the wild sand mage¡­ !! the giant axe death knights eventually charged up the city wall to guard it. the situation got increasingly worse. twilight city reached its limit after three hours of frenzy attacks. just as the situation gradually collapsed and was even irreversible. everyone could hear a series of footsteps from the north of twilight city. it was the sound of thousands of people running. many people subconsciously turned their heads to look. on the yellow sand ground, fierce warriors in full armor charged over. the other party held a battle axe in its hand and was more than two meters tall. its muscles bulged its armor, and it was full of power. the wyverns above the heads of these warriors wore heavy armor and were armed to the teeth. they roared. several mechanical puppets mixed in with the troop. each had the eye-catching mark of the gray-colored dwarves on them. ¡°that¡¯s¡­the dungeon troop?¡± the black-fat pheasant widened its eyes in disbelief. ¡°what¡¯s going on? when did qingqiu get mixed up with the dungeon?¡± he was short of ling gate¡¯s kick to destroy the other party, but now, it was forcefully interrupted. that kind of uncomfortable feeling made him feel one. the appearance of the dungeon troop immediately attracted the attention of the level 19 mummy hero. it looked at the stubborn resistance of twilight city and snorted coldly. it had no choice but to transfer some of its troops to stop the reinforcements from the dungeon, although it was unwilling. sel bloodhoof, the level 17 ruler of bloodhoof city, swung his battle axe wildly and violently when they mobilized the allied forces. they took the lead and charged forward. ¡°kill them!¡± killing intent raged within the roar. the general was brave, and the leader was crazy. the troop behind them naturally did not have any scruples and rushed forward. bloodhoof city had long recovered to its peak after a few months of recovery with the wealth obtained from the wanton extermination of other forces. moreover, due to the full support of twilight city and the abundant resources they had obtained, the dungeon barbarians were now mightier than before. the sturdy armor on their bodies was the best proof. the dungeon reinforcements from the north were like sharp knives stabbed into the dog-headed men and mummies from the west as one looked down from the sky. they weren¡¯t enough in a few situations, though the allied forces had dispatched troops to respond quickly. the creatures in the dungeon were not kind existences. they would take advantage of one¡¯s weakness to take one¡¯s life. they would seize this fleeting gap and start to kill crazily. people fell. the two idiot players widened their eyes in disbelief. ¡°was this the true power of qingqiu?¡± the two were bewildered and wanted to see how the level 19 mummy hero would deal. suddenly, they felt the ground beneath their feet rumble. it was like an earth dragon flipped over. the two idiots were stunned. ¡°what was that?¡± before the idiots could react. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the ground exploded fifty meters ahead, and countless yellow sand splattered that covered half of the sky. in the blurry light, they could vaguely see a creature of a terrifying size leap out of the ground. the giant beast¡¯s mouth opened like a flower petal. sharp teeth filled its mouth like a sawtooth. rocks shattered, and steel broke as it opened and closed¡­ it devoured dozens of guardian mummies in the area. these fierce troops did not even have the strength to struggle¡­ ¡®bang!¡¯ like a fish that jumped out of the water, the blurry and terrifying giant rose dozens of meters before it crashed heavily onto the ground. the sand exploded a hundred meters into the air. ten thousand mountain peaks smashed the ground. the violent tremors made their feet numb, and they could not stand steadily. the giant beast burrowed into the ground after it fell into the yellow sand. in the span of a breath, the other party disappeared. it left behind more than 20 meters in diameter pit and still collapsed¡­ this terrifying scene gave the two idiots an unprecedented psychological shock. no one could imagine how terrifying the impact of such an ancient giant that drilled out of the ground under their eyes was. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ what made their strength¡¯s scalp tingle was that there was more than one such terrifying beast!! the continuous sound was like the roar of the grim reaper, and each time it took away several souls. one could see down from the sky the giant beasts that constantly emerged from the ground. they used the most domineering posture to devour the dog-headed people and mummy troops on the surface¡­ they would clear a large area every time they jumped out of the yellow sand. they would crush those who fell, and they hit into meat paste immediately. sandworm, the behemoth richard had obtained from the first dungeon. these over a hundred meters long creatures aren¡¯t powerful as the guardian mummies as they mature, but their size was enough to wipe out all of this. the initially shaky situation gradually stabilized with the dungeon reinforcements and the rampage of the ten sandworms. twilight city finally had some breathing space. the two idiot players suddenly realized to command. the mummy hero had brought the two kobold heroes to a distance of 20 to 30 meters from them. they could see from the side that the two kobold heroes seemed sparingly anxious. ¡°f*ck! aren¡¯t these guys going to make a move? it was not certain who would win if one dragged these heroes.¡± ¡°i told you to f*cking pretend. now you know how to be anxious? what were you doing earlier!¡± the two idiots were disappointed. at this moment, a messenger on a wyvern flew over from the direction of the dungeon reinforcements. ¡°the great lord white claw has already found out the origins of those dungeon troops!!¡± the kobold hero¡¯s gaze froze. ¡°speak!¡± ¡°those dungeon barbarians and gray-colored dwarves appeared from a spatial rift about ten kilometers to the north.¡± ¡°there¡¯s a withered tree near the spatial rift. it¡¯s easy to recognize¡­ however, the state of the tree was sparingly strange. it did not seem to have withered, and its roots had spread to the spatial rift.¡± the messenger added. ¡°i suspect that the tree is providing energy to the spatial rift¡­¡± it couldn¡¯t help but feel excited when the kobold hero heard this. ¡°let¡¯s go down and explore.¡± as it spoke, it looked to its side. the level 19 mummy hero looked at the questioning gaze of the kobold hero and turned its head slightly. its empty eyes looked towards the north, in the direction of the dungeon reinforcements. ¡°the grace mainland overlord hasn¡¯t returned yet¡­ we still have to wait.¡± the kobold hero raised its eyebrows in dissatisfaction. ¡°what about the barbarians and the gray-colored dwarf troop?¡± its eyes, as it spoke, became supremely ferocious. ¡°the companions of the blasphemers should all die! no one can provoke our god!¡± mummy hero said indifferently. ¡°first cut off the enemy¡¯s reinforcements, then attack this city.¡± it spoke and commanded the skeleton blood dragon to change its direction. ¡°you two stay here and supervise the battle. i¡¯ll go close the spatial rift to the underground world and cut off the escape route of the reinforcements in the dungeon. i¡¯ll also check if grace mainland overlord has other tricks.¡± only then did the kobold hero¡¯s expression ease up slightly. before the other party left, it added another sentence. ¡°that tree is the source of energy for the spatial rift¡­¡± the level 19 mummy hero did not care about this, and its tone was cold. ¡°what power does a withered tree have? just chop it off.¡± it spoke and commanded the skeleton blood dragon to gallop north. Chapter 620 ¡°grace mainland overlord hadn¡¯t appeared yet. he couldn¡¯t ruin its master¡¯s plan. those lowly creatures shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± the reinforcements from the dungeon had gone crazy at the flank of twilight city! they would engage in the most intense bloody battle with the kobold and the mummy troop. the reinforcements that had suddenly appeared with the help of the sandworms stalled the allied forces that were about to destroy twilight city. !! however, the troop of the dune lord was too powerful. guardian mummies, sand condensation archers, mummy spearthrowers¡­ all of them were above level 15. they were better than the quality of the troops on the battlefield. moreover, because they had entered the battle late, four or five large teams remained¡­ they had reorganized their dense troop formation after a short period of chaos. they launched an even fiercer attack on the dungeon reinforcements. one of the guardian mummies ran into a fully armored dungeon barbarian. the guardian mummy thrust out its spears as it engaged in a close battle. the barbarian warriors from the dungeon roared as they rushed over with a shield in one hand and a saber in the other. the barbarian warriors immediately raised their short war shields to block the spear. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks exploded when the contradictions intersected. the barbarian warrior in the dungeon took two steps back, but it did not lose its fighting strength. however, the ruby eyes of the guardian mummy exploded with a dazzling light before it could retaliate. the spear exploded with ten times the power. ¡®bang!¡¯ the barbarian warrior felt its hand go numb, and it sent its shield flying. its body fell back uncontrollably. cold light reflected in its eyes when it wanted to control its body, and then it lost consciousness. the average level of the barbarian warriors in the dungeon was ten. their potential ranged from rare 3-stars to glorious 3-stars. compared to the guardian mummies, the difference in strength was enormous. there was almost no chance of victory in most cases of fights against an enemy that was four or five levels higher than oneself or even one level higher in potential. the blood soaked the yellow sand and instantly solidified into a hard lump. the reinforcements in the dungeon began to fall in large numbers. in the end, it was all thanks to the ten sandworms that the situation did not collapse. however, this short stalemate did not last long. a level 18 kobold hero came down. the other party was a rare spellcaster. it held a bone staff and aimed it at the sandworm. the sandworm¡¯s body exploded with endless mana when it attacked again. in the next second, the yellow sand on the ground instantly petrified, and stone spikes dozens of meters long exploded. the stone spikes did not appear where the sandworms were. that was sparingly odd. however, after two breaths, the other party¡¯s actions explained everything. the sharp stone spikes broke from the roots and flew backward. they attacked the sandworms that slaughtered wantonly. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the stone spikes were like heavy crossbows. they pierced the huge sandworm with a whistling sound. the terrifying force forcefully pierced through its wrinkled skin, and sticky liquid splattered everywhere. the immature sandworms did not have a sturdy defense that was hard to injure. ¡®roar!¡¯ the intense pain caused the sandworm to wail. in the end, it could only dive into the yellow sand unwillingly. it could not launch any more attacks. the sandworm¡¯s elimination immediately worsened the situation. the number of casualties in the dungeon increased at a visible rate¡­ twilight city. one-third of the city wall fell under the spears of the guardian mummies. the enemies still inevitably suppressed them, although all the troops fought bravely. especially after the enemy troop entered the city, a few alchemy cannons rapidly decreased. the enemy¡¯s attacks became even more ferocious after they reduced the suppression. what blew the doomsday horn was the fall of the archer tower closest to the west wall¡­ when the 300 sand condensation archers were forced to activate the sand transformation skill and then jumped down from the sky to retreat in this way¡­ the situation instantly deteriorated to an unacceptable degree. ¡°butler karu, take all the residents and evacuate to the sandstorm!! hurry up!¡± ¡°the void sandworm is in the underground world. find the spatial rift of the underground passage of the bloodhoof city.¡± on the east side, a few enemies attacked. that allowed the residents of twilight city enough space to retreat. at this moment, the little centaur, emily, with her blood-stained armor, gave an order. no one expected that emily would become the backbone of everyone. the formerly child centaur boss took over the command at the beginning of the battle. a series of decisive, calm, and timely orders had allowed twilight city to hold on until now. emily was the vanguard in this battle. and she never backed down from the front line. in the three hours of battle, she had killed more than a brigade of enemies. butler karu¡¯s face had aged and showed a hint of reluctance when he heard the order. that was his home. there would be nothing left if he were to go!! however, he suppressed his emotions when he saw the enemies had already entered the city. he turned around decisively after a long sigh. ¡°everyone, follow me! ¡°we can still rebuild twilight city as long as the lord is still alive, even if the enemies destroy this city today!¡± Chapter 621 the surrounding residents were silent. these words were like a sharp knife that stabbed into their hearts. many people clenched their fists and gritted their teeth. the anger in their hearts burned. the enemy trampled their city!! moreover, it was when the city lord left¡­ they didn¡¯t protect their home!! they had let down the city lord! !! power. they had never had such a thirst for power. they did not want to see the city that the city lord had painstakingly built, their home, turn into ruins! they looked at the enemies that incessantly poured in from the west wall. the emotions in their hearts peaked at this moment. however, none dared to risk their lives to fight their enemies. instead, they followed karu to the sandstorm area in the east. as long as there was life, there was hope. that was a proverb that the city lord had personally taught them. they wanted to live and wait for their master to return¡­ when the time came, they would see with their own eyes how they would bury the people who trampled on twilight city! butler karu looked at the silent residents beside him with a strange feeling in his heart. although no one spoke, he felt that these residents were different at this moment. their eyes burned with flames, and their hearts scorched with anger!! emily looked at the mummy hero beside her after the soldiers escorted the residents away. ¡°gray, gunter, lead your troops to guard the east wall. immediately flee into the sandstorm if you can¡¯t. don¡¯t hesitate¡­ when father returned, he would deal with these enemies!¡± all the residents, emily included, had one thing in mind¨Cto wait for richard¡¯s return. that was their ruler, their hope, their light! they firmly believed that as long as their lord returned, all their enemies would turn to ashes!! emily¡¯s body suddenly expanded to ten meters as soon as she spoke. the battle axe in her hand also increased in power. emily¡¯s eyes were cold as she charged forward like lightning. ¡®tata! tata!¡¯ a single person charged forward, and a thousand soldiers retreated. the earth trembled. dozens of guardian mummies walked along the street toward the lord¡¯s mansion when they suddenly saw the shadow that elongated after the sun shone. more than ten guardian mummies sensed the threat and immediately gathered together to form a battle formation. they wanted to shake the earth. in the next second. emily ran wildly and waved the weapon in her hand. the battle axe whistled past. ¡®kacha!¡¯ one could hear crisp cracking sounds as dozens of spears fell to the ground. the mummy spearthrowers looked over and disappeared. they left behind a large pile of bones, broken limbs, and torn bandages¡­ instant kill. emily didn¡¯t stop at all. she charged into the midst of the enemies like a bolt of lightning. her terrifying figure made her white hooves even more potent than a battering ram. it could stomp the soldiers on the ground to death. she charged forward. this boss had entered battle mode, and no one could defeat her. however, even though she had infiltrated the enemy forces alone and slaughtered in all directions, she still could not stop everyone¡­ emily¡¯s bravery could no longer save the situation. the difference in strength between the two troops is enormous¡­ the situation took a turn for the worse with the fall of the city wall and the loss of the alchemy cannons. artillery cover could not protect twilight city. and that forced them to retreat. the number of casualties had already exceeded 70% in the high-intensity battle. that was an unprecedented loss for twilight city since its rise. the enemy could raze the entire city to the ground¡­ if there were no new reinforcements. they also suppressed the reinforcements from the dungeon outside the city. sel bloodhoof, the level 17 dungeon hero, hated himself for not being strong enough. the dungeon barbarians under his command were like glass before the guardian mummies that shattered with a single touch. that caused the arrogance that he had developed from ruling over half of the underground world to be ruthlessly smashed. it turned out that the troop on the surface was so powerful¡­ bloodhoof city could not be the capital to run amok. he decided that if he could return to bloodhoof city alive, he would invest all his resources into the military. one day, he would let the surface world see the edge of bloodhoof city!! however, no matter how unwilling he was, he could not stop the situation from festering. the troop gradually crumbled. ferocious guardian mummies already overwhelmed them. the arena fell into darkness. even the most confident person would fall silent if one saw this. the overall situation was set. the two idiotic players who had witnessed the entire battle finally heaved a sigh of relief when they saw their troops forcefully suppress the dungeon reinforcements. fortunately, there were no more accidents. they still won. after the black-fat pheasant regained its senses, it looked at twilight city and watched emily massacre the people in the city. ¡°i don¡¯t know where qingqiu got so many trump cards¡­ a 10-meter-tall centaur. was this a f*cking a-rank? too fierce! one lady against a thousand soldiers. one could carve the image carved for a centaur!¡± shanji was as thin as a hemp pole and felt sparingly resentful. ¡°who cares? so what if qingqiu is strong? right now, we are going to flatten their territory¡­ i feel so comfortable.¡± just as the situation in twilight city was beyond redemption, the level 19 mummy hero slowly flew over the land of quicksand. Chapter 622 it stared at the ancient giant tree with its empty eyes for a long time before it finally sneered. ¡°as expected, it didn¡¯t wither!¡± ¡°it was like this tree had no connection to the spatial rift. ¡°however, what? does it matter if it had no connection to the spatial rift? !! ¡°it was just a tree, so what if he cut it down?¡± some barbarians that emerged from the spatial rift noticed this uninvited guest. however, they could only glare at them angrily since they did not have any means to fight in the air. the war had only started for three hours, and the dungeon troop had already come to support them. they couldn¡¯t gather all the troops¨Cthere was not enough time. for this reason, sel could only bring the remaining troops to come first. and the troops behind would continue to rush over. the mummy hero pulled on its reins when it saw this, and the level 17 skeleton dragon hero sat on lowered its head. ¡®roar!¡¯ the moment it opened its mouth, a dark green dragon¡¯s breath drew out a tongue of fire that was dozens of meters long. ¡®thud!¡¯ the ice and snow dragon¡¯s breath quickly melted the barbarians in the dungeon. it was like molten in the scorching sun. it left only their skeletons and armor in a span of breath. it was terrifying. the mummy hero didn¡¯t mind the poky characters on the ground. after a simple cleaning, it commanded the skeleton dragon to go straight to the ancient giant tree. then, it descended and stopped on a withered branch in front of it. the vast branches could not accommodate a skeleton dragon. the mummy hero lowered its head to glance. the faint soul fire was vaguely discernible in its empty eye sockets. that was a surprise. to find there were many petrified wasps on the tree trunk. ¡°what was this?¡± however, it didn¡¯t bother after it did not sense any strange aura. it stretched its right hand and pointed at the ancient giant tree below. its voice was cold and hollow. it was like it came from a machine that made people feel fear. the skeleton dragon lowered its head when it heard the order. its throat lit up with a dark green light again. ¡®puch!¡¯ the corrosive negative energy came that crashed down from above. it had thought it could quickly wither the branches. however, the mummy hero was stunned to discover¡­ the dried tree bark was like a sponge absorbing water. it swallowed all the dragon breath. ¡°hmm? ¡°what was that?¡± the mummy hero felt sparingly displeased. ¡°how could it withstand the dragon breath? ¡°continue!¡± the skeleton dragon sensed its master¡¯s displeasure. it opened its throat again and released a roar. this time, the strength of the dragon breath has significantly increased. the skeleton dragon was level 17 and had a c-rank potential. it was a hero unit that deserved its name. its ferocious attacks were supremely terrifying when it was released all out. but what made the mummy hero suspicious was¡­ the withered ancient giant tree devoured the dragon¡¯s breath. that made the hero sparingly impatient. ¡°dragon breath explosion!¡± the dragon breath of the skeleton dragon increased by several times. the terrifying energy distorted the surrounding space. it would probably turn into molten iron in a breath¡­ even if steel covered it. under such a terrifying attack. finally, the withered ancient giant tree slowly moved. the soul in the mummy hero¡¯s empty eyes flickered slightly. ¡°there was finally movement?¡± but before it could do anything. suddenly, it felt an indescribable dark and evil aura rose from below. it was as if the abyss had shattered, and endless darkness surged into the human world. fear¡­ descent. the evil aura that surged made the world lose its color at this moment. it terrified the mummy hero. it felt as if a giant hand gripped its soul. it creaked and could explode at any moment. as the ancient giant tree revived, it gave life to the lifeless gray wasps on the trunk and suddenly regained their color. black and yellow. the gray wasps maintained a ferocious appearance. ¡°buzz!¡± they flapped their wings wildly. it instantly formed a black tide on the tree crown. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á -n?¦Íe| , c?m the level 19 mummy hero finally came back to his senses. ¡°retreat!¡± a mournful roar caused the skeleton dragon to flap its wings and fly into the sky. however, before it could fly out of the tree crown, the skeleton dragon¡¯s body suddenly stopped and fell rapidly. the mummy hero felt its butt empty. it subconsciously looked down and saw a tree branch wrapped around the skeleton dragon hero. a level-17 strength was like a child facing an 80-kilogram-strong man under the pull of a tree trunk. it could not resist at all. the ancient giant tree branch swung down fiercely after it pulled. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground shook, and countless grains of sand flew up. it smashed the skeleton dragon into the yellow sand. before it could struggle, the tree trunk swung and pulled the skeleton dragon out of the sand. it raised and smashed it down again. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground would tremble every time it swung it. it smashed a level 17 skeleton dragon hero into pieces under the mummy hero¡¯s gaze. the only thing left in its soul was its white skull that burned with soul fire. it fell to the ground¡­ the mummy hero suddenly saw a twisted face appear on the wrinkled skeleton after it slayed the skeleton dragon. the other party¡¯s pair of dark eyes stared at it indifferently¡­ the mummy hero felt an indescribable horror when it saw this scene. undead creatures had no fear. but at this moment, it sensed the evil and fear that seeped into its soul under the gaze of the twisted face ancient giant tree. it was the disgust and fear that came from the rules of life. even the dead souls couldn¡¯t escape. what was on the ground was not a tree. it was like a supremely evil existence that had crawled out from the bottomless abyss and could kill gods. a name that made the mummy hero tremble suddenly appeared in its mind. abomination. Chapter 623 negativity represented the abyssal demons, and abominations were a hundred times more terrifying than demons. that was because these gods gave birth to these extremely evil existences. according to the legend, several gods fell in the first battle of the gods after the creation of the world. however, those fallen gods did not decay. instead, their souls survived due to the uniqueness of the laws. !! however, they could not repeat giving birth to them because of the restrictions of the rules. resentment grew during the long imprisonment. a supremely terrifying life was born on the body that contained laws and divinity with anger and resentment¡­ abomination. those existences had inherited the divinity and divine power of the gods. moreover, because they had eroded a portion of the power of laws, ordinary laws could not kill them. one could only seal and imprison them. the world¡¯s most extreme evil made their souls and filled their special birth laws. it also gave them extreme destructive power. the first batch of abominations had killed more gods than they had died in the war of gods. the abomination even forced the gods to stop the war and work together to drive the abomination into the abyss¡­ fear engulfed the level 19 mummy hero¡¯s soul. it had never imagined that such a terrifying life form would exist in this desert. at this moment, it shattered even its courage to escape¡­ on the thick trunk of the giant twisted human-faced tree, the ancient tree stared coldly at the mummy hero in the sky. there were no words. after a short silence. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the ground suddenly cracked, and countless yellow sand flew up. a sand veil covered the sky. in the mummy hero¡¯s blurry vision, it could see dozens of thick roots that shot from the ground. it headed straight for it in the sky. the mummy hero oddly froze in the air. it was as if a giant hand forcefully grabbed it. the roots pounced before it, and death would devour its soul in the next moment¡­ great terror finally stimulated the mummy hero. its empty eyes burst out with a brilliant light. in an instant, endless energy surged within its body. ¡®kacha!¡¯ it broke some kind of confinement. the mummy hero roared in fear and wanted to fly away. however, in the next second, a pressure countless times more terrifying than before rose. its soul once again fell into fear¡­ ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the thick roots whizzed up and tied up the mummy hero. it was like a hemp rope that tied up an ant. one could crush it with a little force. the pressure dissipated after the roots tied it up like a dumpling, and the mummy hero finally woke up. it crazily roared when it sensed its situation was not right. ¡°no!¡± in its endless fear, its free untied right hand gripped the white bone sword tightly and slashed at the roots around it. the terrifying energy even distorted the void. ¡®clang!¡¯ metal clanged, and sparks exploded. the white bone sword left a deep scratch on the root. but it was like it scratched an itch compared to the exaggerated straightforwardness. the scratches that recovered visible to the naked eye made the mummy more desperate. in a breath, the roots pulled the mummy hero before the tree trunk. the giant twisted human-faced ancient tree appeared before its empty eyes. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á- n?¦Íe|`c,0m the mummy hero struggled and suddenly stiffened. at this moment, it was as if the demon king of destiny stared at the mummy hero who stepped on the ground and had the world above its head. its soul creaked and could explode at any time due to excessive pressure. it did not dare to move at all¡­ the pressure of a higher being against a lower being seeped deep into the soul. it could not resist. the god¡¯s ancient tree dragged the mummy over and tied its roots. the roots quickly grew countless tiny tentacles. it completely wrapped the mummy hero within. in the next second. a terrifying scene appeared. the mummy hero emitted an aura and was like a dam that had been opened and rapidly decreased. saplings broke through the sand and popped around the god¡¯s ancient tree. they grew visible to the naked eye after the new saplings saw the sunlight. trees more than twenty meters tall grew in just a few dozen breaths. this giant twisted human-faced tree did not have the green leaves of ordinary trees. that was shocking, and their branches were dry and bare without a single leaf. the branches were like a withered human arm, full of strangeness. the forest did not add color to the desert. instead, it made the desert look even more desolate. when no new saplings appeared, the roots that tied the mummy hero slowly loosened¡­ the mummy hero lost its support, fell from the sky, and crashed into the ground. grains of sand flew everywhere. it realized the recently arrogant mummy hero had large cracks on its body when it focused its gaze. the yellow bandages on its body had lost their luster. the bind extinguished the soul fire in its hollow eyes at some point. a level 19 hero unit with a potential a-rank, a top-notch existence that could shock countless players, had fallen and could not even launch an attack. no one expected the situation to develop like this¡­ the god¡¯s ancient tree suddenly turned its trunk and looked in another direction after it dealt with this enemy that appeared out of nowhere. Chapter 624 a bad feeling rose in his heart¡­ it sensed death and blood. a messenger from twilight city rode a stone statue of the dead and flew over quickly when the god¡¯s ancient tree was about to take action. the messenger furiously said after it stopped a dozen meters away. ¡°lord treebeard, twilight city is under attack!!¡± !! ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Án?¦Íel ¡°the city lord has not returned yet. we can¡¯t defend twilight city anymore!!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree trunk violently turned when it heard the news. and its twisted face revealed raging flames. ¡°who is it?!!¡± ¡°the dog-headed warriors and a group of unknown mummies!!¡± ¡°kobold?¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s evil aura suddenly soared like a vast wave that could swallow the sky and earth. the light in the sky dimmed at this moment. in the vast world, it was as if only this giant tree was left. ¡°a bunch of lowly bugs!!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree was furious. ¡°those lowly creatures had launched a sneak attack on the twilight city while i was asleep, and the master had left!!¡± richard had told it more than once to protect the city after he left as the guardian of the twilight city. but now, it had just woken up and heard the news twilight city was about to fall. it was like a slap to its face. ¡°how would i explain the ruins to the city lord when he returns?!!¡± its master had put in so much effort for its breakthrough, but now, it could not even protect twilight city! the more its thoughts thrived, the more treebeard emitted a terrifying aura. ¡°no one can trample on twilight city!!¡± the high-level treeman language resounded in the sky. endless dark energy erupted from its body. the earth cracked open in its abyssal anger. yellow sand surged out from the ground. in the next moment, thousands of frozen corpses emerged from the sand. richard had once retrieved several magic plants that could emit the power of ice from bloodhoof city. the god¡¯s ancient tree planted these magic plants in the underground space. these frozen corpses remained after countless battles. one initially used them to recruit high-level troops. the enraged god¡¯s ancient tree could not care about anything else. the roots grew rapidly and directly pierced into the corpses. then, like straws, they swallowed all the energy contained in them. as treebeard moved, new saplings sprouted from the hundreds of towering trees on the yellow sand¡­ in the blink of an eye, the forest had extended 500 meters. the energy of the thousands of corpses split open and turned into dried corpses when the giant twisted human-faced tree devoured them. the land of quicksand had already become a dry and dead forest. even a veteran who had been through hundreds of battles would feel his back numb before the several white bones and corpses on the ground. ¡°hmph!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree snorted coldly after the tree stopped growing. ¡°i will punish those who attacked twilight city!!¡± as soon as the human-faced tree spoke, it loudly chanted. ¡°??????,???????,??!¡± a long and obscure incantation resounded through the world. in an instant. the twenty-meter-tall trees of darkness began to twist violently. at least 2,000 giant trees in the forest glanced around and waved their branches. the tree branches whizzed as they waved. indescribable subtlety filled the twigs. at the same time, blurry, ferocious, and terrifying faces gradually appeared on the thick tree trunk. ¡°these trees¡­ we¡¯re alive!¡± the messenger rode on the stone statue of the dead and swallowed its saliva. shock and excitement flooded its eyes. the god¡¯s ancient tree looked around and spoke again. ¡°????????????!!¡± the next second, everyone could hear the obscure syllable. ¡®thud!¡¯ the ground exploded. grains of sand flew dozens of meters into the air. sand shrouded the sky. treebeard looked around. it saw the withered treemen pull their roots and stand. two thousand 20-meter-tall dark treants rose from the ground as they looked down from the sky. this scene was extremely shocking. the furious god¡¯s ancient tree roared. its roots were thicker than the other trees. they tore the ground apart at this moment and propped it up high. the 50-meter-tall giant twisted human-faced tree directly expanded to 80 meters. dozens of roots supported its body. from afar, it looked like an ancient creature from myths and legends that walked out of a mural. that gave people a strong visual impact. ordinary humans were as tiny as ants before it¡­ ¡°revenge!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree surged a dark light with an abyssal roar. a shocking scene appeared afterward. the yellow sand under the feet of all the dark treants began to flow forward. they did not move at all, but they moved forward quickly¡­ this ability ridiculously existed even after leaving the land of quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree controlled the ability to control quicksand. treebeard became increasingly terrifying when it awakened. thousands of poisonous wasps buzzed and danced in the sky. it formed a thick black cloud. the giant twisted human-faced tree controlled the quicksand and brought the treant troop and the black tide of wasps over¡­ this scene was like a battle between gods carved on ancient murals. at this moment, no one could imagine what kind of terrifying destructive power the god¡¯s ancient tree that came with fury would unleash. ¡ª¡ª the two idiot players in the dune lord¡¯s camp, shanji, and haonan, felt a sense of delight as they watched the walls of twilight city fall. Chapter 625 the top-tier player who had claimed the title of the number one player and had almost no doubts about his strength had his territory taken over just like that. moreover, there was no possibility of a comeback. it would be useless even if another dungeon reinforcement appeared. !! the territory was the foundation of a lord. everything would go back to zero if one destroyed it! the black-fat pheasant sighed. ¡°what a pity. one has ruined such a good territory just like that. it would be better if the dune lord bestowed it to us.¡± the skinny shanji curled his lips. ¡°what are you thinking about? didn¡¯t you see the expression on the kobold god¡¯s face when he mentioned qingqiu? it was as if this top-tier overlord slept with its wife. i¡¯m afraid this city won¡¯t be able to survive¡­ qingqiu will end here.¡± ¡°a new era has arrived.¡± the pheasant sighed. ¡°right now, qingqiu probably still rushed back to provide support. unfortunately, it¡¯s useless¡­ he would take the bait unless he could give up everything.¡± ¡°it¡¯s still the same. let¡¯s erect a tombstone if this guy dies.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have a corpse. i¡¯ll make a cenotaph to commemorate this pervert who once made 20 billion players bow their heads¡­¡± ¡°this can be considered a hero cherishing a hero.¡± haonan nodded shamelessly in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s right. heroes cherish heroes¡­¡± the skinny pheasant suddenly opened his mouth wide and stared to the side in disbelief before he could finish his sentence. it was as if he had seen something extremely terrifying. the black-fat pheasant frowned. ¡°what did you see? your expression¡­¡± he turned his head as he said that. his eyes widened in the next second. ¡°what the hell is that dog?!!¡± a giant tree with withered branches emitted an endless evil aura and rapidly approached from the depths of the desert. the other party was not walking, but the yellow sand on the ground moved!! it made their hair stand on end. the other party was not a single combat unit. that was even more terrifying. it even brought a soul-crushing number of troops!! in the air, thousands of flying wasps let out ear-piercing buzz sounds. they formed a black tide around the tree crown. it was like the giant twisted human-faced tree wore it. groups of evil treants surged like a tsunami beneath the twisted human-faced tree. their height of more than twenty meters made people bewildered. to ordinary life forms, they were huge existences. that scene shocked the two idiots. it startled both for a long time. the towering tree incited them when it released a roar of attack. the black-fat pheasant said in a hoarse voice. ¡°what the f*ck is going on? are these qingqiu¡¯s reinforcements? ¡°i¡¯ll build your mother¡¯s cenotaph! such a pervert should be f*cked to death!¡± haonan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and only then did he close his mouth. he felt dislocation because he opened it vastly wide. he rubbed his chin with his hand and said in disbelief. ¡°that treant can¡¯t even see the attribute panel¡­ my eyes must be playing tricks on me. even the lord of dunes can see it, so what right does this treant have? could it be that he¡¯s stronger than transcendents¡­¡± the two looked at each other and saw shock and confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°stronger than transcendents? how could such an existence become qingqiu¡¯s reinforcement?¡± before the discussion could begin, the angry voice of the treant that controlled the quicksand echoed throughout the battlefield. ¡°no one can trample on twilight city!! no one can tarnish the glory of our lord! ¡°all violators must die!!¡± the thick, high-level treeman language exploded in the minds of the two idiot players like a clap of thunder. ¡°my lord?¡± the expression of the black-fat pheasant froze. absurdity engulfed its eyes. ¡°no, not reinforcements? my lord, are you talking about qingqiu? that soldier is a subordinate of qingqiu? you must be joking, right?¡± ¡°i must be hallucinating. how could such a terrifying existence be qingqiu¡¯s subordinate? i don¡¯t believe it. it¡¯s impossible. it must be fake!!¡± the appearance of the god¡¯s ancient tree was too shocking. the two have never been despondent before. the feeling they felt from the dune lord was weak, unlike the other party. but now, the other party told them that this level was a subordinate of a player like them¡­ they still thought about how to deal with qingqiu after they trampled the other party to the ground. now, such a powerful and terrifying existence quickly appeared. the contrast between heaven and hell made them unable to control their emotions. while the two were still in shock, the furious god¡¯s ancient tree had already led a troop of 2,000 dark treemen into the battlefield. ¡°these lowly existences had to die!!¡± how would it face its lord on his return to twilight city while enemies trample the city? the anger in its heart poured out wantonly at this moment. the level 15 mummy troop slayed the dungeon reinforcements. after the treant troop appeared, it quickly soared their morale. they began to counterattack fiercely. but soon, they realized the battlefield no longer needed them¡­ ¡®rumble!¡¯ the dark troop charged while the earth trembled. the roots were their legs, and their trunk was their hands. every step sank into the yellow sand, and the moment it pulled out, it would bring up sand that filled the sky. the dark treant more than 20 meters charged straight into the guardian mummies, and the two sides engaged in a close battle. although the guardian mummies brandished their spears fearlessly, the difference in size brought about an absolute difference in strength. Chapter 626 ¡®bang!¡¯ a spear transmitted a mountain-like force to the tough guardian mummies. they threw a spear out of their hands under the backlash. the spears flew dozens of meters away. then, the remaining ten or so branches smashed down fiercely. the guardian mummies could not withstand four punches with their hands. they lost all their weapons and could not retaliate. ¡®puchi! !! they felt tree branches hit their heads and then lost consciousness. the branches smashed a level 15 top-tier soldier into pieces. that was just a miniature version of the battlefield. the guardian mummies were initially violent and ferocious but suffered heavy casualties after a few exchanges. the most terrifying thing on the battlefield was the god¡¯s ancient tree. the creature was 80 meters tall, and the walls of twilight city were as small as a threshold in front of it. the ordinary guardian mummies were more than two meters tall. their eyes were not much bigger than insects. ¡®bang!¡¯ the terrifying tree roots swept in all directions like a storm. the attack range was as long as a hundred meters! the tree roots hit the guardian mummies like watermelons. they instantly exploded, and their bones scattered all over the ground. they reversed the situation. however, the guardian mummies were indeed top-tier troops. they quickly retaliated. ten people in a team formed small teams and attacked the dark tree. at the same time, the remaining aerial legions began to use their air superiority to intercept and kill. treants possessed unstoppable strength, but their greatest weakness was their slow movements. in positional warfare, these troops were invincible, but once the enemy seized the space to turn around, it was easy to find their flaws. the top-tier troops were indeed powerful. after they formed a small team to counterattack, they immediately caused several deaths of the dark treants. there were too many dark treants, and the god¡¯s ancient tree oversaw them. the artillery of twilight city had already bombarded the mummy and the kobold troop for several hours. several troops had died here, and they had lost their initial edge. at this moment, a flood of treants still slayed the two allied forces no matter how they resisted. fury engulfed the god¡¯s ancient tree as it unleashed all its firepower. one could simply describe the killing effect as terrifying. a hundred meters long roots were like knives that spun. they controlled the quick movement of the quicksand as they incessantly waved. they shattered the ground, and yellow sand splashed up a hundred meters high wherever they passed. they enveloped the enemies and had no chance of survival. even the warriors with heavy shields could not withstand the terrifying impact. the direct hit sent them flying a hundred meters away and broke their shields. ¡®buzz!¡¯ the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back appeared with the thick smell of blood on the battlefield. the venomous wasps danced in the sky and participated in the battle. three thousand poisonous wasps formed a black tide and charged at the soldiers that flew in the sky. mummies had strong resistance to poison. they were even immune to it, so the kobold wyverns became their targets. the black tide surged, and the wyverns fell from the sky despite their thick skin and flesh. the greenish body smashed straight into the ground. the poisonous wasps gained super agility and flying speed. they seemed to have disappeared one by one; one could see with the naked eye. the fall of the air force caused the collapse of the struggling alliance troop. it has reversed the irreparable situation in less than ten minutes. the alliance of the dog-headed warriors and the lord of the dunes began to collapse. many dog-headed warriors even threw down their weapons and fled¡­ the two heroes who initially commanded the level 18 kobold heroes did not participate in the battle against the god¡¯s ancient tree from beginning to end. the two heroes felt an abyss had swallowed them when the god¡¯s ancient tree showed. an extremely demonic lifeform that could devour everything stared at them. it would slay their souls as they moved. ¡°go up and fight?¡± the other party emitted an aura that tarnished their courage to charge forward¡­ in that kind of panic, it was already supremely odd to maintain one¡¯s composure. they could only retreat to the back of the troop to reduce the fear in their hearts and try to encircle and suppress the other party. however, the troop that could suppress twilight city could not face the enemy in the face of absolute strength and an exaggerated size. they saw the situation get increasingly worse, and a kobold hero wailed. it gritted its teeth, took a scroll from its pocket, and tore it open. deep in the desert of death. the lord of the dune sat on its throne and looked at the scene in the void with respect. the one-arm kobold god sat opposite the lord of the dunes. however, a god was still a god. losing an arm would not affect dignity. the lord of the dunes said with certainty, ¡°your excellency kurto, no matter what the grace mainland overlord does, our troops will sweep through everything!¡± it turned its head toward a direction and spoke¡­ ¡°i can already sense him heading towards his territory. ¡°it won¡¯t be long before we arrive.¡± the midair image distorted the face of the kobold god. it couldn¡¯t suppress its anger when one mentions the lowly overlord of the grace mainland. the expression of the lord of the dune changed as it turned to look toward the side just as it was about to speak. a terrifying spatial fluctuation spread. ¡°teleportation scroll? hahaha, they had already won!! your excellency, we already overpowered the territory of that indigent grace mainland overlord!¡± Chapter 627 ¡°your excellency kurto, please join me as we destroy the grace mainland overlord¡± ¡°we quickly go. that lowly worm must die!!¡± the void before the lord of the dunes exploded, and a wide space crack appeared as soon as it finished speaking. the two looked through the gap and quickly stiffened their excited expressions. !! several ferocious treants wantonly slaughtered the dog-headed warriors and the guardian mummies on the vast land of yellow sand. the scene was oddly tragic. it reduced the initially exaggerated number to an exceedingly small portion. this scene was the opposite of what they had imagined; their troop overturned the enemy city, and the enemy captives knelt and respectfully welcomed them. ¡°what the hell happened?!¡± the lord of the dunes scanned the surroundings along the screen. an indescribable sense of horror suddenly emerged in its heart. a terrifying treant of more than 80 meters reflected in its pupils. its suffocating aura made the lord of the dunes palpitate its heart. destruction, death, darkness, evil¡­ all the negative adjectives added together weren¡¯t enough to describe what happened. that was ¡°abomination!¡± the kobold god¡¯s shocked voice came from behind the lord of the dunes, and its scream spread throughout the battlefield and reached the space gap. the two idiots were ecstatic when they saw the lord of the dunes. the lord of the dunes was extraordinary existence, and there was also the kobold god!! they had the support of the gods. the treant boss could not match the gods no matter how ferocious it was!! however, the kobold god cried out in fear and shattered all these fantasies. the two idiots suddenly turned to look at the towering treant that stood brazenly. they felt a wave of dizziness in their minds. ¡®abomination? ¡®that treant was an abomination? ¡®what kind of joke was this? how could this thing be an abomination? was that the ultimate boss in the countless myths and legends of the ¡°shining era¡±¡­? ¡®more importantly, how could qingqiu subdue such an existence?¡¯ the countless questions in their minds made them almost explode. this information was too shocking. the two idiots looked at the strange atmosphere on the battlefield and widened their eyes for a long time. no one knew how exaggerated the impact the two idiots had suffered at this moment. the two sides were about to confront each other. suddenly, cheers came from the direction of twilight city. the two idiots subconsciously turned to glance. an undead creature from the horizon covered in golden bones and burned with scarlet energy flew over at high speed. they saw hundreds of undead dragons and nearly a thousand gargoyles with tomahawks in their hands. sandstorms surrounded these soldiers¡¯ bodies as they flew. that was surprising. they brought along a natural disaster! the scene gave everyone a hideous visual impact. the two idiots sharply noticed the figure behind the leading undead dragon. they looked at each other and suddenly became excited. the true protagonist of this war had returned. he was the strongest player among the players who had caused the extraordinary existence. the lord of the dunes spied on him and feared him. he solely subdued the abominations in all directions. he built a brilliant city, trampled on the dignity of the kobold god many times, and had countless legendary experiences. ¡°qingqiu!!¡± a cold laugh resounded through the sky just as the two idiots were about to say something. ¡°the kobold god, a dog with a broken spine, dared to spy on twilight city? ¡°who gave you the courage?¡± the two idiots instantly shut their mouths. they looked at each other again, and their hearts inexplicably trembled. ¡°what the!! is this qingqiu?¡± ¡°he incessantly scolded the gods?¡± a tingling sense of excitement and insanity welled up in their hearts. ¡°f*ck! that is too f*cking crazy!!¡± Chapter 628 a dog with a broken spine dared to spy on the twilight city the protagonist of this war appeared before everyone with a voice that resounded through the world. the entire body of the undead dragon that burned scarlet power was his mount. thousands of flying troops brought sandstorms as the background stood behind him. he carried a violent aura that swept through the world like a sandstorm. the yellow sand around him blocked the outside world¡¯s vision. that hindered others from seeing him vividly. !! that scene gave people a direct and potent visual impact. an even more exciting scene appeared in the next second while the two idiotic players were still excited about the true protagonist¡¯s insolent behavior of scolding the gods. they saw the terrifying existence that ran amok and made even the kobold god show fear, the abomination. it slowly bent its branches towards the figure in the sky and humbly bowed. ¡°great lord, treebeard welcomes your return¡± all the dark treants on the battlefield bent their branches simultaneously as soon the high-level treant finished speaking¡­ the eyes of the prison reinforcements behind them also burned with madness. the majestic figure that rode the undead dragon was a legend in the underground world. he was the uttermost existence that ended the fate of the gray-colored dwarves and the true ruler of this land! ¡°lord of the underground world, your will is the direction we should go. bloodhoof city will always listen to your orders!¡± sel bloodhoof led the rest of the troops to lower their heads. ¡°we will always listen to your orders!¡± richard became the sole focus of the battlefield the moment he appeared. that suddenly revealed his status. his power-imbued clothes were bright and gorgeous. the black-fat pheasant haonan and the skinny shanji looked at each other and saw the envy, jealousy, and hatred in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡®that was qingqiu! that was the number one player, the strongest among the 20 billion lords!!¡¯ their hearts swayed when the underground lord appeared, the scene of tens of thousands of soldiers knelt and submitted to him. how awe-inspiring would that be if they could do the same? no one could hide his brilliance even if the other party was a god! the two idiots couldn¡¯t help but look at the space crack as they pondered. the furious figure of the kobold god came into view. this god lost an arm, and scars covered its face and body. it appeared pitiful before the mighty qingqiu. they could not help but look down on this pitiful appearance, although it was a god at this moment, the figure that made the troop lower their heads slowly swept his gaze around. he glanced at the dog-headed warriors and the guardian mummy troops he planned to wipe out, and his aura turned cold. ¡°leave no one alive.¡± all the troops seemed to have received the gods¡¯ will and insanely attacked when he gave the order. the dark treants and the reinforcement of the dungeon revealed their malevolence. especially the dark treants. the scene of these behemoths that charged simultaneously was simply like the scene described in ancient murals in ancient myths. it made people¡¯s hearts tremble. the troop with a backbone burst out with 120% of its strength. it slaughtered the remaining soldiers of the dune lord in the yellow sand that filled the sky. the most surprising thing was that when the two level 18 kobold heroes saw the situation had collapsed, they led a portion of the wyverns and fled even the decree of the kobold god could not stop it. the two idiots could not help but feel their blood boil when they saw this scene. this kind of deterrence it made people yearn for it. ¡°lowly reptile!!!¡± when the kobold god saw this scene, it quickly flew into a rage. ¡°it was the same again. it was the same again! ¡°how many times?¡± it had never gained an advantage in the hands of the other party from the moment a power broke the seal on the krina tribe and wanted to destroy the city. that trampled its dignity repeatedly. it was a trample that reached the ground. the underground lord imprisoned its soul clone during their recent encounter. that was more outrageous. it was simply the biggest joke in the world! the kobold was a god who wielded infinite power, yet a lowly human always held its back. even the revenge he had planned several times seemed boring and laughable after a failure. that damned worm went to snatch the authority of the ruler of the 333rd level of the abyss, made the kobold more uncontrollable! ¡°how dare he? ¡°what right did he have?¡± that was the master of the abyss, the undying darkness with supreme power!! the success of the lowly worm was even more incomprehensible for the kobold god!! yes, he had succeeded. that was simply ridiculous to the extreme! was the authority of the abyss ruler something that anyone could meddle in? that was the king of decay! although the kobold god didn¡¯t want to believe it, the king of decay had said it himself. what infuriated the kobold god the most was that the grace mainland overlord released its soul clone after he did that. in the end, it pushed all the blame onto him. it quietly stayed in the divine kingdom. it took the vast black pot of the power of the abyss ruler for no reason. ¡®bastard! bastard! beast! beast!¡¯ the kobold god almost lost its mind as it pondered. because of this, the king of decay had led its men to attack its divine kingdom! kobold god had accumulated power for millions of years in this divine battle, and the king destroyed 90% of it! ninety percent! its heart bled about the thought of the corpses of the holy spirits and the ruined divine kingdom. the kobold god could have died that day if not for the timely support of the other gods of the prison god system. Chapter 629 the kobold god¡¯s legs went weak when it thought of the king of decay killing its way into the god nation. it was unwilling! it was a god. how could lowly grace mainland overlord play and trample it?!! that human overlord would give rise to all these sins!! !! ¡°he had to die! he had to!¡± the two idiot players suddenly turned their heads as they hunted down the troop on the ground. that was because the only protagonist of this war now commanded the undead dragon to fly to the bottom of the spatial rift. his cold eyes stared at the sky through the yellow sand and lingered around him. the two sides faced each other across space. on one side was the lord of the dunes and the kobold god, and on the other side was richard, the god¡¯s ancient tree, the reinforcements from the dungeon, and all the troops from twilight city. the atmosphere instantly turned somber. the kobold god¡¯s anger incessantly rose under that indifferent gaze, and it almost couldn¡¯t control itself. ¡°human, you will know what a sin it is to blaspheme a god!¡± a crazy roar resounded through the sky. the kobold god abandoned its rationality at this moment. all it wanted was to crush this bastard and kill him 10,000 times!! however, what made the kobold god mad was that the underground lord only glanced at its eyes lightly and did not say anything. the kobold god had to hold it in no matter how angry it was since it couldn¡¯t descend to the central plane. richard¡¯s gaze turned to the figure that made him feel an intense sense of danger lord of the dunes. windsor gave a gem to richard that emitted a strong energy fluctuation when he saw it. the kobold god sensed the change in its arms, and its eyes narrowed slightly. the power of yellow sand, the authority bestowed by the desert will, had traces of existence on the other party. to hunt an existence with the power of yellow sand and devour the other party¡¯s share would allow its strength to increase further. in the end, it could even master the rules of the desert. the other party saw him as prey. it even carved a soul imprint on him. now, who could be sure who was the hunter? the kobold god¡¯s gaze gradually became arrogant and wanton. transcendents? it would still die even if one chopped its head off and crushed its heart the lord of the dunes sneered when it sensed richard¡¯s dangerous gaze. has the grace mainland overlord, who hadn¡¯t even reached level 15, dared to challenge the lord of the dunes? this weak human would not be qualified to enter its eyes if not for the power of the yellow sand. the lord of the dunes stared at the treant that emitted an extremely evil aura. that was the only existence that made it feel threatened. but that was all. the other party was only level 17. moreover, although this treant emitted a terrifying abomination aura, it was not solid if one could sense it carefully the other party didn¡¯t seem like a true abomination. it was more like a lucky person who obtained the abomination¡¯s power. the pressure in its heart immediately lessened as it pondered, and the greed in its eyes surged. compared to a true abomination, this level of evil treant was far from reaching the transcendent level, so it could not threaten the lord of the dunes! at this point, the lord of the dunes turned to look at the human overlord. it had finally lured the fish over after fishing for so long. its strength would return to its peak with the other party¡¯s yellow sand power!! a sinister smile appeared on its face. ¡°your excellency kurto, please allow me to bring this lowly blasphemer back for trial with your blessing!¡± the furious kobold god showed some reluctance when it heard it, but richard¡¯s figure was like a fish bone stuck in its throat. that made the kobold go mad with hatred. it gritted its teeth and waved its single arm. waves of power surged into the body of the lord of the dunes across the endless void. infinite divinity erupted. the aura of the lord of the dunes was like a calm sea, and a tidal wave tens of thousands of feet tall surged after it obtained that power. a terrifying pressure came through the spatial rift. a transcendent aura gushed out without restraint. transcendents were the starting point of the world¡¯s top powers. they possessed indescribable power. in the mortal plane, transcendents were considered top-notch battle power in any force. transcendents could unleash their mightiest power without restrictions, unlike the kobold god, that could not descend to the central plane. moreover, the ancient god statue could not restrain the other party¡¯s power. that was the biggest challenge the twilight city faced this time. it was a mountain that was almost impossible to climb over. it intoxicated hu lang¡¯s head after the aura of the lord of the dunes reached its peak. that was power it narrowed its eyes and waved its hand. infinite yellow sand power erupted from its body. at that moment, something must have crushed the air on the other side of the spatial rift. it stepped forward. the lord of the dunes passed through the spatial rift under everyone¡¯s gaze. the two idiot players saw the figure of the lord of the dunes hang high in the sky like the scorching sun. they were so excited that they couldn¡¯t control themselves. ¡°one is finally going to slay qingqiu! that freak!!!¡± that was transcendent. a god blessed this transcendent! it couldn¡¯t resist even if the other party had divine abominations!! the twists and turns of this battle had caused their emotions to fluctuate intensely. they initially sympathized with qingqiu. and then twilight city shocked them when they displayed power. in the end, twilight city has defeated this troop who thought they could crush. all kinds of twists and turns made them feel tired. there was only one thought in their minds destroy, hurry up. we¡¯re tired. the black-fat pheasant gritted its teeth. ¡°a freak like qingqiu shouldn¡¯t exist in this world!!!¡± ¡°bah, go to your cenotaph. if you die, i¡¯ll applaud you. you pervert, you deserve it!¡± they were simple-minded. did the mightiest player among the 20 billion players need their sympathy? why not sympathize with him if one had such thoughts? shanji was as thin as a hemp pole. he looked at the invincible lord of the dunes in the sky and let out a long sigh. ¡°there won¡¯t be any accidents this time, right?¡± the black-fat pheasant loudly said. ¡°i¡¯ll eat if there are any more accidents¡­¡± he heard an indifferent voice before he could finish his sentence. ¡°lord of the dunes! who gave you the courage to step into twilight city? ¡°a dog with a broken spine can become your alliance?¡± the hearts of the two idiots thumped when they heard those calm but extremely arrogant words. the sky suddenly turned into countless fragments that fell like glass from the sky as he had a bad premonition. then, a scorching heat wave swept in all directions. one could feel the oppressive heat wave even from a thousand meters away. one¡¯s hair began to curl at this moment. it was as if the world was in a furnace. the surrounding temperature instantly rose by 20 to 30 degrees. the two idiots subconsciously looked up. their scalp went numb when they saw what this freak had created. an uncontrollable fear rose in their hearts. ¡°what the hell is this dog?¡± an elemental lifeform over twenty meters tall appeared from the shattered void. the other party¡¯s body burned with flames that distorted space. it condensed from pure flames. heat waves scorched everything around them. it was like the sun had fallen into the desert. there were two curved horns on its head. one has engraved strange runes on them. that was the only part of its body that had substance. the most eye-catching thing was the other party¡¯s eyes. they were as bright as the sun. they were still remarkable even when compared with the scorching sun. that wastranscendent? the two idiots opened the attributes of the other party and shocked them. since when did they get to meet transcendents so casually? the lord of the dunes, the kobold god, and this elemental lifeform¡­ what kind of war was this? ¡°what¡¯s up with this fire elemental lord? that was also a f*cking alliance of qingqiu?? he even can subdue transcendents? i don¡¯t believe it. that must be fake!!!¡± another terrifying aura suddenly surged out before they could recover from the shock. qingqiu threw an ancient god statue at the god¡¯s ancient tree. in an instant, the abomination, who already had a terrifying aura, emitted a hair-raising aura soon after, everything around him began to rot rapidly. corpses, weapons, armor, bones, everything rotted. as the energy seeped out, even the sand decayed and collapsed. the two idiots saw this strange and terrifying scene. they could not suppress the fear in their hearts. ¡°what the hell is qingqiu doing??¡± Chapter 630 the two idiot players only felt horrified. the impact they received was far less than the kobold god. the dungeon god could not help but cry out when it sensed the rotten aura. ¡°rotten authority?!!¡± it looked at richard through the spatial rift in shock and anger. !! ¡°damned human! do you dare to bestow rotten authority?! you are trampling on the king of decay¡­¡± it held it back before it could finish¡­ ¡®trampling the king of decay? ¡®how could he trample on it? ¡®this bastard snatched the rotten authority before the other party!!¡¯ ¡®the king of decay would launch the craziest attack if it sees the other party again!¡¯ at this point, the dungeon god thought of the black pot that he inexplicably took and immediately felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°bastard!¡± he was a god! in the end, he couldn¡¯t do anything to a human?! he must make this bastard pay the prize!! richard looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree that surged with momentum. it was sparingly excited. one has sealed rotten authority to an ancient god statue. richard did not expect the god¡¯s ancient tree would cause the ancient god statue to tremble. the ancient god statue even wanted something to control it after it sensed the aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree. it had tried dozens of times before this. it did not get any response. ¡°you¡¯ve been here for so long, but you¡¯re still not as good as a tree.¡± richard sighed. only when one¡¯s strength was compatible with one¡¯s own could one unleash the uttermost effect. the god¡¯s ancient tree was more suitable than him in controlling the rotten authority. moreover, its target was the lord of the dunes. desert, it was the power of its life. the system notification suddenly sounded when the aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree rose to a certain zero boundary point. [ding~ the god¡¯s ancient tree has obtained the rotten authority. both parties have a compatibility of 99.89%. fusion begins¡­ fusion is successful. current mastery level: 1%.] the twisted human face of the god¡¯s ancient tree appeared even more ferocious and terrifying at this moment. endless rotten energy wantonly devoured everything around the dark aura it emitted. all, simultaneously, whether a corpse or a skeleton, blood or hair, started to rot. it was as if an abyss with evil and terror coexisting had descended into the world. the lord of the dunes was initially confident it could control the situation and unconsciously showed an ugly expression. a terrifyingly melting high temperature in the sky could melt all fire elemental life forms. on the ground was the abomination that had fused with terrifying power. the lord of dunes had an absolute advantage. but it quickly realized it was actually at a disadvantage! how could that damned human summon a life form from the fire elemental plane?! moreover, it was a transcendent overlord¡­ just because he was not even level 15?? and the power that the other party just gave to the abomination was the rotten authority that the kobold god had mentioned? at the thought of this, its eyes turned red. ¡°why?!! ¡°how could a grace mainland overlord have such a strong foundation? he had only lived half a year!¡± the lord of the dune¡¯s gaze focused on the god¡¯s ancient tree. greed filled its eyes. its power would rise to the peak before the seal if he could snatch that power wisp, coupled with the yellow sand in the human overlord¡¯s body!!! it could even touch the domain that swayed his mind in the future¡­ gods. its heart thumped faster at the thought of this. the lord of the dune could not hold it in any longer and brazenly attacked. the endless yellow sand on its body flashed on the ground. the sand that filled the sky flew up and condensed into a giant sand that was more than a hundred meters tall with a spear in its hand. the giant yellow sand quickly attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree when the giant yellow sand appeared. the terrifying sandmen charged forward with the sandstorm that filled the sky. the yellow sand covered the sky and the sun. it was like it wanted to drown the god¡¯s ancient tree. the god¡¯s ancient tree sensed the incoming danger and released a low roar. dark energy suddenly erupted. it carried a majestic aura of decay as it waved its trunk like a tree that could support the sky. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sandmen carried spears and charged forward. they smashed down the tree trunks. ¡®clang!¡¯ the two sides collided, and sparks exploded. the whistle sound of the sandstorm accompanied the sound of metal colliding. the battle between the two behemoths caused massive damage in an instant. the dark treants stood nearby and quickly retreated. the aftermath of the battle could easily destroy them. that was a clash between rulers. the ordinary troops could not participate. the giant yellow sand waved its spear and crushed the space. even the city walls could not withstand it for a few seconds under this. the power of an extraordinary was enough to destroy a city! the lord of the dunes formed the giant yellow sand and could not do anything to the god¡¯s ancient tree. that was surprising. that boss unleashed a mighty power. it could even suppress the giant yellow sand. the eighteen giant tree branches swung with terrifying power. that caused the giant yellow sand to shake off tons of grains. its body would have shrunk by half in just a few rounds if not for the endless supply of yellow sand. it was no longer limited to one corner after it mastered the control of its movement. the invincible god¡¯s ancient tree now had a flexible movement method. its explosive battle power was simply shocking. the situation changed after an intense collision. a root shot out from the giant yellow sand when the god¡¯s ancient tree repelled the attack of the yellow sand. Chapter 631 it forcefully stabbed the other party¡¯s body. in the next second, the power of decay surged out. in the blink of an eye, the majestic sandmen rapidly declined. large pieces of sand collapsed as if they had passed through a sieve. the giant yellow sand turned into a pile of sand right before the lord of the dunes. !! its pupils shrank. not only did it not retreat, but the greed in its heart became even more intense. this power it would be the lord! the yellow sand on its body surged again, and the sand on the ground exploded. five sandmen warriors over a hundred meters in size wielded giant spears and wore heavy condensed yellow sand armor. they emitted an aura ten times more ferocious than the giant from before! this scene was as shocking as an epic myth. the lord of the dunes waved its hand. that was the law of the heavens. ¡°kill!¡± ¡°is this how high-level bosses fight?¡± ¡°qingqiuhow should we deal with it?¡± they would have thought that qingqiu was already gone if it were before. however, they no longer dared to say such words after being repeatedly slapped in the face. that guy¡¯s foundation was too terrifying. it was already so powerful that they could not fathom it. who would have thought the initially balanced situation would turn out like this? now, the other party fought against the combined forces of the lord of the dunes and the kobold god. it would probably shock countless people if words got out it pondered on this and couldn¡¯t help but look up at the sky. the fire elemental lord flapped its flaming wings. it caused the temperature in this area to skyrocket. that transcendent had yet to make a move its level was vivid, even though it couldn¡¯t tell how strong the other party was. it didn¡¯t know how the other party could make an existence of this level listen to its orders. comparisons were deadly the twisted human face of the god¡¯s ancient tree looked at the five hundred-meter-tall sandmen warriors. the spirit that fought in its heart soared. ¡°no one could trample on twilight city!! ¡°i will punish you if you offend the lord!!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree sensed the almost infinite power roared and rushed up. the anger generated from the attack on twilight city suddenly vented. the five hundred-meter-tall spear-wielding sandmen also launched an attack at the same time. the epic battle began. god¡¯s ancient tree vs. the hundred-meter-long sandmen. the scene went out of control when the two sides collided. the tree branches that could quickly destroy the city wall exploded with sonic booms. the yellow sand ground collapsed, and the void twisted. it crushed the sandmen warriors into pieces of sand. the yellow sand covered the sky and blurred the air. the sandmen would also leave eye-catching scratches on the trunk of the god¡¯s ancient tree when they thrust out their giant spears. in this battle, ordinary troops were as insignificant as ants that faced humans. they could only watch from afar. the god¡¯s ancient tree still held the upper hand against five alone. that surprised the people. that vast body seemed to possess infinite power. the injuries it received would also recover at a supreme speed. it was more durable than the sandmen warriors that could absorb sand to recover, and no one dared to ignore its explosive attacks. the lord of the dune¡¯s expression was sparingly ugly at this moment. the power of this abomination far exceeded its estimation. a single sandman warrior could sweep away all existences below transcendent. but now, the five sandmen warriors could work together but could only tie with the other party. the kobold god¡¯s strength had recovered a lot, but to control five sandmen warriors was still vast. the kobold god received the blessing and could not maintain it for long. it had sealed for far too long, and its power had long fallen to the freezing point. at this moment, the fire elemental lord released endless heat in the sky. it slowly lowered its head. the pair of eyes brighter than the sun stared at the lord of the dunes. its wings flamed and flapped. terrifying flames surged down at the lord of the dunes. the blazing flames covered the sky and filled the air with a sandstorm. the grains of sand turned into lava under high temperatures. heat affected the hundred-meter-tall sandmen. large amounts of lava dripped down from their bodies like sweat. the yellow sandmen from afar looked as if they had just crawled out of the ground. the fiery red lava covered their entire bodies. the participation of the fire elemental lord announced the beginning of the final battle a transcendent elemental lifeform and a boss with abomination power attacked together. the scene instantly exploded. the sandstorm and flames covered the battlefield. everything turned blurred. outsiders couldn¡¯t even see what happened inside. richard could only vaguely sense the intensity of the battle through the yellow sand. the terrifying high temperature burned everything. the yellow sand condensed into all kinds of giant sandmen warriors and attacked aggressively. towards the end of the battle, even the sandmen warriors in the form of the beasts appeared. the sand power of the dune lord was related to the formation of sandmen warriors. one gave life to those sandmen creatures. each was more ferocious and powerful than the last. they attacked the fire elemental lord and the god¡¯s ancient tree crazily. the fire elemental lord¡¯s attacks were extremely violent. the flames that could burn everything rose to a hundred meters high. they melted everything around them. rolling lava dripped down from the sky and set off clusters of heat waves in the sandstorm. the dune lord kept summoning sandmen one after another. sandstorms surrounded them and controlled everything from behind. Chapter 632 richard finally understood why transcendents were transcendents after he witnessed all this¡­ the power controlled by this level had already exceeded the limits that mortals could control. they were the overlords of the world! the storm created by this chaotic battle spread out a thousand meters away. they had long crushed the troops that had not escaped mud within a thousand meters. perhaps only natural disasters could describe this scene. !! the two idiot players at the back were dumbfounded. it wasn¡¯t like they hadn¡¯t seen a high-level boss fight before. however, compared to the current scene, the battle scenes they had seen in the past were simply children¡¯s play. they are incomparable. the legend reappeared. the fire elemental lord gradually got angry and impatient after the lord of the dunes blocked dozens of attacks. richard was exceptionally grateful. not only did the other party release it from the dark light tower, but he also helped it find the heart of lava needed to break through to the extraordinary level. the other party never asked him to do anything after it received such a vast favor¡­ that was the first time richard had asked him for help. he definitely couldn¡¯t mess this up! otherwise, what would the other party think of it? in the raging flames, the fire elemental lord became increasingly irritable. in contrast, the temperature in the sky rose like a volcanic eruption. one could feel its hair curl and dry even thousands of meters away. the temperature within hundreds of meters had soared to nearly 100 degrees, battlefield as the center. the high temperature alone would have killed them if they remained on the battlefield. the yellow sand floated in the air. it had also turned into high-temperature flaming sand. it shone bright red and continuously turned into lava¡­ that was already exaggerated enough. infinite flames erupted from the fire elemental lord¡¯s body. they directly broke through the obstruction of the yellow sand and surged into the sky. in the next moment, the dim flames in the sky exploded. the void shattered. in a trance, a terrifying land appeared on the other side of the exploded space. infinite flames danced in the air, and the high temperature made ruckus. it would turn into nothingness in the blink of an eye, even if one threw a rock. fire elemental plane. a word suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s mind. but before they could come back to their senses. the flames boiled like oil and suddenly fell. the sky collapsed! ¡®rumble!¡¯ the pure flames burned in the sandstorm below. those terrifying sandmen warriors were like one had splashed the ice and spirit statues with boiling water. they crashed and melted. the lava flames rolled down and smashed into the sand on the ground. the sand immediately turned red and melted. at the same time, black crystals condensed around it. the aura of the fire elemental lord in the infinite flames multiplied. flames were its home ground! they had burned everything. the fire elemental lord waved its arms, and several fire tornadoes enveloped the dune lord before it. the sandstorm continued to erupt. but now, the flames that devoured the world were difficult to resist. the two players were dumbfounded. they had thought that summoning a hundred-meter-tall sandman with a wave of a hand was almost a miracle. now, that boss had directly opened a plane and let the flames fall. this scene was beyond their imagination. the god¡¯s ancient tree was already ferocious enough. there was an even more terrifying one!! is it going to let one live? just how many more secrets did that pervert qingqiu hide?? they looked at the figure who rode on the undead dragon¡¯s back without a move but had already taken control of the situation. an indescribable emotion surged in his heart. ¡°a real man should be like this!¡± this kind of wrist could turn the clouds and rain with a flip of the hand should be the player¡¯s attitude! the dune lord¡¯s expression drastically changed when he saw the flames fall. it could not contend against an elemental plane even if he recovered to its peak! it turned around and roared. ¡°your excellency kurto! help me!!¡± the kobold god couldn¡¯t sit still on the other side of the spatial rift when the situation got out of control. richard was right before and constantly stimulated its nerves. it was difficult to suppress its anger. ¡°lowly humans! ¡°i¡­ god descent!¡± the dune lord was shocked and then overjoyed. the rules rejected gods and thought the descent method. it was to seal off their power and enter the central plane. and in this process, someone had to bear this power. it was the only suitable candidate. moreover, he was transcendent. after the kobold god descended, the lord of the dunes would be the leader. it was equivalent to the kobold god lending it a portion of its power. that was a vast advantage for the dune lord when it wanted to spy on a higher level. a majestic power surged out from the spatial rift amidst a surprise. the air froze at this moment. the two idiot players who were thousands of meters away felt their legs go weak and fell to their knees. an uncontrollable fear rose in their hearts, and their souls trembled at the same time. klose. that was the pressure of a god. an unavoidable soul oppression. one couldn¡¯t avoid it! the fire elemental lord saw this and looked at richard. the message was sent to his ears from thousands of meters away. ¡°my friend, ask your subordinates to cooperate with me and interrupt the god¡¯s descent¡­ my power is still insufficient to deal with a god.¡± Chapter 633 ¡°klose¡­i¡¯ve been waiting for this scene.¡± he suddenly crushed something in his hand as soon as he finished speaking. in the next second, under everyone¡¯s gaze. flames initially occupied the sky and quickly split open. !! the crimson moon, as huge as a mountain, appeared in the sky with a somewhat illusory and hazy light. it didn¡¯t look like an authentic body. but more like a reflection. ancient, legendary, and mysterious. it was as if one had crossed the river of time from tens of millions of years ago. the two players were shocked. ¡°this is?¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t this lineup a little too exaggerated? he had directly summoned the moon??¡± however, they suddenly came back to their senses. they looked at each other and exclaimed in unison. ¡°crimson moon!!!¡± fire elemental lord klose suddenly raised its head. it felt the aura of the crimson moon and was extremely shocked. ¡°an ancient aura, the power of the origin¡­ what is this?¡± on the battlefield, the kobold god transmitted power to the lord of the dunes and trembled violently. it spat out a word with a trembling voice it could not control itself. ¡°ancient god¡­¡± intense horror and fear engulfed its tone. it was like a little mouse had seen an old cat. at this moment. a figure on the illusory crimson moon wore a red aristocratic robe and suddenly appeared. blood-colored energy shrouded its face. it was as if the other party was right before them, even though there was a great distance between them. everyone widened their eyes. even though they couldn¡¯t see the face of the mysterious existence clearly, they could still feel the powerful aura of the other party. it was like the queen of an empire patrolled around her territory as it raised its hand. it was indescribably expensive. the moment the mysterious figure appeared, it looked at the kobold god. the kobold god frantically withdrew its power from the lord of the dunes. as for god¡¯s descent, it had thrown it 108,000 miles away after it sensed the special aura. at this moment, the kobold god suddenly realized that the mysterious existence stared at it. the kobold god immediately felt like its guts were about to split apart. an indescribable sense of danger welled up in its heart. it was terrifying!! however, before it could respond. the figure on the crimson moon gently raised its hand. in the next second. endless power erupted. the light of the crimson moon instantly covered everything. the kobold god felt its power flowed uncontrollably into the central plane. a force pulled even its soul away uncontrollably¡­ an uncontrollable fear rose in its heart. it wanted to sever its connection with the central plane. but the kobold god realized that it couldn¡¯t even control its power¡­ a few breaths later. the blood-colored light faded. the divine might that made everyone tremble disappeared. at the same time. all the kobolds in the ¡°shining era¡± suddenly felt their hearts empty. it was like they lost something utterly important¡­ the dune lord was extremely shocked. because it had discovered that a new soul had appeared in its body¡­ god of the kobolds! the mysterious existence on the crimson moon appeared before it could speak further. a chill ran down its spine in the dune. it was an abyssal beast stared at them. just as it was about to make a move, the other party glanced at the lord indifferently. it quickly dispersed the energy it had gathered and lost the courage to resist. it would die if it dared to move. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the figure in the red, noble suit waved its hand, and the dune lord felt the extra soul in its body disappear. the other party¡¯s figure also disappeared at the same time. it subconsciously looked up and saw that the crimson moon that floated in the air had disappeared. the sky still burned with flames. the dune lord slowly turned around with a dry throat and looked at the kobold god on the other side of the spatial rift. the figure of the kobold god appeared in its eyes. but before it could rejoice, something must have slapped the other party¡¯s body to the bones. it collapsed to the ground without any movement. the hands and feet of the dune lord instantly turned cold. its stiff gaze looked at the figure that rode the undead dragon¡­ its head buzzed. ¡°the other party slaughtered the kobold god?!!¡± Chapter 634 ¡°who was it? ¡°how could this human overlord order such a terrifying existence around?¡± the expression of the dune lord changed repeatedly. infinite waves of the great warrior engulfed its heart! !! it had never expected such a massive change would occur in the operation that it had thought was a sure thing. he extracted the kobold god¡¯s soul right before the lord of the dunes!! how crazy and unbelievable was this! gods were existences that controlled the laws and were the rulers. now, it was gone right under its nose¡­ how ridiculous! at this moment, the lord of the dunes could not even smile to ease emotions. he even slayed the kobold god like a pig or a dog. how much strength would it take for the other party to kill it? it thought of this and felt cold all over. the desire to spy on the power of the yellow sand and the greed for the rotten authority had turned into the uttermost fear. the figure that rode on the undead dragon¡¯s back and did not make a move from the beginning to the end made the dune lord feel deep fear at this moment. the most terrifying enemy was not the invincible but the unknown. the lord of the dunes thought it could use its troop to besiege the enemy¡¯s city and lure them out of solan city. then, it could obtain everything. but who could imagine the strength of the other party? it was like a giant beast hidden under the desert. it only revealed a scale. the final burst of power was beyond its imagination. the two idiot players watched the battle from afar and did not understand what had happened at first. they were still confused even after the crimson moon appeared. furthermore, an indescribable chill surged into their hearts when it collapsed into an embarrassing position. the two looked at each other and saw fear in each other¡¯s eyes. the black-fat pheasant stammered. ¡°hao, haonan¡­ the kobold god¡­ is it dead?¡± it would not lie on the ground like a dog in mud in front of outsiders with that god¡¯s attitude of caring about its face, even if it died. this scene could only mean one thing¡­ something had happened, and it was a big deal!! the terrified tone of the kobold god, and the moment the crimson moon disappeared, it was not difficult to imagine the reason. ¡°the system notification said that the rise of the crimson moon will cause the gods to fall¡­¡± haonan was as thin as a hemp pole. it swallowed its saliva and said in a trembling voice. ¡°the kobold god is the fallen god?¡± the black-fat pheasant was shocked and afraid. ¡°but, how did this involve qingqiu? what does it have to do with him? did he create the crimson moon?¡± ¡°this is a new expansion pack!¡± the two idiots fell silent afterward. they thought of the damned pervert¡¯s glorious achievements. that ridiculous idea became somewhat believable¡­ after the war, even if someone told them that qingqiu was not a player but the reincarnation of a god, they would believe it. everything that the other party had revealed was too extraordinary and shocking. it was okay if such a powerful troop did not invade the other party¡¯s territory. but after the arrival of the transcendents, they thought that they could finally kill the other party this time. but unexpectedly, the fire elemental lord klose appeared. then, the kobold god on their side personally came to support them. it appeared that it had settled the situation again! the crimson moon appeared before they could celebrate. the god far away from the central plane, collapsed ridiculously with a wave of its hand. no one knew if it were dead or alive. the changes in the situation left them at a loss for words. it was too unbelievable and dreamy. qingqiu was like a deep sea that no one could see the bottom of. an even more terrifying foundation would appear every time they thought that the other party was like this. it was always mysterious and unknown. the situation immediately changed after the crimson moon disappeared. fire elemental lord klose sensed the greatest danger. the flames on the kobold god¡¯s body that could quickly melt steel erupted again after it disappeared. the target was the dune lord. the crimson moon emitted an aura and shocked the lord. but it was enough that the other party was not an enemy. it had an unusually high level of trust in richard. now, it was time to carry out its mission. the flames that could overturn everything once again crashed down from the fire elemental plane. the rolling flames made people tremble. on the yellow sand, lava flowed into a lake. the high temperature that could melt everything created terrifying heat waves. it could feel the heat from thousands of meters away. fire elemental lord klose didn¡¯t give the dune lord space to breathe. the infinite flames engulfed domineeringly. at the same time. the god¡¯s ancient tree that controlled the quicksand also charged toward the lord of the dunes. the god¡¯s ancient tree was still some distance away from transcendence. but after it devoured the divine blood of darkness, this boss already had the characteristics of an ancient god. the current god¡¯s ancient tree could even fight transcendents head-on at level 17 with the rotten authority. second outbreak of the battle. the lord of the dunes roared and controlled the remaining four hundred-meter-tall sandmen warriors to brazenly counterattack after it returned to its senses. the situation instantly became uncontrollable. the aftermath of the battle between the three sides caused terrifying energy fluctuations. the sky began to distort. richard¡¯s eyes sharpened as its watched the battle reach another climax. Chapter 635 richard left alves and flew toward the center of the battle under the incomprehensible gazes of outsiders. ¡°qingqiu wanted to participate in a battle between transcendents?¡± that made the two players look at the scene in shock. ¡°victory was clearly in their grasp, so why did they still have to make such a move?!¡± !! richard¡¯s odd behavior startled the lord of the dunes. the dune ruler planned to retreat when the kobold god fell. it initially planned to devour the power of the yellow sand and occupy the rotten authority. everything turned illusory in the face of cruel reality. the dune ruler even gave up on retaliation and planned to attack richard. the terrifying crimson moon had left a deep psychological shadow on it. however, the lord of the dunes did not expect the human overlord would put himself in a difficult situation since he could have won and waited peacefully for the final result. ¡°an opportunity!¡± it could kill that human instantly, and the human overlord could snatch the power of the yellow sand from the other party. at that time, even if it could not defeat the other party, it could not use the desert to escape. richard approached, and it even restrained some of its energy to alert the enemy. that allowed the overlord to enter the battlefield with peace of mind. the lord of the dunes was ecstatic when richard stepped into its power range. ¡°hahaha, you¡¯re courting death!!¡± infinite yellow sand power surged out and directly sealed off the other party¡¯s escape path as soon as it finished speaking. at the same time, the four sandmen warriors turned their spearheads and attacked¡­ the lord of the dunes vaguely saw the other party¡¯s body explode, and it obtained the power of yellow sand. just as the dune ruler felt increasingly excited. its vision suddenly darkened. an invisible force must have wiped the surrounding light away. and the figure of the other party directly disappeared from its perception¡­ ten thousand question marks rose in the dune ruler¡¯s heart. however, before it could react, the lord of the dunes controlled the yellow sand, but it suddenly slowed down. it was like someone grabbed the other end of the rope¡­ it was supremely arduous to swing the rope. the lord of the dune¡¯s pupils contracted. the control infuriated the lord. the sand it could control as its arm and fingers resisted?!! it was that damned human who fought with it for the control of the yellow sand!! that ignited its anger. curse filled the dune ruler¡¯s eyes. it had always regarded richard as prey. the prey attacks the lord of the dunes now. how odd is that?! how bold! the lord of the dunes made up its mind, and the infinite power of the yellow sand gushed out. that forcefully regained control of the yellow sand. the other party under absolute power didn¡¯t resist. the dune ruler suddenly realized that the endless darkness had blocked its ability to use the sand to explore its surroundings when it regained control of the sand. the other party knew the bewildering use of the power of yellow sand. the lord of the dunes released a long breath. the humiliation and anger in its heart rose even higher. a human who had not even reached level 15 dared provoke the dune ruler repeatedly! ¡°damned bastard!¡± it aimed to let the lowly human know that one could not humiliate the transcendent! it forcefully mobilized its power and connection with the four sandmen warriors with a wave of its hand. it instructed these terrifying existences to kill in all directions. it wanted to let the other party understand the consequences of despising a dune ruler! however, a sense of threat that made their hair stand on end surged into their hearts when the sandmen warriors moved. the grim reaper seemed to have stared at them this time. that startled the lord of the dunes. the dune ruler now controlled the sand to condense into several thick yellow sand shields with a flap of its hand. its body quickly flew into the sky at the same. the dune ruler wanted to escape from this darkness-shrouded area. the darkness around it suddenly intensified in the next second. the dune ruler felt an invisible giant hand forcefully press him down on the spot. the sense of danger that time increased by a hundredfold!! the lord of the dunes released a hysterical roar. the power in its body incessantly rose like a volcano. it wanted to break through the invisible chains the darkness formed. however, twisted tree roots at this moment reflected in its pupils¡­ a terrifying rotten authority was also there. the tree roots formed a cage and forcefully imprisoned the dune ruler before it could speak. a dazzling flame at the same time exploded in the sky. it pushed the infinite darkness away. the lord of the dunes looked up. fire elemental lord klose currently brought along the flames of the plane. the terrifying scene made it feel like its guts were about to split. waves of despair rose in the heart of the angry dune ruler. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s rotten authority still corroded its body at this moment. it could only mobilize the power of the yellow sand to resist the corrosion if it could break free from the other party¡¯s restraints. at this moment, the lord of the dunes could no longer deal with this terrifying flame¡­ however, it was not a crimp. it utterly roared at the critical moment. the four giant sandmen warriors approached the dune ruler fiercely. the sharp spears in their hands instantly turned into shields and forcefully blocked the flames in the sky. the four sandmen warriors attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s hand and feet. they aimed to tear their roots apart and release the dune ruler. however, the four sandmen warriors suddenly slowed down, and the shields they had condensed shifted sparingly in the air. a hole appeared in their perfect defense. ¡°no!¡± they sensed the enemy disturbed the power again. the lord of the dunes released a hysterical roar. in the next second. the raging flames engulfed the dune ruler. it forcefully enveloped the lord of the dunes. the terrifying energy instantly turned the sand around it into lava and swallowed the dune ruler. Chapter 636 the transcendent unleashed its full power, and the terrifying energy fluctuations caused the surrounding darkness to dissipate into nothingness, and light returned to the earth. in the eyes of the two players, the area had fallen into darkness when qingqiu flew in. it dissipated not long after. then, the darkness retreated. the god¡¯s ancient tree tied up the lord of the dunes, a fire elemental lord poured out the flames, and the flames devoured the surrounding sandmen warriors¡¯ stiff bodies appeared in their pupils. tons of sand grains turned into lava¡­ the situation cleared. !! the two idiots looked at the figure that floated in the sky. that left them at a loss for words. it was one thing for him to interfere in a battle between transcendents, but now, he dominated the situation. ¡°that damn pervert!¡± the shrill scream of the lord of the dunes in the middle of the flames spread thousands of meters away. that made everyone who heard it shudder. richard watched this scene calmly, and his emotions sparingly fluctuated. the number of situations he dealt with became increasingly fewer as twilight city grew stronger. a real boss should hold a bottle of red wine, sit in the rear with the help of the maids, and let his troop attack the city with a wave of his hand. then, he only needed to wait for the troop to return victorious and present the spoils of war to him¡­ richard stared at the lord of the dunes while flames burned it crazily. richard narrowed his eyes. the other party had already lost control of the sand. he glanced at the flanks and waved his hand. the four-hundred-meter-tall sand statues collapsed like an avalanche. that shattered the weapon of the dune lord. richard slowly turned his head afterward. he looked at the lord of the dunes while it wailed in pain. he said indifferently. ¡°seal its power.¡± the calm tone made the dune lord feel an uncontrollable fear. ¡°lowly human, what do you want to do!!¡± the rotten authority of the god¡¯s ancient tree currently crazily eroded the lord of the dunes. they directly crippled the other party by more than half, coupled with the scorching flames. clashes between transcendents were often fierce and terrifying. it was arduous to ascertain the victor in a short period. that would probably take several hours of intense killing before one could determine the victor if the three sides were allowed to fight¡­ the existence of this level had a tenacious vitality enough to make anyone click their tongues. the battle between the three sides matched evenly. and that was the last straw to break the balance. that made the other party¡¯s yellow sand power lose its effect temporarily, use the skill attached to the king of darkness cape to seal the other party¡¯s senses, and coupled with the cooperation of the god¡¯s ancient and the fire elemental lord. the lord of dunes could not timely react after a series of methods. the human overlord landed the dune ruler as a prisoner. the power in richard¡¯s body began to come alive as it slowly approached the other. a strong desire rose in its heart. it was like something was in the other party¡¯s body that attracted the human overlord. it was like a thirsty person in the desert for ten days had finally reached spring water. every cell in his body yearned. the lord of the dunes controlled the power of yellow sand! the will of the desert bestowed that power. every existence that possessed yellow sand was the darling of the desert. richard sighed and forcefully suppressed his emotions. the power of the yellow sand surged out of his body under the angry and frightened gaze of the lord of the dunes. that enveloped the other party. the winner could take everything. now, it was time for him to reap the spoils of war. Chapter 637 a magnet attracted the yellow sand power in the other party¡¯s body and quickly replenished his body. richard felt that every cell in his body cheered. the power in his body began to increase explosively. the surrounding sand began to float and spin around him. !! richard forcefully controlled the lord of the dunes. the dune ruler wanted to resist but could not do anything under the joint suppression of the god¡¯s ancient tree and the fire elemental lord. all it could do was watch its already weak power drain away¡­ an image suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s mind after he devoured the power of the yellow sand to a limit. in an infinite desert. the storm swept up sand and dust and howled like a demon¡¯s roar. that made people tremble in fear. the stronger the wind, the more terrifying the sandstorm. then, the sandstorm swallowed the entire world. the desert gradually weakened and returned to peace after the sandstorm reached its peak. a sandstorm began. richard seemed to have become a witness to time. he witnessed everything that happened in the desert. the yellow sand would occasionally remain calm amidst silence. it would pass peacefully, and at other times, it would collapse and turn into quicksand that could devour everything¡­ countless changes happened in the vast land. but only the desert was eternal. the sand could be tangible or intangible. the sand could condense into various shapes under the control of the outside world¡­ the lord of the dunes turned into giant yellow sand and was just one of the methods. richard felt increasingly enlightened as he watched this scene¡­ he only returned to his senses when the scene disappeared. with a thought. the surrounding yellow sand began to surge. huge vegetable pots, irregular pressure cookers, uniquely shaped butcher knives, electric fans, inflatable dolls, whips, handcuffs¡­ the sand condensed these things and gave off an incomparably authentic feeling even though they were sand. that was odd. the condensation gathered the messy things, and a giant sandman warrior that wore an apron rose from the ground. then, those things merged into the sandman¡¯s body¡­ it carried the vegetable pot on its back, the pressure cooker on its head, the butcher knife in its right hand, the electric fan in its left hand, the inflatable doll lying on its thigh, and the whip and handcuffs around its neck¡­ the style was completely different from the ¡°shining era¡±. it was extremely out of place, strange, and twisted. the troop could not help but be at a loss for words when they saw the scene from a distance. they knew about the sandman. but the carrying of the weapon was odd! has the feudal lord developed that spell? one could expect that from a lordship! it was indeed amazing. it was too obscure and difficult to understand. only the two idiot players knew why, and their mouths twitched. at the same time, their emotions were sparingly subtle. qingqiu was a genuine player. it could not be that a spirit possessed it. at the very least, one could not imagine such a realistic inflatable doll. richard couldn¡¯t help but complain when he returned to his senses. what did this guy do in the past? that was a little too much¡­ the combined power suppressed the dune lord. it felt like a power that disappeared like a tidal wave. an uncontrollable fear rose in its heart. however, the corrosion of the rotten authority and the burning of the soul-crushing power of the fire elemental lord¡­ it was a luxury for it to mobilize its strength. intense pain came from every cell in its body. the dune ruler looked at the gradually rising momentum of the shadow and the strange sandman warrior that looked like a living person. resentment, unwillingness, anger, and countless emotions surged in its heart. but all these emotions eventually condensed into regret¡­ the dune ruler thought the power of yellow sand was the beginning of his recovery to his peak and the starting point for him to rule the desert of death again. however, it did not expect a lowly human overlord would have such exaggerated power. it was unimaginable and incomprehensible. the dune ruler gradually aged and experienced vicissitudes as it lost its power. it was eventually like a dying person that emitted a rotten aura. its eyes were dull, and its aura disappeared¡­ richard slowly opened his eyes. he could no longer replenish the yellow sand. the aura on his body momentarily fluctuated. the power of the yellow sand surged around him. the floating sand was like a breeze. and then a storm. the power in his body shook. that was a state where one had yet to be digested and fused into one. the power of the yellow sand was the initial power of the desert. it was too extraordinary. it was difficult to digest for a while. a familiar voice sounded in richard¡¯s ear after he withdrew the power that enveloped the dune lord. [ding~ you have obtained a remarkable power¨Cthe power of the yellow sand.] [talent: the desert ruler is currently in the second stage. please level up as soon as possible. you can complete the final transformation upon completion of level 15.] richard looked at the system prompt and immediately perked up. talent upgrade. ¡°finally!¡± he had been able to forge the twilight city into such a powerful city in just half a year, and his talent had contributed enormously. he wondered how much improvement he would have received from this advancement. richard looked into the future. he would gather all the power of sand that even a transcendent existence like the lord of the dunes would be interested in. what kind of heights would he reach? a legendary or taboo domain-gods? the future is promising. richard took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions that surged. he glanced at the half-conquered twilight city from the corner of his eyes after he regained his senses and turned to look at the old and decaying lord of the dunes. Chapter 638 killing intent surged in his heart. that was the most severe damage to twilight city. two-thirds of the troop he had accumulated more than half a year had died in this war! two-thirds, how many resources was that?! how many black sorbet ice creams did he have to sell to earn it back? !! how much time would it take to recruit these troops again? ¡°the damned lord of the dunes and that silly kobold god deserved to die!¡± the great war has caused damage to buildings. these would require massive resources to repair. that was not a battle in an instance dungeon. he could no longer resurrect the destroyed buildings and fallen soldiers. the underground reinforcements that came to support were also tragic. their corpses were everywhere. the price twilight city had paid to resist this attack was supremely formidable. ¡°lock it up in the dungeon. three days later, organize a public trial and let the residents of twilight city judge it personally!¡± he finished speaking. the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree loosened and threw the dune ruler onto the sand. the transcendent who had been insufferably arrogant a moment ago did not even have the strength to stand up now. the two stone statues of the dead swooped down and carried each other up. they brought them back to twilight city. the decaying dune lord felt humiliated and indignant. even after being sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, it was still transcendent! how could it be so aggrieved?! it raised its head and cursed in a supremely resentful tone. ¡°lowly human, i will destroy you. and your city!! i will deliver my eternal curse to you!!¡± the two stone statues of the dead attacked the dune ruler from both sides and gave it a few big ears before it could finish speaking. they knocked out its front teeth. richard ignored the dune lord. the curse of the loser was laughable and pitiful, but it was nothing more than a roar of incompetence. ¡°you can¡¯t even defeat me when you¡¯re at your mightiest. how can you make twilight city collapse with just a few curses? ¡°you curse day and night. can you curse a god to death?¡± the figure of the dune lord disappeared from his sight. this exceptional scheme, the war the gods personally participated in, would end. the twilight city won the final victory at the cost of losing two-thirds of its troop. the situation calmed down. fire elemental lord klose floated in the sky like a scorching sun. it waved its hand fiercely. it halted the collapsing flames and dissipated the heat that could melt everything. the transcendent boss looked at richard with bright eyes, but it did not speak. richard sensed the man¡¯s gaze and exchanged a glance. then, the two looked at each other and smiled. silence. everything was in silence. fire elemental lord klose looked at him deeply, then waved his hand and shattered the void. the heat wave that rolled came pressing down again, and infinite flames burned wantonly on the other side of the plane. lord klose stepped forward and disappeared into the flames. it did not speak to richard and left the central plane from the beginning to the end. richard was in a good mood after lord klose disappeared. the relationship between the two sides had gone from mutual use to true friends. the subtlety of it was unfathomable to outsiders. fire elemental lord klose would descend again if others attacked richard again. that was the fundamental reason for his generous investment in the other party¡¯s friendship. no amount of resources could equalize a transcendent¡¯s battle power. it could decide finality at critical moments. lord klose left. richard turned his gaze to another spatial rift in the sky. it was the spatial rift ripped open by the dune lord, and it hadn¡¯t closed yet. richard could see an empty throne made of yellow sand on the broad square before him. further away, there were tall buildings. one could see the glory of twilight city from the tall buildings although the view couldn¡¯t contain the whole picture. the city of the dune lord. richard¡¯s mood rose. the soldiers brought the dune lord back to twilight city. they locked the dune ruler in the dungeon. richard heard the notification sound again the moment they locked the cell door. [ding~ you have captured the lord of the dunes.] [advancement mission: eliminate the dune lord] [current progress: 90%] [eliminate the remaining forces to complete the advancement mission.] the message quickly energized richard after he read it twice. the biggest problem was that he had imprisoned the dune lord. now, it was time to enjoy the fruits of victory. he turned around and looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree that stood on the yellow sand like a tree that could support the sky after the dust dissipated. the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statues of the dead had already gathered in the surroundings. at the same time, the 10-meter-tall centaur, emily, who had activated her battle stance, walked over and looked at her with admiration. he subconsciously looked around. dark treants more than 20 meters tall gathered rapidly around him. the buzzing poisonous wasps formed a black cloud in the sky. sel bloodhoof also led the dungeon tribe¡¯s troop toward him¡­ richard looked at this powerful troop after a great battle. he could not help but feel sparingly uneasy. a strong sense of accomplishment rose in its heart. that was the foundation of twilight city, the power that he nurtured. he took a deep breath and looked at the spatial rift. he waved his hand. ¡°tear down that city!¡± his will was the direction of the twilight city. richard gave the order, and the god¡¯s ancient tree waved its branches. endless power burst out that forcibly widened the spatial rift. this boss had the power of the legendary tree. it was the first to step in. the skeletal blood dragon, the stone statue of the dead, and the dark treants followed closely behind. the two idiot players watched twilight city troop cross the spatial rift and charge into the city buried underground. the idiots behind felt a strange emotion. the black-fat pheasant felt lost. ¡°everything is over just like that?¡± even now, he still felt like he was in a dream. what happened in just a few hours was too surreal. before he stepped through the space rift, he would never have expected that qingqiu¡¯s troop could counterattack the city of the dune lord. the skinny shanji shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°yeah, who would have thought qingqiu¡¯s strength would be so powerful¡­¡± he suddenly thought, if the other players knew the true strength of qingqiu, what would their expressions be? presumably, they would be even more shocked than them. unfortunately, outsiders would never know what happened here without a live broadcast. moreover, no one would care even if he sent out these messages. hunting gods, imprisoning transcendents¡­ only a fool would believe such a mythical story. no one was a fool. qingqiu was strong, but it was nonsense to say that he could suppress transcendents, let alone slaughter gods¨Ceven if this was true. shanji thought of this, and he could not help but feel regretful. at this moment, the black-fat pheasant haonan seemed to have thought of something and said with some envy. ¡°there are unopened treasure vaults in the city of the dune lord, right? i wonder how many valuable things remained inside. this time, everything belonged to qingqiu¡¯s¡­¡± his expression suddenly changed as he said that. ¡°it seems like that¡¯s not all. wouldn¡¯t that city become the human overlord¡¯s spoils of war after he imprisoned the lord of the dunes? this wave¡­ he directly obtained a city?¡± shanji, who was as thin as a hemp pole, also had a stiff expression. he turned his head to look at his companion and said with rapid breathing. ¡°i remember that there were still ten desert guards¡¯ lairs left in the urban area because the enemy had slayed some. at that time, i took a few more glances to ensure they were intact¡­ f*ck, they were crown 3-stars soldiers!!¡± the dune lord¡¯s domineering attitude made the two never think the city would fall. it posed it was the only lord for them. ¡®now that the human overlord imprisoned the dune lord, wouldn¡¯t everything that belonged to the dune ruler belongs to qingqiu?¡¯ the two idiots pondered the wealth and resources the dune lord had accumulated. they widened their eyes and looked at the twilight city troop that had stepped into the spatial rift. the human overlord seemed to have eaten ten thousand lemons in his mouth, and the sourness reached his heart. ¡°qingqiu, this pervert! this human overlord deserved to die!!¡± Chapter 639 richard only stepped in after the god¡¯s ancient tree confirmed that the surroundings were safe. who else could risk going to the top aside from him? an ancient, majestic, and magnificent city appeared before him when he passed through the spatial rift. it was ancient. it was like it had crossed millions of years. !! the streets crisscrossed, and the buildings were like hair. there were churches carved with religious patterns, vast bell towers at the intersection, and seven or eight stories high residential buildings¡­ there were all kinds of things. richard gazed at these buildings. he seemed to have seen the dazzling scene of the city at its most prosperous. however, what left a lasting impression was not the glory of the city but the vast wall of yellow sand that enveloped the entire edge, which was more than a hundred meters tall. it was hard to imagine why the sand had not collapsed after it piled up to a hundred meters high. there was no obstruction on the side of the city. richard focused and saw that the sand still flowed¡­ this scene was like a miracle. richard frowned at first, but he confirmed later he hadn¡¯t sensed any threat. he looked away. he floated above the city. he looked down at the earth. he estimated the distance from the central square where the yellow sand throne to the edge was at least five kilometers. and they had yet to see the city walls. the sand buried the remaining part of the city. it did not reveal everything. it would be a magnificent city that was not inferior to solan city. the only discordant thing was that the streets around them were empty. there was no one there. even the troop that guarded the city did not appear. an empty and lonely atmosphere filled the entire city. richard frowned. where were the enemies? he narrowed his eyes slightly. his perception began to spread out along the sand. it was only when his spiritual power reached the extreme that he suddenly stopped. he immediately commanded alves to rise into the air. he passed over the towering yellow sand wall and flew hundreds of meters into the air. he looked at the east side of dune city. black sand covered the ground a thousand meters away. mummies crawled out of the black sand and gathered¡­ the number of soldiers exceeded two large brigades. richard heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the enemy. it was not scary to have a powerful enemy but the unknown. richard retracted his thoughts and looked at the black sandy ground. was the enemy¡¯s troop buried in the sand? richard thought of the yellow sand that buried a part of the city. he immediately understood. the camp that the lord of the dunes used to house the troop had not escaped the burial of the yellow sand. he turned to look at the central square, where he gathered the twilight city troop and gave the order. ¡°emily, there are still several enemies left in the east. the stone statues of the dead and the dark treants will be under your command.¡± amidst a group of ridiculously large dark treants, a small centaur gazed around curiously. after richard¡¯s return, the warrior who had taken over the command and killed the enemies returned to her carefree little girl appearance. the young fellow immediately looked at the sky when she heard the order. at the same time, she felt everyone¡¯s gaze gather on her. pride filled her heart. it was like someone appointed her as the class monitor in public. ¡°yes, father!¡± a delicate voice sounded. ¡°lord treebeard, please send the dark treants out¡­ the stone statue of the dead, follow me!¡± emily dashed toward the sand wall as soon as she finished speaking. grains of sand covered a distance of several kilometers in the blink of an eye. and then a shocking scene appeared. the centaur stepped onto the 90-degree steep wall of the sand. moreover, her speed was swift. she directly charged up with her body facing up, not affected by gravity at all¡­ the boss¡¯s characteristic was that it could run regardless of the terrain. the stone statue of the dead flapped its wings and followed closely behind. the dark treant was half a step behind. but the god¡¯s ancient tree summoned the troops and was also full of visual impact. the yellow sand suddenly flowed upwards like a lonely boat in a river after the dark treant inserted its roots into the wall of yellow sand down the river. the thousands of dark treants moved in such a manner gave people a strong visual shock. emily raised the axe and led the troop to charge again after the army climbed to the ground. the mummies that crawled out of the ground sensed the enemy¡¯s attack and immediately turned around to face them. another battle began. this time, without any supernatural intervention and the danger of the fall of the twilight city, emily displayed a destructive power that made people tremble. wherever the axe went, no matter how the mummies resisted, there was only one outcome. the axe would shatter their bodies and destroy their souls. the dark treant surged out like a tidal wave. its vast body could crush the mummy, who was less than two meters tall. the tree trunk swung and could cause exaggerated destructive power. it was richard¡¯s first time to see the dark treant fight. their attack method mainly relied on the dry and twisted branches on their bodies. only the god¡¯s ancient tree could freely control its roots for movement. however, that didn¡¯t slow their battle power. their waves could cause massive damage. the god¡¯s ancient tree summoned these four levels lower than the giant twisted human-faced tree troops. they were all level 13. however, the level 15 top-tier soldiers were superior. Chapter 640 that was an inherent advantage of the race. there was no reason to talk about talent. richard saw the mummies crawl out of the ground, and the twilight city troop quickly slaughtered them. richard felt sparingly odd since his troops obtained a lower level than the enemy. to a certain extent, the level reflected the level of strength, but it could not prove the battle power. !! that included mode, level, technology, and strategic treasure bonuses. it would be pure power when one gathered all these together. richard saw emily lead the battle and had the upper hand. he didn¡¯t mind. he was no longer interested in these post-battle deserts. alves landed in the central square. then, it floated away from behind and walked up the twelve steps to the yellow sand throne. the soldiers in the square were in a daze as they looked at the extraordinary figure. it was as if their lord was the true lord of that city. richard looked around and immediately saw the burly figure before the troop. he was sel bloodhoof. he was the leader of the barbarian tribe, the ruler of bloodhoof city, and now the nominal ruler of the underground world. richard gazed at the dried blood on sel¡¯s body. his eyes softened. ¡°sel, i¡¯ve seen the sacrifices of bloodhoof city and everyone else.¡± ¡°your bravery and fearlessness have won my approval. ¡°the twilight city will never forget your sacrifices.¡± richard didn¡¯t expect one could mobilize the underground troop so quickly. he was satisfied with sel¡¯s performance. the controller of the barbarian prison was outstanding. he knew the right path from the beginning. this guy had gone too far. sel held his chest and humbly bowed. his tone was sparingly fanatical. ¡°lord richard, it is an honor to serve you!¡± ¡°it is an honor to serve you!¡± the surging sound resounded through the sky. these words came from the bottom of their hearts. the soldiers from the dungeon had never thought that they would encounter such a legendary event when they supported twilight city. the dune lord could form a hundred-meter-tall giant sand. fire elemental lord klose could control flames that burn everything, and the lord was so high up that everyone would bow their heads when they heard his name¡­ they appeared before him one by one. half a year ago, the mightiest existences were only the rulers of two factions and were only level 15 in the underground world. it was like a myth. these existences in myths and legends were all related to the ruler before him. that was even more ridiculous. imprisoning transcendents, hunting gods¡­ this taboo incident caused an indescribable shock to their hearts. richard was like a god that descended into the world in their minds. he was glorious and magnificent. ¡°no need for formalities. when the war is over, i will give you generous rewards.¡± richard looked at sel. ¡°sel, lead your troop and search thoroughly. ¡°i need to know where their treasury is.¡± sel took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. ¡°as you wish.¡± this matter seemed simple, but it was an excellent reward for sel. who was qualified to collect the spoils of war in battle? a confidant. a confidant of all confidants. richard nodded in satisfaction as he watched sel leave. he could finally see the effect of leaving bloodhoof city behind. it was not a loss. sel left less than ten minutes after. karu rode on a stone statue of the dead and passed through the spatial rift. the administrative officer in charge of the affairs of twilight city had a solemn expression on his face, and there was a depressing atmosphere about him. karu arrived at the yellow sand throne with twelve steps. he immediately bowed. ¡°good day, lord richard¡­ we calculated the battle losses of twilight city.¡± anger and sadness filled his voice. ¡°we¡¯ve suffered heavy losses¡­¡± richard stared at karu. he seemed to have aged by more than ten years. he frowned. ¡°there¡¯s no need for that, karu. ¡°twilight city hasn¡¯t fallen yet, and our residents are still alive. ¡°we can repair the damaged buildings and re-recruit the fallen soldiers. no matter how bad the situation is now, can it be worse than the humble beginning of twilight city? ¡°it¡¯s just spending more resources. ¡°black sorbet, whitetail wine, yellow sand robe, desert crown honey, and the weapons factory in the underground world. none has damaged any of them, and it didn¡¯t affect our foundation.¡± master karu was momentarily stunned. but richard¡¯s words soothed his anxiety. ¡°yes, no matter how difficult it was to build the current twilight city, it wouldn¡¯t surpass our tight grapple when we first founded it. ¡°moreover, twilight city was the victor of this war. we even imprisoned transcendents in the dungeons. ¡°the winner should not have revealed such a stance!¡± karu sighed, and his gaze returned to its usual emotions. ¡°lord richard, i was too narrow-minded. your eminence is enough to make the gods admire you¡­¡± richard noticed that karu had calmed down and smiled. that was why he always placed karu in a salient position. this gray-haired man would never make an irrational decision because of external factors. to control one¡¯s emotions was the most basic ability of a superior. ¡°report the losses of twilight city in detail.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± master karu¡¯s face darkened. ¡°four hours ago, i suddenly heard a horn blow, and then i saw a crack in the sky¡­the dune lord¡¯s mummy troop and the kobolds suddenly attacked.¡± Chapter 641 ¡°in this battle, we used 450 alchemy cannons and more than 200,000 alchemy bombs. ¡°we have used the alchemy bombs we got from fortress city. there are less than 30,000 left in the warehouse.¡± ¡°one hundred thirty to four hundred cannons were destroyed in the battle. the rest are more or less damaged.¡± the alchemy cannons played an irreplaceable role in this battle. without these three-star weapons, twilight city would have fallen long ago. !! however, high-intensity artillery meant high losses. the battle destroyed over a hundred alchemy cannons in a single blow. this level of consumption was enough for anyone¡¯s heartache. richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. he was mentally prepared for this. wasn¡¯t this why he had spent so much effort to obtain all kinds of resources to prevent such a situation? this time, the performance of the alchemy cannon indicated that his previous preparations were not in vain. ¡°the damage to the buildings is even more severe. the massive massacre destroyed 20 residences, one winery, and two food workshops¡­ other than that, some buildings were more or less attacked but did not collapse. ¡°the lord¡¯s mansion is the main attack area of the enemy, and one-third of the area has fallen. fortunately, you returned in time, or the consequences would be unpredictable.¡± butler karu¡¯s tone tuned increasingly grave. ¡°even so, the bandaged mummies, three troop lairs, and the giant axe death knight¡¯s five troop lairs were all destroyed. they did not even spare the cursed pharaoh with a single lair.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°they slaughtered nine rare troop lairs just like that? ¡°continue.¡± butler karu¡¯s voice turned hoarse. ¡°the buildings suffered heavy losses, and the troops suffered even more.¡± ¡°the battle exhausted eight squadrons of guardian mummies and three bandaged mummies to defend the city. ¡°the enemies occupied the city walls. miss emily led five squadrons of giant axe death knights to charge to cover the retreat of the troop¡­ the enemies slaughtered all the axe death knights. ¡°the skeleton dragons and wyverns surrounded two squadrons of dark gargoyles. ¡°more than half of the scorpion warriors have died in the battle with the enemy. only two squadrons are left. ¡°the enemies¡¯ airforce ambushed four squadrons of sand mages, and all died.¡± ¡°more than six squadrons of the freezing sand archers have died, and only five are left.¡± ¡°they dismantled two squadrons of heavy sword warriors into parts¡­¡± richard fell silent as karu recounted his sorrowful story. the losses in this battle were too tragic. in the end, the enemies had wiped more than half of the troops on the attribute panel out. rare troop type¨C 1. poisonous scorpion warrior (nests: 0, weekly production: 10, current quantity: 230) 2. guardian mummy (nests: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 0) 3. sand condensation archers (nests: 10, weekly production: 50, current quantity: 535) 4. sandstorm controller (nests: 20, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 400) glorious troop type 1. stone statues of the dead (nests: 11, weekly production: 110, current quantity: 850) crown troop type¨Cskeleton blood dragon 160 it had reduced the initial seven or eight battalions to two. the giant axe death knight, the bandage mummy, and the cursed pharaoh. the enemies had wiped these out along with their lairs¡­ that was because more than one legion hunted the dungeon troop down. twilight city had defended the city. it was too tragic. richard felt his heart bleed after he read them. a single wave tore half a year¡¯s savings. richard looked at the yellow sand throne before him with a ferocious gaze. the f*cking lord of the dunes and the kobold god wanted to interfere in those sacrificed to the heavens!! ¡°what about the casualties of the residents?¡± butler karu¡¯s expression softened sparingly. ¡°because we have a lot of emergency drills and preparations. although the situation this time is dangerous, the residents retreated in time, and there were no casualties.¡± thanks to richard¡¯s idea of being vigilant in times of peace. karu carried out his order and conducted several monthly drills in various situations. most exercises dealt with how twilight city should respond to the enemy¡¯s surprise attack. they came up with a strategy suitable for twilight city after several drills. everyone knew what they should do in case of an emergency. richard let out a sigh of relief. the residents were one of the most valuable assets of twilight city. the benefits of raising the morale of the people were too rare. he could not tolerate the sudden fall of it because of the attack on the city. these residents could be the backbone of the unity of people when twilight city expanded. after ten minutes of discussion, two bloodhoof city soldiers approached and respectfully greeted them. ¡°great lord, we have discovered several collapsed troop lairs in the eastern region. after investigation, there are still several troop lairs that are intact¡­¡± ¡®the eastern region?¡¯ the troops that crawled out of the sand? richard was intrigued. ¡°what kind of troops can those troop lairs recruit?¡± the dungeon soldier quickly said, ¡°i don¡¯t know yet. i need time to determine¡­¡± richard nodded and waved without hesitation. Chapter 642 the guard who passed the order understood he was in high spirits and was excited. ¡°as you wish.¡± with that, he turned around and led the way. richard followed behind karu. !! ten minutes later, the dungeon soldiers stopped in a spacious area. richard looked around and saw countless troop lairs of all sizes on the grayish-brown floor. unfortunately, most of these lairs had collapsed, and some had even become inconspicuous mounds or piles of stones. those who barely maintained their original state also lost their strength and could no longer recruit troops. richard felt pity and went deeper into the dungeon. he found dozens of dungeon soldiers that weekly guarded several lairs and emitted intense energy fluctuations. the soldiers immediately cupped their chests and saluted when they saw richard. richard dismissed the troop and did not waste any time. he walked before the few soldiers that had not collapsed and looked at them carefully. more than an eight-meter-tall pyramid condensed from yellow sand stood before him. inside the pyramid were the striking and sharp spears that pierced through the yellow sand in the air. they looked very cool. it piqued richard¡¯s interest, and he opened his attribute panel with intense anticipation. [pyramid guards] [level: crown 3-stars] [recruitable troops: guardian mummy (crown 3-stars)] [recruited: 20] [weekly production: 0] [recruitment requirements: 1,000 units of gemstones, 1,000 units of sulfur.] [description: a lair that can recruit crown soldiers. it is rare.] it was a top-tier soldier that had once killed hundreds of dead stone statues in one go. their losses in that battle would have been at least four to five times higher if the stone statue hadn¡¯t turned into sand. that was a skill that countered physical damage. this troop had proven its strength. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°great lord, we¡¯ve just counted. we¡¯ve found a total of ten intact soldiers of this type¡­¡± ¡°ten?¡± richard¡¯s smile widened. to upgrade from glorious to crown would require 50,000,000 units of resources. ten of them meant 500 million units. they could make up for a lot, although the losses this time were vast, with ten troops. richard¡¯s emotions eased up a lot. he was about to say something. suddenly, there was a commotion not far away. richard turned his head but found that troop lair blocked his view. he raised an eyebrow. ¡°karu, send someone to see what happened¡­¡± butler karu didn¡¯t hesitate and left immediately. not long after, the old gray-haired man returned excitedly. he shouted before he even got close. ¡°lord, there are dungeon soldiers there who accidentally triggered a mechanism. they found three intact lairs inside!!¡± ¡°three more? ¡°this was 13? ¡°is it the same type?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s another troop type.¡± that intrigued richard. ¡°bring me there!¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± they went around the collapsed ruins and followed karu to another area. the collapse of the lair was even more severe here. gravel and sand covered the ground. the only difference was that a vast appeared on the ground. more than ten soldiers looked down excitedly. the space below the crack was about twenty meters high. many troops have explored it. richard didn¡¯t waste any time. he let karu wait on the surface and floated down from the crack. aura-filled lairs appeared before him when he landed. three pyramids more than 10 meters tall stood in the dark underground. endless sandstorms swirled above the pyramid. one could feel the power that surged even from a hundred meters away. rusty blades filled the top of the pyramid. that made the pyramid look like a tomb of blades. the feeling that this soldier gave him was much stronger than the impact of the guardian mummy. that was also a crown-level soldier. ¡®could this soldier be stronger?¡¯ anticipation shrouded richard¡¯s heart. he walked closer to the three pyramids under the dim light. he opened the attribute panel again. he subconsciously held his breath with just a single glance. [sleeping pyramid] [level: 3-stars radiant moon] [recruitable troops: king of the imperial troop (3-stars radiant moon)] [recruited: 20] [weekly production: 0] [recruitment requirements: 4000 units of gemstones, 4000 units of sulfur] [description: able to recruit mummy soldiers with powerful battle strength¨Cking of the imperial troop. they are the kings of the mummy imperial troop and have supremely soul-devouring battle strength.] that was the above crown lair of the radiant moon troop?!! richard¡¯s heart beat faster. Chapter 643 richard took a few deep breaths. he could not suppress his excitement. rare, glorious, crown¡­ a crown 1-star skeleton dragon was already an extremely ferocious existence, and above crown was the radiant moon! in a hegemon city like solan city, radiant moon soldiers were the pillars of existence. he didn¡¯t expect to get three. !! ¡°three!¡± he would only need more than a billion if he used the black gold system and used resources to level up. it was an astronomical figure. the value of these three troop lairs wasn¡¯t something the crown 3-stars guardian mummies could compare to. richard looked at the lair in the center while he suppressed the throbbing of his heart. he opened the attribute panel and directly chose to recruit. he had imprisoned the dune lord. this city had become a city without an owner. there was no restriction that outsiders couldn¡¯t recruit in the troop lair inside. [ding~ recruiting the imperial troop by one requires 3,000 units of gems and sulfur each. do you want to recruit?] richard¡¯s mouth twitched when he saw the number. he understood why high-level troops were so rare. one has built a top-tier troop from resources. poor people don¡¯t deserve violent soldiers¡­ only the mightiest forces could participate in this kind of high-end game. ordinary players could gather the resources for a round of recruitment even if they sold themselves. the sandstorm above the pyramid in the middle raged when one used 6,000 units of resources up. countless grains of sand swirled, and they could hear sharp sounds. it was like a demon¡¯s wail. a head wrapped in rusty bandages suddenly squeezed through the yellow sand of the pyramid and broke out. the howling of the sandstorm got increasingly fiercer. the sandstorm gave rise to it. the mummy twisted its stiff neck and stepped away from the pyramid. it stood steadily on the ground. a shocking scene appeared the next moment. it was like a magnet attracted iron filings in the sandstorm above the pyramid. it drifted over and spun around the mummy. the sabers did not fall to the ground. they still flew along with the sand. a remarkable aura filled that scene. ¡°this was a radiant moon troop?¡± just this appearance alone was worth this level, not to mention anything else. it was simply too handsome! richard opened the status panel of this top-tier soldier with intense anticipation. [king of the imperial troop] [level: 17] [potential: 3-stars radiant moon] [magic: 5,000 (recovers 30 points per second)] [skill: invisible blade (a-rank) ¡ª can use magical power to condense invisible ropes to control the sword in hand. it consumes 20 magical power per second. rope length: 20 meters. it can control five ropes. one cannot cut the void rope.] [taboo sandstorm (a-rank) ¡ª explodes the strength in the body. it instantly increases all attributes by 300%. it is immune to all crowd control skills and instant death skills. it can control the sand to fly into the sky. all skill cooldowns can be reduced to 10 seconds. duration: 20 minutes. cooldown: 1 hour] [army breaker (a-rank) ¡ª instantly explodes 10 sword auras and covers a fan-shaped area of 50 meters in front of you. it consumes 500 magic points each time. cooldown: 5 minutes.] [forbidden (a-rank) ¡ª one can issue a forbidden that can force the enemy to pause for 3 seconds. it can consume 500 magic points each time. cooldown time: 10 minutes.] [raging slash (a-rank) ¡ª it requires five nothingness rope to control a sword together. it instantly deals 10 times the damage and has the armor penetration characteristic. it consumes 10,000 mp each time. cooldown: 20 minutes.] [race talent: when fighting in the desert, mana recovery speed increases to 100 points per second. the length of the invisible rope of the invisible blade increases by an additional 10 meters.] [fetters-guards: when the number of kings of the imperial guards exceeds 100, every 10 additional members will increase all attributes by 1%. the upper limit is 1,000 members.] [description: a mummy with mighty battle strength. they are the fiercest warriors in the desert.] richard finally returned to his senses after he checked it a few times. ¡°this attribute is awesome!¡± he felt an immense surprise in his heart. although there weren¡¯t many skills, all of them were a-rank. moreover, each was extremely powerful. none were trash. in his opinion, the mightiest skill was undoubtedly the first skill, invisible blade¡­ he condensed five invisible ropes to control the saber. ¡°what kind of concept was this?¡± as long as an enemy stepped within 30 meters of the king of the imperial troop. the saber would arrive as promised. one could not cut the void rope. that was even more bewildering. it was equivalent to controlling the saber from afar. the trajectory was like an antelope¡¯s horn. one that could make an enemy arduous to judge. as for the second skill, forbidden sandstorm, it was equally soul-crushing. all attributes will increase sharply within 20 minutes. at the same time, you will also have the ability to fly during this period. the cooldown time of skills can be reduced to 10 seconds. that is with the three skills, army breaker, restriction, and raging slash. the king of the imperial troop¡¯s battle strength could probably reach a sensational level. ¡°as expected of a radiant moon troop! it¡¯s f*cking fierce!¡± in his high spirits, richard couldn¡¯t help but curse. this was a f*cking top-tier troop. it was already so fierce without technology, treasures, and the addition of territory attributes. how powerful would he be if he could still obtain these buffs? just thinking about it made richard excited. twilight city suffered losses these three radiant troops could patch. it was not a loss with the addition of the ten mummy guards. in addition to the power of yellow sand he obtained from the lord of the dunes, he had also solved the problem of the kobold god¡­ twilight city still profited even though twilight city had suffered heavy losses this time. richard¡¯s mood brightened immediately. he did not hesitate. he recruited six teams of soldiers stored in the three lairs for two weeks. to recruit a king of the imperial troop would require 6,000 units of rare resources. the six squads had consumed a total of 360,000 units. richard felt happy and heartbroken as he watched the resources on his attribute panel plummet. the more powerful the soldiers were, the more resources they needed made him happy. that indirectly showed how fierce the king of the imperial troop was. another gold digger had arrived and broke his heart!! the stone statue of the dead and the sandstorm controller in his hands were already considered gold-devouring beasts. these two soldiers devoured most of the output of twilight city. but the resources they needed were nothing compared to the king of the imperial troop. the other party would have to swallow 6,000 rare units of resources just for one¡­ who wanted this f*cking life? the resources earned every month in the future could not be enough to recruit troops if this continued. that was why he could not upgrade to a troop lair. raising the level of the troop lair would foster trouble without a sufficient economic foundation. it was good that the level of the troop lair was high. but what could be the use of not being able to recruit them¡­ ¡°poor!¡± richard sighed, and he was speechless. he was already quite good at earning money. fire dragon rabbit, desert crown honey, whitetailed wine, black sorbet¡­ they were all good projects to make money. however, compared to the expenditure, it was still dwarfed. the storm on the pyramid had already subsided while he pondered. the six squads of kings of the imperial troop had already lined up before him. sand surrounded each mummy. five blades floated randomly at the same time. richard saw this and collected his thoughts. that was why it was expensive. a soldier of this level could make the final decision at a critical moment. it was something one couldn¡¯t buy, regardless of the money one owns. these wouldn¡¯t be a problem once black frozen ice cream¡¯s production capacity has expanded. the yellow sand power of his body surged out and instantly enveloped the troop before him while he pondered. richard heard the notification afterward. [ding~ the troop had obtained the skill, sand transformation.] sand transformation had become the signature skill of twilight city. that was a life-saving skill. it played an irreplaceable role in battle after a war. twilight city couldn¡¯t have done things smoothly without this skill. richard restrained his strength after sand transformation. he did not hesitate to demolish the king of the imperial troop lair. he would replace it when he returned to twilight city. he only needed to pay an additional construction fee. he was about to go back and recruit the guardian mummies afterward when a shrill roar suddenly resounded through the sky. richard suddenly turned his head toward the sound. he narrowed his eyes. ¡°these are guards in this city?¡± just as he was about to fly up to investigate, a stone statue of the dead flapped its wings and flew over. ¡°lord, lord sel has discovered the location of the treasure vault¡­ however, the sight-armed naga guarded the treasure¡­that naga had an extremely mysterious power. one could slay it!¡± ¡°lord sel sent me to ask for help.¡± ¡°treasure vault?¡± richard¡¯s eyes immediately lit up after obtaining three radiant moon lairs. what has the dune lord hidden in the treasury? ¡°lead the way!¡± Chapter 644 dozens of statues of the guardian mummies were in this more than ten-meter-tall area. one has even engraved a magic imprint on it. there were still some remnants even after a long time. the statues of the guardian mummies guards would not be decorations if the magic arrays on them were intact. !! they passed through the statues and arrived at the central area. a giant building more than 30 meters tall, half buried underground, appeared before richard. one has carved countless complicated religious sacrificial patterns on the building. that gave people a solemn feeling. two giant mummy statues were as tall as the building in front. they held two spears and crossed each other. it was like they prevented the outsiders from entering. at this moment, more than a large group of barbarian warriors guarded the area. they glanced around while they guarded with savage eyes. a bloody battle took over below the giant mummy statue. the level 17 dungeon hero sel bloodhoof led the troop and launched round after round of attacks. but they only had one enemy¡­ an eight-armed naga. it was more than five meters tall. its lower body was a snake tail with grayish-white spots. it had eight arms on its back, and the muscles on each arm bulged. power filled its body. its amber eyes radiated savagery and brutality. it emitted light that made people shudder. this eight-armed naga had brazenly blocked the attack of the dungeon barbarians with its strength. it shocked the opponents. richard immediately opened the character¡¯s attribute panel. [guardian of the treasury] [undead naga] level: 19 [status: immune to death] ??? ??? one could not detect the unique power that shrouded the naga. the attributes were simple, but its expression was sparingly odd after richard read it. ¡°immune to death? ¡°this state was too much. ¡°wasn¡¯t this equivalent to activating invincibility?¡± richard frowned as he watched the eight-armed naga rampage through the dungeon barbarians like a human tank. he thought of renee. this divine soul had the protection of the ancient god statue. one could incessantly resurrect it. it was similar to the other party. the naga that protected the treasure vault was most likely a similar existence¡­ to deal with this life form, one needed to destroy the object it stored. richard¡¯s expression softened. after some thought, he looked at the king of the imperial troop he had just recruited. these were radiant moon-tier troops that could reach level 17 at birth. he ordered decisively. ¡°bloodhoof city¡¯s troop, retreat! all the kings of the imperial army surround and slay the naga!¡± his orders were the only direction the troop could take. sel immediately commanded the troop to retreat. the eight-armed naga would not pursue, although it was extra fierce, as long as it was a hundred meters away from the two guardian mummies at the door. it wriggled its snake body back to the entrance of the treasury. the guards protected the door like a tiger eyeing its prey. the king of the imperial troop stepped onto the battlefield after the dungeon troop withdrew. these soldiers looked cool. sandstorms shrouded their bodies. invisible hands seemed to hold their five sabers that orderly or disorderly danced in the sky. the position of the king of the imperial troop was more relaxed. no one has squeezed together. in the desert, the length of the void rope could reach up to 30 meters. it could reach up to 20 meters when it left the desert. murderous intent has overflowed amidst the turbulence. ¡°attack!¡± the eight-armed naga was enraged when it got within 50 meters of the monster. it charged forward with a roar. the two-meter-long saber in its hand tore through the air. it vowed to slaughter all its enemies. but before it could get close. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ long blades crossed the void and blocked the eight-armed naga. it was like a sword immortal from another mythological system. that shocked everyone. the eight-armed naga waved the long saber and forcefully knocked away these weapons. however, there were too many sabers, and it could not take care of everything. the opponent quickly slashed its body. however, its wounds healed in the blink of an eye after the saber cut through the other party¡¯s body. it was like one slashed a sword to cut the sea. the sea would remain untouched after the slash. the king of the imperial troop¡¯s attack was terrifying. it could quickly flatten some if they saw the city wall before them. the eight-armed naga rushed over quickly. the king of the imperial troop did not show any weakness. two combat weapons fell into its hands. they rushed forward with a wave. the best way to deal with an enemy like the eight-armed naga was to kite it. however, richard did not execute this tactic. he wanted to see how fierce the king of the imperial troop was. the two of them entered the battle. the king of the imperial troop exploded with infinite power. the naga waved its hand. ten saber lights tore through the sky. it broke the enemy troop and unleashed ten flashes of sword qi. it dealt damage to a fan-shaped area 50 meters before it. the kings of the six squads attacked simultaneously. one could only describe the scene as horrible. heaven and earth instantly lit up. there were only hundreds of saber lights left in front of everyone. ¡®thud!¡¯ however, the body of the eight-armed naga was somewhat illusory and could not dodge. the opponent tore the body apart like paper. the terrifying saber light hung up the storm. the hard floor was like a finger had scratched tofu. tons of debris shattered and flew everywhere. a terrifying scene appeared after the energy dissipated. the eight-armed naga¡¯s body had recovered. the attack just now was enough to make the giant dragon feel resentful. but this mysterious existence completely ignored it. the eight-armed naga rushed toward the king of the imperial troop angrily. Chapter 645 it swore to tear everything apart. but the king of the imperial troop didn¡¯t show any weakness and charged forward. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks exploded, and the sound of metal colliding resounded in the sky. !! the battle was brutal. the eight-armed naga attacked crazily. it relied on its confidence it would not die. even the king of the imperial troop didn¡¯t panic in the face of such an enemy. it continued to surround and kill. the battle between the two sides was so intense that no one could take their eyes off it. it was as if the next second would be the turning point. the sandstorm around the king of the imperial troop suddenly emitted a dazzling light as the eight-armed naga approached. in the next moment. all of the kings of the imperial troop flew into the air. [taboo sandstorm: it increases all attributes by 300%. it is immune to all crowd control and instant death skills. at the same time, it can control sand to fly into the sky. the cooldown of all skills will be reduced to 10 seconds for 20 minutes.] at the same time. the sword in the air attacked the eight-armed naga crazily like a meat grinder. however, under the terrifying characteristic of immunity to death, the opponent has incessantly strangled the eight-armed naga but could not die. it would have already died if it were an ordinary life form, even if it had 100 lives. richard narrowed his eyes. the king of the imperial troop was satisfied with its explosive fighting strength. it could feel the power of this troop. as expected of a radiant moon troop. at this moment. the ground suddenly trembled. sel watched the battle and subconsciously turned his head to look. a terrifying shadow covered him. the god¡¯s ancient tree. sel subconsciously lowered his head. he did not dare to look directly at the ancient tree. the other party emitted an aura more terrifying than that of a god. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°treebeard, imprison that naga.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree rumbled and directly stepped forward afterward. the terrifying roots smashed the surrounding mummy statues. this behemoth existed in myths and legends. the six squads of kings of the imperial troop retreated. the god¡¯s ancient rushed up to the eight-armed naga. an 80-meter-tall body was so insignificant before a 5-meter-tall creature. the eight-armed naga was not afraid at all. the aura on its body soared. it attacked the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡®clang!¡¯ the long saber slashed at the wrinkled bark crazily. that created the sound of metal colliding with metal. it left a deep mark on it. however, the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s body was too broad. these marks were like mosquito bites. one could ignore the damage. the eight-armed naga attacked intensively. suddenly, the surrounding roots enveloped the surrounding space. then, it quickly shrank. the eight-armed naga sensed that something was wrong and immediately roared and attacked. however, the long saber slashed at the tree roots and did not leave a mark. that sealed the surrounding space and energy. tree root cage. that was even more terrifying. there was no way to deal with it if one could not slay the other party. the eight-armed naga looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree. the giant twisted human-faced tree forcefully imprisoned the opponent as its roots shrank. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. enemies would all have weaknesses, no matter how strong they were. they could just lock it up if they couldn¡¯t kill it. richard wanted only the treasure vault of the dune lord, not to kill this naga. richard looked at the treasury door. ¡°sel, go and open up the channel.¡± the burly sel immediately agreed. he brought two squadrons of dungeon barbarians closer to the door of the treasure vault. he wanted to push it away. however, a wave of mana fluctuations suddenly flashed on the giant door that was more than ten meters tall. he couldn¡¯t use violence to push it away. sel felt the magic power, and his expression turned ugly. he turned around and said in a clear voice. ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s a magic array on the door. there¡¯s a secret code on it, and you need a secret order to enter¡­¡± richard frowned. ¡°secret code?¡± the corners of his mouth curled up coldly. ¡°treebeard, open it.¡± the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree tied the eight-armed naga and rushed to the front of the treasury. the building still seemed small in front of the boss. the twisted human-faced tree branch waved violently and smashed down. ¡®bang!¡¯ the supremely sturdy door of the treasure vault cracked. several cracks appeared on it. then, the god¡¯s ancient tree forcefully tore the solid treasury door down like a battering ram before sel¡¯s dumbfounded eyes¡­ ¡°what kind of bullsh*t magic was that? strength was the only thing!¡± the violence of the god¡¯s ancient tree made this dungeon hero firm in its path¡­ richard was excited when treebeard was able to tear the door of the treasure vault down. several people in the sand appeared out of nowhere with a wave of his hand. he charged straight into the treasure vault. sel led the dungeon troops into it after he ensured the enemy had not triggered traps. richard entered on the second exploration. he stepped the huge spatial rift. he entered the treasury vault of the dune lord. the moment he stepped into it, a slightly moldy smell mixed with dust rushed into his nose. richard raised an eyebrow and looked around. in an instant, his breathing became odd. a hundred meters away, in a vast spatial rift. it was dazzling. one has piled the gemstones up on the ground like rocks, and he could not see the end of them. it was like one had stuck all the gemstones in the world here. they reflected dazzling light under the illumination of the light outside. in the depths, an eight-armed naga statue made of pure gold stood in the center. at the same time, it raised a crystal coffin above the eight-armed naga statue¡¯s head. richard looked through the crystal coffin. his eyes froze. he could not see the face of the figure inside the coffin. what made his expression solemn was that the figure¡¯s chest still heaved. the other party was still alive! ****** Chapter 646 and there was a living being inside. this scene far exceeded richard¡¯s expectations. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± sel stepped forward with a solemn expression. !! fear engulfed his gaze as he looked at the pure gold statue of the eight-armed naga and the crystal coffin that it held. ¡°do you need me to send someone to take the coffin down?¡± richard frowned. ¡°wait a minute.¡± that scene was odd, although he did not sense any danger. ¡°let¡¯s clean up the treasure vault first. we¡¯ll move the coffin last.¡± ¡°yes.¡± sel didn¡¯t waste any time and directly turned around to bring his men down to investigate. richard calmed his thoughts and opened the attribute panel. but unexpectedly, it only had the attributes of the coffin. [crystal coffin] [level: special] [characteristic: able to sustain life for a long time] [description: a secret treasure created by the ancient elves after consuming several units.] there was no information about the mysterious life form whose chest heaved after a closer look. even the black gold system did not give any notifications. it was like it did not exist. that made richard frown. the figure in the coffin was not ordinary for one to be able to hide in the treasure vault and such a state. he felt that the figure in the crystal coffin was mightier than the vampire grand duke. richard opened the attribute panel of the eight-armed naga statue that held the crystal coffin. he had a strange emotion. in the next second, his eyes lit up afterward. [guardian of the treasury] [undead naga (statue)] [level: legendary] [1. summon an eight-armed naga to guard the treasure vault (current level: 19, highest recruitment level: 24)] [2. it can consume 1,000,000 units of adamantine to upgrade the statue. the naga will also increase by one for every level up.] [3. the eight-armed naga cannot leave the statue for more than 1000 meters.] [4. the naga will be immune to death if one has not destroyed the statue. it will consume the statue¡¯s adamantine every time it recovers from its injuries. the statue¡¯s level will drop, and so will the naga¡¯s level when one has overused.] [description: a statue forged by a powerful craftsman to protect the treasure vault.] as richard had expected, the naga was immune to death outside, and one has stored in a vault similar to the ancient god statue. [legendary treasure: it could even recruit transcendent eight-armed naga when it leveled up.] richard was pleased. a transcendent level figure was a strategic power. he had spent efforts to find the contract scroll and enslave the vampire grand duke. however, he did not expect to obtain a treasure that could lead to extraordinary power in the dune lord¡¯s treasure vault. life was truly outrageous. although one needed this thing to upgrade, it was still much better than a contract scroll without any information. the battle would not have been so difficult if there had been a transcendent in twilight city from the start. the losses wouldn¡¯t be so exaggerated. he was adamantly satisfied. he planned to move the eight-armed naga statue back to twilight city and collect tons of adamantine to upgrade. he couldn¡¯t leave the statue for 1,000 meters. this restriction was for attack, but it was enough for defense. half an hour later, the troop had thoroughly searched the treasury. they discovered three pure gold statues of the eight-armed naga in the corner of the treasure vault aside from the gemstones everywhere. however, he didn¡¯t find a second crystal coffin among the statues. however, what disappointed him was that these three statues could only recruit level 19 nagas, and they were seriously damaged. each required 100,000 units of adamantine to repair. however, this was an additional gain. no matter what, it was a profit. ¡°lord richard, the gemstones in this treasure vault are estimated to be more than three million units. the total profit will include the four naga statues and the crystal coffin.¡± richard heard the soldier¡¯s report while the soldier was excited. ¡°three million units of rare resources! ¡°this was an astronomical figure!¡± twilight city had just experienced a siege war. it was like sending charcoal in the snow. it was too crucial. ¡°lord richard, with these supplies, we can quickly recover.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. he sighed in his heart. as expected of a top-notch force with transcendent figures. this harvest was indeed shocking following the attack. war was a pure zero-sum game. the winner would take all. the loser would have nothing. fortunately, he was still the winner this time. however, players wouldn¡¯t take this top-tier map at this stage. just the dune lord alone, a transcendent who could form a hundred-meter-tall giant sand with a wave of his hand, was enough to annihilate everything. he put all the gemstones into the system space without hesitation. there was no limit to the storage of resources in the system space. it became a string of numbers after it absorbed them. it would still look the same when he took it. it took him an hour to clear out all the gemstones in the treasure vault. on the attribute panel, there were 3.67 million units. richard felt very satisfied. he gathered the resources for post-war reconstruction in this wave. how comfortable. he looked at the main character afterward¡­ the eight-armed naga statue and the crystal coffin above its head. the soldiers brought the other three naga statues back to twilight city. Chapter 647 he looked at the dazzling eight-armed naga statue in the empty treasure vault. his gaze was subtle. ¡°sel, get the troop out of the treasury.¡± sel puzzled. but he saw richard¡¯s serious face. he didn¡¯t ask any more questions and immediately left with his men. a moment later, the sand around richard began to spin. !! his figure gradually floated into the air. he slowly flew above the eight-armed naga statue. he gazed at the crystal coffin, however, unexpectedly, the crystal coffin was clear and bright from afar. when he got closer, another layer of mist blurred the figure. he couldn¡¯t see what the life inside the coffin looked like. humans? elves? orcs? he couldn¡¯t even tell the other party¡¯s race at this moment. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. the sand around him suddenly condensed into a giant hand that held the crystal coffin from the bottom to the top. the crystal coffin left the eight-armed naga¡¯s palm. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound rang out. countless runes suddenly appeared on the eight-armed naga¡¯s hand. in the next moment, those runes shattered like glass. at this moment, the earth rumbled and shook violently. it was like a magnitude 18 earthquake. all the buildings shook violently. it was utterly terrifying. the initially calm aura suddenly became violent when the crystal coffin left the naga¡¯s hand. a terrifying pressure surged out. in an instant, the light of heaven and earth dimmed. richard looked down and felt like he held not a crystal coffin but a volcano about to erupt. he looked down at the eight-armed naga statue. he was shocked. this naga statue was the source of a magic array, and what was even more exaggerated was¡­ this magic array extracted the power of the mysterious life form in the crystal coffin!! this scene was the complete opposite of what he had imagined. he looked out of the treasure vault and saw the hundred-meter-tall wall of yellow sand around the city through the collapsed door. the invisible giant hand blocked the yellow sand wall and shook crazily. waves of sand shook off. waves of dust kicked up. dune city has lost its power. the moment this thought rose in his mind. richard subconsciously looked at the crystal coffin. his emotions fluctuated. good heavens, the energy source of this city was this coffin¡­ it was not the life that slept in the coffin. what kind of existence could support a city with the power in its body? dune city had existed for countless years¡­ that was even odd. in other words, this mysterious lifeform whose face could not be seen still possessed terrifying power after being sealed for infinite years. who was sleeping inside? however, no matter how many questions he had, he could not get an answer. richard left the statue and suppressed his emotions. he felt the crystal coffin¡¯s aura gradually go out of control. his eyes slowly turned cold. the ancient god statue that emitted a dark aura appeared in his hand with a wave. he pressed down on the crystal coffin without wings. the moment it touched the coffin, endless dark energy exploded and sealed the crystal coffin. only then did the terrifying pressure disappear. richard breathed a sigh of relief. he must not wake up the sleeping life form inside the coffin before he figures it out. right now, it was still uncertain whether they were friends or foes. it would be okay if they were friends, but if they were enemies¡­ then, another bloody battle would erupt. a life form that could serve as the energy source for a city had an exaggerated battle power. richard pondered, and the earth shook even more violently. the city directly entered a state of collapse without a source of energy. richard quickly returned to his senses and looked at the door of the treasure vault. ¡°treebeard, hold the door. don¡¯t let it collapse!¡± he finished speaking, and the power of the yellow sand on his body suddenly erupted. the surrounding sand seemed to have come alive and gathered towards him. then, it directly enveloped the eight-armed naga statue. ¡®kacha!¡¯ something must have pulled the eight-armed naga statue out of the ground while the sound of rocks shattered. ¡°everyone, retreat immediately!¡± richard finished speaking, and he flew out of the treasure vault. at this moment, the sharp-eyed ones could see that the eight-armed naga imprisoned by the god¡¯s ancient tree had already disappeared¡­the movement of the crystal and the eight-armed naga caused the disappearance! he didn¡¯t have the mood to pay attention to this and immediately ordered sel to lead the troop to retreat. at the same time, he asked emily amyrida to bring him back. the boss still has to hunt a troop that crawled out of the ground. richard controlled the sand and brought the giant statue to the square. he looked around, and all the buildings shook. some that were not so sturdy had already collapsed. gravel splattered all over the sky. this city¡­it collapsed. ¡°retreat! retreat immediately!¡± the twilight city troop surged into the spatial rift like a tidal wave. the soldiers that fought above quickly retreated under emily¡¯s command. the god¡¯s ancient tree controlled the quicksand to transport the dark treants that were vast but slow. fortunately, richard was decisive. the troop retreated quickly enough. two squadrons of dark treants were still left behind. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the hundred-meter-tall walls of sand around the city collapsed. the scene was like a world-destroying natural disaster. it quickly destroyed those buildings and buried them in the surging yellow sand. a magnificent city disappeared before its eyes. he looked at the other end of the spatial rift buried by yellow sand. richard felt strange. at this moment, the system notification rang. [ding~ the lord of the dunes has been exterminated. the mission has been completed. you have leveled up to 15.] ****** Chapter 648 the infinite power of sand surged around richard. that spread to a thousand meters away with him at the center. the endless sand seemed to have lost its gravity and began to float. the grains revolved around him. !! the desert cheered for its lord! the god¡¯s ancient tree, emily, sel¡­ all the champions looked at the center of attention, and their eyes burned. they could feel a terrifying aura brewed in richard¡¯s body. it was like a young dragon was about to break out of its shell. five minutes, ten minutes, one hour, two hours¡­ time quickly passed. the sand floated in the air and spread to ten kilometers away. grains of sand shrouded the entire sky. the floating yellow sand seemed to form an ocean. everyone had become a life form living in the ocean of yellow sand. extremely visual impact. the vast body of the god¡¯s ancient tree held its roots not far away. it looked around like a tiger that eyed its prey. the lord protected it with the fiercest posture. thousands of dark treants formed a forbidden forest and surrounded richard. in the sky, the stone statues of the dead, the skeleton blood dragon, and venomous wasps formed an airtight defensive formation. they would have to face the sharp edge of these troops first if the enemy launched a surprise attack. twilight city. in the dark dungeon. the lord of the dunes had aged an aura. it leaned against the cold wall of the dungeon. suddenly, it seemed to have sensed something and turned its head to look toward a direction. the power of yellow sand¡­ the desert cheered. the human overlord received the blessing of the desert once again. the dune lord sighed after a long time. it dragged its weak body to the front of the cell door and faced the guards through the steel cage as thick as its wrist. ¡°sir¡­¡± it sounded as if it had not eaten for ten days. there was an indescribable weakness. the soldiers at the door immediately walked over. they stared at the other party. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°please, help me tell your lord i know where the other twilight force is.¡± the soldier said calmly without any change in expression. ¡°anything else?¡± the dune lord raised its eyelids and its voice. ¡°he can come to me if he finds a crystal coffin in my city!¡± ¡°write it down. is there anything else?¡± ¡°for now, that¡¯s all. i¡¯ll have to trouble you¡­¡± the dune lord felt inexplicably embarrassed after it said that. it was once the ruler of the desert of death! it had to lower its voice to the prison guard. it let out a long sigh as it watched the guard leave. intense unwillingness engulfed its eyes. it did not want to die like a coward. it had just escaped from the seal and still wanted to rule the desert of death! the dune lord wanted to live, to live very, very well¡­ death, this was a word it had despised before. the disdain it had for death in the heart was ruthlessly shattered when it could descend. there was no room for survival. the dune lord realized that in this world, to live was everything when the soldiers locked it up in the narrow and dark dungeon. the lord of the dunes would have nothing if it died. it could not have mingled with the kobold god if it were a person who breaks. the dune lord felt that time froze after the guard left. every second felt like torture. one hour, two hours¡­ suddenly, a terrifying aura surged in from outside. ¡®whoosh!¡¯. the endless sound of the sandstorm resounded through the world. one could hear it even underground. the dune lord raised its head, and the emotions in its eyes became increasingly complicated. the second stage of the power of yellow sand! a grace mainland overlord possessed extraordinary or even legendary powers¡­ the other party¡¯s future was simply limitless. moreover¡­ it still had the crimson moon. the lord of the dunes thought of the crimson moon that emitted an aura and trembled its soul and the extracted soul of the kobold. the dune lord¡¯s eyes darkened. who would have thought that the grace mainland overlord could achieve the final victory after a transcendent and a god joined hands? after an unknown period. the aura that swept across the world like a sandstorm finally dissipated. the dune lord¡¯s heart tightened. it was like a sinner that waited for the judge¡¯s final verdict. it feared what the guardian had to say. that the master was not interested in seeing him? or¡­ drag it out and slay it? great terror lies between life and death. the feeling one could take one¡¯s life at any moment was soul-tormenting. at this moment, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap¡­ everyone could hear the sound of leather boots that stepped on the stone slabs from afar. the dune lord turned its head abruptly and used all its strength to sit straight up. it looked at the source of the sound. the source slowly approached. the first thing that caught its eye was a pair of high-riding boots made of unique material. there was a faint trace of blood on them. that made people feel a little cold and fierce. the dune lord looked up. its gaze followed the snow-white robe engraved with dark patterns on his head. he was a handsome and extraordinary face. the figure lingered in the thoughts coupled with his unique temperament. the starry sky¡¯s deep pair of eyes was like a black hole that attracted all attention. ¡°i heard that you wanted to see me?¡± the indifferent voice was like the judge when it heard the final sentence. the lord of the dunes instantly quivered and returned to its senses. it glanced at the stalwart figure who had stepped on it with a complicated gaze. it eventually lowered its head and humbly spoke like the surprised figure outside the cage. ¡°respected lord richard, i apologize for my recklessness¡­¡± richard looked at the dune lord. it lowered its head. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he rushed over as soon as he woke up. he couldn¡¯t just ignore the sleeping being in the crystal coffin. however, at this moment, confusion filled his heart. why has the other party¡¯s attitude changed so drastically? richard did sense unusual fluctuation in the other party¡¯s aura. there was no trace of hatred on his face. the situation stirred richard¡¯s emotions. a once high and mighty transcendent now lowered its head before him. it begged mercy from the victor. once upon a time, people regarded even the level 15 desert dragon in twilight city as an invincible top-tier boss. now, a transcendent who could destroy an entire city humbly knelt. even though he was sitting, it knelt, even though it sat. the lord of the dune¡¯s actions allowed richard to experience the growth of twilight city and his power. that feeling fascinated him. he took a few deep breaths to suppress the subtle emotions in his heart. he said slowly, ¡°dune lord, i don¡¯t know your name.¡± the dune lord heaved a sigh of relief when richard softened its tone. it responded in a deep voice. ¡°lord richard, maddie, i offer you my most noble greetings.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°maddie, i need to know why you changed your attitude.¡± the dune lord raised its head and looked at the figure outside the cage. the other party seemed lofty when fate was no longer under its control. ¡°lord richard, i¡­ fear death.¡± the dune lord said these words frankly without reservation. richard looked into its eyes and nodded slowly. ¡°i acknowledge your thoughts. ¡°i can spare your life. but you have to acknowledge the losses you¡¯ve caused twilight city¡­ so, what do you plan to use in exchange for your life? ¡°at the same time, what should we use to resolve our previous hatred?¡± richard looked at the figure that aged with interest afterward. the dune lord took a deep breath. ¡°i know where the other portion of the power of yellow sand is.¡± richard shook his head. ¡°not enough.¡± dune lord continued. ¡°i can tell you the origin of the mysterious existence where one has extracted its energy if you find that crystal coffin in the treasure vault. at the same time, i can tell you the method to extract its energy back.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°not enough.¡± the dune lord let out a long breath. ¡°i know the secret of the kobold god becoming a god.¡± richard said lightly. ¡°not enough.¡± the dune lord gritted its teeth and said stiffly. ¡°i once hid several treasures in an ancient ruin to prevent accidents. i would give all the treasures i¡¯ve stored to you¡­¡± the lord of the dunes added. ¡°not only do i have tens of millions of rare resources in my treasury, but i also have hundreds of radiant moon-level lairs. and¡­ and a divine artifact.¡± richard¡¯s face finally changed. he stared straight at him. ¡°a divine artifact?¡± the dune lord finally heaved a sigh of relief when richard¡¯s expression softened. its plan had finally moved the lord who controlled its fate. ¡°that¡¯s right, a divine artifact!¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°then why didn¡¯t you bring it with you instead of sealing it in the treasury?¡± the dune lord said bitterly. ¡°i accidentally obtained it from the battlefield ruins of the battle of gods hundreds of thousands of years ago.¡± ¡°a restriction has locked that divine artifact down. one hasn¡¯t opened it yet, although its master has fallen¡­¡± the outsiders could not use it. ¡°an accident happened before i could find a way to break the restriction.¡± richard said slowly, ¡°which god did that divine artifact belong to?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. when i first discovered it, i only found it on a god¡¯s arm. too many gods have fallen in the war between gods. so it¡¯s hard to determine.¡± richard heard this, and his expression softened. he looked at the dune lord. ¡°your bargaining chip has moved me.¡± ¡°i need to know where that ancient ruin is.¡± the dune lord raised its spirits and hurriedly said, ¡°i hid the treasury in the crystal coffin!¡± Chapter 649 a bitter smile appeared on its face. ¡°lord richard¡­ something has stripped my power off.¡± helplessness engulfed the dune lord¡¯s eyes. !! ¡°right now, we can¡¯t open the crystal coffin.¡± richard frowned. ¡°tell me the way.¡± the lord of the dunes exchanged its chips for its life. it didn¡¯t hesitate and said. ¡°use fresh blood as a guide and soul as a key¡­¡± its tone became complicated. ¡°then, i¡¯ll use the power of yellow sand to enter the crystal coffin. and i could communicate with that plane¡¯s will and enter that plane.¡± the power of the yellow sand was the foundation it relied on to survive. the dune lord lost it. it had personally set up the method to open it, but it could no longer open itself. they said it was a great irony. but the heart does not dare to have the slightest dissatisfaction. to live is now its biggest wish. it understood that life is precious when death strangles the throat. richard stared at the rotten lifeform. he said slowly. ¡°i will send you to the underground world if everything goes as you say. ¡°gray-colored dwarves rule a city i own. alchemy is the primary industry. ¡°you can continue your research inside¡­ your path to godhood.¡± turning into a plane and controlling power that was even greater than that of a god might seem ridiculous, but this was a fantasy world, and anything could happen. it spoke and looked into the other party¡¯s eyes seriously. it uttered word by word. ¡°this is my promise to you.¡± the dune lord rarely made promises. but once it did, it would carry out as stated. the dune lord sensed the power in the other party¡¯s words. it sparingly relaxed. ¡°i believe in your character and will never lie to you, lord.¡± richard did not comment. the dune lord lost its power but was very valuable. experience, knowledge, sight, the posture in its mind, the secrets it knew, these were all things that could not be measured easily. it was also where the genuine value lay. it was not too much to work for twilight city for three to five hundred years to atone for it after one committed such a serious crime, right? the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°i hope so.¡± then, he turned to look at the crystal coffin. at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient statue emitted dark light that enveloped the coffin and suppressed the surging power. however, one could discover upon closer inspection that the ancient god statue slowly devoured the power that the other party dissipated. richard momentarily pondered. the incomparably thick power of yellow sand slowly surged out of his body when he pressed the hand of the crystal coffin. that directly replaced the ancient god statue to take over the crystal coffin. one could see vividly the figure of the sleeping being and felt the power of the yellow sand. its body seemed to move. it was like it was about to wake up in the next second. richard subconsciously paused for a moment. he didn¡¯t sense any danger, so he continued. he carefully injected the yellow sand force. before this, he had also injected his magic power into it, but it rejected the power. the other party accepted the power of the yellow sand that surged in his bloodline. richard confirmed after the experiment that the other party was not lying before he continued. the dune lord saw richard¡¯s cautious attitude. the ruler of the dunes was impressed. only such a person could survive in this dangerous world. it was laughable compared to others to lose everything before knowing the other party¡¯s strength. the crystal coffin emitted an aura and gradually calmed down. richard could feel the power of thousands of rivers that roared. the sand turned into a sharp knife. it cut its finger and dripped blood into it. that released a spiritual force. as the power of the yellow sand surged in. the crystal coffin suddenly blurred. richard¡¯s thoughts entered another world. he turned around and saw a mess. the ground was shattered into pieces. there was no longer any green vegetation. all that was left were grayish-black fragments. large holes appeared in the sky. it was like a thin membrane had been pierced. the energy in the void eroded the world through those holes. desolation. this world had already turned into ruins. richard¡¯s thoughts moved beyond the broken earth. a fault appeared before him momentarily after. the initial land had disappeared without a trace. the void devoured it. richard sensed that the plane was like a deflated balloon that constantly shrinked. his expression was sparingly cold. one has sealed this place for hundreds of thousands of years, but more than half collapsed. as for the treasure the dune lord has mentioned¡­ there wasn¡¯t even a blade of grass left. richard withdrew his psychic power after he searched the remaining area and found nothing. the dune lord said quickly when richard opened his eyes again, ¡°lord, have you found my treasure?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°more than half of that plane has already collapsed. perhaps, a few days ago, the void had devoured the entire plane.¡± ¡°the treasure you mentioned¡­ it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± the dune lord¡¯s body trembled as it cried out in alarm. ¡°c-collapsed??¡± ¡°that¡¯s a large plane over a thousand kilometers in size¡­¡± its face became extremely bitter as he finished speaking. ¡°sir, i¡­¡± ¡°there are thousands of words in my heart. at this moment, i don¡¯t know how to say them.¡± the chip he used to buy his life was gone¡­ an indescribable fear rose in its heart. richard turned his gaze to the crystal coffin after a moment of silence. as a life born from the plane, it seemed that it was not asleep because of the crystal coffin but purely because of the collapse. Chapter 650 what a pity. what was even more unfortunate was the treasure of the dune lord. a divine artifact had once been right before it. but now, it had slipped away before its eyes. divine weapon. !! richard pondered and felt an itch in his heart. he thought he could slay this time, but all was for naught. he didn¡¯t get anything. he still felt he suffered losses, although the radiant moon-level military services had replenished. richard continued to look at the sleeping figure after he pondered. he opened the black gold system. [due to the environment, the will plane has developed intelligence and become a different life form. due to the lack of energy, it is currently in a deep slumber.] [1. able to imprint a soul imprint and utterly control the will plane.] [2. it can destroy and annihilate planes.] the information from the black gold system made richard¡¯s eyes light up. he hasn¡¯t gone deep into it to explore. so he couldn¡¯t find it yet¡­ a thought flashed through his mind. that released his mental strength that surged directly toward the indistinct body of the will plane. in that instant, he felt his spiritual power touch a ball of indescribable energy. it was like layers of tides surged and penetrated the ocean and went deep into the core. it quickly consumed richard¡¯s mental power. he saw in a trance the plane gradually took shape in the void. then, it gained consciousness because of a lightning bolt in the void¡­ the images of the scene fast-forwarded several times into his mind. until the end. the plane collapsed, and everything turned into nothingness. the system notification awakened richard. [ding~ you have left your mark in the will plane. you have obtained control over a plane.] richard momentarily froze, then didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡®obtained control over a plane? ¡®even if it became¡­ with the appearance of that plane about to collapse, hmm? wait, the plane was about to collapse? an inconspicuous gray stone appeared with a wave of his hand. it seemed like it would collapse or not, but it was still uncertain. the scarlet council president gave him a dimension stone in the first dungeon. the ultimate boss who created dimensions with his bare hands. he had never found a chance to use it. now, was there a ready-made plane? and that was not all. in the next moment, a dried seed appeared in his hand¡­ the world tree. in the last instance dungeon, [steamed bun lover] gave it to him to deal with the threat of the orcs. once it took root and sprouted¡­ it could support a medium-sized plane. the only problem now was that renee needed 100 drops of divinity to recover her life force. richard looked at the treasure that suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s hand. the dune lord felt that it was extraordinary even though it had lost its power. ¡°i can sense an aura comparable to a divine artifact from your two gemstones¡­¡± its tone was hesitant and cautious. richard looked at the once-powerful boss and groped around the gray stone. ¡°this is a dimension stone.¡± the calm tone made the dune lord¡¯s eyes widen and quickened its breathing. ¡®a dimension stone? ¡®he could even obtain such a treasure?¡¯ the dimension stone was the core of a dimension¡¯s power. it would also collapse when a dimension collapse at the same time. one needed to control the violent energy when the plane collapsed to obtain a dimension stone. what was the scene of a plane collapsing? it was a world-destroying natural disaster! how could he control it just like that? even the gods didn¡¯t dare to make a promise! moreover, most of the dimension stones were supremely enormous. the size of a mountain! it has compressed the energy to the extreme in a stone of this size. that was extremely rare. such a treasure was not inferior to a divine artifact. ¡®but how did this overlord get it?¡¯ at this point, it suddenly thought of the extracted soul of the kobold god¡­the one before was not an ordinary grace mainland overlord. Chapter 651 ¡°this is the seed of the world tree.¡± he said with some regret. ¡°unfortunately, it¡¯s shriveled and can only support a medium-sized plane.¡± the dune lord¡¯s breathing stopped. it gazed at the thumb-sized seed. that reddened its eyes. !! ¡®the seed of the world tree? ¡®it¡¯s already ridiculous enough that you have a f*cking dimension stone, but you even have the seed of the world tree? ¡®that was the world tree! ¡®a creation-level treasure that supported countless planes!!!¡¯ the dune lord thought about how he had only obtained a divine artifact for hundreds of thousands of years and didn¡¯t use it. now, he had lost it along with the treasures he had stored for countless years. it was speechless. why? he used to be the ruler of the desert of death, but now, he couldn¡¯t defeat the grace mainland overlord. no, he wasn¡¯t defeated. he was trampled under his feet¡­ the god of creation was unfair! no matter how much it wailed in its heart. the ruler of the dunes finally smiled bitterly. ¡°lord, perhaps you are the true ruler of the desert¡­the desert has blessed you. perhaps, all the luck is on you.¡± richard did not comment. twilight city grew only after it went through many bloody battles. the lord¡¯s talent, the black gold system, and skills all played an indispensable role. no one could rise quickly. this world never lacked lucky people or geniuses. but how many people could make it to the end? richard didn¡¯t say anything else on this topic. he implied that he had two treasures in his hands. ¡°i want to stabilize that plane. how should i use these two treasures?¡± he didn¡¯t even know how to use it¡­ the dune lord eventually took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions in its heart as it honestly spoke. ¡°place it in the plane and awaken the will plane. it will know how to operate it¡­ survival was the instinct of intelligent life. that will plane was already an intelligent life.¡± richard nodded. his spiritual power spread out again. it began to awaken the will plane and forced to sleep due to its lack of power¡­ if he could get what he wanted. twilight city could soar once again. control a plane! what kind of temptation was this¡­ ****** Chapter 652 this time, he felt deep sadness when the spiritual power entered. all the planes wailed. it was sick. it was about to die¡­ the excitement in richard¡¯s heart immediately cooled. he had become the master of this plane, and the state constantly affected him. !! he calmed himself down and looked at the dimension stone and the seed of the world tree on the ground. richard could sense the two treasures contained energy that could crush the void with the help of the planar power. it would be earth-shattering once it erupted. however, at this moment, he did not release the key to those powers. he retracted his emotions. he focused his attention on the crystal. the power of yellow sand surged out and began to awaken the sleeping planar power according to the method mentioned by the lord of the dunes. the power of the yellow sand surged into his body, and richard felt that he was like a bottomless abyss that no energy could fill. he suppressed his inner emotions and maintained a fixed frequency of energy input. five minutes, ten minutes, and twenty minutes. the yellow sand power in his body dropped to the freezing point. and the end of the abyss was still in sight. richard knew he had reached a certain point when he felt he could no longer hold on for much longer. gradually, the blurry figure in the crystal coffin moved. the next second¡­ richard only felt a pair of bright eyes appear on the blurry figure. it was like the bright moon in the sky. it was unforgettable. the planar power turned around and looked directly into his eyes. the other party carefully sensed for a moment, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes. after a long time. ¡°lord¡­¡± that lifted richard¡¯s spirits, and he immediately responded. ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± the tender voice sounded again. ¡°bruley¡­ my name is bruley, lord. i chose it myself.¡± richard raised his eyebrows when he heard the excited voice. this tone¡­ why did he look like a seven or eight-year-old child? he turned to look at the dune lord and voiced his doubts. dune lord said hesitantly. ¡°my lord, perhaps because of the collapse of the plane, the other party¡¯s power has rapidly diminished, and his intelligence has also declined¡­¡± there was nothing wrong with this explanation. ¡°bruley, how old are you?¡± ¡°lord, bruley forgot. i don¡¯t know how old i am.¡± bruley finished speaking and recalled something. his tone became low again. ¡°lord, i feel that my strength is rapidly fading¡­ i¡¯m sick. am i going to die?¡± fear and uneasiness shrouded his tone. it was like a child in the hospital. the fear of death appeared in his bright eyes. richard¡¯s expression was sparingly odd. intelligent beings had a natural fear of death. the other party was really like what the dune lord had said. he took a deep look at the blurry figure and slowly said. ¡°bruley, you won¡¯t die. i¡¯ve already found a way to cure you.¡± richard¡¯s spiritual power dissipated again and entered the broken plane. it indicated the two treasures placed on the ground. ¡°this is the dimension stone and the seed of the world tree. they contain boundless power and can help you stabilize your¡­body.¡± his words were slightly twisted. richard finished speaking, and the blurry figure in the crystal coffin disappeared. in the next second, the other party appeared beside him. he looked at it now and could see the planar power had shrunk tremendously. it was about 1.2 or 1.3 meters tall, and its body was similar to a human. it hovered in the air. its bright eyes stared at the two treasures on the ground. ¡°lord, is this your gift? these two treasures contain my continued power¡­ can i use them?¡± it turned to look at richard¡¯s spiritual power-gathering spot afterward, and its eyes pleaded pitifully. richard couldn¡¯t see its face clearly, but he could feel the weakness and helplessness of this planar power. ¡°bruley, these are the treasures i prepared for you. activate them and let them stabilize your body.¡± ¡°lord, thank you for the gift of the ruler.¡± the plane power was like a child who had just gotten its favorite toy, and it let out a joyful cheer. in the next second, richard felt the power of the entire plane surge toward the two treasures. under his gaze. the plane power surged into the plane stone and the seed of the world tree. the initially inconspicuous stone suddenly emitted a dazzling light. the light was vitality-filled dark green energy. [ding~ your treasure, the plane stone, and the seed of the world tree are being activated. are they anchored to this plane? (note: the dimension stone will become the new dimension if one has anchored it. the dimension stone will collapse as well.)] [note 2: the seed of the world tree will take root here and germinate again. the planar power will collapse, and the newborn world tree will wither and die.]¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard the sudden notification, and he spoke without hesitation. ¡°anchor.¡± the increased tenfold dimension stone released a light, and a unique power surged in all directions. the rock-like gray-black energy was like a mother¡¯s palm that calmed down all the violent things wherever it passed. it stabilized the initially crumbling earth. a force repelled the void energy that crazily eroded the plane. Chapter 653 it stabilized a plane, and that was the plane stone function. and it was also the most precious value. richard looked around at the restored earth. he felt happy. the restoration this time was different from the previous beast battle chess dungeon when he suddenly had the idea of using the dimension stone to suppress the restoration of the collapsed area. the restoration process was stable and heavy under the planar power¡¯s active acceptance. !! more importantly, this was initially a plane with perfect laws. it was only because of the passage of time that it collapsed. it was unlike beast chess, which lacked several basic rules. thus, the stabilized plane immediately gave richard a sense of security. the light of the seed of the world tree surged when the dimension stone stabilized the surrounding 1,000 meters. the planar power nourished the seed of the word tree that carried it. to inject divine power was just another alternative to planar power. at this moment, he had obtained the power he needed the most. the aura he emitted began to surge. a vitality-filled dark green energy spread out. it enveloped the deathly calm area in a few breaths. there was no life in the surroundings. the gray rocky ground gradually gave off a refreshing feeling. it was like spring when flowers bloomed, and they were going on an outing. a weed seed that had lost its vitality began to absorb the dark green energy crazily in the depression with some soil around it. a new shoot sprouted from the top of its head. it broke through the obstruction of the soil and stubbornly swayed in the void. that seemed a signal. as the first shoot increased, the barren dimension with a diameter of a thousand meters began to sprout one after another. they still seemed to have some vitality, although there were still very few. they were no longer in that deathly still state. the only thing that richard regretted was that the seed of the world tree still didn¡¯t sprout. this severely damaged plane had lost too much power. they could not restore the seed of the world tree seed to normal even if they tried their best. at this moment. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a thundering sound resounded through the sky. the void utterly devoured the shattered land and sky that suddenly collapsed. only this tiny area was left in the blink of an eye. at the same time. a shield as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing at the edge slowly rose and protected this world. plane barrier. although it was so weak that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end as if one could pierce it through with a circle. however, at this moment, this plane was reborn. it shed its old shell and grew again. the dimension stone slowly descended into the depths of the ground. they planted the seeds of the world tree in the central area. although they did not germinate, the energy they emitted affected the entire plane. richard was overjoyed at this sight. this was¡­ did he succeed? bruley¡¯s blurry figure jumped and cheered. ¡°lord, my body has stabilized! i¡¯m cured. i won¡¯t die anymore!¡± richard was convinced. the body outside the crystal coffin suddenly disappeared without a trace. in the next moment, it descended into this immature plane. the feeling of personally descending and exploring with spiritual power were two different things. as far as the eye could see, a few scattered weeds grew on the ground and upgraded the barren land. the darkness seemed to devour everything outside the thin plane barrier in the sky. it immediately felt it had obtained additional power when it arrived at the plane. richard opened the attribute panel, and an additional attribute appeared. [plane lord: as the lord of the plane, after entering the plane, all attributes will increase by 30%(increases with the expansion)] the current plane could only provide such a small bonus. however, this did not affect the excitement in his heart. no matter how small this plane was, it couldn¡¯t hide its value¡­this was a f*cking plane! planes were not fixed in size. they could devour void energy or grow in other ways. what did owning a plane mean? a safe rear, a fortress that would never fall, a safe shelter in the event of danger¡­ he could place the agricultural area in the plane. he could even plant crops for the black sorbet in this plane. he could turn it into an industrial base so he did not have to worry about external dangers. that would create immense value for this plane. the more richard thought about it, the more excited he became. there was too much to be discovered. then, he suddenly thought of something and hurriedly opened the system panel. the detailed attributes of the plane appeared on it. eternal land (miniature plane) [range: 1,000 meters in diameter] [plane barrier strength: 1-star] [troop lair: none] [description: a new plane that rose from a plane about to collapse. it has supremely soul-devouring potential.] the attributes were simple, and they even looked sparingly pitiful. but new students represented hope. everything started from the beginning. he looked at the planar power that wandered around. ¡°bruley, did you come up with the name eternal land?¡± ¡°yes, lord. your discretion.¡± ¡°why did you choose this name?¡± ¡°because i am eternal.¡± ****** Chapter 654 the new plane still needed a lot of investment to take shape, although it had great potential. a diameter of 1,000 meters was still too small. he momentarily pondered and looked at the plane power, whose figure was as blurry as a dense fog. ¡°bruley, is there any way to make your body grow and expand rapidly?¡± !! the bright eyes of the planar power dazzled even more. ¡°lord, planar power or the power of laws are helpful to me¡­¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. these two items were arduous to obtain. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way to solve it.¡± richard asked curiously. ¡°can you leave the eternal land now?¡± the planar power nodded and shook its head. ¡°i can only leave for a short while. i can¡¯t stay outside for too long.¡± the planar power hesitated. ¡°lord, should we anchor the spatial coordinates of the eternal land to our current location?¡± richard raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°anchor coordinates? what do you mean?¡± the planar power explained softly. ¡°lord, the eternal land is outside the primary plane and in the endless void. you must anchor the coordinates and establish a permanent spatial rift to connect with the primary plane. ¡°otherwise, i can only use the planar power to open the spatial rift¡­ however, that would consume too much energy. one could use the energy stored in the eternal land once.¡± richard understood. ¡°then let¡¯s anchor it in twilight city.¡± ¡°no, lord.¡± ¡°laws protect every city in the mortal plane. my current power could not break through the restrictions of the laws¡­¡± it said that and looked at richard pitifully as if it tried to say it wasn¡¯t, but reality forced it that way. richard looked at its pair of bright eyes and found it funny. ¡°i¡¯ll guide you later.¡± richard had a goal¨Cthe land of quicksand when he thought about it¡­ there was nothing more suitable for anchor than the land of quicksand. that was even safer than twilight city. a top-tier boss protected that land and activated some of the god¡¯s ancient tree power. richard returned to the dark dungeon after a chat with the planar power for a while. he learned some information about how to develop the plane. the dune lord¡¯s gaze became supremely complicated when richard and the crystal coffin reappeared without the planar power. these were the wealth it had accumulated for a long time. but now, it was all for the grace mainland overlord, and it had offered it himself. at the same time, it heaved a sigh of relief. it looked at the other party¡¯s expression. richard was satisfied with his gains this time. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard looked at the declining dune lord through the rusty cage and said slowly. ¡°maddie, i will build a new city in eternal land. you can enter and help me manage it.¡± richard looked at him meaningfully as he spoke. ¡°before that, you can be a teacher in twilight city to help the residents read.¡± ¡®help the residents read?¡¯ the dune lord was stunned. ¡®are you kidding me?¡¯ he was the dignified dune lord, who had once ruled the desert of death and even touched the domain of the gods. even though he had been sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, he still had extraordinary power. now, this damned grace mainland overlord wanted it to teach the lowly residents how to read?! a sense of absurdity welled up in its heart. it said in disbelief. ¡°lord, you want me to teach the residents in your territory¡­ are they illiterate? weren¡¯t they noble descendants?¡± richard said lightly. ¡°there are no nobles in twilight city. the ones you have to teach are the hardworking residents. they are your students.¡± ¡°the hardworking residents are my students?¡± the dune lord didn¡¯t feel good. it felt like dying when it thought of those filthy, sweaty, and disgusting poor people that sat before it, laughed with their yellowish-black teeth, and asked strange questions. it was still unwilling to give up and asked tentatively. ¡°lord, when i learn about several spells and top-tier skills, i might be able to teach those nobles¡­ well, those heroes who had a certain level of knowledge.¡± richard waved his hand and refused decisively. ¡°no, twilight city lacks top-notch talents like you to teach the ordinary residents. they need to broaden their horizons.¡± open¡­ eyes? the dune lord felt a wave of absurdity. a group of residents who only knew how to do manual labor needed to broaden their horizons. did they know what was outside the desert of death? do they know what magic is? did they know how precious knowledge was? sorrow filled its heart, but all the rebuttals were suppressed when it saw those unquestionable eyes. the image of the kobold god lying on the ground appeared in his mind¡­ rejection will bring death. there was no longer any psychological burden when defeat once broke the bottom line of its heart. it forcefully suppressed its emotions and lowered its head. ¡°i will obey your orders, lord.¡± richard¡¯s gaze was indifferent. ¡°maddie, as long as you work hard, i won¡¯t mistreat you.¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°remove the shackles on its body and ask karu to arrange a separate room for the teacher. also, inform gunter to protect maddie during this period.¡± the guards immediately opened the cell and released the dune lord when richard gave the order. Chapter 655 maddie stood before richard again with a complicated expression on its face. in just half a day, he had gone from a transcendent who wanted to rule the entire desert of death to a prisoner who had to pay all his chips to survive. now, he was even arranged by the other party to teach a group of vulgar farmers knowledge. maddie no longer had any thoughts of anger or resistance, no matter how unwilling it was. the loser never had the right to decide their fate. !! richard stared at maddie with his deep eyes. ¡°i know that you are extremely unwilling and have a lot of resentment.¡± ¡°but maddie, you¡¯re a smart person. you know what to choose. do your job well, and do not disappoint your students.¡± richard turned around and left with the crystal coffin. after the war, it was more important to deal with the aftermath. the enemies severely damaged twilight city and lost several soldiers. it had too many trivial matters to deal with¡­ maddie watched richard¡¯s back disappear and let out a long sigh. it turned to look at the soldiers beside it. ¡°sorry to trouble you.¡± the soldier nodded without saying anything and led him out of the dungeon. maddie walked out of the dungeon and glanced at the afterglow of the setting sun. tears almost flowed out. reborn. it did not want to experience the feeling of being on the verge of death and dragged into the abyss at any time for the rest of its life. after the soldier chatted with the others for a while, maddie saw another soldier come over and take it in the opposite direction of the dungeon. it saw the buildings destroyed by the flames of war on their way. broken streets, collapsed houses, arrow towers that had just been put out¡­ all eyes were in ruins. logically speaking, sorrow and pain should engulf this city since it has experienced an intense war. however, the dune lord was surprised to find that the residents of this territory talked and laughed as they repaired various buildings. they didn¡¯t show any pain or sadness hope and anticipation filled their eyes. that puzzled maddie even more. it was a gaze it had never seen before. it wasn¡¯t just one person who was like this. other ordinary residents passed by and were also like this. vitality and vigor shrouded their being. it gave maddie an extremely twisted feeling. ¡®why would a city deeply build in the desert have such emotions? ¡®did the grace mainland overlord cast a mental spell on these residents?¡¯ however, it didn¡¯t sense any mana fluctuations. it conquered countless territories as a ruler and ruled over civilians. those lowly commoners only had fear, pain, and numbness on their faces. this scene made maddie feel incredulous. however, its emotions were sparingly subtle when it returned to its senses. in its opinion, what value could the commoners at the bottom have other than providing labor? those lowly existences should be enslaved with harsh punishments and made them work endlessly for the territory. it only needed to squeeze out their last drop of blood! there were plenty of people. so what if they died? maddie shook its head and followed the soldier to a residential building. he met a seven or eight-year-old child on its way upstairs. the child looked at maddie with fear and curiosity. its wolf head was eye-catching. the dune lord was too lazy to care about the curious gazes of these human cubs. now, it did not have any guards to chase them away. the guard assigned maddie a medium-sized but clean room. this house was simply unsightly compared to the palace. however, the dune lord was glad. this place was more comfortable compared to the dark dungeon. the soldier did not stay for long and turned to leave. maddie was stunned. wasn¡¯t he afraid it would run away? Chapter 656 it would not be appropriate for it to die here if he made such a mistake. maddie sat on the short and rough wooden stool for a while. the dune lord slowly got up. it sighed in its heart as it glanced at the afterglow outside the window. richard could imprison it, but this price was nothing compared to living. as long as it was alive, there was still hope. !! in the future, it could regain control of power and become the supreme ruler. maddie saw the residents still busy from the corner of its eye. it felt helpless when it thought about how it would teach these vulgar farmers in the evening. maddie didn¡¯t understand why the grace mainland overlord had imparted such precious knowledge to these people. that was knowledge. how precious was it?! maddie was pretentious. a few residents passed by downstairs with bowls in their hands. they talked and laughed. the fragrance of meat wafted up. ¡®gulp.¡¯ maddie subconsciously swallowed its saliva, and its stomach growled. its expression became sparingly awkward. magic power could no longer maintain maddie¡¯s body when it lost the yellow sand power. now, it needed to eat like an ordinary person. the hunger in its body made its limbs feel weak. but now, he was unfamiliar with the place. where could it get food? the thought of asking others how to eat made it feel embarrassed. he was the dune lord. as time went by, more and more people came. the fragrance of the meat brought by the residents holding their bowls made the dune lord¡¯s eyes red. maddie could not bring itself to lower its face and only could watch as pieces of meat passed under its nose. the number of people that held bowls decreased when the sun sank into the yellow sand. mealtime had passed. the dune lord felt hopeless as it listened to its stomach growl. it swore in its heart that it would eat meat when it escaped its cage in the future. maddie heard a series of knocks on the door just as it was about to tumble from dizziness because of hunger. the knocks jolted the dune lord awake. it quickly turned around, tidied its long robe, and opened the door with weak steps. maddie thought twilight city soldiers had come to escort the wolf-headed ruler for questioning. the seven or eight-year-old child appeared before the dune lord when it opened the door. her round, red face had some baby fat. that made her a little cute. it was the child maddie saw when it went upstairs. the other party held a bowl with a few pieces of meat in it. ¡°grandpa¡­ i saw you didn¡¯t go out tonight, so i went to bring you dinner. here!¡± the shy and tender tone was like a heavy hammer that struck the heart of the dune lord. maddie¡¯s heart trembled as it looked at that pair of faithful eyes. ¡®was this why the grace mainland overlord had spent so much effort to create such an atmosphere in his territory?¡¯ for the first time, maddie felt the charm of this territory. ****** Chapter 657 he communicated with the planar power and anchored the fixed spatial rift in the primary area. the two-way portal to the underground world was close to the land of quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree cleaned up the mess near sunset city and had yet to return. the other party will protect these two spatial rifts on the return of the top-tier boss returned. !! the spatial rift that led to the eternal land was 20 meters long and 10 meters high. one could see from the outside the entire plane. richard saw this, and his emotions were sparingly subtle. this was a plane that belonged solely to him. half a year ago, he wouldn¡¯t dare to think about owning a plane. the speed of his growth had finally caught up with his ambition. this place would become another center of development for twilight city. the agricultural area and the frost grass needed to produce the black sorbet would all take root and germinate on this land. this place would be the perfect shelter in terms of military affairs. he could control the planar power and build an eternal war fortress¡­ just the thought of it could make him feel the potential of this plane. richard calmed himself down. all of this required a massive amount of resources. fortunately, twilight city was on the right track. they would still receive several resources even if they continued to develop step by step. richard returned to twilight city in deep thought after he comforted bruley. richard stood before the city wall and looked into the distance. one could see large patches of blood scattered on the vast yellow sand. the blood caused the sand to solidify into hard blocks and spread out on the ground. the twilight city troop dug out the corpses from the yellow sand and piled them together. they piled up into several mountains due to the sheer number of corpses. the scene looked horrifying and tragic. that gave people a strong visual impact. the twilight city troops were composed of undead soldiers. they had no concept of death, nor did they have any fear. their morale was low, although they obtained the victory. richard looked at the assembled dungeon troops, which only had about five battalions left. he flew over the troops afterward. he saw the familiar figure appear again, and the eyes of the troop below immediately burned. that was the legend of the underground world. there was another battle record they admired¨Cslaying a god! the image of the kobold god lying on the ground like a dead dog was engraved in their hearts. they would never forget it. it was too shocking. richard looked at the rising morale of the troop. he glanced around and said in a deep voice, ¡°to all the heroes who participated in the war, i am the lord of twilight city, richard.¡± ¡°your bravery in this battle saved twilight city. ¡°i, and the people, will never forget your contributions.¡± the power of yellow sand surged from richard¡¯s body as he spoke. in a trance, everyone seemed to see a sandstorm that swept across the world once again. ¡°meritorious deeds must be rewarded. this is the law of twilight city!¡± as soon as he finished speaking. in the sky, the power of the yellow sand on richard¡¯s body formed a storm that howled directly at the troop on the ground. a vast expanse of yellow sand enveloped this troop in a breath¡¯s time. the dungeon soldiers only felt a unique power that surged into their bodies. then, they felt there was an additional power in their bloodline. some people tried to activate the power, but they were surprised to find that their bodies had turned into grains of sand. what was this? they realized their companions had also turned into yellow sand amidst their shock. a message suddenly appeared in their minds after they transformed into grains of sand. [deserted. immune to 99% of physical damage received. last for 10 minutes.] ¡°was this¡­ a gift from lord richard?¡± they were so excited that their eyes turned red when they saw the exaggerated attributes of the skill. immune to 99% physical damage! moreover, it would last for 10 minutes!! gods above, what kind of exaggerated and overbearing skill was this? no wonder the troop of twilight city was so brave. it was all gratitude to lord richard. excitement engulfed their hearts as they looked at richard with a burning gaze. their gratitude has swept away richard¡¯s gloominess in his heart. this skill was simply priceless. this was a skill that could save lives! some of the dungeon soldiers who had activated the desert could not help but experiment. one has seen a long saber slashed through a body but remained unharmed. that resident almost went insane with excitement. ¡°praise you, great ruler!¡± ¡°lord richard, you must be the savior of the underworld!¡± ¡°this skill is too powerful!¡± everyone was bewildered. sel bloodhoof looked at his body turned into sand. he was overwhelmed and could not control himself. the expedition to the surface and the support for twilight city had not been in vain with this skill alone. this remarkable skill was too precious. it could save lives at critical moments. richard waited for the system notification to indicate that he had successfully bestowed the skill to sand transformation before he retracted the power of the sand. he could bestow the sand transformation to external troops after his advance to level 15. however, troops from outside twilight city could not level up after the skill. that was how they differed from the bonafide residents. richard glanced at the level 17 city lord of bloodhoof city. ¡°sel, you should have realized how powerful the surface forces are after this war. when you return, work hard to develop and hope that bloodhoof city can catch up with twilight city and conquer this world together.¡± Chapter 658 he held his chest and lowered his head. ¡°lord richard, bloodhoof city will not disappoint you!¡± this war completely changed sel¡¯s mind. who would be willing to stay in the well and look at the sky if one had seen the vaster world? !! sel left with his troop, and richard looked at the towering god¡¯s ancient tree. this top-tier boss has finally taken that step. the abomination could become the ultimate villain in myths and legends if it continued to evolve according to this trend. the twisted human-faced tree sensed richard¡¯s gaze and showed its respect. the thick and tall branches all fell. ¡°lord, can you reward me with these corpses?¡± the slow, high-level treant language is amplified by 0.5 times. it gave people a suffocating feeling. richard gazed at the towering figure and the dark treants rooted in the desert around him. he nodded sparingly. ¡°i¡¯ll leave it all to you.¡± ¡°thank you for your gift, lord.¡± god¡¯s ancient tree finished speaking, and the vast roots surged toward the corpses that had been gathered. countless tiny roots spread out and pierced into the corpses when they touched them. they were used to it. and then¡­ ¡®gugugu!!¡¯ the roots devoured all the power contained in the corpse. they consumed tons of flesh and blood energy. the god¡¯s ancient tree emitted an aura that increasingly darkened. the tree bud broke through the sand and swayed in the air. then, like a balloon that blew up, it rose at an overrated speed. in just a dozen breaths, patches of trees broke out of the ground. those trees emitted the same withered and evil aura as the god¡¯s ancient tree. that made the scene unforgettable. then, an even more terrifying scene happened. those trees grew to twenty meters tall, and the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s mysterious incantation resounded in the sky. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the giant trees twisted their branches and came to life. the top-tier boss recruited treants. richard saw for the first time how the god¡¯s ancient tree used this skill. the rise of the dark treants between his eyes was impactful. he watched as they devoured piles of corpses. the yellow sand power on richard¡¯s body once again spread out. in the next moment. a giant hand seemed to have twisted the yellow sand ground within a thousand meters. ¡®shalala!¡¯ the sand created a strange sound. a shocking scene happened. corpses were like balloons in water. they rose from the depths of the sand to the surface and gathered together. the dark forest received the blessing of several corpses. in the blink of an eye, it had spread far and wide. that gave rise to the dark treants. the god¡¯s ancient tree was a troop. this top-notch existence became an increasingly villain-like boss. however, no new buds appeared on the ground when the dark treants reached 3,000. the god¡¯s ancient tree could recruit 5,000 dark treants. but that was not enough at the moment. richard was puzzled. suddenly, he saw fruits begin to bear on the bare trunk. these were fruits other than the gray ones that gave rise to the poisonous wasps. they were blood-colored fruits. they appeared indescribably coquettish and slaughterish. the fruit proliferated with sufficient energy. it was momentarily the size of a human head. a crisp crack sounded. the sound was like a thing would overflow when the blood color condensed to the extreme. the blood-colored fruit split open from the middle. the scene inside the fruit appeared before richard¡¯s eyes. sweat drenched the blood-colored wasp. it curled up and lay in the translucent plant fascia. its tail was connected to a thin root. it was like a placenta provided nutrients for a baby. the blood-colored wasp momentarily moved after the blood-colored fruit uttermost split open like a blooming flower. then it slowly broke free from the translucent fascia and exposed its wet body to the air. ¡®buzz!¡¯ the blood-colored wasp slowly flapped its wings, sent a crushing force on its body, and flew to the ground. the moisture on the outside of its body quickly disappeared and dried. at the same time, the roots connected to the tail also broke and utterly gave rise to the blood-colored wasp. its soul-crushing wings flapped violently. it directly flew up. the poisonous wasps in the sky sensed the rise of their companions and swooped down simultaneously. the fruit produced two troops that appeared opposite at this moment. the poisonous gray wasps were about 10 centimeters tall, and their slender bodies had long tails. they looked like assassins. the newly born red wasps were over 30 centimeters in size. the stingers on their back were daggers. the stingers pointed from head to tail, and their bodies were over 50 centimeters long when unfolded. they were more like fierce and domineering warriors. the blood-colored fruits split open one after another. ¡®buzz!!¡¯ fighter jet sounds encumbered the sky. richard opened the attribute panel of the red wasps with curiosity. [slaughter wasps] [level: 14] [potential: crown 3-stars] [skills: slaughter (a-rank), poison (a-rank), rage (a-rank), tear (a-rank)] [race talent: limb regeneration] [fetters-wasps: more than 1,000 of them, all attributes increased by 100%.] richard felt his scalp numbed with just a few glances. ¡°good heavens, crown 3-stars soldiers!¡± richard glanced down at the densely packed dark treants on the ground and sighed. there was the poisonous wasp, then the dark treant, and now the killing wasp troop lait. the god¡¯s ancient tree would go against the heavens. Chapter 659 richard didn¡¯t hesitate. it was time to complete the s-rank mission after this. he wondered what happened to xina and the dark valkyrie when they went to the krina tribe. it had been a month, and there was still no news¡­ richard wondered if he had to wait for their return to complete the mission. !! the slaughter wasps were as fierce as calves that could cover the sky. they surrounded the god¡¯s ancient tree. that appeared even more terrifying. the corpses below had already turned into a dried and rotten state after two rounds of recruitment. that was the only regret. cracks shrouded the bones and dimmed. there was no new energy supply. the blood-colored fruits on the tree trunk no longer thrived. the recruitment halted when the last slaughter wasp broke free from the roots of the umbilical cord and flew into the sky. richard smiled as he looked at the horrendous slaughter wasps. these were the forces of twilight city. there were precisely 1,000 slaughter wasps. in addition, there were 3,000 poisonous wasps and 3,000 dark treants. the boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, had recruited seven enormous volumes of troops. the volume could reach a troop if it reached the recruitment quota. it was not in vain that it had spent so much effort to nurture the god¡¯s ancient tree. in the end, it received a beneficial return. richard was in a good mood. he told the twisted human-faced tree about the spatial rift the eternal land has anchored and asked to protect it. he stationed the 3,000 dark treants and 1,000 slaughter wasps in twilight city. the troop forces of twilight city would be in a state of emptiness and had to be careful for the following period. the god¡¯s ancient tree slowly left under the support of the tree roots and held roots in the land of quicksand again after it arranged everything. the situation has calmed down, and richard relaxed sparingly. the war that the lord of the dunes has orchestrated and the kobold god has supported ended. more than half of the twilight city troops died during this period. the enemies breached the city walls and severely damaged the buildings. they inflicted unprecedented anguish and losses. the war had oppressed twilight city. fortunately, twilight city won the war and enormously gained from it. that made up for their losses. the first gain was the troop type. there were ten royal crown 3-stars troop-type lairs, the guardian mummies. this is a large sum of money. moreover, they also obtained the lair of the three imperial guards, the king, the nest, and several ranks of the new troop. absolute ferocity. the second was they removed the sword of damocles. that sword hung over the head of the kobold god at this moment. they had made the god who hated twilight city a thing of the past. windsor used some methods to imprison the soul of the kobold god. although the kobold god would fall when the crimson moon rises¡­ they would first sacrifice the dog-headed god. the death of the kobold god made the price of this war less unacceptable. after all, the dog-headed warrior was a god, a god who was high above and controlled laws! it didn¡¯t pay any price for killing someone with a borrowed knife. who knew how much the twilight city would thrive if they initiated a war against the dog-headed ruler and slaughtered the god? the price they would have to pay would be tragic even if they had such strength. the third was the power of yellow sand they obtained from the lord of the dunes. this allowed richard¡¯s power to be enormously elevated. in the future, he could still work hard to control the desert. his future was limitless. the fourth was the dune lord itself. this sand ruler¡¯s past experiences and knowledge were priceless treasures, although the enemy stripped its power. one could be superior to a beyond a-rank hero if one used them well. the fifth was the rise of the new plane, the eternal land. richard could finally utilize the dimension stone and the seed of the world tree in his hands. moreover, this time, he obtained a plane in exchange for his life. it was a plane that utterly belonged to him. a plane that he branded with his soul imprint. its value was immeasurable. richard obtained more than three million units of gemstones in dune city. this was a vast amount of wealth. it would be of great help to his recovery. after all, he had gained a lot from the war that started with the surprise attack on twilight city and ended with the complete slaughter of the enemy. richard solved his grandest problem and obtained the land of yellow sand and several unexpected treasures. richard¡¯s expression was sparingly subtle at this thought. richard accumulated riches for twilight city. what would the expression of the kobold god be like if it learned about this aside from its failure to subdue the grace mainland overlord? windsor extracted and imprisoned the dog-headed ruler¡¯s soul. the kobold god has reached the lowest point of its existence. that was a pity. windsor, the top figure of the crimson moon, wanted to slaughter all the gods in the sky. a mean dog-headed god really couldn¡¯t stir up any waves. richard regained his senses. he turned around and walked briskly back to the lord¡¯s mansion. the war was over, and the most important thing now was to deal with the trivial matters left behind by the war and restore the development of twilight city to its usual momentum. however, karu rushed over when richard entered the room and sat down. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± richard glared at the bright smile on the old gray-haired man¡¯s face. richard couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°what is it?¡± excitement encumbered karu¡¯s eyes. ¡°we¡¯ve already placed the naga statue¡­ now, you could recruit eight-armed nagas at any time! ¡°the eight-armed naga has reached level 19!¡± Chapter 660 richard was particularly concerned about it after he heard the news. the first thing he did was to get someone to settle the children. ¡°naga statue?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. !! the guardian of the treasure vault, the undead naga. this remarkable battle power could fight a thousand people. it could have become the second renee if it weren¡¯t for a limited range. richard could upgrade the naga statue. that moved him the most. he could recruit a level 20 transcendent eight-armed naga with another level increase. the statue required 1,000,000 units of adamantine ore to level up. that was the only distress. this thing was like the extremely rare mithril, expensive and rare. richard asked karu to recruit the nagas. ¡°i¡¯ll think of a way later to raise one million units of refined gold and raise it to transcendent as soon as possible.¡± this war again made him realize the importance of high-end battle power on the battlefield. the ¡°shining era¡± was a world where one could enhance power. a top-tier boss could deal damage like a natural disaster. he definitely couldn¡¯t underestimate them. a transcendent was of uttermost strategic value to twilight city. at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about his hometown being stolen again when he left. ¡°adamantine is a rare ore. it¡¯s supremely arduous to obtain it. the grace mainland overlord could lend you.¡± karu suggested. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. to buy from players was indeed a good idea. however, the flame died down after a few glances. one unit of fine gold to exchange for 100 units of rare resources¡­ one million units, that was¡­ 100 million? twilight city would have experienced explosive development if he had 100 million in rare resources! he gave up on the idea of buying fine gold from other players. in that case, was a transcendent eight-armed naga worth investing so much in nurturing? he shook his head and did not dwell on it. anyway, he did not have any resources now. he would talk about it when he got the resources. butler karu said hesitantly, ¡°lord, are we going to leave the lord of the dunes behind to receive knowledge from the residents? after all, it had once held great power¡­i¡¯m worried that he has a way to recover.¡± richard shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m free to do whatever i want. just let gunter take care of it.¡± master karu could feel the confidence in his tone, so he didn¡¯t say anything more and agreed. ¡°how is the morale of the residents? what do they think of this war?¡± ¡°because they evacuated in time and there were no casualties, morale is very high.¡± richard was lost in thought. ¡°is our camp always empty?¡± ¡°yes, lord. my troop doesn¡¯t need to go through camp training.¡± richard nodded. ¡°use this war as a publicity point to inform all the residents that they can go to the barracks to learn skills and battle techniques.¡± master karu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°are you finally going to recruit soldiers from the commoners?¡± twilight city¡¯s military source had always been the lair of the troop. and civilians were not allowed to join. this had killed many of their dreams of becoming warriors and fighting for twilight city. the main reason why many aboriginal cities had such a powerful army was that they could recruit soldiers from the commoners, which could save a lot of resources. richard shook his head. ¡°no, no matter how powerful the human troop is, it¡¯s incompatible with twilight city¡­my goal is to select heroes.¡± during this period, the literacy class successfully nurtured more than ten heroes. one does not need to check on them outside in spite low potential. however, richard was a hero, and twilight city nurtured him. so the meaning was completely different. this meant that the policy he implemented was effective and positive. the success of the literacy class made his mind active. he planned to replicate this behavior in the troop and carry on national training. those who were talented and interested would naturally show it. he couldn¡¯t abolish it once he implemented and fixed the policy. there would always be powerful heroes when he expanded and increased the population in twilight city. Chapter 661 twilight city was still far from this goal. but it was already on the way. the literacy classes and the sharing of knowledge were all crucial policies. karu understood. ¡°as you command, i¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately.¡± !! karu quickly obeyed. he bowed, turned around, and left. richard sighed as he watched the butler leave. managing a territory wasn¡¯t easy. fortunately, butler karu had helped him deal with most of the trivial matters, so he had the energy to plan other things. karu called for the maid to make hot tea. richard leaned back in the soft chair and looked at the night sky through the window. he was lost in thought. he began to think about the future development of twilight city. the first step was to earn resources. this was the core of everything. desert crown honey, desert crown robe, whitetail wine, black sorbet¡­ he could mass produce the first three products due to various restrictions. only the black frozen ice cream had enormous potential. so he needed to expand the production capacity as much as possible. the plantation base in the underground world had already begun its initial work, and fortress city developed alchemy machines that could automatically sow and harvest. now that richard had obtained the eternal land, he only needed to expand this plane to add a safe farming area. all in all, the plan he had set successfully proceeded. he needed to supply the white-tailed cat race¡¯s research on fine wine, and that was not enough. these natural winemakers should further produce fine wines. the second was to develop agriculture. richard feared the sudden war in twilight city would lead to a food shortage and a resource and treasure destruction. eternal land had perfectly solved this problem. in the future, the agricultural area of twilight city will reach its right track. he had to ask karu to make sure this was done. the third was the mission he had to complete next. richard pondered. he pondered for a long time. it was like he hadn¡¯t done a lot of things. s-rank mission¨Cretrieve the god¡¯s heart. rewardable to contract an extraordinary existence¨Cthe vampire grand duke¡¯s contract scroll. furthermore, the appearance of the crimson moon and the release of the new expansion pack would bring turmoil. how he planned and participated in it in advance was a problem that he had to face. other than these two most urgent matters, there was also the land of the broken laws and the mysterious place where he obtained emily. back then, he had awakened the god that guarded the place. and that god was still entrenched in the broken divine kingdom. he hadn¡¯t had the time to explore it, and now it was time to consider it. in addition, one of its tentacles slayed alves into the dungeon that imprisoned transcendents. they could obtain the imprisoned hero inside if they broke through the underground. this was also a top-tier map. ****** Chapter 662 the sand ruler saw the little boy with some baby fat. he surprisingly stared at the bowl that was cleaner than a dog¡¯s lick. the dune lord¡¯s old face instantly turned red. it coughed lightly. ¡°little fellow, thank you for the food. it brought me delight¡­ can you tell me your name?¡± the little boy smiled shyly and scratched his head. !! ¡°grandpa, my name is wild boar¡­¡± ¡°wild¡­ a boar?¡± the response startled the dune lord for a long time when he heard it. dune city only gave this name to those illiterate farmers who worked in the countryside for their entire lives. the ignorant farmers believed that the lower the name of a newborn child, the easier it was to raise them. the emotions in its heart became increasingly subtle. ¡°who gave you this name? where are your parents?¡± the little boy¡¯s eyes quickly dimmed. ¡°a group of bandits slayed them during the winter before last.¡± ¡°slayed by bandits?¡± the dune lord was silent. situations like this were usual during a crisis. nine and a half out of ten orphans had similar reasons. the sand ruler did not delve deeper into the child¡¯s legal status. ¡°then why did you appear in this city? this is the desert of death¡­¡± the little boy blinked his eyes and said softly. ¡°the village chief said that the troop of the rhino empire was coming. we have to leave.¡± ¡°we encountered a sandstorm on the way, and a feudal lord saved us in the end.¡± as he spoke, he looked at the dune lord curiously. ¡°grandpa, did the feudal lord save you also?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± these words made the dune lord feel sparingly hurt. ¡®why would he f*cking save me? ¡®i would have planned to rule the desert of death if it weren¡¯t for that bastard.¡¯ however, the sand ruler swallowed its words when it glared at those innocent eyes of the little boy. it forced a smile. ¡°that¡¯s right. i was also¡­ his lordship saved me.¡± these words were too contrary to its heart. that caused its face to twist. the little boy thought the other party was sad, so he pretended to be an adult and comforted the dune lord. ¡°it¡¯s okay, grandpa. when i first came to twilight city, i was just as scared as you. it¡¯s been better since i got familiar with it. this city is the best territory i¡¯ve ever seen. no one bullies me, and no one bullies auntie marie, uncle kevin, and the others¡­ everyone said twilight city was the best territory they had ever seen!¡± the little boy¡¯s eye sparkled as it spoke. ¡°i can eat my fill in twilight city! and there¡¯s meat!¡± the tone of the voice carried a hint of pride. that changed the dune lord¡¯s mood. it couldn¡¯t care no matter how many praises one would sing and recite. it did not matter. however, these words came from the mouth of a seven or eight-year-old child. it felt something odd. was this what a territory should feel like? did it not take the right path by treating the ordinary residents as slaves and crazily exploited them? the dune lord shook its head and collected thoughts. it asked the little boy curiously. ¡°how much food can you distribute for free every day?¡± ¡°i can eat my fill!¡± the little boy looked delighted. his eyes curved into crescents. eating his fill was especially important to him. ¡°how many people your age are there in twilight city?¡± the little fellow rubbed his head in distress. then, he counted his fingers and whispered. ¡°there is¡­ more than a hundred people? mr. hunt mentioned it last time, but i forgot.¡± dune lord frowned. ¡°mr. hunt?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the little boy raised his head and said with admiration. ¡°the lord appointed mr. hunt as our teacher. he is very knowledgeable. he even knows what the ice empire is like! everyone respects teacher hunt¡­¡± the dune lord looked at the other party¡¯s gaze and was indescribably unhappy. did he know that the ice empire could gain so much respect? he couldn¡¯t be bothered to chat with the other party and continued. ¡°everyone can get free food?¡± ¡°not really. one would need to work to earn food once one reached 14.¡± ¡°twilight city could provide food for free below this age¡­¡± the little boy spoke with some yearning. ¡°i hope i can grow up quickly. i also want to work and contribute to twilight city!¡± his face showed a hint of pride as it spoke. ¡°now, we have to study and learn every day. his lordship said that learning now is to become more outstanding people and contribute to twilight city in the future!¡± the expression of the dune lord changed sparingly. it stared at the little boy¡¯s burning gaze. the dune lord finally understood what the little boy had been feeling. even a seven or eight-year-old child had such strong recognition and yearning for this territory. then what about the others? its rule of enslaving the residents seemed so pale and powerless. those commoners only escaped, rebelled, and could not actively contribute to the territory. what a joke! even those supervising managers often fled¡­ everybody was afraid of comparison. ¡°grandpa, you can also go to the square to study at night. the feudal lord said that studying is the most glorious thing. i already know 200 words. auntie mari even praised me last time!¡± ¡°i love listening to teacher hunt talks about the ice empire.¡± the dune lord didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Chapter 663 the sand ruler felt consideration toward this city. ninety-five points of popular sentiment. the residents will live happily in the territory and promote twilight city to new residents. the attraction to refugees will increase by 100%. the refugees could quickly integrate into the city after they arrived. there is a higher chance of attracting high-level talents or high-level heroes to take the initiative to join the city. it will enormously intensify the city¡¯s charm. the dune lord did not know what would happen after the popularity of the people reached 95 points. one could not see or touch. but it could profoundly influence everyone who stepped into twilight city. !! ¡°wild¡­ boar, are you still going to class tonight?¡± he really couldn¡¯t say this name out loud. it was okay if the little boy was a burly farmer. but a seven or eight-year-old child with some baby fat was called wild boar. it was too out of place. the little boy nodded affirmatively. ¡°of course. auntie marie said that knowledge is very precious. in the outside world, only the nobles can learn it.¡± ¡°so as long as there¡¯s nothing to do at night, everyone will go to class.¡± the dune lord was silent. these words were utterly genuine. knowledge was precious. it represented the right to survive, power, and authority! in the outside world, some fallen nobles could not even afford the high cost of learning knowledge. it was only this city that imparted precious knowledge to every resident. this was also what it found most unbelievable. it was not until it heard a seven or eight-year-old child¡¯s heartfelt praise for the city that it understood the underlying logic behind his actions. a bitter smile appeared on its face. perhaps only the grace mainland overlord that came from other planes and was unaffected by the culture and rules of the primary plane could do such a thing. it would be difficult for the dune lord to do it even if it now understood the other party¡¯s thoughts. ¡°grandpa, i¡¯m going back to take a shower. i¡¯ll be going to class soon. when i go, i¡¯ll call you. yesterday, i asked auntie marie to save a seat for me.¡± warmth perked on the dune lord¡¯s heart when it heard those sincere words. that little boy has inspired the dune lord. in the past, it was used to being high and mighty. who was qualified to say such words before it? ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go with you later.¡± the sand ruler looked at the little fellow as it smiled and suddenly thought of something. it said with a solemn expression, ¡°wild¡­ boar, they called you by this name while you were young. now that you¡¯ve grown up, you should change your name.¡± ¡°a new name?¡± the little boy was momentarily stunned before he said in a daze. ¡°but, no one is left to give me a name.¡± the dune lord¡¯s breathing paused. ¡°no one is left to give me a name.¡± the sand ruler didn¡¯t know what to feel when it heard that. he did not even have a name. the person who cared about him the most had also left this world. all alone. it looked at the cute face with some baby fat and the empty bowl in his hand. its wrinkled face softened. ¡°why don¡¯t i give you a name?¡± the little fellow¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. however, he still couldn¡¯t believe it and said carefully. ¡°are you serious?¡± ¡°of course!¡± the dune lord nodded solemnly at a seven or eight-year-old child. ¡°yay!¡± the little guy jumped up. joy encumbered his face. ¡°thank you!¡± the dune lord smiled. it rubbed his little head. the dune lord couldn¡¯t help but think. it suddenly thought of something after a long time. its eyes lit up. ¡°your new name¡­ i will call you abalo!¡± ¡°hundreds of thousands of years ago, in the battle of the gods, a human expert slaughtered a mid-level god with the body of a demigod. they called that demigod abalo. in the ancient desert language, the pronunciation of this word has the same meaning as ¡®hero¡¯.¡± the little boy was instantly pleased. ¡°abalo? slaughtering a god with the body of a demigod? this sounded very powerful, just like the ancient myths that those uncles often talked about after they drank. ¡°abalo, abalo¡­¡± the little boy raised his hand and cheered after he repeated it a few times. ¡°i have a name. i have a name! my name is abalo. i have the same name as a demigod from hundreds of thousands of years ago!! he was a very, very powerful hero!¡± the dune lord also revealed a smile when it saw the happy expression of the little boy. granting a name to a child might not have felt anything in the past, but after it lost all its power, the dune lord felt indescribably joyous. it was like it had also obtained a new life. the emotional connection between the two had quietly turned odd. the dune lord suddenly felt that its room was no longer so cold and suffocating after the little boy felt happy. on the contrary, the not-so-spacious room became warmer. everything turned out to be just right. suddenly, the dune lord thought of something. it walked to the window again. it turned around and saw the residents who had already brought out stools. they lit candles made of animal fat. the evening classes in twilight city were about to begin. the dune lord looked at those who had washed dry. ****** Chapter 664 ¡°search inside!¡± in a dense forest, pairs of soldiers held sharp blades and wore neat armor and crazily ransacked every bush, like hyenas that searched for food. their sharp weapons chopped the densely packed weeds, and grass fragments flew everywhere. the cold blades slayed some bugs that tightly resided on stems and leaves. the slashes emitted a stench mixed with the smell of grass and soil. it gave people a rather complicated olfactory experience. !! a few hundred meters ahead, the disheveled rui¡¯er of ell kindom tightly held her sister¡¯s hand and ran into the forest depths. she could hear lowly audible voices behind her. a profound hatred appeared on her dirty face. ¡®those damned traitors!¡¯ only she and her sister were left in the royal family of the vast kingdom of ell¡­ indescribable grief engulfed her eyes. the archduke has always been loyal to her father. who would think that the raging blood would betray her father? the legendary king when he marched into the abyssal rift? she will never forget the scene where the traitor pierced her father¡¯s heart with a long sword. she swore to execute these traitors no matter what the price was! ¡°quick, there are traces of them over there!¡± a clear voice came from behind, startled rui¡¯er. she held her sister¡¯s hand tightly and sped up again. she has to survive. she could only take revenge if she survived! the kingdom of ell must not fall into the hands of those despicable traitors. a worthless servile could not finish the royal family of ell just like that!! her father was gone, but she and her sister were still alive. as long as they could still breathe, the traitors of ell would live in fear and fear forever. the girl was about eight or nine years old and sternly held her sister¡¯s hand. she did not create any sound. no matter how her older sister ran, even when weeds and sharp thorns cut her ankle. one was eighteen or nineteen years old, and the other was eight or nine years old. the two girls ran wildly through a complicated terrain and weed-shrouded forest. ¡®chirp!¡¯ suddenly, a bird¡¯s cry came from the sky like rolling thunder. ¡®hualala!¡¯ a storm of the 10th order blew the forest down. the branches swayed, and the leaves shuffled and precipitated. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± rui¡¯er subconsciously looked up. she could vaguely see the figure that caused the commotion through the mottled leaves. in the next moment, a name that made her face pale suddenly appeared in her mind. ¡°bloodthirsty falcon!¡± a top-notch soldier raised by the raging blood archduke! these were the top air cavalrymen in the kingdom of ell. even the royal family¡¯s dragon falcons could not compete with them. the bloodthirsty falcon reached level 19 when it was born. it could level up to 20 as long as it could bathe in blood. this troop had made enormous contributions to the kingdom of ell. however, no one expected that one day, the troop that guarded and protected the kingdom of ell would slay the descendants of the royal family of ell. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the behemoth had a wingspan of more than 20 meters and flapped its wings fiercely. an invisible giant hand seemed to tear the towering solemnity apart. and the sturdy tree trunks and branches flew everywhere. ¡®chirp!¡¯ the sharp, butcher-like hook of the eagle reflected a cold chill. its amber eyes stared straight at the ground. it flapped its wings and created a gale that blew away the grass and soil on the ground. a stubborn and unyielding look flooded her eyes. she looked at the bloodthirsty falcon in the sky. at this moment, the falcon¡¯s head slowly lowered and revealed its back. it focused its gaze and saw a figure in full black armor appear before it. the opponent sat on a saddle-like air cavalry device. it held the reins with both hands. its blue eyes looked down through the helmet. in addition, it still flapped its wings and created the bloodthirsty storm falcon, which gave people a strong sense of oppression. ¡°your highness, please follow me back to the capital.¡± the indifferent voice carried a hint of coldness. ¡°you¡¯ve been gone long enough. the king has shed his last blood for the kingdom of ell in the abyssal rift.¡± ¡°as a princess, you naturally have to take over the king¡¯s heavy responsibility and lead the kingdom of ell to glory!¡± ¡°the abyssal rift is about to collapse. we need you.¡± rui¡¯er heard this, clenched her fists, and anger shrouded her eyes. ¡°you¡¯re the lackey of the raging blood archduke. how dare you say that?!¡± ¡°how could those demons break through the fortified city that had withstood millions of years if it weren¡¯t for that nefarious traitor who killed my father!¡± the warrior that rode bloodthirsty falcon raised his eyebrows. ¡°your grave misunderstanding of the archduke is way too much. your highness, everything you saw was an illusion created by the succubus.¡± ¡°his majesty, the king, died after a bloody battle with a commander of the abyss. other demons ambushed and killed him.¡± rui¡¯er sneered. ¡°so, the demons also ambushed the royal family in the capital?¡± ¡°the abyss lord placed that curse. the archduke had to bear the pain and clash the curse to protect our capital.¡± rui¡¯er trembled with anger. ¡°traitors, you will pay the price. no one can stop my revenge!¡± she spoke, and dark blue light flashed from her body. she disappeared in the air before he could blink. the warrior rode on the bloodthirsty falcon and saw this scene. but his expression did not change. it was like he had already expected the disappearance. he slowly pulled a fist-sized metal from his pocket and injected some energy into it before he turned his head to search for a direction. ¡°fifty kilometers¡­the distance where she could teleport gets increasingly shorter, and he could not hold on for much longer.¡± Chapter 665 in a breath, they were right before him. the cavalrymen on their backs waited for the falcon to hover before they placed their right hands on their chests. ¡°commander!¡± the commander said calmly. !! ¡°continue to pursue them, but don¡¯t push them too hard. give them enough space.¡± ¡°this¡­ ¡± that confused the new air cavalrymen. they looked at each other, and one of them hesitantly asked. ¡°commander, why didn¡¯t you capture princess rui¡¯er when you trapped her? archduke¡¯s coronation ceremony would begin in three days.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t have much time to waste¡­¡± ¡°delay?¡± the commander stroked his reins and said slowly, ¡°our mission this time is not to capture rui¡¯er and that little princess.¡± he did not wait for the others to ask afterward. his gaze carried a hint of yearning. ¡°you should have heard of the ancient legend. when the kingdom of ell was first established, it was almost destroyed. later on, the great king of ell summoned thousands of giants 100 meters tall. they flattened all obstacles and finally established the new kingdom of ell.¡± ¡°commander, how does this legend connect to our mission?¡± ¡°relationship? hehe, it was more than just a relationship¡­ because that legend is true.¡± all the air cavalrymen were in an uproar at once. ¡°was this myth true?¡± he recovered from his shock. ¡°you want to explore the secrets behind this and regain the energy to summon giants?¡± ¡°no, this is not my idea, but the will of archduke!¡± the commander calmly put down the reins and looked around. as he said this, his eyes burned. ¡°this planar summoning array can connect to other planes and summon lives from other planes.¡± ¡°it can even connect to the legendary primary plane where countless lives exist!¡± ¡°it can connect to the primary plane?¡± a few of them immediately exclaimed. ¡°the birthplace of the gods? a primary plane with countless races and abundant resources?¡± the commander nodded. the air cavalrymen finally understood why the vast guilds were so concerned. that was an opportunity to connect to the primary plane. who wouldn¡¯t want to go to the birthplace of the gods to take a look? legend had it that countless years ago, the primary plane was connected to theirs. people at that time could go to the primary plane at any time. later on, an unprecedented battle destroyed that chamber. since then, they had lost their connection to the primary plane. no matter how many methods the latecomers came up with, they could not break out of the situation. by now, the primary plane had already become a legend. they became excited when they heard there was a chance. ¡°commander, we will carry out your orders!¡± the commander turned his head toward a direction and said slowly, ¡°the planar summoning array is the biggest secret of the ell royal family. only the ell royal family knows about it.¡± ¡°so, you plan to allow the descendants to escape and can lead us to that secret chamber? but how do you know they went to the secret chamber?¡± ¡°because they hid the treasures that the royal family of ell has accumulated over countless years there. they have no choice if they push with revenge¡­¡± ¡°moreover, such a precious treasure must be heavily guarded. this is the foundation of their revenge.¡± not until then did the air cavalries understand. immediately, they followed the commander¡¯s gaze and looked in the same direction. ¡°continue pursuing.¡± several bloodthirsty falcons that emitted a fierce aura flapped their wings and quickly flew away under his command. ****** in a dense bush, rui¡¯el gritted her teeth. her face was pale as she looked at her younger sister, who had pursed her lips tightly and remained silent. she seemed to have decided after a few deep breaths. ¡°we need to enter the secret chamber where the royal family of ell hid the accumulated treasures. a powerful troop also stationed there.¡± the younger sister slowly raised her head and spoke for the first time. ¡°have you thought it through? this was exactly what the traitors were hoping for.¡± although her voice was young, her tone was supremely mature. it was like she was talking to someone in her twenties. she took a deep breath. ¡®how could she not know the seizer¡¯s plan?¡¯ they had the chance to capture them several times, but they still managed to escape. it was like they allowed them to escape. the meaning behind this was self-evident. however, her eyes were firm. ****** Chapter 666 the tragic war seemed to have long gone. only the dark treants stationed outside the city proved that the war had existed. they repaired damaged houses and rebuilt the collapsed buildings. the production and living in twilight city returned to usual in two days. !! nothing else changed except the significant decrease in the troops. the residents restored twilight city to its original state, but the world was shocked. december 7th, evening. everyone thought that this day was just like any other day. the moment the afterglow of the setting sun reached the horizon. a blurry, blood-red moon appeared in the sky. new moon. the crescent moon was very shallow. one might even miss if one didn¡¯t intentionally observe. however, this time, it appeared when the moon was high in the sky. this scene immediately made people turn their heads. the natives were okay. they felt it was sparingly odd, but the players immediately exploded with great enthusiasm. that was because this scene was directly connected to the system notification. crimson moon! new expansion pack! every time the system issued a vital mission, it would bring about massive changes. no one wanted to miss this opportunity to rise! it was only the beginning of the month, but she could already see a hint of red. the crimson moon would rise in advance? several players began to discuss the reason for this. they vowed to get a share of the profits when the system released the new expansion pack. many people began to make their plans. with the size of the players, when all of them moved, the entire primary plane immediately produced a different aura. it attracted the attention of those main forces. before the new expansion pack was released, the situation had become delicate. all the forces were like flames buried in a barrel. once they encountered sparks, they would instantly cause devastating damage. richard was startled when he saw the crimson moon in the sky. but his emotions deviated from the players. windsor told him personally¡­the crimson moon would rise at the end of the month. its purpose was to fulfill the goal of teacher peim of the red dragon general store. now that the crimson moon had appeared in advance, would it leak out and alert the gods? or¡­ had the other party planned all of this? thoughts flooded his mind. although he was familiar with windsor, he could not tell her everything about the fate of the crimson moon. just like how he didn¡¯t tell windsor that the rotten authority was in his hands and that the statue that sealed the soul of the dwarf god was under his control. richard released a long sigh after he pondered. things had gone beyond his tone. the gods, wary of the ancient gods, would retaliate once the crimson moon appeared. at that time, no one knew what changes would happen to the world. ¡°s-rank mission, we can¡¯t wait any longer. the end of the month is coming soon, and we don¡¯t know how it will take to complete this mission.¡± ¡°i will immediately have an extra transcendent in my hands after this mission.¡± the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin was the transcendent he mostly hoped to conquer. he couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity, no matter what the price was. during a time of massive change in the world, the value of having a transcendent was immeasurable to twilight city. the vampire duke differed from the eight-armed naga who guarded the treasure vault. the other party could only defend the city and could not make other arrangements even if they broke through to level 20 and possessed extraordinary battle strength. a free transcendent could play an immeasurable role. richard as his thoughts spun. he had to complete the s-rank mission as soon as possible and complete it for the old teacher of the red dragon general store, who had lost his heart. only let him feel pity, unable to wait for xina and the dark valkyrie to return. his confidence would have increased by one point if he had these two top-notch heroes. but now, there had been no news of them. it was not in richard¡¯s nature to wait without knowing when they would return. he didn¡¯t like being passive. he was better at holding the initiative in his hands. he looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. his deep eyes reflected the two moons. he would immediately set off for solan city if xina and the dark valkyrie couldn¡¯t make it by december 10th. he was going to complete the s-rank mission. during this period, he would bring along the most powerful trump card, the god¡¯s ancient tree. he called karu on his return from the agriculture area. the wrinkled-faced karu saw richard¡¯s grave expression as soon as he entered the room. his heart thumped, and his expression turned solemn. karu bowed and quickly asked, ¡°lord, did we encounter something we can¡¯t solve?¡± it was rare for him to see the lord in such a state. richard slowly informed the man of his decision. ¡°three days later, i¡¯ll leave with the stone statue of the dead and the skeleton blood dragon. at the same time, the god¡¯s ancient tree will follow.¡± karu quickly realized the significance of this matter. a transcendent was an irresistible temptation for twilight city. there was no room for rejection. ¡°please send the underground troop to guard this place. we don¡¯t have enough troops.¡± although there were ten guardian mummy and three king of the imperial troop lairs to replenish them. Chapter 667 ¡°i¡¯ll give the order to sel.¡± richard said and handed a fiery core to karu. ¡°this is the token to communicate with the fire elemental lord. crush it if you encounter an invincible existence in twilight city.¡± fire elemental lords were his last resort. !! it would mean twilight city had reached a point where it could no longer continue once they used them. karu naturally knew what it meant, having experienced several battles. gratitude engulfed his heart. richard trusted him so much. a strong sense of pride and responsibility arose. karu held his chest and bowed after a solemn response. ¡°i won¡¯t let you down!¡± richard nodded. ¡°in the next three days, we will expand the twilight city troops.¡± it was time for twilight city to send out another wave of soldiers with such a massive loss this time. he had enough confidence with close to 400 units of rare resources. richard took out two lifelike statues from his pocket after karu left. one had broken wings on its back and octopus tentacles on its head. it was half-seated, and its light was dark and evil. an indescribable sense of oppression shrouded the statue. the other had a grave face and a short stature. it held a tiny axe in its hand but was powerful. it gave off a holy feeling that could not be touched. the ancient and the dwarf god statues. the two treasures in his hands contained the highest level of power. the sacred-blood dwarf had said that the dwarf god statue needed to break the seal in their bloodline. however, the dwarf god statue lost its function as a key due to the lack of energy. it required millions of rare resources to reactivate. it was not a loss to spend millions of rare resources to open the bloodline in the sacred-blood dwarves and activate their potential. but what he valued the most was the value of the statue itself¡­ the dwarf god slept inside. moreover, the other party had left behind a prophecy that the crimson moon would rise and return. this made him have other thoughts. the dwarf god might know more secrets about the crimson moon. all the information he knew about the crimson moon came from windsor, the leader of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. although the other party had no reason to lie to him, as the owner of a territory, it was not a good thing to have too many sources of information. moreover, the other party was not his subordinate. it would be their disadvantage even if twilight city cooperated with the other party. on this day, the crimson moon had quietly appeared. that made him feel that things weren¡¯t simple. everything was going in an uncontrollable direction. it would be vital for the plans of twilight city if richard could get more information and grasp the context. Chapter 668 he reached out and grabbed the dwarf god statue. [ding~ do you wish to spend 1,000,000 rare resources to activate the dwarf god statue?] richard did not hesitate when he heard the notification. ¡°confirm.¡± !! he confirmed, and the resources on his attribute panel instantly decreased by one million. at the same time. the dwarf god statue released terrifying energy. all the dwarves in the primary plane turned to look toward twilight city. they sensed that something vital was about to happen to them. some elderly dwarves looked up at the sky and then toward twilight city. the ancient prophecy suddenly rang in their minds. tears streamed down their faces. their god had returned! richard¡¯s expression was as calm as ever when he sensed the statue¡¯s unbridled divine might. the ancient god statue emitted faint light that enveloped him. he could even feel the hunger and desire to devour from the ancient god statue. ¡°a good deal of gods.¡± the statue sensed the dark light. the divine power momentarily froze and quickly avoided that direction. fear hides in a mouse¡¯s genes when it sees a cat. the divine might that surged lasted for more than ten minutes before it gradually dissipated. richard looked at the statue and found it had been dimmed but now emitted a hazy light. it seemed to have come alive, and he even saw it blink. that moved his heart. his spiritual power spread out and enveloped the statue in his hand deep inside. it was like he entered a towering mountain. and rocks enveloped everything. deeper, deeper¡­ it went straight to the core. ¡®kacha!¡¯ richard¡¯s initially sluggish mental power suddenly turned carefree. it was like he had broken through some kind of boundary. a remarkable image appeared in richard¡¯s mind the next second. a short but oppressive figure sat on a bronze throne. the figure wore a silver crown on its head and a cape made of gorgeous bird wings. bewitching rings covered its hand. its cheek radiated a peaceful sleep. the figure still brought about soul-tormenting pressure even though it had not awakened. it was like an ancient dragon was entrenched in it. a name suddenly appeared in his mind. dwarf god. richard watched the scene silently. he had seen quite several gods. the dog-headed warriors had survived in the land of the broken laws and revived. he was now a mysterious god hidden in the divine kingdom. he was the ruler of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss, the king of decay. however, richard had never seen one so clearly before. after a moment of silence, its spiritual power was about to explore. suddenly, the dwarf god slowly turned its head. its closed eyes slowly opened. richard felt the divine might had increased by thousands of times. he was like a lone boat in a level 18 storm that could capsize at any moment. ¡°countless years have passed. has the era finally changed?¡± ****** Chapter 669 as the voice echoed in his mind, richard felt that the dwarf god¡¯s gaze seemed to have penetrated space and seen him. the other party¡¯s eyes flashed with wisdom that could see through everything. it was deep and quiet. ¡°i can sense the aura of a new world. i can¡¯t pry into the past and future¡­unknown souls.¡± !! ¡°are you a life form from another world?¡± ¡°fam grimmauld, greetings, stranger.¡± his tone was calm and gentle. it was not as high and mighty as richard imagined. instead, it sounded like an old friend meeting. it was a different feeling from the extreme kobold god and the evil king of decay. richard raised an eyebrow and looked straight into the pair of bright eyes. he did not show any weakness just because of the other¡¯s extraordinariness. his tone was calm and indifferent. ¡°his holiness, richard, the ruler of twilight city, greets you.¡± countless experiences had long transformed the rookie overlord who would feel uncomfortable on corpses at the beginning of the ¡°shining era¡± into an iron-blooded ruler. his mental fortitude was unshakable. the dwarf god sensed richard¡¯s attitude. the dwarf ruler lowered its hand on its cheek and sat up straight. its eyes shone brighter. ¡°i once saw a corner of the future. i have observed that this world would change because of strange visitors. ¡°the old days will fade, and a new era will begin. ¡°lord richard, this is the change of an era¡­ ¡°i haven¡¯t seen a corner of the future¡­¡± richard¡¯s pupils contracted at these words, and his aura suddenly turned cold. the importance he attached to the dwarf god instantly increased by several levels. ¡°your excellency fam, you can see the future?¡± in ancient myths, who were those who could predict the future? ¡°big shot. the big shot among the biggest shots!¡± putting everything else aside, just knowing what would happen in the future, as long as one made some arrangements and catered to the general trend, one could obtain a foundation that outsiders could not imagine. it was like a big city before housing prices took off. or a bitcoin that one had yet to appreciate¡­ richard¡¯s mind spun. truth or lie? why was the dwarf god sealed in a statue if he could predict the future if it were true? have the external forces sealed it, or¡­ did it take the initiative? did this god with such power plot something? richard suddenly remembered the prophecy that the dwarf had left behind¡­the rise of the crimson moon would awaken it. wasn¡¯t today the first time the crimson moon rose? the early appearance of the crimson moon activated the statue of the dwarf god and awakened it. in that case¡­ he had also entered the other party¡¯s prophecy. had the other party calculated all of this? ¡°future? no one could peek into it, but they could occasionally see a few fragments.¡± the tone of the ancient dwarf language was very gentle, and the syllables were not obscure. that gave the people a warm feeling. how many fragments could he occasionally see? wasn¡¯t that too much? richard took a few deep breaths, unable to suppress his emotions. ¡°your excellency fam, may i have the honor of knowing your purpose¡­ the purpose of you being sealed here?¡± the silver crown on the dwarf god¡¯s head suddenly emitted milky white energy that enveloped the space inside brother condor. that made its initially short but oppressive figure seem even more extraordinary. the energy gathered outside the barrier. it formed a new shield that seemed to seal something. the dwarf god slowly opened its mouth after a complete condensation. richard felt an indescribable horror when the words lefts its mouth. ¡°i once tried to control the river of fate, but i suffered a backlash and was forced to seal my soul¡­ don¡¯t worry, lord richard. that has weakened my power to the extreme. i¡¯m no threat to you.¡± ¡®tried to control the river of fate? legend foretold that the lands bore countless lives after the god of creation formed this world. the fates of these lives intertwined. they hid that river where no one could see. here, one could pry into all the secrets of all living beings and change everyone¡¯s fate. the power of the god of creation, even in the legends, could not control the river of fate. now, this dwarf god said that it tried to control that untouchable, unspied upon, and indescribable existence. the dwarf god had not died after it suffered the backlash of the river of fate. that was even more odd. that was the river of fate. where the power of all life in the ¡°shining era¡± intertwined. how dreadful would that power be? at this moment, the dwarf god was like a giant that could support the heavens. richard¡¯s mood turned particularly delicate. ¡®was this the origin of the other party?¡¯ this was too damn fierce. it was so small. but the dwarf ruler hid the sun¡¯s soul while it pierced the sky. ¡°your excellency fam, i respect your bravery.¡± it did not die even after it courted death to this extent. it was indeed worthy of admiration. ¡°do you know anything about the crimson moon?¡± richard awakened the dwarf god to extract some information. that was his initial intention¡­ although he was shocked by the dwarf god himself. ¡°crimson moon¡­¡± the oppressive figure sat on the bronze throne. the dwarf ruler slowly raised its head. it was like it had seen the crimson moon in the sky outside. ¡°ancient gods won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°however, they could not rule the ¡°shining era¡±. these words were very suggestive. Chapter 670 in other words, the crimson moon could achieve an effect, but windsor¡¯s idea of slaughtering all the gods and letting the ancient gods condensed from rules rule the world again took a lot of work. this was also in line with her judgment. human nature was selfish. gods would not disappear as long as intelligent life still had desires. because gods were just the manifestation of desires. !! who didn¡¯t want to become a god? the one who had fallen was the previous god. what did it have to do with the next god? in the future, a god could make more contact with the crimson moon. two parties could maintain a friendship, but that does not always mean they have to bet everything. twilight city should not become a pawn in the big picture. ¡°thank you for your answer, your excellency fam. now, is there anything i can help you with?¡± the dwarf god stared at richard before it shook its head. ¡°my soul, due to the backlash of the power of destiny, can no longer appear in the main plane.¡± ¡°only when a new era arrives can i be reborn.¡± ¡°lord richard, the only way you can help me is to make the new era appear as soon as possible.¡± richard¡¯s expression was odd. this dwarf god must have been asleep for a long time. was it possible for twilight city to create a new era? moreover, the other party kept talking about the new era. what was this? richard immediately voiced out the question in his heart. after a moment of silence, the dwarf god said slowly. ¡°the rise of the king of creation, the rebuilding of the world¡¯s rules, and the turning of the river of fate.¡± richard¡¯s eyes grew more subtle. however, none was possible. just the thought of them sounded ridiculous. ¡®well, there are no transcendents in twilight city yet. and you¡¯re already thinking about the king of creation and rebuilding the world¡¯s rules¡­ ¡®wasn¡¯t this sparingly too much for a level 15 who had just come out of the novice village?¡¯ the dwarf god could have read richard¡¯s mind. it said slowly, ¡°the end of the old era must pass through a series of turbulence and changes. ¡°chaos alone can give rise to order. ¡°the progress of the new era might take ten, a hundred, or even a thousand years or ten thousand years¡­ ¡°there¡¯s no need to worry about this.¡± richard¡¯s heart sank. ¡®turbulence and change? ¡®chaos alone can give rise to order? ¡®didn¡¯t this mean the ¡°shining era¡± would enter an unprecedented turmoil after the rise of the crimson moon?¡¯ the dwarf god still made him realize the seriousness of this matter, although it was already mentally prepared for this. this was not only windsor¡¯s intention to kill the gods. it was also the return of the ancient gods. it also involved the transition between the new and old eras. a few wars could not resolve conflicts in the world. the primary plane could collapse, and the abyss could even shatter. wasn¡¯t the desert of death created because the war between the gods was too brutal? didn¡¯t they turn the initial land into scorched earth? he had to seriously consider how twilight city should deal with the situation in the future. the future would not be peaceful. ¡°your excellency fam, thank you for your information.¡± richard seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°my subordinates have a group of sacred-blood dwarves. your blood flows in their bodies. ¡°however, because your excellency was in a deep sleep. invisible shackles have sealed their bloodlines. they have no choice but to use statues to open them.¡± the dwarf god spoke before richard could finish. ¡°i was the one who set up the seal in their bodies.¡± richard was stunned. ¡°this¡­ ¡°it is not necessarily a good thing to have too much power to suppress. the weak might have an easier time surviving.¡± richard fell silent. this was the complete opposite of what he thought, but it had to be said that it was a path. the fact that the sacred-blood dwarves were still alive proved the success of the enemy¡¯s strategy. however, that involved immeasurable losses. ¡°bring them here. i will remove their seals. ¡°the era is about to change. my descendants no longer need to hide their sharpness¡­ dwarves had caused the abyss to tremble in the ancient era.¡± richard looked into the dwarf god¡¯s determined eyes. he trusted its words. the protection of such an existence couldn¡¯t effortlessly weaken the dwarf. the dwarf god statue was activated for two purposes¨Cto explore the crimson moon and empower the vital function. these have been achieved. and the uttermost gain was the dwarf god itself. richard would not unconditionally listen to the words of this god. but he still had absolute control with the statue of the ancient god in his hand. the short exchange made the dwarf god look sparingly tired. the silver crown on its head initially emitted power until it gradually dissipated. that eventually returned to darkness. ¡°something has limited the power in my body. i can only wake up for ten minutes a day.¡± ¡°lord richard, if you have any questions in the future, you can come to me for answers.¡± ¡°you woke me up. this is fate¡¯s choice¡­¡± the dwarf god finished speaking, supported its cheek with one hand, and returned to its initial position. it fell into a deep sleep again. richard sensed the dwarf god¡¯s condition and pondered for a long time before he left the space inside the statue. his expression changed when he opened his eyes again. he did not expect to have such a harvest this time. a god who once tried to control the river of fate could see the future fragments. more importantly, it deliberately contributed to twilight city. perhaps the dwarf god chose this because it saw a distant future. richard shook his head and stopped thinking about it. ¡°go to the underground world immediately and tell the sacred-blood dwarves that their god has awakened. bring with you at once all the sacred-blood dwarves.¡± ****** Chapter 671 the crimson moon suddenly disappeared from his sight after some time. the bright moonlight alone was left in the sky. the crimson moon did not leave any traces behind. that scene awakened richard. richard returned to his senses and looked at the sky. he no longer delved into this matter. !! he did not depend on his will when he developed the vital concerns in twilight city. no one could predict what would happen in the future. all he could do was strengthen himself. he would use his mightiest stance to face future turmoil and greater responsibilities. richard calmed himself. he shrouded a usual gaze. he turned around and left the hall. he arrived at the front yard of the recently repaired lord¡¯s mansion. he looked at the lair in the corner with a strange expression. the war had severely reduced the number of soldiers in the troop. twilight city needed fresh blood. however, he glanced at the resources on the attribute panel and helplessly shook his head. tens of millions of resources could be vast for ordinary players, but it was nothing for twilight city. that night, richard went to the underworld again. he went to bloodhoof city and sold the weapons that the underworld had forged. he had raised a total of 200 million units of ordinary resources! he additionally obtained more than three million gemstones from dune city. so he was more confident than ever. the war has not affected the underground forces. residents rendered services and fulfilled their duties as production workers. that made him even more satisfied. that scene reflected his foresight as a production base in the underground world. they could quickly obtain enormous wealth if they eliminated all the forces. but it wouldn¡¯t be like now, where they could produce infinite goods. this secret place could only be reached through a two-way teleportation gate. it could maintain its operation even if the war flooded the outside world. the outrageous performance of the underworld reminded him of his great harvest this time¨Cthe eternal land. he planned to build a similar base in eternal land in the future. moreover, the safety of the eternal land was more secure than that of the underworld. at worst, he would shatter the spatial rift and utterly cut off the connection with the central plane. to search for the eternal land in the endless void outside the central plane without the spatial rift was like finding a needle in a haystack. the possibility was slim that one could ignore it. richard harvested several resources. he encouraged sel bloodhoof to make the ruler of the dungeon barbarians feel his blood boil. he was ready to go to the surface and fight for him. the following morning, december 8th. richard washed up after his return from the underground world and proceeded to the lair. they have prepared the resources. they currently waited for the final step. he looked around and momentarily stopped at the destroyed nests for a few seconds. those were the traces of war. this was the first time that twilight city had suffered a loss due to the destruction of their lair. he silently planned. this was also the last time. nothing could ever bully twilight city like this again! he retracted his thoughts and opened the attribute panel of the troop. he looked at the whole thing from top to bottom. rare troop type¨C 1. poisonous scorpion warrior (nests: 10, weekly production: 40, current quantity: 230) 2. mummy guardian (nests: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 0) 3. sand condensation archer (nests: 0, weekly production: 50, current quantity: 535) 4. sandstorm controller (nests: 20, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 400) glorious troop type stone statues of the dead (nests: 11, weekly production: 110, current quantity: 850) crown troop type skeletal blood dragon: 160 this was the remaining twilight city troops after the war. their numbers had already plummeted to a tragic point. back then, twilight city troops prepared to create a squadron. now, they were back to the time before the release. fortunately, he had obtained the spoils of war. so the data couldn¡¯t be poor. mummy guardian (crown 3-stars) (nests: 10, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 200) king of the imperial troop (radiant moon 3-stars) (nests: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 60) including these two units, the total number of units produced by all the nests could reach 560 per week. five and a half squadrons weren¡¯t enormous, but they weren¡¯t slim either. richard pondered and looked at the rare levels. as time passed, the enemies twilight city had to face became increasingly arduous. in the foreseeable future, mightier opponents would even come. the rarely-seen troops that initially had the status of pillars could no longer keep up with the pace in the recent battles. to face a level 15 top-tier soldier like the guardian mummy is a disadvantage. based on the current situation, it was vital to continue buying new lairs to expand the number of troops, but twilight city needed more elite. richard pondered and decisively opened the [trading market]. he couldn¡¯t rush to add new troops. he had to upgrade the rare troops to glorious first. it was rare to advance to glorious. that required 10,000 ordinary troop lairs. the prices of the ordinary and elite troop lairs would decrease significantly as the players¡¯ levels gradually increased. one could be bought for 300 resources. in total, he would need to consume 3,000,000 ordinary resources to advance. as for the rare troop lairs, there were 53, and he needed 530,000 of them. that would be a total of 160 million units. Chapter 672 richard set the purchase conditions. [an ordinary-level troop lair, purchase quantity: 530,000.] he set the conditions. the moment he chose to confirm, it would empty more than half of the 200 million resources that had not been heated. that would leave only 10 million. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. no one could spend money at such a fast pace. it was both painful and comfortable. !! this was better than spending resources in exchange for a mightier troop. richard opened the black gold system and operated it without hesitation. the dozens of troop lairs before him grew taller with the support of sufficient resources. and the aura they emitted became increasingly fierce. the system notifications rang out after ten minutes. richard opened the attribute panel again. a moment ago, it was still a rare-level troop lair, but at this moment, it had already become a glorious one. a change in recruitment resources accompanied. 1. poisonous scorpion warrior (recruitment requirement: 300 units of gems, 300 units of mercury) 2. guardian mummy (recruitment requirement: 100 units of gems, 100 units of sulfur) 3. sand condensation archer (recruitment requirement: 200 units of gems, 200 units of crystals) 4. sandstorm controller (recruitment requirement: 300 units of gems, 300 units of sulfur) richard could no longer use ordinary resources to recruit after he advanced to a glorious-level. he frowned. it might appear to be a lot individually if he would consume all the rare resources, but mass recruitment was astronomical. moreover, he had to consume so much every week. he looked at the remaining 2.8 million units of gemstones on his panel attribute. he felt he could no longer have a fully-stuffed wallet. this was only two million units. how many times could it withstand? aside from the crown soldiers, the guardian mummies and the radiant moon soldiers, the king of the mummy imperial troop, were two big spenders. richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how poor he was. the recruitment of the undead troop was fixed and did not require any other fees. as for the soldiers recruited from the human residents, they needed to pay a salary. once the number reached a scale, they would become a gold-devouring beast. the weekly salary of the soldiers was astronomical for a city like solan city, which had a vast human troop. richard shook his head. fortunately, twilight city was in the desert camp, or else he would have a headache over these trivial matters. the resources needed for recruitment alone were enough for him to digest. ¡°we have to use the fastest speed to increase the production of the black sorbet! ¡°also, we need to produce the magic music box out of fortress city before the end of the month. ¡°the newly produced wine developed must yield results within a month. the succeeding products of the food workshop must have substantial progress by mid-january. ¡°twilight city needs more resources!¡± richard made up his mind. he would ask karu to pass down the order once he has done these things. everyone had to contribute. richard calmed himself, shook his head, and smiled bitterly. when would he have an endless supply of resources? moreover, it was only now. in the future, troop lairs would increase, and their levels would continue to thrive. the resources consumed would increase exponentially. he could consume the resources he needed for recruitment to upgrade the initially recruited troop to the same level as the troop lair after the system upgraded the troop lair. richard did not hesitate. he used the black gold system to upgrade all the rare to the glorious-level troops. the scorpion warriors cost 138,000, the sand condensation archers cost 214,000, and the sandstorm controllers cost 120,000. that was 472,000 units of rare resources. wars have already wiped out the guardian mummies, so they had saved a lot of money. they could promote the troop lairs and save them the trouble of gathering troops as long as they are in twilight city. the aura of the twilight city troops soared after richard confirmed the upgrade. the poisonous scorpion warriors¡¯ bone armor became even sturdier, the sand condensation archers¡¯ longbows grew complicated patterns, and the sandstorm around the sandstorm controllers became even more ferocious¡­ one could sense the difference after advancement just its appearance. these were two different levels of existence. richard upgraded all the troops, looked at the remaining 2.4 million units of rare resources, and sighed. troops he built with resources. a poor person was not worthy of violence. richard did all this, waved to the guards behind him, and called for karu. karu quickly hurried over like a spinning top. richard didn¡¯t waste any time. he waved his hand to stop the man from bowing and told him his thoughts. he said in the end. ¡°all of the expansion of the black sorbet, whitetail wine, or new products in the food workshop is related to the future of twilight city. you have to make appropriate arrangements for these matters.¡± karu momentarily paused and gave karu enough time to digest his words before he continued. ¡°the fortress city will produce the magic music boxes. these have infinite potential. ¡°later, send someone to urge brown to build the production line and expand the production capacity. ¡°we also need to increase our research on the separation between the playback from the storage function of the magic music box. we don¡¯t have much time to waste.¡± butler karu replied with a solemn expression. ¡°as you wish, lord. i will arrange them immediately.¡± karu suddenly seemed to have thought of something. his tone could not help but hesitate. ¡°lord, the potential of the elfin music box is great, but we have to address a problem first.¡± ¡°speak.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve heard the songs from the elfin music box. they are too ordinary and don¡¯t have much appeal¡­ i suggest buying some elves captured from the ancient forest to make magic music boxes. ¡°the elves of the ancient forest have a heaven-sent voice. their voices are as famous as their beauty. even the singers of the sea, the mermaids, are inferior. ¡°however, the elves that come out of the ancient forest are few, and the purchase price is costly.¡± ¡°what do you think?¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®buy sprites? this was a good idea.¡¯ however, the magic music box was far more complicated than the music alone. richard knew the charm of this thing. the modern information explosion has baptized him as a member of the cohorts. in the early 21st century, tape drives and mp3s trended and stirred a vast market. he could create an entertainment industry if he took another step. the market could be limitless. an unexpected opportunity opened for outsiders when twilight city promoted the first batch of magic music boxes. it was easy to sell the magic music box to a well-known star. couldn¡¯t the magic music box harvest leeks with the halo in a celebrity? moreover, this thing could also form a competitive barrier. even if others developed the same product, they would not be afraid of being squeezed out of the market¡­ who recorded my magic music box? what¡¯s the use of your counterfeit? in the future, he would turn the magic music box into a player that could only be played by something produced in twilight city. this way, they could harvest continuously. ¡°i will arrange this matter. first, let brown study and understand the separation technology of the magic music box.¡± fortress city naturally had to bear this heavy responsibility as the research center in twilight city. ****** Chapter 673 richard saw this. his path had always been based on the conditions of twilight city. he wouldn¡¯t have researched the elfin music box if it weren¡¯t for fortress city¡­ this thing seemed simple, but it contained complicated alchemy. richard couldn¡¯t figure it out without sufficient foundation. !! moreover, he was not the only one from planet blue in ¡°shining era¡±. his competitors numbered in the tens of billions. this invisibly killed many ideas. he had more resources than other players. that was the uttermost advantage, although he was more knowledgeable than them. it would be easier to realize the ideas in his mind. the fortress city had one master alchemist, seven or eight special alchemists, dozens of advanced alchemists, and hundreds of elite alchemists. this was a resource the other players would drool over with envy. but the city is in richard¡¯s hands now. he could operate fortress city with a single order according to his will. that is to produce anything twilight city needed. how many players could do this? how could players not know about the magic music box? but they did not produce one¡­ the uttermost limitation was the lack of resources. similarly, with the chips on planet blue, everyone knew they were good, but what could they do if the production level did not reach this level? moreover, this was only within the city. the players who had established a partnership with twilight city would be envious. the eldest daughter of the frostwolf clan, rebecca, wanted to compete for the position of grand duke; the little princess of solan city, christy; windsor, who was in charge of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. she was the leader of the new expansion pack, cromson, and wanted to slaughter the gods; the transcendent overlord, fire elemental lord klose; twilight city had an advantage over the players because of these resources. they could lead and eat more cake before other players reach those areas. a system notification suddenly rang in richard¡¯s ear. that woke him up from deep ponder. [ding~ you have completed the research on the attack technology of the stone statues of the dead. the system has upgraded them to the elite-level. you can go to the blacksmith shop and consume resources to strengthen the stone statues of the dead.] richard returned to his senses, and that lifted his face with delight. as the top-tier soldier of twilight city, the stone statues of the dead had always been the focus of training. the one-armed blacksmith had upgraded the attack technology of the poisonous scorpion warriors to the glorious-level. he invested in the reinforcement of the stone statues of the dead. however, he sparingly progressed in this area. he thought that the other party had reached a bottleneck. he did not expect to do the primary research and become an elite-level. his mood sparingly improved. however, elite technology wasn¡¯t enough. it had to be upgraded to special-level technology, at the very least. the battle power of the stone statue of the dead would increase by another level with the addition of special-level technology. the poisonous scorpion warriors relied on rare-level attack technology to do whatever they wanted among soldiers of the same level. the addition of technology to the troop could not be underestimated. richard pulled back his thoughts and subconsciously opened the attribute panel to glance at the technology in twilight city. [axe of the dead: ordinary attack technology] [bandaged mummy: elite attack technology] [stone statue of the dead: elite attack technology] [scorpion warrior: rare attack technology] the bandaged mummy and the axe of the dead axe no longer had lairs. wars had destroyed the former, so one could not bother richard to replenish them for a while. the latter had been synthesized into a dead stone statue, so there was no need to continue recruitment. only two types of soldiers still had technology bonuses¨Cthe stone statues of the dead and the poisonous scorpion warriors. ¡°the speed of technological development is still too slow.¡± richard frowned. ¡°there should be talents in this area in the underground world¡­¡± karu had yet to leave, and richard looked at him. ¡°karu, send someone to the underground world later and tell adele to recruit a hero who can lead the blacksmith shop to study attack technology. ¡°our investment in this area is still too slim.¡± he had previously transplanted the policy of sharing smithing arts in twilight city to bloodhoof city. due to various obstacles, he had specially sent adele to preside over it. this matter progressed quickly with this special-class blacksmith around. to better implement this policy, adele obtained his consent and established a new department¨Cthe blacksmith¡¯s association. everyone in the association adhered to sharing skills with her as the president. they could contribute their forging knowledge in exchange for points, which could be used to exchange for other people¡¯s forging knowledge. it was impressive. and it promoted the rapid development of the underground world¡¯s blacksmiths. their forging skills improved for everyone to see. the development of the underworld was in line with richard¡¯s expectations as the weapons factory of twilight city. however, he couldn¡¯t free herself for a short period. a resilient system was needed for the treasure of twilight city to return. however, adele, the leader of the blacksmith family, had also greatly improved recently. for this girl who was extremely passionate about forging, she was sparingly too happy to think about it. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± butler karu nodded. richard had told him many times about the underworld. he naturally knew what to do. richard did not let karu stay any longer. he waved him off to carry out his mission. twilight city¡¯s thirst for resources was ingrained in its bones. a vast gold-devouring system, no resources would be enough with the black gold system. Chapter 674 he focused his gaze and saw a drop of golden blood that flowed slowly inside. a sacred aura filled the crystal. the surrounding guards subconsciously turned around and gripped their weapons tightly as if they faced a powerful enemy when the crystal bottle appeared. all had solemn gazes. !! the crystal bottle transmitted dragon might. a terrifying and devouring dragon might. moreover, this dragon might was more majestic and domineering. in a trance, richard seemed to have seen an ancient dragon that roared at the sun, moon, and stars. ¡®roar!¡¯ a long roar sounded. the sky suddenly darkened. richard looked up and saw a level 15 beyond a-rank giant dragon with a wingspan of more than 40 meters. alves flapped its wings. the golden skeleton, the crimson power, the broken dragon wings, and the powerful aura all showed how powerful this terrifying existence was. respect and bewilderment filled alves¡¯s eyes at this moment. ¡°lord¡­ i felt a pressure coming from the depths of my soul. it was from the ancestor of the giant dragons.¡± richard¡¯s faintly gazed. blood of the holy dragon [level: glorious] [special characteristic: can raise a skill to the maximum (level 15 to use)] ****** richard received this reward after he completed the first s-rank mission in the first instance dungeon. it was obtained from the big boss of the scarlet council, just like the dimension stone. that was considered a treasure that he could use as a trump card. he looked at the blood of the holy dragon and sighed. the righteous and evil factions hunted richard to complete that mission back then. he eventually used the landslide pit in the dimensional plane to kill millions of people before he ended the mission. his eyes scorched when he returned to his senses. ¡°i¡¯ve waited for this day!¡± a unique sound rang out when the bottle cap was opened. the terrifying dragons might instantly increased by a hundred times. alves released a series of low growls in the sky. it was like a wild beast that bared its teeth to scare off its enemy when in danger. it flapped its dragon wings uneasily in the sky. richard could feel the restlessness in its heart. richard raised his head and went down to the blood of the holy dragon. ¡®gulp!¡¯ the moment he swallowed, he felt a terrifying heat flow from his throat into his stomach. it was like he had just drunk a glass of water. the blood of the holy dragon entered his stomach erupted like lava before he could react. in an instant. terrifying energy gushed out. the volcano that had been suppressed for countless years erupted. the energy surged through his every blood vessel. those fragile blood vessels could not withstand the damage because the power was too explosive. the glass shattered in a few breaths. it ran from the blood vessels to the muscles, bones, and the rest of the body. that shattered his sturdy body increasingly by inch at this moment. the terrifying energy tore everything apart. however, a faint-golden energy with soul-tormenting vitality was sandwiched between them. and it quickly repaired the shattered body. that was surprising. its blood vessels became tougher, bones became mightier, and flesh became more solid¡­ however, before the energy could completely repair his body, the violent power began the next round of destruction. it destroyed it while it repaired his body. richard felt as if one had placed him into a meat grinder. pain, endless pain, engulfed his soul. the steel-like willpower of the chaotic world was also collapsing at this moment. gradually, the energy in the depths of his bloodline was activated, and grains of yellow sand appeared on his body. at the same time, the power of the yellow sand surged out and condensed into a yellow sand cocoon around his body. that surrounded richard. and one could not tell what happened inside from the outside. however, alves could sense the terrifying existence that brewed in the yellow sand cocoon. it was as if the great demon king of the abyss was imprisoned here. the other party would tear apart the abyss the next moment and destroy everything in all directions. the dragon might gradually dissipated. a violent and terrifying sandstorm took place. a scene that made alves¡¯s heart tremble suddenly appeared in his mind when it focused its senses. a sandstorm swept across the world in the endless yellow sand. that tore apart the sky apart, and the earth wailed. it could even instantly tear and swallow the sturdy mountains and the towering city walls. that was¡­ the power of the desert. it was silent when in silence. it could ruin the world when it was furious. each of its actions brought about a strong psychological impact. the sandstorm got increasingly intense. he felt suffocated even with the strength of his soul. howling yellow sand shrouded the sky. it utterly covered the world. outside the lord¡¯s mansion. the residents felt an inexplicable sense of depression and panic while they worked. it was the pressure of a higher and a lower life form. it seeped into the soul, and one could not avoid it. they all turned to look at the lord¡¯s mansion like an intensely soul-devouring existence was about to appear. ¡°my lord¡­ ¡°is your excellency about to break through? ¡°i feel a familiar aura¡­¡± the entire city stood still. the monsters in the outposts that had not been cleared looked toward twilight city within a hundred kilometers. some of the weaker ones even lay on the sand and trembled. they even buried their heads in the sand. they sensed that the desert was awakening¡­ richard was groggy and felt an indescribable power activated through his bloodline. he felt that the desert cheered, jumped, and celebrated for him. [ding~ you have fused with the blood of the holy dragon. all attributes have increased by 50%. your profession¨Clord of the yellow sand. the system has reinforced all your skills.¡± [ding~ blood of the holy dragon has activated your bloodline. you have received the lord¡¯s talent¨Cdesert blessing.] ****** Chapter 675 richard sat in the hall while he sipped tea. he flipped through his attribute panel. he had checked more than ten times. one could only describe his attributes as gorgeous after he reached level 15 and consumed the blood of the holy dragon. crown-level¨Cyellow sand lord, with six beyond a-rank skills. !! yellow sand control, sand transformation, flame sandstorm, sand condensation (into armor), sand regeneration, and sand dragon tornado. the sand dragon tornado was a new skill he obtained after he reached level 15. [you can summon a sand dragon tornado. it is 300 meters in diameter, level 25 storm, with instant death skill: tear. it will tear the body apart if its toughness wouldn¡¯t resist the storm.] the blood of the holy dragon reinforced these skills. richard did not expect that. that enormously increased the skill attributes. the notification said that could strengthen a skill to the extreme. now, all skills have been reinforced¡­¡± richard raised an eyebrow. was it because of the yellow sand power in his body? unfortunately, there was only one drop of the blood of the holy dragon, and there was no second verification. richard shook his head. he didn¡¯t want to be too entangled. it was enough to get benefits. three additional skills for the desert lord. there was no need to say much about sand transformation. this skill had made enormous contributions to twilight city¡¯s conquests. sand soldier condensation was the skill of the dune lord. it was fierce and overbearing. it was fearless even when faced with the siege of the fire elemental lord klose and the god¡¯s ancient tree. the battle outcome would still be unknown if he hadn¡¯t interfered with the other party¡¯s control of the power of the yellow sand. this was obtained by devouring the power of the yellow sand that the other party possessed. however, what surprised richard the most was the remarkable skill he had just obtained. a 200% increase in all attributes was already considered tyrannical. communication with the desert¡¯s consciousness made him feel it could contain unlimited potential. could he ask for some secret information? for example, in the desert, where were divine artifacts buried? where was the dragon¡¯s treasure vault? where were the ancient ruins? there could be a lot of room for manipulation. [power of yellow sand: (rare) 5,000 (recovers 10 points per second)] a power surged out like a tsunami. the surrounding air instantly froze. he could even feel the power of the entire desert. the power of yellow sand finally became a part of the power that could be mobilized on the surface after advancing to the second stage. this power was several levels higher than magic power. he only had a few thousand mana points at level 14. his mana skyrocketed to 50,000 points after he reached level 15. it was more than ten times faster. the upper limit of magic power always limits a spellcaster. but 50,000 mana was ten times less than 5,000 power of the yellow sand. the power of yellow sand could replace the input of magic power. the power of the yellow sand would upgrade that skill to the extreme once one used it to cast a skill. all of his skills were desert skills. the power of yellow sand was the power of the desert. his heart was restless. he took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions. several special skills were left¡­ beyond a-rank halo¨Cyellow sand halo, dragon power from bathing in dragon blood, self-learned leading technique, fire resistance and double casting from the fire elemental lord, stealth power, and danger perception from the first dungeon. every skill has its unique characteristics. they formed the current power of the gods together. richard sparingly narrowed his eyes and felt the energy that surged in his body like lava. his mood was great. he unknowingly grew into a big boss that was unimaginable when he entered the ¡°shining era.¡± the level 15 desert dragon had once regarded it as an invincible existence. now, those soldiers were not even qualified to hurt him. a sense of accomplishment shrouded his heart. the next step was to reach the next level-transcendence. the peak power of this world. he looked at his level status bar. level 15 (230,000/5 million). the experience points required to level up increased exponentially with the increase in levels. there was still a long way to go before he could become transcendent. he took a deep breath and suppressed the throbbing in his heart. at this level, it was time to prepare for the next move. complete the s-rank mission entrusted by teacher peim at the red dragon general store and retrieve god¡¯s heart. to explore the place where the laws were broken and hunt the remnant souls of the gods entrenched in the collapsed divine kingdom; attack the dungeon that imprisoned the extraordinary existence, the lord of darkness; to explore the ancient ruins with nine bronze doors, the resplendent wizard tower¡­ things had to be done step by step, and food had to be eaten bit by bit. the most urgent thing at the moment was the s-rank mission which only had 20 days left. his eyes flashed as he turned to look at the guard beside him. ¡°bring emily here.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the guard immediately turned around and left. a young centaur hurried over shortly after. emily was only half a head taller than an average person after she returned to her usual form. she had a carefree smile on her face when she arrived. just a glance at it could make one¡¯s mood improve. the adults liked to play with children because they were genuine and immature. they believed they could quickly make anyone let down their guard and take off their masks. ¡°father!¡± emily jogged toward richard¡¯s side and smiled sweetly. she then took his arm and snuggled her head into his arms. that appearance was vastly in contrast to one of the gods of war who held a long-handled giant axe and led the troop to charge at the enemy¡¯s attack stone. the enemies who had died under the long-handled giant axe would never have imagined that the fierce warrior would have such a posture. richard felt the young centaur¡¯s reliance and relaxed. he reached out and patted her little head. only in front of emily could he reveal his true self and not have to carry too much. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. the boss had already reached level 14 and was only one step away from level 15. the other party massively contributed to the battle to protect twilight city and gained a lot of benefits from it. ¡°this time, come with me to complete a mission.¡± emily quickly lifted her head from richard¡¯s arms and stared at him in surprise. ¡°father, are you serious?¡± richard laughed. ¡°of course. emily has grown up and can help me even more now.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree had the most soul-tormenting presence and the fiercest battle power among the three bosses of twilight city. one person was in the troop. the dark valkyrie swung her longsword, and the one-blade gods were equally terrifying. only this young man had yet to show his invincible attitude as a boss. but this battle had also allowed richard to see his opponent¡¯s growth, and it was time for him to stay by his side and nurture him. emily¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. joy engulfed her face. ¡°father!¡± she was like a child who had received the affirmation of her elders. delight shrouded her eyes. richard sparingly smiled and teased the young centaur a little longer. the excited emily suddenly became sparingly shy after richard instructed her to leave for solan city on the 10th. she looked at richard hesitantly and said softly. ¡°father, can you sleep with me tonight?¡± richard momentarily froze. the young centaur looked at him pitifully before he could respond and said, ¡°i¡¯ve been having nightmares recently. i¡¯m a little scared¡­¡± ¡®do¡­ nightmare?¡¯ richard thought of how the enemy would charge into the enemy¡¯s midst with a long-handled axe after she activated her battle stance. it was indescribably odd to slaughter the enemy until their blood flowed like a river. richard suddenly thought of something and narrowed his eyes just as he was about to comfort her. ¡°what did you dream about?¡± emily held richard¡¯s arm tightly and looked up with fear. ¡°in my dream, i met a scary demon. someone locked this demon in a cage and incessantly tried to escape for revenge. ¡°i¡¯ve been having the same dream every day recently¡­¡± the more she spoke, the more her voice trembled. ¡°moreover, that demon increasingly damaged the cage. i feel that in at most a month, the demon will tear the cage apart and eat me.¡± ¡°father, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± her pitiful appearance could make one¡¯s heart throb. richard¡¯s expression sparingly changed. the resurrected god of the land of the broken laws suddenly appeared in his mind. the god had holed up in the incomplete divine kingdom while he searched for it, and the ancient god statue scared it away. he had never had the time nor the confidence to explore it. emily guarded the land of the broken laws and lost her power and memories even though the land had collapsed. however, she couldn¡¯t have the same dream for no reason. the remaining power of the land of the broken laws warned her. he rubbed the other young centaur¡¯s head with some heartache and said slowly, ¡°when we return from solan city, we will find out and extinguish the source of the nightmare.¡± emily stared at richard¡¯s warm gaze. that subsided half of the fear in the young centaur¡¯s heart. satisfaction and worship engulfed her face. ¡°yes! father is the best to me!¡± richard was in a good mood when he saw the innocent look in her eyes. no wonder he liked to play with children. this kind of emotionless worship was too comfortable. emily tilted her small head and rolled her eyes. she seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°father, there seems to be something vital hidden in the devil¡¯s cage. it keeps on calling me. it begged me to retrieve it¡­ however, that demon is too fierce. i can¡¯t bear it.¡± ¡®was there still something in that cage?¡¯ richard¡¯s mind conceived thoughts. the remnant divine power in the land of the broken laws was a high-level map. they would naturally obtain rich benefits after they conquer it. however, was this profit related to emily? or was it related to the land of the broken laws? or was it some kind of divine artifact? richard asked more about the dream, but to his disappointment, that was all emily. however, the information mentioned by the other party had already piqued his interest. he didn¡¯t know if the revived god would give him more surprises. moreover, if the eternal land wanted to expand, it would require massive planar power. the source of this kind of planar power was either the transformation of the planar stone from the void or the devouring of other planes. a broken divine kingdom was a high-grade prey. Chapter 676 lone desert smoke always had the boldness to control the world. he turned to look at the troop beside him, and the corners of his mouth curled up. the troop power he brought with him was enough for the players to consider it magnificent for this expedition. level 17 boss¨Cgod¡¯s ancient tree. !! level 15 beyond a-rank dragon hero¨Calves level 14 boss¨Cemily. in addition, she was the desert ruler who had just advanced to level 15. even emily, the lowest amongst them, could cause a vast wave once she activated her battle stance and transformed into a 10-meter-tall centaur warrior. she could even summon the divine soul renee from the ancient god statue if needed. just these heroes alone could crush an entire troop. december 8th was monday. it means they could recruit another troop. richard recruited all that he could, and the number increased. he brought out the best, other than the troops left behind. glorious 3-stars, level 11 undead soldiers¨C96 squads. glorious 3-stars, level 10 sandstorm controllers¨C50 squads. crown 1-star, level 13, skeleton blood dragons¨C16 squads. crown 3-stars, level 15, guardian mummies¨C30 squads. radiant moon 3-stars, level 17, king of the imperial troops¨C9 squads. the total was 201 squads¡­ that was only two teams. moreover, the quality of the troop was extremely high. the lowest was a level 10 soldier, and their potential was glorious. the number would be even higher if richard added the 1,000 crown 3-stars, level 14 slaughter asps brought by the god¡¯s ancient tree. the sandstorm controllers turned into sandstorms and flew around the troop. the god¡¯s ancient tree controlled the quicksand to move quickly on the ground. its vast body was faintly discernible in the sandstorm. that gave people a strong sense of oppression. the troop from afar that marched on the yellow sand looked like ancient mottled murals in a church. that was full of mystery and visual impact. richard discovered that larger life forms would grow other than intelligent life forms like humans once they reached a certain level. perhaps, that needed a larger body to carry its strength¡­ the speed of those that marched on the ground was naturally not as fast as pure air force that flew, although the god¡¯s ancient tree could control sand. the speed of the troop was slow, in addition to the sandworms that carried the boats of machines, solan city was finally in sight after two days and two nights of rapid marching on december 12. richard did not bring a vast troop with him. the rest were left within a hundred miles of the desert except for sandworms. they arrived outside solan city with ease. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce¡¯s convoy already waited there. several people passed by there, although that wasn¡¯t the primary road. the convoy moved the goods from the sandworms under the shocked gazes of the surrounding crowd. the sandworm could still sense the size of this life form, although it showed only its head. however, the flags of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and the solan chamber of commerce hung on them. that made those people lose their desire to inquire. in solan city, no one who could be related to these two top forces was to be trifled with. richard instructed the workers to confidently moved the goods. emily was into the carriage and headed toward solan city. the bustling scene came into view as they passed through the towering gate. emily curiously leaned against the window. her eyes were wide open as she looked at the passing street. some special snacks would salivate her from time to time. this instantly mesmerized the young fellow. she had never been to such a prosperous place before. richard was amused and rubbed the young centaur¡¯s head. ¡°what do you want to eat? go to the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce later and ask vale to bring you there.¡± emily was extremely popular in twilight city. everyone liked this innocent and cute young girl. especially when she had such great power. emily nodded in satisfaction. her eyes shone brightly. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since i¡¯ve seen vale.¡± the carriage drove through the long street while the young man fully anticipated. half an hour later, as the coachman pulled the reins, richard saw the familiar walls of violet manor through the glass window. as soon as the carriage stopped, two servants immediately stepped forward to open the door respectfully. he is humble and modest. ¡°lord richard, welcome.¡± richard got off the car with emily, and just as he stood firm, an agile figure in a pure white dress rushed up to him with a swoosh. she hugged his arm and shouted excitedly. ¡°lord richard, you¡¯re finally here! i¡¯ve been waiting for you for two days!¡± after saying that, she suddenly saw emily and immediately sized her up in surprise. ¡°centaur?¡± emily¡¯s eyes widened when an unfamiliar human girl held her father¡¯s arm. she stepped forward and hugged richard¡¯s other hand. she glared at the other party, unwilling to be outdone. ¡°this is my father!¡± ¡°father? father?¡± christy¡¯s face became supremely odd. she tilted her head and looked at richard with a strange expression. it was like she said, ¡®you¡¯re this kind of person. you won¡¯t let go of the centaurs, but¡­¡¯ how exciting. a girl who was obedient on the outside but rebellious on the inside had never been a person who followed the rules. Chapter 677 ¡°what are you thinking about¡­ let me introduce you. this is emily, my goddaughter.¡± he rubbed emily¡¯s little head afterward. ¡°this is christy, solan¡¯s young princess. she¡¯s also my most trusted friend in solan city. when i wasn¡¯t around, she frequently helped vale and the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce.¡± the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce had a smooth life in solan city. they had never met anyone who made things difficult for them. it was related to christy. !! even if christy didn¡¯t take the initiative to do anything for the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce, she would frequently visit it. no one would dare to stir up trouble. only the young princess of solan city could not bring such potential influence. even windsor, the leader of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, couldn¡¯t compare. when christy heard the first half of the sentence, she felt sparingly relieved and¡­regretful. ¡®she was not her biological daughter¡­ what a pity.¡¯ there was a sense of fearlessness. the second half of the sentence made her raise her head and look at emily proudly. she wanted to say she had frequently helped her father. she looked like a child who showed off her toys. emily stared at christy curiously. ¡°you¡¯re sister christy, the one grandpa karu often mentioned?¡± her childish expression became sparingly solemn afterward. ¡°thank you for your help to twilight city.¡± she held her chest and bowed afterward. christy was in no hurry. she blushed and said in embarrassment. ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s just a small matter¡­¡± richard looked at the two young girls and found them funny. he waved his hand and told them to play. richard ignored them and looked at vale. richard hadn¡¯t seen him for half a month, and the young internal officer had lost some weight. but his striking composure was still outstanding. they entered the manor after a simple greeting. richard looked at the young officer beside him and said slowly. ¡°did you get any valuable information during this period?¡± vale lowered his voice. ¡°three days ago, a crimson moon appeared in the sky. we have placed all the churches in solan city under martial law for the past few days. we forbade anyone to enter and pray. ¡°at the same time, the grace mainland lords tried to find out more about the crimson moon.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°has the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce made any moves?¡± vale shook his head. ¡°as usual, we found no strange things.¡± vale gestured to the hall not far away afterward. ¡°after you sent the news that you were coming to solan city, president windsor will be waiting for you in the next two days¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°did she say anything?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s just that her expression has been sparingly solemn these past few days, and i haven¡¯t seen much of her smile.¡± the crimson moon was about to rise. as one of the top figures, the number of things she had to deal with was as many as the hair on a cow. the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. richard no longer delved into the topic and said softly, ¡°how¡¯s the development of the black sorbet in the market of twilight city?¡± vale immediately perked up when he heard this. ¡°very good!¡± ¡°our market potential is far beyond the market. the black sorbet will be sold out in less than an hour as soon as we open the store for a few days!¡± this product could cool down the heat and was also so cheap. the black ice cream was like a sharp knife that stabbed into the hearts of everyone in solan city. no one could refuse. eating this thing in a high-temperature environment was simply too satisfying. moreover, it was easy to preserve. a large pile of food for ten days to half a month wouldn¡¯t be a problem in the modern era. cheap, stored, effective, large quantity¡­ with all these advantages, black ice cream quickly became the most popular product in solan city. there were even many shops that directly came to the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce to buy in bulk and then sell them at a higher price. they started a buy-and-sell business. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce¡¯s first product achieved perfect results with all these factors. ¡°are there imitations on the market?¡± vale nodded and shook his head. his gaze was very subtle. ¡°the production process of the black sorbet is easy. those wizard towers with high-level spell casters can quickly produce it. ¡°however, they all use unique magical plants as raw materials. ¡°this has led to a fatal flaw¨Cthe high price. ¡°of course, they also have additional attributes, but the black sorbet was meant to relieve the heat. that would just add to the cost. ¡°besides, their production method is very inefficient. for solan city, which has a population of nearly ten million, it is like pouring a glass of water into a desert.¡± richard smiled. the price of 20 units of resources for the black sorbet was to kill off those competitors. this thing is easy to produce. but no one could compete with them in the market if the opponent couldn¡¯t beat their production cost. magic plants were top-grade treasures on the surface. who would be willing to waste them like this? moreover, frost grass was a native of the underground world. they couldn¡¯t figure out how they shortly produced them. moreover, with such a low price, even those who could produce it would hesitate. Chapter 678 vale gestured to the hall not far away afterward. ¡°after you sent the news that you were coming to solan city, president windsor will be waiting for you in the next two days¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°did she say anything?¡± !! ¡°no, it¡¯s just that her expression has been sparingly solemn these past few days, and i haven¡¯t seen much of her smile.¡± the crimson moon was about to rise. as one of the top figures, the number of things she had to deal with was as many as the hair on a cow. the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. richard no longer delved into the topic and said softly, ¡°how¡¯s the development of the black sorbet in the market of twilight city?¡± vale immediately perked up when he heard this. ¡°very good!¡± ¡°our market potential is far beyond the market. the black sorbet will be sold out in less than an hour as soon as we open the store for a few days!¡± this product could cool down the heat and was also so cheap. the black ice cream was like a sharp knife that stabbed into the hearts of everyone in solan city. no one could refuse. eating this thing in a high-temperature environment was simply too satisfying. moreover, it was easy to preserve. a large pile of food for ten days to half a month wouldn¡¯t be a problem in the modern era. cheap, stored, effective, large quantity¡­ with all these advantages, black ice cream quickly became the most popular product in solan city. there were even many shops that directly came to the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce to buy in bulk and then sell them at a higher price. they started a buy-and-sell business. the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce¡¯s first product achieved perfect results with all these factors. ¡°are there imitations on the market?¡± his gaze was very subtle. ¡°the production process of the black sorbet is easy. those wizard towers with high-level spell casters can quickly produce it. ¡°however, they all use unique magical plants as raw materials. ¡°this has led to a fatal flaw¨Cthe high price. ¡°of course, they also have additional attributes, but the black sorbet was meant to relieve the heat. that would just add to the cost. ¡°besides, their production method is very inefficient. for solan city, which has a population of nearly ten million, it is like pouring a glass of water into a desert.¡± richard smiled. the price of 20 units of resources for the black sorbet was to kill off those competitors. this thing is easy to produce. but no one could compete with them in the market if the opponent couldn¡¯t beat their production cost. magic plants were top-grade treasures on the surface. who would be willing to waste them like this? moreover, frost grass was a native of the underground world. they couldn¡¯t figure out how they shortly produced them. moreover, with such a low price, even those who could produce it would hesitate. this kind of pricing strategy knocked the competitors off before they even entered the business. Chapter 679 he looked at emily and christy while they entered the room hand in hand. ¡°twilight city is ready.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree that guarded the sunset city came with all its might. it took root outside solan city. richard would immediately obtain a contract scroll and transcendent trump card. that is, once he completed the s-rank mission. !! the vampire grand duke in the blood coffin tempted him at all times. the turmoil was coming. a transcendent could give twilight city a lot of confidence. he needed this trump card. follow-up of this mission could also bring additional benefits¡­ whether it was windsor or the heartless old white-haired man who had survived for ten years after losing his heart and controlled a high-level divine weapon, they were all top-notch figures. the benefits of getting closer to them were not something one could explain in a few words. this was most obvious in the fire elemental lord that he had invested. windsor¡¯s gaze softened when he heard richard¡¯s affirmative answer. although it was still uncertain whether the other party could complete the mission and retrieve the sealed god¡¯s heart. however, the promise she got from him somehow made her trust him. it was because the opponent was qingqiu, the mightiest expert among the grace mainland overlords. his past achievements proved his skills and strength. he had already reached level 15 and had stepped into the starting point of a powerhouse. windsor could sense that richard¡¯s body contained energy as hot as the sun. that could instantly destroy everything in an instant once it erupted. richard was still sparingly level 10 when windsor first met him a few months ago. that was all, although he was extraordinary. richard¡¯s potential amazed her. it may not be long before the other party can advance to another level at this thrive rate. strength was the only pass in this world. and no one could underestimate richard¡¯s sharpness. windsor took a deep breath. ¡°then i¡¯ll leave everything to you, lord richard.¡± her gaze was solemn. ¡°if you need help, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will do its best.¡± richard looked at the woman¡¯s solemn eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°this time, going to the ruins¡­ he couldn¡¯t know how to destroy the ancient ruins.¡± ¡°i hope chairman windsor can take care of twilight city.¡± there was a hidden meaning in his words. ¡°twilight city has several enemies.¡± he was able to extract the soul of the kobold god, but this has not diminished his enemies. the god¡¯s ancient tree has devoured the rotten authority. there would be a place for him on the killing list of the abyssal ruler. chairman windsor has yet to discover twilight city, but it was inevitable in the future. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s chairman nodded without hesitation. ¡°no problem.¡± ¡°as long as the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce exists, no one can destroy your territory.¡± richard seemed worried her words were not powerful enough, so she added. ¡°i¡¯ll go personally.¡± this is her, to guard a small town in the depths of the desert. problems couldn¡¯t threaten her. that relieved richard. the safety of twilight city would be off the charts with the boss¡¯s promise. richard returned to his senses, and he spun thoughts. windsor¡¯s attitude from the beginning to the end indicated one thing¡­ the old white-haired man in the red dragon general store was extremely important. not only for her but also for the crimson moon. the old white-haired man¡¯s status might be more extraordinary than he had imagined. his gaze was solemn. ¡°chairman windsor, no matter what dangers there are in the ancient ruins, twilight city will not let us retreat¡­ even if i have to face the gods. ¡°even if i have to do everything, i will get that heart back. this is my promise to you.¡± high risk came with high returns. the war of iron and blood had forged the current twilight city. nothing could stop his will, no matter how difficult the s-rank mission was. the resolute tone revealed a heroic temperament at this moment. vale, who was at the side, was vibrant. a body of water seemed to drown his eyes. richard was like the scorching sun, full of indescribable charm. he could even hear his heartbeat. ¡®lord richard¡­¡¯ windsor looked at the handsome and prim figure before her. she felt sparingly thirsty. this guy, why did he have a magical power that could make people unable to take their eyes off him¡­ the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. the two young girls still chatted and laughed when they entered the hall. but they also noticed the atmosphere suddenly changed. christy turned around and asked curiously. ¡°sister windsor, what are you guys talking about?¡± windsor hugged the young girl beside her and introduced her. ¡°let me introduce you to sir richard¡¯s¡­ her daughter, emily.¡± she felt sparingly regretful afterward. ¡°goddaughter.¡± christy blinked her eyes and said proudly. ¡°now, emily is already calling me big sister!¡± windsor suppressed the subtle emotions in her heart and moved away from the young girls before her. she stared at christy with amusement. ¡®this silly young girl.¡¯ she looked at emily and frowned at the young centaur. ¡°lord richard, i can sense miss emily¡¯s soul misses a piece.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°soul¡­ misses a piece?¡± he instantly recalled emily¡¯s lost memories. Chapter 680 ¡°the god allowed her to guard a place where a battle of the gods broke the laws¡­ that battle lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. ¡°when i found her, that area had already collapsed. ¡°when she gained freedom, she also lost her memories and strength.¡± ¡°gods?¡± !! windsor¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡®it was those vermin who disrupted the laws again.¡¯ ¡°the missing soul fragment of miss emily did not disappear.¡± she turned her head and looked toward direction. ¡°you can re-visit the place she once protected if you want her to recover.¡± ¡°the land of the broken laws?¡± richard suddenly pondered. ¡°emily kept on saying that something was calling her in her dream¡­ was that her soul fragment?¡± windsor continued afterward. ¡°however, that fragment can only reactivate the bloodline power in the depths of her body¡­ the possibility of recovery would be almost zero once she lost her memory, ¡°lord, you have to be mentally prepared.¡± richard felt relieved. ¡°emily was forced to guard the place where a battle of gods broke the laws for hundreds of thousands of years¡­ her memories were not that good. there was only a long period of loneliness.¡± xina had once obtained emily¡¯s memories. unforgivable sadness and pain shrouded this female warrior of the krina tribe when she told him about it. he had to carry out an infinite mission in that narrow space. she endured the silent loneliness of the endless. furthermore, emily was only a child when she entered the cave. richard blankly spoke while windsor stared at him and slowly said, ¡°she could return to being a child. those memories are gone.¡± wasn¡¯t this a new lease of life for emily? she had her own home, a haven she could protect for the rest of her life. windsor¡¯s gaze softened as she looked at richard. she could feel richard¡¯s sincerity for the young centaur. she looked at emily¡¯s innocent look. she felt sparingly envious. richard did not delve into the subject. he had to explore the land of the broken laws. the revived god was already among his hunting targets. now, it was just another reason. the replenishment of emily¡¯s soul was supremely vital to her. emily was a boss. her attributes were already overbearing. who knew how much more she could thrive if she completely recovered? this was worth looking forward to. richard pulled himself together and returned to the primary purpose of the conversation. ¡°chairman windsor, do you have more information about the ancient ruins that sealed the god¡¯s heart?¡± the only information he has so far was these four s-rank missions were to retrieve a god¡¯s heart. he did not know anything else. this undoubtedly added a lot of uncertainty to the mission windsor shook her head slowly. her eyes dimmed. ¡°more than a thousand grace mainland overlords have entered¡­ but no one returned.¡± it was devastating to one¡¯s confidence to try something thousands of times without progress. not even knowing what the problem was. besides, she didn¡¯t have time. richard¡¯s expression was subtle. how could an s-rank mission be so easy to complete? humans die for wealth, and birds die for food. those idiots didn¡¯t have any brains. they dared to interfere in any mission. ¡°can i see teacher peim again?¡± windsor said in a hoarse voice. ¡°teacher has fallen into a deep sleep¡­¡± that confused christy. ¡°what are you guys talking about? doesn¡¯t teacher peim like sleeping? he would always sleep for a few days. he wouldn¡¯t even wake up¡­¡± windsor looked at the heartless young girl. her face showed a complicated expression. ¡°he is fine. the teacher¡¯s old injury has got better. he¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± the young girl had no idea what was going on. she also wanted her to maintain her naivety. the taste of maturity was not pleasant. christy tilted her head. ¡°so, sister windsor wants lord richard to find a magic plant for teacher peim?¡± her big eyes darted around as she spoke. ¡°lord richard, work harder! teacher pimm is so precious. you¡¯ll make a fortune if you cure him!¡± the absence of sharp-wittedness in her eyes startled richard. this young girl was protected too well. no wonder she could hang out with emily¡­ he ignored this chatterbox, and his gaze turned solemn. ¡°chairman windsor, i have already stationed my troops outside the city¡­ i¡¯ll leave twilight city to you.¡± windsor took a deep breath. ¡°may the desert bless you.¡± this queen-like figure of extraordinary origins bowed solemnly to richard afterward. ¡°please, do everything.¡± vale stared blankly at the carriage that disappeared into the street half an hour later. his emotions were hard to understand. although richard did not tell him the purpose of this trip, from windsor¡¯s attitude, she could tell that what he was about to do was extremely dangerous. christy pouted and muttered unhappily. ¡°damn richard! he also brought emily with him!¡± as he spoke, she turned to look at vale and smiled. ¡°officer vale, aren¡¯t you worried about lord richard? sister windsor and teacher peim entrusted him an arduous mission!¡± Chapter 681 vale looked at the girl and hesitated. ¡°your highness christy, didn¡¯t chairman tell you the reason?¡± indignation filled christy¡¯s lively eyes. ¡°they all think i¡¯m a kid like emily! i know everything!¡± !! vale said softly. ¡°then why did you ask?¡± christy smiled. ¡°this way, they can feel more at ease, right?¡± she looked at the street, and her tone became inexplicably mature. ¡°when you don¡¯t have the power, you will only burden your friends by participating in matters you can¡¯t control.¡± she raised her head and looked at the sky with her sparkling eyes. ¡°but i¡¯m christy solan¡­ i won¡¯t let this situation continue!¡± she turned around and walked towards a luxurious carriage parked outside afterward. vale shouted subconsciously. ¡°your highness christy, where are you going?¡± christy waved her hand, and she didn¡¯t look back. ¡°become stronger¡­¡± vale¡¯s emotions became sparingly odd when christy disappeared from the corner of the street. vale came back to his senses afterward. his eyes revealed a determined light. ¡°lord richard was taking risks for twilight city, and christy had found her direction¡­¡± he could not be weaker than others! ¡°how many resources are there on the account? we can increase our investment in the trade route we studied last time.¡± he wanted to become the mightiest support behind lord richard, and no one could stop him! ****** that was 100 miles away from solan city. windsor floated in the air and looked at the silent mummy troop before her. light dazzled in her eyes. she turned to the side afterward and heard a voice rode on the back of the undead dragon. amazement engulfed his tone. ¡°lord richard, i just knew all the grace mainland overlords arrived at the mortal plane simultaneously. i would have suspected you have run this place for decades¡­¡± the lowest potential of these troops was at glorious-level. and they even had the potential of radiant moon troops. that could be the backbone if the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce operated this troop. how long had the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce been developed? how long had twilight city been established? the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce had recruited many grace mainland overlords. but the most powerful had two teams of crow 1-star troops, and they were recruited from the lairs in the wild. the grace mainland overlord was already one of the top ten billion grace mainland overlords. however, it was like a joke when compared to the established twilight city troop. she couldn¡¯t imagine how richard had done it all. the other party had come to the primary plane and started development with nothing. how could he be so different from the other grace mainland overlords? her attention was on the kobold god when she landed on twilight city for the first time. she only had a glimpse and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. only by savoring it carefully could she discover what it represented. it was not an exaggeration to describe him as having unlimited potential with his speed of growth. she saw a rising star. she would have a place in the desert of death in the future as long as she wouldn¡¯t die along the way. richard smiled but did not comment. ¡°behind all the glory is endless blood.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think we have time for such boring.¡± he focused his gaze afterward, and his aura suddenly soared. ¡°all troops, move out.¡± an indifferent voice resounded through the sky. alves flapped his wings and flew away after richard spoke. skeleton blood dragon, stone statue of the dead, sandstorm controller, guardian mummy, king of the imperial troop lairs¡­ at this moment, all the troops moved out simultaneously. the god¡¯s ancient tree on the ground blotted out the sky and the sun while the slaughter wasps buzzed. richard saw this, and the waves in his eyes moved slightly. he stared at the body of the god¡¯s ancient tree for a long time¡­ finally, he sighed. the power of authority. ¡°teacher, we finally compromised.¡± Chapter 682 the waves of heat surged on the sand, and the yellow sand seemed to have been thrown into a furnace and poured out. it was filled with a high temperature that burned his hands. the high temperature distorted the light near the ground. that added a sense of haziness. this was a forbidden land of life. a barren land that even demons would not want to peep at. !! a few players looked at the vast dimension gate embedded in the dunes in a desert where the light was distorted before them. it was more than 30 meters tall. they hesitated. ¡°brother kun, let¡¯s¡­ are we going in? the s-rank mission wouldn¡¯t be easy today.¡± brother kun was a troop leader. his expression sparingly changed when he heard this. he already gave up, although he still held up. he inexplicably thought of an encounter in the past. that mission was only an a-rank mission, but in the end, the war buried millions of people¡­ ¡°let¡¯s wait and see¡­first.¡± brother kun turned to look at his underlings. they heard his sparingly hoarse voice. ¡°the players who went in yesterday haven¡¯t come out yet?¡± they shook their heads in unison. ¡°no, they haven¡¯t.¡± one of the rough men whispered. ¡°brother kun, why don¡¯t we just retreat? i heard no one has returned until now from at least a hundred people who have accepted the s-rank mission.¡± brother kun hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth. ¡°retreat?! ¡°the first thing we need to know is what we can and cannot do. ¡°this mission is a huge trap.¡± a few heard this and relieved them. they nodded in unison. the s-rank difficulty made his legs go weak. it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to complete the mission. they were about three to four hundred meters away. suddenly, his expression changed. a wall figure pressed down appeared in his line of sight. he looked over, and the figure swiftly approached. ¡°sandstorm!¡± a player exclaimed. brother kun waved his hand fiercely and stopped his panicked underlings. ¡°that¡¯s not a sandstorm¡­ that is a troop.¡± his voice suddenly became hoarse. ¡°troop?¡± a few of them were stunned. then, they suppressed the panic in their hearts and suddenly turned around to roar at the two squadrons of soldiers who had entered. ¡°all troops, be on alert!!¡± the soldiers with yellow turbans on their heads were behind them. the sabers in their hands had fierce looks in their eyes. it was like, they wanted to show off their strength to the enemies who had suddenly appeared. the troop positioned, and the yellow sand had already approached a thousand meters in radius and rapidly expanded from the size of an ant. they flew above their heads in the blink of an eye. everyone looked up in shock. one could see an undead dragon after another in the sandstorm. the bodies of the gargoyles reflected a metallic luster. they repeatedly looked down. their ferocious faces sent chills down one¡¯s spine. another terrifying troop crossed the sky. the air currents caused large amounts of sand to rise. they stood on the ground. the sky troop emitted an aura enough to make a few players feel breathless. ¡°brother kun, i¡¯m scared¡­¡± one of his underlings¡¯ legs weakened and couldn¡¯t stand still. he fell to the person beside him. brother kun gulped. his breathing quickened as he wanted to say something. but his expression suddenly changed. he took a few steps back and sat on the hot yellow sand. the heat made him subconsciously exclaim, but he quickly covered his mouth. that widened his eyes in shock. his lackeys profusely sweated and were about to collapse. their legs trembled like a pendulum. that made people laugh. however, they would most likely be the same as them if there were outsiders present. they couldn¡¯t laugh. ¡®rustle!¡¯ they heard strange friction from the sand that flowed. the sound waved with the sandstorm in the sky. brother kun focused his gaze. in the endless sandstorm. a giant twisted human-faced tree with branches as dry as a human corpse controlled the rapid movement of the quicksand. the other party passed by dozens of meters away, but when it lifted, they could not see the exaggerated figure at the top. that gave them an indescribable sense of oppression. they couldn¡¯t imagine what destruction would this top-notch existence cause once it launched an attack. their troop would taste destruction in a few breaths if these treants attacked. the terrifying pressure gradually disappeared as the troops left. the few players seemed resurrected when the troops were hundreds of meters away. all dementedly panted. cold sweat covered their foreheads. the grains of the sand stuck to their faces because of the strong wind. that made them look especially miserable. brother kun¡¯s face was pale as he looked at the two vast squadrons of soldiers behind him. just a moment ago, they had looked like they were going to fight to the death with the enemy. they were all in a daze now, and their hands trembled as they gripped their sabers tightly. which troop would already lose their will to fight while the enemy only stance an aura? it was too terrifying. brother kun took a few deep breaths and could not suppress the horror in his heart. he was about to say something to his companion to vent his emotions when his expression suddenly froze. because he realized¡­ the army stopped before the dimension gate embedded in the dune. the troops didn¡¯t just pass by! his expression was bewildered. didn¡¯t they say that only players were allowed to enter this dungeon? how could the natives also be like this? the few lackeys also sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly said. Chapter 683 the sandstorm lingered around the troop but gradually dissipated. that puzzled them. they saw the sandstorm gather together and turn into mummies. a soldier formed that sandstorm?? a few of them were shocked. !! ¡°f*ck! what level of power was this to have such high-level troops?¡± they saw the faces of the entire troop when the sandstorm subsided. that continuously bewildered them. shock, horror, and more horror. countless emotions churned in their hearts. the two vast squadrons of troops behind them simply threw a trash dump compared to the other party¡¯s troops. they quickly fixed their gazes on the figure who rode on the back of an undead dragon with a wingspan of more than 40 meters. it was like a mythical life form from the ancient era that emitted terrifying crimson energy. even the scorching sun seemed to be incomparable to it. how terrifying would it be to control such existence? brother kun opened his attribute panel with curiosity. a few quickly trembled in unison and screamed in an almost shrill voice. ¡°player!!!¡± the familiar player attribute panel made the other party¡¯s identity appear on the screen, although he couldn¡¯t see any of the other party¡¯s attributes, ¡°they¡­they must be joking, right? a troop of this level belonged to players? that tree alone can ravage our territory a hundred or a thousand times¡­ ¡°am i seeing things? how could these players recruit such troops? how many resources did this require, not to mention other things? how many top-level troop lairs did the leader accumulate to obtain these? where the hell did the leader get these? ¡°i don¡¯t know. i must have drunk too much and not woken up¡­¡± none of them were noobs. those who had lived in the ¡°shining era¡± for half a year and more were no longer idiots. who hadn¡¯t experienced countless life and death battles¡­ brother kun and his underlings understood how exaggerated and terrifying it was to form such a troop. the resources needed for recruitment alone would make their hearts tremble, not to mention how to get a high-level troop lair. the underlings successfully suppressed their shock and suddenly pondered. they turned to look at brother kun. brother kun was somewhat confused at this moment. the underlings found his expression extensively confounding. it was white at one moment and red the next. he was excited at one moment and afraid the next. it was like he carried out a face-changing performance. ¡°brother kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡± his underlings shook him, and brother kun shivered violently. then, he pointed ahead and said excitedly with a hoarse voice. ¡°qingqiu! that¡¯s qingqiu!¡± ¡°qing¡­ qingqiu?!!¡± this name sounded like a thunderclap in their ears. they turned their heads in unison and tried to open the other party¡¯s attribute panel, but they still couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°brother kun, are you sure you¡¯re not hallucinating? the other party is qingqiu?¡± all exciting things happened a few months ago. no one had ever seen qingqiu¡¯s true face. even though the public acknowledged him as the number one person. brother kun looked disdainfully at the player who asked. he raised his head and spoke in a supremely proud tone. ¡°how would i not know the other party is qingqiu? hehehe¡­ i participated in the last dungeon. qingqiu slaughtered me in that death arena!¡± he became even more proud as he spoke. ¡°i could still recognize his aura even if he turns into ashes. and also, those undead dragons he led!!¡± only then did his underlings realize he couldn¡¯t be wrong. they all gave him a thumbs up. ¡°brother kun, you¡¯re awesome. i can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve fought with him before!¡± ¡°i almost forgot. brother kun was a top big shot who squeezed into the top one million in the last instance dungeon!¡± a few did not feel embarrassed about their defeat with qingqiu. what a joke. millions of players participated in that death arena. who else survived other than qingqiu?! no one did. ordinary weaklings would never try to fight qingqiu. the players in the forum measured their battle strength by how long they could last to fight qingqiu. ¡°it was a f*cking honor to match with qingqiu in the death arena despite loss!¡± ¡°brother kun, qingqiu must have also received our mission.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. should we not retreat in a hurry?¡± others said no one had come out from several people who had accepted this terrifying s-rank mission. that made them spin into thoughts. however, things were different now. qingqiu also accepted this mission. who was qingqiu? his past achievements had already shown how terrifying the other party was. the troop that made their legs go weak was now right before them. a few muttered to themselves, and some moved. after a short pause. it surged in like a tidal wave and passed through the dimension gate. the terrifying 80 meters giant tree bent down and stepped into it. only a blurry figure floated in the air outside the vast dimension gate in the end. qingqiu led his army and entered¡­ ¡°brother kun, what should we do now?¡± brother kun saw this scene, gritted his teeth, and hardened his heart. ¡°let¡¯s go! we¡¯ll go in together. i don¡¯t believe qing qiu can¡¯t if the other players can¡¯t handle this instance dungeon!! ¡°let¡¯s not fight for the credit with the other party. as long as a little hint of soup is left, it¡¯ll be enough for us to eat. ¡°moreover, this instance dungeon can accommodate many people. it¡¯s likely an instance dungeon that requires several players to clear¡­ it wasn¡¯t easy for me to receive this mission. i won¡¯t be at ease if i don¡¯t go and try!¡± Chapter 684 ¡°if a man dies, the bird will rise to the sky. i couldn¡¯t humbly live if i don¡¯t die for tens of thousands of years.¡± brother kun waved his hand with that. he said viciously. ¡°everyone, follow me.¡± !! the few players immediately raised their spirits. didn¡¯t they rely on this ruthlessness to gamble their lives to survive until now? what was there to be afraid of? they would just leave it here at most! they quickly obeyed brother kun¡¯s footsteps. above the dimension gate. windsor¡¯s illusory figure stared at the misty dimension gate for some reason. she wouldn¡¯t want to leave for a long time. this time, she placed all her hopes in one person. richard. she muttered this name in a low voice. her emotions were subtle. those deep, determined, and attractive eyes floated quietly in her mind¡­ she was in charge of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce for many years. she had met too many outstanding young elites. the prince of the empire, the first heir of the high nobles, a genius with outstanding talent, a famous well-versed mage in ancient and modern times¡­ wait, wait, wait. however, the grace mainland overlord¡¯s unique stance and charm made people stare at him. it was like, they dimmed compared to others. richard could even stand there without saying a word and still attract everyone¡¯s attention¡­ she lost her thoughts and suddenly saw a troop of the grace mainland overlord arrived before the dimension gate. then, they crossed the dimension gate. windsor watched this and calmed down. she did not take these people to heart. she sent her confidants these days to save the old white-haired man in the red dragon general store. she has assigned almost all the players with good strength the task of retrieving a god¡¯s heart. brother kun initially retreated in fear, so why did he have the courage to come up now? brother kun was on the ground and waved his hand with a hint of curiosity. he suddenly felt light. he was horrified to find himself hundreds of meters high in the sky when he returned to his senses. he lowered his head to look. his companions did not notice he had disappeared. he still marched at a leisurely pace. ¡°chairman, i have no ill intentions. i didn¡¯t mean to disturb you¡­¡± windsor glanced at him indifferently. his frightened look made her lose interest in talking. ¡°why did you change your mind and enter the ancient ruins?¡± brother kun didn¡¯t dare to say anything and quickly replied. ¡°because we saw qingqiu enter.¡± ¡°you know qingqiu?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°then why did you dare to take the risk? that ruin buried hundreds of grace mainland overlords.¡± brother kun¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡°we accepted a difficult mission and knew that it was dangerous. however, the appearance of qingqiu gave us hope¡­ we don¡¯t dare to compete with him for anything. it¡¯s enough that we can bask in the glory of the leftovers of the qingqiu bosses.¡± she had never thought that the other party would use such a reason. the other party had changed his judgment just because he knew richard would enter. he would risk his life to enter¡­ the other party¡¯s influence was so exaggerated? she did not expect him to be so strong that people would be willing to risk their lives, although she knew how strong the number one player was. Chapter 685 ¡°besides, would it be safer if we don¡¯t go in? perhaps, the danger would be even greater¡­¡± windsor looked at brother kun. she had a somewhat penetrating gaze and felt a subtle emotion in her heart. she waved her hand and did not say anything. she returned to her initial position. fate determines life and death. no one could say anything about the choice one made. !! she never hid the difficulty of the mission. it meant that the other party was willing to take the risk, and he had to bear everything. that is if he still wanted to go there after he knew about it. windsor turned to look at the void after the troop disappeared. ¡°protect this place well¡­ before lord richard returns.¡± brother kun¡¯s body blurred and disappeared into the air after windsor spoke. the dimension gate had become somewhat blurry due to the heat waves. this gate alone stood tall under the scorching sun¡­ ****** endless dark clouds surged under the dim sky. they were like terror that brewed. richard looked up at the gravel floor. magnificent, magnificent, sinister, and evil. this was the effect of the spider statue before him. that spider was a hundred meters tall and more. it had eight limbs that were hundreds of meters long. richard did not see any terrifying enemies when he first entered the dungeon. only a spider statue before them was there. that gave them a strong psychological impact. the spider head¡¯s face gave off an indescribable pressure. it was like it aimed to torture and incessantly torment. distortion, pain, cruelty, evil¡­ all the negative adjectives could not describe it. those made one¡¯s hair stand on end. the tomb of the gods. the description was even more suffocating. [tomb of the gods] [level: 4-stars] [difficulty: nightmare] [faction: abyss, spider, cult, human] [average military potential: crown] [highest level: transcendent] ****** transcendent 4-stars dungeon, demon difficulty¡­ it gathered all the information. richard stared at the spider statue before him. it was like he stepped into an abyss. he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. just as he was about to speak, the stone statue of the dead scattered out to scout the way and suddenly flapped its wings and returned. it landed beside richard and repeatedly said, ¡°lord, we¡¯ve found several grace mainland overlords before us. spider webs have tied them up.¡± ¡®grace mainland overlords¡­ they didn¡¯t die?¡¯ a familiar notification momentarily sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have entered the dungeon¨Cthe tomb of the gods. this activated the primary mission: slay the transcendents from the abyss and destroy the spider temple.¡± [sub mission 1: rescue grace mainland overlord. grace mainland overlords have entered this dungeon by mistake. you will receive another 10,000 units of rare resources for every grace mainland overlord you have rescued.] [sub mission 2: hunt for monsters. you will receive an additional unit of undead crystal for every monster from the abyss you have hunted down.] [mission progress: 0%. you can leave the instance dungeon when the mission progress reaches 70%.] [note: you can trigger new missions when you explore instance dungeons. you will still receive a reward even if you fail to complete it. the richness will be according to your mission completion rate.] richard¡¯s expression became sparingly interesting when he heard the hint. the primary mission was to hunt¡­transcendents? i will be rewarded ten thousand units of rare resources for each player i save.?? richard momentarily felt confused about whether to laugh or cry. players were so valuable. windsor said people had already come to the dungeon if he remembered accurately. that would be a massive fortune if they all went over. but how could he resolve this? transcendents¡­ ****** Chapter 686 one could instantly destroy a city in this rage. the primary mission was to upgrade. destroy the spider temple. the transcendents guarded the temple. one would have to collide with the other party if one wanted to obtain the sealed heart of a god. one could only shroud such treasure in the temple. !! this was a threshold one could never avoid. richard calmed his emotions at this time. he had just tried. but he could not communicate with fire elemental lord klose in this dungeon¡­ his mightiest external aid could not help him. it made sense. windsor could have already surpassed this dungeon if she could summon external help. he took a deep breath, and his gaze gradually sharpened. an encounter with transcendents brings unspeakable pressure. but this pressure could not depress him. instead, a strong fighting spirit rose in his heart. slay the transcendents from the abyss. this is the primary mission. this perilous target soared the ambition in his heart higher. the dune lord fell before twilight city¡­ so what if he were transcendent in the instance dungeon? so what if he could not summon fire elemental lord klose in this dungeon? richard would slay this transcendent! the flame in his chest burned. he turned around and looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree while it spread its branches. the god¡¯s ancient tree displayed an extraordinary sharpness in the battle where it toppled the dune lord down. it could quickly slay transcendents at level 17. richard had spent countless resources and efforts to nurture this promising giant twisted human-faced tree. this has now become his most trustworthy soldier. this boss gradually surpassed the scope of ordinary life with the blessing of rotten authority and the awakening of magical power. they gradually walked toward a dark path one could not know the end of. ¡°where are those grace mainland overlords?¡± ¡°east ¡ú five kilometers away.¡± ¡°how many are there?¡± ¡°more than a hundred.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. more than a thousand people had entered the instance dungeon. where has the rest of the overlords gone? has the enemy killed the others? [sub mission 1: you will receive another 10,000 units of rare resources for every grace mainland overlord you have rescued.] this reward was more tempting than anything else. ¡°let¡¯s go and find out!¡± the stone statue of the dead immediately led the way after richard spoke. richard quickly ordered his troops to follow. the sandstorm controller turned into yellow sand again. it enveloped the troop. thick black clouds surged above their heads under the dim sky. that gave people a sense of urgency and psychological pressure. the twilight city swiftly advanced under the dark clouds. vast spiderwebs appeared on the ground adjacent to the giant spider statue. a layer of snow-white frost seemingly covered the entire ground. one could barely see its end. thumb-sized spiders spat silk in the spider web. their colorful appearance inexplicably flustered people. the god¡¯s ancient tree entered the instance dungeon without the support of the yellow sand and could not control the movement of the quicksand. the giant twisted human-faced tree root could only walk on the ground in its primitive form. treebeard¡¯s roots swept the spider web away, and the ground incessantly shook. a spider was far from the god¡¯s ancient tree and seemingly jumped on a bed. it moved up and down. other spiders were trampled on and wanted to fight back. but their poisonous thorns could not even leave a mark on the bark. richard watched the whole thing in silence. spiders were synonymous with evil and darkness in the ¡°shining era¡±. as a result, many evil god believers used spiders as their totems. richard recalled everything about spiders in the ¡°shining era¡±. the troops quickly advanced. they quickly completed a few kilometers of travel. the troop stopped in the distance. they followed the signal from the stone statue of the dead before them. richard calmly waited for the main force to press in. he drove alves forward alone. it looked down at the ground. giant spider webs crisscrossed on a gravel forest seven to eight meters tall a hundred meters away. the spider silk web interchangeably wrapped the players and hung them in the air. these sand eagles had their heads exposed and stared at each other. some players cursed, while others stared at the sky in a daze. suddenly, some players realized the air had quieted down. they were those in a daze. they felt quietness in their ears. they immediately felt sparingly uncomfortable. they turned their heads in confusion. they were shocked in the next second. their pupils reflected a terrifying figure with a wingspan of more than 40 meters. the figure burned with blood-colored energy. it gave off a strong sense of oppression. ¡°undead dragon!!¡± the word in their minds instantly confounded them. wasn¡¯t this dungeon the spider¡¯s territory? how could there be undead? question marks flooded their minds. the players below felt bewildered. they saw how the undead flapped its wings and flew directly above their heads. the players looked at the figure up close and the pressure it brought. the figure¡¯s body size suddenly multiplied. a ferocious aura, seemingly majestic as a falling mountain, accompanied the figure¨Cdragon might. the players below felt like their guts were about to split apart under the three-layered oppression of sight, heart, and soul. they felt like a giant hand grabbed their souls and made cracking sounds. it would crush them momentarily. the grim reaper stared at them¡­ ¡°f*ck! a spider demon at first and a hybrid dragon now!! do i still need to experience the hardships of learning from the scriptures when i¡¯m just clearing an instance?¡± ¡°f*ck your grandpa! if you have the guts, let me out. i won¡¯t call you grandpa if i don¡¯t kill you today!!¡± ¡°sob! sob! sob! i don¡¯t want to play anymore. i want to go home¡­¡± Chapter 687 the pressure on the players reached its limit¡­ a gust of wind blew suddenly, and the spider webs swayed. the scattered sand on the ground also blew up. to the players¡¯ surprise, the sand gathered into a small sandstorm in the sky in the blink of an eye. several players sensed this scene as familiar. they couldn¡¯t recall where and when the scene had happened. !! the players hesitated. the sandstorm slowly floated down from the undead dragon¡¯s back. the players were shocked to find a figure in the sandstorm. ¡°who was it?¡± grains of sand shrouded the figure and blurred its face. they could hardly recognize and understand the abstruse image. yellow sand and undead dragons burned with blood-colored power¡­ this classic scene stirred up many people¡¯s dusty memories¡­ a name that quickened their breathing surged into their minds. ¡°big boss qingqiu!!¡± an excited sharp shout accompanied that hopeful exclamation. the others came back to their senses. they screamed hysterically and wildly. ¡°grandpa qingqiu, save us!¡± ¡°big boss, let us out. those bastards are trying to kill us.¡± ¡°big boss qingqiu, i have more than ten half-elf singers in my territory. they are all the best of the best. just save me, and i¡¯ll give them all to you¡­¡± ¡°as long as you save me, you will be my father¡­¡± richard had felt pity for these unlucky victims. the corners of his mouth twitched when he heard the wails and the howls. these idiots were still like this even when they were dead. he narrowed his eyes. the indifferent voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. in an instant, the hundreds of players felt an aura a hundred times more ferocious than the dragon might that pressed down their chests. he seemingly saw a sandstorm sweep the world across in his trance. their souls were about to be torn apart. the crying voices were cut off, and the players¡¯ exaggerated expressions froze. as far as the eye could see, the faces that cried and laughed appeared like an act. ¡°i¡¯ll ask them one by one. don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± richard looked at the person closest to him and asked, ¡°how did you get trapped in the spider web?¡± the player who was called out shuddered. fear engulfed his eyes as he stared at the figure that floated in the sky. behind richard was alves¡¯s ferocious and majestic figure. a thick black cloud that pressed down on the city was further up. all of this had become his backdrop. at this moment, richard felt ten times more pressure than alves. he was like a great demon king who could dim the world as soon as he appeared. ¡°hmm?¡± richard heard the cold snort. the player immediately woke up and hurriedly said, ¡°reporting to boss qingqiu. after i entered this instance dungeon, i saw spiderwebs everywhere. i didn¡¯t mind too much about it and set it on fire¡­ a group of top-tier soldiers with half-human upper bodies and half-spider lower bodies came shortly. these abyssal spidermen appeared.¡± fear engulfed his eyes. ¡°those abyssal spidermen all have the same potential. their levels are as high as 15.¡± ¡°those bastards wiped my troop out in just two rounds¡­ but for reasons i could not know, those abyssal spidermen didn¡¯t kill me. they imprisoned me here instead.¡± ¡°i only discovered other players when i got here.¡± richard sensed he was not lying, so he continued to ask. ¡°after you entered the instance dungeon, what was the mission you received?¡± as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something. the power of the yellow sand on his body surged. that directly isolated him from the surrounding crowd. outsiders could not hear their conversation. the player did not notice this. he calmed down and spoke in a much more stable tone. ¡°the primary mission is to slay the transcendents from the abyss and destroy the spider temple¡­ ¡°the sub-mission 1 is to rescue overlords. each will receive another 10,000 units of rare resources. ¡°the sub-mission 2 is to hunt for monsters. one will receive an additional unit of undead crystal for every monster from the abyss one has hunted down.¡± richard nodded thoughtfully. it was the mission of everyone who entered the instance dungeon. richard momentarily pondered, then he continued. ¡°what other news do you have?¡± the player hesitated and whispered. ¡°i heard from other players that those abyssal spidermen brought a portion of people to sacrifice every other week.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°sacrifice?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. there¡¯s a temple 20 kilometers away from here¡­¡± ¡°the spider temple?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not the temple from the primary mission the system wants us to destroy. it¡¯s a subordinate temple¡­ one could not call it a temple but a church.¡± ¡°where do the abyssal spidermen perform the offering?¡± ¡°i do not know. they murdered the player who knew about this two days ago when he tried to escape.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡®what did the church have to do with the primary mission?¡¯ he then asked for more information about the spider church. however, they captured this player shortly after he entered the dungeon. so, he could not know much. richard could no longer obtain valuable information. so, he waved his hand. the yellow sand around him turned into a sharp knife, cleaned the spider silk web off the man¡¯s body, and freed him. the player who fell to the ground coughed a few times, then got up and bowed to richard in ecstasy. ¡°thank you, my lord!¡± the other players¡¯ eyeballs almost popped out when they saw this scene. they all called richard grandpa and dad. they were just short of offering their buttholes. richard moved and began to question each remaining player. Chapter 688 that helped him ponder a general idea of the dungeon, although the silk webs captured most of the players shortly after they entered the dungeon and did not know much about it. the main enemy in this instance dungeon was the evil life forms from the abyss¨Cspiders. [average potential: crown, level 15 and above.] their numbers were unknown, but one could describe their battle power as ferocious. !! none of the players they had encountered could withstand the spiders¡¯ attacks. the primary mission was destroy the spider temple and occupy the central area of the dungeon. transcendents guarded it. no one knows about the exact strength of the spider temple. one could only describe it as supremely soul-devouring. in addition, 12 spider churches surrounded the spider temple. they stationed a team of abyssal spidermen for every spider church, with at least two vast squadrons. these churches held sacrificial ceremonies every other week. players were the sacrifices. no one knew about the purpose of the sacrifice, but they could feel that the spider churches paid attention to it. at this thought, richard returned to his senses. he looked down at the players who stared at him. richard said slowly, ¡°all of us have the same mission¡­ as such, you should understand where your value lies.¡± he would receive another 10,000 units of rare resources for every player he has rescued. these hundreds of people meant millions of units. that is an enormous number. twilight city couldn¡¯t earn this much in a month. they all heaved a sigh of relief when the players heard this. they all knew what the mission was. qingqiu wouldn¡¯t risk his life to protect them from this temptation, but at least he wouldn¡¯t slay them all. this dungeon would not allow resurrection. one is dead upon slay. the player who had given richard the information had sparingly recovered and was no longer so timid. he took the initiative to talk to him. ¡°the spider webs transmitted information about the odd movements in the silk webs to the spider church once one destroyed a strand of silk web lattice. the abyssal spidermen will appear very soon.¡± the other players nodded when thoughts of how terrifying the abyssal spidermen were flashed in their minds. ¡°that¡¯s right, big boss qingqiu, let¡¯s run first. the abyssal spidermen are coming!¡± ¡°the level 15 abyssal spidermen are roughly fierce.¡± ¡°let¡¯s retreat first. we¡¯ll think about it later. this isn¡¯t something we can resolve in a short period¡­¡± twilight city troops did not heed them. alves alone flapped its wings in the sky. the players knew the enemy was too mighty, although they never underestimated richard. now that everyone was in the same boat, no one wanted anything to happen again. qingqiu was their only hope. they could not think of other players who could clear this dungeon than him. he would have to face a transcendent eventually!! he was the only one who could give them a trace of confidence in their despair. that¡¯s right, just a track. transcendents were too powerful. they had already exceeded the limits of what players could deal with. even richard wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in the eyes of most players. this was not a war crime. how long had it been since the players entered the ¡°shining era?¡± how could he compare to those top-notch existences that had grown for decades? suddenly, a player looked back in horror. ¡°deep, abyssal spider¡­¡± fear engulfed its tone. everyone subconsciously turned their heads. on the white spiderweb land. abyssal spidermen with half-human upper bodies had eight spider limbs that rushed over. these limbs seemingly covered the horizon. the players felt their heads buzzed and dizzied. only one thought appeared in their minds¡­ it was over. everything was all over!! the spidermen had discovered about the escape! ¡°big boss qingqiu¡­¡± the players before him sounded like they were about to cry. they had barely escaped death, and now they had to die here. something was way over desperate than falling from heaven to hell. an indifferent order came from the sky while everyone panicked. ¡°all troops, attack!¡± richard spoke, and afterward. the players raised their heads in unison and saw that the yellow sand surrounded the figure and inexplicably became imposing at this moment. the aura on its body became increasingly turbulent and majestic. ¡°what was this?¡± that startled everyone. ¡®phew!¡¯ a sharp whistle tore through the sky. everyone subconsciously turned to look. in the sky, countless spears condensed from sand tore through the void. they left long afterimages behind. before the spiders could react. the spears pierced into the abyssal spidermen like lightning. ¡®puchi!¡¯ an abyssal spiderman charged before the enemies suddenly felt a creepy aura had surged. it subconsciously turned its body to dodge. but just as it moved, its head felt a soul-tormenting pain. the strength in its body was like a broken kettle that leaked out. the spiderman¡¯s consciousness instantly blurred, and it could no longer understand the romantic qixi festival in the outside world. the spider saw a sharp yellow sand spear pierce through its head while it focused its gaze. the sand-condensed spear nailed the abyssal spiderman to the ground. green mucus splattered out. that stained the surrounding ground and emitted a sizzling sound of corrosion¡­ the scene was fierce and violent. that sand-condensed spear instantly slaughtered the level 15 abyssal spiderman. a crown 2-stars soldier!! not all soldiers had the natural talent of the twilight city troops. the such terrifying physical damage was irresistible. the players widened their eyes as they watched the spears fall from the sky and slaughter the abyssal spidermen they thought were the devil kings. the shock they felt was indescribable. the grim reaper¡¯s scythe incessantly waved. it harvested demonic souls! and this was just the beginning. the players had yet to regain their senses after a round of attacks. terrifying sandstorms swept up from the horizon and attacked with the force of a thunderbolt. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a voice was as sharp as a demon¡¯s roar and entered their ears. under the shocked gazes of the players¡­ ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sandstorms have already surged into the abyssal spidermen before them. the players with sharp eyes saw the moment the sandstorms enveloped the enemies. sharp yellow sand spears condensed. they stabbed straight at the abyssal spidermen with terrifying lethality and the aid of the sandstorms¡­ the sandstorms became meat grinders. blood splattered everywhere, and limbs were shattered. some players could no longer hold back the shock in their hearts. they raised their heads and looked at the blurry figure covered in yellow sand in the sky. the other party stood there calmly, still as before. Chapter 689 gray-brown fur covered their eight spider limbs, and their toes were as sharp as spears. deep marks remained like nails that hit a wooden board when they stepped on the ground. however, at this moment, these top-tier crown 2-stars troops had become lambs in the sandstorm. the sandstorm controllers howled. the five squadrons of sandstorm controllers started the prelude to death. !! the sandstorm controller skill level increased from c to b, and all attributes increased enormously after becoming a glorious-level troop. the battle strength of this top-tier soldier had soared by a large margin. the sandstorm condensed into giant thorns. they looked like deadly arrows shot from a heavy siege crossbow under acceleration. these disasters would still devour the abyssal spidermen no matter how ferocious they were. this scene caused the players to tremble. they were so excited that their blood surged into their minds. the twilight city troop crushed their worries in the face of their strength! they looked at the voice that floated in the sky. amazement shrouded its eyes. was this the value of being the strongest among the billions of players? the abyssal spidermen slaughtered these troops like lambs. but the situation reversed, and qingqiu trampled then. the gap between them was so significant to the extent of incompetence. it even wiped their envy, jealousy, and hatred out. a person might be jealous of a neighbor better off than him, but jealousy over the wealthiest man in the world would be more difficult¡­ they would naturally stifle their emotions when the gap between the two sides reached an extent. the sandstorm controllers looked at the fallen abyssal spidermen and felt the pleasure of revenge. these damned bastards finally met their match, right? the players recalled how these abyssal spidermen trapped them like pigs. they incessantly lived in fear. they wished to get down and slaughter these monsters. the abyssal spidermen immediately suffered a devastating blow after the sandstorm controllers left the battlefield. however, there was a multitude. a portion directly bypassed the sandstorm controllers and attacked from behind. the monsters ran swiftly with their eight limbs. that attack quickly scared all out of their wits. one could not retaliate with these troops. the players panicked, and the dim light in the sky suddenly turned darker. everyone looked up. gargoyles flapped their wings and flew over their heads. mummies sat on top of many gargoyles. one couldn¡¯t explicitly see the mummy figures. the troops arrived in the blink of an eye above the abyssal spidermen. the gargoyles in the air suddenly threw out their sharp battle tomahawks. a massive force drove the chains wrapped around their arms and streaked across the sky like lightning. ¡®shualala!¡¯ the sound of the chains that rubbed against each other was like the whisper of the grim reaper. the abyssal spidermen that charged at high speed below became live targets. green blood spurted out one after another under the sharp battle tomahawks. the gargoyles¡¯ tomahawk attacks appeared simple to the gamers. but what happened afterward startled all. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of glass shattering rang out. ¡®bang!¡¯ the sharp battle tomahawks severed the abyssal spidermen¡¯s bodies into halves and smashed others like ground meat. a terrifying metal storm started. sharp broken tomahawk blades utterly covered the area within dozens of meters. the tomahawk fragments whistled and quickly tore the charging abyssal spiders apart. debris entered their bodies, and a burst of scorching energy erupted afterward. raging flames burned as bodies exploded. the following damage. a few abyssal spidermen escaped the sandstorm controllers but encountered an even more ferocious attack. throwing a tomahawk was like throwing a bomb into the water each time they invested in the game. water splashed everywhere. the grim reaper¡¯s scythe wantonly harvested souls. it slaughtered more than a hundred abyssal spidermen squads under the fierce and ruthless attack of twilight city troops. a sharp battle tomahawk beheaded the last abyssal spidermen. the troop flew back to the sky, and the sandstorm enveloped them again. the air fell into a dead silence. the players widened their eyes and looked at the broken limbs on the ground with indescribable shock. the sandstorm controllers destroyed the pale spider webs. they scattered abyssal spidermen¡¯s corpses all over the ground like shattered glass. green blood splattered all over the ground. the other players thought the abyssal spidermen were immortal, although they had mentally anticipated the battle¡¯s outcome. twilight city troops slaughtered them in less than 10 minutes. they left only corpses on the ground. this scene startled the players. this was qing qiu. the players looked at the blurry figure that floated in the sky. their emotions were particularly subtle. they rejoiced, exclaimed, feared, worshipped¡­ it was complicated to understand. [ding~ you have commanded your troop to slay 1,123 abyssal spidermen (crown 2-stars, level 15). you have obtained a perfect victory. you have earned 1,123 experience points and 1,123 undead crystals.] richard heard a familiar notification as the battle ended. he glanced at it and shook his head. a crown-level soldier could only give him ten experience points now. the higher the level, the more difficult it would be. it would take years to upgrade after becoming a transcendent. Chapter 690 he wondered why the system hadn¡¯t distributed the crystals yet. suddenly, a gust of wind blew past, and the corpses of the abyssal spidermen on the ground vaporized. they turned into green energy gathered at a point. in a short moment, all the broken limbs disappeared, and what replaced them were patches of green mist on the ground. the green mist gradually shrank as it surged. it was like a giant hand closed it. !! the fog dissipated. richard focused afterward and saw only a thumb-sized green bead on the ground. ¡°this?¡± richard opened the attribute panel of the beads with curiosity. [undead crystal] [level: special] [characteristic: contained boundless negative energy.] [description: a unique item that can only be condensed when the most evil life forms die.] the attributes were unexpectedly simple, and there was nothing special about it. his mind wove thoughts. the power of the yellow sand on his body surged, and the sand that enveloped the surroundings dissipated. it directly wrapped the green bead on the ground. richard dragged the undead crystals back to the front. thousands of undead crystals piled up together. that made them twice the size of a basketball. richard picked up one and sensed it carefully. he was able to feel dark and evil energy inside. it made people feel uncomfortable. he momentarily examined it and found nothing unusual. he placed it into the system space afterward. ¡°do you know the use of undead crystals?¡± a burly female orc player raised her hand and shouted. ¡°boss qingqiu, that thing seems related to our primary mission¡­ i saw it in the spider church.¡± the other players turned their heads to look at her. they quickly retracted their gaze when they saw it was the female orc with chest hair thicker than her head hair. ¡°f*ck! it¡¯s too eye-piercing!¡± richard frowned. ¡°how is it related to the primary mission? ¡°would that end hunting transcendents?¡± his interest grew. ¡°is there any other information?¡± ¡°no more¡­¡± the harvest did not disappoint richard. he looked in the direction the abyssal spidermen had come from and said slowly, ¡°wait for me before the spider statue. ¡°i will send a small team of stone statues of the dead to act as sentries for you. ¡°remember, don¡¯t seek death. the instance dungeon is supremely murderous. i¡¯m not sure if i could make it safe.¡± he did not plan to bring these idiots along. the battle ability of the players was indeed there, but it was nothing compared to the established twilight city troop. moreover, each player was worth 10,000 units of rare resources. recruiting a radiant moon 3-stars king of the imperial troop would not require 10,000 units. their survival was their uttermost gain. the hundreds of players looked at each other. they wanted to say something but didn¡¯t dare to speak because of richard¡¯s authority. in the end, the female orc stood up and said. ¡°boss qingqiu, we¡¯ve already lost our troops and guarded that area. we couldn¡¯t deal with it if we encounter more danger¡­ can i ask you to bless us?¡± she quickly added afterward. ¡°we are willing to pay you¡­ i¡¯ll give you all the resources i have.¡± right now, survival was the key. even the three or five teams would be enough to wipe them out if they left richard and encountered the abyssal spidermen. on one side was a life-and-death crisis, and on the other was a golden thigh. anyone without brains wouldn¡¯t endanger this choice. richard glanced at the female orc player and didn¡¯t say anything. the players were initially unhappy with the other party¡¯s rash words but suddenly became nervous. those who could survive until now were not fools¡­ they quickly understood their current situation. the fish on the plate. they changed their minds and immediately begged. the players had different amounts of savings. they couldn¡¯t compare them all together. they came up with an agreement after a trivial discussion. each paid 1 million units of ordinary resources and 10,000 units of rare in exchange for richard¡¯s possession. that¡¯s right. to carry out was not to protect. richard had no obligation to protect them if they encountered invincibles. Chapter 691 this amount was already an astronomical figure for ordinary players. the players wouldn¡¯t compare with richard. they do not have the underground world, the desert crown robe, the desert crown honey, the black sorbet, and other things that could make money. most people¡¯s primary source of income was still from mining the resource points the system refreshes weekly. in addition to the expenses of recruiting troops, maintaining the territory, war losses, and purchasing the troop lairs¡­ !! ¡°wait a minute.¡± it was arduous to accumulate resources. most feudal lords lived destitutely. life was not comfortable as they imagined. richard naturally did not turn down this extra income that knocked on his door. when all the players had gathered enough resources, he arranged for two teams of skeleton blood dragons to ride on them. they could have a batch of cannon fodder that could attract attention if they encountered an insurmountable danger. the other players knew it was not a good choice to leave their fate in the hands of others, but now they had no choice but to allow richard. richard tidied everything up and led hundreds of players. they headed straight for the spider church dozens of miles away. the battle just now would arouse the vigilance of the church. it was better to act sooner than later. they could obtain more information about the instance dungeon if they took down the church. the goal of this mission was to retrieve a god¡¯s heart. the most important thing now was to find it and know what level of power guarded it. they guessed that a transcendent guarded it. but they were wrong. ¡°was there another way to get it?¡± the significance of the god¡¯s heart was too great. it could even affect the subsequent course of history. the crimson moon was about to rise. what changes await the old white-haired man if he regained his life as windsor¡¯s teacher, killed the ancient dragon, and wielded a high-level divine artifact? not to mention the mission that could bring an extraordinary vampire grand duke to twilight city. the players sat behind the skeleton blood dragon and were excited when they saw the scenery on the ground as they retreated rapidly. [i didn¡¯t expect that we would be able to escape death. moreover, we fought alongside qingqiu! i can brag about this for a year!] [hahaha, i, hu hansan, am alive again!!] [i won¡¯t come to this kind of place even if you beat me to death. s-rank missions? i won¡¯t even look at b-rank or above in the future!] as they chatted, the mighty female orc suddenly spoke. ¡°do you think boss qingqiu can complete this s-rank mission?¡± the rough voice silenced everyone. they looked at the iron-blooded woman with a subtle expression. they would have shaken their heads. they had already experienced how terrifying those abyssal monsters were. but now, twilight city troops had slaughtered the abyssal spidermen like chickens and dogs. they crushed the impossibility in their hearts. that feeling was different. they still strongly trusted richard¡­even if this pocket dimension was transcendent. richard paid no attention to the players¡¯ discussion. he focused on the front. as they gradually approached the spider temple mentioned by the players. a heavy pressure gradually rose in their hearts. it was like they approached an abyssal monster that had opened its vast mouth and could be devoured in the next second. richard weighed whether to stop and send in advance soldiers to investigate the situation. the stone statue of the dead who had gone to scout the way quickly returned. ¡°lord! we found the spider church before us!¡± richard perked up. ¡°prepare for battle!¡± Chapter 692 richard looked at the system notification and narrowed his eyes. ¡°they could fuse them into a hybrid troop once they gathered 12.¡± that piqued his interest. !! ¡®what level of soldier needed to expend so much effort? ¡®radiant moon¡­ or higher? ¡®were there other treasures in the spider church besides the statues?¡¯ he pondered. the giant spider wove a web in the void and smelled the presence of an outsider. its massive body, over thirty meters long, moved agilely on the spider web. its eyes glimmered and stared at richard. the giant spider confirmed the outsiders. ¡®ssss!¡¯ it raised its head abruptly and let out the ear-piercing sound of a sharp knife that rubbed against the glass. invisible sound waves spread out along the spider web. the spider web¡¯s sound transmission was several times faster than the air. the countless giant spiders fell on the void spider web. they immediately turned around and oddly roared toward richard. [void weaver] [level: 16] [potential: radian moon 1-star] [skills: void weaving (a-rank), psychedelic poison (a-rank), spider web spray (a-rank), insect body (b-rank), raging bite (b-rank), sharp blades (b-rank)¡­] richard¡¯s pupils constricted. level 16 spiders hung upside down in the air. their potential had reached radiant moon 1-star. the number of these soldiers exceeded five squadrons, although they were slightly inferior to the king of the imperial troop under command. what made people frown even more was that the spider 30 meters in size was a level 19 hero unit with a potential of a-rank. that was only one of the twelve spider churches. the transcendents guarded the spider temple at the center. one could only describe the strength of the guards inside as soul-tormenting. richard once again experienced the exaggerated difficulty of an s-rank mission. it would be hard to predict the outcome if they had gained a lot and reinforced the overall quality of the troop recently and barged in rashly. several abyssal spidermen surged out of the spider church under the layers of spider webs as the void weaver hero roared. they formed a ground-air formation together with the void weaver in the sky. everyone thought that these monsters would attack. ¡°ssss!¡± a sharp roar sounded again. the abyssal spidermen formed a defense on the spot after they spread out to a hundred meters. the void weaver began to weave a spider web. that covered the sky. richard was sparingly disappointed. twilight city would immediately start a massacre as long as the enemy dared to cover their home ground with spider web. this spider hero was glorious-level. it did not lead its troop out to die. it turned its head and looked at the sandstorm-covered troop. battle intent rose in its eyes. to conquer high-level maps, to hunt wild troops, to occupy resources, and to harvest treasures¡­ that was the eternal theme of the ¡°glorious era.¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°the guardian mummies will begin the first round of attack. the stone statues of the dead will tear the enemy¡¯s spider web apart. the king of the imperial troop will stab into the enemy¡¯s heart and kill them freely!¡± ¡°sandstorm controller, skeleton blood dragon, wait for reinforcements in the rear. attack on my order!¡± ¡°move out!¡± the short and powerful words immediately made the troop move. richard¡¯s will was the direction of twilight city. he would face death unflinchingly wherever the blade pointed. the players on the skeletal blood dragon¡¯s back were placed on a small hill a thousand meters away. they could see the battlefield with the help of the height. the skeletal blood dragon quickly returned to the team. the sandstorm protected the entire troop quickly as they approached the spider church. war was imminent. the players at the back widened their eyes nervously. the guards of the spider church were several times stronger than the abyssal spidermen. this battle was the key. qingqiu would swallow the world if they won. the dungeon will bury them if they lose. twilight city had already shown its prowess in the previous battle. but they still could not calm down. ¡°big boss qingqiu will flatten the spider church!!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not worried about anything else. that level 19 a-rank is a soul-crusher¡­ i fear that would capsize boss qingqiu!¡± ¡°if we can win, we will win. that is qingqiu!!¡± anticipation, excitement, fear, and complicated emotions shrouded the players. twilight city troop approached the church. the void weaver had already weaved a spider web all over the sky as far as the eye could see. the densely packed white spider webs had a few smears of oily green. that indicated the intricacy of these spider webs. it looked at the place and did not have any thoughts of attacking. richard frowned. a word appeared in his mind¡­ hold fast and wait for reinforcements. ¡°the churches in this dungeon are connected.¡± a quick battle. to topple this temple down wouldn¡¯t be easy when the reinforcements arrived. the dungeon was not the city¡¯s home ground. ¡°attack!¡± a cold voice resounded through the sky. that startled the vigilant eyes of the players. the sandstorm controller retreated a distance down and revealed the flying troops. the guardian mummies rode on the backs of the stone statues of the dead. they suddenly arched their bodies. they exploded like springs after they tensed up to the limit. that transmitted the violent power from their bodies to the spear. they condensed the yellow sand in their hands. ¡®phew!¡¯ the violent whistling sound was like the roar of a demon. it resounded through the sky. Chapter 693 ¡®thud!¡¯ a razor slashed the spider webs like a piece of cloth. it repeatedly created a crisp cracking sound. however, the spear that could directly nail the abyssal spidermen stopped after they tore through three to four layers of spider webs. !! that stuck each in the air. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the spears shattered into the sand and scattered into the sky after they lost strength. the attacks of the guardian mummies could not break through the void weavers¡¯ defenses. the first wave of attacks was ineffective. the players who had high expectations became nervous. those people who were initially confident just now also felt sparingly flustered. this battle would decide their fate. yellow sand shrouded this figure and controlled everything¡­ no one could accept the consequences of failure. the guardian mummies gathered sand in their hands again while the other players panicked. a brand new spear appeared. the second round of throws began. the players¡¯ hearts jumped again. but they were sparingly disappointed. the spears could not break through the defense of the spider web, no matter how savage their weapons were. the webs strained them! fear crept among the players. richard was expressionless as he continued to give orders. ¡°stone statues of the dead, explosive battle tomahawk shatterer!¡± ¡®whoosh!¡¯ ninety-six teams of stone statues of the dead flew up. the moment they stepped into the 150-meter range. they waved these battle tomahawks. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the battle tomahawks tore through the layers of spider webs before them with the sound of chains. however, the stone statues of the dead felt the chains after only ten meters. and spider webs trapped the battle tomahawks¡­ the void weaver hero in the center saw this scene. mockery filled its oily green eyes. how could these lowly beings know the power of spiders? however, it did not have time to be happy for long. suddenly, everyone heard a crisp sound. after a few moments. the battle tomahawks trapped in the spider web exploded. the battle tomahawk shards tore through the spider webs with terrifying power. what was even more exaggerated was that after they lost their powers and trapped in the spider web, they suddenly turned red and exploded with scorching energy. they burned large holes in the surrounding spider web. round after round cleared the spider webs before them. just as the furious void weavers waited for the gargoyles to charge in and take revenge¡­ suddenly, they noticed that the gargoyles had spread their wings and turned around. they left the area shrouded with spider webs. afterward. suddenly, nearly a hundred mummies flew out from the gargoyles. the void weavers looked at them carefully. the bodies of the sand-made mummies were blurry. several sharp sabers slowly rotated around the void weavers as if invisible troops trapped them. that trembled their hearts. [taboo sandstorm (a-rank) ¡ª explodes the strength in the body. it instantly increases all attributes by 300%. it is immune to all crowd control skills and instant death skills. it can control the sand to fly into the sky. one can reduce all skill cooldowns to 10 seconds. duration: 20 minutes. cooldown: 1 hour] [skill: invisible blade (a-rank) ¡ª can use magical power to condense invisible ropes to control the saber in hand. it consumes 20 magical power per second. rope length: 20 meters. it can control five sabers. one cannot cut the void rope.] [king of the imperial troop, radiant moon 3-stars, level 17, the strongest soldier in twilight city.] the original trump card, the stone statues of the dead, had to lower their heads. the number of teams had reached nine after a round of recruitment. it wasn¡¯t much. however, no one dared to ignore them. the kings of the imperial troop fiercely charged through the hole in the stone statue. the five sharp sabers emitted yellow sand energy. it made the blade look even sharper. the void weaver finally found the target to release its pent-up anger when it saw the king of the imperial troop approach. ¡®ssss!¡¯ strange roars rang out as the void weavers moved up and down in the sky. they tried to wrap around the kings of the imperial troop. the void weavers were 50 meters away from the kings of the imperial troop. ¡®puchi!¡¯ they bent their abdomen, and a spider web covered in green mucus shot out. that was the signal. the rest void weavers shot out webs that resembled fishing nets simultaneously. they wanted to imprison the kings of the imperial troop. it would mean their home ground once the spider web struck the area. the dense spider webs almost blocked their vision. several squads of the king of imperial troops enveloped within. the players behind them widened their eyes in shock. it was over. big shot qingqiu was too arrogant! one could never resist. that is how one would feel if one entered the territory! the five sabers floated around the kings of the imperial troop and fanned out before they continued to worry. terrifying energy surged on it. they slashed down. endless energy exploded. the sharp saber light surged through. it covered an area of tens of meters before it. ¡®thud!¡¯ it was like sickles harvested those spider webs. they directly shattered and scattered all over the sky. some void weavers could not dodge in time, and the saber radiance enveloped them. that tore their bodies apart within a breath. dozens of kings of the imperial troop simultaneously erupted. they created a spectacular scene. [army breaker (a-rank) ¡ª instantly explodes ten sword auras and covers a fan-shaped area of 50 meters in front of you. it consumes 500 magic points each time. cooldown: 5 minutes.] the void weavers planned to wrap the kings of the imperial troop but suffered a tragic loss. giant spiders fell from the sky one after another. they smashed into the ground with a bang. that sent broken limbs, and fragments flew in the air. Chapter 694 after the first round of attacks, the void weavers quickly closed in. troop breaker reappeared. the terrifying blade light tore the spider web in the sky apart. the poisonous and sticky spider web could not cause any resistance under such a sharp attack. the long saber tore through the air. !! just nine squads of kings of the imperial troop had forced the void weaver to retreat. the players at the back widened their eyes as they watched the scene. ¡°overconfident? ¡°this motherf*cker! how could he be so arrogant? he was being conservative!!¡± they couldn¡¯t see the specific attributes of the twilight city¡¯s troops, but they could see the three basic information of their name, level, and potential! however, this wasn¡¯t enough. unexpectedly, the other party had the same potential as the other party. however, who knew that the difference in battle strength between the two sides would be enormous? moreover, did the kings of the imperial troop not have a cooldown time? a slash that could destroy dozens of meters could erupt continuously, and the interval between each attack was less than ten seconds¡­ [death elegy medal] in addition, after activating the forbidden sandstorm, all attributes would increase by 300%¡­ the kings of the imperial troop at level 17 are immeasurable. before the 20-minute duration of the forbidden sandstorm expired, no one could underestimate them. the void weaver hero entrenched in the central area and suddenly let out a startled roar. the terrifying and strange sound sent chills down richard¡¯s spine. he was shocked to find that the void weaver retreated and no longer tried to fight the king of the imperial troop. the troop breakers, forbidden sandstorm, and their 10-second cooldown did not affect the numbers of the kings of the imperial troop. the taking turns strategy also allowed them to maintain their magic power at a high level. however, the kings of the imperial troop displayed exaggerated sharpness that directly intimidated the void weaver hero. the kings of the imperial troop naturally would not let the enemy off since they had retreated. they fiercely chased after them. richard turned to look at the spider temple below the void weaver hero. he wasn¡¯t interested in playing a game of chase and run. the goal was clear: to take over the temple. he would attack those who would try to escape! ¡°alves, lead the skeleton blood dragons and the stone statues of the dead. siege the spider temple! ¡°sandstorm controllers, listen to my command and reinforce. ¡°emily, join the troop!¡± it was richard¡¯s duty to command the rear walls as the ruler of twilight city. it was not fitting of one¡¯s status to rush down and fight the enemy whenever they encountered one. they had never seen a ruler lead the charge every time. that was not heroic. it was because this type of leader couldn¡¯t find its position correctly. something must have fried its brain. richard gave the order and flew off from alves¡¯s. this undead dragon, which had already reached level 15 and had the potential to become a beyond a-rank, immediately flapped its wings and charged forward with the 16 skeletal blood dragons that followed behind. the skeletal blood dragon¡¯s aura became supremely fierce with the support of alves¡¯s various attributes. the radiant moon void weaver before it could not frighten them. ¡®phew!¡¯ the dragon¡¯s long breath left a trail of flames dozens of meters long in the air. a mighty corrosive power spewed down. however, the spider webs were supremely resilient. that part was surprising. alves¡¯s dragon might has not severely damaged them. the stone statues of the dead successfully broke through the spider web blockade leading to the spider temple only when they attacked simultaneously. soon, the void weaver hero in the sky discovered the purpose of twilight city troops. it was instantly enraged. ¡°these damned bastards!¡± ¡®roar!¡¯ the void weaver had just retreated from the kings of the imperial troop, spat out a string of spider silk from its abdomen with a low growl as it quickly approached the spider temple. hundreds of giant spiders moved forward like spider-man with their silk that swayed. that was quite spectacular. richard¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°slay them!¡± arveis roared at the sky, and its dragon might surged out. it charged with a wingspan of 40 meters straight at the void weaver. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the void weaver¡¯s abdomen bent and spider webs shot out. it was like a bird-catching net that wanted to kill all that flew in the sky. the spider webs covered alves. the densely packed webs caught alves on guard. however, the crimson energy on arveis ¡®body surged like gasoline afterward. it melted the spider webs and disappeared. ¡®roar!¡¯ alves spat dragon¡¯s might out from its throat. the corrosive energy was more than a hundred times stronger. it wasn¡¯t the same for the ordinary skeleton blood dragons. the void weaver before the dragons felt the taste of dragon might. ¡®thud!¡¯ a void weaver tried to escape. but its body rotted and turned into green mucus when the dragon might enveloped it. alves acted as the spearhead while the skeleton blood dragon and the stone statues of the dead followed closely behind. however, the radiant moon soldiers were not weak. they were able to get close to the opponent¡¯s attack range. the void weaver immediately revealed its sharpness. ¡®puchi! spider webs covered a dead stone statue. it struggled to break free, but the spider webs were sticky besides being tough. the webs trapped the stone statue of the dead. the stone statue of the dead lost the energy to spread its wings and fell directly to the ground with a bang. the abyssal spidermen who waited on the ground swarmed forward. they fatally attacked the stone statue of the dead. the void weaver was like a bird hunter. the spider silk it shot out had an irresistible restraining effect on flying troops. the body of the fallen stone statue blurred and turned into fine sand after it realized it could not break free from the spider web. that scene infuriated the abyssal spidermen afterward. the stone statues of the dead easily escaped from the spider web. its ferocious methods were futile again. sand transformation. it was an ultimate life-saving skill that all the troops in twilight city possessed. sand transformation, when activated, was like opening a bottomless pit against an enemy without magic damage. in their fury, the abyssal spidermen charged forward. they were going to crush these damned bastards! however, the stone statue of the dead quickly counterattacked. it waved its battle tomahawk ferociously. the two sides fought. the scene became violent and crazy. the players panted as they watched, and their blood boiled. ¡°f*ck, this was the strength a player should have!!¡± ¡°what a bullish crown! radiant moon troops should all turn into broken limbs under its butcher knife!¡± at this moment, richard had become an existence in their fantasies. a fierce and overbearing troop would trample all obstacles before him with a wave of his hand!! envy and yearning engulfed the female orc player with the protective fur on her chest. ¡°it would be worth it even if i had to live twenty years less as long as i have a nose as big as qingqiu¡¯s!!¡± a rough voice resounded in the ears of all the players. at this moment, everyone felt a sense of acknowledgment. it would be worth it as long as one is mighty. Chapter 695 there was no way to delay it, so they could only defend it forcefully. stone statue of the dead, skeleton blood dragon, guardian mummy, king of the imperial troop¡­ several top-tier troop lairs joined forces. the explosive attack power was enough to make anyone look sideways. but their enemies¡­ the spider camp was not to be outdone either. !! the spider temple was a place they had to guard. no one should trample on it. the void weavers spat out spider silk and forcefully captured the flying troops in the sky under the command of the level 19 hero. the abyssal spidermen on the ground would immediately launch an attack at the sight of an enemy. richard calmly observed the situation on the battlefield, particularly the level-19 void weaver hero. he could not abandon the battle as the leader and ruler of twilight city. it was his duty to command the rear. his safety was more important than the entire troop. however, at this moment, xina and the dark valkyrie were not around. the god¡¯s ancient tree guarded the rear and could join the battle. he left some strength to deal with reinforcements that might suddenly appear. he alone took responsibility for the opponent¡¯s top hero. the sense of danger that had become stronger since he came to the spider temple made him stay vigilant. the source of the danger was most likely that spider hero¡­ alves was the spearhead, the kings of the imperial troop were the vanguard, and the stone statues of the dead and skeleton blood dragon followed closely behind. the guardian mummies rode on the back of the stone statues of the dead, but this did not affect their battle power. the explosive attacks of these crown 3-stars soldiers increased the lethality of the troop by another level when they got close to the enemy. the guardian mummies would cause massive damage to the void weavers or the abyssal spidermen on the ground every time they threw their spears. the enemy could only dodge the spears with their spider webs. twilight city charged at the defensive position set up by the void weavers without fear. their dense attacks mostly cleared the spider webs. the enemies wove webs since time immemorial and have covered the sky. twilight city troops approached the spider temple through layers of defense in just ten minutes. the abyssal spidermen had formed a black tide with their suppression. these abyssal spidermen would rashly tear apart everything that came near the spider web with their sabers. however, twilight city troops had a bug-like sand transformation ability. they would not show weakness and would ferociously respond even if they fell. the tenacity of the top-tier troops was strong. the spider camp tenaciously defended the spider temple even in the face of such an attack from twilight city. the brutal attitude made people suspect some vital treasures in the church. the battle gradually intensified as twilight city approached the spider temple. the intensity of the collision between the two sides made people click their tongues. a troop would harvest lives. twilight city suffered casualties in the high-intensity battle. enemies surrounded a stone statue of the dead. it swung its battle tomahawk without restraint. it forcefully hacked the abyssal spidermen. green blood stained tomahawk with its violent battle power. it would take off every time the enemies repelled. but the dense abyssal spidermen did not give it a chance at all. they would swarm forward once they revealed the stance. the sand on the stone statue of the dead gradually returned to its original state as it dragged on¡­ it was time to perform the sand transformation. the abyssal spidermen immediately left deep marks on its body. its body is not immune to physical damage. the abyssal spidermen saw that the other party was gravely injured. they pounced forward like chicken-blood-injected soldiers. several enemies piled into rubble and slayed the stone statue of the dead, although it was brave and powerful. the spider camp became even more vigorous with the casualties of twilight city. the counterattack waves that erupted even seemed to suppress twilight city. richard frowned at the change in the situation. at this moment, the void weaver still did not move. he waved his hand and added more chips as his eyes darted around. ¡°sandstorm controllers, attack!¡± the sandstorm controllers gently floated in the air. they started to riot like one dropped cold water into a pot of hot oil when they heard the order. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sky whistled, and the yellow sand swallowed the light. the boiling sandstorm surged toward the center of the battle. its aura was like the collapse of a ten-thousand-foot-tall snow mountain. the players craned their necks and widened their eyes in excitement. ¡°boss qingqiu, are you finally going to be serious?¡± after the sun rose, many people turned their heads to look at the towering tree that emitted an evil aura. ¡°until now, boss qingqiu boss had not sent it to the battlefield.¡± they didn¡¯t know what kind of battle power this giant tree had with question marks all over them, whose name they couldn¡¯t even see¡­ they pondered and laughed. they believed qingqiu would fail here. the enemy hadn¡¯t even sent their entire troop into the battlefield¡­ several people returned to their senses and praised in their hearts. the number one player was truly worthy of his name. many views of richard had changed. they had thought that the speculations on richard¡¯s strength on the forum were exaggerated. from the looks of it, those were still conservative. Chapter 696 the surge of emotions overwhelmed the players. and the sandstorm began. they needed to break through layers of spider webs to attack the troop behind them. the sandstorm that was like a natural disaster directly passed through the spider webs through the gaps. giant yellow sand thorns condensed and crushed the spider webs under tremendous force. the strong stickiness of the spider web decorated the sandstorm. !! the spider camp that could have resisted and even stabilized the situation was like a last straw that crushed the camel. it collapsed. tomahawks, spears, dragon might, and giant sabers slayed the void weavers with the support of the sandstorm. the abyssal spidermen on the ground could not use power to resist. as the battle gradually tilted toward twilight city. alves slaughtered without restraint but suddenly stopped and slowly raised its head. the target looked at the level-19 void weaver in the sky. a strong fighting spirit rose in its eyes. other than its lord, no life could surpass it! ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the broken dragon wings flapped, and its body suddenly rose. it tyrannically charged forward. ¡®roar!¡¯ endless dragon might swept everywhere and accompanied alves¡¯s roar that trembled the world. the beyond a-rank dragon hero and the giant spider thirty meters in size collided. the distance between the two sides was less than 20 meters. the level 19 void weaver hero watched everything coldly. a dim light flashed on its body. it was formless, like an illusion. alves suddenly felt a deadly danger. it flapped its dragon wings fiercely. it tried to escape the range of the spider web. but at this moment. something pulled the spider web like a fishing net. it had already bound alves before it could even blink. the dragon hero¡¯s ferocious actions seemed to walk right into a trap. the illusory spider web tightened and trapped alves firmly in the middle. how could alves accept this? the terrifying dragon might exploded with blood-colored energy. the intense corrosive power caused the surrounding space to become mottled. the brutal power contained in the dragon¡¯s body poured out without restraint¡­ however, no matter how it attacked, it could not cause any damage to the spider web. it shocked and annoyed alves. its attacks seemed to hit the air. ¡°damned reptile!!¡± richard watched the scene silently from behind. the intense sense of danger disappeared when the web trapped alves. ¡®ambush!¡¯ this thought appeared in richard¡¯s mind. his eyes turned cold. fortunately, alves wouldn¡¯t lead the charge. otherwise, it would hurt the dragon first in such a situation. its death would collapse the entire troop. anything could happen to anyone except to it. richard suppressed his emotions and opened the attribute panel of the spider web. he frowned at the top without revealing any information. he activated the black gold system, and the void weaver¡¯s web attributes appeared. [void weaver web] [level: special] [special characteristics: invisible spider web, able to bind all life. ordinary power could not cut it apart.] [1. all attributes of the bound life force will be reduced by 20% every minute, up to a maximum of 80%. it will obtain negative statuses such as weakness and powerlessness.] [2. a bind for more than three days will permanently weaken strength until death.] [3. the spider web can devour bound life. they could toughen it.] [4. the bound life form cannot use transformation, elemental energy, spatial displacement, or any other means to escape from the bind.] [description: the queen of the void weaver spat out the web before it died. the divine power of the god of spiders, lolita, has baptized the web. it has an extremely tough texture.] this spider web¡­ what powerful attributes! richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. he was bound inside. then, he could miserably fail this time. the enemies have destroyed eighty percent of his attribute. he could not escape with other methods similar to sand. perhaps only the divine skill, sand regeneration, could help him escape. and the last introduction gave him a bad feeling¡­ the god of spiders, lolita. this name made his eyelids twitch. the ancient legend of the ¡°shining era¡± appeared in his mind. lolita was a dark evil god that made the abyss tremble. she was once the queen of gods of the elf god system. in the first battle of gods, the will of the abyss lured her. she fell into the abyss. she occupied the 500th level of the plane, the land of spiders. priesthood¨Cconspiracy, spider, darkness, evil, sacrifice. divine power level¨Cmain god. the most famous thing about this god of spiders was that he had instigated the second war of gods. furthermore, during the battle, it devoured three main gods of the light faction. it caused them to lose. the abyss set off a devouring frenzy under lolita¡¯s lead. darkness spread across the entire primary plane and lasted for hundreds of years¡­ it wasn¡¯t until the third battle of the gods that the light faction regained their victory. they broke the shadow of evil. in the bottomless abyss, the spider queen lolita was synonymous with death and conspiracy. this name could even make high-level demons tremble. he did not expect this instance dungeon would be related to the terrifying dark evil god. richard felt his scalp tingle. could this be the origin of the s difficulty? should he face more than transcendents? he suddenly remembered the name of this instance dungeon. ¡°this tomb belonged to a god. one has sealed its heart¡­ or was it something else?¡± Chapter 697 he had to be careful. the black gold system stated that the mightiest existence in this dungeon was a transcendent¡­ however, this did not mean that an even more terrifying being would not appear eventually. that was the real world. it was not a stern program where one operated the game according to rules. only games needed rules, not reality. !! ¡°this instance dungeon¡­ i couldn¡¯t stay for too long. i had to get the god¡¯s heart as quickly as possible!¡± richard¡¯s eyes flashed. he turned to look at the trapped alves. it no longer held back. the yellow sand power on his body surged. it was quick. he was at the center, and the ground within a thousand meters suddenly turned into sand. the ground turned into sand. the players behind turned excited when they saw the yellow sand spread to the small hill they were on. ¡°boss qingqiu was about to make his move!¡± ¡°this one move was a familiar instance in the live broadcast¡­ i¡¯ve seen it before!¡± all widened their eyes. they wanted to see the glory of the number one player. in the next second, under everyone¡¯s gaze. the yellow sand on the ground surged upward as if a fountain of yellow sand spewed out from the ground. the yellow sand rose rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a sandman that held a long and narrow saber. he condensed sand into a warrior that carried a weapon¡­ the mightiest skill of the dune lord. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he directly injected sandman half of the power of the yellow sand. two sand snakes three times thicker than the roof beams crawled up from the ground afterward and connected directly to the feet of the sand people. the sandman was more than 30 meters tall. it suddenly rose from the ground. the level 19 void weaver hero charged straight into the sky. the giant spider looked at richard coldly. it didn¡¯t expect this damned worm to be so cunning. it didn¡¯t even dare to approach it¡­ ¡®ssss!¡¯ the void weaver hero broke away from the spider web in the sky and headed straight for the sandman. at this moment, outsiders were shocked to discover that this giant spider could walk in the void without a spider web¡­ the sandman and the void weaver hero quickly collided. the void weaver bent its abdomen and released a spider web with an oily green glow at the sandman before the collision. the spider web took shape in the air and covered the sandman. the sticky spider web directly stuck more than half of the sandman¡¯s body to the sand. that caused its body to shrink enormously. the void weaver took advantage and opened its mouth wide open. its four razor-sharp teeth bit down. the giant teeth chewed and shattered the sandman into pieces. players suppressed their emotions when they fought. but the situation changed in the next second. the two giant snakes connected to the yellow sand below moved. and tons of sand transferred into the sandman¡¯s body. it made the shrunk body expand again. the two giant snakes were like water pipes that replenished water and constantly provided sand for the sandman. even fire elemental lord klose had to expend tons of energy to deal with the immortal sandmen. richard had to control the power of the sand to interfere. the void weaver also experienced how difficult it was to deal with these sandmen. the sandmen fought without regard for themselves. they would leave scars on the void weaver hero even if one explodes its head. the battle between the two massive creatures exploded in mid-air and immediately became the focus of everyone. tons of sand would splatter whenever they collided. aftershocks of the battle would slay the surrounding troops in a few rounds. everyone thought the battle would be in a stalemate for a long time. the long and narrow saber in the sandman¡¯s hand suddenly became hot. the sand grains emitted a high temperature that could melt steel. it was like one threw them into a furnace and taken out. [blazing sandstorm] the sandman had inherited all of richard¡¯s skills. although something has reduced the power, the skills were genuine. the skill was an application of strength. at this moment, the sandman did not use this skill. instead, it preserved the high temperature of the blazing sandstorm and added it to the weapon in its hand. richard could sense everything about the sandmen with his spiritual power. he controlled the battle. he used the sandman to fight against the void weaver. although the sandmen had battle awareness, it was more like simple programming. they would only operate according to a fixed pattern and could not be so detailed. outsiders didn¡¯t know what was going on. they only saw richard recruit a sandman with a wave of his hand. and then the sandman fought a level 19 spider hero with a-rank potential. not only was it not at a disadvantage, but it also repeatedly caused massive damage to the spider hero in the fight. the scars on its body were already countless¡­ on the other hand, even if the sandman¡¯s head exploded and its body shattered. it could still recover very quickly. there were no losses at all. the hundreds of players at the back were all excited. richard looked at the figure he condensed. his eyes burned. how much longer would they need to develop before they could be as powerful as the other party? the female orc player held her heart in her hands. she could not contain her excitement. she had things in mind and grabbed a male human player beside her. she pinched the male human player¡¯s chest. she fiercely said under her tearless expression. ¡°cry? why are you crying? i will kill you today if you interfere with boss qingqiu¡­¡± the player looked at the female orc player¡¯s palm-sized protective fur on her chest parallel to his head and felt so wronged that he cried. ¡°damn, beast! i can¡¯t live under the same sky as you¡­¡± Chapter 698 it could not kill the sandman before it. it wanted to use the sandman to exhaust its strength, but there was no hope of achieving its goal. it seemed the human who created the sandman had endless energy. the sandman would always re-form no matter how the void weaver hero shattered it repeatedly. the two snakes under its legs were initially its primary target until it got exhausted in cutting them. two more snakes would surge out of the ground as it tried to cut its primary target. the other party was simply using this seemingly obvious weakness to bait. !! the void weaver hero could no longer endure such futile and meaningless effort. it climbed up to a height of 200 meters. however, the sandman stopped chasing the void weaver hero when it climbed. instead, it plummeted down and headed straight for the spider temple. the feeling of having its vitals grasped almost drove the void weaver hero mad. but it had no choice. the sandman seemed to have thought of something and suddenly stopped after the vast grayish-brown spider chased for a distance in the void. it lowered its head and roared. ¡®ssss!¡¯ an urgent and sharp voice suddenly sounded. the void weavers who still fought below quickly gathered above the spider temple. they no longer fought separately. the void weaver hero stopped and charged at richard. it could only settle its problems if it slaughtered this damn human!! the giant spider was very decisive. it escaped the battlefield when it realized something was wrong¡­ a spider over 30 meters in size crawled rapidly in the air toward richard. at this moment, anyone who saw this scene would feel their scalp numb. the void weaver web still held alves. the other soldiers fought the enemies. the players watched as the void weaver hero charged at him. the hundreds of players were so nervous that they swallowed their saliva. ¡°boss qingqiu was a mage! how could he deal damage without a tank??¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, quickly order the troops to return and defend¡­ why was the sandman still charging? aren¡¯t you going summon it?¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on? what¡¯s boss qingqiu thinking?¡± the players could not know richard¡¯s next moves. they were even more anxious than he was. at this moment, the twilight city frontal troops attacked the spider temple frontal soldiers. it was the most critical moment of the battle. the void weaver hero no longer looked back. it fixed its eyes on richard. the spider temple could not protect itself if it failed to slay this leading worm. soon, the 30-meter-tall giant spider was within a hundred meters of richard. more obstacles appeared before him. it would still take time even if the rear troops would help and support. the sandman currently took the heavy responsibility of spearheading. it fiercely tore the defensive line before the temple apart. it did not intend to retreat. hundreds of players felt their scalps go numb. this time, they were going to get out of it! ¡°was this not a level 19 top-tier hero?¡± a mage to face a melee behemoth fighter was still a threat, although richard¡¯s display of power had given them absolute confidence. that was the irony of the weak that attacked the strong! only the female orc player screamed. trust and certainty engulfed her eyes. ¡°that giant spider will die once it nearly touches my boss!! no one can provoke boss qingqiu!¡± at this moment, she looked like a fanatic. this female orc could not bother the other players. she appeared more manly than a man. they widened their eyes and looked ahead in shock and fear. they were afraid that an accident would happen that shouldn¡¯t happen. a deep chill appeared in the void weaver¡¯s green eyes after a hundred meters away. it felt excited to slaughter the other party. ¡°the damned worm couldn¡¯t escape.¡± it would still die even if the troop slays them!! its body suddenly stopped after it moved for some distance. in the next second, an extremely evil aura erupted from its grayish-brown body. and the surrounding space collapsed and distorted. ¡®shua!¡¯ a void spider web with a diameter of more than 200 meters instantly condensed. it enveloped richard. there was no way to dodge the attack with such a wide area of effect. ¡°worms!!¡± the void weaver hero opened its huge mouth and spat out a string of abyssal profanities that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. ¡°you will become the sacrifice to our god!¡± its voice made people tremble, but they could also sense its deep joy. the illusory spider web was its trump card. the players behind were shocked to see richard trapped in the spider web. he felt a chill run down his spine and mind. he broke away from his excitement as if he had fallen into an ice hole. it was over. boss qingqiu underestimated the enemy! this was a level 19 hero, unlike before. their heads buzzed, and many players even subconsciously retreated. they would be the first to leave once the situation became irreversible. however, just as the void weaver felt smug and the players were terrified¡­ the blurry figure in their sight slowly reached into its right hand. ¡®pa!¡¯ he snapped his fingers lightly. sparingly a few seconds passed. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the yellow sand on the ground exploded! it was as if thousands of great rivers guided them upwards. they gathered together. a few strands of breath afterward. the yellow sand spun. that ghostly wailed and howled and pierced through the world. a giant tornado rose from the ground. the void weaver chose to charge at richard than flee. Chapter 699 however, the death tornado was too fast. it directly enveloped the void weaver before it could get close. everyone watched amidst the whistling. the void weaver¡¯s vast body shook uncontrollably. that distorted and unstabled its foothold. !! the death tornado wrapped the giant void weaver. the scene was quite spectacular. in the next second, under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡®boom!!¡¯ it was like one threw cotton into flames of gasoline. a wave of scorching energy suddenly erupted. it ignited the death tornado. the terrifying heat caused the players hundreds of meters away to feel their hair curl. and they could not open their eyes. the yellow sand burned red under the high temperature. the high-speed spinning storm increased the lethality of every grain of sand by a hundred times. that was not the end. the red sand condensed into razor-like blades. thousands of them. it swiftly spun in the roaring firestorm of death tornado. the sandworm controllers formed the giant yellow sand thorns. but they were supremely weaker compared to the sandstorm death tornado. the terrifying rotation was the call of the grim reaper. the level 19 void weaver was a giant spider over 30 meters long. at this moment, it enjoyed the taste of pain and despair. the tremendous power distorted the space, and the terrifying wind could not control its body. every grain of sand hit its body like a bullet after being burned by the high temperature, and the razor condensed by the hot yellow sand made its skeleton that could withstand the siege crossbow as fragile as grass. ¡®puchi!¡¯ hundreds of scars would appear on its body every second. the level 19 spider hero let out a hysterical roar of pain¡­ fear spread. death roared. it could not even control its body and the void weaver web. the void weaver¡¯s body suddenly expanded just as it was about to be killed. evil dark energy protected its entire body. it forcefully blocked all the damage. the void weaver regained its footing and glared at richard through the endless red sand. ¡°worms!!!¡± it charged richard. ¡°i swear to kill you!!¡± richard¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°it still wanted to¡­ struggle?¡± the anger of the weak would be worthless¡­ what was a level 19 hero? one has utterly consumed the remaining 20,000 mana on the attribute panel afterward. that wasn¡¯t enough. richard¡¯s eyes were indifferent. he cleared the remaining power of the yellow sand at this moment. that wasn¡¯t enough. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp. the 100,000 points of mana stored in the star necklace also dropped to zero. now¡­ that was enough. the void weaver tried to force his way through the death tornado to slaughter richard. the enemy has cracked the dark shield that protected the void weaver from damage. indescribable shock engulfed its oily green eyes. ¡°how is this possible? that is the power of our god¡¯s protection!!¡± the abyssal blasphemy resounded in the sky. sparingly a few seconds passed. the space where the death tornado spun exploded after richard injected limitless power. countless space fragments spun along with the storm. that shocked the players¡¯ gazes. a level 19 void weaver with a-rank potential, this giant spider was over 30 meters. ¡®thud!¡¯ the storm of death tornado tore the void weaver into countless pieces. the high temperature roasted the green blood. as the target died, the death tornado did not dissipate. instead, it charged into the spider camp that still defended. the sturdy defense line was like a bubble. it tore the shield apart. death tornado wrapped all the lives, and one would not survive for more than a breath¡­ death tornado vanished afterward. the sky fell into an unprecedented silence. the players at the back stared blankly at the level 19 void weaver hero. fragments of its broken limbs scattered on the ground and almost wiped the spider camp out. they raised their heads and looked at the blurry yellow sand-shrouded figure. everything was gone just like that¡­ that level 19 spider hero could sense the terrifying existence of weaving webs in the void. from the beginning to the end, it didn¡¯t even touch a single hair of qingqiu, and it was gone just like that. ¡°level 19 hero, that was a f*cking level 19 hero, not some tom, dick, or harry!!!¡± they felt indescribable shock. they knew that qingqiu was strong. but they never thought his battle strength would be so mighty that he could instantly kill a level 19 hero. ¡°damn, is there still a place for good people to live in this world????¡± Chapter 700 shouts and killing noises engulfed the battlefield but suddenly quieted as the twilight city troop cleared out the last remaining stubborn spider troop and officially attacked the spider temple. countless spider corpses piled up on the yellow sand, and the green blood had formed large chunks of hard sand as far as the eye could see. only a few fragments of the original layers of spider webs were left hanging in the sky. hundreds of players widened their eyes. they felt that a fire burned in their chests. !! the yellow sand shrouded-figure reflected in their pupils. the figure wore a crown and a cape behind that fluttered. but the sand blurred everything and added countless mysteries. the players could not speak. the blurred figure was like a stone tablet that could crush the world. that was qingqiu¡­ he was the king among billions of players, a mighty existence that could kill a level 19 hero with one hand. the power displayed by the other party had already exceeded their understanding. was this the power of the number one player on the screen? their minds swayed. the king of players had come to the ¡°shining era¡± with them. that shocked most of them. it had only been half a year, but he had already opened up an insurmountable gap with them. the difference was so enormous that they could not even describe it with words. perhaps this was the difference between ordinary people and top-notch big shots¡­ richard heard a familiar notification when the twilight city troops attacked the spider temple. [ding~ you have commanded the troop to capture the spider temple successfully and annihilated the troops that guarded it.] [level 19 void weaver hero] [void weaver (723, radiant moon 1-star)] [abyssal spidermen (1,254, crown 2-stars)] [ding~ you have slayed a void weaver hero. you have obtained one (1) golden undead crystal.] [ding~ the sandstorm controllers have slaughtered several enemies in battle. the system has increased all levels to 12.] [ding~ the atone statues of the dead have slaughtered several enemies in battle. the system has increased all levels 13.] richard¡¯s mood instantly brightened when he saw the series of messages. not bad, not bad at all. the harvest was sweet and delicious, although the war was brutal. he had two mighty troops leveled up, and the level 19 void weaver hero had also dropped a new item¨Cthe golden undead crystal. one could tell it was something good if one just heard the name. unfortunately, the skeletal blood dragon, which had reached level 14 in the previous battle, showed no signs of leveling up. these crown 1-star troops had always been the main force of twilight city. however, there was a gap between levels 14 and 15. those with high potential could be above level 15 when they were born, while those with lower potential could only slowly climb up. a green mist slowly rose from the ground shortly after the sound notification. the corpses and limbs of the soldiers who had just died slowly turned into energy and gathered at a certain point. the mist gradually shrank a few minutes after. green undead crystals condensed into form. richard was in a good mood as he looked at the familiar scene. the yellow sand surged and gathered the thumb-sized green crystals into his bag with a wave of his hand. that added more than 3,000 undead crystals of unknown use to the loot from the previous battle. richard has done all this. he turned his gaze to the void weaver hero¡¯s severed limb. the green mist still flowed but no longer condensed. he waited another three to five minutes and finally saw the door closed. he focused his gaze and saw a green bead with a faint golden glow in the middle of the yellow sand. the surrounding magic power flowed rapidly. that was remarkable. the sand rolled up the bead and sent it directly to him. richard felt a sharp roar in his mind when he reached out to take it. it was as if the void weaver¡¯s hero¡¯s soul roared at him. his mental power dispersed and forcefully dispelled the aura. richard sensed the bead carefully. its energy was hundreds or thousands of times denser than ordinary death crystals. it was like a river had surged. richard curiously opened the attribute panel. [golden undead crystal] [level: special] [characteristic: contained boundless negative energy.] [description: only when a powerful evil hero dies can it be condensed.] ¡®this description¡­ just like ordinary crystals?¡¯ richard shook his head. he couldn¡¯t see what use this thing could have. he pondered and opened the black gold system again. the same information appeared on it. it seemed that there was nothing special about this thing. it was just a bead that contained negative energy. however, for this item to become a reward for a side mission, there must be something extraordinary. richard couldn¡¯t just know it yet. he no longer struggled and continued to explore. he would eventually find out. he retracted his thoughts and looked at the tall building on the vast yellow sand before him¨Cthe spider temple. the target of this battle. the temple could have reflected in his eyes, but the spider web layers blocked his vision. the most eye-catching thing was the giant spider statue above the temple. the statue was lifelike, and the fur on it was visible. it was as if the spider had poured lava on it when it was alive and solidified after it cooled down. Chapter 701 the spider temple was more than 30 meters tall. one has carved complicated patterns on its flat outer walls. the twisted and strange pattern looked like the pattern of the spider¡¯s abdomen. an evil and strange aura shrouded it. there was no need to enter. one only needed to look from the outside to know that this must be the temple of an evil god. it made people feel uncomfortable both physically and mentally. !! ¡°father, there¡¯s no danger inside.¡± emily walked out of the temple and said in a charming voice while richard stared at her. the centaur boss was brave in the battle just now, but richard¡¯s outrageous one-hit kill of a level 19 hero outsmarted it from becoming the main character. however, the green blood all over her body still showed her achievements in the battle. richard nodded slightly and descended from the sky. he stood in the middle of the open doors of the spider temple. the towering-arched door made an ordinary person with an average body size look very small. a giant beast-like, bloody-mouthed, and swallow-everything figure was inside the dark temple. richard reached out to help emily, who had come to his side. he smoothed out her messy bangs. he gave her a warm smile and stepped in. his pupils constricted when he stepped through the door. the church was already gigantic from the outside. the space inside was surprisingly ten times more than the outside. spatial magic. this church was extraordinary. richard composed himself and turned around. spider statues of different sizes were on both sides of the church. some roared at the sky, some lay on the ground, and some fell to the ceiling¡­ every spider statue was vivid. it was like one would come back to life in the next second. however, the most eye-catching thing was that in the center of the temple. it was a statue with a spider¡¯s lower body and an elven upper body. the height of more than ten meters was unusually eye-catching. she was the god of conspiracy and evil. it was a terrifying evil god that had once instigated a war between gods and made countless people tremble. as expected, this place worshipped this taboo. richard forcefully suppressed the emotions in his heart. he looked at the long black altar before the statue. it was two meters tall, ten meters long, and five to six meters wide. more than 20 shriveled corpses were on it. richard looked at the messy equipment on the corpse. the identity was recognizable. he focused after he gazed around. they worshipped the miniature statue of the spider queen lolita among the corpses at the center of the altar. this statue exuded an evil aura that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. others exuded stone-like coldness. it was like a supremely evil thing flowed out of the abyss. richard thought of the system¡¯s side mission. he had an idea and opened the system panel. [spider statue (1/12)] [level: special] [special characteristic: the twelve statues can gather and form a remarkable troop.] [description: an evil object from the abyss, tainted with the aura of an evil god.] richard was certain. the reward for the capture of the temple was unexpected. he stepped forward as he pondered. richard arrived before the long altar and observed closely. he could feel that the evil god statue was extraordinary. however, just as he was about to reach out to take it, his entire body suddenly stiffened. it was like a pair of cold eyes stared at him through time and space. it warned every pore on his body. dangerous, extremely dangerous! his heart thumped wildly, and he immediately retreated a distance. he only stopped when the terrifying danger disappeared. ¡®that aura¡­ was it gods? ¡®the forbidden existence of the abyss protected this place??¡¯ countless questions arose in his mind. he turned around and looked at the tiny horse behind him. ¡°emily spread out with the troop and searched the temple carefully.¡± ¡°a reminder¡­ the statue in the center does not move. it is dangerous there.¡± the young centaur bowed excitedly at richard¡¯s order. ¡°yes, father!¡± her crisp tone was out of place with the austere atmosphere of the spider temple. richard looked at her lively eyes. that spirit relieved his emotions. emily led the troop and searched. they searched every corner other than the central area. there was nothing else in the gigantic temple other than the stone carvings of spiders. it surprised richard. he could not find anywhere in the temple void weavers and abyssal spidermen he had long looked forward to. richard couldn¡¯t help but frown after repeated searches. from the looks of it, the troops did come and station at the temple self-sufficiently. it was more like¡­ someone sent them here. his goal suddenly appeared in his mind. spider temple. the central map with transcendents protected it. that made his mood heavy. it did not affect the overall situation, although the lair was important. what was more important was what it represented. the final battle would be much more arduous than expected. richard sighed. an s-rank mission was arduous to complete. that is more expected than not. he quickly ordered emily to lead all the troops out of the spider temple. richard saw that the statue of the evil god on the altar did not move and slowly retreated when the troop walked a hundred meters away. Chapter 702 a sandman gradually took shape on the sandy ground. richard reached out and threw the statue into the sandman. the next moment, the sandman held the ancient god statue and stepped into the temple. it was always right to be careful. !! his cautious personality allowed him to avoid risks in such an expedition. he was also a hundred meters away and focused on the sandman. he controlled the unusual body to come to the altar. he looked at the miniature version of the spider queen statue, lolita. he calmed himself down and slowly reached out to hold it. layers of sand wrapped around the statue and enormously lifted the head-sized stone figure. at that moment, richard felt an indescribable sense of danger surge like a volcanic eruption. he seemed to see the gaze of the grim reaper in a trance. the evil god statue behind the altar suddenly opened its eyes before richard could do anything. at this moment, the world dimmed, and the void froze. the entire world seemed to have stood still. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sand statue shattered like glass and turned into nothingness. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he could feel the pressure that suffocated from the terrifying aura even the sandman separated from him. he had only felt this way when he faced the kobold god. no, he felt it ten times more ferocious than the kobold god¡¯s¡­ the abyssal taboo stared at the sandman. richard resisted the urge to leave immediately, and his mental power surged. he attached himself to the ancient god statue. the statue floated in the air. it was like a shark that had smelled blood. a dark light instantly erupted and surged out. it forcefully enveloped the giant statue in front. it forcibly isolated the terrifying aura. in the next second, the dim light directly invaded the statue inside. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the evil god statue fell to the ground like glass and shattered. large pieces of gravel flew. at this moment, the great terror that exploded had already disappeared¡­ this intense confrontation happened in the blink of an eye. the collision between the planets was silent. the troop outside only felt a wave of pressure that came before them, and then it disappeared without a trace. richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but he was relieved. almost. fortunately, there was the ancient god statue. otherwise, something big would have happened. it was an existence that even the abyss trembled in fear. the current twilight city could do beyond expected. the sandmen suppressed emotions in their hearts. they gathered again at the doorway. the sandmen took away the ancient god and the tiny spider statue after they entered the temple¡­ no more accidents happened. the sandmen transformed. richard waved his hand and turned them into yellow sand. at the same time, he immediately used the ancient god statue to suppress the spider queen statue, lolita. richard heaved a sigh of relief after a few arrangements. a bitter smile appeared on his face. the s-rank mission difficulty was not for nothing. he would have flipped over if he weren¡¯t careful¡­ ¡°retreat immediately.¡± richard suddenly thought of something and looked up at the sky. alves, imprisoned in the void weaver web, reflected in his pupils. at this moment, the figure of the other party became blurry. it was like a layer of translucent film separated. it was no longer eye-catching. it might not be long before the other party dissolved into the void. it would be alves¡¯s death at the time. richard covered his forehead and enjoyed the harvest of war spoils. he had almost forgotten about this guy. goddess lolita¡¯s strategic treasure stained the void weaver web. the giant spider used this to deal with richard. it did not expect richard to keep his composure and not rashly move forward. he had no choice but to trap arveis as his target. the void weaver web had a soul-tormenting suppressive effect on the bound hero. and this beyond a-rank dragon hero had already become extremely weak. the crimson power burned on his body as small as a flame. it no longer surged as before. that piqued richard¡¯s interest after a few glances. the void weaver web was a treasure tainted with the rose¡¯s power¡­ wouldn¡¯t this thing be his if he quickly toppled the spider hero? others would be afraid of the evil god¡¯s power, but he had the ancient god statue. it meant to subdue gods. a thought spun. he suddenly rose and flew before alves. he looked at alves while it still struggled. its aura was so weak that it was almost undetectable. richard found it funny. this guy was always at the front line in every battle. but he was always the first to get injured. last time in the dark dungeon, the imprisoned extraordinary existence, the dark lord, had slayed it with a single tentacle. alves was the first resurrected hero in the hero altar. then, in the dungeon, it faced the dark valkyrie. god slayer¡¯s sword subdued the mighty dragon in one strike. it is tricky to charge forward. richard silently took this as a warning. that wasn¡¯t a smart move a lord should do. ¡°lord¡­¡± alves sensed a familiar aura and could not help but feel sparingly embarrassed. it could not hold the shame inside for long. it wanted to show off its abilities after it broke through to level 15 to prove that richard did not train the mighty dragon for anything futile. however, alves did not expect defeat at the early stage of the battle. furthermore, the spider imprisoned it in a net. it hung in the sky where everyone could see it. what a shame. alves is the mightiest dragon in twilight city!! what happened to the mighty dragon was simply embarrassing to its lord! richard said nothing. the divine power of the spider queen baptized this spider web. the enemy would not be the existence that trembled the abyss if it were easy to break free. ¡°i¡¯ll let you out and let those spiders see your dragon might.¡± ¡°i won¡¯t disappoint you again!¡± alves said firmly. richard did not waste any more time. he stepped forward, and the light from the statue of the ancient gods in his hand surged again. in an instant, a dark power enveloped the void weaver web. it directly obliterated the imprint. it cleared the aura the spider queen had left. it became ownerless again. moreover, the ancient god statue only obliterated the other party¡¯s aura and did not damage the void weaver web. richard sensed this and extended his spiritual power. he directly took control of this treasure. he imprinted his mark on it. in the next second, arveis suddenly relaxed. he broke free from the chains that bound him and regained his freedom. boundless power surged in its body again. and the ferocious dragon might enveloped the sky again. alves flapped its dragon wings and flew around in the sky before it returned to richard. soul flickered in its empty eye sockets and stared at the void weaver web in richard¡¯s hand. it gave malice to the treasure that had no body, and one could not free. richard ignored the guy who had been attacked and looked at the void web in his hand with satisfaction. divine power baptized this treasure. one could feel how majestic the power surge would hold, although there was no level. it was not inferior to the crown and cape of the king of darkness. that was a treasure that could imprison enemies. in terms of functionality, it was much more outstanding than a strategic treasure with attack power. richard valued this the most. would they still have to worry about death and no retreat fights if they encountered powerful heroes? could he capture them by force first and then seize the opportunity to subdue them?? richard spun this thought and recalled the assimilation brought about by the high morale of the people in twilight city. this thing might have a great future. it lifted richard¡¯s spirits. that was a massive danger in the hands of the enemy. it was a powerful help in his own hands. he calculated. he obtained vast experience points; the spider statue, the undead crystals, and this unique void web. this attack was not a loss. he turned his head and looked in another direction. the next would be the eleven churches and the spider temple in the central area. this s-rank mission was supremely arduous. but the rewards would intensely satisfy once one completed it. Chapter 703 he calculated the losses from this battle¨Ctwo and a half squads of the guardian mummies and three stone statues of the dead. these troops were all worn out in ordinary battles. after all, the other side was a top-tier level 15 or 16 soldier. it was inevitable, although they had various advantages. richard took off the five-stars treasure in the chest without hesitation, the death elegy medal. !! the system will increase all attributes by 50% when commanding a troop. it can resurrect three slaughtered undead squads every day. the time of death cannot exceed three days. the stone statue of the dead was a half-gargoyle, a half-undead lifeform that one could resurrect. the medallion in his hand emitted an evil aura. it enveloped the corpses of the stone statues of the dead on the ground. the shattered stone statues of the dead recovered piece by piece and revived in the blink of an eye afterward. the only pity was that the number of resurrected members of the three teams was slim. the slaughtered guardian mummies with the rest were not equally lucky. richard restored 96 troops of stone statues of the dead and did not hesitate. he looked deeply at the spider temple entrenched in the yellow sand. he mounted alves again and turned to leave. the players waited for a long time. they had mixed feelings when they sat on the skeletal blood dragon again. anyone who witnessed the battle would be shocked. this troop was ten times stronger than what was on paper. they couldn¡¯t imagine who could withstand shoulder to shoulder with qingqiu out of the billions of players¡­ perhaps, there would not be a second one. the players were all people with lofty aspirations. one should imagine the impact on their hearts to gain the approval of hundreds of people without any other thoughts. richard didn¡¯t care what these idiots thought. they were just a bunch of people who knew how to use rare resources in his eyes. one could not bother him. their tense hearts finally sparingly relaxed after a walk far away from the spider temple. richard pondered and controlled alves to fly into the middle of the players. he saw the giant undead dragon hero approach. the players became nervous and excited. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­¡± richard looked around. ¡°who knows where the other spider churches are? give me the map.¡± more than ten people quickly raised their hands. richard did not hesitate either. he combined each and looked thoughtfully at the locations of all the spider churches and spider temples on the system map. the spider temple was in the middle. these would be like nodes in a spider web if lines connected the other spider churches. the churches on these nodes could rush to provide support shortly once they attacked the spider temple. richard pondered for a long time. he could not attack the spider temple directly. he would gamble with his life in the hero altar. it would be worth it if he could get the god¡¯s heart, regardless if he fought with all the troops. or he fought until death! however, this was the last resort. it wasn¡¯t wise to lay all the chips on the table. unless one had overwhelming confidence. ¡°boss qingqiu, what do you plan to do next?¡± a rough voice interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw the burly female orc player. she looked at him with a burning expression. richard glanced at the player¡¯s palm-sized chest hair, and the corner of his mouth twitched. although he also liked the beast-eared lady, this big sister of hers was too fierce! ¡°do you have any suggestions?¡± the female orc player shouted. ¡°on my way here, i came across a village inhabited by humans. however, i was too anxious to explore it¡­¡± the female orc saw richard¡¯s noncommittal expression. she couldn¡¯t help but speak faster. ¡°to my surprise, the spider troop that chased me ignored the human village. the spidermen were even sparingly afraid and subconsciously left the area.¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, perhaps we can find more clues regarding instance dungeons in that village¡­ although i don¡¯t know how strong you are, we still have to face the transcendent of spider temple in the end.¡± both sides were now in the same boat. it would be fine if richard were fine. but if something happened, everyone knew what would happen. the female orc spoke, and the other players fell silent. they blinked as they waited for richard¡¯s orders. they would support richard now in his orders and decisions. that intrigued richard. how could that village make the spider troop tremble? these spiders were rose¡¯s believers. just as he was about to open his mouth, a sharp hysterical roar came from behind him. the ear-piercing sound was like a knife that cut through the glass. richard turned his head and looked toward the spider temple. the enemy¡¯s reinforcements had arrived. his heart trembled. fortunately, this operation was decisive. richard¡¯s troops would fall into a state of being attacked from both sides if it dragged on until now. at that time, the troop wouldn¡¯t be as simple as losing a few teams. twilight city troop was potent. but they could not underestimate the battle combat power of the spider troop. the opponent fought on their home ground. so it was hard to say what trump cards they had yet to use. richard turned around and looked at the female orc player. ¡°give me the map of the human village.¡± ¡°alright!¡± they shared maps, and richard quickly ordered. ¡°all troops, advance northwest at full speed.¡± he spoke and commanded alves to lead the way. Chapter 704 richard treated the god¡¯s ancient tree on the ground as a backup. the giant twisted human-faced tree had not joined the battle. he controlled the yellow sand and quickly followed the main force. richard¡¯s sandy land had created enough sand to allow the behemoth to regain control of the sand. the troop swiftly traveled more than kilometers away from the spider temple. !! but richard¡¯s mood turned solemn. he looked down at the earth. the white spider web appeared again. webs covered the cracks in the stone. the thumb-sized poisonous spider hid in the web. it was ready to attack any life that would step into it. according to the other players, they connected these spider webs to the spider temple in the corresponding area. the spider temple would immediately send troops to investigate once one destroyed the spider web on a large scale. the thumb-sized poisonous spiders below were all eyes. those spiders would still transmit the information they saw through the spider web if they were all flying troops that did not step on the spider web. that was worse. the spider web that could cover an entire land would shroud the players that entered the dungeon. a word suddenly rang in richard¡¯s mind. life and death race! it would depend on whether he would complete his goal first or allow the spider temple troops to surround them. the enemies could have known that he had destroyed the spider web. he would face the enemy¡¯s crazy counterattack. none of the previous players took down the temple. unfortunately, if thousands of players came in simultaneously, he would still have room to maneuver if he messed up the dungeon. now that he had wiped all these idiots out, he might be the only one in the dungeon. with such an obvious target, the spider troop would not allow him to control them. richard took a deep breath and immediately adjusted his mood. the fighting spirit in his eyes soared again. no matter what happened, with the hero altar, he would have a way out. he would fail the mission, wipe out the troop in his hands, and resurrect on the altar. that could be the worst outcome of all. he had already mentally prepared himself for this before he came. he had already earned back the profits when he captured the temple. what he needed to do next was to earn more, other than the ultimate goal of retrieving the god¡¯s heart. he wouldn¡¯t suffer a loss even if he failed the mission. richard¡¯s thoughts immediately came alive after he changed them. he looked like a net laid flat on the ground. these spider webs could send information about where he would head to the spider temple. that was a crisis. but also an opportunity if he used it well. he suddenly remembered that in his first instance dungeon, the entire world hunted him to complete the s-rank mission. he lured everyone into the spatial rift in the ground and created a landslide to kill a million enemies in one fell swoop. ¡°unfortunately, there are no cracks in the earth here¡­ however, it was not necessarily impossible to create a home-field advantage.¡± at this thought, the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. he looked at the spider webs on the ground. some thoughts quickly spun in his mind. he deeply thought and marched for another half an hour before the marked points on the map finally overlapped. ¡°boss qingqiu, after crossing that dried-up river, we will reach that strange village!¡± the female orc player¡¯s rough voice sounded at the right time. Chapter 705 they immediately noticed the difference. before them was a dried-up river that was more than ten meters deep. spider webs covered it. on the other side of the river was a smooth piece of land without a single spider web. one could even see some cultivated fields that grew green vegetables that did not match the surrounding environment. !! richard also perked up. he turned and looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree that covered the sky behind him. ¡°treebeard, you stay here and send out the slaughter wasps to protect the surroundings from accidents.¡± treebeard answered loudly after the instruction. ¡°all troops, cross the river!¡± richard spoke, and alves flapped its wings and flew across the hundred-meter-wide dried river in a breath. richard crossed the river. he felt like one must have unlocked a shackle. that lifted his spirit. [ding~ you have discovered an ancient remnant village. you have triggered a side mission¨Cexpel evil] [in the ancient era, a terrifying battle affected this plane, and several gods fell here.] [the ruler of the 500th level of the bottomless abyss, the spider queen lolita, sent a troop to invade this plane. they occupied the land that initially belonged to the natives of this world. she ruled for countless years.] [however, the remaining survivors of this plane constantly yearned to expel the evil.] [please fulfill the desire of the ancient survivors and expel the evil.] [mission reward: the ancient remnants will distribute the rewards. the reward will be related to the completion of the mission.] the notification piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°side mission, expel evil, ancient remnants? there was indeed something. the other players also shouted. ¡°i received it too, expel evil!¡± ¡°what a coincidence! me too!¡± richard heard the noise behind him and glared at the idiots. ¡°shut up.¡± the indifferent voice made everyone swallow their remarks. it was like one had pressed the pause button. and one dared not to say anything else. richard ignored them and ordered alves to fly straight into the ancient village. traces of history shrouded the buildings below and were preeminently unique. they arrived at the central area, a relatively wide square after they passed through the rows of stone houses. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ alves landed directly. richard flipped over and steadied himself. he swept his gaze around and spoke slowly to the empty village. ¡°the lord of twilight, richard, is here to meet you.¡± ****** Chapter 706 these two sentences contained a massive amount of information. richard pondered, and the vast figure approached. he narrowed his eyes. he focused on the seven to eight meters tall vast figure. !! the vast figure¡¯s body was bare, and only its pants hung at its waist. the muscles on its chest bulged inch by inch. its veins were like small snakes that wriggled on its flesh. the slim fats in its body could embarrass those bodybuilders to death. its arms were thicker than its thighs. thorns grew from its wrists to its arm. that made the figure appear brutal. it had no neck, and its head was smaller than an ordinary human¡¯s. the bulging muscles on the back of its neck directly embedded the head. vigilance and resistance flashed in its tiny eyes. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground shook, and tiny stones jumped out with every step. no one can imagine what kind of damage one could deal when an enemy attacked. they were more ferocious than wild beasts. tower clan. richard¡¯s gaze was faint. he curiously opened the figure¡¯s attribute panel as it gradually approached. [popov black tower] [hero unit] level: 19 [potential: a] [???] [???] exceptional energy protected the figure, and richard could no longer detect additional information. ¡°level 19 hero.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°good heavens, this dungeon was a top-notch hero. the void weaver that protected the temple was at this level. and the tower race that appeared now was also at this level.¡± in the outside world, one could only go to a big city like solan city to find an a-rank. ¡°i would only go to a big city like solan city.¡± in the wild, one could only explore those top-tier maps with a lot of danger to find an a-rank hero. the dungeon was called the gods¡¯ graveyard. one wouldn¡¯t consider it a nightmare for anything. richard pondered on the dried river. those players dared to come here. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the vast figure before him slowly stopped. it dimmed the light on the ground. that still made people feel like shadows shrouded them even though the sun did not shine on the ground. the vast figure fixed its bright tiny eyes on richard. it said slowly, ¡°human from the outside world, please state your purpose for coming.¡± the other party spoke a unique high-level language. the syllables were simple but obscure. one could only understand the vast figure¡¯s language through the spiritual transmission attached to the high-level language. richard looked straight into its resistance and vigilance-filled eyes. he said slowly, ¡°i came here to cut off lolita¡¯s tentacles and flatten the spider temple.¡± popov black tower¡¯s aura suddenly condensed. it stared at richard with a scrutiny that penetrated its soul. ¡°human, in the past month, 23 have said something similar to me.¡± richard was stunned, and then his mouth twitched. ¡®the other idiot players entered the dungeon? ¡®f*ck! all you do is spoil things!¡¯ there would always be ones who could discover this village with so many people who tried to enter the instance dungeon. popov fixed its gaze on richard. ¡°you can¡¯t compare people with each other. master, i think you should know what this is¡­¡± richard spoke, and a head-sized statue appeared in his hand. strength was the only proof. it was better to take out something of sufficient weight rather than say a thousand words. lolita¡¯s statue explained everything. ¡°statue of the goddess of spiders?! ¡°how is this possible? the spider web of the void weaver can block all privy eyes! ¡°unless¡­you took over the temple!¡± popov exclaimed. its voice became sharp from shock. alves beside richard could no longer continue its watch. it lowered its head and looked down at the sturdy figure as an iron tower. disdain engulfed its tone. ¡°one has trapped a frog in a well. do you know how big this world is? my lord¡¯s power is not something you can imagine¡­¡± alves finished speaking. it had suppressed its dragon might for a long time. alves¡¯s soul-devouring skill gushed out unscrupulously. the crimson power in its body exploded. it gave off a strong sense of oppression with its vast body. the surrounding air froze. popov glanced at the undead dragon before it. the danger it brought was equally intense, although the undead dragon¡¯s level was not as high as its. there was no need to say anything else. the undead dragon¡¯s mount alone could explain all. however, the tower race ruler would not hastily respond. it paused and tilted its head sparingly. it was like it listened to something. it turned afterward and stared at richard again. ¡°looks like we have a strong ally this time.¡± its tone suddenly became friendly. ¡°patriarch of the tower race, popov black tower, welcomes you.¡± richard nodded sparingly, apparently aware of the troops stationed outside the village. ¡°patriarch popov, lord of twilight city, richard.¡± popov¡¯s muffled voice resounded through the sky. ¡°lord richard, the plane power recognized those who can cross the river of recovery and enter the holy land. ¡°can you tell me why you are here? ¡°this is¡­ holy land?¡± richard looked at the dilapidated village. that made him speechless. these guys seemed down and out to a certain extent. ¡°this time, i¡¯m here to learn more about this world. especially about the spider temple in the central area.¡± ¡°our goal is to eliminate lolita¡¯s believers and cut off the evil goddess¡¯s tentacles¡­¡± he did not know much about the enemy this time, although he had conquered the spider temple. the strength of the other eleven churches, the number of troops other than the transcendents, and so on were all unknown. Chapter 707 he still has to verify the authenticity of the information, although the players massively gave him. after all, a group of prisoners knew sparingly. a piece of information astray in some maps could cause the situation to collapse. richard¡¯s words carried considerable weight with lolita¡¯s statue in his hand and the powerful troop outside the village. popov momentarily pondered and said slowly, ¡°this is an old grudge. lord richard, please follow me.¡± !! the patriarch turned around and walked towards the other side of the village. richard followed with a calm expression. he left alves to guard the place. popov had sensed all of this from their first meet. it had high regard for richard. ¡®this human lord is brave.¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the earth shook. richard followed popov through rows of vast houses and arrived before an ancient building. ten giant stone pillars supported the eaves. one has carved complicated patterns on them. time has left clear traces. it gave off the feeling of a religious shrine. they stepped inside and saw stone statues of the clan members stood both sides. a vast long table was at the center. twelve vast stone chairs beside it were as tall as two or three people. popov walked straight to the main seat. its one hand pressed on the giant stone chair, and its eyes looked at the stone statue beside it. ¡°these are the heroes of the tower race. they died in the war against the evil goddess invasion.¡± richard looked at the crudely made statues, but they were full of vigor and vitality, and he couldn¡¯t help but fall silent. the heroes who protected their race all had a touching and heroic elegy. ¡°but we can¡¯t hold on much longer¡­¡± popov¡¯s eyes were dull. ¡°the plane power is resisting the corrosion of the abyss, but it has been on the verge of exhaustion for countless years. ¡°the spiders would devour our last soil once we lost the protection of the plane power. that is the only consequence we expect. ¡°lolita would pull this plane into the abyss¡­ we would become a part of that extremely sinful place.¡± ¡°however, we no longer can organize a counterattack. a level 19 hero protected each spider church. the spider temple at the center bore transcendents!¡± indescribable despair engulfed its tone. popov grew increasingly weaker as it watched the evil spiders slaughter the tower race swiftly, one after another. the patriarch felt like thousands of nails pierced its heart in profound pain. in this world, the weak could only have their fates controlled by others. the tower race was the weak one before the evil eyes of spider goddess lolita. popov forcefully suppressed the emotions in its heart. it fathomlessly spoke after a few breaths. ¡°lord richard, the key lies in the spider temple if we want to eliminate those damn spiders. ¡°lolita used these churches to ruin the entire plane. ¡°these evil buildings are connected to the nodes of the plane. the spider temple is above the dimension stone. ¡°we can only destroy all the evil buildings if we want the entire plane to regain vitality.¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡®destroy all the buildings? ¡®that is not a simple matter.¡¯ thoughts spun in his mind, and he spoke slowly. ¡°patriarch popov, is the strength of the twelve spider churches the same? how many troops does the spider temple have? ¡°i need more information.¡± ¡°the spider temple sends all those guards to the churches. their strength is almost the same.¡± popov didn¡¯t hide anything and told him everything it knew. ¡°however, there are still three mobile units. these mobile units will immediately attack to protect the temple¡­ no one could escape the spiders¡¯ pursuit with their webs everywhere. ¡°i think the spiders are already on their way to the holy land.¡± popov momentarily paused to give richard a few seconds to digest its words before it continued. ¡°the power of the spider temple in the central area is unpredictable. according to the legend of the tower race, the goddess directly connected the spider temple to the 500th level of the bottomless abyss, the territory of the spider goddess lolita. every spider comes from the abyss.¡± ¡°however, our ancestors discovered a crucial piece of information¡­ the defeat of the 12 spider churches would restrict the space channel of the spider temple. that would prevent the enemy¡¯s reinforcements from a large-scale attack.¡± key mission information. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. this tower clan was indeed supremely vital. it would be much more arduous to topple the spider temple down if they did not come here and go directly to the spider temple. ¡°do you know anything about that transcendent?¡± ¡°wax demon. ¡°lolita created the evil creature. its body could melt like a candle, and the physical and magical damage it could cause was almost negligible. ¡°no one knows how to slay that monster¡­ the hero of the tower race had sacrificed countless people but still could not find a solution.¡± intense anger and helplessness engulfed popov¡¯s tone. ¡°that transcendent had murdered all of the tower race¡¯s dreams. ¡°countless heroes had been sacrificed at the hands of the enemy. ¡°how could i tolerate this?¡± popov would not hesitate to drag the enemy to hell with it, even if it would trade its life. if only that is possible. richard frowned. ¡°wax demon?¡± ¡°in the mythical teleportation of the ¡°shining era,¡± this soldier had accompanied lolita in its all-encompassing conquest and made a name for itself. richard pondered and solemnly said, ¡°patriarch popov, can you destroy the temple if i stall that wax demon?¡± he wanted to see what role the tower race played in this mission. he also wanted to see how powerful the tower race was. it was supremely vital for the next mission. popov fell silent. it turned to look at the rough stone statues beside it afterward. ¡°they are our helpers. ¡°as long as i have enough power to drive them, i can resurrect their souls and let the heroes of the tower race fight again.¡± ¡°resurrection¡­ what do you need?¡± ¡°tons of undead energy.¡± richard felt relieved. as expected, the system would not give useless things. Chapter 708 ¡°this is the power!¡± its tone was complicated. richard handed it to the patriarch. popov held the thumb-sized undead crystal like an ordinary person would hold a millet. it was too tiny. !! ¡°how many heroic spirit stone statues are there in total? how many of these crystals would be needed to revive them?¡± ¡°thirty-two¡­¡± popov turned around and scanned the hall. its head was embedded in the body with bulging muscles and had no neck. it could only see its surroundings every time it turned its body. ¡°each requires at least 1,000 of these crystals. the more of them there are, the stronger they would be when revived.¡± it spoke and gazed at the entrance. it saw a blurry and somewhat dilapidated giant stone statue. popov¡¯s tone was complicated. ¡°his excellency muken¡­ it requires ten times the amount of crystals.¡± every resurrected 1,000 crystals meant 32,000 crystals. it captured a church and obtained 3,000¡­ it was barely enough. richard¡¯s eyes flickered toward the figure at the door. ¡°what special background does that heroic spirit have?¡± respect engulfed popov¡¯s face. ¡°it is the most powerful hero of the tower race. it slaughtered a demigod with its transcendent body¡­ unfortunately, it had lost everything in the last battle. only a wisp of its soul sleeps in the stone statue, and he could no longer return to his previous state.¡± popov sounded excited again. ¡°if its excellency muken resurrects¡­ it could impede the wax demon!¡± richard looked at popov¡¯s complicated expression and took out the golden undead crystal he had obtained after the death of the level-19 void weaver. ¡°how much do we need to revive it with this crystal?¡± popov focused and momentarily said afterward, ¡°the power contained in this crystal is even higher¡­ ten would be enough!¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°let me settle this matter.¡± richard spoke and swept his gaze around. ¡°tower race, other than these heroic spirits, how many other forces could still fight?¡± there would be a lot of room for maneuvering in this battle if there were a few level 19 heroes like popov. popov shook its head and said bitterly, ¡°only 100 members of the tower race were left. and most were level 15. ¡°their strength would be weaker compared to the enemy. we could not allow them to join if we want to be confident to win the final battle, right?!¡± richard weighed from popov¡¯s sturdy body. the other troops of the tower race could be soul-strapping. ¡°fight for all the power you can.¡± popov said without hesitation. ¡°the tower race will do their best even if a sliver of confidence remains!¡± the sound of his five fingers clenched into fists rang out. why would they hide in the village like rats if they no longer have a chance? why did they not dare to step out of consciousness¡¯s protection? richard nodded. ¡°i look forward to a battle alongside the tower race!¡± the two discussed for a long time how to deal with the spider camp and eliminate the spider temple. they only ended the conversation half an hour later. popov fed richard more about the spider camp. richard has accurate plans in his heart now. the difficulty of conquering the spider temple was ridiculously intense, no matter how one looked at it. however, under immense pressure, he also ignited a strong will to fight. his goal was unwavering. richard momentarily pondered and seemed to have thought of something. he slowly said, ¡°patriarch popov, do you know about the heart of the god sealed in the spider temple?¡± richard had to get the god¡¯s heart back regardless if he cleared the mission. he would give up everything. that was the ultimate goal of his trip. ¡°god¡¯s¡­ heart?¡± puzzlement shrouded popov¡¯s eyes. it said hesitantly, ¡°there aren¡¯t many records of this in the ancient books of the tower race. they only mentioned one thought. one had once sacrificed a god¡¯s heart before the statue of the spider goddess.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°sacrifice?¡± ¡°this evil goddess liked to do such things.¡± ¡°tower race, have you seen those seals?¡± ¡°we have lost the relevant information.¡± popov shook its head and probingly spoke. ¡°why is a god¡¯s heart so important to you? ¡°the other guys¡­¡± the players who had come to the village before richard mentioned this. ¡°this is the request of a deceased friend.¡± richard whispered. ¡°his body has a huge problem. only the heart of a god can restore his vitality.¡± popov didn¡¯t ask too much and said directly. ¡°i¡¯ll do my best to help you retrieve the god¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°however, i hope you can do your best to help us expel these damned believers of the evil goddess.¡± popov didn¡¯t care about treasures. the tower race only had one goal¡­ survive. the patriarch would take its life as long as it could drive the abyss away, allow this plane to recover, and level up again. richard nodded. ¡°popov, twilight city has always done its best for its friends.¡± popov solemnly extended its thick and sturdy hand. ¡°the tower race has never let down its friends!¡± richard felt something and put his hand on the man¡¯s finger. high five. an eight meters tall behemoth waved a high-five to an ordinary person. this scene seemed inexplicably out of place, but at this moment, the solemn expressions on both sides made the scene seem natural. Chapter 709 that was directly related to the survival of one party. a crisp horn sounded from the sky. ¡®wuuu!¡¯ !! the sound supremely penetrated and made people feel an inexplicable increase in psychological pressure. ¡°enemy attack?¡± the word suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s mind, and he subconsciously turned to look at popov. popov solemnly spoke before richard could ask. ¡°those spiders, the seeker left them behind¡­ they are here.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡®why did they come so quickly?¡¯ the speed of those spiders exceeded his expectations. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the sound of a heavy hammer that struck a drum rang in his ears. the drumbeats made people¡¯s blood boil. richard felt a strange power on his body. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. there was a new buff on it. [drum of excitement] [all troop attributes were increased by 20%. the morale was increased by 50%.] ¡®a strategic treasure.¡¯ popov strode out of the hall afterward. richard waved his hand, and the sand around him suddenly condensed. that made him float in the air and fly away. he returned to the central square. richard sat on alves, who had waited for a long time. he commanded the undead dragon to fly in the air and follow popov out of the village. he neared the dried-up river. the fierce collision on the field immediately drew his attention. the spider troop was like a tidal wave that rushed toward them from the dried-up river. they consisted mainly of abyssal spidermen. vast troops, more than five meters long, were also there. seven-colored spots shrouded their bodies. these newly emerged spiders were of the same level as the abyssal spidermen. they were all crown troops and had top-notch battle power of level 15. they stepped on the spider web and quickly crossed the river. they pounced toward the shore. the colorful spiders covered the ground as far as the eye could see. it gave people a strong visual impact. they were savage but could not break through the tower race defense line. that surprised richard the most. the enemy would quickly collapse once they climbed onto the riverbank. it was like someone took their bones away. richard focused in bewilderment and realized that an invisible hammer would attack their souls as soon as they stepped onto the shore. they could not withstand the power and would directly shatter. that was¡­ the plane power. richard understood. he no longer wondered why those spiders had ignored this place. fear even engulfed them. one can describe this kind of defense as exaggerated¡­with the protection of the plane power. but popov appeared unhappy at this moment. grave engulfed its gaze as it watched the spidermen rushed to the river bank. ¡°lord richard, we can¡¯t let those damn spiders continue attacking. the plane power pays the price for each spiderman we slay.¡± ¡°the plane power is on the verge of collapse. it has no more energy left.¡± [ding~ you have triggered an incident!] [the spider army has launched their final attack on the tower race¡¯s holy. the plane power would collapse if it couldn¡¯t withstand the plane power.¡± [please, help the tower race deal with the enemy.] [mission reward: a heroic spirit stone statue can bring you out of the dungeon.] ¡°an incident?¡± richard saw the system prompted, and that piqued his interest. moreover, the reward was also tempting. a heroic spirit stone statue could bring him out of the dungeon¡­ he just didn¡¯t know if he could choose muken¡¯s. this reward would be profitable if he could choose. he turned his head and looked at the sandstorm that covered the sky hundreds of meters away. ¡°all troops attack and annihilate the enemy outside the village. no spiders are allowed to enter the tower race¡¯s holy land!¡± a cold voice resounded through the sky. the sandstorm in the distance immediately moved. it whizzed down and swept toward the spider troop on the ground. the yellow sand quickly blinded the spider troop that attacked. they suddenly realized¡­ giant thorns appeared one after another in the yellow sand just as the battle brimmed them with rage. the express delivery was like an arrow shot from a ballista with the help of the strong wind. that directly made them experience pain. their sturdy skeletons were as fragile as paper against the giant thorns, and this sandstorm was invisible. the enemies could only use their long knives and sharp swords to split the sand if they wanted to retaliate. they wasted a lot of stamina and couldn¡¯t cause any damage to the sandstorm. that was the excruciating result. the sandstorm controllers, who could counter physical attacks, showed the spiders what a natural disaster was. the sandstorm controller¡¯s attacks were ferocious, and the other troops were not idle either. the skeleton blood dragons spat out dozens of meters-long tongues of fire. the terrifying corrosive properties devoured everything. the guardian mummies tore the spears in their hands through the sky. they became as accurate as sniper rifles as they killed each spider without the layers of spider webs that could obstruct them. there were also the battle tomahawks of the stone statues of the dead and the invisible sabers of the king of the imperial troop. they were able to suppress the ferocious spidermen. richard looked on calmly. he had seen such battles countless times, and it was difficult for him to feel too much turmoil in his heart. however, he was still satisfied with the strength of twilight city. that was the troop he single-handedly forged! ****** ¡ª¡ª unable to withstand the power, it directly shattered. that was¡­the will of the plane. richard understood. no wonder those spiders had ignored this place and were even filled with fear. with the protection of the plane will, this kind of defense could only be described as exaggerated¡­ but at this moment, popov didn¡¯t look happy. watching wave after wave of spiders rushes up the river bank, his gaze was full of seriousness. ¡± sir richard, we can¡¯t let those damn spiders continue attacking. every time we kill a spider, the plane will will pay the price¡­¡± ¡°the will of the plane on the verge of collapse has no more energy left.¡± ¡°ding~you have triggered an emergency¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C¡± ¡°the spider army has launched their final attack on the tower clan¡¯s holy land. if they can¡¯t withstand it, the plane will will collapse.¡± ¡± please help the tower race deal with the enemy.¡± ¡°mission reward: a heroic spirit stone statue (can be brought out of the dungeon)¡± an emergency? richard¡¯s interest was piqued when he saw the system prompt. moreover, the reward was also interesting. a heroic spirit stone statue that could bring him out of the dungeon¡­he just didn¡¯t know if the statue of his holiness muken could be chosen¡­ if he could choose, this business would be quite profitable. he turned his head and looked at the sandstorm that covered the sky hundreds of meters away. ¡°all troops, attack and annihilate the enemy outside the village. no spiders are allowed to enter the tower clan¡¯s holy land!¡± a cold voice resounded through the sky. the sandstorm in the distance immediately moved. it whizzed down and swept toward the spider army on the ground. the spider army that was attacking crazily was instantly blinded by the yellow sand. just as they were burning with rage from this sudden attack, they suddenly realized¡­giant thorns appeared one after another in the yellow sand. with the help of the strong wind, the express delivery was like an arrow shot from a ballista. it directly made them experience pain. their sturdy skeletons were as fragile as paper against the giant thorns, and this sandstorm was invisible. if they wanted to fight back, they could only use their long knives and sharp swords to split the sand. the result was that he wasted a lot of stamina, and he couldn¡¯t cause any damage to the sandstorm. the sandstorm controllers, who could counter physical attacks, showed the spiders what a natural disaster was. the sandstorm controller¡¯s attacks were ferocious, and the other armies were not idle either. the skeletal blood dragon spat out tongues of fire that were dozens of meters long. the terrifying corrosive properties devoured everything. the spears in the hands of the mummy guards tore through the sky. without the layers of spider webs obstructing them, they became as accurate as sniper rifles as they killed one by one. in addition, there was the battle-ax of the stone statue of the dead and the invisible saber of the king of the imperial army. the ferocious spider army was immediately suppressed. richard looked on calmly. he had seen such battles countless times, and it was difficult for him to feel too much turmoil in his heart. however, he was still satisfied with the strength of twilight city. that was the army he had single-handedly forged! ****** Chapter 710 barbs grew from its wrist to its shoulder. its head was tiny, and its muscles were like steel. indescribable power filled them. ¡®bang!¡¯ the patriarch landed in the river and crushed a colorful giant spider. !! the green liquid splattered more than ten meters high. ¡®roar!¡¯ popov released a fierce roar and bent its body forward. it slanted its arms to the side. its muscles contained infinite power and surged. it transmitted power to its legs. its vast body wantonly moved. it was like a heavy tank and charged fiercely at the enemy before it. a shocking scene appeared. the barbs on its arms and shoulders became the ram due to its vast body size. that caused a unique siege. the patriarch smashed the spider troop that blocked into pieces! it was a soul-tormenting smash! popov¡¯s ferocious body charged at high speed. it carved out a broken limb death path with unstoppable momentum. it crushed all wherever it passed, whether the abyssal spidermen or the giant spiders with colorful patterns on their bodies. the soul-crushing posture was like a giant rhino gone insane. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the dried-up river left behind vast footprints that reached their knees. popov killed its way through the spider troop with an unstoppable force under the gazes of the onlookers. it crashed into the other dried-up riverbank with a boom. it smashed through the mud and gravel that piled up like tofu. gravel flew everywhere, and a large area collapsed. dust flew up and blurred enemies¡¯ visions. richard saw a tower race warrior fight for the first time. this violent stance made him speechless. they would be ten times stronger than the human heavy cavalry if there were three to five hundred of them. that was too brutal! ¡®hualala!¡¯ tons of rubble flew. popov reappeared in their sight. yellow sand now covered the tower race¡¯s hero because too many spiders green blood stained the hero that rushed to the riverbank. it lived like the earth¡¯s elements, famous and corrupt. popov¡¯s two fierce hands raised the warhammer and smashed it at the surrounding spider troop. it waved the weapon directly and caused the air to explode and emit an ear-piercing whistle. the abyssal spidermen before it wanted to take it head-on. ¡®clang!¡¯ the weapons of these monsters shattered when the giant warhammers collided with their swords. the giant warhammer did not reduce strength and directly smashed into the other party¡¯s body. ¡®crack!¡¯ the body with the sturdy exoskeleton exploded like a stone hit an egg. no one had the chance to retaliate after popov slayed an abyssal spiderman with a single warhammer strike. the patriarch smashed dozens of enemies. it was still enraged. it raised its giant warhammer with a roar. it used a single hand, and its body spun like a top. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the ear-piercing sound of air resounded in the eardrums. one seemed to have thrown and crushed the surrounding spiders into a meat grinder. its battle stance was so fierce that even amazed richard, who had experienced countless bloody battles. ¡°tower race¡­ how fierce.¡± unfortunately, the warrior hero controlled the direction of a battle. the spiders were innumerable, although popov was ferocious. there were enemies one or two top-notch warrior heroes could not sufficiently stop. the twilight city troop bore most of the pressure. the players also provided long-range support after the players at the back unloaded on the riverbank. the players¡¯ strength was far greater than previously. that was after they realized the spiders could not go ashore and guaranteed their safety. these idiots were noisy, but they often had a lot of good stuff on them. although battle power was not as good as richard¡¯s, it was not a problem for them to deal with ordinary hero units of the same level. the war had reached an extremely intense state from the very beginning. perhaps, it was because of the ruin of the spider temple. or perhaps, it was because the tower race sensed that the last line of their defense, the plane power, was about to end. the spider troop launched increasingly fiercer attacks. the battle climaxed in the sky above the three spider churches, where the void weavers fell. the void weaver could crawl into the void. its abdomen could shoot out poisonous and sticky spider webs. the number exceeded one large group of void weavers and crawled all over the dried-up river. that immediately gave everyone heavy psychological pressure. anyone who saw the giant spiders in the sky would feel uncomfortable. moreover, these were all level 16 radiant moon soldiers! the players initially immersed comfortably in their safety and the hope to harvest monsters happily, but finally were terrified when they saw the scene. ¡°f*ck! how could they play outrageously this time?¡± ¡°three churches¡­ f*ck! these f*cking spiders don¡¯t care about martial arts!¡± ¡°my f*cking scalp is sparingly numb¡­¡± ¡°can boss qingqiu handle this multitude?¡± several players were wonder-stricken. the players would have been ready to profit if not for the absolute power richard had shown in the last battle. facing one spider church at a time was not facing three at a time. that was when they saw a void weaver hero hover above every spider church. they felt headaches. it was true that boss qingqiu could quickly slaughter a void weaver, but it was a powerful skill that had a long cooldown. however, bravery would still fill their spirits no matter how worried and terrified they were, as long as they could see the figure shrouded in the yellow sand. ¡°so what if there were three spider churches? boss qingqiu was not worried, so what could they be afraid of??¡± popov looked at the void weaver in the dried-up river above its head with an ugly expression. the tower race was not afraid of any opponents when they fought on land. however, their power could not reach the sky! that was the tower race¡¯s greatest weakness. that was the silk that the spiders shot out and had an enormous restraining effect on them. as pure warriors, the tower race did not have many ways to deal with these enemies. they had planned for countless years, but in the end, they could only hide in a small village. that was the most direct reason. the tower race hero pondered and turned around. it stared at the figure that rode the undead dragon in the sky above the village. the emotions in its eyes were complicated. that human overlord now held the fate of the tower race. the enemy¡¯s troop was not weak but could hardly resist the three spider churches and their soldiers. twilight city troops saw the void weaver had invaded the sky above the river and immediately slowed down and sighed. they had to be clever and strategic no matter how numerous their plans were. the enemy had come too early. popov gripped its warhammer. it turned around and leaped onto the riverbank. it charged toward the spider church before it with a roar. the tower race were not cowards even if they died this time. they would fight on the battle road until they die!! its body leaned forward again. it sieged under the watchful eyes of the players behind it. ¡°that level 19 hero is the npc of this village? that guy is so fierce. is it going to take on the spider churches alone?¡± ¡°this is better than¡­ was it going to deliver its head? why did boss qingqiu allow it¡­¡± ¡°so strong, even its fingers are thicker than my arm.¡± the battlefield didn¡¯t change because of popov¡¯s actions. the power of the three spider churches and the soldiers was several times stronger than that of a single one. that suppressed the attack on twilight city. richard silently watched the scene, but there was no movement. the ultimate move the players looked forward to seemed to have entered a long cooldown¡­ popov had the mentality of a dead man. its power rose to another level. it stepped on the enemy¡¯s corpses and fiercely rushed into the church door afterward. none of the lords who attempted was able to hinder the patriarch. the heavy tank crashed into the bodies of flesh and blood. blood and flesh flew everywhere. that was the only result. popov suddenly became the center of the battlefield. its vast body and focused target attracted the attention of the spider troop. that enormously reduced the pressure on the front line. but popov couldn¡¯t be happy. it immediately sensed three fierce auras locked onto it as it rushed to the temple in the central area. hero, a level 19 hero¡­ it looked up and saw three giant spiders in the sky that stared at it with dark eyes. the coldness in its eyes was like ten thousand years of solid ice. popov stared at the giant spiders fearlessly. the tiny eyes revealed an even more ferocious expression. it ignored the other party. it directly pounced on the church. this provocative action had thoroughly provoked the void weaver hero. its abdomen suddenly spat out silk. its body that fell into the void quickly glided. in the blink of an eye, it fell from the 100-meter-tall spider web to less than 20 meters from the ground. they formed a triangle and surrounded popov. popov felt the pressure rise sharply. at this moment, it seemed to see the notes of the grim reaper. it laughed sinisterly and prepared to fight the three giant spiders of the same level as it in the enemy¡¯s hinterland. as long as it could kill two of them¡­ that could preserve the village. ¡®lord richard must be confident that he could kill one¡­ to be able to capture a church.¡¯ it thought about how to fight next. suddenly, the ground rumbled. then, everyone could hear a series of exclamations across the noisy battlefield. it turned around subconsciously. a towering tree at the edge of the battlefield emitted an evil and dark aura that moved the roots of the old dragon and surged over in an unstoppable manner. wherever the giant tree passed, dozens of steel-like roots waved wildly. that made popov¡¯s heart tremble. the spider troop blocked the way before it and directly turned into broken limbs, like a long knife that cut hays. its body was already vast. it appeared dwarf when it saw the giant evil tree. ¡°what¡¯s this??¡± intense curiosity and doubt rose in popov¡¯s mind. it had only heard that elves could herd trees¡­ however, this life form that emitted such an evil aura simply exceeded the limits of its imagination. the god¡¯s ancient tree brought pressure exaggeratedly. one that combined the power of rotten authority and the aura of the giant twisted human-faced tree was the most remarkable. it made the spider troop feel an indescribable pressure. it was as if they faced the ruler of the abyss who controlled the lives of countless demons. two of the three void weaver heroes immediately pulled out their spider silk and climbed into the air. ¡®ssss!¡¯ a sharp roar made most void weavers change direction and charge toward the evil tree. popov slayed the surrounding spider troop while it paid close attention to the battle ahead. it saw two void weaver heroes charge forward. it led a vast number of troops to surround them. but in the next second. its mind trembled. that evil tree. Chapter 711 the players at the back widened their eyes in disbelief. the impact was no less than popov¡¯s. ¡°what just happened?¡± the giant twisted human-faced tree that had not attacked all only glared at the two level 19 spider heroes. they were so scared and did not move until the ancient abomination tree sucked them dry!! !! ¡°wasn¡¯t this too fucking against the rules?¡± they expected an intense battle when they saw the god¡¯s ancient tree charge into the battlefield. but they did not expect such a situation to occur. that was the suppression of a higher life form against a lower life form. the lower form could not resist at all. the surrounding void weavers looked crazy after the two void weaver heroes¡¯ empty shells fell from the sky. they charged toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. they densely bent their abdomen and charged spider webs that glowed with green light. the vast body of the god¡¯s ancient tree was the best target. however, the spider webs did not cause any damage! that mostly terrified the void weavers. the spider webs that carried heavy stickiness and toxicity sprayed onto the god¡¯s ancient tree but only covered the trunk with a layer of outer clothing. the jagged bark was even more powerful than the heavy shields of human warriors. the poison could not corrode the bark at all. and the stickiness that enormously restricted ordinary life was like a joke before that vast body. treebeard exacerbated its fury when it saw the enemy still dared to charge over. ¡°a bug dared to provoke a dragon? ¡°how bold!¡± this boss no longer controlled the quicksand. it directly waved its dozens of vast roots and charged into the spider troop. at this moment, it was like a giant octopus with tentacles that crawled out of the deep sea. its terrifying posture was daunting. the players behind him were even more shocked¡­ the two level 19 heroes froze on the spot as soon as the giant twisted human-faced evil tree approached the monsters from the abyss. then, the giant tree roots would tear or devour their bodies apart. the ancient tree that emitted an endless dark aura was like a demon god that had descended into the world. no one could resist the treant lord¡­ [mind whisper (a-rank) ¡ª the god¡¯s ancient tree can use its spiritual power to influence the enemy¡¯s mind within a diameter of 100 meters. it could manipulate their will to succumb to their death.] [abominable word (glorious) ¡ª the aura of god¡¯s ancient tree could suppress any life it had watched within a 300-meter radius of the tree trunk. it could manipulate the non-divine life forms to succumb to their deaths.£© the outsiders could no longer imagine how exaggerated the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree possessed after two rounds of transformation. the god¡¯s ancient tree advanced and wantonly slaughtered the void weavers in the sky and crushed each of the abyssal spidermen and colorful giant spiders on the ground¡­ no one could stop the twisted human-faced evil tree. ¡°this big tree¡­ that was a foul.¡± ¡°how could it easily slay level 15 or 16 soldiers?!! how could not a level 19 spider hero not resist and retaliate??¡± ¡°qingqiu¡­ you¡¯re awesome!¡± the players at the back exclaimed. they discovered something that shocked them even more immediately afterward¨Cafter the god¡¯s ancient tree paved its way into the spider camp, it severely rotted all the corpses it passed by in a dozen breaths. these rotten corpses absorbed the fragments of energy the human-faced evil tree emitted. this scene was like a mural that depicted the primitive rituals of the ancient gods. it gave people a strong visual impact. ¡°i¡¯m going to cry. what were you worried about just now? you were worried we¡¯ll lose¡­¡± ¡°in the future, even if someone tells me that qingqiu is the illegitimate son of some god, i would still believe qingqiu!¡± the players momentarily felt numb when they saw the soul-crushing disposition of the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was like it had entered a no man¡¯s land. they initially felt hopelessness with the sudden appearance of three churches¡­ the churches seemed just f*cking free lunch! qingqiu was already insane enough. and now a level 19 spider hero could not even resist and retaliate at the advent of the giant twisted human-faced evil tree! they could no longer know what to exclaim! the players could only cry out in envy and jealousy in their hearts. of course, more people were still happy. the pillar of support had risen. that meant there was at least a chance of survival in the instance dungeon. that was the most important thing. the god¡¯s ancient tree did not slow down because of anyone. it headed straight for the three churches on the ground. it blocked popov before the church, and the soul-crushing posture made the patriarch of the tower race waver. that was a true expert! the tower race was far inferior to the other party. this top-notch existence that had already surpassed the scope of ordinary bosses paved its way to the spider church in the west with a soul-devouring attitude. that directly triggered the spider troops¡¯ sensitive nerves. the void weaver hero left behind to deal with popov hung upside down in the sky. it repeatedly hissed like a sharp knife that slashed through the glass. the spider troop that still attacked the tower races¡¯ village suddenly stopped. they suddenly turned around and charged toward the god¡¯s ancient tree like a flood. twilight city troops were shocked when the enemies turned around while enraged in a fierce battle a second ago. they only returned to their senses when they saw the ancient abomination tree. they immediately attacked from behind. the spider troop advanced to surround the ancient abomination tree while the twilight city troops attacked from behind. Chapter 712 no one had expected that this ancient abomination tree could decide the course of this battle¡­ however, the god¡¯s ancient tree still ran amok, no matter how many spiders swarmed over. the dozens of mighty and terrifying tentacles made the ancient abomination tree change expression. the void emitted bursts of explosive sounds as they waved. the players hundreds of meters away even felt their hearts go numb. !! it would be difficult for one struck by a tree root to resist a complete corpse, let alone survive. their eyes turned fiery envious as they watched the qingqiu troops slaughter the spider troops without restraint. that was a real battle! not unlike them, all they could do was hide and shoot from behind. that was simply unbearable. bitterness filled their hearts. they had worked so hard, but in the end, they could not even compare to a single subordinate of qingqiu¡­ no. one could not say compare. they are incomparable. those amidst the battle felt like half a century had passed since the start of the war. however, it had only been a few minutes since the god¡¯s ancient tree had arrived at the center of the battlefield and had effortlessly manipulated the spider troop to succumb to non-resistance, non-retaliation, and death. the appearance of the god¡¯s ancient tree shortly turned the tide in favor of twilight city. the ancient abomination tree invincibly paved its way to the threshold of the spider temple church under the obstruction of the spider troop. the 80-meter-tall 30-meter-tall temple was nearly three times taller than¡­ then, the boss did something that made the spider army¡¯s eyes pop. more than a dozen tree roots rose from the ground. they brought sand and gravel that filled the sky. they were like siege weapons that whipped down on the spider temple. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®crack!¡¯ deafening sounds of collision rang out as rocks and giant trees flew everywhere. large cracks appeared on the sturdy spider temple. it beheaded the spider statue lying on the roof. gravel flew dozens of meters high. the treant lord from afar proudly stood before the spider temple. the other party desecrated their faith! all the spiders were in a state of berserk. they no longer cared about anything else. it was as if a dam had collapsed, and a flood poured from the sky. they swallowed everything. the void weavers in the sky no longer just spat out spider silk. each crawled up and directly rushed to the crown of the ancient abomination tree. the players at the back could not help but click their tongues. that was because the branches of the giant twisted human-faced evil tree could not kill them all after countless spiders swarmed forward. the densely packed spiders climbed onto the body of the ancient abomination tree like locusts. these ferocious bugs drowned the nearly hundred-meter-tall tree. the poisonous thorns bit wildly. and the eight spear-like limbs waved continuously. the orc¡¯s berserk spell could have enhanced its soul-grinding posture. thousands of spiders drowned the god¡¯s ancient tree under the thick dark clouds of the sky. this scene had an enormous visual impact. in the end, every tree trunk and root crawled with spiders. the spider successfully restrained the god¡¯s ancient tree despite its infinite power. the human wave tactic drowned this top-tier boss¡­ after all, these were level 15 or 16 top-tier soldiers, not some random tom, dick, and harry. popov looked at the shocking scene before it and frowned. ¡°that was fatal!¡± they did not step forward to help but instead changed their direction and charged toward the spider temple. the enemies besieged its comrades. it could not hold them back. it had to attract more of the enemies¡¯ attention! in a frenzy, they charged into the spider temple. the spiders could not stand the bull¡¯s charge without the void weaver hero to stop the enemies. it directly smashed any spider that blocked its way into pieces under the swing of its giant warhammer. the scene looked equally fierce. countless spiders starkly shrouded the ancient abomination tree just as popov charged into the spider temple. that restricted its movements in the eyes of the players. suddenly, one emitted a putrid smell. in the next second, the power spread out and enveloped a radius of 100 meters. the spiders that launched the craziest attacks on the god¡¯s ancient tree felt a sharp pain on the surface of their bodies. then, they quickly felt pain from the outside to the inside. they felt that their power evaporated while they breathed. then, they could not bite the god¡¯s ancient tree or move! a void weaver felt the pain and turned to look at its companion. then, it was horrified to find that its companion rotted. yes, they rotted. they were like a corpse placed there for more than ten days. an unbearable stench entered the organs that could distinguish smells. it felt uncomfortable. ¡°what happened?¡± the void weaver horrifically discovered that its vision had become blurry. it gradually lost control of its body, and its eight limbs turned motionless. the excruciating pain surged into its heart from the surface of its body. it subconsciously wanted to roar, warn, and vent. however, it could not even make a sound at this moment. it felt the pain, and its consciousness gradually blurred¡­ in just a few blinks of the eye, it completely lost its perception of the outside world and fell into an eternal slumber. those spiders were within a hundred meters of the god¡¯s ancient tree and seemed to have been placed in a humid hot and humid place for one to two months after they died. the initially fierce and mighty corpses had now become extensively rotten. a chill ran down their spines when the players saw this scene. ¡°what the hell was that?¡± Chapter 713 countless highly rotten corpses of giant spiders dripped with mucus on the god¡¯s ancient tree. one could hear the stench from hundreds of meters away. the giant tree that rampaged in all directions seemed to have crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in hell. it symbolized death, destruction, and all evil. !! even the craziest followers of the evil god would find it difficult to describe such an abomination. they could not imagine what kind of power it was that could turn thousands of spiders into rotten corpses in a few breaths. gods? or¡­ demons? the players felt like their brains were stuck. they had initially thought they overestimated the other party, but in the end, they still underestimated it¡­ they could not consider the highly decayed corpses wasted. instead, they turned them into pure energy, and the god¡¯s ancient tree devoured them. at the same time, blood-colored fruits rapidly grew like balloons on the withered tree crown without leaves. the blood-colored fruit burst open, and blood-colored wasps over 50 centimeters in size spread their wings and flew away under the players¡¯ astonished gazes. crown 3-stars soldier, level 15 slaughter wasp. ¡°this tree could breed wasps? the players widened their eyes. they overturn the worldview. ¡°could it be that qingqiu did not recruit those wasps that flew in the sky? but soldiers that came from this tree?¡± envy, jealousy, and hatred were emotions arduous to describe¡­ it was one thing for him to have soul-crushing battle strength, but he could also f*cking slay his soldiers. was there any justice in this world?? where did qingqiu recruit this guy from? they could have gotten one too! the god¡¯s ancient tree incessantly fought. the fruit bred the slaughter wasps after they devoured the rotten corpses. the tree roots continuously swung. they smashed toward the spider temple below. the cracks that had initially appeared exploded increasingly by inch under the terrifying power. the giant twisted human-faced evil tree incessantly tore the spider temple into pieces under everyone¡¯s gaze¡­ the players didn¡¯t notice that after the tree root went deep into the ruins. a head-sized statue rolled out. then, countless tiny tree roots grew out and wrapped around the statue. one could not see from the outside. ¡°one could just slaughter a spider temple just like that??¡± the players at the back looked at the collapsed buildings and were still in a daze. ¡°that was the spider temple, a top-tier region with terrifying defensive strength. ¡°had the battle unit of qingqiu destroyed it?¡± the emotions in their hearts were indescribable. they believed that after a series of battles, they had a higher tolerance for qingqiu¡¯s power. however, at this moment, the sharpness displayed by the other party still shocked them. that was qingqiu¡­ richard saw that when the god¡¯s ancient tree destroyed the spider temple, it tightly held the ancient god statue. however, that terrifying divine aura did not reappear even after the temple collapsed. that made him bewildered. didn¡¯t lolita come to every church? richard pondered, and the spider troop on the battlefield fell into extreme madness because of the temple destruction. they did not care if the god¡¯s ancient tree could turn everyone into rotten corpses. they pounced forward once again amidst the waves that surged. they would not rest until one of them died. ¡°blasphemers should all die!¡± and this time, the god¡¯s ancient tree could not hide it anymore. the power of the rotten authority covered an area of 100 meters. it would quickly gnaw away the spiders that got close. as the terrifying roots waved, they carried an even denser rotten power. the corrosive power would instantly devour after injury even if it did not destroy the spider. the scene looked like the grim reaper that harvested souls wantonly. the devoured flesh and blood gave birth to more slaughter wasps. the more he fought, the braver he became. thousands of slaughter wasps in the sky formed a blood-colored cloud and swarmed toward the void weaver. these slaughter wasps were different from the poisonous wasps. their battle style was fierce and violent. the wings flashed and relied on the advantage of numbers and size that directly hunted the target. the poisonous tail thorn was the nightmare of all life. the void weaver¡¯s massive size was both an advantage and a disadvantage. the killing wasps would usually kill one in a hundred. they would see the body of the opponents covered in dense needle holes after a few rounds of attacks. the slaughter wasps¡¯ thorns were triangular and rhombus-shaped. o the flesh of the opponent¡¯s body would roll and tear once they pierced into it. moreover, the poison it secreted would prevent healing. they are the scythes of death. however, the void weavers were not to be hunted by them. their spider webs had a significant restraining effect on such small and large numbers of soldiers. they would gain something every time they would shoot out the spider web. the strong stickiness could make the slaughter wasp lose mobility and fall to the ground. the losses were even more enormous than void weaver¡¯s. however, the source of the slaughter wasps was the god¡¯s ancient tree. one could produce the slaughter wasps endlessly as the other party did not fall. it devoured the corpses while it hatched to replenish itself. the number of slaughter wasps still increased rapidly even though a large number of them died. the god¡¯s ancient tree arrived in front of the second church. the number of slaughter wasps had already exceeded 2,000. two thousand crown 3-stars wasps surged in the sky. they formed a thick blood cloud. Chapter 714 the slaughter wasps tore them apart and injected them with poison under the absolute number. they destroyed the city after the ruin of the second spider church. less than a large group of spiders remained on the battlefield. the situation was under absolute control. !! popov, while in a sorry state, stood at the center of the battlefield and watched the twilight city troop slaughter the spider troop under the leadership of the god¡¯s ancient tree. its expression was excited and sad. it had dreamed of doing that thing. but one outside its camp did it. however, it was too late. its former comrades and other comrades could not witness this scene. the tower race patriarch sighed and collected its emotions. popov raised its warhammer again. ¡°kill!¡± the tower race soldiers who had passed away had become a thing of the past. popov was still alive. and the tower race would win this battle! it would expel these evil god believers, and the tower race would yield!! at this moment, the god¡¯s ancient tree had already approached the last spider church. that kind of fierce stance that could sweep away everything made all the players realize what true top-notch battle power was. one soldier suppressed an entire army! there was not the slightest bit of moisture! the spider troop still put up a final stubborn resistance under the command of the void weaver hero. but no matter how mighty their power was, they could not resist the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s horizontal push. the only weakness of this invincible champion was that it was afraid of being kited from a distance. but now, the spider troop does not have long-range attack methods and could not kite the ancient abomination tree. they could only engage in positional warfare and clash head-on with it. the last remaining level-19 void weaver hero saw the god¡¯s ancient tree pave its way before the third church. the spider hero could no longer suppress the anger in its heart. ¡°*& amp;*%%&*!!¡± a soul-stirring incantation resounded throughout the world. pitch black pressure cluttered afterward. a giant hand seemed to stir the dark clouds in the sky. a strong wind suddenly blew around them. a terrifying aura rose in the last spider church. the pressure on the void weaver hero instantly increased by a hundredfold. in a trance, everyone seemed to have seen a terrifying demon god tear the abyss apart. hundreds of players felt as if a vast rock pressed their chests. heaven and earth dimmed. everyone¡¯s eyes reflected the void weaver entrenched in the spider web. the scene suddenly fell into a dead silence. their pupils constricted afterward. dozens of roots of the twisted human-faced tree rushed into the sky under constant pressure. the roots tied up the void weaver. the aura of the spider hero skyrocketed like a dumpling under the watchful eyes of the crowd. the oppressive aura was ineffective against the twisted human-faced tree. at the same time, the rotten power surged out. the energy forcefully isolated the terrifying pressure that the other party emitted. ¡°king of decay??¡± the tied-up void weaver suddenly messed up. it turned around and sensed the existence of the god¡¯s ancient tree. endless anger that engulfed its sharp voice resounded in the void. ¡°damned worm, you dare to spy on my territory?¡± ¡°abyssal blasphemy!!¡± ancient elven language. the two languages overlapped and sounded simultaneously. that gave people a strong sense of dissonance and strangeness. ¡°the other party was furious!¡± ¡°spider goddess lolita?¡± the pressure richard felt instantly multiplied, and his pupils constricted. he subconsciously activated the ancient god statue. a dark light enveloped his body and immediately drove alves to fly forward. he absolutely could not let the other party attack! that was an existence that could make the abyss tremble! however, the void weaver hero in the sky suddenly froze when alves flew into the dried river. it lowered its head to look. the roots that bound it ignored the divine might that could cause people¡¯s souls to collapse and forcefully pierce into their bodies. ¡®coo!¡¯ it quickly sucked its strength like a straw. it was shocked and angry. ¡°king of decay¡­ how bold!¡± richard abruptly stopped alves, which caused the dragon hero to hover. at this moment, it could feel through the power of the yellow sand that the rotten authority resisted the divine power of the spider goddess lolita¡­ that was a collision between two different levels. lolita, who had just possessed the void weaver, only had the void weaver¡¯s power. the rotten authority restricted the divine power after the god¡¯s ancient tree blocked it. then, the god¡¯s ancient tree sucked it dry into an empty shell under everyone¡¯s gaze. the ferocious spider could not use its skills. it showed an extremely distorted expression when its power dissipated. ¡°worms¡­ wait for my revenge¡­ i will let you know what pain is!!¡± the angry and violent abyssal blasphemy and the ancient elven language echoed for dozens of kilometers. all the living beings in the surroundings felt their souls shook. they were like canoes in the middle of vast waves that could quickly capsize. that was the power of another world, the pressure of the chief sovereign of the edicts. ¡®plop!¡¯ the void weaver hero¡¯s empty shell fell from the sky and smashed into the corpses. it sent broken limbs flying. from the beginning to the end, the existence that made the abyss tremble could not unleash an attack. the players at the rear didn¡¯t know about this battle. the most thrilling collision had happened in just a few breaths. they only saw the void weaver hero wanted to slay with exploding seeds but got killed easily. the god¡¯s ancient tree startled them. they praised the abomination tree in their hearts. their legs would probably go weak if they knew the secret¡­ that was a god, the ultimate existence of this world. the situation was no longer in suspense after the hero of the void weavers fell. the god¡¯s ancient tree directly used its roots to flatten the last spider church¡­ richard¡¯s emotions still immersed him in the resistant retreat of lolita when the building suddenly collapsed. suddenly, a familiar notification rang. [ding~ you have commanded your troop to stop the spider troop¡¯s attack and have achieved a glorious victory. your troops have slayed several void weavers, abyssal spidermen, and poisonous spiders. you have obtained 6,530 undead crystals.] [you have slayed two level-19 void weaver heroes and obtained two gold undead crystals. you also have slayed the level-19 void weaver that lolita possessed, the spider goddess, and you have harvested a glorious undead crystal.] [you have gained 300,000 experience points.] [ding~ you have won the battle of guardians. you have won the friendship and respect of the tower race.] [ding~ you have obtained a heroic spirit stone statue. please find the leader of the tower race¨Cpopov black tower to receive it.] [ding~ the victory of the battle of the guardians has alerted the spider troop. please, take note.] [ding~ you have obtained a wisp of remnant divine power from the void weaver¡¯s corps.] Chapter 715 a battle had always been a means. the ultimate goal was to obtain the rewards after winning the war. the number of troops from the three spider churches was considerable, and more than 6,000 undead crystals were within expectations. however, the slay of the void weaver hero possessed by lolita and the glorious crystal glorious undead crystal were unexpected gains. richard valued the last hint¡­ he had obtained a trace of divine power from the other party¡¯s corpse. !! divine power was the core power of a god. to other players, it might be very ambitious or even unreachable. but it was not unusual to richard. the ruler of the 333rd level of the abyss was existence at this level, whether the kobold god or the king of decay. but this wisp of divine power belonged to the spider goddess lolita, unlike the others. the evil goddess dropped it when she instigated the war between the gods and caused the abyss to tremble. the feeling in his heart was still different. a familiar scene appeared after the system notification sounded. the spider¡¯s corpse on the ground began to turn into a green mist like a magnet sucked and condensed it together. richard was surprised to see this. those spider bodies that had become empty shells when the god¡¯s ancient tree absorbed them¡­ now, they had also turned into mist. the primary source of undead crystals was the soul, not the body. richard couldn¡¯t see anything after he momentarily stared at it. then, he shook his head. he looked at the void weaver hero that the spider goddess possessed without hesitation. the green mist condensed from the empty corpse was particularly eye-catching. one could vaguely sense a terrifying power in the mist if one would comprehend it carefully. the remnant of the might of the gods¡­ the remnant shen power was within. richard didn¡¯t rush forward and waited quietly for the mist to change. the mist that filled the battlefield shrank and turned into a thumb-sized undead crystal two to three minutes later. however, the area where the void weaver hero was was still quiet. the surrounding magic power still gathered toward the green mist. ten minutes later, the mist gradually shrank. richard, who had already put the other undead crystals into the system space, watched the scene silently. he advanced when there was no more green mist. richard looked closely, and the void weaver hero¡¯s corpse seemed to have dried for hundreds of years and broken apart into pieces. a colorful pearl on its head floated in the air. he sensed it carefully. one could see that the energy that surged inside was as violent as a tsunami. he could destroy everything within a hundred meters if he released all of them. a strand of power surrounded the energy and that thrilled richard even more. that was divine power. the spider goddess left this behind when she descended into the plane. richard opened the attribute panel while a thought spun in his mind. [spider divine power] [level: special] [special characteristic: the remnant divine power of the spider goddess lolita. it can enormously strengthen the potential of evil life forms. it has an additional effect on spiders.] [description: divine power is the core power of a god. it has infinite power.] ¡®enormously strengthen the potential of evil lifeforms?¡¯ that intrigued richard. however, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head when he turned around and looked at the undead troop around him. this item was good. but there were no spiders in twilight city. he could not enjoy the additional effect. however¡­ he seemed to have thought of something. he took out a head-sized statue from the system space. he could combine the twelve statues of the spider goddess lolita he had collected into a spider-type soldier. this thing was ready-made. he turned to look at the god¡¯s ancient tree at the side. ¡°treebeard, where¡¯s the statue you seized from the spider church?¡± treebeard took its roots from the ground and swayed its trunk again. it was not far away. the roots suddenly rose from the ground. treebeard slowly approached richard. ¡°lord, i hid them in the roots.¡± the tree roots spread like torn wrapping paper as the muffled sound fell. they exposed three statues of the spider goddess lolita into the air. richard sensed the evil aura and nodded in satisfaction. that must be good. richard had obtained three statues of the spider goddess lolita. he only needed to capture eight more spider churches with the one in his hand to get this special-type spider soldier out. the several troops in a nightmare mode dungeon, plus an s-rank mission¡­ this troop was worth looking forward to. the only downside was that this intense battle could not increase the level of the troops. the defensive battle to protect the tower race¡¯s holy land ended. richard did some calculations. he had gained six thousand undead crystals, two gold, and one glorious. in addition, he also obtained a wisp of spider divine power that could increase the potential of evil life forms. there was also the reward he had yet to pay¨Ca heroic spirit stone statue. he could bring this out of the dungeon in addition to the tower¡¯s favorability. in terms of losses¡­ richard glanced around. the timely appearance of the god¡¯s ancient tree in this battle attracted most of the firepower. in addition, the twilight city troops had the godly skill of turning into sand. the surrounded soldiers were immune to physical damage, and the enemy already gave up on them. therefore, there were no losses after the intense battle. richard could only sigh at the power of the skill. the advantages were incomparable since they did not encounter a troop of spellcasters. Chapter 716 that was too comfortable. he had been satisfied with the skill, and the most startling was that it could minimize the losses of twilight city. otherwise, with his previous intensive battle experience, the loss of the troop alone would have impoverished twilight city. the ¡°shining era¡± was not a safe time. the cost was massive, whether the players or the natives, as long as they started a battle. !! the most startling about twilight city was the sand transformation skill. it could reduce the consumption of resources to a minimum. it could save a massive amount of resources. that would allow twilight city to develop other areas instead of investing resources in the military. the reason why twilight city could develop so quickly was because of the direct relationship between them. richard retracted his thoughts and looked at the system notification a few more. the warning vastly dissipated the joy in his heart¡­ ¡°this battle had already aroused the vigilance of the spider troop. ¡°no, not just the spider troop, but also the spider goddess.¡± richard frowned when he recalled the brutal language of the void weaver after the god¡¯s ancient tree sucked its energy. ¡°one could not underestimate the nightmare mode difficulty of this dungeon, not to mention the s-rank mission retrieve a god¡¯s heart¡­ ¡°was lolita¡¯s arrival a combination of the two?¡± the more richard thought about it, the more he felt something wrong. defending tower race¡¯s holy land was not an easy task. just a thought of the three spider churches, more than 6,000 level 15 and 16 top-tier troops, and three level 19 heroes forces was enough to numb one¡¯s scalp. it also attracted the arrival of the spider goddess lolita. richard could have suffered heavy losses if not for the god¡¯s ancient tree, who transformed twice and obtained a trace of the rotten authority, even if he had overseen this war. perhaps, they could only hold on if they brought the thousands of people who had entered with them to guard the place if it were any other player. the difficulty of this mission was sparingly odd. the call from the side interrupted his thoughts. he turned his head and saw popov, the level 19 hero. the tower race patriarch looked at him with a fanatical expression. ¡°is that the aura of the spider goddess lolita? you¡­ you chased her away?¡± popov had seen the god¡¯s ancient tree slaughtered in all directions. the tower race patriarch was amazed and was in awe of it in its heart. however, popov did not expect that the ancient abomination tree truly sucked lolita, the ruler of the abyss, dry before her divine might after she descended! ¡®the abomination tree could fight against a god!¡¯ this thought stirred its mind, quickened its breath, and knocked its heart. it increasingly dried its mouth. popov thought the abomination tree¡¯s battle power was of a goddess who had descended to the mortal world, and it defeated three spider churches. but now, that abomination tree was much more than that.!! that was the spider goddess lolita! she was the ruler of the 500th level of the bottomless abyss, the main goddess of all spiders in the ¡°shining era¡±. she was soul-murdering existence that controlled the divine concepts of evil, darkness, and conspiracy. it was not something that mortals could hope to achieve even if the other party had descended and possessed a spider. that was perhaps the daughter of a dark evil god that had crawled out of the abyss. the other had high-level power!! ¡°no.¡± richard looked at the ruins of the three spider churches. ¡°the enemy had woken up. it will be even more difficult for us to find the ones we encounter next. ¡°that evil goddess would appear again.¡± the goddess of conspiracy was a vengeful being. that wouldn¡¯t be its character if it didn¡¯t retaliate. a bitter smile appeared on his face. he thought that was just the beginning of the s-rank mission. every step that followed could be a life-and-death crisis. it did not matter much to the boss with the hero¡¯s altar. however, the dungeon would wipe out all the troops in his hands if the goddess cleared it. it would dash his goal. that was unacceptable!! popov suddenly fell silent. popov sighed and sternly stared at richard. ¡°lord richard, the tower race still preserved a dark stone statue for a long time. the ancestors of the tower race once sealed a supremely soul-sucking evil existence in the stone statue. ¡°that possesses an extremely high level of power. our ancestor once said it could possess a wisp of divine power.¡± ¡°we could stall lolita when we attack the spider temple¡­ it would be best if we revive her, enslave her, and cooperate with your subordinates.¡± ¡°please, accept this stone statue.¡± ¡°dark stone statue?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°this was the reward the system mentioned if we survived the dungeon with it, right? that piqued his interest. the difficulty of the sudden mission to protect the tower race¡¯s holy land could be said to have broken through the heavens. the reward for the mission would be practical. popov took a deep breath and continued. ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry. we have sealed most of the stone statue¡¯s power, and¡­¡± as the patriarch spoke, it looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°we haven¡¯t used that stone statue for long because it requires tons of dark energy. the tower race is a pure warrior race, and they don¡¯t study magic.¡± popov said bitterly, ¡°because that stone statue is too old, ordinary power can no longer move it¡­ it needs the power of the abomination tree.¡± richard¡¯s interest grew. it required the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree to activate it. what the other party had just displayed was the rotten authority. that was the power of a god. ¡°popov, i have no reason to refuse.¡± Chapter 717 popov looked deeply at richard. then, the tower race patriarch slowly and respectfully bowed to him. ¡°lord richard, the tower race will always remember your sacrifice.¡± richard was now the tower race¡¯s savior, the only one who could save them. !! richard looked into its eyes. ¡°i won¡¯t let you down.¡± richard finished his words, and the relationship between the two advanced. they quickly cleaned the battlefield up. they found nothing in the ruined spider churches. richard didn¡¯t linger. he had his troops spread out and cleared out everything within a few dozen kilometers. he followed popov back to the village. richard didn¡¯t prevent the players at their entrance to the village after their request. the two returned to the hall where the tower race placed the stone statue. but richard saw several figures appear at the door before he could enter the room. these ¡®little fellows¡¯ were three to four meters tall. tenderness filled their faces. curiosity engulfed their eyes as they sized him up. richard looked around, and more than a hundred people were probably in the house. this scene stunned richard. these were the remaining members of the tower race that popov had mentioned. he no longer wondered there were no tower race warriors on the battlefield. only popov fought. there were only these little fellows in the entire race aside from popov. the mark of childish expression in their eyes could not reach the level of a battle soldier, although they were more gargantuan than humans. ¡®the tower race could still send hundreds of people to participate in the final battle because they wanted these little fellows to wear armor and fight, right?¡¯ richard was silent. in the final battle, there was indeed nothing left to hold back. the system would resurrect them if they won. they could no longer return if they lost. it was better to leave them to lose everything in their ignorance than fall on the road to charge. popov looked at richard¡¯s expression and immediately understood what he thought. the tower race patriarch smiled and shook his head. ¡°lord richard, you don¡¯t have to¡­ all the people of the tower race had died to protect this world.¡± ¡°we are not cowards! ¡°this is the glory of the tower race!¡± it spoke and turned to look at the little fellows around. ¡°it¡¯s safe now. go and take out the armor and weapons in the warehouse. find something that fits you¡­ the final battle is not far away.¡± popov released a long sigh. the tower race patriarch stepped into the hall afterward. to richard¡¯s surprise, the tower race¡¯s little fellows didn¡¯t ask questions but made way for their race leader. everyone cupped their chests and bowed to popov! this scene somehow moved richard. he recalled his twilight city residents. his residents would do the same if twilight city ran out of food one day. they would sacrifice themselves to protect the city. richard shook his head and no longer thought about it. he followed popov into the stone statue hall. he felt something odd in his heart again. it was like these ice-cold stone statues transformed into living towers. they stared and begged at richard! popov walked to an inconspicuous corner and hugged a six-meter-tall giant stone statue to the front of the vast table. ¡°lord richard, this is the stone statue that sealed the evil life form¡­¡± richard looked at the stone statue with rapt attention. it looked blurry, completely indistinct, and its appearance could only discover that it was not some strange life. he opened the attribute panel with a strong sense of curiosity. [ancient stone statue] [level: glorious] [characteristic: its seals the soul of a wraith devil. it requires several undead energy to activate.] [description: one made this stone statue and used a unique method. the soul has already fused into the stone statue because one had sealed it for too long. the activation will give rise to a new life.] ¡®this? ¡®glorious?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®good stuff.¡¯ then, he opened the black gold system with intense anticipation as if he had thought of something. [dark stone statue] [glorious] [the glorious soul-devouring stone statue has mutated and is fusing with the stone statue.] [1. it can consume tons of negative energy to successfully mutate and transform it into a dark stone-like life form.] [2. it can consume tons of light energy to stop its transformation and cause absolute death.] [the system detected several undead crystals that contained negative energy. one can activate it by consuming undead crystals.] [note: the energy injected into it during the activation is highly rich; the higher the level, the higher the potential of the wraith devil after the mutation.] [spider divine power detected. you can use divine power to increase its potential. in the mutation of the wraith devil, the ability to mold is one of its mighty power. it can obtain the unique effect of the spider¡¯s divine power.] Chapter 718 richard read the black gold system¡¯s prompt and immediately thought of gray and gunter. these two were a-rank mummy heroes. the birth of these two heroes was quite similar to it. he couldn¡¯t help but feel great. the black gold system was the eternal god! the information provided was irreplaceable. !! he regained his senses, and he took a deep look at the dark stone statue. this mission was extremely arduous, and the reward was indeed very impressive. however, it would not be enough to activate the remaining stone statues if he invested all his resources into the dark stone statues. richard pondered and turned to look at popov, the level 19 hero. ¡°patriarch popov, this dark stone statue contains a supremely mighty soul. it could help us if we activate it.¡± ¡°however, the biggest problem is¡­ activating this stone statue requires tons of resources. the undead crystals we have are far from enough.¡± ¡°once i put everything in¡­¡± as he spoke, he gestured to the surrounding stone statues. ¡°we won¡¯t have the power to activate these ancient heroic spirits.¡± he looked straight at popov. ¡°therefore, i need you to give me accurate information. what kind of power do these stone statues possess if we activate them? can we meet what we need to be able to attack the spider temple, hunt that transcendent down, and slaughter the spider goddess?¡± his ultimate mission was to retrieve a god¡¯s heart. the others had to stand aside. it would not be worth it if he activated this dark stone statue and couldn¡¯t meet the target. the new expansion pack was related to the future. and the old white-haired man in the red dragon general store was inextricably linked to the crimson moon. in addition, he could finally obtain the contract scroll that he desperately needed. nothing could stop him from achieving his goal. however, he would have to choose again¡­if the tower race¡¯s stone statue was not as powerful as he expected. it was clear that he had a better target after he learned about the dark stone statue. ¡°lord richard, these thirty-two stone statues were once the pride of the tower race, and their levels have reached the peak of transcendent¡­ however, as time passes, they don¡¯t have much energy left because we no longer have the resources to maintain their state.¡± its tone was bitter. ¡°it can recover to level 17 or 18 at most and fight at full strength for two to three hours after the ancestor revives.¡± these top-notch existences that once dominated an area could not condense 1% of their power now. and this was directly related to the decline of the tower race. that made popov feel uncomfortable. these were all its ancestors¡­ richard nodded and said nothing. more than 30 level 17 and 18 heroes were not weak forces. however, they could not be enough. their enemies were too powerful¡­ it was arduous to deal with conventional forces. he looked at the inconspicuous stone statue at the door. ¡°its excellency muken, how much power can it recover?¡± popov revealed a complicated expression. ¡°its excellency muken, there might be a chance to recover its extraordinary powers¡­ however, this would require more negative energy.¡± ¡°transcendents?¡± richard made his decision. ¡°its excellency muken¡­ we could revive it. but we would temporarily give up on the other stone statues. we need to gather all our resources. ¡°popov, you should know what destructive power our enemy possesses.¡± popov fell silent. the patriarch made up its mind quickly afterward. ¡°lord richard, we can draw out the power contained in these statues.¡± ¡°whether because you want its excellency muken to revive or that dark stone statue¡­ i can transfer the power of the other stone statues into their bodies.¡± as it spoke, the patriarch¡¯s gaze became extremely complicated. ¡°we can even stop reviving muken¡¯s stone statue and pour its soul power into the dark stone statue. ¡°at that time, we can also revive muken. it can also use its power to show its unique disposition¡­ ¡°we will focus all our power on one stone statue!¡± pain filled popov¡¯s heart, but there was also a sense of relief. they have to sacrifice again the heroic spirits who had already died for the tower race for their race to continue. moreover, most of them sacrificed themselves to become nourishment for others, not to charge on the battlefield. the patriarch would not decide if it were possible, even if it was just a sliver. but now, the tower race had no other choice. survival or destruction was always a choice in a battle. richard looked at popov¡¯s expression and fell silent. it had to make the choice it had to make as the leader of its race. no matter how painful it was, the patriarch had to do it. that was a leader¡¯s responsibility. richard pondered and looked at the dark stone statue. he had used the black gold system to open the statue of its excellency muken. there was no remarkable information. it was only a very simple one. it contained a unique soul that could recover part of its battle power when activated. there were no hidden attributes of the dark stone statue. they have solved the uttermost problem since its excellency muken could resurrect the dark stone statue. ¡°then, revive the dark stone statue!¡± popov took a deep breath. ¡°i respect your decision, lord richard¡­ i will infuse the power of the other stone statues into it.¡± Chapter 719 ¡°it will riot after we revive the sealed evil lifeform. can you control it?¡± the tower race hadn¡¯t used the dark stone statue because they could not have any energy to activate it. they could not determine whether they could subdue it after the revival. that was the reason. the other stone statues were the ancestors of the tower race, and they sealed them to protect them. but the dark stone statue was different. !! this thing was not voluntary. richard¡¯s gaze was firm. ¡°trust me.¡± he didn¡¯t explain anything, and his words brought pressure. that was what richard said. he was the ruler of twilight city, who had just forced the spider goddess lolita to retreat. the pressure was overwhelming. popov nodded fiercely and said no more. the two talked about the plans and directions. richard ordered someone to summon the god¡¯s ancient tree afterward. the roads in this village were vast and sturdy because of the tower race¡¯s size. he didn¡¯t worry that much whether the god¡¯s ancient tree could enter or not or that it could break anything. all he could think about was the mission. richard took out the ancient god statue. a stream of light dissipated and condensed into a figure that looked like a night elf in the air. [level 14] [divine soul¨Crenee]. ¡°lord.¡± renee held an elven longsword and carried a longbow on her back. she bowed elegantly. richard nodded slightly. ¡°the more, the better. don¡¯t hold back¡­¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± renee bowed respectfully. richard had long engraved the mark in her soul as the owner of the ancient god statue. she could not disobey his orders, no matter how powerful she was. richard nodded and looked deeply at the divine soul. renee was still at level 14. something ceased her level increase for quite some time now. that gave him a headache. richard had also thought of many ways to increase her unlimited resurrection ability. level 14 was a vital existence a few months ago. however, this level gradually fell behind as twilight city and the enemies grew mightier. renee¡¯s sustenance was the ancient god statue, which was the source of her power. the ancient god statue can devour flesh and blood to strengthen itself. it can also allow renee to grow. the other party¡¯s growth should have been as fast as the god¡¯s ancient tree. there was a big problem. it differed from the attitude of the god¡¯s ancient tree, which did not reject anything. it would not devour the flesh and blood of ordinary life forms. he had tried countless times, but this statue was not interested, even if it were an extraordinary body that contained boundless power. richard felt helpless. what else could the ancient god statue be interested in if not with ordinary flesh? the answer was obvious¨Cgods. he thought of the terrifying origins of this statue. he could only shake his head and smile bitterly. where would he get the flesh of a god? it wasn¡¯t a cabbage he could bring whenever and wherever he wanted! he put on hold the idea of raising renee¡¯s level. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ a series of earth-shaking footsteps interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. a familiar aura came over. the god¡¯s ancient tree had arrived. richard glanced at popov and no longer hesitated. the sand around him swarmed forward with a wave of his hand. it directly wrapped the blurry dark stone statue around. it brought the statue to the square outside. this hall could not accommodate the god¡¯s ancient tree. the tower children came out to watch the show when they heard the commotion. the vast body of the god¡¯s ancient tree made them exclaim in surprise. its vast body, coupled with its tiny eyes, was particularly comical. at the same time, popov also ordered its soldiers to move the stone statues to the square. they looked around. they saw blurry but tall and sturdy stone statues. they surrounded the giant god¡¯s ancient tree. these unrelated existences mixed gave people a different feeling. richard ordered alves and the skeleton blood dragon to guard the square. he took all the undead crystals while alves and the skeleton blood dragon hindered the outsiders from entering. four churches and a troop of over ten thousand spiders had brought several spiders under his control to the ten thousand mark. in addition, there were three gold and one glorious. they still appeared shocking as they were piled up on the ground, although they were only the size of a thumb. the energy that surged beads even caused a magic tide. it would flatten the entire village if all of them exploded. richard also had a wisp of spider¡¯s divine power apart from the undead crystal. he still has the god¡¯s ancient tree that could use rotten authority and evil power. renee could input divinity and divine power. such preparations were good. richard did not hesitate. he opened the black gold system and chose to activate the statue. a new notification immediately appeared. [the dark stone statue¡¯s soul is mutating and awakening.] [duration: three hours.] [note: please maintain sufficient energy input during this process. it would disrupt the transformation if the energy were insufficient. that will enormously reduce its level and attributes. the more you input, the stronger it will be when it has completed the transformation.] richard looked at the black gold system prompt. he glanced at popov and nodded at the tower race patriarch. ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡± popov nodded with a serious expression. it walked up to a stone statue without hesitation. blood qi surged out of its body and poured into it. the magic power surged, and the statue suddenly erupted with even more soul-condemning fluctuations. the surrounding airwaves exploded and blew the tiny gravel away. Chapter 720 he carefully sensed it. he immediately discovered that the soul awakened within the stone statue. large cracks appeared on the stone statue within a few breaths, and gravel fell. an illusory soul floated out and hovered in the sky when the stone statue shattered. it had revived the ancestor of the tower race. !! the soul regained consciousness and was even mightier than popov. it gazed around with a solemn expression. its gaze eventually stopped on popov and the tower race children behind the patriarch. ¡°had our race already reached the moment of life and death??¡± the ethereal tower language resounded in the sky. the atmosphere immediately quieted down. the heroic spirit of the tower race looked sparingly sad. the purpose of their existence was to revive the tower race at the last moment and contribute their last bit of strength to the continuation of the race¡¯s legacy. it would mean the tower race had no choice once they woke up. popov¡¯s nose turned sour, and its eyes instantly reddened as it sobbed. ¡°ancestor¡­ the bottomless abyss had invaded. the believers of spider goddess lolita occupied the entire plane. the tower race had already lost the soil to survive. we must give it our all and fight for survival for the tower race.¡± the illusory soul in the sky sighed and slowly nodded. ¡°this is the meaning of our existence¡­ what do you need me to do?¡± popov suppressed the emotions in its heart and said as its voice trembled, ¡°xi, sacrifice yourself to feed that dark stone statue¡­ we need a power strong enough to deal with the supernatural.¡± there was a strong sense of shame in the patriarch¡¯s words. it clenched its fist and made cracking sounds. it was useless and humiliated its ancestors. the soul in the sky turned its head to look at the dark stone statue. a complicated look appeared in its eyes. ¡°ancestor¡­¡± popov was too ashamed to face the ancestor. the illusory soul interrupted the patriarch. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything more. my tower race, i would do anything for its eternity!¡± the heroic spirit of the tower race looked deeply at popov and the children behind it. its body quickly turned into pure energy and fused into the dark stone statue. the dark stone statue emitted energy that soared instantly. popov looked at this scene. it fluctuated its expression enormously. but it suppressed its emotion eventually. no one knew what the tower race patriarch pondered at this moment. the first stone statue collapsed, the second, and the third. it revived each of the ancestors of the tower race. some treated the situation calmly, some looked up at the sky and lamented, and lofty sentiments filled some after they realized about the tower race. others didn¡¯t cower in fear. everyone didn¡¯t hesitate and threw themselves into the dark stone statue regardless of their position after popov expressed the reason for their revival. the remaining stone statue with a name woke up. ¡°its excellency muken¡­¡± it was a figure clad in beast skin. it had a mountain-like aura that was more sturdy than all the other souls. the beast-skinned ancestor hovered in the sky. it gave off a powerful sense of oppression. the surrounding crowd saw an ancient dragon that had traveled through time. ¡°i¡¯ve finally waited for this day.¡± the heavy soul in the void slowly raised its head to look at the sky. the thick clouds reflected in its pupils. ¡°i¡¯ve been fighting for the tower race my entire life.¡± it lowered its head as it spoke and stared at popov. ¡°in the previous battles, i have always hoped for a powerful opponent to bury me. ¡°only this time, i hope the opponent isn¡¯t too strong¡­ i no longer have the power to protect you.¡± popov¡¯s heart trembled, and it could no longer suppress its emotions. tears flowed out like a river that broke through its banks. its tiny eyes immediately blurred. ¡°your excellency¡­ our enemy is the spider goddess lolita.¡± the soul in the sky looked at popov. it cried bitterly and revealed a comforting smile. ¡°child, you don¡¯t have to do this. ¡°no matter who it is, as long as we haven¡¯t fallen, they couldn¡¯t destroy the tower race.¡± ¡°lolita is lolita¡­ fight, tower race will only fall on the way!¡± popov took a deep breath and suppressed the sadness in its heart. it eventually revealed the reason. ¡°we need you to temporarily possess that dark stone statue and lend it the power to deal with that transcendent-level wax demon. ¡°perhaps, i still have to face the arrival of the spider goddess lolita.¡± popov felt bitter as it said this. who would have thought that the tower race would still have to face such a powerful enemy when they were in such dire straits? the soul in the sky didn¡¯t say anything else. it looked deeply at the tower race children behind it and was still sparingly confused like its companions before it. that was the future and hope of the tower race. it stared at them for a long time. it was like it wanted to mark the figures into its soul. ¡°children, the future of the tower race depends on you.¡± muxen finished speaking and entered the dark stone statue. it merely possessed the dark stone statue. that didn¡¯t happen to other souls that directly turned into energy and fused into it. next, it would use this stone statue to fight. popov¡¯s eyes were red as it watched this scene. that was the final trump card of their race. they could no longer turn the tables once they failed. richard observed all this in silence. how difficult would it be for a race to survive for millions of years in a world with supernatural powers? the predicament shrouded twilight city with danger, although it wasn¡¯t as urgent as the tower¡¯s. Chapter 721 richard took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions after popov gathered all the power of the statues on the dark stone statue. he stared at the dark stone statue whose aura constantly changed. he threw all three gold-tier undead crystals and the glorious-level undead crystals with the remnants of the spider¡¯s divine power into it. there was no need to do anything. the dark stone statue was like a black hole that constantly sucked the surrounding undead crystals. that strand of spider shen power fused into it. !! the dark stone statue emitted an aura of a speed visible to the naked eye as the massive amount of energy surged in. darkness grew. however, the power still wasn¡¯t enough. it was far from enough. ¡°treebeard, input your power.¡± richard finished speaking. a thick root had extended from the god¡¯s ancient tree. it brought a vast sense of oppression into the dark stone statue. in the next second, a terrifying rotten authority surged down like a dam on a mountain. it poured into it. the dark stone statue emitted a dark aura and became even more terrifying. it only controlled 1% of the rotten authority. but that 1% referred to the entire world. the king of decay had spent tons of money to plot against the central plane. it couldn¡¯t unleash this power even if the god¡¯s ancient tree transformed twice. it would have to step into the level of a god if it wanted to control the power of the rotten authority. authority was a power that only gods could control. tons of rotten authority power surged, and the dark stone statue¡¯s aura soared even more. it was as if it nurtured a dark evil god. the surrounding tower race children looked at this scene in fear. they sensed the extremely evil aura. many people left the scene because they were afraid. the players entered and gathered at the center square of the village. the scene satisfied their curiosity afterward. they could still barely see the central area, although they were isolated from the outside and could not get closer. all of them craned their necks, and curiosity filled their eyes. ¡°what was qingqiu doing?¡± ¡°f*ck, a glorious-level dark stone statue? was that the reward for guarding the tower race¡¯s holy land?! isn¡¯t this too against the rules?¡± ¡°this wave is going to hit the jackpot¡­¡± ¡°why did qingqiu revive a glorious-level dark stone statue?¡± ¡°damn it! i¡¯ve put in a lot of effort! are you okay? i slayed three spiders. but i only got a few good impression points. that is unfair!¡± these idiots widened their eyes in envy. many people came to their senses and realized something. so this was how qingqiu¡¯s top subordinates came about. he suddenly felt that everything was not so difficult to accept. three spider churches, six to seven thousand level 15 and 16 top-tier troops, and three level 19 heroes force. how terrifying would this power be? how could one block this attack and wipe out the enemy¡­? that was simply appalling. other than qingqiu, there was probably no one else in the billions of players who could do this. it was like getting a glorious-level dark stone statue after completion was easy. people thought of this and subconsciously looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree that covered the sky. if even a glorious-level dark stone statue had to complete such a terrifying mission, what kind of attack did this abomination tree encounter when qingqiu subdued it? for a moment, the players looked at the blurry figure covered in sand and felt a vision of a tall mountain. the number one player was unfathomable. time has passed. the players were all stunned. they curiously waited for something to jump out of the dark stone statue. the situation had changed. the god¡¯s ancient tree emitted an aura and gradually weakened after nearly half an hour of high-intensity output. the dark stone statue also emitted an aura and became more and more shocking. one could feel the power that surged within. it was as if the giant rock would split open in the next second, and an abyss demon god that could tear the world apart would crawl out. the heated discussions among the players became increasingly intense. richard watched all of this in silence. he waited until the power of the rotten authority on the god¡¯s ancient tree had dropped to freezing point. it would only move when he wanted to pull the branch away. ¡°treebeard, don¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°lord, i have exhausted my rotten authority¡­¡± ¡°continue injecting magic power.¡± ¡°as you wish¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree did not leave and quickly continued to inject its majestic demonic power. the dark stone statue did not reject them and absorbed them all. richard seemed to have thought of something and waved his hand. dark crystals appeared in his hands. that was a treasure he had obtained from the previous dungeon. it might increase the dark stone statue¡¯s life potential. alves had used up 30,000 of them when it devoured the golden dragon¡¯s soul to break through to beyond a-rank. at this moment, he still had around 20,000 left. he would use the remaining ones to increase the potential of the sacred-blood dwarves so that the races that could obtain knowledge could become heroes, unlock the seals in their bodies, and become the research force of twilight city. but now, the dwarf god had awakened. he would let the other god think of a way after they cleared the dungeon. the dark crystal wrapped and flew to the dark stone statue. it rapidly devoured all the energy around it. the undead crystals mixed with the dark crystal. that turned into the purest energy and nourished the dark stone statue. richard didn¡¯t care about the pain and threw all his dark crystals into it. that was a bargaining chip. richard could trade it for enormous benefits. he would never hesitate when it was time to make a choice. Chapter 722 richard cleared out all the dark crystals in the system space and looked at the divine soul beside him. ¡°renee, go all out. no reservation.¡± renee waited for a long time. she immediately stepped forward, and the divine power surged from her body into it. ¡°alves, you go too!¡± ¡°as you command!¡± !! alves flapped its wings and landed at the back. it carefully avoided the god¡¯s ancient tree and used its forelimbs to infuse magical energy. richard flew to the statue. the power of the yellow sand that had already recovered to its state also poured down. the god¡¯s ancient tree, the divine soul, and richard, the top-notch existences who controlled the power of the yellow sand, all unleashed their power simultaneously. over 10,000 additional undead crystals contained infinite power. another over 20,000 dark crystals could increase one¡¯s potential. also, a trace of lolita¡¯s divine power remained. such an exaggerated output could not satisfy richard. the one-third size of a palm dwarf god statue appeared in his hand. his consciousness sank into it. that directly woke the sleeping soul up. dwarf god. the dwarf god statue that rested its hand on its cheek and slept on the bronze throne appeared in his mind. its eyelids twitched a few times afterward. then, it opened its eyes. it looked into the void. ¡°lord richard.¡± it seemed to have seen something afterward and narrowed its eyes. ¡°the wraith devil is fusing with the stone statue? interesting little thing¡­¡± richard was quite respectful of the god who had dared to step into the river of fate and seek death. it briefly recounted its current encounter and finally said, ¡°your excellency fam, i need your help!¡± the dwarf god could mobilize its divine power since it had just woken up. it would exert a lot of effort this time for enormous gains. this glorious stone statue would nearly give birth to a high-level hero. this investment would bring vast benefits. the dwarf god statue on the bronze throne wore a silver crown and looked at him with emotion. ¡°it never follows the rules¡­ it was not without reason that life forms from other worlds could occupy a place in the future.¡± wake a sleeping god up and make it work for it. that was unimaginable for the natives of the ¡°shining era.¡± how could mortals send orders to gods? however, not only did the other party do so, but it also did it righteously¡­ the dwarf god did not hesitate and said slowly, ¡°lord richard, my power can only maintain a minimum level of consciousness. i can¡¯t give you any more help.¡± ¡°unless you are a player of the game.¡± at this point, its tone smiled. ¡°you can provide several rare resources. ¡°the operation of the planar laws condensed the rare resources. ¡°high-level troops need rare resources. it¡¯s precisely because of this rule force.¡± richard sighed afterward and looked at the more than three million rare resources on his interface. he had accumulated a portion of his harvests from the past trade. he had gained another from defeating the lord of the dunes. the players had contributed another million just now to enough savings. ¡°i still have three million units¡­could this power allow the dark stone statue to possess extraordinary power after awakening?¡± the dwarf god shook its head. ¡°this dark stone statue will give birth to a new life that has never appeared before. the highest level of a new life born in the mortal plane will not exceed 19¡­ that is the law of creation.¡± ¡°it will need to go through the test of the rules before it can break through to the transcendent level after its birth.¡± ¡°however, this dark stone statue might have extraordinary potential.¡± richard perked up at this. ¡°what kind of existence was the dwarf god?¡± a big shot who could survive the fate of everyone in the ¡°shining era¡±. such an existence was optimistic about the dark stone statue. the investment was never a loss. ¡°your excellency fam, please help me.¡± the dwarf god smiled. ¡°i¡¯m also helping myself. i hope that the souls of all of you from other worlds grow and allow this world to enter a new era ahead of time.¡± richard didn¡¯t hesitate to play poker with the other party¡¯s assurance. on the attribute panel, millions of rare resources began to drop rapidly. the statue emitted a silver-white light that directly enveloped the dark stone statue under the watchful eyes of others. the energy that was as vast as a mountain and a sea surged forward. it instantly became the center of attention. the dwarf god statue covered all the other powers. it could not suppress its power even if god¡¯s ancient tree used its rotten authority. a god to personally cast its power. it was far superior to that of ordinary people. the player¡¯s eyes widened in shock when they saw this. ¡°it was still too exaggerated, right? even if it were a glorious-level statue.¡± ¡°what kind of monster was qingqiu planning to create?¡± it was like a cat had scratched their hearts. the dark stone statue devoured all the energy around it. the scene changed afterward. the undead and dark crystals surrounded the dark stone statue. the crystals shattered into pieces. they scattered all over the ground. the majestic god¡¯s ancient tree had turned into an ordinary tree at this moment. it could only feel the pressure brought by its size and weakened its ferocious aura. renee¡¯s body had already turned transparent. this divine soul had long since given up on transferring energy. richard injected the supremely slim power of the yellow sand. sweat even covered his forehead. the dwarf god statue in his hand used up the rare resources. it no longer moved. richard was about to stop. he felt he could not hold on any longer. Chapter 723 it had finally reached the critical point¡­ richard wiped his sweat and sighed. he focused on the dark stone statue. it could finally recover after one had poured tons of magic power and higher-level divine power. !! the rotten authority, renee¡¯s divine power, richard¡¯s power of yellow sand, the divine power of the dwarf god, and a strand of lolita¡¯s divine power fed this dark stone statue. its aura had already become blurry. there was an endless sense of oppression in the darkness. in a trance, it seemed to have met an abyss ruler that roared at the sky. richard withdrew his power and retreated to observe. spider divine power, undead crystals, dark crystals, and more than three million rare resources¡­richard had already done everything he could. now, he only needed to wait for the other party to appear. this investment was massive. richard would bleed if he couldn¡¯t benefit enough. renee returned to the ancient god statue. the power surge had depleted her divinity and divine power and severely overdrawn her soul. the dwarf god in the statue also deeply fell asleep. it had just converted millions of units of rare resources and consumed tons of mental energy. this time, it would take at least a month to wake up. even the god¡¯s ancient tree dispirited. it was like one had cut its roots off! the players had only seen richard and a few other top soldiers pour power into the dark stone statue. but they never thought this time would be exaggerated. time has passed slowly. the dark stone statue still underwent changes. popov was sad and approached afterward. ¡°lord richard¡­ its excellency muken¡¯s soul disappeared.¡± richard had sparingly recovered and was startled. he looked at the dark stone statue and frowned. wraith devil¡­from the sound of its name. one couldn¡¯t trifle with this one. it was arduous for its excellency muken to resist the dark stone statue and the tons of power that reinforced although it had an impressive background. however, the biggest problem was that they had initially planned to use muken¡¯s soul to resist the extraordinary dark power of the spider temple¡­how would they deal with the problem now? could the dark stone statue bear this heavy responsibility? richard could not help but feel sparingly solemn. ¡°popov¡­¡± popov solemnly interrupted him just as he was about to speak. ¡°lord richard, you don¡¯t have to say anything more. that is our race¡¯s destiny. we did everything for victory. the tower race should bear the consequences!¡± ¡°its excellency muken would agree if it knew.¡± richard was at a loss for words. the tower race had already gambled everything. the other party could not afford to lose, and they could not lose. richard did not say anything else and waited quietly. he had first devoured dozens of crystals and the souls left behind by transcendents. then, various divine power nourished it. he could no longer imagine what kind of life the dark stone statue would eventually give rise to¡­ three hours have passed. the sky gradually darkened. the night gently and coldly crawled. the children of the tower race were about to light up the torches before the last ray of light disappeared. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound resounded through the sky. the people waited anxiously around the square and turned their heads in unison. they widened their eyes and looked at the central area of the square. vast cracks appeared on the dark stone statue. as the cracks exploded, an indescribable terrifying aura seeped out from the cracks. the last ray of light in the sky sank at this moment. endless darkness struck. ¡®thud!¡¯ the rubble exploded. the power of a tsunami swept in all directions¡­ a tall figure stood in the sky like a dragon that had just broken out of its shell. darkness became its cloak. it was like the entire world crawled under its feet at this moment. its pair of dark green eyes were like a wolf hunter. a strong sense of oppression and darkness swept over richard. all the players felt a stranger that had torn apart the abyss stood before them. a giant hand seemed to grab souls and crack sounds as if it could shatter at any moment. it was like a vast rock pressed against one¡¯s chest, and then one ran out of breath. [ding~ you have obtained a new hero¨Cdark soul eater.] that was a high-profile project after countless investments of resources. that gave rise to a new hero! richard opened the attribute panel with intense curiosity and uncontrollable excitement. [dark soul eater-kratos] [boss unit] [¡­] ****** (the related attributes are in the next chapter related to the work, a free chapter) Chapter 724 dark soul eater-kratos. a level 19 boss with beyond a-rank potential!! richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he saw the attributes of the boss that they nurtured with so much power and treasures. he was in such a good mood. !! that swept his previous worries away. ¡°boss unit, this was a f*cking boss!! ¡°which boss did not have the power of a natural disaster in the primary plane?¡± the other party also had a unique power. a power of darkness that was higher than magic. that made him smile even more. it means the other party already reached another level. the dark soul eater also had seven beyond a-rank skills. eternal body, soul devour, soul eater chains, soul eater spiderweb, soul eater storm, dark servant, and decaying power. none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none, none. the core was the soul devour skill, if one had to count. it could devour souls to reinforce oneself and increase the upper limit of the power of darkness. the rest of the skills revolved around this characteristic. in addition, the opponent also had a powerful halo skill¨Csoul devouring halo. it covered a diameter of 600 meters. it will continuously test the enemy. it will reduce the enemy¡¯s attributes by 20% if it fails once, with a maximum reduction of 60%. their potential will be lower than the user by two levels. and it will directly devour their soul if failed three times. that was simply a passive aoe skill¡­ it could harvest souls indiscriminately all day long after activation. it would randomly slay as it faced the enemy¡¯s siege. it directly announced that the human wave tactic was useless against them. in addition, there was also the boss¡¯s unique characteristic. one cannot destroy the body and soul combined with the race talent¨Cconstruct life. one can use it to create a soul stone box. one can use the stone box to revive a destroyed soul. one could still revive a seed after it has exploded¡­ the combination of these two skills was simply perfect. all in all, richard had come up with a mighty comment. the resources he had invested got the best returns. that was not a loss. his eyes were as bright as the stars, and one could see the smile on his lips even in the darkness. they could hear the sound of torches at this moment. the square that had just fallen into darkness regained its light. the figure that broke out of the stone statue appeared before everyone under the dim light fire. the players in the distance were the most curious. they stood on their toes and looked over with their eyes wide open. a gargoyle more than six meters tall appeared in their line of sight. the monster¡¯s muscles were grayish-brown in color. it was like one had carved them from pieces of rock. a terrifying sense of power filled them. sharp rock barbs grew from the back of its back to its neck and then from its shoulders to its wrists. it formed a t-shape. it gave off a strong sense of oppression. it was brutal. its head had two curved horns, and its dark green eyes looked like a wolf ready to hunt. its face was ferocious and terrifying, and its skin was as mottled and rough as the bark of an old tree. it was like one encrypted several mysterious inscriptions. the most terrifying thing was the aura that the monster emitted. the players felt their souls freeze even if they stood a hundred meters away. an abyssal beast roared and stared at them¡­ it was like it would crush them with its foot if they made any strange movements. that terrifying pressure made all the players¡¯ hearts beat faster and their mouths dry. even a firm stand was sparingly arduous. it also shocked the level 19 popov. the life from the dark stone statue brought the patriarch a lot of pressure. it was like one pressed a sharp blade against its throat. it was fatal and dangerous. it had returned to the past and then raised its heart again¡­.. the other party was so fierce. could an enemy still subdue it? in the arena, no one dared to breathe too loudly. the players stared at the dark soul eater with wide eyes. many players had even quietly retreated. they were afraid that the other party would explode. they could not imagine what kind of destructive power this monster would cause. that terrifying existence moved under everyone¡¯s nervous gaze. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ the crisp sound of footsteps made the players feel immense pressure, and they wanted to escape immediately. however, at this moment, it was as if a vast hand had pressed down on one¡¯s body and could not move. the dark soul eater stepped forward and arrived before the figure shrouded in yellow sand. then, the dark life form that had intimidated everyone knelt on one knee without saying a word. it bowed its head most humbly. ¡°my lord, your humble servant, kratos, salutes you.¡± the scorching and dull sound made the players¡¯ hearts stop. everyone widened their eyes and looked at the blurry figure with envy and jealousy. the pressure this terrifying existence gave them was inferior to that of the god¡¯s ancient tree. and now, a life form of this level had become qingqiu¡¯s subordinate!! when would the god of creation give them the same hero?? ¡°unfair!¡± ¡°glorious-level dark stone statue, qingqiu couldn¡¯t have directly recruited transcendents, right?¡± ¡°i f*cking want to have it. that is the best hero!!!¡± ¡°i finally know why qingqiu is so powerful¡­one step ahead, one step ahead. perhaps, no one could catch up to him anymore.¡± Chapter 725 they could not have done so if the players had obtained a hero through other means. however, they had recruited a hero whose level they could not qualify for right under their noses. ¡°how was that supposed to play?¡± ¡°how could the difference between people be so great??¡± ¡°kratos, no need for formalities.¡± richard looked at the boss as it slowly got up with satisfaction. that was different from other boss units. he nurtured this unit. excitement shrouded his heart. he had gained another top-notch battle power unit. moreover, kratos had a special buff on its body¨Cto summon the tower¡¯s heroic spirit. it would obtain level 20 extraordinary power afterward. that could only last for an hour. richard activated the dark stone statue to subdue the wax demon of the spider temple. the activation overjoyed richard. the towe race¡¯s holy land defense battle earned them a lot. a boss unit is priceless, no matter how many resources they have sacrificed. then, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at the beyond a-rank skill on the dark soul eater¡¯s attribute panel¨Cdark servant. [recruited 32 dark servants that existed for a long. servants have 70% of their attributes. one can recruit them three days again from their death. the number 32 was remarkable. and it just so happened to be the number of tower race¡¯s stone statues. kratos¡¯s skills were similar to theirs. it obtained the soul eater spiderweb when it devoured spider goddess lolita¡¯s divine power. the decaying power could increase the damage of decay for all skills. it obtained that from the god¡¯s ancient tree. the soul eater storm summons the soul eater crows to devour everything. it had the shadow of richard¡¯s yellow sandstorm as well¡­ the primitives said the dark soul eater obtained the combined strengths of everyone. the dark soul eater didn¡¯t hesitate. its dark green eyes suddenly lit up and emitted an even more serene light. its body emitted dark gray energy, and the surrounding air suddenly froze. a great terror descended! the dark power quickly gathered before it. a giant shadow more than eight meters tall appeared within a few breaths. the muscles on its body bulged, and barbs grew from its wrists to shoulders. it held a giant warhammer. a ruthless aura filled its entire body. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw the figure. he expected this. these recruited servants were 90% similar to the tower race. the only difference was¡­this dark servant had no face on its head. faceless. he curiously opened the attribute panel. [dark servant] [level: special] [level: possesses 70% of the power of the recruit. can be recruited again after death.] [description: servant recruited by the dark soul eater, kratos.] there weren¡¯t any detailed attributes, but this was enough to explain everything. seventy percent might not seem like a lot, but one had to know whose 70% was it. alves was a boss model with beyond a-rank potential. and its level was stuck at the edge of becoming a transcendent hunter. the power of these dark servants would exponentially increase if they were to become transcendents. more importantly, these were all free battle power. one could resurrect them if they died. there was no need to worry about casualties in battle. moreover, from the looks of it, it was essentially a cast unit, although the dark soul eater had a strong body. it relied on its skills to attack, and it could fight alone. that guaranteed the safety of kratos at an extreme height now that it had this group of servants. ¡°it seems that all spellcasting bosses have the power to recruit underlings?¡± richard thought of the god¡¯s ancient tree. on the contrary, the dark valkyrie and emily were two bosses. they were warrior units. he could only summon his followers. all the power returned to him. no one could match their destructive power. however, as a lord, he still had a good impression of these guys who could recruit underlings. each dark servant summoned required 1,000 points of dark power, but unexpectedly, the dark soul eater, which only had 8,000, managed to recruit 32 dark servants at once. the first recruitment did not consume dark power. as far as the eye could see, 32 dark servants more than eight meters tall were guards of kratos from behind! the sense of security was overwhelming. the dark servants could hover in the void as energy comprised their bodies. it broke the restriction of the tower race¡¯s inability to fly. popov¡¯s expression became extremely complicated when it saw this. in the end, it turned into a long sigh. the patriarch could not look at the dark servants. it stared at richard instead. ¡°lord richard, the enemy could launch a second wave of attack. its ecellency muken has already disappeared. we need new methods to deal with the spider temple¡¯s transcendents.¡± richard returned to his senses. he glanced at the patriarch¡¯s worried eyes. ¡°kratos did not waste the power of the tower race¡­ it still had one more chance to summon the tower race¡¯s heroic spirit. that would raise its strength to transcendent.¡± ¡°perhaps this is the legacy left behind by its excellency muken.¡± popov was surprised and sad at the same time. it changed its expression like a sichuan opera. it calmed its mind and said repeatedly, ¡°lord richard, how should we fight next?¡± the initiative was already in richard¡¯s hands when the tower race received him. the tower race could only cooperate and obey his orders. ¡°in war, we always use our strength to attack the enemy¡¯s weakness.¡± richard looked straightly at popov. Chapter 726 popov said without hesitation. ¡°our goal is to have the strategic choice of advancement and retreat. at the same time, we can choose to attack any spider church and have the strength to devour them. ¡°the enemy¡¯s weakness is that we reserve each spider church! that would give us a lot of room to maneuver.¡± richard smiled but did not comment. !! ¡°then, what if the other party sets up a trap at one or more instances we want to attack? ¡°what if the enemies gathered forces to defend each spider church and wait for reinforcements? can we drag this out? time is on the other side! ¡°the plane power was about to collapse. its collapse would drag the entire plane into the abyss. ¡°all schemes would be futile if that happened. ¡°lolita had appeared on this plane with her physical body. who could stop this abyss ruler?¡± with that¡­ popov frowned. it momentarily didn¡¯t understand what richard was trying to say, so he just said it directly. ¡°lord richard, tower is at your command!¡± richard looked at the single popov and found it funny. however, he did not keep the patriarch in suspense. he looked up at the night sky. he said slowly, ¡°we could not hold the final battle in the spider temple¡­ we should create a main battlefield that suits our advantages. ¡°you were right. our uttermost advantage would be¡­ we would own the initiative. ¡°the enemy¡¯s mightiest point is that they are believers of the spider goddess. they are connected to the abyss and have countless reinforcements. ¡°however, the strongest point is often the weakest point.¡± popov seemed to understand. ¡°then, how should we defeat the opponent¡¯s weakest point?¡± richard whispered. ¡°believers rely on their gods the most. therefore, they will do everything they can to protect their goddess!¡± ¡°you mean that we should take advantage of this point and not attack the spider temple head-on but lure them to where we want to start the war and break their home-ground advantage?¡± richard added with a smile. ¡°spider webs all over the earth¡­ they can know our movements immediately.¡± that was one of the enemy¡¯s mightiest points. wouldn¡¯t it also be bait if we used it well? there was a lot of room for manipulation. popov finally understood. this plan was not complicated, but the core point was. they had to have absolute strength to execute it. would luring the other party out of the spider temple and everything be easy? no, that was only the beginning. there would be no fewer enemies to deal with. in the end, they still had to fight with their strength. however, there were many benefits to doing so. at least they did not have to worry about the sudden appearance of tens of thousands of reinforcements. ¡°i will follow your arrangements.¡± richard nodded. this plan was only a rough idea. the specific implementation and execution would depend on the next step. richard looked outside the village and pondered. ¡°do you know of cliffs and ravines there?¡± popov shook his head. ¡°no. this plane is plain. there aren¡¯t even any high mountains.¡± ¡°what about the riverbank that is deeper than this dried-up river?¡± ¡°not really. maybe there are similar ones, but it¡¯s hard to find bigger ones¡­¡± richard was at a loss for words. richard shook his head after e few questions. it seemed unrealistic to replicate the first dungeon and kill millions of people. there were no geographical conditions. he shook his head. he didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer and turned to look at the players at the edge of the square. ¡°my companions will temporarily stay here. you can forcefully control them and let them run around.¡± each would receive 10,000 units of rare resources. that was an irresistible temptation for richard. he had just invested all his resources in the rise of the dark soul eater. he had to recover from a wave of wealth. otherwise, he couldn¡¯t even recruit troops after he left the dungeon. ¡°are you planning to attack overnight?¡± richard¡¯s eyes were clear, and none of the harvest before him confused him. ¡°the enemy doesn¡¯t care if it¡¯s dark or bright¡­ we don¡¯t have time left. ¡°the enraged spider goddess wouldn¡¯t let this go. we might face a destructive blow if we don¡¯t act quickly¡­¡± he finished his words and did not say anything else afterward. he looked around. ¡°all troops, assemble.¡± the troops in twilight city that had gone to clear the surrounding area had returned. they gathered in the sky above the square after richard gave the order. richard didn¡¯t stop but looked deeply at popov. ¡°when i return, it will be the day of the decisive battle.¡± he finished with his words, and alves flapped its broken dragon wings and soared into the sky. the twilight city troops followed closely behind. hundred of players saw this and suddenly felt empty in their hearts. their emotions fluctuated. ¡°boss qingqiu, are you leaving just like that?¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t you bring us along? i¡¯m good at fighting too!¡± ¡°sigh¡­ boss qingqiu¡¯s future would be uncertain.¡± they hadn¡¯t felt anything when richard had been around. they were all terrified now that he suddenly left. it was only now they understood how much confidence richard had given them. moreover, no one knew how long it would take for him to return. and they were already alone among the enemies. there was a danger of being capsized at any time. popov stood still and stared blankly at the blurry figure that had disappeared. his expression was complicated. ****** Chapter 727 a figure looked into the distance and could only see darkness. the sky was eternally silent, while the earth had a few more colors. the figure stooped down, and the faintly discernible frosty white spider web reflected in its eyes. on the spider web, pairs of tiny dark green eyes shone like fireflies. they covered the entire land and extended to a very close distance. !! a hallucinatory beauty was still there, although one ignored its main body. it was like a figure was in a dream. suddenly, the tiny spider coiled on the spider web. it released a panicky hissing scream. it was like a vicious wolf stared at the little white rabbit, full of fear. a giant twisted human-faced tree root descended from the sky. the terrifying power bombarded the ground and caused it to split open and the gravel to fly everywhere. the thumb-sized spiders had even disappeared without a trace. some trampled spiders looked up. to them, the dark treant that seemed tall as the sky revealed before them. the aura it emitted made them feel something had frozen their souls. in fear, they scattered in all directions. no one paid attention to the tiny spiders on the ground. there were too many of them, and they could not kill all of them. the god¡¯s ancient tree moved forward quickly in the night. dozens of roots waved in all directions like the tentacles of an octopus. it could still cause exaggerated destructive power even if it were just a casual swing. richard sat behind alves and looked down at the earth. he silently sensed everything. the young centaur behind him half-leaned on his back. she yawned sleepily. this young fellow hadn¡¯t slept for a day and was sparingly dispirited. the newly born level 19 boss on the ground, dark soul eater kratos, stood before the god¡¯s ancient tree. it allowed the giant twisted human-faced tree to lead forward. richard glanced at the combined bosses. he was in a good mood. the two could sweep through the remaining spider churches together without outside interference. it would require several large teams of troops to encircle and suppress a boss of the same level. the number of troops needed would be several times more if it were at the level of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the battle power of the boss unit had already exceeded the usual range. that was the power of a natural disaster. they symbolized power. ¡°father, have we arrived?¡± a slightly dazed voice came from behind him. richard turned to look at the young centaur, half-leaned on his back. her head drooped. but she tried hard to resist the sleepiness. he found her funny. outsiders would find it hard to imagine that such a brave warrior on the battlefield would be so adorable off the battlefield. he patted her little head. ¡°we¡¯re almost there¡­ you don¡¯t have to participate in the next battle. rest well.¡± the young centaur pouted when she heard this. she mumbled with her eyes blurred. ¡°father, i want to go to¡­ please, don¡¯t leave me. i want to fight¡­ battle¡­¡± she lowered her head as she spoke and let out a sound of sleep. richard laughed. this young fellow. richard summoned a skeleton blood dragon. he took a desert crown blanket from the system space. then, he placed the young centaur on the blanket carefully. he turned his attention back to the ground after he ensured the protection emily needed from the skeleton blood dragon. the night has impaired his vision. however, the tiny grains of sand gave him a 360-degree vision as he floated in the air. the darkness could not restrict his vision. he opened the system map and saw they were near the mark of a spider church. he immediately perked up. they arrived at the target. he lowered his head and looked down at the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°kratos, a spider church is 500 meters ahead¡­stomp it flat!¡± ¡°you will go alone in this battle.¡± he wanted to use this spider church to test the power of the dark soul eater. he wanted to see if this level 19 boss was as powerful as he expected. the dark soul eater shone its dark green eyes while it stood before the tree trunk and suddenly emitted a brutal light. ¡°i will obey your orders, my lord.¡± kratos had transformed from a wraith devil and sustained unerasable evil and bloodthirsty personality. it still craved fresh flesh and blood. it longed to slaughter souls. the twilight city troops carelessly approached the spider church with the undisguised actions of the god¡¯s ancient tree. that alerted the spider troop. thousands of green eyes flashed in the night. that gave people soul-crushing pressure. every step forward required extra courage. ¡°kratos.¡± richard¡¯s indifferent voice rang out. an order rang out afterward. the dark soul eater that stood before the god¡¯s ancient tree jumped quickly. ¡®bang!¡¯ the six-meter-tall body smashed into the ground and directly exploded the gravel and soil with a dull sound. the top-tier boss pointed its warhammer at the spider church. ¡°slay them!¡± thirty-two faceless dark servants appeared in the night as the roar fell. they were more than eight meters tall and looked somewhat illusory. these servants had 70% of kratos¡¯s power. they formed a triangular collision stance and leaned forward. their dark power mightily exploded after they had condensed. they charged at the enemy before them like berserk rhinoceros. the giant spiders and abyssal spidermen formed a solid defense line like a rock. they defended the facade of the spider church. dark servants covered three to two hundred meters in the blink of an eye. after a hundred meters of acceleration, the thirty-two dark servants accumulated their aura to the limit and crashed into the spider troop with a thunderous momentum. Chapter 728 the giant spider at the very front bared its fangs and tried to stop the dark soul eater. however, it felt a terrifying pain in the next second. something must have torn its body apart. it was like it floated before it could react. its consciousness sank into darkness in the air. kratos smashed the first giant spider that tried to stop it into pieces. !! that was only the beginning. the remaining dark servants rushed into the dried grass like heavy tanks. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the giant spiders and abyssal spidermen blocked their way. the heavy warhammer smashed them like glass cups. various spiders incessantly exploded. green blood and broken limbs flew everywhere. it was as if one had entered an uninhabited land. the triangular charge formation directly tore through the spider troop defense line. spider web, sharp claws, and a vast mouth¡­ nothing caused any damage to these dark servants more than eight meters tall, no matter what kind of attack it was. an invisible giant hand would pull the bodies and immediately grab the souls following their death. that was even more terrifying. it brutally devoured the corpses. these initially fierce servants became even more terrifying after massive soul replenishment. the spider troop that fought so intensely fell into chaos. richard observed the battlefield behind alves. his perception was clear even though darkness hindered his vision. he could observe the battlefield in many more details than he could with his eyes. the 32 dark servants domineeringly slayed at the spider church¡¯s ten-meter radius. it was as if they wanted to destroy the church in one go. the radiant moon void weaver saw its troop hanging upside down in the sky. it could no longer take it anymore. spider webs with strong stickiness and poison fell from the sky. it directly enveloped them. the dark servants lost their original charging speed after a few rounds of attacks, even though they could tear the spider web apart quickly with their exaggerated strength. the surrounding spider troop immediately seized the opportunity and surrounded them. the dark servants immediately fell into the sea of people and slowed down. the dark soul eater finally arrived with its heavy warhammer before the spider troop while the enemies obstructed the dark servants. the tip of its nose twitched slightly. the aura of the soul¡­ how wonderful. desire shrouded its eyes. it had been long since he had drunk its fill of soul power. praise death. ¡®creak!¡¯ its palm gripped the warhammer and made a friction sound. its stone-made body instantly exploded. and it charged at the abyssal spidermen afterward. several abyssal spidermen before the dark soul eater brandished their sabers fearlessly. ¡°no one can profane our god!¡± the dark soul eater looked at these enemies who were only half its height. a bloodthirsty killing intent hung from the corner of its mouth. it waved its warhammer. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it smashed a few abyssal spidermen that attacked in front into pieces like watermelons with baseball bats. their limbs flew dozens of meters away. richard paid close attention to kratos. he sensed the abyssal spidermen¡¯s death. the dark soul eater extracted the souls one after another and fused them into its body. the other party¡¯s aura rose by an unfathomable trace. soul eater storm could devour souls to strengthen oneself and increase the upper limit of the dark power. that was what richard thought was the most powerful aspect of this boss. its possibility of unlimited growth. kratos could no longer suppress the killing intent that surged in its heart after it tasted the flesh of its prey. it charged toward the enemy with a roar. it swung its warhammer and began a frenzied massacre. it crushed all the enemies that rushed over into fine pieces. no one could withstand the bombardment of the warhammer. the scene was bloody and brutal. this sight stunned richard. he had thought that kratos did not have any warrior skills and would be a spellcaster. however, why was it so brutal in battle? the dark servants were fearless of death but were not as crazy as this warrior. that fierce and tyrannical attitude made richard feel a sparingly hot blood surge. it was too fierce. in comparison, popov black tower, the patriarch of the tower race, was at a disadvantage. perhaps only when the fearless warrior, xina, entered a berserk state could she be compared to him. moreover, ordinary people would aim for victory in battles. but the dark soul eater would do it for pleasure. yes, it exploited its prey! richard opened the character¡¯s attribute panel and saw something that surprised him. the dark soul eater¡¯s dark power increased rapidly. +0.1¡­+ 0.2¡­+ 0.3¡­ it would reinforce for its every slay of a spider. it devoured souls while it reinforced itself! although the amount of reinforcement was not much, it was still terrifying. richard felt this boss would incessantly slaughter without restraint. it would reach a shocking level. richard suddenly heard a notification after its slaughter of hundreds of enemies. [ding~ your subordinate¨Ckratos, has devoured several spider souls and obtained the skill¨Cspider detection (d-rank).] devour the soul to obtain the other party¡¯s memories and skills. that was kratos¡¯s fetters. that was¡­ the fetter took effect? richard¡¯s lips curled up as he watched kratos slaughter its way through. it would not be a loss even if they failed in this dungeon. what matters most is richard could bring kratos out. kratos¡¯s reckless attitude toward its wanton slaughter angered the spider troop. Chapter 729 the troop on the ground immediately went into an uproar and launched an even more ferocious attack. ¡°blasphemers should all die! ¡°no one can profane the church of our god!!¡± five or six squadrons of level 16 void weaver troops swayed their spider webs and quickly arrived above kratos simultaneously. !! kratos bent its abdomen. ¡®puchi!¡¯ spider webs that were highly toxic and sticky shot out and forcibly enveloped kratos while it slaughtered. hundreds of spider webs shot out simultaneously. it was perhaps nothing to a behemoth like a god¡¯s ancient tree. however, the dark soul eater¡¯s body was far from one who would ignore the spider webs. it could not escape from the stack of hundreds of spider webs, no matter how ferocious its strength was. the area where kratos was, had become a vast expanse of white sticky shots. that was the biggest flaw of a warrior hero. the enemies could easily restrain it with their long-range troops. a spellcaster hero was different. a single spell from them could change the course of the battle. the spider troop unrelentingly charged after they restrained the dark soul eater. they wanted to slay this blasphemer who dared to attack their church. at this moment, a shrill sound came from under the spider web. something tore the layers of spider webs apart in the next second. the sound of the wings that flapped resounded through the sky. the spider troop that had just surrounded kratos suddenly realized that red-eyed soul eater crows emitted dark auras and flew into the sky. [soul eater storm¨Crequires 500 dark power to summon 500 soul eater crows. they deal massive damage to the enemy¡¯s soul. duration: 30 minutes.] the soul eater crow continued to exist and grew stronger after each devour of the soul of their enemies. every 500 points of dark power recruit 500 more soul eater crows. concentrated fire enraged kratos and consumed half of its dark power, 4,000 points. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ four thousand soul eater crows swept from the ground like a dark storm. the red-eyed crows flapped their wings and flew over like arrows before the void weaver could react. the void weavers waved their razor-edged limbs to block the crows, but to their horror, the limbs pierced through their bodies but did not cause any damage¡­ ¡°a body of energy?¡± the red-eyed crows flew out from their backs, and the void weaver felt a sharp pain in its head afterward. these red-eyed crows would not attack the body but would directly peck at the soul!! each red-eyed soul eater crow pierced through the void weaver¡¯s body. the void weaver in the sky released a shrill cry and frantically waved its eight limbs that tried to stop the enemy. however, its attack was like a knife cut through the air. it was futile! the void weavers felt a rapid decay in their souls amid the excruciating pain. their brains gradually turned numb and sluggish. they eventually lost control of their bodies. their thoughts turned dark and sunken. they finally lost consciousness. ¡®phew!¡¯ the massive body without a soul became a walking corpse that fell from the sky. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ one void weaver after another crashed into the ground and created dull sounds. the soul eater crows smashed to death some spiders who failed to dodge in time. the aura of the red-eyed soul eater crow became even more terrifying after each devour of the soul of the void weavers. they continued to spread in all directions. pairs of red eyes filled the entire sky. ¡®rip!¡¯ the dark soul eater on the ground finally tore the spider web apart and bound its body. kratos looked at the surrounding enemies as they soared with killing intent. ¡°a bunch of lowly bugs dared to trap me? ¡°welcome to your true destruction!¡± the dark power on the attribute panel suddenly decreased by 500 points. the next moment, a blood-red spider web instantly appeared in the void. kratos was at the center. a blood-hued spider web trapped all the spiders within a hundred meters. the spider troop suddenly felt something bound to their bodies. at the same time, their soul power rapidly flew into the blood-hued spider web. this blood-hued spider web devoured their souls!! the moment this thought arose, they immediately began to struggle. however, the more they struggled, the faster they drained their soul powers. their thoughts became sluggish, and their life forces exaggeratedly declined after a few breaths. [soul eater spider web (beyond a-rank) ¡ª can form an invisible spider web from the dark power. one cannot destroy it by ordinary means. enemies bound to the spider web will have their souls devoured. duration: 30 minutes. cooldown time: 10 minutes.] the spider troop stuck to the spider web directly turned into walking corpses. in the end, they collapsed on the ground and died miserably. dark power, +0.1¡­+ 0.2¡­+ 0.3¡­ kratos felt the surge of the dark power in its body and roared again. that charge decreased it by another 500 points. a rotten aura spread out from its body afterward. no one could stop the dark soul eater. ¡°this was¡­my lord¡¯s will!¡± it was not just kratos at the same time. the red-eyed soul eater crows in the sky and dark servants on the ground simultaneously emitted decaying power. [decaying power (beyond a-rank) ¡ª consumes 500 dark power to add decaying power to all skills. the gift could be dealing decay damage to enemies.] that was a powerful skill it had obtained from the god¡¯s ancient tree. Chapter 730 the dark servant swung its warhammer before the giant spider. it smashed into it with a pfft. that caused a crack in its body. this giant spider would usually consider that injury light and bearable. however, the wound exaggeratedly decayed afterward, and a foul smell quickly rose. the decay exacerbated the wound and invaded the spider¡¯s internal organs. !! the spider¡¯s body stiffened in less than three minutes and convulsed a few times before it fell to the ground. the dark servant looked closely and could see that the spider was utterly unharmed except for a scar where it had hit it with its warhammer. green juice flowed out with a foul smell. a moment later, all its joints oozed a foul-smell fluid. the smell was like the humid and warm environment trapped the spider¡¯s corpse for more than ten days. the red-eyed soul eater crows in the sky pierced through the void weaver¡¯s body. they emitted an aura that weakened the bodies of their enemy and pecked their souls. the decaying power they carried was subtly strong due to their size. however, a direct pierce through the enemy¡¯s bodies would allow the decaying power to unleash to the greatest extent. it was like it incessantly weakened the other party. the red-eyed soul eater crow surged death storm with its decaying power and spread rapidly. that gave the void weaver a head-on blow. these would slaughter the void weavers, and they have no means to restrain the red-eyed soul eater crows even if they were allowed to continue! the level 19 void weaver hero above the spider church saw the situation change quickly and could no longer hold on. ¡®ssss!¡¯ the sound of a sharp knife that severed through the glass echoed throughout the entire plane. the void weaver hero bent its abdomen and released the spider silk. its vast body quickly descended into the group of red-eyed sould eater crows. shortly afterward. ¡®shua!¡¯ an illusory spider web spread out in the sky. it covered a radius of 100 meters. the void spider web trapped the red-eyed soul eater crows that could penetrate the spider web. there were more than a thousand of them. everyone could hear the sound of cold water that dripped into hot oil after a few breaths. the illusory spider web stuck the red-eyed soul eater crows to the ground and emitted green smoke that dissipated into the air. the void weaver hero remained dissatisfied with the death of thousands of enemies in one go. the spider web swayed as it charged towards the next spot where the red-eyed soul eater crows concentrated. the number of red-eyed soul eater crows quickly decreased to a few hundred after a few rounds. the void weaver hero extinguished the danger. it roared at the ground when it realized the situation was under its control. ¡°massacre those lowly worms!¡± the spider troop around them once again raged. they gave up on tangling with the dark servants and violently charged at the soul eater crows. the void weaver hero hung upside down in the sky. it looked down at the earth. kratos felt the contempt from the other party. kratos¡¯s dark green eyes stared at the void weaver hero after it smashed the dozen abyssal spidermen before it while it swung its warhammer. ¡°a worm dared to provoke me? ¡°you are courting death!¡± the void weaver hero suddenly felt a strong sense of danger, and its gaze quickly locked onto kratos on the ground. ¡®ssss!¡¯ it opened its huge mouth. it also bent its abdomen and made an attack posture that was about to spray spider silk. that triggered both of their top-notch battle powers. ¡®hiss!¡¯ a dark servant slaughtered a spider and let out a shrill cry that echoed throughout the battlefield. it was like a referee blew his whistle at this moment. the void weaver hero shot out a spider web. its body fell at the same time. it wanted to move closer to launch another attack. kratos clenched its right hand, and endless dark power surged out. a translucent soul eater chain quickly condensed. the short javelin chain had barbs that looked like fish hooks. it was ferocious and terrifying. the void weaver hero¡¯s body leaned back and burst out like a compressed spring before the spider web hit the ground. that transmitted the power to the spear. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the soul eater chains tore through the void like lightning. shortly afterward. the void weaver hero rapidly descended and felt like death peeped into its soul¡­ the immense danger made one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡®roar!¡¯ it raised its head and roared. boundless power erupted from its body. the void spider web that covered a hundred meters appeared once again. it was like to imprison the empty spear and chain. the situation turned utterly different from what the void weaver hero had imagined when the spear pierced the spider web. the spear not only outperformed the web that the spider hero had condensed with all its strength. it tore it apart also! ¡°no!¡± the short spear pierced into its abdomen in its endless fear. the void weaver hero felt an unspeakable torment in its soul. the outside anchored its soul¡­ kratos grabbed the other end of the soul eater chain on the ground and pulled hard. ¡®roar!¡¯ a painful roar resounded through the world. the soul eater chain pulled out the soul of the dark blue spider from its body. in the sky, the shortly fierce and domineering level 19 void weaver seemed to have its bones extracted. its entire body went limp and fell uncontrollably. at this moment, the soul eater chains pulled the void weaver hero¡¯s soul, and both fell together. the spider hero looked at the body that fell beside it in torment. the fear in its heart rose to the extreme. ¡®bang!¡¯ the dull sound was like a warhammer stroke on the ground. the void weaver hero¡¯s body crashed to the ground, and large cracks appeared on its sturdy shell. blood splattered more than ten meters high. kratos used the soul eater chains to pull the souls of the hunted. the dark soul eater grabbed the spider¡¯s soul without a physical body and placed it directly in its mouth. ¡®crunch! crunch! crunch!¡¯ it swallowed the entire soul in three to five mouthfuls. the scene looked cruel and violent, as terrifying as the murals that depicted demons in myths and legends. kratos massacred the level 19 void weaver hero just like that! it even devoured its soul in the end!! this scene could make the hairs of the players stand on end if they were here to watch. the battle power of this boss was countless times stronger than they could imagine!! that was the true lord of the dark! [soul eater chain (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can form a 200-meter-long invisible chain that forcibly locks onto the enemy¡¯s soul. it can drag out and forcibly devour it.] richard¡¯s heart surged as it rode on alves¡¯s back. kratos was too fierce! this pure power explosion had an indescribable beauty of violence! the art of death. a notification sounded in his ear after kratos swallowed the void weaver¡¯s soul. [ding~ your subordinate, dark soul eater¨Ckratos, has devoured the soul of a level 19 void weaver hero and obtained a memory fragment.] [spider detection (d-rank) upgraded to (c-rank). it has obtained a new skill¨Cspider balance (d-rank).] he looked at the notification system, and his mood got increasingly excited. ¡®was this the true battle power of this boss? ¡®this strength, this growth potential¡­ what else could compare to it? ¡®it was a massive profit to obtain this boss this time!! ¡®no, it wasn¡¯t just that!¡¯ kratos displayed a power far from reaching its limit. the boss¡¯s unique skill had yet to use in the battle of the searing soul. moreover, he hadn¡¯t activated the soul-tormenting soul eater halo from the beginning to the end. just like that, the spider church could no longer withstand its ferocity. that was the dark soul eater. richard¡¯s mind wavered. Chapter 731 kratos was equally a level 19 dark soul eater who slayed the enemies like chickens and dogs, although these were all top-tier troops. no one could withstand its sharp edge. the 32 dark servants carried the decaying power and slaughtered wantonly the opponents. kratos didn¡¯t even move to defeat the spider troop. however, kratos did not stop. it consumed another 1,000 points of dark power to replenish the number of soul eater crows to 2,000. !! the soul eater storm was set off this time and destroyed everything without any of the void weaver¡¯s restraints. the remaining void weavers in the sky all fell after a dozen breaths. none survived. the soul eater crows immediately poured down from their lairs like a tsunami and ruined everything on the ground after they cleared the enemies in the sky. the spider troop had been fierce and overbearing just a moment ago but fell like severed ears of wheat afterward. the power of a level 19 boss was too much. the red-eyed soul eater crows had cleared all the souls on the battlefield¡­when the 32 dark servants broke through the spider troop defenses and charged toward the spider church. the attack launched by the new boss, dark soul eater kratos, ended. kratos subdued the spider church with two large teams of top-tier troops alone. that was the final result! none of the enemies survived. kratos slayed the level 19 void weaver hero in one move. richard heard a notification when the battle ended. [ding~ you have commanded the troop to slay several spider troops and have captured a spider church. you obtained a glorious victory.] [you have obtained 2,378 undead crystals. you have killed a level 19 void weaver hero and harvested one gold undead crystal. you have 100,000 experience points now.] [ding~ your subordinate¨Cdark soul eater¨Ckratos has reached the peak of level 19 mission¨Cbattle of the transcendents.] [battle of the transcendents: find a transcendent hero and kill him in battle. you will break through the bottleneck and become transcendent after you complete the mission.] [note: you must contribute to the core damage in the battle. it will invalidate the progress if the damage rate is less than 70%.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up after he read the notifications. the information, in the beginning, was still alright. everything was average gains. none was special. however, kratos triggered a promotion mission, which piqued his interest. according to the dwarf god, the highest level of a new life born in the primary plane could not reach the transcendent level. one earned the promotion after the test of the rules. the terrifying existence who had once stepped into the river of fate knew a lot. now, the other party had triggered the corresponding mission. kratos¡¯ battle of the transcendents was similar to his previous mission to level up from 14 to 15. it needed to kill a higher-level hero. however, unlike before, when they had to kill each other individually, only through a team that one could complete this mission. fortunately, the system knows how ridiculous it is to kill a transcendent at level 19 alone¡­ richard breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the mission. kratos could not complete his promotion mission soon if it slayed the transcendent by himself. it could not slay a transcendent at level 19 unless it could get its hands on a forbidden spell or semi-god equipment. even the weakest transcendent was still a transcendent! levels 19 to 20 seemed to be only one level apart, but the difference in power was unimaginable. take the top-tier boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, for example, transformed twice. it could only block the attacks of the lord of the dunes¡¯ sand soldiers when it obtained a part of the dark power and rotten authority. moreover, the enemies sealed the dune lord for countless years before its release. not to mention its peak state, it was not even in its normal state. one could imagine how ridiculously strong transcendents were. however, the restriction was arduous, although they could form a party. they had to contribute 70% of the damage, which made the difficulty of this mission ridiculous. it had increased many difficulties. but no matter what, to allow outsiders to participate was much better than to fight transcendent alone. ¡°plan well. we could turn kratos into a butterfly when we finally conquer the spider temple.¡± twilight city should obtain one from this instance dungeon. twilight city would have enough confidence to deal with the upcoming changes in the world, even if they could not complete the final mission. twilight city would have two transcendents if they could complete the mission and obtain the soul scroll. two transcendents! that was the battle strength of a calamity grade! richard¡¯s breathing quickened at the thought of that scene. no matter what, he had to do something ruthless! he immediately commanded alves to fly to the facade of the spider church after the battlefield had calmed down. he turned around and entered the church. a familiar scene appeared before him. the vivid spider statues in the room made him feel sparingly scared. richard ignored them and went straight to lolita¡¯s statue. he looked at the head-sized statue on the altar. he took the ancient god statue with a thought. a dark light surged out and enveloped lolita¡¯s statue. he did not give any chance for any accidents to happen and kept it in the system space after the statue died and sealed it. he had experienced it once. he knew that the statue was related to lolita. his iq would be poor if he¡¯d made a mistake on this. Chapter 732 ¡°kratos, did you find anything?¡± only then did the dark soul eater mess up. it turned around and bowed respectfully. ¡°my lord, the stone material used for this statue is an abyssal magic stone. it¡¯s very suitable for making stone boxes¡­¡± that intrigued richard. !! kratos¡¯ racial talent was somehow similar to that of a lich. a constructed body. the body will not die until one destroys the soul. one can use it to create a stone box to store the soul. one can revive the soul after the main body dies. kratos did not leave its mark on the heroes¡¯ altar. one would genuinely die if they died in the instance dungeon. richard would bring one out after it made the stone box. he could revive at that time even if they encountered unexpected events. that was the best insurance. ¡°how long does it take to make a stone box?¡± ¡°half an hour¡­¡± richard nodded. the power of the ancient god statue enveloped the other and larger one with a thought. he did not give any chance for any unexpected events to happen. ¡°move the stone statue away and find a safe area before making it.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± kratos no longer hesitated after richard¡¯s order and approval. the dark soul eater waved its hand, and the 32 dark servants in the room stepped forward. these vast and more than eight meters creatures lifted the statue of lolita more than ten meters tall. richard clicked his tongue in wonder. these dark servants were useful. they were similar to his ability to form sandmen. however, the sandmen needed sand to form, so the servants of darkness could last forever. the sandmen could quickly reassemble even when the enemies shattered them. as for the dark servants, they could only wait for three days. that was the difference between the two, although both had the advantages. richard also didn¡¯t find anything in the church following a simple search. he didn¡¯t have much hope, wasn¡¯t disappointed, and turned to leave. he sat on alves again. he glanced at the vast spider statue on the top of the church. ¡°treebeard, smash that church.¡± the abomination tree didn¡¯t waste time following the order. the giant twisted human-faced tree waved its vast roots and approached. ¡®phew!¡¯ the rock-like roots waved, and a terrifying power erupted. it had turned the colossal spider church before it into a pile of rubble in less than three minutes. it was even more exaggerated than a road roller. kratos had a new move while the god¡¯s ancient tree swung its sledgehammer, it left the church and raised its head. it looked at the red-eyed soul eater crows that flew in the sky. its dark green eyes suddenly emitted a bright light. it slowly opened its arms. the dark power on its body dissipated¡­ it was like the red-eyed soul eater crows in the sky received some sort of order. they let out shrill cries and immediately turned around to swarm toward kratos. a shocking scene appeared afterward. the soul eater crows without corpses crashed into kratos¡¯ body. it directly fused into it afterward. two thousand red-eyed soul eater crows formed a storm and rushed into kratos¡¯ body. this scene was like believers of evil gods carved a mural to worship evil and darkness. that gave people a strong shock. richard was also very curious. ¡°did kratos recycle those soul eater crows?¡± richard sensed carefully and was surprised to find the rise of krato¡¯s aura after the soul eater crows merged into its body! ¡°what was that?¡± richard curiously opened the attribute panel of this evil boss. his gaze halted at the dark power column. +0.1¡­+ 0.3¡­+ 0.5¡­ the upper limit of the dark power in kratos¡¯ body would increase sparingly with each soul the soul eater crows absorb. some are numerous, and some are few. it would depend on the number of souls the crows devour. kratos recalled all the 2,000 soul eater crows. its dark power started at 8,000 points before the battle but had now risen to 8,320 points. it had increased by 320 points. that intensely satisfied richard. this number was slim. and it could only cast one skill¡­ however, this was the harvest of a battle. and this didn¡¯t count the two skills it obtained from the spider. ¡®how terrifying would its soul be if it incessantly fought? how rich would its dark power be? how many powerful skills would it earn in the end?¡¯ these thoughts spun in richard¡¯s mind. he could feel the terrifying growth potential of this boss. richard was in high spirits. kratos could be as mighty as the god¡¯s ancient tree. but its future was limitless. it could not be weaker than anyone else. he waited until kratos had finished before he ended his hesitation. he gave the order afterward. ¡°leave the spider church immediately and return the way you came. find an area without the spiders¡¯ eyes to rest.¡± they received the order, and the troop set off immediately. the troop of the undead was intensely efficient, unlike humans. they would carry out the orders of their lord without any hesitation. the six-meter-tall kratos sat on the god¡¯s ancient tree. only this big guy could carry it. its body comprised unique rocks, and its weight was ridiculous. ordinary skeleton demons couldn¡¯t even carry it. the troop that had rushed over quickly disappeared into the night. they left behind only ruins. a vast spider troop arrived from darkness half an hour later. they stared at the ruined church, and the sight of it infuriated them. the spider hero leader released a mournful roar. Chapter 733 ¡°these lowly insects, don¡¯t get caught by them!!¡± ****** the twilight city troop returned to an area they quickly cleared. richard then ordered the troops to stop. the first few battles to capture the spider churches would be slightly less arduous¡­ !! the further they went, the fewer spider churches and the stronger the enemies they would face. at that time, it would genuinely be a bloody battle. now, he would increase his troops¡¯ strength to a great extent. kratos could do some bold operations without fear with the stone box. kratos stopped the troop and ordered the flying soldiers to be on guard while it operated on the stone box. richard looked around curiously. he was no stranger to such treasures. gunter, the fresh blood lich, could make a soul phylactery. however, gunter made only three soul phylacteries because of the heroes¡¯ altar. they placed one in the underworld, the other in twilight city, and the last on richard. this way, they could resurrect one from them even if something wrong happened. twilight city would most likely cease to exist if something went wrong. kratos pressed one hand on the statue of lolita. endless dark power surged out. the statue bubbled and melted. the statue gradually shrank, and the dark power removed a few impurities. drops of black slime dripped out incessantly. the stone statue that was seven to eight meters tall turned into a stone slab that was only 50 by 20 centimeters wide and 10 centimeters thick after half an hour. tons of dark brown liquid dripped around the dark soul eater. the liquid solidified and emitted a pungent smell of sulfur afterward. the majestic dark power incessantly flowed into the stone slab. the stone slab gradually emitted an evil power. ordinary people would fall into deep fear instantly if they saw the aura on it. kratos no longer injected power into the stone slab, and a hand suddenly grabbed its head. the giant hand with ferocious barbs pierced the head like a soul eater crow. ¡®rip!¡¯ the sound of cloth ripped into pieces rang out as the giant hand pulled out from within. at this moment, one could see that it held a wisp of dark blue soul power. richard was at a loss for words. ¡°that guy¡­ directly tore its soul apart? ¡°how could there be such an action? ¡°doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡± kratos did not care about this at all. it placed the wisp of soul power on the stone slab. the stone slab directly absorbed the soul power into it like how a sponge absorbed water. the dark aura it emitted suddenly converged, and numerous dregs fell from the stone slab. the smooth surface of the stone slab became uneven. it appeared no different from the stone slabs richard had seen on the road. it had become ordinary. camouflage. richard was amazed. ¡°that was the stone box?¡± he curiously opened the attribute panel. [stone box] [level: special] [special characteristic: it contains a wisp of unique soul power. it can continuously absorb from the earth to nourish the soul.] [description: a treasure created by a dark life form.] there was no description of the ability to resurrect in the attributes. it was likely that resurrection was kratos¡¯ skill. this stone box did not have such an ability. the only thing that could resurrect was itself. the function of the stone box was only to preserve the power of the soul. kratos picked up the stone box and walked up to richard. it knelt on one knee and respectfully handed it to richard. ¡°my lord, i have successfully created the stone box¡­ the soul power inside wouldn¡¯t die as long as it is on the ground. the power can revive me at the location of the stone box even if i die.¡± richard reached out and took it. the weight on his heart finally lifted him. this time, they wouldn¡¯t lose in the dungeon even if something unexpected happened. richard could resurrect emily and alves at the hero¡¯s altar, and so could the god¡¯s ancient tree. however, he could revive this boss at the dark entreant. so there was no need to be careful. it would not be a loss as long as he could save the hero, even if they eventually failed. they could still recruit the soldiers that have died. at most, it was a matter of how many resources they had spent. richard put the stone box into the system space and opened the map. he looked at the remaining marks. he gave the order decisively. ¡°head to the next spider church immediately.¡± the longer they delayed, the greater the variables. none of the plane power that had reached its limit or the spider goddess¡¯s anger could drag his plans on. time was not on his side. moreover, the rewards from the churches they captured were quite a lot. they counted on the undead crystals, several experience points, and a latchkey item that could synthesize troops¨Clolita¡¯s statue. richard already had five statues in his hands. he could recruit that remarkable spider-type soldier as long as he could obtain seven more. moreover, the dark soul eater had appeared again. this boss could devour souls to grow. those spiders would become its nourishment. fighting spirit stirred richard¡¯s heart again. he gave the order. the troops that had rushed in quickly left. they moved toward their next target under the cover of the night. ****** ¡°f*ck, what are these dogs doing?¡± ¡°i¡¯m stupid! a real stupid! i shouldn¡¯t have listened to what many had said. the higher the dungeon level, the more treasures i can obtain¡­¡± ¡°sacrifice¡­ f*ck you! i am a descendant of huaxia, a staunch supporter of atheism. and an evil god will sacrifice me one day! i¡¯m not convinced!¡± ¡°what should i do¡­ was he going to do total annihilation? sob¡­ i have more than 20 wives in my territory. they wait for me to comfort them. i can¡¯t die here.¡± Chapter 734 in the church where spiders placed dozens of spider statues, more than thirty players looked at the abyssal spidermen who wiped the altar in horror. the oil lamp emitted a dim light. their upper bodies were of an elf. and their lower parts were of a spider statue. they looked particularly ferocious and terrifying in the dim environment. it was like an evil god looked down on them as far as the eye could see. !! a burly player with a full beard said in a low voice, ¡°don¡¯t f*ck with me anymore. did you forget what that npc said? as soon as the ritual begins, we¡¯ll take those things out. it will destroy the ritual at that time!¡± the players suddenly quieted down and turned to look at the bearded player. all gritted their teeth. ¡°brother long, do you believe that shameless old dog?¡± the bearded player said in a deep voice. ¡°the spiders imprisoned that npc for thousands of years, and he¡¯s fine. there must be something¡­¡± ¡°a few thousand years? bullsh*t, when did this old dog thing ever speak the truth?¡± a female player was furious. ¡°he even said he would take me out if i let him touch me? the demonic emperor almost skinned me, and i¡¯m still here.¡± these words immediately attracted the attention of the players. ¡°f*ck this shameless dog! he even said that i¡¯m some kind of talented genius. he said he would teach me an ancient skill if i gave him all my rare resources. guess what he taught me after i gave him all my resources?? excrement digging specialization. f*ck you!!& % £¤ #@#..*¡± ¡°he tricked me into washing his feet for a week¡­¡± ¡°f*ck, i¡¯m going to¡­¡± the crowd was furious. each scolded the npc the bearded man had mentioned. they had lived so long. but they had just seen a shameless old dog for the first time. they could have slaughtered him if the spiders¡¯ dungeon couldn¡¯t have captured them. they would f*ck that dog to death no matter what. it was too infuriating. someone suddenly said after they cursed, ¡°brother long, did that old dog promise you something?¡± these words immediately made them stop their curse and look at the bearded player. the bearded player couldn¡¯t help but feel sparingly embarrassed as everyone stared at him. he forced a few laughs and became sparingly angry out of embarrassment. ¡°no matter what, this imprisonment has forced us to this extent. what else can we do?¡± ¡°don¡¯t tell me you have a way just because you don¡¯t trust that npc?¡± the bearded player spoke, and the players were like frozen eggplants. would the webs still trap them if there were a way?? however, they could not trust that old bastard dog. not only would he fail to interrupt the sacrifice, but he would also provoke the other party when the time came. they would initially kill the other party with a single slash, but now, they would dismember him with five horses. these horses would execute a thousand cuts and other tortures. it was not a question of possibility based on their understanding of the old player. it was just about the number of times he had done this. the bearded player slowly said as he watched the scene fall into silence. ¡°we don¡¯t have a choice anymore. if we don¡¯t do it, we will die. if we do it, there is still a chance of survival.¡± ¡°anyway, as long as one person makes a move, they can interfere with the sacrifice¡­¡± silence. silence again. they would have already thought about how to complete this mission if it were an npc. however, the starting point of all this was that shameless old dog. it was useless to say anything. the players spun their thoughts. the abyssal spidermen wiped the altar and suddenly stopped. they looked at the players with their green eyes. all the players felt a chill from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads. it was over! the savage-looking abyssal spidermen stepped forward and lifted all the players tightly wrapped in spider silk. they placed each head on the altar. at this moment, lolita¡¯s statue was above their heads, and the pressure was off the charts. ¡°f*ck you, let go of me! f*ck your grandpa¡¯s rotten leather shoes. if you have the guts, let me go!!¡± ¡°i am willing to believe in your great god¡­ don¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°wuwuwu¡­ i want to go home!¡± the players saw the abyssal spidermen¡¯s dangerous gaze. they immediately fell into chaos. some cursed, some wanted to raise the white flag, and some were scared out of their wits! life was full of different things. no one paid attention to the players¡¯ screams. the abyssal spidermen arranged them neatly and gathered them all before the altar. then, they prostrated themselves on the ground and prayed in the most humble posture. ¡°& amp;*%£¤%%!!¡± an evil and terrifying prayer sounded, and the voices that cried of hundreds of people echoed. at this moment, the players felt like something would devour their souls. the evil god statue above their heads seemed to have come alive. its face became even more distorted. ¡°ah!¡± suddenly, a player let out a hysterical scream. his companions beside him subconsciously looked over and were horrified to find out. the statue sucked the player¡¯s life force dry. the player turned into a corpse in a few breaths. ¡°hu zi is dead!¡± the players who witnessed this scene felt their scalps go numb. they knew they were about to explode. the bearded player could no longer hold it in and let loose a furious roar. ¡°take those things out!¡± the players still resisted and seemed to have regained their senses at this moment. they took pieces of black broken bones that were one-third the size of a palm out of the system space. Chapter 735 but the frightened players could not care less. they used their methods to inject mana points into the broken bones. a few struggles, and afterward. a special evil aura emanated from the black bone. then, the evil aura climbed up the statue. it condensed into tentacles and pierced into the goddess under the players¡¯ gazes. !! ¡°that was¡­ devouring the power inside the statue?¡± the scene shocked the players and made them happy. many people felt like tears welled up in their eyes. ¡°that damn old thing, it finally gave its all!!¡± however, dozens of tentacles created a vast commotion and alarmed the other abyssal spidermen before they could celebrate for long. they looked up and were shocked to find that an unusual aura eroded the statue of their goddess. that directly poked the hornet¡¯s nest. each stood up and rushed over. they wanted to stop all the escapees. however, those evil tentacles had no physical body. they could not cause any harm or damage to the spiders, no matter how they slashed at them. then, they could only watch as the tentacles from the player¡¯s cocoon shrouded the statue. ¡®kacha!¡¯ cracking sounds rang out as the statue cracked. then, those evil tentacles turned into energy and disappeared into the air. only the furious abyssal spidermen and the players on the altar remained. the blood of the thirty players turned cold when they saw this scene. the bearded player was so angry that he almost bled. it roared at the sky. ¡°shameless old dog!! what the f*ck!!!¡± they had interrupted the sacrifice ritual. but that hadn¡¯t freed them! furthermore, they still had to face a group of furious abyssal spidermen!!! ¡°when i go out, i¡¯ll eat this shameless old dog¡¯s brain!¡± ¡°f*ck, i knew that shameless old dog wouldn¡¯t have good intentions. i might as well die!¡± everyone cursed. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sound of a saber that pierced into the bone rang out. the thick smell of blood assailed their nostrils. the players¡¯ moods instantly fell. a few players turned their heads to look. the blood of a headless corpse flowed down the spider web. the flow stained half of the altar with blood. abyssal spidermen! they started the slaughter! despair and fear welled up in everyone¡¯s hearts. there was no resurrection in this dungeon. the players would die if they died!! ¡°who dared to blaspheme our goddess?¡± the leader among the abyssal spidermen roared at the players. the abyssal blasphemy attacked their souls wantonly. ¡°lowly worms, blasphemers, all must die!!¡± ¡®puchi! puchi!¡¯ a few more slashes sounded before the players could react. the smell of blood became even bold. ¡°it¡¯s that shameless old dog! it¡¯s that old fellow you locked up in the dungeon!¡± ¡°don¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t, i¡¯ll tell you everything¡­¡± the spidermen controlled the lives of the players. all that the players could feel was fear and despair. blood covered the entire altar after they slaughtered seven or eight players. the remaining players had gone crazy and struggled to escape. however, they couldn¡¯t do it no matter how hard they tried under the dense guards and the shackles of the spider webs. death approached each of them. the bearded player slowly closed his eyes after he witnessed the person beside him get beheaded. he recalled the past half a year since he came to the ¡°shining era.¡± in the end, his memories of the paddy field when he was a child surfaced. memories of his parents as they farmed also appeared. he missed home. he closed his eyes for a long time. he waited for the pain to land on his body. but he didn¡¯t feel the pain he had expected. instead, he could no longer hear the cries of the abyssal spidermen or the cries of the players. everyone quickly fell into chaos. the sudden silence confused the bearded player. he slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look ahead. an unforgettable scene appeared before his eyes. the pitch-black red-eyed soul eater crows swarmed into the church like a storm. the soul eater crows pierced through the abyssal spidermen that he thought were powerful and could easily slaughter his troop. then, they fell to the ground like they were no longer breathing. it was like a power sucked their souls. the spider troops that had been arrogant just a moment ago had turned into corpses in the blink of an eye. at this time, the yellow sand shrouded the figure of the red-eyed soul eater crows that floated into the church. the corpses on the ground, the crows that stirred up the storm, and the vast spider statues around them all became the figure¡¯s background at this moment. it became the only focus after that mysterious existence appeared. ¡°who was this?¡± the players who were in shock all asked the same question. then, they opened the attribute panel of this mysterious existence¡­ the air suddenly froze. everyone revealed an extremely shocked expression. this attribute panel¡­ ¡°play? player?¡± ¡°what kind of f*cking joke was this?!!¡± was this a player like them? ¡°since when did players possess such terrifying strength?¡± this discovery startled everyone. the bearded player suppressed his emotions and spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°big brother, can you save us this once?¡± at this moment, the crows surrounded the yellow sand-covered figure. the figure glanced at them indifferently. in the end, his gaze stopped on the broken statue of lolita. his gaze froze. his cold voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°i just sensed an evil aura had spread. that¡¯s not a power that you can possess¡­ what just happened?¡± these words immediately snapped the players back to their senses. they gritted their teeth and cursed out the most brutal language of their generation. ¡°that shameless old dog did this!!¡± ¡°what a f*cking b*stard!! he gave birth to three sons. that shameless old dog asked us to put a bone on our bodies. he said we should activate them when the abyssal spidermen started their sacrifice to interrupt them¡­¡± ¡°they locked that shameless old dog in a dungeon. brother, let me go, and i¡¯ll take you there. i¡¯ll let this shameless dog know what it means to be killed by rotation!!¡± richard was silent. the players¡¯ curses died down, and the mysterious figure shrouded in yellow sand finally moved afterward. the figure waved his hand, and the yellow sand condensed into sharp sabers. the weapon tore the spider silk apart that bound the players. only then did the remaining 20 players regain their freedom. reverence filled their souls when they saw the spider corpses on the ground and the red-eyed soul eater crows flew into the sky. then, they started to spit on the npc who had tricked them. amidst the curses, the figure sized up the surroundings before it turned around and left. his words echoed in the air. ¡°everyone, come out and bring me to the npc who gave you the bone¡­ he took something from me.¡± the players¡¯ voices suddenly stopped. they could feel that the mysterious player was angry. it was like the shameless old dog stole his treasures. that bewildered the bearded player, and he recalled something. he hurriedly stepped forward and asked with some apprehension and respect. ¡°remarkable soldier, how should i address you?¡± the yellow sand-shrouded figure did not even turn. the savior disappeared without hesitation. his voice that echoed in the church was the only thing that remained. ¡°qingqiu.¡± ¡°qingqiu?¡± the players at the back were stunned at first. they raised their heads together and stared at the voice that had disappeared with wide eyes after they muttered a few words. ¡°qingqiu?!!¡± ¡°that motherf*cker was qingqiu?¡± Chapter 736 all the players looked at the red-eyed soul eater crow-filled sky, and the figure had already disappeared. the thought of qingqiu trembled in their hearts. one cannot describe in words the emotions in their heart. there was shock and relief. it could have been more challenging to accept if nobody easily defeated the spider church, which they thought was invincible at this stage. !! on the contrary, the opponent was qingqiu, which gave them a feeling that it was only natural. it wasn¡¯t that they were trash. it was just that qingqiu was too strong. that was the mightiest existence among the players! he was the king who had once ascended to the throne under the siege of countless people and made infinite top-tier players bow their heads. ¡°with such combat power¡­ shouldn¡¯t it be normal, right?¡± the bearded player looked at the spider corpses on the ground and swallowed hard. ¡°normal your a*s! qingqiu directly cleared all level 15 troops. they did not even have the strength to resist! it had only been a few months since the last instance dungeon. why had the gap between them and qingqiu decreased? it had even become like a chasm! what level had qingqiu progressed to? questions filled the players¡¯ hearts. but no one would answer them at this moment. the bearded player adjusted his mood. he took the lead and walked out of the church. the other players were stunned before they returned to their senses and followed. now, their companion outside controlled their fate¡­ they could only obey¡­ no matter what orders he gives. resist? the weak did not even have the right to resist. they understood the survival of the fittest in this world after more than half a year. the remaining 23 players curiously and nervously walked out of the spider church. they lit their lamps and illuminated the church dozens of meters in the night sky because of the sacrifice. it was further away. the bearded player who came out first looked over and saw a faceless monster more than eight meters tall and had muscles that looked like steel. it stood before the church and occupied his sight. it emitted a ferocious aura that made the players feel a vast dragon stared at them, and their scalps went numb. they looked around and were shocked to find a dozen and more of the faceless monsters. the red-eyed soul eater crows in the sky flapped their wings and released miserable cries. that exacerbated the darkness in the atmosphere. the ground shook just as the bearded player was shocked. he looked over and saw a giant twisted human-faced tree that covered the sky and waved its tentacle-like roots quickly approached. the ground would tremble with every step the other party took. a brisk surge forward gave the people suffocating pressure even if this did not attack. ¡®gulp!¡¯ all the players gulped. disbelief engulfed their minds. this¡­ is it also qingqiu¡¯s subordinate? he looked further into the distance. he could vaguely see the sandstorm that lingered in the sky. ¡°weren¡¯t their dragons and stone statues flew out from within¡­?¡± this scene shocked all the players. they had imagined that the qingqiu troop was already mighty. but now they realized his true strength was more than ten times stronger than they had imagined. qingqiu¡­ they repeated the id in a low voice. only now did they understand how exaggerated the title of the strongest player recognized by tens of billions of players was. richard¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at the restless players before the church. he did not expect that someone would beat him to it! they suddenly discovered a terrifying aura that surged after they attacked the church. evil and dark. he had thought that lolita had arrived early. so he had kratos activate the soul eater crows and slay the troop before him. he brought the ancient god statue into the spider church. they wanted to chase her back to the abyss. but the aura unexpectedly disappeared when they entered, and only the broken statue of lolita remained. the statue of the synthetic troop lair on the altar disappeared. that made him very unhappy. he had worked so hard for so long, and one stole the chicken just like that? richard looked at the bearded player before him and said slowly. ¡°what¡¯s the background of that npc you¡¯re talking about? why would he plot to steal lolita¡¯s statue?¡± his voice was soft, and dozens of oddly vast dark servants on the ground glared at them. it was like the tigers watched their prey. the god¡¯s ancient tree waved its roots as it approached. the red-eyed soul eater crows covered the sky and still released shrill screams! the background of these troops made richard¡¯s words seem like an oracle. it was a mountain in the hearts of the players. the bearded player sensed he could not see him, and the pressure on him skyrocketed. he organized his words and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°boss qingqiu, we met that npc in the spider dungeon. it had a mysterious background. it declared it has lived for thousands of years¡­ we don¡¯t have any evidence, but those spiders ignored him. they didn¡¯t even spare it a second glance during the ritual.¡± ¡°this npc gave the black bones. it said they could destroy the sacrifice when it activated the energy, but we didn¡¯t know that the other party wanted to seize the statue.¡± ¡°the dungeon is not far away. i can bring you there immediately.¡± he added more afterward. ¡°that npc is extremely cunning and vicious. it has deceived all of us. its promises are worthless, and none of its words have ever been true. please ponder the reward it will give you if you two meet.¡± Chapter 737 ¡°that¡¯s right, that shameless old dog is too hateful. it is the model of sixth high school. boss qingqiu, be careful with its tricks. we¡¯ve suffered enough!¡± ¡°i can finally go back this time. i don¡¯t deserve to be called iron crotch if i don¡¯t kill that shameless dog this time!!¡± everyone was furious, and richard found it funny. ¡®what did that npc do to make these idiots so resentful?¡¯ he waved his hand and summoned five skeleton blood dragons. he allowed all the players to ride on them. they were 23 people. that would be 230,000 units of rare resources as long as they leave the dungeon alive. it was not a small amount. the players boarded. richard looked at the spider church below and gave the order. ¡°treebeard, destroy it.¡± spider goddess lolita built each spider church to devour this world. the destruction of the church would allow plane power to hold on for a while longer. richard had to complete the final mission before the plane power collapsed. the destruction of the spider church meant to buy time. the god¡¯s ancient tree waved its trunk under the curious gazes of the players and domineeringly crushed the church below into pieces again. its destructive power left the twenty players speechless. good heavens, it was fortunate that qingqiu did not have any animosity toward them. otherwise, this tree root could have smashed them into meat paste. a familiar system notification sounded. [the corpses on the ground melted into a thin mist and condensed into the undead crystal again.] they no longer hesitated and immediately set off with their troops after they stored the spoils of war in the system space and made sure that nothing else was left out, the bearded player was the most enthusiastic and had the privilege of following richard behind. however, he was not in the mood at all. he felt the scorching dragon pressure on his chest. his entire body was in a mess. it was too fierce. this undead could make one collapse with just its dragon might if they were enemies. ¡°are there any other players in that dungeon?¡± the bearded player quivered and quickly said when he heard qingqiu¡¯s voice. ¡°boss qingqiu, they locked 50 players and more up in the dungeon. the abyssal spidermen sacrificed more than 20 people three days ago.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®more than 50 players? ¡®that was vast!¡¯ ¡°do you have any other information about this?¡± the bearded player shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°the spider troop captured me shortly after i entered the dungeon. i explored a small territory on the map¡­¡± richard did not find the succeeding information helpful and diverted the topic to the npc again. the bearded player opened his mouth and told him everything the npc had done. ¡°it snatched female players to touch their bears, promised generous rewards for players to help wash its feet but did not give a single cent afterward. it tricked the players into opening the spider guard¡¯s storeroom and taking the key away. but it only abandoned the players in a mess afterward. it threw poisonous spiders in the toilet when the players went to it and watched them run around with their pants down!¡± all sorts of flashy operations made richard¡¯s expression extremely interesting. only a top-level npc could make these idiots suffer so miserably. that piqued richard¡¯s interest. richard wondered if this shameless dog they mentioned would use the same tricks on him when they met. he lowered his head and glanced at the god¡¯s ancient tree. it could have pleased the players if that shameless old dog did not take the spider statue away. richard looked forward to seeing the players gnash their teeth. the troop advanced quickly in the night. they slowly came to a halt after twenty minutes. richard sensed a small valley several hundred meters ahead where several squadrons stationed their soldiers. that quickened his spirits. they have reached the target area. ¡°kratos, wipe those guards out as fast as you can.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± it received the order, and the players vaguely saw a vast figure leap from the giant abomination tree. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground gave off a dull sound. dozens of sturdy dark servants charged afterward. at the same time, countless red-eyed soul eater crows surged out of its body and formed a soul eater storm. the players saw the invincible spiders before the enemy. but they were as weak as lambs when they encountered the troops of qingqiu. the qingqiu troops slaughtered the entire spider troop guards in two minutes. the players could directly sense this battle, and the impact they received was even more enormous. so qingqiu had only sent a hero. the god¡¯s ancient tree and the sandstorm troop had not joined this battle yet! the emotions in their heart instantly became intensely complicated. no one cared what the players thought. no high-level heroes guarded the spider troop threshold. the abyssal spidemen on the ground immediately became fishes on the board when they could not deal with the soul eater crows. their beaks devoured each spider¡¯s soul. the red-eyed sould eater crows formed soul eater storm. they toppled the ferocious abyssal spidermen down to the ground wherever it passed. the sickle harvested the wheat. that scene was familiar. richard commanded alves to land in the valley when the situation calmed. he also asked the skeleton blood dragon to let them go and lead the way. a single player could still cause trouble, but the chances of falling into a trap with so many people appearing were slim. players cherished their lives more than anyone else. the players looked at the corpses of the abyssal spidermen on the ground. they felt the pleasure of revenge. Chapter 738 a 20-meter-tall and 30-meter-wide passage on the right side of the valley led directly into the mountain. the soul eater crows and the dark servants had already entered the depths to scout the way, so they were not afraid of sudden danger. they gradually tilted down after about 200 meters into the cave. richard¡¯s sight suddenly widened following another 100 meters of a walk. that was a vast oval underground space. the height was about thirty meters and directly exceeded a thousand meters. hundreds of giant stone pillars supported the underground space. each stone pillar has hollow in half. that was surprising. hollows and steel cages filled the area. they looked around and found several steel cages with white bones long since weathered away. it was obvious that they had been imprisoned and died. these were? did the spiders form these? they looked at the wild style. richard thought of the tower¡¯s race buildings. the tower race should have left this dungeon. however, spiders suppressed the race and occupied the territory. richard didn¡¯t mind. he swept his gaze and slowly said, ¡°where is that npc?¡± all the players gritted their teeth and pointed at the center. ¡°right in the middle of the dungeon!¡± anticipation engulfed richard¡¯s emotions. he led the level 19 dark soul eater kratos and the players forward. they passed through the giant stone pillars and made a few twists and turns. they arrived at the central area of the dungeon. there were no giant stone pillars here. there was no vast space. there was only one particularly thick stone pillar in the center. richard stepped forward and arrived before the vastest stone pillar cage. he looked inside through the rusty cell door. a 1.6-meter-tall dried, old thin man appeared before him. the dried, old thin man¡¯s face was amiable. he bent like a neighbor¡¯s grandfather. his body was as thin as a dried corpse, and his aura floated. it was like he was about to die. that was the only thing odd. at this moment, a pair of eyes looked at richard. their eyes met, and the air suddenly froze. the players around richard were already furious before he could say anything. ¡°old dog, you shameless old dog, return my rare resources!!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve been cursed by you for so long! where¡¯s the quasi relic that you owe me?!¡± ¡°f*ck your grandpa! i came back alive this time. i¡¯ll live in vain if i don¡¯t kill you today!¡± languages of curse continued. the 20 people or more brutally scolded the dried, old thin man. the amiable, dried, old thin man inside incessantly smiled as he looked at the crowd as if none of their words affected him. the players¡¯ curses seemed praises to him. he stared at richard with interest. he knew who was the one who brought them back alive when the players appeared. his appearance and temperament were top-notch, almost catching up to when he was young. the dried, old thin man suddenly looked horrified and subconsciously took a few steps back just as richard was about to say something. then he looked at richard as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°damned bastard¡­ the power of an ancient god! those guys are back?¡± the voice was so sharp that it was sparingly ear-piercing. the other players did not understand what the dried, old thin man was up to, but his words shocked richard. richard stared at the dried, old thin man who had lost his composure. ¡°you are indeed not simple.¡± ****** Chapter 739 that meant extraordinary for this person in the cage. the players couldn¡¯t understand the weight of these two words, but richard knew better than anyone else. for such a long time, only¡­gods! richard stared at the dried, old thin man in the cage in a panic. he waited for his response. the ancient god statue emitted dim light that enveloped him. that would immediately erupt with the power of the gods whenever accidents happen. the dried, old thin man sensed that oppressive aura, and the more he became terrified. ¡°sir, put it away, put it away¡­ you couldn¡¯t let the power of the ancient god overflow. lolita would know!!¡± richard didn¡¯t stop the ancient god statue. his eyes stared at it faintly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i know what to do.¡± ¡°i still don¡¯t know how to address your excellency!¡± richard opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel. question marks filled the display. it even displayed his name. a few pieces of information were on the black gold system, but he could not determine the other party¡¯s background. [an incomplete soul. the system reforms the soul after its death. the dark power can nourish it, or the light can destroy it.¡± [the system would condense the soul again after the death of a god.] this primitive way was related to the name of the instance dungeon. there was a high chance that this was a double line in the instance dungeon. he could dig deeper into several areas of a dungeon. the dried, old thin man saw richard didn¡¯t move, so he sparingly relaxed. however, he fixed his gaze on the ancient god statue that emitted a faint light. he feared something that should not appear would appear in the next moment. he turned around and looked at the players who did not interrupt their conversation and still gnashed their teeth at him. ¡°sir, can you drive these lowly creatures away? these insects are not worthy of listening to our conversation!¡± these words directly poked a hornet¡¯s lair. the players felt their blood rush from the soles of their feet to their heads. ¡°what the?? say that again, you shameless old dog??¡± ¡°i¡¯ll write my name backward if i don¡¯t kill you today¡­¡± ¡°little brat, you owe your grandfather a beating, right?¡± ¡°boss qingqiu, don¡¯t listen to this dog¡¯s bullshit. not a single word of truth in this old dog¡¯s mouth has ever come out. let¡¯s drag him out and hang him for three hours before he talks! this guy would only speak of truth in the face of torture!¡± it was rare to see players denounce the npcs so unanimously. they could have bitten this guy to death if the npcs were outside the prison. richard turned to look at the crowd. his indifferent voice rang in their ears. ¡°go and release the other players locked up in the cage. i¡¯ll have a few words with him.¡± his voice was calm, but it carried an unquestionable force. that was an order, not a discussion! instantly, the players were at a loss for words. even those who hated the npcs in the cage to the core did not dare to refute it. they obediently turned around and left to carry out his order. richard left and ordered kratos¡¯ dark servants and soul eater crows to guard the area and hinder anyone from intrusion. the ancient god statue also emitted a dark light that enveloped the cage before it and isolated the aura outside the world. lolita couldn¡¯t hear their conversation even if she were to descend now. the dried, old thin man felt the power of the ancient god surge around him. the old thin man¡¯s legs in the cage felt like they were in a 20-degree celsius snow. he only wore a pair of slippers and shorts. he shook so hard that he could barely stand. fear and horror filled his face, and he even held his breath. he feared that the surrounding power would surge down. richard stared at the remnant soul of the god inside the cage. ¡°now, no one can disturb us now.¡± ¡°perhaps, your excellency would be interested in talking to me about your past and future goals.¡± ¡®gulp!¡¯ the dried, old thin man gulped and said in a trembling voice. ¡°human overlord, my name is tai long.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®tai long?¡¯ the famous god of deceptions and lies in the ¡°shining era?¡± of course, one understood this reputation as notorious. this guy was the source of all thieves, deceivers, and traitors. he had done countless evil deeds over the past ten years. moreover, unlike lolita, the god of conspiracy, who could make the most powerful demon in the bottomless abyss fear him, even the low-level gods despised him. no, even mortals hated him. he peeped at the goddess bathe, stole the treasures of other gods, deceived mortals and even his own believers. he did almost all kinds of despicable things one could ever imagine. this god had already wiped his moral integrity away. shamelessness was synonymous with this guy. richard¡¯s expression sparingly changed when he saw such a deity. no wonder those players were so agitated. this guy was a professional when it came to these things. even his believers could not beat him in terms of scams. it would be an unjust loss to be toyed with by a god like this. ¡°your excellency tai long, why did you try to snatch the statue of lolita i wanted?¡± richard stared at him. his tone was firm and arrogant. the god of lies was on the verge of tears as he watched the dark light approach. he could no longer hold, and his legs went limp. he sat on the ground and shouted in a trembling voice. ¡°human overlord, i have no ill intentions towards you. i didn¡¯t know you wanted lolita¡¯s statue. i just wanted to recover my strength.¡± Chapter 740 ¡°recover my strength?¡± tai long felt a fatal danger from his entire body and hurriedly explained. ¡°yes, believers of lolita¡¯s statue had always worshipped her, and it already has a certain amount of faith power.¡± richard was intrigued. ¡°the power of faith in other gods is also useful to you?¡± the god of deception said in a trembling voice. ¡°i¡­ i have the priesthood of stealing. the power of faith was also within the scope of stealing.¡± richard¡¯s expression was sparingly strange. good heavens, as expected of the ancestor of thieves. he could even steal the power of other gods. there was no one else. through the ancient god statue, he could sense that the dried, old thin man did not lie before the power that could kill him. this god of deception was clever. ¡°why were you trapped here?¡± ¡°in the last battle of gods, the devils of hell killed my body. more than half a year ago, the planar laws suddenly changed, and i condensed my soul again and woke up three months ago.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid that lolita will cause you trouble?¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing i can do. the planar laws are odd. i could not contact the outside world and my believers. i could only think of a solution from lolita. moreover, the planar power was about to collapse. i wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to escape once lolita pulled the plane into the abyss.¡± ¡°then why did you play with those players?¡± ¡°i can obtain power through successfully deceiving and making the players believe a lie¡­¡± they could not detect the god of deception. he was worthy of his reputation. richard stared at the pale spirit. ¡°how much power do you need to escape?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. the planar laws are too strange. i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to leave for a hundred years with just the current recovery.¡± ¡°then why are you still absorbing energy like this?¡± ¡°i plan to leave secretly when this plane collapses into the abyss. before i reach lolita¡¯s territory, she won¡¯t be able to observe me so carefully. the planar collapse would cause a massive commotion.¡± richard looked at the god of deception. he told him everything he knew and felt sparingly emotional. it was not without reason he could revive this guy after his death. he didn¡¯t dwell on this topic and asked a few questions he was most concerned about. ¡°do you know where the heart of a god is in this plane?¡± he stared at the god of deception after he spoke. that was the ultimate goal of this mission. that was to obtain a god¡¯s heart regardless of battle defeat! tai long sat on the ground and glanced at him with fear. ¡°human overlord, i don¡¯t know¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyebrows twitched. his eyes flashed a chilling coldness. ¡°interesting. that is the first time you¡¯ve lied.¡± the dried, old thin man looked confused and innocent. ¡°lie? no, i¡­¡± the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled sparingly. ¡°the second time.¡± his gaze was like a cat that had caught a mouse and toyed with it. the dried, old thin man revealed a bitter smile after he saw the tease in richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°human overlord, you should believe me. i swear to you in the name of god¡­¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up again. ¡°the third time¡­¡± something happened before the dried, old thin man could speak. the dark light that enveloped the surroundings directly pounced down. the god of deception was paralyzed on the ground and was shocked. a soul-stirring power spread out from his body which he forcefully tried to resist. however, the dark light became even more violent when he sensed that power. it was like a wolf had smelled blood! the dark light directly enveloped the skinny figure and devoured its surging power. the predator hunted! ¡°ah!¡± the dark light directly invaded the body of the god of deception. tai long¡¯s soul had just been reborn. he felt the pain of hundreds of ants that pierced his heart. the light transmitted a tragic roar to the underground space. the players immediately shivered when they heard the sound while they released other prisoners. ¡°what a miserable cry! wait, this sound¡­ that shameless old dog?¡± they looked at the central area, but a troop blocked it. and their mood immediately improved. boss qingqiu was indeed boss qingqiu. they were still worried the god of deception could fool the number one player. now, it seemed that the dried, old thin man had tasted the iron fist of the number one player. ¡°beautifully done!¡± the god of deception finally woke up from endless pain when he felt the power was about to obliterate him while the players were joyous. he lay on the ground and opened his eyes while he sweated profusely. the gray ceiling came into view. the dried, old thin man tilted his head slightly, and a pair of leather boots appeared in his sight. he raised his head and saw the voice shrouded in yellow sand. a strong sense of powerlessness and fear rose in his heart. in his eyes, this human overlord was ten thousand times more terrifying than a demon. the human overlord¡¯s controller could kill his ancient god power. this fellow could see through his deceptions so easily! ¡°now, you should be interested in telling the truth.¡± ****** Chapter 741 richard¡¯s expression was sparingly odd. he looked at the very weak god of deception. he appeared like he was about to die at any moment. he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. it was fate. he had met the right person here. ¡°your excellency tai long, why would the spider goddess place your heart in the temple?¡± ¡°what is her motive?¡± the god of deception stopped pretensions and regained his calm. ¡°devour this plane. use my heart as the energy center and use the power of the abyss to obliterate the planar power.¡± he looked at the rocks above as he spoke. it was like he could see through the thick boulder and soil. ¡°the planar power being on the verge of collapse already shows that the enemy¡¯s strategy is about to succeed.¡± richard frowned. ¡°as one of the main gods of the bottomless abyss, would it be necessary for lolita to go through so much trouble to drag a plane into the abyss?¡± the main gods were the top powerhouses of the divine spirit realm. they often saved people or destroyed the world according to myths and legends. the god of deception sighed. ¡°more than ten gods have fallen in this plane. the planar power has devoured their dissipated souls and has become extremely difficult to deal with.¡± ¡°moreover, the main plane anchors this plane. it¡¯s difficult to break it open by force.¡± richard understood. he didn¡¯t linger on this and asked the question he was most concerned about. ¡°can you still control that dirty ball? i need it.¡± the weak face of the god of deception revealed a strange expression. ¡°human overlord, you¡¯re blocking my face. and you wanted my heart. isn¡¯t this a little too much?¡± richard¡¯s eyes were calm. ¡°i could help you escape if you could help me get the heart.¡± ¡°a heart that already belongs to you in exchange for your life. that would be a fair deal.¡± the god of deception looked at him with a burning gaze. ¡°are you sure you want to let go of a god you offended and leave? you¡¯re a smart person. you should know the consequences of doing this.¡± richard smiled. ¡°your excellency tai long, do you think you are stronger or more threatening than the spider goddess?¡± a statue of lolita appeared in his hand as he spoke. five more statues of gods appeared before the god of deception could speak. he sensed the spider aura that surged. his expression changed slightly. he even sensed the aura of the spider divine power on one of the statues. ¡®this human overlord had confronted lolita?!¡¯ the dried, old thin man saw a dwarf statue appear in richard¡¯s hand shortly afterward. a majestic divine aura spread out just as he was bewildered. it was only a flash, but he immediately sensed the power of that aura. the boundless divine might was like a roar-filled dragon. that caused breathing to freeze. that was an existence mightier than him. and he was still alive. the god of deception looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand before him. he inexplicably felt that the human overlord carried an unfathomable mystery. ¡®this lord even brazenly offended lolita?¡¯ the god of deception had always been vengeful. and that terrifying aura just now! the human overlord¡¯s divine persona might have already reached the level of the highest god. ¡®wasn¡¯t this guy just a level 15 human overlord? and its companion like a bug?¡¯ richard looked at the utterly quiet god of deception. richard put the statue of the spider goddess into the system space and did not speak. he looked down indifferently at the remnant soul of the god seated on the ground with a weak aura like a candle in the wind. the scene fell into silence. the god of deception changed his expression after a long time. he placed one hand on the ground and stood up with difficulty like a powerless old thin man. his deep eyes stared straight at richard. ¡°human overlord, i agree. i will help you retrieve that heart, and you will bring me out of this plane.¡± he shortly paused and spoke slowly. ¡°but how can i trust you will honor your words?¡± richard¡¯s face was calm. ¡°my promise is my most valued honor.¡± his voice was gentle, although admittedly carried candor. then, richard looked deeply into the eyes of the dried, old thin man. ¡°your excellency, tai long, perhaps you should know you have no choice.¡± ¡°death or survival is never a problem.¡± richard seemed to have thought of something as he spoke. he changed the topic and said slowly, ¡°however, you must stay in my territory for three years before you can leave to prevent you from revenge.¡± ¡°at that time, my territory will have the power to deal with the gods.¡± the god of deception sighed a relief when he heard this request. it would be a problem if the human overlord said he would let him go. ¡°i agree.¡± the god of deception was straightforward this time. it would be difficult to obtain more benefits from an alliance under the city, no matter what. moreover, the human overlord beholds his life. he could kill him whenever and wherever he pleased. in that case, it would be better to follow the human overlord for the time being¡­ ¡®let¡¯s see if there¡¯s a chance.¡¯ he could escape during the chaos if richard could not topple the spider goddess down. it wouldn¡¯t be his loss if the human overlord fulfilled his promise. after his thoughts changed, the uncomfortable feeling of being controlled by a level 15 human lord immediately dissipated. richard was not surprised. as he said, the other party had no choice from the beginning. it would be strange if someone with such an evil character and integrity died bravely. he collected his thoughts and continued to ask. ¡°how many troops does spider temple have? other than the transcendent level wax demon, what other enemies can pose a threat to us?¡± the god of deception shook his head. ¡°i¡¯ve never entered the spider temple. there¡¯s a thread of lolita¡¯s silk inside. my intrusion would trigger the alarm once i got closer.¡± Chapter 742 ¡°a thread of the spider goddess silk?¡± the deeper he went into this s-rank mission, the more obstacles he felt. ¡°do you have any better suggestions?¡± the god of deception said seriously. ¡°lolita set these spider churches to destroy the planar power. we must destroy the spider churches, the soonest, to prolong the time it takes for the planar power to fall into the abyss.¡± ¡°lolita could control everything once the planar power collapsed.¡± richard nodded. that was what the tower patriarch exactly said. ¡°i came here for this.¡± ¡°can you deal with that transcendent-level wax demon?¡± the god of deception shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°all i could defeat is a farmer with my current strength.¡± ¡°however, if you can provide me with several statues of lolita that contain the power of worship, i could try to trap the wax demon.¡± both sides were natural allies based on the current situation, although richard holds the old thin man¡¯s fate. their common enemy was the spider goddess lolita. this goddess posed a fatal and soul-tormenting danger to them. the dried, old thin man could help himself if he helped the human overlord richard. the god of deception could take it up and let it go. he had a clear view of the situation. richard did not comment. ¡°can you directly get the heart once you get closer to the spider temple?¡± ¡°i need to enter the temple¡­¡± the god of deception shook his head. ¡°although the heart is mine, tons of magic arrays could be protecting it as the energy hub that connects to the abyss. ¡°it also requires time to break through.¡± he added. ¡°but i could reactivate my heart as long as i have time¡­that was the source of my power.¡± richard looked at him deeply and said no more. he waved his body. the endless light of the ancient god statue surged into the god¡¯s body. the god of deception changed his expression drastically. ¡®would this human overlord dishonor his word?¡¯ but now, he no longer had the strength to resist. unwillingness filled his eyes. could this be his end? his emotions fluctuated. he felt the power of the ancient god statue that made his soul tremble. the power entered his body and settled down his mind and heart. none of the surges destroyed the god of deception. richard¡¯s calm voice rang out. ¡°your excellency tai long, i hope your excellency will be more sincere in fulfilling our agreement.¡± then, he turned around and left the cell. ¡°let¡¯s go. time waits for no one.¡± the god of deception looked at richard. he didn¡¯t give him any choice. helplessness shrouded his face. this human overlord was a life of two different dimensions than those stupid guys. he calmed himself down and no longer hesitated. he strode after richard. the troops stationed outside withdrew already. the players gathered around again. richard gazed around, and the number of players had increased from twenty to sixty to seventy. he was pleasantly surprised to see richard shrouded in yellow sand. ¡°it¡¯s boss qingqiu! he had rescued us!¡± ¡°are we blessed by the goddess of luck? to encounter qingqiu?¡± the spiders had not sacrificed a few of their companions imprisoned in the dungeon. the spiders locked a sixth high school npc with them. that part was the most miserable. ¡°wait, who¡¯s the one behind boss qingqiu?¡± all the players turned their attention and fixed their gazes on the god of deception. ¡°shameless old dog, you finally came out? i¡¯ll let you down if i don¡¯t give you a thousand slaps today!¡± ¡°this old dog, let¡¯s see where you can hide today without the spider guards!!¡± ¡°old bastard! come and die!!¡± the players were furious. they couldn¡¯t fathom how much they had suffered to be so angry. richard turned his head to look at the old and weak god of deception with a kind face, and the corners of his mouth twitched. the god of deception appeared sparingly ridiculous. who knew what expression the players would have if these guys knew he was the god of deception? no, they wouldn¡¯t probably spit if they knew tai long¡¯s true identity. this old dog did things inhumanely. ¡°boss qingqiu, please!¡± the god of deception slowly came to richard¡¯s side and bowed respectfully like a servant under the watchful eyes of all the players. richard glanced at the players. ¡°he, i still have use for him. you can decide how you want to deal with him when we come out of the instance dungeon.¡± richard turned around without hesitation and walked out of the dungeon. he had no time to waste here. the players wailed as they watched richard leave. ¡°this old bastard still tricked boss qingqiu!¡± the god of deception turned around and smiled kindly at everyone. ****** Chapter 743 richard had the statue follow him. he did not allow the spirit to leave his sight. one could resurrect from death a life form like a god, although the power of the ancient god statue was a guarantee. one could not underestimate it. he controlled the sand to float up. he brought the troop and players out of this useless dungeon. the first ray of light appeared when they left the underground passage. they lit the endless darkness up. the god of deception subconsciously looked up. at the exit of the valley, under the thick black clouds. a ray of light shone on a towering tree and emitted an endless dark aura. that terrifying life form slowly extended its twisted branches that looked like withered arms. countless wasps formed a storm on the tree crown. the buzzing sounds were like the devil from the abyss. they sent chills down one¡¯s spine. the pupils of the god of deception constricted. ¡®that aura! abomination? ¡®an abomination is here? ¡®no, it wasn¡¯t just that¡­ also, rotten authority? ¡®the human overlord even had rotten authority?! ¡®wasn¡¯t this the power of the king of decay on the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss?¡¯ his findings bewildered him. he subconsciously looked at the blurry figure shrouded in yellow sand. complicated emotions engulfed his eyes. how many more mysteries could this human overlord still hide? could the other party be a descendant of a master god or a clone of a god? otherwise, how could a mere level 15 possess such a terrifying foundation? that was what the god of deception discovered. what level of power could still this human overlord keep deeper? no wonder the human overlord could confidently and calmly say god¡¯s revenge could not threaten him. the god of deception took a few deep breaths to suppress the emotions in his heart. the emotions quietly changed after tons of impact in his heart. the little trick in his heart inexplicably faded away. a beggar¡¯s and a king¡¯s promise are naturally two different things and couldn¡¯t have the same weight. all he could do was cooperate since he had no choice now. it wouldn¡¯t be his loss if the human overlord honored his word and gave him his freedom in this strange plane. what was the point of serving him for three years? three hundred years would be as fast as a blink of an eye! was there a need to lie to someone who could kill him at any time? not everyone enjoyed lying. the trump cards of richard that the god of deception discovered left a mysterious, powerful, and unfathomable impression. the god of deception went through a drastic change in attitude, and richard could not know it. richard gathered the troop and did not waste time on their next target. they raced with time now. the time bomb of the planar power could explode at any time. no one knew what could happen once an accident happened. richard competed with time. the players left the valley and heaved a sigh of relief. he was overjoyed. he had finally escaped from the clutches of the devil! it was arduous. the players still itched to give the god of deception a few harsh blows and let this shameless old bastard know what society meant by beating him up. but they could only obey under richard¡¯s threat. they sat on the skeleton blood dragon. these players quickly set matters aside and curiously asked the other players how richard had saved them. the players bragged about richard¡¯s massacre of the spiders. ¡°you guys don¡¯t know, but i saw it for real. boss qingqiu formed the soul eater crows and storm. they instantly slaughtered all the spiders in the church. then, with a casual glance, that level 19 void weaver hero exploded!¡± ¡°bah! listen to his bragging. boss qingqiu massacred level 19 heroes in one strike!¡± the other players were at a loss for words. they entered the ¡°shining era¡± for more than half a year. who hadn¡¯t experienced several slaughters and battles? many players would change their expressions at the sight of death. those players suppressed their feelings in prison for a long time and finally released overwhelming solace. they started to talk nonsense. the more they talked about it, the more bizarre they became. in other words, richard had killed all the abyssal spidermen with his aura. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. these guys couldn¡¯t easily change their nature. nothing good happens when they gather. he ignored these players and summoned the god of deception again. tai long stepped onto alves¡¯s back. a whistle entered his ears. the airflow was violent as he flew at high speed. he managed to stand firm only when crimson power protected him. ¡°lord qingqiu.¡± richard didn¡¯t tell the god of deception how his subordinates addressed him. the god of deception addressed him how he heard it from the players. ¡°i forgot to ask you just now. where are the fallen gods buried?¡± more than ten gods had fallen into this plane. the bodies could have contained some treasures there. the divine weapon and divine body are all priceless treasures. lolita could have missed something even if she had collected most of it. this dungeon was in a nightmare mode. richard had to complete an s-rank mission. the chances of this plane appearing in the background of other dungeons were considerable with the two factors stacked together. even the god of deception had resurrected and followed him. what else was not possible? Chapter 744 ¡°lord, lolita has spied on this plane for so many years. she has already found those treasures. ¡°as for the god¡¯s body¡­¡± tai long narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to look toward a direction. ¡°she had gathered them¡­ the spider goddess built the spider temple above her divine body. ¡°she didn¡¯t just use my heart to erode this plane. all the bodies of the gods became tools.¡± richard frowned. light surged in his eyes. ¡°to build a temple on the body of a god? ¡°what does lolita want? ¡°just to erode this plane? ¡°wasn¡¯t the price of doing this too high? ¡°was it worth it?¡± richard immediately noticed the contradiction. ¡°to lolita, the body of a god is also very precious, right? why didn¡¯t she bring those divine bodies back to the abyss? instead, she continued to stay here and erode this plane. ¡°is her motive really that simple?¡± tai long couldn¡¯t help but wonder when he heard this. he pondered and slightly changed his expression. ¡°you mean, there¡¯s something more precious than a god¡¯s body in this plane?¡± richard shook his head slowly. ¡°this is just speculation. who can tell what lolita wants to do?¡± ¡°the god of conspiracy, lolita, was the mastermind behind countless myths and legends. some of her schemes even spanned millions of years. ¡°other than herself, no one could guess her plans.¡± tai long fell silent when he thought of that terrifying existence¡¯s reputation. he wouldn¡¯t want to become enemies with the other side if this god didn¡¯t force him to do so. he deeply understood lolita¡¯s power as a god of the evil faction. the consequences could make one¡¯s scalp go numb once one made her jealous. moreover, the other party¡¯s glorious battle achievements were enough to silence the ancient evil gods entrenched in the unfathomable depths of the bottomless abyss. the primary plane anchored this plane so the other party could not descend. otherwise, lolita would have raised the white flag long ago. tai long pondered and could not help but shake his head and smile bitterly. as a god, at this point, perhaps there would be no other god¡­ at this point, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind. he suddenly remembered what richard had just said in the dungeon. in the face of absolute power, all schemes and plots were useless. deception and lies could not reinforce one if one relied on them! he felt a fear that made him sweat profusely now that he thought about it carefully. he hadn¡¯t felt it before. he had been on the wrong path for so many years. richard looked at the figure who was still in deep thought beside him. he could not help but feel a little lost. no one knew what the god of deception thought at that moment. the fourth spider church came into view an hour later. the troop marched at full speed. the sky was already bright. it was still much brighter than at night, although the light was still dim under the thick black clouds. at the very least, he could see the void weaver hung upside down in the sky. richard looked at the distant spider church with a cold glint in his eyes. he waved his hand and gave the order without any hesitation. ¡°treebeard! destroy the spider church. kratos! hunt the void weaver hero and the rest of the enemies!¡± ¡°all troops, attack!¡± the dark soul eater had shown enough power, and there was no need to test the battle power of kratos. richard gave the order, and the twilight city troops crashed like an avalanche. the spider troop in front immediately felt the pressure of the landslide. ¡®ssss!¡¯ they brazenly charged forward with a sharp roar. however, the situation became one-sided when the two sides collided. the two bosses far exceeded their strength and ruthlessly crushed the murderous posture of the spider troop. it was like a heavy hammer stroke bobo¡¯s glass. no one could stop him. the battle ended cleanly in less than ten minutes. they beheld the sixth spider statue and the undead crystal of the dead enemy to richard. the players behind them rode on the skeleton blood dragon and felt an unprecedented shock when they saw the ruined spider church. the twenty-odd players rescued by richard from the church were still okay. they were already mentally prepared for richard¡¯s strength. however, this shocked many players released from the dungeon and widened their eyes. they forgot to stop breathing and only started when they were out of oxygen. ¡°did boss qingqiu just flatten a spider church? that is if my senses are still true!¡± ¡°that giant twisted human-faced tree slayed that level 19 void hunter in one move?¡± ¡°what level is that giant tree? that abomination tree trampled several levels 15 giant spiders to death!!¡± ¡°is this the power of boss qingqiu? that was a spider church with thousands of troops!!¡± they couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked, although they had just heard others boast about richard¡¯s battle power. however, the players incessantly boasted unbelievably. the other party was strong, but they couldn¡¯t slaughter the spider troop easily like chickens, right? they quickly slaughtered the spider enemies like chickens. not only that, they did it crazier than killing chickens. the spider troops could not overpower the enemy troop charges at any round!! one couldn¡¯t even block a single blow! richard ignored the shocked players and led his troop to their next target following a simple battlefield cleanup. richard felt sparingly uneasy as time passed. Chapter 745 the longer richard delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. richard had already gathered six spider statues. that made him feel better. six spider statues were still left to synthesize the lair. that gave him great expectations. tai long, the god of deception, watched the troop set off again. his expression was calm. for the gods who had experienced more than one battle of gods, such a battle was nothing to be amazed about. the twilight city troop was not considered top-notch for a god. that made him emotional. however, this also proved that this human overlord was really the same kind of person as those who claimed to be players. he had been in contact with the players for so long that he had already figured out their details. the news even repeatedly speculated that only players could enter this remarkable plane. so, how could a grace mainland overlord who had just arrived in the ¡°shining era¡± from another dimension have such a soul-strapping foundation? that was the most unbelievable part. it would still be difficult for him to raise such a troop even if he were to return to the primary plane now and let him develop from scratch for half a year. richard ignored the players and the god of deception. he urged the troop to speed up to the next target. he also condensed the sand again and let the god¡¯s ancient tree control the yellow sand to move forward. he did everything hastily. he cleared the fifth church at noon and obtained the seventh spider statue. richard arrived at the sixth spider church an hour later and immediately felt something didn¡¯t add up. he looked from afar. only the spider web floated in the sky. the void weaver had already disappeared. the temple no longer had any dark aura when he sensed it carefully. his heart thumped, and he immediately sent people to investigate. the troop quickly reported back. the spider temple was gone. not only the spiders and churches disappeared! they also couldn¡¯t locate the statue of lolita! if one has to judge the traces, one has moved it away. tai long subtly spoke when he heard this. ¡°the real war has begun. ¡°the first few were just tiny skirmishes. it would be the real battle once the spider goddess went grave.¡± they could only escape if they could survive this. they couldn¡¯t resist. there was no need to say anything else. richard nodded slowly. that was already within his expectations, but it was a pity that the spider temple was too far away. he could not conquer all the churches in one night. at this moment, he suddenly thought of the void sandworm. this little fellow had gradually grown up. he could bring these on an expedition after some time. he should do something if he encountered such a situation with a top-notch power that could open the spatial rift. richard retracted his thoughts and looked at the god of deception. ¡°your excellency tai long, do you have any suggestions?¡± the god of deception shook his head. ¡°no matter how you plan, you still have to use absolute strength in the end.¡± these words nearly startled richard. it was common for someone to say this. he still felt strange coming from a god known for deception and lies. he took a few more glances at this fellow. he did not know if it was an illusion, but the other party¡¯s aura seemed sparingly different. Chapter 746 he didn¡¯t dwell on him and said in a deep voice. ¡°your excellency tai long, can you sever the connection between this plane and the abyss if we give up on destroying the spider churches and directly attack the spider temple instead?¡± the enemy had already reacted, so he had to prepare for the worst. they would fight a war of attrition with him to stall for time if the other party set up a trap and heavily guarded one or two churches. then he would have to take an even higher risk. time was on the side of the spiders. the victor would only belong to the enemy if this dragged on. however, the key to this was the twelve spider churches. they couldn¡¯t impede the space passage between the spider temple unless they pulverized the spider churches. the situation would develop an outcome he wouldn¡¯t want to face if he directly attacked the spider temple. the enemy¡¯s troops could provide support at any time. richard didn¡¯t want to clash head-on with lolita¡¯s base camp. the god of deception sparingly narrowed his eyes and straightly looked into richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°it¡¯s not difficult to sever the connection with the abyss¡­ the spiders built the spatial passageways with the bodies of gods.¡± ¡°i could cause the spatial passageway to collapse as long as i regain control of my heart.¡± tai long hesitated as he spoke. ¡°but i must break the magic array inside. that would be my biggest problem. no one should disturb me during this process. ¡°i could try if you could delay that transcendent wax demon and block the spider goddess if she descends.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he pondered for a long time. he slowly said afterward, ¡°let¡¯s go to the next spider church first. we will clear the church before we attack the spider temple if the enemy doesn¡¯t have enough troops!¡± he could have said that, but he still prepared for the worst things to happen. a nightmare mode dungeon and an s-rank mission are stacked together. these brought the difficulty of the dungeon sky-high. he had to plan for the worst possible scenario. ¡°as you wish.¡± the god of deception understood richard¡¯s intentions and said no more. richard ordered the entire troop to advance. the troop turned around and charged at the next spider church. however, the situation he was most unwilling to face happened! the spiders emptied a few churches! richard felt the lingering spider aura in the sky above the ninth spider church. his gaze turned grave. he opened the system map and revealed only four targets left; the 10th, 11th, and 12th spider churches. a key was also in the center. it was the spider temple. the three spider churches formed a triangle around the spider temple. they were each other¡¯s horns. the distance between them was less than 20 kilometers. the enemy would be the first to rush to the rescue if they marched at full speed once the battle started. he would have to face a group of evil lifeforms prepared for battle if he were to rush forward. the transcendent level wax demon guarded it, and a passage connected to the abyss behind it. that was what was even worse. the spider goddess that made the bottomless abyss tremble could descend whenever and wherever she pleased. before him was a difficult situation. what should he do next? ¡°lord qingqiu, we don¡¯t seem to have a choice.¡± the god of deception looked at the empty underground spider church with a complicated expression. in this situation, his lies and deception were useless. deceive the spiders? spider goddess lolita even watched her believers! what a joke! he could not die yet. tai long realized the true meaning of richard¡¯s words again. power was eternal. he had used deception and lies. the path to becoming a true expert had also distanced from him despite the massive profits he previously earned. why would he have to rely on a mortal in this situation if he had the power of the god of war? he sighed and hoarsely said, ¡°one last gamble, lord.¡± ¡°send the god¡¯s ancient tree to stall the demon wax with its abomination power. i¡¯ll retrieve the heart. we must reactivate the heart before lolita descends. that¡¯s the only way we can obtain the final victory!¡± richard was surprised to see the grave look in his eyes. ¡®how could the other party say such words?¡¯ ¡°your excellency tai long, i admire your courage.¡± ¡°but this doesn¡¯t seem to be your excellency¡¯s style.¡± the god of deception shook his head slowly. ¡°i¡¯ve figured out some problems that have troubled me for a long time¡­ perhaps, you are right. deception and lies wouldn¡¯t make me a true expert!¡± ¡°these two godhoods are the source of my power, but they shouldn¡¯t be my restraints.¡± ¡°my divine duty previously restricted me. and i even forgot how i became a god!¡± he spoke, and his eyes lit up. the people felt he was a king with his majestic posture, despite his weakness. he¡­ after all, he was a god. he was the god of deception everyone despised, so what? who among those who could become gods was weak? from the beginning of the world to the present, how many gods were born in the ¡°shining era¡±? this existence had won from the competition of billions of lives. the beast seemed to have escaped from its cage while still tied. richard looked at him deeply. ¡°your excellency tai long, i wish you luck in your search for the path.¡± ¡°i hope that in the future, i¡¯ll be able to witness the birth of a sovereign.¡± Chapter 747 ¡°great lord¡­do you know how many great lords among the gods in the sky? who isn¡¯t a mighty existence with a great reputation among them?¡± his tone was firm as he spoke. ¡°but no matter what, i wouldn¡¯t stagnate at the level of a low-level god who couldn¡¯t advance! ¡°i will let the world know that the two godhoods of deception and lies are not weaker than other gods!¡± these words flickered richard¡¯s eyes. tai long had gained a lot after such a reversal of life and death! the change in temperament was remarkable. at this moment, the other party was like an old lion. the majesty of being the king of the beasts was still incomparable, although he was already old and weak. it was a world of difference compared to the dried, old thin man¡¯s previous appearance. richard slowly nodded after a short silence. ¡°your excellency tai long hopes to win the final victory.¡± he looked in a direction and waved his hand to give the order. ¡°the entire troop will wait once again. alves, your excellency tai long, you will follow me to investigate those few spider churches.¡± richard looked at the worried little centaur not far away as he spoke. ¡°emily, you will command the troop while i¡¯m out. immediately lead the troops back to the tower race¡¯s holy land if anything happens.¡± ¡°yes, father¡­¡± the little centaur did not dare to speak when she saw that look in his eyes, although she wanted to follow him. richard made some arrangements and immediately commanded alves to fly above the church and head toward the central area. he brought a troop with too much of a target. however, he had to investigate the enemy¡¯s situation before he could feel at ease. otherwise, even the slightest information deviation could cause a destructive disaster. twilight city was not in a favorable position in this battle. they were constantly on tenterhooks because the planar power was on the verge of collapse. the players felt worried when they saw richard leave. they witnessed the power of twilight city, and everyone knew that richard alone understood whether they could get out of there alive. at this moment, the situation turned intensely dreadful. ¡°motherf*cker! i hope to survive this battle. i will build a memorial archway for lord qingqiu on my return!¡± ¡°big brother, this is a fantasy world. i don¡¯t believe longevity token isn¡¯t part of the same system¡­¡± ¡°f*ck! if i had known that the difficulty of this dungeon would be so insane, i wouldn¡¯t have come even if you beat me to death¡­¡± ¡°lord qingqiu has such a powerful troop and is still so cautious. it seems that the spider troop¡¯s power has exceeded my expectations! i hope the god of luck will bless him!¡± a wish for qingqiu¡¯s safe return united these heartless fellows for the first time. he was their last hope. time has slowly passed. the light gradually dimmed. emily rode the skeleton blood dragon like a statue. she stared at richard until he disappeared. the veins on the back of her hand bulged like ropes as she gripped the long-handled giant axe too tightly. at this moment, she finally understood why xina and the dark valkyrie left twilight city alone to improve themselves. the lord saw them as weak. they could not even follow him. this feeling was too torturous. emily gritted her teeth. umbrage engulfed her heart. she would never let this happen again! absolutely not! the light in the sky disappeared for a long time after an unknown period. the players suddenly heard the sound of wings that flapped. everyone immediately perked up and looked at the endless darkness. the undead dragon that burned the crimson power and flapped its broken dragon wings shortly appeared in their sight. they saw the yellow-sand-covered figure on the back of the dragon and swept the tense atmosphere away. that had returned their backbones. however, a thick smell of blood assaulted their noses as alves approached. that was? had it experienced a soul-crushing battle? alves¡¯s sight bewildered the players. the centaur¡¯s eyes reddened when she saw richard. she immediately commanded the skeleton blood dragon to fly to alves¡¯s side. she jumped on its back and trotted forward to hug richard. she smelled the familiar scent that made her feel at ease, she muttered to herself. ¡°father, don¡¯t leave me in the future, okay?¡± she raised her head slightly as she spoke and looked at him pitifully with her red, tear-flooded eyes. it made her heart ache for no reason. richard¡¯s tensed heart relaxed a lot when he saw this. he reached out and pinched her cheek. ¡°i won¡¯t let you down again. richard made the little pony stand up straight and look around. he ordered in a deep voice. ¡°all troops return to the tower race¡¯s holy land¡­the final battle has begun.¡± he did not say what had just happened, and no one asked. the troop immediately returned to the tower race¡¯s holy land. the recently rescued players could not know about the tower race, but they immediately perked up when they heard that there seemed to be reinforcements. the god of deception stared at richard with subtlety. his attitude had become more respectful. ¡°lord qingqiu, i didn¡¯t expect you could quickly resist the attack of the wax demon¡­that transcendent was lolita¡¯s favorite.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were solemn. ¡°i feel exhaustively inadequate. i¡¯ve already used all my methods, but the demon hasn¡¯t used full strength yet.¡± the god of deception¡¯s tone became increasingly complicated. ¡°lord, but you¡¯re level is only 15!!¡± Chapter 748 a level 18 lava demon chased him for half a month when he was level 15. the wax demon was only three levels higher than him, but he felt an irresistible pressure. he could still recall the feeling of falling into a dead end. his battle results during the same period were incomparable compared to the other party. richard did not say anything more. he narrowed his eyes and looked at the night sky. he could not think. he had just gone to test the power of the spider troop, but he was not happy with the results. it was still alright at the beginning. richard had the power of the yellow sand and two legendary pieces of equipment. it was the dark king set as support. the sudden attack even destroyed a spider church. however, the wax demon suddenly appeared just as he was about to put the statue of lolita into the system space. a terrifying monster domineeringly charged at him. its body was like a melted candle. it was transcendent. that terrifying aura pressed down on his heart and even directly knocked alves down to the ground, and it could not retaliate. although, the dragon was a beyond a-rank hero. that exhausted richard¡¯s strength. he had no choice but to leave after it used the power of the yellow sand to fight with the other party for a few minutes. he would have paid a painful price by now if it weren¡¯t for the combination of the sandy earth and the concealment power. he stretched out his right hand. at this moment, his muscles still trembled unconsciously due to excessive consumption. it was difficult for outsiders to understand the pressure before a transcendent. ¡°transcendent¡­a life form from another dimension.¡± richard did not take head-on during his encounter with such a top-notch power. he finally understood the terror of another level now that he fought alone. he shook his head and stopped thinking about it. the most important thing now was to gather all the forces and attack the spider temple as fast as possible. the spider troop also sped up the dispatch of troops to this plane while he attacked the spider church. fortunately, he had observed a limit to the transmission between the spatial passageway and the abyss, so the spider troop could not swarm over. however, time waited for no man. the number of spiders would increase if one dragged this on. it wouldn¡¯t be long before the planar power collapsed, let alone attack the spider church. the enemy could not slay them all before the collapse, even if the demon stood there and owned the will to slaughter them. richard took a deep breath. it was like a stone weighed down on his heart. however, the soul-strapping pressure also gave him a solid fighting spirit. this time, he had to win no matter what price he had to pay! he had to unite all the forces he could. the level 19 tower race leader popov black tower was a powerful fighter. in addition, although the tower race had yet to mature, they already had a vast cub, which was not a weak force. in the final battle, the main character had to be present. if something crucial happened and they needed to go forward to resolve it, they would not have to watch helplessly. the troop stayed shortly and returned to the tower race¡¯s holy land as quickly as possible. popov saw the troop of twilight city gathered in the square. ****** Chapter 749 richard left with his troop only a few days ago. the entire city had entered the highest level of defense. they loaded the alchemist¡¯s bombs. the sand condensation archers still guarded the arrow tower at all times. they had long drawn and loaded the dragon-hunting crossbows on the top of the arrow tower. they could quickly deal fatal damage whenever an enemy attacked. the dark treants guarded the city wall. the poisonous wasps danced among these withered treants and were as dense as black clouds. sun rays illuminated the clouds in the sky when the sun had sunk into the sand. karu had paler hair and slowly walked up the city wall. he looked at the golden desert with a complicated expression. black dots, the size of an ant, appeared in the desert after a long time. karu¡¯s gaze could not help but narrow. he waved his hand to summon the guardian mummy beside him. a series of hurried footsteps came behind him just as he was about to give the order. ¡°master karu, we found two groups of refugees with a hundred people ahead!¡± master karu turned around and looked at the young human soldier who came forward to report. ¡°bring those refugees into the dark treants. let them into the city after you have ensured their safety. ¡°at the same time, let the troop expand the scope of the exploration. report unusual movements immediately.¡± although twilight city did not train human soldiers to fight, they still recruited a group of security personnel for management purposes. they could maintain environmental hygiene and public order and deal with a few conflicts between neighbors during ordinary times. they could also serve as reserves for the rear troop during a shortage of soldiers. ¡°yes, master!¡± the young human soldier quickly departed. a twilight city troop stopped the refugees at the end of the dune and brought them to the dark treant for interrogation. they brought these refugees into the city following a few rounds of questioning and a threat-free test. master karu watched this scene silently. he frowned and thought about something. ¡°master karu, this is the seventh batch of refugees that have arrived in the past two days.¡± a voice beside master karu awakened him. he turned around and looked at the mummy hero wrapped in blood-colored bandages. he sighed. ¡°commander gunter, this is also my greatest concern.¡± his gaze carried some worry as he looked at the refugees they accepted according to the procedures. ¡°the ell kingdom is too mysterious¡­i¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± gunter said slowly, ¡°after a few days of observation and interrogation, it might be as we speculated. the ell kingdom is another dimensional plane. ¡°these refugees are all from the desert that appeared in the chaotic space when they fled from that region.¡± master karu took a deep breath. his eyes turned grave. ¡°commander gunter, this is what i am worried about. ¡°lord richard has mentioned more than once that the desert of death will merge with other planes in the future.¡± his expression turned grave as he spoke. ¡°these refugees from the ell kingdom confirmed what you said. ¡°no one can predict what will happen in the future¡­¡± other planes would merge with the desert of death. that news wasn¡¯t something to be delighted about. what would happen to the future if the refugees appeared now? would there be any terrifying monsters? they learned from the refugees that the ell kingdom had a million soldiers and ruled over tens of millions of people. it would be an unacceptable disaster if the other party appeared in the desert of death and attacked twilight city. fortunately, he hadn¡¯t found a fixed space passage where the refugees appeared. the ell kingdom was still in the midst of internal strife, and the other party hadn¡¯t gathered their forces yet. otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. gunter¡¯s voice sank. ¡°master karu, we need more military supplies and a stronger troop!¡± master karu said, ¡°i¡¯ve already ordered fortress city to produce alchemist¡¯s bombs and large-mouthed cannons at maximum capacity. ¡°the production workshop of the newly developed alchemist¡¯s bomb has been designed and will be put into production immediately. ¡°in terms of the troop, the number of troops in bloodhoof city has already exceeded two legions.¡± the defensive power of twilight city was still soul-strapping and relied on the foundation they had built up through life-and-death battles, even though richard had transferred the main forces of twilight city away. karu and gunter walked and saw the mummy hero, gray. it wore a crown and two ribbons that floated beside its ears. gray stepped up the city wall. a middle-aged man with a nervous expression stood beside the mummy hero. ¡°master karu.¡± gray nodded slightly. karu was the head of internal affairs and never made a mistake. he was still the leader of twilight city whenever richard was out, although the two a-rank mummy heroes held high positions in the troop. he faithfully obeyed richard¡¯s rules and laws. everyone must respect him. master karu nodded and looked at the middle-aged man. ¡°gray, who is this?¡± the middle-aged man responded in a unique language. ¡°master, i¡¯m a civil servant from the ell kingdom. my name is will¡­¡± master karu was sparingly confused when he heard that voice. ¡°what was this man talking about?¡± gray surged its magic power and immediately cast a language spell. only then could the two communicate understandably. master karu had gotten used to this scene over the past two days. he asked again, and his eyes lit up when the man responded. Chapter 750 none of the refugees from before knew how to read. the young man only knew they called their territory the ell kingdom and that he was forced to flee their hometown because of the war. they knew sparingly about other information. he didn¡¯t even know how he came to the desert of death. the value that the information could bring was mind-boggling. ¡°will, how did you come to the desert of death?¡± the middle-aged man said in horror. ¡°i was hiding from the rebels when i suddenly felt dizzy. when i opened my eyes again, i found that my surroundings had turned into a desert.¡± karu frowned when he heard the same answer as the others. he gave up on asking questions. he changed the topic. ¡°do you know that you are no longer on your plane? the place where you are now is the primary plane.¡± will said bitterly. ¡°master, i just heard¡­¡± he looked up at the colorful sky as he spoke. ¡°legend has it that our plane once had a spatial passageway with the primary plane. something must have broken the spatial passageway, and from there on, we could no longer travel through it. speaking of which, it¡¯s strange. those rebel soldiers are searching for her highness!¡± his eyes revealed a hint of contemplation as he spoke. then, his expression changed as if he recalled something. master karu sensed the change in the young man¡¯s emotions. he stared at him and said in a deep voice. ¡°will, what are you thinking?¡± will said in a trembling voice. ¡°the rebels released news that they wanted to capture the princess. the princess went to the forbidden area of ell kingdom.¡± master karu couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°the forbidden area of the ell kingdom? what was inside? what does it have to do with you refugees suddenly appearing here?¡± will quickly explained. ¡°there¡¯s a legend about the ell royal family. i couldn¡¯t guarantee if it¡¯s true or not.¡± ¡°speak.¡± ¡°yes, master.¡± will organized his thoughts and said, ¡°the royal family of ell has an ancient summoning array that can summon 100-meter-tall giants.¡± ¡°giants played a crucial role when they established the ell kingdom. statues of giants filled in the kingdom¡¯s city.¡± the young man paused before he continued. ¡°also, the troop rebel¡¯s announcement is about a passage to the primary plane in the forbidden area of ell kingdom. they have offered a very high reward. one receives the title of earl who could find that passage!¡± envy shrouded his eyes. he was an earl, a noble. he couldn¡¯t obtain an earl even if he worked for ten lifetimes. back then, it was precisely because the rewards were too generous that he took a few more glances. ¡°you mean, it was the princess who escaped into the forbidden land of ell kingdom and opened the space passage to the primary plane, which is how you came to us?¡± master karu carefully observed his expression. will nodded. ¡°this is only my guess, master¡­however, such a situation had never happened in millions of years. it happened after the rebel troop issued an announcement. ¡°it¡¯s hard for me not to connect these two things.¡± karu turned to gunter. gunter nodded slowly. ¡°the soul aura is normal.¡± karu then withdrew his gaze. ¡°in your opinion, will there be more similar situations in the future? could the ell kingdom establish a fixed space passage with the primary plane?¡± will¡¯s expression turned bitter. the spatial passageway that connected to the primary plane concerned the entire country. how could the young man not know? ¡°master, i am only a low-level civil official. i could not know any information beyond that of a commoner. i cannot make a judgment on these matters.¡± karu pondered and was convinced. gunter confirmed the young man wasn¡¯t lying, and karu no longer delved into this issue. he changed the topic. ¡°what¡¯s going on with the rebellion in the ell kingdom?¡± the current situation in twilight city is very delicate. it was very likely that the unfamiliar plane would suddenly open a spatial passageway to the desert of death due to the deluge of refugees. at that time, no one could be sure what would happen. he had to learn more about the situation so that he could make a response in advance. will said slowly, ¡°the ell kingdom has a legendary top figure, the raging blood duke. ¡°this duke has a colorful experience. he joined the troop at 12 and made countless contributions in his sixties this year. most of the soldiers in the ell kingdom were his subordinates. ¡°this also led to the duke¡¯s great prestige and authority after he broke through to a distinguished state. ¡°when the king personally conquered the abyssal chasm, the raging blood duke chose to betray and murder the king. ¡°that wiped the royal family of ell out. and only the two young princesses escaped into the forbidden area of the royal family of ell.¡± in a few words, will repeated the general situation. karu¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good, although the history was simple. transcendents. this keyword reminded him of the land of quicksand. it is still their territory. blood shrouded twilight city in that battle and slaughtered 70% of the troop. an unknown transcendent, whether a friend or a foe, could appear unknowingly. moreover, the other party ruled a kingdom with a population of ten million. judging from his rebellious behavior, the other party was not a person who would keep his place. such missions often had a strong inclination. the other party had also offered a high price for a spatial passageway to the primary plane. he must have some thoughts about the primary plane. they were foes, not friends. master karu immediately made a judgment. Chapter 751 ¡°what else can we do? didn¡¯t boss qingqiu say that the spider troop gathered? if we delay any longer, we wouldn¡¯t have to fight anymore. you can stay in the tower race¡¯s holy land if you don¡¯t want to go!¡± ¡°stay here? motherf*cker, are you waiting to die? giving life to others was not something that old wang should do!¡± ¡°dawei, that coward, actually doesn¡¯t dare to follow. hehe, does he think that he¡¯s safe here? he couldn¡¯t counterattack if he encountered an emergency if the enemies followed him. he couldn¡¯t know a chance to escape if he stayed here. he could only wait for death! i wonder how he survived after being in the ¡°shining era¡± for so long.¡± the players watched the figure on the ground that gradually shrank and heard the whistling air currents. they rode behind the skeleton blood dragon. they felt nervous, excited, and uneasy. all sorts of emotions surged in their hearts. the final battle had begun. qingqiu returned from the outside world two hours ago. he immediately summoned the leader of the tower race for a discussion. the tower race patriarch opened the armory afterward. it allowed them to choose any weapons and equipment that suited them. of course, one must be willing to attack the spider temple. that was the prerequisite! everyone prepared for two hours. the underage cubs of the tower race joined the preparation. everyone set off in the night. that would be the last battle. no one expected that this scene would come so quickly. the players could not conceal their fear and nervousness as they faced the terrifying spider troop and the temple. transcendents even guarded it. there would be no chance for revival and resurrection if they died. that is the rule in the instance dungeon. they thought of this and looked at the leading figure. the existence shrouded in yellow sand made their fearful hearts sparingly eased. they also had their trump card, qingqiu! this strongest player reflects enormous confidence no matter how mighty the enemy could be. that was the result of countless glories and honors. ¡°father, you can¡¯t abandon me this time. i want to fight with you!¡± the little centaur held richard¡¯s arm tightly and stared into his eyes with some stubbornness. she rode alves¡¯s back. she prepared to cry if richard declined her. richard smiled. he reached out and pinched her delicate little face. ¡°no one can escape this battle.¡± the power of the spider temple rapidly increased. twilight city troops had to launch a general attack at the fastest speed. they could not afford to delay. the urgency of racing against time pressed down on richard¡¯s heart. the little centaur smiled and waved her little fist before him. ¡°i won¡¯t run away! father, i will kill all the monsters on your way!¡± richard thought emily childishly acted. he didn¡¯t notice the grave look in her eyes. the god of deception beside him watched this scene. his wrinkled face revealed imperceptible envy. heavy memories engulfed his eyes. he thought of something beautiful. the corners of his mouth curled up sparingly he sighed afterward. perhaps, he would have created a divine descendant family if her daughter was still alive. unfortunately, in this world, the most useless thing was if. he shook his head, suppressed the thoughts in his heart, and regained clarity in his eyes. ¡°lord richard, the planar power blessed the tower race.¡± ¡°perhaps we can make use of it.¡± richard turned his head when he heard this. he looked straight at the old god¡¯s remnant soul. ¡°i know that the planar power favored the tower clan. but how can we make use of it?¡± the fact that the spider troop couldn¡¯t enter the tower race¡¯s holy land was the best explanation. however, the planar power was something one couldn¡¯t see or touch. moreover, it only had the plainest instincts and couldn¡¯t have specific intelligence. it was easy to use them. the god of deception said in a deep voice. ¡°the patriarch of the tower race has the most blessings. he can communicate with the planar power and let it help us at the most critical moment.¡± ¡°i asked popov, but he didn¡¯t know about this.¡± although popov was the clan leader, they had passed on the legacy of the tower race. the remaining few cats and kittens simply couldn¡¯t carry the banner. ¡°i know a secret language that can communicate with the planar power.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. yellow sand surged and enveloped the god of deception with a wave of his hand. ¡°your excellency tai long, sorry to trouble you.¡± the god of deception shook his head with a bitter smile and did not say anything else. he allowed richard to send him down with sand. popov black tower, the level 19 tower race¡¯s leader, and kratos, the dark soul eater, rode on the god¡¯s ancient tree to speed up. the god¡¯s ancient tree held these two dark forces. that was a piece of cake for treebeard. the god of deception landed not long after. richard watched the battle closely below. he heard popov speak an obscure spell. his body emitted remarkable energy fluctuations at the same time. a figure following a spell grew increasingly vast that surrounded space fluctuations. it was like it responded to a call. this process lasted for two to three minutes before it gradually calmed down. popov could see the joy on its face when it opened its eyes again. ¡®did it succeed?¡¯ the god of deception signaled, and richard brought him back behind arveis. the sand dispersed, and the god of deception smiled. Chapter 752 richard was intrigued. ¡°how much help can the planar power give us?¡± these words made the god of deception less excited. he took a deep breath and said. ¡°the planar power is already on the verge of collapse. it can only last for three days at most, according to the feedback that popov had received. ¡°my power has already weakened to the freezing point. ¡°the help it can give us would be sparingly¡­it couldn¡¯t be satisfactory. ¡°at most, i can stop lolita¡¯s descent at the critical moment¡­however, the time it could block would be limited.¡± ¡°it had awakened the plane. but the planar power could not protect itself. it would be unlikely to expect the planar power to give it too much support. richard shook his head. it wasn¡¯t a disappointment. he expected this to happen. to weaken lolita for some time was an ancillary reward. he waved his hand. ¡°speed up the march!¡± they did not wait for anyone. three days. the planar power could still hold on for another three days. it could have died without knowing how if it had chosen to drag this out. nightmare difficulty instance dungeon. nothing was easy. the troops advanced quickly in the endless darkness. the usually talkative players gradually quieted down. it was like they sensed a war was about to arrive. everyone could only hear their own breathing, and the flight caused the sound of the airflow. time has passed quickly in the silent atmosphere. the entire sky gradually brightened when the first ray of light appeared at the end of one¡¯s line of sight. richard raised his right hand, and the twilight city troop suddenly stopped mid-air as if someone had pressed a pause button. they carried out orders and rules. a figure appeared on the dark brown gravel ground at the end of his sight. a vast spider temple stood between heaven and earth. they built the temple in the image of the spider goddess in the bottomless abyss that made countless high-level demons tremble. that was what was amazing. they had half-elven upper bodies and hall-abyssal-spider lower bodies with eight limbs. it was more than 50 meters high, and it was extremely oppressive. the combination of holiness and evil gave people a strong visual impact. thick black clouds rolled above the spider temple. in the void, giant spiders wove a web that glowed with a dark green light. layers upon layers of spider webs covered the entire sky. at a glance, it was as if the temple was an ancient evil creature that nurtured the abyss demon god. the spiders were the descendants of the temple. although they were far away, the spiders before them immediately discovered the vast troop of twilight city. roars sounded out as the spider web in the air began to crawl. high alert. the enemy could discover all the unfamiliar units within 10 kilometers of the spider temple, even if they were invisible. they still obtained information, although the transcended-level wax demon blocked the investigation the other night. richard¡¯s eyes sharpened. he waved his hand and continued to lead the troop forward. the larger the scale of the battle, the more it was a contest of strength. it was still a test of the sharpest saber, although schemes and strategies were helpful! the yellow sand shrouded-troop gradually approached the spider temple. the spiders shaped the temple in a spider goddess entrenched on the flat ground and became increasingly remarkable. richard looked at the distant temple and the void weaver in the sky. he could not help but sigh as the sky gradually rioted. richard took a deep breath and ordered. ¡°beat the war drums!¡± the moment he finished speaking. ¡®dong! dong! dong!¡¯ a heavy drumbeat sounded from behind, and everyone felt a surge of hot blood rush to their hearts. battle intent surged. the players turned their heads and saw young tower race members that rode on the back of the skeleton blood dragons. they waved the drum hammer with all their might. the drum sounded, and their veins popped out and squirmed like snakes. richard¡¯s high-pitched voice echoed in the troop¡¯s ears when he saw the buff that increased his attributes. ¡°skeleton blood dragon! release all the players and tower warriors.¡± ¡°alves! lead the skeleton blood dragon! stone statue of the dead and sandstorm controller! attack from the sky! ¡°i need you to occupy the sky! ¡°emily, popov! lead the ground troops and charge! ¡°kratos! activate the power of the tower race¡¯s heroic spirit and delay the attack of the transcended wax demon!! ¡°players! fight fiercely and freely!! ¡°your excellency tai long! follow me into the spider temple.¡± he turned and looked around afterward. his tone became sonorous and majestic. ¡°remember, this is our last battle! death! ¡°glory and victory belong to us! ¡°raise the saber! raise the pike! pull the bow!!¡± ¡°attack!¡± ¡®wuuuuu!¡¯ a horn sounded. a troop had reached its momentum peak. it charged at the spider temple at the end of sight like a recently-released tiger from its cage. no one focused on the number of guards that protected the spider temple. that was no longer unnecessary. the players needed to charge toward where the rules pointed out. the spider troop felt the enemy look down on them when they suddenly appeared and attacked. the roars sounded like the roars of the demons from the abyss. ear-piercing sounds filled the sky that sent chills down people¡¯s spines. the void weaver in the sky charged straight at the enemies. the sandstorms engulfed the enemies. ¡®puchi!¡¯ poisonous and sticky spider webs shot out from the wall. they pierced through the sandstorm and bound the stone statues inside. Chapter 753 it was like a wall of flesh and blood. the spiders steadily blocked the path to the spider temple. the players on the ground could not keep up with the charge. more than a hundred people witnessed this epic battle. the twilight city troops were supremely few compared to the immense volume of enemies. no one could ignore the difference in numbers between the two sides. however, the two troops approached each other. ¡®hualala!¡¯ the entire ground suddenly softened. the troops looked down at the gravel ground that had turned yellow sand. qingqiu attacked. the moment this thought arose. a terrifying 30 meters tall wave of sand stirred up from the ground. the sand waves swept toward the spider troop like a tsunami. the sand instantly submerged the spider troop that formed the flesh wall. they rushed a hundred meters and buried countless spiders. the sand wave disappeared without a trace due to the decrease in the sand. this scene caused the eyelids of the hundred players behind him to twitch. they were shocked and sighed in their hearts. ¡°that was qingqiu!¡± ¡°kill!¡± the sand waves blasted apart the troop formation. the leader of the tower race on the ground, popov, the level 19 hero, led hundreds of three to four meters tall tower race cubs and charged at the enemy. kratos was a dark soul master, a level 19 boss. he led 32 dark servants and charged before the tower clan. blood and flesh flew everywhere when kratos crashed into the troop formation. the battle on the ground was violent, and those in the sky were even fiercer. the five squadrons of sandstorm controllers turned into all-devouring sandstorms and swept the void weaver. the sandstorm controllers blew the yellow-sand-condensed giant spikes. they were even more ferocious than the explosive attacks of heavy siege weapons. the void spider web could not block them. the sandstorms directly tore the spider webs with powerful stickiness. the sandstorms brought along souls and lives wherever they passed. alves, the beyond a-rank dragon hero, charged at the sandstorm. over a hundred skeleton blood dragons drew out long tongues of fire that devoured the fish that escaped the net. a tomahawk harvested several souls every time it whistled. the defense troop spider temple was much stronger than the attacking twilight city but could not counterattack effectively under the series of attacks. this scene made the players behind him feel their blood boil. the scenes continued to amaze them even though they had seen the twilight city troops charge domineeringly. this battle became a head-on battle. there was no falsehood to speak of. it was an absolute competition of strength. however, the initial attack revealed the spider troop¡¯s numerical advantage. that advantage entangled the twilight city troops. six level-19 void weaver heroes joined the battle above the spider temple afterward. they restrained tyrannical sandstorm controllers in the sky. the void weaver hero¡¯s web could stick to the yellow sand and quickly weaken the sandstorm controller. richard ignored the battle outside. he stared at the spider temple. then, that familiar aura assaulted him. ¡°lowly reptile, how dare you blaspheme my god!¡± the abyssal blasphemy resounded in the sky. everyone on the battlefield felt a heavy pressure on their chests. that made them difficult to breathe. richard looked over. one of them was about five meters tall. its body was like a melted candle that condensed again. more than ten white candle tentacles dripped with blood-colored liquid on its body. a single scarlet eye grew on its head. one could find traces of distortion, savagery, evil, darkness, and chaos in the bottomless abyss of the terrifying lifeform. the wax demon was the spider goddess¡¯s favorite. this monster symbolized the chaotic and evil heart of the god of conspiracy that could tremble the abyss. an endless evil aura swept across the world. the terrifying monsters shrouded everyone¡¯s eyes with fear and panic. richard¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°kratos¡­ do it!¡± it heard the order of richard. the dark soul eater slaughtered the spider troop before it. kratos raised its head with an endless fighting spirit. it stared greedily and cruelly at the wax demon that floated in the sky. it could make the soul eater stronger if it slaughtered the wax demon! ¡®kacha!¡¯ the skin on its body exploded. large patches of cracks appeared. at the same time, a terrifying aura exploded. it summoned the tower race¡¯s ancient heroic spirit. it was a one-time buff. the dark soul eater¡¯s power level quickly rose to transcendent. richard waved his hand without hesitation, and the yellow sand enveloped the god of deception. they fell to the ground. they disappeared into the sand. then, after a few breaths. countless grains of sand exploded dozens of meters away from the spider temple. the two suddenly appeared before the temple. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the surrounding yellow sand condensed into sharp blades. they were like a meat grinders that killed the surrounding enemies. ¡°tai long, your excellency, control that heart!¡± Chapter 754 richard would accept the loss of the battle as long as he could get the god¡¯s heart, he had to complete the s-rank mission regardless of the cost. the god of deception puffed out his chest. that turned his dried, old slim body into a majestic and powerful one. ¡°the heart is inside lolita¡¯s statue. lord richard¡­ stall the others.¡± tai long suddenly faded and disappeared into thin air before richard could respond. the temple could identify the energy of all hidden units. but it could not detect their traces. richard could only rely on the power of the great old ones left in the body to sense that the god of deception had become transparent. he calculated it had passed directly through the dense crowd of abyssal spidermen before him and headed towards the central area. the interior of the spider temple was oval. it was a hundred meters tall or more and a thousand meters in diameter. the creators used spatial magic to the extreme in this temple. vivid spider statues before the surrounding wall gave people the feeling that they would wake up in the next second. the spider troops piled like ants. richard could see 20 meters or more vast spatial passageway in the southeast corner. spiders crawled out of it at this moment. he took a deep breath when he saw them. it was the final moment. richard turned around and saw a person blocked the door. yellow sand light surged from his body. the sand condensed into dozens of seven to eight meters long giant sabers. the yellow sand battle was like an invisible giant hand that held it and spun. he slaughtered in all directions domineeringly. it was like one threw the surging abyssal spidermen and giant spiders like hays into a grass cutter in the face of the saber. ¡®kacha! kacha! blood and flesh flew everywhere with a crisp sound. it turned one spider after another into broken limbs. green blood splattered everywhere. richard¡¯s blurry figure appeared like a god of war under the majestic power of the yellow sand. it was like one had revived him from ancient times. he pressed down before the spider temple domineeringly and forcefully blocked the entrance. he faced the attacks of countless spiders but remained unmoved. this treasonous behavior drove the surrounding spider troops insane. ¡°this damned worm blasphemed the gods!!¡± ¡®ssss!¡¯ miserable roars resounded through the sky. the troop was like a swarm of locusts that elevated vast waves as they surged over. they couldn¡¯t withstand such a high-intensity assault if it were any other player. blood and violence made one¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°&*..%£¤#@..¡± a strange incantation sounded in the sky at this moment. the echoes overlapped in the temple. they were even more turbulent than the sound of roars on the battlefield. the vast statue of the spider goddess in the center emitted waves of remarkable fluctuations. an obscure incantation accompanied the swings. that aura caused the spider troop surge momentarily to stop. and then they released an even more shrill roar. the resentful screams made people¡¯s scalps go numb. ¡°someone blasphemed the gods!¡± the spider troops before the spider goddess statue waved their weapons around and tried to find the enemy hidden somewhere. it happened simultaneously. the hideous and twisted spider statues erected in the temple released crisp cracking sounds as they resurrected to life. [stone spider] [level: 18] [potential: 3-stars radiant moon¡­] two hundred or more stone spiders blocked the way and charged at richard. the abyssal spidermen blocked the way and crushed those that came across. the savage posture made people inexplicably cold. that was the most soul-devouring troop that guarded the spider temple. the abyssal spidermen and giant spiders were just an addition. richard¡¯s expression did not change. he needed to stall the enemy. the enemy must target and chase him to lure them away from the work of the god of deception. anger rose in their chests. the spiders couldn¡¯t find the spell, and that troubled them. richard had become the perfect target. ¡°it must have been this damn worm¡¯s doing!¡± the stone spider charged into the high-speed spinning yellow sand saber. ¡®clang!¡¯ the crisp sound of metal colliding exploded. sparks shot out. the yellow sand saber that could slay spiders could only leave a white mark on the bodies of these new soldiers. it could not hurt them. terrifying defense. the stone spider¡¯s killing intent overflowed. its eyes emitted fierce and crazy light. it swore to sever richard to pieces. richard narrowed his eyes. he stretched out his right hand and clenched it into a fist when these level 18 radiant moon soldiers approached. in the next second, endless yellow sand suddenly floated out and enveloped the stone spider that was the first to attack. tiny grains of sand would weaken one, no matter how mighty one would be. the sand directly wrapped around the stone spider. soon after. the sand suddenly compressed the spider inside. it was like a giant hand clenched tightly. ¡®kacha!¡¯ it crushed the hard shell that could initially withstand the attack of the yellow sand saber. large amounts of cracks appeared. streams of stinky green mucus splattered out from the cracks. it crushed a level 18 radiant moon soldier just like that. it was pure death. that did not affect richard. he looked at the stone statue spiders that charged at him. he narrowed his eyes. the ground outside the spider temple had turned into sand and exploded. it directly turned into a sandstorm and surged into the spider temple. it could not stop the fine sand that penetrated every pore, although the spider¡¯s body was vast. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the terrifying sandstorm covered more than two hundred meters around richard. that was because the spiders were too dense and reduced the range. one couldn¡¯t usually harm a stone spider, but the attack enveloped them. richard¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. one could hear a horrifying sound in the next moment. ¡®boom!¡¯ it was like one poured gasoline on dry grass and ignited. a scorching flame suddenly erupted. [blazing sandstorm-reinforced] twilight city reinforced the sandstorm twice after it reached level 15. at this moment, it terrifyingly swept in all directions. the enveloped enemies felt like one threw them into a melting steel furnace. all the spiders suffered the heat that burned their souls. ¡®ssss!¡¯ a series of mournful roars resounded. that quickly ignited the fur on the spiders¡¯ bodies. the stench of burnt fur assailed richard¡¯s nostrils. the terrifyingly high temperature that ignited the destructive power of the sand had increased a hundred times. the yellow sand poured into the spider¡¯s joints, eyes, and various weak points of wounds. that immediately caused massive damage under terrifyingly high temperatures. that ignited several spiders and turned them into fireballs that incessantly waved their limbs. the sandstorm tore these fireballs torn into pieces. they mixed with the yellow sand and filled the sky. they burned wantonly above. the amazingly defensive stone spiders shone brightly. these level 18 soldiers resisted it head-on. the scorching yellow sand could not pierce through their thick shells. their tenacious vitality was astonishing. richard sensed all of this, and his heart skipped a beat. the power of the yellow sand into him suddenly soared. the quick-melting high temperature of the steel increased sharply again. the blazing sandstorm had already taken on a dark green color. ordinary abyssal spidermen would not last a breath before they turned into ashes. the thick shell of the stone spider could not withstand it anymore, and a smear of red appeared on it. it was like a high-temperature heated rock and gradually turned into lava. the spider did not burn but melted directly. the destructive power of the reinforced blazing sandstorm was several times stronger than before. at this moment, richard¡¯s aura became increasingly ferocious. he extended his right hand and snapped his fingers. then, the sand outside the temple swarmed into the blazing sandstorm again. the newly entered sand began to roll at an exceptionally violent speed. [sand dragon tornado: enhanced.] that was a beyond a-rank skill he had only obtained after he reached level 15. it had also received two rounds of reinforcement. the sand dragon tornado could make one¡¯s scalp go numb. it was like one tore a plane apart. waves of heat waves caused the temperature in the temple to soar exaggeratedly. richard trapped the troops and seemed to have locked them in a stove. it was like he added red charcoal to the trivet. they would die from the heat if they failed to escape. richard fixed his eyes on the spatial passageway in the southeast corner connected to the abyss. he controlled the blazing sandstorm and moved directly in that direction. the spider troop in front immediately fell into a frenzy when they saw richard approach the statue of lolita. moths flew into the fire amidst the shrill screams. he charged into the blazing sandstorm. he would not retreat even half a step, even if he were to test death. some even wanted to use their spider webs to stop them. however, it was useless in the face of such a catastrophic skill, no matter how many spiders there were. the blazing sandstorm was a vast furnace, and the sand dragon tornado was the core. they would only burn the spiders to death, no matter how powerful they were. richard seemed to have transformed into an ancient god of fire in infinite flames and sand. his aura was overbearing. he charged domineeringly toward the spatial passageway that connected to the bottomless abyss. that cleared the spider guards. the blazing sandstorm enveloped the spatial passageway and immediately burned the unique space. however, the blazing sandstorm did not cause any damage to him. it was like he played with the wind. that was what was surprising. the spatial passageway could continuously devour the blazing sandstorm and teleport it to the other half of the way. ¡®unbreakable?¡¯ richard frowned. he pondered. suddenly, the spatial passageway surged like a water curtain. then, a terrifying figure appeared on it. the upper body was an elf, and the lower body was a spider. the evil god who made the abyss tremble. the master of schemes, the ruler who controlled the 500th level. spider goddess lolita! the blurry figure seemed to have seen through everything and looked straight at richard. ¡°lowly worm, i¡¯ve already learned your identity from the king of decay. ¡°a servant raised by a mid-level deity of the dungeon god system dares to provoke me?¡± ¡°one wouldn¡¯t dare to be so arrogant! even if the kobold god came, no, even if the ruler of the system came!¡± the ancient elven language mixed with the profane language of the abyss resounded in the sky. richard felt a mental impact when he heard this. that was chaos, evil, and darkness. it was like one threw him into the chaotic sea in the deepest part of the bottomless abyss, and countless evil gods stared at him. he would lose his mind and become a monster that fought in chaos if he couldn¡¯t withstand this mental assault. the spider goddess¡¯s language was not something mortals could hear. that was the language of the mightiest evil god, the ruler of the abyss. ¡°god of kobolds?¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. his emotions were sparingly subtle. Chapter 755 he said and meant each word. ¡°how can you know about my god¡¯s plans? ¡°do you think you can control everything because conspiracy is your divine title? ¡°i, the god of the dungeon, will be the master of this world this time! ¡°spider goddess, no matter how strong you are or how many plans you have, they will all come to naught when the new era arrives. ¡°the ship of the ¡®shining era¡¯ cannot carry the soul of the ¡®old era.¡¯¡± certainty and absolute confidence engulfed his voice. the attitude was like countless big shots plotted for thousands of years and stood behind him. the spider goddess¡¯s blurry figure on the void spatial passageway fell silent. his words must have shocked her. however, it was like a suppressed volcano that erupted following two breaths. endless spider divine power surged out from the other end of the spatial passageway. the phantom that condensed the door to the void erupted with a pressure that could shatter the world. ¡°who gave you the courage to participate?¡± cold murderous intent filled the two voices. the pressure on richard was a hundred times greater than before, and he even had the urge to kneel and submit. it was the pressure of a higher lifeform on a lower lifeform. an existence at the level of a master god had long stood at the peak of this world and could destroy with a wave of its hand. he felt that a giant hand grabbed his soul and made cracking sounds. the grim reaper watched. ¡°ah!¡± he let out a low roar. endless amounts of yellow sand power entered the statue. a dark light enveloped its body afterward and forcefully blocked the terrifying pressure. the ancient god statue squatted with broken wings on its back, and countless octopus tentacles on its head seemed to have come alive. the pair of dark eyes stared fixedly at the space where it revealed the spider goddess¡¯s blurry figure. ¡°prey.¡± the dark light surged and ignored the pressure that could make the heavens sink. it forcefully swept up and wrapped up the shadow of the spider goddess. ¡°ancient god¡­¡± hatred engulfed the phantom¡¯s voice that resounded through the sky. the evil spider¡¯s divine power in the surroundings suddenly soared. that directly resisted the dark light of the ancient god statue. the ancient god statue could not devour the goddess¡¯s spider divine power under natural restriction. richard¡¯s eyes widened. that was the first time he had seen a god that could fight against the ancient god statue. ¡®that was the spider goddess that could make the abyss tremble?!¡¯ the illusory spider goddess gave richard a deep look after a dozen of breaths. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if you are a follower of the god of kobolds, or a servant of the god of dungeons, tell the person behind you¡­ wait for my judgment. ¡°not everyone has the right to interfere in this plan. ¡°reptile.¡± the ancient elven language and profane abyssal language with contempt and arrogance echoed in the spider temple. the shadow of the spider goddess suddenly shattered. the spatial passageway returned to its previous state. the terrifying godly spirit pressure also disappeared. the goddess left. richard¡¯s tensed heart finally settled. he encountered the spider goddess¡¯s pressure. it was like he had a saber pressed against his throat. and he could lose his life at any moment. it was hard for outsiders to imagine how intense the pressure was. the dim light of the ancient god statute directly corroded the spatial passageway after it could not find the enemy. it devoured the divine power attached to it. then, the spatial passageway that had just been immune to the attack of the blazing sandstorm cracked. countless tiny cracks appeared. the void collapsed and turned into fragments in the blink of an eye. richard put the statue back into his arms and looked at the god of deception before the spider goddess statue. the chant stopped when lolita appeared. it was only when the spider goddess left that he reconnected. it was also in line with this figure¡¯s flexible attitude. richard looked around. the blazing sandstorm still went on. the majestic power of sand reached level 15 and had increased to 50,000 points of mana. one can shortly maintain this skill, unlike before. richard looked at the colossal abyssal spiders still alive in the temple. he immediately brought the blazing sandstorm. the surrounding abyssal spidermen and giant spiders also fell into extreme madness at this moment. none of the spiders cared about their lives as they charged into the sandstorm. then, the high-temperature smothered and turned them into burning fireballs. richard was at the center, and endless yellow sand from afar covered a diameter of 200 meters. terrifying flames burned the sand red and incessantly spun around. violence shrouded a sand dragon tornado in the center. the red sand would hit enemies, each of their attacks, and leave tiny holes like bullets. then, a fire would ignite them. that would turn into a fireball amidst the wails. this scene looked like the birth of an ancient lava demon. death, darkness, destruction! it was visually impactful. richard used the power of devouring the sand from the lord of the dune with absolute dominance and his two level 15 transformations as his trump cards to forcefully clear out the enemies in the spider temple. dried, charred, broken, and foul stenches of corpses remained in the enormous spider temple when the sandstorm gradually dissipated. Chapter 756 smoke blackened the vivid spider statue on the ceiling. richard looked in the background like a demon king after destruction. he saw the situation was under control. one could not disturb the god of deception while he still chanted the obscure language. richard flew before the spider temple. he looked outside. he had cleared the spiders in the temple. a few groups of enemies were outside the temple. he had fought in the temple for a long time. but it had only been three to five minutes since he appeared and cleared everyone. the twilight city troops held the enemies back and returned to their senses after the blazing sandstorm. the twilight city troops attacked the spider base camp. the spider troops immediately went berserk. they roared as they charged forward. the yellow sand reformed into a saber. it forcefully blocked the enemy outside. the meat grinder reappeared. richard had the time to observe the battle outside. the sky troops of twilight city engaged with the densely packed void weavers in a battle with alves as the commander. skeleton blood dragon, dead stone statue, guardian mummy, sandstorm controller, and king of the imperial troop joined forces to fight the enemy. spiders fell from the sky every second. however, twilight city suffered significant damage when they faced at least two large teams of void weavers. the enemies incessantly killed the stone statues of the dead and the guardian mummies. even the skeleton blood dragons that followed behind alves had lost several teams. the battle in the sky was crazy, and the on the ground was even more intense. hundreds of tower race descendants charged forward under the leadership of the level 19 tower race leader, popov. less than 50 tower race descendants remained after a bloody battle. the level 14 centaur, emily, had already activated her battle form, and her body had grown to 10 meters tall. it was like a battering ram hitting the city wall whenever she swung her poleaxe. she cut the spider troop on the ground cut into pieces. no one could stop the centaur¡¯s charge. centaurs were born warriors. the battle with the wax demon attracted the most attention. this life form created by lolita floated in the void. it fought the dark soul eater, kratos, who was a level 19, no, level 20 boss. kratos¡¯ level forcibly raised to transcendent after it summoned the tower spirit. its stone-made body now emitted a metallic luster. its terrifying strength could shatter the city wall with a single punch. the dark servants surrounded kratos and coordinated with his attacks. the number of 32 had dropped to less than 20. the ordinary troops could not get close to a transcendent level battle. they looked at the battlefield, and a vast vacuum appeared in the center. only the vast figure of the god¡¯s ancient tree stood there. it participated in this epic battle without fear. the abomination power had already surpassed the limit of this level as a top-tier boss with this power and rotten authority. the wax demon had to retreat every time its branch that carried endless rotten authority swung. the rotten authority was something that even transcendents couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°kill!¡± Chapter 757 its extraordinary power allowed it to levitate in the air and gain the ability to fight in the air. its body was six meters tall, and it held a heavy warhammer. the explosive power of its muscular body could even distort the void. the wax demon, covered in octopus-like tentacles, attacked oddly. tons of wax would fly out every time it waved its tentacles. the abomination tree¡¯s body would quickly assimilate once it came into contact with the evil white wax. it directly transformed into a candle body. some of the spiders affected by the aftershock of the battle were even turned into wax statues in the blink of an eye after being dripped by the white wax. the wax demon had no fatal weakness. that was what was terrifying. kratos could not cause damage with its attacks. kratos would immediately explode the wax demon¡¯s body, and large patches of cracks would appear. however, the wounds would quickly heal like a melted candle afterward. the wax demon would instantly return to normal even if the enemy smashed its eye. it could not die! this terrifying characteristic made this already arduous transcendent monster even more troublesome. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. he had wanted to let kratos obtain extraordinary power and kill the wax demon by force, but these thoughts disappeared when he saw the monster explode and recovered immediately. his plans couldn¡¯t survive the changes. he couldn¡¯t kill a monster of this level without a mightier force. it was lolita¡¯s favorite! as expected, he couldn¡¯t use common sense to praise her. fortunately, his main goal this time was not to fight to the death with this wax demon. it was to retrieve a god¡¯s heart. the god of deception would recover a certain amount of power as long as he could obtain it. the three sides would be able to kill the other party. the key to everything now was to guard the temple gate and not allow anyone to disturb the god of deception. ¡°& amp;£¨&£¨..£¤#@@%&*!¡± at this moment, a deep and obscure voice came from the temple. this voice penetrated the temple and resounded in the entire sky. at the same time, the sound of glass shattering rang out. something happened afterward. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ everyone heard the sound of their hearts beating. a strong smell of fresh blood and a majestic fluctuation of divine power accompanied the sound. something broke the seal of the god¡¯s heart!! richard abruptly turned his head to look at the center of the temple. the statue of the spider goddess had countless cracks. and its heart had already shattered. he could vaguely see a bright red heart beating inside. the surrounding mana would rise and fall. it formed a tide every time it jumped. he could feel the extraordinariness of the heart even from far away. the wax demon at this moment also sensed the aura while it fought with kratos. it turned its head abruptly, and its scarlet eye penetrated the temple. it released a shrill cry and dashed across the sky like lightning. it headed straight for the spider temple. that reckless attitude, brutal and savage, froze everyone¡¯s souls at this moment. at that moment, tai long¡¯s ethereal body appeared before the statue of the spider goddess. he slowly reached out and grabbed the heart. ****** Chapter 758 the god of deception touched the heart of the god and revealed his figure. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the strong heartbeat resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. the wax demon incessantly burned flames and crossed the void. it rushed directly before the temple. in the next second, kratos¡¯ figure suddenly appeared before the enemy. teleportation. the dark soul eater wanted to stop this transcendent demon. however, an impactful scene followed. the wax demon¡¯s body melted like a candle and passed through kratos¡¯s body. then, it reformed its body behind the dark soul eater. this scene gave people a soul-tormenting psychological impact. this monster was simply terrifying. the sand around richard began to surge, but the wax demon was too fast. the monster broke through the battle formation of the saber troop formed by the yellow sand and rushed into the temple like a storm. the god of deception charged straightly at the statue of the spider goddess and clenched the heart. richard narrowed his eyes. he subconsciously prepared to cast a skill. but in the next second, he was stunned. the god of deception grabbed the heart and slowly stuffed it into his chest. his chest seemed to be illusory as his heart penetrated through it. something majestic happened afterward. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the heartbeat sounded increasingly majestic. the blood vessels from the heart rapidly reconstructed, and the muscles in the body quickly condensed. that was even more shocking! in a few breaths, the majestic power constructed the whole body. one could sense the power surge even from a great distance. that was the heart of the god of deception, and now it was back in place. the wax demon finally rushed before the tai long just as the formation of his body. the demon created by lolita released a deep roar. its aura was dark and evil as if it had crawled out of a bottomless abyss. the monster would even need to attack ordinary people. its aura would only envelope them to fall into absolute madness. more than a dozen octopus-like tentacles waved and whipped the god of deception. ¡®phew!¡¯ the air exploded, and the ear-piercing sound of air pierced through one¡¯s eardrums. that scared everyone! the attacks landed on tai longs¡¯ body. but to everyone¡¯s surprise, the power that could quickly destroy city walls and crack mountain rocks did not cause him even a single damage. upon a closer look, a transparent shield had appeared on the body of god¡¯s remnant soul that forcefully blocked the damage. the god of deception stared indifferently at the wax demon while it waved its tentacles. ¡°i am your god of faith! ¡°kneel!¡± that was an ancient divine language! his cold voice sounded like thunder in the spider temple. the terrifying wax demon¡¯s body stiffened at this moment. endless conflict filled the demon¡¯s gaze. then, the transcendent demon slowly bent down and knelt in the void while richard watched. it was more like lying in the air without limbs like knees. its posture was indescribably humble. it was like it knelt before the god it worshipped and believed in! richard¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡®the god of deception¡­ was this still the power of lies?¡¯ tai long¡¯s transformation was not empty talk. ¡®did he comprehend something?!¡¯ richard¡¯s thoughts were about to churn. the wax demon knelt in the void and opened its mouth. it humbly bowed. ¡°great god, your humble servant salutes you.¡± tai long¡¯s old body stood before the transcendent demon proudly. ¡°kill all the spiders around the temple. i sent those mummies that attacked the temple to test the waters. the spiders can¡¯t even protect the temple.¡± dominance and inviolability engulfed his tone and had some of the majesty of a sovereign. ¡°i will obey your orders, my god!¡± burning madness filled the red eye of the wax demon. the monster did not hesitate on this loophole-filled and logically contradicting order. the wax demon turned around and left the temple. it even spared richard while he blocked the spider troop. it appeared outside again after a long time. the wax demon melted and turned a ball of wax in the void. the evil and dark aura increased by a hundredfold. then, the spider that had just led the spider troop to fight against the twilight city troops attacked its subordinates! the ball of wax suddenly expanded and formed a ball of liquid that was dozens of meters tall. then, that surged toward the spiders in the surroundings. it utterly enveloped the spider troops within a breath. their bodies turned into wax statues when each came into contact with the liquid ball. then, they shattered into the wax and entered the body of the wax demon. it devoured hundreds of spiders near the temple in just a dozen breaths, and the wax they turned into became several times mightier. the candle condensed into a ball afterward and surged wantonly. it devoured and assimilated all the lives it enveloped. that scene shocked the spider troop. it wasn¡¯t that the enemy was strong, but¡­why would their lord attack them? ten thousand questions rose in their minds. however, at this moment, the melting wax demon would not respond to them. instead, it slayed spiders even more vigorously. it carried out the god¡¯s oracle, which was the highest honor! the fierce battle just now had turned into an odd scene of a leader who slaughtered troops in the blink of an eye. the twilight city troops could not help but stop. they even retreated to prevent accidental damage. Chapter 759 richard¡¯s tense mood relaxed sparingly, and he turned to look at the god of deception. ¡°your excellency tai long, has the power of that heart been activated?¡± the god of lies nodded and shook his head hesitantly. ¡°i don¡¯t have a body, and i lack the power of the spider goddess to drive me¡­ although i can use it temporarily, it won¡¯t be able to support it for long¡­¡± ¡°how much longer can you control that wax demon?¡± ¡°ten minutes¡­¡± the god of deception¡¯s gaze was sparingly subtle. ¡°i have to thank you for your advice. otherwise, i couldn¡¯t affect the monster that firmly believes in lolita with my current strength. ¡°the power of lies and deception doesn¡¯t have to be sneaky like the rats in the sewers. ¡°in a direct battle, deception and lies are no weaker than humans.¡± that made richard feel a rare sense of agreement. a single sentence was enough to make a transcendent lose its mind. this power was overbearing. there was a hint of law in his words. he could make an entire troop betray him with a single word in the future if he continued to dig deeper. moreover, he could use it to disrupt the other party¡¯s mind in the battle. the power that the god of deception possessed had a lot of potentials that one could exploit. he looked outside the temple and quickly found popov, the level 19 hero, who was more than eight meters tall and stood like a small mountain. ¡°popov, a power has destroyed the spatial passageway connecting to the abyss. and that controlled the wax demon. what else do we need to do to restore this plane?¡± the destruction of the spider temple was only one of the steps. the abyss would still drag them if they couldn¡¯t fix the planar collapse at its verge. ¡°destroy this spider temple!¡± popov did not hesitate at all and shouted excitedly. ¡°the temple is the core of lolita¡¯s erosion of the planar power. as long as we can destroy the temple, the planes could recover! that would restore the world!¡± richard stared at the big patriarch and said nothing more. he looked back at the god of deception. ¡°your excellency tai long, we must destroy this temple and let the planar power recover.¡± the god of deception flew straight to his side. he looked straight into his eyes and said in a deep voice. ¡°do it now. we can¡¯t let lolita appear again.¡± ¡°the power of the ancient gods is a powerful counter to the gods, but lolita has a divine weapon that can contend with the power of the ancient gods¡­ we can¡¯t afford to delay it.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he flew away from the temple without hesitation with the remnant soul of the god who had just reconstructed his body. the bewitched wax demon slaughtered each spider in the spider troop. richard turned his head to look at the giant temple more than 50 meters tall, with an elven upper body and a spider lower body. ¡°treebeard, destroy it!¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree rushed over when it heard the order. the giant tree trunk was like a weapon that could attack the city. it could smash the temple. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying collision sound exploded. runes appeared on the spider temple. these protected it forcefully. but the god¡¯s ancient tree would not care so much. it unleashed more than ten tree trunks and dozens of tree roots at full force. they tore the surrounding earth apart, and dust flew into the sky. the trunks and roots smashed the runes like eggshells under the impact of the soul-tormenting power. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ explosion sounds incessantly rang out. many buildings could withstand the damage of a top-tier boss, but it was not the spider temple before richard. ¡®kacha!¡¯ they finally destroyed the runes on the spider temple afterward. the tree trunk struck the temple¡¯s wall, and cracks spread like turtle shells. the temple began to collapse without the protection of the runes. large pieces of land fell from the sky. and the earth incessantly shook. the rumbling sound of the collapse was endless. the god¡¯s ancient tree was like an evil god that destroyed the world. it wantonly poured out its power. ¡®crash!¡¯ a resounding voice rang out. it finally collapsed the temple that symbolized lolita. the ground shook, and the players¡¯ thousands of meters away felt their legs go numb. a terrifying sound wave swept out. the wax demon trembled and stopped while it devoured the spider troop. then, the wax demon condensed again. the chaotic and evil body appeared in the sky again. it looked at the half-cleared spider troop and the collapsed spider temple before it. the single scarlet eye was stunned for a while. the demon! why did it slay its subordinates?!! why would a great god give such an odd order?! no, no, it wasn¡¯t the great god! that single eye stared at the god of deception, and the fierce killing intent that it emitted was enough to make the seasoned soldiers tremble in fear. that god deceived the demon! ¡°damn reptiles! damn it, damn it!¡± endless anger exploded in its chest. the scarlet eye emitted an endless red light, and the white candle¡¯s body gradually turned crimson. it emitted a demonic and crazy aura. the pressure even froze the void. the wax demon charged at the god of deception. it ignored everything else. that attitude would not rest until one of them died. a rush followed afterward. ¡®rumble!¡¯ an even more violent sound of collapse rang out. the spider temple that had just collapsed sank into the ground. it was as if a giant beast that could devour the world opened its vast mouth. ¡®kacha!¡¯ they could hear the sound of shattered glass when the spider temple sank at maximum. then, a chaotic light shot into the sky from the ground. that sent the buildings and boulders more than ten meters tall thousands of meters away. the power affected everyone in the surroundings. richard¡¯s body uncontrollably flew a hundred meters away. he looked around. corpses that emitted a soul-stirring aura flew across the sky. ****** Chapter 760 just a glance at it was enough to make people tremble in fear. a dead god was still a god. that was an existence of a higher level. ¡°graveyard of the gods¡­¡± the god of deception stared at one of the blurry corpses. his gaze was complicated. richard forced down the throbbing in his heart. his eyes gleamed. he could see that the bodies of these gods were like mountains of gold that glittered and contained infinite value. twilight city would experience a qualitative leap if he could bring back all the divine bodies. at this moment, the wax demon returned to its senses and charged at the god of deception. the mournful roar from its mouth sent chills down one¡¯s spine. no one could underestimate the aura of an activated transcendent. the god of deception turned around and looked at the wax demon streaked across the sky like lightning. his gaze turned cold. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the sound of his heart beating resounded through the sky again. the surging divine power in his body erupted in the next second. it was like a wave of air that swept out in all directions. that directly enveloped an area of several hundred meters. the wax demon stopped when it charged into that boundary. the murderous intent of the single-eyed monster became sparingly astray and confused. then, it turned its body slightly and surged in another direction. the tentacles on its body wildly twitched, and the void incessantly exploded. space fragments scattered all over the sky. the soul-tormenting posture made people¡¯s mouths go dry. no one could imagine what would happen if it hit someone. it would be easy for them to explode into pieces. richard saw that something restrained the wax demon again. he couldn¡¯t help but think highly of the god of deception. a god was indeed a god. he could still toy with a transcendent even if charges weakened his power to the extreme and only a heart and a broken soul remained. chaotic light surrounded the dozens or so corpses of the gods. richard suppressed his emotions and turned his gaze on them. the sand on the ground gathered with a wave of his hand. a sandman that was seven to eight meters tall appeared. the sandman rose into the air and headed straight for the chaotic light. that snatched the divine body! only then did the players at the back return to their senses. everyone widened their eyes when they saw this, and their breathing quickened. they didn¡¯t know that a god leave the corpse in the chaotic light behind. however, it was of great value from the aura it emitted. a high-level corpse was simply a divine weapon for the undead faction! unfortunately, they were not even qualified to participate in this battle. now, they could only show their envy. no one would dare to do so even if one asked them to go up. one could not trifle with it. they would only send themselves to death if they went up, other than qingqiu. the players stood with wide-eyed gazes. the sandman charged into the chaotic light and headed for the nearest god¡¯s body. however, after flying for about ten meters, the sand melted like ice thrown into a furnace. the chaotic light seemed inconspicuous, but it had unpredictable destructive power. richard¡¯s heart sank. fortunately, he had a trick up his sleeve. he was used to using the sandmen to scout the way and did not take the risk himself. however, he couldn¡¯t take the risk if he didn¡¯t eat the meat right next to his mouth. he focused his gaze, and a second sandman appeared. at the same time, the ancient god statue floated above the other party¡¯s head. a dark light directly enveloped the sandman. richard also frantically channeled the power of the sand. the sandman stared even more intensely. it charged into the chaotic light again with the double buffs. richard¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the scene. the ancient god statue had an enormous restraining effect on the power of gods, but a chaotic light repelled it just now. that immensely surprised him. the winner take all scene did not happen. it was a display of equally powerful sides. ¡°chaotic light¡­the power of the ancient gods?¡± richard¡¯s eyes turned grave after he pondered. only the power of an ancient god could ignore the ancient god statue. he instantly thought of more things. the power of the ancient god statue enveloped lolita. that was why the spider goddess could not take the corpses of the gods away. ¡°or did lolita set this power up?¡± a myriad of thoughts trotted into his mind. however, he could not make an accurate judgment. he couldn¡¯t rely on a few pieces of information. he turned to look at the god of deception beside him. ¡°your excellency tai long, what¡¯s with this power of the old gods?¡± the god of deception carefully sensed for a moment, and then his expression changed slightly. ¡°i don¡¯t know either¡­ there was no aura of ancient god power here before i lost consciousness.¡± it could not freely take a corpse away due to the suppression of the chaotic light, although the sandman above the ancient god statue did not melt. it was like he was a pool of thick mercury. tons of energy would empower every step. richard frowned and turned to look at the wax demon. this terrifying transcendent creature still attacked the air. however, it couldn¡¯t keep the wax demon in trouble from the situation just now. the formerly level 19 dark soul eater kratos, temporarily upgraded to 20. it could not easily slaughter the other party. richard couldn¡¯t delay for too long. a sense of urgency rose in his heart. he turned to look at the towering tree on the side. ¡°treebeard! go and try to take out the corpses!¡± Chapter 761 the tree branch slowly stretched out and headed toward the chaotic light. the tree roots dried up and turned black when the light touched them. it was like a high temperature roasted them. however, a dark aura spread out from the roots and forcefully protected the veins quickly afterward. the roots extended toward the nearest god¡¯s corpse with assurance. it was still much faster than the sandmen, although the speed of its advance was still slow. richard saw how the abomination tree still couldn¡¯t resist the erosion of the chaotic light, but the top-tier boss had relied on its strength to create a shield to block the damage. the god¡¯s ancient tree fought a battle of attrition. the god statue relied on its strength to clash with the enemy. its vast body could only accommodate one root. its aura decreased speedily. finally, the roots touched the god¡¯s corpse under an extreme atmosphere. they wrapped the blurry divine body around like a rope. however, they must have touched something. the chaotic light that had already recovered its calm started to riot again. a ferocious energy tide erupted from the core. the god¡¯s ancient tree roots cracked like glass. they directly extended into the area enveloped by the chaotic light and shattered. that also threw the sandman above the ancient god statue a hundred meters away. richard, who had been full of expectations, froze. he released a long sigh. the treasure was before him, but he couldn¡¯t get it now! that feeling was too unbearable. however, he did not have any other choice. he only had treasures in his hands but could not use them. he turned to look at the god of deception. ¡°your excellency tai long, how can we extract the corpses of those gods from the chaotic light?¡± the god of deception pondered for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°the magical array imprisoned those corpses¡­ we couldn¡¯t easily snatch them away unless we break the magic array or resist its power.¡± he stared at a blurry figure with a complicated expression as he spoke. ¡°i can sense my divine body!¡± he could confidently recover if he could retrieve his body, even if he lost most of his strength. the sense of danger from his soul made him unable to bring up the slightest impulse to enter and take risks. that was so unfortunate. he could die! richard took a deep breath and quickly adjusted himself. ¡®lolita must have set that up.¡¯ he could no longer have higher hopes of snatching the corpses from her, although he didn¡¯t know what the dark lord planned, his thoughts gradually regained clarity after he understood the current situation. his ultimate goal is to enter this instance dungeon. he had successfully retrieved a god¡¯s heart. furthermore, he also obtained an additional level 19 beyond a-rank boss that he could upgrade as long as he completed the s-rank mission. this exploration dungeon was still a massive loss. Chapter 762 ¡°your excellency popov, we have destroyed the temple and severed the path to the abyss¡­ is there anything else that the tower race needs us to do? can you communicate with the planar power to send us away?¡± richard could not ease. he could vaguely feel a sense of unease gathering. moreover, there were signs of it gradually deepening. the vital goal was already in his hands. he could no longer delay. at this point, popov¡¯s eyes suddenly revealed endless despair. it stretched out its trembling hand and pointed at the chaotic light. hysterical anger and fear shrouded its tone. ¡°they had ruined the planar power!¡± richard was startled. he turned his head abruptly. he did not find any traces of the planar power, but he saw an exaggerated crack in the light-engulfed sky. an endless evil aura surged into the rift. that emitted a sizzling sound after it touched the chaotic light. the moment the crack appeared that day. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound resounded through the sky. large cracks appeared in the sky and spread outwards with the chaotic light as the center. the entire sky cracked in the blink of an eye. a word popped into richard¡¯s mind. he fell into the abyss! lolita¡¯s ultimate goal had finally succeeded!! at this moment, no matter how firm his state of mind was, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill down his spine. how could he escape this tribulation? richard looked at the sky. the sky appeared like a glass shattering on the ground. he took a few deep breaths. he could not suppress the waves in his heart. a dark and evil aura covered the entire sky in the blink of an eye in those cracks. an invisible giant hand seemed to have twisted the initially thick black cloud. it was like one nurtured a few terrifying monsters inside. one would still feel powerless in the face of such a disaster, even if one could reach the heavens. the abyss was about to pull the entire plane. what else could the twilight city troops do? richard turned his head and looked around. his face revealed a bitter smile. the troop couldn¡¯t even touch the enemy now..! ten or a hundred times more troops would be futile. the enemy utterly trapped them! that was lolita¡¯s base camp. what could a primary god tremble the abyss mean? it was a majestic existence that mortals could not imagine. richard released a long sigh. he relaxed and pondered in the face of the inevitable outcome. richard stared at the god of deception. ¡°your excellency tai long, please remove the heart. my statue can contain souls.¡± the god of deception, who had been in high spirits just a moment ago, seemed to have aged by decades. he opened his mouth and wanted to say something. but he couldn¡¯t. he took one last deep look at richard afterward. he unhesitatingly reached and took the bright red heart from his chest. that dispirited his soul, and he could no longer lose his previous domineering aura. ¡°lord richard¡­may the gods and goddesses bless you.¡± the god of deception bowed slowly, then turned into pure energy and surged into the ancient god statue. the statue enveloped his body, and he knew that his fate was already in the hands of this human overlord. at this moment, it was only more thorough¡­worried? so what? did he have a choice? either lolita knew. she understood the power of this human overlord. to him, there was only one choice. did lolita know? then he would rather die now! the god of deception entered the ancient god statue. he immediately fell into a deep sleep. richard silently placed the statue into the system space. the wax demon suddenly returned to its monstrous state following the encapsulation of the god of deception. however, at this moment, the transcendent monster did not attack the army of twilight city anymore. instead, it knelt in the void most humbly. it sensed that the great goddess watched it! the spider goddess was about to descend. richard felt an immense pressure on his heart as he looked up at the sky. ****** Chapter 763 the spider goddess¡¯s body gradually became clear. the power that surged out of the abyss tormented everyone¡¯s hearts. it was like one pressed a vast boulder them. fear quickly invaded the surrounding. richard looked away from the corpses of the gods and forced down his emotions. with a wave of his hands, the spatial passageway before him suddenly expanded. ¡°everyone! enter the holy land immediately!!¡± a cold order rang in the troops¡¯ ears. the twilight city troops arrived without hesitation. the players at the back were pale, and many of them could not even stand properly. they forcefully alerted themselves and ran toward richard with all their might when they heard the order. it was unacceptable to run a little slower. they would die. the power from the abyss would slaughter everyone!! ¡°that was f*cking lolita!¡± the blood in their hearts deteriorated and left only fear and despair in their souls when they thought of the arrival of the abyss ruler. the gap between them and the other party was already so enormous one could not describe it with words. the twilight city troops were like tired birds as they lay in their nests. they entered the holy land at the fastest speed. tons of planar power from this plane also flowed into the holy land spatial passageway due to the turmoil of the natural order. richard could even sense that the surroundings of the holy land expanded swiftly. he would be willing to stay for three to five days if it weren¡¯t for the spatial passageway above his head that grew increasingly exaggerated. it was like they pulled chestnuts from the fire. richard felt the pressure in the sky become increasingly oppressive. it was like a gigantic hand gripped his soul and would shatter it at any moment. the more so, the more excited he became, and his gaze became unruly and arrogant. he activated the crazy personality in his body that refused to admit defeat. some people would cow and escape in the face of danger, some would go with the flow, but some would stimulate the blood in their hearts and fight to the death. however, a cracking sound rang out just as two or three squadrons of stone statues of the dead flew into the sky. and the spatial passageway led to the holy land. richard couldn¡¯t take it anymore. his heart jumped. the plane stone and the seed of the world tree were two top-notch treasures. richard could not suppress them, although the holy land was a plane. however, it was still a newborn plane after all. its diameter was only a thousand meters, and it was too weak. lolita was simply unbearable. one would know it upon encounter with the goddess¡¯s pressure and the impact of the planar collapse. richard¡¯s divinity at this point was like lightning. he stood directly in the portal. he held the spatial passageway with one hand. the majestic power of yellow sand surged out from his body. he forcefully stabilized the spatial passageway that was on the verge of collapse. ¡°speed up!¡± richard looked up at the spider goddess¡¯s increasingly eye-catching body through the countless cracks in the sky. his expression was solemn. he could not hold on for long. at this moment, the wax demon that knelt in the air finally raised its head. the scarlet eye scanned the area and immediately spotted richard. it could see that the human overlord held up the spatial passageway and gathered his troop. its murderous intent instantly soared. ¡°blasphemer! ¡°damn it!¡± the great goddess watched, and these lowly lives could only become its food! the figure condensed like lightning and tore like a melted candle through the sky. chaos, bloodlust, cruelty, and endless madness filled its scarlet eyes. that was the purest monster of the abyss and the symbol of the chaotic evil faction. ¡°kratos.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. the six-meter tall structure of the level 19 boss floated in the air and emitted a gray-brown earth glow. it held a heavy warhammer in its hand. he gave the order, and kratos exploded violently. it created several sonic booms behind. transcendent was transcendent, although this dark soul eater had only temporarily elevated to transcendent. no one could underestimate its full power at any level. the two sides collided in the void at an invisible speed. ¡®bang!¡¯ a dull crash sounded. violent power distorted the surrounding void. terrifying energy blasted in all directions, and large cracks appeared on the ground below. the wax demon has no weak points. but the giant warhammer hit it, and it didn¡¯t feel good about it. the battle between the two sides was pure close combat. kratos summoned the spirit of the tower and increased its battle power by a whole number. it had no signs of fear upon encounter with the enemy. the warhammer swung, and the tentacles whipped. kratos ¡®warhammer could not cause fatal damage to the wax demon. however, the automatons formed from torrid rocks were also immune to most damage. the shockwaves from the clash between the two sides caused the light to distort. the already fragile void continued to explode. one was an automaton, while the other was an abyssal monster with scarlet eyes and dozens of tentacles. the intense battle between the two sides made the scene look intensely visual. richard took advantage of the brief pause to look at the god¡¯s ancient tree that blotted out the sky. ¡°treebeard, go and drag the corpses of those gods back!¡± he had to stabilize the spatial passageway. that was the only way to leave. he could no longer spare his hands to care about those corpses with all the strength expended. although he couldn¡¯t, it does not mean the abomination tree couldn¡¯t do it. the vast body of the god¡¯s ancient tree did not hesitate and directly stepped toward the god¡¯s corpse. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ it was like the abomination tree whipped the earth every time it charged. in a few breaths, the other party had already approached the corpses of gods that floated. ¡®swoosh!¡¯ two arm-thick tree roots swept up and tied up the two floating corpses closest to them. then, they began to pull. however, those bodies seemed to weigh billions of pounds. that is what surprised people. the vast body of the god¡¯s ancient tree was like an old bull that pulled a heavy cart. each step was a footprint, and the speed was slow. the wax demon sensed the god¡¯s ancient tree while it fought with kratos. it turned around afterward and charged the abomination tree. its ferocious posture seemed to want to smash the other party into pieces in one blow. the god¡¯s ancient tree was not afraid at all. the tree trunk that carried the characteristic of instant death waved violently. it forcefully clashed with this undying monster. ¡®bang!¡¯ the moment the two sides collided, the surrounding void exploded, and an endless abyssal aura swarmed out. that did not injure the wax demon and the god¡¯s ancient tree either. this boss with abomination power and rotten authority was mighty. the wax demon attacked the invincible god¡¯s ancient tree wildly. however, this boss could repeatedly block attacks. it displayed soul-devouring strength before the transcendent demon who could tear an enemy apart. the battle between the bosses created a vast commotion. the spider troop that remained had regrouped and began to attack richard. the pressure of the gods in the sky became increasingly terrifying as the laws rapidly collapsed. the other party could descend in three minutes or five minutes. every cell in richard¡¯s body warned him. the aura of death enveloped him. ¡°alves! take the skeleton blood dragon and block those spiders. the rest of the troops! retreat quickly!!¡± richard ordered again as he looked at the twilight city troops. the players at the back had finally rushed to the front. they all looked at him with a smile uglier than a cry. ¡°big boss qingqiu¡­¡± richard raised an eyebrow and said nothing. ¡°get in!¡± the players finally believed in him and felt relieved. they rushed one by one. not many people could remain calm in the face of the death. it was the greatest fear in the world! other than alves and the skeleton blood dragon who guarded the surroundings under terrifying pressure. the rest of the troop finally returned to the holy land. richard breathed a sigh of relief. they had finally saved this troop. he suppressed his emotions. he seemed to have thought of something and turned to look in another direction. at this moment, popov black tower, the level 19 patriarch, led 40 to 50 children and watched everything from afar. the planar power had died. and the enemies were about to wipe the plane of the substantial troop! that had reduced all of his previous expectations to nothing. now, was there any meaning to a continuous fight? what should they do? what else could they do? the world nearly approached its destruction, and whatever they did was no different from a matter. no one could change the ending. lolita, it¡¯s coming! ¡°popov! enter the eternal land! ¡°this plane is gone, but the tower clan is still here! ¡°do you want to become a lowly coward and lead the tower race to destruction? ¡°are you worthy of the heroic spirits of the tower race?¡± a furious roar snapped popov out of his daze. it subconsciously turned around. it immediately saw richard, who held the spatial passageway. its heart trembled for some reason, and its lips moved. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± ¡°cut the crap!¡± ¡°we can¡¯t hold on for much longer!¡± the merciless roar made popov seem to have returned to life, and its eyes were no longer dull and blank. it gritted its teeth and roared. ¡°we are still here. and nothing can destroy the tower race!! charge with me!¡± it roared angrily. it led the blood-colored and scar-covered children of the tower race and charged forward. richard only looked away when he saw this. he turned his head and looked at the broken corpse of the god that floated in the sky again. the battle between the wax demon, kratos, and the god¡¯s ancient tree was at its peak. three top-tier combat powers collided. that caused the void to become blurry. one could only see from the outside twisted light plates that shone. it was impossible to see their battle. the figure of the god¡¯s ancient tree approached. that made him excited¡­ ¡®phew!¡¯ suddenly, a violent sound of air resounded in his ears. the distorted light threw a thick root. it threw a corpse away and slowly stopped in the air. it floated more than 20 meters away from the spatial passageway. richard¡¯s expression froze. it was a golden corpse upon closer inspection. the muscles on its body were as dazzling as gold. something must have chopped its head off. flesh and blood rolled on its neck. it looked bloody and brutal. he wore a long robe made of animal skin. scars of various sizes shrouded its body. no one could imagine what kind of battle this golden corpse had experienced in front of it. the corpse still exuded infinite pressure even though it was long dead. it was like a brutal power slaughtered a god like a lamb, and its cold corpse floated casually. he didn¡¯t feel that much when he looked at it from afar. he felt the vicissitudes of life and sadness now that it was close. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched. he could not calm his heartbeat even after he took a few deep breaths. he could feel an ocean of energy surge within the corpse. it surpassed all the treasures he had seen before. an unconcealable ecstasy rose in his heart. the god¡¯s ancient tree brought the god¡¯s corpse back!! he took a few deep breaths and increased the circulation of the ancient god statue. that expelled the influence of the corpse¡¯s aftershock from his heart. sand flew backward and wrapped around the corpse of the dwarf god. it was more than five meters tall. it formed a vast sandball in the blink of an eye. then, he dragged it into the spatial passageway. the sandball was about to pass through the spatial passageway. ¡®kacha!¡¯ suddenly, a soul-shaking sound exploded. richard felt an indescribable fear in his heart. he subconsciously looked up. the spiderweb-like cracks in the plane had all disappeared. the sky is only pitch black. evil, darkness, chaos, brutality¡­countless negative energies surged into the sky. a massive figure with an elf¡¯s upper body and a spider¡¯s lower body covered half the sky in the darkness-filled abyss. the other party was like an ancient demon god that had crossed time and space. that evil, primitive, and eternal. the pair of blood-red eyes stared coldly at the plane. bottomless abyss! they had arrived. Chapter 764 only the figure that pressed down the void was between the heavens and the earth. the divine might that made one¡¯s soul tremble pressed down without concealment. everything was silent. ¡°the power of the desert, the blessing of the ancient gods, the aura of the kobold god, and the god of deception¡­ the dwarf god?¡± the ancient elven language mixed with the profane language of the abyss resounded in the sky, and one could hear the surprise. a level 15 human could possess such powers. that utterly surprised everyone. however, it was precisely because of this that it proved that what the other party had said was true. it was the spokesperson of the dungeon god system. what were those underground bugs planning?? what did this human overlord hide before the goddess? its scarlet eyes were like the sun that had lost its heat as it stared coldly at that tiny existence. the god of conspiracy could make the bottomless abyss tremble. and no one knew what it thought at the moment. the terrifying accent made the sky tremble again after a short silence. ¡°lowly reptile! no matter who your god is, what scheme you have! now, your soul belongs to me. ¡°kneel and offer your soul!¡± the last note fell, endless divine might collapsed like a high mountain reservoir, and thousands of rivers roared down. ¡®crack!!¡¯ a hundred-fold boulder seemed to have smashed the ground below, and large cracks appeared. everyone was overwhelmed. richard felt like every word was like a thousand-ton hammer that struck his soul. his eyes were bloodshot. it was like one pressed a wall on his chest, and breathing became extremely difficult. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ his chest made a dull sound as if it blew bellows. submit, kneel! he should offer his soul to the almighty ruler. that is her honor. that is supreme glory! it was like thousands of demons roared in his ears. and one seemed to have hauled his soul into the abyss. it was like the will of the gods, the oracle that made the abyss tremble. its cold words were even more soul-devouring than the mental spells cast by a top-tier spellcaster. richard fell under infinite pressure. the twilight city troop fought and fell to the ground after divine might enveloped them. the enemy pressed the skeleton blood dragon and could not get up. alves, a beyond a-rank soldier, could still barely withstand it. but the crimson power on its body felt like a candle in the wind that one could extinguish at any time. popov black tower had yet to enter the spatial passageway and gritted its teeth. it tried its best to hold on. however, the children of the tower race behind the patriarch could no longer withstand it. they pressed their hands on the ground to reduce the pressure of the divine might. only the dark soul eater, kratos, and the god¡¯s ancient tree barely resist it. the players in the holy land across the spatial passageway felt their limbs turn cold. they even lost the courage to talk about the other party. at this moment, they finally realized how terrifying the true ruler of this world was! that wasn¡¯t a rule that players could deal with. the players subconsciously looked at the figure that held the spatial passageway with one hand under such soul-strapping pressure. yellow sand shrouded the figure. the illusory slowly lowered its hand and halted the spatial passageway. the other party raised his head, and his blurry face revealed an arrogant and wanton smile at this moment. the hearts of the players jumped, and an indescribable emotion filled their hearts. ¡°qingqiu still hasn¡¯t lowered his head? even the spider goddess could not scare him?¡± the yellow sand blurred the figure, and a hoarse voice came over. ¡°is this what it feels like to face a sovereign?¡± ¡°it¡¯s pure fear¡­¡± afraid? you call this fear? the players felt their scalps go numb, and an indescribable surge of hot blood rushed to their heads. richard¡¯s bloodshot eyes stared at the terrifying existence in the sky. the boundless pressure seemed like nothing. the ancient god statue emitted endless light when it sensed that lolita directly stored her aura in the system space. richard withdrew this defensive method he had long regarded as his strongest trump card. lolita¡¯s divine might pressed down without reservation when the ancient god statue gradually lost its protection power. richard could hear his soul tremble due to the pressure. it was like a dilapidated house was about to collapse. but richard¡¯s eyes burned. the power of the yellow sand erupted from his body. his bent waist slowly straightened. his chest was firm and upright. the players at the back saw an unyielding soul that stretched its branches. they felt an even mightier impact than the divine might from that determined stance. ¡®was this the real qingqiu?¡¯ the players witnessed the following scene with their shocked gazes. yellow sand near the gate covered the golden immortal bodies and moved again. it went through the space door with the terrifying divine power. the ground split open and directly suppressed him to the deepest part of the plane when he fell into the holy land. it was not over yet. the sand on the ground surged. that swept the tower race and a portion of the skeleton blood dragons. they could not move under the divine might that trembled. that also forcefully sent them into the spatial passageway. the players could feel the pressure that made their souls wail. at this moment, disbelief engulfed their eyes. the other party! how did qingqiu do it? what did he do under the watchful eyes of lolita? boundless shock and confusion trapped them. the spatial passageway cracked open. it could not withstand the pressure. then, the players lost their sight. even the surging divine might disappeared without a trace at this moment. hundreds of players waited until the pressure had subsided before they seemed to come back to their senses. they immediately let out a vast commotion. all of them were so excited that their faces turned red. ¡°f*ck! boss qingqiu? why isn¡¯t boss qingqiu out yet?!¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on¡­? the enemy trapped boss qingqiu¡¯s strength?¡± ¡°why? just run¡­¡± popov, the level 19 patriarch of the tower race, crawled out of the sand waves and looked at the children. sand covered them. he then looked blankly at the ruined space door. a single thought lingered in its mind. qingqiu sacrificed himself to save them?! richard ignored the shattered spatial passageway behind him in the tower plane. he looked at the figure in the air. his eyes were indifferent. ¡°lolita, your power¡­ it could not make the enormous dungeon god system submit. ¡°my god has finally stepped into the throne of god-kings. ¡°the new era can¡¯t accommodate your divine body. ¡°accept your fate¡­ you were already in the game when you heard this news from the king of decay. ¡°the ancient gods have returned. the era has come to an end. you couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like with your intelligence.¡± the sky suddenly fell silent. even lolita¡¯s divine might froze for a moment. however, a moment later, an aura that was even more ferocious than before came over. none of the negative adjectives of darkness, evil, cruelty, and chaos could describe it. ¡°lowly worm, how dare you deceive me!!¡± the ancient elven language and abyssal blasphemy attacked the soul and sounded with monstrous anger. ¡°i will extract your soul and make it into wax before i throw it into the endless blood sea. i will let the worms devour your soul day and night¡­¡± the moment the voice fell, his body sank and began to approach the ground. crack! the already shattered ground exploded. countless rock fragments flew up. it was like the world was about to end. just standing in the sky was already enough to overwhelm the plane. the plane collapsed now that lolita had descended. a plane could not bear its power! how exaggerated was this? an existence that made the bottomless abyss tremble. no one knew the upper limit of its power. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, but his straight back did not bend. the power of the yellow sand that had been exhausted before erupted again, and endless power surged. his aura surged like a tsunami. his life force began to weaken rapidly. that overdrafted one¡¯s life in exchange for strength. the new ability he comprehended did not turn into a skill after two transformations, but he could use them as his last trump card. richard¡¯s indifferent voice echoed through the sky as he watched the vast divine body approach again. ¡°twilight city, follow me¡­charge!¡± he spoke, and endless yellow sand exploded from the shattered ground. he charged at the spider goddess with the divine might that suppressed the void. the skeletal blood dragons on the ground struggled to get up. they flapped their wings and flew into the sky while they roared shrilly. alves released a hysterical roar and followed. the dark soul eater kratos gave up on the wax demon and charged straight at the spider goddess. a vast rock was attached to the god¡¯s ancient tree. the abomination tree sent the rock flying. it lashed out at the other vast rocks to borrow the force and attack lolita. this scene completely enraged the descending spider goddess. ¡°lowly ants were provoking the eternal gods! damn it! ¡°you can die by overdrawing your life force? i will take your soul back from the hands of the grim reaper! lowly worms!¡± a furious roar rose to the sky. that darkened the vision of richard. and then he lost his perception of the outside world. he heard a system notification ring in his ear after an unknown period in a daze. he activated the sand regeneration. he sensed his body condensed again. and an even more terrifying force suddenly swept down. the body that had just condensed shattered again. this time, even richard¡¯s hazy consciousness had disappeared. ****** something appeared in the desert of death. a figure in a red gown embroidered with fiery red roses stood on the scorching yellow sand. only a reputable noble with rich background could cultivate a graceful and luxurious temperament. a soul-crushing aura accompanied her every move. it was like a queen patrolled her territory. she stood on the yellow sand. it was like the desert became a crown. windsor. she was the controller of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and the most vital person in the crimson moon. Chapter 765 richard did not know how long he had been asleep. it could have been a minute or a century. he finally regained consciousness in the endless darkness. he was just like one about to wake up from a deep sleep. richard couldn¡¯t think or make a judgment. he suddenly heard a low murmur in his daze. however, the voice fleeted, and he could not hear distinctly. it was like one recited a prayer but cried at the same time. round after round, without end. the voice gradually cleared after an unknown period. ¡°great lord, please respond to our summons¡­ ¡°descendant of the royal family of ell, i humbly beseech you¡­ ¡°lowly people betrayed the kingdom of ell¡­ ¡°we will abide by the last words of our ancestors¡­ ¡°i beg the great lord to descend¡­¡± ¡°huh!? ¡°someone called me?¡± the kingdom of ell?! what country was that?! the kingdom of ell? at the edge of the desert of death?! richard braced himself and tried to recover and stand, but he still felt as if he had not slept for ten days and nights. he felt a strong sense of powerlessness and an urge for sleepiness. ¡°oh, almighty ruler¡­i beg you to look at this land. ¡°the royal family of ell is willing to give everything to request your arrival¡­¡± richard was bewildered. the voice grew increasingly weaker, but richard heard increasingly clearly. ¡°we plea, oh lord¡­ please descend! at a certain critical point, the crisp sound of the system notification woke him up. [ding~ your soul has received the blessings and protection of the desert and has temporarily merged with the desert.] [ding~ you have sensed the summoning of another plane. do you wish to respond to the summoning and descend to another plane?] [note: this summoning can only summon a wisp of soul power. the dissipation of soul power will not affect the user. but it will weaken the user for a day.] someone summoned him?! what was going on? richard, who had just woken up, focused. he immediately sensed it carefully. he was shocked to discover that he had not been resurrected and was still in his soul state. he could sense that yellow sand surrounded him. it was like one buried him alive in the desert! no, one couldn¡¯t bury him. the yellow sand cheered and jumped for joy as if he belonged there. one hid the two exits behind the sand in the endless yellow sand. it was the hero¡¯s altar of twilight city, which exuded a familiar aura. he could see his people call for his return if he sensed it carefully. karu, gray, gunter, adele¡­ everyone was there. an aura of foreign species filled a plane on the other side. one could hear the constant prayers inside. it was this voice that had called out to him in his daze. he opened the system notification again and read it twice. that piqued his curiosity. ¡°an unfamiliar plane?¡± how did the other party summon him? was it because of the protection of the desert? could he only use a wisp of soul power to descend? he looked at it a few times. he turned around and headed toward the unfamiliar plane with intense curiosity. he was stunned to find that the sand wasn¡¯t made of corpses but was condensed from nothingness like him when he got close to the sand. he quietly arrived in front of the passageway that emitted the aura of the other world without any obstruction. a wisp of soul power spread out and passed through the passage. the descendant of the royal family of ell, tundel ell, knelt in a majestic church with her sister, who was seven or eight years old. the two knelt on the ground devoutly. the sisters clasped their palms together. they lowered their heads as they chanted the prayers their great ancestors had passed down to them. they had prayed for half a month already. the anticipation in their hearts dissipated each by bit. a raging force had long ruined the planar summoning array. the royal family of ell had spent countless years and repaired it, but they had only managed the magic runes on the surface. the runes in the depths had already surpassed the upper limit of the spell casters¡¯ knowledge. no one knew if the summoning circle could work because it was too broken. the royal family of ell had not tried it for thousands of years. no one could test how much weight a building that was about to collapse could bear. they could only try their best to repair it as a last resort. now, this trump card they had long hid for a long time. but a traitor in the end. at this thought, rui daer¡¯s eyes dimmed. confusion filled his heart. where should they go? if there really wouldn¡¯t be any more reinforcements. the raging blood duke was an extraordinary existence. and now, he had obtained the loyalty of the majority of the troop. the royal family, which only had the two of them left, had lost the right to fight the other party head-on. would the despicable traitor destroy the kingdom of ell? how could they make the traitor repay the blood debt of their ancestors for taking their father¡¯s life? ¡°sister, you¡¯re distracted¡­¡± a cold voice came from the side. that caused tundel to snap back to reality. she looked at her sister in a white nun robe with some shame in her eyes. her cold eyes were like morning dew. they were crystal clear and could make people feel ashamed. ¡°i¡­¡± the skinny girl slowly shook her head as the words departed her mouth. ¡°you don¡¯t need to explain to me, sister. ¡°continue praying.¡± however, she shook her head. she pushed her long golden hair back and looked straight at her with her sky-blue eyes. ¡°something must have broken the planar summoning array. it has lost its effect. we have no reinforcements.¡± her voice was hoarse and endless pain filled her tone. her already tense spirit had reached its limit after half a month of undisrupted prayer. and the summoning array that didn¡¯t respond dragged her into the abyss. that broke her nerve. no one could fathom how desperate it was to have their father killed, their family wiped out, their kingdom taken away, and themselves forced to hide like sewer rats. the skinny girl in the nun¡¯s robe looked at the exhausted figure beside her with a complicated expression. she reached out her pale and bloodless hands and gently touched the other party¡¯s face. ¡°sister, i can sense it. a powerful soul is sleeping. he rules the desert. ¡°the desert is singing, blessing, praying, and singing again¡­ ¡°he is about to wake up.¡± ¡°the planar summoning array isn¡¯t completely useless. ¡°the plane has summoned the most powerful existence. ¡°sister, the royal family of ell¡­ one should never sever it just like this. ¡°the plane is the descendant of king ell, the royal family that guards the abyssal rift, and the brave and fearless warriors!¡± her childish words were incredibly persuasive. a bright light shone in her eyes. she said in a trembling voice. ¡°little sister¡­did you sense that powerful existence in the desert that slept and could respond to the prayers of the plane?¡± the expression of the skinny figure under the nun¡¯s robe changed a bit as she looked at the altar with countless gems before her. ¡°sister¡­that great existence, he has descended.¡± she finished speaking. the gemstones on the altar incessantly cracked, and the energy contained in them surged into the sky. a majestic figure under their gazes wore a black and red crown and a dark-flower-engraved black cape condensed. he appeared, and tons of sand flew up from outside the magnificent temple and floated directly around him. it added countless mysteries to the other party. however, the majestic figure emitted an aura. that trembled their hearts even more. he was like a king who controlled the lives of countless people or a superior in a plane. he appeared and became the center of the world. no one else could suppress its light. one could fake everything except for temperament. the first time the princess of ell saw that mysterious existence. then, she crawled down. surprise engulfed a trembling voice and resounded in the hall. ¡°great ruler¡­ tundel ell, the descendant of the ell royal family, pays you the highest respect.¡± a nun¡¯s robe shrouded the skinny girl and lowered her head. ¡°the great existence that rules the desert, elsa ell, salutes you.¡± her tender tone had a special kind of softness to it. richard did not understand the language of this plane, but the illusory body he had transformed into could directly understand the other party¡¯s words. ¡°the royal family of ell?¡± richard floated in the air. he interestingly looked at the two figures below that knelt. he didn¡¯t expect such a wonderful thing would happen after lolita killed him. someone had summoned him. the sisters looked at his appearance. they even treated him as a big shot. it was also interesting. he just didn¡¯t know what was going on in this alternate plane. what request did the other party have for summoning him? that was an unfamiliar plane. how many benefits could he gain from developing an unfamiliar plane? he had already thought of this idea when he obtained the void sandworm. he did not expect the first time he stepped into another plane would be like this. moreover, he could directly open a spatial passageway as long as he could obtain the detailed coordinates of this plane with the void sandworm. he pondered and became even more interested. he gravely said afterward. ¡°the descendants of the royal family, you have summoned me. tell me the intentions of the underlings.¡± he combined spiritual power with his inherent language. he could still understand the meaning through his spiritual power even if he could not understand the common language. only then did tundel and her sister elsa straighten up. they looked at the blurry figure while he stared at them. tundel took a few deep breaths and calmed down her excitement. she said slowly, ¡°great being, i am the princess of ell kingdom. my country¡­¡± then, she narrated the story of ell. her father protected the abyssal chasm. his most trusted and beloved general, the raging blood duke, betrayed and even killed him. he would wash the royal family in blood afterward. he highly aspired the kingship. he would hunt down the ell descendants and force them to flee. tundel took over her ancestors¡¯ backup plan. she used the planar summoning array, prayed for half a month, and now the majestic figure responded to the call. richard¡¯s interest grew. he didn¡¯t care about this melodramatic plot. the royal family only had this much to do with seizing power. what new ideas could they come up with? the other party had sent out the news. that was what richard cared most about. the kingdom of ell ruled a plane that had several intelligent life forms. the mines, rare resources, population, and soldiers his territory urgently lacked were all used here. there were even cracks that connected to the abyss! that was a plane with great potential. richard felt like he had picked up a treasure. how much did he gain from the underground world? this plane has much more potential than the underground world. that is if they could occupy it. richard forced himself to calm down before he spoke slowly. ¡°descendants of the royal family of ell, what do you want?¡± her tone was firm. ¡°revenge!¡± richard looked at them with interest. ¡°then, what can you offer? ¡°great lord, you don¡¯t want anyone to take your country away from you, right? ¡°what do you most value?¡± richard proudly asked. it was like he had prepared for this question. ¡°great lord, the kingdom of ell will forever believe in you and build a temple for you. thousands of citizens will pray to you day and night.¡± nervousness filled his gaze after she said that. confidence engulfed his emotions. this bargaining chip was likely enough to move him. ¡®build a temple? pray day and night?¡¯ richard raised an eyebrow. he keenly sensed that there seemed to be something worth exploring. Chapter 766 richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he carefully considered the implications of the princess of ell¡¯s words. faith and believers were things that only gods needed. they were also the source of power for those who controlled the rules. the other party. was the other party a god? there was something strange in his heart. richard was about to speak when the princess of a fallen kingdom, who was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, interfered again. grief filled her voice. ¡°great ruler, when we were fleeing, we heard that the traitor, the raging blood duke, had already believed in the evil god of the abyss¡­ his betrayal was most likely the evil god¡¯s lure.¡± ¡°the entire ell kingdom will turn into hell if we fail to stop him! ¡°in the history of the kingdom of ell, the abyssal rift has lured countless people and caused several devastating disasters.¡± she cupped her chest and bowed again as she spoke. ¡°we sincerely beg for your help. ¡°we will erect your statue in every corner of the ell kingdom as long you could help us restore the kingship of the royal family of ell. ¡°everyone will sing praises of your glory¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡®was the abyssal evil god involved in this?¡¯ it wasn¡¯t that arduous when he charged at lolita. he had exhausted all his life to attack. he lost consciousness in the end before he could reach the spider goddess. a god in his peak state was indescribably powerful without the obstruction of the planar power. that evil god. did it also have the idea of taking advantage of this plane? was it because of the temple and faith that the other party mentioned? he couldn¡¯t miss that opportunity, although he couldn¡¯t know what benefits faith could give. the value of this dimension might be higher than he had expected. he momentarily pondered and slowly said, ¡°descendants of the royal family of ell, your bargaining chips are not enough.¡± she looked at him with determination. ¡°what else do you need? i would give it to you as a reward as long as the kingdom of ell has it!¡± the princess had already mentally prepared herself when he summoned him. they would have to pay a huge price if they wanted this existence from another plane to retrieve the kingdom of ell. however, as long as they could kill the traitor and restore the glory of ell kingdom, she would pay any price. she could even sacrifice herself. it was difficult for outsiders to understand the pain brought about by the overlapping hatred of the country. it was enough to make people sink into the abyss. moreover, the raging blood duke wanted to drag the kingdom of ell into the endless darkness to serve the evil god! that added even more pressure to her already heavy heart. no matter how she looked at it, as a descendant of the royal family of ell, she had to stand up and save her people. at all costs! richard gave him a meaningful look. ¡°rare resources, special troops, alchemy technology, magic¡­i need them all.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the princess nodded solemnly. ¡°i, the descendant of the royal family of ell, tundel ell, swear on my soul and my ancestors that as long as i retrieve and restore the kingdom of ell, i will give you anything you want!¡± that was a brave disposition! richard couldn¡¯t help but look up at the girl when he heard her decisive words. he finally decided this moment. this plane of great potential would be the next target for twilight city. he was extremely curious about this unfamiliar plane. he had collected myths in the ¡°shining era.¡± several legends stated that people went to other planes to obtain rare treasures and resold them to make a fortune. some powerful spell casters owned an entire plane as their magical plant planting area. moreover, this plane had a complete system. the underground had even short of food. the treasures they could obtain in developing this would benefit twilight city enormously. he pondered and continued afterward. ¡°princess of ell, do you have any means to connect to other planes?¡± ¡°my territory is not in your plane¡­¡± she said bitterly afterward, ¡°we can communicate with you because of the planar summoning array engraved below the altar¡­ however, something had destroyed this array.¡± she cupped her chest and bowed again as she spoke. ¡°i¡¯ll have to ask you to do it personally¡­¡± richard nodded and said nothing. he was confident with the void sandworm around. ¡°hand over the treasure that contains the power of this plane to me¡­ i will use it to anchor the spatial coordinates.¡± the planes outside the primary floated in the endless void. plane barriers protected them. finding a specific plane without coordinates was like finding a grain of sand in the sea. the difficulty was beyond the heavens. she unhesitatingly pulled a necklace around her neck and broke it. ¡°great ruler, my father gave me a necklace. it contains the power of my bloodline. do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± richard waved his hand slightly. the sand around him flew over and brought the necklace to him. warmth still wrapped around it as he held it. he sensed it carefully, and the energy in the necklace was superior to that of an ordinary 5-stars treasure. he did not say anything else and kept it in the system space. at this moment, he suddenly felt his heart palpitate. he looked down, and the body condensed from the energy dissipated¡­ it was time to descend. he didn¡¯t waste any more time and said decisively. ¡°i will open the spatial passageway tomorrow.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty¡­¡± she spoke, and richard¡¯s projection shattered like a foam board. it turned into pure energy and dissipated. the air returned to silence. she stared at the spot where richard had disappeared with a complicated expression. the result of the rescue of the kingdom of ell was still unknown, although she knew she had summoned a powerful existence. she pondered for a long time and turned to look at her younger sister. the younger sister wore a nun¡¯s robe. she said slowly with a hoarse voice. ¡°elsa, do we still have hope?¡± elsa showed meaningful expressions that didn¡¯t match her age. she was only seven or eight years old. her tender voice sounded softly. ¡°at the very least, that existence didn¡¯t lie when he spoke to us¡­ i could sense the kindness he exuded. that was the aura of the soul. one could fake it.¡± tundel heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. she then looked up at the ceiling where the giants fought with demons. she muttered. ¡°father, he must be blessing us from the heavens¡­¡± the two fell silent again. tundel spoke again afterward. ¡°elsa, what is the history of that overlord?¡± the skinny figure in a nun¡¯s robe slowly shook her head. ¡°sister, it doesn¡¯t matter what the other party¡¯s background is. what¡¯s important is that he has no ill intention toward us. that would be enough.¡± tundel was silent. she took a deep breath and knelt on the ground again. she clasped her palms together and prayed again. ¡°oh great ruler¡­¡± elsa looked at this scene with a subtle look in her eyes. then, she slowly knelt down. ****** the wisp of soul power dissipated, and richard felt a deep sense of fatigue in his soul. he felt weak. it was like he had not slept or eaten for three days. he shook his head. he forcefully suppressed his fatigue and turned around to head toward the exit of the hero¡¯s altar hidden in the yellow sand. master karu and the others still anxiously waited for his resurrection. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly when he thought of this. this time, he had entered the graveyard of the gods to complete the s-rank mission on nightmare difficulty. although he had gone through many twists and turns, and even in the end, the little centaur emily, alves, the god¡¯s ancient tree, the dark soul eater kratos, and he had all died. but he succeeded in the final goal. he thought of this and glanced at the system space. a bloody heart was beating inside. he immediately became excited. he stepped into the passageway. he went through the crimson moon, the kingdom of ell, the vampire archduke in the blood coffin, and the god of deception. twilight city would enter a new stage of development with this revival. Chapter 767 he felt a majestic power surge through his body. he vaguely felt the entire desert cheered for him. he sensed carefully, and he could see countless grains of sand over. the yellow sand condensed into a body, and the drifting soul found its home again. twilight city. the residents worked, and they seemed to have sensed something and suddenly looked up at the sky. countless yellow sand flew up from outside the city and surged into the city. a layer of golden light covered the flying sand under the setting sun. that gave people the feeling that golden sand flowed. a dazzling cloak covered the entire sky. he turned his head toward the surging sand. that was¡­ the barracks? the closer residents saw that all the sand had poured into the hero¡¯s altar beside the camp. the power of the yellow sand quickly condensed in the air. an incomparably familiar aura appeared. ¡°my lord!!!¡± the entire city was in an uproar. their ruler had returned! the body condensed from yellow sand above the altar gradually solidified amidst the cheers. that finally took shape. the sand turned into flesh and blood. a figure wore a king¡¯s crown with black and red stripes. and a king¡¯s cape with dark patterns appeared. he had a slender figure. his pitch-black eyes were as deep as the stars. his temperament was striking and outstanding, and he dazzled with his every move. it was like the world watched over him. richard could hear his heartbeat. he took a deep breath that intoxicated his eyes. he was alive again. the hero¡¯s altar he obtained back then was a well-deserved divine artifact. it gave him the confidence to take risks as he pleased. the foundation he had accumulated before was once again put to use. it was comfortable. his eyes refocused, and he leaned over to glance. karu, gunter, gray, and adele, several core executives of twilight city, were present. ¡°lord!¡± ¡°lord richard¡­¡± a few of them were highly excited, and they all looked at him with burning gazes. he was the only king of twilight city, their leader. no one could imagine the consequences if something happened to him! perhaps the entire city would fall apart. their loyalty belongs to richard, whether the citizens, the troops, or the heroes. that was the most fundamental core thought in everyone¡¯s heart when they built twilight city from scratch. no one would waver. richard sensed their emotions, and he relaxed. smiles engulfed his eyes. ¡°long time no see.¡± as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and asked. ¡°have emily, alves, and treebeard resurrected?¡± the gray-haired karu responded in a low voice. ¡°my lord, reviving you was our top priority.¡± his tone was firm and forceful. the words were rigorous and meaningful. he had to rank them to his level no matter how important these people were. he added. ¡°however, treebeard has already revived in the body of the dark treant outside the city¡­they sent poisonous and slaughter wasps to hunt and devour corpses to recover their strength.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. treebeard obtained the talent of sowing seeds following its promotion. it also had a powerful characteristic¨Cafter death, it could give rise to the dark treants, other than summoning them. that took worked out already. richard landed on the ground without any further ado and waved his hand to disperse the yellow sand around him. he looked at the towering hero¡¯s altar and opened its attribute panel. two options appeared. [alves (hero unit, beyond a-rank potential, level 15)] [revival requirement: 100,000 units of rare resources] [emily (boss unit, a-rank potential, level 14)] [revival requirement: 100,000 units of rare resources.] richard lost his thoughts. alves¡¯s revival requirement consumed 10,000 units of rare resources when it was level 12 or 13. it had increased to 100,000 units after two or three levels of upgrade. emily was only level 14. she needed resources like alves¡¯s to revive. the boss template was much more valuable than the hero template. richard unhesitatingly used 200,000 rare resources to revive the two top-tier battle powers. the hero¡¯s altar suddenly surged with violent power when richard reduced the vast resources on the attribute panel. alves, the undead dragon, burned with crimson energy. a power resurrected it for the second time. ¡®roar!¡¯ the majestic dragon might gushed out wantonly. it enveloped the entire twilight city. richard glared at the dragon hero and quickly retracted his power before it felt the thrill of resurrection. ¡°lord¡­¡± awe and delight engulfed the dull voice. this time, they had accomplished an epic feature. it charged at the ruler of the bottomless abyss, the spider goddess lolita. its dragon breath did not touch the other party¡¯s body. however, to attack the spider goddess was already a glorious achievement worthy of demonstration. that was a powerful existence that could make the bottomless abyss tremble?! how many of them dared to make a move before her? how many survived after the attack? richard ignored the excited dragon hero. he continued to look at the hero¡¯s altar. the majestic energy still gathered. emily returned to life in a blink of an eye with her long-handled giant battle axe. the centaur saw richard the moment she opened her eyes and smiled sweetly. ¡°father!¡± Chapter 768 the centaur trotted down from the altar with hurried steps and happily hugged his arm. death did not affect her at all. the smile from the bottom of her heart immediately livened up the atmosphere. richard smiled helplessly as he turned to the little centaur. he rubbed the little girl¡¯s head and recalled the news he had received earlier¡­the other party¡¯s soul was missing. and the rules are broken. the land is extremely possible, and the remnants of her soul. it seemed that he had to find time to explore the place where the laws were broken. he couldn¡¯t drag this on any longer. however, before that, he had to deal with the good things he had obtained. he thought of this and he immediately felt happy. the rewards from this exploration dungeon could be extremely bountiful. however, why did the system not notify him that the quest was completed? was it because of the players? he turned to karu and said slowly. ¡°where are the human grace mainland overlords who entered eternal land?¡± master karu said in a deep voice. ¡°the eternal land still controlled them¡­we could not detect disloyalty. as for how to arrange it, we need you to decide!¡± the grace mainland human overlord wasn¡¯t like the others. one could not control him. he could cause some trouble on his release . vale took care of the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. he often relay information about solan city, especially about the grace mainland human overlord. his reckless deeds made him deeply wary. richard nodded. ¡°send them back to solan city.¡± ¡°yes, my lord¡­¡± ¡°what about the tower race?¡± ¡°they are still in the eternal land. however, we didn¡¯t force them to stay. they stayed voluntarily. they said they wanted to wait for your return.¡± richard sighed. the other party¡¯s plane was destroyed in the end. ¡°bring them to twilight city. i have my own arrangements.¡± ¡°as you command.¡± karu was about to leave when richard looked to his side. ¡°alves! follow master karu and knock the other grace mainland lords. then, use your dragon¡¯s might to block their scout. don¡¯t let any of the grace mainland lords wake up until we reach solan city.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± adele said softly after they left, ¡°lord richard, i still have some unfinished research¡­¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of the girl¡¯s stained clothes. this girl was obsessed with research¡­ he waved his hand. ¡°go and rest.¡± adele smiled sweetly, turned around, and left briskly. richard saw this and he didn¡¯t stay any longer. he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. he sat on the chair with a soft blanket and drank the hot tea that the maid had just made. he felt relaxed. they would always feel a sense of security, as long as they return to twilight city no matter when, and that would reduce the pressure by half. richard drank two cups of hot tea. he looked up at gunter and gray. they stood before him. his eyes moved slightly. these two mummy heroes had already reached level 14 after half a year of development. although he had not triggered a promotion mission yet. however, as time passed, breaking through to level 15 was not far away. ¡°gray, gunter, during this period, you have to strengthen your vigilance against the outside world¡­¡± as he spoke, he told them the details of the fight against the spider goddess. the evil god that could tremble the abyss was not the kobold god although the spider goddess could not descend due to the rules of the mortal plane. this ultimate boss had a huge influence on the primary plane. the spider church was a subordinate that made countless believers of the god of light gnash their teeth. the threat the spider goddess posed to twilight city was definitely fatal. richard¡¯s gaze was faint. he reflected on how to balance this terrifying existence in his heart. he pondered afterward. his confidence relied on the scarlet moon. ¡°the difficulty of this s-rank mission is indeed not to be underestimated. i¡¯m going to directly become enemies with lolita¡­¡± richard shook his head and no longer mind it. there were gains and losses. they should not be afraid of making enemies here if the scarlet moon could obtain vast benefits. being timid, afraid of the tiger before, afraid of the wolf after, and doing great things to cherish their own lives, this was not the character of a decision maker. he pondered for a moment and took out a stone slab from his space¡­ dark soul eater-kratos, a stone box made from the statue of the spider goddess. this level 19 boss could not be revived at the hero¡¯s altar. he gently rubbed the cold stone box and felt that it absorbed the energy in the air. he frowned slightly. according to this absorption speed, it would take at least a long time for the boss to recover. he could not wait that long. it was a critical period now and he needed enough battle power to defend twilight city. he pondered and arrived at the front yard. he placed the stone box on the empty space. three thousand undead crystals appeared in his hand. he still had quite a bit of undead crystals in the dungeon. these resources were meant to increase the strength of the troop. he would use them if necessary. he would not feel bad about it. he placed the undead crystals on the ground. the stone box immediately surged with a wave of energy, it crazily devoured the surrounding energy like a black hole. the undead crystals dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye. it was like¡­ even 3000 wasn¡¯t enough. he stretched out his right hand. the magic power in his body began to surge. he had lost a wisp of his soul power in the ell kingdom and was still in a weak state. his magic power was still fully recovered. the stone box emitted an aura with him as a stable output point. richard calmed down a little, and did not let gunter and gray stay idle. he had the two heroes input their magic power as well. Chapter 769 ¡®crack!¡¯ the outermost stone shattered and condensed into a mini golem construct. it was obvious that kratos was the dark soul eater. ¡°lord.¡± kratos woke up and it bowed. however, due to its small size, it did not have the domineering aura of the dark soul eater at all. instead, it looked a little cute. richard sensed that the other party¡¯s life force had stabilized, and then stopped injecting magic power. he looked at kratos, who was only half a meter tall, and asked curiously. ¡°how are you now? how long will it take for you to return to normal?¡± ¡°lord, as long as you bury me in the ground, i¡¯ll recover in a day.¡± kratos was very confident. richard then remembered the guy¡¯s freakish talent. it could obtain an endless stream of energy because it was transformed from the tower race¡¯s stone statue, as long as it stepped on the ground. he ordered the two mummy heroes to bring kratos out of the city to recover without further ado. richard was completely at ease after this. in this adventure, just getting the boss kratos was already a massive profit. he muttered to himself and calculated the rewards from completing the s-rank mission in the nightmare mode dungeon. the first to bear the brunt was naturally the ultimate goal of his trip¨Cthe god¡¯s heart. the heart of the god of deception currently laid in the system space. next, he would use this heart to save the old man in the red dragon general store, peim. the old man who had lived for ten years without a heart was a top-tier boss with a high-level divine artifact, the wishing scales. furthermore, he had a teacher-student relationship with windsor, a key figure in the crimson moon. saving pimm would not only allow him to obtain the benefits promised by the other party¨Ca contract scroll that could enslave transcendents. it could also greatly improve the relationship between them and the crimson moon. great changes were coming. at such a critical moment, having an organization that could overturn the world as a backup was undoubtedly a rather powerful trump card. especially since he was now viewed as an enemy by lolita. it was even more precious. the second reward was the dark soul eater, kratos, a level 19 boss unit. in the last battle, because of lolita¡¯s claws and teeth, the transcendent level wax demon¡¯s battle strength was too fierce. he could not kill it to complete the promotion mission. however, he was still the boss. there was no need for any explanation. just opening the attribute panel and taking a look would explain everything. the enemy had now become the highest-level unit in twilight city. it was just one step away from becoming a transcendent. this was of great strategic value to the current situation. at a critical moment, it could become the heaviest chip on the scale. the third reward was the god of deception. the soul of this god still slept in the ancient god statue. he could destroy or awaken the other party at any time as long as he wanted to. no matter how bad his reputation was, he was still a god. its combat power had been displayed in the battle with the wax demon. he could use the heart he had just taken back to confuse the wax demon with a single sentence although he only had a wisp of his soul. moreover, from the other party¡¯s final performance, it seemed that he had already found a stronger path. he would definitely be able to amaze people upon resurrection. this was a true god! however, what troubled him was that this was the biggest problem. a god who was likely to undergo a transformation and become stronger was not necessarily a good thing for twilight city¡­the other party might not listen to his orders. they weren¡¯t on friendly terms before. but the value of a god in his hands was immeasurable, no matter what. then he would be invincible if the people of twilight city could assimilate the other party. the fourth¡­ the headless golden immortal¡¯s body. although he hadn¡¯t had the time to investigate its specific attributes. however, one did not need to think to know just how much a god¡¯s corpse was worth. all have infinite possibilities no matter what it was used for, whether as a material to forge weapons, to summon the undead, to be devoured by the statues of the ancient gods¡­ in addition, this dungeon also brought him a lot of experience like undead crystals, and rare resources from saving players. the mission would be completed and the rewards would be immediately shown after sending the players away. the only pity was that the final battle was too rushed. he did not manage to gather all 12 statues of lolita and combine them into that special spider soldier. this was perhaps the biggest regret of this exploration dungeon. he also brought back popov black tower, the level 19 tower race patriarch, and more than 50 tower race cubs. lolita had dragged their plane into the abyss, and they had lost everything. next, as long as he arranged for them to stay in twilight city for a period, they would definitely become his subordinates. in that case, twilight city would have another level 19 a-rank. a-rank heroes were no longer as important as the twilight city grew stronger. but no matter what, he was a top-notch hero, and an existence that had already touched the edge of the supernatural. he could also step into another level if there was a chance in the future. this was not the end. in addition to the above benefits, he was inadvertently summoned to another plane because of his death, the kingdom of ell. the unfamiliar plane with great potential still waited for him to excavate it. the two princesses of the fallen kingdom said that they wanted to build a temple for him and spread their faith, which made him quite curious. this was the treatment of a god. his current level was still far from reaching such a height. however, the other party¡¯s words completely opened up his thoughts¡­ if possible, he could use that plane to conduct some exploration. he wondered what it would be like to have the faith of tens of millions of people before reaching level 30. thinking of this, the mood in his heart became even higher. in conclusion, although the losses in this exploration instance dungeon were not small, they even became enemies with the spider goddess lolita. however, the benefits he obtained were enough to be exaggerated. high risk, accompanied by high returns, this sentence was always correct¡­ as long as they used up the profits from this expedition, the power of twilight city could climb two levels. at this point, he took out the bloody heart from the system space. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ richard was excited to feel his heart beating in his hand. it was time for the vampire archduke, who had been sleeping in the blood coffin for a long time, to be awakened. this was what he had searched for the past few months. he finally got his reward after tons of investment in manpower and resources. twilight city was about to have its own transcendents. that was a power of another level in this world. Chapter 770 a familiar notification rang in his ear afterward. [ding~ dungeon¨Cgod¡¯s grave mission completed 80%. main mission: destroy the spider temple, completed.] [side mission: save players, completed (186 players saved)] [side mission reward: 500,000 experience points, 1,860,000 units of rare resources] [main mission reward: lolita statue x 4; tower race¡¯s troop lair (tower warrior, crown 3-stars) x 3; 5-stars treasure¨Ctower race war drum] richard heard the system notification in his ear, and his whole body perked up. ¡®the players had already left the holy land?¡¯ he looked at it carefully after a few times, and a bright smile appeared on his face. ¡®what a pleasant surprise!¡¯ the reward for exploring the dungeon was generous. five hundred thousand experience points was considered a lot for his current level. the experience points required to level up from 15 to 16 had reached an outrageous 3,000,000. now, it is close to 1,500,000. it wouldn¡¯t be long before richard could level up again. he was satisfied with the 1,860,000 rare resources he had obtained from saving the plane. that made him heave a sigh of relief. however, the four statues of lolita were the most exciting things about these rewards. he regretted he could not synthesize that spider soldier, but now it was here. as for the three crown-level troop lairs of the tower race, they were pure additional gains. it was a crown 3-stars soldier. he could still obtain a vast amount even if he did not have to exchange it for resources. lastly, there was the 5-stars treasure, the tower race war drum. in the previous few battles, he had experienced the buffs brought by that war drum. obviously, it wasn¡¯t trash. this wave was comfortable. it was as expected of a nightmare-mode dungeon. richard thought about it, and that made sense. he provoked lolita in the end. so it wouldn¡¯t make sense if the reward weren¡¯t generous. the only outcome of this dungeon would have been destruction. although the holy land had evacuated the troop in advance, they built the hero¡¯s altar to revive them. at this stage, no player could face the spider goddess¡¯s might. twilight city was no exception. the existence that made the abyss tremble was too terrifying. however, danger and opportunity coexisted. such an exaggerated difficulty brought about satisfying rewards. he opened the system space and saw that the rewards from the mission were all stored inside. he pondered. lolita¡¯s statue appeared in his hand. he had 12, the ones he had obtained included. he laid them each on the ground. the statue emitted an evil aura that overlapped. that made it seven more terrifying. the flowers and plants around were ugly. it was like the guardian mummies around beside him faced a great enemy. their empty eyes stared at the statue. they felt that an evil god watched and oppressed their souls. richard saw this and did not hesitate. he took the ancient god statue out and used its power to isolate the evil aura. at this moment, the auras of the 12 statues began to fuse with each other and gradually showed signs of condensing into one. [ding~ do you wish to combine the 12 statues of lolita?] [note: one can synthesize the statues into a spider unit. the synthesis process is irreversible.] richard was prepared and unhesitatingly chose to confirm. a few seconds afterward. the statues on the ground cracked and shattered. then, they turned into streams of light that gathered in the center. the dark aura surged in the surroundings in the blink of an eye and increased by a hundredfold. it was like it brewed some kind of terrifying life. it gave people a lot of psychological pressure. the light condensed into a physical form under richard¡¯s close watch. gradually, a human-faced spider statue that was three meters tall appeared before him. the upper half of its body wore a dark brown priest robe and held a pure black mysterious book. its evil-runes-engraved face was like a dying person who had suffered from pain and torture. it was ferocious and terrifying. generous fine hair covered the spider¡¯s lower body. the bone armor covered its entire body. three rows of uneven barbs grew from its head to its back. that gave off a strange and brutal feeling. the figure was an orthodox abyssal based on its appearance alone. it had the evil, chaotic, brutal, and bloodthirsty characteristics of all dark life forms. her striking appearance piqued richard¡¯s interest. the more ferocious its appearance, the stronger its attributes. that could be some rules of the abyss. the other party was so fierce. it was worth looking forward to. he curiously opened the attribute panel. [evil spreader statue] [type: rare] [level: special] [recruitable troops: evil spreader (transcendence 3-stars)] [recruitment quantity: 1] [recruitment limit: 1. one can recruit again only after one evil spreader dies.)] [recruitment requirement: 500,000 units of gemstones, 500,000 units of sulfur.] [description: a mysterious troop that spreads the faith of evil gods.] richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®good heavens!¡¯ this thing! that recruits a transcendent 3-stars soldier!! moreover, he looked at its attributes, and they were not simple. especially the number of recruits. richard had encountered for the first time an attribute that could only recruit one million units of rare resources!! that quickened his breathing. a few squadrons of high-level troops in twilight city do not require so many resources. the more resources he needed, the more it meant one thing. this extraordinary troop was highly mighty. Chapter 771 richard calmed down and immediately placed this remarkable soldier next to the lairs of the other soldiers in the front yard. he did not hesitate and chose to recruit afterward. a few seconds later. he used one million rare resources. then something happened at the same time. the statue surged a pure black power slowly and emitted an evil aura. countless negative emotions of loneliness, darkness, and brutality filled the statue. the ferocious statue¡¯s stone body suddenly moved under the surge of that power. then, it gradually moved under richard¡¯s watchful eyes. its tightly shut eyes slowly opened as its movements became increasingly intense. in an instant, one seemed to have given the three-meter-tall statue of the evil spreader a soul and came to life. that pair of scarlet eyes became the finishing touch. the evil figure looked over. brutality and killing intent shrouded its gaze. the aura it emitted was like the arrival of the grim reaper. evil and darkness coexisted. however, this highly evil existence that made people¡¯s hearts tremble gave people an inexplicable sense of holiness. that was surprising. it was like one faced a majestic god who controlled supreme laws! it mixed the strange and discordant auras. that made people¡¯s hearts tremble. ¡®crack!¡¯ the evil spreader shook off its body and moved its eight spider limbs. it arrived before richard. then, this terrifying existence most humbly prostrated on the ground and bowed to him. ¡°great ruler, your humble servant sends you its most noble greetings. i offer my life and soul to you to guard your glory eternally! may the darkness bless you! the evil abyssal blasphemy immediately gave people a strong impact. it revealed the languages of darkness, chaos, brutality, and slaughter. an evil source gave birth to the language with original sin. people would immediately fall into madness and become chaotic whenever they hear these words. every profane word of the abyss carried its will. richard¡¯s expression was the usual. he nodded slowly. ¡°no need for formalities¡­¡± the evil spreader bowed again and stood up. richard opened its attribute panel with intense curiosity. [evil spreader [level: 23 (extraordinary soldier, spreading faith +300 persuasion)] [potential: transcendence 3-stars (casting effect increased by 200%)] [mana: 100,000 (recovers 300 points per second)] [skills: faith (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it increases trust by 70%, persuasiveness by 70%, and reduces suspicion of strangers by 70% when it spreads the faith.] [forced missionary (beyond a-rank) ¡ª forcibly missionary to a unit, changing their faith. consume a minimum of 50,000 mana each time. the stronger the target organization, the more mana it needed. cooldown time: 3 days.£© [spreading evil (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it spreads evil rumors in an area. it can cause great panic. the rumors spread by +70%, and its credibility increased by 70%.] [camouflage (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can disguise as a preacher of another god. detection spells below the legendary stage cannot detect it. trust in believers of the corresponding god increases by 70%. consumes 10,000 mana per casting. duration: one day, no cooldown time.] [abyssal whisper (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it berates the enemy with abyssal blasphemy. it deals with a vast mental shock to the enemy. that causes them to fall into absolute fear and enormously reduces their psychological defenses.£© [race talent: faith accumulation ¡ª it can accumulate the power of faith of believers in the body.] [feelings-evil spreading ¡ª the credibility increases by 90% when it disguises as a missionary of an evil god. the conversion speed of the believers increases by 70% and persuasiveness by 70% when it spreads the doctrines.] [description: a missionary that every evil god wants to have.] richard glanced at the attributes of this unit and surprised him. he thought it was a battle-type soldier. he did not expect the other party to be so special. to preach. all its attributes were born for this action. he suddenly thought of the plane of the kingdom of ell. this evil communicator could be the best practitioner. spread faith for him? however, the evil spreader would spread the faith of an evil god. that was sparingly unrelated to him. the power of the desert in his body was not some evil power. it was completely neutral. no, he couldn¡¯t. wasn¡¯t there still the god¡¯s ancient tree? richard subconsciously turned his head to look outside the city. he could still sense the soul-crushing life force of the abomination tree, although walls had blocked its vision. this dark boss possessed a few of the abomination power and a trace of the rotten authority. and that completely fits the description of evil. richard touched his chin. should he let the evil spreader test the waters with the god¡¯s ancient tree? the more he thought about it, the more he felt endless possibilities. what scene would be like? if richard nurtured a fierce and powerful god. karu had just arranged the players and returned at this moment. richard smiled when he saw the great butler of twilight city. he extended his hand and described the details of the evil spreader. ¡°karu, immediately arrange for the evil spreader to head to the underground world and find some underground organizations that are not well informed. ¡°the sect would be the ancient tree of darkness and god¡¯s ancient tree. get someone to find some believers and combine them with the things of other gods to design the message, emblem, and so on.¡± Chapter 772 richard would first test the waters with the god¡¯s ancient tree. the evil spreader had the talent of disguise if it were powerful. it wouldn¡¯t be arduous to create the yellow sand sect. ¡°no, not only that, you got people to work together to design a divine system¡­the ruler of this god system was the desert and yellow sand. there was no need to say the information first when spreading the faith of the ancient tree of darkness sect. it would be vague. one could adjust at any time if there were anything to add after a while.¡± ¡°a few points were at the core of preaching¡­ survival, social, respect, and self-actualization needs.¡± ¡°the reason believers believe in the gods is nothing more than these. they could be in turmoil and danger and desire the gods to save them. i need to deal with others of my kind. i need to be powerful, and i need to win the respect of outsiders. i need to realize some noble ideals¡­¡± karu listened carefully. richard gave him all the bits and pieces of information he had. after half a year of training and the vigorous development of the literacy class, the number of people in twilight city grew, although there were still a few people in the city. he had already nurtured a portion of high-level talents. they all worked in the government affairs department. they could do much easier than one person with the intelligence of dozens of people. a few hours later, karu left the lord¡¯s mansion a few hours afterward with the evil spreader and a large notebook. all the high-level talents in twilight city became anxious afterward and discussed the various aspects of the recently established ancient tree of darkness sect. richard naturally did not have to do it himself as the ruler of twilight city. he only needed to delegate the task and supervise it. having a force as a backer wasn¡¯t something one could compare to a lone wolf. richard turned his attention away after this arrangement. it would take some time for this sudden idea to bear fruit. it would take time to test for the exact situation. he pondered and took out the system¡¯s mission reward, the tower race war drum. [tower race war drum] [level: 5 stars] [special characteristic: 1. it can dispel all attributes that reduce morale, such as low morale, scattered hearts, fear, uneasiness, and panic.] [2. it can increase all attributes of the troop that hears the war drum by 30%. their morale will be at a high level for an hour. it will be stable, and magic will not affect it. [description: a war drum made from the skin of a giant dragon by the ancestors of the tower race. it has the effect of boosting morale.] the attributes of this 5-stars treasure were simple. they were honestly simple. however, its attributes were practical. the more glorious a battle was, the more vital morale was. the absence of countermeasures would reduce the morale of the entire troop by more than half if the enemy cast a spell that would cause it to collapse. this war drum could help the troop maintain high morale and combat effectiveness, which was rare. unfortunately, his troop of the undead and morale was useless against him. this war drum was like a dust-covered pearl to him. richard didn¡¯t mind placing put the war drum into the system space. this thing was a reward in any case. it was a waste not to get it. he could exchange it for something useful in solan city. at this moment, a soldier came to report that the leader of the tower race, popov black tower requested a meeting. richard told the soldiers to bring him in. richard realized that the patriarch was not in the right state when he saw this level 19 hero again. the majestic hero who had dared to wrestle with the giant dragon has hunched over and lowered its head. its eyes were dull, and the aura on its body floated. it did not have the murderous posture of slaughtering the spider troop alone. popov forced a smile when he saw richard. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± the patriarch had learned richard¡¯s real name from others before it came to meet the twilight city ruler. he called him richard from the name it used to call the human overlord, qingqiu. richard looked at the eight-meter-tall monster with some emotion. ¡°popov, what are your plans now?¡± popov¡¯s face darkened as it bitterly smiled. ¡°lord, i¡­i don¡¯t know.¡± an evil power shattered all their hopes and destroyed the plane they lived in. the patriarch alone and over 50 children remained in the tower race. it looked around and could no longer find the direction to move forward. what could the patriarch do? he could not know what to do. those who had not experienced the destruction of hope would find it hard to understand the emotions of this level 19 hero. it was the loss of hope in life. it could even fathom the meaning of living. richard said slowly after a few silence, ¡°popov, the past is in the past. don¡¯t let the past trap you and your race.¡± ¡°stay in twilight city for a while. we¡¯ll talk again when you¡¯ve figured it out.¡± popov took a deep breath and bowed solemnly to richard. ¡°lord, thank you for taking me and my race in.¡± richard shook his head as he watched the muscular warrior leave. it was only a matter of time before they walked out with the one tower race¡¯s personality. once they assimilated and became a part of twilight city, they would not have the time to think about it anymore after he arranged a few missions. Chapter 773 there was no doubt about the strength of the crown warriors. however, what made him hesitate was whether there was a need to recruit them. the tower race¡¯s battle style was charges on the ground. that was sparingly incompatible with twilight city. most importantly, these troops needed logistics. it wouldn¡¯t be easy to raise them. richard shook his head and set aside the idea of nurturing the soldiers. he would keep them for a while and use them as nourishment when the lair leveled up next time. richard settled and did not bother himself anymore. he enjoyed a sumptuous dinner afterward. he had planned to rest early to relieve his fatigue. but karu asked to see him again in the middle of the night. ¡°lord, sorry to disturb your rest.¡± karu¡¯s wrinkled face looked sparingly awkward when he saw richard in his soft pajamas. richard leaned back on his stool and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s fine. how¡¯s the discussion on the teachings of the ancient tree of darkness divine system going?¡± ¡°we¡¯re still discussing it. this matter is too important. we need everything to prove and study in detail. it will take a few more days to perfect it.¡± karu sounded very serious. creating a divine system was like a dream to the natives of the ¡°shining era.¡± what kind of existence were gods? the ruler of this world, the ruler with supreme prestige! but now, they wanted to create a divine system. richard brewed the emotions of excitement, delight, uneasiness, and nervousness in his heart. he nodded but did not rush karu. ¡°there¡¯s no need to worry. we couldn¡¯t perfect a new divine system in one go.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be afraid of mistakes we might carry out. we can fix them immediately if problems come midway. ¡°the entire underground world is our experimental field.¡± master karu felt sparingly more at ease and nodded solemnly. ¡°lord, i won¡¯t let you down.¡± it was a form of trust and absolute responsibility for the city butler to take on his shoulders such a vast matter that could directly affect the future of twilight city. richard waved his hand and stopped talking about it. that could be a long project. and it would be difficult to see results in a month or two. ¡°is there anything urgent besides this?¡± karu said slowly, ¡°lord, twilight city has recently recruited several residents.¡± that riveted richard. ¡°this is a good thing¡­¡± karu¡¯s gaze became increasingly grave as he spoke, and richard could not help but sparingly frown. ¡°is there a problem?¡± master karu said in a deep voice. ¡°those refugees are not the residents of the desert of death.¡± ¡°they said they came from a kingdom called kingdom of ell!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already verified it multiple times. vale has also inquired about this in solan city. he could not find such country around the desert of death.¡± ¡°you said before that the desert of death will merge with other planes sometime.¡± ¡°we¡¯re guessing that the mysterious kingdom of ell might be a kingdom from another plane.¡± karu¡¯s tone became heavier. ¡°the desert of death might have already merged with the other planes if we guessed correctly.¡± ¡°my lord, we need to respond.¡± richard¡¯s expression was rather interesting. the refugees of the kingdom of ell appeared in the desert of death?!! was it, not an accident that summoned him from that plane? his thoughts spun and recounted in detail how the two princesses of the kingdom of ell had summoned him. he said in the end, ¡°i initially thought this was just an accident. i didn¡¯t expect that even the desert of death had a spatial gap. we need to prepare in advance. ¡°this might be a big change.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were sharp. a merge of the planes into the desert would affect twilight city. the geographical location determined everything. there was nowhere to hide. ¡°were the void sandworms still in the underground world?¡± ¡°we have stationed the void sandworms on the other side of the two-way teleportation gate to prevent the enemy from their attacks and blocks against the underworld reinforcements.¡± ¡°summon them back. tomorrow, we will open the plane passage to the kingdom of ell.¡± one¡¯s strength will always be the priority, no matter how the situation changes in the future. that plane would still be his prey whether the kingdom of ell merges with the desert of death. a plane with wealth and tens of millions of people was enough to make people envious. the words of richard also shocked karu. richard had already gone to that plane while they uncertainly speculated. karu heard this, and he became excited. he could not know the specific situation in the kingdom of ell. that was his biggest problem before. twilight city now could have plans with the two princesses as spies. ¡°yes, my lord.¡± karu seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°not long after you left, a lady who claimed to be the president of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce came to us. she said you entrusted her to protect us while you were out. ¡°she also told me to inform her immediately of your return¡­¡± the image of that graceful and elegant figure suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s mind. he nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. the lady is the chairman of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce, windsor. ¡°send a message to vale. tell him to inform the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce that i have returned safely. ¡°that heart¡­i got it. ¡°i will head to solan city the day after tomorrow. vale can ask her to find me if teacher peim can¡¯t hold on longer.¡± it was now the 17th of december. the teacher has ten days before the arrival of the crimson moon. the instance dungeon he entered this time was sparingly different from the previous ones. the flow of time was different from the primary plane. only two to three days had passed in the dungeon, but half a month had passed outside. however, the old teacher wouldn¡¯t joke around with him since the heartless old white-haired man in red dragon general store set the time. there was still plenty of time. he was still in a weak state. there was no need to be so anxious. he would open the spatial passageway the next day and go to that unfamiliar plane to see the specific situation. karu nodded and said nothing more. richard had made a decision, and he just had to carry it out. the two then discussed some of the backlogged government affairs, and richard asked about the recent developments. he hadn¡¯t been away for long, only half a month. everything would still go according to plan. however, master karu mentioned something that enthralled his interest. ¡°lord, the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf, lady rebecca, sent a message three days ago.¡± ¡°she wants you to go to the ice empire to receive the ice ore vein. ¡°she also said she had prepared a big gift for you.¡± rebecca came to twilight city to purchase the fire dragon rabbit fur. her bargaining chip back then was the ice ore vein. at that time, adele thought twilight city had gained a massive advantage. however, richard couldn¡¯t find time due to various delays, and the desert of death was far from the ice empire. he put that matter on hold from there. ¡°did vale send any information to the frostwolfs?¡± ¡°not really. we just founded the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce. it does not have the strength to extend tentacles to the ice empire yet.¡± richard nodded. ¡°i know about this. i would go when i have time.¡± he was also curious about the ice-and-snow-covered country all year round. they say that ice empire had several special and rare-level soldiers. however, there was something more when done during this period. he had a lot of things to do. besides, he couldn¡¯t stay in twilight city for too long. he needed to leave the soonest. master karu left in a hurry afterward and continued to discuss the doctrine with the talents cultivated by twilight city. it was like he had no sleeping plans in the evening based on his excitement. karu left and lay down on the bed, exhausted. ice spirit statues covered twilight city. they maintained a comfortable 20 degrees celsius for a long time. it was very suitable for a rest. the various encounters exaggeratedly impacted his heart, although they spent a short time exploring this instance dungeon. he slept soundly that night and didn¡¯t wake up until noon the next day. the deep sleep alleviated the loss of soul power and caused richard to feel weak and powerless. richard washed up and had lunch. he immediately ordered the troop to gather afterward. then, he brought the primary group to the land of quicksand. the god¡¯s ancient tree still had fifty percent of its battle power, although twilight city research had revived its dark body and had not recovered to its peak. however, his trump card was not the abomination tree but the level 19 dark soul eater, kratos. one buried this soldier in the ground for a night and had already recovered. richard transferred 2,000 dark treants to the land of quicksand to guard the area for safety. the poisonous and slaughter wasps formed black clouds in the sky and buzzed incessantly. one could feel the pressure brought by these ferocious troops. the people with trypophobia would send them away with just a sight of them without fighting. twilight city listed the stone statue of the dead, the sandstorm controller, the guardian mummy, and the king of the imperial troops. everyone looked at the central area as if it were a great enemy. richard rode on alves¡¯s back and looked at the vast creature in the quicksand. something was particular about the void sandworms. dark gold energy seemed to have forged them. they grew 80 meters in size. twilight city entrenched them on the ground like a city wall. they gave off an extremely oppressive feeling. mysterious inscriptions of various sizes covered their bodies. that made them highly eye-catching. the void sandworms looked up at the sky and roared. richard sensed their emotions and nodded slightly. ¡°let¡¯s begin when you¡¯re ready.¡± the void sandworms placed their heads on the quicksand again. infinite power surged around the sand. richard sensed carefully and realized that the surrounding space shattered like glass. there were a few small cracks at first, but they gradually expanded and cracked into large patches. ¡®kacha!¡¯ explosions sounded incessantly. they reached a limit. they emitted an aura like a surging wave that forcefully shattered the space. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the void before richard exploded, and a vast void crack appeared. it looked around at a glorious church. two skinny and small figures looked at them through the spatial passageway. they sensed the familiar aura. ¡°great lord, is that you?¡± anxiety filled richard¡¯s sky-blue eyes. they spoke, and a hesitant and flickering sound came from above the ugly golden bug before it. an undead dragon with a wingspan of dozens of meters appeared in the church with a majestic dragon might. what surprised them was the figure on the back of the undead dragon. it wore a black and red crown and had dark flowery skin. its aura was as bright as the moon. at this moment, the rims of its eyes turned red. the great existence they summoned. it came! Chapter 774 he moved his eyes sparingly. he could vaguely sense that the rules of this plane were slightly different from the primary plane with the help of the power of the yellow sand. the mortal plane was like a thick mountain, while this plane was like a wall. alves slowly landed in the glorious church. this church could accommodate a thousand people, and it was spacious all around. the beyond a-rank dragon hero with a wingspan of more than 40 meters landed and immediately made the church appear smaller. alves crawled on the ground and used the most humble method to get richard to lower himself. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ richard¡¯s leather boots stepped on the smooth floor, and he walked toward the two princesses of the kingdom of ell, tundel and elsa ell. they still knelt on the floor. they looked at richard¡¯s point of view. behind the handsome and extraordinary young man with a burning aura was a giant dragon that emitted crimson energy. a spatial passageway further back was dozens of meters wide. behind it was a ferocious dark golden giant worm that emitted a terrifying aura. towering dark treants came into view beyond the giant worm. a large number of flying troops above the treants flew around. just this scene alone gave the princesses a sense of shock. they summoned a lord that had an endless troop. it was like the summoned lord would give the order, and countless troops would cross the spatial passageway and attack. the troop waited for orders at the back. that was an invisible deterrent to richard. ¡°great lord, richard, we welcome you.¡± his excited voice echoed throughout the church. his gaze was so hot that it could melt ice and snow. he could be the savior of the kingdom of ell, their last life-saving straw! richard looked around. he sensed no danger and spoke slowly. ¡°descendant of the royal family of ell, i have come to keep my promise.¡± these words immediately made the meeting solemn. the two princesses that knelt on the ground helped each other up. then, they bowed solemnly again. ¡°great lord, the royal family of ell, tundel (elsa), once again pays you the highest respect!¡± she finished speaking, and the situation eased up. elsa, a thin young girl in a white nun¡¯s robe, stared at him with pitch-black eyes. ¡°great lord, are you from the primary plane, the birthplace of the gods?¡± richard nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°the lord of twilight city, richard.¡± elsa¡¯s tender face revealed some determination. ¡°lord richard¡­ there is no turning back to our promise to you.¡± ¡°you are the eternal friend of the kingdom of ell.¡± richard looked at the seven or eight-year-old girl meaningfully, although the words sounded nice. their promises wouldn¡¯t change, but what about his promises? at this age, she was too clever. richard curiously opened the princess¡¯s attribute panel. unexpectedly, they were all question marks. elsa ell ??? ??? ??? [description: a descendant of the royal family of ell with a special bloodline. her potential is immeasurable.] other than the brief description, richard could not know else. that piqued his curiosity. this young princess was not a simple girl. he turned to look at tundel ell and opened her attributes. this time, there was some information. [tundel ell] [hero unit] [level: 15] [potential: beyond a-rank] [skill: ???] [description: descendant of the royal family of ell. possesses great potential.] good lord, she was indeed the princess of a fallen country with beyond a-rank potential. she would become a top-notch battle power if the gods would allow her to grow freely. richard said slowly. ¡°i need to know more about the royal family of ell and this plane.¡± one could not know everything. that is the greatest danger in exploring an unknown plane. he couldn¡¯t determine the strongest being in the plane, the number of troops, or the enemy¡¯s methods. every unknown could lead to massive losses. fortunately, they had the uttermost source of information, the two princesses. that was more useful than any information. tundel organized her words and gravely spoke. ¡°lord richard, the kingdom of el has seven provinces. the most populated is where the capital, ell city, is located.¡± ¡°each has a population of more than a million, and they stationed close to 100,000 troops.¡± ¡°to deal with the threat of the abyssal rift, the kingdom of ell prepared a stronger standing military force¡­¡± richard gained a more detailed understanding of the plane because of her explanation. all in all, the kingdom of ell was the only kingdom on this plane. it was a vast force with a population of tens of millions and a troop of more than a million. twilight city was like an ant compared to an elephant, although twilight city has soul-strapping military strength. it was not much better with the addition of the underground world. the kingdom of ell¡¯s main enemy, the leader of the rebel troop, the raging blood duke, was a top-notch powerhouse who had just stepped into the transcendent level. the direct troop under his command, the raging blood hand, had reached level 19 and had more than 5,000 soldiers. it was an absolute trump card. the other party also commanded the entire capital¡¯s troops apart from that, which numbered more than 100,000. one could not mobilize the troops of the other provinces at will to prevent the demons from escaping the abyssal rift and causing trouble. that was the only good news. moreover, the kingdom of ell had just experienced turmoil, and most troops weren¡¯t honestly loyal to the raging blood duke. Chapter 775 richard momentarily pondered and said slowly, ¡°how many more troops do you have, tundel?¡± tundel¡¯s face darkened a little. ¡°i took over the troop that guarded the forbidden area after i entered it. three thousand people. they were all level 18 top-tier soldiers.¡± although this force was not weak, it depended on the troop one would compare it to. the raging blood duke was now nominally in charge of the millions of soldiers in the kingdom of ell. the number of people under his direct command alone had exceeded 100,000, even if he could transfer most. the strength of both sides was on a completely different level. one could flatten them in minutes as long as they were exposed. tundel¡¯s face changed as richard fell silent. finally, she took a deep breath and bowed again. ¡°lord richard, i know it¡¯s a little too much for you to face such a powerful enemy, but this is our only chance¡­ ¡°we must avenge the kingdom of ell no matter what! ¡°we are willing to rule the kingdom of ell with you! just help us drive that traitor away from the throne! ¡°i¡¯ll share the world with you!¡± the thought quietly came to richard¡¯s mind. just as he was about to speak, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in his ear. [ding~ an unexpected event has been triggered.] [descendants of the royal family of ell, tunde ell, and elsa ell. the betrayal of the raging blood duke forced the two princesses into exile.] [the raging blood duke annexed the ell kingdom.] [that ignited the fire of revenge on the two fallen princesses.] [mission requirement: help the two princesses restore their kingdoms. kill the raging blood duke, and restore the rule of the royal family of ell.] [mission reward: this mission is an emergency. the mission reward will be on the completion rate.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the system notification. the revival of the country this time was an a-rank mission. it was like this plane was more profane than he had expected. he couldn¡¯t judge the a-rank mission with his current state. ¡°tundel, the royal family of ell, will always rule the kingdom of ell. twilight city will not take your throne.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were clear. ¡°whether it¡¯s now or in the future.¡± twilight city couldn¡¯t afford to govern another country. he wanted to spy on this dimension so that it could become the nourishment of twilight city, not a burden. the development mode of the underground world was very suitable for the small twilight city. however, it was still too early to say that. it would take a few months to complete this mission. the enemy was too strong. a country¡¯s war would involve many aspects and rarely end in one or two battles. tundel¡¯s eyes softened when he heard his powerful words. she looked at richard. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything more. you will be the main force in the upcoming battle.¡± in his opinion, although these two princesses were down and out, their potential influence wasn¡¯t something a troop of 30,000 to 50,000 could compare to. they represented the orthodox royal family of ell. the raging blood duke was a traitor. no matter what one would say, a traitor would always be a traitor. he couldn¡¯t gain everyone¡¯s approval. richard wouldn¡¯t want twilight city troops involved after he determined the specific situation of the plane. a better way is to go to the wall. he would support the two princesses and make them the main force to overthrow the raging blood duke. he would only provide military support at critical moments. of course, the raging blood duke had already become his hunting target. the dark soul eater, kratos, was a level 19 boss. his mission was to participate in the hunt for a transcendent, and the damage dealt would not be less than 70%. the chaotic and bloodthirsty wax demon was lolita¡¯s favorite. it had no weaknesses, and one could not slay it. richard missed a precious opportunity. it wasn¡¯t difficult to find a transcendent in the mortal plane. how to kill it was the most arduous part. which transcendent didn¡¯t have the aid of a powerful force? how could it be so easy? now, that raging blood duke was coincidentally in the crosshairs of a gun. it would be enough to kill the raging blood duke and let kratos become a transcendent, even if he could not occupy this plane. richard decided on the direction of conquering this plane. he would support the two princesses as the main force and help them at critical moments. the two princesses had the name of the royal family of ell, so there would be enough loyal people coming to seek refuge. how would richard deal with the raging blood duke¡¯s counterattack after he used the two princesses¡¯ names? that alone would be difficult. the raging blood duke wasn¡¯t stupid. he would surround and suppress them if he saw an odd situation. transcendents bring thousands of level 19 troops to attack. just a thought about that scene could make one¡¯s scalp go numb. however, when they could no longer withstand the enemy¡¯s attack, the loyal officials of ell kingdon dishonoring the traitor would swarm over. he lacked now a chess piece that could contend against the raging blood duke. he pondered and came up with a decision. richard briefly described his thoughts to the two princesses. tundel¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°your thoughts¡­there are a few ways to operate it.¡± richard nodded. he turned to look at the spatial rift behind him. ¡°gray, gunter, you two talk to tundel further. ¡°i¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°what?¡± that startled tundel. she felt sparingly nervous. ¡°lord, are you going to¡­¡± richard rolled over and climbed onto alves¡¯s back. he looked at the two princesses and said slowly, ¡°a deluge is coming.¡± ****** Chapter 776 windsor stood by the window and looked down at the entire city through the glass. she was like a statue, motionless and in a daze. beside her was an old white-haired man who sat in a mechanical wheelchair. his aura was as weak as a candle in the wind. at this moment, his turbid eyes sized up everything below. he said with a hoarse voice afterward. ¡°there¡¯s no need to take it to heart. we¡¯ve already expected this outcome, haven¡¯t we? ¡°it¡¯s just a pity for that young fellow¡­¡± regret shrouded his wrinkled face as he spoke. ¡°had that plane completely collapsed?¡± windsor turned around and looked at the open-minded old white-haired man, her eyes dimmed. ¡°teacher, i entered to investigate¡­not only had that plane collapsed, but it also fell into the abyss. ¡°i sensed spider goddess lolita¡¯s aura from above. ¡°the collapse of the plane is more like lolita¡¯s plan. even the heart of the god inside is the other party¡¯s target. ¡°the spider goddess, lolita!¡± her emotions fluctuated at the mention of this existence. the evil goddess made the bottomless abyss tremble. she sensed hope when the plane collapsed. however, she no longer had any hope when she recognized the presence of the evil god. one would fall into the abyss and possibly into lolita¡¯s hands even if one could survive the plane collapse. it would be useless no matter how capable one was. even the current crimson moon could not do anything to an existence of this level. sovereign level lifeforms had already transcended the ordinary laws. she waited there for a day and a night. she returned home after she confirmed that no miracle had happened. as for twilight city, she was no longer in the mood to care about it. ¡°spider goddess¡­¡± the old teacher muttered a few times. his turbid eyes revealed a soul-stirring light. at this moment, the old teacher¡¯s aura was as strong and majestic as a dragon. ¡°these false gods who broke the laws of the world¡­they will eventually become dust.¡± however, it was short-lived. that powerful aura flashed past, and the light in his eyes immediately dimmed. he sensed that the power in his body had already weakened to the freezing point. his expression was somewhat complicated. in the end, he shook his head in relief. he slowly closed his eyes. ¡°you alone have done this, windsor.¡± windsor couldn¡¯t bear to look at her old teacher anymore. she turned her head and looked at the city before her again. ¡°teacher, we will achieve our goal. ¡°no one can stop the return of the ancient gods. that is fate!¡± the old white-haired man closed his eyes. he weakly said, ¡°when crimson moon appears in the sky, this world will welcome a great change¡­we are the key to a new era.¡± he stretched out his age spots-covered and loose-and-wrinkled right hand as he spoke. an illusory light in his open palm appeared afterward. the light gradually condensed after a few breaths into a solid form. windsor¡¯s eyes reflected a scale. ¡°teacher¡­.¡± the old teacher in the mechanical wheelchair had no eyes. he placed the scale on his hand and slowly rubbed it. he touched his most beloved treasure. ¡°windsor, i no longer have the power to activate this scale. ¡°this is the last treasure i will give you. ¡°the imprint will also dissipate after my soul dissipated.¡± his tone was slow, like a seriously ill in bed and was reminding his child before he died. his calm words weighed heavily. ¡°you use your blood as a guide and your soul as a seal to inscribe your power. ¡°it will become your best helper.¡± a high-grade divine artifact in the outside world could cause a sensation. some empires were even willing to wage war against each other. but at this moment, windsor ignored it. her lips trembled as she looked at the old teacher appeared like a withered plant. her eyes turned red. her heart carried thousands of words, but she couldn¡¯t say a single word. everything becomes so insignificant in the face of death. more importantly, death crushes all hope. the person she had high hopes for did not return as promised. the room fell into a dead silence. after a long time, the old white-haired man in the mechanical wheelchair opened his eyes sparingly. that revealed a gap. the world before him was already blurry. he could only vaguely see the figure who had placed all her hopes on him. a satisfied smile appeared on his face. ¡°i¡¯ve never married in my life. i¡¯ve treated you as my child since i was young. ¡°the uttermost fortune in my life is to have become your teacher, windsor. ¡°letting you inherit the scarlet moon was my selfish motive. i hope you blame me. you could have lived freely in this world without worrying about any trivial matters.¡± windsor felt a lump in her throat when he heard those weak words. she took a deep breath and held it. she tried to hinder the tears from flowing out of her eyes. ¡°teacher¡­.¡± her throat choked with sobs and trembling. her voice was even more muffled. ¡®ta ta! ta ta!¡¯ a series of urgent footsteps suddenly came from outside. that broke the almost frozen atmosphere in the room. ¡°chairman windsor, i have important information to report¡­¡± a young male messenger subconsciously entered the office desk with urgency. at this moment, he glanced at a pair of red eyes. that sight trembled his heart. ¡®is the ever-domineering chairman¡­crying? ¡®what could have gone wrong?¡¯ the messenger didn¡¯t look further out of shock and immediately lowered his head. windsor realized something was odd with her emotion, but she did not try to hide it. Chapter 777 the messenger who came to report didn¡¯t dare to waste any time and said straightforwardly. ¡°the president of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce, vale, has sent a message¡­¡± the heart of windsor trembled when she heard this. ¡°do you have news about lord richard?¡± her tone trembled as she spoke. ¡°according to president vale¡­ lord richard had sacrificed himself in that plane.¡± richard wouldn¡¯t be in that situation if it weren¡¯t for her repeated pleas. now, the most arduous thing was not to face the situation richard decided to commit but to tell his loyal and expectant subordinates this cruel news. it was like his comrade had sacrificed himself, and he had to visit his parents to tell them his fate. it was hard to say. the messenger raised his head in shock when he heard this. ¡°lord richard sacrificed himself?¡± ¡®could the information she received be a mistake? that¡¯s incorrect! president vale clearly said!¡¯ he looked at windsor¡¯s expression and immediately felt something was odd. he hurriedly said, ¡°chairman windsor, is there a misunderstanding? president vale wanted to send you a message. lord richard asked him to tell you that he has safely returned to twilight city and has retrieved the god¡¯s heart. he will come to solan city after a few days of restoration.¡± ¡°also, i want to inform you that lord richard wants to see you when you have the time.¡± windsor¡¯s eyes shone brightly. her spirits instantly climbed up to heaven from her hopelessness. it was like one had bestowed her a soul, and she resurrected to life. the old white-haired man in the mechanical wheelchair turned his head in shock and looked at the door. ¡°that young fellow¡­he didn¡¯t die? ¡°he even got the god¡¯s heart? ¡°was this¡­ was this a joke?!!¡± ¡°the plane collapsed and fell into the bottomless abyss! the spider goddess even targeted him. ¡°how could the human overlord retrieve the god¡¯s heart? ¡°you¡¯re telling me under such circumstances that the young fellow had escaped the collapse of the plane, and he also retrieved the god¡¯s heart right under the spider goddess¡¯s nose¡­ ¡°isn¡¯t that a fantasy story?¡± windsor¡¯s emotions were at their peak. she could not suppress the joy in her heart. she took a few deeper breaths afterward. she could not have been so emotional if she had received this news earlier. the feeling of being rekindled with hope was profuse after she experienced the despair. ¡°is this news true?¡± ¡°president vale personally informed me. he had just left¡­¡± ¡°are you sure?¡± ¡°yes, chairman.¡± ****** alves flapped his broken dragon wings and dashed toward solan city at its fastest speed. richard watched as the yellow sand on the ground swept past him. anticipation rose in his heart. this trip to solan city was different from the past. the crimson moon was about to arrive, and the new expansion pack was about to be released. at this critical moment, he had established a friendship with the upper echelons of the crimson moon. that would be invaluable to twilight city amidst a vital change. information was always the most valuable thing. one could ordinarily earn a lot of money but could critically repay his life at a crucial moment. richard could obtain vast benefits as long as he could get the plans of the crimson moon from the other party. in high spirits, richard arrived at solan city on the evening of november 22nd, illuminated by the setting sun. a middle-aged man wore the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce badge and immediately gathered around him with a large group of people just as he left alves there. they respectfully prepared a carriage and invited him to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. richard didn¡¯t have any objections to this. he didn¡¯t waste any time and followed the man into the city. they passed through the streets and alleys as they relived the prosperity of solan city. the carriage stopped before the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce complex building. richard went down the carriage and saw a graceful figure in a red aristocratic evening gown. the lady saw him, and she immediately revealed a bright smile. at this moment, her nearly perfect face gave people a stunning impact. her charm warmed the surrounding air. the surrounding guards had never seen this scene before. they widened their eyes, and their hearts seemed to have stopped beating. they stared fixedly at the figure with extraordinary temperament and could not return to their senses for long. richard was equally amazed, but his expression did not change. he stepped forward with clear eyes. he stopped and stood still. he looked straight at the beautiful figure with overwhelmed emotions. ¡°president windsor. ¡°i have retrieved¡­ the thing you want¡­¡± his flat tone became sweeter than any music in windsor¡¯s ears. she took a few deep breaths and could not suppress her emotions. she looked at him deeply and held her chest solemnly. she bowed most respectfully. ¡°lord richard¡­thank you for your efforts. ¡°you will always be a friend of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± a smile grew wider behind her. ¡°he¡¯s also my friend.¡± it was a light remark, but it carried ten times the weight in richard¡¯s eyes. the guards around him returned to their senses and looked at richard in shock. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce chairman bowed to this young man! what kind of existence was the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce? she possessed strength at the level of a tyrant in the desert of death! not even the princesses and princes of the kingdom had the right to be treated like this by their paragon! who was the other party to make chairman windsor treat him like this? amidst their shock, richard followed windsor to a giant building in the center of the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce¡¯s complex establishment. they took the alchemy elevator to the top floor, where they could overlook half of the city. at a glance, a figure who leaned against a mechanical wheelchair greeted them. he was the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store who had lost his heart, peim. peim¡¯s mouth cracked into a weak smile when he saw richard. ¡°young fellow, i didn¡¯t expect you could escape lolita¡¯s hands. ¡°you surprised me.¡± richard looked at him with a half-smile and did not answer. ¡®escaped from lolita¡¯s hands?¡¯ ****** Chapter 778 peim reached into the wooden box and held the heart in his hands. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the beating sound was as heavy and powerful as a drum. peim took a deep breath. he straightened his old and waning body and his chest. he slowly approached it. his black robe seemed to have a life of its own as it automatically tore apart and shortened in other directions. that revealed his chest afterward. richard focused his gaze and saw the empty chest. peim¡¯s heart had long disappeared. the flesh on the scarlet scar on the outside churned, and the bones and blood vessels exploded. it was bloody and terrifying. no one knew how the old white-haired man survived after he lost his heart. peim slowly inserted his heart into his empty chest under the gaze of richard. the heart found its home. the heart entered his chest, and boundless energy flowed from the blood vessels, muscles, and bones around the heart. that infused into the heart. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the beating sound suddenly sped. it was like one had played a video at three times the speed. his heart was like a fuel-filled engine. power engulfed every beat. its heart immediately became smooth and flowed into his limbs again after the sparingly chaotic energy passed through his heart. it was like one sprinkled the dried-up river with abundant water. the rolling flesh and blood began to grow again under the boundless energy. that revived the bones, flesh, blood, and veins. the more than 10-year-old scars quickly recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye. the fresh flesh covered the heart, and the ribs caged again after a dozen breaths. the outermost skin fully renewed from the inside to the outside. he was old and waning. it was like the wind could readily extinguish his candle-like life aura. but peim eventually retrieved his heart and renewed his physical body. that suddenly erupted with a terrifying pressure that was like an ancient dragon. the pressure fearlessly surged in all directions, with the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce as the center. the majestic pressure enveloped the entire solan city. on the city wall, the top general guard turned his head abruptly and looked into the city in horror. in the towering mage tower, the esteemed mage stood up in shock. in the luxurious manors, the nobles with titles raised their heads in shock! a question popped up in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°what was that?¡± such a powerful aura was not the city lord. this unfamiliar aura was even mightier than the city lord. was it more terrifying than a legend? ¡®demigods?¡¯ their breathing became heavy when this word appeared in their minds. richard felt the pressure even more intensely. the power of the yellow sand on his body subconsciously circulated and enveloped his entire body. he barely blocked the pressure under the full blast of the fire. peim initially aged but speedily regained his youth under richard¡¯s gaze. his white hair turned black, his wrinkled face regained its elasticity, and his age spots disappeared in a breath. peim had recovered to his fifties and was at the peak of his prime by the time the majestic aura dissipated. he took a deep breath and stretched out his right hand. he clenched his fingers. a cracking sound rang out. his gaze became highly overwhelmed. excitement and felicity shrouded him. he took a few deep breaths and suppressed his emotions. he turned slightly at richard with clear eyes. the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. ¡°young fellow, i owe you a big favor this time.¡± he had lost all hope. richard was just a last risky attempt. peim gambled for the last straw. the news about the planar destruction didn¡¯t disappoint him. he felt pity for richard instead. he expected defeat than a victory. however, he did not expect richard to survive and retrieve the god¡¯s heart while the soul-devouring spider goddess lolita targeted him. perhaps everything was the choice of fate. Chapter 779 ¡°what do you want?¡± richard said slowly. ¡°lord peim, all i ask is to honor our agreement.¡± ¡°that¡¯s all?¡± peim looked at him with interest. richard smiled. ¡°of course, if you are willing to give me eight or ten divine artifacts, i will not refuse.¡± pim laughed. ¡°you sure dare to dream.¡± peim waved his hand as soon as he finished speaking. the illusory silver scale stared at him in his hand. he placed a thin wing on one end of the scale. he tilted the weighing treasure due to its undetectable weight. the other end was empty. he gently rubbed the scale for a moment. then majestic energy surged out of peim¡¯s body. streaks of light turned into balls of light and landed on the other end of the scale under richard¡¯s somewhat absent-minded gaze. the wings tilted and gradually balanced the scale. the scale reached a boundary. those light balls shattered like glass and turned into flowing lights. they fused into the scale. a scroll gradually appeared on the newly empty scale afterward. after a few breaths, it condensed into a physical form. peim narrowed his eyes, and the energy in his body surged again. the miniature scroll flew away from the scale. every half an inch away from the scale of the scroll became three times wider. the scroll had already fully expanded when it landed peim¡¯s hands. this scene looked quite mystical. peim chuckled at richard¡¯s curiosity. ¡°young fellow, this must have shocked you, correct? this wishing scale was a genuine high-level divine artifact. it contained the power of laws for fair exchange.¡± ¡°the god of creation forged this divine artifact. its value is immeasurable.¡± he proudly raised his head as he spoke. ¡°i snatched this from the hands of that ancient red dragon!¡± some ancient ruins must have developed that ancient red dragon. but that was no longer important. what mattered most was the treasure in his hands. the divine weapon was not a sinner, although they were hostile to all gods. moreover, the god of creation forged it. that was a well-deserved treasure. richard looked at the old fellow¡¯s expression, and his mouth twitched. he recalled the first time he met him. this old fellow¡¯s personality made people disrespect him. ¡°here, this is the reward i promised you.¡± peim said as he handed over the scroll in richard¡¯s hand. ¡°this scroll can forcefully enslave a transcendent.¡± as peim spoke, richard could feel that he was in pain, but he forced himself to maintain his face. ¡°it¡¯s just a few small things. come and find me if you need anything in the future.¡± richard found it funny, but he no longer said anything. he reached out to receive it. he felt the boundless energy from the scroll and was overjoyed. he had planned for several months, anticipated unprecedented risks, and even became enemies with the evil god that could tremble the abyss. he did everything for this scroll. a precious and rare scroll. [contract scroll] [level: legendary] [special characteristic: it can forcibly enslave a transcendent lifeform and make it eternally loyal to the scroll holder.] [description: an extremely precious treasure.] richard was excited. this scroll represented too many meanings. twilight city could have transcendents from today onwards! the other dimensional planes merged into the desert of death, and the world would drastically change. the uncertainty of the future increased. transcendents were the power to step into another level. they represented the power to survive. twilight city could protect itself with the transcendents. he would add this to the trump cards he previously accumulated. now, he already had a strength no one could underestimate. he developed steadily for so long. it finally matured. Chapter 780 richard felt a sense of accomplishment. he placed the contract scroll into the system space. the smile on his face was bright and beautiful. ¡°lord peim, we have fulfilled our promises to each other. ¡°congratulations on your new life. ¡°this world awaits for you to change it.¡± peim laughed and looked at windsor. the other party gave him an equally brilliant smile. windsor seemed to have thought of something after the atmosphere eased up a little. she stepped forward and took out a crimson medal. ¡°teacher, you¡¯ve already recovered. this item belongs to its owner¡­¡± peim looked at the crimson medal and slowly shook his head after a moment of silence. ¡°no, windsor, this is already yours. ¡°there¡¯s no reason for you to doff the crown you¡¯ve already worn¡­i can¡¯t either.¡± he shrugged and smiled. ¡°right now, i have to listen to your orders.¡± he looked at windsor. she wanted to say something. but he waved his hand and interrupted her. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything more. if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. your performance during this period is already enough to sustain this heavy responsibility. ¡°the future belongs to you. ¡°you will ultimately give rise to this responsibility.¡± windsor looked at the old teacher¡¯s serious gaze and fell silent. she slowly nodded afterward. ¡°teacher, i¡­i won¡¯t let you down.¡± she slowly wore the crimson medal on her chest as she spoke. richard watched the scene and suddenly heard a familiar notification. [ding~ the crimson lord has already taken over her fate. no one can stop the rise of the crimson moon. that will release the new expansion pack on time. lords, please be prepared.] [ding~ ] the notification rang three times. richard¡¯s heart trembled as he turned to look at the elegant and graceful figure before him. the crimson medal tied to her chest dazzled as the sun. the crimson lord? these words were enough to bring endless imagination. that is even at a loss for information. half an hour later. richard left the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce with a grave expression. the head of the house leaned against the window in a daze when the carriage drove to violet manor. the coachman called him down, and he suddenly woke up. the first thing he saw when he got off the carriage was vale, the person with a cold temperament. ****** Chapter 781 ordinary residents seemed not to care about the future development of this world. that wasn¡¯t something they should be concerned about. the high and mighty noble lord was more worried than them. compared to the intangible things, the more important thing for them was where they would earn tomorrow¡¯s rations. violet manor. vale sent richard¡¯s order in a letter. richard returned to the hall with a heavy heart. at this moment, richard stood before the vast floor-to-ceiling window. he could see through the glass that dark clouds covered most of the sky and revealed only the faint moon. his deep eyes flashed with an incomprehensible light. ¡°has the order been sent out?¡± his tone carried a hint of coldness that was not usually present. vale¡¯s pitch-black eyes stared at the imposing figure under the illumination of the magic lamp. the worry in his heart inexplicably calmed down. he could solve all problems as long as he was there. he took a deep breath and calmed himself before he spoke softly. ¡°lord, we have sent the letter already. ¡°i have translated the order into a secret language i have critically researched. no one else knows about it. only master karu had the password. ¡°the soldiers who delivered the message were the shadow walkers her highness christy had asked us to find. these soldiers can walk freely in the shadows. ¡°we are in control of the shadow walkers. they will obey orders and be eternally loyal to us. ¡°the stone statues of the dead outside the city walls will escort the secret letter walkers to twilight city. ¡°we have produced three copies. we have sent each copy at ten minutes intervals and used three different routes.¡± richard heard everything and turned to look at the messenger with appreciation. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s presidential position in solan city was not as simple as a merchant association administrator. vale was also responsible for the information collection and transmission. he was the vital link to twilight city from the outside world. vale had not wasted time in the past few months. he had already built a framework. ¡°you did well.¡± ¡°have you encountered difficult problems to solve recently in violet merchantile association chamber of commerce?¡± vale knew that richard¡¯s few words about the matter must be enormously significant. it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for him to know, so he did not ask and replied softly. ¡°no one could hinder our development with her highness christy¡¯s care and president windsor¡¯s protection. ¡°we have currently established 30 shops. ¡°some are still under construction and are not yet in business. we estimated full operation in half a month at most.¡± christy and windsor were the princesses of solan city and the owners of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. these two gods took care of and protected the establishment. some small forces that wished to offend didn¡¯t dare to look at them. the nobles who could offend them would benefit only a few, so they weren¡¯t willing to make enemies. therefore, the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce developed steadily. vale said, his tone excited. ¡°our sales have increased. the black sorbet ice cream has become the most popular summer food in solan city. ¡°we can sell out all of them in less than an hour as long as we open our shop. ¡°several chambers of commerce even directly came to our shops to buy and trade them. ¡°we only sold the black sorbet that could cool off the heat for 20 units of ordinary resources. that was an irresistible temptation for the residents of the deep, hot desert.¡± it was too f*cking cheap. that was magical food. the poor beggars and refugees even had to spend a few times every few days. it was cheap and effective. it was a pure killing weapon. richard smiled. he had personally experienced the effects of black sorbet, so he naturally understood how attractive it was to people in hot areas. ¡°what about our competitors? the ice cream isn¡¯t hard to produce¡­¡± a smile appeared on vale¡¯s face. ¡°a few magus towers have seen our strong sales and launched similar products¡­ however, the price was generally as high as 500 units of ordinary resources due to differences in raw materials. ¡°although it can increase a certain amount of attributes, it¡¯s still too expensive compared to the black sorbet. ¡°only some nobles can afford it. ¡°in addition to the vast market capacity, the competitors were starkly no threat to us.¡± five hundred units of ordinary resources were not too expensive for ordinary people. it might be equivalent to half a day¡¯s salary for a dock worker in solan city. this thing was a consumable item. that was the uttermost problem. they could afford to eat at least 30 to 50 percent of the black sorbet. however, they wouldn¡¯t spend hundreds of units on the magus tower¡¯s products. richard nodded. the product positioning of the black sorbet was to enter the sinking market. coca-cola was his model. they would lose their uttermost cost advantage if they pushed through with the high-end market. every magus tower or noble could produce a product that could dispel the heat! it was just the cost. ¡°maintain the current momentum of steady development¡­ we will expand our food workshop that produces black sorbet further when the situation turned more stable. you should do a good job in the early stages of training the staff to prevent any problems from happening in the future.¡± they have planted raw materials on a large scale in the underground world. it wouldn¡¯t be long before richard would see the results. Chapter 782 richard had a brief chat about the black sorbet and suddenly thought of something and continued to ask. ¡°has the promotion of the magic music box in solan city been effective?¡± vale shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°we only have 10 elfin music boxes in our hands right now. we didn¡¯t promote them yet. ¡°there are too few of them. one can only use them as treasures in the auction house.¡± richard nodded. he had high hopes for this fantastic music player. however, the research and development of this treasure wasn¡¯t simple. progress did not happen. he would have to postpone it from the looks of it. he thought of this and recalled the words he had heard at the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. he shook his head. he couldn¡¯t develop quickly. the situation would turn upside down when the crimson moon rose. he didn¡¯t expect it to be this big, although he knew the new expansion pack would change in several ways. the return of the ancient gods would cause the entire world to recover. that would weaken and disperse the spatial barriers between the other and the primary plane. a large number of planes would connect to the primary plane. in particular, a power would connect those planes that hid the spirits of the ancient gods to the primary plane at the first possible moment. windsor personally told him this information. the first thing that came to richard¡¯s mind was ell, which had just appeared in the desert of death. in addition, news also spread that the desert of death would be a place where other dimensional planes would fuse in the future. the desert of death would welcome unprecedented changes at the rise of the crimson moon. one could not know the number of planes that would merge into the desert of death. twilight city would be the center of the storm. the pressure was heavy. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression turned grave, and vale called him out softly. richard turned to look at the internal officer¡¯s worried eyes and was stunned. vale suddenly held his chest and said in the most determined tone. ¡°no matter what happens, i will always stand by your side, lord. i will protect your glory with my life and soul!¡± that fixated tone made the suppressed emotions in his heart inexplicably dissipate a lot. a faint smile appeared on his face. most determined followers will always stay by his side regardless of future outcomes. he was not alone on his journey. he raised his head slightly and looked at the dark cloud-covered sky with a burning gaze. the pressure in his heart turned into a powerful fighting spirit. no enemy could make twilight city bow its head. it would never work even with gods! ¡°lord¡­¡± vale sensed a subtle change in richard¡¯s aura and called out hesitantly. richard reached out and patted the internal officer on the shoulder. his eyes returned to their usual calmness and indifference. ¡°vale, twilight city is about to face an unprecedented wave. ¡°we could not know anything about the enemies we are about to face. there might even be transcendents or existences above glorious-level.¡± his gaze hollowed deeper depths as he spoke. ¡°but nothing will shake our will to win regardless of the dangers. ¡°this time, twilight city will reach the end¡­no one can waver us!¡± vale left the hall with high spirits a few minutes afterward. richard watched the internal officer¡¯s back disappear and took a deep breath. he had promised windsor about the changes in the world. he couldn¡¯t tell vale too much. however, this internal officer in charge of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce was undoubtedly intelligent. he didn¡¯t ask anything and could sense a lot and even depths with just a few words. he shook his head and did not dwell on it. one¡¯s strength was still the only thing to rely on, regardless of the changes in the world. fortunately, his previous hard work had accumulated a decent deck of cards for twilight city. richard waved his hand to dismiss the maids in the hall. he sat on a soft chair, sipped hot tea, and opened the [forum chat]. ¡®what new information could these idiots have posted with such a massive change in the situation?¡¯ all the players gathered on the forum. sometimes, there would be posts of great value. he opened it and took a few glances. a familiar feeling assaulted him. [shocking! the system released the new expansion pack for this reason!] [the 120 sleeping postures that i have to say to the woman of the scarlet moon.] [the new expansion pack has been released. would there be any big shots to protect us? sob, sob, sob! i¡¯m a stout eagle, a cute girl. i attack from the front and suffer from the back.] an amalgamation of valuable, stupid, and worthless comments flooded the forum. the forums, where players actively express their thoughts, would always have the most lively atmosphere regardless of the situation. richard ignored the stupid posts and looked at the front page. one that pushed up high attracted his attention. [two or three conjectures about the crimson moon] [i am a believer in the sun god. since the crimson moon appeared in the sky some time ago, the entire sun sect has gone wild. they have used almost all their power to find information about the crimson moon.] [and as time passed by, it became increasingly urgent.] [those red-robed high priests who haven¡¯t appeared for a long time often wander around.] [according to my many direct and indirect inquiries, i finally deduced a piece of important news.] [the crimson moon is related to the gods that disappeared in ancient times.] [there was no record when i went to the sect¡¯s study room for such information. that puzzled me the most!] [i initially thought it was because the sect¡¯s collection of books was not comprehensive. i went to the empire¡¯s library afterward, and there was nothing. i also asked people to visit the other large cities¡¯ libraries, but i couldn¡¯t find any information. i even asked people to buy such information, but there was no such person. that was all i got.] [it was like someone had erased the history of those ancient gods that disappeared.] [so, could the crimson moon be one of those ancient gods? moreover, gods have a massive grudge against the current gods.] [once the other party appears, the current gods will be restless and even feel great fear.] [not only that. i came to the same conclusion after i observed others¡¯ posts from various sects.] [the gods are afraid of the crimson moon.] [i even tried to find and eliminate them.] [brothers, perhaps, this new version will involve a battle between the current and the ancient gods!] [when the time comes, everyone must open their eyes and choose a faction team.] [not only that, but i also received a vital piece of news yesterday.] [players will play a crucial role in this battle!] [we are the grace mainland lords, brand-new souls from another plane¡­whichever faction the team was in, the world¡¯s will would lean towards that faction.] [this is intensely important to the current and ancient gods who fought for the world.] Chapter 783 richard closed the [forum chat]. he felt the importance of the messages. once again, he ordered people to prepare a carriage. he went to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce under the night¡¯s cover. the information he obtained from the players was valuable. the players wouldn¡¯t understand the importance of this information, although the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce also had its player system to observe the player community. richard arrived at the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. he waited about half an hour, and sparingly tired windsor appeared. chairman windsor had not been idle after she bore her fate. she had even more work to do. richard did not waste any time. he told windsor the news he had just received, and she looked surprised and even sparingly solemn. then, they fell into a long silence. she eventually said in a slightly low tone. ¡°lord richard, i didn¡¯t expect us to make such a low-level mistake.¡± richard was curious. ¡°a low-level mistake?¡± windsor sighed at the man with a complicated look in his eyes. ¡°we initially thought that the planar power would like to see the ancient gods return¡­ however, after millions of years, the fake gods who stole divine power had formed new rules.¡± ¡°the world¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t incline towards the ancient gods anymore¡­ ¡°this war would be more chaotic than we initially expected.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke slowly. ¡°chairman windsor, we are friends. ¡°i will do my best if you need my help.¡± windsor smiled. ¡°lord richard, your information is already very precious to me. ¡°don¡¯t worry. we would have anticipation no matter how bad the situation would be if our opponents were the gods that could fill the sky. ¡°no one can stop the return of the ancient gods. ¡°the order of this world will eventually return to normal. ¡°we are the guardians of the rules, the guardians of the world. no one can break our power!¡± her tone was calm, but it carried an unshakable determination. how could she talk about destroying the gods without enough courage? richard sighed at the serious look in her eyes. perhaps he had underestimated the crimson moon. that was the main character of the next expansion pack. the future was bound to be brilliant. he nodded sparingly. ¡°i look forward to that day, chairman windsor.¡± ¡°praise crimson moon!¡± richard did not say anything else and turned around to leave afterward. windsor saw richard¡¯s back and smiled. at this moment, she truly felt he was on the same side as her. she took a deep breath and turned to look at the sky through the glass window. there was an indescribable sharpness in her eyes. no one could stop the crimson moon from its rise! in the next second, her body suddenly disappeared from where she was. richard returned to violet manor. he stopped working and had a good sleep. sleeping was still his fastest way to recover energy, even though the amount of sleep required decreased as his strength increased. richard woke up the next day. he didn¡¯t stay in solan city any longer after breakfast. the contract scroll was already in his hands, and the grand duke vampire in the blood coffin waited for something to happen. the kingdom of ell plane still waited for him to conquer. he felt a strong sense of urgency coupled with the news he had heard from windsor. ¡°time waited for me.¡± it was already the 23rd. only five days remained before the system would release the new expansion pack. an enormous change was imminent. richard had to go back and make arrangements. vale had already deduced a thing or two the other night. so he didn¡¯t ask richard to stay. instead, he repeatedly said that he needed to carry out orders and that the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce would do its best to complete them. richard thought highly of this intelligent officer. he spent a few moments of comfort and communication with him. the officer determined roughly the development route of the violet chamber of commerce in the massive change. richard didn¡¯t linger any longer and rode the carriage out of the city after a simple conversation. a carriage with the solan merchant union¡¯s insignia stopped before the violet manor a few seconds after richard left. then, a middle-aged lady in her early fifties alighted from the carriage and hurried into the manor. vale was surprised when he saw the lady. ¡°madam babina, welcome¡­¡± ¡°is her highness christy with you?¡± the middle-aged lady was the guard of the young princess christy of solan city. vale had seen her more than once. relief filled the middle-aged lady¡¯s eyes. ¡°her highness christy is studying martial arts and magic. she would only come back next month.¡± vale nodded with a subtle feeling in his heart. young princess christy promised to return stronger after something provoked her the last time they saw each other. it had been a while since their last meeting. vale didn¡¯t expect the young princess with divinity to really persevere. he was sparingly curious after he regained his senses. ¡°then what can i do for you?¡± the middle-aged lady¡¯s eyes were solemn. ¡°grand duke frostwolf wishes to meet the true ruler of the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce, the lord of twilight city, lord richard.¡± vale¡¯s heart skipped a beat. his gaze became extremely solemn. grand duke frostwolf. this name was a well-deserved legend in solan city. it possessed endless deterrence. he was the only ruler of solan city. a legendary ascetic! its battle power was so soul-strapping that the entire desert of death trembled. such a top-notch figure wanted to meet lord richard at this moment. why? anxiety immediately engulfed vale¡¯s heart. the ascetic was a legend, although he had absolute confidence in richard. he was also an ascetic with the highest battle strength among the legends. he was a terrifying existence that could dive deep into magma and swim into erupting volcanoes with its flesh and blood alone, and was unscathed under the dragon breath. not to mention that the entire solan city was at his beck and call. that was the true ruler, the most powerful person in the world. the middle-aged lady saw vale¡¯s worry, and her expression softened sparingly. ¡°officer vale, you don¡¯t have to worry. grand duke frostwolf has no ill intentions toward lord richard. ¡°the last time the abyss shattered, several demons appeared in the desert. the grace mainland lords sent word that they saw lord richard inside. and solid evidence manifested that lord richard quelled the unrest.¡± ¡°grand duke frostwolf is highly appreciative of such behavior. ¡°besides, her highness christy often mentions lord richard before the grand duke. ¡°grand duke frostwolf is quite curious about it, so he wants to meet.¡± vale finally relaxed a bit when he heard this. he took a deep breath and said slowly. ¡°unfortunately, lord richard left the violet merchantile association chamber of commerce half an hour ago. ¡°he urgently needed to deal with some things in twilight city. furthermore, there¡¯s a piece of news that a sandstorm is about to strike. my lord had to return to deal with the disaster and didn¡¯t have time to stay in the city.¡± he said apologetically. ¡°my apology to grand duke frostwolf. can we postpone the meeting for another time? ¡°i would immediately send a letter to lord richard. i¡¯ll inform him that he must quickly return after he took care of the sandstorm.¡± to reject a transcendent was a challenging task. however, this excuse was not too much of a problem. the sandstorm was coming. for those who lived around the desert, that would be very immersive. no one would comment on this. the lady¡¯s expression changed a bit when she heard this. then she remembered twilight city in the depths of the desert. they encountered a sandstorm that was simply too common. ¡°do you need our help?¡± afraid that he would misunderstand, she added. ¡°before lady christy advanced her studies, she told me i should do my best to help lord richard if he were in trouble.¡± vale¡¯s expression froze, and his impression of the young princess improved. he said softly. ¡°the lord already has a way to deal with it, but i can¡¯t leave him.¡± the lady didn¡¯t mind when she saw how confident vale was. after an exchange a few more pleasantries, the middle-aged lady turned around and left. vale looked at her back with a subtle expression. grand duke frostwolf wanted to see the human overlord. vale couldn¡¯t know whether the news was good or bad. finally, the middle-aged lady entered the carriage and immediately relayed the news. the lady who had passed on grand duke frostwolf¡¯s intention to meet richard sparingly frowned when she sat back in the carriage. she said slowly to the empty carriage before her. ¡°you said that the spatial rift in the abyss is really related to authority? had the grace mainland overlord also held it? ¡°additionally¡­ the human overlord left solan city so quickly this time. could it be that? had he sensed our arrival?¡± a cold voice sounded out of nowhere. ¡°the grand duke himself obtained the information. that couldn¡¯t be a mistake. ¡°we wouldn¡¯t have known that the grace mainland overlord so close to the young princess was involved if we didn¡¯t investigate the grace mainland lords who entered the spatial rift.¡± the middle-aged lady frowned even more. ¡°but, how can a grace mainland overlord control the power of authority?¡± the cold voice sounded complicated. ¡°that player¡­however, the strongest grace mainland overlord qingqiu. ¡°he was the strongest among the ten billion people or more. there must be something extraordinary about him! ¡°as for whether or not he obtained that authority, we¡¯ll know once we meet him. ¡°besides, we wouldn¡¯t hurt him.¡± the middle-aged lady narrowed her eyes. ¡°grand duke, have you touched the edge of that realm already? ¡°this is not something you should ask about¡­¡± Chapter 784 he couldn¡¯t suppress his fluctuating emotions even after he took a few deep breaths. that was the true ruler of twilight city! no matter what the situation was, he brought hope. ¡°yes, my lord! i¡¯ll go get it immediately!¡± he bowed again and turned to leave with excitement as soon as he finished speaking. footsteps sounded afterward. master karu returned with seven or eight guardian mummies. they carried a strange blood coffin, and the terrifying aura gave people a strong sense of intimidation. the blood coffin was closed but still gave people mindblowing pressure. it was like an evil god of the abyss slept in the coffin and would break out of its shell in the next moment. ¡®bang!¡¯ the blood coffin slowly landed on the ground. the surrounding soldiers immediately raised their vigilance and stared at it with empty eyes. the atmosphere became very heavy. richard¡¯s eyes flashed. the blood coffin had crossed the spatial passageway to help the [steamed bun lover] wipe out the beastmen. he found this blood coffin in the dwarf¡¯s treasure vault. inside, a transcendent vampire archduke slept. richard pondered and opened the black gold system. [blood coffin] [the vampire archduke sleeps inside, and one cannot awaken it.] [1. you can collect holy water, life water, and light gemstones to kill the opponent.] [2. one can place it in fresh blood to allow it to drink and recover its strength.] [3. drinking fresh blood could help it recover its strength.] richard shook his head after a moment of silence. twilight city comprised undead mummies, so there was no blood. as for the ordinary residents? that wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡®the archduke vampire drank blood to recover. how much power did ordinary people have?¡¯ he wouldn¡¯t sacrifice thousands of people. he thought for a while. he suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up. ¡°tower race!¡± there were currently more than 50 children in this race, but these children were not human. each was four to five meters tall and had strong muscles all over their bodies. they were all level 15 and above. it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to donate some blood. however, just to be safe. richard still ordered his men to go to the underworld and bring a troop of dungeon barbarians over. the barbarians in the dungeon were genuine lifeforms, and their blood surged with thick energy. the herald left for the underground world after richard gave the order. bloodhoof city had been on high alert because of the order from richard. several troops immediately passed through the two-way portal after they received the order and headed to twilight city through the land of quicksand. it was already late at night when they had prepared everything. outside twilight city. dozens of tower warriors, each about four to five meters tall, stood before the giant sandpit. a blood coffin stood quietly in the center of the sandpit. that shocked several people. it gave them a strong sense of discomfort. richard looked at it a few more times. he felt his hair stand on end. then, barbarians in the dungeon filled dozens of floors further. there was no noise in the air. instead, it was highly peaceful. one can only hear the crowd breathing. the cold moon hung on the side of the clouds like a millstone. the silver-white light poured down like mercury. it covered the entire desert with a layer of silver gauze. yellow sand surrounded the majestic figure in the sky. the figure stood calmly. it looked down at everyone. richard gave the order slowly when everything was ready. ¡°let¡¯s move.¡± he finished speaking. the tower race members stood before the sandpit, unhesitatingly picked up the giant daggers, and slit them against their wrists. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the blood from their wrists was like a fountain as it splattered out. ordinary people couldn¡¯t do this, but the divine body of the tower race was severely mighty. the blood pressure in their bodies was not something other lifeforms could compare to. more than a dozen tower race members moved at the same time. immediately, a thick smell of blood filled the air. that gave people a strange sense of terror under the moonlight. blood dripped into the sand pit, but the dried sand pit did not absorb the blood. instead, grains were like steel and rock that channeled the blood to slide across and flow toward the blood coffin in the center. a minute later, more than a dozen tower warriors retreated with pale faces. they turned around and left the sandpit with some weakness. they followed the path that was left behind and left the crowd. the tower warriors at the back took turns to fill in the gaps. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sharp blade slashed across their wrists, and blood splattered again. fifty tower race members or more with vast bodies finished donating blood, and the wide sandpit had already covered the bottom. the collected blood had soaked one-third of the blood coffin. the tower race left, and the barbarians in the dungeon behind them began to move. the size of the prison barbarians was not as exaggerated as that of the tower race, but one still could not underestimate their two meters average height. ¡®thud!¡¯ blood splashed in different directions. blood gradually filled the sand pit on the ground. thousands of warriors and barbarians left the blood collection area with pale faces. their accumulated blood submerged the blood coffin at this moment. the blood coffin had been silent all this while and suddenly emitted an evil and brutal aura. it was like a severely dark life awakened. ¡®gu gu gu!¡¯ bubbles appeared in the blood pool. that added a lot of terrifying aura to the already strange scene. the prison barbarians behind felt highly uneasy, and there was a faint commotion. however, the commotion immediately calmed down and blood flowed when they saw that the voice in the sky didn¡¯t move. richard¡¯s reputation in the underworld had already reached the level of a god. he could still be an immense motivator without saying a word. Chapter 785 one thousand, two thousand¡­ eight thousand, ten thousand¡­ the last barbarian soldier left the blood pool with a pale face. blood deluged the giant sandpit. due to the different rules of the ¡°shining era,¡± the amount of blood in the bodies of these life forms was far more than that of the life forms on planet blue. and more importantly, the blood contained boundless energy. the dungeon barbarians were all high-level warriors above level 10. there was also the blood of tens of thousands of high-level warriors and tens of tower warriors. blood comprised energy that could make a person explode. at this moment, a dense mana tide had already appeared above the blood pool. it even caused several city wall guardian mummies to turn their heads. dead souls didn¡¯t crave blood, but the negative energy contained in it was an immeasurable supplement for a soul. ¡®gu gu gu!¡¯ the bubbles in the blood pool grew increasingly vast. the aura that emitted from it became increasingly soul-tormenting. richard could sense that the blood coffin devoured the power of the blood and that it awakened the sleeping life. the archduke of the vampire race, a transcendent. evil has returned. ¡®buzz!¡¯ ¡®rustle!¡¯ suddenly, a strange cry and flapping wings sounded in the sky. richard turned to look. palm-sized creatures with wings, sharp teeth, and claws flew over. ¡°bats!¡± ¡®buzz!¡¯ the ear-piercing sound made people feel extremely uncomfortable. the bats from nowhere danced wildly above the blood pool. that gave off a soul-stirring, mind-boggling impact. everyone in the ¡°shining era¡± would associate bats with vampires. that was because these living beings that walked in the darkness were the symbols of cruelty. some powerful vampires could even transform into bats and fly. a few minutes of silent perception had passed, and richard slowly descended beside the blood pool. he focused his gaze. the energy in the bubbling blood pool quickly thinned at a speed visible to the naked eye. before long, it would sink to the bottom and lose its energy. but the sleeping existence in the blood coffin had yet to awaken. the amount of energy required to become a transcendent was simply too massive. richard was amazed. even tens of thousands of people could not satisfy the other party¡¯s needs. was this the transcendent? he pondered momentarily and waved his hand. thumb-sized crystals appeared out of thin air and emitted a nerve-cracking negative aura. there were numerous undead crystals. there was still a lot of this thing left. each contained a vast amount of negative energy. he just didn¡¯t know if it would work. richard unhesitatingly grabbed at the blood pool. ¡®plop!¡¯ they could hear the sound of pebbles thrown into the water. the undead crystals exploded when they came into contact with the blood. the energy inside surged overlapping waves and fused with the surrounding blood. that was significant! richard immediately became alert when he sensed that the energy of the blood recovered. he began to pour several undead crystals. he threw thousands inside. he only stopped when all the survivors were gone. but even now, the existence in the blood coffin still showed no signs of waking up. richard frowned. he pondered. he slowly took out a sharp blade and slammed it to his wrist. golden blood flowed out. the entire desert seemed to come alive at the same time. waves of majestic energy that surged from the surrounding yellow sand followed his blood into the blood pool. Chapter 786 richard had become a life blessed by the desert of death. his every move affected the desert. the blood pool became tender and beautiful after it received the majestic energy. the characteristic of vampires was that they used blood as a medium to devour energy. richard¡¯s blood finally broke the camel¡¯s back. ¡®gu gu gu!¡¯ the bubbles in the blood pool began to burst. the commotion was more than ten times greater than before. at the same time, a brutal aura ten times more ferocious than before gushed out. that vampire that had slept for unknown longevity rose. good fortune comes to the heart. richard subconsciously took out the contract scroll. he smeared the fresh blood on the scroll and injected his soul power. then, he gently threw the contract scroll into the blood pool. it was like the contract scroll had a life of its own. it dazzlingly exploded after it fell into the blood pool. it fell directly onto the blood coffin. in the next moment, countless inscriptions floated on the contract scroll. then, those inscriptions turned into nothingness and penetrated the blood coffin. they fused into it. the glow of the contract scroll dimmed and turned into a piece of waste paper when all the runes disappeared. ¡®kacha!¡¯ cracks suddenly appeared on the blood coffin. the evil and brutal aura that already surged increased by a hundredfold. the entire heaven and earth dimmed at this moment. the moonlight that brought peace and serenity to the people in the sky turned extremely cold at this moment. it was as if one had become the servant of darkness. ¡®bang!¡¯ a fist pierced through the crack-filled coffin. the dull sound was like a heavy drum that thumped one¡¯s heart. that caused one¡¯s mind to tremble. the pale white fist was so eye-catching in the blood pool. it had become translucent due to the loss of energy. richard¡¯s pupils constricted as he stared at the bottom of the pool. however, something happened before he could see the next scene. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crack-shrouded blood coffin exploded. a black shadow broke through the blood pool like lightning and rushed into the sky at a speed difficult to catch with the naked eye. the surrounding soldiers who had yet to leave looked up subconsciously. ¡®thud!¡¯ the black lightning suddenly spread its wings in the air. blood splattered in the air. that evil and brutal aura was like thousands of surging rivers. the extraordinary aura crushed everyone¡¯s hearts without any restraint. heaven and earth fell silent. that gave rise to the transcendents of twilight city. ****** Chapter 787 the delight in his heart almost overflowed. ¡°level 22!¡± moreover, one could not discount her attributes. six beyond a-rank skills¨Cviscount of darkness, bloodthirsty¡¯s body, blood rage, scarlet bat, blood freeze, and scarlet shield. none is trash, but all are purely soul-excruciating. in addition, there was an even more perverse legendary skill, the pale hand. the battle power of this vampire archduchess far exceeded richard¡¯s expectations. not to mention the remaining skills, [hero characteristic: (blood descendant) ¡ª it can nurture a blood clan hero.] [race characteristic: (feelings¨Cbat) ¡ª it could swap positions with a bat. that would have an unexpected effect in battle.] there was additional. [extraordinary characteristic: (dark apostle) ¡ª it could make one¡¯s body sink into nothingness and freely travel between the primary and the hidden plane.] this transcendent was simply omnipotent. not only was its attack ferocious. its defense was also unsolvable. it also had outstanding break-out and ambush skills. the effort richard had put in over the past few months had finally paid off. ¡°hahahaha!¡± at this moment, the vampire archduchess, loreinna, slowly descended under the watchful eyes of the surrounding tens of thousands of soldiers. she landed before richard. ¡®shua!¡¯ she stood on the ground, and a pair of broad and malevolence-filled bat wings quietly shrank back beneath. they directly disappeared in the span of a breath. at the same time, the sharp teeth at the corner of her mouth slowly retracted. in the blink of an eye, this vampire archduchess who had suppressed thousands of troops had transformed into a beautiful and elegant noble girl. she exuded a soul-stirring aura. its dark-pattern-engraved red robe and chest seemed to be about to explode. that gave off a mind-blowing impact. her long silver hair hung loosely behind her head. a gentle breeze blew past, and a few strands of hair playfully clung to her fair face. she held her head high and revealed her snow-white neck. her steps were light, and her silver eyes were as bright as the moon in the sky. the scene would have been a war scene if it weren¡¯t for the countless bats that circled in the sky, the blood that dripped down her face, and the sharp teeth and bat wings that intimidated the troop in the night. no one could have imagined that this noble girl, whose elegance filled her every move, would be the messenger of darkness, the source of evil that tasted blood. vampire archduchess loreinna. this extraordinary being approached richard under the watchful eyes of the crowd. she placed her right hand on her chest and knelt on one knee. her initially highly-held head slowly fell to the ground and bowed most humbly. ¡°lord, loreinna ferrari offers her loyalty to you.¡± she spoke in the common language, so there was no communication barrier. the vampire archduchess finished her greetings. richard quickly felt a tighter connection between him and the vampire archduchess. he could sense a distinguished power in her mind. he controlled her soul. he could use that distinguished energy to destroy this dark life form with extraordinary power whenever he pleased. [ding~ a transcendent has joined your troop. your legend level has increased by one point.] the sudden system notification made richard feel even better. ¡°no need to be so polite¡­ loreinna, congratulations on your new life.¡± ¡°from now on, twilight city will be your new abode.¡± the silver-haired, silver-eyed vampire archduchess slowly got up and looked straight at richard. the undulating mountains on the archduchess¡¯s chest became remarkably majestic as richard looked at them from a close distance. that made people wonder how that not-so-plump figure grew into such a pair of stalwart alp. but at this moment, richard was more interested in the other party¡¯s origins and history. ¡°loreinna, why have you slept?¡± the archduchess¡¯s exquisite face revealed some memories. ¡°lord, i once built a powerful castle with 100,000 vampires or more.¡± ¡°however, the blood race became powerful and attracted the attention of many factions. the sun sect was one of them.¡± ¡°their arch-cardinal attacked my castle with a semi-divine weapon forged from the fire of the sun¡­ ¡°the other party used a quasi-relic to dispel the darkness. that had enormously reduced the strength of the vampires, and it was difficult for them to continue. ¡°i was severely wounded when the enemies breached the castle. i couldn¡¯t recover even after i swallowed blood. i could only sleep to repair my damaged soul and heart. i had no choice but to flee to the ice empire, where the sun sect was the weakest. ¡°i fell into a deep slumber before, in a place not far from the ice empire, i rebuilt a castle in the ground. ¡°i didn¡¯t know what happened after that until you woke me up.¡± her tone was cordial. her voice was sparingly cold, but it was light-hearted to the ear. for some reason, richard felt like he could see a hint of windsor and christy in her, the elegance and calmness great nobles alone could deliver. ¡°did you leave behind any treasures before you fell asleep?¡± loreinna shook her head. ¡°the sun sect took over the wealth accumulated over thousands of years following the breaching of the castle.¡± ¡°the rebuilt of the castle has cost me the rest of my remaining treasures.¡± she seemed to have thought of something as she spoke and turned to look at the blood pool. ¡°only this blood coffin is a top-notch treasure¡­¡± richard followed the duchess¡¯s gaze and saw the blood coffin. hundreds of shattered pieces of the coffin floated above the pool of blood. it looked particularly miserable. Chapter 788 ¡°is there anything else?¡± there was a hint of apology in loreinna¡¯s eyes. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, lord. i didn¡¯t regain my consciousness at that time¡­¡± richard waved his hand and did not dwell on such a trivial matter. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i don¡¯t need these treasures. you¡¯re the biggest gift from sunset city.¡± loreinna¡¯s eyes curved slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a comfortable smile. richard clicked his tongue in wonder. elegance never ceases to be relevant. he pondered for a moment. he seemed to have thought of something and asked with interest. ¡°the ancient castle you rebuilt before still exists. on your return, can you take over the vampires again?¡± this transcendent had a distinguished attribute. [special identity: (archduchess of the vampire clan ¡ª increases deterrence against the vampire clan by 70%. it can directly subdue vampire soldiers below the earl level in the wild. can attract vampire heroes to come and join.] [moreover, the hero talent, blood kin, could nurture blood clan heroes¡­ the person who had rebuilt the castle to protect her in her slumber was likely her descendant.] loreinna said gently. ¡°if the demon descendants i left behind were still here, i could take over directly¡­ however, if the castle already had a new ruler, it would need to be destroyed before i could take over.¡± her tone was confident and reassuring, although there was no hint of guarantee. the transcendent¡¯s words contained immense power no matter how calm they were. richard nodded slightly. ¡°i¡¯ll leave this matter to you. i¡¯ll get the void sandworm later to open the spatial coordinates of that ancient castle.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard no longer stayed after a brief conversation. he waved his hand, summoned popov, the leader of the tower race, and had it command the troop to disperse. interestingly, this warrior was over eight meters tall and sturdy as a city wall. it did not even dare to breathe blatantly before the human overlord. these two were opposites. the other was a skinny existence at 1.75 meters tall. level 19 and 22, the difference was only three levels. however, popov could sense that if the other party wanted to kill the patriarch, it couldn¡¯t last more than a breath. transcendents were not existences that one could calmly deal with. richard did not pay much attention to it. he turned around to lead the elegant vampire archduchess back to the lord¡¯s mansion. he had accomplished the main task. he naturally did not need to do something as trivial as cleaning up the battlefield. richard sat on a chair and stared at the extraordinary figure before him. the smile on her lips never disappeared. ¡®transcendents, this was extraordinary!¡¯ half a year ago, this was an existence he did not even dare to imagine. now, such a life form had become a member of twilight city and a subordinate willing to sacrifice her life and soul for him. the sense of accomplishment and excitement in his heart was difficult for outsiders to fathom. how comfortable. the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. he could do many of the plans he had previously accumulated with the transcendents in his hands. he had invested much effort in the s-rank mission and the contract with loreinna because transcendents were indispensable in twilight city. he could push forward unexplored areas of great value with the help of loreinna. a contract with loreinna was not the final goal but only the beginning. it includes the ell plane, where the two fallen princesses lived. and also where one broke the laws and gave rise to centaur emily. another is the dark dungeon that imprisoned existences above transcendents. in addition, one would release a new expansion pack that would allow the other planes to merge with the desert of death. loreinna, the blood kindred archduchess, had to bear a vast responsibility. it was no exaggeration to say that the other party was the next in his series of development plans for twilight city. she is of the most crucial parts. fortunately, this vampire landed safely. he had obtained this great killing weapon of great significance. months of hard work were not in vain. loreinna seemed to have thought of something and walked up behind him when she saw richard in deep thought. richard only felt a light fragrance, and then ten slender fingers slowly pressed on his head. his body tensed up at first, but then he immediately relaxed. the girl behind him seemed to be particularly familiar with the acupuncture points of the human body. although the massage technique was immature, it immediately made him feel comfortable. comfort resided in his heart. that was the most satisfying thing. one could not easily find comfort in extraordinary service. moreover, she was a vampire famous for her good looks. a moment later, richard felt something odd. as loreinna¡¯s movements increased, the mountains would occasionally crash into the back of his head and create dents. that would be a double impact. however, a series of hurried footsteps sounded before he could enjoy it longer. the gray-haired karu walked over with a solemn expression. he entered the room and ignored loreinna. the archduchess seriously massaged richard behind. karu urgently reported. ¡°lord richard, lord fay has sent a message¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°fay? dark valkyrie?¡± it had been almost two months since xina and the dark valkyrie left twilight city. they were supposed to return in a month, but there was no sign of them. that was the first time they had sent a letter back. richard sat up straight and spoke in a grave tone. ¡°what did she say?¡± master karu said with a trembling voice. ¡°a force had dragged the krina tribe into an unfamiliar dimension, and the kobold god has not died!¡± ****** Chapter 789 he said slowly, ¡°where did they see the kobold god?¡± karu handed over the letter in his hand. ¡°here, please, look¡­¡± richard took it, opened it, and looked at it carefully. the content of the paper was plain. it was what karu had said without any details. except that richard couldn¡¯t understand the last line. one wrote it in a few obscure hardly-recognized characters. he frowned sparingly and hesitated as he tried to spread his mental energy. he came into contact with those few characters, and a piece of information suddenly surged into his mind. [my lord,] ¡°the aura of dark valkyrie¡­¡± that shook the spirit of richard, and he increased the input of his spiritual power. in an instant, the characters shone brightly and became resplendent. the energy accumulated to a certain extent, and an exceptional piece of information appeared in his mind. he carefully comprehended, and his eyes gradually lit up. the message contained the details of what happened to xina and dark valkyrie after they left twilight city. in the vast desert, xina used a lot of effort to find the krina tribe that failed to respond to her messages. however, xina did not expect the tribe had become extremely blurry. the terrifying spatial energy isolated everything. however, just as they thought about how to enter, a spatial storm suddenly swept up and enveloped the surrounding 50 kilometers. xina and dark valkyrie missed to dodge in time, and the storm dragged them in. they woke and realized the unfamiliar plane with countless ferocious and terrifying insects. the body structure of an insect was a first-class pervert. those trampled-to-death creatures became four to five meters tall, or even twenty to thirty meters tall, and became intensely soul-excruciating and brutal. the krina tribe encountered the giant monsters known as the wright insect race. fortunately, that area was in turbulence, and the other plane had not completely enveloped the krina tribe. the top overlord of the wright insect race could not enter, which gave the krina tribe time to catch their breath. but even so, in the face of the endless attacks of those giant worms, the losses were intensely tragic. xina and dark valkyrie found the krina tribe. they immediately reunited with them and fought against the wright insect race at the front line day and night. a crimson moon suddenly rose in the sky a week ago. that slowed the wright insect race¡¯s attacks down. they finally had time to find the exit. however, the space in that area was chaotic. that made the tribe helpless. xina and dark valkyrie couldn¡¯t find a spatial rift to escape. the chief of the krina tribe sent the letter using a treasure. xina and dark valkyrie left early and missed the battle where the kobold god attacked twilight city. the two still didn¡¯t know that windsor had forcefully pulled the soul of the kobold god. they knew the kobold god was still alive because the space was blurry. the area where the storm gathered was not only connected to one plane. they saw with their eyes that the kobold god sat on the high throne and stared fiercely at the krina tribe through the spatial turbulence. and that was half a month ago. xina and dark valkyrie could sense that familiar aura, although the kobold god didn¡¯t move due to the spatial turbulence. furthermore, all the female warriors of the krina tribe had verified the identity of the kobold god. the kobolds appeared, and the curse sealed in their bodies became abnormally restless. one couldn¡¯t fake that feeling. the kobold god set the curse on the krina tribe. dark valkyrie also reminded richard to pay extra attention to the kobold god in the letter. richard felt sparingly emotional. he quietly thought of the two gods that slept in the ancient god statues¨Cthe dwarf god and the god of deception. these two gods had resurrected from the dead. they were enough to show how difficult it was to deal with the gods. one of the messages followed excited richard. xina had already crossed the threshold of level 5 and had successfully advanced to 17 after more than two months of battle. she worked hard to reach a higher level. meanwhile, dark valkyrie¡¯s level rose to an exaggerated 19th level, and she had even triggered a promotion mission. she only needed to kill a transcendent to step into another level. their initial idea of going out to train and level up had ended perfectly. however, xina and dark valkyrie were dissatisfied. they explained the situation to richard. they expressed their aspiration to incessantly fight with the wright insect race in this plane and advance to a higher level. however, this was only with richard¡¯s permission. they would return immediately whenever twilight city needed them. in the end, the hero and boss unit said in the letter. the krina tribe would soon join the twilight city after persuasion. all that matters is that he must bring them out of that dangerous place with chaotic space. in the end, there was remarkable energy attached to it. it was the spatial coordinates of the krina tribe. richard digested the information and frowned. a spatial storm blurred a large area. more than one plane had fused. a power resurrected the kobold god from the dead or a cunning rabbit with three burrows. the news about xina and dark valkyrie had far exceeded his expectations, and he saw that a gigantic storm would approach soon. the krina tribe was at the center of the storm. the storm had swept into it, and the outcome was still unknown. he thought of more. planes with remnants of ancient god power would build a passage with the primary plane. that was the information that windsor personally told richard. Chapter 790 richard will go there personally in the future! ¡°lord, do we need to send a troop to bring lady xina and lady fay home?¡± the voice awakened richard. he turned to look at karu and shook his head. ¡°no! no matter what happens now, the troops cannot leave twilight city.¡± he looked at the moon that hung high in the night sky through the large floor-to-ceiling window as he spoke. ¡°twilight city faces dangers that aren¡¯t lesser than those the krina tribe faces. ¡°we couldn¡¯t guess how many enemies still hid in the dark¡­we had to deal with them with our strongest stance.¡± who could predict and say the future? although twilight city had not yet become the center of a storm like the krina tribe. twilight city was the core of everything. the troop had to stay behind before the situation became uncertain. there was no room for negotiation. master karu took a deep breath. he pondered for a moment. then he gravely said, ¡°lord, since we can¡¯t mobilize a large troop, we might as well use the void sandworms to send a small unit to scout for information. ¡°although the current situation is unclear, no matter what changes will occur in the future, we will still have to restore stability until we reach the final balance. ¡°when the time comes, we will have a choice to advance or retreat¡­ ¡°especially since we have to pay close attention to the kobold god. he¡¯s our mortal enemy, so we can¡¯t care less.¡± richard nodded approvingly. ¡°old words¡­¡± he no longer cared whether it was already late at night. he immediately got up and headed for the quicksand. the void sandworms were responsible for communicating with the kingdom of ell. the land of quicksand became the best home ground to prevent any accidents. they could suppress the enemies with the god¡¯s ancient tree while it guarded the quicksand if they encountered any accidents. no matter where it went, it would be futile if the god¡¯s ancient tree could not suppress them. vampire archduchess loreinna followed closely behind. they left the lord¡¯s mansion, and endless yellow sand swirled around richard as he flew away. a pair of broad and malevolence-filled bat wings behind loreinna suddenly spread out. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a few powerful air currents immediately lifted her into the air. when this vampire with an overwhelming feminine charm revealed some of the characteristics of the blood clan, her elegant temperament would suddenly become flirtatious. an alluring aura shrouded her being, although the style was completely different. richard turned his head to take a look and then ignored her. he brought loreinna to the land of quicksand in less than a minute. the silver moonlight poured down like water. the vast yellow sand was no longer as hot as it was during the day. it was more gentle. the god¡¯s ancient tree was as vast as a primitive life that had lived for millions of years. it towered over the quicksand. a space gate opened beside him. one was a two-way portal to the underground world, and the other was to the holy land. the space gap that connected to the kingdom of ell had been closed. richard and loreinna landed together before the god¡¯s ancient tree. the vampire archduchess had just stabilized when she felt a vast aura rose from the abomination tree. this level 17 boss stared at loreinna with extreme vigilance. it was as if it was ready to attack at any order. the giant twisted human-faced tree looked at her as if she were a great enemy. transcendents exude heavy pressure on this boss even if one didn¡¯t do anything hostile yet. that was the difference in strength. the god¡¯s ancient tree possessed the abomination and rotten authority after transformations. it was arduous to bridge this gap. as the two top-notch combatants faintly faced each other, a vast figure fell from the tree trunk with a bang. its knees stomped into the soft quicksand. yellow sand flew everywhere. ¡®creak! creak! creak! the behemoth slowly straightened up and revealed its actual appearance. it was a rock more than six meters tall. an indescribable sense of power engulfed the figure. behind the figure were 32 dark servants. that made the figure extremely eye-catching. the dark soul eater, kratos, the level 19 boss who guarded the ell kingdom with the god¡¯s ancient tree, stared at loreinna with a burning gaze. loreinna retracted her pair of broad and malevolence-filled bat wings and returned to her elegant human form. that gave off more pressure than the spider goddess¡¯s favorite, the wax demon. ¡°good evening¡­lord.¡± the two top bosses greeted richard in unison. richard nodded. he ignored everyone else and looked up at the sky. it was initially a space gap that led to the kingdom of ell. ¡°where¡¯s gunter and gray?¡± kratos said in a low voice as it looked away from loreinna. ¡°the two princesses invited them to the kingdom of ell to discuss how to deal with the raging blood duke.¡± it wasn¡¯t easy to fight against a kingdom with a complete military system. they couldn¡¯t lead three to five thousand troops to invade the capital city and defeat the raging blood duke even though twilight city had transcendent overseers. that was pure nonsense. the probability of failure was a hundred times higher than success before knowing the opponent¡¯s trump card. besides, the raging blood duke was more than ten times stronger than twilight city. the other party now controlled the entire kingdom of ell. the only transcendent in his hands could be on par with him. it might not even be the case. the raging blood duke was even involved with the evil god of the abyss. this time was too sensitive. ¡°guard this place incessantly. bring the two princesses back immediately if anything unexpected happens.¡± the identities of the two fallen princesses were the key to reclaiming the kingdom of ell. Chapter 791 the difficulty of invading and conquering wasn¡¯t the same as escorting the princesses back to the throne. twilight city would end up as an outsider and invader without them. richard summoned the void sandworms after a simple reminder. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sand under the ground rolled to both sides like a whale that emerged from the sea surface. in the spectacular scene of sand that flew everywhere, a dark golden void sandworm covered in countless mysterious runes slowly crawled out of the yellow sand. its vast body dimmed the surrounding light. a hint of curiosity appeared in loreinna¡¯s silver eyes. ¡°my lord¡­i can feel the boundless void energy contained within this life form.¡± richard turned to look at her and smiled. the void sandworm had received repeated praises from the top-notch big shot who had rubbed the plane in the first dungeon. richard no longer explained and stepped forward to look at the oppressive behemoth before him. he slowly stretched his arm and pressed it on the other party¡¯s rough skin. richard¡¯s spiritual power spread and entered the behemoth¡¯s mind with a prickling sensation. the void sandworm now had the wisdom of a human at the age of 12 or 13. communication was relatively convenient other than some incomplete knowledge. richard transferred the energy that represented the spatial coordinates left behind by dark valkyrie to the other party. he retracted his hand when he confirmed that the behemoth received it already. the eyeless void sandworm tilted its head as if it pondered about something. then, it slowly retreated a distance. it stopped, and the runes on its body began to glow like a tsunami afterward. the boundless energy gradually distorted the surrounding void. it moved. that lifted richard¡¯s spirit and shook his men. the surrounding space rippled like water, and cracks gradually appeared as the thick void energy surged. the void exploded after it reached a limit. however, that scene did not happen behind the void. that shattered the space, and countless sharp glass shards shot out from behind. that also covered the surrounding hundred meters. ¡®thud!¡¯ thousands of arrows as large holes appeared and seemed to have pierced the ground. yellow sand flew everywhere. spatial fragments could still tear the giant dragon apart even if it were to venture deep into it. fortunately, that didn¡¯t affect the void sandworm far away from this area. a spatial storm. richard¡¯s face was delicate. the dimension where xina and dark valkyrie were was more dangerous than richard had expected. the spatial storm that could tear everything apart gradually calmed down after five minutes. that restored the void behind. the unaffected void sandworm, which had not suffered any damage, approached dejectedly. a wave of spiritual energy spread out. [lord, i¡¯ve tried my best. the spatial turbulence is too ferocious. i couldn¡¯t deal with it. i couldn¡¯t enter the coordinates now.] [this chaotic space will take at least one to two months to calm down.] ¡®another month or two?¡¯ richard touched the void sandworm¡¯s rough skin and said nothing else. according to this trend, it would be difficult for xina and dark valkyrie to return anytime soon. richard could only let the two continue to level up. but this could still be good. the spatial storm subsided, but one could not know if two more transcendents would join twilight city. richard no longer dwelled too much on this matter. he suddenly thought of the blood clan¡¯s ancient castle just as he was about to leave. he could do it since he still had time. he immediately sent the coordinates of the vampire castle the idiot had found to the void sandworm. ¡°open the coordinates.¡± the void sandworm became energetic again. it retreated a distance, suppressed its energy, and activated the power. the space rippled and cracked again. it suddenly collapsed after it reached a limit. the spatial storm struck again. that was what was surprising! richard¡¯s pupils constricted. that also affected the vampire castle! the storm subsided, and the void sandworm became listless again. [lord¡­i¡¯m sorry¡­] the mind of a twelve or thirteen-year-old was about to recover. it had been embarrassed twice before the most respected lord, and this blow was not a pushover. richard didn¡¯t mind. he turned to look at loreinna beside him after a few words of comfort. the vampire castle had thousands of high-level and top-tier troops. that was not a weak force. no matter what, he had to let loreinna go. he immediately had a goal as his thoughts spurned. he sent the other spatial coordinates to the void sandworm and asked it to open the spatial passageway. he took the opportunity to open a private chat while the void sandworm did it. [qingqiu: i will send a hero to your territory. you take her to the vampire castle.] the recipient immediately replied. [recipient: boss qingqiu, you¡¯ve decided to attack the vampire castle? you don¡¯t need to send people to investigate. i¡¯ve already figured out all aspects of that ancient castle.] richard smiled. [qingqiu: investigate? no, i would send the hero to conquer the vampire castle.] [steamed bun lover] was enthralled. ¡®a hero that would conquer the vampire castle?¡¯ [steamed bun lover: don¡¯t be rash, boss. for some reason, the strength of the vampire castle has suddenly become much mightier. that vampire marquis has already reached level 19.] [qingqiu: the strength of the current vampires is not something that the beast men of the past can compare to.] breaking through the castle shouldn¡¯t be a problem with richard¡¯s power. however, sending a hero still astonished [steamed bun lover]. richard no longer explained further. [qingqiu: just do what i told you. you don¡¯t have to worry about the rest.] richard closed the private message and ignored the other party¡¯s succeeding message. [steamed bun lover], on the other side, could not help but grit his teeth. this time, no matter what, he couldn¡¯t disappoint qingqiu. his troop could also hold them back! he knew the value of this golden thigh. he would pay if he had to. he definitely could not retreat. otherwise, how would the boss help him next time? the void sandworm opened a spatial rift again that led to the territory of the [steamed bun lover] while the two sides conversed. this vast creature immediately became spirited when it no longer saw chaotic space flow. it felt proud at the same time. it did not disappoint its lord¡¯s expectations! richard also became sparingly cautious when he saw this. he turned to look at the elegant vampire archduchess beside him. ¡°loreinna, after you pass through the spatial passageway, immediately follow the grace mainland lord to the blood clan¡¯s castle and take it back. ¡°try to preserve your strength as much as possible, and don¡¯t cause too many casualties. ¡°that grace mainland lord is one of us. don¡¯t hurt him.¡± loreinna¡¯s eyes lit up. that would be her first mission. she couldn¡¯t afford to make mistakes. ¡°as you wish.¡± she bowed elegantly and disappeared into the spatial rift. the spatial rift returned to its original state in the next second. maintaining the spatial rift for a long time would require a lot of energy. the immature void sandworm couldn¡¯t last that long. richard no longer lingered. he returned to twilight city afterward. nothing unexpected would happen to loreinna when she headed to the vampire castle. she could suppress enemies unless transcendents appeared. however, she flew off the ground and suddenly had a thought and turned her head to look at the spatial passageway beside the god¡¯s ancient tree. it was the passageway to the holy land¡­she sensed carefully and narrowed her eyes. it seemed that¡­the immature planar consciousness called her out. ¡°what was going on?¡± the call puzzled her. she immediately approached the spatial passageway. a special message surged into her mind when she stepped into the holy land. the headless golden divine corpse one had brought out of the dungeon, and one has suppressed deep in the ground! it struggled to resist the planar power! at this moment, the weak holy land was gradually unable to suppress the other party. the planar consciousness asked her for help. this information shocked richard. ¡°the headless golden divine corpse¡­still alive?¡± Chapter 792 a male player in his early twenties saw his actions who had kicked a short buzz cut and looked at him in confusion. ¡°brother, what¡¯s wrong? did something happen?¡± [steamed bun lover] turned to look at his cousin with a proud expression. ¡°[gang zi], boss qingqiu sent me a private message just now. he said he would be sending a hero over.¡± the player called [gang zi] immediately became excited. ¡°brother, do you know that qingqiu?¡± [steamed bun lover] glanced at him in disgust. ¡°damn it, do you think i¡¯m kidding?¡± he waved his hand. ¡°come with me. a faction established with twenty players couldn¡¯t be that impressive. one must know boss qingqiu¡¯s subordinates. ¡°boss qingqiu will let you eat your fill just by dropping a little from the gap between his fingers if you catch his attention. ¡°he used the seed of the world tree as a bargaining chip in exchange for the protection of twilight city in the last public dungeon that all players participated in.¡± [steamed bun lover] had witnessed how qingqiu slaughtered in all directions in the final battle. that scene was still fresh in his memory. it had been three to four months since that dungeon, and his territory had yet to catch up to the twilight city from three to four months ago. the more he developed, the more he understood how valuable the top spot among the billions of players was. furthermore, the other party had grown for a few months now. [steamed bun lover] didn¡¯t speculate what kind of power the twilight city had now. [gang zi] was a little stunned when he saw the admiration and gaze of [steamed bun lover]. ¡°brother, it¡¯s true that qingqiu is powerful, but it¡¯s not as unbelievable as you say¡­ our faction isn¡¯t weak.¡± [steamed bun lover] glanced at him disdainfully. ¡°what do you know about hammers? ¡°your faction is nothing. i¡¯m afraid boss qingqiu¡¯s troop will crush you in one round.¡± [gang zi] widened his eyes. ¡°brother, are you kidding? qingqiu was powerful, but he couldn¡¯t be invincible. that was the main plane, not an instance dungeon. he could fight against a hundred in the dungeon because the death arena fighting ring limited the number of troops!¡± [gang zi] said proudly. ¡°our faction has more than two legions of high-level soldiers above level 10!! moreover, one-third of these potentials had reached the glorious tier! ¡°i don¡¯t believe anyone can defeat us in one wave, not even qingqiu!¡± in his opinion, the strength of their faction might be incomparable to the top players. but it was still to a first-rate guild. ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to defeat them with qingqiu¡¯s strength. the number one player was not just for show. he had to spend some effort no matter what, right? ¡°it would take some time to kill tens of thousands of pigs.¡± [steamed bun lover] looked at his cousin he had only contacted two days ago when he went to do a mission and waved his hand. ¡°you should open your eyes more. you should move out of that remote and barren place earlier. you¡¯ve been circling for so long that you don¡¯t know how big the world is. ¡°you still want me to bring my troop to join you with a handful of force?¡± [steamed bun lover] said that, and one cannot argue with him. ¡°let¡¯s go! follow me out to welcome boss qingqiu¡¯s subordinates.¡± [gang zi] was not convinced when he heard this. he was the leader of more than 20 players and had tens of thousands of troops under his command. however, he did not say anything else when he saw that [steamed bun lover] didn¡¯t say anything more. his expression returned to calmness. he did not lack the intelligence to survive in the ¡°shining era¡± and even pull up a faction. [gang zi] walked out of the hall. he seemed to have thought of something and looked at [steamed bun lover] beside him. he asked curiously, ¡°brother, why did qingqiu send a hero here? the goal was? about the vampire castle that you¡¯re investigating?¡± he had also participated in that ancient castle these two days and knew how powerful it was. ¡°remember to mention that the vampire marquis has already reached level 19.¡± he didn¡¯t mind making another friend famous, although he didn¡¯t care about the words of [steamed bun lover]. [steamed bun lover] heard this, and his expression couldn¡¯t help but become a little strange. he said hesitantly, ¡°boss qingqiu said that he sent that hero here to¡­attack the vampire castle.¡± [gang zi] was momentarily stunned, and then he inexplicably felt a little absurd. ¡°brother, did you hear wrongly? qingqiu sent a hero to attack the vampire castle? ¡°he couldn¡¯t take it down even if he sent all the troops in his faction with a level 19 hero. ¡°did qingqiu send a hero to occupy the castle? ¡°what a joke! ¡°even if you were qingqiu, you couldn¡¯t possibly be this ridiculous, right? ¡°let¡¯s say your hero can deal with a level 19 vampire marquis. what about the thousands of vampires? ¡°those were level 15 top-tier soldiers! ¡°not to mention one hero, even ten, couldn¡¯t defeat them! most of the heroes that players could subdue were d and c-rank. b-rank heroes were already top-notch heroes. as for a-rank, that was a golden legend. and it was intensely rare. it was easy to slay them with a wave of people, although heroes below a-rank were also mightier than the troop. [steamed bun lover] smiled bitterly. ¡°this was what boss qingqiu had arranged. since he could make this decision, he must have something to rely on.¡± [steamed bun lover] looked at [gang zi] meaningfully as he spoke. Chapter 793 ¡°the strongest player can¡¯t even understand this basic common sense?¡± [gang zi] was at a loss for words. ¡°that was qingqiu¡­how could he be stupid? that was a f*cking joke! ¡°wouldn¡¯t the tens of billions of players he suppressed be inferior to even a fool?¡± [steamed bun lover] shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m entangled in my thoughts! i¡¯m entangled in my thoughts! where did qingqiu¡¯s big boss get his confidence from? i couldn¡¯t understand how a hero could conquer the vampire castle?¡± richard will send at most level-19 hero, based on his logical deduction. ¡®stop dreaming, as for transcendents. there¡¯s everything when you¡¯re asleep.¡¯ [gang zi] was deep in thought. ¡°maybe that hero is proficient in teleportation? they would immediately open the portal, and the troops would press in after the enemy entered the vampire castle.¡± the eyes of [steamed bun lover] lit up. if that was the case, it instantly made sense. ¡°yes, let¡¯s go take a look.¡± the two of them didn¡¯t waste any more time. they quickened their pace and walked to a relatively spacious platform. then, they flipped over and mounted the two-horned eagles. they soared into the sky and flew out of the territory. the spatial anomaly just now was in this direction, so it was not difficult to find it. they passed through the towering forest and reached the edge of the territory. they rushed out of the trees. their line of sight suddenly widened. in the next second, a scene that made their hearts stop reflected in their pupils. a mysterious and terrifying existence stood in the sky under the silver moonlight. the broad and malevolence-filled dark red bat wings were ten meters wide. the powerful airflow caused the frozen grass to shake continuously when they gently flap. her delicate face was fair and pale, without a hint of blood. the sharp teeth at the corner of her mouth added to her unusual charm. her long silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her eyes were the same color as her hair. the coldness contained in them was suffocating. she wore a long red robe. the color was as gorgeous as blood. it gave off a bright visual impact under the night sky. however, her aura made them tremble the most. an aura of darkness, evil, and cruelty shrouded her existence. all the negative adjectives to describe the mysterious figure would not be an exaggeration. it was like an abyssal evil god stared at them. that is as far as their eyes could see. endless fear surged in their hearts. a vast and seemed to have strangled their throats, and breathing became a nightmare. at this moment, their hearts even gradually stopped. [stamed bun lover¡¯s] trembled as he reluctantly opened the attribute panel. however, he glanced, and the attributes enthralled him afterward. [???] [???] [???] [note: transcendent lifeforms could not probe their attributes.] the front was full of greetings, and the gaze behind revealed a few substantial information. ¡®super, super, extraordinary?!! ¡®had qingqiu sent this transcended hero?!! this thought appeared in their minds simultaneously. they looked at each other and saw extreme shock and fear in each other¡¯s eyes. no wonder the other party only sent a hero. ¡®f*ck! isn¡¯t one transcendent enough?! ¡®would the vampire castle bear the consequences if qingqiu sent two transcendents to attack the vampire castle?¡¯ ¡°brother¡­was this the true strength of the big boss qingqiu?¡± [gang zi] was on the verge of tears at this moment. his voice trembled and knotted his words. he was still f*cking unconvinced just a while ago. has qingqiu convinced him now? did he have the right to be unconvinced by the qingqiu? his 20-player faction would be futile before a transcendent. that was a f*cking transcendent! transcendent! that could destroy a city with that level of combat power! ¡°shining era¡± was a fantasy world where one would accumulate all the powers in one¡¯s body. the destructive force of what that top-notch soldier could cause was not something mortals could resist. that crushed the confidence and pride in his heart mercilessly at this moment. loreinna looked at the two players while they couldn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly under her pressure. they frowned. they were so weak that they could not arouse any interest in the people. ¡°my lord has ordered me to attack the vampire castle¡­human overlords lead the way immediately.¡± only then did the two jolt back to their senses and hurriedly bowed. ¡°yes, your excellency.¡± ¡®my lord? ¡®is she talking about boss qingqiu?¡¯ one powerful troop had actually subdued this transcendent. they couldn¡¯t tell feelings. but they couldn¡¯t care less. they quickly led the vampire archduchess toward the vampire castle. [gang zi¡¯s] dense private messages exploded on the way. [brother, how can qingqiu subdue transcendents?] [this is too f*cking ridiculous!] [my most soul-crushing hero is only level 13, and it only has an a-rank potential!!] [how could such a freak exist in this world¡­] [that¡¯s a transcendent! brother, say something!] [steamed bun lover] was dumbfounded. he glanced at this guy¡¯s private message. [steamed bun lover] was speechless for a long time. what could he say? attributes would still shock him even though he knew how powerful qingqiu was. the ups and downs in his heart were no less than [gang zi¡¯s]. at this point in time, the other party would be able to subdue a transcendent hero. just how powerful was qingqiu? loreinna didn¡¯t pay attention to the two players who suffered turbulent pressure because of her appearance. she simply looked at them as two weak food. no, they couldn¡¯t even qualify as food under usual circumstances. half an hour later, [steamed bun lover] pulled on the reins of the two-horned eagle and pointed at a tall mountain covered in dense forest. he said respectfully, ¡°your excellency, the ancient castle of the blood clan is just below the mountain.¡± loreinna looked at the area and frowned. ¡®hmm¡­ spatial anomaly. something was wrong here.¡¯ however, she waved her hand and no longer said anything. ¡°you two can leave first.¡± ****** Chapter 794 the entire planar power added to his body at this moment. the world is under control. he was the lord of the holy land, the only lord of this new plane. all the power was at his disposal. he took a few deep breaths to suppress his emotions. the feeling of being in control of everything was truly intoxicating. his body slowly floated up into the sky. he looked down at the ground. twilight city had already moved some supplies in, but they only occupied a small area at the entrance and did not affect anything. the mental power extended down to the next level. his gaze pierced through the thick earth and into the deepest part of it. rocks and soil wrapped a headless golden corpse. it emitted a terrifying aura. the moment he sensed the god¡¯s corpse. ¡°fight! fight! fight!¡± an ancient roar suddenly sounded in his ears. it was the roar of a fearless warrior that charged at an enemy a hundred times stronger than him on the battlefield. the battle intent reverberated for countless years, and time could not erase it. the power it carried was enough to make a veteran tremble. it was the aura of the rulers of this world. they controlled them before they died, and they were immortal after death. richard¡¯s heart raced. he could vaguely see an intensely soul-tormenting powerful life form fight a bloody battle with the enemies from another dimension. that invincible posture made people¡¯s hearts waver. he forcefully used the power of the yellow sand to protect himself and suppress that terrifying roar. ¡°what a powerful aura¡­¡± he took a deep breath to calm himself down. and then he focused his gaze again. a shriveled seed fell on the severed neck of the divine body. the seed emitted a green light of a supremely mysterious power that forcefully suppressed it in the ground. something prevented it from exploding. that was the seed of the world tree. it was already sparingly majestic, although it had yet to develop. the other dimension stone that supported the holy land was buried under the corpse to stabilize the ground. however, the corpse emitted an aura like the roar of the river and sea. one could not suppress it even of two top-notch treasures. it gave people the feeling that the corpse could resurrect at any time. the holy land was only a thousand meters in diameter, and one could only describe the planar power as thin. one would need a sufficiently soul-strapping carrier to display its strength, although these two treasures were extraordinary. a moment of silent observation, and richard narrowed his eyes. the light in the holy land suddenly dimmed in the next moment. the planar power surged into the depths of the earth. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a dull sound rang out, and the earth rumbled. a vast hole appeared in the center. the ground deeply suppressed the headless golden corpse as mud gushed out. that majestic divine might rose to the extreme at this moment. the entire holy land was under pressure. that was only the aura that the divine body unconsciously emitted. one couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful richard would be at his peak. he felt sparingly emotional. those were the spoils of war he had snatched from lolita. it was like one snatched food from the tiger¡¯s mouth. richard calmed himself down. he opened the attribute panel with intense curiosity. the panel displayed numerous question marks. that made him unhappy. he couldn¡¯t see any attributes. richard opened the black gold system. more detailed information appeared on it. [the body of a god, the body of a fallen golden war god. it contains an unyielding battle intent.] [1. you can throw it into a dark and evil place and use its evil power to wear down the remaining golden war god¡¯s power and eliminate its battle intent.] [2. you can use the blood-stained weapons or unyielding souls of soldiers on the battlefield to feed their battle intent and reinforce them.] [3. you can use the power of the soul to guide the battle intent and fuse it into a weapon or a hero to inherit the battle intent.] ¡°good heavens¡­golden war god?¡± this name is very resounding. richard was surprised, but then he frowned. vale took over the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and collected information about the ancient gods according to his orders, but there was no legend of this god. he shook his head and did not dwell on it. the ¡°shining era¡± had been millions of years. the war of gods had erupted five times, and countless gods had died in battle. some destroyed legacies of the gods usually would not leave any legends behind. the eyes of the world would only focus on the strong. richard repeatedly read the information the black gold system gave. he noticed something vital. the body of the god did not seem to exist in the notification. all the information was about the remaining battle intent in the body. according to past experience, this meant that the value of battle intent far exceeded that of the divine body. that was interesting. richard looked thoughtfully at the third point-weapons or heroes could inherit this battle intent. perhaps this was the uttermost value of this divine body. that was the golden wargod¡¯s unyielding battle intent. just this name alone could make people fantasize. that was the power of a god, perhaps similar to the rotten authority. richard pondered and felt supremely interested. he released his spiritual power and tried to touch the golden immortal¡¯s body. however, his spiritual power touched the corpse, and he felt a strong sense of resistance. that battle intent would not want to accept him. richard futilely tried more than a dozen times. he could not help but feel helpless. it was like that battle intent differed from the power of yellow sand. the other party did not intend to connect with him. Chapter 795 that was the case for the rotten authority, and so was the battle intent of the gods. richard ensured he couldn¡¯t keep them, then he pondered. he couldn¡¯t use them. why couldn¡¯t he use the top-notch champion in his hands? his thoughts spun. xina and dark valkyrie slaughtered their way through the battlefield. this image appeared in his mind. these two pure warriors were more suitable for this indomitable battle intent. xina was more suitable. that fearless warrior always liked to charge at the front line. her fearless move forward was unstoppable. unfortunately, xina still fought with the wright insect race for the freedom and glory of the krina tribe and could not return soon. richard pondered for a moment and took the ancient god statue out. then, he landed before the headless golden god corpse. he looked up. the headless golden god corpse was nearly four meters tall. the wriggling scarlet scar on its neck was particularly eye-catching. richard sensed the unfamiliar aura approached. the battle intent sharpened and distorted the surrounding space. it was as if the other party would unleash a fatal attack if he dared to get close. richard frowned. this warrior was too irritable. his thoughts spun. the dark light of the ancient god statue surged out and enveloped the headless golden god corpse. the initially restless battle intent was like a tiny chick. a vast hand would press it to calm it down. the divine might also gradually receded. richard saw this scene and felt lucky. he took a few steps forward and held the ancient god statue with his right hand while he pressed his left hand on the god¡¯s corpse. he touched the golden corpse¡¯s body. richard¡¯s pupils constricted. an old and mysterious image appeared in his mind. a warrior wore golden armor and held a golden saber while it stood on the ground. it roared at the spatial rift in the plane that split the sky in half. the sound was like the roar of an ancient dragon. and the rolling thunder of the nine heavens exploded. countless twisted and swollen dark monsters; and of unknown races swarmed out of the spatial rift before the roar died down. they formed an exaggerated black tide. the world seemed to be about to collapse under the impact of the black tide. however, the warrior did not retreat at all. he held his saber and stood before the spatial rift. he forcefully blocked the distorted monsters that surged in from the foreign plane. one could not move under the black tide that could crush a plane. that was the most heart-wrenching. a thousand years. the images innumerably flashed in richard¡¯s mind. he suddenly sensed a message. a thousand years have passed. the warrior shone with golden light and stood unmoved before the spatial rift. it used its own body and forcefully suppressed the endless dark life. at the same time, a sharp aura gradually condensed after countless years of slaughters. battle intent. blood and slaughters condensed the power. it wasn¡¯t an authority. it wasn¡¯t a rule force. however, it wasn¡¯t inferior to any power. the sharpness of a long saber could only shine after countless tempers. the warrior sharpened its sword. time passed by thousands of years, and even to the end, richard didn¡¯t know how long it had been. those monsters finally stopped amidst the endless slaughters. the warrior already stood there proudly. the battle intent in its body soared to the sky and caused the entire plane to tremble. countless deaths and remnant souls made those monsters shiver that penetrated their souls. they¡­yes. they were afraid. however, the monsters¡¯ halt did not call for the final victory. the golden warrior ground for thousands of years and exhausted to the extreme. its breathing became weak. richard wondered how things would develop. suddenly, a spiderweb appeared on the memory and emitted a dark aura. richard¡¯s pupils constricted. the spider silk had already reached the back of the golden warrior before he could take a closer look. the warrior had dropped its strength to the freezing point and could not react in time when it noticed this emission. it was too late. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a vast head flew into the sky. the unshakable body froze on the spot. at this moment, its soul vanished into nothingness. the spiderweb appeared out of nowhere and disappeared without a trace. no one knew how the attack had erupted. the scene took an unexpected turn. however, a shocking scene followed. the warrior¡¯s divine body stood still before the spatial rift after its head fell off. endless battle intent surged like the collapse of mountains and seas. no one stepped the spatial rift on swollen and twisted evil monsters. no one dared to get the condensed endless battle intent, even if they died. that gave rise to this unyielding battle intent. the images in richard¡¯s mind suddenly shattered. he was amazed. good and fierce golden god of war! it had suppressed a spatial rift in the plane for thousands of years. the last spider silk obviously was the culprit. spider goddess lolita. the god of conspiracy. lolita must have tricked the golden warrior based on its position. the warrior eventually had no choice but to resist those monsters due to various reasons. she came out finally and harvested the warrior¡¯s soul. outsiders could not investigate the process, but there should be no discrepancy in the general situation. the battle intent condensed after the unconscious golden war god died. that attracted his attention the most. Chapter 796 the black gold system only hinted at this battle intent and didn¡¯t mention anything about the divine body. richard saw the history of the rise of the battle intent. he hesitated. the warrior born with battle intent had died. he could sense that it was incomplete. its power would be insufficient if he extracted it now. at this point, he made up his mind. he would just nurture it even more perfectly since he could. at that time, there would be more room for preparation. however, he had to control the threat of the golden body first. he didn¡¯t want to nurture its condensed battle intent and couldn¡¯t control the body eventually. he would suffer a backlash. richard¡¯s thoughts spun. the power in the ancient god statue surged. it invaded the golden body. the ancient god statues devour flesh and blood. that is how they grow and reinforce. the divine soul renee would also become stronger because of this. however, richard had tried many times before, and the ancient god statue was not interested in ordinary flesh. even transcendents would not devour typical flesh. this statue contained the power of the ancient gods and was interested in the gods. it devoured under richard¡¯s precise control. it devoured the golden divine body, which even the dimension stone and the seed of the world tree could not suppress. streams of energy flowed into the statue. the aura of the ancient god statue rose. at this moment, the soul of the god of deception that slumbered inside faintly sensed something wrong and gradually became restless. but richard was not in the mood to pay attention to this god, so he forced him into a deep sleep. he continued to control the ancient god statue to absorb the power of the divine body. he didn¡¯t know what the spider goddess plotted. the golden corpse¡¯s power hadn¡¯t died out and still surged. it was as if it had just died in battle. the ancient god statue devoured the majestic energy. it emitted light that grew increasingly darker. it was as if a god from the darkness was about to awaken. however, the darkness was not evil or cruel. it was more accurate to describe it as strange. gods from ancient times were the condensation of laws and did not have self-awareness. that was why they condensed into a strange shape. richard carefully controlled the degree. or the ancient god statue would devour the divine body of the god. however, almost endless energy still surged out of the warrior¡¯s divine body ten minutes later. that stunned him. he had underestimated the power contained in the body of a god. that was the body of a true god, and it had not lost much power. the ancient god statue emitted light a few minutes later that suddenly increased ten times before it dimmed again. richard looked closely and immediately noticed the difference in the statue. the statue, which was initially lively, became even more alive. one could even vaguely see its chest thump. it would really feel like this if it weren¡¯t any additional feelings when one touched it. that was because the energy was too majestic. it distorted the perception of the surroundings. the speed at which the ancient god statue devoured the body increased after the transformation. but even so, it took two hours for the golden body¡¯s luster to dim. that was under richard¡¯s control. or the ancient god statue would have released the primitive energy it devoured. but the key was the vast energy its body contained. he retracted the ancient god statue, and the dark light gradually dissipated. the god¡¯s body surged with divine might again without suppression. but this time, the divine might was no longer so intimidating. the overwhelming battle intent also faded sparingly because of the weakening of the carrier. however, the piercing intent did not decrease at all. the quantity went down, but the quality did not change. that lifted richard¡¯s spirits. the next step was to cultivate this battle intent. his thoughts spun. the golden body fell. and that suppressed the depths of the earth once again. this time, the other party struggled and resisted, but the seed of the world tree alone was enough to immobilize it. at this moment, the seed of the world tree also emitted a green light and began to penetrate the divine body. the growth of the seed of the world tree required the devour of divine power and divinity. at this moment, this corpse was the best source. richard had deliberately left a portion of his power for it to devour. he also told the immature planar power about this matter to prevent accidents from happening. the power of the god¡¯s body decreased to a certain level. that immediately stopped the seed of the world tree. the vague planar power still couldn¡¯t carry out too detailed missions. but this simple setting was not a problem. richard was finally at ease. the ancient god statue released a terrifying power as he pondered. then a shadow condensed in the sky. divine soul, renee. richard opened the divine soul¡¯s attribute panel with his anticipation-filled heart. he halted his gaze at the level column. [level: 17] this undying existence stored in the ancient god statue had risen from level 14 to 17. that delighted richard. the majestic power eventually raised renee¡¯s attribute level. its potential could be superior over top-tier bosses because this divine soul could continuously revive from ancient times. that was richard¡¯s opinion. he would want to nurture the divine warrior into a transcendent. at that time, coupled with the talent to resurrect incessantly, wouldn¡¯t it be heaven-defying? Chapter 797 xina pressed a hand on the battlements of the city wall and looked ahead in a daze. she stood before the more than 50 meters tall city wall. scratches from sharp claws shrouded the outer wall. it was like these claws had scratched the wall thousands of times. on the pitch-black ground, outside the city wall, countless vast corpses lay prostrate. those corpses were thousand times enlarged giant insects. their terrifying appearances were even more terrifying than the demons that had crawled out of the abyss. the unique characteristics of prodigious limbs, poisonous fangs, sharp barbs, and sturdy bones of insects appeared remarkably ferocious. innumerable corpses covered the ground. no one knew what kind of intense battle one had to slaughter all these giant insects. one could vaguely see the sun in this dark sky. there was no day or night. one couldn¡¯t determine the exact time from the changes in the light outside. xina stayed for a long time and felt sparingly confused. she felt she had stayed half a century. ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± a crisp voice interrupted xina¡¯s thoughts. the veteran turned around and saw a lady in her early forties who wore a grayish-brown pouch. the lady in her early forties held a slightly curved slender saber, and countless scars of various sizes filled her face. it was like she had suffered torture. that gave people a strong impact coupled with the high-spirited temperament on her body. she was a warrior. the scar-filled lady earned countless glorious achievements. xina lowered her head slightly. ¡°commander karen.¡± the middle-aged female warrior looked at xina meaningfully. ¡°are you thinking about that human overlord again?¡± xina¡¯s face turned sparingly red. this fearless lady veteran warrior never retreated on the battlefield and dared to draw her broken steel longsword even when facing a god. she was a little shy at this moment, which was rare. ¡°commander, i¡­¡± karen sighed before she could say anything. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything more. the great and veteran warrior had already sworn her allegiance to that human overlord. ¡°it¡¯s only right to be concerned about the human lord and the city.¡± excitement filled her eyes. ¡°speaking of which, krina tribe should respectfully thank that lord¡­ we probably wouldn¡¯t know how to lift that damn curse if it weren¡¯t for him!¡± the crisscrossing scars on the commander¡¯s face became even more hideous at this point. ¡°xina, scars are glory! even a single scar bore the same.¡± the kobold god had planted a curse in the bloodline of krina tribe. the commander¡¯s initial reaction was shock when she received the news. that was because one hadn¡¯t relayed relevant information to krina tribe. gratitude to twilight city and lord richard filled the krina commander¡¯s heart when she confirmed the abrogation of the seal on xina¡¯s body. they had finally earned krina tribe¡¯s pursuit after millions of years. no one could describe the emotions in their hearts. it was a pity that the enemy suddenly pulled them into this distorted space. otherwise, she would have long taken action with krina tribe. xina¡¯s mood had become sparingly complicated at the mention of richard. she planned to leave twilight city for a month. but she didn¡¯t expect a delay. she couldn¡¯t know. ¡®how was the situation in twilight city right now?¡¯ ¡°xina¡­ are you alright?¡± the veteran warrior sighed and asked after she came back to her senses. ¡°commander karen, haven¡¯t you found any information about the kobold god in the documents of the tribe?¡± the kobold god had placed a curse on krina tribe that passed through their generation and bloodline forever. one could imagine how much hatred there was between the two sides. krina tribe could know anything. that was especially true when the tribe incessantly inherited the curse. commander karen shook her head. ¡°there are too many documents in the system. and the system needs time to clean them up. we can¡¯t spare too many people right now.¡± karen turned her head and looked in a direction as she spoke. ¡°regardless of why that false god has become enemies with us, it doesn¡¯t matter now¡­ what is important is how to leave this area, clear the curse, and how to revenge!¡± they couldn¡¯t know twilight city had already defeated the kobold dog once. the kobold god was still a powerful existence who controlled the rules from their point of view. how much courage and confidence did one need to take revenge on a god with supreme divine power? however, krina tribe never lacked courage. they would draw their blades no matter how soul-wrenching the enemy was. no one could trample krina tribe! xina nodded, and an intense fighting spirit engulfed her eyes. ¡°lord once said¡­the kobold god was just a barking dog. ¡°we will definitely return the damage it has caused us a hundredfold!¡± the two lady warriors walked, and footsteps came from behind. two groups of female warriors led by a female heroine in white armor of krina tribe approached the veteran and the commander in an orderly manner. recently, those giant insects stopped attacking because of the blood moon in the sky. however, the troop still maintained the highest level of vigilance. commander karen sparingly nodded when she saw the heroine lead the team. ¡°molly.¡± the cold-faced heroine waved her hand slightly, and the two teams of warriors behind her immediately stopped as if she had pressed the pause button. their movements were so orderly that they looked like one person. she walked closer to the two of them. ¡°good morning, commander karen.¡± she spoke and looked at xina again. but the heroine¡¯s expression was somewhat ugly. ¡°the lady loyal to the human overlord is talking about her master again?¡± the ridicule in her tone made the krina tribe commander frown slightly and subconsciously was about to reprimand her. however, xina¡¯s calm voice sounded before the commander could speak. ¡°do you have problems with that?¡± a powerful fighting spirit suddenly rose from her body as she spoke. it was like something wiped an ancient dusty saber off. it was dazzling. xina sensed molly¡¯s fighting spirit. molly provoked her and also exploded with an aura. the sharp edges pressed forward. ¡®clang!¡¯ the two sharply stared at each other, and the air suddenly exploded. both lady warriors could hear the sound of metal and stone colliding that pierced through the eardrums. the warriors of the krina tribe never retreated, even if the other party was their tribe. the two competed against each other, but the commander would still suppress them eventually. the aura of karen, the tribe leader, was like a mountain about to fall. that aura forcefully suppressed the two warriors. ¡°enough!¡± the two couldn¡¯t flare up this time. however, both sides still looked at each other coldly. molly said with some reluctance. ¡°xina, you¡¯re no longer a member of the krina tribe, no matter what you have encountered outside¡­! you have pledged your loyalty to the human overlord!¡± the veteran narrowed her eyes. ¡°so?¡± ¡°so, you have no right to point fingers at the future of krina tribe, especially¡­to that human overlord!¡± she enunciated each word as she spoke. ¡°you don¡¯t have the right to make krina tribe submit to that city!¡± intense anger filled her tone. ¡°we are the eagles that spread their wings and soar in the desert. we are the hunters that roam freely on this land. no one can make the soul of the krina tribe submit. especially with a human overlord!¡± that was why she was so angry at xina. the veteran brought the method to form the seal in her body from the outside world. that was a great thing. xina had even thought the gods had favored them, and krina tribe was about to rise. however, xina didn¡¯t expect that her best friend, who had been her prized companion before she left the tribe, would seek refuge with the human overlord, who she believed was a man of low moral character and didn¡¯t even care to spare him a second glance! that was still bearable. the grace mainland overlord had helped the krinas find a way to remove the seal. xina¡¯s loyalty was a gesture of gratitude. however, molly didn¡¯t expect xina to drag the entire tribe to join the grace mainland human overlord! who was the grace mainland overlord? in the past few months, xina had come into contact with at least a thousand people before she returned to the tribe. none had the qualities she recognized. the krinas were the eagles of the desert, free souls that did not submit to anyone. how could they all join the grace mainland? molly would never agree! no one knew what ways xina used to obtain the consent of the tribe commander, karen. that triggered molly¡¯s despair. that caused her to become a great enemy of xina, whom she cherished and had grown up with since she was young. in her opinion, xina would want to drag the krina tribe down a path of no return. she couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. xina looked coldly at her former best friend. they could not look down on the human overlord, no matter who it was. she would not allow anyone. ¡°molly, you have no right to insult lord richard before me.¡± molly was like an enraged lioness. she took a step forward and roared at her. ¡°do i have no right? just a human overlord? what right does he have to make the krina submit? just because he¡¯s your lord?¡± xina couldn¡¯t be angry, but her eyes sharpened. ¡°i¡¯ve fought countless battles with you and witnessed the rise of twilight city! ¡°the enemies that the human overlord has slaughtered, you could never touch in this lifetime. ¡°no one has the right to belittle the human overlord¡¯s achievements.¡± ¡°why? everyone recognized him as the strongest among the 20 billion grace mainland overlord. was that not enough?¡± ¡°the human overlord you belittle defeated the kobold god, the monster you think is untouchable and even unstoppable and launched several attacks on twilight city. that lord you despise imprisoned a part of the kobold god¡¯s soul. is that not enough?¡± ¡°this is just the most extraordinary part of the countless battle records of the lord of twilight city!¡± ¡°molly, open your eyes and look at this world.¡± Chapter 798 the moment he walked out of the spatial passageway, his mood was utterly good. completing the s-rank mission this time was simply an immense profit! there was no need to elaborate on how powerful renee¡¯s divine soul was. however, as twilight city grew strong, her level 14 gradually couldn¡¯t keep up with its pace. now that it had reached level 17, it had become the highest level of battle power. renee has endless potential relying on the resurrection characteristic. a powerful opponent who could continuously resurrect would make anyone tremble in fear. however, renee only did to pass. the most vital reward was still the battle intent the golden war god condensed. that power was definitely superior to the power of laws and authority. its unique way of birth was something it would even amaze the gods. it faced the endless attacks of a world for thousands of years, fought bloody battles endlessly, and nurtured its battle intent with countless corpses and souls. then the battle intent condensed when the golden war god sacrificed himself. richard wondered what kind of improvement xina or dark valkyrie would receive after they inherited this unique power. he was excited. richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion and allowed renee to do whatever she wanted. he didn¡¯t get busy anymore and quickly got into bed before daybreak. he was exhausted after this trip and soon fell into a deep sleep. the next day, december 24th, only four days remained before the release of the new expansion pack. richard woke up after ten. the rest swept away exhaustion and revived his spirit in full again. he washed up and had lunch. he went to the front yard. he looked at the lair in the corner. that sight moved his heart. he opened the attribute panel and displayed the number of troops. glorious troop type 1. scorpion warriors (lairs: 20, weekly production: 140, current quantity: 650) 2. guardian mummies (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 90) 3. sand condensation archers (lairs: 10, weekly production: 50, current quantity: 685) 4. sandstorm controllers (lairs: 20, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 700) 5. stone statues of the dead (lairs: 11, weekly production: 110, current quantity: 1,100) crown troop type 1. guardian mummies (lairs: 0, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 500) 2. skeleton blood dragon (lairs: 0, weekly production: 0, weekly production: 125) radiant moon troop type 1. king of the imperial (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 150) richard sparingly frowned and glanced a few. the kobold god and the lord of the dunes had joined forces when they attacked twilight city in their last encounter. the war resulted in severe losses and a significant reduction in the number of troops. fortunately, that raised the potential of the troop. the quality of the troops was top-notch, although the total number was less than four. everyone was brilliant. the strongest king of the imperial troop had even reached radiant moon 3-stars and was level 17. this troop was enough to dazzle him if it were half a year ago. unfortunately, the enemy he was facing now was no longer the troop that had gathered in the wilderness in the desert. his current opponent was the ruler of a plane, the evil god of the abyss, an unknown power from another plane. ¡°i need to expose another wave of minions. ¡°the troop lairs in my hands are still not enough.¡± this troop was more than enough to deal with players. they could even fight against any player. however, that wasn¡¯t enough to deal with the new expansion pack. the turmoil this time involved too many people. those forces that had existed for who knew how many years would definitely show their sharpness. the immature twilight had yet to grow to the point where it could rival those top forces. richard reached out and touched a pyramid before him. he felt the cold touch of the spiritual power that rustled. he fell into deep thought. ¡°this time, we still have to focus on nurturing high-level troops. ¡°the role of a high-level soldier in a battle is comparable to a small team of middle-level soldiers at certain times. ¡°although the twilight city were mainly mummies, they are not pure undead.¡± quality was the top priority. richard pursued this main idea. never let him down before the battle, before dusk, and before the city¡¯s troops. top bosses like the god¡¯s ancient tree, dark valkyrie, and kratos could influence the direction of a war. but high-level troops were also the backbone of the battlefield and could not be replaced. war had always been a competition of troops, heroes, weapons, and strategic treasures. a hero¡¯s battle strength must be far superior to the overall strength of the opponent if a single top-tier hero dictated the war. in an evenly matched battle, if it entangled the top-notch battle strength, then the overall battle strength of the troop would be the deciding factor. richard ordered the guards to call karu over while he pondered. familiar footsteps entered the mansion in less than five minutes. he got straight to the point after karu saluted. ¡°karu, i plan to expand the troops again.¡± karu was shocked. ¡°a wise decision!¡± richard smiled. ¡°how¡¯s the income of twilight city recently?¡± richard had spent all his savings for his troops to upgrade glorious. these have depleted the reserves other than harvesting the millions of rare resources from the players. karu straightened his back and said confidently. ¡°lord, we have expanded the production workshop for the black sorbet to five. we can produce 500,000 units per day. ¡°we could sell each for 20 ordinary resources. the daily sales could reach 10 million resources, and the net profit would be 8 million units.¡± Chapter 799 ¡°forty-thousand units of rare resources per day.¡± ¡°we have saved 500,000 rare resources while you were away.¡± ¡°whitetail wine. this month¡¯s earnings are the same as last month. three hundred thousand units. excluding the cost of 50,000, the profit is 250,000 rare resources.¡± ¡°desert crown honey, a rare resource with a net profit of 500,000.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t count in the other zeroes and zeroes. the total income from these three big investments is¡­ 1.25 million.¡± ¡°eight hundred thousand rare resources still remained in the warehouse, excluding the cost of recruiting soldiers and the expenses of twilight city.¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. the production of whitetail wine depended on the number of white-tailed cats. so they had a fixed rate for the output. the same also happened to the income of desert crown honey. the black sorbet he had high hopes for still brought remarkable results. they priced these goods at 20 units of ordinary resources. these have brought more profits than a 4-stars wine like the whitetail wine. that was because they hadn¡¯t spread and massively produced its main ingredient, the frost grass, on a large scale. it would be neat to increase the production capacity by ten times when they had filled the designated production area with frost grass. richard praised karu and asked him another question afterward. ¡°how¡¯s the arrangement of the frost grass plantation base, the raw material for the black frozen ice cream?¡± butler karu was excited. ¡°lord, two bases have completed their construction and will be ready for production soon. ¡°the frost grass was not difficult to cultivate, although it contains a certain amount of magic power. it could maintain a notable speedy growth rate with sufficient water and fertile land. a seedling only needs two months to grow to a height we can harvest. ¡°maintaining fertility would incessantly nourish them. they wouldn¡¯t die even if we cut their leaves off. they could recover after two months. ¡°this is a magical plant that we can repeatedly harvest¡­its lifespan is ten years. ¡°the only limitation is that large-scale planting requires a lot of fertility.¡± richard heard this, and a plant suddenly appeared in his mind. ¡®chives.¡¯ the attributes of this frost grass were the same as chives. good stuff. cutting leeks and whatnot was too riveting. ¡°we can find some wild beasts or livestock that can eat a lot more to raise as for the fertility of the land. this livestock can also provide the meat needs of the residents of twilight city¡­¡± that could become an industrial chain. karu smiled. ¡°we¡¯re already doing it. i asked vale a week ago to purchase livestock suitable for breeding in the underworld through solan city, but we haven¡¯t found any suitable for large-scale breeding yet.¡± richard nodded. it was okay to mention these trivial matters. karu and his men would carry out what they needed to do. ¡°how¡¯s the development of the automatic harvester and seeder?¡± they would remember the great leap in productivity brought about by modern technology as long as one was a player. the ¡°shining era¡± had more magic and utterly unreasonable alchemy technology, although its development path was unique. it might be arduous to restore the machines on planet blue to 100% accuracy because the fundamental rules of the world were different. but changing the method could make them achieve the same effect. ¡°it¡¯s already beginning to take shape. it would take at most a month to take shape,¡± butler karu said confidently. fortress city had become the technological center of twilight city. they handed all the tasks related to alchemy technology here. richard was quite satisfied with this. the income from conquering the underworld still made up for twilight city. that was very comfortable. ¡°currently, the focus of fortress city should still be on the war resources production. we can push this back slightly, although this research and development is for the future. it wouldn¡¯t affect the upcoming war.¡± richard¡¯s thoughts were clear. a pronounced change was imminent. richard and his people should preserve twilight city. or it would be futile no matter how bright the future was. the most important thing now was to gather their strength to deal with the enemy. ¡°where are the resources that we have accumulated during this period?¡± ¡°we have stored them in the warehouse,¡± karu replied respectfully. ¡°so the lord¡¯s mansion warehouse can no longer hold these resources. vale submitted a blueprint for the spatial warehouse. he had completed it a week ago.¡± richard looked at karu with admiration. he valued this old gray-haired man so much. he could still maintain the positive development of twilight city and not fall into chaos and confusion when he was away as long as karu was around. karu had absolute control over twilight city. no one could seize power without his approval. the troops, heroes, residents, and staff were loyal to him. that was why richard could boldly vest karu the power and authority. ¡°i¡¯ll go get it later.¡± richard continued. ¡°are there still spatial rifts in the desert around twilight city?¡± karu¡¯s face turned grave. ¡°we have sent out several troops to expand the exploration range to 100 kilometers.¡± ¡°only the refugees from the kingdom of ell dimension have not found any other spatial rifts.¡± richard felt a little more at ease. he was most worried about the sudden appearance of more than a dozen dimensions around twilight city. no one could predict what would happen. xina and dark valkyrie had already expressed that krina tribe suffered from such a situation. Chapter 800 ¡°how many refugees have we accepted from the kingdom of ell? what is the current population of twilight city?¡± ¡°lord, in the past half a month, we have taken in about 4,000 refugees, and the total population has reached 7,000.¡± seven thousand. this number made richard¡¯s heart ache. the players in wealthy areas could easily reach 10,000 people in just two months. the population could exceed 10,000 in three to four months in a barren area but not in a desert. it had been half a year and more in twilight city, but the population had only reached less than ten thousand people. this place where birds couldn¡¯t even shit simply made people cry. other territories could easily invade those in the desert of death because they could not make ends meet. not every player could possess a life-saving skill like sand transformation when they were born. ¡°did you find any high-level heroes?¡± karu shook his head. ¡°no, lord. only three d-rank lifestyle heroes.¡± richard was at a loss for words. he had skills that could attract foreign heroes to join him. if word got out, it would make tens of billions of players drool¡­ however, twilight city was in the desert. it attracted loneliness instead. he had yet to see any heroes seek refuge up until now. it wasn¡¯t that his skills weren¡¯t powerful, but there weren¡¯t even any dogs in the desert. it was just winking at a blind no matter how powerful they were. butler karu seemed to have thought of something and asked softly, ¡°lord, should we temporarily stop our operations in the kingdom of ell and withdraw our troops?¡± changes were imminent, and twilight city currently underwent a strategic retreat. to proceed with the attack didn¡¯t wouldn¡¯t fit the strategy. not this time. at least. richard momentarily pondered and said slowly, ¡°maintain contact with the kingdom of ell. we can¡¯t break off.¡± he paused for a few seconds afterward. then he added, ¡°we can invite the two princesses to live in twilight city for some time if they want, to tide over this crisis.¡± karu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°do you plan to¡­subdue them?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°they might not be able to do it. they sternly aim to restore their country. they are adamant about it.¡± ¡°but the cohesiveness and influence of twilight city could influence them¡­ ¡°this is enough.¡± karu pondered. richard said nothing more. the value of the kingdom of ell was higher than the underground world. now was not the right time. he didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with a transcendent who had already taken control of a country and had connections with the evil god of the abyss. richard continued afterward. ¡°has bloodhoof city cleaned up the remaining forces of the underground world?¡± he has become the true ruler of the underground world and handed over the unity of its underlings to the overlord of bloodhoof city. ¡°lord, the entire underground world is under the rule of bloodhoof city, including those tribes living in swamps or poisonous areas¡­¡± bloodhoof city has become unstoppable in the underground world following the fall of the gray-colored dwarves. there was no need to worry about the future with the full support of twilight city. all the people who knelt on the ground wherever the blade pointed wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°we have already sent people to cooperate with the bloodhoof city to clear out the heroes, soldiers, mines, resources, and specialties of the tribes.¡± ¡°but this project is more troublesome than the war, coupled with insufficient physical output. it could take a month or more.¡± that was the initial plan. they would gradually carry this out. the people in the underground world could still survive despite the harsh environment and shortage of food and water. however, fortress city had already displayed its value to the fullest. karu continued when he saw that richard was silent. ¡°lord, if we can unite the entire underground world and let them advance in the direction we set, they will definitely have astonishing potential.¡± richard smiled. he could tell what ran through karu¡¯s mind. he was jealous of the underworld¡¯s population and wanted to participate personally. karu decisively poured cold water on him. ¡°the dungeons are filled with the lives of the evil faction. it will be notably arduous to integrate them. ¡°moreover, they are not a race, a life form¡­one will eventually realize that the cost of ruling hundreds of races and thousands of forces was too high even if one successfully integrated them. ¡°the best way now is to follow the initial plan and turn those evil creatures into the arsenal of twilight city.¡± master karu recovered from his excitement. he smiled bitterly. ¡°there are too few people in twilight city¡­there are nearly a million intelligent beings in the underground world.¡± those evil lifeforms were mostly ordinary dungeon lifeforms. the genuine troop was less than one-tenth of them. there were even fewer high-level troops like the ones in bloodhoof city. otherwise, the gray-colored dwarves and bloodhoof city could have ruled the underground world for hundreds of years. the value would be high if it were an ordinary human being. one could easily lure a kind and orderly life form into the arms of evil. however, the creativity and unlimited potential of humans were something other races could not compare to. the human gods among the gods in the sky were the best example. that was why he valued the kingdom of ell. ****** Chapter 801 the technological upgrade of twilight city slowed down recently. however, as the technology level of the troop increased, the time needed for research and development would inevitably increase. adele still had to preside over the blacksmith¡¯s association established in bloodhoof city, although she had enormous potential. that is to share forging techniques. she couldn¡¯t free herself in a short period. recruiting students is an inevitable task. karu replied, ¡°lord, miss adele is in charge of this matter. twenty blacksmiths have entered the preliminary list. she currently trains them in bloodhoof city. ¡°it might take another half a month for them to enter the ranks officially.¡± richard nodded. the development of the territory was like this. everything needed to start from the idea, decision-making, and assigning tasks before execution. there might be various problems in the middle. only would there be results after they solved these problems. this process could take at least a week or ten days, or at most three to five months or even a year or two. no command. an uncertainty midway could delay the plan if something happened. that was the current situation. richard shook his head and changed the topic. ¡°how¡¯s the discussion in the indoctrination of the god¡¯s ancient tree faith going?¡± butler karu subconsciously straightened his back and said solemnly, ¡°lord, it has been completed¡­the god¡¯s ancient tree faith history, the heroes that had appeared, the future development, the faction¡¯s standpoint, and the glorious achievements they initially had. ¡°we¡¯ve written them all and tried to integrate them into the history before the gods. we asked vale to send several books about history and gods. ¡°problems would be inevitable in the dissemination although we have perfected the content. ¡°we need to conduct experiments in the underground world. ¡°this might take a long time.¡± his tone became hesitant. ¡°lord, if possible, i hope to purchase a few slaves proficient in history and religious theories to cooperate with us¡­ i would respect your decision.¡± to purchase a few slaves wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. but they could alter meanings during the revision. karu couldn¡¯t decide. richard frowned. the appearance of the evil spreader and the promise of the two princesses of the kingdom of ell made him very interested in preaching. unfortunately, the progress was ponderous due to limited resources. richard could not spare much energy to focus on it now that he had to face the upcoming expansion pack. ¡°allow vale to handle the purchase of slaves. tell him to keep this confidential and cannot perform the purchase through existing channels. no one else can know about it beyond him.¡± ¡°immediately send the slaves to the underground world and cut off their contact with the outside world once you purchased them.¡± ¡°guarantee that no one should ever leak the matter of the god¡¯s ancient tree faith.¡± richard¡¯s tone was particularly grave. the ultimate existence of this world involved the spread of faith and the creation of sects. the current research has touched on some taboos. the fewer people knew, the better. richard would only use the underground world to experiment for the time being. karu held his chest solemnly. ¡°as you wish¡­we¡¯ve completely sealed off the information. the relevant personnel will continue to work in the holy land and the underworld.¡± richard¡¯s expression softened. ¡°you must supervise this matter personally. mistakes would be unacceptable. report to me immediately should problems arise.¡± ¡°yes, my lord!¡± they arranged the matter on faith, and a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in richard¡¯s ear. [ding~ the system detected that the game is about to release a new expansion pack. the black gold system has released the second phase function.] ¡°huh?! ¡°what is this?¡± that raised richard¡¯s spirits, and he immediately opened the black gold system. he looked at the notification above. ¡®the second phase function? ¡®what function?¡¯ he glanced at the simple interface. he couldn¡¯t help but scroll through it. ¡®where is the new function?¡¯ he scrolled to the end and realized a line of notifications had appeared below. he opened them. good heavens, it hid them well. richard was no longer in the mood to discuss further with karu with this sudden change. he silently waited after he ordered karu to leave and carry out the administrative matters they had just discussed. the black gold system was the foundation of his life. the black gold system played an irreplaceable role in twilight city¡¯s success. richard had subdued several top-notch heroes because he relied on the information the black gold system had provided. he had upgraded all the troops in twilight city. anticipation for the second phase function of the game filled his desire. richard waited ten minutes or more but could not wait any longer afterward. he calmed himself down and let go. ¡°it would be activated when it was time. there is no need to waste time here.¡± he immediately turned around and went to the warehouse to retrieve the 800,000 units of rare resources he had saved. the total was 2.6 million units, including the one million rare resources he had obtained from the tomb of the god¡¯s dungeon. he only had less than a million ordinary resources left. that looked utterly pitiful. the ruler of twilight city had thousands of troops above glorious-level and even had extraordinary loyalty, but actually with destitute savings. as expected, the lord would always die of poverty. richard bitterly returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. he saw the troops in the corner, and his eyes became excited. ¡°explosive soldiers!¡± that was the eternal path to becoming more adamant in the ¡°shining era.¡± to a territory, it would magnify its importance. the quality of the troop directly determined the strength of the territory. that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. top-notch heroes are found, not sought. not everyone had the black gold system and knew how to recruit or nurture those top-notch heroes. the only thing that a lord could absolutely control was the troop. that was the foundation of the territory. currently, a total of eight troop lairs are in twilight city. [scorpion warrior] [bandaged mummy] [sand condensation archer] [sandstorm controller] [stone statue of the dead] [guardian mummy] [skeleton blood dragon] [king of the imperial troop] amongst them, he still valued most the stone statue of the dead fused with the axe of the dead. this top-tier soldier was his favorite. its battle strength had been proven time and time again in countless battles in the past. next was the highest-level radiant moon 3-stars soldier, the king of the imperial troop. he obtained this soldier from the city of the dune lord. one could only describe its battle strength as remarkable following the seed explosion. the second was the sandstorm controller, a fusion soldier that could form a natural disaster. the remaining ones were not weak in battle, and each had attributes. however, they couldn¡¯t fathom compared to these three troops. richard had hoped to expand these three troops, especially the king of the imperial. the king of the imperial troop could attack and defend at the same time. soldiers could control five sabers in melee battle, and their a-rank skill, army breaker, was a well-deserved killing weapon. moreover, the exaggerated level of 17 was definitely the best in the entire arena. even a radiant moon statue of a man of death paled compared to the king of the imperial troop. if you want to do it, then do it. moreover, the new expansion pack was about to be released. it was too late to start from scratch to synthesize the stone statue of the dead and the sandstorm controller. richard would need a 7-day cooldown every time he upgraded a soldier. it usually wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact. but now is not the right time. the predecessor of the stone statue of the dead, the axe of the dead, was initially at the elite-level at the beginning. he had to upgrade twice to meet the requirements for synthesis. it was the same for the sandstorm controller. at this point, richard did not hesitate and decided in his heart. however, when he came back to his senses, he felt a headache coming on. he didn¡¯t know what the king of the imperial troop, a radiant moon 3-stars, was. he didn¡¯t know what kind of soldier would precede a level 17 newborn soldier. the crown 3-stars guardian mummy and the king of the imperial troop were obviously two different systems. one relied on its spear to deal damage, while the other controlled the invisible rope to its saber. the troops leveled up, and it would not change its original appearance. it would only continuously increase its various skills and attributes. richard pondered and subconsciously opened the black gold system. ¡°the sleeping pyramid can recruit the king of the imperial troop. it can consume 10 radiant moon lairs to upgrade it. every upgrade has a cooldown of 7 days.¡± it was the most familiar information. it was not much different from the lairs of other troops. he frowned and scrolled down the black gold system. the notification at the bottom still did not change. he shook his head and no longer cared about it. he waved his hand and called the guards over. he told them to call the dune lord. he founded the king of the imperial troop in the city of the dune lord. it would be right to ask the lord if there were any questions. hurried footsteps entered the front yard in less than five minutes. the lord of the dunes wore a black robe. he stood still and looked at richard with a complicated expression. finally, he let out a long sigh and slowly held his chest. ¡°most noble greetings, lord richard. maddie salutes you.¡± maddie chose to surrender and became a teacher who taught the residents of twilight city how to read and write. he was resistant at first and eventually accepted it. the light of the dune ruler, who had once controlled the power of the yellow sand and destroyed thousands of troops with a wave of his hand, had already shattered. he was now maddie, the teacher of twilight city. he was just ordinary and was called grandpa by the neighbor¡¯s children. richard meaningfully spoke as he looked at the transcendent who had undergone a drastic transformation. ¡°maddie, you should be thankful for your choice back then.¡± that startled the lord of the dunes. richard waved his hand and interrupted maddie before he could say something. ¡°there¡¯s no need to say anything else. i didn¡¯t call you here today to talk nonsense.¡± he looked at the sleeping pyramid as he spoke. ¡°i obtained this troop lair in your city.¡± ¡°now, i need to know if there are any prerequisites for this troop lair to advance.¡± it was a rule that troop lairs in the ¡°shining era¡± could not be upgraded. however, it did not mean that there were no higher-level soldiers. humans¡¯ signature troop type. griffin empire had an upgraded troop lair, the royal griffins. one could not upgrade troop type, but there were higher-level troops of the same lair. maddie looked at the sleeping pyramid in a daze. his tone carried a hint of regret. ¡°lord, this is the troop of the desert god¡­ i also obtained it when countless young people obtained the power of yellow sand.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know if there are any similar soldiers in this troop.¡± Chapter 802 the desert god was the master god of the desert god system, the guardian of the desert. however, this majestic existence with supreme power had already fallen in the last battle of the gods. several gods were still in the desert god system, and the outside world called them the desert god. however, those who understood knew these gods were far from being on par with the desert god. richard had yet to try it out. as for the additional feature of the blessing of the desert, ask the desert. he pondered afterward, and he looked at the dune lord. ¡°is there any other information?¡± the dune lord shook his head. ¡°my lord, i slept for too long. some of my memories are already blurry. ¡°moreover, the information that was useful before is now worthless with the changes in the situation.¡± richard nodded. ¡°you must report to me immediately if you have any important information.¡± ¡°yes, my lord.¡± the discussion came to an end. the dune lord bowed slightly and left. but richard¡¯s voice rang out with a hint of meaning before they could leave the front yard. ¡°maddie, do you still yearn for power?¡± the dune lord¡¯s body stiffened, but he didn¡¯t turn around. the old divine body under the black robe was like a withered grass in the cold wind of autumn. a hoarse voice sounded after a moment of silence. ¡°lord¡­right now, i¡¯m just an ordinary teacher who teaches knowledge. ¡°i¡¯m exceedingly satisfied with my work.¡± the old figure finished speaking and slowly left. richard¡¯s eyes sparingly moved when he saw this. but he didn¡¯t speak again. perhaps one day, this old-faced lord who once had the power of a natural disaster would stand up again. but obviously, it wouldn¡¯t be now. richard pondered momentarily and looked at his skill, desert blessing. ask about the cooldown time of the desert. it was as long as a week. moreover, the more one details the question, the higher the possibility one gets the answer. in other words, one wouldn¡¯t always get an answer. endless yellow sand power surged out with a thought. richard followed his heart. he began to call out to the desert power. the power of the yellow sand gradually overflowed the lord¡¯s mansion and enveloped the entire twilight city. the power of the yellow sand came into contact with the desert. richard felt this magnified his perception a hundred or thousands of times. his thoughts were unprecedentedly clear. the sand around twilight city began to lose weight and floated into the sky under the influence of the yellow sand. the residents of the city saw an unforgettable scene. the entire desert flew into the sky. the yellow sand covered the sky like clouds. it was vast and majestic, as if an ancient legend had reappeared. it gave people a strong visual impact. richard suddenly sensed a life that still slept. the life form slowly opened its eyes. one could not see the face of that thick, surging, and mysterious life form clearly. there was only a pair of pure yellow eyes. the life form¡¯s gaze seemed to pass through time and space. it stared at richard from an infinite distance. a strange yet familiar aura surged into richard¡¯s mind. that awakened the desert power. richard¡¯s mood fluctuated. he could faintly feel the force contained within the desert power. it was like he faced a 10,000-foot-tall giant. that could easily tear the earth apart and destroy mountains with a wave of his hand. he subconsciously wanted to say something. but he suddenly realized something must have silenced him. he could not say anything. richard was anxious. he could sense that the figure would only appear for a very short time. at most, it would take a minute for it to fall asleep again. he sensed his emotions and the pure yellow eyes moved slightly. a surge of information surged into his mind. richard understood what that meant, but it wasn¡¯t any language. ¡°my child. what do you want to know?¡± ¡®my child? ¡®was it because of the power of the yellow sand?¡¯ richard used the same method to convey his thoughts. he asked where one had buried the desert god, troop lairs, and the treasure in his hands. ripples engulfed his pure yellow eyes. he received another message after a few breaths. one had buried the desert god in the core of the desert of death, the forbidden land of death. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. has one really buried the desert god in the desert? however, the burial site did not seem so easy to explore. the name forbidden land of death meant a lot. the desert power sent a second message while he pondered. the forbidden land of death. several gods lay there. the area was not under the jurisdiction of the desert. ¡°child, the desert is sick. it is weakening, and the source of everything is the forbidden land of death.¡± richard accepted the information, and the pure yellow eyes suddenly dimmed. its majestic aura disappeared like a broken bubble. the yellow sand that flew around twilight city fell like raindrops. the fine grain drops landed on the ground again. richard suddenly woke up and felt weak. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. that had cleared the power of yellow sand. he looked up at the sky in shock. ¡°several gods lay in the forbidden land of death? ¡°furthermore, the desert laws in that area couldn¡¯t even cover it? ¡°where was that area? what secret did it hide?¡± he felt and envisioned another layer of fog he could not get rid of. and the last sentence made his hair stand on end. Chapter 803 that seemed to refer to the dimensional plane integration into the desert of death. but there was a discrepancy. it seemed to hide some greater horror instead. he never expected to receive such shocking information from the planar power. ¡°what hid inside?¡± richard¡¯s emotions fluctuated for a long time. and richard was still in deep thought. the things behind the information quickened his breathing, although it obtained simple information. at this moment, a mechanical notification suddenly sounded in his ear. [the system has activated the new function of the black gold system.] richard, who was still in deep thought, suddenly woke up. he immediately focused on the system notification. his previously solemn heart immediately became excited when he saw the information on it. the system had activated it! that bolstered richard¡¯s spirits. the soul-crushing twilight city was the foundation no matter what happened in the future. the black gold system was the source of its power. richard immediately opened the black gold system panel with intense anticipation. a few new changes appeared on it. [1. the system shortened the seven-day cooldown time to three after an upgrade to the troop lair.] the first one made richard sparingly joyous. the system shortened the cooldown time by four days. that would be a great benefit for the training of new troops. he continued to read. [2. new function¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C] richard nodded slightly. this function was considered an auxiliary function. however, it was utterly beneficial. richard wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the troop lair upgrade when he leaves twilight city to battle. the second point didn¡¯t bring any surprises. richard looked at the third point. surprise engulfed his face when he saw it clearly. [3. new function unlocked¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C] [note: the first nurturing will be one level lower than the target. it will require a second upgrade.] ¡°good heavens, this function was the main trump card of the second phase of the black gold system, right? ¡°establishing troop¡­ what kind of concept was this?¡± the radiant moon 3-stars soldier he wanted to expand the most, the level 17 newborn soldier, the king of the imperial troop warrior, does not have a prerequisite soldier. richard could only go to the tomb of the desert gods and see if he could obtain it from that god if he wanted to expand. one could imagine how difficult this was. he heard this news from the dune lord, and he had even given up on expanding the lord of the dunes. they could not become the main force of twilight city if they couldn¡¯t form a large-scale battle legion. but now, there was no need to look for the tomb of the desert gods with the function of the black gold system. richard could directly consume resources to nurture this radiant moon 3-stars soldier. of course, what he nurtured now was a crown 3-stars. it would require a second upgrade to reach this level. however, this was enough. directly creating a crown soldier was simply f*cking invincible. richard took a few deep breaths and couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement. he didn¡¯t have any hope just now. and the system has given him a gigantic surprise. he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited under the vast difference. moreover, this function would be permanent after activation. richard valued this even more. it could even directly affect the future development of the twilight city troops. he looked at the strength of the troops when he initially trained them. he also looked at whether the number of lairs was ordinary. some troops were very mighty, but their lairs were extremely rare. richard often rejected those at the first moment. the most important thing for a territory troop was to be organized and could work together. a mixed troop, with a hammer in the east and a stick in the west, would still be a disaster in a large-scale war, even if a single force was a few times stronger than the enemy. the attributes, strengths, and attack methods of each soldier utterly differed. just a command alone could kill people. it was different now. one could directly take this type of soldier with the black gold system¡¯s new function. billions of players were in the forum, and some lucky ones could get a few powerful and lonely goods. richard could use his soldiers and not bother about the lair of so many kings of the imperial soldiers, just like the current king of the imperial troop. they could develop without restrictions in the future as long as there were enough resources. moreover, this new function didn¡¯t overlap with the previous one of upgrading the troop lair. the upgrade function was to upgrade the original low-level to a high-level troop. some troop types couldn¡¯t have a high level. low-level military types could break the inherent rules and become the unique troop type in twilight city after the black gold system had upgraded. ****** Chapter 804 he wanted to test the effects of this new function first. the current price of each ordinary troop lair was lower than before. but he still maintained 400 units of resources. richard needed 100 ordinary-level, 1,000 rare-level, 10,000 glorious-level, and 100,000 crown-level to upgrade the troop lair from ordinary to elite. he needed one million to advance to radiant moon-level. each upgrade was ten times the number of the previous ones. one million crystals x 400 was equivalent to 400 million units of ordinary resources. richard would need two million to upgrade the crown soldier to radiant moon-level according to the current price of one unit of rare resources exchanged for 200 units of ordinary resources. richard looked at the remaining 2.6 million rare resources on his attribute panel, and the corners of his mouth twitched. so it was so lively that he could only nurture one radiant moon troop? the higher the level, the more resources it would cost. the number of radiant moon soldiers required to become transcendent would be even more astronomical¨Cten million ordinary troop lairs if it were an exaggeration to say that a crown would advance to radiant moon-level. that was 20 million units of rare resources. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched at the thought of this data. all the rare resources he had earned had probably not even reached 20 million since he entered the ¡°shining era.¡± he must sell a few of his glorious treasures. richard took a few deep breaths to suppress the rise and fall of emotions in his heart. ¡°i¡¯m still as poor as a dog with millions of resources in my hands¡­ no one else has this feeling.¡± richard would start with the crown since he couldn¡¯t ace radiant moon-level king of the imperial on a large scale. he would need three days of cooldown before he could level up for the second time if he recruited them now. he no longer hesitated at this point. he opened the [trading market] and purchased troop lairs in large quantities. he directly bought one million, according to the average of 400 units of resources, which was the price of two rare resources. he quickly spent two million. six hundred thousand still remained in the attribute panel. that must be quite a lot, but recruiting troops also required tons of resources, which could be insufficient. richard smiled bitterly. the most arduous thing for the violent soldiers was not to expand the lairs from the looks of it but how to continue recruiting troops after one increased lairs. richard had never increased the number of troop lairs on a large scale because the resources needed to recruit high-level troop types were exaggerated. the current income of twilight city could not afford so many high-level troop lairs. richard wouldn¡¯t have a thousand radiant moon-level even if one gave a hundred crowns. he couldn¡¯t get the resources he needed to recruit. ¡°the greatest obstacle for twilight city was poverty.¡± richard sighed. the system would temporarily give storage space to the resources purchased from the [trading market], but one could not return them once one took them out. richard calmed down and looked at the sleeping pyramid that could recruit the king of the imperial troop lair. a notification immediately appeared in the black gold system with a thought. [sleeping pyramid] [1. it can consume ten radiant moon-level troop lairs to advance to the next level.] [2. you can choose the sleeping pyramid as the cultivation target and consume resources to cultivate a lair of the same type.] [note 1: the level of the troop lair nurtured will be one level lower than the selected target. one will need to upgrade twice to reach the same level.] [note 2: the training will depend on the level before the promotion when selecting a promoted soldier.] richard glanced at the attributes twice and moved his eyes sparingly. unfortunately, there were no loopholes. one could only count the troops promoted according to the time before their promotion. otherwise, they would not have to wait for such a long promotion cycle. that didn¡¯t cause conflict with richard, although he felt sparingly regretful. he immediately chose the second option. [target selected¨Cthe sleeping pyramid.] [detected one million remaining troop lairs. do you want to cultivate all of them¨Csleeping pyramid?] [note: the nurturing process is irreversible.] [sleeping pyramid] [level: radiant moon 3-stars radiant moon] [characteristic: successfully nurtured, will obtain a crown 3-stars troop lair.] richard did not hesitate and chose to nurture it. a few seconds afterward. all the lairs stored in the system space disappeared. then, a majestic energy surged out of the sleeping pyramid. in an instant, the wind and clouds surged. endless yellow sand covered the surrounding space. the yellow sand gradually settled down and condensed into pyramids one after another as the vast energy revolved. the energy subsided when the sandstorm dissipated. richard saw thirteen pyramids that stood tall. it was smaller than the sleeping pyramid of the radiant moon. [the system has successfully built the sleeping pyramid.] the black gold system¡¯s notification rang, and richard opened the attribute panel. [sleeping pyramid] [level: crown 3-stars] [recruitable troops: king of the imperial troop (3-star crown)] [recruited: 10] [weekly production: 10] [recruitment requirements: 1,400 units of gemstones, 1400 units of sulfur] [description: you can recruit mummy soldiers with mighty battle power¨Cking of the imperial troop. they are the kings of the mummy imperial troop with soul-strapping battle strength. ¡°thirteen crown 3-stars troop lairs!¡± richard¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile. the difference from radiant moons was that the resources required for recruitment had dropped from 4,000 units of gemstones and sulfur to 1,400 units. wait, something was wrong. Chapter 805 there were 13 troop lairs, and each could recruit ten soldiers, which meant 130 soldiers. each troop had 2,400 rare resources, which was 312,000. three hundred twelve thousand units were only one week¡¯s production. four weeks a month, that was 1,248,000 units. each radiant moon-level king of the imperial troop cost 8,000 rare resources and three lairs. they could produce 30 and 120 per week. that was 960 million. twilight city had to spend 2,208,000 units of rare resources every month to maintain the king of the imperial troop. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched after he calculated. the monthly income of twilight city was only around one million. f*ck the husky. ¡°how am i going to make up for this million-dollar deficit?¡± moreover, this was not counting the data obtained from other troop types. twilight city would have to spend more than three million units of rare resources monthly to recruit all the troop types. this number dried richard¡¯s mouth. the resource deficit had soared to two million. as expected, a violent soldier was not something ordinary people could withstand. ¡°no, twilight city has to make money. profuse money! we need to expand black sorbet ice cream immediately!¡± richard gritted his teeth. ¡°has loreinna returned from the vampire castle? that castle must have hidden a lot of valuable treasures. ¡°we need to speed up the production of magic music boxes in fortress city! i need this fantasy version of the mp3 player to make money for twilight city! ¡°and the white-tailed cats. where did the wine that these cats studied go? why was there still no movement? we have to make them produce results at most half a month! ¡°what about the weapons production in bloodhoof city? has it stagnated recently? the construction of the weapons factory had to be accelerated as well!¡± currently, the income of twilight city wasn¡¯t small, but it was still insufficient compared to the resources he needed. the immense deficit of resources made richard furious. that would not stop him from making money! no matter what the reason was, even if the crimson moon rose at the entrance of twilight city. he unhesitatingly spent 312,000 rare resources to recruit the king mummies of king of the imperial troop lair. some would say that the desert god led this troop. the attributes of the crown-level king mummies were still domineering and fierce. it was one level stronger than the crown 3-stars guardian mummies. the only pity was that its mightiest explosive skill, forbidden sandstorm, had been reduced from 20 to 10 minutes. but even so, the king of the imperial troop was definitely one of the strongest among the crown soldiers. richard looked at the five swords that hovered around him. he felt sparingly happier. he unhesitatingly bestowed the trump card skill of the 130 king mummies of the king of the imperial troop lair of twilight city, the city of sand. then, he did not let them stay any longer. he waved his hand to the surrounding king mummy soldiers to bring them down to join the troop lair. richard looked helpless when the front yard was peaceful again. he wanted to expose a wave of soldiers, but he did not expect only 13 teams of soldiers would drop after spending more than two million rare resources. it was really sparingly unreasonable. ¡°each soldier needs 100,000 lairs which is 200,000 units of rare resources to upgrade glorious to crown-level. ¡°the 20 scorpion warriors were still glorious-level lair. there were also three guardian mummies, ten sand condensation archers, ten wild sand mages, and twenty sandstorm controllers. ¡°a total of 63. ¡°the resources required to advance are¡­ 10.6 million.¡± richard felt his scalp tingle. he felt his poverty once again. the development of twilight city was already quite good. every month, they would earn over a hundred rare resources. among the players, they could look down on them. however, compared to consumption, he still had no way to see it. ¡°i¡¯m going to sell my kidneys if this continues¡­¡± richard suppressed the waves in his heart and ensued his to clarity. then he quickly changed his mind. he could not expand high-level troops in a short period. so he would start from the glorious level. glorious troops were much more inexpensive than crown troops. he only needed 10,000 ordinary troops or four million units of ordinary-level resources. it would only be 20,000 units if converted to rare resources. richard was a little emotional at the thought. millions of ordinary resources were an astronomical figure for him a few months ago. even the 500,000 units to upgrade the troop was arduous to achieve. millions of resources had unexpectedly become a small number in just a few months. when did all of this start? richard stroked his chin. it was like twilight city was on the road to prosperity following the opening of the new underworld map. he took over the underground world, and the construction of twilight city in various aspects reached a new stage. in addition, he had plundered a vast amount of resources from the outside world. the development speed of twilight city soared with the addition of all aspects. richard shook his head and didn¡¯t mind much about it. he looked at the remaining 300,000 units of rare resources. he felt that his hands were still tight. he opened the [trading market] and started to search. however, the brilliant troops were pitifully few. that enormously disappointed richard. that affected the desert faction and the others as well. on the market were all trash troops. no one would want to sell highly-valuable treasures. richard didn¡¯t stop his search. he continued to search for rare-level troops. Chapter 806 the black gold system was the paramount bug. the players were different after half a year of development or more. the rare troops that were previously rare were not densely packed. richard couldn¡¯t help but decide carefully. it took more than an hour to select three troops as candidates. these few troops had their strengths. richard felt that each could be of great use when nurtured. however, he was about to buy one of them. karu suddenly rushed into the room and panted heavily. he sounded extremely excited. ¡°lord richard, the void sandworm has just reported news from her excellency loreinna.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the excitement on his face. ¡°what is it?¡± butler karu laboriously panted as he spoke. ¡°her excellency loreinna has successfully subdued the vampire castle¡­all vampires will submit. ¡°in addition, she also obtained immense treasures and troop lairs. ¡°her excellency loreinna requests to return.¡± ¡°loreinna had subdued all the vampires in the castle? and, she had obtained immense treasures and troop lairs we needed? ¡°what a timely rain!¡± richard equally excitedly exclaimed! he quickly brought karu to the land of quicksand. they saw a heart-wrenching scene when they arrived. the void sandworms that stood like city walls crawled in the vast yellow sand on the side of the towering god¡¯s ancient tree. a sense of oppression filled their dark golden bodies. these behemoths currently emitted endless void power. they gathered power before him. they tore the void apart and opened a wide spatial rift. richard could see a magical charm-filled scene through the spatial passageway. a medieval castle in a high mountain forest reflected in his eyes. it was majestic and ancient. the densely-carved and mural-embossed city walls were exquisite. the same magnificence shone with the palace where the royal family lived. figures in tuxedos and noble dresses shrouded the city walls and fortifications before the castle. that was truly remarkable! each was polite, elegant, and calm, with a striking temperament. they were innumerable at a glance. these elegant nobles all stared at a lady that floated in the air before them with burning eyes. her long red robe made her bulging chest prominent. it was like mountains were about to explode. she had long silver hair and cold silver eyes. she had a noble and elegant temperament. at the same time, she had the domineering aura of a queen. she stood mid-air, and the entire world seemed to revolve around her. this transcendent with supreme power held her chest and bowed to richard most humbly under the watchful eyes of all the vampires behind him. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t disappoint you. i have recruited all the vampires. ¡°please give the order.¡± thousands of pairs of eyes turned in richard¡¯s direction. this scene could cause one¡¯s mental pressure to increase exponentially. richard¡¯s face was calm. he ignored the scrutinizing eyes. he nodded slightly. ¡°no need to be so polite¡­ you did well. ¡°come over and talk.¡± loreinna nodded and stood up when she heard this. then, she calmly walked before the spatial gate and was about to expand. suddenly, an angry roar sounded from the castle. ¡°damn vampire!!¡± ¡°you will never obtain that treasure!! ¡°the frostwolf¡¯s territory is beyond the mountain range!! ¡°the eldest daughter of the ice empire¡¯s grand duke of frostwolf, miss rebecca, is leading a troop towards this mountain range! ¡°you can¡¯t bear the consequences of angering the frostwolf clan!!¡± richard narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the castle. he opened his mouth and asked and did not wait for loreinna to pass through the spatial rift. ¡°loreinna, the one who spoke¡­ who was it?¡± loreinna answered softly. ¡°i captured a subordinate of the frostwof¡¯s eldest daughter three days ago. ¡°he said that the leader will come from frostwolf clan. it was an extremely force-riveting family in ice empire. ¡°what¡¯s interesting is that i learned about a treasure that can greatly improve the vampire tribe¡­i¡¯ve been interrogating him for the past two days.¡± ****** Chapter 807 he never knew the vampire castle was related to the frost wolf clan, although she knew that the vampire castle was very close to the ice empire. moreover, loreinna had captured the frostwolf¡¯s members for a vampire tribe treasure. the captives were rebecca¡¯s subordinates. that confounded him whether t laugh or cry. ¡°did this mean that the god of fire had burned down his church?¡± he felt more relaxed. richard gave the victory gem to the frostwolf¡¯s ambitious eldest daughter. she wanted to control the frostwolf clan. his relationship with the eldest daughter already rose to a certain level. rebecca would unhesitatingly give the treasure to him if he asked her. ¡°what had she been doing during this time?¡± that was what interested him more. it had been more than three months since richard had left. there had been no other contact between them besides the fire dragon rabbit. some time ago, rebecca sent him a message which invited him to visit ice empire to receive the ice mineral vein and had a gift for him. he didn¡¯t have time to go. loreinna noticed the change in richard¡¯s expression. she asked slowly. ¡°lord, do you know the frostwolf clan?¡± richard smiled and told her about rebecca. ¡°the eldest daughter of the frostwolf grand duke aspired to take charge of the frostwolf clan. she has strong execution ability, clear goals, and good skills.¡± that young lady had countless subordinates as the eldest daughter of the grand duke. however, she still came from the ice empire to the desert of death and even stepped on the land of twilight city. those were enough to explain many things. all these actions made him think highly of rebecca. otherwise, he would not have invested such a precious thing as the victory gem in her. loreinna finally understood. her silver eyes focused as she turned to look at the castle. her lips moved slightly, but she did not make any sound. a moment later. ¡®rustle!¡¯ flapping wings sound echoed in the sky. a large group of ferocious bats rushed out of the vampire castle. the ear-piercing screams made these dark creatures even more terrifying. one could vaguely see a bat drag a figure through their dense swarm. after a few breaths, the bat crossed the city wall and landed before the spatial rift. the bat flapped its wings and left. that revealed the captive on the ground. the tattered robe he wore looked like trash picked up by the lowest beggar in the city from the sewers. holes shrouded the robe, and only two thin threads hung from his shoulders. that barely fell off, but the thin threads would not last long, judging from their shaky appearance. disgusting scars of all sizes shrouded his body that paralleled the tattered robe. some of the flesh still rolled, while some had already scabbed over. the blood had coagulated and had turned dark brown. blood covered his face, and his pale golden, stinky curly hair covered most of his mug. one wouldn¡¯t see his face clearly. loreinna could vaguely sense that the captive was a middle-aged man. the captive fell heavily on the ground. the captive¡¯s hands still supported its injured body as it tried to get up. the veins on his neck bulged after he held it for a long time. he barely managed to get up and kneel on the ground. he panted heavily and had no remaining strength. however, it was this unkempt captive who could die at any moment that made people feel an inexplicable respect for him. the other party had an unyielding soul. one could slay his body but could not obliterate the power. he took a few deep breaths, and the human on the ground slowly raised his head. his light golden hair swayed slightly and revealed a pair of ocean-blue eyes. fearlessness and determination filled the captive¡¯s gaze. ¡°vampire¡­ no matter what you do, you can¡¯t get any information from me.¡± ¡°after i died, miss rebecca¡­she would lead the frostwolf clan. she will flatten your castle.¡± a fanatic¡¯s fervor filled his weak and intermittent voice. a crazy smile appeared on his face as he said that. ¡°run for your lives¡­ ¡°vampires exposed to the sun are just lambs. ¡°so what if you are a transcendent?! ¡°the power of the frostwolf clan is not something you can imagine¡­¡± a life-controlled captive now shouted at a high-above vampire archduchess. darkness and cruelty filled her aura. the captive asked her to run for her life. this scene made everyone laugh, but at the same time, they couldn¡¯t help but admire the captive¡¯s courage. a great terror lay between life and death. not everyone could face death and pain directly. but this captive had done it. richard signed at the forty-year-old captive. he said slowly, ¡°the day rebecca takes over the frostwolf clan won¡¯t be far if all her subordinates have your determination and courage. ¡°you have earned my approval, rebecca¡¯s subordinate.¡± his tone was calm but carried a domineering aura only a city ruler could have. the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes sparingly moved when he heard the subtlety in his tone. ¡°human, do you know miss rebecca?¡± he looked at loreinna beside him and said with a mocking tone. ¡°that¡¯s really humiliating. miss rebecca would befriend a human who defected to vampires. a lowly slave who has betrayed humanity!¡± vampires were purely dark creatures. they differ from other races because they hunt humans with sweet blood. Chapter 808 humans hated them most among all the evil creatures like demons, devils, undead, and vampires. richard would undoubtedly be a lowly traitor to the vampires. traitors would often take the initiative to assist the vampires, help them break through the defenses of the human cities, and allow them to slaughter and abuse humans at will. richard dispelled this idea before it could even rise since he is the lord of the elegant vampire archduchess, loreinna. how could a transcendent be subordinate to both parties? a transcendent was still one of the most vital figures in the family, although the frostwolf clan had glorious warriors. rebecca also had the support of a transcendent apart from her highness, which was why she had received so much recognition from the frostwolf clan. richard was about to speak. loreinna¡¯s silver eyes instantly turned scarlet. the boundless pressure was like a tsunami that was ten thousand feet tall. that power dashed the sky away and smashed things around. heaven and earth lost their color, and everything stopped moving. ¡®creak!¡¯ the middle-aged captive knelt on the ground and felt like a giant hand grabbed his soul and squeezed fiercely. the terrifying pressure made him feel incomparable pain. ¡°ah!!!¡± a low growl sounded from his throat, like the roar of a dying beast. he only felt that the torture he suffered at this moment was a million times more painful than the vampire¡¯s torture there. pain obliterated his entire consciousness, but the more so, the more exaggerated the crushing and tearing feeling from his soul. ¡°ah!!!¡± the pain in his throat gradually weakened to the point that it was almost inaudible. loreinna¡¯s silver eyes watched this scene indifferently. this lowly human dared to insult her lord! ¡®really? the captive courted death!¡¯ as a transcendent of the vampire clan, she was born from blood and death. the dignity of the strong did not allow for a pick. richard waved his hand to stop her when he saw that the captive was on the outskirts of death. the captive was just a human who spoke rudely. in his eyes, loreinna was worthless, but rebecca was her opposite. he had bet heavily on that girl. a surge of energy surged into the captive¡¯s body, protected his weak soul, and revived him with a wave of his hand. the middle-aged captive regained consciousness after a few minutes. but he could no longer support his body at this moment. he lay on the side of the ground and panted weakly. but even so, his eyes did not waver. ¡°your methods¡­is that all?¡± the corners of his mouth curled up, and that crazy smile reappeared. there was a hint of admiration in richard¡¯s eyes. this determination was precious. the frostwolf clan would have them if rebecca had such a subordinate. loreinna was about to speak but narrowed her eyes as if she had sensed something. then she turned to richard and said respectfully, ¡°lord, something triggered the traps we set in the mountains. the frostwolf clan¡¯s troops could have entered the mountains.¡± the middle-aged captive barely caught his breath and widened his eyes. he looked at richard in awe of disbelief before he could react. ¡°l-lord?¡± ¡®am i hallucinating because of weakness and pain? ¡®that transcendent vampire! she called that human lord?¡¯ ¡®what a joke! how could a lowly level 10 human conquer a transcendent? moreover, they were vampires, known for their cruelty and blood greediness! the captive felt his brain would explode and stop working. the vast impact in his heart made him feel like he almost fainted. richard nodded and cut to the chase. ¡°rebecca¡¯s subordinate, i am the lord of twilight city, richard. ¡°you could have heard of twilight city. this incident was an accident.¡± the captive glanced at the vampire castle behind him as richard spoke. ¡°my subordinates had subdued the vampires above. ¡°what would rebecca want this time?¡± ¡°twilight city?¡± the middle-aged captive appeared sparingly stunned and tremblingly said, ¡°you are¡­the grace mainland overlord! you bequeathed the young lady with a treasure!¡± richard said when he heard the probing tone in his voice. ¡°victory gem. ¡°fire dragon rabbit.¡± the middle-aged captive¡¯s face turned bitter. he knew someone would avenge him if he sacrificed himself. now it seemed like. it wouldn¡¯t happen. that was the grace mainland overlord! the frostwolf grand duke¡¯s eldest daughter had praised him many times. he had accidentally learned about the victory gem due to his unique identity. only the grace mainland overlord knew about this treasure that could attract the goddess of divine power. ¡®what a coincidence!¡¯ then hadn¡¯t he suffered this beating for nothing? he immediately felt the pain in his body intensify. he wanted to slap himself a few times. wouldn¡¯t there have been such a thing later if he had said less at that time? the captive thought his cheap mouth had caused his oppression. he wanted to cry but had no tears. he sighed and forcefully suppressed the emotions in his heart. he said, ¡°lord richard, i apologize. i didn¡¯t know her highness was your friend.¡± the captive paused for a few seconds afterward and weakly said, ¡°miss rebecca pursues a rather mysterious treasure. i don¡¯t know the specifics. however, they say it is related to the lost treasure of the vampire clan.¡± ¡°this treasure can open a certain ancient ruin.¡± Chapter 809 that was already the second time he mentioned the vampire clan treasure. he turned to look at loreinna. ¡°what is that supreme treasure of the vampire clan?¡± loreinna said slowly, ¡°vampire scepter.¡± ¡°the vampire scepter contains the blood essence of the first vampire breed in the world of light. the other party is the ancestor of all vampire breeds. ¡°it is also the only deity in the vampire clan. ¡°all the vampires are looking for this. we could obtain the blood essence of the ancestor and transform into the original vampires if we get it.¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡®in that case, this vampire scepter was indeed extraordinary. ¡®however, rebecca was only here to open the ancient ruins. what level was that ruin?¡¯ he shook his head and didn¡¯t mind it. he would just ask rebecca soon. ¡°loreinna, cure this¡­brave warrior.¡± she interestingly looked at the middle-aged captive on the ground. ¡°i don¡¯t know your name yet.¡± the other party smiled bitterly. ¡°bowen salutes you.¡± richard looked at him deeply. ¡°i will remember you, bowen. your fearlessness and courage left a deep impression on me.¡± bowen smiled bitterly in his heart. what was the use of this? he wouldn¡¯t have suffered this if he had said less. transcendent pressure was not something that humans could withstand. at this moment, a faint silver light emitted from loreinna¡¯s body, and the majestic energy directly enveloped the captive. loreinna¡¯s control over magic energy had reached its peak as a transcendent, although she hadn¡¯t had any healing skills or magic. it would be a piece of cake to heal the injuries of a level 10 human captive. the magic power stimulated the captive¡¯s flesh and bones. boundless energy quickly renewed the captive¡¯s body. the initially angry bowen sternly stood up and walked freely in three minutes or less. loreinna restrained her aura, and bowen humbly bowed again. ¡°i apologize to you, your excellency. i am not proud of my recklessness a while back.¡± richard waved his hand and gazed at a stone statue of the dead behind the captive. he pointed at bowen. ¡°mount that soldier and go find rebecca. tell her that i¡¯ll be waiting for her here.¡± bowen thanked him and didn¡¯t waste any more time. he turned around and mounted the stone statue of the dead. he flew in another direction. richard withdrew his thoughts and looked at loreinna again afterward. ¡°how much did you get from the vampire castle?¡± that was the highlight. he wanted to sell his kidneys just a while back for the sake of the soul-wrenching soldiers. the deficit was too big. richard had to earn extra money, or he wouldn¡¯t withstand the consumption. loreinna responded seriously. ¡°the gains are all in the treasure vault. every vampire has treasures. it would take some time to count.¡± richard asked the question he was most concerned about. ¡°how many estimated rare resources?¡± ¡°not less than 3 million units¡­¡± richard immediately calmed down. three million units were enough to support this wave of minions! he looked at the castle behind her. the vampire troop here was more elegant than the nobles. ¡°how strong is this vampire troop?¡± this vampire troop was his paramount gain besides the resources he desperately needed. that was the battle power of the vampire system! the leadership of transcendent loreinna would reinforce their battle power. ¡°level 14 vampire swordsman, a total of two large teams, potential crown 1-star. ¡°level 15 vampire mages, a large team, potential crown 2-stars. ¡°level 16 vampire hunters, five squadrons, potential crown 3-stars. ¡°in addition, there are three vampire clan heroes. one is a level 19 vampire clan marquis with a-rank, and two are level 15 vampire clan marquises with b-rank potential.¡± richard immediately perked up. one wouldn¡¯t underestimate this force with 3,000 crown-level soldiers or more. and there were even heroes. he didn¡¯t pay anything. he just sent loreinna, and the vampire archduchess settled everything. that was the most paramount. it was like the troop he needed landed in his hands like a pie that fell from the sky at the castigatory moment when the crimson moon was about to rise. ¡®damn! that was too easy! ¡®wouldn¡¯t twilight city soar high if this happened eight to ten times?¡¯ ¡°lead the troop and have all the vampire breeds return to twilight city immediately.¡± richard spoke, and loreinna insinuated hesitation. ¡°lord, we¡­¡± richard raised an eyebrow. he sensed something wrong when he saw the vampire¡¯s expression. ¡°do we have a problem, loreinna?¡± loreinna gravely responded. ¡°lord, the space around the castle constantly changes. a plane merges with another. ¡°all the vampires have benefited¡­everyone is getting stronger.¡± Chapter 810 ¡®could it be¡­one hid the vampire scepter that contained the blood essence of the vampire clan in this area? he did not deny it, and he told loreinna about his impression. loreinna¡¯s expression froze when she heard it. rebecca¡¯s subordinate, bowen, had been too tight-lipped a while back. she only got a few pieces of information. loreinna was unsure, although she vaguely thought of this in her heart. she couldn¡¯t connect. the elegant vampire archduschess pondered. she slowly said, ¡°lord, please look¡­¡± she waved her hand as she spoke. silver energy burst out from her body and surged in all directions like a storm. layers of fluctuations appeared in the surrounding space under the terrifying power. it was like a force distorted a transparent glass. one could vaguely see the blood that flowed through the distorted nodes. those were traces from another plane. richard frowned. the evil, darkness, and cruelty aura of that foreign plane made him feel irritated all over. it was like an evil form stared at him. that plane was not a good place. ¡°perhaps one hid the vampire scepter in this area, but¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be easy to obtain.¡± loreinna¡¯s thoughts were clear, and she wasn¡¯t too concerned about the treasure she hadn¡¯t seen before. the energy that could purify her bloodline was more vital for her, although it was the vampire clan¡¯s most precious treasure. moreover, she didn¡¯t have much hope with treasures lost time-immemorially long, so long that she didn¡¯t know about it or even if she did. many vampires did not believe this treasure ever existed. richard nodded. he understood the elegant vampire archduchess¡¯s thoughts. she was arduous to deal with if one judged from the aura that seeped from that plane. no one could not know what happened afterward following a fusion. ¡°you mean, you want to stay in the castle?¡± loreina nodded and gravely said, ¡°lord, i¡¯ll listen to your arrangements. however, i¡¯ll be able to improve even more if i stay. i would quickly return whenever you need me.¡± she gestured at the spatial rift as she spoke. ¡°i can already push aside this turbulent space following the reinforcement of those energies¡­ the void sandworm could open a spatial passageway at any time.¡± richard frowned and weighed up. he was particular to this aspect as a transcendent. usually, he would respect the other party¡¯s opinion. however, the system would soon release a new expansion pack. richard would lose everything if he weren¡¯t careful and wise. any decision could directly affect the fate of twilight city. ¡°wait until rebecca returns.¡± richard pressed the button and then signaled to the castle behind her. ¡°send all the supplies back to twilight city. ¡°we need these resources to expand our troops.¡± loreinna bowed. ¡°as you wish.¡± she stood after she knelt and immediately flew into the castle. the entire castle previously bustled and rustled with activity. bat-winged vampires flew out of the castle while they dragged vast boxes. they passed through the spatial gate. richard led them as they entered the holy land and piled up all the boxes in his private plane. every vampire was a flying soldier. they could transform their talent into bat abilities. that was why they could move boxes very quickly. richard was in a good mood as he watched the bats move. the overwhelming benefits of subduing loreinna were not something ordinary people could imagine. this elegant vampire archduchess could incessantly recruit vampires to join him. the lower-level vampire troop was unwilling and dissatisfied. in the system of the vampire clan, the high-level clan had absolute authority over the lower-level ones. just the identity of loreinna as an ancestor was enough to make them obedient whether she set aside her remarkable power. the vampires sensed loreinna¡¯s blood and excitedly knelt when she arrived at the castle. it wasn¡¯t like what richard had imagined. the vampires had to go through a fierce battle to subdue each other. there was no resistance or struggle at all. one had snatched the vampire coffin in the castle they had obtained from the orcs. loreinna was the target of the vampire troop¡¯s protection. it was rational to accept the castle. the ancient castle had abundant reserved treasures. thousands of vampires had to work for more than ten minutes to transport all the supplies to the holy land. then, the vampires wouldn¡¯t enter the castle. they would wait quietly before the spatial rift for orders. among the evil creatures like vampires and demons, the most disciplined were the former. these two clans were both high-level and had absolute dominance over low-level races. the air suddenly fell silent when both loreina and richard didn¡¯t speak. richard seemed to have thought of something at this moment. he waved his hand at the dark soul eater, kratos. this boss had recently guarded the land of quicksand with the god¡¯s ancient tree. protecting the holy land meant coordination with the kingdom of ell dimension, which could change. ¡°kratos, do you have any news from the kingdom of ell?¡± kratos was six meters tall and was as strong as a mountain. it softly responded. ¡°lord, the two princesses have contacted the troop still loyal to the royal family of ell. ¡°they hid in the forbidden area of the kingdom of ell and could not enter from the outside world. ¡°gunter and gray have assisted each other.¡± richard nodded. ¡°have you informed the princesses to come to twilight city?¡± ¡°i did, lord. however, the two princesses strongly requested to stay there and wouldn¡¯t want to come to twilight city yet.¡± ¡°they clearly expressed that they couldn¡¯t leave the kingdom yet. they needed more time to prepare.¡± richard¡¯s admiration for the two princesses thrived. he was clear about the current situation, and they did not receive support. richard would always determine hard work as the benchmark. the sibling princesses had great potential. ¡°pay more attention to them. be sure to bring them back immediately if anything happens.¡± the death of others was inevitable. but these two princesses are the remaining heiresses of the royal family of ell. they are irreplaceable. nothing could happen to them. kratos nodded. ¡°i will obey your orders, my lord!¡± kratos seemed to have thought of something and spoke slowly. ¡°lord, those two princesses also said¡­they were looking for a treasure and wanted to give it to you as a gift of gratitude. ¡°a god had left that treasure behind, although it wasn¡¯t a divine artifact. it has an exceptional function to them.¡± that intrigued richard. the siblings were the second who aspired to give him a gift. ¡®a god¡¯s legacy?¡¯ it sounded expensive. ¡°alright, just pay attention to this matter. let me know if the princesses need any help.¡± ¡°it¡¯s the lord¡¯s turn of the century.¡± the vampires in front of the spatial rift placidly listened to their conversation. their expressions were subtle as they tried to fathom richard¡¯s genuine attributes. how rich must one be to become their ancestor¡¯s lord? at this moment, a thumb-sized black dot suddenly appeared in the dark sky. the black dot rapidly approached and gradually became vast. in less than a minute, a stone statue of the dead led the flying troops over. it was a group of griffins that shone with a dark blue light. the ice-carved feathers on their bodies were crystal clear, like rare treasures. the blue griffins were about one squadron. mounted on them were knights who wore masks with golden patterns and carried lances and longbows. the most striking person was still the one in the center. the female warrior in full white armor rode a two-headed griffin. it was more than twice the size of the griffin beside it. it was like an adult griffin flew with a group of underage griffins. the troop quickly approached and stopped before the spatial rift in a breath¡¯s time. the griffins were in chaos for a moment under the watchful eyes of thousands of vampires. the giant griffin flew out alone. the stone statue of the dead led, and they fearlessly arrived in front of the space rift. the young female warrior removed the golden helmet on her head. her long hair fluttered in the wind. a perfect, fair face reflected in everyone¡¯s eyes. the young female warrior fixed her eyes on richard. her face revealed a bright smile. ¡°lord richard, long time no see!¡± happiness and joy overflowed in her chest at this moment. the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°rebecca, i didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡± rebecca¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. her tone was light. ¡°i didn¡¯t, either.¡± she spoke and glanced curiously at the ferocious vampire troop and the open spatial rift below. ¡°lord richard, who is she?¡± richard shrugged. ¡°a subordinate i just subdued.¡± ¡°speaking of which, i even had a few misunderstandings with your subordinate.¡± richard said that and looked at his former middle-aged human captive, bowen. the former captive came down from the stone statue of the dead. admiration engulfed richard¡¯s sight. ¡°sir bowen¡¯s courage is commendable.¡± bowen revealed a pained smile from beneath. he was courageous but could never be proud of the beatings he suffered because of his unclever mouth. he wouldn¡¯t have almost died if it weren¡¯t for his nonsense. richard¡¯s expression turned grave after a brief exchange of pleasantries. ¡°rebecca, you¡¯re looking for the vampire scepter of the breeds?¡± rebecca nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± she spoke and glanced at the vampire troop. ¡°i received news that the vampire scepter is in this area?¡± ¡°this place alone in the entire mountain range has the vampire clan¡¯s ancient castle.¡± ¡°my initial target was these vampire breeds.¡± ¡°they have a strong sense of their ancestors¡¯ blood.¡± her tone was sparingly coquettish afterward. ¡°but i didn¡¯t expect you would all subdue them. ¡°lord richard, can you lend me a few vampires¡­? otherwise, i won¡¯t let you go.¡± the double-headed giant griffin young female rider revealed a childish expression. bowen¡¯s heart thumped as he looked at richard with a dry mouth. ¡®was this grace mainland overlord the young lady¡¯s partner?¡¯ he immediately stood up straight and tried his best to be more respectful. richard laughed. ¡°it¡¯s a small matter. loreinna can go with you.¡± rebecca focused on the silver-haired, silver-eyed, and exceptionally seductive loreinna beside him. she initially glanced at the exaggerated bulging mountains on her chest with envy. then she was a little surprised. ¡°lord richard, this subordinate of yours is¡­ transcendent?¡± amazement cradled her heart when richard nodded. how long had it been since they last met, and twilight city had already transcendent? richard didn¡¯t dwell on these trivial matters and asked the question he was most concerned about. ¡°you will use the vampire scepter treasure to explore the ancient ruins? what kind of relic would require the vampire clan¡¯s ultimate treasure?¡± rebecca¡¯s expression turned solemn as she slowly spoke. ¡°lord richard, you know¡­ an ancient god?¡± ¡°ancient god?¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°what do you mean?¡± rebecca¡¯s gaze turned exceptionally grave. ¡°i found their tracks.¡± maybe you don¡¯t trust me. the current gods were all gods who had stolen the power of the ancient gods.¡± she spoke, and pain filled her eyes. ¡°snow goddess¡­it¡¯s the same.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he looked at the expression of the eldest daughter of the frostwolf clan. the lost power shattered her dreams. she could not help but feel sparingly embarrassed. richard said slowly. ¡°rebecca¡­perhaps, i knew it earlier than you.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already contacted the ancient gods¡¯ representative¡­they are calling for the ancient gods to return.¡± Chapter 811 ¡®ancient gods¡­they are about to return?¡¯ ¡®he actually contacted those ancient gods before me?!¡¯ she expected richard not to believe her if she told him the news. but richard¡¯s news was even more shocking. her voice trembled sparingly. ¡°lord richard, how did you know about this? have you contacted those ancient gods?¡± richard glanced at the ice-carved feathered blue griffin a hundred meters away. he meaningfully said, ¡°rebecca, it won¡¯t be long before you see the changes in this world. ¡°at that time, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to investigate the root of it. ¡°what you should do now is to reinforce the power in your hands and become stronger. ¡°in the face of change, strength alone matters.¡± the system rules restricted richard from leaking too much information about the crimson moon to the natives. he had already reached his limit. rebecca looked into those deep eyes and nodded thoughtfully. she sighed and gravely said, ¡°lord richard, you will always be my friend no matter how the situation changes.¡± richard smiled and looked into those grave eyes. ¡°rebecca, you will always be a friend of twilight city.¡± the two looked at each other and smiled. the atmosphere immediately became harmonious. the two had not sensed strangeness for a long time, and that thawed at this moment. ¡°this area will fuse with another plane. it will emit an aura that can purify the vampire bloodline. ¡°this is not a kind place. ¡°it¡¯s best to retreat first until you¡¯re utterly confident. wait until that plane has completely integrated before you return to explore.¡± rebecca raised her head and looked at the sky. the energy waves that loreinna had created were still there, and she could vaguely sense an evil and dark aura that seeped into the void. she weighed up for a moment and spoke afterward. ¡°the vampire scepter is in this area.¡± ¡°a transcendent priest deduced an information. the priest had divination skills at the end of his life¡­ nothing will go wrong.¡± ¡°this is the only key that can open the ancient ruins. i can¡¯t leave.¡± her eyes were firm. ¡°lord richard, my path will always be mine. i am irreplaceable. ¡°one could not avoid danger. i couldn¡¯t stop moving forward because of this. ¡°that ancient ruin has an occupation inheritance highly suitable for me. ¡°we can¡¯t give up this opportunity.¡± the young female warrior wore full white armor. her long hair danced in the wind. the light in her eyes was as dazzling as the stars in the sky. her stubborn and determined temperament made people¡¯s hearts tremble. some people were always so dazzling. richard looked deeply at the eldest daughter of the frostwolf clan. perhaps only with such a personality could she defeat those excellent competitors and rule the top clans in ice empire. ¡°i respect your choice, rebecca.¡± rare praise filled his tone. ¡°everyone has their mission¡­ do not let the outside world hinder you since you have your target. don¡¯t waver or hesitate. you will do well.¡± these words equally warned rebecca. he spoke and took a gemstone out that emitted a yellow sand glow from the system space. ¡°you crush this gemstone if you will need help¡­i will sense it.¡± richard injected the power of yellow sand into it. the earth could sense it as long as the power of the yellow sand dissipated. he learned some tricks after he reached level 15. the input power required a lot of patience. he had failed dozens of times before he could get three to five pills. she could use it on critical occasions for the time being. rebecca reached out to take the gemstone and subconsciously tightened her grip. it was like a rare treasure. she fixed her eyes on richard. the feeling in her chest almost overflowed. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± she called out softly, and her eyes rippled as if they could drip water. then, she seemed to have thought of something and lightly said, ¡°i previously obtained a special treasure. it should be of great help to you.¡± she said apologetically, ¡°unfortunately, i didn¡¯t bring it this time.¡± richard smiled. ¡°i will visit ice empire after i settle this storm. ¡°speaking of which, i haven¡¯t seen that ice ore vein¡­¡± rebecca¡¯s eyes immediately curved up. ¡°you¡¯re welcome to come anytime!¡± richard waved his hand and broke the surrounding shields. that allowed the voices from the outside world to enter again. other than the secrets of the ancient gods, there was no need to guard against information so strictly. richard subconsciously looked down at the vampire troop. he weighed up and looked at loreinna. ¡°loreinna, lead the vampires in the continuous protection of the castle and support rebecca.¡± ¡°i will obey whatever request miss rebecca has as long as it¡¯s within my means. ¡°i¡¯ll come and return you to twilight city after three days.¡± the aura here could purify the vampire¡¯s bloodline, so there was no need to rush to bring the entire troop back. a few days left. the vampire¡¯s battle strength could increase again. that was especially true for loreinna, a level 22 transcendent. she was exceptionally paramount to twilight city. she would accumulate vast profits if she could reinforce her cultivation by another level in three. the speaker had no intention, but the listener had. rebecca heard this, and her heart trembled. her breathing froze at this moment. she only felt her face become exceptionally hot at this moment. at the same time, she seemed to hear the sound of a drum-like heartbeat. Chapter 812 ¡®lord richard truly lent the transcendent¡­¡¯ rebecca had been to twilight city and knew his power. the development of twilight city was swift. richard was the grace mainland overlord all. she was still far from being a true noble. transcendents were definitely the backbone of twilight city. the situation would change immeasurably from the tone of rebecca¨Cit had something to do with those ancient gods. richard handed out the top power of twilight city to rebecca because of her arrival under such circumstances. the emotions in her heart were like waves that surged and were arduous to stabilize. bowen heard this, and he subconsciously glanced at rebecca¡¯s expression. when he looked at richard, his eyes seemed to melt, and he sighed again. he gave her excellency the victory gemstone and sent them for extraordinary protection. ¡®how many girls could resist such a move?¡¯ should he change his mind the next time he saw lord richard? loreinna didn¡¯t hesitate at all and immediately supported her chest. ¡°i will obey your orders, lord.¡± there is absolute power in richard¡¯s orders. and loreinna would do them even if they cost her life. that was a rule imprinted in the soul. ¡°lord richard¡­i have enough strength in my hands. i shall bring her excellency back.¡± rebecca was a little anxious. ¡°twilight city needs her excellency¡¯s power more than i do.¡± richard looked at the blushing young female warrior and waved his hand. ¡°i have my own arrangements. just listen to me.¡± rebecca¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately responded obediently, like one had stroked a cat¡¯s fur. at this point, richard didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. he still had to rush back to the battlefield. ¡°leave, rebecca! complete your mission. the day you take over the frostwolf clan is not far-fetched.¡± rebecca gave richard a long stare. ¡°i won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± she spoke and gripped the heated up gemstone in her hand. she commanded the two-headed griffin to turn around and leave. bowen below was a little at a loss for words as he watched this scene. the stone statue of the dead that had brought him here had just returned to the team, and there were no more flying mounts. he hadn¡¯t even gotten in the carriage yet! ¡°miss rebecca, wait for me, wait¡­¡± richard looked at rebecca¡¯s hurried figure and could not help but sigh. this land was abundant with fetters. so she couldn¡¯t control herself. he shook his head and stopped thinking about these things. he turned around and crossed the spatial rift. he returned to the land of quicksand. he waved at the void sandworm on the ground. the giant wall-like behemoth saw this and quickly dispersed its power and made the traceless disappearance of the spatial rift. loreinna would lead the vampire breeds, and there was nothing to worry about. they could even summon the void sandworm to open a spatial rift if things really didn¡¯t go well. there are some methods to suppress transcendents. richard glanced at the land of quicksand. he redeployed the dark treants to guard the front of twilight city. the land had become sparingly empty and left only the poisonous and slaughter wasps in the sky. however, this area was still the safest in twilight city with the two bosses, the god¡¯s ancient tree and kratos. ¡°protect the holy land.¡± richard did not waste any more time after he instructed them. he turned around and walked into the spatial gate beside the god¡¯s ancient tree. the holy land would still give him a significant boost in strength every time he stepped into this plane, although it was still immature. that was the exclusive characteristic of the planar ruler. he would incessantly look forward to how domineering the power would be when the holy land expanded to hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. no way. the holy land was his genuine home ground. he calmed down and looked at the small mountain of boxes piled on the side. the vampires transported all these. the white oak-made boxes were light and solid. thoughts trotted through his mind. the sand on the ground flew and formed a giant hand to open the box at the top. ¡®crash!¡¯ a gemstone-filled box poured down precious stones. the sound of a slamming hammer was crisp and clear, and everything that passed his eyes was a flash of light. richard stored all the gemstones in the system space. [ding~ you have received 5,000 units of gemstones.] richard¡¯s mood lightened immediately. then, he sped up and opened the other boxes. he couldn¡¯t know what was in each box because he didn¡¯t get a detailed list. at this moment, he was very excited to open the surprise box. he never knew the treasure in each succeeding box. he directly stored the treasures he obtained in the system space. he temporarily kept them. he stored several luxury goods made of gemstones and pearls, a few antiques, and some oil paintings. he could only sell at a high price among the natives, so he temporarily left there. richard opened all the boxes after a wave of picking and choosing. rare resources filled most of the boxes. gemstones and mercury were the most abundant. the rare resources obtained this time added up to 3.1 million units. adding on the 300,000 units left, the data on the attribute panel soared to 3,400,000. he heaved a sigh of relief. the following soul-wrenching soldiers finally had the corresponding resources. at this moment, a figure flapped its wings and sounded from behind. richard subconsciously turned his head and saw a vampire. probe flashed into his mind. ¡®was there something else that loreinna hadn¡¯t told me?¡¯ the vampire got increasingly closer and quickly folded his bat wings. he held his chest humbly. ¡°great lord, there is something ancestor loreinna asked me to give you.¡± he spoke and stretched out his hand and revealed the thing on it. a shrunken castle. it looked exquisite. ¡°this is?¡± the vampire hero immediately said, ¡°this is a special troop lair. ancestor loreinna said that you can use it.¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. he constantly felt that he missed something just now. it turned out he hadn¡¯t obtained the troop lair. he reached out to take it and nodded at the vampire. ¡°leave and help loreinna. join the twilight city, and your future will be limitless.¡± the vampire hero straightened up. his gaze carried a deeper meaning. ¡°great lord, we believe in the vision of our ancestors, loreinna¡­ she hoped that she could follow you and battle together!¡± richard looked at him with interest. he opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel. he was a level 19 vampire clan hero with a-rank potential. richard nodded. ¡°very good. twilight city needs fresh blood like you. ¡°i also hope you will demonstrate your abilities as a member of the vampire clan and contribute to twilight city as soon as possible.¡± the vampire hero left with emotions that outsiders couldn¡¯t fathom. richard turned his gaze to the shrunken castle in his hand. curiosity engulfed his heart. ¡°special troop? ¡°how special?¡± he opened its attribute panel. [heroic spirit castle (special unit)] [level: crown 3-stars] [recruitment troop: castle spirit (crown 3-star)] [recruitment quantity: none] [weekly production: none] [recruitment requirement: special recruitment requirement¨Cafter the troops in the territory die, their souls will return to the castle. every three heroic spirits can recruit one from it. (the potential of the dead souls is lower than the crown level. the number of souls required for each is ten times.)] [description: a lair of soldiers with strange powers. it seems to snatch souls from the god of death.] Chapter 813 this soldier type was remarkable. a force would absorb the soul energy of a soldier who died and become a new soldier. but that wasn¡¯t effective as recruiting new troops directly. however, it would enormously increase the war potential of twilight city. this troop was a bottom-up troop. its existence could vastly increase the war potential of twilight city. in the past, so be it for a troop that died. they could only recruit from the initial troop lair if they wanted a new reinforcement. however, the production of the troop lairs was limited and fixed at this amount every week. they couldn¡¯t recover quickly from a loss once they suffered heavily. however, this lair had the effect of dragging the ground. the more people died, the more troops they needed to recruit. the number of souls below the crown level would increase tenfold for every lower level, although three souls could recruit one. but even so, richard couldn¡¯t ignore its effects. this troop lair wasn¡¯t much more valuable than a transcendent-level lair. good treasure, good treasure! the smile on his face was exceptionally bright. richard placed all the remaining antique oil paintings on the ground into the system space. the system space would increase with his level. the system had already reached 200 cubic meters, the size of an ordinary warehouse, when it reached level 15. just as richard was about to leave in a good mood, he caught sight of the residents who still busily moved the supplies. last time, the lord of the dunes had joined forces with the kobold god to launch an attack on twilight city. that resulted in the fall of more than half of the city. the attack slaughtered seventy percent of the troops and destroyed many buildings. that meant that the defense of twilight city was far from impregnation. the situation was unclear this time, so he had to prepare for the worst. therefore, he stayed active even after he obtained the holy land. he asked karu instead to arrange for some people to build various facilities inside as a backup. it came in handy now. he looked from afar, and the ground took shape already. only 30 to 50 of the construction were facilities, although most were residential. that was pitifully small to suit the 7,000 population. but at least there were basic shelters. so everyone would not have to sleep on rocks and soil. richard didn¡¯t say anything after a moment. he turned around and left the new plane. a warm place to stay was enough. richard could invest more resources to build a city when the storm tamed. richard wouldn¡¯t hastily return to twilight city aside from the holy land. he stepped out and entered the two-way portal to the underground world instead. it had been more than half a month since the last time he had harvested bloodhoof city. they must have accumulated weapons the underground creatures forged. it was time to go again. the bloodhoof city welcomed their ruler once again. richard didn¡¯t waste any time this time. he didn¡¯t inspect bloodhoof city, which had become lively without any worries. he asked sel, the leader of the barbarians in the dungeon and the city lord of bloodhoof city, to gather the weapons collected from the other tribes during this time. richard took advantage of the gap. he opened the [trading market] and carefully examined it. the current weapons business was just as he had expected. as time passed, the strength of the players increased rapidly. the broken weapons he initially obtained from bloodhoof city were popular. now, no one cared about those ruined weapons. they could no longer sell well the ruined elite weapons. the soul-wrenching players would naturally develop their strength, and forging weapons was paramount. they had actually eliminated inferior weapons. richard sensed the change in the market, and that relieved him. that was why he highly valued bloodhoof city¡¯s reinforcement of the forging technology. they eliminated the ones that fell behind. that was an eternal truth. fortunately, he had planned ahead and successfully established the blacksmith¡¯s association. several other tribes and forces daily enter bloodhoof city to exchange and learn. that was because the blacksmith¡¯s association had set a condition¨Cone¡¯s qualification to learn knowledge is to share forging techniques and secret arts. therefore, adele had only established the blacksmith¡¯s association for a month. but it had already accumulated rich forging knowledge. however, the mutual communication and improvement atmosphere became increasingly intense after everyone enjoyed the benefits. the improvement of forging techniques was rapid. the entire blacksmith industry rapidly developed towards the high-end. his plan of turning the entire underground world into a troop factory gradually materialized. he still traded food to those underground tribes. that was interesting. they inevitably still couldn¡¯t eliminate the food crisis in this land, although they had eradicated the gray-colored dwarves, and bloodhoof city became the overlord. the underground world wasn¡¯t suitable for growing food. so creatures couldn¡¯t improve their lifestyles. they still had to use the weapons they produced to exchange for food at bloodhoof city. only then one survives. however, one couldn¡¯t perform this kind of operation on the surface. it was only easy to control in the underground world, but it even made those tribal forces fill with gratitude. it was too comfortable to have a full meal. they didn¡¯t know much about other things, but at least now, they didn¡¯t have to go out to look for food and suffer hunger and satiety. Chapter 814 standard economic colonization and control. the underground world could only move according to his rules when all the resources in the underground world depended on twilight city. one day, when richard no longer needed weapons, he would ask those tribal forces to knit thongs. they would all be willing to do so. the disadvantages of such a rule were obvious. they did not have enough direct control over those forces, and they had to have enough to suppress them. the cost was low, and twilight city could enjoy steady benefits without paying any management costs. that was a good thing. the current rule was more in line with twilight city rules. this purchase of weapons was beyond his expectations. he had earned a total of 600 million units of ordinary resources, excluding the cost of the purchase. in other words, it was three million rare resources. richard looked at the statistics on his attribute panel, which had soared to 6.4 million, and the corners of his mouth curled up. the deficit of twilight city. there was a place to fill it! the weapons trade in the underground world would become twilight city¡¯s pillar industry in a short time. it was even more profitable than black sorbet ice cream for the time being. as expected, the weapons trade was the most profitable business in the world. he had to push the plan of the underground weapons factory forward. his forging skills must always be ahead of mainstream players! the top elites might have all kinds of fortuitous encounters and develop beyond ordinary people, but most of the players were still ordinary-level people. the weapons trade in the underground world would always be profitable until they could lead 70% of the players. however, richard was still more optimistic about the development potential of the low-priced black sorbet ice cream if he could see the timeline. this kind of fast-selling product had unlimited repurchases and an unlimited audience. the cost could also decrease as the scale increases. on the other hand, every upgrade of the weapon factory would take a long time. moreover, richard couldn¡¯t expand the scale indefinitely. just the level of the forger directly limited the development of the weapon-forging industry. no force could nurture a large number of top-notch blacksmiths. richard enjoyed the joy of harvesting another wave of leeks. the players on the forum were stunned again. [f*ck, how many times had qingqiu sold weapons on a large scale?] [throwing out tens of thousands of pieces at once¡­is this guy still human?] [every time i thought that my strength had increased and that i was getting closer to qingqiu, he would always nonchalantly tell me¡­i¡¯m still far away.] [how many resources can we exchange for so many weapons? who the f*ck could stop this troop?] the id qingqiu had become dull on the forums because it had been some time since the last dungeon. there were so many things going on in every game, and it was difficult for people to keep their attention on one person for so long. however, when he did so, countless players immediately recalled the almost invincible figure in the death arena. the popularity soared rapidly. some ignored a few recently in the limelight players. that made them feel how quickly things changed. richard was not so bored. he harvested the leeks in bloodhoof cit and wandered with sel¡¯s lead. they headed straight for fortress city afterward. this city had quietly become a paramount research base in twilight city. he inspected fortress city and asked about the automatic sowing and harvesting machines. he also asked about the magic music box progress before he left. richard left the underground world after a busy day and returned to the land of quicksand. it was already the morning of december 25th. he hurriedly returned to the lord¡¯s mansion and leaned against the soft chair. he was too lazy to move. ¡°what a busy life.¡± richard smiled bitterly. several matters were in his hand, and one person couldn¡¯t handle them. the plump kitchen maid brewed a hot tea, and he drank a few mouthfuls. he was too sleepy and didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. he went to sleep and only got up at noon. he went straight to the front yard after lunch. the 6,400,000 units of rare resources in his hands could make him busy. he could already do many things. it was an inevitable choice to raise the battle strength of the troops. he opened the attribute panel of the troop. he weighed up afterward. he stopped at the column of the stone statue of the dead. glorious 3-stars, stone statue of the dead (lairs: 11, weekly production: 110, current quantity: 1,100) this soldier with explosive battle strength had stayed at glorious-level for too long. twilight city needed to take on more paramount battle missions. glorious-level needed 100,000 ordinary troop lairs to advance to crown. only 400 million ordinary resources could buy this amount. it would also require 200,000 units if it were a rare resource. eleven troop lairs meant 2.2 million. next, he would need to spend several months upgrading all the glorious-level troops to crown. however, as a long-time recruitment soldier in twilight city, richard¡¯s favorite. he did not hesitate and directly began to purchase troops on a large scale. he spent 2.2 million on rare resources afterward. he looked at the stone statues of the dead before him with a burning gaze. he opened the black gold system and chose to level up. the 11 lairs emitted a dark light. the light dissipated after a few minutes. the initial troop had become even taller and more majestic. [stone statue of the dead lair] [level: crown 3-stars] [stone statue of the dead] [level: (crown 3-stars) [requirement quantity: 0] [weekly production: 10] [recruitment requirement: 1,400 units of gems, 1,400 units of crystals] [description: a nest formed by the fusion of two soldiers. it can summon fierce stone soldiers with soul-wrenching battle power.] richard¡¯s eyes focused on the recruitment requirement column. the gemstones and crystals were 100 units each. that was several times higher than the previous 300 units each. each recruitment requirement of 2,800 units would correspond to the radiant moon-level king mummies of the king of the imperial troop lair. ****** Chapter 815 every increase in rank was an unprecedented transformation for the troop. the higher the level, the more exaggerated the increase. all the skills of the stone statues of the dead were initially b-rank. their attributes had all increased now that richard had upgraded them to a-rank. it was not an exaggeration to say that the players would still treat them as small-unit bosses even if he brought the stone statue of the dead alone. they were too fierce. the king of the imperial troop lair had ruthlessly suppressed richard because of the difference in rank. but they had reached a competitive stance now since their potential had increased. and the king mummies were radiant moon 3-stars soldiers. the battle power of the stone statues of the dead was almost at the level of an overlord after richard strengthened five crystals, fused a few gemstones, enhanced the attack technology, and strengthened the original fire, the glorious treasure. the king mummies of the king of the imperial troop lair would definitely not be a match for these soldiers if he could raise them to radiant moon 3-stars. the trump card that he had personally nurtured was not a weakling. he now had 500 guardian mummies, 130 king mummies, and 125 skeleton blood dragons, including his rudimentary troops. he had 1,855 soldiers, which was almost two large groups. additionally, he had two large groups and thirteen small groups of radiant moon-level king mummies. it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that this troop could be the backbone of solan city, crown ascetic overseers. one¡¯s strength was the toughest confidence to deal with external challenges. richard¡¯s lips curled up. that didn¡¯t include the three large groups of vampire breeds led by transcendent loreinna. apart from that, the god¡¯s ancient tree, the two thousand dark treants, and the thousands of poisonous and slaughter wasps also comprised the reckoning troop of twilight city. the number of troops in twilight city had already exceeded that of ideal troops with these battle forces. tens of thousands of people! these all had sterling battle strengths. richard upgraded the stone statues of the dead to crown-level and did not continue to attack. he left the remaining one million or more rare resources in his hands. the city would refresh the troop lair every 1st day of each month. this reinforcement was great, but the cost of recruiting troops would also increase exponentially. he couldn¡¯t use up his remaining rations, so he had to reserve a portion. one could not manipulate time. none of the players filled with anticipation, fear, and unease, nor the natives who had vaguely sensed the change in the atmosphere could stop the passage of time. december 26th¡­ 27th¡­ 28th¡­ the calendar in the center of twilight city updated. the residents felt that the atmosphere in twilight city became more solemn. it was a kind of depression one could notice from everyone¡¯s hurried footsteps and the grave expressions of the troops. it was like? on the eve of the sandstorm. the tense atmosphere made twilight city extremely quiet. one could no longer hear laughter which was everywhere in the past. the cries of the children had even become monotonous and lonely. darkness convexed the entire city. everyone acted according to the orders issued by the administrative department of twilight city. they moved goods, built fortifications, and transported strategic resources. each had a job. they had postponed the conduct of literacy classes because of the impending war. teacher maddie, dune lord. the room where the lord of the dune lived had not changed. it was still the same medium-sized residence. the only difference was that this house had changed from an empty house to a warm abode with all kinds of furniture. however, the dune lord did not feel that this place was inferior, although he used to live in the palace of wealth and glory. he had a peaceful life. the lord of the dune looked into the distance. his cloudy eyes could barely see. he placed his hands before the hardwood window. that was the direction of the city wall. at this moment, the mighty barbarians stacked alchemy bombs in the corners of the city wall under the command of the gray-colored dwarves. next to them were the recently forged giant cannons. these alchemy products with a diameter of meters were definitely the nightmare of the enemy on the battlefield. pairs of guardian mummies with sharp blades patrolled the city wall. they would immediately go up to assist if others needed help. the scorpion warriors had two giant pincers and a body as tall as a hill. they stood guard before the battlements. the gargoyles spread their wings and flew in the sky. they emitted a fierce and violent aura. a furnace must have purified and refined the fiery red pattern-wrapped tomahawks in their hands. one could feel the scorching aura they emitted even from afar. he looked back and saw three arrow cloud-height towers in the central area. ferocious arrows were already visible from the shooting holes at this moment. those were the defensive positions of the sand condensation archers. several exaggeratedly shaped heavy crossbows were on top of the archer tower. the ferocious bolts were two times thicker than a human¡¯s arm. a single shot could pierce through a ten-meter-tall giant, let alone a human. according to the residents, the ballista was called the dragon-hunting crossbow, a treasure their great lord had previously obtained a long time ago. Chapter 816 the dune lord continued to look away, only to see the numerous figures the size of small mountains in the square before the lord¡¯s mansion. tower clan. ¡®last time, the ruler of this city brought a level 19 hero troop leader. ¡®this city¡­ it had already taken shape. he still couldn¡¯t believe until now that richard had only built this for half a year. he would not dare to ignore this power whether the ruler only had the power of yellow sand and led thousands of troops. the longer he stayed in twilight city, the more mysterious the grace mainland overlord became. the overlord¡¯s spot in his heart also rose. however, he still could fathom the city¡¯s potential and upper limit. that made his mind waver. ¡®and all this because they had the charismatic grace mainland overlord leading them?¡¯ ¡°grandpa, what are you looking at?¡± a young and lively voice interrupted the thoughts of the dune lord. he turned around and saw a chubby little boy no more than seven or eight years old. the little fellow wore a gray robe two yards wider than his own. the sleeves repeatedly covered his palm, although the little fellow tried his best to roll them up. he even had to stand on his toes to prevent the hem of his robe from dragging to the ground. he looked very comical. the dune lord didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at this silly kid. ¡°who gave you these clothes, abalo? why are you dressed so big?¡± the little fellow raised his head and smiled happily. ¡°auntie marie gave this to me. she said i¡¯m growing fast now, and it¡¯ll fit me next year.¡± the dune lord¡¯s eyes immediately softened. ¡®it would fit him next year.¡¯ these words reminded him of some dusty memories. he had also climbed up from a humble status. the little fellow did not notice the subtle emotions of the twilight city teacher. he excitedly went to the window and swiftly picked up a small stool beside him. then, he stepped on it, and his chin was just enough to touch the lower edge of the window frame. he revealed a round face and looked outside. the solemn atmosphere of the city wall troops made him look confused. ¡°grandpa, why is everyone working day and night? ¡°they even suspended classes¡­¡± he was sparingly sad when he spoke. ¡°everyone is working. i want to help, but won¡¯t let me participate¡­¡± the dune lord looked at this little fellow¡¯s cute actions and reached to rub his head. his turbid eyes revealed a hint of kindness. ¡°abalo, the people you see working day and night are preparing for a war.¡± those inexperienced and unfamiliar with war could tell that a battle was about to break out. the movements in twilight city were generous of clue, although the little fellow didn¡¯t know what happens next. unfortunately, he was only a teacher in the literacy class in twilight city. he would never step on the city wall and face the enemy¡¯s blade again. the little fellow looked up at the grandpa and waved his toot little fist. he pretended to be fierce. ¡°are those bad guys trying to attack us again? ¡°grandpa, we have the lord. we will definitely defeat those bad guys!¡± his childish voice made this little fellow look especially cute. the dune lord found it funny. he pinched his little face. ¡°we still don¡¯t know when the enemy will come¡­but i can be sure that you¡­¡± when he said this word, he could not help but hesitate for a moment before continuing. ¡°the lord¡­ he has already made all the necessary preparations.¡± ¡°grandpa, can i beat up those bad guys too?¡± he looked at the little fellow¡¯s longing gaze. the dune lord smiled. ¡°of course. when you grow up, you will pick up a weapon and protect¡­ twilight city.¡± the little fellow was immediately in high spirits. ¡°grandpa, i want to be like the great hero you mentioned.¡± the dune lord smiled and said casually. ¡°why do you want to be a hero? are all the heroes in the stories awe-inspiring?¡± children were always hot for three minutes. they wanted to do too much. however, the next second, the little fellow¡¯s eyes became unprecedentedly grave and determined. ¡°because i have to protect grandpa, protect auntie marie, protect¡­en, en? the lord, i still need to protect¡­ protect everyone! ¡°as long as we can win, we won¡¯t have to leave home, and we won¡¯t have to be hungry again¡­¡± his eyes lit up as he spoke. ¡°grandpa, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯ll definitely protect you!¡± the dune lord¡¯s heart trembled as he stared at the little fellow¡¯s pure eyes. he could not spot a single trace of dreg. he thought of many answers. but he did not expect this little fellow to fathom this way. something must have sparingly choked his throat. he placed his hand on the little fellow¡¯s shoulder and wanted to say something but could not come up with words for reasons he could not know. a series of intense knocks on the door sounded at this moment. then an armored human messenger pushed the door open and entered the room. he panted heavily. he immediately said, ¡°mr. maddie, please evacuate twilight city immediately! you are the last batch of residents¡­¡± the dune lord suddenly returned to his senses. he took a deep breath and looked at the other party with turbid eyes. ¡°enemies¡­ are they here?¡± the messenger shook his head subconsciously. ¡°no, this is the lord¡¯s order. ¡°please¡­¡± the messenger finished speaking. the last rays of the setting sun fell to the ground. there were subtle emotions afterward. the dune lord felt an indescribable aura surge into his heart. panic and unease, like a mouse met a dragon. he turned his head abruptly. in the sky, a blood-colored moon rose quietly. the sky had changed. ****** Chapter 817 richard wore a black and red crown on his head, and his cape with dark patterns fluttered behind him. he held the city wall with one hand and looked straight at the sky at this moment. the crimson moon that crushed the void appeared so riveting in the afterglow of twilight city. richard stared at it for a moment and felt palpitations in his heart. the crimson moon in the sky seemed to have transformed into an eyeball that emitted endless divine might. it crossed the river of time. richard looked down at the earth. he stared at everyone. it wasn¡¯t the primary plane alone, but the bottomless abyss, the nine hells, the death plane, and countless planes. richard couldn¡¯t know about that. even those planes dark as ink and hadn¡¯t seen daylight since birth could see the crimson moon that floated in the air. the world fell into a strange silence. everyone stared blankly at this scene that made their hearts tremble. ¡°what was that?¡± the ignorant residents looked up at the sky, and confusion filled their minds. eyes couldn¡¯t decipher the moment. ripples suddenly appeared on the crimson moon. then, translucent souls appeared one after another. those souls emitted an endless divine might. it made people tremble. in the human city-states, many believers cried out in alarm. ¡°that¡¯s¡­ my god! how? how is this possible?¡± ¡°the one in the middle is the river god? i once sensed his miracle. i couldn¡¯t be wrong with that aura. but why was such a great existence on that crimson moon?¡± that bewildered, terrified, and caused anxiety to countless people. the ten souls of the gods began to dissipate under the watchful eyes of countless beings from the various planes. the souls turned into the purest energy and fused into the crimson moon. the believers of the gods looked at this scene in a daze. it was like the moon sucked the souls away. the gods they believed in. they had fallen. countless intelligent beings rose the emotions of fear, horror, and disbelief to their peak. for millions of years, gods had never held an indelible glory in the hearts of everyone. they were the rulers of this world, the rulers of the rules, the immortals, the eternal! even those who hated the gods had to admit they were powerful and majestic. but at that moment, a total of ten gods were executed! their souls dissipated before the eyes of everyone. the believers¡¯ miserable cries could tell this was not an illusion. ¡°an ancient existence¡­ it had returned.¡± ¡°new era¡­ the system has activated it.¡± countless ancient lifeforms that existed in the unexplored lands murmured at this moment. the crimson moon, which appeared like the eye of a demon god, gradually stabilized after the souls of the ten gods dissipated. the pressure it emitted retracted slowly. peace returned. at this moment, the light in the sky disappeared. the bright moon on the other side of the sky that belonged to the new era appeared. one side of the moon emitted silver light, and the other was the crimson moon. each occupied a part of the sky. they were incompatible with each other, yet they complemented each other. richard¡¯s mind wavered as he looked at the mythical scene. ten gods. that was even more than the number he had seen in the month of the crimson moon. however, what puzzled him was that the figure at the edge was the kobold god. the other party did not escape this calamity. however, dark valkyrie and xina had sent news that they had met the kobold god. a crafty rabbit has three burrows. one could not underestimate these existences who wielded the power of laws. fortunately, the two had discovered it in advance. otherwise, richard would not know the kobold god had a secret resurrection technique. richard didn¡¯t dwell on the matter. this brutal slaughter could have injured the kobold god even if it truthfully survived. it couldn¡¯t pose such a mighty threat. in comparison, he was more worried about the movements of the abyss after the crimson moon rose. the king of decay and spider goddess lolita had irreconcilable conflicts with twilight city. the rotten authority was still on the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard took a deep breath, and his gaze gradually became firm. twilight city would fight to the last moment, no matter who the enemy was. richard retracted his focus and looked at the sky again. the crimson moon he had waited for a long time rose into the sky. his heart finally felt a little more at ease. the unknown was the most unsettling. now that the turmoil was a foregone conclusion. it was more of a confirmation. it was whether the target of the crimson moon was the gods of the heavens. no one could predict what would happen next, but one thing was for sure, twilight city would protect itself. ¡°lord, there are no traces of the enemy in the surroundings. the space is also very stable, and there are no signs of another plane fusion.¡± a voice behind interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw the bandaged mummy hero, gray. the mummy reported respectfully. gray and gunter had returned from the kingdom of ell the other day. tackling a plane was too complicated and vast, so it was not in a hurry. ¡°have the troop maintain the highest level of vigilance. report back immediately if you spot and sense any unusual movements!¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± richard had organized the flying troops into small teams to patrol the surrounding hundred miles since the day before today. they could quickly discover enemies whenever they appeared. obviously, the worst situation that the world had predicted did not happen. richard glanced around the city wall, and gray turned to leave. he looked at the guards while they waited gravely and nodded slightly. then, richard turned around and planned to leave. the defense of twilight city had already reached the highest level, so he did not need to keep an eye on the city wall. he had just taken a few steps and had yet to walk down the city wall. suddenly, a commotion came from behind. richard felt a sense of foreboding. he turned around abruptly, and his pupils constricted. the highly-hung crimson moon in the sky erupted with light. it was like something exploded inside. the blood-red light lit up the earth and entered the night sky. richard looked over, and the entire sky turned crimson. ¡°what was this?¡± a question arose in his mind. the moon was like the eye of a demon god and had dense crimson dots. a crimson dot fell. that gradually became clear after a dozen of breaths. ¡°that was¡­ raindrops? ¡°blood rain?¡± richard suddenly had a bad feeling. but before he could react. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the blood rain that covered the entire world fell on the ground. as expected, the blood rain convexed twilight city. however, the blood rain landed in the city. ¡®shua!¡¯ a transparent shield suddenly rose from the center of the city. [ice elf statue, 5-stars treasure] rebecca, the eldest daughter of the frostwolf grand duke, had used the treasure to buy the fire dragon rabbit¡¯s fur the last time she came to twilight city. it could create a magic shield to block damage. the ruby-like blood raindrops fell on the shield as they landed on the glass. the translucent shield drew the blood raindrops. richard looked up, and thousands of marks appeared on the bowl-like shield. the marks had dyed red. richard could clearly sense that the crimson raindrops contained energy. the ancient god statue! that power was shockingly similar to the aura the ancient god statue emitted. the only difference was that the energy contained in the raindrops was weak. even if they gathered in a river, it would not be comparable to the ancient god statue. the sudden incident interrupted gray, and the mummy hero returned. it signaled richard to go to the outside wall just as the human overlord was about to feel bewildered. ¡°lord, look¡­those dark treants!¡± richard pulled himself together, stepped forward, and pressed against the battlements. he looked down. blood rain utterly immersed the dark treants outside the city. at this moment, god¡¯s ancient tree created evil troops that all stretched their withered branches without leaves and shook their vast trunks. it was like they enjoyed being drenched by the blood rain. they could clearly sense that the blood raindrops would immediately fuse into their bodies as the leaks landed on their branches. a layer of snow red dyed on the grayish-brown tree bark. the blood-dyed threads started from the roots and continued to extend up through the cracks in the bark after they devoured tons of blood rain. that was even more shocking. that made the already ferocious and terrifying dark tree man even more soul-tormenting. the aura of these troops also gradually climbed up. its twenty-meter-tall body grew more. ¡°lord¡­those blood raindrops seemed to have some unfathomable energy. they allowed the dark treants to transform.¡± the flickering soul fire became bright in gray¡¯s hollow pupils. the empty voice was vividly low at this moment. ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­the bloody rain only fell on the twilight city and the desert of death, but it still doused the entire world.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®it doused¡­ the entire world?¡¯ these words made his thoughts run wild. so this was the true meaning of the rise of the crimson moon? ¡®it infected the entire world! ¡®what a nerve! ¡®in other words, the ten slaughtered gods were just appetizers. ¡®what does windsor plan? the graceful and elegant figure appeared in richard¡¯s mind. the fog on his body was so thick and irremovable. he calmed down and immediately opened the player forum. the information on it made his expression sparingly odd. [f*ck! blood rain poured from the sky down!] [this is a new expansion pack! the blood rain can increase the strength of the troops. brothers, don¡¯t miss it!!] [what happened? drenching blood rain could also make one obtain new skills. i just earned an f-rank skill¨Ceye of the ancient god. anyone who glares at me will reduce their attributes by 10%.] [the ice empire had also fallen¡­ wasn¡¯t this new expansion too spectacular? brothers, is there a place where it doesn¡¯t rain?] [the blood rain wasn¡¯t just in one place but the entire world.] [the ancient gods had returned. they had returned! he did not expect the other party to announce his return in such a way.] it was no surprise that the aura of an ancient god contaminated those who absorbed the blood rain. next, these creatures would naturally become members of the crimson moon camp. there was no solution to this plan! only the city-states with fortifications could avoid being drenched by the blood rain. they were usually the human nobles and various sects. the crimson moon separated enemies and allies through blood rain. this method was indeed extraordinary. richard understood the key points. he couldn¡¯t help but think even more highly of windsor. he took a deep breath and looked at the dark treants again below the city wall. at this moment, those tiny blood-dyed lines had already crawled all over their trunks. a crimson flowed under each cracked old bark. the dark treants emitted an aura that rose several levels compared to before. [ding~ your subordinate god¡¯s ancient tree, treebeard, had devoured tons of primitive god energy and comprehended a new skill¨Cancient god body.] [ancient god body] [e-rank] [damage received from divine spells reduced by 15%.] [note: this skill can continue to devour the power of ancient gods to level up.] richard¡¯s expression changed a bit when he heard the sudden notification. ¡°good heavens! it was just as those idiots on the forum had said. one drenched in blood could obtain skills! ¡°this time, those players would probably go crazy, right?¡± admiration for windsor immersed his heart. he had previously given her highness windsor the information that players could influence the world¡¯s will by choosing between the new and the ancient gods. now, it was like, at least 70% of the players would stand on crimson moon¡¯s side. a few players would refuse just because they could get a skill to strengthen their troops in the blood rain. it wasn¡¯t the players¡¯ style to lose advantage of the situation. not many people could resist the temptation of such a tremendous advantage. Chapter 818 the blood rain that engulfed the entire world lasted for two hours. the blood raindrops gradually dwindled. richard looked around and saw a glaring array of blood that shrouded the entire desert. it was like it had become a sea of blood in the abyss of hell. that gradually eroded the world. the 2,000 dark treants outside the city had the most remarkable changes. countless lines of blood flowed from the cracks in their barks. the initially evil and dark appearance now had an additional layer of ancient god aura. one couldn¡¯t describe the aura of an ancient god with words. it was like a feeling that had mottled, weathered, and faded. one would remember it for the rest of his life. and he would never forget it, even if he had only seen it once. the god¡¯s ancient tree sowed seeds that had obtained additional b-rank skill after the blood raindrops¨Cblood of the ancient god. activating the blood of the ancient god would increase one¡¯s strength by 50% for 10 minutes. this skill could be considered a high-grade skill even for the ferocious dark treants. these skills were free. that was the most important thing. and the pure world traded nothing. it did not consume any resources. but one couldn¡¯t tell yet as for the consequences. their levels rose from level 14 to 16 in just two hours. that made richard¡¯s imagination run wild. he had crossed the gap between a high-level soldier and a top-tier soldier. his strength had soared by a large margin. those lifeforms could have been born with a strong ability to absorb energy like rainwater. and these soldiers were truly terrifying existences. the level 7 abomination tree boss rose to level 18 in this encounter. the skill it obtained, the body of the ancient god, rose from the initial e-rank to a-rank. it will reduce 75% of the damage it will receive from divine spells. god-bestowed spell! a spell bestowed by a god or related to a cult. that was simply a great killing weapon for the enemies. existence at the god¡¯s ancient tree level could obtain such an enormous reinforcement in such a short time. richard couldn¡¯t imagine how much of a disturbance this world-covering blood rain would cause. the ancient gods of the past, the rulers of the world rules, announced their power to the world in a shocking way. windsor won the first move. next, it was up to the gods to counterattack and kill the enemy that terrified them. that would be an unprecedented upheaval. ¡°lord¡­the rain has stopped.¡± gray¡¯s solemn voice came from beside him. richard took a deep breath and turned to look at the mummy hero. he ordered decisively. ¡°immediately send the troops out to investigate. i need to know all the changes in the surroundings!¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord!¡± gray didn¡¯t hesitate at all. it quickly obeyed. more than ten teams of stone statues of the dead flew out of the city not long after and spread out in all directions. they could immediately sense the energy that drifted in the air as soon as they flew out of twilight city. that was especially true for the blood on the ground. that was tempting at all times. however, that had not tempted gray at all. it knew a principle. everything comes with a price. it was true that he could increase his strength in a short time. but what could be the price? the crimson moon in the sky could bestow power to this world, but one could also take it back. who could resist when one would withdraw this power? at least, one couldn¡¯t. the gray-haired karu walked over with hurried steps quickly after gray left. the old butler heavily panted before he could stand firm. ¡°lord richard! we received an urgent report from the underworld!¡± richard perked up. ¡°the underground world?¡± he asked in a grave tone. ¡°what is it?¡± butler karu said hurriedly, ¡°news just came from the underground world. a blood-colored moon has risen in the underground world. the blood rain swept through them! ¡°the blood rain in the underground world lasted only half an hour. ¡°however, that had vastly reinforced those lives drenched in the blood rain. it had tremendously stimulated the wild beasts in the wilderness and started to riot. ¡°some powerful monsters have already attacked the tribes and gathered places in the underground world. ¡°they had not spared the bloodhoof city and fortress city. they have entered their highest level of defense.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. he did not expect the underground world to change before the rise of the first wave of the crimson moon in twilight city. butler karu took a few deep breaths before he finished. ¡°bloodhoof city has also detected a remarkable spatial fluctuation several hundred meters away from them. ¡°a plane must have planned to merge with the underground world. ¡°that plane emitted an aura very similar to the superior races of the dungeon race¡­the undead eight-armed nagas. ¡°among the dungeon race, eight-armed nagas were natural-born warriors and spellcasters. they are almost invincible on the battlefield because of their eight arms. once that plane had become the naga tribe, the underground world would face a huge impact. ¡°every naga tribe has at least a transcendent that oversees them. this tribe that seeks to conquer and rule is leeway-filled¡­¡± richard suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis. ¡®traces of other planes had appeared in the underground world?! and it was the famous nagas in the ¡°shining era?!¡±¡® that wouldn¡¯t cause massive consequences with the strength of the underworld and twilight city, although the first piece of news surprised him. however, it would be different if a dimensional plane fused with it. that could even directly change the ecological structure of the underground world. the underground world richard had spent a lot of effort to conquer would become a new battlefield if he couldn¡¯t sternly stabilize. that was something he absolutely could not tolerate. he needed a stable base for production. the underground world occupied an irreplaceable position in the current system of twilight city. there shouldn¡¯t be any mistakes, no matter what happens. richard forcefully restrained his thoughts, but he calmly ordered. ¡°pass down my order. tell loreinna to lead the vampire tribe troop in the underground world to suppress the storm as quickly as possible. i don¡¯t want to hear any unrest!¡± ¡°tell loreinna to investigate the situation in that space.¡± ¡°i need more detailed information!¡± the vampire castle emitted an aura that could purify the blood of the vampires because it fused to an unknown evil plane. therefore, he hadn¡¯t summoned loreinna back to guard the place. however, it was not that he did not have any preparations. the void sandworm¡¯s passageway had connected to the castle since the other day, and the vampire tribe troop was also on standby. these natural-born flying troops could return to twilight city within a few minutes as long as he gave the order. butler karu nodded solemnly. ¡°as you wish, my lord!¡± richard waved at him when he was about to come down. ¡°we can¡¯t give up on the vampire castle either. leave a squadron of vampires to guard it. tell them to leave at once if they encounter a mighty enemy. don¡¯t confront them. that castle is so close to the ice empire. we will need it in the future.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± master karu hurriedly left after he ensured richard still had nothing to say. richard watched the figure disappear and looked forward again. he looked at the yellow sand under the night sky under the crimson moon. the dark treants in front of the city wall were still in a unique state of excitement. they incessantly extended their dried branches. the large patches of blood-dyed lumps had convexed the dried-up desert. it looked like a land of death after countless lives were lost. the scene had just calmed down for a while. ¡®rumble!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ a blinding bolt of lightning exploded at the end of richard¡¯s sight. then, a rumble of thunder sounded. at this moment, it was as if the world had split apart. on the city wall, all the soldiers raised their heads to look. on the horizon, countless bolts of lightning exploded. wave after wave of light expelled the blood that covered the world. it was as if someone endured the wrath of the god of thunder. silver dragons danced wildly, and lightning connected into a line. the rumbling thunder was enough to make the ancient soldier¡¯s heart tremble. this unfathomable power-filled scene for ten minutes before the lightning gradually disappeared. the world darkened again when the light no longer dispersed the bloody light in the sky. however, everyone felt that it was different. at that moment, an inexplicable aura came from where the lightning exploded. one could see it from tens of kilometers away. the rain stopped, and the troops immediately evacuated the last batch of residents to the holy land. the lord of the dune happened to be in the crowd. the lightning disappeared when he stepped out of the city gate. he twitched his nose and took a few short breaths. his expression became extremely solemn. that feeling! the chubby little fellow who held his hand tightly and was initially sparingly afraid at the moment walked bravely before him. at this moment, the little fellow turned around and looked at maddie in confusion. ¡°grandpa¡­what¡¯s that smell? why does it smell like a rotten rat?¡± ¡°rotten!¡± the dune lord followed the little fellow¡¯s words and instantly caught the keyword. he sensed that aura from the evil tree in twilight city following the lightning and thunder in the sky. the rotten, dilapidated, and disgusting stench filled the air. ¡®that was? the rotten authority.¡¯ the dune lord took a deep breath and subconsciously turned his head to look at the city wall enveloped in crimson light. at this moment, the mummy troop, the alchemical cannons with exaggerated calibers, and the tall arrow tower behind them glowed with blood-red light. that gave off a strong visual impact. however, maddie ignored these troops. he stared gravely at somewhere instead. it was the west side of twilight city, the city wall area where the city ruler was. the dune lord took a deep breath and retracted his gaze. he held the little fellow¡¯s hand tightly and quickened his pace. the little fellow seemed to have sensed the emotions of the dune lord and called out in confusion. ¡°grandpa¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± the dune lord looked down at the muddy and wet blood-colored yellow sand. his turbid eyes flashed with emotions that were difficult for outsiders to understand. ¡°the enemies of twilight city¡­they¡¯re here.¡± a stern figure stood on the city wall. richard fixed his gaze on the area shrouded in lightning. he was more familiar with that rotten authority than anyone else. the ruler of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss. the king of decay. the god¡¯s ancient tree grasped this power from this abyssal ruler. the enemy was coming. as for coincidence? no, there were not many coincidences in this world! is the god of conspiracy here? spider goddess lolita wasn¡¯t someone who would suffer losses. that made him feel even more pressured. ¡°everyone, stay alert!¡± the cold voice resounded throughout the entire city. the troops had been on high alert and gripped their weapons tightly. they would immediately unleash a fatal attack as soon as the enemy appeared. richard fixed his eyes on the area that consistently emitted a rotten smell. he did not move for a long time. it was not until 20 minutes later that a team of stone statues of the dead returned from afar that the tense atmosphere eased sparingly. gunter, the blood-colored bandages-wrapped mummy hero, reported after it stepped on the city wall. ¡°lord, we have already checked the area with the strange movements. the surrounding space is very slim. ¡°the other plane is expected to merge with the desert of death within a week and create a relatively stable spatial passageway. ¡°and during this time, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of a troop descending upon the desert of death¡­¡± ¡°a week?¡± richard¡¯s tensed heart relaxed sparingly. fortunately, the troop king of decay didn¡¯t appear immediately. so there was still time to prepare. ¡°tell loreinna to calm down the storm in the underground world within three days, no, two days! ¡°i order her to return to twilight city immediately after two days as long as threats no longer engulf fortress and bloodhoof city! ¡°also, let the void sandworms continuously connect to the space where xina and fay are¡­twilight city needs them now!¡± Chapter 819 he did not expect a turn for the worse in such a short time. the monsters underground in the wilderness ran riot because of the blood rain. the plane of the higher race in the dungeon, the nagas, fused with it. one could imagine how much turmoil there would be in the future. twilight city¡¯s arsenal, research base, and raw material production base for the black sorbet ice cream were all set up here. the impact on twilight city would be fatal once the enemies destroyed them. the king of decay on the surface directly opened a spatial passageway to a place dozens of kilometers away from twilight city. the dark evil god who held power is the ruler of the abyss. they pressed the blade against richard¡¯s throat. the wisp of power of authority on the god¡¯s ancient tree was the paramount provocation. the other party couldn¡¯t let it go. rules would still restrict the dimensional planes that merged with the primary plane. that could have been the only good news. the more powerful an existence was, the more restrictions one would face after one entered the primary plane. the gods couldn¡¯t descend. that was the basic rule of the mortal plane. and that hadn¡¯t changed since ancient times. hence, only the power of an ultimate creator could break this restriction. richard sighed at the crimson desert after he calmed down. he quickly left and returned to the lord¡¯s mansion with a solemn gaze. richard occupied the main seat. he waved his hand to dismiss the plump kitchen maid who had brewed the hot tea and took out a gray-colored dwarf stone statue. a power had carved a lifelike dwarf on it. it wasn¡¯t cold to the touch but was extremely warm and moist. richard shortly rubbed it, and its spiritual power spread out. he immersed the statue with his power. richard awakened the god of dwarves in the grave of the gods. he had infused his divine power. that eventually led to the rise of the dark soul eater, kratos, under the influence of several forces. however, this supreme existence fell into a deep slumber due to over-exhaustion. richard left the dungeon and constantly injected the power of yellow sand to nurture it. the crimson moon rose, and the statue sparingly moved a few hours later. the situation had changed too quickly and hindered many twilight city plans. he needed to hear the prediction of the future from the dwarf god to verify new ones. his spiritual power sank deep into the statue. a familiar scene appeared in his mind. the dwarf god, fam morgery, sat on a majestic throne. fam wore a gorgeous feathered cape, a silver crown, and a gemstone ring. its one hand supported its cheek and slept with a slightly tilted head. the power devoured a terrifying existence who had once stepped into the river of fate in the ¡°shininge era¡± to spy on the destiny of all living beings. but it did not die. only this being, by all odds, could give richard significant information in this chaotic situation. the dwarf god was short but could protrude an oppressive feeling like a giant. it could still make one¡¯s heart palpitate even though it couldn¡¯t open its eyes. richard perceived that the lifeform that slept on the throne did not seem to be a dwarf shorter than a human but an ancient dragon. the world would lose its color when it opened its eyes. richard took a deep breath and was about to wake the dwarf god up when it slowly opened it eyes. it sat up straight and stared at its soul body with eyes as deep as the vast stars. ¡°lord richard, long time no see¡­¡± the god of dwarves swept its gaze around as it spoke. it was like its vision penetrated countless dimensional planes. ¡°i can sense that an ancient existence would soon return. a mystery of the laws would awaken some energy that had slept for a long time.¡± the dwarf god¡¯s tone carried a hint of unconcealable joy. ¡°the world is coming alive¡­ several powers in the past had fallen into slumber due to the changes in the laws.¡± ¡°the new era is more exciting than i have imagined.¡± that agitated richard¡¯s heart. ¡®the world was coming alive¡­¡¯ these words implied a paramount meaning. ¡°your excellency fam, i need your help.¡± the dwarf god looked at richard deeply. ¡°i couldn¡¯t overpower the main plane with my current strength¡­ the rules that bind me still exist. i can¡¯t help you much.¡± the hesitation didn¡¯t discourage richard. he sighed and continued. ¡°your excellency fam, the king of decay attempted to enter the primary plane and attack twilight city¡­is there any way to stop the king?¡± richard couldn¡¯t clash head-on with the king now that the situation was unstable and unpredictable. he hopes to delay the king at least a month or two so twilight city can confidently prepare for this overbearing enemy. the dwarf god said in a deep voice it pondered. ¡°i can already sense the smell of decay¡­ however, i can¡¯t stop an existence that holds authority now. at most, i could delay the king from opening a spatial gate.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°that would be a great help!¡± all that richard wanted was to delay the decay king¡¯s attack. his tone was gravely stern. ¡°please help me!¡± the dwarf god stared into richard¡¯s eyes for long before it sighed. ¡°wait a moment, place the statue in that area¡­ however, this could only delay the king for two months, at most.¡± richard¡¯s eyes caught fire. ¡°that would be enough!¡± twilight city could prepare in two months. the dwarf god¡¯s offer lifted the heaviest rock that pressed richard¡¯s chest. he heaved a sigh of relief. he calmed down and continued. ¡°your excellency fam, a new era would soon land. i would like to seek your advice.¡± the short figure on the throne narrowed its eyes. ¡°the path of the future is no longer clear¡­ one could no longer see it. chaos blinds the hopeful eyes.¡± ¡°lord richard, i only have one piece of advice¡­ the grace mainland overlord is the choice of the world power. in your hands will give rise to a new era.¡± Chapter 820 he had heard this many times. however, they had yet to discover how the players would give rise to the so-called new era in their hands. the dwarf god sensed richard¡¯s hesitation. it responded with a complicated tone. ¡°lord richard, haven¡¯t you noticed that you and the other lords of grace mainland have grown far stronger than usual?¡± ¡°this is your peculiarity and also the greatest variable in the world.¡± ¡°do as you wish, whether it¡¯s the ancient gods of the past or the gods who have stolen authority¡­they are just remnants of the ancient era.¡± ¡°the new era will give birth to a new ruler.¡± ¡°reinforce strength¡­ beyond the rules?¡± richard¡¯s expression was strange. the so-called peculiar was to level up by killing monsters. richard pondered, and this ability was indeed peculiar. moreover, he had never heard of the aborigines¡¯ strength increase so quickly. the leveling mechanism of natives was quite different from that of players. it was significant to level up by killing monsters, but it was not as exaggerated as players who could reinforce their strength by killing monsters alone. only after being recruited by the players would they be included in the player¡¯s leveling system. ¡°was that variable?¡± the dwarf god beheld richard as he pondered. it slowly said, ¡°lord richard, take me, my descendant¡­the awakening of the world¡¯s slumbering power gave me some breathing space from the endless restraints, although i couldn¡¯t interfere with the mortal plane.¡± ¡°i will activate the divine bloodline in their bodies and let them regain the power of the dwarves. ¡°making good use of them will allow your territory to grow faster. ¡°the rest¡­ i can¡¯t help you for the time being. no matter how dangerous the future is, i need you to face it alone.¡± richard heaved a sigh of relief and saluted the god of the dwarves with his hands on his chest. he expressed his heartfelt gratitude. ¡°your excellency fam, twilight city will grow at the fastest speed. ¡°i look forward to your freedom day. it wouldn¡¯t be long.¡± this god had helped him many times after it woke up. richard will grant its freedom wish. twilight city will grow up. ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to it too.¡± richard then communicated with the mighty lifeform for a few more minutes. he receded his scattered spiritual power when the god of the dwarves could no longer hold on. he kept the statue of the dwarf god and immediately waved his hand to summon the mummy guardian at the door to convey orders. ¡°pass on my order. bring back all the sacred-blood dwarves in the underground world immediately.¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord!¡± he had always looked forward to the sacred-blood dwarves, but he had never had the chance to activate the divine bloodline in their bodies. those dwarves, at this point, might not be able to change the situation, but they were still a powerful force. richard didn¡¯t get the information he wanted from the god of the dwarves this time. that was the only pity. he turned his head and looked at the crimson moon in the sky through the open wooden window with an inexplicable expression. richard stood up again. his eyes sharpened after a trifle of quietude. ¡°gather all the skeleton blood dragons and the king mummies of the king of the imperial troop lair. bring the void sandworms and follow me to the dimension permeated with the stench of decay¡­¡± two months of delay was too precious. a few survived in the underground world. unlike the desolation of the desert of death, this land was not suitable for growing food for a typical life. however, innumerable wild monsters still assaulted the wilderness. the underground world refreshes monsters, while the surface refreshes wild troops weekly. most of them move alone, and a few rules bind, so the system will not confine them in a particular area. danger brimmed this land because of that. in addition to poisonous insects, snakes, swamps, traps, and all kinds of deadly things, unimaginable death gouged this place. the bloodhoof city currently suffered the impact of this land with richard as the only ruler of the underground world. the endless, twisted lifeforms were like a tidal wave that charged at bloodhoof city. countless cave spiders, giant pythons, spirit wolves, harpies, and poisonous frog-like people formed a black tide that swept the world. long, red lines appeared in the bodies of these monsters of different races. that was the thing they all had in common. they also emitted an ancient, lonely, and dilapidated aura. sel bloodhoof gravely pondered on that scene of the barbarian race in the towering city wall. he continued to give orders to the soldiers on the city wall. the troop relied on the defense of city walls and launched wave after wave of fierce attacks. the guards of these city walls would slaughter those monsters if they stepped into the gates. the enemies were intensely mighty, although the monsters in the wild could not organize. that made sel bloodhoof¡¯s expression turn grave. one could only describe their strength as soul-tormenting after the blood rain poured. the first wave of monsters could have slaughtered their way into the city if it weren¡¯t for the sturdy city walls and their countless heavy weapons. several hours of high-intensity fighting jeopardize the bloodhoof city defense line. bloodhoof city was a force that mainly consisted of level 10 high-level soldiers. the most powerful hero, sel bloodhoof, was only level 15 a few months ago. one could not imagine the pressure of facing a group of level 14 average wild beasts and several levels 15 top-tier soldiers. ¡°city lord sel, we can¡¯t hold on much longer¡­the enemy came too quickly, and only a third of our troops protected the city! ¡°lord sel, when will the reinforcements from the surface arrive?¡± the bloodhoof city higher-ups were extremely tense as they faced high pressure. they incessantly asked. sel glanced at the powerful monsters. they ruthlessly surged up to the city walls. his expression was sparingly ugly. ¡°reinforcements will be here soon¡­¡± sel didn¡¯t finish all his thoughts. suddenly. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound resounded through the sky. sel subconsciously looked up. an enkindled illumination reached the end of his sight. a rift glowed with green light. the world shook horrifyingly. ****** Chapter 821 ¡°naga?¡± this beast was a well-known race among the dungeon race. brutal, bloodthirsty, warlike, and powerfully flexible qualified this race as a tremendous deterrent. one would never want to be neighbors with a group of nagas. their aggressive nature naturally merits their neighbors as the first targets. they could not coexist. it was an invading race that had appeared from another plane. sel irrationally accumulated that hunger and thirst settled in these monsters. slaughter, occupation, expansion. the war was unavoidable. ¡°n-naga?!¡± a heavily injured barbarian hero in the dungeon stared at the nagas¡¯ appearance and froze wide-eyed. that knocked his heart out. he subconsciously looked at sel, their ruler. ¡°lord sel¡­we¡­¡± sel bloodhoof took a deep breath and suppressed the rise and fall of emotions in his heart. he waved his hand decisively. ¡°hold still!¡± ¡°so what if their nagas? twilight city will send reinforcements! ¡°lord richard had never abandoned us!¡± sel¡¯s stern voice resounded above the city walls. the morale that had dropped due to the appearance of the spatial rifts in the sky immediately rose after he mentioned richard¡¯s name. the voice reenkindled the fighting spirit of the barbarian soldiers in the dungeon. ¡°yes, so what if they were nagas?¡± ¡°that glorious existence had slaughtered and enslaved gods!!¡± the last time the god of the kobolds joined forces with the lord of the dune to invade twilight city, thousands of barbarian soldiers returned and repeatedly told the story of the glorious existence. richard¡¯s reputation in the underground world was enough to describe him as a god. ¡°lord, lord richard¡­can he make it in time? the heavily injured barbarian hero spoke reluctantly. ¡°the situation is unpredictable. lord richard might not spare the troops to help us if the same happens on the surface. ¡°we better retreat the soonest!¡± the expressions of the upper echelons of bloodhoof city changed when they heard this. they were not as irrational as the lower-class people, although they respected that glorious existence. the higher one¡¯s position was, the more information one could obtain, and the way one thought was completely different. sel fell silent. these words were irrefutable. twilight city would come, but? he couldn¡¯t guarantee when! sel reassigned a group of soldiers from bloodhoof city to twilight city two days ago to form part of the guard troop. but? it was lord richard. he let out a long breath. his gaze regained a stern disposition as he spoke. ¡°no matter what happens, even if lord richard doesn¡¯t come to help¡­do not be discouraged by this! faith and loyalty do not always solicit evidence and explanation.¡± ¡°i do not wish to hear any more objections to this matter!¡± sel¡¯s gaze turned sharper as he spoke. ¡°we will fight until the last moment with or without the help of other cities. even at the stark destruction of bloodhoof city. i detest any insinuation of defiance!¡± ¡°we can always recruit more troops whether we lose one. we can always rebuild a city even if we lose one!¡± ¡°we will ruin the lord¡¯s plans if we escape¡­no one can save us!¡± sel conveyed a vital responsibility during the battle between the dune lord and the kobold god. he was the commander of the underworld troop when the enemies attacked twilight city. sel had witnessed how the enemies captured transcendents. and how the god on the throne fell to the ground without a sound. the absolute trust in that overbearing figure resided in his heart. he would never leave his post. he would fight until his last breath at the utter destruction of bloodhoof city and the underground world. rebuilding bloodhoof city would be a matter of a word from him. the entire place fell silent. only the injured barbarian hero in the dungeon remained resistant. ¡°lord¡­¡± ¡°we couldn¡¯t compromise all our hopes on the reinforcements. we¡­¡± the injured, resistant barbarian did not finish his thoughts. he halted. he saw sel and the surrounding upper echelons perked open-mouthed at the flank of bloodhoof city. ¡°what was going on?¡± confusion mixed with his thoughts. he dragged his injured and exhausted body to turn around. the next moment, he also quickened wide-eyed. countless vampires in the distant sky flapped their bat wings and charged into the side of the monster troops that attacked bloodhoof city. thousands of vampires cast spells at the same time! the blood of the fallen soldiers on the ground seethed violently. then, gravity departed, and they floated up. they enveloped the monsters in a straw of breath. ¡®thud!¡¯ it was like one poured concentrated sulfuric acid on their bodies. they emitted ripples of stench and black smoke that corroded their hearts and bones. the miserable roars of wild beasts rang out, and innumerable beast soldiers fell. controlling fresh blood was the signature ability of vampires. the level 14 vampire swordsman skydived down and engaged in melee combat after a round of spellcasting. amidst rapid charge, the two large groups of vampire swordsmen formed uniformly. amidst the blood and broken limbs, there was a cruel artistic beauty. ¡®puchi!¡¯ they slaughtered dozens of level 15 violent ogres at the bottom. these five-meter-tall monsters brandished their vast spiked clubs and roared. they posed to counterattack. however, they only felt a blur before their eyes, and a terrifying pain came from their heads. the vampires had risen into the air for the second time by the time the enemies could see clearly. ¡®plop!¡¯ each corpse fell. it was like a reaper had scythed each. the monsters weren¡¯t inferior to the vampire troop. blood rain had engulfed and reinforced them. moreover, they had a complete command system. Chapter 822 the monsters each fell like wheat. less than four large groups of vampire legions ran amok on a battlefield that was ten times larger than their own. they domineeringly charged before the city walls from the flank. then, they returned to the city walls without any casualties and worked with the bloodhoof city troops to deplete all the enemies. this scene caused the bloodhoof city troops¡¯ morale to peak. veins popped out on their faces as they roared. they vented the emotions they had suppressed for a long time! ¡°lord richard had not given up on us! he sent us reinforcements in time! ¡°and he sent such a troop of soul-wrenching vampires!!¡± corpses of the evil camp gouged the dungeon. it no longer mattered whether vampires were unacceptable in the primary plane. it was enough that the vampires were the great existence¡¯s reinforcement! the vampires landed in the city and slowly folded their wings. sel saw the dark lifeform before him split to the left and right. that revealed a spatial passageway. a silver-haired, silver-eyed, beautiful, and seductive figure passed through the vampire wall and approached sel and the upper echelons of bloodhoof city. the pair of silver eyes looked around calmly and finally landed on sel. her tone was indifferent and unquestionable. ¡°the lord ordered me to completely quell the chaos in the underground world within two days. ¡°all the people in bloodhoof city are under my command¡­¡± that wasn¡¯t a discussion. but an order and a notice. her voice fell, and all the upper echelons of bloodhoof city felt like a mountain pinned on their chests. however, at this moment, they were both shocked and excited! that was because the existence before them was transcendent!! ¡°lord richard has sent us transcendent to reinforce us!! ¡°as you command!¡± sel sighed and unhesitantly bowed. just the identity of lord richard¡¯s reinforcements was enough to command bloodhoof city, aside from the supreme power of the transcendent. the underground world was more realistic than the surface when dealing with powerhouses. the vampire troop immediately became the main troop on the battlefield. the crumbling defense line instantly stood firm and could no longer be shaken. less than four large teams of vampires brought incomparable pressure to tens of thousands of people in bloodhoof city and several heavy weapons. the high-level troops were significant in the battle. the vampires had an exaggerated advantage when compared to ordinary troops. loreinna ignored the ones below. her silver eyes focused on the spatial rifts. naga. she had encountered this race many times in her long life. the monsters below were chaotic when out of command. this race was about to integrate into the underworld and threatened it. loreinna looked at the enemies who still attacked below the city wall with some disgust. she hated living beings without intelligence the most. killing them would dirty her hands. sparing them would summon the god of death. ¡®shua!¡¯ the broad and malevolence-filled dark red bat wings suddenly unfolded. loreinna flew straight into the monster troop before sel. that sparingly startled sel and the upper echelons of bloodhoof city. ¡®what does this vampire intend to do?¡¯ they had the answer shortly. loreinna flew into the center of the battlefield under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. she looked down at the monsters as they roared at her. the crimson moon was as big as a millstone above her head. endless blood radiance shone on the ends of her silver hair. a strange color of silver with a hint of blood appeared. the dark red bat wings on her back added a lot of power to it. a faint blood-red color appeared in her silver eyes. she stretched out her right hand, and a silver light lingered. she pressed her thumb on her middle finger and rubbed it gently. ¡®pa!¡¯ a crisp snap of the fingers resounded in everyone¡¯s ears like rolling thunder. all the monsters in the wild within a 1,000-meter radius instantly turned red. loreinna was at the center. the skin on her body bulged. it was like countless snakes wriggled inside as they tried to squeeze out. ¡®roar!¡¯ screams sounded like the most brutal torture in the world punished their souls. that agitated their skin to the extreme. ¡®puchi!¡¯ flesh and blood exploded. all the monsters in the wild within a thousand meters detonated and died. blood and broken limbs flew everywhere. the cruel flowers of death bloomed all over the land. [blood fury] [beyond a-rank ¡ª consumes 5,000 blood power to cause the blood of all enemies within a 1,000-meter radius to seethe and explode.] the densely-packed wild monsters felt the burying of more than one troop. the scene was exaggerated. this scene caused the angry roars from the city walls to stop abruptly. it was like someone had pressed the button to turn off the volume. everyone widened their eyes at the figure that flapped its broad malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and floated in the sky under the crimson moon with extreme shock. below were blood and broken limbs that had formed a gigantic ball. loreinna emptied everyone. the wild monsters outside alone remained. their hands, which did not tremble at the slaying of their enemies, now trembled uncontrollably. gods were above. ¡°that was transcendent?¡± ¡°was this the reinforcement sent by lord richard?!!¡± sel¡¯s admiration for extraordinary power and his reverence for richard had peaked. scarlet flushed into his face. his soul shivered. loreinna glanced at the battlefield indifferently. the silver energy on her body surged again and enveloped the bloody land below. lumps of flesh and blood wriggled on the ground. ¡®squeak!¡¯ ear-piercing shrieks sounded from the flesh. Chapter 823 its wings flapped. a scarlet bat suddenly crawled out of the flesh and flew into the sky. that gave rise to the first bat. it was like one had opened the gates of hell. countless wings flapped afterward. innumerable scarlet bats flew into the sky amidst the flesh and limbs. horror gouged the surrounding that protruded one¡¯s heart to palpitate under the bright light of the crimson moon. the dark legends of ancient times were far inferior. the bats circled loreinna after they flew in the sky. they instantly formed a bat storm that swept through the world. that shocked the human and monster abode. [scarlet bat] [beyond a-rank ¡ª the soul of the murdered enemy permanently transforms into a scarlet bat. the bat self-destruction can deal ten times the damage to the enemy.] transcendents possessed power that exceeded the limits of ordinary people¡¯s imagination. loreinna scanned the battlefield. she waved her hand gently. the bat-formed storm blew in all directions. the evil beings that were more than half a meter tall and born from blood and souls pounced on the enemies around them. the monsters¡¯ sharp teeth, claws, and weapons seemed to have attacked a gel-like ball when they lashed the scarlet bats. a scarlet bat could only feel the blockage, but the monster could not cause fatal damage. on the other hand, after the scarlet bats pounced, their sharp fangs will pierce through their bodies and inject highly corrosive venom into their bodies. their bodies will rot at an exaggerated speed. the vampire troops on the city walls also attacked at the same time. they forcefully cleared all the violent monsters on the field where the scarlet bats aided. the war that had collapsed bloodhoof city ended when a scarlet bat swallowed the last of the monsters, a cave spider. dense scarlet bats brimmed the sky apart from vampire troops. locusts could still dread people a strong impact when their number is dense, although one could easily trample them to death. moreover, this was a dark lifeform filled with cruelty and blood. the upper echelons of bloodhoof city exchanged glances with each other. awe and admiration reflected in each other¡¯s eyes. the strength of twilight city was something that one could easily see. the power that lord richard wielded was far beyond their imagination. the injured and previously reluctant barbarian hero who had questioned richard¡¯s reinforcement earlier lowered his head in admiration. there were no more objections. the injured and reluctant barbarian¡¯s other word would slap face. lord richard sent reinforcements. he also sent an expert. the importance that the great existence placed on bloodhoof city and the underworld world was far beyond his understanding and imagination. loreinna looked at the city walls from afar under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°sel bloodhoof, report the detailed information to lord richard.¡± she spoke and turned around to lead the vampire troop toward the spatial rift in the sky. ¡°the nagas attacked.¡± the nagas have transcendents as overseers as an advanced race of the dungeon race. they couldn¡¯t rely on their strength to block a plane with the three thousand vampire breeds. the vampire tribe troop came and left hurriedly. the scarlet vampire cleared all the tens of thousands of wild monsters in bloodhoof city in less than ten minutes. sel¡¯s heart suddenly sank, and his excitement disappeared when he saw this scene. they hardly dealt with these monsters, and countless nagas spotted them covetously from the spatial rift in the sky. the underground world would welcome an unprecedented impact when a power starkly formed the space. the gray-colored dwarves who once dominated the bloodhoof city were as weak as ants compared to the nagas. the nagas had a transcendent overseer. they looked up at the crimson moon in the underground world that had never seen the sun. an aura filled the crimson moon¡¯s existence that could judder one¡¯s heart. this thing that was beyond common sense represented the unknown and danger. ¡°send the news of the naga¡¯s attack to twilight city immediately.¡± ¡°we need more reinforcements.¡± sel looked into the city as he spoke. ¡°summon all the troops outside and order the skeleton blood dragons to go to fortress city for support.¡± ¡°at your command!¡± bloodhoof city immediately took action. loreinna ignored the scenes she left. she led the troop and flew directly to the spatial rift crack in the sky. she looked up and saw spatial rifts that glowed pale green light. at this moment, countless nagas with splay arms and snake bodies swam back and forth. her cold eyes looked at the underground world through the spatial rift. they could see her figure. but there was still an invisible barrier that blocked her. however, from the looks of it, the invisible barrier will shortly disappear. a figure among a large group of nagas with a red wart on its head that looked like a cockscomb and a splayed arm that only held a spear floated up. the nagas around instantly knew. it had a green snake tail, a pale upper body, narrow eyes, a red crown, and a terrifying aura. the naga king. it was transcendent. loreinna¡¯s silver eyes looked at this figure indifferently. she did not say a word. the two looked at each other, and the air seemed to freeze at this moment. ¡°vampire, are you the master of this land?¡± a voice with an unsettling tone came through the stronghold. advanced language-ancient naga language. the naga king didn¡¯t wait for loreinna¡¯s reply. its long and narrow eyes looked around with greed. finally, its gaze paused at the bloodhoof city in the extreme. ¡°i can feel fresh lives and souls. ¡°this land¡­it will become the new base of the green scale clan.¡± loreinna looked at the creature that was at the same level as her. ¡°do you have the right to spy on my lord¡¯s land?¡± the naga king¡¯s narrow eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°eh? my lord? ¡°what kind of lifeform was a vampire?¡± they called themselves nobles, and at the same time, they had all the characteristics of human nobles: pride, stubbornness, confidence, and even arrogance. ¡°this kind of lifeform? would it submit to other lifeforms? ¡°looks like this land is more interesting than i imagined¡­¡± the naga king turned around, and loreinna looked behind him. the entire world was like an over-exploited kuangqu other than several nagas. their plane was on the verge of collapse, and only a new one could accommodate the naga race. this plane. the king of nagas was determined to take it, whether over a vampire¡¯s or something else¡¯s resistance. no one could stop king naga¡¯s conquest! the king¡¯s gaze turned cold as he pointed the spear at loreinna. ¡°all troops, prepare¡­¡± the troops could kill for ten days if the enemies charged into that plane! ¡°these lowly races can only be my slaves!¡± Chapter 824 the spatial rift suffused with green light and emitted an explosion again. a giant hand opened the gap and expanded rapidly. it connected from the sky to the ground after a few breaths. a vast diameter of more than a thousand meters and a height of more than two hundred meters appeared before the vampire troop. the invisible spatial barrier gradually thinned. the enemy was about to rush out. loreinna saw this, and she narrowed her eyes. her body emitted a silver light and gradually brightened. the surrounding vampire troop was also extremely tense. the magic in their hands began to condense. the large-scale troop magic formed a blood-red cloud in the sky under the command of the three large groups of vampire breed heroes. a century of waiting. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crisp sound of glass shattering sounded. the transparent spatial barrier exploded each by inch. there was no longer any obstruction between the two planes. the naga king immediately became excited when it smelled the air of the underground world. ¡°this plane is ours¡­the new encampment of the green scale clan!¡± ¡°occupy, conquer, destroy¡­reptiles of this world, welcome your lord!!¡± the long-awaited naga troop rushed out of their plane like a flood that broke through a dam under the sharp roar of the ancient naga language. heaven and earth lost their color. the silver eyes of loreinna reflected the ferocious faces of the nagas high up in the sky. her face turned cold. ¡°slay them!¡± the scarlet bats that formed a storm in the sky swooped down as soon as she spoke. the nagas lurked in the central breeze. ¡®swoosh! swoosh! swoosh!¡¯ the naga archers released their bows and inundated countless arrows. each arrow stabbed a scarlet bat. the two sides met in midair. the arrow with a green light pierced the scarlet bat¡¯s non-physical body. the scarlet bat shattered like how one extinguished a candle. however, there were a myriad of scarlet bats. the nagas¡¯ vehemence dwindled and was no longer effective after they blocked the first wave. red lightning tore through the sky. they charged at the naga troops, and their bodies suddenly expanded into a ball of blood and then exploded. ¡®bang!¡¯ the explosion covered dozens of meters. the corrosive blood splattered everywhere. the naga troop could not dodge at all. blood stained each, and they immediately suffered the pain of being pierced through their bones and hearts. their exposed faces, eyes, and necks decayed into white bones. some nagas even died from the pain. the vampire breed also released magic they had prepared for a long time as the scarlet bats swooped down and exposed them. fist-sized corrosion balls fell from the blood-red clouds in the sky like meteors. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ they smashed into the naga troop with a violent sound that detonated through the air. ¡®puchi!¡¯ one of the nagas was unwilling to give up and slashed at the corrosion ball. however, the naga¡¯s long blade touched it, and the corrosion ball popped and wrapped the three to five meters area. the terrifying corrosiveness turned the naga into pus, and the surrounding companions were no better. two waves of attacks directly wiped out the nagas that rushed out first. the vampire team harvested the souls of more than two large teams. loreinna stared as each naga corpse emitted an ancient aura. ¡°that! blood rain?¡± she did not know the significance of the energy, but the troop soon discovered something different. ¡°please, behold ancestor! i found something in the naga¡¯s head.¡± the most potent level 19 hero among the three large groups of vampire breed heroes came forward and handed a light red crystal. loreinna reached out to take it and immediately sensed the majestic energy that surged inside. ¡°when did such a crystal appear in the naga¡¯s body? ¡°every naga has it? ¡°yes, your excellency!¡± loreinna nodded. she had keenly sensed the great use of this thing. ¡°collect them after the battle.¡± she spoke and looked at the naga troop as they emerged from the spatial rifts. ¡°the vampire breed has yet to contribute to twilight city. ¡°let these lowly insects become the blood breeds¡¯ medals of loyalty to their lord¡­¡± ¡°as you wish, your excellency¡­¡± loreinna¡¯s order was an unshakable oracle among the vampires. the attacks of the vampire breed troop became increasingly fierce. the vampire breed spellcasters would provide support from the rear, while the melee would block the gap. none of the sharp warnings of the vampires scared the nagas off. the nagas continued to charge forward fiercely. but soon, the situation changed. the nagas outnumbered the vampire breeds by more than ten times. under the endless assault, the vampire breed¡¯s defense line was on the verge of collapse. especially when the naga spellcaster joined the battle and immediately put immense pressure on the vampire breed troop. the naga spellcasting of imprisonment, weakening, dispel, and curse were proficient in all kinds of dungeon spells. the naga archers¡¯ series of attacks dimmed the vampire breeds¡¯ defenses. that allowed the naga to rush out of the spatial rift as they wished. gradually, they won a foothold in the underground world. the nagas achieved victory and smelled the air of this new world as they wished. then, these evil lifeforms went wild. they attacked the vampire breeds more ferociously. the two sides fought dementedly on this dry land. each died every second. the vampire troop was indeed a top-tier. they tenaciously resisted the ferocious attacks of the nagas under the command of the three large groups of the vampire breed heroes. Chapter 825 loreinna looked at the scene where the slaughter gradually became less and less crazy, and the aura on her body began to surge. the silver pupil stared at the naga king on the other side of the spatial rift. this existence of her level was the paramount threat in this war. however, loreinna could not rashly move since the naga king hadn¡¯t stepped through the spatial rift. a reckless attack would only alert the king if she could not kill him in one strike. the naga king stood in the void and stared at loreinna. he didn¡¯t follow the other nagas into the underground world, and the worry in his heart was no different from loreinna¡¯s. the gazes of both parties collided at this moment, and sparks flew in all directions. the battle gradually entered its climax. the advantage in numbers was too predictable. the naga king still couldn¡¯t stop the other party¡¯s breakthrough. the king eventually was forced to take to the air and use his natural flying advantage to fight the opponent. however, a fight in the air couldn¡¯t weaken the naga clan. the magic and soul-wrenching longbow they pull using their eight arms could pose a massive threat to the sky. the vampire breed¡¯s flying ability was also greatly restricted, and they fearfully charged forward. the vampires could no longer hold and delay the naga¡¯s invasion of the underground world. the nagas were already unstoppable. they gradually controlled the direction and fate of the battle. the corners of the naga king¡¯s mouth curled up high. grave mockery gouged its long and narrow eyes. ¡°thousands of vampires¡­ how do you want to stop the great naga clan? ¡°how naive!¡± just as the situation gradually collapsed. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the wings flapped, and the sound came from behind the vampire breeds. the naga king frowned sparingly. several stone statues of the dead more than four meters tall appeared in the king¡¯s vision. these special soldiers held hot tomahawks that looked like a furnace had just purified them. they flapped their rock wings and wore dragon-scale-shaped bone armor. the naga king could immediately sense their brutal aura at first glance. ¡°vampire reinforcements?¡± the naga king glanced around and quickly locked its gaze on the center. it was a skeleton blood dragon that burned with crimson flames and had a wingspan of more than 40 meters. on the undead dragon¡¯s back was a human. that¡¯s right, a human! this human didn¡¯t say anything yet, but his striking temperament could make people unconsciously focus their eyes on him. some people were born leaders. the naga king saw the transcendent vampire bowed to the human in the void. ¡°lord.¡± ¡°lord? ¡°that human¡­ was he the vampire¡¯s lord?¡± the naga king was mentally prepared. but he couldn¡¯t fathom when he heard the transcendent vampire, his greatest enemy, called the level 10 human her lord. he even felt insulted. ¡°transcendents, what kind of existence were these? ¡°the vampire acknowledged a lowly human as her lord! ¡°the human was only over level 10 and had not even touched the threshold of transcendence. what qualifications did this human have to make transcendents submit? ¡°unforgivable, unacceptable!¡± he would never lower his head to anyone if he were the transcendent! even at the torment and destruction of his soul! hostility already filled his gaze. ¡°lowly worm! you will know the consequences of making a transcendent your servant when the tip of my long spear touches your head!¡± the king of the nagas saw more details as the new troop gradually approached. hundreds of less considerable undead dragon soldiers stood behind the skeleton blood dragon. on their backs were mummies with swords that flew around them. none were weaklings. however, could these two thousand troops stop the green scale clan¡¯s conquest? the corners of the naga king¡¯s mouth mockingly curled into a cold smile. this unfamiliar plane could only become their hunting ground! ¡°crossbow troop, prepare to attack¡­ ¡°i want these lowly worms to know¡­what cruelty is!¡± ¡°flying troops? ¡°hehehe, you are just a target.¡± the naga king heard the order of the human lord. ¡°stone statues of the dead, king mummies¡­crush them!!¡± richard spoke, and the soul fire in the empty eye sockets of the thousands of stone statues of the dead immediately lit up with a scorching light. in the next moment, the undead dragon flapped its wings and swooped down. ¡°archers, get ready!¡± the naga king hero commanded the archers. the king had eight arms and had outstanding military achievements in the dungeon race. the most famous ones were naga warriors and naga spellcasters. however, only they knew that the naga archers were the real trump cards of the naga clan because they had eight arms that could efficiently pull longbows! strength limited the other dungeon races. they could create powerful bows but were usually ineffective in battles in the wild. lifeforms like the cyclops were too cumbersome to use arrows that required agility and accuracy. however, nagas were different. they had natural advantages. they could fight in the wild with heavy crossbows. the eight-armed naga archers shot arrows that carried the power to pierce through the city wall! ¡°shoot!¡± the naga archers had just sent less than a brigade into the battle. but they had already suppressed most of the vampires. they lined up neatly. a total of three large teams of naga archers had drawn their longbows. ¡®creak!¡¯ a naga archer tightened a bowstring to the limit and released a squeaking sound. ¡®bang!¡¯ its fingers loosened at the same time. ¡®whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!¡¯ the ear-piercing sound was like a demon¡¯s roar. several thicker-than-a-baby¡¯s-arm arrows tore through the sky at lightning speed. Chapter 826 the arrows were too fast for the stone statues of the dead to dodge. none was able to avoid. ¡®kacha!¡¯ an arrow pierced the stone statue of the dead in the chest, and the massive force sent its body to fly back more than ten meters. the sharp arrow pierced its body, and its back revealed it as it fell. it passed through its body. the stone statue of the dead flapped its wings and tried to struggle, but the second arrow hit it again and ruined its wings. its body instantly suffered such damage and could no longer fly. it fell and smashed heavily onto the ground. the first casualty of the stone statue of the dead lair lifted the curtain. the naga archers released a rain of arrows and became the scythe of the grim reaper as they harvested corpses. the stone statue of the dead dived like a meteorite. the naga archers had already slayed half of the stone statues of the dead before they could even come near. the naga king saw this, and the mocking smile on the corner of his mouth became increasingly distinct. ¡°was this the lord who could make a transcendent vampire bow to him?¡± he had an unfathomable thought on the power of the human lord. ¡°seriously? ¡°how laughable! ¡°how could you stop the naga¡¯s attack with your small and weak troops? ¡°naive!¡± richard gave the second order. ¡°stone statues of the dead! activate dead colossus! don¡¯t let any of the enemies escape! ¡°slaughter them!¡± richard spoke, and the previously arrow-stricken and utterly-wrecked stone statues of the dead on the ground suddenly emitted gray energy. then, their bodies expanded at an exaggerated speed. their body size doubled in a few breaths. their injuries instantly recovered. that was even unbelievable! the tomahawks in their hands emitted a scorching aura. that became even colder and sharper at this moment. [dead colossus (a-rank) ¡ª it can transform into a dead colossus. body size increases by 200%. defense increases by 600%. it recovers 20% of life every minute. additional special effect¨Clife steal. each attack can convert 30% of the damage to the user¡¯s life.] [life duration: 30 minutes, cooldown time: 60 minutes] that was a skill that the stone statues of the dead rarely used. it would be arduous to maintain flight once they activated the dead colossus, and pressure will slow its reaction speed down. that was not compatible with richard¡¯s pursuit of mobility and explosive battle. as a result, the frequency of this skill¡¯s usage was far less than other skills. most of the time, the stone statues of the dead liked to use sand to avoid damage. but at this moment, this kind of head-on clash, a positional battle that didn¡¯t have much room for maneuvering, gave this skill a chance to shine. ¡°kill!¡± a series of muffled roars echoed. their hands had become vast, and they threw tomahawks. ¡®crash!¡¯ the sound of the chains that wrapped around one stone statue of the dead¡¯s arm and rubbed against each other resounded through the sky. the naga troop showed no fear and brazenly blocked the stone statues of the dead more than eight meters in size. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the battle tomahawks whistled. a four-meter-tall eight-armed naga noticed the traces of the tomahawks that flew. it combined the eight blades in its hands and forcefully blocked the wave of damage. ¡®clang! clang!¡¯ the tomahawks smashed horizontally and caused detonating sparks. the naga archers only felt a mountain-crushing force from the eight knives in their hands, and the tomahawks shattered them into dozens of pieces. the nagas¡¯ expressions changed drastically, but it was too late to dodge. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the archers felt sharp pain and lost consciousness. the tomahawks directly smashed their tall bodies. then, they crossed a hundred meters and killed more than ten nagas in a row. they killed their way into the core area with their unaffected strengths. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the blood-stained tomahawks exploded in the crowd. an exaggerated metal storm swept through the surroundings. that enveloped everyone within a 50-meter radius. the first wave of damage was the shards that pierced into the body. the second wave was the shards with the instant death characteristic of the stone statue of the dead. and the third wave of damage was excruciating. ¡®bang!¡¯ scorching flame energy exploded. the first two waves of damage did not kill them, but the third wave of high temperature exploded from their bodies. that turned their corpses into charcoal. fortunately, the naga at the center of the explosion used its tall body to block some of the fragments. then the destructive power of the explosion was not so monstrous. but even so, the stone statue of the dead still showed the naga what a trump card was. more than 500 fallen statues lay on the ground under the full power of the explosion. it was like one threw more than 500 high-explosive bombs. and that murdered 3,000 to 4,000 nagas. that was because the vampires slayed too many of them in the first wave, and the naga had adjusted their layout to occupy the battlefield. in the scene, the vampires hindered the naga¡¯s good situation. the naga king felt as if one had adamantly slapped his face. the disdain he had just felt disappeared into thin air. his fingers clenched tightly. the aura on his body began to surge. ¡°damned lowly worm! bastard!¡± the naga king¡¯s heart trembled when he saw this scene. he released a hysterical roar. ¡°shoot!¡± the troop of 3,000 naga archers pulled the giant bows again that were more than three meters long. ¡®creak!¡¯ each pulled the bowstring to the limit and suddenly released. the bowstring¡¯s elasticity utterly infused the arrows. and these terrifyingly-powered arrows covered the ground once again. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the stone statues of the dead grew in size, decreased their agility, and made their target predictable. they immediately encountered attacks that were even crazier than before. Chapter 827 ¡®thud!¡¯ an arrow hit a stone statue of the dead, and sparks exploded. gold and stone clashed. the arrows that could easily pierce through the stone statues of the dead just now left deep scratches on the dragon-scale-shaped bone armor. however, that was only it. the arrows with brutal power couldn¡¯t advance any further. and couldn¡¯t break through the defense. the stone statues of the dead even deflected some of the arrows away and did not cause any damage to them. the tables had turned in a blink of an eye. the stone statues of the dead, which already had an exaggerated defense, had an additional 600% under the dead colossus skill. its hardness was enough to be described as remarkable. even heavy siege crossbows could not tear through their dragon-scale-shaped bone armor. moreover, in this state, one could recover 30% of its life every minute. in addition, one could regain 35% of the damage caused by the attack in its life. the stone statues of the dead in the sky all landed on the ground. over a thousand eight-meter-tall stone lifeforms wielded scorching tomahawks, and dragon-scale-shaped bone armors took over the battlefield. the level 15 top-tier naga soldiers faced the unwavering attacks of the stone statues of the dead. it was as if a thin piece of paper blocked the front. a touch could easily shatter it. the naga¡¯s powerful battle skills and the exaggerated attack power of its eight arms were in front of the remarkable defense of the stone statues of the dead. none of them took effect. ¡°spell caster legion, restrain those damned gargoyles!!¡± the naga king saw the sudden change in the situation and ordered decisively. the naga spellcasters initially fought on their own and had no target to focus on and immediately changed their direction and aimed their long knives at the stone statues of the dead. ¡°black death art!¡± ¡°weakened body!¡± ¡°stop!¡± ¡°draw the ground as a prison!¡± the stone statues of the dead were at a loss for words. all kinds of dungeon magic covered the stone statues of the dead with a violent aura. naga king saw the colossal stone statues of the dead couldn¡¯t dodge. that highly delighted the king. but in the next second, a situation that made them despair happened. the magic that hit the stone statues of the dead fell like raindrops into the sea and instantly obliterated the slight ripples. ¡°none of the hits took effect?¡± ¡°magic immunity?¡± the word that made the king¡¯s heart tremble appeared in his mind. the stone statues of the dead lair was from the fusion of the undead soldiers of the axe of the dead and the dark gargoyles. they retained their respective specialties. the trump card of the dark gargoyle was magic immunity. their defense could withstand the arrows of the eight-armed naga archers. their magic immunity could completely resist magic. in terms of attack, the throwing range of the tomahawks in their hands could exceed 200 meters. moreover, they could explode after throwing, and the fragments could explode again. they could recover after they received damages, and the attack had the characteristic of devouring the enemy¡¯s energy. ¡°what kind of soldiers were this?¡± the naga king looked at the stone statues of the dead through the spatial rift. he felt powerless at this moment, although he had fought for countless years. to be so comprehensive, even the most soul-strapping troop of the nagas was far inferior to this troop. the first appearance of the dead stone statue allowed the high-level naga clan in the dungeon race to taste the edge of the trump card of twilight city following its reinforcement to crown-level. the opponents had just pushed out and forced back the naga troops. every dead stone statue had the battle power to fight a small team of nagas alone or even more! this unit that richard had painstakingly nurtured was a nightmare for the enemies of twilight city. the nagas recklessly slayed stone statues of the dead in all directions. at this moment, the king mummies from the level 17 king of the imperial troop lair also fought. but their numbers were incomparable to the stone statues of the dead. however, at this moment, the top-notch battle power that controlled the five sabers had turned into a meat grinder. the range of the attack reached 30 meters as the blade rotated. at this moment, the enemy¡¯s long-range power was all on the dead stones statue, so these soldiers had more room to unleash their power. the five sabers controlled by the invisible ropes were like antelopes that hung on the battlefield. they left no traces. they could attack enemies from the sky, the ground, and unseen spots. the naga king looked at the situation he gradually lost control. the initially confident and indifferent king in the sky turned gloomy. his eyes flickered as he looked at richard on alves¡¯s back. the battle power of the stone statues of the dead startled the king of the nagas. ¡°however, was this the reason why vampires had submitted?¡± the king turned his head and looked behind. his eyes gradually turned cold. the planar power gradually depleted. the depletion would bury the entire green scale clan if they could not find a new plane to live in. no one could survive. this spatial rift that led to the new plane was the only way out. the naga king¡¯s eight arms only held a long spear. he stared at the stone statues of the dead that had already entered the spatial rift. he gripped the long spear and raised it above his head. the king bent his body like a bow. then, it exploded in the space of a breath. the infinite power transmitted from his body to the long spear. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ in the blink of an eye, the long spear pierced through space and into the head of the stone statue. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the long spare penetrated the sturdy head, and the powerful force caused the eight-meter-tall stone statue of the dead to fall back. the long spear nailed the twilight city¡¯s vast soldier to the ground. the long spear starkly devoured the power of the stone statue of the dead when it pierced its head. in the blink of an eye, the stone statue of the dead had turned into a pile of rubble without any energy fluctuations. the long spear suddenly became illusory and disappeared without a trace after the king¡¯s defensive weapon utterly devoured the opponent. Chapter 828 the hunt for a transcendent. the naga king¡¯s long and narrow eyes became colder. he threw his long spear again. ¡®kacha!¡± the king¡¯s long spear nailed the second stone statue of the dead to death. the naga king had murdered more than five teams of stone statues of the dead in just two to three minutes. the tomahawks that attacked the nagas overflowed. the stone statue of the dead could not avoid damage even if the spear had hit it and turned into sand. that was even shocking. even top-tier soldiers with high magic immunity and physical resistance could not stop the transcendent hunt. richard¡¯s eyes grew grave. ¡°what a cunning transcendent!¡± richard knew the opponent was still in his plane and did not take half a step out of the spatial rift. that would murder each in less than an hour. he was willing to let go of his transcendent pride. but he also knew how to hide and not advance rashly. the transcendents of the evil faction were indeed not genuine and were even more arduous to deal with. however, it would be too much contempt for twilight city if that were all there was to it. he looked at the silver-haired, silver-eyed loreinna, the vampire archduchess. ¡°loreinna, prepare to hunt¡­¡± as he spoke, a fire elemental core appeared in his hand. ¡°i will summon the transcendent overlord of the fire elemental plane to assist you.¡± loreinna heard this and stared at richard. she said slowly, ¡°lord, i¡¯ve already grasped the soul aura of that naga¡­every time the enemy kills, they expose themselves.¡± ¡°kill him¡­i alone am enough.¡± silver light surged out of her body as she finished speaking. it was like moonlight had scattered on the earth. the next moment, the broken limbs on the ground squirmed. ¡®squeak!¡¯ shrill roars accompanied countless scarlet bats that flew into the sky. they formed a storm. the scarlet bats filled the sky, spun, and danced. then, they rushed into the spatial rift like a flood that had opened its floodgates. it pounced straight at the naga king. that would tear their body into pieces when the bat-formed storm swept through the naga king and blocked the ground before them. however, nagas were nagas after all. light green energy appeared on their bodies, and the long spears in their hands immediately had massive lethality toward these bats. they slashed and slayed. the bat-formed storm began to explode, but the damage was insignificant because the number was not as high as before. that killed only a few squadrons of nagas. some scarlet bats flew through the spatial gap and approached the naga king. the naga king ignored the attack. all the scarlet bats within ten meters exploded. the highly corrosive blood was like a water ball that shattered the glass. it bounced away and could not cause any damage to it. that had momentarily distracted the naga king. at this moment, loreinna¡¯s silver eyes focused. she extended her right hand, and endless silver light gathered on her palm. she had become a sparkling moon. she competed with the crimson moon. the naga king¡¯s heart pounded wildly, and an uncontrollable fear rose. it was like the grim reaper¡¯s scythe slashed down on his neck. dangerous, extremely dangerous! its long snake tail wriggled violently, and its body shifted sideways. his body had already left its initial spot by a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. the moonlight that had attracted the attention of everyone on the battlefield dissipated. the fear in the heart of the naga king soared to the extreme at this moment. in half a breath, its body changed its position more than 20 times. the naga king suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. the pain quickly spread to his chest. ¡®puchi!¡¯ he looked down. a drop of blood dripped down the arm and pierced through the heart. the naga king felt its power dissipated at an exaggerated speed. ¡°how, how was this possible?¡± he abruptly turned his head. his long and narrow line of sight pierced through the spatial rift. his gaze stopped on the vampire breed transcendent as she flapped her broad and malevolence-filled dark red bat wings. the naga king¡¯s right hand reached into the void at this moment! [hand of paleness] [glorious] [it stares at a target within 3,000 meters for three seconds. it can ignore distance and space. its claws will pierce into the enemy¡¯s heart. every cast consumes 30,000 life.] [cooldown time: ten minutes.] it was loreinna¡¯s strongest trump card, a glorious skill. but at this moment, the naga king¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. he realized the vampire was gone! a scarlet bat appeared on the spot. its soul trembled as it turned its head to the side. a silver-haired and silver-eyed figure appeared in the area of the scarlet bats that had just approached him. [fetters-shadow swap ¡ª it can instantly swap with the scarlet bat.] a terrifying and suffocating feeling assaulted the naga king. the naga king released a low growl. he twisted his body. he disappeared on the spot. at this moment, loreinna¡¯s figure had already reached the position where the naga king had disappeared. her silver eyes glowed with a faint blood-colored light, and her right hand dripped with blood and reached into the void again. ¡°useless struggle¡­¡± the low mumble sounded like a demon¡¯s whisper. her body suddenly became blurry afterward. it was like a layer of gray gauze draped her. then, the surrounding space began to distort and fade. layers of ripples spread out in all directions. [extraordinary characteristic¨Cdark apostle. it consumes 100 points of blood power per second, causing the body to sink into nothingness. one can travel freely between the material and the shadow plane.] ¡°found¡­you.¡± loreinna¡¯s silver eyes suddenly lit up. in the next moment, her body became focused, and the arm that reached into the void reappeared. at this moment, arms grabbed the figure. king of naga. that strangled the neck of the transcendent, and the tumbling flesh on his chest emitted waves of blood. ¡°how could you¡­so strong¡­¡± disbelief and unconcealable fear brimmed the ancient naga language. the naga king¡¯s face was no longer as confident as before. his long and narrow eyes revealed a crazed look. his body expanded. loreinna¡¯s expression changed sparingly. she didn¡¯t have the time to react, and the endless radiance of the moon condensed in her hand. then, she exerted force with her five fingers. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound resounded through the sky. the naga king¡¯s inflated body suddenly froze. its eight arms drooped weakly, and the long spear in its hands fell. the silver-haired and silver-eyed archduchess of the vampire clan flapped her broad and malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and grabbed the throat of the naga king with a delicate arm under the crimson moon on the devastated land. at this moment, the naga king¡¯s aura utterly departed, and its eight arms drooped lifelessly. the remaining resisting nagas trembled their hearts when they saw this scene. their king! the opponent had defeated their king! Chapter 829 the choke buried his extraordinary power before it had the chance to erupt. the battlefield suddenly froze. the impact on the naga king was as strong as an earthquake. the naga commander at the back stepped forward and raised his sword high. it pointed the blade at the spatial rift. ¡°slaughter them!¡± the battlefield sounded restless again with a crazy roar. the eyes of nagas froze wide open and turned red. their muscles bulged, and their aura rose. ¡°the death of the naga king! they could not destroy the naga!¡± the morale that was initially on the verge of collapse did not collapse. instead, it rose again. the nagas charged berserkly toward the stone statues of the dead. their ferocious posture turned even more soul-wrecking than before. nagas were born warriors. no enemy could make them fear and retreat. that was the nature of the race, the inheritance in the bloodline. richard¡¯s eyes flickered as he watched this scene. the nagas¡¯ courage was indeed extraordinary. they would have collapsed long ago if it were the gray-colored dwarves. richard turned his gaze to loreinna, who was in another dimension. he fixed his gaze on the naga king¡¯s corpse. it drooped weakly. level 20 naga king. a transcendent vampire killed another transcendent unexpectedly. it exceeded his expectations. he anticipated an intense battle. but he did not expect lorena¡¯s full power to reach such a high level. he stared at the silver-haired, silver-eyed vampire archduchess and subconsciously opened her attribute panel. only then he realized. loreinna¡¯s level had risen from level 22 a few days ago to 23. an evil plane aura purified her in the vampire castle. richard didn¡¯t let the vampire archduchess stay for a few more days in vain. the king of the nagas was level 20, while loreinna went 23. the difference between the two was only three levels, but their actual battle power was a world apart. richard pondered and was able to embrace it. who was loreinna? a sun sect besieged this terrifying existence with a semi-divine weapon but eventually escaped. it had slept for thousands of years. this top-notch hero had lived for countless years. the longer one lived, the more one¡¯s understanding and control of one¡¯s power would reach an extremely high level. the nagas were not on the same level as the vampire breed with their eternal life, although nagas could live more than 200 years. the time the naga king had become a transcendent was not even a fraction of loreinna¡¯s. loreinna could still slay the naga king. not to mention the difference of three levels between the two sides, even if they were of the same level. at this thought, richard suddenly thought of the little centaur, emily. this boss, who had once guarded the game rules, was a demigod who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. it was a pity that she had lost her memory. otherwise, her battle power wouldn¡¯t be weaker than loreinna¡¯s following an increase. loreinna¡¯s potential was beyond a-rank. she was a hero, not a boss model. there was a clear difference between a boss and a hero. the situation stabilized, and richard had to visit vermin, the land of the broken laws. emily¡¯s soul fragment was still on that land. it would be of great significance to twilight city if she could regain the power of a demigod boss. every additional top-notch battle strength would give richard more confidence. loreinna stayed a bit following the death of the naga king. she looked around and stopped at the devastated land behind the naga troop for a long time. this plane was like a mine at the end of another. grayish-brown soil and gravel enveloped the exposed rocks. there was no green at all. she carefully sensed it. one could even perceive that the planar power moaned in low gravity. it was about to die. that was a place where life had come to an end. loreinna sighed at the naga troop below that tried to break through the line of the stone statues of the dead. no wonder the naga troop was so crazy. they had no way out. loreinna thoughtlessly ignored it. she looked down and waved her hand. the blood around them surged and lifted the weapon the king of naga had dropped. it was a pattern-carved long spear more than three meters long. loreina appeared sparingly short when she held it. however, she smiled when she felt the surge of energy inside. it was a 5-stars treasure. that wasn¡¯t a loss. she didn¡¯t have a suitable weapon. this treasure was utterly qualified. outsiders didn¡¯t know she preferred long-handled weapons like spears and axes to longswords and sabers. she pondered while she tightly held the corpse of the naga king. in the next second, a scarlet bat appeared where she was. it turned around and saw that loreinna had appeared in the original position of the underground world. the world-racking characteristic of fetters-shadow swap increased her mobility to the extreme. in the battle just now, it was because of this that she could smash the naga king with a single blow. ¡®hu! hu!¡¯ she gently flapped her broad and malevolence-filled dark red bat wings. that brought up a gust of wind. loreinna flew before richard and placed the naga king¡¯s corpse in the air. she then set the long spear before her and knelt on one knee. ¡°my lord, the naga king is dead¡­¡± richard looked at the vampire archduchess happily. ¡®how comfortable.¡¯ the effort he had put in to obtain the contract scroll had paid off. that was the tyranny of the transcendents. they could have a decisive effect on the battlefield. Chapter 830 richard wouldn¡¯t achieve the desired effects even if he summoned the fire elemental lord klose and sent the dark soul eater, kratos, and the god¡¯s ancient tree to surround and kill the enemies. that transcendent naga king was not a reckless lifeform. it would run like a snake if it couldn¡¯t defeat an opponent. richard would have to deploy several troops to defend the spatial rift if loreinna couldn¡¯t slay it. at that time, it would be an endless war of attrition. that was unbearable for the current twilight city. richard couldn¡¯t afford to waste time. fortunately, loreinna was able to execute all of this. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite. ¡°loreinna, you did well. ¡°you¡¯ve made an immense contribution this time! ¡°the threat would be unbearable if not for the naga king¡¯s demise, even if we win this war.¡± richard praised her and looked at the spatial rift. ¡°did you discover anything in that plane?¡± loreinna got up, and her silver eyes moved slightly. she extended her left hand and opened her palm. her hand revealed a faint red crystal. ¡°lord, this is the red crystal i have obtained from the naga¡¯s head¡­ it contains boundless energy.¡± ¡°the nagas kept crystals in their heads?¡± richard was interested. he reached out to take it. he immediately sensed the rich energy stored inside. at the same time, there was a faint ancient god aura. he curiously opened the attribute panel. [great stone of the ancient ones] [level: special] [characteristic: the system has imbued it with boundless energy.] [note: one can use it as a substitute for rare resources to recruit soldiers. one can use each stone of the ancient ones to replace 1,000 units of rare resources.] [description: a crystal condensed from the power of the ancient laws.] ¡°a great stone of the ancient ones was equivalent to 1,000 units of rare resources?¡± that stirred richard¡¯s interest. he saw this as a solution and immediately tempted him if he fell short of resources. wouldn¡¯t he be able to take off on the spot if he could get a million or eight hundred thousand pills? he no longer saw disgust when he looked at the naga again. instead, it was as if he looked at a mobile gold mine. richard¡¯s eyes moved sparingly. he reached out to take out the primordial divine condor. he looked down and emitted a remarkable energy fluctuation. desire. it wanted to devour this great stone of the ancient ones. the red crystal in the naga¡¯s head could feed the statue of the ancient gods. richard gently stroked the statue. then he placed the great stone of the ancient ones on top of it. in the next moment, a dark light surged out and devoured the energy of the great stone of the ancient ones. he could feel that the aura of the ancient god statue had become sparingly thick. unfortunately, the energy was still too little. it would take at least ten thousand or more to make any changes. but this gave richard a clear signal. these lifeforms that had absorbed the power of the blood rain were beneficial to the ancient god statues. at that time, he did not let the ancient god statue devour the blood rain because he was worried that something would happen. it wouldn¡¯t be wise to throw in a treasure that already contained the power of an ancient god before one confirms the effects of blood rain. it would be fine if it had a positive effect, such as being targeted by a revived ancient god. it would be a waste if there were any side effects. now that twilight city had settled, it was time to try. richard glanced at the broken limbs on the ground. the soldiers could devour the flesh if they could devour the crystals in their heads. these nagas came at the right time. richard was in a good mood. but loreinna spoke again just as he was about to land and test it. ¡°lord, that plane¡­it is about to die.¡± richard paused. that puzzled him. ¡°the plane is about to die? what do you mean? the naga plane is about to collapse?¡± a big shot gave him the dimension stone in the first dungeon. he rubbed the dimension stone with his hands. he suddenly recalled these scenes. the destructive power would be indescribable if the plane collapsed. and it would be difficult for life to survive. richard looked into the distance. he saw the naga troop that still charged at the stone statues of the dead without fear of death. he was deep in thought. ¡°is this the reason why they are so cruel?¡± loreinna nodded. ¡°the planar power wailed. i can sense the decaying aura the plane had emitted. it was like a sick old man in bed and about to die.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up as he spoke. ¡°lord, this is an opportunity for the rest of us.¡± ¡°chance?¡± that intrigued richard. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°holy land!¡± ¡°holy land?¡± loreinna said with certainty, ¡°your plane is a novice. it still hadn¡¯t matured and needed a vast planar power to nourish it. ¡°one can only absorb void energy under normal circumstances to obtain planar power. however, the time consumed would be tens of thousands of years. ¡°the way to make the holy land swiftly grow is to devour another plane.¡± she paused shortly and waited for richard to signal her to continue. ¡°a weak and immature plane would never devour a healthy plane under normal circumstances. ¡°but the resistance of the planar power is severely weak now that the naga plane is aging and about to die. that is a rare opportunity. ¡°lord, we only need to remove the final consciousness resistance of the planar power. and the holy land can devour this plane.¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. he stared into her silver eyes. ¡°is there any way to wipe out the planar power??¡± ¡°the naga plane will continue to weaken if we continue to hunt their lives.¡± Chapter 831 ¡°moreover, killing the naga plane wouldn¡¯t cause the plane to collapse immediately. it takes time for the giants to fall, and so does the collapse of the plane.¡± ¡°remove its resistance, and we can earn enough resources to strengthen the holy land before the plane collapses.¡± richard looked at loreinna in surprise. he had indeed earned a treasure. the value of this information was priceless. the holy land, which was only a thousand meters in diameter, was utterly too weak. the land couldn¡¯t carry out some additional arrangements at all. this opportunity was indeed rare. the naga invasion of the underground world did not bring about a threat but a rare opportunity from the looks of it. ¡°as you say¡­slay all the enemies in the naga clan!¡± the naga plane would crush the underground world, no matter how great the price was, if they wanted to invade it. however, things were different now. putting aside the price richard had to sacrifice, the rewards had already become highly considerable. a smile appeared on loreinna¡¯s face. then, she raised the pattern-engraved long spear as if she had thought of something. ¡°lord, this long spear is the weapon of the naga king. may i have it?¡± richard opened the attribute panel to check. it was a 5-stars treasure. its paramount feature was to award it to the owner after slaying the previous owner. in addition, it could devour the enemy¡¯s power to accumulate. it could be considered a top-notch treasure. however, loreinna was worthy of any kind of treasure. this vampire archduchess was his trump card. he nodded and smiled. ¡°this is your spoils of war. it belongs to you.¡± loreina¡¯s smiled gratuitously. the discussion between them decided the direction of this war. twilight city pressed forward without fear under richard¡¯s orders. no one could stop the edge of the stone statues of the dead regardless of the threat of the naga king. the advantages of the giant¡¯s strength, impenetrable defense, body immune to magic, and remarkable skill made this unit a nightmare for the nagas. each swing of the battle tomahawks in their hands could cause generous damage. however, the nagas, who had no way out, did not retreat. that was no matter how immense the impact was. their ferocious stance caused the opponents to deal overlapping waves of damage. wounds inundated their bodies eventually, even with the defense of the stone statues of the dead. the battlefield was under the command of loreinna, and richard landed on the ground during the short interval. richard controlled the yellow sand with a wave of his hand to stack the corpses of the nagas together. the pungent smell of blood, the stench of burnt hair, and the broken limbs gave him a rotted-in-hell feeling. richard frowned sparingly. he endured the stench and placed the ancient god statue on the naga¡¯s corpse. in the next moment, the ancient god statue emitted a dense light. the naga¡¯s corpse seemed to have come into contact with sulfuric acid. it squeaked and then quickly dried. the corpse withered and showed no energy left after a few breaths. richard immediately sensed the ancient god statue faintly increased its aura after a dozen or more devour of the corpses. a look of surprise appeared on his face. it was effective! previously, the ancient god statue could not even look at ordinary corpses. richard had only managed to snatch the headless golden god corpse of lolita. otherwise, he couldn¡¯t improve it. now, naga corpses were everywhere. killing nagas was a hundred times easier than killing gods. richard retracted his thoughts and injected his spiritual power into the statue. a moment later, the dim light surged again. it flowed backward like water. it condensed into a somewhat illusory night elf in the sky. divine soul-renee. she tightly carried a longsword and an elven longbow carved with complicated patterns. her temperament was elegant and cold. the last time the ancient god statue devoured the headless golden god corpse, renee¡¯s level rose to 17. at this moment, renee was undoubtedly one of the top-tier battle powers in twilight city. renee immediately floated over and bowed respectfully. ¡°my lord¡­¡± richard nodded. that indicated the battlefield ahead. ¡°renee, these corpses all contain the power of the great stone of the ancient ones in their heads, and these treasures could reinforce you.¡± ¡°go hunt the naga heroes and commanders and disrupt their formation. ¡°i need to settle this war as soon as possible. we don¡¯t have much time to waste.¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord¡­¡± adamant desire to fight engulfed renee¡¯s eyes. richard¡¯s order was her only way forward as the owner of the ancient god statue. renee floated into the air and charged toward the center of the battlefield like lightning with her elven longsword. this divine soul that could resurrect welcomed the first battle after her level increased. renee had once fought head-on against fay, the dark valkyrie, who was of a higher level than her, in the sky arena. there was no doubt of her battle prowess. high-level heroes could control the battlefield. the higher the level, the stronger the influence. the top heroes of the naga clan still struggled after loreinna murdered their most soul-crushing ruler, the naga king. however, they soon faced their nightmare. a level 19 naga hero commanded the naga archers to provide fire support. they could not give up whatever the outcome of the battle would be. no land behind them remained that could accommodate them. but suddenly, a strong sense of danger came to the naga hero commander¡¯s heart. he felt that something was wrong and wanted to escape. Chapter 832 ¡°no!¡± the naga hero commander wanted to dodge, but he could only watch wide-eyed as the arrow pierced his head. however, the arrow did not cause any damage to his body. instead, it pierced through his soul. the naga hero commander only felt tearful pain. it was the most excruciating pain he had ever suffered in his struggle. however, this was his last consciousness. in the next second, the world fell into eternal darkness. his body twitched a few times, and he fell to the ground before he could release his grip on the longbow. [death hunt] [lesser divine spell: it picks a target within 1,000 meters and uses the power of the soul to condense a death god¡¯s arrow. it will hit the target¡¯s soul.] renee silently turned around from far away. her gaze searched for her next target. this divine soul had become a killer in the shadows. renee joined the battle, and loreinna incessantly slayed into the sky. she ignored the naga archers¡¯ attacks and flew towards the center of the naga clan domineeringly. her gaze swept across the surroundings, and silver light glowed in her body. loreinna flew to the center afterward. the skin of all the nagas within a radius of a thousand meters suddenly bulged. it was like something was about to rush. the naga yelled a shrill, miserable scream that drowned out the sounds of fighting. blood spurted out from under their skin after two breaths or more. broken limbs flew dozens of meters away. loreinna harvested nagas in groups. [blood rage] [beyond a-rank skill]. the warm corpses immediately squirmed in the next second. ¡®squeak! squeak!¡¯ flesh wrought the scarlet bats. tons of hot blood on the ground flew up and attached to the long spear of the naga king that loreinna had obtained. thick, hot blood-red fluid covered the three-meter-long spear. its killing intent was shocking. loreinna flapped her broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and charged toward the densest naga troop formation. a level 23 transcendent was extremely domineering in a close battle. loreinna would tear the nagas apart with their weapons whenever she flapped her wings and charged down. broken limbs flew everywhere, and the thick smell of blood was pungent. it brought about a bloody scene. the heavy shields of the nagas would shatter them even if they held them to defend. ruthlessness and savagery filled the scene, but loreinna¡¯s beautiful face and enchanting figure added a bit of gentleness to the bloody scene. it was the death envoy from bloody hell. a scarlet bat would appear in the field for each of loreinna¡¯s slaughters of the naga clan. the naga¡¯s attacks immediately turned chaotic when the two top-tier heroes entered the battlefield. meanwhile, the twilight city troop relied on the two spearheaders to launch an even more ferocious attack. the situation rhymed with the rhythm of twilight city. richard silently watched the fierce battle taciturn. it was the right way to command the troop to achieve victory as the ruler of twilight city. a battle must have reached its limit when a ruler personally participated. a skeleton blood dragon at this moment flew over from behind. it stopped before alves. richard looked over and saw kratos, who was more than six meters tall and made of stone. thirty-two dark servants behind kratos floated in the air. even though he was eight meters tall and had an illusory body of energy, it still gave off a powerful pressure. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard looked at the level 19 boss and glanced at the naga king on the ground with a few regrets. he had wanted kratos to join the attack and complete the task of becoming a transcendent. he did not expect the naga king to die so quickly. there were too many risks in an uncontrollable battlefield, and loreina couldn¡¯t possibly let the naga king live. the situation just now implied that the opponent would fight all out. aggressiveness toward transcendents could cause futile actions if any accidents happened. ¡°the transcendents have already died. you will participate in the battle and eliminate those nagas. ¡°there could be other transcendents of other clans in the plane that located the nagas.¡± kratos immediately perked up. its tiny eyes looked at the battlefield. its fighting spirit soared. ¡°as you wish, my lord!¡± kratos spoke and jumped down the dragon¡¯s back. ¡®bang!¡¯ its vast body smashed and caused an exaggerated tremor. the 32 dark servants also landed on the ground. they formed a charging position with the soul eater. they began to charge at the naga troop in their iconic charging posture. the domineering combination of level 19 boss, kratos, level 17 divine soul renee, and level 23 loreinna toppled most of the nagas. the nagas had no room for resistance when richard combined the three top combat powers into the battle. they couldn¡¯t stop the advance of twilight city even if they besieged. the situation was predictably clear. richard watched as his soldiers murdered the nagas and sent them back to another plane. he did not stay any longer and commanded alves to pass through the spatial rift. richard stepped into the naga plane and immediately felt a rotten aura. he had a clearer perception of the naga plane because of the holy land. the void eroded the plane. this plane was hopeless. it would take a year or a month before its collapse. that wouldn¡¯t be exhausting. richard could sense the aura of the holy land in this world where the plane barrier was already severely breakable. he could open the spatial gate at any time. this time, he could make an immense wave of fortune. he was in a good mood. Chapter 833 and none of them were weak. the level of the weakest skeleton blood dragon rose to 14 and had a crown 1-star potential following a long vehement battle. that utterly qualified the dragon to participate in the hunt for the nagas. the three top heroes slaughtered the nagas, who could not retaliate until their blood cumulated and flowed like a river. however, the nagas still fought at the death of more than half of their comrades. the scene was particularly shocking. the stone statues of the dead disappeared half an hour later. the trump card of twilight city immediately changed its attack position. she flapped its wings, took off, and attacked with its flying advantage. the lethal tomahawk slash had increased the destructive power of the stone statues of the dead to the extreme. it was like thousands of fighter planes dropped bombs as they flew above the enemies. blood splashed whenever they passed. blood overflowed. the nagas once again felt what cruelty was. the naga archers were the mightiest counter-attackers and finally welcomed their glorious moment. their splayed arm pulled the bows and whistled through the air without indestructible defense. it made the stone statues of the dead experience the feeling of a stick of candied haws again. however, the nagas saw their target¡¯s body suddenly turn blurry and turn into a life made of sand before they could celebrate. their attacks were futile. however, it was also because of this that renee and loreinna diverted their attention to the naga archers and spellcasters who hid in the back. loreinna was the first to make a move. countless scarlet bats surged with a wave of her hand and charged into the naga archers¡¯ defense formation. in the next second, her figure disappeared, and a scarlet bat appeared on the spot. the nagas turned around and saw that loreinna had already entered the naga archers¡¯ formation. her broad, malevolence-filled dark red wings flapped, and the vampire archduchess flew close to the ground. she gripped the spear more than three meters long and swept it across. crimson blood tainted the long weapon. its attack range expanded to five meters. ¡®puchi!¡¯ blood splattered everywhere, and limbs flew in the air. the vampire archduchess tore the naga archers into pieces as they rushed over as if a lawnmower mercilessly chopped them. the stench of blood assailed her nostrils. the blood that splattered onto loreina would immediately turn into energy, enter her body, and wouldn¡¯t leave any traces. the transcendent vampire archduchess would tear the nagas to pieces within her attack range every time she swung her deadly weapon. loreinna traversed through the nagas like lightning coupled with her flexible wings. the weapon would leave a bloody trail whenever and wherever it passed. no one could survive under the long spear. even the naga heroes could not block the spear. the level 23 vampire archduchess starkly crushed the nagas, who had an average level of 15. kratos also went wild. this level 19 dark soul eater was a boss unit from divine power. it led 32 dark servants like a road roller and rampaged through the nagas. the battle style was to smash the enemy into pieces while it charged. it looked cruel, but kratos also had a beauty of violence that made one¡¯s heart tremble. he was like a war god from the abyss. renee changed her attack style after she slaughtered all the naga heroes on the battlefield. every flash could take away a naga¡¯s soul with unlimited space jumps. their killing speed was not as fast as loreinna and kratos, but it was not much slower. the nagas in the face of such a brutal attack. that was the most touching thing. they never stood down, even at the death of their hero commander. richard once again realized they were fighters to the death. moreover, nagas weren¡¯t undead creatures. death was their greatest fear as intelligent creatures. however, at this moment, they trampled the fear of death under their feet. richard did not hesitate, although the naga¡¯s ferocity shocked him. he waved his hand and ordered the troop to speed up the attack. twilight city had all its flying troops but no longer had any scruples without the long-range forces threat. a one-sided massacre began. that was evident with the stone statues of the dead. their shooting range was more than 200 meters, which qualified the nagas on the ground only live targets. the battle calmed. the new expansion pack and the rise of the crimson moon brought the planar power to an end at the beheading of the last naga by a king mummy. the nagas, a clan filled with the desire to invade and conquer, were brazenly killed. that did not affect the underground world at all. that was the best result. [ding~ you have commanded the troop to defeat a naga clan troop and killed a transcendent naga. that earned your city a glorious victory.] [you have received 1,000,000 experience points. your level has increased. it had reached 16.] [ding~ you have stopped a plane invasion and protected your subordinate troops. your glorious level in the underground world has changed to crown of the entire dungeon race by 10 points. you have obtained a characteristic¨Cfamous.] [your reputation has already spread throughout the dungeon race. that has reduced the difficulty of recruiting dungeon race heroes. you can unconditionally recruit dungeon race heroes with potential below c-rank.] [there is a high chance that the dungeon race¡¯s field troops below level 14 will take the initiative to join you after defeat.] the battle ended, and the system notification suddenly sounded afterward. richard felt that boundless energy surged from the depths of his blood before he could return to his senses. Chapter 834 energy wrapped and reinforced his every bone, muscle, and blood vessel. it was like he soaked in a hot bath at 10 degrees celsius. that was so comfortable that he almost moaned. the entire process lasted for a few minutes before it dissipated. his aura swept through the air like a storm when richard opened his eyes again. all the soldiers felt a terrifying pressure that pressed their chests hard down. they all turned to look at richard. horror filled their eyes. richard released a long breath. he felt the energy of magma that had surged into his body. it was like he could smash a city wall with a wave. level 16. he was one step closer to becoming a transcendent. he calmed down, opened his attribute panel, and glanced. the most direct changes were the power of sand and magic. power of sand, 6,000¡ú8,000 points (recovers 20 points per second). mana, 60,000¡ú80,000 (recovers 800 points per second). on the yellow sand, the recovery speed doubles. his ability to sustain battle had increased by a large margin. on the other hand, the skill did not change much. only now did he have the mood to check the system notifications. the glorious point he had just obtained reflected in his eyes. the transformation this time was highly significant. previously, one targeted the glorious point at the underground world, but now it was targeted at the entire dungeon race. the range instantly expanded by a hundred times. the dungeon race was one of the top factions in the ¡°shining era.¡± and there were quite a number of them. this characteristic would give him countless possibilities when he faced dungeon heroes and troops in the future. this additional characteristic was good. he jolted to his senses and looked around afterward. blood and corpses convexed the ground. next, it was time to harvest the rewards. ¡°loreinna, command the troop to remove all the great stones of the ancient ones from the nagas¡¯ heads.¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord.¡± loreinna immediately commanded the vampire troop to harvest the spoils of war. it was a solemn instinct for these dark lifeforms to control fresh blood. they could suitably handle the corpses everywhere. soon, they cleared all the broken limbs. the vampire troop dugged more than 1,000 great stones of the ancient ones out from the pile of corpses. they placed them before richard. the nagas that could condense the great stone of the ancient ones formed only an insignificant part of the naga troop. but even so, this amount of resources was still sufficient. one could use a single great stone of the ancient ones to offset 1,000 units of rare resources. these 1,000 stones would be worth millions of rare resources. richard was in a good mood. he quickly placed the crystals that glowed with red energy into the system space. ¡°as expected, the gold belt for murder and arson¡­war was the fastest way to get rich. ¡°millions of rare resources are equivalent to half a month¡¯s worth of weapons produced by the bloodhoof city and the dungeon races. ¡°and the rewards this time were not just that¡­ the corpses below were still a vast source of income. ¡°gather all the flesh and corpses.¡± the vampire troop moved again. they controlled the corpses and remnants to build a towering mountain of corpses behind the spatial rift. broken limbs mixed with warm blood flowed incessantly. that could terrify even a veteran from a distance. only the bottomless abyss could see that scene. richard ignored it. he gradually walked forward and placed the ancient god statue on the corpse mountain. in the next second, the ancient god statue seemed to come alive. boundless light surged from it. that enveloped the corpse mountain in a few breaths. the dim light-covered corpses decayed swiftly and weathered into splinters. that devoured thousands of naga corpses and limbs in less than three minutes. the mountain of bloody corpses before him turned to a dried and weathered ancient burial ground. the change in style was unusually abrupt. richard stared at the scene and could sense the thickened aura of the ancient god statue. renee stood beside him and emitted an aura that had also vastly increased. that had surprised him. the one who benefited the most from the ancient god statue¡¯s devouring of thousand of nagas¡¯ flesh and blood was this level 17 divine soul. the enormous amount of flesh energy allowed renee to advance sparingly. she could level up to 18 with another wave. transcendents were just around the corner according to this pattern. furthermore, renee¡¯s soul was stored within the statue of an ancient god, so no mission requirement required her to kill transcendents to advance. renee had leveled up from level 14 to 17. but she had not triggered any leveling missions. that was very cool. one could see the difficulty of continuous reinforcement in kratos¡¯s current situation. in addition to the ability to continuously revive, renee¡¯s troop would be superior to any heroes after she leveled up. the scene calmed down, and richard set the ancient god statue aside. at this time, the six-meter-tall kratos walked over. this creature that rose from the stone statues of the dead in the tower was generously heavy. its every step caused the ground to tremble slightly. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard nodded. he was keenly aware that kratos¡¯ expression was sparingly subtle and could not help but ask curiously. ¡°what happened?¡± kratos¡¯ tiny eyes, which were especially small compared to his vast head, showed some hesitation. ¡°my servant of darkness has undergone some strange changes.¡± ¡°oh?! ¡°strange changes like what?¡± that jolted richard¡¯s interest. he turned to look at the illusory behemoths. kratos¡¯ dark servants had all transformed from the heroic spirits of the tower race. they stood eight meters tall. that made ordinary humans look like dwarves before them. Chapter 835 faint crimson blood covered the dark servants. it was like one had dyed them with red ink. there was also an ancient dilapidated energy at the same time. it was the aura of an ancient god. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± kratos said in a low voice, ¡°lord, a continuous pour of blood rain contained boundless energy after the crimson moon rose. ¡°i couldn¡¯t avoid it in time and was contaminated by the power of the blood rain. ¡°however, i transferred that power to a dark servant to prevent unwanted events. ¡°nothing strange happened at first. but during the battle with the nagas, the dark servant devoured excessive flesh and blood. it also underwent some subtle changes. ¡°i couldn¡¯t tell whether that¡¯s good or bad.¡± ¡°this power is still weak at this time. it can¡¯t cause any greater changes¡­¡± richard nodded thoughtfully. it was no wonder that the god¡¯s ancient tree had received an upgrade, but he did not hear kratos¡¯ system notification. it turned out that kratos had transferred the power of the blood rain to the dark servant. a soul devil gave rise to this warrior. richard had nurtured this into a boss. it could devour the enemy¡¯s power to grow itself and even obtain the opponent¡¯s skills. this warrior obtained the abyssal spidermen¡¯s skills after it murdered several of them in the tomb of the god¡¯s dungeon. richard didn¡¯t expect this warrior to be so cautious. alluring energy gouged the blood rain that no one tried to absorb it. admiration brimmed richard¡¯s eyes. this seemingly dumb, brainless stout warrior was more intelligent than it appeared. ¡°you can continue to cultivate the clan. report to me immediately if anything happens. ¡°just destroy it if you can¡¯t control it. don¡¯t hesitate.¡± the dark servants were still energy bodies and recruits of kratos, although the system transformed them from the spirits of the tower race. they could exist forever as long as external factors wouldn¡¯t kill them. however, it was kratos¡¯s power. it would only take a thought to kill the other party. it wasn¡¯t afraid of any accidents. kratos would need to wait a day from a dark servant¡¯s slaughter before recruiting a new dark servant. the losses were insignificant. kratos nodded respectfully. ¡°yes, lord.¡± that was what the dumb-like warrior thought. otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have kept this dark servant around. kratos could have tried it if the transformation of the dark servant was excellent. the dark servants wouldn¡¯t cause any danger under the warrior¡¯s control if uncontrollable problems happened. but kratos¡¯ words reminded richard. the crimson moon¡¯s influence on the world was not limited and confined to the first blood rain alone. the life that had absorbed the blood rain still affected this world. at least, that was the case for twilight city. the best example of this would be to obtain the great stone of the ancient ones by hunting a lifeform that possessed the power of an ancient god. and now, kratos could even reinforce its dark servants. the new expansion pack would cause turmoil more exaggerated than initially estimated if this rule applied to everyone. moreover, richard constantly merged with the other planes of the ancient world. no one could stop the changes in the ¡°shining era.¡± the situation was not peaceful. richard calmed down and seemed to have thought of something. he stared at the vampire archduchess as she folded her wings and regained her elegance. an aura of nobility filled her entity. ¡°loreinna, had the naga plane still connected to other planes?¡± dark apostle was loreina¡¯s extraordinary characteristic. she only needed to consume a small amount of blood power to walk freely in the shadow plane. the sterling difference between a level 19 top-tier hero and a transcendent hero was characteristic. this ability allowed loreinna quickly find the naga king through space. the shadow plane protected the material plane. it connected to most of the spaces. it would have a projection as long as one is a plane. that was the rule in the ¡°shining era.¡± the shadow plane was a dangered-filled existence. countless shadow lifeforms shrouded the plane. it was a hell that was even more terrifying than the deepest part of the abyss. no one dared to go deep into it, not even the gods. loreinna, who could freely switch between the shadow plane and the material plane, undoubtedly had abilities beyond imagination. whether hunting, escaping, or searching for something hidden in space, it was all possible. the explanation had quite surprised richard. this extraordinary characteristic didn¡¯t have offensive properties, but it was a top-grade skill. loreinna looked at the sky and shook her head. ¡°lord, the naga plane is connected to the main plane, but the space is too thin. more than a dozen auras from other planes have appeared. ¡°according to the current situation, the fastest energy will establish a connection with it in half a month.¡± richard frowned. a sense of urgency rose in his heart. he did not expect possible competitors in the harvest of war spoils following the death of the naga king and the extinction of the greatest danger. that wasn¡¯t something to be delighted about. ¡°send someone to explore this plane and find all the remaining lifeforms in the dungeon.¡± ¡°speed up the work. solve the problem now before those planes merge with the naga plane.¡± Chapter 836 richard suddenly understood the changes as he spoke. the planar power became even weaker after the loss of innumerable nagas. its demise was already unstoppable. it would be difficult to save it even if the gods came. loreinna also sensed the changes in the naga plane at this moment, and her tone was sparingly happy. ¡°lord, the planar power had become much weaker¡­it could devour the holy land now. ¡°however, the planar power will retaliate once devouring happened. ¡°at that time, the remaining lifeforms in the various regions will take the initiative to attack.¡± a hint of certainty sounded in her tone. ¡°but with the degree of decline of this plane, the nagas must be at their strongest force¡­ we only need to guard this area, and we can protect this plane.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. that was undoubtedly the best news for him. he wouldn¡¯t want to fight against ten or more planes now. it would be best if the holy land could devour the power of this plane in advance. however, he failed to open the holy land. instead, he ordered the troop to rest for an hour. they were ready to activate them when everyone recovered and the cooldown time of their skills refreshed. he looked at the spatial rift behind him. it was the closest to the holy land and the easiest to open. that was because he buried the headless golden god corpse in the holy land. it has released energy that increased the planar power to a certain extent. richard could open a spatial gate. however, it could only last for about ten hours at most. the spatial gate would collapse if he didn¡¯t replenish his energy this time. richard conciliated, and the power of yellow sand surged around his body. he sensed that the holy land had anchored the land of quicksand. the troops were ready for battle afterward. they realized that richard¡¯s position was beginning to distort. overlapping waves of spatial energy surged out like ripples. everyone could hear the sound of glass shattering afterward. a remarkable spatial rift appeared. a series of human exclamations conveyed this. the vampires looked up curiously. they spotted the spatial rift and could see through a small area on the other side. several humans inside shockingly looked at the slightly opened spatial gate. ¡°didn¡¯t they just go to this place to put the box?¡± no one answered the vampire¡¯s question. richard ignored the inhabitants of the holy land and slowly closed his eyes. ¡®awaken planar power in advance. ¡®let it devour the power of the naga plane.¡¯ very soon, cheers filled his mind. the spatial gate opened even wider afterward. it began to absorb the power of space like a sucker. the naga planar power immediately felt angry, but it was too old and was about to die. the naga king lost its last blessing power and couldn¡¯t resist following his death. he could only let the holy land devour him. however, the instinct of the planar power still allowed him to summon the remaining life forms to expel these invading bloodsucker bugs. the dungeon creatures in the naga plane suddenly felt anger waves in their hearts, as if someone had stolen something generously vital to them. they suddenly turned their heads to look toward the spatial rift. they could not see anything, but they could feel that it was there! richard¡¯s eyes moved slightly after a long time, and he looked up into the distance. at the end of his line of sight, the land was in ruins, like an over-exploited mine. black dots the size of ants appeared. then, each ant-sized dot gradually expanded. several dungeon lifeforms rushed toward the spatial rift. just as loresnna had said, the planar power had come. the troops were ready. richard doesn¡¯t need to give orders. the first to charge in was a group of dungeon boars. their number exceeded a large group. their level was only 10, and their potential was all glorious 1-star. that was the sole thing unfortunate. in the past, it was a force that blocked this moment. worthless. the stone statues of the dead threw out a round of battle tomahawks and cleared out more than half of the dungeon¡¯s wild boars. all that was left was a bloody scene. the dungeon wild boars marked the beginning of this war! then richard saw how crazy the planar power could be. the enemies had already formed a black tide afterward. all life in the naga plane, yes, all life, even the level 1 dungeon rabbits, attacked the defense line of twilight city. richard gazed around and saw enemies everywhere. the scene would be even more exaggerated at the end of the battle¡­ a buff appeared on the bodies of the dungeon beasts that participated in the attack. [plane blessing: the plane on the verge of collapse is nearly on its death. the planar power has attached the last straws of power to all living beings to resist the invaders. they are the last hope. all attributes increase by 30% and are immune to mental control.] ¡®a battle between trapped beasts?¡¯ the thought crossed richard¡¯s mind. however, he simply ignored it. it was better to accelerate the destruction of the planar power. it would be the time for the holy land to take off when the planar energy starkly collapsed. richard distinctly had perceived his true strength even though he had obtained the final boost from the planar power. his troops wiped out the only naga clan that could resist. at this moment, the levels 17 and 18, levels 1 and 2 enemies wantonly attacked. it was difficult to shake the defense line of twilight city. the spatial rift behind him still devoured the space power. richard gradually could no longer sense the resistance of the planar power. the groans also disappeared without a trace. this plane turned starkly desolate. the naga plane¡¯s lifeforms suddenly felt an inexplicable fear and despondence. they seemed to have lost something vital. their physical reinforcement didn¡¯t bring them the slightest feeling of joy. they charged at the defense line of twilight city again with bloodshot eyes. ¡°kill them!¡± they didn¡¯t know why they had to attack these people so fiercely, but they knew this was enough! the twilight city troops comprised undead soldiers and vampires. both of them were the leaders of the evil camp, and there wasn¡¯t room for aversion and inhibition to killing. they even enjoyed it. especially for vampires, the feeling of devouring fresh blood was good. this battle lasted for an entire day and night¡­ it was not until the morning of january 2nd that the curtains finally fell. the victor beheaded the last beast on the battlefield. no single living, breathing creature remained on the battlefield. corpses and blood covered the ground. the entire world fell silent. the vampires did not breathe, and neither did the undead soldiers. richard did not speak. no one made a sound. the silence on the corpse was particularly heart-wrenching. an outsider would think they had entered the abyss of hell at the sight of it. richard didn¡¯t feel anything strange about the corpses on the ground. the mountains of corpses and seas of blood could no longer envigor his emotion. moreover, the creatures in the dungeon were all pure evil races. richard would not feel anything strange even if he killed ten times more of them. sterling satisfaction settled in his heart. these were all spoils of war. the strength of these soldiers still contained a considerable amount of ancient god power, although the strength of these soldiers varied. ¡°gather the corpses and calculate resources.¡± the vampires below immediately got busy. richard took the dwarf god statue out afterward. his spirit surged in. the image of dwarf god nestled in his mind. the tall and imposing dwarf that sat on the throne woke up again. ¡°i can sense that the planar power has dissipated¡­¡± richard nodded. ¡°your excellency fam, this is a dungeon plane. just now¡­¡± he briefly explained the cause and effect. the dwarf god looked at him with interest. ¡°order your soldiers to stop collecting those corpses¡­these corpses contained the planar power.¡± richard sensed the deviation and asked, ¡°what will happen?¡± the dwarf god laughed. ¡°i can infuse the planar power into the ground beneath my feet, turning this land into a special region. yes, it¡¯s what you humans are talking about¡­ a strategic treasure.¡± that quickly intrigued richard. that was the dwarf god. richard had specially brought him here. the tiny god definitely wouldn¡¯t be trash. to be able to catch the other party¡¯s eye, he did not need to think to know that he was extraordinary. Chapter 837 the feeling of being forced to sleep for millions of years wasn¡¯t something one would excitedly look forward to. richard was naturally happy to accept the benefits that came to his doorstep. ¡°your excellency fam, what should we do?¡± the dwarf god¡¯s deep eyes seemed to see through space. it momentarily stared ahead and said slowly, ¡°order all the troops to leave this land. i will melt the planar power into the land afterward and turn it into a special existence. we also call this revitalizing the land.¡± ¡°any intrusion shouldn¡¯t happen during this process.¡± ¡®revitalize the land?¡¯ this idea was heart-captivating. that quickly jolted richard¡¯s interest. richard unhesitantly ordered the troops to evacuate the blood and broken limb-convexed area. they temporarily halted moving the corpses. the troops departed, and richard proceeded to the central area and placed the majestic statue in his hand into the flesh according to the instructions of the dwarf god. he left afterward. curiosity impregnated loreinna¡¯s silver eyes as she watched richard leave. the silver-eyed archduchess stared at this bloody, gruesome land momentarily. she stretched out her hand to point at the location of the dwarf statue and said hesitantly, ¡°lord, i sensed a soul-tormenting aura from that statue¡­a god must be inside.¡± richard smiled. ¡°your perception is correct. there is indeed an ancient god inside.¡± loreinna had only been out of the vampire coffin for a short time. so she knew a few about twilight city of its past. she couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge wide-eyed when she heard this. she unconsciously exclaimed. ¡°you, you imprisoned a god?!¡± ¡®what level of life were gods? the lord had imprisoned a controller of the laws, a ruler with supreme power inside a statue!¡¯ that made loreinna feel enormously incredulous. ¡®could it be this lord hid some unfathomable power?¡¯ richard shook his head. ¡°no, this god primitively slept inside the statue. i, fortunately, obtained the statue by accident.¡± only then did loreinna feel a little more at ease. this explanation was much less of a shock than sealing a god. richard took another statue out and gestured to her before she could conciliate, and the succeeding claim made the vampire archduchess¡¯s eyes glaze over. ¡°it was the deception god. i imprisoned the god of deception inside this ancient god statue. ¡°that god is skilled in lies and deception. he¡¯s not easy to deal with. i haven¡¯t thought of how to deal with him yet. ¡°you will see him when the situation has stabilized.¡± ¡®another god, indeed!¡¯ loreina perked open-mouthed, and her heart pounded. her delicate face revealed a trifle of blankness. ¡®since when did gods become as common as bread sold on the streets? ¡®had i slept too long, and something i could not fathom happened to the world? ¡®i could not question the sleeping god in the other statue, but what about the god this lord had imprisoned?¡¯ questions brimmed loreinna¡¯s mind. she wanted to know more about twilight city¡¯s past on the lord¡¯s return. otherwise, it would be too embarrassing to know only a trifle of her lord¡¯s experiences as a member of twilight city. a subtle change occurred on the blood-inked ground just as the two talked. the dwarf god statue surged pale white energy that flowed out in all directions like waves. a layer of hazy gauze covered this bloody land that had lost millions of lives. the ground below was a hellish land of flesh and limbs that emitted hot air as far as the eyes could see. a white frog with a hint of holy power stood above it. the two opposite energies formed a strange image, extremely contradictory. one seemed to have tossed the countless broken limbs on the ground into the mud and gradually sank when the pale white energy enveloped the battlefield with a diameter of more than ten kilometers. ¡®gu! gu! gu!¡¯ bubbles emerged from the ground. and the blood gradually merged into the soil. the dry and hard land turned sticky. it turned into a filthy thing like mud. the pale white energy gradually became brighter, and a majestic energy tide hung in the surroundings. the speed at which the flesh and blood on the area merged into the ground became even faster under the pressure of the energy. the land gradually became a swamp of corpses, limbs, and flesh. fantasy engulfed the process. the pale white energy gradually thinned half an hour afterward. one could see from the sky the broken limbs and blood of millions of lives merged into the ground. the entire land of flesh, soil, and rocks suddenly became a strange swamp. one would immediately sink to the base of his thigh if one stepped on it. at this moment, twisted corpses floated in the flesh swamp. some of the corpses had their faces exposed, some had their backs exposed, and most of them had arms or dismembered limbs floated on the surface. bubbles incessantly popped, and the tiny popping sounds were inexplicably soul-wrecking. one could still feel the stench of burnt hair and rotten plants even from afar. however, the most striking part was the central area. a few thin threads pulled a crimson blood ball and gently floated above the flesh swamp. that made one¡¯s back feel cold with the surrounding gruesome atmosphere. this scene was ten times, or more, terrifying than the battlefield filled with corpses. previously, it was just like the hellish abyss, but now it had become the abyss of purgatory. Chapter 838 richard heard the exhausted voice of the dwarf god when he held the statue. ¡°it¡¯s been quite some time since i¡¯ve had the feeling of using my strength to change the world¡­ i wish i could walk freely on the earth.¡± the dwarf god sighed softly but quickly got down to business. ¡°lord richard, this piece of land has inherited a portion of this planar power and has become a unique treasure¡­in other words, this land had come alive. ¡°the rotten crimson blood ball in the center is a treasure. ¡°you will become its master and completely control this land if you use your blood and soul power to form a contract. ¡°you could even adamantly reinforce this land if you continued to feed blood and souls. ¡°inside are a myriad of extraordinary things. you can explore yourself. ¡°i¡¯m a little tired¡­wake me up when you bring my descendant here. i need to sleep.¡± the dwarf god finished speaking and fell silent without getting a reply from richard. richard still responded and set the statue away, whether the dwarf could hear him. the dwarf god had helped him numerous times, and richard would remember this. he would help if he could. perhaps this was also why the dwarf god had always invested in him. richard shook his head and retracted his thoughts. he looked at the rotten crimson blood ball in the center of the flesh swamp with anticipation. ¡°revitalize the land?¡± the land became life. it came to life. no matter how he listened, it sounded intensely captivating. he opened the attribute panel. detailed information appeared before him. [rotten swamp] [special] [level: 1 (upper limit: level 6)] [range: 10 kilometers in diameter (10 kilometers increase for every level)] [recruitable troop lair: none] [garrison hero: none] [special characteristic: 1. it can automatically produce a rare-level troop lair every week. [production limit: 20. every level up increases the upper limit by 10.] [note 1: the lairs placed from the outside world are not counted in the number automatically produced. the maximum number at one level is 10. the limit increases by 10 for each.] [note 2: for every level increase, the level of the automatically produced troop lair will increase by one level (next level: glorious), weekly production +1 (next level: maximum production, 3 per week) [note 3: it can consume flesh and soul to speed up the production of the lair.] [2. you will automatically recruit soldiers placed in the rotten swamp. the resources required for recruitment are blood and souls.] [3. you cannot place ordinary troops in the rotten swamp.] [4. the rotten swamp automatically recruits soldiers. you must not abandon the swamp for a long time. you must return within three days from departure. otherwise, your soul will dissipate, and you will die immediately.] [description: planar power integrated with this land. blood, souls, and the fusion of a god¡¯s divine power made its characteristic generously unique.] richard showed adamant interest after he read the information about the rotten swamp. another similar treasure appeared in his mind¨Cthe land of quicksand. the quicksand mainly used its traps, while the rotten swamp lacked the power to attack. that was the sterling deviation. ¡®its main damage point is? ¡®production lair. ¡®that¡¯s right. the rotten swamp could produce its lair!!¡¯ richard checked it a few times to ensure he made no mistakes. he had been in the ¡°shining era¡± for so long. but this was a treasure that could automatically produce a lair. that was his first time to witness such. the rotten swamp could automatically recruit soldiers. that was even more amazing. the recruitment did not require conventional resources but flesh and soul. that was relatively interesting. that lifted richard¡¯s spirits. he glanced at the attributes a few more times and began to calculate carefully in his heart. [the current level of the rotten swamp was one and could produce a rare-level troop lair every week.] [it could produce two glorious-level troop lairs weekly at the one or two levels upgrade in the rotten swamp.] [the weekly production number would reach the maximum level of three, and the number of lairs produced would reach crown-level.] [you could have three radiant moon-level troop lairs at level 4. you would have three glorious troop lairs at level 5 and transcendents at six!] [the level 1 rotten swamp had a limit of 20 lairs, which meant it would stop producing after 20. that was even more lucrative.] unless one had missed or destroyed resources. [after that, every level up would increase the upper limit by 10.] [one could automatically produce 70 lairs at level 6 of the rotten swamp.] [moreover, this output did not require the consumption of rare resources, and investment was unnecessary.] richard couldn¡¯t help but enjoy a surge of emotion. it was like he had made a massive profit this time. he wouldn¡¯t have to invest resources in the future and could incessantly harvest high-level troops as long as he could raise the level of the rotten swamp. he could even obtain a glorious-level soldier when he reached the maximum production level. that was f*cking defying heavens! the soldiers of the rotten swamp couldn¡¯t leave for a long time. they had to return within three days. that was the only flaw. perhaps the paramount regret and limitation. the system must have enormously restricted other players, but richard had the void sandworm, a void lifeform that could open a spatial gate. richard could open a spatial gate whenever suitable and necessary to transport the troops. ¡®was three days not enough to fight a war?¡¯ the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. Chapter 839 did the dwarf god secretly place a divine artifact inside just now? this harvest was too satisfying. richard laughed loudly. he controlled the sand to float up with a high spirit. he flew before the rotten crimson blood ball in the central area amidst the stench. nothing could trample into the flesh and blood below. mud and gravel mixed in the swamp, and he interestingly looked at the bottom that held a few thin lines, like a balloon. that floated in the air like a rotten crimson blood ball. he reached his right hand out, and the sand around him gathered into a sharp knife, which sliced a wound on his wrist. fresh blood immediately gushed out and dripped onto the ball of crimson blood. his spiritual power also spread down. a familiar voice sounded in his ears a few breaths afterward. [ding~ you have contracted the rotten swamp and obtained control of it.] the system notification sounded, and richard immediately felt a sense of familiarity towards the rotten flesh swamp below. the energy abundantly flowed around him at the same time. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. a buff appeared on it. [blessing of mana: as the owner of the rotten swamp, your mana recovery speed increased by 50% in the swamp.] he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. very good. a 1% increase would still be good. he retracted his gaze, and information suddenly surged into his mind. richard¡¯s eyes beamed. the rotten crimson blood ball sent a message. the energy accumulated now was enough to produce five troop lairs. the rotten swamp possessed the intelligence of a human at the age of eleven or twelve due to the integration of the planar power. communication made easy. he unhesitantly gave the order to produce the lair with anticipation. the corpses, broken limbs, and blood formed the putrid swamp and rippled afterward. countless scarlet corpses squirmed and gathered inside, and the scene became horridly evil and terrifying. this dark scene lasted for a few minutes before it gradually cleared. the flesh and limbs gathered into irregular, twisted cylindrical lairs and quietly stood in the swamp. they were about five meters tall and three meters wide. one could see a myriad of severed arms and body parts from afar stuffed into it. it was exceptionally horrible. the good faction would hang richard on the flag if the beings from here saw this. [ding~ the rotten swamp troop lair production has been completed.] [current production: 5] as the system notification rang out, the flesh and mud in the swamp gradually calmed down. richard immediately looked at the lairs. [limb lair] [level: rare] [recruitable troops: blood killer (rare 3-stars)] [weekly production: 10] [recruitment quantity: 20] [recruitment requirement: blood and soul energy.] [description: rotten swamp produces the troop lairs. it will automatically collapse after one abandons it.] there was no difference in the attributes of the lair, but its irretractability out of the rotten swamp indicated the uniqueness of this troop. richard glanced at the lair¡¯s attributes and found that the nest had begun to squirm. the waves in the rotten swamp that had just calmed down surged again, and tons of energy poured into it. ¡°recruit troops!¡± the rotten swamp did not need to be controlled by outsiders. it could recruit troops on its own. ¡®thud!¡¯ a blood-inked arm suddenly stretched out from the lair of twisted limbs, and blood splashed everywhere. the already chilling scene became even more shivering. the second blood-inked arm stretched out. the arms grabbed both sides and forcefully tore open the lair made of corpses. the creature bathed in blood. it suddenly bent down and pressed its hands into the flesh and mud. that exposed them to the air. the surrounding energy surged in the next second. it condensed into a trident made of white bones after a few breaths. ¡®crash!¡¯ the other party straightened its body and gripped its trident tightly. its gaze swept in all directions. the aura on its body was brutal. it was only now that richard could see the appearance of this unit. it was a creature that was more than four meters tall. its lower body was the same as the naga¡¯s snake body. blood-red scales covered its sturdy and bloody body. its upper body was a mighty human body with two slender arms. the muscles were like dragons that were about to explode. horrendous barbs covered its arms. each was more than 30 centimeters long and formed a natural armor. a pair of long and narrow eyes were bloodshot. brutality and cruelty engulfed its gaze. it was like it was about to devour someone in the next second. that was a pure dark lifeform. richard¡¯s eyes gleamed. this unit was handsome. this sense of power and ferocity was something that no man could refuse. that was a war machine filled with the beauty of violence! he opened the attribute panel. [blood slaughterer] [level: 8] [potential: rare 3-stars] [skills: slaughter stance (b-rank), bloodlust (b-rank), berserk (b-rank), brutal strike (b-rank), crippling strike (b-rank), extreme charge (c-rank c)] [race talent: battle with blood. it will temporarily increase all attributes by 1% for every enemy killed. the more enemies killed, the mightier the temporary increase in strength.] [fetters-rotten swamp: a fight in the rotten swamp increases all attributes by 50%, and the blood slaughterer will be able to cooperate. that will upgrade the battle skills to the highest level.] [description: a soldier born from blood and corpses. they desire to kill.] this troop was strong enough. its appearance was overbearing, and its attributes were also good. it was the first tier among the rare soldiers. however, this level was sparingly low. that was the only regret. the rare troops in the current situation couldn¡¯t be of great use. it was arduous for them to be cannon fodder. richard had to upgrade the rotten swamp to level two as soon as possible and upgrade the soldier to glorious before the troops could use this. richard was in a good mood as he watched the five troop lairs continuously recruit blood slaughterers. he was most satisfied with the rotten swamp that could level up. that gave recruits generous potential. the rotten swamp could even recruit glorious soldiers at level 6. that was tritium, and he had yet to see what it looked like. he only had one transcendent soldier. the evil spreader was still studying how to preach in the underground world. however, the rotten swamp would distinctly consume several resources to level up, although the reinforcement would not require rare resources. flesh and souls weren¡¯t necessarily simpler to obtain than rare resources. he didn¡¯t know the corpses he would need to level up to the maximum level. however, he still had a thought. he could not deny the smile on his face. the holy land still devoured the planar power. the gains from conquering the naga plane were more than a hundred times richer than he had expected! how convenient. however, loreina¡¯s expression at this moment changed sparingly. she gravely looked toward a direction. she said in a low voice, ¡°lord¡­the planar power will collapse too quickly, and an unfamiliar plane was about to connect to the naga plane.¡± that shortly startled richard. he looked at the rotten swamp with a playful expression. at this time, the enemy came to the door¡­ was this considered hitting the muzzle of a gun? ¡°how much longer?¡± ¡°at most an hour¡­lord, should we avoid it?¡± ¡°an hour?¡± richard felt good. he nodded and said, ¡°avoid? no. we don¡¯t have to¡­ perhaps that came at the right time.¡± ¡°right time?¡± that perked loreinna wide-eyed. richard¡¯s tone carried a hint of anticipation that she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°this land thirsts for blood¡­¡± Chapter 840 richard looked at the troop lair constructed from broken limbs and corpses again after he ordered the troop to be on guard and prepare for battle. the rotten swamp recruited all the five lairs. one hundred blood slaughterers with long snake tails on their lower bodies and thick arms on their upper bodies and held tridents appeared in the blood mud. this scene gave people the feeling of a demon crawling out of hell. the smile on richard¡¯s face was particularly striking. rare troops were no longer generously beneficial, although richard recruited them for free at this stage. the pleasure of free whoring was exceptionally insane. time flew by. half an hour later. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound echoed. a more than 20 meters spatial rift appeared in the rotten swamp if one looked sideways. the unfamiliar plane that loreinna had mentioned had arrived. the surrounding troops immediately became stern. they gripped their weapons tightly, ready to attack at any time. richard spread out his spiritual power and carefully sensed the spatial gap. it was a plane that emitted a foul smell, like the smell of a corpse that had rotted for a long time. he could smell it from far away. however, a small hill on the other side of the spatial rift blocked his vision. judging from the aura, the life inside would not be weaker than the naga plane. but richard¡¯s eyes flashed no matter who it was. they would all become nutrients for the rotten swamp. ¡°prepare to hunt¡­¡± the rotten swamp required a large amount of flesh and souls to advance. this particular region was destined not to develop unusually after its birth. the blood slaughterers would accompany them for the rest of their lives or until one massacred them someday. a strange roar suddenly came from the spatial rift not long after. it sounded like the sound of a beast that bit its prey. the enemy had arrived. the troop that had waited immediately perked up. they still stared at the eye-catching spatial rift, although they positioned outside the rotten swamp. the killing intent brewed. more than a dozen tall figures crossed the hill and appeared in richard¡¯s sight a few breaths afterward. it was a group of little giants five meters tall. they had two ugly heads, and their thick fur protected their skin like armor. their eyes were white, like they had no pupils, and their entire bodies emitted an unpleasant stench. they held a spiked bone mace made from the thigh bones of some giant monsters in their hands and looked particularly brutal. richard opened their attribute panel. [brain eater demons] [level: 15] [potential: crown 3-stars] richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. the first batch of soldiers that appeared could reach level 15. the unfamiliar planar power was not inferior to the naga plane. richard just didn¡¯t know if there were any transcendents. otherwise, that would be an opportunity for kratos to advance. richard pondered, and his heart felt a little strange. the previously high and mighty transcendent had become prey before him. his efforts paid off for the growth of twilight city. he collected his scattered thoughts and looked at the bloody slaughterers. these rare, level 8 troops were sparingly different from the level 15 brain eater demons. ¡°i wonder if the ten teams can deal with more than ten enemies.¡± the brain eater demons had already emerged from the spatial rift and rushed into the rotten swamp. these two-headed demented monsters roared at the unfamiliar environment. the spiked bone mace in their hands incessantly swung, and when they hit the ground, they immediately splashed large amounts of blood and debris. they looked ferocious and wild. the brain eater demons suddenly stopped after a roar. the figure of the bloody slaughterer appeared before them. ¡°prey!¡± the two-headed demented monsters revealed a greedy expression. ¡°it had been long since they enjoyed such a lively life. their brains must be delicious.¡± ¡®stomp! stomp!¡¯ the brain eater demons swallowed a mouthful of saliva. they could not resist the desire for food in their hearts. they stepped on the flesh and mud and rushed toward the bloody slaughterers. hundreds of blood slaughterers showed no fear in the face of these intruders and rushed forward at once. the mightiest brain eater demon rushed to the front. it looked at the incoming blood slaughterers and licked its lips. it swung its spiked bone mace down. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ an ear-piercing sound echoed through the air. a single hit could smash a boulder. the bloody slaughterer in front didn¡¯t retreat. instead, it gripped its trident and charged forward. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks exploded. the two sides collided, and the bloody slaughter panicked frantically. an immense force sliced its palm, and blood dripped from it. however, the brain eater demons¡¯ attacks were so open it was inevitable to give up the rear. the two blood slaughterers¡¯ snakes on the flanks berserkly moved forward. their tails wriggled in the blood mud, and their bodies moved at lightning speed. the two tridents quickly slashed across the brain eater demon¡¯s waist. ¡®thud!¡¯ it chopped an exaggerated cut as blood and internal organs splattered. the blood slaughterer exchanged damage for damage. it used the front to block the opponent¡¯s movement and achieved a remarkable result. ¡®roar!¡¯ the brain eater demon only felt a sharp pain from both sides of its abdomen. it drove directly crazy. it swung the spiked bone mace in its hand wildly. the violent sound of air tore the space apart. however, the bloody slaughterer was smart enough not to take it head-on. instead, it used its speed advantage to swim left and right. the brain eater demon had a strong body but was not agile enough under swift and violent speed. it immediately tasted the pain of being kited. Chapter 841 exaggerated scars appeared on its body. its comrades at the back wanted to come forward to support, but at this moment, the remaining bloody slaughterers also attacked. the brain eater demons¡¯ attention diverted with a few seductions, and the battlefield was cut open without them realizing it. the injured brain eater demon showed no signs of stopping. instead, it incessantly waved its weapon. the intense movements made its wound even more terrifying. however, such an outburst was not sustainable. its speed gradually slowed down not long after, and its aura weakened. it suddenly slipped and lost its balance just as it was about to attack again. it fell into the bloody blood with a thud. several blood slaughterers wandered around and immediately pounced forward. they stabbed with their tridents and ended the brain eater demon¡¯s life. an intense battle came to an abrupt end. the blood slaughterer¡¯s tacit cooperation completed the kill of the level 15 brain eater demons. the ten teams of bloody slaughterers formed and relied on their lightning-like speed to scatter or gather. they used their superb battle skills and tacit cooperation. they surrounded and killed each after they split them up. ¡®plop!¡¯ the last brain eater demon¡¯s corpse fell into the mud in less than five minutes. none of the ten teams of bloody slaughterers died. only seven or eight of them suffered moderate injuries. richard couldn¡¯t help but be delighted at this sight. the blood slaughterer was mightier than he had expected. this unit was only level 8. although the number was several times that of the other party, the level 15 brain eater demons were almost twice as high as them. even two squadrons couldn¡¯t take down these ten brain eater demons more than five meters tall if it were an ordinary level 8 rare soldier. moreover, the number of casualties was still unknown. the battle ended, and the scene changed again. the corpses of the brain eater demons fell, and they began to dissolve at an exaggerated speed and quickly sank into the bloody mud. only half of their bodies remained on the swamp¡¯s surface in just a few minutes. richard could sense. the rotten swamp would reinforce after they devoured these level 15 demons. that feeling could not be wrong, although it was only a slight trace. at this moment, he saw from the corner of his eye that the few injured blood slaughterers slowly lay down in the swamp. they allowed the surrounding bloody mud to cover them. ¡°what was this?¡± a trifle of doubt perched on richard¡¯s eyes. boundless energy surged over them after they wrapped their bodies in the rotten swamp. that¡¯s what richard sensed. at least he spread his mental power. the bloody mud healed the wounds on their bodies at a remarkable speed. the blood slaughterers stood up again after a dozen of breaths. the injuries they had suffered had already disappeared when they looked again. their aura had also returned to its peak. ¡®was there such a thing?¡¯ that shook richard¡¯s interest. the healing ability of the rotten swamp was exceptional. in the future, he would throw troops that have died into the rotten swamp. wouldn¡¯t he revive them on the spot? this function could exponentially increase the battle potential of the rotten swamp. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of cracking porcelain interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. richard subconsciously turned his head and saw that a giant hand seemed to have torn the 20-meter-wide spatial rift before him. ¡®swoosh!¡¯ it instantly spread for a hundred meters. a 100-meter-long, 30-meter-tall, irregular spatial rift appeared before him. the rift was parallel to the rotten swamp. that inevitably allowed the thick smell of blood to pass through the slit in the most direct way and spread to the unfamiliar plane. richard¡¯s gaze pierced through the spatial rift. he saw a hollowed-out mountain range afterward. holes of various sizes covered the mountain range. at this moment, several brain eater demons wriggled on the mountain peak. ¡°did the space rift lead to the brain eater demon¡¯s base camp?!¡± the hundred-meter-long spatial rift created a vast commotion, unlike the 20-meter-tall little soldier. the blood scent soared into the sky, and richard immediately sensed that these attracted the brain eater demons, which made the hideous creatures even more agitated. one could hear the excited howls even from a very outlying distance. they smelled the scent of prey. richard¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously. instead, his emotions soared. these could be all nutrients for the rotten swamp. ¡°prepare for battle!¡± a cold voice echoed through the sky. there were tens of thousands of brain eater demons, and only ten teams of blood slaughterers couldn¡¯t deal with them. they would not be able to defeat them even if they had a hundred times more numbers. twilight city troops had prepared for a long time. they immediately became restless. the blood slaughterers were the favorites of evil beings. hunting could also make them stronger, which increased the pleasure of fighting. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ a series of muffled sounds came from the brain eater demons afterward. the ground was like a galloping horse, and the gravel jumped. richard looked around, and two-headed brain eater demons held spiked bone mace and formed a tide that was even more terrifying than the naga troop. these tyrannical lifeforms that weighed more than five tons ran like cars. it was visually impactful. richard¡¯s eyes grew sharper. ¡°bring the enemy into the rotten swamp¡­ wait for my orders before you attack!¡± ¡°vampire breeds, prepare to cast spells. stone statues of the dead, prepare to throw your battle tomahawks. king mummies, prepare to unleash the forbidden sandstorm¡­¡± richard outcried a series of orders. and that envigorated the troops around the rotten swamp. the brain eater demon troop passed through the spatial rift like a tsunami under everyone¡¯s breathless gaze. Chapter 842 ¡®puchi!¡¯ these vast chunks of muscles splashed blood and mud with every step they trampled into the swamp. richard watched the scene and did not immediately give the order to attack. the brain eater demons passed through the spatial rift. that extended a thousand meters out. at this moment, some noticed the twilight city troop outside and called for their companions they planned to hunt together. some excitedly explored the surroundings and wanted to find their prey. richard looked at the brain eater demons¡¯ fate as they gathered in the rotten swamp. they moved toward the central area. they headed toward the crimson blood ball. richard narrowed his eyes. he waved his hand fiercely. ¡°slay!!¡± his cold voice sounded like the angry rebuke of the grim reaper. the troops had waited for a long time and finally attacked at this moment. the first to attack was the vampire breed spell casters. this rotten swamp made of flesh and blood was the home ground of the vampires. tons of blood flew up from the ground. that enveloped all the brain eater demons within its attack range. ¡®thud!¡¯ the cold water dripped into the oil pan. it created a loud shrill sound. bloody smell engulfed the brain eater demons. they felt like concentrated sulfuric acid splashed on them. and that one had soaked them in a corrosive solution. the thick fur on their bodies burnt, and their flesh turned pus and melted into the swamp. the excruciating pain made them almost unable to think. they could only rely on their instincts to let out deafening wails. the stone statues of the dead attacked afterward. tomahawks whistled out and vigorously tore the brain eater demons apart before them. the terrifying power made their bodies as fragile as tofu. the trump card of twilight city was not just the level 8 bloody slaughterers! the battle tomahawks slashed horizontally and flew into the center area. ¡®crack!¡¯ the metal storm swept through everything. thousands of stone statues of the dead and more than two thousand vampire spellcasters simultaneously attacked. they knocked the surrounding vast number of brain eater demons down and harvested them afterward. one-third of the brain eater demons that stepped into the rotten swamp immediately fell after two waves of attacks. richard had seen the strength of his troops countless times, but he still found it pleasing. at the same time, he could also feel it. each of the falls of a brain eater demon would reinforce the aura of the rotten swamp. this magical land would devour flesh and blood to become stronger. the corpses and souls of the brain eater demons became the best nourishment. ¡®roar!¡¯ however, the vast casualties did not make the remaining brain eater demons feel fear. the more it aroused their beastly ferocity. the eyes of the two-headed demented demons shone with a brutal light. they gripped their spiked bone mace and charged at the twilight city troops. but they realized the enemies were flying troops when they got close. compared to the naga¡¯s powerful long-range attacks, these monsters were not weak in close battle, but they couldn¡¯t in any way attack in the air. they could not even touch the soles of the twilight city troop from the ground. one could magnify the advantage of flying troops thousands of times when the enemy lacked air control. that meant a massacre. the rotten swamp, the ultimate beneficiary, would reinforce with every fall of the brain eater demons. every second was a harvest. richard felt the scent of the rotten swamp had concentrated. that envigorated his mood. he quickly sensed something odd. flesh and soul energy gathered in the crimson blood ball. the blood mud around the crimson blood ball squirmed and gradually gathered up. a new lair of broken limbs rose from the ground a moment afterward. the rotten swamp had obtained enough energy from this battle and began to produce a lair. they could use flesh and soul to speed up the production of troop lairs. this characteristic of the rotten swamp made fighting extremely profitable. the blood slaughterers increased from 100 to 200 when it gave rise to the new lairs, although it was nothing compared to the vast battle scene before him. but richard earned this without any cost. and for him, it was a pure benefit and profit. richard didn¡¯t let the blood slaughterers get too involved and continued to let them wander around the outer edge after recruitment. this battle wasn¡¯t something they could participate in. level 8 was still weak. the brain eater demons one nurtured in this unfamiliar plane was particularly exaggerated. they slayed one batch after another. the high-intensity killing continued for an hour or more, and richard still did not see any signs of a decrease in the number of brain eater demons. fortunately, with these monsters as nourishment, the number of lairs produced by the rotten swamp had reached the maximum of 20 in this hour. the number of bloody slaughterer units had reached four squadrons. it formed a visible force. the only pity was that the troop lairs in the rotten swamp also had to operate according to the rules of the world. one could only refresh the production rate once a week and couldn¡¯t use flesh and blood to make an exception. the value of the rotten swamp would be higher than a divine artifact if one could. the battle continued for half an hour or more, and the number of brain eater demons finally decreased¡­ richard suddenly sensed a remarkable fluctuation from the rotten swamp. it was like. richard was satisfied. things happened simultaneously. the putrid swamp produced fist-sized bubbles, and the mud formed by flesh and blood squirmed and flowed in all directions. the dry ground assimilated into a part of the swamp wherever it passed. the magic energy surged in the swamp, and a faint layer of blood-colored mist gradually floated up. a thin layer of gauze covered the rotten swamp as far as the eye could see. it was blurry and unclear. the mystery intensified. Chapter 843 [the number of automatically produced lairs has increased to two per week. the maximum number has increased by ten. twenty seats. the upper limit is 30.] [the level of the self-produced troop lairs is upgraded from rare to glorious. the produced troop lair and the recruited troops are upgraded to glorious-level after it has consumed flesh and soul energy.] [ding~ rotten swamp has obtained a new characteristic¨Cblood mist.¡±] [blood mist] [generates a layer of mist that can interfere with the vision and perception of outsiders. one will immediately receive two negative statuses upon infection: slow reaction and carelessness, and two positive statuses for the recruited soldier: agility and super perception when they are in the mist.] richard read the system notifications several times. that enlivened his mood. he had finally leveled up! the rotten swamp was no longer in its nascent state. he had expanded the range to 20 kilometers. but the maximum number of lairs had also increased to 30. the level of the soldiers had also increased to glorious. the strength of twilight city soared. richard took a few deep breaths to calm his joy. ¡°this is very satisfying. but it also shows that leveling up in the rotten swamp is overwhelmingly arduous. this time, i slayed tens of thousands or less of brain eater demons before leveling up once. the task is unimaginable.¡± richard subconsciously turned to look at the battlefield while soldiers still fought as he thought of this. levels 3, 4, 5, and 6. the amount of flesh and corpses required would increase exponentially with each subsequent level up. he looked at his attribute panel and gritted his teeth. he had to level up the rotten swamp to 3 no matter what. the rotten swamp could have the capital to establish itself with the crown-level soldiers. he couldn¡¯t send his troops to guard this place at all times. this piece of land should help twilight city, not to drain his energy. ¡°continue hunting!¡± loreinna, who had been killing the enemies with her long spear, suddenly turned back. she said with a solemn expression, ¡°lord, a new plane is about to open a spatial rift. ¡°should we withdraw from the battlefield? we might have to pay a hefty price if they ambushed us¡­¡± ¡°another plane?¡± richard frowned. this naga plane had almost appeared publicly, and anyone could come and interfere. he was about to respond. an idea suddenly flashed in his mind. the rotten swamp needed to devour flesh and souls to reinforce, but there was no limit. it had to be the lives killed by the bloody slaughterers or twilight city. ¡°in that case. why do we have to back down?¡± borrowing a knife could kill. these unfamiliar planes do not have a friendly relationship with each other. their covetousness billed them with the desire to invade each other. two unfamiliar planes suddenly connected. the possibility of harmonious contact was almost zero. this place had the naked law of the forest. he would do the same if it were him. the first thing he would do was to send troops to conquer, occupy, and plunder if he discovered an unfamiliar dimension. one cannot resolve unity or achieve the most generous profitability by sending troops alone. his troops could have crushed the enemies of the kingdom of ell if twilight city had enough power. let alone those living in different planes, factions, races, and beliefs, even if he were like that. his thoughts couldn¡¯t help but come alive. he glanced at the spatial rift of the brain eater demon plane. ¡°how many other planes are connected to the naga plane?¡± loreinna didn¡¯t speak. silver energy surged from her body, and her figure became sparingly blurry. the energy condensed into a physical form again afterward. her gaze was solemn. ¡°lord, there are three more¡­according to the aura emitted by these planes, they were all middle-level planes and could nurture transcendents.¡± ¡°transcendents?¡± none of these has discouraged richard a bit. instead, eagerness lit his eyes up. he turned to look at the dark soul eater, kratos. this level 19 boss still needed to slay a transcendent to level up. ¡°is it possible for an existence above transcendent to appear?¡± ¡°a plane of this level couldn¡¯t give birth to a transcendent.¡± loreinna reassured richard. ¡°one could only nurture transcendents in vast dimensions¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°can you open these planes in advance?¡± ¡°yes, the spatial barrier of these planes is already weak. it¡¯s like standing under a dangerous wall and gently pushing. it wouldn¡¯t take much effort.¡± ¡°then open all these planes¡­¡± that confounded loreinna. ¡°open them all? lord, our troop couldn¡¯t simultaneously deal with enemies from multiple planes¡­¡± the vampire breed wasn¡¯t strong enough to face several dimensions, although they and the twilight city troops were strong. ¡°why not? who are they?¡± richard glanced at the rotten swamp, which the faint red mist now mostly blocked it. ¡°we just need to make the rotten swamp our main battlefield. ¡°at the same time, we just need to protect the rift in the holy land and let it freely devour the power of space.¡± richard looked at loreinna and explained the attributes of the rotten swamp briefly. ¡°why can¡¯t this land become the main battlefield for those planes to attack each other? ¡°no one can refuse the benefits of invading another plane. ¡°we don¡¯t need to participate in such a chaotic battle with massive losses. we just need to let them die here.¡± loreinna finally understood richard¡¯s intentions, and her eyes beamed sparingly. ¡°lord, what if those planes didn¡¯t go our way?¡± richard laughed. ¡°these planes still have to send troops, even if some are unwilling to attack other planes. the enemy would otherwise attack them. ¡°this world can¡¯t be peaceful just because you want to.¡± he could also see clearly that this plan was sparingly like roasting chestnuts from the open fire. however, twilight city troops wouldn¡¯t necessarily fight in the battle to reap benefits. richard just had to implement his plan. moreover, with loreinna, who could instantly kill the naga king, and the ability to summon a fire elemental lord at any time, even if the enemy had a transcendent, richard would have enough trump cards to deal with them. the next level of battle power was still kratos, the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the divine soul renee. richard wouldn¡¯t need to initiate on the battlefield nor participate in the killing. he only needed to protect the holy land and let it safely devour the power of space. next, he only needed to watch these forces quietly fight each other. he just needed to wait for the rotten swamp to level up for each corpse. Chapter 844 the world underwent drastic changes, and he had wasted enough time in the naga plane. he still had a lot of things to deal with. he could not know what happened to the gods in the land of the broken laws. emily¡¯s soul fragment was still in that area. he had delayed resolving this matter long enough. the kingdom of ell plane¡¯s strategy was about to start. that was a sterling project that demanded massive energy. he did not know what was in the other dimension that could purify the vampire breed after a fuse with the vampire castle. he wondered whether the particular vampire staff would ever appear. that was a treasure rebecca vehemently wanted to have. he also discovered long ago a dungeon that imprisoned transcendents. defeating the dungeon guards would allow one to obtain the transcendent imprisoned inside¨Cthe lord of darkness. richard had to resolve all the big and small matters. loreina hesitantly said after she understood richard¡¯s thoughts. ¡°lord, your idea is highly feasible, but the biggest problem is¡­ how can we keep other lifeforms from discovering that the rotten swamp is a way to revive the land? ¡°i cannot guarantee that i can completely cover up the characteristics of the rotten swamp if a transcendent were to make a move, which is a living being. ¡°i¡¯m not good at this kind of method.¡± to activate the earth was a life-like existence similar to elemental life, strictly speaking. it would have its life aura as long as it was a living being. this bit of rotten swamp was unavoidable. richard¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°do you remember the god of deception i told you about?¡± loreinna frowned and said softly, ¡°are you planning to¡­use that god, hmm. the power of his excellency? his power?¡± the reputation of the deception god in the ¡°shining era¡± was so hostile that loreinna didn¡¯t even want to address him as his excellency. ¡°but, will lord tai long listen to our orders? lies and deception were synonymous with him. he could break his promise even if he agreed.¡± if it were another god, even a chaotic and evil demon, in loreina¡¯s eyes, their credibility would be more reliable than that god with a wrongful reputation. richard¡¯s mouth twitched. richard knew natives couldn¡¯t trust the god of deception, but he still felt ashamed of the deception god when he heard loreinna¡¯s words. as a god, to be able to get to this point was also top-notch. but then again, no one was more suitable than him to hide from the lives of other planes and make the rotten swamp the main battlefield for the outsiders not to discover it. professional. ¡°i know what to do with the god of deception.¡± richard comforted loreinna and took the ancient god statue out. he had not awakened the deception god from the statue due to various considerations. it was time for this old, lie-filled god to come out and work! the god of deception promised to work for him for three years. that was the condition for bringing him out of the tomb of the gods and saving him. he wanted to see if this notorious god would keep his promise. he would gladly let this sterling liar experience the price of lying if tai long had to break his promise. he glanced at the battlefield in a fierce battle and confirmed that there wouldn¡¯t be any changes in the short term. he handed the command to loreinna, turned around, and passed through the spatial rift to return to the holy land. he entered the holy land, and a familiar feeling surfaced in his heart. boundless power once again reinforced his body. he was the only ruler in this plane. but his desire to tear the earth apart was only a thought. richard subsided and sensed carefully. the holy land devoured most of the naga plane¡¯s spatial power. that reinforced the divine soil. the initially barren planar power that could barely open the spatial gate for ten hours has accumulated abundantly. he could open it and maintain it for a month or so. the uttermost change was that the space with a diameter of 1,000 meters had expanded to 1,300 meters. one could not compare the changes in just a few hours to the ones in the past few months. next, as long as he devoured the remaining power of the naga plane, the holy land could welcome another wave of reinforcement. richard could use this opportunity to upgrade from a miniature plane to a small one. he could implement some of the ideas he had thought about for a long time after becoming a small plane. for example, divide a separate area to grow agricultural products. that could refer to the raw materials of the black sorbet ice cream and other food products. the outside world had purchased the food he had produced at this stage due to the abundance of resources in twilight city. moreover, he had halted agriculture. it wasn¡¯t safe to farm in the desert. however, food couldn¡¯t always depend on the outside world. richard could typically buy, but he must be able to produce it at critical moments. the outside world could never stick their hands in his neck. the holy land was the safest rear. no one couldn¡¯t cause any damage to it as long as one wouldn¡¯t attack the spatial gate. richard could close the spatial gate and starkly sever contact with the outside world. he could plant and process the frost grass here, the raw materials of the black sorbet ice cream should he continue to expand. richard could control the land to flatten it. he could make it the most suitable area for farming if the fortress city could produce an automatic sowing and harvesting machine. at that time, the holy land could produce an endless stream of wealth, and there would be no need to worry about external factors such as wars and natural disasters. Chapter 845 he retracted his thoughts. richard went straight to the central plane. he landed on the ground. he lowered his head to look at the ancient god statue and slowly closed his eyes. at the same time, his spiritual power spread out and penetrated the statue. the space inside the ancient god statue had become broad following a few reinforcements. richard sealed the soul of the god of deception in this area. the translucent soul lay quietly in the hazy space. he had sealed all its aura. richard unhesitantly unlocked the chains formed by the power of the great stone of the ancient ones. tai long gradually woke up in his daze. he felt the power that had bound him for a long time slowly dissipated. his consciousness gradually returned. then, he felt dizzy, as if one had drastically jolted him somewhere. the dizziness subsided, and he slowly opened his eyes. a heroic figure wore a black and red crown on his head, and a cape with dark patterns appeared before his sight. his eyes were as deep as the starry sky, and his temperament was extraordinary. the figure held a twisted statue and looked at him appeasingly. the spiritual power awakened all his memories at this moment. the deception god let out a long sigh. his voice was hoarse and weak. ¡°lord richard¡­how long have i been asleep? as he spoke, he lowered his head and looked at his illusory soul body. it floated in the air. it was as if it could disappear at any time. one couldn¡¯t see his heart. ¡°less than two weeks.¡± ¡°less than two weeks?¡± the god of deception raised his head and seemed to have sensed something. he quickly turned and looked around. then, his tone sounded sparingly surprised. ¡°then why had the rules of the world changed immensely?¡± his expression changed slightly. ¡°ancient god¡­ had he returned? where¡¯s lolita?¡± richard no longer kept reservations. ¡°we returned to the main plane following the massive price we paid to escape from the tomb of the gods. that isolated spider goddess lolita from the main plane.¡± ¡°and three days ago¡­ on december 28th, the crimson moon rose into the sky. it had announced the return of the ancient gods.¡± ¡°blood rain that lasted for two hours poured afterward. because of that, everything changed drastically.¡± the god of deception¡¯s gaze flickered when he heard this. there was a long silence. in the end, he sighed faintly. ¡°perhaps this is the outcome¡­the world ultimately belongs to the ancient gods.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°looks like his excellency tai long knows some secret that no one else knows¡­ i don¡¯t know. can you share some with me?¡± the god of deception said in a subtle tone, ¡°secret? it was just information that all gods knew. the gods saw the future following the second battle of the gods ended and before the goddess of dawn fell. ¡°the ancient gods will return¡­and the gods would pay the price for what they had done in the past. ¡°since then, the gods have tried their best to erase the traces of the ancient gods and delay the return of the ancient gods as long as possible.¡± the corners of tai long¡¯s mouth curled into a mocking smile as he spoke. ¡°however, no matter how many actions we take, we can¡¯t stop the world from its turns. after a long time, the prophecy came true. ¡°l want to see the faces of those gods when they discover the return of the ancient gods¡­¡± the god of deception had such a bad reputation that even mortals despised him. how could the gods be nice to him? naturally, he couldn¡¯t have a close relationship with the gods. interest perched on richard. ¡°did the gods prepare other methods to deal with the ancient gods?¡± ¡°of course, they did. however, that is something that the various divine system rulers had discussed and plotted. that i do not know about.¡± the god of deception was a bachelor. ¡°it¡¯s just some despicable methods.¡± richard stared at the indignant look on tai long¡¯s face. he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. it seemed that some gods could have bullied this god a bit in the past. he no longer dwelled on this and changed the topic. ¡°does your excellency have any predictions for the future?¡± ¡°lord richard, no matter how the situation changes, only the power in your hands is eternal¡­¡± the god of deception¡¯s gaze gradually appeared deeper, his aura became solemn, and gave people an inexplicable sense of oppression. his voice sounded low. ¡°i hope you can help me recover my strength¡­if possible. and before i recover, protect me temporarily. ¡°our previous actions incurred lolita¡¯s revenge¡­ right now, i don¡¯t have the strength to avoid her gaze alone. ¡°as a reward, i will work for you before i regain my strength.¡± his tone sounded increasingly solemn. ¡°lord richard, you saved my life by bringing me out of that plane¡­ moreover, your words woke me up. you can even say that you pointed out the direction for me to move forward. ¡°in a sense, you gave me a new life.¡± tai long paused after he spoke. then, he placed his right hand on his chest and bowed like a subordinate. ¡°i swear on my soul that no matter what happens in the future, i will not harm lord richard, nor will i destroy or subvert your territory.¡± the swift turn of events bemused richard. his brows almost intersected. ¡®was this god serious?¡¯ at this moment, a familiar voice echoed in his ear. [ding~ the god of deception has signed a one-sided contract with you with his soul under the witness of the contract rules. the power of rules will destroy the deity¡¯s soul, and one could never resurrect had he breeched the contract.] Chapter 846 he didn¡¯t expect this god used to dishonesty and deception would spend so much resources. this boldness was admirable. a one-sided contract, tai long himself could not violate it, but he did not need fear. that was the most unfair contract in the ¡°shining era.¡± moreover, not just anyone could make an oath. one needed to have enough strength to communicate the rules of the contract. however, his thoughts were crystal, and oaths could not move him. but this was the other party¡¯s alliance. the power of the ancient god statue remained in his soul. the life and death of the god of deception was now in the grace mainland overlord¡¯s hands. the contract seemed to be an enormous constraint on the god of deception. and it gave richard enough security to trust him. but if richard approved, then the god of deception would be reborn, and in this process, he would do his best to help the god. richard placed a rope too fatal for himself, but he could trade it for freedom and rebirth. this simple action of this god had a sterling, significant meaning. a quick silence followed, and richard said slowly, ¡°your excellency tai long, i have to say, you have made me look at you in a new light¡­¡± the god who had once relied on lies and deception to survive had undergone a remarkable transformation. the god of deception had already shown such signs in the tomb of the gods. now, it seemed that the god of deception had changed even more than he had imagined. the god of deception laughed in relief. ¡°lord richard, you don¡¯t have to worry. i wouldn¡¯t pose and place threats before you. i wouldn¡¯t change whether now or after i recovered my strength.¡± ¡°your words pointed out the way forward for me.¡± ¡°this world is changing. my power shouldn¡¯t remain so weak forever¡­¡± ¡°i need to recover as soon as possible. change is constant. a good opportunity might not come again in the future if i don¡¯t seize this opportunity.¡± the calmness in tai long¡¯s voice made richard look at him deeply again. ¡°your excellency tai long, how can i help you recover your strength?¡± richard added. ¡°your heart already belongs to someone else. i can¡¯t take it for you now.¡± the god of deception laughed. ¡°that was your spoils of war. how you dealt was your right.¡± tai long looked at the spatial rift connected to the naga plane. the battle in the rotten swamp at this time continued. ¡°a god must cumulate believers to recover strength as soon as possible. that is the swiftest way. ¡°i am no exception.¡± richard¡¯s brows almost intersected. he immediately recalled the evil spreader. this subordinate still experimented with preaching in the underground world. ¡°apologies, your excellency tai long, the sect¡¯s power cannot influence my territory.¡± this land couldn¡¯t have a second owner. the god of deception spoke slowly. ¡°lord, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± tai long indicated the rotten swamp while soldiers still fought. ¡°pressure had already shattered the space of that plane. other planes are connecting to it. you only need to give me a portion of the life force of one of the planes.¡± richard thought for a moment and nodded. that wouldn¡¯t affect him much. since they had decided to become partners and the god of deception had shown his sincerity, he would not be stingy. ¡°sure.¡± he gestured to the rotten swamp and briefly explained the function of this land. ¡°i need your excellency to help me cover up the rotten crimson blood ball so that outsiders won¡¯t be able to find out that the rotten swamp is the revitalized land¡­¡± ¡°at the same time, the holy land needs the power to devour space¡­¡± the god of deception knew richard¡¯s initial intention of waking him up and nodded immediately. ¡°no problem, just leave it to me.¡± richard smiled. he liked obedient partners. it was a pity one couldn¡¯t simply defeat the god of deception. otherwise, it would be much simpler with some dirty and tiring work if he took this god in. he glanced at tai long¡¯s illusory body and softly said, ¡°do you need me to find a temporary body for your excellency?¡± ¡°temporarily no use for the tag. i want to forge the divine body of this life with my own hands. ¡°my future path is no longer the same. my previous body can¡¯t accommodate a new soul.¡± the god of deception¡¯s tone was firm, and he had long thought about it. richard nodded and said no more. at this point, the relationship between indicated working partners. now, richard needed to help the god of deception recover his power. also, protect him from threats, particularly from lolita, the spider goddess. what richard could gain was. the god of deception worked for him. for him, this level of partnership was enough at this stage. it was unrealistic to subdue the god of deception. the current twilight city hadn¡¯t reached the height where it could defeat gods. the mightiest battle power he had was only at the transcendent level. the gap was immeasurable compared to a god. the god of deception could be wrought-up at this time, and the partnership might not have happened if richard hadn¡¯t suppressed tai long with the help of the ancient statue and offended the spider goddess lolita in the tomb of the gods. the methods of gods were strange and unpredictable. no matter how down and out they were, they were not something ordinary people could reach. but for richard, it was enough that the god of deception could be helpful to him now. what about the future? no one could predict it. richard unhesitantly brought the god of deception through the spatial rift and arrived at the rotten swamp. loreinna immediately felt the pressure only gods could convey when she saw the god of deception. Chapter 847 that was the instinct of life. loreinna looked deeply at this notorious god and did not say anything. she was still hesitant toward the credibility of the god of deception, but she respected her lord¡¯s decision. she would unconditionally obey richard. tai long went much calmer towards loreinna. he only glanced at her once before he looked away. to him, an existence at the transcendent level. it was inconspicuous. the god of deception looked at the battlefield where the battle went on, and his gaze lingered on the corpses that gradually melted into the rotten swamp for a long time. in the end, he exclaimed. ¡°revitalized land! the planar power had fused with this piece of land. what a brilliant method.¡± ¡°not many people can do it. not even a god can! lord richard, you¡¯ve found a treasure!¡± it was quite a breathtaking complement. richard asked curiously, ¡°even his excellency tai long can¡¯t do it?¡± the god of deception shook his head. ¡°the fusion of the planar power with the earth would require a generous, in-depth understanding of the edicts of life¡­ i can¡¯t.¡± tai long added. ¡°although the gods have more or less come into contact with the edicts of life, it is too rare for them to reach this level.¡± ¡°the edicts of life?¡± richard was curious. ¡°isn¡¯t this the power of the god of creation?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. but the disappearance of the creation god had opened the rule to all gods, and all gods could come into contact with it¡­¡± his tone was slightly regretful. ¡°but there aren¡¯t many gods proficient in this because they are too scattered.¡± richard understood. however, when richard thought about the origin of the dwarf god, he was not surprised. that short and imposing existence had stepped into the river of fate before. they didn¡¯t talk much about this topic and continued to talk about serious matters. ¡°your excellency tai long, please, help me conceal the aura of the rotten swamp¡­¡± richard also had a powerful skill like concealment power, but it could only work on himself or the troops around him. he could not conceal the rotten swamp and the spatial rift behind him. he couldn¡¯t stay here forever, even if he could. the god of deception nodded and looked at the central area. richard hid the rotten crimson blood ball underground. that seemed to be nothing to tai long. ¡°next, don¡¯t let anyone disturb me¡­¡± tai long finished speaking. he slowly closed his eyes. light energy surged around him in all directions in the next second. undetectable subtle changes immediately appeared in space wherever it passed. the faint blood mist distorted after he spread to the top of the rotten swamp. the closer it was to the center, the more the changes intensified. then, to richard¡¯s surprise, the troops that fought in the rotten swamp unconsciously avoided the central area. it was as if an invisible wall had blocked their way. then, the blood mist surged and blurred the spatial rift that opened the holy land and the spatial slit in the underground world. the whole process was surprisingly short. deception god opened his eyes again in less than ten minutes. ¡°i¡¯ve already concealed this area¡­ one wouldn¡¯t detect that the rotten swamp was a revitalized land except for the demigod creatures.¡± ¡°i have also concealed the gate of the holy land.¡± richard looked at the two areas and frowned. ¡°your excellency tai long, why can i still clearly sense their existence?¡± the god of deception laughed. ¡°because you¡¯re their lord¡­ i would need to consume more than a hundred times more divine power than i do now if you wanted me to conceal them from you. now, i can¡¯t do that for the time being.¡± tai long further explained. ¡°i used the deception divine power to fuse the core of this land with the swamp. the life aura is already difficult to distinguish. ¡°moreover, divine power will cause outsiders subconsciously ignore and avoid that area when they approach it¡­this evasion was subconscious, and even transcendents couldn¡¯t resist it. ¡°only those above transcendents can spot some clues. ¡°no one could deliberately attack the swamp after one concealed the signs of life of the living earth. ¡°i used the same method to create the spatial rift in the holy land¡­ i allowed the spatial rift to fuse into the swamp and use the violent aura to cover the loss of spatial power.¡± at this point, the god of deception revealed some pride. ¡°not many gods can compare to me in concealing this domain, although i¡¯ve lost most of my power.¡± richard thought of the man¡¯s reputation and nodded in agreement. it was impossible to muddle along to the point where even its believers wouldn¡¯t trust if not for his demonstration of generous ability. that was a deeper level of desire in awe. the god of deception still existed despite being so weak and having such a terrible reputation. he wasn¡¯t simple. richard looked at the silver-haired, silver-eyed vampire archduchess beside him. ¡°loreinna, go and check if you can still sense the aura of the rotten swamp¡­¡± loreinna nodded silently and immediately flapped her broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings to fly into the swamp. the blood mist on the swamp greatly affected vision and perception. however, the rotten swamp did not restrict richard as the lord of the land. he could even sense any area in the swamp if he wanted to. loreinna flew into the swamp and moved towards the central area. she was stuck in an arc several times before she got close to the central part. that caught richard¡¯s attention. she had never been able to get within a hundred meters of the rotten crimson blood ball. Chapter 848 ¡°lord richard, i couldn¡¯t sense that life force after i entered the swamp.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve walked around the central area a few times. but i still haven¡¯t found the core¡­¡± richard was stunned for a moment, his expression strange. ¡°are you sure you went to the central area?¡± loreina nodded affirmatively. ¡°of course. i¡¯ve patrolled back and forth a few times, but i didn¡¯t find anything strange¡­¡± richard turned to look at tai long. he gave him a thumbs up. his ability was highly remarkable. his deception skill could still ensnare a transcendent capable of witnessing everything. the god of deception smiled. ¡°distorting perception is a typical operation in the field of deception¡­¡± only now did loreinna realize that she had wrongfully perceived. she can¡¯t help but glance at tai long. ¡®is this the power of the gods? ¡®he could still prevent me from prying on the truth despite his extreme weakness.¡¯ loreinna sensed the dangerous aura from the ultimate truth breaker. her stern five fingers quietly clenched the long spear. her silver eyes flashed with an unwilling light. ¡®one day, i will also reach that level. i swear! they resolved this primary concern. richard immediately perked up. the plan of killing with a borrowed knife and watching the tigers fight from the sidelines could begin. richard unhesitantly gave the order. ¡°loreinna, open the few planes about to be connected to the naga plane and let them collide in the rotten swamp.¡± as he said that, he seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at the brain eater demons plane behind the battlefield. ¡°could those rifts be in other parts of the naga plane?¡± loreinna shook her head. ¡°this space is the weakest part of the naga plane. those planes are connected here¡­¡± she added. ¡°even if there are other directions, as long as we can ensure that most are in the rotten swamp, those planes will move the battlefield here.¡± richard nodded excitement in his eyes. ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡± he said that, and the order resounded through the sky. ¡°all the twilight city troops, retreat immediately!¡± the twilight city troops on the battlefield did not hesitate when they heard the order. they quickly withdrew from the battle and flew out of the rotten swamp. the blood mist rigidly compressed the brain eater demon¡¯s vision and perception afterward. they immediately lost their target after the twilight city troops flew away. these two-headed demented demons could only roar at the void. they incessantly and furiously swung their spiked bone mace to smash the ground. that caused tons of blood and mud to splash out. no one paid attention to these monsters that had lost their strategic value. loreinna¡¯s body emitted a dazzling moonlight after the troops retreated. her long silver hair fluttered behind her head. that made her appear exceptionally valiant. her body gradually became illusory when the light condensed to the extreme. then, she disappeared. dark apostle. she stepped into the shadows. the scene suddenly sank into silence and left only the roars from the faint blood mist. after a few minutes of silence, richard sensed something and subconsciously turned his head to the east of the rotten swamp. a few breaths later, spatial ripples appeared in the area. it was as if a vast rock fell into the water. the magnitude of the impact was so great that it seemed like some life was about to rush out. the ripples reached their limit. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of porcelain shattering rang out. the entire space exploded, and space fragments flew in all directions like snowflakes. the dust settled a moment later. a hundred-meter-wide spatial rift appeared before richard. he looked over curiously and saw a patch of green grass. ¡®what plane was this?¡¯ that puzzled him. ¡®wuuuuu!¡¯ a horn reverberated from the rift between the planes. countless wolf roars of different lengths accompanied this. a moment later. ¡®boom! boom!¡¯ the ground shook as ten thousand wolves galloped. a group of wolf riders that rode on three-meter-tall wolves appeared behind the spatial rift in a dozen breaths. ¡°wolf riders? this plane belongs to beastmen?¡± richard¡¯s brows almost intersected. the last thing he wanted to see was the fortress race. one couldn¡¯t squeeze anything out of those races that controlled the mechanical puppets. beastmen were tame. richard couldn¡¯t use them as nutrients. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ spatial rifts exploded in other directions when the wolf riders appeared. one, two, three. including the beastmen plane, there were four new spatial rifts. including the brain eater demon plane. five. the rotten swamp received casualties from all five spatial rifts. it was only after a reinforcement that the diameter of the swamp expanded to 20 kilometers. otherwise, it couldn¡¯t accommodate the battles among these planes. however, no life had appeared in the new spatial rift at this hour. richard could not know the situation inside. he couldn¡¯t help but ponder. he controlled the blood mist with his mind power. he pushed away the direct line of sight between the beastmen plane and the brain eater demon plane. they must not see each other. the wolf riders would immediately become restless at the sight of a stranger enemy. ¡°was this a new plane?¡± the wolf rider hero was surprised and delighted. exploring, conquering, and enslaving an unfamiliar plane was too tempting. the monsters before them were no match for the beastmen troop. one raised its battle axe. ¡°conquer this plane!¡± ¡®awooo!¡¯ the alpha wolf sensed its master¡¯s emotions and raised its head to release a long howl. the wolf riders behind responded one after another. Chapter 849 the battle axe slammed into the wolf¡¯s butt. the giant wolf was in pain. it shot through the spatial rift like an arrow. ¡®stomp!¡¯ the wolf stomped on the rotten swamp. blood splashed everywhere as the rider charged toward the brain eater demons. the wolf riders at the back also pulled their reins and left. the brain eater demons, who had just lost their target, were in a state of rage. they saw the wolf riders step on the bloody mud. the brain eater demons, who had unleashed their bestial nature, did not have scruples. they held the spiked bone mace and directly dashed with the attack. the wolf riders charged into the formation with a thunderous momentum under the leadership of the wolf rider hero. ¡®puchi!¡¯ ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡°ah!!¡± the two sides collided fiercely in the middle of the charge. the collision instantly flipped over the soldiers. blood and flesh flew everywhere. the five-meter-tall brain eater demons were helpless against the flying soldiers. and they lacked the means to deal with agile soldiers like the blood slaughterers. however, they exploded with their most soul-strapping moves when they collided with the wolf riders. they could withstand the charge of the wolf riders. they flipped over each of the giant wolves. the scene instantly became tragic. richard stayed out of the fight and relaxed as he watched the battle before him. it was like he was watching a sci-fi movie in a movie theater. at this moment, another group appeared in the remaining open spatial rifts. taurens carried heavy shields and long-handled axes. hideous-headed and scale-covered bodies of lizardmen dripped mucus. they were super ugly half-murloc monsters with voracious, drooling wide mouths! at this point, the rotten swamp revealed all the fighting planes. however, when the three planes that appeared afterward saw the intense battle on the battlefield, they stopped and did not rashly participate. they figured out their current situation and gradually became restless. ¡®could these groups go to other planes?¡¯ the significance of this was too tempting. that foremost influenced the lizardmen. the brain eater demons closest to them inevitably scattered under the crazy charges of the beastmen. these less than two meters tall brain eater demons were furious when they saw the lizardmen. they looked at them with disdain. ¡®these reptiles dared to watch the show?¡¯ merely the sight of lizardmen enraged the illogical brain eater demons. they attacked those closest to them. the cruel and bloodthirsty lizardmen had a smooth life in their plane. they ruled over the world. had outsiders ever provoked them? the sight of the brain eater demons alone also annoyed the lizardmen. they no longer had reservations since they were already restless. the fierce and strong lizardmen monsters orderly charged. they unhesitantly slayed the brain eater demons and even included the wolf riders. that instantly angered the beastmen. the wolf riders no longer picked and murdered everyone they saw and crossed their way. in any case, anyone who slaughtered all these damned bastards, then these few planes would all be his! the initial scope of the war between the two sides inevitably intensified and expanded. the half-murloc monsters were the most resistant to participate in such a chaotic battle among the gods of these planes. these super ugly creatures realized the territory wasn¡¯t easy to conquer, although they were reasonably greedy. however, the half-murlocs resisted participation. and that discouraged the taurens from the collision as well. the taurens did not want to participate in the battle, but they could not resist the temptation of conquering the plane. they aimed their spearheads at the half-murlocs, who seemed easier to scare. two-horned strong warriors more than three meters tall swarmed out of the spatial rifts. the taurens ignored the three-way battle on the battlefield and directly attacked the half-murloc plane. the average height of the half-murlocs was only 1.7 meters, which was extremely small compared to the three-meter-tall taurens. however, the enemies had come knocking on their door. how could they tolerate them? warriors surged out of the hundred-meter-wide half-murlocs like a tide. the battle erupted again. richard watched from behind. he enjoyed the show. it was the rules of the dark forest. the smile on his face never faded. he could sense that the rotten swamp had become increasingly mighty at an exaggerated speed. every corpse and every soul had become a delicious meal and nutrient for the rotten swamp. Chapter 850 perhaps it was because the naga plane belonged to the dungeon race and leaned towards the evil faction. these planes were not planes of good races. the five planes collided. they smashed and slayed each other. the scene was bloody and crazy. a myriad of lives departed for each second. no one would want to stop. that was interesting. enemies would invade whoever plane couldn¡¯t withstand. it was a disaster that would wipe out the entire race. who would bear this price? only a sole victor remained in this death arena. the half-murlocs were unwilling to join the battle. but they couldn¡¯t escape the war. they wouldn¡¯t want to mess. but how would they stop the planes from targeting them? no one could guarantee it. and how many benefits would one obtain from conquering a plane? it¡¯s what awaits the wealth and resources of the entire plane, the fertile land, and the multitude of treasures. just a trifle thought of it could make one¡¯s heart overly palpitate. on the one hand, retreating and defending was also dangerous. and on the other hand, conquering would bring more benefits. a few would usually choose the former. not to mention that these few planes were arduous to deal with. the situation heightened toward that what richard had expected. the fall of the multitude made the rotten swamp the biggest beneficiary. that maximized the benefits of sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight. richard did not leave to anticipate any unexpected events. tai long used the power of concealment to hide troops. richard had everyone return to the holy land and wait for orders afterward. he stayed in the rotten swamp and observed quietly. the next day, 3rd january. it was year 7601 of the ¡°shining era.¡± in the morning, another three planes collided with the naga plane, and the spatial rifts opened without restraint. the battlefield fell into a stalemate and became less intense following the attack of the increasing planes. they all carefully guarded against the new plane that had appeared. the change occurred among the brain eater demons. twilight city troops primarily murdered these two-headed demented demons first and then fought incessantly. high-intensity battles eventually exhausted the soldiers. the wolf riders and taurens were the first to attack. they greedily charged into the brain eater demons. then wantonly plundered. that directly stirred up a commotion on the scene. the battlefield had sparingly cooled down. it erupted into a chaotic battle again, especially at the entrance of the brain eater demon plane. the speed at which corpses fell was even faster than when the rotten swamp devoured them. the three new planes appeared, and change was inevitable. they had no choice but to drag into the chaotic battle, whether willing or the opposite. the rotten swamp still played the role of the grim reaper. it worked increasingly mysterious and silent. no one treated the flesh swamp as a living thing. because of the vast amount of flesh and blood, the number of lairs produced in this land of flowers and fire had again reached its upper limit: 30 seats. all of them were at the glorious-level. richard recruited the 400 rare blood slaughterers that had also advanced to the glorious-level along with the lair. at this moment, the total number of soldiers in the rotten swamp had reached 600. the rotten swamp was not far from reaching level 3 with such abundant flesh and blood energy. at that time, one could increase the number of troop lairs to 40 and upgrade the level crown. richard was only relieved now. this time, it was a sure thing. next, he just had to wait for the harvest. he was in a sparkling mood. however, richard thought about it carefully. he felt sparingly regretful. he could have conquered each dimension if he had the time. and the benefits could have soared. however, the situation wasn¡¯t appropriate right now. richard must not waste time. one couldn¡¯t swiftly finish this multi-dimensional battle if one weighed on the situation. richard pondered and ordered the god of deception to stay beside him. tai long silently observed the situation of those planes. at the same time, he gave this god a certain amount of authority. he could enslave a suitable lifeform and convert one into his believer. besides that, he only left the dark soul eater, kratos, a level 19 boss, to accompany the god of deception. richard also handed him the authority to command the 600 glorious-level blood slaughterers. he arranged everything and didn¡¯t stay long. he returned to the holy land through the spatial rift. the god of deception watched richard leave, and a subtle emotion surfaced on his translucent face. he sighed softly. ¡°this grace mainland overlord¡¯s spirit is indeed extraordinary.¡± kratos narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°your excellency, of course, we couldn¡¯t compare mortals¡­¡± the god of deception couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he looked at the big soldier. ¡°do you know what i¡¯m talking about?¡± kratos growled. ¡°your excellency tai long, your reputation¡­i¡¯ve heard of it. ¡°for the lord to allow a god like you to move freely, this courage is typically exceptional. ¡°but i have to tell you¡­ don¡¯t let the lord down. no matter what your intentions are. ¡°this is the generous significance the lord had placed on you.¡± the god of deception was at a loss for words. kratos flattered him. however, he no longer refuted when he saw the grave look in the big soldier¡¯s eyes. tai long nodded slowly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. lord richard led me in the right direction. i wouldn¡¯t disappoint him. besides, lord richard was not someone one can easily manipulate.¡± at this moment, his soul still contained the power of the great stone of the ancient ones. this power could conceal his aura. so tai long said he wanted richard to protect and prevent the spider goddess from spying on him. right now, he had no other means to hide but this method. however, while this power could protect him from lolita¡¯s prying eyes, it was also like a sharp sword hanging above his head. it could injure or finish him at any time. Chapter 851 moreover, tai long has no plans of doing anything foul to the great existence. the bright future is in his hands now, and he already found the way forward. he couldn¡¯t wait to explore. he didn¡¯t have any grudges against the grace mainland overlord. he was able to escape the tomb of the gods because of him. the most outrageous thing was that the grace mainland overlord¡¯s goal was his heart. but that was his reward, and he had survived lolita¡¯s hands. he couldn¡¯t think of any problem. for one to speak grave, he still owed richard his freedom, life, and future. kratos looked at him deeply and did not speak again. the dark soul eater believed his master¡¯s wisdom could tell whether this notorious god picked disloyalty over the opposite. it must be something that wouldn¡¯t affect twilight city¡¯s layout. the god of deception did not say anything else. he silently watched the situation through the blood mist. the 600 blood slaughterers gathered together and waited for his orders. tai long knew richard¡¯s decision to let him stay wasn¡¯t as simple as asking him to look after the rotten swamp alone. it was also an obvious test. the god of deception could abandon twilight city if he does not want to stay. kratos alone couldn¡¯t keep an eye on him. the power of the great stone of the ancient ones in his body could not exist forever. holy land. this private holy plane that belonged entirely to richard had now expanded to a diameter of 2,000 meters. the area was several times larger than before. the residents of twilight city used to be cramped. they had more space to move around now. richard entered. he immediately sensed the surface area had increased. the strength of the spatial barrier of the holy land also became several times stronger than before. this time, he had gained a lot from devouring the naga plane. and the power attached to his body had become more turbulent from the moment he entered the space. he opened his attribute panel and glanced. the attributes were particularly striking. [ruler of holy land] [characteristic: all attributes increase 35% when inside the holy land.] [the attributes of the holy land attached to him also increase following a series of enhancements.] richard smiled. the rapidly growing holy land would undergo massive change if he continued to devour. loreinna waited for his order and approached him. she momentarily stopped and hesitantly asked, ¡°lord, what do you plan to do with his excellency tai long?¡± ¡°authorize him to protect the rotten swamp?¡± loreinna still reserved considerable doubts about that notorious god. anyone who came would be like this. tai long¡¯s past reputation made people¡¯s eyes glaze over. richard laughed. ¡°this is¡­ hmm. i gave deception god a choice. he could see what his next step would be.¡± richard turned around and looked at the main force on the flank. ¡°loreinna, lead the team back to the vampire castle and confirm the movements of that evil plane. when will it merge with the mortal plane? ¡°this might be related to the vampire breed¡¯s precious treasure, the vampire staff. ¡°contact rebecca, the eldest daughter of the frostwolf clan, if you have any information. save her if she got herself in a mess or trouble.¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°next, we need to attack the kingdom of ell plane. the vampire breed will be a paramount force. ¡°the current situation is unstable. you have to be mentally prepared. you also had to support the naga plane at any time.¡± the vampire archduchess had a very tough job as the only transcendent in twilight city. loreinna bowed solemnly. ¡°as you wish, my lord¡­¡± richard took a deep breath. next, it was time to move toward the kingdom of ell. the god of deception would operate on the troops of the naga plane. twilight city would not suffer any losses with the presence of tai long. the power of the great stone of the ancient ones he had left with tai long was both a protection and a restriction. loreinna left with her troop after a simple reminder. richard sighed as he watched the vampire breed soldiers disappear through the spatial rift. there would be troubled times. richard suddenly saw an old figure that quickly walked from the shabby town with two young men just as he was about to leave. he directly turned around and flew before them. ¡°karu.¡± when the gray-haired butler saw richard land before him, he immediately became alert and bowed first. ¡°good morning, lord richard!¡± the two young men behind him also bowed excitedly. ¡°my lord!¡± in this piece of land, the heroic youth before them is the well-deserved spiritual leader of everyone. his prestige was as high as that of a god. richard smiled. ¡°have you used to living in the holy land?¡± ¡°lord, apart from the simple living conditions, the holy land is not much different from twilight city.¡± master karu said, ¡°we¡¯re already planning the construction of the holy land. we could build a sizable building complex in three months at most with the participation of all 7,000 residents.¡± in the ¡°shining era,¡± even ordinary civilians had considerable strength. they could even get stronger if they level up to two or three. one could use this to build houses and a miniature excavator. richard nodded. twilight city had established a functioning administrative system after a half year or more. and professionals were in charge of the research team on how to build a city. he didn¡¯t need to interfere. he could also lead the residents to complete the task of building a city in the holy land. ¡°just take responsibility for this matter. let me know if you encounter difficulties.¡± Chapter 852 karu looked at a town behind him. ¡°lord, those sacred-blood dwarves¡­ we¡¯ve all gathered them back.¡± richard immediately perked wide-eyed. the sacred-blood dwarves had joined his troop following richard¡¯s conquest of the underground world. they even offered him the statue of the dwarf god. that privileged him to obtain the top-notch existence of the dwarf god. these sacred-blood dwarves were the descendants of the dwarf god, and each had a powerful divine bloodline. however, one hadn¡¯t activated the power due to various reasons. a force had sealed the dwarf god¡¯s powerful skills. the dwarf god statue was the key to unlocking the bloodline in their bodies. however, the restriction required 1,000,000 rare resources to activate the dwarf god statue and stimulate its primary function. the declining dwarf could not afford this resource, so he vested hopes in richard. that was how richard obtained the statue of the dwarf god and other stories. now that the dwarf god had awakened, it was time for these descendants with his bloodline to shine. twilight city was currently in dire need of high-end talents. ¡°bring them to me.¡± butler karu nodded, and the two young men beside him turned around to disseminate the order. the two arrived with hundreds of nervous dwarves ten minutes afterward. surrounded in the center was the elderly dwarf chief, rand. the elderly dwarf chief took a deep breath and held his chest solemnly. ¡°greetings, lord richard. rand sends you his most noble greetings. may the desert bless you.¡± the dwarves behind them all lowered their heads. ¡°greetings, lord richard¡­¡± richard nodded and waved them off. he looked at the elderly dwarf with interest. ¡°have you gained anything in the past two months in the underground world?¡± richard realized more treasures were in the underground world than what was on the surface following the development of the black sorbet. the various food and magical plants inside might be of great use. he sent these dwarves to the underground world to collect all kinds of magic plants, recipes, and so on before he activated the dwarf god statue. he hoped to develop something similar to the black sorbet. however, richard could no longer focus on this matter due to his busy schedule. he only remembered when he saw them. rand immediately smiled when he heard this. ¡°lord richard, we¡¯ve searched and sorted out 53 types of magical plants in the underground world. we could use ten of them to produce food. we could use the rest to make magical potions. hmm, or rather, a highly toxic potion.¡± rand handed him a book he tightly held as he spoke. ¡°we¡¯ve sorted out according to their distribution, appearance, and uses. please, check. ¡°but this is only a rough estimate. we needed extensive labor and resources for deeper research¡­¡± richard opened it immediately. rand recorded generous magical plants on it. he wrote each of their details. he even depicted pictures on it. he had put in a lot of effort. a moment later, richard closed the book. he nodded in satisfaction. this kind of seriousness was rare. ¡°have you fed this information back to the food workshop?¡± ¡°the food workshop has started its research already¡­¡± richard smiled and handed the book back to him. ¡°you guys have done well. continue to work hard in the future.¡± richard¡¯s tone turned graver afterward. ¡°rand, you¡¯ve proven your abilities several times¡­ now. it¡¯s time to carry on a much more significant task.¡± rand sensed the meaning in his words and immediately perked up. he looked up at richard and said firmly, ¡°lord richard, no matter where you go, the sacred-blood dwarves will follow¡­ please give us instructions! richard gave him a meaningful look. the statue of the dwarf god appeared in his hand. rand looked at the statue with a subtle look in his eyes. it was a relic of his ancestor and a life-saving gift they had given richard. richard said slowly, ¡°rand augustus. ¡°your bloodline, which has been dormant for a long time, will awaken again¡­the glory of the sacred-blood dwarves would rise again. ¡°your ancestral god¡­ i¡¯ve already awoken him. ¡°he is inside the statue.¡± rand¡¯s heart stopped beating. the hundreds of dwarves behind him also had their hearts quickened open-mouthed. everyone stared at the statue of the dwarf god in richard¡¯s hands. they perked wide-eyed, and pressure raced with their breathing. ¡°tradition has it¡­ is that true? ¡°the crimson moon rises, and our ancestor will return¡­¡± ¡°one has awakened our ancestor?!¡± the sacred-blood dwarves were at a loss for words. delight had overwhelmed their emotions. they plunge into a river of surprise and joy. the dwarf god was not only their ancestor but also their reliance and faith! the dwarves would have someone to rely on once he returned!! the elderly dwarf chief was so excited that his lips shivered. he wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t. richard glanced at the dwarf god and sent his spiritual power into the statue. a shining white mark sparked in the next moment. a majestic divine light surged out from the statue. the light gray energy flowed backward and condensed into the illusory image in midair. it was a figure that sat on a throne if one looked over. he wore a silver crown on his head, a cloak of gorgeous bird wings on his back, and a ring full of gemstones on his fingers. he was short and small, but at this moment, he gave off the oppressive feeling of a giant. dwarf god. all the dwarves¡¯ eyes immediately turned red, and their throats choked when they saw the long-lost ancestor. then, they all knelt on the ground, their heads pressed against the land. they bowed most piously. Chapter 853 grievance and longing engulfed the dwarves¡¯ sobs. that was the grievance of oppression and maltreatment for millions of years. there would be a parent who could make decisions for them. the dwarf god looked at his descendants with a complicated expression. once upon a time, dwarves stood at the peak of this world, an existence that even gods had to revere. but now, they had been demoted to the lowest level. they became a lowly clan. the difference between their rise and fall was so enormous they couldn¡¯t help but fall silent. moreover, the gods planned all of this. they had sealed the bloodline power in the dwarves¡¯ bodies. all of this was for the continuation of the clan. the gods would not allow one that had lost its protector to continue to rule the world. that plan still succeeded, although this was cruel and directly caused the dwarves to become subordinates. the dwarves did not go extinct after the ancestor woke up. now, it was time for the dwarves to step onto the stage of history again. in the new era, no one could stop the dwarves from shining! the dwarf god calmed down and said slowly, ¡°my descendants, i will break the seals in your bodies¡­ next, you will experience the paramount trait of the dwarves¡¯ bloodline. ¡°the reason why the dwarves were mighty in ancient times was because we could pass down our knowledge from one generation to another through our bloodline. ¡°when a child can grasp the knowledge that a clan has accumulated over millions of years in an instant, that clan will rule the world. ¡°we have reached this height before. ¡°now, it¡¯s time to repossess our glory. ¡°from today onwards, one would no longer suppress our glory!¡± the dwarf god turned to look at richard again. ¡°you have received the inheritance. you have to continue to serve twilight city. ¡°this city represents new life and the future¡­¡± the dwarves were about to respond when the divine power surged out of the dwarf god¡¯s body and enveloped all the figures that knelt before him. crisp cracking sounds reverberated out from their bodies a few breaths afterward. hundreds of sacred-blood dwarves felt the chains that had bound them for a long time finally broke! they felt unprecedentedly freed. all revealed a happy expression. the dwarves suddenly felt a majestic energy that surged from the depths of their bloodline. the power that had slept for a long time had awakened. the elderly dwarf chief felt it the most. energy rolled into his aging body again. his hair blackened at a speed visible to the naked eye. his body regained its youth. a vast amount of knowledge perched into his mind. the vast knowledge of alchemy, magic, and combat techniques made him feel like his mind was about to explode. he was in pain. but he was so excited that he almost cried. ¡°was this an inheritance? the power of us dwarves. so it was this powerful!¡± the scene gradually calmed down ten minutes later. [ding~ the dwarf god had unsealed the power of the sacred-blood dwarves. that converted all sacred-blood dwarves hero units¨Cc-rank heroes: 55 people, b-rank heroes: 40 people, a-rank heroes: 10 people, elderly dwarf chief rand augustus, potential to advance beyond a-rank.] richard heard the system notification and looked at the dwarves in surprise. ¡°hundreds of people had all become heroes?¡± the dwarf god had put in a lot of effort this time!! furthermore, there were as many as 10 a-rank heroes, and their leader, rand, had even become a beyond a-rank. this time, twilight city had made a bloody profit!! richard looked at the dwarf god and was overjoyed. this god had given him too many surprises. richard felt the paramount gain from conquering the underground world was this person. the dwarf god had caused such a huge commotion that the condensed illusory scene had become blurry and dim. his spirit visibly weakened. ¡°rand, take good care of your clansmen¡­ ¡°the future of the dwarves depends on you.¡± he looked at richard before his image disappeared. ¡°lord richard, i need to sleep for a month. i¡¯ve exhausted too much of my power this time. ¡°i¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± the dwarf god finished speaking. the scene disappeared without a trace. ¡°father!¡± all the dwarves looked at this scene with gratitude. the father had sacrificed too much for them. richard smiled. don¡¯t worry. leave it to me. let alone 100 dwarf heroes. i wouldn¡¯t mind even if it were ten times more! he happily looked at the man with curiosity and opened his attribute panel. he wondered what kind of improvement he would receive after activating the divine blood. [rand augustus] [level: 15] [potential: beyond a-rank] [class: alchemist (master)] (next chapter) Chapter 854 the elderly dwarf hero¡¯s primary attribute was that of a research hero even though he had the glorious battle skill, descendant of the divine blood. moreover, it was the top-notch kind. [skills: comprehensive alchemy and comprehensive magic knowledge were beyond a-rank skills. you can obtain an immense bonus when you research alchemy and magic.] [talent: smart brain. it increases intelligence by 30% during research. [race: learning speed increases by 50% while learning magic and alchemy. [fetters: intelligence increased by 20% when commanding over 60 dwarves. these are a series of attribute buffs. even a pig could outsmart a human. the scientific research force has vastly replenished what twilight city urgently lacked following the activation of the bloodlines of the hundreds of dwarves. that supported richard¡¯s idea of developing science and technology and deep farming. the corners of his mouth curled up. richard closed rand¡¯s attribute panel and glanced at the other dwarves. each probed. the dwarves¡¯ attributes weren¡¯t weak, although not as strong as rand¡¯s. none was missing. richard sighed and gradually calmed down. the strength of twilight city could increase explosively as long as they made good use of these sterling minds. what did this world lack the most? talent! this sentence would not be wrong in any world. ¡°from today onwards, twilight will give rise to a new department¨Cthe research department. ¡°rand, you will be in charge.¡± richard looked at karu as he spoke. ¡°karu, please submit the list of all the researches in twilight city. report the progress of all the research projects at the same time. ¡°next, the research department will arrange all the technological research and development in twilight city. ¡°for primary projects, invest more researchers and increase the research intensity. for non-primary projects, reduce the number of researchers or postpone the research and development. ¡°adele was initially the first choice for the research department head, but that young lady could not care much about management. she preferred to stay in the blacksmith shop and do research. ¡°since the elderly dwarf hero had this potential, he would not waste it. he would train these hundreds of people, and they could become the pillars of twilight city. twilight city lacked resources and needed more industrial support to function normally. that was especially true for the leveling up of the troop lairs. that was a pit one could never fill. the further one went, the more resources one needed. only by making money could he develop. that was the absolute principle. butler karu finally recovered from the shock of the dwarf god¡¯s appearance. he took a deep stare at the elderly old dwarf hero. ¡°yes, my lord. i will take responsibility for this matter.¡± richard nodded. he looked at the excited elderly dwarf hero. ¡°next, i¡¯ll leave the important task of scientific research in twilight city to you.¡± ¡°can you handle the responsibilities?¡± rand took a deep breath and looked at richard firmly. it was vibrant and stern. ¡°lord richard, i won¡¯t let you down! the dwarves would contribute all their strength to twilight city!¡± that was their ancient father¡¯s will. it was also the desires of their hearts. they had been silent for such a long time. and they had a glorious history. how could they still tolerate being a lowly clan bullied by others? rand felt the power surge in his body and the endless knowledge that penetrated his mind. he slowly clenched his fists. ¡°dwarves wouldn¡¯t be weaker than humans!¡± richard looked at rand with appreciation. he was prudent to have decided to join twilight city when the underworld fell. ¡°the research and development of the alchemy sow and harvest machine in fortress city has entered a critical period. send three a-ran dwarf heroes to assist. ¡°in addition, rand, you will be responsible for the innovation of the magic music box. i need to see the results as soon as possible. ¡°you will be responsible for the food workshop research progress. you can choose to send a group of dwarves to assist. ¡°there¡¯s also the new wine that the white-tailed cat race is researching. extend help whenever they needed. ¡°i hope to see the results of these matters within a month.¡± richard finished speaking, and the elderly dwarf hero immediately puffed his chest. ¡°lord richard, please wait patiently. we will present the best results.¡± those were the first tasks richard had given the elderly dwarf hero, the most direct test. unable to fulfill this would negatively affect the treatment these dwarves receive in twilight city. that was something rand would never allow to happen. richard nodded and looked at karu again. ¡°you can communicate with rand about the research department¡­¡± as he spoke, he extended his hand to indicate the holy land had become spacious. ¡°the holy land will continue to expand. ¡°get the people from the agriculture department to start researching how to grow frost grass in the holy land. ¡°we can¡¯t bet on the production of frost grass in the underground world. otherwise, once there is turmoil, it will directly cause our supply to cease.¡± frost grass was the primary ingredient of the black sorbet. it was a resource that twilight city had to control. nothing could go wrong. the diameter of the holy land had increased from one thousand to two thousand meters. the area had expanded multiple times. he could already make early planting arrangements. the holy land could continue to expand rapidly with the current speed until the complete devour of the naga plane. Chapter 855 1 - 855 Chapter 507: Player Confrontation, Expansion Pack [2/5] master karu was excited. ¡°lord, i¡¯ll go down and make the arrangements immediately.¡± the appearance of the naga plane has enormously affected the safety of the underground world. the safer holy land was undoubtedly the first choice. wars had destroyed half of the agricultural area outside twilight city. there had been a vast commotion since then. twilight city had lost its farming area. there wasn¡¯t much meaning in reclaimed agricultural areas without a safe production environment. a war could destroy everything. their current source of food was basically from the sale of the black sorbet and the return of the mechanical boat [transportation machine] from solan city. or richard could buy it directly from the market. karu, as the butler of twilight city, felt equally uneasy as richard when they depended on the outside world for their food source. the safer underground world was not suitable for growing crops. now that naga plane had appeared, the safety of the underground world was questionable. reclaiming a portion of the holy land into an agricultural region could bring an immense benefit. at least, the food in twilight city would not only depend on the outside world. richard looked at the eager karu and waved his hand. the gesture indicated him to discuss it with rand. he only needed to pass down the task, supervise the execution, and correct the shortcomings. a lord who did everything didn¡¯t mean superiority. that only means this lord just knew how to use and handle people. karu and rand left. richard turned around and walked out afterward. however, the system notification he heard made him stop in his tracks again before he could step out of the spatial gate. [countless planes outside the primary plane are coming. among these planes include ownerless lands that hide the treasures of the giant dragons, wealthy cities with human territories, beautiful elves, fierce beastmen, and undead with mountains of bones.] [the power of the ancient gods flowed into the various planes. the remaining power gradually awakened after the crimson moon rose. that caused these planes to establish a channel with the primary plane.] [all lords can explore these planes and search for treasures.] [conquering these planes or trading with these planes will give you a lot of benefits.] [you may meet your companions during this process, or you may meet opponents from opposing camps. you may even obtain the remaining power of the ancient gods and inherit it.] [be it players or natives, everyone can participate in this vast exploration journey.] [in medium-sized and above planes, there are also unique buildings¨Cobelisks.] [capturing the obelisk with strong defenses will give you generous rewards¨C5-stars strategic treasure, top-tier troop lair, beyond a-rank hero, glorious-level skills¡­ in addition, a rare item would drop.] [note: the obelisks have different levels. the higher, the stronger the guards are and the more treasures.] [exploring a plane is dangerous and lonely. please pay attention to your safety and do not advance rashly.] richard¡¯s expression became extremely interesting. ¡°that¡¯s why several planes suddenly fused with the primary plane. it turned out that they were all complimentary. ¡°since there was a first chapter, would there be a second and third chapter?¡± however, richard looked at the description. the new expansion pack for the dimension explorer was indeed super vast. no restrictions were allowed this time. richard felt the most subtle about this. whether it was players or natives, they could participate in the exploration of the foreign plane. that would inevitably make the chaotic situation even more arduous to control. richard read the hints a few more times and became very interested in the unique building the system particularly mentioned. there might be a unique building in medium-sized and above dimensions, the obelisk. one could obtain a multitude of rewards upon capture. and that would drop¡­a strange item. that was indeed exciting! how unique was this building? how strong was the garrison? planes of miniature, small, medium, large, and giant dimensions. the larger, the higher the upper limit of life. some special planes even gave birth to demigods. ¡°i¡¯ll go to the naga plane and see if there¡¯s an obelisk¡­¡± in addition, richard couldn¡¯t let go of the brain eating demons and lizardmen planes.¡± the obelisk must be a valuable thing for the system to particular mention. it might be the main character of this plane exploration. richard pondered. he opened the player forum. the idiots above already seethed with excitement. most have discussed this matter. [f*ck, a spatial rift appeared at my door. i didn¡¯t dare to go in. i couldn¡¯t believe this to form part of the new expansion pack!] [you won¡¯t believe me if i tell you. i found a dragon lair in a plane without a dragon that protected it. here came the key. i used the dragon¡¯s treasure to recruit a dragon that had just spawned this week from the dragon¡¯s lair. i got a small team of level 17 dragons for free. it was awesome!! hehehe, i didn¡¯t expect i could also be a top-notch big shot with a level 17 soldier, and it was even a small-scale team!!!¡± [f*ck you!! i just entered a plane. a group of beastmen got there first. f*ck! luckily, i ran at my fastest. those idiots could have murdered me!!¡± [fog empire¡¯s greyback mountains, and the number one guild dragon tooth city, dragon tooth guild, are recruiting new members. the guild leader is a big shot with a squadron of crown soldiers. the people who came were all brothers. let¡¯s explore the plane together¡­¡±] Chapter 856 other players continued to boast. some lucky people directly hit the jackpot and picked up the dragon¡¯s treasure when the rift opened, while some were unlucky, and monsters from other planes flooded them. tens of billions of players, all sorts of things happened. richard watched with relish. idiot players were always unexpectedly funny. he only closed the forum after 20 minutes. he was happy, but he didn¡¯t see any substantial content. at this stage, the players hadn¡¯t reached the level of exploring planes without restraint, although the strength of mainstream players had improved. most of the people¡¯s troop lairs were in the transition from rare to glorious, and their levels were around levels 8 to 12. only the top-tier players had organized glorious-level troops. those famous big shots had a small number of crown troops. as for those foreign planes, level 15 top-tier troops were the mainstream. players couldn¡¯t easily explore. richard shook his head and didn¡¯t mind much about them. although the situation was unpredictable, he had his plans. he stepped out of the holy land. he passed through the spatial rift. he returned to the land of quicksand. he looked at the scorching sun in the sky. he was sparingly dazed. he stayed in the dim naga plane for the past few days. he used not to see the dazzling light. the god¡¯s ancient tree stood tall in the desert. the malevolent withered tree branches exuded an evil aura that made one¡¯s heart tremble. it consumed tons of blood rain and leveled up to 18 following the last death and resurrection. the weakness had ceased and returned to its peak. one more step and this terrifying boss could reach the threshold of level 20. transcendents had unlimited possibilities. richard shifted his gaze away and saw the void sandworms at the side. these behemoths lay on the quicksand. they basked in the sun in boredom. the vampire troop had already left. loreinna had brought them back to the vampire castle to continue purifying their bloodline. the sky reduced half of richard¡¯s good mood when he looked up. it was an area that looked like broken glass. large cracks spread out like a spider web. people worried about its collapse at any time, although it hadn¡¯t yet. the rotten aura of another plane constantly seeped out from those cracks. one could sense it from far away. that was the ruler of the 333rd level of the abyss! the masterpiece of the king of decay. perhaps there was also the work of the spider goddess lolita, the god of conspiracy. the enemies of twilight city were never weak. richard took a deep breath. to the high and mighty ruler of the abyss, being provoked by a mortal from the mortal plane was a great humiliation. moreover, this lord had also snatched the brute ruler¡¯s authority and destroyed the plan it had hidden for countless years. the rules at this time had changed, and the crimson moon rose. the king of decay could no longer hold back the anger in his heart. the dwarf god counterattacked and delayed the space for two months before it shattered. but war was inevitable. twilight city would have to face the king of decay¡¯s wrath by the beginning of march. it had only a little time left. richard had to have enough strength to face this challenge at this time. he calmed down and waved his hand to summon a stone statue of the dead. ¡°return to twilight city and summon gunter.¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord.¡± the stone statue of the dead immediately flapped its wings and left. gunter rode the stone statue of the dead after a while. it hurried over and bowed as soon as he landed. ¡°good day, my lord.¡± richard looked at the hero wrapped in blood-red bandages and cut to the chase. ¡°enter the kingdom of ell plane immediately! we would help the two princesses overthrow the raging blood duke¡¯s rule. ¡°seek help from loreinna if you encounter any trouble you can¡¯t fix. ¡°there might be a unique building called an obelisk in the kingdom¡­ i¡¯m not sure about its appearance for now. you can look for it according to its name. this unique building has a powerful troop that protected it. it should be easy to identify it after you discover it.¡± gunter held its bandaged arm to its chest and spoke in an ethereal voice. ¡°as you wish, my lord!¡± a few soldiers rode on the stone statue of the dead and rushed over from the direction of twilight city. richard turned his head and saw the rapid flight. he had a bad feeling. the soldier landed and immediately reported. ¡°lord richard, miss emily suddenly fell unconscious! lady adele asked us to inform you immediately!¡± ¡°emily fell unconscious?¡± richard¡¯s brows almost collided. ¡°why had she collapsed?¡± ¡°it happened so suddenly. we couldn¡¯t know the reason.¡± richard¡¯s uneasiness grew increasingly grave. ¡°gunter, carry on with my order!¡± richard finished speaking, and the yellow sand around him surged. his figure immediately flew away from the quicksand. he returned to the lord¡¯s mansion as quickly as possible. richard went up to the second floor and stepped into emily¡¯s room. he immediately saw the little centaur lying on its side on the soft blanket, unconscious. a middle-aged woman in her early forties currently checked on the little centaur¡¯s body and applied strong medicine to her. she tried to observe the reason for her sudden fall. Chapter 857 the helpless adele finally found someone to rely on when she saw richard. she quickly walked forward and hugged his arm as she agitatedly spoke. ¡°lord richard, emily suddenly fainted¡­ we can¡¯t determine the reason. ¡°but the golden inscription on her wrist has been burning. we guessed that it had something to do with this!!¡± richard sensed the stable life force of the little centaur. the fret in his eyes subsided. he looked at adele¡¯s uneasy expression. he patted her head to calm down. ¡°adele, calm down first. i¡¯m here¡­¡± as he spoke, he stepped forward and glanced at the middle-aged woman. she was a slightly famous doctor in the territory and a c-rank lifestyle hero. ¡°did you find anything unusual?¡± ¡°lord, there is no¡­¡± the middle-aged woman¡¯s tone was sparingly downcast. richard was visibly a little upset about this. richard nodded and said nothing more. he looked at the centaur¡¯s exposed arm, and his gaze halted on the golden rune. he sensed it carefully and traced a special aura it emitted. it gave off a feeling that made one¡¯s heart erratically palpitate. this rune was the key to suppressing the gods in vermin, the land of broken laws. the treasure that suppressed that god was a fragment of a divine artifact. previously, when he had used emiliy¡¯s blood to decode the seal in xina¡¯s body, the lady warrior obtained emily¡¯s memories. he got a little information from xina. richard collected his thoughts and tried to enter the rune with his spiritual power. however, it was as if he had hit a wall, and something must have blocked him. he couldn¡¯t go deeper. he frowned and opened the system panel. however, a simple message appeared on it. [emily] [status: unconscious] he couldn¡¯t even see her attributes and level. richard¡¯s heart sank, and he opened the black gold system. only then did more detailed attributes appear. [emily (centaur)] [status: soul missing. an unknown potent power currently decomposes the soul. the corrosion will destroy her soul and control her body following a complete process.] [1. inject the power of the undead into it to increase the speed of corrosion.] [2. inject the power of the non-undead to protect the soul and prevent the unknown power from absolute control.] ¡°an unknown power is corroding emily?¡± richard¡¯s eyes gazed dangerously. the killing intent on his body caused the surrounding space to turn cold. adele and the middle-aged woman only felt a vast rock that weighed a thousand jin pressed against their chests, and pressure heavily wrestled with their breathing. richard quickly locked onto the mastermind behind the scenes¨Cthe god trapped in vermin, the land of broken laws. emily lost her soul fragment here. this inscription was the key to suppressing that god! it couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence! a god¡¯s soul fragment that was nothing but a dog¡¯s fart had just recovered some of its strength, and it wanted to cause trouble? ¡°did he think the twilight city city of dusk was a pushover?¡± richard took out the ancient god statue, and endless dark power surged from his body. it enveloped emily in an instant. a moment later. a piercing scream suddenly reverberated in richard¡¯s ears. then, a crack appeared. a figure that looked like a broken glass ensued. a remarkable energy fluctuation surged from the little centaur¡¯s body, and its pale face quickly turned red. richard turned on the black gold system. he ensured emily¡¯s complete safety and took the ancient god statue back. ¡°adele, i have dispelled the power that enveloped emily. she is temporarily safe now. ¡°you stay here and take care of her. i¡¯m going to vermin, the land of broken laws. ¡°emily left a portion of her soul fragment there. something must have revived the god she once guarded there. emily¡¯s sudden faint was closely related to this god. i needed to fix the mess at once.¡± adele¡¯s heart tightened after richard explained in a few words. ¡°related to the gods again?¡± ¡°lord, i want to help!¡± richard said slowly, ¡°please stay in the city and be safe.¡± he rubbed adele¡¯s head and stared at the unconscious little centaur lying on the carpet. richard unhesitantly turned around and left afterward. adele subconsciously reached out her hand like she wanted to grab something, but her hand froze mid-air while she watched richard¡¯s disappearing back. she was in a daze. after a long time, adele turned her head and looked at emily while she lay. at this moment, she felt a strong sense of powerlessness. she was a blacksmith. her battle ability couldn¡¯t be as good as a level 10 hero, although she had already reached level 15. she couldn¡¯t help with the gods. emily fell into a coma. she was not a doctor, so she couldn¡¯t also help. the people around her needed help. but she couldn¡¯t do anything. this feeling made adele ponder for a long time. her five fingers clenched into fists. ¡°father, maybe it¡¯s time to make bolder attempts and control those forbidden things. ¡°the descendants of the thorin family couldn¡¯t be a burden! ¡°i desire to protect lord richard and everyone around me!!¡± ****** richard went downstairs and opened the stats panel of the lairs. the lairs refresh each monday. the month duration in the ¡°shining era¡± was odd. each month has 28 days which means four weeks. the 1st day of each month was always monday. it was already january 3rd. karu had already recruited all the production for the week when richard entered the naga plane to fight. Chapter 858 losses are inevitable in war. but richard had a few casualties. he could heighten the number of troops by a large margin after recruitment. glorious troop lairs 1. scorpion warrior (lairs: 20, weekly production: 140, current quantity: 790) 2. guardian mummy (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 120) 3. sand condensation sand archer (lairs: 10, weekly production: 50, current quantity: 735) 4. sandstorm controller (lairs: 20, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 800) crown troop lairs 1. stone statue of the dead (lairs: 11, weekly production: 110, current quantity: 1150) 2. guardian mummy (lairs: 10 nests, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 600) 3. king of the imperial (lairs: 13, weekly production: 130, current quantity: 260) 4. skeleton blood dragon (lairs: 0, weekly production: 0, current quantity:125) radiant moon 1. king of the imperial army (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 180) the total number of glorious troops was 2,445. the number of crown troops was 2,135. and with the addition of 180 soldiers from one radiant moon, the total number of soldiers in twilight city had reached 4,760. the sum did not include the 2,000 dark treants, 3,000 poisonous wasps, and 1,000 slaughter wasps that the god¡¯s ancient tree had sown. in addition, the rotten swamp also had 600 glorious blood slaughterers that he produced recently. in total, richard could mobilize exceeded 10,000 entire troops. his tense mood had relaxed sparingly. he figured out the troops he could mobilize and unhesitantly gathered the troops. he voted for the 1,000 stone statues of the dead, 800 sandstorm controllers, 260 king mummies (crown) + 180 (radiant moon), and 125 skeletal blood dragons. in addition, he immediately sent someone to inform loreinna, who had just entered the vampire castle. this time, his goal was to flatten vermin and hunt down the remnant soul of the revived god that aggrieved emily. transcendents were the most soul-tormenting methods and were indispensable. more than two battalions of troops gathered in the sky above twilight city afterward. flying troops filled the sky and blocked out the light. richard quickened at the arrival of loreinna, the vampire archduchess. he commanded alves to take off and fly directly toward vermin. the skeleton blood dragon with a wingspan of more than 40 meters flapped its broken dragon wings and crossed the desert before 2,000 undead soldiers. it was intensely oppressive if one looked up in the sky. the scorching sun above their heads in the vast desert was hot. in other regions, december and january were the coldest months. but it was still unbearably hot in the desert of death. there was never winter or cold here, only heat and even hotter. however, the undead soldiers did not feel the harsh living environment. they continued to fly at high speed under alves¡¯s lead. the troop slowly halted half an hour later. loreinna looked over. on the vast desert, a lake with crystal clear waves appeared. the lake reflected dazzling fragments of light under the illumination of the sunlight. richard could feel the coolness of the lake water even from far away. ¡°is this vermin?¡± richard nodded. ¡°the laws of this area were complete chaos before. the lake had once split into pieces like a cake. above it was the lake water, and below it was the land. ¡°emily was the guardian of this area. ¡°she used to be a demigod boss.¡± richard sighed and continued. ¡°the last time i came here was to investigate the remnant soul of the revived god. ¡°at that time, the god who had just recovered some of its power sensed the ancient god statue in my hand and hid in the broken divine kingdom. ¡°i didn¡¯t dare to stick my head out. ¡°twilight city was still very weak then, and we weren¡¯t confident to have done anything to them. ¡°i had delayed this matter long enough.¡± he didn¡¯t expect the revived god to corrupt emily and knock her unconscious. ¡°i could have flattened this area as soon as they came out of the tomb of the gods. if only i have predicted the danger.¡± the little centaur lost her memory and became closest to him. after a few months, it was like, he raised her as a daughter. now, the remnant soul of the god wanted to destroy emily¡¯s soul and take control of her body. richard felt the anger of an old father. he collected his thoughts and took the ancient god statue out. a dark light spread out and enveloped all the troops behind him. he unhesitantly led the troop into the vast lake. speaking of which, it was also strange. at first, richard thought this sourceless lake would quickly dry up, but now it still maintained its previous range. a fly on the surface of the lake felt cool. a robe made from a fire dragon rabbit fur can absorb heat. but it can¡¯t compare to the natural coolness of the wind. however, richard wasn¡¯t interested in these things. he quietly observed the system map. he was about to leave when his position nearly coincided with the mark on it. richard gazed dangerously. he waved his hand, and the troop slowed down. he immediately lowered his head to check if his position coincided with the mark. his gaze passed through the light blue lake more than ten meters deep and saw the bottom of the lake. a vast transparent bubble isolated the lake water. it formed a small world. several broken palaces inside the bubble had shrunk by dozens of times. richard scanned the area. he could see a spacious square in the center of this mysterious area. one had built the gray-brown bricks smoothly and engraved countless inscriptions on them. the inscription restrained a piece of the back of a hand that emitted a terrifying aura at the core. one could feel waves of pressure even from a distance. that was the body of the god of the gods. tadpole-sized, pitch-black creatures patrolled the surroundings at this hour as if they protected the body. they were the corrupted half-murlocs, the servants of the gods. richard narrowed his eyes at the sight. xina obtained emily¡¯s. the lady warrior told him all the information. the evil half-murlocs inside were probably all above level 15. he had the ancient god statute back then and the means to restrain the gods. these soldiers made him feel tremendous pressure, and he did not dare to act rashly eventually. things were different now. the level 15 soldier was no longer a threat before him. the number of people that hunted in twilight city was hundreds of thousands. richard still worriedly thought about the remnant soul of that god mostly. but the god was visibly far from recovery. otherwise, one couldn¡¯t have imprisoned it here. richard pondered and opened the attribute panel. as expected, there was no information on it. however, just as he tried to check, a familiar notification suddenly sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have triggered an unexpected event¨C] [to break the seal, the broken power of god summoned a life form from another plane. a grace mainland lord to assist him.] [1. you can choose the task of the grace mainland lord and help the god escape. you will receive god¡¯s favor and reward. [2. you will gain the deity¡¯s hostility and aggression if you prevent it from escaping. [3. leave, stand by, and do nothing. the god will ignore you.] [note 1: the reward for this emergency mission is calculated based on the development and completion of the event.] [note 2: you can become a teammate with the lord of the same choice if you choose the corresponding mission. but you will become the opponent of the lord of the other one.] ¡°an emergency?¡± richard was confounded. he was all too familiar with this mission mode. this divine power summoned other players to help. that was interesting. they would directly fight against other players if they made different choices. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed after he read the mission a few more times. this hunt had become exciting. the players, who the god had summoned, would most likely choose to help it escape. that was the safest and most profitable choice. the players could have wanted to as for stopping it, but they didn¡¯t. players who could survive until now were not fools. slaying a god was not something they could do at this stage. ¡°but, this god is my prey.¡± ¡°have you asked for the knife in my hand? that is if you want to let it go. ¡°loreinna, get ready to hunt.¡± Chapter 859 his tone was cold. ¡°follow me¡­ charge in!¡± ¡°would they want to rely on the players¡¯ strength to escape? i¡¯d like to see the players they can summon. how many attacks could they withstand against the twilight city troops?¡± he finished speaking, and alves swooped down from the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it plunged into the water, and vast water droplets splashed up. the troop behind also dived. the undead troops didn¡¯t need the air, food, and so on that ordinary had to consume. that characteristic allowed the undead troops to maintain sufficient battle power in extreme environments such as high temperatures, underwater, and extreme cold. diving underwater was no stranger to richard. in the first instance dungeon, he had controlled the sand to form an underwater boat to avoid the enemies¡¯ siege. the troops quickly descended and arrived before the bubble. the closer they got, the more pressure from the bubble they felt. it was the aura of high-level lifeforms. it penetrated deep into the soul and was unavoidable. the lifeforms inside the giant bubble at this moment also sensed something strange. the evil half-murlocs that guarded the arm of the god in the central square raised their heads and looked at the sky with their black eyes. they looked through the giant bubbles and saw figures that looked like giants that were thousands of meters tall. ****** the northern barbarian empire gave rise to the heavy shield guild. as a top-tier guild, it had absorbed more than 1,000 players. moreover, because they only recruited powerful lords, those players who lost their territories did not have the right to enter their doors. therefore, the overall strength of this guild was exceptionally mighty. the heavy shield guild would still rank among the top guilds even if their headquarters were in the capital of the barbarian empire, where many guilds gathered. the heavy shield guild¡¯s most famous guild master was panen, other than the 1,000 lord members who could mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops at any time. this top-tier player was praised as the mightiest barbarian by the multitude on the forum and was the reputation of the heavy shield guild. some people even evaluated his battle strength as one of the top 20 players. a transcendent barbarian recruited him as a disciple at the early stages of the ¡°shining era.¡± that was why he was very popular. some time ago, that transcendent had even brought him into the land of inheritance. he allowed him to change his class to the hidden class¨Cancient barbarian. due to that legacy, his level rose from 14 to 17. that was exaggerated in the context of the mainstream players who had just reached level 11 or 12. that was the other reason why the heavy shield guild was famous. at this moment, the mightiest barbarian had reached level 17 and stared straight at the blurry giant figures outside the bubble. panen¡¯s short golden hair made him appear like a lion. that made his burly figure look even mightier. his blue eyes shone with a fierce light. the armor on his body bulged high from his bulging muscles. it was like it was about to explode. a pure warrior single from the imposing manner and looked at the ability to know. one perfectly displayed the barbarian¡¯s physique before the outsiders. he sent one of his subordinates to this mysterious place two days ago. the subordinate immediately reported the situation here. panen immediately realized that it was not simple to lead a troop if the mission was to help a god escape. he stayed there for two days. one¡¯s body would shrink by a hundred times after it entered this sealed land. therefore, any life form from the outside world would appear vast near the sealed land. however, it would shrink at mere approach and contact with the seal. ¡°guild master panen, another new player?¡­¡± this f*cking master was troublesome. he had summoned players to help him for the past few days. a 300-pound meatball-like chubby player beside him said with his cheeks puffed up. ¡°this guy better be like those people and be sensible. otherwise, we can only send him back to his hometown.¡± the meatball-like chubby player looked to the side as he spoke. a collapsed minaret-like building stood there. the upper floors had collapsed on the street, and only a three to four meters tall base remained. because of this, the building became a natural prison. a myriad of barbarian soldiers at this moment patrolled the area. more than ten dejected players were at the center. these were their spoils of war. ¡°just wait and see what the other party chooses.¡± panen also glanced at the imprisoned players. nothing was worthy of a look of him, no matter who came. that was remarkable when he obtained the legacy and reached level 17. it was hard for ordinary players to imagine how big the difference in battle power between level 15 and below was. he was confident he could slaughter all the lord players on the forum, even if they led a troop of one or two thousand. that was power, absolute power! ¡°we¡¯ll take this god¡¯s reward. whoever comes can only scram.¡± panen¡¯s tone was sparingly casual. the surrounding players nodded as a matter of course. this world was ultimately a competition for resources. why would they let others interfere if the heavy shield guild had the strength? ¡°guild master, because of your breakthrough, it was unlikely for players not to know or heard of the heavy shield guild¡­ what was the use of these guys coming again?¡± the meatball-like chubby player laughed. he should not hide anything as a member of the guild. they had to show enough strength to attract new members. Chapter 860 a level 17 ancient barbarian was a nuclear bomb to ordinary players. that was evident when the heaven shield guild master panen summoned a dozen or more players. they would not even resist once they heard his name. a meatball-like chubby player next to him interrupted. ¡°guild master, several people were already comparing you to qingqiu on the forum. ¡°they all think that you are no weaker than qingqiu!¡± the smile on panen¡¯s face sparingly faded when he heard this name. to any player, the two words ¡®qingqiu¡¯ was like a vast mountain that trampled hard down their heads. the confidence oozed around him, but he was still sparingly annoyed. qingqiu was already the number one player among the billions before his fame. who would dare to underestimate him? qingqiu had swept through a million players in his first dungeon and obtained first place. he still ascended to the throne domineeringly in the heavily-participated second instance dungeon. there have been a few details in the past few months, although qingqiu had only attracted attention two weeks ago because of the large number of weapons sold. however, one could not quickly wear down the exaggerated influence he had left behind before tens of billions of people. the meatball-like chubby player glared at the other players and grumbled. ¡°that bullsh*t qingqiu! that guy was just bullying players who hadn¡¯t developed yet.¡± ¡°how many among the top players on the forums still think they could not beat qingqiu? not to mention our guild master! that was a level 17 ancient barbarian. could qingqiu break guild master¡¯s defense? the barbarian had 7% magic immunity! ¡°mages would be just froth before guild master!¡± panen heard this, and this made him feel much better. ¡°that¡¯s right! the most powerful thing about the ancient barbarians was their almost invincible physique.¡± ¡°his transcendent teacher had even told him that when a barbarian grew to the extreme, their physique would be so mighty that ascetics who didn¡¯t wear any defensive equipment, use any weapons, and only cultivated their bodies would only be inferior. ¡°he could withstand the attacks of the siege crossbow with his current physique. ¡°that was his sterling confidence.¡± panen¡¯s eyes flashed with a bit of fighting spirit. ¡°i will let qinqiu experience the power of the barbarians when the chance to fight him comes.¡± these powerful words immediately made the surrounding players delighted. that was their guild master! at this moment, a flat-faced player rushed from behind. ¡°guild master, you called for me?¡± panen nodded and lowered his voice. ¡°has that god woken up?¡± the flat-faced player shook his head repeatedly. ¡°not really.¡± panen¡¯s tone went heavy. ¡°speed up. i have to get that divine artifact fragment before the god wakes up. when the gods woke up, it might not be so easy.¡± the player hesitated. ¡°but guild master, before that god went into slumber, he only told us to stabilize that rock. he didn¡¯t ask us to¡­¡± panen sneered and waved his hand to interrupt him. ¡°stupid, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. how can we listen to that god¡¯s arrangements? ¡°as long as we can get our hands on the divine artifact fragment, even if we don¡¯t gain anything afterward, we¡¯ll still make a massive profit¡­ moreover, from my observations, if we obediently follow this god¡¯s arrangements, we wouldn¡¯t obtain rewards more than the divine artifact fragments.¡± ¡°what if that god gets angry¡­?¡± ¡°what are you afraid of? we still have a chance to revive anyway. that treasure will expire at the end of this month. and that is when the chance to revive will disappear. it¡¯s a waste not to use it. we will use our expired lives to gamble this time!¡± the flat-faced player calmed down when he heard this. ¡°yes, guild master. i¡¯ll go and urge them immediately.¡± he glanced at the blurry giant figures in the sky and turned around to leave afterward. he wasn¡¯t afraid of any problems with the guide of their guild master. he was a level 17 top-notch big shot. a surprise flashed at this moment. ¡®pfft!¡¯ the sound of something like it fell into the water resounded in everyone¡¯s ears. panen subconsciously looked up and saw those vast figures rush down and disappear. his eyes narrowed when he saw this. he gestured to the meatball-like chubby player beside him. ¡°lead a team to clean up that player¡¯s troop¡­ don¡¯t fail again this time.¡± the meatball-like chubby player laughed. he glanced at the imprisoned players. ¡°that was an accident. i didn¡¯t expect i could cut into pieces with one slash. these guys still have a lot of benefits. i can¡¯t bear to kill them all.¡± he said that, turned around, and walked in another direction. in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the ruins of the collapsed buildings. two large groups of barbarians and a few players appeared behind the meatball-like chubby player. they nodded to panen, and the meatball-like player led the troop to the side with familiarity. all the players who entered this mysterious zone would appear in a fixed place. countless evil half-murlocs surrounded this place. the enemies couldn¡¯t dare to step out of that area. the evil half-murlocs would not attack those who came to help. therefore, they weren¡¯t in haste. they only needed to exert a little pressure to trick them out when they reached there. Chapter 861 most people wouldn¡¯t resist when they heard the name of the heavy shield guild and chose to pay to save their lives. a heavy shield guild unruly troop leader accidentally severed the player into pieces when he refused to obey him only two hours ago. this time, who knew another tough soldier would come? the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s smiling face was like a maitreya buddha. in his heart, he treated this matter as a game. he walked past the collapsed buildings while he hummed and quickly headed toward the area. the meatball-like chubby player frowned. he could faintly hear the roars and sounds of battle. his heart thumped, and an ugly feeling rose. ¡°damn it, had an idiot player angered the surrounding evil half-murloc guards? quick, speed up. our efforts would be in vain if that idiot player had angered them¡­¡± he immediately led the troop and sped up. the closer they got, the louder the commotion they heard. the more anxious they became. he wished to have pulled that idiot out and given him a hundred slaps. ¡°f*ck his grandpa. can¡¯t he just stay here and be calm? why did he have to provoke those evil half-murlocs? ¡°didn¡¯t he know that this is a level 15 soldier?¡± he moved quickly in his fury. he bypassed a collapsed church a few minutes after. he suddenly widened his eyes. the heavily evil-half-murloc-surrounded area came into view. however, the meatball-like chubby player froze wide-eyed and open-mouthed when he saw the scene. only one thought striped his mind. ¡®how the f*ck was this possible?!¡¯ he saw a group of people outside the city that surrounded the level 15 evil half-murlocs. these troop guards were almost invincible in his eyes! the surrounding people currently massacred them! yes, he used the correct term. it was a massacre. a one-sided massacre! figures appeared above the vast platform at the entrance. over a thousand stone statues of the dead flapped their wings and hovered in the air. they carried tomahawks that appeared furnace-purified weapons, and dark chains wrapped their arms. those stone statues of the dead reflected the luster of the rocks. ¡®hualala!¡¯ they incessantly tossed their battle tomahawks. the dark chains released ear-piercing screeches as they drove them. they chopped the evil half-murlocs into halves with their weapons at every within-the-range throw. these guards could even float! they would even explode when those battle tomahawks flew into a crowded area. that was even more soul-tormenting. that¡¯s right, an explosion! the metallic storm enveloped the densely-packed evil half-murlocs at each of the explosive battle tomahawks. each explosion of the attribute would cause a multitude of casualties. blood exploded in the sky, and limbs flew everywhere. the scene was like a fireworks show. multi-colored flowers of death bloomed for each of the explosive battle tomahawks. a vast area would appear before them when the blood splattered on the ground. the god stationed more than five large teams of evil half-murloc soldiers here. the heavy shield guild troops would have to pay a massive price to take down this force. however, this troop could form a black tide that fell like chopped grasses. that was even more fragile than dry grass before the heart-wrenching sight and soul-devouring power of the stone statues of the dead. the grim reaper harvested souls. ¡°how¡­how is that possible? ¡°that, who is that f*cking player? ¡°the evil half-murlocs is a top-tier level 15 soldier¡­¡± the few players around suffered an even more terrifying impact at this moment. their voices trembled as they continuously cried out in fear. disbelief and shock filled the eyes that reflected the bloody battlefield. they envisioned a relaxed and enjoyable game like the previous dozen times. but this had become a horrible paradise now. the considerable contrast was unacceptable to them. a figure roared at this moment. ¡®roar!¡¯ a soul-extinguishing roar resounded through the sky. a bloody tongue of flame shot out into the sky afterward. it stretched for dozens of meters. flames engulfed the evil half-murlocs that charged forward and wanted to fight in close battle range. concentrated sulfuric acid seemed to have soaked the bodies of these top-tier troops and melted instantly. they only had time to release a shrill scream before they turned into blood. the stone statues of the dead cleared a fan-shaped area of the evil half-murloc troops when the flames disappeared. they peeped at the gap, and a terrifying lifeform appeared before them. undead dragon. its body burned with crimson flames. it appeared like the flames of hell from afar. its vast body with a wingspan of more than 40 meters gave off a suffocating pressure as it flew in the sky. their legs weakened at the sight of the unavoidable surge of the dragon might. hundreds of small-scale undead dragons surrounded them. that was even more terrifying. the giant dragon! it had discovered them! that was shocking! the giant dragon flapped his broken dragon wings and flew straight over. it had crossed hundreds of meters and arrived above their heads before they could react. the terrifying white skull looked down at them from the sky. the terrifying dragon might approached, and the fear it brought increased by more than ten times. the ferocious barbarian troop was in a huge commotion. some of them even wanted to turn around and escape in fear. the players were terrified when they saw this scene. the newly arrived troop also hunted the evil half-murlocs, and this undead dragon alone had already caused their troops to collapse in fear. ¡°who the hell was this?¡± the meatball-like chubby player looked up and saw a blurry figure amidst the crimson energy of the undead dragon. that mysterious existence was the master of this troop. he opened the attribute panel and could only see the player¡¯s signature panel. the other attributes were all question marks. the meatball-like chubby player felt the barbarian warriors¡¯ morale almost dropped. he bit his tongue and forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart. he raised his head and shouted. ¡°brother, we are the heavy shield guild of the northern barbarian empire. our guild master is known as the strongest barbarian player, panen. he is a level 17 ancient barbarian!! ¡°you must have heard of guild master panen¡¯s name!¡± ¡°brother, don¡¯t get us wrong. we¡¯ve all accepted the unexpected task of helping the gods escape. we can unite.¡± ¡°this mission is arduous. we need to gather our strength together¡­¡± the meatball-like chubby player heard a casual voice before he could finish. ¡°who told you i¡¯m here to help this god escape?¡± ¡°was it to protect the god of trouble?¡± the voice startled the meatball-like chubby player for a moment. then the player looked at the stone statues of the dead troops as they slaughtered the remaining evil half-murlocs. a chill ran down his spine and into his mind. ¡®are they here to hunt gods?¡¯ Chapter 862 the moment this thought arose. that meatball-like chubby player subconsciously wanted to deny it. ¡°what level of existence was a god?¡± the overlord of this world, he was the well-deserved ruler. his single glance could destroy a city. they would not dare to have any disloyalty towards god¡¯s remnant soul, even if the heavy shield guild had transcendents to rely on. the difference was simply too enormous! the meatball-like chubby player saw the stone statues of the dead creatures slaughter the level 15 evil half-murlocs like lambs before he could confirm his thoughts. the guests must have such an ability. at this point, the doubts in his mind became even more intense. ¡°who is this player? ¡°how could he possess such powerful strength??¡± he took a few deep breaths and suppressed the fear in his heart. he said slowly. ¡°big brother, no matter which mission the demon chooses, i don¡¯t think we¡¯ll become enemies¡­ the heavy shield guild likes to deal with experts like you.¡± he fixed his mind and said as calmly as possible. ¡°guild master panen is a transcendent¡¯s disciple and generously respects the strong¡­¡± these words were tricks, but the essence beneath was to use their guild master to frighten and intimidate them and remind them what kind of enemies they were if they decided to run against them. ¡°the heavy shield guild is spearheaded by and nurtured transcendents!¡± the meatball-like chubby player finished speaking, and the figure on the undead dragon¡¯s back said with a playful tone, ¡°oh? a disciple of a transcendent! that must be terrifying!¡± ¡®was that fear?¡¯ the meatball-like chubby player revealed a smile uglier than crying. he was about to respond when the blurry figure on the undead dragon¡¯s back said again, ¡°clear out these barbarians!¡± that shocked the meatball-like chubby player. he turned oblivious before he could deliver the order to counterattack. something happened in the next moment. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the undead dragon flew above them and suddenly opened its huge mouth. the blood dragon breath gushed out from his throat. a tongue of fire dozens of meters long drawn out under the high pressure. then, the dragon hero¡¯s a-rank skill convexed the barbarian troop behind him. ¡®thud!¡¯ it was like a flamethrower shot an ice statue, and the pot of oil caught it. it was like cold water dripped into that seething pot. the barbarian troop instantly melted. the iron tower-like warrior did not last a second before it turned into blood. the undead dragon hero in front of him attacked, and hundreds of dragons two sizes smaller behind also attacked. the shattered dragon wings flapped and stirred up a strong airflow. these evil lifeforms swooped down from the sky, and hundreds of tongues of fire covered the ground. from a distance, the blood dragon breath weaved into a dense spider web. that melted the barbarian warriors on the surface. the barbarian warriors ranked first in battle strength among melee fighters of the same level. however, the power of the higher-level dragon melted their force before they could even use it. the dragon¡¯s attack speed was sternly fast. it flapped its wings, and its blood dragon breath spread along with its flight speed. that was a more exaggerated massacre than hunting the evil half-murlocs. ¡°tomahawk slash!!¡± the meatball-like chubby finally returned to his senses when he saw the troop bury the enemies in the corrosive blood dragon breath. the hysterical roars echoed from the dragon¡¯s furious drones and the barbarian¡¯s excruciating screams. the remaining barbarian warriors suddenly jolted. the undead dragon subconsciously took off the tomahawk slash behind them. as the fear and unwillingness in its heart fermented, it must have found an outlet. its body leaned back, and its muscles bulged like a spring. that compressed to the limit. it transmitted the tremendous power from his waist to his wrist and then to its tomahawk. it threw out its tomahawk. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sound of air that tore apart was deafening. the tomahawk cut through the sky and hit the skeletal blood dragon that breathed blood dragon breath at a low altitude. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks flew everywhere. these immense-powered tomahawks struck metal and produced a clanging sound. the skeleton blood dragon that hit did not die as expected. the sharp tomahawk only left a few scratches on it. the skeleton blood dragon was enraged after the attack. dragon roars resounded throughout the world as the unbridled dragon might pressed down. the range of the exaggerated flames expanded once again. the massacre resumed. the death and hopelessness of the multitude of barbarians dropped their morale to the freezing point. the pressure of the dragon might corrupted them. they collapsed. the first to react was the barbarian warriors at the back. fear engulfed their eyes as they put down their weapons and ran back. even if the overseers angrily rebuked them and wanted to stabilize the residents. however, his instinct to survive overwhelmed their fear of military orders. the appearance of the first deserter became the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. the resistance of the barbarian troop collapsed, and they fled in groups. a tragic defeat. the meatball-like chubby player exchanged glances with his companions unaffected by the blood dragon breath. they saw the horror in the opponent¡¯s eyes. the troop they brought with them? has it gone? two groups of barbarian warriors had an average level of 12. had the opponent¡¯s wave of attacks defeated them? moreover, it was a defeat without any temper. the barbarians couldn¡¯t find an excuse even if they wanted to. that was the purest form of strength suppression. the barbarians¡¯ sole counterattack was to throw back the battle tomahawks. they could not even break these undead dragons. they could no longer use words to describe their current feelings. Chapter 863 could the gap between people be that huge? ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a vast wave of air swept over, and the ground suddenly raised a speck of suffocating gray dust. the meatball-like chubby player choked and coughed twice, then subconsciously turned his head. a vast shadow swooped down from the sky and enveloped them. he wanted to dodge, but the endless dragon might suppressed him. he did not even have the strength to move his feet. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ his vision suddenly blurred, and the sound of flapping wings exploded in his ears. his body tensed up. he felt the rapid rise of his sight in the next moment. the ground moved away from him. that suppressed the fear in his heart. he turned his head and saw that he was already in a crimson state. above him was a body made of golden bones. that undead dragon hero. the enemy captured them. the meatball-like chubby player sighed. shame and embarrassment engulfed his heart. he suddenly recalled when he came just now. he still thought about how to extort this player. ¡®get more benefits back.¡¯ he thought the unexpected guests had angered the evil half-murlocs when he heard the commotion on the battlefield. he was afraid the other party could take and hang him up. however, he did not expect such an ending. what did he mean by the evil half-murlocs dying? the unexpected guests slaughtered those level 15 soldiers like they were dogs. moreover, the other party didn¡¯t send its main force out. they only sent out a hundred undead dragons but defeated the 2,000 barbarian troop he was generously proud of. he sighed in his heart. he felt a deep sense of helplessness before a powerful and unreasonable opponent. he barely turned his head and looked at the central area. he had generously trusted his guild master. a level 17 barbarian was enough for him to dominate over tens of billions of players. however, an encounter with this unreasonable troop and that extremely mysterious player made him suffer inexplicable melancholy and considerable exhaustion at this moment. the level 17 barbarians were nothing but froth before this troop. the dragon¡¯s claws grabbed and squeezed the four players. the meatball-like chubby felt uneasy, and the other three weren¡¯t any better. they felt greater fear with those troops that had suddenly appeared. his boss seemed to be just slow-witted. this undead dragon hero was level 15. the enemy¡¯s troop that hunted the evil half-murlocs were all crown 3-stars and had reached level 15. how should they fight this battle? richard no longer delved too deeply into the change in the players¡¯ attitudes. he wasn¡¯t even aware that the skeleton blood dragons easily defeated the barbarian troop. the enemy was too weak, and he was not interested at all. he looked at the troop that fought the evil half-murlocs behind him and frowned. ¡°hurry up and end the battle. ¡°there was no need to waste time on this guard troop.¡± richard finished speaking. they received the order. the attack of the stone statues of the dead instantly increased by more than ten times. they flapped their wings and quickly flew forward. the frequency of the battle tomahawk skyrocketed. the evil half-murlocs, who already couldn¡¯t withstand damage, swiftly fell. the stone statues of the dead broke through the defensive line of the evil half-murlocs behind them in less than a minute and devoured the top-tier soldiers of five large teams. there were no twilight city troop casualties. the players silently observed the terrifying damage the battle had caused. alves¡¯s giant claw sent chills down their spines. corpses of the evil half-murlocs filled the ground as far as the eye could see. the battle area bore no single stone statue corpse. they could only watch as some evil half-murlocs surrounded the stone statues of the dead whose bodies were on the verge of shattering. their bodies returned to normal in a few breaths after they left the battle. they appeared imperishable. one could see from this battle the exaggerated foundation of this troop. the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°quick, send a private message to guild master¡­ we¡¯re in big trouble this time.¡± ¡°i can¡¯t send a message. i couldn¡¯t open the forum once i entered this area¡­¡± he heard his companion¡¯s words. the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s heart sank, and an ugly feeling rose. he saw the surrounding stone statues of the dead him from the corner of his eye. then, the scene on the ground began to retreat. suddenly, he felt a strong sense of weightlessness. that released the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s shackles after he felt dizzy. he subconsciously looked around out of fear. undead dragons emitted crimson energy and stepped on golden bones not far away. ¡°had the mysterious player mounted the giant dragon?¡± he saw a blurry figure beside him under the surging crimson energy in his panic. he couldn¡¯t visibly see it. that gave off a strong sense of mystery and oppression. ¡°could this be the mysterious player? ¡°has the remnant soul of that god awakened?¡± an indifferent voice suddenly sounded. the pressure on people in this environment multiplied. the meatball-like chubby player took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. he incessantly encouraged himself that he still had a life and could be resurrected. he knew he had a way out, but the pressure that penetrated generously into his soul still made his legs tremble. ¡°brother, i¡¯ll tell you again¡­ the heavy shield guild orchestrated this mission at a massive price. we welcome you to join us. but he wouldn¡¯t like it if you desire to monopolize him. he has an ugly temper. i suggest you reconsider. Chapter 864 the meatball-like chubby player was terrified, but he couldn¡¯t lose to others verbally. the three players beside him nodded in unison. ¡°as a level 17 barbarian, guild master panen¡¯s battle power was already heaven-defying, and had an even stronger mentor. richard glanced at the side with a half-smile. then, he looked at the players. his tone was casual. ¡°that disciple of a transcendent¡­ what kind of existence is transcendent? where is he?¡± ¡°so what if that transcendent barbarian is here? how would he interfere in this matter?¡± these words made the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s companions feel embarrassed and angry. ¡°what kind of existence is transcendent?¡± ¡°he is a top-notch expert who could destroy a city.¡± the barbarians regarded the heavy shield guild as their mightiest infinite protector. now, this guy suddenly appeared and dared to look down on transcendents?! it was like a foot stepped on their heads. and then he bent down to slap their big mouths. they could not look down on transcendents like that. no matter how powerful the mystery player was. richard¡¯s overbearing confidence immediately infuriated them. ¡°f*ck! do you know what you¡¯re saying? transcendents are incomparable no matter how mighty your troop is! ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your tongue? tell me who you are. i¡¯d like to see how much ability you have to brag like this.! ¡°let alone transcendents. our guild master could stomp you to death with one foot even if it were a one-on-one battle!!¡± ¡°i¡¯m dying of laughter¡­¡± the meatball-like chubby player was dumbfounded. richard¡¯s mouth curled as he looked at the few incompetent and furious guys. ¡°then, become an audience¡­ i will witness how your guild master, that noble transcendent disciple, trample the enemies into dust.¡± richard finished speaking and waved his hand. he let the few of them fall under alves¡¯s claws again. he no longer wanted to argue with a few weaklings. he did not care who the other party was. they would have to face the wrath of twilight city as long as they stood on the side of the god. the troop quickly moved towards the central area. he looked down and saw large areas of collapsed buildings on the ground. he saw some of the buildings lucky enough not to have survived to have an ancient aura. it was like they narrated some old secrets. richard sensed carefully and found a strange aura in this area. it was like they walked into the kingdom of death. and these ancient buildings were the work of the grim reaper. that subtle feeling was hard to describe. they would find several evil half-murlocs swimming in the void every time they advanced. the battle just now had alerted more guards. richard waved his hand calmly. twilight city troops began to slaughter again. ****** the level 17 barbarian panen was stunned when he heard the news of his troop¡¯s defeat. ¡°what kind of joke was this? how could there be a mistake in such an operation?¡± he immediately summoned a few barbarian soldiers who had escaped and asked them. he focused his gaze and discovered the fear on their faces. ¡°how could he scare a barbarian like this? who was that mystery player?¡± he frowned. ¡°are those enemies generously mighty?¡± the leader of the barbarian soldiers said in horror. ¡°master, he is indeed generously mighty¡­ the undead dragons among the enemies that suddenly appeared were the most powerful! ¡°the enemy¡¯s dragon breath is atrociously corrosive. we couldn¡¯t block at all. they slayed a multitude of our own. ¡°and thousands of gargoyles accompanied them¡­ those gargoyles were just as powerful. they attacked the evil half-murlocs at that time¡­¡± the players beside him were stunned for a moment. disbelief engulfed their face. ¡°what did you say? that new player didn¡¯t just attack us? he even attacked the evil half-murlocs that guarded the passage?¡± the barbarian warrior nodded, then shook his head. ¡°no, no, no. the troops didn¡¯t attack the evil half-murlocs¡­¡± the expressions of the few players eased up sparingly after he said that. that immediately made their hearts wrestle. ¡°they massacred them!¡± the barbarian warrior said with certainty. ¡°that¡¯s right! massacred them!¡± ¡°it was a one-sided massacre, those evil half-murlocs¡­they couldn¡¯t form an effective single counterattack. the stone statues of the dead casually slaughtered all of them!¡± he looked behind him with a hint of fear as he said this. it was like he feared the enemies to capture him. ¡°they had slaughtered more than half of those evil half-murlocs before they faced and defeated us¡­ i¡¯m afraid not a single one is left now.¡± ¡°guild master, we need to make preparations¡­ they¡¯re coming soon!¡± the more he spoke, the more terrified he became. he still felt unsafe even though the heavy shield guild soldiers surrounded him. panen¡¯s expression turned ugly. he didn¡¯t expect such a big mistake would occur in this operation that was almost certain to succeed. who was that mystery player who suddenly appeared? that was the biggest problem. why did he possess such power? they slaughtered more than five teams of evil half-murlocs that guarded that area. one would have to pay a massive price to clear. but now, he received information that made his mouth go dry! the mystery player slaughtered evil half-murlocs. that immediately made him feel immense pressure. that was a player force that wasn¡¯t inferior to the heavy shield guild. it was even mightier than the heavy shield guild! ¡°guild master, should we counterattack now?¡± the few higher-ups of the heavy shield guild beside him stared straight at panen. this news made them feel a little scared. at this moment, they shouldn¡¯t attack unscrupulously. Chapter 865 ¡°guild master¡­¡± panen waved his hand and interrupted their suggestions. his tone was stern and confident. ¡°no matter who it is, it couldn¡¯t dictate the heavy shield guild to retreat!¡± a scroll appeared in his hand as he spoke. ¡°our reliance is not something an ordinary player can imagine.¡± their eyes became extremely hot when they saw the scroll. ¡°guild master panen!!¡± this scroll could summon panen¡¯s teacher, the famous transcendent barbarian in the northern barbarian empire! their initially wandering thoughts immediately calmed down. each no longer had objections. the mysterious enemy that suddenly appeared could no longer cause any waves, even if he were from a more expansive guild with a transcendent as panen¡¯s trump card. transcendents were existences at the level of nuclear weapons. no one should provoke him! panen did something that surprised them while the other players felt excited. he exerted force with both hands and tore the scroll. the scroll exploded with boundless energy and caused the surrounding space to fluctuate. ¡®bang!¡¯ a fist the size of a sandbag suddenly smashed out from the space. a strong arm pierced through space. then, the area was like shattered glass and mirrors. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ it exploded. in the next second, a barbarian over 2.5 meters tall and as strong as an iron tower came through space. the newly appeared barbarian wore tight leather armor and tightly clenched fists. intense fighting spirit filled his amber eyes. it was like one had tied up his hair like steel needles. the ferocious and violent aura made it difficult for people to breathe. one could sense his atrocious power just at the sight of his aura. it was a humanoid beast. the players widened their eyes, and excitement engulfed their faces at the sight of this scene. ¡°transcendent!¡± their guild master had recruited transcendents without any hesitation!! ¡°guild master panen was awesome!¡± ¡°this boldness was too explosive!¡± the newly appeared transcendent barbarian floated in the air and swept his gaze around. he stopped on panen. the muffled voice said, ¡°panen, the aura here seems odd. is this the special area where gods exist that you told me about?¡± panen nodded and briefly described the current situation. he had summoned the newly arrived barbarian because he had planned this. his goal was naturally to obtain more benefits in this mysterious area. however, the sudden appearance of that mysterious player caused him to weigh things up first. that mysterious player was a member of the great force. panen could use his trump card to kill the other party in advance as a precaution. he wouldn¡¯t be wily if he waited until he was at the end of his rope and his subordinates were dead before using his trump card. he would be purely retarded. since he had a card that could kill the opponent in the first wave, why should he pay a higher price? the transcendent barbarian smiled after he heard this. ¡°not bad, you¡¯ve grown.¡± he looked at the square not far away with a solemn gaze. ¡°one had sealed an arm there. ¡°it involves gods¡­ any degree of caution could not be excessive. ¡°it will attack outsiders directly. ¡°only without the interference of outsiders can one explore this area with ease.¡± the newly arrived barbarian glanced at panen again. ¡°don¡¯t worry. everything that belongs to you will belong only to you. i¡¯m only pursuing greater power.¡± that instantly energized the other players when they heard this. it was a sure thing this time. they couldn¡¯t imagine how they could lose with the guarantee of a transcendent!! the mysterious player could defeat thousands of level-15 evil half-murlocs and destroy two large groups of barbarian warriors. but against transcendents! there would only be one outcome¨Cbloody death. a player couldn¡¯t fight against a transcendent at this stage!! the appearance of this powerful protector gave them unprecedented confidence. a deep dragon roar came from the front at this moment. the sounds of intense fighting rose at the same time. panen subconsciously looked up. the evil half-murlocs came from all directions and swarmed toward the sound. these top-tier troops swam in the air like locusts and formed an oppressive black tide. it was also like the scene of thousands of cars fed in a park. one could only see a dense patch of land from the ground that covered the entire sky. that player was here! ¡°guild master, why don¡¯t we gather the troop?¡± a player in his early forties asked hesitantly. everyone would usually stay in their respective territories if it weren¡¯t a large-scale mission, although the heavy shield guild had multitudes. it couldn¡¯t gather hundreds of thousands of troops for any single mission. therefore, panen only brought two legions of troops with him this time. these level 15 level troops in the mysterious area cannot make any waves. the number has no bearing. ¡°there¡¯s no need for that for now. continue to set up at various key locations to prevent any mess from happening. we must guard the central hall well. one mustn¡¯t awaken the divine power midway.¡± the other party immediately nodded and assigned the task. the sight of the transcendent barbarian had already swept the anxiety in the few people¡¯s hearts away. that even intensified their expectation. Chapter 866 ¡°he finally broke through the obstacles of the evil half-murlocs after all the hardships, he thought to harvest generous spoils of war. however, what awaits him would be an unconquerable enemy.¡± his expression was neatly interesting. panen wanted to see this scene unfold. the corners of their mouths curled up. the sounds of fighting on the battlefield gradually approached as time passed. the evil half-murlocs formed a black tide, and a giant spearhead blasted this. one couldn¡¯t see the battlefield from afar because of the unbearable number of troops. however, the sky incessantly dropped evil half-murloc corpses like raindrops. the scene was quite exaggerated. panen paid close attention and did not see a single corpse of the mysterious player¡¯s troop fall into the sky after being killed. that made him feel strange. an indescribable complexity settled in his heart. the strength of this player was beyond his expectations. they would kill their way out against such a level of attack. moreover, the number of evil half-murloc¡¯s deaths was almost negligible. ¡°how mighty was the other party¡¯s true strength?!¡± the evil half-murlocs guild was at least one level higher than the heavy shield guild. only then could they gather a troop of this level. panen would suffer more than this if he had to face a multitude of evil half-murlocs. his emotions fluctuated, and his eyes couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time. his five fingers subconsciously pierced his palm. he felt immense pressure, although he hadn¡¯t seen that mysterious player yet. panen neatly sighed. he glanced at the transcendent barbarian that arrived beside him and heaved a sigh of much relief. his heart was overjoyed instead. ¡°everything would be illusory before the transcendents!!¡± a strong desire to destroy the mysterious player resided in his heart. ¡°he must have put in a generous effort to accumulate such a powerful troop, right? ¡°wouldn¡¯t he be in despair? when one destroyed everything he had?¡± many people had the evil side of gloating over the misfortune of those who did well. the battle in the sky lasted for more than half an hour. the evil half-murlocs were like swimming fishes against overlapping waves of charges, but they could not defeat the mysterious player¡¯s troop. the more they fought, the more shocked panen and heavy shield guild became. the mysterious troop was too mighty. so strong that it was even difficult to accept. the multitudes of half-muloc soldiers failed to defeat their opponents after half an hour or more of siege. their number in the sky began to shrink. the black dots in the sky swiftly decreased. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ suddenly, a strong wind blew. they looked ahead, and a terrifying sandstorm pierced through the evil half-murloc troops. giant sandstorm thorns flew at an exaggerated speed under the twist of the hurricane. the sandstorm seized the evil half-murlocs while the sandstorm thorns caused damage to them. the evil half-murlocs were destitute of defense. they immediately spat out blood, and the opponents tore their bodies into shreds. the sandstorm was like a meat grinder. it devoured all life around it. the sandstorm seemed to have a life of its own. they would move wherever the evil half-murlocs were. the evil half-murlocs did not dare to dodge and scatter in resisting intruders. only to be swept by the sandstorm. the massacre followed. a vast gap finally appeared before the murlocs when the sandstorm swipesided. that allowed the heavy shield guild players to see what was happening on the battlefield. the stone statues of the dead emitted a cold, stony aura, flapped their wings, and hurled out scorching tomahawks. the dark chains around their arms produced an ear-piercing friction sound in each attack. the battle tomahawks tore through the enemies and reached an extreme distance. each would explode afterward. a vast range of effects caused damage to nearby evil half-murlocs. it was equally damaging. hundreds of undead dragons spat out corrosive dragon breath. that enveloped all the evil half-murlocs like one splashed concentrated sulfuric acid wherever it passed. their bodies directly rotted, and only white bones remained in between breaths. other than that, hundreds of mummies floated in the air with several swords around them. these soldiers seemed to control the sword beside him with mind. they swung them agilely in the air, and the evil half-murloc could not even get within 10 meters of them. the cooperation of several soldiers attacked the evil half-murloc troop seem so powerless. these level 15 troops relied on their progress and could not even touch their opponents. a mere proximity to the opponents would slaughter them instantly. the close-range attacks of those troops weren¡¯t inferior to long-range in the slightest. the evil half-murloc¡¯s only long-range attack was to throw the tridents in their hands. however, due to the limitations of their weapons, they could only attack once. that could reduce them to toothless hounds afterward. moreover, even if these tridents hit the target, they would not cause fatal damage. the gargoyles and the undead dragons would still be alive and kicking even if weapons tore their stomachs and broke their spines as long as the vitals remained unsevered. the outnumbered troops pressed and crushed the evil half-murlocs to the ground for various unfathomable reasons. that was not an opponent of the same level. this thought arose when everyone in the heavy shield guild saw this scene. Chapter 867 the mysterious troops used extreme violence to kill the evil half-murlocs. ¡®gulp!¡¯ panen subconsciously swallowed his saliva. the level-17 barbarian was mighty but didn¡¯t sense safety before the troops. he felt the mobilization of any of his troops would cause an enormous danger to him. that included even the least number of undead dragons. the expression of a player beside him at this moment changed drastically. he said fearfully afterward, ¡°guild master, do you think this troop¡­ does it look familiar?¡± ¡°familiar?¡± panen was stunned for a moment. he frowned slightly afterward. that reminder convinced the troop seemed sparingly familiar. however, he had so many things to deal with. he didn¡¯t dare think of anything. ¡°what did you find?¡± the player gestured anxiously. ¡°guild master, those stone statues of the dead with tomahawks. each throw of their tomahawk follows a massive explosion. is that not familiar?¡± ¡°and those undead dragons, their appearances haven¡¯t changed much.¡± ¡°you¡¯re looking at those sandstorms¡­¡± panen frowned. ¡°what are you talking about?¡± ¡°what do you mean by did he mean by ¡®familiar or not¡­¡¯?¡± ¡°hmm, sandstorm?¡± suddenly, he nearly recalled a scene in his mind several months ago. he turned to look at the player and blurted out subconsciously. ¡°qingqiu?!!¡± his tone sounded sharp because he was too surprised. the battle tomahawks as weapons, explosion after a throw, undead dragons, and sandstorms. weren¡¯t these elements from the person who countless players regarded as the number one player? that shocked the surrounding players. they froze wide-eyed and open-mouthed. they looked over. he tried to spot similarities between the top-notch troops and the mysterious figure in his memory. the more he looked, the more familiarity he felt. ¡°this fellow¡­it seemed to be qingqiu. f*ck, we¡¯ve met a big fish this time!!¡± ¡°no wonder he¡¯s so strong. he can run amok under the siege of tens of thousands of evil half-murlocs. perhaps only qingqiu could do this!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to meet qingqiu here. the strongest player among the players is indeed worthy of his reputation. i haven¡¯t heard from him for a few months, but he has reached such a level¡­¡± the heavy shield guild players gradually came to their senses after a horde of exclamation. ¡°qingqiu! the enemy is qingqiu??!!¡± a different thought gradually surfaced in panen¡¯s mind following the initial shock. ¡®this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!¡¯ the city had a transcendent overseeing them, although qingqiu was strong. a thought that quickened his breathing rose in his mind. ¡°slay qingqiu!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, with a transcendent here, so what if the opponent was qingqiu?!¡± panen could obtain the highest honor if he could slaughter the highly-acknowledged strongest player. how much praise would the heavy shield guild receive? they could use this opportunity to develop into the strongest guild in the barbarian empire!! no one wouldn¡¯t miss this temptation. the young and unknown from the heavy shield guild liked to fight those famous experts because they could obtain considerable respect and reputation if they defeated them. the heavy shield guild was still a far cry from qingqiu, although it wasn¡¯t weak. that was an existence that had shocked countless players. ¡°guild master¡­¡± everyone turned to look at panen. the subordinate panted and waited for his order. intense excitement immersed panen. he didn¡¯t expect that the person who came was qingqiu. the others realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and so did he. the joy in his heart almost overflowed his chest. he would undoubtedly reach the top of the player rankings if he were to trample on qingqiu. this level of glory was irresistible to a guild master. panen turned around and looked at the transcendent barbarian beside him. he suppressed the joy in his heart. he said, ¡°teacher¡­the lord who led the undead troops was a powerful enemy. he had a great reputation among all the grace mainland lords. he was known as the number one overlord.¡± the transcendent barbarian narrowed his eyes and looked at the undead dragon with a wingspan of more than 40 meters on the battlefield. the blurry figure behind the giant dragon still made him feel sparingly special, although immeasurable distances separated them. ¡°he is qingqiu? i¡¯ve heard this name more than ten times¡­¡± the influence of such a large group of grace mainland lords incessantly increased. a multitude publicly acknowledged qingqiu as the number one overlord. he was a famous figure at the tables of the various major powers. ¡°what do you want to do?¡± panen¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°slay him!¡± ¡°the heavy shield guild should trample on his cadaver and advance further!¡± panen couldn¡¯t wait to destroy the first player. ¡°qingqiu must die with a transcendent in my hands and a remarkable place!¡± his eyes burned as he looked at the troop that flew over. the joy in his heart almost exploded. ¡°qingqiu, you didn¡¯t expect this, right? my teacher is transcendent! ¡°moreover, he is here! hahaha!!!¡± Chapter 868 the players of the heavy shield guild were shocked. the twilight city troop had utterly broken through the defensive line of the evil half-murlocs and left only a few scattered in the air. however, the deadly weapons still captured them. battle tomahawks whistled out and slayed each of the remaining evil half-murlocs. the scene returned to silence after a series of screams. the sandstorm in the sky slowly rotated, and the undead dragon exponentially soared. the gargoyles gripped their battle tomahawks tightly again, and the king mummies gathered their floating battle swords by their sides. dilapidated buildings stood behind the ferocious troops. scarlet corpses fell one after another in the ruins. the war scattered broken limbs and blood everywhere. they turned the already dilapidated walls into hell. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sound of flapping wings reverberated from afar. the gargoyles and mummies regrouped and slowly approached. the corpses became their footboard. the troop that came with glorious troop achievements had suffocating pressure. the heavy shield guild players felt the pressure and became even more excited. each step of the opponents was a step into the abyss. they would witness a historic scene! qingqiu would fall! this noble soldier was about to perish before the other players¡¯ watchful eyes. the heavy shield guild would step over the sole overlord¡¯s corpse and become a top-tier guild! panen couldn¡¯t suppress the excitement in his heart as he watched qingqiu get increasingly closer. ¡°teacher, for qingqiu to establish a remarkable reputation among the players, his methods must be transcendent¡­ he could have a treasure that could revive them. ¡°do you have a solution? ¡°our actions will likely be letting the tiger return to the mountain if they escape¡­ it would cause a lot of trouble if he retaliated.¡± they witnessed the scene just now and had already crushed the contempt for qingqiu. panen wasn¡¯t confident he could defeat qungqiu even though he had already reached level 17. he didn¡¯t even have the mood to compare himself to the sole overlord. qingqiu was too terrifying. parton was as strong as an iron tower. his weather armor bulged with muscles as if it would explode the soonest. that was a humanoid beast. no one could imagine the destructive power it would cause once it attacked. parton said in a low voice, ¡°don¡¯t worry¡­ i will leave a mark on the opponent¡¯s soul before i slay him.¡± ¡°i can track whether he revived and then wipe his territory out.¡± the heavy shield guild was a guild that the transcendent barbarian had nurtured. it had already obtained considerable influence until now. there would be endless possibilities if it continued to grow. this opportunity to reinforce the heavy shield guild to a higher level was a pure profit. the saying went to echo it would be a disgrace to the transcendents to deal and not defeat a grace mainland overlord, hehe. it would be worthless¡­ barbarians weren¡¯t like those human nobles who loved to save face. parton wouldn¡¯t feel any pressure even if he had to kill an innocent child just to achieve his goal, let alone a grace mainland overlord. it was a pity that the treasure he would engrave with grace mainland overlord could not bear his power. he wouldn¡¯t need to be so cautious if he could resurrect and gain more lives. panen jolted highly spirited. he was overjoyed! good, the transcendent barbarian would fill the gap! he looked back at the approaching twilight city troop and became even more excited. that refreshed his feeling. he had sensed he had everything in his hand. ¡°qingqiu still had no idea what awaited him, right?¡± the thought of being able to bury this glorious number one player made his heart overflow with excitement. ¡°qingqiu, i will use your corpse to pave the way for the heavy shield guild to step onto a higher stage!¡± the heavy shield guild players were excited, nervous, and expectant. twilight city troops had swept the evil half-murlocs away and finally approached. the undead dragon hero with a wingspan of more than 40 meters withstood at the center. it flapped its broken dragon wings and flew straight over. the undead dragon slowly stopped a hundred meters away. its colossal body burned with crimson flames. its purely golden bones gave off an indestructible aura. an unbridled dragon might gushed out like a tsunami. the fierce and powerful troops in the rear brought about a deterrent force that continued to rise. then the undead dragon hovered in the air and confronted the troops in the rear. its aura directly gained the upper hand. the pressure of the giant dragon pressed their souls down. they could have already thought of how to escape if it weren¡¯t for the transcendent that stood behind them. panen sighed and stepped forward. he raised his head and looked at the sky. his tone was cold. ¡°qingqiu, you shouldn¡¯t have come here. ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have offended the heavy shield guild! ¡°we are not beings you could offend! ¡°the heavy shield guild has dominated the northern barbarian empire a half a year or more, and no one has ever dared to provoke them. ¡°i will punish you if you make a mistake¡­¡± the blurry figure on the undead dragon¡¯s back glanced at him indifferently. ¡°are you done?¡± the righteous and stern panen was about to put on a show to brag in the forum. suddenly, he almost vomited blood with this light sentence. Chapter 869 ¡°this f*cker was arrogant!!¡± a few heavy shield guild players beside panen saw the guild master¡¯s ugly expression. they immediately quivered and reprimanded qingqiu. ¡°qingqiu, you scum, do you know who you are talking to right now??¡± ¡°our heavy shield guild is not something you can look down on!!¡± ¡°hehe, i¡¯m dying of laughter. you are about to dance at the grave. but you still pretended to be tough! i want to see how long you can hold on to your arrogance!¡± ¡°no way, no way. you can¡¯t be invincible, right?¡± a thought of a transcendent barbarian beside these idiots energized them. this big shot is going to support them. at least, they thought. it was rare for one to scold qingqiu beneath the fear of death they tried to hide. a strong sense of boost rose in their hearts. they would trample qingqiu under their feet no matter what. there would no longer be the so-called number one player from today onwards. the heavy shield guild would become the strongest! panen sneered. ¡°qingqiu, you¡¯re unaware of what truly awaits you! ¡°i looked forward to seeing the so-called number one player buried here today. ¡°i don¡¯t know. what could save you when we trample you like a dog? the undead dragon hero roared before the player could finish his thoughts. endless dragon might gushed out from its body without any restraint. a terrifying crimson energy exploded more than ten meters high. that enraged the dragon hero. the rear troop was also in a state of agitation. the soul fire in their heads burned brightly. they would launch the most brutal attack at the release of the lord¡¯s order. panen felt a perverted pleasure when he saw this scene. a gradual trample on this noble figure would be so addictive. ¡°hahaha! ¡°oh¡­ you?¡± the casual voice sounded from the dragon¡¯s back. panen sneered. ¡°now, you¡¯re still pretending? ¡°you still don¡¯t know what awaits you?¡± panen turned around slightly and respectfully spoke to the iron tower-like figure beside him. ¡°teacher, please take over. let them taste death.¡± panen finished speaking, and the heavy shield guild players beside him also bowed with their hands on their chests. ¡°your excellency parton, please take charge.¡± the 2.5-meter-tall transcendent barbarian parton embraced a mighty stance. he was as muscular as a bull, took a few steps forward, and arrived before everyone. the aura on his body gradually soared. a brutal and violent aura surged like the tides of a great river. that shrouded the entire world in an instant. everyone felt like a world-devouring wild beast had appeared before their eyes in a trance. each of his moves could cause the earth to collapse and mountains to topple. panen glared fiercely at richard. his eyes burned with passion and madness. a spring of uncontrollable excitement and delusion engulfed his tone. ¡°qingqiu, this is my teacher¡­ the transcendent barbarian¨Chis excellency parton, one of the top figures in the northern barbarian empire. ¡°now, do you still dare to offend the grand transcendent barbarian?! ¡°heavy shield guild¡­ how do you plan to provoke him? panen and all the members of the heavy shield guild felt a strong sense of expectancy. ¡°you are outrageous. correct! but we are going to trample you below our feet!! ¡°and we are going to stomp relentlessly!¡± panen usually didn¡¯t talk much, but at this moment, he held a victory scroll and would trample a noble top figure into the mud. it would be arduous to squelch his inner emotions if he couldn¡¯t vent his feelings through words. villains die from their talkative nature. one has to satiate the desire to act tough at this stage because war at its completion would be boring and unmotivating without this. on the contrary, that would heighten the comfort in one¡¯s heart had one worn it. they excitedly waited for twilight city troops to beg for freedom, show fear, and escape in the name of parton alone. the cold voice sounded again. ¡°parton? never heard of it¡­ however, he left northern barbarian empire. so he came here to die. i¡¯d be nice!¡± ¡°a transcendent dares to interfere in the affairs of the gods?¡± that startled the heavy shield players at first. then they stared at the blurry figure on the dragon¡¯s back with their mouths agape. ¡°what did he say again?¡± ¡°this fellow mocked a transcendent??¡± ¡°what kind of joke was this?¡± ¡°and his tone was generously disdainful!!¡± it was like transcendents were just random cats and dogs that loitered everywhere. they were nonsense!! ¡°where did this human earn the confidence to be so arrogant?!!¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°you couldn¡¯t show off to this extent before a transcendent, even though you were qingqiu, right?¡± ¡°was he honestly unafraid of soul execution?¡± ¡°qingqiu, do you know what you¡¯re saying?!¡± ¡°just say so if you want to die. there¡¯s no need to use this method to seek death prematurely. ¡°i honestly admire your courage. i won¡¯t see you off.¡± ¡°you¡¯re a top-grosser in courting death. no one dares to be number two!¡± parton¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡®this grace mainland overlord was honestly¡­ how bold.!¡¯ he looked straight at the undead dragon. his gaze seemed to see through the crimson veil. his tone was indifferent. ¡°you¡¯re the first grace mainland overlord who dares to act so presumptuously before me¡­¡± parton finished speaking, and the crimson energy of the undead dragon gradually dissipated. it revealed a heroic figure with a black-red crown on his head and a dark-patterned cape on his back. Chapter 870 however, his outstanding superior temperament immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. some people were born to be the main characters. he didn¡¯t reveal his body. but he still sternly controlled the situation. ¡°presumptuous¡­ are you even qualified to say that? ¡°a transcendent reached into the desert of death¡­ who gave you such confidence? ¡°humph! a lowly grace mainland overlord dares to mess around before me?!¡± the enraged transcendent barbarian snorted angrily and clenched his fists. his killing intent skyrocketed. his legs suddenly squatted down, and his muscles tensed up like steel. then, he released it like a stretched-to-limit spring. ¡®bang!¡¯ his thick legs stomped on the ground, and a powerful rebound force transmitted to his body. his towering body shot up from the ground like a cannonball. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ it tore through the air and shot into the sky. sonic booms sounded wherever it passed. everyone in the heavy shield guild immediately became excited. that noble figure would become a thing of the past, trampled into the dust. they would write about another noble hero. richard looked at the figure in a flash of lightning as it approached. his tone was calm. ¡°loreinna¡­ life and death do not matter.¡± ¡°as you wish, my lord.¡± a single being has not heard richard¡¯s soft voice. the transcendent barbarian got closer. he sensed the surge of the dragon¡¯s might. a hint of bloodthirstiness and brutality appeared before parton¡¯s eyes. slaughter and battle were the eternal partners of the barbarians. this human overlord would become his prey. however, at this moment, an indescribable sense of danger suddenly rose in his heart. it was like one had pressed a sharp dagger against his throat. the opponent was going to snatch his life the next moment. countless scarlet bats suddenly crawled out from the corpses of the evil half-murlocs on the ground. they rose into the sky. they formed a scarlet storm. the danger increased by ten times. parton glared at a pair of silver eyes that stared at him from the dragon¡¯s back in a trance. no human emotion perched in those eyes. it was like! hunting! he had become the prey. the opponents also had transcendents! this thought arose, and parton felt the dragon hero was a trap set for him. he let out a low growl and forcefully twisted his body in the air. he diverted from his original attack direction. the light refracted and flew to the other end. however, he flew away from the dragon. shocks continued to engulf him. that intense sense of danger still existed. the scarlet bat flew out from the flesh on the ground and madly pounced on him. the danger doubled. parton roared in rage, and blue energy burst out from his body. the ferocious pressure increased tenfold. he punched out. ¡®bang!¡¯ an air cannon exploded in the air. that shattered a multitude of scarlet bats below. his aura was unparalleled. the explosion reduced the scarlet bats by more than half. however, the danger did not cease to cause damage and harm. parton stopped running and turned back. he glared at richard. he couldn¡¯t hide. he had to slay the grace mainland overlord. he wanted to see how well that transcendent had hidden!! the brutal body once again rushed towards alves. the sense of danger soared to the extreme at the same time. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a terrifying pain came behind him as if something had deeply torn his body. the pain incessantly stroke. it quickly spread to the front. ¡®thud!¡¯ a strong smell of blood wafted from the tip of his nose. he looked down and saw a slender blood-covered arm that had pierced through his chest. the excruciating pain made parton¡¯s face contort. he endured the pain and turned around. a vampire unfolded the broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings. her silver hair fluttered in the wind and appeared on the back of the dragon hero. the transcendent barbarian extended a hand into the void. [glorious skill-pale hand.] ¡°vampire archduchess! ¡°the opponent¡¯s transcendent was a dark lifeform?!¡± the players from the heavy shield guild stood behind him and gaped in shock. ¡°how? how was this possible?!¡± someone else pierced through the heart of their transcendent, their reliance?!! they looked at the undead dragon. the figure that flapped its wings made their hearts beat wildly. all of them felt their mouths and tongues had dried. that utterly dumbfounded them. ¡°the other party! the other party owned transcendents also!¡± panen felt a rough and tight squeeze in his heart. pressure wrestled with his breathing. he looked at the transcendent barbarian fidgety. nothing can happen! nothing can happen! ¡®swoosh!¡¯ at some point, a few scarlet bats had already rushed below parton. parton saw a scarlet bat suddenly appear on the vampire archduchess¡¯s spot. the arm that pierced through his chest disappeared at the same time. a dangerous aura surged on the side. he saw a blood-filled figure from the corner of his eye. [fetters¨Cshadow swap] ¡°ah!!¡± parton roared hysterically. the seemed dagger-pierced muscles and heart squirmed violently. that forcefully halted the blood from flowing out. the more that increased the aura and attacked the ghostly figure that had suddenly appeared. [transcendent barbarian] [extraordinary caracteristic: eternal battle intent. any injury, even death, can temporarily freeze, allowing one to maintain the highest battle state.] however, to parton¡¯s surprise, the vampire archduchess incessantly attacked and popped radiant moonlight up. Chapter 871 the corners of his mouth curled into a bloody arc, and the brutal killing intent in his eyes soared a hundred times. ¡°who gave you the courage to fight with the barbarian?!¡± a layer of dark blue-violet energy covered his steel-like arms, and the destructive power instantly increased by more than ten times. ¡°kill!¡± the two sides collided in a flash. the air instantly became blurry. one could only see blurry shadows. it was difficult to see their battle with the naked eye. this scene made everyone in the heavy shield guild feel their hearts drop. ¡°nothing happened!¡± ¡°nothing happened to our most trusted!¡± ¡°something must have pierced the transcendent barbarian¡¯s heart, but she could not topple him!!¡± ¡°that¡¯s what a barbarian should be like!¡± everyone¡¯s emotions rose again as they looked up at the sky in anticipation. panen clenched his fists subconsciously, and his heart beat like a drum in his ears. ¡°so what if you also have a transcendent? a barbarian transcendent is the strongest!!¡± ¡°the enemies couldn¡¯t hurt and slow parton down. he could still obtain the final victory!!¡± the dull sounds of collisions in the center of the battle were like battering rams that struck the ground. the terrifying impact made everyone feel a wave of tightness in the chest. those who were closer even had blood flowed out of the corners of their mouths. loreinna was relatively thin and currently used her soul-executing posture against the barbarian transcendent with his sturdy physique. that was a close battle. parton¡¯s arms created sonic booms. the slender loreina was not inferior to the barbarian transcendent in pure strength! richard¡¯s eyes shone as he watched from behind. he slaughtered the naga king, and loreinna only used two skills to end the battle. she could not unleash her true battle strength. a figure quickened at this moment. parton didn¡¯t expect the vampire archduchess to use such a skill to exhibit her sharpness. loreinna was fearless, but parton increasingly gaped with shock. parton envisioned the vampire archduchess as weak but surprisingly had executed brutality and terror. that made him even more uneasy. each of the eruptions bombarded the void. the vampire archduchess seemed to be ethereal. the opponent was like a hammer in the void even when parton had hit her. his hit could not cause any damage to her, although the power shattered the space. [vampire archduke, loreinna] [level: transcendent] [characteristic: dark apostle. it allows the body to sink into nothingness and to traverse between the material and the shadow plane.] every transcendent could obtain a powerful characteristic. that characteristic increases one¡¯s extraordinary battle strength at an exaggerated rate. parton¡¯s extraordinary characteristic was to freeze injuries and even death. he wanted to maintain his peak condition. parton was extremely unwilling to accept this situation, and the attacks from the other side became increasingly brutal and atrocious. every punch made the space tremble and even crack. the terrifying aftershock of the battle caused the dilapidated buildings on the ground to collapse. dust filled the air and nearly flattened the area. the ferocious power almost brought out the characteristics of the transcendent barbarian to the extreme. he could crush it even if a mountain stood before him. but that wasn¡¯t enough. it was far from enough. the vampire archduke was always in an advantageous position, no matter how fierce his attacks were. all of his attacks were useless. the fierce battle opened the initially sealed wound by a palm-sized cat. fresh blood flowed again. the transcendent barbarian sensed the changes in his body and could no longer sit still. he released a low growl. the 2.5-meter-tall body began to shrink two meters tall in the blink of an eye. the muscles on his body directly caused cracks in the leather armor, and it could collapse at any time. his body shrunk, but his aura soared to the extreme. as the tsunami-like dark blue energy surged, it caused an exaggerated magic tide in the surroundings. loreinna¡¯s silver eyes reflected this scene, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. ¡°finally, i¡¯m interested. it had been a long time since i had slayed a barbarian.¡± her voice carried a hint of laziness. maturity engulfed her high and mighty attitude. this was undoubtedly the uttermost provocation in the eyes of parton. ¡°vampire, you will pay for your arrogance!¡± ¡°barbarian! unyielding!¡± countless inscriptions spread out from his body with a furious roar. it looked like one imprinted them on his skin. those runes filled his power with unspeakable brutality and savagery. that distorted the surrounding space. the ground couldn¡¯t even withstand this pressure. one could hear cracking sounds as spiderweb-like rifts appeared. a large number of buildings from further away collapsed. the fierce aura of the transcendent barbarian filled the world. this transcendent. parton exploded. panen¡¯s face froze open-mouthed and wide-eyed when he saw this. ¡°unyielding?¡± ¡°the unyielding barbarian?¡± this killing move was the power left in the barbarian bloodline by the barbarian god. a barbarian could release it after one had reached a transcendent level. and the power! one could describe it as earth-wrenching! a transcendent barbarian could trample each before its mightiest killing move, no matter who the opponent was!!! it had slaughtered the transcendent vampire! the scene joyously surprised the others. their hearts finally calmed down. they shared delight under the expectations of everyone in the heavy shield guild. the transcendent barbarian¡¯s body was as restless as a volcanic eruption, suddenly stopped. everything ended at this moment. the joy in their hearts had yet to disappear. a figure with a pair of broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and held a long spear flashed past. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a vast head flew into the sky. the blood with high pressure in the headless body sprayed dozens of meters high. the flower of death that bloomed was bright and beautiful. the aura that suppressed the world dissipated. transcendent barbarian. the enemy murdered the transcendent barbarian! the smile on panen¡¯s face froze. the excitement in his heart was like one had poured cold water on the back of his neck in the heavy snow. it was like panan plunged into an ice cellar. he couldn¡¯t control his legs, and he almost swooned over. his teacher was the transcendent barbarian and a top-notch existence with unparalleled battle strength. the enemy chopped his head off on the eve of unleashing his mightiest killing move. moreover, the vampire archduchess murdered him in his sturdiest state. the impact on his heart at this moment was enormously devastating. ¡°that was a f*cking transcendent!¡± he could have died less miserably even if the enemy toppled him. he felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity and absent-mindedness in his heart. panen held absolute confidence before qingqiu arrived. he declared a trample on the enemies¡¯ corpses and to rise to a higher level. but richard¡¯s troop beheaded the transcendent barbarian in battle. his previous thoughts seemed absurd against the headless corpse in the sky. step on qingqiu¡¯s cadaver? ¡°i¡¯ll step on your mother¡¯s bucket!¡± [blood freeze (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can freeze the blood in the target¡¯s body, causing their movements to slow down and their strength to dissipate. it consumes a minimum of 1,000 blood power each time. the stronger the enemy, the more blood power one consumes. cooldown time: none.] loreinna brazenly slaughtered the transcendent barbarian. it did not have much of a change in her expression. she had experienced far too many massacres in her tens of thousands of years. transcendents! it was difficult for her to have any psychological fluctuations. the headless corpse suspended in mid-air moved forward with a wave of her hand. then, the vampire archduke turned around and knelt on one knee before the heroic figure on the dragon¡¯s back. ¡°my lord, the transcended barbarian is dead. please give the order.¡± an indifferent voice resounded throughout the world. these words caused the hearts of the heavy shield guild players to freeze. they widened their eyes and looked at the figure in disbelief. ¡°my, my lord?¡± ¡°subordinates would only address the lord as ¡®my lord¡¯, not master?!!!¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t this transcendent qingqiu¡¯s subordinate??¡± ¡°he had conquered the vampire?!¡± a strong sense of dizziness hit them. qingqiu had conquered the transcendents and treated them as slaves. they still thought the transcendent took orders. ¡°is he going to slaughter her?¡± Chapter 872 the meatball-like chubby player¡¯s mood fluctuated like a roller coaster. qingqiu¡¯s strength made the heavy shield guild break out in cold sweat. this troop is too powerful. they witnessed the murder of tens of thousands of evil half-murlocs. that made their hearts tremble. however, richard didn¡¯t expect that the turning point would come so quickly. he met the members of the heavy shield guild and saw the transcendent beside guild master panen. this transcendent barbarian was a top-notch existence who could destroy a city wall with a single punch. they didn¡¯t expect the heavy shield guild to summon the other party in advance. the arrogant qingqiu still didn¡¯t know who he was going to face. his attitude was still overbearing. they rejoiced that the transcendent stepped out. the boundless might sweep across the world. panen thought transcendents would terrify qingqiu. qingqiu mocked the transcendent. panen sensed, and he was not as angry as the others. instead, his heart thumped, and an ugly feeling rose. indeed, the transcendent from qingqiu also appeared when the transcendent barbarian launched its attack. panen, from that moment on, prayed that the barbarian could defeat that vampire. but in the end, at the critical moment when the transcendent barbarian was about to erupt! the vampire finished him off. the transcendent¡¯s head flew in the air. that perished all of panen¡¯s hopes. that transcendent vampire trampled the transcendent barbarian into the ground. despair drowned panen when he saw the headless corpse. he could no longer muster up thoughts of retaliation when he saw the transcendent vampire knelt and called qingqiu lord. panen secretly swore he would never clash with qingqiu following his revival. he would never set foot in the desert of death again. ¡°qingqiu was a f*cking pervert! he was so powerful he didn¡¯t need to be so bizarre!! ¡°transcendents? what level of existence was that? parton, this transcendent barbarian, was famous in the northern barbarian empire. now, qingqiu had enslaved the transcendent vampire who beheaded the transcendent barbarian. this strong irony caused panen¡¯s emotions to fluctuate enormously, and it was difficult to describe. it turned out that the things he was proud of were not worth mentioning before some people. panen¡¯s emotions were the most heartbreaking. he looked at the headless corpse of the barbarian transcendent in the sky. his heart bled. his face messed in pain. his mightiest protector was gone. a transcendent opponent had beheaded the trump card of all the trump cards of the heavy shield guild. his rashness to have mocked and offended someone led him to his bitter defeat. panen¡¯s emotions of unwillingness, grievance, and anger exploded at this moment. ¡°we still haven¡¯t lost! qingqiu, are you here to hunt for gods? that also depends on whether you have the ability!!¡± the transcendent barbarian had died, but he still had his mightiest killing move!! ¡°gods!¡± the other players also reenergized their senses. they rejoiced like one found a life-saving solution on the verge of death. they looked at panen in surprise. ¡°that¡¯s right! we haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± a force sealed an invincible god in this mysterious place! they all came to break the seal and release the gods, except for qingqiu and his troops. qingqiu voted for the second mission¨Cprevent the gods from escaping!! panen¡¯s despair-soaked mood instantly revitalized. ¡°qingqiu, you beheaded the transcendent barbarian¡­ that was generously soul-perishing, right? ¡°now, why don¡¯t you kill a god for me?!¡± panen moved agilely. he finished speaking, and a pitch-black bone appeared in his hand. that weapon emitted a terrifying aura of the dead. it was like one had dug it out from a messy grave. panen squeezed hard. ¡°kacha!¡¯ the black bone exploded, and countless fragments flew everywhere. a gray energy burst from the bone. that formed a shock wave that surged in all directions. it disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye. panen stared fiercely at the blurry figure behind the undead dragon in the sky. a sense of pleasure flashed across his eyes as he felt he was about to fetch revenge. ¡°you beheaded a transcendent, but that didn¡¯t startle me! today, you are going to vanish with me! ¡°vampires? ¡°hehehe, i¡¯d like to see if your vampires are more powerful than the god!¡± loreinna rose from the void and looked in another direction as richard. a few hundred meters behind the heavy shield guild members was the square where the power had sealed a god¡¯s arm. loreinna¡¯s playful voice sounded. ¡°the seal in the void is loosening. the god is recovering his strength. it would break through the seal in one fell swoop when it accumulated to a certain extent.¡± ¡°but now, your estimation is correct¡­the grace mainland lords awakened the remnant souls of the gods.¡± richard glanced at the vampire archduchess¡¯s voluptuous chest and said softly, ¡°the grace mainland lord isn¡¯t anyone¡¯s follower¡­ a high chance they wouldn¡¯t care so much after they failed.¡± ¡°now, help us awaken the remnant soul of that god¡­ it would save me a lot of trouble.¡± loreinna sensed the oddity of the god¡¯s seal when she entered this area. but dense magic inscriptions surrounded the sealed god. she couldn¡¯t pass through those magic inscriptions even if she could through the shadows. they had also become the protective shell of the god, although those runes sealed the remnant souls of the gods. one has to open the magic inscriptions first to slay the god. Chapter 873 or, one could destroy the prison along with the god. however, the transcendent was a power sparingly insufficient. perhaps only legends could do it. panen finished speaking, and he looked at the excited players again. he had wanted to use some methods to awaken the remnant souls of the gods, but he did not expect them to be so self-aware. that was right. the gods had become the final means for the heavy shield guild barbarians to turn the tables at the death of the transcendent. it would be ridiculous not to try this trump card. what would happen to the god? the god wouldn¡¯t care so much when this idiot got angry. it would slaughter one first. one would vent one¡¯s anger even if this mission failed. richard knew the nature of these all too well as one of them. ¡°lord, these grace mainland lords don¡¯t seem to fear death¡­ the god might have some means to return alive.¡± richard nodded. he had the hero altar, and the other players didn¡¯t just sit around. tens of billions of players, someone would obtain a similar treasure even if one chose from a billion. he was not interested in the lives of these players. the enemy players were too weak. richard could make the level 17 barbarian experience despair in less than a minute, even if he were willing to move. the transcendent below would be futile. it was far from everything, although the level was crucial to judging strength. the power he had cultivated through countless battles made his current battle power far from being described as level 16. he could slaughter anyone below the transcendent level. richard¡¯s thoughts spun. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the ground suddenly shook. a suffocating sense of oppression accompanied this. it was as if they saw a mountain collapse, and the world fell silent. this scene pleasantly surprised panen and the players from the heavy shield guild when they saw this. the hopes in their hearts burned endlessly bright. that god had awakened! a gray light with an evil aura rose from the ground amidst the endless pressure. they surged into the square from all directions. the runes carved on the ground began to riot. the godly arm in the center suddenly emitted endless light. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crisp sound of glass shattering echoed. they looked up at the sky, and the inscription-covered god¡¯s arm suddenly rose into the air and shattered the inscriptions around it with absolute power. then, it floated in the air. it was just an arm, but it gave everyone a void-crushing feeling. even the transcendent vampire loreinna felt immense pressure. that was the power of the overlords. they were the true rulers of this world. the arm shattered the inscription, and the surrounding energy surged at the center. the arm constructed a blurry image. richard focused his gaze, and his pupils reflected an evil land of bones. one could do vegetation, find no rocks, and even no soil in the vast land. a myriad of white bones convexed the area. no one could imagine how many lives one has to lose for such a scene to occur. a throne of countless skulls stood tall at the center of these bones, on top of a towering hill of corpses. a white skeleton without flesh and blood sat high up on the throne. the human skin-made cloak incessantly squirmed. one could visibly see tiny blood vessels and hairs on it. it was like one had just peeled a human body off. a terrifying aura filled it. a blue soul fire lay in his empty eye sockets. that was a pure undead lifeform. ¡°undead lifeform¡­ god!¡± richard frowned. they entered this sealed land. they felt to have walked into the kingdom of the dead souls. only the arm was honestly physical in the entire illusory scene. the heavy shield guild players immediately became excited as the arm formed the image. each knelt and praised. ¡°great immortal lord, the great immortal god!¡± ¡°great immortal god! these subordinates came to help you escape and salute you!¡± the soul flame of the figure sat on the throne of white bones throbbed several times. it was like he just woke up from his daze. he slowly turned his head around and looked at them after a few breaths. ¡°lowly human¡­why did you wake me up?¡± the blasphemous language of the undead carried an evil aura that could make one¡¯s heart ache. every note was a mental attack. those who did not pass the test would go mad and turn into undead after death. that was an evil language from ancient times. however, the people present were strong. so the impact they received at this moment wasn¡¯t visible. panen took a deep breath and pointed at richard before him. ¡°great immortal god, these outsiders are trying to stop you from escaping! ¡°they murdered your guards, the evil half-murlocs. they also broke through our defenses and killed a multitude! ¡°great immortal god, please slaughter these creatures that provoked your majesty. your will alone would be our command!¡± excitement engulfed panen¡¯s tone. Chapter 874 ¡°the god has appeared. i want to see what else you have to rely on!!¡± at this moment, the great immortal god was completely awake on the throne of white bones. he looked in the direction that panen had indicated. his body froze when he saw richard. the scene from a few months ago suddenly appeared in his mind. ¡®was it that guy with the ancient god¡¯s power?! ¡®why did he appear again?¡¯ the soul fire jumped wildly. mental energy spread out. the great immortal god retracted its spiritual power. he sensed that yellow sand surrounded the figure. it was like a currency electrocuted him. an uncontrollable sense of horror rose in his heart. ¡®ancient god.¡¯ that power belonged to the ancient gods. he had become even stronger! he could fight whether the figure was an ancient god if he were to speak. but now, its divine kingdom had collapsed hundreds of thousands of years ago. that shattered him until it had left only one arm. countless believers that prayed day and night condensed this wisp of remnant soul. his strength was as insignificant as mud compared to his peak state. his slumber just now was to communicate with his believers and use the power of faith to recover himself. that was what was worst. but these people awakened him in advance, and these interrupted his previous actions. he had lost his power and couldn¡¯t quickly recover his believers in a short time. an enemy with ancient god power at this critical moment could attack. the great immortal god¡¯s soul fire jumped as that shocked and infuriated him. he couldn¡¯t know when he could recover again if he died this time. the rules of the world had changed. he could no longer sleep, or he might never wake up again. [great immortal god] [level: elite] [status: remnant soul] [all attributes reduced by 99%] richard opened the attribute panel and couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s attributes. he immediately opened the black gold system. the system displayed the great immortal god¡¯s attributes before him. that gave him a heave a sigh of relief. he was a remnant soul of a god with only 1% of its power left. he could have wasted time if he still couldn¡¯t take it. richard¡¯s deep eyes stared at the figure in the sky. ¡°great immortal god, you should know why i¡¯m here.¡± ¡°the centaur who protected this area is my subordinate¡­ no one has the right to touch her soul, including you.¡± that startled the great immortal god! ¡®the centaur guarded me?¡¯ ¡®didn¡¯t she disappear when some force broke that outer seal? when did she?¡¯ he pondered. he seemed to have thought of something and turned to gaze in another direction. a moment later, the soul fire slowly throbbed until it went wild. endless anger engulfed the great immortal god¡¯s empty eyes as he looked at the excited heavy shield guild players. he was so angry that he almost laughed. ¡®these damned bastards¡­they dared to defy my oracle and attempt to control the core stone of this sealed land!!! ¡®there was a fragment of soul left in the central stone, which belonged to the centaur!! ¡®did the grace mainland overlord with the ancient god power come here for the centaur? ¡®in other words, this grace mainland overlord shouldn¡¯t have come if these greedy bastards didn¡¯t disobey orders.¡¯ uncontrollable anger rose in his heart at the thought of these. he wanted to use these foreign souls to help him break through this sealed land. he felt a mistake with this. ¡®f*ck!¡¯ he thought he summoned these people. he felt aggrieved. it was like he had shot himself in the foot. the heavy shield players were excited again when they heard richard¡¯s words. ¡°how bold!¡± ¡°it was one thing to be arrogant before a transcendent. it was another before a god. you are courting death!¡± they mistrusted him. the grace mainland overlord had subdued the transcendent, but that wouldn¡¯t always mean he could with a god! everyone was furious. ¡°great immortal god¡­ how dare this despicable grace mainland overlord blaspheme you!! please bestow him your divine punishment!¡± ¡°qingqiu, you can¡¯t forgive me. how can you insult the great sovereign? god, show your justice!! ¡°my god, a transcendent protected this blasphemer before you. he¡¯s the most powerful grace mainland overlord. he¡¯s unscrupulous. you wouldn¡¯t let him escape!¡± the great immortal god was at a loss for words. the words were simple. qingqiu must die, based on the understanding of these brainless idiots. furthermore, qingqiu spoke ahead of. panen expectantly looked at the great immortal god. he hoped to denounce his support to avenge his great teacher that qingqiu mercilessly murdered. the great immortal god opened its mouth and spoke in a hollow voice under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°lowly bastards¡­ you, how dare you provoke qing? your excellency qingqiu?¡± the excited heavy shield guild players¡¯ expressions froze open-mouthed and wide-eyed on the spot. everyone looked at the figure of the great immortal god in the sky with disbelief. that buzzed panen¡¯s brain. ¡®what, what the hell? ¡®we¡­ enraged qingqiu? ¡®are we hallucinating? ¡®or¡­ had this god awoken? ¡®is the great immortal god talking to us?¡¯ anger brimmed panen¡¯s heart when he returned to his senses. ¡°my lord, you are god! a player wouldn¡¯t scare you! ¡°was qingqiu really that famous?? ¡°you could extinguish him with one finger. why can¡¯t you just do it? ¡°why was that?¡± that weakened panen¡¯s entire body. his legs went soft, and he sat on the ground. it was like something had pierced his heart. the series of frustrations completely crushed his confidence and pride in the past before the great immortal god¡¯s words. the repeated blows made him feel insurmountable mountain pressured him. he and his heavy shield guild were nothing before qingqiu. that was a god! ¡®why, why would he cower?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t understand. he couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with this world. at this moment, the anger in the great immortal god¡¯s heart had yet to dissipate. he continued to curse. ¡°you stupid idiots! ¡°you think you can offend his excellency qingqiu?!¡± he wouldn¡¯t be in such danger if it weren¡¯t for these greedy bastards! he finished speaking, and the furious great immortal god waved his right hand. a giant hand descended from the sky the next moment. it smashed down ruthlessly under the confusion of the heavy shield guild players. ¡®bang!¡¯ the earth shook violently, and dust surged up. only a five-finger mark and a blurry bloody body remained on the ground as far as the eye could see. the meatball-like chubby player who had become a ball saw this scene and fell into delirium under alves¡¯s giant claw. ¡®have i gone f*cking blind?¡¯ a slap of the god they protected had quickly slayed one of their own! and he even said that qingqiu was not someone they could offend! ¡®what is faulty in this world??!!¡¯ Chapter 875 panen sat at the head of the long table. he bore an ugly expression. this death had caused his level to drop by two. his level went down from 17 to 15. just the loss this time was immense. the difficulty would increase with each level, let alone level 15 after 10. it might take half a year or even longer if he wanted to level up to 17 again. and that was under the condition of high-intensity leveling. he didn¡¯t benefit from this mission with a massive loss. that annoyed him the most. the other resurrected players also suffered extreme washout. the sullen look on panen¡¯s face was complex. it was like one coerced a victim to give up a hundred yuan after being raped. ¡°guild master, what happened to the great immortal god? has a dog eaten his brain? why did he suddenly attack us?¡± ¡°i¡¯m freaking curious. why would a god be afraid of qingqiu?¡± ¡°f*ck, this old dog doesn¡¯t care about martial ethics. i would have chosen the second choice if i had known earlier. i would bite even if i die!¡± ¡°what had qingqiu done? how had he become so intimidating?¡± the heavy shield guild players were dumbfounded. a group of people wouldn¡¯t accept this. they had never thought they would perish at the hands of that god. how aggrieved. their mission was to help the god escape. they did not expect the dog to bite them back. panen¡¯s hatred for the great immortal god was even more intense than qingqiu¡¯s. however, why would the great immortal god do that? that was even the most intense doubt. ¡°qingqiu maintained an immense reputation among the players, but that couldn¡¯t scare a god to this extent, right?¡± furthermore, one had sealed this god for a long time. they wouldn¡¯t even know qingqiu if the god didn¡¯t mention him. panen waved his hand to stop everyone¡¯s discussion. he leaned forward slightly and pressed his right hand on the table. his eyes were deep in thought. ¡°do you still remember what qingqiu said at the end?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that guy always looked down on the great immortal god?¡± ¡°no, not this¡­ qingqiu was here for the centaur that guarded this sealed land! that is the main point!¡± ¡°we can infer from this that qingqiu used some unknown method to subdue the original guardian of the sealed land.¡± ¡°therefore, the great immortal god might have encountered qingqiu before¡­¡± that puzzled the others. ¡°guild master, is there any connection between this? qingqiu had already stepped on his nose. how could the great immortal god endure it?¡± panen¡¯s tone was sparingly complicated. ¡°this means¡­ the great immortal god was afraid.¡± panen¡¯s tone sounded heavier as he spoke. ¡°that¡¯s right, afraid¡­¡± ¡°qingqiu must have a power that could threaten him, which is why he reacted so sternly!¡± the room fell silent, and everyone felt incredulous. ¡°a method to threaten the gods? you must be joking.¡± panen glanced at the one who spoke and said slowly, ¡°he can even enslave transcendents¡­ what do you think isn¡¯t possible?¡± ¡°moreover, the great immortal god wasn¡¯t at his peak state. i¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t even have one-tenth of qingqiu¡¯s power.¡± panen still found it hard to accept. ¡°however, no matter how weak he is, he is still a god! even his excellency parton didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. why?¡± panen heard parton¡¯s name. his heart ached again. he took a deep breath. he looked at the player and said, ¡°why? was it because he was? qingqiu?!!¡± everyone fell into silence. he was qingqiu. this sentence didn¡¯t make sense. but the only convincing than any other reason. the room finally fell silent. ¡®tap!¡¯ footsteps came from afar. a few excited players entered the house afterward. they saw panen and immediately spoke excitedly. ¡°guild master, i heard one found a special area that seals gods?¡± ¡°after we finished our mission, we rushed back to support them!¡± paine looked at their high-pitched expressions and heaved a long sigh of relief. he slowly shook his head. ¡°that mission is no longer necessary¡­ it¡¯s already over.¡± that stunned a few. ¡°it¡¯s over? so fast?¡± the excited player exacerbated his jubilance. ¡°guild master, you¡¯re amazing! what treasure did the underlings get this time?¡± panen glanced at them and said nothing. he looked around and said solemnly, ¡°pass on my orders¡­ no one from the heavy shield guild members is allowed to enter the desert of death. ¡°moreover, retreat if you encounter qingqiu in any area or circumstances! i wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to have any conflict with qingqiu.¡± ¡°i would expel anyone who disobeys the order.¡± this inexplicable order made the players dumbfounded. they were just asking what they had gained. how did it involve qingqiu? panen finished speaking. he strode out and did not wait for them to return to their senses. in a few breaths, he disappeared. the few players looked at their companions while they were in a daze. ¡°i said¡­what is going on? did something happen to that instance dungeon? what does qingqiu have to do with this?¡± the players who had resurrected looked at the few people while they asked. and their expressions were very complicated. finally, a middle-aged player in his forties said bitterly, ¡°we have failed this instance dungeon.¡± their expressions changed. Chapter 876 the excited player said that, and panen immediately became angry. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with qingqiu? isn¡¯t he a solo player?¡± ¡°we, the heavy shield guild, are not afraid of him.¡± ¡°besides, the boss is a level 17 transcendent barbarian. why should we be afraid of qingqiu?¡± they couldn¡¯t understand why panen ordered such on his return from a mission. wasn¡¯t this an announcement to the outside world that a player coerced heavy shield guild to lower their heads to him? how were they going to gain a foothold in the barbarian empire? the middle-aged man in his early forties stood up and walked before them with a complicated gaze. ¡°there¡¯s no more¡­¡± ¡°what no more?¡± ¡°his excellency parton has died.¡± the middle-aged man spoke, and his tone sounded bitter. ¡°qingqiu¡¯s slave chopped his head off. the heavy shield guild no longer possess transcendents to rely on from this onwards.¡± ¡°a servant of qingqiu¡­ beheaded parton?¡± the players froze wide-eyed and open-mouthed. ¡°a servant can slaughter a transcendent?¡± ¡°because his servant is also a transcendent¡­ moreover, it was a soul-devouring transcendent vampire! his excellency parton didn¡¯t even have the chance to use his most powerful skill before the bat-winged slave of qingqiu severed his head.¡± the middle-aged player¡¯s breathing quickened when he thought of how the vampire knelt on one knee and kowtowed to the mysterious young man after cutting off parton¡¯s head. he would never forget that scene in his life. he looked at the blank gazes of the few of them. he slowly said, ¡°moreover, the one who slaughtered us wasn¡¯t qingqiu. it was the sealed god in that instance dungeon¡­¡± ¡°why did that god attack us? didn¡¯t we help him escape?¡± the new players gaped with jaw-riveting shock. they simply couldn¡¯t fathom what happened and how the hell that happened. ¡°because¡­the god trembled before qingqiu!!¡± the middle-aged man in his forties said that. he let out a long sigh and left. ¡°a god. afraid of qingqiu?¡± the few looked at the others in the room and saw no one refuted them. they suddenly felt as if they were in a dream. ¡°qingqiu was so powerful it could make a god fear.¡± ¡°what had these guys experienced?¡± ****** richard raised an eyebrow as he watched the great immortal god slaughter the players with a single slap. ¡®this guy¡­ what did he mean?¡¯ the ancient god statue in his hand emitted a dim light. that enveloped richard and alves. the great immortal god had just vented his anger and felt the soul fire in his empty eyes jump at the sight of qingqiu. to him, the aura of the great stone of the ancient ones was like a beast staring at him, and the other party could devour him at any time. that powerful pressure made him feel like his energy slowed down. he forcefully calmed down. and he slowly said, ¡°respected human overlord, i have no intention of offending you¡­the ones who wanted to control the centaur guardian¡¯s soul were the grace mainland overlords.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t give the order. i didn¡¯t receive my oracle!¡± ¡°i am just a victim. one had imprisoned me for hundreds of thousands of years.¡± ¡®a great immortal god with divinity and immortal power claimed to be a victim?¡¯ richard¡¯s mouth twitched. he stared at the one he was talking to and said, ¡°his majesty, i do not aspire to find the culprits. they are insignificant now. i need you to return the centaur¡¯s soul fragment and the core of this sealed land to me.¡± the great immortal god pondered and said slowly, ¡°sure, but i have a request¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°his majesty, this is not a deal.¡± the atmosphere weighed heavily afterward. both sides were wary of each other, but neither was willing to stop. richard couldn¡¯t figure out if the god¡¯s remnant soul had any other tricks up its sleeve, even though only 1% of its power remained. but even if it were a god with only 1% power, it was still a god! the power of laws the other party controlled wouldn¡¯t decline despite his weakness. ¡®he looked down on gods?¡¯ even a legend wouldn¡¯t dare to have such an attitude. the great immortal god feared the ancient god statue in richard¡¯s hands! this item of the ancient ones was even mightier than the last time. the dense ancient god¡¯s power made him feel the most heartfelt fear. he would die. the atmosphere suddenly turned stiff. a moment later, loreinna¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°lord¡­ i found it.¡± a silver light surged on her body, and the void suddenly distorted in the next second. loreinna¡¯s figure turned illusory at the same time. the great immortal god¡¯s expression drastically changed when he saw this scene. the gloomy aura on his body rose violently. the surrounding space circulated in an instant. one had pushed everything back thousands of meters in the blink of an eye. the entire area around him instantly entered a towering hall. it surprised richard. one had carved the surrounding dark walls with countless terrifying undead creatures, bone dragons, zombies, headless riders, and skeleton warriors. there was nothing. a white bone altar stood in the center of this strange hall. an ancient and weathered aura filled the altar, and one had engraved it with dense runes. the runes circulated and then injected boundless energy into the center area¨Can irregular stone. the stone was like a heart. it sorted out the energy injected into it and then infused it back. it formed a circuit. loreinna had already appeared beside the altar and reached out to pick up the stone. the soul fire of the great immortal god jumped wildly and rushed towards loreinna. the endless undead power on his body had already erupted. Chapter 877 he charged brazenly. the great immortal god sensed danger and turned enormously anxious. however, the seal stone on the white bone altar was his only bargaining chip! he couldn¡¯t negotiate with qingqiu if the vampire took the seal stone on the white bone altar. loreinna grabbed the seal stone on the white bone altar. ¡®bang!¡¯ the great immortal god clenched his bone arm into a fist and smashed it hard on her back. infinite divine power surged out. the great immortal god wanted to kill her on the spot. but his expression changed drastically. his fist stroke the void! the punch didn¡¯t land on anyone! the fist didn¡¯t touch loreinna, although the fist punched her like a baseball hit. she flew back at an even faster speed. loreinna touched the seal stone, and the runes on the altar exploded with a terrifying shock wave. that repelled everything around her. shockwaves affected the great immortal god had yet to recover. the only part of his body, the arm, stopped flowing due to the violent energy. the illusory body rippled and inevitably became chaotic. richard held the ancient god statue. he arrived behind the great immortal god in a flash. a dark light with an ancient aura enveloped the great immortal god. ¡®thud!¡¯ it was like one splashed sulfuric acid at the illusory body. that emitted thick smoke, and then it collapsed uncontrollably. richard¡¯s body suddenly turned into sand, and he passed through the illusory body like lightning. he suddenly grabbed the other¡¯s arm. ¡°i caught you!¡± the ancient god statue emitted the excitement of a predator that sniffed the blood of its prey. the shock wave impact at this moment finally subsided, and the arm resumed its operation. the great immortal god could not help but feel scared out of his wits when he sensed the erosion of the great stone of the ancient ones. the soul fire in his hollow eyes surged. the surrounding walls and floors were like on a high-speed train. richard saw the shattered buildings on the ground and the smashed-into-pieces players. a power sent him back again! what a strange skill! richard looked in another direction. the great immortal god still stood on the spot. his initially illusory body had become even more tattered, as if it could disappear at any moment. that was the only change. the great immortal god¡¯s arm emitted an aura that visibly decreased. something had sealed him for innumerable years. the energy contained in the arm had long weakened to the freezing point. the power of the stone of the ancient ones attacked him now, and he could no longer suppress the incessant blow. both sides fell into a strange silence again. but richard felt more confident at this time. the opponent had only a few methods to counterattack. richard fought at such a close distance just now to test if this god could break the restrictions of the ancient god statue. now it seemed like. the great immortal god couldn¡¯t. richard had already given him such a good opportunity, but the other party did not grasp it. that could only mean that the great immortal god was weaker than he had expected. ¡°respected human overlord, the core of this sealed land¡­ you can¡¯t wreck it down.¡± ¡°no, i do not speak on behalf of the overlords. i did not solicit any of their help. the entire plane will collapse once you forcefully ravaged the seal down.¡± ¡°the soul of your subordinate is greatly connected to the entire sealed land. this place will bury her if it collapses.¡± the great immortal god looked at richard with extreme fear. the brief collision between the two made him experience the fear of being stared at by the grim reaper. that stone of the ancient ones was even mightier than he had imagined. that was not the initial state. this treasure of the past had devoured a god! only the power of a god could make it so active. killing intent filled the great immortal god¡¯s gaze when he thought about the human overlord¡¯s disrespectfulness and fearlessness. he immediately felt mystery shrouded this being. the pressure in his heart weighed heavier. the grace mainland overlord had only been in the mortal plane for a few months. ¡®how had he thrived so fast?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes almost collided. he turned to look at loreinna. loreinna¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. ¡°lord, his majesty is telling the truth¡­ the seal stone had already fused with this area. in other words, it is the most crucial part of the sealed land. ¡°this land will devour the soul connected to it if you break the seal. ¡°unless you have the key.¡± ¡°the key?¡± richard frowned. he had the key. it was the golden rune on emily¡¯s wrist. however, emily was still unconscious. the key would be futile. the little centaur should control it. this thing was not a key on the physical level. using it rashly could cause a generous rebound and rejection. one should combine it with a secret language. no one could predict what would happen at that time. richard glanced at the great immortal god and was about to speak when the other party stepped ahead. ¡°respected human overlord, let¡¯s negotiate.¡± ¡°the little centaur fell into a coma because the grace mainland lords wanted to occupy vermin¨Cthe land of the broken laws. they didn¡¯t receive the oracle, which led to the problem. i have nothing to do with what harmed her.¡± ¡°and you want the soul fragment of the little centaur. my goal is to escape this sealed land. i don¡¯t see a prejudice between us.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°so, what is the deal?¡± ¡°i help you take out that seal stone in one piece¡­ allow me to leave afterward.¡± Chapter 878 ¡°this is a fair trade.¡± richard said as he sized up the figure from head to toe. ¡°do you think that the value of a centaur¡­ how could you compare it to killing a god?¡± the essence of the negotiation was not to reveal his trump card to the other party. he couldn¡¯t give up on emily, but the more he did, the more he didn¡¯t care. that playful tone made the great immortal god¡¯s heart thump. he suddenly had a bad feeling. the great immortal god had almost turned oblivious. the person who stood before him was a human known for his greediness. moreover, it was a soul from another plane, grace mainland lord. he knew his personality well, although he had only known the lord for some time. they had souls that were greedier and braver than ordinary people. one could describe his actions as merciless. this time, he had violated the oracle right under his nose. he had even heard with his ears that a few lords of the grace mainland secretly plotted to kill him. after a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice. ¡°respected human overlord, what do you want?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡®had he backed down so quickly? or was it a temporary forbearance?¡¯ ¡°it should be¨Cwhat does his majesty intend to offer to redeem himself?¡± he finished speaking, and his spiritual energy dissipated. ¡®loreinna, continue to search for the loophole in this sealed land¡­¡¯ the dark apostle could allow this vampire archduchess to integrate into the shadow plane and mobilize the power of the immaterial plane. one could observe more things in other worlds. loreinna nodded. and she remained taciturn. but her body gave off an inexplicable feeling of nothingness. he had experienced the vampire¡¯s fatal skills. had the vampire found flaws or loopholes would undoubtedly clear his bargaining chip. he lowered his voice. ¡°respected human overlord, i can take the seal stone on the white bone altar in one piece. at the same time, i can give you this sealed land. ¡°this sealed land was once my divine kingdom. [after you obtain it, as long as you nurture it, it will return to being a plane.] ¡°you should know how valuable a plane that belongs to you is! ¡°this bargaining chip would be enough.¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. the pressure he gave the great immortal god was mightier than he expected. however, the other party¡¯s methods were sparingly odd. the great immortal god was still not confident he could topple him down. the seal stone on the white bone altar contained emily¡¯s soul fragment also made him cautious. speaking of which, this bargaining chip was indeed interesting. he could not have rejected it initially. but something was unfortunate. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but your divine kingdom is useless to me.¡± ¡°change to another one.¡± the soul fire of the great immortal god, who thought the other party would agree excitedly, fluctuated. doubts engulfed his heart. ¡°why? ¡°respected human overlord, a plane that completely belongs to you. it could become your divine kingdom in the future. why are you¡­¡± richard waved his hand before he could finish. ¡°his majesty, the plane¡­ i have one already.¡± ¡°you should keep this sealed land for yourself.¡± ¡®already? he owned a plane already?¡¯ the great immortal god looked at richard¡¯s blurry figure and fell silent. those grace mainland lords said they had only been in this world for a few months. ¡®did those bastards lie to me? or is qingqiu that enthralling?!! ¡®he owned a plane in less than a year.¡¯ the great immortal god fixed his gaze on the ancient god statue and the stone of the ancient ones. these items of the old days were in the hands of the other party¨Che had devoured a god. he thought about this way, and it wasn¡¯t unlikely the other party had obtained a plane. he calmed down and paid more attention to richard. he previously fell silent because he forcibly lowered his voice. at this moment, he believed he had to treat people of the same status. the strange feeling of trading with him almost disappeared. however, the problem now lies in the command of the commands. richard declined the first bargaining chip that the great immortal god thought was enough. there wasn¡¯t much he could offer. he had an idea after a while. the human overlord must have a different weight in his heart since he was willing to take the risk for the centaur. ¡°i have a special treasure in my hand that can refine the energy of this sealed land and pour it all into the soul fragments inside the seal stone.¡± ¡°with this, i can let the little centaur control a portion of the power of the gods¡­¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°emily could control a portion of the power of the gods? ¡°tell me in detail!¡± Chapter 879 the power of a god was composed of three aspects¨Cdivinity, divine power, and authority or clergy. life must first possess divinity to give birth to divine power. the birth of divinity must ignite the divine fire and temper one¡¯s body. the transformation from a mortal to a god alone could give rise to divine power. authority and godhood were both alternative names for rule force. a god who couldn¡¯t control the power of laws was a demigod, even if they had divinity and divine power. demigods who had not reached level 30 wouldn¡¯t usually think about such things. however, some existences often defied common sense¨Cthe divine soul stored in the statue of the ancient god, renee. that was interesting. it had yet to reach level 20. but it had already controlled a wisp of the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s rotten authority. both were existences that had grasped the power of gods in advance. ¡®what kind of power could the great immortal god bring out?¡¯ that stirred richard¡¯s curiosity. the great immortal god relaxed a little when he saw richard¡¯s concern. he was sparingly unsure now with the previous one. he feared richard would not take a fancy to his bargaining chip. he would scoff in the past. would mortals despise the things he bestowed? he could no longer bring up such boring thoughts before this human overlord. ¡°hundreds of thousands of years ago, a war of gods that swept across the multiverse erupted¡­ i forcibly participated. ¡°in the later stages of the battle of gods, i encountered an enemy about to become a high-level deity. he was the god of rogues. ¡°there is no right or wrong in the battle of gods. ¡°we¡¯ve engaged in a devastating battle of gods¡­ the battle lasted for ten years. ¡°in the end, the god of wanderers joined forces with the gods of the other god systems in the wilderness and broke into my kingdom. ¡°the enemy slaughtered me. ¡°i eroded the rogue god¡¯s power. i sealed a part of his power in my body before i died. that was the price. ¡°and that part of power contains a part of the rogue god¡¯s clergy. ¡°i must destroy that part of his power if the other party had killed me sternly. ¡°the god of rogues naturally wouldn¡¯t surrender to a skeleton¡­ he established this sealed land following my death. he wanted to use the time to my body so that his power would surface again.¡± at this point, the great immortal god¡¯s tone carried a clue of sarcasm. ¡°he died anyway, not long after. the idiot didn¡¯t see that coming. ¡°this sealed land gradually declined following the death of its master, rogue god. and i returned. ¡°i have preserved the rogue god¡¯s divine power i sealed in my body in this land. ¡°much of it had dissipated, but the most important authority is the power of laws that you call divine duties¡­ still here.¡± richard hadn¡¯t expected to find so many secrets. he returned to his senses. his gaze turned intensely connected, and he couldn¡¯t help it. this spirit god had given him a bargaining chip he couldn¡¯t refuse. the great immortal god said in a deep voice, ¡°respected human overlord, i can pour this power of authority into the seal stone¡­ the little centaur¡¯s soul power depended on this sealed land. ¡°the little centaur will directly inherit this authority when its soul returns to its main body. ¡°so¡­ can that satisfy you now?¡± richard calmed down. he said solemnly afterward, ¡°this deal¡­ it¡¯s very fair, but how can you guarantee this would process uninterruptedly? ¡°what is my guarantee any harm wouldn¡¯t follow me after you leave?¡± ¡°what is my guarantee we wouldn¡¯t become enemies in the future?¡± the two sides were now enemies, and the credibility of the transaction was the biggest problem. both sides did not trust each other. they were hesitant to participate. richard was uncertain if he could kill him despite the ancient god statue in his possession. endless trouble would be ugly had he abandoned something and fled. the great immortal god had already revealed a portion of his methods. loreinna couldn¡¯t deal with such a strange method even if she could enter the shadow plane. the great immortal god was even more afraid of richard, who had the power to kill him. bet? he could. but what could be the price? the rules of the world incessantly change. richard could never have another chance if he couldn¡¯t leave this time. how could he accept this? a great future was right before him. the world would be boundless with a single step. he would still be the undying god with supreme authority and rule over billions of undead! he would gamble even for a single chance of risk. he had longed for this day for far too long! the great immortal god¡¯s thoughts flew. he slowly said, ¡°then what do you think?¡± ¡°i believe his majesty should know the rules of the contract¡­¡± richard looked calmly at the other party. ¡°a god once signed a contract with me using this rule.¡± the great immortal god¡¯s soul fire shook again. his empty eyes stared at him. he spoke again afterward. ¡°it seems that you are beyond extraordinary than i imagined.¡± the gods had signed a contract with him. the credibility of it would be questionable if one said it to others. however, the weight of this person¡¯s words was not something ordinary people could compare to. the ancient god statue that had devoured the power of gods was the best proof. Chapter 880 richard nodded. the gray power of the dead surged on the body of the great immortal god. the skeleton¡¯s body emitted boundless divine might. at the same time, the human skin cloak that seemed to have just been peeled off, with blood vessels still flowing on it, fluttered in the air. that increased the power of the attack tenfold. ¡°i, cabreira, the great immoral god of the undead who controls the power of immortality, swear¡­¡± richard heard a familiar notification after a series of deep vows. [ding! the immortal lord, cabreira, has used his soul to initiate an agreement with you under the witness of the rules of the contract. the rules will witness if you agree to the contents of the contract. the power of the rules will destroy the great immortal god¡¯s soul, and one cannot revive if he violated.¡± a message suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s mind when the notification sounded. there were three main points in the contract. first, the great immortal god had agreed with him that for the next 100 years, both parties would not attack or harm each other in any way. second, both sides could not invade the other¡¯s territory or divine kingdom for a hundred years. both could not harm any of the other party¡¯s subordinates. third, both sides could not reveal information about the other to anyone, and no matter what, they could not use the troop or send subordinates to join the enemy¡¯s camp for a hundred years. this contract message was a mental power that both parties could directly sense. there was no possibility of using words to deceive them. richard sensed it carefully and confirmed his agreement afterward. he did not look at it much as for the hundred years of authority. who knew what the world would be like in a hundred years? no one would know whether the great immortal god of the undead existed after a hundred years. twilight city would already have the power to face the gods head-on at the unsealing of the contract. what if there were no contracts at that time? they signed the contract, and the great immortal god felt an uncontrollable joy in his heart. the time for him to regain his freedom and authority would soon come now that the contract had erased the last trace of uncertainty. that would be a new life that would arrive after hundreds of thousands of years! the atmosphere eased up following the signing of the contract. the two sides went from enemies to collaborators. the two would no longer be enemies, at least for the next hundred years. ¡°his majesty cabreira, what should we do next?¡± the great immortal god turned around and looked behind him. his tone was unprecedentedly relaxed. ¡°i will infuse the power of laws belonging to the rogue god into the sealing stone. ¡°you only need to open the seal stone, and you will be able to unseal it when the time comes¡­¡± one has sealed the power of laws in his body, but it did not come without a price. it was no exaggeration to say that the energy had become his uttermost burden. it had even eroded his soul. his power was incompatible with it. in his current state, the price he had to pay to control that power was not worth it. he had fallen asleep before because of his desire to strip away that power. that was why he was so enthusiastic about giving out rule force. for him, richard had helped him. richard couldn¡¯t know the twists and turns. it was enough that the result was good. richard softly said after he mused for a moment. ¡°there¡¯s an inscription on emily¡¯s wrist that could open the sealed land. ¡°but she has already fallen into a deep sleep¡­¡± the great immortal god¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°i can¡¯t. can you bring that centaur here? the process would be much simpler if i had the key¡­¡± he could also retain more power. richard nodded and immediately ordered alves to return with a squadron of stone statues of the dead. the air fell silent again when the troop left. neither side spoke. the great immortal god seemed to have thought of something and asked curiously, ¡°respected human overlord qingqiu, were you the grace mainland overlord who came to this world less than a year ago?¡± richard laughed. he gestured to the smashed into meat paste unlucky people on the ground. ¡°of course. didn¡¯t those grace mainland lords talk to you about the outside world?? ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m surprised¡­ to grow to such a level in less than a year, perhaps the world has changed even more than i imagined.¡± the great immortal god of the undead carried a rare hint of emotion. hundreds of thousands of years of slumber were far too long. richard thought of the crimson moon in the sky and said slowly, ¡°his majesty, perhaps the changes are not limited to this¡­ you will face a whole new world when you get out.¡± he did not have the time to go to solan city following the rise of the crimson moon. he wondered what windsor and the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store, who had recovered his demigod powers, were doing now. windsor¡¯s goal was to eradicate the gods in the sky. they could most likely hear from each other again soon. the rise of the crimson moon was only the beginning. in addition, vale had also sent news that the ruler of solan city, the legendary ascetic, wanted to see him. he didn¡¯t know if this was good or bad. richard waited in contemplation for more than an hour before the departed troops returned. alves carried the sleeping little centaur and flew steadily under the escort of the stone statues of the dead. the troop returned with additional soldiers and a hazy lifeform. the hazy figure stood beside emily quietly. the moment the great immortal sovereign saw that figure, the flames of his soul burned. ¡°tai long? the god of deception has become a great enemy!¡± Chapter 881 ¡®the respected human overlord relied on this god?¡¯ cabreira didn¡¯t think much of this infamous lower god¨Cthe god of deception. but at this moment, he could only remain silent. richard came behind alves and nodded at the hazy god of deception. he didn¡¯t say a word. he lowered his head and looked at the still unconscious little centaur. the joy in his heart dissipated a little. he bent down and gently held the other party¡¯s wrist. that revealed the golden inscription. ¡°your majesty cabreira¡­¡± the great immortal god, who had already approached, immediately became excited when he saw the inscription. ¡°the totem of the rogue god! ¡°yes, this is the key!¡± she looked at emily and said softly, ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry. this little centaur will be fine. she could recover after the key broke the seal and replenished her soul fragments. ¡°at that time, she could also control the seal stone and part of the authority of the rogue god. ¡°this is an opportunity.¡± the god of rogues had set up many backup plans in this sealed land to hinder her escape. she would have to pay a heavy price if she forcefully destroyed it. the nomological power that belonged to rogues in her body would also erupt. that was why he was so careful. now that someone carried the power of the rogue god in her body, it undoubtedly removed his vital restraint. the god of deception interestingly said, ¡°the rules here are incredibly odd¡­ it was indeed the work of the rogue god. ¡°i have dealt with that fellow before.¡± tai long looked at the great immortal god as he spoke. ¡°your majesty cabreira, i hope you can keep your promise.¡± the great immortal god of the undead nodded. ¡°i¡¯ve already signed a contract with the respected human overlord qingqiu. i wouldn¡¯t go against it.¡± he said meaningfully, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect lord tai long would stand behind lord qingqiu.¡± the god of deception smiled and shook his head. ¡°no, i¡¯m not qualified to support lord richard. he is now my protector¡­¡± the soul fire of the great immortal god of the undead, who thought he had seen through richard¡¯s trump card, trembled when he heard this. ¡®the other party was his protector? ¡®this¡­? ¡®their relationship was the opposite?¡¯ the yellow sand-shrouded figure became even more mysterious in his heart. richard ignored the great immortal god of the undead¡¯s fluctuating emotions. he calmed down and spoke slowly. ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡± the great immortal god of the undead looked at him deeply. he gestured behind him. he turned around and left. richard glanced at the deception god. ¡°your excellency tai long, please take care of him¡­ save emily first in case of sudden danger.¡± the situation was enormously delicate, although the hero altar could revive her. he couldn¡¯t guarantee that emily wouldn¡¯t suffer any damage after the hero altar resurrected her. the god of deception nodded. he looked at the heroic figure before him and felt sparingly emotional. the grace mainland overlord was always unpredictable. it was the same in the tower plane, in the land of life, and now. tai long thought richard had summoned him to engage in a battle when he heard the news about the great immortal god of the undead that had appeared in the ascent. he did not expect richard to have already controlled the situation before he even arrived. it would be difficult for him to encounter any more setbacks with the great immortal god¡¯s current attitude. it wouldn¡¯t take much effort for him to help take care of the centaur. the great immortal god of the undead didn¡¯t have more thoughts and was even more so after he saw deception god. the god of deception had a bad reputation but still held the divine title of ¡®deception god.¡¯ so it was hard for him not to see through his thoughts. the relationship between the two sides became harmonious again with external forces to balance the situation. richard commanded alves to follow the great immortal god of the undead on his return to the ancient temple that had not collapsed. alves stopped at the entrance and brought loreinna and the god of deception into the hall. they made a sand bed and dragged the little centaur into the hall. the great immortal god of the undead pointed at the white bone altar in the center. ¡°put down the little centaur on top. ¡°she was initially the guardian of this place. all the powers are friendly and dependent on her, so nothing unexpected will happen.¡± richard nodded and slowly placed emily on top of the white bone altar. the sealing stone surged boundless energy and was right above emily¡¯s head. the golden inscription on her wrist glowed while she lay on the white bone altar. the surrounding energy instantly surged. the dense runes on the altar also gradually rippled. the great immortal god of the undead immediately stepped forward when he saw this. he pressed the physical arm on the white bone altar. the energy surged out, although it did not come from him. richard heard a notification afterward. [ding~ your subordinate, little centaur emily has received a unique inheritance and currently controls the power of laws: wilderness ruler¡­] Chapter 882 richard¡¯s spirits rose at the hint. the great immortal god of the undead was right. it was indeed a divine title! that was the ultimate power of this world. the god¡¯s ancient tree had only grasped a trace of the rotten authority. its battle power had received an immense boost. how much divine power could this power contain? how much could this bring to emily? the great immortal god of the undead increased the intensity of the energy input. the blood vessels on the human skin cloak behind him gradually burst. in the end, one could even see the blood that surged inside. this unique treasure stabilized the great immortal god¡¯s illusory body. the power that didn¡¯t belong to the spirit element covered the surroundings. richard saw a wasteland overgrown with weeds in a trance. one could find hills, mines, forests, and natural sceneries on the wasteland. a large number of intelligent life lived there¡ªorcs, goblins, halflings, rhinoceroses, centaurs. these life forms were mixed and hostile to each other. they multiplied and lived endlessly on this land. that was not only a land overgrown with weeds. but also a land of hope that carried countless lives. richard felt a sense of loss when the hazy image disappeared. wilderness ruler! this clergy was not as simple as he had imagined. the most original power of laws in this world was full of possibilities. at this moment, he had a deeper understanding of the ultimate power of the world. whether it was the power of the yellow sand he controlled, the rotten authority that the god¡¯s ancient tree moved, or the wasteland domain that emily touched, each could excavate their endless potential. five minutes, ten minutes. time passed quickly. the process of the great immortal god of the undead that injected power into the white bone altar lasted for half an hour. the energy tide blew around and surged like a tsunami. the restless magic tide could counterattack a spellcaster if it were to cast a spell here. the illusory body that the great immortal god had condensed had already become blurry when he withdrew his hand. one would hardly see his appearance if one didn¡¯t look carefully. one has traded an immense sacrifice for emily¡¯s transformation on the white bone altar. at this moment, the little centaur that had yet to wake up emitted a vast and magnificent aura. everyone felt a vast and boundless aura, as if outside the wilderness and grass alone remained before them. the power of the divine title began to affect the surroundings. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp sound suddenly came from the sky that attracted everyone¡¯s attention. richard subconsciously looked up and saw tiny cracks in the surrounding space. it was like a heavy object hit a mirror but had not completely shattered. it looked terrifying. however, this was space. spatial fragments would tear everything apart once it shattered. the great immortal god saw this, and the soul fire in his empty eyes throbbed even more violently. he sensed richard¡¯s emotions and comforted him. ¡°the sealed land is collapsing due to the loss of power.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, lord qingqiu. that wouldn¡¯t affect us as long as we are in this hall. that was the core of the seal. nothing could happen as long as the white bone altar was fine.¡± richard relaxed and turned his head to look behind him. he waved his hand to signal for alves to retreat with the troop. the troop couldn¡¯t help in this situation. only richard and the great immortal god remained in the sealed land when the troop retreated. at this time, the great immortal god was far from the white bone altar. that has starkly separated the power of the rogue god from emily¡¯s wrist. he was still excited, although he was unprecedentedly weak. he had finally been waiting for his new life. it was the beginning of his ascension to the throne again when the seal broke. the air fell silent again as everyone waited for emily¡¯s transformation. a moment later, a loud rumble sounded, and the earth shook violently. richard¡¯s expression froze, and he immediately went to the hall entrance and looked out. the over 500 meters-tall sealed land was no longer as peaceful as before. at the edge, the translucent shield at the edge shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye. it was like one piled the buildings on the outer edge with sand. they collapsed rapidly after a shield covered them. and then the surging lake water swallowed them. one could peep through the shield and see the debris in the sky that had turned the lake water turbid and formed whirlpools. this scene was like the legend of the flood that destroyed the world in the church murals. it looked enormously shocking. the collapse didn¡¯t stop, and it gradually approached the main hall from the end of their line of sight. the semi-transparent shield gradually stabilized at thousand meters away. richard seemed to sense something and looked down when the collapse ceased. a new sprout in front of the hall threshold drilled out of the soil and grew unbelievably agile. in the end, it became an unremarkable but extremely conspicuous weed. ¡°what was this?¡± richard was puzzled, and the second and third weeds sprouted. he subconsciously looked into the distance and saw the entire area had begun to glow green. it was like the new weeds fast-forwarded and grew. the weeds submerged the collapsed buildings after a few breaths. the entire underwater world became an empty wilderness. this miraculous scene intrigued richard. his heart skipped a beat. he subconsciously turned to look into the hall afterward. the asleep little centaur on the white bone altar quietly opened its eyes and slowly sat up. at this moment, a pressure that made one¡¯s heart tremble surged. in a trance, richard seemed to have seen centaur war god that held a battle axe and trampled the enemies in the wilderness. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ emily jumped off the white bone altar. her hooves clattered against the ground. her eyes no longer had the innocence and naivety from before. indescribable coldness engulfed her eyes. one could only obtain the depth of that gaze through countless brutal battles. she was a warrior, a pure warrior. the pressure she bore with her every move multiplied. the weeds outside the hall agilely spread as emily woke. it was like an ink had dripped into clear water. weeds and vines shrouded the undead-carved tall buildings in two or three minutes. it was like one had stepped into the abandoned land of some civilization. however, all of this harmonized with emily¡¯s figure. she gave rise to this wilderness. [ding~ your subordinate, centaur emily, had successfully gained control of the divine title: wilderness ruler] [ding~ emily is incredibly compatible with the wilderness ruler divine title. she has obtained the glorious level characteristic¨Cwilderness wanderer.] [ding~ emily has found the lost soul fragment. that has restored the power in her body.] [level: 20 (transcendent)] [ding~ emily has fused into the core of the sealed land during her transformation. that had turned the entire land into her domain.] [ding~ emily has attracted the attention of the wilderness god system because she controls a part of the wilderness divine duty.¡± a series of notifications made richard¡¯s heart beat faster. that gave rise to the second transcendent in twilight city. moreover, she was in charge of the divine duty compatible with the little centaur, the wilderness ruler. that was the power of a god, the authority of a ruler of laws. this power was enough to allow this boss to step onto a higher level. richard didn¡¯t expect emily¡¯s sudden coma would bring him such exaggerated benefits. this wave of blood was f*cking profitable! Chapter 883 ¡°transcendent!¡± the transcendent who held the rulership of the wilderness! emily lost her memories. that resulted in a decline from a demigod to level 1. but she finally stepped onto the path of glory again. she regained the glory that should have belonged to her. richard took a few deep breaths. he looked at the cold and imposing figure before the white bone altar. he opened emly¡¯s attribute panel with intense anticipation. the expression on his face blossomed with interest when he closed the panel again. this transcendent, who had reached level 20, had three glorious skills-immortal body, wilderness territory, and wilderness rogue. she had six beyond a-rank skills¨Cbloody execution, peerless battle technique, blood qi burning, heavy cavalry troop crushing, raging slash, war stomp. other than that, there was also the extraordinary characteristic, stop blade, which could ignore the enemy¡¯s defense and directly cause damage to the soul. [characteristic: it can freely change its body size.] [racial talent: it can run in the sky.] [fetters: wilderness: it increases all attributes to 50% for every 10% decrease in power.] emily¡¯s battle power soared to a terrifying level with these skills. richard couldn¡¯t help but jolt with intense excitement. that was a transcendent who had mastered the divine duty! she was the transformed emily, the warrior of twilight city! emily couldn¡¯t determine who was mightier if the vampire archduchess, loreinna, had reached level-23 and possessed the extraordinary dark apostle attack and defense skills. emily had control over 5% of the rulership of the wilderness, but that was different from the rotten authority of the god¡¯s ancient tree. that was the only thing richard was regretful about. one could only use the rotten authority in battle to increase strength. the rulership of the wilderness was more peaceful, and the attributes attached to it were not as destructive. it was more about the increase in her strength and the impact on the wilderness faction. emily could instantly raise a powerful troop if he let her return to the wilderness. that was the new ruler of the wilderness! richard had stepped into this land of broken laws, and his gains were already exaggerated. the rise of a second transcendent in such an unstable situation was undoubtedly of great strategic value to twilight city. that would play a key role in his plan. furthermore, this transcendent was gravely soul-tyrannical. richard was too tense for a long time. at the same time, the cold and stern emily seemed to wake up. she looked around and saw richard. her eyes seemed to melt like ice and snow, and she instantly relaxed. a warm smile hung on her face. she quickly ran toward richard. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ the horse¡¯s hooves stomped on the ground and sounded rhythmic waves. emily grabbed richard¡¯s hand and hugged it tightly when she got close to him. she twisted her body proudly. ¡°father, i¡¯ve become stronger!! ¡°and i¡¯ve recovered memories which i entirely lost before!¡± she tilted her little head as she spoke. a blissful smile glowed on her exquisite face. ¡°i heard you calling me when i was asleep. ¡°i knew father wouldn¡¯t abandon me!¡± richard was surprised. ¡°emily, you got your memories back?¡± ¡®but why did it feel like nothing had changed? she still looked like a child.¡¯ the little centaur raised her head and looked at him with a pure smile in her delicate eyes. ¡°yes, i remember everything¡­ however, i gave up on my past.¡± richard frowned. ¡°give up on my past?¡± a strange look flashed in emily¡¯s eyes. her voice was gentle. i do not want to live hundreds of thousands of years of lonely life. i would always choose a life today with you, father.¡± she plunged into her embrace as she spoke. she greedily sniffed the scent that made her feel at ease. her posture was indescribable. richard was startled. it wasn¡¯t about the recovery and reinforcement of the little centaur. but she chose her life now over the past. some rubbed the little centaur¡¯s head with grief in their hearts. emily was just a tool used to guard the great immortal god, although she possessed the power of a demigod. she was a lonely guard who couldn¡¯t leave for hundreds of thousands of years. no one would be willing to endure that kind of life a second time. emily would abandon her past and walk forward into a new life. she no longer had to worry about her status in twilight city after she regained her memories. all of her worries would end today. the soul fire of the blurry great immortal god suddenly jumped a few times before he quietly calmed down when he saw this scene. that was such pure emotion. the great immortal god seemed to have had it in the distant past. however, time had erased everything. after being silent for a long time, he slowly said, ¡°respectable human overlord qingqiu, the seal has been broken. i have already contacted the believers of the immortal faction. i have to leave.¡± the hollow voice carried a complicated tone that was difficult for outsiders to fathom. as he spoke, he waved his hand slightly to the side. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the weed and vine covered-walls of the hall suddenly rustled and shook off an immense amount of dust. then a skeleton statue fell off the wall and walked to richard¡¯s side. one could barely recognize the blurry body of the grass and dust filled-statue as a white bone statue. ¡°this is my gift to you¡­ although i have already paid you. i still have to thank you for your help.¡± Chapter 884 the great immortal god paused for a moment after he said that. then he continued. ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for this day for far too long. ¡°i will return next to the death plane and regain my authority. ¡°the world is undergoing a massive change. i will step into a higher level! ¡°respected human overlord qingqiu, i hope that in the future¡­ we can still meet again.¡± the two sides used to be hostile but had renewed their relationship as allies. they weren¡¯t friends, but they weren¡¯t enemies either. richard looked deeply at the great immortal god. ¡°i look forward to this day.¡± richard waved his hand as he spoke, and an ordinary gemstone appeared in his hand. the sand around him surged out, and the yellow sand condensed into a tray. richard handed the gemstone to the god of the undead. his tone was solemn. ¡°this is a token that i condensed using the power of the yellow sand. as long as you crush it, i will immediately know no matter where you are and how far it is.¡± ¡°please crush it if your majesty needs my help in the future.¡± the great immortal god looked at the inconspicuous gemstone before him and felt sparingly amused. he was the immortal god of the undead, yet he needed the help of a human overlord! he might not even care if it were before. from the corner of his eye, he glanced at the silent god of deception, then at the ancient god statue in the human overlord¡¯s hand, and slowly nodded. he said meaningfully, ¡°respected human overlord qingqiu, you are the first human to give me such an item.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll remember this friendship. ¡°to the future! goodbye for now, my friend.¡± [ding~ the immortal god of the undead affinity towards you has increased to friendship.] the god of the undead finished speaking. the sole arm burst out a cold light. ¡®crack!¡¯ the sole arm threw a punch, and the space exploded. the god of the undead stepped forward and reached the spatial rift. one has sealed the god of the undead for hundreds of thousands of years, and he tracklessly disappeared now. richard watched the scene silently. his mood was also a little strange. he did not expect to encounter so many changes when he came to the land of broken laws. richard initially planned to hunt the god of the undead until the sudden incident. he did not expect to end up establishing a good relationship with this god because he hated trouble. richard turned to look at the white bone statue beside him and felt the cold negative energy inside. the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. a chance to make a move? now, he had another trump card in his hand. moreover, it was a top-notch card. it was much easier for the spirits of the dead to recover their power than for the other races. he could find a battlefield with a strong aura of death or a grave and lay down. it would not take long for him to revive his health. after some time, this trump card would become a king bomb. although it was a one-time use, this was a god! it was enough to turn the tide of the battle. that generously reenergized his mood. richard seemed to have thought of something. he rubbed the little centaur¡¯s head as the half-horse held his hand and refused to let go. he smiled. ¡°emily, do you have control over this sealed land?¡± the little centaur tilted her head and said proudly, ¡°father, the key had broken most of the rules of the sealed land. i only reconstructed the broken rules and accidentally fused the core with my body.¡± ¡°now, this sealed land is starkly mine. ¡°i can store the sealed land into my body¡­¡± ¡®seal the entire region into her body?¡¯ richard was quite bemused to hear this. the little centaur said with some distress, ¡°however, i can¡¯t keep the sealed land into my body in the presence of outsiders¡­ ¡°mhm¡­ that means only those who i engraved my soul imprint could usually survive.¡± richard was at a loss of thoughts. ¡®this sealed land had already become her private territory. ¡®i have a little centaur, but my house should have its grassland?¡¯ ¡®this area might not be fruitful in a battle, but if emily was a general leader of a troop. ¡®then this piece of land would have an exaggerated strategic value. ¡®the new skill of emily could vastly influence the wilderness faction. this little centaur had more paths to take in her development direction.¡¯ richard asked after she praised emily in his mind. ¡°are there any special treasures hidden in this sealed land?¡± the little centaur shook her head. ¡°no, one had initially set this place up for sealing purposes. it wouldn¡¯t store precious treasures. ¡°that divine artifact fragment is used to strengthen the seal¡­ however, it had already fused into the sealed land and became a new hub.¡± richard nodded, not disappointed. the harvest this time was already enough to be an exaggeration. he turned and looked around. ¡°let¡¯s go home.¡± they no longer linger afterward. richard brought loreinna along with him. the god of deception had been silent all this while, passed through the translucent shield, and reappeared on the lake¡¯s surface. at this moment, the twilight city troops had already cordoned off the entire lake. alves immediately flew down and helped richard up again. having this super a-rank undead dragon as a mount was more eye-catching than anything else. richard looked down and found that the sealed land had disappeared. the surrounding lake water poured down. it drowned everything. this land of broken laws had become history. a moment later, emily emerged from the muddy water. this transcendent had changed its aura and agilely ran in the air. her long hair fluttered in the wind. she appeared incredibly valiant. the little centaur came to richard, and he felt a little better when he saw the girl¡¯s smile. the exploration of vermin had come to an end. richard wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this matter he had been worrying about for months anymore. this trip helped emily break through to transcendence and made her obtain a part of the wilderness¡¯s rulership and a piece of private land that belonged to her. in addition, he had also established a preliminary connection with the immortal god of the undead. and he had powerful trump cards in his hands. in general, this round was only a profit. he immediately ordered the troops to return. richard had fixed his most chaotic problem. his next step was to conquer the ell kingdom. this plane of tens of millions was a land of oil. with the current size of twilight city, if they could take it down, they could improve their quality. just as he flew out of the lake, a system notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ the rotten swamp has devoured tons of flesh and souls. that had raised the level to level 3.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. had he finally gained something from the feeding of the several planes? the level 3 rotten swamp could recruit crown soldiers! Chapter 885 the system prompt continued to echo. [ding~ the rotten swamp has expanded by 10 kilometers. it has reached 30 kilometers in diameter.] [the number of automatically produced troop lairs per week has increased to 3. the maximum number of self-produced troop lairs increases by 10. number of self-produced troop lairs: 30. maximum number of troop lairs: 40. total number of troops: 600 (glorious 1-star).] [the level of the self-produced troop lair could upgrade from glorious 3-stars to crown 3-stars. the troop lair one has produced and recruited could reach crown 3-stars after consuming flesh and soul energy.] [ding~ the rotten swamp has obtained new skills¨Ccorrosive volition and decay power.] [corrosive volition ¡ª the rotten swamp aura will constantly corrode. it will turn those infected with corrosion into a servant and swamp¡¯s loyal members.] [decay power ¡ª the rotten swamp will automatically recruit 1,000 soldiers or more. it will automatically give rise to a hero unit. this hero will become stronger as it grows stronger. one can consume flesh and blood to revive following its death in the rotten swamp.] that pleasantly surprised richard as he read the notifications repeatedly. this time, the upgrade of the rotten swamp not only increased the foundation. it also obtained two new characteristics-corrosive volition and decay power. one could corrupt the troops in the swamp and turn them into their allies, while the other could give rise to heroic units. the battle power of the troops with and without a hero commander was on two different levels. this wave of leveling up directly made up for the shortcomings of the rotten swamp. the maximum number of troop lairs reached 40, as for the level 3 rotten swamp. that was a crown-level lair. in other words, as long as the number of troops was complete, they only needed to provide enough flesh and soul energy weekly to produce 40 teams of crown troops. that was something he got for free!! it felt good to be unconfined for a while. but it would be much better to be freed for good. ¡°hahahaha!¡± richard¡¯s lips curled into a wide smile. the troops in the rotten swamp were the same as his black gold system, which could continuously increase their potential. that was what satisfied him the most. the 600 glorious 3-stars high-level troops in the rotten swamp would soon become crown 3-stars, top-tier troops. the rotten swamp leveled up this time, and its strength directly welcomed a surge. he was generously delighted. he lost countless lives during innumerable battles in multiple planes, and richard had no idea how many had died in the rotten swamp. however, one could describe killing with a borrowed knife and watching the tigers fight from the sidelines as perfect. ¡°according to this high-intensity battle, it won¡¯t be long before the rotten swamp reaches level four.¡± richard still looked forward to the rotten swamp to reach level 5 and being able to recruit transcendent troops. transcendents were at the top of the food chain in the ¡°shining era.¡± even a vast city like solan city, which was at the edge of the death desert, had a top force with a glorious big shot overseeing it. the number of transcendent soldiers was limited. the rotten swamp could even drop glorious troops in the next level up. he had yet to see what a glorious soldier looked like. the growth potential of the rotten swamp made this treasure comparable to a divine artifact. the dwarf god had given him a generous gift. richard calmed himself down. he continued to lead the troops back. soon, the land of quicksand was in sight. richard seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at the god of deception while he stood behind alves. ¡°your excellency tai long, have you found any believers?¡± tai long¡¯s old, blurry face looked at him with subtle emotions and shook his head. ¡°i already have a few targets. but i haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± richard looked at him meaningfully. ¡°your excellency tai long, what do you think of the great immortal god?¡± the god of deception did not understand why he asked the question. but he pondered and still answered sincerely. ¡°the god of the undead is a core member of the god system. he is quite famous for his stubborn pursuit of immortality.¡± ¡°however, he¡¯d always been at a mid-level divine power because he was incredibly stubborn¡­ he could become a high-grade divine power existence if he broke out of the seal this time.¡± his tone sounded sparingly complicated. ¡°i¡­ it¡¯s time to speed up.¡± tai long sighed softly and returned to the main topic. ¡°as for personality¡­ no one could guess the core of the undead. these creatures who did not know what death was might one day want to destroy the world simply because they were bored. ¡°one still needs to be cautious when dealing with the god of the undead¡­ the undead were not reliable allies.¡± richard smiled noncommittally. his deep eyes looked straight into his. he carefully said, ¡°i¡¯ve always hoped his excellency tai long would become true friends with twilight city.¡± richard¡¯s statements enthralled the god of deception. the response was starkly unrelated to the previous concern. tai long saw the handsome yellow sand-shrouded figure step forward and pat his shoulder before he could speak. then, the human overlord gestured to the spatial gate of the holy land. ¡°i¡¯ll hand the rotten swamp to you. ¡°in the future, i envision twilight city to be able to overcome all its obstacles with you.¡± tai long turned around and left as he spoke. he landed directly on the quicksand. the god of deception looked at richard¡¯s back. his eyes moved slightly. Chapter 886 ¡®did the other party aspire to recruit me? ¡®subdue a god as a subordinate?¡¯ ¡®it was really¡­ the courage was admirable.¡¯ the god of deception shook his head and stopped thinking about it. it was high enough for him to submit, although the potential of twilight city was impressive. richard must be a master god of a divine system. tai long regained his composure and did not linger any longer. he turned around and stepped into the holy land. he returned from the other side of the spatial gate to the crimson fog-engulfed rotten swamp. the naga plane had already become a chaotic killing ground by seven or eight planes. next, more planes would open up channels. richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to the god of deception. it was enough that he could use this god now. what would happen in the future was up to time. he looked at the void sandworm entrenched in the land of quicksand. it was like a giant city wall. the time this void lifeform could open the spatial gate increased each time it grew. that gave him a lot of room to repeatedly maneuver. the holy land could also open a spatial gate. but it wasn¡¯t convenient as the void sandworm. it would not last long at this stage. the holy land was more suitable to be used as a rear base. the void sandworm¡¯s agility was incomparable. richard asked the god¡¯s ancient tree if there were any news from ell kingdom. richard received a negative response and instructed the giant twisted human-faced tree to protect the area. richard placed a few vital projects in this area. the land of quicksand conveyed increasingly heavier tasks. the protection of the invincible boss, the god¡¯s ancient tree, alone could make richard confidently feel safe and comfortable. moreover, the giant abomination tree and its treant characteristics alone could suitably perform the task. richard returned to vermin¨Cthe land of broken laws. the situation here became increasingly turbulent due to the increasing emergence of planes. however, unexpectedly, he found no other planes beyond the ell and abyssal planes that emitted rotten aura. richard redeployed the residents from the holy land a few days after the situation settled down. production resumed. however, at the same time, the new city named eternal city did not cease to build and operate. bloohoof city provided a troop of more than 10,000 prisoners of war, which became the primary labor force. twilight city held these prisoners. unknown savage besiegers captured and imprisoned them during bloodhoof city and the underworld solidarity. that process eliminated some extremely evil and stubborn races and redeemed only captives who could listen to orders. in addition, the 2,000 gray-colored dwarves and mechanical puppets in fortress city also joined the construction of the new holy land, eternal city. the city designed and built in the holy land rapidly grew with these new forces. soldiers had built eternal city according to the rules of the natives in the ¡°shining era,¡± and the lord himself did it, unlike twilight city, where the attribute panel could directly upgrade. the disadvantage was that it required a large amount of labor and time. the advantage was that it did not require technology, population, or building level as prerequisites. they could build anywhere. twilight city¡¯s technology hadn¡¯t met the requirements. that was the main reason the city stuck at the elite-level. in any case, they had their advantages and disadvantages. twilight city was his foundation. the rise of eternal city would not diminish its vitality. however, richard didn¡¯t aspire to develop eternal city like a typical one. he intended to build it into a war fortress. the future eternal city would be a safe production base. it could also be a war fortress that could open a spatial gate and directly block the enemy¡¯s entry. richard could achieve his goal as long as the city incessantly thrived as a plane of holiness and eternity. time has passed by quickly. it was monday, january 8th, year 7601 of the ¡°shining era.¡± news came from the ell plane that the two princesses of ell had contacted a paramount figure in the ell kingdom, the lion duke. he was willing to stand on the side of the royal family of ell and send troops to attack the raging blood duke. richard immediately sent emily. she had already broken through to become a transcendent. emily rushed into the ell kingdom to protect the two princesses and meet duke lion. on january 10th, the two parties met at the lion castle. the lion duke was unexpectedly interested, although he had not joined the raging blood duke faction. he was highly interested in the ancient summoning circle controlled by the royal family of ell. he used this method to lure the two princesses over. at the critical moment, emily stood up and revealed her 10-meter-tall battle form. she single-handedly slaughtered the duke lion¡¯s troop and suppressed the level-19 duke. the duke¡¯s soul was bound to emily¡¯s, and his life was under her control. emily had controlled the entire upper echelons of lion duke in just five days. that started on the 10th to 15th of january, year 7601 of the ¡°shining era.¡± the first step to revenge was to establish a foothold in the ell kingdom. january 16th. good news came from the underground world while the conquest of the ell kingdom was underway. the sacred-blood dwarves sent to fortress city successfully helped the dwarves develop the first generation of automatic sowing harvesters. they integrated sowing and harvesting into one. this alchemical machine was a collection of alchemy technology, magic charms, and some of the best technology in fortress city. a single pilot could easily control this five-meter-tall alchemy machine. Chapter 887 in other words, they initially developed this machine to grow and harvest frost grass. richard ordered the expansion of frost grass planting bases to 30, with a total area of more than 30,000 acres following its successful development. each farm had an area of 1,000 acres. they used almost all the areas in the underground world suitable for growing frost grass. the supply of raw materials had expanded, and richard naturally would not let them sit idle. he began to build a new food workshop in twilight city. that caused the number of them to reach an exaggerated 20. they set food workshops in the open space of twilight city. the new residents of ell started to work there. on the same day, a paramount event caused many players to discuss it in the forum. a top-tier player guild fought with a native force of the orc empire while they fought over planes. the native forces of the orc empire had a transcendent overseeing them and were extremely powerful. however, that top guild was unwilling to give up the fat meat next to their mouth. they promised myriad benefits but finally pulled in hundreds of guilds of various sizes to participate in the battle. the total number of players who participated in this war exceeded 500,000, and the number of troops mobilized was over 100 million. in the end, the beastmen defeated the orc empire. their defeat was uncontrollable even if a transcendent stepped forward. the players had won the war against the natives. to the players, this was like a clap of thunder. for the first time, the players realized they could control the situation on the battlefield. they had grown from a dispensable force to a force that outsiders could not ignore after half a year of development. they could even defeat the soul-crushing natives if they worked in unity. the players were excited. it turned out that the notifications they had heard at the beginning of the ¡°shining era¡± weren¡¯t nonsense. the first chapter of scarlet resources had also become more proactive in exploring the plane regarding the new expansion pack. an inexplicable commotion arose in everyone¡¯s hearts. as the exploration of the plane deepened, many players on the forum benefited greatly from it. it was not an exaggeration to describe it as getting rich overnight. the system highlighted an obelisk that also surfaced. however, the guardians of every plane¡¯s prism were all freaks. the strength of the hand was so mighty that it exceeded the average level of that plane by more than five levels. some people even saw glorious-level heroes that guarded. the obelisk turned mysterious for a moment. in addition, there was another thing that made the players restless. the crimson moon rose. that allowed the remaining power of the ancient gods in the various planes to reappear. in the exploration of the players, many lucky ones obtained the power of the ancient gods scattered in various planes. they found that the power of the ancient gods could increase the potential of heroes and increase the strength of their troops. the discovery was surprising. some players had even changed their class to an ancient rare-level with ancient god power. in such an environment, plane exploration gradually increased. and related conflicts happened every day. Chapter 888 he also felt some pressure while he was excited. more than 500,000 players participated in this battle. the exaggerated number of nearly 100 million troops and 10,000 legions made his heart beat wildly. the power of twilight city was far ahead of any top-tier player. he was practically invincible, not to mention the two transcendents in his hands. but what if the situation changed and the players joined forces? could twilight city hold on one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, even a hundred thousand million? this question made him ponder. richard thought for a long time. he finally smiled. he still had the eternal city if nearly ten thousand legions attacked, with over a hundred million soldiers. no one could do anything to him if he closed the spatial gate. however, the dead end would leave him no choice end at that point. richard heaved a deep breath. his gaze gradually regained its determination. he would let twilight city have the power to crush all forces since he was not interested in joining any. he alone was the desert camp. no matter how many enemies there were. so what? heroic spirit filled his eyes. only after a long time had he regained his senses. the strategy was far-reaching, and the feet had to be firm. twilight city still needed to continue farming and developing. moreover, the lord of corrosion¡¯s tentacles would extend to twilight city in early march, one and a half months later. in the sky outside the city, the dwarf god temporarily sealed the spatial rift. that expanded every day. the sword of damocles hung above one¡¯s head. it got increasingly threatening. he needed to seize the time to become stronger and cut off the dagger at his throat. the passage of time did not stop at anyone¡¯s will. january 20th. it had been four days since the battle between the players. emily held the authority and manipulation over the lion duke. the players had entered a state of excitement. the intensity of their exploration of the plane had become increasingly exaggerated. the losses were not small, but the gains were equally abundant. according to the statistics, the overall strength of the players swiftly increased. the player explored the plane, and the chapter became active. the twilight city troop did not cease to operate for the people of ell. the two princesses of ell¡¯s royal family had emily as their support, and they used the lion duke¡¯s troop to raise more than five legions. they were much mightier than when they had nothing, although less than two legions were true elites. the news of lion duke¡¯s demise soon spread. this action immediately caused a huge uproar. many factions began to stir, and even some great nobles secretly sent letters to express their support and loyalty to the two princesses. a duke turned rouge destroyed the royal family of ell not long ago. many turned greedy for power, but many remained loyal as well. in addition, the raging blood duke¡¯s exceptionally cold-blooded rebellion dissatisfied several people. the two princesses could not hide it anymore, so they simply raised the flag of the royal family of ell and called on everyone to fight against the despicable and cruel traitor, the raging blood duke. a storm began to rise in the ell kingdom. the people¡¯s hearts wavered, and the raging blood duke began to deploy troops from various provinces to encircle and suppress the lion duke¡¯s territory from all directions. the traitor of the kingdom of ell planned to wipe out the last resistance of the royal family in one fell swoop. in the eyes of those with discerning eyes, the situation had developed this way enormously because the traitor had deliberately indulged them. the current ruler of ell wanted to eliminate the last hope of the royal family of ell. that is to use fresh blood to establish their prestige. the entire ell kingdom would be under his control as he wins the battle. on january 22nd, when the ell kingdom was in turmoil and the war that could decide the fate of the entire plane brewed, richard planned to go to ell to take charge of the overall situation. a series of successful battles freed him from a myriad of complicated issues. however, he received good news a minute before he left the lord¡¯s mansion. [ding~ the blacksmith shop did incessant research day and night. that has upgraded the attack technology of the stone statue of the dead lair to special-level. it has obtained a new characteristic¨Cbroken mountain.] [note: each stone statue of the dead can consume 500 units of gems to upgrade its technology in the blacksmith shop. new stone statue of the dead can directly obtain this attack characteristic.] [broken mountain ¡ª this unleashes all the power on the battle axe and deals a fatal blow to a single target. it could slaughter enemies with lower potential or level than itself or on contact¨Csoul execution. it could deal three times the damage to enemies with higher potential than the user. it has an additional 40% armor pierce damage.] to improve technological research and development, richard ordered adele, who was in charge of the blacksmith association in the underground world, to gather outstanding blacksmiths and send them back to twilight city. at the beginning of this month, adele brought the 20 selected blacksmiths back to twilight city to assist sam, the one-armed blacksmith, in his research and development. the attack technology of the stone statues of the dead had finally reached a new height after more than half a month, with their joint efforts. richard smiled when he saw the newly acquired characteristic of the stone statues of the dead. every harvest made him feel that his previous investment was fruitful. it was the same for establishing an environment for forging technology sharing in the underground world, also investing in technological research and development. the stone statues of the dead, the trump card of twilight city, now moved forward to unbelievable power and strength with the additional characteristics of advanced technology. Chapter 889 this skill could deal with troops with lower potential and levels than itself. if one looked up, it could generously fix the insufficient damage to the enemy¡¯s top-tier units. it would instantly explode with a vast destructive power if one used it to gang up on the boss. one could break through its defense. the upper limit of richard¡¯s battle power soared once again. he would need 500 units of gems to promote each stone statue of the dead. that was the only thing that made him helpless. this round trip would consume 500,000 to 600,000 units. richard could only shake his head and sigh. any aspect of the development of the territory required a massive amount of resources. however, this is worth the resources. he opened the technology panel of twilight city and glanced after he regained composure. [axe of the dead: ordinary-level attack technology] [bandaged mummy: elite-level attack technology] [stone statue of the dead: advanced-level attack technology] [scorpion warrior: special-level attack technology] richard sighed inwardly. he had only developed the technology of four troops in half a year¡¯s time. moreover, the bandaged mummy and the axe of the dead lairs were futile for various reasons. he could only use the technology of the stone statue of the dead and the scorpion warrior lairs. that was too slow. richard was a little troubled. it took time for things like technology to settle down. however, the current situation made him tense up. he had to do everything he could to speed up the improvement in this aspect. time wouldn¡¯t wait for anyone. the enemies of twilight city wouldn¡¯t give him generous time. richard pondered. he was about to call sam and the other research & development department staff from the blacksmith shop to give them the next mission when the system notification sounded again. [ding~ the number of heroes in the blacksmith shop has exceeded 20. they have successfully developed a particular technology. the blacksmith shop can now start the team research and development mode.] [team research and development mode: it requires at least ten relevant professional heroes to activate. research and development speed increases by 20%, and the success rate increases by 20% after activation. research and development speed and research and development success rate increase by 2%, with an upper limit of 50% for every additional recruit.] [note 1: a hero¡¯s single characteristic cannot save team research and development. one should pay the whole amount.] [note 2: increasing the investment of resources will increase the research speed.] the notifications pleasantly surprised richard after he repeatedly read. he didn¡¯t expect the number of people in scientific research could activate such a practical characteristic. that was a bit mess. for scientific research, the characteristic of the t-shirt was simply priceless. richard opened the troop attribute panel and glanced as he pondered. he foremost needed to study the radiant moon 3-stars king mummies and combined troop¨Cthe sandstorm controllers. the attack technology of these two powerful troops was still blank. the sandstorm controllers needed a mage tower to research technology as a spellcaster troop. the blacksmith shop¡¯s lack of skill could delay the work. however, a radiant moon 3-stars, level 17 newborn king mummy of the imperial troop lair was his pillar of support. the strategic value of this mighty troop type soared after the black gold system could directly synthesize the king of the imperial troop lair. offensive technology was undoubtedly the fastest and least costly way to increase the battle strength of the troops when they lacked resources and the potential to advance. richard pondered and reviewed the technology of the stone statue of the dead lair and tried to put it in the blacksmith shop for research. however, the notifications shattered his thoughts. [ding~ the current level of the twilight city is level 3 medium city¨Cspecial-level. please, upgrade to the big city before researching this technology.] [above the special-level was the glorious-level. the system couldn¡¯t develop level 3 medium cities.] richard shook his head and looked at the scorpion warrior¡¯s glorious-level technology with some emotion. this technology was an exception for various reasons. it could develop if the king of the imperial troop lair used this technology. richard returned to his senses. he ordered the guards to call adele and sam to bring them to the lord¡¯s mansion. the sound of footsteps came from outside not long after the soldiers left. adele was dirty and had a panda eye. sam had only a single arm and stepped into the house. they bowed immediately at the sight of richard. ¡°good day, lord richard¡­¡± richard looked at adele. she was embarrassed about her appearance when she entered the mansion. this blacksmith girl was generously pretty, but smoke, dust, oil, grease, and fire defiled her natural charm. he looked at the excited one-armed blacksmith, sam. ¡°sam, have you made any new progress in your research on the stone statues of the dead?¡± sam said excitedly, ¡°that¡¯s right, my lord!¡± ¡°thanks to the dungeon blacksmiths that lady adele brought from the underground world. we are now carrying out an additional reinforcement on the bodies of the stone statues of the dead. the steps included the smelting with rare resources, and then¡­¡± sam spoke for seven to eight minutes before he finally stopped. richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. these scientific researchers seemed to be on steroids when one asked to discuss their field. they talked remarkably excited about them. richard praised the blacksmiths afterward. he said slowly, ¡°group research is undoubtedly an effective method. it can enormously speed up the research progress¡­¡± ¡°adele, proceed to bloodhoof city to find blacksmiths for us. bring also the lower levels. we can first research the primary attack technology of the troop.¡± twilight city earned incomparable resources, although the cost of various aspects increased. it can support the scientific research expenses of several troops at the same time. that instantly perked adele up. Chapter 890 richard nodded with satisfaction. he praised the young lady. he helped establish the blacksmith association of bloodhoof city to promote the advancement of forging techniques in the underworld. they benefited generously from the blacksmiths of various races sharing their secret forging techniques. richard realized that recruiting a group of talents was a strategic move. it wasn¡¯t a negotiation whether those people would agree to come to twilight city or not. the recruitment was an order. sadly, there was no option. richard¡¯s orders were the only rules as the true ruler of the underworld. ¡°immediately bring those recruits up. later, i will build two more blacksmith shops for their research.¡± richard felt that it was a pity that the soldiers of twilight city were all recruited from the lair of the soldiers, and they all brought their weapons. he mainly established the blacksmith shop for scientific research use. it was considerably useless to forge weapons for the troop, which was what most players did. they recruited a myriad of the territories of the lords from the residents. they could become soldiers following a series of training in barracks. at this time, they would have to use the blacksmith shop to forge weapons for the troop. twilight city didn¡¯t follow what most people did. of course, richard had done this on purpose. the benefit of doing so was that it would enormously reduce the consumption of logistics. that could allow him to invest his resources in other areas. the disadvantages were relatively negligible. a sudden commotion happened unexpectedly. richard subconsciously turned his head to look. but something must have blocked his vision so he couldn¡¯t see the uproar. a guardian mummy stepped into the room just as he was about to ask the guards to check on the situation. ¡°lord, gunter is back.¡± ¡°gunter is back?¡± richard raised an eyebrow. ¡®these days, the ell plane was in turmoil. the raging blood duke planned to completely wipe out the last forces of the royal family of ell. why would gunter suddenly return during this critical moment? ¡®wasn¡¯t it rumored still half a month remained before they could enter the battle stage? the situation changed again?¡¯ just as he was puzzled, sparse footsteps approached quickly. a mummy wrapped in blood-colored bandages appeared at the door after a few breaths. it held a dark magic ball in his hand. a break through reinforced the mummy hero, a-rank, gunter from the bandaged mummy. richard immediately felt that gunter had changed as soon as it entered the room. the bandages around gunter seemed to come alive and flowed over its body. the aura on its body gave off a strong sense of oppression. he curiously opened its attribute panel. the content quite startled richard after a glance. [gunter] [hero unit] [level: 18¡­] gunter was only level 14 when richard left. he had already reached level 18 after half a month. ¡°gunter, what happened to you in ell? why did you level up so quickly?¡± gunter saluted and said excitedly, ¡°lord, we obtained the vault of the lion duke. they set a blood pool forged by an evil sacrifice to break through and become transcendent. ¡°the lion duke accumulated that power for more than ten years. that blood pool is considerably compatible with my power. i have received a vast improvement because of it.¡± richard looked at the mummy hero with admiration. that also promoted gray from a cursed pharaoh to an a-rank hero, while gunter from bandaged mummy. several talented people considered them top-notch, although not in twilight city. however, they made countless contributions during the early days of twilight city. the transformation enormously pleased richard now that he could catch up to the main force. richard praised gunter a few more times. he asked curiously, ¡°have you searched through the territory of the lion duke? how have you seized the treasure vault?¡± richard¡¯s tone sounded subtly unfriendly. the lion duke had obtained less than 200 million ordinary and less than 500,000 units of rare resources. this amount of resources seemed decent, but this was the territory of the lion duke with hundreds of thousands of residents. that was pitifully little compared to the amount. richard hadn¡¯t ordered the troop to transport them back. they should be handed over to the two princesses of ell to deal with. raising a troop would require a lot of resources. they would incessantly report the progress of the exploration of ell plane. they would report every few hours if there were important matters. they hadn¡¯t relayed any news about the treasure vault before. it was evident they had just recently discovered it. gunter replied. ¡°we captured the eldest son of lion duke while he secretly returned to the territory and wanted to instigate a rebellion. he couldn¡¯t withstand the torture, so he gave up the lion duke¡¯s treasure vault as ransom.¡± its tone sounded sparingly rigorous as it spoke. ¡°lord, not only did i obtain immense benefits from it, but we also found a vast amount of rare resources in the treasure vault¡­ the lion duke had placed much of his family¡¯s savings in that treasure vault.¡± ¡°so, we will first transport these resources back from ell.¡± that immediately piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°how many resources did you get this time?¡± gunter said excitedly, ¡°lord, the estimated amount of rare resources is six million units. in addition, there are three rare special building blueprints¡­¡± ¡°we also discovered ten crown-level troop lairs inside.¡± ¡°six¡­ six million rare resources?! ¡°rare building blueprints? crown troop lairs?¡± richard felt a wave of excitement. ¡®damn it, was this the correct way to explore a plane?¡¯ with this resource, he could upgrade all the glorious troop lairs in his hands to crown level! he was about to speak when gunter¡¯s tone suddenly echoed gravely. ¡°lord, when we captured the eldest son of the lion duke, we found a grace mainland lord beside him¡­ ¡°after the interrogation, a copious grace mainland lords sided with the raging blood duke. they seem to have accepted the mission to attack the ell royal family! we¡¯re going to have a conflict with these grace mainland lords.¡± richard frowned. ¡®players¡­ they also spied on the ell plane.¡¯ he recalled the epic battle of the century between the players and the natives of the orc empire. Chapter 891 gold everywhere, majestic dungeons, black dragon¡¯s treasure, spiders, venomous snakes, and traps everywhere. the people on the surface would imagine these creatures and attributes to exist in the underground world. the underground creatures also had countless unrealistic fantasies about the surface. and this fantasy had inadvertently shone into reality a few months ago. a powerful lord of the surface had entered the underground world. then, the human overlord from the surface created a legend where the gray-colored dwarves offered a reward of ten million units worth of food. and this was only two months. the lord of the surface had ended the conflict between the gray-colored dwarves and the barbarians of bloodhoof city¡¯s dungeon with absolute power in just two short months. the human overlord ruthlessly trampled the dwarf chieftain. the surface human overlord became the true ruler of the underground world. as the bloodhoof city began to conquer the entire underground world and took control of all the land, everyone felt sincere reverence for the human overlord of the surface. the human overlord¡¯s reputation rose to the peak. richard. the name would be comparable to a god in the eyes of several dungeon creatures. several people even thought that this person was the incarnation of a god. all sorts of things happened in the underground world afterward. and that reinforced the already prestigious reputation. the bloodhoof city ordered everyone not to fight each other after bloodhoof city razed the underground world. the land of the central plains, which had never been free from war since its birth, had welcomed an unprecedented peace. other powerful tribes ceased to bully some weaker tribes for months already. they did not encounter any danger of survival. more importantly, the human overlord of the surface had also issued an order that all races could produce weapons and sell them to the bloodhoof city in exchange for food. god of dungeons above, what kind of benevolent policy was this!! that was food, food that could save lives!! a myriad of starving dungeon races finally experienced the feeling of being full for the first time. they no longer have to send their elders out to the wilderness to die in search of food. according to maslow¡¯s needs theory, physiological and safety were the lowest level of needs. richard¡¯s reputation in the underworld soared again when he resolved two issues. the tuks, the blackfeather tribe that lived in the scarred hills, were no exception. they highly respected the human overlord from the surface. creatures from various planes knew the scarred hills as a crack-filled hill. the grounds endured multifarious cracks of different sizes, and the terrain was crisscrossed. cracks shrouded the hillock. this hill was incredibly suitable for hiding. in addition, this land was made entirely of rocks and dry soil. it could not produce food except for a few counts of moss in the dark. so no powerful races stationed here. that also allowed the weak tuks to survive. the blackfeather tribe was a group of humanoid lifeforms with black feathers all over their bodies. their average height was only 1.7 meters. the average level was 5. the mightiest tribe leader was only a level 7 hero with a potential d-rank. any powerful race could oppress them at will unless they leave the scarred hills. any dark race could have destroyed this long ago if not for their high fertility rate and sensitive perception. however, the surviving tuks were not much better off. the favorable policies of the surface could not affect their status. that was because the tuks weren¡¯t good at forging weapons. therefore, their food was still scarce while the other tribes enjoyed a stable and prosperous life. elderly members would need to enter the wilderness in pursuit of food every month. as a member of the blackfeather tribe, jake was a level 5 blackfeather swordsman. he had left the tribe for a month and a half. there was a shortage of food before he left. so he had to venture into the wilderness to find food. unexpectedly, he encountered the bloodhoof city troop along the way. the sudden invasion forced him to hide. he only dared to return following a safety call and assurance a few days ago. jake was very excited when he entered the familiar scarred hills. primarily, it was because he returned home alive and had accidentally barged into a fog-shrouded muddy swamp. he found a land shrouded with a multitude of edible mushrooms. that was enough to feed all the tuks for three months! that was an astonishing discovery of resources! he was proud of his return as a hero. presumably, the tuks saw him and would want to wear the iron medal! he couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace. his figure was vigorous as he flew quickly across the cracked ground. he stepped into the territory of the blackfeather tribe, and he suddenly heard a crisp sound. ¡®clang! clang! clang!¡¯ the sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the entire scarred hills. jake stood at the top of the hill and looked down. he immediately saw a myriad of tuks collecting moss in the cracks of the rocks. they climbed out and quickly headed toward the sound. jake was sparingly puzzled. that was the bell that summoned everyone for a meeting. ¡°did something happen?¡± however, the excited expressions on the faces of the people made him suspect something ugly happened to the tribe. it was like the rarely-banged bell had rang frequently recently, so no one was flustered. confused, he immediately followed his fellow tuks. before long, jake followed the blackfeather tuk into a dry and cracked valley. Chapter 892 he waved his hand and shouted a few times. a few immediately turned around in surprise and rushed to his side. ¡°jake, i thought something happened to you. why haven¡¯t you returned soon? what took you so long?¡± jake responded loudly. ¡°i went out to look for food!¡± pride engulfed his eyes. ¡°i found enough mushrooms that we could eat for three months in a fog-shrouded swamp!¡± he prepared to hear his friends and surrounding people¡¯s praises and admiration after he said he thought good news. he waited for a while and was stunned to find no one cared. ¡®what was going on?¡¯ doubts engulfed his thoughts. his companions beside him lowered their voices and said, ¡°jake, don¡¯t speak so loudly in the holy land of the new eternal city.¡± confusion flooded jake¡¯s face. ¡°when did this place become a holy land?¡± ¡°but, i found food¡­¡± ¡°we understand. prepare to welcome the arrival of the great messenger, the evil spreader.¡± ¡°that food¡­¡± ¡°the great messenger has already provided us with food. he had filled up ten caves! we no longer run scarce of food!¡± jake was stunned when he heard this. ¡°who is the great messenger? ¡°why would he give us so much precious food?¡± ¡°who is the great messenger? the great messenger was the oracle of the ancient tree of darkness sect!! he is a believer of the great god, a great figure who gives hope and help to our blackfeather tribe!!¡± the more he listened, the more confused he became. just as he was about to ask in confusion, his companion beside him was already impatient. he pulled him towards the center. he did not give him a chance to speak. an explosive boom echoed in the middle of the hill. one has tied a hollow stone on it. on the other side was an iron piece tied with a hemp rope made of tree bark. one gently pushed the iron piece. that produced a sound. at this moment, a figure taller than an ordinary person knocks on a rock. a crisp sound rang out in waves. the number of people gathered in the valley reached a certain level afterward. the tall black-feathered man stopped. the moment the voice fell, a commotion immediately sounded. ¡°great patriarch, the mighty great messenger, we beg for your presence!¡± ¡°today is the day.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t i see the great messenger?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t wait to listen to the teachings of the ancient tree of darkness sect¡­¡± the leader of the blackfeather tribe looked at the excited crowd. he extended his hand and pressed down. when his voice calmed down a little, he warmly said, ¡°the great messenger of the gods, lord zarok, has arrived.¡± ¡°kneel and welcome the great oracle!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, all the black-feathered people knelt and shouted. ¡°o great messenger of the ancient tree of darkness sect, a believer eternally loyal to the ancient tree god, we welcome your arrival!¡± the waves of fanatical calls hurled. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the sky suddenly darkened. an undead dragon that burned with crimson flames flew out from the other side of the hill. ¡®roar!¡¯ the undead dragon roared at the sky. a terrifying dragon might surged out like a tsunami. the black-feathered people, whose average level was only level 5, immediately felt the pressure that penetrated deep into their souls. that was the pressure of a high-level dough against a low-level life form, and one could not be immune to it. the undead dragon soared in the sky, swooped down, and landed in the center. in the next moment, the humongous creature crouched down. a tall figure stepped down from behind. at this moment, the eyes of all the black-feathered people became excited. ¡°great messenger of the gods. he had arrived!¡± jake raised his head and saw a terrifying three-meter-tall being. it had the upper body of a human and wore a dark brown priest robe. he held a pure holy black book in his hand. it emitted waves of magical fluctuations and a mysterious aura. his face looked like a person who was on the verge of death from suffering. it was hideous and terrifying. his evil rune-engraved skin sent chills down one¡¯s spine. the lower half of his body made jake feel suffocated. it was the opposite of a human body¨Ca spider, yes, a spider! the eight limbs pierced into the ground like sharp blades, with large patches of fine fur that grew on them. the tough bone armor wrapped around its body. three rows of uneven barbs grew from its head to its back. that gave off a strange and brutal feeling. just from its appearance, it immediately gave off an exaggerated sense of oppression. and that pair of scarlet eyes made its deterrence increase tenfold! brutality and murderous intent filled its pair of eyes. it was evil, chaotic, brutal, and bloodthirsty. the aura of all dark lifeforms spread out from his body. evil and darkness passed. this extremely evil existence that made people¡¯s hearts tremble gave people an inexplicable sense of holiness. that was incredibly surprising. it was sacred and inviolable. the two strange auras colluded. jake couldn¡¯t describe his feelings. he turned to look at his companion beside him and said in a low voice, ¡°this is the great god? he could¡­could it bring hope to the blackfeather tribe?¡± his companions said sternly, ¡°the ancient tree of darkness sect came to save us. it is also the foundation and could enrich our faith. jake, wait and see how the great god will unleash his power!!¡± jake stared at his companion¡¯s burning gaze. he was somewhat at a loss. did the ancient tree of darkness sect have such powerful strength? Chapter 893 ¡°but, i¡¯ve never heard of this sect¡­¡± a few people beside him said excitedly, ¡°that¡¯s because the great god had slept and had just woken up¡­ just wait and see. lord zarok will answer all your questions.¡± at this moment, the terrifying human spider-like creature stepped forward. it swept its gaze around, raised the holy black book, and chanted softly. ¡°the great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect has returned from eternity.¡± all the black-feathered people knelt and chanted at the same time. ¡°the great god of the ancient tree of darkness faction has returned from eternity¡­¡± the voices echoed uniformly and sonorously on the dark hill. solemnity and holiness brimmed their souls. the terrifying cleric¡¯s voice continued. ¡°he is the undying master, the controller of power, the embodiment of darkness, and everyone¡¯s salvation.¡± ¡®he is the master of my power? the controller of power? the embodiment of darkness? he is my salvation?!!¡¯ ¡°he is eternal. he stands in the past, appears in the present, and exists forever in the future. he is in the past, in the present, and forever!¡± the cleric¡¯s voice suddenly sounded louder. the next moment, the black-feathered man on the hill immediately revealed excitement and fanaticism. ¡°he is eternal. he stands in the past, appears in the present, and exists forever in the future.!¡± as soon as he said that, the great messenger prepared the holy black book in his hand. boundless energy surged out and quickly gathered in the sky. at the same time, his voice suddenly sounded high-pitched. ¡°great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect, your eternal and devout believer is willing to offer faith, soul, and eternal obedience. great god, the god who controls the endless power of darkness and corruption, my humble believer begs for your mercy and attention!¡± the moment the prayer fell. the energy that surged from the holy black book dispersed. that condensed into the shadow of a giant tree 50 meters tall. they would recognize the life in the picture if the soldiers of twilight city were here. the god¡¯s ancient tree. the black-feathered man immediately went crazy when he saw the shadow. they crossed their arms before their chests and began to pray most devoutly. ¡°eternal great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect, praise your strength, your grandeur¡­¡± ¡°o mighty great god of ancient tree of darkness sect, lord of the ¡®holy nimita,¡¯ your humble believers offer everything to you¡­¡± all answered with devotion. the great messenger would name all the prayers to the great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect. that attitude was hard for jake to accept. tuks had never believed in gods before. such a humble bow still touched his sensitive nerves, although he was in awe of those who controlled supreme power. ¡®why have they settled their faith in this entity?¡¯ that was the biggest question in his mind. a figure lingered in the breeze. the distorted dark figure looked at the blurry image. jake suddenly felt his soul freeze. his thoughts suddenly stopped. ¡°i will grant you the power of the ancient tree of darkness sect.¡± he finished speaking, and a majestic energy surged from the blurry image and directly poured into jake¡¯s body. jake felt something that had slept in his bloodline suddenly woke up. ¡®kacha!¡¯ that severed one invisible shackle after another. jake released a low growl. and then his aura soared. he regained his senses after ten breaths. he was shocked to find that his strength had risen to level 8. he was one level higher than the tuk tribe leader!! he stared blankly at the scene in the sky. it was hard to imagine. ¡°level 8, this was level 8!¡± the great god had bestowed a divine grace!! the unacceptable emotions in his heart collapsed before a vast surprise. jake most humbly knelt without the slightest hesitation. his tone sounded almost crazy. ¡°oh, almighty ruler! thank you for your gift, your humble believer. i will protect your glory with my life and soul!!¡± jake finished speaking. only the great messenger could see a thin, white line that quietly merged into the illusory ancient tree from the top of his head. ¡°listen to my oracle and follow the teachings. the ancient tree of darkness sect is your eternal support.¡± ¡°he came from the past, stands in the present, and exists in the future.¡± the blurry figure slowly disappeared when he finished speaking. the black-feathered people in the arena went exaggeratedly excited. ¡°praise the great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect!!¡± the atmosphere reached its peak. the great messenger stood up and looked at everyone with its scarlet eyes. ¡°after the first battle of the gods, our god fell into a deep sleep. it was not until tonight that i sensed the rise of the crimson moon that he woke up.¡± ¡°the great god is immortal. he is the only ruler who can protect you. ¡°our god is recovering his strength, so we need you to pray most devoutly. ¡°when you are devout enough, you will feel the gaze of our god. what had just happened replenished the black-feathered people on the hill. they immediately knelt and worshipped. the great messenger finished preaching and waved his hand. suddenly, solemn voices reverberated from all directions on the hill. it was like something had purified their souls. ¡°great god of the ancient tree of darkness sect, you are the savior of our lives. we thank and praise you. we offer our loyalty and faith to you until eternity.¡± Chapter 894 solemnity filled this scene. the great messenger pondered at the scene. it then sat back on the undead dragon. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the undead dragon flapped its wings and flew away from the hill. ¡°pray, believers of our god, in the most pious way. ¡°the great god is watching us.¡± the great messenger pulled the reins not far away from the hill. and the crimson moon slowly halted the skeletal blood dragon. at this moment, more than ten skeleton blood dragons flew into the sky. the undead dragons in front of the great messenger approached. a gray-colored dwarf dressed in extravagant clothes looked at him with admiration. ¡°lord zarok, your ability is indeed extraordinary. that is already the third tribe to enrich their faith.¡± lord zarok said meaningfully, ¡°as long as you can maintain this, the lord will bestow you with the identity of a hero in the future.¡± becoming a hero was the ultimate dream of almost all soldiers. that was a desire engraved in their souls. the great messenger was no exception. its scarlet eyes revealed some interest when it heard this. it calmed down. it said, ¡°master brown, after a month or more days of preaching, the ancient tree of darkness¡¯s trade has gradually improved. we can try to promote it on a large scale.¡± he looked at the other skeleton blood dragons. more than ten humans stood on it. brown was also excited. he was the first gray-colored dwarf recruited, and karu handed over the task of spreading the faith in the underworld to him. over the past months, brown had witnessed how the ancient tree of darkness sect had spread among these tribes. mistakes happened along the way, but the extraordinary soldier, the great messenger, evil spreader, lord zarok, settled them all. at this moment, the other skeleton blood dragons also surrounded him. a middle-aged lady with two long scars on her face said slowly, ¡°using the elven music box to enhance the atmosphere and continuously strengthen the believers¡¯ understanding of the teachings is an excellent method.¡± ¡°master brown, i suggest we build a preaching room for future gatherings specifically for the elven music box.¡± brown subconsciously looked at the hill where the black-feathered people were. at this moment, the fervent prayers still came. he nodded. ¡°not only that. we can also use the elven music box to spread the stories and transactions of the ancient tree of darkness sect.¡± brown sounded excited. ¡°tobey, we can temporarily store the power of faith and then supply it to the believers. that will allow us to continue creating miracles without consumption. we will have a greater effect sooner or later if we continue to expand.¡± as brown spoke, tobey was a little surprised. when he had learned of this mission, he had been quite uneasy. it was incredibly arduous to create a sect and convince believers of the existence of a single person. however, tobey didn¡¯t expect all kinds of difficulties weren¡¯t worth mentioning in front of an extraordinary soldier like the great messenger. the great messenger, the evil spreader, had made progress in spreading the religion at a rapid rate. ¡°perhaps one day, the ancient tree of darkness sect will spread throughout the underground world, and everyone will become a believer in the sect.¡± tobey sighed with emotion as he spoke. ¡°what a pity. if only we were a real sect.¡± the moment he said this, the great messenger on the back of the skeleton blood dragon had a strange expression. however, he gazed deeply at brown. ¡°master brown! who said that the ancient tree of darkness sect wasn¡¯t real?¡± brown was stunned and asked subconsciously. ¡°isn¡¯t this the sect that we created?¡± holiness engulfed the great messenger¡¯s eyes. ¡°no, master brown¡­ we created it before, but just now, i sensed his holiness! the ancient tree of darkness sect absorbed the power of faith.¡± ¡°the current ancient tree of darkness sect¡­ it¡¯s a true sect. ¡°the great god we believe in has the power of authority. ¡°although ¡®he¡¯ is still weak. ¡®he¡¯ is growing.¡± that startled brown when he heard this. Chapter 895 he glanced at gunter with a burning gaze. gunter brought back six million units of rare resources and three remarkable building blueprints. that was the first wave of harvest from the ell kingdom. the generosity made richard super excited. ¡°do you have those special building blueprints with you now?¡± the blood-colored bandages wrapped gunter nodded. he shook the dark magic ball in its hand slightly, and a unique magic power emerged from it. it quickly condensed in the air. the three blueprints floated in the air. that elevated richard¡¯s spirits, and he reached out to take them. he looked at them carefully. [school] [level: s[ecial 5-stars] [special characteristic: 1. it increases teaching efficiency by 30% when imparting knowledge in school.] [2. students¡¯ comprehension will increase by 30% when each receives knowledge.] [3. students attending school have a 1% chance of becoming hero units after they receive sufficient education.] [4. territory with a school, popular sentiment +10 (90 ++1)] [description: an essential building for a powerful territory.] ¡ª [church] [level: special] [special characteristics: 1. can build a church. you must choose the god you believe in.] [2. the preaching effect will increase by 50% when preaching in the church.] [3. one can recruit special troops¨Cknights of the church] [recruitment quantity: 5 squadrons] [level: 15] [description: the recruitment level will increase when the system reinforces the territory into a big city.] [4. increases 10 points of popular sentiment (+1 when the popular is above 90 points.)] [5. there is a 5% chance of directly changing classes to become a priest after praying in the church for a week.] [6. unknown (requires a god to activate)] [description: a remarkable building. it will activate attributes if they worship a god.] the first two blueprints intrigued richard. both the school and the church were excellent. the school could produce heroes and speed up the learning of knowledge, so there was a place for literacy classes in twilight city. the church reminded richard of the ancient tree of darkness sect. that could be the cornerstone of the new church if his plan worked. he looked at the last picture excitedly. [tavern] [level: special] [characteristic: 1. the taste of the wine increases by 30% after one stored it in the cellar for a week.] [2. the higher the level of the wine, the more likely it is to attract high-level heroes.] [description: you can find some powerful heroes in the tavern.] ¡°a tavern could attract heroes?¡± richard was delighted at first, but then his expression turned odd. ¡°damn it! that was the desert of death where birds couldn¡¯t even shit. who would come to the desert for no reason?¡± he could attract heroes, but none had come to join him until now. the characteristic of increasing the taste of the wine by 30% after a week of cellaring was superb. twilight city could sell whitetail wine for a generous price. the three blueprints were good. they could make up for the current vacancy in twilight city. especially schools and churches. however, these buildings required time to see their effects. richard could not count on them now. ¡°gunter, you did well this time. go back to ell kingdom and continue to help the two princesses organize the resistance troop.¡± ¡°i shall lead the troop there after three days. report to me immediately if there are any changes in the situation.¡± ¡°as for those grace mainland lords¡­ continue to send people to inquire about them. you can also get the two princesses to try to give them missions to see if you can rope them in and make them abandon the darkness and join the light. ¡°grace mainland lords are creatures without bottom line. they wouldn¡¯t mind betraying with a generous price.¡± gunter immediately nodded. the mummy turned to leave, and richard left the lord¡¯s mansion. he collected all the rare resources in the boxes. the total number was about the same as gunter¡¯s estimation, just over six million units. his heart immediately burned with the resources in his hands. he was ready to start another round of explosive soldiers. the battles the twilight city participated in became more intense as time passed. the enemies they faced were no longer the weaklings who guarded the resource points in the wild. one was mightier than the other. it was already arduous for the glorious troops to become the main force. in addition, the lord of corrosion could collapse the spatial rift at any time outside twilight city, which made him worry. this time, he wanted to upgrade all the glorious troops to crown level. each needed to consume 100,000 ordinary-level lairs to advance levels from glorious to crown. currently, the glorious troop lairs in twilight city were: scorpion warriors (20), mummy guardians (3), sand condensation archers (10), and sandstorm controllers (20). there were 53 of them. all of the upgrades required 5.3 million ordinary-level troop lairs. the market price of each ordinary troop lair was only two units of rare resources. however, he needed a lot of rare resources. he would use tens of millions of rare resources. that was an exaggerated number. however, with the 6 million that gunter had brought home, he could carry out the plan to launch the rebellion. richard reckoned. the production and development of twilight city did not cease to operate, although the situation in the outside world had been unpredictable since january. richard no longer had any psychological pressure and began to increase the black sorbet ice cream production due to alchemical sow and harvest machine investments. Chapter 896 twenty food workshops wouldn¡¯t be enough if the newly sown frost grass fully matured next month. twilight city tripled profits from the black sorbet compared to december with their combined efforts, although that was only halfway through january. they had earned a total of 3,000,000 units of rare resources. in addition, the whitetail wine and the desert crown honey also steadily provided income. these two items added up to 750,000 rare resources. however, what surprised him the most was the weapon sales in bloodhoof city. the blacksmith association released several forging techniques in the past two months. and that improved the dungeon clan¡¯s blacksmiths tremendously. that was because the underground world had welcomed a long-awaited peace. technology was the key to improving productivity. the previous policy received unexpected returns this month. bloodhoof city earned four million units of rare resources just from weapons alone. the sale caused a heated discussion on the forum. but then again, what surprised richard the most was the naga plane. this plane had already become the home ground for more than twenty conflicting planes. it was the sole plane that leaked air everywhere. lifeforms from different planes fought and extinguished each other every day. victors drenched and piled their opponents in blood on the night the crimson moon rose. the death of these soldiers who had obtained the power of the ancient gods could drop a remarkable treasure¨Cthe great stone of the ancient ones. these could purchase rare resources. an enormous number of corpses in the rotten swamp also obtained 3,000 great stones of the ancient ones. one could use each to deduct 1,000 units of rare resources. in addition to the 1,000 or so crystals he had obtained from killing the undead nagas, richard had more than 4,000 crystals in his hands. counting it down, it was 4,000,000 rare resources. in addition to the millions of resources he originally had, the rare resources had now reached a record-breaking nine million units and 4,000 great stones of the ancient ones. his rare resources had already reached a jaw-dropping number, plus the six million rare resources that gunter brought back. on january 25th, richard, who had finished his work, looked at his bulging wallet and finally began the violent wave of soldiers on the eve of the war. first, he spent 10.6 million rare resources when he purchased 5.3 million troop lairs. he arrived before the lord¡¯s mansion and leveled on a large scale. he upgraded the lair from glorious to crown level. he consumed resources to upgrade all the previous troops to the crown level. to upgrade the glorious troops to crown would require 2,400 units. richard obtained more than 3,000 glorious troops following half a month of recruitment. he spent more than eight million rare resources as a result. richard¡¯s wallet just bulged and shrank to just over a million. Chapter 897 crown troop lairs 1. scorpion warrior (lairs: 20, weekly production: 140, current quantity: 1,210) 2. guardian mummy (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 210) 3. sand condensation archer (lairs: 10, weekly production: 50, current quantity: 885) 4. sandstorm controller (lairs: 20, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 1,100) 5. stone statues of the dead (lairs: 20, weekly production: 200, current quantity: 1,600) 6. guardian mummy (lairs: 10, weekly production: 100, current quantity: 900) 7. king of the imperial (lairs: 13, weekly production: 130, current quantity: 680) 8. skeleton blood dragon (lairs: 0, weekly production: 0, current quantity: 200) radiant moon troop lairs 1. king of the imperial (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30, current quantity: 270) richard looked at the data on the attribute panel. that particularly enlivened his good mood. that was especially true for the stone statues of the dead. initially, these soldiers had 11 lairs. but at the beginning of the month, he had started to nurture a batch of soldiers needed for fusion¨Cthe axe of the dead, the dark gargoyle. richard successfully produced nine dead stone statues from a fusion. that increased the lairs from 11 to 20. the weekly production increased to 20 teams. ¡°we almost have dropped hundreds of crown soldiers for recruiting troops that required generous resources.¡± richard stood in the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion. he looked at the dense troop and sighed. the first step was always to upgrade. the recruitment that required resources every week was the paramount step. this troop had reached the critical point of twilight city. he couldn¡¯t withstand it anymore. he couldn¡¯t upgrade these troops unless resources were abundant. just a thought of it wouldn¡¯t satisfy his hunger. this wave of soldiers again widened the gap between twilight city and the other lords. at present, results riveted the overall level of the players at the rare level, and the elite resources produced the glorious soldier types. the higher the level of the troops, the more difficult it was to obtain. the plane exploration allowed some players to reap abundant benefits, but this could not change the fact. the crown-level troops existed among the top few players. they only had a portion of them. one or two squadrons must have happened to complete some mission. the twilight city owned well-established troops. richard had already pulled away from the players. he had never paid any attention to the players such as lolita, the spider goddess, the decay king, or the kobold god. richard doused himself down and eased out a long sigh. he looked at the soldiers beside him. ¡°blow the horn and gather the troop¡­ i¡¯m leaving for the ell kingdom.¡± ****** cataclysmic fete crisscrossed the ell plane, ell kingdom. lightning flashed in the sky among the dark clouds and emitted dull booms. a burly figure over three meters tall with a blood-colored cloak held onto the city wall of the capital with one hand while the other held a sword that had yet to be unsheathed at his waist. murderous gaze veiled his square face, and his blue eyes were deep and cold. his body had belched a faint bloody aura. it was like he had just killed his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. its essence palpitated people¡¯s hearts. the blood-colored crown on his head added a bit of nobility to him. a multitude of heavily armored warriors stood behind. the golden armor on their bodies made them look dignified and riveting. a myriad of flying soldiers in the sky rigorously protected the city wall. a moment later, the burly square-faced figure slowly turned around. its dangerous gaze swept around and stopped on a general with a cold expression. ¡°have the two remaining members of the royal family of ell made any new movements recently?¡± the general lowered his head and straightly looked into his eyes as he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°great nobility, the remaining members of the ell royal family made arrangements with the other planes according to the grace mainland lord¡­ and it was very likely that it was the primary plane.¡± ¡°primary plane¡­ the birthplace of the gods was something that people yearned for.¡± ****** Chapter 898 a trail of dust. the void sandworm in the land of quicksand opened a portal, and richard watched as the troop filed. he felt a sense of excitement he had missed for a long time. a special feeling always rose whenever he led troops to battle. it could be the battlefield, the gunpowder smoke, or perhaps the romance that belonged to men. this time, he brought along a total of 150 squads with him. the sandstorm controllers had reached a hundred teams. the guardian mummies were 90 squads. sixty-eight squads of crown-level king mummies and twenty-seven squads of radiant moon-level king mummies joined the team. in addition, 15 teams of skeleton blood dragons also joined the battle force. total troop strength reached 550 squads. those were crown-level troops. in addition, level 23 vampire archduchess loreinna, level 19 dark soul eater kratos, level 18 mummy hero gunter, and the level 16 dragon hero alves participated in the battle. it was not an exaggeration to say that this troop was the backbone of the powerful indigenous forces. loreinna stood beside richard. she watched the troop march. her silver eyes were notoriously attractive. a moment later, she said slowly, ¡°lord, do we need the vampire clan in this battle siege?¡± her gentle tone conveyed a hint of laziness. richard turned his head to look at the voluptuous vampire archduchess. he gestured for the dimensional door to the vampire castle. richard sensed the evil aura from inside. he spoke slowly. ¡°how long will it take for that plane to merge with the primary plane?¡± ¡°i couldn¡¯t ascertain. the vampires had descended a week ago, but something could have blocked them.¡± loreinna said with a light tone. the evil plane that was about to merge with the vampire castle emitted constant energy that could purify the blood of the vampire clan. the feeling of becoming stronger while lying down made her very intoxicated. at this rate, she could reach level 24 soon! the next step up was the magnificent level¨Cglorious. everything was in front of her. a tentacle can reach her. no one could resist this temptation. richard was in a good mood. each increase in the subordinate¡¯s strength would bolster more of his confidence. the vampire clan troop will continue to stay inside and advance. richard would summon them for support had the situation on the battlefield changed. ¡°there won¡¯t be such a good environment when that evil plane descends.¡± richard wouldn¡¯t want loreinna to join the battle if it weren¡¯t for the raging blood duke¡¯s threat. however, from the looks of it, the benefits of conquering ell¡¯s plane wouldn¡¯t surpass hiding in the vampire castle and passively leveling up. richard seemed to have thought of something and continued after a simple reminder. ¡°has rebecca made any new moves recently?¡± the eldest daughter of the frost wolf grand duke searched for the vampire treasure¨Cvampire staff, to open some ancient ruins. the vampire archduchess briefly talked to her when she visited the vampire castle some time ago. loreinna shook her head. ¡°two days ago, miss rebecca seemed to have something important to attend to and quickly left.¡± ¡°she asked me to tell you¡­ she would give you a gift which she promised to bring until we meet again.¡± ¡°you must tell her should you plan to visit ice empire.¡± ¡°left?¡± richard frowned. ¡°is there any news about the vampire staff?¡± loreinna jolted her head. ¡°nothing. rebecca didn¡¯t find any traces of the vampire staff. it seems like she found another way to open the ruins¡­¡± richard understood. rebecca was different. she had a powerful family to rely on, and the frost wolf grand duke was a legendary existence. he felt subtly emotional. he had long wanted to visit the ice empire. but he couldn¡¯t find the time to do so in such a troubled time. during the two days of conversation, the last batch of troops had also passed through the spatial gate. richard looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡°treebeard, wait here and prepare. ¡°we are expectant of a great war in the ell kingdom. ¡°i will summon you when the battle intensifies. you must come immediately when that happens.¡± the effect of this bottomless boss on the battlefield was not inferior to that of a transcendent. treebeard responded in a muffled voice. ¡°as you wish, lord¡­¡± richard nodded and no longer hesitated. he turned, sat on alves, and drove over. the a-rank undead dragon flew into the spatial gate. loreinna spread her broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and followed behind. kratos, the dark soul eater, stepped in with his dark servants. richard passed through the portal and felt coolness. there was even a slight chill. it was winter during january, the coldest season. they would immediately face average weather once they left the desert. the power of the yellow sand surged around richard¡¯s body and immediately dispelled the chill. at the same time, the desert crown robe also emitted warmth. only now did he have the time to look around. a sparse patch of trees appeared before richard. a thin layer of frost and snow covered the crisp green trees and grasses. white colors reflected each other. he stepped into such an environment from the dead and withered desert and made people happy. however, the gloomy clouds in the sky dissipated his good mood sparingly. that was not the first time richard had stepped into the ell kingdom. the two princesses summoned him from the tomb of the gods. Chapter 899 richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he subconsciously looked into the distance. an unfamiliar troop appeared on the frozen land. falcon-embroidered flags fluttered as knights in full armor drove their tall warhorses forward. the leading knight waved its hand after it reached a hundred meters. the next second, the knight behind suddenly pulled the reins and stopped the horse. then, the leading knight straightened its back and drove its horse closer. the leading knight arrived below alves. it let out a soft cry and stopped the warhorse. at this moment, the leading knight alone faced the pressure of the dragon might. however, calm eyes peeped through the helmet. the warhorse snorted and spat out two streams of white mist. the leading knight took a deep breath and took off the helmet. ¡®shua!¡¯ she scattered her long hair in the wind, and an exquisite face appeared. the leading knight placed her right hand on her chest and said solemnly, ¡°great ruler, tundel sends you her most respectful greetings. thank you for your support all this time. i have prepared a sumptuous banquet to welcome you.¡± richard looked down at the eldest princess of the royal family of ell, and his eyes moved slightly. ¡°there is no need for formalities, tundel. ¡°what¡¯s the current situation?¡± a hint of anger sounded in her tone. ¡°the traitor is mobilizing all the troops loyal to him to surround lion city. ¡°the first batch of enemy troops will arrive in three days at most. ¡°great ruler, we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± the raging blood duke gained absolute dominance after the purge of the royal family of ell. tundel and her sister would have been in despair if richard hadn¡¯t supported them. at this thought, she held her chest and lowered her head again. richard looked at the kingdom¡¯s princess in such a manner, and his emotions were sparingly subtle. power was a man¡¯s best coat. this sentence was never false. the ¡°shining era¡± might be hell for most players but for him¡­ ¡°we¡¯ll talk about it when we return to lion city.¡± ¡°yes, great ruler!¡± ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± tundel immediately led the way on her warhorse. the troop she brought with her immediately surrounded her after she returned. they protected her in the center. the void sandworm could not open a spatial gate directly into the city due to the interference of magic in lion city. that was also a necessary defensive measure for many large cities. some spellcasters who could control spatial sorcery could easily send troops into the city without any magic that could disrupt space. the city wall would become a decoration. the more powerful a city was, the more defensive it was against magic. spellcasters could change the situation on the battlefield. no one dared to underestimate them. they walked through the sparse forest for more than ten kilometers. the majestic ancient-beast-like city reflected in richard¡¯s eyes. the city walls were 40 meters high and stood on the horizon like a valley. countless heavy city defense weapons, catapults, and giant crossbows were on top of the city. innumerable. archer towers ten meters above the city wall stood at regular intervals. more ferocious heavy crossbows surrounded the tower. heavy-armored soldiers patrolled the city walls. they would immediately unleash their most ferocious attacks at the mere shadow of an enemy. they had arrived at lion city. ****** a multitude of echelons appeared in the central square of lion city. at this moment, all the higher-ups were present. everyone was excited and nervous as they waited for the reinforcements to arrive. they all knew that the princess had summoned an array of her ancestors to find reinforcements from other planes following the invasion of lion city. richard spun thoughts. he subconsciously glanced at the little centaur warrior while she stood before everyone. her eyes were burning. transcendent! that was their reinforcement. it was an incredibly soul-extinguishing specie. this centaur safeguarded the two princesses at the most critical moment. she single-handedly slaughtered the troop and the lion duke. then, she used absolute power when she controlled this city. she had become the two princesses¡¯ most powerful protector. and now, another batch of reinforcements from another plane was about to arrive. ¡°i wonder how many troops her royal highness has summoned this time.¡± ¡°we hope the wilderness ruler emily will help us annihilate the traitor, the raging blood duke!¡± ¡°god¡¯s blessings¡­¡± the princess wouldn¡¯t reveal too much information to them. she only said a myriad of reinforcements this arrive this time. subconsciously, they thought of the reinforcements as this transcendent¡¯s subordinates. the seven or eight figures stood at the edge and turned extra curious when they heard the crowd¡¯s discussion. the leader was a warrior in his early thirties. he looked forward to it. ¡°do you think more transcendents would join the reinforcements this time?¡± these words caused the small group to fall silent. then, they shook their heads in unison. ¡°commander, that¡¯s quite arduous. what kind of existence is transcendent? how could one produce them easily? this transcendent centaur was already strong enough. a second wilderness ruler is unnecessary, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s correct. this plane isn¡¯t a powerful one. the raging blood duke is transcendent. but he is about to face a transcendent-headed reinforcement. this mission is about to be done.¡± Chapter 900 ¡°let me remind you whether the reinforcements are strong or not. ¡°the traitors¡¯ troops are incomparable. this mission is earth-movingly arduous, so we must be careful. ¡°it¡¯s better to preserve our strengths if we¡¯re helpless. ¡°besides, we¡¯re not the only players in this plane. the raging blood duke has a top-tier troop on his side.¡± at this point, the expressions of the surrounding people changed. a female player said hesitantly, ¡°commander is right. the blazing flame guild has always been overbearing. we should be more cautious.¡± the warrior commander looked at the tense atmosphere and eased up. ¡°that¡¯s right, but there¡¯s no need to be too careful¡­ wealth comes from risks. we are at a disadvantage, but we also have advantages. and they are even more enormous than the blazing glame guild!¡± these words immediately piqued the interest of the surrounding people. ¡°commander, what advantages do we have?¡± ¡°it¡¯s easier to build relationships with the echelons, especially¡­ that transcendent centaur.¡± passion shrouded the warrior commander¡¯s eyes. he sternly said, ¡°we usually are not in a position to come near important figures like the transcendents¡­ we finally could easily interact with them. that is a one-in-a-million opportunity.¡± ¡°the blazing flame guild is powerful, but the raging blood duke is the king of a kingdom. the former couldn¡¯t even come near the kingdom¡¯s echelons as we do. ¡°and i can imagine this transcendent centaur has a generous influence in her plane. ¡°an unwavering connection with this transcendent centaur will be paramount to our guild whether we fail our battle mission.¡± the others immediately perked high spirits and moved when the warrior commander said this. ¡°transcendent, what level of existence was that?¡± ¡°a big shot who had toppled an entire city down by her won!!¡± the transcendent centaur could just support them a little and make them eat until their mouths were generously greased with oil if they had impressed her. ¡°but commander, the biggest problem now is that we can¡¯t even get near that transcendent¡­ how are we going to do that?¡± the warrior player revealed a confident smile. these words jolted everyone¡¯s eyes to light up. ¡°commander, what is it?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep it a secret for now. i¡¯ll tell you in detail when the reinforcements arrive.¡± these words stirred up everyone¡¯s emotions. they couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. they recalled how the other players shared their rewards from incessant exploration. the tables had turned, and it might be their turn this time. wouldn¡¯t they soar if they aced the transcendent centaur¡¯s attention? sounds echoed everywhere at this moment. ¡®ta, ta!¡¯ ¡®ta, ta!¡¯ the horses¡¯ hooves stepped on the floor, and the crisp sound reverberated from afar. hundreds of cavalrymen entered the square. an exquisite soldier led them. the light in the sky gradually dimmed afterward. the players looked up at the same time as everyone else. they glared at a group of soldiers that emitted a terrifying aura as they flew mid-sky. ¡°that transcendent centaur¡¯s subordinates are here!¡± someone¡¯s call out lifted everyone¡¯s spirits as they looked at the reinforcements from another dimension with burning eyes. gargoyles that emitted a cluster of lustrous rocks and undead dragons that burned with crimson flames were faintly discernible in the endless sandstorm. one wouldn¡¯t need to check their stats to sense the strength of this troop. the sandstorm in the sky blew fiercely toward the ground in the next moment. the surrounding spectators froze open-mouthed and wide-eyed just as they subconsciously covered their eyes to block the sandstorm. the sandstorm directly condensed into mummies on the ground. the stone statues of the dead soldiers that flew in the sky also landed. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ they were like stone statues that stood on the ground. their standpoint was stern and fierce. a multitude of mummies from their backs got down. the mummy troop carried long spears as they walked. the mummies revealed an aura of disregard for life. the unique aura of a dead spirit was unforgettable. the only undead dragon remained in the sky with a wingspan of more than 40 meters swooped down after the troop landed. it domineeringly stopped on the ground. it emitted a dragon might that gushed out unscrupulously. the mummies stood on the ground without any attack, but they could already make people feel suffocating pressure. at this moment, a figure covered in yellow sand jumped down from the dragon¡¯s back. everyone riveted their eyes on that figure. for some reason, they felt that this was the master of this troop. his striking temperament made people¡¯s hearts tremble, although they hardly see his face. some people were born to be leaders, the main characters in the center of the stage. no one could hide their sharp-wittedness. ¡°isn¡¯t that transcendent centaur troop too powerful?¡± ¡°all of them are crown soldiers?¡± ¡°i can feel the pressure from that dragon hero even from a hundred meters away¡­ i¡¯m a little flustered.¡± ¡°right now, i don¡¯t think we will lose to the blazing flame guild¡­¡± excitement shrouded the players in the crowd. they did not expect the transcendent centaur to bring such a powerful troop. suddenly, one of the players seemed to have noticed something. he pointed at the yellow sand-filled voice and exclaimed softly. Chapter 901 ¡°huh?¡± this claim immediately piqued the curiosity of the surrounding people, and they quickly opened their attribute panel. they couldn¡¯t see any attributes and didn¡¯t know the level status. however, the panel color that only belonged to the players was riveting. they confirmed the mysterious player¡¯s identity, and a few revealed extremely envious gazes. ¡°awesome! this player was able to command so many troops in the native forces. it was simply amazing!¡± ¡°i wouldn¡¯t be a lord if i were the commander of this troop!¡± not all players were lords. several players had poor skills in managing territories, so they gave their possessions up long ago and went to live in native cities. a considerable number joined the native forces. they rose to a high position after half a year. there were often players who showed off on the forums. a few subconsciously thought the figure who got off the dragon¡¯s back was a player who had sided with the native forces. at this moment, princess tundel got her warhorse off and stood before everyone. the royal princess first bowed to the centaur and faced the troop in front. the players saw this scene, and that uplifted their spirits. next, it should be the player who brought the troop to salute the transcendent centaur, right? such a demonstration would surge their hearts unphased. they had fantasized more than once that one would someday lead an earth-shattering troop and make everyone bow to them. ¡®stomp! stomp!¡¯ his leather boots stomped on the ground, and his figure, shrouded in yellow sand, walked straight to all the higher-ups in lion city. the players waited for the player to lead the troop to bow before the transcendent centaur. the masterful transcendent centaur solemnly bowed to the player who had flipped down from the dragon¡¯s back. the centaur finished speaking. princess tundell held her chest at the same time. ¡°great ruler, tundel welcomes you.¡± the echelons of lion city immediately followed their princesses and held their chests. ¡°welcome.¡± this sudden scene stunned the players who waited for the centaur to bow. the mind-blowing twist almost froze them wide-eyed and open-mouthed. this player! the transcendent centaur didn¡¯t bring a subordinate! the player must be the master of the transcendent centaur. was he the genuine reliance of the royal family of ell? a few looked at each other and felt incredulous and absurd. ¡°how was this possible?¡± ¡°what kind of joke was this?¡± ¡°how can a player like him be the master of the transcendent?!!!¡± ¡°how could he become the protector of the princess who controlled nearly 100,000 troops?!!¡± a few stood tall and straight in the crowd and bent over with heads lowered. they were particularly riveting. richard saw them at once. the corners of his mouth curled into a playful smile. ¡°players?¡± this light sentence made the players¡¯ hearts palpitate. the first person to return to god¡¯s amethyst was the warrior commander. he was a warrior in his early thirties. he immediately replied. ¡°that¡¯s right, big brother¡­ my lord! we are players!¡± ¡°this is the first time we¡¯ve met. please take care of us.¡± as he spoke, he did not hesitate at all and bowed directly. his posture was even more humble than the aborigines beside him. the other players also regained their senses and held their chests in excitement. ¡°respected lord, please take care of us!¡± that was a top-notch big shot who had a transcendent as his subordinate!! ¡°f*ck! if he could cling onto someone¡¯s thigh, it would be ten thousand times better than clinging onto a transcendent¡¯s thigh!!¡± richard smiled and did not say anything more. he waved his hand to dismiss princess tundel. the princess hadn¡¯t stood up yet. they exchanged a few words softly. richard turned around and walked toward the main hall in front of the square under the escort of the crowd afterward. richard nodded at them as he passed by a few players. ¡°you can come and find me after the banquet.¡± with that, he left. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± tundel curiously asked as she looked at the players. ¡°great ruler, do you know the grace mainland overlord?¡± richard shook his head. ¡°no, i don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°then why are they so excited?¡± tundel was a little puzzled. richard smiled. ¡°because of emily, of course.¡± ¡°okay.¡± tundel nodded thoughtfully. then, she seemed to have thought of something and asked with interest. ¡°great ruler, i heard that the grace mainland lords can communicate with each other from thousands of miles away in the mysterious domain built by the gods.¡± ¡°mysterious domain?¡± richard laughed. ¡°yes, it¡¯s true.¡± she was even more excited. ¡°i heard that the mysterious domain allows trade for free and can instantly teleport items ten thousand miles away. moreover, everyone can have a new identity. do you have one too?¡± richard looked at the curious child with amusement. ¡°of course.¡± ¡°what¡¯s yours?¡± richard shrugged. ¡°qingqiu.¡± ¡°qingqiu?¡± richard didn¡¯t say anything more, so she didn¡¯t ask further. the echelons of lion city who had heard their conversation remembered this name. they asked the grace mainland lords if they had heard of this name. excitement shrouded the players as if they had hit the jackpot. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect to meet such a big shot in a place like this¡­¡± ¡°commander, what should we do?¡± a few looked at the warrior commander in his thirties. at this moment, the hands of this warrior trembled. he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. this kind of big shot is not an ordinary person. it¡¯s not that easy to get close to him.¡± he finished speaking, and the female player beside him immediately said, ¡°commander, the other party is so powerful. why don¡¯t we tell him the location of the obelisk? that¡¯s a top-notch map with transcendents guarding it. we have no chance at all. the benefits will be overwhelming if we can use this information to exchange for his support in this plane.¡± these words moved the warrior commander. ¡°but, according to the information we received, there¡¯s a transcendent level lair in that obelisk¡­¡± the female player scoffed at her words. ¡°even if it¡¯s a transcendent level troop lair, is it so powerful? do we have the ability to do so? if they developed to the point where they could take down the obelisk, the daylily was already cold, so it was better to take it out and make a deal.¡± the warrior commander player heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°let me think about it first¡­ the transcendent troop would discuss it following an agreement with the princess.¡± as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at the figure that had already disappeared from his sight. as a player who had just joined the royal family of ell didn¡¯t possess the high status and qualifications to attend such a grand banquet. ¡°who knows what that big shot¡¯s name is?¡± a few shook their heads in unison. ¡°how would we know? we didn¡¯t even have the time to ask just now.¡± at this moment, a soldier walked quickly toward them. the soldier asked as he approached. ¡°do you know a grace mainland overlord called qingqiu?¡± these words made a few of them somewhat puzzled. ¡°qingqiu? of course, i know him. he¡¯s the strongest grace mainland overlord. he¡¯s known as the number one expert among billions of people.¡± ¡°why are you asking this?¡± at this moment, the soldier¡¯s expression changed drastically, and intense shock filled his face. his voice trembled. ¡°just now, lord kurtz asked me to ask you¡­ because, because lord richard said he was in your forum, right? his name, his name was qingqiu!¡± these words were like thunder that clapped their heads. they looked at each other and saw the extreme shock on each other¡¯s faces. ¡°qing, qingqiu?¡± the big shot that made transcendents submit was qingqiu?! their hearts received an exaggerated shock. they hoarsely shouted after the warrior player¡¯s heart beat wildly a few times. ¡°immediately, tell boss qingqiu the location of the obelisk!! ¡°now, quick!! ¡°that was a f*cking pure gold thigh!¡± Chapter 902 a five meters wide and more than ten meters long vast map lay flat on the long table in the center. richard looked solemnly at the troop map of the entire ell kingdom. a statue of a little lion marked the lion city. lion city was in the southeast corner of ell kingdom and was the last province in the south. all the enemy attacks would come from the north and west. however, lion city was at the center of the province. they have already transferred the troops of the small city. no other town stood before them to stop the enemy. lion city would face a battle that would end as soon as it started. whoever won this battle could control the situation in the ell kingdom. richard would have to leave ell kingdom regardless of his capability should raging blood duke win. he could at least see and meet its people again someday. that could be in the future. those nobles and troops who hated raging blood archduke would instantly shake the foundation of his rule following his defeat. at that time, the influence of the royal family of ell would increase tenfold. princess tundel pointed at a bloody rift marked on the map. her voice released strangled hatred afterward. ¡°the main troop of the kingdom of ell is stationed in the abyssal rift. ¡°ten main legions and one elite legion. the elite legion is level 15, and each main legion is level 13 ¨C 14.¡± ¡°but raging blood duke, that despicable bastard, is not only a shameful traitor. his connivance with the evil gods is horrendous! ¡°the traitor transferred this troop out of the abyssal rift and is heading toward lion city. ¡°he exclusively groomed the general commander of this troop. this general would never be our ally again. ¡°it¡¯s possible the abyss eroded and corrupted this troop following their rebellion.¡± she pointed at another mountain mark. ¡°this is the black mountain¡¯s territory. this enemy had always admired raging blood duke and had five main troops. ¡°here, duke dirk, seven main legions¡­¡± the room cumulated an increasingly heavy atmosphere with each swipe of her finger across the map. richard looked around and could not spot any worthy allies on the map. the traitor deliberately groomed his soldiers into much stronger than the last. the whole kingdom became foes. they had to deal with 40 legions. meanwhile, lion city only had eight legions. they barely had nine with twilight city reinforcements and the reserve forces of lion city. the difference was generously overwhelming! raging blood duke could produce 15 elite legions above level 15. lion city had two elites only without the reinforcements from twilight city. they had level 20 centaur emily and level 23 vampire archduchess loreinna. perhaps that was the lion city¡¯s advantage in this war! they would have three transcendents if richard added the fire elemental lord. raging blood duke only had one transcendent. it was rare for twilight city to have such a high-level power to crush the opponent in such a large-scale war. however, many uncertain factors existed, such as the abyssal rift and the connection between the traitor duke and the evil gods. all of these could affect the direction of the war. this torment harshed richard¡¯s breathing as he pondered. everyone nervously looked at the figure as he stared at the map. he would be the ultimate decision-maker in this war. a single order, or even a single thought, could change the situation. richard collected his thoughts and looked around after a long time. ¡°the final victor of this war¡­must be us.¡± ¡°raging blood duke would be around the city no matter how many troops he has.¡± confidence and conviction flooded richard¡¯s calm tone. the uneasy atmosphere dissipated by half. that was the first time most people in lion city had seen richard. but they already had a strong sense of trust in him. transcendents had to address him as their master. perhaps that was the reason. strength was the only pass. richard¡¯s attitude was enough to prove everything. tundel took a deep breath and said slowly, ¡°great ruler richard, all the troops in lion city will be under your command.¡± the young princess immediately handed over the command. a faction could only have one voice. true. tundel was the royal princess of ell, but richard was the real key to the mission. richard nodded and did not stand on ceremony. ¡°next, let me explain the arrangements¡­¡± he would find the raging blood duke and kill him directly, if possible. unfortunately, the ell kingdom was not his territory. it was unrealistic to slay a transcendent who controlled hundreds of thousands of troops before raging blood duke showed himself. raging blood duke wouldn¡¯t need to show up if lion city could not withstand the siege of his troops. the trump card in the enemy¡¯s hands was much stronger than the lion city on the surface. an hour later, the gamers who waited outside finally saw the heroes of lion city as they walked out of the meeting hall. at this moment, the nervousness and uneasiness almost dissipated from their faces, and they all revealed excited expressions. they wore confidence for the upcoming battle. a soldier walked over quickly and looked at the warrior commander player. Chapter 903 a few immediately perked up. ¡°yes, sir!¡± he hurriedly followed. they passed through the giant gate more than ten meters tall and lion-embossed carving. they entered the exceptionally spacious meeting hall. the figure with a familiar voice sat on the long wooden table in the center of the area. richard riveted his gaze on the flat map. it was like he thought about countermeasures for the upcoming battle. the few approached excitedly and nervously. the players held their chests and bowed in unison. ¡°big boss qingqiu¡­¡± their posture was respectful. the greetings jolted richard. he looked up at them. he could not help but smile. he waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t make things up.¡± the few men regained some liveliness. richard continued. ¡°how did you come to this plane?¡± the warrior commander player was the first to respond. ¡°boss qingqiu, we appeared near the territory because of the spatial rift.¡± richard nodded. ¡°did you find anything in ell?¡± the warrior player immediately perked up when he asked about this. ¡°we weren¡¯t near lion city. we only came here because we heard that the princess of ell raised the flag against raging blood duke¡­¡± ¡°on the way, we accidentally discovered a rather interesting mysterious space¡­ boss qing qiu, this will interest you.¡± richard indeed looked at their expressions with interest. ¡°what did you find?¡± the warrior player stared at his face. ¡°obelisk.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the system remarkably mentioned in the new expansion pack, the first chapter, the dimension explorer: in medium-sized and above planes, there is also a unique building¨Can obelisk. and capturing the obelisk would give generous rewards. the system wouldn¡¯t mention the obelisk if it were insignificant. richard asked the god of deception tai long and dark soul eater kratos to pay attention to potential obelisks in the planes during the bloody battle in the rotten swap when he was in the naga plane. however, they didn¡¯t find such a thing in half the past month. many players had discovered the obelisk on the forum, but until now, no one initiated to say what one could gain if one captured it. on the contrary, he often saw players complain about the exaggerated strength of the obelisk guards. ¡°do you know where the obelisk of ell is?¡± the warrior player said in a deep voice, ¡°we accidentally entered that area, but raging blood duke¡¯s subordinates discovered us. that would have stuck us there forever if we hadn¡¯t used the random teleportation scroll.¡± that was also one of the reasons why they had joined the camp of princess ell. the opponents of the traitor duke could recruit them to join in the development if things went well with their knowledge that the obelisk was such a precious map. or the opponents could silence them if they were truly unlucky. the latter was more likely, judging from the situation at that time. the players did not dare to bet on raging blood duke¡¯s attitude. richard nodded. ¡°can you tell me the details of the obelisk?¡± he must have had some ideas since he brought it up. the warrior player looked at the others and nodded. ¡°we came here for this matter¡­¡± he said hesitantly, ¡°however, we have something to ask of boss qingqiu.¡± richard smiled. ¡°speak.¡± ¡°our guild took a colossal risk in entering ell. i hope that boss qingqiu can give us some pointers on how to survive safely¡­¡± richard nodded. this condition was not out of line. ¡°i will arrange for you to guard a safe area. you can return to the meeting hall, and i will send you back should lion city fail you.¡± they breathed a sigh of relief when they heard richard¡¯s assurance. that was not a game. people would die in war. who could guarantee nothing would go wrong now that lion city was at an absolute disadvantage? the warrior player eased up and organized his thoughts. he said, ¡°boss qingqiu, that obelisk is hidden in this dimensional plane. you can only see it if you step into that area from the front. ¡°otherwise, we shouldn¡¯t have discovered it even if we flew over it. ¡°a supremely mighty force guarded that obelisk, and there is a superhuman hero. ¡°we haven¡¯t met that extraordinary hero before. we only received a notification from the attributes panel. ¡°the guards are half-dragons with dragon bloodline. they are supremely mighty and are all level 19. ¡°there¡¯s at least a troop.¡± ¡°a single squadron could have destroyed us with only five thousand soldiers we had at that time.¡± his tone sounded intensified as he said this. ¡°such powerful guards, and the treasures hidden inside are also very tempting. there are at least three transcendent troop lairs.¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°three transcendent troop lairs?!!¡± that was definitely an exaggerated amount of wealth. one could describe the performance of the radiant moon king mummies on the battlefield as overbearing. as for the transcendents, other than the non-combat troop, the evil spreader, the preacher, he was also a non-combat troop. there was no one else. that immediately piqued richard¡¯s interest. richard needed ten million lairs to advance to becoming a transcendent. that meant 20 million units of rare resources. twilight city could not support such a level of consumption with its current industry. ¡°where is that location?¡± the warrior player took a few steps forward. ¡°i¡¯ll share it with you.¡± richard did not stand on ceremony. a moment later, a new location appeared on the system map, marked with a dark tower-shaped icon. ¡°do you have any additional information?¡± the warrior player spoke in a deep tone. ¡°we¡¯ve also investigated this time. raging blood duke has the support of a top-tier guild. moreover, they set their eyes on the obelisk.¡± richard said lightly, ¡°top-tier guild?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. if you go to the forum, you should hear this name often. the blazing flame guild.¡± the warrior player sounded cautious. ¡°all members of this guild believe in the sun god sect and have a powerful group of priests and spellcasters.¡± ¡°its official members are more than 5,000, and almost every member is a lord player with a strong faction. ¡°they also participated in the last war between the players and the natives of the orc empire. ¡°the enemies we are about to face might not be as simple as raging blood duke if they mobilize their allies again¡­¡± the player¡¯s tone sounded grave as he said this. ¡°boss qingqiu, this time, we¡¯re going to have a head-on battle with this top-tier guild!¡± Chapter 904 guilds are truly interesting as an opponent. a guild with only 5,000 players seemed insignificant compared to the tens of billions of players. one could create a guild with more than 100,000 players and a game with only three to five million on planet blue. however, this was the ¡°shining era,¡± a vast plane arduous for people to explore. they scattered across a wide area despite several players. moreover, one could obtain teleportation spells in a few major cities, and they require generous resources. the transportation between players was rigorous. it formed a power that the regions, cities, tribes, and beliefs had scattered. in addition, a large portion of them had joined the aborigines. therefore, a guild that could still gather thousands of lord players was a force one couldn¡¯t underestimate after half a year of turmoil. the battle between the players and the natives had already explained everything. ¡®i hope¡­you can give me some surprises, right?¡¯ richard collected his thoughts and looked back at the map on the table. he focused his gaze on an inconspicuous area. the obelisk. richard¡¯s determination to occupy ell kingdom increased a little after he discovered the location of this mysterious building highlighted by the system. moreover, he could use the power of the ell kingdom to attack the obelisk if he helped princess ell take back the kingdom. that would undoubtedly reduce the price he had to pay. now, he needed to use all means to win this war. it had been a long time since he came to the ¡°shining era, but this was his first time to command a monumental war. he had nearly nine legions, and the enemy¡¯s exceeded 40. the larger the scale of the war, the higher the requirement for command power. it was already supremely arduous for extraordinary powers to influence the direction of the battlefield. moreover, the other party would have corresponding countermeasures. a swift uncertainty happened on the evening of january 25th, five hours after richard arrived in lion city. the soldiers that guarded the city suddenly realized a vast hole instantly riveted in the sky. the opening was like a waterfall, and countless yellow sand surged down that wrathfully punched the ground amidst their astonishment. the yellow sand had condensed to a certain height. it finally reached that level. it suddenly started moving. they surged towards lion city like the waves following a high tide. the guarding soldiers were in chaos. the soldiers barely calmed down when the overseer at the back shouted and cursed. waves of yellow sand surged over. all they could do was watch. that has submerged the entire grassland in front of lion city. this action lasted until noon on january 26th. the yellow sand waterfall tracklessly disappeared when the spatial rift in the sky gradually closed. the guarding soldiers saw the endless yellow sand outside lion city. it was as if lion city had become a desert city overnight. it looked sternly shocking. then, they saw that the yellow sand floated in the air. the fine sands rose seven or eight meters high. it was as if someone had used a pillar to rigorously prop up the yellow sand. fortunately, the sand within 100 meters of the city wall did not change. otherwise, the 40-meter-tall city wall would have become 20 to 30 meters tall. a cracking sound reverberated afterward. the soldiers on the city wall turned their heads subconsciously and saw a spatial gate in the north of lion city. the thick smell of blood came from within. the scarlet mist blurred their vision. they couldn¡¯t see what was inside from the outside. however, the roars and shouts were terrifying. that made people feel a chill down their spine. it was as if an atrocious evil place hid behind the spatial rift. richard accepted it, and lion city formed a new defense system according to his rhythm. richard sharpened his sword for a battle. he suddenly heard a system notification. [ding~ lord saint of light has led the troop to capture the first obelisk (small). all rewards obtained x2. additional: 1 strange item.] [to record the exciting moments, you can enter the livestream room and start the live stream of the other plane.] ¡°a lord to take over the obelisk?¡± richard frowned. that was not the main point. the system gave extra rewards to the players who could conquer the obelisk. that is the main point. moreover, it even started live streaming. he immediately felt that the obelisk was more paramount than he had expected. ****** at the ell kingdom. a horrid traitor appeared in the main hall of the palace. raging blood duke wore a blood-red cloak and a red crown on his head. he sat on a throne inlaid with all kinds of gems. his right hand held a thick and heavy longsword, while his left held a white rag to wipe it. it was rigid and not sharp, and several large and small holes appeared on the surface. but that gave off a fierce and violent aura. the sword would shine brighter, and the coldness would deepen every time he wiped it. that dignified square face was filled with an indescribable seriousness as if he was worshipping his sacred object. more than ten figures with the same ferocious aura silently watched his action. one could hear the sound of a rag rubbing against the sword in the air. raging blood duke gradually raised the white rag in his hand afterward. the maid beside him immediately approached to fetch it with both hands, then bowed and left. Chapter 905 the pure white sword vaguely reflected his face. ¡°do you know what the secret agents in lion city just said?¡± the heroes below shook their heads in unison. raging blood duke slowly pressed his sword against the ground and stared at them dangerously. ¡°the remaining loyal members of ell obtained the support of a faction in the primary plane, the plane of the mortals. furthermore, the one who supported was a member of the grace mainland lords.¡± the atmosphere turned audaciously odd after he said this. ¡®a grace mainland lord had the guts to go against him?¡¯ a white-haired hero stood up and said solemnly, ¡°your royal highness, the grace mainland lords¡¯ power is not worth worrying about¡­ if you¡¯re worried, please let me lead.¡± the raging blood duke frowned. ¡°i¡¯m not worried about a few grace mainland lords¡­ instead, there was an even more powerful force behind him. ¡°as far as i know, lion city already has a transcendent centaur as reinforcement.¡± ¡°also, the grace mainland lord used some unknown method to cover lion city with yellow sand¡­ at the same time, he stationed a powerful troop there. ¡°this isn¡¯t the power that grace mainland lord has.¡± these words made everyone¡¯s expression turn grave. ¡°your royal highness, why don¡¯t you ask the grace mainland lord of the blazing flame guild?¡± the raging blood duke nodded. ¡°i¡¯ve summoned them over¡­¡± a soldier quickly entered the hall before he could finish speaking. ¡°your royal highness, the blazing flame guild wishes to see you.¡± ¡°send them in.¡± the soldier heard the order and immediately turned around and left. a moment later, a series of noisy footsteps sounded. a dozen or more figures in different clothes walked before the threshold. their auras were different from the heroes in the hall. they entered the hall. ¡°your royal highness hermes, the members of the blazing flame guild greet you.¡± raging blood duke waved his hand and gestured for them to stand up. then, he looked at them casually. ¡°you should know how important this war is to ell. ¡°i want to know how many troops the blazing flame guild has prepared for this battle?¡± the leader was a middle-aged man in his forties. he wore a fiery red priest robe. a warm aura surged around his body. his forehead bore a flame symbol. it was a symbol unique to the priests of the god of fire. ¡°your royal highness, although the guild is not the main force of the battlefield, it has prepared ten legions to contribute. we can transfer another 20 legions if you still need more.¡± the blazing flame guild had a highly unified policy. the guild leader could mobilize all the members¡¯ territorial troops with a single word. the guild also controls territorial management. the benefits of doing so were that the guild would have a high concentration of power, which allowed the blazing flame guild to gather a large troop during its weakness. this policy allowed the guild to develop quickly into one of the top-tier guilds. these words made raging blood duke throw another look at the priest. one cannot negotiate with the weaklings before him. and this guild organization that gathered a multitude of grace mainland lords barely qualified for him to take a second look. ¡°very good. have your troop gather in the capital. i will open the portal and transport the troop outside lion city. allow these rebels to taste despair.¡± the middle-aged priest player nodded slightly. ¡°your royal highness, this is a wise decision.¡± raging blood duke raised the heavy sword again and carefully examined any flaw. his words were calm. ¡°the spy i planted in lion city told me that the remnants of the ell royal family met the grace mainland lord from the primary plane, the land of the mortals. and this mortal lord ensured his generous alliance and support.¡± he blew gently at the blade as he spoke. ¡®buzz!¡¯ a piercing sound like hollow steel pipes rubbing against each other exploded. everyone frowned and panicked. ¡°i need to know what kind of power is behind that player¡­ can you find out?¡± the middle-aged priest suppressed his discomfort and said solemnly, ¡°since this mortal has the confidence to go against you, they must have a certain background.¡± ¡°the blazing flame guild has a certain amount of influence among the top guilds of the grace mainland lords. you only need to tell me the name of this lord or the corresponding characteristics of the force, and we will surely find out.¡± confidence shrouded his tone. raging blood duke raised his eyebrows and softly nodded. he looked away from the blade and calmly looked at the priest. ¡°you guys are purely confident¡­¡± he paused. then he slowly said, ¡°according to our spies, that faction in the mortal plane has brought a transcendent centaur that guarded the place. ¡°the one who controls that force is not that transcendent centaur, but that¡­ grace mainland lord. that is the most riveting part.¡± ¡°in front of everyone, the transcendent called this grace mainland lord ¡°lord.¡± a stone stirred up a thousand ripples. the dozen or so members of the blazing flame guild widened their eyes and looked at raging blood duke in disbelief. ¡°transcendents referred to players as lord?¡± ¡°was this a joke?¡± ¡°your royal highness, is this news true?¡± the middle-aged priest player subconsciously added after he asked. ¡°we¡¯re not doubting you but the information. it¡¯s just that this news is unbelievable. the average level of the grace mainland lord was around levels 10 ¨C 13. only the most elite could cross the threshold of level 15.¡± ¡°it¡¯s almost impossible to recruit transcendents as subordinates.¡± joy and sadness filled raging blood duke¡¯s face. Chapter 906 ¡°he was the last spy i¡¯ve planted in the city. he wouldn¡¯t have exposed himself if it weren¡¯t for concrete information.¡± his tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°i know that a grace mainland lord can¡¯t enslave transcendents. that¡¯s why i deduced there must be a powerful force behind him. ¡°an inferior can only command powerful subordinates by joining a stronger faction. ¡°the royal family is a classic example of the concept of the true sense. ¡°that transcendent is a servant. that grace mainland lord must have a certain status in his power to be called lord.¡± ¡°now, you only need to tell me where the other party¡¯s faction is in the primary plane and how much power they still have hidden.¡± the priest of the blazing flame guild heaved a sigh of relief. so it was like this. they said it was ridiculous for a transcendent to bow and kneel before a player and address him, lord. the priest said softly, ¡°your royal highness, can you tell me more details about the grace mainland lord? the name of the guild, or his name.¡± raging blood duke said slowly, ¡°when he arrived in lion city, the remaining members of the ell royal family greeted him and called him richard.¡± ¡°richard?¡± the priest pondered vigorously. a few looked at each other and saw the confusion on each other¡¯s faces. there was no such name among the top players. ¡°your royal highness, we have never heard of this name. please give us some time to investigate.¡± raging blood duke nodded. the blazing flame guild was about to leave. the persistent duke recalled something and softly said, ¡°the remaining members of the ell royal family seemed to have asked the grace mainland lord about the name of the mysterious item you can trade. they seem to call him, qingqiu.¡± raging blood guke finished speaking. a few shivered while they were about to leave. they raised their heads and looked at the raging blood duke with disbelief and shock. ¡°qing, qingqiu?!¡± the priest player tremblingly said, ¡°your royal highness! are you sure?! are you sure you have recalled the name correctly?! ¡°his name is truly qingqiu?¡± raging blood duke sensed something must be wrong. he narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°that¡¯s right. the name is truly qingqiu. why?¡± the priest player said in a hoarse voice with a strange expression. ¡°if the other party is qing qiu¡­¡± ¡°that transcendent¡­could be the other party¡¯s¡­ servant.¡± Chapter 907 unfortunately, no one could contact the player ¡®holy disciple.¡¯ no one knew what the other party had obtained from the obelisk. the lives stream function cut the discussion in the forum short. the last time it issued a decree was in the death arena of the previous large-scale dungeon. unexpectedly, the system opened again this time. it restricted the players from live streaming after some testing. they could only use it when exploring other planes. they still couldn¡¯t use the primary plane. most players were still happy, although many solo players complained. although they could interact on the forum, the way they sent messages differed. the two were not the same thing. not long after, tens of millions of people started live streaming. however, because there were too many players, that split up the players, and only a few gathered to watch. some of the guilds had noticed an opportunity and immediately took action to attract attention. that was to increase influence. each became a grand scene because it was a group operation. it was enjoyable to watch and was much more interesting than a single-lord player. many guilds succeeded. for a time, it attracted many players to come and seek refuge. when the other guilds saw this, they followed suit and started live streaming to increase their popularity. all of a sudden, all the players became lively. time has passed quickly. that was two days. january 28th was the end of the first month of the year 7601 of the ¡°shining era.¡± it was also the time when the battle in ell started. it was 10 am sharp, and the sky was dark. the soldier-dense towering walls of lion city potently stood. all of them were human soldiers. they wore armor and carried standard long knives or swords. their gazes were firm. countless arrows shot out from the archer towers behind the city wall. a rain of arrows would fall at the shout of each order. one vigorously pulled the vast rock-loaded catapults and the capstan at the back. the rocks that could smash elephants would roar out, cross the city wall, and land into the enemy troops outside for each catch released. the spellcasting troops began to cast buff spells on the guards on the city wall. the entire city spun at high speed like a top. all was because of the endless black dots at the end of each line of sight. raging blood duke¡¯s troop had arrived. to the east, richard looked out from the most vital wall above the city gate. princess tundel stood beside richard with a grave expression. emily walked back and forth excitedly with her battle axe. the countless enemy troops seemed to have brought her back to a spring outing paradise, and she was excited. the dark soul eater, kratos, stood behind. this top-notch hero over six meters tall was just one step away from becoming a transcendent. and this war could be its stepping stone to another step. the other party would be responsible for the main damage output in the hunt for the raging blood duke. this level 19 boss also had this ability. the vampire archduchess, level 23 loreinna, had flawlessly disappeared. this dark apostle had the characteristic of hiding in a hidden plane. it was unlikely people could discover her existence so long as she desired. ¡°great ruler richard, this is the first wave of rebels from raging blood duke. ¡°commanded by mountain duke. ¡°mountain duke has a portion of the mountain giant¡¯s bloodline. he is level 19 and covered with stone-made skin. he can withstand the attacks of siege crossbows.¡± ¡°he has a level 18 soldier who leads a troop next to him. he is a mountain warlock, famous for his control of magic.¡± ¡°in addition, this rebel troop has two legions of elite soldiers, all of whom are level 15 mountain warriors and above.¡± there was an indescribable solemnity in her tone. the side defending the city always had a vast advantage. that was only the first wave of the enemy¡¯s attack. that was a tormenting problem. the opponents could have toppled lion city down if it weren¡¯t for the transcendent overseers. richard could feel the tension in the young princess¡¯s heart, and a comforting smile could at least help ease it. ¡°don¡¯t worry. everything is ready. ¡°now, the only thing you need to do is trust me. ¡°tundel, the future of the royal family of ell will always be under your command. ¡°no one can change this reality.¡± the strong confidence and firm gaze immediately gave the princess support. she sighed and nodded solemnly. ¡°great ruler richard, should we clear the rebels, the royal family of ell will rule the kingdom with you.¡± ¡°the oath we made will never change.¡± richard patted her shoulder and said nothing. a few players on the side who swore allegiance to lion city saw this scene, and their eyes turned red with envy. ¡°listen, listen! what promise did qingqiu get?! the ell kingdom was a plane with a vast population! even if the alternate dimension was not as fertile as the mortal plane, it was still a medium-sized dimension with a population of ten million. the number of minerals in the game was astronomical. unfortunately, this level of profit had nothing to do with them. Chapter 908 richard watched as the black dot in his vision grew to the size of a thumb and began to climb up the yellow sand surrounding lion city. he turned his head to look behind him. ¡°kratos, after the war, you must preserve your strength.¡± ¡°this war is an opportunity for you to advance.¡± his desire for this top-notch power became even stronger after he experienced the power of the transcendent. he wouldn¡¯t need to fight this war if he had ten transcendents. unfortunately, it was too difficult to nurture a transcendent. richard pondered. xina and dark valkyrie suddenly appeared in his mind. the two had been away from twilight city for quite some time. he could have plotted them to become transcendents after a few battles if they had stayed by his side. ¡°lord, war will not weaken my strength. it will only make me stronger!¡± kratos¡¯s low voice sounded. one couldn¡¯t simply slay this boss and deplete its stamina as a soul eater born from the heroic spirit of the rebirth tower. it could continuously obtain strength as long as it stood on the ground. not long after the simple conversation, everyone¡¯s eyes turned serious. enemy troops pressed into the walls. the players on the city wall breathed heavily. they saw the enemies surge toward them like a tide. the impact of a troop of 10,000 that pressed down on a city made even a veteran tense up. ¡°commander, do you think we can hold the fort?¡± the warrior player in his early thirties heard his companion¡¯s question and looked at the approaching troop. he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°no one can judge the situation, but¡­ after all, this was the faction boss qingqiu chose. ¡°what are we afraid of? the number one player dares to make such a colossal bet?¡± these words made the others subconsciously look at the figure that stood before the battlements not far away. they calmly watched the enemies approach. they instantly perked up. high tension has passed. the troop at the front had finally reached 200 meters away from lion city. ¡®shua!¡¯ a mountain-embroidered troop flag waved fiercely. in the next second, the troop behind them slowly stopped. both parties stared at each other. the atmosphere suddenly became ten times more oppressive. the players saw this scene, and their hearts palpitated wildly. ¡°this kind of war with hundreds of thousands of people is too f*cking scary¡­¡± ¡°my legs are a little weak.¡± ¡°what should we do? should we retreat to the west wall first? our troop is still here. without the protection of the troop, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± the female player saw that both sides were temporarily silent, and her heart stirred. she looked at her commander, the warrior player, with a burning gaze. ¡°commander, why don¡¯t we start a live stream too? ¡°this is an opportunity to gain fame¡­ ¡°to stand on the same city wall as qingqiu and defend against the enemy together. ¡°that would cause countless people to exclaim in admiration if it were released. ¡°this was qingqiu!¡± temptation crawled closely to the warrior player. his thoughts spun. he shook his head eventually. ¡°don¡¯t, although you can¡¯t use private messages to send messages in the instance dungeon¡­ however, it was inevitable for outsiders to have some means to inform each other. the blazing flame guild could leak our defensive arrangements to raging blood duke. that would be foolish.¡± a few were disappointed when they heard this, but they did not say anything. at this moment, the female player said with a strange expression. ¡°commander, open the live stream on the forum and check¡­ the blazing flame guild had already streamed us live!¡± ¡°huh?!¡± that startled a few. the player immediately opened the live stream area one had just opened on the forum. the commander immediately saw the name of the room at the top of the first row¨Cblazing flame guild vs. qingqiu. below: the blazing flame guild is in a remarkable plane and has become enemies with qingqiu. we are about to launch an attack on the forces that qingqiu assists. there wasn¡¯t any exaggerated introduction, but this sentence immediately piqued everyone¡¯s curiosity. what kind of existence is the blazing flame guild? that was a top-tier guild. administrative orders organized and monitored this union which was famous for its soul-extinguishing players. it had appeared fiercely in the previous battle between the players and the orc natives. a myriad of large-scale wars had helped this guild establish a reputation. however, this guild was about to face that legendary character, qingqiu. ¡°this was qingqiu!¡± there was no need for any additional battle records. one would only need to say the other party¡¯s name. the word ¡®qingqiu¡¯ was synonymous with ¡®powering.¡¯ countless people became famous and then fell. a multitude of guilds rose and then disappeared. only qingqiu remained. until now, qingqiu was still publicly acknowledged as the strongest. now, the top-tier guild versus the strongest player. they were going to face each other on the same plane. a thought alone could make one feel the passion of sparks that could fly everywhere. the warrior player looked at the number of viewers¡­3.2 billion. he immediately swallowed his saliva. the live stream had been going on for a few days. due to the large number of viewers, only a few live-streaming rooms exceeded 100 million. now, with the name qingqiu, one-third of the billions of players had come. the viewers again felt what it meant to be the number one player from this data. no one could compare to his influence. they subconsciously ignored the blazing flame guild. it was already outstanding if it exceeded 100 million. it was not because stronger guilds than blazing flame guild failed to watch the live stream. he entered the live-streaming room. Chapter 909 at this moment, a player babbled about the war. ¡°did everyone see that? that was lion city. qingqiu was the biggest supporter of lion city! ¡°now, the troop raging blood duke is about to launch an attack and eliminate the remnants of the previous dynasty¡­ ¡°i saw someone ask me how qingqiu could support a majestic city. i can only say¡­ brother, there are many things you don¡¯t know. if i weren¡¯t a core player of the blazing flame guild, i wouldn¡¯t have believed that qingqiu had such terrifying strength. ¡°as for how strong the other party is, i¡¯ll tell you after the war begins and you¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes. ¡°however, we are the only victors of this war, no matter how strong qingqiu is! ¡°because we are the blazing flame guild, the top guild!!¡± at this moment, countless players constantly commented with familiar bullet screens. [hurry up! the war is about to start. my maid is still waiting for me to have a second child.] [is there qingqiu¡¯s troop in this city? don¡¯t lie to me.] [what are you doing? why aren¡¯t you attacking? there are eight legions here. you can defeat them in one wave.] [i want to see qingqiu. you ugly b*start, don¡¯t come out and pollute the scene!] a sound echoed amidst the heated discussions among the players. ¡®wuuu!¡¯ a deep and longhorn suddenly sounded, and the entire sky emitted a buzzing echo. that remarkable sound made people¡¯s blood seethe. [f*ck! i get goosebumps watching the live stream. i want to ride my husky to the battlefield!!] [killing qingqiu, stealing food, money, and women!] [i¡¯m so excited¡­] the camera zoomed in quickly that followed the horn. then, the audience could see the mountain troop, which was as dense as a forest and gave off a strong sense of oppression. they advanced toward the city ahead. it was gradually like a vast wave that swept everything. no one could stop it. at this moment, the bullet comments in the live-streaming room instantly became dense. the warrior players watched the live stream beat wildly. they wanted to see if there were any flaws. however, the viewers in the live-streaming room soon realized something was odd. the city wall soldiers did not attack following the troops that pressed in. why?! ¡ª Chapter 910 they witnessed the death of tens of thousands of enemy soldiers in one wave on the towering city walls of lion city. that soared their morale. they began to hunt down the soldiers who had rushed to the bottom of the city wall to attack the city under the command of the officers. the ground behind them had already overturned. the troops below the city walls turned like live targets if it weren¡¯t for the support of their teammates. no one remained alive below after a few rounds of salvo. princess tundel looked at the smoke and dust-covered battlefield. she took a few deep breaths. she could not ease the surging emotions in her heart. she subconsciously turned to look at the heroic figure beside her. its breathing trembled. she knew richard had set up a trap. but she did not expect it to be so forceful as to cripple the enemy. the anxiety and worry in her heart instantly dissipated before this exaggerated battle record. the dust settled. the leader of this troop, the mountain duke, looked at the scene before him with an ashen face. his heart twitched. that was a troop he had spent countless nights and effort to forge, and just like that. it was gone! a stern and immortal aura filled his rock-made skin. it turned darker. he suddenly lifted the three-meter-long sword that was as heavy as a door. endless anger and madness filled his tone. ¡°?????????????????!!!!¡± (i am the vanguard!) the battle intent resounded throughout the entire battlefield. the remaining soldiers of the mountain duke roared at the same time. ¡°?????????????????!!¡± his aura instantly soared to the limit. ¡°kill them!¡± this four-meter-tall hero with the mountain giant bloodline led the charge with a sword thicker than a door. at this moment, the troop behind them surged together with their ruler. they were about to step onto the overturned earth. the level 18 mountain warlocks behind them stood rooted. they raised their staff. endless magic surged out. the rolling yellow sand before them immediately froze. countless grains of sand turned into rocks and flew up. that paved a path directly below the city wall. the mountain duke led the last two elite legions and charged forward. at this moment, the low morale of the mountain troop reached its peak. the players thought qingqiu would win this battle without shedding a single drop of blood. however, they immediately became excited when they saw this scene. the players of the blazing flame guild got even more excited. ¡°did you see that? that was the mountain duke! a hero with the bloodline of the mountain giant!!¡± ¡°not only has his level reached 19!! its potential is even as high as a-rank!¡± ¡°a siege crossbow could not even penetrate the enemy¡¯s defense!!¡± ¡°i also heard that the duke has the heart of the mountain. that could revive him in the territory even if he dies. therefore, he takes the lead and charges at the front line every time he fights!¡± the live stream zoomed in immediately. a shot from the sky hit the mountain duke. a sense of oppression filled his sturdy physique, his heavy sword thicker than a door, and the countless troops behind him. the bullet comments instantly became dense. [f*ck, a level 19 hero? that could directly smash the city gate!] [how many people of the same level are there in lion city? qingqiu had better be undefeated in a single wave. this level was no joke.] [f*ck!, i must have recruited such a hero. how awesome would that be?!!] the discussion heightened among the players. the streamer of the blazing flame guild immediately increased the volume. ¡°could qingqiu take a mere level 19 hero seriously?¡± the player viewers cursed when they saw how annoying this guy was. ¡°good fellow, whose side are you on?¡± this guy saw the controversy. he spoke again. ¡°qingqiu isn¡¯t as you think! otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t qualify as my blazing flame guild¡¯s opponent!¡± the guild leader tasked him with promoting the blazing flame guild in this war. and the best way to promote it was to step on the legends among the players. the stronger qingqiu was, the higher the reputation the blazing flame guild could earn after they trampled them. therefore, flattering the opponent was very important. and even if he didn¡¯t flatter him, that pervert would still display a power that would shock everyone. his thoughts spun. he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. ¡°damn it! the other party had a transcendent as a slave!! ¡°was that a transcendent!?¡± these words caused the bullet screen to explode. [i¡¯ll give you 999 for this.] [i¡¯m dying of laughter. are you telling a cold joke?] [i¡¯m not in the mood to be awkward anymore.] [you think you¡¯re funny?] a movement in the scene perked the players in the live stream room while they discussed. the mountain duke led the charge and rushed to the front of the city wall. the battle began. the arrows rained down like raindrops. ¡®swoosh! swoosh! swoosh!¡¯ each landed on target, the mountain duke. ¡®clang!¡¯ the arrowhead hit the target but didn¡¯t pierce the bone and the heart as expected. it flew elsewhere, instead. the mountain duke¡¯s skin was a natural armor. ordinary arrows would not have any effect on it. the volley of arrows couldn¡¯t hurt him. this scene was quite impactful. the players in the live stream room exclaimed in surprise, and they froze wide-eyed. at this moment, the ballistae on the wall, which had been silent all this time, one vigorously pulled the capstan. ¡®buzz!¡¯ the bowstring shot out. it incessantly vibrated and emitted an ear-piercing sound. the immense strength caused the arrow to tear through the sky and shoot toward the mountain duke domineeringly. the players in the live stream room subconsciously exclaimed. but the siege arrow hit the level 19 mountain duke hard before he could think about it. ¡®kacha!¡¯ that shattered the ballista bolts that could pierce through boulders. or it was as if he had hit a steel plate and was sent flying. and this only made the mountain duke¡¯s body slightly sluggish. even the siege crossbow could not break through the defense. the scene looked supremely exaggerated. [f*ck, is this a f*cking human?] [are you kidding me? who can kill a boss like this?] [i¡¯m already worried for qingqiu. with this boss as the vanguard, one cannot rely on a city like this.] the mountain duke attracted most of the firepower and roared. he charged afterward under everyone¡¯s nervous gazes. that posture was simply like the birth of a god of war. the troop was 50 meters away from the city wall. a vast black shadow jumped up from the city wall. ¡®bang!¡¯ the horrible impact caused the ground to shake. the live stream camera switched to the other side at the right time. it was a terrifying monster with ferocious barbs on its back, a small head, and a six meters tall body. a look at it alone could make one feel one would devour a soul. [what kind of monster is this?] [lion city¡¯s boss?] [streamer of the blazing flame guild, say something!] the streamer of the blazing flame guild was about to speak. but a terrifying voice that jumped down from the city wall suddenly charged forward. the other party¡¯s head fell to the ground, and his body leaned forward. that trembled with each of its steps. he created the momentum of a thousand troops that charged. at this moment, the arrows on the city wall suddenly stopped. the mountain duke finally had caught his breath. he saw this scene, and his eyes suddenly turned greenish-gray. his height of four meters had grown to six meters. that was bloodline skill. the aura on his body soared several times. ¡°kill them!¡± he furiously roared and charged forward with a heavy sword thicker than a door. the two sides moved towards each other. they struggled with a few breaths. the two colossal creatures collided with a loud bang. a terrifying wave of air exploded from the collision between the two. a storm blew the surrounding yellow sand. that raised dust in the sky. the mountain duke¡¯s heavy sword and the terrifying monster¡¯s battle axe crossed each other. his body pressed down on the weapon and collided with the other party due to the sheer amount of his strength. the weapons squeezed like a vegetable in a roujiamo. the scene looked strange. the two sides touched but would quickly separate from each other. he suddenly turned around and dodged. he brandished his weapon to attack. ¡®clang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the dispersed energy would explode in waves with every collision. that caused the surrounding yellow sand to fly in all directions. the surrounding troops did not dare to get close to the battlefield. they would only die if they did. no one could withstand the collision of two level 19 combatants. the two fought to the point of madness! kratos was particularly expectant. the boss felt unprecedentedly comfortable. it had been a long time since anyone dared to fight it head-on. the battlefield suddenly turned from a siege to a battle between two heroes. the players in the live stream room watched with their blood seething. the battle lasted for less than three minutes. but it felt like ten years of fighting. it was a pure clash of strength. that gave off a strong sense of beauty. all the players thought the two matched and that both sides would suffer heavy losses or retreat. kratos held back the battle axe and charged at the mountain duke with his bare hands. the mountain duke swung his heavy sword, and with a whoosh, it slashed down from kratos¡¯s shoulder, ruthlessly cutting into its shoulder. it was as if he could cut kratos in half if he used more strength. but in the next second, kratos did not give him a chance. he grabbed his body with both hands and kneeled him. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying power exploded and directly collided with the other party¡¯s abdomen. the massive force caused a knee mark to bulge from the duke¡¯s back. and that bent his body like a shrimp. the terrifying pain from his abdomen made the mountain duke subconsciously lose the heavy sword in his hand. ¡®bang!¡¯ he quickly retracted his knee and used it again. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the mountain duke spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with pieces of his internal organs. kratos¡¯s small head let out a furious roar under the intense pain. it grabbed the head of the mountain duke and pressed it back. the strong force caused the duke imbalance to fall backward. ¡®bang!¡¯ the head smashed into the ground. magic condensed and exploded the rocks. however, kratos¡¯s terrifying defensive power did not cause the mountain duke much damage. his body swayed, and he struggled to get up. kratos lifted its foot and crushed the mountain duke¡¯s head. ¡°bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ he made more than ten kicks in a row. violence would intensify the scene every time the ground shook. the mountain duke¡¯s body twitched and struggled frantically, but he was still alive. kratos sensed this. he suddenly bent down and pulled the mountain duke¡¯s body from the ground. he spotted a chance, pressed his head hard, and tossed it into the sky. at this moment, his other hand pulled out the battle axe still embedded in his body. ¡®kacha!¡¯ there was only the sound of rocks that shattered. but not a single drop of blood was visible. the mountain duke¡¯s body lost its strength after it flew more than ten meters high, and he fell. kratos held the battle axe with both hands. he slayed him and left. ¡®puchi!¡¯ blood splattered everywhere. the two halves of his body crashed to the ground. the thick smell of blood assailed kratos¡¯s nostrils. the players in the live stream room felt the horrendous impact of this exaggerated slaughter scene. ¡°that level 19 mountain duke, just like that? was that all? ¡°that terrifying monster who held a battle axe was actually this powerful? ¡°killing a level 19 a-rank hero in three minutes?!¡± at this moment, the players of the blazing flame guild said with a complicated tone. ¡°this hero who killed the mountain duke¡­ it is qingqiu¡¯s subordinate?¡± these words made the players feel uncomfortable. [are you kidding me? how could one quickly subdue a hero of this level?] [isn¡¯t that monster the guardian of lion city? how is he qingqiu¡¯s hero?] [impossible! qingqiu couldn¡¯t have such a hero, no matter how strong he was. i don¡¯t believe it!! you guys must be kidding me, right?] [expressions of disbelief continued.] the impact of this scene was enormous. the words from the blazing flame guild made everyone feel it was absurd and fake. Chapter 911 in the capital of ell, the members of the blazing flame guild who watched the battle through the live stream have strange expressions on their faces. they knew that with qingqiu¡¯s support, the lion city¡¯s defense would be mighty. however, they did not expect it to be so overwhelming. that was eight legions! that was a death of a level 19 hero commander with a potential as high as a-rank and a level one step away from transcendence. such force of attacking alone could destroy cities before a war could start. a strong sense of grievance rose in their hearts. although everyone knew that the mountain duke¡¯s attack was just a test, the real troop had yet to arrive. ¡°but he couldn¡¯t be so cowardly, right?¡± ¡°leader, the discussion forums hyped about this war. ¡°do we need to lower the temperature?¡± the blazing flame guild regarded this confrontation with qingqiu as a paramount concern. they had to win this war to step on this legendary figure and ascend to the throne. the heated discussion at this moment had far exceeded their initial expectations. it would be a heavy blow to the blazing flame guild at a considerable disadvantage. they wouldn¡¯t have such thoughts if it were in the beginning, even if qing qiu had transcendents. what kind of existence was the blazing flame guild? thousands of high-level lords led a troop of a million. moreover, there was raging blood duke, the ruler of the ell kingdom, who had a horde of top-tier soldiers to rely on. how could such power lose to a player? however, qingqiu¡¯s merciless slap sent their pride flying in the first battle. qingqiu¡¯s display of his subordinate¡¯s methods reminded them why the other party was a legend, a king recognized by all players. other emotions would naturally arise in the guild leader¡¯s heart. he was in his early forties, and his forum id was eternal flame. he was the guild leader of the blazing flame guild. he turned to look at his companions beside him. ¡°we¡¯ve already reached this level. there¡¯s no room for regrets. ¡°don¡¯t cherish yourself if you want to do great things.¡± he had to push out the chips he had bet without hesitation. that was his style of doing things. the reason why the blazing flame guild could grow to its current height was directly related to his methods. ¡°continue to follow the plan. we couldn¡¯t lose to qingqiu, no matter how strong he was. ¡°so what if he¡¯s qingqiu? none of the enemies of our blazing flame guild missed death in the fire! ¡°send people to increase the momentum and make this battle even more popular! ¡°we must show our strongest side.¡± the echelons couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. ¡°but if our attack fails¡­¡± ¡°the other party was qingqiu.¡± the outcome of the first battle already showed that the top-tier mission was still far ahead of all the players. could they win if they bet all their chips on it? ¡°even if we fail, we must let everyone know the strength of the blazing flame guild!¡± the guild leader¡¯s expression was unquestionable. ¡°we have zero possibility of us losing this war¡­ we still have that trump card!¡± everyone¡¯s eyes widened when they heard this. ¡°that trump card¡­ are we going to use it here? leader, that is the only connection to the fire elemental plane!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, leader. one can only summon fire elemental lord once. isn¡¯t that too much investment if we used it here?¡± the guild leader¡¯s gaze was stern. ¡°we could deal with that transcendent sooner or later as long as we can collect more lava hearts. ¡°we are believers of the god of fire. we are naturally close to the fire. connecting to the fire elemental plane isn¡¯t as difficult as you think.¡± they immediately fell silent when the others heard this. the guild leader looked at the other party¡¯s determined gaze. they looked at each other afterward and sighed. the fire elemental lord was someone the guild leader had only gotten to know after he completed a series of quests. he couldn¡¯t make the decision. the guild leader looked at their expressions. he said, ¡°our goal this time is to make the reputation of the blazing flame guild known throughout the world. only the strong can show off their abilities and attract more followers. ¡°although the fire elemental lord is powerful, he is not our foundation. we can grow stronger if more lord players join us. we have to be clear about our priorities. if we can grow the blazing flame guild with just one summoning opportunity, then the value of this is hard to exchange for!¡± he paused for a moment after he said that. then he continued. ¡°this time, we¡¯re going to show all our strength to attract more players to join.¡± ¡°moreover, even if we fail, it¡¯s not because we¡¯re too weak, but because qingqiu is too strong¡­ isn¡¯t the other party strong to begin with?¡± ¡°for us, as long as the power we display is shocking enough, we won¡¯t suffer too much loss even if we fail.¡± ¡°after all, qingqiu had defeated us.¡± these words immediately perked up the others. that¡¯s right, the other party. they were only advertising this time to attract more people to join the blazing flames guild. defeating qing qiu was the best way. displaying enough power would achieve the desired effect if failure was unavoidable. however, it would not be as shocking, and the loss would be enormous. but overall, if this continued, whether the blazing flame guild won or lost, it would be within an acceptable range. ¡°leader, you have great foresight!¡± the blazing flame guild¡¯s members were stunned after everyone had gone down to discuss the display of the blazing flame guild¡¯s strength in this war. Chapter 912 failure was just a backup plan. how could he stop climbing here? qingqiu was not enough to make him lower his head. his face revealed cold, killing intent. on the path to the rise of the blazing flame guild, there was only destruction for anyone who stood in the way! he turned around and walked out of the house. ¡°men, prepare the carriage to see raging blood duke¡­¡± ¡ª lion city, richard was in a good mood as he watched the cavalry who had gone out to hunt the mountain duke¡¯s scattered troops return. he didn¡¯t expect that a desert collapse could bury tens of thousands of soldiers. the only one to blame was the silly mountain duke. he dared to push his troop forward on the first attack. he was truly fearless. the siege crossbow couldn¡¯t penetrate his defense. that was no wonder. this guy¡¯s brain grew in his muscles. the situation calmed down. richard didn¡¯t wait for the excited princess to express her gratitude. he took a step forward and floated in the sky. endless yellow sand light surged on his body. in the next moment, a gigantic hand seemed to have twisted the collapsed sand and earth. that caused waves of ripples to appear. a moment later, the corpses of the buried soldiers began to surface from the sand. the scene instantly became terrifying. in less than five minutes, corpses piled the ground up. it was as if it had become a hellish battlefield. richard floated to the central area. his body glowed increasingly brighter. the desert became lively. the sand moved under everyone¡¯s gaze. they dragged the corpses. richard quickly rushed into the spatial rift in the north that emitted a thick bloody smell while the mist blocked it. they buried the corpses in the sand and entered the spatial rift. then, the soldiers on the city wall seemed to see tall figures moved in the mist. the corpses that had entered disappeared in the blink of an eye. the scene looked indescribably odd and magical. that gave people a creepy feeling. no one knew the mystery behind the bloody mist. richard could sense that the rotten swamp grew stronger with every corpse that entered the spatial rift. he transported the tens of thousands of corpses on the battlefield to the rotten swamp. his consciousness felt a strong sense of satisfaction. it was like someone hungry for a long time had finally eaten its fill. a proud smile appeared on his face. it felt good. the mountain duke had given him a vast gift. the rotten swamp had leveled up to 3 and could recruit crown troop lairs. the level increase in the past two months remained stagnant since then. that exacerbated the difficulty of leveling up generously. it was not because deaths in the naga plane had decreased. he had to convert all the glorious lairs to crown-levels if he wanted to advance. then, he had to increase the number of lairs to the upper limit. richard had to upgrade the glorious soldiers he had recruited previously to crown soldiers. just these few conditions alone consumed a large amount of flesh and soul energy. then, after the number of soldiers reached 1,000, that would give rise to a hero unit. he knew at this moment the hero unit still brewed. it would need to devour tons of flesh and soul energy to nurture it. he had to earn a few extra bucks to speed up the level 3 rotten swamp to level 4. the meat grinder in the naga plane would be too busy. now, the raging blood duke had become his target. the land, population, resources, and even the dead bodies of the enemy troops were all valuable treasures in this expedition to ell. he could reap lucrative profits no matter what he did as long as he stood on this land. the pleasure of plunder and conquer was something outsiders found arduous to understand. the gains would be worth it even if he failed as long as he could upgrade the rotten swamp to level 4 in the battle to conquer ell. level 4 rotten swamp could recruit a troop lair glorious 3-stars. richard had thousands of glorious 3-stars soldiers in his hands out of thin air. these were worth hundreds of millions of rare resources. Chapter 913 richard returned to the city wall afterward. what greeted him was the burning gazes of all the soldiers. he could no longer recognize who shouted ¡®long live lord richard¡¯! the high-spirited troops suddenly let out a heaven-shaking roar. ¡°long live, lord richard!¡± ¡°long live, lord richard!¡± at this moment, it was as if he wanted to vent the excitement in his heart by shouting. all the lights returned to him with a deafening roar. richard quietly landed on the city wall. at this moment, all the soldiers around bowed with their hands on their chests. princess tundel did the same. the players saw this scene. they were so envious that their eyes turned red. they also wanted tens of thousands of people to praise them. they also wanted the princess to bow! richard no longer mind them. he helped tundel get up and left the city wall with the echelons of lion city. that was only the first battle. the real enemy had yet to arrive. three days after the first battle of lion city, february 3rd, early morning. the sharp-eyed players once again noticed that the live stream of the blazing flame guild vs. qingqiu had opened. immediately, they called out to their friends, and countless players flooded the live stream room. the number this time was even more exaggerated than the previous time. it has reached 4 billion. as for the second place, the number of viewers was 87 million. he couldn¡¯t even compare to the leader. the second streamer from the blazing flame guild appeared in front of the camera. ¡°brothers, welcome to the live stream. today is the second time we will be attacking lion city. we have received a vital mission from the kingdom of ell! ¡°this time, the troop of the blazing flame guild will be the main force to attack lion city. ¡°we will directly follow qingqiu!!¡± everyone became immediately excited as soon as he said this. [how dare you! you have convinced me that blazing flame guild is courting death. the level 19 mountain duke was an a-rank hero who spearheaded eight legions. it¡¯s already a feat if he even missed touching the city walls. how dare you?] [f*ck, so fast? i thought you would wait until the aborigines and qingqiu were over and come out to pick the peaches.] [a direct collision? i¡¯m starting to look forward to it. use all your methods to please me, hehe.] most players did not expect the blazing flame guild to be so brave. the scene of the qingqiu¡¯s level 19 hero that slaughtered the mountain duke had become the hottest topic on the forums for the past few days. the blazing flame guild had already dared to attack before they could even probe lion city¡¯s strength. that was no ordinary courage. the streamer from the blazing flame guild laughed when he saw the unexpected response from everyone. [idiots, are you stupid? you don¡¯t understand.] [how can you see through the arrangements of the upper echelons of our blazing flame guild?] [we are the overlords of the fire elemental plane!] [qingqiu¡¯s strength is far more exaggerated than you can imagine.] [however, no matter how invincible qingqiu is, the blazing flame guild would crush them.] ¡°this time, i¡¯ll show you the true strength of the blazing flame guild!¡± ¡ª Chapter 914 richard was in the middle of a troop discussion with the city¡¯s higher-ups. he turned to the players who had reported. he waved his hand to let the discussion continue and opened the forum. he clicked on it and saw the blazing flame guild¡¯s live stream. the live stream room was open to everyone. the guild could use the live stream room to transmit information, and the opponent could also use the live stream room to understand the enemy¡¯s situation. that was a fair thing anyone could use. richard¡¯s eyelids twitched as he looked at the four billion viewers. each person would only need one unit of rare resources to make a fortune if they could collect tickets. what a pity. at this moment, the image showed the determined expression of the streamer from the blazing flame guild. behind him was a forest made of frost and snow. one couldn¡¯t tell where he was just by a look at the image. however, the words of the other party surprised him. this guy had boasted about lion city and his strength all this time and had not mentioned the blazing flame guild¡¯s attack deployment this time. the other party wasn¡¯t an idiot. he knew he couldn¡¯t reveal crucial information. however, even if the other party said his plan in the live stream room, it might not be credible. who knew if the other party was deliberately confused? ¡°boss qingqiu, what plans does the blazing flame guild have?¡± this scene also confused other players. who would keep bragging about their enemies? richard smiled after a moment. ¡°do you think that defeating an enemy so strong that it almost suffocates you will earn more reputation? or do you think defeating a weak enemy that doesn¡¯t even exist will earn more reputation?¡± a few of them were deep in thought. they regained their senses. the female player was the most indignant. ¡°is the blazing flame guild surely going to devour us?¡± ¡°although the other party was a top-tier guild, they couldn¡¯t possibly look down on them, right?!¡± they had the support of qingqiu, this top-notch big shot! richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°looks like they have something to rely on¡­¡± he turned to look at the side as he spoke. the little centaur stood before the french window in the hall. she smiled as she looked at the clouds in the sky through the glass window. she would puff and fog the glass from time to time. then she would draw all kinds of strange patterns on it. she would repeat this action when the fog disappeared. this transcendent boss had never known what worry was. ¡°they probably know about emily¡¯s existence.¡± the players were shocked. ¡°didn¡¯t lion city seal off all contact with the outside world? did a player sneak in?¡± ¡°some time ago, we caught a spy of the raging blood duke.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry,¡± said tundel with a tone of self-blame. ¡°lion city is the city that we took over after all. it¡¯s difficult to find us at the first moment, although we almost eliminated the resistance forces and deeply buried the spies¡­¡± that confused the players. ¡°since the blazing flame guild knows the true strength of lion city, why are they still so confident?¡± richard said slowly, ¡°they must have prepared some methods to deal with emily.¡± ¡°the reputation of the blazing flame guild will increase if they can capture lion city and kill transcendents before all the players¡­¡± ¡°so, these guys are using lion city as a stepping stone?¡± the expressions of the players turned ugly. now, they were in the same boat as lion city. richard¡¯s eyes moved as he looked at the space beside him. his lips moved slightly. ¡°let¡¯s see the blazing flame guild¡¯s trump card.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the surrounding space rippled and disappeared without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. ¡°boss qingqiu, should we do some preventive work?¡± ¡°no need. defend according to plan.¡± the enemy didn¡¯t even have a card to play. was he going to fight with the air? a few figures appeared in the live stream room. the streamer from blazing flame guild bragged about lion city and fixed his gaze. his expression turned solemn. ¡°next, let me bring you to lion city¡­¡± he watched how blazing flame guild burned qingqiu!¡± ¡°flames¡­eternal!¡± ¡°praise the flames!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly. the view in the live stream room also changed direction. in the next second, a vast spatial rift appeared on the screen. at this moment, several troops waited on the snow-white grassland for a long time. the streamer joined the last row of the team and immediately switched to the first-person perspective. the streamer immediately brought everyone to the blazing flame guild¡¯s side. ¡°let¡¯s go!¡± the troop of the conqueror orderly stepped out and passed through the spatial gate. the audience froze wide-eyed. they looked ahead, and a massive troop gathered before them. they could vaguely see a towering city. lion city. they activated the second attack. a fixed angle of view of the new star rose. it revealed the vast number of troops around it. one could see seven or eight equally wide space cracks. the players did not buy this, although they were startled in the live stream room. [it is quite a number of them. if it were me, i would fight a hundred of them. but i think the mountain duke is mightier] [unless you have something up your sleeve, you can never take lion city down.] [is this the blazing flame guild?] the streamer of the blazing flame guild looked at the disdainful comments, and anticipation shrouded him. Chapter 915 naturally, he had less hope for a troop that couldn¡¯t exceed the strength of the mountain duke by much. however, that could shock them later, no matter how pessimistic they were now. the trump card of the blazing flame guild was the transcendent fire elemental lord!! transcendent! passion filled their gazes. the battle power of an elemental lifeform was much stronger than ordinary ones. that included the fire elementals that were known for their violent nature. the monstrous flames could instantly destroy the giant city before them if the other party tore the void and connected the fire elemental plane to the mortal plane. this time, they would make lion city a place they could destroy qingqiu. the streamer from the blazing flame guild took a deep breath. he calmed down his excitement, immediately turned around, and walked in another direction. a moment later, a middle-aged man that wore a priest¡¯s robe of the church of the fire god appeared on the screen. [eternal flame, guild leader of the blazing guild, level 16 blazing priest] the bullet screen immediately sent out all of the messages. [f*ck, a level 16 lord!!] [blazing priest is a hidden profession of the church of the fire god, right? it¡¯s a fierce match.] ¡°guild leader, what do you say?¡± the eternal flame nodded and looked at the translucent live stream camera. his tone was steady and soul-strapping, and it had a strong appeal. ¡°qingqiu is a tough opponent. it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that he¡¯s the strongest opponent the blazing flame guild has ever faced.¡± ¡°qingqiu doesn¡¯t just have the title of the number one player, his strength¡­ it had far exceeded the scope of ordinary players.¡± ¡°even some of the native forces are no match to him.¡± ¡°in the entire player community, those who can compete with qingqiu¡­¡± he raised his right hand and spread his fingers. ¡°i can count them on one palm.¡± his tone became heavier. ¡°i¡¯m talking about all the big guilds!¡± his words caused an uproar among the audience. the steamer¡¯s identity was different, although the streamer from the blazing flame guild had praised qingqiu. the person before him was a level 16 top boss with a hidden class. he was also the leader of a top guild. their statuses were different, and the weight of their words was completely different. [is qingqiu so powerful that one could not compete with him?] [f*ck, how strong is that qingqiu?] [what did the blazing flame guild discover? why are they so afraid of qingqiu?] billions of spectators were curious as to why the members of the blazing flame guild were so wary of qingqiu. the eternal flame did not answer their questions. it continued after a pause. ¡°you will see for yourselves how powerful qingqiu is.¡± ¡°the blazing flame guild will end all of this today.¡± ¡°the first year of the ¡®shining era¡¯ led by qingqiu will end here.¡± ¡°in the future, there will be a clash between the big guilds. it will be difficult for a single player to stay out of the waves.¡± ¡°even qingqiu is no exception!¡± ¡°from the moment we defeated the natives, the situation has changed. after qingqiu falls, a new era will come¨Cthe guilds will become the leaders.¡± ¡°the blazing flame guild welcomes all people of insight to join us!¡± ¡°my goal is to build the blazing flame guild into a force that can influence the situation in the ¡°shining era.¡± ¡°as the guild master, i invite all of you to join. regardless of your faith, race, age, or gender, as long as you are a lord and own territory, the blazing flame guild will welcome you.¡± the audience immediately became restless when they heard this. would guilds become the dominant players? many people had subtle expressions on their faces. would that happen? one thoughtfully pondered. it felt that it was reasonable. individual players had no advantage over guilds with several players. once a guild targeted them, they couldn¡¯t resist. they could have established a large guild with hundreds of thousands of people like planet blue. they considered the geographical restrictions. it was human nature to stay together for warmth. these words directly affected the billions of viewers in the live stream. many people began to wonder if they should join a guild. the streamer of the blazing flame guild took over the topic at the right time and let the eternal flame temporarily leave his sight. the people at the back immediately came to report. ¡°guild leader, the public opinion has already been stirred up. the number of posts about the guild is increasing rapidly on the forums.¡± the guild leader smiled. an individual is clever but would become stupid when mixed in a group. everyone had a herd mentality. the situation would change drastically if an influential person guided them a little. guilds would officially become the most pivotal part of the players from today onwards. the guild leader had proposed to become the mainstream guild. it would devour the fat piece of meat and be ahead of all the other guilds. however, there was a prerequisite for all of this. today, the blazing flame guild would flatten the city. let qingwiu become history. qingqiu would fall from his divine position as long as he was defeated before the gazes of everyone, even if he were immortal. ¡°let¡¯s start a new era. ¡°the blazing flame guild would become the strongest. ¡°all troops, listen up¡­ move towards lion city!¡± the blazing flame guild had more than ten legions and began to move. a few black masses of heads gave people a great sense of oppression. Chapter 916 most people would still treat this war as a fight between the blazing flame guild and qingqiu without the words of the eternal flame. after that, it would become a clash between guilds and individual players. blazing flame guild would undoubtedly direct future development if they won. how could any individual players contend with the guild if qingqiu lost? the victory of qingqiu could enormously discount the blazing flame guild¡¯s words. and the reputation of the strongest player would soar to an exaggerated height. the blazing flame guild troop approached lion city and stepped onto the yellow sand amidst everyone¡¯s anticipation and nervousness. the spellcasters of the entire troop behind them waved their scepters fiercely before the audience in the live stream could say anything. majestic magic power surged. the sand before them turned into rocks. that petrified the earth. that had avoided the same fate as the mountain duke. the troop slowly stopped when they were 500 meters away from lion city. eternal flame heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®huff!¡¯ his body seemed to have been ignited by gasoline, and it suddenly burst into flames. his entire body turned into pure flames. then, the audience exclaimed when eternal flame floated into the sky. he flew alone a hundred meters away from the city wall. the was one man alone in a city. this scene was quite impactful. ¡°qingqiu, i have no intention of becoming your enemy, but we belong to different sides. ¡°the victory belongs to the blazing flame guild. ¡°i know you possess a level 19 hero who slayed the mountain duke and a transcendent level subordinate, the centaur. ¡°however, no matter how powerful you are, you couldn¡¯t stop the blazing flame guild today! ¡°it will bury your life, and they will continue to write your legend!¡± the audience in the live broadcast room instantly exploded. [what did he say? qingqiu! having transcendents as subordinates?] [f*ck, did i hear wrongly? transcendents are subordinates and not qingqiu¡¯s masters?] [am i outdated? one can also subdue transcendents?] they didn¡¯t expect the eternal flame to release such explosive news. ¡°no wonder the other party was so afraid of qingqiu. having a transcendent as a subordinate was simply heaven-defying!!¡± ¡°that was a f*cking transcendent!¡± ¡°transcendent!¡± several audience members went crazy. ¡°i haven¡¯t even touched the edge of level 15, and you¡¯ve already subdued a transcendent? ¡°are we playing the same game?¡± the audience wondered if eternal flame lied while he astonished them. suddenly. a figure shrouded in yellow sand floated up in lion city. he stood before the city wall. it had faced eternal flame that had turned into flames. the audience immediately confirmed the identity of the familiar figure. ¡°qingqiu!¡± however, a majestic mountain-like aura suddenly soared before they could release the barrage. it was like a vast rock pressed down on everyone¡¯s hearts through the live broadcast. all the people¡¯s souls trembled. that was the pressure of a higher being. an aura one couldn¡¯t resist. a centaur with a battle axe stepped out of thin air from the city wall in the next second. she arrived at the side of the yellow sand figure, half a step behind the other party. one could distinguish the high and the low. [f*ck, qingqiu subdued a transcendent?!] [i¡¯m going f*cking crazy. why? how could players subdue transcendents?!] [what level is qingqiu now? why would that transcendent submit? i don¡¯t understand!!] the comments exploded again. transcendents were like gods that pressed down on their hearts when the mainstream players still hovered between levels 10 and 13. they suddenly discovered that a player with the same identity as them had enslaved an ultimate existence that they did not even dare to breathe loudly after meeting. the strong impact almost made them lose control of their emotions. it was like getting 60 points on the exam and thinking it was still good, but obtaining 1,000 in the same class and being guaranteed to enter the best university. compared to that, it was unacceptable. ¡®the grace mainland lord before us is just a unique illusion. as long as the genuine body doesn¡¯t die, the figure won¡¯t disappear. ¡®moreover, a unique power enveloped the opponent¡¯s body. a power would trigger the attack. that is a trap.¡¯ richard frowned when he heard the words that rang out in his mind. ¡°continue to investigate and find the other party¡¯s trump card¡­¡± ¡°yes.¡± the blazing flame guild raised an eyebrow when they saw richard standing in the sky and did nothing. they came out alone and provoked him with such great fanfare, yet the other party¡¯s transcendents didn¡¯t even make a move. a sense of danger rose in his heart as his thoughts spun. did the other party see through something? ¡°qingqiu, you¡­¡± the indifferent voice on the other side interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. ¡°you talk too much nonsense.¡± the casual words made eternal flame feel suffocated. ¡°qingqiu, melee, melee. melee, melee!¡± ¡°can you shut up?¡± ¡°f*ck your rotten leather shoes!¡± eternal flame had wanted to provoke the other party. but it turned otherwise. the other party had enraged. ¡°one couldn¡¯t provoke qingqiu, f*ck!¡± his body suddenly erupted with endless light. the sky instantly turned into a scorching fireball. it was as if a second sun had appeared. the terrifying heat caused the surrounding space to distort. a drastic change happened in the next second. the world changed color. ¡®kacha!¡¯ cracks spread out in the air like a spider web. one could vaguely see a fiery red light from the rifts, which also carried endless heat. Chapter 917 richard heard this, and the scene stunned him. it appeared to be a catastrophe. his expression became strange. ¡°lord, we have to do something now!¡± richard snapped back to reality. ¡°no, you can¡¯t stop me.¡± the voice froze richard for a moment. he pondered. he did the right thing. ¡°hahaha! qingqiu, you can¡¯t stop me!! ¡°an extraordinary existence had anchored this space from the fire elemental plane! ¡°you will face destruction!¡± joy filled the tone of the eternal flame, which had turned into flames. a lord from the fire elemental plane was a mighty life form. he alone could destroy this city. this time, no one could stop the rise of the blazing flame guild. no one!! ¡®kacha!¡¯ the spatial rift exploded when it reached a limit. it was like a vast rock crushed it. the nervous gazes of billions of players watched the scene horridly exacerbated. flames and lava poured out of the spatial rift like a waterfall, and the temperature of the entire world instantly soared. the pressure curled and scorched their hair even though they were thousands of meters away. incessant fiery red flames fumed. the terrifying existence was over 30 meters tall and had two horns on its head. flames shrouded it. one could vaguely see its exact shape due to the high temperature. it descended from the endless flames. it appeared before lion city. the entire world fell silent. the player¡¯s body shook violently. was this the blazing flame guild? they regained their senses and immediately looked at the centaur beside qingqiu. all were extraordinary existences, but the centaurs were nothing compared to the fire elemental lord. a thought grew like wild grass. could these defeat qingqiu just like that? this fire elemental lord could destroy the entire city. the emotions in richard¡¯s heart became heavily complicated. ¡°qingqiu, mage, mage, mage! that could crush your soul, the elemental lord from the fire elemental plane, his excellency klose!¡± eternal flame¡¯s emotions reached their peak. he finished speaking, and the fire elemental lord emitted scorching heat again. then, under everyone¡¯s nervous gaze, this terrifying supernatural being slowly turned around and faced richard in the void. their eyes met in the next second. the air suddenly froze. ¡ª Chapter 918 they could witness the fall of a legend in the next moment. [i can¡¯t take it anymore. my heart is about to jump out!] [what should we do? is qingqiu going to die here?] [what can qingqiu use to block the transcendent fire elemental lord?! that centaur is no match for the fire elemental lord.] [as long as the fire elemental lord charges over and takes a stroll around lion city, the city will be burned down, not to mention the blazing flame guild¡¯s troops. how can he fight this war?] the bullet comments were all pessimistic about lion city and qingqiu. few people had faith in richard. those had no chance of winning. the players of the blazing flame guild were the complete opposite. their hearts burst with joy. they envisioned countless players discussed the defeat of qingqiu and praised the blazing flame guild. it was so desirable. it was like time stopped the flow at this moment. in just a few breaths, it seemed like a century had passed. the fire elemental lord moved under everyone¡¯s tense and nervous gazes. each of its steps walked toward lion city under endless lava and flames. the corners of the eternal flame¡¯s mouth curled up as he looked at the fire elemental lord¡¯s fatal attack with great anticipation. ¡°qingqiu, everything you have will be over here. ¡°the blazing flame guild was the future!¡± the death stepped, and another. the 30-meter-tall boss carried a terrifying pressure with each of its steps. it was like it thumped into everyone¡¯s hearts. finally, it departed with a fiery trail of flames. the fire elemental lord arrived before qingqiu. general versus general! everyone wrestled with their breath and waited for the battle to break out. at this moment, the transcendent boss suddenly placed its right hand on its chest and bowed before the figure. ¡°your excellency, long time no see, you¡¯re the one they say? qingqiu?¡± ¡°huh?¡± the eternal flame¡¯s joy froze when it saw the other party¡¯s gesture. a bad feeling welled up in its heart. ¡°the two of them. did they know each other?¡± the players who waited for the battle in the live stream room were also shocked. ¡°what was going on?¡± richard looked at the fire elemental lord before him. he had become much more imposing and smiled. this boss had improved a lot during this time. its level rose to 22. ¡°lord klose, you have a deal with the blazing flame guild?¡± richard didn¡¯t expect that in such a small world, the pride of the blazing flame guild would be the boss he had released from the ancient ruins. fire elemental lord: klose. the fire elemental lord klose went through transcendence. but it was richard who provided him with the lava heart. one could describe their relationship as intimate. the fire elemental lord had always been one of richard¡¯s trump cards. richard did not expect the blazing flame guild to play this card. the probability of this coincidence was more unlikely than buying a lottery ticket. richard couldn¡¯t fathom whether he was just too lucky. or the blazing flame guild was coldly unlucky to have encountered such a bizarre thing. the fire elemental lord nodded. the ancient elemental language resounded in the sky. ¡°this grace mainland lord used a lava heart as a sacrifice to connect to the fire elemental plane.¡± ¡°i discovered the aura of the lava heart and rushed over. they thought i was looking for the lava heart as a bargaining chip and begged me to keep in touch with them.¡± ¡°i gave them a mission to find the lava heart. as a reward, i can help them once.¡± he said apologetically. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect the enemy they referred to would be you.¡± the fire elemental lord turned and looked at the dumbfounded eternal flame. the troop felt that something was wrong. ¡°you haven¡¯t handed over half of the lava heart in the past two months.¡± klose became sparingly angry. ¡°you lowly beings dare to disrespect my friend?!¡± the terrifying ancient elemental language became as restless as a storm. the magic power in the sky immediately went berserk. klose finished speaking. it was like one poured gasoline on the fire elemental lord¡¯s body. the explosion was similar. the spatial gate in the sky still poured lava, and flames exploded. that had stretched the width to hundreds of meters. the irregular cracks were like a big hole in the glass. the speed of the flames increased several times afterward. the surrounding temperature rose at an exaggerated speed. one could see countless fire elemental lifeforms swam within the scorching flames. the fire-controlled lifeform controlled the lava and flames to surge toward the flame guild. the ground sizzled as the frost and snow vaporized in an instant. this scene happened too suddenly. the enemies had already rushed to them and devoured them before the blazing flame guild troop could react. miserable screams chimed as the main melody of the battlefield. the team that had been majestic just a moment ago immediately became a tragedy. they restrained ordinary lifeforms when faced with elemental lifeforms that could erupt at high temperatures, despite being the church of the god of fire troop, which resisted fire and high temperatures. however, they couldn¡¯t compare to the fire elements from a river of lava and flames, no matter how they greatly resisted. ¡°no! lord klose, please stop attacking!! we are not your enemies! your enemy is qingqiu! qingqiu!¡± Chapter 919 at this moment, he felt that his heart twisted in pain. ¡°how did it become like this?¡± the transcendent he summoned attacked his troop!! that almost made him wrestle with his breathing. pain, it was too painful! the heroic words and spirit that looked down on the world burned to ashes. the enemies crushed the confidence of the blazing flame guild. what made him feel even more suffocated was that qingqiu didn¡¯t move a bit during this process. it was his trump card, the fire elemental lord. the other party did not have the slightest reason. the fire elemental lord attacked the one who summoned him after he greeted qingqiu. the eternal flame¡¯s face twisted at the thought. ¡°how much power did qingqiu have? how could the fire elemental lord reach such a level?! ¡°he was a lord of the desert. how could he have a relationship with a transcendent from the fire elemental plane? ¡°what right did qingqiu have to make the fire elemental lord fall out with him and bite him back?¡± countless questions and puzzlement exploded in his chest. the eternal flames almost went crazy. the scene enormously impacted billions of viewers in the live stream room. everyone quickened wide-eyed and open-mouthed. what did they see? the fire elemental lord summoned by the eternal flame had turned the blazing flame guild upside down after he greeted qingqiu! ¡°what the hell was going on?¡± they thought they would see a legend fall just a second ago and that qingqiu, the top-notch existence that everyone worshipped in the ¡°shining era, would become a thing of the past. they worried the fire elemental lord would burn the transcendent centaur to ashes. however, they did not expect the collapse of the blazing flame guild. the twist was swift, so intense, and so exaggerated!! after the fire elemental plane¡¯s transcendent bowed to qingqiu, he did not even wait for qingqiu to speak before he vented his anger on the person who summoned him, using the excuse of provoking qingqiu. the viewers in the stream room immediately felt endless mystery when they looked at the yellow sand-shrouded figure in the sky again. they looked at the transcendent centaur. no one wondered why it could subdue transcendents. all appeared natural. what was the big deal about subduing a transcendent? qingqiu had even connected with the lord of the fire elemental plane. the boss turned its muzzle and aimed at the blazing flame guild that had summoned it without a word said. was this the style of the first player? countless people exclaimed. several people thought that with the rapid development of the players, especially after the appearance of the first chapter of the crimson moon, the dimension explorer, there would be people who would close the gap with qingqiu or even surpass him. but this time, when the other party appeared before him again, he was still invincible and domineering. he didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to fantasize. history still wrote about the legend. no one had replaced the author. [is this the true power of qingqiu? two transcendents at his command?] [i¡¯m afraid the blazing flame guild would become a complete joke this time. qingqiu toppled them down with just a word by the transcendent summoned by the eternal flame. that is too f*cking funny.] [a transcendent centaur as a subordinate and a transcendent fire elemental lord as external aid. that is not even counting the hero who killed the level 19 mountain duke a few days ago! how much power was he hiding?!] [damn it, he got it again!] the dense barrage of bullet comments combined with the burning of the blazing flame guild¡¯s troop turned the live stream from hunting qingqiu into a silent tribute to the blazing flame guild. richard¡¯s reputation rose to a terrifying height after this battle. the glory of the number one player shone brightly once again. the streamer of the blazing flame guild saw that the situation was over and turned off the live stream while he trembled. at this moment, his entire mind buzzed. he could not understand why the advantageous situation had suddenly collapsed. there was no sign at all. last time, they could still understand montain duke had underestimated his enemy, but this time, all the preparations still went wrong. it¡¯s time. it¡¯s fate. he turned his head and looked at the fire elementals that drove the lave and flames to devour the blazing flame guild¡¯s troop without restraint. he sighed again and decisively turned around to escape. the fire elemental lord had the power to destroy an entire city. it was not something they could resist. they did not expect to experience the killer move they yearned to use against lion city. the blazing flame guild troop collapsed in the endless flames. the believers of the god of fire tasted soul torture for the first time. the eternal flame felt an inexplicable sense of irony. however, they were only believers in fire, while the other party rose from fire. he turned around and looked at the fire elemental lord and the figure shrouded in yellow sand. ¡°retreat!¡± he finished speaking, and his entire body exploded like a balloon. that formed a fierce hot shock wave. the shockwave swept up fumes of flames and spread everywhere. it was like fireworks exploded. that finished blazing flame guild troop. it was like a vicious wolf ran after a flock of sheep to death. they fled frantically. the spatial rift where they came from was their final destination. the scene of this great escape was like a tide that surged. the troop retreated to the vicinity of the spatial rift a moment later. the troop was about to pass through. all the spatial rifts shattered. countless spatial fragments flew everywhere. that severed the troops at the front into pieces. Chapter 920 that had blocked their path. those who have escaped fell into the abyss again. the fire elementals surged from behind and did not care about the enemy¡¯s mood. they burned everything clean. thick black smoke covered the sky. and a pungent stench spread. the screams in the air calmed down. one could not see a single existence stand in the field. most of the blazing flame guild troop had all died except for a few who slipped through the spatial gate. richard looked at the ignition of the world. his expression was rather subtle. no one would have thought that this menacing war filled with the ambitions of the blazing flame guild would end in such a manner. not a single existence remained on the battlefield. the fire elemental lord, the protagonist of this battle, looked at richard again. the boss had mixed feelings toward richard. gratitude fused with respect. last time, the lord of dunes had joined forces with the god of the kobolds that attacked twilight city. he stood on the side of twilight city without reservation and fought hundreds of rounds with the enemy. he had personally witnessed the devour of the kobold god¡¯s soul. some time ago, the crimson moon had risen, and the slaying of ten gods spread to every plane. the fire elemental plane was no exception. he saw clearly that the kobold god was among them. the fire elemental lord could guess richard had a close connection with the crimson moon. richard had not said anything about it. he could even bury a god. the grace mainland lord had not released it from the blacklight tower. richard¡¯s growth had far exceeded his expectations. not to mention. klose threw a deep glance at a spot in the void. ¡®two transcendents!¡¯ he sensed an evil and dark aura when the spatial rift shattered. richard might even be mightier than him. it had only been a short time, yet richard already had two transcendents as subordinates. therefore, even if he participated in this war and chose to stand on the side of the blazing flame guild, there was no chance of victory. he could use the flames of the fire plane to burn down the city, but he could not extinguish qingqiu. the other party could have buried him if he were too careless. he could have died if richard summoned the mysterious helper who slayed the kobold god! that angered him when the blazing flame guild summoned him to attack richard. richard was an intimate friend who had greatly helped him and a soul-crushing expert! these idiots almost had him killed! the fire elemental lord was so furious. he wanted to use the blood and souls of these idiots to prove his pure friendship with twilight city. however, the blazing flame guild never knew about this. they only saw the fire elemental lord bow to richard, and before the other party could even speak, the fire elemental lord had turned on them. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯ve heard about this plane from the grace mainland lords. i could help you deal with raging blood duke despite his connivance with the abyss. just let me know.¡± the ancient elemental language sounded again. richard chuckled as he looked at the intimidating elemental creature. ¡°that would be best then!¡± the people of lion city heard the conversation. that heightened their morale. they looked at the figure that floated in the sky with burning gazes. that was what they relied on! the lord of the fire elemental plane was a powerful existence that could quickly wash a city out. but he nonetheless bowed to richard when they met. he even unhesitantly summoned grace mainland lords. this kind of deterrence made the underlings tremble. his approval and respect for richard reached its peak. joy and peace convexed lion city. they were peaceful during the victory. a figure was agitated at the ell kingdom capital palace. the raging blood duke sat on the throne. he revealed an incredulous expression while a soldier reported to him. ¡°you mean¡­the ultimate move the blazing flame guild had relied on was to summon the lord of the fire elemental plane? however, the fire elemental lord attacked them instead and destroyed ten of their legions?¡± ¡°yes, your royal highness!¡± the hall fell silent after the soldier¡¯s reply. the surrounding high-level heroes looked at the soldier with a dangerous expression. ¡°what the hell are you talking about?¡± the reporting soldier could not withstand the surrounding gazes of the top-notch big shots. however, he had no choice. the information was just that. what could he do? one had never anticipated the blazing flame guild¡¯s stupidity. ¡°you may leave.¡± ¡°yes, your royal highness.¡± the soldier felt relieved and quickly fled. the soldier left, and a female hero in her forties stepped forward and said in a deep voice. ¡°your royal highness, the rebels who have unconsciously displayed strange movements and dreamt of unrealistic fantasies about the remnants of the royal family of ell gradually surfaced in the past few days after the last victory.¡± ¡°we can make our move now. ¡°the blazing flame guild might have failed, but they found a portion of the grace mainland lords¡¯s strength¡­¡± they didn¡¯t expect qingqiu to have such a trick. something must be extraordinary about a person to become a king of billions of followers. however, that was all. the duke was still far from being able to fight against them! she calmed down and continued. ¡°if my guess is correct, that fire elemental lord is a crucial trump card of the other party. this exposure would enormously reduce the threats against us. ¡°his power is no longer mysterious and unpredictable.¡± her tone sounded gradually lighter as she spoke. ¡°that grace mainland overlord¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be much beyond our estimation. ¡°otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have defended lion city and not dared to attack. ¡°the other party has more scruples about us than we do about him.¡± these words made the other heroes nod their heads. that was something that everyone acknowledged. they wouldn¡¯t have stayed in lion city for so long if grace mainland lord could overpower them on the battlefield. the female hero pondered for a moment before she continued. ¡°according to the current situation, even if the other party still hid one, no, two transcendents, they won¡¯t be able to stop our advance!¡± her tone gradually sounded high-pitched. ¡°unless the other party has a god to rely on!¡± these words boosted the morale of the people in the palace. ¡°we¡¯re not who that grace mainland overlord thinks we are¡­the support of the abyss is the foundation of our foothold. ¡°the great lord of greed is watching us! ¡°unless that qingqiu has the strength to contend with this lord. but that wouldn¡¯t be possible!!¡± fervor filled everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°how could that grace mainland lord fight against the ruler of the abyss?¡± ¡°what a joke!¡± they could have flattened lion city if not for their desire to wipe out all the forces that supported the remnants of the royal family. ¡°your royal highness, send the troops!¡± everyone looked up at the majestic figure on the gemstone throne. the raging blood duke looked at everyone¡¯s fanatical gazes and slowly stood up. he lifted the sword that leaned against the throne and held the hilt with both hands. he placed the sword before his chest and pointed the tip toward the sky. ¡°for the ruler of greed!¡± the other heroes immediately pulled out their swords and sabers and made the same praise gesture. they had burning eyes. ¡°for the ruler of greed!¡± they finished shouting. an evil aura that did not belong to humans appeared on everyone¡¯s bodies. it came from the abyss. Chapter 921 the raging flame guild summoned the fire elemental lord to devour qingqiu but depleted the enemy. who would have thought of that? such a dramatic twist of events caused everyone to discuss it. they opened the forum and saw posts about richard and the blazing flame guild. it was a story that qingqiu and the fire elemental lord had to tell. why did the blazing flame guild shoot themselves in the foot? just how strong was qingqiu? who was qingqiu¡¯s opponent? no one would click on it if they mocked the blazing flame guilt alone but didn¡¯t discuss qingqiu. the players once again experienced the influence of qingqiu¡¯s domination of the forum after a few months. this time, it was even more sensational than richard¡¯s title of king of gladiator. everyone had become stronger than before for more than half a year of reinforcement. that was the reason. those who had fortuitous encounters, those who had changed their professions, those who had hidden the lairs of powerful soldiers. and so on, countless. they would naturally think back to their experiences when they were weak after becoming mightier. since they came to the ¡°shining era,¡± qingqiu has undoubtedly become the focus of attention. he had always been above everyone¡¯s head. before this war, several secretly rubbed their fists and hoped to meet and teach richard a lingering lesson. however, the blazing flame guild¡¯s miserable defeat had woken everyone up. after half a year of development, they had become more powerful. qingqiu also grew, and the speed at which he had become stronger was beyond their imagination. his subordinates slaughtered the level 19 mountain duke despite his a-rank potential. the centaur had yet to make a move, but had already reached the transcendent level. in addition, a fire elemental lord initiated to attack qingqiu¡¯s enemies without orders. richard¡¯s power alone was enough to suffocate them. they couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of terrifying power richard hid under the water. thought of it alone quickened their breathing and pulsated their hearts faster. was there anyone who could match up to such a character? richard¡¯s popularity overshadowed some top-tier players highly praised by the players. those players hostile to richard quietly gave up on the idea of courting death. a person slightly mightier than him should have an endless fighting spirit. however, richard could easily crush this person. a high chance of strategic retreat and benefit was possible. richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to the players¡¯ reactions. he had become used to being the center of attention and discussion since the first dungeon. the fire elemental lord returned to the fire elemental plane. richard looked at the battlefield that emitted thick smoke and pungent stench afterward. he frowned. the fire elemental lord had good intentions. that had to be said. this guy had burned all the corpses and didn¡¯t leave much for him. the fire had discounted spoils of war. he looked to the side. ¡°gunter, clean up the battlefield and throw all the corpses into the spatial rift in the north.¡± the level 18 blood-colored bandage-wrapped mummy hero nodded. its depletion of the blood pool set up by the lion duke had reinforced its strength. gunter turned around and left. five squadrons of the stone statues of the dead rose into the air and collected the corpses on the ground after a few moments. the undead troop was especially sensitive to corpses and souls. they could unleash immense lethality in battle. they wouldn¡¯t miss anything when cleaning up the battlefield. they collected seven or eight corpses. they flapped their wings and flew to the spatial rifts that led to the rotten and threw the burnt corpses inside. in the mist, blurry figures dragged the corpses deeper into the forest. the rotten swamp feared nothing and no one. it would take each corpse. the fire elemental lord burned more than sixty percent to ashes. not much has been a harvest for richard. that was the only pity. however, in the end, they could still gather the corpses of three and a half legions. richard did not have to pay any price to obtain these. that was what made him feel good. it made others happy. the soldiers threw a multitude of corpses into the rotten swamp. and richard immediately felt the reinforcement of the land. however, a level 3 rotten swamp had a diameter of 30 kilometers. he would need a myriad of corpses if he wanted this dwarf god-activated land to devour enough energy and reach level 4. it would be laborious to achieve his goal without millions of corpses based on strength increase. that was because the quality of the corpses was sufficient. the number of corpses required would double if they were below level 10 soldiers. richard felt a little helpless. every time the rotten swamp leveled up, the strengthening it received was intensely exaggerated, but correspondingly, the leveling requirements became more and more ridiculous. some signs of restraint showed after the initial fierce battle due to the recent heavy casualties. they could only contribute 10,000 corpses every day. a massive gap still happened compared to the corpses he needed, although this meant more than 10,000 soldiers had died on the battlefield. he sighed at the spatial rift in the north of lion city. ¡°looks like i have to think of a way to stir up the conflict between those planes and increase the intensity of the war.¡± Chapter 922 no one was a fool. that was the problem. troops would fearlessly fight only when one or two planes were hostile to each other. one could obtain vast benefits at its capture of the opponent¡¯s plane. however, several sides could happen now. others could pick the peach even if one sent troops to capture the target. in the end, the gains would not make up for the losses. the rulers of these planes learned becoming wise after wars taught them a few remarkable lessons. ¡®right now, they¡¯re unwilling to leave their planes to fight. it¡¯s nothing more than an aversion to risk. at the same time, they¡¯re worried that the benefits they get won¡¯t be enough to cover their losses. ¡®seeking benefits and avoiding harm is the nature of intelligent life. apart from being evil, they are also fools who confuse the factions. ¡®since you don¡¯t want to come out, i¡¯ll give you a reason to come out.¡¯ that cleared richard¡¯s thoughts. ¡®i remember the god¡¯s ancient tree can condense a fruit that can increase one¡¯s life potential¡­ previously, this boss had used this fruit to fish and lured other life forms into the desert of death to provide nutrients. ¡®now, this existence can open the space of another plane because of the void sandworm. the god¡¯s ancient tree has not fished for a long time.¡¯ the recent transformation of life and reinforcement is the instinctive desire of all life in the ¡°shining era.¡± ¡®no one can resist this temptation. ¡®the leaders of those planes will invest a vast force in this while they strike the bait. ¡®the transformation of the body was above all interests in the eyes of most forces.¡¯ richard thought of this. his eyes lit up with anticipation. ¡°i¡¯ll let the god¡¯s ancient tree fish in the rotten swamp after a conquer of ell plane¡­¡± he finally came up with a solution to level the rotten swamp up. that improved his mood a little. he had many heroes under his command. each had unique abilities and strengths. the most outstanding ones were undoubtedly these top bosses. trees could do things that humans couldn¡¯t. blossoming and bearing fruit, planting saplings, breeding wasps, and so on were all unique characteristics of trees. richard shook his head with regret. the reinforcement of the god¡¯s ancient tree was still poor. the situation in twilight city would be remarkably different if he could upgrade this boss to transcendent. he would fish corpses for the god¡¯s ancient tree to reinforce it to transcendence. he was going to pour resources into it. lion city was excited again after the soldiers had cleaned the battlefield up. the raging blood duke launched a second wave of attack. they were so powerful twice in a row, but in the end, they did not even reach the city wall. this kind of exaggerated battle record even made many people regard richard as the oracle of the gods. the gods had specially sent the savior to protect them. in the high morale of lion city, it was february 5th. richard was about to return to his room to take a hot bath after a sumptuous dinner. tundel rushed to stop him as he walked out of the dining room. ¡°great ruler richard, something has happened!¡± richard looked at the girl¡¯s sincere expression and lowered his voice. ¡°speak.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve just received news that the traitor, the raging blood duke, has launched a massacre in several provinces of the kingdom of ell. his target is! a noble loyal to the royal family of ell.¡± at this point, grief and rage devoured the princess¡¯s exquisite face. she adamantly clenched her five fingers into fists. ¡°these traitors uprooted hundreds of noble forces, large and small. they heartlessly slaughtered each of the family members. ¡°that traitor had murdered over a million people¡­ blood even dyed the mother river of the ell kingdom, the norton river, crimson!¡± she was still a step too late and failed to protect her subjects and vassals. ¡°that damned traitor!¡± she would hang him on the city walls, she swore!!!! she bit her lip hard, and blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. her gaze was like that of a tigress when one killed her cubs. that monstrous anger and suppressed hatred made people inexplicably afraid. richard looked at tundel¡¯s face. his first reaction was that the raging blood duke¡¯s actions were not as simple as they seemed. ¡°he slayed millions of people? ¡°he wouldn¡¯t simply eliminate resisting forces.¡± it was more like? a word suddenly appeared in his mind. ¡®sacrifice!¡¯ yes, some ancient and evil sacrifices required countless corpses and blood. the raging blood duke had absolute control over the situation. as long as he could flatten lion city, he would be the only king in ell. brainless would not slaughter their own people. however, the traitor had done so. it would be good if there were tens of thousands of core descendants of the hundreds of nobles. there is no justice for these millions of people. richard recalled the traitor colluded with the abyss. the traitor¡¯s actions were related to this. tundel revealed her inner thoughts and clenched her fists tightly. anger engulfed her eyes. ¡°in our spy report, we also emphasized this conjecture. ¡°please, go to the main hall. everyone is waiting for your decision.¡± richard¡¯s reputation in lion city peaked following his dominance in the two wars. royal princess tundel could not easily influence the people without richard¡¯s say. Chapter 923 at this moment, more than 30 high-ranking officials of lion city were present. they were in charge of everything in the city. ¡°good evening, lord richard.¡± everyone held their chests and bowed in unison, their postures extremely humble. richard reached out to hold everyone up. then he walked to the main seat and sat down. princess tundel sat on the left. the two of them sat down, and everyone else sat down. richard¡¯s arrival immediately eased the tense atmosphere. ¡°what did the intelligence report say?¡± richard cut to the chase. a young hero in his early twenties quickly stood up. he said, ¡°lord richard, the scouts have reported that the raging blood duke used the excuse of suppressing the rebellion and eliminating a royal family to massacre the nobles and civilians in five provinces. the number of casualties far exceeds a million.¡± ¡°we received news that they transported all the corpses to the high mountain province.¡± ¡°that is the province of the mountain duke.¡± he picked up a long, smooth stick as he spoke and gestured at the map. richard looked at the center of the map. that was the mountain duke¡¯s location. this place was only two to three hundred kilometers away from the capital of ell. it was also only a few hundred kilometers away from the obelisk. ¡®what could the raging blood duke plan to do? ¡®leaving lion city alone and suddenly slaughtering the nobles?¡¯ ¡°lion city, maintain high alert! ¡°i will pay close attention to this matter. ¡°the real battlefield is still in lion city. no matter what the raging blood duke plans, he will still attack lion city! ¡°the key is whether we win.¡± ¡°yes, lord richard!¡± they stared at this valiant figure. richard¡¯s gentle aura greatly relieved the people. they could quickly solve problems while he was around. that was always the case. a sense of unease rose in richard¡¯s heart after a few moments of silence. it was as if the traitor plotted something unfathomable. the meeting was over, and richard planned to leave princess tundel alone. the princess glanced at richard¡¯s serious expression. she knew he had other thoughts. ¡°great ruler, we will support you unconditionally, no matter what happens.¡± richard nodded when he saw tundel¡¯s expression. ¡°i want to go to the high mountain province personally. ¡°the situation will be under your control for now. everything will proceed according to plan.¡± he took out a fire elemental core as he spoke. ¡°this is a treasure used to summon a fire elemental lord. the other party will come to you if you crush it. ¡°if lion city is in trouble before i return, you can use it immediately.¡± ¡°leave now,¡± tundel said firmly. she reached out to take the core of the fire element that emitted heat. ¡°lion city will be safe as long as i am alive!¡± richard patted the girl on the shoulder. ¡°don¡¯t tell this to anyone.¡± an energy surged from his body as he spoke. an eraser seemed to have erased his entire body and disappeared. the concealment power was a skill obtained from the first dungeon, gods. richard disappeared. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crisp sound of glass shattering rang out from the sky. he turned to look out the window. countless cracks appeared in the sky. these cracks emitted a terrifying evil aura. was that the abyss? that shocked him. ¡®what was the rebellious raging blood duke doing?!!¡¯ ¨C Chapter 924 frost and snow formed a desolate mountain range. the dozen or so upper echelons of the blazing flame guild looked at their guild leader in confusion. ¡°and why do the cracks in the sky look so terrifying¡­ was this plane going to collapse?¡± the cracks in heaven caused the commotion, and it was intensely frightening. the plane collapse would finish them all. the guild leader heard this. it looked around and heaved a sigh of relief when it saw everyone¡¯s probing gazes. the guild leader slowly raised his head and looked at the sky. his tone was calm. ¡°the raging blood duke aims to sacrifice the ell kingdom to the abyss in exchange for greater power.¡± that news shocked everyone. ¡°guild leader, what should we do? ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be a waste if the ell kingdom didn¡¯t have such a vast investment in the early stages?¡± ¡°this is a chance for the blazing flame guild to revive¡­¡± the blazing flame guild leader looked at the people who still wanted to interrupt. he pressed down and silenced them. ¡°this plane will become the bridgehead of the abyss. its purpose is to invade the mortal plane. ¡°the raging blood duke has won the recognition of the lord of the abyss, the master of greed. ¡°the lord of greed, the ruler of the 120th level of the bottomless abyss, controls the power of greed.¡± his tone sounded dangerous as he spoke. ¡°you should know that the closer you get to the depths of the bottomless abyss, the stronger you are. ¡°the god of greed can control a plane, and it¡¯s a plane after the 100th level. how powerful is he? ¡°the raging blood duke will change from the ruler of the kingdom of ell to the vanguard of the bottomless abyss and the servant of the lord of greed if he succeeds. ¡°the other party might even use this opportunity to advance to glorious!¡± he finished speaking, and the dozen or more echelons of the blazing flame guild widened their eyes and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°he would sacrifice the entire plane in exchange for power?¡± but what followed was another worry. ¡°won¡¯t the raging blood duke become a demon if he does this?¡± ¡°can that guarantee our interests if he becomes the leader of the chaotic evil faction?¡± the blazing eternal flame revealed composure. ¡°the raging blood duke won¡¯t starkly degenerate into a demon. he¡¯ll only obtain a portion of the power of a high-level one and become a half-demon. we are in a cooperative relationship with the raging blood duke. ¡°the stronger the other party is, the more benefits we can obtain from it.¡± at this point, his voice became excited. ¡°the raging blood duke promised to give the blazing flame guild a piece of land to manage after the bottomless abyss corroded the ell kingdom dimension as long as we cooperate with him. ¡°we can recruit high-level demon soldiers in the large cities of ell kingdom!!¡± the eyes of the upper echelons of the blazing flame guild lit up. ¡°we can recruit high-level troops in the territory of the raging blood duke!¡± this promise immediately moved them. they didn¡¯t care about that piece of land. thousands of lord players didn¡¯t lack lands. however, the recruitment of troops stuck at the gate of life. the difficulty of obtaining high-level troops was clear to everyone. until now, the blazing flame guild only had 30 crown-level troop lairs. they were a top-tier guild with 5,000 lords! they had done countless laborious missions and efforts to obtain these 30 crown troop lairs. just the number of troops lost exceeded ten legions. now, that would place several high-level troops before them and grant recruitment at will. no one could resist this temptation. high-level troops will increase in the ell kingdom once the raging blood duke has advanced. at that time, the blazing flame guild could pull the gap with the other guilds apart just by relying on the advantage of recruiting troops. the guild leader calmed down. he couldn¡¯t help but think of another point. ¡°we are believers of the god of fire. will this cause dissatisfaction to the god of fire?¡± the blazing eternal flame guild leader shook his head. ¡°that high and mighty god doesn¡¯t have the time to care about our actions. ¡°however, i will create a new department later to recruit players from the evil faction. we will use them to manage this land and command the demon troop.¡± as he spoke, a hint of threat sounded in his tone. ¡°qingqiu would never have thought our failure last time would have earned the raging blood duke¡¯s trust and recognition. ¡°and the lord of greed behind the raging blood duke is a top-notch evil god that rules over the 120th level of the abyss. ¡°this time, i want to see what qingqiu can use to resist!¡± the loss last time was a great humiliation for the blazing flame guild. they suffered a soul-tormenting backslash from the fire elemental lord they had summoned under the watchful eyes of billions of people. and this was all because of a single thought from qingqiu! he is the pre-war ambition, the momentum, the words. he was all like one. one slap, a heavy slap on one¡¯s face. how could he, who wanted to lead the blazing flame guild to become the top guild, accept this?! the guild leader viewed this final battle as a comeback. the master of greed, the master of the 120th level of the abyss, had already cast his gaze on ell kingdom. qingqiu couldn¡¯t cause waves, no matter how many trump cards he had. unless he also had god-level power as a subordinate and was mightier than the lord of greed! however, was that even possible? they listened to the blazing eternal flame guild leader, and all the higher-ups were in high spirits. Chapter 925 ¡°do we still need to stream this war?¡± the blazing eternal flame¡¯s expression immediately turned ugly. the last stream had made them appear like a clown on the forums. the guild leader sighed and said, ¡°live stream! ¡°we have no chance of failure this time! ¡°the blazing flame guild will come back. and i want all to witness this come back! ¡°qingqiu¡¯s reputation is incredibly admired. but we will harvest greater glory when we trample him under our feet. ¡°the blazing flame guild would forever regret if we slayed qingqiu and we didn¡¯t broadcast it! ¡°we will win this war and snap his glorious victory! ¡°marr, send 30 legions into the ell kingdom. i want to kill all the qingqiu troops in this battle! ¡°these troops would cause qingqiu a holocaust even if he has the means to revive!¡± the echelons of the blazing flame guild immediately became spirited. ¡°was there anything more exciting in this world than at an advantage?¡± ¡°nothing!¡± ¡®kacha!¡¯ the spider web cracks in the sky became increasingly ferocious. it was like vast rocks would press them down and collapse. the raging blood duke stood before a valley and calmly looked at it. his soldiers piled countless corpses up inside. blood gathered into a lake and caused them to float. the thousand-meter-wide valley was already a lake of death that contained corpses and blood. the thick smell of blood assailed their noses. that gave them a potent visual and olfactory stimulation. ¡°your royal highness, the troops are ready. should we attack lion city immediately?¡± the raging blood duke heard the report from behind. he drew his sword and walked to the lake. his pupils vividly reflected the tragic scene. the extraordinary existence lowered his head slightly and slowly inserted the sword covered in gaps into the blood and corpses. in the next moment, the surrounding blood seemed to have encountered a black hole, and a vortex appeared. the raging blood duke pulled his sword out again and pointed it forward. the silver-white longsword with a metallic luster had turned blood-colored at this moment. blood seemed to have come alive as it slowly flowed on it. it looked coquettish and terrifying. satisfaction devoured his eyes. ¡°my lord is about to descend. let the rebels of lion city be our offerings to the almighty ruler.¡± he turned around abruptly. his gaze turned cold. ¡°order the troops to immediately head to lion city after they completed the ancient magical formation spell! ¡°the time that those fleas jumped around¡­it has been too long.¡± ****** february 6th, morning. the players who strolled around the various live stream rooms realized¡­ a streamer has opened the blazing flame guild¡¯s live stream again. that made the players watching the show excited. ¡°good heavens! the blazing flame guild still dared to start a live stream. hadn¡¯t they lost enough face last time?¡± one clicked on it in a flash. the first thing she saw when she entered was still the initial streamer. the streamer has amused her. [isn¡¯t this the blazing flame guild? it has been a few days since i last saw him.] [wow, he dared to stream live again? isn¡¯t his face hurting enough?] [who are you going to summon today?] [hahaha, no matter how strong qingqiu is, he can¡¯t stop our blazing flame guild!] [now that you¡¯re following me, you¡¯re an old fan.] the comments grew increasingly offensive and sarcastic. the corners of the blazing flame guild¡¯s streamer¡¯s mouth twitched. but who asked them to brag so loudly last time? in the end, it ended up like this. he pretended not to see it. he seriously said, we have long expected qingqiu¡¯s strength and have repeatedly told everyone about it. ¡°as the number one player, his strength is unfathomable. although the blazing flame guild¡¯s defeat was unexpected, it was also within reason. ¡°after all, that¡¯s the green hill. if the other party is so easy to defeat, there will be 20 billion players who are stronger than him!¡± the audience would only laugh at him if he tried to save himself. but it made sense with qingqiu. the streamer of the blazing flame guild brought the topic to the war after a few words. ¡°we immediately launched a new plan after we knew how powerful qingqiu is.¡± ¡°this time, it¡¯s impossible for qingqiu to win now, no matter how many transcendents he has!¡± ¡°the blazing flame guild¡¯s foundation is as simple as it looks. ¡°as a mature and powerful guild, a single defeat in a war will not falter us. ¡°instead, we will become even stronger because of failure!¡± this streamer was in charge of live broadcasts three times in a row. his rather infectious tone immediately made the image of the blazing flame guild come out of the pitiful and laughable loser. they no longer mocked and were not so disdainful, although the audience remained skeptical of him. however, no matter how much he boasted, he still had to see the truth on the battlefield. soon, the streamer of the blazing flame guild moved the camera up. he allowed everyone to witness the cracked sky. [f*ck, what is this?] [has the blazing flame guild done this? you guys have cracked the sky to get rid of qingqiu?] [why do i feel an extremely evil aura? is this the abyss? you believers of the god of fire with thick eyebrows and big eyes betrayed us?] the scene of the sky that cracked like a spider web was too visually impactful. they pondered on the words of the blazing flame guild¡¯s streamer. they immediately thought this scene was their work. and they clicked their tongues in wonder. ¡°this is just the beginning.¡± the streamer from the blazing flame guild lowered his voice and looked at the camera with a cold gaze. ¡°qingqiu! our guild leader asked me to send you a message! the game had just begun. ¡°the fire elemental lord is your trump card, but the foundation of the blazing flame guild is far from what you can pry into. ¡°let the slaughter¡­ come!¡± he finished speaking. ¡®wuuu!¡¯ a long and deep horn sounded. the next moment, the camera zoomed in. a massive troop appeared on the screen. these troops were just like the previous battle. they quickly passed through the spatial rift and entered the battlefield. the streamer from the blazing flame guild stopped speaking and brought the camera to lion city again. unlike the previous match, he only spotted the blazing flame guild¡¯s troops. in this battle, one could see a vast number of native soldiers. the aura emitted by those soldiers could make one panic. [f*ck, is there a need to be so crazy? strike a lion city, strike a troop here over 50 legions, right?] [just how strong is qingqiu to mobilize such an exaggerated troop?] [are you kidding me? li yunlong gave this troop. one even took his notebook down.] there was no end to the troop outside lion city. the camera had to be zoomed up to a hundred meters to see the rough edge. the majestic city felt like it could collapse at any time under the black tide of the troops. Chapter 926 the grace mainland lords of the blazing flame guild told him billions of god grace lords watched this war. it was also because he had sensed the ridiculous number of grace mainland lords he gave the blazing flame guild so many promises. he wanted to let them all know that he, the raging blood duke, existed outside the mortal plane! but now, this damned human overlord trampled on his bottom line! the great lord of greed looked down at this plane. he exposed his moves to the greed lord. he must use the head of that human overlord as a warning to the blasphemer! the dignity of god did not allow anyone to provoke him!! richard¡¯s words shocked the blazing eternal flame guild leader, then overjoyed. although he didn¡¯t know how richard knew about the greed lord, the traitor felt that richard had spoken rudely to the abyss lord!! that was courting death! a trace of fear was still in his heart that he didn¡¯t know with the lesson learned from the fire elemental lord. ¡°what if qingqui is friends with the greed lord?¡± everything he planned would be in vain. but now, this arrogant qingqiu provoked the gods! no one could tolerate the existence of blasphemers! ¡°hahaha, qingqiu, let¡¯s see how you die!!¡± raging blood duke was enraged under the gaze of billions of viewers in the live stream room. he commanded his blood falcon to charge into lion city! ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the blood falcon flapped its wings and created a vast wave of air. it directly rushed to the section of the city wall above the city gate with lightning speed. the extraordinary aura it emitted made the surrounding troops feel their souls creak. it was as if a giant hand gripped them tightly, and one could crush them at any moment. that shocked several archers, and they subconsciously released the arrows in their hands. ¡®bang!¡¯ the arrows shot out from the bowstrings. sharp arrows tore through the air. however, the blood falcon was too fast. by the time the arrow arrived, it had already pulled away. it domineeringly crashed into the city wall amidst the exclamations. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ a heavy hammer must have struck the thick battlements at the city wall and directly exploded. dust flew into the sky and blinded everyone. something sounded at that moment. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying aura erupted like a tsunami. it must be a baseball bat that hit the ferocious blood falcon like a rock. it flew back at an even higher speed. it smashed into the ground a hundred meters away and left a bloody mark. it flapped its wings a few times and quietly lost its life. ¡°it had killed the level 19 blood falcon just like that?!¡± everything happened too fast. the billions of viewers in the live stream did not even have time to react. they watched mars crash into earth with their mouths dry. ¡°who was so fierce?¡± they froze wide-eyed and looked at the city wall. the wind blew. it blew away the dust in the sky. a looming giant figure appeared before everyone. that was the more than ten-meter-tall centaur warrior. she wore black full-body armor and held a long-handled battle axe that was about the same height as her. she placed this battle axe on the ground. it would take dozens of people to lift it. a pair of eyes filled with intense fighting spirit stared ahead and swept away everything under the helmet that protected his face. transcendence! the transcendent centaur subordinates of qingqiu attacked!! emily¡¯s heavily armored body was as heavy as a mountain as she stood at the city wall. she emitted an aura that was stronger than the raging blood duke. it was similar to the pressure the transcendent overlord from the fire elemental plane brought to the players. the furious raging blood duke floated in the sky and coldly stared at the centaur on the back of the blood falcon. his body expanded, and the pressure the centaur gave him increased by more than ten times. he looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand. the other party did not even move half a step from his original position when the traitor charged forward. his attacks were harmless to the grace mainland overlord. ¡°damn bastard, did he not take me seriously?¡± he hated this bastard¡¯s confidence. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sword at his waist was unsheathed. the silver-white longsword had large and small gaps. a fierce killing intent surged out from it. no one knew how many lives it had killed to condense such a terrifying aura. a sound dropped at this moment. a crack in the sky emitted an endless evil aura and suddenly expanded. waves of energy from the abyss surged into the longsword. a blood-red shadow more than eight meters tall appeared on his body. the virtual image seemed to be a copy of him. it also held a long sword in its hand. ¡°kill them!¡± the raging blood duke charged forward and aimed his silver-white longsword at emily. it was unrealistic for him to bypass the enemy and attack the grace mainland overlord with his transcendence. he wanted to see if grace mainland overlord could still keep his damn calmness after he beheaded this centaur! so what if the other party had changed his body shape! if size alone could determine the outcome of a battle, then this time would have long been dominated by giants. emily could sense the intense hostility and murderous intent. she stomped on the air and flew up. he jumped and ran in the air. ¡®clang!¡¯ the ten-meter-long battle axe collided with the silver-white longsword. Chapter 927 the energy erupted from both sides and tore the surrounding void apart. that created ripples. emily had incredible battle techniques, and the raging blood duke was good, too. he was equally fierce. both sides had top-notch battle strength. they fought with all their might, and each collision caused vast shockwaves. cracks appeared on the ground as if a giant had stepped on it. the entire battlefield had turned into a mess in just a few minutes. the grounds cracked, boulders shattered, and holes covered the ground. the viewers in the live stream room also cheered loudly. that was the first time they had experienced a battle between transcendents. as expected of a transcendent, this kind of destructive power was odd. [so strong!!] [i realized something shocking when i saw the two. how did qingqiu subdue that centaur?] [i¡¯ll dare to push an entire plane if you give me any of these two people!] after a moment of exclamation, everyone¡¯s attention shifted from the center of the battlefield to richard on the wall. the more powerful emily was, the more envious the viewers were. ¡°how did he subdue a transcendent of this level?¡± this doubt repeatedly appeared in their minds as the battle intensified. the blazing eternal flame guild leader anticipated the raging blood duke and saw this scene. his heart began to beat wildly. would it defeat the centaur even if the fire elemental lord did not rebel and responded to his summons to attack lion city? the blazing eternal flame guild leader felt like it had eaten a hundred lemons. it was sour to the core. ¡®what right do you have?! ¡®how could qingqiu have such a powerful subordinate?! ¡®he owned a guild with thousands of top-tier lord players and could mobilize millions of troops. his strength was much mightier than other players! ¡®not to mention subduing transcendents, he even has a subordinate who could fight against a level 19 hero with a-rank potential. the more he thought about it, the more unbalanced he felt. new and old grudges erupted at the same time. ¡®just wait, so what if you have soul-crushing subordinates! ¡®the greed lord is watching you. the more you jump, the more miserable your death will be!¡¯ the blazing flame guild leader thought of the terrifying existence that controlled 120% of the abyss, descended, and killed the other party. it felt a twisted pleasure of revenge. at this moment, lion city was already in ruins in his eyes. richard and emily were headless corpses hanging on the city wall. the blazing flame guild would rise in his hands. qingqiu would not be able to stop it. no, no one could stop it! the battle between emily and the raging blood duke climaxed under the resentful gazes. the surrounding space became blurry because of the clash of the two sides. the live stream room could not even display a clear image. one could see only terrifying energy from the center of the battlefield. the space in ell kingdom wasn¡¯t as the mortal plane. extraordinary power was enough to distort everything. everyone felt the century had passed in less than ten minutes. billions of viewers waited for the final winner to appear. ¡®bang!¡¯ a terrifying wave of air exploded. that had formed a bowl-shaped crater on the ground. the soldiers on the city wall were like flags in the wind. they retreated and crowded together. the mixed-gravel shockwave also hit the raging blood duke¡¯s troop hundreds of meters away. the audience no longer focused on the people around the battlefield. they froze wide-eyed and looked at the center of the battlefield. at this moment, two vast figures gradually appeared in the dust and distorted space. the heavy armor of the centaur wielded the long-handled longsword was now in large pieces. even the armor on her head had an exaggerated sword mark. it used half a bit more strength. it could break its helmet and behead it! she shifted her gaze and looked at the raging blood duke on the other side. the phantom formed on the body of this level 21 transcendent had already dimmed. one could extinguish it at any moment. although the raging blood duke had a few scars on his body, his aura appeared extremely unstable, like a furnace that could explode at any moment. the top-tier existence turned to look at richard on the city wall, and his expression became even uglier. at this moment, he felt like a clown. the true mastermind watched the show leisurely on the city wall while he beat the other party¡¯s subordinates to death. that made him want to show his face before billions of god grace overlords. but a slap shattered everything. ¡®bastard!¡¯ the raging blood duke growled. he raised the sword, and the tip faced the sky. ¡°????????,??????¡± an obscure and evil riddle resounded. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a spatial rift exploded above his head and expanded more than ten meters. that crack formed a narrow space so vast and tight on both sides. it was an eyeball. the endless evil aura poured into the raging blood duke¡¯s body like a waterfall. this transcendent¡¯s aura soared at a speed visible to the naked eye. the eternal flame guild leader opened the attribute panel after a few short breaths. the raging blood duke soared its level to 24! he was only a step away from becoming a legend! the price of obtaining power was wickedness. endless wickedness. Chapter 928 demonization! that terrifying aura made the audience in the live stream room feel intense pressure. they felt their souls tremble, although they viewed the transformation from the live stream. it was like a hand covered in blood strangled their throats. it was suffocating. the blazing flame guild leader revealed an unsuppressible joy on his face. ¡°level 24!¡± ¡°the greed lord wouldn¡¯t need to appear! the raging blood duke could take care of everything! ¡°qingqiu, are you ready to face death?!¡± the raging blood duke¡¯s aura rose to its peak before the gaze of billions of viewers. the pressure distorted the surrounding space. the ground gradually sank and bore cracks. the wind in the sky stopped. the true evil demon king had crawled out of the abyss. the sky was like a crack in the eyes of the devil. it grew increasingly ferocious. it was like an existence watching the scenes. the raging blood duke¡¯s aura reached the end. he suddenly felt a sense of incomparable danger to a sword that slashed through his throat. he opened his eyes abruptly and desired to react. however, a terrifying pain came from his back after a few seconds. the pain spread to his chest at lightning speed. ¡®puchi! a slender hand covered in blood appeared in his sight through his chest. the momentum of the rising stage suddenly stopped. ¡®what was this?¡¯ the raging blood duke looked at the palm, his mind in a mess. just as he was about to move, the palm disappeared again. at the same time, it also took away all the blood from his wound. from the outside, one could only see the flesh and bones rolling about, but no blood dripped down. the raging blood grand duke subconsciously looked up. he confirmed that the centaur before him had not moved. a suffocating fear surged into his heart. that damned human overlord not only had the centaur and the fire elemental overlord, these two transcendent subordinates! he also hid transcendent in the dark. a transcendent he couldn¡¯t detect even with his full senses! endless regret and anger surged in his heart. he had long prepared for the supernatural beings hidden in the dark. but he still targeted heroes like the fire elemental lord. who would have thought someone could hide from his senses and appear behind him to launch a sneak attack!!! all of this happened too quickly. that broke the raging blood duke in a flash. a terrifying backlash followed. the evil aura on the traitor duke¡¯s body rose. that was because a giant hand pierced his heart and consumed his blood. he lost control of the energy in his body. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it was like the lava broke the jar. his entire body endured the counterattack of that energy. the traitor duke was about to move. suddenly, a blood-colored bat appeared before him. then, the bat suddenly disappeared. in the next second, a figure that emitted a silver light and flapped its bat wings appeared before him. ¡°vampires?¡± the shock in his heart rose to the extreme at this moment. however, the violent energy in his body had already frozen him. the opponent¡¯s long spear reflected in the corner of his eye that cut through the sky. he felt something in the next moment. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a sharp pain crawled from his neck. and then he quickly lost consciousness. ¡®how can i die here?¡¯ the raging blood duke¡¯s final thought surfaced as his life flashed through his mind. he widened his eyes to see the culprit who killed him. however, his vision was blurry, and he could not see anything. the blow tossed the headless body of the raging blood duke into the sky. a figure with silver hair and silver eyes suddenly appeared on the field. that froze the players in the live stream room wide-eyed and open-mouthed. they waited for the raging blood duke to spawn and murder the centaur. they stared blankly at the existence that held the long spear and stood in the air. ¡°vampire? transcendent?¡± ¡°another transcendent?¡± Chapter 929 the blazing eternal flame guild leader experienced an earth-shattering shock, while the players experienced an unprecedented shock. in his eyes, the figure who held a long spear and stood in the sky was ten thousand times more ferocious than a demon in his heart. the bat wings flapped, and it blew heavily in his heart. his eyes widened to the extreme, and his hands could not help but tremble. ¡°transcendent, another transcendent! ¡°how was this possible? how was this possible? ¡°that was the third, the third!¡± he couldn¡¯t understand. he couldn¡¯t understand why qingqiu could subdue a transcendent so high and mighty, who could decide the fate of countless people with a single word, and who was also one of the top existences among the natives. was it that easy for transcendents to submit? why didn¡¯t any transcendent submit to him? how was he inferior to qingqiu? the jealousy sprouted in his heart like wild grass. he and even the thousands of lords in the entire blazing flame guild combined could not compare to qingqiu! no, he had never heard of a player who could subdue a transcendent. no one in the billions of players could compare to qingqiu. at the thought of this, the jealousy almost devoured his rationality. ¡°qingqiu!¡± he gritted his teeth, and his gaze became even more distorted. ¡°i will make history no matter what the price is! i swear!¡± ¡°guild leader, w-what should we do now?¡± the subordinate¡¯s voice trembled, and that awakened the blazing flame guild. he turned around and saw the echelons of the blazing flame guild gaze at the battlefield with fear, anxiety, and terror. the surrounding dozens of legions could not give them any sense of security. the blazing flame guild took a deep breath. killing intent filled his eyes. as he said that, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the center of the battlefield. he glanced at the spatial rift that looked like the eye of the abyss. the evil energy surged out and became denser. ¡°qingqiu! you¡¯ve angered the ruler of this war!¡± everyone followed his line of sight and looked at the sky. the spiderweb-like cracks raised their spirits. ¡°lord of greed¡­will it descend?¡± as a believer in the fire god, his fear and hostility towards the evil gods of the abyss was more generous than any other emotion. according to their calculations, the best scenario would be that the raging blood duke would lead his troop to flatten the city before him, and he would not have to deal with the evil existence directly. but now? everything had become a bubble. who would have thought the arrogant raging blood guild would fall in such a way? ¡°definitely. qingqiu would slap the lord of greed in the face at the death of the raging blood duke!¡± the blazing flame guild leader gritted his teeth and said fiercely. the death of the raging blood duke had exceeded his expectations. the promise he had made to him before, to allow him to recruit soldiers in the ell kingdom, had now become a castle in the air. the feeling of having his dream shattered was especially unbearable. however, the blazing flame guild leader had already placed a heavy bet on ell kingdom, and he couldn¡¯t withdraw. billions of people were watching. the blazing flame guild would become a laughingstock now if they retreated. even if they didn¡¯t suffer too many losses in the short term, they would widen the gap between them and the other top guilds in the future. the guild leader had to win this war to recoup his initial investment. moreover, the true ruler of this war was the ruler of the 120th level of the bottomless abyss. even if the blazing flame guild leader lost the promise of the raging blood duke, they would still be the victor of this war! he pondered. he looked at the vampire archduchess and the centaur in the sky. an indescribable joy surged in his heart. ¡°qingqiu, you have a lot of transcendents, right? ¡°the lord of greed will descend and kill each transcendent. i want to see what else you can use to be arrogant!! ¡°dance, the harder you dance, the funnier you will be when you fall to the dust.¡± the upper echelons of the blazing flame guild heaved a sigh of relief when they received an affirmative response. qingqiu¡¯s endless backup had already caused them to have severe psychological trauma. they feared that qingqiu still had some tricks up his sleeve. now that the evil god of the abyss was about to descend, no matter how strong he was, he could cause any waves! figures stood on the towering walls of lion city. at this moment, the soldiers guarded the city and finally returned to their senses from this sudden situation. their enemy, the vampire transcendent, had killed the traitor! this unexpected situation immediately stirred up the atmosphere. everyone¡¯s eyes burned as they looked at loreina in the sky. that was a top-notch transcendent from the vampire clan. she was so agitated she could hardly contain her emotions. her eyes were already red, and tears incessantly dripped from her face. that left eye-catching marks on her breastplate. this traitor murdered the princess¡¯s father and family. he usurped the kingdom and slaughtered their people. the raging blood duke¡¯s betrayal caused all of this. all of their hatred vented at this moment with the other party¡¯s death. the eldest princess turned to look at the figure shrouded in yellow sand beside her. she opened her mouth and wanted to say something but closed it quietly. her sparkling eyes gradually became firm. ¡°lord richard, the kingdom of ell and i will never forget the debt we owe you!¡± richard looked at the silent battlefield with a complicated expression. he did not expect that the raging blood duke, whom he had regarded as an invincible enemy two months ago, would die in such a way at loreina¡¯s hands. this long-planned war would take such a turn. he looked at the crack in the sky with some regret. Chapter 930 several uncertain factors were in the current situation. the opponent still had dozens of legions that pressed the border. he couldn¡¯t let kratos be the primary output point under such a background. he could only think of a way to find another transcendent hunt. that had repeatedly delayed kratos¡¯ advancement plan and made it feel like laborious nurture of a supernatural. fortunately, loreinna and emily managed to pass this hurdle. otherwise, twilight city would have a long way to go before upgrade. loreinna had become the focus of everyone¡¯s attention and waved. she brought the raging blood duke¡¯s corpse back to the city wall. the blood falcon shattered a city wall, and loreinna landed there. she knelt on one knee before the figure shrouded in yellow sand. she bowed most humbly. ¡°lord, we have extinguished the rebels¡­ waiting for your orders.¡± her mature voice resounded throughout the world. the players in the live stream room fantasized about the possibility that the other party wasn¡¯t qingqiu¡¯s subordinate. they repeatedly changed their expressions. [lord? f*ck your motherf*cker slippers! qingqiu, that dog, how could he find such a transcendent vampire? i¡¯m so jealous!] [this looks, this strength, this race¡­ i can¡¯t imagine how carefree qingqiu this bastard¡¯s life is!] [oh my god, please give me a transcendent. i don¡¯t need a big bear. i don¡¯t need such good looks. i only want a transcendent!] the billions of viewers were so jealous and twisted their faces. qingqiu, this pervert, should have used it to light the sky lamp. there shouldn¡¯t be such a pervert in this world! after the dense barrage of comments, many players looked at the troop that had yet to retreat and perked up again. [everyone, don¡¯t be in a hurry to open the champagne for qingqiu¡­ this war is not over yet.] this time, the onlookers turned their attention to the battlefield again. although the raging blood duke¡¯s recklessness had cost him his life, the troop he had brought with him had not suffered any damage. even if qingqiu had two transcendents, could lion city withstand the attack of tens of troops? everyone was curious about the next step in this bizarre war. the dense space cracks as a spider¡¯s web suddenly expands. it was like one would squeeze something. as the crack expanded, boundless evil energy gushed out. the entire sky dimmed, and an indescribable aura filled everyone¡¯s hearts. it was an extremely evil existence from the abyss. in a trance, everyone heard a low wail. it was like the painful screams of countless people on the verge of death. thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, countless sounds overlapped. the audience in the live stream room felt a chill down their spines as if they had been stared at by a demon that had crawled out of a pile of corpses. blood and rotten flesh covered him. fear surged in their hearts. [what kind of sound is this? f*ck, this live broadcast is so scary. ] [did qingqiu just say that the raging blood duke has an abyssal evil god behind him?] the evil aura that surged out of the cracks became increasingly exaggerated. the spatial crack that strengthened the raging blood duke earlier and was in the middle and narrow in the two ends now glowed. it looked as if dark stars flowed inside. that gave off a strong sense of oppression coupled with that evil aura. many people could not know whether it was an illusion and suddenly realized. the crack blinked. the light of the entire world dimmed before they could confirm if they were seeing things. all the cracks in the sky seemed to have come alive. they turned into tentacles and wiggled in the sky. the scene was terrifying and strange. the energy that gushed out of the cracks became majestic. in the end, it formed a gray fog. the audience in the live stream room had their vision turned grayish-black as if a layer of gauze covered them. the evil energy became denser as time passed. it finally reached a limit. the players rushed toward the raging blood duke¡¯s troop on the ground. ¡°ah!¡± miserable screams rang out. the eyes of the dozens of legions of soldiers around were bloodshot. their faces seemed to have countless red lines that squirmed in their skin. the blood vessels were like small snakes on the face, the neck, and the exposed skin. it looked like an overblown balloon that could burst at any moment. the moment the players in the live stream room had this thought. ¡®puchi!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ a human soldier exploded at the bottom left corner of the screen. blood splattered everywhere and turned into a pool of blood mist. it dyed the gray scene red. this tragic explosion opened the curtain of the tragedy of hell on earth. the live stream camera turned. the troops behind exploded like balloons that couldn¡¯t take the pressure. the flower of death bloomed in the white. the thick smell of blood filled the sky. several players¡¯ faces in the live stream room were pale as they looked at the horrifying scene in disbelief. many of the weaker ones had already turned their heads away and did not dare to look. [what the hell happened?] countless questions surfaced in the minds of the audience. this scene was too sudden, and no one was mentally prepared. Chapter 931 less than ten legions stood on the battlefield in two to three minutes. blood-covered fog covered the sky. the soldiers that exploded turned into a bloody mist that filled the sky. the camera zoomed up to a height of 100 meters, but all they could see was the ground covered in blood. the original soldiers were vaguely visible in the blood fog. they looked like demons. no one knew why such a terrifying scene had suddenly appeared. and no one knew what would happen next. the blood fog that was so dense condensed into water droplets and surged toward the surviving soldiers who were in pain after the explosion disappeared under everyone¡¯s nervous gaze. the bodies of those soldiers were like a sponge. they devoured all the energy. the sound of cracking bones filled the sky. the bodies of those soldiers suddenly grew taller, and the muscles on their bodies bulged. it was like one poured a seething steel. a pair of mini demon wings grew out of their backs. two long devil horns emerged from their foreheads, and devil tails behind swayed. ¡°has the crack in the sky transformed the raging blood duke¡¯s troops into demon soldiers?¡± only now did the audience understand what had happened. the streamer of the blazing flame guild leader finally felt like he was about to make a name for himself. he looked at the commotion around him. intense excitement engulfed his tone. ¡°does everyone know what is on the other side of this crack in the sky?¡± ¡°one¡­ the ruler of the abyssal plane, a god of the chaotic evil camp!¡± ¡°the raging blood duke isn¡¯t the only one supporting the blazing flame guild this time.¡± ¡°our true trump card is a¡­god!¡± that startled the audience. ¡°f*ck, no wonder there was such a huge commotion. that had turned dozens of legions into demons.¡± ¡°only a god could do something like this, right?¡± countless mysterious veils covered the eyes of the players as the top and most mysterious existence in the ¡°shining era.¡± even the top players were miles away from this realm. they were excited now that they had the chance to see the face of a god. [are you serious?] [i don¡¯t believe evil gods didn¡¯t cause this commotion!] [oh my god! so, the enemy qingqiu faced this time was the evil god of the bottomless abyss? isn¡¯t this too much?] [did you guys notice? these soldiers that had transformed into demons had all risen to level 19¡­ qingqiu was dead meat this time. ten level 19 legions could take down lion city in a single wave without transcendents!] billions of viewers discussed. lion city, as the protagonist of the battlefield, did not have the time to react to the actions on the battlefield. the speed of demonization was too fast. it was already too late by the time they wanted to make arrangements. richard looked at the changes before him. his face gradually turned grave. he lured the abyss, and the main character of this war was no longer the raging blood duke. what stopped him from conquering ell kingdom was the evil god from the abyss. however, what made him feel a little regretful was that from the aura emitted by the crack in the sky, the other party was not the spider goddess lolita, nor was it the king of decay. that caused some of his thoughts to fall through. ¡°lord richard, the abyss has corroded those soldiers¡­¡± the princess of ell kingdom looked at the troop that turned into demons with a pale face. five fingers gripped the sword in her hand and made a cracking sound because they were too strong. ¡°no wonder that traitor, the raging blood duke, brought so many troops here. ¡°from the looks of it now, that damned heretic cult believer intended to sacrifice a portion of the troops from the beginning and let the other portion degenerate into demons.¡± ¡°this traitor died too easily!¡± the princess turned to look at the raging blood duke. the traitor was now a corpse and waved his sword again. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sword pierced through the corpse¡¯s chest and into the city wall. hanging and flogging the corpse up was not enough to resolve the anger in her heart. once corrupted by the abyss, there was no turning back! they trained these soldiers with the financial resources of the kingdom of ell!! moreover, they recruited from the commoners mostly. they also had parents, lovers, and children!! these troops would still be serving the kingdom of ell if it weren¡¯t for the betrayal of the raging blood duke. richard did not comfort her. she enjoyed all the power and had to bear her obligations as the royal family princess. pain was one of them. when the demonization of the troops before him was about to end, he raised his head to look at the crack in the sky. his tone was subtle. ¡°that evil existence from the bottomless abyss¡­ because the raging blood duke had died in battle, that had angered and was about to join the battle.¡± tundel was shocked and still in a rage. as a native of ell kingdom, she had a deep hatred and fear of the abyss. the bottomless abyss was the end of all evil. the kingdom of ell had paid a generously painful price just to guard an abyssal chasm. they couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful a god-level abyssal ruler could be. would lion city be able to stop them? she looked at the person he was leaning on beside her, and her tone was a little lost. ¡°great ruler¡­ what should we do? should? should we evacuate ell?¡± Chapter 932 the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up as he spoke. ¡°what should we do? of course! let the abyssal evil god enter the ell kingdom.¡± he finished speaking and saw the crystal in his hand from the corner of his eye. the phoenix-tail flower carved on it was particularly striking. the incessant exploding and turning of the dozen legions of soldiers into demons immersed the players into this shocking scene the raging blood duke has created. suddenly, a cold voice reverberated. ¡°crawlers from the bottomless abyss.¡± ¡°no matter who you are, no matter what kind of power you control, no matter what kind of existence stands behind you.¡± ¡°now, i warn you in the name of the city lord. ¡°get out of the ell kingdom immediately.¡± he finished speaking. the entire sky fell silent. everyone subconsciously looked over. richard, who was on the city wall, had already arrived at the place where the raging blood duke had died. above his head was the spatial rift that looked like the eye of the abyss. the audience in the live stream room saw this scene, and their mouths instantly went dry. [i-i didn¡¯t hear wrongly, did i? qingqiu is in¡­ threatening the evil god on the other side of the sky rift?] [is there an evil god from the bottomless abyss?] [what is qingqiu doing?] [isn¡¯t this guy too arrogant?] when the viewers in the live stream felt that qingqiu had enough of the raging blood duke¡¯s disdain, they pointed at the transcendents and scolded them. that caused their hearts to palpitate. and the facts proved that the other party did have the ability. two transcendent subordinates were enough to look down on the raging blood duke. qingqiu was strong. his two transcendents and even a fire elemental lord were his trump cards. but? ¡°do you know that you¡¯re provoking the gods?¡± ¡°that was a f*cking god!¡± ¡°evil gods of the bottomless abyss!¡± ¡°once they appeared in the mortal plane, they would destroy cities and flatten kingdoms.¡± such an extremely evil existence dared to humiliate him before the other party? ¡°does this qingqiu still have any respect?¡± ¡°what was he doing?¡± ¡°could it be that he had a god as his subordinate?¡± richard¡¯s actions confused billions of players. they could not understand what he was doing. ¡°was he not afraid of death by provoking the gods so brazenly?¡± ¡°or did the other party have a trump card that could kill a god?¡± however, was that even possible? want to kill a god? are you kidding me? what level are you at now? the eye of the abyss condensed by the spatial rift in the sky suddenly lit up. a scarlet light flickered within. breathes wrestled among them. time must have stopped at this moment. everyone¡¯s breathing became heavy. it was like one pressed a millstone on their chests. many low-level soldiers only felt a terrifying force that pressed down on their heads. their legs went soft, and they fell to the ground. in the blink of an eye, bean-sized beads of sweat covered their foreheads and even flowed from the corner of their mouths. they felt it. yes, they did. the most powerful and majestic existence in the world watched them. god. an evil god from the bottomless abyss watched the ell king, lion city, and everyone. the bullet comments in the live stream room instantly stopped. a moment later, they exploded with a density of 100 times. [i was so scared that i peed my pants.] [this is the imposing aura of the great rank. the evil god of the bottomless abyss had appeared!] [qingqiu has angered the other party this time!] the audience in the live stream room felt the pressure that penetrated deep into their souls. their bodies tensed up, and their breathing quickened. they could not sit still. the strong sense of immersion made them hold their breaths. they couldn¡¯t imagine how much pressure they would endure to face such divine might on the battlefield. when the pressure reached its peak, a loud explosion sounded. ¡°ants¡­who gave you the confidence to provoke me?¡± the profane words of the abyss were like rolling thunder in the nine heavens that shocked the world. the eye of the abyss in the sky rift got increasingly bright. that eye became the center of the entire world. endless divine might press down on this world like a mountain. the ground could not withstand the pressure and sank slowly. the traces of the battlefield became even more shattered. if the abyssal evil god had only been a possibility before, at this moment, there was no longer any doubt in the players¡¯ hearts. a god had appeared! everyone¡¯s heart beat wildly. but what followed was an even enormous doubt. ¡°what exactly was qingqiu doing?!¡± ¡°now that he has lured out the evil god of the abyss, what should he do next?¡± ¡°he was courting death!¡± the blazing flame guild leader heard the abyssal blasphemy. his heart surged, and his face turned red from excitement. ¡°qingqiu, i¡¯ll let you be arrogant!! ¡°let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll deal with the lord of greed this time! ¡°that was the ruler of the bottomless abyss, an existence with supreme power!¡¯ the thrill of revenge in his heart had reached its peak. he wasn¡¯t the only one. the members of the blazing flame guild were also excited. they finally saw the hope of stomping on the guy who had become their psychological shadow. the host¡¯s voice sounded at the right time. ¡°the lord of greed will bury qingqiu today! we will be gravediggers!¡± ¡°the enemies of the blazing flame guild will become history, even if the other party has several transcendent subordinates¡­qingqiu!¡± at this moment, the billions of viewers fell into a rather complicated mood. qingqiu would eventually have to pay the price for insolence. this legendary mission might end here. ¡°this time, there was no chance of turning the tables. after all, the opponent was a god. a god!! ¡°how could twilight city fight this? ¡°ten or twenty transcendents would only be food in front of such an existence.¡± the viewers in the live stream room looked at the figure of the one-faced eye of the abyss that floated in the sky with complicated thoughts. Chapter 933 one of the main characters on the battlefield would be the billions of players in the live stream or lion city. everyone froze wide-eyed as they looked at the spatial rift in the sky that wriggled like tentacles. taboo and darkness filled the title abyss evil god. no one, not even any god, was willing to deal with the horrifying existence of the bottomless abyss. it was the pinnacle of chaos and evil. the eye of the abyss blinked again. everyone felt strange in the next moment. why could qingqiu become the number one player, but they couldn¡¯t? his companion¡¯s weapon must be better than his. how could he snatch the other party¡¯s weapon? the neighbor next door has a lot of gems. why can¡¯t they be theirs? qingqiu¡¯s transcendents shouldn¡¯t be his, but they can still submit to them! a unique emotion grew in their hearts. they wanted to take everything in their surroundings into their pockets. the blazing flame guild leader¡¯s gaze distorted as it looked at the yellow sand-shrouded richard. jealousy, resentment, and all other negative emotions surged into his heart. the number one player would be him, and only him. those transcendents could only submit to him!! the blazing flame guild leader would be the only representative of all players! at this moment, the guild leader wanted to possess everything. richard suddenly turned to look at the raging blood duke¡¯s demonized troop. this troop of all level-19 soldiers should belong to twilight city and him! no one could snatch it from him. not even the abyss evil god above them would dare do it! however, just as this thought rose in his mind, he suddenly felt a sense of horror as if one pressed a dagger against the back of his head. the power of the yellow sand surged out and instantly pushed out all the energy in the surroundings. in the next moment, his mind suddenly regained clarity. richard suddenly raised his head and looked at the eye of the abyss above his head. he then turned to look at the city wall. at this moment, the troops that guarded lion city had already entered a state of agitation. everyone¡¯s aura had become unstable. the possessiveness of a miser who wanted to take all the gold filled their eyes. a word suddenly appeared in his mind. the abyss evil god controlled a power. that was greed! the seven evil gods in the bottomless abyss controlled the most primitive desires and sins of intelligent life¨Cpride, jealousy, hatred, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. every evil god had an intense reputation. this evil god was one of the seven sins of evil gods, the ruler of the power of greed. the lord of greed! due to his previous encounters, he focused on the gods and ancient legends of the ¡°shining era¡± and collected information. richard had an impression of the gods who had marked their names in history. the greed lord was considered one of the seven sins of the evil gods, so he was famous. that was the ruler of the 120th level of the bottomless abyss, a middle-level god. to most people, even lower gods were existences one could not touch, spied on, or made enemies of. however, he was not interested in him. the kobold god was not weaker than the greed lord, and the decay king was the ruler of the 333rd level of the abyss, a superior god. the spider goddess lolita was his enemy and was even more terrifying. she was the ultimate boss of the 500th level of the bottomless abyss and had once provoked a war between gods. the greed lord didn¡¯t even have the right to sit and talk before the other party. to some players, the terrifying, powerful, and mysterious abyssal evil gods with countless titles were nothing much in their eyes. he had earned so much and had enough trump cards in his hands. the opponent¡¯s unscrupulous attitude was particularly laughable. one based the players¡¯ incomprehension on strength. they could not imagine the scene of the dwarf god sleeping in the statue at his waist and the deception god that observed the battlefield through the spatial rift. he could even summon the undead lord released from the land of the broken laws if he wanted to. and this, this was just a part of his trump card. the players were in disbelief as to whether he had a god, but they would never have thought that richard not only had a god as his trump card but more. the way of thinking and understanding would be completely different to stand in different positions. just as everyone on the battlefield was lost in thought and fell into a remarkable mood of wanting to possess everything, a cold voice resounded through the sky. ¡°greed lord, is this all you have? it was just some tricks to bewitch people. that would be more pleasing in the circus. ¡°among the seven sins of the evil gods, perhaps you are the only one. the evil god who controls the power of greed is the weakest. let alone the ruler who controls the power of pride, the lord of sloth, is far stronger than you.¡± the sloth lord was the weakest of the seven sins. he had a deep hatred for the lord of greed. this voice sounded like the morning bell and evening drum that suddenly woke countless people. the audience in the live stream room returned to their senses, and sweat quickly covered their faces. their expressions became extremely ugly. [f*ck, is this the power of a god? i was watching a live stream, but i became greedy for qingqiu and wanted to snatch his transcendent subordinates. f*ck this f*cking greed lord, he almost killed me!] [this is too terrifying. how had the greed lord affected all??] Chapter 934 [the other party has yet to descend, but he can already affect billions of people. if he appears, will anyone be able to resist?] the players pondered, and the idea alone terrified them. fortunately, this was a live stream. the players would have moved if they had faced the other party directly. it was only at this moment that they had witnessed how terrifying the power of a god was. the eye of the abyss jumped violently after richard¡¯s words. the evil energy that leaked from the spatial rift in the sky increased enormously. the pressure that everyone felt multiplied. the soldiers on the walls of lion city turned pale and gripped their weapons tightly. it was like they tried to find some confidence. ¡°worm, you¡¯re courting death!¡± the lord of greed had looked down on ell kingdom from a high and mighty position. the death of the raging blood duke was nothing more than the death of a bug to him. however, the human lord¡¯s repeated provocations had angered him. he couldn¡¯t understand how a human above level 10 dared to look down on him like this. those powerful light-type gods wouldn¡¯t dare to match in the war of gods! moreover, the greed lord compared it to that lowly bastard, the lord of sloth. could the other party be compared to him? in his fury, he emitted increasingly turbulent pressure. the red light of the eye of the abyss gradually turned scarlet red, accompanied by wisps of black gas. it looked even more terrifying. that increasingly flustered the viewers in the live stream. they looked at the figure in the sky covered in yellow sand. the confusion in their hearts almost exploded. at this point, what gave qingqiu the right and courage ce to be so confident? did he have a backup plan to kill all the gods? however, was that even possible? it was unrealistic! but if qingqiu didn¡¯t have backup plans, would he be so bold? that was qingqiu! he wasn¡¯t an arrogant cat or dog. his past achievements were enough to prove everything. how many times had he slapped those who doubted him in the face? however, they couldn¡¯t understand why qingqiu was so confident before such a powerful enemy. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the divine might had reached a limit. the eye of the abyss in the sky exploded. rifts that crawled exploded at the same time. it was as if a cracked mirror had shattered at this moment. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ space fragments scattered in all directions like snowflakes. the world suddenly fell silent. time must have paused at this moment. everyone subconsciously looked up at the sky. only one thought remained in their minds! the evil god from the abyss had descended. perturbed, uneasy, frightened, incredibly scared! the soldiers of lion city held their breaths and did not dare to make any noise. they feared the existence of the abyss to notice them. the billions of players in the live stream room froze wide-eyed and stared at the screen. they wouldn¡¯t want to miss any movement. the gray sky turned pitch-black under the watchful eyes of the crowd. endless darkness engulfed everything. the unbroken sky emitted a faint light so that they could see their surroundings. everyone felt a chill run down their spine. it was like they had fallen into a mass grave. pale bones and rotten corpses surrounded them. those corpses could sit from the ground or reach their arms to grab their feet at any moment. that was even more soul-crushing. that was the bottomless abyss. darkness tore a vast hole open in the plane barrier of ell kingdom. one hadn¡¯t completely fallen into the abyss, but there was no longer any obstruction to the bottomless abyss. billions of players felt their mouths go dry and could not calm down. something disturbed the silence. countless people on the verge of death let out miserable shrieks that echoed in everyone¡¯s mind. instantly, it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. that has more than ten times magnified the fear in their hearts. the language of the abyss was the murmur of the abyssal power. it sounded at all times. the language would haunt anyone who entered the abyss until they could no longer withstand the evil corrosion. at that time, the language of the abyss would no longer be torture but enjoyment. rumor had it that the demons¡¯ chaos was due to the constant mumble of the language of the abyss day and night. they were too addicted to it and fell into madness. a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly lit up in the endless darkness after a pressure suppressed the atmosphere. in the next moment, the pitch-black sky gradually revealed its pure appearance. countless golden pillars supported a vast palace. one couldn¡¯t even see the end of it. countless precious treasures lay on the ground. gold, gems, mithril, fine gold! and so forth, they were innumerable. the dragon treasury was famous for its wealth and was probably as poor as a beggar before the palace¡¯s wealth. endless extravagance filled the golden light as it flickered. just a glance was enough to make one feel bountiful greed. a strange-looking throne stood in the palace center above the sea of treasures. a unique item forged the throne that shone with seven-colored light. it was 20 meters wide and had four gem-inlaid feet that supported the throne half a meter from the ground. the height of the back was more than fifty meters. Chapter 935 that strange existence was probably more than five meters tall. two devil horns stood on its forehead, and the pure golden robe on its body bulged like a 600-pound old lady with silk stockings. the devil held a seven-colored scepter and leaned against the throne. greed devoured his scarlet eyes. just a glance was enough to make one¡¯s heart turn cold. its ugly and bloated appearance made the endless power it emitted even more terrifying. a golden lion squatted on the ground in front of the throne. its scarlet eyes greedily stared at the treasures before it. it was like a dog that rabidly protected its food. this scene immediately caused the audience in the live stream room to explode. [f*ck! is this the abyssal evil god? wasn¡¯t this wealth sparingly exaggerated? i could flatten a country in half a year!] [what a terrifying aura. what a powerful evil god!] [i finally know why someone wants to kill a god. i want to take his treasure!!] [greed lord is one of the seven sins of the evil gods. qingqiu faces this terrifying existence now. i want to know how he slaughters this figure!] the players marveled at the greed lord¡¯s treasure. they immediately turned their attention to richard. richard faced the divine might of the greed lord alone at this moment! the players looked at the unwavering figure. they still admired him even if they didn¡¯t think highly of him. one would expect that of the number one player. they would have collapsed long ago if they faced the pressure of a god. ¡°but what was he going to do next?¡± everyone was curious. qingqiu wasn¡¯t an idiot. he would not provoke the greed lord without trust in his power. however, what kind of self-trust could dare to ignore the gods?! the greed lord was also curious. the fat, terrifying pig-like figure revealed a pair of narrow scarlet eyes and stared at the figure shrouded in yellow sand. ¡°blasphemer, your provocation has brought you eternal pain. ¡°i will imprison your soul in the dungeon and let the abyssal maggots gnaw on it until the end. ¡°let me see where your blasphemous confidence comes from¡­¡± the blazing flame guild leader smiled open-mouthed. that almost reached the back of his head. he felt waves of orgasmic pleasure that assaulted him. ¡°qingqiu will be dead! ¡°hahahaha! ¡°no matter who came, one couldn¡¯t save a blasphemer who provoked him from the hands of a god!! ¡°you will still die no matter how extraordinary or legendary you were! ¡°moreover, resurrection methods might not be effective before the gods! ¡°this powerful evil god will bury each of your transcendents and subordinates because of your arrogance. ¡°your blood will wash away the humiliation you caused the blazing flame guild!!¡± the upper echelons of the blazing flame guild were so excited that their faces blushed. they were worried that something might happen a while back. but now, the greed lord tore the space and appeared in the ell kingdom. everything was in stone. qingqiu couldn¡¯t stir a storm up before a god if he could overturn the heavens. he was a player, not a monster! the soldiers¡¯ mood in lion city had dropped to the freezing point. endless fear surged in their hearts, even though they potently trusted richard. however, their enemy was an evil god from the bottomless abyss. that was a god!! their faces were pale. pain and helplessness engulfed their eyes. they hated the raging blood duke, the evil god who had betrayed and fornicated. they hated that they couldn¡¯t help in overthrowing the god. however, there was a stubborn trust in him when they looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand, richard could not imagine what other methods he had to fight against the gods, although he did not reveal his trump card. but they never doubted his capabilities. their lord would not take even half a step back for life or death. they would not regret it even if he failed and died! ¡°why, worm, are you afraid? are you afraid?¡± the greed lord looked at the silent richard with a teaseful expression. the contempt in his tone was particularly obvious. ¡°how boring. you¡¯re the first human to anger me after hundreds of thousands of years! unfortunately, your hatred worm? it is worthless!!¡± the ugly and bloated figure finished speaking and waved his hand. the golden lion headed to the throne and stood up abruptly as if it wanted to retrieve the soul of the blasphemer for its lord. an oblivious voice sounded afterward. ¡°i thought you kept some hidden trump card or that you had summoned one of the seven sins. ¡°so you¡¯re the only one¡­ you had wasted so much effort.¡± the greed lord finished speaking. the smile on his face immediately disappeared. it was the same damn tone again. that has ignited the anger in his heart. ¡°worm, it seems like you still don¡¯t understand the situation! ¡°you have exhausted my patience! ¡°barbosa¡­take back his soul. i want this worm to taste pain.¡± at this moment, the yellow sand that shrouded richard¡¯s body dissipated slightly and revealed a pair of deep, dark eyes. ¡°the weakest piece of trash among the seven sins of the evil gods dares to bark before me? ¡°i can take a few more glances if all the heretic seven sins of the evil gods were here.¡± the greed lord laughed in anger. he suddenly stood up from his throne and pointed his seven-colored scepter at the air. Chapter 936 ¡°you?¡± his casual tone ignited the last of the gunpowder. the greed lord roared, and his divinity instantly disappeared. the golden lion before him sensed his lord¡¯s anger and leaped up. they stepped into the void together. that was too quick. the ugly and bloated figure sat on the throne and appeared in the sky above ell kingdom. the fall of majestic divine might was like the collapse of tens of thousands of feet mountain tall, and thousands of rivers flowed. that distorted the surrounding void. it was like it couldn¡¯t withstand that majestic power and was about to explode at any moment. the soldiers on the city wall collapsed to the ground. cold sweat covered their backs, and they could no longer hold their weapons tightly. the evil god from the bottomless abyss had descended!! the space froze at this moment. billions of spectators and the blazing flame guild stared at the terrifying figure and froze wide-eyed. ¡°qingqiu! he will die!¡± ¡°worm! you¡¯ve successfully angered me!¡± the greed lord stared at the figure before him and distorted the smile on his face. ¡°i¡¯m thinking about how to torture your soul. it will make you experience the extreme pain of the world.¡± richard sensed the divine power that made his soul tremble, and his eyes narrowed slightly. he muttered softly. ¡°compared to lolita, he¡¯s indeed much weaker.¡± ¡°huh?¡± the greed lord sensed an ugly feeling when he heard this. ¡°spider goddess lolita?! have you dealt with her before?!¡± the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°you talk too much nonsense.¡± he finished speaking. the strange feeling in the greed lord¡¯s heart immediately rose to the peak. he couldn¡¯t hesitate anymore. endless divine power surged from his body as he attacked qingqiu. the golden lion beside him also stepped through the void and bit down. however, crack sounds reverberated, and outsiders could not hear them. the greed lord saw the human overlord crush a gem in his hand. the crimson moon rose into the sky in his mind. it was like a bucket of cold water extinguished the anger in the greed lord¡¯s heart. an uncontrollable fear surged into his heart. ¡°ancient? ancient god?¡± a multitude of excited figures were visible in the live stream. billions of players saw the greed lord¡¯s divine body crush the space and rush straight to richard with endless power. in the next second, this lord would slaughter this number one player on the spot. however, at this moment, they saw an extremely terrifying scene. the greed lord arrived before qingqiu. he stopped abruptly as if a giant hand had pressed him down in the air. the golden lion beside him also halted. the yellow sand-surrounded figure did not advance but retreated instead. the greed lord gradually walked toward the opponent. richard stood before the greed lord. a sharp sword appeared in his hand after a few seconds. the sword¡¯s shadow flashed across the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a vast head flew up. ¡®puchi!¡¯ dark red blood sprayed into the sky. a sword decapitated a mighty god that mortals could not even touch. the other party¡¯s soul aura also disappeared at this moment. the divine might was like a mountain that pressed down on everyone¡¯s hearts and disappeared like a breeze. that also dispelled the greed and desire that rose in everyone¡¯s hearts. the remaining golden lion let out a sorrowful cry and prostrated itself in the void. it knelt before the yellow sand-shrouded figure. it was like it expressed its gratitude to the other party. it needed to submit before the opponent. the scene fell into an unprecedented silence. the bullet comments suddenly went to zero in the live stream room. everyone froze wide-eyed as they looked at the scene in disbelief. shock filled their minds. the greed lord! qingqiu murdered him? qingqiu swiftly slaughtered that abyss evil god! that was a mighty existence that could even crush the void! ¡°one sword beheading?!¡± ¡°was this a f*cking fairy tale?¡± ¡°what kind of joke was this?¡± ¡°are we hallucinating? is everything real?¡± no one believed what they saw was true, even if it happened under their cold noses. no one believed a god could die so quickly, even at the sight of his corpse before their eyes. his soul even dissipated. words could no longer describe the impact that startled them. the blazing flame guild leader froze wide-eyed and open-mouthed. ¡°am i blind? qingqiu slaughtered the greed lord? that was a f*cking god, a god!¡± Chapter 937 even dragon breath couldn¡¯t damage his divine body, right? moreover, cutting off the head could kill a god? why would that god die too easily? the greed lord suddenly no longer moved. that was odd. did he allow qingqiu to attack? countless doubts and shock brewed in everyone¡¯s hearts. the scene dumbfounded the soldiers on the walls of lion city. they looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand in the sky with a dreamy gaze. ¡°was this honestly real?¡± ¡°had he truly slaughtered that evil god?¡± the entire world seemed unreal at this moment, as if it was a dream. these soldiers finally came back to their senses after a long time. it had swept their fear of the gods away, and their emotions rose from hell to heaven! ¡°lord richard led us once again to victory!!¡± ¡°he had killed their enemy, the evil god from the bottomless abyss!!¡± ¡°praise the light, praise lord richard!!¡± hope and freedom filled their eyes when they looked at richard. it was similar to looking at a god. no, in the hearts of the lion city soldiers, richard was a god! their hands trembled as they held their weapons. their eyes were red. every breath wrestled with air. their hearts reverberated like a drum. finally, they deeply breathed and slowly closed their eyes. teardrops rolled down from the corners of their eyes. they won, they won¡­ ¡°lord richard did it. he fought against the gods alone and led them back to ell kingdom. they earned their future. billions of viewers filled the live stream room with disbelief. the reluctance and horror of the blazing flame guild and the excitement and joy of lion city, these emotions reached their peak at this moment. a figure that stood in the sky conveyed all of this. billions of people went crazy over his existence. a myriad of bullet comments appeared in the live stream room again after an unknown period. the players recovered from their shock and became even more excited. the corpse of the greed lord floated in the void. the palace in the bottomless abyss became visible in the sky. endless wealth was right in front of richard¡¯s people. [f*ck! qingqiu killed the greed lord. doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ all the wealth in the other party¡¯s palace would belong to him?] [f*ck! that is a lot of money, qingqiu generously harvested this time!!] [it¡¯s not fair! qingqiu had been a consistent soul-crusher! why would he still obtain generous resources?!!] [qingqiu! you bastard! you¡¯ve already won the war, and you still want the spoils of war? aren¡¯t you being too greedy?] the treasure-filled palace had become ownerless because of its owner¡¯s death. no one could imagine how much wealth that endless treasure trove had. the greed in the hearts of all the players became even stronger although the influence of the authority of the greed lord had disappeared. this wealth was enough for each to expand their territory into a giant city. that would allow them to have hundreds or thousands of times their current strength. they all enviously looked at richard. now, all of these had become this pervert¡¯s spoils of war! they could only watch and fantasize. ¡°f*ck, why on earth would this guy own all the good things in life?! the greed lord¡¯s generous wealth had swayed everyone! the sharp-eyed players suddenly noticed that the glorious palace emitted wisps of faint golden energy. ¡°what was that?¡± something had confused them amidst the pressure. the dissipating energy flew up into the air and gradually became dense. the initially invisible palace appeared as a faint golden surging sea. the treasures evaporated like dry ice. they swiftly disappeared. the scepter in the greed lord¡¯s hands also disappeared. the players were stunned for a moment before they laughed wildly. [hahaha, damn qingqiu! these treasures are fake!] [they¡¯re gone, all are gone!] [awesome!! this guy didn¡¯t earn him any treasure!! that made me happier than making money.] [this is karma. perverts always have an ugly ending!!] the greed lord¡¯s treasure vanished as ashes in the air. this made the envious players comfortably sighed. it was like eating frozen watermelons in summer. the blazing flame guild leader despondently froze, and the scene made him quickly recover. ¡°you still got nothing, although you killed the god!!¡± this method that forcefully comforted him made the frustration and suffocation dissipate immensely. moreover, he did not come out empty-handed in this war. he pondered. he looked at the demonized troop beside him with a horrid gaze. the troop he brought with him had transformed into demons. he regained the authority to move the troops in hands following the death of the greed lord. however, due to a weaker power only one troop had it successfully converted. but they were level 19 demons! he could definitely bring the blazing flame guild to another level if he used them well! richard didn¡¯t know how the outside world reacted on going from hell to heaven. he stared at the palace of the lord of greed. the disappearance of the endless treasures did not make him too emotional. he immediately sensed that the endless and uncountable treasures were illusory following the greed lord¡¯s death . the evil fabricated everything out of greed. that palace was a special domain that could reflect all greed and desire. Chapter 938 everyone saw it differently. you could find whatever you wanted inside. some people saw endless gems and gold inside, some people found a way to become gods, and some people saw magic potions that could prolong life! it would have something to ask for, and the power of greed magnified the desire in its heart by tenfold or hundredfold as long as it was an intelligent life form. the inner desire could transform one into monstrosity once it had consumed that person. the treasure turned into a faint golden energy under everyone¡¯s gaze. however, the golden lion crawled into the sky. the gloating players didn¡¯t notice this. its golden fur became increasingly dazzling as the treasure disappeared. there seemed to be a subtle connection between the two. the endless treasures in the magnificent palace in the sky disappeared in just three to five minutes. it had not left a single gem. even the strange-looking throne had just turned into a stream of light. an empty palace alone remained before his sight. the players¡¯ emotions rose again. everyone looked at richard with unspeakable pleasure. the downfall of others pleased them. the power-treasure of the lord of greed disappeared. no new movement on the ground followed after a few moments. the newly-demonized troops suddenly covered their heads. their bodies twitched and trembled uncontrollably. a shrill wail sounded from their throats like torture. fear and pain engulfed their faces. it was like someone whipped their souls. this terrifying scene caused the atmosphere on the battlefield to become abnormally strange. the demons who struggled with their hands over their heads collapsed to the ground. their bodies twitched a few times before they suddenly stiffened and lost all signs of life. nearly ten legions of demons turned into corpses in less than a minute! this scene was simply terrifying. the blazing flame guild leader had felt much better but was stunned at the sight of this scene. ¡°that demon troop, just like that¡­was it gone?¡± that had mercilessly severed the hope that had just nestled in his heart. he regained his senses. he felt dizzy and an indescribable rage rose in his heart. he spat out a mouthful of blood in his anger. in the end, he looked at the figure covered in yellow sand with an extremely unwilling gaze and let out a long, sorrowful cry. his voice was hoarse and weak. ¡°blazing flame guild, retreat immediately from ell kingdom.¡± he finished speaking. it was like one had extracted his soul. that vastly dispirited his aura. his age swiftly increased 20 years. all of his plans vanished like bubbles. qingqiu¡¯s fist relentlessly devoured his high ambition like froth. he aspired to lead the blazing flame guild and become the mightiest soul-crusher. the blow to his heart was indescribable at this moment. ¡°f*ck, who would have thought qingqiu would slay the greed lord?¡± he pondered. his depression turned increasingly turbulent. that almost drove him crazy! ¡°that pervert! damn pervert! ¡°pass down my order. from now on, the blazing flame guild will have no more conflict with qingqiu!¡± ¡°we? we lost!!¡± the upper echelons of the blazing flame guild froze pale-faced. ¡°who would have thought that our operation would frustratingly end in such a manner?!¡± ¡°qingqiu didn¡¯t even use its own troops. just a few of his subordinates settled this war that involved hundreds of thousands of people.¡± ¡°one couldn¡¯t figure out how many trump cards that freak had. what right did he have to kill a god?¡± however, no one could answer them at this moment no matter how many questions they had. the blazing flame guild leader tore a scroll apart. the players were stunned. all the members of the blazing flame guild disappeared without a trace. the opponent had defeated them in the ell kingdom. the conflict between the guild and the individual players ended with the death of a god. at the last moment, the screen in the live stream room showed a majestic figure that stood in the void. yellow sand surrounded him. beside him was a god¡¯s body that was as fat as a pig. in the sky that was still connected to the bottomless abyss, the evil aura that surged out was still dense and restless. unspeakable desolation and misery filled the empty palace. all of this became the background of the other party. at this point, the last live stream disappeared, and the room fell into darkness. billions of players were in a daze. they felt lost. they regained their composure. they immediately fell into an excited and indescribable state. there were too many factors in today¡¯s war!! moreover, this involved the fall of a god. posts that bore the name ¡°qingqiu¡± flooded the forum in less than three minutes. all the players discussed the war like crazy. they had countless guesses about how richard had killed the god. the native forces were also the first to know about this explosive news under the fanaticism of the players. everyone was shocked. a grace mainland overlord had killed the greed lord. he was one of the seven deadly sins before the gazes of everyone. this was simply a fantasy! however, countless people confirmed it and the authenticity of this news no longer was questionable. the flustered and exasperated believers of the evil god summoned the lord of greed and received information he was nowhere around. the waves immediately multiplied. Chapter 939 that was the first god to die after the crimson moon rose, except for the ten gods sacrificed to the heavens. and the grace mainland overlord had slayed him. that was intensely impactful. who was the grace mainland overlord? he had only arrived in the mortal plane half a year ago and slayed a god in less than a year! many of the sharp factions could still sense that a storm struck, although they were sure it was not the other party¡¯s power. mortals killing the gods was more like a scene from some prophecy. these prophecies were often closely related to the twilight of the gods, the end of the world, destruction, collapse, and so on. the situation developed unpredictably with the rise of the crimson moon. there will be chaos. the paramount factions marked all the information on richard on their desks. that was a key to the battle. they hued the information in red. richard had no interest in what was happening outside the battlefield. the greed lord¡¯s palace dissipated, and he turned his gaze to the golden lion that looked like a prehistoric beast in the void. its shoulder height was more than six meters, and its length was more than 10 meters. the lion¡¯s mane fluttered in the air. it carried an indescribable majesty and dominance. it still gave off a terrifying pressure even though this giant beast only prostrated in the void. the enemy launched an attack and tore the densest heavy infantry formation apart. the greed lord formed a treasure that didn¡¯t disappear. instead, it transformed into energy again and attached itself to the golden lion. ¡°lord richard, i have taken the authority of the greed lord away. the false gods would in no way control the power.¡± ¡°the golden lion before you is called the greed lion. it is a demigod the power of the greed lord had promoted.¡± ¡°the soul of this lion of greed will dissipate following the death of the authority of the greed lord.¡± ¡°however, the power transformed from those treasures has become extraordinary after countless years of evolution. i will use the remaining divine power to transform into a new soul of the greed lion.¡± ¡°although doing so will greatly reduce its power, it can allow it to exist independently of the greed lord¡¯s power.¡± ¡°this can be considered a small gift for you¡­¡± richard recalled the cold voice. the echoes lifted his spirit. he had helped the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store retrieve the god¡¯s heart. his relationship with windsor had also risen to a new height. that treasure was a gift from the oid peim. that was the top boss who had opened a new expansion pack and wanted to bury the gods, the crimson moon lord. he was also the undisputed protagonist at this stage. this trump card was the king¡¯s bomb. this top-notch big boss who had sacrificed ten gods at the beginning was not something that a small greed lord could resist. perhaps only the spider goddess had made the abyss and the gods tremble. she alone was qualified to exchange blows with him. richard saw that the greed lion still absorbed the power and did not disturb the life form in the process of soul reconstruction. he waved at the city wall. loreina flapped her broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings and flew over. the vampire archduchess, whose chest was undulating, looked at her lord with a burning gaze. it was the nature of all life to worship the strong, and richard, who had killed the gods, was undoubtedly an existence that made her tremble. no matter what methods the other party used, the result was that he slaughtered the god. that was enough! ¡°lord.¡± richard waved his hand as he looked at the transcendent whose eyes were like dripping water. ¡°take the troops and clean up the battlefield. don¡¯t let anyone escape.¡± ¡°as you wish.¡± the transcendent immediately gathered her thoughts and flew back to lion city. she brought the stone statues of the dead and the skeleton blood dragon and cleaned the battlefield up. who knew if there were still hidden enemies? although it seemed that all the demons on the battlefield had died. the troops searched afterward. ¡®crack!¡¯ everyone heard the crisp sound. richard subconsciously looked up. an eye-catching crack in the endless void appeared in the empty palace. that was a signal. the golden pillars that supported the palace cracked one after another and spread rapidly. the place was like a broken porcelain that would shatter at the slightest touch after a few breaths. the number of cracks exceeded. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the magnificent palace suddenly collapsed. at the same time, richard sensed that the planar power of ell kingdom also wailed. the surrounding spatial energy suddenly weakened. the collapse affected the entire ell plane. richard wondered what was going on. he found that the top of his head had been cut open, and the area connecting the abyss and the palace began to blur. the surrounding planar power surged over and began repairing. ell was not an old plane. it quickly healed without hindrance from other powers, although it had suffered severe damage, something must have severed the passage to the bottomless abyss three to five minutes afterward. the sky once again returned to the appearance of a normal plane. the only difference was that the plane had become weaker. the most obvious was the power of space. that required extraordinary power to tear the void, but now richard felt he could quickly blast a big hole. he shook his head. he didn¡¯t mind about it. the situation had stabilized. it was only a matter of time before he could restore ell kingdom. Chapter 940 a bright smile appeared on richard¡¯s face at the thought of this. he had long planned this expedition to the ell kingdom for months. twilight city took over the ell kingdom, and the traitor, the raging blood duke, and his supporter, the greed lord, one of the seven sins, fell. he looked down at lion city. he was already in a state of agitation and excitement, and his mood gradually became excited. he had cleared all the obstacles. now, this plane was his! it utterly belonged to twilight city! it was a complete plane with its troops, administrative organization, commerce, culture, and technology system. ¡°what an exaggerated harvest!¡± he could realize in the ell kingdom many of his ideas he couldn¡¯t in twilight city! it had a vast population, countless mineral veins, all kinds of high-level talents, and innumerable troop lairs and barracks. these were all hard-to-calculate wealth. twilight city would receive an unprecedented boost as long as the ell kingdom was under his rule. all his efforts would eventually pay off. as for the obelisk that he had thought about and the system has highlighted, he could arrange a time to conquer it after this battle. he wondered what level of treasure was inside the obelisk that was famous for its powerful defense. he looked forward to it. at this point, he turned to look at the greed lion during its transformation. the transformation reconstructed the lion¡¯s soul, at least at the level of a transcendent. richard would have another top-notch battle power in his hands. the corners of his mouth curled into a thick smile. he looked back at the corpse of the greed lord. his energy was as vast as the ocean, although windsor had extracted the power of authority as a middle god. more importantly, he didn¡¯t lose any of his divinity. that god¡¯s corpse had immeasurable value whether to feed the ancient god statue, nurture the abomination tree, or do other things. richard sighed and calmed down. that was only a part of the harvest. he looked at the ground again. the demonized troops had nearly ten legions. all were level 19, top-tier troops. the souls of these demons transformed from the power of authority and had already dissipated after richard had stripped the power of the greed lord. he was unlucky. the greed lion was lucky to have obtained windsor¡¯s help reconstructing souls. more importantly, these demons didn¡¯t die in battle, and the war didn¡¯t damage their corpses. his gaze became extremely hot. his voice resounded through the sky again. ¡°gunter, immediately lead the troops and toss all the corpses on the battlefield into the rotten swamp¡­¡± the rotten swamp still brewed hero units, and there was still some distance to reach level 4. that would enormously accelerate the advancement of the rotten swamp with these waves of corpses. he would then throw the abomination tree into the naga plane to fish and speed up the harvest. that would upgrade the rotten swamp to level 4 by the end of the month. richard could recruit glorious soldiers on a large scale. the losers lose everything, while the winner would win everything. the profits from this war would be enough for twilight city¡¯s losses. they would be enough to usher in a wave of explosive development. the lion city stood in the spatial rift leading to the rotten swamp. the god of deception, tai long, silently watched all this within the blood-colored mists. his illusory body became even more blurry in the blood mist that surged. outsiders couldn¡¯t tell how richard quickly slayed the greed lord. they couldn¡¯t hide it from his eyes. a few successfully hid secrets from him. ¡°the power of the crimson moon. fire elemental lord has just arrived.¡± a complicated look appeared in his eyes. ¡°the legend is true.¡± ¡°but is this guy the key to the new era?¡± ¡°but if that¡¯s not the case, why would an existence like the fire elemental lord, who wields supreme power, help him?¡± richard¡¯s words came to mind again. his emotions were a little subtle. ¡°to submit to a human who hasn¡¯t reached the transcendent level, isn¡¯t that¡­ isn¡¯t that a little embarrassing?¡± there was a conflicted look on his face. ¡°but the other party is someone who has been chosen and acknowledged by the fire elemental lord.¡± ¡°forget it. i¡¯ll observe for a while more. in any case, the current situation hasn¡¯t reached an unacceptable level. i still have time.¡± ¡°i can take the initiative to assist him during this time. based on the potential that this fellow has displayed, it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s the key or not. he¡¯s worth investing in. the situation was changing, and no one could see where the road ahead was. it was good to have a way out.¡± he sighed after he muttered to himself. ¡°i hope i¡¯m still alive when the new era arrives.¡± Chapter 941 it was a heat that could ignite everything. everyone looked at him with the madness of a fanatic. he didn¡¯t know much about it, but everyone saw him as the savior of the ell kingdom, a legendary existence that shocked everyone! just now, he had slayed before everyone. that was a god, an eternal existence with supreme power! no one understood how richard had killed the greed lord with a single strike. it didn¡¯t matter. he was the victor. that was what mattered! he had won the final victory in the face of the threat of the gods! his conquest gave lion city a future, the kingdom of ell, and the entire plane! these overwhelmed all the soldiers. tears flowed in the eyes of several men, women, and children. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± loreinna stared at the heroic figure before her. the smile on her face was as bright as fireworks. richard fulfilled his promise in a way no one had predicted. the greed lord was an evil god from the abyss. he was a terrifying demon whose name alone could make countless people tremble. richard beheaded this savage soul-crusher. loreinna had seen everything. she still felt like she was in a dream. even now, she was still in a daze. richard never declared he was a god. but it was more like he was. the warmth of the crowd surrounded richard. he was in a good mood. he turned around, and he whispered to loreinna beside him. he was about to step forward and pat tundel¡¯s shoulder. richard took the silver crown off under the young princess¡¯s puzzled gaze. then, his gaze turned serious. his voice echoed throughout lion city. ¡°your highness, i have extinguished the raging blood duke and the traitors behind him. the royal family of the kingdom of ell has retrieved its glory, power, and authority. ¡°the horn of victory echoed in the sky. hope and light shone in every corner of the kingdom of ell. ¡°from today onwards, ell kingdom will welcome a new era. ¡°your highness, you will be the ruler of this new era.¡± his tone sounded sacred and solemn as he spoke. ¡°in the name of the lord of twilight city, i crown you as the new queen of ell kingdom.¡± he finished speaking, and a silver-white energy surged from loreina behind him. a shadow of tundel appeared in the sky afterward. the entire city could see her every move. tundel was stunned for a moment. she looked at the crazy gazes of the soldiers on the city wall and immediately understood their intentions. she excitedly looked at the figure before her, took a deep breath, and bowed to richard in front of everyone. her tone sounded respectful and devout. ¡°great ruler lord richard, it is an honor for me and the kingdom of ell to accept your appointment and coronation! ¡°i swear on my soul to protect every citizen of ell. ¡°may the gods and goddesses bless the kingdom of ell.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were solemn as he put the silver crown back on her head. the temporary coronation ceremony was simple. richard had just taken the crown off and put it on again. however, this coronation followed the death of the rebels and gods. it was more meaningful than any magnificent, exquisite, luxurious flower-and gem-shrouded palace. everyone felt a holy aura when tundel possessed the crown. not only did she become the first queen of the kingdom of ell, but also because lord richard, the mighty existence who slaughtered gods, had crowned her. tundel felt an unparalleled sense of orthodoxy. the players among the crowd who had pledged allegiance to lion city felt mixed feelings when they saw this scene. ¡°crown the queen!¡± what kind of glorious and majestic behavior was this?! there were tens of billions of players. no one else could do this other than qingqiu, right? they still sought the recognition of lion city and borrowed the power of the natives. the other party had already crowned a queen in her name! moreover, this was the first queen in the history of the ell kingdom! now, they once again felt the gap between them and richard. their statuses were worlds apart, although they entered the ¡°shining era¡± at the same time. at this moment, a single glance from the other party could decide their fate. richard helped her put on the crown. he turned to look around. ¡°everyone, bow to queen tundel.¡± an unquestionable voice resounded throughout the entire sky. both the soldiers on the city wall and the residents behind the city wall stood up at this moment. they faced the shadow above lion city. they solemnly placed their right hands on their chests and knelt on one knee with their heads lowered. they bowed most devoutly. ¡°your highness, the citizens of ell send you their most noble greetings.¡± ¡°praise queen tundel!¡± tundel turned around and saw that all the soldiers knelt before her on the city wall that raging blood duke mostly shattered. transcendents emily and loreinna turned their bodies slightly to their chests to show respect. only richard stood beside her. this scene caused her emotions to fluctuate. he turned to richard. ¡°great ruler lord richard¡­¡± the regard melted her eyes. her tone was indescribably gentle. richard smiled. ¡°your highness, address now your people as a queen.¡± Chapter 942 tundel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she took a deep breath and bowed to richard solemnly. then, she turned around and looked at the troops. they remained at knelt before her. ¡°people of ell, heroic warriors, please rise.¡± the soldiers slowly stood up and looked at the phantom in the sky with burning eyes. she couldn¡¯t help but feel excited, and her tone suddenly sounded high-pitched. ¡°we¡­ we won! ¡°we have recovered the kingdom of ell back from the hands of the rebels and the evil gods of the bottomless abyss. we took back hope and light!!¡± her words ignited like a fire in a pile of burning wood. her words were like the gasoline. the entire lion city exploded. the cheers were so loud that they almost overturned the world. everyone exhausted their loudest voices to vent their exhilarating joy and suppressed emotions. this victory was related to the survival of the kingdom of ell and the ell plane! the demons appeared, and this war was no longer a battle between the royal family of ell and the rebels but a war between ell and the abyss! that was a battle between the orderly virtuous and chaotic evil! they fought against a mortal enemy, reversed the situation under all kinds of impossibilities, and obtained the final victory. these were enough to make anyone intoxicated and crazy! tundel looked at the agitated soldiers and residents. emotions filled her voice. she sounded powerful. ¡°my ancestors built the ell kingdom on the ruins. ¡°for thousands of years, generation after generation, the royal family of ell guarded the abyssal rift and protected thousands of people. ¡°we paid an immense, painful price, but it was all worth it because my people could live forever! ¡°protecting the people of ell is the tradition of the royal family of ell. it is also the mission and responsibility of the royal family of ell. ¡°from today onwards, i will carry the glory of my ancestors and shoulder the responsibility of protecting all the citizens of ell! ¡°i promise everyone that as long as i am alive. i will never allow the abyss to trample the kingdom of ell again! i will never allow hunger and poverty to harass my people! and i will never allow anyone to bully and humiliate my people!¡± her powerful words caused the cheers to heat countless times. at this moment, the echelons of lion city looked at each other and saw the joy in each other¡¯s eyes. the kingdom of ell welcomed its first queen! she was a queen born from war and blood, a ruler crowned by that great existence. she would have supreme authority in the kingdom of ell. she regained her composure, and her voice reverberated through the sky again. ¡°lord richard will be the prince of ell from today onwards and will have all the power of a king. ¡°i swear on my soul that the kingdom of ell will always be lord richard¡¯s closest and most reliable pillar, whether now or in the future. ¡°people of ell, please cheer for our prince!¡± everyone felt everything was just perfect when they heard this. that made the atmosphere even more zealously fervent. ¡°long live lord richard!¡± ¡°praise lord richard!¡± everyone declared and welcomed the new ell prince. he had preserved the ell plane and once again under the rulership of the ell royal family. all of this was a gratitude toward that great existence. not to mention that the other party had just slaughtered a god! richard¡¯s prestige in the hearts of the people of lion city peaked after the death of the lord of greed. let alone a prince. there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble even if he wanted to be king. tundel finished speaking, and richard heard a familiar notification. [ding~ you have obtained a glorious victory in the ell plane. you have eliminated the traitor of the ell royal family, the raging blood duke, and killed the evil god from the abyss, the lord of greed.] [you have received 2,000,000 experience points.] [ding~ because of your extraordinary performance before billions of grace mainland lords and your act of slaughtering gods, your reputation has circulated in the ¡°shining era.¡± the leaders of all major factions have heard of your name. eleven points (universal), 16 points (dungeon race).¡± [ding~ eleven glorious-level activated characteristics.¡± [ding~ you have become the prince of ell kingdom and have direct control over the kingdom of ell. your glorious-level in ell has increased to 30 points.¡± [legend of the king: each of your orders in the kingdom of ell will deliver an immense impact. you can directly recruit any hero and troops in the ell kingdom. the enemy¡¯s morale will drop to zero, and a high chance of rebellion and retreat to join you.¡± [ding~ you have taken the first solid step in the plane explorer. you have successfully conquered a plane and triggered the glorious quest-plane conqueror.] [you will activate the glorious plane conqueror following an invasion of ten planes.] richard looked at the system notifications a few times. he smiled. the harvest season was always so pleasant. his universal glorious points had soared to 11 points. that activated the reputation attribute he had previously possessed towards the dungeon race. richard could generously gain from the universal glorious points of the ¡°shining era¡± if he could use them well. Chapter 943 the glorious king characteristic was even more exaggerated. it wasn¡¯t weaker than the king¡¯s authority. that would undoubtedly make it easier for richard to handle the ell plane. the lively atmosphere in lion city lasted until the second day, february 6th. joyous celebrating people flooded the streets and alleys. the troops didn¡¯t halt while the residents celebrated. most of ell¡¯s territory was still under the spell and terror of the raging blood duke, although richard had slayed him already. the raging blood duke had brought most of the troops of ell to lion city because he wanted to turn them into demons. however, a few of those forces remained. tundel led the troops in the morning to start the northern expedition. her target was the capital of ell. the current strength of lion city was enough to dominate the entire plane. richard sent emily and had the little ones protect the new queen. he stayed in lion city. he had dealt with the main enemy, and the situation wouldn¡¯t change with emily around. the ell plane was a kingdom with a vast territory. richard would still exhaust labor and need much time for the entire dimension to recover. that was despite their victory. he still needed some time to digest it. the greed lord astonished richard¡¯s attention the most. windsor had helped the golden lion reconstruct its soul so it could use the remaining power of the lord of greed. it fell into a deep slumber. it wrestled with its breathing and was about to wake up. it woke up not long after. richard stood on the city wall. he silently looked at the imposing behemoth in the sky. it was a pity he had stripped the greed lord¡¯s power. otherwise, this boss would have started as a demigod. now, even transcendents were strong enough. however, this harvest was already rich enough. richard did not expect to subdue the other party, after all. his thoughts wildly spun. a new change suddenly appeared before him. the greed lion crawled into the void. its fur seemed golden. it slowly stood up. the soldiers guarded the city and felt their hearts palpitated wildly. a chill ran down their spines. a sense of fatal danger was like a sharp blade pressed against their throats. the surrounding void began to distort, and pressure surged like waves of tides. the lion of greed stood up. pressure increased tenfold. the hair on its temples fluttered in the wind, and his fierce aura was dangerous. its shoulder was six meters or more, and its body length was ten meters. it gave a horrifying pressure, although it wasn¡¯t as large as alves. it could still make people feel great fear, even being static alone. the lion of greed seemed to have woken up from a long sleep. it blinked a few times, and its eyes gradually became clear. the golden lion turned around and immediately found richard. it slowly walked up to the city wall. the surrounding soldiers held their breaths as they approached, their hearts palpitated wildly. they gripped their weapons tightly. they tried to rely on the sharp blade for comfort and security. the greed lion came straight to richard. the giant hand knelt on the ground with its front legs and head lowered. it used this method to express submission. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up at the sight. ¡®transcendent!¡¯ windsor reconstructed the soul of the greed lion. it still retained its extraordinary power! kratos hadn¡¯t completed the final transformation with the help of the raging blood duke. it still gained transcendence. ¡®this wave of blood was f*cking profitable!¡¯ richard calmed himself down and stepped forward. the sand around him condensed into a sharp dagger and cut a bloody mark on his thumb. he pressed his thumb on the golden lion¡¯s lowered head. the blood entered the body of the greed lion. a familiar feeling surged into his heart after a few breaths. that was a soul contract. the other party¡¯s emotional perception and soul energy were all under his control. richard could destroy the other party¡¯s soul with a thought whenever he desired. the greed lion was a gift from windsor. only his blood could bind its soul. no one else could make the greed lion submit. after doing all this, the lion¡¯s eyes immediately softened, filled with closeness and dependence. it stuck out its warm tongue and licked richard¡¯s pants. it possessed a monumental body and fierce aura. it had silly actions. those made this transcendent beast inexplicably appear subtly stupid and cute. richard smiled and patted it on the head. ¡°lie down.¡± the greed lion growled in a low voice and immediately crawled even lower. richard smiled and sat down beside him. the greed lion immediately stood up and looked up when richard sat. the soft fur on his buttocks became a comfortable cushion. his muscles squirmed his buttocks like a massage chair. this feeling was completely different from sitting on the undead dragon, alves. it would be an exciting mount. richard was satisfied. he turned around and looked at his surroundings, feeling playful. he rode the greed lion up and down the city wall. he jumped up and down. that frightened the surrounding soldiers. they felt envy. the players who had joined lion city saw this scene, and they were so envious they almost drooled. who the hell wouldn¡¯t want the golden lion of the greed lord?! richard had slayed greed lord, and although his wealth had vanished like bubbles, qingqiu¡¯s harvest of qing qiu was enough to make people¡¯s hearts waver. those idiots on the forum only saw the losses and couldn¡¯t see the genuine benefits of qingqiu. fortunately, they had clung onto the right thigh. the harvest this time was enough for their small guild to welcome a wave of explosions. evil interest sated their hunger for wealth and power. richard calmed himself down and opened the character¡¯s attribute panel. [barbosa (greed lion)] [hero] [level: 24] [potential: beyond a-rank] [skill: greed and desire (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can emit an aura that can tempt everyone. it can magnify the greed and desire in the hearts of intelligent beings by a hundred or a thousand times until greed and desirous devour their rationality.] ****** another beyond a-rank hero. richard¡¯s eyes burned. the golden could be a boss unit if it were still under the greed lord¡¯s authority. but that was enough. ¡®that was a level 24 transcendent! just this level alone could explain everything, not to mention anything else. richard saw the first skill, and he immediately became even more interested. greed and desire. this skill was good for battle but was more violent in other aspects. especially the rotten swamp! how spectacular would that be if he allowed the greed lion to cooperate with the god¡¯s ancient tree to use fruits that could increase one¡¯s life potential to fish in the naga plane? he did not believe those planes could resist the dual temptation of the abomination tree and the lion of greed! the additional two top-notch existences might accelerate the advancement speed of the rotten swamp by ten or a hundred times. his mood immediately rose. he continued to read. Chapter 944 the greed lion was not an ordinary transcendent. it has the skills of loreinna or emily, who could charge up and fight their enemies head-on. richard looked at it as a whole. he only visualized two words¨Cgreed and desire. this level 24 transcendent had all its skills in service of this word. the greed lion¡¯s greatest strength was to stir up the greed of an enemy. it could magnify their inner desires and devour their rationality. this golden lion couldn¡¯t defeat the level 23 loreinna in a head-on clash. it could not even suppress level 20 emily. the greed lion¡¯s potential as a support was not something one could compare with these two battle transcendents. especially richard was about to upgrade the rotten swamp. most importantly, this was a gift from windsor. he got it for free. the entire city watched the battle. the only thing richard did was to provoke and lure greed lord into ell. richard didn¡¯t do anything else. not even a single soldier died. he couldn¡¯t help but smile when he thought of this. he reached out and rubbed the golden lion¡¯s fur. greed and desire transformed these sideburns from soul. outsiders didn¡¯t think about it. at the critical moment, he could still use these souls to attack the enemy. however, this skill wouldn¡¯t be practical. wouldn¡¯t the lion become bald if he used them all? a unique skill for programmers? richard looked at the majestic and handsome greed lion under his butt. he thought of the bald man and decided not to let him use this skill unless it was a critical moment. he rode greed lion for a few rounds and was considerably satisfied with his new mount. alves was an undead dragon good for traveling, but its 40-meter-long wingspan was too vast for a ride in the city. the greed lion had a shoulder height of six meters and a height of 10 meters. although it was also a terrifying giant, it was quite a good mount in the city. richard planned to use a level 24 transcendent as his ride. the players would twist their faces or die of jealousy if they knew. then what should they sit on? wild boar? richard was in a beautiful mood. he suddenly thought of something and curiously asked the golden lion. ¡°barbosa, do you know where the greed lord hid his treasures?¡± the golden lion shook its monumental head and said in a silly voice. ¡°my lord, the greed lord has never told anyone about his treasure.¡± the abyssal blasphemy still carried a heart-palpitating aura despite his control of the golden behemoth. as a high-level language, abyssal blasphemy had the universal characteristic of all. it was a language everyone could understand. richard smiled helplessly. windsor acted too quickly. he wanted to dig out more things, but there was no chance. however, he didn¡¯t have any expectations, nor did windsor disappoint him. richard no longer dwelt on this matter. he turned to look at the entrance of the rotten swamp in the north and calculated in his heart. the treasure was secondary. richard wouldn¡¯t get it even if the golden lion told him. he could already gain from the harvests the greed lord had conveyed. the victory of this war marked the official entry of ell into his territory. the harvest was explosive. first, the ell plane. that was a plane with a large population. its technology, economy, and resources had not suffered much damage. the kingdom could provide massive benefits to twilight city as long as he could develop it. the ell plane alone was enough to make a killing in the absence of his efforts. he expected a multitude of fruitful endeavors for ell in the underground world. second, the greed lion. that was a level 24 transcendent! the level alone could explain everything. most of the top players had yet to nurture a level 15 hero. this level would make countless players envious. richard could use the greed lion as a battle hero, although the golden lion wasn¡¯t one. he could if he used it well. third, the greed lord¡¯s corpse. that was the divine body of a demigod. the power in his body remained, although he had stripped its power. richard went through the new expansion pack, the rise of the crimson moon, the devouring of the blood rain that filled the sky, and the god¡¯s ancient tree that had already advanced to level 18. he was only two steps away from transcendence. this complete godly body might be the opportunity for him to advance. a break through transcendence could explosively increase the strength of the abomination tree. he would have four transcendents in case that happened!! this power would be unimaginable among the players. even those powerful native forces couldn¡¯t underestimate them. fourth, there was a myriad of corpses. they were the soldiers who had died in the previous attack on lion city or the troops that had just transformed into demons and turned into corpses. at this moment, they had all become nutrients for the rotten swamp. the hero units grew in the rotten swamp, and this tremendous power had already accelerated the swamp. it wouldn¡¯t be long before the rotten swamp would give birth to heroes. lastly, he had already cumulated 11 glorious points. this thing might appear unremarkable. but it was very effective. richard had experienced it deeply in the underground world. Chapter 945 richard needed more heroes to consolidate his foundation. at this point, the smile on his face grew brighter. tundel regained control of the entire kingdom of ell, and this plane would be on the right track. she had already planned a series of development directions for ell. the future had unlimited possibilities. richard regained his senses and waved at the empty spot beside him. ¡°loreinna.¡± a silver-haired, silver-eyed, beautiful, seductive figure with a cold and elegant aura slowly appeared. ¡°lord.¡± richard lightly said as he looked at the powerful vampire archduchess. ¡°the grace mainland lords mentioned that the obelisk is a unique area hidden in the center of ell. one had hidden precious treasures there. ¡°gather the troop immediately and prepare for the expedition.¡± loreinna replied slowly. ¡°what about her highness tundel?¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°the remaining forces of ell are no longer a threat. tundel can handle them.¡± his tone sounded more solemn as he spoke. ¡°that obelisk has a remarkable power. we could not underestimate. ¡°you can return to the vampire clan¡¯s castle first after we take the obelisk down. ¡°we don¡¯t know when that unknown evil dimension will descend. once it connects to the vampire clan¡¯s castle, you might not have enough time to purify your bloodline.¡± he wouldn¡¯t have sent loreinna out of the vampire castle if he hadn¡¯t needed a transcendent to take over ell. it was rare to see a good thing that could increase one¡¯s strength without consuming resources. the situation would be different if twilight city had glorious soldiers. however, before that, he had to take the obelisk down the system had highlighted. he initially planned to borrow the ell military power after he obtained the divine power of war. however, several unexpected things happened along the way. the raging blood duke had already killed most of the troops in ell. moreover, the situation had yet to calm down. it would take a long time for tundel to gather enough strength. she did not have much time to waste. loreinna nodded. ¡°as you wish.¡± she immediately turned around and unhesitantly gathered the troops. the remaining soldiers in lion city were reluctant to leave when they saw twilight city troops gathered and prepared to exit. richard stationed twilight city troops adjacent to him. that gave the residents a sense of security, although he already subjugated the rebels. richard only left gunter in lion city. he left the rest of the troops behind. the void sandworms could provide immediate support if they encountered any accidents. the planar power of the entire world became much weaker when the greed lord tore the ell kingdom apart. therefore, that had extended the time for the void sandworm to open the spatial gate, so there was no need to worry too much. richard rode the greed lion into the rotten swamp through the spatial rift toward the north of lion city. he had to initially activate the plan to nourish the rotten swamp before his attack on the obelisk. no one was sure how long it would take to take down the obelisk. richard couldn¡¯t waste a delay of ten days or more. the moment he passed through the space crack, a strong smell of blood rushed into his nose. that gave him a strong sense of smell. a 30-kilometer blood mist convexed the swamp. one could see already hazy dozens of meters away. the ground was like bloody mud. one could see floating vast pieces of white bones. that was a terrifying land of death. vigilance engulfed the greed lion¡¯s eyes. it raised its tail high. the people around feared ferocious monsters. however, at this moment, the blood mist distorted and gradually formed a human figure. in such an environment, it made the people who replayed the scene tremble in fear. the greed lion instantly exploded, and an extraordinary pressure surged out. its bloody mouth had already opened to its maximum. richard held it down with one hand just as the level 24 transcendent was about to attack. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous. this swamp is my territory.¡± the greed lion¡¯s tensed muscles gradually relaxed, but the vigilance in its eyes remained cold. a thick fog rolled, and a translucent old figure appeared before richard. ¡°lord richard.¡± tai long, the god of deception, looked at the figure that rode on the golden lion with a complicated gaze. richard sensed the strange look in tai long¡¯s eyes. he asked curiously. ¡°your excellency tai long, did you find anything in the naga plane?¡± the deception god regained his composure and chuckled. ¡°i¡¯ve gained quite a lot these few days. i¡¯ve just discovered a race suitable for spreading the faith.¡± richard threw a meaningful look at him. but he no longer asked questions. ¡°i hope you can recover your strength as soon as possible. i will do the best i can if you need help.¡± tai long slowly said, ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m willing to take charge of the rotten swamp for you if possible. this piece of land had great potential. ¡°it can explode with endless energy if one uses it well.¡± ¡®is this the attitude of the deception god?¡¯ richard narrowed his eyes. he sensed subtlety in tai long¡¯s voice. the god of deception expressed goodwill. the god of deception initially agreed only to help richard cover up and did not initiate to offer help when the latter summoned him to come to the rotten swamp. Chapter 946 he turned his head and looked at the spatial rift thoughtfully. the death of the greed lord, did this god see it? ¡°if that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s for the best.¡± he said meaningfully. ¡°your excellency tai long, the future is still far. i hope the friendship between you and twilight city continues.¡± the god of deception looked at him deeply. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m sure it will.¡± richard smiled and no longer delved. he immediately changed the discussion about business. ¡°the god¡¯s ancient tree can bear fruits that can increase one¡¯s life potential. i¡¯ll let the other party station themselves in the rotten swamp and use the fruits to lure the troops of the other planes to kill each other.¡± he spoke and patted the greed lion as it sat. ¡°barbosa has the power to magnify the greed in the hearts of intelligent beings. ¡°i will leave it here to assist the abomination tree. ¡°i¡¯ll leave these two to you since your excellency wants to help me manage the rotten swamp.¡± he said meaningfully. ¡°the divine body of the greed lord is in my hands. i plan to use it to feed the god¡¯s ancient tree afterward.¡± tai long chuckled. ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s no need to probe. since i¡¯ve decided to help you, i won¡¯t go back on my word. ¡°besides, we have a contract.¡± those words didn¡¯t embarrass richard. he chuckled afterward. ¡°that would be the best.¡± richard commanded the greed lion to pass through the spatial rift on the other side and arrive at the eternal land. then, he left through the spatial gate of the eternal land and appeared in the land of quicksand. the abomination tree figure appeared oppressive. it swayed in the vast yellow sand. richard first took the greed lion back to twilight city and fixed its soul in the hero¡¯s altar. then, he placed it back into the land of quicksand. he did not waste any time and simply described the plan of sending the abomination tree to the rotten swamp and luring the enemies of the naga plane with fruits that could increase one¡¯s life potential. the god¡¯s ancient tree responded in a muffled voice. no one from the god¡¯s ancient tree to the other subordinates had disobeyed richard¡¯s arrangements. the monumental divine body of the abomination tree rose from the ground. the tangled roots squirmed like the tentacles of an octopus. they exploded into dust that filled the sky. the entire land of quicksand shook. the scene still amazed richard even though he had seen similar movements countless times. an exaggerated body size figure would give people a massive sense of oppression no matter what kind of life form it was. the abomination dragged large patches of roots. it passed through the eternal land and stepped into the naga plane. tai long subtly looked at the towering god¡¯s ancient tree. he was no longer familiar with his power after interactions with richard. however, one could still describe tai long as extraordinary if one were to jump out and look at it from a bystander¡¯s perspective. several groups of heroes with high potential below transcendence were still there, not to mention the numerous transcendents. the forces in their hands had even touched other planes and even had ancient gods as their trump cards. the grace mainland overlord had only been in the mortal plane for less than a year! a genuine god with a divine title still felt a vast impact, accumulating such an immense fortune in half a year, granting he was a god. could he have accumulated all this by starting from scratch if it were him? every time he thought of this question, tai long would fall silent. he had no face to speak before richard when it came to disputes. the greed lord was a god. but richard had slayed him just like that. what was he to him? wasn¡¯t an ability to summon an ancient god terrifying, although richard wouldn¡¯t do it! otherwise, why didn¡¯t the ancient gods initiate to protect him? or protect others? tai long bent his back a little after he pondered. richard did not know what tai long spun in his mind. he brought the god¡¯s ancient tree straight to the center of the rotten swamp. no outsiders had stepped foot in this area. tai long sealed it. richard buried the rotten, crimson blood ball in the blood mud of the swamp¡¯s core. ¡°treebeard, stop here!¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the abomination tree immediately stopped when he heard the order. in the next moment, the roots of the giant twisted human-faced tree coiled and drilled into the depths of the swamp. ¡®gulp! gulp! gulp! bubbles popped up one after another. the flesh and blood that had turned into mud incessantly rolled. the abomination¡¯s figure gradually descended. a moment later, it took root steadily. the dried branches looked like the hands of a dried-up corpse. thin blood-red lines were faintly visible in the cracks of the bark. the ferocious and terrifying face on the trunk filled the vast tree with a terrifying aura. the god¡¯s ancient tree fit for a bloody and dark place like the rotten swamp. richard had an inexplicable feeling that this was where the other party should be if he trampled on the god sin ancient tree in the desert. a robe-like bloated body appeared in the void. the eyes of the head beside him widened, and one could see the shock and disbelief in it. the surrounding energy immediately became violent because of the appearance of the corpse. space fluctuated. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s distorted face stared straight at the sky. a strong desire surged in its heart. its intuition told it that as long as it devoured the other party, it would obtain huge benefits. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard waved his hand. the corpse of the greed lord landed directly before treebeard. ¡°this is the corpse of an abyssal god, the food i gave you. ¡°our enemies are eyeing us covetously. i need you to become stronger¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree revealed a great joy. the low, muffled voice carried a rare excitement. ¡°lord, treebeard will not disappoint you!¡± ¡®puchi!¡¯ a root surged out of the swamp and wrapped around the body of the greed lord. it pulled into the swamp. a moment later, the aura of the god sin ancient tree rose at a speed visible to the naked eye. at the same time, more than ten tiny golden fruits grew on the withered branches. a unique aura immediately floated in the air. it was a golden fruit! treebeard¡¯s power of the soul condensed a fruit. it can increase one¡¯s life potential. it has seduced any life form. the golden fruit gradually ripened. the tempting aura became increasingly alluring. tai long saw this, and dim energy flushed into his body. the alluring aura surged in all directions. a troop still fought in the blood mist and turned spirited. it subconsciously looked in a direction. it was like one injected chicken blood into the bodies. their spirits highly rose. Chapter 947 the golden fruit that the god¡¯s ancient tree bore could directly awaken this gene. previously, the abomination tree could fish in the desert of death because it relied on the allure of the golden fruit that empowered life. the soldiers fought in the blood mist and felt restlessness after an aura awakened their memories. many soldiers even gave up on fights and retreated with tacit understanding. then, they immediately searched for the aura their souls desired. however, the blood mist blocked their vision and blurred their senses. they could only smell the scent of the golden fruit but could not find it. that made the creatures from the other planes gradually become stricken. richard owned the rotten swamp. the blood mist was a restriction to outsiders, but to him, it was an extension of perception. he could sense the movement of the entire area because of the blood mist. those creatures from the other planes had already started to run around in all directions. everyone had an excited expression on their faces. richard saw this, and his lips curled up slightly. that was just the beginning. he patted the golden lion while it sat. ¡°barbosa.¡± the greed lion released a low growl. a faint golden power surged from the fur that scattered in all directions like a wave of air. fragments covered the entire rotten swamp in a haze. in the next moment, the soldiers¡¯ gazes immediately became fierce. a strange expression appeared on their faces as if they were unwilling to share the dragon¡¯s treasure with their companions at the sight of it. each looked at everyone around him with vigilance and hatred. why did they all want to snatch his treasure?! these damned bastards! golden fruits hung on the withered branches, and these soldiers saw them through the layers of blood fog. these fruits were about 30 of them, but only two or three emitted a ripe aura. most of them were young and small. one can faintly discern a golden fruit in the blood mist. the more this made it arduous for people to see it. all the soldiers who saw this scene quivered, and their expressions became excited. it was like one injected them with chicken blood! they found their target! it was like their souls at this moment smelled sweet bread after hunger for more than ten days tormented them. they had become agitated. a power must have possessed those soldiers. they rushed toward the golden fruits like crazy. the closer they got, the stronger the aura that made them feel a strong desire. these fruits ignited the desires in their heart. a burly tauren tightly gripped its battle axe. it looked at the one-step-ahead lizardman and slashed him down fiercely. the golden fruits had snatched the lizardman¡¯s attention. the burly tauren cut its body off, and blood and internal organs splattered all over the ground. ¡°those fruits belong to the taurens!¡± the frenzy roar woke up the lizardman¡¯s companions. the death of their companion infuriated them. ¡°these bull-headed bastards dared to kill our companions?!¡± ¡°moreover, they wanted to snatch that treasure?!¡± the lizardmen had regarded the golden fruit as their exclusive property and burst out with killing intent. they charged relentlessly. the 2.5-meter-tall taurens looked at the 1.7-meter-tall lizardmen. they had the confidence to face the dwarf. they raised their battle axes and charged forward without fear. a bloody battle immediately erupted in this small area. and this was just a scene in the rotten swamp. half-murlocs, orcs, dwarves, harpies, humans, and boarmen fought for the golden fruits. dozens of races, hundreds of types of soldiers, and tens of thousands of soldiers gathered in the central area. greed had devoured the rationality in their hearts. they looked at the golden fruits as they swayed in the blood mist. the soldiers in the swamp fell into madness. they had ignited the barrels of gunpowder. a battle ten times fiercer than before suddenly erupted in the rotten swamp. moreover, it was never possible for anyone to quickly calm this tension down. time has quickly passed. the golden fruits had appeared for less than two hours, and the number of lives lost was more than the previous two days combined. the rotten swamp swallowed corpses that fell into it several times faster than the previous ones. corpses have already covered the flesh and mud. the rulers of various planes knew this golden fruit and became the focus of the battle as the war gradually entered a white-hot stage. several echelons immediately sent people to investigate after they received the news. the heroes scouted and saw the golden fruit loomed in the blood mist when they stepped out of the spatial rift without exception. that unique aura made them unable to take their eyes off it. the higher-ups of the various planes confirmed the news about the golden fruit and entered the rotten swamp. they also fell into madness when they saw it and sensed that aura. one has to become the strongest. that was each¡¯s nature of all life. no life could resist such temptation. and these echelons who controlled a plane were often stuck at a level for a long time. the temptation enormously exacerbated the desire they had suppressed for a long time when they discovered the golden fruit could generously reinforce them. an exaggerated number of troops moved out from their respective planes quickly afterward. they headed toward the direction of the golden fruit. everyone ambitioned to monopolize the golden fruit. that desire unified most planes connected to the naga plane, and they were all top-notch big shots. they discovered this treasure could make them stronger and even take the opportunity to take the crucial step into the extraordinary realm. Chapter 948 anyone who wanted the golden fruit became someone else¡¯s enemy! a bloody and cruel battle suddenly broke out in the blood mist. the number of corpses that fell in the rotten swamp gradually became exaggerated. in the end, it was impossible to count them with data. those echelons had even led the troops to fight. however, several people still could not find the location of those golden fruits in the blood mist the following day. that agitated them. the greed in their hearts subtly dissipated in front of the corpses. the battle gradually cooled down. it was natural for an intelligent person to loathe at a loss. however, the situation was a stalemate, and the most mature of the dozens of golden fruits one could vaguely notice grew. it emitted an exceptionally dazzling golden light. that instantly attracted the attention of countless people. ¡®one golden fruit had ripened!¡¯ a thought suddenly appeared in their minds. immediately, the battlefield that had subtly cooled down became chaotic again. the desire of those in power to possess the golden fruit soared to the extreme. all the rulers immediately issued an order. ¡°find that golden fruit at all costs!¡± the atmosphere soared, and the ripe golden fruit fell off quietly into the blood mist. this scene made everyone in the rotten swamp freeze wide-eyed and open-mouthed. the desire in their hearts rose to the extreme at this moment. however, the golden fruit disappeared into the blood mist. that has extinguished the heart¡¯s desire. everyone felt a strong sense of loss. ¡°is it gone?¡± ¡°where did the fruit go?¡± they widened their eyes and tried hard to look at the golden fruits on the bare branches. they felt they were in a dream for some reason. they couldn¡¯t even spot a trace of the golden fruit. would they still fight so hard for it? the momentum of the attack on the battlefield paused. everyone had mixed thoughts. suddenly, a golden light lit up in the sky. it passed through the blood mist and illuminated the entire swamp. everyone subconsciously looked up. a ripe golden fruit fell from the sky. it fell directly into the center of the battlefield! the soldiers sensed the aura they ever desired. the appearance of the golden fruit swept their depressions on the battlefield away. a strong sense of surprise and possessiveness rose in their hearts! nothing beats the joy of getting back what one had lost. the golden fruit would fall directly into the swamp when it matured!! that is contrary to what they thought it would disappear. the troops at the front charged toward where the golden fruit fell. the plane rulers at the back roared without reservation. the scene instantly became bloody. countless races of taurens, lizardmen, orcs, harpies, and half-murlocs clashed intensely. all was an enemy except for one¡¯s kind! no one was left behind, and they densely brandished their battle axes. it would draw blood each time. a battle that was countless times more intense than before erupted on the battlefield. blood flowed like a river, and corpses covered the swamp. the taurens were the first to obtain golden fruit that fell. but the surrounding harpies destroyed them in less than three minutes. the surrounding orcs drowned the harpies before they had yet to celebrate. just like that, the first golden fruit changed hands several times. no force could hold it for more than ten minutes. it was as if sharks had smelled blood on the battlefield and pounced and bit wildly. the ferocity of the battle made people dumbfounded. it was not until two hours later that the golden fruit finally found its owner, the lizardman lord. a level 18 lizardman lord led tens of thousands of riders like velociraptors. they domineeringly tore through obstacles in front of them. they coercively snatched the golden fruit and swallowed it. this level 18 lizardman lord broke through to 19 under the watchful eyes of countless people at the center of the tragic battlefield. this scene drove the soldiers who lost the golden fruit crazy. the rulers who had been hesitant and didn¡¯t dare to put in their forces focused their attacks on the spot where the golden fruit fell. several flying troops rose into the sky and tried to find the trees that bore the golden fruits. however, these soldiers passed through the blood mist and did not find where the tree was. those immature golden fruits suddenly ripened at a speed visible to the naked eye as the battle among the various forces intensified. the second ripe golden fruit fell quickly afterward. the readily-prepared taurens immediately mobilized their troops and used brutal methods to massacre all the enemies around them and take the fruit. at least 30,000 taurens died in this attack, and the number of casualties from the other planes exceeded 50,000! the tauren chieftain swallowed the fruit on the spot just like the lizardman lord did. its aura soared under everyone¡¯s gaze. the two appearances proved the efficacy of the golden fruit. it also infuriated the other rulers who had not tasted it. ¡°those are our treasures! ¡°these damned bastards! all of you deserve to die!¡± the third, the fourth! a golden fruit would mature every few hours. everyone in the rotten swamp ran wild for each golden fruit that fell. those who had tasted the golden fruit tirelessly advanced. these forces even ran crazier. each incessantly sank in the endless greed and desire. Chapter 949 firstly, the tree that bore the golden fruit did not seem to exist in this plane. the soldiers could not find any traces of it, no matter how they searched. secondly, as the number of soldiers killed increased, the ripeness of the golden fruits would enormously increase. from this, one could infer that those golden fruits matured when they absorbed flesh and blood. perhaps the swamp of flesh and blood under their feet was the main body that nurtured the golden fruit. the giant tree devoured its energy through some invisible spatial rifts. that could also explain why the swamp swallowed the dead soldiers on the battlefield. several soldiers had died. they must have all become nutrients for the golden fruit now. it was most likely that the abomination tree nurtured the golden fruit to protect itself from the surrounding blood mist. everything made sense with this deduction! various planes discovered a myriad of ¡®real situations.¡¯ those who held power issued a cruel and bloody order¨Cincrease the military input. why not let the enemies around them pay a higher price if corpses could speed up the ripening of fruits? the soldiers tremendously focused on the place where the golden fruit fell. each fell in the same spot every time each ripened. that gave everyone a clear goal to fight for. richard was the mastermind behind the scene and the fisherman with the fishing rod. he felt that the rotten swamp grew stronger at an unprecedented speed. the smile on his face was generously wide. the team that combined the god¡¯s ancient tree, the lion of greed, and the god of deception had an exaggerated effect. it was somewhat beyond richard¡¯s expectations, although he had already guessed this plan would work, the effect was simply blissful. the distortion of greediness suppressed rationality, and desire dominated the will. the soldiers ignored the various illogical aspects of the golden fruit. everyone only had one thought, and that was to possess it. moreover, some dimensions absorbed those who weren¡¯t active in the battle under richard¡¯s deliberate control after the golden fruits fell a few times. then, those planes changed their attitudes and participated in the war on a large scale. that intensified the battlefield. the rotten swamp felt like it had eaten its fill. ¡°focus also on the planes that don¡¯t contribute much during the distribution.¡± richard stroked the soft fur of the greed lion with a playful look. ¡°the temptation of only looking and not eating will quicken several people up in the long run. ¡°the essence of fishing is¡­ if we let the fish eat the bait.¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree calculated that about ten thousand people could condense the energy of one golden fruit. but now, he could harvest 90% of them. this action would also allow those rulers to taste the golden fruits. they would invest their troops at all costs once their strength increased. they realized the golden fruit could consume life force to accelerate its maturity, and various large factions tacitly sent more troops. that was the best proof. the higher-ups in the fantasy world were always greedier, and at the same time, they did not care about the lives of the lower-ups. a total of 26 planes had connected to the naga plane. big and small kinds of creatures had linked to the naga plane. tai long guarded the rotten swamp but could not determine how many lives there were in these planes. richard watched the troop of 100,000 for the drop point of each golden fruit. it made him feel better. he stroked the soft fur of the greed lion and looked at the figure beside him. ¡°your excellency tai long, the situation has already stabilized. i¡¯ll leave everything here to you. ¡°as long as we maintain the rhythm, the rulers of those planes will send their soldiers to the rotten swamp to become nourishment for the golden fruit.¡± that was indisputable, although the words were cruel. he did not have time to stay in the rotten swamp. the troop outside had already gathered, and he had decided to attack the obelisk. tai long was just about to speak when his expression paused. he turned his head to look to the side. ¡°lord richard, the rotten swamp nurtured a special life form and is about to rise.¡± tai long finished speaking. a unique aura surged from the rotten swamp. the rotten crimson blood ball buried in the blood mud floated up. richard looked around and saw the crimson blood ball was now like a blood-filled balloon. it expanded to an exaggerated extent. it was more than three meters in diameter, and its surface was twisted and strange. it was like some evil creature laid an egg. at the bottom, a few blood threads pulled the rotten crimson blood ball. that caused the ball to sway in the air. richard could sense it still continuously transmitted energy to the rotten crimson blood ball. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the rotten crimson blood ball rose into the air. a powerful drum-sound heartbeat resounded in the air. richard¡¯s heartbeat rang for less than a minute. ¡®thud!¡¯ the entire rotten crimson blood ball was like a blown-up balloon. it exploded, and blood splattered everywhere. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a bloody figure landed in the rotten swamp. it splashed water everywhere. richard looked over. a monster over four meters tall appeared in his line of sight. its lower body was a blood-red snake, and twisted symbols covered its palm-sized scales. its upper body was human, and a sense of compelling strength filled its powerful body. a row of hideous barbs grew out from the back of its neck that extended directly to its tail. Chapter 950 the bloody creature straightened up. it took a few deep breaths, bent down, and reached its right hand into the swamp. boundless blood-colored energy quickly condensed in the surroundings. some broken bones and flesh that had not melted flowed over. it suddenly stood up after a dozen breaths, and a blood-red trident appeared in its hand. brutality and ferocity filled this weapon with blood, rotting flesh, and bones. coupled with the other party¡¯s ferocious appearance, it gave people the feeling that it was an ancient ferocious beast. this appearance was blissful. it enormously pleased richard. it was ugly, but it was a killing machine. richard anticipatingly opened the attribute panel. [thor (spear of slaughter)] [her unit] [level: 15] [potential: a-rank] [skills: eternal slaughter (a-rank), brutal will (a-rank), swamp dominator (a-rank), fatal rage strike (b-rank), blood enhancement (b-rank), super combat (b-rank), and blood halo (special)] [hero characteristic: 1. immortal. nothing could destroy the rotten swamp. nothing could slaughter you. you can use the power of the swamp to resurrect after death.] [2. the same body. level and potential will increase as the rotten swamp reinforces. it will also decrease as it weakens. [race characteristic: the blood slayer, the attributes of all the blood slayers will increase by 50% from a commanding soldier that rose from the rotten swamp. you can also use 30% of the blood slayer¡¯s power to your own body (upper limit: 3000 people)] [fetters-rotten swamp: mobilizing the power of the rotten swamp can recover any injury when in the swamp. at the same time, it can control to temporarily strengthen the blood slaughterer under your command or heal your subordinates.] [description: an evil hero from blood and corpses. he is cruel and crazy. his existence has only one meaning¨Ckill.] richard finished reading and nodded in satisfaction. slaughter spear. ¡°not bad. it looked very fierce.¡± most importantly, the level and potential of this hero could increase as the rotten swamp leveled up. currently, the rotten swamp is only level 3. the figure could advance to 17 and above once it reached level 4. it could break through transcendence at level 5. richard looked forward to even more. the rotten swamp would reach level six. this rotten swamp-related hero would have a high chance of advancing to glorious! that was glorious! a glorious who could do whatever he wanted in the mortal plane of the ¡°glorious era!¡± the glorious-level ones were all big shots regardless of the level of the native forces. even gods could not have too many glorious subordinates. richard pondered. he looked around. the fighting creatures from the other planes under the temptation of the golden fruit showed no signs of halt. richard maintained this state, and the advancement of the rotten swamp would be imminent. the future was promising. however, what made richard hesitate was that among the more than 20 planes connected to the naga plane, the miniature planes accounted for the majority, the small planes accounted for one-third, and the medium-sized planes were only five. the number of corpses and souls required for the next level up would heighten for each level increase of the rotten swamp. these few planes might not be able to satisfy their leveling needs at this killing rate. ¡°we can expand this battlefield and let more planes know about the golden fruit if the fishing plan goes smoothly. ¡°let more people participate in this feast of dividing up the treasures. ¡°one must first make a pond for one to fish. richard scattered the bait in one place and waited for the fish to gather. then, it would be interesting to catch them. richard held the fishing rod. he became increasingly interested. Chapter 951 the god¡¯s ancient tree, the lion of greed, the god of deception, and the mist of the rotten swamp were all sorts of factors combined to turn this bloody land into a black hole that devoured all life. richard had obtained a vast harvest this time. he felt the overjoyed cheer from the rotten swamp. a corpse fell and would reinforce the rotten swamp. this 30-kilometer bloody land was about to welcome a new round of advancement. the rotten swamp would become the trump card of twilight city as long as it reached level 4. a consumption of flesh and blood could recruit glorious soldiers. who the hell could withstand this?! glorious troops were the pillars of any force. the recruitment alone was an enormous harvest, not to mention the resources needed to upgrade a troop lair. it was even more so for twilight city. the rotten swamp could consume flesh and souls to recruit soldiers. that immeasurably soared the value of this land. richard calmed himself down. he turned his head and stared at the god¡¯s ancient tree that condensed golden fruits in the blood mist. he allowed this top-tier boss to devour the greed lord¡¯s body in the rotten swamp. that was not just to make it into the bait. this time, the other party had a divine body alone. it could break through to the transcendent realm. the flesh and blood energy on the ground were all back up. this bloody land could become its reserve food once exhausted. that was one arrangement and a few arrangements. richard did not say anything when he sensed that the aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree still rose. he turned to look at the good of deception, whose body was somewhat illusory. ¡°your excellency tai long, i¡¯ll leave this place to you. treebeard could use this opportunity to break through to transcendence. this transformation won¡¯t be a short one.¡± the god of deception smiled. they had made the oath. he would not harm twilight city¡¯s subordinates in any way, so richard was naturally at ease. he shrugged and didn¡¯t say anything. richard smiled and said no more. he flew from the lion of greed away and left the rotten swamp. he had cast the bait, so all he had to do now was wait for his harvest. he needed not to rush on the naga plane to become a more vast fishing ground and more planes to participate. he could still make arrangements after the rotten swamp leveled to 4. the current diameter of 30 kilometers was small. tai long took a deep breath as he watched the figure disappear through the spatial rift. the tree has extended the olive branch, and the other party¡¯s feedback was highly positive. next, it was time to show tai long¡¯s value. he turned around and stared at the creatures from the other planes while they fought for the golden fruits in the blood mist. a dangerous light flashed in his eyes. ¡°let these greedy souls become the foundation of my rise again.¡± he could not limit the potential of this piece of land. ¡°i will surprise lord richard.¡± he passed through the spatial rift, and the smell of blood on his nose immediately dissipated. richard didn¡¯t turn his head to look at the thick blood mist behind him. he went straight back to lion city. the twilight city troops had waited in the central square for a day. however, the undead wouldn¡¯t complain. time has no meaning for them. the lord gave them their existence. they sensed the familiar aura. the soul fire in the pupils of all the dead souls immediately burned fiercely. their ruler had arrived. richard stood in the sky. he looked at the orderly troop down. a sense of accomplishment filled his eyes. the saber of this top-notch troop he forged was loyal to him. ¡°lord, the troop is ready. please give the order.¡± loreinna¡¯s voluptuous figure appeared out of thin air beside him. her silver eyes burned with respect. the proud and self-proclaimed high nobles still had to lower their heads before the lords. richard nodded. ¡°where are those grace mainland lords?¡± ¡°they participated in the reconstruction of lion city. our people have already kept them under tight watch.¡± ¡°bring them to me.¡± ¡°yes, lord.¡± the soldiers around them immediately turned around and left after a short conversation. the players who had joined twilight city returned anxiously not long after. richard saw this, and their eyes appeared even more nervous. the person before them was a top-notch big shot who had slayed a god! the other party were also players. they also had established a friendly relationship with him. however, his experience of the war where he had slayed the greed lord, the status of both sides immediately pulled out a vast gully. they couldn¡¯t stand up before the other party. ¡°lord richard!¡± the players approached and bowed with their hands on their chests. they displayed a more standard posture than the natives. richard looked at them with a half-smile but didn¡¯t say anything. the saying everyone was a player couldn¡¯t erase the difference in status. he wasn¡¯t interested in being polite to the players. ¡°i¡¯m preparing to set off to attack the obelisk¡­ is there a problem with you showing me the way?¡± they shook their heads in unison. ¡°no problem, lord!¡± ¡°you¡¯ve already asked, and we no longer ask. ¡°you slaughter gods. you are more awe-inspiring than the gods.¡± richard nodded and waved his hand. Chapter 952 he finished speaking and flipped over. he sat on the back of the dragon¡¯s back with crimson energy. the skeleton blood dragon carried several players. the beyond a-rank hero with a wingspan of more than 40 meters flew into the sky under the respectful gazes of the lion city soldiers. the troops behind him immediately followed. the fanatical gazes of the lion city¡¯s guards sent them off. the flying experience in ell was different from the desert. it was only a little over february, and the cold brought by winter was still far from dissipating. frost grass was everywhere. it was as if the translucent gauze reflected the light of the sky. the ground sparkled. it looked like it had a different charm. that was according to the map. the obelisk was in the center of ell, near its capital. the external threats in this area disappeared after richard eliminated raging blood duke. unfortunately, it would take at least a month or two for tundel to integrate the ell plane. otherwise, he would waste his time if he used the ell plane¡¯s power to participate in this attack. the troop flew agilely. the soldiers had swept across a large area of land, mountains, rivers, plains, and hills. but richard¡¯s good mood soon disappeared. he could sense empty and very few people when the troop flew past some towns. one could see the black and red bloodstains everywhere on the streets. that replaced the scene. most had dried up, like patches pasted on the ground and walls. the faint smell of blood in the air could tell the tragic story of this time. the raging blood duke¡¯s massacre of the ell plane¡¯s residents was more tragic than he had imagined. richard¡¯s face grew colder after a few towns. the population was too small. one could describe it as one in a hundred! he saw nine out of ten rooms. it was more determined than what tundel had said before. the raging blood duke had killed millions of people. some of the large towns were empty and miserable. that gave off the strange feeling of a lost world. richard¡¯s killing intent almost froze space. the ell plane had fallen into his hands, and these residents had become his subjects. twilight city must not suffer a massive loss. he turned his head and looked in a few directions he hadn¡¯t explored before he took a deep breath. ¡°we¡¯ve suffered a great loss this time. i hope the bastard raging blood duke can leave behind more seeds of fire in other directions. otherwise, that enormously would reduce the benefits of occupying ell plane.¡± richard let alves fly away from the empty town below and stopped observing. he could get more accurate and detailed information when he regained control of ell. it was better to take down the obelisk first. richard was no longer in the mood to care about anything else and focused on his journey with this sudden turn of events. that was february 7th, 12:00 pm. the players flew in front of them and sent a message. they had arrived. richard returned to his senses from his thoughts. he saw that he had coincided with the mark on the map and waved his hand to stop the troop from advancing. he looked ahead. he observed for a moment. he immediately felt the space before him was a little strange. perhaps it was because of the heaven¡¯s tear and the fading of the spatial power. the location where the obelisk was became more conspicuous. it was as if the shallow water revealed the fish. the naked eye could see that the light was a bit distorted. it was like a layer of gauze covered it. it became blurry. ¡°lord, this space is dangerous¡­¡± loreinna¡¯s silver eyes stared ahead. ¡°this is a spatial collapse point. some powerful or evil existences often hide here due to the chaotic laws in this area.¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. he glanced at the vampire archduchess. ¡°why do you say that?¡± loreinna said softly, ¡°it¡¯s easy to set up all sorts of magic arrays to hide oneself in a region with chaotic laws. my castle is also at the point of spatial collapse. it was just that the collapse point of the mortal plane was not obvious.¡± richard nodded thoughtfully. ¡®spatial collapse point?¡¯ that was also a direction. richard could look for the obelisk in this direction. at this moment, the few players led the way that had arrived at his side on the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s back. the guild leader, a rather burly warrior player, said excitedly. ¡°lord richard, the obelisk is here!¡± he pointed in another direction as he spoke. ¡°this area is the obelisk. but we can¡¯t enter from here. we have to enter from the side!¡± the man pointed out, and richard looked in the direction and frowned. spatial fluctuations in an area were quite intense. but it was a small dog hole if one compared it. even a skeletal blood dragon that had spread its wings couldn¡¯t fly in. richard frowned and said nothing. the warrior player looked at the surrounding troop and seemed to understand something as he said awkwardly, ¡°lord richard, there¡¯s no other way. we can only go in from here if we want to enter. otherwise¡­¡± richard waved his hand and stopped him before he could finish. he pointed to the strange area before him and said calmly. ¡°loreinna, remove the spatial barrier before us and shatter the turtle shell¡­¡± ¡°let me enter from the side. is that possible?¡± the warrior player immediately swallowed the words in his throat. he looked at his companion and saw the complicated look in each other¡¯s eyes. Chapter 953 loreinna didn¡¯t mind at all. she bowed and stepped forward. she disappeared into the air afterward. a bright moon-like light suddenly rose in the sky with a sound. it was as bright as the moon. it condensed and then directly shone on the slightly blurry area. something reverberated in the next moment. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a spiderweb-like crack appeared in the space before richard. then, the cracks quickly spread. the space suddenly shattered. the crack reached the limit of the space after a dozen breaths. ¡®bang!¡¯ it exploded. the space fragments floated in all directions like glass. the fragments melted into the water like snowflakes. the blurry area became extremely clear. richard looked over. a tower-shaped building with a mottled and ancient appearance stood over 50 meters tall under the dim sky in the middle of a small hill. the tower was square-shaped, and the tip was sharp like a pencil. that pierced straight into the clouds. one has engraved countless magic inscriptions on the tower. each of which flashed with soul-devouring magic power. just a glance at it was enough to palpitate one¡¯s heart. there was only one door at the bottom of the tower. other areas were rock-built. there were no windows or door frames, which did not allow people to live inside. obelisk. one would receive generous rewards after a conquer of the obelisk. moreover, the system had even announced that a player obtained the obelisk for the first time in the previous month. that was something that had never happened before. richard anticipatingly opened the attribute panel. that made him frown. he decisively opened the black gold system and saw the information about the obelisk. [obelisk (special building)] [level: small] [description: each obelisk is a relic of the ancient era. there are strange treasures hidden inside. some special obelisks may hide some rules.] richard watched it a few times. his heart palpitated faster. ¡°there must be hidden treasures. some ancient rules?¡± the already high interest in his heart immediately rose to a higher level. ¡°good heavens, there was such a good thing?! ¡°what were the rules? that must be the most heart-wrenching power of a god! the greed lord¡¯s power, the decay king¡¯s rotten authority, and the spider goddess¡¯s power of conspiracy were all the power of rules! there was a high possibility that a power hid these attributes inside the obelisk. what did this mean? a word suddenly appeared in his mind-become a god! couldn¡¯t he directly grasp those laws if he could find those obelisks with ancient laws and take them down? richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he immediately felt the horror. couldn¡¯t the obelisk mass-produce gods if it were as he had guessed? the mortal plane of the ¡°shining era¡± had been passed down for millions of years. how many demigods and how many legends had been born? and how many people were only one rule away from stepping into a higher level?! and this miracle happened before him. the more richard thought about it, the more frightened he became. what kind of terrifying power would those ultimate beings trapped in the legendary and demigod realms unleash when they learned of this news? how would the gods, masters of supreme power, respond after they learned of this news? just a thought about it made him feel like a storm brewed. the chapter on the plane explorer of the crimson moon wasn¡¯t simple. the system mentioned the most important thing about the obelisk, just as he had guessed. richard calmed himself down. he narrowed his eyes. his thoughts spun wildly. ¡°it is foreseeable that the obelisk will become the source of turmoil for the dimension explorer chapter. however, one hadn¡¯t made this matter public yet. in other words, twilight city knows this news before everyone else!¡± that was a piece of generously valuable information, one filled with opportunities. outsiders did not have the black gold system, so they could not know the details of the obelisk. however, as the exploration of the plane deepened, the indigenous forces gradually increased their investment. more and more would capture obelisks. and that would ensue the public revelation. at that time, every obelisk would become a hot spot. there would be overlapping wars over the obelisk or even over divinity. richard¡¯s eyes sharpened at the thought. he had to capture as many obelisks as possible before one exposed this matter. no one could resist the temptation of the ancient rules. Chapter 954 ¡®ta! ta! ta!¡¯ a series of dull footsteps resounded through the sky. the sound startled richard awake. he subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice. innumerable ferocious figures appeared from the open stone door at the bottom of the obelisk. these creatures were over four meters tall and had ferocious dragon heads. long wisps of mist came out of their noses as they walked. palm-sized gray scales protected their bodies. their muscles bulged as if air filled them. it was like the scales were about to explode. they wielded an outrageously heavy warhammer. a single swing could easily shatter a tough human¡¯s shield. ¡°dracons!!¡± the muscular warrior player next to richard cried out subconsciously. he could not conceal the fear in his eyes as he looked at the soldiers who had left a shadow in their hearts. he said hurriedly, ¡°lord richard, dracons are descendants of dragons. they are savagely powerful and have high immunity to magic! ¡°these soldiers have all reached level 19, and their potential is as high as glorious 3-stars!! moreover, its strength would increase enormously if the opponent fought with it around the obelisk. ¡°and the one leading this troop is a transcendent dragon descendant¡­¡± he turned his head excitedly. when he saw the calm figure, his body froze and swallowed the rest of his words. his expression became a little strange. ¡°f*ck, i¡¯m also an idiot! why am i so anxious in front of this big shot?!¡± the other party had even slaughtered a god. why would he care about a transcendent? the level 19 demon soldiers of nearly ten troops had all turned ashes. why would he care about the level 19 half-dragons of these troops? he pondered and turned to look at his companions beside him. he realized they all looked at him with a strange gaze. that instantly depressed the muscular warrior player. wasn¡¯t it just a moment of excitement? who would have thought they could cling onto such a golden thigh in just a few days? he was still not used to it. the muscular warrior player calmed down. he braced himself and looked at richard. ¡°boss, i know your power is enough to sweep through everything, but that transcendent isn¡¯t simple. you must be careful when dealing with him¡­¡± richard glanced at the muscular warrior player and smiled. ¡°i know what to do.¡± as he spoke, his gaze became sharper. ¡°is there any other information?¡± the muscular warrior player thought for a moment and shook his head. they had only made a rough contact with the obelisk last time and haven¡¯t done deep into it. that was all he knew. richard seemed to have thought of something and looked at him with interest. ¡°according to what you said before, at least three extraordinary troop lairs were in this obelisk? ¡°how do you know this information?¡± the muscular warrior player gestured to the female player beside him with a subtle look in his eyes. ¡°lord richard, tingting¡¯s profession is a diviner, and she has a certain chance of seeing the future¡­¡± he quickly added. ¡°of course, this is nonsense. we wouldn¡¯t be doing so badly if we could see through the future.¡± ¡°the main ability is roughly seeing fragments of the future related to oneself.¡± ¡°and it¡¯s completely uncontrollable. ¡°that ability happened to work on the obelisk. tingting saw three troop lairs with majestic auras. they were similar to the extraordinary soldiers we sensed in the npc city.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but glance at the female player. ¡®a prophecy warlock! sounds indeed powerful.¡¯ however, he found it a little funny when he looked at the messy equipment on her body, and she was only level 11 or 12. the level wasn¡¯t weak, but the person was too weak. even knowing a corner of the future would be futile. strength was still necessary. one would be powerless to change anything. richard retracted his thoughts and looked at the obelisk again. the dracons had already condensed into a formation. richard turned to look at the ferocious figure beside him. ¡°kratos, go and test the strength of those half-dragons.¡± that transcendent had yet to appear, although it had broken through the distorted space outside. kratos did not have the chance to complete the level 19 promotion quest these few times, which made it sparingly angry. this time, richard brought the dark soul eater and let him lead the charge. he did not believe there was no suitable transcendent to hunt in this world! ¡°i will obey your orders, lord!¡± the dark soul eater responded in a muffled voice. it finished speaking. the level 19 boss immediately commanded the skeletal blood dragon to fly toward the obelisk. its aura wasn¡¯t inferior, although there was only one soldier. the skeletal blood dragon approached within a thousand meters as it flapped its wings. however, at this moment, something must have bound the dragon. its body plummeted. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the skeleton blood dragon wildly flapped its wings and struggled desperately. however, no matter how it flapped its dragon wings, it could not maintain its stability. its vast body fell and smashed into the ground while it flew at high speed. ¡®swoosh¡¯ it drew a long scratch. grass and ice flew everywhere. kratos was behind it and tensed its muscles when the skeleton blood dragon fell. it exerted strength in its legs and jumped up. ¡®bang!¡¯ its vast body slammed into the ground. that caused the space to tremble violently. its feet had already sunk into the soil, had one keen to notice. ¡°forbidden flight?¡± richard frowned at the sight but did not interrupt. he continued to watch the boss¡¯s movements. Chapter 955 its tiny eyes flashed with a dangerous light. ¡°creak!¡¯ it clenched its battle axe. it stared at the agitated dracon troop before the obelisk. its six-meter-tall body was undoubtedly a giant to ordinary people. intensified strength filled its rock-like body. its every move made people tremble. ¡®roar!¡¯ the dark soul eater released a deep growl. in the next moment, a dark light surged out of its body. thirty-two figures condensed beside it. these figures were more ferocious than the dark soul eaters. they were the dark servants. kratos transformed them from tower race¡¯s heroic spirit. each was as strong as a giant. they were more than eight meters tall. that made kratos appear shorter. kratos raised the battle axe. its eyes turned fierce. ¡°for lord richard! ¡°i am the vanguard!¡± the roar resounded through the sky. in the next second, this ferocious beast was like one had stretched it like a spring to the limit and then exploded violently. its figure left behind several afterimages as it charged toward the obelisk at a terrifying speed. the 32 dark servants automatically formed triangularly and charged behind kratos. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ kratos stepped, and each hit the ground like a heavy hammer. dull sounds echoed. its aura was not at a disadvantage. the dark soul eater charged at them, and the players widened their eyes and felt a surge of emotions. they still felt their hearts waver when they saw this top-tier hero¡¯s stance even though they had witnessed it murder the level 19 mountain duke. that must be a genuine hero unit. it was a subordinate that players should recruit! in comparison, the heroes who submitted to him were simply trash. they were even worse than trash than richard¡¯s subordinate. they were both excited and ashamed. kratos subconsciously looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand beside it. the other party could always make the dark soul eater feel how big the gap between people was, although they were players. fortunately, they were not enemies! kratos had covered a distance of a thousand meters in just a few moments. a row of deep footprints remained behind the dark soul eater. this level 19 boss¡¯s aura had peaked after such a long acceleration. the world trembled with each of the steps it took. the two sides clashed intensely under the watchful eyes of everyone. ¡°kill them!¡± kratos roared with a ferocious face and crashed into the troop of half-dragons like a heavy truck. a dracon at the front was fearless. the transcendent master bestowed it with great strength. and no enemy could break through his line of defense! it tightly gripped the warhammer in its hand. the dracon waved it fiercely and wanted to fight head-on with the enemy. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of a metal clash exploded. the dracon felt as if an ancient beast hit the half-dragon soldier. the hard warhammer in its hand broke immediately. then, its vision blurred, and it felt a sharp pain in the chest. the dracon tried to fly high up in the sky. the world spun. it saw in a trance large pieces of broken limbs that flew in the sky. it sent the arm that held the warhammer flying dozens of meters. that was? its body? the dracon lost consciousness the moment this thought arose. kratos destroyed the first level 19 dracon. the dark soul eater entered berserk mode. the dark soul eater swung the battle axe again. its rock-like body worked with the power to shake mountains. the characteristic of standing on the ground to continuously recover its strength made it fearless of any siege. it was like a fiery red sword cut through condensed grease with the 32 dark servants behind. the fire boiled. the battle axe shattered all the obstacles. they wantonly harvested the souls of the half-dragons. the players who nervously watched this scene could not help but feel their mouths go dry and their hearts beat wildly. kratos¡¯ domineering behavior was more in line with the understanding of the strong in most people¡¯s hearts. compared to richard¡¯s feature of killing the greed lord with ease. charge through a troop formation. it was like entering a deserted place! no one could stop that ferocious beast! in the eyes of level 19 half-dragons, these glorious 3-stars soldiers were terrifying and almost invincible troops. at this moment, kratos could not stop the half-dragons. it still could not imagine the first collision would be like this. this hero of the other party was about to break through the half-dragon troops! its scalp went numb. ¡°that was a level 19 glorious 3-stars soldier!! ¡°f*ck, this hero is as sick as its master!!¡± its gaze subconsciously turned to the dazzling figure beside it. the enemy didn¡¯t used their troops in the battle to defend lion city for various reasons. what level of destructive power would he unleash?! if boss richard were to go all out? for a moment, the players¡¯ hearts were in turmoil. kratos led 32 dark servants and charged straight into the center of the dracon troops. only blood and broken limbs remained wherever they passed. they smashed at least three squadrons of soldiers into pieces. the scene was crazy. at this moment, the level 19 dracons finally reacted. kratos¡¯ charge slowed down. the dark soul eater surrounded them layer by layer. it used the human wave tactic to cover them. Chapter 956 a trap in a positional battle would enormously reduce their lethality. however, kratos¡¯ feet at this moment stepped on the ground. the dark soul eater was even more ferocious, not only that the dracon could not suppress it. it swung the battle axe in its hand. it was heavy enough to crush a warhorse, like a giant siege weapon that attacked a city wall. the axe could either smash or send the dracons flying no matter how they resist. the dracons had always been known for their tyrannical strength. they experienced the battle crush for the first time. two or three squadrons could surround and kill a hero, although the difference between a soldier and a hero was distinct, at the same level. moreover, the higher the potential, the easier it would be to deal with heroes. however, this situation would change as the hero¡¯s potential increased. two or three squadrons of troops could no longer deal with hero units with b-rank of the same level. reaching an a-rank would be a step further. that required double the number to deal with it. the hero unit would undoubtedly become a tyrant once they reached beyond a-rank. even a large troop might not be enough for them to kill under the same level! not to mention, kratos was a boss mode that was even stronger than a hero mode, and his potential had also reached beyond a-rank. one could no longer infer a monster of this level with common sense. bosses were units that required five or ten times the strength of a hero to kill. at this moment, these dracons fought the level 19 dark soul eater head-on. furthermore, it was under the situation where there was no heroic unit command. so richard was not surprised by the near-crushing situation. however, a few players did not know the secret. they only saw kratos smash the level 19 dracons they could treat as mini-bosses. this scene made them so envious that their eyes turned red. ¡°wasn¡¯t this champion too fierce? why don¡¯t we have any?¡± ¡°and lord richard was willing to let him take the risk?¡± the losses would be unbearable if that transcendent suddenly launched a sneak attack and killed the other party. unfortunately, the heavens were unfair! this hero was not theirs! they watched in grief and envy as richard waved his hand lightly. he said casually, ¡°kratos, don¡¯t waste time. charge into the obelisk and force that transcendent out.¡± ¡°force? force the transcendent out? a level 19 hero?¡± the players heard this order, and they felt their hearts bled. kratos was such a good hero. how could he use him like this? wasn¡¯t it too much to treat the dark soul eater a vanguard?! ¡°lord richard, if you don¡¯t want this hero, you can give it to us. we wouldn¡¯t mind!!¡± the warrior player looked especially angry. it felt like someone else played his goddess. he could only watch bitterly from the side. he was afraid that his goddess would be played hard by someone else. he even wanted to ask the other party to be gentler. kratos received the order and did not hesitate at all. he led dark servants and charged forward. they forced their way into the obelisk against the draconic troops. the scene was so exaggerated that the players felt like they had eaten lemons. the dark soul eater could even scout the way with a hero who could fight against a thousand alone, and it didn¡¯t even care about its life or death!! as for them? they didn¡¯t even have the right to worship the other party!! that was unfair! the players¡¯ breathing sounded chaotic. an infinite roaring anger resounded in the sky. the majestic and terrifying aura suppressed the world, and thousands of rivers flowed down. ¡®bang!¡¯ kratos, who had just charged into the obelisk, flew out of the stone door at the bottom of the obelisk-like ball hit by a baseball bat. the dark soul eater knocked all the dracons over. kratos flew for more than ten meters, and the boss fiercely swung the weapon in its hand. ¡®bang!¡¯ it smashed the battle axe into the ground. the vast inertia caused the axe to leave a several-meter-long mark. it was only at this moment that the other party¡¯s flying momentum stopped. ¡°thud!¡¯ it landed on the ground. its strong legs involuntarily bent slightly. the level 19 boss straightened up. it stared at the open stone door of the obelisk. ¡®creak!¡¯ it tightened the grip on the battle axe, and its muscles bulged. it condensed its aura to the extreme. it stretched its body like a longbow, like a lion about to attack. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ ¡®ta ta!¡¯ a series of footsteps resounded across the earth. the surrounding space seemed to freeze as it trembled with its footsteps. the surging aura was like a mountain reservoir that collapsed. the waves rushed down 90,000 feet. the fearless dracons knelt on one knee and lowered their heads to the stone door when the footsteps sounded. they welcome the arrival of their ruler. richard narrowed his eyes at this sight. all under his gaze. a more than five-meter-tall dracon walked out of the stone door of the obelisk. this half-dragon had a fiery red dragon head and miniature dragon wings on its back. it held no weapon, but the sharp claws that reflected the metallic luster were enough to explain everything. the dracon stood at the stone door, and the surrounding space began to distort. it was like one pressed a plastic sheet against a heavy stone. one could not bear the weight. everyone¡¯s breathing became rapid, and their hearts beat unnaturally faster. transcendents, the transcendental dragon wings protected the obelisk!! the muscular player¡¯s legs couldn¡¯t help but go weak when the warrior player thought of the previous encounter. he would have been wet at the first moment if it weren¡¯t for the golden legs beside him. he turned his head subconsciously. he was about to say something when he heard the calm voice of the heroic figure beside him. ¡°kratos, i¡¯ll leave this extraordinary dragon descendant to you. ¡°no one else in this war will partake, and i am no exception.¡± ¡°it is your prey.¡± the muscular warrior player¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°i¡­ i heard it correctly, right?¡± ¡°lord richard isn¡¯t going to make a move? instead, he wanted this level 19 hero to deal with the transcendent dracon alone?!¡± his heart was instantly in a mess. ¡°lord, although i know you have a lot of heroes, you can¡¯t cherish them!! ¡°that was a top-notch hero who couldn¡¯t fight against a thousand alone!!¡± he could tell that the other party was extraordinary, although he could not see any attributes other than his level, as long as he was not blind. ¡°now, you want such a hero to fight a transcendent alone? ¡°do you have any humanity left? the muscular warrior player was furious. ¡°kratos, i feel sorry for you¡­ lord richard, you¡¯re so cruel!¡± Chapter 957 they only knew that richard had ordered kratos. the dark soul eater was a level 19 soldier to fight the transcendent dracon that guarded the obelisk. ¡°that was a level 20 transcendent! level 20!¡± they were no longer the newbie overlords who had limited access to information. levels 4 to 5, 9 to 10, and 14 to 15 could obtain one each time it leveled up. however, no differences were between levels 19 and 20. transcendence was a level that had transformed. levels 19 and 20 seemed to be only one level apart, but their battle power was worlds apart. the most direct reaction was that a level 19 hero could only be a pillar in a faction, while a level 20 transcendent could be a big shot. it was almost impossible for a level 19 transcendent to take on a level 20 transcendent. the difference in levels was enough to crush any fluke. that was the most arduous thing for them to understand. they could not understand why richard had given such an order. however, they judged from the previous battle results. that unreasonable order was very much in line with richard¡¯s style. that was the attitude that qingqiu should have! ¡°could it be that lord richard¡¯s subordinates are as freakish as him? they could kill transcendents at level 19?!¡± the muscular warrior player changed his expression slightly when he thought of this. it was because that wasn¡¯t possible. it was because he believed richard unconditionally. he didn¡¯t even doubt him in his heart. he would never believe that a level 19 player could fight a transcendent if it were anyone else. moreover, the other party had several level 19 top-tier soldiers with the potential of glorious 3-stars!! however, richard gave the order. qingqiu was the strongest player among the players. he was the god slayer who had personally beheaded a god under the watchful eyes of billions of viewers. he was a top-notch and big shot everyone adored ever since he appeared! his words gave him a feeling one could not realize, no matter how possible they were. reason? there was no need for that. just because qingqiu spoke these words, that was enough! none of the players who had experienced the battle of lion city could remain rational in front of richard. the players¡¯ emotions fluctuated. that didn¡¯t affect the battlefield. the aura on its body became vigorous and fierce. endless light flashed in its eyes. its back was straight. it had waited for this day for far too long. it could not fight with everything it had and couldn¡¯t achieve anything with lolita¡¯s threat back in the tower race¡¯s plane when it faced the transcendent level wax demon. the transcendents of the naga plane had already fallen before it could reach them. the raging blood duke had died right under its nose. now, it finally had a chance to face a transcendent. it had longed for this opportunity for far too long! the dark soul eater¡¯s soul was born because of its lord. it could only become the sharpest saber in its lord¡¯s hands by breaking through to the transcendent realm! kratos growled. a dark and violent energy suddenly erupted from its body. ¡®bang!¡¯ the energy surged in all directions. the power swept the broken stones and sand up. the air became turbid, and the light suddenly dimmed. the violent gray energy exploded. that quickly condensed into crows in the air with a rotten and cold aura. ¡°¨¤aa!¡± miserable screams echoed in the sky. crows emerged from the dust. energy condensed the dark lifeforms. they flapped their wings and flew in a circle in the sky. they appeared like a tornado from the outside. the number of crows exceeded 3,000, and these evil beings flapped their wings and swooped down. that jolted the level 19 dracons on the ground while they knelt to worship the transcendent dragon. the dracons at the front immediately stood up and swung their warhammers violently at the crows before them. ¡®hu!¡¯ heavy weapons tore through the sky. they even shattered the heavy shields of the warriors. however, a warhammer struck a crow. the weapon pierced through its body. ¡°physical attack! it was ineffective.¡± the dracon¡¯s expression changed. it felt its vision blur just as it was about to respond. the crow disappeared. it pounced straight at its body. the dracon relaxed. the dragon scales protected its body. the dragon blood that flowed in its body also gave high resistance to magic. a mere crow wanted to hurt the dracons. it was simple. this thought rose in a dracon¡¯s mind. a cold chill passed through its body. then, it felt a vast hand tore its mind apart. the terrifying pain made its face contort. ¡°ah!¡± its throat released a hysterical roar. it was like it had suffered the cruelest torture in the world. the second came afterward. and the third! more black crows surged into the dracon¡¯s body. the dracon¡¯s body twitched uncontrollably. then, it felt the intense pain in its mind that devoured everything. its thoughts gradually slowed down, and its eyes fell into darkness. this level 19 soldier only had time to wave the weapon once before it fell to the ground and lost breath. instant kill. in the next second, a dozen crows crawled out of its body with shrill cries. the fur on its body had become shiny, and the cold aura it emitted almost froze the air. the crows left the dracon¡¯s body. they immediately flapped their wings and flew toward the next target. Chapter 958 that was the most nerve-racking skill of this level 19 boss! the death of the first dracon marked the change in the situation. the 3,000 soul-devouring crows stirred up a death storm. they slaughtered more than half of the fierce level 19 dracon soldiers. all of this happened in the span of a few breaths. the transcendent dragon descendant who had just stepped out of the obelisk¡¯s stone door had an elf-like arrogant expression on its face that instantly disappeared. its gaze became gloomy. the transcendent dragon focused on the main character who created this storm. its tone sounded cold. ¡°worm, how dare you pry into the sacred land i protect with such a trivial cantrip!¡± that was advanced language¨Cdragon language. the transcendent dragon finished speaking. everyone¡¯s hearts palpitated wildly. it was like an ancient beast had opened its eyes. the pressure that permeated the world made the air as sticky as mercury. a faint red energy with a hint of flame surged from the transcendent dragon. it was like an ink had dripped into the water. the crimson energy covered the battlefield in the blink of an eye. the soul-devouring crows that devoured the soul of the dracon fell into the water. they could not leave their spot no matter how they flapped their wings. the transcendent dragon raised its head. it appeared ferocious under the light red energy. there was a hint of disdain in its eyes. it extended its right hand. the sharp claws rubbed against each other and snapped its fingers. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the crazed soul-devouring crows shattered like glass. they turned into pure energy. they had thought that the crow storm could turn the tables. they did not expect that transcendent dragon could quickly destroy the crows kill-move. ¡°was this extraordinary power?¡± the scene tightened the heart of the muscular warrior player. he was the leader of the players. how would the level 19 hero deal with the transcendent dragon? he clenched his fists subconsciously, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged. the tension was several times stronger than that of kratos and richard. kratos felt the disdain of the transcendent dragon. its tiny eyes narrowed into a line. the killing intent gathered around the dark soul eater caused ripples into the space. kratos did not hold back. energy surged out of its body and condensed into a phantom outside the surface of its body. its appearance was the same. the aura it emitted made people immediately sense the origin of the phantom. soul! the players were shocked when they saw this. they did not understand why kratos would suddenly let its soul appear on its body. they wondered, and the soul of this level 19 boss was like firewood poured with gasoline. ¡®hong!¡¯ ignition ensued. the dark gray soul burned with a dark blue flame. one could even see the black smoke from the flame tail. did the hero burn its soul?! the players widened their eyes in disbelief. ¡°burning one¡¯s soul, didn¡¯t that mean death?!¡± the soul was the most paramount thing in the body. it would be the most severe injury upon damage. ¡°now, it initiated to ignite its soul. why?!¡± ¡°why did the dark soul eater have to do this?¡± the muscular warrior player suddenly turned his head to look to his side and could not help but ask. ¡°lord richard, should we stop your hero? it¡¯s not worth it¡­¡± richard spoke calmly without turning his head. ¡°i never take back my orders. wait until the war is over. kratos will come back to me with that transcendent¡¯s head.¡± the lord¡¯s words suppressed the muscular warrior player¡¯s thoughts. his expression was rather strange. he released a long sigh and did not want to delve into it anymore. it was so tiring! the difference between the two sides was vast. he had participated in this battle. he had no idea about the thoughts of the lord he looked up to. he could no longer understand the implications of them with his limited vision. he sighed. he decided not to speak anymore. the outsiders were excited, and so were the people on the battlefield. kratos¡¯ soul started to burn. the aura of this level 19 boss increased dramatically. the surrounding space distorted in just a few breaths. the pressure it emitted was no less than that of the transcendent dragon descendant before it. [boss¡¯s characteristic¨C] it was kratos¡¯ trump card, the boss¡¯ trump card. the players understood. there was no turning back once the fire burned the soul. however, one could trade this fatal skill for power, endless power! its rock-like rock bulged high. the gray blood vessels on it wriggled like tiny snakes. power blurred the surrounding space. the outsiders could not even see its appearance. kratos felt the power in its body. it was like a magma that erupted. it clenched its battle axe tightly. it looked straight at the transcendent dragon descendant before it. ¡°mixed blood bastard¡­ let your soul become my ladder to a higher level!¡± the translucent dragon finished speaking. it stepped forward. ¡®bang!¡¯ the ground exploded, and a spiderweb-like crack spread for dozens of meters. an oval-shaped wave of air rose in the surroundings and directly produced a violent sonic boom. it was difficult for the naked eye to see what happened. the sound reverberated in the next second. ¡®bang!¡¯ that exploded the place where the transcendent dragon descendant stood. and a terrifying wave of air swept in all directions. dust covered the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ a series of explosions rang out in the sky. the location mentioned by the transcendent dragon in front of the obelisk became the center of the storm. overlapping waves of airwaves exploded. that caused the planar power to deplete. the power of the transcendent dragon could already tear through the void. the space where the two stood collided and collapsed. everything around became undetectable. one could only see from the outside the terrifying shockwave that exploded. that shattered the earth and wailed the sky. the soul of kratos continued to burn. it violently fought against the transcendent dragon! the air restrictions around the obelisk restricted movements. the transcendent dragon could not take to the air and could only fight kratos on the ground. that allowed kratos to maximize its melee skills. these restrictions blocked the player¡¯s vision. that made them anxious. but they no longer asked richard. they could only discuss the battle in hushed tones. richard didn¡¯t pay any attention to them. he narrowed his eyes as he sensed the intense clash on the battlefield. in the next second, a gentle voice sounded in the mind of the voluptuous level 23 vampire archduchess, loreinna. ¡°loreinna, sneak into the void and assist kratos. remember, do not kill that transcendent dragon even if kratos dies in battle. ¡°use your aura to create the illusion that you¡¯ll attack at any moment¡­ the transcendent dragon could detect it inadvertently. it could not reveal it on its own accord. ¡°then, block or interfere with the enemy¡¯s perception to create an advantage for kratos.¡± kratos had to kill a transcendent and fight against the gods, contributing more than 70% for the dark soul eater to advance! the transcendent dragon descendants couldn¡¯t resist if loreinna were to make a move with the tyrannical battle strength of this top-notch soldier. however, it would reduce kratos¡¯ contribution. a transcendent who wouldn¡¯t move couldn¡¯t help kratos directly. but it would have a fatal impact on the battle. no one could ignore or dare a hunter who could kill them and hide in the darkness. the words that kratos had used to fight alone were a psychological attack. it would make the transcendent dragon even more afraid after loreinna revealed its aura. there was a high chance that the other party would think kratos was using her as bait to create an opportunity for the supernatural in the dark. and what loreinna wanted was for the transcendent dragon to think that she had used kratos as bait. loreinna disappeared from richard¡¯s side. the transcendent dragon was in the middle of a fierce battle. suddenly, it sensed a subtle aura. it was very faint. it was incredibly unnoticeable if it weren¡¯t for its extraordinary perception. that subtle aura made the transcendent dragon feel an indescribable sense of danger. a great enemy had hidden itself well and spied on the transcendent dragon! the other party¡¯s strength could cause fatal danger to it!! shock and anger filled its eyes. ¡°was this damned worm before me just bait?!¡± the transcendent felt an enormous fear in its heart. it could not help but withdraw some of the power in its hand. it prepared to defend against the enemy that might launch a sneak attack. Chapter 959 however, at this moment, the situation had changed subtly. the transcendent dragon descendant hesitated because of a wisp of aura and did not dare to use all its strength. kratos was its opponent and burned its soul. it was typical for dark lifeforms to sacrifice one¡¯s soul for power. the wrath was a high-level demon of the abyss. that gave birth to kratos. that was the purest dark life form. the dark soul eater obtained power that exceeded the limit of level 19 when it burned its soul. the pressure on the transcendent dragon descendants under this change suddenly soared. it felt that kratos¡¯s battle axe contained the power of a landslide every time the dark soul eater swung it. the transcendent dragon¡¯s expression turned solemn. however, what worried the transcendent dragon the most was the aura it had just sensed. one could not detect where, although it had already disappeared without a trace. however, the transcendent dragon knew the hidden enemy could pose a fatal threat. the unknown was the most terrifying. kratos did not dare to use its full strength under the threat of the transcendent dragon that attacked at any moment. it feared its sudden charge out from behind. the pressure on kratos became weaker with fear in its heart. on the other hand, it had let go of everything! the dark soul eater would die with its soul burnt. there was only one chance to hunt! the dark soul eater would exhaust all its strength and attack. it was like it would die for each swing of its battle axe. the ground had already split apart inch by inch. it covered an area of a thousand meters like a spider web. the aftermath of the battle between the two was as terrifying as a natural disaster. the dracons suffered a vast blow and did not dare to approach the center of the battlefield. that made the players¡¯ hearts race. especially when the two main characters occasionally left the center of the battlefield, they revealed traces of the battlefield. that made them even more excited. too fierce! they had expected transcendents to be powerful. but they did not expect the level 19 hero to be so powerful!! ¡°it was too f*cking fierce!¡± ¡°that was a transcendent!¡± the hero could hold the ground until now. their attributes matched! the sharp-eyed female player suddenly pointed at the stone door at the bottom of the obelisk and whispered as the battle intensified. ¡°did you see that? several soldiers surged out from inside. the number of dracons outside was almost a troop.¡± a few of them immediately turned their heads when they heard this, and their expressions changed slightly. kratos had cleared half of the dracons on the field. but they formed whole again. the dracon corpses on the ground had all disappeared without a trace. ¡°these dracons which guarded the obelisk could resurrect?!¡± that gave them a bad idea. that transcendent dragon descendant. could kratos deal with it? richard also noticed the movement of the dracons. he pondered. he heaved a sigh of relief afterward. the power to guard the obelisk was mighty with transcendents around. however, it seemed rather shabby to it because of a revelation of an ancient rule. the defense of the obelisk would be more than enough if it incessantly revived. the worry in its heart had dissipated a lot. resurrection was a bug, enough to give most forces a headache. however, the resurrected dracons did not dare to interfere in the battle between kratos and the transcendent dragon. the collision between the two top-notch existences was too terrifying. at this moment, the transcendent dragon could not determine where the hidden enemy was, so he could not and did not dare to use all its strength to kill kratos. it couldn¡¯t kill kratos without leaving any openings. this great enemy who burned its soul also made the transcendent dragon feel life was in danger. the transcendent looked at the soul that burned. another idea quietly arose in its heart. drag it out. it had not lost the initiative, although that transcendent was in the dark. the other party would jump out of its own accord as long it burned its soul and could not achieve any results. the transcendent that hid in the dark would not be a match without the reptile before it. otherwise, the other party would not have dared to show its face! the transcendent would counterattack the moment this reptile died. no one could be a hunter before a transcendent!! the transcendent pondered. it slowed its attacks down and became more stable. it focused on defense. kratos began to take control of the battlefield. this dark beast over six meters tall would not spoil anyone! the other party retracted its attack, and it immediately pressed forward. the battle axe swung repeatedly, and the violent energy stirred the world. the fierce posture made the transcendent dragon feel a little overwhelmed. it began to use its speed advantage to swim around as it tried to avoid a head-on collision while being vigilant of its surroundings. however, how could the situation go as the transcendent wished if it didn¡¯t initiate? kratos¡¯ attacks became increasingly violent. every attack would cause the void to collapse and space to blur. damage received would not be any less than a transcendent¡¯s attack. the pressure on the transcendent dragon descendants skyrocketed. it had wanted to drain kratos¡¯s soul power and let it die. however, the transcendent dragon saw that its soul had not even burned one-fifth of it five minutes later. it was shocked and furious. disbelief filled its eyes. kratos was level 19 and had burst out with extraordinary power. they fought each other! Chapter 960 ¡°this damned monster! ¡°how strong was his soul power?!¡± even the power the transcendent¡¯s soul contained was comparable to this bastard!! ¡°how could this be the soul of a level 19 hero?!¡± in the eyes of the natives, they could not see the template and detailed attributes of the dark soul eater. only the level was the easiest to judge. therefore, the transcendent dragon did not know what kind of monster the level 19 enemy was. eternal body (beyond a-rank) ¡ª all attributes increased by 300%. all attributes increased by 600% when standing on the ground. the devouring rocks can recover all damage received. immune to poison, curses, instant death skills, and magic. a mighty body was the foundation of kratos. it was also the basis for fighting in close battles. however, what gave it unlimited potential was an ordinary skill eater. soul devourer (beyond a-rank) ¡ª it can devour the enemy¡¯s soul to strengthen one¡¯s soul and increase the storage limit of the dark power. its current increase is 150,000. the dark soul eater devours the enemy¡¯s soul power to strengthen its soul. this skill allowed kratos to go from an ordinary combat unit to have unlimited potential. kratos had prepared for more than two months for the battle to level up after coming out of the tower plane. this boss was the tyrant of the blood mist, while richard had sent the dark soul eater to guard the naga plane. one cannot count the number of lives it slaughtered. a few days ago, richard checked kratos¡¯ stats and was shocked to see the reinforced 150,000 points of dark force. kratos had 8,000 points of dark power at level 19 on its rise. it currently has 158,000 points. the points had increased by nearly 20 times. in other words, the strength of kratos¡¯s soul was more than ten times stronger than before. the degree of condensation of its soul was not inferior to that of the level 23 vampire archduchess, loreinna. that was why richard allowed the dark soul eater to face the transcendent dragon descendant alone. this level 19 boss had this ability! more than 20 planes fought in the rotten swamp. it had slaughtered a multitude of troops almost impossible to count. kratos had also devoured a portion of the soul, other than the required massive amount of flesh and soul energy. in richard¡¯s eyes, this boss was like a game character on planet blue¨Cthe dog head. every time it slayed a minion with its q skill, its skill damage would permanently increase by several points. kratos would be a well-deserved top hero. richard gave the dark soul eater to develop. kratos had the same characteristic. the dark soul eater would grow to a level that would make everyone tremble as long as it was allowed to devour its soul. it coupled with the other party¡¯s unique bond: soul devour. the dark soul eater can obtain the other party¡¯s memories and skills upon devouring souls. the growth model of this dark soul eater was already distinct. these skills were enough to explain why the other party was a boss unit. that was unlimited growth potential. at this moment, kratos devoured soul power for reinforcement and displayed strength that trembled the transcendent dragon¡¯s heart. no scruples! the burning soul was like a lamp that would never go out. the battle lasted ten minutes. cracks appeared on the transcendent dragon descendant¡¯s body. kratos¡¯s battle axe cracked the palm-sized dragon scales several times irreparably in a short period. kratos was in an even more miserable state. its body had cracked like a piece of porcelain that fell into a transcendent defense state. but kratos stepped on the ground. the dark soul eater incessantly devoured the rocks and turned them into power that could repair all the damage. that allowed the dark soul eater to maintain its battle strength at its highest. the transcendent dragon descendant felt the chaos in the kratos¡¯s aura. it looked at the soul shadow that floated on kratos¡¯s surface and had only burned one-third of it. a strong sense of jealousy and hatred rose in its heart. ¡°why?¡± ¡°how did this hero¡¯s soul power become so powerful?! ¡°why was the other party¡¯s soul stronger than his?! ¡°what right did it have? the anger in its heart gradually rose. the transcendent dragon felt the energy in its body become chaotic. it gritted its teeth. that can¡¯t continue! the extraordinary dragon couldn¡¯t wait for the dark soul eater to burn out if this continued. that was for the transcendent to appear and counterattack, and the level 19 reptile would hammer it to death! an indescribable anger surged from its heart when it thought of the scene! that was killing a level 19 hero! kratos could become a hero if words went out, and the transcendent dragon would become a clown that others would mock. the pride in the transcendent dragon¡¯s heart infuriated it just a recall of the scene. the transcendent dragon descendent couldn¡¯t tolerate it. it wouldn¡¯t! the gray dragon scales on the transcendent dragon¡¯s body suddenly glowed a faint red, and runes condensed around. a destructive aura filled them that could tremble one¡¯s heart. ¡°worms!!¡± it could still crush this bastard who dared to challenge its dignity even if it had to risk the danger of being killed by that hero monster in the dark! the transcendent dragon descendant charged forward, and the sharp claws in its hands expanded. the reflected metallic luster dazzled, and it was indescribably terrifying. space exploded with a wave. that revealed an endless void and dark chaos. however, the extraordinary reptile was about to kill the provoking worm. a subtle aura flashed. the transcendent dragon descendant¡¯s heart trembled in anger. it was like one poured a basin of cold water on its head. the hidden enemy made its move! Chapter 961 the killing intent in its heart dissipated by 70% and subconsciously left some strength to prepare to deal with the unknown transcendent. its perception suddenly blurred a little, and most of the aura disappeared. ¡®crack!¡¯ the void on the side exploded, and a silver-haired, silver-eyed figure quietly emerged from the space fragments that filled the sky! it was that aura-vampires!! it drew all the attention to the figure that suddenly appeared. things happened at the same time. kratos felt an unprecedented sense of death in the face of the supernatural dragon¡¯s unbridled killing intent. its soul seemed to be about to be annihilated. this level 19 boss suddenly entered a unique state under immense pressure. it looked around, and the world seemed to respond to its call. and the surrounding magic energy became remarkably gentle. its heart skipped a beat. the dark soul eater looked at the 32 dark servants who could not participate in the battle. an inexplicable feeling welled up in its heart. these dark servants shouldn¡¯t be like this. they were one! thirty-two figures appeared in the next moment. the 32 dark servants roared. their bodies turned into a stream of light. it streaked across the sky and merged into kratos¡¯s body in the blink of an eye. at the same time, it was like one had splashed gasoline on the burning soul phantom. the flames soared ten times higher. the burning speed also increased by ten times. it gathered all the power into one body. ¡®hong!¡¯ the power cracked the space around kratos. it could not withstand the energy it emitted and collapsed. the ground under its feet shook, and huge cracks incessantly exploded like an abyss. the scene was like the end of the world. the boss¡¯s aura soared to an exaggerated degree. it reached a limit, and the dark soul eater¡¯s eyes burst golden light. ¡®bang!¡¯ it stepped on the ground, and boundless power exploded. the ground caved in and rebounded the force. its body flew like lightning. kratos attacked first! the sight of the silver-haired and silver-eyed figure stunned the transcendent dragon descendant. the vampire archduchess¡¯s power suffocated the transcendent dragon descendent. that shocked the transcendent dragon in just a short moment. a fatal sense of danger made its scalp go numb. the transcendent dragon subconsciously turned around. its energy surged and dispersed everything around him. the feeling of its blurred perception disappeared. at the same time, a figure held a battle axe and crushed the void. the transcendent dragon was startled. ¡°was this the level 19 reptile? ¡°how could the worm be so mighty?¡± a hint of fear flashed in its eyes. it couldn¡¯t fight head-on. the other party¡¯s outburst definitely wouldn¡¯t last long!! this thought flashed through its mind. boundless energy erupted from its body, and it wanted to leave the area. the surrounding space suddenly froze afterward. that seemed to have fallen into a quagmire and could not escape. that transcendent! the moment this thought arose. the transcendent dragon was shocked and angry, but the worm¡¯s battle axe smashed the thick-scaled dragon before it could react. ¡°ah!!¡± the transcendent dragon descendant forcefully fought, and its anger was about to explode. it crossed its arms, and its sharp claws stood side by side. the thick-scaled dragon forcefully blocked the attack. kratos smashed its battle axe just as the thick-scaled dragon completed this action. the transcendent dragon descendant only felt a power similar to a mountain on the verge of collapse. the dark soul eater shattered the sharp claws that were initially sturdy. its battle axe couldn¡¯t withstand this force and exploded. only half of it remained. however, the worm didn¡¯t slow down. it swung half the battle axe and smashed the opponent¡¯s chest. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sturdy, thick dragon scales could not withstand the attacks of the battle axe. it shattered and scattered the scales all over the sky. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sharp edge of the broken battle axe pierced into the transcendent dragon¡¯s chest. blood, bones, and muscles exploded at the same time. the smell of blood was densely thick at this moment. the transcendent dragon descendant felt the pain in its chest. the flames of anger almost burned its soul! ¡°damn worm, lowly bastard, how dare you hurt me!!¡± extraordinary power erupted once again! the space collapsed, and the aura of the surrounding endless void surged into it. transcendents would continue fighting even at the pierce of their hearts! the furious transcendent dragon descendant had already gone crazy. it was utterly oblivious to the threat of the archduchess vampire beside it. there was only one thought in its mind. ¡°kill this worm, kill the bastard!!!¡± it was a great humiliation to be dealt such damage by a level 19 enemy!! the transcendent dragon was about to move when a slender palm pressed against its back. that sealed all its power. the thick-scaled dragon turned. its eyes reflected the silver-haired and silver-eyed figure. its expression instantly became extremely ugly. he! the enemy still fooled it! kratos raised the broken battle axe in its hand. the soul energy behind the dark soul eater instantly burned. endless power smashed onto the dragon¡¯s head. ¡®bang!¡¯ it was like a baseball bat hit a watermelon. it directly smashed it, and blood splattered all over the sky. at the same time, an arm grabbed the other party¡¯s body, and unique energy surged. krato¡¯s body swallowed a distorted dracon¡¯s soul like a black hole. loreinna only retracted her arm when she realized this. she calmly watched this bloody scene. the energy around it isolated the splattering flesh and bones. the smell of blood made the power in her body restless. loreinna looked at kratos, whose soul fire was dying and disappeared. she appeared beside richard afterward. it was only at this moment that the dust in the center of the battlefield gradually dispersed. the scene cleared up, and a heart-pounding scene appeared on the field. kratos held a broken battle axe in its right hand and a headless corpse in its left. the players froze wide-eyed when they saw this scene. they wrestled with their breathing. ¡°that, that was the corpse of a transcendent dragon?!!¡± ¡°did lord richard¡¯s hero slay a transcendent?!¡± ¡°what kind of joke was this? a level 19 hero could kill a transcendent?¡± ¡°are we not dreaming?¡± the players still felt a strong sense of shock at this moment, even though they had seen the legendary scene of richard slaying a god as a player in lion city and had been mentally prepared. ¡°that was a transcendent, a f*cking transcendent!!¡± in lion city, it was okay for the transcendent vampire archduchess to slay the raging blood duke. after all, it was a battle between transcendents. but now, that hero was only level 19, level 19!!! ¡°don¡¯t f*cking talk about burning souls! the dark soldier used its ultimate move.¡± ¡°could it be that transcendents didn¡¯t have skills or ultimate moves?!¡± but in the end, it was kratos who won! it turned to look at the figure shrouded in yellow sand beside it and felt an endless sense of mystery. ¡°was this the foundation of the number one player?¡± that was the overlord level character who looked down on the world? the muscular warrior player took a few deep breaths. his hands still trembled, and he roared hysterically in his heart. ¡°pervert, damn pervert!¡± a freak who could kill a god in less than a year in the ¡°shining era,¡± the hero under him was also a freak!! in a one-on-one situation, not only did he kill through the dracon troop, but it also forcefully killed the transcendent dragon descendant!! ¡°f*ck!¡± ¡°why did the other party take all the good things?!¡± ¡°heavens and earth, how unfair was this!! it also wanted this kind of hero. it also wanted ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!¡± kratos burned its soul fire to the end while the players were in a mess. it held the broken body of the transcendent dragon and the half-broken battle axe. the dark soul eater stepped over the broken earth to richard and knelt on one knee respectfully and humbly under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. ¡°lord, i am kratos. i didn¡¯t let you down. ¡°i have slayed this transcendent!¡± the dark soul eater raised the headless corpse in its hand. the flames on the illusory soul on the surface of its body slowly extinguished. its six-meter-tall body continually knelt. it stood upright like a tower, but there was no longer a trace of life. the scene suddenly fell into silence. everyone looked at kratos¡¯ unyielding figure and felt a strong impact. Chapter 962 ¡®rustle!¡¯ they turned into a pool of mucus, and no one stood still. no one paid attention to the dracons. the players set their eyes on the figure who knelt before richard. ¡°is it worth it?¡± a few players watched as the hero died most arrogantly. kratos held the transcendent and the broken battle axe. their hearts trembled. the muscular warrior player subconsciously looked at the figure shrouded in yellow sand beside him. he felt an overwhelming degree of regret. ¡°was it worth it for a hero of this level to kill a transcendent at the cost of its life?¡± a word suddenly appeared in his mind. his will was his subordinates¡¯ everything! he would complete it even if he had to sacrifice everything! the muscular warrior player took a deep breath. complicated emotions shrouded his eyes. but qingqiu was a player. how could a top-notch hero give up so quickly?! he could not understand the thoughts of the number one player before him. in the end, all the complicated emotions turned into a long sigh. he had no reason or right to interfere. a few players were shocked and realized that the troop descended and entered martial law. their line of sight suddenly lowered, and they could no longer see the specific situation near the obelisk. the surrounding crowd vaguely protected them in the center. a few looked at each other and smiled bitterly. otherwise, how could qingqiu become a top-tier player? they were still vigilant against him even at this level. they would not want to talk if they were him. the troop of twilight city had secured the obelisk. then, a familiar notification rang in richard¡¯s ears. [ding~ dark soul eater, kratos has killed the extraordinary dragon (level 20) that guarded the obelisk. your damage output is over 70%. you have completed your promotion quest.¡± richard read the notification twice. his eyes immediately lit up. loreinna¡¯s final blow worried him. fortunately, kratos still reached the 70% damage ratio the system required. things didn¡¯t happen according to plan after more than two months of preparation. in the end, kratos could still complete its advancement in ell. the sweet fruits he had obtained from so much effort made him feel particularly happy. his gaze swept past the lifeless kratos and looked at the obelisk. now, it was finally time to reap the rewards. how many good things had this transcendent hidden in the building and led a level 19 soldier that revived?! it was blissful. richard calmed down and looked back at the ground. he allowed alves to land. he turned over and walked to kratos while the dark soul eater knelt on one knee and no longer breathed. he stared at the scar-covered, majestic figure that had turned into a rock and remained standing. kratos held the head of the transcendent dragon with one hand. blood flowed down from its body. marks remained on its thick wrist. the other hand held the broken battle axe and pressed it against the ground. it became the pivot of its body. kratos did not disappoint him. this boss unit had a strong growth potential. it allowed strength to accumulate far beyond level 19 in just two months. kratos killed the transcendent dragon descendant because of loreinna¡¯s restraint. however, it wouldn¡¯t achieve such a brilliant result if it weren¡¯t strong enough. richard¡¯s gaze lingered on the headless body for a moment, and with a thought, a stone box appeared in his hand. one has carved the stone box out of ordinary stone. it was the size of a palm, and nothing was remarkable about it. he bent down and placed the stone box in front of kratos, then took two steps back. the next moment, cracks suddenly appeared on the rectangular stone box. evil and dark light bloomed from the cracks, and the aura surged into kratos ¡®body. [race talent: construct life] [no fatal weakness. rocks could reconstruct the body as long as the soul remained undamaged and the body was alive. one can create a soul stone box to store the power of the soul. one can use the stone box to revive following the destruction of the primary soul. that was why they called it boss. other than its exaggerated battle strength, all sorts of strange and powerful skills were its hallmarks. the god¡¯s ancient tree could use the seed it had sown. it would give rise to dark treant, while kratos could make a stone casket similar to a lich¡¯s phylactery to revive. this talent and the boss¡¯s characteristic, battle of the searing soul, made kratos a powerful trump card when dealing with extraordinary dragons. the energy of the stone box surged out. the crack had already expanded to the entire surface after a few breaths. it reached a limit and directly shattered into powder. kratos lost all signs of life and surprisingly lit like a candle. it burned with a weak flame. life filled the broken body. the surrounding magic energy surged rapidly. kratos¡¯ body seemed to have turned into a black hole. it devoured everything without any restraint. its feet rippled on the ground like waves. he even devoured more majestic energy. the aura of the boss began to increase at a speed visible to the naked eye. Chapter 963 a transformation from level 19 to transcendence! delight filled richard¡¯s eyes. there were loreinna, emily, the greed lion, and now kratos. the number of transcendents he could send to fight had already reached four!! it would be enough to make all the players¡¯ eyes turn red with envy if word of this got out. to most players, transcendents were still top-notch big shots one could only see from afar and worship. richard already had four extraordinary servants who were loyal and subservient!! what kind of concept was this? these four transcendents alone could defeat any top-tier player! a few top-tier players could block the extraordinary attacks from billions of players. but players who could defeat four transcendent attacks will happen only in dreams. the top-tier guilds could only wail if they were to include the mighty twilight city troops. twilight city gradually became increasingly dazzling. richard had built a city with his hands and reached an unimaginable height. he sensed kratos still needed some time to complete its transformation. he calmed his excitement and looked at the unguarded obelisk. ¡°loreinna, go and check.¡± a gentleman would not stand under a dangerous wall. richard naturally did not need to do such a thing as the ruler of twilight city. loreinna nodded and disappeared into the air. she only reappeared after two to three minutes. ¡°lord, i sensed no danger in the obelisk.¡± she finished speaking, and the system notification sounded again. [ding~ you commanded the troop and annihilated the obelisk¡¯s guards. you have obtained a glorious victory. you have also killed the guardian hero¨Cthe transcendent dragon.] [you have received 1,000,000 experience points.] the notification disappeared afterward. richard immediately felt something in the system space. he immediately perked up. the system had clearly stated it would grant one rare item to the ones that captured the obelisk at the opening of the dimension explorer chapter. in the ¡°shining era,¡± mystical items were remarkable strategic treasures. these treasures had no level, and their attributes were not necessarily strong or weak. they often had unique characteristics. richard took out the dragon blood tower from the system space. in his hand was a miniature tower covered in blood. however, it gave a mighty aura. instead, a sense of oppression filled it. [dragon might] richard narrowed his eyes and opened his attribute panel. [dragon blood tower] [strange item ¡ª it can generate a 50-meter tall tower after one has placed it in a city. [special characteristic: 1. it can increase the production of dragon lairs by +2 every week.] [2. it has a unique attraction to dragons. it can attract a dragon to join it every week.] [3. it has powerful deterrence against non-dragon enemies.] [description: a rare treasure with unique abilities.] ¡°good heavens, this treasure was quite interesting.¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. it would be a divine artifact if a lord with innumerable dragon lairs owned it. the production of a single troop lair had never been high. the highest troop lairs in twilight city was only 10 per week. two more didn¡¯t seem like much. but 20 to 30 lairs were equivalent to an additional five or six. it was not a small sum over the years. moreover, the production of dragon-type lairs was less than that of other races, which increased the preciousness of this treasure. then, richard felt a little regretful. there were no dragon lairs in twilight city. he recruited skeletal demons from the corpses of giant dragons, so they had no use for this strange item. however, a giant dragon could join them every week. it would serve as a deterrent to the enemy, which was also beneficial. richard set it aside and returned to twilight city after he played with it for a while. his smile grew wider after he obtained the item. he looked at the obelisk before him and walked over with loreinna. the no-fly feature still existed, although the transcendent dragon descendant had died. they could only walk. they stepped through the battlefield that seemed to have been trampled by a giant beast and arrived at the obelisk. richard looked up. the mysterious building was fifty meters tall and gave him a strange feeling. that blurred his perception. he could only see the tower with his eyes and could not sense its aura. that was the building that the system had repeatedly warned him about, and the black gold system had even clearly stated that it might drop ancient laws. it was blissful. richard stepped through the tall stone door in high spirits. the interior of the obelisk appeared before his eyes. the inside of the obelisk was hollow, like a cylinder, unlike what he had imagined. the stone walls gave off an indestructible and heavy feeling. that started from the bottom. one has carved a circular staircase in the wall that rose one ring at a time until it reached the top. he turned his gaze, and the strange scene in the center caught his attention. a broken magic array currently emitted energy. one could see thumb-sized dracon statues scattered around the magic array. richard thought of the resurrection characteristics of those troops, and their effects were self-evident. richard frowned afterward. Chapter 964 richard pondered. he walked to the front of the broken magic array. the sand around him picked up a few mini dracon statues on the ground with a wave of his hand. however, he sensed it and found that the magic power had disappeared. it had all become ordinary. richard looked at the shattered magic circle. he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little regretful. it would be blissful if one controlled such a magic array. it could continuously revive. that was the power of a natural disaster. the surroundings exploded for a long time. richard confirmed he couldn¡¯t find anything okay. he no longer lingered. he brought loreinna along and walked up the circular staircase carved into the wall. the obelisk was more than 50 meters tall, and the length of the circular staircase was not short. he walked for a while. then, he reached the top. he looked down and saw that the broken magic array at the bottom of the obelisk had become the size of a thumb. he retracted his gaze, and he stepped onto the last step. the above archway was semi-circular. richard passed through it and froze wide-eyed. the square was spacious. the magic lamp illuminated the surroundings. the light was sufficient and not dim at all. he turned and saw a treasure chest that shone with rainbow light on the east side. ¡°rainbow treasure chest!¡± he was in a good mood. that was a top-notch treasure chest that could open a glorious treasure! three giant statues eight meters tall and more stood on the side of the treasure chest. these statues had the heads of giant dragons and sharp limbs. their power-filled muscles bulged. a pair of dragon wings grew on its back as if it wanted to spread its wings and fly. it held a strange, long-handled weapon, and its body emitted brutality and madness. even just a glance made one feel uncomfortable. richard laughed. ¡°i¡¯ve finally found you!¡± and just as the players said, there were three of them! ¡°that was a f*cking transcendent troop lair!¡± ¡°it was truly priceless!¡± transcendent troops were well-deserved trump cards, even if they were top-notch native forces! now, richard had obtained three troop lairs of this level at once! just these three extraordinary troop lairs alone would be a bloody profit even if there were nothing to gain from the capture of the obelisk this time. he took a few deep breaths and could not suppress the excitement in his heart. he calmed down and could not bear to look away. a broken magic circle with a similar aura to the bottom of the obelisk came into view in front of the statue. richard frowned slightly and could not help but carefully sense. he immediately found a familiar aura of the transcendent dragon. this magic array! could one revive the transcendent dragon descendant? he was somewhat bewildered. then why didn¡¯t the other party resurrect? this thought arose, and he immediately thought of kratos¡¯s last move. it smashed the head of the transcendent dragon. that was the boss. it devoured the other party¡¯s soul. the dark soul eater was a boss from a high-level demon of the abyss, the soul eater. it was not a good being. ¡°it is fate.¡± richard¡¯s expression was rather subtle. ¡°one could revive the transcendent dragon descendant if it were someone else.¡± ¡°i can still make the attacker suffer a huge loss, although i don¡¯t know how many times it can revive even if i do it once.¡± ¡°unless you have the power to crush the obelisk.¡± no wonder the players on the forum complained about the difficulty of capturing the obelisk. how could the players at the current stage deal with such a defensive force? the system broadcasted the first player to conquer the obelisk. that made sense. richard collected his scattered thoughts and walked forward happily. he first looked at the three ferocious statues. [dragon wing statue] [level: transcendent 1-star] [recruitable troops: evil dragon wings (transcendence 1-star)] [recruitment quantity: 20] [weekly production: 10] [recruitment requirement: 20,000 units of gemstones, 20,000 units of sulfur] [description: you can recruit transcendent soldiers, the wings of the evil dragon. they have the power of the five-colored evil dragon and represent destruction and death.] [transcendent 1-star, evil dragon wings!] richard¡¯s heart trembled as he read the attributes. it was not that he did not have any transcendent troops. the evil spreader, a soldier he snatched from the tower race¡¯s plane right under lolita¡¯s nose. she also possessed terrifying power. however, evil spreaders were suitable for preaching and were not battle-type soldiers. moreover, they had vast restrictions. one can only recruit one evil spreader at a time. one couldn¡¯t recruit a second one before the first evil spreader died. now, one had placed three transcendent troop lairs! that was a transcendent troop! it had transcendent as a precondition enough to explain, even if it was only a 1-star! and more importantly, he could use the strange item he had just obtained, the dragon blood tower! this reward was a set! ¡°hahahaha, this feels good!¡± however, the smile on his face froze again when richard saw the resources required for recruitment. [recruitment requirement: 20,000 gemstones, 20,000 sulfur] ¡°an evil dragon wing required 40,000 units of rare resources.¡± now, the three troop lairs had a total production of 60 evil dragon wings. he would cumulate 2.4 million units after recruitment. that recruitment was the first time. richard could produce 30 every week, 120 per month. that meant 4.8 million units of rare resources. and this did not include the +2 weekly production of each soldier the dragon tower had provided. Chapter 965 these were not transcendent troops. these were three gold-devouring beasts!! the monthly expenditure of rare resources in twilight city was already in the tens of millions with these three troop lairs. his liver ached at the thought of such an exaggerated expenditure. he gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°we would expand our income! otherwise, we couldn¡¯t level up if this continued. the current production of troops alone could crush twilight city.¡± the resources required by high-level troops were simply insane. there weren¡¯t many transcendent soldiers in a top force like solan city. that was no wonder. it would hurt anyone who came. richard shook his head. he looked at the rainbow treasure chest beside him. he was no stranger to this treasure chest. he had obtained one in the death arena during his second large-scale dungeon. richard stepped forward and bent down to open it. ¡®creak!¡¯ a remarkable sound rang out. the seven-colored light gradually lit up as it opened the treasure chest. the surrounding vision was blurred. the colorful light gradually disappeared after a few breaths. richard stared at the treasure chest. one had placed a mini warhammer at the bottom of the treasure chest. the warhammer was only the length of a palm, but it gave off a feeling of being as heavy as a mountain. richard reached out and took out the mini warhammer, but as soon as he left the treasure chest, he felt a heavy feeling in his hand, and the weight increased rapidly. he pondered. he swung the warhammer. ¡®clang!¡¯ sparks flew, and they crashed into the ground. the warhammer grew in the wind. it fell to the ground with a bang. the entire ground shook for a moment. at this moment, the mini warhammer disappeared without a trace. a six-meter-long warhammer replaced it. the long-bronze-handled warhammer had a flat head with spikes on one end. a fist-sized hole was on the side of its head. one had used and embedded something. but there was nothing embedded in it. the entire warhammer didn¡¯t bear any extra carvings. it reflected a bronze luster. it gave people a sense of oppression as heavy as mount tai. [teda warhammer] [level: 5-stars] [skills: heavy mountain (a-rank), indestructible (a-rank), heavy armor penetration (a-rank), sweep in all directions (a-rank), and mountain crushing (a-rank)] [special characteristic: it wields the teda warhammer. it consumes twice the stamina and increases 50% of the user¡¯s strength; ten times increase at 300%.] [description: a 5-star weapon forged by a legendary teda blacksmith. it possesses great power. you can find a suitable gem to embed on the warhammer. it can upgrade to a glorious weapon.] [5-stars treasure.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. his attributes were still top-notch, although he hadn¡¯t reached glorious. moreover, this warhammer was a perfect match for kratos. ¡°could it be that whoever kills the transcendent that guarded the obelisk will drop equipment that the other party can use?¡± that lost richard in thought. however, he was too lazy to think about it. he would study the next obelisk. he looked at the exaggerated warhammer. his mood became even better. something broke kratos¡¯s weapon. its battle would increase a lot if he exchanged it for this 5-stars warhammer. richard acquired yet another top-tier treasure and had thought of something. he turned to sense it. however, there was nothing else in this space than the statue of the dragon¡¯s wings and the treasure chest. he felt slightly disappointed. the ancient rules he mostly looked forward to obviously did not exist in this obelisk. ¡°as expected, this kind of thing is not easy to obtain¡­ it was a drop from the obelisk of large or giant planes.¡± richard calmed down and didn¡¯t mind. the harvest this time was already exaggerated enough. his gaze landed on the statue of the dragon¡¯s wings. he had strong expectations for this extraordinary soldier. he opened his attribute panel and looked at the recruitment column. [ding~ do you wish to consume 800,000 units of resources to recruit dragon wings (x20)?] richard did not hesitate. two and four hundred million units of rare resources immediately disappeared from the interface. that dropped to just over 500,000 units. the statue before him immediately moved after he spent a vast amount of resources. ¡®kacha!¡¯ a crisp cracking sound came from behind the statue of the evil dragon¡¯s wings. in the next second, a ferocious figure broke out of the shell. ¡®swoosh!¡¯ the dark red dragon wings flapped fiercely. that stirred up a strong wind, and his figure quickly rose. richard saw its appearance after he passed the statue. it was a life form with a ferocious dragon head. it was mighty and over five meters tall. it emitted a brutal and evil aura. the wrinkled-covered dragon wings on its back had defensive power one could feel. the barbs in front of the dragon were sharper than spears. they become a killing weapon once they swooped down to attack. the monster held a strange, long-handled weapon in its hand. its head was triangular and hollow, similar to the stationery used when reading books with triangular rulers. however, the monster looked particularly fierce in its hand. it would make one¡¯s back go numb, even if it were just a glance from afar. [evil dragon wings] [transcendent troop] each of them required 40,000 units of rare resources to recruit. the price was so high that it left people speechless. this soldier was their trump card, even if it were a native force. the birth of the first dragon¡¯s wings made it unable to fly due to restrictions. it flapped its wings several times until it landed on the ground. it stood firm, scanned the area, and immediately found richard¡¯s voice. it strode over to richard at once. this transcendent soldier knelt most humbly. ¡°my lord, your loyal servant sends you the highest regards. may the darkness protect you.¡± richard laughed in satisfaction. the evil dragon wings were not non-battle troops like the evil spreader. they were the most ferocious killing machines! that was of great significance in a turbulent situation. one, two, three! these transcendents gave off a powerful sense of oppression and incessantly broke the shell behind the statue. the scene was like a summer cicada that shed its shell. the surrounding space had already become narrow at the birth of all the evil dragon wings. richard looked at the oppressive scene before him and was extremely satisfied. he owned another trump card in his hands from today onwards. he could unleash an immense destructive power if a top-tier hero commanded the six teams of evil dragon wings. richard opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel with anticipation. however, he was about to take a closer look when a pressure like the collapse of a mountain and the gush of thousands of rivers filled the sky. at this moment, the space seemed to be frozen. his heart thumped wildly. richard turned his head to look behind him. a look of surprise flashed across his eyes. ¡°kratos! has the transformation been completed?¡± he could not be bothered to look at the attributes of the evil dragon wings. he immediately waved his hand and led everyone downstairs. the obelisk remained. he stepped out of the towering stone door. he looked around and immediately saw kratos. at this moment, the scars on kratos¡¯s body had all recovered. the other party stood on the ground like a majestic mountain. the entire world seemed to rotate under its feet. it was like the other party could shatter the world and destroy everything at any moment. kratos¡¯s eyes gradually regained clarity. the aura of the collapsing space around it slowly stabilized. then, the transformed top-tier boss gradually walked up to richard. it neatly knelt on one knee. endless fanaticism filled its tone. ¡°my lord, thank you for your gift!¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already stepped into transcendence and possess even soul-crushing power! ¡°from today onwards, i will be the sharpest saber in your hands. i will cut through all the thorns for you!¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up at the sight. in the end, this boss still took the final step. twilight city nurtured four transcendents. that was from today onwards. the god¡¯s ancient tree could devour bodies in the rotten swamp to advance if one would include it. the power in richard¡¯s hands had already reached an astonishing level. it waved its hand to get the supernatural boss up. richard strongly opened kratos¡¯s attribute panel. [kratos (dark soul eater)] boss unit [level: 20 (transcendence, all attributes increased by 500%)] [extraordinary characteristic: devouring darkness] Chapter 966 it was an increase in some attributes, although the boss¡¯ skills did not change much overall. however, these skills were already powerful. its battle strength would skyrocket with another wave of improvement. and the uttermost change was the newly activated extraordinary characteristic, the darkness devour. its body would constantly devour the surrounding dark energy to strengthen. at the same time, it could consume the dark energy to amplify the devouring power by a hundred times. it could turn a black hole-like devouring source that could forcefully devour all energy. it could sense its terror from its description, although it had yet to experience the power of this skill. this characteristic strengthened kratos¡¯s extraordinary devouring ability once again! what kind of concept was it to constantly devour the surrounding dark energy to strengthen oneself? in the past, its hit still needed to devour souls. now, it had gone too far to become stronger just by lying down. that was a free trip, although it wasn¡¯t as fast as devouring souls. was there anything in this world happier than a free trip? what made kratos even happier was that the skill that allowed it a high growth rate, soul eater, had been upgraded from beyond a-rank glorious. [soul devourer (glorious) can devour the enemy¡¯s soul to strengthen one¡¯s soul and increase the storage limit of dark power. the current increase was 160,000. an increase of 1,000,000 can activate a new characteristic. this new attribute made kratos¡¯s growth rate soar again. things must continue to develop like this. give this boss three to five years to develop. it would become a king amongst hits peers. kratos¡¯s growth rate was unique. the other bosses in twilight city did not have it. richard smiled. kratos¡¯s advancement to transcendence was a relief to him. next, he would have to wait for the god¡¯s ancient tree to finish devouring the god body of the greed lord. he doesn¡¯t know if the other party would also have a promotion mission. richard was more at ease with the abomination tree than kratos. the dark soul eater hadn¡¯t matured for long. this boss was born from the abomination tree¡¯s corpse. not only did it activate a portion of its abomination power, but it also obtained a wisp of the decay king¡¯s rotten authority. the god¡¯s ancient tree was the leader of twilight city among those of the same level. it fought the dune lord head-on when it invaded twilight city at level 17. the starting point was so high that even a boss like the divine-power-injected dark soul eater could not compare. richard regained his senses. he looked away from kratos and at the extraordinary soldier beside him, the dragon wings. he opened the attribute panel and carefully looked at the attributes of this extraordinary soldier. he read a few times. the smile on his face grew wider. he had an accurate position of the evil dragon wings. the evil dragon wings did not have long-range attacks, although it had wings. a series of skills were related to the melee battle. its extraordinary soldier was powerful enough. its characteristic, evil dragon scale, had perverse attributes. the dragon scales on its body have extremely high defense. physical damage received is reduced by 70%, and magic damage received is reduced by 80%. this damage reduction was simply astounding. in addition, this soldier¡¯s only beyond a-rank sill, evil dragon¡¯s body, was also ferocious. all attributes increase by 300% under ordinary conditions. one can activate bloodline and evil dragon mode. increase body size to eight meters, increase strength by 500%, burn all over the body, cause high temperature damage to enemies within 20 meters, metalize skin, increase defense by 800%, immune to control and instant death skills, immune to poison and curses, duration: that exhausted its stamina. this characteristic was even better than the trump card of twilight city, the dead statue¡¯s dead colossus. moreover, the most soul-crushing thing was infinite time after activation. as long as one had stamina, one could activate it continuously. it was not an exaggeration to say that this skill alone was enough for the evil dragon wings to firmly occupy the top position in twilight city. in addition, there were four a-rank skills¨Cbrutal, raging slash, malevolence, and melee master. the close combat ability of the evil dragon wings was terrifying with these and beyond grade a skills. that was not all. the racial talent, evil dragon soul, was also domineering. one can consume soul power for full recovery on the verge of death. cooldown time: 12 hours. this talent was equivalent to giving evil dragon wings two lives! this soldier was already tough after it possessed extraordinary characteristics. now, it still had a life to spare. richard pondered, and his heart ached for the enemies of the evil dragon wings in the future. he finally managed to slash the evil dragon¡¯s wings to the last breath, but the opponent suddenly resurrected healthily. that would cause a person¡¯s mentality to collapse. moreover, he had obtained three dragon wing lairs this time. he could produce 36 dragon wings weekly together with the strange item, the dragon blood tower. it didn¡¯t seem like many, but even if there was just one more team of soldiers of this level, no one dared to underestimate them. richard calmed down. he looked to his side. ¡°loreinna, go and retrieve the lair of the evil dragon wings.¡± he had come hastily out and had not taken away the troop lair. it would be a pain in the ass if someone took advantage of the gap to get there first, although he placed the troop lair in the wild and could be recruitable in the future. loreinna nodded and immediately returned to the obelisk. not long after, she returned with three miniature dragon wings statues. Chapter 967 ¡®rumble!¡¯ the earth shook violently. it was like a mountain collapsed. he subconsciously turned around. the obelisk that towered into the clouds rapidly sank. the strong impact caused large cracks to appear on the ground. the giant stones that built the obelisk collapsed rapidly. it was like one removed the lowest support in building blocks. they ruined the towering tower in less than a minute. the thick smoke that rose almost covered the sky. the dust choked richard¡¯s nose. he wanted to send someone to do a second search. he frowned afterward. ¡°was the lair the core of the obelisk? or something must have connected the lair to some magic array? will the obelisk collapse at the loss of the lair?¡± richard waved his hand and ordered the troop to investigate the collapsed obelisk again. in the end, it proved that there was indeed nothing inside. richard confirmed no mistake. he no longer hesitated. the troop lair and the colorful treasure chest were already bountiful enough. he looked around and seemed to have thought of something. he waved his hand and ordered his men to bring the players as others watched them over. uneasiness shrouded the players¡¯ faces when they arrived. the presence of the top-notch big shot who could decide fate with a single word made them uncomfortable. they first saw the tall and imposing kratos when they arrived. richard wasn¡¯t around. they immediately looked at each other and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°this hero! didn¡¯t it die in battle?¡± ¡°how?! how had he revived?¡± ¡°and the other party¡¯s aura was transcendent!¡± ¡°does this hero own the aura that crushed the void just now?¡± the expressions of the players became rather interesting. no wonder qingqiu would let this hero fight against the transcendents alone! it turned out that qingqiu had a method to revive!! the muscular warrior player gulped. his emotions turned complicated. he should have thought of this earlier. who would be willing to let a hero like kratos die? he could only blame himself for being too short-sighted. he had only seen a few treasures that could revive him. he had received an enormous impact! the muscular warrior player did not think in this direction. kratos had resurrected. everything made sense now! why did he become a transcendent? the muscular warrior player felt a little stifled. put him to death and then live? or was it because he had killed the extraordinary dragon descendant? this way, qingqiu had three transcendents!! the transcendent vampire had slayed the raging blood duke instantly. the ferocious centaur and the evil hero had slayed a transcendent with a level 19 body. a total of three transcendents! no, not only that! and that golden lion! the greed lord¡¯s mount had also submitted to qingqiu!! four of them! that dried the muscular warrior player¡¯s mouth. it was like he was in a dream. ¡°that was a f*cking transcendent. a transcendent has the ultimate battle power that could hold up the sky. in the native forces, they were big shots with vast authority.¡± ¡°but now, the other party had four!!¡± ¡°f*ck your grandpa¡¯s metal bucket!¡± everyone came to the ¡°shining era¡± together, so why was qingqiu so powerful? is there still a place for good people to live? he pondered again at this point. that transcendent! it beheaded the soul-startling greed lord. he could no longer say anything. the muscular player could only forcefully suppress his emotions as they surged. he secretly gritted his teeth. he swore he would never compare himself to qing qiu again. that was pure abuse. the muscular warrior player didn¡¯t even have the right to stand behind and watch this kind of pervert, let alone compete!! ¡°lord richard!¡± richard was in a good mood. he looked at the respectful players. he smiled. ¡°the information you provided me about the obelisk has been crucial. what reward do you want?¡± that immediately perked up others when they heard it. they unanimously looked at the muscular warrior player. the warrior player firmly shook his head. ¡°lord richard, to work with you is already an honor. we are not worthy of your gifts.¡± richard fell silent. he added afterward. ¡°our guild is on the shores of the fog sea. we hope to trade in ell.¡± ¡°your territory has the corresponding specialties. we can help you sell them.¡± ¡°there are specialties by the sea that the desert doesn¡¯t have. we are willing to supply you at cost price¡­¡± that was a clever choice. richard thought highly of this muscular warrior player. the benefits he gained from conquering a dimension were a few portions of the occupied plane. the follow-up was the paramount part. what did a plane with a large population and a complete administrative system mean? ¡°the labor market, production base, raw material production area, dumping market.¡± ¡°wait, wait, wait.¡± besides, richard mostly valued the connection of ell with various regions. they were at the seashore and could directly develop trade into the desert through the ell plane. what did this mean? that meant unlimited business opportunities. his thoughts wandered. can he quickly open a trade network and connect to all the corners of the mortal plane? moreover, this trading network did not require the system to pay a high tax of 30% of the value of the goods. that was an irresistible temptation for any faction that wanted to grow stronger. they would still invest a lot of resources even if the native forces did not know the ancient rules in the obelisk. Chapter 968 richard¡¯s sounded relaxed. ¡°you guys can continue to stay in ell. i will ask tundel to reserve a base for your guild. ¡°next, you can use the information advantage of the players to help tundel rebuild the ell plane. ¡°you should know how much you can earn from this. ¡°this is your reward. i can bring you to participate in more planes. just do well.¡± he finished speaking and looked at them meaningfully. ¡°i don¡¯t have an organized player faction in my hands¡­¡± he gave people unlimited space to think before he could finish his sentence. their gazes became heated. who was this person before them? qingqiu was undoubtedly the number one player! he slaughtered a god and had four transcendents in his hands. his influence was something that even the guild leaders of the top guilds could not compare to. at this moment, they extended olive branches to the big shot!! the muscular warrior player replied loudly. ¡°lord richard, we will do our best and not disappoint you!¡± richard was a golden leg for them to hug. the muscular warrior player would beat himself to death when he went back if he couldn¡¯t hold it this time. richard nodded. twilight city was still small, although it showed strength to the public. however, only richard knew how big twilight city was. currently, less than ten thousand residents are in the entire territory. the administrative system was even cruder. it was simply nonsense to manage a plane. the underground world also took half a year to digest it. for now, the ell plane still needed the system controlled by tundel to stand up and govern. he didn¡¯t need to manage it. he only needed to let the other party advance according to his ideas. the ell plane would naturally submit to twilight city like the underworld when twilight city had advanced. richard continued to in-depthly converse with the players without thinking much. the topic of conversation ranged from the future development of ell to the specialties of the seashore they marked as their territory, as well as cross-plane trade. richard ended the conversation after more than an hour on his own accord. then he remembered to ask who these players belonged to. the muscular warrior players replied with a bitter smile. ¡°lord richard, our guild is in the far mountains near the fog sea. the guild is also called the farmountains guild.¡± ¡°just over a hundred players were there, and the lord players account for one-third of the total.¡± richard nodded thoughtfully. his attitude towards the players had always been neutral and impartial. he couldn¡¯t reject the cooperation of those who bring benefits. a guild by the sea wouldn¡¯t threaten twilight city. their contribution would benefit the city. richard would first contact them for some time. he could do other operations if he could use them in the future. he was not interested in establishing a player guild. players without the ability to revive were weaker than natives. however, dark work would be possible if he could turn a guild into a supernumerary force. richard got the information he needed. he stopped talking nonsense. he sent a few skeleton blood dragons back to lion city. he summoned the void sandworms and opened the spatial gate. he stepped into the land of quicksand again and felt a scorching aura that surged over him. a sense of familiarity immediately arose in his heart. the desert was his foundation. richard was in a good mood as he watched the troop return through the spatial gate. he started from january 25th to february 7th. it took him less than ten days. this battle ended much faster than he had expected. the enemies of ell, the raging blood duke, and the greed lord had all died in this war. he also wiped the troops under his command when a dark aura transformed them into demons. the greed lord died in battle. he waited for tundel to clean up the entire ell kingdom and eliminate the rebellious forces afterward. then, the ell plane went under his control. twilight city included the ell plane under its rule after two months of preparation or more. this expedition must have been fruitful. richard pondered and calculated his gains from this campaign. firstly, there was no doubt that ell had a large population. that was a complete plane. its value was immeasurable, although richard would take some time to settle down. twilight city would receive a generous help than the underworld with the subsequent development. the population, talents, resources, troops, market, productivity, and so on, and so on will be helpful. he had perfectly accomplished his goal of taking the ell kingdom into his possession. secondly, he slayed the greed lord. richard defeated the abyss ruler who controlled the 120th level of the abyss and was the greatest supporter of the raging blood duke in this war. their divine bodies became his spoils of war, although he failed to obtain the treasures he expected from the greed lord. he used demonized corpses on the battlefield to feed the rotten swamp. furthermore, the golden lion had submitted to him. the appearance of the greed lord made the victory of the ell kingdom blissfully glorious, wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say. the glorious points he obtained after he slayed the gods and the high reputation established among the players were all assets he could not ignore. thirdly, he captured the obelisk. taking down the obelisk had elevated kratos to transcendence. that increased the number of powers he had to an outrageous four. in addition, he also obtained a long-handled warhammer that perfectly matched kratos from the colorful treasure chest. moreover, one embedded a suitable gem in this weapon and could upgrade from glorious 5-stars. the fact that the obelisk might reveal important information about the ancient rules was also a massive fortune. one could obtain enormous benefits if one had used it well. finally, he had obtained three remarkable lairs. they were the evil dragon wings. that was the first batch of battle-type extraordinary soldiers in twilight city. their battle strength was so fierce one could consider it odd with their extraordinary characteristics. some minor details were present other than these main benefits. he divided these three big pieces of profit into more than ten pieces. any one of them would make players jealous. at this moment, everything belonged to him. tundel pacified the ell kingdom, and it would continue to generate profits for twilight city. extraordinary heroes, extraordinary troops, a large population, a large area of land, and abundant resources were a wave of generous growth. these could reinforce the foundation of twilight city after this battle. richard had enough confidence to deal with the unknown, although no one knew the future. richard pondered. he subconsciously turned his head and looked at the spatial rift. the dwarf god sealed that rift. he could sense the rotten smell of swamp mud in the air, even from a great distance. the light in his eyes was subtle as he muttered softly. ¡°the king of decay¡­¡± Chapter 969 richard also had a few days of rare relaxation and was in no hurry to do anything. everything in twilight city developed within the established framework. karu sat in the living room after lunch and sipped the hot tea the maid had made. ¡°lord, vale has sent news¡­¡± richard put down his teacup and said, ¡°what is it?¡± butler karu calmed and said seriously. ¡°vale said that the nobles in solan city are talking about your identity as the grace mainland overlord.¡± ¡°especially the heated discussion¡­ you slayed the lord of greed.¡± he finished speaking, and richard couldn¡¯t help but become excited. he didn¡¯t expect his conquest of ell would be such a big deal. he expected a longer process. he was already mentally prepared for a protracted battle. however, he had conquered ell and killed the lord in less than two weeks!! that was the lord of greed! this evil god who wielded the power of greed had a soaring reputation in the mortal plane. the seven sins of evil almost become a fixed villain the light sect used to intimidate their believers. one could imagine how powerful the impact of an existence of this level that fell at the hands of their ruler. it was no wonder that vale¡¯s letter was so detailed about this news. karu sighed, and he continued. ¡°the ruler of solan city, the legendary ascetic, sent a second message yesterday. he wants to meet you. ¡°her highness christy brought this news.¡± richard¡¯s eyes moved slightly. his expression did not change. billions of viewers had witnessed the battle because of the live stream. it was impossible to hide what happened in ell. he was already mentally prepared for the storm that this matter would cause. ¡°did that grand duke of solan say anything?¡± butler karu said in a deep voice. ¡°his excellency said he wanted to talk to you about plane development.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. had it started? he conquered the ell plane, and he immediately sensed the business opportunity. as long as he controlled enough dimensions, he could open trade routes to various regions of the mortal plane. that was a temptation that no faction could resist. of course, this was what the other party said on the surface. richard can¡¯t tell. did the grand duke of solan, a legendary ascetic, discover the obelisk? that was what he valued the most. ¡°send a message back to vale. i will make a trip to solan city at the end of the month. at that time, i will meet with the grand duke of solan.¡± ¡°yes, lord!¡± butler karu immediately nodded. richard seemed to have thought of something. his tone was a little happy. ¡°has the research and development of the elven music box made great progress?¡± master karu also looked happy. ¡°that¡¯s right, my lord. the sacred-blood dwarves entered the fortress city, and they greatly accelerated the development of the eleven music box. now, they have officially entered the mass production stage.¡± ¡°we can produce 100 units with the current production.¡± they could only produce two or three elven music box a month a few months ago. compared to that, they had made a vast improvement. that intrigued richard. ¡°not bad. you swiftly soared. but these numbers aren¡¯t enough. ¡°we need more! ¡°ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times! ¡°no matter how much, the market can digest it! ¡°other than the black sorbet ice cream, this is another important resource for us. we have to increase our production at all costs.¡± richard had high expectations for this fantasy mp3. for the poor ¡°shining era,¡± a magic music box that could play music was undoubtedly an irresistible temptation. moreover, he had asked fortress city to change their research direction to something similar to their foundation. now, the elven music box was just a simple player. and the carrier of music was another item. it could also be called a fantasy cd or tape. richard could still sell a steady stream of recordings afterward. the income from the tape would also become the highlight. richard could expand into more industries in the future. that was more interesting. that included star creation, cultural claims, and even advertisements. the explosive industry would make anyone tremble once they formed the eleven music boxes. there were many wise people. it¡¯s not about that people worked in this direction. however, fortress city had inherited the complete system of the gray-colored dwarves. and now there were hundreds of sacred-blood dwarves who had inherited divine knowledge. he was ahead of everyone in the development of the elven music box. he could eat the most fatty meat before everyone could react as long as he was fast enough. they couldn¡¯t do anything regardless of whether the players knew about this. everything was just a dream without enough talent. master karu was also excited. he knew about the extraordinary eleven music box. he knew how much potential this alchemy item had. he took a few of these products and used them to check them. however, he felt an itch in his heart when he used them. he had to listen to them every day. moreover, a rare dark elf in the underground world sang in the elven music box. that beautiful song captivated the listeners. one would buy one even if he had to take out his trump card if he were to see an elven music box outside. richard continued. ¡°karu, how has the sacred-blood dwarf developed the anti-theft elven music box?¡± Chapter 970 the ¡°shining era¡± didn¡¯t have any copyright protection. what could one do if others could create it? butler karu spoke with admiration. ¡°the sacred-blood dwarf is indeed worthy of the blood of the gods. its knowledge is admirable. ¡°they came up with a few remarkable methods. ¡°first, they used a unique energy source to compress the elemental energy into the crystal. ¡°one can only use our elven music box by purchasing energy from us. ¡°it will cause damage to the elven music box if the energy source is inappropriate. ¡°second, complicated magic array uses the knowledge inherited by the gods. only the dwarf god can understand it. it¡¯s superbly arduous for outsiders to crack it. ¡°third, the fixed upgrade of the magic array. you can upgrade it for free once every six months or a year following the description of it. ¡°fourth, you mentioned that we must create the elven music tape to activate the elven music box.¡± richard smiled. ¡°what if someone bypassed the elven music box and developed their exclusive music box? ¡°they wouldn¡¯t be needing our methods.¡± butler karu didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°we have discussed this in detail and concluded that this method is inevitable and difficult to ignore. ¡°therefore, the best way is to occupy the market as soon as possible and make our elven music box everyone needs. this way, other loyal clients couldn¡¯t quickly abandon us because of the cost despite our competitors. ¡°in addition, we can also do some homework from the contents of the elven music box.¡± ¡°for example, we can release a higher-quality elven music tape and allow more talents to participate in the choices of songs.¡± ¡°would a person give up our magic sound boxes if this one has hundreds of songs??¡± that answer satisfied richard. karu examined this matter with all his heart. moreover, he also keeps a broad mind. it wasn¡¯t in vain that he had often instilled all kinds of modern ideas into richard during this period. ¡°how much is a single elven music box?¡± butler karu smiled bitterly. ¡°each elven music box now requires 500 units of rare resources because the function design deviated from the original version. ¡°the elven music tapes require 100 units of rare resources.¡± a set of elven music boxes would cost 600 units of rare resources. richard pondered. ¡°where are the energy crystals of the elven music box? ¡°the sacred-blood dwarves¡¯ alchemy magic array transforms and suppresses the energy crystal. the production cost is only ten units of crystals. ¡°have you discussed the price with vale? ¡°elven music box and elven magic tapes set, one costs 1,000 units of rare resources. ¡°the elven music box costs 500, and the elven music tape costs 300 if you buy them separately. each costs a rare resource. ¡°energy crystals are 30 units each.¡± richard nodded. the price was reasonable. this thing was different from the black sorbet ice cream. one couldn¡¯t sell it at a low price. there was a limit to the production capacity. it was not a consumable product. it would be too wasteful to use the method of small profits but quick turnover in the early stages of this durable product. right now, there was a blank market before him. what he needed was to produce the items and rob them. it was that simple. vale had asked around solan city for news about it, although they hadn¡¯t sold yet. the aborigines did not have much spiritual life. they had a vast demand for products such as elven music boxes. ¡°try your best to increase production capacity and reduce costs. ¡°our competitors will multiply soon.¡± richard was calm. ¡°therefore, we will suspend the sale before the daily production reaches 1,000 units. ¡°also, let the sacred-blood dwarves start their research on the next version of the elven music box. we need to consider innovative products. ¡°we also need to improve that elven music box that can display images i told you last time. ¡°we couldn¡¯t do these in one or two months. they require a long period of investment. the earlier we start, the earlier we can see the results.¡± richard had just obtained three extraordinary troop lairs. his desire for resources soared to a higher level. the consumption of resources for high-level troops was too terrifying. losses would suck twilight city dry if they just relied on the expansion of financial resources. richard couldn¡¯t rely on the rich resource points around him to develop like other forces. the underground world and ell plane had their situations. the best way to grow was to develop products with strong competitiveness. he had black sorbet, whitetail wine, elven music box, and other resource products like desert crown honey and the desert crown robe as his treasured resources. richard tasted the sweetness. he continued to dig deeper into this area. they chatted for a long time and discussed the future development of the elven music box. they repeatedly reminded fortress city to put the music box as the first research priority. richard incessantly talked about this matter and continued until the next topic. ¡°how¡¯s the expansion of the raw materials for the black sorbet going?¡± he wanted to create a fantasy world version of coca-cola, and the cheap and low-cost black sorbet had the potential to do so. this kind of jelly food that could bring absolute coldness could be a great killing weapon in the depths of the desert. ¡°the number of plantation bases in the underground world has expanded to 30, and fortress city produced 15 alchemy harvesters.¡± ¡°the eternal land still expanded rapidly. it was because of several uncertain factors. in addition, we still need to build an eternal city. we have only temporarily set up an agricultural area and haven¡¯t started sowing yet.¡± richard nodded. ¡°how is the efficiency of the alchemy harvester? is it useful as planned?¡± butler karu responded delightedly. ¡°it¡¯s comparable to the work efficiency of fifty to sixty people. we have further improved it. it will get even better.¡± the appearance of large machinery made harvesting and sowing extremely convenient. that had saved a vast labor. it had spared more people to complete other tasks. richard nodded. he felt much better. he no longer asked questions. butler karu organized his words and spoke slowly. ¡°the white-tailed cats have just developed a new four-stars wine with the help of the sacred-blood dwarves. Chapter 971 each of their production would yield. they could expand the market and sell them everywhere if they could develop more flavors of black frozen sorbet. one could develop business in the ¡°shining era¡± than planet blue. transportation, manufacturing costs, self-research and development, and market environment limited them. one couldn¡¯t mention the quantity of goods in the same breath. however, some expert people could move the modern things of planet blue with the entry of 20 billion players. however, the reality was that the native forces had already occupied the absolute market, and the extreme ostracism of those who had already gained benefits left the weaker players with no room to display their abilities. it would be arduous to develop in the cities of the natives even if they did come up with something good. only a few could make a name for themselves. however, they became inconspicuous in the vast mortal plane. no one competed with richard¡¯s black sorbet. nothing could threaten him. butler karu sighed. ¡°lord richard, the food workshop has begun research and development in this area. we swiftly progressed because of the additional sacred-blood dwarves. ¡°we could see results in a week at most according to the current research and development speed.¡± twilight city injected strong and fresh vitality into all walks of life after hundreds of dwarves who had awakened their divine bloodlines joined twilight city. that had generously boosted the development of twilight city without a doubt. karu must be curious at times like this. was his lord not the incarnation of a powerful god? otherwise, how could he get so many good things? richard nodded, somewhat pleased. the dwarf god activated and transformed the sacred-blood dwarves into hero units. each had the knowledge inheritance of the gnomes. they were more comprehensive than ordinary heroes. these were the gains from their conquest of the underground world. butler karu discussed this matter, and richard did not dwell on it and changed the topic. ¡°we will build these remarkable buildings tomorrow. these include the school, church, and tavern. there are still too few buildings in the city.¡± each building had a different effect. richard felt a little helpless. the buildings in the city must have remained unimproved for long. the workers had added a few food workshops at most during this period. only a few new buildings stood still. ¡°yes, my lord. i will arrange the mission later.¡± richard nodded and continued. ¡°how have the sacred-blood dwarves helped in the attack technology in the blacksmith shop?¡± ¡°the progress quickly soared with the help of the sacred-blood dwarves. we estimated to successfully develop the three special technologies you requested in two weeks.¡± that comforted richard. twilight city was still a level 3 medium city and had yet to reach the three remarkable technologies required to upgrade to a big city. the feeling of being stuck in technology was too uncomfortable. richard met all the other conditions, but he couldn¡¯t advance. a medium-scaled twilight city wasn¡¯t enough to meet the growing scale. moreover, the initially-owned area didn¡¯t suffice, with the expansion of the food workshop and the construction of new residential buildings. twilight city would face the dilemma of not having any space to build new buildings in the city if they couldn¡¯t level up. they predicted that the progress of the underground world would be on the right track with the ell plane in their custody. and twilight city would welcome a wave of explosion. land was a necessary resource if they wanted to develop. richard suppressed his emotions. he continued to ask. ¡°is there any news from ell?¡± butler karu sounded more energetic. ¡°my lord, her royal highness tundel has arrived at the capital of ell this morning. she is persuading the enemies in the city to surrender and has yet to launch an attack. ¡°we could reclaim the capital and regain control of the kingdom of ell with miss emily around.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the ell kingdom caught his generous interest. that was the central city of a plane. that was the capital of a kingdom. there must still be a lot of resources and treasures despite the raging blood duke¡¯s plunder. butler karu couldn¡¯t stop talking. his eyes appeared more solemn. ¡°however, almost all the houses were empty wherever her royal highness passed. that was according to gunter.¡± ¡°raging blood duke had massacred a multitude of cities and towns. the traitor reduced a rough estimate of 70% from the ell population.¡± richard frowned. ¡°he massacred 70%?!¡± his face turned cold. richard saw the town state on his journey in pursuit of the obelisk. but he had prepared a salute and was not too surprised. however, he regretted having slaughtered the cruel raging blood duke so quickly. he has sacrificed millions of people to the evil god just like that! he really should take it out and whip his corpse! the population was an extremely precious resource. the value of ell plane would undoubtedly lose a lot with a few people. that caused the discount of his gains this time. ¡°get tundel to do the statistics. i need to know more accurate data.¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± richard no longer wanted to talk. he waved his hand and let karu leave. the room quieted down. killing intent shrouded richard¡¯s face. Chapter 972 the raging blood duke had gained precious time to make ample preparations as a precaution. that also made his gains much smaller, although the outcome was good. richard shook his head. he hadn¡¯t drunk much about it. who could ensure their safety in the face of the possible attack of the abyss of the evil god? he had to be careful. he couldn¡¯t say anything wrong. however, he could still improve some of the methods. he just had to learn from them in the future. he set this matter aside. he stood and walked out of the hall. he subconsciously looked at the row of soldiers in the corner of the front yard. the three statues with dragon wings especially made him smile. he took a few steps forward and touched the cold statue like a treasure. it was like a child got his favorite toy. that was a transcendent troop lair. ¡®tsk tsk tsk, comfortable.¡¯ ¡°lord richard?¡± a crisp sound echoed from behind him. that interrupted richard¡¯s appreciation of his spoils. he turned around and saw a tall and elegant figure appear before him. the other party wore a black work uniform the tailor had specially designed for the blacksmith shop. it fitted her. the yellow riding boots on her feet made her legs look remarkably slender. the long-handled copper hammer on her back was a head taller than her. that made her temperament change from a girl-next-door to valiance. ¡°adele.¡± the twilight city treasure had been under the imperative blacksmith¡¯s protection. richard smiled. ¡°what? you¡¯re willing to come out of the blacksmith shop?¡± adele almost couldn¡¯t wait to leave her shop as a research maniac. her face was slightly red as she pouted. the heroic girl would only reveal her girlish side before him. in the outside world, she was the first master blacksmith of the blacksmith¡¯s association in bloodhoof city. she was the strict master who taught blacksmiths from the evil faction in the underworld. richard smiled, and his face grew wider. that sorely embarrassed adele. she coughed a few times to suppress her fluctuating emotions. her flushed face pretended to be serious. ¡°lord, i need to go to fortress city.¡± richard shrugged. ¡°haven¡¯t you been in the underground world recently? you can go whenever you want. the sacred-blood dwarves are studying in the blacksmith shop.¡± richard had adopted a free-range approach and allowed her to grow freely. he had nothing to explain remarkably after the other party said half a month ago that he had touched the threshold of a master blacksmith. the growth of lifestyle classes was different from ordinary ones. the girl¡¯s eyes immediately curved into crescents when she heard his words. trust filled his tone. ¡°this time, i want to bring the transcendent hunter along.¡± the transcendent hunter was a transcendent-level mechanical puppet he obtained in the first large-scale dungeon in the ¡°shining era.¡± however, enemies had severely damaged it. it hardly displayed the battle strength of a transcendent. the early stages of the development process played a significant role. that increased the power in richard¡¯s hands. that seriously damaged mechanical puppet required tons of mithril to repair. later, he put the mechanical puppet in the blacksmith shop and let adele study it. ¡°i¡¯ll leave the transcendent hunter to you. just tear it apart afterward.¡± richard chuckled. he is now genuinely wealthy. he had four transcendents. a seriously damaged mechanical puppet was worth a thousand gold to players. that was nothing in his eyes. adele¡¯s gaze appeared gentler. tears shrouded her eyes. ¡°lord, do you believe me?¡± richard looked at the girl¡¯s subtle emotions and was a little speechless. he stepped forward and rubbed the other party¡¯s head. ¡°no one is more worthy of my trust than you. only two people will follow me to the end. that is if everyone had betrayed me. i firmly believe that the other will be you.¡± adele¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°lord, i will not let you down!¡± she spoke and bowed solemnly. she was like a fanatic of a god. the young lady unhesitantly turned around to leave afterward. the copper hammer on her back was especially eye-catching at this moment. richard felt that the young lady could do something spectacular. he no longer delved deeply into this matter. his trust in adele overwhelmed him. ¡°i hope that the next time we meet, you can give me more surprises, like treasures.¡± richard laughed heartily and looked away. at this moment, a familiar sound of an upgrade suddenly sounded in his ears. [ding~ the rotten swamp has devoured enough flesh and soul energy. that had raised the current level from 3 to 4.] [ding~ the area of the rotten swamp has expanded by 10 kilometers. forty kilometers in diameter.] [the number of automatically produced troop lairs weekly was three. the maximum number one can do had increased by 10. the current number is 40, and the maximum is 50. number of troops: 3,000 (glorious 3-stars)] [we could raise the level of the self-produced troop lair from crown 3-stars. crown to radiant moon 3-stars. one can soar the troop lair one has produced and recruited. one can raise lower levels to radiant moon 3-stars after one consumes flesh and soul energy.] [ding~ the rotten swamp (spear of slaughter) has leveled to 18. its potential rose to beyond a-rank, and all skills by one level.¡± the moment the system notification sounded, a surge of joy shrouded richard. ****** Chapter 973 that was a land of death for the troops that fought on this land. it was a place of despair where they buried their souls. it was a meaningful place to harvest. the life of a fisherman was always so relaxed. he calmed his emotions and turned to look at an area where the otherworldly troop had not stepped foot. remarkable energy shrouded that place, and outsiders couldn¡¯t see it. he focused and sensed statues of bloody killers that stood there. there were 40 of them. all were his wealth. he could recruit level 15, top-tier soldiers with a crown 3-stars. he had upgraded the rotten swamp to level 4. these troop lairs could already devour flesh and blood to upgrade. the next stage was the radiant moon 3-stars. a blood-mist-covered troop stood peacefully in the mud. the melt of flesh and blood formed it. it had a snake¡¯s tail and a human body. it held a trident in its hand. its eyes were scarlet, and its muscles bulged. it was like a stone statue or a hunter ready to attack the enemy. this troop had a total of 300 squads. the blood slaughterer was a troop born in the rotten swamp. all of them were level 15, crown 3-stars. they could also level up to radiant moon 3-stars after reinforcement in the rotten swamp. this troop could become the new pillar of support for twilight city after promotion! the upper limit of the troop lairs had increased from 40 to 50 in the rotten swamp. fifty teams of bloody slaughterers would drop once one formed the lair with a generous supply of flesh and blood energy. at that time, they would all be radiant moon 3-stars soldiers. that was crucial. twilight city could afford the 50 troop lairs if it had to bear the recruitment resources. the amount of resources required for high-level troops was too exaggerated. richard felt helpless. he had already made plans some time ago he would not reinforce all the troops unconditionally. he upgraded twilight city to crown level. he could not do it with the strands of sand condensation archers, scorpion warriors, and guardian mummies. crown-level soldiers were already the main fighting force among the powerful native forces. they were enough to defend the city. richard had to reserve the resources for the mightier trump cards. the stone statue of the dead, the king of the imperial troop, the wings of the evil dragon, and the sandstorm controller were all worthy of further improvement. richard calmed down, and his eyes darted. the more scarce the resources were, the more he cherished the characteristics of the rotten swamp for free. the undead could become a tyrant in the ¡°shining era.¡± it was indeed blissful to be free. ¡°that¡¯s not all. we can recruit extraordinary soldiers as long as i can upgrade the rotten swamp to level 5.¡± ¡°i look forward to that day.¡± richard yearned to see the rotten swamp recruit hundreds of extraordinary soldiers every week with soul-wrenching hocks. the blood-colored mist before him suddenly condensed rapidly, and a translucent old figure appeared in his sight. ¡°good day, lord richard.¡± richard nodded slightly. ¡°your excellency tai long, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± he gestured at the invisible blood-mist-covered battlefield. ¡°is there any problem with this hunt??¡± tai long slowly shook his head. ¡°everything is under control.¡± he said with a complicated tone. ¡°a golden fruit can make one¡¯s soul tremble and increase one¡¯s bloodline potential. the golden lion can arouse greediness in one¡¯s heart. there¡¯s me who can deceive everyone, and there¡¯s the living earth that can bewitch everyone. i can¡¯t think of anyone below the gods who can break this trap.¡± tai long saw the rotten swamp take shape. otherwise, he would understand how richard could gather so many good things together. however, he fell silent again when he thought of the death of the greed lord. it would not surprise him if the other party were the key to opening a new era. richard did not know what the notorious god thought at the moment. he pondered for a moment. he could not help but ask curiously. ¡°at this rate, how long will it take for the rotten swamp to level up again?¡± transcendent troops weren¡¯t the same as the radiant moon troops. to obtain transcendents for free was an ultimate dream. the god of deception laughed. ¡°lord richard, this revitalized land isn¡¯t simple. ¡°this advancement will usher in a metamorphosis. so the amount of flesh and blood required could be ten times more than you can imagine.¡± richard¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®ten times more than i imagined?¡¯ that was too f*cking awesome. the god of deception continued. ¡°you must upgrade all the troops and their lairs to the same level. that was the prerequisite. ¡°we needed to upgrade the 3,000 crown soldiers to radiant moon. that was not the only one. we also need to increase the lairs from 40 to 50. we also need to reserve enough energy for recruitment every week. ¡°just this consumption alone is already an exaggerated amount of energy. ¡°it¡¯s already quite difficult to satisfy these conditions. it¡¯s even more difficult to break through to rank 5.¡± ¡°moreover, this is under the rotten swamp¡¯s condition of losing innumerable lives.¡± Chapter 974 tai long sounded a little unhappy. ¡°we need to nurture several radiant moon soldiers, although these twenty-some planes have a large population of life forms as the rotten swamp advances. the flesh and blood energy they provide soon couldn¡¯t meet the demand.¡± ¡°moreover, the golden fruit constantly stimulates the rulers of those planes. as their ambitions grow, greed devours reason, and the number of soldiers who die in battle increases. they won¡¯t hold on for long if this continues. ¡°the rotten swamp is now a millstone of flesh and blood. tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of lives fall every day. they can¡¯t afford others to consume them for a long time.¡± richard was at a loss for words. the lives of more than 20 planes were not enough for the rotten swamp. this piece of activated land was simply abnormal. he sighed softly. ¡°the plan to expand the fishing field has to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.¡± this upgrade increased the diameter of the rotten swamp from 30 to 40 kilometers. the area covered was already exaggerated, although it was only 10 kilometers. in addition, the blood-colored mist could blur one¡¯s senses and vision. the swamp could accommodate hundreds of thousands of troops fighting in it, so it would not be crowded. moreover, the bait was already there. it was enough to control the situation with the god of deception as a manipulator. tai long nodded in agreement. ¡°no one can resist the temptation of the golden fruit.¡± what he was most optimistic about in this fishing field was that the god¡¯s ancient tree bore fruit. fake things could deceive people for a while, but they could not to everyone. it was possible to eat it. that was why the bait was tempting. ¡°lord richard, that void sandworm in your hand can be useful. we just have to use it well.¡± richard nodded happily. he deliberately raised them for this. it came in handy. the void sandworm¡¯s body was already close to 90 meters long. that would gradually approach the size of an adult sandworm. that had increased the time it could open a spatial rift significantly. ¡°i will send the void sandworms to the rotten swamp to listen to my orders. your excellency tai long, please continue to help me control the situation.¡± ¡°it¡¯s my duty.¡± the god of deception smiled and nodded. richard suddenly thought of something and whispered when he saw the situation stabilized. ¡°your excellency tai long, have you not discovered the obelisk i mentioned before in these planes?¡± the god of deception noticed the subtlety in his tone and became interested. ¡°lord richard, you seem to have gained something in ell. can you tell me what is inside the obelisk?¡± richard looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes, his eyes narrowed. he thought of the pros and cons. the god of deception was about to speak. he smiled. ¡°i¡¯m suddenly not curious anymore. you don¡¯t have to tell me anymore.¡± he shrugged. ¡°i didn¡¯t realize that these dimensions connected to the naga plane are all dimensions that possess a portion of the power of the stone of the ancient ones. something had riddled these with holes and imperfect dimensions. i¡¯ve never even seen a transcendent.¡± ¡°it wouldn¡¯t have escaped my detection if one hadn¡¯t hidden the obelisk you mentioned near the dimension stone. the god of deception and lies, tai long, was confident in this aspect as a god. he was the only one who could lie to others, and no one could lie to him. richard looked at him deeply. ¡°it is probable a treasure was related to the gods in the obelisk. but the obelisk i captured did not have it, so i can¡¯t be sure what or how it looks like.¡± ¡°please inform me as soon as possible if your excellency tai long finds out.¡± the god of deception looked at him thoughtfully and did not dwell on this topic. both sides were wise people, and richard had already given him enough face by saying so. it would be his offense if he continued to ask. richard did not want to hide too much from the other party. he could expose the ancient rules in the obelisk sooner or later. however, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to let too many people know before he gets it. wings flapped at this moment. that sound suddenly came from behind. richard subconsciously turned around and saw a stone statue of the dead as it approached at high speed. it landed on his side and said quickly with a somewhat empty voice. ¡°lord, master karu has sent an urgent message! we have received news from lady xina and dark valkyrie!¡± richard¡¯s eyes beamed wide-eyed. his spirits rose. ¡°xina and faye¡­ are they back?¡± these two pillars of battle power left solan city on their own accord to train and level up at the krina tribe. unexpectedly, he had been gone for months, and even the dune lord had not returned from his attack on twilight city. finally, there was news of them again!! ****** Chapter 975 she looked from above. she could see the black tide formed by countless giant bugs on the ground and rapidly surged toward a towering city. there were hard shells, ferocious pincers, sharp tail spikes, and deformed bodies. it exposed all the organs that didn¡¯t conform to ordinary aesthetics. the sight of these was enough to make people tremble in fear. a single one will do. their number was dense as ants and enough to weaken the legs of the veteran. overlapping waves of attacks covered the city in the depths of the raging tides that earned them scars. the sturdy city walls were in danger, and many places had collapsed. it could collapse at any time in the storm. ¡°kill them!¡± xina gripped the five-stars top-tier weapon. that was the dragon-slaying sword. she looked at the giant worms while they fearlessly surged toward her like a tidal wave. her figure was always the first to appear before the other party without the giant worm that climbed up the city wall. blood qi burning burst out from her body. her broken steel longsword ignited with endless energy. the weapon tore the seven-to-eight-meter-tall giant worm like tofu. her figure was like lightning as she moved through the most intense part of the battlefield. the soldiers who fought alongside her on the city wall fell one after another under the impact of the giant worms. the figures around her appeared increasingly fewer. an unknown time has passed. a streak of scarlet suddenly appeared in the thick clouds in the sky. then, the scarlet color quickly spread and enveloped the world. the giant worm that was still attacking fiercely became restless at this moment. then, it retreated like a tide. the ferocious figure disappeared without a trace. that left behind only exaggerated corpses before the city walls. xina looked up, and the crimson moon quietly appeared in the clouds. the clouds that covered the sky and earth couldn¡¯t get close to the blood moon. something must have forced it away. her tensed heart slowly relaxed when she saw this familiar scene. she knew that the krina tribe had survived another calamity. that was because similar things had happened countless times in the past month. ¡°xina, are you alright?¡± a tired voice behind her interrupted her thoughts. she turned around and saw a middle-aged female warrior covered in blood leaning against the city wall. she held her sword with one hand and tried to stand firm. her trembling arm made people worry that she might fall to the ground in the next moment. ¡°commander karen, i¡¯m okay.¡± xina saw the other party¡¯s face while she forced a smile. however, she could not conceal the weakness in her tone. karen heaved a long sigh. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± she looked outside the city wall with a complicated expression. at this moment, those giant worms had disappeared without a trace. that was more fearsome in her heart. the hoarse voice slowly said, ¡°these giant worms freeze their attacks every time the crimson moon rises.¡± ¡°they would make a bloody comeback when the crimson moon subsides.¡± ¡°moreover, they will become stronger.¡± she felt sparingly suffocated as she said this. the giant worms hid because they feared the crimson moon. that¡¯s what she thought at first. she saw a bug that was only level 10. she had injured this and rose to 15 when the crimson moon rose repeatedly. she had a bad feeling. she had multiple and final confirmation. those bugs absorbed the power of the crimson moon. they could use it to become stronger!! her gaze could not help but become dim when she thought of this. ¡°xina, it seems like we have no hope¡­¡± the distorted space dragged her while it couldn¡¯t connect to the outside world. they spent every day in war. less than two large groups of tribesmen remained. krina tribe had accumulated power over countless exhausted years. xina¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she gripped her broken steel longsword tightly. ¡°commander karen, we haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± ¡°my lord has already sent me a message last night. he will arrive today!¡± xina finished speaking, and a potent dissatisfaction engulfed karen¡¯s tone. her voice reverberated before xina could even respond. ¡°shut up! ¡°still thinking about your lord? message? you must be fantasizing after losing all your strength in battle! ¡°this space has no way of connecting to the outside world! and the treasure we used to transmit information to the outside world no longer works since a week ago! ¡°the power of spatial chaos has already blocked everything. ¡°stop dreaming, xina. accept the reality!¡± ¡°we have no one to rely on in the krina tribe. we can only rely on ourselves!¡± these aggressive words tone down xina. she sighed and didn¡¯t refute. xina turned around and saw a female warrior. the war severely damaged mostly her leather armor. blood covered many of her wounds. but she maintained a determined gaze. she raised her head and looked straight into xina¡¯s eyes. xina slowly spoke. ¡°molly, i heard it with my ears. my lord will come. no matter what, he will come!¡± the female warrior couldn¡¯t hold back the anger in her heart and shouted angrily. ¡°will come? you only know how to say that, but where is he?¡± Chapter 976 ¡°even if that grace mainland overlord is powerful, can he tear this space apart? ¡°is he a transcendent or a legend?¡± deafening silence followed her angry roar. she turned to look in another direction. despair and unspeakable sorrow engulfed her tone. ¡°so what if your grace maind overlord comes? ¡°the kobold god is secretly spying on us. ¡°it even dragged powerful dark valkyrie into the void. ¡°our troop is only left with a thousand tribesmen. ¡°it¡¯s too late now. reinforcements couldn¡¯t return the lives of our dead fellowmen. all we could do was face the end of our remaining tribe. we failed our ancestors. ¡°the crimson moon descends, and those giant worms will destroy krina city with a wave of attacks.¡± her tone sounded high-pitched again. ¡°xina, wake up. our enemies are those disgusting giant worms and the kobold god in the dark! ¡°that¡¯s a true god! ¡°i don¡¯t know. something must have dropped its level so much. i could not know about its extraordinary power now. however, gods are still gods. we can¡¯t hold on any longer.¡± she said the last word. the female warrior¡¯s eyes turned red. no scar had made this warrior cry. but tears suddenly flowed down her cheeks now. trails of tears engulfed her face. she appeared inexplicably heartbroken. what kind of desperate situation could make a fearless female warrior reveal such a weak side? she witnessed how the enemy hopelessly exterminated one¡¯s fellow tribe. she could not save them. she couldn¡¯t find a way. one could not feel such despair without experiencing it. karen slowly closed her eyes when she saw this. ¡°perhaps the history of the krina tribe will end here.¡± she muttered, and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up. she opened her eyes again. she turned and looked at the scattered krina warriors on the city wall. ¡°my tribesmen, we still have one night.¡± ¡°tomorrow, when the crimson moon sets, it will be the enemy¡¯s last attack.¡± ¡°we can¡¯t hold on anymore.¡± as she said this, she looked at the soldiers whose morale was still high. her gaze became complicated. what a good warrior. unfortunately, they no longer had the chance to continue fighting. her voice suddenly became high-pitched. ¡°since we have no choice, then let us die together! ¡°they can destroy the krina tribe, but our will for the love of our ancestors and freedom dies with us!! ¡°when the enemy attacks tomorrow, i will lead the charge and let the enemy¡¯s blood accompany us to eternal sleep!¡± she finished speaking. the soldiers on the city wall roared in a frenzy, even though exhaustion and blood covered their wounds. in this desperate situation, no one retreated. that was the soul of the krina tribe, and even death could not erase it. the veins on the back of her hand bulged while she gripped her sword tightly. she would use her life to protect her fellow tribe! but she also remembered her mission. ¡°chief karen, hold on. lord will come!¡± ¡°as long as the twilight city troops appear on this land, he will end everything!¡± molly turned around abruptly and walked toward xina angrily. they were so close that their noses touched. she fixed her gaze on this bastard still obsessed with her lord. ¡°didn¡¯t i make myself clear just now? you know death, but you still can¡¯t forget that overlord?! ¡°so what if he comes? how could he defeat the kobold god? ¡°furthermore, two transcendents lurk beside that damned god! ¡°how will your poor lord deal with this power? ¡°i know you want to say that your lord has a glorious past, but that¡¯s just the past! ¡°the present and the future are everything! ¡°it has only been two to three months since you and dark valkyrie left his territory. do you think his power is enough to deal with transcendents in these few months? ¡°who is that guy? was he a god? if not, why?¡± molly wished she could pry open the head of her former best friend and see if brain-eating bugs had neatly drained her brain. ¡®why does she adore grace mainland overlord so much? ¡®what kind of charm did this overlord do to make the geniuses of the krina tribe blindly worship him to the point of falling into a desperate situation and still hold unrealistic fantasies?¡¯ ¡°why?¡± Chapter 977 her powerful words raised all the warriors¡¯ heads. only a trace of despair for life filled their eyes. then, the stern will to slay and meet eternal sleep replaced the fear of death. it was an honor for the warriors of the krina tribe to die on the battlefield. they would bear an honor that belonged to them! ¡°all troops, listen up! abandon the city wall. open the city gate, and everyone gathers behind the city gate.¡± she finished speaking, and commander karen tribe did not hesitate. he left the city wall she had guarded. the remaining soldiers followed in the footsteps of their tribe leader. no one spoke in the air. the only melody was the sound of footsteps. molly gazed deeply at xina. ¡°this is the last time we fight side by side.¡± she turned around and joined the crowd as she spoke. xina looked at her fellow tribe men around while they walked with determination. her emotions were extremely complicated at this moment. she wanted to stop her fellow tribe men. but she knew this was the unyielding willpower of the krina tribe. none of the krineans would retreat on the battlefield, even if death and destruction awaited them. a moment of silence has passed. xina was a subordinate of twilight city but also an unyielding krinean. ¡°my lord, i¡¯m sorry i have failed you. i couldn¡¯t persuade everyone. i have to face the battle with them now.¡± behind the city wall, something must have cleared out among the innumerable rubble. the crack-filled city gate had blocked countless enemies¡¯ attacks. they widely opened it. they had cleared the corpses piled up before the city wall. they made the space a cozy place to die. the warriors who came down from the city wall stood quietly. one could only hear footsteps and weapons that rubbed each other. no one gave the order, and no one gave the command. the desperate warriors formed a triangular formation. they were best at this battle position. commander karen clenched her fists tightly and stood silently before the triangular formation. molly stood on the other right. ¡®ta! ta!¡¯ all the warriors who assumed positions turned to look at xina subconsciously when her footsteps sounded. xina walked forward and arrived beside commander karen under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. she looked at the warrior who occupied the left wing of commander karen. ¡°mavis, this is my wing.¡± the warrior looked at xina in a daze. he smiled and took a step back eventually. xina didn¡¯t say anything else and stood up quietly. molly¡¯s gaze suddenly softened beside her. ¡°xina¡­¡± xina still loved her best friend, although she had joined the cunning and lowly grace mainland overlord. the krina tribe would never live in disgrace! the moment of reality. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the earth shook as if thousands of horses galloped across the grasslands. she stood on the ground. one could sense the direction of the vibration. the enemy has arrived. the atmosphere suddenly froze. everyone widened their eyes and looked ahead through the vast city gate. they looked at the last enemy to fight with head-on. the earth shook increasingly violently. one could see the pebbles on the ground jumped. the first giant worm appeared on the horizon afterward. the tiny figure rapidly grew as the giant worm approached. one has drawn a thick black line behind the giant worm. it was like a tide rose. it drowned everything in an unstoppable manner. the enemy got increasingly closer, even much closer. the psychological pressure on everyone increased. however, they lost the desire to live. the pressure that soared quickly disappeared. their gaze appeared even crazier. the counterattack of a wild beast before its death was the most ferocious and violent. ¡°everyone, get ready!¡± commander karen gripped her long, curved battle saber with both hands and held it upright before her chest. her pupils were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. she feared no life and death. the giant worms soon arrived a hundred meters away. they looked ahead, and the ferocious worms looked like small mountains. their three and a half meters tall and seven to eight meters tall bodies gave people a great sense of oppression. blood covered their bodies. it was like thread wrapped their bodies. no one could imagine how terrifying the pressure is before a monster. however, at this moment, the formation of the krina tribe was much in order. commander karen gripped her saber tightly. her body tensed to the extreme. she was about to give the order to charge at the next moment. a thousand-foot-tall mountain suddenly crashed into the earth. endless storms swept across the sky, and thousands of rivers flowed backward. a terrifying aura surged over. it was like one had pressed the pause button. the giant worms suddenly stopped tens of meters away and crawled on the ground. they miraculously shivered. ¡°what?¡± karen pondered at the scene. her heart skipped a beat. confusion flooded her senses and awareness. puzzles almost fainted her. she spotted a giant single-horned insect while it flapped its wings. it was about five to six meters tall. the aura emanated from the mysterious figure. ¡°transcendent! ¡°the commander of the giant worms!!¡± the transcendent giant worm appeared, and a voice in black armor flew out from the back of the giant worm. an eye-catching dog¡¯s head on its neck visibly displayed. ferocity, cruelty, and indescribable madness filled its eyes. that figure appeared, and the giant worm on the ground trembled even more violently. a name suddenly appeared in commander karen¡¯s mind. ¡°god of kobolds!¡± that damned semi-divinity had appeared at the last moment!! karen stared at the dog¡¯s head. the anger in her heart was almost uncontrollable. ¡°the culprit behind the sealing of the krina bloodline. the manipulator of these giant worms!!¡± karen burned with anger. she stepped forward and wanted to question the disgusting figure. however, she lost the opportunity to speak. endless hatred filled the kobold god¡¯s voice and sounded in the void. ¡°where¡¯s that damned grace mainland overlord! that lowly bastard?! ¡°not here yet? ¡°i used you guys as bait to fish for so long. why hasn¡¯t that bastard come yet?! ¡°why? its voice distorted and went crazy. it glared at xina fiercely. ¡°you and the reptile! you have the scent of that bastard! you all deserve to die, all of you!! ¡°that grace mainland overlord wants to kill me!! dream on! ¡°the great kobold god, how can that bastard dream?! ¡°i am eternal! i will always come back no matter how he destroys my body and devours my soul! ¡°i will let that bastard taste the intensity of my anger!¡± not much logic resided in its voice. it was a voice that purely vented its emotions. it resounded in the sky and made everyone¡¯s heads buzz. that shocked commander karen at first. she pondered on the meaning of its words. she turned her head abruptly and looked at xina beside her with confusion. ¡°what was that lowly false god saying? ¡°that grace mainland overlord destroyed the kobold god¡¯s body and devoured its soul? ¡°that was why the krina tribe remained uncleared. it lured the tribe men for revenge?! ¡°a god taking revenge on a grace mainland overlord who had only been in the ¡°shining era¡± for less than a year?¡± disbelief and absurdity surged in her heart. karen wouldn¡¯t have believed it if she hadn¡¯t heard the kobold god¡¯s angry roar face to face. Chapter 978 ¡°i will scorch everyone to ashes in my flames of revenge!¡± ¡°i am the true god! the god!¡± the crazy speech continued to reverberate. it gave people a strong sense of confusion. ¡°the god of kobolds. has it gone brainless and crazy? thoughts spun in the minds of the krina warriors behind the city gate. moreover, it was like it was true. ¡°what did the god grace mainland overlord do to it? how could this overlord defeat a god and make it fall so much from the transcendent level and go crazy?¡± they couldn¡¯t imagine how a mortal could turn a god into such a state. xina¡¯s loyalty to twilight city had not impressed molly. disgust even engulfed her soul. however, at this moment, she recalled what xina had told her. the kobold god was an example. the previous battle record that sounded like bragging became unquestionable. a god had even turned like this. was there anything that could not happen? molly looked at xina with a complicated expression. she didn¡¯t know what face she should toss at her best friend. molly recovered from her shock. commander karen sighed. none of the things the grace mainland overlord did matter now. he was not here anyway. his reputation could not change the awaiting fate of the krina tribe. the kobold god had once placed a bloodline curse on them, and they could not resolve the hatred between the two sides. the enemies would still attack krina city. or even! the kobold god would not let them survive and escape this time! karen clenched the saber. she straightened her chest and looked straight ahead. her voice echoed. ¡°this is¡­the final battle!¡± ¡°we will obtain death¡¯s ultimate glory¨Ceternal peace and sleep!¡± ¡°krina tribe, charge with me! ¡°slay worms as much as you could. kill! the furious roar with a stern fighting spirit woke everyone up. the fearless warriors¡¯ gazes turned crazy. ¡°so what if he were a god?! ¡°how could the krina tribe be weaker than a grace mainland overlord when it could kill it? ¡°kill them!¡± the triangular formation was fearless as they passed through the city gate and rushed out of krina city. they piled up the corpses of the giant worms not far away. it was like they ran in the valley. several giant worms attacked. they crawled, but they still gave off a terrifying pressure. the kobold god was in a state of madness and saw this scene. it immediately halted and glared at them fiercely. it waved its hand fiercely! ¡°i want them all dead! kill them!¡± the transcendent giant worm commander behind him densely flapped its wings. it sensed its god¡¯s anger. it immediately raised its head and let out a sharp and ear-piercing roar. in the next moment, the giant worms crawled on the ground around and glared fiercely at the charging krineans. ¡®roar!¡¯ a series of ear-splitting howls sounded. the ground shook, and the monsters charged again. the gravel on the ground jumped up high. the two sides collided a moment later. a green energy erupted from karen¡¯s body as she swung her saber down. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ karen chopped a tank-like rhinoceros worm in half. green mucus splattered everywhere. the troop behind them did not hesitate at all. they protected their bodies with energy and stabbed out like sharp blades. the krina warriors tore the enemies apart like paper, although the giant worms were vast. the krina battle formation had more than a thousand people and could gather everyone¡¯s strength into one. at this moment, the giant worm faced more than one warrior¨Cthe combined power of all the soldiers. to defend against the endless attacks of the giant worms for such a long time. one couldn¡¯t easily slaughter the warriors of the krina tribe like lambs when facing death! the battle became brutal. giant bugs the size of a small mountain swarmed over, but the triangular formation killed them all. the thick smell of blood had mixed with the stench of various fermented internal organs in the air. that made the battlefield even worse. the kobold god floated in the sky. it had a twisted expression when it saw this scene. ¡°damned bugs, all of you deserve to die, all of you deserve to die!!¡± terrifying energy fluctuations appeared on its body. and a powerful pressure instantly erupted. karen felt like a thousand-pound boulder pressed down on her chest. she wrestled with her heavy breathing. her stamina would increase by ten to twenty times whenever she swung her saber. the moving troop formation slowed down. two tall and sturdy figures appeared beside the kobold god. they also had the iconic head of a dog on their heads. the two figures looked down at the ground even more ferociously. they would attack mercilessly at the order of the kobold god. ¡°transcendent! ¡°two kobold transcendents!¡± the enemy had a total of three transcendents! karen¡¯s breathing trembled, and she felt a little unwilling. in the end, she still didn¡¯t get what she wanted. the scene quietly shattered the last bit of fantasy in her heart. the grace mainland overlord would come, but still, he couldn¡¯t help. the kobold god wanted to use them to lure the overlord. it must have enough trump cards. no one could save the krina tribe from the three transcendents. ¡°kill them!¡± the thousands of words in her heart finally turned into an angry roar! the troop behind them raised their spirits again and charged forward. endless pressure shrouded their souls under the transcendent¡¯s gaze. no one showed any fear. her fierce fighting strength was shocking. Chapter 979 unfortunately, the enemy was too powerful. the crimson moon had reinforced the countless giant worms to level 15 and above. the krina tribe still couldn¡¯t overrule whether they could gather everyone¡¯s strength and the additional strength advantage of the enemy¡¯s size. it was also on the verge of collapse under the ferocious attack of the giant worms. ¡°kill them, kill them all!¡± the kobold god saw how the giant worms struggled to conquer the enemy. his eyes turned blood-red, and the aura on his body fluctuated. it was like a wave that roared to destroy everything! the two transcendents didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately dove down. the terrifying transcendent aura almost caused the space to distort. ¡®bang!¡¯ the two fell like meteors. they smashed into the ranks of the krina soldiers. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the ground exploded, and cracks spread out from the spider web class. two transcendents attacked at the same time. how exaggerated was the commotion? a wave of air immediately exploded in the surroundings. they blew the surrounding soldiers to pieces. the troop formation immediately collapsed. the transcendent kobold looked at the voice closest to it, molly. its eyes flashed with a cold light as it took a few steps forward and instantly rushed in front of krina tribe¡¯s valiant soldier. molly let out a low growl and fearlessly brandished her saber forward. he slashed down with her saber. ¡®clang!¡¯ the long, curved saber that could cut through boulders landed on the transcendent kobold¡¯s hand. the transcendent kobold waved its other hand and punched her abdomen. molly twisted her body as she dodged the fatal blow. however, the kobold¡¯s supernatural fist did not hit her but exploded on its body. ¡®puchi!¡¯ it was like a giant hammer had hit the kobold. the blow sent it flying more than ten meters away, and blood spurted out of its mouth. molly was only at level 16, and no power had yet unlocked the seal in her body. the difference between her battle power and a transcendent was way too enormous. the kobold transcendent did not show any mercy. its figure instantly appeared before molly with a ferocious look. it tore its long claws down. molly wanted to respond, but the enemy was too fast, and it was already too late. its sharp claws were about to tear her body apart. ¡®clang!¡¯ a cold sword meddled and clashed with the sharp claw. sparks exploded. a blurry figure spewed blood that rushed towards the dog-headed transcendent like lightning before molly could get a clear look. the figure waved the sword, and the void continued to shatter. powerful and ferocious force with exquisite battle techniques caused the transcendent kobold fluster. that forced the transcendent kobold to retreat more than ten meters before it could catch its breath. the sharp claws of its other hand shot out like daggers, and a majestic power enveloped it. it collided with the broken steel longsword! sparks flickered, and the metal clanged. ¡°xina!¡± molly only saw the figure clearly at this moment. xina held her broken steel longsword and fearlessly faced the transcendent head-on without fear. moreover, she didn¡¯t appear to be at a disadvantage. this nerve-racking scene made molly¡¯s heart skip a beat. xina¡¯s reinforcement advanced much faster than hers. ¡°ah!¡± a scream sounded behind her. molly subconsciously turned her head to look. the other transcendent kobold had already charged into the crowd. it waved its sharp claws, and no one could block them. blood and broken limbs flew everywhere. the scene appeared miserable and terrifying. that instantly ignited molly¡¯s anger. she suddenly turned around and stood up. she gripped her long, curved battle saber tightly as she charged forward. she had no fear of any transcendent. ¡°kill the enemy with me!¡± commander karen also charged forward. she forcefully blocked the side of the transcendent kobold. the surrounding giant worms incessantly attacked with soaring violence. the blood even made them crazier. the triangular troop formation collapsed, and the exaggeratedly-sized monsters demonstrated like grim reapers. the krina tribe warriors were fearless and did not retreat at all. however, the casualties increased tragically under the assault of the enemies dozens of times more powerful than them. a vast number of figures fell every minute. they could no longer maintain the situation. destruction was a foregone conclusion. molly looked in despair at the transcendent kobolds who relentlessly slaughtered the krina soldiers. she knew she could not change their fate. all she could feel was a soul-tormenting heartache. however, she had exhausted all her strength to stop the enemies. she had never desired power so much! a figure appeared at this moment. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a figure suddenly fell in front of her. molly subconsciously looked over. her slowly fading pupils reflected xina¡¯s scarred image. ¡°xina¡­¡± she could no longer finish her sentence. the scarred figure on the ground suddenly flipped up and rushed towards the transcendent at an even faster speed! her stance was peerless. however, she tumbled repeatedly, no matter how this lady veteran tossed overlapping charges. this fearless warrior only had the potential to become a beyond a-rank. the dark soul eater, kratos, who had the boss template, had barely succeeded in killing the transcendent level raging blood duke even though it had to trade its life for its own. xina faced the transcendents with her strength without help from anybody. molly lost more than half her battle strength after she received the transcendent¡¯s furious attack. that made her tremble. she was powerless in the face of absolute power. no matter how hard she tried. transcendents were like a vast mountain that pressed down their heads. that froze people helplessly. the transcendents wiped the final strength of the krina tribe out. the kobold god stood high up in the sky. it looked down at the scene. its eyes reflected overwhelming pleasure. ¡°these bugs deserved to die!¡± less than 300 people from the krina tribe remained. they were exhausted, and blood shrouded their bodies. commander karen fell to the ground after the transcendent kobold struck her. the dog-headed evil soldier wantonly slaughtered her people. she used all her strength but could not get up again. he looked at her miserable people while being slaughtered. she bestly tried to hold the long, curved battle saber in her hand, but her ripped wound hindered her arm from raising it. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ a giant worm knocked a blood-covered figure and desperately flew to the side of commander karen. ¡°molly¡­¡± karen¡¯s eyes turned red when she saw the girl still tried to get up and continued to fight. then, the transcendent kobold horrendously walked toward her. karen had sensed that her body had lost all her strength. she could no longer save her people. all she could do was close her eyes. ¡°for eternal peace and sleep.¡± she couldn¡¯t bear to see molly devoured in front of her. she could no longer lift her long, curved battle saber. it was time to welcome the glory she had long waited for. however, she still felt a little regretful. she couldn¡¯t continue to lead her people. the footsteps got increasingly and swiftly closer. karen conceded. ¡°goodbye.¡± ¡°ah!¡± she waited for death to arrive. a shrill cry echoed. ¡°that was¡­ molly¡¯s voice? ¡°but why wasn¡¯t it in pain?¡± then, a cold voice reverberated in her ears. ¡°kobold god! you¡¯re not dead yet? but how dare a dog with a broken spine use and abuse another tribe to lure and provoke twilight city repeatedly? ¡°what part of the hell had given you the confidence and courage?¡± ¡°what was that again?¡± karen subconsciously opened her eyes and saw a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life. Chapter 980 this figure became the center of the world. the kobold god couldn¡¯t compete for the spotlight. commander karen felt her breathing froze. she didn¡¯t have any expectations. she exploded with surprise when richard appeared before her. she couldn¡¯t imagine this would happen. ¡®what xina said was true!¡¯ she was loyal to the grace mainland overlord. this figure was extraordinary! how long had it been, and he already possessed such powerful strength?! the other party could create a legend! the two kobolds sensed the enemy¡¯s aura. they no longer lingered. they decisively flew off the ground and returned to the kobold god¡¯s side. they stared fiercely at these uninvited guests. the enemy mostly broke the lady¡¯s armor. blood dyed her body. she turned around and looked at the sky with a burning gaze when the enemy ran away. she sensed that familiar aura. that reddened her eyes, like a child who had wronged her parents. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± molly stared blankly at the scene of the divine weapon that descended from the sky. her emotions churned like a tsunami. ¡®xina¡¯s lord¡­ it was powerful to this extent!!¡¯ no words could express the shock in her heart. she regained her senses. a complicated feeling rose in her heart. ¡®they? did he save us?¡¯ she turned around and looked at her surroundings. the giant worms gradually retreated under the deterrence of the terrifying reinforcements. it was as if he had sensed something terrifying. the kobold god fell into madness. it glared at richard with its blood-red eyes and roared angrily. ¡°lowly bastard, you still dare to appear before me! ¡°the power of the ancient ones can¡¯t penetrate this distorted space. you¡¯re dead, dead!! ¡°one cannot slay me. i am a god, an eternal god!¡± richard raised his eyebrow. confusion shrouded his eyes. ¡®this guy! he felt something was odd.¡¯ he opened the black gold system. [kobold god] level: 22 [status: remnant soul (unknown power infected the kobold god. that distorted its personality and reduced its rationality.)] it was a straightforward attribute. other skills and the like were all blank. ¡°remnant soul?¡± no wonder. richard understood. it was the work of windsor. the lord of crimson could revive a wisp of one¡¯s soul in front of everyone. that was an audacious achievement. he didn¡¯t know how this guy did it, although it was no longer necessary. a cold glint flashed in his eyes. a weak voice suddenly echoed in the sky just as he was about to speak. ¡°lord richard, be careful of the kobold god. it deliberately used krina tribe as bait to lure you here¡­¡± richard subconsciously turned his head in a direction. a weak figure collapsed on the ground. it couldn¡¯t get up but still held the long, curved battle saber in her hand came into view. he nodded slightly at the other party and did not say anything. his gaze shifted to the other side, where blood shrouded the girl. she still had her head held high. ¡°xina.¡± richard¡¯s eyes softened at the familiar voice. he opened the attribute panel and glanced. there were no other problems other than the injury status. at the same time, her level had also reached level 18. she was much stronger than when she left at level 14. she did not waste any of her efforts. however, richard looked around. he did not find dark valkyrie. he frowned slightly. since xina was here, there was no reason for anything to happen to dark valkyrie. the hero altar would have taken effect long ago if something were to happen. richard¡¯s posture as he looked around made the kobold god break his defense. ¡°this damned worm dared to ignore me!! ¡°lowly bastard, i will let you know what regret is!¡± it roared. the surrounding space suddenly shattered. countless intertwined blood-red threads appeared in the surrounding 100 meters, like the blood vessels of some kind of life with him as the center. they exposed those blood vessels in the air. an indescribable pressure surged like a vast mountain had pressed everyone¡¯s hearts. the entire space became stagnant, and the magic power even stopped flowing. the sound of a heartbeat resounded through the world. the crowd felt like a heavy hammer struck their souls. their chests felt stuffy, and their hair stood on end. it was like a terrifying life form from the depths of the bottomless abyss targeted the warriors of the krina tribe. the next moment, the other party would crawl out of the void and devour their souls!! ¡°my flames of vengeance will destroy everything in the world! ¡°abomination from chaos¡­ will reappear in the world! ¡°i will control the most extreme power! ¡°hahahahaha!¡± heartbeat accompanied the crazy laughter. the warriors of krina and the giant worms felt uneasiness on the battlefield. fear spread in the air. the danger incessantly surged. ¡°lunatic, this lunatic!!¡± richard suddenly heard an exasperated voice in his ear, and there was an indescribable fear. he turned to look at the empty void. ¡°your excellency tai long, what do you know?¡± ¡°the kobold god, this bastard, is violating the taboo!!¡± the god of deception¡¯s body was translucent and revealed himself. intense uneasiness engulfed his tone. ¡°chaos and abominations existed in this void before a god has created the world. those monsters exist eternally. even the creation god can¡¯t kill them. it can only seal in the deepest depths of the mortal plane¡­¡± Chapter 981 ¡°chaos divine sin?¡± the name alone made richard uneasy. moreover, it was something that even the creation god could not kill. no wonder windsor wasn¡¯t able to execute the kobold god. this fellow had most likely entrusted a part of its soul to the chaos divine sin¡¯s body to escape. no wonder the black gold system had notified him an infection had corrupted the kobold god and had fallen into madness. ¡°lord richard, we have to act as soon as possible. we don¡¯t know what will happen when that part recovers. i said that this space is so strange. one has sealed the land that suppressed the chaos divine sin¡¯s body.¡± tai long¡¯s tone sounded anxious. richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°loreinna, try it.¡± the silver-haired, silver-eyed vampire archduchess¡¯ body immediately emitted a dazzling light. she slowly extended her right hand, and the front part disappeared into thin air. countless blood-red lines surrounded the kobold god. a hole suddenly appeared in its chest, and an arm passed through it. but in the next second. the blood-red lines around it suddenly trembled. a meat grinder must have severed the arm and instantly turned into minced meat. the kobold god¡¯s body instantly returned to its original state without damage. loreinna¡¯s face turned pale as she subconsciously stepped back. she left her original spot, and her right hand had already disappeared. she took a deep breath, and energy surged from her body. the blood-red line severed the arm and instantly grew back at a speed visible to the naked eye. it returned to its initial state in a moment. however, only loreinna knew a terrifying energy still wrapped around her upper arm. the enemy still corroded her power. that power had no source. it would take at least three to five days to remove it. loreinna¡¯s right hand would be even weaker than ordinary humans, and she could no longer use the legendary skill, the pale hand. loreinna¡¯s probing hand ignited the already deranged kobold god. everyone could incessantly hear vicious curses. the blood-red lines spread rapidly. the surrounding void collapsed bit by bit. the sound of their heartbeat grew increasingly mighty. the krina warriors could no longer hold their weapons. they used their hands to cover their ears. heartbeats were like heavy hammers that struck their souls. they wanted to block. but they could not, no matter how hard they tried. the giant worms trembled as they prostrated on the ground. some of the weaker worms spat out mucus, and their life force fainted. it was like they could die at any time. the great terror revived. tai long couldn¡¯t take it anymore. his body suddenly disappeared from richard¡¯s side. a terrifying shockwave exploded in the air in the next second. the space instantly blurred. it created a twisted path in the air as if it wanted to crush all the blood-red lines. however, something must have directly annihilated the powerful energy that could destroy city walls and collapse mountains when it reached that area. it did not cause any ripples. richard saw tai long. he incessantly surged despite futile results. instead, he attacked even more crazily. he consumed the power he had gathered with intense difficulty. it still couldn¡¯t shake or destroy the blood-red region. the speed of its expansion became even faster. the strong heartbeat was so loud that even the twilight city troops could barely bear it. Chapter 982 ¡°chaos divine sin holds the power of fate!!¡± richard narrowed his eyes. however, he still hadn¡¯t ordered his subordinates to cooperate with the attack. instead, he touched the long fur of the golden lion under its buttocks. a dangerous light flashed in his eyes. ¡°barbosa¡­ let your power devour everything. ¡°release the devil in the kobold god¡¯s heart. it should follow its heart and get more¡­¡± the golden lion growled. the golden fur emitted a faint light. that was simultaneously. an invisible wave instantly spread out. everyone on the battlefield felt the same emotion. how could they be so miserable? they would not have fallen to such a state if they had treasures and great power. the greed in their hearts rose like crazy. richard even felt a sense of possessiveness when he saw the weapons and equipment of his companions. he looked at the sky, and he had even more crazy thoughts. that god, that lowly dog-headed man, was not worthy of being a god. they should replace it! the power of the gods was what they deserved! commander karen was severely injured, and her thoughts were slow. she did not feel much of the power. her heart sank when she saw the blood-red lines that covered the sky. her initial excitement turned into despair. the kobold god must have prepared to lure the overlord with the krina. she was right! however, how should one deal with a god¡¯s backup plan? then, she saw an even soaring power than a transcendent attack. that tried to destroy those blood-red lines. however, the final result sank her heart. she couldn¡¯t cause any damage! would this last hope be destroyed? she raised her head and stared blankly at the figure behind the golden llon. her emotions became unprecedentedly complicated. the kobold god felt the boundless power around it and suddenly had a crazy thought. this power should belong to it! it should master it also! not to be the slave of this damned chaos divine sin!! it was the true master! as long as it grasped the other party¡¯s power, those bastards who had once hurt it, those enemies who disdained it, and those gods who looked down on it would all prostrate at its feet!! endless greed filled the corrupted soul. it turned around and looked in the direction of the blood-red lines. madness filled its expression. then, it didn¡¯t stay where it was, and walked in that direction step by step. the kobold god left the spot. the terrifying heartbeat suddenly slowed down. its posture gradually weakened as it moved. ****** Chapter 983 the scarlet blood vessels of the chaos of divine sin could block the explosions from the outside world. but they could not do it with the desires of the human heart. the kobold god quickly headed toward the area covered by the scarlet blood vessels under everyone¡¯s gaze. a moment later, it completely deviated from its original direction. it strode to the edge of the area and stopped abruptly. greed filled its red eyes. ¡°mine, all mine. ¡°i alone is worthy of controlling this power! ¡°all of you will become my slaves, slaves!¡± it reached out its right hand and grabbed a blood vessel. it pulled it back. ¡°thud!¡± it was as if it pulled the thread that had fallen off its clothes. it instantly pulled out an even longer blood coffin. ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ its heart suddenly intensified. the trembling giant worm crawled on the ground. it incessantly released miserable roars as if it endured extreme pain. twilight city in the sky was in chaos. the souls in the heads of the mummies fluctuated crazily like candles one could extinguish at any time. ¡®ah!¡¯ the kobold god let out an excited roar. it pulled force in its hands again. ¡®thud!¡¯ it smashed countless scarlet blood vessels. it pulled a bloody heart the size of a head from the end of the scarlet blood vessels. an endless sense of oppression instantly erupted. it was as if the stars above the endless void crashed down. the world has overturned, and the seawater flew. the world suddenly dimmed, and all one could see was the beating heart. it even blurred the thoughts of the krina warriors on the ground. one must have muted the giant worms. they all pressed their heads against the ground and even stopped breathing. it was like they feared the god to notice them. tai long also stopped attacking at this moment. he looked at this scene in a daze, and his body could not help but tremble. richard¡¯s heart beat wildly. he felt the approach of a great sense of danger. every cell in his body reminded him to leave. it was like a giant hand strangled his soul. and the power of the yellow sand that circulated in his body had slowed down. that indescribable pressure was countless times stronger than when he faced the spider goddess lolita, the ultimate boss who had provoked the war of gods. it was a pressure that came from the instinct of life and soul. it was an irresistible pressure from a higher level. ¡°chaos of divine sin!¡± a terrifying existence that even the god of creation could not kill. it was just a heart that had been sealed and suppressed for thousands of years. at this moment, it still had unimaginable power! no one knew what kind of power these creatures possessed when they were alive. at this moment, the kobold god got increasingly crazier. its gaze was like a guru that had obtained the power of lord of the rings in the movie. its thoughts were endless possessiveness and greed. ¡°mine, only mine¡­¡± it muttered, and a hand tore the black armor on its chest. that revealed its skin. then, a dagger appeared out of thin air and slashed fiercely at its chest. it cut the flesh open, but no blood flowed out. that was a translucent heart. head-sized chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart looked like one couldn¡¯t place it. however, the kobold god did not care and forcefully pressed it against its chest. it had contact with the flesh, and the heart shrunk and fused into its chest. the kobold god¡¯s face revealed greediness. it was like a greedy slave who had obtained a dragon¡¯s treasure. ¡°strength! power!¡± a crazed voice resounded through the sky. the scarlet blood vessels that eroded the void stopped for a moment. then, they danced like the tentacles of an octopus. long, thin, wriggling scarlet blood vessels covered the sky. the strange and crazy scene made the krina warriors on the ground feel a chill down their spines. they were not afraid of death. two figures appeared still in the bottomless abyss. the two transcendent kobolds turned excited when they saw this scene. their lord was about to rise again! however, they suddenly realized that the scarlet blood vessels that had been very friendly to them earlier had wrapped them up. a sharp pain entered their minds. their consciousness fell into darkness. the two transcendents disappeared without a sound. they left behind only the scent of blood. ¡®bang!¡¯ ¡®bang! bang!¡¯ the kobold god placed the heart in its chest. it started beating again. at this moment, the terrifying mental impact was even stronger than before. twilight city in the sky jumped a few times and even looked like it was on the verge of collapse. the weak ones on the ground even had their souls shattered and lost their vitality. it was not the beat of the heart. it was the whisper of the grim reaper, the terrifying curse of the world! the kobold god¡¯s open chest had yet to heal. it displayed the beat of its heart to everyone. the aura on the other party¡¯s body rose rapidly with the fluctuation. a brilliant divine might spread out. it mixed with the pressure of the chaos of divine sin. the space became even more terrifying. only xina of the krina tribe on the ground stood still. the rest already clutched their heads as they lay. they tried to reduce the pain caused by the impact on their souls. the armor on the kobold god¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand the power and cracked rapidly. it shattered eventually. it revealed a hair-covered body. at this moment, the blood vessels on its skin bulged like small snakes as if something tried to crawl out of them. its appearance became ferocious. one has not devoured the god¡¯s mind. it didn¡¯t care about this. it glared at richard while it felt endless power in its body. ¡°worm! ¡°you deserve to die!! ¡°i will imprison your soul and let the abyssal worms devour it for a million years! ¡°and the bastards around you, all of you must die!!¡± it was an unimaginable pain for a mighty god if a mortal would trample on it. that was something that even the soul devouring beasts could not compare to. this power made it unprecedentedly powerful! it could trample all its enemies under its feet. it should be the lord of the entire multiverse, the second god of creation! it spoke. it waved its arm fiercely and wanted to cast a skill. the madness on the kobold god¡¯s face turned into panic. the boundless energy in its body was like a galaxy. it could not mobilize it. ¡°why?¡± it focused energy again to mobilize it out of intense fear. but it was still like a clay ox that entered the sea. the power in its body did not respond to its command at all. ¡°no! ¡°this is impossible!! ¡°impossible!¡± countless wriggling scarlet blood vessels in the sky waved wildly. the dog-headed man statue was like a clown. however, a terrifying pressure surrounded it. it could not do anything. the kobold god miraculously regained a trace of rationality in its despair. it looked at richard and cursed hysterically. ¡°bastard, worm, what did you do to me? what did you do? ¡°how could i possibly place the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart in my chest?¡± it didn¡¯t finish its sentence. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ its blood-red heart palpitated faster in its open chest. the kobold god felt enormous energy that surged into its body. it was like one stuffed a one-meter-wide pipe into a hundred-meter-wide giant. ¡®puchi!¡¯ the scarlet blood vessels that bulged on the surface exploded. a scarlet energy gushed out like blood. then, a gorgeous bloody firework exploded under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡®bang!¡¯ the crazed kobold god turned into minced meat. but richard sensed a light flash in the explosion, and then a weak spiritual energy slipped. ¡°the backup plan of the kobold god!¡± a shock wave pushed the energy and smashed into the ground before he could give the order. no one knew if it were a coincidence or not. but something pushed the soul power into the body of an unknown bug that had just died and looked like a dog. ¡®awooh!¡¯ the dog bug¡¯s corpse trembled and lowly growled. it opened its eyes for a moment and then closed them heavily. it fell into a coma. the kobold god¡¯s exploded corpse in the sky did not fall to the ground. instead, the scarlet blood vessels in the sky devoured. it lost the carrier. the strong beating sound gradually weakened. the scarlet blood vessels that had spread hundreds of meters around contracted toward the heart. the heart devoured all the blood vessels after a dozen breaths disappeared. the blurry void returned to ordinary. only a fist-sized heart floated in the air. one would notice one had carved faint golden inscriptions on the heart. the bloody aura was so thick and undetectable but finally became visible. the heartbeats that almost made everyone¡¯s souls collapse disappeared like a breeze. the tortured warriors of the krina tribe remained paralyzed on the ground. even their breathing gradually weakened. those hideous giant worms seemed to be dead. they did not move at all. ¡°is it over?¡± commander karen¡¯s consciousness had already fallen into a hazy state. she felt an indescribable emotion awakened when she saw the kobold god shattered. the heart stopped beating. ¡°could it even break a god¡¯s trump card so easily? ¡°that grace mainland overlord! it was powerful to such an extent!! the fluctuations followed, and that exhausted the mind of the kobold god. it finally fainted. molly lay on the ground. she barely held her breath. she looked up at the sky and stared blankly at the spatial rift. the blurry figure riding on the golden lion was remarkable. all the dissatisfaction she had toward twilight city disappeared like bubbles. a strong sense of shame arose. she tossed all her doubts against the ruler of twilight city. what right did she have to question an existence that could even kill a god? what right did she have? with her identity as a genius in the krina tribe? that was just a joke! xina once said the entire krina tribe did not have the right to fight against him! it was not the loss of twilight city that the krina did not join them, but them! she turned slightly and looked at the figure who stood stubbornly. her heart was a little complicated. in the end, she was no match for this veteran. not only was she no match for her in terms of martial arts, but even the lord she was loyal to was more remarkable than she had imagined. she slowly closed her eyes as she pondered. she knew that the ruler of twilight city had arrived with soldiers. the kobold god fell. the krina people had a new identity¨Cservants of twilight city. the krina tribe was allowed to go independent. it would be difficult for them to continue to survive. they could only reproduce by relying on mighty soldiers. from now on, she would be like xina. she fought for the lord who had saved the krina tribe and preserved their last hope. she would stop until death. richard ignored the others. everyone was delighted. he stroked the long fur of the golden lion full of praise. a life born from the power of greed was indeed remarkable. the most dangerous thing in the world was often the desire of intelligent life. that was why the god¡¯s ancient tree was famous and was related to this. richard retracted his thoughts. he looked straight at the heart that had returned to its ordinary appearance. anticipation filled his eyes. Chapter 984 it was no longer beating but made people¡¯s hearts skip a beat. it was as if a great horror could revive at any time. that was not a power that mortals could imagine. richard sighed and rode the golden lion in the void. his huge eyes stared at the heart. his eyes couldn¡¯t hide the fear and dread. he carefully approached and stopped more than ten meters away. he did not dare to take another step forward. richard could feel the golden lion¡¯s body tremble and the endless fear in its soul. he took a deep breath. he flipped over and walked to the front of the heart. richard stood for a moment. he no longer sensed that fatal aura. the yellow sand on his body surged and transformed into an arm that grabbed the heart. it grabbed the heart. an indescribable feeling surged into his heart. it was powerful, mysterious, vast, and endless. richard grabbed a world, not a heart. that gave a vast and boundless chaotic world. it made people unable to help but want to explore, delve into it, and even try to control that vast power. richard suddenly felt a sense of vigilance. he abruptly cut off the magic power that controlled the yellow sand. the yellow sand hand appeared the next moment. it shattered. the strong aura disappeared without a trace. cold sweat had already appeared on his forehead. that was close! he nearly lost the right path, although he had religiously prepared. the process must have contaminated the kobold god. the power temptation from the deepest part of the bloodline almost made people feel intoxicated from the depths of their souls. that was the instinct of intelligent life to become mightier. the golden lion could easily magnify greediness. no matter who was in control of this source of temptation at all times, it was impossible for them to be indifferent. richard pondered and took out the ancient god statue afterward. a dark light enveloped his body. it condensed into a yellow sand hand that grabbed the heart. this time, although he could still feel the majestic energy from his heart, he no longer desired to take it for himself. the power of the stone of the ancient ones did not have any restraining effect against the chaos of divine sin. they were the same level, and the latter could not suppress the former. that relieved richard. the yellow sand hand took the heart in front of him. richard looked closer and felt that the heart was extraordinary. he opened the attribute panel. the heart displayed a simple attribute only. it didn¡¯t even have a level or status. richard opened the black gold system without hesitation. more detailed attributes immediately appeared. [the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart is an evil life form that lives in the endless void and chaos. the god of creation slaughtered it and sealed its body in the mortal plane of the ¡°shining era,¡± it could still use its heart. it¡¯s the source of the chaos of divine sin¡¯s endless power.] [note: the willpower of the chaos of divine sin is not firm enough, and it will infect and devour if you come into contact with it.¡± richard looked at the attributes and turned to look at tai long. the attributes of the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart were similar to what this god had described. the things that gods knew were indeed not simple. richard was about to put the heart away. suddenly, a wave of heat emanated from his chest. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. the next moment, the dwarf god statue appeared in his hand. he had awakened the god that fell into a deep slumber to seal the corrupted ruler¡¯s crack. his spirit sank into it. on the familiar throne, the dwarf god wore a crown and a gorgeous feathered cape. he looked at richard wide-eyed. madness filled its expression. ¡°goddess above! ¡°the heart of a chaos of divine sin. how could that thing appear in this world? ¡°the god of creation had killed that batch of chaos of divine sins! ¡°he threw all the hearts into the depths of the mortal plane and destroyed them with the power of the entire plane! ¡°tens of millions of years have passed! ¡°the gods had once gone to investigate those hearts, and one had already obliterated half or more! ¡°where did you get such a mighty chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart?!¡± a string of words had stopped richard before he could speak. richard looked at the god who grabbed at him with amusement. ¡°your excellency fam, as a god who has peeped into the river of fate, you shouldn¡¯t be so shocked, right?¡± the dwarf god laughed angrily. ¡°as a grace mainland overlord, how do you know what chaos of divine sin represents? ¡°those lives are terrifying existences that can compete with the world¡¯s gods! ¡°this heart is the source of their power. that sovereign could obtain it and use this opportunity to improve! ¡°otherwise, why would the gods deliberately open the seal of the mortal plane to check if the chaos of divine sin existed?! they wanted to use this to spy on a higher power! ¡°and now, the heart of the chaos of divine sin. that could make gods start a war of gods. you still don¡¯t think so?¡± the dwarf god expressed envy. it was like a blind man had obtained gold and used it as a stone. ¡°that heart could cause a war between gods?!¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the god of deception told the origin of the heart. there was no direct comparison. in that case, the value of this thing was shocking. ¡°your excellency fam, the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart has a powerful corruption. how can i use it safely?¡± Chapter 985 the dwarf god said with some envy. ¡°you should be content. the one had wiped out the contamination of this heart. the remaining ones are already worlds apart from the initial state. ¡°just a mere sight of this heart could make a god crazy if one has dug this heart out. ¡°how could you hold it so easily?¡± dwarf god looked to the side, and his tone sounded more stern. ¡°should i say that grace mainland overlord is worthy of being the pioneer of the ¡°shining era? ¡°you already have a ready-made subordinate that you can use. what are you worried about?¡± ¡°oh,¡± richard said softly, immediately interested. ¡°you mean¡­ god¡¯s ancient tree?¡± the dwarf god nodded. he must have thought of something. he carefully sized richard up a few times and said solemnly, ¡°are you sure you¡¯re not a descendant of the god of creation?¡± richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the dwarf god looked indignant. ¡°otherwise, why would you get all the good things? ¡°the ancient statue, my statue, the dimension stone from before, the seed of the world tree, and the god of deception¡­ ¡°why do i feel the descendants of the god of creation are that easy?¡± he laughed again and did not wait for richard to answer. ¡°i wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much effort if you were a descendant of the god of creation.¡± richard shrugged and said nothing. the dwarf god waved his hand. ¡°alright, go out¡­ let me remind you. don¡¯t tell anyone about the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart. one must have generous power to hold a treasure. ¡°don¡¯t even think about trying to control the power of this heart. it¡¯s not something that mortals can pry into. not even gods are qualified. ¡°that tree of yours was born from devouring the body of a divine sin. it has the right to inherit the power of chaos of divine sin¡­¡± richard raised an eyebrow before the dwarf god could finish. he sensed something was wrong. ¡°the divine sins of the mortal plane are related to the chaos of divine sins?¡± ¡°the mortal plane unsuccessfully suppressed the energies due to their immense power when the god of creation sealed them. that caused a portion to leak out. ¡°those strange, unremovable energies wandered in the world. some gods who died in an accident due to resentment became their home. ¡°thus, it gave birth to an evil existence that everyone is familiar with¨Cdivine sin. ¡°although the sins that were born later weren¡¯t as terrifying as the chaos of divine sins, they still inherited a part of their power. they wouldn¡¯t die. that was their characteristic before a god wiped their divinity out. ¡°that was why everyone¡¯s expression changes when they hear about the divine sin.¡± richard heard the ancient secret for the first time. he just thought that the two existences were the same. he didn¡¯t expect them to have such a relationship. richard was in a good mood. the god¡¯s ancient tree was the trump card in his hands. the abomination tree could reinforce to an astonishing degree if he could devour the heart from the chaos of divine sin. this wave of blood was worth it. at that moment, richard no longer wanted to talk. he asked a few questions about the status of the dwarf god and responded he was fine. he left the statue and returned to his thoughts. richard grabbed the heart and subconsciously wanted to put it into the system space. however, the system space did not respond. the power it contained exceeded the limits of its capacity. richard did not hesitate when he saw this. he could nurture the god¡¯s ancient tree afterward and temporarily wrap it in yellow sand. he was done and had the time to look at the battlefield. the scene shocked the giant worms. the bugs had yet to recover. they trembled and crawled on the ground. they dared not to move. the warriors of the krina tribe recovered into a good state. the war had injured all. they breathed out more than they breathed in. richard gazed around and finally stopped at the dog-headed soldier the kobold god¡¯s soul had fused with. his expression was a little strange. the kobold god had become his mortal enemy ever since he unintentionally removed the curse of the krina tribe! the other party was like a mad dog whose bones one had snatched away. it was like a dog that incessantly bit and climbed. in particular, he had suffered unprecedented losses during the battle to attack twilight city with the dune lord. he had accumulated troops for half a year, only for richard to bury 70% of them. fortunately, the kobold god¡¯s foundation was mighty enough, and he withstood the other party¡¯s attack. otherwise, twilight city would become history. however, it was intentional that the kobold god could make up for the losses he caused to him every time. the kobold god had not only failed to reduce his strength, but he had also improved every time. he had the demeanor of a wealthy existence. ¡°loreinna, capture that dog-headed soldier. there is a part of the soul of the kobold god inside. ¡°we¡¯re still lacking a guard dog¡­¡± loreinna nodded happily. she was very interested in enslaving gods. she arrived on the ground with a flash. the energy in her body condensed into a dog chain and tied up the unconscious dog-headed soldier. then, the figure of the other party disappeared in the air with a wave of her hand. richard looked away and landed on the ground. he stood firm. a beautiful figure with red eyes appeared before him. grief and delight engulfed her exquisite face. ¡°lord richard¡­¡± her voice sounded like she was about to cry. Chapter 986 he reached out to help the young lady. he gently tucked her long hair behind her ear and said, ¡°i¡¯m here, xina. you¡¯ll be alright. don¡¯t cry.¡± the gentle voice made the young lady¡¯s emotions collapse. tears incessantly poured out of the corners of her eyes, and she could not stop them. this fearless warrior who could independently fight against transcendents appeared like a child at this moment. finally, she let go of herself and threw herself into richard¡¯s arms. she sobbed. ¡°they¡¯re all dead, my lord. our tribe people are all dead. only us were left.¡± one to two hundred soul-crushing people of the krina tribe remained. her former playmates and close friends now had become cold corpses. the giant worms even trampled some of the corpses to pieces. less than one in a hundred survived. the kobold god sealed this region to lose connection with the outside world. they could not find a way out. the despair was unimaginable, maddening, and soul-wrenching. they had to endure the attacks of a group of ferocious worms day and night. they could only see each fall until the city gradually collapsed. but the young lady warrior prudently waited. at some point, richard suddenly reckoned that the young lady in his arms had stopped sobbing. he gently held her shoulders. he pushed her away slightly. xina had fallen unconscious. the lady warrior, who had persevered until the last moment, put down all her defenses in front of the person she relied on. richard sighed. he waved his hand. he called the young centaur over. emily stepped forward and held xina in her arms. heartache filled her emotions. she carried her. ¡°sister xina¡­ you¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°i just fainted from exhaustion. i¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± xina seemed to have thought of something and walked up to commander karen. the leader was still in a coma. richard didn¡¯t know karen, but the information on the attribute panel was accurate. since the other party was once a transcendent, she must be a vital figure in the krina tribe. he bent down slightly, and a bottle of desert crown honey mixed with water appeared in his hand. he controlled the yellow sand hand and gently fed it to the other party. ¡°you, you are lord richard? thank you for your support. the krina tribe will forever remember you¡­¡± a faint voice beside her caught richard¡¯s attention. he turned around and saw a female warrior on the ground with scars all over her body. he took two steps forward and fed the desert crown honey to the other party with the desert hand. the female warrior obediently drank a few mouthfuls, and then her complexion improved at a visible speed. her aura stabilized, and she spoke. ¡°this is the best honey water i¡¯ve ever drunk¡­¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. the warrior realized it as well. her face was slightly red as he coughed lightly and said slowly, ¡°molly krina, i send you my most noble greetings.¡± she raised her hand and placed it on her chest. richard waved his hand. that was an indication there was no need for formalities. he spoke calmly. ¡°you¡¯re safe now. i¡¯ll bring you back to twilight city later.¡± ¡°are there still your clansmen here?¡± molly nodded. ¡°there is a basement in the city center. the children of the krina tribe are all in there.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll arrange for someone to pick them up immediately.¡± molly immediately heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the help. then, as if she had thought of something, her tone was hesitant. ¡°lord richard, your subordinates¡­ in the previous battle, dark valkyrie had caused great trouble to the kobold god. that despicable false god had set up a scheme to banish her into the void.¡± at this point, she felt embarrassed. ¡°we don¡¯t know where dark valkyrie is either.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. he expected an explanation for this. he couldn¡¯t detect dark valkyrie. however, he was not worried about the warrior¡¯s safety with his thoughts of the hero altar. he would mostly spend some resources to revive her if anything happened. this information that molly mentioned piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°it should be difficult for fay to deal with the kobold god with her power, especially when there are several transcendents on the other side¡­¡± molly said with admiration. ¡°lord, dark valkyrie almost single-handedly killed a transcendent from the giant worm tribe a month ago! ¡°she advanced to transcendent after the battle! ¡°it¡¯s also because of her that krina city could hold on for so long¡­¡± richard was pleasantly surprised. ¡®dark valkyrie had also advanced!¡¯ anticipation shrouded his being. this boss was an ultimate existence that could compete with the god¡¯s ancient tree for the number one battle power in twilight city. he wondered how much her attributes had increased after the advance. unfortunately, the system panel could not show current information. one needed to see the hero to know its attributes. Chapter 987 this transcendent who could enter the hidden plane had extraordinary scouting methods. he looked at molly on the ground, but he didn¡¯t help her up. the krina warriors could recover quickly. there was no need to worry. he took out the note that asked for help after some thought. ¡°is this the message you sent? what was with the symbol of the obelisk?¡± molly looked at the note with a subtle expression. they did not have the slightest hope for this. they did not expect this note to be of such great help. ¡°yes, lord.¡± ¡°this obelisk is a strange building that we discovered before. the guards inside were mighty. ¡°back then, dark valkyrie specially instructed us to mark it¡­¡± ¡®dark valkyrie warned me? ¡®did she discover something?¡¯ ¡°then why didn¡¯t you explain it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s because we haven¡¯t explored it either. dark valkyrie sensed a unique power. but she was unsure. with your intelligence, you¡¯ll study it in depth and search for relevant information. you already have an answer before we explore it.¡± richard could not help but laugh. dark valkyrie understood him. there must be a message on a life-saving piece of paper and a small space, even if he didn¡¯t know the information about the obelisk. following this line of thought, he would also take action. ¡°where is the obelisk?¡± ¡°the area originally occupied by the kobold god!¡± when molly mentioned the kobold god, her expression was still sparingly dazed. it would be difficult to deal with a god. his help wouldn¡¯t change anything. that was their greatest worry, even if richard came. the other party¡¯s current level was only transcendent. but she hadn¡¯t expected richard to appear domineeringly. he hadn¡¯t even spent much effort killing the kobold god and snatching the terrifying heart. ¡°the kobold god has fallen. that area shouldn¡¯t be a big threat to you. you can send troops to occupy it at any time.¡± richard nodded. ¡°there¡¯s no rush.¡± he turned and looked around. the troop had fed all the surviving krina¡¯s with the desert crown honey. at this moment, the giant worms crawled on the ground and stirred again. these hill-sized monsters still gave off a strong sense of oppression even though they crawled on the ground. to outsiders, these giant worms were monsters they wouldn¡¯t want to face. richard was in high spirits. ¡°how many of these giant worms are there in this plane?¡± ¡°countless¡­¡± molly slowly propped herself up on the ground and sat up. her aura had much recovered, although her face was still pale. ¡°her excellency dark valkyrie once went deep into the area and discovered an even larger swarm of worms hundreds of kilometers away.¡± ¡°scarlet moss grew there, and the giant worms fed on it. ¡°only a small portion launched an attack on krina city.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. they were countless. the amount of flesh and blood energy required to upgrade the rotten swamp to level 5 was ridiculous. the quality of the troops that those planes could send out would gradually decrease as time went on. by then, it might not even be enough to suck the lives of those 20 or so planes dry. that was according to the god of deception. he was worried about how to expand the fishing field. wasn¡¯t this plane ready-made? one of these giant worms was equivalent to ten of them. he would first transfer these klina warriors back so that he would not have to worry about anything else. he would make arrangements afterward. the stone statues of the dead carried the weak krina warriors on their backs and left through the spatial rift. they brought all the children they had hidden in the city back under the guidance of molly. soon, only molly and xina remained, aside from the twilight city troop. richard suddenly thought of something. ¡°molly, is there any treasure that the krina tribe hasn¡¯t brought out? ¡°this space is not stable¡­¡± molly shook her head with a bitter smile. ¡°we would indeed have a lot of rare resources if it were two months ago. but we have used them all in the past two months when we fought against the zergs.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°my subordinates didn¡¯t find any lairs in your city¡­ why?¡± molly¡¯s tone carried a hint of pride. ¡°the warriors of the krina tribe are not something the troop recruited from the troop lair can compare to!¡± ¡°one can inherit inheritance with the bloodline of the krina tribe, so¡­we didn¡¯t store those things.¡± richard was surprised. ¡°then where did you use your rare resources?¡± molly spoke proudly. ¡°the inheritance of the krina tribe has a special characteristic¡­ we can use rare resources to tattoo special inscriptions on our bodies to increase our strength!¡± richard understood. the space around him rippled slightly, and loreinna quietly appeared beside him. ¡°lord, we¡¯ve already searched the surroundings.¡± ¡°is there anything unusual in this space?¡± ¡°the spatial energy here is extremely chaotic, like some sealing power. rather than calling this a plane, it would be better to say this is a sealed land that has collapsed after time mostly wiped out the energy.¡± Chapter 988 richard thought of the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°one of the twilight city heroes, dark valkyrie, was exiled to the void during a battle with the kobold god.¡± ¡°continue to investigate and try your best to find her.¡± one had sealed loreinna in the blood coffin when dark valkyrie left twilight city. the two had never met. ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± loreinna¡¯s figure disappeared again afterward. molly saw this, and passion shrouded her eyes. ¡®transcendent! ¡®that was a level that possessed supreme power!¡¯ their thirst for power had seeped into their bones after they experienced a war that almost wiped out their entire tribe. richard didn¡¯t care about molly¡¯s gaze. he turned around and walked to the front of the spatial rift after he made arrangements for loreinna. the god of deception stared at him with a complicated gaze. richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the strange look on his face. ¡°your excellency tai long, you don¡¯t recognize me?¡± the god of deception looked at the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart wrapped in layers of yellow sand behind him and smiled bitterly. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to obtain the chaos of the divine sin¡¯s heart so easily.¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°lord richard, perhaps my future lies in twilight city.¡± richard looked at the guy¡¯s incoherent words and waved his hand. ¡°alright, stop sighing here. it¡¯s not the time yet. ¡°go to the rotten swamp and fix the crack in that plane.¡± richard gestured to the giant worms on the ground that had returned to the usual and gradually retreated. ¡°these giant worms are the best nourishment. ¡°we need them in this plane.¡± the god of deception smiled. ¡°leave it to me.¡± he spoke and turned around happily. he left while he hummed a tune. his look was like he would receive a remarkable reward after a mission. richard looked at the god¡¯s back and smiled meaningfully. he no longer said anything. a moment later. ¡®rumble! a loud noise came from the sky. molly raised her head. she saw a giant hand and countless mummies. they spread from the sky to the ground. then, the ground split open. it formed a 30-meter-wide and 50-meter-high irregular crack. she curiously looked at the crack. a blood-colored mist surged behind it that blocked her vision. however, she could smell the scent of blood. along with this, an aura made her feel an inexplicable desire. that was the desire in the depths of her bloodline. it was like the thirst for water of an exhausted person in the desert for a few days. or the hunger of a person who had not eaten for ten days or more. it came from the deepest part of her heart. ¡°what was this?¡± molly looked at richard blankly, not understanding what he meant. she was puzzled. she suddenly realized the giant worms that had yet to retreat suddenly stopped. then, they all turned to look at the spatial rift. possessiveness filled their cruel eyes. however, the giant worms feared mummy troops near the spatial rift. they hesitated and did not move. she sensed a unique energy that surged through the golden lion¡¯s body. however, when the energy reached her side, it quietly bypassed her. she looked at this scene in astonishment. her mind became even more muddled. the golden lion joined, and those restless giant worms could no longer hold back. a giant mucus worm wriggled its body and rushed into the space crack where the blood mist rose. that was like a signal. the giant worms also rushed into the spatial rift like crazy when they realized the mummy troop did not stop them. the blood mist engulfed each. miserable and angry roars came from inside a moment later. the scene sent chills down one¡¯s spine. richard floated the spatial rift exit. he could sense the giant worms caused chaos when they entered the rotten swamp. the soldiers who fought for the golden fruits suddenly felt crisis when they saw these giant worms. they immediately joined forces to fight against the giant worm. their vast bodies gave these worms unimaginable strength. in a short time, this caused them to retreat in front of the enemy. they were in a hurry to deal with them. the level of blood immediately soared. joy filled the rotten swamp. this wave of corpses had made the living land feel good. richard smiled. that was the match. war was never the goal. it was for the rewards of victory from the war. the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart that made the dwarf god crazy was already a vast profit in this sudden battle. richard also discovered a plane with endless giant worms. this wave was so comfortable. next, the krina tribe would also integrate into twilight city. he had just taken the time to look at this all-female-warrior tribe. they were all f*cking hero units!! there were more than 200 of them, although most were low-level heroes like d and f ranks. the city could use the warriors of the krina tribe as the backbone and raise a mighty troop when they recovered. finally, he learned that dark valkyrie had broken through to transcendence. in that case, he would have five transcendents in his hands. another could appear when the god¡¯s ancient tree obtained the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart. the god¡¯s ancient tree had grasped a wisp of rotten authority. richard wondered if it would complete its transformation and become a true abomination god after it obtained the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart! he was excited about this thought. ¡°abomination!¡± in the historical legends of the glorious era, he had been the life of an ultimate boss countless times!! he wondered how the enemies of twilight city would react when they saw that he was about to face an abomination. ¡°hahahahahaha, this is awesome!¡± richard, who was in a good mood, returned to his senses and planned to ask molly to take him to the obelisk. this time, he had come to support them and had gained more than that. he was determined to get that obelisk. ****** Chapter 989 molly and the little centaur below subconsciously exclaimed. no one had expected loreinna to clash with dark valkyrie. loreinna was actually at an absolute disadvantage! that was especially true for emily, who knew how powerful loreinna was. the raging blood duke, transcendent naga, she alone hunted them. these enemies used transcendents to prove their strength! but now, dark valkyrie, whom richard hadn¡¯t seen for a few months, suppressed loreinna! that was a level 23 transcendent! richard saw how dark valkyrie was about to wave her longsword, but he immediately halted her. ¡°fay! loreinna is one of us!¡± dark valkyrie held a sharp longsword and suddenly stopped. she subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. she saw that extremely familiar figure. her eyes instantly curved into a crescent moon. she could still sense the joy from the other party, even if a golden mask would cover his face. dark valkyrie no longer paid attention to loreina, who had already adjusted her body and was ready to counterattack. she flew over to richard. this top-notch existence broke through the void and made the level 23 raging blood duke vomit blood, retreat, and knelt on one knee most humbly under everyone¡¯s gaze. dark valkyrie¡¯s left hand held a knife in her mouth, and the right hand on her chest. rare excitement filled her tone. ¡°lord, fay salutes you!¡± richard smiled. he took two steps forward and helped her up. dark valkyrie was a top-tier boss he had subdued in the segment of the large-scale dungeon, the death arena. she had been by his side ever since she came to twilight city. she had made countless vital contributions. she left because she suffered a blow when she entered the dungeon alone in solan city. fay thought she wasn¡¯t strong enough that richard didn¡¯t bring her along, so she hoped to come out alone and become transcendent as soon as possible. richard did not expect she would be gone for a few months. he had experienced countless major events when she was not by his side. he did not expect he would meet her again in such a state. dark valkyrie went out for a few short months, and she suppressed loreinna already! this power surprised him. ¡°very good. your journey paid off!¡± delight tinged richard¡¯s voice. twilight city bosses were strong in terms of battle strength. dark valkyrie broke through transcendent, and her power rose to another level. only the god¡¯s ancient tree could rival with her at this level. dark soul eater kratos has enormous potential but still needed some time to develop. the golden lion had extraordinary functions, and direct combat was not its forte. the little centaur emily was still a child, and her combat power was far from reaching its peak, although she had already found her soul shard and even obtained a part of the wilderness priesthood. loreinna¡¯s battle power was severely mighty, but the opponent was a hero model, and there was a natural and irreparable gap between the boss and the hero model. dark valkyrie looked apologetically at loreinna, who had returned to richard¡¯s side. ¡°lord, i can only sense powerful transcendents approach the void¡­ i can¡¯t tell its exact appearance. ¡°i didn¡¯t know that this lady was my comrade.¡± loreinna¡¯s friendly aura revived at this time. it had healed her wounds and scars. she stared at fay with admiration. ¡°your excellency, dark valkyrie, your power is remarkable. ¡°it¡¯s hard to imagine that you¡¯ve just stepped into the transcendent realm¡­¡± one needs to maintain respect when dealing with the strong. dark valkyrie had just suppressed loreinna, and she had earned the vampire archduchess¡¯s respect. richard smiled when he saw there was no rift between them. ¡°in the future, you¡¯ll fight together. it¡¯s a good thing to familiarize yourself with each other¡¯s power. you could also spar with each other when you have time. just learn to control your strength.¡± richard spoke, and the two warriors looked at each other again. each saw the soar of battle intent from each other¡¯s eyes. battling with experts of the same level was highly precious to transcendents. richard smiled and said nothing more. he looked at dark valkyrie again. he opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel with anticipation. ¡®what kind of improvement did this ultimate boss obtain after she advanced transcendence?¡¯ however, the attributes were simple. that was surprising. [fay (dark valkyrie)] [boss template] [level: 20 (transcendence)] [status: transformation] ¡®dark valkyrie hadn¡¯t finished the transformation.¡¯ richard¡¯s expression was odd. ¡®good heavens, didn¡¯t molly say she had broken through to the extraordinary state last month? why hadn¡¯t she finished her transformation this month?¡¯ he opened the black gold system and found the same information on it. he wondered. dark valkyrie spoke hesitantly. ¡°lord, the transcendent i killed had a strange crystal that grew in its flesh. i only advanced to transcendence after devouring that crystal. ¡°that crystal contains an extremely vast and unique power. i still have two-thirds of its energy that i haven¡¯t absorbed until now.¡± ¡®crystal? inside the body of the transcendent giant worm?¡¯ richard suddenly thought of the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart. this area was most likely the sealed land where one had concealed the chaos of divine sins. that was according to the information he had obtained so far. ¡®could it be related to the chaos of divine sins?¡¯ Chapter 990 he immediately asked about the crystal in detail. at the same time, he also asked if she felt anything strange when she absorbed the energy. however, he received positive responses to it. it could have contaminated the status of dark valkyrie if it were related to the chaos of divine sin. richard ensured she wasn¡¯t infected. that generously relieved him. he could wait in pursuit of the obelisk. he returned to the rotten swamp with the yellow-sand-wrapped chaos of divine sin. dark valkyrie tacitly stood beside richard. she would always stand there. she and loreinna guarded him from both sides. they were transcendent guards. it could make the great nobles among the natives envious. envy would engulf the players¡¯ eyes if they knew about this. dark valkyrie was quite curious about the rotten swamp. she looked around in the bloody mist. richard led the two to the central area and saw the battlefield. that instantly moved her. it had only been a short while since she left twilight city, yet so many unfamiliar things had already happened. fortunately, she would always catch up! the yellow-sand-wrapped chaos of divine sin dispersed. that revealed the golden-inscription-engraved heart. the god¡¯s ancient tree devoured the greed lord¡¯s corpse. that suddenly opened the seal on its trunk. its gloomy eyes burst with golden light. it said in a crazy tone. ¡°lord¡­ ¡°the heart in your hand seems to be the source of my bloodline. ¡°my soul is trembling, i¡¯m yearning¡­¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree was a life form born from the body of the abomination god. the chaos of divine sin was the source of abomination. the origin of this immediately made the god¡¯s ancient tree restless. richard¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°your senses are correct. that is the source of your bloodline. that was the ultimate existence that came from the endless void and primal chaos-chaos of divine sin. ¡°the god of creation couldn¡¯t slay this directly. one needs the power of the entire world to obliterate them. ¡°devour the power of this heart. it could transform into a true abomination. ¡°treebeard, let me see a mightier version of you. ¡°one was born from flesh and darkness¡­ ¡°it belongs to twilight city¡­abomination!¡± the dried branches of the god¡¯s ancient tree with the golden fruits swayed. excitement and madness shrouded the twisted human-faced tree trunk. ¡°lord¡­your humble servant is grateful for your gift. ¡°i swear on my soul that i will use everything to repay your favor¡­¡± ¡°may the darkness bless you¡­¡± richard gave the ancient tree he had conquered a meaningful look. he quickly threw the chaos of divine sin¡¯s heart into the ground. ¡®puchi!¡¯ a twisted root emerged from the depths of the swamp that wrapped the heart. it smashed heavily into the swamp. blood splattered everywhere. endless anticipation filled richard¡¯s eyes. it had the rotten authority. it activated a portion of the abomination and devoured the corpse of the lord of greed. now, it had obtained the heart of the chaos abomination. unknowingly, the god¡¯s ancient tree had already accumulated enough foundation to make everyone go crazy. he did not know when all the dust would fall. what level could this boss reach?! richard felt relieved after the god¡¯s ancient tree closed its eyes again. it turned around and stepped into the spatial rift again. next was the second obelisk. Chapter 991 together, they formed a heart-wrenching background picture. it would be even more terrifying with the presence of the ferocious giant worms. the obelisk that stood in this strange area had an inappropriate temperament. at a glance, one could tell that the building did not belong to this land. the twilight city troop hovered in the air. the giant worms on the ground sensed danger and subconsciously retreated. the giant worm was not stupid without any instructions. it charged at everything it saw. richard¡¯s eyes burned. last time, he had obtained three extraordinary troop lairs from the obelisk¨Cthe evil dragon wings. the value was linked. however, what was more precious than the extraordinary soldiers was that the obelisk could drop ancient rules! rules! that was the power that only gods could control! the outside world did not know about this characteristic, but the chapter on the dimensional explorer would gradually develop. this matter would be visible. it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to obtain the obelisk at that time. therefore, richard had to take advantage of the early stages to capture as many obelisks as possible. it would be a vast profit when one of them could drop the ancient rules! it would not be a loss even if the rules did not drop. richard could just obtain the transcendent troop lair. molly, who was leading the team by his side, seemed to have thought of something. she confusingly turned her head. confusion filled her eyes. ¡°there used to be a city near this obelisk that belonged to the kobold god. where is it now?¡± dark valkyrie spoke softly. ¡°that city has returned to its original plane after the kobold god fell.¡± ¡°the other party¡¯s plane wasn¡¯t originally connected to this mysterious region. the kobold god alone used a special method to fuse them.¡± only then did molly understand. at the same time, she relaxed a little. ¡°perhaps the enemy has already taken down the obelisk. after the retreat, we can directly take over this building.¡± having been cut off from the outside world for the past few months, molly, like all the other krina warriors, did not know the uniqueness of the obelisk. richard frowned. that was what he was most worried about. he would not be able to escape if the kobold god was one step ahead of him. wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of effort? he could not sit still anymore. ¡°all troops, prepare for battle! ¡°continue forward!¡± richard spoke, and the golden lion ran forward. alves¡¯s eyes burned with soul fire. it stood behind him. ¡°damn lion, you think you can be faster than me?¡± alves immediately flapped its wings and led its troops to follow. that reduced the distance of more than ten kilometers by half in a few breaths. one could see several trading troops guarded around before the obelisk. the kobold god did not attack this building. richard breathed a sigh of relief. he excitedly sped up. however, a system notification suddenly sounded in his ear when he was 5,000 meters away from the obelisk. [ding~ you are near the unique building¨Cobelisk.] [heroes are prohibited from entering within a radius of 5,000 meters of this obelisk. (except for the lord himself).] [those who trespass by force will be banished to the void. richard¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡®what the hell? ¡®this obelisk forbids heroes from entering?!!¡¯ richard glanced at the few top-notch transcendents beside him from the corner of his eye. dark valkyrie, loreinna, emily, kratos, and the golden lion made the corners of his mouth twitch. ¡®is there any law or justice?!¡¯ then, he had thought of something. he turned his head to look sideways. ¡°molly, did the krina tribe approach the minaret?¡± molly shook her head. her tone carried a hint of seriousness. ¡°no, because when our tribe men got close, they suddenly disappeared. ¡°some powerful existence has pulled me into an alternate dimension.¡± richard frowned and looked at dark valkyrie. ¡°fay, what was that aura you sensed back then?¡± dark valkyrie spoke slowly. ¡°this area gives me a strong sense of danger. that sense of danger will multiply at a certain distance. ¡°you said before that the more dangerous the area, the more likely it is to have good things. ¡°no matter which direction i approached, i couldn¡¯t avoid that sense of threat. that¡¯s why i could sense that this tower was extraordinary.¡± richard stood rooted in the ground. so dark valkyrie felt extraordinary? richard returned to his senses. he felt that it was odd. he might have missed it if this obelisk was the same as the one above. he might not have been so concerned with the hero¡¯s altar that gave him hope if the distress note did not mark the obelisk. the krina tribe would not exist if they didn¡¯t arrive in time. wouldn¡¯t the obelisk be in his pocket after the kobold god eliminated the external threats? it was a pity he could not use transcendence to push the obelisk. richard quickly adjusted his determined attitude and spoke in a low voice. ¡°there are special restrictions in this area. hero units are not allowed to enter.¡± ¡°only the grace mainland overlord like me is allowed to lead troops in.¡± his tone became heavier as he spoke. ¡°fay, you take the heroes behind to guard the surroundings.¡± a few of them looked a little worried when they heard this. none dared to say they could win if they were on the same level with richard¡¯s battle skills. however, as subordinates, not only could they not share their lord¡¯s worries. they also had to take risks for their lord. that was difficult for them to accept. dark valkyrie said seriously. ¡°lord, can i go investigate and try?¡± richard interrupted her with a wave of his hand. he smiled. ¡°when the twilight city had nothing, i led the troop to conquer the territory alone¡­ just listen to my orders.¡± when the few heard this calm and unquestionable order, they immediately held their chests and dared not to say anything else. the will of a sovereign was above everything else! richard got the golden lion off and sat on an ordinary skeleton blood dragon. then, he waved his hand and ordered. ¡°prepare for battle!¡± he commanded the skeleton blood dragon to fly straight into that space. at the same time, the trop behind them entered in a single file. this time, richard had brought out the most elite troops of twilight city with the soldiers he had prepared for a top-notch battle. [dragon wings (transcendence 1-star): 9 teams] [king of the imperial troop (radiant moon): 21 teams] in addition, the crown soldier, king of the imperial troop: 50 squads, 100 squads of stone statues of the dead, and 100 mummy guards: 100 teams in addition, the glorious troop, sandstorm controller: 100 teams there were a total of 380 squads! in this troop, the lowest level was the sandstorm controller, with an average level of 12. however, the sandstorm controller was a spellcasting soldier that combined two types of soldiers. it could form a sandstorm. the team strength could eliminate the effects of being behind in level. the other troops were all powerful, other than the sandstorm controller. especially the evil dragon wings that richard had just obtained. they could act as a lowly boss if one took out one of these soldiers and placed it in front of the current players. the entire troop quickly approached the obelisk. the moment he flew within 2,000 meters. richard¡¯s vision suddenly blurred, and the originally plain scenery suddenly changed. a sea of blood appeared before his eyes. dark red clouds covered the sky. countless bolts of lightning flashed within. a series of muffled explosions suddenly sounded and caused the entire sky to become oppressive. blood-colored boulders covered the ground that were more than ten meters tall. they looked like piles of rocks. there were barely paths in the middle of these boulders that were more than ten meters long. that allowed people to pass through. a dark red obelisk stood tall at the center of the countless boulders. countless lightning bolts flashed at the top of the tower. it looked like a demonic tower that could destroy the world. that gave people a strong sense of psychological pressure. but this was not the end. richard felt the scenery change. the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s flapping speed slowed down. they suddenly fell. they turned around. the imposing troop behind them could not maintain their momentum and incessantly fell. this obelisk was the same as the previous one. forbidden flight! richard released the order. ¡°the troop will maintain a stable landing! ¡°flight is prohibited in this area!¡± the soldiers received the order and struggled as they landed. the skeleton blood dragon landed on the ground. richard jumped down immediately. it landed on the ground. the fine sand in the surroundings surged and enveloped him. then, more invisible fine sand surged in all directions and covered the surrounding hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye. richard seemed to have thought of something and subconsciously turned to look in the direction he had come from. however, his expression changed. the scenery of the original insect race plane had also turned into a blood-colored sky. one could see a stretch of jagged boulders. richard turned head abruptly and ordered a team of stone statues of the dead beside him. ¡°immediately explore the rear and see if you can still leave!¡± the stone statues of the dead immediately returned after they received the order. a few stone statues brought sad news not long after. he would not be able to leave this area even if he went back. and behind him, he couldn¡¯t fly either. richard frowned. he took a deep look at the sky. good heavens, this set of rules was still strange. he sighed. he turned around and looked ahead again. there was no way out! then, he would flatten this area! Chapter 992 then, the yellow sand on the ground squirmed. it stacked the boulders together like a cart. the sandstorm controller behind turned into a blazing sandstorm. richard continuously condensed sharp blades and trimmed the vast rock into a suitable shape. he must have chopped the surrounding boulders like bamboo shoots under the concerted efforts of thousands of troops. a spacious entity appeared. a rough and supremely sturdy troop building stood in the center of the space. the strange building could be called a battle platform. it was about 300 meters in diameter and 20 meters above the ground. one must have built the defensive walls around this large platform on top of it. they only built walls beneficial for an attack. the generous benefit of this building was that it could give the troops a geographical stance. they could attack from above. moreover, air troops weren¡¯t allowed. soldiers could only attack from the ground. that was the simplified version of a fortress. richard looked at the platform in good spirits. in most cases, to defend a giant city was always more advantageous than to siege. the rules of this obelisk were a little special, and he wasn¡¯t sure what could happen. it was better to stay still than to move. the dragon wings were tall and had dragon scales. they held a heavy battle axe and occupied the primary position facing the obelisk. the stone statues of the dead, the king of the imperial troops, and the guardian mummies filled the gaps in the other defense lines. interestingly, richard did not arrange for the skeleton blood dragon and the other big guys to walk forward. he instructed them to sit at the back. a vast body could be good or bad for a city to defend. a body that was not flexible could easily allow the enemy to take advantage of it. on the contrary, dragon breath could unleash the mightiest power if they took on the role of fire support. richard had just finished his arrangements when a blood-colored light suddenly burst out from the top of the blood-colored obelisk before him. countless bolts of lightning shrouded a terrifying place. then, the lightning that lingered on it suddenly disappeared without a trace. a long and thin black line suddenly condensed. then, the black line slowly expanded to both sides. a pitch-black hole appeared in the sky. everyone heard the sound in the next second. ¡®boom!¡¯ one must have poured gasoline into a piece of firewood and ignited it. flames hovered afterward. the hole exploded. scarlet flames burned brightly. a long trail of it engulfed the ground. tail-flame stirred the blood-colored clouds in the sky. richard finally saw what it was. that was a scarlet flame eye. the eye that burned with scarlet flames seemed to have sensed something. it suddenly blinked and slowly turned its direction to look at where richard was. the pairs of eyes suddenly looked at each other. richard felt an indescribable pressure sweep over him. he was like a lone boat in a storm that could capsize the soonest. it was the gaze of a higher being. it was ancient from an infinite time. it was unknown, mysterious, and extremely terrifying. richard¡¯s heart palpitated wildly. the power of the yellow sand on his body exploded tenfold under the suffocating pressure that forcibly isolated him. a shrill roar echoed from the direction of the obelisk. a series of roars followed. their voices were low and brutal, like bloodthirsty beasts. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°get ready¡­the enemy is coming!¡± he finished speaking. low roars from the giant stone forest accompanied a series of hurried footsteps. the closer he got, the more he could feel the pressure. the unknown was the most terrifying. he got increasingly closer. the first figure appeared before richard a few breaths later. it was a three-meter-tall monster. blood-colored scales covered its body. its lower body was a snake¡¯s body, and its upper body was a human¡¯s. it held a long saber and a shield. its head bore innumerable tiny poisonous snake hair. that made it terrifying. its eyes were long and narrow. it had a snake tongue that incessantly moved in and out. it rarely opened its mouth and occasionally revealed ferocious fangs. the horrid scene made one¡¯s hair stand on end. fear could swallow a person with trypophobia or fear of snakes. [old banshee] [level: 19] [potential: glorious 3-stars] [skill: petrify (a-rank) ¡ª it will petrify the enemy at a three-second stare. the mightier the target¡¯s soul power, the longer the stare time. poison, extreme speed, madness.] richard raised an eyebrow at a glance at the monsters¡¯ attributes. ¡°glorious 3-stars, old banshee?¡± the other party¡¯s attributes and appearance weren¡¯t different from the extraordinary troop that could petrify people in the dungeon¨Cmedusa. this level and potential didn¡¯t surprise richard. the words ¡®stone of the ancient ones¡¯ did and made his thoughts run wild. the blood-colored sky covered everything. ¡°was this obelisk related to the stone of the ancient ones?¡± that piqued his interest. however, he had yet to discover the power of the stone of the ancient ones mentioned by the player despite exploring the plane for so long. at most, they would kill the lives drenched in blood when the crimson moon rises. ¡°could it be that the ancient rules that could drop¡­ was it also related to the stone of the ancient ones? richard¡¯s eyes sharpened. this obelisk, he wanted it for sure! Chapter 993 however, these lifeforms did not immediately attack. instead, they delayed their progress. their gray eyes stared fixedly at the battlefield. that piqued richard¡¯s interest. his subordinates were all undead soldiers. they didn¡¯t even have eyes. he wondered if these old banshees could turn the mummies into stones. speaking of which, what was the difference between a mummy and a rock? more than a thousand old banshees surrounded them. the scarlet flame eye burned at the top of the blood-colored obelisk reached two thousand, seemed to have been splashed with gasoline, and instantly exploded. the old banshees below instantly went wild. they sharply reverberated, and their bodies squirmed as they charged at the twilight city troops. they looked down from the sky. one could see that the old banshees had formed a wave. they vowed to destroy all obstacles before them. an endless stream of old banshees came from the stone path behind. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°guardian mummies. all at once!¡± he gave the order, and the crown soldier he had obtained from the city of the lord of dunes clenched the spear condensed from yellow sand in its hand and bent its body like a bow. then, an explosion followed. ¡®swoosh! swoosh! swoosh!¡¯ spears streaked across the sky like lightning. one hundred small teams of soldiers stepped forward with their spears. they formed a terrifying rain of spears. they suddenly fell when their power reached their peak. that enveloped the charging old banshees. the old banshees raised their shields in unison. they formed an exaggerated shield wall on the ground. that covered more than half of the earth. ¡®clang!¡¯ the first spear that landed the fastest stabbed an old banshee. the female demon reacted quickly and blocked the attack with a thick shield. sparks instantly erupted, and the ear-piercing sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky. the thick shield deflected spears. they exploded into yellow sand after they lost strength in midair. an old banshee would reveal a proud expression when she suddenly felt a blur in front of her eyes. a sharp pain spread from her chest to her back. she lowered her head and saw a long spear that pierced her body. the old banshee felt that her boundless power quickly dissipated. her vision turned black, and she fell heavily to the ground. she could no longer get up. the old banshee welcomed the rain of death after the first spears fell. ¡®clang!¡¯ the sound of the spear colliding with the heavy shield and the screams of the wounded echoed the only melody. however, the level 19 glorious troops wouldn¡¯t be weak. they could wipe out in one round of attacks. on the contrary, a round of volleys only killed a hundred people under the protection of the heavy shield of the old banshees. the guardian mummies incessantly attacked. they attacked in the second and third rounds that accompanied the first round. the old banshees charged over quickly and felt quite a bit of pressure. but their bones remained undamaged. richard saw the ferocious monsters within a hundred meters. he waved his hand again. ¡°stone statues of the dead, attack!¡± the resolute order made the trump card troops of twilight city attack decisively. fighting spirits have long filled them. ¡®hu!¡¯ the tomahawk whistled as the chains on its wrists swayed. the attack range of the stone statue of the dead had already exceeded the terrifying 200 meters after a few rounds of reinforcement! the first wave of tomahawks slashed at the old banshee at a speed that was hard to see with the naked eye. these level 19 soldiers had extremely sensitive senses. they instantly waved their shields down from the sky and blocked their bodies. ¡®clang!¡¯ the tomahawk slashed at the heavy shield with brutal power. sparks exploded. large cracks appeared on the shield. however, it could not break the thick shield of the banshee. the elder old banshee saw this. its gray eyes revealed a confident look. ¡°these lowly creatures dared to peep at the sacred land they guarded?! ¡°all of you deserve to die!¡± her inner confidence exploded! their uncontrollable killing intent soared. they wanted to use the enemies¡¯ blood to calm the almighty ruler¡¯s anger!! however, the elder old banshee suddenly noticed a crack on her heavy battle axe. the cracks spread to the entire heavy battle axe. a bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart. she subconsciously wanted to raise her shield high. she froze. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the heavy battle axe exploded. countless shards hung up the metal storm. the sharp shards with terrifying power directly tore through the battle shield in her hand. in an instant, her body turned into a sieve, with dozens of wounds that spewed blood. in her shock and anger, the elder old banshee sensed an indescribable heat from the fragments in her body. countless flames erupted afterward. the explosion directly enveloped an area of dozens of meters. the elder old banshee widened her eyes. ****** Chapter 994 a steady stream of figures entered the space created by the twilight troops on the winding path between the boulders. richard charged towards the battle platform in the center under the gaze of the scarlet flame eye at the top of the obelisk. he had two long-range units in his hands. they were the stone statues of the dead and the guardian mummies. the guardian mummies used javelins. the damage they caused was insignificant, although there were a hundred of them. they hadn¡¯t undergone reinforcement. the main damage output was still from the stone statues of the dead. for the first time, the elder old banshee felt the sharpness of twilight city as she incessantly charged. however, the power of the stone statues of the dead also made the eyes of the obelisk irritable. one seemed to have injected the elder old banshee with chicken blood as she pounced over with a shrill howl. twilight city troops could not stop the black tide formed by the enemy, even with the combined attack of the guardian mummies and the stone statues of the dead. the old banshee suffered heavy casualties. the head bore countless venomous snakes. she held a heavy battle axe and a heavy shield. her snake body on her extremities rushed to the foot. then, these monsters climbed up with great agility. their snake bodies were like geckos. they could swim on the wall. that had weakened the defensive facilities that were more than 20 meters tall. it was no longer insurmountable, although the advantage brought by gao linxia¡¯s battle was evident. they got closer, and the attacks of the twilight city troops became even more incisive. it wasn¡¯t easy to climb up the city wall. the tomahawks in the hands of the stone statues of the dead continuously produced the sound of chains that scraped each other and the sound of air one has torn apart. every attack would take away the lives of one or more old banshees. the crude, temporary troop facility built with blood-colored boulders had become a meat grinder under the protection of the twilight city troops. the elder old banshee was like a piece of meat. sharp blades severed the body. none of being level 19 and glorious 3-stars saved her! the other old banshee swarmed over like a wave and climbed up the city wall like a madman. she quickly engaged with the twilight city troops in close combat. she trusted her high agility and speed. one could see the strength of these level 19 troops. a banshee had climbed up the city wall and charged at a nearby guardian mummy. the snake¡¯s body squirmed rapidly, and the sharp saber in her hand slashed brazenly. the guardian mummy attacked at the same time. their javelins slashed down, clanged, and clashed with the battle of the old banshees. however, the guardian mummies felt like a heavy truck had hit them at this collision. the weapons in their hands flew out of their hands. at the same time, the venomous snake on the head of the old banshee opened its mouth and shot out a powerful poisonous mucus-like water. the mummy¡¯s head cracked open. it was like one had thrown ice and snow into a furnace. it melted drastically. the banshee emitted soul power that rippled. the old banshee attacked at a fast speed. she swung her saber again. the guardian mummy could not react in time. it felt a cold light flash and lost perception of the outside world. the soul fire in the broken head dissipated. it didn¡¯t even have time to activate the lifesaving skill, sand transformation. the old banshee was a close-combat soldier. it couldn¡¯t perform long-range attacks. she immediately revealed the edge of a top-tier soldier after a fight with the twilight city troops. richard decisively gave orders. he immediately ordered the guardian mummies to retreat to the second line of defense. he would send the soldiers suitable for close combat, the evil dragon wings, and the king of the imperial troop to support the defense line. the old banshee climbed the city wall. the fiercest on the battlefield transformed from the stone statues of the dead into an extraordinary troop. they were the evil dragon wings. these ultimate troops had the dragon descendants on their backs. they stood on the city wall. that gave people a heart-wrenching impact. dragon scales covered every inch of their skin. and the long battle axe reflected a cold luster. their muscles were like steel that supported the scales. the old banshee rushed up the wall facing the obelisk. the female demon held a heavy battle axe with a sinister smile. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ a violent sound of air resounded in the eardrums. the old banshees¡¯s expression did not change. the female demon raised the thick shield and moved forward quickly. the polearms were easy to deal with. they could kill the opponent with their nimble combat methods. all they have to do is block the first attack. ¡®clang!¡¯ the battle axe struck the heavy shield as the old banshee¡¯s speed exploded. in the next moment, the old banshee suddenly showed fear. the thick shield in her hand, which could block the spear, exploded. bang! the battle axe¡¯s remaining power did not diminish as it slashed fiercely at her chest. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of bones breaking was ear-piercing. the old banshee only felt a sharp pain. her body charged but flew backward uncontrollably. it directly smashed down from the city wall into the group of old banshees below. her chest looked like a heavy object pressed against a vast sponge. one must have sunken the heavy battle axe other than its eye-catching marks. the combat style of the evil dragon wings was exceptionally crude. the old banshee waved her heavy battle axe repeatedly! the cardboard-made heavy shield of the level 19 old banshee was ineffective against such an attack. the aura of the evil dragon wings would increase by a notch if they failed to kill a single old female banshee. that was even more terrifying. [close combat master (a-rank) ¡ª close combat techniques upgraded to master rank.] [brutal (a-rank) ¡ª has no pain perception and is not afraid of death. its combat style is supremely madness. it can cause a massive shock to the enemy. at the same time, every enemy killed can accumulate one brutal point. duration: for 30 minutes, every 1 point of brutal value will increase all attributes by 1%, and the upper limit will be 500%.] the wings of the evil dragon were in the area where the old banshees attacked the most violently, but they were as stable as mount tai and did not waver at all. the battle style of these extraordinary soldiers became increasingly violent. they even started to kill. fortunately, they opened their dragon mouths and bit the heads of the old banshees into pieces. they tore the poisonous snakes. that appeared odd and bloody. the petrification of the old banshees didn¡¯t work on these soldiers. one needed to look into the target¡¯s eyes to petrify it. the stronger the soul, the longer the time to look. the evil dragon wings were extraordinary soldiers. it wasn¡¯t necessary to mention the power of the soul. the old female banshee couldn¡¯t petrify the enemy a few times. but who would give them such a long time on this battlefield? the evil dragon wings should have killed the old banshee until she could not raise her head, although nine teams were in the lair. the enraged evil dragon wings would have jumped off the city walls and slaughtered the old banshees if richard had not forced these soldiers to guard the city walls. the king of the imperial troop, glorious 3-stars soldiers who could control five blades with invisible spatial ropes, also shone. the king of the imperial troop¡¯s five sabers moved wildly like ghosts in the chaos. the old banshees could usually care about the front and not the back. they were within the attack range of the king of the imperial troop from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. they were not as powerful as the evil dragon wings, but their strange battle style made them incomparably fierce. the ranged skill of these soldiers, army breaker, could also have an excellent effect when they target the enemy. the five sabers could unleash terrifying blood qi and kill all the enemies within a fan-shaped range of dozens of meters. the efficiency of the massacre was exaggerated. it went arduous even if the old banshees managed to break through the blockade and kill their way into the troops. they also had the ultimate life-saving skill of twilight city, sand transformation. the attacks of the old banshees, even if the viper on their heads spat out a single eye, would not be able to cause much damage on the activation of the sand transformation. it was as if richard had activated invincibility and could immediately suppress it. he didn¡¯t go down personally. he stayed behind and controlled the situation. the soldiers weren¡¯t enough. the enemy¡¯s attacks were fierce, and he could not deal with a few to dispatch troops and fill the gap. the tiny yellow sand on the battlefield allowed him to sense the movements of the entire battlefield. he could sense more details. his micro-control ability was almost enough. those heroes with soul-strapping commanding abilities were far inferior to richard¡¯s perception of god¡¯s time. the battlefield had become a real meat grinder. it wantonly devoured everything that came it¡¯s way. the evil dragon wings, king of the imperial troop, and stone statues of the dead were too ferocious. richard even mobilized the sandstorm controllers to transform into a sandstorm to participate in the battle. he only had these spellcasting soldiers use skills like the yellow sand prison to assist. ¡°level 19, glorious 3-stars elder old banshee? weakened?¡± in the eyes of other players, he was an invincible enemy! not to mention that there were so many of them. they had powerful close-battle and strange skills that could petrify people, superb battle techniques, and extreme explosive speed. that was a terrifying troop. however, at this moment, it was like a giant boulder had hit these ferocious soldiers. they exploded and shattered before the twilight city troop. richard understood how powerful the troop he had forged himself was under pressure! there were countless level 19 soldiers. the obelisk rules were remarkable, but the old banshees had no heroic units. but didn¡¯t he also not have a hero to accompany him? otherwise, why would they need to build defensive facilities in this war? perhaps it had already charged into the obelisk and crushed the scarlet flame eye. the battle in twilight city was intense, and the player troops on the other side of the blood-colored boulder area had already suffered a devastating blow. the white-haired, pale-faced old player rode a group of white horses. he followed the middle-aged player in richard¡¯s direction. several heavily armored human soldiers fled at the rear. their morale had long collapsed. some soldiers even threw down their armor and weapons and ran faster than the white-haired, pale-faced old player on the horse. ¡°guild master! speed up!¡± ¡°we¡¯ll all die here if we continue to run slower!¡± the middle-aged player turned his head and looked behind him. the group of old banshees was like harvesting wheat. they raised their hands, slashed down, and continuously slaughtered the soldiers who had fallen behind. this scene made his eyes pop out. the guild had calculated these glorious soldiers at a great price!! there was an entire troop of more than ten thousand people! but at this moment, they were all buried! those terrifying soldiers with poisonous snakes growing on their heads had become his nightmare at this moment. they fought just now. the middle-aged player still held some pride. he could not even run away, right? however, as the battle deepened, old banshees incessantly appeared. only then did he realize what went wrong. level 19. they were like an invincible troop. no matter how hard he tried. he used a few precious troop scrolls to increase the strength of the soldiers. that was useless. all the resistance seemed so laughable under the attacks of the other party. ¡°that player¡¯s area is up ahead. i can already hear the sounds of battle. hold on!¡± the white-haired, pale-faced old player seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became even uglier. ¡°guild master, if we go over¡­ that player is like us, or even worse.¡± Chapter 995 the yellow sand surrounding the battlefield allowed his perception to expand infinitely. it was like he had a god¡¯s perspective while playing a game. one could see clearly without the fog of war. however, the other party¡¯s strength was weak. the weakness didn¡¯t threaten richard at all. they were a group of defeated soldiers scared out of their wits. he could always send three to five reinforced evil dragon wings. their strength progressed after they slaughtered the old banshee. a transcendent soldier could work as a boss when there was no threat from a hero. fortunately, the players understood the process and didn¡¯t get close. otherwise, richard could let the guardian mummies, who didn¡¯t deal much damage to the old banshee, test the difference. richard only glanced at it once, then ignored it. he focused on the battlefield ahead. the old banshees¡¯ progress was unfavorable. the scarlet flame eye above the obelisk became increasingly restless. the dancing flames appeared like a giant hand had twisted the blood-colored clouds in the sky. they incessantly spun. richard blinked a few times. he understood such an attack would not yield better results. then, a crimson mist gradually rose from the blood-colored stone forest. it was like one looked into the distance from the fields in the early spring, with a bit of haziness. the crimson mist rose, and the old banshee suddenly trembled and hissed. the countless poisonous snakes produced strange sounds. a shocking scene appeared. the venomous snakes that grew on the head of the old demoness began to bite and devour each other. it formed a new battlefield. the poisonous snakes died one after another, and the scene became terrifying. each of the deaths of the poisonous snakes would turn into scarlet energy and devour the surrounding snakes. the image of the venomous snakes hovering above the old banshee¡¯s head disappeared in less than a dozen breaths. only a venomous snake with a black body and sharp teeth remained above each old banshee¡¯s head. the snake hissed and spat out its tongue. that emitted a pungent smell in the air. ¡°raising gu?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he opened the attributes panel of the old banshee. it displayed an additional status. [power of the stone of the ancient ones: the entire body receives the power of the stone of the ancient ones. all attributes increase by 300%. it can devour the power of the ancient ones when injured for a quick recovery. the body will not die as long as the head is intact.] this extra attribute made richard sense a danger. he looked at the old banshee while she poured in from the winding path. his eyes appeared solemn. a real battle! it had only just begun. ¡°guild master, those old banshees. they didn¡¯t chase us anymore!¡± on the northeast side of the battlefield, a middle-aged player with one silver eye and one blue eye had yet to recover from his shock. the voice of the white-haired, pale-faced old player beside him made the middle-aged player return to his senses. he turned around and saw that the old banshees that had chased him had dispersed. they had all gathered at the battlefield where the mysterious player was. his expression changed slightly. ¡°this time, we¡­you didn¡¯t do it properly.¡± that player must have been, but their actions were like inviting fire to burn themselves. the white-haired, pale-faced old player smiled bitterly. ¡°we don¡¯t have much of a choice.¡± the player would apologize after this crisis was over. ¡°moreover, we couldn¡¯t avoid the old banshees once we enter the range of the obelisk.¡± ¡°those old banshees will come to this battlefield after they killed us.¡± the middle-aged player shook his head. ¡°let¡¯s apologize after the battle.¡± they saw the bodies of the old banshees stop. then, the poisonous snakes above their heads killed each other, leaving only one. the white-haired, pale-faced old player opened the other party¡¯s attribute panel and glanced. his voice trembled a little. ¡°yes, guild master. those old banshees. i¡¯ve become stronger!¡± the middle-aged player¡¯s breathing froze. he looked at the attributes of the old banshee and fell silent. his hands trembled uncontrollably. the 300% increase in all attributes filled his mind. the immortality with an undamaged head startled him. an indescribable sense of despair welled up in his heart. ¡°a level 19 soldier, all attributes increased by 300%?¡± would this still give them a chance to live?! that was a f*cking level 19 soldier, not some random cat or dog! for such an existence, even a 10% or 20% increase in strength would cause a surge in power. that was a three-times increase!! ¡°playing ball games?¡± he looked at the guardian mummy troop while it still defended the city. sorrow filled his eyes. ¡°they¡­ could they defend it?¡± richard immediately found it difficult to deal with the old bansees. their strength had soared. they charged incessantly and mightier this time. the guardian mummies could have caused some damage. this scene had exhausted richard. not only were the spears couldn¡¯t break through the shield. his troop could not weaken the old banshee¡¯s body as long as they protected the head, even if they hit them through the gap. the scarlet mist that permeated the air would immediately repair the damaged body of the old banshees. the attacks of the old demoness became terrifying without a backup. the troops rushed up to the city walls. the king of the imperial and the evil dragon wings immediately felt the blockage. the evil dragon wings initially could kill an old banshee with a single swing of its battle axe. a shatter on their shields and slashes on their bodies now would not cause fatal injuries. their wounds would quickly heal like a rubber. a chop and a smash on their heads alone could slaughter these monsters. moreover, the other party¡¯s aura had increased greatly, and their strength had increased significantly. the enemy could already counterattack and were no longer so easy to kill. Chapter 996 ¡®roar!¡¯ the king of the imperial troops retreated from a line of defense the old banshee tore. the invisible ropes controlled five swords in the air. these frantically attacked, but the old banshee was immune to most damage. so long as one protected the head. one could often cause injuries with their agile bodies and superb battle skills. the king of the imperial troops suffered casualties. richard¡¯s eyes turned cold when he saw this, and the power of yellow sand surged from his body. it instantly covered hundreds of meters of space. the sand on the ground flew up quickly toward the battle platform. it directly enveloped the troop and condensed. in a moment, all the soldiers wore yellow sand-made armor. that was a reinforced beyond a-rank skill, condensing sand into armor. richard took the medal out from his pocket and wore it. it was a 5-stars treasure, the death elegy medal. it could increase the attributes of all undead by 50%. that reactivated the title. [king of gladiator ¡ª the enemy troop has exceeded 3,000. your attributes are increased by 50%, and the troops are increased by 40%. the morale of the troops is high.] ¡°what was a hero?¡± he could change the situation on the battlefield with his strength. that was the definition of heroes in the ¡°shining era.¡± and richard was one of the best. he could activate the two passive skills that increase his attributes and condense the yellow sand armor. the shaky defense line immediately regained its stability. the saber and shield of the old banshee could easily cut through boulders. the demoness slashed at the yellow sand armor like a long stick that had stirred in thick syrup and had evaporated most of its water. stagnation, blockage. that had reduced the power to the freezing point. the marks on the yellow sand armor would disappear after a few breaths. it would return to its perfect state after the slash. it could at least withstand more than ten attacks from the old banshee, although its luster was a little dimmer. the troubled twilight city troops immediately erupted with power that trembled the old banshee after they obtained the yellow sand armor that could protect themselves. that was wild and brutal. each step they took on the city walls would cost them ten to a hundred corpses. the scene became increasingly tragic. the two players behind them were terrified. the white-haired, pale-faced old player¡¯s eyes widened, and his breathing quickened. ¡°who, who is that? how could he be so powerful?¡± he expected that player to face a wave of turmoil and could not hold on after the eruption of the old banshee. unexpectedly, the charging troop regained the strength to slaughter the enemy after a few adjustments. he couldn¡¯t see the player because of the chaos on the battlefield. he couldn¡¯t bring a hero into the battlefield. in other words, these were the skills of the player. he pondered. he could not help but feel his scalp go numb. the middle-aged player seemed to have thought of something at this moment. his expression changed repeatedly. in the end, he said with a hint of relief and surprise. ¡°butler maca, don¡¯t you find those troops familiar? other than that person, who else in the desert camp could have a mummy troop of this level?¡± ¡°that person?¡± the white-haired, pale-faced old player seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes suddenly widened. he divulged excitement. he was excited! it was like one had resurrected him. countless emotions surged in his heart. he calmed down and spoke in a low and solemn tone, even with a hint of pilgrimage. ¡°qingqiu¡­ ¡°no one, yes, in the entire ¡°shining era,¡± among the players from the desert camp could possess such power! ¡°qingqiu slayed a level 19, glorious 3-stars. he even made the elder old banshee explode like a dog. ¡°none of the top guilds could do this other than qingqiu!¡± the big guilds could always gather a troop that could win, but that would require troops to pile up! on the battlefield before them, qingqiu used the same or even fewer numbers to kill the level 19 female demons. the gap between them was so vast! the middle-aged player had mixed feelings. he didn¡¯t have much hope at first. he didn¡¯t expect to meet such a big shot in a situation where he could die. he had also watched the live stream of the previous plane exploration. he marked the destruction of the blazing flame guild and the shock of killing a god with a single sword in his heart. in the last battle at lion city, the enemy did not send any troops to fight, so he could not make a judgment for a while. but now, any deductions weren¡¯t necessary. there were many experts, but he had only met an existence as powerful as qingqiu. the scarlet flame eye at the top of the obelisk saw the enemy block its attack again. that was a genuine riot. ¡®hong!¡¯ the flames exploded dozens of meters high. his long and narrow eyes widened again. flames covered half of the sky. it looked like an ancient flame creature had opened its eyes from afar. the scarlet mist in the air began to thicken. the eyes of the remaining venomous snake on the head of the old banshee were crimson. that horrified the two players. the status of the old banshee¡¯s attribute panel had changed again. [curse of the great old ones (sould burn) ¡ª all attributes increase by 600%. it could instantly heal all injuries. immune to pain. an enemy could not smash your head. you will not die. you will carry the power of the stones of the ancient ones in your attack. it can destroy everything.] their hearts beat wildly, and indescribable fear filled their eyes. ¡°damn, this obelisk would kill!!! ¡°he was cheating. he couldn¡¯t afford to play this game. he was cheating!!¡± they fixed their eyes on the battlefield. they wouldn¡¯t survive in this strange obelisk if their only support fell. ¡°hold on, boss qingqiu!¡± there had never been a moment when he wanted a player to live so badly. richard was not surprised by the riot at the obelisk, and his expression did not change much. a dangerous light flashed in his eyes when he saw the firm defense line collapse again. he resounded a solemn order throughout the battlefield. ¡°evil dragon wings, activate evil dragon body!! ¡°stone statues of the dead, activate the colossus of the dead! ¡°king of the imperial troops, activate the forbidden sandstorm!¡± the body of the evil dragon wings at the front collided fiercely. their bodies soared from five meters to eight meters. ¡®hong!¡¯ high temperatures ignited their bodies and distorted the air. triangular swords in their hands turned red. one could even see how one burned the flesh and blood on it to a crisp. the stone statues of the dead at the back expanded to a giant similar to the dragon wings. a greenish-gray color covered their bodies. their defense was as firm as a mountain, and it was difficult for swords to hurt them. the kings of the imperial troop¡¯s aura suddenly soared. their attributes increased by 300%. at the same time, the five swords controlled by the invisible rope emitted bursts of sword light that almost caused the surrounding space to distort. the strongest trump cards of the three troops erupted simultaneously. that tore the surging old banshee before them apart. the dragon wings and the eight-meter-tall body of the stone statues of the dead worked like heavy siege equipment every time they waved their weapons. the old banshee couldn¡¯t resist this soul-tormenting force even though her body had grown to four meters. this level 19 soldier type was not known for its strength. they were nimble, could move around and fight, and could petrify their enemies. that was their trump card. however, it was a coincidence these were futile before the twilight city troops. the size of the troops increased. that narrowed the battle platform. richard looked up at the scarlet flame eye at the top of the obelisk. his expression appeared odd. ¡°kill our way out!¡± Chapter 997 richard sat on the back of one of the skeleton blood dragons and followed closely behind blood dragons that could no longer fly. they did not have any tricks up their sleeves, although that had enormously reduced the damages the guardian mummies dealt. they threw the yellow sand-condensed-javelin in their hands. the surging old banshee felt the sharpness that belonged only to twilight city. the evil dragon wings charged forward. the dragon scales were countless times stronger than the heavy shield¡¯s defense. an old banshee could not break through its defense even if the demoness¡¯s attributes had enormously increased! the burning flames on their bodies carried a high temperature that made people tremble. they were like giant fireballs. an old banshee had to suffer waves of burning damage before she could even get close. the king of the imperial troops would cause a bloody storm every time they wielded the hollow triangular swords. they aimed at the upper body to deal with the weakness of the old demoness. an old banshee couldn¡¯t withstand such damage even with the obelisk¡¯s scarlet flame eye and powerful recovery ability. how could one recover even at the tear of the upper half-body?! the 100 teams of the stone statues of the dead made the old banshee suffer the impact after they activated the stone statue elephant form. it also had the vampire¡¯s signature characteristic, life steal. it could convert 35% of the damage dealt into one¡¯s life. that made the old banshees suffer another loss, although they had enormously increased unbreakable defense. a reward wasn¡¯t easy for a stone statue of the dead. but a banshee could absorb its life force after a few bursts. that scene was remarkable. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he most wanted the stone statues of the dead, even with the extraordinary evil dragon wing troop after generous nurture. this troop type was simply in line with all his expectations. richard activated the soul burn. it was a powerful skill that could cause a fan-shaped large-scale damage breaker. that had shortened the cooldown time to 10 seconds. ¡°what kind of concept was this?¡± [level 17 glorious 3-stars king of the imperial troop: 21 teams] [level 15 crown 3-stars: 50] there were still more than 60 teams that had simultaneously erupted if one had to count the portion they had lost. the scene created this commotion and was not even half as great as the evil dragon wings and the stone statues of the dead. the explosion of the twilight city was exciting, but the old banshee before them had suffered a devastating blow. that cleared people gathered in the open space in less than ten minutes. one could see broken limbs everywhere. blood was everywhere. richard slayed all the old banshees that stood. he had no reservations. he looked up at the scarlet flame eye on the obelisk, and his gaze became playful. ¡°your power? is that all? ¡°it¡¯s really¡­ how disappointing.¡± his light voice resounded through the sky. it penetrated the forest of boulders and reached the obelisk. the scarlet flame eye on the top rose again. the anger that was like a suppressed volcano even caused the troops on the battlefield to pause for a moment. it could burn everything upon explosion. richard paused for a long time. he looked thoughtfully when the sand around him did not sense any new enemies. he decided a moment later. ¡°evil dragon wings! act as the vanguard. target-obelisk! ¡°flatten all obstacles before us!¡± the stone statues of the dead and the king of the imperial troops had a time limit apart from the dragon wings skill. that was the most soul-wrenching wave. that would fall into a cooldown period of several hours when the skill ended. they would fall into a passive position if a new enemy appeared. ¡°i¡¯ll take your life while you¡¯re sick!¡± richard gave the order. the evil dragon wings before them roared and charged into the blood-colored stone forest. the old banshees that rushed over from the winding path instantly retreated. they could still use their numerical advantage to counterattack in a wide area. the evil dragon wings had mighty individual battles and displayed their benefit after they entered a narrow terrain. the blazing flames on their bodies and the sharp triangular swords in their hands were all skills meant for slaughter. the two players behind watched the twilight city troop disappear into the giant stone forest. it took a long time for them to calm down. the white-haired, pale-faced old player gulped and spoke. his voice trembled. ¡°is this the strength of the number one player?¡± ¡°i can easily kill the old banshee blessed with powerful characteristics without a hero¡¯s command. i would just rely on my strength. i could even lead a counterattack!¡± as he said that, he turned around and looked at the remaining 300 to 500 soldiers, and an indescribable complex emotion surged in his heart. just a few hundred old banshees had already made them collapse. if one had to compare? they could not compete with qingqiu compared to them. the middle-aged player only moved for a short time. he looked at the messy battlefield. he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°some people can make people unable to compare themselves to others¡­¡± he raised his head and looked at the scarlet flame eye on the top of the obelisk. his gaze gradually moved inward. he gritted his teeth. ¡°follow them. ¡°we can leave this land of death if qingqiu wins. we must make plans as soon as possible if qingqiu loses.¡± the white-haired, pale-faced old player beside him nodded and turned to look at the soldiers who stared blankly at the battlefield. the low morale of those who had collapsed and fled couldn¡¯t disappear. in the past, these troops he was proud of were now an eyesore, no matter how he looked at them. the two players did not stop for too long. they immediately set off when they recognized the troop. they passed through the battlefield filled with corpses and followed him through the small path. they could only see broken bodies and limbs along the way. he did not see a single intact one. in contrast, they did not see any corpse left behind by the guardian mummies after hundreds of meters of walk. that made their hearts tremble. richard ignored the little tail behind him. he led the twilight city troops and forcefully broke through the obstruction of the old banshees in a crushing manner. corpses of several banshees would fall on the ground with each of their steps forward. no one knew how many old banshees guarded the obelisk. richard estimated he had killed more than seven battalions. that was a level 19, glorious 3-stars soldier! however, the steel destroyer of the stone statues of the dead¡¯s tomahawk and troop breaker of the king of the imperial troop were soul-wrenching. the battle results of the most violent and fierce evil dragon wings weren¡¯t remarkable, although the battle was crazy due to the lack of some skills. after some time, richard heard a cheer from the front line while he sat on the skeleton blood dragon. he widened his sight after he went over the two blood-colored boulders. the tall, scarlet obelisk stood a hundred meters ahead of them. the space around the obelisk was spacious, and there were no obstacles. one has neatly and symmetrically inlaid square bricks on the ground. a dozen or more oval spatial rifts on the square emitted scarlet light like black holes. that was remarkable! several old banshees crawled out of the scarlet cracks. the snakes that wriggled on their heads were striking. the evil dragon wings did not hesitate when they saw this scene and charged into the square. they cleared the old banshees before them and then rushed to the front of the scarlet cracks. they waved their battle tomahawks. ¡®kacha!¡¯ cracks wriggled on it. that shattered ten scarlet cracks or more. that directly severed the source of the old banshees. the troops moved too quickly. that shattered richard¡¯s order to keep a crack for research before he could say it. richard could only shrug his shoulders. being too mighty isn¡¯t always good. he acted too quickly. the obelisk¡¯s scarlet flames eyes widened at the sight. the blazing flames painted the sky red. the rolling pressure incessantly attacked. richard sensed something odd. he looked up and stared straight at the old banshee. he didn¡¯t back down at all. the air seemed to freeze at this moment. a sound echoed at this moment. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the sound of glass shattering rang out. spiderweb-like cracks quickly spread from the dozen or so scarlet cracks. the sky split open. the split reached a limit. ¡®bang!¡¯ it exploded. the entire space collapsed. richard¡¯s vision changed again. the blood-colored sky and the endless blood-colored clouds had disappeared. the crimson mist in the air was gone. he turned around and looked at his surroundings. the scarlet boulders around him disappeared without a trace. what replaced them was the scenery he had seen before he stepped into the obelisk. ¡°did they come out from that strange plane again?¡± he looked up and saw these burning scarlet flame eyes. they still hung in the sky! the skeleton blood dragon suddenly sensed something. it flapped its wings and flew up. had the system abolished flying? he pondered. a nervous voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­¡± richard turned his head and saw the two little tails that had followed him. he raised his eyebrows. several teams of stone statues of the dead were there and surrounded them above the other party. he looked at them coldly. they felt their scalps go numb as they walked closer uneasily. the middle-aged player was the first to speak when he arrived below the skeletal blood dragon and looked up at him. ¡°the master of the dragon¡¯s fang guild, kelde, extends gratitude to boss qingqiu for saving my life.¡± richard looked at the uneasy duo. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± the middle-aged player spoke in a deep voice. ¡°boss qingqiu, this obelisk seals the power of the stones of the ancient ones. ¡°the transcendents of the knight sect told us about the information inside when we came¡­¡± he was not able to finish his sentence. suddenly, a furious voice sounded. ¡°damned bugs, you dare to reveal the sect¡¯s secret to outsiders!! ¡°you guys are courting death!¡± that distorted the space before him. the figure with a burly voice appeared. it wore a knight¡¯s uniform and held a knight¡¯s spear. Chapter 998 something buzzed in their ears. they found it hard to understand how the transcendents of the knight sect could be so bold! ¡°qingqiu!¡± that was qingqiu! didn¡¯t he mention the other party¡¯s identity in the sect last time? wasn¡¯t this guy also present at that time? did he not put the players in his eyes?! they thought about the natives¡¯ bone-deep arrogance and contempt for the players. they felt helpless. the other party usually does not recognize them. those arrogant idiots had never treated players as humans. at this point, they recalled how the transcendents had tricked them into the obelisk and how they had lost troops they had accumulated for a long time. they would have already become corpses if not for qingqiu. evilness engulfed their hearts when they thought of this. ¡°f*ck, are you crazy? ¡°why don¡¯t you take a look at who you¡¯ve provoked? ¡°qingqiu, better stomp these idiots to death if they continue to act arrogantly!! ¡°*&^%**!!¡± the two had wanted to remind them about how they looked at each other and decisively shut their mouths. the other party might not take it seriously with that extraordinary arrogance even if they said it. why was the heretic seven sins of the evil gods so famous and arrogant? they were original sins. the scene became strange. the scarlet flame eyes of the obelisk increasingly glared. the transcendents of the knight sect below the obelisk held their chin high and looked down at richard. their attitude was indescribably arrogant. they didn¡¯t take richard seriously as a soul-strapping troop leader. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed at the provocation. but he wasn¡¯t as furious as others had expected. he looked down at the two players with a subtle expression. the two players looked at richard¡¯s blurry figure and were at a loss for words. the middle-aged player said decisively. ¡°boss qingqiu, this is the white-robed bishop of the knight sect. he is only in a cooperative relationship with our guild¡­¡± the armored transcendent of the knight sect felt something laughable when he said this. it expressed dissatisfaction and anger toward the grace mainland overlord. these two people tried to cut ties with him? they were afraid of the grace mainland overlord and not afraid of the white-robed bishop! he was angry at first, but then he suddenly sneered. mockery filled his eyes. ¡°how laughable and pitiful¡­ you don¡¯t even know what it means to be the white-robed bishop of the knight sect, the favored one of our god, with your ignorant knowledge, right?¡± he completely lost interest in these two fellows as he spoke. he looked at the figure on the back of the skeleton blood dragon. he thought disgustingly. ¡°filthy creatures fill the desert. that is the association with the dead. ¡°lord from the desert, originally, i only planned to bring you back to be judged, but now¡­ i changed my mind.¡± ¡°i want to see why these two lowly creatures dare to stand on your side¡­ how dare all of you!¡± he wanted to trample on the grace mainland overlord. this lord¡¯s subordinates were all dead souls. he wanted to let those two idiots know what true power was. the weak reptiles still dared to take sides. ¡°laughable. oh, truly laughable!¡± he finished speaking. he stepped forward into the void. a power as bright as the sun emanated from his body. the two players on the ground felt a power that surged out of their chests. heroic, fair, honorable, compassionate. the rules of the knight sect appeared at this moment. he subconsciously raised his head and straightened his back. his heart trembled when he returned to his senses. that wasn¡¯t any influence, but the halo power unique to the knight sect. they had seen how this power influenced some soldiers and joined them. he held his breath and looked at the sky nervously and excitedly. it wasn¡¯t nervousness about the battle. it was because of how the transcendents would report the figure on the undead dragon¡¯s death. he was excited because the person who almost killed them would eventually kneel. he had no doubts about the outcome of the battle. that was a f*cking god who slaughtered a god. what was a mere transcendent to him? qingqiu still had two transcendents in his hands whether he moved or not. moreover, those two transcendents had even joined forces to kill an existence of the same level. this idiot even dared to provoke qingqiu. moreover, he did not even remember the other party¡¯s information before. his bone-deep arrogance was disgusting. the radiance on the body of the transcendent of the knight sect shone brighter with his increasing steps. in the end, he covered half of the sky. the scarlet flame eyes echoed in the obelisk. a moment later, the transcendents of the knight sect were within thirty meters of richard. the blinding light burned the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s soul. its flapping speed became slower. it could fall at any moment. ¡°lowly desert lord¡­ do you feel the glory of our god?¡± richard spoke casually. he watched the figure bathed in holy light approach with endless pressure. ¡°take another step forward, and life and death will be at stake¡­¡± richard finished speaking. the transcendent from the knight sect felt a terrifying sense of danger surge into his heart. the lord had convinced him he meant what he spoke. he took a step forward. ¡°death!¡± he was shocked and angry. how could a god grace lord be such a threat to him?! he subconsciously wanted to retreat, but when he saw the calm gaze of the other party, he was stunned. immediately, his chest exploded. he took a step forward in extreme unwillingness. ¡°i¡¯ve already taken this step. what can you do to me?!¡± the two players on the surface saw each other retreat like lightning. they felt like a frightened sheep. they saw the space beside the knight sect transcendent explode and shatter just as the question arose. two agile silhouettes charged. one had bat wings on his back and held a sharp spear. the other wore black gold armor and clenched a cold saber. ¡°two transcendents? damn it, damn it!¡± the terrified and incredulous voice of the transcendent echoed. at this moment, the space shattered again as he was about to escape. a six-meter stone figure with a narrow head and a body appeared brazenly. ¡°the third one?!¡± the two players subconsciously exclaimed. a centaur with a long hilt and a cold gaze appeared not far away. immediately after, the golden lion roared into the sky. the two players saw this scene, and a vast hand gripped their hearts. even breathing became difficult. ¡°five¡­five transcendents?¡± the hoarse voice carried an unimaginable shock. the two players looked at each other. they could not utter a single word. transcendents were considered top-notch in the outside world. at this moment, qingqiu had five of them! ¡°those were f*cking transcendents. they weren¡¯t trash everywhere!!¡± countless emotions of envy, jealousy, hatred, disbelief, and excitement surged in his heart. the two players felt their eyes open. five transcendents attacked the knight sect transcendent. the sky collapsed. his hands and feet were cold, and the hand trembled while it gripped the weapon. he couldn¡¯t imagine why a grace mainland overlord had five transcendent guards! furthermore, these five transcendents were soul-crushers. at this moment, he finally realized what kind of disaster he had just provoked. he saw the figure on the back of the yellow sand-covered undead dragon from the corner of his eye. suddenly, a flash of surprise flashed across his mind. he thought of something. he cried out in shock. ¡°qingqiu?! you are the most soul-crushing grace mainland overlord, qingqiu?!¡± ¡°the qingqiu who killed one of seven sins of the evil god, greed lord!¡± richard ignored this information. the knight sect¡¯s transcendent realized who qingqiu was. he didn¡¯t care about all the rumors the other party had previously spread. specifically the slaughter of gods. what kind of joke was this? what level of existence were the seven sins of the evil gods? even the weakest could fight head-on with the knight sect¡¯s transcendent! how could grace mainland overlord kill him? the grace mainland overlord could have spread the news with his power and skills if he had this kind of power. he only recalled the information buried in the trash at the sight of the five transcendents. endless regret rose in his mind. things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way if he had taken this information seriously. he looked at the threatening enemy. he wanted to admit defeat. however, when he thought of his attitude and words just now, he could not say anything. at this moment, he wanted to cry but had no tears. he could have slapped his mouth a few times. ¡®i¡¯ll let you have a cheap mouth! ¡®i¡¯ll let you be a fool!¡¯ his emotions fluctuated. he sensed that the two strongest transcendents had already arrived. the knight sect¡¯s transcendent roared in grievance. he gripped his spear and charged forward. a heroic scene of one versus five immediately appeared on the field. the outsiders would have praised the glory of the knight sect if outsiders knew about this. however, at this moment, the two players on the ground only felt incomparably carefree. ¡°that damned transcendent! just act cool in front of qingqiu. are you happy now?!¡± the two players recalled their elite troop this fool and arrogant had killed. they wished to have come near him and kicked the idiot a few times. would they be so arrogant about their losses if it weren¡¯t for the fake news?! the battle between transcendents became extremely intense the moment it started. turbulent energy filled the entire sky. it was like one had stirred the already chaotic space like muddy water. that distorted the surrounding light. outsiders could only see balls of energy explode from the center of the battlefield and waves of air. to survive, the transcendent of the knight sect must unleash all his power. he wanted to break out of the encirclement. however, no matter how he attacked, he could not escape it. there were level 23 vampire archduchess loreinna, the dark valkyrie who suppressed loreinna even before her uttermost transformation, the level 20 dark soul eater kratos, the level 20 centaur emily, and the golden lion. the power of the twilight city made the knight sect transcendent feel despair. after a few minutes of fierce battle, rumble! the scarlet flame eyes above the obelisk suddenly burst into endless blood light, like a new blood moon. richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he keenly sensed that something big had happened. he said decisively. ¡°get rid of that transcendent immediately. don¡¯t waste any more time.¡± he finished speaking. the transcendent of the knight sect felt a chill run down his spine. the energy in his body surged again with a low roar. that shattered the surrounding void. there was a distortion before him, and a spatial gate appeared indistinctly. however, he could not get excited. the vampire on the flank suddenly reached his hand and clenched it gently. ¡®kacha!¡¯ that shattered the spatial gate. ¡°no!¡± the knight sect¡¯s transcendent miserably and desperately roared. kratos took advantage of this short gap. its body emitted endless gray light. a chain of nothingness condensed and wrapped itself around the knight sect transcendent. the other party¡¯s violent body suddenly stiffened. a weapon appeared at this moment. the three-meter-longsword in the dark valkyrie¡¯s hand burst with endless light. she waved her longsword and left. loreinna¡¯s palm tore through the void and disappeared. Chapter 999 a distorted, struggling, half-transparent soul roared soundlessly in all directions. kratos pulled him out. kratos placed him on his side. the transcendent boss opened its mouth and chewed the soul into pieces before it swallowed the arrogant warrior. ¡®burp!¡¯ the dark soul eater even burped comfortably. kratos even ate everything clean. richard saw the soul had directly increased kratos¡¯s soul devouring halo from 160,000 dark power to 170,000. a transcendent soul was a great supplement. the dragon¡¯s fang guild¡¯s two players felt a strange emotion after they saw the dust settle. they had said it before. it was as they expected. however, the relationship would probably suffer a heavy blow when they returned with the death of the knight sect¡¯s transcendent. they painstakingly built this relationship up. however, why were they so happy? ¡°this bastard deserved to die! ¡°you degraded players. you were so arrogant. you looked down on everything!! ¡°there was a price to pay for acting tough! ¡°now, he felt good, right? qingqiu trampled him to death. f*ck!!¡± the players vented their emotions. the middle-aged player, the leader of the dragon¡¯s fang guild, stepped forward and looked up at the figure who dominated everything. ¡°boss qingqiu, one has sealed the power of the stones of the ancient ones in this obelisk. you¡¯d better be careful if you don¡¯t have the means to deal with it. ¡°this time, thank you for saving my life. the dragon¡¯s fang guild owes you a big favor. we¡¯ll give our best if you need anything, as long as you let us know.¡± richard glanced at them. ¡°how much do you know about this obelisk?¡± the middle-aged player smiled bitterly. ¡°we don¡¯t have much information. we only know the approximate strength of the obelisk and the stones of the ancient ones¡¯s power sealed inside. the transcendents from the kinight sect control the rest.¡± richard wouldn¡¯t want to speak. he did not say anything. he waved his hand. ¡°all of you, step back.¡± ¡°we¡­ can we leave now?¡± richard glanced at them. ¡°wait until i take over the obelisk. then you can do whatever you want.¡± he waved at the transcendent as he spoke and flew towards the obelisk without hesitation. the two looked at each other and did not say anything. they quickly and efficiently evacuated the remaining hundreds of soldiers from the obelisk. however, they didn¡¯t go far away and obediently stayed as richard instructed. richard moved on. he was still interested in a few unfamiliar players. but he planned to talk to the two about the obelisk after he obtained it. there was already a guild in ell dimension. he could also bring in more guilds soon. the dragon¡¯s fang guild must have a foundation, although it didn¡¯t seem very powerful since they could make the sect send transcendents to complete the mission. he could also get different information from here. windsor was the master of the crimson moon. she prepared to slaughter the gods. he wanted to know movements from the sect recently. richard sighed and collected his scattered thoughts. he raised his head slightly and looked at the obelisk before him. this obelisk was more vast. it had a longer diameter than the obelisk richard had conquered in ell kingdom. the scarlet eye above his head was even more indescribably strange. he felt a burning pain in his soul after a bit of stare. a few transcendents had gathered around, and loreinna was the first to speak. ¡°lord, the power from the obelisk must have disturbed the surrounding space. i felt that one must have sealed an evil god. ¡°a breach of this seal would cause enormous damage.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°loreinna, go try that eye¡­¡± ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± loreinna¡¯s silver eyes suddenly shone with a radiant moonlight. her body emitted a blood-colored energy. the blood-colored energy condensed into scarlet bats. it transformed into a bat storm and swept towards the top of the obelisk. the bats were already close in a few breaths. however, before they could do anything, the blood-colored bats suddenly trembled, and their bodies burned with the same flames as the scarlet flame eyes. everyone heard the ear-piercing screams. the bats turned around and circled the scarlet flame eyes that guarded the obelisk. loreinna spat out a mouthful of blood when the scarlet flame eyes corrupted. her face turned pale. she looked in the eye with some shock. ¡°lord¡­i can¡¯t detect that power! ¡°it burned my soul¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he knew it wasn¡¯t that easy. however, he did not stop. he ordered dark valkyrie and centaur emily to attack from afar. the explosive power of a transcendent was extremely ferocious. the surrounding space shattered and distorted. it nearly destroyed the city walls. however, it instantly disappeared when this attack came within 20 to 30 meters of the scarlet flame eyes. it was as if an invisible giant hand had erased everything! richard¡¯s heart jumped. fortunately, he didn¡¯t rush. breaking the situation would not work from the outside. he looked at the bottom of the obelisk. a tall stone door was now open to both sides. it was dark inside, and one couldn¡¯t see anything. that gave people an inexplicable psychological pressure. richard looked to his side. he waved at the soldiers beside him. ¡°the stone statues of the dead from the team in front, immediately go and investigate.¡± he didn¡¯t receive a notification he had taken down the obelisk. in such a strange situation, he didn¡¯t know what kind of threat he would face if he went there rashly. the stone statues of the dead immediately moved. they flapped their wings and quickly approached. however, their bodies suddenly stiffened when he was about twenty to thirty meters from the stone door. then, his body shattered bit by bit from the outside under everyone¡¯s gaze. they turned into dregs. the stone statues of the dead did not even struggle or resist. they died inexplicably and strangely. richard¡¯s eyes turned grave. the power of the stones of the ancient ones. what a familiar aura! but why didn¡¯t he sense any danger? he had thought of something. he slowly took out the stones of the ancient ones from his bosom. at this moment, the ancient god statue emitted a dim light. richard released a dim light that enveloped him. then, he stepped from the skeleton blood dragon down and flew straight to the obelisk while he controlled the sand to float. ¡°lord!¡± the scene shocked the transcendents when they saw it. richard raised his hand and waved it back. he stopped and followed afterward. he could only watch his movements nervously. his troops could rush up to save them if anything went wrong. richard did not feel any danger. instead, he felt eager to try as he approached the obelisk. that was the emotion transmitted to him by the ancient god statue. it looked like this statue yearned for something. in a moment, richard stood before the stone statue of the dead. he flew past it without hesitation. at this moment, he felt a gentle energy sweep across his body like a wind. his hair stood on end. but then, the energy disappeared without a trace. his tensed heart finally relaxed. he immediately sped up and descended from the sky to the vast stone door. it was ten meters tall or more. ordinary people would feel tiny standing before such a vast door. it was still pitch-black inside. one could not see anything. the light behind him elongated his shadow. that has concealed him in the darkness after being cast a few meters away. richard took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and strode forward. the dark light on the ancient god statue suddenly shone brightly. he passed through the stone door in just a few breaths. the scene in front of him changed at this moment. the endless darkness quietly disappeared, and a blood-colored world appeared before him. the ground was blood-colored. the walls were blood-colored, and even the air that floated was blood-colored. they all appeared hazy. in this endless blood-colored hue, a broken corpse that towered into the clouds stood erect. it looked like a giant¡¯s corpse with countless scars. a machine cutter must have wantonly destroyed it. it had long been unrecognizable. this corpse stood 30 meters tall or more. that mostly shocked all. countless tentacles filled its head. the scene made people feel uncomfortable. richard felt that the tentacles on it were very familiar and subconsciously looked down. this corpse! it was 70% similar to the ancient god statue!! at this moment, the ancient god statue emitted a unique hot aura in the blood-colored light. it had transmitted countless immature feelings and emotions of desire, excitement, and anticipation. a unique one rose in richard¡¯s heart. he has spent countless amounts of effort to nurture it since he obtained the ancient god statue until now. this treasure also helped him overcome many difficulties. now, he discovered something remarkable. he raised his head again and carefully examined the broken corpse. something happened in the three eye sockets on the head. Chapter 1000 [note: a vast amount of power of the ancient ones is in its body. the power of the ancient ones will corrode you if you can¡¯t withstand it and come into contact with it.] richard read the information on the black gold system. he couldn¡¯t conceal the surprise in his eyes. it was the corpse of an ancient god. the energy it contained had not dissipated! the feeling was like he won the lottery. he rubbed the statue in his hand, and his gaze gradually burned. this time, he had dug up a gold mine! he took a deep breath and injected power into the ancient god statue. in the next moment, a dark light shot into the air and condensed into a somewhat transparent and beautiful figure in the blink of an eye. renee appeared. she was level 17, divine soul. it was a top-notch existence he stored in the ancient god statue. richard could resurrect her indefinitely. ¡°my lord¡­¡± renee bowed elegantly. renee was a dark elf existence before the ancient god statue devoured her. she had maintained the beauty of an elf afterward. ¡°can you sense the aura inside this corpse? ¡°are there any remnant souls? richard still added an extra layer of insurance even though the black gold system did not show it. renee turned around and faced the body of the lord of extinction. she focused on her senses for a moment. then she spoke slowly. ¡°lord, most of the power of this corpse has already dissipated. moreover, the surrounding environment has a great restraining effect on souls. this body can¡¯t hold a soul, regardless of existence.¡± she spoke with certainty and confidence. her perception of soul aura was far inferior to that of the transcendents in twilight city as a divine soul. richard was relieved. then, he seemed to have thought of something and turned around. there was nothing else, such as the circular staircase of the obelisk. renee gave it a try and flew into the sky afterward. however, the height could only go above the head of the main body of the extinction lord. then, it was like one sank it into mercury. it was difficult to go any higher. richard took a deep breath and walked straight up to the feet of the divine body afterward. he stood at his feet at a height of 30 meters. one had to look up to see his face. his body brought remarkably mighty pressure. he held the ancient god statue. he slowly touched the other party¡¯s toes. the appearance of this divine body was 70% similar to the statue. it was still related to it, even if the other party did not create it. the ancient god statue touched the divine body. a strong sense of excitement protruded richard¡¯s mind. then, it was like one had lit the dim light on the statue like a torch. one must have poured gasoline on it that expanded. it expelled the blood-colored light in the entire void. the dark light was like a vine that quickly climbed up. it enveloped the extinction lord¡¯s body after a few breaths. the light of the ancient god statue was like a corrosive acid. it sizzled and melted the body of the god before him for countless years. the scene was like one had thrown a plastic bag into a fire. that constantly squirmed and bubbled. the aura of the ancient god statue rose rapidly. as for renee, the divine soul beside him, she seemed to have sensed something as she spoke with intense excitement. ¡°my lord, the statue is transforming¡­ i will also welcome a transformation. thank you for your gift.¡± she finished speaking. her body burst like a bubble. she turned into a pound of energy that surged into the ancient god statue. as renee fused with the statue, the aura it emitted became even more terrifying. it was like a dragon egg that bore cracks. richard could already feel the pressure from the baby dragon, although it had not hatched. ¡®rumble!¡¯ suddenly, the ground shook. that pounded richard¡¯s heart. he felt a bad feeling. he subconsciously turned his head and saw an eye-catching crack on the blood-colored wall. the obelisk collapsed after he took the troop lair out. would the same thing happen after he devoured the body of the extinction lord? richard pondered. he could not help but raise his guard. the yellow sand power on his body surged wildly. the yellow sand condensed into a triangular shield above his head. that protected him. a collapsing gravel could not crush it even if something went wrong. he calmed down and allowed the ancient god statue to speed up its devour. this body that had existed for countless years was like the sun. it contained endless energy. richard still felt like he would have to wait a long time before he could finish, even with the speed of the statue¡¯s devouring. it was hard to imagine that this was an ancient god who had fallen at the beginning of creation. how powerful would he be if the other party was still alive? time flew quickly. as the aura of the ancient god statue grew, a large area of corrosion began to appear on the body of the extinction lord. the energy inside finally began to decrease. the cracks in the surrounding walls also gradually increased. it could collapse in less than half an hour. the more power the ancient god statue devoured, the stronger it was and the faster it dwindled. Chapter 1001 the power of the extinction lord was very compatible with the gods of the ancient ones. they fused into the statue after depletion. the statue gradually began to look alive under richard¡¯s gaze. the people felt it was no longer a stone statue. it was as if he could come back to life at any moment. richard focused on the changes in the ancient god statue. he would not hesitate to retreat if anything unexpected happened. that was their lifeblood. anything could go wrong, but not the statue of the ancient god! richard worried. he felt that time passed by very slowly, especially the wall cracks. that made him feel a strong sense of urgency. ten minutes. twenty minutes had passed. richard¡¯s face grew increasingly anxious as time passed by. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the body of the extinction lord suddenly split open from the abdomen. several monumental pieces of residue fell. a hint of torch flashed. the empty eye sockets on his face suddenly revealed a scarlet light. richard felt his hair stand on end. ¡°this corpse! had he resurrected?¡± this thought arose in his heart. the muscles in his entire body instantly tensed up. he would immediately react in case of unusual movement. however, he held his breath for a long time. the scene stood still. only then did his tensed heart relax a little. that blurred his vision, and everything in his line of sight disappeared. a figure with an indomitable spirit and endless pressure stood brazenly in a blood-colored void. the other party¡¯s existence was like a lofty mountain. a glance was enough to make people unable to help but want to prostrate themselves and worship it, although it was a little blurry. was it the extinction lord? an unharmed extinction lord! richard¡¯s heart trembled when he saw the figure. a bad feeling rose in his mind. could it be that this ancient god wanted to devour his body and revive him?! ¡°i can sense the aura of a new world on you¡­¡± an obscure and incomprehensible voice with endless majesty sounded in this bloody void. richard could understand what he meant, although he could not understand what the figure tried to say. ¡°a life from the future! ¡°when you see my divine body, it means a new era is about to arrive. ¡°we will also return. ¡°you can activate the power i left behind, which means¡­ the god of the ancient ones acknowledged you.¡± ¡°bring my eyes to the master of crimson moon. allow it to bring order and rules to this world again.¡± the voice stopped abruptly. then, the blurry divine body with endless pressure shattered like glass. it turned into endless blood-colored light. the scene before richard suddenly disappeared. the lord of extinction¡¯s half-devoured crack-filled divine body took over. would it give the eyes to the crimson moon master? ¡°windsor?¡± richard nearly felt bewildered. a familiar notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have received an s-rank mission. a commission from the ancient times. please find the crimson moon master and hand over the eyes of the lord of extinction.] [the crimson moon master will give mission reward.] ¡°an ancient commission? the s-rank mission?¡± richard suddenly perked up. the last time he triggered an s-rank mission was in a large-scale dungeon. ¡°good heavens, why was such a mission so difficult?¡± his expression suddenly changed as he pondered. the image of the transcendent from the knight sect he slayed appeared in his mind. could this mission eventually involve the knight sects? or gods? he nearly sorted out his thoughts. the lord of extinction¡¯s divine body suddenly surged with boundless energy. it poured like a water dispenser toward the ancient god statue jar. his body had absorbed tons of energy for half an hour in just a few breaths. he poured all of it into the ancient god statue. the energy disappeared. a scarlet flame eye quietly fell from the sky. it floated directly before richard. the eye no longer had a body, and richard felt even more pressure from it than the lord of extinction¡¯s broken body. he opened the attribute panel. [scarlet flame eyes (quest item)] [level: special] [characteristic: sealed] [note: the power of the crimson moon master is required to open the seal.] ¡°good heavens! one still sealed it. was there no trust between people?¡± richard looked indignant. ****** Chapter 1002 ten minutes. twenty minutes had passed. richard¡¯s face grew increasingly anxious as time passed by. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the body of the extinction lord suddenly split open from the abdomen. several monumental pieces of residue fell. a hint of torch flashed. the empty eye sockets on his face suddenly revealed a scarlet light. richard felt his hair stand on end. ¡°this corpse! had he resurrected?¡± this thought arose in his heart. the muscles in his entire body instantly tensed up. he would immediately react in case of unusual movement. however, he held his breath for a long time. the scene stood still. only then did his tensed heart relax a little. that blurred his vision, and everything in his line of sight disappeared. a figure with an indomitable spirit and endless pressure stood brazenly in a blood-colored void. the other party¡¯s existence was like a lofty mountain. a glance was enough to make people unable to help but want to prostrate themselves and worship it, although it was a little blurry. was it the extinction lord? an unharmed extinction lord! richard¡¯s heart trembled when he saw the figure. a bad feeling rose in his mind. could it be that this ancient god wanted to devour his body and revive him?! ¡°i can sense the aura of a new world on you¡­¡± an obscure and incomprehensible voice with endless majesty sounded in this bloody void. richard could understand what he meant, although he could not understand what the figure tried to say. ¡°a life from the future! ¡°when you see my divine body, it means a new era is about to arrive. ¡°we will also return. ¡°you can activate the power i left behind, which means¡­ the god of the ancient ones acknowledged you.¡± ¡°bring my eyes to the master of crimson moon. allow it to bring order and rules to this world again.¡± the voice stopped abruptly. then, the blurry divine body with endless pressure shattered like glass. it turned into endless blood-colored light. the scene before richard suddenly disappeared. the lord of extinction¡¯s half-devoured crack-filled divine body took over. would it give the eyes to the crimson moon master? ¡°windsor?¡± richard nearly felt bewildered. a familiar notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have received an s-rank mission. a commission from the ancient times. please find the crimson moon master and hand over the eyes of the lord of extinction.] [the crimson moon master will give mission reward.] ¡°an ancient commission? the s-rank mission?¡± richard suddenly perked up. the last time he triggered an s-rank mission was in a large-scale dungeon. ¡°good heavens, why was such a mission so difficult?¡± his expression suddenly changed as he pondered. the image of the transcendent from the knight sect he slayed appeared in his mind. could this mission eventually involve the knight sects? or gods? he nearly sorted out his thoughts. the lord of extinction¡¯s divine body suddenly surged with boundless energy. it poured like a water dispenser toward the ancient god statue jar. his body had absorbed tons of energy for half an hour in just a few breaths. he poured all of it into the ancient god statue. the energy disappeared. a scarlet flame eye quietly fell from the sky. it floated directly before richard. the eye no longer had a body, and richard felt even more pressure from it than the lord of extinction¡¯s broken body. he opened the attribute panel. [scarlet flame eyes (quest item)] [level: special] [characteristic: sealed] [note: the power of the crimson moon master is required to open the seal.] ¡°good heavens! one still sealed it. was there no trust between people?¡± richard looked indignant. ****** Chapter 1003 richard couldn¡¯t tell how much the ancient god statue would improve this time. however, judging from renee¡¯s current level, one could predict she would make a fortune from this. ¡°level 22!¡± renee continued with her transformation. her level rose from level 17 to 22! ¡°that was a f*cking battle power one could resurrect continuously!¡± she obtained extraordinary powers. richard wanted to ask, who else?! moreover, the current state explicitly stated level 22 was not the limit. renee could touch the edge of becoming a legend when the ancient god statue digested the majestic power of the gods of the ancient ones. ¡°hahaha!¡± he looked forward to that time. this wave was comfortable. richard investigated the ancient god statue. a few transcendents stationed outside the obelisk quietly approached. the centaur emily tilted her head and looked curiously at the collapsed obelisk. ¡°father, which eye at the top of the obelisk¡­suddenly disappeared just now?¡± ¡°did you get it?¡± that eye gave her an extremely dangerous feeling. only a few gave her this feeling in her battle career. ¡°i got it.¡± richard nodded without further explanation. the system notification sounded. [ding~ you have led your troop in the capture of an obelisk and obtained a glorious victory. you have gained 1,000,000 experience points.] [ding~ your level has increased. current level: 17 (120,000/6,000,000)] [ding~ you have conquered an obelisk. you have received a special reward: territory expansion order (rare item)] [territory expansion order ¡ª you can increase the territory slots by 2,000. you needed to prepare enough resources and expand the city wall simultaneously.¡± the notification halted. richard felt a power surge out of the depths of his blood. it was like a roaring river. that made every inch of his flesh and bones sturdier under the nourishment of that power. the whole process was like one had soaked in hot water and enjoyed a top-notch massage. it was so comfortable that he couldn¡¯t even bear to open his eyes. it was not until ten minutes later that the feeling subsided. richard opened his eyes again. he felt the power surge in his body. that made him feel like he could blow up a dragon with one punch. he let out a long sigh and suppressed the illusory feeling brought by the increase in strength. then, he opened his attribute panel with anticipation. his skills didn¡¯t progress. but his other attributes had increased by quite a bit. the strength of sand transformation increased from 8,000 points (20 points per second) to 10,000 points (30 points per second) his mana increased from 80,000 to 100,000. the system could only upgrade skills at levels 15 and 20. there was no extra expectation. however, the rapid increase in his attributes would allow his explosive destructive power to rise. he calmed down. he looked at another notification. that was a strange item¨Cterritory expansion order. a smile appeared on his face. he had thought his gains would end there following the collapse of the obelisk. he did not expect the system to give him an additional surprise. the system could no longer upgrade to a large-scale city. the twilight city technology no longer progressed. they used the spaces in the territory and seriously affected the development. this strange item came while he was very thirsty. richard focused on the s-rank mission after a few glances. he didn¡¯t know how to carry out this mission. the mission was easy on the surface. meeting windsor would be easy. his relationship with the other party had already reached a sufficiently intimate state. he could find her at any time if he went to solan city. he could even call windsor over if he wanted to. windsor even gave him a token. he used the last one when he slayed the greed lord. he pondered. he took a phoenix-tail-flower-engraved gem on it from the system space and gently rubbed the pattern on it. to him, windsor was a trump card that could make a final decision. it could give him enough confidence before the threat of the gods. however, favors weren¡¯t unlimited. it was a waste. a notification sounded in his ear again. [ding~ the knight sect has sensed the presence of scarlet flame eye. he has used the great prophecy spell to lock onto the scarlet flame eye. the system will expose the scarlet¡¯s coordinates to the great prophecy spell within three days.] [please stop the enemies trying to snatch the scarlet flame eyes and hand them to the crimson moom master.] richard perked up. he read the notification twice. his eyes moved slightly. ¡°great prophecy spell? the system will expose coordinates! ¡°another game of chase and escape?¡± he thought about the subtle details. lorenna suddenly said with a solemn expression. ¡°lord, there is a powerful force tearing the surrounding space. ¡°justice and mercy! ¡°i sensed the power of the knight sect god!¡± his tone sounded unprecedentedly solemn. ¡°the enemy is coming¡­ ¡°we need to evacuate this area immediately!¡± ¡°just like that?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. the main reason for completing this s-rank mission was to stop the knight sect¡¯s pursuit. pursue, pursue! this word gave him a flash of inspiration. he seemed to have thought of something, but that feeling disappeared too quickly. he couldn¡¯t capture. he frowned. what was it? he suddenly saw the corpses of the two giant worms in the distance from the corner of his eye. his eyes suddenly lit up. Chapter 1004 the rotten swamp! who are the pursuers? enemies, powerful enemies! what did this mean? corpses, a large number of corpses! however, that wasn¡¯t enough. the pursuers of the knight sect must be extraordinary. it would be difficult to estimate how many casualties twilight city would suffer if they were to fight against them. it wasn¡¯t worth it. richard¡¯s gaze deepened. the rotten swamp currently uses a borrowed knife to kill and a borrowed chicken to lay eggs. there was no need for him to fight the other party head-on. why couldn¡¯t they let other forces resist the knight sect? were those planes connected to the naga plane? no. maybe not. there must be a force that could go against the knight sect. at this point, the dwarf god statue appeared in his hand. promotion immersed him. he looked at the throne. he wore gorgeous wings and a gemstone-filled ring. he slept with one hand on his cheek. ¡°your excellency fam, the knight sect has set its sights on the item of the past in my hands. they have already used a great prophecy spell to anchor this treasure. ¡°i need your help.¡± he finished speaking, and the dwarf god slowly opened his closed eyes and sat up slightly. he looked into the other party¡¯s eyes. one could feel an ancient aura. richard inexplicably sensed that the mighty existence that had once peeped into the river of fate had become mightier. the other party¡¯s strength recovered. that was great news for him. ¡°i sensed it¡­¡± ¡°it is enough to foresee what he wants, although the great prophecy of the god of knights is not as powerful as the sun god.¡± ¡°the return of the ancient gods has caused the gods to fall into endless fear.¡± as he said this, the corners of his mouth curled up into a mocking smile. ¡°everyone knows that a new era is about to arrive. but how can those existences on the divine thrones allow others to pull them down from the altar? ¡°those who have already gained benefits will never give up their benefits.¡± he lifted his head slightly and had long stared at the void. he sighed softly. ¡°a group of fish struggled in a dry pond. no matter how they turn over and jump, it¡¯s all in vain.¡± he looked at richard and pondered. he said slowly. ¡°what can i do for you, lord richard?¡± richard did not comment on the other party¡¯s words. the height of the dwarf god was not something he could compare to. he wanted to be back in business. ¡°your excellency fam, can you help move the spatial rift that the decay king opened in front of twilight city into the rotten swamp?¡± the dwarf god said with a faint smile. ¡°you had stationed the deception god in the rotten swamp, right? the golden lion from the power of greed is also in your hands. ¡°are you planning to use the power of the decay king to fight against the knight god?¡± richard never doubted the wisdom of this big shot. ¡°that¡¯s right. the rotten swamp needs to devour even more power. ¡°i can use the item of the god of the ancient ones that i obtained as bait. it isn¡¯t enough to make his excellency tai long and the golden lion¡¯s greed temptation fight.¡± richard had snatched the rotten authority from the hands of the decay king. that is according to the decay king. that was undoubtedly trampling his face to the ground! a mortal dared to spy on the authority of a god and succeeded. how could the decay king tolerate this? he ruled the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss. how could he accept this? the situation changed drastically following the rise of the crimson moon. the initially non-fatal authority suddenly became distinct. that is for the decay king. he could have survived at such a critical moment if he had more strength. how could he let the twilight city go? the transcendent of the knight sect peeped at the scarlet flame eyes and had the same reason. a god even famous in the good faction and an evil god with a bad reputation in the abyss could meet in the rotten swamp. what would happen? could the two sides discuss what they wanted and what had happened amicably? could they find a common enemy together? it would be strange if he didn¡¯t beat the dog¡¯s brain out immediately. the rotten swamp was the decay king¡¯s home ground, even if the other party wanted to live in peace. tai long and the golden lion were not mascots. however, the biggest problem with this plan was that it made sense logically. but it was arduous to operate. the two terrifying gods could flip the table. he needed to find enough power to balance each other. the dwarf god seemed to know what richard was worried about and said slowly. ¡°a power must have connected the plane where the rotten swamp to your underground world. the power of the natural order of the mortal plane has already affected that plane. ¡°existences above the gods cannot descend. ¡°furthermore, that plane¡¯s space is too weak to accommodate existences above glorious. ¡°the other party couldn¡¯t destroy it even if they want to with the protection of the laws of the mortal plane.¡± the dwarf god¡¯s words reassured richard. the plan was feasible! richard didn¡¯t stay any longer. he extended gratitude and returned to his thoughts. he opened his eyes and immediately gave the order. ¡°all troops, retreat to eternal land and await further orders. ¡°transcendents, stay behind in the rotten swamp.¡± the transcendents immediately supported their chests in agreement. immediately after, the troop quickly reorganized and flew toward the spatial rift at the fastest speed. the two players who had long waited were a little anxious when they saw richard quickly withdraw but would not want to stay. ¡°boss qingqiu¡­¡± Chapter 1005 he drove the greed lion closer and looked down at the two of them. ¡°you should know that i¡¯ve occupied a plane. you can contact the president of the faraway mountain guild if the dragon¡¯s fang guild is interested in participating in this plane and trading with twilight city in the future. his id is¡­¡± richard told the name of the player guild leader from the battle at lion city. he turned around and left without hesitation. the middle-aged player quickly spoke. ¡°boss qingqiu, don¡¯t worry. we wouldn¡¯t reveal your information to the knight sect. the death of the transcendent was all the work of the obelisk¡¯s guards!¡± richard turned to look at them. ¡°the troop of the god of knights is about to arrive. you can go back. ¡°also, please help me spread the news that ell welcomes players to do business and develop together. ¡°this safe plane can become a trading hub for everyone. ¡°the guild leader of faraway mountain guild will inform you of the coordinates of the plane.¡± richard finished speaking. he drove the golden lion out of sight. emotion filled the white-haired, pale-faced old player¡¯s eyes. ¡°master, qingqiu¡¯s move was quite clever.¡± the middle-aged player nodded slowly. ¡°players with foresight could see the value of a plane, let alone qingqiu¡­ ¡°transfer.¡± ¡°the transportation is convenient. ¡°connecting the entire mortal plane. ¡°the strategic value of a plane is much higher than its value!¡± ¡°once ell becomes the players¡¯ first choice for trading, it¡¯s not hard to imagine that qingqiu¡¯s power will soar again.¡± he said with some unwillingness. ¡°this is what we wanted to do¡­¡± the white-haired, pale-faced old player revealed a bitter smile. ¡°master, only qingqiu can do this¡­not to mention how much power was needed to occupy a plane. what would we use to attract players even if we occupied a plane? how could they protect the players? ¡°this requires incomparably powerful strength and sufficient influence. ¡°even the top guilds can¡¯t compare to qingqiu¡¯s influence and strength¡­that guy was a pure pervert!¡± there were many clever people. but not those we know of could do it. it would be useless for the dragon fang guild to do this. who cared who they were? the middle-aged player sighed. ¡°i¡¯ll immediately contact the leader of the faraway mountain guild on my return. next, i¡¯ll invest heavily in ell kingdom. we mustn¡¯t miss this opportunity if qingqiu wants to create a marketplace for all!¡± that was qingqiu. he did things with his strength. the chances of success were extremely high. the dragon fang guild should participate in this banquet. richard didn¡¯t mind about the two players. he had already thought of getting the players to participate in the development of ell. players would stand up for him if he didn¡¯t do such a thing the soonest. even those mighty natives would interfere. the [trading market] on the forum was convenient, but the high 30% fee was enough to deter many players¡¯ large transactions. how much profit would it bring if ell became the players¡¯ preferred [trading market]? it would be blissful even if only one-tenth or one-hundredth participated. that was equivalent to him controlling a city with hundreds of millions population. however, this idea would take a long time to realize. questions were countless. however, dreams could come true. one must work hard for them. he brought the troop back to krina city. at this moment, several giant worms rushed into the space crack to the rotten swamp. these giant worms became increasingly crazy under the strong attraction of the golden fruit. richard ignored the giant worms and sped up his flight. he led the troops through the spatial rift, and then had them return to the eternal land through the rotten swamp. at this moment, only dark valkyrie, who had yet to complete her transformation, the level 23 loreinna, the level 20 centaur emily, the level 20 dark soul eater kratos, and the level 24 golden lion remained. it was one step away from becoming a legend. in addition, there was also the god¡¯s ancient tree that devoured the corpse of the greed lord and the heart of the chaos divine sin. there was another mighty existence¨Ctai long, the deception god. finally, the level 18 xina was also among them. richard didn¡¯t count level 15 krina warrior molly. he gazed around at the many mighty figures around him. he felt happy. he had subdued every hero here. he had tirelessly accumulated a foundation he had never imagined when he first entered the ¡°shining era.¡± a crisp crack sounded from the spatial rift connected to the giant worm plane. richard turned his head and sensed a bright and righteous aura that quietly rose. he sensed justice, compassion, and honor. the knight¡¯s code quietly floated in his mind. the pursuers of the s-rank mission had arrived. richard gripped the statue of the dwarf god in his hand. excitement filled his eyes. ¡°your excellency fam¡­alright, let¡¯s begin.¡± in the next moment, the statue of the dwarf god emitted endless light. gray patrolled the walls of twilight city. it realized that the cracked sky gradually faded and disappeared. the rotten authority in the surroundings also dissipated at the same time. Chapter 1006 ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª the rotten swamp. a spatial rift appeared silently in the blood mist. the area expanded to 40 kilometers. the originally crowded space became much more relaxed under the obstruction of the blood mist. the outsiders hadn¡¯t sensed the spatial rift. bottomless abyss. on the 333rd floor, the corrosion god suddenly opened his eyes and looked in a direction. anger and madness engulfed his tone. ¡°crawlers! lowly bastards!¡± ¡°i want you to taste my fury personally¡­¡± a deep voice resounded throughout the entire plane. countless severely corroded abyssal lifeforms raised their heads abruptly at this moment and discovered a hysterical roar. they expressed their loyalty to their ruler! giant worm plane. a distorted spatial rift suddenly shattered, and a holy light shone. that instantly made this area extremely holy. the giant worms on the ground seemed to have sensed something and suddenly lay down. they trembled. the spatial rift continued to expand afterward. it quickly extended from the sky to the ground. it expanded to the limit. ¡®ta ta!¡¯ everyone could hear the sound of horse hooves. the heavy knights held swords and wore heavy armor. a thick shield covered their warhorses. a rider waved a flag on a long pole. the flag bore an image of a warhorse that raised its front hooves high while a knight on the horse waved a sword in his hand. that was the symbol of the knight sect, the heroic charge flag. all the soldiers who came out of the spatial rift were knights. over a hundred people marched forward, but their movements were as orderly as one person. just that aura alone gave people a strong impact. every knight held their heads high. their morale was high. no one could imagine what kind of destructive power such heavy knights would cause once they charged! the heavy knights were like a flood of steel as they quickly got into formation in front of the spatial rift. one of the commanders waved his battle sword. he pointed at the spatial rift that led to the rotten swamp. ¡°for glory!¡± ¡°charge!¡± his firm words were infectious. he finished speaking. he waved his reins and raised his front legs high. he roared. then, he jumped out like lightning. the knights beside him also urged their horses. the entire knight formed a powerful black tide. several giant worms still had yet to enter in front of the spatial rift in the rotten swamp. they were like stray dogs that retreated in fear under this pressure. they avoided the knight¡¯s charge. the steel torrent ignored these giant worms and entered the spatial rift indomitably. they quickly disappeared into the blood mist. terrifying demons that were 1.9 meters tall emitted a corroded aura. demons with tridents in their hands rushed out of the spatial gate. their bodies gave off a disgusting atmosphere. large patches of corrupted spots appeared on their surfaces. Chapter 1007 ¡®ta ta!¡¯ ten thousand horses galloped and shocked people in the swamp. the blood mist separated the voice and amplified the worry in their hearts. the demons sensed a disgusting aura from the other side of the blood mist as soon as they walked out of the spatial rift. that was the power unique to the good and lawful faction. ¡°roar! roar! ¡®ta ta!¡¯ ¡®ta ta!¡¯ as the warhorses galloped, the troop of the knight sect also sensed the danger from this blood-colored land. how could they not know about the aura of a demon? the knight commander led the troops toward the demons. god, the treasure he had searched was in this direction. ¡°those damned demons dared to snatch the treasures of gods!¡± his gaze turned crazy. ¡°for the glory of god!¡± ¡°kill!¡± the heavy knight troops crashed into the corroded demons like a car that had traveled 200 kilometers with a roar. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the two legions collided in the thick blood mist. the knights sent the demons flying. they broke their sturdy bodies and trampled them into pieces. they crushed them into meat paste under such a charge, although the corroded demon troop was ferocious! the corpses and blood of the evil demons poured into the swamp. the rotten swamp devoured them in a few breaths. ¡°kill them!¡± the corroded demons smelled the blood of their companions. that affected them and even made them crazier. the lives of the chaotic evil faction never knew what fear was. these creatures went wild and even slaughtered their companions. the corroded demons jumped up and forcefully climbed onto the bodies of the knights while they charged at high speed. they used their sharp claws and bloody mouths to bite and pierce through them with their weapons. they used all kinds of methods. their ferocious stance caused the unstoppable heavy knight to slow down a little. the most powerful thing about a knight was their impact. their advantage would disappear without a trace once they lost their speed. the demons pounced forward wildly. they used brutal methods to slow down the troops. the real war had just begun. the knight commander was an extraordinary existence. he was sure when he saw the demons. these damned demons had snatched away the treasure of the gods. he could sense that the aura of that treasure was behind them. these demons were the guardians of that treasure. the leader of the corroded demons was initially a demigod. but the space him to descend. he had two transcendents to lead the team at the last minute. he entered the rotten swamp. he immediately sensed the aura of the power. it was right in this swamp. the heavy knight troop launched an attack on them! ¡°do i need to say more?¡± once the kind and law-abiding false gods seized their authority!! these heavy knights with disgusting power were the guards who prevented them from taking back their authority! chaotic evil and orderly good were natural enemies. the two sides were incompatible. at this moment, under the temptation. he immediately treated the other party as his mission target. the enemies were demons, and this information quickly reached the knight sect through the herald. the commander immediately sent more troops when the big shots learned about it. at the same time, the two transcendent demons also sent back the news that the light faction¡¯s false gods were involved. the decay king became furious. he knew it, he knew it!! all of this was a scheme by the false gods!! ****** Chapter 1008 ¡°roar! roar! ¡®ta ta!¡¯ ¡®ta ta!¡¯ as the warhorses galloped, the troop of the knight sect also sensed the danger from this blood-colored land. how could they not know about the aura of a demon? the knight commander led the troops toward the demons. god, the treasure he had searched was in this direction. ¡°those damned demons dared to snatch the treasures of gods!¡± his gaze turned crazy. ¡°for the glory of god!¡± ¡°kill!¡± the heavy knight troops crashed into the corroded demons like a car that had traveled 200 kilometers with a roar. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ the two legions collided in the thick blood mist. the knights sent the demons flying. they broke their sturdy bodies and trampled them into pieces. the knights included the heavy armor of the knights and their horses. the demons¡¯ skills were futile. they crushed them into meat paste under such a charge, although the corroded demon troop was ferocious! the corpses and blood of the evil demons poured into the swamp. the rotten swamp devoured them in a few breaths. ¡°kill them!¡± the corroded demons smelled the blood of their companions. that affected them and even made them crazier. the lives of the chaotic evil faction never knew what fear was. these creatures went wild and even slaughtered their companions. the corroded demons jumped up and forcefully climbed onto the bodies of the knights while they charged at high speed. they used their sharp claws and bloody mouths to bite and pierce through them with their weapons. they used all kinds of methods. their ferocious stance caused the unstoppable heavy knight to slow down a little. the most powerful thing about a knight was their impact. their advantage would disappear without a trace once they lost their speed. the demons pounced forward wildly. they used brutal methods to slow down the troops. the real war had just begun. the knight commander was an extraordinary existence. he was sure when he saw the demons. these damned demons had snatched away the treasure of the gods. he could sense that the aura of that treasure was behind them. these demons were the guardians of that treasure. the leader of the corroded demons was initially a demigod. but the space him to descend. he had two transcendents to lead the team at the last minute. he entered the rotten swamp. he immediately sensed the aura of the power. it was right in this swamp. the heavy knight troop launched an attack on them! ¡°do i need to say more?¡± once the kind and law-abiding false gods seized their authority!! these heavy knights with disgusting power were the guards who prevented them from taking back their authority! chaotic evil and orderly good were natural enemies. the two sides were incompatible. at this moment, under the temptation. he immediately treated the other party as his mission target. the enemies were demons, and this information quickly reached the knight sect through the herald. the commander immediately sent more troops when the big shots learned about it. at the same time, the two transcendent demons also sent back the news that the light faction¡¯s false gods were involved. the decay king became furious. he knew it, he knew it!! all of this was a scheme by the false gods!! ****** Chapter 1009 that was killing three birds with one stone. it could solve the problem of the decay king as he spied on twilight city and would want to suppress the knight god. at the same time, it could also allow the rotten swamp to obtain tons of precious flesh energy. he would want to harvest the gods like leeks. comfortable. the great prophecy spell lasted three days. richard sat on the fishing platform. he did not interfere in the war or lure the two sides. on the first day, 15 of the 40 crown soldier lairs in the rotten swamp had advanced to glorious. on the second day, 20 completed the advancement. the knight sect fell into madness on the third day, the last day of the great prophecy spell. richard even saw a level 24 extraordinary unit, the divine spirit! the divine spirit was a hero who died in the mortal plane. the gods bestowed him with the characteristic of immortality and gave him mighty power after the divine kingdom received him. that was the power that the gods used to protect their divine kingdoms. the divine spirit had appeared. that was enough to show that the knight god had spared no expense in this war. the madness of the knight god also caused a chain reaction from the decay king. a rotten aura filled the level 24 extraordinary soldiers. there were angels, fallen giants, and high-level berserk demons. there were many more types than the knight god. the ruler of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss was truly enraged! the closer one was to the abyss, the larger the area of the plane. the 333rd floor was below average. it was no exaggeration to say that its surface area was comparable to several large planes combined. the bottomless abyss could exist for a long time because of its terrifying power. the main factor was the vast land. the scene would be spectacular once such a ruler used all his strength. the decay king¡¯s demon troop could have filled the plane if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the naga plane couldn¡¯t withstand such a powerful force and that there was a limit to the opening of the spatial gate. the more lively the fight, the happier richard was. the system notified him that the great prophecy spell had ended at the end of the third day. the system had upgraded all the lairs in the rotten swamp to a glorious level. they could directly recruit the top-tier glorious 3-stars troop. the blood slaughterer! the nearly 4,000 crown blood slaughterers richard had recruited had also risen to glorious 3-stars. their levels were all level 17. richard was in a good mood as he looked at the formation of the blood slaughterers at the edge of the rotten swamp. their powerful snake tails, sharp tridents, ferocious gazes, bulging muscles, and everything else on their bodies told the outside world how powerful these soldiers were. what was more important was that they didn¡¯t need money. now, the rotten swamp already had 50 troop lairs. they could recruit 50 teams weekly with enough flesh and energy. there would be two teams in a month. these two teams could empty him if he used more rare resources to recruit. richard did not close the dimensional door to the giant worm plane to prevent the knight god from entering the rotten swamp after the duration of the great prophecy spell was over. instead, he silently stayed in the swamp and continued to lure the two angry gods to fight. the knight god refused to give up because he realized the scarlet flame eyes hadn¡¯t disappeared even after the great prophecy spell ended. they were still behind the demons. the cost was still an investment since they hadn¡¯t lost their target, and they had lost so many troops and even several divine spirits. the commander was too unwilling to withdraw at this moment. he could get the scarlet gem if he increased his attack. that thought supported the knight god to continue this war. on the other hand, the decay king, a purely evil god, did not react to the deaths of his subordinates. he only had one goal. and that was to retrieve the rotten authority. as for how many subordinates died. ¡°so what?!¡± demons filled the abyss. death was worthless in this land. the worms in the sea of abyss could give rise to countless new demons every day. troops engulfed the abyss. the giant worms could have imprisoned the demons in the abyss if it weren¡¯t for the rules. they could have occupied the world. the fourth and the fifth day came. the players only noticed this silent clash on the sixth day. that made the players click their tongues. the speed of the troop¡¯s advance began to slow down. then, some extraordinary heroes began to try to leave the swamp and explore in other directions. and this time, tai long couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. those extraordinary heroes all had treasures that contained divine power. richard sensed this and couldn¡¯t help but feel regretful. fishing too much had aroused the vigilance of the fish. he didn¡¯t linger on the layout this time. he decisively took out the statue of the dwarf god and asked him to help clear out both sides. the dwarf god had become much mightier. he did not waste any time and directly attacked. the rotten swamp emitted a vast amount of power. the blood-colored mist illuminated the world. this piece of land had integrated with the remnant power of the naga plane. it has become the planar power and controlled the entire plane. the decay king opened the spatial rift. that shattered the path to the giant worm plane. those extraordinary heroes sensed something wrong and decisively tore through the void to leave. Chapter 1010 he wanted to eliminate all traces left behind. the dwarf god¡¯s aura visibly weakened afterward. ¡°i have cleaned the marks left behind by the decay king and the knight god in this plane. they will no longer be able to find this space.¡± he looked into the void as he spoke. ¡°get rid of that item of the gods of the ancient ones in your hands as soon as possible.¡± ¡°the great prophecy spell isn¡¯t something only the knight god can do. i could deal with it to provoke an even more powerful existence.¡± richard understood and thanked him solemnly. ¡°your excellency fam, i will remember your help. twilight city will never forget your sacrifice.¡± the first half of the sentence was his thanks, and the second half was his promise on behalf of the entire force. the two were similar but completely different. the dwarf god looked at him meaningfully and did not say anything. he supported his face again and fell into a deep sleep after he waved his hand. richard couldn¡¯t repay him yet. richard had recovered from his unconsciousness. tai long beside him spoke in a rather complicated tone. ¡°lord richard, that god¡­has he recovered?¡± richard hid the shocking main character who created this piece of animated land. that made him inexplicably think of the ancient prophecy. he was the world¡¯s favored one, the beloved of the god of luck, the beloved god of fate, the heir of the old days. it was the key to a new era. he would lean toward that prophecy when he thought about how the other party was constantly involved with the ancient gods and how extraordinary he was. richard looked at the god who was notorious in the outside world but had recently changed his mind. ¡°your excellency tai long, the door to the new world has opened. your excellency fam will naturally come at the rise of the new order.¡± at this point, he didn¡¯t continue and changed the topic. ¡°next, we need to open up more planes and connect them to the rotten swamp¡­ ¡°your excellency, your next priority is to upgrade the rotten swamp to level 5.¡± ¡°the progress would be monumental if we could have dozens of transcendent troop lairs. that is for us!¡± tai long looked at richard and nodded. ¡°lord richard, leave everything to me. that lord has done so many things. i can¡¯t disappoint you, right?¡± richard smiled and said nothing more. he returned his gaze to the rotten swamp. the decay king and the knight god still had several troops that hadn¡¯t retreated after the space slits closed. the situation was not right, although the two troops still fought. they scattered in all directions and tried to find a way out. richard smiled. ¡± how can i let you run away? the meat is already in the pot.¡± he ordered again. ¡°your excellency tai long, open up all the dimensions and let those troops in¡­¡± ¡°treebeard, reproduce the golden fruits¡­prepare to fish!¡± richard could only search for benefits from these little lackeys since gods no longer competed. he issued the order, and the isolated dimensions from the outside world once again smelled the dreamable aura. his bloodline was restless, and his soul yearned. the remaining troops of the two forces also stopped and looked straight at the center of the rotten swamp. the golden fruit on the withered tree branch was striking. the demon was the first to go crazy and immediately charged toward the golden fruit. the morale of the knight sect was soul-strapping. they were very resistant to the temptation of the golden fruit. in the end, it was the golden lion who stirred up their inner desires. then, a war started again around the golden fruit. the demons and the knights were all extraordinary soldiers. they occupied the most critical parts. the allied forces of the twenty-odd planes couldn¡¯t even touch the edge. the alliance troops attacked the demon and knight troops under all temptations. the two mightiest forces were also mortal enemies. immediately after, a chaotic battle that was countless times more chaotic than before erupted. richard smiled at the sight. fishing always makes people happy. then, he quickly focused on the scarlet flame eyes. the dwarf god has just reminded him he could no longer use this s-rank mission treasure as bait. it would not be easy to end it if he provoked a top-tier boss. he calmed down. he took out a crystal clear gem and touched the phoenix-tail flower. he pinched it lightly. crack. the gem shattered. a unique energy surged and condensed in the sky. after a few breaths, the energy gradually formed a blurry figure. after the figure became clear to an extent, it slowly opened its eyes. at this moment, the blurry figure seemed to come alive. richard nodded slightly. ¡°good day, chairman windsor.¡± ¡°lord richard¡­¡± the figure spoke softly. the lady seemed to have sensed something halfway through her sentence. her eyes erupted with a dazzling light. ¡°are the scarlet flame eyes in your hands?¡± Chapter 1011 the group of players looked at their leader, kelde. he sat at the head of the round table. the white-haired, pale-faced old player sat on the left. he spoke to richard. a mature female player in her early thirties spoke first. ¡°master, are you saying qingqiu personally invited our dragon fang guild to participate in the construction of ell kingdom?¡± ¡°moreover, qingqiu wants to turn ell into a player [trading market]?!¡± kelde had already explained the entire situation. but the news was too shocking, so she had to ask in detail. only a few hundred people survived the glorious troop from kelde¡¯s return the other day. one couldn¡¯t find the transcendents of the knight sect. everyone thought that the mission to capture the obelisk had failed. however, they did not expect the other party to bring back a piece of news that shocked everyone. kelde had encountered qingqiu inside the obelisk, although the attack on the obelisk had failed! they directly let them participate in the reconstruction of ell plane after the other party rescued them. this news even directly diluted the huge losses this time. ¡°who was qingqiu?¡± ¡°the strongest player among the billions of players!¡± ever since he entered the ¡°shining era,¡± he stood at the top of all players. qingqiu had killed the greed lord some time ago during his battle against the blazing flame guild in lion city. the greed lord was one of the seven sins of the evil gods. his reputation among all the players was like the sun in the sky! such a top-notch big shot personally invited them to participate in the development of the plane controlled by the other party. it was surprising. one of kelde¡¯s eyes was silver, while the other was blue. he turned around and sensed everyone¡¯s emotions. that silver eye emitted a faint light and caused a sense of oppression in the room. everyone subconsciously sat up straight. no one dared to ignore the master. a deep voice rang out. ¡°i¡¯m also surprised that qingqiu chose the dragon fang guild. however, it¡¯s qingqiu, after all.¡± ¡°the dragon fang guild isn¡¯t worth qingqiu¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°we must grasp this opportunity well. the dragon fang guild will have more room for development. we must get closer to qingqiu.¡± his tone gradually became higher as he spoke. ¡°furthermore, this matter is highly feasible. what is the success rate of establishing a player [trading market] with qingqiu¡¯s influence and methods? ¡°the dragon fang guild could participate and lead in setting up a trap¡­ that is an opportunity that all guilds are envious of. we can¡¯t miss it!!¡± ¡°that was qingqiu!¡± qingqiu threw out the olive branch. who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by it?? kelde had witnessed how the number one player killed the transcendent. that was more clear than anyone else about the power of the number one player. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that some of the noble families that players couldn¡¯t even reach could not compare to qingqiu! the other party had five transcendents, five!! that was only on the surface. qingqiu still had hidden a few. not to mention that the other party had even slaughtered a god! a massacre was a massacre. no one could erase it regardless of strength or the use of some means! the dragon fang guild echelons fell into deep thought again. the air was quiet again. the white-haired, pale-faced old player on kelde¡¯s left slowly stood up. his aged eyes turned sharp. ¡°master, aren¡¯t we discussing with everyone¡­ that was an order. ¡°next, we will be deeply involved in the ell plane construction. ¡°qingqiu must also have some thoughts about this news. ¡°we can seize this opportunity to establish an association and recruit all the guilds interested in participating in the development of ell plane. ¡°the development of ell plane must enter the fast lane soon with those big guilds as an example. ¡°qingqiu gave us this task because they wanted to test our strength. we won¡¯t have such a rare opportunity in the future if we don¡¯t do well this time. ¡°a guild that wants to get closer to qingqiu¡­ too many.¡± they were not irreplaceable. that raised everyone¡¯s spirit. they immediately recognized the situation. it quickly changed into obedience and support from the doubt and hesitation. kelde no longer hesitated and immediately arranged tasks after he unified the people. at the same time, he communicated with the faraway mountain guild, which was already in el plane, to discuss together. not long after, the news exploded on the forum. the ell dimension is officially open to players. guilds can participate in the construction and development of the ell dimension.¡± ¡°the ell plane will become the [trading market] for all players.¡± a new player trading market will rise soon. qingqiu ****** he was the most famous, influential, and powerful player among the players. countless people watched richard¡¯s every move. especially after the heroic feat of slaying a god under the gaze of billions of viewers, the word ¡®qingqiu¡¯ created traffic on the forum. the click rate would enormously reduce popularity if the title did not mention qingqiu. therefore, the news that ell plane would develop players caused a vast sensation. all players had a strong demand for offline transactions because of the 30% fee on the forum. Chapter 1012 therefore, one has suppressed this demand. however, the players immediately saw endless possibilities when the chapter about the dimension explorer appeared. planes that could connect to the various regions of the mortal plane would undoubtedly compress the distance between them countless times. they could conduct transactions in a moment even if the two places were hundreds of thousands of miles apart, as long as there was a plane as a transit station. the big guilds had a keen sense of smell. many had already begun to make arrangements in this direction. however, protecting it from invasion was a huge problem. even the top guilds couldn¡¯t be too confident to do so. could they stop the business expansion and a top-notch native force attack? furthermore, it wasn¡¯t easy to persuade the players. therefore, substantial progress couldn¡¯t emerge on this matter. at that moment, richard stood up and beat all the heads to it. they passed the news through the players to the guild leaders of the various large guilds. at the same time, the top nobles among the natives, the upper echelons of the kingdom, and the sects. all the factions received this information at almost the same time. qingqiu had once again entered the eyes of all the powers. however, the power of the previous act of slaughtering the gods was still there. there was not much movement, although many people had other thoughts. they observed silently. this person had been in the mortal plane for less than a year, but he had already stirred up the world¡¯s top figures. they also wanted to know if this plane [trading market] could continue and to what extent it could develop¡­ the players had an intense response. more than a thousand guilds had applied to join the development of ell plane. on february 20th, a few days after the incident had started to brew, faraway mountain guild and dragon fang guild submitted the list to richard. richard had just evacuated from the rotten swamp. he thought about it for a long time and went to ell after he heard the news. tundel took over the ell plane after half a month of conquest. they had eliminated the rebels of the raging blood duke. all the troops had pledged their loyalty to him. this dimension had become a part of twilight city as the man behind the queen. that was the capital of ell kingdom, ell city. richard casually looked at the buildings behind the towering city wall. there were towering spires, semi-circular colored windows, and a giant bell tower on the crossroad. richard could not see the end. the only discordant thing was residents on the streets were a few. it was far from being as prosperous as he had imagined. the population was the foundation of everything. it would still seem lifeless even in a prosperous city, tundel of ell behind richard wore a silver crown and a golden cloak. he looked at him with a deep gaze. ¡°lord qingqiu, all the forces in ell have pledged their loyalty to me¡­ we took back the ell kingdom.¡± richard was excited when he heard this. more than three months ago, the raging blood duke massacred the royal family of ell. he controlled the country¡¯s troops. they could only hide in the forbidden area and struggle with their lives. the other party appeared out of nowhere and took on the heavy responsibility of reorganizing the mountains and rivers. richard had slayed the raging blood duke. he is the mastermind behind the scenes of the fall of greed lord. tundell hadn¡¯t returned to her senses until she sat on the throne again. only then did she believe that all of this wasn¡¯t a dream. his respect and admiration for richard rose after a series of events. ¡°i once promised you that as long as i could kill those traitors¡­ i¡¯ll share the kingdom of ell with you! ¡°lord richard, my promise will never change. holiness and unquestionable determination filled his gaze. richard turned to look at the queen of ell and slowly straightened her crown. he stared into those eyes. his dark gaze carried an endless depth. ¡°this is your country, tundel. i hope you can lead your people to live a prosperous life.¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°i¡¯ve recently arranged for a group of grace mainland lords to help rebuild the kingdom of ell.¡± ¡°arrange a big city for the grace mainland lords.¡± ¡°in the future, ell kingdom will become the trading center for billions of grace mainland lords. ¡°here, i only trust you. i need you to help me manage this [trading market].¡± ¡°can you do it?¡± she looked at his intoxicating eyes. her heart skipped a beat. ¡°yes!¡± Chapter 1013 however, the power of the previous act of slaughtering the gods was still there. there was not much movement, although many people had other thoughts. they observed silently. this person had been in the mortal plane for less than a year, but he had already stirred up the world¡¯s top figures. they also wanted to know if this plane [trading market] could continue and to what extent it could develop¡­ the players had an intense response. more than a thousand guilds had applied to join the development of ell plane. on february 20th, a few days after the incident had started to brew, faraway mountain guild and dragon fang guild submitted the list to richard. richard had just evacuated from the rotten swamp. he thought about it for a long time and went to ell after he heard the news. tundel took over the ell plane after half a month of conquest. they had eliminated the rebels of the raging blood duke. all the troops had pledged their loyalty to him. this dimension had become a part of twilight city as the man behind the queen. that was the capital of ell kingdom, ell city. richard casually looked at the buildings behind the towering city wall. there were towering spires, semi-circular colored windows, and a giant bell tower on the crossroad. richard could not see the end. the only discordant thing was residents on the streets were a few. it was far from being as prosperous as he had imagined. the population was the foundation of everything. it would still seem lifeless even in a prosperous city, tundel of ell behind richard wore a silver crown and a golden cloak. he looked at him with a deep gaze. ¡°lord qingqiu, all the forces in ell have pledged their loyalty to me¡­ we took back the ell kingdom.¡± richard was excited when he heard this. more than three months ago, the raging blood duke massacred the royal family of ell. he controlled the country¡¯s troops. they could only hide in the forbidden area and struggle with their lives. the other party appeared out of nowhere and took on the heavy responsibility of reorganizing the mountains and rivers. richard had slayed the raging blood duke. he is the mastermind behind the scenes of the fall of greed lord. tundell hadn¡¯t returned to her senses until she sat on the throne again. only then did she believe that all of this wasn¡¯t a dream. his respect and admiration for richard rose after a series of events. ¡°i once promised you that as long as i could kill those traitors¡­ i¡¯ll share the kingdom of ell with you! ¡°lord richard, my promise will never change. holiness and unquestionable determination filled his gaze. richard turned to look at the queen of ell and slowly straightened her crown. he stared into those eyes. his dark gaze carried an endless depth. ¡°this is your country, tundel. i hope you can lead your people to live a prosperous life.¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°i¡¯ve recently arranged for a group of grace mainland lords to help rebuild the kingdom of ell.¡± ¡°arrange a big city for the grace mainland lords.¡± ¡°in the future, ell kingdom will become the trading center for billions of grace mainland lords. ¡°here, i only trust you. i need you to help me manage this [trading market].¡± ¡°can you do it?¡± she looked at his intoxicating eyes. her heart skipped a beat. ¡°yes!¡± ****** Chapter 1014 the news that richard would build the ell plane into an offline [trading market] for players became a foregone conclusion as thousands of large guilds moved in. then richard established an association of guilds based on these thousands of guilds, the ell players association. he became the president, and the faraway mountain guild and the dragon fang guild, which had prepared all this, were given the position of vice president. in addition, there were twelve executive directors and twenty-four senior directors under the association. the thirty-six strongest guilds would take up the positions. richard decided on the location of the [trading market] after deliberation. he chose the city of the mountain duke. the level 19 hero with the mountain giant bloodline had left a deep impression on him. he was the vanguard of the raging blood duke whom kratos had killed. he was only level 19 at the time. richard had revived soldiers due to his skills, but the raging blood duke killed them. they died twice in this war. the mountain duke, who had the bloodline of the mountain giant, had built mountain range city on a large scale. richard emptied the city. it could accommodate tens of millions of residents. moreover, less than 100,000 people remained in the city due to the raging blood duke¡¯s madness. he had wiped the native forces out. in addition, the surrounding terrain was flat. richard could not expand any time. the advantage was distinct after he combined all the conditions. the preparation work was tedious. richard delegated his authority several times. but he had to decide on several matters. he completed the process at the start of march. finally, on march 10th, richard officially established the ell player association in mountain range city. the number of guilds that had joined had also increased from the initial thousands to 3,500. these guilds were all smart people with a keen sense of smell. all had more than 500 lord members. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that richard¡¯s attack had directly gathered the strongest guilds. the transactions between these guild members would allow the market to prosper even if he didn¡¯t open it to the public. the guild leaders of the various guilds were not stupid. they immediately invested more when they realized this. richard was also a man who would do his best if he did not do anything. he was so busy that his feet did not touch the ground. however, there had been a lot of things happening outside during this period. the ruler of solan city, the legendary ascetic, had once again sent him an invitation to meet. this time, he had even sent an invitation. and it was very solemn. there were too many trivial matters at hand. richard could not free himself at all. he could only reject them temporarily. he focused on the player [trading market]. the idea delighted him. but he needed to deal with countless problems. richard sat behind a table piled with books and documents in the largest conference room in the lord¡¯s mansion of mountain range city. he flipped through them. he would frown and pick up a magic pen to record paramount matters in the notebook beside him. ¡°president qingqiu, it¡¯s still the same problem. the biggest problem isn¡¯t to gain the approval of other players or to defend against external threats if we want to use ell as a [trading market]. ¡°this [trading market] is like a playing house if there is no convenient and fast passage. we can only close the door and play by ourselves.¡± the voice of the master of the dragon fang guild, kelde, resounded in the conference room. he was serious. this problem had brewed in the association for a long time. they had not thought of a solution. they couldn¡¯t handle it. they reported it to richard after the council¡¯s discussion. richard took a deep breath and put down the question in his hand. he looked up at the middle-aged player and nodded. ¡°i¡¯ll handle this matter. there isn¡¯t any problem that we can¡¯t solve?¡± kelde felt a little ashamed. there were thousands of members in the ell player association. richard had to do something for them, which embarrassed them. the number of players in these guilds added up to millions. several payers couldn¡¯t fight against one person. this? but thinking about it, the other party was qingqiu, so it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°that¡¯s the biggest problem right now. as for the rest, it won¡¯t be a problem for the guilds to join forces.¡± richard lowered his head again to read the documents. ¡°go down. tomorrow morning, have someone wait at the north side of mountain range city.¡± kelde was stunned for a moment. but he didn¡¯t say anything else. he bowed and retreated out of the meeting room. the news quickly spread around. players in the association were immediately curious. they all wanted to see how qingqiu would solve this vast problem. the next day, the players who had waited at the northbound of mountain range city saw a 100-meter-long, golden, and terrifying lifeform that seemed of gold step out of the void. it was like one had erected a city wall on the ground. [void sandworm] [hero unit] [level 19 potential beyond a-rank] this void lifeform from the first large-scale dungeon had finally transformed into an adult after half a year of growth. kelde was dumbfounded. the emotions in his heart fluctuated. qingqiu would always send any subordinate, a beyond a-rank hero! one couldn¡¯t know how strong their foundation was. then, a group of players who were in high spirits gathered around and soon saw the ability of the void sandworm. Chapter 1015 the big problem that troubled them seemed as simple as a child counting his fingers. however, they still needed the void sandworm to maintain them after one opened these spatial passageways. at most, one could open ten spatial rifts at the same time. that was far compared to the plan to connect all the primary nodes in the mortal plane. however, richard had already provided the primer, and the gamers immediately had an idea. three thousand five hundred guilds. what a vast amount of resources. on the second day, with the efforts of all the guilds, a 5-star unique blueprint, the space portal, appeared on richard¡¯s desk. in addition, there was a detailed plan attached. the ell players association built a fixed portal after the void sandworm opened the portal. they connected all the primary nodes of the mortal plane. however, one built these portals in the territory of the members of the ell players association in the early days. that was an additional benefit. the morale of the newly established ell players association rose a lot. and many guilds began to increase their investment in mountain range city after richard had fixed this problem. all kinds of new facilities and buildings rose from the ground. the bustling crowd brought life back to the city. the raging blood duke had massacred this way of life. ell players association and [trading market] were both valuable items. any of them could increase richard¡¯s influence by tenfold or even a hundredfold. it would also allow twilight city grow rapidly. however, the benefits before richard had not blinded his vision. he issued a few decisions that made all the guilds feel excited about the official establishment of the ell players association. every guild that entered the guild would only need to hand over 100,000 units of rare resources to obtain a piece of land or a building as the guild¡¯s base. at the same time, the ell players association members had the clothes to protect the ell plane. they had to send ten legions when the ell plane was in danger. each guild would send a large troop of soldiers to mountain range city. and the guards would be in charge of the arrangements. the guild would pay for the troop members¡¯ supplies. the cohesiveness of the ell players association would immediately increase as soon as one announced the strategy. ¡°the ell players association is safe with these conditions!¡± ¡°military power, personnel, and future benefits are all in the hands of the other party. if we want greater benefits, we will protect ell.¡± kelde, the president of the dragon fang guild, looked at the heated discussion on the forum about the ell players association and sighed. the white-haired, pale-faced old player beside him said with a burning gaze. ¡°how can guild leader qingqiu be simply the number one player?¡± ¡°he has tied all the members together, although this arrangement has paid a lot of benefits.¡± ¡°from now on, whoever wants to attack ell will attack the 3,500 members!¡± ¡°each guild has only sent out a single brigade, yet shanling city has 3.5 million soldiers!¡± ¡°the troop strength will soar to hundreds of millions if one triggered the wartime policy.¡± ¡°more guilds will join in the future as the mountain range city grew bigger¡­¡± richard vaguely saw the rise of a giant from his current layout. the move to sharing 70% of the profits was simply fatal! mountain range city would be extremely stable even if the enemy would spy on them with thousands of guilds and millions or even tens of millions of guild members. don¡¯t make a sound. that was okay. but one will amaze the world with a sound. however, what surprised them even more was the other party¡¯s calmness under the temptation of such benefits. that was a [trading market] that involved tens of billions of players! how exaggerated were the benefits? think about the wealth and taxes the big cities with tens of millions of people on planet blue yearly generate. now, the other party had given up 70% of this interest. how many people could be so decisive and open-minded?! the white-haired, pale-faced old player¡¯s tone sounded more respectful. ¡°only president qingqiu can establish a player association and a trading market. ¡°it would be difficult for other guilds to reach this level even if they wanted to replicate it. ¡°the future ell plane has unlimited potential. president, we¡¯ve grasped an amazing opportunity this time.¡± kelder took a deep breath and said with a complicated tone. ¡°previously, the forum said that guild leader qing qiu was a loner. and he had no interest in establishing a player faction. now, it seemed the other party was just waiting for an opportunity to gather everyone.¡± this move was earth-shattering. even the top player guilds were as weak as ants before the ell players association. thousands of guilds comprised this organization. qingqiu¡¯s influence could spread to all aspects even though the control and binding power were not mandatory. what richard wanted to do would become extremely simple. furthermore, qingqiu had the authority to mobilize the mountain range city troops. that was a few million soldiers. the people could ask the guilds for help if qingqiu encountered trouble. each guild could borrow a troop. as long as half of the guilds borrowed, they could instantly raise tens of millions. the two of them looked at each other, and the more they thought about it, the more awed they felt for richard. the other party¡¯s move had pulled his influence to the extreme. ¡°we could complete the planned spatial teleportation in half a month. we will witness unprecedented prosperity after the official opening of the mountain range city to the public.¡± fortunately, they were participants, witnesses, and even creators. he was inexplicably excited. richard had thought carefully about how to deal with and interact with the players. in the end, the conclusion was that there was no need to include the players in the rule of twilight city, but they could leverage it. a great man once said, make few enemies and many friends. they could gradually raise eyebrows as the players grew, especially in the last dimensional war, after the player guilds defeated the native forces. no one could guarantee what would happen, although he could beat up a top guild like the blazing flame guild. the ell plane was his first move. next, there were more plans to come. richard had received accurate news that the players, as the favorites of the world¡¯s will, were in the battle between the old gods and the new gods in the new expansion pack of the crimson moon. that is if he remembered correctly. the scales would tilt in that direction on whichever side the players stood on. ell players association. richard already had the power to influence the situation. and he was the controller of this power. richard curled up his lips. his eyes revealed a light difficult for outsiders to understand. ¡°windsor, what would you give me in exchange for this gift?¡± Chapter 1016 one must have recorded this day in history. on the same day last year, twenty billion people on planet blue entered the ¡°shining era.¡± a year had passed, and the initial 20 billion players remained with a little over 10 billion. the loss was close to 50%. it was also on this day that countless players sighed with emotion. at the same time, an announcement caused a vast discussion on the forum. ¡°ell players association announcement: we officially open the ell players [trading market] today. the ell players association has opened the first batch of 5,000-dimensional teleportation portals. we have uploaded the location of the relevant teleportation portals. players can check their regional map to find the nearest teleportation portal.¡± the announcement attracted everyone¡¯s attention. the news of the [trading market] has spread like wildfire in two months. all the players waited for the [trading market] to open. now, it was finally here. many players immediately checked the uploaded map to see where the nearest teleportation gate was. batches of players set off for the teleportation portal and stepped into ell plane afterward. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was also one of them. he was also very curious about the [trading market] as the first player to trade with richard. he heard the news. he rushed over immediately. he went through the portal, and his vision returned to the usual. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] saw the towering walls of mountain range city. several guards, towering arrow towers, and ferocious heavy siege crossbows all showed the strength of this city. he rolled his eyes a few times. he turned his head and smiled at a female player beside him. the female player wore black armor and had a beautiful figure. her skin was fair and soft. she has a mole at the corner of her eye. ¡°sister, boss qingqiu was prepared. he didn¡¯t place the teleportation portal in the city¡­¡± [night rain flower falls] snapped. ¡°you¡¯re the smartest. do you need to say more about this basic common sense?¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was not bothered by the insult and continued to look around. the surroundings were still very simple. there were only troops that guarded the teleportation portal. there were only a few buildings. there was ample space around each portal, so it was no problem for them to transport goods. it would be enough no matter how they expanded in the future. this area was near the city wall. it only took about 20 minutes to walk. you could hire a carriage nearby if one wouldn¡¯t want to walk. ¡°there are quite a lot of people here. but there are clearly less than 5,000 teleportation portals. there should be other arrangements in other directions¡­¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] grumbled for a while. he waved his hand excitedly and called for a carriage. he got on it with his sister. ¡°sis, i wanted to introduce you to boss qingqiu. but you declined. do you have regrets? boss qingqiu might not even be interested in you now!¡± [night rain flower falls] glared at this bastard. she gnashed her teeth in hatred. i didn¡¯t beat him up enough in the past. ¡°get lost!¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] sighed. ¡°there was once a chance to turn qingqiu into my brother-in-law, but i didn¡¯t cherish it. now, it¡¯s too late for regrets. don¡¯t be in a hurry to regret it. ahhh!¡± he even sang a few lines from beijing opera that caused her sister to slap him. the siblings fought, and the carriage quickly entered mountain range city. archduke of mountain range designed this city according to its body size. the various buildings were exceptionally tall. he crossed the city gate and looked out of the glass window. several brand-new signboards came into view. choices of spear weapon shop, troll potion shop, and evil dragon scroll filled the guild. below the shop¡¯s name were the names of various guilds. they left the area near the city gate and entered the streets. the siblings immediately realized that many of the shops at the border were still closed. there was a big word on them, ¡°for rent.¡± one could see a line of slightly smaller words¨Crenters can go to the city management center of mountain range to discuss. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] looked at the vast flow of people around him. he was a little tempted. ¡°sis, why don¡¯t we rent a shop here too?¡± ¡°our territory has a lot of good stuff. it¡¯s a pity to sell them all in the market. thirty percent of the fees, damn it¡­¡± [night rain flower falls] g shook his head. ¡°let¡¯s take a look first.¡± ¡®how could he make a decision so quickly?¡¯ [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] shrugged and did not say anything else. he continued to move forward. they saw many new things along the way. they arrived at the central square of mountain range city in four to five hours. amidst the crowd, the [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] had sharp eyes and saw a vast building more than 100 meters tall in front of him. the monumental plaque on it was particularly eye-catching. any race could understand the meaning of the language magic engraved on it. the two asked the players around them while they wore work attire with some curiosity. he learned from the other party that one established this commodity [trading market] for large-scale transactions. players with long-term and enormous demands could place their orders here. at the same time, if there was a corresponding supply of materials, he could directly accept the order. the seller would deliver the required order to the buyer after integration of [trading market]. it played a role in connecting upstream and downstream. other than the bulk commodity [trading market], there was also a reward center, mission commission hall, and so on. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] listened to the staff member¡¯s introduction. he praised. ¡°boss qing qiu is indeed someone who does big things. he almost gave what all the players want.¡± Chapter 1017 ¡°how can qingqiu¡¯s methods be simple in uniting thousands of player guilds and making everyone acknowledge the player [trading market]? ¡°moreover, he doesn¡¯t need to do these things. there are so many guilds. there will be capable people among them. ¡°let¡¯s go and continue shopping. let¡¯s see which shop is good and rent one. ¡°as long as this city isn¡¯t attacked, in the future¡­ unlimited potential!¡± one could foresee the future to see such a prosperous scene on the first day. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] smiled proudly. he felt honored as the first lackey of qingqiu. ¡°see, i already knew that boss qingiu had unlimited potential. i¡¯m the one with the discerning eyes, as expected!¡± ¡°little brother, do you know where boss qingqiu works?¡± the staff beside him smiled and pointed at the heavily guarded area. ¡°city lord mansion¡­¡± he could not help but say afterward. ¡°i advise you not to go if you want to meet president qingqiu. at least 80 million people have met president qingqiu.¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] chuckled. ¡°others might not see us, but boss qingqiu will see us.¡± ¡°i¡¯m the number one follower of boss qingqiu.¡± he spoke and raised his head proudly. [night rain flower falls¡¯s] mouth twitched as she watched. she clenched her fists and resisted the urge to beat this guy up. ¡°so you¡¯re still very proud of yourself?¡± the staff member didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he waved his hand and let them leave. then, he saw the siblings headed straight for the city lord mansion. however, the guard outside stopped them before they could get close. the staff member looked amused. the soldier immediately entered the lord¡¯s mansion. the guard returned afterward and allowed the siblings to enter. the young staff¡¯s expression froze when he saw the scene. ¡°f*ck, is this true?¡± envy instantly engulfed him. qingqiu ah, that was qingqiu! hugging onto the thigh of such a big shot, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry for the rest of his life. this opportunity had nothing to do with him. richard officially opened the ell [trading market] to the public. only players watched the fun. however, dark, countless native forces observed every move of mountain range city. they focused all their eyes on this city that could affect the situation in the mortal plane, whether it was the kingdom of the nobles, the top families, the large chambers of commerce, or the religious forces. ice empire. that was a land of extreme coldness. rebecca stood silently by the window. she looked out through the transparent window at the heavy snow outside. her right hand gently grabbed a corner of the cloak woven from the fur of the desert crown robe. the warmth from the cloak was the only warmth in this forbidden land. her thoughts gradually dispersed. ¡°it has been a while since i left the vampire castle.¡± i wonder if lord richard has found the vampire breed treasure. is the taste of the desert crown honey still the same as before? ¡°miss rebecca, the archduke has just sent a secret letter asking for information about sir richard.¡± the voice behind her interrupted rebecca¡¯s thoughts. she turned around and saw a middle-aged female mage. she stared at her solemnly. ¡°father asked me about lord richard?¡± rebecca was somewhat puzzled. ¡°didn¡¯t i tell him before? why?¡± her expression froze afterward. ¡°lord richard, is there something wrong?¡± the middle-aged female mage¡¯s expression turned strange when she heard. ¡°should be¡­ we can consider.¡± rebecca immediately became a little anxious when she saw the subtle expression on her face. her face darkened. ¡°what happened? could it be that lord richard is in danger and is asking us for help?!¡± ¡°gather the troop immediately¡­¡± the mage hurriedly waved his hand when she heard. ¡°no, lord richard is fine¡­¡± crystals filled the house. rebecca¡¯s expression became somewhat cold. the female wizard quickly said. ¡°it¡¯s about lord richard. it¡¯s a great thing. i was too surprised and didn¡¯t know how to tell you.¡± she didn¡¯t waste any more time and went straight to the point. ¡°the grand duke has sent news that the number one grace mainland overlord, the god slayer who slaughtered the greed, qing qiu, has gathered millions of god slayers and established a [trading market] in an alternate dimension called ell dimension.¡± ¡°this [trading market] opened 5,000 portals in the early stages. it connected to every corner of the mortal plane.¡± ****** Chapter 1018 the aura that belonged only to players was not like the others, which the ¡°shining era¡± had worn away by its various difficulties. people witness a few people with an aura. ¡°boss qingqiu! no. big brother!¡± the moment [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] saw richard, he immediately knelt down and hugged richard¡¯s thigh. he looked up with tears in his eyes. ¡°we finally met, big brother!¡± richard¡¯s impression of this guy quickly overlapped with the one on the forum, and the sense of strangeness disappeared. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. this is top-grade. the power of the yellow sand moved slightly and pushed him away. ¡°get lost.¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] stood up, he looked at the beautiful female player with interest. the female player saw this gaze. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] chuckled and quickly extended his hand to introduce. ¡°big brother! let me introduce you. this is my sister¡­¡± he winked and whispered. ¡°how is it? high-grade, right?¡± [night rain flower falls¡¯s] eyelids twitched as she glared at [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] fiercely. she resisted the urge to give her cheap brother a few slaps and said in a deep voice. ¡°hello, lord qingqiu, chen yushu, forum id [night rain flower falls], sorry to disturb you for the first time. don¡¯t take chen feng¡¯s words to heart.¡± she bowed solemnly as she spoke. ¡°thank you for your reminder.¡± at the beginning of the game, she had found a two-star dungeon and wanted to try it out, but richard had told them the difficulty of the one-star dungeon he had completed. he would have died if he had entered that instance dungeon with his strength back then. the two were so shocked that they broke out in cold sweat. they had dodged a bullet. later, the other party gave him the mummy¡¯s heart which will allow him to obtain gray, an a-rank hero. richard¡¯s friendship with the two had been established since the beginning of the ¡°shining era.¡± richard was very happy about their visit. he only considers a few friends as his strength and status reinforce. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] was very familiar with him. that made him feel a little closer. ¡°you¡¯re welcome. it¡¯s been so long.¡± richard didn¡¯t dwell on the topic, but looked curiously at [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon]. ¡°chen feng, where is your territory?¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon] quickly said, ¡°the endless wilderness beside the black dragon mountains.¡± ¡°wilderness?¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. the little centaur emily had obtained a part of the wilderness priesthood when she found her soul shard in the place where the laws were broken. unfortunately, twilight city was located in the desert, and the other party¡¯s clergy could not be of much use. richard pondered and slowly said. ¡°i have a centaur under my command. she¡¯s naturally suited to the wilderness. give me the coordinates. when i have time, i¡¯ll let her go to the wilderness for a walk¡­¡± ¡°centaur? that is transcendent, right?¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s] lips trembled in excitement as he slapped his thigh. ¡°big brother! i knew you loved me the most!! ¡°we just discovered a vast gem mine with a superhero guard. you¡¯ve helped us a lot!! ¡°this was transcendent!¡± richard had sent emily into the wilderness to find an excuse to help him. he owed him a huge favor. it seemed that he could only ask his sister to marry him¡­ he turned to look at [night rain flower falls] and felt a little stifled. ¡°this silly sister of mine, this kind of big golden leg, this rich husband doesn¡¯t even know to take the initiative. it really makes me worry.¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°you guys decide on this matter.¡± he didn¡¯t know how effective the wilderness godhood was, but he hoped that emily would bring him some surprises. nothing major would happen as for the safety of the minions, with the hero altar around. ¡°mountain range city will become the first choice for players to trade. ¡°do you have any specialties in your territory? i can find you a good shop and sell your products in mountain range city.¡± the city was too big and required several players to fill the gap even if there were thousands of player guilds. helping others was not helping them. it was better to let their own people develop. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s] was about to cry. he turned to look at [night rain flower falls] and blinked. ¡®sis, if you don¡¯t take the initiative, i¡¯m going to¡­¡¯ [night rain flower falls] mouthed. ¡°get lost!¡± they chatted for a while. richard suddenly thought of something and looked at[night rain flower falls]. ¡°miss chen yushu, chen feng said that you¡¯re an internal staff member of ¡°shining era?¡± [night rain flower falls] nodded, as if she knew what richard wanted to ask. ¡°i don¡¯t know much about the game.¡± ¡± the system lost most of the information after it released the crimson moon expansion pack.¡± ¡°we can no longer use this information to gain benefits with such a massive change in the world situation, whether it¡¯s me or other staff members who know about the game.¡± richard was a little disappointed. his plan to get more information from this aspect failed. [night rain flower falls] continued to talk. ¡°moreover, i could not initiate even if i knew the information. i didn¡¯t see any familiar colleagues or players with names on the forums. ¡°what does this mean? if one wanted to survive in this world, even if they had a certain information advantage, they could not laugh until the end. ¡°the shining era is a long marathon. a temporary lead doesn¡¯t mean everything. ¡°in the end, i still have to rely on myself¡­¡± [night rain flower falls] had a deep understanding of this. she had received the assistance of a b-rank hero at the very beginning of the ¡°shining era¡± even if he knew some. however, it was too difficult to develop. the suppression of the natives, the external dangers, the lack of resources, and countless difficulties hindered her to move forward. [night rain flower falls] sighed as they watched richard fall into deep thought. ¡°there is no distinct information. but the general direction should not have changed. the ¡°shining era¡± is a new generation. ¡°in a game, there are always ups and downs in order to develop a more exciting plot. ¡°in the future, the situation will become even more chaotic.¡± ¡°lord qingqiu, the ell players association has already entered the eyes of all the forces on the mortal plane. you need to be mentally prepared for this.¡± richard nodded. what [night rain flower falls] said was not much different from what the dwarf god said. as for the reminder, after he made this decision, he had the confidence to bear all the consequences. the two left after an hour or more. richard arranged for a player to lead them to choose a shop. emotions filled [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s]. ¡°big brother is big brother. how generous! ¡°transcendents, he can give them away as he wishes. he can give people shops as he wishes. this time, i owe my lord a favor.¡± [night rain flower falls] couldn¡¯t take it anymore and kicked the bastard¡¯s butt. who¡¯s your big brother?¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s] patted his butt and looked at his sister with dissatisfaction. ¡°you missed your chance, and you¡¯re blaming me? ¡°whoever is with big brother is my sister! ¡°what does it have to do with you that i call qingqiu big brother?¡± the eyelids of [night rain flower falls] twitched. ¡®this idiot¡­¡¯ the arrival of [where¡¯s your f*cking italian cannon¡¯s] was just a small splash. no one cared about the two strangers. since the opening of mountain range city on the 1st of april, the number of players entering the city continued to increase, and on the 7th of april, the number reached its peak after a week of preparation. the entire city was packed with people. as far as the eye could see, it was a scene similar to what one would see when they went to the cafeteria after class. the shops in mountain range city were also rented out at an exaggerated speed. the entire city erupted with shocking vitality. the influx of people brought prosperity in all aspects. all kinds of gourmet shops, weapon shops, tailor shops, and even entertainment centers spread at an exaggerated speed. there were taxes, house rental, large-value commodity trading center, and reward center. all kinds of facilities were activated in front of the massive flow of people. the forces that observed ell plane in the dark started to get restless when they saw this prosperous scene. those powerful native forces all increased their progress in conquering the other planes¡­ no one could refuse to have a prosperous city that could connect to every corner of the mortal plane. richard¡¯s reputation once again spread throughout the mortal plane. even the high and mighty gods heard his name from the prayers of their believers. richard received a message from twilight city. the little princess of solan city, christy, had come to the city in person. the other party held a handwritten letter from grand duke solan, the legendary ascetic. christy said that grand duke solan wanted to see him as soon as possible. richard pondered the news for a long time. this was the first time the legendary boss had invited him. from the very beginning, he had his servant deliver a message to vale, to the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and sent a message to christy. then the violet merchant association chamber of commerce sent it to christy in person. every change in attitude of the legendary ascetic was closely related to the improvement of his strength. richard was feeling a little strange. strength was the only pass. the ell players association had many talented people. and its structure was extremely complete. hundreds of top talents designed it. these talents were previously executives, officials, top professors of major companies, and even several novel prize winners. however, after entering the ¡°shining era,¡± everyone was equal. if they wanted to survive, they could only rely on stronger organizations. richard called the person-in-charge and explained in detail what to take note of after he left. christy had already arrived at twilight city. he had to go back to solan city. not only did he have to meet archduke solan, but he also had to discuss his next move with windsor. richard had prepared such a big gift, so he did not know how the main character of the new expansion pack would react. however, just in case, kratos, the dark soul eater, loreina, and emily were all left behind in mountain range city. the golden lion contributed to the rotten swamp, and the god¡¯s ancient tree still devoured the heart. it could not complete its transformation in a short time. with three top-tier transcendents, a troop of millions, and a troop that could be pulled out from the ell players association at any time. there was no need to worry too much about safety. richard arranged everything. he brought dark valkyrie back to twilight city. after two months, he stepped into this city that belonged to him completely. his tense mood instantly relaxed. it felt like a traveler returned home. no matter where he was, he would never feel as safe as he did in twilight city. ¡°my lord is back!¡± the city was in an uproar with a cry os surprise. here, richard was the king of all, the ruler of the gods. all the residents bowed in unison wherever he passed. their postures were respectful and humble. richard¡¯s eyes smiled as he entered the lord¡¯s mansion under the respectful gazes of the crowd. he saw christy, when he entered the hall. she wore a white dress. he was fast asleep. she did not have the noble temperament of a little princess in solan city at all. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he stepped forward and pinched the young woman¡¯s nose. ¡°wake up, lazy pig.¡± Chapter 1019 the current holy church empire was probably the tenth or so that had been rebuilt. the king claimed that he had inherited the bloodline of the holy church empire¡¯s royal family and had inherited the orthodox lineage. the holy church empire governed solan city. of course, due to the existence of the legendary ascetic, duke solan, the leadership was only in name. no one had the guts to point fingers at a legend. however, it was impossible to conceal the immense strength of the holy church empire. richard looked at the little girl before him who fought for him and said slowly. ¡°the ell plane is the territory of twilight city. no one can touch itlet alone the holy church empire, even the sun sect would not be able to do so!¡± christy¡¯s heart started beating faster when she heard the calm but arrogant words. her eyes were sparkled like stars. it would sound arrogant if one said this, even her father, the legendary ascetic, however, the valiant young man before him had occupied a plane and established a vast force that could affect the situation in the mortal plane. he had even killed the greed lord. he is one of the seven sins of evil gods, under the watchful eyes of billions of people!! the words of such a dragon among men, even if they were wanton, made people seriously consider the possibility of realization. no one dared to underestimate them. the same words, but with a different status, brought about a completely different perception. ¡°lord richard, my father and i are firmly on your side.¡± christy was afraid that richard would misunderstand, so she explained timidly. ¡°your territory can only be yours. father has already sternly rejected the higher-ups of the empire.¡± ¡°however, there are many people in the empire who have a grudge against solan city. those who are not afraid of solan city may not give up, although it can stop the greed of some people.¡± he lowered his voice. ¡°the royal family of the empire has also sent a prince over. he¡¯s waiting in solan citythe royal family also wishes to communicate with you.¡± at this point, his gaze became a little complicated. half a year ago, when he went to solan city alone, he had nothing. rebecca even gave him the manor. half a year later, not only did the other party get her father, a glorious existence, to send her over to deliver a message, even the holy church empire¡¯s royal family personally sent a prince to request an audience. unknowingly, this valiant young man had grown from an unknown person to a first-class big shot. a young girl who was not mature would always have some heroic plot. at this moment, he could see the admiration in christy¡¯s eyes. richard¡¯s expression softened a little. fortunately, solan city did not stand against him this time. otherwise, this little girl would be disappointed. no one had the right to trample on twilight city. even that glorious ascetic. ¡°is there any other news?¡± christy shook her head. ¡°father told me to tell you this¡­¡± ¡°i heard that the sect has been making a lot of moves recently. do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°the crimson moon rose, and the major sects in solan city spread the word that the ancient gods were the embodiment of evil and would bring the world to destruction. they even asked all their believers to search for those who had been drenched in blood rain. if those people were caught, they would be burned alive by the sects.¡± ¡°they¡¯ve offered a high reward. once any information regarding the ancient gods is reported to the church and verified, they¡¯ll be rewarded handsomely.¡± christy frowned. ¡°i¡¯ve read through many ancient historical books, but i haven¡¯t found any records of the ancient gods. i haven¡¯t even found any information about the books that specifically record evil lives.¡± ¡°i asked father, and father said that he didn¡¯t know the specific information either. however, according to his speculation, the ancient gods were most likely gods who ruled the world before the gods were born. ¡°i can foresee that the replacement of the old and the new will cause a great upheaval, although i don¡¯t know why the gods that had disappeared for a long time have revived.¡± the gods erased all information about the ancient gods. windsor caused the blood rain to cover the entire plane when the crimson moon rose, allowing countless people to obtain the power of the great ancient ones, the world would be in chaos. he killed ten gods under everyone¡¯s gaze. that caused a vast commotion. perhaps there were people who wanted to join the camp of the ancient gods, but they didn¡¯t know where to go or what to do¡­ but ever since the crimson moon rose and the first chapter of the plane explorer was opened, richard had not heard of windsor¡¯s movements. it was impossible for the other party to calm down just like that. the next time he erupted, it would be earth-shattering. he needed to have an in-depth conversation with the main character of the new expansion pack. ¡°help me keep an eye out for the movements of the sect. the gods were not as kind and gentle as their believers claimed.¡± christy nodded emotionally. richard pulled the conversation back to business. ¡°what is the purpose of the holy church royal family coming here this time?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know, but it should be related to ell.¡± christy exclaimed. ¡°lord richard, after you occupied ell and built it into the [trading market] of the grace mainland overlord. the impact you caused was no less than when you killed the greed lord¡­¡± this valiant young man, everything he did made people tremble. even her proud father was full of praise for him. christy pondered and felt a little embarrassed. she saw her father this time. lord richard should be able to get his approval, right? Chapter 1020 richard didn¡¯t know that the young lady¡¯s thoughts had already flown to the horizon. he pondered. he said slowly, ¡°since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go over there and meet him. ¡°your highness christy, are you going to visit twilight city for a few days, or are you going to solan city with me?¡± christy said decisively. ¡°with you!¡± it was nothing unusual for a lady who had seen the world, although the scenery of twilight city was unique. what was the point of staying without the other party in this city? he looked at the sand. he had grown up in the desert of death and had seen enough. richard nodded, not surprised. he immediately sent for karu. the gray-haired karu entered the hall. he told him that he went to solan city and also took care of some trivial matters. a little information made richard feel much better. the fifth improvement completed the elven music box. the elven music box was very close to the mp3 or tape player he had expected after a few months of intensive research. at this time, the production line of the elven music box had also expanded by more than ten times. the daily production had increased to 800 units, which was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from the 1,000 units he had requested. a batch of production lines that incorporated alchemy technology would be put into use by the middle of this month. the production capacity would increase enormously. the elven music box would be available for sale by the end of april. that was to expand the sales and market. the first batch of elven music boxes would be ten elven music boxes. the dark elves of the underground world sang most of the songs. a girl recorded one of them with an exceptionally clear voice in twilight city. the production of the elven music box was much simpler. the daily production could reach 8,000 after two months of vigorous expansion of production capacity. the production capacity would soar, similarly, when the production line integrated with alchemy technology was put into use. a vast industry already rose. and a blue sea territory waited for twilight city to occupy. richard was both happy and helpless. it was naturally a good thing they progressed so quickly. however, this production rate would not even be able to make a splash. there was an immense market before him. ¡°karu is still too conservative. increase the investment of resources by ten times. i need to see the production of elven music boxes reach 10,000 units per day in a month! a year later, the production capacity would reach 100,000! ¡°look for tundel and ask her to send some people to you if you don¡¯t have enough people. ¡°we can contact the ell players association directly if we need a gray-colored dwarf. the grace mainland overlord from all over the mortal plane can satisfy all our needs!¡± that was why online transactions could never replace offline. not to mention the fees, the various restrictions of online transactions alone could make it difficult for many businesses to develop, not to mention the many fees. one could buy and sell anything in the offline world. slave trading was a lucrative business, and many player guilds had their own channels. karu was mentally prepared. but richard¡¯s generosity still shocked him. ¡°100,000 units a day?¡± the production cost of each unit was 500 units of rare resources. he would have to consume 50 million units of resources every day if he achieved his goal? wasn¡¯t that the implication? this data¡­ karu took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. his gaze was firm. ¡°lord, your order is the direction we should go in. we shall heed!¡± richard nodded. such a big market was right before him. but now he couldn¡¯t make money because of production capacity problems. that feeling was too unbearable. ¡°we can¡¯t neglect the production of the black sorbet either. ell is already under our control. later, you can discuss with tundel and allocate an area for the frost grass.¡± the raging blood duke had killed 70% of the population of ell plane. two to three million people remained. these people were enough to support the labor force he needed. ¡°at the same time, let tundel arrange a few cities to be the production bases for the black congealed troops. the expansion of the black frozen ice cream is even faster.¡± the forces in twilight city were no longer as weak as they were when they first entered the ¡°shining era.¡± the resources in his hands rose to a new level after the integration of the strength of the players. he could totally expand and reform ell, and no longer need to be as careful as when he obtained the underground world. he needed a production base, and ell would become a production base. his will was above everything else. richard didn¡¯t waste any more time after these two instructions. karu left the manor with christy. her eyes curved into crescents and walked briskly. richard stopped and looked to the side. he stepped out of the door. there was a group of soldiers with the solan city emblem on their chests. the leader was a silent female warrior. she was in her early fifties and wore thick black armor. dense scars covered her face. that made one¡¯s heart tremble. this female warrior¡¯s past was probably incomparably glorious. the other party was transcendent. it was the first time that a transcendent from the friendly camp had come to twilight city. he nodded slightly at the other party. the female warrior¡¯s eyes flashed with doubt when she met richard¡¯s gaze. it was like his level puzzled her. but she still bowed respectfully. she straightened up. she looked at dark valkyrie who had silently guarded richard. her expression instantly became extremely solemn. her attitude became increasingly grave. this lord was not someone transcendent like her could afford to offend no matter what. richard didn¡¯t care too much about it. transcendents, he was still awed half a year ago. but how many came? was it enough for dark valkyrie to hack? richard asked how many people christy had brought. he called alves over. he brought a squadron of skeleton blood dragons with him and had the undead dragons carry christy¡¯s team to solan city. this time, he had to go and return quickly. there were too many trivial matters in ell, and he needed to personally oversee them. there were still countless things to deal with in twilight city. richard had two objectives for his trip to solan city. he would meet windsor and get the reward from the last s-rank mission. of course, there was also a gift from the ell players association. he looked forward to windsor¡¯s expression. his return gift was also worth looking forward to. the other thing was the meeting with the grand duke. this was the third or fourth time he had invited him. for a legend to be able to send his own daughter here, he still had to give her some face. lastly, he had to figure out the attitude of the outside world towards the ell plane, especially the holy church empire. they could either live in peace or die in a river of blood. Chapter 1021 the skeleton blood dragon spread its wings and flew wildly on the morning of the 2nd of april. the towering city walls of solan city appeared on the ground as the morning sun lit up the sky. the height of more than 50 meters was like a ravine. in the sky, the horse cavalrymen fought orderly, they carried long lances as they constantly patrolled the surroundings. these level 19 soldiers were the elites of solan city. it was said that there were also level 20 transcendent horse cavalrymen. however, transcendent troops were considered absolute elites in any force and were not used for patrolling. richard would have yearned to own these troops half a year ago. however, at this moment, his mood no longer fluctuated. the evil dragon wings had already surpassed three squadrons after two months of development. envy shrouded him when he didn¡¯t have it. that feeling would fade after he had it. richard subconsciously wanted the troop to stay in the military storage area as per his past habits. the scar-faced extraordinary female warrior who protected christy approached on her skeleton blood dragon. she said respectfully. ¡°lord richard, the grand duke, instructed us before he came. from now on, you can directly lead the troop into solan city. you don¡¯t have to store your troops like the others.¡± ¡°just fly directly into the city.¡± richard gave him a meaningful look. ¡°i¡¯ll thank you personally when i meet grand duke solan if that is the case.¡± she finished speaking. the transcendent female warrior immediately heaved a sigh of relief, and the smile on her face widened. outsiders would have to be extremely grateful for this privilege. but the person in front of him was different. the other party had accepted it. it was a very good attitude to discuss it with the host. as for violating the past rules of solan city. weren¡¯t rules made to be violated? this was solan city, and duke solan¡¯s orders were the rules. richard didn¡¯t hesitate to let alves speed up and approach the wall. the bustling crowd at the city gate soon discovered the troop that did not belong to solan city. they actually dared to fly straight towards the city wall. he felt that it was a little funny. immediately, everyone stopped in their tracks and watched the show. ¡°good heavens, i¡¯ve been in solan city for ten years, and this is the first time i¡¯ve seen someone actually lead a troop straight towards the city walls.¡± ¡°yi? this is a player troop?¡± ¡°no way, there¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t know the rules of solan city?¡± the undead dragons carried many soldiers flew above the city walls under the watchful eyes of the crowd. then, the guards on the city wall did not stop him. instead, they saluted him. the knights above them slowly circled down and surrounded the troop. this commotion caused the natives and players who were watching the commotion below to widen their eyes in disbelief. ¡°that guy actually flew over the city wall??¡± solan city¡¯s rule that forbade anyone from jumping over the city wall had changed? a group of players who were unwilling to give up immediately asked the soldiers beside them. they had no choice but to accept a ridiculous fact after being scolded. a player had actually led his own troop and acted tyrannically in a city guarded by transcendents. who was the other party? why did the soldiers of solan city give the green light? soon, this scene spread throughout solan city. the high nobles who had a large number of spies were the first to hear the news and immediately became suspicious. the information they had was not something that the lower-class residents and players could compare to. the rules of solan city were set by grand duke solan. even if the prince of the royal family came, he had to obey the rules. even his only daughter had to follow the rules. the person who entered the city could ignore the rules of solan city. so there was a high chance that grand duke solan recognized him. who had the ability to make a legendary ascetic break the rules he had set? for a moment, the person who entered the city became the focus of the nobles in solan city. ¡®whew!¡¯ a squadron of skeletal blood dragons slowly landed at the entrance of violet manor under the lead of alves. the commotion immediately attracted the attention of countless people. soon, this news was passed back to the ears of the various nobles. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce which wasn¡¯t very eye-catching in solan city, was immediately taken seriously. they really wanted to know the background of the person who could make grand duke solan break the rules. he got down from the skeleton blood dragon¡¯s back. the female extraordinary warrior immediately asked for her leave with her soldiers. richard didn¡¯t waste any time and let them leave. christy refused to leave. the transcendent didn¡¯t say anything else. he left the girl behind. he quickly disappeared around the corner of the street. after being scolded,christy would be fine. there was no need to worry about safety. christy was a chatterbox. she held richard¡¯s arm and walked into the manor. ¡°lord richard, vale has been running the violet merchant association well recently!¡± ¡°many nobles have reached a partnership with the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. the sales of the black sorbet have increased a lot recently. even many trade unions in the surrounding cities have taken the initiative to seek cooperation.¡± ¡°of course, the most important contributor is me. no matter how well the violet merchant association chamber of commerce develops, no one has ever dared to cause trouble!¡± Chapter 1022 richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at these trivial words. she could talk to herself for a day even if he ignored this young lady. such a vast commotion outside had already alarmed the people in the manor. a large group of people swarmed over after richard entered. vale was in the center of the crowd. he saw the familiar figure and immediately quickened his pace. he approached quickly, cupped his chest, and bowed with joy. ¡°good day, lord richard!¡± ¡°good day, your highness christy.¡± richard looked at the young man in charge of the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and felt sparingly emotional. he was worried vale couldn¡¯t perform his task well when he first sent him over. however, in the past half a year, the violet merchant association had developed steadily under his hands. they had often could make up for the losses in twilight city. he had perfectly fulfilled richard¡¯s initial expectations of establishing the violet merchant association. ¡°vale, you¡¯ve worked hard during this period. your contributions are vital to the territory. ¡°twilight city will never forget your sacrifice.¡± richard took out a crystal from the system space. he handed it to the other party. vale subconsciously took it and said in surprise. ¡°lord, this is?¡± ¡°a reward for you.¡± ¡°the strengthening crystal can upgrade a skill to beyond a-rank.¡± vril¡¯s body trembled. he gripped the crystal tightly before richard could finish his sentence. ¡°this, this is too valuable, lord.¡± richard smiled. ¡°your contribution is more valuable.¡± ¡°make good use of it. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce will have to bear even heavier responsibilities in the future.¡± vale¡¯s eyes reddened as he looked at richard¡¯s solemn gaze. not only did he save her from the desert, but he also gave her unlimited trust. he was a commoner on the verge of death after he fell into trouble. he progressed to a business leader in charge of a chamber of commerce. he could talk to the high nobles on equal terms. this feeling was difficult for outsiders to understand. christy¡¯s eyes lit up. she hugged his arm tightly. ¡°there¡¯s such a treasure? lord richard¡­¡± he revealed the cautious look of a child so eager to see a toy but did not dare to speak to his parents. richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he pried the man¡¯s hand away and pulled it. he tapped his shoulder. another strengthening crystal appeared in his hand with a wave. in the last large-scale instance dungeon, he had obtained a total of three at the final settlement. he gave one to the one-armed blacksmith sam, but he never gave away the two he had. he unhesitatingly handed it to vale. christy looked at richard, then at the strengthening crystal in his hand. his heart trembled. the voice became weaker. ¡°r-really?¡± richard laughed. ¡°you¡¯re a great hero, so i naturally have to reward you. you¡¯re my backer in solan city.¡± christy stared at richard for a long time. there was no falsehood in his eyes, and the smile on his face became genuinely bright. vale shook his head. ¡°i can¡¯t accept it. lord richard, it¡¯s more important to you.¡± he finished speaking and felt his hand wrapped in warmth. then, richard forcefully stuffed a cold and hard piece into his palm. ¡°i¡¯ll give it to you. why are you talking so much nonsense?¡± richard tapped the young man¡¯s face again. he walked briskly into the room afterward. ¡°vale, get the chef to prepare breakfast. we¡¯ve traveled all night and haven¡¯t eaten yet¡­¡± vale looked at richard¡¯s back. christy subconsciously turned to look at vale. he saw the crystal in each other¡¯s hands and felt inexplicably shy. christy took a deep breath to calm herself down. at this moment, she somewhat understood why vale was loyal to richard. that was the first time she had heard of a treasure that could raise a skill beyond a-rank. she didn¡¯t even need to think to know how precious this was. but richard gave it to him just like that. he touched the crystal and felt inexplicably satisfied. he took a deep breath. a sharp glint flashed across his eyes. the young lady¡¯s innocence faded away at this moment. ¡°lord richard, don¡¯t worry. no matter how the empire¡¯s echelons view you, solan city will stand firmly with you. ¡°i, christy solan, the descendant of a legend and the sole heir of solan city, said this. ¡°no war could break me, and no blood like a river could startle me! ¡°solan city would never abandon its friends.¡± they had a comfortable breakfast. richard leaned back on the soft elven chair and listened to vril¡¯s report. christy knew they had something to discuss. she didn¡¯t say much and went to the guest room to catch up on her sleep. she still had to wait for him to make arrangements. that extraordinary female warrior was probably still reporting to grand duke solan. the grand duke solan invited them again. it was time for them to meet. duke solan would attend as the castellan of solan city and the grand duke of the holy church empire. conversely, richard spoke to him as the lord of twilight city and the master of ell. this meeting would determine the relationship between the two parties. and it might even affect the holy church empire and twilight city¡¯s future. unknowingly, richard had already gained the strength that even solan city and the holy church empire had to take seriously. in the previous invitations, grand duke solan had only regarded richard as a lord who had a good relationship with his daughter and had good potential. the relationship between the two sides was different, although it had only been a few months. however, richard didn¡¯t discuss this with vale. he was more concerned about the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s arrangements, the intelligence network. vale was quite serious about this topic. ¡°the construction of the intelligence network has already begun. ¡°i bought several slaves with talent in this area. they have all come in handy after training.¡± ¡°we have more than 300 people under our direct jurisdiction. there are 20 intelligence organizations we have bribed with money. we summarized the information, and we can still obtain a lot of useful information, although the quality of the information provided is not high.¡± richard nodded. ¡°what¡¯s the situation with the prince sent by the holy church empire this time?¡± vale¡¯s expression was a little strange. ¡°that prince¡­it might be more complicated than we thought.¡± ****** Chapter 1023 richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke calmly. ¡°that duke is probably here to shut some people up. for example, grand duke of frostwolf in solan city.¡± ¡°not obeying the orders of the holy church empire, and even offending a member of the royal family. or if something happened to the royal family, the holy church empire could use it as an excuse to attack twilight city.¡± logically speaking, the players had only been in the ¡°shining era¡± for a short year. they could not fight against an empire regardless of their strength. perhaps the only thing the arrogant nobles feared was the death of the greed lord. the god he killed in front of billions of people caused a vast commotion in ell plane. they wouldn¡¯t dare to act until they had ascertained his true power, even if people spied on him. the third prince was cannon fodder that would scout the way and take the blame or even die. at this point, he already had an idea in his heart. however, he still had to see what role the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city would play in this operation. he needed to confirm whether they were friends or foes. vale¡¯s expression turned ugly. twilight city was his home, and the violet merchant association chamber of commerce was the business he had built with his hands. he would not allow anyone to destroy his hard work! ¡°according to the spies, the third prince wouldn¡¯t want to participate in this operation.¡± ¡°he wouldn¡¯t want to participate?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. who would be willing to be treated as cannon fodder? ¡°lord, can we secretly contact the other party?¡± vale¡¯s suggestion gave richard a flash of inspiration, and a bold idea suddenly emerged. an abandoned prince who was not valued did not seem to be worthless. after all, wasn¡¯t he a holy church royal family member? ¡°can our dark group secretly transmit information?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a big problem. everyone cares about this prince, although the prince has guards around him.¡± vale finished speaking. everyone could hear the hurried footsteps from outside the hall. a half-murloc quickly entered the room and reported after he bowed. ¡°lord richard, president vale, a group of distinguished guests have arrived outside the manor. one claimed to be the third prince of the holy church empire.¡± richard immediately perked up. that piqued his interest. he glanced at vale. ¡°it seems that the heavens fated prince with us. ¡°bring him in¡­¡± ¡®bring him in?¡¯ the half-murloc was stunned. the soldier thought richard had lied about his identity, but he had not expected richard to admit it. ¡®wasn¡¯t the prince not allowed to come? why would he welcome him?¡¯ however, he turned around and left without saying anything when he realized none of the two intended to retract the order. however, his back was even straighter than usual. not long after, the half-murloc entered the hall again. at this time, a young man in his early twenties dressed in black leather armor and warrior attire followed behind him. the young man¡¯s pure golden short hair was quite eye-catching. vicissitudes that didn¡¯t match the young man¡¯s age filled his eyes. that was the most meaningful impression on richard. only after countless hardships, crimes, and an exchange of cold and warmth of life could one have such a gaze. richard pondered on the young man¡¯s background and the mission of this trip. there was no need to think about it. the young man was alone and did not have any guards behind. the half-murloc retreated out of the hall. the young man took a deep breath and almost stepped forward. then, under vale¡¯s surprised gaze, he knelt on one knee before richard. ¡°lord richard, the third prince of the holy church empire, luce theresia, salutes you.¡± richard was surprised by the man¡¯s attitude. a prince knelt on one knee before him. what kind of operation was this? he stared at the young man. he spoke slowly. ¡°your majesty luce, with your noble status, there¡¯s no need to bow before me.¡± he asked curiously. ¡°your majesty¡¯s¡¯ surname¡­ not the holy church?¡± to prove their orthodoxy, the royal families of the later holy church empires would always use the word ¡®holy church¡¯ as their surname. luce gritted his teeth and sneered. ¡°holy church, such a filthy surname¡­ you don¡¯t have the right to put it behind my name.¡± ¡°theresia is our mother¡¯s surname.¡± richard did not comment. ¡°your majesty luce, please rise first. i can¡¯t accept the prince¡¯s courtesy. besides, this is the relationship between your majesty and the royal family. i don¡¯t think you need to tell me.¡± to say all this to a stranger, was the other party sincere or intentional? he was so silly that he didn¡¯t even know one buried him. luce took a deep breath. his expression returned to normal. ¡°that¡¯s right, i was rude.¡± he spoke with a complicated tone after he got up. ¡°the holy church¡¯s royal family has already agreed with most of the nobles, and they are preparing to seize the ell plane.¡± ¡°lord richard, you are their target. ¡°this time, they sent me here to use me to provoke you and test your true strength.¡± vale¡¯s expression changed when he heard this. this prince. had their enmity with the holy church empire reached such a level? richard had only come to this conclusion after a few pieces of information. he did not expect the other party to reveal his cards as soon as he opened his mouth. ¡®what was the young man trying to do?¡¯ richard was surprised. ¡°it seems that prince luce came prepared.¡± he didn¡¯t say anything more and followed the second half of the sentence. ¡°test? how?¡± luce also needed clarification about richard¡¯s attitude. he calmed down afterward. he said, ¡°the sun sect has a church in solan city. ¡°the new white-robed archbishop took office three days ago. ¡°that white-robed archbishop is a legend. ¡°the other party can even beg the sun god to send divine punishment.¡± richard¡¯s expression turned serious. he stared straight at the young man¡¯s face and softly spoke. ¡°your majesty luce, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± at this moment, an endless pressure surged from richard¡¯s body. sandstorms covered the hall. the air froze. luce¡¯s heart trembled, but he didn¡¯t retreat. he stepped forward and looked at richard with determination. he said word by word. ¡°i know, lord richard!¡± ¡°i will take responsibility for what i said!¡± ¡°not only do the echelons of the holy church empire wish to control the ell plane, but they have also prepared a great gift for you, wormly soul.¡± ¡°this is a treasure from an evil god. the worms will devour the soul and will become a shell once one has planted it in one soul! ¡°a new soul will rise inside, and that soul will obey the owner of the wormly soul. ¡°you couldn¡¯t escape even if you¡¯re the grace mainland overlord.¡± richard sensed that the prince couldn¡¯t lie. he narrowed his eyes. ¡°have you thought about the consequences of telling me this information?¡± a hint of madness appeared on luce¡¯s face. ¡°consequences? at worst, my soul. what other consequences can there be?¡± ¡°the meaning of my life is revenge. after those filthy bastards slaughtered my father, mother, and sister!!¡± ¡®those bastards killed his father, mother, and sister!?¡¯ richard turned to look at vale in surprise. vale shook his head. that implied he knew nothing about it. the pale-faced luce said in a trembling voice when he noticed their gestures. ¡°i know that you find it hard to trust me, lord richard, and i also know that the filthy blood of the holy church¡¯s royal family flows in my veins¡­ but that¡¯s not important. i¡¯m willing to do anything for you as long as i can kill all those bastards!!¡± richard¡¯s face was still calm. he got used to the opponent¡¯s madness. ¡°as far as i know, your mother died of illness when you were ten. and you don¡¯t have a younger sister. as for your father, isn¡¯t he the king of the holy church empire? when did he die?¡± pain and struggle flashed across luce¡¯s face. he clutched his head and squeezed out a sound through his teeth. ¡°king? that bastard is worthy of being my father? ¡°i was that bastard who forced my mother after getting drunk once¡­ it was an accident. ¡°at that time, my mother was already married.¡± ¡°three years after she gave birth to me, my younger sister followed. ¡°however, the bastards of the holy church royal family relied on the bloodline identification spell¡­ he found me!¡± ¡°they¡­¡± he could not continue at this point. he clenched his five fingers tightly. a woman was married to a commoner. she had the king¡¯s children. to outsiders, that commoner had suffered a massive loss. however, in the eyes of the royal family, this woman had given birth to descendants of the royal family, yet she dared to have a relationship with a lowly civilian and even had children. that simply tarnished the noble royal bloodline! the noble royal family had easily made a move and sent those civilians who had tarnished the royal family to meet the death god. ¡°what makes me curious is, why are you still alive?¡± richard¡¯s tone was unfriendly. luce¡¯s heart turned cold as he slowly lowered his head. ¡°at that time, that bastard didn¡¯t have many descendants, and they all had physical problems¡­ the royal family had a forbidden technique that allowed the bloodline of their descendants to strengthen themselves.¡± good heavens, that was amazing. the holy church royal family¡¯s operation amazed richard. as expected, humans were the race that was the easiest to sway. evil, good, orderly, and chaotic. these factions were all choices one could decide with a single thought. the holy church empire¡¯s royal family could do such a thing. there was a strong sense of irony. ¡°your majesty luce, why are you telling me this information? what do you want?¡± richard¡¯s face grew serious. luce¡¯s eyes were already red as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°because you are the slayer god who killed one of the seven sins of evil. you are the most powerful ruler among the twenty billion grace mainland lords!¡± ¡°because you control an entire plane, and at the same time, you rule the influential grace mainland lords!¡± ¡°it¡¯s also because you¡¯re the enemy of the holy church empire, the prey of those bastards!¡± ¡°the greed of those bastards has already devoured their rationality. they can¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°there are many powerful existences in this world, but the only one who can kill all those bastards and is willing to become enemies with them is you!¡± as he spoke, he knelt and pressed his head against the ground. his tone was crazy and passionate. ¡°lord richard, i¡¯m willing to give up everything i have to serve you!¡± richard looked at the prince in silence for a long time. vale didn¡¯t move at all. strange atmosphere shrouded the air. richard looked at luce after a long time. the young man had not got up yet and heaved a sigh of relief. richard was about to speak when a familiar notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ the legends you left behind in the mortal plane have enormously increased your reputation. your legend rating reached 15 (universal).] [ding~ you have triggered an s-rank quest¨Cprince¡¯s revenge.] [luce theresia, who was born from violence and an accident. he grew up in a peaceful and loving environment.] [however, because of the bloodline in his body, he suffered the cruel treatment of the holy church¡¯s royal family. they killed his father, mother, and sister.] [the human tragedy ignited prince luce¡¯s endless flames of revenge.] [please help prince luce complete his revenge.] [mission objective: kill the king of the holy church empire and eliminate all the sinners involved in this incident.] Chapter 1024 ¡°but i want to hear your plan first.¡± ¡°how do you plan to take revenge?¡± richard half-leaned on the main seat in the hall of the elegant violet manor. he stared at luce theresia, the pitiful third prince of the holy church empire, while he knelt on the ground. he possessed the royal family bloodline, but that didn¡¯t allow him to obtain power, status, and happiness. that also caused the death of his family. the holy church king would also use him as a tonic to strengthen himself. it was a tragedy. luce¡¯s body trembled as he raised his head. excitement filled his red eyes. ¡°lord richard! the royal family of the holy church empire connects with the evil gods of the abyss. i¡¯m currently investigating this matter¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression was playful. ¡°so, you intend to borrow the strength of the good and lawful faction to overthrow the rule of the holy church empire?¡± prince luce immediately felt the mockery in richard¡¯s tone when he heard this. bitterness engulfed his face. ¡°i also know that this isn¡¯t realistic. no one would start a war against a powerful kingdom because of some groundless accusations. but i have no choice!¡± he couldn¡¯t take revenge according to the usual ground with his strength. he could only take the unconventional path. richard looked into the young man¡¯s eyes and spoke after some silence. ¡°luce, are you willing to inherit the throne of the holy church empire and become the ruler of this empire?¡± luce¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at richard in astonishment. ¡°lord, is, is this possible?¡± who was he? he was a lowly bastard that the king gave birth to with a commoner after getting drunk! he became the third prince because the holy church empire had a forbidden technique that allowed him to extract the bloodline of his descendants to strengthen himself. he wanted to be king with his status. it was even less likely than a beggar becoming a king. richard spoke meaningfully. ¡°isn¡¯t the blood of the holy church royal family flowing in your veins as well? ¡°why can¡¯t it be you when all other princes can inherit the throne?¡± his tone became more protruding. ¡°you can take revenge with a wave of your hand when you become the king! ¡°this empire shouldn¡¯t be so dark and evil. you can freely write the ideal country in your heart. ¡°everyone will have to prostrate before you. ¡°your majesty luce¡­¡± richard would have to face empire troops to complete the s-rank mission with external forces. it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. however, what if he opened it from the inside? luce was still a member of the holy church empire, although his status was low in the royal family. he would start a fight between the nine sons. that was an opportunity to use it. those vast troops would not view the fight over the thrones of the princes as mortal enemies. ¡°i will do my best to support you once you have decided. ¡°your majesty luce, the future is in your hands.¡± ¡°i will stay in solan city for three days. i hope to receive your reply within three days. ¡°you don¡¯t have to reply to me now. go back and think about it. ¡°but remember to become a member of twilight city once you choose this path.¡± ¡°go, now!¡± luce sat in the carriage. he leaned against the glass window and looked at the streets and pedestrians while they incessantly retreated. the conversation just now echoed in his mind. ¡°was it possible to become a king? ¡°how could a person like me become a king?¡± that god slayer had pointed out a path that he had never dared to think of. he shook his heart like an earthquake, although the idea was absurd. ¡®phew!¡¯ ¡°your majesty, we¡¯ve arrived¡­¡± the driver¡¯s calm voice came from outside the carriage. the soft words pleasantly surprised luce. he subconsciously turned around. he saw a few figures outside his luxurious residence talking to each other. he took a deep breath, opened the carriage door, and stepped out. the few figures immediately stopped talking. one of them, a middle-aged man in his forties, stepped forward. the other party sized up luce a few times and said disgustingly. ¡°i told you not to run around. which grace mainland lord did you see today?¡± he scolded luce and no longer waited for the young prince¡¯s response. ¡°you went alone. what can you discuss now? remember your real mission. don¡¯t try to convince the other party. wasting your energy on this is wasting my time!¡± ¡°grand duke of frostwolf in solan city is hosting a banquet tonight. you¡¯ll be attending with us. don¡¯t say anything useless. reply to the grand duke only in ways we told you to if he asks you. ¡°hurry up and go back and change your clothes. we can¡¯t waste here with you. the luxuriously dressed middle-aged man laughed loudly and turned around to chat with the others. the others did not move from the beginning to the end. luce got used to this kind of regard. but he felt an unprecedented humiliation this time. he clenched his fists. the seductive words of the corpse appeared in his mind again. ¡®luce, are you willing to inherit the throne of the holy church empire and become the ruler of this empire?¡¯ ¡®i¡­ ¡®i am willing! ¡®my fury will devour everything!!¡¯ ****** vale waited for luce¡¯s back to disappear for a long time before he looked at richard hesitantly. ¡°my lord, are we going to interfere in the battle for the throne of the holy church empire?¡± ¡°he has the intentions, although the king is old. he¡¯s not at the point where he can¡¯t move. now that he¡¯s interfering, although one hasn¡¯t appointed a crown prince yet.¡± he didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. Chapter 1025 ¡°the next step in our free time might have an unexpected effect, although we don¡¯t have many chess pieces in our hands.¡± that was a semi-divine artifact. one would have to work hard to overcome even the most arduous treasure as a reward. however, one has to plan this matter carefully. it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens to give the throne to a destitute prince with no foundation. however, it was precise because of the difficulty that the final rewards would be sweet. ¡°i think i¡¯ll have to discuss another topic when i meet the grand duke of frostworlf in solan city this time¡­¡± richard finished speaking. they heard footsteps outside the door. ¡°lord richard, president vale, the city lord¡¯s mansion received an invitation to you to attend a banquet tonight.¡± the half-murloc handed over the golden invitation. richard put it aside. he didn¡¯t even glance at it. ¡°vale, come with me tonight.¡± ¡°i have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.¡± a legendary ascetic monk, the ruler of solan city, the archbishop of the holy church empire¨Cany of these titles would have an enormous deterrence. one could call someone a ruler when one gathered all these names on one person. he should be a ruler who could control the fate of tens of millions of people. their wealth, strength, and status should be best among the mortal plane. one couldn¡¯t even step into the banquet¡¯s door a year ago. not to mention being invited to it. at this moment, twilight city already had the qualifications to be on equal footing with solan city. his previous efforts had finally paid off. multicolored clouds filled the sky as the sky gradually darkened. violet manor¡¯s fleet slowly drove towards the city center. christy sat next to richard. she held his arm tightly. she tilted her head and asked with interest. ¡°lord richard, did prince luce say anything? for example, the audacious richard, why didn¡¯t he offer the ell plane to the holy church empire? or perhaps the holy church empire will confer you the title of marquis, and you will hand over the ell plane to the royal family to manage¡­¡± at this moment, she still tightly gripped the strengthening crystal that richard had given her in her hand, unwilling to let go. richard laughed. ¡°you¡¯re overthinking. i¡¯ll talk to your father about luce in detail.¡± he spoke meaningfully. ¡°it won¡¯t be long before that prince becomes the most distinguished guest in solan city.¡± christy didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°even a beggar knows about the third prince¡¯s background. how could he be qualified to represent the holy church royal family if he wouldn¡¯t want to seize the ell plane? ¡°what¡¯s so noble about it?¡± richard pinched her delicate face and didn¡¯t explain. this matter depended on the attitude of the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. he would arrange for luce to ascend the throne. he would gain something if he played a few more moves. troops stood before the city lord¡¯s mansion. troops heavily guarded the surroundings. no pedestrians dared to approach this martial law area. the street residents only dared to stand outside the cordon and carefully observe. the area under martial law today was wide. it seemed that something big was about to happen. many nosy residents and players even initiated to stop. they wanted to see what would happen. a luxurious carriage slowly drove over and entered the center of the heavily guarded area not long after. everyone froze wide-eyed. shock and disbelief shrouded their faces. the carriage stopped, and a tall, sturdy figure in a plain robe with an aura as heavy as a mountain opened the door. ¡°grand duke of frostwolf in solan city?!¡± a resident exclaimed. that caused the crowd to go into an uproar. in solan city, there was someone who could make grand duke frostwolf in solan open the carriage door!! the legendary figure pulled the door open. this scene shocked everyone. that was a legend! who could enjoy such treatment?! countless people had questions in their minds. the words of the grand duke did not shock richard. he alighted from the carriage. his expression remained calm. christy had already let go of his arm. she introduced herself shyly. ¡°lord richard, this is my father¡­ ¡°father, this is lord richard, whom i have always obeyed.¡± the two looked at each other. a tacit smile followed afterward. ****** Chapter 1026 richard felt the charm of a high noble the moment he stepped into the manor with hundreds of savings. they were the statues everybody could see. or the colorful murals on the outer walls of the building, whether it was the flowers blooming in the corner of the wall. it was refreshing. every arrangement was perfect. one usually would not look at how valuable the antiques displayed by the other party. or how gorgeous the other party¡¯s clothes were to observe a noble¡¯s background. one only needed to look at the various details to get a general idea. the spacious front yard did not have many precious things, but it gave off a noble and elegant feeling. grand duke of frostwolf in solan city was not as aloof and calm as the ascetics richard had imagined. instead, he was talkative and continued to discuss the front yard decorations. one dug them from the peak of the snowy mountain, and one picked them up from the depths of the sea. each had a remarkable origin. richard answered softly. he saw christy from the corner of his eye. she followed the two with her curved eyes. he found it funny. he finally knew where this little girl¡¯s mouth came from. the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city was as talkative as christy. it didn¡¯t fit the character of a legendary ascetic. they toured around the spacious front yard. that was enough to rebuild a manor for a long time. the grand duke¡¯s talkative nature gradually subsided, and he led them to an ancient living room. richard and the grand duke sat before the pure white round table. the maid served tea. the grand duke sized up dark valkyrie while she silently protected richard. ¡°lord richard, this subordinate of yours isn¡¯t ordinary. ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be long before you gain a legend.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. dark valkyrie was in the process of transformation when he met her. it had been nearly two months. level 23 loreinna slowly could not defend against dark valkyrie¡¯s blade. richard couldn¡¯t determine her exact level. ¡°fay obtained a special item in ell. that reinforced her body following the fusion.¡± grand duke of frostworlf in solan city nodded thoughtfully. ¡°an alternate plane¡­¡± emotion filled his tone. ¡°the gods of the old days have returned, the alternate planes have connected to the mortal plane, and the sects have changed¡­ i can¡¯t see the future anymore.¡± ¡°lord richard, what do you think of the current situation?¡± was he going to get to the main topic? richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke slowly. ¡°chaos is the eve of order. ¡°a new world is coming.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city¡¯s blue eyes focused. he stared at him and said word by word. ¡°lord richard, you do know something.¡± he continued and did not wait for richard to speak. ¡°do you have any plans for the future development of ell?¡± the air suddenly froze, although his tone was still calm. christy also stopped smiling and looked at the two seriously. richard slowly picked up his hot teacup and sipped. he waited for the teacup to settle before he spoke. ¡°all dimension. it can only be the ell plane twilight city.¡± ¡°but mountain range city welcomes everyone.¡± then, he looked at christy. ¡°i¡¯ve already reserved half a street in mountain range city for her highness christy. the solan merchant group can move in at any time¡­¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city narrowed his eyes and tapped his right hand on the table. ¡°i thank you on behalf of christy.¡± ¡°are there forces aside from the grace mainland overlord that could enter ell plane other than solan city?¡± richard¡¯s tone was still light. ¡°your excellency, i¡¯ve mentioned that the mountain range city welcomes everyone.¡± ¡°whether it¡¯s grace mainland overlord or anyone else.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city had a complicated look in his eyes when he said this. ¡°when i was young, i was far less courageous than you.¡± he let out a long sigh. his tone became serious. ¡°have you made your decision? ¡°the pressure you have to face isn¡¯t just a little bit if you want to become the [trading market] of the world. ¡°several ambitious nobles, chambers of commerce, and sects will become your potential enemies. ¡°they will jump out and bite you like a beast in the shadows once you reveal your weakness. ¡°the holy church empire is just an appetizer. ¡°are you ready?¡± richard looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes. his gaze unwavered. ¡°your highness should know the path i would take when one has established the ell players association. ¡°grace mainland overlord isn¡¯t weak. ¡°they¡­ it¡¯s the future.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city remained silent. richard continued. ¡°but the shops belonging to her highness christy will remain unchanged. i promise you that no matter what happens to ell. ¡°twilight city will always be a friend of solan city. ¡°a new world is about to arrive, and greater chaos is about to occur. both need greater power and friends, whether twilight or solan city. ¡°grand duke. no one can be sure of the future. all we can do is seize every opportunity. and become stronger! ¡°no one can touch ell.¡± the grand duke looked at the unshakable determination. and a hint of admiration appeared on his solemn face. ¡°i respect you, although i have a different opinion. ¡°your excellency, the god slayer.¡± strength was the only pass. only a battle record that could make a legend open the carriage door could make him submit. the death of the famous member of the seven sins of the evil god, the greed lord, shocked everyone. the grand duke was no exception. richard smiled. ¡°i hope that in the future, twilight and solan city can help each other and tide over difficulties.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city laughed and nodded. ¡°alright, let¡¯s help each other and tide over the difficulties!¡± the god slayer, the ruler of ell, the leader of the ell players association, and the ruler of twilight city had the right to speak to a legend like him. the extraordinary that stood behind him would soon break through to legendary. he has the right to talk to him peacefully whether one disregarded these honors and titles. the grand duke thought of something and spoke softly after an agreement on the general direction. ¡°lord richard, did you destroy an abyssal gate at the edge of the desert of death?¡± ¡°i can sense a strong aura of corruption and even the smell of authority.¡± ¡°the decay king! if i¡¯m not mistaken, it should be the master of the 333rd level of the bottomless abyss.¡± ¡°such a terrifying evil god must have a vast plan. luckily, you found it in time and dealt with it.¡± ¡°i want to thank you, lord¡­¡± richard whispered. ¡°there¡¯s no need. i¡¯ve also obtained quite a lot of benefits inside.¡± the grand duke asked curiously. ¡°even the king of decay used his authority. how did you manage to clean up the mess?¡± that was also what he yearned for the most! authority! that was the fundamental power of the gods. these were the rules of the world. a legend like him would even dream of touching the authority. that was the only way for him to advance to a higher level. richard said lightly. ¡°i got that wisp of power. that space slit naturally collapsed.¡± ¡°the king of decay doesn¡¯t have the power to tear apart the laws of the mortal plane.¡± the grand duke¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. shock and disbelief engulfed his face. ¡°you, you mean¡­ the authority of the king of decay, you obtained it?!¡± it was like a firecracker had blown up the peak of mount jumurama during the new year. ¡°how was this possible?¡± how could one just snatch the authority of a god away?! moreover, the king of decay was still alive and well!! richard chuckled. ¡°it¡¯s just a wisp. the true authority is still in the hands of the king of decay.¡± the grand duke heaved a sigh of relief. it was just a wisp. no wonder! what? a wisp of it was also authority!! what kind of fantasy was it to snatch the authority of a god from the hands of another?! countless questions arose in his heart. words appeared in his mind. however, as he was about to say it, he suddenly thought of the other party¡¯s battle achievements. god slayer. he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. the other party had even killed a god, so to snatch a wisp of authority didn¡¯t seem that overboard. a bitter smile appeared on his face. ¡°this guy! what a pervert!¡± how long had the grace mainland overlord been in the mortal plane? in just over a year, he had already slaughtered a god! wouldn¡¯t he be going to heaven if he gave him a period to grow? then, he remembered that he had already reached an agreement with the other party, and his daughter was also very close to the other party. he felt a little happy in his heart. fortunately, such a pervert was on the same side as him. there was a hint of heat in his eyes. ¡°lord richard, i have a presumptuous request. let me observe that wisp of authority!¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, i swear on my soul that i won¡¯t have any intentions of spying on you¡­¡± the temptation of taking another step forward was almost irresistible for a legend about to reach extreme evil in the mortal plane. now, an extremely precious and even impossible opportunity was right before him. how could he miss it? richard smiled. ¡°of course. the grand duke is her highness christy¡¯s father. this request isn¡¯t a problem for her highness even without an agreement.¡± ¡°however, my subordinate currently devours the body of the greed lord. he hasn¡¯t woke up yet. i can only let the grand duke observe him after the transformation.¡± christy¡¯s lips curled up as she looked at her father proudly. her eyes blinked as if she was saying, ¡®see, i have good taste!¡¯ the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city took a deep breath, his eyes full of amazement. the body of a god. he had experienced many storms in his life as a legend. it would not cause him much psychological fluctuation, even if one placed a divine artifact before him. but he felt he didn¡¯t have anything to offer after a discussion with richard for a while, one moment, the other was an authority, and the next moment, it was a god¡¯s body. who the hell was he going to reason with? Chapter 1027 on one side was the cold and warm moon, and on the other was the crimson moon. most of the residents had long gotten used to the existence of the crimson moon. they have adapted for a few months. the two moons hovered in the air and were no longer something people feared. vale still pondered in the carriage over richard¡¯s conversation with the grand duke of solan. he had witnessed how richard slowly convinced the legendary figure with great prestige at the edge of the desert of death and finally stood firmly on the side of twilight city. the conversation between the two had even reached the height of a change in the situation of the mortal plane. it took a long time for him to recover from his chaotic thoughts. he turned around and looked at the handsome side profile of the man who looked at the brightly lit street through the glass window. ¡°lord, i really can¡¯t get enough of it¡­¡± he took a deep breath and spoke slowly. ¡°lord, why would the grand duke of frostwolf be willing to offend the echelons of the holy church empire and support the third prince instead?¡± ¡°the third prince is still far from the throne even with grand duke¡¯s support. placing a chess piece on a prince with no hope is a little¡­¡± he thought for a moment but couldn¡¯t think of any adjectives. the third prince was famous even in solan city. the city that was thousands of miles away. of course, most were negative. after all, the king did not spare a prince born from a commoner. it would always be a topic of discussion. one could only imagine a situation the other party would be in in the capital city of the holy church empire, whether solan city was in a state. it wasn¡¯t that vale didn¡¯t trust richard¡¯s judgment. this card was just lousy, and there was no chance of turning the tables. richard smiled. ¡°who knows what the future holds? one cannot settle the matter. ¡°as for the grand duke¡¯s, this was just a bet that was neither too big nor too small for him in the next round, although it was mainly due to my request. the truth is? ¡°for ordinary people, it¡¯s fatal to stand on the wrong side in the fight for the crown prince. but who is the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city? so what if the third prince had not become king? ¡°could it be that the new king will send troops to crusade against the grand duke? fight a legendary ascetic? strength was the only pass. the king would have to consider it seriously if the grand duke was stronger and broke through to become a demigod, even if he wanted the current king to step down. vale nodded thoughtfully. he followed his train of thought. ¡°in this way, we can publicize the high regard the grand duke places on the third prince on his return. ¡°it can even guide public opinion and let everyone know that the third prince is a top-notch genius. he used his charm to convince the legendary ascetic, the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. ¡°some princes spread rumors about his previous reputation to confuse the public and prevent him from fighting for the throne. ¡°even if not many people believe it, one can still change some people¡¯s perception even if only a few people believe it. ¡°this way, it¡¯ll be easier for me to do anything in the future¡­¡± richard smiled and tapped his shoulder. he softly said while the man¡¯s face was slightly red. ¡°you¡¯ve learned a lot during this period. why don¡¯t i leave the third prince¡¯s matter to you? ¡°a prince to hold the throne feels more accomplished than running a business meeting.¡± eagerness filled vale¡¯s eyes. she smiled bitterly in the end. ¡°lord, you think too highly of me.¡± now, only the grand duke of frostwolf supported him. the third prince was still far from ascending to the throne. richard smiled and didn¡¯t dwell on the subject. this move still needed time to ferment. results could be within three to five months or even a year. however, this was how chess was. the seemingly useless move now could become the deciding move at the end of the game. he still had time to play. he regained his senses. he looked at dark valkyrie. this boss had yet to complete her transformation. the grand duke of frostwolf had just verified this. soon, she would break through to legendary. he was satisfied no matter how he looked at it. twilight city once had a legend. it meant that they had stepped into a new height. the deception god, the dwarf god, and even windsor, the crimson moon lord, were all trump cards, although he had a lot of powerful forces in his hands. however, these were all external forces one could not use at any time. a transcendent who belonged to twilight city was equivalent to possessing conventional nuclear weapons and could use them however richard wanted. he didn¡¯t need to look at anyone¡¯s face. he would be even more confident facing a legend like the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. ¡°fay, how do you feel after seeing the grand duke of frostwolf today?¡± a pair of deep eyes revealed a hint of fighting spirit under the golden mask of twilight city. ¡°very strong. so strong that i feel a sharp knife press the danger of my soul. ¡°i couldn¡¯t defeat him now if he makes a move. richard heard fay say weak words for the first time. he smiled and comforted her. ¡°you haven¡¯t reached a glorious-level. it would be strange if you could win against a level 29 ascetic.¡± level 29 was the grand duke¡¯s level. he was only one step away from becoming a level 30 demigod. that was what he found out when he found time. the attributes were all question marks. the other party¡¯s strength had already surpassed him by far too much. ¡°level 29?¡± dark valkyrie muttered a few times. the fighting spirit in her eyes rose again. Chapter 1028 when had this boss from the death arena ever been weaker than anyone else? ****** the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest in the city lord¡¯s mansion. he received the servant¡¯s report that the violet merchant association chamber of commerces¡¯s carriage had left. christy looked at the empty archway with a silly smile on her face. she pondered about something interesting. a seventy-year-old butler was in the room other than the two figures. white hair shrouded his head. he dressed meticulously. a long silence had passed. the seventy-year-old butler said slowly, ¡°grand duke, aren¡¯t we agreeing too quickly?¡± the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city closed his eyes. he replied softly but did not open them. ¡°what should we do? what is your opinion? ¡°we could negotiate more conditions. we could obtain a portion of the management rights of ell plane. lord richard will make a concession. ¡°he needs allies and the support of solan city.¡± these words prompted the grand duke to open his eyes. he looked at the seventy-year-old butler who had watched him grow up with a complicated expression. ¡°no, butler yarrow, you¡¯re wrong. it¡¯s not that lord richard needs solan city. we¡­ we need lord richard as an ally!¡± these words stunned the seventy-year-old butler. ¡°grand duke, why does solan city need a grace mainland overlord? ¡°we could still do it even if the other party has a plane and gathered several grace mainland lords. ¡°but that¡¯s still a rootless duckweed that hasn¡¯t experienced the threat of the outside world¡­¡± the grand duke of frostwolf¡¯s gaze became more subtle. ¡°because grace mainland overlord is the future. ¡°he is the key to open the door to a new world. ¡°richard, he might be holding this key right now¡­¡± his expression became solemn as he spoke. ¡°the holy church empire should change following the third prince¡¯s visit to lord richard. bring him to see me. ¡°a new king might bring about a different atmosphere. ¡°christy, you can go to the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and talk to lord richard.¡± christy¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. joy overwhelmed her heart. ¡°father?¡± the grand duke of frostwolf looked at his beloved with some reluctance. ¡°mhm¡­ in june, i will open the forbidden area of the clan. you won¡¯t have the chance to go out in the next six months.¡± ¡°the situation is getting more and more unclear. i can¡¯t guarantee that solan city will be safe and sound in this chaos. ¡°christy, the thing your mother left for you¡­ i¡¯ll leave it to you. ¡°strength is the only pass. solan city needs an heir with enough strength to lead it.¡± ****** early morning of april 9th. richard had breakfast and softly asked vale afterward. he had thought of something. ¡°has chairman windsor been in solan city recently?¡± he had dealt with the grand duke of frostwolf the other day. he couldn¡¯t go to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the system hadn¡¯t settled the rewards for the s-rank mission he completed last time. during this period, the crimson moon did not make any big moves. it was a little too quiet. he also wanted to know what the main character of the new expansion had planned for the next step. it would be easier for him to adjust the development plan of twilight city. ¡°chairman windsor told me that you must pass on the information to her as soon as possible on her return. ¡°yesterday, i informed the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°they responded that president windsor would be back this morning.¡± that was a simple problem with the relationship between the two chambers of commerce. richard nodded. ¡°prepare the carriage to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce.¡± ******* Chapter 1029 her eyes moved slightly. she looked at dark valkyrie behind him. ¡°what a unique power¡­ ¡°you are only one step away from becoming a legend. ¡°there¡¯s no need to rush to break through. carefully comprehend the power you have now. when you feel that it¡¯s enough, you can break through. ¡°legend is another domain. the more solid the foundation, the greater the benefits one will receive after reinforcement.¡± she waved her hand as she spoke. a fist-sized red crystal appeared in her hand. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to accept the power of the great ancient ones, you can absorb the energy sealed inside after you break through to transcendent¡­¡± dark valkyrie looked at the elegant figure before her with a solemn gaze. she sensed a danger ten thousand times stronger than the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city¡¯s lady before her. she would not have the slightest confidence in winning if the grand duke of frostwolf attacked with all his might, but the lady before her was like a god walking in the mortal world. just a glance was enough to make her soul tremble uncontrollably. that was not a mortal at all. compared to him, the legendary ascetic grand duke of frostwolf was like a grain of rice compared to the bright moon. dark valkyrie did not answer but turned to richard. richard opened the attribute panel and glanced. the stone of the ancient ones [level: special] [description: one has sealed the surging power of the ancient ones inside.] richard¡¯s thoughts spun. he slowly nodded. ¡°thank you, chairman windsor, for your gift.¡± dark valkyrie nodded slowly. she cupped her hands on her chest and took the red stone. she felt a surge of power as powerful as the sun when she held it. an ancient aura accompanied it. it could wipe dozens of streets around it. windsor¡¯s expression softened. the gift was a signal that richard had accepted it. that meant that he could get involved with the ancient ones. she did not know that something must have drenched the god¡¯s ancient tree in blood on the day of the crimson moon. it had absorbed a lot of the power of the ancient ones and obtained benefits. moreover, this thing was a gift. it would be a waste not to take it. windsor¡¯s mood improved a little. she did not stay any longer. she led the few of them into the main building of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. she took the alchemy elevator to the office on the top floor. windsor sat elegantly on the sofa by the window. the sofa with a white wool cushion immediately caved in under the pressure of her perky buttocks. her tight-fitting red dress became even tighter when she straightened her back. her shockingly voluptuous figure perfectly revealed her feminine charm. richard sat across from windsor and stared at her. a short white round table separated them. vale sat down on richard¡¯s left side. he had been reckless while dark valkyrie stood behind him like a statue. windsor saw the admiration in richard¡¯s eyes. she felt a little uncomfortable. she leaned back on the sofa and covered part of her body before what she felt disappeared. she stared at the handsome young man and said with a smile that was not a smile. ¡°recently, lord richard¡¯s various operations are very admirable. he consolidated the ell plane, taking in the grace mainland lords and establishing a [trading market]. every single one of them was so eye-catching. ¡°right now, the reputation of the god slayer qingqiu has probably spread throughout the entire mortal plane.¡± god slayer! richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when windsor said this. outsiders did not know that he was the one who killed the greed lord. but how could windsor not know? she was the chairperson of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce in name. the crimson moon lord in secret, and the main character of the new expansion pack who had taken action! ¡°i¡¯m just borrowing the glory of chairman windsor. ¡°the ell players association isn¡¯t borrowing my power¡­¡± windsor¡¯s eyes narrowed, and her tone became serious. ¡°lord richard, what are your plans for ell? ¡°you should know that as the [trading market] of the grace mainland lords, ell will have a vast impact!¡± richard¡¯s deep gaze met the woman¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°chairman windsor, i should be asking you.¡± that startled windsor. ¡°ask me?¡± he spoke playfully. ¡°i do not rule the ell plane.¡± richard spoke slowly. ¡°i¡¯ve told you the planar power favors the grace mainland lords. ¡°in the battle between the ancient and modern gods, the planar power will side with the grace mainland lords.¡± as he spoke, his gaze did not move anymore. he stared at the perfect face in front of him. ¡°the ell players association has gathered the top guilds among the grace mainland lords.¡± ¡°we can influence the grace mainland lord with their power.¡± windsor subconsciously sat up straight and stared blankly at the charm-filled young man. he attracted the attention of the entire mortal plane. thousands of waves calmed her heart. her heart thumped faster as she spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°you mean¡­¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°i didn¡¯t think much about integrating grace mainland lords. i would have done it long ago if i wanted to. but then i met chairman windsor. i think it¡¯s time to make a change.¡± ¡°this power¡­ my gift to you, chairman windsor.¡± vale felt a chill down his spine. he turned to look at richard¡¯s side profile and fell into an inexplicable state. it stirred up the winds and clouds of the world and made countless people look askance at it. just one. a present? then, he looked at the red figure with envy and amazement. lord richard, this is shocking! windsor¡¯s mind buzzed at this moment. her thoughts were somewhat sluggish. the other party had done so much. had richard done it for windsor? she wouldn¡¯t even look at any empty ambition, but richard had done it. it had made the ell players association and the [trading market] the focus of the entire world. the other party stood up and told her such circumstances did not interest her. he had done so much just to give her a gift. who could withstand this? strange emotions filled the air. windsor felt that one had shattered her usual calmness and indifference. this handsome figure was in front of her alone, and her mind incessantly repeated what she had just said. she opened her mouth and wanted to say something. but she realized that all words seemed to be useless at this moment. the other party¡¯s gift far exceeded her expectations. it was too precious. richard gave the woman some time to recover and continued. ¡°the ell players association will fully cooperate with you, chairman windsor. ¡°these guilds will stand firmly in the old camp. ¡°fight together with you and me. ¡°however, all the grace mainland lords needed to experience the benefits of joining the old camp to reach this level, chairman windsor. ¡°this is something i can¡¯t do. i need you to solve it.¡± he paused for a moment before he continued. ¡°chairman windsor, after the crimson moon rose, the stones of the ancient ones have been silent for too long. ¡°we should arrange the next step of the operation after such a long time of preparation. ¡°how do you need me to cooperate?¡± he needed to know what the crimson moon would do next so that he could adjust the direction of the development of twilight city. no one was willing to go the opposite way from the main character of the new expansion pack, a top-tier boss who could kill gods like a killer. but cooperation was also a genuine cooperation. he and windsor were already on the same boat when he relied on the ancient god statue. moreover, he would not hesitate to bet on windsor with their relationship, even if he had to choose a side again. the gods knew who he was. windsor was his uttermost trump card. fortunately, he had already established a close relationship with the other party before one revealed this trump card. windsor took a deep breath and suppressed rising and falling emotions in her heart. she forced herself to focus on serious matters. she spoke seriously. ¡°the planes that hide the power of the stones of the ancient ones are all connected to the mortal plane. ¡°the rules of the mortal plane activate the power of the stones of the ancient ones that once made the world work. ¡°when all the powers of the stones of the ancient ones return to the mortal plane, it will be the time for us to take action. ¡°it won¡¯t be too late. we¡¯ll know in three months at most.¡± there was an unprecedented heat in her eyes as she spoke, and the rest of her words made richard¡¯s scalp tingle and his entire body tremble. ¡°at that time, something will strip the power of the gods! ¡°they will all clear the rules they control, the authority the gods wield, and the divine titles they possess!¡± ¡°the world rules will return to the beginning of the ¡°shining era.¡± ¡°this day will be twilight city of the gods. and the last time before the new era begins!¡± ¡°those gods who disappeared will fall back to the mortal plane. ¡°until someone regained his authority and became a god again¡­ at that time, it would be a ¡°shining era.¡± richard stared blankly at windsor. it was like he was on a pilgrimage. the emotions in his heart surged like waves. the crimson moon had been quiet for several months. but it would not stop just like that. however, he did not expect windsor to play so big this time!! the laws of the mortal plane activated the power of the stones of the ancient ones. that would cause something to strip the gods of their authority and fall to the mortal world! the twilight city of the gods. that was the last light of the ¡°shining era.¡± richard took a few deep breaths. he couldn¡¯t suppress the horror in his heart. this news was so explosive that he found it hard to accept. then, the mortal plane might fall into the flames of war if everything were true. the gods were not just the gods of the good and lawful faction, the evil gods of the bottomless abyss, the death lord of the death plane, and the devil lord of 90% of hell. they were all gods who wielded authority! these terrifying existences would also return to the mortal plane. Chapter 1030 could he lead everyone in a desperate situation if the leader of a faction was mentally unstable and met with real difficulties? no matter how powerful he was now, it was just seasonal seafood. the mentality was the cornerstone of becoming a powerhouse. ¡°lord richard, i see is a fragment in the endless mist. it might happen if nothing changes and things develop in this direction. ¡°but it will only be a warning if we set up the plan. ¡°the new era is the same. we could achieve our goals if we slack off and even give up on our goals just because we see the future full of possibilities. ¡°then the result might be that one would shatter hope and extinguish the flame.¡± windsor had a noble temperament and had a deep and calm look in her eyes that outsiders could not understand. ¡°lord richard, before the new era, the mortal plane will be in unprecedented chaos and darkness. ¡°those gods one had stripped their authority will transform into the most brutal beasts and devour everything. ¡°the forces hiding in the dark for countless years will also be restless. ¡°even the bottomless abyss will be connected to the mortal plane.¡± he stared at richard, and his tone became unusually solemn. ¡°the system will reorganize all the rules after the chaos. and i will lose half of the power i control. i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be able to help you anymore. ¡°but i hope you can lead your territory and survive until the day the new era begins, no matter what happens in the future.¡± the air fell silent again. richard¡¯s expression was complicated. he was silent for long. dark valkyrie and vale¡¯s expressions softened. fortunately, that so-called future fragment had not become an unchangeable fact. otherwise, they could not imagine what would happen if that happened. they probably did not need to live in this world anymore. the sky would fall if anything happened to richard. he would shatter again the confidence that dark valkyrie had gained from her rapid increase in strength. a strong sense of urgency rose in her heart. she needed to become stronger, stronger! she was so powerful that no one could hurt her master under her protection!! she would never allow the future fragment windsor mentioned to happen. never! the desire for power again engulfed her eyes. she wanted to break through to legend or even demigod as soon as possible. then demigods would be the most powerful existences in the mortal plane if the gods lost their authority. she could only protect her master by mastering the soul-strapping power. vale¡¯s heart was also in turmoil. some of the plans he had previously conceived were risky, and some quickly surfaced in his mind. he suddenly made up his mind. high risk meant high returns. time didn¡¯t allow the violet merchant association chamber of commerce to continue developing like this. he needed the violet merchant association chamber of commerce to expand in the shortest time possible to provide more support to twilight city. richard looked at windsor. she was silent. she let out a long sigh. all the gods had lost their authority, and windsor naturally could not be an exception. otherwise, there would be no need to start a new era. wouldn¡¯t it be better for the other party to eliminate all the unstable factors? richard pondered. he slowly said, ¡°will the ell players association be less useful to us if the big change is coming soon?¡± one had stripped the gods¡¯s authority. the conflict between the old camp and the other party became less vital. windsor shook her head. ¡°no, it¡¯s the opposite. the more unstable it is, the more obvious the effect of the grace mainland lords will be.¡± ¡°the ell players association will be the last straw to crush the gods.¡± ¡°the devouring of the gods will also be the key to a new era.¡± she spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°lord richard, last month, the crimson moon established a branch in a special plane.¡± ¡°next, you can tell the coordinates of that plane to the ell players association and let them go¡­¡± ¡°all the grace mainland lords here will receive rewards one can¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°the only condition is to become a member of the ancient ones.¡± richard nodded and did not object. at this stage, most players were still neutral or on the side of the sect. however, it was not a big deal for the players with milk switch camps. they would even sell themselves as long as the benefits were enough. crimson moon was the main character of the new expansion pack. those guys had probably waited for this day for a long time. who didn¡¯t want to reap benefits more often? richard discussed the general direction. he discussed many details with windsor. the crimson moon¡¯s next move, the other party¡¯s plans after the situation changed, and so on. richard and crimson finally stopped after three hours when the dwarf clock on the wall reached 12. the mortal plane was about to enter unprecedented chaos. there were too many things to prepare. windsor summoned the maid and asked her to prepare lunch. the entire floor where her office was a private area. there was no one else. the office was not the only private area. the dining room, living room, bedroom, and bathroom were secluded. the group returned to the office after lunch in the dining room. the maid made hot tea again. richard sat comfortably on the soft sofa and slowly savored the food. Chapter 1031 richard looked at the bustling city through the transparent floor-to-ceiling glass window. he thought about some of the details of the discussion just now. he did not say anything. the air fell silent for a moment. windsor seemed to have thought of something, and her gentle voice broke the silence after a long time. ¡°lord richard, i haven¡¯t given you the gift i prepared for you.¡± richard immediately perked up and turned to look at windsor with interest. last time, he had blocked the pursuit of the knight god and completed the s-rank mission. the other party had just given dark valkyrie a stone of the ancient one. that was not enough. what kind of gift could this top-tier boss give him? he filled his heart with expectation. she was the primary character of the new expansion pack and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce chairman. she was a well-deserved rich woman. windsor did not hesitate. she slowly stood up and extended his fair right hand under richard¡¯s gaze. a terrifying pressure surged out of her body. it was as if tens of thousands of mountains had collapsed and thousands of rivers flowed. the surrounding air suddenly froze. the world turned dark in a trance. and one must have erased the light that shone through the glass window. richard saw the crimson moon in the shadows quietly rise and float behind windsor. one must have paused everything when the crimson moon appeared. it became silent. windsor was the only person in his line of sight. she had become the only one in the world. richard subconsciously sat up straight and stared at her. he filled his heart with anticipation. windsor opened her right hand slowly. her palm faced up. boundless energy surged into her palm in the next moment. a wisp of yellow sand quietly appeared after a few breaths. tiny grains of sand rapidly flew. they piled up into a mini hill in an instant. richard couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the dune. an intense desire rose in his heart. excitement, agitation, and countless emotions engulfed his heart. the power of yellow sand spun subconsciously and flowed out of his body like water. it moved towards the mini hill in windsor¡¯s palm with clear ripples. windsor¡¯s gentle voice sounded. ¡°lord, this is part of the desert authority. ¡°i slayed three gods of the desert god system and took them away. ¡°the desert god is hiding outside the endless void. i didn¡¯t find any traces of him. ¡°however, this portion of authority is just right for you. ¡°too much might not be enough.¡± ¡®sand, desert authority? ¡®she slayed three gods of the desert god system and took them away?!¡¯ richard looked up at windsor¡¯s smiling eyes. his heart skipped a beat. that was not something that she had obtained in a short period. windsor also paid a price for him while richard quietly set up a plan for her. he took a deep breath. he forcefully calmed down the emotions that churned in his heart. the desert authority formed the overflowing power of the yellow sand and slowly wrapped around the mini dune. Chapter 1032 the incomparable comfort was like an extreme climax. that almost made him moan. every cell in his body cheered. the power of yellow sand in his body surged at a rapid rate. the mini dune gradually turned back into sand. that drew the power of the yellow sand into richard¡¯s body. richard slowly closed his eyes. he sensed everything. a scene suddenly appeared in his mind during his confusion. the yellow sand that filled the sky lay flat under the scorching sun. the endless desert connected to the end of the horizon. the sun and moon moved. that destroyed the stars. a desert was still a desert. the wind howled, and the rain poured. the desert was as usual. the passage of time and the changes of all things could not leave a trace on the desert. the desert seemed to have become eternal. richard carefully perceived all of this. he had a deeper perception of the desert. ¡°i am the desert, and i will be eternal.¡± the wind and frost could not leave a trace, and time could not carve scars. he didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. it might have been a minute or half a century. the eternal flow of the desert slowly faded away under the erosion of time. [ding~ you have successfully obtained the yellow sand authority (15%). you have acquired a unique skill¨Cyellow sand body.] [yellow sand body (special) ¡ª the yellow sand can transfer the damage to the nearby yellow sand after activation during the attack for 3 hours. cooldown: 6 hours.] [ding~ your level has increased. current level: 18.] [ding~ the yellow sand authority possesses an exceptionally generous power. you could not control it. the yellow sand authority has already fallen into a deep slumber. you can reactivate it after you break through to transcendence.] a series of system notifications woke richard up. he turned around and looked at his surroundings. the air had long returned to normal. windsor had already sat back on the sofa and sipped hot tea. the rising crimson moon had already disappeared without a trace. richard let out a long sigh. he returned to sit down. windsor looked at richard. her breathing had stabilized, and the admiration in her eyes intensified. ¡°you¡¯ve mastered it in just three hours, although it¡¯s only a portion of the desert¡¯s authority. lord richard, you¡¯re quite a surprise.¡± richard shook his head. ¡°the power of authority is too great. i only obtained a tiny portion of it.¡± ¡°perhaps i¡¯ll have to reach the transcendent level before i can control it.¡± the power of authority was the power of the laws that governed the world. it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens to control this power before reaching the transcendent level if it weren¡¯t for the power of the yellow sand. but even so, his harvest this time was already exaggerated enough. he calmed down. he opened his attribute panel. his level had risen from level 17 to 18. he could have touched transcendence if he stepped forward. it would be a whole new world stepping into the transcendent realm. the newly acquired skill was also a monster. that was the yellow sand body. one could transfer all the damage received to the nearby yellow sand. and it lasted for three hours!! what did this mean? no one could kill him within three hours as long as yellow sand was around! was this the power of authority? richard was excited. moreover, this was only an insignificant part of it. it was hard to imagine how much he would improve if he wielded the power. it was no wonder that gods were so unattainable. even legends were like ants before the gods when one accumulated this power. richard was in a good mood. he took a deep look at windsor. the reward for this mission was so generous. it was probably not only because of the s-rank mission. he had helped the old white-haired man from the red dragon general store retrieve his heart, and this time, he had set up the ell plane and established the ell players association. that was probably the reason. each of his efforts had a reward. this rich woman was not stingy at all. ****** Chapter 1033 richard had no idea what happened when the ell plane entered the mortal plane. the rhythm of everything was different from before. richard stared at windsor after he obtained the desert authority. he suppressed the joy. ¡°chairman windsor, twilight city has developed a new product. that is the elven music box. ¡°however, the production is too slow with our current capacity. ¡°is the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce interested in a deep cooperation with us?¡± windsor¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. ¡°is it the elven music box vale sent over last time?¡± she waved her hand as she spoke. a flat object about 20 centimeters long, 10 centimeters wide, and five centimeters tall flew out of thin air and slowly landed on the round table. one has carved layers of exquisite patterns in this item. one has dotted tiny gems in the silver-gray metallic texture. it was like a starry sky. it gave off the feeling of a work of art. windsor gently opened it from the middle. that thing revealed a magic sound tape. its shape was like a disc. one has engraved inscriptions on it. windsor confirmed something was there, and she closed it again. ¡®kacha!¡¯ she gently pressed the middle of the three buttons on the front. she clicked the button. magic power circulated in the music box. then, a melodious and clear song slowly sounded. the murmuring of the night elves, coupled with the unique instruments of the underworld, made people inexplicably quiet down. windsor said with some emotion. ¡°this is a genuine treasure i can¡¯t bear to part with.¡± she looked at richard with bright eyes. ¡°i¡¯m still a little surprised that it can be so detailed that it can even separate the playback from the storage device, although the eleven music box isn¡¯t rare.¡± richard shrugged. there were still billions of people who knew about this. the players even create a magical version of the internet with enough time. however, his entry point was vastly good. the research and development of this thing was easy. the market was broad, and the profits were particularly considerable. however, one must not solely rely on twilight city for production. richard wouldn¡¯t be quick if it were before. there was still plenty of time for him to slowly develop. but now, richard learned from windsor that in just a few months, the gods had all stripped their military forces of their authority and returned to the mortal plane. time did not allow him to develop slowly. the resources that the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce controlled were something other than twilight city could compare to. they only made it in a year. richard had high hopes for the elven music box. he could earn resources at the fastest speed as long as windsor accepted the proposal. ¡°twilight city will provide the technology, including the subsequent production and sales plans, as well as maintenance and technical updates. ¡°the phoenix tail flower chamber of commerce would take most vital production and sales. ¡°we¡¯ll split the profits by fifty-fifty¡­ how is it?¡± windsor understood richard¡¯s gaze. she slowly shook her head. ¡°no, sixty-forty,¡± richard said as he frowned. ¡°sixty for you, forty for the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°you developed this product. you could achieve great success even without the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. i trust your ability. ¡°you¡¯ve taken advantage of this.¡± richard looked at the luxuriously plump figure before him. he looked up at her again. he nodded without hesitation. ¡°alright, then we¡¯ve settled. i¡¯ll immediately send the production technology of the elven music box to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°there are also blueprints for the automatic production machines in fortress city.¡± richard moved like he actively saw the venture capital investments. the downside was that he had to pay a portion of the profits, but the advantage was that he could grow and occupy the market as quickly as possible. the final benefits would be more generous than his slow development. richard was in a better mood with windsor¡¯s cooperation. the night elves continued to sing. ¡°yesterday, i had an in-depth conversation with the third prince of the holy church empire, luce. ¡°the echelons of the holy church empire, especially the king, aren¡¯t friendly to me. thus, i¡¯ve decided to support the third prince in ascending to the throne. ¡°everyone will know solan city would support the third prince when he returns. ¡°president windsor, i hope you can push the third prince if the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has a network of connections in the upper echelons of the holy church empire.¡± wealthy people have their own ways of playing. richard couldn¡¯t take a small group of people to the capital to support the third prince with his current influence. this s-rank mission for the third prince¡¯s revenge did not have a limit on how to complete it. he could set up the operation freely. windsor said with interest. ¡°it seems that lord richard has other plans.¡± she picked up the hot tea on the table and slowly sipped as she spoke. she put it down again and played with the taste. ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has been around for hundreds of years, so we naturally have our connections.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not just the connections of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. i can get three of the fifteen archbishops of the holy church empire to support the third prince if you need it.¡± what a big deal. richard¡¯s eyes lit up. the archbishop was a top-notch figure who held great power and possessed immense power and strength. the holy church empire had a total of fifteen people. the third prince was the least favored. no one would take him seriously. he could receive four soul-strapping people, the grand duke included. this support was genuine. Chapter 1034 they were often in a leading position in these networks. once they stood out, those forces on the same boat would also become the third prince¡¯s supporters. vale subconsciously turned to richard when he heard this. excitement filled his heart. worried initially engulfed him. the third prince couldn¡¯t turn the tables with his reputation. however, he did not expect that the other party had already obtained the support of four vital soul-strapping people. the third prince wasn¡¯t mighty. of course, this was because of his lord, sir richard. he alone could convince the grand duke of frostwolf and chairman windsor to support the third prince. ¡°why don¡¯t we try persuading someone else?¡± windsor finished speaking. she seemed to have thought of something, and her voice sounded deeper. ¡°on the surface, the holy church empire¡¯s royal family cooperates with the sun sect. but they secretly maintain an unclear relationship with a certain evil god in the bottomless abyss.¡± ¡°we will have to wait until the ancient laws are activated and one strips away the authority of the gods if we want to support the new king to ascend to the throne.¡± her gaze turned solemn as she spoke. ¡°we do need to control an empire.¡± richard understood when he heard this. windsor must have had similar thoughts as him before. otherwise, why would the three archdukes suddenly appear? the sky was dark when richard left the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. two bright moons also quietly rose into the sky. windsor stood before the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the city. stars lit the metropolis up. there was an inexplicable look in her eyes. ¡°what i saw in the future shard was that you died. but i didn¡¯t tell the part you stood before of me¡­¡± ¡°new era¡­¡± she let out a long sigh and slowly closed her deep eyes. ¡°no matter what, i won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ****** the carriage drove into violet manor and stopped outside the main hall. a maid emerged from the carriage and came to report. the third prince luce had arrived in the morning when he left. he had waited in the hall for an entire day. richard chuckled. he strode in. vale followed suit. after entering the hall, he looked at the third prince when he entered the hall. the prince appeared a little haggard. his expression was subtle. at this moment, the other party still did not know one had decided his fate. a prince whom the people looked down on and did not even treat him as a human. this oppressed prince would ascend to the throne under countless shocked and incredulous gazes! the holy church empire was about to welcome their new king! prince luce saw richard. all of his anxiety, worry, and uneasiness all disappeared. he walked forward with a determined gaze. he knelt down before richard and pressed his head against the ground. his gesture surprised the maid. he greeted richard most humbly. he loudly said, ¡°lord richard, luce swears on his soul that he will be loyal to you forever. the holy church empire will also be under your command forever!¡± richard¡¯s lips curled up at the sight. this game got increasingly exciting. ****** april 10th. frost wolf city was a city-state ruled by the frostwolf family in the ice snow empire. a group of over three thousand cavalry riding on frost warhorses crossed the city gate with a murderous aura. the leader wore white armor and held a sharp sword in his hand. her beautiful hair fluttered in the cold wind. ****** Chapter 1035 all the nobles and stewards of the chamber of commerce in solan city set off for violet manor shortly after he left. luxurious carriages filled the usually quiet manor entrance in less than two hours. the sense of smell of the nobles was countless times sharper than that of ordinary people. most nobles did not know what kind of close relationship richard had with the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. however, it was undoubtedly a soul-strapping signal that the grand duke could break the rules and allow richard to lead his troop through the air where flying was prohibited in the city. vale saw all the nobles he had never seen at the city lord¡¯s mansion. some forces that had never dealt with the violet merchant association chamber of commerce in the past showed the most amiable scene. vale could not reject the gifts placed outside the door and welcomed them one by one with a smile. those risky plans required a lot of connections. these nobles would be the key to the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s future development. the third prince luce also visited the city lord¡¯s mansion while richard was out. he couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on his face when he left the mansion. he did not expect to receive such shocking news. he had only sworn his allegiance to richard for a day, and the grand duke of frstwolf in solan city told him without reservation that he would fully support him in his bid for the throne. the legendary ascetic also expressed the third prince could use solan city¡¯s political resources. furthermore, the grand duke gave him a top-tier troop of level 17 and 19 soldiers. he even sent a transcendent warrior as his guard. excitement and disbelief engulfed the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. then, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce brought news that made prince luce feel for the first time how terrifying the power of the master he had just sworn loyalty to was. the archdukes of swan, long lake, and thorn were all top-notch missions that could massively influence the holy church empire. they could all become his strong supporters for the throne on the third prince¡¯s return to the capital. furthermore, each archduke has a legion of troops. at the same time, a transcendent guarded them to protect and command. people, money, troops, top-notch battle strength, political resources, and influence. luce had already obtained all of them in just a short time. he was still in a daze when he returned to his residence. richard proposed to make him king, and he could not imagine how. he was just someone the king hated despite being the third prince. the king had just prepared to devour his bloodline to strengthen himself. everyone looked down on the third prince. he was a commoner¡¯s child and had nothing. but he is prepared to die now in exchange for the kingship that richard had offered him to attain it. he had to work hard to complete it, no matter what! however, it overwhelmed him that richard had quickly arranged and prepared for him. he had become a prince with transcendents as his guards and the support of several influential people in the church empire. he could turn the clouds into the rain with a flip. that heroic and extraordinary figure¡¯s position in his heart was almost equal to that of a god. he recovered from his emotions and subconsciously turned to look behind him. that tall and sturdy transcendent protected him. the guard was like a small mountain, silent but mighty. transcendents were top-notch figures in any force. now, they had become his guards and were at his disposal. moreover, windsor of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce promised the third prince three more transcendents. several people doted on the second prince. he only had two extraordinary guards by his side. the influential people behind these transcendents were all exceptional legends! that made the third prince even more confident! he could be the mightiest prince! that wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say on his return to the holy church city. the throne would be his! for revenge and lord! no one could stop him from advancing! luce¡¯s heart raced. he heard laughter from outside the door. that interrupted his thoughts. he frowned and turned to look at the voice at the door. someone pushed the door open. luce slammed into the wall behind him and bounced back. that pushed him away for the second time. a middle-aged bald man with a big belly came into his sight. he wore a brown robe. he entered the room with a few red-faced stewards. he reeked of alcohol. the middle-aged bald man with a big belly saw the ashen-faced luce unmoved by the window. that displeased him. he shouted. ¡°idiot, who told you to meet the grand duke of frostwolf alone? ¡°i¡¯ll throw you into the toilet for ten days if you ruin our plan! ¡°a filthy bastard dares to act on his own¡­¡± the eyes of the transcendent warrior who had been silent in the room turned cold. killing intent surged in his eyes. his current identity was to protect prince luce, although his loyalty remained with the grand duke of frostwolf. the words of these people were undoubtedly a slap to his face. he suppressed the killing intent in his heart. he said slowly to luce. ¡°your majesty, at your command¡­¡± Chapter 1036 they couldn¡¯t help but reveal a mocking expression. ¡°you already have your guards on this trip? it was amazing. hahaha, little brat, you¡¯re following the wrong person. what future do you have with this trash?¡± ¡°hahaha, your majesty? does this bastard deserve this title?¡± ¡°what? are you still planning to attack me?¡± the few stewards laughed happily, but one had an ashen face. his two legs trembled, and he almost fainted. he took a step forward and knelt on the ground. he pressed his head against the ground and begged with a trembling voice, no matter what others did. ¡°your majesty, i didn¡¯t know you were here. i¡¯m a subordinate of marquis caus. i just sent them back. it has nothing to do with them¡­¡± a few saw the gesture of their companion. they shivered and sobered up a little. ¡°your majesty?¡± only existences above transcendence could use this title. ¡°was this guy crazy?¡± how could the third prince be a transcendent? a few wanted to laugh at him. they saw the other party¡¯s extremely terrified posture. the uneasiness in their hearts climbed like vines. the middle-aged bald man with a big belly took a deep breath and looked at the transcendent warrior. ¡°sir, i was sent by his majesty the king¡­¡± before he could finish, the extraordinary warrior who looked straight at luce spoke again. ¡°your majesty, please give the order.¡± his cold tone gave everyone a bad feeling. luce spoke, and that feeling rose to its peak. ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it countless times before. how could i take revenge on you when i have enough power?¡± luce looked at them with a ferocious expression. the roar made the extraordinary warrior frown. mockery engulfed luce¡¯s face. ¡°when i truly possessed the power to take revenge, i realized that all my previous imaginations were meaningless¡­¡± ¡°because you are too weak! you¡¯re so weak that even an ant like me, who they all look down on, doesn¡¯t care about you!¡± he narrowed his eyes slightly. his tone sounded like a suppressed volcano. ¡°you might be right. i used to be a useless worm you could bully. ¡°but you didn¡¯t realize that a worm could grow into a man-eating beast one day. ¡°i¡¯m an ordinary person. i¡¯m the third prince that everyone looks down on. ¡°but so what?! ¡°from today onwards, i will climb to the highest point of your fear, step by step, until¡­kill that bastard king and treat you as the glorious throne. ¡°step on it! ¡°my soul has long rotted, and maggots have sprouted. now, the only things that move my body are the flames of revenge.¡± ¡°lord¡¯s reward allowed me to have all of this¡­no one can take them away! ¡°i¡¯ll let the lord know he didn¡¯t misjudge me!¡± luce¡¯s last sentence was a hysterical roar. he released all the emotions he had suppressed. their hearts couldn¡¯t calm down. it was like one had pulled each from heaven into the bottomless abyss. ¡°i will only say this once. you are only worthy of hearing this once.¡± luce took a deep breath, and the anger on his face disappeared without a trace. his gaze no longer fluctuated. ¡°your majesty, the upper echelons of the dynasty sent these people. please get rid of them all.¡± he finished speaking, and everyone felt a mountain-like pressure. it was like a mountain would collapse, and the extraordinary warrior¡¯s body shattered the earth. at this moment, their souls collapsed, and fear consumed their hearts. ¡®plop!¡¯ they all knelt on the ground. ¡°your majesty, please spare my life. the first prince ordered the disrespect i showed you!¡± ¡°your excellency, you are the lord of solan city. we are the second prince¡¯s men. you don¡¯t have to make an enemy of the second prince for a low-level bastard¡­¡± ¡°your excellency¡­¡± their cries for their parents and arrogant attitude contrasted with their initial reaction when luce entered the hall. but the extraordinary warrior did not let them continue to wail. the blood essence in his body suddenly erupted. it directly enveloped a few of them. the next moment, a few bodies exploded into a bloody mist. the air instantly turned blood red. the energy didn¡¯t stop. it was like water that flowed and wrapped around the blood mist. it flowed out through the door crack. there was nothing but the faint smell of blood in the air. blood stained the floor. this scene startled prince luce. those minions who had oppressed him countless times were dead. they were all dead. they died so cleanly that it felt like he was in a dream. after a long time, luce suddenly let out a chuckle. then, his laughter gradually became louder. in the end, his crazy laughter filled the room. at the end of his laughter, tears had unknowingly blurred his face. ****** richard had left solan city. he had no idea of prince luce¡¯s transformation. he just felt the whole world was different when he entered the desert. luce had the power of the yellow sand. and he showed kindness to the desert. the moment was like a dog had finally found its master after a long time. that exuded an incomparable fanatical joy. luce need not control the power of the yellow sand in his body. it has circulated already. the activity level was ten times higher than before. the energy he emitted could even make the surrounding desert respond. Chapter 1037 richard opened his arms wide and floated up from alves¡¯s back. his perception instantly extended out of the desert, and he could even see the scene 30 kilometers away. at this moment, he seemed to have thought of something. the active yellow sand power surged out. in an instant, the yellow sand on the ground seemed to have lost its gravity and flew backward rapidly. layer after layer. the desert fell from the nine heavens. the desert had caved in by more than ten meters. the yellow sand that flew up condensed in the sky a hundred meters away. a beach five thousand meters long and ten meters thick formed in the air. something must have blocked the sun¡¯s rays. and the shadows on the ground blurred everything. it looked like a continent from another plane had merged into the mortal plane from afar. it gave people a strong visual impact. that feeling. richard stood in the air. he felt the desert under his control. joy filled his heart. previously, he could also create sand waves on the surface and cause massive damage to the enemy. but he did that by snowballing. but now, he had made a desert more than ten meters thick and more than five kilometers in diameter rise into the sky. this kind of control was ten times or a hundred times mightier than before! richard slowly opened his eyes and stretched out his right hand. he pressed down on the floating desert. the hundred-meter-tall desert suddenly fell afterward. ¡®hu!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ mars collided with earth. the ground exploded, and countless grains of sand flew. thick dust covered the sky. the living beings a hundred miles away felt the ground tremble violently. richard looked down as the dust settled. the sand was still sand. the only uneven surface was an account of what had just happened. ¡°this move alone could easily destroy a city even if i don¡¯t use other methods.¡± a city-destroying level of battle power, a natural disaster! the corners of richard¡¯s mouth curled up. his gaze became sharper. moreover, this was far from the limit! his mind spun a horde of thoughts. the sand on the ground surged in all directions. richard was at the center. a wave of sand quickly swept up. the sand wave rose from 20 to 30 meters. it grew visibly. the grains reached fifty, eighty, and a hundred meters. one could visibly see the people dozens of kilometers away when the sand wave reached 200 meters high. many players in the mission saw a wave of sand suddenly rise from the horizon. their eyes immediately widened in shock. ¡°what was that thing? ¡°why did a mountain suddenly rise? no, it wasn¡¯t a mountain! it could move!¡± a 200-meter-tall sand wave swept in all directions under the horrified gazes of countless people. he only lost control of it when he was 20 kilometers away. then, it surged for a thousand meters before it slowly stopped. a 50-meter-tall ring-shaped sand continued to collapse without the support of the yellow sand power. richard looked down from the sky. the 50-meter-tall ring-shaped sand wave enveloped the surrounding 20 kilometers. his lips curled up at the sight. perhaps this was the true power of the desert. he wielded authority. he only obtained one skill. that was the desert authority that still slept. however, his battle ability in the desert had increased more than ten times. the power of laws that formed the origin of this world was extraordinary. this desert would become his private territory if he could obtain all of the desert authority. Chapter 1038 the gods would lose their authority. that was the only regret after one had activated the ancient rules. he could not have had the chance to obtain everything, although he controlled the authority of the desert. he shook his head. he no longer thought about it. he ignored the marks left behind when he tried the desert authority and commanded the undead dragon. he rode on this beast to gallop toward twilight city. interestingly, many players who had seen the sand waves engulfed the world in the distance came to explore with great interest after the situation calmed down. they saw the circular sand wave. that shocked them all. they could guarantee there had never been such a thing at the edge of the desert before. they quickly explored excitedly. there was a vast commotion and a high chance that an ancient ruin had appeared! one could not conceal the massive movement of the sand waves. it spread from a single to ten strokes to a hundred. in the end, the ancient ruins were about to appear. that attracted several players. their levels seemed too low. they did not notice anything unusual. that was unfortunate. this matter gradually went unanswered. later, some players discovered that even if a sandstorm blew past, one could not damage the ring area and would still maintain its original appearance. time has passed, and this circular sand wave has become a legend in this area. it even attracted countless players to explore it. they wanted to find the secret. the sky was already dark when they returned to twilight city. and only the last rays of the sunset flew in the blue-black sky. alves flew with the skeleton blood dragon. richard and dark valkyrie returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. karu did not finish his tea, and he entered the hall excitedly after he heard the news. richard looked at the particularly excited butler and found it funny. ¡°karu, what good news is it?¡± butler karu bowed. he grinned and spoke in a high-pitched voice. ¡°my lord, miss adele¡¯s research in fortress city has made enormous progress! ¡°your mechanical puppet, the transcendent hunter, has fused with the alchemy machine forged by the gray-colored dwarves. that was terminator, under miss adele¡¯s control. ¡°miss adeles has successfully repaired transcendent hunter. she had also given this hunter the ability to think independently! ¡°lord, this is no longer a purely mechanical creation. it is a new life form, a flesh and blood machine.¡± butler karu was so excited that he waved his arms and legs. he exaggerated his emotions. ¡°she created life, my lord! that was something that only the great goddess of creation could do! ¡°moreover, the battle power of the flesh machine is vastly mighty! ¡°it would be difficult to slay. it could recover quickly as long as flesh and mechanical parts are intact. it can even fuse with miss adele¡¯s control and let her manipulate! ¡°emily had to go to fortress city to test the power of the flesh machine. she was at a disadvantage! ¡°twilight city would become a king¡¯s city no one would dare to invade if we can mass produce them! ¡°my lord!¡± butler karu was meticulous with his thoughts. but the excitement in his heart made him fall into a frenzy. his words were a little chaotic. that piqued richard¡¯s interest. adele had already suggested fortress city for this research before richard invaded the lower ell kingdom. richard had agreed at that time and gave the severely damaged alchemy machine. that was the transcendent hunter. a few months have swiftly passed. richard had been so busy he could no longer think about the underground world. he could not believe the treasure of twilight city to produce results so quickly. karu¡¯s attitude could tell. adele had achieved a lot. ¡°i¡¯ll go to fortress city later. ¡°send the latest elven music box blueprints version to solan city. ¡°at the same time, send the blueprints of the automatic production machine we developed.¡± master karu calmed down and said thoughtfully. ¡°lord, we found a new partner?¡± richard nodded. ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce will take over the production of the elven music box.¡± ¡°fortress city will provide them with technical support. and we will give them the subsequent improvements and updates as soon as possible.¡± that shocked butler karu. emotion engulfed his face. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was a colossus he looked up to before he joined twilight city. their reputation was generous in solan city. they were famous in the countries around the desert of death. how could a chamber of commerce that could cross the desert of death and do business with various countries be easy to deal with? the trade flow had become easy with the grace mainland lords. and one could not carry the profitable business of crossing the death desert out. however, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has exhausted because of a change in a short year. how could that be after so many years of accumulation? one could foresee this music box would appear in the major cities around the desert of death at a speed of hundreds of times once one has involved this behemoth in the elven music box production. it would be worth it even if they had to pay a few of the price! ¡°lord, how will the profits be distributed?¡± ¡°sixty-forty.¡± master karu let out a sigh of relief and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°the production cost of the elven music box is not small. the investment will be greater even if we increase scale.¡± Chapter 1039 ¡°we have sixty, and they have forty.¡± butler karu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°sixty-forty?¡± ¡®they would produce and provide raw materials, human resources, and various production materials, and they only asked for 40%. ¡®this business¡­ it was very cost-effective!¡¯ even the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce was willing to give such a concession!! ¡°lord, your strategies are admirable! praise you!¡± richard ignored the guy¡¯s flattery and continued. ¡°the echelons of the holy church empire have already begun to have designs on us.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know how many powers in the mortal plane still drooled over the ell plane from the surface to the inside.¡± his tone sounded grave as he spoke. ¡°pass on my order. inform the ell players association to transfer ten legions to mountain range city. ¡°i¡¯m sure those guilds will be more than happy to send troops to protect the fruits of their victory in ten days.¡± one hadn¡¯t completed the count, but 10% of the players had already entered mountain range city, although it had only been ten days. that was more than a billion players with such a vast base! one would have doubled this number if it weren¡¯t for the teleportation gate didn¡¯t cover enough area! such a massive amount of traffic brought unprecedented prosperity to mountain range city. the participating guilds also tasted the bountiful benefits. the guilds would share seventy percent of the rent and tax revenue. no one would talk nonsense. huge benefits drive the players. it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for the guilds to send only ten legions. the system has qualified them to join the ell players association! who would give up after one ate up sweet fruits? butler karu nodded and seemed to have thought of something. he hesitated. ¡°will the malicious intent of the holy church empire affect the setup in solan city?¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll just continue according to the plan. grand duke solan will provide us with protection.¡± butler karu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°you¡¯ve already met the grand duke of frostwolf? it would be better for a county magistrate to manage it now. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce would not have problems with the grand duke¡¯s protection. however, he was still a little worried. ¡°but will the king¡¯s intent affect other aspects?¡± richard¡¯s expression was playful. ¡°the king¡¯s intent? then let¡¯s just change the king.¡± the idea of a ¡®change of king¡¯ confused karu. would the king of the holy church empire allow someone to replace him? richard quickly responded. ¡°i¡¯ve already chosen the third prince of the holy church empire to compete for the throne.¡± the more the words shocked karu. ¡°lord, is it the third prince? the child of a commoner and regarded as trash by the royal family?¡± ¡°he doesn¡¯t have any resources. how will it work?¡± the violet merchant association chamber of commerce would send him information. karu knew as much as he did in the outside world. richard smiled. ¡°what if the four influential leaders, including the grand duke of frostwolf, support him?¡± ¡°the support of four influential leaders?¡± master karu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. the influential leaders of the holy church empire were all legendary powerhouses! the support of four legendary powerhouses possessed immense influence in the holy church empire. the third prince could still do whatever he wanted in the holy church city even if he were a good-for-nothing! karu looked at richard¡¯s calm face. he felt even more emotional. was this idea a mighty one? he wanted to support the new king of an empire. it was heart-wrenching! butler karu left. richard fell into deep thought. all aspects currently progressed according to his established ideas. everything was on the way, although the results would take some time. richard pondered. he reviewed the gains and losses of this period. first, he considered the current core ell plane. ell plane had become a [trading market] for players with the opening of mountain range city. however, the number of teleportation portals limited the number of players. the workers must improve this in the future. in addition, preventing the outside world from spying on them was a top priority one couldn¡¯t ignore. secondly, he established a closer working relationship with the grand duke of frostwolf. from now on, one couldn¡¯t impede the violet merchant association chamber of commerce in solan city. cooperation wouldn¡¯t be a problem. that would be of great benefit to their subsequent arrangements. third, he supported the third prince. the holy church empire would become a vassal of twilight city if this plan had become successful. at that time, the forces under the control of twilight city would grow explosively. the danger lay in the retaliation of the echelons of the holy church empire. that was something he had to pay special attention to. fourth, his relationship with windsor had entered a new phase. the cooperation between the two sides would bring enormous profits. he could also prepare for the entertainment industry plan he had long thought about. the recruitment of influential celebrities would be quick once the elven music box spread out. the effect would be unexpected on the rise of a celebrity. that was a fantasy world with gods! the biggest crisis of twilight city was what windsor had said¨Ctwilight city of the gods. the gods would lose their authority once the system activated the ancient rules. the world at that time would fall into unprecedented chaos. he wouldn¡¯t retain the authority he currently controlled. windsor¡¯s words were vital as the main character of the new expansion pack. no one dared to ignore them. massive changes were about to happen. richard must reinforce twilight city soon. Chapter 1040 that required troops, heroes, city defenses, technology, talents, and countless resources! the growth of a force must be all-rounded. it was impossible to strengthen one aspect alone. that would leave too many shortcomings. the chances of danger would enormously increase amidst changes. at this point, richard took a deep breath and gradually calmed down. he pondered for a while. he opened the attribute panel and looked at the rare resources column. he had asked every guild that joined the ell players association to hand over 100,000 units of rare resources. this amount of resources went straight into his pocket. three thousand five hundred guilds. that was 350 million units. he currently has 380 million units of rare resources, including the net income from the past two months. that was an astronomical figure! rare resources exceeded 100 million for the first time since the establishment of twilight city. the current price of an ordinary-level troop lair was two units of rare resources. one would need ten ordinary troop lairs to reach the elite-level. one would need 100 troops lairs to upgrade from elite to rare. one would need 1,000 troop lairs for advanced-level. ten thousand troop lairs are necessary for glorious-level. one hundred thousand troop lairs for crown-level. one million for radiant moon-level and twenty million for transcendence. in other words, he could upgrade to 18.5 with these 380 million resources, even if it were a transcendent troop! it would be 185 if they were radiant moon soldiers!! this exaggerated number made richard smile even more brightly. it had been a long time since he had been so wealthy! he looked at the nested column in a carefree mood. that was the last round of reinforcement, and he had promoted all the troops in twilight city to crown-level. there was no war, and the troops had enormously increased in the past two months. 1. scorpion warrior (20 lairs, weekly production of 140) current quantity: 1210¡ú2330 2. guardian mummy (3 lairs, weekly production of 30) current quantity: 210¡ú450 3. sand condensation archer (10 lairs, weekly production of 50) current quantity: 885¡ú1285 4. sandstorm controller (20 lairs, weekly production of 100) current quantity: 1100¡ú1900 5. stone statue of the dead (20 lairs, weekly production of 200) current quantity: 1600¡ú3200 6. guardian mummy (10 lairs, weekly production of 100) current quantity: 900¡ú1700 7. king of the imperial troop (13 lairs, weekly production of 130) current quantity: 680¡ú1720 skeleton blood dragon radiant moon troop king of the imperial troop (3 lairs, weekly production of 30) current quantity: 270¡ú510 transcendent troop dragon wings (3 lairs, weekly production of 30) current quantity 90¡ú330 richard had spent 20 million rare resources to recruit these troops. twilight city could make generous money. recruitment must have sucked one dry. he prepared for this advancement. scorpion warriors, guardian mummies, sand condensation archers, and guardian mummies were enough to have the crown. there was no need to upgrade them. he needed to use these resources in the most precious places. his gaze fell on the remaining crown troop lairs. they were the sandstorm controller (20 lairs), stone statue of the dead (20), and king of the imperial troop (13). there were 53 troop lairs. this time, he wanted to upgrade all of them to radiant moon-level. richard had also prepared additional troop lairs to advanced-level lairs of the stone statue of the dead, 30 of the sandstorm controller, and 37 of the king of the imperial troop. there were 97 of them. he had to upgrade 150 lairs, including the 53. richard was still a little excited even though he had prepared this. one hundred fifty of them! all of them were radiant moons! the players would explode if they knew about this! glory was an elite team, and he already played radiant moon. what would those players think? richard took a few deep breaths. he unhesitatingly went to the [trading market] to buy goods. the [trading market] of low-level troops did not decrease, although the players¡¯s strength had enormously increased compared to when they first entered the ¡°shining era.¡± instead, the increase became a trend. the low-level soldiers could not fight. a leader could use them as laborers or guards. moreover, the undead players would recruit low-level soldiers to kill and recruit skeletons. therefore, the price had been stable. search and purchase according to the conditions. those who met the requirements could do both. one had used them after richard set the purchase rules, although he had hundreds of millions of rare resources. the system had reduced the millions of pages of ordinary troop lairs on the market to one-tenth. that surprised many professional merchant players. question marks engulfed their faces. it was like they saw a ghost! twenty million rare resources remained with one hundred troop lairs in hand. richard would need to use them to recruit soldiers after they advanced. richard felt more confident than ever. in his excitement, he immediately started working. he promoted all the lairs after he settled the new ones. the storage space shrank rapidly. richard used up 150 million crystals. only 30 million crystals remained. lights flickered in the front yard of the lord¡¯s mansion. the lord¡¯s mansion couldn¡¯t accommodate several soldiers if it weren¡¯t for the item he had obtained from the obelisk of ell. this treasure expanded the space by 1,000 slots. he had expanded the front yard by 100 slots to place the troop lairs. the light dissipated after ten minutes. five-to-six-meter-tall and seven-to-eight-meter-tall lairs appeared before him. it was like a forest of trees. this promotion had increased troop lairs in richard¡¯s hands. he could recruit level 15 crown troop lair¨Cscorpion warrior (10), guardian mummy (3), sand condensation archers (10), and guardian mummy (10). he could recruit 150 radiant moon troop lairs with an initial level of 17¨Cdead stone statue, sandstorm controller, and king of the imperial troop. he resources that could recruit level 20 transcendent troops. richard briefly reckoned. he was in a good mood. these were the capital that allowed twilight city to survive. however, the soldiers were inadequate. richard opened the black gold system. a new ability appeared from the last upgrade of this system. it could nurture a selected troop lairs. their levels were one level lower than the target. that was how the system promoted the 37 royal guards. richard unhesitatingly consumed the remaining 30 million lairs and threw them all on the evil dragon wings. fifteen 1-star radiant moon evil dragon wing lairs appeared before him with a surge of energy. richard opened the attribute panel and glanced. perhaps because the prototype was a transcendent soldier, the 1-star radiant moon evil dragon wing lairs still had a level 16 initial level for recruiting soldiers. the ability of the evil dragon wings as meat shields was still impressive, although one couldn¡¯t compare to the other radiant moon troops. that was what he was most satisfied with. the number of radiant moon lairs rose to 165. richard calmed down. he unhesitatingly recruited two weeks¡¯ worth of production from the newly promoted 30 stone statues of the dead, 30 sandstorm controllers, 37 kings of the imperial troop, and 15 evil dragon wings. a total of 1,940. each radiant moon soldier recruitment required 8,000 units of rare resources. the total was 15.52 million. he used up the last ten million rare resources in his hands. richard looked at the troop that left the mansion. the smile on his face never faded. that was what a f*cking violent soldier! he had a few months to save up. he wanted to ask, who else?! Chapter 1041 richard felt a strong sense of accomplishment every time he handed over the skill. the troop was the guarantee of the survival of twilight city. that was the result of development and the reward for countless efforts. finally, he opened the attribute panel and obtained the accurate data of the troops. the crown troops reached 6,075. [3-stars radiant moon troops: 8,660] there were 330 extraordinary troops. there were more than 14,000 of them. these were 14 battalions, 140 squadrons, and more than 1,400 squads. that was a terrifying number that could make any player tremble in fear. the twilight city troops were top-tier soldiers above level 15, apart from the skeleton blood dragons that richard recruited from the undead dragon corpses. richard¡¯s favorite trump card, the stone statues of the dead, had now reached 3,800! it was not an exaggeration to say that the stone statues of the dead alone could destroy a city with tens of thousands of troops and complete troop facilities! that was not even considered a rotten swamp! tai long had connected the rotten swamp to more than ten planes in the past two months. richard recruited 50 radiant moon lairs nests day and night. this animated land advanced to level 5. he had more than 8,000 bloody slaughterers. they were all level 17, 3-stars radiant moon. he could mobilize these troops at any time. the troops exceeded two legions. the 3,000 slaughter and venomous wasps would rise further if he added the 3,000 dark treants of the god¡¯s ancient tree. that wasn¡¯t the limit. richard couldn¡¯t control the players in ell, but he could control the power of the ell kingdom. princess tundel had rebuilt her troops. they reached 30 legions or more. no one dared to ignore the quantity, although one couldn¡¯t compare the quality of twilight city soldiers. the bloodhoof city in the underworld had accumulated troops of five legions with an average level of 15 with twilight city¡¯s support. one could count extraordinary heroes. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that richard could use enough of his power to survive a large-scale battle. the slaughter was not exclusive to lambs, although he couldn¡¯t compete with an old city like solan city. richard was confident he could crush the enemies¡¯ fangs even if the mightiest force wanted to harm twilight city. it was only now that twilight city had finally recovered from the initial state of anxiety and fear of external dangers when they first entered the ¡°shining era.¡± he had the power to protect himself. richard was in a blissful mood. perhaps no one would have thought that a year ago. the poor lord who had only brought a dozen soldiers and led a team to hunt down the military strongholds in the wild could quickly grow to this stage. richard calmed down. he seemed to have thought of something and let the guard at the door in. ¡°where¡¯s lady xina?¡± richard turned the guardian mummies into hero units as the twilight city¡¯s strength increased. that way, he could give orders. hero units¡¯ understanding and ability to execute orders were arduous to achieve. ¡°lady xina has just returned from the underground world.¡± richard nodded. ¡°ask her to come see me.¡± richard fell into deep thought after the c-rank hero left. he brought the krina back from the terrifying place where chaos divine sin sealed her power. he temporarily placed them in his private plane, the eternal land. at the same time, he had also arranged for a portion of this tribe. heroes filled this tribe. they entered bloodhoof city to assist sel bloodhoof in controlling the troop. richard had been busy with ell plane¡¯s matters and had no time to ponder. he could take some time to make some arrangements. a blood-colored figure stepped into the hall afterward. richard turned to see lady xina. she stood tall in a blood-red suit of armor. this set of blood-colored armor was a five-star strategic treasure he had bought for the other party in solan city. its defensive power was enormously mighty. xina seemed to have transformed during the last battle that almost wiped out her tribe. she emitted a terrifying aura. her level had also increased from level 18 two months ago to 19. she was only a step away from becoming a transcendent. ¡°lord.¡± xina held her chest respectfully, her posture humble. her humble gesture amused richard. the other party had always called him lord. the change in how she addressed him indicated that her loyalty had changed. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so polite. xina, have you recovered from your injuries?¡± xina spoke a little embarrassedly. then she got up. ¡°i¡¯ve long recovered, lord. i¡¯ve arranged for my tribe people to clear the seal so i could come to see you¡­¡± gratitude filled her eyes. the seal of the krina tribe was her obsession. she left her tribe to find a way to break the seal. she finally removed the rope around their necks after several twists and turns. and she credited all of this to the heroic leader before her. richard nodded, his gaze profound. ¡°the kina tribe has become a part of twilight city. you don¡¯t have to worry anymore. ¡°i called you here today to ask what you have in mind.¡± ¡°will you lead your people to fight for twilight city, or will you stay by my side like before?¡± Chapter 1042 ¡°master karu has already made arrangements for the tribe people. i don¡¯t need to interfere with commander karen and molly around.¡± ¡°lord, i hope to stay by your side and fight for you!¡± richard smiled. ¡°then stay.¡± ¡°however, you could no longer guard with your current strength.¡± xina¡¯s expression turned anxious. ¡°lord, i¡¯m already searching for transcendents. as long as there¡¯s a suitable target, i¡­¡± richard smiled and waved his hand. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous. ¡°i have already arranged the future for you.¡± he extended his right hand and waved it slightly as he spoke. ¡®kacha!¡¯ the space before him exploded. a semi-circular spatial arch appeared. richard followed xina and stepped inside. xina passed through the spatial gate. they stood above the clouds in midair. he lowered his head and looked down. several residents on the ground built the already one-third accomplished. people come and go. there was a dark mass. they piled up all kinds of construction materials like a small mountain. ¡°lord, why did you bring me to the eternal land?¡± xina looked at richard in confusion. richard settled the krina tribe in the eternal land, so she was naturally familiar with them. the people built a fifth of the city below. only the outline remained. it was a strategic fortress that had invested massive resources¨Ceternal city. richard did not answer. he turned around and looked at the eternal land. a carefree expression engulfed his face. the rotten swamp had become the main character in the naga plane. monumental deaths would mean generous benefits. however, the benefits of the eternal land were not small. he had initially attacked the naga plane for the eternal land. other than the threat the system posed to the underground world. this plane that utterly belonged to him was too weak. it needed nourishment to thrive quickly. the unstable naga plane became food for the eternal land. the rotten swamp devoured lives, while the eternal land absorbed planar power. the diameter of the eternal land had expanded from 1,000 meters to 50 kilometers in three to four months!! the system upgraded it from a miniature to a small plane. the planar power increased significantly and soared. richard could use this energy. the eternal land would become another pair of kings if he continued to grow. that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. however, richard¡¯s goal today was not the eternal land. he took a deep breath. and he brought xina down from the sky. he lowered his head and looked at the dry ground of mixed gravel and soil. ¡°this is the center of the eternal land. ¡°there are plane stones in the depths of the earth. the seed of the world tree hasn¡¯t sprouted yet.¡± xina couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at this piece of land. it seemed to be ordinary. any one of these two treasures would cause a crazy fight. ¡°other than that, there¡¯s also your future!¡± richard looked up at xina. ¡°i have prepared a special gift for you. ¡°it will allow you to reach the peak of the strong.¡± richard finished speaking. the energy surged from his body. he did not wait for the excited xina to respond. ¡®rumble!¡¯ the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook. the central area gradually split open. a figure appeared before xina¡¯s shocked gaze. the soil supported a headless golden corpse. that surged up from the depths of the earth. her soul trembled, and her blood seethed. the blood essence in her body surged out uncontrollably. an indescribable pressure made it difficult for her to breathe. she raised her head and stared at richard in disbelief and shock. her voice trembled. ¡°this, this is the corpse of a god?¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°i snatched this corpse from the spider goddess lolita. ¡°pure fighting spirit resides inside¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll be able to brew it up with the golden god¡¯s corpse.¡± ¡°back then, spider goddess lolita¡¯s plan was likely for the fighting spirit in the golden god¡¯s corpse.¡± his tone carried a hint of excitement. ¡°you, the warrior of the krina tribe, the vanguard of fearless heroes, are the best bearer. ¡°only the most fearless warrior can unleash the true power of this fighting spirit! ¡°there¡¯s no one purer than you in the entire twilight city. xina, you¡¯re a natural-born warrior. ¡°next, let this fighting spirit nurtured by the gods help you transform!¡± xina saw richard¡¯s determined gaze. her heart trembled. the lord must have arranged these for her before she returned. she took a deep breath and knelt on one knee. a deep voice resounded through the void. ¡°my lord, i will become your sharp sword that cuts through all thorns for all eternity!¡± ****** Chapter 1043 the dregs fell all over the ground. the surrounding aura instantly converged. only xina was left sitting cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed. he opened the interface. [xina] [status: transformation] richard nodded. his experience could tell that one couldn¡¯t complete this level of transformation in two or three days. that was going to be a tough battle. it would not be easy to tame that fighting spirit. however, there was no need to worry about any accidents with the hero¡¯s altar to support them. richard pondered. the surrounding spatial power surged out and separated this area. outsiders couldn¡¯t get close even if they arrived here. richard did all these and did not return to the lord¡¯s mansion through the original spatial gate. instead, he turned around and came out from the entrance of the land of quicksand. the sky was completely dark. the two moons each illuminated half of the sky. the crimson and silver light interweaved into a special light and then covered the desert with a thin layer of gauze. one has stationed several dark treants there. they silently guarded the portal that connected the underground world to the eternal land. these withered tree men looked particularly terrifying under the illumination of the crimson light. richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. the god¡¯s ancient tree still transformed in the rotten swamp. the power contained in the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart was too great. it was hard to predict how long it would take to finish devouring it. he unhesitatingly walked towards the two-way portal to the underground world. a voice sounded just as he was about to reach the portal. [ding~ the successor of the old faction, the crimson lord, has opened the crimson moon to players.] [the first player to enter the crimson moon: robert orr had touched the power of the great ancient ones and became a great benefactor. his level had broken through to transcendence.] [the great ancient ones¡¯ powers had scattered across the various planes and have gradually recovered under the illumination of the crimson moon.] [the ancient gods who once controlled the world laws will return.] [lords, you can take the initiative to find the location of the ancient gods. you can use the power of these gods to transform them into soldiers, giving them unique attributes.] [you can also head to the crimson moon to receive a special mission.] [ding~ the system has opened the spawn of the great ancient ones¡¯s lairs. attack all kinds of military strongholds the great ancient ones had eroded. there is a chance to obtain the great ancient ones¡¯ lairs.] [note: the gods will view you as one with hostility after you join the old camp.] ¡®the second chapter of the new expansion pack?¡¯ richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he opened the notification and read it in detail a few times. his expression was a little strange. windsor had just told him that she had built a base of the old camp outside the mortal plane. is it the crimson moon? moreover, the crimson moon could go up? he raised his head and looked at the crimson moon that floated in the sky. he was a little surprised. that was the main character of the new expansion. the person was indeed unreasonable. however, since the other party had such great power, why did he still want to do business with him? that top-tier boss is taking care of twilight city? his expression was a little strange when he thought of this. he took a few deep breaths, and his gaze gradually regained calmness. the old days came. that meant that the chaos was about to begin. the time when the gods lost their authority gradually approached. it would not even take months for the crimson moon to be opened to the world, which would cause the gods to be terrified and furious. next, the crimson moon that surfaced would face an unprecedented battle. no one would give up their interests. the gods would not sit still and wait for death. their counterattack would be shocking. however, windsor had made this decision. she must have prepared. ¡°i wonder who the lucky person who obtained the power of the great ancient ones and became a transcendent is?¡± richard was curious. he rubbed his chin. why didn¡¯t windsor give him such a good thing? no. the thing was good for the players. but not for him. he had to bear the power of the great ancient ones to break through to the transcendent level. did he need it? windsor wouldn¡¯t be stingy if it could benefit him. the price he had to pay was not small. for example, the chariot of the old camp has not locked him, but he already has the authority of the desert. there was still hope, although he didn¡¯t know whether power would strip the desert authority away after the twilight of the gods. richard calmed down. he returned to the eternal land. the eternal land was the location of several territories and often had an information transmission department to facilitate communication. he called over the person in charge and said directly. ¡°send a message to the ell players association immediately. ¡°the crimson moon has benefits. the earliest batch to go will receive even more benefits. ¡°the coordinates are engraved on this gem. send it to the association, and someone will naturally know how to deal with it. the d-rank hero immediately took the gemstone and respectfully turned around to leave. he went to do it personally. richard thought of something and opened the player forum. as expected, discussions about the second chapter of the crimson moon flooded the forum. they had more words on the lucky one who had become a transcendent. this figure had made countless people envious, jealous, and hateful. ¡°who knows robert orr? transcendent, that¡¯s transcendent. i¡¯m only level 13 now. what¡¯s there to play with¡­¡± Chapter 1044 ¡°the ancient gods have been revived. brothers, the benefits of reading this chapter will be more than that of a plane explorer!¡± a thread topic suddenly caused countless people to start a heated discussion as they continued to chat. [what do you guys think of robert orr after he broke through to the transcendent level?] richard clicked on it curiously. he wanted to see what the idiots thought about it. he expected a war of words. but the situation turned one-sided. [who is robert? not to mention transcendents, even if he broke through to legend rank, he wouldn¡¯t defeat qingqiu!] [are you kidding me? haven¡¯t you seen the post that was about qingqiu¡¯s strength? that perverted transcendent already had three or four of them. what kind of storm could one transcendent cause before him?] the players incessantly expressed fanaticism for qingqiu. almost all of them were in a state of fanaticism, although most of the players were envious of the lucky guy when they mentioned richard. [a transcendent wanted to challenge qingqiu? dream on!] that was almost everyone¡¯s reaction. richard had accumulated a generous reputation since he entered the first dungeon of the ¡°shining era.¡± he reached an incredible height when he slayed the greed lord and established the ell players association. someone must have said he was the son of god, and many people would believe it. richard found it funny, but he didn¡¯t read too much. he checked the other popular posts. one of the posts from a player from the ninth hell made him worry. [brothers, something big has happened!] [just now, i followed a devil lord and met ninth hell lord. he is the legendary asmodeus!!] [this terrifying existence said that the ninth hell should immediately prepare for war and be ready to attack the mortal plane at any time!] [and this super boss also said that he saw a fragment of the future. the entire world will fall into chaos and madness.] [the abyss, hell, and death plane will all connect to the mortal plane!] [hell has reached an uproar. don¡¯t take it lightly!] [the ninth hell lord also saw the future fragment?!] richard took a deep breath. the pressure in his heart increased. this news wasn¡¯t exclusive. the ninth hell lord could see it. does this mean that amongst the gods, the existence of the master gods more or less knew about this? the chaos would be ten times more exaggerated than he had imagined if he guessed it right! a group of organized and premeditated gods prepared to take action in advance. no one knew what would happen when the time came. the sense of urgency in his heart increased again. no one would be safe once that time came. he had the ell plane. he would become the target of countless forces. to become mightier is a must. twilight city needed to become even stronger! richard¡¯s eyes sharpened. he couldn¡¯t waste a single minute or second during the buffer period of these few months! he did not linger any longer with this thought. he immediately turned around and left the eternal land. he entered the underground world through the spatial gate in the land of quicksand. richard arrived at bloodhoof city after half an hour. sel bloodhoof had reached level 18 and was the leader of the dungeon barbarians and the ruler of bloodhoof city. he respectfully welcomed richard into the main hall. richard sat at the head of the long table. the maid had served hot tea, and he did not touch it. he focused on sel and the dozen or so uneasy echelons of bloodhoof city. there was a strong sense of heaviness in the air. Chapter 1045 as twilight city grew stronger, bloodhoof city, which had been relatively independent in the beginning, had now integrated into twilight city and a substantial part of it. the administrative system of bloodhoof city was under the control of twilight city. every officer in the troop had to be appointed by twilight city. in the beginning, there were some strange sounds from bloodhoof city. however, as bloodhoof city continued to travel to the mortal plane, they saw a larger world and felt the power of twilight city. in the sky above bloodhoof city, only richard¡¯s guided them forward. sel was the first to withstand the pressure. he said in a deep voice afterward. ¡°lord richard, we have completed the weapons factory you mentioned after half a year of construction.¡± ¡°we engaged more than thirty thousand people in weapon forging!¡± ¡°three hundred thousand people in bloodhoof city provided supporting facilities to maintain high production! ¡°for this reason, we forced hundreds of tribes and forces to migrate to bloodhoof city. ¡°it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that bloodhoof is now unprecedentedly powerful! his tone became even more excited as he said this. ¡°fortress city has replicated the long-lost bloodline awakening potion for us according to the secret recipe passed down by our ancestors. that was in terms of military affairs. ¡°something has awakened the bloodline hidden in the prison barbarians¡¯ bodies. our troop has transformed into a top-tier level 15 soldier! ¡°i can increase the level 15 soldiers in bloodhoof city to 100,000. just give me another three months!¡± fanaticism filled sel bloodhoof¡¯s eyes. richard nodded slowly. ¡°you did well. ¡°weapons factory, keep this momentum and continue to develop. report to karu if you need more labor force. the naga plane can capture some slaves. ¡°as for the bloodline awakening potion for the barbarians in the dungeon. i remember a price to pay, right?¡± ¡°five years. you will only have five years left after awakening the bloodline.¡± the heat in sel¡¯s voice did not diminish. ¡°but¡­it was all worth it! ¡°for power, we can give up everything! ¡°moreover, i can say that war is coming. ¡°what awaits us is destruction even if bloodhoof city doesn¡¯t go on a rampage! ¡°since there¡¯s no way out, then we¡¯ll give it our all! ¡°as long as twilight city exists, bloodhoof city will not go extinct! richard looked deeply at the burly barbarian lord. ¡°sel, i made you a promise. ¡°one day, i will bring you out of the underground world and head to the surface to fight against the myriad races. i haven¡¯t forgotten this promise. ¡°there will be great turmoil in a few months. ¡°i¡¯ll send you an order to enlist all the troops in bloodhoof city to join the war. ¡°i will build a city for you and the prison barbarians on the surface if we win this war. ¡°let the barbarians of the dungeon step onto the surface!¡± sel¡¯s eyes burned with zealousness. almost everyone¡¯s dream was to go to the legendary rich and safe surface where there was clean water and countless food. even he, the bloodhoof city lord, was no exception. but more importantly, it was richard¡¯s promise to them. this was the will of a god slayer! the dungeon clan treated the strong. sel suddenly knelt on one knee and shouted with a fanatical tone! ¡°bloodhoof city will forever follow you, my lord!¡± the echelons of blood hoof city behind him also knelt down and made a solemn oath. [ding~ the leader of the dungeon barbarians, sel, has led all the echelons of the dungeon barbarians to swear allegiance to you. you have obtained the absolute command of the dungeon barbarians.] [ding~ you have completely conquered the underground world. everything here will belong to you. your legend rating in the underground world has been raised to the highest level.] [you can issue a conscription order and forcefully recruit all dungeon races to join the troops.] [you can issue an administrative order to force all dungeon races to carry out the order.] [30% of the attributes of the troop you command will increase in the underground world.] richard saw the system prompt. his mood improved a little. sel sat for more than half a year, the underworld was now his, both in name and in reality. ****** Chapter 1046 the administrative system was also under the control of twilight city. richard was in charge and did not have to worry about it. richard did not stay any longer after he settled with bloodhoof city. sel and the echelons of bloodhoof send richard off. sel looked at the figure that disappeared into the sky and was in a daze. he sighed with emotion afterward. ¡°half a year ago, when we met you for the first time, i feared none of us could have imagined that the lord of the surface who drove the mechanical puppets and the skeleton blood dragons would one day become the real king of the underground world.¡± as he said that, his face revealed a hint of sadness. ¡°it was a coincidence that the gray-colored dwarves attacked bloodhoof city, and you defeated those damned dwarves. ¡°it was also from then on that bloodhoof city had an extremely close cooperation with you, lord. ¡°in the end, i walked to where i am today. ¡°bloodhoof city has become the overlord of the underground world, but its power has also increased by more than ten times!¡± as he spoke, he turned and stared coldly at the barbarian heroes in the dungeon behind him. he said word by word. ¡°your excellency is the god slayer who killed the greed lord! ¡°it¡¯s a superb existence with supreme power! ¡°it is our honor to be able to become lord¡¯s subordinate. i will not allow anyone to have any disloyalty! ¡°moreover, the world is undergoing unprecedented changes. we can only rely on the strong if we want to survive! ¡°lord richard is the lord who can protect us!¡± the barbarian heroes in the dungeon behind them also turned solemn when they heard this. ¡°lord, trust us. no one will have any ill intentions towards lord richard¡­¡± resources were scarce, and the environment was harsh in the underground. they were always in awe of the strong. only the mightiest existence could lead a tribe to survive and rely on the strong. that was the rule of survival. ¡°increase the recruitment efforts. those tribes that are still scattered outside, as long as they are suitable to survive in the city, bring them all back. ¡°we need more workers¡­ the munitions factory must not stop spinning! ¡°war is coming¡­ this time, we will survive.¡± ¡°we will!¡± ¡ª- richard had plenty of experience flying in the underworld. he had led his troops to capture several gray-colored dwarves¡¯ cities, earning him a bounty of tens of millions of units of food before he had conquered the underworld. however, the feeling this time was quite different after a few months. although it didn¡¯t feel like the entire world was giving him strength in the desert, it was still exceptionally intimate. even his consumption had decreased by three times. however, what caught his attention the most was the environment. he could see some places with water sources after a distance of flying. some have reclaimed large areas of farmland. this farmland was very neat. gullies, small paths, main roads, and drainage channels were all available. they were connected and formed a vast planting base. there was an endless amount of frost grass, the raw material of the black frozen sorbet. the breeze blew, and the frost grass was half the height of a person bent down like ears of wheat. even if the light was very dim, it gave people a refreshing feeling. however, the alchemical machine that harvested inside was the most remarkable. the large-metal-made alchemical machines and four specially made paths moved through the gullies in the farmland. in front of them was a sharp reaper that could easily cut off the frost grass and transport it to the back through the green belt. the system could even change it automatically after filing it up. these automatic harvesters would leave the field to the main road and transfer the tied bags to the machinery specially used for transportation after harvest. the entire process, apart from the machinery that required manual control, was completely independent of human labor. it looked like an industrial beauty unique to a fantasy world. that pleased richard. wasn¡¯t this why he had put so much effort into making fortress city develop harvesters? this kind of production efficiency was hundreds of times better than manual labor. they encountered a few farming bases along the way. the environment in most areas was still very harsh. even plants like frost grass, which did not choose the place, could not grow. it took richard more than three hours before he saw fortress city. he had been to fortress city a few times, unlike in bloodhoof city. however, this did not affect the city of the gray-colored dwarves. they were naturally suitable for scientific research, from becoming the research center of twilight city. the research power of fortress city had reached a new height with the addition of the sacred-blood dwarves. his status in twilight city also increased each day. richard looked down from the sky above bloodhoof city. the long-captured city had recovered its vitality. the dense array of alchemical cannons with exaggerated calibers and the massive number of mechanical puppets on the city walls were enough to show that these gray-colored dwarves were not idle except for the scientific research missions he had given them. he ignored the guard soldiers and entered the city in a few breaths. richard landed before the mansion. a gray-colored dwarf guarded and piloted a four-to-five-meter mechanical puppet. Chapter 1047 that was shocking at first at the sight of an outsider. then, they sensed that unfamiliar yet familiar aura and immediately controlled the mechanical puppet to kneel on one knee. their voices burned with passion and madness. ¡°great lord, welcome!¡± that was the great conqueror of the world! at the same time, he was also a god slayer and their lord! a group of mechanical puppets with a fantasy-like style knelt and saluted him. that feeling was quite good. richard nodded and stepped in under the gray-colored dwarves fervent gazes. a level 10 gray-colored dwarf hero immediately came to lead the way. the smile on his face was brighter than a chrysanthemum. he bowed respectfully and led the way to the hall. richard sat down and told the man to call brown and adele. the gray-colored dwarf hero nodded at the guard beside him. the guard left. someone brought the two dark elves over. these elves had long, pointed ears and perfect faces. ¡°great lord, these two dark elves are the two singers who recorded the magic sound tape¡­¡± ¡°because there aren¡¯t many dark elves, and the others have already lost their virginity¡­ these two are still virgins. master brown specially instructed them to stay as your servants.¡± richard looked at the nervous and excited dark elves with interest. they could still be ordinary, unlike the black skin of the legends, although the skin of these dark elves wasn¡¯t as white as that of other elves. they gave off a strong desire to conquer. they had unique appearance and temperament. ¡°not bad, you¡¯re very thoughtful.¡± he nodded slightly and did not say anything. it was not a big deal for him to take in a few servants with his status. these two would become the stars of the ¡°shining era.¡± ¡°tsk, tsk, tsk, a different feeling?¡± richard was satisfied. these gray-colored dwarves heaved a sigh of relief. fortunately, the lord liked it. not long after, brown and adele came quickly. brown almost cried when he saw richard. he was the first gray-colored dwarf hero to join richard. a sliding shovel directly knelt on the ground and cried. ¡°lord!! you haven¡¯t been to fortress city for half a year. i thought you had forgotten about us¡­¡± to stay away from the core of power was very dangerous. that is for brown. his status as a level 15 alchemist had visibly declined as twilight city grew. he would have gone to see richard long ago if it weren¡¯t for the heavy workload in fortress city. he would have to change his position as the leader of fortress city sooner or later if the leader forgot about it. richard looked at the guy. he could not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°alright, you¡¯ve done well during this period. you¡¯ve contributed a lot to fortress city¡¯s current achievements. i¡¯ll remember them.¡± brown wailed even louder. ¡°lord, it¡¯s my honor to sacrifice for you. fortress city will move forward according to your will. no one can stop us!!¡± richard¡¯s eyelids twitched at the noise, and he kicked. ¡°if you continue to talk nonsense, get lost!¡± richard lightly or heavily kicked brown. the master alchemist chuckled. he stood up as if nothing happened. richard sensed the other party¡¯s impolite attitude. he felt quite proud. he turned around and looked at the level 10 gray-colored dwarf hero proudly. it was as if he was saying, ¡®look, my relationship with the lord is so good, but he kicked me!!¡¯ the other party¡¯s envious gaze made him even more delighted. richard waited for brown to use his method to get closer. brown smiled and went forward. ¡°my lord!¡± his tone was a gentle breeze. richard relaxed and did not say anything more. a girl did not wait for richard to speak. the girl was passionate about scientific research. she took out a mechanical puppet wrapped in flesh and blood. that appeared rather terrifying. the other party was like a child showing off a certificate to his parents. ¡°lord, this is a special puppet i developed using transcendent hunters¡­¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest, and he subconsciously reached out to take it. suddenly, a series of system notifications rang in his ears. [ding~ through the forbidden technique of the thorin family, adele has developed a special creation¨Cflesh machine. the system upgraded its potential from a-rank to beyond a-rank.] [ding~ adele has an unparalleled talent for creating flesh machines. the system will increase all the attributes of the flesh machines by 80%. she can grant the flesh machines exclusive skills¨Cflesh weakness (a-rank) and mechanical ascension (a-rank).] [ding~ this is a special creation that adele has successfully developed. something must have awakened thorin¡¯s bloodline. and all his skills have been upgraded to the first rank.] [ding~ adele has been promoted to master blacksmith. he also obtained a special skill¨Cforbidden master.] richard looked at the dense notifications, and his face became rather interesting. ***** Chapter 1048 curiosity rose in his heart. the predecessor of this thing was a transcendent hunter. in the early days of the ¡°shining era,¡± it was his uttermost trump card. he opened his attribute panel. [flesh hunter] [level: 22] [type: flesh machine (unique creation)] [power of flesh: 100,000] [transcendence characteristic: sharp edge. one consumes 100 energy points per second to add extraordinary power to the weapon. it can destroy magic and break through all shields formed by energy. the more energy consumed, the stronger the effect.] [skill: super overload ¡ª (beyond a-rank) it instantly consumes 30,000 flesh energy. it increases all attributes by 500%. speed increases by 600%.] [bloody tentacles (beyond a-rank) ¡ª the flesh outside the body can condense into twelve tentacles that are 50 meters long to attack the enemy. the tentacles will directly devour the enemy¡¯s flesh after they hit the enemy.] [weak flesh (a-rank) ¡ª the body is made up of flesh and blood when injured. it can devour flesh and blood to recover its injuries and flesh power. it is also immune to all control skills.] [mechanical ascension (a-rank) ¡ª body and bones are made of metal. defense increased by 400%. one can consume 1,000 points of flesh and blood strength per second to increase to 800%.] [levitation (a-rank)] [skull-ripping strike (a-rank)] [charged strike (a-rank)] [violent armor piercing (a-rank)] [mad slaughter (a-rank)] [race characteristic: 1. special life. a flesh machine that has fused with several souls has become a unique life. it can become a hero-like unit and fight independently after its sleeping consciousness is activated. moreover, there were five spaces reserved in the core area. it could devour powerful enemies and seize their strength. one could also use it for mechanical modification and strengthening.] [binding-fusion: one could engage in a fusion battle with the bound master. it can allow the other party to pilot the body. one can double all the attributes of the body after the fusion. and all skill damage will be increased by 300%. one can transmit all information within an 800-meter radius to the pilot in real time with the mechanical puppet as the center. (current bound: adele)] [description: the first flesh machine forged by a master blacksmith, forbidden master, adele. it has powerful potential.] ¡°good heavens!¡± richard was amazed after he read the attributes of the flesh machine. this blood hunter had already become a living being, and his combat strength was not inferior to ordinary transcendents! his attributes were off the charts! the other party would also become a hero-like unit with high intelligence and could fight once one activated it. the system could enormously increase adele¡¯s attributes if she drove it herself. that was a little abnormal. alchemical machines or magic puppets that could fight were not rare, but it was too rare for them to have life and intelligence. that made him think of more. could it grant all alchemical mechanical lives if one continued to develop this technology? what was there to worry about if he could do this? they could mine ore veins, farm farmlands, and build cities. one could almost hand over everything to these mechanical lives to complete. richard¡¯s expression suddenly became strange. giving life to a machine, wasn¡¯t that? ai? the effects weren¡¯t much different, although the development direction was different. if one could realize that scene was unimaginable. he raised his head and stared at adele. he took a few deep breaths, but he could not calm the excitement in his heart. ¡°adele, how difficult is it to make a flesh machine?¡± adele is going to be serious about this matter. adele pondered. she slowly said, ¡°this flesh machine has extraordinary hunters as raw materials. in addition to the terminator created by the gray-colored dwarves, it has sufficient foundation for me to modify. ¡°i would need at least half a year to create it from scratch. and i would need vast resources. it would not be less than 5 million rare resources if one would convert to resources.¡± so cheap? richard was pleasantly surprised. one could exchange five million rare resources for a transcendent level of battle power. that was a good deal. however, half a year was a little too long. twilight city was useless to create transcendents, although it required high-level powers. the situation was so terrifying one couldn¡¯t trade with just two or three more transcendents. the foundation was still the strength of twilight city. ¡°can you apply these techniques to ordinary machinery?¡± ¡°giving machines life will greatly increase our overall production efficiency. it¡¯s more valuable than creating three to five blood hunters.¡± adele immediately opened her thoughts when she heard this. previously, she had thought about how to create a more perfect flesh machine and neglected the basic requirements. ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. one could apply it to ordinary machinery. ¡°i have already sorted out the relevant technical difficulties. ¡°an ordinary blacksmith or alchemist can start modifying it after a week of training.¡± richard was thoroughly excited. artificial intelligence would be ruinous to the world once people learned to use them. a fantasy world like the ¡°shining era¡± might not be as exaggerated as planet blue. but it would be promising. ¡°what about the cost?¡± adele sensed richard¡¯s excitement. her mood became even happier. didn¡¯t she do so much just to help him? her eyes were curved as she said briskly. ¡°the cost depends on the target of the modification, but it wouldn¡¯t be too high. take the three-meter-high automatic and fifteen-meter-long alchemical harvester as an example. one can successfully modify it with ten thousand units of rare resources. but more importantly, it was the soul, a complete soul. ¡°life is the domain of the creator. i only have a slight understanding of the logic behind the creation of life. i¡¯m still far from being able to create life. therefore, the flesh and blood machines can¡¯t produce their souls. they have to fuse with external souls. ¡°and the more powerful a flesh machine is, the more powerful the soul it requires.¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°you can apply for anything you need. ¡°i¡¯ll have bloodhoof city send a legion to take orders. they¡¯ll be in charge of harvesting souls.¡± his tone became serious. ¡°i need flesh and blood for all the alchemical machines that were going to produce in twilight city in the shortest time possible. ¡°let them have the ability to produce automatically. ¡°at the same time, fortress city will immediately establish a flesh and blood machinery research department, which will be responsible for researching this technology. at the same time, we will also try to collect flesh and blood for all the alchemical machinery that can participate in production! ¡°once the alchemical machinery can operate automatically, there will be no worries about the industrial expansion of twilight city!¡± fully automated production was blissful. we could reduce to a freezing point once we realize the labor cost of twilight city¡¯s extensive production. humans would get tired, but machines wouldn¡¯t. they would always work day and night according to the established plan! could the weapons do the same after we made flesh of the production machinery? it would be a flesh alchemy cannon that could automatically aim and fire. it would be a catapult that could automatically load rocks. wait, wait, wait!! one could develop it. adele had only created a flesh machine. but richard had already seen an entire industry in it. it could be an industry that could affect the future development of twilight city. adele took a deep breath and said firmly. ¡°i won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± brown also jumped up and shouted. ¡°lord, don¡¯t worry. fortress city will complete your mission! ¡°we will put the flesh machines into production as soon as possible!¡± richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°this matter will be ranked first and carried out immediately. ¡°just apply for them if you need resources. i¡¯ll let karu give you priority.¡± richard confirmed the general direction. he did not stop and continued to discuss the details with the two. he also discussed all his thoughts about the flesh machine technology. adele heard this, and her eyes lit up. that startled brown. twilight city would only need to accumulate an exaggerated foundation in a very short period once they materialized this idea. richard felt motivated with this goal in mind. he finished the discussion at night. adele was about to leave. she remembered richard had not asked her about her new profession¨Cforbidden master blacksmith. a forbidden master blacksmith could study forbidden techniques that mortals could not see. that was the description of the system. and it looked generously mighty. adele¡¯s face showed some emotion when she heard richard¡¯s question. ¡°my lord, the forbidden master blacksmith is the legacy of the thorin family. ¡°it¡¯s said that in ancient times, our thorin family had powerful ancestors. the things they studied even made the gods fear them. ¡°several gods attacked our ancestors. unfortunately, our ancestors died. however, our ancestors left behind a portion of their knowledge using the power of their bloodline before our ancestors departed. ¡°as long as i can awaken thorin¡¯s bloodline, i can obtain the time to learn forbidden spells and become a forbidden master blacksmith.¡± her tone sounded complicated as she spoke. ¡°but all of this comes with a price. one will taste the curse of the legacy and die immediately after 30 years old if one can¡¯t activate thorin¡¯s bloodline. ¡°only by becoming a special blacksmith can the curse be delayed, and only by becoming a master blacksmith can the curse be suppressed. ¡°that worried my father when i joined twilight city¡­¡± richard understood. some felt that they had picked up a treasure. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll get someone to bring your father here. it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to become a forbidden master blacksmith with the support of twilight city.¡± since he had made contributions, he naturally had to be rewarded. adele¡¯s father had joined the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and had come to twilight city once. richard had hung him up and whipped him for a few days because he was too arrogant. adele¡¯s heart almost melted when she heard this. ¡°lord¡­¡± richard smiled and reached out to help the young lady brush her hair back. ¡°i¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done. do your job well and leave the rest to me.¡± Chapter 1049 the two dark elves looked at the clear morning sky in shock. that was the first time they felt unrestricted vision. that was the first time they felt that there was sufficient light. at first, the dark elves were a little nervous and uncomfortable. they looked around a few times and felt particularly happy. that was the surface, completely different from the underground world. richard didn¡¯t focus on the two dark elves. he brought them back to twilight city. they served as maids for the time being. he didn¡¯t make any further arrangements. the promotion of elven music box could reveal their genuine value. master karu had waited for him. he hurried over and greeted him. ¡°lord, a particularly terrifying anomaly in that dungeon happened a few hours ago. it was as if the crimson moon rose inside. ¡°crimson light shrouded the surrounding ten kilometers. ¡°that forced our guard troops to retreat.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°a crimson light?¡± he immediately thought of the second chapter of the crimson moon. that was the return of the great ancient ones. a coincidence couldn¡¯t be one without cause and effect. ¡°is there any other information?¡± ¡°none, lord. i reported to you as soon as i noticed anything.¡± richard nodded and turned to look at the space beside him. ¡°fay, come with me. ¡°this might involve the gods of the ancient days. don¡¯t act without my orders.¡± dark valkyrie learned from loreina¡¯s experience. she liked to hide herself when she followed her. it was not something ordinary people could compare to, although this top-tier boss did not have the powerful concealment ability of the vampire breed archduchess, loreinna. dark valkyrie slowly revealed herself. her pale golden eyes shone brightly under her black-gold mask. ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± karu hesitated when he saw that richard was about to leave. ¡°my lord, we have assembled the troop. i am just waiting for your orders. also, i¡¯ve already informed lady loreinna and lady emily. should we wait for them to return?¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t worry. it¡¯s enough with fay. ¡°this is not an attack on a city. the troop might not be able to do anything.¡± fay¡¯s combat ability had reached an exaggerated level, although she had not completed her transformation. that suppressed the level 23 loreinna, the vampire archduchess. unless one had advanced the lord of darkness to legend. a force had imprisoned this lord in the dungeon. but so what if he was a legend? he had more than one trump card in his hands. butler karu looked at the calm dark valkyrie. she floated ten centimeters above the ground and nodded. ¡°please be careful.¡± richard left the lord¡¯s mansion without further ado after a simple discussion. the first thing he saw when he stepped out was alves. it was a behemoth with a wingspan of more than 40 meters, and it crawled on the small square in front. alves saw richard. it stood up and stared at him with empty eyes. its tone was a little fawning. ¡°lord, please bring me along. i should have destroyed that damned bastard with a dragon breath!¡± alves brooded over its first death as a vengeful dragon. it had to retaliate! richard found it funny but did not stop it. ¡°we can go together. but you are not allowed to make a move without my orders.¡± he arrived at alves¡¯s flank as he spoke and floated up. he sat steadily on the back of the vast skeleton blood dragon. the skeleton blood dragon was still a pain in the ass compared to the golden lion. alves growled. it flapped its wings and soared into the sky. the vast airwave lifted the skirts of the two girls who passed by. in their panic, they let out waves of exclamations. the vengeful alves flapped its wings and stopped abruptly half an hour later. ¡°lord¡­ i can sense the reptile¡¯s aura.¡± ¡°it¡¯s still inside. it hadn¡¯t left!!¡± there was a hint of surprise in his tone. richard woke up at once. he stood up and looked around. crimson light covered the in before them. the clouds were as thick as blood. a remarkable aura surged within. richard narrowed his eyes at this sight and subconsciously took out the ancient god statue. the ancient god statue had undergone another transformation. it emitted a misty light. it faintly echoed with the crimson light in the sky. could the things of the past sense each other? richard frowned. ¡°continue. let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± alves nodded. it flapped its wings and charged at the crimson light. the closer it got, the brighter the light from the ancient god statue in richard¡¯s hand became. the crimson light was already very close after a thousand meters. richard looked down from the sky. a vast crack tore open the desert at the end of his line of sight. one couldn¡¯t touch the ground. one could only sense its depth. the crimson light emitted from the crack. that illuminated half of the sky. it gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression. alves stopped again. ¡°lord, there¡¯s an extremely terrifying aura hidden inside¡­ i, i don¡¯t dare to come any closer. that aura can easily destroy my soul!!¡± fear engulfed its tone. for an undead to reveal such emotions, the things hidden inside were beyond the imagination of mortals. Chapter 1050 why didn¡¯t he feel any pressure? richard lowered his head and looked at the ancient god statue in his hand. it did not protect him. in that case, perhaps the thing inside treated him as a companion. he failed to observe any information from afar. he slowly floated up. he left alves where it was and brought dark valkyrie to the spatial crack in the desert. a moment later, it slowly landed on the ground. crimson light enveloped everything in the surroundings. richard stood at the edge of the spatial crack and looked down. but he still could not see the bottom. the crimson light covered everything. richard heard a familiar notification. [ding~ you have discovered the land of the ancient ones.¡± [this used to be an ancient dungeon. that was where a god imprisoned a level 23 extraordinary hero.] [after an aura revived the power of the great ancient ones, that hero has transformed into a great ancient one and became the guardian of this land.] [you can go and challenge the guardian of the ancient ones. you can only occupy the land of the ancient ones once you defeated him.] [every great ancient one has an attribute. every week, one can recruit an old troop from it¡ªunknown. quantity: 1 squadron.] [note: the more great ancient lands you occupy, the more likely it is to obtain the favor of the great gods.] ¡°the land of the ancient ones?¡± richard looked at the system notification twice and became interested. ¡°i could recruit the ancient troop after occupation?¡± this thing has some potential. moreover, the more one occupied, the more likely the great ancient gods will favor them. wasn¡¯t this encouraging everyone? the return of the great ancient ones in the second chapter has a lot of things waiting for him to discover. at the same time, he was also quite curious about what the ancient hand was. richard immediately prepared to go down. however, a gentle force stopped him. [ding~ you do not have a troop with you. you cannot enter.] [note 1: the land of the ancient one is a remarkable area. the lord must bring two squadrons of soldiers to go.] [a power will immediately drive you away if all your troops die upon entry.] [note 2: you can only challenge each of the great ancient ones once a week.] [you can send troops to guard them (fixed number: two hero units, two squadrons) after you occupy a great ancient land.] [an outsider can challenge for the occupied great ancient land. each person can challenge themselves once a week. the ancient land will belong to the other party if it has successfully defeated you.] this rule was interesting. richard¡¯s interest grew as he read the new notification. this thing was a small-scale dungeon. moreover, this station selection mechanism was also interesting. it encouraged players to compete with each other. but the problem was, were the things inside that good? was it worth it for him to send troops to guard it? that piqued his curiosity. he did not waste any time and turned to leave. he asked alves to return to twilight city and bring two squadrons of the stone statues of the undead and two of the evil dragon wings. alves was eager for revenge and flew extremely fast. he arrived with four squadrons of soldiers half an hour later. the level 17, radiant moon 3-stars stone statues of the undead, and the level 20, transcendent 1-star evil dragon wings were the trump cards of twilight city. evil dragon wings were good at melee combat. its skills were so fleshy that one could describe them as abnormal. on the other hand, the stone statues of the dead were all-rounded soldiers. their attacks, melee, defense, and recovery were all abnormal. their tomahawk throw skills were magic-type area-of-effect power. one couldn¡¯t think of any weakness of the stone statues of the dead other than swimming skills. alves didn¡¯t hesitate and brought a squadron of dragon wings and a squadron of dead stone statues into the crack. the rest of the troops guarded outside. ****** Chapter 1051 the voice came from the darkness ahead. that gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression. the low roar sounded like a wild beast that hunted its prey. ¡®roar!¡¯ the voice suddenly broke through. a monster with a body twisted like a fried dough twist, a spear-like tail, and a fierce gaze appeared under the illumination of the dark red light. the eyes of those monsters instantly turned blood-red, and they charged forward like cheetahs when they saw the evil dragon wings. ¡®whew!¡¯ they pounced over. the evil dragon wings did not show any weakness. they raised their strange, triangular tomahawk and attacked. ¡®clang!¡¯ the battle tomahawk clashed with the sharp claws of the monsters. that caused sparks to explode. that shone the surrounding space. a cruel and crazy close combat broke out in the narrow space. the stone statues of the dead behind them did not even have the space to attack. they were the long-tailed beasts of the past. [level: 20] [??] [??] [transcendent troop] richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he didn¡¯t expect that the gatekeepers of this land of the past would be so fierce. the power of yellow sand surged on his body. the sand in the passage spread out and covered the area before them. that slowed the long-tailed beasts down unknowingly. one could determine a difference of one point outcome in a close combat. the ferocious wings of the evil dragon slashed wildly. they could break the long-tailed beasts at a disadvantage in strength if they could not dodge in time. they cut the sharp claws of a long-tailed beast of the past off with generous violence. the triangular battle tomahawks slashed at their chests. fresh blood spurted out. the evil dragon wings seized the opportunity to pursue, and the power on their bodies grew stronger and stronger. in the end, they severed the long-tailed beasts into two. they were under richard¡¯s command, although the long-tailed beasts were of the same level as the evil dragon wings. richard had a lot of skills that could increase the attributes of his troops. he could enormously increase their strength even if he did not understand them. the first wave of three teams of the great ancient ones fell quickly under the violent attack of the evil dragon wings. the corpses of the ancient long-tailed beasts would turn into blood in a few breaths and disappear on the ground. that was interesting. that dashed richard¡¯s plan to collect the corpses. the corpses of transcendent soldiers were also good things. richard had an idea of what was going on, although, for most players, extraordinary troops were enough to be a nightmare after the first round of clashes. however, it would not be too difficult to kill them with the power of twilight city. richard immediately ordered the troop to speed up. the further down the passage, the more light came from the cliff. crimson light shrouded the way. it made the atmosphere sparingly strange. soon, the second wave of enemies appeared before them. however, richard did not let the evil dragon wings shake. he took the time to deploy two teams of stone statues of the dead. the stone statues of the dead had already thrown the tomahawks in their hands. the battle started, and the long-tailed beats of the ancient ones attacked. the troops had reached radiant moon 3-stars and a level 17 stone statues of the dead. the system had upgraded its life skill, battle axe throw again. the 20 battle tomahawks exploded in such a small space. that covered an overlapping attack range. several attacks hit those long-tailed beasts at close range. a scorching wave of air surged. more than half of the long-tailed beasts of the great ancient ones before them had already fallen before the evil dragon wings could attack. they did not attack the remaining few and survived. the evil dragon wings quickly cleared the long-tailed beats under their frenzied stance. [ding~ you have killed two batches of long-tailed beasts of the great ancient ones. attack progress increased to 10%.] the situation returned to silence, and richard heard a system notification. they were only five or six squads. that¡¯s already 10%? in that case, there were only five or six squadrons of soldiers in the entire land of the great ancient ones. that¡¯s true. players are only allowed to bring two squadrons of soldiers. they can¡¯t farm soldiers indefinitely.¡± the system notification suddenly rang again at this thought. [ding~ your progress in conquering the 4-stars great ancient ones exceeded 10%. the system opened great ancient ones ¡®ranking board¡¯ for you.] richard was a little surprised. ¡°a ranking board?¡± he opened the attribute panel and immediately found the new ranking board on the player forum. [the land of the great ancient ones strategy ranking board.] [1st place: 1 (2-stars), production: recruit one squadron of glorious 3-stars, level 10 ancient troops weekly. (challengable.)] [2nd place: eldos, number of old lands conquered: 3 (1-star), production: able to convert five small teams into old troops every week. (challengable.)] [third place¡­] the second chapter had only been out for less than a day. but the rankings were already densely packed beyond the 1,000. there would be more if one weren¡¯t only ranked 1,000, richard took a few glances and became very interested. that was because every player on the ranking board had a selection at the back that one could challenge. ¡°what was the meaning of this?¡± he clicked on it with intense curiosity. [do you wish to challenge the player ¡®dragon scale¡¯, the land of the great ancient ones?] [note: 35 people have failed the challenge. the maximum number of challengers per week for each ancient land is 100 times. each person could only challenge once a week.] Chapter 1052 [one can exchange the ancient points for custom-made rewards at the crimson moon. you can trade anything with the contribution points, even if it¡¯s a divine artifact.] [at the same time, players who obtain the land of the great ancient ones can also set a challenge threshold. the resources will all belong to them if the party fails.] good heavens, you can even play like this? richard¡¯s interest soared after he read the description. he tried to click confirm. but the system rejected him the next second. [ding~ you have not occupied the land of the great ancient ones. you cannot initiate the challenge.] richard shrugged, not conflicted. he regained his senses. his interest in conquering the land of the great ancient ones increased enormously. what interested him the most was the medal of the great ancient ones. that was apart from the items the land of the great ancient ones produced. he could exchange for anything. that made him think of the old white-haired man who had regained his heart in the red dragon general store. the other party had a supreme treasure in his hands. it was a high-grade divine artifact¨Cwishing scales! the old white-haired man also gave the contract scroll he had used to subdue the vampire archduchess loreinna. he had obtained a top-notch transcendent. [the players at the top of the ranking board must have enough strength. they could earn merit points by lying down!] however, it would take a lot of effort to defend against being f*cked by others in turn. moreover, this body and strength weren¡¯t flat. it only competed with the highest level of combat power. that was undoubtedly good news for many lucky players. their territories could be powerful, but they might have one or two soul-strapping troops by chance. ¡°interesting.¡± richard sped up his progress with anticipation. he also needed the old merit points he could exchange for any treasure. he already had two pieces of the dark king set, but there was no news of the third piece. he could still get eight to ten divine artifacts even if he didn¡¯t make a set. richard¡¯s will was the direction in which everyone moved. the speed of the troop increased once again. they encountered seven or eight groups of long-tailed beasts in the next hours. its level gradually increased from level 20 to 22. the progress of the guide also quickly soared to 50%. richard encountered a second type of the great ancient ones in the underground space after he got away from the dead level-22 long-tailed beasts. it was a monster with four arms and blood-colored scales all over its body. it had a lower body that looked like a horse. they held swords and shields. their attacks and defenses were exceptionally fierce. its level was as high as 23. no matter how ferocious the evil dragon wings were, the difference between the three levels made them feel an exaggerated pressure in front of these soldiers. richard even forced a few evil dragon wings to turn into sand. only then did he cooperate with the stone statues of the dead to kill these monsters called the great ancient runners. the number of great ancient ones gradually increased from three squads to five, six, and even a squadron. that placed a lot of pressure on richard. the level difference between levels 17 and 23 of the old sprinter and the stone statues of the dead was too vast. it was a total of 6 levels! moreover, there was a vast difference in rank. the battle tomahawk shatterer, which could easily tear apart the enemy, had become ordinary under such circumstances. this kind of ordinary was relative to extraordinary troops. there was a difference of six levels. but it could still cause fatal danger to the other party. that was enough to show how terrifying the stone statues of the dead were. richard, who hadn¡¯t planned to attack, also controlled the power of the yellow sand under the pressure of the great ancient ones and equipped the troops with the yellow sand armor. richard encountered the uttermost obstacle when they reached 70% of their progress. they entered an underground hall with a diameter of 200 meters. one could see batches of the great ancient ones sprinting away under the illumination of the blood-red light. he looked around. there were at least four squadrons. their levels had increased from level 23 to 24. that was even more terrifying. moreover, one of the squadrons was a long-range soldier. it held a longbow. in the past, richard had relied on the quality of his troops in crushing his enemies. but this time, he felt a crushing feeling. the difference between the stone statues of the dead and the other party was an exaggerated seven levels. the evil dragon wings were transcendent. they were four levels apart. he could not sit with this enemy. he immediately ordered dark valkyrie to take the frontline and participate in the battle. that was an underground space. there would still be room for operation if it were on the surface, with the flying ability of the stone statues of the dead. however, something sealed their advantage. they could only fight head-on. he had to use all his strength. dark valkyrie hadn¡¯t completed her transformation. to be honest, she was only level 24 at most. the great ancient ones before her were the same. a hero unit had an overwhelming advantage against a single soldier of the same level. however, the hero units would be limited when the number of troops reached a level. dark valkyrie couldn¡¯t ignore those of the same level, even if she were the boss. richard watched as the great ancient ones charged forward. he waved his hand and ordered the attack unhesitatingly. ¡°kill them!¡± dark valkyrie rode on her horse and floated in the air more than ten centimeters above the ground. the three-meter-longsword burst into fragments of light. Chapter 1053 richard didn¡¯t care about the live stream. he stared at the collision on the field. the great ancient ones held their sabers and shields before them. they tried to smash the twilight city troop. dark valkyrie held a three-meter longsword saber and curved in an arc. she charged into the formation of the great ancient ones domineeringly. ¡®clang!¡¯ the blade flashed. the great ancient one¡¯s sprinter at the front felt a sharp pain and lost consciousness. one could see the great ancient ones shatter into pieces as if a meat grinder tore them into pieces from the perspective of the live stream room. he had the upper hand! dark valkyrie was a pure warrior. she was still equally terrifying, although her fighting stance was not as violent as xina¡¯s. her longsword could shatter the great ancient ones before her each time she swung it. she could tear the enemies apart even if they raised their shields to block. dark valkyrie was like a burning hot blade that pierced into butter. she could slice everything before her. the evil dragon wings unleashed their most violent attacks with the valiant valkyrie that led the charge. they slashed their strange, hollow, triangular, long battle axes. they forcefully blocked the charges of the great ancient ones under full firepower. the stone statues of the dead did not hold back at all. they smashed their tomahawks against the great ancient ones. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®bang!¡¯ a metal storm swept in all directions. the 100 battle axes were like 100 highly explosive bombs. the simultaneous explosion bled the bodies of the great ancient ones. however, one could describe the vitality of level 24 great ancient runners as abnormal. there were countless scars on their bodies. fighting spirit shrouded their souls. they never retreated or panicked at all. a few fell under the axes. the level difference of seven reduced the damage of battle tomahaw shatterer to the freezing point. the longbow-wielding great ancient ones had activated their attack mode. that was even worse. ¡®whew!¡¯ they released a three-meter strong bow. their four arms pulled the bows to the limit. ¡®swoosh! swoosh! swoosh!¡¯ n-/0????????1n arrows poured over the evil dragon wings with lightning speed. ¡®clang!¡¯ metal clanged, and sparks exploded. the dragon wings with dragon scales caused several arrows to slide off. the damage wasn¡¯t too severe. it was qualified to be a meat shield. what satisfied richard the most about this transcendent soldier was its firmness. however, it did not work. the old sprinter that held the longbow let out a low roar. his four arms swelled up. he could sense that his strength had increased astonishingly every time he pulled the bowstrings. crimson light covered the arrows. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ the whistling sound rang out again. the evil dragon wings before him immediately felt a great sense of danger. but his speed was too fast. one couldn¡¯t dodge on such a narrow battlefield. ¡®clang!¡¯ ¡®puchi!¡¯ the sharp arrow pierced through the body of the evil dragon wings before. the blood emitted an evil aura and exploded. the thick smell of blood filled the air. the great ancient runners inflicted heavy damage on one-third of the evil dragon wings even though there was only a squadron of archers. this scene made the audience in the live broadcast room exclaim in surprise. a level 24 soldier was so powerful! a few people entered because it hadn¡¯t opened for a long time. however, tens of thousands of people still rushed in. the audience¡¯s hearts trembled when they saw this scene. ¡°f*ck, a level 24 transcendent soldier. there should be no more players for this strategy!¡± ¡°this round of salvo has caused those dragon-type soldiers to suffer heavy injuries. how can we play?¡± ¡°the moment we came in, we saw a group of level 24 extraordinary soldiers shoot people. we wanted to ask what had just happened. also, who was the player that cleared this dungeon?¡± most who entered the live broadcast were just there to watch the show. but the players immediately felt something was wrong when they realized that the guardian of the land of the great ancient ones was level 24. how could he be so abnormal at 4-stars dungeon?! the audience became curious about the person who had cleared the dungeon. they called his friends in to see god. they only captured the middle part of the battle because the live broadcast didn¡¯t cover the whole scene. neither the statue of the dead nor richard appeared on the screen, and there was no player information, so no one recognized richard. soon, the news that players attacked the 4-stars land of the great ancient ones spread. a level 24 transcendent guarded this ground. a few influential players personally sent out messages and attracted several players to enter. the changes in the live broadcast did not affect the battlefield. the evil dragon wings felt the sharpness of the archers and activated the chromatic evil dragon bloodline in their bodies. they stirred their trump card skill, evil dragon body. their heights soared to eight meters. their bodies burned with terrifying flames. they emitted a terrifyingly high temperature. however, the arrows were still as fierce as ever. they shot out in unison and pierced through the bodies of the evil dragon wings again. it seemed that the skills of these troops had an effect similar to forced penetration. ¡°fay, get rid of those archers!¡± richard gave the order, and dark valkyrie¡¯s longsword became even more berserk. the sharp longsword surged light out of her body and almost tore through the void. Chapter 1054 the great ancient runners could not hinder the enemies, although they were equally fierce and overbearing. they displayed the dominance of a top-tier boss. dark valkyrie pressed forward. their efforts were useless, no matter how crazy the great ancient ones were. she directly broke through the formation. the blade energy on her body instantly erupted when she reached the archer¡¯s position. countless sharp blades shot out from her body. she was at the center. she unleashed tens of thousands of longswords in all directions. this power was too vast. there was even some power of the great ancient ones mixed within. the viewers in the live stream only saw how the longsword severed the level 24 great ancient ones. however, the screen of the live broadcast room suddenly turned black, and that forced everyone to leave. they suddenly realized the live broadcast room had been closed when they wanted to enter again. ¡°what happened?¡± many viewers had already swarmed in, although the live broadcast had only been open for a few minutes. more than a million people had seen the shocking scene just now. it immediately caused a heated discussion among them. posts popped up on the forum not long after. ¡°shocking, a top-tier player conquers a 4-stars great ancient land, killing hundreds of level 24 transcendent soldiers with a single skill!¡± ¡°transcendent-level female player, over 70% of the 4-stars great ancient one cleared!¡± these were the 4-stars great ancient land and the level 24 soldiers. they had killed hundreds of soldiers, although it had only been a few minutes. that was enough to attract the attention of countless people. that immediately caused a heated discussion. most players who haven¡¯t watched the live stream discussed the authenticity of this matter. those who had watched the live stream discussed who the top player was. was he from a big guild or that solo player? richard had never shown his face. dark valkyrie was naturally the main character. dark valkyrie unleashed her killing move in the land of the great ancient ones. she heard a system notification in her ear due to an unknown force. that interrupted the live broadcast. the space above dark valkyrie suddenly rippled like water as she felt confounded. then, a blurry shadow condensed on it. the great ancient ones still fought in the surroundings and knelt on the ground like fanatics who had seen their god. their attitude was extremely humble. richard was stunned when he saw the shadow. ¡°chairman windsor?!¡± the shadow in the sky shifted its gaze from dark valkyrie to richard. ¡°i sensed a familiar power and thought something had happened.¡± as she spoke, she lowered her head and looked at the miserable battlefield. ¡°the land of the great ancient ones is a place i¡¯ve arranged for the grace mainland lords to integrate deeply into the crimson moon¡­¡± richard was a little embarrassed. how could he have known that windsor would come and not for the reward? that was a common problem for players. he coughed lightly. ¡°i¡¯m excited to see a hunter. the attributes of the treasures inside are good. i can exchange them for treasures with his excellency peim¡­¡± windsor didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°lord richard, you can return to the crimson moon and tell your teacher if you need anything¡­¡± her expression became a little strange as she spoke. ¡°there¡¯s no need to compete with the grace mainland lords.¡± who was richard in her eyes? not only did he save her teacher, but he was also a close partner of the ell players association that she had established. two days ago, they still discussed how to take control of the holy church empire. the relationship between the two had long reached an unusually close state. now, conquering the great ancient ones was like a big shot with shares in the chamber of commerce participating in a prize contest. there was no need. he could just go to the chamber of commerce and get it if he wanted anything. richard shrugged. ¡°since it¡¯s your arrangement, chairman windsor, this time¡­ let¡¯s forget about it.¡± anticipation filled his eyes as he spoke. ¡°previously, i happened to obtain two legendary strategic treasures. these two treasures belong to the dark king¡¯s set, and i need one. could i trouble your excellency peim to help me find out where the remaining one is?¡± the old white-haired man in the red dragon general store was a demigod. he could find out the location of the seal of the god¡¯s heart from the high-level divine weapon, the wishing scales. it shouldn¡¯t be arduous for him to find out about a legendary equipment. windsor nodded slightly. ¡°i¡¯ll help you ask the teacher later.¡± the figure suddenly shook as she spoke. her voice became a little more solemn afterward. ¡°i just received news that the lord of the ninth hell lord, asmodeus, prepared to enter the mortal plane.¡± ¡°the news of the twilight of the gods has already spread among the gods. ¡°the situation will become even more chaotic. ¡°lord richard, we need to speed up the development of the ell plane. we must also speed up our control over the holy church empire. ¡°we must spread the elven music box as quickly as possible. ¡°we don¡¯t have much time left.¡± richard¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°my subordinates have just mastered the alchemy technology to give life to machines. ¡°i¡¯ll ask her to send some of the talents she has trained to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. ¡°the modified machinery can speed up our production efficiency.¡± he asked with some doubt after he said that. ¡°chairman windsor, you have high hopes for the elven music box¡­can you tell me the reason?¡± windsor looked at him deeply. ¡°because this is our first collaboration project.¡± richard fell silent. then, he smiled. ¡°what else?¡± windsor said slowly. ¡°my consciousness tells me that the elven music box is of great benefit to both you and me.¡± ¡°is that all?¡± ¡°that¡¯s all.¡± richard took a deep look at the shadow in the sky. ¡°chairman windsor, no matter what happens in the future, twilight city will stand by your side.¡± the shadow in the sky trembled. ****** Chapter 1055 that was the second chapter of the crimson moon. the great ancient ones caused waves that gradually expanded as time passed. that was remarkable as more and more people conquered the land of the great ancient ones. more and more players discovered the revival of the remaining power of the hidden great gods that aggravated this phenomenon. the most direct effect was? the influence of the old faction among the players increased each day. the crimson moon was the headquarters of the old faction. they also welcomed more and more players. the uttermost turning point was when ell plane opened the passage to the crimson moon. players who wanted to go to the crimson moon but could not find their way could now go directly through ell. in the early stages, thousands of guilds had built two-way teleportation portals and allowed the network of ell to radiate throughout the entire mortal plane. it greatly enhanced the convenience of transportation. that was especially true when players learned that the crimson moon¡¯s players had obtained many benefits. the crimson moon had quietly attracted more than 60% of the players. almost all of them would become members of the old faction as long as players entered this mystical area. the strength of the old faction increased day by day. the gods of the opposing camp were also restless with such situations. several players discussed the news they had received on the forums. the various large sects gathered their members to prepare for the troop. these sects all issued a ban on the old camp without exception. as long as they joined the old faction, some gods would view players who went to the crimson moon with hostility. some cities that the sect controlled would even attack those players. several players hesitated under such pressure. the gods were the true masters, although the old camp had given them many benefits. a piece of news from the ell players association made many players lean towards the old camp again in this situation. the ancient gods had grasped power at the beginning of creation! on the other hand, the gods had stolen their power from the ancient gods. to the gods, the old gods were at the higher levels. they could easily take away the authority of ordinary gods as long as one revived the ancient gods. the cult immediately refuted the news. they claimed that this was just the rhetoric of the old demons who wanted to pollute the entire world. the gods were the true leaders of this world, the great existences that protected everyone¡¯s safety! however, the players trusted the source of this information. the ell players association left this. qingqiu revealed this one. these were all rumors. qingqiu¡¯s reputation was higher than the sect that didn¡¯t care much about players. in addition, the sect¡¯s argument was very empty and arrogant, and it even caused damage to the interests of many players. that also caused the players to lean towards the old faction. time flew by. a piece of shocking news caused the already turbulent situation to boil on april 25th. several players from the sect claimed that they had received an s-rank group mission¨Cdestroy the great ancient ones. the gods no longer hid their fear and anger. their killing intent towards the old camp had turned from hidden to fully revealed. one will force you to accept this mission as long as you are a player from the sect faction. they had to participate in the encirclement and suppression of the great ancient ones. the players who had already converted their troops into the great ancient ones and firmly adhered to the great ancient ones received the same mission not long after this news spread. the false gods who had stolen the power feared them and made a final struggle. please head to the crimson moon to protect the great ancient gods and wait to return. that goes to all players from the old faction. the system displayed the two s-rank missions and the competition between the new and old factions before all the players. the two camps distributed several sub-level ones under the two primary missions. that immediately caused the situation to become unstable. the sect attacked the players from the old faction every day. the speed at which the sect gathered their troops was generously agile. according to the speculations of the players on the forum, they would launch a general attack on the crimson moon in at most half a month. at that time, the crimson moon would have to face the troop of sects ruled by countless gods. something must have unleashed tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years of accumulation. an unprecedented epic battle would erupt. may 6th, twilight city, lord¡¯s mansion. richard sat at the head of the long table. he held a warm teacup in one hand. he frowned as he looked at the noisy forum. he closed the forum after a long time. he turned his head and looked to the side. ¡°karu, any news about vale today?¡± butler karu said in a deep voice. ¡°lord, i just received it. ¡°right now, several sects in solan city are prepared for war. the price of high-level weapons in the city has risen sharply. ¡°the price of food rose by three times. ¡°magic scrolls and potions have more than doubled.¡± richard nodded. the impact would be in all aspects once the war happened. no one could escape. ¡°how long can our food reserves last?¡± ¡°it¡¯s enough to last two years after our large-scale acquisition.¡± ¡°what about ell?¡± ¡°her royal highness princess tundel has never slacked on her food reserves. it can last for a year and a half.¡± Chapter 1056 richard breathed a sigh of relief, although the twilight city troops were mostly undead and needed no logistics. the residents and workers need them. people would die without food. twilight city needed to support the 10,000 people in the city. it also needed to make arrangements for the underground world and even the ell dimension. that was a population of three to four million. logistics meant generous money every day. ¡°how¡¯s the progress of the ministry of agriculture in eternal land?¡± ¡°at present, we have reclaimed a farmland area with a diameter of ten kilometers.¡± ¡°ell also expanded farming areas on a large scale.¡± richard leaned back in his chair and said slowly. ¡°how far has the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce gone with the production of the elven music box?¡± ¡°vale sent news that the official mass production started yesterday.¡± that surprised butler karu. ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is a top-notch chamber of commerce. in a short month, they have already stretched the production to 20,000 per day!¡± ¡°there will be even greater production capacity investment in the next months. for this reason, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce has acquired more than 20 small guilds with relevant alchemy technology to strengthen themselves.¡± ¡°i can foresee that it won¡¯t be long before we can roll out the elven music box in the market.¡± ¡°twenty-thousand units per day?¡± richard smiled. the results would be good as a top-tier chamber of commerce that had accumulated for a long once they used all their strength. ¡°bring all of our stock to solan city. we¡¯ll sell them in a week.¡± butler karu nodded excitedly. ¡°my lord, i also look forward to this day.¡± the elven music box was an irresistible temptation for the aborigines who had poor spiritual lives. a radio could become a family¡¯s dream in the 1960s and 1970s when there was a sudden lack of material resources. richard continued. ¡°how¡¯s the situation over at the holy church empire?¡± ¡°in the past month, prince luce has received the support of four archdukes in succession. that shook the holy church city!¡± butler karu immediately became excited and raised his voice. ¡°prince luce, from the most despised good-for-nothing to the dazzling new star of the holy church city. ¡°everyone talked about prince luce! ¡°according to your instructions, our people have secretly guided public opinion. the focus was to whitewash prince luce and push him towards the throne.¡± he was a little impressed as he spoke. ¡°the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce is truly astonishing. it possesses immense influence in the area surrounding the desert of death. they even have several spies in the capital of the holy church empire.¡± ¡°we carried out the plan without any compromise.¡± richard smiled. who was windsor? that was the ultimate boss that had to drag all the gods down from the throne. how could the other party¡¯s methods be simple? ¡°how did the royal family react?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t approve of it at first, but the influence of the four archdukes together made those who disagreed feel immense pressure and no longer dare to refute.¡± ¡°the holy church king suffered a stroke half a month ago. he can only rest in bed now. his days are a few, although he is still dissatisfied with prince luce. he is no longer harsh on him. however, one cannot conclude the king is treating him differently. he is out of sight, out of mind.¡± ¡°at present, the old king calls the first prince and the second prince to his side the most.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°has the royal family given up on ell?¡± butler karu shook his head with an ugly expression. ¡°no, the first prince and the second prince have even started to ally with the great nobles to fight for merit points. they prepared to attack ell.¡± ¡°currently, the first batch of secret agents from the royal family has already infiltrated solan city.¡± ¡ª Chapter 1057 anyone¡¯s will could not change the modifications in the situation. as time passed, the conflict between the crimson moon and the sect had already reached its climax. every day, several players lost their territories or even died in battle because of this faction war. especially after one released the faction points, the battle between the two sides intensified. they could obtain points as long as one killed a member of the opposing faction. one could exchange the points for various high-level treasures in their respective groups. the players who stood out from the fierce competition earned generous rewards. in the tense atmosphere, the war mood in the mortal plane grew stronger. on the 15th of may, everyone guessed that the war against the crimson moon would start in a few days. a few violet merchant association chamber of commerce in solan city that attracted the attention of the residents¨Cthe phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and the solan chamber of commerce. in the most conspicuous positions of their shops, there was a product called the elven music box. adele was an ordinary commoner. she was young and strong, and she did not become a hero due to her limited talent. she was only level 4. her job was as a porter for a medium-sized chamber of commerce. she was strong enough as a warrior. countless civilians like her in solan city, which had a population of nearly ten million. she could still resist the fatigue of her body, but after working hard every day, it was difficult to challenge the emptiness of her mind. almost all the prostitutes in the alley next to her residence could call her name because of this. today, adele had finished moving the goods ahead of time with a few of her companions, so she had already gotten off work early. she declined his companion¡¯s invitation to join them for a meal. she hummed an unknown song and walked into the nameless alley with light and familiar footsteps. ¡°i wonder if elena wore the underwear from last time?¡± ¡°no matter what, we have to play all night today!¡± the images that appeared in her mind caused adele to feel excited and impatient. every time she did something, this kind of emotion was remarkably high. after doing something, it would be boring. she enjoyed this feeling very much. ¡°young master adele, it¡¯s been a long time since i¡¯ve come to drink tea. would you like to try the newly bought tea leaves tonight?¡± ¡°young master adele, my chest seems to be swollen. can you touch it?¡± ¡°aiya, you haven¡¯t been in our room for half a month. you must come and do it today.¡± adele walked past with her head held high amidst the calls of the street prostitutes. she enjoyed this scene the most every time she came. only those with enough money could see the brightest smiling faces here. that was a treatment that she, as a porter of the chamber of commerce, would not usually receive. she laughed and quarreled with these coolly-dressed prostitutes for a while. she slowly came to the depths of the alley. it was in a small courtyard without a signboard. contrary to adele¡¯s expectations, there would always be people coming and going in the past, but today, it was empty. there was not a single person. adele stepped into the house with some doubt. they crossed the front yard and entered the main hall. at this moment, she saw that more than 20 girls sat together. she looked curiously at a round box placed on the table. ¡°can elena make a sound?¡± ¡°i heard that one could sell the elven music boxes for tens of thousands of rare resources¡­that was only a 1,000-yuan rare resource. did she buy a fake one?¡± ¡°how? let us hear it¡­¡± adele¡¯s curiosity could not help but soar when she saw this scene. she coughed lightly. ¡°what, you¡¯re not doing business today?¡± everyone in the room turned their heads in unison. they were stunned at first when they saw adele. butt then, they all laughed. ¡°oh, it¡¯s young master adele. it¡¯s only five o¡¯clock now. it¡¯s because you work well and have more time that you¡¯re here so early¡­¡± ordinary people wouldn¡¯t come here in the afternoon. adele chuckled and walked closer. she looked at the box on the round table and asked curiously. ¡°what is this?¡± the group of girls immediately started chattering. ¡°this is the elven music box adele just sold. i heard it can play beautiful music like the legendary elven magic music box.¡± ¡°unfortunately, elena seemed to have been tricked. we tried for a long time but didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± adele¡¯s position wasn¡¯t significant as a staff member of the chamber of commerce, but her knowledge wasn¡¯t shallow. ¡°the elven magic music box is a treasure all the nobles fought for. last time, i heard that the second young master of the mammoth merchant association spent 200,000 units of resources to buy one from the auction house.¡± as he spoke, he looked at the young girl beside him. she wore a fiery red dress and had thick makeup on her face. ¡°elena, how much did you spend on this?¡± elena hesitated when she heard him say that. ¡°1¡­ 1000 rare resources¡­¡± adele sighed. that was all her hard-earned money. one thousand rare resources were enough for her to earn for a few months. she sighed and shook her head. ¡°one thousand units. even a broken elven magic music box is worth tens of thousands of units. elena, one must have tricked you.¡± ¡°return the resources.¡± these words immediately caused the other girls to start a heated discussion. some mocked, some advised, and some comforted. elena shook her head. ¡°no, the violet merchant association chamber of commerce sold this one. it couldn¡¯t fake.¡± ¡°violet merchant association chamber of commerce? the merchant association that sold the black sorbet ice cream?¡±adele frowned. ¡°it is said that the violet merchant association chamber of commerce, solan chamber of commerce, and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce have connections. even those big shots in the underground world of the north city don¡¯t dare to make a move against them.¡± ¡°why would such a big guild sell fake goods?¡± elena didn¡¯t believe them. ¡°it¡¯s true. i saw the gnome salesman play beautiful music with her eyes.¡± she didn¡¯t say anything else and continued to fiddle with the elven music box. however, she had bought it too quickly in her excitement just now, so she didn¡¯t listen to the method the other party had taught her in her daze. this time, she felt more and more depressed and couldn¡¯t make a sound. adele shook her head when she saw this. the idea of playing horse riding with her tonight suddenly disappeared. she turned to look at another plump girl. ¡°cream, come and accompany me tonight.¡± the plump and fair girl nodded her head indifferently. she was just accompanying anyone to earn money. she was no longer interested in watching elena play with her silent toy. the two held hands. adele excitedly prepared to bring the other party upstairs to play the new move he had thought of a few days ago. however, just as she stepped onto the stairs, a surprised shout came from behind. ¡°done! it turned out that one placed the energy crystal at the back upside down!¡± she finished speaking. one pressed the sound of a button and rang out. in the next second, an ethereal and incomparably beautiful music suddenly floated in the room. adele was like an ape that walked in a modern skyscraper. she immediately felt a vast impact. the night elf¡¯s beautiful song struck the soul. she turned her head abruptly and saw that the round box had already been closed. a heart-wrenching sound reverberated from inside. ¡°this is true?¡± ¡°one can buy an elven music box for a thousand units of rare resources??!¡± the image of the second young master of the chamber of commerce who spent 200,000 rare resources to buy a magical music box appeared in her mind. he heard the scene when he was moving the goods while he showed off to his subordinates. that 200,000-yuan elven music box¡­ one couldn¡¯t even compare to this 1,000 rare resource magical music box. he let go of the plump girl¡¯s hand and walked quickly along the steps to the table. he stared straight at the magic music box that slowly sang. he didn¡¯t know the name of this ballad, but it was so moving that he trembled. moreover, this kind of singing was not the acapella of the elven music box. it also carried many unknown instruments. the rhythm was rich. the voice gradually lowered after an unknown period. it finally stopped, and another voice suddenly sounded. ¡°hello everyone, i am the singer of these songs, night elf-fei ya. thank you for listening to my songs. in the coming days, i will sing more songs i have created alone. i hope that everyone will continue to support feiya.¡± ¡°thank you, my loyal fans. love, fei ya.¡± finally, there was the sound of a kiss from muma. adele heard it, and she felt her soul was about to float into the sky. she loves me! fei ya, who was fei ya? night elf? it was such a nice name. she must be beautiful and charming. adele looked at elena in excitement. ¡°anything else? is there any song by miss fei ya? quick, play it again!¡± elena, who was equally excited, shook her head. ¡°no, there are no more. miss fei ya has three magic sound recordings, but i only have enough to buy this one.¡± adele¡¯s excitement did not diminish. ¡°i knew it. there¡¯s more!¡± ¡°tell me, where did you buy the elven music box? violet merchant association, right? you bought it at 1,000 units of rare resources?¡± elena smiled when she saw how excited she was. ¡°that¡¯s right, it¡¯s the violet merchant association! it only costs 1,000 rare resources. young master adele, i bought it. is it true?¡± adele ignored the other party¡¯s teasing and hurriedly said. ¡°that¡¯s all for today. i¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s any more¡­¡± she turned around and jogged out of the door. then, the more she thought about it, the more excited she became. she ran toward the nearest violet merchant association chamber of commerce. when adele arrived at the shop with the violet merchant association¡¯s logo, she was shocked to find the shop packed with people. and several people ran over in a hurry like her. her expression turned anxious as she hurriedly squeezed her way in. ¡°quick, give me, give me elven music box!!¡± ¡°i have resources, i have resources!!¡± fortunately, the violet merchant association had sufficient stock, and adele had bought the elven music box as she wished. she looked at the same magic music box as elena¡¯s. adele grinned. then, she looked at the magic sound tape outside and waved her hand. the ten sets were all sold. and such a scene was still happening all over solan city. Chapter 1058 while solan city was in a frenzy because of the elven music box, twilight city was not idle either. because today, he had finally fulfilled the requirements to upgrade to a big city. [ding~ upgrading from a level 3 medium city to a level 1 large-scale city requires: gold, wood, stone, iron, 10,000,000 units each (satisfied); 100,000 units of crystals, gemstones, mercury, and sulfur (fulfilled); 50,000 people (satisfied); five special-grade technologies (satisfied); scorpion warriors, stone statues of the dead, king of the imperial troop, sand condensation archers, guardian mummies; 20 hero units (satisfied)] ¡°you have met all the current conditions. do you want to level up?¡± richard looked at the system notification and felt a long-lost excitement. it wasn¡¯t easy! they would have been stuck for a while if not for the tens of thousands of people from ell. he chose to confirm. a yellow light instantly enveloped twilight city. the rule forces modified the buildings in the city and were arduous to spy on. the upgrading of the city would take 20 hours. richard temporarily sent the city residents to the eternal land. the troop had also left their posts and guarded everything outside the city. richard stayed near. he stood before the northern wall. he silently watched the private city that belonged to him. the sun rose, the moon set, the sunset, and the moon rose. the light that enveloped twilight city finally dissipated after 20 hours. richard was like a puppet. it was like one gave it a soul. he immediately perked up. he stared at the city in front of him. the originally 30-meter-tall city wall had once again expanded to a height of more than 35 meters. he could feel that the thickness of the city wall had increased enormously. twilight city was like a ferocious beast that crawled on the ground under the moonlight. that gave people a strong visual impact. [ding~ the system upgraded twilight city to a level 1 city. the lord¡¯s mansion has expanded by 100 and the territory by 2,000. the current open space is 2,050 slots.¡± [ding~ something has released the upper limit of territory buildings. you can freely consume resources to upgrade them. the system has unlocked the upper limit of technology. you can freely research various technologies.] richard¡¯s emotions were a little complicated as the system notification rang out. it had been more than a year, and twilight city had finally upgraded from a small city to a large city! thinking back on the various encounters he had had during this period, he could not help but sigh. richard calmed down. he continued to consume resources to level up without hesitation. he completed the upgrade on may 17th. [ding~ the system has upgraded twilight city to a level 2 city. the lord¡¯s mansion has expanded by 200 and the territory by 3,000. the current open space is 5,050 slots.¡± [ding~ the system has upgraded twilight city to a level 1 city. the lord¡¯s mansion has expanded by 300 and the territory by 5,000 slots. the current open space is 10,050 slots.] richard floated into the sky and looked down from above after the system notification sounded. the inner city, densely covered by various buildings, now had large empty spaces. the tight feeling had become loose. now, there were only buildings in the city, and the surroundings were empty. fortunately, the archer towers were classified as city defense buildings and still stood behind the city wall. richard smiled brightly. he would fill this extra space soon. a strong sense of accomplishment rose in his heart. that was his territory, his true personal wealth. he calmed down. he opened the territory¡¯s attribute panel and looked at the requirements for the next upgrade. ¡°requirements for upgrading a large city: 10 million units of four rare resources, five master-level technologies, 200,000 population, 100 heroes.¡± richard shook his head and smiled bitterly. he was okay with the other aspects. but the master-level technology was tiring. he has allocated generous resources to technology in the past two months. he couldn¡¯t quickly provide for a few technology requirements. he landed on the ground again and looked at the excited karu. karu stood beside several echelons of twilight city. ¡°i have completed the upgrade. inform the residents to return.¡± ¡°get the construction department to the next construction plan as soon as possible.¡± ¡°chaos is coming. twilight city needs a stronger defense. i hope our city can become an impregnable city!!¡± twilight city was the foundation of everything. he still had the eternal land as a retreat route. the eternal city was still under construction. he could not afford to have any problems. ¡°lord, this is also our common wish!¡± master karu was so excited that his face turned red. as the first resident to join twilight city, his contribution to the city was no less than anyone else¡¯s. the anticipation in his heart naturally grew stronger. ¡°go and make the arrangements.¡± richard¡¯s voice had barely faded when a few black dots flew over from afar. a moment later, a few stone statues of the dead landed before him. one of them knelt on one knee and handed him a secret letter with both hands. ¡°lord, there¡¯s an urgent message from mister vale.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. he immediately reached out to take it and quickly read it. he sighed and handed the letter to karu. butler karu quickly finished reading, and his face turned serious. ¡°the enemies reorganized the cult¡¯s troops. they could launch their final attack on the crimson moon tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°my lord, a great change is about to occur. we need to speed up our preparations.¡± richard was silent. he pondered for a long time. he slowly said, ¡°fortress city, how many alchemical bombs and giant cannons are in full production?¡± Chapter 1059 ¡°a total of two million alchemist¡¯s bombs and ten thousand modified cannons.¡± richard shook his head. ¡°not enough, far from enough. we couldn¡¯t know how far this war will go. these strategic reserves can only support a few battles. ¡°in this case, we can only transfer the workers who produce elven music boxes to produce alchemist bombs.¡± butler karu looked helpless. they had prepared for this war for months. they still hadn¡¯t enough time. it was arduous to produce enough materials. the lack of labor alone was enough to slow down the entire production efficiency. alchemy weapons were not something that ordinary people could produce. ¡°tell vale to buy a batch of gray-colored dwarves from the solan chamber of commerce. ¡°we must increase our strategic reserves at all costs. ¡°this war might be even crueler than we imagined.¡± karu agreed, and richard continued. ¡°we can¡¯t stop building the archer towers. ¡°i need to see a trample every 20 meters. ¡°there aren¡¯t enough archers. i¡¯ll recruit them from the lair. ¡°we also need to increase the production of top-grade heavy crossbows like the dragon-hunting crossbow.¡± richard paused for a moment to give karu some time to digest the information before he continued. ¡°we need to speed up the construction of eternal city. ¡°this place will be our last retreat.¡± ¡°go to bloodhoof city if you lack laborers. look for tundel. i need to see the completed eternal city framework in a month. i want to use it for war!¡± karu sighed. ¡°my lord, we will need excessive resources.¡± it would be a bottomless pit for the production of weapons or the construction of cities. the resources wouldn¡¯t be enough, no matter how many there were. ¡°we can split the profits of mountain range city.¡± ¡°we could consume enough for a short period with this wave of resources.¡± mountain range was now a well-deserved trading center for players and even the world¡¯s transit center. richard¡¯s replicated his method, although he opened 20 or 30 new planes recently. however, the main characters who opened these planes had no appeal, and the most crucial thing was the two-way teleportation gates spread all over the mortal plane. therefore, they had only attracted a few players. ell was still the first choice for all players. the massive flow of people brought unprecedented income. the lease of goods, various taxes, and commissions from commodity trading centers were his money-making activities. the mountain ridge city was a well-deserved money-making machine. he had spent 70% of his profits to bind more than 3,000 player guilds for a bigger plan. but even so, he could still monopolize 30%. karu knew this was a generous fortune as the manager of the ell players association. he suppressed the excitement in his heart. ¡°lord, according to the settlement from the day before yesterday, including the rental income, mountain ridge city has earned 2 billion units of rare resources. ¡°we can get more than 600 million units!¡± that was 600 million units! master karu trembled when he said that. that wouldn¡¯t be much in the future, although more than half of this was due to the income from renting goods from outsiders. however, this income alone was enough to drive him crazy. he would never have thought that he could use such a method to earn such crazy wealth in such a short time. ¡°what a pity. if this 2 billion was ours¡­¡± master karu heaved a long sigh. he felt regretful. richard smiled. ¡°it might not be 2 billion if we take all of it. it could not even be one-tenth.¡± how could he get them to participate if he didn¡¯t bind the player guilds with benefits? he couldn¡¯t bring everyone to ell plane without the two-way portal that connected all the places in the mortal plane, no matter how capable he was. it seemed like he had paid a vast price. but this 30% of the profits far exceeded the undivided 100%! soon, karu sent richard¡¯s order to divide the loot to the ell players association. everyone divided the ridiculous profit. they distributed the 1.4 billion resources to over 3,000 guilds. each guild would only get a few million units. however, this was already a considerable amount of income for most guilds. moreover, it was unnecessary to pay a high price for this kind of income. more importantly, they could get this kind of income every month as long as the ell plane was still there and they were still members of the ell player association. richard retrieved a ridiculous amount of resources from the ell players ¡®association. he did not hesitate to exchange them for various supplies. military supplies like alchemy bombs, siege crossbows, and arrow towers increased like a tidal wave. the strategic reserves of twilight city quickly increased. the gods sent troops that launched an attack on the crimson moon under such an environment. an unprecedented epic battle erupted. the entire world watched. ****** Chapter 1060 the sonorous horn, the dull footsteps, and the sound of metal colliding with various weapons became the main melody of the battlefield. an endless troop looked like hei chao marched toward the crack that tore the sky and the earth in the horizon with firm steps. the vast scene was arduous to describe even with the imagination of mortals. that was a battle that belonged to the gods. they were the world masters. the audience in the live broadcast room was also excited at this moment. ¡°f*ck, even the angels have formed a troop? was that the army of the god of cheng xi? i saw the badge engraved on their bodies¡­¡± ¡°i can take down a country if they give me one-tenth of these troops or even one-ten-thousandth!¡± ¡°is this the true power of the sect? the innumerable legendary transcendent soldiers as rice!¡± to the players, such a scene could be considered a dream. as humans, one could not treat the top players similarly. richard exited the live stream. he tried to look for the players¡¯ perspective from the crimson moon, but he couldn¡¯t find it. he searched the forum for a while. he found out the reason. the live stream would automatically close as long as he entered the crimson moon. he was deep in thought. he returned to the knight player¡¯s live stream. the troops surged like a tsunami and slowly gathered at the spatial rift. the crimson moon on the other side of the crack gradually enlarged. it gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression. it took richard less than three hours to reach the crack in the stream. he could feel the excitement in the knight streamer¡¯s heart. ¡°we joined the sect long ago and had no choice, but this war will be our hope to rise!¡± ¡°brothers, follow me¡­ meet the enemy!¡± a stern voice sounded in the live broadcast room. the knight player stepped into the spatial rift. the live broadcast room suddenly turned black in the next second. ¡°f*ck, it¡¯s like this again!¡± ¡°are they still letting us watch live? why do they always extinguish when we¡¯re about to reach?! are they wilting?¡± richard looked at the pitch-black scene. he flickered his eyes. finally, he let out a long sigh and exited the live broadcast room before he closed the forum. he looked up through the open window and stared at the blue sky in a daze. he seemed to have thought of something after some time. he took a crystal clear gem out from the system space. the carvings of the phoenix-tail flower on it were remarkably exquisite. he rubbed his palms gently. his emotions became subtle. windsor had prepared. that was still a joint attack by the gods of the good and lawful faction. who dared to say that they could ignore all of this? ¡°lord, chairman windsor will return safely.¡± a soft voice interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw dark valkyrie behind him. she placed her hands on his shoulders and massaged them. under the mask that covered her face was a pair of bright golden eyes. she was solemn at this moment. ¡°chairman windsor is the strongest existence i¡¯ve ever seen¡­there is no other.¡± ¡°chairman windsor has decided. she must have prepared.¡± ¡°we just need to wait for her to return.¡± richard leaned back comfortably. this pair of killer shoes was good for massages. he slowly closed his eyes. he muttered. ¡°how could i not know this logic? however, what i fear the most is confidence. ¡°gods¡­ how could it be that simple to steal authority from the ancient gods? ¡°unfortunately, we don¡¯t have much time to set up. ¡°otherwise, windsor wouldn¡¯t have decided.¡± time wasn¡¯t on the side of the gods, but it wasn¡¯t on the side of the great ancient ones. a new era was about to arrive. richard couldn¡¯t know what this time could bring. but he was sure this new beginning could sweep the ancient ones into the trash heap of history. it could be the current gods or the ancient gods. in the new era, they were all rotten antiques. everyone wanted to fight for a way out, but in the hazy future, who could be sure which path was the right one? dark valkyrie was silent and didn¡¯t say anything else. however, the strength of her massage became more precise. to her, she preferred to use her actions to solve problems rather than words. it was the same for friends and enemies. this war that affected the entire mortal plane caught everyone¡¯s attention. the war would begin on may 19th for three consecutive days. that would be until may 21st. images of the sect¡¯s troop entering the crimson moon would fill the live broadcast room. there was no more news other than that. there was no gradual change in the scene where the troop advanced until may 25th. that was even more terrifying. no one knew how many troops the gods had mobilized in this war. on the 26th of may, when the images of the troops that advanced became scarce, a sect player who had been slightly famous before finally posted a report on the forum. [the allied forces of the gods have already attacked the crimson moon! they fought with the ancient troop of the crimson moon! the crimson moon is the blood moon we saw! [there is still a terrifying troop hidden in the old camp. they are still resisting tenaciously under the joint attack of the sects!] Chapter 1061 [the crimson moon was the body of an ancient god a long time ago. the crimson moon disappeared after the other party died.] [the players from the old faction can obtain a generous increase in their attributes when they fight on their home ground.] [but the good news is that players have special privileges. they can resurrect outside after dying as long as they can obtain enough points.] this news immediately exploded on the forum. then, one sent them to the leaders of the various large factions as quickly as possible. the sects occupied a vital part of the mortal plane. countless forces still did not believe in gods or only had shallow beliefs. that was especially true for the great nobles and influential merchant associations. however, the gods were behind the sect, and the gods could decide the future. more and more information appeared as the first player revealed the news. on may 27th, the allied troops of gods conquered the first city that entered the crimson moon. corpses and remains covered the ground. the blood formed a lake in the low-lying areas. wooden boats could float. on june 2nd, the allied troops of the gods captured three cities in a row. they slayed tens of millions of the ancient soldiers. on the 5th of june, the allied forces of the gods broke through a pivotal military fortress set up on a high mountain. the troops advanced further. on june 10th, the allied troops of gods had already captured 30 cities of the crimson moon. however, the crimson moon was too vast. the allied forces decided to build the teleportation portal to progress as soon as possible. on june 20th, the allied troops of the gods had already occupied nearly half of the land of the crimson moon. on the 25th of june, the allied forces gathered and prepared to attack the vastitude and core city of the crimson moon. it was the crimson city. it was a city that had mountains carved out as walls. one could describe its defensive power as invincible. some have buried all the remnants of the old camp. in the live broadcast room, the scene of reinforcements appeared again. this time, almost all of them were extraordinary soldiers. the sect that had influenced the mortal plane for countless years had finally brought out its trump card. the truce lasted for more than half a month. on july 5th, the final battle that made everyone tremble began. angels, two-headed chimeras, giant eagles, pegasi, and griffins blotted out the sky and charged like locusts. countless races on the ground attacked at the same time. the soldiers that guarded the city shot arrows that covered the sky above the crimson city. that threw all kinds of top-tier spells. weapons like arrow towers, magic towers, heavy crossbows, and catapults fell like raindrops. one could listen to the descriptions of the players who had revived after death to feel the pressure and shock. the war that started on july 5th lasted ten days and ten nights without stopping. then, a piece of news caused an uproar. [the legendary hero of the sun sect obtained a portion of authority from the other party. he slayed a remnant of the great ancient ones!] this news even made those neutral forces watching the show almost couldn¡¯t sit still. that tempted them to participate in the battle. what was authority? the rules of the world! they had to grasp authority if a legend wanted to advance! however, the current gods had long controlled those powers that were easy to obtain over countless years! they had the chance to obtain it. how could those top-notch experts calm down? the gods were the masters behind the scenes. they also fell into madness. they mobilized their sect¡¯s troops to enter the crimson moon at all costs. something frantically transferred the initially left-behind forces to guard the house away. on the 15th of july, crimson city, which was like a meat grinder, had once again sent more troops to the cult camp because of its authority. all the forces that paid attention to the war could feel that the churches had fallen into an unprecedented emptiness. they could even casually send out a few troops to flatten the previously unfathomable church empire. several evil god believers took advantage of this opportunity for the evil faction that did not participate in this battle. they attacked the sect and caused trouble. they even destroyed many churches. it made the situation feel like one brewed a storm. richard felt a little conflicted when he heard that the church empire had sent in more troops after they gained power. the gods would not be stingy with their power under such circumstances. their chances of survival would increase at twilight city if they could obtain a trace of authority. ****** Chapter 1062 windsor waved her hand and did not wait for richard to respond. the space in front of her rippled like water. richard looked over. a scene of a bird¡¯s eye view from the sky appeared. players watched on the screen above a magnificent city. countless angels, giant eagles, pegasi, and griffins attacked. one couldn¡¯t see the troops on the ground. there were innumerable of them in the sky. a sea of soldiers fired arrows at the city walls that towered into the clouds. the archer and magic towers behind the city wall also launched attacks simultaneously. countless troops would fall for each second. the archers shot the enemies to death like ants. the scene paused for a moment before it grew higher. the battlefield continued until the figures below were as small as ants. richard took a few deep breaths. he could not suppress the rise and fall of emotions in his heart. he turned to look at windsor. her elegant temperament was still admirable. her gaze became a little complicated. no one could have imagined that the top-tier boss controlling this faction collision would be such a disaster. butler karu said respectfully. ¡°her excellency chairman windsor, why didn¡¯t the gods enter the crimson moon?¡± windsor narrowed her eyes. she didn¡¯t look at karu, but at richard. ¡°the crimson moon is the starting point of the great ancient ones¡¯ revival. the only outcome for the gods who enter it is. a force stripped my power off.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to enter, but they couldn¡¯t.¡± richard nodded slightly, and the troop that guarded the city in the picture was at ease. ¡°these troops are all remnants of the ancient days?¡± windsor shook her head. ¡°no, these soldiers are all warriors who died on the crimson moon. ¡°i temporarily revived them. ¡°they can only exist on the crimson moon. ¡°they will return to nothingness after three months even if no enemy attacks.¡± her face revealed a hint of coldness as she spoke. ¡°those false gods know all of this¡­ however, they don¡¯t dare to take the risk.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°why?¡± ¡°because the twilight gods begin from the crimson moon!¡± windsor¡¯s expression turned indifferent. ¡°how can the gods who have seen the fragments of fate be willing to wait for fate to judge them?¡± ¡°they will fight to the death for their last hope.¡± her tone sounded solemn at this point. she spoke word by word. ¡°but it was their cooperation that allowed the twilight gods to open so smoothly. ¡°the lives of the mortal plane are the world¡¯s power and rules. several lives have fallen in the crimson moon. ¡°it¡¯s enough to reactivate the crimson moon by that vast rule force. ¡°that will awaken the existence of the past.¡± she sighed and looked at richard with a complicated expression. ¡°fate¡­ won¡¯t it change?¡± she couldn¡¯t forget seeing richard fall in front of her in the future shard. that was a sacrifice for her. she took a deep breath, and her gaze became extremely firm. she had made so many arrangements for that moment not to come. ¡°if fate is like this, then i will smash it!¡± so what if he didn¡¯t want his fate? richard didn¡¯t know what windsor thought. he immersed his thoughts in the topic just now. ¡°is the authority that the gods obtained real or fake?¡± ¡°of course, it¡¯s real. furthermore, the crimson moon has generous authority! ¡°i sealed them on the crimson moon when the ancient gods died. ¡°the gods know this.¡± windsor¡¯s tone sounded calm again. ¡°therefore, they will do everything they can even if they know i set the crimson moon as a trap.¡± richard understood. that was how an open scheme worked. one had no choice but to do it even if he knew the consequences. he seemed to have thought of something and continued. ¡°the evil gods of the bottomless abyss and the ninth hells didn¡¯t participate in this¡­ will it affect the follow-up plan?¡± windsor smiled. ¡°once a force has awakened the great ancient ones¡¯ powers, that will activate the world¡¯s laws. ¡°one couldn¡¯t escape even if one hides in the deepest part of the bottomless abyss or the ninth hell. ¡°unless one¡¯s power transcends the multiverse and becomes independent of the entire world. ¡°but in that case, it would be another god of creation.¡± her gaze carried a hint of subtlety as she spoke. ¡°the strongest existence in this world, asmodeus, the lord of the ninth hell, is also far from that level.¡± ¡°the strongest existence?¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°how can the lord of the nith hell be stronger than the sovereigns of the good and lawful faction?¡± windsor had a complicated look in her eyes. ¡°the god of creation personally bestowed asmodeus¡¯ authority over hell.¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. good heavens, the origins of those ultimate bosses were more exaggerated than the previous one. ¡°then will the other party retain their authority?¡± a hint of confidence flashed in windsor¡¯s eyes. ¡°depriving the god-slaying authority is the result of the revival of the power of the ancient ones. it is also the inevitable beginning of a new era. ¡°even someone as strong as asmodeus can¡¯t escape this rule. ¡°that¡¯s why he expanded his army with all his might! her expression became solemn again afterward. ¡°even so, we must not underestimate the other party. when a power restored the old rules, the abyss and hell could lead directly to the mortal plane.¡± ¡°that is the beginning of the real test.¡± ¡°authority has fallen, and the gods have fallen from their altars.¡± ¡°great change, great chaos¡­¡± Chapter 1063 he raised his head and looked at the magnificent battle scene in the void again. his expression was rather complicated. how should twilight city handle such a situation? his gaze regained its determination after a short moment of contemplation. fighting spirit reignited in his heart. he went through many difficulties. how could he be afraid of this one? he had long worked hard and laid out many plans to deal with this! he firmly believed the tide would not wash twilight away no matter how the situation changed. twilight was the place to ride the waves. the air gradually quieted down. neither richard nor windsor spoke. they silently watched the vast battle in the void. the visual impact of this was mightier than any blockbuster or sci-fi movie. however, he did not have the calmness and composure to watch a show since this war was closely related to him. butler karu clenched his fists and watched everything nervously. he was afraid that something unexpected would happen. richard and windsor stood in the hall and watched silently for three days. they didn¡¯t leave for even half a minute except for a meal, washing up, and going to the toilet. july 18th, evening. the sun sank into the yellow sand, and the two moons rose in the sky as usual. windsor leaned back on the chair with a relaxed expression. the fire-dragon-rabbit-fur cushion was soft and warm. she didn¡¯t lift the teacup in her hand and silently sipped. she didn¡¯t turn to look at richard beside her. butler karu and dark valkyrie could sense that this terrifying existence with supreme authority seemed to enjoy the silence with richard. they could only look away and pretend not to see anything. his spirit was still high, although his body was a little tired. no lord could remain indifferent to this war. that would determine the future. at this moment, a ray of crimson moonlight quietly shone into the room through the window. that gently sprinkled on windsor¡¯s body. windsor relaxed her expression. she narrowed her eyes and slowly sat up straight. her eyes emitted an incomprehensible light. she released a long breath. she softly said, ¡°lord richard, i have accumulated enough rule force.¡± that lifted richard¡¯s spirits. he instantly broke free from his fatigue. he turned his head and stared at the bright as the stars¡¯ pair of eyes. ¡°is it about to start?¡± the corners of windsor¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. she revealed a perfect smile. ¡°i once said that i would make all gods a thing of the past. ¡°now, it¡¯s time to fulfill it.¡± she finished speaking and stood up. her body emitted a light that was the same as the crimson moon hanging in the sky. that happened simultaneously. all the players watched the live stream and realized something must have coerced them into a remarkable live broadcast room. they could still enter this live broadcast room even if they logged out of another live broadcast room. richard would find that the live broadcast was of the battlefield he and windsor had watched for three days if he turned it on now. ¡°why did you pull him directly to this live broadcast room? f*ck, this scene is so terrifying! was that a forbidden spell? that even vaporized the angels!¡± ¡°hiss, this battle scene? the alliance of gods and the crusade against the crimson moon?¡± the players discussed fervently, and they suddenly realized that the camera in the live broadcast room moved up. then, they gradually pulled out of the battlefield and even appeared outside the crimson moon. one could see an enormous crimson moon floating in the cold, pitch-black, and endless void. they could no longer see the troops on the ground. soldiers moved slowly and formed countless mosses. that is all the players could see. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°did we miss the crimson moon?¡± the players in the live broadcast saw this scene. the scene puzzled them. the billions of people in the live broadcast room suddenly saw it. cracks suddenly appeared on the enormous crimson moon. the cracks spread like glass that hit the ground. the crimson moon in front of them cracked in just a few breaths. this scene made everyone¡¯s guts split. their minds fell into extreme fear. ¡°what was happening?¡± they were about to return to their senses. ¡®kacha!¡¯ ¡®rumble!¡¯ a dull and explosive sound spread through the endless void. that shattered and collapsed the crimson moon. Chapter 1064 then, the crimson moon in the sky was the same as the scene in the live broadcast room. they felt soul-strapping horror. it cracked and collapsed. flesh and blood rose for months, and everyone got used to falling apart under the trembling gazes of countless people. it utterly shattered in the sky in just a few minutes. the crimson moon disappeared. the only thing that remained in the sky was a bright moon. it emitted a silver-white light. everything seemed to have returned to normal. however, the players who saw this scene did not feel happy at all. instead, they fell into great fear. ¡°those, those allied gods who entered the crimson moon¡­ something must have killed them!¡± the players watched the crimson moon from the outside. they immediately returned to the live stream room. however, they could only see a piece of dim wreckage that floated in the cold void afterward. everyone went crazy. ¡°what the f*ck? what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°no way, boss. is there a need to play so big? everyone in our guild is participating in the battle! you brought all the troops with you. are you still going to play with me now?¡± ¡°are they trying to kill each other in the ancient camp? the sect has invested so many troops, but that wave wiped them out?¡± ¡°is there any big shot who can analyze the impact this time¡­why do i feel so uncertain?¡± the players discussed fervently. that also startled richard. he did not expect windsor to blow up the crimson moon in the end, although he had thought of all sorts of possibilities! disbelief shrouded his gaze. ¡°windsor, isn¡¯t the crimson moon the source of your power? ¡°isn¡¯t the crimson moon a symbol of the ancient gods? ¡°will this affect you?¡± windsor saw the worry in richard¡¯s eyes and smiled brightly. she gestured at the scene before her as she spoke. ¡°now, welcome to the new era.¡± richard turned his head to look. the rocks that floated in the void slowly emitted a faint energy after they shattered the crimson moon. the energy gradually surged in all directions. it disappeared without a trace. richard felt his heart palpitated at the sight. a heavy burden suddenly weighed down on him. he opened it. ****** Chapter 1065 countless believers on the mortal plane looked up at the sky. shock engulfed their eyes. the gaze that enveloped them disappeared. in the past, even the pan-believers could feel the sun-like gods looked down on them from beyond the sky. there was nothing at this moment. there was nothing. it felt like someone got used to being in the light, and one blew the candle down. it was pitch-black as far as the eye could see. the sense of security in their hearts was like a young girl¡¯s long dress. a hooligan tore it apart and disappeared without a trace. many believers trembled and prostrated on the ground. they pressed their heads and chanted prayers. there was no response despite their devout prayers and fervent chant. no, it disappeared. god no longer responded to them! some believers cried and even sat on the ground weakly. their faces appeared sorrowful. they returned to their senses and rushed out to their homes with doubts. they went to the sect of the god they believed in. then, they immediately realized that innumerable believers had gathered, and everyone had a terrified expression. they discussed it with each other. they realized they were not the only ones who had lost the gods. everyone else could no longer sense the existence of the gods! however, this did not make the believers relax. that frightened them even more. the god they believed in had fallen! that is the meaning of this. the believers pondered. countless fanatics were unwilling to believe it. they rushed into the church and prayed frantically. one, two, three hours have passed. they received no response despite their sincere prayers. an indescribable fear spread from the believers. the mortal plane quickly learned that the sect was in big trouble. all the believers lost their connection to the gods! the leaders of the top forces felt their mouths went dry. their hearts palpitated faster. the various factions used all means to search for information about the sect. soon, they learned even more shocking news! the cult symbol, the priest, had lost all his power! that made countless ambitious people unable to sit still. the power of a priest depended on the gods and originated from the gods. it was the power most closely related to the gods and was also the symbol of the sect. god had also lost his power if a priest lost his, too! they pondered how the crimson moon in the sky had shattered. they thought about how one buried the allied troops of gods inside. those top forces also began to stir. the sect occupied generous resources, mineral veins, food, shops, magic potions, and weapons as the force of the gods. and so on, almost every industry and religion had its power. the various large sects naturally enjoyed them and occupied the rich resources with powerful troops as guards and gods with supreme power as shields in the past. but now, they had lost the power to protect themselves. they lost their mightiest reliance. the assets that had provided the sect with a steady income in the past had become fat meat in everyone¡¯s eyes. oil and water that made people drool shrouded them. the believers started waves and gradually warmed up as time passed. the undercurrents became more and more turbulent. the turmoil in the outside world did not affect twilight city. the desert of death has it. on july 20th, richard stood on the tall and sturdy city wall. he looked at the blue sky. his thoughts were inexplicable. it had been two days since the crimson moon shattered. that night, windsor shattered the crimson moon before him and buried the entire coalition troops of gods. she revived the great ancient ones. something stripped and suppressed the authority of the gods. the gods had already lost their power. the top-tier boss had told him she would bury the gods one day. it happened under the watchful eyes of the entire mortal plane. however, this was not the end. the next step was the most important. that was because the gods who had lost their authority and power would return to the mortal plane. at that time, the bottomless abyss, the ninth hell, and the death plane would all form spatial passageways with the mortal plane. the real test had just begun. therefore, windsor quickly left. she reminded richard to be careful and told him she had used a remarkable power to retain his authority. however, the ancient rules had already taken effect. richard couldn¡¯t use them until he found a way to reactivate them. she could not know the methods to activate it. windsor informed him of the news and left. ¡°yellow sand authority¡­¡± richard turned around and looked at the yellow sand. his face showed a bitter smile. he was used to the feeling of circulating his power in the depths of the desert. the desert no longer gave him strength and support now that something sealed his authority. it was like a fish came to a small pond from a lake. that enormously restricted the fish in all aspects. a series of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. he turned around and saw butler karu. the gray-haired butler had a wrinkled face. he approached richard. the chief butler of twilight city bowed and gravely spoke. ¡°lord, the grand duke of frostwolf has sent news that the ancient king of the holy church empire is critically ill and on the verge of death. ¡°the grand duke asks if you want to make a move against the throne of the holy church empire now. ¡°prince luce also sent more specific information. the abyssal evil god secretly connected with the royal family. he lost his power now. the ancient king originally relied on sorcery to maintain his life. the sorcery has backfired. that directly caused his life to deteriorate.¡± richard raised an eyebrow. the ancient king would die when a force deprived the powers of the gods. that was the plan he had made with windsor. that would happen despite a backslash from an evil technique. but now, he didn¡¯t need those backup plans. ¡°inform the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city. immediately have him and the other three archdukes secretly enter the holy church city! ¡°tell them to refrain from producing a sound when they enter the city. the four archdukes would take action and secretly rope in those wavering neutral camps. ¡°making more friends and fewer enemies is the essence of politics. ¡°wait until the ancient king dies before launching a coup. don¡¯t expose too much in the early stages. ¡°these archdukes should know better than us how to do it.¡± which of the top figures who could become grand duke were simple? he didn¡¯t even need to intervene. they could do it perfectly with a few of them working together. the struggle to inherit the throne had never been about who was the orthodox or who the ancient liked. the power behind the various heirs was the key! ¡°yes, my lord!¡± karu was also excited. the heir of an empire was about to change under the will of twilight city. and the person who inherited this empire was the third prince anyone hated and despised a few months ago! helping a person that everyone looked down on ascend to the throne felt very fulfilling. of course, this was richard¡¯s trick. he was just the messenger, but even so, it was enough for him to enjoy himself. karu continued to report after the discussion. ¡°the sales of the elven music boxes have recently reached a new high. moreover, the solan chamber of commerce and the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce spread to the cities at the edge of the desert of death through their sales network. ¡°there are almost no competitors wherever i go!¡± passion filled karu¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°the dark elves you especially praised have already become celebrities, according to vale. ¡°we¡¯ll sell eleven music tapes immediately as long as the violet merchant association chamber of commerce releases them!¡± ¡°several people even came to ask about the other party.¡± richard¡¯s eyes flashed playfully. has the idol chasing already taken shape? but he needed more! ¡°i can start the second step now. ¡°print that photo of the dark elves into an elven book and sell it at ten times, no, fifty times the price of the elven music box. ¡°at the same time, produce dark elven statues, pendants, and other small items. ¡°remember, the price of ordinary items should be affordable. we should increase the high-level items as magic books. ¡°earning resources is one thing. we have to continue to increase their influence! ¡°i hope the dark elves are the only light in the darkness where a force collapsed the gods collapsed and shattered the faith!¡± richard finished speaking. karu¡¯s heart started to beat wildly. that made people tremble. that is the meaning of those words. he lowered his head and bowed with his hands on his chest, his posture extremely humble. ¡°your will is above everything else!¡± richard¡¯s eyes flickered, and he spoke slowly after a long time. ¡°how is the transformation of the god¡¯s ancient tree?¡± butler karu bent his back even more. ¡°we have already divided a special area to preach to the god¡¯s ancient tree sect. that is according to your instructions. we compiled the teachings and improved the preaching in the past few months. we have already developed more than 10,000 believers¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°not enough, far from enough! ¡°transfer the core members and continue to expand the missionary team. ¡°i hope the number of believers of the god¡¯s ancient tree sect will exceed 100,000 in three months.¡± ¡°i swear to complete the mission!¡± richard nodded and motioned for karu to get up. ¡°is there anything else?¡± butler karu finally regained his composure and spoke respectfully. ¡°president vale also sent a message. the leader of the frostwolf family, the legendary powerhouse, the grand duke of frostwolf, has sent miss rebecca to solan city. miss rebecca officially invites you to the frostwolf family.¡± ¡°rebecca?¡± richard sighed. he had long planned to go to the ice empire. but various concerns delayed him to do so. he couldn¡¯t time. he had used the desert crown robe to trade with the other party for the ice mineral vein, but he couldn¡¯t take it over. ¡°did the other party tell you the reason for inviting me?¡± butler karu spoke softly. ¡°she wanted to discuss the ell plane. the frostwolf family is very interested in entering ell. ¡°miss rebecca also would like to thank you for giving her the victory gem.¡± ¡®ell plane.¡¯ richard had an idea. he was the first person to eat crabs. ell plane became a well-deserved [trading market] with the id qing qiu among the players. the players and the natives were restless. however, for safety reasons, there was an unwritten rule in ell that only players were allowed to enter. this restriction stuck many indigenous forces in their throats. the feeling of being restricted was still unpleasant, although many nobles had one or two factions made up entirely of players. they could not carry out several operations. the benefits moved people¡¯s hearts. the ell plane¡¯s position was vital here, especially after they simultaneously opened enormous planes. the ell plane was still firmly in the first place, which made people have to consider it carefully. richard said slowly after a moment of silence. Chapter 1066 july 23rd. it was the fifth day after the gods had disappeared. finally, some forces could not hold it in anymore. they started to devour the sect¡¯s assets openly and covertly. one has buried most of the sect¡¯s strength in the crimson moon. the greedy wolves devoured the remaining troops of the church. they couldn¡¯t resist. the forces that had taken action were initially a little worried. but the greed in their hearts rose after they obtained massive benefits. one has not countered these benefits. they gradually let go of their worries. their actions became bolder and wilder. some would inevitably follow suit if someone demonstrated an example. some restless factions could not help but stretch out their hands when they saw that the good things had fallen into the mouths of others. the hungry wolves would not let it go once they smelled blood. starting from july 23rd, the believers of the sect suddenly realized. the sky changed. vast noble families took over the various properties of the sect and merchant associations under different names. some believers resisted. their resistance became weak after they lost the support of their gods. half a month has passed. the believers did not receive punishment, but still no response from the gods. that allowed the various nobles and guilds to let go. it was like a vicious shark surged up. they happily ate the corpses of the sect. the vast profits had even won several wars between the factions. it made the already chaotic situation even more turbulent. the plunder of the sect only gradually came to an end on august 10th. the pivotal factions hadn¡¯t found their conscience. but they had divided the sect¡¯s high-quality assets. only churches remained in almost all the major cities. the fall of a giant would cause countless people to cheer. his corpse would nourish all things. those forces could nurture. in solan city, the first to attack the sect was still the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce had almost devoured 60% of the cult¡¯s power under windsor¡¯s will in just three days. the nobles could have eaten everything if the nobles had reacted a little slower. however, unexpectedly, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and the violet merchant association that vale controlled also made a decisive move. vale couldn¡¯t do as much as the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce due to his limited strength. he lost 20% of his courage. the strength of the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce welcomed a surge after they obtained vast assets. moreover, no one dared to play tricks on the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce because of the grand duke of frostwolf in solan. that is despite the jealousy of several nobles. the elven music box was the highlight of twilight city. they had increased their daily production to 200,000 units after they swallowed the sect¡¯s assets. they could still enormously increase production upon digestion of that power. the president¡¯s wrist also surprised richard when he received the news. the timing of the other party¡¯s intervention was too decisive. vale did not pass on the news about the god¡¯s disappearance. vale made her judgment. they might not lose to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce if it weren¡¯t for their strength. they divided the sect¡¯s assets in solan city. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce proposed to separate all the production factories of the elven music box and establish a separate chamber of commerce. the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce and the violet merchant association jointly managed this chamber of commerce. richard did not say much when he heard the news and let vale decide. vale had already proven his ability. richard just needed to let him do what he wanted and saw fit. august 11th in the evening. the sky grew dark. an illusory figure entered the lord¡¯s mansion under the lead of a guard. richard had just had dinner and sipped tea. he had a subtle look on his face when he saw the visitor. ¡°your excellency tai long.¡± the god of deception wore a black cloak that covered his face. he looked at richard with a complicated expression. his voice was hoarse. ¡°lord richard, the rotten swamp had accumulated enough power to advance to level 5 a month ago.¡± richard asked and was puzzled. ¡°you already reported that last time¡­¡± tai long continued after a moment of silence. ¡°i¡¯m delaying the transformation of the rotten swamp so that it can absorb as much power as possible from the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. ¡°however, the power from the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart has weakened in the past two days. there¡¯s no need to continue suppressing it. ¡°we can upgrade the rotten swamp in a week according to the progress. ¡°it¡¯s a pity i couldn¡¯t make the rotten swamp undergo another transformation.¡± the god of deception took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice under richard¡¯s increasingly puzzled gaze. ¡°lord, my authority. something must have stripped the power of my soul. i¡¯m now just an ordinary life with a soul in this world. i¡¯m no longer the god of deception!¡± his expression was a little bitter as he spoke. ¡°i could only keep my divine power for a month even if i tried my best. ¡°now, i can¡¯t continue to control the rotten swamp for you. ¡°now, please arrange for another person to manage it. ¡°in addition, i¡¯ve also come to ask your permission for my resignation¡­¡± tai long was not able to finish. richard slowly got up and looked into his eyes. Chapter 1067 ¡°your excellency tai long, i disagree.¡± a hand gently patted his shoulder. ¡°the mission i gave you is to level the rotten swamp up to 6. the rotten swamp hadn¡¯t even reached level 5 yet. why do you want to give up halfway?¡± the god of deception was stunned for a moment. he smiled bitterly afterward. ¡°but i¡­¡± richard waved his hand and interrupted him. ¡°i don¡¯t need to hear excuses and reasons. i¡¯m only telling you that you¡¯re still in charge of the rotten swamp. any objections?¡± the stern tone subtly touched the god of deception. ¡°lord, i¡­¡± ¡°i say, do you have any objections?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± the god of deception finally let out a long sigh and gritted his teeth. ¡°lord, i will listen to your arrangements! ¡°but my current strength is no longer enough to control the situation. i wish to request for a hero to help me.¡± richard¡¯s face softened a little. ¡°i¡¯ll have gunter assist you. ¡°alright. you can leave if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± the god of deception looked at richard and bowed to him for the first time with his hands on his chest. he saluted him with the most sincere gesture. he slowly turned around after the ceremony. however, a voice with a strong instigation sounded behind him just as he was about to step out of the hall. ¡°losing it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t get it back in this lifetime! ¡°tai long, i will help you get what you¡¯ve lost back. ¡°you only need to remember that regardless of whether you are a god or a mortal, you are a citizen of twilight city.¡± tai long¡¯s body trembled. he paused for a long time. he stepped out of the door. he left the lord¡¯s mansion. he did not turn back and walked out of the city. they erected all kinds of buildings on the empty land. the city seemed very busy. it was especially lively at this moment. tai long did not care about such a scene in the past. however, his emotions gradually surged when he saw the smiling faces and hope-filled gazes and longings of the people. everything will be different from today onwards. he has earned a new identity. he is a resident of twilight city. he lost his authority and power. he still accepted his lord¡¯s promise. his heart initially wandered. he now felt a sense of belongingness. the city under his feet was no longer his shackles, nor was it a tool for him to recover his strength. instead, the people relied on him. he would protect the city in the future. [ding~ you have obtained the allegiance of the deception god. your ability to differentiate between deception and lies has reached a legendary level. you can detect anyone who wants to lie before you. your gaze can see through people¡¯s hearts.] richard¡¯s expression changed when he heard the notification. damn, he didn¡¯t expect that he would get such benefits by keeping the deception god. it was a pure surprise. tai long lost his power, but it was not death. he was still a top-notch teacher, even if he became a mortal. how could he let the other party leave? the knowledge in his mind was also a precious treasure. talent was always the most important. richard read the notifications a few times. he noticed something strange. the prompt still referred to tai long. he had lost his authority as the god of deception. ¡°what did this mean?¡± he was still a god, although he lost his power. or could it be that one couldn¡¯t replace the god of deception? did this mean that the other gods were the same? richard pondered and wrote this down. he could use this information someday. the arrival of tai long made richard feel much better. he was excited that the rotten swamp was about to reach level 5. what would a level 5 rotten swamp be like? all transcendent troops! the radiant moon 3-stars bloody slaughterer was level 17 newborn troop and had reached nearly 20,000 after a few months of accumulation. it wouldn¡¯t be long before he would have two troops of extraordinary soldiers! that is the significance of the advancement! it was simply awesome! it was undoubtedly a joyous occasion for the troop in his hands to welcome a wave of reinforcement in such a turbulent situation. moreover, the chaos had just begun. a force stripped the gods of their powers. next, these connected the abyss, hell, and the undead to the mortal plane. twilight city was far from safe, although one could find it in the depths of the desert. they could already smell the thick smell of blood, although the crisis had yet to arrive. the last ray of light in the sky dimmed. the silver moonlight quietly sprinkled on the hall. it resonated with the light of the magic lamp. richard withdrew his emotions and walked to the window. he stared up at the moon. ¡°what could windsor be doing?¡± he glanced at the moon for a while. he suddenly froze. he was about to turn around and leave the window. stars suddenly lit up one after another in the night sky. it was sparkling. hundreds and thousands of them flashed at the same time. the scene was quite spectacular, and the entire sky lit up. ¡°what was this?¡± ****** Chapter 1068 a piece of news came from the northern border empire in the despair of countless believers. that was in the extreme north of the mortal plane. the winter god had vast influence in the northern region empire. he came to the winter cathedral of the northern region empire. the nobles fought for the cathedral. they didn¡¯t take this lunatic who dared to pretend to be a god seriously at all. however, he froze everyone into madness when the god of winter saw how this lunatic ruined his church. among them were two transcendents! the priests lost their strength but regained their strength at this moment. that was enough to explain everything, although there were less than a hundred of them! the news caused a huge commotion, and countless believers of the winter god rushed out. the figure in the long robe of ice and snow lifted his robe under the contrast of countless ice sculptures. the believers looked at the statue that appeared exactly like the church statue. they all fell into madness. the winter god announced his return to the world without any concealment. on this day, he shook the northern region empire. the news did not hide anything. the players spread to every corner of the mortal plane at the fastest speed. the nobles, who had been greedy for the power of the sects, suddenly felt a chill. many of the frightened people even spat out the fat in their mouths and returned the assets to the sect. the appearance of the winter god was like a horn. in the next few days, more gods appeared. the famous top-notch sun god, the dawn god, the moon goddess, and the fire god appeared in churches everywhere. everyone realized in horror that the gods had not disappeared. instead, they had descended into the human world. the appearance of gods the people heard from myths and legends in the past caused great panic. however, a shocking piece of news spread out eased this fear. that caused countless people to have other thoughts. on august 14th, the famous god of the beast god system, the werewolf god, died. a legend who had yet to become a demigod slayed this middle-level god, a fierce and powerful ultimate existence! that was what was shocking! a mortal body to hunt a god! the impact of this news was ten times or a hundred times greater than the descent of the gods! the factions afraid of gods heard this news and frantically investigated everything about them. they corroborated the information to each other. they finally realized it for the first time. one could commit blasphemy with the gods who appeared in the mortal plane. they were no longer high and mighty existences. they could also bleed, injure, and kill them! those initially uneasy forces began to become restless. the thought of slaughtering a god started to grow like wild grass. richard was the god slayer among the players. the fall of the werewolf god made everyone feel the majesty of the gods, and they were no longer blasphemous. that was an example. on august 15th, another piece of news completely blew up the mortal plane. the fortress race, the mid-level god of the dwarf god system, the mountain lord, had fallen. the elves beheaded him. this news made the fortress race furious, and those ambitious people were ecstatic. several gods fell one after another. they spotted a grave problem. slaying gods was not a coincidence or luck but something one could do! several factions that no longer fought became vicious toward the sect again. they actively search for information about the gods. the gods had announced their return in a high-profile manner. they suddenly became silent from this day onwards. they accumulated strength in secret. no one knew what would happen once one has opened the pandora¡¯s box. the flames of war in the mortal plane gradually increased. the discussion of war on the player forums became more and more prominent. the world had become a powder keg. it could explode once accidentally touched. prices also skyrocketed. food, weapons, and magic potions were even more expensive every day. the price of the high-level troop lairs on the [trading market] rose significantly. the situation was in turmoil on august 20th. a piece of heavy news reached richard¡¯s ears. ¡°lord, grand duke of frostwolf in solan city has sent the latest news. the ancient king of the holy church empire passed away early this morning¡­¡± excitement filled butler karu¡¯s eyes. ¡°the grand duke of frostwolf has asked if we should activate the crown plan immediately?¡± richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°how are the reactions of the first prince and the second prince?¡± ¡°the first prince holds the king¡¯s token and has already dispatched the imperial troop to lock down the palace! ¡°the second prince¡¯s family is linked to the troops that guard the capital. they have already sealed off all the city gates. ¡°both sides claim to have inherited the throne. the holy church city is like an oil barrel about to be ignited and explode at any moment!¡± richard narrowed his eyes. there were countless descriptions of the struggle for power in the royal family in the history books, and there was nothing new about it. what made him curious was the attitude of the nobles of the holy church empire towards the third prince. karu replied immediately. Chapter 1069 the third prince¡¯s foundation was too poor, and fate couldn¡¯t change his reputation overnight despite the support of the four archdukes. richard smiled. ¡°did the four archdukes gain anything?¡± ¡°the four archdukes secretly infiltrated the capital and have already roped in two archdukes who are closer to them. in addition, they can make one archduke remain neutral.¡± ¡°then let the first prince and the second prince fight first. we¡¯ll attack after that weakened their strength.¡± karu nodded. ¡°the grand duke of frostwolf in solan and the others have the same thoughts. but there¡¯s also some uneasiness in this. the first prince seems to have received the support of a god.¡± ¡°god¡¯s support? have you found out which god?¡± richard frowned. ¡°the third prince guessed that the evil god was involved with the ancient king and had innumerable abyssal soldiers in his troops. ¡°the grand duke also investigated. those soldiers have a strong aura of corruption. grand duke solan said that it¡¯s quite similar to the aura of the spatial rift leading to the abyss that you destroyed outside solan city.¡± that piqued richard¡¯s interest. ¡°the decay king? ¡°good heavens! what fate is this?¡± he did not expect to meet that fellow here. the fellow already lost his authority, right? he wondered if the abyssal ruler, who had lost power, could still subdue those chaotic and evil subordinates. one does not require loyalty to the abyss. the rebellion of his subordinates was as easy as drinking water without enough strength to suppress it. hadn¡¯t he already set up a trap for the holy church empire a long time ago if it were the decay king? but with the royal family¡¯s cover, why would they do this in the desert of death? richard could not figure it out. ¡°ask the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city to confirm this. report to me immediately if that god is the decay king. ¡°also, tell them that if the god behind the first prince appears and they can¡¯t deal with it, they can inform me immediately! ¡°as long as he can crush the desert gem i gave him, i¡¯ll be there immediately.¡± richard made a few mighty gems that contained his mental power before some force sealed his power and authority. he could immediately know where the bearer of it was as long as the handler crushed it. this gemstone can serve as a coordinate. as the eternal land grew stronger, he, as the plane ruler, no longer needed the void sandworm to open a spatial gate temporarily. bringing a troop was no longer a problem, although it was too far away, and he couldn¡¯t hold it for long. he thought about the decay king for a long time. something would be missing if he hadn¡¯t slayed this guy. butler karu immediately nodded. in his eyes, richard led twilight city from weak to strong. he was already on par with a god. no, even a god was far inferior to him. he would seriously consider how to continue developing twilight city without the sun even if he said that he would blow it up the next day. they finished the discussion. karu continued. ¡°my lord, we have popularized the elven music box in solan city. almost all the families with some assets have bought it. the commoners also could hear the music played in the hotels and taverns.¡± ¡°our dark elven royal family. her highness has already become the most well-known person in solan city and has even attracted the attention of countless people. ¡°according to your instructions, we have specially observed the civilians who have lost faith. their love for the princess is more blissful than anyone else.¡± richard¡¯s face revealed a profound expression. ¡°butler karu, this is just the beginning.¡± ¡°solan city can¡¯t contain the elven music box indefinitely. tell vale to increase the sales to the surrounding cities. i need to cover all the cities around solan city with the elven music box¡¯s music within a month.¡± butler karu looked confused. ¡°lord, why don¡¯t you take it to mountain range city? ¡°the quality of our products is so high. we should be able to sell them for a better price.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were deep. ¡°the grace mainland lords can help us earn resources, but they can¡¯t give me what i want.¡± ¡°what you want?¡± that startled butler karu. then, he seemed to have thought of something and asked carefully. ¡°faith?¡± richard did not comment. ¡°just make the arrangements. ¡°we can only carry out our plan when the popularity of the elven music box reaches a certain level. ¡°the current production efficiency is still not enough. ¡°tell vale to cooperate with the solan chamber of commerce and split the profits. i need to make the daily production of the elven music box exceed one million units in the shortest time possible!¡± butler karu gulped. his heart pounded. ¡°as you wish, lord!¡± twilight city grew mightier, and richard¡¯s methods became more and more frightening. if he hadn¡¯t been able to adjust his mentality in time every time, he would have been unable to continue being the butler of twilight city. richard nodded and continued. ¡°how¡¯s the production of the black sorbet?¡± butler karu said in a deep voice after he calmed down. ¡°we have developed several plantations in ell and eternal land. our daily production has increased to 60 million units. ¡°we can further improve if we expand farms. ¡°currently, we have distributed the black sorbet ice cream on a large scale in mountain range city. ¡°we received received unanimous praise from everyone. nothing hindered our sales.¡± they positioned black sorbet as the cola of the other world, with small profits but high turnover. therefore, production capacity was crucial. moreover, the black sorbet was a consumable item, unlike the elven music box. one could eat a few times a day and could purchase repeatedly every day. therefore, there was no need to worry about sales issues when the production capacity increased. richard developed the two industries he regarded as his pillars rapidly. he felt particularly delighted. ¡°how many resources have we accumulated in the past two months?¡± ****** Chapter 1070 a notification suddenly rang in his ear. he returned to his senses. [ding! the rotten swamp has devoured enough flesh and soul energy. the system has upgraded the swamp from level 4 to 5. that has expanded the range by 20 kilometers. current range: 60 kilometers in diameter.] [the maximum number of troop lairs has increased by 20. current number of troop lairs: 50. maximum number: 70. current number of troop lairs: 22,000 (radiant moon 3-stars)] [the system will upgrade the level of the self-produced troop lair from radiant moon 3-stars to transcendence. you have produced troop lairs, and you can upgrade this to transcendent s-stars. you can upgrade after consuming flesh and soul energy.] [ding~ the system has upgraded the rotten swamp hero¨Cthor (spear of slaughter) to level 23. you can level up to transcendence. you can upgrade all skills by one level up.] the system has promoted the rotten swamp to level 5! richard looked excited. he laid the plan out for so long. he even slayed vastitude of troops from the decay king and the knight god. he had only advanced to level five. he could simply describe this difficulty as odd! but no matter what, this time, he was finally satisfied! transcendent! the rotten swamp could produce transcendent troops! what did this mean? the foundation of twilight city grew by leaps and bounds! more importantly, he does not need to spend resources to recruit the troops inside! power would be endless as long as there was enough flesh and blood! the rotten swamp had become one of his strongest trump cards! the killing weapon he had nurtured for so long had finally taken shape! he couldn¡¯t suppress the emotions in his heart and left the room. he arrived at the rotten swamp. he passed through the space gate of the eternal land and stepped into the blood-mist-shrouded area. richard immediately felt a sense of joy in his heart. the surrounding blood mist revolved around him. this scarlet purgatory welcomed its ruler. richard could feel the blood mist in the rotten swamp thickened. the power inside became increasingly terrifying. it would take an ordinary person six to seven hours to walk through on flat ground. it would be a place he could not pass through if he came to this area. the god of deception lost his authority. he could no longer use deception divine power to cover the god¡¯s ancient tree in the center of the rotten swamp. the god¡¯s ancient tree bore golden fruits. however, this did not affect the hunting plan in the rotten swamp because the golden lion was still there. greed was the greatest enemy of intelligent life. there was no cure for it. the lives that had tasted the sweetness of the golden fruit became even crazier because of the exposure of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the god¡¯s ancient hasn¡¯t finished its transformation, but it already showed promising powers. that caught richard¡¯s attention. the fluctuation of life force affected the lives that approached the god¡¯s ancient tree and those who wanted to seize the golden fruits without exception. the scene was extremely terrifying. one who stepped within 100 meters of it would fall into the river of time. they would age and die in a few breaths. their dried corpse could turn into the residue. no one could get close to the god¡¯s ancient tree. that would also dissolve the long-range soldiers who used arrows and magic to attack it. they were like the soldiers who stepped into the 100-meter range. this scene was terrifying. richard¡¯s heart palpitated at the sight. the god¡¯s ancient tree emitted an aura that could make one feel a terrible curse on the soul. that was an extremely evil existence. this boss devoured the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. who knew what kind of changes would happen? divine sins were not gods. sins did not control authority and relied on their divinity and power to survive. therefore, the gods had lost most of their power at this moment. some hadn¡¯t knocked these evil existences down to the ground. however, something must have suppressed a part of their power, and they were no longer as destructive due to the restrictions of the rules. even so, they were still mightier than the gods despite a force stripping their authority. but this information did not reach richard. or else his mood would have been even higher. richard observed the god¡¯s ancient tree for a few minutes. a golden fruit happened to fall from the abomination tree. the fruit didn¡¯t fall to the ground directly. instead, it arced across the sky and landed outside the forbidden death zone. the greedy creatures in the surroundings immediately rushed forward like crazy. a tragic conflict erupted. the battle lasted for nearly an hour. the rotten swamp had increased the speed of devouring corpses. they were not in a hurry to consume them. they piled up into small hills. a group of ferocious dungeon centaurs eventually snatched the golden fruit. the centaurs used three top-tier troops or more to bag the golden fruit away. the centaur commander swallowed the golden fruit. the thick blood mist quietly faded when he swallowed it. that allowed most people to see the centaur commander. the commander swallowed it, and his aura immediately soared. this scene caused the surrounding troops to become even more fanatical. they incessantly squeezed and tried to occupy a good position. richard interestingly observed the scene. the transparent deception god wore a black cloak and quietly arrived. ¡°lord,¡± something must have stripped his power and authority. he bowed respectfully. his attitude was similar to the twilight city residents. Chapter 1071 ¡°your excellency tai long, how many planes had linked to the naga plane? ¡°it seems like the soldiers around haven¡¯t decreased.¡± the deception god said in a deep voice. ¡°lord, i¡¯ve learned the coordinates of many planes with the help of the ell players association¡¯s network. i¡¯ve forcefully opened a passage using the void sandworm. currently, the rotten swamp has connected to 53 planes¡­¡± ¡°oh? you can play like this?¡± richard was interested. ¡°how long will it take to upgrade the 20,000 radiant moon soldiers in the rotten swamp to transcendence?¡± the deception god responded solemnly. ¡°it will take at least two months. that is according to the current hunting speed.¡± ¡°two months,¡± richard frowned. ¡°is there a faster way?¡± tai long revealed a profound meaning. ¡°lord, you are the president of the ell players association.¡± richard smiled. ¡°just say what you want to say.¡± the deception spoke softly. ¡°i¡¯ve had a lot of dealings with grace mainland lords recently. treasures that can increase one¡¯s potential are worth anything to them.¡± ¡°my lord, you¡¯ve overlooked the power of the grace mainland lords.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°you mean, open the rotten swamp to grace mainland lords?¡± the deception god nodded slowly but firmly. ¡°as for the reward¡­¡± tai long gestured to the swaying golden light on the withered branch of the god¡¯s ancient tree as he spoke. ¡°it¡¯s the golden fruit that can increase one¡¯s potential. ¡°one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand corpses for a golden fruit. the grace mainland lords won¡¯t be stingy.¡± richard smiled and gave him a meaningful look. this guy had utterly grasped the mentality of the players. ¡°i¡¯ll leave this matter to you. also, don¡¯t hand over the golden fruit easily. it could benefit the ell players association. ¡°the players of the ell players association must enjoy it first. you can choose from the players who have business dealings with mountain range city in case of a vast gap. ¡°we must create a scarcity. you can decide how many corpses we have and how to set the price.¡± the deception god nodded happily. richard made the arrangements. he turned his gaze to the edge of the rotten swamp afterward. twenty thousand blood slaughterers with snake lower bodies and human upper bodies held tridents. they were silent like a statue. they stood quietly in the blood mist. outsiders couldn¡¯t see through the blood mist. they had no way of knowing this group of hunters hidden in the dark at the edge of the area. the leader was a ferocious six-meter-tall figure which looked like a small giant. level 23 spear of slaughter¨Cthor. he was the extraordinary hero from the rotten swamp. the ruler of the blood slaughterer ruled over all the troops. he sensed richard¡¯s gaze. the transcendent placed a hand on his chest and bowed humbly. his attitude showed everything, although he didn¡¯t say anything. richard took a deep look at the troop and left without saying anything. now wasn¡¯t the time to use them. however, one could imagine how spectacular the scene would be when he gave the order to the rotten swamp and mobilized all the blood slaughterers. ¡°your excellency tai long, speed up the progress. i want to see all the troops advance to transcendents in a month.¡± richard finished his last word before he departed the rotten swamp. the deception god¡¯s gaze was firm. he was already a member of the city when he lost his power, and the people accepted him. he would show enough value to let richard know that he had not misjudged him! on the same day, a piece of news spread throughout the ell players ¡®association. president qingqiu gave all the members a remarkable benefit. he contributed treasures he had obtained. one could obtain the fruit the tree bore. one must feed the twisted human-faced tree a corpse. this fruit could increase their potential. that surprised them. one would be suspicious if an outsider relayed this. however, top-notch qingqiu spread this news. that tempted several guilds. immediately, a few guilds of undead players brought the corpses over. Chapter 1072 bloody mist surrounded the area. one hardly sees clearly. they could only follow the rules and throw the corpses onto the ground with blood and mud. soon, the corpse turned into a bloody paste and fused with the ground. they threw fifty, a hundred thousand corpses. they even threw two hundred thousand! still, they received no golden fruit. that caused the guild to have doubts. they asked and didn¡¯t get an answer. at this moment, they felt like they were riding a tiger and could not get off. the initial cost was already so high. they would suffer a massive loss if they stopped now. they used higher-level corpses. the swamp has exhausted the low-level ones. they threw 300,000 high-level corpses into the swamp. a remarkable aura spread out. a golden fruit fell from the tree afterward. the players who had waited for a long time immediately reached out to catch it. they checked its attributes. they could not help but be overjoyed. ¡°it could increase one¡¯s potential?¡± the guild leader swallowed the golden fruit immediately. then, his skills had leveled by one level, and his attributes generously increased. he fell into a frenzy again. the news quickly spread through the ell players association. one, two, three, and more and more guilds joined. they tasted the sweetness. that attracted even more people. the effect of the golden fruit from the god¡¯s ancient tree also increased significantly as their level increased. hundreds of thousands of corpses to exchange for wasn¡¯t a loss, although it was not worth it. more importantly, this thing did not exist in the outside world. the others didn¡¯t even have the means to exchange their corpses! for a time, the ell players association became more united. richard chose outstanding guilds. the golden fruit tempted them. guild leaders immediately erupted with astonishing power. they dumped a multitude of corpses into the rotten swamp. they even killed more than 50 dimensions. that was far inferior. they would send troops to battle almost every day. they would even plunder the corpses wherever they passed. they would not let go of some of the good factions. that startled countless people. ¡°what was wrong with these guys?¡± it was not until half a month later that the news of the golden fruit spread. innumerable people and spies infiltrated the ell plane. they couldn¡¯t keep the secret for long. of course, richard didn¡¯t think he could hide it forever. the news had spread, and the ell players association announced that any merchant association that had good relations with mountain range city could purchase the golden fruits at a price 30% higher than their members. that caused another wave of heated discussion. it was not a big deal for the big guilds, although hundreds of thousands of corpses were not a small number. each member could arrange for one to two thousand corpses. it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to gather enough. soon, they dumped tons of corpses into the rotten swamp. richard had initially set the task of upgrading all the radiant moon troops to transcendence within a month. the deception god would manipulate and complete this task on september 10th. the system would upgrade the 50 radiant moon troop lairs into transcendence in a week. ****** Chapter 1073 it was not until something else happened that he intuitively felt why the bottomless abyss was so terrifying in the mortal plane, although he was extra wary of demons. vale sent news about the gathering of a million demons or more in front of solan city on september 12th. these troops attacked the most mighty cities on the edge of the desert of death. the demon troop had even invaded solan city several times despite tight security. that was even more shocking. solan city still suffered significant losses even though they reacted quickly and dispatched several troops to suppress them. richard was on high alert. millions of lord players joined forces with the troops but could not break through! that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. that was the defense level of solan city. however, just a million demons tore through their defense line. that showed how strong their combat power was. vale also reported the spread of troops throughout solan city like a virus apart from that vital news. they swept across the desert of death. these chaotic and evil lifeforms corroded everything. the scouts scattered around twilight city in just three days on september 15th. they sent a warning message. they found traces of demons. richard received the news and immediately dispatched 2,000 stone statues of the dead to clear out all demons within 200 kilometers. he gave the order, and the twilight city troops moved out and quickly cleared out the demons. however, several demons approached twilight city as time passed. that gradually overwhelmed the 20 squadrons of stone statues of the dead. richard realized this and tripled his hunters. he allowed sixty squadrons of stone statues of the dead to participate in the hunt. one can find twilight cit in the desert of death. demos carried pressure, and the soldier could feel aside from the players of the mortal plane. a situation cast a psychological shadow over everyone on september 20th. the ninth hell opened the door to the main plane. the devil lord commanded the troops and attacked the mortal plane in a high-profile manner. they attacked cities and seized territories. the organized demons with higher chances of victory posed a threat than the chaotic demons. the abominations appeared simultaneously when the death plane tore space. that was even more shocking. innumerable skeleton troops covered the sky as they approached. demons, devils, and undead tortured countless players. several players had even given up on the territories they had managed with great difficulty and entered the largest native city nearby. they relied on the strength of the natives to withstand the storm. it was human nature to stay together for warmth. someone started, and more people immediately followed suit. several astute players discovered that foreign planes miraculously escaped invasion. only a few were in danger. the players that rejected the aid of the natives packed their weapons and retreated to the foreign plane. a multitude of players wanted to stay in ell to avoid the storm. they even received various applications. richard wasn¡¯t interested and only accepted a few of the members of the ell players association. the rest would have to pay a high-security deposit to enter. but richard would still subject them to some restrictions. but even so, there was still a vast influx of people with qingqiu. many players even handed their troops over to mountain range city. they were willing to become richard¡¯s subordinates. the players¡¯ actions startled richard a little. he pondered and had some ideas. he could accept these players since ell¡¯s players association was already there. he would take those who underwent screening in. the screening detected spies. richard settled the players down in a city near mountain range. these players were willing to become his subordinates. several players spread the news. they had no choice but to join richard. richard raised the bar repeatedly. he controlled the surging numbers. even so, in just a week, he had more than a million players under his command. it was even more exaggerated than any top-tier guild. richard didn¡¯t expect to gain the support of several players. no one noticed about it. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. but he also established the twilight guild. this newly established guild had directly become a top-tier guild. he made twilight guild public. the leaders of the other top guilds fell silent. they had worked so hard for so long, but they had never thought that richard could recruit millions of people just by opening the door! ¡°how the f*ck was he supposed to play?¡± ¡°we¡¯re all players. why are you breaking the rules? it was unfair!¡± the guild leaders, who were already very confident with their tens of thousands of guild members, had now received a heavy blow. the players wanted to learn from richard and recruit wantonly during such turmoil. only a few responded. that startled several players. only a few could occupy an entire plane. many were even attached to the native cities. it would be difficult for them to protect themselves, let alone the guild members. why didn¡¯t they rely on the natives since that was the case? why did they have to be the middleman to earn the difference? Chapter 1074 the turmoil gathered all sorts of chaotic factors. the background battle for the throne of the holy church empire eventually ended. the first and the second princes fought with all their might. that rapidly weakened their forces due to the changes in the external environment. the four legendary archdukes stepped forward at the crucial moment and domineeringly announced the turmoil. the holy church empire could no longer continue to fight internally. they had to decide on a king immediately! only one candidate remained for the throne. the third prince! the first and the second princes were furious and wanted to resist. however, most turned to the third prince, except for the nobles closest to the first and second princes. the four archdukes and countless nobles coerced them. the situation became clear. only a few were stupid. the battle for the throne of the holy church empire ended without drama. the third prince had officially stepped onto the stage of history. he became the new king of the holy church empire. the third prince ascended the throne. he assumed kingship with real power under the strong support of the four mighty archdukes. of course! richard made all this possible. he canceled the initial plan to target ell plane. the rebellious nobles welcomed a great purge. the demons appeared and buried the first and the second princes in the sea of fire. some archdukes worried about the mysterious evil god behind the first prince who had not appeared. the death of the first and the second princes restored the peace. the highest-ranking figures of the holy church empire had quietly become part of richard¡¯s tentacles unbeknownst to the outsiders. the third prince ascended the throne. that positioned countless nobles from the four archdukes. the upper echelons of the empire began to change the world. time has passed. the situation in the mortal plane underwent a tremendous change after half a month on the 5th of october. demons, devils, and undead were visible in almost every region. chaos and war became the main melody. countless demons invaded the cities and displaced civilians. the price of all weapons and equipment related to war had also risen to an exaggerated level. resources began to be scarce. the entire mortal plane was in a tense mood. the initial structure gradually collapsed under the external danger. it began to form a situation where the big city was the core, and its influence spread to the surroundings. several empire rule powers had dropped to the freezing point. one city after another became his own master, no longer under the control of anyone. an alternate plane independent of the mortal plane and an uncontrollable city-state formed a new order under the broken order. the players called it the ¡°city era¡±¨Cstates. a brand new situation had appeared. the lords who had survived and relied on the big cities regained their footing. the chaotic demons couldn¡¯t organize an effective attack. that vastly reduced the threat they posed. the devil lords occupied the territory they wanted. they also slowed down their pace of attack. the undead consolidated their trump cards and stopped wanton expansion. the situation quietly formed a remarkable balance. that temporarily stabilized the balance, although this balance was as fragile as a piece of paper. a piece of news broke the silence of twilight city on october 8th. karu glanced at richard solemnly. ¡°lord, the scouts reported a vast spatial rift a hundred kilometers away from twilight city. ¡°a sea of demons surged out from inside. ¡°the surrounding stone statues of the dead went out to support. but countless enemies incessantly flew. we can¡¯t kill them at all. ¡°and those demons seem to have a mastermind behind them. they¡¯re heading towards twilight city! ¡°according to the lowest estimate, this batch of evil demons will exceed 300,000. there must be a mastermind behind them if we have guessed correctly. the number will be even higher. ¡°please, i am waiting for your instructions!¡± richard immediately tensed up and stared at karu with burning eyes. ¡°how strong are the demons?¡± ¡°average level 15 and above.¡± ¡°what about the number of extraordinary soldiers?¡± ¡°not much, about one percent.¡± richard¡¯s face softened slightly. ¡°capture a few demons and interrogate them for information. we especially need to know which layer of the abyss is on the other side of the rift! ¡°immediately pass the news to tai long. he would prepare the rotten swamp for the corpses!¡± ¡°bloodhoof city and ell plane should also prepare their resources. i¡¯ve given the order to anticipate the troops to arrive immediately!¡± ¡°as you wish, lord!¡± butler karu replied loudly. determination engulfed his eyes. richard called for gray after karu left. gray, the mummy hero, had already reached level 19 and was only one step away from becoming a transcendent after half a year of development. gray currently took charge of the twilight city defense. the mummy hero could mobilize the twilight city troops while richard was out. richard¡¯s gaze was sharp as he looked at gray. its crown has two ribbons. they floated beside its ears and empty eyes. ¡°how are the city defense preparations?¡± gray¡¯s slightly hollow voice sounded. ¡°lord, we have prepared in a half year. we have enough strategic reserves!¡± Chapter 1075 ¡°that would be 80 tramples. each trample can accommodate a squadron of archers. ¡°we specifically instructed the heavy crossbows, the 5-stars dragon-hunting crossbows. the alchemist equipped each arrow tower with 20 of them. and the city walls with 500. that would be 2,100. ¡°we have equipped each dragon-hunting crossbow with fifty. ¡°we had just completed the three mage towers. we can also use them. each mage tower can accommodate two squadrons of spell casters. the sandstorm controllers can attack the enemy without leaving the city to fight!¡± richard¡¯s eyes flashed with satisfaction. twilight city did not rest during this period. they built all kinds of military facilities day and night. richard pondered. he stared at the troop panel. the unrest started in april. richard had constantly increased troops and soldiers. he launched another round of large-scale reinforcements in august. the number of troop lairs in his hands increased enormously. twilight city troops had reached an exaggerated level. he looked at it attentively. a series of gorgeous numbers made richard¡¯s heart surge. crown 3-stars, starting level 15 troop: 1. scorpion warriors (lairs: 100, weekly production: 700, current quantity: 4,500) 2. guardian mummies (lairs: 100, weekly production: 1,000, current quantity: 2,450) 3. sand condensation archers (lairs: 400, weekly production: 2,000, current quantity: 5,680) 4. guardian mummies (lairs: 100, weekly production: 1,000, current quantity: 4,500) skeleton blood dragon-1,000 total¨C14,000 radiant moon troops 5. sandstorm controllers (lairs: 200, weekly production: 1000, current quantity: 12,000) 7. king of the imperial troop (lairs: 100, weekly production: 1,000, current number: 12,000) 8. evil dragon wings (lairs: 100, weekly production: 1,000+200, current quantity: 12,800) total¨C48,800 transcendent troops- evil dragon wings (lairs: 3, weekly production: 30+6, current quantity: 1,200) several industries of the elven music box, black sorbet ice cream, ell players association, and bloodhoof city¡¯s weapons projects could provide an endless stream of resources to twilight city. the number of troops in twilight city had skyrocketed to an exaggerated level with the massive amount of resources. that was more than 14,000 crown 3-stars soldiers. that meant 14 brigades and 140 squadrons! the main force of the twilight city was the radiant moon troop. they had an even more exaggerated number of soldiers, numbering nearly 50,000. that was a top-tier troop with an initial level of 17! moreover, it was a soldier with remarkable technology! forces have stripped gods of their power and authority. this turmoil did not in any way affect twilight city¡¯s development. twilight city took advantage of this time to develop again while the others were in turmoil. these troops were richard¡¯s confidence, his powerful confidence! ****** Chapter 1076 loneliness, darkness, and decay enveloped the mortal plane. crimson clouds shrouded the sky. the lightning from the silver dragon and snake dance tore the sky apart. a distorted-face humanoid life form sat on a throne shrouded with countless rotten corpses. it was like a basin of water soaked the corpses in ten days or more. the white and swollen black shroud covered in bloodstains made people shudder. the decay king was the ruler of the abyss who had once controlled the fate of countless demons. however, this ultimate existence had already lost its vast power. authority! at this moment, this ancient evil existence stared at the void before him. indescribable fear reflected in his eyes. ¡°her excellency lolita¡­¡± he finished speaking. a mocking voice sounded. ¡°as the ruler of the abyss, she doesn¡¯t even have a decent guard. how pitiful¡­¡± he finished speaking. the space before him rippled like water. a beautiful elf with pointy ears appeared before the decay king. however, he immediately felt a strong contrast when he looked down. the lower body of this elf was the body of a ferocious spider! ¡°half holy and half evil! heaven and hell intertwined on her body.¡± she is the ruler of the 500th level of the bottomless abyss, the conspiracy god, the spider goddess, and the ultimate existence who once plotted to cause a war between gods¨Cthe spider goddess lolita. that was an existence that could make most of the evil creatures in the bottomless abyss tremble in fear just by relying on its reputation. she was one of the symbols of the abyss. lolita looked down at the decay king. she sat on the rotten throne with disdain. ¡°the current you is more pitiful than anyone else.¡± the decay king recovered from his fear and revealed a hint of anger on his face. ¡°your excellency lolita! my authority must affect you, although i have lost some of it! ¡°don¡¯t anger me here!¡± ¡°worm-like lowly life! are you even qualified to threaten me?¡± she waved her hand as she spoke and stopped the other party from saying anything. ¡°there¡¯s no need to use words that seem ruthless but are useless to cover up your weak heart. i¡¯m here to give you a chance, a chance to become an expert again. not a pitiful worm who doesn¡¯t even dare to leave his palace!¡± the decay king¡¯s face stiffened. his confidence instantly dropped by more than half. however, he still refused to admit defeat. ¡°your excellency lolita, i don¡¯t believe your subordinates will still listen to your orders¡­¡± what kind of place was the abyss? the gathering place of chaos and evil. strength was the only pass to this evil place. he lost his authority. he could no longer suppress those powerful subordinates. in particular, many demons had the strength of a legend or even a demigod. those demons would no longer take their former masters seriously if they couldn¡¯t use their strength to subdue them. rebellion was as easy as drinking water and eating in the abyss. every evil demon had a vigorous ambition. they also wanted to become a superior evil demon and dominate the fate of others! a power had stripped the decay king¡¯s authority. he had already experienced dozens of rebellions. he had no choice but to retreat to his palace. only here could he rely on millions of years of arrangements to suppress those traitors! lolita had mocked the decay king now. her eight limbs must have trampled him. but the situation was like this, and there was nothing he could do. a faint smile appeared on lolita¡¯s fairy-like face. she waved her hand slightly. that wave curved the surrounding space afterward. ¡®kacha!¡¯ it shattered the void shattered. that was a scene that held the decay king¡¯s breath. countless spider-like elves were currently densely arranged on the scorched earth. they waited for their master¡¯s orders. there were also wax demons aside from the spider-like elves. a figure stood in the core area. it was a ten-meter-tall giant burning with abyssal flames. that terrified him the most. ¡°ah!¡± the decay king cried out in alarm when he sensed the aura that even he was afraid of. ¡°chaos divine sin?!¡± he turned to lolita and said in a trembling voice. ¡°you, you nurtured an abomination?!¡± the chaos divine sin descendents do not belong to this world. therefore, the evil and light gods were extremely disgusted and hostile towards them. the other party¡¯s unconventional power also made the chaos divine sin have an endless desire to hunt and attack the gods. therefore, people avoid this chaos divine sin existences. however, the decay king could see that this abomination had many characteristics of the wax demon. lolita created the wax demon. she used countless forbidden spells and evil objects. it was her exclusive. lolita revealed a complicated expression. ¡°i saw a massive turmoil in the future after the last battle of the gods. ¡°the rules could not control the abomination¡¯s existence alone. the rules creation can only suppress them. ¡°i¡¯ve planned for hundreds of thousands of years. finally, the gods lost their powers and authority. my wax demon obtained a portion of the power of the abomination.¡± her tone gradually sounded heated as she spoke. ¡°this power transcends the laws of the world! ¡°but it¡¯s not perfect enough.¡± Chapter 1077 ¡°a chaos divine sin¡¯s heart has landed on the mortal plane!!¡± the decay king stood up abruptly and looked at lolita in disbelief. ¡°how is that possible? the rules had long wiped the chaos divine sins clean. how can there still be a heart?¡± lolita glanced at him. ¡°stupid idiot. ¡°how many secrets do you know?¡± she ignored the decay king. the king¡¯s expression turned uglier. she continued. ¡°one of the chess pieces i laid out earlier happened to sense the aura of the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart¡­¡± the decay king suppressed the emotions in his heart and spoke solemnly. ¡°since you already know where the other party is, why are you still looking for me?¡± the upper body of the elf on the hideous spider¡¯s body was elegant. ¡°because¡­i sensed a rotting aura from the life form that obtained the chaos sin¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°rotten authority?¡± the decay king widened his eyes. the image of the god¡¯s ancient tree appeared in his mind. that turned his expression ferocious. ¡°that damned grace mainland overlord! that lowly bastard! ¡°that worm got the heart of a chaos divine sin?!¡± richard had snatched his authority. he ruined the plans he prepared for tens of thousands of years. he also obtained a treasure from their last encounter! he recalled how richard had become the ruler of the abyssal plane and was now in such dire straits that he did not dare to leave the temple. a strong sense of disparity arose in his heart. the jealousy in his heart gushed out. the envy almost made him crazy! ¡°damn it, damn it!¡± the mockery in lolita¡¯s eyes faded a little. her tone sounded a little solemn. ¡°moreover, a space has vastly connected that overlord to the great ancient ones. ¡°decay king, are you coming with me this time?! ¡°i only want the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. that rotten authority will be yours.¡± the decay king did not hesitate at all. he gritted his teeth and said fiercely. ¡°go! i will let that bastard know what pain is!¡± lolita nodded slowly. ¡°you only need to control the rotten authority at the critical moment to restrain the power the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart had obtained. i will complete everything that comes next. ¡°the powers of the great ancient ones might intervene. you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± she wouldn¡¯t bring the decay king with her if she had lost her authority. the situation had collapsed into an uncompromising state. another helper could guarantee a stronger alliance. she could still scapegoat if plans turned unsuccessful. the decay king calmed down. he glanced at lolita. an enormous pressure confused him to cooperate with this terrifying existence famous in the abyss. but he couldn¡¯t lose this opportunity. what if he could regain his authority? what kind of situation was this? ¡°your excellency lolita, are you sure that overlord still holds the rotten authority?¡± rose didn¡¯t stand during the ceremony. ¡°otherwise, what value do you think you have to me?¡± the decay king toned down his anger. he also relaxed a little. he pondered and spoke afterward. ¡°may i know her excellency lolita¡¯s plan? ¡°you should know the overlord restricted the rift that leads to the mortal plane. only a limited power can pass through.¡± ¡°that grace mainland overlord grew at an amazing speed. we could alert him if we act rashly. that might not be a good thing if we don¡¯t have enough power to destroy him in one wave.¡± the decay king couldn¡¯t underestimate the grace mainland overlord after a series of defeats. the weak couldn¡¯t play him in their palms repeatedly! lolita said slowly, ¡°i discovered that a god had nurtured a remarkable power during the last battle of the gods. that power couldn¡¯t be an authority, but it¡¯s not inferior to it. ¡°i found a remarkable plane and nurtured the corpse of that god in it. ¡°the grace mainland overlord will accidentally break into my arrangement later on. and then i could steal the heart.¡± the decay king couldn¡¯t help but empathize with her. it was too similar. that worm had scammed him like this! there was a hint of playfulness in her tone when she said this. ¡°i initially prepared to send that power into the mortal plane. that would allow it to obtain the recognition of the mortal plane¡¯s laws. i could earn a power comparable to that of authority when i regain that power! the other party doesn¡¯t know that. ¡°and the rules don¡¯t affect this power!¡± that was why she hadn¡¯t attacked the grace mainland overlord for so long. she needed that power to mature naturally. she had sensed just yesterday that the time was up. it was time to draw the net. the decay king stared at lolita. and the last bit of worry in his heart mostly dissipated. ¡°what if the other party strongly controlled the power that you want?¡± lolita spoke casually. ¡°isn¡¯t that better? a soul-strapping overlord would brew that power. it will not dissipate even if he dies.¡± the decay king took a deep breath. ¡°your excellency, i¡¯m willing to contribute my strength to you¡­¡± lolita nodded slowly. ¡°a wise choice.¡± she wanted to share some of the pressure with the decay king. but more importantly, she wanted to see if he could regain authority. Chapter 1078 she also needed a slave with a strong past. she still has to perform more experiments. the agitated decay king fantasized about the counterattack on the mortal plane and the seizure of its authority. that is a blissful thing. he does not know his genuine position in it! ****** in twilight city, richard looked at gray. the mummy hero reported with a cold look in his eyes. many of the demons that surged out were the figures that had appeared in the battle with the knight god in the rotten swamp. they were all subordinates of the decay king! that ugly, evil god didn¡¯t give up. ¡°increase the level of alert. ask the king of the imperial troop and the evil dragon wing to join the hunt. ¡°try your best to kill and reduce the number. ¡°also, report to me immediately if you find a superhero!¡± gray replied respectfully. confidence filled this mummy hero despite the power of the enemy. one wouldn¡¯t say the city defense construction of twilight city during this period is exaggerated. that is how they deal with danger. war was a battlefield for the soldiers! ¡°inform tai long. tell him to open the spatial rift that leads to the rotten swamp on the path of the demon troop.¡± no demon could resist the temptation of fresh blood. it was time for the rotten swamp to perform. ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± a remarkable emotion rose in richard¡¯s heart. he turned his head to the north. that was where the land of quicksand was. the eternal land is also here. the eternal land called him. ¡°what happened?¡± richard waved his hand for gray to go down and make arrangements. he pondered. the surrounding space rippled and disappeared from the spot. in the next second, richard floated in the air of the eternal land. he lowered his head and looked down. he could no longer see the end of his line of sight. the continuous devouring of the naga plane¡¯s spatial power had caused the eternal land to expand more than a hundred kilometers over the past half year. that was initially only a thousand meters wide. one could recognize it as a genuine plane. richard could immediately receive the immense power of the eternal land to strengthen his body upon entry. the power of the entire plane was now under his control. he was the master of this plane, the only ruler. richard took a deep breath. he was in a good mood. he could use the eternal land as a trump card for critical moments. he returned to his senses. he set his gaze on the strange area. that was the center of the eternal land. he immediately descended to the ground. a figure sat cross-legged in front of him. the figure emitted an extremely terrifying aura fluctuation. richard could feel the other party¡¯s threatening sharpness and monstrous fighting spirit even with the protection of the planar power. an ancient war god stared at him. xina. he snatched from the spider queen lolita a divine corpse with strong battle intent. he gave this to xina a few months ago. the gods nurtured the fighting spirit, and xina fused with it. richard expected the results to come out in one or two months. the fusion process took much longer than he had imagined. one hasn¡¯t declared a winner in this battle that lasted four to five months. the willpower required to fuse with that fighting spirit was beyond the imagination of mortals. but now, the strange movements of the eternal land told him that the fusion would soon end. success or failure was about to be revealed. the vast reaction in the eternal land showed how extraordinary this fighting spirit was. richard silently observed xina. the lady veteran closed her eyes. she waited to break out of her cocoon and become a butterfly. she waited from dawn until the night fell. she waited until the demon troop was already ten kilometers from twilight city. a cracking sound echoed in her soul. xina sat cross-legged on the ground. she soon opened her eyes. a golden light radiated from her body. a sun rose in the entire eternal land. a blinding light shone in the sky. then, xina floated up into the air. the blood-colored armor on her body transformed into a pure golden color. golden dragon scales grew on the dragon-slaying sword in her hand. it dazzled and exuded a suffocating killing intent. a pressure surged and swept in all directions. the residents built the eternal land. they suddenly felt a bloody battlefield where millions of soldiers fought each other. the terrifying fighting spirit made them tremble, and many of them collapsed to the ground. this process lasted for ten minutes. the pressure gradually dissipated. xina regained her soul. her initially cold, lifeless face appeared lively. the fearless warrior landed on the ground. xina looked at richard in front of her. her face revealed joy that flowed from the bottom of her heart. she knelt on one knee in excitement. ¡°lord, i succeeded!¡± richard heard a notification afterward. [ding~ xina has successfully fused with the golden fighting spirit. she has completed the transformation. the system has upgraded her status from hero to boss.] [ding~ xina has successfully fused with the golden fighting spirit. she has leveled up to 24 and obtained a remarkable extraordinary attribute: until death.] a hint of surprise flashed across richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°good heavens, the transformation has reinforced xina!¡± that was something he had never expected. it was okay to move from ordinary to advanced. and then to the hero level. but it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens to advance from a hero to a boss level. ¡°that golden fighting spirit was awesome!¡± he was about to open xina¡¯s attribute panel. another notification sounded in his ear. [ding~ the god¡¯s ancient tree has successfully swallowed the main body of the greed lord. it has absorbed the power of the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. it has completed the final transformation and reinforced into a unique life form¨Csin.] [ding~ the god¡¯s ancient tree has leveled to level 26. that will activate the legendary characteristic.] that startled richard. a monumental surprise floated in his heart. xina and the god¡¯s ancient tree completed the transformation on the same day. moreover, xina¡¯s level had reached 26! richard¡¯s heart trembled afterward. ¡°a legend!¡± he finally had the ultimate existence he had dreamed of! he opened the attribute panel of xina and treebeard. an incomparable anticipation rose in his heart. Chapter 1079 richard looked at the two bosses and their attributes. his mood was indescribable. this wave was awesome! a level 24 transcendent and a level 26 legendary! they no longer needed to borrow the power of windsor, the crimson lord. one could not bully the new overlord, and twilight city could tell everyone! the ell plane in the underground world was the strategic foundation of twilight city. the elven music box and the black sorbet ice cream were the resources of twilight city. they had replenished the top-notch strategic forces. that was the most lacking link. twilight city lost its weakness. richard had several high-level troops in his hands. the industrial chain had already taken shape if he wanted money. he would rule over twilight city, the underworld, and ell. windsor, the grand duke of frostwolf archduke solan, and even the holy church empire, which had just changed its king, were all part of its tentacles. the trap he had set up for so long had finally formed the momentum to slay the dragon. each of these tentacles could bring unimaginable returns to twilight city. richard checked their attributes. he heard the sound of wings flapping behind him. two stone statues of the dead flew over. he was about to stabilize his body. the sound invaded his ears already. ¡°lord, urgent report! the demon troop has already closed in on us and has prepared to attack the city! ¡°at least five transcendents joined that troop. guardian gray said that they are the subordinates of the spider goddess lolita. the leader was the wax demon!¡± ¡°wax demon?¡± richard turned his head to look at the two stone statues of the dead. he frowned. ¡°that demon involved lolita?¡± he had always been on high alert against the famous conspiracy god. he once instigated a war between gods. there was no news from the other party for a long time. it was still the same. he had snatched the golden divine body that contained a remarkable fighting spirit from the other party. would the conspiracy god suffer such a huge loss? a power had stripped her authority. how could this famous ultimate boss of the evil faction be like an ordinary evil god? it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he would rather face the combination of the five decay kings than lolita. however, one¡¯s will could never change the situation. the other party had already appeared. what he should think about now was not how powerful the other party was. he has to think about how to hunt this illustrious existence. ¡°so what if it¡¯s lolita? could she not bleed? i could kill her!¡± he wanted to see how strong the other party could still be after she lost her authority! xina heard the name lolita. she moved her eyes moved slightly. a thoughtful look appeared on her face. lord, i¡¯m afraid lolita is coming for me.¡± ¡°you?¡± richard narrowed his eyes and immediately realized the key. ¡°the golden fighting spirit?¡± naturally, xina couldn¡¯t have any grudges against lolita. the only thing that this ultimate boss was interested in was the golden fighting spirit. the golden fighting spirit has no attribute buffs. the characteristic of not being bound by rules had a lot of room for development. he didn¡¯t know how to use it. it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine. moreover, the coming of lolita confirmed the preciousness of this golden fighting spirit. that is if lolita came for this. ¡°that¡¯s right. i used that fighting spirit. i also obtained a portion of the original god¡¯s memories. ¡°the golden god left the memory.¡± ¡°it recorded how lolita collected her body after she died in battle, and one placed it in a special plane. she also used several divine bodies to nurture the golden fighting spirit.¡± ¡°the spider goddess has put in so much effort. she couldn¡¯t be in vain. lord, if i¡¯m not wrong, we must be her targets.¡± richard nodded thoughtfully. that was in line with the god of conspiracy¡¯s way of doing things. ¡°does lolita still have control over this fighting spirit?¡± ¡°i initially had some backup plans, but i cut them off after i fused with them.¡± a hint of pride flashed on xina¡¯s face. ¡°she doesn¡¯t know how powerful this fighting spirit is! that is a will born from countless deaths and destruction. it is a power that has transcended laws and authority!¡± ¡°more importantly, i haven¡¯t absorbed the fighting spirit this past few months. instead, i¡¯ve transformed it into a power that suits me! ¡°the golden god no longer brewed this fighting spirit. xina¡¯s fighting spirit!¡± a cold glint flickered in her eyes as she spoke in a deep voice. ¡°lord, let my sharp sword cut through the thorns for you!¡± ¡°i will use the longsword in my hand to kill lolita!¡± the death of lolita was something that countless righteous people did not even dare to think about. even the gods didn¡¯t dare to have such a thought. for countless years, no one could leave a scar on the god of conspiracy. even in the most chaotic war of gods! the god of conspiracy, lolita, was just oppressive. but xina was fearless! what the predecessors couldn¡¯t do, she did! she killed the gods that others couldn¡¯t kill! richard looked at the warrior with eyes as firm as mountains with admiration. that was what he wanted. how could he lead the charge if a warrior isn¡¯t fearless? he nodded slowly. alright. i¡¯ll leave lolita to you if she appears.¡± ¡°the gods have lost their authority. there¡¯s no better time to hunt than now¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s time for that evil existence that has committed countless crimes to welcome its destruction.¡± Chapter 1080 richard didn¡¯t waste time and returned to twilight city with xina. xina¡¯s armor had turned pure gold. they went straight to the city wall and looked into the distance. an exaggerated scene reflected in their pupils. countless corrupted fallen demons, alchemist demons, bewitching demons, and other demons in the infernal realm had formed a black tide. they surged over with unstoppable momentum. the stench and rotten flesh and sulfur filled the air. twilight city faced a multitude of demons. they also counterattacked. the stone statues of the dead, the king of the imperial troop, and even the evil dragon wings in the sky, the king of melee combat, used all their flying advantage to attack. however, there were simply too many demons. they were like grains of sand in a sandstorm, impossible to count. one considers the combat power of the top-tier soldiers of twilight city destructive. but they were unable to stop the other party from advancing. richard looked around and found these rotten demons were all level 15 and above. moreover, their vitality was tenacious. one could tear a demon in half, but this demon could still crawl for more than a hundred meters. it was arduous to deal with. richard frowned at a rough glance. the rules of the desert of death restricted the demons. that was the only good news. it would easily fall into a strange state and fly away once it rose into the air. it could not form a scale. but even so, the endless demon troops on the ground still gave off an intense sense of oppression. ¡°lord.¡± gray saluted richard at once. ¡°what about those transcendent demons?¡± richard looked around but did not find the wax demon. ¡°he hides among the demon troop. the wax demons are very cunning. their numbers are far more than the five we found.¡± richard frowned. ¡°stay alert. we can¡¯t relax at all!¡± he finished speaking. the surrounding space rippled like water, and a few figures stepped out. ¡°lord¡­¡± ¡°lord¡­¡± the vampire archduchess loreinna, the centaur emily, and the dark soul eater kratos also appeared from the void. richard¡¯s expression softened a little when he saw them. twilight city was no longer the same as before. two gods have besieged the city, but richard still has trump cards to protect it. ¡°wait for the order.¡± he gave a simple order. he turned to look outside the city. he frowned slightly. he slowly extended his right hand. a spatial power surged and spread out. in the next second, something slowly split the space apart in front of the city wall among the dense demons. a 100-meter-long crack appeared on the path of the enemy¡¯s charge. richard had a powerful trump card in the rotten swamp. one could see the blood-colored mist floating inside through the spatial rift. the thick smell of blood surged out. that agitated the half-crazy demons. several demons unhesitatingly changed directions to rush into the crack. richard ordered the demon-hunting troop to drive the demons into the rotten swamp. the demons were also very cooperative. no, they even changed their direction to an extent. something must have attracted them. richard¡¯s eyes were sharp. they even noticed that several supernatural auras had disappeared in front of the crack in a flash. ¡°the wax demon has entered¡­¡± the news that he had caught made him vigilant. ¡°what does lolita want to do?¡± what was there in the rotten swamp that attracted them? is the golden fruit? no, the golden fruit couldn¡¯t tempt lolita. an ancient boss couldn¡¯t come down. the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart! richard found the key at once. it was impossible for an ancient evil god like lolita to not know about the chaos divine sin. even the kobold god wanted to plot against her. let alone an ultimate existence like her. so, not only did the other party want to eat the golden fighting spirit, but she also set her eyes on the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. ¡°really¡­ what a big appetite!¡± she didn¡¯t take him seriously at all. ¡°she wants to snatch it, then let her go.¡± richard¡¯s gaze was playful. ¡°inform tai long to let go of the restrictions on the other planes. many races will fight against the demons together. isn¡¯t this a common story in myths and legends?¡± the deception god received the instruction and swiftly took action. the thick mist of the rotten swamp faded a little. the spatial rift leading to the naga plane welcomed a wave of expansion. that soul-stirring allure became even more exaggerated. the number of troops that surged out from dozens of dimensions skyrocketed. the demons that charged into the rotten swamp clashed with the enemies. a fierce battle suddenly erupted. the god¡¯s ancient tree had transformed. the golden fruit brought a temptation that increased tremendously. moreover, it could lower one¡¯s willpower. the golden lion and tai long didn¡¯t even need to do anything to cause a violent conflict. the battlefield instantly turned into a battle between dozens of planes and demons. the corpse fell at an exaggerated speed. as the situation fell into a stalemate, transcendent monsters with bodies that melted like candles stood out. lolita created the wax demon. his body turned into a pool of wriggling wax water. it surged into the rotten swamp. demons and dimensional lifeforms would turn into wax statues wherever they passed before they melted and merged into the wax water. Chapter 1081 six transcendent wax demons attacked. they quickly tore the formation of the dimensional troop apart. they left the core position and went straight to the golden fruit. richard used the small spatial gate in the eternal land to connect to the naga plane. he sensed everything through the rotten swamp. a strange expression appeared on his face when he saw this scene. these demons had never fought so bravely before. their final goal was the god¡¯s ancient tree. he felt like he courted death no matter how he looked at it. the wax demons also sensed that something was wrong. they stopped and waited for the demon troop behind them to rush over. then, they let the demons charge first. the chaotic evil demons did not care about this. they could not stand the temptation of the golden fruit anymore. they immediately rushed toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard expected that the evil demons would approach the abomination tree. that would strip their vitality and turn them into rotting corpses like the creatures from the previous plane. but this scene did not happen. the demons got close, and dozens of vast roots exploded from the ground. these veins slaughtered them like a meat grinder. these demons were all top-tier soldiers above level 15. they were first-class mighty existences in the eyes of the players outside. however, they were as weak as grass before the level 26 god¡¯s ancient tree. blood exploded and flew everywhere as the roots twisted. broken limbs scattered all over the ground. getting close to the god¡¯s ancient tree had become an extravagant hope. such power made the wax demons relax a little. the most terrifying thing was the unknown danger. one would have a way to deal with even with the mightiest power. on the 333rd floor of the bottomless abyss, spider goddess lolita and the decay king stared at the void ahead. this void revealed a battlefield scene in the rotten swamp. the two judged the overall situation despite the revelation. however, the blood-colored mist blurred the scene. the decay king immediately gritted his teeth at the sight of the ferocious god¡¯s ancient tree. especially the rotting smell on the tree roots, it made him explode. ¡°this damned bastard!!¡± ¡°your excellency lolita, this abomination tree has the rotten authority¡­ moreover, this wisp of authority is still active!¡± that agitated lolita more than the decay king. ¡°abominations, existences that don¡¯t belong to this world, can be exempted from the restrictions of the rules!!¡± ¡°hahahaha!¡± ¡°what did this mean?¡± she had nurtured the abominations in advance, which was an extremely correct killing move! didn¡¯t the delay in the transformation into an abomination of the wax demon mean becoming the only ruler in the twilight of the gods power above the gods if she could quickly do it? how beneficial was this to the current environment? she would grasp this opportunity, and the entire ¡°shining era¡¯s¡± multiplanes would become her territory. she could become the ruler of the entire world. it was even possible for her to take a step further and become the new creation, god! ¡°decay king, you control that wisp of authority. you should know your strength better than me. ¡°i will capture this abomination!¡± rose finished speaking, and that shocked the decay king. the conspiracy god will participate? ¡®was the value of this abomination that high?¡¯ that thought bewildered the decay king. he saw a broken statue appear in lolita¡¯s hand. it emitted an aura that made him tremble. ¡°the power of the great ancient ones. your excellency lolita, you, you¡­¡± lolita narrowed her eyes. ¡°the great ancient ones target authority alone. we can still use this power. the king of the gods left this statue, the crimson moon. that is the power closest to the laws. ¡°we can suppress the abomination tree for a while. ¡°this time, failure is not allowed! ¡°we will receive unprecedented rewards if we succeed!¡± the decay king spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°but that grace mainland overlord is related to the great ancient ones! ¡°i know better than what the great ancient ones are planning!¡± lolita¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°but do you think grace mainland overlor can order the ancient gods to work for him? ¡°heh. those lunatics who only want to restore the old situation hate the abominations ten thousand times more than i do!¡± ¡°the remnants of the abominations caused more harm to the ancient gods than you can imagine. it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say it would have been impossible for the gods to snatch the power if it weren¡¯t for the abominations.¡± only then did the decay king regain his confidence. ¡®who was lolita? if such a final realm existence dared to be so confident, this wave was definitely in the bag!¡¯ Chapter 1082 the demons and the god¡¯s ancient tree fought in the rotten swamp. the ferocious evil demons couldn¡¯t break through the death storm treebeard had raised. a razorblade spun like crazy in the scene. broken limbs scattered all over the sky like raindrops. it was bloody and terrifying. the demons¡¯ attacks couldn¡¯t yield. that didn¡¯t scare wax demons¡¯ emotions. new figures appeared beside the wax demons a few minutes later. transcendent wax demons appeared at the count of three. the situation immediately became restless. the demons¡¯ attacks increased significantly. richard was confident but couldn¡¯t help but feel a little solemn when he saw this. the power above the extraordinary was nothing to the gods with authority. however, transcendents were no longer cannon fodder that one could abandon at any time after they lost authority. transcendents were still mini-bosses even in the bottomless abyss, where martial strength was ridiculously high. the other party had sent out more than 20 transcendent wax demons. they had placed a heavy bet. perhaps legends and even demigods would have arrived if it weren¡¯t for the mortal plane still restricting the passage of powers above extraordinary, the number of wax demons did not stop when it reached 20. instead, it continued to increase. soon, it exceeded 30. richard looked at the row of transcendents and felt a little dizzy. that was a f*cking transcendent! in the mortal plane, which transcendent wasn¡¯t the pillar of a prime force? some ordinary forces relied on transcendents the most! a year ago, transcendents were like nuclear weapons to twilight city. but now, they appeared in batches! it had caused him quite a shock. how much had these ancient bosses existed for millions of years, accumulated? that was far from the other party¡¯s extreme evil. richard suddenly thought of the incomparably bright starry sky that day. the current mortal plane would be even more chaotic if something had not shattered the divine kingdoms of the gods. fortunately, the foundation the gods had accumulated over countless years had turned into fireworks. otherwise, it was vague how the situation would develop. richard retracted his thoughts. he continued to sense the movement of the rotten swamp. transcendent wax demons increased from 30 to 40. the increase stopped from there. solan city was a vast city with a population of tens of millions at the edge of the desert of death. it was one of the top cities. at least three or four transcendents were in solan city. one could imagine how exaggerated this power was. the situation would finally change when the number of wax demons no longer increased. the wax demons stood at the front. they suddenly let out a shrill roar. the 20 wax demons around the center slowly turned into wax water afterward. they fused above the swamp of flesh and blood, then rolled up and condensed into a sprite with pointy ears. however, it formed the lower body. that immediately gave off a strong sense of strangeness and uneasiness. that was the spide goddess. the upper body was an elf, and the lower body was a spider monster. the power of the 20 transcendent wax demons was immense. they fused and emitted a terrifying aura. the monster took shape. it was a ten-meter-tall terrifying existence. it was an abyssal flame-covered figure that stepped into the rotten swamp. richard¡¯s eyes moved away from the spider-like elf. the monster drew his attention. the other part emitted an aura similar to the god¡¯s ancient tree. that startled richard. he discovered characteristics of the wax demons on the ten-meter-tall giant. he felt that it was a little tricky. lolita had the means to turn the wax demon into an abomination! the abomination tree was still under transformation. but it already possessed some of the characteristics of the chaos divine sin. one could not fake that aura! so, the other party chose the god¡¯s ancient tree as their target. the abyssal flame monster had already arrived beside the spider elves. the 20 wax demons formed them. it got close, and the monster melted like a candle and directly fused into the spider elf¡¯s body. the spider-like spirit¡¯s body burned with terrifying flames. the surrounding space instantly distorted, and the blood mist of the rotten swamp forced back. richard thought the other party would attack the god¡¯s ancient tree. an unspeakable evil aura tore through the void. it descended on the spider goddess. she was more than ten meters tall and had twenty extraordinary wax demons and one with the characteristics of the abomination tree. the man¡¯s dull eyes suddenly lit up. an aura that made all life in the rotten swamp tremble surged out. the entire sky submitted under the feet of the other party, and the space froze. richard sensed that aura. a name that terrified countless people suddenly popped into his mind¨Cspider goddess lolita. the conspiracy god, the ruler of the bottomless abyss, synonymous with destruction, conspiracy, darkness, and evil, had personally descended on the mortal plane. he had melted so many transcendents just to forge a suitable body. richard¡¯s emotions fluctuated, so he sensed lolita raise her head slightly and look at the sky. that pair of dark eyes seemed to see through time and space as they looked at him. richard¡¯s eyes narrowed. he could feel the intense pressure from the other party even though he had not descended into the rotten swamp. Chapter 1083 the ultimate existence stared at the sky before she lowered her head and looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree while it killed the evil demons crazily. a hint of excitement was in it. her perception was correct. this tree had transformed into a chaos divine sin! moreover, the other party¡¯s body contained a pure power that surpassed her tone. that was not something that the living beings of this world could possess. that was chaos divine sin! that was the only answer. the grace mainland overlord had got chaos divine sin and fused the twisted human-faced tree. that was far beyond her expectations. the desire in her heart suddenly rose. she had to snatch the power of this abomination at whatever price she had to pay. the chaos divine sin was a life form that could compete with the god of creation. no one could compete with her if she had control of this power. she would still be the most powerful existence in this world even if she did not have the chance to regain her authority in the future. lolita sighed. her eyes flashed a cold light. she emitted an aura that soared. that almost tossed the remaining 20 transcendent wax demons into a high-temperature furnace. that turned them into wax and fused into the body that rose stood on. the pressure it emitted increased by another level. the demons fell into madness in the rotten swamp. they felt that a large hand pressed their heads down. they crawled in the swamp and trembled. she stood and pushed the surrounding blood-colored mist out a hundred meters away. the fundamental survival instinct of life covered all the greed in the hearts of the lives in the dozens of planes. they escaped. this ultimate boss had only revealed a few tricks. lolita seemed to have trampled the rotten swamp into the mud. lolita did not stop. she absorbed the power of the wax demon. she stepped on the flesh and mud with her eight limbs and rushed toward the god¡¯s ancient tree. the demons before her did not dare to move despite the threat. lolita rushed a hundred meters away from the god¡¯s ancient tree domineeringly. the god¡¯s ancient tree initially used its roots to kill its enemies. it suddenly revealed a sinister smile on its twisted face on the trunk. a blurry and chaotic light spread out. that covered an area with a radius of 200 meters in the blink of an eye. the abomination threw some demons who had yet to escape into the river of time. their bodies quickly aged and died. then, they turned into weathered debris for hundreds of years. the scene was indescribably strange and terrifying. that power enveloped lolita. that also stiffened her body. her body lost luster and dimmed. it was difficult to resist the invisible power of the god¡¯s ancient tree, although the gray light that surged out of her body was fierce. however, the fatal danger didn¡¯t scare lolita. that pleasantly surprised her instead. ¡°chaotic force?¡± ¡°can one control this power?!¡± ¡°the world has changed¡­¡± the power of chaos divine sin was the origin power of the abominations. it was also the uttermost confidence to compete with the god of creation. but now, a postnatal abomination had obtained this power. one could imagine how lolita¡¯s emotions fluctuated at the moment. lolita could not move forward due to the suppression of the god¡¯s ancient tree. she extended her right hand neatly. the void distorted. a broken dark red statue appeared. richard¡¯s pupils constricted when he saw the statue. lolita had also obtained the relic of the ancient days and used it as a weapon. didn¡¯t the great ancient ones suppress the gods? no, that was not right. the gods had already lost their authority, and the other party could no longer be considered a god. at this moment, they could naturally use the relics of the past. Chapter 1084 it was as if an ancient god had transformed into a living being. the statue appeared, and a dark light enveloped the surroundings and forced back the abomination energy of treebeard. the ancient gods were the first batch of gods in the ¡°shining era.¡± they controlled power close to the world¡¯s original laws. it was enough to deal with richard, who had only obtained a portion of the chaos divine sins¡¯ power, although that power was not as strong as the chaos divine sins. not to mention, to maximize the effect of this statue, she had almost used up half of her family¡¯s wealth. it fed countless treasures. it was all for this moment! lolita held the red statue and sped up. the abomination energy that could restrain everything lost its effect. the god¡¯s ancient tree went berserk. lolita got close. the roots on the ground exploded like steel and went for her. lolita shouted angrily. ¡°decay king, do it!¡± she finished speaking. the void beside her suddenly distorted. on the high rotten throne, the decay king appeared on the other side. he was covered in a shroud and looked like a white and swollen corpse that floated. the decay king held the divine staff. endless power surged from the surrounding decaying earth into it. the god¡¯s ancient tree only felt a powerful soul that invaded its body. it fought with him for its power. the gods¡¯ souls were far mightier than mortals could imagine if they lost their authority, even someone as powerful as the god¡¯s ancient tree felt a massive impact. the speed at which it waved the tree roots suddenly slowed down. one couldn¡¯t snatch the rotten authority just like that. lolita didn¡¯t want a one-time success. she would have achieved her goal if she restrained the god¡¯s ancient tree. lolita¡¯s figure instantly streaked across the ground like lightning. that directly approached the god¡¯s ancient tree. the dark red statue slammed into the tree trunk. the power of the 40 transcendent wax demons in his body activated. the power of the great ancient ones covered the abomination tree and suppressed the other party. the decay king attacked and affected the god¡¯s ancient tree. lolita restricted the abomination tree also. he stiffened for a moment. the chances of success would be high if lolita, the ultimate boss, made a move if there was no external help. but richard was not one to spoil her. ¡°emily, guard the battlefield!¡± ¡°loreinna, kratos, fay, xina, come with me!¡± richard finished speaking. he reached out and shattered the void before him. he brought a few top-notch transcendents into the rotten swamp. ¡°attack!¡± they didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately attacked when they sensed lolita¡¯s aura. the body of dark valkyrie burst forth with endless blade light. loreinna¡¯s silver eyes turned red. her aura was like a landslide. the dark soul eater roared and charged forward. the golden dragon scale longsword in xina¡¯s hand erupted with endless fighting spirit. the four transcendents charged forward. lolita turned around abruptly. the vast spider¡¯s abdomen bent. a spider web with a green glow shot out. the spider web condensed into a shield in the sky. ¡®bang!¡¯ the spider web dissolved after several terrifying attacks. it was a high-grade divine weapon, void spider web. the spider web blocked the damage and surrounded the perimeter. it isolated itself and the god¡¯s ancient tree from the outside world. four top-notch transcendents frantically attacked a high-grade divine weapon. however, it felt like a fist hitting cotton. he could not exert any strength at all. the decay king could sense that the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree slowed down. he was excited. ¡°damned bastard! no one can steal my power!¡± he looked at richard through the spatial rift while he was in midair, and intense hatred shrouded his face. ¡°bastard¡­ my fury will burn you to ashes!¡± Chapter 1085 richard was not surprised to see this. not to mention that lolita had the help of the decay king, the conspiracy god, who had intimidated the mortal plane for tens of millions of years. it was not something a few transcendents could deal with. the other party had lived for far too long. one could describe the foundation as abnormal. one would suspect a conspiracy if a few transcendents could suppress the other party. that was especially true when the other party used a high-grade divine weapon. that would reflect the difference between the mortals and the gods. richard had only seen it in the hands of the old white-haired man who had lost his heart in the red dragon general store. this man was the teacher of the primary character of the new expansion pack and the teacher of the crimson lord, windsor. however, it was not a combat treasure. the wishing scales were more of a functional type. lolita didn¡¯t put the top transcendents of twilight city in her eyes. they could even fight legends head-on, although the battle power of these transcendents far exceeded that of ordinary transcendents. but to her, twilight city was still too weak. her long life had given her things that outsiders could not imagine. the dark light on its body continued to surge. that even injected more majestic power into the dark red statue. richard increased the suppression of the abomination before him. the divine power in his body supported the void spider web behind him to block the attack. divine artifacts required divine power to be activated. the gods lose their divine power if they lose their authority. the once handy weapons became arduous to use. one could no longer use several of the backup plans. that was because of the lack of divine power. however, lolita¡¯s body had obtained a portion of the abomination¡¯s power and possessed divine powers. the situation had fallen into a state of no return. a high-grade divine artifact, dozens of transcendents, the abominations she had nurtured, the dark red statue of the great ancient ones, and the two gods personally taking action. lolita almost froze everything. she instantly formed a sure-kill situation. players could only watch helplessly as some energy stripped the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree away. unfortunately, they had encountered someone they could not identify. the iceberg hidden under the water was the real power. richard flew to the center of the battle like lightning. he looked down at lolita. a void spider web protected her. a statue emitted a dark red light and appeared in his hand. it had broken wings on its back. it had octopus-like tentacles on its head, a terrifying aura that made people¡¯s hearts turn cold. at a glance, it seemed to have come alive. they were all extraordinary. these made people tremble just by looking at them. lolita seemed to have sensed something. she looked up and saw the statue in richard¡¯s hand. she revealed a mocking expression. ¡°human, your trump card is easy to judge.¡± the decay king was in a higher mood than everyone else. his face twisted as he watched richard try to break the situation with the statue of the great ancient ones in his hand. the most evil abyssal blasphemy exploded in the void. ¡°damned bastard! do you think that the statue in your hand can do anything? ¡°her excellency lolita has long seen through everything about you¡­ just wait for death! ¡°this time, you will die, whatever trump card you have!¡± the decay king had released the anger he had long suppressed. he was the ruler of the abyss, a god with supreme power. but the grace mainland overlord defeated him repeatedly. how depressed was he?! however, his several attempts at revenge had not been effective. moreover, he couldn¡¯t mobilize his strength because the other party was in the mortal plane. that made him even more aggrieved. the world was in turmoil, and he wanted to make a ruthless move. he discovered that the crimson moon had shattered. that had stripped his authority away. one could imagine his current emotions. he wanted this damned bastard to die a miserable death. he took everything away from him! ¡°blasphemers should all die!¡± lolita turned to look at the king of decay. he was about to go crazy. ¡°cut the crap, speed up the control¡­¡± she ignored richard and accelerated the corrosion of the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard¡¯s lips curled up slightly. arrogance seemed to be the nature of gods. it seemed reasonable for a top-tier boss who had dominated several eras to look down on a tiny human overlord, but it was also ridiculously wrong. he threw the statue in his hand. ¡®whoosh!¡¯ that directly smashed into the void spider web. ¡®ka ba!¡¯ the spider web directly stuck to the ancient god statue. it got stuck, and the statue burst out with dark light and eroded the void spider web. lolita turned her head. her expression became a little strange. she looked at richard from the corner of her eyes. she wondered if the grace mainland overlord had given up on himself. was it not a joke to use such a method to erode the void spider web? that was a high-grade divine artifact! there weren¡¯t many in the ¡°shining era!¡± its power level was not inferior to the power of the great ancient ones, so how could one corrode it? moreover, the dark red statue in his hand was the lord of the ancient gods, the remnant of the crimson moon before it shattered. that statue in his hand is incomparable! that thought arose. the statue stuck to the spider web suddenly began to glow a little red. then, the red colors spread at a speed visible to the naked eye. that directly permeated through the void spider web. lolita felt bad. she immediately activated the void spider web to stop everything. however, a magnet must have attracted the statue. one could not drive it away. the redness gradually thickened. lolita¡¯s expression was grave. she controlled the dark red statue in her hand. she hoped to use crimson¡¯s moon legacy. it was of a higher level than the statue to suppress the other party. the light surged out and directly collided with the crimson moon. the two statues of the past in the space shattered. a fatal sense of danger surged out from it. lolita¡¯s expression changed drastically. she must have retreated. she pulled the dark red statue away from the god¡¯s ancient tree. a figure wore a bright red noblelady¡¯s dress. a pure white feather hat appeared in the void. lolita was like a noble lady who was going out for an outing. the other party¡¯s graceful and luxurious temperament gave people an inexplicable sense of nobility. it was as if it was the honor of a lifetime to be seen by the other party. lolita saw that figure. her expression became shocked and terrified. ¡°you, you¡­¡± she said a few words. she couldn¡¯t continue the second half. lolita smiled brightly. richard looked at lolita pitifully. no one could hurt her if this mighty figure of the abyss continued to lurk. however, she had targeted richard. the ancient gods left behind a statue to suppress and snatch the power of the abomination tree. that was even more outrageous. wasn¡¯t this a joke? windsor, the lord of crimson, had activated the twilight of the gods in front of him and pulled all the gods down from their altar. now, the other party came to show off that he had a statue of the great ancient ones. the god of conspiracy lost his authority to rely on. he was no longer so unpredictable and flawless. windsor glanced around and nodded at richard. she then glanced past the decay king and stopped on lolita. the decay king felt a chill from the soles of his feet to the top of his head when windsor saw him. it was like someone had opened his skull. his entire body was numb. the intense sense of fatal danger almost made him run away. he would have left if it weren¡¯t for lolita. who was this? why was it so terrifying? the lord of decay widened his eyes in disbelief. lolita must not have given him pressure! ¡°so you got the statue of the crimson moon. no wonder i couldn¡¯t find it.¡± her casual voice resounded through the sky. windsor¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°a bunch of worms that gnaw on worlds are qualified to touch the statue of the crimson moon?!¡± ¡°lolita, you¡¯ve lived for so long. you should know there are some things that you can¡¯t touch. ¡°back then, i spared your life because of the god of creation. now? what reason do you have to live?¡± lolita¡¯s hair stood on end. the horror on her face completely exploded. ¡°crimson moon! you, you are the crimson moon! ¡®you didn¡¯t die?! ¡°no, how is that possible? i saw you die with my own eyes. the chaos divine sin annihilated you. how could one resurrect you?!¡± the brief conversation between the two made richard feel a surge of blood rush to his head. what the hell? windsor was the crimson moon lord. was it the symbol of the ancient gods, the blood-colored moon that hung high in the sky at all times? this, was it that exciting? i¡¯m so interested in the moon. wouldn¡¯t he directly f*ck the moon if she pushed her down? whoever came would have to praise his waist if this was successful! windsor narrowed her eyes and looked at lolita. she was afraid. ¡°just because you haven¡¯t seen it doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°lolita¡­ the ship of the new era can no longer accommodate your old, rotten, and dirty souls. just wait for the new era to bury you. ¡°all your struggles are just futile moans.¡± she spoke and waved her hand. lolita had used several broken statues of the ancient ones to nurture and break free from her hand. it flew straight into windsor¡¯s hand. windsor held the statue. she pressed it against the void spider web. the void spider web emitted a light. a black hole must have absorbed it. all of it surged into the statue. the energy regenerated the damaged parts like flesh and blood. the high-level artifact lost its luster bit by bit and finally shattered under richard¡¯s gaze. the perfect statue in windsor¡¯s hand replaced it. lolita had merged 40 extraordinary wax demons and a chaos divine sin. she didn¡¯t move at all. Chapter 1086 however, lolita could only watch the enemy destroy her high-level divine weapon. she lost all her courage to resist. that weakened her legs. she could not even stand. she held her breath and did not dare to move at all. she quietly watched the development of the situation. ¡°great lord, i have already offered my divine weapon to you. can you forgive me¡­¡± lolita pleaded in a trembling voice. she saw windsor examine the restored dark red statue of the past. ¡°i know nothing can wash my sins away. but fate pushed me forward. there¡¯s nothing i can do. since the new era couldn¡¯t contain souls, please leave us to fend for ourselves. you can also observe how we perish while you¡¯re at it.¡± this humble tone was a stark contrast to lolita¡¯s status and reputation they knew. no one would believe that lolita would do such a thing. the lord of decay could not hold on any longer. pain flooded his face. ¡°f*ck, why would they listen to lolita¡¯s plea?¡± at least he would not have to worry about his life if he stayed in the rotten land he had built, even if there were constant rebellions. not unlike now. a terrifying existence could finish right now. windsor calmly looked down at the humble lolita and said casually. ¡°leave your body behind, and your soul can leave.¡± lolita looked reluctant and conflicted. in the end, she gritted her teeth. ¡°i promise you, but i hope you can keep your promise.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to repeat myself. do you have the right to bargain with me?¡± lolita¡¯s expression froze. she opened her mouth. she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t. in the end, she sighed. ¡°as you wish.¡± she spoke, and a majestic power surged out of her body. that distorted the void in front of her. lolita¡¯s soul power quickly escaped and disappeared into the void. only the spider-like elf body of 40 wax demons and a monster with the abomination¡¯s characteristics remained on the surface. the decay king saw this, and his body went numb. he cursed in his heart. ¡®lolita, dog! are you going to leave me and run away? ¡®are you going to let me live?¡¯ windsor slowly looked at the decay king. she waved her hand. the void that incessantly fluctuated froze. ¡°i¡¯ve already fixed the spatial gate that leads to this abyss¡­¡± that was all she said. the transcendents forced to stop immediately looked at the lord of decay in unison. their hearts surged with killing intent. richard narrowed his eyes and waved his hand decisively. ¡°kill them!¡± he expressed a cold order. the god¡¯s ancient tree had regained control of its body. it erupted first. the twisted human-faced tree completed the transformation. the abomination tree was at its peak. it agitated the decay king¡¯s emotions. the terrifying existence of lolita suppressed him. grievance filled his soul. that trampled his soul! his heart released the anger. the roots rose from the ground and directly passed through the spatial rift into the bottomless abyss. dark valkyrie had yet to transform. level 24 xina, level 23 loreina, and level 21 kratos followed them brazenly. at this moment, the statue of the ancient god burst out with a dark light. that light instantly circulated and condensed into a translucent dark elf. renee was in the statue. she was level 22. richard stored the top-notch combat power in the ancient god statue. he could resurrect this existence. she also participated in the battle. the lord of decay reacted. he realized he could no longer cut off the spatial passageway. he could only let the transcendents of twilight city attack him. he suppressed the magic arrays around the rotten swamp he had built. they were futile. his pupils reflected the furious god¡¯s ancient tree in his shock and fury. the abomination tree waved its trunk and tore through the void. the battle instantly erupted. richard¡¯s expression was rather subtle. he didn¡¯t expect the lord of decay to clash with twilight city in such a way. it was time to end things with this king who had lost his authority. windsor had quietly come to richard¡¯s side. he stared at him with starry eyes. ¡°you don¡¯t blame me, right?¡± richard found it strange. ¡°it isn¡¯t your fault. why did you ask that?¡± windsor smiled. ¡°i spared lolita.¡± richard shrugged. ¡°you must have your reasons for not killing the other party. you don¡¯t need to explain to me. my trust in you has never wavered.¡± windsor¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°that body only has a wisp of lolita¡¯s. it¡¯s not her entire body. ¡°destruction won¡¯t cause much harm to lolita. ¡°however, the body fused with a power is different. it possesses a remarkable energy. lolita might destroy it if we act rashly. ¡°only by making the other party hand it over can we obtain the complete body.¡± she paused for a moment before she continued. ¡°you can use this body should a subordinate need reforge. ¡°the power it contains won¡¯t disappoint you. lolita planned this. the treasures used to form this body were far more than you can imagine.¡± richard understood. one couldn¡¯t slaughter the former god of conspiracy, although lolita lost her authority. Chapter 1087 the kobold god knew that a cunning rabbit had three burrows. let alone an old coin like lolita. ¡°however, that dirty and rotten scum. one can clean up. ¡°i¡¯ve already sealed the opponent¡¯s magic array and isolated him from the outside world. i¡¯ll leave the battlefield to you.¡± windsor gave richard a meaningful look. ¡°order will be born from chaos. ¡°if possible, i hope that you can become a person who creates order.¡± her body disappeared into the air like smoke before richard could respond. richard looked at the place where windsor had just stopped and smiled. windsor had always been silent when she did things. and she always gives richard surprises. she had allowed him to obtain the crimson moon statue and lolita¡¯s body. this way of doing things made people feel the power of the crimson moon lord, but it did not make richard feel any strange emotions. this kind of trading standard was very high. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a thunderous boom pulled richard back to reality. he turned around. the decay king was already engaged in a battle with the top combat forces of twilight city. the decay king¡¯s was swollen and white. it was like one soaked a corpse in water for ten days. at this moment, it had grown to ten meters tall. the black shroud covered in blood was firmly protecting him. the authority in his hand emitted a foul and rotten smell. the void shattered every time he waved it. he had lost his authority. but something must have preserved the king¡¯s divine body. although more than half of his divine power had dissipated, the divinity in his body still flowed. the explosive power was not something that ordinary people could withstand. dark valkyrie, xina, kratos, and treebeard were all boss units! loreinna wasn¡¯t a boss unit. her level was 23, and her characteristics were of a vampire breed. no one dared to underestimate her attacks. renee was a divine soul. richard stored her soul in the statue of an ancient god. she had no idea what death was, so she was the craziest among everyone when she attacked. ¡®hu!¡¯ the vast trunk of treebeard smashed down. the gemstone at the top of the authority in the hands of the king of decay was like a light bulb that emitted a dark green light. it had already sent the tree trunk flying before it could smash down. every part of treebeard¡¯s body was a weapon. that was the power of the god¡¯s ancient tree. the roots waved wildly like chains. they tried to lock the dragon down forcefully. however, it was like the king of decay had thousands of hands that could deal with attacks from any direction. the light of authority incessantly flashed and repelled all attacks. the scene displayed a god¡¯s power. treebeard was the primary source of damage. the other transcendents were not idle either. dark valkyrie¡¯s hands erupted with endless saber light. she approached the king of decay and slashed him horizontally. however, the decay king was still domineering. the dark green light erupted from the power in his hand and blocked the saber light that could tear the world apart. dark valkyrie could launch her second attack. kratos charged at him like a giant rhinoceros. the decay king waved his authority. terrifying energy bombarded the surface of the other party¡¯s body. however, to everyone¡¯s surprise, it did not repel the other party. he was about to carry out the second round of suppression. a translucent figure suddenly appeared before him. the other party held a longsword and slashed it horizontally in front of his face. the terrifying energy fluctuations caused the surrounding void to distort. the decay king¡¯s authority rose to the stage, and a majestic power exploded. the explosion sent him flying. kratos had already crashed into the back of the king of decay. but in the next moment, the decay king appeared a hundred meters away. he had agile methods, although his body was bloated. xina has arrived and wielded a dragon-scale-covered golden longsword. the golden battle intent penetrated her body. her aura instantly rose to its peak. the sword light could destroy mountains and split cities! however, the decay king still had a countermeasure. his body reappeared a hundred meters away. the enemies missed this fierce attack. richard watched the unprecedented battle closely. the top bosses of twilight city hunted a god! the other party had already lost its authority. but a god was still a god. the accumulation of a million years was not something that mortals could imagine. but now, the lord of decay was being suppressed. he could see that the god¡¯s ancient tree dealt damage in the hunt. its vast body and powerful roots forced the decay king to take every attack seriously. it enormously restrained the other party. dark valkyrie had a sharp saber and was the primary output force. the decay king had to face it head-on once it got close. that increased the pressure on the other party. kratos was a six-meter-tall monster and a troublemaker. the lack of agility and the summoning of a massive power forced the decay king to shift position. renee had a restraining effect. her characteristic of not being afraid of death made every single movement of this divine soul cause the decay king¡¯s heart to palpitate. however, what moved the decay king the most weren¡¯t these top powers but xina. richard observed the attacks very carefully. the decay king couldn¡¯t dodge his attacks if he couldn¡¯t with the others. only xina¡¯s attacks were necessary. even if the decay king would suffer more damage from the others. the overwhelming fighting spirit made the decay king not dare to look into his eyes. richard saw this and thought of something. immediately, he sent a secret order. ****** Chapter 1088 [you have obtained 5% rotten authority.] [ding~ the new expansion pack, ¡°new era,¡± has officially begun.] [the crimson lord shattered the crimson moon and activated the power of the great ancient ones that revived its rules.] [a power stripped the authority of the gods!] [mortals become gods through their control over the rules. losing their authority means they will fall from the divine altar.] [however, the power of laws exists based on the world. it won¡¯t disappear just because it loses control.] [one will redistribute the authority that has returned to the world. those who can regain control will become new gods!] [one could obtain the authority of the god they initially possessed if it killed who once controlled it.] [please explore the specific situation.] everyone exploded when the system notification rang in the players¡¯ ears. ¡°qingqiu had killed another god?¡± ¡°wasn¡¯t he too damn fast?¡± he had killed the greed lord, one of the seven sins of the evil gods, in front of everyone. he still made the players envious. the players deduced that qingqiu had most likely used some external force or plot quest to kill the heretic lord of the seven sins. the players couldn¡¯t grow fast. now, the slaughter of the gods was genuine. the other party had even obtained authority! ¡°f*ck, that¡¯s a f*cking authority!¡± the ultimate power of this world! that was a necessary condition to become a god. the forum was still in chaos. ¡°god slayer, sob, my territory couldn¡¯t withstand the first wave of attacks. slaughter your grandmother¡¯s floral red curtains!!¡± ¡°brothers, today is the day of the god-slaying ceremony. so what if qingqiu is lofty and noble? he killed the god himself and didn¡¯t bring us along. we can¡¯t go behind the scenes! rise!¡± ¡°the gods have lost their authority. that is the best opportunity. unfortunately, without strength above transcendent, they aren¡¯t even qualified to watch from the side¡­¡± the players were envious of richard¡¯s god-slaying. but they were also a little numb. this damned pervert¡¯s past achievements were too terrifying, so much so that any big news that he revealed would be nothing out of the ordinary for the players. after all, he was a pervert. how could the common sense judge him? most of them discussed how to join forces to kill the gods after a short period of heated discussion on the forum. something must have transmitted the players¡¯ emotions to the natives. the players played an increasingly important role in the city-state situation after the twilight of the gods. the system formed them with cities and planes as the core. the sound also gradually increased. richard was the ruler of ell plane. he was a top-notch figure that all forces had to pay attention to. this news immediately caused a wave of undercurrents. countless gods felt a chill run down their spines. they learned that richard had killed the decay king and obtained a few of his authority. their hands and feet turned cold. that was a bad start because the god had become at the top of everyone¡¯s hunting list! one could obtain authority once they killed the owner of the power. who could resist such temptation? the large factions were already restless and went out to gather information about the gods. that was the uttermost manifestation. the sun god, fire god, justice god, and other top gods, the big shots were with vast sects and forces. those middle and lower level gods all trembled in fear. they feared the enemies would surround the church where they hid one day. the wind and clouds surged, and the situation became unpredictable. richard paid no attention to the turmoil outside. he focused on the fallen decay king. that was the first god the soldier of twilight city had slaughtered, although the king had lost his authority. however, one had not taken away his divine body and the divine weapon in his hand. his combat strength was still considerable. he had relied on his strength to kill the other party in a head-on battle. richard looked at xina with admiration. the golden fighting spirit was indeed extraordinary! the other heroes hit the decay king. it would be difficult to break through his divine body. however, xina¡¯s outburst could shatter the other party¡¯s body and soul! the golden fighting spirit was immune to the suppression of the rules of the ¡°shining era.¡± soldiers specifically targeted this power at the gods. richard felt that he had picked up a treasure this time. he was in a good mood. he suddenly felt a remarkable power spread out from the body of the decay king and poured into his body. the rotten authority was the reward for killing the decay king. richard felt it for a moment. he received the power and did not feel happy inside but resisted the power. the rotten authority did not suit him. he shook his head. things like authority obeyed the rules. the other party felt the same the first time he obtained it. the rotten authority was unsuitable for the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard pondered. he appeared before the god¡¯s ancient tree. he pressed a hand on its body. he mobilized the rotten authority and bestowed the power that only belonged to the gods to this abomination. the authority of the desert was the foundation of his power. what suited him was the strongest. being greedy might not be a good thing. Chapter 1089 the rotten authority was rarely happy with the god¡¯s ancient tree. it smoothly fused into the top-notch boss¡¯ body. his control of authority slowly increased from 1% to 6%. the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s initially terrifying aura became even more soul-strapping. the rotten authority around his body rose sharply. the surrounding land of rotten corpses cheered for their lord. the energy in the air quickly poured into the god¡¯s ancient tree. richard released his hand. the god¡¯s ancient tree continued to rise for ten minutes. the aura carried a strange energy. that perished the soul when it stabilized. the god¡¯s ancient tree slowly opened its eyes. the twisted and ferocious face on the tree trunk revealed some joy. ¡°lord, i¡¯ve become stronger!¡± the slow ancient treeman language resounded in the sky. then, the abomination tree seemed to have thought of something. the energized roots waved violently and tore the void in front of it. a remarkable space several thousand meters in diameter appeared in richard¡¯s vision. it stored energy transformed from flesh and blood. the scarlet color was terrifying. [boss characteristic: it can expand a 3,000-meter diameter micro-plane in the void. it can store the energy obtained in this plane.] the god¡¯s ancient tree had withstood the god¡¯s equipment of decay king¡¯s bombardment. it had relied on this terrifying characteristic. the ell players association launched an event to exchange corpses for golden fruits, which made countless players crazy. the god¡¯s ancient tree kept a few corpses as a direct beneficiary. richard converted the sea of corpses into pure energy. he stored them afterward. its divinity was indestructible and immortal, in addition to the characteristics of the abomination tree. that made it the strongest meat shield. xina ended the war. but seventy percent of the victory must be credited to the god¡¯s ancient tree. it would be difficult for them to kill him despite the transcendents¡¯ efforts. the god¡¯s ancient tree opened its exclusive plane. its vast roots spread out fiercely and expanded in the entrance. a majestic power erupted from his body in the next moment. the rotten bodies on the ground flew backward and poured into that plane. eat your fill and wipe clean. the death of the decay king broke the restrictions windsor had set. now, the ancient lairs would become its spoils of war. the decay king had chased these for countless years. corpses of various powerful creatures filled the rotten soil. the decay king could obtain great strength on this land. the god¡¯s ancient tree overlapped with the decay king. he also relied on devouring life to become stronger. the rotten authority must have liked it so much. richard looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree to empty the land and found it funny. he didn¡¯t mind and turned to look at xina. she hadn¡¯t moved for a long time. he sensed this pure warrior must have comprehended something. he stopped again. xina sensed his gaze and exclaimed in a trembling voice. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t expect the golden fighting spirit could do this¡­¡± ¡°i have slaughtered the decay king with that sword. i also severed his connection to the laws of the multidimensional plane. ¡°from the soul, from the body, and even from the plane, i killed him! ¡°from now on, one can resurrect him even if he has countless believers praying day and night! ¡°i have torn the mark left behind by the decay king.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he was immune to the suppression and restrictions of the ruling force of the ¡°shining era.¡± so this was what the golden fighting spirit meant? to slaughter a god was something that countless people dreamed of. their explosive combat power and their believers were the most terrifying about gods. one could resurrect these repeatedly. xina could resolve all future troubles with this slash. no wonder lolita had planned for hundreds of thousands of years. she nurtured this battle intent! it was indeed terrifying. however, this thing was now her¡¯s! moreover, it was not just the golden fighting spirit. the god¡¯s ancient tree transformed into an abomination. it also possessed the characteristic of not being restricted by rules. the abomination¡¯s power proved that the other party was extraordinary, although their power and the golden fighting spirit were not the same size. richard¡¯s smile brightened at the thought. lolita would never have thought her enemies could eventually end her plan. that had recovered the power of the abomination. but one could no longer see even the golden fighting spirit. how comfortable. ¡°lord, the demon troop is in chaos. the demons are decreasing. we must send the blood slaughterers out to hunt¡­¡± a complicated voice interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw the transparent tai long. he wore a black cloak and stood respectfully not far away. he looked at the spider-like elf body left behind by lolita from the corner of her eye. he had a hint of desire. richard¡¯s gaze was subtle. he thought of how ambitious this god was. he had a terrible reputation in the mortal plane when he rescued him. he wanted to reconstruct his divine body and step into the peak again. who would have thought that the situation would change so quickly? a force had already stripped his power before he could realize it. he looked at the other party deeply. Chapter 1090 ¡ª the decay king had lost his authority. but he was still at level 30! it would be difficult for them to kill him despite the transcendents¡¯ efforts. the god¡¯s ancient tree opened its exclusive plane. its vast roots spread out fiercely and expanded in the entrance. a majestic power erupted from his body in the next moment. the rotten bodies on the ground flew backward and poured into that plane. eat your fill and wipe clean. the death of the decay king broke the restrictions windsor had set. now, the ancient lairs would become its spoils of war. the decay king had chased these for countless years. corpses of various powerful creatures filled the rotten soil. the decay king could obtain great strength on this land. the god¡¯s ancient tree overlapped with the decay king. he also relied on devouring life to become stronger. the rotten authority must have liked it so much. richard looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree to empty the land and found it funny. he didn¡¯t mind and turned to look at xina. she hadn¡¯t moved for a long time. he sensed this pure warrior must have comprehended something. he stopped again. xina sensed his gaze and exclaimed in a trembling voice. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t expect the golden fighting spirit could do this¡­¡± ¡°i have slaughtered the decay king with that sword. i also severed his connection to the laws of the multidimensional plane. ¡°from the soul, from the body, and even from the plane, i killed him! ¡°from now on, one can resurrect him even if he has countless believers praying day and night! ¡°i have torn the mark left behind by the decay king.¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. he was immune to the suppression and restrictions of the ruling force of the ¡°shining era.¡± so this was what the golden fighting spirit meant? their explosive combat power and their believers were the most terrifying about gods. one could resurrect these repeatedly. xina could resolve all future troubles with this slash. no wonder lolita had planned for hundreds of thousands of years. she nurtured this battle intent! it was indeed terrifying. however, this thing was now her¡¯s! moreover, it was not just the golden fighting spirit. the god¡¯s ancient tree transformed into an abomination. it also possessed the characteristic of not being restricted by rules. the abomination¡¯s power proved that the other party was extraordinary, although their power and the golden fighting spirit were not the same size. richard¡¯s smile brightened at the thought. lolita would never have thought her enemies could eventually end her plan. that had recovered the power of the abomination. but one could no longer see even the golden fighting spirit. how comfortable. ¡°lord, the demon troop is in chaos. the demons are decreasing. we must send the blood slaughterers out to hunt¡­¡± a complicated voice interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. he turned around and saw the transparent tai long. he wore a black cloak and stood respectfully not far away. he looked at the spider-like elf body left behind by lolita from the corner of her eye. he had a hint of desire. richard¡¯s gaze was subtle. he thought of how ambitious this god was. he had a terrible reputation in the mortal plane when he rescued him. he wanted to reconstruct his divine body and step into the peak again. who would have thought that the situation would change so quickly? a force had already stripped his power before he could realize it. he looked at the other party deeply. Chapter 1091 the highlight was still the treasure the decay king dropped. the staff in the other party¡¯s hand emitted terrifying fluctuations. that scepter unleashed all of the other party¡¯s attacks. one inserted it into the ground beside the corpse with the broken chest. richard took the rotten bodies on the ground into the god¡¯s ancient tree¡¯s plane. that revealed the charred black soil unique to the abyss. the decay king¡¯s corpse had shrunk to a height of two to three meters. its scepter had also returned to ordinary. richard looked expectant. he slowly landed on the ground. he stared at the authority before him and opened his attribute panel. [decaying scepter] [level: low-grade divine weapon] [divine weapon attribute: decaying power (increases decaying authority by 300%)] [additional skill: decay (low-level divine spell) ¨C forcefully decays the target¡¯s body and soul.] [decaying freeze (low-level divine spell) ¨C allows the corpse in a lifetime rotten state.] [decaying light (low-level divine spell) ¨C transforms the target into a rotten and remarkable evil soldier. it obtained the corrupted body, corrupted enhancement, and corrupted poison. these three are a-rank skills. all attributes will increase by 50% to 300% based on the degree of transformation.) [corrosive in all directions (forbidden spell) ¨C it creates a corrosive power-filled area that can devour all life.] [spheres of decay (legendary) ¨C spells magic with the power of corruption. it could cause vast damage to the enemy.) [description: a divine artifact forged from the rotten authority. the user must control the use of it. one could use all skills without it.] richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°was this a divine artifact?¡± those were four divine and one forbidden spell. the lowest level was a legendary skill. he read the introduction. he understood why the other party did not appear strong when he held the divine artifact in his hand. only rotten authority could use these divine spells. the decay lord would never have thought that one day, one would strip his power. however, was this thing really suitable for the god¡¯s ancient tree? richard glanced at the 90-meter-tall abomination. it had an extremely exaggerated body shape after it rose from the ground. he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. the power of a divine artifact was extraordinary. the god¡¯s ancient tree must have felt useless. this boss liked to rush up and smash his enemies. that would make him invincible. it was odd to give him a spellcaster¡¯s scepter. treebeard¡¯s eyes moved slightly. it curiously looked at it. ¡°lord, i can feel the weapon in your hand calling out to me¡­¡± one had forged this from rotten authority. how could it not summon you? richard felt like he had lost a treasure. he threw the decaying scepter to the invincible boss. ¡°this is the weapon of the decay king. those who control the power can use it.¡± a vast tree root rolled up the decaying scepter. the one-meter-long weapon was like a toothpick compared to its monumental body. it gave people an inexplicable sense of humor. a shocking scene appeared afterward. the decaying scepter suddenly erupted with soul-strapping energy. the entire sky shook. the scepter gradually grew to the size of a tree root. that slowly fused into the tree root. there was no longer any trace of it. then, the god¡¯s ancient tree became playful. its roots waved and released a terrifying rotting demonic power that blasted into the sky. the decaying scepter had already become a part of the other party. they could directly cast spells. that startled richard. ¡°good heavens, was there such a thing?¡± so he worried for nothing. an invincible abomination who had even obtained a powerful spellcasting ability. wasn¡¯t this a little against the rules? ¡°lord, this weapon is very compatible with me. my control over authority has greatly improved¡­¡± richard smiled. the god¡¯s ancient tree was like a ceiling as the boss with the highest combat power in twilight city. it rose as it improved. it dealt with this divine weapon. richard looked at the decay king¡¯s corpse. one has shattered its chest. ¡°treebeard, do you still have any use for the decay king¡¯s body?¡± the god¡¯s ancient tree slowly shook its crown. ¡°lord, now, ordinary corpses could not provide me with much help.¡± the decay king had lost its authority. one could describe him as an ordinary abomination. tai long, the deception god, stepped forward. he said in a deep voice. ¡°lord, we can feed this corpse to the rotten swamp.¡± ¡°the rotten swamp has already accumulated a lot of remarkable energy after it devoured the power from the greed lord¡¯s corpse and the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. it will bring a qualitative change to this land if we incessantly fed!¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he slowly nodded. ¡°alright.¡± the tree roots picked up the corpse of the lord of decay and threw it out of the spatial rift after the voice fell. it directly smashed into the decay swamp. that splashed a bloody mud. the corpse sank into the bloody mud. richard could clearly feel the satisfaction of the rotten swamp devouring the corpse. he was full. but he ate something that he had dreamed of and desperately needed. however, the expected transformation did not happen after digestion. this corpse was not enough. that didn¡¯t disappoint richard. he looked at the decay king¡¯s lair with interest. Chapter 1092 a thousand meters away blurred their vision. they could not see what was outside. the towering throne at the center stood proudly. but the throne made of zombies slowly melted and crumbled. it was not a remarkable treasure. it was pure power-piled corpses. ¡°loreinna, look around and see if there¡¯s anything like a treasure vault.¡± loreinna could sneak into the shadow plane. she was very suitable for this kind of work. ¡°as you wish, lord.¡± the vampire archduchess responded. she immediately disappeared into the air. a series of mournful and crazy sounds suddenly came from the blurry mist before the other party could finish exploring. it was as if thousands of tortured people roared in unison. it sent chills down richard¡¯s spine. ¡°what was this?¡± richard¡¯s pupils constricted. he felt a sense of foreboding. he decisively gave the order. ¡°retreat immediately!¡± he spoke and heard a crack. it was like someone broke something. the thick mist that blocked their vision shattered like glass and dissipated into the air. their pupils immediately reflected the scene behind the mist. they were demons, countless demons. the terrifying number made people wonder if all the demons in the bottomless abyss had arrived. compared to locusts, ants moved more densely. moreover, these demons were not the ordinary demons that attacked twilight city. they looked around and saw fallen angels, evil giants, and corrupted dragons. almost all of them were demon soldiers above the transcendent level. several extraordinary heroes mixed in, and richard even sensed the pressure of more than ten legends and demigods in the blink of an eye. the mist could block out their vision. the decay king also created it as a shelter. this area lost its king with the death of the decay king. the magic array that could no longer maintain its operation collapsed very quickly. in addition, the greater demons that eyed the decay king had sensed that its aura had disappeared. and they all erupted. that was the decay king¡¯s lair. and the troops that guarded this place were greater than anywhere else. the power outside would have been even more terrifying if it weren¡¯t for the decay king with some of the villains transferred away. the transcendents didn¡¯t hesitate and directly passed through the space gap. they returned to the rotten swamp. those demons with exaggerated strength rushed over at once. the tide drowned everything. they confirmed the disappearance of the aura of the decay king. they didn¡¯t stop and charged straight at the spatial rift. the fastest ones were the fallen angels. their bodies were seriously decayed. there were two teams of them! the fallen angels passed through the crack and charged toward the god¡¯s ancient tree as their pitch-black wings flapped. treebeard was the distinct target. [fallen angel] [level: 24] [troop type: transcendent] a fallen angel was four meters tall and held a pitch-black battle sword. this fallen angel could cut through the space of the naga plane if it waved its weapon. one could not underestimate the combat power of these troops being symbols of evil. the abomination tree left the abyss. it still dared to charge forward when it saw the enemy. it turned around and stood in front of the crack. chaotic force instantly spread out and enveloped the surrounding hundreds of meters. dark valkyrie and her companions had no choice but to retreat. the bodies of the two teams of fallen angels trembled. their speed slowed down. their already rotten bodies began to speed up. however, extraordinary troops were indeed that type of troops. the chaotic force that could instantly take away the lives of ordinary demons could only delay and reduce their strength. it would take a long time to devour them directly. the fallen angels sensed incoming danger and increased their speed once again. they swung their swords down when they were forty to fifty meters from the god¡¯s ancient tree. ¡®swoosh!¡¯ the pitch-black sword light tore through the void and directly cut through the god¡¯s ancient tree, and they marked several scratches on its body. the injuries were not serious. but these enraged the twisted human-faced tree. he quickly approached the spatial rift, and the roots hidden in the swamp suddenly erupted. ¡®puchi!¡¯ dozens of vast roots weaved into a net and smashed into the fallen angel¡¯s body, which had slowed down. the abomination tree sent those level 24 transcendent soldiers flying like baseball. ¡®bang!¡¯ that attack smashed a few of the fallen angels into pieces. their bodies shattered like watermelons. fragments filled the sky. the god¡¯s ancient tree did not give up and continued to erupt. its two moves alone smashed the two teams of fallen angels into meat paste. the terrifying explosive power displayed the power of a divine abomination to everyone. the fallen angel was just the beginning. the thick smell of blood wafted out of the spatial rift. that agitated the chaotic and evil high-level demons. they swarmed up and followed the crack to pounce at the god sin ancient tree. the abomination tree took over the geographical advantage. it did not show any signs of weakness. its roots and trunk danced like a meat grinder. they hit the demons that passed through the cracks. richard once again realized how mighty this abomination tree was. one man could hold the pass against ten thousand men. windsor reinforced the void rift that could allow legends to pass through. transcendents and even legend soldiers mixed among these high-level demons. however, there were no exceptions. the maddest attacks of treebeard would endanger one who stepped through the spatial crack. the abomination tree power firmly blocked the crack. that would decompose anyone who wanted to attack the god¡¯s ancient tree and wanted to surpass the ¡°shining era.¡± they might have decomposed the corrosion, but dozens of roots and tree trunks that were three times thicker than a roof beam could strangle them. the despair halo could also affect those who managed to approach. [despair halo] [special] [it emits the aura of a chaos divine sin and causes deterrence to the enemy. the system will assimilate them into slaves if one fails the test.) [chaos whisper (low-level divine spell) ¨C one can use divine power to influence the enemy¡¯s mind. lifeforms with potential lower than a-rank will fall into despair. those whose power collapses will become their slaves.] these two terrifying skill attacks. the evil demons could escape this calamity but would fall into complete despair. one could not slaughter the god¡¯s ancient tree! its defense was monstrous. treebeard also had a plane as an energy reservoir to replenish its energy and recover its injuries. more importantly, one could not destroy its divinity as an abomination. it shall not perish. in addition, the other party had fused with the divine weapon, the decaying scepter. its strength on paper alone was enough to make countless people tremble. its performance in actual combat made those demons even more afraid. an enemy could not cross the twisted human-faced tree¡¯s defense whether one is a transcendent evil demon, a top-notch or legendary evil demon! richard even saw treebeard block two level-30 demigod fallen angels. the human-faced tree was invincible. the mightiest point of this boss appeared in his mind again. the god¡¯s ancient tree was the top fighting force in twilight city with a suitable terrain. all the demons on the 333rd level couldn¡¯t cross the abomination tree. that gave richard a strong sense of accomplishment. he had nurtured this boss for so long that he had even fed it a treasure like the chaos divine sin¡¯s heart. he had allowed it to grow eventually! Chapter 1093 the evil demon launched overlapping waves of attacks at the god¡¯s ancient tree as if it had gone mad. casualties meant nothing to the lives of the chaos faction. the brutality and savagery in their hearts made them extremely eager to kill and destroy. they become twisted monsters when their emotions are extreme. the demons exaggeratedly increased. a series of whispers from the abyss accompanied these ferocious lifeforms. richard could only hear the torture of thousands of people and their screams. his soul felt numb. the consciousness of the bottomless abyss would murmur day and night. ¡°lure the soul to fall.¡± that was a mental assault, a form of torture. one would become a part of the bottomless abyss if they failed to withstand it. countless people had speculated the endless murmuring and mental corruption of the bottomless abyss caused the insanity of the demons. that would even turn the determined veterans into complete lunatics after being eroded by the abyss for a long time. the desire to kill would devour one¡¯s heart. only life forms above transcendent could live in it for long. but they were still inevitably affected. the only purpose of this evil place was to contain evil and darkness. the evil demons immersed in the corrosion of the abyss for a long got used to this. they even enjoyed its gaze. those murmurs were their battle songs, and the decay was the breeze that brushed their faces. soon, three legendary great demons and eight transcendent demons appeared on the battlefield under the attack of two level 30 demigod fallen angels! this power was enough to flatten a giant city. even solan city would suffer a huge impact! the god¡¯s ancient tree feared nothing under the shroud of primal chaos energy! the roots tore through the void, and the power that belonged solely to the abomination tree transcended the entire world and circulated wildly. it fought against 13 heroes above the transcendent level alone. there were countless top-tier demon troops. the god¡¯s ancient tree did not retreat even half a step! its heart unleashed the fury! who was it? was it an ultimate existence nurtured by twilight city with countless resources?! the lord had invested so many resources in it. only by using battle achievements could it tell the lord that it had not let down its expectations!¡± it had just completed its transformation. but lolita and the decay king suppressed the process. they even wanted to strip it of its abomination power. the demons unleashed all of the abomination tree¡¯s frustration and anger at this moment. the chaotic, brutal, and crazy evil demons also felt the power of the abomination. that unshakeable towering mountain was like a giant in his heart. one couldn¡¯t knock it out. dark valkyrie, loreinna, xina, renee, kratos, and tai long stood behind treebeard. they silently observed the battle. one had revived the deception god at level 25. they had initially planned to fill in the gaps and be ready to kill the enemies who would break through the blockade at any time. but the god¡¯s ancient tree did not give the enemies a chance. this abomination suppressed the evil demon troop with its strength. the two demigod-level fallen angels could not cross its line of defense. the battle lasted for half an hour. richard finally understood why the gods were so hostile and wary of the abomination. that was a life that had transcended the ¡°shining era.¡± their true combat power far exceeded the one stated on paper. who could face two level 30 demigods, three legends, eight transcendents, and countless transcendents at level 26 without falling into a disadvantageous position if it were an ordinary life form? this terrifying battle lasted for an entire day. the spatial rift could not withstand the aftershock of the battle and collapsed. the crack did not collapse quickly. the demigods and legends sensed that something was wrong and retreated. the god¡¯s ancient tree only stopped three transcendent demons. the passage that connected to the crack disappeared. the three transcendents immediately welcomed the attack of the god¡¯s ancient tree. they could not last more than a minute. they exploded into broken limbs that filled the sky under the continuous strangulation of the tree roots. the transcendents once unattainable to twilight city had now become targets that treebeard could execute at will. richard didn¡¯t say much about it. he could have wanted to capture a supernatural contract if it was before, but now, he had lost much interest. contract scrolls were arduous to obtain. richard could kill a few more gods to earn more. he retracted his gaze. he turned his attention to the transcendents who did not have the chance to make a move. ¡°tai long, you immediately lead the blood slaughterers out to hunt down the evil demons that besieged twilight city. leave no one alive! ¡°loreinna, kratos, return to the ell plane and take charge. ¡°xina, fay, renee, you can join the battle.¡± he had dealt with lolita and the decay king. but the demon troop had escaped from the abyss and had not been cleaned up. the demons could have unleashed their nature even more if not for the restraints of the lord. it was arduous to deal with them. richard gave the order, and they moved. loreinna and kratos passed through the spatial rift and returned to ell. the two transcendents couldn¡¯t protect a plane. they were at least a deterrent on the surface, preventing those who would play tricks. tai long turned to look at a corner of the rotten swamp. his face was solemn. he ordered decisively. Chapter 1094 richard gave the order, and the mist in the corner gradually dispersed. that revealed a chilling scene. countless transcendent soldiers with lower bodies of snakes and upper bodies of humans stood on the mud of flesh and blood. they held blood-red tridents and had ferocious and crazy gazes. more than 20,000 of them looked like a forest of flesh and blood. it gave people a strong visual impact. the leader was a blood slaughterer more than five meters tall. zhar, the spear of slaughter, transcendent level 23, was the leader of the blood slaughterers! zhar raised his head and roared. the statue-like blood slaughterer behind him seemed to have released a soul. it started to become restless. the pressure in twilight city. the soldiers sharpened their swords and guarded the city. they waited for the demon troop to come. a startled figure came from the hundred-meter-long rift. the figure attacked afterward. blood-red figures charged out from within. they waved their tridents. they harvested demon troops like grass. no one survived wherever the troop passed. the strong snake body wriggled on the ground and brandished the trident. the demons had an average level of 15. they couldn¡¯t withstand such a vast force. in addition, the slaughter spear zhar, tai long, dark valkyrie, xina, renee, and the other top-notch existences as the vanguard were there. the dense demon troop immediately welcomed their nightmare. in the sky, the stone statues of the dead, the king of the imperial troops, and the evil dragon wings immediately followed them when they saw this scene and increased their attacks on the evil demons. they looked down from the sky. the demon troop had gathered from afar like locusts. ants fell like crazy. blood dyed the desert red. tai long rode forward. an exaggeratedly-sized weapon appeared in his hand. his body was like lightning. he slaughtered fearlessly. the god regained his divine body and released the emotions he had suppressed. the death battle hymn sounded afterward. richard returned to the desert. he floated in the air and silently watched his troops sweep the demon troops away. twilight city hid the blood slaughterers for more than half a year. they revealed their sharpness for the first time. they had a strong body, sharp weapons, terrifying strength, superb combat skills, and agile movements. it was almost perfect, other than its weak defense. the demon troop gradually collapsed and retreated under the highly horrible massacre. the demons could no longer resist. soldiers from the rotten swamp can only leave the area for three days. they must return to the swamp in three days to recuperate. otherwise, their souls and bodies will wither. that was the description of the rotten swamp. richard had tested it before. however, three days was enough to deal with the demons. richard did not intervene in the massacre. several transcendents and extraordinary troops as the main force crumbled the demon troops. the legends led the way. the demons emerged from the spatial rift. they were about a hundred kilometers from twilight city. tai long led the team and used two days to kill their way from outside twilight city to the front of the spatial rift. a terrifying path of death had already formed outside. corpses and blood covered the ground. that dyed the surrounding desert red. the blood quickly turned dry and black because of the heat. it made the scene even more terrifying. the blood slaughterers still fought before the shattered space. kill all the demons that the aura of the mortal plane attracted. however, there were too many broken areas, like dense holes. evil demons surged out of this mouth. it couldn¡¯t quickly slaughter all. the demons lost control and no longer gathered toward twilight city. they scattered. richard immediately rushed over when the news came in. he sensed carefully and gave up on the idea of breaking cracks. it had already completely fused with the mortal plane. even if it collapsed, it would reappear soon. it was meaningless. he didn¡¯t give the order to continue and waved his hand. ¡°i¡¯ll open the spatial rift in the rotten swamp in this direction. you guys will lure the demons that have stepped into the mortal plane into the swamp. ¡°in other directions¡­ forget it if you can¡¯t kill them all.¡± it was unrealistic to kill all the demons that rushed out of the abyss with air that leaked everywhere. richard waved his hand lightly. the space before him suddenly distorted. a 200-meter-long and 200-meter-tall spatial rift appeared on the corpse-filled ground. the thick smell of blood instantly assailed his nostrils. the troop didn¡¯t charge forward anymore. the demons gradually retreated and returned to the rotten swamp. the bloody mud on the ground turned into pure energy and poured into the blood slaughterer¡¯s body. richard sensed that when he entered the rotten swamp. the exhausted blood slaughterers suffered grave injuries after two days of high-intensity battles. the rotten swamp was like a vast fountain of life that could replenish those that rose from it. the demons from the spatial rift no longer rushed in one direction without the troop siege. instead, they scattered in all directions. however, the thick smell of blood from the rotten swamp still attracted several demons. they stepped into this terrifying land of death. richard waved at the remaining troops in the sky. ¡°everyone, retreat to twilight city¡­ we will activate the rotation mode and send a troop to clean up the demons. ¡°the rest of the troop will stay in twilight city.¡± twilight city was the foundation despite the outside world turbulence. ¡°treebeard, tai long, you two continue to guard the rotten swamp and closely observe the movements of this spatial rift. report immediately in case of a larger scale of destruction.¡± richard gave the order and did not waste any more time. he led the few transcendents and the troop back to twilight city. only the severely shattered space and the demon troop that poured remained. lolita controlled this war, and the decay king participated. this battle finally ended. and the benefits they obtained were enough to be called odd. the god¡¯s ancient tree controlled 5% of the rotten authority. its control reached 6%, and its power increased enormously. those were the first points. richard also learned that killing gods could directly obtain authority. of course, the whole world knew about it now. the god¡¯s ancient tree could use the decaying scepter to gain even more enormous power despite its inherent rotten authority. these were the second points. it was also a bloody profit. lolita gave the spider elf corpse. that was the third point. tai long, the deception god, was reborn and became the second legend of twilight city. he had reached level 25! that was a legend! legends still existed at the level of great commanders, even in the chaos divine sin abyss, where combat power was ridiculously high. a living legend was more helpful to twilight city. it wasn¡¯t like before when one was good-looking but useless and did not even have a physical body. richard had eliminated the hidden source of danger, the decay king. he also warned lolita, the top-tier boss. that was the fourth point. that would undoubtedly enormously improve the safety of twilight city. at the very least, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the decay king and its troubles. as for lolita, the voice of conspiracy would not let this matter rest after suffering such a massive loss. however, the evildoer could survive for so long wasn¡¯t just because he didn¡¯t know about the conspiracy in the dark. more importantly, he was smart enough to judge the situation. lolita would hide in the abyss and not come out as long as windsor was still around. richard didn¡¯t have to worry about the other party. that is for the time being. he was in a good mood. he returned to twilight city with his troop when a soldier suddenly rushed to report. Chapter 1095 his pupils suffused a deep blue hue. it was like the hard ice on the sea. he wore a hood made of grayish-brown wolf fur and stood solemnly in the small square in front of the lord¡¯s mansion like a statue. two old white-haired men stood on either side of him. one wore black, and the other white. they were quiet. but they emitted a pressure that made one¡¯s heart tremble. the residents who passed by would subconsciously avoid them despite the deliberate concealment of their aura. they felt great fear subconsciously as if they were dragons that had transformed into human forms. gray commanded the overall situation on the city wall in his empty eye sockets. the soul fire was burning. the a-rank mummy hero sensed an extremely terrifying aura from the two men. ¡®legend! ¡®these men are legends!¡¯ the old white-haired man in black behind the grand duke of frostwolf spoke slowly after a long silence. ¡°grand duke, this city is preparing for war. it seems that the demons have already ventured deep into the desert.¡± ¡°the situation is getting increasingly predictable.¡± the grand duke wore a wolf fur cloak. he turned his body and looked at the city walls on the highest alert and the heavy crossbows on the arrow towers. ¡°that¡¯s why we came here this time.¡± the old white-haired man in black was somewhat unwilling. ¡°but grand duke, is the grace mainland overlord worth our trip?¡± ¡°any major noble in frostwolf city can take it, although his territory is extraordinary.¡± the old white-haired man in white nodded. the grand duke of frostwolf turned to look at the two men. he narrowed his eyes as he spoke with a complicated tone. ¡°you just came back from the eternal land of frost. you don¡¯t know how extraordinary lord richard is¡­¡± the white-robed man raised his voice slightly before the grand duke could finish. ¡°grand duke, we should thank the other party for the victory gem¡­ however, the undead troop had gathered. they can invade at any time. ¡°we¡¯ve come thousands of miles away to seek the support of a grace mainland overlord. aren¡¯t we going in the wrong direction? ¡°now, we should go back and ask the other archdukes and the royal family for help!¡± they had explored the eternal land of frostwolf city for the past two years as the hidden force of the frostwolf family. however, the grand duke suddenly summoned them. then, he brought them directly to twilight city. half an hour was enough for him to explain the development of the situation and how to deal with the undead. he did not even have time to explain the purpose of this trip. at this moment, they knew their goal was to cooperate with a grace mainland overlord who had just arrived on the mortal plane less than two years ago. no, the grand duke of frostwolf even said they wanted to get his support. that was hard for the two men to accept. as a top-tier family of the ice empire and a force at the overlord level, why didn¡¯t they come all the way here to meet a grace mainland lord? was this a joke? the other party had rejected the grand duke of frostwolf¡¯s invitation and asked them to come over instead. that confused them even more. the grand duke of frostwolf agreed and even brought them here. that was even more exaggerated. two legends visited a grace mainland overlord. what did he do? the grand duke of frostwolf looked at the two¡¯s puzzled expressions and remembered their personalities. they were battle-oriented talents he buried in the eternal land of frostwolf city and did not like to interact with the outside world. his tone became a little higher. ¡°muren, muir, lord richard has a more famous name¨Cqingqiu!¡± he spoke, and the men frowned. ¡°qingqiu? and then?¡± the grand duke of frostwolf had expected their expressions to change. it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°you don¡¯t know qingqiu? ¡°do you two only know how to fight and not read the information i gave you? the frostwolf family had sent information to the eternal land of frostwolf city. it must include knowing qingqiu. he was the focus of all the top forces. they must have ignored these. the two looked like foreigners from the wilderness. they knew a few. the old white-haired man in black looked at the grand duke¡¯s strange expression. he frowned. ¡°qingqiu¡­ is he famous?¡± he was a little dissatisfied. ¡°you wouldn¡¯t bring us here whether he was famous. you must have the dignity of a legend. you are a legend. grand duke, have you been too tired recently, and the magic of the undead affected you?¡± the white-robed man nodded in agreement. the grand duke looked at the two men. the attitude of these men instantly angered him to the point of laughing. ¡°do you think lord richard is just the overlord of the grace mainland?¡± ¡°i know that he must have something extraordinary. this territory is more prosperous than the other grace mainland lords. however, why would three legends join forces to pay a visit, right?¡± the old man in black had an expression that said, ¡°this overlord must have deceived you.¡± the grand duke¡¯s voice turned colder. his mouth almost touched his chest. ¡°not to that extent? no! lord richard deserves the three legends!¡± ¡°grand duke, have you fried your brain? what right does he have?¡± that didn¡¯t convince the man in black. the grand duke sneered. ¡°why? because he is qingqiu! the slayer god who killed the greed lord with his hands under the gaze of billions of grace mainland lords!¡± ¡°he occupied an entire plane and established the ell players association. thousands of top-tier grace mainland lords are members of this. his influence has spread to billions of god mainland lords! ¡°he built the mountain range city. he opened up a path to all the major cities in the mortal plane and became a publicly recognized trading center. hundreds of millions of people enter from all over the mortal plane each day!¡± Chapter 1096 ¡°he secretly manipulated the change of the holy church empire¡¯s throne. now, he can even directly issue orders to the new king of the holy church empire! ¡°now, do you think that we¡¯re here to visit a slayer god, an authority lord, a plane ruler, the number one lord of grace mainland, an existence who can control the succession of the throne¡­ are you qualified?¡± ¡°slaughter¡­ slaying god? rule a plane? build a world trading center? the two looked at each other and saw the confusion and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°are you joking? how could a grace mainland overlord kill a god?¡± the man in black stuttered. ¡°he must be joking with us¡­¡± the grand duke of frostwolf said with a cold face. ¡°are you kidding me? the whole world knows that. is there a need to joke?¡± ¡°put away your pitiful arrogance. in the turbulent situation where the gods have fallen into the mortal world, the abyss has collapsed, the hell has broken, and the undead have wandered the world, so what if you are a legend?!¡± ¡°he can even kill gods. why should he care about a few legends?!¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t bring you here to put pressure on him or anything else but to prove to lord richard that the frostwolf dukes are qualified to work with them. remember, it¡¯s qualified, not above them!¡± ¡°go back now if you still do not understand!¡± the premise of cooperation was that both parties had to be equal in strength. unfair cooperation is disadvantageous. the grand duke had brought two legendary warriors to prove the strength of the frostwolf family. if other players knew that a legendary archduke with great power was trying his best to prove to a player that he could cooperate with the other party, they would probably be shocked. however, this dream-like situation had happened. he asked them to cooperate with qingqiu, the slayer god all the powers paid close attention to. the two of them were still in shock and could not return to their senses for a long time. the impact of the grand duke¡¯s words on them was simply exaggerated. ¡°hadn¡¯t grace mainland overlord only been in the mortal plane for less than two years? ¡°he killed a god just like that? ¡°what support for the king? how could he do such a thing?¡± even the frostwolf family couldn¡¯t control the throne of the ice empire. the two felt like their world was about to collapse. how many years had they been in the eternal land of frostwolf? in the blink of an eye, the gods had fallen, and the grace mainland overlord slaughtered the gods. he changed everything. richard returned to the lord¡¯s mansion. the two legends sensed the danger from dark valkyrie and xina. they became more respectful. how terrifying was the power hidden in the other party? even transcendents could make them feel fatal danger. richard then watched as the grand duke of frostwolf and the two legends saluted him with their hands on their chests. their attitude was indescribably respectful. he, who did not know what had just happened, was surprised. the other party¡¯s attitude was too low. ¡°good morning, lord richard. i am breck frostwolf from the frostwolf family. greetings.¡± richard returned the gesture with a hand on his chest. ¡°good day, your excellency.¡± he gestured to the two legends beside him as he spoke. they greeted each other. richard led them into the lord¡¯s mansion. everyone sat, and the kitchen maid served the tea. they started the official discussion. the grand duke of frostwolf spoke. ¡°lord richard, there are two reasons for my visit. first, i want to express my gratitude to you. the victory gem you gave me previously has been of great help to me.¡± as he spoke, he stood up and bowed solemnly. richard didn¡¯t stop him. he sat down again. he said, ¡°this is my gift to miss rebecca. there¡¯s no need to be so concerned about it. what was the other thing that his excellency grand duke mentioned?¡± the grand duke spoke. ¡°the frostwolf family wants to establish a deep trade partnership with twilight city. that is the second.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°i¡¯ve always worked with miss rebecca.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf looked straight at him. ¡°lord richard, what do you think of rebecca?¡± richard paused and said thoughtfully. ¡°what do you mean, grand duke?¡± ¡°rebecca is single. the frostwolf family is willing to form a closer relationship with twilight city.¡± the grand duke¡¯s tone was grave. ¡°as long as your excellency is willing, rebecca can become your wife. ¡°she will be the next grand duke of the frostwolf family if we can settle this marriage. ¡°in addition, your child will also become the heir of the frostwolf family.¡± richard looked at the grand duke¡¯s unevasive eyes with amusement. that was the first marriage alliance. this tradition was common among nobles. however, players wouldn¡¯t come by. the other party was the grand duke¡¯s daughter. their inheritance was a thousand years ago. one can exaggeratedly describe the wealth they had accumulated. a year ago, richard wouldn¡¯t have dared to think about it. but that was it now. richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°i have a good impression of miss rebecca. i¡¯ll get her back if i like her. let¡¯s talk about business. how does the frostwolf family plan to cooperate with the city of twilight?¡± the grand duke understood his attitude. he couldn¡¯t help but extinguish the little thought in his heart. the other party wouldn¡¯t use rebecca as a bargaining chip. he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice. ¡°several undead have appeared outside the frostwolf¡¯s territory. no one knows if they will attack us.¡± ¡°i hope for twilight city¡¯s support if these monsters attack us. i will give you half of the frostwolf family¡¯s earnings in the eternal land.¡± he added. ¡°the eternal land of frostwolf is a broken ancient ruin. there are a vast amount of precious mineral veins hidden inside. ¡°that¡¯s extremely rare, very rare. ¡°the resources inside will be enough to forge ten divine artifacts if we can capture all of them!¡± richard narrowed his eyes. he had heard of the eternal land of frost, although it wasn¡¯t the first time. ¡°where did those undead come from?¡± ¡°its ruler is an existence who calls himself the undead lord!¡± Chapter 1097 the grand duke looked at richard with a complicated expression. there was a hint of relief on his face. fortunately, he had come to twilight city. otherwise, the enemies could have flatten frostwolf territory. no one was willing to face the endless undead troop. it was a true natural disaster! richard would have been skeptical if someone else had told him this. but who was this person before him? even the gods had killed two top-notch figures. the other party hadn¡¯t reached the transcendent level yet. the weight of his words was enough to make him perk up his ears and listen carefully. richard waved his hand. ¡°it was just a coincidence.¡± he spoke meaningfully. ¡°i¡¯ll give you a token later. show it to the immortal sovereign. he will naturally know what to do. does the grand duke have any other thoughts other than these two matters?¡± the grand duke of frostwolf¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°lord richard, i would like to ask you. where should the frostwolf clan go in the future? ¡°i¡¯m no longer confident i can control the current situation¡­¡± the gods had already fallen into the mortal world, and the undead of the abyss and hell had all appeared. it would be difficult to protect himself in a wave. legends couldn¡¯t help him. the gods could not protect themselves. what more is the frostwolf family? richard let out a long sigh after a moment of silence. ¡°no one can predict what the future will be like. ¡°but one thing is for sure¡­ the turmoil will continue, and the chaos is far from over. ¡°the frostwolf family can form a group with other forces to keep warm. we can also recruit more forces to protect frostwolf city together. ¡°only after surviving this long winter can we welcome the warm spring breeze.¡± frostwolf took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. ¡°i¡¯ve learned my lesson. lord richard, the frostwolf family would like to apply for you to move into ell. if that is possible.¡± the strength of the players could not be compared to the natives, but that was under normal circumstances. ell was different. richard supported the top forces. he was the slayer god. thousands of guilds and millions of players supported the lower ones. this force could mobilize hundreds of millions, billions, or even more troops. the ell plane had attracted more players as the chaos in the outside world intensified. the members of the all players association also increased their investment. the external crisis made the internal unity even stronger. no one wanted to lose this shelter. it was no exaggeration to say that ell plane was one of the safest places in the world. ell¡¯s influence was almost entirely due to richard¡¯s influence. outsiders couldn¡¯t imitate this kind of lofty reputation. quite a few natives occupied the plane. but most of them were based on their strength. it was far less exaggerated than the ell plane that had tens of millions of players. richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°i agree to this condition. rebecca will be in charge of it. ¡°in addition, the position of the grand duke¡­¡± frost wolf archduke spoke decisively. ¡°i will leave and position rebecca as the next grand duke¡¯s successor on my return!¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°no, that¡¯s not what i meant. rebecca wished to rule the frostwolf clan. but she wishes to use her power to obtain this position.¡± ¡°grand duke, you don¡¯t have to interfere. rebecca will use her methods to obtain this position soon¡­¡± he had high hopes for the girl who had a proud heart. grand duke of frostwolf was stunned. he looked at him meaningfully and nodded. ¡°alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. i won¡¯t interfere this time.¡± he paused for a moment before he continued. ¡°please send someone to take over the eternal land of frostwolf mining as soon as possible¡­¡± richard smiled. ¡°grand duke, you can discuss this with butler karu later.¡± ¡°let¡¯s eat first if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± the grand duke of frostwolf hesitated for a moment. he slowly spoke afterward. ¡°lord richard, the holy church empire is now under your control. may i ask what your next arrangements are¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened as he stared at the man. ¡°how did you get this information?¡± he did not reveal this spy to the public. at most, the outside world only knew that the grand duke was involved. the grand duke realized that others misunderstood him. he immediately explained. ¡°lord richard, please don¡¯t misunderstand. we have spies in the higher-ups of the holy church empire, and we obtained this information by accident. the enemies executed the spy who had lurked for a long time. it was not intentional.¡± the grand duke spoke and felt a heartache. that was a transcendent spy. they slayed him just like that. richard¡¯s expression softened. the grand duke wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°the matters of the holy church empire have nothing to do with the frostwolf clan. there¡¯s no need to ask.¡± there was a medium-sized duchy between the holy church empire and the ice empire, so the two sides didn¡¯t share a border. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for being presumptuous. only my two clan brothers and i know about the news regarding the convent empire. no one else will know about it.¡± the grand duke gestured to the two legends beside him. they no longer said anything. richard nodded slightly. he gestured for the guards to bring the two of them down to rest. they went out. master karu was silent. he spoke afterward. ¡°lord, is ell going to accept the frostwolf family? or have you planned to accept other forces?¡± richard looked at the blue sky outside the window. he spoke slowly. Chapter 1098 ¡°the situation is so unstable. it¡¯s time to accept reliable forces.¡± master karu hesitated. ¡°then the safety¡­¡± richard waved his hand. ¡°are the players safe? ¡°do a good job of screening and divide and conquer.¡± nothing was safe. what one must do is to make himself as strong as possible within the existing framework. the ell plane was just one of the directions in which his forces extended. it was not the entire dimension. he needed to be careful, but he wouldn¡¯t like restraints. he could even give up this fat meat that made outsiders drool. twilight city would not have quickly grown to such heights in a short period with the black gold system. richard was calm, and karu bowed. this ruler had a plan in mind. he needed 100% execution. he would not question or deny anything. at most, he could only give a reminder. the other party¡¯s thoughts had completely transcended what he could see. it wasn¡¯t because of him twilight city grew from nothing to its current strength. it was because of the mighty existence before him. how could twilight city have reached such heights without sufficient means? three legends had bowed to him just now. he had never dreamt about this of a year ago. ¡°about the eternal land of frostwolf, go and have an in-depth chat with the grand duke and see if there¡¯s anything else we can work with. ¡°a great man with countless people to stand up once said that politics is about making fewer enemies and more friends. this principle is still applicable. ¡°they are all friends whether a duke or a grand duke, a marquis, an earl, or a baron. only one must have good intentions. ¡°he did not only prepare ell plane for the players but also our allies. ¡°the oath and contract can all become constraints.¡± richard looked away and stared at karu. ¡°go and discuss with tundel. we¡¯ll take out a new city for the forces in the mortal plane.¡± ¡°i think those forces we trapped on the island will be willing to join.¡± the ell plane was vast enough to create a trading center for several people. ¡°release the news first. these people will build their teleportation gate as long as they are willing.¡± ¡°we can also let those forces jointly fund the expansion for those without a city. ¡°of course, they will have to pay for the defense themselves. we can also establish a new organization, the ell alliance, and let those forces become members.¡± butler karu¡¯s eyes lit up. good heavens! they no longer need to pay anything. they could have another trading center that could earn massive income. many forces could join with the influence of ell. ¡°my lord, i¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately.¡± xina was on guard. she sighed after master karu left. ¡°master, when i first met you, i thought that one day, twilight city would grow into an amazing city¡­ however, i didn¡¯t expect figures like the grand duke of solan city would treat you with utmost respect in less than two years.¡± richard turned to look at the fearless warrior who had followed him since twilight city was very weak and reached out to pat his head. ¡°you also contributed to this.¡± he spoke. he seemed to have thought of something and asked with interest afterward. ¡°how¡¯s the krina tribe recently?¡± xina shrugged. ¡°i haven¡¯t had the chance to ask, but you¡¯ve arranged for our clansmen to move into bloodhoof city, so they should be living quite well.¡± the krina tribe did not have any pressure on the mixed troops as the heroes of the tribe. richard said nothing more. the conversation was over. richard did not waste any more time and asked xina and dark valkyrie to rest for a while. mental exhaustion was inevitable, although they had not suffered any injuries in the past few days of battle. it was right to take a hot bath or something. the two had rooms next to his, so they did not have to worry about accidents. renee¡¯s divine soul quietly returned to the statue of the ancient gods. richard finished his lunch, washed up, and fell asleep on the big, soft bed. a series of hurried knocks on the door woke him up after an unknown period. he got up and put on his clothes. he opened the door and saw an anxious karu. ¡°my lord, vale has just sent an urgent report. something strange has happened in solan city.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°strange movements? what is it?¡± master karu took a deep breath and said seriously. ¡°the followers of the desert sect are behaved abnormally. the desert god may have infiltrated solan city.¡± ¡°the desert god?¡± richard instantly perked up. that was his main hunting target! the other party had the desert authority he needed! one sealed the desert authority he controlled. he could not find a way to reactivate it for the time being. but that was authority! furthermore, he needed the desert authority the most! he could reactivate the desert authority was on him! ¡°is this news true?¡± butler karu spoke in a deep voice. ¡°there is no confirmation. vale immediately sent the news when he detected the anomaly.¡± ¡°but according to various speculations, there is at least a 60% chance!¡± ¡®sixty percent chance! it was enough!¡¯ richard sharpened his eyes. ¡°contact the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city immediately and ask them to cooperate with the investigation. ¡°i need to know where the desert god is hiding the soonest! ¡°we can¡¯t let the desert god leave solan city as soon as it appears!¡± his relationship with the desert god was not that of a stranger. the other party has the authority in his hands. the god who once ruled the desert would not hesitate. he must have the chance to snatch it. both sides had become natural enemies since he took over the power. would the desert god hand over his power foundation for reconciliation? Chapter 1099 previously, the demon troop had invaded the city several times. that caused massive casualties. that had cast a shadow over everyone¡¯s hearts. a rumor spread at the bottom of society against this background. the world became dangerous after the gods lost their authority. they were deep in the desert of death and needed the protection of the desert! everyone could live a stable and peaceful life again if they could find the desert god who had descended to the mortal world and rejoin him, becoming his loyal believer, then under the glory of the gods. one would grant the most devout endless power and eternal life. this kind of preaching passed down every day in the past wasn¡¯t eye-catching. but that changed the mindset of all the residents following a few incidents. the residents who believed in the gods shouted and praised the desert god when the demons attacked them! the demon¡¯s body would stiffen and turn into sand. in the beginning, many people treated it as a casual chat. and no one believed it. however, it was not until a thousand demons suddenly appeared in the largest square of solan city and started a massacre that thousands of people lost their lives. a six-year-old girl stood bravely and shouted at all the demons. she praised the desert god. ¡°our god will eliminate all evil!¡± immediately, an unseen power stiffened the bodies of the slaughtering demons. then, they turned into sand and scattered on the ground. they covered the center of the square with yellow sand. the yellow sand then turned into pure energy and surged into the bodies of the injured residents. that quickly restored their strength. this miraculous scene caused the rumor to spread swiftly. that even caused the entire solan city to investigate. everyone said the desert god must have watched around from behind. the desert god had already arrived in solan city. he would wait for his most loyal believers to worship him. the devout believers could obtain the attention of the desert god! the desert god would shower his glory on his believers. he would protect them from the demon invasion. they spread the news. more people praised the desert god when they faced the demons. however, some succeeded, and even more failed. in the end, the ones who succeeded were all devout believers, and the ones who failed were those who did not believe in the desert god. this news made the residents at the bottom of the hierarchy gradually excited. that increased the number of people in the church of the desert god to pray. small groups of demons still inevitably appeared, although the troops outside the towering city walls blocked the large-scale enemies. death was inevitable in this process. therefore, one must have the means to deal with danger. the influence of the church of the desert god spread at an exaggerated speed. the high-ranking nobles of solan city had no choice but to remain silent. they were vigilant but did not dare to make any extra moves as they secretly observed the actions of the desert sect. it would be a monumental blow to them if the desert god appeared in solan city. the grand duke in solan city was a legendary ascetic. he had always suppressed the sect. that didn¡¯t influence much in solan city. however, the sudden appearance of the desert god sect was a little strange. furthermore, the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city was still in the capital of the holy church empire. it assisted the new king in handling government affairs. that made things even more delicate. however, the people could not find traces of the desert god no matter how many forces investigated, although one had confirmed he had infiltrated solan city. that made people wary. an undercurrent stirred. solan city was in a state of tension, and twilight city made a new move. that was october 15th. the frostwolf troop entered the ell plane on the fifth day after the grand duke of frostwolf left twilight city. at the same time, a piece of news spread throughout the entire mortal plane. the ell plane had established the ell alliance. all the native forces could apply to join the ell alliance. members of the ell alliance could enter the ell plane freely to trade and station themselves. at the same time, the golden fruits would also be available to members of the ell alliance. the news caused an exaggerated earthquake. richard initially opened only the ell plane to players. that made all the natives feel lucky. however, now that this policy was out, many forces who wanted to build a trading center also itched for it. on the same day, countless forces expressed their willingness to join the ell alliance through various channels. the ell players association was a positive example. richard was the grace mainland overlord and was naturally more trustworthy than the other natives. this move allowed richard¡¯s influence to transcend the players and spread among the natives. the ell alliance finally decided on 8,000 organizations as founders on october 20th, after five days. among them were the royal family of the empire, independent lords, several nobles, large chambers of commerce, ancient families, and secret underground forces. one exceptionally affixed the reputation of ¡°powerful¡± to them. their overall strength was much mightier than the players. however, richard¡¯s attitude was always the same, no matter how powerful the forces were. in ell, one had to listen to his arrangements. even the powerful royal family of the empire had to maintain sufficient respect before slayer god. Chapter 1100 on that day, a level 30 demigod did not obey the arrangement and wanted to use his power to suppress the ell alliance. however, just as he made his move, a twisted root descended from the sky and sucked the demigod into the void. that root reduced the demigod to a broken corpse. it fell to the ground. the entire process took 30 seconds. his fierce attitude made all the native forces tremble in fear. many factions that had other thoughts became obedient. the deterrence of a top-tier power, the influence of the slayer god¡¯s reputation, and the temptation of benefits from ell quickly form the alliance. on october 25th, richard came to the ell plane and announced the official establishment of the ell alliance in front of 8,000 representatives. the city was in another famous giant city in ell, lion city. that was the city where richard had won ell from the raging blood duke and killed the greed lord. at the same time, it was also very close to the crack in the rotten swamp and the space passage left behind by the eternal land. he looked at the heroic figure on the screen and the representatives of the various powers who sat quietly below. the players watched the live stream and realized how terrifying richard¡¯s power was. to make so many big shots sit quietly below and become a paragon was something no player would ever dream of. but now, qingqiu had done it. richard¡¯s reputation soared again after the establishment of the ell alliance. he chose the location. the forces that had joined the ell alliance started to move in. this city that could accommodate millions of people only had 500,000 spots because of the war. a large area of ownerless land appeared. the city immediately became lively after the entry of the forces. various native forces built the two-way teleportation portal. they connected to the ell plane. the ell plane connected to all parts of the mortal plane. its radiation range increased again. players and natives were forces richard had forced. the influence of twilight city rose again. the advantage of having a reputation was that it could attract more people¡¯s attention and even seek refuge. but he power hidden in the dark was already ready to move. that was the disadvantage. it was the desert sect in solan city. people spread the desert sect after half a month, and the demons would occasionally appear to create fear. several people at the bottom of society had quietly become desert sect believers. that was a city in solan city with a population of tens of millions. one would judge from the momentum, and the degree of devotion would be questionable. it wouldn¡¯t be long before the desert sect controls the city. however, they said the desert god hid in the dark. but he never appeared. it was as if he did not exist. the nobles feared afterward. they could only carefully restrict the desert sect and could not make moves. the gods had appeared on the mortal plane. one had stripped their authority, but their power far exceeded that of mortals. a figure appeared in the violet merchant association. vale frowned as he looked at the figure kneeling on one knee with his head lowered and his entire body covered in a black cloak. ¡°still no news?¡± ¡°lord, the bishops of the desert sect are all under our surveillance, but no one has shown any signs of abnormality. ¡°what we heard the most was that the desert god would give them an oracle in their dreams.¡± vale¡¯s expression turned ugly. the desert god was far more cunning than he had expected. despite the significant momentum, the other party did not reveal any traces. even contacting the sect¡¯s manager was through the dream. this method made it impossible for him to investigate even if he wanted to. ¡°does the dark sect have any ideas?¡± the hooded figure still did not raise his head. ¡°lord, we have analyzed and judged that the other party will not appear unless the desert sect has developed to a certain extent.¡± ¡°we should allow the desert sect to develop if we want the other party to reveal himself as soon as possible.¡± vale narrowed his eyes. ¡°indulge?¡± this word was light, but no one dared to ignore the price behind it. letting the gods go was no different from asking a tiger for its skin. who would dare to look down on those who once controlled the world? vale hesitated. they could hear the flapping wings. a moment later, two tall and sturdy stone statues of the dead entered the room. one of them knelt on one knee in front of vale. ¡°president, lord has sent a secret letter.¡± vale reached out to take it. he ensured nothing destroyed any of the vital points. he used a method to open the sealed secret letter. he carefully examined it. a moment later, his expression became a little subtle. then, he carefully pondered on it before he revealed a hint of realization and surprise. he set aside the secret letter. he did not waste any time. he took it to the side and burned it to ashes with a magic lamp. he poured the ashes into a bucket below to make it disappear completely. he waved his hand afterward. he instructed the two stone statues of the dead to leave for the time being. he looked at the mysterious figure incessantly knelt on the ground with one knee. he did not raise his head from the beginning to the end. ¡°pass on my order. from now on, the violet merchant association chamber of commerce will use all channels to help the desert sect spread trade and develop believers. ¡°the dark sect will temporarily withdraw from hiding and no longer monitor the desert sect. ¡°go to the desert sect and hand in my invitation. tell the bishop of the desert sect that the violet merchant association chamber of commerce will be their staunch supporter! and will help them develop. ¡°the reason for all this is because our lord is a devout believer of the desert sect¡­¡± the mysterious figure replied hesitantly. ¡°president, won¡¯t we expose our intentions by being so direct?¡± vale smiled. ¡°exposed? no, we are believers in the desert. that would be another story for the desert god. ¡°are we going to pretend to be believers? ¡°no, it¡¯s not impersonation, but¡­ we are the orthodox! ¡± the current ruler of the desert sect is our lord! ¡°how can that rat rising in the dark be the ruler of the desert sect?¡± at this point, his tone became more subtle. ¡°furthermore, the desert god lost his authority. what right do you have to declare yourself a god before a true god with authority?¡± these words made the mysterious cloaked man tremble. he suddenly raised his head. his eyes in darkness revealed a strong shock. ¡°you mean¡­ let the lord directly take over the desert sect?¡± in that case, no matter how the desert sect developed, wouldn¡¯t it benefit twilight city? but was this feasible? that surprised the mysterious cloaked man, who did not know more. but vale did not have any doubts. the most ingenious part of this plan was the desert god. he had lost his authority. richard still held 15% of it. a power must have sealed it, although authority was authority. an authority one could not disobey! he would be the prey of twilight city if the other party appeared in public. the entire desert sect would become the spoils of war for twilight city if the other party did not come out. Chapter 1101 in the background of the turmoil, everyone felt a strong sense of restlessness and danger. it was the uneasiness of the future and the confusion of tomorrow. it was enough for everyone in an environment to seize, even if only a sliver of hope. the desert sect played such a role at this moment. in the endless despair, it was as if a savior had descended from the sky in the darkest moment. it gave everyone light and hope and caused the residents trapped in the quicksand to go crazy. the energy of a drowning person would enormously erupt if he spotted a life-saving straw. in addition, the nobles who ruled solan city were timid. that boosted further the prestige of the desert sect. the situation gradually tilted towards the desert sect. the boss behind hid in an inconspicuous street in solan city. a tall figure wore a yellow cloak in a dilapidated and narrow house. he calmly looked at the sky through the open window. a wall of the small courtyard stood two meters away from the window. dewy moss covered it. the wall was not high, but it blocked most of the line of sight. even looking up at the sky would become extravagant during low tide. that was because the sky also charged according to its value. three black-robed priests stood quietly behind this mysterious existence. however, their eyes were like burning fireballs. that was the only light that lit up the starry sky because the person before them was their faith, their ruler! the desert god! there was an indescribable restlessness in the silence. a loud shout came from outside the wall in this remarkable atmosphere. ¡°praise the god of the desert!¡± the sudden figure broke the silence in the room. the three black-robed priests immediately became excited. the few black-robed priests became excited. ¡°your excellency, did you hear that? the believers praise your glory! ¡°your light has already enveloped the entire solan city! ¡°half of the residents in solan city will become believers of the desert sect in half a month at most! ¡°you are eternity!¡± the desert god slowly turned around with a hood over his head. richard looked closely. he could see a clear face under the hood. it was like a layer of mist covered it. it gave off an endless sense of mystery and majesty, making people not dare to look directly at it. one could see a pair of amber eyes in the haziness. they emitted a sharp light that made people dare not look directly at it. that was like an eagle that hunted. the other party stared at the three black-robed priests. they trembled and lowered their heads. they did not dare to be disrespectful to their beliefs. ¡°the rules of the world have changed. ¡°those mortals who think they have great power sought even greater might. and this method is to kill gods! ¡°before the situation has completely stabilized, don¡¯t be arrogant. don¡¯t be conceited. ¡°a small achievement is far from enough to be proud of! ¡°i¡¯ll congratulate you when solan city becomes the territory of the desert sect. ¡°as the oracle says.¡± the three black-robed priests immediately agreed. their attitudes become increasingly humble. the desert god turned around and looked at the sky again afterward. an indifferent voice entered their ears. ¡°how did the nobles react to the expansion of the desert sect? ¡°most of them only dare to restrict us in the dark and don¡¯t dare to fight us head-on. ¡°there are even a few nobles who have become your believers¡­¡± ¡°however, those nobles are still on high alert. they are still waiting for the return of the ruler of this city.¡± at this point, the black-robed priest in the middle revealed a hint of killing intent. ¡°my lord, the grand duke in solan city has already obstructed our progress. please give the order for us to get rid of him.¡± the desert god didn¡¯t turn around and said sarcastically. ¡°the three of you want to deal with the grand duke in solan city?¡± that didn¡¯t convince the three black-robed priests. ¡°my lord, we are all level-28 legends, and you have given us a semi-divine weapon. is it not enough to join forces to deal with the level 29 grand duke of frostwolf in solan city?¡± ¡°it¡¯s enough.¡± the desert god turned around and looked at the three black-robed priests. his amber eyes revealed a hint of playfulness. ¡°it¡¯s barely enough to kill the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city.¡± his tone suddenly sounded solemn as he spoke. ¡°do you think that a level 29 ascetic is so easy to deal with?!¡± ¡°let me tell you, even i don¡¯t have the confidence to win against the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city!¡± a few of them narrowed their eyes in disbelief. ¡°my lord, how, how is this possible? you¡¯re a god!¡± the desert god shook his head. there was a complicated look in his eyes. ¡°you don¡¯t understand how powerful ascetic monks are. they are a group of beings who have tempered their bodies to the extreme. any control skills, mental magic, or even poisonous curses are ineffective against them. ¡°their bodies are even immune to more than 90% of magic damage and more than 95% of physical damage¡­¡± ¡°you can¡¯t wear equipment or weapons in exchange for mighty combat power. ¡°forget about the three of you as legends, even if you double. we can¡¯t be a match for that ascetic.¡± these words silenced a few of them. they knew the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city was powerful. but they did not expect him to be so powerful. they looked at each other bitterly. ¡°your excellency, what should we do now?¡± ¡°wait. ¡°wait until everything falls. ¡°when the situation develops to the extent we want¡­¡± the desert god¡¯s gaze revealed a profound meaning. he finished speaking, and the black-robed priest in the middle suddenly closed his eyes. he opened his eyes again. excitement filled his face. ¡°your excellency, the violet merchant association chamber of commerce is closely related to the solan chamber of commerce and the phoenix-tail flower merchant association. they had just made contact with a bishop. the other party expressed that they would fully support the expansion of the desert sect. ¡°your excellency, this is the first time a large chamber of commerce has officially announced their support for us. it has extraordinary significance!¡± the desert god raised his eyebrows and revealed a playful look. ¡°the violet merchant association chamber of commerce announced their support for us. that is interesting. ¡°the ruler behind it is a grace mainland overlord in the desert. i hope to remember it correctly.¡± almost everyone knew richard¡¯s identity as qingqiu throughout the world. however, richard hadn¡¯t exposed twilight city to the world. the only information the outside world knew was that he was a big shot of the desert camp. and his territory was in the desert of death. no one knew what his territory leader looked like. his relationship with the violet merchant association chamber of commerce and grand duke of frostwolf in solan city was even more mysterious. the gods lost their authority and no longer had the power to see through everything. the desert god was one of them. ¡°that¡¯s right, the other party said you¡¯re his loyal believer¡­¡± the black-robed priest in the middle seemed very excited. once the top nobles of solan city supported the desert sect, they wouldn¡¯t be far from taking control of solan city. the desert god¡¯s eyes moved slightly and revealed a meaningful light. ¡°believers? no, he¡¯s just an ant who wants to pry into the power of the gods.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t sense any kindness from them¡­¡± that shocked the black-robed priest, and killing intent filled his face. ¡°that damned bastard dared to lie to us, and, and even dared to blaspheme! they¡¯re courting death!¡± ¡°your excellency, we¡¯ll immediately arrange for people to clean up¡­¡± the desert god waved his hand before he could finish. ¡°no, accept them.¡± the righteous indignation of a few people froze, and confusion filled their faces. ¡°your excellency¡­¡± the desert god spoke slowly. ¡°the most threatening thing is the unknown hidden in the dark, not the enemy that has already surfaced.¡± ¡°he is no longer dangerous after we know his purpose.¡± ¡°on the contrary, we can borrow their arrogance and use their strength to accelerate the integration of solan city.¡± he slowly closed his eyes as he spoke. ¡°it¡¯s already chaos. no one knows what will happen. therefore, we need a territory utterly under our control to deal with the unknown terror. ¡°fate guided me to this area. ¡°i sensed a corner of the future in the fragment of fate. it was a world where despair and death coexisted. ¡°and solan city will be the place where i die.¡± the three legendary priests held their breaths and no longer spoke loudly. ¡®fallen?¡¯ they couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if their god fell! his emotions churned, and he was at a loss. the desert god¡¯s voice suddenly became high-pitched. ¡°there is still a trace of life even in death. ¡°that¡¯s why we have to capture him at all costs!! ¡°the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s probe will be our push.¡± ¡°we can use this to conduct a deeper probe. one. how many spies are still lurking in the shadows in solan city? two. is the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city stationed there? three. draw out potential danger.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be afraid of enemies getting close to you. dances with wolves is an intoxicating thing.¡± the three black-robed priests felt ashamed when they heard this. his bearing and vision were like clouds and mud compared to the ruler. ¡°as you wish.¡± the desert sect headed on the desert god¡¯s will. the desert sect¡¯s deliberate cooperation and the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s support for the desert sect quickly spread throughout solan city. that alarmed several noble forces. that seriously considered how to deal with the desert sect. the violet merchant association chamber of commerce, the phoenix tail flower merchant association, and solan city¡¯s representative, the solan chamber of commerce, had also quietly relaxed their restrictions on the desert sect and even secretly supported it. the change in the direction of the wind made countless nobles feel sensitive. they relaxed their suppression and supported the desert sect like the violet merchant association chamber of commerce. the desert sect had already won the people¡¯s sympathy and the cooperation of all parties. half of the residents of solan city had become believers of the yellow sand sect on november 10th, after nearly a month of development. the desert god could feel the prayers of his believers at all times. the situation gradually moved toward what the boss had predicted. ¡°wait a little longer.¡± he would go out and take over the city as the number of believers exceeded 70%. he would wait a little longer. the desert god watched as the number of believers skyrocketed, and his calm emotions soared. on november 15th, 60% of the residents in solan city had become believers in the yellow sand sect. a piece of news that shocked the desert god suddenly came. the god of the desert, the great protector of the desert, the eternal supreme god, had descended on the square of solan city and summoned his believers! the desert god heard the news from his subordinate. he looked down at himself blankly. the desert god had appeared? then who was he? an indescribable fear suddenly rose in his heart. the mastermind didn¡¯t just want him. he wanted the entire desert sect! he had become the other party¡¯s substitute. the other party seemed to have eaten the fat meat in his hand. ¡°damn bastard, how dare he? how dare you!¡± Chapter 1102 the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city stared at the magic letter. he was like a statue. he remained static for a long time. he slowly closed the letter, folded it, and put it in his arms. he did all this and let out a long sigh. he turned to look at the colorful angel oil painting on the wall. his gaze became profound. some doubtful words broke the quiet atmosphere. ¡°master, that grace mainland overlord¡­ will it succeed?¡± the one who spoke was a middle-aged man in his fifties who stood in an inconspicuous corner. his eyes were bright, and killing intent filled his brows. it had four arms. that was the most riveting. the grand duke did not speak. the other party hesitated for a moment before he continued. ¡°after all, he is the desert god. he is a terrifying existence who once held power! ¡°it¡¯s no different from asking a tiger for its skin, although the grace mainland overlord is extraordinary. it will inevitably lead to an irreversible outcome once something goes wrong. solan city might even fall¡­¡± these words were not to scare people, but the other party¡¯s ambition was too shocking. the four-armed man was still shocked when he thought of that information. the other party wanted to use the hands of the desert god to swallow the entire desert sect! he would replace him. this exaggerated plan sounded like something spoken after a drink of three jars of rum. was the other party joking? that was his first impression. borrowing the power of the gods to swallow the other party¡¯s sect, wasn¡¯t that nonsense? however, just as he felt it was ridiculous, he suddenly thought of something. he wasn¡¯t an ordinary grace mainland overlord but a slayer god. he was the mastermind behind the change of the holy church empire throne and the controller of ell! in the face of such an illustrious battle record, the sense of absurdity in his heart quietly turned into hesitation. however, this plan was too shocking. the other party still couldn¡¯t believe it. slaying a god was simple compared to this plan. the grand duke turned to look at the four-armed man in the shadows with a subtle gaze. ¡°shadow, how many choices do you think we have?¡± the four-armed man was stunned for a moment before he answered in confusion. ¡°my lord, we already have the capital of the holy church empire as our foundation. we¡¯ve also joined forces with several dukes. the power we wield is more than ten times that of before.¡± ¡°why haven¡¯t you chosen yet?¡± a complicated look flashed across the grand duke¡¯s eyes. ¡°is this power mighty? ¡°which god was weaker than us before one stripped authority? and the result?¡± he sighed. ¡°the demons in the whisper mountains in the west have made their move, right? ¡°those believers of the curse of the dark devil in the dark should be unable to suppress it any longer, right? ¡°two other gods who might have snuck into the city. ¡°the power of the holy church city is tens of times greater than that of solan city, but at the same time, the threats they face are also more terrifying.¡± ¡°i would choose solan city without hesitation if i had to choose between holy church city and solan city. ¡°solan city is our foundation.¡± the grand duke¡¯s gaze became increasingly complicated. ¡°they were gods, demons, undead, devils, heretics, ambitious people, great nobles, and merchants. the situation has already become so chaotic that it¡¯s difficult for us to control it. ¡°now, everything i¡¯m doing is for solan city¡¯s survival. that¡¯s all.¡± the four-armed man in the shadows fell silent. he did not expect a vitality-filled situation to become fragile in grand duke solan¡¯s eyes. the grand duke calmed his fluctuating emotions and continued. ¡°the outcome might not be as we wish, but no one can avoid this turmoil. ¡°we need a powerful ally as a partner. lord richard is the ally i have chosen. ¡°solan city had already entered the trap when i met richard. ¡°now, we can only fully support lord richard and achieve our goal.¡± that confused the four-armed man. ¡°grand duke, although the grace mainland overlord possesses astonishing strength, we don¡¯t have to place such a heavy bet on this overlord or even hand solan city over to him. we can¡¯t bear the consequences if anything goes wrong.¡± the grand duke looked at him deeply. ¡°shadow, a real gambler¡¯s hand is not always good. he knows when to bet and puts all his chips on!¡± ¡°my chips are all on sir richard. as for your worries, i can tell you that lord richard is more powerful than you think!¡± ¡°otherwise, why do you think several dukes and dozens of high nobles cooperated with us when we supported the third prince to ascend the throne?¡± ¡°more importantly, the phoenixtail flower chamber of commerce has also chosen lord richard, although it doesn¡¯t show its strength on the surface. the old man in the red dragon general store is a demigod!¡± ¡°it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that solan city is far inferior to the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. this force also placed a heavy bet on lord richard.¡± he has also sensed a hidden and powerful faction behind him. ¡°it¡¯s not just the holy church empire. even the frostwolf clan, a top-tier clan in the ice empire, has sent a message earlier. they want to develop a deeper level of cooperation with solan city. they¡¯re even willing to form an alliance between the holy church empire and the ice empire¡­¡± the grand duke¡¯s expression became even more solemn. ¡°the establishment of the ell players association and the creation of the ell alliance once again confirmed my guess. ¡°lord richard, there must be a hidden force behind this. that force is so powerful that they do not fear the gods! ¡°otherwise, the other party wouldn¡¯t dare to expose himself in front of everyone so brazenly! ¡°and according to the reactions of the gods and the turmoil of the situation, that force is very likely to be the ancient gods who have revived the great ancient ones.¡± these words shocked the four-armed man in the shadows. ¡®an ancient god had revived the past? ¡®does the other party have something to do with this power?¡¯ the four-armed man took a deep breath. he slowly lowered his head. ¡°his excellency, i was too narrow-minded.¡± the grand duke narrowed his eyes and said word by word. ¡°so, since you¡¯ve already placed your bet, don¡¯t hesitate or be stingy. ¡°have someone protect christy. leave the rest to lord richard. ¡°some people think they could turn the tables with a backup plan. but i don¡¯t think so. how can we survive in despair without the courage to stake?!¡± his powerful words made the four-armed man bow his head again. no one could defy the grand duke¡¯s will, although he was not in solan city, as the ruler of this giant city at the edge of the desert. the connivance of the solan city guards accomplished the rapid spread of the desert sect with the tacit consent. on november 15th, the desert god announced he would descend on the central square of solan city and accept the worship of all his believers. solan city troops were silent for half a month. they moved. several troops alerted, and the pegasus knights in the sky almost blocked the sun. moreover, several city hall staff took to the streets to maintain order and informed all the believers with certainty. the ruler of the desert sect was the grand duke¡¯s best friend and closest ally. the grand duke approved the expansion of the desert sect. he wanted the believers to go and worship without worry. he also informed his followers he would hand over the desert sect¡¯s safety to the solan city. until the desert sect gradually returned to the troops of the church. the followers of the desert sect immediately fell into excitement with the official endorsement of solan city. the great desert god did not lie to them. a god had come to save them! countless believers rushed to the central square. those non-believers also crowded over to join in the fun. the scene became exaggerated. that almost caused a stampede. fortunately, they prepared the city hall. they immediately used magic to broadcast the scene of the square in real-time on the main streets and limited the number of people. only then did the crowd ease up. twilight city residents anticipated the whole day. they suddenly saw a yellow-filled sky from solan city. it surged into the city from the sky like a river that raged. the endless yellow sand from the ground flew into the sky and roared. the scene was as shocking as a miracle. the light dazzled under the setting sun. that shocked the scene with indescribable holiness. the yellow sand surged and flowed to the top of the central square under the watchful eyes of countless people. then, the yellow sand rippled. they gradually transformed into a giant throne that could support the sky and suppress the void in the feverish atmosphere. that formed the throne. sand covered a majestic figure in the desert. one could not see his face. he slowly sat on the throne. the other party¡¯s body did not match the yellow sand throne. no one felt it was out of place. instead, the size of the throne set off the other party¡¯s majesty. the moment they sat down. an indescribable pressure swept across the world. it caused countless people¡¯s hearts to tremble. ¡°children born in the desert, i am your lord, your eternal faith¡­richard.¡± Chapter 1103 the figure on the divine throne looked so majestic at this moment. the desert sect believers in the square saw this scene, and that satisfied their fantasies about the gods. he knelt on the ground excitedly and bowed most humbly without hesitation. ¡°my lord, your loyal believer sends you his most noble greetings. ¡°your light shines upon the entire world that protected every single one of us. praise you. ¡°great desert god, the ruler of supreme power. i sincerely beg to receive your attention.¡± millions of people filled this large square that could accommodate hundreds of thousands. the black mass of people knelt on the ground one after another. they looked spectacular. some areas had a multitude of people. they couldn¡¯t kneel even if they wanted to. there was a spectacle of feet touching feet, head to face. richard stood in the square center. he listened to the praises and prayers of the believers below. his calm expression suddenly became a little strange. he suddenly sensed the sealed desert authority in his body. something must have slowly loosened and awakened it. countless emotions appeared in his mind afterward. they were devout, probing, and hesitant. they were believers of the desert sect! he could hear their prayers! more importantly, richard¡¯s body gathered a remarkable power gradually. it was pure, clean, and had no attributes. it was just rich energy. that energy could mobilize the sealed desert authority. that must have the genuine key to activating the authority of the desert! a word suddenly appeared in richard¡¯s mind! power of faith! no wonder the gods needed believers so much. the power of faith could increase their authority so much! even under the suppression of laws, he could still mobilize his authority. the ultimate goal of this plan was to lure the desert god out. richard suddenly felt that becoming the new desert god was blissful with this discovery! however, a rumble suddenly happened just as he was about to move. a clap of thunder exploded from the sky. a shocking scene appeared afterward. countless strange thunderbolts condensed from gravel and bombarded the yellow sand that floated in the sky. that shattered the large patches of yellow sand. yellow dragons danced in the air. wild snakes soared through the sky. the yellow sand and lightning were as dense as rain. that caused a scene of heavenly punishment to appear in the sky. it was terrifying. any intelligent life would be afraid of natural disasters that exceed their understanding. the believers knelt on the ground below and felt fear and fury. someone had attacked the god they believed in? who was it? it was those damned demons! or a blasphemous heretic? a few residents couldn¡¯t come to the square but had watched the scene through magic. they widened their eyes in excitement. they stared at the scene closely, afraid to miss any detail. a few people still attacked after the gods appeared. could it be the legendary god hunters? it was human nature to watch the show. this kind of fun was rare in a lifetime. the yellow sand and lightning flashed to the sky generously. endless yellow light flashed, and the world suddenly fell silent. a majestic figure wore a yellow sand cloak and appeared out of thin air from the sand and thunder. a mural in an ancient church must have made people tremble. he focused on the other party while it held a slender scepter condensed from fine sand. his body emitted a majestic and heavy aura. it was like he confronted a vast and eternal desert. it made people feel awe. this figure appeared, and the believers below were suddenly shocked because they sensed an extremely familiar aura from the other party. ¡°why, why do i sense the aura of our god on him?!¡± believers were sensitive to their god¡¯s faith. that startled many of them. ¡°what was going on?¡± the stalwart figure puzzled everyone. it appeared in the lightning and suddenly raised the yellow sand scepter. a deep and solemn voice resounded throughout the world. ¡°i am the god of the desert, seth!¡± ¡°my believers, use your heart to comprehend. i am the god you believe in!¡± he pointed at richard. anger filled his voice. ¡°and he is a despicable thief! a lowly bastard who tried to deceive everyone and steal the desert sect! ¡°such a lowly life form could never profane the glory of a true god!¡± he finished speaking. the scepter erupted with the power of yellow sand. the sand in the sky stopped flowing and turned towards him. this action had forcibly stripped richard of his control over the yellow sand. this scene stunned the believers and residents below. why would two desert gods suddenly appear? the desert god stared at richard. his chest heaved. his anger could almost set the sky on fire. ¡°this damned blasphemer wanted to occupy his sect? ¡°how bold! no wonder solan city was so cooperative with the other party¡¯s preaching. it turned out they were waiting for him here! what made him even angrier was that this bastard was only level 19! he hadn¡¯t even reached transcendent! how dare he impersonate him at such a level? an ant provoked a tiger. that humiliation and anger surged into his heart. that infuriated him. Chapter 1104 ¡°blasphemer! your doomsday has arrived! ¡°no matter who you are or what preparations you have made, i will destroy today!¡± ¡°no one can provoke a true god!¡± [god of the desert-seth] [level: 30] [skills: ???] [???] richard opened the attribute panel and glanced at it. the corners of his mouth curled up. the rat hiding in the sewers was out. finally! did he think there was no one else in solan city to control everything in the dark? dream on! taking over the magpie¡¯s nest was a blatant scheme. and the other party had to take it. he raised his head slightly and looked down at the desert god indifferently. ¡°are you done?¡± the casual tone made the furious desert god feel like one had slapped him hard. ¡°what right did this bastard have to treat him with such an attitude? ¡°why? ¡°you¡¯re courting death!¡± endless divine might suddenly erupted. that pressed down on everyone indiscriminately. ¡°lord, i didn¡¯t sense anything dangerous around you!¡± a voice transmission quietly sounded in the mind of the desert god. the god who had lost his authority looked a little better. the believers immersed in excitement on the ground became uneasy after they sensed the divine power. the fear in his heart began to soar. no matter who was the real one, if the two of them fought, they would be the ones who would suffer in the end. a battle between gods could destroy the world! richard slowly lowered his head and glanced around. then his provocative voice rang out. ¡°disciples of the desert sect, my loyal subjects. since you can¡¯t tell the truth with your naked eyes, pray sincerely to god! ¡°true gods will give you feedback, give you hope, and give the traitors the fiercest counterattack!¡± his calm voice resounded throughout solan city. only then did the terrified residents come to their senses. yes, faith was a real thing. the false gods couldn¡¯t obtain their faith! the restless believers immediately quieted down and prayed loudly. ¡°great desert god, your believers pray to you. may your light shine on the desert forever.¡± ¡°eternal god of the desert¡­¡± millions of believers knelt and prayed. in the past, this scene has gratified the desert god. however, a great sense of unease welled up in his heart. he actually couldn¡¯t sense the prayers of any believers. the millions of people below were like puppets, incompatible with him. the desert god seemed to have thought of something in his bewilderment. he suddenly turned his head and looked at the calm and indifferent figure on the throne. an uncontrollable fear welled up in his heart. he roared wildly. ¡°bastard, bastard! you stole the authority of the desert!¡± the desert god couldn¡¯t take it anymore. the power of the yellow sand on his body surged and instantly swept across the surroundings. the lightning condensed from the yellow sand and flashed wildly. the surrounding yellow sand spun wildly. lightning danced wildly in the sky along with the yellow sand. they flashed with a soul-stirring aura of death. it was as if it wanted to destroy everything! the believers below prayed even more piously and sincerely under the terrifying pressure. the more dangerous the external situation was, the more united the internal would be. something must have condensed the desert gods. he charged over with a terrifying attack. that destroyed, cracked, and blurred everything wherever it passed. the desert god revealed a sinister smile. their schemes were all useless in front of absolute strength! no one could block the attack that could split the sky. that hit richard at a speed visible to the naked eye. the desert god felt the pleasure of revenge. he could already see the blasphemer turn into meat paste. something happened at this moment. one seemed to have pressed the violent sand on the pause button and suddenly stopped. the thunderbolt condensed from gravel and was even stranger now. it would bend in an arc to avoid hurting richard even if it touched him. the smile on the desert god¡¯s face froze. he pondered. he suddenly felt he had lost control of all his strength. he could no longer control it. that horrified him afterward. a familiar aura on the other party¡¯s body surged. ¡°authority! desert authority!¡± the desert god¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°this bastard activated his authority when the rules changed. he suppressed everything. fear, jealousy, greed, resentment, unwillingness, all the negative emotions in his heart erupted! however, they could not change the facts no matter how mighty the emotions were. at the same time, the believers below looked up at the sky in unison. heat and incomparable madness filled their eyes. but they did not stare at the desert god. they looked at richard! all the believers could sense richard answered their prayers. only the gods could respond to the prayers of their believers. that was the rule of the world. an iron law one could not change. they received a response from the desert god. it was genuine and not illusory! the devout believers had tears streaming down their faces. that deepen the faith of the shallow believers. the power of faith generated by millions of prayers filled richard¡¯s every pore. Chapter 1105 the feeling that the entire desert cheered to his call surged into his heart again, even more so compared to before. he was in control of the desert or yellow sand. the desert god¡¯s attack with the power of yellow sand was no exception! one took over him in the face of a higher-level law! richard pondered and sealed off the surroundings of the desert god. the desert could not mobilize any forces of the desert. that was the jurisdiction and ruling power of the superior over the inferior. the desert god¡¯s believers saw how ineffective his attacks were. they cheered loudly. ¡°praise your great god! your glory will be eternal!¡± ¡°my lord, kill this lowly blasphemer and let his flesh and soul become a sacrifice for your return!¡± ¡°blasphemers deserve to die!¡± curses continued among the players. the desert god burned with anger and almost exploded when he heard the cheers of his believers. what could be more frustrating than having one¡¯s believers cheer for a blasphemer and even let the other party kill him? nothing more! it was like a yellow-haired man entered his room and did all to his partner. his partner had to shout that the yellow-haired man was powerful and let the yellow-haired man kill him. humiliating! the desert god stopped circulating the yellow sand power in his body and used his level 30 demigod power. this power did not belong to the desert, and one could not control it. the desert god saw the space around him collapse before he could counterattack. he saw a pair of broad, malevolence-filled dark red bat wings that flapped in the void in a trance. he saw a towering tree that trembled his soul. the other party emitted an aura of abomination! he could vaguely see the fight of his three legendary subordinates. the figure wore a golden mask and held a slender saber. that is a warrior with a fighting spirit that soared. the collapse of space quickly returned to normal, and the desert god disappeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. however, at this moment, no one was upset or regretful about the disappearance of the desert god. instead, they clapped their hands in joy. the great true god must have killed that lowly life! excitement filled the believers who did not know the reason behind the scenes. they didn¡¯t waver in their faith at the critical moment. they used the most direct method to support the true god in executing the blasphemer! they were the firmest believers! god must have seen their sacrifice! richard sensed the emotions of the believers and had a thought. he stood up from the yellow sand throne and glanced around. he quietly activated all the skills on his body. he activated the legendary level¨Cfamous, leading skill, yellow sand halo. he clearly said under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°the world laws changed, and the gods descended to the mortal world. that is a test for the gods and also a test for the believers. one will all reveal as time passes whether or not your faith can withstand the test, whether or not it can be firm, whether or not it can incessantly unwaver in the darkness and despair.¡± ¡°children of the desert, my believers¡­ your firm faith makes me very satisfied.¡± his tone suddenly became high-pitched. ¡°remember, those with the steadfast faith will receive my blessings. i will bring them to my kingdom that i rebuild after they die in battle. i will resurrect them to enjoy eternal life! ¡°the only sect one can never destroy is the desert sect! ¡°those who believe in me shall have eternal life.¡± influence filled his skill as he spoke. the already excited believers fell into madness again. praise and prayers became the main melody of solan city. at this moment, a system notification quietly rang in richard¡¯s ear. [ding~ player qingqiu has commanded his subordinates to kill the desert god. he has received 15% desert authority.] [ding~ player qingqiu, commander¡­] the system notification continued. the three notifications rang out not only in richard¡¯s ears but also in the ears of all the players. everyone exploded again. the players on the forum went crazy. ¡°f*ck, what is qingqiu doing? how long has it been?¡± ¡°what kind of monster is qingqiu? how can he kill a god and kun kun as he pleases?!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not convinced! i¡¯m not convinced!¡± how long had it been since the decay king died in qing qiu¡¯s hands? he buried another desert god. that was simply incomprehensible for the players. since when were gods so easy to kill? it wasn¡¯t that no one had encountered gods who had lost their authority. but! he was still at level 30, even if he lost his power! demigod, that was a f*cking demigod! an existence above legend! one can only slay a few legends before the descend of the gods into the mortal world! now, he was going to kill a demigod and a demigod with a deep foundation at that! but richard could do it! the strong contrast made the players¡¯ hearts twist. one sent that news immediately to the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city in the holy church. the legendary ascetic read the letter, and his face showed a subtle emotion and relief. he guessed it right. there was a top-notch force hidden behind the other party! that shocked the four-armed man in the shadows. ¡°the grand duke¡­he, he did it!¡± the death of the desert god meant that the other party had used solan city as a chess piece and achieved an exaggerated result. his previous suspicions were so weak that he felt like a clown. he felt ashamed. in the frostwolf family, the grand duke of frostwolf looked at his subordinate who had come to report, and joy filled his face. that was the partner he had chosen! ¡°hahaha, it hasn¡¯t been that long, yet qingqiu has slayed another god! tell rebecca to return as soon as possible and make another trip to twilight city. the slayer god of the mortal plane remains the only suitable marriage partner of the frostwolf family.¡± Chapter 1106 a small stream surged like a river. the scope of his control over authority had expanded. it was like playing a game. his vision was ten times wider. that was a transformation. richard looked at his attribute panel. the 15% authority had increased to 30%. it was only a 15% increase in numbers. richard felt that the power that the authority could control was more than ten times stronger than before! he narrowed his eyes and sensed carefully. his perception spread out afterward. that directly extended to the desert outside solan city. the entire desert cheered and welcomed its ruler! his spirit touched the desert. a majestic power quietly flowed through his will and strengthened his body. richard opened the attribute panel again. he could see a special status. [desert blessing] [all attributes will be increased by 600% in an area covered by the desert. the system will increase recovery of the mana, sand power, and divine power ten times.] richard couldn¡¯t help but let out a comfortable moan. an unprecedented power filled the cells of his body. he waved his hand. that tore the sky and the earth apart. no one could stop him as far as the eye could see. the rapid in strength brought the feeling, and he suppressed it. he sighed. he calmed down a little, and the prayers of the believers below rang in his ears again. countless expectations, reverence, and fanaticism turned into pure energy and poured into his body. the faith of hundreds of people became distinct because of the increase in authority. the faith¡¯s majestic power condensed in his body, and he activated the authority again. the activated authority automatically summoned the desert. the desert responded to the summoning of the power and sent more energy. this virtuous cycle overjoyed richard. the authority has affected him as the carrier. the power of faith and desert included. the authority baptized his cells. boundless energy bathed every inch of his skin and bones. richard had increased from level 18 to level 19 in the past half a year, although he did not deliberately increase his level. however, he was still far from becoming a transcendent. however, the experience bar that was initially stuck soared at an exaggerated speed under the baptism of several forces. boundless energy pushed richard to break through to another realm. the energy watered his body, and the image of the desert quietly appeared in his mind. the desert was an eternal existence that could withstand the erosion of the river of time, the corruption of the sun and moon, and the impact of everything in the world. it was endless, violent, quiet, and filled with despair and hope. to control the desert meant to resist time, endure decay, and withstand the impact of all things. the authority transmitted the information and images. that allowed richard to have a better understanding of the desert. the thoughts of the believers also transmitted this perception. they keenly sensed that the god they believed in seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation. hope and vitality filled the transformation. the feedback they received had become firmer in the process. millions of people prayed increasingly sincere and submissive. the majestic power of faith surged in, and the authority mobilized the desert around solan city. like a great river that flowed backward, the yellow sand energy poured into richard¡¯s body through the void. it provided the mightiest support for richard¡¯s transformation. this virtuous cycle continued. ten minutes, twenty minutes. after an hour, the believers suddenly looked at the sky in unison. they could feel that the transformation of the god had stopped. richard opened his eyes. he felt that the world had become incomparably clear. the world revealed the magic energy in the surroundings, the power of the sand in the desert, the magic arrays hidden in various parts of solan city, the top-notch experts hiding in the dark and spying on him before his eyes. it felt like one with high nearsightedness took his glasses off and regained his average vision. it was also like one lifted a curtain of a mosquito net, and the outside world appeared before his eyes again. everything, everything was different. confusion muddled his thoughts, and a familiar voice sounded in his ear. [ding~ you have reached level 20 and have successfully advanced to transcendent. you have activated the transcendent characteristic¨Cdesert eternity.] [ding~ you have become a transcendent, and your control over the desert authority has exceeded 30%. the system activated the authority attribute¨Cdivine arrival] [ding~ the system has upgraded your talent¨Cdesert ruler. new characteristic activated¨Cdesert emperor.] a series of system notifications woke richard up from his daze. he read them a few times. his mood became high, and the smile on his face was as bright as the summer sun. he revealed a complicated expression afterward. ¡°transcendent!¡± ¡°transcendent!¡± in the past two years since he came to the ¡°shining era.¡± he had put in a lot of effort and blood. he had experienced countless life-and-death battles. he started treating a level 15 desert dragon as a top-tier boss and then treated transcendents as gods. now, he had personally stepped into this field. Chapter 1107 he had never felt at ease since the establishment of twilight city. he had countless enemies. fortunately, all his enemies had become corpses under his feet! the mighty gods had fallen under his butcher¡¯s knife¨Cthe kobold god, the greed lord, the decay king, and the desert god. he had also obtained an unimaginable amount of authority for the power of the world¡¯s rules. he had built this with blood and corpses. that was no exaggeration to say. outsiders only saw his glory. but they never knew the dangers and hardships he faced. however, he still did it, no matter how arduous the process was! he had managed to make the twilight city rise and stand at the top of the desert. he also created a figure one could not underestimate in the mortal plane or the multiverse. richard sighed with relief. it took him a long time to recover from his excitement. he suppressed his emotions. his eyes regained clarity as well. transcendence was just a milestone, and it was far from the end. one day, he would step higher and make twilight city a force that shook the world! he took a deep breath and looked around. the followers of the desert sect still prayed fervently. the emotions in his mind were exceptionally high. it was time to wrap up this plan. he pondered for a moment. plans filled his heart. he sighed deeply. he activated the desert authority and waved his hand. he flew into the sky. the desert god¡¯s action smoothened the chaotic yellow sand. the yellow sand quickly condensed into an even broader throne in the next second. it was seven to eight hundred meters tall, like a towering mountain. the residents at the edge of solan city also sensed something. they raised their heads and immediately saw the broad throne in the sky. a yellow sand figure formed a complete replica of richard. this scene was no different from the ancient myths mentioned by the bards! the impact-filled scene made people tremble and praise. the throne and the sand figure formed. richard spoke slowly. ¡°i have returned. i will control the desert again. i will start a new era with my own hands. ¡°i will protect the desert sect believers. ¡°shout my name in your heart in times of danger. ¡°i will bestow you with supreme power to resolve the predicament. ¡°remember, only devout believers can receive my gaze. ¡°the world will become even more chaotic, and danger will be everywhere. however, believers of the desert sect, please remember the mighty god behind you! ¡°i am your greatest support!¡± richard finished finished speaking. he willed all the power gathered by the believers¡¯ prayers to return to themselves through authority. he divided the power equally among millions of believers. there wouldn¡¯t be much of an increase. however, he healed some of the hidden commoners¡¯ injuries and old illnesses by more than half. some believers who were just one step away from breaking through had their levels increased with the support of this power. those unharmed and couldn¡¯t level up also felt their strength had increased to an extent. the already fervent believers became even crazier with benefits. the residents who had witnessed the revolution could not help but waver. they secretly wondered if they should go to the desert sect to try. richard could feel the change in the believer¡¯s mood and smiled. he waved his hand. the sand-filled sky flowed out again and fell outside solan city. he landed on the central square of solan city without hesitation. the bishops of the desert sect swarmed up wildly. they worshipped most humbly. the desert god fell. richard took over the cult that had effortlessly developed millions of followers. the desert god¡¯s plan had all become richard¡¯s spoils of war. the solan family did not restrict their actions against the desert sect during this period as the city ruler. instead, they cooperated with them. that was why the desert sect could develop so quickly. it would be a miracle for the desert sect to have more than 500,000 followers in the past two months without the unconditional cooperation of solan city. richard was the mastermind and knew better than anyone else. the grand duke in solan city would use his city to bet with him. as a reward, richard also gave a firm promise. solan city would forever belong to the frostwolf family as long as twilight city existed. someone may destroy solan city one day. twilight city would still help the frostwold family build a new solan city. he keeps his promises. richard was even surprised that the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city agreed to his proposal. in the end, he could not help but sigh. the breadth of mind and methods of this legendary ascetic weren¡¯t something that ordinary people could compare to. even he had to show enough respect to this kind of boldness that suppressed all the foundations of his family. the moon rose high, and the dawn approached. the believers gathered in the central square and slowly dispersed. richard arrived at the cathedral of the desert sect, the yellow sands church. ten archbishops welcomed the desert sect. the cathedral was made entirely of sand. it stood tall. its height of 30 meters made the building look majestic, although it was only one story. being in it made people feel extremely small. it was like they had stepped into an endless desert. a sect was a very remarkable force. the sect¡¯s core was not a bishop, not a knight, not a priest, not a believer, unlike nobles, kingdoms, and chambers of commerce. the core of a sect was only one god! everything about the sect revolved around the gods. therefore, richard wouldn¡¯t need to buy people¡¯s hearts, eliminate dissidents, and establish his people when he became the new desert god. these believers confirmed he was the god they believed in. he felt their devotion and madness. no believer could deceive their god! richard controlled these believers and the entire desert sect. that feeling was quite blissful. of course, this was only for him. would they want to pretend to be a god if it were someone else? it would be strange if he didn¡¯t get beaten up into dog shit. he sent away the ten zealous bishops. richard sat in the spacious church. he wondered if he were sitting in the wilderness. his expression was subtle. initially, he only wanted to use the desert sect to lure the desert god out to kill him and snatch the authority of the desert. in the end, the plan succeeded. but richard unexpectedly gained control of the desert sect as a matter of course. it would feel ridiculous if one said it out loud, but it happened to him. sure enough, plans could never catch up with changes. only novels were logical. reality did not need it at all. any absurd thing like robbing a bank with a kitchen knife could happen. his authority reached 30%. he also activated a practical characteristic other than the remarkable state of the desert blessing. [divine arrival] [god (special divine spell) ¡ª when a believer is devoutly praying, the believer can choose to temporarily grant the other party power or directly descend on the other party.] [the upper limit of the power granted depends on the amount of faith power consumed. one can consume at least 1000 faith power points each time.] [descends onto a believer, consumes at least 10,000 points of faith power each time, and consumes the same amount of faith power every minute. one needs faith in using might. that is during the descent process.] this divine arrival skill seemed to be a skill in kicking people and wiping their asses. but the desert sect would benefit from the spread and the establishment of his prestige if one used it well. the believers suddenly received salvation from the gods they believed in in the face of danger and despair with their families! wouldn¡¯t that feeling make him a fanatic? the residents who heard such stories would become shallow believers. missionary divine artifact. richard was not interested in becoming the head of the church. but the power of faith was the key to activating authority. he would have to have the power of faith if he wanted to control this power. he would not give up. unless he could find a way to use authority without the power of faith. was this possible? richard fell into deep thought. Chapter 1108 that was the second day after the arrival of the great true god of the desert. his excellency richard arrived in solan city. the demons that had incessantly appeared in the city had disappeared for some reason. the solan city guards also patrolled the city and restored public order. the danger-filled environment has returned to the time before the glittering stars day. it was safe again. the tensed residents felt a long-lost sense of relief. the followers of the desert sect directly attributed this achievement to richard. the gods lived here so they could regain this kind of safety. however, the believers did not know that the desert god teleported the demons. the solan city troop had also noticed the other party¡¯s movements. but there was a farce of demons that wreaked havoc in the city because it was arduous to stop them with grand duke¡¯s exhortations. solan city would not have grown to its current height if one could easily invade it with its foundation. it was often difficult for ordinary people to see the whole picture of the incident. that motivated the believers of the desert sect! their god lived in the same city as them! that was a true god who had revealed a miracle! the propaganda of the sects and various forces, the influence and prestige of the gods who held power in the mortal plane had long risen to the peak for millions of years. the gods lost their authority and fell into the mortal world. but that did not affect this authority. one could not break the rules of inertia that had existed for millions of years in a short period. only those ambitious people with powerful strength dared to spy on the gods. he relieved the natives, but the players were restless. outsiders didn¡¯t know the exact situation. but they heard the system notification that qingqiu slayed the desert god! several players had sought shelter from the natives due to the turmoil outside. therefore, there were hundreds of thousands of players gathered in solan city. it was impossible to hide what happened the other day with that speed. to survive in the dangerous ¡°shining era¡¯ until now, not many people were idiots. one hung a mysterious being in the sky above solan city. he overlooked the world and called himself the desert god. the players had witnessed richard¡¯s control of the desert sect. they quickly deduced. that was most likely qingqiu! this speculation quickly spread on the forum and caused a vast sensation. countless players saw this news. question marks filled their heads. how did qingqiu suddenly become the desert god? soon, they thought of the expansion pack. the introduction of the first chapter of the twilight of the gods in the new era¨Ckilling gods would give authority. the players corroborated each other¡¯s words. they found out the truth. envy filled them. flames filled their chests. they saw their future, a bright path with richard! they killed the gods and would instantly become the masters of the world¡¯s laws! this kind of temptation once again stirred the players. richard became a role model. they were all players, even if the common sense could not infer this pervert. richard could do it in less than two years. the others could do it in two, three, or four years. right? of course, several players were jealous, remarkably the players in solan city. these guys did not dare to say anything on the surface. but they secretly exposed the truth. he spread the idea that he couldn¡¯t do it in his heart. and qingqiu couldn¡¯t live well either. in the beginning, the rumors caused a lot of shock among the residents. richard was the grace mainland overlord, and he relied on usurping power and hunting the desert god to become a god. that caused an uproar. the residents did not feel disgusted after one had revealed the truth. that surprised the players. they were concerned about richard¡¯s past. the natives had dug generous information soon after. they talked about the number one grace mainland overlord. he is the one who killed millions of soldiers, the one who fought against a hundred in the arena, the one who killed the greed lord and the decay king, the ruler of ell, and the one who controlled the ell alliance. the natives utterly revealed richard¡¯s glorious past to the citizens of solan city. qingqiu¡¯s forum id started to overlap with richard¡¯s real name. the players who waited to see richard would fool themselves. they hoped the natives would immediately rebel and cause him trouble after they discovered his true colors. the truth shocked them. the natives revealed richard¡¯s various deeds. his reputation did not fall, but instead rose. that made the residents of solan city even more respectful. the followers of the desert sect did not waver at all. they firmly claimed that the genuine god would always be the true god. their faith would always be firm, and no rumors could ruin it. moreover, didn¡¯t his holiness¡¯s past prove that god had already descended into this world? other than gods, who else could achieve such a glorious battle record? this statement stunned the players. they thought about it and agreed with it. did qingqiu do something a typical person could do? the other party was a clone god. that didn¡¯t feel out of place at all. the players were skeptical about this statement in the end. richard¡¯s achievements shook many residents who did not believe in the desert sect. how glorious was it to follow and believe in such a great existence? the weak sought the protection of the strong. that was the survival logic of the bottom-class residents in the ¡°shining era¡± for millions of years. the players¡¯ unbridled promotion had established richard as a strong person. those slanderous, sarcastic, and even fanning the flames of resistance all paled compared to this battle record. that didn¡¯t disappoint the players. to find that not only did their actions not affect richard, but they also increased his prestige. the nobles of solan city received the news. they were silent at first. they remained static. their attitude was as usual. richard¡¯s identity as a player was a god doppelganger who had descended to the mortal plane in the eyes of the believers. the nobles were naturally complicated. they were not looking at the past but the present. desert god had fallen, and richard had become the new desert god. that was the current situation! it was a reality that anyone¡¯s will could not change it! it didn¡¯t matter who the desert god was. he just wanted to be the county head¡¯s wife. he didn¡¯t care who the county head was. the replacement of gods was not a rare thing. several gods would fall in every war of gods. and the new gods would take over the authority of the old gods. however, the change of authority would not affect anything. a sect would still be a sect, and there would not be any fundamental changes. the players looked forward to a coup. they had mixed feelings when they saw the commoners at the bottom and the nobles at the top. they did not care about the truth. in this world, one respects the strong. it wouldn¡¯t matter even if qingqiu killed a god and became the god of the desert. whoever controlled the authority of the desert, who could give enough benefits to the believers, and who was the god of the desert seemed to be the same. the cruel truth made those players who wanted to see qingqiu make a fool of themselves feel the world¡¯s cruelty. in the end, they were the clowns. qingqiu wasn¡¯t someone one could shake with just a few words. public opinion brewed. another piece of news attracted the attention of many residents. they discovered an elven music tape had quietly appeared in the store. they sold elven music boxes. the singer was the well-known princess of the night elf royal family, her highness fina. her highness fina. that was the title the supporters addressed her. her soul-deep singing accompanied them day and night, although no one had ever seen the descendant of the night elf royal family. one could purchase the elven music box with only a thousand rare resources. that brought an unprecedented experience to the residents of solan city. that was simply a blow to their morals for the aborigines who lacked spiritual life. idol worship was unavoidable even in modern times, where education and technology were so advanced. how could the natives, pure as paper, resist it? the main content of this magic tape was to praise the greatness of the desert and the desert god. hundreds of players composed the song. music was their life, and dozens of natives were music-proficient. there were twelve songs. one must have adapted most of which from the catchy songs on planet blue. they had tested the songs over time. the desert sect adapted them into the worship songs. the elven music tapes also had a different kind of promotion method. her highness fina was a desert god¡¯s loyal believer. that was why the desert hymn was 10% off for a month. even the non-religious residents bought the elven music tape when they saw they could take advantage of it. the residents heard the end of the desert hymn. they found that people could listen to fina¡¯s voice. the other party solemnly invited the audience to pray to the god of desert. her sincere and clear voice made people¡¯s hearts sway. in the end, the other party revealed a piece of important news. the great god of the desert favored her because of her holiness. one must have given the authority to dance and music, and she became a god of the desert sect. fans who heard her song could also pray to her. she would accompany her believers day and night. those who were devout could meet her in their dreams, and she would sing to them alone. this news was highly significant. that pleasantly surprised the believers. it turned out that his excellency richard could admire their beloved princess fina so much! that stunned the ordinary residents. they were in disbelief at the same time. fina had become a god, didn¡¯t that mean? had they listened to the singing of the gods? god was singing for them. they believed in her, and they could have the chance to sing alone in their dreams. that made countless people extremely excited. those residents worshipped celebrities. they prayed without hesitation. one does not underestimate fanaticism. that could lower one¡¯s iq. the grand duke first heard about the changes in solan city. he learned the contents of the elven music box. his expression became quite interesting. Chapter 1109 vale¡¯s aura was cold. he stared at the figure who sat at the head of the long table and sipped tea. richard¡¯s temperament made his heart beat faster. he knew he couldn¡¯t get enough of it, although he had seen that face countless times. ¡°our actions are so obvious. if the gods hiding in the dark know about it, will they¡­¡± he stopped before he could finish his sentence. the second half of his sentence was self-explanatory. richard slowly put down the porcelain teacup and turned to look at the young man who held the violet merchant association chamber of commerce¡¯s power and was already quite famous in solan city. ¡°we¡¯ve planned this for so long. how would we know the effect if we don¡¯t try it once? ¡°as for what the others think¡­ it¡¯s not significant. ¡°there are many people who miss us. we¡¯re good in this part. ¡°be it gods or demons, twilight city is no longer the same as before. ¡°whoever dares to stretch out their hands, cut off their claws. it¡¯s that simple.¡± the confidence and indifference in his words made vale¡¯s heart beat faster, although his tone was calm. no one could reject a man of the opposite sex who had overwhelming authority and extraordinary martial prowess. power was a man¡¯s best coat. this sentence was never false. he calmed down, and he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°my lord, can we succeed? would authority be transferred because of the worship and prayers of believers?¡± richard shook his head, and his eyes were deep. ¡°no one can determine the outcome, but we can try. ¡°once we succeed, we will reap generous benefits. we can still afford it even if we fail.¡± not everyone had such excellent conditions. fina¡¯s reputation rose astonishingly as the elven music box. it had become a must-have item on the streets. it wouldn¡¯t be easy for outsiders to imitate him if he took it out now, even if he achieved results. he already had the upper hand. richard seemed to have thought of something as he waved at the maid outside the door and called her in. ¡°where¡¯s fina? tell her to come see me.¡± the maid immediately went down to summon fina. a night elf wore a black openwork dress. it had an elegant and noble aura as she walked into the room. ¡°lord, fina salutes you.¡± there was no doubt about the elves¡¯ beauty. the night elves were not as pure as the surface elves. they had an additional charm that made people reluctant to look away. richard nodded slightly. ¡°you sold the desert hymn. did you feel the prayers of the believers?¡± music and dance were second-class authorities. one gave rise to them only born after the reproduction of intelligent life. it wasn¡¯t death. life was a high-level authority that appeared at the birth of the world. it was not about how arduous it is to achieve it. it wasn¡¯t that much of a concern. richard chose these two authorities as test subjects. he had made much consideration. fina shook her head. ¡°lord, mister vale had previously instructed me to experience it seriously. i¡¯ve stayed in the room to comprehend it since yesterday, but i didn¡¯t hear the believer¡¯s prayer you mentioned¡­¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°didn¡¯t he?¡± his thoughts sank into his mind. countless emotions surfaced. ¡°great lord, your devout believer, raul, prays to you. ¡°god of the desert, eternal existence, praise you. ¡°great lord, please look at your humble believers. my mother needs treatment¡­¡± they praised his greatness and his past. they begged the gods for gifts to obtain strength, wealth, and health at the same time. the prayers of countless believers surged like waves, and it was difficult not to sense them. richard withdrew his thoughts and fell into deep thought. was his method wrong? were his believers poorly devout? perhaps he had spent too much time praying. too few believers? however, there were a few information. one cannot judge. he looked at vale and said in a deep voice. ¡°let¡¯s proceed to the second step. play the pre-recorded elven video in the desert church of solan city. choose a group of the most faithful believers to watch it and let fina appear in front of everyone. ¡°let everyone know what the god of music and dance they believe in looks like. ¡°at the same time, transport the carved statue of fina to the desert church and set it up so that the believers have someone to pray to.¡± he had already made arrangements, so he naturally couldn¡¯t have one plan. the follow-up arrangements were also crucial. vale bowed. ¡°your will is above everything else.¡± richard waved his hand and let fina leave first. the night elf and the maid disappeared. he turned his head slightly and whispered to the empty seat behind him. ¡°loreinna, return to twilight city and pass the order to karu. the transformation will activate the god¡¯s ancient tree soon.¡± ¡°i want to see the god¡¯s ancient tree of darkness sect become the only orthodox sect in the underground world in the shortest time possible.¡± fina¡¯s attempts were on the surface, but in the dark, the god¡¯s ancient tree of darkness sect that he supported had not been idle. half a year of development had passed, and they already had the foundation for large-scale preaching. moreover, the god¡¯s ancient tree controlled 16% of the rotten authority. a reply came from the void, and loreinna¡¯s aura disappeared. richard opened the system panel again. Chapter 1110 [richard: how¡¯s the preparation i asked you to do?] he received a quick reply. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: big brother, it¡¯s all done. the elven music box is selling like hotcakes. the natives of the endless wilderness who hadn¡¯t seen the world went crazy when they saw the magic music box. selling only 1,000 rare resources is too cheap for them. i don¡¯t think it¡¯s expensive even if it is five times higher!] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: your plan to use the elven music box to spread the religion can be considered a stroke of genius. those country bumpkins definitely won¡¯t be able to resist it.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: big brother, let me ask you again. did you help the young girl obtain the divine title of the centaur?] [richard: yes.] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon] immediately perked when he received an affirmative answer. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: i knew it. big brother, you¡¯re indeed my big brother!!¡± [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: hehe, big brother, can you? can you help me get a divine title to play with?] [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: i don¡¯t have high requirements either. i just need a few divine concepts of combat and slaughter.] richard didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. he responded unhappily. [richard: cut the crap. is this thing that easy to get? emily already waited for you in mountain range city. go to the city hall and tell them why you are here. they will follow you.] [richard: missionary work isn¡¯t an easy task. cooperate well. you can also benefit enormously from it if the results are okay.] [richard: emily will help you solve them if you encounter problems.] he met [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon] and his sister in ell dimension. he had already made arrangements for the small troops. however, various unexpected events delayed him. now that the system activated the god creation plan, there was no need to hold back. previously, he had obtained 5% of the wilderness authority in the land of broken laws. that allowed the small troop to qualify for a higher level. an aura revived the ancient days, and the gods fell. windsor retained the authority in their bodies. however, the centaur was like him. one had sealed her authority, and she needed believers to reactivate it. the opportunity for the gods to descend into the mortal world was too rare. that was an unprecedented gap. typically, those gods would risk their lives to stifle this competition if they wanted to snatch believers. but now, he could do whatever he wanted. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon] was rather excited. he can use an extraordinary in charge of a divine position. how precious was that in this chaotic situation? he could carry plans out. [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon: big brother, don¡¯t say anymore. i could kidnap my sister and tie her to your bed. if it doesn¡¯t work, i¡¯ll immediately acknowledge a few godsisters if that wouldn¡¯t work.] richard ignored the shameless [where¡¯s your f*cking italian canon]. he said a few words and closed the private chat. he was about to discuss the next development plan with vale. richard suddenly heard the system notification. [ding~ player angel sword. you have killed the forest god. you have received 15% forest authority.] [ding~ player angel sword¡­] the three consecutive notifications immediately perked richard up. his eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression was rather subtle. finally, someone had stepped into this level. ¡°angel sword?¡± the player was a famous top-tier player on the forum. that is if he remembered correctly. he was from the elf faction and had royal blood. the gods lost their authority, and their power reached the freezing point. they were no longer invincible, although they were still difficult to deal with. a special forbidden spell scroll could kill them directly, and the fisherman would benefit from the fight between the cranes and clams. wait, there would always be lucky people who could take advantage at the critical moment. after all, the base number was here. richard was curious and opened the forum. sure enough, there was already a heated discussion on it. ¡°f*ck, it¡¯s not easy. finally, someone has become the new slayer god! hahaha, qingqiu, you¡¯re no longer the only one!¡± ¡°speaking of which, which is more awesome, the desert authority or the forest divine title? is it possible for the angel sword to clash with this freak qingwiu?¡± ¡°the system gave rise to the second player to obtain the divine authority. could he catch qingqiu up soon?¡± the players were at a loss for words. everyone talked about angel sword. but the topic still inclined to richard afterward. at first, they intentionally compared the two together. but they helplessly realized the sword of angels would be nothing before qingqiu even if he obtained the forest godhood after comparison. because that freak not only obtained the authority of the desert, he even stepped on the corpse of the god of the desert and controlled the desert sect! the other party had an extremely close relationship with the manager of a large city like solan city, a population of tens of millions. that was even more infuriating. qingqiu also controlled the ell players association and the ell alliance. the players realized the terrifying the gap between them and richard was with this comparison! they weren¡¯t even on the same track. even if they had obtained the authority and clergy, they could not raise their heads and speak before him. in the end, angel sword, who was supposed to be the main character and the subject of everyone¡¯s envy and hatred, was shocked to find that his popularity on the forum lasted only for two to three hours before it disappeared. the following topics were almost all. how could he surpass qingqiu? how abnormal was qingqiu? could qingqiu compare to the natives? he wanted to cry but had no tears. it was not easy for him to be in the limelight, but it was gone before he could act. there was not even a splash. ¡°f*cking qingqiu!¡± this pervert deserved to die! the angel sword obtained authority but couldn¡¯t end a war. that was the beginning. the mortal plane welcomed the third player on november 20th, just a few days after the other party obtained the authority. the system notification rang out three times, and countless players felt envy. one can hear a new one. this notification made everyone restless. [ding~ three players have obtained the authority of the first chapter of the new era, twilight of the gods. the second chapter, battle for authority, has officially begun.] [the power of the world¡¯s rules¨Cthe authority will appear in the mortal plane in some form, or one will store it in a believer¡¯s body, or descend on a strategic treasure, or it will continue to lurk in the body of a god.] [the authority will emit a special aura once in a while.] [lords, please be prepared. that will be unprecedented chaos. at the same time, it will be an opportunity for everyone.] even richard couldn¡¯t help but pale at the news. he did not expect this chapter to be so exaggerated. the system has utterly exposed his authority to the eyes of the world. what did this mean? that meant war, slaughter, chaos, and madness! the entire world was about to fall into a terrifying turmoil. even the intelligent evil gods, nobles, merchants, and players would fall into madness. after all, this was the ultimate power of the world. who could resist temptation? ¡°so the twilight of the gods is just an appetizer? is this the true chaos?¡± Chapter 1111 that was telling everyone to fight until the end. whoever could snatch the power would bear the supreme power. the system notification mentioned this would be an unprecedented turmoil and chaos. raising gu would be the best word to describe this chapter. richard took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and immediately told vale the news. vale heard this and realized the seriousness of the matter. what was authority? the rules of the world were right in front of everyone. they wouldn¡¯t be indifferent to it as long as they had the slightest ambition. he saw the opportunity inside and also saw the arrival of darkness. the darkness was already in a whirlpool. that was what made vale feel even heavier. just richard¡¯s reputation in the mortal plane alone was enough to draw the attention of countless people. ¡°lord, we need to be on guard immediately. this change is countless times more dangerous than before!¡± richard nodded slowly. ¡°tell butler karu to be on guard. the twilight city is no longer safe.¡± he dominated the desert sect with his true identity. one has weakened the secrecy of being isolated from the world. that was the most rewarding insurance of twilight city. however, richard was not too worried. he had prepared for this day for too long. the current twilight city could deal with all the challenges. vale agreed, and richard suddenly thought of something and continued. ¡°killing a god can give them their authority. doesn¡¯t this mean that a god whose authority one had stripped still has a part of it sealed in them, but they can¡¯t detect it themselves? ¡°or is it¡­ gods no longer have any authority? is it because they have a deep connection with the authorities, can they gain the favor of the authorities after killing them?¡± vale frowned and said slowly. ¡°lord, what do you mean?¡± ¡°let the deception god explore according to my guesses. assign him a region to preach, and let his believers continue to pray. i must know if the gods can regain control over their believers.¡± richard breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°we can use our believers to try to let a night elf who has never held power gain power. those gods who have already controlled their sects will not be idle¡­¡± ¡°i can feel it¡¯s not that simple. ¡°try using fina. you can get a different harvest.¡± vale had never doubted richard¡¯s judgment. he had witnessed how twilight city progressed from humble beginnings. it was not an exaggeration to say the power and influence of the twilight city had already exceeded his wildest dreams. ¡°no one can defy your will, my lord.¡± richard didn¡¯t comment but continued to discuss the future direction of the situation. right now, he has several trump cards in his hands. each was shockingly powerful. however, one would consider them unrestrained compared to the chaotic situation. one must still consider several things. november 23rd was the third day of the second chapter of the new era. that was the power struggle. a world-shaking battle erupted without any warning. the death god plane, skull-cracker, led a trop of countless skeletons. he attacked the famous primary city of the mortal plane, hurricane city. the stars shone, and the main god of the lawful and good camp, the faith of countless people, the justice god, tyr, guarded this city. that was why this war had attracted a multitude of people. tyr appeared, and the top forces of the justice sect all belonged to her and listened to her orders. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that tyr was one of the few main gods who could maintain their reputation after falling into the mortal plane. hurricane city also became one of the representative cities of the good and lawful sect. but now, the undead had targeted this symbolic city. everyone focused on this battle. the cause of this matter was simple. the undead god, skull-cracker, sensed his authority and appeared in hurricane city. the other party sent someone to ask for it, but the justice god, tyr, strongly rejected it. as a result, the furious skull-cracker directly joined forces with the three undead gods to unite the skeleton troops and attack hurricane city. the authority had caused this first war. furthermore, it was a war between the main gods, the lawful and good camp, and the gods of the death plane. the players on the forum also participated in this feast. several reported the direction of the war without any delay. the system opened the second chapter. it released the live broadcast. that was not only in the dimensional planes. restrictions were no longer on the live broadcast in the mortal plane. richard could experience the clash of the world¡¯s most powerful beings. bone dragons, ghost dragons, zombie dragons, ghost spirits, and other high-level undead covered the sky. on the surface, the horrifying horseman, the headless horseman, the ghost mage, the zombies, and the skeletons formed a vast and boundless ocean. the terrifying number of soldiers sent chills down one¡¯s spine. the undead troop¡¯s target was hurricane city. the city walls were nearly a hundred meters tall, and countless holy lights protected them. the city defense equipment on the city walls almost squeezed the troops down, and the dense archer towers and magic towers behind them were as many as the hair on an ox. the angels, griffins, and pegasi in the sky blocked their vision, and a holy aura spread across the ground. that starkly contrasted the dark, decaying, pale, and deathly undead. they looked like evils that collided with light at first glance. however, who could tell who was evil and light in this chaotic situation? who was on the side of light, the skull-cracker lord who wanted to regain his authority or the justice god who refused to return his power? the world was never black or white. it was a delicate gray. this battle was more exaggerated and crazy than any of them that richard had fought. the war between the two gods had retained most of their power and used all the means. it was still terrifying, even though he had faced the gods before. high-level troops like angels and bone dragons were like cannon fodder on the battlefield. the number of deaths was simply too many to count. transcendents and legendary masters would even appear insignificant in such a chaotic battle. they could meet the enemy¡¯s craziest counterattack if they dared to show themselves. the battle of jufeng city seemed to be the horn of the second chapter. the second and third battle of the gods erupted. all of this was a power struggle. every battle was like a vast whirlpool. it drew countless people¡¯s attention. something must have forced several players to participate regardless of their subjective wishes. they became little splashes on the battlefield or cannon fodder. the situation turned turbulent, and a figure draped in a dark cloak silently arrived at solan city. the figure looked like an ordinary middle-aged woman. her sallow face and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes made it so that when she entered the city, she did not even attract the attention of the city guards. the middle-aged woman did not take the carriage. instead, she followed the main road and slowly arrived at the crowd densest in solan city. the turbid eyes became sharp when they saw the church under the dark gray cloak. ¡°the key is here¡­¡± lolita didn¡¯t lie to me.¡± Chapter 1112 the believers must not see each other as people came and went. they passed by her and didn¡¯t stop. no one knew how long had passed before the other party returned to her senses. her eyes moved slightly, and her expression changed. ¡°the aura of the dwarf god? the dwarf who peeked into the river of fate is still alive?¡± ¡°the other party found the key so quickly. it must have discovered more things in the river of fate than i expected.¡± the middle-aged woman stared at the desert church. she tightened her cloak. she did not step into it and turned around to leave. however, the passers-by could feel that the other party¡¯s footsteps were remarkably simple. it was as if they had received some good news. ¡°the gears of fate had turned. this city at the edge of the desert will become the center of the world. ¡°the key¡­ i wonder what will happen behind that door. ¡°what will happen in the new era? ¡°do we old souls still have the qualifications to step into it?¡± the middle-aged woman walked into the alley and disappeared into the crowd. no one paid attention to such a sudden appearance. and no one cared about such an ordinary person. the middle-aged woman disappeared soon after, and the crowd suddenly became noisy. she looked at the sky where the woman had fanatically stopped just now with a gaze. ¡°your excellency! ¡°great god of the desert, your loyal believers pray to you¡­ ¡°lord¡­¡± the followers of the desert sect knelt on the ground humbly and piously saluted. believers filled the wide streets as they knelt on the ground. it was quite a spectacular sight. richard ignored the believers and looked down at the ground with a grave expression. the dwarf statue in his hand emitted a faint holy light. it was particularly eye-catching. ¡°your excellency fam? have you discovered the existence of that person?¡± inside the dwarf statue, on the throne, the sleeping dwarf god had woken up at some point. at this moment, this top-notch big shot who had survived countless years ago had a bewildered expression. ¡°it¡¯s her aura!!¡± ¡°but if it is her and she doesn¡¯t want to see the world, no one can find her.¡± richard frowned. ¡°your excellency fam, can you tell me who that existence is?¡± he had just dealt with administrative matters in the desert sect when the dwarf god suddenly woke up and nervously informed him that a big shot had appeared outside the church and asked him to come and welcome him. however, he missed. the divine throne god and the dwarf god wore gorgeous bird feather cloaks and gemstone-filled rings. that revealed a hint of incomprehensible meaning in his deep eyes. ¡°shar, the darkness goddess. ¡°the shadow and dark side of the world. two ancient gods were born at the same time as the light goddess at the beginning of creation. ¡°her existence is even more ancient than the ancient gods. ¡°furthermore, shar has never lost her strength during turmoil. ¡°three generations had replaced the light goddess. but her excellency shar remained the same.¡± richard was shocked. ¡°shar?¡± she was not just any tom, dick, or harry. she was a top-notch big shot with a name in the creation myths. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that before the day of stars, such a big shot could easily crush any god below the level of a master god. even the primary gods of the various divine branches had to bow humbly in front of the other party. people knew her as the most mighty ultimate existence in the ¡°shining era¡¯s¡± ninth hell lord, asmodeus. he had to maintain sufficient respect for her. such a person had suddenly appeared in solan city, in front of the desert sect, and even stopped for quite a while. ¡°what did the other party want to do?¡± richard pondered and felt the pressure rise. a big shot must have fancied his desert sect. the dwarf god sensed richard¡¯s mood. he comforted him. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be nervous. the excellency shar has always been kind and amiable. ¡°she could have done plenty of methods if she wanted to harm you. don¡¯t doubt an existence that has survived since the beginning of creation.¡± richard thought of the darkness goddess. she had slaughtered more than a hundred gods in the creation myths and was speechless. ¡°a goddess of darkness, and you¡¯re telling me she¡¯s kind?¡± ¡°your excellency fam, may i know why her excellency shar has come?¡± the dwarf god subconsciously sat up straight and solemnly looked at the void. ¡°perhaps she sensed the aura of the key. ¡°a great upheaval will appear, and a new era will rise in the chaos. ¡°the key will open the door to the new era.¡± richard frowned. ¡°this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve mentioned the key. isn¡¯t the key the grace mainland overlord? ¡°why did she come to solan city to search?¡± the dwarf god¡¯s gaze carried some deep meaning. ¡°grace mainland overlord is the key. so aren¡¯t you grace mainland overlord?¡± richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°you mean¡­ i am that key?¡± the dwarf god nodded and shook his head. ¡°no, no one can be sure that the key is not an object. instead, it refers to the opening of the new era. ¡°the only thing we can be sure of is that the grace mainland overlord will open the door to the new era. ¡°whether you are the key or not, it¡¯s hard to say. ¡°because you¡¯re not the only one. moreover, becoming a key is not necessarily a good thing.¡± richard felt a little more confident. the last thing he would see was someone say he carried a heavy responsibility and asked him to do whatever he wanted. the plot of this domestic drama annoyed him. ¡°then why did her excellency shar choose solan city and come to the desert church?¡± ¡°because you are qingqiu, the strongest grace mainland overlord. you are the first grace mainland overlord to obtain the power and control the ell plane. you have an unimaginable influence on grace mainland overlord. ¡°the grace mainland overlord will open the new era. aren¡¯t you the one with the highest chance? ¡°not only you, there must be gods lurking around the grace mainland lords who have obtained the authority. richard was silent and seriously considered the pros and cons of this matter. at the same time, he wondered what the so-called new era was. new authority, new gods, new rules, or a new world? ¡°i don¡¯t understand, i can¡¯t figure it out.¡± the two conversed. shar, the dark goddess who had transformed into a mortal, quietly arrived at an inconspicuous tavern in solan city. the other party pushed the door open and entered. five people inside stood up in unison. Chapter 1113 richard sat in a spacious room. he held the dwarf god statue. he looked at it with a subtle expression. he was in a daze. it was a ten-meter-tall statue made of sand. the statue gave off an extremely holy feeling, although his appearance was blurry. this statue used to be desert god¡¯s statue. of course, it was now his. the desert sect was very interesting. the gods were eager to show their faces to their believers all day long to deepen their impression of the gods, unlike other gods. in the desert sect, the statue was like a desert. it gave people a mysterious sense of respect. that was why it did not have a face. richard controlled the sect. he did not remove the statue. he had superior thoughts toward the newly obtained desert sect. that was his territory, and his orders were the only rules. he was the only voice in the entire desert sect, although it had only been one or two weeks. that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. his control over the desert sect was superior to that of twilight city. the sect was a special force. the core of everything came from the gods, and richard was the core. ¡°your excellency fam, the chaos is spreading. had the world¡¯s laws freed you from its restraints?¡± the dwarf god still wondered why shar, the goddess of darkness, had come. he shook his head subconsciously when he heard this. ¡°the world laws haven¡¯t removed the restraints on my body, although the rules have changed. ¡°i can¡¯t leave the statue yet. ¡°only when the new era arrives and the system refreshes the rules can one remove the previous restrictions.¡± richard¡¯s gaze was subtle. ¡°your excellency fam, why were you trapped here?¡± the dwarf god looked puzzled. ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you before? before the first battle of the gods, i accidentally entered the river of fate and peeped into the entire plane. ¡°fate devoured me, and the world¡¯s laws rejected me. it viewed me with hostility by the world¡¯s will. i used the materials i obtained from the primal chaos void as the foundation to forge this statue and store it here.¡± ¡°the malice and restraints of the world¡¯s will can only free me when the system changes the rules. richard¡¯s expression changed after a moment of silence. ¡°could you resist the power of the dark goddess shar if you break free?¡± one could tell whether the dwarf god was crazy or not. ¡°of all the people you can compete with, you want me to compete with shar?¡± richard understood what was happening. he was about to comfort fam when he said something that made him freeze. ¡°i can barely do it if i would just block her excellency shar. but winning is just a dream. the dwarf god rubbed his nose and sighed. ¡°only asmodeus controls the nith hell in the entire multiverse. he is the ancient demon. he wouldn¡¯t dare to say he can defeat her excellency shar. asmodeus couldn¡¯t slay for him to kill her excellency shar.¡± the short god wore a cloak of gorgeous bird wings and a gemstone-filled ring. richard focused on him. his expression became quite interesting. ¡°good lord, when i mentioned shar just now, you appeared like you could die. but now you¡¯re telling me that you can stop a goddess who has existed since the beginning of the world? ¡°f*ck¡­ so you¡¯re the ultimate big boss, right? ¡°the big shot is actually by my side? as expected, common sense couldn¡¯t judge who could spy on the river of fate and not die. the dwarf god sensed richard¡¯s mood. he was sparingly wary. ¡°let me tell you, don¡¯t offend her excellency shar because of this. i won¡¯t make an enemy out of her. ¡°and that was before the laws bound me. shar could crush me with a single finger.¡± richard shrugged and said nothing. he wouldn¡¯t find trouble with a big shot like shar for no reason. then he wouldn¡¯t be a lamb one would slaughter. anyone who wanted to spy on twilight city must prepare to lose a tooth. richard calmed down. his eyes were thoughtful as he spoke. ¡°your excellency fam, authority is now available for anyone to fight over. do you need the power to protect yourself? ¡°i can arrange for someone to help you find the authority you want if you need it.¡± richard controlled the ell players association and the ell alliance. in addition, millions of players in ell had directly joined him. it wasn¡¯t arduous to find the authority one had already publicized. the dwarf god spoke with a complicated tone. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to grow to such heights in less than two years, although i thought highly of you.¡± ¡°authority? that is the power of rules. why do you say it¡¯s like pebbles on the ground?¡± richard smiled. ¡°doesn¡¯t this mean that shar¡¯s investment wasn¡¯t wrong?¡± she did not expect to control such exaggerated power in such a short time. the subtlety of snowballing was that after the snowball rolled to a certain extent, each step forward might be more than the sum of a hundred or a thousand in the early stages. he gained the upper hand. and he did not miss a single opportunity. richard had then established twilight city. Chapter 1114 the dwarf god sighed. his gaze became deep. ¡°the situation will be even more turbulent, but this is a crisis for outsiders, not necessarily for you. ¡°take this opportunity to speed up the expansion and reinforce yourself. ¡°only strength is the foundation of everything. ¡°never be arrogant and complacent. there are countless powerful existences in this world. one cannot even count an ancient god-like shar with two hands.¡± his tone sounded a little lower. ¡°i don¡¯t know if i can still see the start of the new era. old and decaying souls like us could reach a new world.¡± ¡°but there is still hope no matter what.¡± ¡°i¡¯m a little tired. you can wake me up if an invincible existence appears.¡± the dwarf god covered his face and slowly closed his eyes. he fell into slumber again. richard withdrew his psychic power. he fell silent afterward. the dwarf god was a powerful trump card that had solved many problems for him. richard hadn¡¯t expected him to tell he could resist an existence like shar, although he had thought about the power and terror of this big shot. ¡®didn¡¯t this mean this dwarf could exchange a few moves with asmodeus? ¡®what kind of big shot was this?¡¯ richard picked up a treasure. richard was in a good mood. he stood up and stretched comfortably. he went straight to the church afterward. the believers clasped their hands and lowered their heads in devout prayer. they sensed an aura that made them revere. they subconsciously raised their heads and immediately fell into a frenzy when they saw the figure shrouded in yellow sand. the prayers sounded increasingly louder. richard sensed the emotions of his believers. he continued to be in a good mood. what other way could he obtain more power of faith than to receive the prayers of his believers face to face? he quietly opened his attribute panel as the believers continued to worship. he stared at the authority column for a long time. [desert authority (30%)] [divine arrival] [power of faith: 120,000] the power of faith status panel only appeared after he gained control of the desert sect and obtained the recognition of the believers. the power of faith gradually grew. millions of believers in solan city prayed day and night. they had accumulated 120,000 believers. of course, this was because he had used divine arrival many times. however, the power of faith was an arduous power to accumulate in general. that could also explain why the gods treated their believers as their lifeblood. richard acknowledged the worship of his believers. rebecca quietly returned to her family from the eternal land of frost in the frostwolf territory. the grand duke of frostwolf in solan city heard the news. that pleasantly surprised him. the grand duke welcomed richard. the grand duke¡¯s impatient look puzzled a few servants beside him. ¡°grand duke, it is just the young miss¡¯s usual return. why are you so happy?¡± she would usually return home and be gone for two months. she had returned last time to go over something. ****** Chapter 1115 the content was concern-filled. rebecca broke through to legend in the eternal land of frost and became the next heir to the grand duke of frostwolf. moreover, the grand duke of frostwolf officially handed over the frostwolf family to her on december 1st. this news surprised richard. the prideful girl could take over the frostwolf family. that didn¡¯t surprise him. she had become a legend in such a short time. that surprised him! good heavens, he thought he was already ahead of everyone else. but he turned around and realized that everyone around him progressed at an exaggerated speed. none was a weakling. the grand duke of frostwolf vaguely mentioned his marriage to rebecca in the letter aside from the latter¡¯s breaking through legendary. rebecca could become his woman as long as he agreed. and the frostwolf clan would become rebecca¡¯s dowry. their descendants could directly control the frostwolf family. ¡®a naked sugar-coated bullet. are you using this to challenge my weakness?¡¯ rebecca prepared and signed a letter and had a servant deliver it to richard a day after he received a letter from the grand duke. rebecca¡¯s letter was much more reserved than the grand duke of frostwolf. first, she expressed her gratitude and vaguely said a few words of longing. then, the style changed to the eternal land of frost. rebecca told him that she had obtained a remarkable inheritance in the eternal land of frost and had broken through to legend. now, she was officially in charge of the frostwolf family. she had fulfilled her mother¡¯s last wish. next, she had to carry out a monumental plan that required tons of ores. she hoped to use the mineral vein in the eternal land of frost that belonged to twilight city. the grand duke of frostwolf visited twilight city and promised richard to give him half of the mineral veins in the eternal land of frost as long as he sent troops to help the frostwolf family resist the undead enemies. those undead could become the god of vermin¨Cthe land of broken laws? who knew? he had sworn not to be his enemy and had only used a token to save the frostwolf family from danger. he had stationed the undead at the edge of the frostwolf family. that protected them. this matter was vital. and rebecca emphasized it repeatedly. she boldly and subtly wrote she agreed to the marriage proposal her father mentioned at the end of her letter. richard finished reading the letter and recalled the time when the other party had traveled thousands of miles to the desert of death to ask for the fur of the fire dragon rabbit, and he felt a little emotional. rebecca finally got what she wanted. the frostwolf clan was already under his control. it felt good to witness someone else¡¯s dream come true. however, rebecca had mentioned in the letter that she wanted to do something special, so he was rather curious. what could make the other party turn grave and not hesitate to ask for the mineral vein from him? he hadn¡¯t been in contact with rebecca for long, but that prideful girl wasn¡¯t someone who would casually ask for help. richard pondered for a while. he directly replied and handed it over to the messenger of the frostwolf family. he asked the servant to hand it over, particularly to rebecca. rebecca¡¯s mood immediately soared after she received the letter. the letter wrote only a few. it highlighted only one thing. ¡®no matter what you do, just do it. come to twilight city at any time whenever you need help.¡¯ she was right. lord richard was still lord richard, and his support for her had never changed. on the 1st of december, rebecca inherited the grand duke of frostwolf title before everyone as witnesses in the frostwolf family, becoming the second grand duke in history. it was worth mentioning that the inheritance of the grand duke wouldn¡¯t apply to the ice empire. every archduke was like the king of a small country and had significant autonomy. rebecca assumed the grand duchess position with the help of the frostwolf grand duke. she spent a week completely controlling all the power in the family. on the 10th of december, rebecca did something that made one¡¯s heart tremble. she attacked the archduke of sonay¡¯s territory. this archduke kept a grudge against the frostwolf family. she led the troop and broke into sonay city in just a week. she killed the archduke of sonay with her own hands under the watchful eyes of countless people. the frostwolf family destroyed the sonay family and annexed their territory. and the main contributor to all of this was the extraordinary troop that rebecca had brought out from the eternal land of frost. thick armor protected them. their numbers exceeded ten legions! rebecca headed north toward the capital of the ice empire with her victory as foundation. the situation was chaotic, and a few people paid attention to the movements of the ice empire. but it was like a bolt from the planet blue for the ice empire. rebecca had conquered the territories of two archdukes in a row within half a month. she wiped their families out. she looked at the military map. totems of the frostwolf family occupied the territory. the nobles of the ice empire were shocked to find that. the new heir of the frostwolf family didn¡¯t just want to expand her territory. she wanted the entire ice empire! she transported the resources she obtained from the war to the rear and transformed them into an even mightier troop force. rebecca¡¯s strength ballooned the more she fought. new names passed in the ice and empire down. they were the war lord and the grand duke. or a queen who wanted to usurp the throne! richard didn¡¯t mind the ice empire all the time. he received a piece of news on december 15th. that lifted his spirit. Chapter 1116 his tone was sparingly subtle. ¡°you mean, you felt the prayers of your believers?!¡± fina nodded excitedly. ¡°lord, that¡¯s right. i sensed it!¡± richard opened the character¡¯s attribute panel and focused on one of the columns. [authority: music (0.1%)] [power of faith: 100] richard confirmed it, and his mood immediately soared. his thoughts were correct. the gods could rely on their believers to obtain authority if they lost their power and one scattered the rules over the world! it was only a weak 0.1% and was a second-class authority. but it was a fierce move. it meant the idea was correct. he could carry out more arrangements around this after the experiment was successful. richard took a few deep breaths to calm down. he stared at the night elf before him. he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°fina, don¡¯t keep the power of faith you¡¯ve obtained during this period. return it all to the believers. ¡°now, what you need to do is to deepen the faith of your believers.¡± richard was her lord. her faith in richard would affect their faith in her. that was why he dared to push fina out. believers would often believe in multiple gods within a god system or even in several gods from the same camp. for example, they believed in the bumper harvest goddess, the justice god, the sun god, and so on. these beliefs did not conflict. however, believers who believed in many gods could only be shallow. only by believing in many gods a god system wouldn¡¯t affect the depth of their faith. fina replied respectfully. she spoke hesitantly. richard nodded. ¡°not bad. it¡¯s time. are you ready? ¡°i¡¯ve prepared for this for the past few months. ¡°then, let¡¯s begin.¡± richard agreed. the next day was december 16th. the great god of the desert, the god of music and dance, her highness fina, was about to appear before the desert church. the news that she would sing hymns for the great god of the desert spread throughout solan city. it attracted countless believers. that day, the believers went crazy when they saw the holy and elegant fina. ¡°she was a goddess!¡± when would they ever see their goddess sing in their lifetime? people carefully rehearsed dance and song performances. fina led the believers to pray devoutly. she had said this in the elven music tape. fina left quietly after the prayer. only countless believers immersed in the beautiful figure and singing were left behind. fina appeared before the desert church for the week. it had already made the desert church the liveliest city in solan. a few days of hard work have passed. fina¡¯s music authority had increased from 0.1% to 0.5%, and dance authority had appeared. shar, the darkness goddess, saw all of these. she hid in the dark. another figure appeared in an unknown tavern. shar transformed into a middle-aged woman. she wore a gray cloak and sat calmly in the center. the original five figures had now become six. from an ordinary point of view, these seven people were different from shar. they were blurry, and it was impossible to tell their origins from their appearance. but no matter who it was, they all respected shar. ¡°lady of the night. the traces of the key are getting more and more obvious.¡± ¡°should we take action?¡± shar turned to look at the speaker. she slowly spoke. ¡°action? what are you planning to do?¡± the blurry darkness said coldly. ¡°we will find a way if we control it.¡± shar¡¯s face revealed a hint of mockery. ¡°foolish! say that again, and i will remove your brain. get lost! brainless worms don¡¯t deserve to sit with me.¡± the dark man who spoke froze. he wanted to say something, but he no longer dared to. shar spoke calmly. ¡°do you know how to use the key to open the door to the new era? ¡°do you know what other methods the other party is hiding?¡± ¡°that grace mainland overlord has the mark of the crimson moon on his body. do you think you sewer rats who have lost your authority have the strength to deal with the crimson moon?¡± the darkness goddess fell silent afterward. finally, she sighed and spoke helplessly. ¡°then what do you think?¡± ¡°wait.¡± shar¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°wait for that moment. ¡°moreover, you don¡¯t need to step in if you want to move. i can already sense asmodeus¡¯ aura. ¡°that ancient devil has also infiltrated solan city. ¡°what? asmodeus is here too?¡± the news shocked the five blurry black shadows. they looked at each other and sensed each other¡¯s fear. ¡°who was asmodeus?¡± he was lord of the ninth hell. the gods acknowledged him as the mightiest in the ¡°shining era.¡± there was no other. some even suspected that he had already reached the creation god level. ****** Chapter 1117 everyone stared at the crowded desert church hundreds of meters away through the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows. the atmosphere in the room was solemn. the middle-aged man in the center of the crowd was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke. ¡°any news these few days?¡± the other party spoke. an evil aura that made people tremble immediately filled the room. one of the three evil languages was the language of hell. however, the other human-like figures did not react in the slightest when they heard the evil words that could turn mortals into demons. ¡°my lord, the sun god, and the goddess of light entered solan city together yesterday¡­¡± on the far left, a stiff-faced figure stepped forward and reported. the other party¡¯s twisted posture and actions made people think he wore a skin. it was like he was not familiar with this body. ¡°there are growing competitors in the city now. should we take action first?¡± ¡°the ninth hell troop is ready to attack. they can flatten this city at any time. we must hold that key in our hands.¡± ¡°under the cover of your radiance, no one can resist the ninth hell troop!¡± he finished speaking, and the remaining figures revealed burning gazes. ¡°my lord, please give the order!¡± the ruler in front of them was the lord of the ninth hell. he was the most powerful existence in the world. asmodeus. just this name alone could make the gods tremble. the power of this ruler was still unfathomable even if the world laws had changed! asmodeus had transformed into a middle-aged man and showed a subtle expression. ¡°the darkness goddess and the sun god wouldn¡¯t have sneaked into the city if the troop could solve all the problems.¡± ¡°the changes in the world are hard to predict. all we can do is wait. i¡¯m waiting for that moment to come.¡± a devil lord controlled each of the ninth hell troops of the abyss. the nine figures behind him controlled the nine levels of hell. each was a famous evil god. but he did not have the slightest confidence. many variables could appear if they acted rashly at the turn of the new and old eras. he couldn¡¯t accept any mistakes. now, it was no longer his world. the fiend lord fell silent. he sighed and nodded respectfully. ¡°as you wish, my lord.¡± hell was different from the chaotic abyss. here, it represented order. the superior devils had absolute control over the inferior devils. the absolute ruler of the entire ninth hell was asmodeus. his orders were the only direction for all devils to advance. no matter how many objections there were, as long as asmodeus spoke, they had to stop arguing and carry out the order. that was a devil. an evil followed the rules. an evil life that made countless people tremble. asmodeus did not speak again. his dim eyes looked out of the window at the desert church again. the light in his eyes turned increasingly murkier. they flashed with emotions that were difficult for outsiders to fathom. he would never fall behind others, no matter how the world changes. forever! that was because he was asmodeus. he was the eternal god who had once fought with the creation god! richard had been wary of the undercurrents in solan city since shar, the dark goddess, appeared. he sensed several mighty existences spying on the desert sect with extra attention. however, the other party hid deeply. richard could not pry into more. he could only give up in the end. time passed until december 25th. the undercurrents in solan city were even more turbulent. richard even saw the gods of the orc god system appear outside the desert church on this day. that made him feel a storm was coming, although they disappeared quickly. an uneasy atmosphere filled solan city. richard was about to give the order to secretly investigate the other abnormal movements in solan city when he suddenly sensed a special aura. he immediately summoned a few bishops of the desert sect and told them to watch over the sect before they tore the void and disappeared from solan city. richard¡¯s aura disappeared, and the gods hidden in every corner turned their heads and stared at the desert sect. their gazes were different. ¡°that grace mainland overlord. had he left?¡± the undercurrent instantly surged and almost appeared in the open. richard still quietly hid himself in the end. the time hasn¡¯t come yet. he left solan city and quietly appeared in the sky above the eternal land. he overlooked the private plane that belonged to him. just now, he had sensed the strange movements in the eternal land, which was why he had left so quickly. he entered the eternal land, and his perception immediately spread to the entire plane. he felt omniscience and omnipotence. he could even mobilize the planar power to tear the earth and shatter mountains with a thought. this feeling was intoxicating. the diameter of eternal land had expanded to more than a hundred kilometers after more than half a year of devouring. that was the data from two months ago. richard had reached this range, and the growth rate slowed down. however, the speed at which the eternal land devoured the planar power did not slow down. instead, it increased. that was interesting. the naga plane was like a milk cow where one would suck dry. the planar power of the eternal land had finally reached a critical point after two months. something miraculous happened just a moment ago. the entire plane was like an egg that had just hatched. it became a brand new life. it gave him a feeling of vigor and vitality. richard¡¯s senses probed deeper. he found a deeper level of change. the earth rumbled. a crack suddenly appeared in the core area of eternal land. then, a green sprout grew out of it. tender sprout appeared, and the entire eternal land was like a river bank. spring breeze brushed by. large patches of green sprouts germinated from the ground. it was initially a mixture of grayish-black soil and rocks. the spring breeze enveloped the entire plane. the barren land of more than a hundred kilometers was dyed green. this scene was like a miracle. the tender shoots in the center grew at an exaggerated speed. ten, twenty, one hundred, two hundred meters. they grew to a height of a thousand meters before they slowly stopped. the sturdy tree trunk was like a mountain. and the dense branches and leaves covered half of the sky. it was prosperous. the seed of the world tree! richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. excitement filled his eyes. a year of cultivation has passed, and the dried seed of the world tree eventually broke through the soil. richard had obtained that from [steamed bun lover] player. moreover, the other party¡¯s growth was exaggerated. it had grown into a towering giant tree after a year of accumulation. his emotions fluctuated. the seed of the world tree swayed slightly, and its leaves quietly emitted specks of starlight. the starlight fell and merged into the eternal land. richard immediately sensed an invisible force had reinforced the plane barrier of the eternal land. it had become sturdier. the strength of the plane barrier had increased by more than ten times in less than three minutes! the plane barrier of the eternal land was originally as thin as a piece of paper. legends could tear it apart at will. the seed of the world tree baptized it and had become from a piece of paper into a bank security door. it was almost indestructible. the seed of the world tree germinated in the eternal land and still absorbed energy from the chaos void to replenish the eternal land. that even made richard more excited. the eternal land would not stop there just by relying on the seed of the world tree if the naga plane did not devour them in the future, richard was in a good mood. he cultivated for so long and finally had gains. it was arduous! he thought the transformation of eternal land had ended, and the situation changed again. the spatial rift connected to the naga plane and expanded rapidly after the seed of the world tree¡¯s starlight scattered. the thick blood mist of the rotten swamp appeared in the eternal land. that shocked richard. the crack reached a certain level, and the naga plane that carried the rotten swamp was like a pony. one pulled over a rope. the entire plane appeared in the eternal land. this scene was too shocking. richard lost his senses for a while. the seed of the world tree swayed and shook off the stars in the sky in a breath. the naga plane landed with a bang and directly merged with the edge of the eternal land. an ear-shaped territory appeared in the oval eternal land. and this was not the end. the rotten swamp connected to the dozens of planes! the power pulled the spatial rifts apart. then, under richard¡¯s shocked gaze, the eternal land absorbed the planar power of sixty-two planes like a swimming pool. it was like one drained its water. one had drained the planar power, and the planes collapsed into nothingness. the life inside became nutrients for the seed of the world tree. the eternal land had obtained massive planar power. it had broken through the upper limit of a hundred kilometers, and its diameter had soared to two hundred kilometers. it had reached this limit, and the planar power felt a soaring satisfaction. a diameter of 200 kilometers was already the upper limit of eternal land. it was arduous to improve. this plane had reached the maximum level overnight because of the seed of the world tree. richard¡¯s heart surged. this wave was too damn comfortable. the land of eternity completed its upgrade, and in the next second, richard felt an indescribable power blessing his body. it was like a boundless ocean. he even felt he could shatter mountains with a punch and the earth with a stomp. boundless power seemed to flow through his body. that reflected the growth of the eternal land as the planar lord. richard¡¯s heart trembled as he felt the shocking power. ¡°one has to lie down and be a dog in the eternal land even if one is a god!¡± a god¡¯s kingdom was the private plane of a god. on the day the stars shone, the divine kingdoms of the gods had all collapsed. the system didn¡¯t exempt one, regardless of whether they were evil or light gods, as long as they established a divine kingdom. richard controlled a complete plane with the seed of the world tree stationed there. that was a trump card of the king¡¯s level. perhaps no one would have expected that someone could cultivate a complete plane without the power of a god. richard would have the confidence to deal with the turmoil no matter how big the problem was. the growing eternal land was his backing. ¡°how comfortable¡­¡± richard looked down at the lush land of eternal land beneath his feet. the corners of his mouth curled up. he wanted to see if the gods lurking in solan city could compete with a plane with a seed of the world tree rooted in it! he looked forward to seeing the other party¡¯s expression when he saw the eternal land. Chapter 1118 richard could sense the vitality of the entire plane. the seed of the world tree gave new life to the eternal land. that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. richard expected from the world tree seed. he could sense that the world tree seed was far from reaching his upper limit. it was still in its prime and had a lot of room for growth. richard calmed down and opened the seed of the world tree¡¯s attribute panel in a happy mood. however, unexpectedly, there was little information. [seed of the world tree] [level: special] [special characteristic: rooted in the plane, will grow or decay with the plane.] [description: this is a seed world tree that has grown from a withered world tree seed. however, this does not prevent the tree from possessing power that can make one¡¯s heart tremble.] the world tree seed had already fused with the eternal land and no longer had its attributes. however, this was a good thing. richard closed the attribute panel and seemed to have thought of something. he looked up into the void. richard spread out his perception. he could sense that the world tree roots had penetrated the plane. it was like it absorbed nutrients from it. roots grew rapidly and gradually wrapped around the plane barrier after they obtained tons of nutrients. the roots would soon cover the entire stronghold. the first thing outsiders must do was to break through the world¡¯s tree roots if they wanted to attack the eternal land. the system added layers of armor. that was the root of the world tree. was it that easy to tear? richard was in a good mood. no one would have thought that the dry seed [steamed bun lover] had given him could now grow to the height of changing a plane. his excited heart calmed down after a long time. then, he lowered his head slightly and looked at the only majestic building. it stood on the ground¨Ceternal city. he built the eternal city a year ago when the kobold god and the dune lord joined forces to attack. he had sensed danger. he had created a new city in eternal land as a way out. richard had invested monumental labor and material resources after a year of unlimited resources. the city wall was more than 100 meters tall. it was like a ravine. richard provided arrow towers every 50 meters. they were 20 meters higher than the city wall. heavy crossbows filled these towers. that was even more exaggerated. several alchemy cannons were on the city wall. people with trypophobia would have goosebumps. they arranged the buildings neatly and orderly behind the city walls. they were like rows of teeth. these buildings were not arrow towers but turrets used to store alchemy cannons. each of these towering turrets could hold more than 30 giant cannons. the most exaggerated one was the eastern wall. there were more than 3,000 turrets behind it. the soldiers equipped these cannons with alchemy cannons. the pitch-black muzzles were like black holes. they looked from outside the city. it was terrifying. one could imagine what would happen if these alchemy cannons fired simultaneously. turning the world upside down could be the best description. richard continued to look back. there was a towering magic tower erected every few hundred meters. the mana surged above the sky and supported the shield. that protected the entire city. twilight people armed this city with dense guards. one could call this a war of fortress. its defensive power was monstrous even to richard¡¯s eyes. he landed in the area. an a-rank sacred-blood dwarf hero currently managed the eternal city. richard was excited when he saw the dwarf hero. he excitedly introduced various buildings to him. ¡°lord, we have equipped the eternal city with 15,000 alchemy cannons. and 9,000 to the northern side. we followed according to plans! ¡°these cannons will be their nightmare. ¡°other than that, we have built 5,000 arrow towers! we have distributed them on the four walls. ¡°eternal city¡¯s defenses are almost at the level of a primary city. ¡°we have built a hundred mage towers. the solan city, the frostwolf family, and the ell players¡¯ association have supported us. magic troops filled these 100 mage towers above level 18. these magic towers support the magic shield that protects the entire city. the power we stored in them can prevent the simultaneous explosion of twenty forbidden spells! ¡°we have stationed 30 troops in the city. all of them are radiant moon soldiers above level 16. the members of the ell players association gave most of these troops. they are utterly loyal! ¡°moreover, our twilight guild can mobilize millions of grace mainland lords to guard the city. ¡°we have established all of these through your will.¡± the sacred-blood dwarf¡¯s eyes passionately burned. their god was still there. the residents deeply embedded the sacred-blood dwarves in the city. richard was at the center of everything. richard appeared delighted. he has invested a generous portion of the resources he had harvested from ell plane in eternal city. all of this was due to the accumulation of resources. but it was worth it. ¡°soon, an even greater war will break out. the chaotic situation outside is already unfathomable. the day when eternal city enters the battlefield will soon arrive. we only have a few time left. ¡°pass on my order. the entire city is on high alert. activate the highest level of watch and wait for the arrival of the war. ¡°sha, the darkness goddess who had shocked the dwarf god, to the orc god who had appeared a few days ago are going to bring us storms.¡± richard had sensed the storm that brewed in solan city. the reaction of the dwarf god remarkably made him even more vigilant. shar had survived since ancient times and would soon arrive. it would be a dark turmoil when the crisis erupted. that would devour everything. the sacred-blood dwarf hero nodded firmly. ¡°whoever dares to invade twilight city is seeking death! ¡°no one can hide your brilliance!¡± countless people had bullied them. they regarded them as insignificant and weak in the underground world. now, they were in power, and no one dared to underestimate the higher-ups of twilight city. all the changes in the dwarf race had benefited from the favor of this ruler before him. their god might have remained sleeping if not for richard¡¯s help. they could have wandered in the sewers. richard nodded slightly and said no more. he built the eternal city to provide a way out for twilight city. however, as the eternal land gradually expanded, eternal city became a military fortress. it could provide him with absolute power. the players¡¯ guild and the ell players association were more powerful. they belonged to organizations. one couldn¡¯t use them recklessly before the invasion of ell plane. the eternal land was his power. no one could change this truth. richard inspected the eternal city and didn¡¯t stay for long. he had integrated the rotten swamp into the eternal land. he went to the swamp. the rotten swamp was still in the naga plane. the naga plane had already merged with the eternal land, and its range had shrunk by more than half. that was the difference. the rotten swamp has occupied a diameter of 60 kilometers. richard looked down from the sky. that was the eternal land. it was 200 kilometers in diameter. its shape was oval. there was an extra ear with a diameter of 60 kilometers. richard merged the eternal land with the rotten swamp. that didn¡¯t undergo fundamental changes. the planes got used to feeding the rotten swamp nutrients for the eternal land. that was the only difference. at this moment, there were no new planes. richard felt it was a pity. after all, it was a cultivation ground he had organized with so much effort. however, the rotten swamp did not lack flesh and blood energy. he had opened the exchange rights for the golden fruits, and his troops threw tons of corpses every day. that was particular to the natives of the ell players¡¯ association. the top forces with deep foundations mostly desired the golden fruits more than the players. the god¡¯s ancient tree transformed into a god¡¯s sin. ordinary corpses were no longer of much help to him. therefore, almost all of these corpses had turned into the energy of the rotten swamp. ¡°my lord, we welcome your arrival¡­¡± richard entered the swamp. tai long, the deception god, had become a legend again. he appeared and bowed. the other party¡¯s tone carried a bit of uncontrollable joy. it was eye-catching. richard sensed the other party¡¯s high emotions and spoke curiously. ¡°tai long, what¡¯s the good news? why are you so excited?¡± tai long looked at richard with a burning gaze. ¡°lord, the faith you spread in the underground world has already achieved results. yesterday, i felt the prayers of my believers again! ¡°and this time, i no longer hold the previous authority. i¡¯m in control of a new power¡­¡± richard¡¯s eyes lit up. that was a pleasant surprise. ¡°what power?!¡± ¡°blood, battle, and slaughter¡­¡± richard¡¯s expression became a little strange. good heavens, you can even get your hands on these few authorities! that wasn¡¯t the music and dance authority that fina, a night elf, wanted to occupy. the one who held a few authorities was not a top-notch god. tai long¡¯s excited tone softened. he became hesitant. ¡°but there¡¯s something odd. i sensed these authorities, and i discovered that the original owners of these authorities had gathered in an area¡­¡± ¡°they gathered together?¡± richard immediately sensed the subtlety and asked. ¡°where?¡± tai long¡¯s tone was firm. ¡°solan city.¡± richard narrowed his eyes. his gaze turned sharp. ¡°what else do you know?¡± tai long spoke solemnly. ¡°through the power, i vaguely feel fate seems to be guiding me. our destination is still solan city.¡± these words immediately made richard think of shar, the darkness goddess, and the orc god that had appeared a few days ago. a strong feeling rose in his heart. the iceberg hidden under the water would be even more shocking! what was the purpose of gathering these forces in solan city? in the context of the emergence of authority, why did these gods come to solan city instead of snatching back their power? richard frowned. was there anything more tempting than authority in solan city? he pondered and glanced at tai long. that was a new era! those gods must have come to find the key. shar, the darkness goddess, was one of them. new era? was it going to start in solan city? richard sank deeper into thought. what would happen to twilight city if the storm came here? give up solan city? no, this was impossible! how could he miss out on something that the gods wanted? the problem now was¨Chow could he seize the initiative in solan city, where the savage crocodile was looking at? countless connections of windsor, eternal land, ell plane, holy church empire, and frostwolf clan began to revolve in his mind. Chapter 1119 he looked down from the sky. thousands of dark treants that were 30 meters tall covered the yellow sand before them. the dry, twisted branches and the rough and terrifying appearance made people feel a dark world. the scorching sun hung above their heads. that still made them feel a chill on their backs. demons, devils, and other evil and chaotic lifeforms had entered the mortal plane. the god¡¯s ancient tree sowed treant warriors and had become the main force that guarded the land of quicksand. the land of quicksand had a two-way portal that led to the underground world. it was a space passage that led to the eternal land. it was a crack that connected to the ell plane. this area was an important transit center a territory must not lose. ¡°roar¡± richard heard a low roar, and he looked down. it was like the wailing of a dying beast. it was particularly terrifying. he raised his eyebrows and released his spirit. several underlings and bewitching demons attacked outside the land of quicksand. however, the difference in strength between the two sides was enormous. the treants still managed to break through the outermost line of defense despite the attack of numerous demons. richard smiled when he saw that a branch could smash dozens of demons. ¡°the current dark treants¡­ they¡¯re all extraordinary soldiers!¡± [sowing seeds] [legendary] [it can sow 5,000 seeds, allowing them to grow into dark treants. one could nurture a treant hero for every 100 dark treants. one can resurrect the user among the dark treants in case of death.] the god¡¯s ancient tree was as high as level 26. these dark treants had inherited the power of their dominator, and their levels had also risen to an exaggerated level 22. the treants could still nurture 50 hero units after they filled the 5,000 treants! that was even more ridiculous. even though they were both b-rank heroes, this was a f*cking level 22 hero! transcendent! one couldn¡¯t underestimate the levels of these cultivated transcendents, although their combat strength was much weaker than that of ordinary transcendents. it perfectly displayed the adjective ¡®pervert.¡¯ perhaps this was the only way to be a terrifying abomination. the safety of the land of quicksand wouldn¡¯t be a problem with this troop guard. richard tossed a few glances and no longer stayed. he stepped into the two-way portal to the underworld afterward. a year and a half of rapid development had passed, and the current underground world had transformed into the shape he wanted. that included the furnace city, the city of alchemy technology. and also bloodhoof city, the weapons factory. fortress city had used the ell plane¡¯s channels to replenish more than 30,000 gray-colored dwarves a few months ago. he had enriched the labor force. in addition, more than 30 workshops produced alchemy cannons. the daily production of alchemy cannons would exceed 500 under enough resources and full firepower. however, running at capacity required too many resources and could not be maintained regularly. however, the production capacity was here, and one could not drop in case of need. the residents have produced more than 50,000 alchemist¡¯s bombs every day. the accumulation of these few months had almost filled up the weapons warehouse. fortress city was similar to bloohoof city, a weapon production factory without the research attribute. as for bloodhoof city, which richard had first defined as a weapons factory, it did not disappoint him. he established the blacksmith association and became bloodhoof city¡¯s forging center. they had improved techniques by leaps and bounds. bloodhoof city had improved by leaps and bounds with the various forging techniques and talents traded from ell plane. at present, they could steadily produce hundreds of thousands of high-level weapons every day. they had earned a vast amount of resources for twilight city. the speed of earning money from the elven music box was superb. firearms were the most profitable trade in a turbulent situation. something must have gathered most of the underground creatures that had wandered in the corners of the underground world. that was because of the product relation changes. those arduous to discipline were an exemption. they would help the twilight city production and concentrate their strength on central matters. richard focused on another project and had progressed steadily. that was in addition to the vigorous development of the cities. the preaching of the darkness tree was pivotal. the god¡¯s ancient tree held 16% of the rotten authority. it remained undamaged and unsealed. the prayers of the believers would allow the boss to have mightier control over their authority. in addition, richard also included tai long in his plans to preach. this guy had already felt the power of the authority to kill, fight, and so on under the prayers of his believers. it is arduous to obtain these authorities, but at least it proved the effect of preaching. that was according to the deception god¡¯s opinion. richard could obtain more rewards if he continued. the elven music box recorded the playing hymns. the supernatural troops and the evil spreader became the core of the preaching system and external forces that brainwashed the preaching. more than half of the creatures in the underground world had become believers in the god¡¯s ancient tree. one could foresee that the entire underground world would soon take the shape of the darkness sect. richard no longer stayed long when everything went smoothly in the underground world. he stepped into the ell plane afterward. Chapter 1120 richard had mixed feelings about ell. he only wanted to occupy a plane at first and run it into a second underground world. however, he did not expect that his plans could not keep up with the changes. the changes in the situation forced him to make a decisive decision. however, it was also because of his decisiveness that ell became the trading center of the entire world. that was why he became the president of the ell players association. top guilds mostly ran this association; the leader of the alliance was a native. a peck and a drink were all fate. it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the ell plane was the center of the world. countless eyes focused on it. richard was the ell plane¡¯s controller. he had to focus even if he didn¡¯t do anything. this kind of influence and power permeated almost every corner of the mortal plane. the ell players association and the ell alliance were relatively loose, although he controlled them both. that was the only pity. he couldn¡¯t control it as convenient as his arms and fingers. however, this did not affect anything. to be able to achieve this level had long exceeded initial expectations. the city-state era had arrived after the day of the stars. the mountain range city has become the trading center. it had become more prosperous due to the chaos. the more chaotic the outside world was, the more precious the safety of ell became. richard did a simple inspection. he secretly went to the headquarters of the ell players association. he directly summoned all the primary members on behalf of the president. he did not waste any time. he spread the news, and the leaders of the guilds became spirited and set off for ell. they had all gathered in less than half an hour. no one was absent. many people in charge of the various forces were emotional when they saw the unharmed scene. that was the influence of qingqiu. it would be a dream to gather everyone for a meeting in half an hour if it weren¡¯t one of them. who wouldn¡¯t be busy under the circumstances? who would care about them? the meeting was highly confidential, although it was very likely. the outside world did not know that richard had personally convened the meeting. no one knew about the discussion. the leaders of the factions left. their trusted aides noticed that their expressions were complicated. they revealed expressions of nervousness, fear, excitement, and anticipation. richard left the ell players association meeting and went to the ell alliance city. that was the lion city. lion city had almost lost its original desolate appearance, and its prosperity was even more than mountain range city in a few short months under the management of the natives. richard felt a little strange when he saw the caravans come and go. the vast amount of goods also came and went. he had always had a clear understanding of himself. these natives were under him, not because he was powerful, but because everyone needed a quiet area to conduct transactions. the appearance of the ell plane just happened to satisfy this need. it could be taking what they needed. richard calmed himself down. he entered lion city and used the channels he had left behind to secretly inform the leaders of the various large factions to hold another meeting. to ordinary players, the powerful native forces did not even look at them, even if the players ¡®strength had generously improved compared to the beginning. but no one dared to ignore richard¡¯s will, whether it was the high nobles, the master of the chamber of commerce, or the king of the empire. the time it took for the leaders of the major forces to arrive was even shorter than the time it took for the people in charge of the ell players association to gather. similarly, this closed-door meeting was highly confidential, and very few people knew about it. it was as if nothing had happened when the leaders of the major factions returned to their territories. the only abnormality was that the mobilization of the troops began to become more frequent. however, such abnormalities were all too normal in such a chaotic background. richard was a little tired after two meetings. but he stayed a bit. instead, he went straight to the capital of ell. he met the nominal ruler of ell again after a few months. she was the queen that he had personally crowned. tundel looked at the heroic figure in the towering and luxurious palace in front of her in fear. his voice trembled. ¡°my lord, has the situation come to this?¡± richard looked into the queen¡¯s eyes and said slowly. ¡°it¡¯s even worse than what i said¡­the gods can¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°their hunting range probably includes me and the twilight city, although i don¡¯t know their target. ¡°i¡¯ve never had any illusions about the outside world. the situation is already irreversible. there¡¯s no turning back. ¡°throw away all luck and prepare for the challenge.¡± tundel spoke in a deep voice. ¡°will the ell players association and ell alliance help us fight the gods?¡± richard spoke slowly after a moment of silence. ¡°they won¡¯t be enemies with the gods¡­ however, they will assist us.¡± tundel nodded when she heard the contradictory statement. then, she took a deep breath and spoke firmly with an unshakable light in her eyes. ¡°the kingdom of ell will always be your staunchest supporter no matter how the situation changes, lord richard. no one can waver!¡± richard looked deeply at the queen and slowly nodded. ¡°i trust you, tundel¡­ no matter what happens in the future, i will believe in you.¡± that softened her stare. it was like ripples appeared in them. the man before her had saved her, the kingdom of ell, and the entire plane. she would not let him get hurt even if she had to give up everything! richard¡¯s mood fluctuated after he left the ell cpatial. he also had unwavering supporters behind him, although the enemies were powerful and the future was unpredictable. these allies held fast to his line of defense and didn¡¯t back down. he had enough trump cards to counter, even if the enemy was a god! they were gods! twilight city was not a piece of meat one could easily slaughter at will! richard calmed down. he waved his hand, and the void in front of him shattered. he took a step forward and disappeared. in the holy church empire, the higher-ups in the capital city suddenly received news that the king had ordered a curfew in the capital city, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. a massive troop of guards. they could even cut a fly into halves. a few legendary archdukes who had escorted the third prince to the throne quietly appeared in the palace under the high level of martial law. they discussed something vital. one had lifted the ban three hours later as if nothing had happened. that puzzled most people. richard had observed a spatial rift and suspected that a demon had appeared. that was his official explanation. he had cleared the void. everything was safe. people would expect commotion under such circumstances. nothing mattered afterward. no one knew that the archdukes had entered the palace. however, the higher-ups of the holy church empire¡¯s troops began a new round of shifts on the second day of the curfew. the outsiders didn¡¯t know about it. the king promoted another batch of new officers and took over the power. the enemies had wiped out this batch of officers appointed by the old king. the current king is in control of the military power. the situation got increasingly delicate, and a piece of news interrupted richard. he did the plans. enemies had ambushed the desert sect. they made the entire church collapse. the sun sect and the church of light officially announced their presence in solan city on the same day. traces of the demon and the undead troops appeared outside the city. the hidden forces did not want to wait any longer. that was richard¡¯s initial thought. his mood became a little strange. the giant beast that lurked under the water no longer lurked. that meant the situation could no longer tolerate the lurks of the enemy. unknown enemies surfaced, and richard could know who his opponent was and how powerful this soldier could be. that is the advantage of the information. he could use this to formulate a response. it was very likely that the other party¡¯s madness would destroy everything. that was the downside of it. there was no time left for him to set up a plan. richard. he stretched out his hand and tore open the void. he stepped into solan city again and returned to the terrifying place where danger lurked everywhere and big shots gathered. the enemies saw richard as prey. they had no fear! who could say who was hunting until the last moment? richard turned his head toward a direction above the ruins of the desert church. that was where the shadow of an angel floated in the sky. one sang the hymn loudly! Chapter 1121 the past six months were dark and chaotic for the ordinary residents. it was a dark and restless period that made people feel uneasy. they could not even see the future. this situation only came to an end when the desert sect appeared. the desert sect gave everyone new hope. but a scene that trembled the believers happened. that had collapsed the symbol of the desert sect, the desert church where the god descended! and it collapsed without any warning! to the believers, this was no different from the collapse of the heavens! that was a symbol of their faith! that instantly shattered the peace they had gained. loss remained in their hearts. countless believers gathered outside the collapsed church and began to rage, roar, curse, pray, and atone for their sins. the noise almost caused the entire solan city to fall into an uproar. however, the blood in their chest calmed down as their high spirits gradually eased. that quieted the air. all the believers stared blankly at the church that had once again shattered into yellow sand. they could only hear the breathing of their companions beside them and nothing else. at this moment, no one could read the thoughts of the believers. the church collapsed, and their faith, the great desert god, did not appear. that bothered them even more. however, powerless civilians could only pray their faith could bring a savior and bring hope again. they could no longer control their fate. the weak never had the right to choose in a chaotic world. asmodeus and nine human-looking demon lords silently watched the gathered believers in a luxurious hotel a few hundred meters from the desert church. ¡°my lord, can the collapse of the desert church provoke the relationship between the sun god and the goddess of light and the grace mainland overlord?¡± asmodeus did not turn around when he heard the question behind him. ¡°destroying the church of the grace mainland overlord has nothing to do with them. such a simple method wouldn¡¯t vastly change the situation. ¡°i have something to confirm. that is my purpose.¡± the devil lord quickly understood. the turbidity in his eyes under the cloak grew darker. he changed the topic and spoke in a low voice. ¡°master, do we need to make a new arrangement? more and more enemies will come to this city if we continue to wait like this and do nothing. we would no longer control the situation once we exceed the limit. ¡°even the lowly gods of the orc god system dare to show themselves. who knows what will happen next? ¡°the earlier we act, the greater the initiative we have.¡± he paused for a moment and organized his words afterward. ¡°the territory of the grace mainland overlord is in the desert of death. the other party is the key if it is what fate says. his territory must contain many secrets.¡± ¡°master, please give the order.¡± a devil lord turned his head stiffly when he heard this, his tone filled with delight. ¡°master, there are other people in solan city. we can¡¯t touch them. do we still want to keep the territory of the grace mainland overlord?¡± he had waited in this small hotel for more than a month. he felt that his bones were about to rust. he thirsted for blood, souls, and slaughter! asmodeus narrowed his eyes and was about to reply when his expression suddenly changed. he suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky. his tone was vague. ¡°has the trajectory of fate¡­ changed?¡± he immediately closed his eyes, and an evil aura that made the devil lord behind him tremble quietly spread out. the ultimate boss opened its eyes again. its initially turbid eyes shone with a piercing light. the light was soul-stirring. there was an unconcealable excitement in his tone. ¡°the key isn¡¯t just in this city. everything related to the grace mainland overlord is a part of the key.¡± ¡°this is the blessing of the world¡¯s will¡­¡± he suddenly turned around afterward. he stared at the nine devil overlords who had transformed into human forms. he gestured to the three people on the far right. ¡°send out your troop and take down the grace mainland overlord territory.¡± ¡°we must take them down even if the ancient ones appear!¡± the devil overlords immediately perked up. they were visibly excited. blood and souls completed the demon advancement. they were already thirsty and hungry. they ultimately yearned for war and slaughter! the sun god and the goddess of light, who had entered solan city in a high-profile manner, sat opposite each other in the church of the sun sect while the demons took action. the sun god looked like a man in his early thirties. his eyes were burning, and his robe was a mix of white and gold. he was solemn and gorgeous. he raised his hands and feet. he carried the dignity of a superior. he gave off a strong sense of oppression. the sun god was a god who lived on the sun. he possessed supreme power. every sun god was an existence at the level of a master god. they would be one of the top gods in the world as long as they could obtain the authority of the sun. his power connected heaven and earth. even the mightiest evil god in the abyss was unwilling to fight the sun god head-on. nature bathed the goddess of light in pure white holy light. the light blurred everything. one could vaguely see her face. kindness and holiness filled this goddess. her pair of deep blue eyes were ultimately unforgettable. the pure white robe on her body made her look even more unattainable. Chapter 1122 the goddess of light was the symbol of light and hope. in countless legends, this goddess played the role of a savior and had an extremely high reputation in the mortal plane. the first goddess of light had fallen under the siege of the evil gods of the abyss to save her believers. the second generation of the goddess of light had also died in battle to protect the civilians 500,000 years ago. she left behind countless laments. the goddess of light was now in the third generation. no one knew what her ending was. ¡°we had just entered the city when the desert church collapsed. there¡¯s no such thing as a coincidence. who¡¯s behind this?¡± the sun god¡¯s calm voice echoed in the hall. his tone was not heavy, but it gave people a mighty pressure. it was like the sun that hung in the sky. the goddess of light¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and her tone was mellow and clear. ¡°other than the demon in the abyss, the greatest possibility is hell.¡± the sun god narrowed his eyes and said slowly. ¡°lord, the darkness goddess has also arrived in this city¡­¡± osmodeus understood the expression, although he no longer finished his sentence. the goddess of light¡¯s expression turned serious when she heard the name ¡®darkness goddess.¡¯ her gaze became complicated. every goddess of light would inherit the name of suren, while the goddess of darkness had never changed since the beginning of creation. light and darkness were absolute opposites, but they were also symbiotic. she knew about the arrival of the darkness goddess earlier than the sun god. the light goddess slowly shook her head after a moment of silence. ¡°it¡¯s not her. she wouldn¡¯t be so bored.¡± the sun god looked at the goddess meaningfully and said nothing more. ¡°you know what you¡¯re doing¡­ the key aura has got increasingly thicker, and the trajectory of fate is no longer unfathomable.¡± ¡°what attitude should we use to face god¡¯s grace lord?¡± he returned to the topic, and the sun god had a headache. the world couldn¡¯t underestimate his power when he was still in his seat. however, the change in the rules suppressed his authority. he no longer could use the power that could destroy everything to solve the problem. right now, the reputation of the grace mainland overlord wasn¡¯t any less than his. what was more alarming was that the grace mainland overlord was related to the new era. countless people would spy on the lord privately and publicly with such a background. this seemingly weak grace mainlad overlord stood still. that was terrifying. nothing must have threatened or challenged him at all. he had to take this seriously. the weak couldn¡¯t become a top figure that attracted worldwide attention, and it was even more impossible for them to remain unscathed in the storm¡¯s eye. the light goddess¡¯s eyes moved slightly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. just ask the grace mainland overlord to meet him. we¡¯ll know his attitude after we meet him.¡± that surprised the sun god at first. but he nodded in relief afterward. ¡°i was wrong. the desert faction is still neutral, although the grace mainland overlord took the desert god¡¯s religion. that will not change because of his actions.¡± subconsciously, he had always treated her as an enemy, so he was extra careful. however, the goddess of light changed her mind and immediately opened his mind. ¡°what about our attitude?¡± ¡°cooperate. one cannot start the new era alone. we need the power of the grace mainland overlord.¡± ****** richard first visited the desert sect when he returned to solan city. what greeted his eyes was the collapsed church and the silent believers. the scene was like a scene of despair after the great calamity. it gave people an inexplicable sense of oppression, and even their breathing was unnaturally heavy. he flew above the church and looked down. his gaze turned cold. the killing intent in his heart continued to soar. you¡¯re courting death! did he think that his saber wasn¡¯t real? a short moment of silence has passed. richard sensed something and turned his head to look in another direction. his eyes flickered with a dangerous light. these people treated him as nothing. ¡®who must have given you the guts?¡¯ had he not killed enough gods? the believers lost their morale and realized the familiar figure. they sensed the aura that made them go crazy. their mood instantly rose from hell to heaven! ¡°god, nothing happened. god has returned! ¡°my lord, your devout believers bow to you¡­¡± ¡°great lord, those trash hiding in the sewers have damaged your church. please punish them!¡± ¡°my lord, we failed to protect the church. we are guilty¡­¡± the church collapsed, and the loud prayer vented their fears. richard sensed the surging emotions in his mind. he sighed to calm the surging killing intent in his heart. his tone was firm and determined. ¡°my people, no one can offend and provoke the dignity of the desert. ¡°all of you, go back. i will personally find the rat hiding in the sewers, whether it is a human or a god!¡± he finished speaking. he returned a portion of the power of faith he had accumulated to his believers. the believers below immediately felt their spirits jolt. that power recovered their previously exhausted mental state. strength filled their entire bodies. his gaze became increasingly heated, and his nervous emotions disappeared. they knew that their great god would still protect them! richard¡¯s mood did not cool down even after his departure. instead, it became increasingly intense. Chapter 1123 the sun god and the light goddess sat opposite each other in the sun sect church and turned to look at their sides. surprise filled their eyes. in the next second, attacks distorted the space they long looked for. a yellow sand-covered figure quietly appeared in their line of sight. ¡°did the two of you destroy the church?¡± the mysterious man¡¯s tone was calm and indifferent, but the power and dominance behind his words were as sharp as steel needles. the sun god¡¯s eyes suddenly emitted a fiery light. he stared at richard. ¡°you have a divine kingdom?!¡± he had released his aura to lure richard here, but he hadn¡¯t expected grace mainland overlord to appear in front of him in such a way. his hands reinforced the church. ordinary spatial magic could not enter at all. the other party¡¯s method of distorting space was like using a divine kingdom to open a spatial passageway. the light goddess¡¯s gaze was solemn. the stars shining day made the gods¡¯ divine kingdoms collapse. no one could escape the natural order. this grace mainland overlord. why has it still preserved the divine kingdom? was this the blessing of fate? richard raised his eyebrows and said slowly, ¡°didn¡¯t you hear my question?¡± ¡°did you destroy my church?¡± a cold smile appeared on his face after the question. killing intent filled his tone. ¡°respected sun god petrov, light goddess of light suren.¡± the sun god finally came back to his senses. he sensed richard¡¯s attitude. he wasn¡¯t angry but more vigilant. the grace mainland overlord was not a fool to be the ruler of such a powerful force and to have influence in the world. he must have something to rely on since he knew their true identities and was still calm. he did not want to fall out with him before knowing the other party¡¯s trump card. ¡°lord richard, we didn¡¯t destroy your church¡­¡± ¡°as the ruler of the sun, doing such a despicable thing will only tarnish the holy name of the sun.¡± richard didn¡¯t comment, but the coldness in his eyes didn¡¯t disappear. ¡°the two of you should also tell me why you suddenly came to my city to preach openly. is it because the desert sect is not worth mentioning?¡± he finished speaking, and the two gods tightened their hearts. they had an enormous prestige in the outside world. they could feel the bone-chilling killing intent. that sent a danger that sent chills down their spines. the other party could kill them! they realized this problem. their attitudes quickly changed. one had to show enough respect to the strong. that was the rule of survival in the ¡°shining era.¡± those who did not abide by it would have long become fertilizer for the flowers. ¡°no, you¡¯ve misunderstood lord richard.¡± the gentle voice of the light goddess sounded, and the surging holy light dispelled the tense atmosphere in the room. ¡°we didn¡¯t come to solan city to become your enemies. ¡°fate led us to find the key to open the new era and your holiness. you must be related to the key. ¡°we didn¡¯t start preaching. we just wanted to participate in it in a legitimate name. we don¡¯t want to become rats in the sewers, and we have no intention of provoking his holiness.¡± richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he smiled. ¡°since this is what his holiness solon said, i believe that the light goddess wouldn¡¯t lie, right?¡± who knew if he believed it or not? however, since he was willing to give them a face, the two heaved a sigh of relief. who would want to become enemies with a mysterious existence if one had forced them? that could threaten their lives at such a critical moment. the sun god said gently, ¡°recently, there have been quite several gods who sneaked into solan city. i can sense the aura of demons and devils. his holiness richard had better be careful.¡± his tone sounded grave as he spoke. ¡°ask for help if you encounter danger. we can only work together to deal with it in times of danger.¡± that made richard take another look at him. ¡®was this guy serious?¡¯ he slowly spoke after a short moment. their target is also the so-called key. ¡°do you know more about the key?¡± the sun god nodded and shook his head. ¡°that¡¯s right. the key alone can attract several gods. ¡°fate led us here. i know nothing as for the rest.¡± richard couldn¡¯t help but frown at the familiar excuse. it was this weird thing again. he hated this kind of thing that was out of his control. ¡°then what do you plan to do next? do we just wait?¡± the sun god said solemnly, ¡°we can only wait until the key appears.¡± that suffocated richard felt suffocated. it was similar to the attitude of the dwarf god. he took a deep look at this guy. ¡°then you guys just wait.¡± he said that and must have thought of something and subtly said, ¡°do you know where the other gods are? who poses the greatest danger to solan city?¡± ¡°it will be difficult to find their exact whereabouts unless those gods are willing to expose themselves.¡± richard changed the topic, and the light goddess¡¯s gaze was somewhat solemn. ¡°the enemies had posed several threats to solan city. but the three most dangerous ones are the darkness goddess shar, the lord of the ninth hell, asmodeus, and the demon prince, demogorgon. the abomination lord gave rise to each of these existence. darkness possessed infinite power. the trump cards in their hands are even more unfathomable.¡± they often played the role of the ultimate villain in the legends of the ¡°shining era.¡± but richard¡¯s eyes grew colder. ¡®who cares who you are? solan city is his trump card. now, they can come and go as they please. do they think solan city is a public toilet?¡¯ an urgent voice suddenly sounded before he could calm down. ¡°lord, countless demons have appeared outside the twilight city! it was a complete troop, hell! the infernal realm is attacking us!¡± the more the news infuriated richard. how bold! however, an urgent siren resounded throughout the sky of solan city. he suddenly turned his head to look out of the window. countless warriors rose into the sky. his eyes reflected these images. ¡°enemy attack!¡± the sun god and the light goddess also stood up. they looked at each other and saw the seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°those rats in the sewers can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡± only they knew how terrifying the forces that had infiltrated solan city were. they would have the ability to flip the table if any of these people wanted to move. the atmosphere they had long suppressed exploded at this moment. the powder keg of solan city exploded under the ear-piercing siren. everyone could smell the thick scent of blood! Chapter 1124 this place controlled all aspects of twilight city and was the center of the city while richard was not around. karu is the highest authority in the administrative hall. he looked at the dozens of high-ranking officials with a deep gaze. the war horn outside the window was like a huge rock that weighed down on everyone¡¯s hearts. the air was deathly still. butler karu slowly stood up and placed his hands on the table after a moment of silence. they drew their attention to him. they suddenly realized that this old gray-haired, wrinkled, and hunchbacked man was as tall as a giant. his deep voice was hoarse and solemn. ¡°did you hear that? ¡°the horn of war has sounded¡­ our enemy is here. everyone in the room subconsciously stood still. the officials¡¯ eyes reflected solemnity. ¡°a devil from the ninth floor of hell.¡± butler karu added in a light yet heavy voice. ¡°you should know how powerful these evil lifeforms are. they are savage, crazy, and bloodthirsty! ¡°no one is willing to face them.¡± he finished speaking, and karu slammed the table fiercely. that shocked everyone. the veins on the old gray-haired man¡¯s neck bulged like wriggling snakes. his usually calm and kind face turned extremely ferocious at this moment. he was like a wild beast that was about to devour someone. his hoarse voice roared hysterically. ¡°but we have no way out!¡± ¡°twilight city is right under our feet!¡± ¡°this is our home, our support, the holy land that we will protect with our lives and souls!¡± ¡°unless you step over our corpses and lie down, otherwise¡­ no one can step into this city!¡± ¡°the heavens are watching us!¡± ¡°every citizen of twilight city will bless us!¡± ¡°for no one shall let that gaze down¡­ fight to the death!¡± the high-pitched and hoarse voice did not have the instigating power of skill. everyone sat and felt the blood boil under the reverberation of the war horn. the person at the front stood up abruptly and slammed the table in rage. ¡°fight to the death!¡± the remaining people immediately turned around, stood up in unison, and roared ferociously. ¡°fight to the death!¡± his arrogant voice could suppress the roars of a dragon! ¡®sob!¡¯ the dull sound of the war horn was like the low cry of a vulture that circled in the sky. every echo meant that death was approaching. countless demons were like locusts. they covered the desert in front of twilight city. they looked at the sky, and a blood-red ocean covered the desert. a brutal and dark aura soared. even the soldiers in the wild dozens of kilometers away felt the uneasiness in their souls. demons were law-abiding evils, unlike the chaotic and evil demons. their harsh and cruel discipline was their most terrifying aspect. no other order race in the order faction could compare to the demons. anyone who violated the law would be beheaded. the devil warlord would not hesitate to execute the wrongdoer. the bloody laws made the demons abide by the rules and strictly abide by order. because of that, only the devils of the ninth hell plane could stand side by side with the endless abyss that had countless evil gods. it had a curved horn on its head, a flaming tail on its back, a trident in its hand, and a standard armor on its body. its blood-red pupils reflected the dark world. beneath the helmet that revealed his face was a ferocious face. in the open mouth were teeth that were countless times sharper than razors, and they could easily tear through steel. what was even more terrifying was the uniform pace of this demon troop. they looked around. it looked like a military parade. it was so neat that it made people wonder if it was a mechanical product. the yellow sand and the bright sun could not dispel the darkness brought by the demons. the troop pressed down. any other city would have fallen into despair and fear. however, there was no turmoil in twilight city. everything ran smoothly and accordingly. weapons on the backs of the black troops on the tall, sturdy city walls waited. their cold killing intent enveloped the front. the weapons in their hands were ready to unleash the sharpest attacks. the people had raised the alchemical cannon with an ultimate caliber. the gray-colored dwarves behind them piloted the mechanical puppets to fill up the shells. magic towers stood at regular intervals, and these magic towers released boundless energy. that formed a semi-circular magic shield in the sky of twilight city. it was so thick that it could block all magic damage. the active troop lairs of king of the imperial troop, stone statue of the dead, guardian mummy, and sandstorm controller were already in position. several eye-catching figures also mixed in. alchemy machinery composed the bodies of these strange soldiers. skinless red muscles covered these bodies. those muscles squirmed like thin threads. they looked bloody and terrifying at first glance. but when one looked carefully, it would send a chill down one¡¯s spine. none drove these flesh machines. no magic energy dissipated. one could sense the soul aura these alchemical machines emitted if one were to feel them. life. these monsters were not dead but mechanical creations with life. Chapter 1125 this forbidden spell, which was close to creating life, had appeared half a year ago. it had finally reached the level where it could mass-produce top-tier troops after more than half a year of improvement with the massive resources provided by the rapid growth of twilight city. [flesh machine] [level: 16] [potential: special creation] flesh machines were not ordinary soldiers. mechanical factories of the gray-colored dwarves directly produced them. they belonged to the fortress race. the people in fortress city can already mass-produce this level 16 top-tier soldier! that was amazing! fortress race could unleash unlimited numbers of soldiers with enough resources! that was the most terrifying. the other races would have to wait for the cooldown of the lair even if they had resources. the fortress race would directly use industrial soldiers. the fortress race in the ¡°shining era¡± clan was the only race that could match the undead with military strength as long as they had the right resources. the technology to produce top-tier troops was a primary secret that only a few forces could control. that was even among the fortress race. adele had provided a top-tier troop source for twilight city with her strength. that directly increased its foundation. that was the strength of a top-tier hero. the horn sounded, and the demon troop finally approached the safety line. ¡°everyone, get ready!¡± gray was the commander-in-charge of the war. the soul fire of the mummy hero gray flashed, and his furious voice resounded in the sky. ¡°attack!¡± ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ the war drums suddenly thundered. thunder rumbled from the nine heavens in the next seconds. countless lights exploded. the alchemy cannons behind the city wall spewed out terrifying flames. the powerful recoil caused the alchemical machines controlled by the gray-colored dwarves to stagger to varying degrees. ¡®bang!¡¯ countless mushroom clouds rose from the ground. they combined the scorching heat, the flying shrapnel, the shockwave, the violent sound of the explosion, and the demon troop fell like wheat. their broken limbs flew all over the sky. the thick smell of blood mixed with the smell of smoke drifted over the desert. the yellow sand raised thick smoke and dust. that almost covered the hot sun. shrill screams rang out in the thick smoke. the demons¡¯ voices were sharp and ear-piercing. it was inexplicably chilling. the terrifying artillery fire could not stop the advance of the demon troop. the dark creatures slowly surrounded them from all directions. ¡®awuwu!¡¯ a sharp sound different from the horn of twilight city rang out, and blood-red magic flashed from the demon troop. ¡®rumble!¡¯ a spell with terrifying energy fluctuations bombarded them. it collided with the magic shield in the sky. the magic shield rippled, and the blood-red magic was either repelled or dissolved. some spells would destroy each other when they hit the alchemist¡¯s bombs in the air, and hot sparks would bloom in the air. the clash between magic and alchemy technology sparked. three terrifyingly looking devil overlords from far away stood on a hundred-meter-tall platform made of sand. they looked at the battlefield. legendary demon soldiers surrounded them. they could feel the evil that soared into the sky even from a thousand meters away. Chapter 1126 the boss burned with evil flames and held a scorching sword. that looked 70% similar to the flame demon. he said in a hoarse voice. ¡°the intersection of fate, one of the starting points of the new era¡­ one must occupy it.¡± ¡°they can¡¯t stop the master¡¯s will!¡± ¡°increase the intensity of the attack. don¡¯t worry about the casualties. these troops will be meaningless if we can¡¯t seize the initiative in the great change.¡± the high-level demons showed no mercy to the low-level armies like those in the abyss and the undead in the death dimension. the only purpose of the troop was to fulfill the will of the high-level demons. it was cruel and bloody. the battle erupted in the desert depths and was unknown to the outside world. hell did not go as smoothly as expected as the attacker. that was the first time the troop trembled the mortal plane and felt the power of twilight city. they blocked the invincible troop in front of the towering city walls. the alchemy cannons, arrow towers, and soldiers had turned twilight city into a flesh-and-blood mill. they massacred everything in their path. the attack of the demon troops the next day failed. they discovered the quicksand in the north. the few spatial rifts piqued the interest of the abominations. a large portion of the troops began to extend to the north. then, the demon troop clashed head-on with the level 22 extraordinary troops, the dark treants. the 30-meter-tall dark treants faced the demon troop like a meat grinder. the demons were organized and had a troop formation, but the dark treants shattered them. the devil overlords didn¡¯t expect that their troop couldn¡¯t even take down a corner. they directly threw a few extraordinary troops out of humiliation. the effects of their transcendent troop that joined in were futile. that astonished them more! the dark treants occupied the land of quicksand and were like unshakable mountains. they mightily blocked all the demons. the demon troop still didn¡¯t progress on the third day of the war. however, the enemy¡¯s forces got increasingly wild, and the pressure gradually exacerbated. ¡°we¡¯ll execute the plan tomorrow morning if those demons continue to oppress the land of quicksand. we¡¯ll give up the land of quicksand, destroy the spatial gate there, and communicate with the underworld and ell through the eternal land.¡± one of the officials in his forties stood up and said with a determined gaze after a short silence. ¡°master, we don¡¯t have to give up on the land of quicksand. this place can become our second battlefield and share the pressure of twilight city. ¡°but we only need to leave behind the entrance to the eternal land for safety¡¯s sake.¡± master karu nodded. ¡°sure, but be prepared to give up this area.¡± the official heaved a sigh of relief. then, he seemed to have thought of something and hesitated. ¡°the demons¡¯ attack is so fierce that we need more reinforcements, although we have the support of the underground world and the ell plane.¡± Chapter 1127 on top of the city wall that looked like a valley, soldiers in heavy armor wildly attacked the enemies who wanted to break through the city. these attackers had no flesh or blood on their bodies, only pale bones. the blue soul fire burned wildly in their empty eyes. their bodies would make creaking sounds every time they moved forward. there was a dense aura of death that made people¡¯s hearts tremble. they were monsters from the three evil lands¨Cthe undead. countless undead! they looked down from the sky, and the land in front of solan city was vast and boundless. the sea of monsters like the skeleton warriors, skeleton archers, specters, zombies, headless cavalries, and the liches formed a flood and rushed towards the city wall. ordinary people couldn¡¯t imagine how terrifying this scene was if they did not see it with their own eyes. there were also terrifying monsters in the sky other than those on the ground. they include the bone dragons, ghost dragons, and zombie dragons. countless high-level undead soldiers roared past without any fear. all were transcendent soldiers. they would treat each one like a small boss if players encountered them. some weaker ones would even need to mobilize the entire territory¡¯s troops to encircle and suppress them. however, this power all surged towards solan city. it was like a vast wave that crashed against a reef. multifarious siege weapons mixed in with the undead troops apart from that. a catapult made of white bones, a siege chariot made of squirming flesh, a cloud chariot filled with plague, and a twisted ghost siege ladder attacked the city walls. undead characteristics shrouded their weapons. a single wave could destroy an ordinary under such attacks. fortunately, this was solan city. it was the most magnificent and mighty city in the desert of death. one must not outdo the troops that fought against the undead on the city wall. they wouldn¡¯t retaliate. the battle scene gave people an unparalleled visual impact. one couldn¡¯t compare even the most magnificent special effects. the rumbling sounds of artillery fire and magic explosions penetrated the magic shield of solan city and echoed in the city. the residents, who were already restless, were now in a state of agitation. fear spread in their hearts, but the weak, who could not control their fate, could only pray piously to the god of their faith. they would pray for resistance and savior. however, the troop quickly arranged for communications personnel to report the troop situation to the desert sect. that was a sect under the command of a true god. the undead outside were ferocious, and there might be some accidents. they could have relied on him for action. the sudden appearance of the undead caused a commotion among the low-level residents in the city, and the gods who had infiltrated the walls also began to show their faces. the nobles covered every corner of solan city with their tentacles. they could feel the surge of an undercurrent. however, these nobles could only be cautious and vigilant if they sensed something strange under the pressure of the undead¡¯s crazy siege. they did not dare to do anything on the surface. in a chaotic situation, even the most arrogant people had to use the most humble attitude to survive. times have changed. ¡°shining era,¡± year 7002, january 1st, was the second year since players arrived in the glorious time. it was the third day since the undead troop besieged solan city, and the devil troop attacked twilight city. the undead troop hadn¡¯t stopped attacking solan city for even a second in the past three days. the terrifying number of troops was like a wave that came one after another. a trend increased intensity. the troops that guarded the city knew why some called the undead natural disasters. the sea of skeletons was a nightmare that no race was willing to face. but he couldn¡¯t avoid it. solan city has a rich heritage. they got exhausted in such a high-intensity battle. the consumption of military strength and strategic reserves could be said to be exaggerated. the number of believers who came to pray was several times more than before after the reconstruction of the desert church. richard was in the resting room. he felt the rapidly growing power of faith in his body, his gaze faint. the war started, and the speed at which he obtained the power of faith increased massively. the gods could have caused this crisis if one hadn¡¯t stripped their authority. to reinforce strength while sitting was great. ¡®bang! bang! bang!¡¯ a knock on the door interrupted richard¡¯s thoughts. ¡°come in.¡± a youthful and beautiful pushed the semi-circular arched door open. the figure entered the room with a complicated gaze. ¡°lord richard¡­ your excellency.¡± richard heard a familiar voice. he turned his head and saw a youthful and beautiful figure. she was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old and had a lively temperament. exhaustion filled her face this time. richard¡¯s face softened. ¡°your highness christy, there¡¯s no need to be so polite with me. have a seat.¡± christy heard the familiar voice, and the uneasiness in her heart dissipated. she walked closer to him, her eyes hard to describe. ¡°your excellency richard, are you the desert god?¡± she couldn¡¯t forget that the grace mainland overlord from the desert was only level 10. the mitiest guard was still far from being a transcendent. however, he had quietly become a god, a top-notch figure whose name spread throughout the mortal plane and to whom everyone had to pay attention. Chapter 1128 she would have found it hard to believe that a grace mainland overlord could have such a shocking transformation in such a short time if she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes. richard must have been a god. that could only be the explanation. richard chuckled when he saw the caution in the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°whether that is true or not, we¡¯re still friends, christy.¡± christy felt his gentle attitude. she had relived nervousness again. a smile appeared on her face. ¡°yes, we are friends.¡± she spoke and must have thought of something. her expression became serious. ¡°your excellency, the undead¡¯s attacks are too fierce. the pressure on solan city has reached its limit. i need help.¡± the grand duke was not around. so, the girl shouldered all the pressure in solan city. she has not even reached 20! the lives of millions of people must be under her protection. the pressure was almost suffocating. it was already beyond richard¡¯s expectations that he had survived until now. ¡°i¡¯ll get the priests of the desert sect to work together.¡± richard¡¯s eyes were deep. ¡°also, pass on my order. all nobles and lords of the grace mainland with armies are to send troops to defend the city.¡± ¡°you can go to the sun god and the light goddess of light. they will also send troops to assist.¡± her tone sounded colder as he spoke. ¡°we must strictly manage everything during wartime. christy, you are now the ruler of solan city, the supreme commander. you have the right to punish anyone who disobeys orders.¡± ¡°even if the other party is a god!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll deal with the people you can¡¯t handle¡­ you just need to give the order. i¡¯ll back you up.¡± christy heard the calm but domineering words. her heart skipped a beat. encouragement brimmed the young man¡¯s eyes. a ray of sunlight has illuminated the haze in his heart. energy filled his existence. his uneasiness dissipated, and his gaze became determined. she murmured as if she had responded to richard and told herself. ¡°i¡¯m christy frotwolf, the sole heir of solan city. my father isn¡¯t around. i am responsible to my people and its city.¡± ¡°for the honor of the solan city.¡± ¡°no one can break into our city! no one!¡± her soft but firm words allowed richard to see the silent transformation in the girl¡¯s heart. christy bowed deeply and turned to leave before he could say anything. his footsteps changed from being at a loss to being powerful. relief filled richard¡¯s eyes. before christy came, she had already thought of something. it was like he gave her a shot in the arm. the space beside her rippled not long after richard left. dark valkyrie appeared. the boss floated ten centimeters on the ground and held a three-meter-long sword. it had a strange look in his eyes under the mask. ¡°lord, an extremely terrifying power hides in the other party¡¯s body¡­¡± ¡°even legends couldn¡¯t resist it once one has unleashed that power.¡± richard nodded. ¡°how could that legendary ascetic allow the young princess to stay behind without arrangements?¡± dark valkyrie bowed slightly and said nothing more. richard said slowly after a moment of silence. ¡°return to twilight city with loreinna to guard¡­¡± the dark valkyrie suddenly raised her head, and her gaze became solemn. ¡°then you?¡± richard waved his hand and interrupted her before he could finish. ¡°solan city, i alone am enough.¡± richard¡¯s tone turned solemn as he saw that the boss followed him and wanted to say something. ¡°there¡¯s a hero altar in twilight city. it¡¯s our foundation. ¡°no one can guarantee what will happen in the future¡­ death may come at any time. we need a way out. ¡°no matter what happens, we can¡¯t afford to lose twilight city!¡± dark valkyrie could feel richard¡¯s inviolable will and fell silent. finally, she took a deep breath and bowed before she disappeared. dark valkyrie disappeared. richard slowly turned his head and looked toward solan city. his gaze was faint. now, he no longer had any shackles in solan city. it was time to get down to business. asmodeus was the ruler of the ninth hell. he is the ultimate boss of the bottomless abyss, the demon prince demogorgon, spider goddess lolita. he is an unknown undead lord. he rules the orc god system, elf god system, dwarf god system, and sea race god system. the sun god, the goddess of light, the justice god, and the war god. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect gods who infiltrated solan city would exceed three digits.¡± ¡°it¡¯s really¡­ interesting.¡± as the ruler of the desert sect, he was now the prey of all the gods. however, who would know who was the prey until the last moment? richard¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°but just them alone is not enough, far from enough¡­¡± ****** asmodeus looked at the rebuilt desert church. his murky, emotionless eyes were like a decaying man about to be buried. ¡°hasn¡¯t the city of the grace mainland lords been conquered yet?¡± the faint blasphemy made the atmosphere in the room tense. only six of the nine devil overlords remained. the one in the middle stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°the rules of the mortal plane restrict us from mobilizing troops above transcendent on a large scale. the current offensive mainly focused on high-level demons between level 15 and 19¡­¡± asmodeus slowly turned his head, his murky eyes staring at the devil lord. he had transformed into a human. he said softly, ¡°are you looking for an excuse?¡± he finished speaking, and the devil lord¡¯s heart trembled violently. he knelt on the ground with a thud, his head pressed against the ground, and his posture was extremely humble. ¡°lord¡­¡± endless fear filled his trembling voice. asmodeus¡¯ tone remained unchanged. ¡°tell bardi to take down that city within three days.¡± he spoke, and an incomprehensible aura emanated from his body. it was as if he had wiped the other party off a piece of paper with an eraser, and his figure became blurry. the remaining devil lords knelt on the ground in unison. they did not dare to raise their heads. ¡°i¡¯ve already sensed the aura of the new era¡­ the opening of that door is right in front of us.¡± ¡°the city of the grace mainland will be one of the key points. remember, you must occupy it no matter the cost.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to hear a second time of nonsense.¡± Chapter 1129 the demon troop gradually became increasingly violent and out of control. like an enraged bull in the colosseum, they charged at the red cloth before them without caring about anything else. the intensity of the battle had risen to another level due to the madness of the demon troop. the terrifying attack put a lot of pressure on twilight city. fortunately, richard had already sensed the danger of world changes in the previous expansion pack, crimson moon, and had begun to prepare for war. the underground world he had enhanced produced the weapons needed by twilight city day and night. the ell plane provided the mature industries such as the black sorbet and the elven music box. the ell players association, the ell players alliance, and the holy church empire could provide the talents twilight city needed. in addition, he also had allies¨Csolan city. this city ruled the desert of death, the top noble of the ice empire, the frostwolf family, and the real big boss, the phoenix-tail flower chamber of commerce. the people, money, and goods are enough. it was no exaggeration to say that the power richard could mobilize far surpassed that of most native forces and even many empires. the black tide of the demon troop did not devour them. cannon fired arrows and magic that roared. the demons with long tails and ferocious faces were like locusts that launched deadly attacks on the city wall. the soldiers on the city wall retaliated mercilessly. one looked from the and could see the mushroom cloud that rose after the stone battle tomahawks of the dead exploded. one could see the madness of the sandstorm controller as he transformed into a sandstorm disaster that swept in all directions. one could see the tyranny of the king of the imperial troop that used invisible ropes to control his saber and use army destruction! the demon troops suffered heavy casualties due to the high intensity of the battle. the corpses littered the ground and forced the sandstorm controller to manipulate the sand to bury them. the losses of twilight city gradually increased until they became unacceptable under such circumstances. the underground supported twilight city troops. adele developed an arsenal that mass-produced the flesh machines. they used all of them in war. even so, they could not withstand this level of consumption. the news of the battle quickly reached richard. he immediately ordered the reinforcements from ell to enter without hesitation. the ell players association and the ell alliance had more than 10,000 members. these members were not individuals. they were forces that controlled a region! richard had relied on his exaggerated reputation during the last secret meeting. these forces relied on the ell plane as a trading center to get what he wanted from them. ¡°the army! ¡°a vast army! all of these forces supported twilight city without exception. some provided seven or eight legions, while others provided one or two. this power became exaggerated with such a vast number. this move in ell plane was the most ingenious move he had ever made. he would have faced the ninth hell¡¯s attack alone if he hadn¡¯t gathered most people. it would have been a hopeless hell. the battle was too bloody, and the damage was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people, although the defending side had the absolute advantage in a siege. twilight city¡¯s troop strength was once again abundant, and they had the capital to continue fighting against hell. the flames of war continued. the three devil overlords were still demigods in the command post behind the devil troop. they looked coldly at the battlefield, and their expressions were ugly. they haven¡¯t progressed in attacking the territory of the grace mainland lords. it was like a slap to their faces. humiliation is an unacceptable mistake! how long had the grace mainland overlord been in this world? could he block their attacks? as expected, the ninth hell ruler sent a merciless reprimand after he received the news of their failed attacks. that embarrassed him! how could that damned grace mainland overlord build such an impregnable city in just one or two years? ¡°your excellency bardi! we¡¯ve already cut off all escape routes in this city!¡± ¡°the dark treants in the north of the quicksand also retreated to another plane. they can no longer interfere with us.¡± ¡°however, the power of this city is far more than what it seems on the surface!¡± ¡°they still have passages connecting to other planes. the number of their reinforcements is too abnormal.¡± ¡°they had completed the spatial spell the spell caster legion constructed¡­we¡¯re just waiting for your order!¡± the demon lord led this war, and the ruler of the first level of the ninth hell bardi, had a dark look in his eyes. he knew from the start several reinforcements in this city. but his arrogance made him ignore them. they were the noble devils from the ninth hell! they could destroy the other party in one wave. that was what mattered. why would they need to care about reinforcements? everything in this city was just fresh food. but the ending gave it a hard slap. food? one hid a ferocious desert dragon! reality forced him to put down his pride and do what he should have done at the beginning of the war. bardi didn¡¯t turn around to look at the demon adjutant who spoke. he spoke in a cold tone. Chapter 1130 darkness, coldness, and cruelty filled hellish blasphemy. its entire body burned with hellish flames, and its ferocious aura covered a 1,000-meter area. the surrounding abominations felt the pressure and shivered. they subconsciously gripped their weapons and lowered their heads. they did not dare to look at the hidden figure. ¡°attack!¡± asmodeus was very dissatisfied with its progress and only gave him three days. it couldn¡¯t imagine the consequences of not completing the mission. they had to take down this city at all costs! no one was willing to face asmodeus¡¯ anger, no one!! a majestic force enveloped twilight city a moment later. it discovered the twilight city troop. the space became as thick as mercury. that froze the spatial magic. one couldn¡¯t use that again. the demon troop took advantage of the situation to increase their offensive position. they hoped to take down the city in one go while cutting off the retreat of twilight city. but soon, their discovery shocked them. that didn¡¯t affect the troops that guarded the city. the troops continued to surge up the city wall. they worked with the arrow towers and alchemy cannons to kill the demons and forcibly resist their attacks. that stunned and infuriated the three devil lords who commanded the troop. wasn¡¯t spatial magic? had the other party occupied a plane? however, the connection between planes also required spatial power. the other party must have possessed a divine kingdom that belonged to him, right? that was too ridiculous! on the evening of january 2nd, just one day after the high-intensity attack of the demon troop, twilight city had already lost more than 30 legions of soldiers. ¡®this was 30 legions!¡¯ the losses would have been even more vast if twilight city had occupied a smaller area. the demons had no choice but to compress their forces to attack. the losses of the demons were utterly uncountable. other than the personnel, they exaggeratedly consumed the strategic reserves. these armies came from the underground world, from ell plane. they would immediately scale the city walls and fight the demon troop once they entered twilight city. the number of troops that both sides had invested had reached a terrifying number. however, the demons couldn¡¯t break through twilight city, no matter how fierce the demon troops¡¯ attacks were. they had attacked the city walls several times, but twilight city soldiers took them down. it was january 3rd. the demon troop couldn¡¯t take down the demons for long and became wild. finally, bardi was in charge of commanding the troop. he issued a heavy order. he ordered maman, the devil lord of the third layer of the ninth hell, to lead the troops for a surprise attack. bardi was a tall and sturdy devil. he was as tall as a mountain. its lower body was a giant snake with brown spots, while its upper body was a humanoid creature with long arms. the vast head on its neck gave off a soul-stirring sense of oppression. sharp teeth and two vast venomous fangs filled its pitch-black mouth. its pale white eyes had no irises or pupils. only endless coldness remained wherever its gaze reached. this devil lord had lost its authority. he was still a level 30 demigod who possessed unparalleled power! the devil lord brought five other legendary-level devils and more than ten transcendents. this power was all that he could use! as expected, the enemy tore the defense line apart under the leadership of the level 30 demigod. it was the first time in the five days since the war started that the demon troop broke through the city walls and entered the city. bardi supervised the battle from the rear. he immediately grew excited. the abyssal flames around his body became even more terrifying. the anger he had long suppressed for the past few days finally had a place to vent. he roared and ordered the entire troop to press forward! however, the originally good situation suddenly changed as he was about to issue an order. magic sealed the space and shook violently. the seal lost its effect in just two breaths. the space resumed flowing in the next second. dozens of tree roots that emitted an extremely evil aura descended from the sky. they dragged the devil lord maman and the senior demons above transcendent into the shattered space. something must have drained all his attributes. he was a level 30 demigod. he could not resist the tree roots at all. the space closed, and all the elites that had entered the city disappeared. maman, the lord of the third layer of hell, had also lost his breath. the excitement on bardi¡¯s face froze. he stared blankly at the twilight city troop who had returned to the city and taken back their position. the system erased the results of the battle just now. ¡°lost? failed?¡± it was only then that bardi snapped back to his senses. the flames in his chest exploded. his eyes widened. trap? was this a trap? those damned bastards set up a trap! he knew that the ruler of this city had once hunted gods and had the reputation of a slayer god. he did not send any high-level forces into the battle because he wanted to prevent this from happening. he knew the grace mainland overlord stole the desert authority and was still in solan city. he decided to be ruthless. however, he did not expect the slayer god to be so patient. he only revealed his high-level strength after a few days of high-intensity battles. that shocked and infuriated him. the attacker was an abomination, an existence more terrifying than all evil life forms if his senses were correct. Chapter 1131 ¡°bastard! bastard!¡± in its fury, the hellish flames on the devil lord¡¯s body burned fiercely. he wished he could charge forward and slaughter everyone in this city! however, the ultimate evil aura that made his mind tremble continued to spread in the sky. his rationality and fear prevented him from taking even half a step forward. his anger no longer mattered. january 3rd and january 4th had passed. the three-day time limit quietly went over. twilight city still stood on the vast yellow sand. it was a city as unshakable as a mountain. asmodeus¡¯ gaze in solan city turned cold when he heard the failure of bardi¡¯s attack. he knew that the devil lord maman of the third level of the ninth hell had disappeared without a trace. his eyes became cloudy. he took a deep look at the desert church outside the window. ¡°he¡¯s indeed not simple. he can even enslave an abomination. ¡°get bardi to use their backup forces¡­ i don¡¯t want to hear any more news of failure.¡± the calm voice caused the six devil overlords in the room to feel great fear. they all bowed with their hands on their chests. they did not dare to raise their heads. countless years of interaction had passed, and they knew that their lord? he was already furious. it was best to complete the mission if he didn¡¯t want to bear the other party¡¯s wrath. the ninth hell had existed for several years, and countless devil overlords had changed. asmodeus executed most because they did not complete his will. that was the embodiment of order, the pinnacle of evil. asmodeus had the prestige of a creator god in the ninth hell, even if he were a devil lord that guarded a level of the ninth hell. they were just his slaves! on the 5th of january, the pressure on twilight city rose again. they wiped 60 legions or more in a day. the desert outside the city wall could barely bury any corpses. richard received the report. he pondered for a moment before he issued a new secret order. he mobilized several holy church empire troops without the knowledge of the outsiders. in the ice empire, the frostwolf family, which had already swallowed five territories, stopped expanding and gathered their troops. twilight city welcomed new reinforcements on the same day. the great war took place in the desert of death and ushered in a new slaughter. the development of this war didn¡¯t follow the usual logic. that evening, a system notification completely changed the current situation. the world! that agitated him utterly! [the old rules have decayed, and the world is about to welcome a new life.] [players have come to the ¡°shining era¡± to shoulder their fate. you are all the chosen ones. your mission here is to start a new era.] [the world will have selected the most outstanding 100,000 players.] [the chosen one will grasp a portion of the authority of their faction every day.] [you will lose your authority, and the person who killed you will inherit it. however, you will lose the characteristic of automatically perfecting your power.] [the longer you live, the more complete the authority you will obtain.] [whoever holds the most complete authority will be the ruler of a new era in ten days.] [ding~ all those the world has favored will automatically start streaming.] [note: the start of a new era will end if one had killed all 100,000 favored. the gods will regain their authority at the same time. the old world will continue.] [all players will automatically join the faction¨Cfounder of the new era. the gods will automatically become members of the conservative one¨Cprotector of the old order.] [gods have strangled the new era five hundred thousand years ago. five hundred thousand years had passed. can you bear this heavy responsibility?] the system notification went over, and richard stimulated the battle situation in twilight city on the sandbox. he had a complicated expression. he didn¡¯t expect to open the third chapter at this moment. and it was so heavy! the system selected 100,000 players. they would gradually take control of a faction as time passed by. ¡®how crazy was this? ¡®select 100,000 gods?¡¯ the already chaotic situation developed toward the collapse the moment this chapter appeared. ¡®could the players bear this heavy responsibility?¡¯ the last explanation made him even more solemn. the opening of the new era had already failed once 500,000 years ago. ¡®five hundred thousand years ago, wasn¡¯t that the last battle of gods? ¡®was this related to the new era? and the gods had succeeded! ¡®it was the glory that lasted for 500,000 years!¡¯ one could imagine how crazy the gods would be when they learned of this news! they would do everything possible to stop the new era from coming! ¡®one hundred thousand players? was it enough to kill?¡¯ richard smelled the thick scent of blood. Chapter 1132 the forum became extremely lively. ¡°f*ck, what¡¯s going on? can we directly obtain authority? moreover, there are 100,000 people. do they have that much authority?¡± ¡°five hundred thousand years ago, something must have stopped the new era, and the gods could continue. it¡¯s terrifying to think about it, brothers.¡± ¡°our main mission in the ¡®shining era¡¯ is to start a new era. who was so generous as one to pull the entire world? the god of creation?¡± ¡°f*ck, the blessed one wants to be enemies with the gods? was this a f*cking reward or punishment? my scalp is numb.¡± ¡°all players automatically join the creator of the new era? isn¡¯t this making us, the players of the sect camp, automatically betray the sect?¡± several turbulent reshuffles and changes in expansion packs happened, and the players dropped from the initial 20 billion to less than 5 billion. those who could survive were all elites under the waves. no one dared to ignore the players with such a turbulent background. however, many people also realized the complicated relationship between them. this expansion pack was arduous to complete. this time, the players were separated. as expected, a storm surged when this news spread through the players¡¯ mouths who had sided with the natives. those in power discovered the war of gods 500,000 years ago had stopped the arrival of the new era, and their attitudes became even more complicated. since there was a precedent, didn¡¯t that mean? he would fail this time. moreover, the grace mainland lords shouldered this heavy responsibility, which made them even more worried. ¡°so this was why the grace mainland lords came to the mortal plane. however, the system destined them to be enemies with the gods, so why are they called grace mainland lords?¡± many people in power sensed the subtlety of this change, but the complicated relationship behind it was impossible to explore. the system closed all live broadcasts on the live stream section. that is after the heated discussion. then, 100,000 new live stream rooms appeared. there were two images in each live stream room. one centered around the people blessed by the world¡¯s will, and the other was the players¡¯ territory. many players were dumbfounded when they saw themselves live streaming. then, they started to get excited. were they chosen? was he about to obtain authority? however, the system suppressed this excitement before it could rise. these players had become the enemies of the gods. no, not only the gods, but any human being was their enemy. that was because killing them would give them the authority to drop. as the news spread like wildfire, billions of players began to check the live stream to see which lucky or unlucky person would be. soon, they discovered that the favored players were all big shots. they were either the guild leaders of large guilds or top-tier players with high reputations on the forums. this discovery made the players heave a sigh of relief. after all, if it was these big shots, there was still hope. however, that dissatisfied the players. they began to search through the 100,000 live-streaming rooms. soon, they found the live broadcast room that they wanted to see. the system names the live stream based on the player¡¯s id on the forum. one labeled this live stream with an ordinary id. qingqiu. there was no need for any description or explanation. the two words qingqiu were enough to prove everything. he was powerful and was representative of the players! just the name of the other party was enough to make them feel safe during the chaos. what was qingqiu doing at this moment? was he ecstatic? or was he afraid of the hunting of the gods? they would click out of curiosity. the players must see this live broadcast room. however, the scene inside stunned everyone when they entered the live broadcast room. he could choose two scenes in the live broadcast room. one was a yellow sand-covered figure. it sat quietly in a room and talked to a few people. however, something must have blocked these people¡¯s voices, so he could not know what they talked about. moreover, one could not do lip-reading under the interference of some power. this scene was typical. most of the favored ones in the other live streams were the same. the other scene was the complete opposite of the calm one here. endless devils were from the ninth hell! its aura was ferocious, its eyes were scarlet, its face was green, and it had fangs. it had a long tail on its back and two horns on its head. the number of these evil symbols in the mortal plane was so great that one couldn¡¯t describe them with words. the audience in the live broadcast room would feel as if they were there. they looked down from the sky, and just a peek at this scene would make their body tremble. the surging black tide was even more terrifying than a tsunami. there were so many demons, but they were all doing the same thing. siege! the residents built a city on corpses and blood! they had to attack that city. corpses had long covered the yellow sand around twilight city! most people could not even tell that this was originally a desert from the battlefield! only when one looked to the end could one barely see the exposed sand under the demons¡¯ feet. the terrifying attacks of the demon troop suffocated all the players who entered the live stream. many people widened their eyes and even forgot to breathe. Chapter 1133 Were all the devils of the Ninth Hell gathered here? The demon troop had been attacking for four to five days. How could Qingqiu withstand such terrifying attacks? Soon, some sharp-eyed players saw two Devil Overlords commanded the dunes behind them. Someone immediately recognized them. Bardi ruled the first level of the Ninth Hell, and Duke Disbat, the Demon King, the second level. The system exposed their identities, and the bullet comments in the live stream room immediately became dense. ¡°F*ck, what¡¯s going on? Did the two Devil Overlords work together to command the devil troops to attack? What did Qingqiu do? Did he give hell a bucket?¡± It was unbelievable and unacceptable. Countless emotions surged in the hearts of the audience. The gods would hate you and attack you if you said that after the opening of the new chapter because of the matter of authority. They wouldn¡¯t understand. However, it was obvious that the demon troop had been attacking for quite some time now. The abominations¡¯ corpses in front of the city wall had already covered the ground. What the hell was going on? They regained their senses. Several players in the live stream channel looked at the demon troop that the system blocked outside the city wall and could not take even half a step forward. They were a little indignant. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We know that Qingqiu is strong. We know that you are strong, but you are strong as a person. The territory can¡¯t be so invincible, right?¡± But now, what did they see? The countless devils couldn¡¯t move the enemy¡¯s territory under the command of the two Devil Overlords! That was simply ridiculous. That was a f*cking demon! The mightiest fighting force of the three great evil land legions. How could something block it easily? The players who originally wanted to see Qingqiu become a joke were now powerless to complain. This pervert had been able to kill gods for a long time. Now that he had taken control of the Ell Plane, it was even more arduous to fathom. Other players fear the gods, but would this pervert be afraid? That was a pure freak who had killed a god a long time ago! Why would they think of laughing at this guy? They were the ones who were laughing. The scene where Twilight City blocked the demon troop was enough to silence all the players. In comparison, the other players were simply too weak. The world will chose them! No one knew the reason for this war. But one thing was a fact: Richard had the strength and confidence to resist the Ninth Hell troop. The guilds and native forces that supported Richard¡¯s troop also had strange expressions on their faces when they learned of what had happened to Twilight City. Twilight City mobilized their reinforcements. One only informed them that they were under attack and needed help. Who would have thought that the enemy was the Infernal Realm?! Moreover, it was a troop led by two Devil Overlords. Given the harsh system of hell, Asmodeus must have approved the actions of these two Devil Overlords. He was the Lord of the Ninth Hell. Qingqiu currently defended against the entire Ninth Hell. Richard pondered. He could not help but feel his scalp go numb. Asmodeus led that hell! It was a forbidden land that no gods dared to enter during the previous battles between gods! He couldn¡¯t help but think more highly of Richard. This top-notch figure whose name resounded throughout the Mortal Plane was indeed extraordinary. Twilight City received news that many forces were willing to provide troops to assist the area not long after. Only a few people were idiots. The system chose players to start a New Era. Why couldn¡¯t they increase their stakes and bet on the most promising ones? Of course, as a precaution, most of those forces secretly assisted or even bet on both sides! They only wanted to survive and not be destroyed in the chaos. The players of the New Era Faction were even more supportive of Richard. The Ell Players Association immediately expressed their full support for Richard. As a result, the forces available to Twilight City increased once again. The world power blessed the 100,000 players half an hour later. They started live stream. Richard finally heard a system notification. [Ding~ The world will has blessed you. You automatically obtain the authority of the corresponding faction. You will receive 10% per day for ten days. Or until you reach the upper limit, or until you can control the authority.] [The person who killed you will inherit your authority. The automatic inheritance characteristic will be futile.] [Many people can obtain the same authority at the same time.] [Note: The gods will list all the players on the death list when the New Era begins. The gods will not allow those who try to subvert them to survive. Please work hard to maintain and start a New Era. Leave the decay in the past!] [Ding~ You have received the blessing of the rotten authority. The system detected your control of the 30% of the desert authority and has more than a million devout believers. Your desert authority has increased to 60%, and the system will reserve the desert authority for you.] [You control more than 60% of the desert authority. Activated the authority characteristic.] [The Desert Lord will be one in a million. You were the ruler of the desert. You were the eternal ruler. As long as you were in the desert and the authority enveloped you, one can quickly revive you after death.] Chapter 1134 [Special] [You control everything in the desert and can mobilize all the power of the desert.] [Ding~ Your Talent: The system upgraded the Control of the Desert to legendary. You had enormously improved all skills and attributes.] The system notification rang out, and Richard felt a tremendous power burst out from his soul before he could check it the second time. It fused with every inch of his flesh. That sublimated his soul. He returned to his senses. More than half an hour has passed. He turned around and immediately felt that everything in front of him had changed. It was as if the world had opened its long dress in front of him, and that revealed the mystery before his eyes. He could sense the flow of magic power like water, the ingenious operation of the world¡¯s laws, and the passage of time in the surrounding space. And this was only the appetizer! He sighed a few deep breaths and slowly turned his head toward the desert of death. His eyes flickered with an uncertain light. He could feel that the desert called out and told him! A submission was to welcome his master! A god hid endless power there. One could control that power as long as one stepped into the desert! This authority. Is it a true power? Richard narrowed his eyes and remained motionless for a long time. The followers of the Desert Sect in Solan City felt a wave of energy as hot as the sun in their minds. The god they believed in had just completed some kind of transformation. It became more vigorous, hotter, and more powerful. The exuberant vitality shone on them at all times. So eye-catching, so dazzling! It was at this moment that the shallow believers almost couldn¡¯t control themselves. A moment later, the number of devout believers of the Desert Sect nearly doubled. Richard¡¯s control over it reached a new level when his desert authority reached 60%. He did not let the news of this advancement spread. Richard was a bit happy when he received the gift from the world will. It was only now that the storm that affected the fate of countless people had officially begun. The system notification also determined the cruelty of this war. All the players couldn¡¯t start a New Era. The gods will wipe them! There was no way out of this expansion pack. It was the start of a New Era. Everyone would die if the gods won! One exposed this news, and soon, players will know about it. The already restless players immediately went crazy. The situation forced them to a dead end! The system exposed the 100,000 favored to everyone because of the existence of the live stream under the attention of countless people. That surprised the players with complicated feelings not long after. They found the auras of these favors had changed. Many people even used this opportunity to break through to transcendence. The authority was under their control! The crucial battle of this expansion pack was about to begin! That ignited the restlessness of the Mortal Plane after they realized this. Countless native forces began to take action. They only had one goal: Find the players who had obtained the authority! The players only had one goal. Help the blessed survive in ten days! Everyone tied their interests. It was the second day after the new chapter. That released the darkness before dawn. The situation had changed drastically. Wars broke out in every corner of the Mortal Plane in just one day! The natives fought for the players¡¯ authority. And others targeted those who obtained it. The continuous nesting of dolls caused a chain reaction. Under the butterfly effect, the situation gradually developed in an uncontrollable direction. The players blessed with authority were already the top existences. But compared to the Natives who had existed for countless years, they were far from enough. Soon, one attacked the first player he discovered like never before. The greed-filled natives led their troops to the border. Others would kill or capture many guild leaders and top-notch players above transcendent. They broke through territories! More than one-third of the players died in just one day. A large area of the 100,000 live stream room went dark. The players could feel the pressure of being blessed by the World Will. Their greatest enemies were not the gods but the greedy natives. Millions of times more people dreamed of becoming gods than gods! The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Many people began to come up with ideas. Some people offered their strength to help those forces defend. On January 7th, many players¡¯ control over authority reached 20%, and their strength increased enormously. However, the number of live streaming rooms decreased to just over 10,000. The death rate of the favored had reached a terrifying 90% in just two days. The audience couldn¡¯t help but feel their hair stand on end. Especially when they saw attacks of the natives defeat the leaders of many large guilds and extraordinary figures. The anxiety and fear became even mightier. Their fate was also on the gambling table this time! No one wanted to see the gods win this war. One would die. January 8th was the third day of the expansion pack. The number of players who died was the lowest, only 3,000. This trend continued 9th and 10th, but even so, the system reduced the remaining 7,000 people to just over 1,000. At this moment, there were only six days left before the 10-day deadline. The death rate favored was as high as 99%. The players on the forum felt one splashed cold water on them. Unspeakable pessimism filled all the posts. The most widely circulated theory was? The so-called chosen ones could be cannon fodders. They just stepped stones for the gods! How could the players stop the natives desperate for authority? Not to mention, there were gods eyeing them from behind! What rights did they have? However, in this endless pessimistic mood, only one shining star prevented billions of players from completely falling into despair. Qingqiu. This flag did not fall! Four days had passed, and the Infernal Realm¡¯s troop had yet to break into Qingqiu¡¯s territory under the watchful eyes of billions of people. Qingqiu lost more than a hundred legions each day while he fought against the demons. That is according to the statistics of some guilds! That was undoubtedly an exaggerated loss. However, the city above the corpses and blood still stood tall! The city became the most dazzling flag in the hearts of the players. This time, the players hoped they could win like never before! Chapter 1135 Richard watched as the number of the stream of the favored dropped from 100,000 to less than 1,000. He slowly closed the forum. He stood up and walked to the window with a puzzled expression. Pegasus knights shrouded the sky. He looked up and did not move for a long time. The cruelty of this war did not exceed his expectations. It was cruel to the eyes of the players. The World Power¡¯s favor did not mean having a future. Instead, it was the beginning of despair. That was authority! As long as he could obtain it, he could control the power of the gods. Who could resist such temptation? The players carried the future, but who knew what the New Era would be like? The power one could control now was more tempting compared to the future! They would not be lenient when they tried to snatch the authority even if the natives knew there would be unlimited future and light after the New Era began. No one could resist the temptation of authority, no one! Three to four billion viewers watched Richard¡¯s stream as his only hope. The audience did not know what Richard thought and could only follow his point of view and stare at the sky through the window. That never unified everyone¡¯s fate. News began to circulate. The players constantly reported Richard¡¯s location and his experiences. The demon troop attacked Twilight City. And Solan City didn¡¯t do any better. The undead¡¯s sea of skeletons almost caused this giant city famous in the desert of death to collapse. The city would have become the territory of the undead if it weren¡¯t for the Light Goddess and the Sun God that priests sent out to help. The viewers in the live stream watched as Richard did not move for a long time, and their emotions were inexplicably complicated. They entrusted their fates one day to each other. No one had expected that. The gods would punish the Grace Mainland Overlord if the New Era failed. They could not bear the consequences of failure. The bullet comments started to become dense. ¡°The entire northwestern region of Jin is in chaos. Why is Qingqiu still here?¡± ¡°The demons incessantly attacked his territory. Why is he so relaxed? I can¡¯t figure it out at all.¡± Most of the audience couldn¡¯t understand Richard¡¯s calm expression. The demon troop continued to attack Twilight City at a high intensity and could fall anytime. Why was he still so relaxed and not anxious at all? It was as if the storm that plunged the entire world into chaos could not affect the figure shrouded in yellow sand. Time continued to pass. On January 11th, more than half of the 10-day deadline had passed. The number of surviving Favored dropped to just over 100 on that day. The pessimistic mood of the players spread even further. They noticed the system notification on the notification board. Even the most ambitious person could not ignore the suffocating pressure. No one wanted to die. That was especially so when the other favored faced the natives¡¯ troops. They could not resist even if they tried their best. That made the panic in their hearts soar. Many people had placed all their hopes on Richard. There were still over a hundred people, but most of the favored weren¡¯t powerful territories. They were in remote areas one hadn¡¯t discovered yet. But who could be sure one would never discover these people? On the same day, many posts warned Richard and appeared on the forum under intense pressure. ¡°Boss Qingqiu, you must see it. I just received news that the Murloc God has infiltrated Solan City!¡± ¡°Urgent report! The seven surviving gods of the Marsh God System had already set off for the desert of death. Their target was Boss Qingqiu!¡± ¡°Who can contact Boss Qingqiu? Tell him that the Assassin God is issuing a hunting order to his believers! Boss Qingqiu¡¯s name is at the top of the list!¡± These warning posts made the atmosphere on the forum even more solemn. Everyone could feel that a storm was approaching. No one could stay out of this crisis alone. What made the players even more anxious was that the players in Solan City had spread the news. That made the players more anxious. Richard had been alone in the desert church and did not interact with any other players. One could not transmit warning messages to the other party using ordinary means. The guards mercilessly rejected several people who wanted to pass on the message of their request for an audience through them. That caused the already tense atmosphere to become suffocating. Everyone watched helplessly as the situation gradually slid into the abyss. They were anxious. They wanted to flip Richard¡¯s head open to see his thoughts. Fortunately, on the afternoon of the 11th, a piece of news made the players feel as if they had found a life-saving straw and became excited. The Ell Players Association called for players to go to the Ell Plane to support Twilight City and fight against the demons together. That wasn¡¯t the point. The point was that Richard had summoned them! Everyone panicked at this order. The players calmed down afterward. That meant the situation was not out of control. Qingqiu knew what was happening outside! At that moment, several players teleported to the undestroyed circle. They sent their heroes and troops to support them. Chapter 1136 One wouldn¡¯t want to sit at home and wait for others to announce his fate if he failed the battlefield. It was ten thousand times better to die in battle than without doing anything and die! The hell troop had almost exhausted the power of Twilight City after more than ten days. Magic had destroyed the western and northern city walls. These two walls had already turned from an offensive and defensive battle into a bloody melee. The demigod-level demon lord Bardi commanded the troop and had already seen the light of victory. However, the city was about to collapse, and the situation changed again! Countless new forces surged out of the spatial gate in the center of Twilight City. Their ferocious posture and exaggerated numbers had stabilized the defensive line that was about to collapse, although the level and potential of these troops were average. That obstructed the demon troop¡¯s offensive once again. Bardi saw this scene, and the hellish flames around his body almost exploded a hundred meters into the air. His expression became extremely ugly. He had countlessly imagined the attack and destruction of the city. However, the faint presence of the abomination crushed his courage. He could only stand far away from the city in silence. Four days before the deadline remained on the 12th. Emotions filled the audience in the live stream room. Because today, only 35 of the 100,000 favored ones remained. That¡¯s right, 35! There were still four days left before the deadline! Usually, four days would pass in the blink of an eye, but in this context, every second felt like a century. Four days was too long. That was especially true for the players killed by the natives or gods. They were the guild leaders of large guilds and top-tier players. That made the players feel even more powerless. The most elite of their forces seemed so insignificant in the face of the natives. One couldn¡¯t rely on these 35 people to survive these few days. The players who had placed their hopes on Richard grew fearful as increasing warning messages were sent that a god had entered Solan City. Qingqiu could still deal with one or two gods. But this number had increased to two digits? Or perhaps even more? At that time, how could he block it? The rule of the gods would continue as usual at the death of Richard. The gods, those who had gained the authority of the favored, the high nobles who had previously possessed great power, the forces that relied on the sects to survive, and even some unwilling to change the status quo would all participate. Not everyone hoped for the arrival of a New Era. New things meant uncertainty and change. The ruling class was the class that feared change the most. The players were worried, and the gods who had infiltrated Solan City felt the same way. They tasted supreme authority. No one was willing to lose their power and become a pitiful, easily manipulated creature. All the gods secretly observed the actions of the blessed. The players could watch the live stream, but the gods could not. There would always be spies who betrayed their camp. Some players, regardless of willingness, became the eyes of the gods. They became vital forces. They watched every move of the blessed for them. Otherwise, one couldn¡¯t wipe the 100,000 players out so quickly until only a few dozen were left. The scourge of traitors was endless. However, a phenomenon isolated the desert church. The gods could not see the specific situation inside. They could only roughly sense Richard¡¯s aura. As the 10-day deadline approached, the undercurrents around the desert church began to surge. The believers who came to worship and pray could feel something was wrong with the atmosphere. But they couldn¡¯t explore further. They could only pray to their faith more devoutly. Three days remained on January 12th, and only nine live streaming rooms remained. The players were initially excited, then worried, then desperate. Situations suffocated them eventually. The psychological pressure got increasingly mightier. The pressure from the finish line was indescribable for each second that passed. It felt like one was watching the countdown of his life. The only thing that they had not given up on was Twilight City! The demons¡¯ attacks were still violent and crazy. Twilight City was like a nail nailed to the ground. They couldn¡¯t move, no matter how they attacked. However, the attacks shattered the four walls of Twilight City. The city had already entered the stage of naked combat. Changes could happen at any moment. Those favored would automatically lose their qualifications once the territory fell. Nothing could happen to the blessed and the territory. The system¡¯s rigid rules prevented players from exploiting loopholes and could only face them head-on. In the live stream, many viewers were on the verge of breaking down as they watched Richard remain motionless in the desert church. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Qingqiu Big Shot? Dozens of gods had entered Solan City! Something big is going to happen!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand Qingqiu¡¯s thoughts at all. He knows nothing about the outside world, and he knows how to issue a summoning order. He knows that the situation is critical, but he doesn¡¯t have any reaction to the arrival of the gods! What is he trying to do?¡± ¡°There are still three days left. Big Boss Qingqiu, please go out and hide. Run to the Ell Plane. Anywhere is fine! Stay with a group of gods. Just the idea makes my scalp go numb!¡± The players¡¯ reaction surmounted on the afternoon of the 12th when the five undead lords entered Solan City together. The undead general didn¡¯t sneak in. Instead, he rode on the bone dragon and flew into Solan City from the sky. He landed on the square in front of the desert church. The appearance of Scrupleless with the undead troop that still attacked outside the city shrouded everyone¡¯s hearts in layers of gloom. That was bad! The news spread to the forum. The parties confirmed it caused a vast uproar. Bullet comments flooded Richard¡¯s stream. ¡°Who the f*ck can contact Boss Qingqiu, tell him to run! My legs are so weak now! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°What should we do? Boss Qingqiu¡¯s territory could withstand the demons¡¯ attack, but what if he died outside? Don¡¯t!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of a way to break this situation! I know that the gods who have entered Solan City are the Swamp God System, the Ocean God System, the Elf God System, and the Dwarf God System. There are a total of 23 gods. ¡°There¡¯s the Sun God, the Light Goddess, the Evil God of the Abyss, and the Devil Lord of Hell. Now, five more undead lords had arrived. Who could stop this situation? Unless the Creation God comes!¡± Analysis of the bullet screen and the audience¡¯s mood became increasingly pessimistic. Qingqiu was mighty, but that depended on his enemies! He was invincible compared to others. The opponent was a god, but they had enough confidence in him! All the ¡°Shining Era¡± gods were here! This f*cking gate! Forget about surviving these three days.It would be a miracle even if they could for three hours if these gods were to make a move. Even the most optimistic players fell silent in the face of such a situation. They looked at the figure in the live stream. The figure still looked up at the sky, shrouded in yellow sand, and did not know what to say. No one, not even any god, could solve this situation. It seemed odd for the other party to lose, but it was nonsense to win. Was this the end? Countless emotions of silence, lamentation, wailing, and despair flowed in the hearts of the players. But they lacked hope. Richard was unaware of the players¡¯ fluctuating emotions at the moment. The undead general rode the bone dragon and landed outside the desert church without hiding anything. He slowly turned around and stared at the five others while they emitted a deathly aura through the wall. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly under the puzzled gazes of the audience in the live broadcast room. His dark and deep eyes revealed an incomprehensible expression. It was like? The hunter in the dark saw his prey he was still looking forward to. He waited for so long, finally! It was enough. Chapter 1137 This war divided the line between the New Era and the Old Era. It was a battle between the challengers and the groups with established interests. It was a battle of life and death. Whoever won would win the future. Meanwhile, the players silently stood on the opposite side of the entire world. This time, they had no way out. They could still live if the natives lost. They could still have a future even after the New Era arrived. Most players would lose land, power, wealth, and even life if they lost. The Devil Lord Bardi burned with hellish flames and emitted an evil aura. He stared at the battlefield in front of him with bloodshot eyes. The prolonged battle had already caused him to fall into madness, and he could erupt at any time. He would have already killed his way in if it weren¡¯t for the abomination¡¯s aura that lingered above the city. He finally saw hope after ten days of intense battle or more. That was the hope of revenge. The intense battle has mostly destroyed the city wall of the city. The demon troop had entered and started to fight the Grace of the Mainland Overlord¡¯stroop. He could already feel the other party¡¯s resistance. Its defense gradually crumbled. He forced troops to retreat under the enemies¡¯ savage slaughter. One could trace the existence of the Ninth Hell back to the beginning of the world. The power accumulated over countless years was so deep that it was difficult to describe. One must have flattened this city long ago if it weren¡¯t for the restricting world rules. It wouldn¡¯t be in such a stalemate. Bardi got excited, and a demon herald quickly walked over from behind him. ¡°Lord, the corpses buried under the sand have disappeared¡­¡± Bardi heard this and turned his head abruptly. His fiery eyes burned with a deep red flame. ¡°Disappeared? Where did they go?¡± It had been ten days of war, and the rate of casualties was uncountable. But the spell casters buried those corpses in the city under the control of the sand. He had noticed it a few times before but missed the significance. He ignored the unusual. He realized the other party had deceived him. Bardi frowned at the dilapidated city walls. ¡°Send a troop to destroy or move them away. Don¡¯t give those humans a chance.¡± ¡°Pass on my order. Intensify the attacks. I want the fastest speed to flatten this damn city!!¡± ¡°We will obey your orders, Lord!¡± The closer the war reared, the more intense the atmosphere became. In the live stream, the surviving players also got crazy as they watched the endless attacks of the demon troop. ¡°F*ck, and the brothers in the troop, stop hiding. Motherf*cker, if we don¡¯t defend this time, we¡¯re all done! Send them all up!¡± ¡°Brothers, don¡¯t believe the promises of the gods! Once the other party wins, the first thing they will do is to understand the potential danger. As the rebel troops that overthrew their rule, they will not tolerate us! Killing people in this world is not something that violates morality and law. The believers can tear us apart if the gods send an imperial decree. Those players from the gods¡¯ camp must not think they can escape it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be arriving at Twilight City soon. Who¡¯s coming with me? F*ck, I¡¯m a Chinese man. I¡¯ll die on the battlefield. Someone couldn¡¯t kill me!¡± Most players supported Twilight City. Although the quality of the army was far inferior to that of the demons, They couldn¡¯t ignore the sheer number of troops. The demon and elite troops the Ell Alliance and Holy Chruch Empire had provided couldn¡¯t advance. A broad audience closely watched the battlefield in Twilight City, and so did Richard. He had been quiet all this while. However, the other side still looked peaceful, and the bloody battlefield didn¡¯t. That made the players feel helpless and anxious. As the demon army¡¯s offensive intensified, the barrage of bullets suddenly became more concentrated. Richard was on the screen and had been motionless all this time. He slowly got up and walked out of the room. This scene stunned the players at first but soon pleasantly surprised them. Many even felt like they were about to cry. ¡°F*ck, you¡¯re finally willing to move after the fight outside has caused your dog¡¯s brain to pop out!¡± ¡°Wuwuwu, I didn¡¯t expect to see Qingqiu leave before I die, damn otaku!!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go out earlier, Boss? The whole world¡¯s hope is on you. It¡¯s up to you to take charge of the situation now!!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late now¡­ The gods have all entered Solan City!¡± A bullet screen that floated past made the excited players feel as if a bucket of cold water had poured on them, and their excitement immediately dropped to freezing point. It was true that Qingqiu had come out, but what was the situation outside now? The gods had already gathered in Solan City. And they only had one goal. Qingqiu! The gods¡¯ rule could continue as long as one could sever the last hope. Now, the gods were all around, and as far as the eye could see, they all looked at him with vicious gazes. And they had no way to help. It meant failure whether Qingqiu died or conquered the territory. His life depended on the other party. Chapter 1138 The dim scene brightened as Richard left the lounge at the back of the church. A discovery shocked the viewers in the live stream room. The figure in the picture had a faint smile on his face. That made them feel a strong sense of strangeness. ¡°Boss Qingqiu is still smiling? Am I blind? Aren¡¯t the things before me real? How can he still laugh?¡± ¡°No way, the gods are lying in ambush outside the church. How can you be so happy?!¡± Richard¡¯s actions quickly attracted the players as they watched the battle in Twilight City. The number of viewers in the live stream exceeded three billion. Richard entered the church through the passage under the watchful eyes of countless people. The believers of the Desert Sect suddenly sensed something. They turned their heads in unison and looked at the voice shrouded in yellow sand with extremely fanatical eyes. ¡°My God!¡± Passion impregnated their cries. All the believers stood up from their seats and knelt on the ground most humbly. They prayed faithfully. Richard glanced around and did not say much. He walked straight to the church door through the passage in the center. The believers felt as if the sun illuminated them wherever he passed. Power filled them. Countless believers in the empty, tall, and yellow sand-condensed church bowed humbly, and a stalwart young man covered in yellow sand strode forward. The eyes of the billions of players reflected this scene. That gave them an inexplicable sense of shock. Richard would face the gods in power for countless years. They eyed him like a tiger! He couldn¡¯t relax. This trip was a narrow escape. The other party still carried everyone¡¯s hope. That even suffocated watchers. No one could live if the other party died! The audience in the live stream room had a complicated look in their eyes. In the past, Richard¡¯s reputation and illustrious achievements had made them envious. Now, they wished those achievements would be ten times more glorious! ¡°Did we have no hope from the beginning?¡± ¡°Although Qingqiu is strong, can it bear this heavy responsibility? His opponents were gods, and there were probably a hundred or more gods in the Solan City! How the f*ck do we play this?¡± Richard gradually approached the church door. The mood in the live stream room declined. Most were pessimistic. Richard walked to the church¡¯s front door. He was about to exit when he stopped and turned his head slightly. Richard glanced at the worshippers as they knelt on the ground and prayed. Then he slowly raised his head and looked up into the sky. He said calmly. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but I hope¡­ It¡¯s not extinct. ¡°Everyone who hasn¡¯t given up, I¡¯ll give you the final mission¡­ Help me protect Twilight City, and don¡¯t let the territory fall. ¡°I will deal with the gods in Solan City. ¡°I will open the door to a new era. ¡°This time, no one can stop us! ¡°Players, you are the fourth calamity. Don¡¯t admit defeat and make me look down on you. ¡°Help me keep Twilight City, okay?¡± He spoke and did not stay for another second. He turned around and walked out. The audience in the live stream room felt a soaring aura. It was as if the abyssal beasts that had been sleeping for a long time had opened their eyes and were about to devour someone. Horror instantly spread. However, the figure that stood upright didn¡¯t appear ordinary. Unshakable determination filled its deep eyes. It was like an ancient stone tablet that reached the heavens and stood proudly. He alone faced the gods. Billions of players had complicated feelings. Richard¡¯s words made their emotions surge. He wasn¡¯t even afraid of the gods, so how could they surrender here? They were the fourth calamity. The demon troop that attacked Twilight City compressed to the core area but retreated after a while. Countless troops once again poured out of the spatial gate. And this time, several players could be seen mixed in. Asmodeus watched the figure shrouded in yellow sand walk out of the church. His turbid eyes flashed slightly. He was about to speak, and a Devil Lord behind him revealed a look of shock. ¡°Lord, something is odd with the aura of Grace Mainland Overlord. He, he seems to have complete control over the desert!¡± The other lords raised their heads to sense the surroundings. Their expressions turned slightly strange after a moment. Jealousy filled their eyes. ¡°These Grace Mainland Lords deserve to die!¡± A power had stripped their authority away, yet the other party could still obtain the favor of the World¡¯s Power. That is unbearable. ¡°My Lord¡­ Take away his life. The world should never favor humans!¡± Asmodeus turned to look in another direction and nodded slowly. ¡°Undead, demons, kind and orderly gods, and neutral god organizations have all arrived. It¡¯s time! It¡¯s time to end all of this!!¡± He spoke, and endless dark power suddenly erupted from his body. In an instant, the world seemed to have fallen silent. Only that extremely evil aura surged. A giant hand must have twisted the black clouds in the sky as they spun wildly. The pegasus knight flew in the sky. The aura froze his soul and took his life away. It fell from the sky like a meteorite. Chapter 1139 The glass window in front of them cracked and shattered. The roof of the entire house exploded and turned into powder. That exposed Asmodeus and the six lords into the air. They revealed themselves to the world without any scruples. All the gods in Solan City sensed this scene, and their auras exploded uncontrollably. Fear shrouded their eyes as they looked toward Asmodeus. Even the existences at the level of gods fell into a strange silence at this moment. Fear resided in his eyes. It was just fear. He was the ruler of the Ninth Hell. He was also an eternal god who had survived since the beginning of creation. He was the mightiest god below the Creation God. No god could compare to him. Asmodeus was the symbol of prestige itself. He regarded the Grace Mainland Overlord under such pressure as prey. He didn¡¯t think he could resist. Richard slowly rose into the air under Asmodeus ¡®gaze. Then, the yellow sand on the other party¡¯s body dissipated. It revealed an extraordinary and heroic aura. However, the enemies did not see the fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions that they had expected from the other party¡¯s face. Instead, there was a hint of playfulness! The other party seemed to be looking at his prey. That¡¯s right! When facing the mightiest Evil God in the entire world, the representative of Evil Order was Asmodeus, the Ninth Hell Lord. The other party was excited. It was like it had found its prey. The gods of Solan City felt a sense of absurdity. ¡°This Grace Mainland Overlord. Has one fried his brain? ¡°What right did he have?¡± Confusion filled their hearts. The figure shrouded in yellow sand suddenly waved its hand. That was about to open the sky. An indescribable emotion rose among the gods¡¯ hearts afterward. A hair-raising and deadly aura floated their souls. It was as if they could see the Grim Reaper. ¡°What was this?¡± The Grace Mainland Overlord controlled the desert and released endless yellow light before they could react. The light shot straight into the sky. A majestic power surged out of Solan City. Everyone could sense it. It was the power of the desert of death. The desert responded to its lord. ¡®Rumble!¡¯ The earth shook, and the city walls collapsed. Endless yellow sand suddenly appeared from the ground before the gods. It was a hundred-meter-high. Thunderous rumbles echoed, mountains toppled, and thunderstruck! The yellow sand covered the city walls and enveloped the entire Solan City. That had turned this city into a cage! This scene was like the divine punishment in myths and legends! The valiant-looking, sand-covered young man waved his arm fiercely as the yellow sand solidified. ¡®Crack! ¡® The sky cracked like glass. Then, a strange plane aura spread out. The entire space exploded, and an unfamiliar plane appeared. The plane breathed and connected to the yellow sand barrier below. That enveloped the entire Solan City. The gods saw a towering tree that reached into the clouds in that plane in a daze. The gods who had sneaked into Solan City came back to their senses. They turned and looked around. The absurdity in their hearts grew stronger. ¡°The Grace Mainland Overlord! Did he seal the entire city? From the looks of it, the other party seemed to want to kill all of them. And this area would be a cage that would imprison them and prevent them from escaping! Confusion made the emotions in the hearts of the gods extremely chaotic. They looked at the Grace Mainland Overlord as he surged with energy. He almost laughed. They were curious. Who gave the confidence and courage? A puny Grace Mainland Overlord. Did he think he was invincible just because he had killed a god? Not to mention killing all the gods, even Asmodeus was enough to tear them into pieces! At this moment, the gods were confused, and the players were also dumbfounded. ¡°Who can tell me what happened? How had Boss Qingqiu conquered Solan City?¡± ¡°It seems like the Boss Qingqiu is planning to wipe out all the gods to prevent them from escaping?¡± ¡°Is there a possibility that Boss Qingqiu wanted to lock up the gods and escape by himself, but I didn¡¯t expect that he would make a mistake and lock himself up as well?¡± The billions of players felt dizzy when they saw they had cut off their escape route and that the gods in Solan City no longer concealed their auras. They wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°What the f*ck?!! Did Qingqiu shoot his brain out? Why did he do such a thing? ¡°Why?!¡± ****** Chapter 1140 One would have to fight against the power of the entire desert of death to break through. He would have to wrestle with the Eternal Land, the genuine cage. No one could have imagined Richard¡¯s boldness. His actions meant that not only were the gods unable to leave, but he was also locked inside. He couldn¡¯t escape the situation, even if he volunteered to lose. Did Richard know the consequences of his actions? That puzzled everyone! Or did he have the confidence to kill all the gods sealed in Solan City? But how was this possible? How could he kill the hundreds of gods, including innumerable gods? No matter how they thought about it. They wished they were just dreaming. No one knew the plans and thoughts of the floating and yellow sand-covered figure. He sealed the city, and another piece of news suddenly came. The audience in the live stream room received an even more intensive blow. The few remaining live stream rooms disappeared. That meant that all the players who had received the World Power¡¯s blessing, except for Richard, had been killed. That was a total of 100,000 people! Richard alone remained seven days later. The terrifying death rate made reality extremely cruel. The players were already mentally prepared but still felt extreme sadness when they saw a lone spot left in the middle of the live stream room. The players who thought they could get away with it had completely extinguished their unrealistic thoughts. The bloody truth told everyone that strength was the only thing in this world. One could trample those who survived by luck. Survivors still had to prepare. At this point, all hope rested on Richard alone. There was still a seed that would prevent the players from falling into complete despair. Moreover, this seed was so efficient that it had already resisted the attack of the hell demons before the release of the expansion pack of the Darkness Before Dawn chapter. He didn¡¯t say anything. But he gave off a strong sense of trust. Richard did not display even the slightest fear before the existence of Asmodeus, even if the spy gods had spotted him. ¡°Boss Qingqiu! Hang in there!¡± Richard had no time to care about the players¡¯ emotions. He felt more powerful than ever. The power of the desert of death obeyed his command, and the power of the Eternal Land had already blessed him. A tsunami-like power surged in his blood vessels and muscles. At this moment, he could shatter cities, split mountains, and break the sea with one hand! He slowly exhaled to calm his mind. He turned to look at the few figures on the broken roof in front of the desert church. His eyes revealed an inexplicable playfulness. ¡°Asmodeus, the ruler of the Ninth Hell¡­ It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Asmodeus looked at Richard. He did not show any fear, and his eyes grew murky. The hellish and blasphemous language emitted an extremely evil aura and resounded in the sky. ¡°Grace Mainland Overlord, how brave of you¡­ Unfortunately, the scales of victory will not tilt in your favor.¡± Asmodeus expected Richard to flee when he came out of the desert church. He did not expect the Grace Mainland Overlord to withstand and even used his authority to seal the city as if he intended to fight to the end! That made him feel a strange emotion that was similar to other gods. This fellow did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Asmodeus spoke and didn¡¯t rush to make a move. Instead, he turned to look at the few undead lords who had just arrived before the Desert Sect, his eyes slightly cold. ¡°Thank you for attracting these idiots here¡­¡± ¡°Five hundred thousand years ago, these bugs ran away before I carried out a plan. After losing their authority, is there anyone who can save you?¡± Asmodeus spoke, and the undead lords sensed the fatal danger. The soul fire burned uncontrollably, and the ordinary believers around them could sense the fear emanating from their bodies. The undead were afraid? Richard frowned. What had Asmodeus done? ¡®Five hundred thousand years ago? Did he also want to kill the gods?¡¯ The words of the ancient devils revealed even more secrets. It wasn¡¯t just the undead lords. The gods hid in different corners of Solan City. They felt a chill sweep over them. Some bad memories surged into his mind, and he was frightened. ¡®This damned devil, he wants to repeat what happened 500,000 years ago?!¡¯ Someone else must have said this, and the gods would only mock him, like the Grace Mainland Overlord. But who was the one who spoke? Asmodeus! The ruler of the Ninth Hell! The gods acknowledged him as the mightiest expert! There was no other! Moreover, 500,000 years ago, the other party had done something similar and caused the death of more than 20 gods. Fortunately, everyone had a godhood back then and held power. That was why the other party¡¯s plans failed. That traumatized the gods who had experienced that battle. The gods came back to their senses. They lost their authority. Their expressions gradually became terrified. The overlord sealed the city. Asmodeus could start a massacre if he wanted to. That would be the best opportunity. They had nowhere to run! Chapter 1141 ¡°Darkness Goddess, is Asmodeus going to attack the gods? But didn¡¯t he lose his authority as well?¡± Shar, who was in the form of a middle-aged woman, felt the fear of the evil gods, and her eyes flashed with mockery. ¡°You¡¯re scared already? You¡¯re so timid that it makes people laugh¡­¡± Their faces stiffened, and they wanted to retort but were speechless. That was Asmodeus! ¡°You¡¯re not afraid. You¡¯re the f*cking Darkness Goddess. We expected you to be bold. Who are we? You are incomparable¡­¡± Shar slowly picked up the wine glass on the table, and the red liquid entered her mouth and went down her throat. She lightly savored the taste of the wine. She casually spoke afterward. ¡°Asmodeus had long prepared for this. He hadn¡¯t attacked the Grace Mainland Overlord these days, most likely to use him to gather the gods.¡± ¡°And he would have found ways to gather the gods even if the Grace Mainland Overlord didn¡¯t attract them. One couldn¡¯t escape anyway, no matter what.¡± ¡°There are many ways to reach a higher level, but the most feasible path is to control more authority.¡± ¡°Gods to control more authority. No one will fight for authority If we slay all the gods.¡± ¡°Asmodeus has been trapped at this level for far too long¡­You should know how much this ancient devil craves power.¡± As she spoke, her face revealed some recollection. ¡°Countless years ago, I had a similar thought. It was just that my poor sister stopped me at that time. ¡°Asmodeus wants to embark on this path. The transition between the ancient and new eras is undoubtedly the best time.¡± The figures quickly felt a chill down their spines when they heard this casual statement from the beings in the shadows. They looked at the Darkness Goddess and didn¡¯t care at all. They felt these top-tier gods were all f*cking lunatics! Completely unreasonable! Did they treat the gods as pigs? Kill as they wished? They would not care about anything for breaking through. But Shar and Asmodeus said this. So they forcefully swallowed back their curses. ¡°Lord, what should we do now?¡± Shar looked at the blurry figure with a mocking expression. ¡°Don¡¯t associate me with you guys¡­ One cannot compare a pig prepared for slaughter to a radiant moon!¡± A few of them froze wide-eyed. They could not say anything to refute it. The Dark Goddess¡¯s reputation was on par with Asmodeus. They could only look at each other and fall silent. The weak had no right to decide their fate. At this moment, they were. Sun Cathedral. The Light Goddess, the Sun God, the Dawn God, the Justice God. Wait, more than 20 famous Gods from the Good and Lawful Faction were all present. They heard Asmodeus¡¯ words. They looked at each other and saw the seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°What should we do now?¡± The Light Goddess emitted a holy light. She muttered with a subtle expression. The undead had been on the same side as Richard when they attacked the city. But the two sides had become enemies again. However, it was not their turn to attack yet. The Evil Faction gods would tear the other party into pieces. Their enemy was Asmodeus now. He was the ruler of the Ninth Hell who wanted to kill the gods! The Sun God spoke slowly. ¡°Asmodeus planned to keep the Grace Mainland Overlord until now. He could obtain authority after he killed the overlord.¡± ¡°Asmodeus holds power. He will immediately point his butcher knife at the gods.¡± ¡°We must unite everyone¡¯s strength to break the seal here!¡± The gods could regain their power, although the New Era would end after they killed all the Grace Mainland Lords favored by the World¡¯s Power. However, the recovery time and extent of recovery were also uncertain. Asmodeus, who had complete authority, would have the power to kill all the gods. There would be no exceptions! Protecting and preventing the death of Richard wasn¡¯t an option. They couldn¡¯t lose everything in exchange for the so- called start of a New Era if they were the representatives of the Good and Lawful Faction. No one would give up everything if the benefits involved were too generous. Light was only relative. And who could be sure that the New Era would be better than the present? What if the New Era was worse? Was defending the Old World the right choice? A calm voice interrupted their thoughts Just as the gods pondered how to deal with Asmodeus. ¡°It was only ten days or over, and I¡¯ve only gathered a hundred gods¡­ Your efficiency is unbearably slow.¡± ¡°Asmodeus, the soul of the Ancient Era, can¡¯t cross the sea of the New Era¡­It¡¯s time for the curtains to fall.¡± ¡°One should the ancient souls in the long river of time to rot.¡± The gods subconsciously turned their heads and looked at the figure floating above the desert church. His expression was a little strange. This Grace Mainland Overlord again? Did this guy know what he was talking about? It took more than ten days for more than a hundred gods to gather. You didn¡¯t think you set this trap, did you? Chapter 1142 ¡°Didn¡¯t this idiot know Asmodeus was using him?¡± ¡°That ancient devil kept you alive to attract us! Do you think you¡¯re a big shot?¡± All of a weak person¡¯s threats would make people laugh. Richard was the clown who overestimated himself in the eyes of the gods. That interrupted Asmodeus. He frowned slightly. He turned to look at the Grace mainland Overlord. He seemed to know what was going on and said slowly. ¡°Human Overlord, you seem to have made a mistake! It¡¯s not your turn to speak here.¡± ¡°A chess piece must have the awareness of a chess piece.¡± He spoke, and the evil aura he could suppress no longer converged and poured out unscrupulously. It was like the awakening of an ancient beast, the revival of the abomination¡¯s existence in the depths of the abyss, and the roar of a god in the depths of chaos. In an instant, the world turned dark. Vast shadows shrouded the world. Ten thousand times has magnified Asmodeus¡¯ body. The stars, lakes, mountains, and rivers all prostrated beneath his feet. The troops in Thorin City, the gods in the shadows, and the players in the live stream all felt an uncontrollable fear under the endless pressure. Some weak-willed ones fell to their knees and trembled as they pressed their heads against the ground. Only by doing so could they ease the extreme fear in their hearts. That was the pressure of the Ninth Hell Lord, the aura of a top-notch god. The audience in the live stream room held their breaths. They did not even dare to breathe loudly. It was enough to make them fall into extreme horror if they only sensed a small part of the pressure. Their hands and feet were cold, their backs were numb, and their bodies were limp. They couldn¡¯t imagine how terrifying Asmodeus was at his peak. However, the figure in the center of the live stream room was as imposing as a stone tablet while everyone was in shock. His figure did not take half a step back. He still stood tall and straight. Richard¡¯s deep eyes stared at the Ninth Hell Lord. He walked in human form, and his face gradually turned cold. ¡°Asmodeus, this is not your Ninth Hell. You are not qualified to be in my territory.¡± He pointed his fingers.¡± Hatred and worry filled their eyes, not for Richard, but for the fear that he would enrage Asmodeus! The scene would be a disaster no one would be willing to see once one enraged this ultimate boss. Asmodeus looked a little stunned. He returned to his senses. Not only was he not angry, but he even laughed. ¡°In countless years, you¡¯re the first to tell me¡­ I¡¯m not qualified to be a human.¡± ¡°Did the authority of the desert give you the illusion? Or does the plane above your head give you the confidence?¡± He spoke, and his eyes turned red. The undisguised evil aura surged again. His body twisted, and his limbs squirmed like rubber. It was like one played with a clay doll. It was extremely terrifying. The human¡¯s body crumbled amidst the distortion in a span of breath. A new life appeared before his eyes. He was nearly four meters tall, and his skin and hair were dark red, like eternal flames and magma of hell. Its pupils flickered with the blood color of hell, and a pair of curved devil horns grew on its head, engraved with chilling evil runes. The red and black robe inlaid with high-grade gemstones made him look majestic and noble. He held a pure black scepter. One has inlaid bright rubies on it. It contained mighty magic power that could even freeze the surrounding time. Asmodeus was the Ninth Hell Lord. That was his body! The surrounding pressure increased exponentially with his body. The audience in the live stream room was in fear. The players no longer dared to watch in the immersive mode. They could only use the window mode to isolate the pressure. Solan City trembled under the divine might. ¡°Quick, contact the other gods and break the seal together!¡± ¡°Darkness Lord, please save us this once. We are willing to give up everything¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fight Asmodeus head-on. Retreat to the sea once you have the chance.¡± The gods were like frightened birds at this moment. Their souls almost escaped. Asmodeus slightly stretched his muscles and bones. He felt the power surge in his body. He looked up at Richard in the sky and spoke indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this farce.¡± To spare the Grace Mainland Overlord for long bored the gods. Next, hunting the gods would be the prologue of the show. The Creation God had already disappeared for countless years. It was time for this world to welcome a new ruler! He did not give Richard another chance to speak. His figure instantly disappeared from where he was, and in the next second, he appeared in the yellow sand. He waved the ruby scepter. The surrounding magic power instantly exploded, and the terrifying energy tide seemed to split the sky. It distorted the space, and time almost stopped. Richard moved forward like lightning as everyone thought he would dodge Asmodeus¡¯s strike. Endless sand condensed his right hand and smashed out. ¡®Bang!¡¯ The sand-wrapped arm directly collided with the gemstone scepter. A terrifying energy tide erupted, and a level 18 windstorm blasted in all directions. Chapter 1143 It looked like the end of the world. The hearts of the audience in the live stream room stopped. The suffocated feeling slightly dissipated when they saw the upright, blurry figure in the center of the image. The gods of Solan City could see the result of the collision. The gemstone scepter that contained endless power didn¡¯t cause any damage to the Grace Mainland Overlord. That made their heart beat wildly. They matched evenly! The pupils of all the gods constricted, and a sense of absurdity rose in their hearts. ¡°That Grace Mainland Overlord was so strong?¡± They saw the yellow sand on Richard¡¯s body burst out before they could return to their senses. The power of the entire desert of death instantly buffed his body. The plane above his head at the same time emitted a hazy light. And the aura on his body gushed out like lava and clashed head-on with Asmodeus¡¯s abominable spirit! Richard suppressed the Ninth Hell Lord! Asmodeus¡¯ expression changed for the first time, and his gaze became extremely cruel. He sensed a threat from this Grace Mainland Overlord. When the other party said he had set up a trap for the gods to come, it did not seem to be nonsense. He had the strength to do so. Asmodeus¡¯s senses returned, and he felt humiliated. A Grace Mainland Overlord could stop him? Then wouldn¡¯t his plan to hunt down the gods be laughable? Asmodeus¡¯s majestic power flashed and injected into the gemstone scepter. The energy fluctuations inside increased tenfold, and the authority-made seal around it rippled and distorted. It was as if it could shatter at any moment. It was terrifying and terrifying. The obscure and difficult-to-understand abomination language resounded in the sky. The viewers in the live stream were horrified to find that Richard¡¯s position had shrunk and collapsed. A black hole with endless suction had appeared in the void. Nothing in the surroundings, not even light, could escape its suction force. ¡°Eye of Hell! Asmodeus¡¯ most powerful divine spell. It would suck whatever life it sees. The deepest part of the Ninth Hell was an endless prison. This divine art uses the power of the Ninth Hell unless the other party has the power to resist it!¡± ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to escape!¡± The gods cried out in alarm. That angered Asmodeus. And he directly cast a terrifying divine spell. The Thorin God was terrified when the black eye exuded the hell aura took shape. Asmodeus would have nothing to worry about after he dealt with the Grace Mainland Overlord. The Darkness Goddess retreated. That activated her perception. She searched for a loophole in the seal. They hoped that the moment the God Grace Lord died, the place would collapse and couldn¡¯t escape. Asmodeus was too terrifying. A power has sealed his authority,yet he could still use the Ninth Hell. There was no way to fight against him. At this moment, no one was optimistic about Richard. They didn¡¯t even want to look at him¡­ There was nothing to see about dead people. But while the Eye of Hell devoured everything in the void, Asmodeus¡¯ main target was¡­ There should be no movement. The Eye of Hell, which could devour everything and even light couldn¡¯t escape, couldn¡¯t affect the figure covered in yellow sand. That towering body was like an unshakable lofty mountain. ¡°Is that all?¡± Richard¡¯s calm and indifferent voice was like a slap to Asmodeus and the gods. The gods were about to escape and suddenly turned their heads and looked at the sky in disbelief. The Eye Hell formed an endless black hole. It wasn¡¯t far away, but Richard did not move. What was going on? That was the power of the Ninth Hell. How could the Grace Mainland Lord resist it? A tender green branch quickly drooped down from the plane in the sky and landed directly on the pitch-black Eye of Hell just as the gods were bewildered. The Eye of Hell shrank rapidly, and the high-level divine spell that terrified the gods disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Eye of Hell hadn¡¯t disappeared. The tender green branch captured it. That made the crowd terrified. Yes, the branch captured it! The gods saw the scene and ran wild. ¡°What the hell was going on?¡± That was a killer move condensed from the power of the Ninth Hell. It could devour everything, and it was the Ninth Hell power manifestation. That wasn¡¯t a physical object, so how could one capture it? The monumental contrast made everyone a little dumbfounded. The gods hurriedly released their perception and carefully sensed the tender green branch. After a moment, they lost their voices again. ¡°The seed of the world tree?!!¡± ¡°F*ck, no wonder it could even capture the power of the Eye of Hell. That was a branch of the world tree! The world tree could even bear the world. And the Ninth Hell was also a part of the world. Naturally, it could capture the power of the Ninth Hell. There was nothing wrong with that. It would be strange if there weren¡¯t. Didn¡¯t the World Tree support the Mortal Plane? The Creation God carved the supreme inscription, and one could never step on it. One couldn¡¯t touch it. Why the hell did it suddenly appear? He couldn¡¯t be ridiculous and even use the World Tree, right? Even if the World Power blessed it. Asmodeus¡¯ pupils constricted, and disbelief filled his heart. This Grace mainland Overlord could even make use of the World Tree. Chapter 1144 The tense emotions in his heart suddenly relaxed. There was no need to continue the fight If it were the World Tree that supported the Mortal Plane. That was the foundation of the world. It was something that the Creation God nurtured. Even he could not fight against it. Asmodeus took a deep breath. He quickly gathered his thoughts and waved his gemstone scepter again. He wanted to see how capable this Grace Mainland Overlord was. But this time, his attitude changed from disdain to seriousness. He no longer thought the other party could defeat him in a single blow! This Grace Mainland Overlord had a power that mortals couldn¡¯t reach. These took a long time to describe, but it had happened very quickly. Asmodeus suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and erupted with a torrent of energy. This time, the fluctuation was even mightier than the Eye of Hell. However, roots appeared in the sky again before the energy could form. The World Tree no longer emitted vitality but endless evil, destruction, and cruelty. The World Tree roots and branches had reached Asmodeus¡¯ side. The Ninth Hell Lord sensed a fatal danger approached, and his mind trembled. ¡°Divine abomination?!¡± He abruptly interrupted this divine spell and forcefully waved his gemstone scepter. His body turned into nothingness, and he wanted to escape. But in the next moment, Asmodeus¡¯ pupils reflected the boundless desert energy of the Grace mainland Overlord. The planar power of the World Tree in the sky was under heavy pressure. He had nowhere to hide. He felt the surrounding space freeze. Authority had sealed off Solan City, and the space was under Richard¡¯s control! He was the ruler of this place! Asmodeus¡¯ face turned ashen, and the anger in his heart exploded. His footsteps stopped abruptly! They stared at the incoming World Tree roots. How bold! Would he prepare him as a prey for slaughter? The gazes of the gods deepened the embarrassment. How could the proud devil, the Ninth Hell Lord, who wielded supreme power, tolerate such a thing? The pressure of the Ninth Hell Lord swept across the surroundings, and the gemstone scepter danced wildly. The power hidden in his body burst out like a bottomless abyss. The blood-red energy sealed the surroundings. That hindered power to pass through. The energy directly turned into substance and pressed down on the roots of the abomination that descended from the sky because it was too majestic. The eruption of all his power was enough to destroy the world whether he rushed! As billions of people watched, the dried and twisted roots invaded the blood-red energy. Two different forces collided. However, the expected explosion did not happen. The twisted roots were like fiery red knives that stabbed into butter, and Asmodeus formed and penetrated the power tide. Asmodeus¡¯ expression changed drastically. ¡°The power of the great ancient ones?!¡± The abomination¡¯s roots contained the power and mixed with majestic ancient ones. That damned bastard from the ancient days was actually on the side of the Grace Mainland Overlord! Did they not know that the rise of the New Era would obliterate the gods and ancient ones? ¡°Damn it, damn it!¡± He was not afraid of the power of the great ancient ones because he was the most ancient god. However, the enemy caught him off guard, and dual powers broke his defense with the restrictions of the planar power and the pressure of the desert authority. The surging power penetrated. The roots tied Asmodeus up exaggeratedly. Even though the ruler of The Ninth Hell Lord incessantly waved the gemstone scepter in his hand and unleashed round after round of terrifying attacks. He couldn¡¯t shatter the abomination roots mixed with the power of the great ancient ones! The terrifying energy fluctuations erupted when Asmodeus struggled. That twitched the gods¡¯ eyelids wildly. That was the eruption of the Ninth Hell Lord¡¯s power. How terrifying his power at its peak was unimaginable. The mighty Ninth Hell Lord couldn¡¯t stop the Grace Mainland Lord. That shocked him even more! Everyone held their breaths. They were afraid to miss a second of the scene. The twisted and withered roots bound Asmodeus, and they did not stop. Instead, they tightened their grip fiercely. Majestic power poured in and forcefully bound this famous god. This scene ignited the live stream room. ¡°F*ck your grandpa, this is Asmodeus, he¡¯s tied up just like that!!¡± ¡°Boss Qingqiu has a big nose!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t lost, we haven¡¯t lost!¡± ¡°Boss Qingqiu, hurry up and kill this bastard¡­¡± Richard¡¯s advance has vastly relieved the tense atmosphere. Qingqiu could restrain Asmodeus. He could confidently seal the city. Richard could also hold on. As for killing all the gods, they didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Even the proud gods gravely regarded Richard¡¯s strength. One wouldn¡¯t underestimate his power to fight Asmodeus back and forth. However, he didn¡¯t let go of his worries, especially when he saw that the six Devil Overlords hadn¡¯t made a move yet. His heart was on high alert. Even Asmodeus¡¯ subordinates remained static. The Grace Mainland Overlord had the upper hand now. Chapter 1145 Some gods returned to their senses and tried to break the seal and leave the city. The Grace Mainland Overlord would be dead anyway. They did not want to face the crazy Asmodeus. It would be a nightmare. However, everyone and the Deil Lords waited for Asmodeus to counterattack. Countless believers of the Ancient Dark Tree Sect sensed the call of their god in the distant underground world. They immediately knelt and prayed. They bowed most humbly. The yellow sand on Richard¡¯s body flew up simultaneously. One poured the power of the desert of death into the twisted roots that bound Asmodeus with the blessing of authority. The Eternal Land in the sky and the power of the World Tree also added to it. The power of the great ancient ones in the darkness was also dense at the same time. The abomination roots that bound Asmodeus tightened. Then, billions of people in the live stream room watched with wide eyes while the Grace Mainland Overlord waited for Asmodeus to counterattack under the witness of the gods. ¡®Kacha!¡¯ The roots tightened like a steel cable and pierced into Asmodeus. More actions took place in the next moment. ¡®Puchi!¡¯ His body shattered into pieces, and blood splattered everywhere. The fireworks of death bloomed. The dried and twisted roots passed through the broken limbs and firmly locked them down. That prevented them from falling. Only the gemstone scepter remained floating in the sky. Asmodeus, the Ninth Hell Lord, did not even have time to react. The Overlord tore him into pieces. The roots that emitted an extremely evil aura were like long snakes that danced in the sky at this moment. Bloody limbs strung on them. That made the scene seem bloody and cruel. However, everyone ignored the bloodiness of the scene. Everyone was in a state of confusion. The Darkness Goddess widened her eyes in disbelief. The Light Goddess stood up abruptly. Her hands trembled. The Sun God¡¯s body exploded with endless hot energy. That energy rose and fell wildly. ¡°Asmodeus¡­ Gone?¡± ¡°The Overlord dismembered the Ninth Hell Lord, the ultimate boss who had suppressed the world for countless years, just like that?¡± ¡°F*ck, what the f*ck is going on?¡± ¡°What happened to the counterattack? What happened to crushing the Grace Mainland Overlord? Was it over just like that?¡± ¡°He was the Ninth Hell Lord, the most powerful god in the world. There was no other!¡± ¡°The Grace Mainland Overlord tore him apart just like that?¡± Furthermore, the entire process did not even cause any damage to the other party. ¡°What kind of joke was this?¡± Were they hallucinating or suffering from schizophrenia? That dumbfounded all the gods. The audience in the live stream room fell into a dead silence. After a long time, they returned to their senses. The bullet comments immediately became unprecedentedly dense. ¡°F*ck your grandpa¡¯s rotten leather shoes, Qingqiu, Qingqiu killed Asmodeus??!¡± ¡°Am I blind? Asmodeus, the Ninth Hell Lord, was killed just like that? He was the lord of the gods!¡± ¡°Does this mean that Boss Qingqiu has the power to kill all the gods? He wasn¡¯t joking when he set up the seal. He wanted to slaughter the gods!¡± The players went crazy. Their pessimistic mood turned into extreme ecstasy. The massive contrast in their expectations made it difficult for them to control themselves. ¡°Qingqiu did it¡­ That was Asmodeus!¡± He was f*cked to death just like that! ¡°Awesome, too fucking awesome!¡± Excitement, madness, the players truly felt what a pleasant surprise was, what a f*cking pleasant surprise was! Chapter 1146 ¡°Kill, kill cleanly!¡± The yellow sand power on his body erupted once again. The god¡¯s ancient tree root beside him swept out with endless force. The Devil Overlords only recovered when they sensed the fatal threat. That shocked and infuriated them. ¡°This damned bastard¡­ How could he kill our Lord? What right did he have?¡± Roars echoed in the sky, and their bodies instantly distorted. That revealed the genuine form of the devils. Then, they attacked with hysterical anger. With the power of the great ancient ones, the authority of the desert, the Eternal Land, and the power of Chaos Divine Sin, even Asmodeus couldn¡¯t withstand the surprise attack of multiple energies, so how could these mere demigod-levels Devil Overlords overrule? The twisted tree roots swept down and pierced through the Devil Overlords one after another under the witness of the gods. The last Devil Overlord sensed something amiss and immediately retreated. That could have killed the six Devil Overlords in a single strike. He looked at the broken Asmodeus¡¯s body on the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the few wildly struggling Devil Overlords did not die immediately. The expressions of the gods in Solan City became extremely interesting at this moment. ¡°This¡­ Is this the true power of Grace Mainland Overlord?¡± ¡°He is joking, right? Wait, is he serious?¡± ¡°Asmodeus and the Devil Lord of Hell¡­It¡¯s gone just like that?¡± They had never thought the situation would develop like this. They had thought of Richard as a clown, an idiot who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth when he sealed the city off. But the bloody truth told them that they were the idiots! He even quickly slaughtered Asmodeus! How could the other party not have the confidence to deal with them? They thought about how they had looked down on the other party. That deeply humiliated and angered them. Their faces burned with pain. It was as if the other party had stepped on the ground and slapped their mouths hard on both sides. Others had already sealed Solan City, yet they still didn¡¯t believe it and doubted it. It was simply the greatest joke in the world! This Grace Mainland Overlord had the power to kill them all! They pondered. They diverted the vigilance and fear they set for Asmodeus to Richard. The Grace Mainland Overlord¡¯s power was even more bizarre and terrifying than Asmodeus¡¯s. He created the seal. One could imagine that the other party must have made preparations long ago. In addition to his previous words, the gods only felt waves of coldness surge into their hearts. It seemed that the Grace Mainland Overlord was the real mastermind! They had thought that Asmodeus had used him, but now it seemed that he had used Asmodeus and everyone around. All of this was the other party¡¯s plan on the surface. There was no concealment at all. The more that aggrieved them. They had subconsciously ignored it, which resulted in such a fatal situation. The other party had taken advantage of their arrogance and contempt! Their arrogance and contempt had made them pay the price! The undead lords before the desert church were now like frightened lambs. Their soul fires jumped when they saw the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree strung the Devil Overlords. They retreated abruptly at Richard¡¯s gaze on them. ¡°The Grace Mainland Overlord had long prepared this. We have to join his forces!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll all die if we don¡¯t¡­ Hiding or running away wouldn¡¯t save us. Are you stronger than Asmodeus? And he has sealed this place already!¡± ¡°More importantly, if we let him live for three days, once the New Era begins, we will lose everything!¡± Although the undead had a different perception of death than ordinary lifeforms, they were not idiots! The god spoke while the other gods pondered how to escape or let outsiders go first. He looked at the fierce Richard, and his eyes flickered. The speaker was right. They would still lose everything even if they escaped. They controlled everything for countless years. Their deaths would be worse if the other party took their powers. Killing this Grace Mainland Overlord was to save their lives and their powers! Those who could become gods were all top-notch figures who had survived countless years of struggle and climbed to the peak. No one was an idiot. At this moment, the best solution was to join forces and kill this Grace Mainland Overlord. The gods weighed the pros and cons. Those hidden in every corner began to show themselves. In a few breaths, dozens of figures appeared in the sky above Solan City. They were all gods who had once held power and were famous without exception! In an instant, the gods surrounded Richard. The initially high atmosphere in the live stream room instantly turned cold with this scene. Everyone¡¯s excitement had enormously subsided. And fear once again surfaced. It was far from over, although killing Asmodeus was exciting. The gods in Solan City were still there. Moreover, famous gods were among them. They might not even lose to Asmodeus by much. ¡°Is that the goddess of light?¡± ¡± I saw the Sun God!!¡± Chapter 1147 ¡°God of justice¡­¡± The audience identified each god. Their mood dropped at the bottom. Too many, too strong! Asmodeus alone was not enough compared to the gods who had appeared at this moment. The gods that symbolized justice, light, order, and kindness mixed with the gods of the Evil Camp at this moment. That was even impactful. They all stood opposite Richard! Between their interests and the start of a New Era, these gods made a choice. The audience in the live stream room suddenly became silent, especially when they saw a few demon rulers emit an evil aura that stood not far away from the gods of the Good and Lawful Camp. They felt generously ironic. The good gods symbolized light and hope and worked with evil and darkness for benefit. When light no longer illuminated the world, good and evil intertwined, and justice only fought for its interests, what would be the difference between light and darkness? Were these gods of the Good and Lawful Camp worthy of the believers¡¯ faith and the honor they enjoyed? Richard had been mentally prepared, and he remained calm. He did not feel the shock that the viewers and residents of Solan City felt when they saw the Light Goddess collude with the demons. There was no justice or evil in his eyes. They were all enemies! The gods looked at Richard¡¯s unperturbed expression and felt a little angry. ¡°One shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant, right? Even if you killed Asmodeus.¡± ¡°Did he treat them like they were nothing?¡± His anger ignited, and he was about to make a move. A crimson energy fell from the sky like a meteor. The gods stopped in their tracks. The crimson energy fell straight to Richard¡¯s side under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. Then, it rolled like a thick fog. It condensed into a beautiful figure in a breath. She wore red armor and held a crimson crescent moon-shaped scepter. She was valiant and had an indescribable charm. The power of the gods rioted uncontrollably after the crimson energy appeared. The Sun God at the front saw the figure. His pupils constricted. ¡°The power of the great ancient ones. Is it the Crimson Lord?¡± All the gods felt a chill in their hearts. There was indeed something fishy about the quick death of Asmodeus. They stared at the crimson figure and didn¡¯t move. One had revived the great ancient ones for many days. Many gods had heard that this Grace Mainland Overlord was related to them. However, they didn¡¯t expect this lord to still stand on Grace Mainland Overlord¡¯s side. ¡°Your Excellency Crimson Lord. Don¡¯t you know that the gods will lose their power when the New Era begins?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t escape, let alone the ancient gods!¡± It would destroy ancient existences like you first, not us!¡± The deep voice of an evil god shrouded in darkness resounded through the sky. He didn¡¯t want to fight against this great ancient one who was even more arduous to deal with than Asmodeus. Windsor turned a deaf ear to this. She turned to look at the gods of the Good and Lawful Camp not far away, and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. ¡°Lord Richard, did you see it? These false gods used the so- called faction and kindness as disguises to deceive their believers. Once one touches their interests, they don¡¯t care about their so-called bottom line. ¡°Therefore, there shouldn¡¯t be a high and mighty existence in this world that controls the fate of all living beings. ¡°They should all be eliminated!¡± Windsor¡¯s attitude never wavered. She had practiced and worked toward extinguishing all the gods. The final moment has arrived. The gods heard this, and their eyes became dangerous. That forcefully suppressed the worries in their hearts. They would never retreat before their determination! The evil god¡¯s tone sounded even deeper. ¡°Together, we have destroyed the Crimson Moon. The resurrected you don¡¯t even have a thousandth of the power of your glorious days. What right do you have to interfere?¡± The Sun God¡¯s eyes were cold as he shouted. ¡°Who knows what will happen in this so-called New Era? What if the new era is a world where evil breeds and chaos increases? ¡°What if the new era is just a scam to deceive everyone? ¡°Protecting the ordinary people who are powerless to fight and protecting our believers is the path we should walk. We should not give up everything for a gimmick and uncertainty! ¡°If a threat that causes the entire world to collapse appears in the New Era, and we lose our power, who will protect the believers and the world?¡± The Sun God and all the other good gods stood with unwavering gazes. They firmly believed they made the right choice! Was change always good? Maintaining the status quo might not be better, but it would not be worse! The ruling class, which had a lot of benefits, was far more afraid of change than the lower class. It was the same for gods. Windsor did not respond to them. He looked at Richard with a calm gaze. ¡°Now, you should know. Evil isn¡¯t scary. What¡¯s scary is that those who claim to be righteous would do the most evil things and would be determined! ¡°Do it! Clear all of this. Let the gods, from this day forth, be destroyed!¡± Chapter 1148 She spoke, and the crescent moon-shaped spellcaster in her hand emitted an endless blood-colored light. Windsor suddenly appeared before the undead lords closest to her under the shocked gazes of billions of viewers in the live stream. She waved the crescent moon-shaped spellcaster, and the crimson light engulfed the lords. One seemed to have thrown the skeletal bodies of the undead lords into concentrated sulfuric acid. That corroded them until they were hole-filled. The undead lord¡¯s soul fire surged wildly, and the withered energy surged like a tidal wave that forcefully resisted the fatal corrosion. However, they could not stop the crimson energy no matter how much power they used. ¡°False gods who stole authority, I will take back everything from you!¡± The calm voice was like the murmurs of the Grim Reaper. It was the voice of a few undead lords who had roamed the world for countless years and could mobilize hundreds of millions of skeletons with a wave. But he had already turned into ashes before he could put up any decent resistance. It was terrifying. The gods looked at the Undead Lord. His bones fell, and they felt a chill run down their spines. Fear and fierce killing intent filled their gazes as they stared at the owner of the crimson voice. This ancient lord, she had to give up her position and become enemies with them! Damn it! The gods who had been hiding in Solan City and wanted to hold back quietly approached the center of the battlefield. The worst outcome would be losing their power if they faced Richard alone, even if they could not kill him. However, Windsor¡¯s nature had changed. The Crimson Lord had once hung high in the sky and symbolized the ancient days! She wouldn¡¯t let them off for subverting the ancient gods. That was a hatred that would not rest until one of them died! The gods were about to join forces to attack when an ear-piercing whistle sounded from the sky. A monumental rock fell. An aura made all the gods tremble in fear with the tearing sound of the air. The gods subconsciously looked up. The brandishing branches and roots with broken limbs made it even more terrifying. ¡®Rumble!¡¯ The towering tree crashed into the front of the church. It sent dust that flew everywhere. Fortunately, the followers of the Desert Sect had moved them all away when Richard sealed Solan City. Otherwise, the fall alone would have caused rivers of blood to flow on the ground. God¡¯s ancient tree. It was an ultimate existence that had devoured the heart of a Chaos Divine Sin and the bodies of several gods. It was the mightiest battle force in Twilight City. At this moment, the level of this boss had already reached its limit silently. That was level 30. No one could imagine how many corpses the boss had devoured in the past few months after Richard decided to exchange corpses for the golden fruits of the abomination tree. The god¡¯s ancient tree had reached an unprecedented height with innumerable dead devils. This boss was the embodiment of power. There was no need for any praise. It stood quietly on the ground and could tremble at the sight alone of any life. The gods sensed the unbridled aura that gushed out of the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the Good and Lawful Camp gods were the first to wobble. Their expressions turned extremely ugly. The Sun God emitted endless flames, and the scorching light made the entire city feel like a furnace. ¡°As expected, I have ill intentions from the beginning. The Crimson Lord! You dare to collude with a Divine Abomination!¡± ¡°The abominations were strange monsters from the primal chaos void, the common enemy of the gods! ¡°Joining hands with a Divine Abomination was no different from acting as a traitor!¡± The appearance of the god¡¯s ancient tree became the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. No one could tolerate it anymore. A great battle erupted. The Sun God joined forces with the Light Goddess, the Justice God, and the Dawn King and led the attack against Treebeard. The holy light contrasted with the evil aura of the abomination tree. The two sides instantly engaged in a battle. The height of the god¡¯s ancient tree after level 30 already exceeded a hundred meters, and its roots were hundreds of meters long. The surrounding buildings exploded, shattered, and splashed all over the sky wherever the roots swept past. Monumental cracks appeared on the ground. The god¡¯s ancient tree relied on its tyrannical power to directly clash head-on with more than 20 gods from the Good and Lawful Faction. Heaven and earth changed color! Everyone here was famous. The gods left marks in countless myths and legends. The entire Solan City would have collapsed because of the divine might if it weren¡¯t for the seal of authority. The gods of the Good and Lawful Faction fought against an Evil God. To outsiders, this was probably a showdown between justice and evil, light and darkness. But in reality, the god¡¯s ancient tree was the founder of a New Era, while the good gods of light fought for the decaying world of the past. This scene was inexplicably ironic. The light acted for its benefit, while the evil representative, the abomination, fought for the new world. Good and evil, light and darkness, were no longer distinguishable. The good gods locked the god¡¯s ancient tree, and the figure of the Darkness Goddess Shar appeared in front of Windsor. Several demons and evil gods surrounded them. ¡°Crimson Lord, you shouldn¡¯t interfere in this war. As the representative of the ancient gods, your interests are the same as the gods!¡± Windsor looked at the vague-faced Darkness Goddess. ¡°When justice no longer represents justice, when light and darkness are united¡­ The decay has already spread to the roots of this world.¡± Chapter 1149 The Darkness Goddess looked at the figure in front of her. This figure became increasingly eager to fight and could not help but be silent. She smiled in relief afterward. ¡°We have different standpoints, so there¡¯s no need to say anything more¡­ Then, let¡¯s fight!¡± She spoke, and dozens of figures in the shadows attacked Windsor at the same time. Windsor¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile as she raised the crescent moon-shaped scepter into the sky. Rumble followed in the next moment. Blood-red lightning danced like dragons in the sky. It directly struck the crescent moon-shaped scepter. Windsor¡¯s aura instantly skyrocketed at a terrifying speed. At the same time, in the entire ¡°Shining Era Multiverse,¡± the natives and players who had obtained the power of the great ancient ones in the previous expansion pack or joined the Great Ancient Old Ones¡¯ faction all had a blood moon in their minds. ¡°I have returned.¡± The cold voice that was like the might of the heavens was deafening. In the next moment, the power of the great ancient ones they had obtained earlier receded like a tide and surged into the Crimson Moon in their minds. Their lord recalled the power of the great ancient ones they had obtained to deal with the enemy! The Darkness Goddess sensed all this and immediately felt her hair stand on end. As an ancient god who had survived since the beginning of the world and was once the symbol of it, no one knew better than her how powerful the Crimson Moon in the high sky was. At this moment, she sensed the aura of the ancient Crimson Moon in the sky from Windsor again. It was dangerous and fatal. ¡°Kill them!¡± An endless dark aura surged from her body without hesitation. A similarly terrifying aura appeared among the dark figures who had launched the attack. They were Spider Goddess Lolita. Her body was a giant spider, and her face was an elf. The Demon Prince Dymogorgon also accompanied. His head had two baboons. The rest were all demon rulers that resounded throughout the abyss. The power that surrounded Windsor was even more terrifying than the god¡¯s ancient tree. The abomination had only been powerful once, but most gods had experienced the dangers of the ancient gods. The orderly Good and Evil Factions took over the god¡¯s ancient tree and Windsor, while the remaining Neutral Factions had their eyes on Richard. Richard seemed like the easiest persimmon to pinch compared to these top-notch existences. That was remarkable when they learned that Richard had slain Asmodeus. The Ninth Lord had broken limbs on the roots of the god¡¯s ancient tree. Their fear vanished, and their killing intent soared. Furthermore, Richard was the core of this war. His death would mean they could regain their authority and strength! The several god systems of Orc God, Elf God, Dwarf God, and Ocean God quickly surrounded him. Their killing intents were sharp. Richard sensed the intentions of these gods, and his gaze was subtle. ¡°Do you want to pinch a soft persimmon? You have found the wrong person.¡± The Desert Authority, the Eternal Land, and the World Tree¡¯s triple power buffed his body. Furthermore, the desert of death and the Eternal Land sealed Solan City. He was the true ruler of this place. One of the Elephant Gods was the first to charge at Richard, flew above him, and smashed down with its vast hooves. He tried to crush him with brute force. But Richard did not back down. He waved his arm, covered it with sand, and directly clashed with it. ¡®Bang!¡¯ The elephant was like a baseball struck by a bat and flew backward widely when the two sides collided. It crashed into the ground and left a hundred-meter-long mark. It also shattered a large number of dilapidated buildings. They looked over, and all that remained was a figure twitching in the ruins. Richard did not show any emotion at all. He controlled the sand around him to fill the air and turned the sky into a desert battlefield. Sand surrounded every step of the gods. That sent the Elephant God into the sky, and the horn of attack sounded. A wild battle began. These neutral gods had strange methods and even resorted to magic, divine arts, melee combat, long-range hunting, curses, and poison. Richard did not retreat despite the besiege of several gods. He relied on the Eternal Land and Desert Authority. He unleashed all his firepower and fought his enemies head-on. The enemies had never disadvantaged him! This scene stunned the audience in the live stream room. They had never expected such an exaggerated change on the battlefield, although they regained some confidence when the Overlord tore Asmodeus apart! Richard had been able to stand against the gods all by himself! The enemies still had the strength of a level 30 demigod, even though they had lost their authority! This scene was too exaggerated and overbearing. It was utterly beyond imagination. Billions of people widened their eyes. They were so nervous that their breathing slowed down. They wouldn¡¯t want to miss every detail. This war was not a war between some people and some forces. It was a war that would determine the fate of everyone and even the world. Their fates were now in Richard¡¯s hands! The battle entered its climax after a shrill roar! ¡°No!¡± The gods turned their heads to look at the source of the sound area where the god¡¯s ancient tree and the Good and Lawful Faction fought. At this moment, the Sun God, this extremely famous god, had his clothes soaked in blood. A twisted and withered branch had pierced through his chest. Golden blood incessantly dripped down, and the sun-like scorching aura dissipated. A root pierced through the Sun God¡¯s body! Near death! This scene had an inexplicable impact. That was the Sun God! An inexplicable emotion began to ferment in his heart. Chapter 1150 The Sun God¡¯s body also released endless heat and high temperature. It tried to break free from the restraints. But the god¡¯s ancient tree blocked the attack of the Main God or the counterattack of the Sun God. The abomination power sealed the Sun God¡¯s body and nailed it to the ground. The Sun God¡¯s body could turn into flowing flames and lava, but it was futile no matter how he struggled. The Sun God¡¯s struggle became increasingly weaker under everyone¡¯s gaze. At the same time, a deathly aura had already appeared on his body. The red blood vessels on the surface of his body turned black. Countless roots had climbed up them. It was terrifying. Finally! The heat turned cold. Treebeard extinguished the Sun God. This god, who had left behind countless legends, died. The aura of the god¡¯s ancient tree rose once again. The blood and body of the Sun God became its nourishment. After the death of the first master god, the battle of gods entered a new stage. The gods of the Good and Lawful Faction went crazy in grief! The explosive attacks became intensely fierce, and they were even fearless of life and death! The bloody atmosphere caused the other gods to no longer hold back. They erupted with all their might and fought like trapped beasts until one of them died! But that didn¡¯t stop Richard and his men. Windsor tore off two baboon heads from the Demon Prince Demogorgon under the shocked gazes of billions of viewers in the live stream room. Her crescent moon-shaped scepter pierced through the chest of the Darkness Goddess and cut off eight limbs of the Spider Goddess Lolita. The god¡¯s ancient tree pressed the Light Goddess under its roots. That shattered the arm of the Justice God and allowed darkness to erode the Dawn Lord. Richard shattered the body of the Lion God, tore off the tail of the Murloc God, and blew out the eyes of the Furnace God. Three people, three completely different forces, simultaneously suppressed all directions on their respective battlefields. The power of the desert of death and the Eternal Land enveloped Solan City. That cut all the points connected to the outside world off, which directly led to the gods being under Richard¡¯s control. At this moment, they could no longer use magic from the outside world. They could not call for reinforcements. They could only rely on their reduced battle strength to fight. The aftermath of this unprecedented battle of gods had turned the majestic Solan City into ruins. The effect was like the destruction caused by hundreds of thousands of giant bulldozers! The audience held their breath and stared at the battle of the century with wide eyes. Windsor severed the Spider Goddess Lolita¡¯s body amidst the endless energy tides and the gazes of the players. That extinguished the spider¡¯s life. The roots of the abomination tree crushed the Dawn God. Richard replaced all the Elf God¡¯s undying characteristics using his Desert Authority. They saw gods fall one after another. The World Power was not on the side of the gods! It would mobilize the limitless power of whoever helped the blessed Grace Mainland Overlord. The world looked after the creator of the New Era. The Desert Authority and Eternal Land sealed Solan City. It was a cage for the gods and caused their power to drop to freezing point due to the lack of authority. That united the humans. They used to divide, although the gods had a common enemy. They schemed against each other and wanted the people around them to rush to the front while they took advantage of the situation. Some even saw the danger and directly hid. They fantasized about an escape. On the other hand, Richard and the others only had one goal. Extinguish all the enemies before them. This epic war would gradually calm down when the right time, place, and person belonged to their side. After an unknown period, the dust in the sky of Solan City gradually fell, and the thick clouds slowly dispersed. The war was coming to an end. One strew broken walls across the ground. Broken stones and wood flew everywhere. No building remained intact. The corpses and broken limbs mixed, and the scene looked like hell on earth. Only a few figures of the gods remained. Blood covered Shar, the Darkness Goddess. She barely managed to float in the air. A power tore half of her black robe. Windsor blew the Demon Prince Dymogorgon and its two baboon heads. Only a bloody and headless body to hold on to remained. The Light Goddess¡¯s holy power dissipated by half, and she barely relied on the broken wall to not fall. There was also the Elf God. he broke his arm, and scars covered his body. Someone almost blinded the Dwarf God. He looked around, and less than people stood still on the field. Windsor¡¯s aura had also dropped to the freezing point. She would use her power to suppress the body of every fallen god to prevent accidents. That exhausted her at this moment. Scars of various sizes covered the god¡¯s ancient tree. He appeared like a ground meat.The divine power that covered its body retrained its powerful recovery ability. It would be arduous to recover in a short time. On the contrary, Richard, who had been the least favored in the beginning, was now only breathing in a mess, and there were no scars on his body. It formed a strong contrast with the tragic state of the gods. This scene caused the live stream room to sound loud again. ¡°Hahaha, what did I say? Boss Qingqiu was the eternal god! What bullshit gods are all trash!¡± Chapter 1151 ¡°From today onwards, Qingqiu is my father!¡± ¡°Hahaha, we survived!¡± Everyone cheered. Before the war began, no one could have imagined that Richard would crush all the gods and sweep away the battlefield in this hopeless battle! These gods had been in charge of the ¡°Shining Era¡± for countless years! There were more than a hundred of them! There were even several sovereigns among them! A power had stripped their most authority, but they still had the strength of a level 30 demigod! Killing all the gods at once, they wanted to ask who else was there. Richard¡¯s position in the hearts of the players rose to the peak! The few Overgods who were still alive paled. Despair and unwillingness filled the eyes. The gods, just like the players, would never have thought that Richard, whom they looked down on, would press them to the ground and rub them against the floor in an invincible manner! Asmodeus, the Sun God, and the Dawn God were all dead. Wait, wait, wait. The Grace Mainland Overlord and his companions slayed each of the mighty beings. Anger, fear, and unspeakable complex emotions rolled in his chest. No one could accept such an ending. They were gods! One couldn¡¯t challenge their dignity even if they lost their authority! But now, the other party had stepped on their faces and trampled them ruthlessly. There was nothing they could do. That infuriated them more. They lamented and wailed in their hearts. Richard waited for the endless desert power to fill his body again. He went straight ahead. He didn¡¯t give the gods a chance to catch their breath. He prepared to end everything. The Darkness Goddess saw the yellow sand sweeping over and subconsciously turned back to look at the few injured gods not far away. She felt inexplicably ironic. They had never thought they would die in the hands of the Grace Mainland Overlord on the eve of the New Era. It was unbelievable these lowly ant-like lifeforms could unknowingly grow to the extent of devouring the heavens. The few remaining gods saw Richard attack again. Their expressions changed, and they focused on dealing with him. But the system destined them in vain. ¡®Puchi!¡¯ The yellow sand surged past, and the Darkness Goddess felt a pain in her chest. The majestic power of the desert emitted into her body and sealed everything about her. That destroyed her soul. The remaining holy aura on the Light Goddess turned into nothingness under the erosion of the yellow sand. Her body rapidly aged like withered grass. Lolita lost most of her limbs and obtained large cracks on her body. Her eyes gradually turned dull as she cursed and roared angrily. Spirit God and the Dwarf God stood still. The few remaining sovereigns fell one by one under the sandstorm. The Darkness Goddess had the breath of life and closed her eyes. None of the gods on the battlefield remained standing. The war that decided the fate of the world had come to an end. The yellow sand that surged gathered again, and Richard stood amidst the endless ruins. At this moment, the world fell into silence. One could hear the rustling of the wind that caressed the buildings. Above his head was the Eternal Land, and the World Tree supported it. The branches that filled the sky were green and glistening. On the ground were the ruins of buildings. The broken city explained everything. The vast yellow sand formed a towering wall that reached into the clouds. It was unshakable. The corpses of the gods lay at his feet. At this moment, all of this had become the backdrop. Richard had become the only one in this world. A new legend was born amidst the destruction of the ancient. This scene was like a steel seal forever engraved in the hearts of all players. And then countless years later, it became the most attractive myth. It took Richard a long time to come back to his senses. He took a deep breath and turned to his side. His eyes reflected Windsor. Blood covered her, and she was exhausted. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his gaze was warm and pure as if he had thought of something. The Crimson Lord, the boss who had killed dozens of evil gods, looked at the smiling handsome face and smiled brightly. Their gazes met at this moment. They won! He had won everything! Never again! Windsor, amidst joy, suddenly felt a sense of danger rise from the bottom of her heart. Every pore on her back furiously opened to warn her. ¡®Dangerous, extremely dangerous!¡¯ However, that feeling rose too quickly. Windsor saw the yellow sand-surrounded figure that blocked and forcefully isolated her from the danger before she could react. ¡®Puchi!¡¯ A gemstone scepter emitted boundless energy and pierced through the yellow sand-shrouded figure, and the vast power directly impacted her body. Blood spurted out of his mouth. His body flew backward uncontrollably. The intense pain in his body woke Windsor up instantly. As he flew away, she saw the yellow sand figure that had blocked her way earlier. The scepter pierced through his chest. His pupils constricted. The scenes she saw in the River of Destiny overlapped with each other. ¡°Lord Richard¡­¡± Regret and pain filled his voice. His eyes turned red. Richard held the spellcaster in one hand and did not look back. He stared at the figure in front of him while it emitted an extremely evil aura, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°Asmodeus¡­¡± The god¡¯s ancient tree tore this devil apart at the very beginning. ¡®You didn¡¯t die!¡¯ He looked at the god¡¯s ancient tree from the corner of his eyes. He did not know when, but the severed limb that the other party had strung with roots had already disappeared. Chapter 1152 Asmodeus¡¯ cold and deep voice was like a whisper from hell. His echo shuddered the people. That has revived the Ninth Hell Lord. It had not fully recovered. He broke the limbs in his body. He still had bloody wounds. They showed no signs of healing. His appearance alone gave people a strong psychological impact. Asmodeus wouldn¡¯t allow Richard to catch his breath after his attack. He continued to inject power and wanted to use boundless energy to tear Richard¡¯s body apart and kill him. The energy erupted from the gemstone scepter and distorted the surrounding space and time. But Richard did not die as he had hoped. His outstretched right hand gripped the gemstone scepter like an iron clamp. His eyes widened in anger. ¡°You?!!¡± ¡®Thud!¡¯ The gemstone scepter strongly rejected his grip as if it burned with concentrated sulfuric acid. The intense pain was enough to make anyone scream, but his gaze did not waver at all. The boundless yellow sand energy on his body forcefully collided with it. The impact of this energy distorted his body. A level 18 hurricane blew the sand around them. ¡°Asmodeus¡­You are not qualified.¡± His left hand held the gemstone scepter. Richard glared at the Ninth Hell Lord. The power of the yellow sand on his body corroded wildly. He used the most authoritative and direct posture to clash with the other party! ¡°Want to kill me? Then, see how mighty the Ninth Lord is!¡± Richard¡¯s almost insane attitude shocked Asmodeus. This Grace Mainland Overlord was so decisive! But it was because of his madness that Asmodeus¡¯ anger ignited. He wanted to see how long the other party could last! He was! The Ninth Hell Lord! He let out a low growl, and the abominable language of hell suddenly sounded. ¡°???????????????????¡± A burst of energy that emitted a sulfuric aura erupted from the gemstone scepter and covered the entire Solan City. In the next moment, half-lit souls climbed up from the remains of the earth. The Light Goddess, the Sun God, the Dawn God, and the Spider Goddess Lolita. Devils were masters at playing with souls. They were more outstanding than the undead. A power revived these souls, and they floated up as if a magnet attracted and fused them with Asmodeus¡¯s body through his cracks. During this process, one could even see the frightened expressions of the souls. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Damn demons!¡± ¡°Asmodeus, you can¡¯t treat us like this!¡± Shrill howls came from Asmodeus¡¯ body. His battered body became a cage. Asmodeus¡¯ aura grew mightier for each soul that entered. He cursed and roared, and the Ninth Hell Lord¡¯s face twisted and appeared ferocious. ¡°Everything you have will belong to me!¡± ¡± Your power, authority, and your believers will be mine!¡± ¡°?????????????¡± The deadly spell sounded again. And those souls immediately let out shrill screams. It was like a thousand cuts tortured them. The pressure amidst the wails emitted and incessantly expanded. All of this happened swiftly. The audience saw how the resurrected Asmodeus pierced through Richard and devoured the souls of the gods before they could react in the live broadcast room. Instantly, that scared all of them out of their wits. ¡°I told you it was more complicated. The old coin, Asmodeus, faked his death to escape and waited until both sides were heavily injured before he came out to pick the peach!¡± ¡°The fisherman benefits¡­ Boss Qingqiu is in danger!¡± ¡°F ck, Asmodeus, f*ck your ancestor¡¯s coffin!!¡± Asmodeus did not stop after doing all this. He waved his left hand fiercely. ¡®Kacha!¡¯ That shattered the space behind him! A boundless bloody hell floated up in the next moment. All the negative adjectives of evil, dark, brutal, and bloody weren¡¯t enough to describe that aura. The energy of the Ninth Hell Lord could still pass through the seal, although they couldn¡¯t leave Solan City due to the seal. A vast amount of energy gushed from the Ninth Hell Lord and poured into Asmodeus¡¯ body. This terrifying final realm of existence¡¯s pressure soared again. ¡°Kill them!¡± Asmodeus had used all his trump cards to kill Richard! Every pore on Richard¡¯s body opened, and his soul issued an unprecedented warning. ¡°Ah!¡± Richard released a low growl, and his handsome face became a little ferocious. That unleashed the power of the authority to the extreme. The entire desert of death shook as all the energy gathered. The Eternal Land in the sky burst into dazzling light. It enhanced the planar power. The branches of the World Tree quietly fell on Richard¡¯s shoulders. The power infused a magical energy infused into them. Since he couldn¡¯t avoid it, then? Bet everything! Richard roared. He unleashed everything he had to fight Asmodeus head-on! Asmodeus thought he could quickly destroy Richard. Soon, the Ninth Hell Lord realized the impossibility even with the support of the other demons in the Ninth Hell, even if he absorbed the power of the gods. Nor Richard. His heart shook. How could this Grace Mainland Overlord be so mighty? Even the power of the Ninth Hell couldn¡¯t do anything to him? Chapter 1153 Windsor tried to help Richard, but she realized in despair that the collision between the two had formed a special force field. One must tear the force field apart to hurt anyone in the battle. That was equivalent to being enemies with two people at the same time! To completely kill the gods, Windsor had already consumed too much power. She could no longer break through the power of the two of them! No matter how anxious she was, she could only watch as the figure who had blocked the fatal attack for her held the scepter that pierced through his chest and fought Asmodeus head-on with his strength. Tears of regret rolled down her face. She shouldn¡¯t have been careless! The viewers in the live stream room were about to go crazy. They had just enjoyed the taste of victory, but at this moment, they could only watch as the enemy took it away. That feeling was enough to drive anyone crazy. ¡°F*cking dog, you don¡¯t care about martial ethics! Sneak attack!!¡± ¡°What should Boss Qingqiu do now? Who can help Boss Qingqiu!¡± ¡°You must hold on! I can¡¯t fall here!¡± The reversal happened too quickly. All the players felt mentally and physically exhausted, and their minds tensed to the extreme. No one wanted to see the tables turn at the last moment! Time has passed extremely slowly amidst everyone¡¯s high anxiety. One hour, two hours! It had only been five hours, but the viewers in the live stream room felt as if half a century had passed. Both sides were still in a stalemate! The desert of death was Richard¡¯s backing. The Land of Eternity was his private territory, and he raised the World Tree. This solid foundation gave him unprecedented strength. He must survive the last two days, and one would rewrite everything if he continued to waste time! Richard¡¯s will was as hard as steel. It was unshakable. Asmodeus had also sensed Richard¡¯s terrifying strength, and his heart gradually grew uneasy. It reached the point of fear that he had never felt before. He roared into the sky. ¡°Bardi! Destroy this reptile¡¯s territory. I want to destroy everything he has!¡± Commander Bardi was the Devil Lord at the first level of Ninth Hell. He shuddered, and his gaze turned ferocious. He suddenly raised the vast sword that burned with flames in his hand and roared to the heavens and earth! ¡°Everyone! Charge with me!¡± That abomination¡¯s aura had already disappeared a few hours ago. Asmodeus had just emitted a Chaos Divine Sin. The other party had left the city. Then, he would not hold back! He immediately led the last reserve troop and pressed forward. There were two level 30 demigods and devils, more than 20 legends, and more than 40 transcendents. This power was terrifying. In the past, it could even quickly destroy an empire! Richard felt the desert scent behind Asmodeus and looked up. ¡°All the players who are still alive. Protect Twilight City for me. That is our last hope!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you!¡± His words moved everyone in the live stream room.Asmodeus pierced his chest, but he remained unwavering. ¡°Boss Qingqiu has already done so much. Can¡¯t we even defend a city?¡± ¡°There are only two days left! Our defense will resurrect us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to give it a try. We die, and we¡¯ll die on the battlefield!¡± There was no need for words. Richard¡¯s example was enough to explain everything. No one could save them if they were afraid to fight! Soon, a piece of shocking news came. The demon troop attacked Twilight City, tore the void part, and several demons appeared in Ell Plane. The direction connected to the Eternal Land became the main target of the demon troop. That ignited the flames of war in Ell Plane. This vast dimension was more suitable for large-scale battles than Twilight City. Countless abominations swarmed in and revealed their sharp edges. They were the reinforcements who wanted to cut off Twilight City from the source. The fall of Ell would flatten Twilight City! This war had reached a new climax! The bad news continued to spread. Several players in the live stream room decreased rapidly. Everyone left a comment. ¡°We can hold it!¡± Determination filled these simple words! ¡°Defend? With what? Take their lives!¡± Players brought their remaining troops to the battlefield in Ell. An inexplicable tragic feeling rose in everyone¡¯s hearts as they watched the viewers in the live stream room drop rapidly. ¡°Defend the last line of defense, defend Twilight City! Do not let Boss Qingqiu down. That must be our only goal! There was nothing left to hold back at this point. At most, Qingqiu would die! In times of crisis, some people retreated, some were afraid, some hid, and some even surrendered and betrayed their comrades. However, brave heroes were abundant and courageously advanced. This war would be the most glorious and tragic epic battle of the ¡°Shining Era¡± history! Devil Lord Bardi of the first level of the Ninth hell led his army elsewhere into Twilight City and immediately went on a killing spree. However, fighting spirit-filled figures appeared before him when he was about to strike! Dark Valkyrie Renee, Fearless warrior centaur Emily, Dark soul eater Kratos, golden lion of greed, and undead dragon hero stood fearlessly! Chapter 1154 Everyone was a legend. War was the place where people could grow the fastest. These top heroes didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. They finally stepped into the legendary realm that made people crazy after months of secret development. Dark Valkyrie wielded a three-meter-long war blade and blocked Bardi¡¯s path, while Dark Soul Eater Kratos blocked another Devil Lord. Emily dealt with the remaining legends and transcendents. It wasn¡¯t Bardi¡¯s place to be presumptuous in Twilight City! Other than the top heroes of Twilight City, there were also many unexpected figures in the crowd. The heiress Grand Duke of the Frostwolf family, Rebecca, had joined forces with her father, the old Grand Duke of Frostwolf. The true master of Solan City, the legendary ascetic Grand Duke, quietly appeared with his daughter, Christy. She had already broken through to the extraordinary realm. There were also the seven legendary archdukes of the Holy Church Kingdom and more than twenty transcendents who had come to support Twilight City from various factions. The advanced forces of Twilight City were not much weaker than the demon troop! A great battle instantly erupted! Ell Plane, Twilight City, Solan City, and the three monumental battlefields were all on fire. The Fortress City built in the Eternal Land, Eternal City, also appeared in the sky above Twilight City at the most critical moment. They had prepared tens of thousands of alchemical cannons and poured down at the critical moment when the demon troop was about to capture Twilight City. The rumbling sounds of artillery fire resounded throughout the world. The demon troops attacked the Ell Plane. That enormously reduced the reinforcements, and the situation of Twilight City almost fell. The cannons of Eternal City reversed it. Each cannon fired, and a small mushroom cloud would rise from the ground. High temperature and shrapnel covered the place where the bomb exploded. The dense horde of demons fell like wheat, ready for harvest. Twilight City¡¯s Black Sorbet, Elven Music Box, and Weapon Factory had matured. They could earn generous resources each day. These resources were all exchanged for military supplies, and alchemy cannons and bombs accounted for the majority. Richard did not waste any of his accumulated resources. The demon troop had no intention of retreating under Asmodeus¡¯ will, regardless of the casualties. In the intense battle, time began to pass faster. It was forty hours before the 10-day time limit. A new change occurred on the battlefield of Twilight City. The level 30 Devil Lord fought with the Dark Soul Eater Kratos and made a mistake. Kratos beat him to a pulp. Then Kratos¡¯s chains tied him up and executed him in front of countless people! Dark Soul Eater could flip the table like the Kobold God. He had killed a level 30 Devil Lord at level 26 and completed the reversal! Thirty-five hours have passed. Total darkness set in. Twilight City was not silver-white but blood-red under the cold moonlight. Richard could not feel the darkness of the night at all. He activated the artillery position of Eternal City in the sky above Twilight City. The dense artillery shells lit up the entire sky. The Grim Reaper harvested lives wantonly. Dark Soul Eater teamed up with Dark Valkyrie and fought against the more powerful Devil Lord, Bardi! Countdown timer: 24 hours. There was only one day left until the end of the chapter. Everything would end once the needle touched the end. However, neither the attacker nor the defender stopped. The slaughter continued. Figures pounded each other in Solan City. Asmodeus had tried countless times to crush Richard with the power of the Ninth Hell. But Richard had relied on the power of the Desert of Death to block Asmodeus¡¯s attacks countless times. In addition, the Eternal Land and the World Tree supported it. They fixed Asmodeus in his place until he couldn¡¯t move. The two had already entered a battle of attrition. They would tear into pieces whoever could not hold on! Asmodeus had the nine demons of Ninth Hell as support. The World Power restricted him, but his power was much mightier than Richard¡¯s. The tedious consumption made Richard feel an unspeakable burden, even though he held complete authority. He had consumed Desert of Death power already just now in the battle. This consumption had caused the Desert of Death to become a lake that had been drained dry. It was almost exhausted. Fortunately, what he needed to do was not to hold on forever. He only needed to hold on for a day. The last day! Only 12 hours left on the battlefield. Bardi had already gone completely insane. He killed his way into Twilight City countless times, but Dark Valkyrie had always forced him back. The Devil Lord guard of the first level of the Ninth Hell was the most powerful of the nine Devil Lords. He was a Main God. But even so, Dark Valkyrie and Dark Sould Eater sternly restrained him! The Devil Lord couldn¡¯t step into Twilight City. The Ell Plane had gone crazy. To protect the passage to support Twilight City, the level of bloodshed was even more exaggerated than the outside world. A multitude of players supported the battlefield in Ell. The players risked their lives. That would have long cut off the Twilight City reinforcements. They had become the true pillars, although they were usually unreliable! Chapter 1155 However, neither his plan to suppress Richard nor the demon troops to capture Twilight City made any progress. The initial joy of being the fisherman who had benefited from the victory had gradually sunk at this moment. Fear had begun to eat away at his heart. In the end, a strong sense of despair arose in him. The feeling of being forcefully killed by the other party when he was one step away from victory was like ten thousand ants that bit his heart. ¡°Why?!!¡± He was the ruler of the Ninth Hell, but he couldn¡¯t defeat the Grace Mainland Overlord! How could the other party do this? He had felt innumerable times that his opponent¡¯s power was on the verge of a collapse. He would only exert more effort, and then he could destroy everything. But his attempts were futile! His gemstone scepter had pierced Richard¡¯s chest, but he still couldn¡¯t slay the overlord! Fury and resistance flooded Asmodeus¡¯s heart. Time has passed again. The last hour, half an hour, ten minutes! ¡°Ah!¡± The pressure of the approaching time completely broke Asmodeus¡¯s heart. His throat let out a beast-like roar, and blood began to seep out of the cracks on his body. Desperation pulled out the hundreds of souls he had just devoured from his soul and poured into Richard¡¯s body from the gemstone scepter. Doing so would cause a monumental backlash on his body. He no longer cared! Richard felt a terrifying roar, and a vicious curse exploded in his mind as if it were going to tear his soul apart. ¡®Puchi!¡¯ Blood spurted out of his mouth. The pain in his soul was ten thousand times more intense than his physical body! The energy tore his soul, and he couldn¡¯t even stand up. He almost let go of the spellcaster in his hand. His consciousness gradually sank into darkness, and he felt the gaze of the Grim Reaper. His rationality and thoughts slowly obliterated. However, he stared at Asmodeus at this critical moment. He didn¡¯t step back. He bit her lips hard, even though they bled, and that exposed her bones! ¡®Asmodeus! Are you worthy of my death? ¡®Absolute! No! But! Yes!¡¯ The countdown on the attribute panel continued. Five minutes, three minutes, two minutes, one minute! Asmodeus had gone completely mad. He disregarded the consequences. That consumed his soul to explode. He wanted the final reversal and pound Richard like a meat! The soul was the most fundamental power of life. Asmodeus¡¯s actions dug out his foundation. That would reduce his power to the freezing point, and he might never recover even if he survived in the end! However, Asmodeus discovered the perseverance of the enemy in despair despite sacrifice and explosion! Richard was like a lonely boat that would never capsize in a storm. No matter how big the storm was, it was always a bit before it could! Thirty seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds¡­ 3, 2,1! As Asmodeus was unwilling, despairing, and lamenting, Time ended while Asmodeus resisted, lamented, and was in despair. [Ding~] Richard was still in a daze when he heard the familiar voice. He loosened his grip on the gemstone spellcaster and waved it weakly at the sky. [New Era opens!] After an almost inaudible murmur, the sound of glass shattering rang in the ears of all intelligent lives. Everyone felt that the world seemed to have undergone some changes. Richard finally let go of Asmodeus¡¯s power. A power tore his soul apart at this moment. He turned around in a daze. He only saw a blurry crimson figure run toward him before his consciousness fell into darkness. Then, he closed his eyes, and darkness swallowed him. He could no longer sense the outside world. Windsor finally broke through the force field of the two. Richard fell to the ground, and she hugged him tightly in her arms. She stared at the lifeless figure before her. Tears poured out wildly, and endless pain and regret filled her face. She was like a lost child who couldn¡¯t find her parents. She didn¡¯t hide her crying. Asmodeus saw this scene, and his entire body was like a wood. He felt no joy. He turned his head around in a daze. The Ninth Hell broke the seal of Solan City, had disappeared without a trace, and severed the connection with him. The power he had wielded for countless years left him at this moment. The high-intensity output in his body had caused his body to be in a state of depletion. He suddenly lost support at this moment with his soul power. His legs went soft, and his face was pale as he collapsed to the ground. The Ninth Hell Lord was in a sorry state. He stared at Windsor while she cried in pain for the lifeless figure in front of her. She raised his head and let out the most powerless sigh and roar. He had never thought the Grace mainland Overlord would defeat him one day! ****** Richard fell, and there was no spectacular change in the world rules. The world welcomed a massive change starting from Solan City, especially the Desert of Death. That was a forbidden land for life. The world greeted a new life. Endless green rose in the vast yellow sand. The grass sprouted its teeth, the green trees burst out, the streams wandered, and the lakes rippled. Vegetation shrouded the yellow sand from the sky. The change was as fast as the blink of an eye. Even miracles were like this. Only green forests and grasslands surrounded the vast desert. One could no longer spot a single trace of exposed yellow sand. Chapter 1156 Asmodeus lost control of the Ninth Hell, and the demon troop tried to attack but felt something that broke. It was like someone unlocked their shackles, and others would no longer have to order them! Their minds became unprecedentedly clear. The abominations threw down their weapons and fled in all directions afterward. The demons who were supposed to supervise them didn¡¯t stop them. They even joined the team that escaped. Twilight City returned to its peaceful state after a fierce battle. The soldiers and players bathed in blood looked at the fleeing demon troop. They looked at each other and then sat on the blood and broken limbs while they cried and laughed. ¡°War! The war is over!!¡± ¡°We survived! Hahaha, we survived!¡± The players watched the live broadcast and felt their hearts in their throats! That was because they saw the live stream room suddenly close at the last moment. Richard collapsed with a loud crash. Asmodeus had still killed him! This young man who had supported the entire war had died at the last moment. The extreme contrast in emotions made hundreds of millions of viewers feel their noses turn sour. An indescribable state struck their hearts. [Ding~ The darkness before dawn has passed. Player Qingqiu has successfully held on until the last moment and opened the door to a New Era.] [In the New Era, there will no longer be gods above all living beings.] [The power of authority will once again fuse into the world.] [The highest level will be 30. One can search for scattered divinity to strengthen and obtain a longer lifespan and greater power.] [Gods will never appear again.] A warm and kind voice sounded after a stiff notification. [My children, I am your mother, Abner.] [I¡¯ve woken up. However, I will also fall asleep again. And this time, I will fall asleep forever.] [But my power will transform into eternal laws to protect the world. Children, I have left an inheritance somewhere in the world. Every era, there will be someone who will receive the inheritance and become the new guardian of the world.] [Within the world, the guardian cannot use the power above the gods. However, when enemies attack, the world will bestow the power. This way alone can guarantee the eternity of our world.] [I¡¯m too tired. It¡¯s time to rest. I hope to be with you all for a long time.] The gentle voice returned to calmness. A new piece of information appeared in the minds of all the players. It introduced a secret that every player was curious about. The World Power and Creation God formed the system. The God of Creation fell into an eternal slumber after his fight against the ChaosDivine Sins for countless years. However, He sensed that the world wasn¡¯t safe, so he wanted to take back his authority and gather his power to deal with the danger of the chaotic void. Five hundred thousand years ago was his first attempt. However, he did not expect the gods would resist to hand over their authority! That even prevented the start of a New Era and the plan of the Creation God to take back his thwarted authority. He lost his power and couldn¡¯t push all of this forward. Thus, he could only wait for the right opportunity. Finally, in the endless years, he had sensed another universe¡¯s aura and discovered Planet Blue. He was selfless to his world but selfish to outsiders. He brought the players here and became the Lord of Grace Mainland Overlord. He became the executor of her New Era. A condition was necessary for the New Era to start. He had to drastically change the existing ones and make the gods lose their power to mobilize his power and change the rules. It was like how a small shareholder needed to take in several shares to regain the company¡¯s control. The players played the role of changing the world. Their incongruity finally led the world in another direction. The Creation God moved the needle of fate and allowed Richard to complete all of this. He had completed the start of the New Era. That would completely melt into the world and no longer exist. The system would also disappear with his death. The remaining players learned of the cause and effect. That complicated their emotions. All the words they wanted to say turned into a sigh. Fate had already pushed them to this point. What could they do? The war had ended, but life had to continue. It was time to welcome a new life. However, the fall of the gods did not bring the world back on the right track. Everyone didn¡¯t expect that. Instead, a massive purge suddenly erupted. The gods left forces who attacked like never before. The natives started a war! They breached the churches and toppled statues one after another. The believers of the past watched all of this in a daze. They could not find a reason to stop it. The gods were no longer around, so what were they persisting for? The gods had always held great power. The power vacuum left behind something enough to arouse everyone¡¯s greed. Those top forces started a chaotic battle on an even larger scale, even more tragic than the divine war. Chapter 1157_End Those who knew how to end this war of gods paid close attention to Solan City and Twilight City. They were eager to know the mighty existence that ended this war. Would Richard still be alive? ****** Nothingness swallowed Richard. He could not feel the passage of time. He felt like a million years had passed, but it also felt like a minute. He vaguely heard a voice call out to him after a long time. ¡°Wake up, wake up¡­¡± The war ended, and everything was about to be reborn. ¡°Wake up, wake up¡­¡± The voice grew louder and heavier. That gradually allowed Richard to recover his consciousness from the endless darkness and void. Finally, the call peaked. Richard suddenly opened his eyes. The fragrance reached the tip of his nose. That was the first thing he knew. The incomparable warmth and comfort behind him followed afterward. He raised his head and saw an exquisite and flawless face looking down at him with a smile. ¡°Chairman Windsor¡­¡± His voice was hoarse and dry. He must have missed water in the desert for half a month. Windsor¡¯s heart overflew with bliss. He felt both heartache and joy. This lord slaughtered gods like chickens and sheep. Her eyes were red, like a little wife who had not seen her husband for many years. Windsor would remember this figure who stood in front of her and had his chest pierced through to save her for the rest of her life. She spoke in the gentlest voice. ¡°Lord Richard, how do you feel now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. How was it outside? Where are Asmodeus and the demon troop?¡± ¡°Everything is safe. There will be no more gods in this world. Asmodeus¡¯s defeat imprisoned him in the dungeon for you to deal with.¡± ¡°Humans would not have to control the Ninth Hell. Devil troops fled the Mortal Plane. We could no longer train the devils into a troop who obeys orders¡­¡± Richard was relieved. ¡°How are the losses of Twilight City? Had the enemies injured heroes?¡± ¡°They had destroyed most of Twilight City. They had wiped the troop out, and none survived. Only a dozen or so troop laird survived. However, we have preserved the Hero Altar and resurrected the dead heroes. The losses were heavy, but the final gains of this war were enough to make up for these losses. We can even gain more than you can imagine. ¡°At this moment, the whole world is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Where are the residents?¡± ¡°Everything is safe. The residents stayed in Eternal City.¡± ¡°How about the Ell Plane?¡± Richard finally calmed down after a series of questions. ¡°The losses were unprecedentedly enormous. Forces have flattened Twilight City, and the previously accumulated troops were gone. But at least we survived, right? ¡°There would be hope for everything as long as we are alive. We would soon rebuild what the enemies had destroyed. We would give rise to these troops!¡± Windsor answered and looked at him with bright eyes. ¡°Lord Richard, our initial wish has been fulfilled.¡± Richard looked at Windsor¡¯s face. He felt the warmth of her embrace. He smiled. ¡°Yes, the god granted our wish.¡± A series of noisy footsteps came from outside afterward. Richard subconsciously turned his head and saw familiar figures. The first person he saw was the anxious little princess of Solan City, Christy. She was usually a lively girl but calm at this moment. The war had made her lose her innocence. When she saw him, the girl immediately revealed a bright smile. Behind Christy was Rebecca, the current ruler of the Frostwolf Family. She occupied half of the Ice Empire. She was a girl in white armor, and concern and joy filled her eyes. Tundel, the queen of the Ell Plane, was there also. Richard looked at Adele, Twilight City¡¯s treasure. She had become the Blacksmith Master. He was glad to see Dark Valkyrie Fay, the Vampire Breed Archduchess Loreinna, the Divine Soul Renee, the fearless veteran Xina, and the little centaur Emily. They all had tears in their eyes. Everyone squeezed into the room. Dark Soul Eater Kratos, the Deception God Tai Long, Karu, Gray, and Gunter waited outside the house. Heroes such as Brown were present. Outside the courtyard, the Golden Lion of Greed, God¡¯s Ancient Tree, and the Undead Dragon Hero Alves dragged their vast bodies and waited for news. In addition, [Steamed Bun Lover], [Where¡¯s Your F*cking Italian Cannon], and a group of player representatives from the Ell Players Association were there. The Ell Alliance and the local forces had sent several envoys. Everyone waited for Richard to wake up. They knew there would be a place for one as long as Richard was alive. This war was too shocking. Next, they would have to wait for Richard to wake up and reset the world. Richard responded to everyone¡¯s greetings and concerns. Windsor gently told him what had happened in the outside world over the past few days. ¡°Lord Richard, it¡¯s time to meet those forces. From today onwards, the Mortal Plane will welcome a new order, and you will be the commander of this order!¡± The girl stared at Richard with her starry eyes. Pride impregnated her eyes. This young man would become the most influential ruler of this world! Richard slowly sat up and started at the girl who held his arms. Then he turned to look at the beautiful figures in the room. His mood was much better. He was about to speak when Karu suddenly rushed into the room with a letter. ¡°Lord, the soldier just received a special letter. He indicated it was for you. One sealed aremarkable magical power on it. Here it is, Lord.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes. ¡®A letter for me?¡¯ He took the envelope with some doubt. The envelope was blank. The magic on it dissipated automatically after coming into contact with him. ¡°What a clever trick.¡± Richard frowned slightly. He sensed no danger and slowly opened it. He began reading it carefully. He stared at it for a moment. He shifted his expression slightly. He closed the letter again after a long time. A line of remarkable words appeared on the initially blank envelope. [To the new guardian. Until forever, Abner.] Windsor was the closest and saw the words and immediately thought of some secrets. She smiled. ¡°What did Mother God say to you?¡± Richard handed the letter over to Windsor. He would want her to read the letter. Windsor did not stand at the ceremony. She read softly afterward. ¡°The guardian¡¯s inheritance is in the second mountain range of the Elf Forest¡­¡± Windsor continued to read. Richard left her arms and slowly stood up. He turned to look at the heroes in the room and smiled. ¡°We have a new journey¡­¡± ****** (End of the book)